When Thursday came, Sehun is in the brink of exploding. He had thrown Luhan out of their flat and locked him out without even bothering to throw Luhan’s bag with him. He did, however, have the decency to call someone to fetch the older, because half an hour later Luhan is face to face with Jongin.

 

Maybe Sehun had exploded already.

 

“I think I know what happened,” Jongin has this mirth in his smile that Luhan wants to wipe off in not so gentle way.

 

“This isn’t funny, okay.” He huffs and plops himself on the bus seat.

 

Jongin sits beside him, laughter still lingering in his lips. “But it is, you should’ve seen your huddled position before I came.”

 

“I don’t even know why I deserve this.” The younger laughs and Luhan is left to hang his head low. He didn’t even get the chance to sneak one loaf of bread.

 

“Chill hyung, it happens every year. Last year he came over because his date cancelled on him the last minute, no one can come close to him, not even Joonmyun hyung. Perhaps I was lucky enough he let me, but my room was a mess when he left the next day.”

 

Luhan doesn’t know what Jongin is trying to say, or if this is his way of comforting him, but one thing is for sure, he isn’t the one who’ll clean Sehun’s mess after all of this. He exhales dejectedly, he has nothing on him (he’s grateful Jongin paid for his bus fair without second thoughts) and he’s still wearing his sleeping clothes (he’s also grateful he decided to wear a shirt and basketball shorts last night rather of his usual boxers and wife beater).

 

Jongin pats him on the back.

 

He also feels a lot of them when they arrived at the school, dining table already a feast as they ushered him to take a seat.

 

“I feel sorry for you,” he mentally does agree to Jongdae. “That brat needs to get laid, fast.”

 

Baekhyun smacks him on the head, “We’re in the middle of breakfast, at least don’t bring images of Sehun getting on with it in my head.”

 

“I don’t have control with how your mind works though,” Baekhyun ignores the retort and mouths an apology to Luhan.

 

“But isn’t he dating Tao already?” Chanyeol asks, mouth full of sausages.

 

“Chanyeol,” Joonmyun warns, “You’re spewing what you’re eating, swallow them first.” Luhan thinks, the authoritative tone in Joonmyun’s voice should not be taken lightly but his brat excuse of a best friend did manage to ignore them, some one year ago.

 

Chanyeol does and grins at the older to amend his doings. “He is though, right? So what’s the problem?”

 

“His manager moved his day off to Tuesdays, he’ll be working tomorrow.”

 

“Oh,” Jongdae stops for a while, looking as if he had just witnessed something he shouldn’t have, then he adds, “I feel sorry for him too, maybe,” nonchalantly.

 

He feels sorry to anyone who claims Kim Jongdae as their most beloved friend.

 

“Luhan hyung,” Baekhyun starts after a while, eyes briefly wandering off to Jongin’s. “You don’t have anything with you right?”

 

Luhan nods, “Why?”

 

“I could lend you some clothes to change into, although, I know Jongin would be too happy and willing to lend his own clothes to you but they’ll be too big so it wouldn’t fit.”

 

From the corner of his eyes, Luhan can see the younger male struggling from Kyungsoo’s grip, preventing him from something he was about to do. Whatever it is, Luhan has no clue. Jongdae catches upon the eye-blinding smile Baekhyun exudes and adds mischievously, “Actually, why don’t you just stay here after class instead of going back home? You’ll pick Sehun after a few hours anyway.”

 

Luhan stares at Jongdae for a while, the school was also located at the heart of the city, staying over rather than paying bus fair – he is yet to know where he’ll find – only to be welcomed by a ruined apartment sounds very enticing. He’s also starting to think if he should even pick Sehun up or not after what he had just experienced. “If you don’t mind.”

 

“Oh, no one minds,” Jongdae smiles. “Right, Jongin?”

 

The younger scowls at him.

 

 

 

“What will you gonna do?” Kyungsoo asks him once everyone deemed everything is on track to operate for the day.

 

“Huh?” Luhan pulls away from the conversation Minseok had opened a while ago (the latter smiles at him in understanding and dashes off to catch up with Yixing) to glance at Kyungsoo.

 

“What will you do tomorrow?” Kyungsoo clears.

 

“Uhh… none?” Luhan thinks he should be concerned by the way Kyungsoo stares at him bewildered.

 

“You mean, you don’t have a date?”

 

“None that I could remember of,” Luhan sees Baekhyun curling his arm around Chanyeol’s when he looks away because, Kyungsoo’s eyes are big Jongin, how could you compare me to him?

 

“Why don’t you watch movie with us? Joonmyun hyung would probably be over Kris hyung’s place, the others will be on a date so it’ll just be us.” Luhan thinks of Baekhyun’s arms around Chanyeol’s and wonders how he had missed the signs. Because, it’s not like Baekhyun’s really subtle when he initiates skin contact with the latter, or may be, it was the way Chanyeol’s always praising Jongin, always running after him while Baekhyun just laughs at his misery each time the taller gets rejected. “Just you, me, Minseok hyung, and Jongdae hyung.”

 

“What about Jongin?” They came out the second Kyungsoo stops far longer to continue. His brain to mouth filter had been missing since the day Luhan couldn’t exactly remember. He does, however, remember how a few months back, the name Kim Jongin isn’t really relevant to him.

 

To his relief, Kyungsoo doesn’t look suspicious or anything. The former only looks at him, contemplating – Luhan thinks – before he says, “He’s got a date with Yixing hyung.”

 

 

 

The whole studio smells of sweat, the bass of the music bouncing from the four walls, lights were on and Minseok dances like that of his old neighbor in China. He’s good, precise to his point, but not as good as Jongin’s beautiful ballet he thinks. Luhan immediately reprimands himself at that – mentally.

 

“Kyungsoo says I should hang out with you guys tomorrow night.”

 

Minseok stretches his arms on his side and looks at him. “Why?”

 

Luhan shrugs, “I don’t have anything to do.”

