Baekhyun peeked over his shoulder as quickly as he could without drawing attention to himself. The classroom where he needed to be next was a mere 50 meters away, and so far the coast seemed clear. He could see Jongdae, the best friend of Baekhyun's nemesis, out of the corner of his eye, but the Kim boy was on the other side of the hall, nowhere near Baekhyun's destination. Baekhyun squared his shoulders, took another speedy glance, then bolted. With any luck he'd arrive at the classroom without incident.

He had no such luck.

An arm shot out from somewhere to grab Baekhyun by the wrist. The rest of Minseok followed, almost as if the slightly older boy had been waiting for Baekhyun to pass him by. Luhan, another of Minseok's cronies, smirked from where he stood just behind his friend; Baekhyun could swear the exchange student was a demon, just barely more tolerable than Minseok, the devil himself.

"Fancy meeting you here," Minseok said, his smile far too large in Baekhyun's opinion. Baekhyun saw Jongdae sauntering toward them and scoffed—like Minseok hadn't known exactly where Baekhyun was and where he was heading.

Baekhyun said as much, not at all afraid of the three boys blocking his path to the classroom. This had happened too often for him to be anything but annoyed. He added, "Don't you get tired of following me around, Kim? People might start getting ideas."

Jongdae rolled his eyes and Luhan laughed. "He wishes," the Chinese boy whispered to Minseok's cousin.

Minseok's gaze locked onto Baekhyun's and Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. If only they knew.

They stayed like that until the first bell rang, the three of them trapped by Minseok's grip as much as Baekhyun was. When the bell rang a second time, Jongdae and Luhan sprang into action, pushing and shoving each other with raucous laughter as they called goodbye to their leader from over their shoulders and made their way to class.

Minseok finally released Baekhyun's wrist, moving so he could grab the younger by the shoulders and turn him toward the classroom he'd been trying to reach in the first place. With two hands planted firmly Minseok pushed Baekhyun forward, just like he had all those years ago when they were five. And just like that first time, Baekhyun saw a teacher coming toward them and stumbled forward on purpose, falling flat on his when he and Minseok both knew he could have caught himself easily.

"Kim Minseok!" The teacher was livid, Baekhyun could tell. "Bullying is not tolerated in this school. Principal's office!"

Baekhyun struggled to keep a straight face as he lifted himself from the floor and caught Minseok glaring down at him. To his surprise, though, the teacher turned his attention on Baekhyun as soon as he was standing.

"And you! Byun Baekhyun! The late bell already rang five minutes ago. Why aren't you in class? Principal's office!"

This time it was Minseok who wore a suspiciously twitching face and when Baekhyun groaned in annoyance at being in by his own stupidity, Minseok's resolve broke. His expression returned to that overly large smile which annoyed Baekhyun to no end.

"Stop smiling, . We're in trouble." Baekhyun whispered as he and Minseok followed the teacher dutifully to the Principal to receive their punishment.

Minseok shrugged. "We're always in trouble. Always have been." True fact, Baekhyun thought begrudgingly; he hadn't had to involve himself in any of this, after all. Still, he wasn't about to let Minseok know that, although he suspected Minseok already sort of knew.

They greeted the Principal like an old friend when they arrived at his office, and apologized with matching bows when the man sighed in exasperation and wondered aloud why he even bothered with them.

"You've got two months until graduation," he reminded them. "Can't you just behave until then?"

He threatened to call their parents like he always did, but Minseok was feeling snarky, apparently, and remarked that it probably wouldn't make a difference. "They've received so many, you see," he explained. And they had.

The Principal gave another long-suffering sigh and raised his gaze to the heavens to ask why he hadn't retired last year when his wife had asked him to. "Detention," he decided after a moment of personal deliberation. "And I'm not going to call your parents this time because if I need a break from all this, God knows they do too."

Baekhyun grinned and bowed again. "Thank you, sir! I won't say it won't happen again"—they all knew it would—"but I'll try to be good from now on." Minseok nodded his silent agreement and the Principal waved them out.

"You'll try to be good, huh?" Minseok asked Baekhyun with a smirk as they made their way back to class, late slips from the Principal's secretary in hand. He stopped walking, glanced over his shoulder like Baekhyun had done before all this, then grabbed Baekhyun once again and pushed him back against the lockers. "Good for me?"

Baekhyun wanted to roll his eyes—they were in public for God's sake—but instead found himself reaching out for the fabric of Minseok's shirt so he could pull the other boy closer. "You wish," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as Minseok began to nose at his neck. Minseok a stripe along his jawline and Baekhyun groaned.

"We'll get in trouble, you idiot."

Minseok smiled, his mouth moving at the same leisurely pace from Baekhyun's ear to his lips. "We're always in trouble."

Baekhyun's tongue probed at Minseok's mouth, parting the elder's lips with practiced ease. "We wouldn't be if you weren't always pushing me around."

Minseok's smile grew and their teeth bumped. It happened more often than Baekhyun liked, hence his annoyance every time Minseok's face wore that particular expression.

"Stop falling for me then," he teased, hands moving to cup the back of Baekhyun's neck as Baekhyun's arms went around his waist and they continued kissing. Minseok's tongue swiped at the roof of Baekhyun's mouth just enough for it to tickle, and Baekhyun nipped at Minseok's lip with his teeth. They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice the same teacher who'd caught them earlier charging at them from down the hall.

"Kim Minseok! Byun Baekhyun!" he practically screamed at them. "Principal's office!"

This time the Principal called their parents.