Turns out saying his foot slipped doesn’t really get him out of the mess. Who would have thought? Instead the vice principal merely rolled her eyes at him and asked him to just follow her. So begrudgingly, he had to endure sitting in the detention room with Taehyun as well as the freshman whose name is apparently Oh Sehun (which for some yet unknown reason sounds familiar to him because if not he wouldn’t have bothered remembering or paying attention for that matter).

Only a few seconds passed after the vice principal left and Taehyun is already gripping on to the boy’s shirt in an attempt to throw him across the room but Sehun barely even moved an inch as Taehyun look on bewilderedly.

“This is the detention room, Taehyun. Your power won’t work here. You’ve been here more than enough times to know that,” Kyungsoo grumbles, rolling his eyes at him. He felt somehow brave. He’s gotten himself into the mess unwillingly so might as well just have a blast with it. He doesn’t have anything to lose really except for maybe a few limbs.

On second thought, maybe he does need to tone it down a bit.

“Can you just let him go and sit on your chair and wait until the VP comes back?” he says firmly, thankfully not losing his composure. And for the sake of his limbs adds, “Please?”

Both Taehyun and Sehun are still looking at him, the former glaring furiously while the young freshman looks slightly frightened and relieved.

Kyungsoo lets out the breath he hadn’t realised he’s holding when Taehyun does as told although not before pushing the unsuspecting Sehun down to the floor. No super strength is needed for that of course.

Thankfully after about another twenty minutes of silence, broken only by the sound of Taehyun’s chair scraping against the hard floor as he stands up to stretch, which has Sehun gripping the sides of his desk Kyungsoo notices, the vice principal finally shows herself once more.

It’s weird hearing her normal-volumed voice, funny even but Kyungsoo loves himself enough to not want to be put in detention again so he holds back his snickers when she tells them that their time in detention is over and that if she ever finds them in trouble again the punishment won’t be as easy. He doubts it though or else Joonmyun would have found himself a competitor for the school’s most well behaved boy title in Taehyun.

He’s already cheering internally, at last he can go back to class (as boring as the classes are, it’s still better than being in the detention room where he feels so literally powerless) when the vice principal stops him. Taehyun doesn’t even spare them another glance as he takes his leave but the freshman at least has some decency to look back worriedly, wondering why he’s asked to stay back. I don’t know either boy, he thinks.

“Kyungsoo,” she starts softly as soon as the door is closed, “That was very courageous of you to save the freshman and I’m sorry I had to put you in detention as well. But it doesn’t seem like it’s such a bad idea since the boy is still in good shape so well done.”

Kyungsoo can only nod slowly, large eyes staring up at the middle aged woman. If his hearing or comprehension doesn’t fail him so apparently he’s just there to be the chaperone? The school definitely isn’t well known for its students’ discipline and he thinks now he knows why. He’s that close to muttering something along the line of ‘that’s absurd’ but successfully holds himself back.

After informing him that this incident won’t smear his record at the school in any way, which to be honest wasn’t something he was worried about at least right until she mentioned it, she had finally let him leave. He sighs in relief, he missed a class because of the so called detention but at least now he has quite some time left until his next.

In between deciding whether to go to the library to read on some more theories or practicing such theories at the field outside, he fails to see the lone figure standing just by door outside the detention room. If it wasn’t for the sound of feet shuffling against the tile he wouldn’t have looked up.

“S-sunbae.”

His anxiety is apparent from the way he stands, both hands in his pockets and face white, almost like whenever Minseok catches a cold, but if Kyungsoo is still isn’t sure, the boy’s husky voice definitely confirms it.

Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to do or say, he wasn’t expecting Sehun to still be there waiting for him because really if it were him he’d probably be already looking for books to read (he decided he wants to go to the library after all). So all he does is stare blankly at the other, hoping he’ll get the message and say whatever it is he wants to say. Preferably in less than a minute because places to go, books to read.

“Sunbae,” Sehun repeats, surer this time but Kyungsoo still doesn’t bother looking like he wants to be there so he continues, “Thank you for saving me. I probably would have died if you hadn’t intervened.”

Sehun’s back to staring at his feet like it’s more interesting than Kyungsoo’s face, not that he takes offence instead he finds it rather amusing, so he scoffs loudly.

“No you wouldn’t have died. Someone else would have done something. And besides I didn’t save you. My friends could have gotten hit too so I did what I had to.”