 

“Then do come,” he straightens his back and does the same stretching on the other side.

 

“He also said Jongin’s got a date with Yixing,” he flicks the invisible dust in the hem of Baekhyun’s shirt. Much to the latter’s delight, his clothes falls perfectly in his body (they’re comfortable too, Luhan adds when Baekhyun asks him with expectations flashing in his eyes).

 

Luhan doesn’t know what has gotten into him when he knocked on Minseok’s dance studio instead of Jongin’s when that’s what he normally does. Jongin must’ve been waiting for him, but maybe that’s just Luhan thinking. Or the younger could have probably left with Yixing already, Luhan doesn’t really know.

 

“It’ll be their third year spending Valentine’s together.”

 

He wasn’t even sure why he said that, why with Minseok. But Luhan had been out of it since Kyungsoo this morning, and now he thinks he’s expecting something. Something that definitely not constitute to what Minseok had just said.

 

He asks Sehun if his plan for the Valentine’s will prevail when they arrived home. He smiles bitterly when the younger smiles in victory.

 

Luhan doesn’t even have it in him to get back at Sehun when he also found out that the school was just on the other street from the twenty-four seven fast food chain.

 

 

 

 

 

What greeted Luhan in the morning had made him hate Valentine’s Day so much. Oh Sehun’s smiling so widely at six fifteen in the morning. Huang Zitao had woke him up with his call just to greet him so sweetly and not long after, Kim Jongin sent him a message with an emoticon full of hearts and smiles. Now, he’s sitting in front of the tree devils in his life with a bunch of cooked pancakes and scrambled eggs and bacon. Luhan notes that it is the first time he sees Jongin in their flat (because before – as Sehun had said, when Jongin is there, Luhan wasn’t) and mentally does a round check whether or not their flat is of good condition to hold guest this early.

 

“Kyungsoo hyung made them, so don’t you worry,” Jongin supplies as he eyed the breakfast far too longer.

 

“What are you doing here?” He glances up at the younger before they travel to Tao’s and land themselves on Sehun. “What’s this?”

 

“Breakfast,” Sehun says like what’s on the table isn’t obvious enough for their eyes to feast on and mouth to water on.

 

He looks back to Tao and repeats his previous question instead. Tao merely smiles at him and Luhan gives up on his quest to have his questions be answered by any of them (well, Tao and Sehun anyway, because Luhan’s still trying to find his brain to mouth filter before he goes off asking questions to Jongin). He piles three pancakes in his plate and drowns himself in them instead. Jongin’s laughing in the background but he doesn’t mind, Sehun and Tao are throwing hearts in the air that Luhan wants nothing more than to leave already.

 

 

 

It was a victory when they did. Luhan swore to stay away from his own apartment for a while when Sehun stared at Tao’s back hungrily despite of them wolfing down the pancakes. Bratty Sehun is a monster behind Luhan’s back, or more appropriately, Tao’s back. He silently prays to all the Gods that the two would at least, stay away from his room.

 

“Tao’s worried you’ll be lonely this day,” Jongin supplies when they reach the bus stop. He misses the beat in his step and trips on an imaginary hindrance. “Hey,” Jongin catches him just in time and Luhan does his best to ignore the heat accumulating in his arm, from the fingers around them.

 

“Thanks,” he whispers and schools his appearance as he regains his posture.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Yeah. I just thought I heard differently,” he tries a laugh and fails miserably. However, Jongin remains the same, just curiously looking at him, so Luhan stops trying. The school doesn’t start until eight but Luhan thinks the bus is taking too long.

 

“But you’re not,” there’s a frown at the younger’s face when Luhan looks at him. “Tao feels sorry he’s got himself a date and you don’t.”

 

“Wow,” Luhan nods as he processes everything, including the frown marring Jongin’s face and their proximity and, “You know exactly how to deliver the words. That .”

 

And then, Jongin is laughing at him. Slapping his arm as he doubles over but Luhan doesn’t mind, the younger’s jaw is on full show and Luhan got himself the front seat.

 

 

 

Perhaps Luhan isn’t really over Jongin’s jaw just yet, his infatuation had just broaden their horizon without him knowing when he thought he now prefers the younger’s fingers over his jaw. Because even after they part ways inside the building, even after Luhan had finished his morning and afternoon classes, and after Jongin had left looking exceptionally good with Yixing on his side, the older could not help but wonder if the younger’s jaw had turned the definition of perfection to another level.

 

Or Luhan had (he desperately hopes he does not) just miss them.

 

“Jongdae,” Kyungsoo sighs from his side, the flat looks strangely foreign with just the four of them. Aside from the noise coming from the movie, it was too silent that Luhan pities not only himself but also his friends. “Why are we watching Rise of the Guardians in the middle of February?”

 

“Because,” Kyungsoo declines the popcorn Luhan offers him with distaste and instead grabs the bag of nachos in Jongdae’s possession. The older watches in fascination as Kyungsoo hold them tightly and out of anyone’s reach. Jongdae rolls his eyes. “We’re individuals whose soul is still looking out for its mate so be kind to your own and share that,” Jongdae tries to grab them back when Minseok beats him to it and throws him a pillow.

 

It hits Jongdae across the face. “Enough with the cheese, you’re working dysfunctional without Baekhyun. Stick to your old shoes.”

 

Luhan feels Kyungsoo leaning closer beside him. “Ever wonder why Baekhyun’s not dating him instead?” The older looks at Kyungsoo, intrigued, before Jongdae enters his personal space and send Kyungsoo his saluting middle finger. Luhan wonders what had made him decide that the flat feels foreign, prior, when Jongdae is this loud even with just the four of them. He’s also quite curious how Jongdae is skinny when he weighs like a bear.

 

“Guys,” Minseok says, distracting Jongdae from killing Luhan with his weight and murdering Kyungsoo with his own hands. “Don’t you think Jack Frost looks a lot like Sehun?”

