It’s almost November. It’s getting grey and cold outside, and it rains more now. November also means that soon, Tao is gonna be taking his final exams together with Heejin and Minjoon, and that you’re going to try and fix some of your awful scores that you got last year with which you barely made it into the Police Academy.

Heejin is studying hard. Knowledge of monsters is one thing, studies are another. Tao doesn’t get it; she has her future set for her. She’s going to inherit her parents’ bakery and café. She doesn’t need to study this hard. Minjoon is studying because he actually wants to do something in his life – maybe something that involves computers and video games – and that Tao gets. What he doesn’t get is how freaked out Minjoon is over the exams.

“Chill,” he tells him one day just after Minjoon goes into a minute long panic-mode rant about how much he hates to study and how nervous he is of these exams. “You’re smart. You won’t have a problem with passing any of the exams. Why do you even care this much? You can always re-take them. Dal is.”

“Dal is a warrior fighting monsters,” Minjoon replies. “I’m not surprised she doesn’t have time to study.”

“Who’s a warrior?” Jihoo asks, appearing right behind Minjoon’s back. Minjoon jumps on his chair; the library lady shushes him because he creates a loud thud when his knee hits the table. Jihoo sends the librarian a stink eye. He sits down next to Minjoon and looks at Tao curiously.

“I am,” Tao says. “I fight for equality.”

Not a day goes by that Tao doesn’t hear about the exams, and it’s beginning to drive him nuts.

“Don’t you feel guilty or something?” Luhan asks him one day. Tao is sprawled over his and Kris’s couch, watching a TV show on their laptop. Tao looks up at him. “I’m just curious,” Luhan adds quickly.

“Guilty about what?” Tao asks.

“Not studying,” Luhan clarifies. “I mean. I know Heejin and Minjoon are studying like hell.”

“That’s because they’re smart,” Tao says, and looks back at the laptop screen, his ears going slightly red.

“You’re smart,” Luhan says. He gets no answer. “Tao.”

The younger boy heaves a long-suffering sigh. “What.”

“Look at me,” Luhan says, nudging Tao with his foot. Tao is annoyed, but he looks up at Luhan nevertheless. The fact that he’s pursing his lips and giving his older friend a stink eye is a different story. “You’re smart.”

“No, I’m not.” Tao argues. Luhan tilts his head back, asking the Heavens to give him some patience. “I’m not book smart because I hate to study, and I’m not that intelligent, and I’m scared of ghosts, which basically makes me the worst out of all of you.”

Luhan almost snaps his neck, that’s how fast he turns it at Tao. And he’s completely shocked.

“Don’t you dare say that,” he says, pointing an accusing finger at him. “We would be nothing without you. We’d all literally die. Tao, you pulled me out of a burning car,” Luhan hisses, sitting up and staring at Tao with fire in his eyes. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead, because Kris would’ve never given me the bite, because I’d be blown to pieces.”

Tao is looking at him with some sort of pain now, and Luhan doesn’t like that.

“You saved us all on plenty of occasions, and if we’re going to judge anyone’s worth based on anything, let it be the amount of times they’ve helped other people.”

He humphs, crosses his arms over his chest and turns away from Tao like the boy has just offended him. He huffs out an angry breath. Tao stares for a few seconds longer, then begins to bite his nail, feeling the tension in the air. The apartment is quiet, except for the water dripping in the sink and Luhan’s phone vibrating with messages from someone, and Tao is afraid to breathe.

“And you know what?” Luhan asks angrily, making him jump. Kris chooses the exact same moment to enter the house, his keys jingling in the locker. “ exams. school. You could be a striper for all I care, I’d still love you. Hell, I can buy you food for the rest of your life. Kris! Kris, get your in here!”

Tao’s very sweaty at this point.

Kris appears at the door with a frown on his face, a stain on his police uniform, and a bag of some very greasy food in his hand.

“You should not  school,” is the first thing he says. He gives Tao a serious dad look. “School is important and you need to at least pass the exams. But sure, I’ll buy you food too. But no crashing at our place when we want to have .”

Luhan turns to Tao with a grin. Tao goes from teary-eyed to disgusted in a millisecond.

“Oh my God, don’t remind me that you do the do,” he says. He curls into himself, punches the spacebar on the laptop to return to watching his TV show, and goes red in the face. Luhan is still grinning. Kris puts the food on the table, takes off his uniform shirt, and approaches the two on the couch.

“Though, I gotta admit, Tao would probably make a great stripper,” he says. Luhan looks at him in awe.

“Right? He’d own the place,” he replies. Kris tilts his head to the side, purses his lips and sends his boyfriend a pointed look. “I mean, not literally, we don’t want you to run any kind of business like that. Though, no work shames a man, right? Was that how it went?”

“Unless you’re an assassin,” Kris says. “I don’t think that’s something anyone should be proud of.”

“What if you take down bad guys?” Luhan asks, trying to make a point.

“Well,” Kris stars, but gets interrupted by Tao.

“Okay, okay, I get it, you love me,” he says, rolling his eyes like an annoyed teenager he is. “Now stop talking so I can finish that episode.”

Kris smiles down at him, then goes to ruffle his hair. Luhan makes himself comfortable on the opposite side of the couch again and picks up his phone to reply to all the impatient messages he’s been getting. Tao sends Kris a shy smile as the man walks away, and then nudges Luhan’s foot to get his attention. Once he does, and Luhan raises his brows at him questioningly, he goes, “I could be your cleaning lady,” and the next thing they both hear is Kris laughing in the bedroom.

Tao is me right before the exams, tbh. Also, clap your hands if you've ever thought ' school I'll become a stripper'.

Anyways! School has ended for me, exam season is now over, too, and I'm on a very long break! You know that it means more chapters, right? ;) 

Should I do double updates from now on hmm

From other news: Running With Wolves has been nominated for Golden Fanfiction of the Year, Best in Fantasy and Best in Action in the World of Literature 2016 Fanfiction Awards, which is INCREDIBLY flattering. Huge thanks to Niena and angrace for that!!!

Love you honey sesame bars <3