Luhan tried to not notice how alone Sehun was as he sat by himself at a table in the cafeteria. Now that Jongin has self declared himself as a permanent member of their table, he rarely sat with Sehun, using the excuse that they were roommates and they didn't need to be constantly together like he and Kyungsoo.

Tao was no where to be found, leaving Sehun by himself. The seat across from Luhan called for his name. If this had been before, he would have raced over to be the first to comfort the sophomore and keep him company. But now, he didn't know if he had that right, if Sehun would even want him by his side.

"If you want to sit over there, just go." Joonmyeon comments.

Luhan snapped out of his daydream. "H-Huh?"

"We all see you staring lasers into Sehun's head. If you're so concerned, just talk to him."

Luhan bit his lip, his grip loosening on the chopsticks.

"But what if he doesn't want to talk to me?"

"If that happens, I'll go over and walk you back so you won't be embarrassed alone." Minseok says with a smile. Luhan's fingers gripped the table before he stood up and walked, almost robotically, over to Sehun. They all watched until he moment he sat down before going back to their own food.

"C-Can I sit h..here?" Luhan lamely asks.

Sehun gave the older male a quick glance before nodding.
Luhan hesitantly took a seat, sitting as if the surface was covered with needles.

Sehun continued to eat his food, completely ignoring Luhan's presence.

"Is it...good?" Luhan manages to ask. Why was he acting like this?!

Fortunately Sehun had the heart to respond. "Mhm."

Luhan felt the ends of his lips curl as he watched Sehun shovel spoonfuls of rice into his mouth. In his opinion, Sehun was too boney for his tall figure.

"Where are, uhm, your friends?" Luhan asked. It seemed like a one sided conversation with Sehun's weak answers.

The younger male shrugged.

"Oh..okay." Luhan finished shortly.

He couldn't help but notice that there was a grain of rice on the side of Sehun's mouth. He chuckled and reached over to wipe it off.

"You're always so messy. You have a-"

Just when Luhan's hand was about to touch Sehun's face, the younger male grabbed Luhan's wrist, his face showing no emotion.

"Don't."

Luhan blinked, the smile wiped off his face slowly.

"H-huh?"

"Why won't you ever give up?" Sehun asked, looking up at Luhan.

"W-What do you mean?"

Sehun let go of the senior's wrist and Luhan sat back in his seat. Luhan couldn't tell what kind of expression Sehun's face was showing. Anger? Confusion? Hurt?

"Why are you trying to hard to make me like you? What is it that you like about me?"

Luhan stared at him in the eyes. He wasn't going to run away. He had suffered too much to let Sehun run all over his feelings again.

"I like that you don't care about anyone but yourself. I like how you don't have a lot of friends but the ones you have are the ones closest to you. I like that you liked someone like Chanyeol and put effort to make him notice you. I like that you think no one sees you with your frizzy hair in the early morning when you need to go to Tao's room. But I've seen you twice. I like that you're good at math but struggle with science. I like that you think you can do everything on your own but find yourself relying on Jongin." Luhan says, not breaking the eye contact with Sehun.

The younger male blinks.
"Those don't really seem like legit reasons-"

"I like you because you're you. You can be kind but you seem to have shut yourself out from everyone else. I want you to open up to me and tell me what bothers you, what you like, what you don't like. I want to know everything about you." Luhan finishes.

Sehun doesn't say a word but if he did, Luhan knew he would break his composure. He got up and walked over to the other male.

"Soon, you'll know everything about me too." Luhan picked off the grain of rice still on Sehun's lip and ate it, leaving Sehun's eyes wide and cheeks with a faint shade of pink.

Luhan walked back to his seat with his ear's red and his heart racing.

Did I just eat a rice from Sehun's face?! What is wrong with me?! Oh my god, now he's never gonna talk to me! He thinks I'm a weirdo who enjoys eating food off his face!

Luhan sat down, ignoring the questions Jongin and Minseok threw at him.

Sehun looked down at his food, glancing back at Luhan who sat with his friends. For some reason, the only one that stood out to him was the deer.

"Idiot." Sehun mumbled.

 -

Joonmyeon walked around, searching for a certain tall blonde male.

"..where could he have gone?" He mumbled to himself. He checked a few rooms before wandering around the halls.

"Who are you looking for?" A familiar voice asks from behind, causing the senior to turn around.

Joonmyeon found himself staring at the one and only Yixing. 

