“Soo! You're a genius! This is why I love you!” Now Joonmyun had another chance to ask out Yifan. With any luck he would finally get a yes. At this point, Joonmyun would be satisfied with a shrug or a genuine smile. He was pretty desperate for any sign of affection from the other. Positive attention would be a pleasant turn of events.

So far, Lady Luck was on Joonmyun's side when he and his best friends made it to the locker room with a few of the players starting to come out. The three waited for Yifan to make his appearance. Jongdae had tried to convince Joon to let them toss the embarrassing signs, but the other was having none of that.

So there the three stood with the signs on full display for Yifan's teammates to witness. Finally after more than five minutes of waiting, Yifan and his friends made it out. As soon as Yifan saw the familiar yellow signs, he gave off another loud exhale of breath and his walking slowed significantly.

“Aw! How cute! Look Yibaby, you have a guest!” Jongin nudged his best friend playfully. He didn't make the comment to be mean or rude to Joonmyun, but to tease a very reluctant and dissatisfied Yifan.

Upon hearing someone tell Yifan he was there, Joonmyun lowered the sign and his friends mimicked him. Joonmyun stared expectantly at his crush, but when he failed to receive any feedback, he spoke up.

“Hey Yifan! Great game! I was wondering if you wanted to do something later?” On the outside he tried to remain calm and smooth, but on the inside he was hyperventilating and panicking.

Silence remained as a staple until Sehun roughly nudged Yifan. He was making this awkward for everyone as he kept mum. The gesture made Yifan finally address Joonmyun.

“I already have plans and I will always have plans, Joonmyun. Just give it a rest already, would you? Come on guys.” His tone carried repulsion and annoyance, and he barely gave Joonmyun a second glance before he walked forward. Yifan’s two friends gave Joonmyun sympathetic smiles as they walked by hand in hand and the other pulled his lips into his mouth to nibble softly on them. They left Joonmyun standing there with Kyungsoo and Jongdae.

It was the latter best friend to break the silence.

“Hey, his loss. He’ll say yes one day. You’ll wear him down sooner or later.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo joined Jongdae, “Soon he’ll realize what he's been missing!” Both tried to sound and remain positive for their best friend's sake.

But Joonmyun was finally tired of the constant rejection. Too many people to count knew how he tried and tried to get Yifan to date him. Some thought it was cute and that he was so dedicated and persistent. Others thought he was lame and that he was actually desperate and annoying. And right at this moment, Joonmyun could not have agreed more with the latter group. Instead of him wearing down Yifan, it seems like the latter had finally wore him down instead.

“You guys know what? I'm done.” He stated firmly and then turned to grab the signs from his friends and tossed them into a nearby trashcan with enough force to rattle it. “I'm really done. I'm not going to chase after him anymore. I shouldn't waste the rest of our senior year on someone who doesn't want to date me, let alone even talk to me without getting annoyed.” He let out a deprecating chuckle. “So, I'm done. No more talking to him or staring at him or thinking about him or chasing him. Done. I’m just – I’m done.” He quickly his heel and began walking with determination. Joonmyun had had enough of Yifan's constant rejections. Since he hated acknowledging Joonmyun so much then he would make it so he would never have to acknowledge him again. He was quitting Yifan cold turkey for the both of them. Yifan wouldn't have to tolerate his advances and Joonmyun wouldn't have to tolerate his rejections. It worked out well for the both of them.

The two friends wanted to address the declaration, but we're too shocked to do so. They simply followed Joonmyun and didn't utter a word (not that their shocked minds could form coherent thoughts anyway).

-

“Don't you think that was a little harsh?” Sehun asked Yifan as they walked through his door.

“What was too harsh?” Of course Yifan knew what his friend was referring to, but he feigned ignorance because he really didn't want to talk about it. If life went his way he wouldn't have to talk about it or Joonmyun's attention on him. Really, he would avoid it if he could.

“Don't play dumb. That was mean.” Jongin jumped in because he agreed with his boyfriend. Yifan had gone too far. The rejection was bound to happen, but he didn't have to be so mean about it. He barely spared Joonmyun a glance before he yanked the rug out from under him.

