It was just a usual Monday. The weather was already beginning to feel autumnal. The sky was cloudless and slight cold in the air made people speed up their paces on the sidewalk.

Jongin was sitting alone in a café not far from SIA, stealing glance at the entrance from time to time. He had received a sudden call from Luhan yesterday, asking him to meet up for something really important. After losing at the competition last Friday, Jongin was still upset but the older boy sounded so serious that he couldn’t say no.

 Another bell from the main door jolted Jongin back, he held up his hand and called out the honey brown hair boy who was panting hard, obviously had run all the way here.

“Luhan hyung.”

Luhan quickly walked toward the table, tossing his backpack aside and plopped down opposite the younger boy.

“Sorry I’m late. The professor didn’t let me go.”

“It’s okay. I’m not busy anyway.”

The waitress put down a glass of water, asking the older male for his order. She even winked at him when her job was done. Jongin chuckled, Luhan was absolutely attractive without any trying.

“So” the tan skin boy cleared his throat “What is this special occasion hyung?”

Sending his angelic smile to thank the waitress, Luhan picked up his cup of orange juice and took a sip. Although he had practiced this speech several time at dorm, he still felt his hand sweating by the nervousness.

 It’s better to be straightforward.

“Uhmm… I need your help.”

Jongin arched his brows, trying to keep his voice plain

“Really? You seem capable of everything….”

“About Sehun.” Luhan gently cut off, his voice became softer as he mentioned the particular name.

The younger boy let out an “ohh” and leaned back on the chair, crossed his arms comfortably. So this was it about, he knew he would find out soon. Jongin smirked, he wanted to play a little with the helpless one sitting across the table.

“If you want me to give him up to you then you’re so wrong hyung.”

Luhan widened his eyes in surprise at that statement but quickly got what the other was doing, he tilted his head, put both elbows on the table.

“I don’t have that kind of interest in him.” he paused a second “And I know you don’t either.”

For the second time in two minutes, Jongin’s draw dropped. He narrowed his eyes, stared at the Chinese boy to find some kind of a lie under that baby face but got nothing. Either he was genuine or good actor.

“Okay. So what exactly can I help you?”

Now it was Luhan’s turn to shift uneasily in his chair. What he about to ask was embarrassing enough to make him dig his own grave.

“I want to be friend with Sehun. But from what I heard, he always keeps distance with new people. You’re his best friend, I’m thinking you could show me some ways to make friend with him.”

The tan skin boy stayed silent in a moment. This was the first time someone came to him for such a weird proposal. Normally, people chose to stay away from Sehun. He wasn’t sure if everyone had the same feeling like he did when he first met Sehun but something coming from this boy defined one word ‘danger’. Well, that was the old Sehun, maybe the new version of his friend was just cold but he was too familiar with him, he was unable to recognize it at all.

That or maybe Luhan was simply crazy

 “Why?”

After a long minute thinking, that was all spitted out of his mouth. It sounded more like a slip of the tongue than a real question.

“I mean…” he scratched his neck “What do you want from him?”

“I wish he could be the model in my final design.”

Noticing the younger one didn’t react to the news, Luhan continued to explain his intention.

“Normally I just take scenery photo, but this is my last work as a student, I want it different.”

“Why Sehun?” Jongin finally back to reality.

The older male smiled, he had asked himself the same question the whole time from the moment he decided to choose Sehun. There were many other ones who would be glad to be his model but somehow when he pictured his idea in his mind, this young boy always popped up.

“He has the material fits my concept.”

Jongin seemed convinced a bit. It’s quite logical. He’s sure that Sehun would reject immediately to this offer unless it’s for his friend. And Luhan was smart enough not only to be aware of the matter of fact but also to ask the right one to help him.

However, nothing was for free.

“What do I get in exchange?”

Luhan fished out from his pocket two pieces of paper, put it on the table and slightly pushed it toward the latter’s side.

The brightened eyes of the tan skin boy as he picked them up made Luhan chuckled, knowing that his deal was successful and he had not wasted his effort to win the dance competition last Friday.

Jongin flapped the coupons in the air, beamed widely.

“Okay. I’m in.”

***********

The next days, Luhan would meet up with Jongin several times to learn more things about Sehun and made plan to approach that boy. The younger one refused to talk much about his friend’s past, family and other personal stuffs.

But Luhan couldn’t care more, well at least not now. He had to focus on the main purpose, the minor one could wait for the right time.

The plan to make friend with Sehun had exactly 4 steps, designed and recommended by Jongin.

