Sehun was never a fan of martial arts. He was never a fan of fighting, things that involve fist on the face or foot landing on the shin. He didn’t know how to kick at the right angle, place, where to land a punch so that person would knock out in an instant, or any self-defense that you learn from martial arts. So when his dad out of nowhere signed him up on some martial art class, and being dragged forcefully by his old man to the place, right in front of the see-through door, Sehun grunted and a scowl settled itself on his face.

“Give me one good reason why I have to attend this class?” he grumbled, arms securely crossed over his chest in a childish manner.

“It’s for your own good, son. You’re already eighteen yet you know nothing about self-defense and since it’s your summer holiday this is the right time to learn one,” his dad said suspiciously too sweetly that Sehun felt like vomiting.

Sehun let out a snort at his dad’s words, “It’s not like someone wants to beat me up or something. Besides, I’d rather learn archery than getting my body thrown everywhere thank you very much.” A huff escaped his lips as he blew his too long fringe out of his eyes.

His dad wanted to retort with ‘What are you? Green arrow?’ really he wanted, but he just resorted with “Just go in, Sehun.”

“Dad,” Sehun said in a sharp tone but his dad just walked past him to the other direction, waving his hand dismissively without turning his back.

“I’ll see you later, son.” His dad bade.

“Why do I have to do this?! Dad! This place doesn’t even look like a dojo! Dad! Dad!” Sehun shouted like a maniac to the figure that was slowly disappearing. His loud voice earning strange looks from passer-by but Sehun didn’t care. He just wanted to go home and watch his favourite anime but his dad will surely kill him if he goes back home and his dad always knew when Sehun was lying so lying was out of option.

He only got a wave of hand in response from his old man.

Sehun muttered something under his breath that sounded like “Yeah, if I come out alive.” He might be exaggerating but watching TV did that to him. Like the one time he watched Karate Kid, the one with Jackie Chan and Jayden Smith. He was fascinated with the training but at the same time he found them ridiculous, like you have to do a split and all that weird stuff. Oh no! Sehun definitely does not want to do a split. When Sehun looked through the see-through door of the ‘dojo’ (does every martial arts place called dojo?), he saw bunch of people in a white martial art uniform – there weren’t many of them and most of them were a little shorter than him. Sehun couldn’t help but let out a snort. But then… oh shot! What if the master is scary like the one in the movie and Sehun will have to fight with one of the students? He will surely be dead.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to go in?” A voice interrupted the guy’s train of thoughts, making Sehun jolted on his spot, almost had a heart attack. He turned to the source of voice and was momentarily mesmerized by the beauty in front of him except that the girl looked scary for his liking with her menacing glare and lips in a thin line and her long slightly curly hair. His heart then decided to just do a summersault inside his chest and almost leapt out. Almost. She would be beautiful if she put a smile on tha—

The girl looked at him with a rather emotionless expression on her face before her eyebrows knitted together to form a frown. “Are you deaf or what?” she asked in a deadpan tone.

Sehun was once again pulled out of his dazed state, his cheeks slowly turning pink for getting caught. “O-oh, yeah, I’m gonna go in.” With hesitant steps he went inside followed by the scary-looking girl.

Almost immediately all of the people (there was only five people actually) stop whatever they were doing and heads turned towards Sehun’s direction. Oh no. Not the new-student-gets-the-attention all over again. One of the five, the tallest, started to walk towards him but just as a groan almost past his lips… “Hey, Jungie!” the guy walked past him like he did not just see Sehun standing there to the girl from earlier. Heol! Cue the face-palmed.

The others just resumed with their work as if Sehun wasn’t there. Sehun’s jaw hung slack. Did they not see me? …Did I turn invisible? Oh my god! I’m invisible! But then…

“New guy!” Sehun turned to the voice and one of the guys that was sitting on the floor held his hand up in greeting, “Yo!” but before Sehun could greet him back, the guy was back talking with the other guys as he did something that looked frighteningly like a split. Sehun just stood at the same spot awkwardly wondering what the hell is going right now.

