“If you have to, have to, date someone here, among nineteen, who would you pick?” Baekhyun asks Jongdae after they both dump the trashes at the back of the cafe.

“Is there any point to that question?”

“Yes.” Baekhyun nods determinedly.

“And you have to ask it now, here, because?” Jongdae grimaces as he picks the exploded carton of expired chocolate milk (collected from Kris’s room) that fall off from the plastic bag. He throws it on top of the plastic and the rest of the rotten milk flows out, spreading the stinks. “Kris hyung, really...” He mutters to himself.

“Kris hyung? You want to date Kris hyung?” Baekhyun squeaks as he tails behind Jongdae, entering the back door.

“I wasn’t answering your question and so do you. Though Kris hyung is not a bad option.”

They both take turns to wash their hands, ignoring Kyungsoo who stands beside the sink, waiting for them to finish with his stoic face and a cookie cutter on his left hand.

“We are no longer outside so I think the question is appropriate now. Who would you want to date?”

Jongdae looks up to the ceiling, contemplating as he lathers his hands. “I’m not really sure... Junmyeon hyung maybe?”

Baekhyun nods. He wipes his hands and takes a quick glance at Kyungsoo. “What about you, Kyungsoo? Who would you want to date among us here?”

“No one.” He shoves Jongdae away from the sink and rinses his cookie cutter under the flowing water.

“Good. Same sentiment for everyone.” Baekhyun mutters before hopping to Jongdae’s back, using him as his human shield when Kyungsoo creepily stops moving – his very first telltale sign of plotting murder.

They walk (very fast) to the counter. They get there in time to witness Chanyeol spinning a wiping rug and somehow it slips from his hand and lands on Namjoo’s face. He frantically runs to the counter with the wiping rug flying behind him. It lands on his shoulder. Namjoo smirks, flipping her hair before resuming her moping.

“Second option is Namjoo.” Jongdae decides. Woman with good aim makes a great partner... in crime.

“Isn’t that uous? You can’t date siblings.” Baekhyun points out, at the same time, beckoning Chanyeol to join their conversation.

“I did say option. Clearly meant I don’t date both at the same time. Siblings or not, male or female. Just one at a time.” Jongdae says smugly.

“What are we talking about here?” Chanyeol asks.

“Say, if all the staffs here, all nineteen of us, are the only options you have, who would you want to date?” Baekhyun repeats his question.

 “You.” Chanyeol answers immediately without a second of contemplation.

Baekhyun grins, high-fiving Chanyeol. “Oh yeah. This is the purpose of the question.”

“You don’t find this...weird?” Jongdae paces his finger in the air of the space between Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The air feels gay there on his finger.

“I just want someone to pick me. If it has to be Chanyeol then be it.”

“If female, I think...” This time, Chanyeol takes a lot of seconds to contemplate as he taps his nose. On the fifth tap, he decides, “Bomi.” His face turns horrified in a split second. “This pick is completely anonymous right?”

“Too late to be anonymous. You picked me right in front of my face.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Namjoo-yah.” He calls and Namjoo saunters to the counter, dragging the mop with her. Baekhyun repeats his question.

“Does it have to be among us?” Her face inflicts disgust. The three boys nod simultaneously. Namjoo scowls, thinking. “Who do you guys deem fit?”

“Well, I picked you.” Jongdae fishes her to return the favor.

Namjoo’s face inflicts horror. “You didn’t. I’m probably your twelve option at best.”

Jongdae shrugs. “Close.”  

“Mathematically, far. You’re his second option.” Baekhyun provides.

Namjoo’s face inflicts terror. “No . I couldn’t be flattered, no offense.”

“Good. Don’t take this seriously and don’t think about it before you sleep, I’m scared where that may lead you to.” Jongdae shudders at his own thought. Namjoo shudders harder.

“Well?” Chanyeol implores Namjoo again.

“Um. Kyungsoo oppa.”

“No. NO!” Baekhyun screeches. “I already told him no one would pick him, too.”

“Too?”

“Too.”

Namjoo rolls her eyes heavenward. “So, who do you think I should pick?”

“Me?” Jongdae is still not giving up. Not that he really wants Namjoo to pick him. He just wants someone to name him.

“No. I don’t want to lead you.”

Jongdae scoffs. “So, Tao then?”

“NO!”

“Sehun?” Chanyeol suggests.

“No.”

“Luhan hyung?”

Namjoo grimaces. “Have I ever expressed any positive feelings about either of those people?”

“Positive feelings, huh?” Jongdae rubs his chin in a brushing beard manner. “Bomi?”

Namjoo is now deep in contemplation, ignoring Baekhyun muttering no Bomi can’t have second vote no Bomi can’t have second vote. “Yes.” She decides, ignoring Baekhyun whines noooo Bomi can’t win over meeee.

Junmyeon walks out of his room, locking it behind him.

“Oppa, come here.” Namjoo waves her hand and Junmyeon smiles as he walks to the bunch.

Baekhyun repeats his question.

“Who would ask that?” Junmyeon makes a face as he stares at them.

“Baekhyun.” Baekhyun says. The same answer echoes with the other three voices. “This scenario is completely hypothetical.”