STEP 1: Accidently show up in front of the target as much as possible.

According to Jongin, to make good impression on that boy, Luhan should use every chance to be at the same place with Sehun. Frankly, Luhan found it pretty hard. They had different schedule, studied at different Department and didn’t even cross the path to their dorm. Luckily, the Korean boy had a routine of working on his composing skill at the library twice a week, went swimming regularly at university’s pool and did his part time job at a bakery nearby after school.

Therefore, people would find Luhan come to the library more often, sometimes just sitting from afar, staring at a younger male who taking note down on his book while putting on the earphone. Sometimes when the latter averted his eyes to his direction, Luhan would wave his hand happily but all he got was a cold gaze before Sehun went back to his work.

The Chinese boy was often seen taking a swim early in the morning too. He tried to make conversation with his target but the Korean boy quickly left after he got out of the water.

If those situations above made Luhan want to cry inside then the bakery was his heaven. He could enjoy himself with all kind of cakes sold there with or without Sehun’s notice, even though it cost him quite a lot and Minseok constantly complained that he was extremely hyper after coming out of the shop.

After three weeks, it was safe to say this step half succeeded cuz although the younger boy still refused to say any word to him, he had stopped giving him glacial look.

STEP 2: Make friend with the target’s friends.

This was the part where Luhan felt most confident. He was already friend with Suho, his classmate. He’s acquainted with Baekhyun as they was co-workers in paper recycling project of Art Department, carried out last year (they’re from the same Department but Baekhyun was major in acting). So there were three out of five, included Jongin.

The first time he met the whole group was the lunch break, at the cafe where he by chance came across and Jongin unintentionally spotted him from afar and called after.

This was also the first time he heard Sehun’s laugh as Chanyeol told him a funny story which happened in the taller one’s class earlier. The younger boy was different when he’s with his friends, more talkative and cuter.

“Luhan hyung, why did you come to Korea?”

D.O asked him out of nowhere after his third meeting with them. Even Sehun dropped down his pencil, shifted his look to him, waiting for the answer.

“This is where I found my inspiration to take photography as my future career.”

All of them stared at him with the same incomprehensible facial expression. The Chinese chuckled, seeing that he just said something that only he could understand.

“It’s a long story.” he smiled “Maybe next time.”

STEP 3: Find out the common interests to talk about

To be honest, Luhan wanted to give up. Making a proper conversation with Sehun was like an impossible mission. He was sure the younger boy was listening to all of his stories but he didn’t bother to make any comments or response. 

The progress seemed to be at a standstill then an idea came up in the Chinese boy’s mind.

He approached the Korean boy one day at the library, plopped down in the chair opposite while pinching the bridge of his nose in pain. Sehun looked up with a emotionless face.

“What’s wrong?”

Luhan was glad that his action was noticed and tried hard not to smile back.

“I’m under stress lately.”

The younger boy pulled out the earphone and placed it around his neck, tilted his head aside staring. The older male in front of him did look a little bit paler than normal, his hair was not combed well and there was black eyes bag on his face.

“You should take it easy on yourself.” Sehun stated the matter of fact

“I’m thinking of buying some classical music CDs” Luhan continued with his plan, waiting for the other fall into his trap.

“Yeah, that might help.”

Sehun nodded agree, decided to cut the talking here. However, before he could put back the earphone, Luhan already leaned in, both elbows on the table, pursed his lips and pleading.

“But I don’t know which one is good. Can you go with me?”

At this moment, Sehun thought if he said no, the older one would make the whole library bash on him with just his pouting. And it was something you’d better not know.

After a long minute battling, he threw his hands in the air and reluctantly packed up his stuffs.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

Mission accomplished!

STEP 4: Suddenly disappear or ignore the target

“Are you kidding me?”

Luhan exclaimed when Jongin told him about the final step of his plan as they were walking across the campus. He finally had some kind of connection to Sehun and now the tan skin boy suggested him not to show up any more.

The latter shrugged, feeling a little offended by the doubt in the older male’s voice, pointed out the effects that he thought it could work.

“He will feel the lack of your presence. He’ll know that you have become a part of his life.”

Luhan stopped, blinked several times and shook his head in disbelief. There was no way Sehun would have any feeling like that picture Jongin had just painted, not even close.

“You must have watched too much drama with D.O, Jongin ah. I’ll see you at lunch.”            

He patted Jongin’s back slightly before bidding a goodbye, sped up his pace toward his classroom.