*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

And Minseok powerfully kicks the ball!

The ball flies high into the air and speedily falls back. A teammate leaps and heads the ball towards the team’s net. But before it could reach the other teammate, a player from the opposing team quickly jumps high and blocks the flying ball. Another opposing player quickly kicks the ball to the opposite side. People rush towards the ball. A player tries to kick but misses. A player bumps with another player while chasing the ball. Suddenly a player blocks the ball and dribbles it to the other side. It’s Minseok! He quickly spots his teammate standing in an open area. He quickly kicks it towards him. The ball is safely kicked towards the teammate and he kicks it towards another teammate standing near the goal. However, the moment the teammate receives the ball, he’s already surrounded by the opposing team. With no opening, the teammate tries to protect the ball, as the other players are trying to steal it. Suddenly, Minseok casually appears from one of the crowd’s back. Minseok points below, and the teammate sees that there’s an opening big enough for the ball to roll in. Quickly, the teammate passes the ball towards the gap and to Minseok. Minseok quickly catches the ball and runs towards the goal as he kicks the ball. Meanwhile the players circling the teammate are caught off guard and chases the ball a second too late. And a few more meters away, Minseok picks up momentum, readies his body, moves to a better position, and powerfully kicks the ball towards the goal. The goalkeeper jumps to block the ball. And in less than three seconds, the ball hits the goal!

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

The class goes wild! And Luhan jumps from his seat as he screams in awe and joy.

“Next team, get on the field! Now!” The PE teacher shouts.

The students go back to the bench to rest and drink some water.

“Man, I gotta say, you’re good!” A guy classmate tells Minseok.

“Not really. I just like to play.” Minseok replies.

“C’mon, don’t be like that. You got skills!”

Minseok slightly bows.

“Hey, don’t be so formal man! Oh! We’re gonna go buy soda at the cafeteria, wanna come?”

“No thanks.”

“Oh. Alright. See ya!” The classmate pats him at the back and leaves.

Meanwhile, the game has started with a new set of players. Minseok sits on the bench and watches the game. He sees Luhan as one of the players.

They haven’t spoken much since they got sent out of class. It’s not because Minseok is avoiding Luhan, rather Luhan seems to be avoiding him. Even though Minseok is relieved that he doesn’t have to deal with Luhan anymore, he feels somewhat bothered by it. These days, whenever he sees Luhan, Minseok would immediately feel irritated, but when Luhan ends up not doing anything, or not talking to him, or not so much as look at him, he suddenly becomes somewhat disappointed… and upset. It’s not like Minseok did anything to Luhan. In fact, Luhan was the one bothering him. So, why did it become like Minseok did something and Luhan is avoiding him for it? Minseok thought.

“... Minseok?”

A bit startled, Minseok looks to his side. He sees some of his girl classmates.

“We just wanted to say that you were so cool! We didn’t know you were good at soccer! We were really impressed!” One of the girls said.

“Yeah! We cheered you on!” Another said.

“Aah. Thanks.” Minseok slightly bows, making the girls quietly squeal.

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

Minseok turns to see the game and is surprised to see that a crowd has gathered in the field. Suddenly, their PE teacher emerges from the crowd as he does a support carry to Luhan.

Out of shock, Minseok stands up. Luhan seems to be injured.

“Where are the other boys?” the teacher asks towards the others.

“They went to the canteen. They’re not back yet!” One classmate answers.

“I need a guy, other than the players. Is anyone here?”

“Teacher! Minseok is here!” One of the girls who just approached Minseok shouted.

Minseok is taken aback. This is too sudden. What does he do? Even though he’s tired from running, he doesn’t mind helping. But, if it just wasn’t Luhan, he’d be willing to help. He wants to make an excuse, but can’t think of one. Right now, he’s really the only one who can help Luhan. It’s awkward for Minseok, but he has no choice.

“Please take Luhan to the clinic.”

And just like that, he’s supporting Luhan’s body as they walk to the clinic.

None of them spoke a word while walking.

