ar·ti·fice

Clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others.

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October 26 (Friday)

"Laugh again and you’ll be poorer by an Oh Sehun."

Those words were accompanied by the slight downturns of the aforementioned male’s mouth who had decided to walk up to Kyung Mi’s desk. It was recess time once again for the day, and the bespectacled girl’s classmate had decided to propose a rather quaint offer.

“Let’s get something to eat, Kyung Mi,” the eighteen year old male had proposed solemnly. “I will not break the promise of treating you to something.” That, actually, made the girl laughed aloud because it sounded hilarious from a person like him. It had, however, significantly insulted the other party, which resulted in the current situation.

The girl hastily backtracked on her initial response.

“Ah, Sehun,” uttered Kyung Mi mildly. “I didn’t mean to offend. I’m perfectly fine with that offer, by the way.” With that, a smile brightened his dark countenance wondrously. As he smiled, so did she as well because she found it to be remarkable that he no longer chose to reside in his lonesome corner. She felt that it was good for him, in general. Nonetheless, the eighteen year old girl wanted to tease the other as they left the classroom together.

“The way you threatened earlier was quite mirthful, honestly,” reasoned Kyung Mi. “The poorer than an Oh Sehun part really got to me.” Subsequently, his demeanour was comparable to a primal storm. With a flustered string concerning apologies, the tinted spectacled girl was certain that there were just some things she couldn’t tease about.

Later, thoughts emerged pertaining to the one beside her.

“You still remain enigmatic to me, Sehun…” mused the female student aloud unwittingly. At that, he allowed a snicker to be heard by his companion, causing the girl to realize her mistake.

“Oh come on!” protested Kyung Mi lightly, causing a burst of laughter to emanate from the said male. She nearly paused, amazed at his ability to portray emotions so freely sometimes. If only he did so more, honestly, instead of the equally intriguing ghostly smiles he was accustomed to wearing. He might have been more different than the supposedly insensate male that she had come to know and befriend. Eventually, the laugh disappeared and they continued their journey to the cafeteria peacefully.

Upon their arrival, the male willingly expressed his thoughts.

“You know, I thought of treating you to cafeteria food but I think that isn’t enough,” mentioned Sehun with periodic blinks. “Maybe I should invite you over to my place sometime soon…” Abruptly, he actually smiled awkwardly. He shook his head passionately at that, even.

“Eh, that sounds creepy,” added Sehun afterwards in a nonchalant tone. “We’ll just eat. Yea.” It was amusing, really, in the manner in which the classmate had donned because it would look like he was conversing with himself. Perhaps most would think it to be very sad, but Kyung Mi found it interesting. After all, every single person’s mind worked differently and it was refreshing to note the uniqueness.

They lined up to get their respective food items, Kyung Mi choosing jam-spread waffles and Sehun chose two slices of a large milk loaf. After he paid, they naturally went to look for an empty spot to consume their choices. As he took up a slice of the milk loaf, the eighteen year old male glanced quizzically at his partner.

“Why did you choose the waffles?” questioned Sehun honestly. The aforementioned girl who had taken up the cutlery to cut the baked item glanced back at him.

“Because I like them?” answered the bespectacled girl with a careless shrug, resuming her incipient task easily. The male acknowledged the response with a nod. This time, nevertheless, he got questioned in return.

“So why did you pick the milk bread then, if it’s not because you like it?” asked Kyung Mi straightforwardly. The male chewed the bread before explaining his point of view.

"Well, honestly I don’t like milk loaf," admitted Sehun. "However, this one’s different. When you chew on it, it’s actually soft and it has a spring to it." Whilst he was speaking, he had demonstrated quite animatedly when it concerned the bread. Why, the eighteen year old had even done so with a monotonous tone and a rather extreme demonstration. Kyung Mi felt like he was just impossible altogether. Misunderstanding the girl to a considerable extent, the boy’s next words astonished her immensely. Lifting the plate in which the other untouched piece laid, he offered genuinely.
 

"Would you like to try?" half-wondered Sehun. "I can assure you that it’s really fluffy…" It dearly and sincerely took all the self-control she had to not chuckle at his unexpectedly adorable side. He really seemed so human at this point of time.

"Since… you insist on it, Sehun," reasoned Kyung Mi respectfully with a smile. Meticulously, the tinted spectacled girl tore a piece of the milk bread and tasted it. Not surprisingly, the male had described the food item precisely. The female chewed on it sparingly, remembering its foreign flavour. Since it was probable that her classmate would be waiting for a reaction, she gave him the thumbs up sign. Now, Oh Sehun had not been anticipating it, and so he could only receive it with an astonished smile whilst he happened to eat on it as well. It must have been a simple time of friendship between the two; its rarity comparable to a glistening gem.

