Sehun rented a wheelchair from the infirmary in case of emergencies and during situations where I would “have to walk long distances.” He quickly pushed me all the way back to the dorm as soon as we left the nurses office because he figured the walk required too much effort. I felt odd, being on such a high pedestal with Sehun, when, just weeks ago, I felt like nothing to him.

He wheeled me around a corner and waited for the elevator doors to open up. He appeared taller and manlier from my safe and stout seating position. I gazed up at him in admiration, but he caught my eyes and suddenly flashed me a silly eye-smile. I looked down into my lap, embarrassed, and felt my neck grow hot.

“Sehun, I swear if the dorm is a mess when I go back inside...”

The doors dinged open and he pushed me inside. “Um, about that...” He laughed nervously.

I glared with menacing eyes, “I swear I’ll kill you, you know.”

He only laughed even louder. “Lighten up, I was only teasing you.”

I sat back in my seat with a smile as the doors opened up to the fifth floor. “I don’t play games with dirty kids.”

He cackled into his shoulder and used his key to open the door for me. “Well, then...” I stood up from my wheelchair and folded it up. He quickly took the device from my hands and placed it inside, preventing me from doing any manual labor.

Tch, I’m not a baby. I can still use my arms... I stubbornly walked inside with a scoff.

The dorm looked exactly the way I left it—clean and organized.

How surprising!

It felt like I hadn’t been there in months, even though it's only been a week.

The sudden sight of the room made my stomach churn because coming back only meant one thing—back to school.

Sehun tossed a bag full of clothes and toiletries onto his bed and started unpacking. He stayed at the infirmary with me while I was in a coma, so he brought a lot of his things.

I sighed at his prioritizing concern, and made my way to the restroom to change into some fresh clothes. Before I could open the door, something caught my eye on the study desk. It was a fairly thick stack of papers, all tied together by a bold red lace. I walked up to it curiously and glanced at Sehun. The paper on top of the stack had my name on it, so I immediately picked it up. “Sehun, is this all the work I have to do by tomorrow?!” I was about to panic and tear off the red ribbon, but then I noticed the worksheet on top was already filled out. I furrowed my eyebrows and untied the lace, looking at the other works beneath it. Sehun came up to my side with his hands behind his back, appearing to be extremely guilty. “Sehun...” I looked at him. “What is all of this?”

He rubbed his neck with a shy smile and a playful twist of his feet. “Oh, those papers...” I waited, but I had a feeling I already knew. “That’s all of the work you had to do while you were at the infirmary...but I kind of did it for you.”

My jaw dropped open. Isn’t that cheating?

“How much of it did you do?” I started counting through the stack in my arms.

“Um, all of it.” I stopped flipping. “Even the take-home tests and quizzes they sent for you.”

“Sehun,” I looked up at him with mixed feelings of gratitude and guilt. “I don’t know what to say, but I’m not sure if I can accept this...”

He quickly retaliated, “It’s just that I didn’t want you to get far behind just because you were hurt...” He paused and scratched his head, making him appear ten years younger. “Class ranks are going to be submitted soon, so I did it with good intentions. Plus I have acute attention and hearing, remember? So it was easy for me to do the same assignment twice.” He smiled reassuringly, and for some reason, he ended up convincing me just by the innocent look on his face.

I set the papers back down on the desk, limping past him toward my bed. “If I get arrested, it’s your fault.”

He sighed toward the ceiling with relief, “Yes, sir.”

***

“I can get my own milk, you know.”

“No, it’s fine. I like getting milk.”

I rolled my eyes and felt utterly useless as Sehun walked up with, not only milk, but a tray full of snacks and treats to spoil me.

He sat down on the steps and bumped my shoulder. I refused to look at him and gazed out at the soccer field far off from where I sat on the outdoor pavilion.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m running you like a dog.” I confessed, regretfully, as I glanced at my ankle.

All he did was pick up a chocolate covered strawberry and hand it to me with a sly smile. “But...I am a dog, remember?” He took a juicy bite into it, and I laughed.

It was only funny because it was true.

As soon as I went back to school, I resented my first day in class.

All the lectures seemed a little bit faster and a little bit longer, but worst of all, I was completely lost. If missing a whole week of school didn’t kill me a few days ago, it would kill me now.

After each period, Sehun would meet up with me and help walk me from class to class, asking me how my lectures were and if I was doing okay. I would shrug, because eventually—hopefully—everything would come back to me and I would get on track again.

By the time it was our last class, he walked me to my desk and sat down behind me, insisting, “Luhan, you know I can tutor you until you get ahead, right? I’m free every night now...”

I smiled and felt the tip of my nose redden at his sympathy. On any other occasion, I would have immediately denied his help, but since I seemed to be drowning in all of the new information, having Sehun do yet another favor was something I could live with.

“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.” He looked up at me with a bit of shock. I smiled, “I’ll come to the dorm instead of going to night classes.”

The teacher walked into the room and turned off the lights, cutting off my words and starting today’s lesson.

After school, I stopped by at the infirmary and got a written note from the nurse that allowed me to leave early from class. He also made a separate note, signed and initialed, excusing me from being late if I ever-so-happened to because of my ankle.

Sehun threw a little fit when he found out I walked all the way to the infirmary by myself without my wheelchair, but I ignored him and told him I was feeling a lot better. “I’m supposed to walk on it anyway,” I assured him, as I shuffled across the room to my bed. “My ankle is sprained, not broken.”

He folded his arms and quietly insisted, “Yeah, but you’re not supposed to put stress on it...”

I smiled and poked his chest, “It doesn’t matter now, let’s just start this tutoring thing before it gets late.”

Sehun grabbed a notebook and textbook from the desk and sat down silently on the floor in between our beds. I followed suit and slid to the floor right in front of him, extending my hurt ankle.

He glanced up at me with a stoic expression, but cleared his throat, “Okay, we are on chapter fifteen now, so flip to that page.”

I followed his instructions quietly, but after a minute he didn’t speak. When I looked up he was staring at my ankle with thin lips. He ran a steady hand over the brace and peered up at me. “Does it still hurt?”

I sighed, “Honestly?” He nodded. “...Sometimes, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

He suddenly un-velcroed the brace, but I didn’t protest. I let his curiosity wander as he unraveled the ties and slipped it off of me, baring the gauze around my ankle. He gently lifted my foot up and pressed a sensitive thumb to my ankle. “It’s still swollen, probably from built up fluid near the source of the pain.” I parted my lips, suddenly feeling dry. He unconsciously tugged my leg closer to his chest and lifted the bottom of my pants. I felt completely embarrassed, and didn’t know what to do while he observed, so I just let him be. He set my ankle down and suddenly looked up at me. “Can you come closer?” I in my lips and nodded, crawling beside him instead of in front. He put my ankle onto his lap, right above his thigh. I leaned back and watched him rewrap my ankle and velcro the it back into place. He took one last look at it in his lap, then traced his eyes up my legs, all the way to my face.

I was staring at him in a strange way, unable to hide my expression. I knew he cared about my health, but seeing him so sympathetic toward my injury made my heart well up with unwanted desires. I swallowed my embarrassment and quickly pulled my leg away. I sat up, making sure I was at arms distance. “Um...”

The tension in this room could practically solidify.

I turned my face away from him and stared down into the cracks of the hardwood.

He picked up his textbook and set it back in his lap. We glanced at each other at the same time. “Uhh...” he coughed and I could tell his cheeks were turning red. “Let’s continue working, shall we?”

My heart is beating so fast.

I nodded and cleared my throat, “Yeah,” I looked at him again and ran a hand through my hair, trying to forget what just happened. “So what exactly are we doing in this class?” I pointed to the textbook and laughed a little; a sign that I was too nervous to say anything else.

He smiled and started getting down to business: he explained the chapter from where I last left off, suddenly showing a robotic interest in schoolwork. I leaned on one elbow and turned toward him, gazing into his eyes. He turned back to his notes every now and then in between sentences, but other than that, he kept looking me in the eye, and allowed me to get lost in his seemingly endless pupils. I looked away for a moment and tried to process what he was saying, but I realized I wasn’t listening at all. I sat up and leaned closer to him, “I’m sorry, could you go through that again? I didn’t really understand it.”