“I don’t know. Who did you answer?” He asks Namjoo. Of course Namjoo’s answer in this aspect matters to him - regardless of it being hypothetical.

“I decided on Bomi unnie.” Namjoo says with a sigh - looking so done with Junmyeon.

“Good. I thought you still liked that boy who saved you from the boys who keep tugging your pigtails.”

Namjoo frowns, the other three boys stare questioningly at her. They never heard of that story. “Who?”

“The boy you told me. He gaves you a banana muffin.”

Namjoo sighs again. Completely done with Junmyeon now. “I told you that when I was eight.”

Junmyeon grins sheepishly. “Well, I’ll date...Eunji. Or Yixing. Or Chorong.”

“Noona??” Chanyeol straights up – not sure because he’s being protective or he’s genuinely surprises someone actually wants to date his bully.

“T-this is hypothetical.” Junmyeon stutters. Chanyeol slouches on the counter. So, it was the former. “Why aren’t you guys ready to go back home?” Junmyeon changes the direction.

“We still haven’t decided on the winner.” Baekhyun sighs, pouting over the cash machine.

“So this was a contest? I thought it’s hypothetical?”

It’s a contest (at least for Baekhyun), apparently.

“What did I win three votes over?” Bomi asks between mouthfuls of milkshake bread as she frowns at the placard on the notice board that is dedicatedly made by Baekhyun, structured with nineteen columns and colourful dots.

“You don’t have to know but who do you want to date among nineteen of us, if you just have that range as your options?” Baekhyun taps his marker on the placard, gazing down at his current competitor. Although the actual biggest competitors are Minseok and Yookyung – who are now ties with five votes.

“Three people want to date me?” Bomi beams. Baekhyun ignores her question. With dreamy eyes, Bomi takes another bite of her bread. Suddenly it tastes like wagyu meat. “I pick Minseok oppa and Yookyung.”

Totally not helping with the process to determine the winner. Baekhyun grunts as he puts a dot on Minseok’s column, and another on Yookyung’s.

“Only one picked me?” Sehun gapes at the placard. His hair is still tousled, falling on his forehead.

“Yes. Yixing hyung did. But...he kind of...voted for all. Because he said to reach for world peace, everyone deserves to be loved.”

“So, Yixing oppa also picked me.” Bomi nods at the information. “Then I’ll vote for him too.”

Totally not helping with the process to determine the winner. Add another vote under Yixing’s column, now there are three people at ties.

“I vote for Kris,” said Kris in passing, doesn’t even bother to know what is he voting himself for, before he walks out of the door. Baekhyun puts a dot under his column, thinking at the same time. If Kris’s vote for himself counts... He smirks slyly as he indiscreetly puts a dot on his own column. Sehun and Bomi glare at him acidly. He sighs before adding another dot to the other two columns. Sehun and Bomi smile approvingly.

 “There’s really no point to that.” Jongdae says as he walks out of the restroom. Baekhyun ignores him.

“Who picked me, who picked me?” Jongin ambushes the front door and skips to the notice board. Namjoo must have told him about this whole ordeal.

“Yixing hyung.” Sehun replies. Jongin beams and no one has the heart to break it to him that Yixing picked everyone.

“Who would you vote for?” Bomi asks Jongin.

“Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun pales. “No way. Kyungsoo deserves only sympathy and world peace vote. And why do you and your sister want to date the same person?”

Jongin huffs. “Fine. I’ll vote for Kris hyung and Sehun.” It almost sounds very random at this point.

“Me?” Sehun’s face lights up.

Jongin nods. “And Tao, and Naeun, and Chanyeol hyung.” Yes, it’s random. There’s no way Jongin would pick Chanyeol.

“I vote for Jongin.” Sehun adds. “And Tao and Luhan hyung. Hayoungie too. Ah, also Junmyeon hyung.” Baekhyun adds dots frantically. “And Chorong noona and Yixing hyung.”

Very. Random. And even so, they didn’t say his name. Baekhyun pouts.

Bomi frowns at the charts. “Isn’t the winner Yixing oppa, now?”

They all stare at the chart.

“Yes... he is...”

“I should have vote for everyone, too...” Baekhyun groans.

Right then, Yixing walks in, smiling as if he knows. He punches his card and stares at the colourful placard. “Wow, it’s so pretty.”

“You win, hyung.” Sehun announces and Jongin and Bomi cheer, patting him at the back.

“Oh, really?” He smiles, showing off his dimples. “Should we work now?” He asks, still with the same smile. He retracts to the counter, still with the same smile. Not sure if he’s affected, or not affected at all.

“That’s it?” Baekhyun gapes. “As the winner, that’s not how he should react!”

Jongdae emerges from the restroom – again (huh?), “Didn’t I say there’s no point to that?” He says – again.

a/n : Otp implieddddd!! XD

Btw I have a bad news. Something happened in August, exactly few hours after I updated previous chapter, and I lost my laptop. So, because I don't save my works in my dropbox, so I lost my works too. I have to rewrite, and I don't know if I can still rewrite it. I'll try, anyway.

This chapter is my first rewrite attempt. It's very pointless hahaha. I don't really remember the first-written details, but this is clearly lacking - and even more pointless. 

Thanks for reading and I would really appreciate comments. Inspire meee! >_<