It's within the last few weeks of sophomore year when Yifan first sees her.

 

The school was holding one of their annual festivals and, while sweating through his shirt while working one of the booths, he saw her. She was a short distance away, but in that moment, Yifan just knew that she was special. His heart skipped a beat when she turned her head and their eyes locked, and he could feel his hands grow clammy as she flashed him a stunning smile. He swore he was floating.

In that moment, his idiotic and  of a best friend Chanyeol called for him, snapping Yifan out of his reverie. Yifan turned his head to respond, but when he looked back, he felt his heart sink. His angel was gone. He had half a mind to go ballistic on his best friend for making him lose sight of the girl, but settled for turning to the idiot and slapping him on the arm. Hard.

"OH MY JESUS YIFAN THAT ING HURT WHAT THE IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Chanyeol screamed, clutching the spot that Yifan had hit, tears in his eyes.

"What the is wrong with you? Your stupid voice made me lose my angel!"

"THE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU MANIAC?"

"She was just over there! She was there, she was perfect, and you made me lose her!"

After another few minutes of Chanyeol sobbing over his 'injured' arm, Yifan was able to properly explain the situation to the confused boy.

"But you've never even met her. How can you be sure she's-"

"I know because she's perfect."

"Do you even know her name?" Chanyeol asked, brow raised, effectively shutting the elder up. "Come on dude." 

"What? Have you never heard of love at first sight?"

Chanyeol gave Yifan a skeptical look. 

"Well... Do you wanna help me find out more about her?" 

Chanyeol gave him a strange look. "And why would you ask me of all people?"

"I don't know, you seem like the kind of person that would stalk everyone."

"That's rude."

"But am I wrong?" 

"You're rude.

 

But I might know someone who might be able to help."

~~~~~~~

Chanyeol smiled as he rubbed up against Jongdae's side.

"So... Buddy..." he began, grin sheepish.

"What is it?" Jongdae asked, not even bothering to look up from his phone. 

"I need your help with something." 

"And what would that be?"

"Well, it's not so much me as it is-"

"Me." Yifan said, stepping out from behind Chanyeol. "I heard you know everything about everyone."

"And if I do?"

"He's head over heels over someone." Chanyeol explained. "But the problem is that he's an idiot and doesn't actually know who she is. Do you think you can help?"

"Depends. What she look like?" he asked, scrolling through his phone. 

Yifan pursed his lips in thought. "She's really pretty."

Jongdae scoffed. "So are a lot of people. I'm gonna need more than that."

"She... has really nice hair."

Jongdae rolled his eyes. "You're gonna need to work with me if you wanna find out about her."

Yifan grinned sheepishly. "Well, you see, I didn't get to see her for very long-"

"So, I'm done here."

"No, wait, wait! I'll do my best, okay? She seemed about yay high-" he said, gesturing to his chin, "and she has long black hair, kinda swept to the side. She has sparkling eyes and a stunning smile-"

"Is she Chinese?" he asked, thumb slowing on the screen. 

"I don't know, maybe?"

"You're in your sophomore year, yeah? Does she look your age?" he asked, thumb stalled on the screen. 

"I think so."

Jongdae gave him a sly smile, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "And I think I may have your girl." 

"Who is she? What's her name? What class was she in? W-"

"Slow down there, lover boy. Information doesn't come free. What do I get out of this?"

"What do you want?"

"I've got my sights set on the captain of the soccer team."

"Minseok?"

"Yeah. And I hear you two are on good terms."

"Well, we don't really talk. I wouldn't consider those good terms."

"Better terms than with me. So what do you say?"

"Plan B?" Chanyeol asked tentatively.

"Plan B."

"The hell is plan-" Jongdae began before Yifan hit him over the head, stunning the boy as Chanyeol slapped a burlap sac over the boy's head.

~~~~~~~

The first thing Jongdae noted when the sac was lifted from his head was how wonderful open air felt.

The second thing he registered was the dim light of the room he was in.

His eyes scanned the cramped space, a lone table sitting underneath the hanging light fixture. There were shelves lining the walls, every last space covered in cleaning supplies. Jongdae had to suppress a scoff.

"Really? This is the best you could do?"

"It was short notice, okay?" Chanyeol snapped.

"I mean, the kidnapping part definitely caught me off guard, but I have to admit Yeollie, you're losing your touch."

"Come on man, we're trying."

Jongdae sighed. "Do you need me to act scared for you?"

"That would be a confidence boost, yes."

"No, please, don't hurt me!" Jongdae cried. "I'll do-" the boy began again, before erupting into a fit of giggles.

"Jongdae!"

"Sorry, Yeol, it's a bit hard to stay serious. Now, can I go?"

"No! We need to interrogate you!"

"Interrogate? But you two are idiots." Jongdae said bluntly.

"Come on, I brought a baseball bat too!" Yifan whined, waving the metal bat in the air. "This is supposed to make you feel intimidated, not make me look like an idiot!"

"Try again next time Fan-Fan."

"Don't call me that!" Yifan stomped in indignation, swinging the bat a little too hard, hitting his friend in the head. Jongdae winced as Chanyeol screamed in pain, curses flowing out of his mouth as Yifan apologized profusely.

"Okay, okay. This is just getting sad. Her name is Liu Yifei, okay? Now can you please just- avoid murdering each other?"

