[Yixing]

I swear.

If I have to hear another person asking the same damned question, I’m going to murder everyone.

Ever since Sehun revealed that Sera was dating someone, all of us (the boys, Sera, Jieun…) — our ears and mouths have not had a single moment of rest. Not at all.

Wherever we went, girls would always flock around us and bother us, asking (read: demanding) to know of the identity of Sera’s boyfriend. None of us would speak, of course, as we are afraid of the repercussions of our actions.

We’re not that concerned of her being attacked by mad fangirls since as of now, she is perfectly capable of protecting and fighting for herself.

However Sehun and I, as well as the rest of the boys, all agree that we’re much more frightened by the hurt that she might suffer from the girls’ thoughtless comments stemming from their hate, jealousy, and anger.

Sera, on the other hand, have been busier than any of us.

The number of confessions she receives daily gradually increases. She would disappear before lunch only to turn up minutes later with an annoyed look on her face, and she wouldn’t talk about what had happened. It would take almost all of Jieun’s capabilities of sweet-talking to get the girl to open up.

I knew that all those times, she had been asked to various parts of the school campus to be confessed to (most common location: the rooftop). I also knew that she would reject them no matter what they say — I trust and believe her with all my heart.

Unfortunately, while most of the boys would back off once they were rejected, there were those select few (pests, really) that would still pester Sera even after their rejections.

If I could, I would most definitely break their necks. I really would.

I agree. With those boys who confessed. My girl (hehe) have turned amazingly gorgeous but I absolutely loathe the attention that she was getting. Boys were eyeing her from head to toe with such lust and their flirtatious thoughts would sometimes send me into frenzies that the rest of the boys don’t appreciate as they have to physically restrain me. Kyungsoo had the worse time as of late because there was a time I punched him in the nose.

He didn’t want to be my bodyguard any longer.

But really, I would visualise myself pouncing on them and them dry.

Suho wondered aloud during the last time I went into a frenzy: “Where did the calm and peaceful Yixing disappear off to?”

I wish I knew. Damn those boys.

“Yixing…” The moment I exited my classroom with Suho in tow, Luhan-hyung, who had been waiting outside the room, swung an arm around me as my same-aged friend wrapped his arm around my waist. I knew what they were doing; it’s a restraining action. “Let’s go for lunch! I’m positively starving.”

Trying to match my pace and steps with them, we headed towards the canteen with Xiumin-hyung and Kris-hyung trailing behind us. I could feel their gazes on my back, seemingly burning holes in me.

We arrived at the entrance and Jieun waved half-heartedly. I know that wave.

She’s being asked out, again.

Both boys’ grips on me tightened as my body tensed. My sense of hearing heightened instinctively and my ears caught the words I was searching for.

"Sera, can you come with me?"

A rather familiar voice. Male voice.

“Oh! And I don’t take no for an answer.”

It’s him. The tall boy that Kyungsoo and Tao told us about.

Believing that Sera would drop into her seat a couple of minutes later, the rest of us tucked in to our lunches. Even though deep down I knew that she would reject the poor pest, something gnawed at my heart and my eyes would occasionally dart to the doors of the canteen, hoping to see her walk in with her usual annoyed expression.

Three… Five… Six… Eight… TEN.

. Where is this girl!?

It’s been a whole ten minutes and Sera was not in sight.

Dammit. My fork clattered noisily onto the table as it slipped from my hand.

Everyone at the table tensed as their eyes darted inconspicuously over to me. I hadn't noticed my whitening knuckles until Sehun placed a gentle hand over mine. His worried eyes came into my view.

"Hyung, you alright?"

"Of course he isn’t, can't you see that Sera isn't her– Oof!" Zitao piped up but was interrupted with an elbow to his side by a scowling Kris-hyung.

I waved off Sehun's concern and he settled back into his seat. Pairs of eyes were still fixated on me so I picked up my fork and went back to my food. The others relaxed and as soon as they dropped their guard, I got up and sped out of the canteen in the most fast and humane speed I could muster.

Darting into an empty classroom, I heightened my hearing and tuned my senses to finding her. If only I had her blood… I’d be able to find her in an instant. I could keep a small vial of it, yes I could... Wait. What the are you thinking, Zhang Yixing!? You've gone mad.

You've gone insane.

I shook my head, banishing those crazy thoughts and resumed my search. After a few moments, I finally caught the words that led me to her.

Ensuring that no student could see me, I sped in my inhumane speed towards the one place where all ‘romanticists’ go to confess — the rooftop.

I should have known, really.

"I couldn’t forget you, you know that?” The greasy voice piped up, as I approached the door that would open to the roof. “You might have rejected me but I couldn’t; I just couldn’t. Why are you so different from the rest of the girls?”

I pushed the door slightly ajar and flinched when it creaked. My anxiety ebbed away when the pest and Sera seemed to not have heard the sound. Peeking through the narrow gap, my eyes narrowed and fury threatened to implode within me when I saw his hand gripping her forearm.

“If you know what’s good for you, release my arm. You do not want to see the ugly side of me.” She growled, a definite scowl on her beautiful face. A tinge of happiness shot through me when I realised that she was rejecting him, albeit taking much, much longer than usual. Blame it on the boy, he’s too much of a pest to take “No” for an answer.

“I do know what’s good for me — you, Oh Sera.” I gripped the knob tightly, unaware of the fact that I was denting it with the unconscious use of my vampiric strength. “And I don’t mind seeing your ugly side if it means giving me the chance to show you my good points, and that I’m better than your boyfriend.”

Sera pointedly rolled her eyes at his cheesy answer. Trying hard to wrench her forearm out of his grasp, I knew she was using her humane strength. Dammit girl, just throw him off the roof already!

“If there’s anything I should know, it’s the fact that my boyfriend is definitely, infinitely better than you.” She was practically snarling, her canines lengthened and sharp. I heard him gulp dryly as his eyes looked upon Sera’s fuming and irritated expression.

“Let. Me. Go.”

A knowing smile crept onto my face as a rather hazy scene floated into my mind. The three words triggered a slight recollection of my first meeting with her which completely baffled a young Yixing.

I’ve been taught by my father that a man must be courteous at all times and that should you meet a girl for the first time, gently peck her on her hand to show your friendliness. I did just that when I saw Sera for the first time. Sehun had brought her, as per their parents' orders, along with him for our weekly gaming session. Laying my eyes on her, I somewhat had the vision that I would be a lovesick goner in the future.

Anyway, being the courteous boy I was, I pecked her lightly on the hand and before I could straighten my knees to stand up, a pair of hands pushed me backwards towards the carpeted floor and I landed most unceremoniously on my . Needless to say, I was beyond shocked and couldn’t comprehend the reason behind what she did.

In a bid to get up, I grabbed her hand to pull myself up but a loud screech sent me reeling.

"Let. Me. Go!"

I released her hand and scarpered. Eight-year-old Yixing had been frightened off by a five-year-old Sera. I