 

Luhan kills Sehun mentally when Jongdae resumes what he’s doing. Minseok doesn’t even bother sparing them a glance and Kyungsoo’s too busy to notice the weight underneath his attacker.

 

 

 

He practically dashed out the moment the credits rolled in. His cliché excuse of something he had suddenly remembered earned him challenging looks but never answered any of them and just waved sheepishly until he’s out and running towards the other street. Without Sehun voicing them out, Luhan knew his best friend to know enough that the younger ditched his own work. What other options does Sehun have aside from that, nevertheless, Luhan went inside despite the looks the security guard welcomed him with.

 

He ordered (because in his haste to escape the jungle, Luhan had forgotten about all the mouth-watering meals that Kyungsoo had cooked for them on the dining table. He regrets his decision silently) the same meal he had months ago and sat on the same table. Luhan had also ignored the unwelcomed smile the cashier offered when she saw him, because no matter how one sees it, Luhan isn’t the one to be blamed about Sehun’s ranging hormones but the younger himself. Sehun deserves all the blame the world has to offer.

 

Still, the down atmosphere inside the usually (well, after Jongin and his friends decided that midnight memories should be about throwing fries towards each other and talking like mountains apart) noisy place could not be missed. There’s only a few customers, probably could be counted within a person’s fingers. And Luhan feels sorry for the annoyed look on the employees’ faces, if Sehun’s working tonight, he’s sure about the storm clouds hovering above the chain. But Sehun’s not here and the older belatedly realizes how Tao is right.

 

It should not be lonely, it’s not lonely. Luhan tells himself that, repeats them like a mantra as one of the customers take their leave. But when another one leaves, he exhales dejectedly and hangs his head low.

 

“I’m still wishing that Tao has been wrong all along,” he jolts at the voice and looks up. Jongin’s smiling at him, some smile Luhan cannot comprehend what but it looks good on him. Jongin looks good, he corrects himself. “They said you left just before we arrived. Why?”

 

“Where’s Yixing?” Luhan would rather ask another question than admit how he regretted leaving.

 

“Playing with Jongdae hyung,” Jongin takes the chair across from him. Luhan watches him as he contemplates for his next words, and somehow, his usually dry palms turned clammy. “Was the movie good?”

 

He nods. There’s a certain shift in the air that happened without him knowing, because everything feels different with Jongin around. And it doesn’t feel as lonely as before, even if Luhan wants to deny. “How’s your… date?”

 

Jongin’s smile changes into one that Luhan’s familiar with. “Good.”

 

He nods again, expecting just right.

 

“But hyung,” Jongin continues, “Why’d you left?”

 

The younger’s using a tone that of a whining kid. It completely contradicts his appearance but Luhan couldn’t help the feeling of familiarity on them. Tao was one giant kid and the older is living with Sehun. Jongin should not be of any difference; however, Luhan finds the familiarity a little endearing than it should be.

 

“Just,” he shrugs, not entirely convinced that Jongin would believe even if he says the truth. Some truth he’s now not entirely sure of, for since the time Jongin had been in there, Luhan thinks he’s been a little lonely all along.

 

It

 

“Never mind,” Jongin’s leaning towards him and Luhan stays rooted. The sudden movement brings a lot of confusion in the room, and “I’m here now, so Tao’s wrong. Happy Valentine’s hyung,” the younger’s finger feels so light against his cheek it scares Luhan how it can burn.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything happens after that night. The little changes that soon found their way to make themselves be noticed by the eyes, by anyone prying. Luhan had seen all of them, because before him, there’s Sehun in the scene. Oh Sehun who had been the first to experience the little hand gestures that Jongin usually displays. Now, Luhan needs to watch in horror as his object of infatuation draw his attention more frequently than before. It doesn’t even help that Jongin finds it in his fascination to pinch Luhan’s cheeks every now and then, freely.

 

“Seriously, stop that,” Luhan swats the hands away and nurses his aching muscle.

 

Jongin seems to have also been immune to his glares already, for the younger only massages his frown away when Luhan does so. “Hyung, it’s not funny when you do that.”

 

“Luhan hyung isn’t naturally funny to begin with, Jongin,” the older is grateful that Jongin’s in between him and Sehun, because until now, Luhan hasn’t forgiven the younger for the mess he had made that Friday.

 

“No one wants to hear your opinion, Sehun.”

 

Jongin stops what he’s doing and leans back on the couch, sparing a glance between the two. “Are you still fighting?”

 

“No one’s fighting,” Luhan sighs, exhaustion suddenly creeping in his bones.

 

When Sehun doesn’t say anything, Jongin pats his own thigh and stands up. “You know what? I’ll leave you two alone to sort it out. Because seriously, what you’re fighting about is so petty.” He pinches Luhan’s cheek one last time before he disappears.

 

Jongin might’ve been right, but Sehun knew Luhan’s rule and yet, still broke them for his own good.

 

The older can feel the younger’s eyes on him but doesn’t faze as he changes the channel. Jongin’s presence is still warm and Luhan may have moved a bit to feel the warmth. He solely admits that he just did something weird.

 

“Jongin doesn’t do that,” Sehun breaks the cold silence between them.

 

When Luhan doesn’t react, Sehun huffs and, “Fine! I’m sorry, okay? Really. I’ll buy you new sheets if it makes you feel better,” hugs the older. Luhan wonders if Tao had taught Sehun this trick because, it always does, do the trick.

 

“Green,” The older may have been eyeing these new set of sheets from the mall for quite some time now and maybe this whole ordeal had benefited him just right, “I want those on the display in green.”

 

“But hyung th––”

 

“Or I could totally move out.”

 

“Fine. You’ll have that one.”

 

Luhan smiles at that and pats Sehun’s head so affectionately as if nothing happened between the two.

 

“But it still doesn’t change the fact that Jongin just pinched your cheeks when he usually does not.”

 

His body reactions came late this time around. Luhan had only noticed the burning flame on his cheeks when Sehun stared at him quizzically. It’s not supposed to, but Luhan can feel the embarrassment within the smallest veins in his body running at a fast speed.