He nodded and scooted closer to me, showing his notes on my lap and pointing to the diagram. His mouth was moving but the only thing I could focus on was the bobbing of his adams apple. He took a deep breath and his chest brushed up against my sleeve. I could feel his body heat radiating, so I pursed my lips and looked up at him. He stopped talking for a moment and stared at my face with a rather interesting expression. I wanted to say something, but the blush on my face said it all. Just when the rigidity between us was too thick to handle, my phone abruptly jingled across the room.

It was so loud and sudden that it caused both of us to flinch away from each other. I had no idea my ears were burning red until I scooted away from him and stood up.

Flustered, I checked at the ID on my phone and saw it was my mom. I glanced back at Sehun before answering the call:

“Hello, Mom?”

Sehun grinned for some reason.

‘Luhan!’ She practically yelled into the receiver. I pulled it away from my ear in surprise.  Sehun sat up and looked at me curiously.

‘Luhan you idiot! Why did the school call and tell me you were in the infirmary? They faxed me your medical records and claimed you went into a coma?! What is this, some kind of joke? My poor baby what happened? I should slap you right now just for not telling me anything—’

“Whoa, Mom! Calm down—”

‘Luhan, if you dare tell a mother to calm down when her son was just in a coma, you won’t live to grow old.’

I swallowed my spit and laughed into the speaker, “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

‘You better be. How are you feeling now? Are you still sick? I read the medical reports and I had no idea you could be so careless. Oh my poor baby, you’re so stupid.’

I could hear Sehun snicker across the room at my mother’s bipolar attitude.

I paused and sat back down beside him, looking at his expectant face and decided I didn’t really have time to talk. Besides, I was really enjoying the time I had with him. “Mom, I know you’re concerned and all, but I really have to go. I’m extremely behind on my schoolwork and I need to catch up these next few days,” I paused for a second to wait for her reaction. She was quiet. “...I’ll call you on the weekend, all right?”

She paused on the other end then sighed, ‘Ah, I almost forgot about your schoolwork. You must be really busy. All right, you go back to studying, but you better call me this weekend. You have a lot of explaining to do, mister.’

I nodded at her motherly threat, “Yes, don’t worry, I will. Take care, mom.”

‘Goodnight, Luhan.’

“Goodnight.” I clicked the phone shut before she decided to input any last minute nagging. I slipped the device in my pocket before looking at Sehun. We smiled at the same time, embarrassed for nothing. “Sorry...” I apologized quickly. “You know how mom’s get; they always worry too much.”

Sehun twisted his lip and didn’t answer me.

Then it clicked in my head.

Damnit.

“Oh, I-I’m really sorry!” I sat upright and waved my hands. “I forgot you were an orphan—”

“It’s okay, Luhan. Don’t be sorry for what you have.” He smiled and yawned a little, brushing off my concern. Turning to the clock on my side table, he sighed, “You know, I think it’s pretty late. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow. Does that sound good?”

“Sehun...” I felt bad.

He stood up and stretched, offering me a hand to stand up. I grasped it hesitantly.

“Are you sure you don’t want to work anymore?” I didn’t want him to feel offended by what I said.

He scratched his cheek and started putting away his notes. “Yeah, unless you really want to study until midnight?” He ruffled my hair with a subtle gesture of his hand and I smiled into it.

Honestly, if he’s okay with it, I’m okay with it.

I sighed and mimicked his actions by packing up for tomorrow. He soon walked over to help me put my notes away in my backpack.

After a good five minutes, the two of us got ready for bed. We went to sleep peacefully in the same room, at the same time, after a long time.

Our school decided to give the residents a day off that week, in account for a teacher work day. When Friday rolled around, the entire school seemed to look a little bit more vibrant because of the hyper and energetic atmosphere.

Everyone was loud and engergetic about the three-day weekend, so it was expected for my phone to bounce off the wall with texts from my friends. A group chat appeared with messages from Wufan, claiming it was “fate” for us to have Friday off. He insisted everyone get back together for a rematch in an intense game of soccer.

Sehun was walking me back to the dorms when I started getting messages. I checked my phone in front of him and sighed, slowing down to a shuffling pace. He turned around and stopped to face me.

“What’s wrong? Are you tired?” He was carrying my bag for me, so I felt like I was the one who should’ve said that.

Instead, I just sighed again, “No,” and looked down at my ankle. I replied to the group chat, reminding them that I was too injured to play soccer.

Sehun walked me to a bench and sat me down, letting me rest.

You idiot, I said I’m not tired.

I was about to scold Sehun, but I was interrupted by a few replies on the group chat:

Wufan: 哈哈哈哈 don’t be a wimp

Zitao: 鹿han we can’t play without you, it would be an odd number.....

Xiu: Shut up 吴fan! Be a little bit more sensitive you guys, 鹿han's injury is more important than some game.

Chanyeol: Speak Korean, damnit.

Xiu: Oh sorry we forget sometimesㅎㅎㅎ

Baek: So what’s happening, can Luhan play or not?

Jongdae: 私はあなたのすべてを憎む。

Chanyeol: Chen get out of here

I started to reply to the chat, but Sehun gave me an odd look as the hallways started to flood.

“What?” I eyed him.

“Is something wrong?” He pointed to my phone.

I was about to dismiss his concern, but an idea suddenly occurred to me. I began typing:

Me: hey guys, I really can’t play. would it be OK for me to bring a replacement?

Zitao: Of course, that would be perfect.

Xiu: Hopefully you get better soon! Sorry Luhan

Baek: Yay! so should we head to the field in about an hour?

Wufan: Yes, everyone come to the fields

Chen: おなかがすいた。

Yixing: What’s going on

I closed my phone, satisfied with the results. Sehun stood in front of me, waiting for an answer.

“Are you good at soccer?”

My sudden question surprised him, so he furrowed his eyebrows before replying, “Um, I’m not sure...” He sat down beside me and looked out the window. “Why do you ask?”

I started scrolling through the group chat and looked at the new messages. “It’s because all my friends wanna go play soccer today, but I can’t.” He knew where this was going. “I was wondering if you could replace me in the game...”

He pursed his lips and hummed, “Well... Sure. Why not?” I beamed. “The weather seems nice today, and we don’t have school tomorrow...”

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders naturally. “Great! I’ll let my friends know. But you need to get ready in an hour!” I began typing:

Me: I found a replacement. The game is still on!

I stood up and started walking toward the elevator. “I’ll make sure to introduce you to all of my friends and even add you to the group chat. It will be so much fun!”

Sehun suddenly smiled at my bright eyes and waited for the elevator doors to close. “Yeah, but what are you gonna do?”

I shrugged. “I guess I will just stand on the sidelines—”

“You’re not standing anywhere. I’m bringing the wheelchair.”

I knew you would say that!

“Fine...” I pouted as he opened the door to our dorm for me. “Do you have any soccer clothes? Any cleats?”

Sehun suddenly paused in mid-step and sighed, “Oh, no I don’t. I forgot about that.”

I smiled. “Don’t worry, I have you covered.” I shuffled to my side of the closet and pulled out my favorite jersey and shorts. “I’m sure you will fit in my size.” I threw them at him and then shuffled through the shelves for my prized pair of cleats. I dragged them out of their specialized shoe box and stepped out with them cuffed between my fingers. “Check and see if these fit on you.”

He laughed a little, but nodded. I watched his back as he walked into the restroom to change. I sat down on the bed, waiting for him to get out. The group chat started blowing up again; everyone texted each other when they were heading to the field.

Everyone wants to be early, I guess.

The bathroom door opened and Sehun stepped out in my soccer clothes and shoes. I stood up and laughed at his bare thighs.

“How does it fit?” I put a hand up to my face and covered my smile.

The shorts are too short.

I held in my laughter.

“I guess they’re OK...” He rubbed the back of his neck and walked toward me. “The shoes fit about right.”