When Sehun turned back to look at the girl, the guy from earlier had his arm slung around the girl’s shoulder as he greeted her with a bright smile, white pearly teeth in display. “Get your arm off my shoulder, Kim Jong in,” the girl warned as she put on her red coloured belt. She inhaled a breath and Sehun could practically see smoke coming out of her nostrils. When her eyes that could practically shot lasers locked with Sehun, the guy immediately turned away. There was another race happening inside his chest.

“Aww it’s not like you’re not used to this, babe.” The Jongin guy puckered his lips and made a smooch sound close to her cheek. The girl didn’t even budge or turned pink; maybe already immune to his action.

What a flirt.

“You should listen to her, Jongin,” a voice warned behind Sehun, the voice was deep and soft at the same time.

“Well, if you don’t wanna get hurt that is,” another voice sounded.

“Ay! You wouldn’t do that aga—“ before Sehun could comprehend of what had happened before his eyes, the guy named Jongin was already on the floor, wincing in pain. It turned out that the guy’s arm was harshly peeled off from the girl’s shoulder, then the said arm was twisted to his back then the girl stepped on the behind of his knee making the guy sat on one knee before the girl violently threw him. Shockingly no one stood up to help the poor guy; he received fit of laughter instead. Guess it was a normal occurrence for them.

“And another point goes to~ our lovely Soojung! Applaud!” someone announced in such enthusiasm and a round of applause followed after.

“Jungie is meanie~” Sprawled on the floor, Jongin whimpered as his body planted on the floor, cheek glued on the floor.

THAT. IS. ONE. HELL. OF. A. SCARY. GIRL. I BETTER— Sehun immediately turned towards the door but before he could even make a move, another person appeared from another door on one end of the wall. “Are you a new student?” The guy questioned. He was short too like the rest of them, had a white skin and spiky black hair. His face had this soft angelic smile on.

Sehun’s eyes widened in panic as he sputtered, “What? NO! –I mean, no.” No way in hell he would stay in this place.

All eyebrows rose at his response. “So why are you here then?” One of the guys from earlier asked and Sehun turned to look at him. Now all eyes were on him and Sehun had the sudden urge to vomit.

Think fast, Sehun! Think! “Uh…I entered the wrong place?” his words came out more like a question than a definite answer and Sehun mentally punched himself on the face for his lame answer.

One of them, the one with high cheek bones and sharp jawline, narrowed his eyes into a slits at Sehun, “Right.”

“I’m just gonna…” there was already someone blocking the damn door, Sehun’s one and only means of escape. When did he get here?!

“Nu-uh! Where do you think you’re going, kid?” The guy had a cat-like face and he had to bend his head upward in order to look at Sehun as his arms blocking the door. So much for being short.

Kid?! You’re probably younger than me, you bastard! But ofcourse Sehun didn’t voice that out loud for fear that he would experience the same thing as the Jongin guy. Lying on the floor helpless would be the last thing Sehun would want to happen to him.

“But I—“

“Nope! No one ever get lost around here so your reason is invalid,” a guy with owl-like eyes said in a straight face then blinked at him innocently. Sehun recognized his voice as the quiet one.

“Wha—“

“Once you enter this place you are not allowed to back out!” This time a guy with cute face resembling a child said. A stern look on his face and a finger pointing at Sehun had the poor guy backing away in an instant.

“Now, now kids. Don’t scare off the new guy,” the guy, the first guy that had asked him a question said as he went to the Jongin guy and helped him up, earning a “o-o-ow h-h-hyu-ng my h-hand “ from the guy in pain. He had actually pulled the arm that was being twisted earlier. So much of trying to help.

Laughter erupted then as if it was a normal thing to do. “But it’s fun to tease the new guy. Just look at his face!” Another laughter and Sehun mentally groaned in embarrassment. “Besides, it’s been a long time since a new guy joined our club, hyung.”

