To Kris's dismay, Baekhyun had been correct: the whole gang but Lay and Baekhyun (who already knew Krystal and Taeyeon's respective numbers) requested their crushes' contact information as soon as they spotted their tall friend in the cafeteria. Sooyoung watched in amusement as the lovestruck teens scribbled hasty notes onto strips of cardboard.

"So, Lay," Baekhyun was saying. "How's it going with Krystal?"

Yixing reddened at the mention of her name. "You know perfectly well."

"No, I don't," Baekhyun answered cheekily. "So when're you going to-" He was cut off by an embarrassed hiss from Lay.

"If our fangirls hear, you can only imagine what they'd do!"

"Sure, whatever Yixing." Baekhyun rolled his eyes but finally shut up.

They're already in high school, but are really little kids at heart, Sooyoung thought fondly. She was already beginning to view them as brothers.

Looking up, she saw that Kris had enveloped her shoulders in his arm. "What's that grin for?"

Sooyoung rested her head on his shoulder slightly. "Part of every one of you is the jaded, intelligent high school student and popular guy, but another part is just an impatient child." She chuckled as Kris tilted his head innocently. "It's really entertaining to watch."

"I'm the cutest, right?" he said with a wink. Sooyoung had just rolled her eyes and opened to respond when a sudden shout alarmed them.

"Don't be all lovey-dovey with each other," Tao whined. "It makes all of us jealous." Kris folded his arms as the other boys nodded furiously.

Sehun buried his face into the back of Luhan's shirt with an expression of disgust. Luhan stiffened awkwardly, then relaxed, his hair. Jongdae gagged, fanning the air in front of his mouth. 

"Aww, it's HunHan," Chanyeol teased, earning a slap on the arm from Suho and a high-five from Jongin. Sehun removed his head from Luhan's back, blushing madly as Luhan hid his face.

"And you guys are the ones who are jealous of Soo and me." Kris frowned as Minseok giggled madly.

AFTER SCHOOL

Lay headed to the supposedly secluded room that Krystal had told him about. Unfortunately, their morning meeting had been delayed due to the excess of people. He loved her expression when she had said it to him: that apologizing smile, coupled with her strands of her hair falling in her eyes. Lost in his thoughts, he almost crashed into the wall.

After some thinking and more walking, he finally reached the classroom. Yixing hesitantly pushed open the door, peering at the darkness. He was about to close it and turn on the light when somebody crashed into him. Lay toppled to the ground. He squinted, struggling to make out the person on top of him. To his extreme humiliation, he recognized Krystal Jung.

They stared in each other's eyes for what seemed like eternity. Heat filled the girl's cheeks as she finally came to her senses. Krystal mentally scolded herself and finally pushed herself off. 

"I am so sorry for my clumsiness," she apologized, rushing every syllable. Lay nodded gracefully and as he turned to face her, he thought he noticed a trace of...what? Disappointment?

No, impossible. It must've been the darkness playing tricks on him.

Yixing cleared his throat. "What did you want to tell me?" He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. How much ruder could he have sounded?

However, Krystal didn't seem to mind. She swallowed, feeling her heart pounding in her ears like the sky was falling.

"Yixing..."