How did I feel about Oh Sehun?

This question nagged me endlessly. I couldn't seem to keep it away long enough to try out the advice Chanyeol gave me about thinking as if our math teacher had a lemon wedge in his mouth at all times to be able to understand him better. The theory was that thinking this made it easier to figure out what sounds he meant, but I was too distracted. I was glad that Chanyeol didn't ask about it. How would I even explain?

“Now teach me how to get more meat from the lunch ladies.” he requested as soon as the bell rang for lunch, determined to have an answer.

I shoved away the thought of Oh Sehun yet again to answer. “Flattery won't work; you've already tried that with no results, right?”

He nodded, listening intently as we walked.

“Well, last time all I did was look at the food. I wasn't trying to look as if I wanted it, I was only thinking, but she got the wrong idea and gave me more because she thought I looked really hungry. So, that's all you have to do; act really hungry.”

“That's all?" Chanyeol asked in disbelief. "That's not even acting. I am really hungry.”

I looked over to him, striding across the floor next to me with his longs legs. We were so close in height. “I hope that doesn't mean you're still growing. You're tall enough as it is.” I told him.

“Taller than you anyway.” he gibed.

“No way.” I responded, though I had no idea who was right. This small competition was fun anyways.

“You wanna bet? We can measure our heights right here, right now.”

And we did. And I lost. Standing back to back with our shoes off in the middle of the hallway, Chanyeol was but one centimeter taller than I was. I would have been fine with it, had he not reminded me of it again and again throughout the lunch line and up until we stepped into the gym together.

“I'll beat you someday if they keep being so generous to me.” I said with a smirk. He still hadn't managed to get extras from the lunch lady, so I had something to fight back with.

And there he was.

Sehun smirked up at me before continuing to eat.

I noticed that Baekhyun hadn't joined us today, even though I remembered to invite him. I'd have to ask him about that in our next class.

“Tao,” said Luhan, standing up. I handed him my lunch box and we sat down together. Thank goodness Sehun stayed where he was. I didn't know how I'd be able to handle him being any closer.

Luhan soon asked Sehun to help him with his biology homework, claiming to not understand it. Knowing Luhan, this was probably true. It took me a moment to remember why I knew he was taking Sehun away on purpose. My idea for Yixing. That was it.

Don't forget Yixing just because of that silly incident and the breathy whispers of Oh Sehun caressing your cheek and neck.

Woah. Where did that thought come from?

Sehun grumbled about it being a waste of time and having better things to do and I remembered that a conversation was happening that I should probably listen to.

“I can help you with that instead.” offered Yixing to Luhan. “As soon as we're done eating, we can go find a quiet place to work.”

But wait, how was I supposed to help Yixing if he wasn't there?

“Oh- I don't think that's necessary. Sehun is just grumpy; he isn't actually busy or anything.” said Luhan, trying to save the situation.

“Hey,” Sehun protested.

“What? It's true.”

Yixing chuckled at the pair. “It's okay, Luhan. I can help. It'll be good to refresh myself on the basics anyway.”

“Then-then I'll come with. If that's okay. I could use a little study time too.” This could work. As long as Sehun wasn't there-

“You're all just going without me now?” asked Sehun, packing up his stuff, but not leaving yet.

“Didn't you say you had better stuff to do?” I reminded him.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

Yes.

“No," I lied. "It's up to you whether you go or not and I have no say in the matter.”

“Then I'm going.”

“Fine with me.”

Not fine.

Not fine.

I couldn't help Yixing like this!

I mean, I suppose I could show him my idea the tomorrow, but what if I couldn't ever get away from this over-protective brat with surprisingly cute teeth?

Teeth? Really? What was I even doing? Why was it so hard to focus?

Anyways, it was good that Sehun wanted everyone to be safe, but risk is a very vital part of life. Yixing's power was all about life. He needed this risk.

And okay, maybe I was a bit more desperate to make his power greater because I was still too afraid to work with mine, but his ability was so important to this world. It felt like I was doing something great to be able to help him.

“Tao-” called Luhan, already standing and ready to go.

“Hmm?”

“Are you done? We're going.”