“You'd react the same way if you had the same guy hounding you day after day, week after week, year after year! It's exhausting having to tell him no over and over a hundred different ways. Maybe this time he’ll get it. I'm not interested.” Yelling was something Yifan hardly did, but right now he found it hard to control his irritation. He was certainly annoyed not only by the pasty kid, but by his two best friends currently riding him for being a jerk. Obviously being nice didn't get through to Joonmyun, so maybe being mean would.

“Fine. Fine. This isn't our business anyway. Let's just forget about it and have fun.” Jongin did his best to ease Yifan out of his clear annoyance.

The three headed to the kitchen and immediately the two boyfriends went straight to the fridge and pulled out all of the leftover food from several different restaurants while Yifan took a seat at the high chairs that encased the kitchen’s island.

“You'd think you'd be a ing chef by this point.” Jongin began but was interrupted by Sehun shouting, “Or fat!” With a smile and roll of his eyes, Jongin continued as if he wasn't just interrupted, “You should really stop eating so much takeout food. It's probably really unhealthy.”

“I have no interest in learning how to cook. I just need to find someone who can cook and marry them.” Yifan shrugged his shoulders as if it were really that simple.

“How romantic.” Sehun sarcastically responded.

“Anyway, you guys wanna order in?” The house’s owner asked.

Both Jongin and Sehun looked at him as if he were dumb.

“Because we didn't just take out all this food to eat?” Sehun inquired with a look on his handsome face that screamed ‘you're an idiot’.

“Bon appetite!” Jongin shouted as he passed out some plates.

“Bon appetite.” Yifan repeated with less enthusiasm.

-

It had been a week and still Joonmyun was struggling, no, suffering would be the better word for what he was experiencing. It had been an entire week, seven days, one hundred sixty eight hours, and way too long since he had talked to Yifan. It was especially hard since they shared a class and a table in said class. But still, Joonmyun stuck to his determined side and refused to talk or even look at the other. He was doing great – up until his pencil accidentally rolled over to Yifan's side of the table when he was removing eraser shavings off his paper. His hand had betrayed him as it hit the pencil and made it roll more than half a foot into enemy territory. Luckily it was during a test so he didn’t have to – more like couldn't – talk to the heart breaker himself. Joonmyun was able to finish the exam well before Yifan so he was able to rest his head on the table and look away from him. It was really hard being so close and still so into Yifan, all the while trying not to look or talk to him.

As soon as the bell sounded, Joonmyun jumped out of his seat and almost bumped into his tall seat mate. His eyes scanned the other and noticed the exam in his hand was whiter with incompletion than gray with leaded completion, but he didn't comment on it. He avoided eye contact and mumbled a quick ‘excuse me’ before practically running away.

-

“Whoa! What happened to you?! You look hot and not in the good way.” Jongdae commented as soon as his eyes landed on a panting and pink faced Joonmyun.

“Yeah, are you okay? You look a bit flushed. Grab a seat.” Kyungsoo added.

“I ran here.” The pale boy panted out his answer.

“Yes, we can see that, but why would you do that? The food is good, but not that good.” That kitten lips commented back.

“Yifan.” He took a deep breath in. “I ran away from him.” Another breath, “Almost touched him.”

“What?!” Both his friends yelled back.

Joonmyun put up his hand to stop his friends from asking more questions as he finally took his seat at the table. As soon as he caught his breath, he began to elaborate,

“I practically jumped out of my seat when the bell rang and in the process I almost bumped face first into his chest. It would have been nice had I not developed this new resolve.” He huffed with irritation and disappointment.

Smiling softly at his unfortunate friend, Kyungsoo reached over and patted Joonmyun’s shoulder before he addressed him,

“It's okay, Joonie. Baby steps. Go grab your lunch before the line gets too long.”

He sighed before nodding his head and placing his things on his chair before standing up to go grab something to eat.

-

He was currently last in the line before he heard the all too familiar laugh. The laugh that sent his stomach into butterfly fields and his heart to the racetrack. He really wished he could disappear or run back to his table and hide behind Kyungsoo, but there was no doubt in his mind that Yifan and his friends had already seen him. So instead he pretended as if he didn't see or hear them and started to read the menu for today over again.

