~~~

Jongin snaps his head up and is instantly greeted with the sight of a pair of black and red sneakers. The smell of smoke still lingers in the air and he almost gags because he has never been a fan of the scent of smoke, or smoking in general, for that matter. So, whilst trying to block out the awful odor, Jongin blinks and slowly looks up, only to come face to face with none other than Kim Junmyeon and, normally, Jongin wouldn't have anything against seeing the former's face, but considering the circumstances, he can't help but feel slightly alarmed and he instinctively backs away, only to realize that he is, in fact, already sitting with his back smack against the wall and he curses under his breath. He opts to avoid Junmyeon's eyes instead and keep his own gaze fixated on the latter's shoes.

However, it doesn't take long for Jongin to realize that he heard Junmyeon say something less than a minute ago, something which he can't remember for the life of him. Jongin wonders if it's even worth asking Junmyeon about it since he'd rather not risk getting a black eye or all his ribs broken because, although he doesn't think of himself as a judgemental person, Jongin won't deny that the aura that seems to fill the air every time Junmyeon is within a six foot distance is enough to make him not want to mess with the latter in any way, shape or form. And Jongin figures that he's already suffered enough for one day, and the last thing he wants is for Junmyeon to add to the bunch.

"Since you look confused as hell, I said 'spot on'," Junmyeon suddenly says, nearly making Jongin cry out in surprise. He chuckles a bit before gesturing at the key lying neglected on the floor, a few feet away. "He gave it to you?"

Jongin nods weakly, still not daring to look Junmyeon in the eyes. "More like threw," he mumbles, choosing his words with great caution as to not somehow irritate Junmyeon or rub the latter the wrong way.

"I can imagine," Junmyeon says simply before proceeding to slowly sit down next to the brunet. Leaning his back against the wall, he digs into his pocket and pulls out the red and white box which has pretty much become a personal gadget to him at this point. He retrieves a stick with elegant fingers before holding it up in front of Jongin's face.

Jongin bites his lip. Not because he's contemplating it, which he most definitely isn't, but because he's sort of really scared to decline Junmyeon's offer, so instead of saying anything, he shakes his head ever so slightly, hoping Junmyeon gets the hint. His entire body has frozen up after Junmyeon sat down next to him and Jongin feels like a deer caught in headlights.

"Thought so," Junmyeon chuckles before putting the cigarette between his lips and quickly pulling out his lighter. After he brings it to the tip of the stick, he takes a drag and removes it from his mouth. "You don't strike me as a smoker, anyway," he adds whilst exhaling, a puff of gray smoke leaving his mouth with each word, the brunet watching in awe. He takes another drag. "You can talk, you know."

Blushing a little, Jongin racks his brain for a witty response and ends up blurting out a 'Sorry', all whilst mentally slapping himself. He clears his throat and tries not to cough when he inhales some of the smoke. "Um, sorry. Yeah, I don't-" He scratches the back of his ear. "I don't smoke," he says, a whiff of men's cologne mixed with after shave and smoke hitting him all at once and he blinks.

"Like I said, you don't strike me as a smoker," Junmyeon says before taking a quick drag. "No offense or anything, it's just that, well, I can usually tell if someone's a smoker or not at first glance, don't ask how, it's kind of complicated," he adds with a chuckle, and Jongin feels himself relaxing significantly. "Good choice, though, you're not missing out on anything." He brings the stick to his mouth and takes a drag and Jongin blinks when he sees that nearly half of the cigarette is gone already.

Jongin nods while fidgeting in his lap. He desperately wants to ask Junmyeon why he's here, and how he found him and, most importantly, how on Earth he managed to sneak inside the gymnasium without him noticing, but he figures it's probably best to wait. He hears Junmyeon exhaling next to him and, in an attempt to save them both from the (inevitable) impending awkward silence, he clears his throat. "Why do you do it?" he asks and internally panics when Junmyeon blinks. "I mean, no offense, you can do what you want, it's just that-"

"I honestly don't know," Junmyeon replies before brushing a piece of dust from his shoulder. "Been doing it for a while now, I stopped a month ago but I relapsed the same day I found out we made it to Nationals, which is amazing and all but , it's stressful as hell, you have no idea. Point is, don't smoke 'cause you're aren't missing out on anything, believe me." He takes another drag. "An innocent little angel, I take it. I see why Sehun fancies you," he adds with a chuckle, but it's far from menacing.

Chest tightening at the mention of Sehun's name, Jongin swallows before relaxing a little more. He hasn't gotten his head pulled off quite yet, which he interprets as a good sign. "Yeah, I...guess. I've never been a fan of it, so don't worry," he says dumbly. "Uh, well, I mean, not to sound weird, but from what I've heard, you're one of the best players on your team, so you shouldn't be worried, you'll do great," he adds and bites his lip in hopes of Junmyeon not getting weirded out. Well then.

Junmyeon is silent for a while before he takes a drag. "Thanks," he says, sincerity lacing his words. He stands up and the brunet briefly panics since he's worried he might have said something to annoy him, but relief quickly washes over him when he sees Junmyeon taking a quick drag before opening the small window above them and tossing the cigarette out of it. Jongin is no expert on smoking, but he knows enough about it to know that one should always make sure that the stick has been properly put out before disposing of it, but he doesn't have the guts to tell Junmyeon about it.

Sitting back down, Junmyeon coughs into his fist before turning to face Jongin, who instinctively looks away. "I slipped on my fries this morning in the lunch room," he says and Jongin nearly chokes on his own spit.

"What?" Jongin looks at Junmyeon in surprise. He doesn't know if he's imagining things or not. "Wait, what- Really?"

Junmyeon nods before resting his head against the wall again. "Yup. Fell flat on my face in front of everybody. They laughed their asses off, those mongrels," he mumbles before shaking his head at the memory. "Chanyeol 'accidentally' shoved me and I lost my balance and dropped the damn tray, and all those little potato-filled motherers ended up all over the floor and well, the rest is history," he adds and closes his eyes.

Jongin blinks, unsure of how to react. As much as he wants to laugh out loud, he doesn't in fear of possibly embarrassing Junmyeon so he keeps quiet, even though it's awfully difficult. "What...I mean damn, that sounds awful, but-" He blinks again. "Why are you telling me this?" he asks in confusion, raising an eyebrow as he keeps his gaze fixated on Junmyeon's reddish hair. He must've dyed it again.

