For the purpose of this oneshot the ‘95 liners (S.coups, Jeonghan, Joshua) are graduating from High School in Korea (Grade12) and the ‘98 liners (Seungkwan and Vernon) are graduating from Middle School (Grade9). 

technically their ages are reduced by one year

And I used Dino’s real name (Chan) because the name Dino is just… T.T

Word Count: 877

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One would think that it would be common knowledge that if you had acrophobia, you didn’t go around climbing high, precariously balanced ladders. Thing just don’t work that way.

But of course, you find yourself in that exact scenario, clutching the top of a ladder you swore was at least twice Mingyu’s height and cursing everything in existence.
Everything in existence included the face which had just appeared from behind the gym doors, eyes wide and sporting a frown.

“Jagi, are you alrigh-…” Chan’s frown deepens as he takes in the scene in front of him. 
“Are you okay? You don’t look that great up there.” he calls across the empty gym.

With all of your willpower you bite back a “No , sherlock” and try for a slightly more coherent and respectable answer. The answer disappears as soon as you open your mouth and look to the other side of the gym because, good lord,  you swear to every god in existence that the ladder is slowly getting higher and higher. 

You did not sign up for this. Not at all.

“What are you doing up there? Do you need help?” Chan had already made his way across the room in the time your internal terror had taken place, and was now looking up at you with a confused expression that you would have found cute if your mind hadn’t been otherwise preoccupied.
You had planned to take a deep breath and say “Oppa, I’m afraid of heights,” in a composed (as composed as you could be when you were 10 feet up in the air) manner, but the sentence turns to a squeak when it comes out.

Chan’s expression is grave. 
“Why are you doing this then? Couldn’t someone else do it?”, he asks, craning his neck to look up at you.
“Because none of your friends are capable of putting up decorations tastefully if their lives depended on it!” you shriek as the ladder wobbles slightly, and ohmygodohmygodohmygod you are going to die. 
“Come down then, and I’ll put it up.” comes Chan’s voice again, but you can’t see him anymore (maybe because your eyes are closed).
“I CAN’T!” you wail. “THE DECORATIONS ARE GOING TO FALL AND I’M GOING TO FALL AND THE LADDER IS GOING TO FALL ON ME!”
The ladder shakes again, more vigorously this time and all you can think is you’redeadyou’redeadyou’redead.

You are much to young to die.

Your second mini panic attack is broken by fingers tilting your chin up. You notice in surprise that Chan is right in front of you, perched behind the he box of decorations that presides on the top of the ladder.
“Breathe, jagi,” he orders in a firm tone. “You’re not going to fall and you’re going to do this.” After a second of consideration, he adds with a smile, “You’ll live.”
“Very encouraging,” you grumble, but you realize with relief that you can breathe easier with the knowledge that Chan was behind you and that he would catch you if you fell.
(God, you’re cheesy.)

You begin to move again, placing decorations slowly and carefully, and it does feel safer once the ladder isn’t wobbling precariously every other second, every time you shifted your weight.

(Chan’s ridiculously proud of himself for thinking of balancing the ladder, and points it out every couple of minutes, calling himself a ‘counter weight’.)

After a immeasurable amount of time (it had taken years, you were adamant, but Chan had laughed, patted you on the head and told you that it had taken at most an hour), you stick the last letter on to the wall and breathe a sign of relief. 

(The letters on the wall spell out ’95 and ’98, CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!)

“Go tell me how it looks from the doorway,” you demand, fingers reflexively curling around Chan’s shoulder blades to hold yourself steady.
“I can’t really go anywhere, princess, when you’re holding onto me for dear life,” Chan laughs, and blushing, you let go of him only to grab on to the rungs of the ladder as he began climbing down.

“Stop shaking the ladder! If I fall it’s all your fault and I hope you live in guilt for the rest of your life!” 
“Have you ever climbed down from a ladder without shaking it?”

That shuts you up, and you close your eyes and cling on for dear life as Chan   climbs down the ladder. You only open your eyes again when you hear “Looks great!” from the other side of the room.
“It better look great, I nearly died doing this!”
“Of course it does. Everything you do looks great.”

You cover a smile at that.

“I will never help your friends with a party ever again,” you warn. “Just letting them know.”

“Really?” and Chan was in front of you again, an adorable smile on his face.

“Really.” you confirm, but you can’t help the little smile that tugs at your lips as you wrap your arms around his neck again.

“Not even my graduation?” his breath tickles as he speaks, and you give in to your urge to smile.

“We’ll see.”

(The kiss that follows might have been the most awkwardly positioned kiss ever, but you’re both smiling.)