His head snaps back up so quickly Kyungsoo can almost imagine he heard bones cracking before Sehun starts to protests, “But-“

Kyungsoo is faster though, he doesn’t have the time to talk to anyone right now much less someone who seems like he wants to give him the world, most likely exaggerated but not impossible, as he raises a hand up, “Stop. Believe in what you want, I only did it for my friends.”

And with that, he walks away from the boy who looks even more defeated than when Taehyun was bullying him. He doesn’t look back, resists himself from turning around and tell the boy ‘fine, I was trying to save you. You’re welcome.’ because he really didn’t. Taehyun could have a bad aim so the table might just miss Sehun and hit his friends instead. They were like only a few feet away, right?

Yes, right. And so he goes to the library.  

Thirty minutes later, he realises back in class means facing Chanyeol again. He didn’t think of that though even if he did there’s no other choice anyway. As soon as he takes his usual seat next to Chanyeol’s, the boy already has that annoying, needs to be banned wide grin on his face.

Kyungsoo stares persistently at the front, hoping against hope that the teacher will come as soon as possible before Chanyeol can say something because he really doesn’t want to hear it. It’ll give him more headaches and unnecessary stress.

But apparently the world is out to get him today because Chanyeol has already slid his chair closer and starts poking at his cheek while smiling smugly, “You have a heart after all.”

“Of course I do,” he retorts back quickly along with an impressive eye roll, “I’ll be dead if I didn’t.”

Chanyeol laughs obnoxiously, heads turning their way as a result and Kyungsoo really thinks his friend has a death wish as he blabbers on, “Always so funny. But you know what I meant. Don’t deny it Soo, you do care about other people.”

As it always is with their conversation, Kyungsoo doesn’t think Chanyeol deserves a comeback. It’s a waste of his time and besides it’s obvious Chanyeol already believes he’s the hero albeit reluctant no matter what he says. As long as it doesn’t change anything in the long run then it’s fine by him.

---

Lunchtime the next day, he’s welcomed by the sight of Minseok and Joonmyun already seated at a table in the cafeteria. The place is as crowded as usual, much like yesterday except with less noise seeing the excitement of reuniting with friends has died down considerably. It wouldn’t have been a problem to him, not that much at least but then what made him stop in his track and really consider launching a huge boulder at Chanyeol for dragging him there in the first place is the fact that their two friends aren’t alone.

 Sehun and his teleporter friend is there too.

“Hi!” Chanyeol hollers, too cheerful for his taste as he glares visibly at both Minseok and Joonmyun, for once wishing he has some telepathic power so he could scream in their minds “Why are they here?”

Knowing him too well, Joonmyun avoids meeting him in the eyes and proceeds to innocently introduce them instead, “Chanyeol! Kyungsoo! This is Sehun and Jongin! Sehun, Jongin, meet Chanyeol and Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo makes a mental note to tell Joonmyun to be the host to the school’s talent show or something if there’s one (he never bothers to find out) because that enthusiasm could definitely be of good use somewhere else and not in the cafeteria and absolutely not involving him.

Sehun positively beams at them and does not forget to bow respectfully, his friend doing the same.

“Nice to meet you!” Sehun says to Chanyeol before proceeding to grab Kyungsoo’s arm and pull him down to sit next to him, “Kyungsoo hyung!”

Forehead creasing, Kyungsoo is too bewildered by the situation to even free himself from the other’s grasp which on a normal day would only take him a matter of seconds.

He wonders what happened overnight that makes the boy think it’s okay to be all buddy-buddy with him, enough to be calling him hyung already? There’s surely a rule somewhere that says one can only do that with him after knowing him about at least ten years, which all three of his friends have surpassed.

But even so, they’ve never, with the exception of Chanyeol stuck themselves so close to him, arms linked together and basically invading his most treasured personal space. This seems to surprise Minseok and Joonmyun too, whose intention was probably to annoy him slightly with the freshmen’s presence and not make him want to bare his fangs out like what he’s thinking of doing now. Not literally though, they’re not mutants.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he hisses and his three friends stiffen in their seats as a result. Sehun and his friend, Jongin was it?, don’t react much which of course frustrates him further.

Sehun whines, unknowingly breaking another rule in the How To Not Irritate Kyungsoo book, that thing should be published seriously, “But hyung, don’t you remember me?”

