jongin/oc and other exo members

jongin and kana agree to spend time apart. sehun is caught in the crossfire.

 

 

♦

 

 

“What are you doing tonight.” Jongin’s question was flat and sounded more like a demand. That usually meant he didn’t care if Sehun was planning to go clubbing for the first time—alone—with Lu Han (and hopefully super mega charm him); he was coming with.

So Sehun wasn’t the slightest bit guilty to lie to his best friend. “Um, I’m going to drown my sorrows in ice cream and beer.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you in five.”

“Wait, what. Don’t you have plans? The kind involving your girlfriend?” Kana was probably too good for Jongin because she was the super nice type that put up with all the Jongin comes up with. It wasn’t uncommon for Jongin to forget important days or flake on events to make dates out of ones he’s more interested in. They had their sweet moments, but as of late, he saw his best friend becoming the douche-boyfriend stereotype and Kana becoming the too-nice-girlfriend. Their dynamic seemed impossible but Sehun had to admire the fact that it was obvious they loved each other and that was probably the only reason why Kana hadn’t dumped him completely. Yet.

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. It’ll go well with ice cream and beer.”

He never should have asked.

Jongin was the melodramatic type. So when he said “talk to you” about my problems, he really meant whine and scheme and really, completely miss the point.

“We need to take some time away from each other,” he repeated in a mocking tone. “What does that even mean? Like she doesn’t want to see my face? And see someone else’s?” Jongin stabbed the patbingsoo (shaved ice seemed more socially acceptable between two guy friends and also, Sehun was cheap when it came to Human Waste Disposal Kim Jongin).

“Um…”

“‘It’s not a break up, it’s just some space.’ I’m going to find my own space tonight…ON THE DANCE FLOOR.” He knocked over his bowl and Sehun caught it in time before the sticky sweetness destroyed his (unintentionally) matching high tops with Lu Han.

Jongin waited for Sehun’s supporting fist pump and it came reluctantly. “We should meet up with Lu Han hyung. They invited me to—”

“Yes, an audience for my SPACE KILLING.”

“Jongin, calm the down.” They waited for a waiter to clear their bowls and Sehun looked dubiously at Jongin’s eager and overly excited face. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about this more?”

“I’m going to blow some steam tonight, Sehunnie. Don’t stop me.” The resolve in his eyes told Sehun that maybe he should let the fact that Jongin’s relationship might fizzle into nothing settle with him a bit before helping find a solution. “TO THE DANCE FLOOR.”

Two hours later, Sehun was sticky with sweat and the only sober one in their group. The two of them had joined Lu Han and a couple of his friends, Kris, Yixing, and Tao at The Viper Room for drinks and clubbing. He was tired of the loud music and gross, sweaty bodies too soon. So it was nice to crash in a booth with Lu Han (and Kris and Tao but he was sitting next to Lu Han ha).

“We need to find a new place,” said Tao. He swirled his drink and looked at the dancing crowd with disdain. “Too many people come here now.”

Lu Han sighed. “I’m tired. Sehun, you drove here right?”

Sehun nearly knocked over the table when he whipped out the keys in his pocket. “Yeah.”

Kris laughed. “Holy , man with the car, calm down.”

Lu Han was smiling drunkenly and Sehun wanted to squish his pink cheeks. What, no. “Um, we can go after I grab Jongin. I’m his DD.” He barely scanned the crowd, determined to leave Jongin behind.

Kris chuckled. “Don’t bother, he’s on stage with Xing.”

Sehun looked towards the raised stage where the DJ was spinning a particularly upbeat dance track. And sure enough, his best friend was dancing in rhythm with Yixing. They watched, mesmerized for a while, before the DJ changed it to a rather song and girls got involved and holy Jongin you have a ing girlfriend why are you gyrating so much goddamn you’re lucky I’m your best friend.

In minutes, he had dragged an inebriated Jongin off the stage, out of the club, and into his car. Lu Han sat in the backseat and poked Sehun just as he was getting out of the parking structure.

“What’s with him?” They both looked at Jongin’s sleeping form.  

Sehun sighed and focused on the road again. “He and Kana are spending some time apart and he’s being a little about it.”