“Hey, look! It's your biggest fan!” Chanyeol whispered into Yifan's ear, earning a harsh nudge from the latter.

“Shh! He might hear you!”

“What? Afraid of waking the beast?” Jongin asked with a smirk.

“Yes. He's been on good behavior lately and I don't want to ruin it.” Yifan supplied his three friends with the new information.

“What do you mean?” Sehun asked as he raised his eyebrows in confusion.

“Shh!” Removing his index finger from his lips, he continued in a low voice, “You guys need to learn how to whisper! I'll tell you at the table.” He then pushed Sehun in front of him so he would have a Joonmyun Barricade.

-

“Spill!” The exclamation came from the plump lips of the sun kissed boy.

“Let me put down my tray first, Jongin.” Yifan chastised as he let his tray drop onto the table and his drop onto his chair.

The three boys stared at Yifan expectantly, waiting for him to explain his statement from earlier.

It seemed that sighing was becoming a part of his everyday schedule. Nowadays he was doing the action more often than before.

“He hasn't talked to me all week.” He stated plainly.

“As in since Friday when you ripped out his heart and stomped on it?” Chanyeol added to the explanation that didn't really explain much.

Sighing again as he rolled his eyes, Yifan nodded his head, “Yeah, nothing from him. No more staring at me. No more talking to me. And no more asking me out. It's like I barely exist to him now.” He confessed with more happiness than his friends found appropriate. Each gifted him a frown after he finished his explanation with a small smile on his lips.

“What?” He asked the three clearly unhappy guys staring at him incredulously.

“Just watch, you're gonna miss him.” Sehun answered. But before Yifan could offer a rebuttal, Jongin jumped in and changed the subject.

-

Already Thursday had come, and Mr. Byun was going to pass back their exams towards the end of the period. Ten minutes left and Mr. Byun finally started passing them back. He made his way through the tables in front of him and finally he got to Yifan and Joonmyun's shared table.

First he handed back Joonmyun's exam with a, “Well done, Mr. Kim” and then turned his attention to Yifan. “Mr. Wu, come see me after class. Actually, could you come see me as well, Joonmyun?” Joonmyun nodded his head with a small smile as Mr. Byun placed the exam face down in front of Yifan before he carried on passing out the rest of the tests.

Yifan didn't dare turn over his exam in front of Joonmyun, especially not after he caught a glimpse of a perfect score on the other's exam.

As soon as the bell went off, Yifan used his long legs to stride down the aisle to Mr. Byun’s desk at the front of the room.

“You wanted to see me, Sir?” He asked as if he wasn't asked to see him after class because of the disappointing score he managed to peek at.

“Yifan, you didn't pass the exam.” He went straight to the point, “You won't pass my class with that grade. You're in danger of failing.”

“I can't fail! If I don't pass this semester, then I won't play baseball next semester, or play the big game that's coming up!” He was only raising his voice a little, but the urgency was obvious.

“I know that, which is why I have two proposals for you.” Mr. Byun was a difficult teacher, but he was always understanding and mindful of his students.

“What are you proposing I do, Mr. Byun?” At this point Yifan was willing to try anything. He needed to pass to play and stay out of trouble with his dad.

“One moment. Joonmyun, could you come here for a minute?” The teacher turned his attention from Yifan to his classmate. He had forgotten the shorter boy was still in the classroom, waiting for his turn with Mr. Byun. Said boy began making his way to the front with his now packed backpack on his back.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Byun?” He asked without giving a glance at Yifan.

“Mr. Wu over here seems to be in the need of a tutor. Willing to help him out? It would look great on your college applications and you’d get extra credit points added to your grade. Interested?”

Joonmyun honestly wanted to refuse. He didn't need the extra credit. He already had the highest grade in the class with his 99.01%, and it was bound to increase after his 100% on this last exam. He also already had a tutoring session for his applications as he spent his Monday tutoring two brothers in math. But to add even more of a reason why he didn't need to do this was because of Yifan himself. He most certainly did not want to help him or be around him anymore so than absolutely necessary. And what Mr. Byun was offering was exactly what Joonmyun had no need or desire for.

“Um, I'm not sure, Mr. Byun.”

