A week has passed already since Jongdae last saw Minseok

…

Jongdae has found some friends at the University he is currently attending; Bang Yongguk, Kim Himchan and Yoo Youngjae.

His been looking for Minseok but couldn’t see his little baozi anywhere…

Minseok giggles at Sehun’s childish behaviour

“B-but Kris hyung it’s not fair! I want it please! The lollipop please!” Sehun pouts and the table all laugh

“No Sehun you had way too much sweets! Look at you babo!” Kris says sternly

“Lu Han baby” Sehun coos pouting. Lu Han laughs harder “S-Sehun-ah No, Kris is right babo” Lu Han says patting his hair

Sehun pouts and the table laughs once again

“Oh the new kid!” Tao says suddenly

Minseok looks up from his plate to see Jongdae enter, laughing along with a couple of people Minseok recognises as Bang, Himchan and Youngjae.

Jongdae catches his eye and Minseok quickly looks away

“Ooh what was that? Gege you’re blushing!” Lay says giggling

“Do you like Chen Min-Min?” Sehun teases

Minseok’s cheeks turn a bright red colour “W-what?! I don’t like him!”

He says that a little too loudly. The people in the cafeteria area stare at Xiumin…Chen too…

“What?” Kris says dangerously. At once everyone averts their eyes from the table. “Minnie what’s going on?” Lu Han asks curiously

“N-nothing. Look I’m going to go practice for a bit. See you guys later” Xiumin hurriedly stands up, preparing himself to leave before

“Gege. You know him don’t you? You like him too” Tao states matter of factly, glaring his eyes through to Xiumin’s soul. Xiumin frowns

“I. Do. Not. Like. Kim Jongdae” he spits back, turning around and walking out of the cafeteria…fast.

“If you don’t know him and in fact don’t like him then how do you know and remember his full name when you don’t have any classes with him at all babo” Tao says under his breath.

Sehun spots Minseok’s phone that he left behind

“Guys, can you tell what I’m thinking?” Sehun says sharing a look with his partner in crime Tao

Tao instantly smirks, grabbing Minseok’s phone and looking for a number under: Kyungsoo

Jongdae watches as Minseok walks out of the cafeteria “Hey guys I gotta-uh- go yeah? I’ll see you later!” Before his friends can even reply, Jongdae is out and racing behind Minseok through the halls

“YA! MINSEOK!”

Jongdae grabs his wrist and turns him around

“Chen” Minseok says. The stare his giving Jongde scares him, there’s no emotion whatsoever. “Minseok. Hi” Jongdae says breathlessly. Yeah don’t judge, Jongdae didn’t think that far ahead as to what he is going to say to Minseok once he catches him

“Minseok. I uh- aish” not knowing what to say, Jongdae pulls Minseok into his arms. Minseok is purely surprised and doesn’t know how to respond.

“Why do you always run from me? I don’t get it hyung” Jongdae says brokenly. Minseok can hear the pain in his voice am I doing this to him?

“C-Chen. Let go please” Minseok says against Jongdae’s chest. Jongdae’s cradling his head into his chest, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist

“No. I did that once, I’m not doing it again. Can’t we jus talk? I've waited for so long to see you babo. How could you leave me like that? Not even saying a word, just turning away. Do you have any idea how much that broke me? Couldn’t you hear the way my heart broke and shattered into a million pieces? Your parents wouldn’t tell me anything, not even Junmyeon hyung. I searched for you and I finally found you. I thought maybe, maybe you’d be happy and you’d return my embrace, calling me’Jong-Jong’ while I’d call you my Baozi. But you don’t even want to see me. I feel like you left because of me but why? Why hyung?”

Minseok can literally feel his own heart tearing. Why? Why you say? To protect you babo! You’re making this much harder…

With all his strength, Minseok pulls himself away from Jongdae. “Stop. Please”

“Tell me what I can do to fix whatever I did-

“YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING! IT’S ALREADY DONE! THERES NO GOING BACK!” Minseok screams

Minseok feels like running into Jongdae’s arms and kissing away that painful look on his face, smoothing it out so he can see Jongdae’s bright smile. But he holds himself back and kicks away that guilt feeling

“If you want to do anything, just leave me alone. Please”

Jongdae doesn’t know what to do or say, but watches as Minseok turns away and leaves him behind, leaves him with tears streaming down his face…leaving him again with a ripped up heart.

The two didn’t know that someone was lurking behind the walls, watching the whole encounter taking place

“Who do you think you are Kim ing Jongdae. Minseok is mine!” the person mumbles under his breath, watching with fiery eyes as Jongdae turns away, walking away the other way from Minseok, not noticing the person standing there.

…

Xiumin falls to his knees in the practice room, panting heavily. Get him off your mind Minseok! Its better this way, don’t think about it. Just move on. Move on.