"To make you relax a little," Junmyeon says simply before nodding at the brunet. "You're much less tense now than when I came in; hell, you looked like a stale piece of cardboard," he adds with a low chuckle. "Anyway, despite what they may say or what you might think, I'm no heartless bastard." He shoots Jongin a smile and the latter's jaw nearly hits the floor because holy , he looks like a baby bunny. "Hey, by the way, did you know that I won 'Class Clown' back in seventh grade?"

Jongin blinks because Junmyeon is seriously the very last person he expected to be elected anything along the lines of 'Clown', despite the fact that the latter smiling looks like a newborn rabbit. The thought makes him chuckle a little. "No, I didn't," he hums, squirming a little when he feels his bottom go numb.

"Well, I did. It that high school doesn't have any of that stuff, since I'd do anything to win it again," Junmyeon says with a hint of dreaminess in his voice before he sighs. "Anyway, e-ing-nough about me already, Jesus," he adds, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another cigarette. He's just about to light it when the brunet places a hand on the box.

"Please don't," Jongin says meekly, ignoring how childish he sounds. Even though he doesn't want Junmyeon to damage his health even more than he already has, he doesn't think he'll be able to handle sitting here for God knows how much longer whilst abusing his lungs with smoke with every breath he takes.

Junmyeon stares at Jongin for a while before he sighs in defeat and puts the box back in his pocket, zipping it shut. "I mean, since we're gonna talk about Sehun, I'm practically in need of one," he says with a small laugh, a laugh that definitely doesn't match his looks. "But okay, fine, you win. Anyway, back to why I came here in the first place." His voice turns serious (as it usually is) and he eyes Jongin sternly. "Don't blame yourself for all this, whatever you do."

A little taken aback, Jongin blinks. "Eh?"

"Silly me, I probably should've mentioned that I happened to hear your little debate," Junmyeon says casually and chuckles when Jongin squawks in surprise next to him. "Before you ask, Chanyeol asked your friend out to prom an hour or so ago and he wanted me to drag my all the way back to school to serve as 'moral support'."

Jongin's eyes widen a little. "My friend?" he repeats and feels his gut churn when realization hits him. Oh. "Uh, I wouldn't exactly call him my friend, but really? Chanyeol asked Jongdae out?" He doesn't know he to feel because, if he's going to be honest, he isn't really all that surprised. "That's...cool."

"What do you mean?" Junmyeon asks and Jongin figures it doesn't take an idiot to know what he's referring to.

"It's a long story," Jongin mumbles, his gut coiling in discomfort. "Anyway, what did he say? Jongdae, that is?"

Junmyeon eyes Jongin suspiciously before breaking out into a smile, which nearly gives Jongin a heart attack. "He said yes," he chuckles. "Chanyeol, that lucky, lucky bastard," he adds with a hum before nodding a little. "Anyway, I had to stay behind while Chanyeol fawned over how happy he was that Jongdae said yes, which nearly killed me, and when he was finally finished, I decided to leave, but I had to go back since I remembered that I forgot my bus card on the bench in the changing rooms and well, call me nosey, but the goddamn light was on and I heard Yifan's voice so I kind of...stuck around, so to say."

Jongin doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "Uh, did you...by any chance run into Sehun on your way here?"

"No," Junmyeon says, hand fidgeting with the box in his pocket, clearly agitated for another smoke. "Why? Was he here?" He looks at Jongin with a perplexed look.

Jongin nods. "Yeah, but...yeah." He scratches the back of his neck. "Nevermind," he says after a few seconds. His chest is hurting at the thought of Jongdae and he desperately wants to change the subject completely.

Apparently having read Jongin's mind, Junmyeon points to the former's duffel bag. "Hockey?"

Jongin nods again, unsure of what to say. "Yeah." He would ask Junmyeon how he knows, but he figures it can wait until later.

"In case you're wondering, I've seen your picture," Junmyeon chuckles and if Jongin had a penny for every time he's been told that just this month, he'd be richer than he currently is. "So I'm no creep," he adds before emitting a noise of frustration, his leg bouncing up and down. "Seriously, kid, you're not making this easy for me."

About to ask Junmyeon what the matter is, Jongin presses his lips together when the former wastes no time in pulling out another cigarette, along with his lighter. Jongin doesn't even have the energy to protest anymore so he fidgets in his lap as he watches Junmyeon light the stick before putting it between his lips in his peripheral. Jongin seriously hopes that he doesn't look as nervous and or anxious as he does on the inside, and he turns his face away for good measure.

Junmyeon, who is apparently a psychic, takes a drag before patting Jongin's shoulder reassuringly. "What's up?"

A lot of things, Jongin thinks before clearing his throat in a meek attempt to organize his thoughts. It doesn't work. "Nothing, it's just-" He cuts himself off to take a deep breath before he ends up rambling his tongue out (he figures that would definitely scare Junmyeon away). "Well, I mean...a lot of stuff, basically." He scratches his neck and mentally slaps himself. It's a lame explanation and he knows it, but in his defense, his brain is way too cluttered at the moment for him to be able to think straight. He hopes Junmyeon understands.

Taking a long drag, apparently to prepare himself for what's about to come, Junmyeon exhales a large cloud of smoke before leaning back. "Let's take it one thing at a time, shall we," he says calmly and subsequently goes silent, on purpose, signalling for the brunet to speak up.

Normally, Jongin would be repulsed by the mere thought of telling people how he feels, especially a stranger (Is Junmyeon really a stranger, though? Jongin isn't sure at all). However, despite it being the first time he's talking to Junmyeon, ever, Jongin can't help but relax a tad bit in the shorter's presence, a giant contrast to how he felt less than ten minutes ago; Jongin clearly remembers nearly dying of anxiety the second he laid his eyes on Junmyeon (he figures he can't be blamed, though, because in his defense, Junmyeon basically has 'Cool' and 'Confident' written all over him). Jongin figures he's got Junmyeon's alleged goofiness to thank for that, and the former bites his lip before opening his mouth to speak.

"Well, there's this thing that happened between me and, well, Jongdae," Jongin starts, still fidgeting a little because truthfully, he doesn't know what to do with his hands. "Uh, there was a misunderstanding and I...got mad at him," he adds and it sounds more like a question that a statement. Next to him, Junmyeon takes a drag and he waits anxiously for the latter to reply.