I quit snickering and looked down at the shoes. “That’s good...but can you wear them only on the field? I don’t want them to lose their grip on regular surfaces.”

His eyes went wide and he sat down the floor immediately, “Oh! I almost forgot about that. I used to do that to my favorite shoes all the time. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” He slipped off the cleats and started putting on his regular shoes.

I waved a hand, “Oh, it’s not that big of a deal. I just...treasure my cleats.”

He smiled and walked past me to the corner of the room with the wheelchair. He opened it up and I groaned habitually. I ran away from his gesture and grabbed my phone on the bed. The group chat messages surrounded the topic of who already left and who was on the field.

“Hey, we better hurry up...” I grabbed some random clothes from the drawers and headed to the bathroom. When I walked out, I was all bundled up in a scarf and coat, but Sehun was still only wearing my soccer jersey.

I put my hands on my hips and fumed, “Sehun, you need to put on a hoodie or something.”

“I don’t need to—”

“I know you don’t, but my friends will think you’re weird if you walk out into the cold with barely any clothes on.”

He nodded and grabbed a hoodie. I took out my cleats and shin guards and put them in my lap as I sat down in the wheelchair. Once he was changed, he pushed me out of the room and into the elevator. I looked at the group chat and could tell Wufan was getting antsy:

Zitao: I’m almost there

Wufan: What’s taking so long

Yixing: I’m waiting on Chen, he’s still in the bathroom.

Baek: Your roommate is taking a while, Lay.

Xiu: I see you guys on the field. I didn’t bring Luhan...

Wufan: Why not? You live in the same hall.

Xiu: I don’t know! I thought I would be late. He should be here any minute, though.

Me: guys I’m on my way. keep in mind I’m in a wheelchair, so I can’t rush

Wufan: ..........

Jongdae: I’m out of the bathroom.

Baek: gross.

Chanyeol: I’m here !!

Wufan: Everyone’s here now...except Luhan

By the time I was done sending the message, Sehun was asking for directions to the soccer fields outside. I ignored the constant messages I was receiving and told Sehun the way.

Me: guys calm down I’m almost there, sheesh

Yixing: who is the replacement?

Me: someone special!

I put my phone in my lap and glanced back at Sehun as he pushed me through the grass. I could see my friends off in the distance, and I waved at them, “Hey, you guys!”

The clique turned around at the same time, some even ran over in my direction. Sehun stopped pushing as the entire group jogged over to my wheelchair with exasperated faces.

“Luhan!” The first one to speak was Xiumin, and he slowed down as he approached my side. I looked up at all of the familiar faces and smiled from ear to ear. The gang was back together.

“Wow is it really that bad?” Zitao circled me with a gaping mouth, pointing at my braced ankle.

Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Yixing, and Jongdae started talking all at once, asking me questions like, “How long are you gonna be in the wheelchair?” and “Does it still hurt?”

I held up a hand and shushed them, “Guys, guys! It’s not that bad, it's just a sprain! Look,” I stood up from the wheelchair and stepped down. “I’m supposed to walk on it, actually.”

Everyone made faces of concern and tried to push me back into the chair, but Wufan suddenly tsked, “Then, why would you bring a wheelchair?”

I rolled my eyes and turned around to face an awkwardly positioned Sehun. I limped up to his side and linked my arm in his. “Because this guy won’t let me strain myself.”

Everyone looked at each other quietly. Xiumin waved a small hand, embarrassed, “Hey, it’s nice to see you again.” Sehun waved back, but didn’t speak.

I let him remain shy and quiet because I knew it was probably overwhelming for him to be social all of a sudden.

I spoke on his behalf, “Everyone, this is my roommate, Sehun. He’s going to replace me in today’s game.”

Xiumin’s jaw dropped.

The rest of the group shifted their weight and shuffled their feet, unable to approach Sehun’s intimidating aura. I pulled Sehun forward and met his eyes.

Say ‘Hello,’ I channeled.

Yixing cut me off and was the first one to smile sweetly and hold out a hand, “Hi Sehun, I’m Zang Yixing, Luhan’s friend.” Sehun took his hand reluctantly while a small smile crept on his lips. One by one, everyone followed Yixing’s example and introduced themselves. As soon as they were done, Sehun soon looked at me with a new light in his eyes, then group of boys dragged him away and started casually making conversation with him.

Xiumin walked up to me as I sat back down in the wheelchair. He smiled with disbelief, “You actually got him to talk?” We turned around to see Sehun smile shyly toward the ground as the group complemented his looks. Xiumin turned back to me, but I kept my eyes on Sehun. “And you found out his name?” Xiumin was practically baffled.

I nodded, rather proud of myself. “Yeah, it took a while, but in the end, he just needed to get used to me.” I watched as everyone started asking Sehun where he was from and how long he’s been here. Sehun unexpectedly replied back, but with short and quaint sentences that left everyone wanting to know more.

Wufan suddenly piped up, “Okay, okay, enough with the introductions. Let’s play before sundown, or else the hall monitors will force us inside.”

Everyone nodded at his command and started running away from the edge of the field where I sat—everyone but Sehun. He walked up to me and grabbed the cleats and shin guards from my lap. I brushed his arm and smiled, “What do you think of my friends?”

He laughed and sat down on the grass, putting on the soccer gear. “They are very nice, just like you.” For some reason, his words made me blush, but I nodded.

“Are you going to be okay? I mean, you’re not uncomfortable are you?”

He shrugged, “That depends...” I stopped smiling. He stood up from the ground, “If I win, then no. If I lose, then yes—I will be very uncomfortable.” I burst out laughing. “Wish me luck. You’re going to act as a cheerleader for my team, okay?”

I rolled my eyes at the word “cheerleader” but still obeyed his wish: “Good luck, Sehun.”

He saluted me as he jogged away to the center of the field and got in a huddle with the others. They didn’t pick teams because it was a rematch, so everyone got into their regular positions. Xiumin showed Sehun my old spot, probably telling him what he needed to do in order to win. Sehun nodded every now and then, but when Xiumin walked away and the game began, it was like Sehun turned into a whole new person.

His athletic side was something I had never seen before, so when he first grabbed the ball and swiftly juked Wufan to make his way past him, I unconsciously called out and clapped from my seat. He had amazing skills, but he never let on about them. His starter position was well matched, and I couldn’t help but think he was better than me.

“Go Sehun!” I clapped as he neared enemy territory.

Xiumin was right beside him, so he passed him the ball and Xiumin took a shot for the net.

“Goal!” Jongdae ran up to Xiumin and hugged him. Everyone on my team shouted and clapped each other on the back. I stood up in my wheelchair and hooted as Sehun caught my eyes. He smiled and shyly looked down at his shoes, jogging back to his position.

The game continued on like this, until the clear winners triumphed yet again—my team.

Wufan had a fit. “You guys can’t just claim this win,” He was out of breath and whining deliriously. “This South American soccer star just comes out of nowhere and helps you win the game...” Everyone burst out laughing, including Sehun. “That’s not fair, you never said he was a pro.”

I wheeled myself onto the field with difficulty, but stopped Wufan just in time. “He never told me he was good at soccer either, so you can’t blame your loss on that.” I smiled at Sehun, the fringes of his hair damp with sweat. Everyone started laughing and patting Sehun’s back, congratulating him and thanking him for his help.

Wufan threw his hands behind his head and exhaled, “Fine, I’ll just have him on my team next time. Then you will all see!” Everyone started laughing and for Wufan to give it up, but he just smiled and shrugged. “This isn’t the end!”

My friends started chatting and drawing our little get-together to a close. They said their last goodbyes to Sehun as the sun started to set behind the trees. I buttoned up my coat as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. “Guys, we better go inside before we all get in trouble.”

Sehun nodded and stood behind me, preparing to wheel me away from the field. He took one last glance at my friends and waved, “It was nice to meet all of you,” He bowed slightly and all of them waved back in return. He pushed me off the field while everyone else departed in the direction of their assigned dormitory buildings. I was delighted that Sehun finally got to meet my friends, but even more pleased with how well he played soccer. I couldn’t stop smiling—he truly excelled in everything he did.

