The two of them stood there inside the boys’ comfort room with the atmosphere quite tensed up. Sehun was a bit taken aback with Kai’s sudden question. His heartbeat raced, nervous. Was he going to admit that thing he’s been denying to himself all this time? Was he going to let Haerin’s best guy friend know this? But then Sehun wasn’t sure about his feelings. He was still somehow confused about the way he feels for her. He’s still not ready to admit to himself whatever that certain feeling is.

Kai on the other hand felt nervous but he was too good at concealing it, even his friends wouldn’t be able to tell that he’s nervous right now if they were to see him. He might look intimidating outside but on the inside, Kai was worried. He was worried that he won’t like his answer. He was worried because he knows that Sehun would win Haerin if the cold guy likes her. He was worried because Sehun will cross lines that Kai can’t just cross without risking something big.

Just when Sehun opened his mouth to answer, someone rushed inside the bathroom, bumping onto Sehun and Kai, “Sorry!”

With that, Sehun chose to leave the comfort room but Kai grabbed his arm, forcing Sehun to face him, “You haven’t answered my question,” He sternly said.

Sehun removed his hands from Kai’s grip in one swift move, “I’ll tell you when I come up with an answer,” He said coldly and walked off the comfort room.

He was sincere about it. Sehun wasn’t sure of whatever his feelings were for Haerin. He didn’t want to just blurt it out and regret it in the future. And besides, he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself. Sehun was scared though. Somehow he knew there was something for Haerin but he just wasn’t that sure. As soon as he got back inside the classroom, he saw his classmates fix the chairs back to place and settled down as they kept their art activities. He looked around and their teacher was nowhere to be found. He figured that his professor must have left while he was still in the comfort room.

“Oh, Sehun-ah, what took you so long?” Haerin asked as she wiped her clean on the tissue, “Seonsangnim took your work. He said it looked really pretty. Yah, I didn’t know you could draw,” She added with a small pout.

Sehun didn’t respond, instead he just looked at her. He looked at her as if he was confirming something. Haerin was a bit bothered with how deep he was staring, like he was looking all the way down to her soul and she doesn’t know why. Haerin tilted her head and then snapped a finger in front of Sehun’s eyes, “Yah, are you okay? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Nothing. Anyway, are we still going to hang out after school?” Sehun asked changing topics before his mind drowns him with thoughts of Haerin.

“Why? Do you have somewhere else to go?” She asked.

“Luhan hyung texted me earlier and asked if I could meet him at his place,” He said by explanation as Haerin nodded slowly and smiled. She totally understood his reason and she wasn’t disappointed at all that Sehun and her would cancel their Monday after school plans. Haerin knew that seeing Luhan would help Sehun with taking his mind off a few things. Though Sehun didn’t directly tell her that something was bothering him, Haerin wasn’t naïve to not notice that her friend gets drowned in his own thoughts sometimes.

“Sorry it was kind of unplanned,” He added.

Haerin chuckled and shook her head, “It’s really okay. I was planning to check this cool store later anyway so it’s good. Say hello to your hyung for me,” She warmly smiled.

“Arasso. I’ll just walk you to that store you’re talking about and let’s part from there. Is that okay with you?” He sweetly offered as Haerin nodded and they both gave each other a smile. They were both feeling so new to this thing. She knew Sehun was nice and such a gentleman but his current statement just made her feel something different—good different. On the other hand, Sehun was also used to being this caring about her because it was the least he could do for everything that she has done for him but then his statement gave off something else. It sounded like any of his genuinely kind offers to walk her somewhere, but it definitely felt different from before.

-

Their classes ended already and it was time for them to go home. As usual Sehun and Haerin walked out of their classroom together as they conversed. Some of their classmates had already noticed how close they’ve become. Most of the girls envied Haerin’s place because nobody in their school had been that close to Sehun. Also, the fact that she’s friends with the top performers and hottest students from 4-A made them jealous of her.

The two talked-about friends walked down the stairs together while some students from behind started to whisper and exchange rumors about the two. These students happened to pass by the 4-A classroom and because it was also their dismissal time, the others couldn’t help but hear the murmurs.

“Some of our classmates said that he hugged Haerin in the orphanage,” One girl murmured a little too loud—loud enough for Kai and his friends to hear it. The gang couldn’t help but have their eyes follow the group of girls and continue to listen to their conversation.