After they were done with their short meal, the male took the lead by walking purposefully in a certain path. To be honest, Kyung Mi had to rush a little to keep up. And to think how secretly cheeky he was too, if one considered the tiny smirk tugging at his lips to be deliberate. Once the insensate male was sure that she would be concentrating on following after him, he permitted himself to slow down in order to ease the girl’s too quick for her own good footwork. She was childishly displeased, even, until she did not realize the structure that was located ahead. It turned out to be the school’s ever so resourceful library, and it ignited a spate of anxiety to brew in her innermost being. Had the male been so insouciant and unfeeling to forget that it was in this place that her heartbreak began? Even so, the spectacled girl did not want to vocalize her emotions so recklessly, and it was to her immense joy that he started to speak.

"In a world that never stops talking, I think the library’s a marvellous place," uttered Sehun. At that, she felt a bit of her joy deflating. Was he implying that she spoke too often for his fancy?

"… Don’t you think so, Kyung Mi?" inquired the male afterwards. "The characters one gets to know in books are done in undeniable silence. It’s intriguing to me, really." The aforementioned female then smiled hastily because she became abruptly aware that he had not been trying to snide her or anything. How could she have even thought so of him?

"Well, reading isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but a good one is always welcomed — in my opinion, that is," responded Kyung Mi. That insight was accepted by Sehun with soft blinks.

Their surroundings easily abated to a low, dull hum, making the eighteen year old student lose sight of the fact that they were still standing by the library’s doors. It was just something about his question that made her feel curious to know more. To be frank, she supposed that she might ask him as to what type of literature he delved into in his spare time. Even so, it flummoxed her that his apartment room felt rather sparse and soulless without apparent books.

“Kyung Mi,” suddenly called Sehun in a whisper. Her eyes that were behind darkened lens flickered to his unguarded ones easily, wondering incessantly as to why he executed the unnecessary hushed tone.

“Yes?” responded Kyung Mi. His eyes looked so distant then.

“Tell me — do you have a favourite colour?” questioned Sehun tersely. Thoughtfully, she answered quite candidly.

“Grey,” was the colour she chose.

Unwittingly, the male’s hand that was mindlessly fidgeting with the hemline of his clean school shirt paused at that declaration; increasingly tensed up.

“Technically as a lover of art though, I’m sure you are aware that it’s a mere shade,” pointed out Sehun. “So are you satisfied that your choice had been only a shade, or have you only done so because it’s the sole type of difference you can see?” Her eyes dilated instantaneously after his cleverly crafted statement. He had been setting this up, this sly and horrid trap in order to usurp answers from her involuntarily. It was unfair.

“You…” said Kyung Mi incredulously. “How?” In spite of her great want to hate her calculating classmate for his trickery, she could not do so. Unfortunately, it was curiousity that triumphed over her newfound distaste for being played. Blinking tentatively, he knew he had to choose his words carefully.

"Ah, it was a slight gamble actually," admitted Sehun honestly. "If you weren’t having monochromatic vision, I had hopefully assumed that you would just brush the topic off easily or call me weird. It’s not a massive loss, really." At this point of time, the usually unfeeling male raised an arm to rub against his nuque due to the uncomfortableness of the ongoing situation.

"… I did think that I have to try guessing though," he continued. "Since there was that salmonberry incident and the way you made me hold the paints for you that one time, after all." A hesitant chuckle escaped the male after reminiscing that young memory, a serious expression being worn afterwards. Somewhere in between his impending words, the corners of his mouth tilted upwards.

"… I must confess that I frequently felt that it was an impossible conclusion, however," said the male student. "Because if it happened to be, I’m quite sure I wouldn’t even dream of being an artist at all if I chanced to attain the same condition. It’s something that strikes as preposterous." Sehun’s head tilted imperceptibly then with thoughtfulness.

"Yet I must say that you make it different, Kyung Mi," he uttered sparingly. "I have a feeling that I’ll compliment on your brilliance for a really, really long time." A betraying albeit faint flush of the cheeks met the spectacled girl. It was horrifying because just a few minutes ago, she had been enraged and yet now, the female was overwhelmed by a wave of indescribable emotions. She attempted a strong act, but dropped it after acknowledging the male’s skilled observation.

"… Have you ever considered being a writer, Sehun?" began Kyung Mi lamely. "I think you should, really. I wanted to hit you just now because you got that kind of sensitive information out with your elusive ways, but now I feel like hitting you for being such a sweet talker…" A rich laugh escaped the male’s mouth who looked hundred percent amused, and the subtle colour remained on her cheeks. It was quite the disaster.

"Mmh?" answered the eighteen year old plainly. "I have not, but maybe I should since you proposed such an idea. Who else do you think might end up swooned?" With that, the smirk enraptured his countenance, making him look deadly attractive. It was just too much for one day, in her opinion. Perhaps it was even too overwhelming for a week!

"Just… keep quiet, Sehun," decided the girl firmly. He easily complied, finding the whole scenario to be mirthful.

Nonetheless, the female student was struck with a notion suddenly. It made her turn to him so quick, that even his eyes widened significantly as he was caught off-guard.

