I couldn't have just one normal day? These boys, my new friends, were they completely set on taking over my entire life? Did studies mean nothing to them?

I came to school without the cologne and eyeliner, taking care to get a good amount of sleep to ward off the dark circles. I found natural soaps and skin care treatments at the store and even scrubbed my hair until the cheap dye faded to a darkened blue - all for Oh Sehun.

Sehun was growing on me, but I had no idea if it was even possible for him to like me. No matter how I looked at it, his calling me “babe” had to have been a joke. I needed to know more, and to do that I was going to reduce the amount of chemicals I used and hope he'd react in some way that would let me know. Even if the worst happened and I only ended up embarrassing myself, at least I would be reducing my carbon footprint. Confessing my thoughts openly was too terrifying to even think about, but he already kind of knew anyways, right?

But I had to admit that as much as Sehun's perfect nose, small lips, and many moles visited me in my dreams, I also felt Jongin's hands around my middle while I packed lunch or did simple things that had no place for those kinds of thoughts. I had to choose soon or I might just lose my sanity over this. Baekhyun had this easy. He knew what he liked and his body directed him the right way instantly. My body was pulling all kinds of tricks on me.

Jongin skipped going to his own school today and planned on following me to all my classes, claiming to be checking out the system before transferring next semester. My first class featured staring from more than a few students as he not-so-subtly made advances from the desk to my right. Couldn't Sehun and Luhan see everything behind us? How could he be so bold in such a public setting? From the very start, Jongin slid his desk over until it was right beside mine, and there were those hands that strayed to my shoulders, my arm, my leg, and even further until I broke down and stood up fast, knocking my chair to the floor and leaving the whole class frozen in time.

“I'm sorry!” Jongin said, though his grin proved he wasn't.

I walked around him, setting my chair upright as I did before slamming my hands down on his desk, making him jump. This was harsh and I knew it, but I couldn't stop myself after being tormented by thoughts of his touch all day.

“Personal space. That's all I ask.” It sounded so cold. I didn't mean to be awful to someone who liked me, I really didn't.

“I'm sorry.” he repeated, the grin disappearing.

Sighing and straightening up, I continued. “This is class time. I need to focus and I can't do that if-”

Behind Jongin, two statuesque people caught my attention. Why weren't Sehun and Luhan moving? They should be immune.

“Wow. I didn't know you could do that.” commented Jongin, spinning in his seat to see where I was looking.

I didn't know I could do that either. They could be joking around like Chanyeol always does and are just staying still, holding their breath.

Who was I kidding? Sehun never holds his breath.

This was bad. My power was growing in strange ways. I thought I'd be able to control it better, but it was getting more out of hand. I never wanted to work past our immunities, except for yesterday when I tried to slow down myself and look how that turned out.

“.”

Jongin whistled. “You are full of surprises, aren't you?”

I wished I weren't. These surprises were giving me a headache.

His hands slipped around me and I panicked too late as I felt the shadows engulf us both and take us to the school rooftop. The sudden bright sunlight stung my eyes, but I turned in his grasp to look straight at him through the glare.

“I said p-personal space!”

Stop looking at me like I'm a teething toddler. I know I stumbled on my words, but my message was serious.

Jongin pulled me closer and I suddenly wondered where to put my arms with space closing between us. All those wushu lessons were a complete waste when my legs turned to jello after feeling his hands on the small of my back. “Is this what I have to do to get you to notice me?” he asked, and I flinched when he left a small kiss on my nose. “I like this new you. The smell is nice and the look is very dark yet boyish, but it's not meant for me, is it?”

“It's not.” I admitted.

“Then am I out of the running already?” He looked so hurt. The combination of sunlight and body heat was starting to become uncomfortable. I was sweating under his gaze. “Just follow what's in here,” he pleaded when I said nothing, pointing to my chest at the stupid, reason-impaired heart drumming there. “Can your heart beat for me at all?”

“It's... beating.” Why couldn't I breathe?

“Then why are you holding back? Innocence, you need to let your Curiosity take over every once in a while.”

Curiosity?

Jongin leaned forward and I did nothing to stop it as our lips met. My arms finally let themselves be comfortable and rested on his shoulders, soaking up more heat radiating through his uniform jacket.

If he was Curiosity, then I wouldn't mind letting him take over. I could explore him- every bit of him like this. What would I find if I simply laced my fingers through his hair? I indulged in the thought and brought my fingers over slowly to the dark locks on his head. Jongin broke our kiss to look at me, looking for a sign of resistance or maybe something else. He touched his thumb to the very edge of my lips, tracing their outline.

I thought he would kiss me again, and he might have if something hadn't blown him back on the hard concrete of the roof. The cool air replaced the searing heat where he and his hands had been.

Sehun?

He stood there fuming at the door, glaring daggers at Jongin. What did this mean? Was he jealous, angry that I wasn't suffering in class when he was (this was too likely for comfort), or did he really hate same relationships?

Luhan showed up behind him, out of breath. “What are you guys doing up here?” he asked, oblivious to the situation completely.

Kissing, if I was being honest. That wasn't a good answer. This was awkward. What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to say?

I suddenly wondered what the class thought. Two students randomly vanishing and two more running out. There was a whole block of empty desks in that room now.

This was a bad time to think about that. I should have been thinking of an answer.

“He's letting Curiosity take over.” smirked Jongin. He teleported from the ground to a standing position in front of Sehun, the sly smile never leaving his lips. Shadows curled around the other boy almost teasingly as they faded. “Because Arrogance won't give him the time of day.”