“Huh. And where do you come in?” Lu Han was surprisingly lucid after downing four glowing drinks on Kris’s dare. He filed away “high alcohol tolerance” on his list of “Things about Lu Han”. Right under “super duper cute rosy cheeks—

Then Sehun thought about the question a bit. “Kana brings out the best in him. And as his best friend, I can’t see him lose someone who makes him…happy.”

Lu Han was silent for a bit and Sehun hoped it was because he’d fallen asleep because that was super cheesy he should’ve gone with something more suave. Then he felt Lu Han poke his cheek again. “You’re a good friend, Sehun-ah.”

 

 

“Was I just friend zoned? Or was it a compliment that does not directly relate to our possible relationship?”

Jongin rubbed his temples and curled up into a ball on the couch. “It’s too early and my head hurts and stop obsessing over Lu Han.”

“It’s 2pm. You just took aspirin. And I do not obsess over Lu Han.”

“Stop freaking out about it dude. Just…enjoy yourself. Like me. I almost called her to tell her that I’m going to request an extension of this space time.”

Sehun began texting rapidly and Jongin opened a lazy eye at him. “What are you doing…with my phone?”

“Oh I’m just telling Kana-noona how much better you’re doing without her.”

“OH ING SEHUN.” Jongin winced when his throbbed from the sound. “What the hell?!”

“I’m just kidding, Jesus Christ.”

Jongin sank back into the couch and rubbed his eyes.

Sehun picked up two coffee mugs and sat across from him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” He lazily picked up a cup and tried to drink it perpendicularly.

“If you miss her just call her.”

“I don’t miss her, I’m having a ing blast.” The lies were evident in Jongin’s distracted eyes. Just last night when he had carried the guy back into their apartment, Jongin had been mumbling Kana’s name and apologizing.

 

•

 

Monday morning 6am marked the 60^th hour they had been giving each other space. Not that Jongin was counting. He headed to the Han River for a morning run, the empty streets and sleepy faces of others reminding him of Kana. So it was really unfortunate that he ran into her at the pastry shop.

He was sitting at a table by himself at Kris’s bakery. Tao had slammed a cup of coffee and some pastries on his table earlier but he was picking at them disinterestedly. The door’s bells rattled.

“Hello, Kana, what kind of sugary carbs do you want to destroy your body with this morning?” Jongin jerked up in his seat to see Tao folding a takeout box for Kana. Her back was to him; she was on her way to campus, her backpack probably stuffed with bricks that he usually offered to carry.

“The usual and coffee please. Did you go partying last night? You look tired.”

Tao lazily got to his feet and began filling up the box. “Yeah, we went clubbing with Sehun and Jongin.”

“Oh,” Kana replied. Was she surprised? Hanging out with his friends wasn’t anything criminal in Jongin's Book of Relationships. “Did you have fun?”

“No, too many people. They were all drunk and gross.”

She laughed. “I thought that was the point of clubbing?”

“Yeah well, Yixing-ge and Jongin got a chance to show off their dance moves, so that’s a plus.” He handed her his cellphone, and it looked like a video. Jongin froze, not remembering what had occurred last night after taking Lu Han’s dare to down four gelatinous glowing drinks. The music was hard to decipher from the phone’s poor sound quality and he couldn’t tell what her reaction was from her back.

“They did great. He’s been practicing that ending move…oh.” Her drop in tone worried him a bit. What exactly had he done?

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to use this as a promo for the Viper Room from now on,” Tao snickered. He winked at Jongin, prompting Jongin to dive under the table, his back facing the counter.

 

 

“WHO SAID YOU COULD RECORD ME.”

“It’s a free country. Besides, a little recognition doesn’t hurt.”

“WHO SAID YOU COULD SHOW IT TO PEOPLE.”

“I only showed it to Kana before—oh…is she what this is about? I thought you guys broke up. In which case I would have done you a favor, showing her how much fun you’re having without her. But she’s so nice; I’m going to miss her in our group. You guys are still friends right? So it won’t be awkward if I go shopping with her? She’s got great fashion sense.”