 

“It’s Tuesday and Jongin had been in here three times already since Valentine’s,” Luhan changes the channel quite smoothly as he tries to hide the exhale he’s rewarded when Sehun retreats back to his old position. He doesn’t tell the younger that it’s not the third but fourth time already, because Sehun doesn’t need to know that Jongin came home with him that Friday night for a cup of coffee that tasted bitter (not because he had expected at least a hug when Jongin bid him goodbye) right after witnessing the nightmare in his room. Nor does he need to know that it wasn’t the first time that the tan has pinched his cheeks. “I smell something fishy.”

 

Luhan’s not really counting, Sehun just happened to brought up the subject he’s been trying to avoid whenever he looks at the date in his phone. “The smell of your own breath.”

 

 

 

 

 

“What do you think of me?”

 

Luhan almost chokes on his own drink at the sudden question. Jongin’s staring at him through the mirror, eyes void of any signs of what Luhan should know. He looks bored, much like Sehun’s inborn welcoming visage. “Excuse me?”

 

“What do you think of me, hyung?” Luhan doesn’t like the place their sitting at, because Jongin can see his reactions and Luhan cannot read Jongin at all. “What do you think of Sehun?”

 

“You wouldn’t want to know what I think about that brat,” he fixes the cap back on the lid of the water bottle and places them on the floorboards.

 

“About me, then.”

 

Luhan could think of many things about Oh Sehun and not one of them related to anything goodness. In retrospect, the older could easily point out the good in Jongin despite of the latter being as mischievous as he’d want to be. But Luhan doesn’t really trust himself of actually voicing them out and not his infatuation instead. So he smiles and settles for the easy way out.

 

“You’re better than Sehun.”

 

He had expected for Jongin to smile proudly and, or, make a statement of how Luhan knows good judgment because that’s what he normally does. But Luhan had been discovering new sides of the younger as days pass by and Jongin never fails to make him astounded with each new discovery. For the next second, Luhan’s jaw was left hanging in the air after Jongin had ruffled his hair and leave him be.

 

Once he’s back on earth, he’s relieved to know that Jongin had already left. Sehun reminds him how ugly he is every time his jaw drops.

 

 

 

 

 

“You like him,” when Luhan had decided (after not getting any sleep since Jongin’s hand on his hair happened) that enough is enough, he confides his conflict with his friend. Only that, Luhan thinks is a wrong decision. Because after he relayed his situation, the only thing that Tao understood from it was that three words.

 

“I do not like him,” he sighs, eyeing the amount of meat in the younger’s leaf. Perhaps pigging out his problem was a bad choice either. “There’s a big difference between the whole idea of liking him and being limitedly infatuated. I’m only infatuated with his jaw, and his beautiful fingers.”

 

“It sounds the same to me,” at least Tao has the decency to wipe the grease off of his lips. “It still is attraction.”

 

“Yes it is, but not––”

 

“Everything starts from a simple attraction.”

 

Luhan groans. “Not all attraction equates to mutual feelings. This is just a simple admiration, fascination, over certain parts of his body––”

 

“I think I hear a pun.”

 

“–shut up, I’m not trying to be funny. As I was saying, I find Baekhyun’s fingers a whole lot beautiful than Jongin’s but I don’t like him. This c–”

 

“But Baek hyung’s fingers don’t make you feel hot whenever they touch you.”

 

“It just so happens t–”

 

“Look hyung,” Tao stops all unnecessary movements that Luhan halts himself from smacking the younger for interrupting him, yet again. “I already get what you’re trying to say. That you don’t like him at all, but that’s the problem. When I first met Sehun, there’s nothing at all. However, when he cut his hair and dyed them blonde, little things that I don’t took notice of, such as his smile, attracted me right away.” Luhan would admit that Sehun looked handsome at that time.

 

No, he mentally corrects himself, Sehun is handsome. He just needs to know how to seal his mouth completely.

 

“And you’re telling me that you cannot take your eyes off of Jongin’s jaw and fingers. Hyung, that’s the lamest joke you have ever said so far,” Luhan quirks an eyebrow, taunting the challenging looks on Zitao’s eyes. “If you don’t like him at all, like how you’re so invested into, then explain to me why aren’t you getting enough sleep just from a simple ruffle of your hair made by those fingers that you so called simple object of your attraction?”

 

Or maybe he shouldn’t have done that. Because when he returned from that prolonged impromptu lunch date with Tao, he cannot look Jongin in the eyes. He had also declined the can of coffee the younger offered him during the afternoon break, and knocked on Minseok’s dance studio after class instead, again. Now his swirling thoughts felt heavier than before and his wallet definitely lighter than that morning.

 

“I definitely hate you!” He shouts to Sehun’s face when the younger greeted him with a smile as he takes his order that midnight. Zitao’s laughing behind him but Luhan cannot be bothered, Yixing and Jongdae’s with them but Jongin wasn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

The most (so far in his memory) horrifying and terrifying discovery that Luhan had the chance to experience was when Jongin started being clingy. Although Luhan had first-hand experience with Tao and Sehun, they don’t have the perfect jaw and bony fingers that the older is currently obsessing with, and Kim Jongin just happened to not know the existence of personal space when he all but stealthily leaned his head down his shoulder and s his arms around Luhan’s arm as they dive into movie marathon.

 

The living room is full enough with the ten of them, yet Luhan felt a whole lot stuffier with Jongin practically glued on his side. There’s not enough room on the couch (what with Kris, Chanyeol, and Yixing squeezing themselves with them on the worn-out furniture) and Luhan understands, but the younger doesn’t seem to understand how to properly fit in his own space and not in the space of the others. Given that he’s the youngest in this household and had probably been pampered to his liking, still, Luhan would’ve liked it if the younger would remove his arms around him, or just detach himself altogether for Luhan’s convenience.