"A little vague, if you ask me," Junmyeon mumbles under his breath, after exhaling. "Either elaborate or you'll leave me confused outta my mind," he says before standing up and chucking the remainder of his cigarette out the window.

Jongin bites his lip. He figures he's got nothing to lose nor hide anymore, and he doesn't know if that's a good or bad thing. "Well, it all started with my other friend, Baekhyun," he says after a while and he doesn't miss the way Junmyeon stills, the cigarette mere inches from the latter's mouth. "You know who he is, right?"

Junmyeon is silent for a minute before he regains his composure and quickly takes a drag. "Yup."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Jongin figures that coming clean is probably the wisest thing to do at this point, even though he seriously feels like a five year old boy confessing to his father about stealing candy from a corner store. In fear of possibly boring Junmyeon, however, he chooses to simplify his words as much as he possibly can whilst still getting his message across. "So uh. Basically, Sehun was acting super weird, and had been up until then and until we...well, broke it off, and I kind of...misread the signs and basically accused him of cheating," he says and blinks when he realizes just how dramatic that sounded. "Or, should I say, I accused him of crushing on Baekhyun, which he denied, yet I made the dumb decision to be a to Baekhyun the following day because-" He cuts himself off and bites his lip, awfully scared that he might be going into too much detail. Quite frankly, Junmyeon never specified how much he wanted to hear, and when Jongin turns his head a little, he sees the shorter nodding along, clearly listening (or so Jongin hopes). "-Because I was already noticing Sehun acting strangely even before that and I was terrified of losing him, so I decided to be extra harsh on Baekhyun just to make sure I made it clear that Sehun wanted nothing to do with him. I mean , and now Sehun's gone and everything's just so- Nevermind."

Junmyeon nods in understanding and makes sure that the brunet is finished talking before he speaks himself. "I see," he says simply before reaching into his pocket, only for Jongin to do so first, and the latter grabs the box and holds it out of Junmyeon's reach, much to the latter's (mild) irritation. "Hey- What're you doing- Gimme that!"

"Don't ruin the moment by ruining your lungs, as well," Jongin says and laughs a little when Junmyeon puts his hands up in defeat. "No, seriously."

Mumbling something under his breath, Junmyeon sits back down and puts his hands in his lap. "'Kay, but whatever you do, don't you dare throw 'em out the window or you're dead," he says sternly before sighing. "Anyway, not to be anti climactic or anything, but that sounds like something that can easily be fixed." He shrugs casually before gesturing at the brunet. "I mean, it's obviously just a stupid mishap, have you tried contacting either of them since...that?"

A pang of guilt spreads across Jongin's heart at the question because he most definitely hasn't, and he isn't even going to deny it. "No."

Junmyeon stares at Jongin like he's grown a second head. "And why is that?"

"Because," Jongin huffs, pouting a little. "They obviously don't want anything to do with me anymore." He mentally slaps himself over how silly he sounds but alas, it's the truth. The cold, bitter truth.

"And you know that, how?" Junmyeon asks and, he isn't doing it, but Jongin can tell that he's strongly fighting the urge to slap a hand on his forehead. "I mean Jesus, if you haven't even bothered contacting them and talking it out, how on Earth would you know how they feel? Not to mention you're sort of obligated to, if you get what I mean."

Jongin blinks as he carefully places Junmyeon's cigarette box next to him on the floor. "No?"

"As in, you screwed things over, so it's your job to make sure it gets unscrewed," Junmyeon says simply, in a tone that closely resembles one that an irritated parent would sport after finding out about their child's ungodly antics. "It's common sense, it's not hard. You can't hide from them forever, you know. Oh and, by the way, that other short guy isn't much of a replacement, just letting you know."

In the midst of processing Junmyeon's words, Jongin's mind nearly shuts down because it's far too much truth than he can handle at the moment. "What do you mean by-"

"Minseok," Junmyeon says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Before you run off and tell the entire school that I'm a creep, he's like, two heads to your right in the catalogue," he adds for good measure. "He's in 11D, so I'm guessing your schedules are pretty different. Point is, I've seen how much you enjoy Baekhyun and Jongdae's company, I saw you guys around all the time, I remember seeing you together in ninth grade, and the way you act with Minseok is nothing compared to the way you act with them."

Jesus, he knows my friends better than I do, Jongin thinks to himself, rather bitterly, and he grits his teeth as he tries coming up with something, anything, that he can use against Junmyeon's godforsakenly true words. He comes out empty handed, though, and he curses Junmyeon's existence until the latter pokes his shoulder. "What?"

Junmyeon doesn't say anything. Instead, he points to Jongin's pocket, on which the outline of his phone is clearly visible. When the brunet doesn't say anything, he huffs. "Come on."

Jongin has never been a fan of directness and he wonders how people like Junmyeon can go on living their lives while being so alarmingly straightforward all the time. Jongin doesn't know if it's his own fault for being so strange or simply everybody else's. He settles for the former. "But."

"It's now or never," Junmyeon says, still gesturing at Jongin's phone. "You gotta fix this. I mean look, after hearing what I heard earlier, it's safe to say that you're definitely on the mature and not-so-ty side, so I'm kind of surprised that you'd object to something so godawfully simple, y'know?" he adds and shrugs when the brunet swallows. "Just saying."

Cursing inwardly, Jongin reaches for his phone. Not because he wants to, but because he's scared that Junmyeon might rip his head off if he objects any further, and he wastes no time in pulling it out of his pocket, only to bite his lip (in slight relief) when he presses the Home button. "It's dead," he mumbles and quickly shoves the gadget back in his pocket. He's glad, since he's got a reasonable excuse not to do it, however, Jongin nearly cries in frustration when he sees Junmyeon reaching into his own pocket next to him.

"Here ya go, no need to thank me," Junmyeon says, handing Jongin his own cell phone, which the latter takes after a few moments of hesitation. "You'll only find Baekhyun on there, I'm afraid, but he's a good start, since you seemed to give him the most flack, the poor soul," he adds before leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes.

Eyeing Junmyeon's (very cracked) phone like it's a grenade about to explode, Jongin heaves a sigh. He briefly wonders if Junmyeon is saying all of this purely because he doesn't know the full story, or, simply, due to his crush on the redhead. Speaking of which, Jongin is itching to ask Junmyeon about his alleged crush on Baekhyun but quickly decides against it, not wanting to piss the former off even more. He figures it's probably the wisest thing to do, considering the fact that he doesn't even know if Junmyeon really does like the redhead or not.