Luhan’s face and body is close to Minseok’s. Very close.

Finally, they enter the clinic.

“Excuse me! Nurse?” Minseok calls out, but no one answers. It looks like no one’s inside.

Minseok helps Luhan get to one of the bed. Luhan sits down and sighs. He seems to be pretty tired, and hurt. Minseok is just standing looking at him. Honestly, he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to treat him, and he also doesn’t know how to act in front of Luhan. He’s just too overwhelmed by this situation that he didn’t realize Luhan was talking to him.

“Hey, are you listening?” Luhan makes sure to louden his voice.

After coming to his senses, Minseok replies, “Uh! Uh… No… Sorry, what was that?”

“I said the nurse doesn’t seem to be here. Please get the first aid kit, right there.” Luhan says as he points at the nurse’s desk.

Minseok quickly moves. He takes the kit, and brings it to Luhan. Now, Minseok is just standing in front of him, looking at him while he opens and rummages through the kit. Luhan notices him awkwardly standing and looks at him with a mix of confusion and worry.

“You can go back now.”

“Uh… I’ll do it.”

“Huh?”

Minseok takes the kit and gets on his knees. He takes the cotton balls and antiseptic. He doesn’t know why he did that, but his body just reacted on his own that his body didn’t have time to think.

“You don’t have to do this. It’s just a scratch.”

“Scratches don’t bleed this much.”

“It’s still just a scratch.”

Minseok lightly dabs the antiseptic-filled cotton balls onto the scratch. Luhan yelps and sighs.

“You don’t look like someone who would get injured in a soccer game.” Minseok says.

“You also don’t look like someone who’s good at sports.” Luhan responds.

Minseok shoots a quick look at Luhan.

“I’m not.” Minseok continues to treat the wound.

“Still, the fact that you can score a goal! Congratulations!” Luhan beams a bright smile at Minseok.

Minseok is a bit surprised that Luhan smiled at him. If he’s smiling at him right now, does that mean Luhan isn’t in anyway angry with him. But why would Luhan avoid him? Minseok thought.

“I’m not really that great. Don’t praise too much.” Minseok replies.

After disinfecting, Minseok wraps it with a cloth.

“I envy you. Really.” Luhan says.

Minseok looks up, “What? Why?”

“I like soccer… but I don’t really have the body for it. I can’t run fast. And, I get tired easily. Basically, I’m weak.”

Minseok finishes wrapping and secures the cloth tightly. He quietly packs the first aid kit and returns it to the nurse’s desk.

“Hey...” Luhan speaks. Minseok turns around and looks at him. Luhan is blankly staring at the floor with a sad expression. “Why do you wanna be left alone?” Luhan looks at Minseok as he directs his question to him.

Luhan’s sad eyes and Minseok’s confused and surprised eyes meet. And both eyes steadily look at each other. Luhan’s eyes wait for the answer it seeks, while Minseok’s eyes are wandering, not knowing what to say.

Luhan breaks eye contact and sighs.

“I’m sorry… It’s just… You remind me of myself... before.” Luhan explains.

Minseok doesn’t know what to say, or do.

“Uhm… I was a transfer student… from China.” Luhan says and looks at Minseok who has a confused face.

“Wait, so you don’t know I’m actually Chinese?”

Minseok shakes his head with his mouth agape. He didn’t actually know that. No wonder his surname is a bit unusual, Minseok thought.

With that response, Luhan giggles. “You’re funny, Minseok!”

“W-well… it’s just that, you’re fluent in Korean, so I didn’t know...” Minseok stutters to explain. This bit of information just shocked him.

Luhan smiles, “Well, yeah. But it took me time,” his smiles disappears, “and a lot of effort to learn. And to fit in. I’m really an outgoing person, but the language barrier and difference in culture really kept me isolated for years. I was alone. With no one to talk to. With no one to play with. I think I was just twelve back then. It was really difficult for me.”

Hearing this, Minseok couldn’t look at Luhan. He feels bad hearing this. He couldn’t imagine what Luhan went through. If he was in his position, Minseok thinks that he would have wanted to go back home.

