Part II

“There is Advil in my cupboard” Jongdae says when the phone picks up on the fourth full ring. “You are god Jongdae” Baekhyun breathes out. “I’m not dragging myself to your room. If you want it then come and get it” Jongdae tells him flat out. “You are an ” Baekhyun swears. “Tell me something I don’t know” Jongdae laughs. “Taeyeon is awesome in bed” Baekhyun replies. “Eww gross. I did not need to know that. Especially if you both are together now” Jongdae protests. Baekhyun groans and Jongdae puts his phone an arm’s distance away from his ears. His brain does not need those images in his head at 11 am on a Sunday morning.

“Are you seriously listening to me?” Baekhyun asks when he puts the phone back to his ear. “I maybe if you aren’t going to make inappropriate sounds anymore” Jongdae warns. “Remember Sehun?” Baekhyun asks. “Yeah. What about the gangly kid?” Jongdae asks him. “Well his friend Luhan is looking for a singer to have a duet with. Some Chinese song. I volunteered you” Baekhyun informs him. “What?” Jongdae exclaims. Baekhyun knows that Jongdae knows Chinese but Jongdae would like to be told these things before hand so he can make the commitment himself willingly. “Show up at the SAC at 5.30 tomorrow” Baekhyun tells him.

“Hey! I didn’t volunteer for this!” Jongdae protests as Baekhyun nearly cuts him off. “I’ll get you out of it if you bring Advil to my room” Baekhyun says seriously. “You have to be kidding me. Not when you and Taeyeon are in your room. Ewww” Jongdae stretches out the eww. “We didn’t have last night. Now will you bring it over? Pleeeeaaasssse” Baekhyun nearly cries in pain and Jongdae decides to sympathise just this once.

Baekhyun is an who doesn’t keep promises. Jongdae chants that line in his head as he is forced to smile at Sehun, standing in the lobby of the massive Student Activity Centre. Sehun is a gangly awkward kid who is a devilish brat who knows how to use aegyo to get his work done. Jongdae needs better friends for his friends. He could change social circles but he is too lazy to start all over again.

“So where is Luhan?” Jongdae asks. “He is running late because of lab” Sehun tells him apologetically. Jongdae watches as Sehun shoves his hands in his pocket and occasionally turns around to look at the entrance to the lobby. Sehun occasionally frowns but then goes back to his normal poker face. “Waiting for someone?” Jongdae asks, making small talk to pass time. It is getting awkward in here. “Jongin. He promised to show up at 5.30 for the dance classes but I am pretty sure he has slept in” Sehun growls.

Jongin? Jongdae briefly wonders if this is the same Jongin... the chances of that happening are very small. But Jongin is not a common name. Then again if it was his Jongin then he would know if he was in town. So it can’t be his Jongin. Luhan arrives in the middle of this thought process and Jongdae finds himself harried over by Luhan to the recording studios on the fourth floor as Luhan thanks him for turning up on such short notice for help. Turns out all Jongdae has to do is record backup vocals for his track. The track is a duet with Yixing. The Chinese students are a tight knit group on this campus.

Jongdae keeps a lookout himself when he leaves the SAC approximately three hours later. He doesn’t see Jongin but he waves to Haneul who enters as he leaves. It’s not his Jongin.  He is sure of it now.

“Yo” a feminine voice greets him. Jongdae looks up from his notes. It’s Haneul. “So apparently we share Probability Theory too” she told him, leaning on his desk. Jongdae could feel people looking at them. Haneul’s translucent white t-shirt probably has something to do with it, but the girl in question doesn’t mind. It reads ‘Be yourself – is the worst advice you can give to some people’ today. “Are you cold?” Jongdae asks, trying not to stare but it’s hard since she is right in front of him. “Not really” she shrugs. “Well, I just thought I’ll say hi. I have a class in the next fifteen minutes” she says and starts to walk away.

“Wait!” Jongdae calls. He throws his sweatshirt at her and she barely manages to catch it. Her eyebrow rises when she makes out what it is and she shakes her head. “You are a gentleman” she mouths to him and blows him a kiss before putting the sweatshirt on. Jongdae laughs as she turns around and leaves. She doesn’t care if people look. Kind of like how Jongin used to when they went to the beach together. The boy would practically strip as soon as his feet hit the sand not shying away from looks. Jongdae smiles to himself and packed up his stuff. Jongin was meant to be a performer.

“Jongdae! Wait up!” Baekhyun calls from the back of the class. “You actually came! I thought you were going for a late breakfast with Taeyeon” Jongdae says, surprised. “She had some work so we decided to finish it early” Baekhyun replied. “So what was Haneul’s kiss all about?” he asks, raising his eyebrow suggestively. “Nothing” Jongdae hums. “Sure. Because you lend your sweatshirt to every other girl who blows you a kiss. Or even blows you” he adds without thought. Jongdae makes a face and shoves his friend.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t try though” Baekhyun says, once he gains his bearings. “I’m not trying” Jongdae says, concealing his true feelings. Haneul is interesting but he doesn’t want to date her. But what makes Baekhyun say that? “Good. Haneul isn’t interested in dating. She doesn’t mind making new friends but pull a move and she retracts faster than the tide before a tsunami” Baekhyun commented. “Really?” Jongdae asks, extra nonchalant in his tone. “Yeah. She’s not the type to budge. You can try but don’t expect results” Baekhyun says. “Yeah yeah whatever” Jongdae brushes it off.

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