After a few moments of consoling Chanyeol through his pain, the two managed to calm down, sitting quietly in front of Jongdae, the latter's cocky appearance turning to one of pure concern for the two idiot's safety. He sighs, eyeing the two warily, Yifan on the edge of his seat, eyes comically wide as he waited patiently for Jongdae to tell him what he knew of Yifei, Chanyeol quietly sobbing as he clutched his head.

"She's a Chinese exchange student." Jongdae began, "She was born in Wuhan and transferred over a few years ago because her mom remarried. She has a step brother, his name's Kim Junmyeon- he's a year younger than you and he's class president- a model student. She went to school in New York and Beijing, and she's trained in dancing, singing, acting, and she models."

"How do you know all this?" Chanyeol asked softly, voice raspy from his crying. 

"I have my ways. Now, the real question here is, how are you going to get her, Yifan?"

"Try talking to her and hope for the best?" Yifan tried sheepishly.

"Yifan, she's one of the most popular people in the school. I don't think she's gonna be that easy."

Yifan pouted. "Thanks for the help anyways, Jongdae." he said, slowly getting up to leave. 

"Yeah, whatever. Just talk to Minseok for me, okay?"

~~~~~~~

After some mild stalking, Yifan confirmed his angel's identity, along with the location of her locker, the boy awkwardly waiting by it the next day as the last bell of the day rung. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, waiting patiently for the girl to appear. The halls filled were filled within a matter of seconds since the bell rang, Yifan easily looking over the heads of the students crowding the halls. 

He spent so much time looking over their heads, in fact, that he nearly missed the girl standing before him, eyeing him quizzically. He almost jumped in surprise when he first noticed her, quickly collecting himself and smiling when their eyes met.

Her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown, her long lashes ghosting over her cheeks every time she blinked. Her hair was long and flowed over her shoulders, giving off the soft scent of lavender.

"Hell...o?" the girl, his angel, Yifei began tentatively, most likely more than a little creeped out at the boy before her locker. 

It took a few minutes for Yifan to process the fact that she was here, and talking to him, blurting out the first thing he could think of.

"Y-You're very beautiful a-and I would like to date you v-very much." he stuttered robotically, her eyes widening in surprise. 

"I-I'm sorry?"

"I mean... uh... Do you come here often?"

The girl furrowed her brow. "Well... This is school. So, yes?"

"Ah that's right." he muttered under his breath. 

Despite towering over her small stature, Yifan has never felt smaller. She cleared softly, Yifan shuffling out of the way as she quickly collected her things from the locker and promptly left. He remained frozen in his spot for moments after, only budging when his best friend found him.

"Yifan, dude! I was looking everywhere for you! We need to go now, the school's about to- oh hey, are you alright?"

"I... I don't know."

~~~~~~~ 

"That is literally the creepiest thing you can say to someone you just met."

"Shut up, okay? I was nervous." Yifan grumbled. 

"So what are you gonna do now? Plan C?"

"Plan C."

~~~~~~~

The next day finds the two boys sliding up to a certain Kim Junmyeon during lunchtime, sliding up Junmyeon's shoulder on either side, giving him wide grins.

"Junmyeon, buddy-" Chanyeol began.

The boy furrowed his brow. "I-I'm sorry, do I know you?" 

"Yeah, don't you remember? I was drawing on the lockers, you caught me, I got detention, it was great."

"Ah... So that was you?" 

"I knew you wouldn't forget me, Junmyeon."

"I mean, I'm not sure I really remembered you-"

"Anyways, since we're best friends and all, I have a favour to ask of you." 

"Best friends? I don't even know your name."

"Oh Junmyeonnie, you're so funny. I'm Chanyeol and this over here is my friend Yifan. Now, as I was saying, we need some help with something. Or, more specifically, he needs your help with something."

Junmyeon gave Chanyeol a weird look, but stayed quiet. 

"We hear you're Yifei's brother-"

"Step-brother, actually."

"Yeah, okay, but my buddy over here is head over heels for her. And we need your help to make sure that she falls for him too." 

Junmyeon sighed, gathering his things from the lunch table. "Look, I've met a lot of people like you. And I'll be frank- I'm not interested in helping people manipulate me to get closer to Yifei." 

Junmyeon left promptly after packing the last of his things into his backpack, leaving Chanyeol and Yifan to eye each other tentatively.

"I guess that leaves me at Plan D."

~~~~~~~

And, through another bout of mild stalking, Yifan was able to quickly find Junmyeon's locker, classes, and clubs.

Okay, so maybe it was a bit more than mild stalking, per se. 

Stalking levels aside, Yifan finds himself tailing Junmyeon around the school for the day (unbeknownst to the younger, that is). It's during lunch that Yifan stops Junmyeon on his way back to his locker, the younger scowling as he tried to evade the taller. Unfortunately for Junmyeon, Yifan's large frame proved helpful for blocking the class president.

"What do you want?" Junmyeon asked impatiently.

"Look, I know you made it clear you didn't want anything to do with me, but I felt really bad and I thought I'd give you this." Yifan said quickly, reaching into his bag and pulling out a piece of construction paper, handing it to Junmyeon with a sheepish smile.

Junmyeon's brows furrowed in confusion.

The paper was littered with uncooked macaroni and glitter, complete with a crude drawing of what Junmyeon could only guess was himself and Yifan, the letters 'BFF' written proudly and boldly atop the entire piece. 

"This is us!" Yifan proudly exclaimed. "You see, this is us being best friends!" 

