12. If 120 g of propane, C3H8, is burned in excess oxygen, how many grams of water are formed?

Soonyoung stares at the problem, eyebrows scrunched in concentration and lips pursed. He doesn’t even know where to start. It doesn’t help that he stayed up all night last night playing Halo with Mingyu and Wonwoo who spent half the time arguing about some chick the younger had seen at Wonwoo’s locker earlier that day. The blonde stifles his laughter when he thinks of how Wonwoo had hung up on the brunette when he let it slip that he loved him. He’d spent the rest of the night trying to console a frantic, upset Mingyu.

“Five more minutes”

Soonyoung jumps, startled at his teacher’s voice. Great, he thinks bitterly, he only has five more minutes and he hasn’t even completed more than half of the work. Skipping through the answers he knows he can’t solve with a measly five minutes, or in general, he breezes through the vocabulary section with the song Mingyu had taught him. The bell rings just as he finishes the last question. He scribbles his name sloppily across the top, cringing at the way his mother is going to yell at him for yet another failed grade as he slips his messenger bag across his shoulder, heading to the front with the rest of his classmates to turn in his work.

“Soonyoung, can you stay behind for a minute? I need to speak with you.”

He tries to ignore the snickering and stares from his classmates, he really does, but it’s extremely difficult with the way his teacher just singled him out, like always. Jisoo jerks a thumb toward the hallway, signaling he’ll be waiting outside for younger before disappearing behind the now closed door with the rest of his classmates. His teacher, Mr. Opal, is silent, examining Soonyoung’s quiz quickly before heaving a sigh.

“As I’m sure you are aware, you are failing this class, Soonyoung. I don’t give extra credit and this is the last graded assignment before the final, which means you need to make at least an eighty-five on the final to pass this class overall.” He says, but Soonyoung already knows this, really. He had long since accepted the fact that he’d be in Chemistry once more next semester, because there’s no way he can relearn (and try to actually grasp) fifteen chapters of vocabulary, equations, and elements in two weeks. When he doesn’t receive the usual witty or playful response form the younger, who’s sulking adamantly, frowning down at his sneakers, Mr. Opal frowns.

“It’s unlike you to give up so easily, Soonyoung.” He mutters before suggesting, “Maybe you should take a break from soccer to-“

“No! I mean- I can’t do that. I’ll study more. I’ll-“

He can’t take a break from soccer, not when he’s the co-captain and it’s his last year. He has to play every game, they have to win every game. Half of the team consists of seniors, and they all want to get scouted. Soonyoung is no exception.

“You’ve said that before and here you have this.” Is the elder’s reproach as he holds up Soonyoung’s quiz, 48%, written in bright, bold red marker in the corner.

“Look Soonyoung, I don’t like to see my students fail, believe it or not” He starts, but Soonyoung wants to disagree because the elder had once given him a zero on his test for forgetting to put the date of all things, “I’m suggesting a tutor for you, Lee Jihoon. He has the highest grade in the class and is overall, a very nice kid. I would suggest Jisoo, but I don’t think you’d make much progress considering your friendship. You’ll only be distracted. Besides, Jihoon has already agreed to tutor you-“

“Sorry to interrupt, but who is Jihoon?” He asks, because the name sounded completely unfamiliar and Soonyoung liked to think he knew the entire student body.

“He sits right in front of you.” Mr. Opal deadpans, looking torn between disbelief and irritation.

“Oh, uh-“ He murmurs. How didn’t he know who sat in front of him?

“Pink hair, a little on the short side-“

“I know him!” He exclaims suddenly, startling his teacher. Briefly, his mind flashes to yesterday, the cute pout that would form on the boy’s face whenever he would miss a key and the angelic tone to his voice. Soonyoung likes his tutor already. 

“Please, stop interrupting me Mr. Kwon” The elder sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Get together with you new tutor and try to cover as much of the material as you can before the final. Also, try to tone it down a little Mr.Kwon, he’s a little on the shy side, but luckily, he agreed nonetheless.”

He’s dismissed then, with the wave of his teacher’s hand. Soonyoung thanks him repeatedly with a small bow before leaving. Jisoo greets him with a small smile, falling into step with the younger easily.

“I’m failing Chem. I need at least an eighty-five on the final to pass the class altogether. Basically, I’m screwed.” He grumbles because knows Jisoo is curious but too polite to actually pry. Plus, he’s kind of freaking out, the reality of the situation finally setting in.

“I can tutor you after my guitar lessons.” The brunette suggests with a small shrug.

“Hyung, you are too kind” The blonde grins, slinging an arm around the elder, “And handsome, how is Jeonghan hyung able to resist you?”

Jisoo stammers, a bright flush to his cheeks, at the close proximity, making Soonyoung burst into a fit of giggles because his hyung is so cute.

“Seriously, thank you for the offer hyung, but I’ve already been assigned a tutor, Lee Jihoon. Apparently, he sits right in front of me.”

“He does.” Jisoo nods, “He’s really quiet, so you probably never noticed. I think he’s just shy. He talks to Seungcheol sometimes though.”