Jongin went from glaring his eyes out at Tao to rubbing his face in frustration. “We didn’t break up.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Jongin. But why were you gyrating on other girls last night when—”

“WE’RE TAKING A ING BREAK OR SOME I DON’T KNOW. JUST…just, damn it.”

Tao looked at him sympathetically for two seconds before turning back to his magazine. “I would offer you relationship advice, but I have none. And you brought this on yourself, Jongin.”

“WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON.”

"There are no sides in love..." He flipped his magazine around to show a Gucci ad, “Have you seen these new backpacks? Godly.”

 

 

A few days later, Jongin was still confused as ever. He thought he could come to terms with it. The separation. The space. The time apart. It was all going to lead to saying goodbye or hello to awkward friendship. He wasn’t going to let the sinking feeling distract him from everything else that was going on though. Burying the longing and heartbreak in the depths of his mind, Jongin practiced his dancing harder than ever.

“Alright, see here? I think we fall out of sync a bit…” Yixing was crouched over his laptop, pausing their practice video every few seconds to analyze their performance. Jongin was sweating bullets beside him, chugging water and feeling exhaustion down to his bones.

He got to his feet and stretched, grunting, “Alright, you wanna practice that part again?”

Yixing nodded and fell into position. They played the song and danced through it again, eyes trained on their reflections on the dance room mirrors. The particular move required him to fall on his side, prop himself up on his back, spin, drop his arm—

“Ow, , ow…!” Yixing was by his side with a cold water bottle, but Jongin waved him away.

“Dude, what happened?”

“I fell on my wrist. ’s gonna swell.” He pressed the bottle to his wrist, barely feeling its coolness against the inflammation.

“I’m going to go see if anyone’s here. If not, we can go to the hospital.”

“Yeah, sure.” Even though Yixing didn’t say it, Jongin knew he was worried about their performance.

Yixing returned with a bright smile on his face. “Look who I found!” Jongin was shocked to see Kana follow close behind.

“Are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just sprained.”

Yixing handed her a first aid kit and Kana sorted through it without looking at Jongin. As if sensing the tension, Yixing coughed awkwardly and mumbled, “I’m just gonna um…get some water.” He headed out and Jongin resented him for bailing.

“So…what were you doing at the dance studio?”

Kana set aside scissors and bandage. “I was at Kris’ bakery and Xing-ge came over to ask for a first aid kit.” Jongin flinched at “Xing-ge” because what was with her and cute nicknames.

“Ah, okay.”

The exchange of words sounded oddly strangled. It sounded foreign, as if they were back to being friends, and the break was literally a break, a rift. Jongin watched as Kana iced his wrist and helped him bind it; he was reminded of the reasons why he fell for her in the first place—how pretty she was when all her attention was on him, how caring she was, and just…everything. He found himself leaning so close to her that their foreheads were millimeters from touching. Is this what the movie characters felt during those close up shots before they were about to kiss?

When their foreheads touched, Jongin held his breath, waiting for her to pull away and scold him about “space”. Kana froze for a moment and then continued to add metal clasps to hold down his bandage. He bit back a smile.

“Is it too tight?” she asked without looking up. He shook his head slightly and Kana looked up at his eyes briefly. To kiss or to not kiss, he wondered. Instead, she sighed and leaned away.

Frustrated, he blurted, “Can we end the break already?”

Kana was taken by surprise and turned away to pack the first aid kit.

“Was it because I forgot the anniversary? I didn’t I just—there was a dance performance and things got—”

“Jongin, it’s not just about the missed dates and stuff.”

He felt like a child being chided. “Why can’t you just tell me?”

Kana paused and faced him with conflicted eyes. A gut feeling told him that he probably didn’t want to hear what she had to say.

“It just felt like I was the only one trying.” She looked away and sighed. “And that everyone, everything else was more important. It’s kind of selfish and I thought maybe if we spent some time apart, I wouldn’t feel so hurt and wounded all the time.”

“Why couldn’t you just tell me you wanted to spend more time together—”

“It’s not about dates! I just never felt like I even mattered!”

Yixing chose this moment to return to the practice room. His eyes were focused on his laptop though, ears plugged into what must have been their practice video. Kana and Jongin were staring daggers at each other and Yixing sat down near them without noticing or sensing any of the tension. Finally, Kana picked up the first aid box and left, leaving a confused and frustrated Jongin and a completely clueless Yixing.