Unlocking the (code free) phone in his hands, Jongin wastes no time in opening the 'Messages' app in the top left hand corner. He internally panics because he really has no idea what to say, and he would be overly thankful if Junmyeon had given him some time to mentally rehearse his lines before giving him the phone, and Jongin curses under his breath when a handful of text conversations pop up on the screen. He nearly laughs out loud at the thousands of emojis littering the screen. Jesus, Junmyeon really doesn't look the way he texts, Jongin thinks to himself before his eyes quickly land on the second conversation. More specifically, Junmyeon's conversation with Baekhyun, and Jongin hastily clicks on it. Except he barely gets a chance to, since all of a sudden, he hears Junmyeon's voice, which nearly makes him jump five feet off the floor.

"No, no, no," Junmyeon says hurriedly, clearly wondering whether he should grab his phone or not. "Call." He sternly eyes Jongin, who gulps.

Jongin's jaw nearly hits the floor because he definitely does not want to do that. "...Why?"

"It's easier," Junmyeon says quickly, and Jongin wonders if it really is or because Junmyeon doesn't want him to see his texts. "Go on."

Entering the home screen again, Jongin sighs before clicking on the phone icon at the bottom of the screen. With Junmyeon staring at him, he swallows before proceeding to type in Baekhyun's name in the search bar at the top. He figured he would end up contacting Baekhyun (and Jongdae) after a while, eventually, but he never expected it to be like this. Ever.

Jongin quickly clicks on Baekhyun's name and feels his stomach jump when he raises the phone by his ear and hears the dial tone. Next to him, Junmyeon is eyeing him intently and Jongin fights the urge to turn his face away. Not because he finds Junmyeon's piercing glares awfully off putting (which he certainly does), but because Jongin is at least 99% sure that whatever happens next is going to be extremely awkward and he'd rather Junmyeon didn't stick around to witness it. God damn it all. In fact, Jongin is halfway through cursing Junmyeon's entire existence, again, when the dial tone abruptly cuts off and a very familiar voice fills his ears, and Jongin tries not to choke upon hearing it.

"Hello?" Baekhyun says into the receiver, and the brunet nearly jumps because he sound so much older than he remembers, but he figures it's merely because he's talking to "Junmyeon". "Why are you calling so late? Is everything alright? You didn't hurt yourself during practice, did you?" he asks all at once and Jongin nearly feels dizzy.

Biting his lip, Jongin tries to stop the spinning in his head and he holds onto Junmyeon's phone for dear life so he doesn't drop it (although he figures that wouldn't be a problem because the screen is cracked beyond recognition anyway). Even though he's freaking out on the inside, he won't deny that hearing Baekhyun's voice makes him feel a certain calmness that he didn't even know he needed until now, and it makes him relax significantly. On the other hand, Jongin knows that he won't be feeling as calm when he lets Baekhyun know who's really on the other line, and Jongin briefly wonders if he should simply keep his mouth shut to save himself the agony. Obviously, he cant, because not only would that be awkward, but also because Junmyeon would probably beat him to death, so with a deep breath, Jongin opens his mouth to speak. "It's...uh, it's me."

On the other end of the line, Baekhyun is silent for an alarmingly long time and Jongin nearly cries, and the latter is about to hang up, fully ready to embrace whatever punishment Junmyeon has got in store for him when he hears the redhead's voice again, and Jongin nearly passes out in relief.

"...Jongin?" Baekhyun's tone is changing, slowly going back to its usual way of sounding, much to Jongin's relief. "Wait, seriously? What-"

Jongin clears his throat, turning his body ever so slightly when he feels Junmyeon sending him an encouraging look. "Uh. Yeah. Hi." Smooth, Kim Jongin. Real smooth.

"Why've you got Junmyeon's phone? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Did you find it anywhere? Where are you?" Baekhyun asks, clearly distressed and Jongin nearly cackles when he notices Junmyeon running a hand through his hair as he clearly tries to hide his blush. "Hey, answer me!"

Clearing his throat again, to make sure he doesn't burst into laughter, Jongin instantly feels his nerves relax. "He's fine," he says and, for some reason, he decides to take it a step further. "Here, I'll even put him on loudspeaker if you don't believe me," he adds and presses the speaker button before either Junmyeon or Baekhyun have a chance to protest. He signals for Junmyeon to say something whilst trying not to laugh.

Throwing his hands in the air in exasperation, Junmyeon mumbles something under his breath as he quickly tries coming up with something to say. Jongin wouldn't be surprised if he's starting to regret handing his phone over. "Uh...yeah, hey. He's telling the truth, I'm here, safe and sound," he says dumbly before placing a hand on Jongin's wrist, signalling for the latter to turn the speaker off.

"Okay, good, I got worried," Baekhyun says in a relieved tone. "It's just that, y'know, I wasn't expecting- Wait, why are you two even together in the first place? At half past ten?" he adds and even though he probably didn't mean for that to come out quite the way it sounded, Jongin actually does chuckle when Junmyeon squawks loudly. 

"No reason, don't worry about it," Junmyeon says hurriedly before practically breaking his phone screen while attempting to turn the speaker off. He manages, after a while, and motions for Jongin to continue the conversation while low key hiding his face from view. Jongin has never seen Junmyeon blush, but for some reason, he wants to.

Putting the phone by his ear again, Jongin feels the same, heavy feeling from earlier settle in his gut again. His mind is blank and his heart is racing impossibly fast, and as much as he wants to sit next to Junmyeon, Jongin feels as if he's going to combust if he sits here any longer (not to mention his bottom has gone completely numb at this point), so he mumbles a quick apology before standing up and walking towards the equipment room before Junmyeon has a chance to respond.

Jongin doesn't have the guts to lock the door, in case Junmyeon were to do something (he doesn't know what, if he's going to be completely honest, but even so), so he closes it halfway before walking over and grabbing a basketball. He makes sure it won't roll away before proceeding to carefully lower himself down on it. It isn't doing his numb bottom any good but Jongin figures he'd rather sit on it than next to Junmyeon. After Jongin gets comfortable, he wonders if Baekhyun is still on the other end of the line and, quite frankly, Jongin sort of wishes the former isn't, because his heart is threatening to leap out of his chest any second. On the other hand, Jongin wants to talk to Baekhyun, and he doesn't know if he should feel relieved or disappointed when he hears Baekhyun's voice, signalling the latter's presence on the other end.

