Sehun and Chanyeol exited the photo lab and began making their way out of the Arts building. Getting the pictures to print in the style their teacher had requested was far more difficult than they’d expected. It was frankly surprising they were leaving so soon. Surely the majority of people had taken longer than them. Just as they were heading towards the doors Chanyeol stopped to look at the bulletin board. Sehun followed after him when he noticed that the other was taking a picture of something on the bulletin board.

“What is it?” Sehun asked trying to look around the giant to see the board.

“Exo is holding auditions for new members. I have to show Baekhyun. He’s always wanted to participate in the Faceoff but he didn’t want to be a soloist. He could definitely get in.” Chanyeol said without looking up from his phone. Baekhyun appeared with Tao from the other side of the lobby a minute or two after Chanyeol had sent his text message. Speak of the devil.

“I saw it earlier! You need to do it too Chanyeol! You can rap. Yifan is the only rapper in Exo. He may not mind having another person to go back and forth with.” Baekhyun said excitedly while quickly typing down the phone number onto his phone.

“What’s the Annual Talent Faceoff?” Tao asked and Sehun turned his attention to Chanyeol. Baekhyun was too busy speaking rapidly into his phone to answer. The tallest one put away his phone and looked hopefully towards Baekhyun but the other was too busy speaking.

“It’s a competition within the school because all the talent divisions have always had the argument of who works the hardest and who’s the best. So the Faceoff was made. Groups or solo artists enter it to win. They have to create a performance that combines dancing, singing, and drama. So vocalists, actors, and dancers all enter it to win. Basically all Arts majors get involved somehow even if it isn’t to actually perform. I photographed groups at their request last year.”

Before any of them got a chance to say anything Baekhyun hung up and turned to them with bright eyes.

“We’ve all got auditions in two hours. Chanyeol you can rap and I’ll sing. We can audition together! Tao I heard you earlier. Really fluid rap in Chinese, Yifan is Chinese you can win him over. Sehun...I am not entirely sure what you’ll do. Sorry!” The hesitant smile Baekhyun aimed at Sehun did not make Sehun feel reassured.

“Thanks.” He muttered sarcastically and started making his way out. There was no way Sehun was participating in something like that. Especially when he hadn’t been asked.

~~

Organizing the pictures in the portfolio to turn in was easy, tedious work. It put him at ease but he would never admit that to anyone. Oh Sehun had a reputation to keep after all.

His phone kept buzzing insistently with texts from Tao and it was becoming extremely difficult to ignore them when they kept coming in every second. Wasn’t Tao supposed to actually be preparing for his audition not texting him? He finished slipping in the final photo when his phone began buzzing with a phone call instead of insistent text messages. He grabbed it and answered quickly. Definitely not in the mood to deal with his friend.

“Sehun! Please! You need to audition too. I don’t want to do this alone! I want to do this but I need a friend with me. Please please please. Don’t bail on this.” Sehun couldn’t help but crack a smile as he listened to his friend beg. It was rather amusing.

“Tao, what am I supposed to do? I can rap but it’s not always that great. I’m not made for singing.” Maybe if he humored his friend long enough he’d get Tao’s ego to come into play. Then he wouldn’t need to show up. Tao’s ego could be a formidable force.

“Sehun-ah you can dance! You’re really good at it. Especially since you can watch the visual perfs only once and get it down. Come on, please!” He sighed. As soon as Tao started whining Sehun was done for. It was far easier to just give in than to listen to the whining. He had learned that lesson early on in his friendship with Tao.

“Fine. I’ll dance to one of the songs the visual perfs did a while ago. Where am I supposed to go?” His phone dinged with a text just then. Tao wasted no time.

“Thank you Sehun-ah! Get here soon!”

~~

When Sehun arrived at the designated place he found a nervous Tao pacing back and forth.

“You’re going to get tired if you keep that up.” He murmured while taking off his snapback, fixing his hair, and replacing it. The Chinese boy looked up relieved to see him and gave him an approving once over.

“You’re the only friend I have who always looks fashionable. Thank god for that. Anyway the other two are in there. It feels like forever since they went in. I’m next and I’m worried. What if I stumble over my words? That would ruin everything. I want this Sehun.”

“If worse comes to worse you can always enter as a soloist. You heard Chanyeol. Groups aren’t the only ones who perform. Don’t get so worked up about it.” Tao had finally stopped moving. Sehun could lean against the wall now without getting dizzy from his friend’s constant movement. Good thing.

A minute or two more passed by and then Chanyeol and Baekhyun were exiting the room followed by a petite blonde boy. They were talking rapidly and Sehun was by no means paying attention to the words coming out of their mouths. He was far more interested in the blonde boy. How had he never come across that face in any of his photos? Sehun took pictures of everyone and everything. Granted he didn’t keep the majority of them but he still took them and looked through them before he deleted them. How had he never come across that face in any of his photos?

“So who’s next?” The boy asked and that snapped Sehun out of his trance. Tao walked past him and into the room with the blonde boy. The door shut behind them and Sehun looked away. Well he’d definitely stick around for the blonde. Why not?

~~

"I saw that Sehun. You weren't very subtle with your drooling." Baekhyun teased as they waited for Tao to finish up. He tensed up and looked at the shorter boy suspiciously. Where was Baekhyun going with this?

"I have to agree with Baek. You looked like you wanted to eat Luhan."

So Luhan was his name. Good to know. Sehun would remember that. He plastered a disinterested expression on his face and shook his head.

"I was just taking him in. I'm not interested in him. How can I be? He's not even my type." Deflection was a great tactic. He used it all the time and it would work on these two. Case in point:

"Oh Sehun has a type? Oooh. Tell me. What's your type."

"Come to think of it. Sehun takes lots of pictures of dark haired people. Luhan is blonde. Automatically eliminated."

Sehun resisted smiling in satisfaction as the other two began a discussion on his supposed "type." They were so very wrong but he wouldn't tell them that. Because honestly they didn't need to know that his type was lean, adorable, and honey blonde.

"Oh Sehun?" Luhan's voice cut in and Sehun snapped to attention. "Come with me."

He followed Luhan while doing his best to ignore Tao's rather knowing gaze. The other one knew the truth; had caught on rather quickly for once. The other two had been easily distracted.

Inside the room there was simply a table on one side and plenty of space in front of it. Two seats were taken by the other members of Exo he assumed. Luhan took the last seat and waited patiently.

Sehun picked a song from his phone and nodded at them. The beat was heavy and present. Sehun took a second to listen and remember the moves. Once he began to move though his body did all the work. Muscle memory that hit all the moves without hesitation. The sharp moves and quick steps. Sehun felt in his element.

He caught Luhan's eyes and smirked. The honey blonde blushed and looked down at the table momentarily before looking up again. He finished the routine and hit the final pose panting for breath.

"Oh Sehun, just like your friends, welcome to Exo." The one in the middle said. Sehun nodded and took a bow.

"I'll call you. I mean I'll call with details about practices and stuff..." Luhan said stumbling over his words. The blush made a reappearance.

"Call me baby." He murmured and took his leave of the room with a smug smirk on his face. He couldn't help it. Luhan was easily flustered and he liked that. Another reason why Luhan was his type.

~~

Outside, the others were waiting with eager expressions.

"Well?"

"Welcome to Exo."