SEQUENCE 002

title                   : defining love

author               : pixiemaknae

characters          : im yura (oc), se hun (exo-k), kai (exo-k)

word count        : 1,908 words

The lad immediately pretended to check the lens of his camera when the subject he had been spying, scratch that – following, this past two weeks turned her head around. He was slightly fidgeting – afraid that she would catch him looking. He could see from the corner of his eyes that she was staring at his direction and he could feel his body tensed from the girl’s gaze.

“Damn, that was close,” he said under his breath, feeling a great relief, when the girl returned to her current activity. He took another look and confirmed that she wasn’t looking over anymore.

“Dude!”

He jolted as a reaction as if there were an electrifying shock passing through his body. He turned around and was greeted by his close friend’s mischievous grin. Growling, he said, “Oh God, Kai, what a good way to announce your arrival.”

Kai mouthed a simple ‘sorry’ before taking a seat beside the grumpy Se Hun. “Stalking again, Oh Se Hun?” Kai questioned almost immediately, making the other to choke without a reason. When his friend just threw him a glare, he continued, “How noble what you do.”

“Thanks,” Se Hun answered sarcastically.

“Seriously, I don’t know what you see in her, dude-”

“But I do.”

“Of course you do. That’s why you’ve been stalking her around for a we-”

“Two,” Se Hun interrupted.

“I kn- Don’t cut me off first,” Kai said, warning the other who soon motioned him to continue, “if you’re interested in her, then why don’t you make a move? I know you’re used to see girls making a move for you, but, man up and initiate a conversation with her, will you?”

Se Hun glowered at him and replied, “You don’t have to tell me that again, Kai. I knew it better than you.” He had his eyes landed on the girl for a second before meeting his friend’s eyes again, “But it’s just that I… I’m not sure.”

“And what is this thing that you’re not sure of?”

“Making a move. You should know that there are a lot of ‘what-if’s on my head right now an-”

Kai laughed heartily while Se Hun just gave him a look. “Man, you always worry about everything.”

“I can’t help it. It’s my nature, so?”

“That’s why I’m going to help you.”

---

“Thank you so much, noona. I appreciate it.”

As soon as Kai closed the door after him, the best friend finally spat. “Maybe I shouldn’t underestimate your flirting ability with the seniors. Sorry,” He said, ending his own statement with a laugh.

“I know you’d be sorry. Anyway, we got your girl’s name. Happy? Shouldn’t you, by now, thanking me for what I just did?” Kai added as he crossed his hands in front of his chest, waiting for the latter’s response.

“Thanks. I know I can always count on you.”

“Good,” He grimaced, showing his pearl-white teeth. “And by the way, you should meet her as soon as possible. Now is the perfect timing, you know.”

“…Have you gone mad?”

“Of course I haven’t! I mean, come on! Where is the wrong in that? You should make a damn move before it’s too late! You heard the seniors, right? Didn’t they say she was close to senior Chen? Who knows if senior Chen got a crush on her too?”

“But I’m not sure if this is love or mere…”

“That’s why you should figure it out!”

The two weren’t looking at the front as they walked down the hallway, which resulting to them bumping a person – a very dainty-looking she. The books the girl was holding, of course, were fallen from her grasp to the tiled floor. While the ignorant Kai just muttered a simple ‘oh-oh’, the big-hearted Se Hun helped her getting the thick, complicated-looking, hard-cover books. “I’m sorry, we weren’t looking,” he stated apologetically. When he gazed up to look at the girl’s face, he swore he almost died of heart attack right there.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t looking either,” she replied – her voice was soft and melodious, just like how Se Hun always imagined. “Thank you.”

“Y-You’re welcome,” was all Se Hun could say.

Kai realized who the girl was and called her name without a second thought. “Wait. You’re Im Yura, right?”

That moment, Se Hun really wanted to give the taller a smack in the head, nonetheless he just stayed still there. “Yes, I am. And you are?”

“Hi! I’m Kai. This is Se Hun. We are from the dance majors,” He smoothly introduced, as if he already prepared for this. Little did Se Hun know, Kai already prepared himself, even made a sort-of script in his head on what should he talk about when they finally met.

“Can we talk for a while?”

---

“You’re really going to do it?”

“Sure. It would be such an honor for me to help you two.”

“Dude! Did you hear that? She’s going to do it!”

Even though Kai was practically screaming in his ears, it seemed like Se Hun wasn’t aware of it. Since the bumping scene, he couldn’t concentrate at all – he was like there standing, however with no soul. Although he might look like he was blur and emotionless at that time, he was looking at her constantly – his eyes were hardly leaving her.

“Se Hun! Yah!”

It took Kai about three times to call out his friend’s name until the other finally came back to his senses. “Y-yeah? What?”