We stopped on the side of the field so he could swap shoes.I put my cleats in my lap, then motioned for us to go back inside. It wasn’t long before I stared at Sehun in shameless awe.

He looked down at my gaze and laughed, embarrassed. “What is it?”

I kept on smiling, “You’re really amazing, you know that, right?”

Sehun pushed me to the cafeteria ramp instead of the dorms. He smiled with his entire face, squinting his eyes and puffing up his cheekbones. “Honestly, I’m not.”

I scoffed with a twinkle in my eyes. “Of course you are! You even know how to do soccer tricks—I haven’t even learned all of them yet.” I paused and turned back around as he started ordering dinner from the food court. He wheeled me to a table and sat down beside me. I mumbled, quite off topic, “Are we eating here?” We never ate in the cafeteria. He nodded with a smile as the food arrived. I looked at my tray and noticed he picked all of my favorites: could he get any more perfect? I picked up my chopsticks and smiled when our eyes met, “Anyway Sehun, you shouldn’t be so modest. What you did back there was stunning. I felt like I was watching a real pro.”

Sehun took a sip from his cup of soda and blushed immensely. He looked up at me through his eyelids with a reassuring smile, “It was all luck.”

***

The weekend was long and well deserved, but as soon as Sunday morning rolled around, the entire school system came to a screeching halt.

I woke up to the sound of multiple footsteps thundering down the hallway at seven a.m. I checked the time on my side table and became insanely frustrated that my neighbors were being rowdy this early in the morning on a weekend. I tried to fall back asleep, but the footsteps only increased in numbers. Soon there were voices hollering and laughing and creating the largest ruckus possible.

It is way too early to be this hyper...

If the noise outside my room wasn’t enough to get me up, the vibrations from my phone did the trick.

I peeked one eye open and stared menacingly at the screen as it kept vibrating and flashing with notifications. I finally opened both eyes and grabbed it from the side table and unlocked the screen.

There were around thirty messages from my friends in the group chat and everyone seemed to be off the wall. I scrolled through the random talk and finally found the first message—the reason why everyone was so excited:

Xiu: CLASS RANKS HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN THE COMMONS 太棒了!

Chanyeol: Speak Korean.

Xiu: CLASS RANKS HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN THE COMMONS!

Zitao: OMG

My eyes went wide and I immediately jumped up out of bed. I looked over at the other bed and realized it was already empty.

Me: ...so everyone was just gonna let me sleep through all of this?!

I shut my phone with frustration, but as soon as I did, more messages appeared. I threw a jacket over my pajamas and stumbled with my house slippers. I combed my hair with my hands as I grabbed my key and left the room.

Seeing all of the students flood the hallway made my nerves kick in. I saw students' expressions ranging from pride to disappointment.

I wondered which category I would fall into.

The elevators in my halls were full, so I took my chances with the stairs. I climbed down them easily, but I had a feeling my ankle would punish me later.

More messages appeared on my phone, so I scrolled through as I stepped down:

Wufan: ohh yeahh I’m in the first quartile B)

Zitao: I made it to the first quartile too!!

Chanyeol: Looks like we didn’t need the honors course!

Yixing: CONGRATULATIONS MINSEOK OMG

Zitao: Wooow yes congrats Minseok

Jongdae: Minseok.... HOW ??

I closed my phone and could feel my breath heighten. All of their boasting only made me more and more nervous, and I was curious as to why they would all congratulate Xiumin at the same time. I opened the door to the stairwell and stepped out into the hallways. There were kids running in their pajamas, heading for the commons where the projector usually posted school news. I darted my eyes and tried to find a familiar face within the crowd, but failed to do so. There were too many students, so the hall practically magnified their voices.

My phone vibrated one last time as I neared the corner to the main hallway. It was a single text, from Xiumin, outside of the group chat:

‘I’m number two in the whole school!’

What?!

I stopped in my tracks to reply, but got ran over by a group of girls trying to turn the corner. I stepped to the side and saw a few people walking away from the main hall in tears. My hands started to shake with each letter I typed:

‘Congratulations, Xiumin, that’s incredible! But who could possibly be number one?’

As I finished the text and waited for it to send, I veered the corner with my head down, waiting for a reply. I was lead me to a crowd of students, so then I knew I was in front of the projector.

I took a deep breath before I looked up at screen.

The first name I noticed was obviously Xiumin’s, because I was expecting to see it there, but what threw me off was the name on top of his.

Oh Sehun #1

Kim Minseok #2

It didn’t sink in. No, more like it wouldn't sink in because I simply couldn't believe my eyes.

I kept staring at the screen as the crowd got louder and bigger until I finally got pushed around for standing stock still in the middle. I stared at the name over and over again, lost in my own thoughts, then I began to distinguish what people were saying around me—everyone was talking about Sehun. They yelled out things like, “Who is that guy?” and “I’ve never heard of a Sehun before.”

I snapped out of my daze at the sound of a vibration in my palm.

Xiumin replied to my text:

‘Who's ahead of me? Some guy named Sehun, apparently.’

I looked at all the faces surrounding me and could clearly read their expressions:

They all wanted to know who Oh Sehun was.

I got another message from Xiumin:

‘Isn’t your roommate’s name Sehun?’

Immediately, I shut my phone with a flash of anger. I didn't like how nosey and curious everyone acted toward Sehun, my closest friend.

I squeezed through the crowd to get closer to the screen. I needed a better look at the rankings, just one more time to make sure I wasn't delusional, but before I could look up again, I saw a familiar patch of light brown hair, standing tall among the front of the crowd. It was Sehun, and as soon as I saw him, he turned around to look me dead in the eye. Our gazes locked, my breath hitched, and I didn’t know what to say; the look on his face stopped me. He seemed...distressed.

I glanced at the screen as it switched from the top five to the top ten, then top twenty, then so on. His ranking had finally disappeared

Sehun abruptly walked toward me, cutting and shoving through the middle of the crowd, then grabbed me by the hand and pulled me away until we entered the stairs I came from earlier. The bustling noise of the students turned into a muffled blur in the reclusive stairwell.

“Sehun...?”

He couldn’t have looked more upset.

What’s the matter?

He took a few steps toward me until I instinctively stepped back against the wall.

His gaze shifted to the closed stairwell door and then back into my eyes. “Luhan,” He was whispering. “You can’t—” At that moment he pulled away from me, striding toward the opposite side of the stairs. I got off the wall and looked at him, confused, but then the starwell doors banged open a floor above and a group of students ran down the stairs, heading toward us. They were loud and obnoxious, cracking jokes about each other’s ranking before finally exiting on the main floor.

He could probably detect those people were coming.

As soon as the doors closed again, Sehun approached me timidly. “Luhan, you have to promise me you won’t tell anybody that I’m ranked first.”

I was takenak by his sudden request. “But...why?”

“I don’t want the attention.” I honestly didn’t understand. “If everyone finds out it’s me, it won’t be long before people will want to get close to me and find out who I really am.”

I felt like he was overreacting. “Sehun, what are the odds that that’s going to happen—”

“You’re the only person I ever got close to, but you found out.” He was loud, and his reasoning made me stop and eat my words. “I can’t take that risk.”

I sighed and folded my arms, “Did you ever think that the attention might be a good thing?”

He took a step back and looked down at his feet, “It’s not. I’m only number one because I’m a werewolf. I practically cheated with my attentive hearing and memory, so it doesn’t feel right. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have done so well in school.”

I folded my arms and tried to hear him out. What he was saying made sense, but I doubted the attention was something to be afraid of. Being number one in the entire class was an amazing achievement, so I didn’t want him to feel burdened. The extra help he received from his werewolf powers balanced out with the other things he had to deal with.

“You have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone.” His eyes pleaded me as they softened and rounded out.

There was nothing else I could say or do to convince him otherwise.

“Okay, I promise.”

***

I found out my rank was number 68, which ultimately depressed me even though I was in the first quartile, but Sehun wouldn’t have it. He said he would continue to tutor me until my grades leveled out again.

