fifth bloom

{where Luhan was actually nice...not}

Luhan felt utterly distress because there's a guy—a new guy that popped all the flowers in his sight—and suddenly, Minseok appeared to be blushing. He wasn't imagining things however. He's afraid the blushing might have been the result of the guy's face too close to his.

       "Are you alright?" the guy asked again. "You know what, I shouldn't be asking you that. Obviously you're not alright. Here, take my hand."

       But everything turned mute and Luhan's heroic side was possessing him in ways he couldn't imagine he'd do. Say for example: standing up with his stained pants visible to the whole cafeteria. Even Yifan and Chen were surprised. The soup stain on his pants looked awkward, ridiculously resembling an underwear worn outside.

       "Great," Chen laughed, "You look like Superman."

       Yifan facepalmed.

       Yet, Luhan didn't hear him nor the gasps that escaped Minseok's lips when he suddenly carried the boy, bridal style, with care. The whole crowd cheered as if they just witnessed a film shoot in front of their eyes. Luhan's knees wobbled but he tried to stand still and manly for the crowd's cheers were defeaning but hearing Minseok's heart beats were more music to his ears.

       "Luhan..."

       "It's alright. I'm here," he said breathily, eyes glimmering. His hands were holding Minseok as if he'd break anytime sooner if he didn't hold him tightly close to him. 

Except...

       That wasn't what really happened. Unfortunately, it all just a product of Luhan's wired brain. In reality though, Chen was already shouting at him and Yifan—well, Yifan here and in his imagination—face palmed as always. 

       What did he do?

       He ran again. (That coward...)

##

"Wow," Yifan stared at Luhan's ghost-like frame. "You look dead."

       Instead of the usual angry retort, Luhan just sighed before sitting next to him in the same cafe they were at yesterday.

       "I guess I shouldn't break the news to you."

       "What news?" Luhan asked, no life in his voice.

       "What's up, chaps?" Chen interrupted, sitting beside Luhan. "Hey, I guess you'll finally have your own club now, huh?" he said to Luhan. 

       "What do you mean?" Luhan asked with a dreamy, half-awake voice.

       Yifan was on the move to stop Chen's useless up-to-no-good mouth from being used in a wrong way when the younger slammed a magazine on the cafe table. It created a thud that woke up a few of the sleeping customers. 

       "Have you seen the latest write-up? You're not in the article but you're face was captured in the headline photo. That's quite an exposure whether you like it or not." Chen grinned.

       Luhan quickly snatched away the magazine on the table.

       "I don't you may want to read...that." 

       It was already too for Yifan's warning when Luhan's attention was already on the frontpage, THE FRONTPAGE of their university's publication where more often than not was read by almost 70% of the student population.

       There, printed in vibrant colors, unedited, was a picture of Minseok being carried just like the way he imagined him to be. Except, it wasn't him that was carrying the boy but the man who lent him a hand. And his exposure? He was just standing there, mouth gaping, eyes wide, as he stared at Minseok and the man. Not to mention the embarrassing underwear-like shape of stain on his pants.

       "!"

       "I'm sorry but that's the best angle I got," said Chen. Yifan grabbed his collar. If only he wasn't a teacher...

##

Luhan was crying. Not the dramatic, threatrical, exaggerated cry, but the real one. The kind of cry where if this was a work of fiction, then maybe the readers were also crying by now. 

       His eyes were red and swollen. His nose was the same. His pillow might have been already soaked with his salty trails of sadness and desperation, and probably regret, too. His was too confused. His mind knew what to do but his heart—his heart was betraying him. 

       He always tried not to fail, not to appear weak in front of everyone or his parents. But now, all that he saw to himself was the big fat printed letters of 'FAILURE' on his forehead. He just let something so near slipped away from his hands. 

       But more than that was his image. It was already ruined! Just what kind of face could he show with that level of embarrassment?

       "Luhan?"

       "No, I'm not. I'm not the 'boy with stained pants'. Go away."

       "But..."

       "No interviews!"

       "I'm not..."

       "What do you still need to know? Aren't you all happy seeing my humiliation? Do you want more?!" Luhan stood up to finally faced the persistent distraction. To his surprised, however, it wasn't any annoying reporter or Chen. His eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" he scowlingly asked Minseok.

       "You."

       Luhan felt his heart clenched. He couldn't breathe. "What?" he inquired nervously. Oh my god, he's going to die right now.

       "I mean I want to talk to you."

       "That's it?" he whispered.

       "What?"

       "Nothing." His eyes rolled. "What do you want to talk about?" He averted his look somewhere as he crossed his hands.

       "It's just," Minseok's voice was soft yet quivering. "These past few days, I might—no—I really did something bad to you and I want—really want—to say sorry for everything."

       Luhan acted as if he's not affected, still avoiding eye contact because he knew that one look at Minseok could lead him into an emotional landslide. He needed to remain mad. He wanted to stay mad.

       "You just stained one of my favorite pants. Why were you even there? I thought you're working in a restaurant, not in the cafeteria."

       "That..." Minseok was fidgeting. "I was fired but not because of the spaghetti incident two days ago or because you broke the plate and ran away..." His eyes widened as he covered his mouth. "I—It's not what you think."

       "So it's me. It's because of me." Luhan was looking at him, taken aback. Guilty.

       "No."

       Even if Minseok denied, Luhan knew he was obviously lying.

       "How much is the plate? I'm paying for it."

       "No!" the other denied profusely. "I should be the one paying you for all the damages. It must be painful being poured at with the soup down there." Minseok was looking down...

       Luhan immediately covered his front. He could feel the blood creeping up his neck to his cheeks. "It was but I'm fine now. No harm done so you don't need to pay me whatsoever." You might not even have the sufficient amount to pay for everything, he thought.

       "But..."

       "No. Don't you even try," Luhan warned.

       Minseok lowered his head. The more he did that, the more he appeared smaller. Luhan was itching to roll him into a ball and tuck him inside his pocket. 

       "How about I offer you work?"

       "Work?"

       "Yes, so you don't need to go back to the restaurant or the cafeteria. Plus, I'll pay more."

       "If it's just for charity, no." 

       Luhan waved a hand. "No. It's not anything that you think. I offer you work because I—our family just happened to need one and we can't find anyone perfect to fill the job. Maybe you're the one we're looking for."

       "What work?" He looked interested. 

##

"Welcome to Wu Corporation!"

       "Are you the new receptio—" Yifan dropped his bag. His jaws cames with it as he stared with a shocked expression. Who wouldn't be shocked if someone who looked exactly like Minseok was greeting him? And who wouldn't have a heart attack if that Minseok doppelganger had long orange hair, makeup, and wearing skirt? And who wouldn't go insane when he sounded like a boy? "Minseok?"

       "Oh my, you notice me. I'm supposed to look and sound like a girl." The boy cleared his throat, practicing a high-pitch voice. "We—welcome to Wu Corporation! Is that girly enough?" Minseok looked at him innocently, fake long eyelashes fluttering.

       Yifan wanted to faint.

I'm still undecided about the mysterious boy. Most of you suggested Sehun but remember Minseok's brother in chapter 2. That's actually Sehunnie.