“Xiumin is that you? Woah what’s wrong?!” Xiumin turns his head to the side

“Lee Joon hyung” he timidly whispers. “Minnie” Lee Joon kneels in front of him, reaching out his hands to wipe the tears away that Xiumin hasn’t noticed has fallen

“What happened Minnie?” Lee Joon asks

Xiumin knows that if it’s anyone who he could count on, it’s Lee Joon. Lee Joon who is always by his side and willing to do whatever he can to help him out. He has no idea why Tao is so against Lee Joon though…

“I-it I-I” Xiumin breaks down into sobs as Lee Joon takes in the crying younger “Ssh. Ssh its okay. Don’t worry I’m here. It’s okay”

Tao watches through the door, clenching his teeth together in anger. “Hey Tao, what’s your problem with Lee Joon anyway? Hey come here don’t barge in there come here” Kris says soothingly, pulling Tao away from the door and pushing him up against the wall gently

“Hey Ssh calm down” Kris whispers, putting his palms up towards the youngers face to and caress his face. Kris knows and can feel when Tao is pissed and right now…Is the time and Tao’s most dangerous when his pissed.

Tao is the most nice, adorable and sensitive person. But piss off the panda and well…good luck

“Ge I’m going to kill him” Tao says, his deadly aura should and can frighten anyone away. But not Kris.

“No Tao. Calm down. Tell me what’s going on, why have you always held this anger towards Joon?”

Tao turns his head to the side and away from Kris’ hold “I can’t say. Just leave it ge but if he hurts our baozi, you cannot hold me back” And Tao is off and storming away.

Kris takes one last look through the door what is going on?

Turning around Kris races after his panda

…

“Kyungsoo are you sure this is a good idea? Xiumin will kill us if he finds out”

“Oh look there here!”

Kyungsoo and Jongin watches as Xiumin’s friends walk in. they’re at the mall, meeting up at the food court after Tao managed to find Kyungsoo’s number and ring him

~2 HOURS EARLIER~

“Are you sure we should do-

“Shh Lay gege the phone is ringing” Tao instructs

Kris shrugs to Lay and Lay ignores the feeling in his stomach

“Hello?” A voice says over the other line

“Hello? Um is this Do Kyungsoo?”

A pause “Speaking”

“Hi Uh I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Huang Zitao, better known as Tao”

“Ah yes I remember you. Hi again, sorry again for that awkward encounter”

Tao thinks his already liking Kyungsoo

“It’s alright”

“Um sorry for asking but isn’t this Minseok’s phone?”

Tao chuckles “Yeah. Uh we kind of have an emergency so I called the only person who could help us” Tao honestly says. His friends and boyfriend are eyeing him and Tao just smiles at them. Sehun smiles back, trust the two maknae’s to concoct a plan only they would have without telling anyone else and just going ahead with it

“What happened? Is Minseok alright?” Kyungsoo’s voice is panicky and Tao knows that Kyungsoo really and truly does care for his Xiumin ge

“His fine Kyungsoo. Listen can we meet up?”

~NOW~

“Hi Kyungsoo!” Tao says reaching forward to shake his hands “Hey Tao. Good to see you” he responds back politely

“Jongin” Tao and Jongin shake hands

“Oh Kris right?” Jongin says directing his words to the said one “Yeah hey” “Tao’s boyfriend?” “How did you know?” Kris asks

“Minseok told us about you guys” Jongin says smiling

“Oh right this is Yixing but we call him Lay” Lay nods a hello to the two “Sehun” Sehun waves “And his boyfriend Lu Han” Lu Han grins. Tao introduces the lot

“I’m Jongin and this is my boyfriend Kyungsoo, were Xiumin’s high school friends”

“Okay, we need to know what’s going on with our friend” Tao says to Jongin and Kyungsoo “We can help out if we know” Sehun says afterwards

Kyungsoo and Jongin share a look

“We can’t say everything but only this; we have to get Chen and Xiumin together”

…

“I’m back!” Chen announces as he lets himself into his shared house with the KaiSoo couple. “Kyungsoo? Kai? Hello?”

“Oh hey!” Kai says walking in

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” Chen asks plopping himself down on the couch

“His off at work” Kyungsoo works as a music tutor, holding his classes after 3pm to 5pm for people aged 13 and up

“Oh” Chen murmurs

Kai walks closer towards Chen “You’ve been crying hyung” he states

Chen sighs. “Minseok?” And he sighs again

“You can’t give up” Kai states once again

And Chen sighs again “I know. And I won’t. Ever”

“Good”

…

“You like him”

“No I don’t”

“Yes you do”

“I don’t”

“Then why do you always search for him?”

“I’m n-

“Why whenever you see him your cheeks blush? Why do you fidget whenever someone mentions his name? Face it. You like him”

“I don’t like him”

“You so do”

“YA ZHANG YIXING!”

“KIM MINSEOK! ZHANG YIXING! Care to share with the class?” Key yells, putting his arms on his hips and glaring at the bickering couple

“Sorry Sunsangnim” they both reply in unison

“Good. Can we proceed now?”