“Yeah.” I quickly gathered my stuff and set off with them.

Sehun's phone buzzed in his pocket and before he could text back, Jongin appeared right in front of me, nearly knocking me over. He reached a hand out and stopped my fall, pulling me back up.

We were too close.

“Innocence, hey!”

I nodded my head in acknowledgment to his presence before ducking around him, but he didn't let go of my arm.

“Wait up, I just got here. Don't tell you're going to run away again?”

“He's busy.” came Sehun's voice from behind him.

Yixing popped up from around his shoulder. “I'm going to tutor them in biology. Do you want to join us?”

No, don't invite him!

“Yeah, sure.” He didn't even look away from me to say this. What was Jongin's fascination with making people uncomfortable?

***

And it was the most uncomfortable twenty-odd minutes of my life. Sehun thought it was funny to whisper everything he had to say so his weird airy breath would tease and nip at my skin. This wasn't fair. I couldn't do anything about it and Jongin wouldn't stop glancing at me as if I might suddenly vanish. Luhan was happy in his own world with Yixing, but I'm not sure I learned a single thing in all that time.

And when the bell rang, Yixing was the only one who left.

“Why are you still here?” Sehun asked Jongin, who took off his uniform jacket.

“Let me borrow yours.” he asked me, sticking his in a corner.

“Huh?”

He tugged at my sleeve hurriedly. “Before your teacher gets here.”

Luhan pulled my jacket off for me, forcing me to twirl around while his power did the work.

That brat Sehun laughed. Why did I ever think I could like him?

But his canines were seriously fascinating.

No. Snap out of it.

Now I was going to have to suffer a whole class period without a jacket. The weather today wasn't that bad with something to keep back the light breezes, but without, there was a slight chill. The sun was doing it's job and it would probably become plenty warm later in the day, but it had yet to set in.

For added measure, Sehun blew a gust of wind at me just before the first students started filing in.

That brat.

As the bell rang for class to start, the teacher announced that they had gotten new crickets to work with and set us up in our pairs again. Jongin managed to stay under the radar and joined Sehun and Luhan as they worked on their lab, their set of counters in a nice, shadowy corner like Sehun preferred.

Baekhyun came in just a little late, but was paired up with me again immediately.

“You changed your mind then?” he asked, viewing my shirt with eyes that picked up everything. “Because I don't think my crush changed just yet.”

I shook my head, moving my arms to cover up a bit more. These shirts were white and none too thick. I didn't want to imagine what it was he could see. “Some brat took my jacket and another brat helped him.”

“I thought that student looked new. Anyways, sorry I wasn't there for lunch. There was a tiny incident.”

“Incident?”

“A tiny one.”

“Baek-”

“So! Crickets!” he said, clapping his hands to close off that subject.

I cringed at the word, knowing one of us had to go get the little insects from the teacher. Baekhyun passed me the plastic container. He wanted me to get them.

Right. Okay. No problem.

I got in line with the other waiting students, hearing squealing from a few girls as one escaped and hopped onto their shoes.

'I thought you said crickets were nothing.'

I rubbed below my ear where the whisper had hit and turned to face a smug Oh Sehun. He snatched the container from my hand, shaking his head as if he were dealing with a child and got the bugs for me.

“Thanks.” I muttered.

I gasped as a cold gust of wind shot at my back when I turned.

'No problem, babe.'

H-he just called me babe? Did I hear that wrong?

I stared after him, open-mouthed, practically hearing the laughter in his head as he walked away.

“Innocence, you a little chilly there?” smirked Jongin, walking up to me in a jacket that didn't match his uniform pants. If it had been any other class, the teacher would've seen through it, but lucky me he decided to stick through this one. Our biology teacher was so oblivious sometimes.

This was exactly what I needed; two brats and a traitorous Luhan to take over my studies. Was I actually going to pass anything this year?

And what did Sehun mean when he called me babe?

He was mocking me, right?

That wasn't an actual affectionate term.

Right?

***

Author Note:

omg so much smirking

I'm not exactly in the best condition right now and I thought it might mess with my updating schedule, but so far I'm doing good, right?

I hope I get better soon >.<