"Right." Junmyeon said, tucking the paper under his arm as Yifan sidestepped so the younger could get to his locker. 

"So, what do you say?"

"What do I say to what?"

"Us! Being best friends!"

Junmyeon eyed Yifan uncertainly, the elder only beaming at the younger.

"That's alright. I'll try again tomorrow."

~~~~~~~

The next week found Yifan trailing Junmyeon around from club to club, class to class, presenting him with a new piece of (crude) artwork each day.

On Monday, Yifan presented him with a painting of a wolf, which Yifan had claimed was Junmyeon's spirit animal.

('But... Why a-'

'Because I can feel the essence of it in you.'

'I'm sorry?'

'You are one with the wolf.)

On Tuesday, Junmyeon was gifted with a small painting of himself in a giant puddle of water.

('It's not just you and water. It's you controlling water!'

'But why am I controlling water?'

'I don't know. It suits you.')

Wednesday found Junmyeon holding a portrait of the himself riding an alpaca.

('I'll be honest. Out of everything you've made so far, this is not something I imagined would be part of the collection.'

'Well, do you like it?'

Junmyeon grimaced. 

'I knew you'd love it.'

On Thursday, Junmyeon recieved another picture, one of the two of them frolicking in a field of flowers.

('Not bad, huh?'

'Define not bad.')

On Friday, Junmyeon recieved a portrait of a duck.

('Yifan?'

'Yeah?'

'You do know that ducks only have two legs, yes?'

Yifan gave the younger a blank look.

'Of course you didn't.')

And it was the next Monday that Junmyeon stopped Yifan, the elder already handing him his next piece of art.

"Fine."

Yifan cocked his head.

"I'll help you... Just, please, stop giving me these. I don't even know where to put them."

"You display it on your wall, silly!"

Junmyeon grimaced.

Yifan smiled. "Whatever, I knew giving you my greatest masterpieces would work!"

"Greatest... Masterpieces?"

"Yeah, I know, it's shocking that the captain of the basketball team would have such talent for art, but-"

Junmyeon shook his head. "First things first." he said with a firm pat on Yifan's back. "Avoid giving her any art." 

~~~~~~~

They agree to meet that evening after school, in a nearby cafe. Yifan strolls in a few minutes late, surprised to see the younger already seated at one of the tables, drink already ordered, a small notepad laid out in front of him, lazily spinning a pencil in between his fingers. Junmyeon raised his brows when his gaze met with Yifan's, the elder sheepishly sliding into the seat across from Junmyeon.

"You're late." Junmyeon commented, taking a sip of his drink. 

"Yeah, I got a bit held up at basketball practice-"

Junmyeon tsked, scratching something down onto the paper. "Making excuses, I see."

"No, no, I just-"

"On a scale of one to ten, how attractive would you say you are?" Junmyeon asked curtly, ignoring Yifan.

"Uh... S-seven? Maybe an eight? Wait, no that's vain-" 

"Indecisive." Junmyeon muttered, pen marking something on the paper.

"H-Hey!" Yifan complained, Jumyeon raising his brow as he made another mark. "Attractiveness aside, I thought you were supposed to be helping me get Yifei!"

"I am, and yes, that was very vain." Junmyeon stated simply, Yifan only giving him a confused look. Junmyeon sighed. "You need to stay modest. You aren't gonna win her heart without some effort is all I'm saying. How easy did you think it was gonna be to win Yifei over?" 

"Uh..."

"You don't just go up to someone like her and ask her out, especially when you don't even know each other. She's essentially the most popular girl in your grade. She's not that easy."

"Wait, you know about that?"

Junmyeon scoffed. "Who doesn't? She's one of the most popular girls in the grade. News spreads fast, Yifan. Now, you're gonna need help if you want to win her over. And a lot of it."

"Okay, then where do we start?" 

Junmyeon tapped his pencil on the edge of the desk, pursing his lips in thought.

"Being a gentleman never goes wrong."

~~~~~~~

Yifan smiled as he saw his friend down the hall, the boy on the way to his locker. Yifan rushed up to his side just as Chanyeol was about to open the doors. "No, no, no, Chanyeol, allow me." Yifan said softly, cutting in front of his friend, reaching over the younger's body to open the door for him, Chanyeol only giving Yifan a strange look.

"Is... Everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be, dearest friend? Please, let me carry your books for you." 

"Yifan, you're starting to scare me." 

"Please, it would be my pleasure." he insisted, taking Chanyeol's books out of the younger's grasp. "Is there any other way I may be of assistance?" Yifan pressed, Chanyeol only inching away from Yifan.

"I really like your hat today! It reminds me of the nest two robins made in a tree in my backyard yesterday." Yifan said, a smile on his face.

"That's my new haircut jackass, does it really look that bad?" Chanyeol grimaced, raking his hand through his hair self consciously. 

"Goddamn it, you elf eared fairy man, I'm trying to be a gentleman! Stop being so guilt inducing!"

"Gentleman?" Chanyeol repeated in dismay. "I don't think calling people 'elf eared fairy man' is how you go about being gentlemanly."

Yifan's eyes widened. ". I mean- ah ."

Chanyeol raised a brow.

"You can't blame me for that though! You are an elf eared fairy man! What am I supposed to do about it? You should be glad I'm being honest with you!"

"That's r00d. You're r00d."

They could hear a soft tsking coming from the side, the two realizing that the halls were nearly empty now, save for them, and Junmyeon, a small notebook in hand as he scribbled something down.

"What part of 'be a gentleman' did you not understand?" he sighed. 

"But... he's an-"

"Elf eared fairy man. You've made that quite clear." 

"Well, am I wrong?"

Junmyeon's eyes raked over Chanyeol's frame. 

"Point taken. We'll work on this later. For now, we need to move on. Follow me." 

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Yifan asked, dumping Chanyeol's books back into the younger's arms, Chanyeol muttering angrily at his friend's idiocy. 

Junmyeon looked over, raising a brow.

"Like, out of 10-"

"3."

"3?" Yifan parroted disbelievingly. 

"You're right. That was a 2, at best." 

"Oh, come on! I think I deserve at least a 5!"

"Stop calling people elf eared fariy men, and then we'll start talking. This is why I insisted you try doing this with other people before Yifei. Now... How are your grades?" 