We went back to class the next day, but we received a good amount of stares while doing so. I realized it actually had nothing to do with Sehun’s rank, but rather because of the fact that Sehun and I were always together now.

Sehun and I didn't bother hiding away from the public, so everyone was able to see Sehun by my side between each class. He didn’t hide himself anymore than I did, so “the handsome new student” was always around me, carrying my stuff, meeting me in the courtyard, buying me snacks...the usual. By the end of the day, I wasn’t exactly sure if I liked the attention or not.

 

Sehun walked me to our dorm right after our last class. We always left early to beat the human traffic and to let me limp at my own pace. I stared outside the window at the bustling trees and stopped walking. Sehun saw me and turned around. I looked up at him and pointed to the edge of a pillar. “Let’s not go back to the dorm right away. I want to stay here and hang out.” I darted my eyes. “...Just for a little.”

He smiled sheepishly at my innocent desire to be with him, “Sure, why not.”

I leaned up against the wall lazily and looked down at my ankle. Sehun grabbed my backpack for me and set it down on the floor. I got so used to him doing favors that I didn’t bother protesting anymore.

The hallway was empty for a minute until the bell chimed and students started pouring out from every nook and cranny in the building. Sehun stood in front of me to block any students from bumping into my ankle, but instead, he was the one pushed around. The hall clogged up fast as Sehun was forced to squeeze closer and closer on top of my body. I avoided his eyes because my face was burning red.

We waited for the rush to pass, but the only thing I could notice was the fact that Sehun’s neck and chest was right in front of my face.

The noise faded, so I looked up to see the hallways empty.

We were alone again.

I sighed quietly with relief and Sehun smiled awkwardly, “...They should install traffic lights around here for students, am I right?” His body still leaned close to mine.

I almost laughed aloud at his attempt to hide the tension. “Um, yeah. It think that would be a good investment.” I ran a hand through my hair and fanned my face a little, feeling extremely hot. There was an awkward pause as Sehun stared at me quietly, and never pulled away. I was about to flatten my body up against the wall, but he reached up and touched my face, brushing a few hairs away from my eyebrows. I looked up into his hooded eyes and froze.

His gaze was intense, but I was forced to break away at the sight of movement going on behind his back. A group of girls stared at us quietly, laughing and squeaking in the corner of the hallway. I jumped from shock and Sehun immediately stepped back—the two of us pulling apart at the same time. He turned around, flushed, and eyed them until they stopped staring and put their phones away. The group got the hint and turned the corner, diappearing from sight, hiding their faces.

I gazed at Sehun's back and noticed his jaw clenched.

Was he angry?

“Is there any place we can go where it’s actually private?” He turned around to face me, and caused my heart to jump in my throat. He pondered more to himself than to me when he plopped down on the bench beside me. “Why do they always do that...?” He picked up both of our bags, preparing to leave. I didn’t want to go back to the dorms just yet, though. Mainly because I didn’t want to stop the intimacy that just happened a few moments ago.

He leaned toward me and looked into my eyes in the utmost familiar way...

I didn't want it to stop.

I tugged on his sleeve and motioned toward the exit. “Maybe...maybe we can go to the courtyard for a little? It's usually empty out there.”

He looked at me for a second, somewhat surprised by my persistency, but eventually made the effort to head outside. He held the door open for me and I followed behind him with a racing heartbeat, but as soon as we entered the clearing, my blush faded. He turned around to me with a disappointed look;

Our usual spot was surrounded by a group of girls. The looked they were waiting for someone—waiting for the “handsome new boy.”

I was so annoyed, I pulled Sehun’s arm and turned him around, heading back inside. “Maybe some other time.”

I was honestly upset. It was like we couldn’t hang out like normal people anymore.

“H-Hey,” He jogged after me just in time to open the door again. “It’s okay, don’t be upset.”

He can read me like a book..

I stopped walking and let him catch up.

He peered down at me with thin lips, “I don’t mind going back to our dorm, okay?” then draped an arm around my shoulders.I loosened up to the touch and allowed him to lead me back inside.

His words were reassuring, but they didn’t comfort me as much as they should have. I suddenly imagined what it would be like if everyone knew Sehun was ranked number one, and it sent shivers down my spine. I liked how it was always just the two of us, but if Sehun became popular, we wouldn’t be together as much.

He isn’t going to be mine forever, so what will I do when that day comes?

I selfishly leaned into Sehun’s arm as we entered the elevator.

The next day, Sehun and I ate breakfast out by the pavilion alongside the brisk morning breeze. He was acting a little different, something I just couldn't put my finger on, but I brushed it aside without a second thought.

 

That night after school, we went back to the pavilion to have dinner since the weather was so nice. He sat me down, then went to the cafeteria to bring some food. I watched him leave with a smile, but it slowly faded when I received a couple of stares from a group of kids across the awning. I ignored them as soon as Sehun returned with two trays of meats and veggies. He sat down beside me instead of in front, so our shoulders and thighs touched. I looked up at him with a smile and thanked him.

He took the initiative to open my drink for me, so I pushed him away playfully. “Stop that, people will think you’re weird if you go that far.”

He shrugged and continued, “It doesn’t matter. I only care about what you think.”

I felt my cheeks heat up against the contrasting cold outside. More people pointed at us from the corner of my eye, but I continued to eat the food and ignore them.

“So... how are your grades going?” I tried to make a conversation.

He nodded while eating a piece of meat. “It’s going good, why?” He perked up with concern. “Did anybody ask about me?”

I waved a hand, “Eh, something like that. A few of my friends—the ones you met the other day—asked if you were ranked number one.”

He placed a piece of meat on my plate and hummed, “So what did you tell them?”

I poked the meat with my chopsticks, “The usual: I told them that it was a different Sehun.”

He smiled and ruffled up my hair. I squirmed away at the touch, playfully whining for him to stop, but in actuality, I didn’t mind his skinship at all. He did it a lot lately, and I honestly liked it more than I should have.

The sun started to set, so a bunch of students stood up and left us alone in the pavilion.

We just finished eating, but I didn’t want to leave. I felt like being selfish and spending as much fun time with Sehun as I could; the look in his eyes almost encouraged me.

“Hey, Sehun,”

He followed my lead, “Yes?”

I smiled mischievously, “...I want to show you something.”

He glanced back at the school then to me with a smile. “Why all of a sudden?” His eyes crinkled until they disappeared, and it caused my stomach to flutter.

I don’t know what came over me, but with Sehun’s sincere attention and my desire to keep him by my side, I stood up confidently.

“Come with me.”

I grabbed my bag and mysteriously turned my back on him, heading toward the school. It was growing dark outside, but I could tell where I was going. I approached a building and Sehun chuckled under his breath, “Hey, I know this place.” I turned to him and opened the skinny stairwell. He was left with no other choice but to follow close behind, ducking his head along the way. He didn’t deny my strange urges and I didn’t want to stop them either. I reached the top of the stairs and ducked my head as I popped open the tiny exit door. I shimmied my way out, offering Sehun help instead of the other way around. He grasped my hand and I pulled him out into the night sky, the moonlight peeked behind misty clouds and lighted the way for us. I led him to the edge of the building behind the railing—the perfect place to observe the entire campus. I didn’t want to let go of his hand, but I managed to slowly slip away from his grip to reveal the beautiful view. He looked out at the treetops, scanned over the campus below, then managed to stop when his eyes reached mine.

I stuck my hands in my pockets and smiled, “What do you think?”

“It’s breathtaking.”

He never tore his eyes away.

“When I was a freshman, my friends and I used to come up here all the time, just to hang out or goof around...” I don’t know why I suddenly felt like confessing myself to him, but it felt good to let him know more. I leaned me elbows on the brick and nodded to a small break in the forest. “I remember the day you transformed, you wouldn’t answer my texts or calls, so I came up here to clear my mind. I was pretty worried about you, but then I saw you run into the forest—right over there— and I couldn’t help but follow.”