 

 

“She’s totally seeing Kris.”

“What.”

Jongin sipped his frappe like it owed him a sincere apology for existing. It was after all, loaded with sugar. “She was at the bakery after hours last night.”

Sehun rubbed his eyes and wondered if slamming his head on the table would be socially acceptable. After deciding that exasperation at Jongin’s stupidity was not worth the pain or social embarrassment, he narrowed his eyes at his best friend.

“Dude, man up.”

“The …I am perfect.” Sehun noticed the slight falter of confidence in Jongin’s eyes and he knew that Jongin knew that he was indeed, a rather lacking boyfriend.

“I’m just saying this because Kana is probably the best thing that has happened to you in a while and I don’t want you to up. So stop blaming everything else.”

 

•

 

Kana was in a pickle. Almost literally. She the strap of the jumpsuit around her waist and thought hard about what she was about to do. Her group of friends bought a skydiving session package. A few weeks ago, Kana was planning to cross this off the couple bucket list she had with Jongin; now, she was standing a little ways from her friends feeling unsure. If he was having fun on his own, she deserved to too, right? Even if clubbing and grinding on another person wasn’t on their list, right?

“Kana?”

She looked up and saw Kris walking towards her. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

Tapping his name badge, he replied, “I’m an instructor.”

“I thought you were heir to your family’s international pastry business?”

He contemplated a bit before replying a bit reluctantly. “My real passion is actually far from baking and corporate dominance. I like to skydive.”

“So it’s a hobby?”

“Actually my dream is to skydive all over the world and one day pull a Red Bull man and jump from the stratosphere.” Kana widened her eyes at the revelation. “I was joking about the last part.”

“Wow. I um, wish you good luck. Also, hash tag chaebol problems.”

Kris paused. “Please don’t say hash tag aloud ever again. Also, are you here with your friends?”

She glanced over at the group standing behind him. “Yeah, I’m just not sure if I should jump without...Jongin.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t think it’s worth the wait.”

“It’s just we have this couple bucket list thing—”

“No, I meant your session package is a four-for-one deal that expires tomorrow and you’ll end up paying double the price if you came later, with or without Jongin.”

“Wow, I didn’t even think of that.”

He tapped his temple. “Corporate heir. Born and raised.”

In the end, Kana decided that she would take the dive. She overcame the fear surprisingly quick, which gave her time to think about how nice it’d be to have pictures taken with Jongin instead of just the instructor strapped on behind her. The photos came out Instagram-ready and she threw on a filter, added some hearts, and then posted. Jongin would probably throw a fit…if he still cared.

 

•

 

[“SHE IS TOTALLY SEEING KRIS.”

This time Jongin was holding out his phone with a picture from Instagram on display. It was of Kana skydiving with some hearts sprinkled around the edges. Sehun reached over and double tapped the screen, but to his dismay, Jongin was not logged in.

“You’ve resorted to stalking.”

“That is not true—”

“That’s an instructor. And he’s at least 30, give her some credit.”

“This is the place Kris is an instructor at!”

Sehun was done with Jongin being in denial. He put on his best “are-you-ing-kidding-me” face and glared. Just as he was about to blurt something stupid again, Jongin spotted the look and slumped back into his seat.

“I need to talk to her don’t I.”

“You think?”

“I’m just…not ready. If she wants to break up or something…”]

 

 

“WOO! IT’S ING HALLOWEEN MOTHER hurmph—”

Sehun struggled to keep his hold over Jongin’s mouth. They were in the backseat of Lu Han’s car, hitting up the next club that was celebrating the western holiday. The Viper Room had ushered them through after the bouncer recognized Jongin under the carrot costume; then they ushered him out after he got faced and proceeded to trill off inappropriate jokes and uber dance moves on stage.

“Kana banana~” Jongin punched number blindly into his phone as Sehun watched with amusement.

“Kana banana~” he trilled into the receiver. The speakerphone was activated since he struggled to hold it anywhere near his ear.

“Jongin?”

“DING DING DING! TEN POINTS TO BANANA HOUSE.”