“Sehun has been hanging out a lot with her, right? I think they’re going to hang out again today.”

“Omo, Haerin is so lucky! She just got him as a partner and they already became friends!”

“I know! I want to be partners with Sehun too!”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and sigh, “So are we going to hear about them all day? Even some girls in our class were talking about this earlier,”

“Well aren’t you curious? That Oh Sehun dude doesn’t have any friends nor does he ever talk to anyone and suddenly she’s close to our Haerin,” Chanyeol said as Baekhyun sighed and nodded.

“Tall beagle has a point,” Kyungsoo teased as he walked out of the classroom first, walking past Kai and Baekhyun who were leaning on each side of the doorframe. On the other hand, Chanyeol just grimaced after being called a beagle once again.

“Aren’t they going out?” Chanyeol asked.

“Go ask Kai. He’s the one who talked to Sehun earlier. He said he confronted the cold dude in the comfort room. Just not sure how that went,” Suho said as they all eyed at Kai who looked at his friends innocently, “Spit it out kkamjong,”

Kai sighed and rolled his eyes at his friends, “He said he would tell me when he comes up with an answer. But I don’t think I’d like to hear his answer anymore,”

“Wae?” His friends asked in unison as they looked at surprisingly at their currently desolated friend.

“Because I already know what his answer will be,”

“How sure are you that what you think is right?” Chanyeol arched a brow.

“He’s a guy. Maybe girls can’t see it when a guy likes them, but guys can tell when another guy likes a girl,” Kai said as they all nodded in understanding. They kind of felt sorry for him though because Kai had feelings for Haerin long before she even transferred to their school. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

“Do you think Haerin likes him?”

“She’s the only person who can answer that. Haerin’s good with masking her feelings. She’s good at lying about how she’s really doing and how she really feels. Most of the time she’d tell she’s okay but she really isn’t. And because of that, I really can’t tell if she likes him,” Kai answered, feeling the frustration within him. He knew that if Haerin likes Sehun then it would be easy for her to deny that and keep it to herself without letting anyone know how she truly feels. Kai knew about this side of her after an incident, just a few months after her parents passed away.

He went out with Haerin and they both hung out around the park like what they always loved doing when both of them are free. Kai noticed a bruise on her arm and then a few bruise on her other arm. When she pulled her hair up, he found another bruise and it was like she even tried to cover them from being visible as much as possible. He asked about it and she said it was all because of her clumsiness. He believed it. But when he came to surprise Haerin at her apartment, he heard a leather belt collide harshly on skin. He was hearing it from inside Haerin’s apartment. Her uncle was yelling at her, asking her why she had to be there, why she had to live with them and why she had to be such a burdensome. Kai knew the truth behind her bruises. They weren’t because she was clumsy. It was because she was being beaten for something that wasn’t her fault. Kai was young and he didn’t know what he was capable of so he didn’t know what to do. Back then, Kai thought it was best to leave it alone. He wanted to save her but how could he? He walked back and pretended like he didn’t hear anything. He kept it to himself. Until now, Haerin doesn’t know that Kai knew about her bruises. This is why he was always worried whenever she walks to school with these painful marks. He gets mad every single time he sees the black marks because it reminded him of how painful it sounded when the leather belt made contact with her skin, how each slap sounded so cruel and how much of a coward he was back then, not to be able to save his best friend from being beaten.

Kai didn’t bother tell her the truth though he thought of saying it a million times. He just knew that Haerin would only get mad if she knew that he’s been keeping it a secret from her. Besides, Kai knows her well. He knew that she’d only hate for him to pity her. Haerin wasn’t the kind to feel sorry for herself. Though she had her pessimistic moments, she was able to be more optimistic and see life in a different perspective. Haerin doesn’t want a pity party. She wants people around her happy because the happiness of her loved ones are her source of positivity.

-

“Be nice to your hyung and don’t give him a cold shoulder, arasso?” Haerin said as they both walked side by side to the store that she was talking about earlier.

“You sound like my mother,” Sehun sighed as Haerin playfully hit his arm, “Yah!”

“I’m serious Sehun. Quit giving your brother a cold treatment. Besides, I think he’s pretty nice. You should treat him well. Bring him something to eat or anything else,”