~~~~~~~

Yifan winced as the textbook was slammed on the desk in front of him. 

"You're the athletic type. I get it. But how in the good lord's name is your grade average-"

"Shut up! I'm not proud, okay?" 

Junmyeon took a deep breath. "Yeah, okay, whatever. It's okay." he muttered, sounding like he was trying to convince himself above anything. "We can fix this." 

"It's really not that bad! I mean, I passed!"

"Barely!"

"But I still-"

"Shut it and open your book."

"But-" 

"Yifei likes smart guys. By the looks of it, you don't fit the bill. Now get studying."

Yifan grumbled before looking down with reluctance. 

They sit in relative silence for a good half hour, Yifan being silenced every time he tries to open his mouth.

"I really don't understand why-"

"What's the capital of Asia?"

"Uh... China?" 

"Dude."

"Oh... Is it Japan?" 

"Asia's a continent."

"And that meaaans?"

"It has no capital." 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm as sure as you are stupid. Which is to say, very." 

"Wow, okay, r00d. " 

"Just shut up and keep reading." 

~~~~~~~

Yifan goes to school the next day with another pile of textbooks in his arms, nearly toppling out of his arms. He tried to ignore Chanyeol's quizzical looks as he stumbled to the school library, plopping the books on the desk with a loud thud, the librarians shushing him angrily. 

He could only smile sheepishly as he sat down, soon studying the books intently as Junmyeon monitored the elder. 

"Since when did you study?" Chanyeol asked, disbelieving.

"Since I fell in love."

"You're that into her? You barely know her!"

"I know that she's perfect. Now, if you'd like to shut up-" he began, before Junmyeon began tutting. "I mean... If you don't mind, I would really like to study." he said, Junmyeon nodding in approval. Chanyeol shrugged it off, mumbling something about going off to find Baekhyun, leaving Yifan and Junmyeon to their own devices.

"So..." Yifan began. "When are we gonna do something fun?"

"This is fun."

"To you, maybe. We should go do something after this. How's dinner?"

Junmyeon gave Yifan an unsure look.

"Come on, we're friends now, aren't we?"

"I mean, I guess?"

"Exactly. I know a great dumpling shop nearby. Let's go." 

"I'm not sure Yifan... There's still a lot to cover." 

"Come on, Junmyeon." the elder insisted, brushing the books into his schoolbag. "It'll be fun." 

Junmyeon grumbled as the elder cleaned up the table, grabbing the younger by the hand as he pulled him outside. 

The store wasn't too far from the school, only about a block or two away. Yifan had spoken quickly in a language that Junmyeon couldn't understand, the younger looking baffled when the elder turned back to face him.

The elderly woman at the store was quick to serve them, the two finding a table in the small store. 

"I didn't realize you were so fluent in Mandarin." Junmyeon said incredulously, Yifan only shrugging.

"I was born in China. It's a little hard to not pick up."

"Any other secret talents you're hiding from me?"

"Uh... I also speak English and Cantonese?"

Junmyeon looked genuinely impressed for the first time since meeting Yifan. "4 languages? That's impressive."

"I play basketball, too. Oh! And I draw!"

Junmyeon stayed silent at that last point, opting to plop a dumpling in his mouth.

"Well, how about you?" 

"What about me?"

"What have you been holding back?"

"I don't follow."

"Oh come on. The class president with amazing marks and a pretty face. There must be something you're not showing."

"I'm an open book."

"Really, now?" 

"What do you want to know? I'm a Seoul native and I have plans to go to the Korean National University of Arts, I-"

"No, that's not what I mean."

Junmyeon raised a brow.

"I meant more along the... more obscure things."

"Obscure?"

"You know, like what you think elephants dream of."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Or maybe, how many toes you think a baby rhinoceros has." 

"Three. Rhinos have three toes, Yifan."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then, what do elephants dream about?" Yifan asked, eyes alight with curiosity.

"How would I know?"

"You seem like you're all knowing. Maybe you're a god. I don't know."

"That's stupid."

"I think they dream about flying."

"Like Dumbo?"

"Yeah."

"Why like Dumbo?"

"Duh. They're both elephants?"

"But how would they be able to watch the movie if they're elephants? I doubt they dream of flying like Dumbo if they don't even know who he is."

Yifan shrugged. "Telepathic elephant bonds?"

"Dumbo is an animated-"

"He's still an elephant." 

Junmyeon could only shake his head, using his hand to cover the small smile on his face, the action not going unnoticed by Yifan. The elder's mouth split into a wide grin.

"So you do smile!" he commented excitedly.

"Shut up..." Junmyeon muttered as he ate another dumpling.