“But we don’t want to lose another student, are we?” The guy with the spiky hair asked in an almost fatherly voice. He was probably the only normal one in here, Sehun thought.

Sehun then turned to look at the guy. “W-what—what did t-they do?” he asked, a part of him wasn’t sure if he actually wanted an answer.

“Probably the same as what they did to you, or maybe worse,” the guy shrugged then went away again. Really, how can he be so calm about that?!

“Oh come on! It’s not like we’re gonna kill him or something! Right guys?” the cat-like guy asked the others then slung his arm around Sehun, or more like put him in a headlock as he was dragged to the rest of the crew. Sehun walked weirdly as his upper body was bent forward a little since the other guy was too short. “Wha- I- No-“ TOO VIOLENT, Sehun cried in his head. Then he was forced (since his head was still stuck in the guy’s arm) to sit.

“You passed, new guy!” said someone from his left side. Sehun spluttered in disbelief. He did not sign up for this . He never signed up for this!

“I’m not—“ Sehun’s words were cut off again. He had lost count on the amount of time he had been cut.

“LIKE. I. SAID. Once you enter this place you are not allowed to back out, got it?” the guy said in a stern voice, eyes practically shooting lasers.

“A-ah o-okay,” Sehun stuttered because wow how can a small guy look so scary?! But then the guy smiled and he turned a three hundred and sixty degree from his previous self as he introduced himself. “I’m Baekhyun by the way!” his lips tugged up into a smile that made him look so pure and innocent. WEIRD GUY IS WEIRD.

“Se-sehun,” he introduced, voice suddenly cracked.

“I’m Minseok and I’m twenty two!” The guy with the cat-like face introduced and Sehun replied him with “I’m eighteen…?” just out of instinct. But then Sehun gaped as realization dawned on him. WHAT? YA KIDDIN RIGHT? Minseok then laughed as he looked at Sehun’s disbelief face. “I know. Baby face beauty,” he stated with a bat of eyelashes. His self-compliment earned a gagging sound from Baekhyun.

“You’re eighteen? But you’re taller than us!” The guy with sharp jawline and high cheekbones exclaimed with his eyes opened wide.

“Because I drink a lot of milk…” Sehun trailed off, actually feeling unsure of what to reply.

“Baekhyun here drinks a lot of milk too but instead of getting taller he’s getting fat. You can check his bag, there’s a lot of milk there,” the guy snickered. His words earning a punch on the stomach from the said guy, “Shut it, Jongdae!” and he doubled over in pain. “And I’m Jongdae by the way…” his voice was strain from the pain. REALLY VIOLENT PEOPLE.

Then it was the quiet guy beside Minseok’s turned to introduce himself. “Kyungsoo,” the guy said still in the same expression on his face as he blinked at Sehun.

“Jongin,” Jongin introduced in a strain voice. He was still nursing his arm with an ice pack.

The only one that hadn’t said a word was the girl. She just sat in silence beside Baekhyun, eyes looking at the floor that would make a creaking sound if people moved a muscle.

Looking at the girl Sehun wondered if she was always like that, so quiet and few words. There was that thumping sound coming from his chest again. “Is she always like that?” Sehun asked Baekhyun in a whisper, afraid that if she hears him he would be thrown to the wall or something.

“Like what?” Baekhyun asked. “Quiet? Yeah,” he smiled then turned to the girl that was sitting beside him ever so quietly, “Right Jungie?”

Sehun wanted to smack the guy on the head. Really, he wanted to but refrained himself from doing so and settled at palming his own face instead.

But before the girl could say something, a loud voice interrupted her.

“Alright, kids!” the guy’s voice boomed as he clapped his hands to get their attention. “Save your chitchat for later. We’re gonna start our practice now.” He then turned to look at Sehun. “Oh! New guy—“

The said guy rolled his eyes, “Sehun,” he corrected firmly.

“Right. Sehun. Just call me Joonmyun or Suho or whatever you’re comfortable with. Do you need the uniform? Or you just wanna wear your jogging pants? But it won’t be a good idea though…”

Sehun looked down to his pants then back up to Suho, “Why?” he asked with one eyebrow raised in curiosity. He saw nothing wrong with his pants.