Kai just sighed and held his head up to look at the girl again, “Sorry, Yura-ssi. Se Hun sometimes can be so blank. He daydreams a lot.”

“Wha-”

“Anyway,” Kai purposely interjected Se Hun’s words, “can we have your phone number? That way we can contact you easily.”

“Of course, my number is…”

“Wait! Aish, I think I forgot to bring it. Dude, you better save her number. You brought your phone, right?” He asked, nudging the other’s elbow.

Dang, Kai’s good.

After telling her number, Yura bid them goodbye since she had appointments to attend, leaving them behind. “You should be grateful for everything I did for you, you knew that?”

Se Hun scowled; nevertheless he was seen brighter a moment later.

---

It was already a week of their meeting. Even though Se Hun didn’t admit that he just wanted to see Yura to Kai, truth to be told, he became braver and requested to see her more often if possible. Of course, with an alibi saying that he ran out of inspirations or he wanted to share thoughts and ideas for the upcoming four-years-old anniversary of Focus, the club for photography lovers. Their constant meeting, unfortunately, wasn’t just the two of them, since Kai was busy being annoying and being the third wheel at the same time. Despite coming from the dance major, Se Hun always had a thing on photography. He began his obsession of taking photos from a year ago before finally joining the club. He also literally dragged Kai to get into the club that time, thinking that his best friend might discover another talent too.

It was 4.30 pm.

Se Hun was practicing his photography skills in the park near the campus like always – his routine in the afternoons after one weary day full of classes. He thoroughly scanned the scenery around him, searching for the ‘right’ objects he should capture for the next Photography Gallery in his university. He loved nature so much; he was debating with himself on what he should take a picture – the green trees, the blooming flowers, or the wide blue sky. Albeit the perfect day, he wasn’t able to focus completely on taking pictures, thanks to a particular girl named Im Yura.

“Aish, you’re kidding me, Oh Se Hun,” he scolded himself. “You can’t let a girl taking over your head like this.”

Since he was stuck at the moment, he finally let himself roaming around aimlessly before stopping at his favorite spot, which was the same place where he’d been ‘visiting’ often so that he could get a glimpse of her drawing her surroundings without her knowing. It might sound creepy but Se Hun never meant to stalk her – like Kai said, ‘stalk’ – like that. He began coming to that spot more frequently after seeing her for the first time, “She was so absorbed with what she did and I couldn’t deny it that she was breathtakingly beautiful. Cheesy as it might sound but I suddenly want to get to know her more ever since, Se Hun said.

“Se Hun-ssi?”

He wasn’t sure if he was being delusional when he thought he heard her voice.

“What are you doing here?”

Like the previous meetings, Se Hun had the difficulty to find words to speak and kept stammering, as if he were a toddler who could only mumble meaningless words. “Erm… Well, yeah, you see…” He then randomly pointed a big fountain which was in the center of the park. “… I was- I was just seeing the fountain, yeah, the fountain.”

Finding him funny, she chuckled and decided to believe in what he said. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Y-Yeah, me too,” stuttered him, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

The two of them chatted happily and shared a few laughs together. They were closer now – even Se Hun couldn’t believe it either – and they got to know each other even better time after time.

“That’s why you look really familiar, you know. You’re here often, right? I see you a lot.”

“If it weren’t because of you, I wouldn’t bug to come to this place.”

“… W-what?”

As soon as Se Hun realized that he was saying his words way too audible for her to hear, he immediately covered his mouth instantly. He mentally slapped himself for ever saying it, moreover saying it right to her face. You’re busted, stupid. Might as well confess.

Taking another breath in, he calmly said, “I like you, Yura-ssi.”

She was so surprised because of the unexpected words that slipped out of his mouth. She couldn’t even hold her head up to see his expression. She wanted to ask whether he was saying the right thing – that she wasn’t imagining things.

The silence that engulfed both of them soon turned into awkwardness that was inexplicably awkward – it was so thick and intense that you could hear a pin drop. They just stayed still like perfectly-sculptured statues, trying hard to not look in each other in the eyes.

“I’m sorry for what I said, Yura-ssi. I know it’s not the right timing and it burdens you right now with the sudden confession, but I just have to say it.”

He looked to his left and saw her cheeks changed color to scarlet, still he continued, “Honestly. I can’t explain what I feel, Yura-ssi. I’m not sure either. As cheesy as it might sound, but I felt like I lost my mind the moment I saw you. Except you, everything gets in slow motion. I stutter a lot, I get nervous a lot. I can’t even look you in the eyes. My heart beats faster if you’re close. I never imagine myself being like this, Yura-ssi. I can’t control this feeling, emotion  - and it’s all because of you.”

“I’m not sure if this is what people called as… love. So, tell me if this is love. Tell me, what is love.”

---

Inspiration: What Is Love (Korean Version) and What Is Love (Chinese Version)