Time flies pretty fast.

Minseok, Chanyeol, and Sehun had met up at the Cassiopeia, Jung gyoh-soo-nim’s music shop where Chanyeol currently works, to work on their project.  So far, they’ve managed to finish one song, ’The Star’ which as written by Chanyeol and composed by the three of them. 

“So, I’m working on this song, but I don’t know what to do with it.”  Sehun says as they take their break, Minseok fooling around with the baby grand at the corner of the shop.

“Huh?  I don’t get it.”  Minseok replies.

“I just… I have the concept, okay?  I even have some lines, but I can’t put it together.  I need your help, guys.”  Sehun replies.

“The hell, man?  Of course we’ll help you, that’s why we’re group mates, right?”  Chanyeol replies, the three of them smiling at each other.

Luhan’s been spending a lot of time with Yixing lately; Minseok once caught them making out in an empty dance practice room, so Minseok has a lot of time to look around for the perfect gift for Luhan.  One particularly cold day, after school, Minseok decided to stop by Starbucks before he went back home, the aroma of coffee and pastries greeting him as he enters the empty shop.

A man with dark hair is on the counter, playing around with a guitar.  Another one, a tall—taller than Chanyeol—man is cleaning the tables.  They both look up when they hear the door open, the one manning the counter greeting Minseok instantly.

“Welcome to Starbucks!  What can we do for you today?”  He asks, giving Minseok a wide smile and Minseok can’t help but smile back.

“Uhm… an Americano, please.  Oh, and also some brownies to go.”  Minseok replies, not sure who to address.

“Coming up.”  The man behind the counter announces and goes to work.  Minseok settles for one of the tables near the window when the tall man comes, handing him some cookies.  Minseok looks up in bewilderment when the plate is set down before him.

“Don’t worry, it’s on the house.  The particularly cold weather’s causing everyone to rush home, so we only had a few customers today, and you look like you need something to eat.”  The man says with a deep, gruff voice, the intensity of which surprising Minseok.  It’s true, Minseok hasn’t really had time to eat lately since the project was given to them, and Starbucks cookies are always awesome.  “I’m Yifan, by the way.”  The tall man says, taking out a hand.  Minseok shakes it and replies, “I’m Minseok.”

“So, Minseok, what brings you here today?”  Yifan asks curiously.

“I’m looking for the perfect gift for a friend.”  Minseok replies, munching on a cookie.

“That’s sweet.”  The man, Yifan, replies.  Just then, the other man appears with Minseok’s order.

“Go back to work, Yifan.  Here’s your order, I’m Jongdae, by the way.”  He says, taking out a hand too.  Minseok introduces himself as he shakes Jongdae’s hand.

“Uhm… thanks, Jongdae.”  Minseok replies.  Instead of going back to the counter though, Jongdae stays with Minseok, sitting down on the chair opposite him.

“So, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but are you from the music department?”  Jongdae asks, and Minseok looks at him, startled.  The students from the music department are pretty popular around the campus, Minseok found out a long time ago, because of their occasional concerts and impromptu performances all year round.  Minseok’s got his own share of exposed admirers and secret admirers, just like Chanyeol and Sehun.

“Uhm… yeah.  You still study?”  Minseok replies, scanning his memory if he ever saw Jongdae’s face in the university.

“Yeah, I’m a junior film student.”  Jongdae replies and Minseok gets it.  Film students and music students often work together beginning junior year, the film students asking the music students for help with their videos.  Most video projects require an original piece, and asking the music students for help is already a tradition.

“Ah… I’m still a sophomore so…”  Minseok replies, a little unsure.

“Yeah, I figured.  I haven’t been able to talk to you but I always see you around with the tall guy and some other dudes.  Luhan is your boss, right?”

Now, Luhan’s another thing.  If you think that Minseok and Yixing are the only ones who fell head over heels for Luhan, then you’re wrong.  Luhan actually has a lot of exposed admirers and secret admirers, and some of them have approached Minseok for help.  He first asked Luhan about this though, and Luhan just scoffed at the idea and told him not to say a word, not that Minseok would do that, anyway.

“Yup.  I do look forward to working with some of you guys starting next year.”

“Me too, at least now I really know someone I can approach.  The junior music students this year are a little snobby.”  Jongdae says and the two of them laugh.

“They kind of are.  Sorry for that!”  Minseok replies, causing the two of them to laugh harder.