“Because we’re gonna do a sparring today,” Suho answered.

“What?” Sehun barked in surprise. He just started and he had to already do a sparring?!

“Oh you know fighting—“

Sehun rolled his eyes in irritation, “I know what sparring is but why?” he asked because he found it utterly ridiculous for him to fight in day one of him being in the club.

“Because that’s what we do,” One of Suho’s eyebrows quirked as if challenging Sehun to argue more.

“But I just started—“

“Oh, no worries. You’ll only be sparring with Soojung here,” Suho said with a dismissive wave and a smile.

“Excuse me?” Sehun looked at the guy in disbelief. That somehow had hurt his pride even though he was well aware that the girl was probably ten times stronger than he was but still, seriously?!

“Well, since you’re new we just want to see how well you can spar, but I’m not sure if you can win against Jungie though,” said Baekhyun as he slung his arm around Sehun’s shoulder. Snickers could be heard from the other side of Sehun.

Sehun sputtered for the umpteenth time. How dare they say he would lose to the girl! “I will not lose to a girl!” he declared. But then he realised that all of them were wearing different colours of belts – green, blue, brown, brown with black stripe, red, red black, black with yellow stripe -- and Sehun had no idea which of them was in the higher ranking. Soojung might even be higher than most of them. He gulped in nervousness.

“Oh, really?” Jongdae asked with voice laced with amusement.

“Ofcourse!” Sehun exclaimed, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

“Well, I’m not so sure about that but tell you what. If you win, you can back out like what you wanted but if you lose you’ll have to take Jungie to a date for one whole day. How’s that?” Jongdae asked, wiggling his eyebrows meaningfully. The said girl didn’t even budge from her seat at the mention of her name.

Sehun gaped; his mouth hung loose that if there was a fly it would surely land inside his open mouth. “Why should I—“ He turned to look at the quiet girl and yelled, “Hey, aren’t you going to say something about this?!” The girl just looked at him with an indescribable expression on her face. One end of her lips twitched as if she was going to say something but then she didn’t.

“Dude, I’d be dying to have a date with her!” Jongin exclaimed but his words went pitifully ignored by the guys.

“Why? Are you scared, Sehun?” Minseok challenged, in a second his face was only mere inch away from Sehun and eyes glint with something that Sehun couldn’t decipher. CAT GUY IS CREEPY.

“I’m not!” Sehun shouted. He was sure that by the end of the day he would lose his voice with all this yelling.

“Okay then.” Jongdae smiled that made him resembled a cheshire cat before he stretched out his right hand to Sehun. “Do we have a deal?”

Sehun then wriggled out of Baekhyun’s hold and ignoring the stretched-out hand of Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s ‘Don’t accept it’, he muttered, “Yeah, whatever.”

“Okay now that’s settled, Jongin, help new guy with the safety gear,” Suho instructed ever so seriously. Sehun decided to ignore that nickname.

Body covered with chest protector, they stood opposite each other with Sehun standing on the right in blue gear and Soojung in red with her trademark expressionless face, facing each other. Standing between them was Suho. Audience of five eagerly seated in a straight line not far from where they were.

“Sehun, I’m sure you know the basic of fighting. Just do what you think is the right technique. Just don’t be too violent. Broken bones would be the last thing we want. The rule is simple. Whoever gets ten points first will be the winner. One point for a punch and two points for a kick. Do you understand?” Suho explained in an authoritative voice.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go on with it already!” Sehun exclaimed in exasperation. Kick and punch, kick and punch, what is so difficult about that?

Soojung was already in her ready position – left foot in front and right foot facing right with both knees a little bent, both hands in a fist form.

Sehun on the other hand, having no clue of what to do, just follow the girl’s standing posture.

“Go! Go! Soojungie!” The audience chanted in merry and Sehun couldn’t help the roll of his eyes. “Jungie, show him what you got!” Minseok yelled in much excitement.