“Are you drunk?”

“I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN YEAH.”

“Is he taking you home?”

“I don’t need anyone to take me home! I am a grown man! JONGMAN~!”

Grown Jongman was too drunk to stay on his two feet at the next party. Sehun lost sight of him and frantically called him outside the club, hoping he wouldn’t be found behind a dark alleyway without his wallet. He received a call from Kana and picked up, ready to enlist her help since she lived nearby.

“Sehun, did you drop him off at my house?”

“No…but he did disappear and I’ve been looking for him.”

There was a pause then a sigh. “Okay well, he’s sitting outside my front door so I’ll let him sleep over for the night.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

 

•

 

“WHY WERE THERE SO MANY ING HEARTS?”

Kana contemplated stuffing Jongin with some sort of gag so he’d shut up. She let him inside her apartment thinking he’d pass out on the couch and call it a night. Unfortunately, the moment she left him alone to make some tea for him, he started whining and shouting about pictures and hearts. So he’d seen the skydiving pictures. It was too bad he wasn’t sober enough to talk about it.

She handed him a mug of tea and he looked at it with his stupidly adorable confused face. “What is this?”

“Hangover tea so you won’t wake up with a sledgehammer in your head.”

He sipped it and smiled. “You always make the best tea…” She had to stifle a chuckle at his current state, sprawled across the sofa with an empty mug in his hand, the carrot costume making him look ten times more ridiculous. It was only minutes later that his eyelids fluttered close and she draped a blanket over his long body.

Kana would be lying if she said she didn’t miss him. Carding her fingers through his hair, she sighed and wondered if the break was doing more damage than help.

“Kana banana…” he muttered, slowly waking.

“Yes, Jonginnie…”

He waved his sprained hand in between them. “Do you see this space? So much space…” The hood of the carrot costume fell back as he sat up. “Let’s close it.” He threw his arms around her into a rather deathly bear hug. “It works! See…I ing miss you so much…You matter so ing much…”

“Why don’t we do this when you’re sober?” she chided gently. He was fast asleep in the next few moments and Kana made sure the blanket was wrapped securely around him.

 

•

 

There was a sledgehammer in his head. And all he wanted to do was whine and groan.

“Augh.” Even his own groaning sounded too loud in his ears. If Sehun so much as made a noise he would chuck a pillow at him. Except when Jongin opened his eyes, he realized he wasn’t in his own apartment, but in Kana’s.

A quick glance at his clothing brought the memories from last night rushing back to his already aching head. Halloween clubbing in a carrot costume. Getting completely faced. Drunk calling Kana. And now somehow on her sofa with a hangover. In a carrot costume, no less.

“I am never drinking again,” he lied to no one outloud. Rubbing his eyes, he peeked around for any sign of her. On the coffee table was a note, a bottle of water, and two pills of aspirin.

“Working today. Take care of yourself.”

 

•

 

“What’s this?” Sehun gave the note paper a cursory glance before recognizing Kana’s handwriting.

“A ing break-up note. And your voice is too damn loud.” The drama king was cradling his head in his hands across from Sehun, nursing a cup of Kris’s family recipe for hangover tea.

“You know she could have left you out in the cold to die.”

“Too loud.”

“She also could have made me drag your home.”

“…”

“She also could have broken up with you months ago.”

“Solutions, Sehun. I need solutions from you because it hurts to think.”

“Noona likes chocolate and flowers.”

Jongin glared at him and muttered, “I know that. I already bought them.”

“Then stop whining.”

 

•

 

Jongin felt pretty stupid waiting in Kris’s bakery this early in the morning. Mostly because he was the only person there and if he had to listen to Tao complain one more time about anything he would explode. However, when Kana walked through the bakery doors, he felt his words jumble up like the first time he asked her to go on a date. At least back then she thought he was cute; now, he wasn’t so sure if it came off as insincere.

“Sorry, what?”

“Do you have time later today? For lunch.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be at that coffee shop around the corner.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you?”

She hummed. “Mmm…”

After she left, Jongin did a little victory dance. Tao rolled his eyes. “You know, I hope she bails on you. Just so you know how it feels.”