Sehun leaned on the railing beside me, allowing our elbows to touch. There was a long pause as he pictured the situation from my point of view. “When we first met, I remember I followed your scent to find your homework papers up here.”

I snorted, unable to hide my laughter at his silly confession. “Well, thanks again for your finding those for me.” I started to feel nervous being so sincere while at the same time being so close to him. “You really helped me out.”

I peered over the railing to look at a group of students far down below. Sehun suddenly stood upright and stepped toward me. “H-Hey,” He jolted  and quickly stood behind me, holding my waist steady. “Be careful, you don’t want to fall over.”

I laughed at his concern, “Sehun, I know what I’m doing.” He helped me back down, insisting I stop trying to strain my ankle. “You worry too much...” I obeyed his command, but I didn’t fail to notice how tightly he held onto my hips. His heated hands slipped away from my body and gave me chills. I gazed out at the moon and took a deep inhale of the cold air, trying to calm my heart rate.

I can’t help myself from his skinship anymore...

I sighed and decided to bring back a conversation to distract myself.

“So when will you transform again?”

Sehun’s smile faded, but he still answered my question. “Next month.” He reached over and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek and pulled it behind my ear.

I closed my eyes.

Sometimes it feels like he’s encouraging me.

I embraced his touch regretfully.

He dropped his hand and returned his attention to the moon.

“My transformation is a long time from now. Don’t worry about it so much.” I knew he didn’t like to talk about it, but I really needed to know.

I wasn’t worrying, I was concerned.

He pulled away from the railing and started walking back to the exit. I turned around and slowly followed his lead, figuring it was about time we go.

“What should I do, then?” I caught up to his pace.

“What do you mean?” He playfully bumped into my shoulder.

“You know, what do you want me to do when it’s time for you to transform?”

There was a pause as his lip twitched. For a moment I expected him to joke around and remind me not to follow him like last time, but he looked me in the eye and whispered something just above my ear:

“Wait for me.”

He pulled away almost as quickly as he spoke.

I stopped walking and watched him enter the skinny stairwell.

‘Wait for me.’

His words echoed in my ears for the rest of the night.

***

The next day, the wind hit our campus like a freight train. The weather forecast predicted the ground to freeze overnight and a thin layer of snow to appear before the sun came up.

Sehun walked me to my first period class as usual, but we went outside to take a shortcut through the outer parts of the campus. I wore a lot of layers, but I still got shivers all over my body when my boots sank into slushes of snow and when the wind stung my face.

“It’s so cold today...” I mumbled more to myself more than to Sehun.

He was quiet for a while, pondering at my words while repetitively glancing from the wet ground to my stoic expression. He suddenly raised his eyebrows and instinctively replied, “Oh,” I turned around because he stopped walking and set down both of our bags. He stood to the side and stripped off his heavy winter coat, baring only a sweater and scarf. He held the coat in his hands and walked toward me, but I already knew what was coming.

“Oh, no, wait!” I held up my hands and tried to dodge his consideration. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know you didn’t.” He slipped the coat around my shoulders; it felt like he picked it up next to a fireplace.

He is spoiling me more than ever.

“Sehun, you should really take your coat. I don’t need it—”

“Luhan, I think you’re forgetting something,” He walked up to my face and whispered something so close that a small puff of cold air hit my face: “I’m a werewolf.” A cheeky grin appeared across his face before he pulled away. I couldn’t do anything except blush and nod obediently toward his logic. He smiled back, and ruffled the front of my bangs while walking slightly ahead. I lagged behind and found myself stunned by his gentlemanly act more than anything.

For the rest of the day, all I could bring myself to do was inhale Sehun's distinct scent in the soft cashmere.

Students became more and more competitive ever since class ranks were released.

Students like Xiumin.

I’ve been trying to contact him and stop by his room, just for old times-sake and to catch up on our busy lives, but he was never available. I tried texting him, but he would reply hours later, claiming he was busy and needed to focus on school. I figured he was working extra hard for his “rightful” spot as number one, but it still...annoyed me. I was his friend, and I was only trying to keep our friendship alive.

Once when I was on my way to Xiumin’s dorm, an announcement came on the school speakers saying the school board would release class ranks one more time publicly, then privately every two weeks. Xiumin texted me right that very moment and told me to watch out for his name as number one, and how his hard work would pay off soon. He seemed so happy and excited about school, that I couldn’t help but support him and act excited too. Sure enough, I cast away my selfish feelings toward our relationship and figured there were truly better things to worry about.

Soon, that very Sunday, the school released the updated class rankings. And this time, I wasn’t late for it.

All of my friends updated the group chat, but frankly I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was last time. I already knew I was low in the ranks, so checking to see if I got lower made my stomach upset. The only reason why I went to the main hallway was to check Sehun and Xiumin's new rank for myself.

Surprisingly, the crowd in front of the monitor wasn’t as eager as the first time, but the hallways were still full of people. Nobody was crying or shouting, just calmly taking a glance at the top ten, then leaving the premises. I approached cautiously, keeping my eyes peeled for any familiar faces, but I couldn’t catch a glance. I turned my attention to the monitor when a bunch of kids near the front started making some noise. They mumbled things like, “The top ten are released again.” I stood on my tippy toes and got a clear view of the screen. One by one, the names of the top ten shuffled and appeared in order.

As expected, Xiumin was number one, so I wasn't as excited as I should have been.

But when I noticed Sehun’s name was nowhere in sight, I became curious.

Sehun worked hard to get out of the top ranking—or should I say, he didn’t work hard at all. It still seemed ridiculous to me, but all he eneded to do was miss one day of school and not make up any of the work. If doing so little knocked him out of the top ten, then where was he ranked?

I got out my phone and texted Xiumin a short congratulatory message before I forgot. He texted back almost instantly, which surprised me since he was never on his phone anymore, replying with a heartfelt “Thank you.”

I didn’t bother texting back since the rest of the ranks would be shown soon, and I wanted to know what number I Sehun was. I waited, but when the screen changed to the top thirty, I saw Sehun’s name as number twenty-eight, and then I saw mine, right above his, as number twenty.

Almost as if on cue, I got a text from Sehun.

‘Congratulations, Luhan.’

I jumped 40 ranks.

It's a miracle.

I had no idea how it was possible, but I didn't think about it too much because I needed to reply to Shun:

‘T-Thank you’

I was too shocked to figure out what else to say.

‘Um, congratulations to you too...I guess?’

I started laughing, and it made me want to cry at the same time because I didn’t know how else to respond. I took one last look at the rankings, just to make sure my eyes didn’t play tricks on me, then walked out of the crowd. When I reached the end of the hallway, I got another message from Sehun:

‘This calls for a celebration!’

I tsked with a smile and prepared a reply.

‘Hahaha are you mocking me?’

I wasn’t in the top ten, but I sure as hell was proud of myself. Even so, I couldn’t tell if Sehun was being serious or not.

He responded:

‘Maybe...’

I was overwhelmed by a fit of giggles for the entire elevator ride up to my dorm.

A couple days after ranks were released, Sehun and I went back to our normal lives. I didn’t need any more tutoring, and best of all, Sehun did not need to constantly babysit my ankle.

I went to the infirmary for a final checkup and the nurse declared my ankle was back to normal and that I could return to doing normal exercises and activities. When the checkup was over, the nurse unraveled the brace and scheduled for me to come in for physical therapy every few days. I agreed, but was too distracted by my new and improved ankle. I hopped off of the checkup bed and started rotating it.

“Thank you, Mr. Kim.” I nodded to him. He wrote me a pass to go back to my dorms, but handed it to Sehun.

“Be careful now.” He looked at the two of us when he spoke, then returned to his office.

As we walked out of the infirmary and headed back to our dorm, Sehun followed his habitual pattern of carrying my belongings.

I scrunched up my nose and reached for my bag, “Hey, you know that you don’t have to walk me around anymore, right?” I managed to slip the backpack off of his shoulder and haul it onto my own.

He kept his eyes focused on the hallway ahead and only shrugged in response.