"Jongin? Are you still there?" Baekhyun asks, practically yelling into the reciever, which causes the brunet to hold the phone a couple of inches from his ear.

"Yeah," Jongin blurts out, gripping the phone tighter. He does his best to balance himself on the basketball he's sitting on, and he's eternally thankful that Baekhyun chooses to speak up momentarily because truthfully, he has no idea what to say.

"As curious as I am as to why you're with Junmyeon," Baekhyun starts, chuckling, "please make it quick, because I'm about to pick up my brother from the airport." His tone of voice hasn't changed a thing since they last spoke (face to face, that is) and Jongin feels himself relax significantly (on the other hand, he doesn't know why he expected Baekhyun to sound or be different, for that matter, he figures his head is just going haywire).

Jongin blinks. "Okay, uh." He rocks back and forth on the ball. "Uh...how long've you got?"

"I'm in the taxi right now, so I dunno, like, two minutes?" Baekhyun replies and, now that Jongin thinks about it, he hears the sound of traffic in the background. "Is this important? What's this about?"

Scratching the back of his head, Jongin briefly wonders if he'll be able to explain what's on his mind in 120 seconds, he figures he probably won't, but there's no way he's going back to Junmyeon and telling the latter that he chose not to talk to Baekhyun. Jongin figures that Junmyeon would murder him and hide his body behind the gymnastics mattresses. "Uh, okay, I'll make it quick then," he mumbles, his head spinning as it tries to reduce his (jumbled) thoughts to fit the redhead's (alleged) time limit. Suddenly, he feels extremely awkward because he doesn't want it to sound too deep, but he doesn't want it to sound too casual, either.

"Go on," Baekhyun hums, although the way he drags out the last syllable makes Jongin assume he already knows what he's going to say.

No going back now. "Okay, I would rather prefer not to tell you this in such little time, and I'd rather take it face to face, but I kinda have to because Junmyeon'll kill me otherwise," Jongin says only half jokingly (because he'd much rather not be face to face with the redhead while discussing this) before he takes a deep breath, cursing Junmyeon for not letting him revise his words beforehand. Feeling every last drop of pride seep out of his system, he opens his mouth to speak. "I don't know how to say this without making it sound moronic as hell, but- it- Baek, I'm so ing sorry, God damn it, for everything- I know it was ty of me to accuse you of you didn't do, hell, I don't know if you did, either way, it doesn't matter, I was an idiot and I'm ing sorry." He runs a hand through his hair before swallowing the lump in his throat. So much for not knowing what to say. "I've felt so bad, you have no idea, it's been lonely as hell without your dumb around and I hope you have it in you to forgive me, I mean, I'll understand if you don't, 'cause, yeah. But I mean- God, I was nervous as a motherer that Sehun would leave me again since I'd already thought he left me before that and-" He cuts himself off before he ends up rambling and thus using up his two minutes way too early. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't even- You're the nicest best friend I've ever had and the thought of me possibly ing everything up for both of us because of this honestly makes me want to barf."

Baekhyun is silent for a moment. "You did hurt my feelings quite a bit, I'll admit, but alas, I should've kept my distance, so I'm sorry for that," he says lowly. "I mean, you'd loved the dude for four goddamn years, I should've known better than to, yeah, you know," he adds, clearly remorseful, before he lets out a squawk. "Are...are you crying?"

Cursing loudly, Jongin hastily wipes his right eye. "No, shut up," he grumbles before something hits him and he blinks. "Wait. Hold on, 'loved'?"

"Uh," Baekhyun replies, clearly confused. "Yeah? Wait, oh, nevermind...yeah, about that." His voice turns sheepish before it drops two octaves. "Jongin, I meant to say this way earlier, but I'm so ing sorry for you, too."

Jongin feels the lump in his throat grow even larger and he has to clear his throat to get it to go away. He's still feeling sad, but for a much different reason this time. "Um. Yeah. It's, uh, it's...fine," he manages to choke out whilst gripping the phone impossibly tight. "But how did you-"

"Junmyeon told me," Baekhyun says. "He said that he was planning on talking to you about it but decided not to since he figured I'd get through to you better than him, so he asked me to discuss it with you instead," he adds guiltily. "And, well, I couldn't bring myself to because of, well, two reasons. One, because I didn't think I could handle talking to you about it since I didn't want to see you hurt, and two, because, well, I was deathly afraid that you hated my guts and never wanted to see me ever again." He chuckles lightly, probably merely in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Swallowing, Jongin closes his eyes so he can pull himself together. A pang of guilt erupts in his chest. "I understand," he says simply and he hears the sound of Baekhyun's taxi pulling up outside what must be the airport, and he bites his lip because he's got so much more on his mind. "Anyway, I know this was sorta rushed and I'm frickin sorry for that, I, or, Junmyeon, should've picked a better time to call, but I want you to know that I'm not mad. Not anymore, at least."

Baekhyun chuckles, the sound of a car door slamming shut emitting through the speaker. "Don't cry, Kim Jongin, I'm not worth your tears," he laughs, the same old laugh Jongin has grown so used to hearing. "Anyway, yeah, we should definitely talk about this more thoroughly later, if you want to, that is. Hey, by the way, I know this sounds stupid, but Junmyeon explained everything and I really think you should talk to Sehun about this since I genuinely think you can work this out. And I don't see why you wouldn't, anyway," he adds with a small laugh.

Jongin bites his lip and nearly yelps when he accidentally slips off the ball. "What do you mean?"

"Duh, you're wise and persistent and he's hopelessly in love and just a little bit unsure," Baekhyun cackles. "Jesus, the warmth inside the goddamn airport makes you realize just how cold it is outside. Anyway, I mean, it's worth a shot, don't you think? I mean, I hope you haven't moved on and painted him as a jerk quite yet, since, well, yeah. I don't wanna get your hopes up, but, knowing you, I'm pretty sure you're bound to work out. You wouldn't want this entire thing to go to because of a ty misunderstanding, would you?"

Instantly feeling better, since Baekhyun just has that affect on him, Jongin smiles ever so slightly, even though his heart is trembling. He really doesn't want to hang up and a pang of sadness shoots through his gut when he hears the loud sound of what he assumes is Baekhyun calling out to his brother. "So...what are you saying?"