 

He could and would have voiced them out since the movie’s starting to pick his interest, but the light breathing ghosting his neck tells him otherwise. And the warmth being provided by the tight grip around his arm prevents him from moving even a single muscle.

 

He’s only glad Tao’s too busy worshipping his best friend to be watching with them.

 

Because Luhan is sure he could get used with this. With Jongin invading his space, curling his arms around with his, whispering unnecessary things in his ears, and feeling the warmth of his body next to his.

 

Because he is not Luhan’s best friend, he’s not pale like all the blood had been drained from his body. He doesn’t have lisp nor does acts in able to be cute. He’s not Sehun who makes Luhan want to shave his own head in annoyance.

 

Because he’s not the person Luhan runs to when he misses home. He doesn’t speak Chinese like Tao does. And he doesn’t call Luhan at the wee hours just to tell him his nightmares.

 

For he is Kim Jongin, and not anyone else, the boy who doesn’t need music to have his fingers dancing. The guy who offers him different shades of smiles, and be embarrassed about them when he thinks he’s grinning too widely. He is that boy who caught Luhan off guard without the latter knowing it.

 

He is Kim Jongin.

 

The one who celebrated Valentine’s with Yixing for the third time. The person he should not be associating with if he wants to prove himself right with Tao.

 

Huang Zitao

 

He groans. If Luhan had forgotten about them the moment Jongin touched his shoulder, then he’s sure to be deaf when everything ends. For the younger’s words were now crystal and clear and loud and it ruins the whole movie enjoyment for him. Even from afar, Tao knows how to make his day.

 

“You okay?” He stiffens at the soft deep voice mumbling at him. He chances a glance at his other side just to make sure. There’s always a possibility of it not being Jongin because the latter doesn’t give him shivers, but Chanyeol’s too immersed into the movie to have even noticed Luhan’s internal battle within himself.

 

“Hyung,” and he would have not missed the words coming out from those lips from the way he’s staring at the taller male.

 

There’s a nudge in his side and this time, Luhan gives up on his fail attempt to accuse Chanyeol of something he had not done. He takes his time to prepare himself, from whatever it is he is not prepared of, but loses anyway when the sight of Jongin grazes his eyes. Luhan fights back the image of the younger waking up knocking on his hazy mind. Jongin looks sleepy, tired, but he’s got a frown and it’s hard for Luhan but the younger looks adorable like that.

 

“Hm?”

 

“You okay?” Luhan can feel the hot breath washing over his face and as overused as it was, he thinks there’s only the two of them in the vicinity. He allows himself a smile and takes it as far as ruffling Jongin’s hair (he notes how fluffy they were) because Luhan thinks if there is a right moment, then there it is.

 

The frown on the younger’s face diminishes like lighting. He blinks twice and then, he’s smiling at Luhan. If it’s possible, the gap between them closes another door. And Luhan belatedly realizes how their faces are only an inch or two apart. But Luhan doesn’t dwell on them. He’s more concerned for the sudden erratic beating of his heart that could probably rival the deafening words of Huang Zitao.

 

 

 

 

 

Luhan pretends it was satisfaction that he’s feeling when Jongin attached himself to Sehun and left Tao gaping at them as Sehun immediately fall into the tan male and lace his arms around his middle. Tao needs to taste some bitterness in his life once in a while, he tell himself.

 

It was a Tuesday night when Luhan had been invited for another movie marathon and Sehun being the nosy kid he was, invited himself and Tao along when he caught sight of the message in Luhan’s phone.

 

Jongin would’ve texted me anyway. He reasons out.

 

They were waiting for Minseok and Kyungsoo to return from the convenience store (because Baekhyun refused to watch anything without a popcorn and Jongdae had eaten all their nachos in revenge to Kyungsoo) like they should be. But in the midst of chaos (and Joonmyun’s unheard calls for silence) Jongin suddenly sprang up and pulled Sehun with him.

 

Luhan notices how everything slowly stops and all eyes turned curious, watching as the two youngest take the middle. Jongin’s got his hands on Sehun’s shoulder and Luhan, didn’t think it’s possible but for the first time ever, sees the youngest male exceptionally lost. Tao also stops muttering beside him.

 

“Sehun.”

 

“Yes, Jongin?”

 

“I don’t like you anymore.”

 

Luhan thinks he heard something he doesn’t understand that had been said so straight and forward but it only took a moment of silence before Sehun’s confused expression melt into goo and into Jongin’s hold. He had also heard Tao’s snort and Chanyeol’s wailing after Jongin’s eye blinding smile.

 

“Aww, why?”

 

Jongin sports a pout and Chanyeol’s wailing – Jongin you cheater! How could you do this to me and behind my back?! After all the sacrifices I’ve done for you, do you know how much I tried not to let you win at games? I even bought you Crong you brat! – gets a bit louder but Luhan’s the one who’s now confused.

 

“You’re now taller than me,” the tan makes his point by comparing the top of his head to the pale. “See?”

 

Sehun laughs. If they were on their flat, the younger would’ve already been hit by something, because he sounds disgustingly happy like that. Sadly they were not and to Tao’s (because Luhan already knows that Jongin has a lot of surprises under his sleeves) horror, the tan pulls the pale closer and cranes his neck a little bit to kiss the latter square on the lips.

 

“I cannot kiss you like before,” he whines after. Yet, no one said anything about them to Luhan. It might be just his illusion but there’s an unmistakable sound of something had been dropped on the floor and he cannot be sure if it was his jaw or Chanyeol’s body.

 

A huge smile was plastered on Oh Sehun’s (ugly, Luhan decides that the pale wasn’t even the slightest bit good looking) face and Baekhyun’s cat-calling is loud inside the room. Somehow, Tao had calmed down, or probably it was due to Joonmyun’s grip in his wrist.

 

“But I can always do this,” and Sehun’s delving in for a second kiss, cupping Jongin’s face and pulling him in, a little bit.