So when Suho blew the whistle, Sehun was dumbstruck and panic that in a swift Soojung was able to land a kick on his chest protected body causing him to jerk backwards a little by the force.

“Soojung two points, Sehun zero point,” Suho announced, lips forming a smirk as he made eye contact with Sehun.

, , . Focusing his eyes on the red chest protector, Sehun threw several punches but then the girl jumped backwards then landed a side kick. They moved in a circle for a few moments – no one wanted to make the first move – but then Sehun launched forward and tried his best to kick. Unfortunately, Soojung caught his long leg then she put her right foot behind the heel of Sehun’s left foot then she threw him in a circular motion making him landed with a thud.

“Oooo~ that hurts!” Baekhyun yelled in fake pity. String of cuss escaped Sehun’s lips barely audible.

Determined to not be defeated by the girl, Sehun stood up immediately and launched forward again, trying to kick again but his legs went a little higher than expected resulting a hit on the girl’s head. He gasped.

Sehun dashed to her in panic, “Oh my god! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?” he asked in a trembling voice, face showing genuine concern.

A commotion coming from the audience could be heard.

“Don’t be so harsh on a girl!”

“You heartless twerp!”

“Get away from her, you !”

“Are you okay, Soojung?” Suho asked worriedly, hand shot up to her head but Soojung swatted it away.

“I’m fine,” Soojung reassured in a quiet voice. Her lips twitched a little as a smile threatening to appear. Sehun’s heart then decided to do a back flip.

“M-maybe we should stop,” Sehun suggested. Hurting a girl would be the last thing he would want to do.

“I’m fine, Sehun,” Soojung reassured again but the sight of her holding her head said otherwise. At the sound of his name, Sehun’s heart raced in a higher speed if that was even possible and he suddenly felt hot around his cheeks.

“But that looks h-hurt,” Sehun tried to argue but it was futile.

Soojung turned to look at Suho, “How many points have I scored?”

“Five by three,” the guy informed.

Nodding, she said, “Let’s just finish this.” The girl then turned to look at Sehun who was looking like he had just killed a person. “Just get this over with quickly,” she demanded and Sehun, though hesitant, just complied. He didn’t want to lose after all. Losing means he have to go out on a date with her and—well, that sounds kind of nice—oh no, Sehun, no!

Sehun might, just tiny, little bit, had purposely lost to the girl. She was stronger than him, he reasoned with himself. I hurt her too, he added, but a big part of him argued that it was because of the damn date. Either way, Soojung win and Sehun lost by five points.

“How can you lost to a girl?!” Jongdae snickered and he playfully slapped Sehun at his back.

Sehun just shrugged his shoulder wordlessly.

“And now the deal!” Minseok reminded enthusiastically as he jumped and slung his arm around Sehun.

“You have to go out with her tomorrow. No excuses!” Baekhyun warned, finger pointing dangerously at Sehun, adding his menacing glare to give more impact. Sehun just rolled his eyes in response.

“I told you,” Kyungsoo uttered from behind him. His quiet voice was honestly starting to freak Sehun out. What with him looking like he wasn’t saying anything.

“I wasn’t gonna make one anyway,” Sehun mumbled under his breath.

“Why Soojung why~!” Jongin whined in an overly-dramatic voice. The rest of the guys rolled their eyes simultaneously.

When he went back home, body covered with sweats, his dad welcomed him with, “How was it? Did you earn a date with Jung Soojung?”

Sehun furrowed his eyebrows and looked at his dad incredulously, “How did you know?!”

“Ofcourse I know! I planned it with Joonmyun,” his dad explained, a proud smile on painted on his face.

“So all this was just to get me to go out with Soojung?” Sehun asked in disbelief.

“Yes!”

“Heol.”

But despite the revelation and the growing pain on his body that he knew would hurt like hell when he wake up the next day, and the fact that he might have to join the club as a permanent member, Sehun may or may not be looking forward to the date tomorrow.