"He's worth it," Baekhyun says simply. "I'm no fortune teller, but give him a chance, he's worth it. Not to mention I hope you do end up figuring this out since I'd hate both you and him otherwise," he adds with a chuckle.

Jongin raises an eyebrow in amusement. "Why would you hate us-"

"Because it'd be a tremendous loss for the both of you," Baekhyun says casually and as a matter-of-factly. "Hey, how about you ask him out to the prom? It's the day after tomorrow, remember that. I definitely think it'll help you get your together. Besides, everybody's got a date by now, including Jongdae, can you be-ing-lieve it?" he cackles. "And don't you dare even think about bailing, by the way! Me and Dae need you there on Friday for moral support, so you better grab a hot senior while you still can and drag your to the prom, Sehun or not." His voice has returned to the usual high-pitched, childish and hyperactive tone that the brunet has grown to adore so much and the latter has to bite back tears.

About to say his goodbyes, Jongin remembers something, and it's not (fully, anyway) that he had basically forgotten all about the prom up until now. "You're going to the prom?" he asks, instinctively turning his head to peek outside the door. He can't see Junmyeon, but, solely judging by the fresh scent of smoke lingering in the air, Jongin figures it wouldn't be far fetched to assume that Junmyeon is still here. "With who, may I ask?"

Baekhyun is quiet for a second. "I mean- If I end up going, that is-" He clears his throat. "I mean, wait, he can't hear me, can he?"

No, but I can certainly smell him, Jongin thinks. "Nope."

"Listen, I don't even know if he likes me or not, we've only texted a few times, he probably thinks I'm annoying- , I don't even know if he's gay, he most likely isn't, I don't know-" Baekhyun babbles before calling out to his brother again. "So if you and Sehun end up going, make sure to babysit Dae for me while you're there, alright?"

Jongin bites hs lip. As much as he wants to say the obvious, he figures that he probably shouldn't since he doesn't know. "I...I could ask him about it, if you want me to."

"Please, since I'm starting to go crazy," Baekhyun replies before the line goes fuzzy. "Just don't tell him I asked you, okay? I gotta go now, thanks for calling! See ya tomorrow at lunch, I hope?"

"Definitely," Jongin says with a small smile before the line cuts off. He turns Junmyeon's phone off, the euphoric feeling in his chest briefly distracting him from the pain surging through his bottom as a result of sitting on the hard surface of the basketball. After much difficulty, he stands up and walks over to the door, nearly coughing his lungs out when a thick cloud of smoke hits him square in the face. "What the he-"

Shamelessly taking another drag, Junmyeon exhales a thick cloud of gray smoke. "Finally, I was beginning to think you'd died in there or something," he mumbles before standing up and tossing the stub out the window, after opening it. "So? Let me in." He slides back down the wall and shoots Jongin an encouraging look.

Jongin bites his lip. "He, uh, wasn't angry, and uh, we forgave each other...and apparently you told him to talk to me about this whole thing?" He walks over and sits down next to the shorter, his lungs feeling like they're on fire when he inhales. He seriously regrets not taking the box with him. "Jesus, how many did you-"

"Three," Junmyeon says casually before he blinks. "Yeah, I did...what, did he not do it or...?" he asks and shakes his head when the brunet presses his lips together. "That little...Christ," he mumbles, reaching out and tying his shoe. "At least that's settled. What're you gonna do about the other one?"

"His name's Jongdae," Jongin blurts out and coughs awkwardly when Junmyeon sends him a look. "Uh, I mean, I'm not sure. I'll have to...I don't know." He turns his face away and keeps his gaze fixated on the chipped paint next to him because even though he might have given Baekhyun 'more flack', the thought of talking to Jongdae makes his veins shrivel up with anxiety. 

"I know," Junmyeon says, reaching into his pocket. "What you're gonna do, that is." He retrieves the red and blue box and fishes out a stick with his fingers. "You're gonna talk to him first thing tomorrow, no excuses," he mumbles, his voice slightly muffled as he brings the flame from the lighter to the tip of the cigarette. 

"You really shouldn't smoke so much," Jongin mutters under his breath before he sighs. "What if he doesn't wanna talk to m-"

"You said the same exact thing about Baekhyun just now," Junmyeon retorts, throwing his hands in the air in irritation, nearly striking Jongin in the face with his cigarette, seemingly ignoring the latter's first remark "And look! It went smoother than a motherer," he adds for emphasis before taking a long drag. "Jesus, I can still smell Yifan's godawful cologne." He wrinkles his nose in disgust. 

Jongin blinks. "The entire sports hall smells as if you lit a giant pile of hay on fire and mixed it with rubber," he chuckles, thankful that his hair isn't in flames. "And Yifan's cologne is what's bothering you?" He shakes his head in amusement, because he certainly can't smell anything remotely resembling men's hygeine products. At all. He suddenly furrows his eyebrows. "What...I mean, speaking of him-"

"No, please," Junmyeon groans like he's being tortured with a cattle prod and beaten at the same time. "I don't wanna talk about him, I hate him." He takes a drag and rolls his eyes when he sees the brunet's curious expression to his right. "He thinks he's all that, and I'm not just saying that because of what he said about Sehun, which, by the way, is pure horse ," he adds, clearly agitated. 

Jongin raises an eyebrow. "What-"

"Sehun's 'girlfriend'," Junmyeon starts, making quotation marks with his fingers with his free hand, "wasn't en betrayed by him. I mean, I don't expect anybody to believe this, given Sehun's reputation and all, and especially since this story is like, one of the most passed around stories in the entire school, but truth is, he was betrayed by her. And if you must know how, the ended up admitting to using him for well, fame, like Sehun told me, but my guess is that she only got together with him in hopes of getting one of us to notice her, which we most certainly didn't." He shakes his head in fury before taking another drag. "I don't know how many versions of this you've heard, or if you've heard any at all, but that's the truth."

Biting his lip, Jongin furrows his eyebrows in thought because he definitely did not know that. In truth, he never believed Yifan's side of it, either, but he never imagined it to be like this. "I...Jesus. I've only heard his, but I didn't really buy it. I mean, you probably heard, but I asked him if he'd ever gone up to Sehun and demanded he tell the full story, which he never had. So yeah, I never believed him, anyway," he says, fidgeting a little. A wave of guilt washes over him and he clenches his jaw. "God."