The comment bothered him a bit, since it meant he really was the only one who was oblivious to the problems in his relationship. But things were looking up.

 

 

Things were not looking up. Jongin rubbed the imprint of his sweater sleeve off his face as he checked his phone for the time. It was already 3pm. Was this what it felt like when he blew her off? Damn. He drained the rest of his coffee, which had grown cold over the hours, packed up his stuff, and headed to the dance studio.

 

Jongin: Tao, you little piece of
Tao: …

 

Jonginnie: hey that wasn’t funny
Kana-banana: neither were all those other times I was waiting
Jonginnie: can i apologize and grovel for forgiveness in person?…tonight are you free?
Kana-banana: depends
Jonginnie: well i hope you’re coming to kris’s get together since he invited all of us
Jonginnie: or we could go somewhere else
Jonginnie: yes? no? please?
Kana-banana: mmm

 

He showed up to Kris’s holiday get-together in the best holiday outfit he could pull together at the beginning of November. The occasion was Kris heading back to Canada until January so he wanted to put together an early get together to celebrate with the people who matter most to him. It was a long Facebook event description but the only line anyone really read was free booze and food.

Kris knocked him on the head for wearing a white button down and black jeans. “They were the only nice things I could find, jeez!” A navy sweater with a toucan on it was upon him and he reluctantly pulled it over his head.

He had to give it to Kris for putting together the party in such short notice. There was a banquet table filled with food and other random Christmas decorations. It was also a plus that Kris owned a luxury apartment.

 

•

 

“You thought I was with who?”

“Why are there so many ing hearts…?”

“How many, did you count?”

“Answer the question.”

“Well, why were you gyrating on girls?”

“I was not engaging in such provocative social activity!”

“You should always lie, your intelligence comes out in words.”

“Why were there hearts!?”

“Why were there girls?!”

“I WAS ING CONFUSED AND I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I THOUGHT SOMEHOW THAT WOULD GET YOUR ATTENTION.”

“CONGRATS IT DID. AND NOW YOU CAN GO GYRATE ON ANYONE YOU WANT.”

“YEAH WELL YOU CAN GO PUT HEARTS ON ALL YOUR PICTURES WITH EVERYONE ELSE.”

There was a creak of the door and Sehun poked his head in. “Noona, um, sorry but we can hear everything without even trying…”

“I’m sorry, Sehun-ah.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, aren’t you going to ask me?”

“No.” The door shut and Kana closed her eyes before turning back to Jongin.

He had crossed his arms and scoffed, “Sehun-ah?”

“Yes. Sehun-ah. Lu Han-gege. Xing-gege. Tao tao--”

He held up a hand. “Okay, I get it. Can you just tell me why you did all…that?”

“I wanted to make you jealous.”

“Wait what.”

“You’re so dumb, Jongin. I thought you’d try to I don’t know, make up for stuff. But you’re just…angry with me. I was tired of trying for this to work by myself.”

“I’m not…dumb.”

She laughed humorlessly. “I guess it would’ve been easier for just a clean break right?”

“Wait what. You were just yelling at me two seconds ago. Doesn’t that…mean something?” Doesn’t that mean you still care about me?

“I…I still care about you Jongin. It just…hurts that you don’t feel the same way.”

“But I do. I just…it’s just hard…”

“Why is it hard to show you give a damn…?”

He grappled for the right words. “I’ve been afraid to let you down. That you’ll see I’m not that great so I…I wasn’t sure if I was just a douche or I gave you a real deal picture of who Kim Jongin is. And all this time apart killed me. Like I missed you so badly I was doing things to get your attention.”

Before he could say anything to defend himself, she started tearing up. “You’re so stupid. So stupid. I don’t even know why I like you.” Jongin wanted to hug her but he wasn’t sure so his hands hovered instead.

“That’s a good thing right? Because you like me?” Kana answered him by tackling him with a hug. When she had dried her tears on his sweater, he kissed the edges of her eyes. They held each other for a long, long time in silence, and it strangely felt like it was enough.

The door creaked and Sehun popped his head in. “Oh, um good, we were expecting something more incriminating.” A pillow came sailing for his head and he quickly shut the door.