His glare has turned sharper now, at least he hopes it is but still the young boy doesn’t even flinch though at least now Jongin has some sense to look slightly worried for the well being of his friend before he snarls once more, “Of course I remember you. It was only yesterday!”

Sehun huffs, refusing to back down a bit, “I don’t mean that hyung. I’m Sehun! I lived next to your house when we were kids, remember?”

“What are you-“ he snaps before it finally clicks, “Holy . You’re that annoying kid from next door? What happened to you?”

Sehun pouts and Kyungsoo is suddenly bombarded with memories of a small blue bicycle, cartons of milk and Pororo plushies.

“Can I ride your bicycle, hyung?” “Give me some of your milk, hyung!” “Can I borrow your plushie, Kyungsoo hyung?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes twitch slightly, breathing getting more laboured by the second because this cannot be happening, “You little ! It’s unfair that you get so tall when it’s all from stolen milk. Give me back my plushie too!”

Sehun chortles, pulling him impossibly closer and hugging him sideways, “I missed you, hyung. I can’t believe I didn’t recognise you yesterday!”

Kyungsoo sneers and slaps the back of the boy’s head, choosing to forget that he too didn’t recognise him at first, “Let me go you brat! I need to eat.”

The other four people at the table can only look on silently, Kyungsoo’s friends even making a show of rubbing their eyes at the sight. It’s not everyday they can see Kyungsoo smiling freely, a genuine smile and not the creepy one, even weirder because the reason is someone he barely knows, well kind of. Kyungsoo thinks it’s okay though, Sehun fits in the people who knows him for more than ten years category after all.

Not the same thing can be said to Sehun’s friend however who he has forgotten to be honest until Chanyeol talks to him, “So Jongin, you can teleport huh? That’s so cool!”

Lifting his head a bit, Kyungsoo sees the boy sitting across him nod shyly, speaking softly for the first time, "Thank you. It’s nothing special." 

"Why are you suddenly so shy? Knock it off,” Sehun laughs, unlinking their arms at last and Kyungsoo takes the opportunity to as inconspicuously as possible slide further away.

"Yes Jongin, you weren’t like this earlier," Joonmyun then teases jokingly, "Are you shy because of Chanyeol?"

The table erupts in laughter at the remark, not Kyungsoo obviously and Jongin who just hides his face in his hands.

"I'm flattered, thank you," Chanyeol mock whispers, playfully wrapping his arm around Jongin’s shoulder. When Kyungsoo finally faces the boy fully who was coincidentally looking his way, he doesn't think he's seen anyone's face as red as Jongin's ever in all his life. Maybe second place after a furious Chanyeol.

The laughter doesn't cease especially now that Jongin refuses to look at any of them, choosing instead to stare fascinatedly at his thighs. It’s a wonder why he hasn’t teleported out of there already.

"Stop it guys, we don't want to scare him away," Minseok says, smirking mischievously, "I'm tired of you lot, we need new friends."

Joonmyun and Chanyeol simultaneously nod their head, the latter now patting Jongin’s back unabashedly. He’s always been good at making friends after all and sometimes even on behalf of Kyungsoo. Both Minseok and Joonmyun are specimens 1 and 2 respectively.

The young boy though, he’s not so sure so he goes back to looking at his food, mumbling under his breath, "I don't."

What he fails to notice is the way Jongin finally looks back up, face falling and eyes sad. Thankfully, he’s not the only one as everybody else go on to talk about something super unimportant and nothing worth listening to.

When Sehun coerces him to join the conversation, tugging insistently at his arm, Kyungsoo just waves him off. Sehun pouts and it feels like they’re back in Kyungsoo’s front yard once more but this time Kyungsoo is better and older, though sadly not much bigger. He has mastered the art of ignoring people especially of the likes of Oh Sehun. Jongin too he hopes won’t be much different.

--

The class he has after lunch is his favorite of all, it’s the one class he misses during the summer holidays and always look forward to in school. His body is positively thrumming with excitement so much so that he feels like he could fly.

But then Kyungsoo also has a remarkable sarcastic streak.

Chanyeol, who unfortunately shares the class with him knows not to say anything or even do anything other than some minimal movement and breathing, though he still does it carefully lest he breathes fire (not that he ever does but just a precaution) as they both change into their sportswear in the boys’ locker room.