"I-I was looking for-"

"Kris?" Yixing finished for him. 

Joonmyeon nodded. 

Yixing looked around before motioning for the senior to come closer.

"Wha-"

Yixing shushed him. "Don't be annoying and just follow me."

Joonmyeon, not knowing what he was doing, obediently followed the other male through the faculty building.

"..So.." He tried to start a conversation. 

"You and Kris are back on again?" Yixing asked, not looking in Joonmyeon's way. 

"N-" He cut himself off. If this was the old him, he would have immediately rejected that idea to remind Yixing of his interests in him and that he was single. Now, was there even a point?

"I mean..Maybe. He's gotten a lot more mature since he left..and of course he talks about our past. It isn't really an uncomfortable topic but I didn't think he'd come back so soon, you know?"

Yixing hummed but said nothing else. 

"Where are we going? Can't you just tell me where Kris i-"

"Kris isn't here." 

Joonmyeon blinks. "What? Then-"

"I.." Yixing looked down at the floor. Why did he make Joonmyeon follow him? It had always been him in the lead. Joonmyeon had always trailer after him loyally. But now, it seemed that he was rebelling, pulling away from him.

"I never said I'd take you to Kris." Yixing says.

Joonmyeon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and huffed in annoyance. "I didn't follow you for nothing.."

"Nothing?" Yixing frowned. "You used to be fine just walking with me but now even this is bothersome?"

Joonmyeon didn't understand what Yixing was getting upset for. "What are you talking about?"

Yixing turned to the other male. "Are you going to take Kris back if he asks you?"

Joonmyeon inhaled. "T-That's none of your concern."

Yixing looked away. "Okay then."

Just when Yixing was about to walk away, Joonmyeon had an uneasy feeling in his chest. It tugged at him as if he was about to lose something very important to him, or rather someone he treasured. 

"No."

Yixing paused. 

Joonmyeon silently breathed a sigh of relief. "My answer would have been no."

The other male didn't say a word.

"However..if it were you asking me, it'd be different." Joonmyeon finished.

Yixing tightened his fists. 

*Flashback*

"My little brother is a freshman now!" Jun-ha said with a proud smile. Yixing raised his eyebrow. 

"You're the infamous Joonmyeon he's been chattering about?"

Joonmyeon blinked, looking at his brother's friend. 

"I guess?"

"Isn't he just adorable? I'm only older by 4 days but it feels like 4 years!" Jun-ha ruffled Joonmyeon's hair. 

"This is Yixing. He's the same year as you but he's born a year earlier."

"Hi." Yixing says, extending his hand out. 

"Hi.." Joonmyeon says. He had just been transferred in three weeks into the school year. 

"You two should get along just fine!" Jun-ha laughed, putting his arms around their shoulders. 

-

 "Where's my brother?" Joonmyeon asked as he walked into the principal's office.

"Kim Joonmyeon.." Ms. Kim looked at the young male standing before her. He had tears in his eyes and a clenched fist. His expression said he knew it all but needed an explaination, proof, that it was true. 

"I asked, where is my brother?" He said more defiantly. 

The principal shook her head calling for security to take Joonmyeon away.

-

Yixing hesitated to open the office door. Taking one deep breath, his hand gripped the handle, opening the door an inch only to hear the Principal speaking with someone.

"Make sure that water nova student never hears of this." She said firmly.

 A male voice spoke up. "Yes, ma'm.."

"Either way, that kid hasn't been around long enough for others to remember him. His younger brother.." She continued. 

"We've done the spell. By tomorrow his memories will be blurred. His teachers have also been notified of the..transfer." 

*End of Flashback*

"You don't understand." Yixing felt his eyes blur. How could he forget his first friend at this school? How could he forget how he couldn't save him from losing his powers during their first scavenger hunt? How could he love Joonmyeon with his whole heart when he betrayed his brother?

"Then tell me so that I do!" Joonmyeon exclaimed. 

"You confuse me Yixing! There are times when I think that you actually like me back, but those days were so long ago I don't even remember when I had been the only one chasing."

Yixing pulled Joonmyeon by his arm into an empty room.

"Y-You...You had a brother."

Joonmyeon furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?" 

"Does the name Kim Jun-ha sound familiar to you?" Yixing spoke slowly. 

"No.. Who is he?"