Minseok comes home that night to find Yixing in their penthouse, helping Luhan with another recipe.  Yixing is actually a junior fine arts student who really loves to cook.  Bambi comes running towards him the moment he arrives, and follows him around as he fixes his stuff.  He steps out of his room to see the dinner table set, and the two boys already sitting beside each other.

“Hey, Min!”  Luhan greets as Minseok enters the dining room, Bambi following closely behind.  Yixing gives a look of horror once he sees the dog, and Bambi hides behind Minseok.

“Sorry, Min, I’m kind of scared of dogs.”  Yixing says apologetically.

“I’ll just eat later then; he won’t leave me alone at all.”  Minseok says and begins to go back to his room, thinking of finishing that song for their project.

“Okay, but make sure you eat.  You always forget to when you’re caught up in something.”  Luhan says, and Minseok just nods in return.  He goes to his room and starts working on the song.  He already has a couple of lines written down, just some random musings, and starts to piece them together.  He then grabs his guitar and starts to pluck out a simple melody while he works his way through the lyrics.  Halfway through writing, he falls asleep, the idea of dinner altogether forgotten.

Minseok then wakes up to the sound of Luhan calling his name and a bowl of rice porridge in front of him.  Minseok opened his mouth to ask what’s wrong when Luhan inserted a spoonful of porridge into his mouth, causing him to close it and eat.

“You never went back.  Yixing already left and you still weren’t back and I was getting concerned.  So I went to check here and saw you asleep.  Can you please not forget to eat next time, Min?”  Luhan asks as he hands Minseok the bowl of porridge.

“Uhm… okay.  Thanks, I guess.”  Minseok replies and starts to eat.  Luhan’s still in his room, though, leaning against his cabinet, watching Minseok like a predator.

“Luhan, what’s wrong?”  Minseok asks, and Luhan just shifts so that he can be more comfortable.

“I’m staying here so that I can make sure that you eat that.  You won’t leave a single piece of whatever left in there, okay?  Eat everything; you haven’t really been taking care of yourself, have you?”  Luhan asks in a challenging voice.

“Luhan, you’re acting like a kid again.”

“No, you’re acting like a kid.  People always have to remind you to eat and take care of yourself.  How can you even manage to fix stuff for me when you’re running on low batteries?”

“My batteries are always fully charged, just so you know.  And I can manage myself, thankyouverymuch.”

The Hwang family has a reputation for their splendid parties, and just as everyone expected, this is one of them.  Almost everyone who got invited has already arrived, but the house isn’t even half full yet.  Minseok had gone with Luhan, but the boy immediately left his side once he saw Yixing waving him over.  He then saw Chanyeol and Sehun approaching him, handing him a cup of beer as they arrived.

After five minutes finds the three of them by the fireplace, talking about random things when Luhan and his gang arrives.

“So, you see, I saw him yesterday and I just thought that it would be nice to write him a song.”  Sehun tells Minseok and Chanyeol.

“Okay, so you decided to write a song about him just like that?  Seriously, Ohdult, how are we supposed to write a song about someone we don’t even know?!”  Chanyeol replies, drinking more beer.

“You don’t really have to know him, okay?  Just… think about something and we’ll figure it out.”  Sehun replies.

“Yeah, ‘cause that works for us all the time, Ohdult.”  Minseok replies with a smug smile.

“What does?”  They hear someone ask and they all turn to the direction of the voice to find Luhan standing there together with Yixing, Baekhyun, Zitao, and Joonmyeon.  Luhan, Minseok thought, is totally dressed to kill tonight.  If his looks could kill, then everyone would probably be dead by now, well… Minseok would be, at least.

“Ohdult being an .”  Minseok replies and he and Chanyeol just burst out laughing.

“Hey, that’s unfair!  It wasn’t my fault that someone here thought my surname was Ohdult!”  Sehun replies, pertaining to Chanyeol.

“Well, I’m sorry, Ohdult.  But everyone thought that Ohdult was your surname during your first three days at class.”  Chanyeol replies.

“God, Yeol, you’re unbearable.”  Sehun replies, and the other two just laugh harder.

“You three seem to be having fun.”  Baekhyun comments.  “You guys should check out the coffee, my dad brought in some coffee from our Starbucks franchise so that everyone can warm up.”

“Really?  We’ll check it out later,” Chanyeol says, stifling a laugh, “when Minseok and I are done torturing our little Sehun.”

“There’s more?!  Why did I even become friends with you two, again?”  Sehun asks just as Luhan plops down beside Minseok.