Soonyoung snorts. Who didn’t talk to or at least know Seungcheol? The guy was all over the place.

“I’ve seen him before, yesterday actually. I overheard him in the music room, my curiosity got the better of me and I took a little peek. He’s cute.” He says earning a noncommittal hum from the other before he pulls him closer, squishing his cheek against the elder’s, “But no one is cuter than my Jisoo hyung!”

Soonyounger’s laughter fills the rapidly emptying hallway as he teases the blushing elder relentlessly. They’re almost to the soccer field when they stumble across Mingyu and Wonwoo, as the elder’s locker happens to be near the back exit of the school. He knew the younger couldn’t stay away from the other for too long.

“You should kiss me” Mingyu says to the darker haired boy, who only gives a noncommittal grunt as he tries to organize the mess of sticky notes and empty energy drinks cans that is his locker.

“Why are you such a bad boyfriend?” He pouts earning an eye roll this time, “Fine, if you won’t kiss me then I’ll find someone who will.”

“I’ll kiss you Mingyu ah!” Soonyoung shouts gleefully, wrapping his arms around the younger’s neck.

“Soonyoung hyung!” Mingyu grins, pulling the elder in by his waist. Jisoo stiffens, taking a cautious step back when Wonwoo slams his locker shut with a little more force than necessary.

They’re lips are only centimeters apart when Mingyu is jerked to the side, being yanked away by Wonwoo, the dark haired boy glaring menacingly at Soonyoung, who only waves him off with a small smirk. The younger grumbles in turn, pulling his brunette boyfriend down the hallway, Mingyu shooting the blonde a thumbs up over his shoulder, smiling broadly as he’s pulled along by his jealous boyfriend.

Soonyoung won’t be surprised when the other is littered with hickeys tomorrow.

Jisoo just shakes his head at their antics with a fond smile before they continue their trek towards the soccer field. When they get to said field, they find it absent of the team, so they head to the locker rooms where the others are changing for practice already.

“Soonyoung ah!” Seungcheol greets him cheerfully, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

“Hyung, please put a shirt on” He mutters, because the elder is shameless, really.

“He just wants to show off his nonexistent six pack” Jeonghan teases, making the team erupt in laughter and their own teasing of the blonde captain. Seungcheol pouts, but complies, digging through his bag to find his shirt.

“Uh- Jisoo hyung, isn’t this locker room for soccer team members only? No offense.” Someone asks, making the brunette jump, face redder than Soonyoung’s ever seen. He frowns then, placing a hand gently over the elder’s forehead. He was burning up.

“Are you okay hyung?”

“Of course he’s okay” Seungcheol speaks up, smirk devious, “You guys call me a ert, but our innocent Jisoo sneaks in here every day under the ruse of waiting for Soonyoung ah just to see Jeonghan half--“

“Yah! Are you crazy?” Soonyoung exclaims, slapping a hand over the blonde captain’s mouth who only shrugs in response, smug look still intact as the team erupts in laughter once more, pinching his cheeks and cooing at Jisoo, who looks like he’s going to pass out any minute now.

“What?” Jeonghan mumbles absentmindedly, trying to put his hair into the perfect ponytail.

“N-nothing, nothing!” Jisoo amends quickly, before excusing himself, scurrying out amongst the rest of the team piling out of the locker room.

Soonyoung heaves a sigh of relief then, hesitantly removing his hand from covering Seungcheol’s mouth, glaring up at the elder.

“You’re horrible” He mutters, rummaging through his bag for his shorts.

“But you love me all the same Soonyoung ah” Seungcheol says, poking the youngers cheek insistently because he knows how much it annoys him. As expected, Soonyoung is already swatting his finger away.

“What makes you think that?” The younger inquires with the slight raise of his brow.

The blonde captain just shrugs, grinning as he reminds the rest of them they have five minutes before practice starts. Leaving to accompany the rest of the team shortly after. Only Jeonghan and Soonyoung are left in the spacious locker room, and it’s silent as the former tries to fix his ponytail and the latter changes quickly. It’s Jeonghan who breaks the silence.

“He really likes you, you know that, right?”

It takes Soonyoung to figure out just what exactly, or rather who, the elder is talking about, but when he does, he pauses in tying his shoelaces.

“That’s not funny, hyung” He frowns.

There’s no reply at first, not until Jeonghan has checked himself out in the mirror one last time before turning to leave, but not before glancing at Soonyoung with an unreadable expression.

“Who said I was joking?”

He’s gone before the blonde can even blink.

______________________________________________________________________________

Practice goes by smoothly, except Soonyoung starts to notice things.

Like how Seungcheol places them on the same team for the mock game even though Soonyoung is the next best player right after him, or how the elder gets distracted mid speech, but it turns out he’s just staring at Soonyoung. It starts bothering him towards the end of the three hour long practice. Not that he’s not flattered, it is Seungcheol after all, one of the most sought after guys in the school, but it’s also one of his best friends. While he’s not the brightest crayon in the box, he can’t help but wonder how he didn’t notice any of it before. They’ve been playing soccer together for six years and they’ve known each other for longer, really, where had his mind been this whole time? Soonyoung wonders.

