[Sera]

“Jieun ah!”

I slipped my hand into hers just as I caught up to her when I bounded up the staircase leading to our classroom. She didn’t even shoot me a glance as I noticed how her fingers remained as they were — not grasping mine in return. “Jieun…? You’ve been… weird lately.”

We rounded the corner, the door of our classroom within sight. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, and not once did she give me a sideward glance of acknowledgement. As much as I was disappointed and upset by her response, I recalled my mother’s words and pushed all negative feelings out of my system. I was determined to keep our friendship.

And save our friendship I will.

“Is there something wrong?” I shoved my face in front of her own, capturing her eyes just as they briefly flitted my way. Triumphant in catching her attention, I continued. “You know you can tell me anything.”

She stopped in her tracks, her teeth appearing to bite on her lower lip as she tore her eyes away from mine. “Jieun… The silence on your part is making me very u–”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“-pset– Wait, what?” I gaped at her, disbelief washing over me at the fact that my best friend lied in my face. “No, I refuse to believe that. Something must be wrong.” I gritted my teeth, not realising that my fists were clenched as well. It was only when tingles of pain jolted through me did I glance down to find beads of red liquid appearing at the spots where my fingernails pressed into my palms.

The girl took the moment where I was distracted to brush past me. “Kim Jieun!” I yelled after her, attracting the attention of the students in the hallway. The space became silent as shushes sounded along the hallway, the students silencing themselves as they focused on us both. Without whirling around, I heard her mutter loud and clear (courtesy of my vampiric hearing) and I could feel my sanity walking away from me with each step she took.

“There is nothing wrong with me. And there is apparently nothing I can do to make you believe me. Some best friend you are, Oh Sera.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe her,” I absentmindedly murmured under my breath as I climbed into bed, pulling the comforter over my shoulders. “It’s just that I really think there’s something going on…”

I stared at nothing in particular for a few moments before consciousness returned to me and I ruffled my hair in frustration. Aish! Mother, I tried; I took the initiative but that of a friend refuses to talk!

“What do I do now…” I laid down on my back and began to roll sideways, wrapping myself into the comforter. At the end of it, I laughed aloud for I think I ing looked like a ssambap (Korean wrap) on the bed.

“Sera, Sehun asks if yo– Oh? What do we have here?”

The door to my room swung open and Yixing-oppa’s head popped through the gap. A smirk soon replaced the brief expression of confusion on his face as he stepped through, closing the door behind him.

I must have had an amusing expression on my face as he bounded over, his teeth biting on his lower lip, his face so obvious that he’s stifling laughter.

“Don’t you dare laugh, Zhang Yixing.” I glowered at him, my body poised and ready to unroll myself when I shrieked, my body leaving the bed. “Yixing!”

“I think… I shall have ssambap as my dessert.” He edged his face close to mine, his breath warming my face as his lips pressed onto mine gently. Pulling away, he smirked. “Hee, sweet as I’ve expected.”

I stared at the boy, feeling my jaw slack. The . Zhang Yixing is actually… smirking!?

“Aww, did I scare you, ssambap-sshi?” He cooed and my fingers curled up within the comforter as I pointedly cringed away from his closing-in face. “Yah, this is rude of you.”

Seeing his sulking expression that quickly took over his confident one, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“You are being very rude right now, Sera.”

“I– I’m sorry!” Tears welled in my eyes and without asking, his index came and swept them away, an affectionate gesture that sent set butterflies free in my stomach. “You were being so adorable, I couldn’t resist.”

He chuckled softly, smudging me lightly on the nose ridge before setting me down gently on the bed. I promptly unrolled myself, not wanting to risk another ssambap flight into the air in his arms (as much as I love being in his arms, hee). No thank you, once is enough.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He sat at the edge of the bed, pulling the comforter out from under me and folding it neatly. “Sehun asked if you’re available now, he said something about needing you in the kitchen.”

“In the kitchen? The hell would he need me in that space when he has Kyungsoo-oppa.” I took the comforter from him, placing next to me. “Did something happen?”

Yixing-oppa shrugged. “I don’t know. I came from the other building and just happened to see him sitting outside the kitchen. He looked pretty upset though.” His fingers laced through mine and brought my hand to him where he started to play with my fingers. “I think you better go.”

With a sigh, I gently wrenched my fingers out of the boy’s grasp and with a quick peck on his cheek, I made for the door.

“Sera?” I whirled around, my fingers already massaging my pounding head at the thought of needing to comfort my supposed elder brother. “I’ll be waiting for you right here~” He was sprawled out on my bed, his fingers dancing as he waved, his eyes winking slowly.

I died of nosebleed.

Almost.

[Yixing]

The moment Sera shut the door, I dropped my waving hand and cringed in disgust at what I had just done.

The , Yixing. What the did you just do!?

I buried my face in my hands, the expression of my girlfriend swimming into my mind.

Her bewildered (and seemingly disgusted) expression.

“I’m doomed. I’m doomed. I’m doomed.” I kept repeating to myself as I rolled in her bed. “My cool image is ruined.”

But as much as I wish to wallow in my self-pity and mourning for the loss of my supposed image, I crawled out of it. Staring up at the ceiling, my mind whirred and the scene of this morning surfaced.

I travelled to school on a different car from Sera this morning, thereby missing the chance to send her to her classroom. Thus, the moment Chanyeol’s car reached the carpark, I hurried to her