~~~~~~~

It's somewhere between learning new wooing tactics that Yifan gets Junmyeon's number, after fruitless attempts. 

"I can't trust what you'll do with my number."

"There's not much I can do! Do you think I'm going to murder a man with it?"

"Knowing you, you'd find a way."

"That's r00d."

It was through a series of long drawn out texts that the two were able to schedule a meeting over the weekend, deciding to meet at the dumpling store from their last meeting. 

Junmyeon appears on time, as always, dressed well in the most casual suit he owned, completed with a soft gold accented tie around his neck. He stood patiently by the front of the store glancing up from his shoes every so often as his eyes would scan the crowd. The elder didn't appear as late as Junmyeon thought he would, his brows raising as the taller approached.

They gave each other tentative looks before speaking.

"What are you wearing?" the two of them asked at the same time.

"What am I wearing? You're in a goddamn suit!"

"Dress to impress, Yifan!"

"That doesn't mean you need to dress so fancy! We're at a mall on a Saturday!"

"Well, what about you?"

"What about me?"

Junmyeon widened his eyes in disbelief as he just gestured to Yifan's outfit. The elder was in a floppy grey hat, a long chain resting on his white tank top. He had a longer shirt above his tank top, skulls decorating the bodice. His pants were hiked up high, covered in small polka dots, crotch area of his pants dropping down to his ankles.

"These are my casual clothes, okay?"

"And this is my casual suit!" Junmyeon retorted.

"Who in their right mind even owns a casual suit!?"

"Like your outfit is normal!" 

The two sighed as their arguement simmered down, eyeing each other's outfits. Junmyeon could only cringe as his eyes raked over Yifan's choice of clothing, questioning if this was all really happening.

"We're getting you changed." Junmyeon stated simply.

"So I can get a 'casual suit' for myself? No thank you. What we need to to do is get you changed."

"If you're the one to be dressing me, I'm gonna have to pass. Excuse me if I don't want to look like an old woman. Now, you need to have some faith in me." he said, tugging Yifan into the nearest store. 

Yifan could only sigh as Junmyeon sifted through the racks, the smaller soon shoving a pile of clothes in Yifan's hands after sifting around for a few minutes.

"Hurry up." he said, ushering him into the nearest changeroom, despite the larger's protests.

"You know, you're pretty damn lucky that Yifei has never seen you in anything other than a school uniform." Junmyeon commented offhandedly. "I'm pretty sure you would've lost any chance you could've had with her if you confessed to her in person on a weekend." 

"It's not that bad... Is it?"

"It is. Now hurry up, we have more things to do. Starting with reevaluating your clothing choices."

Yifan could only scoff. "Not like yours is any better." he muttered. 

"No, Yifan. I dress to impress. That also implies I can dress myself- and others- well. Well, as in not like a giant blindfolded toddler."

"Okay wow that's r00d."

"Just being honest. Now are you done yet?"

"Yeah, yeah, give me a second."

The door slowly eased open, Junmyeon grinning as Yifan stepped out. "And that's how you avoid looking like a hot mess!"

Yifan shrugged, eyes trained on the floor. His outfit was leagues better than it was before, his less-than-flattering pants replaced with a pair of dark skinny jeans. His skull covered long sleeve and tank top were replaced with a black t-shirt with an intricate design decorating the front. A flannel was covering what remained of his lanky upper body, the elder feeling awkward and uncomfortable away from his old-lady attire.

"This feels wrong." Yifan commented.

"Oh shut up, it's a step up from what you were wearing earlier."

"Says you." he muttered under his breath, going to pay for the outfit nonetheless. 

They spend a good portion of the afternoon browsing, Junmyeon stopping to scold Yifan whenever the elder would reach for anything that would make himself look like an elderly woman. After an hour or so, Junmyeon deemed the elder fit enough to not dress like a blindfolded toddler. 

"Okay, it's your turn now."

"My turn?" Junmyeon asked, raising a brow.

"I got my make over. Now it's time for yours."

"But there's nothing wrong with my outfit?"

"It's a Saturday and we're at a mall. No one but awkward business men or tight asses are wearing suits."

"Excuse me?"

"You fall into the latter category. Although, I'm sure that goes without saying." he added, eyes grazing the racks before grinning, quickly pulling some clothes out and shoving them into Junmyeon's hands like the younger had done to him moments before. Junmyeon could only eye him suspiciously.

"You need to have some faith in me." he said with a wink, Junmyeon scoffing. 

The younger emerged a few moments later with a puzzled look and an outfit almost identical to the one he had given Yifan. The elder grinned.

"And now we match!"

"This is a... good thing?"

The elder flashed Junmyeon a frown. "Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Uh, first one that I can think of- we'll look like we're going out." 

"Oh..." Yifan said, pausing for a moment. "Doooo you wanna get it anyways?"

"Why?"

"As a memory of this day?"