Somehow, he manages to keep his distance until the practice is over. He rushes toward where Jisoo is waiting in the bleachers, trying to avoid Seungcheol when he sees the blonde headed his way.

“Isn’t that your tutor?” The brunette asks, nodding in the opposite direction as he hands the blonde a bottle of water. Soonyoung thanks him quietly, downing half of it in seconds before glancing in the direction the elder had pointed. Sure enough, under the shade of a tree not too far away is Jihoon, the pink haired boy leaned against the bark, indulged in a book.

“I should go talk to him.” Soonyoung says. Jisoo only gives a small nod and an encouraging smile before the younger is headed toward the pink haired boy, half jogging half walking the distance.

“Hey” He greets quietly as not the disturb Jihoon too much and startle him as bad as last time.

Jihoon pauses in his reading, hesitating, before looking up at Soonyoung.     

“Hey” He murmurs, a faint blush on his cheeks, making the blonde mentally coo at how cute he is.

“Hm, what are you reading?” He asks, seating himself beside the younger. Jihoon shows him the cover, Gulliver’s Travels, making him exclaim, “Hey! We’re reading that in my AP Lit. class.”

“I know. We have the same class.”  

It’s so quiet, a mere whisper, that he almost doesn’t catch it, but when he does, he finds himself blushing also, from embarrassment. Jihoon had two class with him and he was just now noticing the younger? Soonyoung had never felt so bad in his life.

“Oh- uh” He mumbles, before clearing his throat and turning to face the other with a small smile, “Thank you for agreeing to tutor me. Mr. Opal told me today that you agreed to help me before the final. Thank you, Jihoon-ssi. I really appreciate it.”

Jihoon’s face is redder than Jisoo’s from the locker room incident, something Soonyoung didn’t think was possible.

“I-uh, you’re welcome- I mean, it’s no problem, b-because I don’t mind. I mean-“ He stammers, toying with the book out of nervousness.

“So cute” Soonyoung coos, pouting, because he wants to reach out and touch the younger but he doesn’t want to run him off. Jihoon looks mortified making Soonyoung laugh.

There’s a small pause in which they just watch the soccer team goof around on the field, a common occurrence after practice. Surprisingly, it’s Jihoon who speaks up.

“You played really well.”  

Soonyoung grins at the flustered look on the pink haired boy’s face when he appears to have realized what he’s said.

“I meant-”

“You played well too” He says, tapping the younger’s knee lightly. Jihoon follows the movement with wide eyes, before a look of confusion crosses his features, making Soonyoung giggle before clarifying, “The piano, you played it really well yesterday.”

“Ah that, I’m not really good-“

“You sounded fine to me.” The blonde amends quickly because he doesn’t like the way Jihoon is frowning or doubting himself.

“You play?” The younger inquires.

“Yes, but I wasn’t really sure what you were trying to play yesterday.”

“Ah…” Jihoon hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, “It’s something I wrote actually.”

“Oh, Jihoon-ssi you are so talented! Singing, songwriting, and you play the piano, not to mention you’re probably the smartest kid in the senior class!-“ Soonyoung exclaims suddenly, gripping Jihoon’s shoulder with a broad grin, “Teach my your ways oh great Jihoon seongsang-nim!-“

“Hyung-“

“What’s going on over here?”

Jihoon jumps away as if burned, gaze focused solely on the ground, covering his face with the sleeve of his shirt as Seungcheol approaches. Soonyoung frowns.

“Soonyoung-ah, come on. Jeonghan is buying the team pizza for a good practice!” The blonde captain grins.

“Is hyung buying the pizza of his own free will or did you threaten to leak those pictures from tenth grade?” Soonyoung asks.

Seungcheol just shrugs with a sly smirk, holding his hand out to the younger, who accepts it hesitantly.

“Jihoon-ah…” He greets then, nodding at the younger rather stiffly Soonyoung notes.

“Hyung…”

Awkward.

“Uhm” He mumbles before clearing his throat, offering the pink haired boy a small smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow, right Jihoon-ssi? We can compare our schedules and set specific dates then.”

“O-okay” Jihoon nods, smiling hesitantly up at the elder, “See you tomorrow hyung.”

“Bye Jihoon-ssi! See you tomorrow” He calls over his shoulder as Seungcheol pulls him away.

“Dates?” The elder inquires once their inside the now crowded, noisy locker room.

“Jihoon-ssi is my new Chemistry tutor.” Soonyoung doesn’t notice how bright his smile is at the mention of the smaller boy, but Seungcheol notices.

“Hm…” He hums quietly. He changes quicker than the co-captain has ever seen, doesn’t make any of his usual jokes or interact with the rest of the team really, and leaves before anyone can really say anything.

Soonyoung frowns after him, ignoring Jeonghan’s worried gaze. What had he done?