Tao slid open the door to the classroom and almost screeched when he was faced with a maniacally grinning Jung Jessica, her face an inch away from his own face. Tao started to take a step back when the latter’s hand shot out to grasp his wrist in a firm grip. He squeaked as her grinned widen.

“Get away from him!!!!”

Tao jolted in surprise as he saw Luna soaring in the air with a deafening war cry behind Jessica before latching onto her back like an oversize and less furry koala. Tao glued himself to the wall opposite the entrance of the class as Jessica gave a high-pitched wail and flailed when her hair was pulled back by Luna. He watched as Jessica stumbled back into the classroom until she tripped over her own feet and went down to the floor along with Luna who gave a final cry that immediately died with a squeak as she was squashed by Jessica.

Tao stared at the two twitching forms of his classmates lain on the floor in front of the classroom, unmoving.

“Tao, are you alright?”

He looked up and saw his other classmates crowding around the entrance, ignoring Jessica and Luna. Tao laughed shakily and nodded.

He would have to get use to this…bizarreness.

He entered the class, warily side-stepping the girls on the floor who had just started to get up from their uncomfortable position. Sunny came up to Tao, tugged his hand to lead him to his seat and sat him down. Tao blinked curiously as the girls immediately flocked around him, some of them dragging their own chair to his table.

“Soooo…” Tiffany drawled, looking expectant as she leaned forward in her seat beside Tao. Tao leaned back instinctively and squeaked out, “W-what?”

“Why were you called to the student council’s room yesterday?”

An image of a certain blonde president coddling him popped into his head at the question and Tao flushed. The girls narrowed their eyes at him, more curious than ever.

“N-nothing. It was a false call.”

“Really?” Victoria huffed incredulously. Tao nodded.

“Then, did anything happen while you’re in the room?”

Tao bit his lower lip, warmth surging thorough him as he was again reminded of the time when he was in Kris’ comforting embrace. Tao had felt safe in his arms. Kris made him felt like he could just forget whatever problem he had just by being near him.

There was also this weird dizzying feeling just by looking at the president’s scowling face that somehow softened when he landed his eyes on Tao and made the butterflies in his stomach fluttered furiously, trying to escape their confinement.

Tao concluded, he must be coming down with the flu.

“Tao?”

Tao blinked, snapping out of his stupor.

“N-no. Nothing happened.”

I think.

The girls groaned collectively and slumped heavily, disappointment clear in their posture. Amber threw her hands in the air and grumbled under her breath. Taeyeon sighed.

“I see he is still pretending, huh?”

“I don’t see the point in it since we already knew the truth.”

“Yeah, he should just admit it. I bet they’ll look good together.”

“I’m tired of waiting. Can’t he realize the fine that he’s looking for is just in front of him?”

“God, he can be so stupid sometimes,” Amber muttered to herself.

Tao frowned at the heated conversation that had started among the girls around him while he was still trying to grasp what was being talked about.

“I don’t…understand.”

The girls ceased their discussion and turned their heads to stare at him. Minutes passed and Tao was quickly feeling unnerved by their blank stare. He squirmed in his seat when the staring stopped but creepy grins slowly formed on his classmates’ faces.

“Nothing, Taozi. It’s nothing.” They leered.

Tao could not help the jolt of terror that racked his lean frame.

~~*~~

Lunch came and the girls had dragged Tao to eat outside.

Tao was seated at one of the stone tables scattered across the yard behind the building, shadowed by a huge tree. He smiled as the girls finally seated themselves around him.

“So, I heard you live in the hostel?”

Tao nodded as Yuri spoon-fed him.

“Who’s your roommate?”

“Kris-ge.”

Tiffany choked on her food, Amber spurted the water that she had been drinking and the other girls froze.

3, 2, 1…

“WHAAAAAT???!!!”

Tao flinched.

“Are you serious?! Kris, as in, the president?! The Kris?!”

Tao nodded hesitantly. Seohyun wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and Yuri continued to spoon-feed him even when it was clear they were terrified at the moment.

At what, Tao didn’t know. These girls were weird like that, he guessed.