Junmyeon rolled his eyes. "Whatever." he muttered, going to pay for the clothes, ignoring the ever-widening grin on Yifan's face. 

~~~~~~~

They end the day on a good note, having one more meal at the dumpling store before parting ways. Junmyeon found himself becoming more comfortable in the flannel Yifan had chosen for him, despite the strange looks they had gotten as they walked around. 

After every meeting, they always find something new to work on, another reason to meet up again.

Their next excuse lesson being scheduled the Monday after the weekend.

They parted on a good note, Yifan insisting on walking Junmyeon home afterwards.

"Yifan, really. I can walk home myself."

"I thought I should be gentlemanly. It only seems proper." the taller teased. They walked in a comfortable silence for a few moments, the only background noise being the muted honks of cars and the quiet rustle of the bushes with every soft breeze.

"So..." Junmyeon began awkwardly. "When do you plan on confessing?"

"Well, when do you think I'll be ready?" 

Junmyeon smiled shyly. "I'll be honest. I assumed the worst of you when we first met. But now, after getting to know you, I think you'll be ready in no time."

"You think so?" 

"Yeah. I do."

~~~~~~~

It's while Yifan's hunched over between practise shots in the gym that he sees the small class president sitting patiently on the bleachers by the court. He his head in confusion, the younger offering a small wave before Yifan is called back to continue practice. 

The elder spares a few glances to the side, Junmyeon's eyes never leaving him as the night went on and the deafening squeak of his shoes against the linoleum floors of the room only got louder.

Practise ended relatively quickly, Yifan jogging over to the bleachers promptly after the coach had let them go, his teammates hollering at him as he sat by Junmyeon. The younger handed him the small towel sitting by Yifan's bag.

"What are you doing here?" Yifan questioned between pants, rubbing the sweat off the back of his neck. "I told you you didn't have to meet me today."

Junmyeon shrugged. "I got bored. Yifei's out of the house with her friends and my parents are out having dinner. I'm home alone and there's nothing for me to do." he sighed. "Are you doing anything after this?"

"Not that I can currently think of, no."

"You wanna come over or something?" Junmyeon asked shyly, eyes cast to the ground as he fiddled with his fingers.

Yifan grinned. "Sure. Why not?

~~~~~~~

The first thing that Yifan realizes when he steps into Junmyeon's family's apartment is how ing loaded they must be to live in the penthouse of the building. He takes one step into their home and almost breaks down into tears at the sheer beauty of it all.

The main area is awide and spacious, floor covered in a firm hardwood. The apartment is minimalistic in it's jet black couches and marble countertops, and Yifan finds it beautiful.

Junmyeon has to stifle a laugh at Yifan's awe. 

"This is... So beautiful..."

"Wow, I never would've pegged you for someone into interior design."

"What can I say? I'm a man of the arts."

Junmyeon grimaced. "My mom designed it all." he added, ignoring the elder's statement. "She'd be glad to hear you like it." 

The two find themselves lounging on the couch not long after, speaking mindlessly about whatever crossed their minds.

"You're really surprising, you know?"

Yifan furrowed his brows. 

"You're a 6 foot tall human wall who dresses- well, dressed, like an old lady, speaks 4 languages, you're into interior design, and, no offense, but you're a giant idiot. Emphasis on the giant part."

Yifan looked offended.

"In the best way, I mean." Junmyeon added quickly, grinning sheepishly. The two of them sat up in surprise as they heard the door ease open, a soft 'we're home'  sounding from the entrance. 

"Parents?" Yifan asked. 

Junmyeon nodded. 

"We brought you boys some food!" Junmyeon's mother called cheerfully, resting the plastic bag on the table. "I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Junmyeon's mother, and you are?"

"Yifan." he said, standing to bow to the woman. 

"Oh there's no need for that. It's nice to meet you, Yifan."

"Thank you, and can I just say that I am aboely in love with your designs in the apartment?"

The woman smiled. "Why thank you. Very polite. And he's got good taste. This one's a keeper, Junmyeon."

The boy flushed red. "M-Mom!"

"Oh hush, I'm just joking. Now hurry up, the food's gonna get cold."

~~~~~~~

It's the next day that Junmyeon inches towards Yifan at his locker, tugging at the giant's sleeve to follow him once the elder had finished putting his things away. 

"What are we doing today?"

"I'll explain when we get there. Do you know anything about-"

"Oh! Junmyeon!" a soft voice called. "I'm glad I found you! There's something I needed to ask you about."

"What do you need?" 

"It's about the budgeting for the next school event-"

Yifan tuned out as their conversation continued, a scowl finding it's way onto the elder's face as he gave the girl speaking to Junmyeon a once-over. She was relatively cute with her bangs just covering her forehead, eyes folded into a crescent shape as she smiled over something Junmyeon had said. Yifan barely noticed as the two finished their conversation with a cheery 'thanks!' as the girl skipped off, humming a soft tune under her breath. Damn! Yifan thought. She can sing too?

"Why are you so grumpy?" Junmyeon asked quizzically.

"Who was that?" Yifan asked.

"Jieun? Vice chair of the student council? Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Yifan replied curtly. 

"What's gotten into you?" 

Yifan furrowed his brow for a moment. What had gotten into him?