Lu Han chuckles softly “Lu Han” Taemin says in a warning tone “Sorry” Lu Han straightens up and bows his head

“Good. Now back to work”

Xiumin sends Lay a warning look who just smiles back smugly ‘you so do’ he mouths. Xiumin is fuming by now

…

Dance class is over and Xiumin, Lay and Lu Han are walking out of their class searching for their other friends when a familiar figure comes into Xiumin’s view

“Oh my god” he mutters

Lay spots the figure, sending Lu Han a ‘should I?’ look to which he replies to with a nod

“HEY! CHEN!” Lay screams out. “W-what are you- oh my god his looking”

Chen turns around and sees the three figures. He recognises Lu Han because his spoken to him a couple of times at their singing lessons and notices Lay because his seen him with the older boy a couple of times. He doesn’t let his stare linger on Xiumin for too long…

“Hey” Lay says casually “Hey” Chen replies back

Xiumin stands there awkwardly “Well were going to let you guys talk! Bye, come on ge!” And just like that, the giggling unicorn is tugging Lu Han away and running from the awkward two “YA!” Xiumin yells at his two traitors friends

Chen laughs softly and Xiumin realizes just how much his missed that sound

“So um, interesting friends you have there” Chen starts wanting to break the silence “Please you haven’t met them all. A fiery dragon, cute panda, hypo maknae and that awkward unicorn with my doll like dongsaeng, yep, pretty interesting” Xiumin states sarcastically

Chen chuckles once again and Xiumin can’t help but smile. The two stare at each other for a bit

“Um have you gotten to see Kyungsoo and Jongin yet? They’re here with me you know. We live together”

Xiumin smiles “Yeah I did actually and yeah they told me”

Chen nods and there’s a silence again

“Hey Minseok” Chen takes a step closer and Xiumin holds his breath. “I uh- I should tell you something. I-

“Xiumin!” Chen curses in his head. “Joon?” the said person is running forward and Chen swears his turning into a green monster. The guy is good looking, good body as well…how the hell does he know MY baozi?

“Oh sorry am I interrupting something?”

“Actually-“ Xiumin starts

“No. It’s fine.” Chen states through gritted teeth “I’ll tell you later. See you guys” Chen spares a glance at this ‘Joon’ guy before smiling one last time towards Minseok “See you Minseok-ah”

Xiumin watches as Chen turns away and walks the other way what did he need to tell me?

“Xiumin? Sorry I was interrupting huh?” Joon says sadly

Xiumin musters up a smile “No! Of course not. What’s up?”

“Say can I have lunch with you?” Lee Joon says cheerily. Xiumin instantly feels okay now because of his hyung

“Sure” wait maybe away from the others. Wait more like Tao

“We can eat together. Just the two of us hey?” Xiumin says

Lee Joon instantly lights up “I’d like that”

“So you guys just left them, like that?” Tao says after listening to Lu Han tell the story of before and how they just ditched their friend with Chen

“Yep” Lay says grinning

“Brilliant!” Tao and Sehun say together, laughing. Kris laughs lowly under his breath “Just you wait, I’d bet they’d walk in together!” Tao says excitedly

And as if on cue, Xiumin enters the cafeteria. But much to their dismay…and pissing off Tao to an entire different level, Xiumin enters with Lee Joon

“Huh? What?” Lu Han says, purely confused and surprised

“Damn it!” Tao says moving to stand up. “No!” Kris hisses, grabbing his boyfriend and tugging him back down.

“Tao I really don’t get it, what's wrong with Joon?” Sehun says, not wanting to anger the panda any more than he already is

Tao sighs “Look. Just know one thing and that is we can’t trust Lee Joon. I have my reasons…but we must watch over Xiumin okay?” Tao says sternly

His table of friends plus his beloved all nod simultaneously

“I wonder if Chen is okay though…” Lu Han mutters

“Maybe I can find him. I’ll see you guys’ later okay?” Tao says getting up, pecking his boyfriend on the lips “Watch him” Tao says, indicating Xiumin and Lee Joon who are now sitting down and munching while engaging in conversation

“Why can’t you just-“But before Sehun can finish his sentence, Tao is out the door “Tell us” Sehun mutters

Kris sighs “He will. When he wants too. Let’s just trust what Tao has to say and watch our Minnie okay?”

Everyone nods, agreeing with Kris and promising Tao that they will watch over Xiumin

“Hey” Tao whispers

“Hm? Oh Hi?” Chen says awkwardly, looking up from the book he was soundly reading in the library and at a smiling person standing beside him wah so cute! Like a panda! Isn’t he Minseok’s friend?

“I’m Huang Zitao, but you can call me Tao. I’m Minseok’s friend” Tao says introducing himself “Jongdae right? But better known as Chen?” Chen nods and shakes hands with Tao

“May I?” Chen nods and Tao sits across from him

“My friends and I met your friends Kyungsoo and Jongin and we know what’s going on. Well a bit actually”

Chen stares at Tao, an incredulous look on his face “W-wait they told you?”

“Not everything but just enough to let us know a bit of what’s happening” Tao explains

Chen blinks

“How about sitting with us at lunch tomorrow?”