The next day started out a little bit too casual: Sehun and I studied alone in our dorm. I felt odd leaving him behind and going to night classes, so I stayed after school just to keep him company. He was awfully, unnaturally, and suspiciously quiet, which made me dreadfully antsy. I felt like he was going to start a conversation and bring things back in harmony at any moment. Instead, he would haul himself onto the floor and work on something school related, or pick up his phone and start playing a game.

I sat at the desk and glanced at him every now and then, but he never looked my way. He used to act extremely bubbly after school, but now he was silent.

And stiff.

Why does it feel like we always crawl back to stage one: tense and awkward?

Right when I was about to swivel my chair around and start a conversation, Sehun hummed into his phone and looked up at me.

“Hey, Luhan?”

I sighed with relief, pleasedat the fact that we would finally have a conversation. “Yes?”

He placed his chin in his hands, “Can you go down to the food court and get us some dinner before it closes?”

For a moment I was taken aback by his sudden request and just stared at him blankly. But then it hit me:

Oh yeah, my ankle is fine now.

No more special treatment.

No more spoiling.

Mixed feelings washed me over, but nonetheless I stood up with a vibrant nod and grabbed a coat. “Sure, what are you in the mood for?”

His smile flipped the atmosphere 180 degrees. “Whatever you’re in the mood for.”

I smiled back, but kept my eyes down. I left the room and quickly made my way to the elevator and down to the main floor. The food court was nearly empty, so I was able to order a small meal for the two of us in an instant, then make my way back to the elevator. When the doors closed and the elevator dinged a level, I received a small vibration in my back pocket. I cursed under my breath and tried reaching for it while my arms were already full of food and drinks. I ended up setting the items on the floor and slipping my phone out of my pocket. Surprisingly, it was a message from Sehun.

I unlocked the screen and went to the conversation under his name:

‘Forget dinner. I have something else in mind.’

I scoffed at the screen and didn’t bother to reply.

You couldn't have told me that earlier?

I was somewhat annoyed because I already bought the food and came all this way.

I might as well drop it off at the dorm anyway, so that it won't go to waste.

The elevator doors opened, and I sighed. The door was unlocked when I entered, but the room was empty with all the lights on. I didn't see Sehun on the bed or on the floor, so I entered the room further without taking off my shoes.

“Hello?”

No response.

Sehun isn’t here?

I entered the room cautiously, peeking into the restroom and near the desk.

“Hellooo?”

No sign of him.

I shoved the food in our mini fridge and freezer, then pulled out my phone:

‘Where are you?’

I stood there in the middle of the empty dorm and wondered if his absence had anything to do with the moon cycle and his werewolf abilities. I ran to the window and looked out at the sun, slowly setting behind the trees and the sky beginning to darken. Right before my wild imagination got the best of me, Sehun sent a small reply.

‘I’m preparing a surprise for you.’

I sighed with relief, then suddenly jumped up with a newfound enthusiasm that made me forget all about wasting food.

A surprise? For what?

I pondered for a slight second as I looked around the room for some type of sign. I glanced at a textbook and suddenly recalled Sehun saying we should celebrate our new class ranks, but a few days passed already, so I didn't take him seriously.

‘Is it because of our ranks? I thought you were kidding’

He took a couple of minutes to reply, and it made me anxious.

‘I decided I needed to do this now more than ever.’

I stared at the message and suddenly laughed; I wasn’t expecting this at all.

‘So what is it? Should I get my party hat on?’

My cheeks flushed over as I became ecstatic.

Let's see what the boy who is full of unintentional surprises planned intentionally.

My phone vibrated on my chest:

‘Meet me in the courtyard. Dress nice...’

I sat up from the bed with the stupidest grin I could manage. I couldn’t help but jump up and down a little because I truly appreciated Sehun’s motives.

He knows when to be sincere and when to make my heart jump.

I wasted no time replying, I threw my phone on the bed and stripped down in the middle of the room—something I haven't done ever since Sehun moved in. I analyzed my closet while half , experiencing chills run up and down my legs.

What could Sehun possibly have planned?

I didn’t have high expectations, but I couldn’t help but think of multiple scenarios of Sehun gathering all of our friends in the game room and flooding the lounge with numerous balloons, or maybe Sehun taking advantage of the culinary room and baking a three tier cake in my favorite flavors. The endless possibilities swirled in my head as I dressed up in my best shirt and slacks. I thought I was overdoing it, but if it was a surprise, I might as well have dressed my best in case I needed to take pictures. When I checked myself in the bathroom mirror one last time, I realized that a surprise for someone like me—overtly curious and sneaky—probably took a lot of effort and resulted in Sehun having this planned out all day.

So that’s why he was so quiet! He probably sent me down to get food as a distraction, too.

I wrapped myself up in a new scarf and put on my most fashionable coat. I was finally prepared physically, but not mentally. My hands and chest were shaking slightly as I left the dorm and tried to lock the door behind me.

I entered the elevator and took a deep breath, trying to relax.

I can’t stop getting the chills.

When I reached the main floor, I slowly opened my eyes and looked out the tall window panes to see Sehun standing in the middle of the courtyard, hands in his pockets, a brisk fog appearing ever-so-often from his nostrils.

I had no idea what came over me right then, but my nerves turned into delight as I picked up my pace and ended up jogging toward him. I opened the door to the courtyard and waved in his direction.

He laughed and met me halfway, his smile never fading. He dressed in new clothes I’d never seen before: a fresh winter coat, an oversized beanie on his head, and his hair combed at just the right angle. The moment our gazes met, the entire atmosphere changed; I knew that there was something different about him besides his mere appearance, and it made my heart skip a beat.

I stopped jogging and huffed out a thick wintery breath, “Hey!”

My voice came out louder than I expected.

Sehun’s smile widened, if that was even possible, “Hey,” He seemed to glance around the courtyard before reaching toward my neck and tightening my new scarf. “I’m so glad you dressed warm.” He wrapped an arm around my waist naturally and lead me away from the school. “We are about to go on a little adventure.”

My heart was racing, “What? Really? But going off campus is against school rules.”

“I figured if we’ve done it once, we can do it again.” I considered his logic. “Besides, with my sense of hearing and vision, I can tell no one is watching us right now.”

I chuckled into my sleeve and felt his hand tighten against my waist. “Are you sure we can get away with this?”

He pulled away and made a serious face, “Of course, but we have to move fast, before anyone comes.”

“I can’t exactly move fast...” I wiggled my ankle, and he looked down at it almost as if he were contemplating.

There was a pause before he hummed, “If it becomes a problem, I can just carry you.” He reached for my legs as if he were about to take me up in his arms, but I yelled out and shoved him away.

“No thanks!” I was blushing like a madman.

He couldn’t have been serious, right?

He smiled and gently patted my head. The two of us laughed as we walked into the same break in the forest I entered from last time. It was already dense and dark outside, so it became difficult for me to see. When I started tripping over dead leaves and random rocks, Sehun appeared by my side, “Do you want me to carry you?”

My eyes went wide, but he couldn’t tell. “No, no. it’s fine. I just can’t see very well.”

The moonlight was hidden behind the clouds, so I was basically walking through pure darkness. Sehun realized this and suddenly helped me up. “Hey, how about I change my eye color to gold? You can see them in the dark, right?”

Before I could reply, he changed the color, and a horrible memory flashed through my mind. I winced, but didn't feel unsettled for long.

“Just follow them.” his eyes whispered.

I nodded my head and trailed behind Sehun’s bright orbs farther ahead of me. It was ironic because the last time I saw those eyes, I was running from them, but now, I was following them.

Sehun gradually distanced himself from me, trailing farther and farther ahead until his eyes became mere fingertips in the distance. I tried to keep up, but I didn’t want to hurt my ankle, and Sehun seemed remarkably excited, so I didn’t want to let him know I was growing weak and I needed him to slow down. Soon enough, he became so far ahead that when he turned a corner behind a wide tree trunk, I lost him.

His yellow eyes were gone.

