Five more minutes.

The squeaking sound of sneakers against the tiled floor echoed through the hallways as Sehun huffs, avoiding the dissipating sea of students as he runs towards his classroom. He can see his destination at the end of the seemingly endless hall and Sehun almost panics as he sees the last student’s back disappear through the door.

Just a bit more.

With a sudden adrenaline rush, Sehun feels his steps become lighter as he literally glides towards his classroom. He wheezes for air over bent knees and waist before standing tall and inhaling a deep breath as he enters the room with his infamous face.

Tick. Tock.

Sehun’s eyes fall on the wall clock, its second hand ticking away the last second as the bell for first period rings. Exactly on time. He makes his way to his seat, uncaring of the gazes that follow his every movement as he walks to the seat next to the window near the back row.

“It’s Oh Sehun…”

“He looks so handsome today!”

“God, did you see the way he walked past us? So arrogant!”

“Shut up! He might hear you!”

Sehun mentally sighs as he hears the “whispers” being exchanged between his classmates. He tries to zone the voices out and focus on whatever the teacher was writing on the board but Sehun can’t help but listen to the prejudice views about him. It’s not his fault that nobody understands him. He’s a socially awkward kid who can’t help but lisp out whenever confronted by a person he knows. Not knows knows. Just knows - like the kids in school, the bus driver, and his neighbors.

The only time he acts normal, and by normal he means not being a blabbering idiot, is when he delivers. He doesn’t know why, though. Maybe it has something to do with his inner self.

Sehun sighs again before he directs his attention from the board to the more interesting view outside the window. The thin curtains sway lightly with breeze that plays with the front locks of his hair. Sehun lets a small smile grace his lips as he closes his eyes and let the wind continue to caress his face.

“And so the domain of function x is the range of its inverse which is function y…”

Every word from the man in front went inside Sehun’s one ear and out the other as he paid more attention to the group of students running laps around the school grounds rather than the mathematical equations he couldn’t even comprehend no matter how much he tries. His usually bored gaze suddenly turns into one of excitement and glee as he zooms in to a certain pony-tailed figure running at the front of the group.

It’s her…

Sehun feels his heart take a big frog leap as his gaze continues to follow the unsuspecting figure while his mind goes on a mini joyride in the hills of bliss. He can’t help but admire the way the plain white shirt fits her body, accentuating every curve and dip and leaving Sehun’s mind in a state of frenzy. He can feel his cheeks burn a cherry red as he shakes the shameless thoughts away. Thank God he was on the second floor.

As the runners start to slowly disappear from his sight, and the figure vanish from his eyes, Sehun slowly lets out a deep sigh as he allows his fingers to touch the tip of the small paper parchment in his pocket.

319.

“Mr. Oh Sehun!”

Sehun mentally yelped as he turned his head to the fuming teacher standing beside his desk. He slightly opened his mouth to say something before closing it again upon seeing the older man’s furrowed brows and irritated scowl.

“Did you hear anything I said?”

“Uhm… I…”

“Answer the equation on the board, Mr. Oh.”

“Wha-”

“Now.”

Looking back at the board, Sehun can’t help but internally curse upon seeing the chalk white anaconda-of-an-equation that stretched from one end of the chalkboard to the other. The function of x with the limit… wait, is that an “i”? His brows furrow in confusion and immense concentration as he lets his brain work, not noticing the impatient glance his teacher was throwing him from his side.

“Oh Sehun, we do not have all day. Get up and answer the problem!” The teacher spoke in a raised voice, making Sehun immediately stand from his seat and walk to the front, all the while trying to tune out the snickers and whispers being exchanged around him.

Grabbing the piece of white chalk with his sweaty palms, Sehun took a small step back to stare at the anaconda-of-an-equation, his brows furrowing in confusion and concentration as he tries to remember the formula that he was for certain explained yesterday. He gulps as he hears the continuous tapping of feet and soft giggles from behind him.

The limit of y as x approaches infinity… what the is this…

His internal turmoil was disturbed when he hears a distinct laughter that was loud enough to penetrate his hearing despite coming from outside the class window, two floors down. His head unconsciously turns to the direction of the open window where he sees the most adorable smile on the face of the girl he has been admiring for the past two years.