“Indeed,” Junmyeon groans in exasperation, leaning back and dragging an exhausted hand down his face. “Jesus, he’s so misunderstood that you can’t help but feel sorry for him. By the way, don’t believe anything else you hear, except for what I just told you, because anything else is absolute bull, I’m not kidding.” He takes a drag and groans again. “You’re definitely right about the fact that he’s pretty much given up on trying to set the record straight, I think he stopped back in like, what, tenth grade? Y’know, when we won our first serious match that unfortunately ended up getting us an ton of attention. And you know how people are, they choose to cling to the most popular ones like leeches, so before anybody really knew it, Sehun was like, the school’s mascot even though he hated it. I’m getting ahead of myself here, sorry,” he adds sheepishly before taking another drag and standing up, quickly chucking the stub out the window before sitting back down again with a huff.

Jongin crosses his legs, trying to catch up with Junmyeon’s words. “Why did he choose to tell you, though? I mean, if he-”

“Like I said, this was back in tenth grade, that girl got ‘together’ with him like, a month after we won. And that was back when, well, me and Sehun were pretty close, hell, it was back when we were all awfully close with him-” Junmyeon cuts himself off and drags a hand down his face. “God, I sometimes regret even signing up for this damned sport, it’s a shame I like it so in’ much. For as long as I can remember, it's only done more bad than good.” He sighs in exasperation and reaches for the box again, only to freeze when he spots Jongin’s glare, and slowly removes his hand from his pocket. “Fine.”

“I know this , but don’t make it worse by killing yourself,” Jongin mumbles before reaching up and tugging at how own hair. “I would’ve quit after the first term, I don’t get how you guys even manage,” he adds before keeping his gaze fixated on his shoes. It’s not until his eyes shift over to Junmyeon’s that he notices just how short the latter is. Not awfully short, but there’s a good 4-inch difference between their leg lengths and Jongin almost chuckles. 

Junmyeon growls low in his throat. “It’s not the girls, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he mutters, picking up a piece of what looks like the net to a badminton racket before tossing it halfway across the room. “Well, to make a long story short, it kind of is their fault, but- Okay, it; me, Yeol, Yifan, Kyungsoo and all the other guys don’t get nearly as much attention as Sehun, which we’re all eternally grateful for, except maybe Yifan, but anyway, we end up getting attention because of Sehun. But my point is, all this attention has stirred up so much over the past few years that it’s totally messed with Sehun’s head and I’m honestly worried about him.” He bites the inside of his cheek, clearly in need of another cigarette.

Ignoring the way his stomach churns uncomfortably, Jongin leans in a little closer. “How, exactly?”

“He’s got this stupid- idea planted in his head; that the entire team hates him and whatnot, but I kind of understand him, though, I mean, the things people say and spread about him are totally beyond his control, but even so, he won’t talk about them because he probably thinks we secretly agree with them, but what do I know. Point is, he used to be really open with us before all this went to ,” Junmyeon says lowly, banging the back of his head against the wall a few times. “We still talk, but our conversations are nothing out of the park, you know? Jesus, if you’re gonna make me this emotional, I’m gonna need another cig, so we either change the subject or you let me have another one,” he adds with a chuckle and Jongin almost cackles.

“Okay, fine,” Jongin blurts out. Even though he’d love to hear more, the truth, he really doesn’t want Junmyeon to keep up this ridiculous smoking habit of his. Not knowing what to talk about, that doesn’t concern Sehun, he clears his throat and scratches the back of his ear. “How...uh, how’re you getting home?”

Junmyeon chuckles. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re adorable, I see why Sehun keeps pining over you,” he says before shrugging. “Definitely missed my last bus so I guess I’ll have to call my Dad or something.” He stretches before looking at the brunet. “You?”

“Well, I was going to get a ride home,” Jongin starts, clearly frustrated, and Junmyeon laughs a little, “but yeah, I guess that’s out the door now.” He huffs in irritation before crossing his arms over his shoulder, a blush creeping up his neck. “And don’t call me that.”

“Sorry,” Junmyeon says rather unapologetically as he zips his jacket up to his chin. “Jesus, I don’t think I’ll be able to get up, I think my is glued to the goddamn floor. Anyway, yeah, I should probably tell you this, in case you start misinterpreting , but Yifan’s straight.” He looks at Jongin with a small nod, the latter blinking in surprise. “Yup.”

Jongin blinks. As much as he admits that he might have misread the signs a little bit, he certainly wasn’t expecting that. “Really? I mean- Okay, that’s...cool-” He scratches the back of his head. He isn’t disappointed or anything. In fact, a (big) part of him actually feels relieved.

“On the other hand, offering somebody a ride home doesn’t necessarily mean you want to bang ‘em,” Junmyeon laughs. “He keeps whining on and on about this he likes, who probably doesn’t like him back, that poor soul. But yeah, he was obviously just looking out for you, which totally frickin’ backfired since he’s the type to blindly believe these Sehun-related stories that are circulating around the school on a regular basis,” he adds. “So once he found out you actually still believed in Sehun, he saw you as useless. That mongrel. Anyway, we should probably go before I end up sitting here all night.” He moves to stand up and raises an eyebrow when Jongin doesn’t even budge.

Biting his lip, Jongin clears his throat. “Sure, but uh...can I ask you something first? It’s kind of off topic, but still.”

Junmyeon looks at Jongin for a while before he slowly nods. “I don’t exactly have a reason to say no, so shoot,” he mumbles before proceeding to (half-assedly) get on his feet.

“Are you going to the prom with anybody?” Jongin asks and nearly laughs out loud when Junmyeon tenses significantly. “So...is that a yes?”

Scratching the back of his ear, Junmyeon quickly gets to his feet before shoving his hands in his pockets. “I...uh, I thought you were planning on going with Sehun?”

Feeling his ears grow hot, Jongin flails his hands in all directions. “No! Well, yes, I mean, yeah? But I mean, no, I meant-” He curses under his breath before continuing. “I didn’t mean that we were gonna go together- Jesus- I meant, are you, uh, planning on going with anybody? Not me, that is.” He stares at Junmyeon expectantly. The last thing he wants is to hear the sorrow in Baekhyun’s voice after he tells the latter that Junmyeon, unfortunately, declined or is going with somebody else.