 

In the corner of his eyes, Luhan sees Joonmyun whispering something to Kris and not long after, the latter’s laughing. “Okay that’s it,” Luhan thinks the his intimidating aura is slowly vanishing as he kept on restraining his laughter while trying to rescue his falling authoritative voice, he looks ugly with his gums and rows of small teeth and why is everybody looking ugly tonight? “Come here, Jongin.”

 

When the two youngest breaks apart, there’s a blush on their faces that Jongdae doesn’t miss and blurts. “When will I have your lips, Jongin?” he adds.

 

Luhan watches the blush deepen on the younger’s face as he fits himself into Kris’ side.

 

“Aww, Jongdae you’ve made baby Jongin embarrassed,” Baekhyun’s patting at Chanyeol’s rejected hand but he’s grinning maliciously at Jongin. “Do you want to cuddle with me instead, Jonginnie?” He dodges the throw pillow sent on his way and laughs when Chanyeol groans on his lap.

 

Nothing looks and is more confusing to Luhan than pretending that Kris isn’t some sort of a sugar daddy with two (Sehun had somehow followed when Jongin left him standing and crawled on the other side of Kris despite Tao’s pleading eyes for some attention from the pale) giant babies clinging on his side. But Yixing tells him otherwise, because nothing is more confusing than that silent smile the former gave him when he pats his back.

 

It was still vivid in his memory, that it was Yixing whom Jongin spent the Valentine’s with and not Sehun.

 

 

 

 

 

Avoidance isn’t what Luhan would call his sudden busy life to find some time and entertain Jongin after that fateful night. It just so happen that Sehun had woken up from his sleep and told him not to pick him up anymore because Tao’s already doing the job, and he told Luhan about it at his last day of night shift. The older doesn’t even know anymore, if he’s happy about it, or if he’s too happy and want to strangle Sehun because of it. Nevertheless, when Tao had managed to set them apart and calmed him down, Luhan realizes that he’ll be having afternoon trips back home again. That was enough to ease the tension in his body, because, too many nights at Joonmyun’s flat had built enough of them to put him easily on the edge – around Sehun only, he notes.

 

So the very next day, he had told them all about it and excused himself when the afternoon ends. Aside from that, there’s not enough time on hand to make special trips on the second floor after class because for some unknown reason, Luhan had grown a sudden interest over the escalating relationship of his friends and made sure to be always there to welcome them home.

 

It raised an eyebrow from Tao but Sehun’s too pleased with Luhan serving them snacks to dwell about it.

 

Yet, no one dared to ask, not even Tao who had been eyeing him each time he moves around the living room, and Luhan wants him to ask. Because lately, he had come into terms that he’s acting like a thief when he didn’t do any stealing at all. And Jongin had already stopped approaching him after getting rejected for the fourth time a week ago.

 

The morning messages were also gone and now Luhan sleeps without Jongin’s goodnight on his phone. It makes him feel guilty if Luhan admits to himself, because there’s nothing that could have triggered the sudden change in him aside from the kiss that seemed to affect only him. Tao had even looked passed it the very next day and claimed Jongin as his brother-in-law. However, Luhan cannot – for the life of him – fathom why each time he sees Jongin, he remembers the way his fingers curl around Sehun’s nape.

 

He dismisses Tao’s words that never fail to come right after them and instead, packs his bag for another trip back home, alone.

 

He abruptly stops on his tracks when he almost bumps into Joonmyun’s offending-ly (he now agrees with Sehun because holy mother of cows, why am I not born in his family?) tall boyfriend in his haste to leave the building.

 

“Whoa, easy there,” Kris offers him a sheepish smile. “You’re always on a hurry these days.”

 

Out of all the people Luhan could think of, Kris was not the one he thought would notice of him. He expected Baekhyun, or Jongdae, because those two seems to know everything. Maybe Kris would be a better choice nonetheless, for the thought of those two vocal teachers could surely put Luhan in his right place. “Sorry.”

 

“Going home?”

 

He nods. Luhan thinks this is what awkward feels like and not that first time he saw Yixing at the chain. Kris has nothing to do with him, and Luhan hasn’t even spent a single time alone with the taller and wouldn’t want either. But Jongin said the latter was Chinese and maybe, Luhan could try. After all, Yixing and Tao look comfortable around the taller.

 

“I see…”

 

He trails his eyes down as Kris tries to find his next words (this right here, is definitely what awkward is Kim Jongin) and have them land on the familiar box of a certain food chain. He frowns at it, gets reminded of the first time he sees Kris and how Jongin describes him of. How he soothes Jongin out of his embarrassment and how Jongin easily caves-in in his words. Kris would definitely fit the sugar daddy.

 

“Isn’t there anything that he eats aside from chicken?”

 

 

 

 

 

Some time on a Saturday night, he gets dragged by his friends out of his own room and into the busy night of Seoul. Luhan’s only glad that Tao was kind enough to grab him a jacket to survive the cold.

 

“Why do I never experience any respect from you two?” He fixes them a glare when Tao suddenly pulls him harshly into his chest. He feels a strong gust of wind behind him a second later.

 

“I just saved your life,” Luhan hears Sehun’s voice shouting bloody murder to the bunch of – probably – teenagers running on the crowded street.

 

“And I just cursed at your murderers.”

 

He sighs and pulls himself off from Tao, Sehun looks obnoxiously proud of what he just did. “You should’ve included yourself.”

 

The pale pats his back and slings an arm around his shoulder, not the least bit offended by Luhan’s choice of comeback, “I’m honored you love me too,” and weave them through the bodies on the street.

 

“Where are you taking me?”

 

“You’ll see.”

 

When they arrived at the venue, there’s a lot more people than Luhan could imagine. It’s on an abandoned playground that the older haven’t been to (not that he knows Seoul like the back of his hand). There are graffiti’s scattered all over the wall and the set of bars from the outgrown swing looked rusty to even function. At the middle, a makeshift stage was presented.

 

“What’s this?”