Yixing tried to not cringe at this thought. It hurt him to know that Joonmyeon couldn't recognize his own brother's name. But how could he? School spells done by the Board were too powerful. 

"Are you an only child?" Yixing questioned and Joonmyeon nodded.

"What are you trying to say? I don't-"

"You don't remember this because the school..they put a memory loss spell on you. Your brother, he and I partnered up for the first scavenger hunt during our freshman year..Jun-ha and I decided to go to the edge of the forrest and ditch the compeition but Jun-ha..He fell through the force field-"

"Wait, what?! So..this Jun-ha..is my older brother? He had a nova?"

Yixing nodded, understanding that it was alot to take in. It had been eating him alive all these years but now, it was time to reveal the truth. Only he, the Princpal, and Kris knew of the situation.

"Yeah.."

"W-What happened to him?" Joonmyeon's voice became softer.

Yixing leaned against the wall. "He..He lost his nova."

Joonmyeon's lips parted. "L-Lost it?"

Yixing nodded. "Your brother also had a water nova, just like you. But they couldn't find him. Our security searched everywhere in the real world within our location and in Seoul..A few weeks later, they found him."

Joonmyeon's eyes widened. "Then what happened?! Did he return?"

Yixing shut his eyes. "H-He...He didn't remember anything. It was as if he was a whole different person. As you know, normal people don't know about our powers. There are people yet to enter this school and people who will never have a chance to understand the powers we have. Your brother was one of those who just wasn't meant to keep his nova forever."

Joonmyeon felt his knees go weak but Yixing was quick to catch him.

"S-So you're saying..I-I had a hyung but I don't remember him? And he won't remember me or anything of this school?"

He took the latter's silence as his answer. His head hurt. How was this possible? How could he not remember or even know that he had such a family member? They must have at least had a few memories before they entered the school but no one came to Joonmyeon's mind

"How..can this school be so cruel?" Joonmyeon's hands tightened into fists. "Did they think that they could hide this from me forever?"

Yixing's grip supporting the other male loosened. "It was for your sake. How would you have felt if you knew your brother forgot you?"

"I would have rather been a novaless person than live knowing that my only brother no longer knows of my existence." Joonmyeon felt a tear slip down his cheek. Yixing caught sight of it before Joonmyeon willed the water to evaporate off his skin.

Ever so slowly, Yixing pulled Joonmyeon into a hug, letting him sniffle against his shoulder. He wasn't used to showing this much affection or comfort but he knew Joomyeon needed it.

After another 5 minutes, Joonmyeon gently pushed himself off of Yixing, his eyes completely dry of tears.

"This..was the reason why you didn't want to be with me? Because of my brother?"

Yixing swallowed and looked down.

"I felt guilty, as if I betrayed my own family, if I were to take you for myself after Jun-ha just left l-like that...He was my best friend at the time..And he only left you behind. I tried to avoid you after the first few months after Jun-ha's disppearance but you kept reappearing in front of me. It was only natural for me to create some distance between us. But after a while, I realized I couln't..so I settled for us to be friends, trying to put the past away. But it eats me alive everytime I think of holding your hand or kissing you."

Joonmyeon blinked and his heart raced. "K-K-Ki-Kiss..ing?"

Yixing leaned closer so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Why? No longer interested in me?"

Joonmyeon found himself staring back into Yixing's eyes. He could see the pain, confusion, and fear clouded in his gaze.

Joonmyeon let his hand find Yixing's and he intwined their fingers together.

"Don't...blame yourself for something you didn't do. Me going after you, me liking you, was my own choice. Jun-ha..hyung.. he's someone that I have no memories of, someone who no longer knows who I am. Even if he was once my brother, and your best friend, has it ever crossed your mind that you're hurting me every time you push me away? I understand that you're hurt and scared, but I've always been here..I'm always right here." Joonmyeon gently let his nose press to Yixing's. When the other male didn't pull way, Joonmyeon relaxed a bit.

"I can't..forget." Yixing says, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Then I'll help you." Joonmyeon leaned over, pressing his lips with Yixing's.

Another slow update!

Leave a comment! What is going on with HunHan? What was your reaction to the real reason why Yixing can't date Joonmyeon? What would you have done in Yixing's position?

I won't be featuring a comment for this chapter but I love reading all your responses! ^O^ I also apologize for the lack of Baekyeol in this chapter, they'll show up in the next one!

Thank you for being patient readers and for supporting this story! ~~ <3