The younger just shook his head. "Whatever. Come on, let's go."

~~~~~~~

Yifan could only give Junmyeon a strange look as the younger led him into a flower store.

"And this is going to teach me to get Yifei... how? Is she a flower connoisseur or something?"

"You're an idiot. We're here because you need to give her something when you ask her out."

"You mean..." Yifan asked hopefully.

"You bet, my big dumb giant. Now which flower do you think she's like best?"

"Oh! How about this one?" Yifan exclaimed, lifting a small vase. 

"Yifan, that's a cactus."

"Exactly!"

"Am I... Missing something here?" 

"I'll stand out! Who else would confess with a cactus?"

"You raise a valid point, but I'm gonna have to say no."

"You don't like cactuses?" Yifan asked with a disappointed frown.

"One, the plural of cactus is cacti. Two, it's not that I don't like cacti, I just don't think Yifei very fond of cacti."

"But-"

"She's a romantic, Yifan. I don't think she'll want a cactus."

"Fine." the elder pouted. 

"Looking for flowers for a special someone?" a small voice asked, the two turning to see a small woman behind the counter. "How about lilacs? They celebrate one's first love. Maybe red tulips for a declaration of love, or yellow ones for showing you're hopelessly in love? Sunflowers for adoration?"

"They all sound perfect. Thank you."

The elderly woman smiled as she began to collect the flowers, folding them carefully in a bouquet. "A lucky one, that girl you like is. Not many are ever too thoughtful about their gifts nowadays." she commented as she folded the ribbon at the front. "Here you go." she said, handing Yifan the bundle, shaking her head when he reached for his wallet. "No need. Good luck with her."

Yifan beamed as he bowed respectfully at the woman, taking the bundle in his hands. 

"Ah, young love." she sighed to herself as she watched the two boys exiting her store, finding something new to bicker about. "I just wonder when the two of them will realize it." 

~~~~~~~

The two eventually lose track of time, flitting from store to store, caught in long trances of laughter and smiles. The sun set before the two even realized it, finding the city bathed in the soft light of the summer evening, as soft breeze blowing through the streets. Junmyeon's hands wound around his bare arms.

"Cold?"

"No, it's just a bit chilly is all."

Yifan shook his head, reaching into his school bag, pulling a sweater out for the younger. 

"Here, take this. It always gets chilly at night."

Junmyeon cast his eyes down to the floor. "Wow, you sure are prepared."

"I guess you could say that... Thanks, by the way. For... helping me with everything." he added awkwardly.

"Oh. Right. It's really no problem-"

"No, really. I appreciate it. You really didn't have to do all this." 

"It's really alright-"

"I know it must be frustrating when people wanna use you to get to your sister, and I know you really didn't have to do this. But you did, and I'm grateful." 

"Yifan..."

"Come on." the elder said with a gummy smile. "Let's get you back home."

~~~~~~~

The next day struck both excitement and sheer terror in Yifan's heart. He had kept the small bouquet in a thin vase in his locker for the first half of the day, terrified of the prospect of the flowers wilting even the slightest bit. He could feel his palms sweating as he removed the flowers from the vase, searching franically for Junmyeon to help calm his nerves. He clutched the flowers close to his chest, wandering the halls in search for the younger. 

He almost gives up, until he sees the younger. His face splits into a smile as he quickly approaches.

"Junmyeon, where have you-" he begins, words fading to a whisper as his pace slows. He sees a small girl in front of Junmyeon, the younger's frame previously covering her small one. The same one from the other day, Ji-something, the vice chair of the student council, as Yifan had recalled. With the rush of students in the halls, most of her words reached Yifan as garbled as broken, but there was no denying what she had said.

"I... I really like you." 

He set his jaw as he turned around, refusing to hear anymore. He continued down the hall, barely aware of his nails digging into the soft skin of his palm, of his best friend screaming his name.

"Dude, I've been looking for you everywhere." Chanyeol shouted, slapping Yifan on the back. "Come on, I found Yifei."

Oh right...

"I got someone to stall her, but I'm not sure how long they can- hey, are you alright?" he asked, paying closer attention to Yifan's troubled expression.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." he muttered. 

"What's gotten into you?"

I don't know. "Nothing. Come on, let's go."

Chanyeol frowned. "Yifan, I know I'm stupid about 70% of the time-"

"90."

"Okay," he said with a sigh. "90. 90% of the time. But we're still best friends and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell when you're there's something wrong with you. So what's going on? This obviously goes beyond being nervous about Yifei."

"I-I don't know anymore." he said, clutching the flowers closer. "I honestly don't know anymore."

"Don't tell me you're thinking about chickening out."

"Maybe? I just- I don't know." 

"The lessons with Junmyeon couldn't have been for nothing."

"I wouldn't say for nothing."

Chanyeol gave the elder a weird look. "What's going on with you, dude? You were fine this morning. What is it that's changed from then to now?"

Yifan shrugged, casting a glance down the hall.

"What? Did you see something?"

"It's nothing." he said, sounding like he was trying convince himself more than anyone. "I just saw Junmyeon getting confessed to, it's really nothing."

Chanyeol furrowed his brow. "Nothing? Yifan, are you sure it's even Yifei that you like?"

"O-Of course!" he said, eyes wide. "I mean, I guess so... Who else would I like?" he asked genuinely. 

The younger smacked Yifan on the side of the head. "And I'm the stupid one. Forget this. Where's did you last see Junmyeon?"

"In front of the library? I don't see what-"

"How dense can you be?" Chanyeol nearly shouted in frustration. 

"w0t"

"I am literally this close to slapping you again. Have you really not caught on yet? After what, two weeks now?"

"Uh... No?"

"DO YOU NEED ME TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU?"

"No... But a clue might be helpful."

Chanyeol smacked Yifan's arm. "Who have you been spending nearly everyday after school with?"

"Junmyeon."

"And what have you done so far?"

"I brought him for dumplings, he made me read a lot, we shared opinions on the dreams of elephants, I gave him my sweater the other day, we got matching outfits, I met his parents, he came to visit me during basketball practice- look, I still don't see what your point is."

"Oh my god." Chanyeol laughed deliriously. "Oh my ing god."

"w0t"

"YOU LIKE HIM! YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM!"

"I do?"

Chanyeol slapped Yifan again. "OF COURSE YOU ING DO!"

"No... We're just friends. Like, sure, he's cute and smart and nice and sweet and nice and dresses well and reall really adorable when he tries to hide his amusement whenever I do something stupid and considerate and thoughtful and- you get the point, I don't-" Yifan stopped for a second. Chanyeol buried his face in his hands, looking at his friend expectantly. "Oh my god, I totally like him."

"HOLY I TOTALLY LIKE HIM." Yifan screamed, nearly dropping his flowers. "BUT WHAT DO I DO? HE WAS JUST CONFESSED TO!"

"It's clear that he likes you just as much as you like him. I doubt he would've accepted the girl's confession. Not to mention he's about as straight as a hula hoop."

Yifan nods, moving to leave to the stairwell before stopping in his tracks.

"Wait, Chanyeol... How fast can you run to the closest flower shop?"