Luhan sees Minseok’s sad face and smiles again. “Sorry! I didn’t want you to feel sad for me. Besides, that’s all in the past! I’m all good now!” Luhan smiles brighter at Minseok so he could cheer him up. “It’s just that seeing you alone reminds me of what I’ve gone through… and, I don’t want you to go through that.”

Minseok looks at Luhan who has this concerned face.

“Why?... Why are you trying so hard to--”

“I already told you. I don’t wanna see you alone.”

Minseok looks at Luhan again. This time Luhan is looking directly and steadily at him. He can tell by his expression that Luhan is serious. Although Luhan already gave his reason, Minseok feels that it’s not the right answer he wants to hear. Minseok doesn’t know what the right answer is either, but he thinks the answer lies in the question: Why doesn’t he want to see me alone? But Minseok could only guess.

Suddenly Luhan speaks. “I know you don’t really like me that much, but please let me stay beside you. I really do want to be friends with you. I find you interesting… in a good way. And I think you’re a nice person even though you don’t show it. I’ll just wait until you can fully open up to me and trust me.”

Minseok doesn’t answer. He just doesn’t know how to respond.

“You may have your reasons for being alone, and I respect that. But are you really happy being like this?”

Suddenly the doors open. It’s the nurse.

“Oh my! Have you been here the whole time? I’m so sorry. I took a short break.” the nurse says as she enters the room.

“It’s alright, Ma’am. My friend did first aid.” Luhan says, smiling.

“Well isn’t that nice! Now, let me see that wound.”

As the nurse tends to Luhan, Minseok quietly leaves the room, and goes back to class.

That afternoon, as the last class finishes and the students prepare to go home, Luhan approaches Minseok.

“Minseok, I never thanked you for helping me and treating me. Thank you very much!” Luhan smiles.

“No, it was nothing… A--are you alright?”

“Yup!”

Minseok nods, as if he’s saying that it’s a good thing he’s fine.

“I’m going home now!” Luhan then turns around and leaves.

“Oh wait!” Luhan turns back around and goes back to Minseok who is a bit startled. “By the way, you don’t mind me calling you ‘friend’ right? I mean, I know you don’t see me as a friend, that’s fine with me, but I see you as one. So is that, okay? If I call you my friend?”

Minseok’s mind is blank and his face is dazed. After processing the things on his mind, Minseok slightly nods at Luhan. This made Luhan beam another smile at him.

As Luhan is about to leave, Minseok suddenly remembers something.

“Wait!”

Luhan turns around, a bit surprised.

“Uhh… I just have a question...” Minseok says as Luhan eagerly listens. “I’m just wondering why… why did you avoid me these past few days?”

“Aah.” Luhan seems to recall. “Well, I thought you were mad at me. So I gave you your space and didn’t go near you for a while. I was planning to apologize sooner or later, but I didn’t know how to approach you. Well, I forgot about that because of what happened today. But it all worked out well right?”

“Aah… I see.” Minseok somehow felt relieved.

“Why? Were you bothered because I wasn’t talking to you?” Luhan teases.

“What? No!” Minseok quickly disagrees.

Luhan giggles. “I see. Well, that’s alright. ‘Cause from now on, I’ll be talking to you everyday! Bye!” And so Luhan left with his usual beaming face.

Minseok doesn’t know if he would feel annoyed or relieved or glad with what Luhan said. Despite the several different and conflicting emotions he feels right now, he can easily tell that he is generally glad with the situation. At least now, he won’t be bothered with his ‘fight’ with Luhan. Well, that’s what Minseok would like to think.

A/N: Hello! Again, I would like to apologize for updating late. I am currently focusing on my thesis that's why I don't have time to write. I think from now on my updates will be inconsistent. This means I may post later than usual. As much as I want to write about XiuHan, I also need to do my thesis :) I hope you still look forward to this fic even though it might be a pain waiting for an update. Thank you very much for those who are continuing to read this fic and for those who are going to do so! Take care! :)