“D-did he do something to you last night?” Amber asked.

Tao noticed the sparkles of excitement in the latter’s eyes and blinked against them.

“What do you mean?”

As Amber was about to answer, the leaves of the tree they were sitting under, rustled furiously and suddenly, Chen popped his head among the leaves, hanging upside down from one of the branches.

“What she means is did he molest you last night while you’re in bed?” he stated nonchalantly.

The girls stared blankly at the swaying secretary.

Then, a fist landed right on Chen’s face.

~~*~~

“Oww,it hurts, Tao!”

Chen winced when he touched his broken nose, his other hand dabbing at the streaming blood that came from his nose with a handkerchief that Seohyun had given him. He had immediately fallen from the branch that he was hanging to when Tao punched him and he was now sitting two tables away from the group, nursing his bloody nose.

“S-sorry, Chen-ge. It’s just that, y-you were too close and I…” Tao bit his lip in guilt.

Chen stopped grumbling and sighed when he saw that the younger was close to tears already.

“It’s fine. My fault too I guess, surprising you like that despite knowing about your fear towards boys.” He waved a hand dismissively.

 “…what?” the girls chorused.

Chen raised his eyebrows at them before turning to look at Tao once again, “You didn’t tell them?”

Tao shook his head.

Chen raised his finger to point at Tao as he looked back at the girls, “This guy here, is afraid of boys.”

A moment ticked by before Hyoyeon slumped tiredly and muttered, “Wow, today is just full of surprises.”

“But, wait! Wait a minute! If you’re afraid of boys…then why are you in the hostel?” Victoria asked.

“That’s-”

“That’s because his father wants him to get over his fears of boys by staying with them.” A voice cut Tao off and all heads snapped to its direction.

Kris was trudging towards them, hands in his pocket along with Suho behind him.

Ah, there it was.

The butterflies were acting up again in Tao’s stomach and he clutched it, wondering if the food he had eaten was poisoned.

“Yah, Kim Jongdae! There you are!” Suho shouted.

Hearing the vice president’s voice, the secretary seemed to suddenly remember why he was hiding in the tree before and quickly stood up.

“.” As soon as he said that, Kim Jongdae dashed off, Suho right behind him, screaming bloody murder.

Kris looked back at Tao as soon the two were out of sight, staring him down. The latter gulped.

“Hey, Wufan! Get away from-”

Amber never finished what she was going to say as his cousin had lifted his big hand and patted Tao on the head.

“Are you alright?”

Safe to say, Amber had fallen from her seat in surprise hearing Kris’ gentle tone.

Tao could not help himself but leaned into his touch. It was so soothing and…warm.

“I see that Jongdae had broken his nose. He must have done something stupid to get you to punch him.”

Tao opened his eyes –he did not remember closing them– and looked at the president curiously, “How did you know that I had punched him, Kris-ge?”

Kris smiled.

Tiffany thought she had died when she saw Kris’ smile.

Kris grasped Tao’s right hand and brought it to his handsome face, “You have cuts on your knuckle.”

Tao flushed guiltily and averted his gaze. “I-I didn’t mean to.”

Kris laughed.

The girls thought they must have accidentally transferred to another dimension or world or planet when they saw the Wu Yifan laughed.

“Don’t worry, I know he deserves that.”

Tao stared up at the president under his lashes and gave him a shy smile.

“Does it hurt?”

“A bit but I’m used to it.”

Kris seemed to ponder something as he stared at Tao’s bruised knuckle.

“I don’t have a band aid so…”

Tao felt his heart stuttered for a moment before gaining a fast beat when Kris bended down and touched the cuts on his knuckle gently with his lips.

The girls were bordering on hysterics now.

“There, that should do for the moment.” Kris straightened and his lips that had been kissing Tao’s hand, that had driven the stinging feeling away, quirked in a small smile.

And…that was the final blow.

Tao’s classmates all thought the same thing as they watched the two boys interact:

I ship them hard.

Ngahahahaha~ Welcome onboard, girls!

Sorry, late update, I know.