“You can laugh at my stupidity if you want, but I must ask you of this, Sehun,” commented Kyung Mi extremely seriously. “You said that we’re friends right?” Though it was rhetoric in nature, the questioned one nodded. At that, the tinted spectacled girl gave a wary sigh.

“… I’ll just give you a benefit of a doubt, but actually — friends tell each other things,” explained Kyung Mi slowly. “It’s been a few months, Sehun, but honestly, you’re more cryptic than a random stranger. Like I had said before, you become more and more puzzling with each answer you give. It’s a little frustrating after a while.” A minuscule frown was seen on her face. The aforementioned male was first stunned, but then he laughed. That kind of vocal expression was nearly mean and sadistic in disguise.

"Good grief, you’re trying to decode me?" snickered the male tersely. "That’s a surprise." Eventually, the male, no matter how characteristically lunatic, settled down with a blank look. A suspire was heard from the tall student.

"You want to know something deep, huh?" echoed Sehun. "Alright, I’ll tell you. I’m the only child of a family that no longer exists, because both my parents have their new respective partners, accompanied with the children. I suppose you could say that I’m an orphan emotionally. And maybe we might as well conclude that my place is devoid of life like my heart." A bitter smile enhanced his features.

"It’s time we got back, Kyung Mi," he ended softly in an unnatural tone. "Five minutes left until recess time is over." Having made an impact, the balls of his feet made a pivotal turn in the opposite direction, dragging the body along. The spectacled girl was rendered useless at the torrent of words hurled at her. However, the dumbfounded girl had never known Oh Sehun to lie even about petty things.

So if everything he said was true, that would be quite drastic, in her opinion. To think that he purposefully remained friendless too, actually. It was terribly saddening, assumed Kyung Mi strongly.

“Wait,” mumbled the girl student pathetically as she tailed after him. Somehow, the spectacled human didn’t think that he would appreciate more questions or her company for the time being. It was upsetting because she felt like the reason behind why their normal atmosphere had dampened. If only she had utilized more abilities as a conversationalist before it had been too late. Though it was a messy sea of notions, the female figured that must have been the main rationale as to why he remained secretive. It was a pity.

Unbeknownst to Kyung Mi, Sehun wasn’t holding a grudge against or anything. No — it was more of himself for replying so bitterly. The male solemnly promised himself that he would learn to express his intense feelings in a more appropriate manner in conjunction to this matter. As his line of sight spotted the familiar classroom, the insouciant male opened his mouth to apologize mildly when it expressed a differing purpose instead. Han Kyung Mi had suddenly sped past the apparent room and continued along the corridor. Undeniably bewildered, Sehun glanced at the running girl’s direction and unwittingly experienced a repeated moment. It was a male once again, having held a certain girl’s school bag with the owner rushing after.

“… What’s so great about a girl’s belongings?” thought Sehun oddly. Even so, his feet decided to take a little run. Oh well.

Gifted with natural agility, the male effortlessly caught up with the bespectacled girl.

“Hey!” called out Kyung Mi determinedly. “That’s my bag!” At that, Sehun only shook his head in utter disbelief because that kind of gesture wouldn’t stop a petty thief. And so he didn’t. Sehun was pretty sure that his friend shouldn’t have wasted her breath on it. As they had a tinge of bad luck, a crowd had temporarily blocked their path and the two were met with diverging paths. One led to the left whereas the other strayed in the right direction. Blinking simultaneously, the pair went in opposite directions, with Kyung Mi going for the left whilst Sehun aimed for the right. He was greeted with a heavy display of bulletin boards which tempted to distract him. In fact, it must have worked because it was Kyung Mi who ended up meeting the perpetrator. The silent thief had approached the girl from behind, meaning that it was probable that he arrived from Sehun’s end. He nearly burst at his dimness.

It was the tap on her right shoulder that made her turn around instantaneously.

“Looking for this?” inquired the individual with a low chuckle as he casually shook the bag. The spectacled girl’s eyes widened upon recognition.

“Gongchan!” exclaimed Kyung Mi, her expression pulling to a childish dislike afterwards. “You’re mean to make me run around like that.” Another voice had agreed with the girl’s statement.

“… I concur,” said Sehun sharply, narrowing his eyes at the other male. Having heard the other’s name, the insensate boy was quick to tend to the precariously delicate scene. In turn, the older one also judged the younger for having followed his best friend. He had intended for only the girl to converse with him. The air crackled with undeniable intensity between the two males. Meanwhile, Kyung Mi was still oblivious to the fact that they have met before. At least, nevertheless, she was aware that this was not the right time to introduce them to each other somehow.

"Anyway," resumed Gongchan with a professionally faked cough. "I’ve been thinking…" As he trailed off at the end, he only allowed a lifted brow at Sehun before returning his attention to Kyung Mi. The nineteen year old proceeded to lean subconsciously towards the girl with a bright smile.

"If you’re free tomorrow — would you like to go out with me?" asked Gongchan straightforwardly. His best friend’s eyes could only dilate with interminable surprise.