~~~

It takes Sehun an embarrassingly long time to realize that the sentence is, in fact, targeted towards him, and he nearly falls out of his chair in surprise. The cafeteria is equally as silent as it was moments ago and he feels every pair of eyes on him as he inwardly screams. On top of the shock that's clouding his mind, there's a fair amount of confusion in the mix, as well, but Sehun can't bring himself to come up with why. When another three seconds of pure silence pass by, Sehun is about to jump to the only possible conclusion there is: that he's simply dreaming and that his head is screwing with him. Heck, maybe Jongin isn't even standing in front of him at all, and Sehun is about to excuse himself so he can leave the room and pay a visit to the psychologist when he hears the girl's voice next to him.

"Uh, what." She raises an eyebrow, a pointed look in Jongin's direction. "What are you even- Sehun's not gay, what's wrong with you," she mumbles under her breath, a wave of giggles of pity subsequently filling the room.  

When Sehun looks up, he manages to block out everybody's stares except Jongin's, just in time to catch the latter staring into his soul with a look that Sehun can only decipher as 'Just say yes' look, and in his confused state, Sehun doesn't know what else to do besides blurt out a loud 'Yes', the giggles filling the room quickly dying down less than a fraction of a second later, only to be quickly replaced with noises of surprise and shock instead.

With his head (and heart) pounding, Sehun slowly lets the pink pieces of paper in his hand fall to the floor, a wave of dread washing over him. He's about to open his mouth and say something else when, out of nowhere, Jongin grabs his arm and practically drags him out of his seat and towards the back door. It all happens so fast that Sehun doesn't have time to say his final prayers just in case he's being dragged towards his demise. He certainly doesn't hope Yifan gets the wrong idea.

~~~

Jongin doesn't say anything as he drags (yes, quite literally, drags, as Sehun finds himself tripping over his own two feet on multiple occasions to keep up with the brunet's long strides) Sehun down the empty hallway and towards the bathrooms. The brunet has his wrist in an iron grip and Sehun inwardly panics because he really doesn't want the janitor to find his mangled, beaten body inside one of the stalls first thing tomorrow morning, and he's about to ask Jongin, as kindly as he possibly can, if the latter wouldn't mind murdering him out in the hallway instead when Jongin suddenly throws the bathroom door open and carelessly shoves Sehun inside, the latter stumbling and nearly colliding with the wall six feet across after he trips over the doorsill.

Closing the door not so gently, Jongin rubs his hands together before leaning against it and eyeing Sehun intently. There's a glint in his eyes that Sehun doesn't recognize, but the latter would be lying if he said it didn't make the brunet look a hundred times more intimidating (aside from the fact that the pout on his face makes him look like an angry puppy). In fact, Jongin looks like a whole different person and Sehun visibly shifts when it feels as if someone has turned up the temperature by a hundred degrees. On a side note, Sehun hopes Yifan doesn't come storming inside demanding Jongin back, because Sehun knows how scary Yifan can get when he's pissed off, and he'd rather not want anything to do with those fists.

"Well?" Jongin says after God knows how long, as he stares at Sehun like he's grown a second head. 

Stuttering a little, Sehun struggles to find the words to say. "Thanks," he mumbles, keeping his gaze fixated on one of the taps to his left, which is apparently leaking. 

Jongin chuckles. "I totally saved your ," he mumbles under his breath.

"You did," Sehun says with a nod before he laughs a little. "Seriously, I was this close to forcing myself to say yes simply so she'd off," he adds before he furrows his eyebrows in concern, a frown appearing on his face. 

With a confused glare, Jongin raises an eyebrow. "What? Did something crawl up you ?"

"No, it's just," Sehun babbles, cleaing his throat in embarrassment. The feeling of dread is still looming inside his chest. "They're gonna come after you now," he says without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. To his surprise, Jongin doesn't even flinch. 

"No, they won't," Jongin says as a matter-of-factly as he shakes his head a little. "You said it yourself, they don't really give a about you, there's like, no reason for them to come after or attack me," he adds with a shrug and huffs when Sehun bites his lips in concern. "I'm serious!"

