The following night and subsequent classes pass quickly for Tao, like he somehow has a certain ability to control and fast-forward time. Before he can think about the fact that maybe he can replay that time where he first saw senpai, he’s standing in front of the basketball court nervously the bottle of sunblock in his baggy shorts and tugging at his equally baggy basketball singlet that Chanyeol had thrown at him earlier.

‘It’s Kris’s, but don’t tell him.’ He had whispered quickly to him as he rushed past during lunch break.

And Tao’s not really one to complain.

“Taozi! Glad you could make it.” Chanyeol comes up to him and loops an arm around his broad shoulders. “Hey, you look good in a singlet”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Guys, come over! He’s the new member I was telling you about!” Chanyeol’s balls-deep voice rings over the pitch and Tao swears, he feels the vibrations in his toes.

Over across the court, Tao sees three other people, all taking shelter from the blinding sun under a pathetic-looking stack of cardboard, held together by frayed duct tape.

He hears faint whining before all of them start strutting over.

Somehow, he gets the impression that all of them, with the exception of Chanyeol and maybe Kris, have absolutely no want to be in the court at all.

Eventually, Chanyeol has them all lined up, and he then proceeds to introduce them brightly, uncaring of their grumpy and bored faces.

Tao takes a quick look-over at all of them. An awkwardly-limbed giraffe, a fashionista, some pre-pubescent child. Not really an ideal basketball team, if you include the face and a leader with the mind of a kindergartner.

“Changmin, Zhoumi, Zelo,, this is Tao.” Chanyeol points to all of them as their names are mentioned and at the end, presents Tao proudly, like a kid showing off his new red power ranger action figure.

The only one who has any reaction is Zhoumi, who all but runs over and hugs Tao warmly and tightly.

“Thank you so much oh my god. I can finally stop playing basketball.”

Chanyeol ignores them and squints around the court .

“Hey, where’s Kris?”

Tao chokes in Zhoumi’s grip and briefly wonders if strangling him is going to be a trend. In fact, he almost passes out when he sees a distant ball flying towards him. He blinks, and then the ball is in his face. He flies backwards from the harsh impact and Zhoumi finally lets go of him.

“Arrgghhghuhghaaaaahhhhggghhhh.”

“Whoops sorry I didn’t mean to hit you.” Kris saunters to Tao’s side and smirks down at him, and for once, Tao sees only evil in his senpai’s face. “But then again, you should have caught it, since you’re in the basketball team and all.”

Tao glares up at Kris with a fierce intensity of hate blazing in his eyes.

“I know wushu.” He says thickly. His lips feel wet, and he’s pretty sure his nose is bleeding.

“Oh no, I’m so scared. What are you gonna do, trip me over?”

Faster than Kris can blink, Tao rises up and swiftly goes into a low kick, knocking Kris off balance. With a dull thud that sounds throughout the court, Kris is on his back and Tao has one knee on his chest.

“Exactly.” Tao hisses. Blood runs from his nose down his mouth and chin, and some down his sweaty neck. “Trip you over.”

“Uh.” Chanyeol’s eyes flicker unsurely between the two males locked in an intense, hatred-filled staring competition. “Tao, you’re bleeding! We should get that, uh, cleaned up.”

“That was so hot.” Zhoumi gasps and pulls out a bejeweled iphone from his pocket. He’s all ready to take a picture when Tao turns around and menacingly hisses something in Chinese.

Zhoumi’s phone disappears into his pocket faster than light.

“What? What did he say? Zhoumi, tell me.” Chanyeol whines.

“Get off.” Kris wheezes. “God, get off.”

Tao looks at Kris one last time, then huffs and gracefully picks himself off Kris’s body. He touches his upper lip with a single finger and when it comes away covered in red, he screams shrilly and speeds away to the nearest bathroom.

“”I’m surrounded by idiots.” Zelo rolls his eyes and saunters away to the seats beside the court. Changmin follows, and Zhoumi skips along, humming a light tune.

Chanyeol is left staring rather grumpily down at a winded Kris.

“Yifannie you why would you do that to Taozi.” He ‘hmph’s and turns away. “I swear, if you weren’t our best player I would kick you out.”

Kris has no air in his lungs for talking, so he just lays there for a while as Chanyeol calls off the practice session, to the delighted cheers of the rest of the team.

So much for that.