“Uh. Why are you asking?” Junmyeon asks, clearly avoiding Jongin’s eyes as he retrieves his cigarette box from his pocket. “We’re leaving, so it’s okay! off with that judging- look of yours, damn it, it doesn't suit your pretty face.”

“I’m just wondering,” Jongin whines, growing desperate. “I mean look, you eavesdropped on me and heard me ramble my heart out about Sehun, so the least you can do in return is tell me!”

Junmyeon blinks. “I don’t see how that has any correlation whatsoever, but fine,” he huffs when he realizes that Jongin isn’t taking no for an answer. “But only if you tell me; are you planning on going with Sehun?”

Tensing a little bit, Jongin feels as if his stomach has been invaded by a thousand hyperactive butterflies. He absolutely adores the idea, however, there’s still one little thing that’s been holding him back, and he doesn’t know if it’s worth telling Junmyeon about it. But since he’s safely established that Junmyeon is not, in fact, as judgemental as he initially thought he would be, he huffs. “Yeah, but...I mean, I can’t compete with all those women-” He nearly jumps out of his skin when Junmyeon slams his foot down on the floor in irritation. “Jesus Christ-”

“He loves you, he pines over you 24/7, he’s terrified that you hate him, hell, you even told him you hated him and never wanted to talk to or see him ever again,” Junmyeon says sternly, eyeing Jongin. “I mean, what he did to you was dickish, I’ll admit, but what you frickin’ told him over the phone was probably even worse. However, after hearing what you told Yifan earlier, I’ll cut you some slack because you’ve clearly got your head in the right spot. So please, stop being such a wuss and actually confront him about it, for the sake of all of us. And not to sound super prissy and deep or whatever, but if you, like you said, give him the encouragement and support he clearly needs, you could end up saving our friendship. As in, the atmosphere surrounding the team would improve drastically. Oh, and, you said it yourself, he’s unsure and needs support, and he’s obviously going to listen to you of all people, so please, do the right thing because, frankly, I’m goddamn tired of this; of him ignoring us and screwing himself over even more. Not to be dramatic, but-”

Jongin blinks. “I-”

“-He ing needs you, you ing need him, and you both ing need each other,” Junmyeon says sternly, although sincerely, his gaze never leaving Jongin. In fact, the latter thinks it looks almost pleading. “You probably don’t think so, but look, you’re a good soul and Sehun needs somebody as understanding, mature and caring like you, and who ing cares about the women, anyway? Sehun barely even knows what a looks like, so you’re good,” he adds with a small shiver.

I definitely didn’t need to know that, Jongin thinks to himself (however, he can relate) before clearing his throat awkwardly. He feels his cheeks heat up, not because he’s embarrassed (which he sort of is), but because the overflow of emotions inside of him is threatening to make him explode, and he turns his face away when Junmyeon continues to beat him with his glare. “I...uh, thanks?” he says dumbly. Quite frankly, he has never thought of himself as understanding (given the fact that he’s the most confused person he knows), or mature, for that matter, but he’s willing to take Junmyeon’s word for it.

“I should probably specify that he doesn’t want to, either,” Junmyeon cackles, his laughter echoing in the large room. “Anyway, the girls are the least of your problems, Sehun wants nothing to do with them, believe me. Your challenge from now on is to try to convince him to go with you, that he’s worth it, because trust me, there’ll be tears, and there’ll be a ton of self doubting, since Sehun’s the most emotional person I know, but knowing you, you’ll be able to pull through.” For the first time since he came in, he sends Jongin a smile that reeks of sincerity, to the point that the brunet nearly chokes on his own spit.

Not knowing what to do, or say, Jongin runs a hand through his hair in an attempt to hide his burning cheeks from view. He hasn’t properly processed Junmyeon’s words (or rather, speech) yet, and he figures it’ll take some time for it to properly settle, and Jongin figures that, when it does settle, he’ll be bouncing off every single wall there is. “Thank you.”

“If I were you, I’d demand an apology, as well,” Junmyeon says before pressing his lips together. “Don’t expect anything groundbreaking, though, since I’m pretty sure he feels goddamn awful, and he’s known to lose his train of thought when he gets depressed, but hell, what the do I know.” He shrugs before smiling dramatically wide. “Just talk it the out and you’ll both be on track again, I believe in you.”

Fighting the urge to ask Junmyeon if always feels the need to curse with every word, Jongin clears his throat and nods. “I’ll try,” he says simply, a warm feeling bubbling in his stomach. He doesn’t know if it’s a feeling of hope or a feeling of happiness because Kim freaking Junmyeon believes in him, and the thought alone makes the brunet want to do anything. “I’ll try, don’t worry.”

“So you’ll ask him?” Junmyeon asks, a newfound happiness seeping into his voice. In fact, upon looking up, Jongin thinks he looks more like a baby bunny than ever before.

Jongin nods. “Yup.” He nods a little before he smirks. “Okay, your turn.”

“What are you-” Junmyeon’s face falls and he emits a loud, agonized groan. “God damn you, kid. Okay fine, fine.” He regains his composure and sighs. “This might come as a surprise to you, but yeah, uh, I’m planning on asking-”

“Baekhyun?” Jongin asks, trying to sound as innocent as he possibly can. He figures it’s probably not working very well, but he’s beyond caring at this point.

Junmyeon stares at Jongin like he’s a creature from outer space for a good two minutes, an unreadable look in his eyes. His eyebrows slowly knit together and he his head to the side. “How did you-”

“Am I right? Just say yes or no,” Jongin pries, a hint of knowingness in his voice. “Come on, tell me! I told you about Sehun!” he whines after a while, promptly standing up at lightning speed and grabbing Junmyeon’s arm.

With a squawk, Junmyeon stumbles backwards a bit and tries to shake Jongin off. “You know, at one point Sehun actually told you that you were feisty as , I didn't believe him at first but I’m beginning to think he’s right,” he mumbles under his breath before he attempts to pry the brunet off of him. “And yes, you’re ing right, now get off me!”

Emitting a triumphant noise, Jongin hastily takes a step back and beams. “May I ask, what do you like about him?”

“Do we need to do this-”

“Yeah!”

“Can’t we talk about Sehun instead? He’s much more exciting-”

“Tell me, Joonie!”

“Look, I’m gonna call my Dad- What the fu- Don’t call me that, what the hell!”

“Come on, say it He's my friend, I deserve to know!!”

“Jongin, get the hell off me!"

~~~