I stared gapingly at Kim Jongin for a few moments. In all honesty, I probably would’ve reacted a lot better to Oh Sehun asking to speak with me or maybe even Luhan. It was just unsettling that the calm and friendly Jongin wanted to speak with me. The seriousness in his expression didn’t encourage me anymore.

“About?” I asked slowly, taking my hand away from my locker.

He swallowed, looking hesitant to tell me, and glanced around the empty hall. “I need to talk to you about Sehun.”

I faltered. His sentence went from can I to I need to and I wasn’t sure I appreciated that.

“What about Sehun?” I wondered if Sehun had sent Jongin or if he willingly came to me. Regardless of either option, what did he want? Why did he want to speak with me about Sehun? Then a terrible thought struck me: he knew about the kiss. I gulped.

Jongin cleared his throat. “Can we step outside? I don’t need anyone overhearing,” he said, making me even more nervous. Nonetheless, I complied when he started towards the door and opened it, ushering me out.

I stepped outside, thoughts brewing, fearful for what discussion he was about to open up and why he so insistently wanted to have it with me.

“What’s going on between you and Sehun?” he blurted out when the door closed behind him. I spun around to see him looking as serious as a grave digger.

My heart rate sped up and I obviously looked away from, visibly unsettled with his question.

“Me and Sehun?” I repeated, looking for a proper reply. I began to panic before I swallowed, reminding myself that in all honesty there was nothing going on between me and Sehun. He kissed me and hugged me but that was something entirely from him that I had explanation for.

I straightened as he opened his mouth to speak. “Nothing. There’s nothing. Why would you ask that?” I tried to mask my curiosity with defiance.

He didn’t seemed deterred. “If people around you are noticing something is weird then you are, too,” he said. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the lack bullying going on around you.”

That would be lying; however, it wasn’t the first time things were calm. “I’m not stupid,” I told him.

“Well. then answer the question. What’s going on between you and Sehun?”

I sighed. “This isn’t the first time this has happened. So there’s no need to suspect something is going on between us. Not to mention it’s absolutely absurd,” I said. My heart was thumping in my throat because I knew this time was different. “Who’s to say Sehun won’t be calling me degrading names by next week?” Something told me he wouldn’t be doing anything close to that but I figured it would assure Jongin.

“Maybe the fact that he took you home last Friday,” he replied, straight-faced. I froze, heat gathering in my cheeks, and he noticed. “Eunhui, can you please help me make sense of why he would suddenly volunteer to take you home because you’re not feeling well and not show up until the next morning? I’m assuming really bad things—”

“No!” I put my hands up, shaking my head. “Don’t assume things, please,” I said, embarrassed.

He dropped that and massaged his temple. “I’ve known Sehun since we were little, Eunhui. He doesn’t just care for people, especially when they’re on his bad side. He doesn’t just act out without reason, either,” he said.

I raised my eyebrows. “Without reason?” I couldn’t help the bitterness rising on my tongue. “What reason did he have to bully me for the past two years?” I asked, crossing my arms. Strangely, I started to suddenly wish I didn’t agree to speak with him; he was bringing up things I didn’t care too much to be reminded of and could’ve carried on fine without dwelling on.

However, Jongin’s reply was enough to keep me interested in the conversation: he sighed and averted his eyes. He looked torn between spilling his guts and running.

Was it possible that Sehun really did like me, I began to wonder. “What do you know?” I asked abruptly, stepping closer.

He took a fidgeting step backwards, eyes growing in size as small as if he just realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have. That only made me more curious of what exactly Jongin knew, prompting me to want to know what it was.

“Jongin, what reason?” So close to getting an answer after so long had me on my toes.

He gnawed on his lip. “It’s really not my place to say, really,” he excused.

“Tell me, now,” I demanded.

“Okay, look, I’m only telling you this because he told me about you coming to his house that one time to get your scarf.” He stepped around me, away from the door, before turning back to face me. I eagerly waited for him to continue. “Did you by any chance notice anything a bit . . . off when you went to his house?”

I sighed. “Are you going to give me the same crap about treating his mom like a charity case? Really, people! I am not stu—”

“Wait!” Jongin raised his hands. “You know?” His eyes rounded.

“Know what?”

Jongin didn’t answer immediately and narrowed his eyes at me. “His mom is . . . ?”

Narrowing my eyes in turn, I hesitated in answering, thinking I might’ve been getting way off subject and making a bigger deal out of Sehun’s mom’s paralyzation than it should’ve been.

“Para . . . lyzed?” I tried.

Jongin’s eyes got huge and I covered my mouth, afraid that I’d just said something I shouldn’t have. Was I the only one that knew of such a thing? Surely not, considering Sehun’s mom seemed to know Jongin well.

“How much do you know?” he asked insiste