almost in love

Minseok's gaze wanders around the room in boredom, while the teacher talks about the upcoming exams (he would do well anyway). Sitting at the back of the class, next to windows he can see anyone he wants. 

But there is one person he can't look at so he stops midway. The person, he does not want to look at, sits at the table next to him. Between them is a mutual friend, and next to that person, is another mutual friend. It's tiring to keep on avoiding eye contact, but Minseok doesn't mind. 

Eye contact would be annoying (that's what he tells himself). Then that person would think something stupid again or try to talk to him again, Minseok doesn't really need that. He wants to pass his classes and get the hell out of here.

"Luhan, are you listening?" the teacher stops her talk about exams, calling out only one of the boys that had been quietly laughing a little too much. "Yeah yeah, sorry.." Luhan calms down and clears his throat, listening when the teacher continued with her talk.

The real bother though, is that -- oh here he goes again -- Luhan, who is that person, keeps on staring at him anyway. No matter how much Minseok avoids looking over there, he still feels Luhan's eyes on him, but he can't look back. Why? Simply, because he doesn't want to.

Back then he had stared back sometimes (they had been closer back then) and they looked at each other a little too long to be just friends. Though there was never any kissing involved. They jokingly acted like a couple even. With those cheesy pick up lines and sweet talk, to what the other boys rolled their eyes at and the girls squealed. Jokingly, at least that's what Minseok convinced himself.

It has always been those secret glances in a twirl. 

And today they barely talk to each other (sometimes Luhan does try in various ways). Minseok doesn't know what's worse: Luhan talking to him or Luhan keeping quiet around him.

Because Luhan had been way too nice to him - no, nice isn't the right word - sweet. Luhan had been way too sweet to him. There was a time when they would walk together, that was at the last class trip (about 4 months ago), and Luhan would sweetly take his hand, intertwining their fingers. And if Minseok asked why he did that, Luhan would grin, almost shyly, and not answer. So when Minseok let him, Luhan would hold their hands up proudly and say things like,"Look, we don't let go of each other!"

"I don't like people staring at me and I notice when they do, okay?," Minseok had told him once, a long while ago, when he had caught him staring at him yet again. Luhan only laughed, had not even trying to keep his staring secret anymore from then on. 

But today it's awkward between them. Well, Minseok himself is already awkward enough, but having an awkward thing (what is this that they have/had?) with someone is even worse.

"Kyungsoo, do you have the math homework?" Luhan asks Kyungsoo, who is the mututal friend between them. Oh no, Minseok thinks, almost facepalming himself. Kyungsoo gives the answer Minseok was praying he wouldn't give,"No, sorry. Minseok has it though, ask him."

Minseok doesn't look their way, acting like he didn't hear, acting like is still concentrated on the teacher even though the teacher announced self-study time already. Minseok feels Luhan hesitating for a moment.

"Min--" 

"Minseok, can I copy your math homework?" Luhan's voice was interrupted by Baekhyun's, who is sitting next to Luhan, another mutual friend. Minseok looks over (making sure not to meet Luhan's eyes but Baekhyun's), eyes wide - as if he had been pulled out of his thoughts,"Oh? Sure, here." He hands over his notebook.

"Just copy it together with Baekhyun," Kyungsoo casually says to Luhan. Luhan nods, he's only this quiet when it comes to Minseok and everyone knows, but they don't think too much of it, because Minseok was someone who could make you feel inferior with just looking into your eyes (which Minseok never really intentended but his face just looks like that). Minseok does things differently as well, so people understand when funny Luhan quiets down near him, Minseok is superior.

That's not why he keeps quiet, Minseok wants to say but shrugs it off instead whenever his friends and classmates talk about that matter. He keeps quiet maybe because we almost kissed back in April.

Jongin walks over to them,"Anyone got the math homework?"

"They're copying Minseok's over here," Kyungsoo points to the two next to him lazily and Jongin smiles brightly, getting his stuff over so he can comfortably join and copy it too. 

"Minseok, how are you?" Jongin asks, while copying the homework,"Do you understand math?"

"I'm fine and yeah, I guess," Minseok shrugs, staring at his notebook in between the three boys,"How about you?"

"Yeah, Luhan helps me with homework sometimes," Jongin replies and Luhan looks up then, his eyes fixed on Jongin first (Minseok looks at him now because of the sudden movement) and then he meets Minseok's eyes. 

They stare at each other for too long to be just friends.

Do you feel it too?

"Oh, he actually understands math?" Minseok comments then, bored tone, not breaking eye contact for a second more then looking back to his notebook. Another thing everyone knows is that Minseok is a little meaner when it comes to Luhan and everyone thinks that's just because Luhan is a bit of idiot. Minseok never said anything against that statement.

From the side of his eye, he sees Luhan's gaze slowly dropping before going back to copying Minseok's math homework. 

"Ohh," Jongin and Baekhyun laugh. Kyungsoo shakes his head, trying to keep his laugh down,"You're so mean!" It's not that funny, it's just because it's Minseok and Luhan.

Baekhyun holds up a hand,"Oi Minseok, you like me, right? We're friends?"

"Yeah, of course." Minseok gives a friendly smile. 

"Well, how about me?" Luhan asks then, looking at Minseok with a childish grin. 

And now, Minseok knows and Luhan knows too, Minseok will either give a normal answer or honestly comment or look at him as if asking 'why do you even try' with only his eyes.

From all those things he does the latter. His smile leave his face and he turns his gaze to Luhan and raises a brow slightly, blinking in a bored manner. Then he clears his throat awkwardly and looks back to Baekhyun,"Anyway, if you're all done copying. Tell me." But now comes another thing never would Minseok keep quiet if someone is mean to Luhan. But then again people think Luhan isn't special in that case, because Minseok never likes it when someone is mean to somebody else.

"Luhan, you must a lot," Jongin closes his notebook, seeminly in a playful mood now,"Not even Minseok likes you."

Luhan just looks at his friends, smiling in an awkward manner and scratching his neck.

"Does Minseok actually like anyone?" Baekhyun asks.

"Well even if not, Minseok is polite to everyone but kinda mean to him," Jongin shrugs, blinking. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes,"Maybe it's because Luhan talks so much in class."<