 

Baekhyun appears in front of him when he turns his head. Chanyeol comes right after with a grin and Jongdae’s arm to arm with Kyungsoo beside him. Even Joonmyun and Kris were also there, coming right behind with stack of papers on hand.

 

He gets a glimpsed of it and, “Are those fliers? About the school?” When he gets presented by one, Luhan reads everything that was written and looks skeptical at his boss.

 

“You’ll understand later on,” is what Joonmyun says.

 

“Okay…” he looks at each of them and dismisses the number of people’s attendance. “So, what is this all about?” He gestures at the whole place and thinks they are catching some unwarranted attention from the people nearby. He also notices the amount of ladies in the place.

 

“A street dance battle,” Chanyeol quips, looking as excited as every other day.

 

“We’re competing,” Baekhyun adds, and there’s excitement in his voice that Luhan finds alarming.

 

He abruptly turns his head at Sehun, “We are?”

 

“Do you honestly think that you have the capability much more, the right to dance?” He elbows Sehun at the remark and hears the telltale signs of Jongdae’s laughter at the background.

 

“Welcome to the club hyung!”

 

He sneers at the latter but all Jongdae did was give him a salute. Kyungsoo offers him a smile and detaches himself from Jongdae when Chanyeol (with all of his gangling limbs) starts jumping on his feet and Kris pulls Joonmyun out in the scene and seriously, Chanyeol’s attracting them too much attention for Luhan’s liking.

 

“Stop doing that,” Baekhyun holds him in place and it’s the first time Luhan truly sees what he had missed between the two. Chanyeol stops right away, smiling sheepishly at Baekhyun despite of the latter giving him an infamous eye-roll.

 

Jongdae cackles at them but neither of the two spare him an eye.

 

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

 

Luhan thinks he should be the one saying them because honestly, he still hasn’t heard any answers from them and they’re already advancing towards the stage. He tries to pull Sehun from Tao but it was of no use. Tao’s a lot bigger than him, not to mention, the only muscle that Luhan has in him was in his calves while Tao exudes muscles in every part of his body.

 

Luckily for him, he catches Kyungsoo’s attention by casually sliding his arm around the smaller one. “Who’s competing?”

 

Kyungsoo stares at him as if he just asked something that should be understandable without even asking them. Luhan feels a little offended (Kyungsoo has that ability to make anyone feel small with his eyes) but it cannot be helped when up until now, everything is still hazy.

 

“Who’s not with us?”

 

Right.

 

 

 

Luhan has never seen Jongin dance anything aside from Ballet and Jazz. But the Jongin he had just seen on stage was way out of his knowledge. He now understands what Joonmyun was talking about the pamphlets or why Jongin is so full of himself when he claimed that their success was all due to him, because even from just announcing their names, the crowd has already started cheering. And the girls (Luhan would never forget them), were screaming so loudly he wonders if his eardrums would be able to function properly after this.

 

It was no joke that the three were popular and a crowd favorite.

 

Sehun had put his argument on the right (he had always been right for the most part of time but Luhan is still in denial about them, so) track this time around. For Luhan had no words to describe what he had just witnessed. If Jongin’s eloquence in ballet is beautiful enough, then the precision of his movements to hip-hop is beyond perfection. He’s on par with Yixing (and that’s saying because Yixing’s the one teaching hip-hop), but there’s a definite barrier between their styles that sets them apart.

 

While they are both undeniably y moving their bodies, Jongin’s got the fluidity that executes themselves in his movements. He makes them strong points look alluring than it should be, make them look tough and explicit but smooth at the edges. His dancing felt a whole lot different from that of Yixing’s and Minseok’s despite of their unity with the music.

 

Luhan briefly thanks ballet for ever falling into Jongin’s life.

 

But what probably got Luhan (and the ladies, because he would swear it was the loudest part) in trance was when Jongin showcased his perfect pirouette and end them with a crooked smile that says it all. Jongin isn’t talking big when he said so himself that he was good, because Luhan would be lying if he wouldn’t agree, and Chanyeol has all the right to fawn over the younger.

 

“All this screaming,” Jongdae leisurely drapes his arm around him, looking all smug. “I can smell money in the next enrollment.”

 

Joonmyun really knows his business.

 

 

 

They decided to celebrate their – somehow, given – win at the food chain Sehun’s working at, and the latter being a customer for once, abuses his right to call on waits and makes a scene (because the customer is always right) when their food takes a little longer than the waiting time. Luhan wonders if his colleagues ever tried to plan his death, because he sure would.

 

“Okay my dear people,” Jongdae says, suddenly standing up in the middle of their fun with his plastic cup raised on one hand. “Allow me this moment to appreciate all the good things that happened in my life since the start of the year. Firstly, I’m so proud of my little minions for following my every step a–”

 

“Cheers to Minseok hyung, Yixing hyung, and Jonginnie,” Baekhyun interrupts raising his cup as well as encouraging the others. Chanyeol gladly follows suit, grabbing Tao’s wrist and raising his hand as well. Jongdae glares at him but agrees nonetheless when the rest raised their cups.

 

“Say Jongin, do you wear tights when you dance ballet?”

 

Said boy chokes on his drink and blushes deeply at the sudden question. Kris pats his back and sends Tao a look. Next to Luhan, Sehun’s nudging Tao’s sides.

 

“What? I was just curious,” he clears for himself. “Plus, I think I wanna see him dance ballet. How many spins can you make?”

 

“I’ll let you see me dance ballet, someday.” Jongin offers, after collecting his cool and smiles reassuringly at Kris.

 

The offer takes Luhan back during that time when he first knocked on the younger’s dance studio. Jongin had said something close to that but it wasn’t an offer, more likely a statement and Luhan wasn’t obliged to but decides to see for himself the very next day. Now, after witnessing Kim Jongin’s transformation, the older questions which dance the younger was pertaining to back then.

 

“I’ve got videotapes of him,” Joonmyun breaks in. “Seven years old and already pirouetting.”