Stepping around the two, Luhan looked to me for a translation. I wished I could've given him one, but my head chose this moment to blur the three forms in front of me until they were perfect blobs in this heated world.

“Tao?”

Reality slipped away and was replaced by a realm of black shadows and perfect canines.

***

There were five different pulses of music, but no talking. This was a first, waking up to complete silence in a room full of my normally noisy friends. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the quiet a moment longer. Slowly, the pulses could be located even without looking. They didn't have names to them, but I knew exactly where these anonymous people stood. To test this, I stuck an arm out and caught someone else's arm next to me, scaring whoever it was into a gasp.

I peeked open my eyes. It was Yixing. Lay. We were in the nurse's office. It must have been another off-day, as the nurse was nowhere to be seen.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. Everyone's eyes turned to me as these words hung in the silence and soft musical pulses.

“Good. Can I sit up?” I thought it better to ask than have him push me down so many times like yesterday. He placed his fingers to my temple, sending out that little wave of warmth that told me he was checking my condition. He nodded and helped me up.

What was Kris doing here? Oh, right. Lay. Other than that, there was Sehun and Jongin. The fifth pulse of music came from me, so that was everyone.

“I expected bickering.” Especially if Arrogance and Curiosity were still angry with each other.

“There was. I threatened to kick them out if they continued.” said Kris. I wished I could've seen it. Kris was such an awkward, nice guy; I just couldn't picture him being imposing enough to put those two in line.

“What even happened to me? Isn't my body all adjusted and everything?”

“It's heat .” answered Lay. “You're adjusted, but your body just couldn't handle the heat. It's alright now. They called me out of class immediately and I took care of it. It's a good thing you didn't have seizures or anything.”

“Seizures?” Seizures?

“Yeah, but your case was very mild and you cooled down pretty quick. Just stay out of the heat for a while.”

I nodded, and a rush of lightheadedness followed the motion.

Sehun and Jongin flocked to my side when I tried to stand up, but they fought so much it made it even more difficult. In the end, Kris came to the rescue and somehow got them to stay back while Lay helped me stand. Once assured I could balance on my own, he stepped back, letting the others come forward again.

“Look here, Arrogance. Tao already chose.” said Jongin, giving a shove to Sehun's shoulder when he tried to link arms with me.

“Chose? Yeah right. I know you, Jongin. I know your style. You probably lured him into it.”

Lured? What did he mean?

“In case you haven't noticed,” Sehun continued. “this idiot here changed from a chemical plant to- god, you smell incredible.” He had taken a small breath near my shoulder, but now he was nuzzling my ear with nose, his arms reaching to pull me closer.

Was I even breathing? I couldn't tell anymore.

“Should we leave? Tao looks better...” Kris asked Lay.

Please don't leave, I pleaded silently. I was a little scared of being left alone with those two.

Yixing didn't answer and instead put his fingers to Sehun's temple. The boy jumped back, as if suddenly being drenched in water.

“What did you just do?” he asked, shaking away the sensation.

“Just a check-up. You don't seem sick.” Lay did the same to Jongin, who simply shuddered at the feeling. “What is up with you guys today? Your heartbeats are faster than they should be.”

“I think it's love, doc.” Jongin drawled, slinging an arm about my waist now that Sehun was no longer clinging to me.

“That's... interesting.” Lay came up to us both and did the check-up again with us like this. “Interesting...” He pulled Jongin away and grabbed Sehun, putting him in his spot. I felt the warmth of the check-up yet again and another warmth of Sehun going back to enjoying my new scent, directly from my neck. “Kris, you too.”

What was Lay doing?

Kris came over to stand next to me, and his friend pushed us together until our shoulders bumped. I looked up at him and Lay chose this moment for the check-up.

“It's fascinating...” Kris was pulled away too and Yixing took his spot, staring directly in my eyes before touching his forehead to mine. The memory of Sehun doing the exact same thing in the dead garden flashed in my mind, right as I felt Lay continue his experiment.

Backing away, we made eye contact just briefly before he sat down on the nurse's chair with a thud, taking it all in.

“And? What was the result? Who does his heart beat for?” asked Jongin.

“I don't know.” Lay admitted, looking defeated. “There was a slight variation, but Tao is a very nervous kind of person. There's no way to tell if the difference meant something or-”

“What was the variation?” interrupted Sehun.

Yixing just shook his head. “I shouldn't tell. It would be better for you guys to find out yourselves. I could be wrong. It was very slight-”

“Where's Luhan?” I asked, changing the subject quick as I was done with everyone obsessing over my messed up heart. And Luhan had been on the roof with us, so where was he now? I was genuinely curious.

“He can't afford to miss any classes. He's already been held back twice.” Sehun supplied.

“Twice?” But he looked far too young.

“He's older than all of us, Tao.”

It didn't make sense to me. Luhan looked downright precious sometimes. “Weird.” I said, still not processing it.

Jongin nudged Lay. “You should do that thing with Luhan and that other guy, Baekhyun too.”

“You don't have to worry about Baek, Jongin. He's got his sight set on someone else.”

“Sure doesn't look like it.” he grumbled.

There was a stirring to air and I could tell Sehun was trying to smell me again, using his power so he wouldn't be pushed away again. I guessed my plan sort of worked, but I was also sure that this is what being catnip in a room full of felines would feel like. Just how many people was I supposed to consider now?

I started this morning with plans to set things straight. Why did this get more confusing?

***

Author Note:

THAT DRAMA VERSION

AND KAI

AND TAO

I had to. After that, I JUST HAD TO.

I do have plans for this, but the plans got a little something extra is all. This is still going somewhere.