I stopped walking and could only hear my breath hitch in the stillness of the forest. I wasn’t afraid, I trusted Sehun. I just wanted to find my way back into his arms.

“Sehun?” I shuffled through the leaves and walked around the tree trunk I lost him at. “Where are you?” No reply. I edged further and assumed he vanished straight ahead. I stepped over numerous tree roots and white grass. In the distance, between a couple of thin trees, I could make out a bright yellow color, but it faded away as soon as I laid eyes on it. I quickened my pace and headed in that direction with high-end nerves. “Sehun?” My heart began to race, and I started to doubt myself. I reached the small group of trees and peeked my way through. I forgot about Sehun's yellow eyes as soon as I realized I was close to a clearing—a break in the forest—but it wasn’t a meadow like last time.

I came face to face with a lake, and it was just the right size to reflect the moon and constellations that illuminated the night sky. The water gleamed for miles, but was surrounded by the dense forest on each side. I entered the serene setting as if in a trance; something like this truly existed outside of school grounds.

What is this place?

Suddenly, I caught a flash of yellow, and it blinked near the edge of a cliff that halted just above the lake like a diving board. I jogged over to the source and felt my heart warm up again. Golden orbs formulated then transformed back to brown as soon as I caught my breath. A figure appeared from the shadows and smiled as it managed to meet me halfway.

Sehun.

He reached out a hand before we arrived within arms distance of each other; almost as if we’ve been doing it for years, I slipped my hand into his, embracing the security he embodied.

His eyes twinkled and reflected the luminiscent stars as if he were delivered from up above them. I didn’t need to say anything in that moment because he was always able to read my expression. Still, he extending an arm to the lake before finally tearing away from my gaze. “What do you think?” He laughed a little and blushed, embarrassed with himself, but it only caused me to well up inside.

“It’s beautiful.” I kept my eyes on him and didn’t bother to look at the stars. He turned to me again, so I smiled, showing all of my teeth with a soft chuckle.

“Do you really like it?” He looked like a small child.

“Of course!” I walked toward the beach-like edge of the lake and looked away from him. The night was silent as the wind and waves stilled against my shoes. I could only hear my racing heartbeat and the crunch of our feet against the gravel and sand. “Where did you find this place?”

He tightened his grip on my hand and looked down at the ground. “To me, this place is kind of like your bond with the rooftop of building no.2. I used to come here at night and do a lot of thinking when I first moved here.” I nodded with amazement, realizing that I was still unaware of certain aspects of Sehun's life.

He lead me along the edge of the cold waters until my gaze shifted ahead of us. I squinted my eyes to a small flame in the distance, and suddenly realized exactly where he was taking me. There was a blanket laid out on the ground along with a dinner for two and a small, secular rose laid out in the center. I turned to him with bright eyes and a crinkle of my nose. He held onto his smile, then let go of my hand to place me on the sheet. He unfolded a larger blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I looked up at him with watery eyes full of questions that were slowly receiving answers.

Everything appeared so surreal—the dinner, the rose, the stars, the moonlight, the privacy, the dedication—everything made me want to fall in love with him, but then I realized, I already had.

Sehun, you haven't changed much, have you?

He sat down beside me and pulled the blanket over his shoulders, sharing the sudden harmonious warmth. I couldn't look away from him—from his profound face to his heartfelt gesture—but at the same time he couldn't bare to look me in the eye for more than a moment. His glances were accompanied by nervous tucks of the hair and a slight of the lips. An unexpected blush flowed across his cheeks as he cleared his throat and finally broke the remote silence. “This forest...” I turned my body to face him and appreciated how the moonlight highlighted his facial features. His eyes gleamed even though they were back to their original baby brown color. “This forest is where I revealed my biggest secret to you.”

I nodded nervously and parted my lips, recalling the nightmarish night we last spent there on a full moon.

His body heat radiated, even in the distance we were in. “What if I told you, that being a werewolf wasn’t my biggest secret?”

I could only look at him with an open heart. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that he was truly desperate to confess his secrets to me, right then and there. All I could do was hold out a hand and allow him to grasp it.

What more could he possibly be hiding?

He reached up and pulled my bangs behind my ear. I closed my eyes and exhaled a shaky, smoky breath onto his cheeks. He closed his eyes too, and then slowly—deeply—gently—inhaled the tips of my hair.

Maybe I already knew.

“I’ve been hiding this secret from you for too long...”

I parted my lips.

He leaned in and took my upper lip into his own, warming them intricately. I toyed along with Sehun’s lips as if they were always meant to, and it created a fire in my chest that I never experienced before. The fire burned brighter and and deeper until it set the whole forest into flames and left Sehun and I there, alone and in love.

Everything felt like a dream...and I didn’t want to wake up.

 

 

He pressed his lips further until I leaned back a little. His tongue around the outside of my lips as if asking for entry. I opened my mouth wider and let him kiss me tenderly—until he couldn’t bear to pull away.

My heart was about to burst from its chambers.

“Sehun,”

I needed to breathe.

He slowly pulled away from my mouth and opened his eyes. He rested his forehead onto mine, his heated cheeks and nose bringing color back into my face. I gazed into his eyes as he breathed husky breathes into my neck. I returned the favor and closed my eyes, pulling my face away and nuzzling it into his ear, embracing him in an inevitable hug. He immediately took my body into his own and wrapped his arms around my waist. He placed soft, firey kisses up and down my neck and jaw until I shivered from the sensation. He forced me to lean back until I lay flat on the blanket, my knees propped up and caged his hips on top of mine. I closed my eyes and sighed to the heavens as he ran a hand through my hair. I pulled his head up and met his eyes just before our lips reunited once more.

My kisses were eager—practically desperate—and made up for all the days I've ever recalled our first kiss in the bathroom. For all the days I was forced to hide my feelings and continue as friends for the sake of keeping our relationship alive. For all the days I looked at Sehun with love in my eyes and felt a pang in my heart at the realization that my feelings couldn't be returned.

This meant more to me than just a confession.

This was true love, and it was more beautiful than I ever imagined.

I pulled away from his lips and rolled over, pushing his back to the ground with my body on top. He looked up at me with short and quick inhales and exhales, trying to catch his breath. I placed a hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat, closing my eyes and trying to match my breath to it. When we finally flowed to our own rhythm, he pulled me down until I laid completely flat on top of him. He placed my head on his chest, so that I could hear the beating of his heart more intricately.

"Luhan,"

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of my name.

I gasped a little and lifted my head to look at him.

"Can you hear it? You're in there, right now." He danced his fingers along the side of my face. "You're inside of my heart." I stared at him with an open mouth, unable to find the words to respond. He didn't expect a reply, though, he simply let his words sink in by brushing stray hairs out of my face. He drooped his eyelids, then leaned on the back of his elbows to bring his face closer to mine. He placed a small kiss on my lips before wrapping his arms around me and allowing our bodies to fall back against the blankets.

 

We gazed up at the stars and the romantic tales they silently channelled.

I couldn't help but imagine our little love story implemented among them—a bright and promising romance between a man and a werewolf.

 

 

 

 

***

Guys I probably wrote this in a span of three days if you combine the hours [excluding sleep + editing.] So basically, right after my recent exam, I got down to business and wrote this way-overdue-chapter. Sorry if it's so BS! Again, I have limited time + two more AP exams + finals next week, but I made it lengthy to compensate for the amount of time allotted.

Anyway, I hope that this chapter warmed your hearts and assured you that I'm still alive and I'm still writing :) Luhan went from an unrequieted/suppressed love to a mutual and blossoming romance! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧♥ No lie, after writing this chapter, I can't wait until they have LOL oops sory not sorry

Please look forward to my next chapter, only two weeks left of school and then I'm freeeeeee

P.S. / [EDIT] : omfg my average word count was 4,000-6,000 per chapter while my largest word count was 10,000...this chapter is 14,000 words. The fanfic as a whole is 116 pages on a microsoft word document in size 11 font (◎-◎；) this is like a ing novel ;; (;⁽⁽ ⁰ ⁾⁾ Д ⁽⁽ ⁰ ⁾⁾)