Swallowing, Sehun only shakes his head. "Look, I don't think I've told you this- Heck, I haven't told anybody, but-" He cuts himself off and listens, just in case there might be any girls eavesdropping behind the door. When he doesn't hear anything, he continues. "Last year, this girl got bullied to hell and back because she was rumored to be dating me to the point that she had to switch schools," he says, scratching the back of his head. He clearly remembers how crappy he felt for not interfering back then and has to clear his throat to get his mind back on track. "I mean..., just because they're superficial as hell doesn't mean they aren't crazy, you should know that," he adds, still looking at the sink.

Jongin is silent for a minute. "What are you saying?"

"I don't want the same goddamn thing to happen to you," Sehun blurts out before balling his hands into fists. The mere thought of Jongin getting flack and possibly having to change schools for saving him from inevitable chaos sends a chill running down Sehun's spine and he has to clench his jaw to distract himself before he punches a hole in the wall behind him.

"Uh, you're worried I might turn superficial and crazy?" Jongin asks and Sehun nearly laughs out loud. "Wait, what-"

"I don't want those idiots getting their hands on you and doing God knows what to you," Sehun says and immediately blushes. Formulating his sentences properly has never really been his thing, to say the least. "Wait, hold on, let me rephrase th-"

"God, you're such a kid," Jongin whines, his tone certainly not doing his words any justice whatsoever. "Anyway, I get it. But hey, what if I want them to get their hands on me and do God knows what to me?" he asks in a less than subtle tone and lets out an unattractive cackle when Sehun blinks in surprise. "I kid, I kid. No but seriously, don't worry about that, I'll-"

"Jongin-"

"I'm not five, Sehun, I can take care of myself!" Jongin exclaims in triumph. "Besides-"

"That girl was three inches taller than me and had a black belt in karate-"

"You know what I meant!" Jongin huffs before he rolls his eyes. "I wouldn't let them bully me or whatever. Besides, they're girls!" he adds before his voice turns serious. "Anyway."

Sehun briefly feels his chest swell with adoration because no matter what, he'll always see and think of Jongin as a hyperactive six year old on a constant sugar rush. However, the feeling is quickly placed with one of dread when Jongin goes back to staring at him with that serious look of his. "Uh."

"Let's just adress the elephant in the room already," Jongin says, leaning against the door (Sehun fights the urge to tell him to move in case somebody were to open it), as he continues to beat Sehun with his glare. "Since I saved your from having to go to prom with one of the ugliest girls in the school, I think you owe me something in return."

Sehun bites his lip. So you're not gonna kill me? he thinks, running a hand through his hair as he looks at Jongin in the mirror. Something hits him and he clears his throat. "Okay- Wait, could we like, do it in there?" He points to one of the open stalls because he's suddenly changed his mind; he'd much rather Jongin murdered him inside one of the stalls than out in the open.

"No," Jongin huffs. "We'll do it right here." He points to the space between them and Sehun suddenly doesn't have the guts to protest.

"Okay, fine," Sehun mumbles, shifting a little. Something else hits him and he whips his head up. "Wait, could I just-"

"Sehun, I swear to ing God," Jongin exclaims way too loudly before he throws his hands in the air. "You either put in the slightest ounce of effort to try to make things right right this second or you can bet your I'll walk right outta here and never talk to you again," he adds and Sehun blinks in surprise. "You either come the clean in three seconds or you're history!"

Sehun puts his hands up in defense. "Wait, no, it's nothing ba-"

"Okay, since you're obviously not gonna stop stalling anytime soon, I'll have to say it," Jongin interrupts before shooting Sehun a cold yet empathetic glare. "Look, I know how hard it is to talk about things like this, I understand, but, you need to realize that in order for to work out, you have to at least put in a certain amount of effort to- I mean, hell, am I the problem? Am I too harsh for you to be able to spit it out? Am I? Either way, what the , Sehun, at least-"

"You didn't have to put yourself in that position to get her to leave me alone," Sehun says, hoping his telepathic attempt at conveying his sincerity is getting through to Jongin. He figures it probably isn't. "I mean, I know you said you wouldn't mind them, but still-"

"I already said I don't care about them attacking me," Jongin deadpans. "And seriously-"

"-Especially since Yifan might blow a fuse on you later and I really don't want him to do that."