“I know you have quite a load already, but Yifan is quite desperate and you're my best student. You're the best person for the job.”

Joonmyun wanted to look at Yifan. He wanted to know if he was really as desperate as Mr. Byun was describing him as, but he couldn't face him yet.

“Please help me, Joonmyun.” He heard the voice of the boy he's liked speak to him, pleaded with him to say yes. He wanted to look him in the eyes and yell at him for only talking to him when he needed something from him. For only using him when he was in a tight spot. But again he refused to give him a glance. Reluctantly he lifted his head and met the eyes of his teacher,

“I'll help, but I can only do so Thursday's and Friday’s after school for two hours each day at most. My schedule is full all other days. We can start today after school.” He really didn't want to help, but as much as he hated to admit it, a week and a half is not enough time to get over Yifan. He didn't want the other to suffer even though he did.

“Thank you, Joonmyun.” Mr. Byun stated. “I appreciate your assistance. And I'm sure, Yifan does too.” Yifan nodded his head in agreement as he looked at Joonmyun. Said boy still refused to look at the tall boy beside him. He excused himself before making any contact with the other and he began making his way out the door and into the hall.

“I hope you know just how lucky you are. If he would have refused the offer, I don't think I would be willing to offer a makeup exam. I'll have you take it two days before the game, so make use of his help. That gives you four sessions with the makeup exam falling on that Thursday just before the game on Saturday. Got it?”

“Yes sir. I appreciate the extra hand. Thank you.”

“You should be thanking Joonmyun. Now run along and enjoy the rest of your lunch.”

“You too. Thank you, Mr. Byun.”

Yifan quickly walked out of the now empty classroom. As soon as he spotted Joonmyun down the hall, he ran to catch up to him.

“Hey! Hey, Joonmyun! Wait up!” He yelled at the other, but said boy continued walking, even picking up his pace to get away from the other.

However, Joonmyun's shorter legs were no match for Yifan's much longer ones. He caught up in no time at all and grabbed Joonmyun's shoulder and spun him around to grab his attention.

“Didn't you hear me calling you?!” Yifan asked with a strong voice that only increased with the echo of the empty hallway.

“Could you not touch me?” He asked as he looked pointedly at the hand still resting on his shoulder. The taller boy startled and quickly removed his hand.

“Uh, sorry.” Was all Yifan was able to toss out. He had never heard the other talk like that to anyone, let alone him. Isn't he in love with me or something?

As soon as the scalding, strong grip let go of him, Joonmyun made to begin walking away. He wanted to get away from the other before his resolve cracked even more and his hateful façade abandoned him. If he managed to get to the cafeteria and to his best friends fast enough then he would be fine.

Quickly, the shorter male began walking away again. Yifan almost missed him in his daze but he once again caught up to the other. This time positioning himself to stand directly in front of Joonmyun so he couldn't get away a second time. Joonmyun tried side stepping him, but Yifan countered him every time. After four tries of this horribly in sync dance, Joonmyun exhaled loudly with nothing but annoyance.

“Could you move?” He practically yelled as he titled his head back to look Yifan in the eyes. Narrowed brown eyes met Yifan's and they told him exactly how he felt. They spoke volumes of irritation, anger, confusion, and surrender. It looked as if Joonmyun was done with him. Something felt off with the shorter, but Yifan ignored the foreign feeling and addressed the other’s surprising hostility.

“Did I do something?” He asked directly as if that question alone would pave the road to the answers he wanted.

The shorter male continued looking up at him, but now his face was full of disbelief.

“Did you do something?” He asked back with narrowed eyes as he angled his head, taking a few seconds to open his mouth again. “I don't know what you're talking about, Yifan. Look, I really have to go.” He said as he gently pushed Yifan out of his way.

Though much heavier and stronger, Yifan easily moved off to the side. He stood there watching as Joonmyun practically scurried away. What's his problem?

~

AN

Now the first 3 chapters are up and in order. 

Hey look, the story got three more votes! So a special thank you to dtdtdtdt, minniemin, and mybeautifuleyes. 

Until next time youngins. Please leave me comments! I enjoy reading them and reply to each one! 

-Nana