“Just what are you doing, Sehun!? Answe-”

The teacher’s words got cut off by the sudden ringing of the school bell. End of class. Sehun breaks his gaze away from the window, surprised at how he ended up standing next to the sill, while his teacher gives him a glare that makes him thankful for the fact that he was ‘saved by the bell’.

Without waiting for the lecture that is to ensue from the older man, Sehun rushes back to his seat, grabs his bag with one hand, and races outside the class doors. He briskly walks to his next class, sits down on his favorite seat spot, and resumes in daydreaming about certain things. By the time the lunch bell rang, Sehun was up and out the doors in a second, his feet carrying him towards the direction leading to the second floor balcony where he always hangs out in solitude while savoring the silence and, of course, his food.

“Ah, finally!” Sehun lets out a long sigh of relief as he crunches his shoulders before plopping down on the cold concrete floor, his back resting against the wall. The second floor balcony is one the school’s rarely visited places which makes it easier for him to secure as his private base. The whole area is usually deserted which makes it even more ideal for someone like him who always likes to think of things, undisturbed. Sehun takes a deep breath as the usual wind passes by and he smiles to himself in content. He reaches into his lunch bag and pulls out a plastic-wrapped sandwich, all the while his lips, when he suddenly hears footsteps coming from below. Figuring that it was just some students taking a shortcut to the gym, he nonchalantly bites his lunch, quietly munching on the bits of bread as he waits for the footsteps to pass.

“Get your hands off me!”

Sehun stops mid-air from taking another bite when he hears that very familiar voice. Without letting his presence known, he lightly shifts to a kneeling position as he looks over the short balcony wall.

“Just because you’re some pretty little chick, doesn’t mean that you can just go around flaunting that pretty little face of yours to our guys!”

“Hm? Is that a compliment? Gee, thanks a lot.”

Sehun’s eyes widen at the black-haired girl’s spunky attitude. Well this is new. It’s a five-against-one match with the black-head in the latter team. Sehun silently watches as one of the brunettes, the leader, Sehun guesses, grabs the other by the collar of her shirt.

“Listen, Princess. Stay away from what’s ours.”

The so-called Princess just smirks before slapping the brunette’s hand away and fixing her crumpled collar while wiping away invisible dust.

“For your information, I’m not the one who approaches them, it’s the other way around. If there’s anything to be said here, it’s that you girls should keep your men in a leash.” The black-haired beauty replies before turning her back and walking away, only to be stopped by a hand on the shoulder that pulled her back and another hand that delivered a deafening slap against her right cheek.

“You !”

Sehun’s eyes widen at the sudden break out of a cat fight. Hair pulling. Pushing. Scratching. Screaming.

Five.

Against.

One.

Sehun gulps as he sees the black-haired beauty fight back despite being, obviously, overpowered. I should help. He abruptly stands from where he is hiding before going back to his squatting position and smashing his head against the cement. Stupid idiot! She must not see you! He peeks again, his eyes worriedly glancing over the weakening state of the girl. How in the world can I help her?! Sehun bites his lips in annoyance and anxiety as his eyes wander the vicinity before an idea pops in his mind.

“Ah, screw this.” He silently whispers as he discreetly reaches his hand out and makes a motion of it towards the group of girls.

Successive screams followed as heaps of swept up dried leaves flew to the direction of the girls with the help of the force of the strong wind. Sehun sighs as he watched the five girls scurry off before he slumps down on the cold floor and let out a breath.

She’s safe.

Bewildered, the black-haired girl looks around to see that the wind has stopped and that she was all alone. She carefully stands up from the ground, dusts her filth-covered skirt before giving another look around, trying to figure out what exactly just happened because that was just downright odd.

Sehun, on the other hand, waits until he hears the last footsteps disappear from his impressive hearing before finally standing up from his hiding and stretching out as he lets another strong breeze play with his hair. He smiles as bright as the sun at the fact that he did something, finally, to help the girl he has been head over heels in love with.

Too bad she will never know that it was him.

He fists the air in extreme glee before gracefully jumping down the balcony and whistling a merry tune as he walks towards the building of his next class. Little did he know, a strange shadow lurks in the corner, watching his every move, and a smile carved on its mysterious lips.