The gym is slowly filling in, students chattering as they wait for the PE teacher to arrive. For once, Kyungsoo is listening to Chanyeol’s conversation with some of their classmates though he doesn’t join in. At the corner of his eyes he sees some people already taking the initiative to warm up at the corner of the room and he snickers to himself, do they think this is the Olympics?

Just as Chanyeol takes a step back cautiously from him Coach Jung arrives at last, ordering the students to gather around immediately.

“Okay class, today’s game will be dodge ball as usual. You know the rules, don’t overdo it,” he shouts and Kyungsoo’s dream of a miracle where they just sit and do nothing bursts just like that.

In the midst of assigning groups, the coach and a few other people not yet in position including Kyungsoo are startled by the sudden appearance of Jongin, bowing apologetically, “I’m sorry. I got lost.”

One look at him, Coach Jung knows he’s a freshman so he just nods understandingly and instructs everyone to get to their places. Kyungsoo is too nervous to care when Jongin gets assigned in his group.

His group is the first to play, battling against Chanyeol’s who waves cheerfully at him and at Jongin. When one of the four Coach Jungs, oh when did that happen, screams ‘start’ Kyungsoo instantly sees Jongin teleporting to the centerline and is already grabbing a ball. Hongbin who’s in Chanyeol’s team has also grabbed one for himself, running back speedily towards the sideline in milliseconds.

It’s chaos from then on. Two of his teammates are already out though the other team doesn’t fare that much better either. Kyungsoo’s only surviving by 10% luck and 90% big chunk of rock standing right in front of him. Nah he’s not a coward, he just doesn’t like running around.

Jongin is unsurprisingly very good at this, dodging the balls effortlessly as he teleports from one spot to another at an alarming speed. Vaguely he hears Chanyeol calling him, screaming something like fight like a man. Kyungsoo just scoffs, he’s not the one waiting for his teammate to catch the ball so he can be reinstated, is he now. Chanyeol’s power is useless here after all.

Right after Coach Jung, the one situated at one end of the centerlines sends one of the opponent’s team member out for rule breaking, manipulating the ball is apparently not allowed, there are now two members left in each team. Kyungsoo suddenly rethinks his decision to stay alive, he should’ve just given up from the beginning.

Oh well.

Jongin hasn’t been paying much attention to him, too busy throwing balls and moving around though impressively he doesn't look tired at all. But now that it’s just the two of them, Jongin sends him a look that says ‘are you going to play or not? or would you rather I finish them all myself?’ At least that’s what Kyungsoo imagines it means.

Chanyeol is screaming his name again and it’s starting to grate on his nerves. But to be honest, he thinks it won’t do him good to just stay behind his makeshift defense forever so reluctantly he buries the rock back in, staring longingly at the empty space in front of him.

Now it’s just luck left as Kyungsoo remembers that he’s still in the game and not some melodramatic drama right when Jiwon throws a well aimed ball at him. He doesn't have the chance to react because Jongin is suddenly in front of him and using the ball he’s holding to block the oncoming ball.

He can hear Jiwon scream in frustration but Chanyeol’s cheers of ‘Go Kyungsoo! Go Jongin! Whoo!’ is even louder and the looks he gets from his teammates make Kyungsoo smile. Soon it’s turning into a small laugh and Jongin must have heard it for he’s turning around now to face him and Kyungsoo too can’t help but to look up at him, reflex you see, lips still unconsciously stretched.

He sees Jongin’s previously serious and focused face slowly relaxing, lips gradually forming a smile too and Kyungsoo is beginning to freak out and-

“You two, out!” Coach Jung, he’s not sure which one, announces as the ball thrown by Hongbin hit Jongin before deflecting off to Kyungsoo.

As the opposite team celebrates loudly and their own groaning at the bench, Kyungsoo’s gaze lingers on Jongin (something’s definitely wrong with his reflex.) The smile on the other’s face is full blown now as if their team hasn’t just lost and so Kyungsoo is obviously confused.

“Why are you smiling?” he grumbles annoyed, his own long gone by now.

“Nothing,” Jongin answers, looking mildly dazed, “Just saw something pretty.”

When he doesn’t elaborate, Kyungsoo just shrugs uncaringly and walk away. Maybe the boy got hit on the head.

A/N: Hi! Sorry this took a while, it's kind of a hard chapter to write. I'm not promising quicker updates in the future though >_<  Thanks for the subs, upvotes and comments so far! Keep em' coming ^^