 

He stops in his trance and whips his head towards his boss. There’s a fond smile on his lips and despite Jongin groaning in displeasure, Joonmyun’s looking at him softly.

 

“Not those hyung.”

 

“Why? Everyone has already seen them. Even Sehun have numerous copies in his drive.” Luhan raises a brow at that, the younger male had never slipped any word. He briefly remembers seeing the said device in the left drawer of the younger’s study table.

 

Jongin shakes his head.

 

“Why?” It was Baekhyun asking this time with a glint in his eyes that Luhan didn’t miss, or it could be that Luhan’s always watching Baekhyun and Jongdae every single time. “Don’t you want Tao to see how cute you were? I’m sure Luhan hyung would want to.”

 

All eyes turned to him including Jongin’s and Luhan couldn’t remember when he had last looked into them. If they were this strong, or were they always have been beautiful. In the corner of his eyes, Luhan can make out the same security guard opening the glass door for an incoming customer with a smile on his face. “If he wants to.”

 

“Why are you doing this to me?” Jongin groans but his eyes linger on Luhan’s for a second longer before they send daggers to a certain Byun Baekhyun.

 

 

 

On their way back to the school for a continuation (because Yixing refuses to let go of Tao just yet and Sehun’s too engrossed watching the latter speak in Mandarin to actually bid him goodbye), everyone seems to have huddled themselves into groups and left Luhan walking side by side with Jongin. It feels entirely familiar but after not spending time with the latter for weeks, Luhan finds himself a little bit on the awkward side.

 

“Am I forgiven?” He hears the voice a bit unsure and tentative and it makes Luhan cringe.

 

“Why should you be forgiven?”

 

Jongin stuffs his hands on his pocket and shrugs his shoulders, his eyes were looking far ahead and the moonlight’s highlighting his side profile for more drama to his dreamy look and oh.

 

Sehun this is entirely your fault! He’s taking my breath away, how can you be friends with such good looking people? Is your friend even aware of how he’s walking like he’s on a runway?

 

“I don’t know hyung. I think I did something wrong,” then he looks at Luhan and everything explodes. The hurt clouding his eyes were piercing through Luhan’s conscience and it stings, because Jongin doesn’t even deserve them in the first place. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

 

 

 

“You did avoid him,” Sehun tells him when his attempt to overlook Jongin’s words failed him and it left him no other choice but to confide his problem in the younger. For once Sehun’s acting like a grown up that he’s supposed to be. What’s more surprising was when Luhan found him on the couch with two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table as if he already knew what is coming for him.

 

“Okay, so maybe I did. But it’s not like I intended too.”

 

“Not?” Sehun raises a perfect line of brow.

 

“He’s dating Yixing, he kissed you. What did you expect me to do?”

 

“So you do like him.”

 

He sighs. “I think Tao already made that point.”

 

“And you’re missing my point.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Tell him.”

 

Sehun says them nonchalantly it actually takes a few seconds for Luhan to grasp them. When he did, he stares at the younger in horror. “Did you not hear what I just said? Should I really teach you my mother tongue now and have this conversation in Chinese later on?”

 

It was the younger’s turn to sigh. “Long story short, those two were only dating for the sake of Valentine’s Day. Now if it’s about the kiss between me and Jongin, rest assured that it was only platonic.”

 

“I’ve never seen friends kiss like that.”

 

“Welcome to our Korea,” the pale says in mock and rolls his eye. “Listen to me hyung, and listen carefully. I’ll teach you Kim Jongin 101”

 

Luhan stares at him skeptically but Sehun ignores them away and starts, “First and foremost and the only thing you need to do, is to know how to read him. He’s not really complicated like your trying to reason with me. If he says something unusual out of the blue, you need to understand.”

 

Sehun, I don’t like you anymore

 

“If he does something weird, you have to see beyond it.”

 

I cannot kiss you like before

 

“If he blurts you questions, all you have to do is repeat them again and again until you get what he really want to ask.”

 

What do you think of me, hyung?

 

“If you find him the fun of his friends, you have to observe, because hyung, we know him while you don’t.”

 

Guys, Jongin says I’m cute

 

Oh, no one minds. Right, Jongin?

 

Don’t you want Tao to see how cute you were? I’m sure Luhan hyung would want to.

 

“He wouldn’t exactly tell you what he likes unless you ask him, because he’s incapable of that. The possibility of him making the first move and approaching you if I were not in the picture is zero to none. He’s socially inept like that. But if you pay him too much attention you’d know that in able to understand him, all you have to do is read between the lines.”

 

Luhan hyung, you didn’t forget my name this time.

 

 

 

It was the crooked smile (his newest infatuation over the tan male because he’s still trying to let the realization sink in with him that perhaps, he’s infatuated with the whole idea of Kim Jongin, and because he’s still denying the fact that the infatuation may have been turned into liking for quite a while now), that smirk (and not Sehun’s magical advices), that got Luhan to end his sleepless nights once and for all. Because Luhan doesn’t think it was only his dream when he imagines himself erasing that smirk off from Jongin’s countenance with his own lips more frequently than before. And now that he’s trying to see Jongin in a different light, Luhan is quite livid how he doesn’t realize sooner that Jongin’s not only good looking but downright handsome rather.

 

He expected a cold treatment from the younger when he entered the studio, after all Jongin was still hesitant with him last night. Yet, Jongin keeps on surprising him when he was welcomed with nothing but that smile that holds everything that Luhan wants to know of. It was the only one that Luhan cannot decipher but decides that it’s also the one that best fits Jongin’s face.

 

They may have also caused Luhan’s heart to malfunction and beat twice as fast, if he so desires to admit.

 

“You came, hyung,” there’s a certain hint of joy in the younger’s voice, a thin layer of sweat stains his face but it looks good on him. He looks best with his simple sweat pants and shirt and Luhan admits that high school finally caught him good this time around. Because when he tries to open his mouth, he hears a voice whispering in his ears.

 

I’ve been waiting, hyung.