“Can I stay here?  It’s kind of cold anywhere else.”  Luhan asks.

“Yeah, sure.  But you’ll have to side with us, though.  We have to torture little Sehun here to death.”  Minseok replies, Sehun giving him an evil glare.

“Guess we’ll see you guys around later, then!”  Yixing says, as he and the rest of the gang go towards the bar.  A couple of minutes of Ohdult torture pass when someone approaches them.  Someone tall, who looks like an Angry Bird, and is currently holding cups of coffee.

“Minseok?!”  That someone says, causing the four of them to stop what they’re doing.

“Yifan?!”  Minseok says, and remembers about the Starbucks thing with Baekhyun’s father.  “You work for Baekhyun’s dad?”

“Yeah, here, you guys should have coffee to warm you up.”  Yifan says as he hands each of them a cup before he hugs Minseok.  “We missed you back there!  Jongdae was wondering if we scared you away!”

“Jongdae’s here too?”  Minseok asks, suddenly feeling very excited because Kim Jongdae is awesome.

“Yeah, he’s in the kitchen.  You guys want some cookies?  We have those cookies that you like by the kitchen, Min.  I think Jongdae’s munching on them right now.”  Yifan says.

When Minseok returns from the kitchen, he finds out that Luhan has gone upstairs with Yixing.

“Oh, someone’s gonna get laid.”  Sehun says.

“Ohdult, shut up.  You’re hurting baby Minseok’s feelings.”  Chanyeol says.

“Yeol, are you drunk?  And since when have I been baby Minseok?  I’m not a baby.”  Minseok replies, munching on some cookies.

“Uhm… a couple of seconds ago?”  Chanyeol asks as he takes his own cookie.  “And no, I am not drunk.  I’m just high from all the Ohdult torturing that I’ve been doing.”

“Geesh, you and Yifan would totally get along.  He tortures me and Jongdae all the time just because he’s as tall as a building!”  Minseok replies.

The rest of the night was spent by gossiping about some other kids from the university, and Chanyeol asking about Yifan and how Minseok met him.  Sehun decided to be the next cookie monster as revenge for their torturing him a while ago, and eating all of the cookies, causing Minseok and Chanyeol to pretend that they’re part of the fictional cookie monster patrol.

It was half past midnight when Yixing comes to their place, a drunken Luhan in tow.

“Oh .  Changmin’s not going to like this.”  Minseok says as he stands up to get Luhan from Yixing.  But to Minseok’s surprise, Luhan pushes him away once Yixing lets go of him.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice that he got pretty drunk.  I have to go back upstairs to make sure that Baekhyun doesn’t get drunk once again and turn into a caveman.”  Yixing says, excusing himself immediately.  Minseok tries to assist Luhan once again, but Luhan just leans away and stands up with the support of the wall.  Minseok calls Minho and within half an hour, they’re on their way back home, Luhan peacefully sleeping at the back seat.

Bambi doesn’t greet them once they enter their penthouse, and Minseok can’t help but feel a little cold.  Luhan’s still keeping his distance from him as they both enter the living room, Minseok excusing himself to make Luhan some coffee.  Minseok sees Bambi asleep on the dining room floor, by the table, as he prepares Luhan’s coffee.

“You know, Yixing was cold to me tonight.”  Luhan says, words slurred, as Minseok comes back and hands him his coffee.  Minseok stays silent, not sure what to reply.

“I also asked him to move in with me, and guess what?  He said no!”  Luhan continues before he sips from his mug of hot coffee.  “And you know why?  I think it’s because of you!”

Me?  Minseok tries to think of the reasons why it would be because of him, but he can’t think of any.  He’s always been nice to Yixing, despite him being competition, and even allowed him to stay with Luhan anytime he wants to.  He makes sure that he stays in his room when the other boy’s home with Luhan so as to not disturb them, so he really can’t find any reason why.

Minseok swallows the lump in his throat before answering.  “Me?  He said it was because of me?”

Luhan glares at him before continuing.  “No, not really, but I just inferred that it’s you.  It’s probably because you’re always around; you’re always with me even if I don’t want you there!  He must think that we’re together… and you know what?  The idea of that even being possible is disgusting!”  Luhan takes a deep breath before continuing.  “I don’t even know why I let you stay here in the first place!  You’re just using me so that you can live a comfortable life when you don’t really deserve it!”  Luhan finishes before he stands up and goes to his room, leaving Minseok stupefied and speechless in the cold cold living room.