~~~~~~~

"I... I really like you." Jieun confessed, cheeks pink.

Junmyeon was shocked.

"You're very nice and smart and I just wanted to know if you'd see a movie with me."

The boy smiled. "Thank you, Jieun, but I'm sorry to say I don't feel the same way." he said softly.

"Ah..." she sounded disappointed.

"It's not you, though. You truly are a smart, kind, beautiful girl that any guy would be lucky to have. It's just- I already like someone else."

"Well," she began "They must be very lucky."

"It's funny you say that. They're off confessing to someone else as we speak."

Jieun frowned. "What kind of an idiot would ever choose someone else over you?"

Junmyeon smiled. "The biggest idiot I know."

The two speak for a long time, eventually bidding farewell on good terms, ending with Jieun smiling as brightly as ever, and Junmyeon with his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. The halls had been long cleared, the only sounds in the empty school being the squeaking of the soles of his shoes and the janitors mopping the floors silently.

Junmyeon sighed as he spared a glance out the window, the sun setting behind the trees that lined the perimeter of the school as he approached his locker. His hands moveed slowly on the lock, the boy trying to take as much time as he could before he had to return home, return to the knowledge of Yifan's feelings for his step sister.

He opened his locker slowly, and his heart almost dropped at the sight inside.

A small vase of flowers, accompanied by a small, potted cactus.

~~~~~~~

Yifan refused to pick up any calls that night.

~~~~~~~

The next morning at school was met with a tiny, confused, and furious Junmyeon. 

The younger marched up to Yifan while the taller was at his locker.

"Hey!" he shouted, the taller jumping, nearly dropping his phone. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Uh... I need my books for class?"

"Not that, you idiot! I mean the flowers! What happened to Yifei?"

"Oh. I changed my mind."

"You what?"

"I changed my mind. It turned out I didn't like her as much as I thought I did." 

"What were you thinking?! We spent 2 weeks-"

"Funny you mention that. It's the 2 weeks we spent together that made me change my mind."

"W-what?"

"I realized I never really liked her all that much. I'm sure she's an amazing person, but at this point, I'm not sure if that's something I need, or even want, to find out for myself. Not when the perfect person for me was in front of me through the whole fiasco." 

"But Yifei-"

"I think she has a thing for Seungheon anyways. So, what do you say? Are we a thing now?"

"You're an idiot." 

"I'm not hearing a no."

"Shut up." 

~~~~~~~

"So, I've been meaning to ask..." 

"Hmmm?"

"How did you get into my locker to drop off the flowers? I never leave my locker unlocked and I was extra careful to not let you see my combination."

"Why were you so cautious about that?"

Junmyeon grimaced. "Do you really want to know the answer to that question?"

"r00d"

"But really, how did you get in?"

"Jongdae." 

Junmyeon nodded in understanding.

"Oh, speaking of Jongdae-" 

"You called?" Jongdae asked, stepping up to the couple.

"Yeah. Take this." he said, reaching into his locker and pulling out a small gift basket.

"Uh... Why?" 

"Yifan, I have the math notes that you needed." Minseok said, approaching the trio. "They're from the last few classes, but- Oh... Hi Jongdae." 

Yifan nudged the youngest boy towards Minseok, Jongdae holding the basket out feebly to the eldest boy.

"For you." he said awkwardly, Minseok picking the note attached to the side off, skimming over it quickly. His mouth split into a small smile. 

"You know, Jongdae, you're really not as bad as I thought you were. Do you wanna do something after school today?"

Jongdae stared disbelievingly at Minseok, nodding dumbly after a few moments. 

"Great. Come on, I need to drop some stuff off at my locker. You coming?" 

Jongdae nodded, turning his head back to Yifan, eyes still wide and Yifan winked at him.

"Matchmaker too?"

"Nothing the mighty Wu Yifan can't do"

Junmyeon had to stifle a guaffaw.

"What?"

"For one, you just referred to yourself as the 'mighty Wu Yifan'. Secondly, I can think of a lot of things you can't do."

"Like what?"

"Oh, where to start? Math, science, geography-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. But at least I have a boyfriend. I can still do you." he said, eyebrows raised suggestively.

"Keep talking and you'll lose that too." 

"You don't mean that. You love me." Yifan said with a gummy smile, wrapping an arm around Junmyeon's shoulders.

"Shut up."