"-Quit stalling and just spit it out already!" Jongin exclaims before he blinks. "What?"

Sehun scratches the back of his head, suddenly feeling extremely foolish. "Yifan." He bites his lip sheepishly. "He isn't exactly known for his ability to keep his anger in check when something pisses him off, and I don't want him going all out on you after this," he adds and briefly feels every capillary in his body ignite when he pictures Yifan going off on the brunet in a few moments. "So yeah, maybe you'll be able to convince him, but-"

"Hold on, what the ." Jongin puts his hands up for Sehun to close his mouth (which the latter does) and in confusion. "What? What are you even- How did- What's Yifan got to-"

"Duh, it's not a good idea for you to say something like that when you're together," Sehun says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "He could take it the wrong way, even though I'm sure he understands that you were only trying to help, but still," he adds and shoves his hands in his pockets. He's lucky he's managed to store all his emotions somewhere deep inside his chest; he's thankfully managed to hide them all behind the protective barrier that is his ribcage and he'll do anything he can to keep them there until this whole thing blows over. Nothing can break the barrier, he's sure of it, and no matter how much his own words make his head spin, he isn't going to let them break through no matter what.

Jongin is silent for a minute, confusion written all over his delicate features as he blinks over and over. "What the fu-" His eyes widen a little when realization dawns on him and he exhales deeply. "Okay. Wow okay." He takes a deep breath and drags both hands down his face. "Wait, lemme get this straight; you- Damn it-" He gestures wildly with his hands, flailing them in all directions. "...Because of Yifan?"

Sehun bites his lip, nodding slowly. "Yes?"

"Okay, ." Jongin sighs before shaking his head in exasperation. "We're not together," he says, staring Sehun square in the eyes. "I swear on my life," he adds for good measure when Sehun's expression remains stoic. 

Threatening to topple over and subsequently bang his head against the sink, Sehun immediately feels a certain pressure in his chest and he clenches his jaw, because he's made a promise to himself: Never let it out no matter what. So he, after a bit of struggle, regains his composure and bites his lip. "Okay," he mumbles, eyes darting around the room wildly. "But uh, still, you didn't need to put yourself in that position to save me," he adds dumbly and subsequently awaits the brutal beating that's soon to come his way. "You really didn't, even though I appreciate it."

Jongin looks like he's about to burst into tears in confusion. "Are you insane? What the actual  are you sa-"

"You didn't have to feel the need to pretend to ask me out to prom just to get that to leave me alone," Sehun exclaims in exasperation, feeling the pressure in his chest expanding to an impossible degree. In fact, he worries the barries he's built up might actually cave in if he says anything else, so he opts to close his mouth in hopes of shoving it all back inside. "It was considerate of you, but it wasn't nec-"

"You might be the most athletic person I've ever met," Jongin starts, chuckling lowly, "but you're also the dumbest idiot I've ever met." He shakes his head in amusement and disbelief before exhaling in exasperation. "Didn't even know that was possible," he hums, mainly to himself, as he plays with his fingers.

A couple of feet away, Sehun remains as unmoving as a flower in the desert. As much as he doesn't appreciate being called 'dumb', he knows that there must be a special reason for Jongin calling him that, but if he's going to be honest, he's too busy trying to keep his feelings at bay to pay that any thought. "Um."

Jongin smacks a hand on his forehead, letting it slowly run down his face. "I was serious, you goddamn moron," he mumbles. "Jeez, you'd think someone as smart as you would've figured that out by now," he adds, staring at nothing in particular in the mirror.

Even though it's lunch time for about 60% of the entire student population, Sehun wonders why nobody has come in to use the bathroom since the restroom he and Jongin are currently in happens to be located in the most populated hallway in the whole building. Whatever the reason may be, Sehun is sort of thankful that nobody has chosen to use the restroom quite yet, because if they were to open the door right now, they'd walk in on him struggling to stay vertical as he tries to control his breathing. Sehun promised himself that he would do all he could to keep it all inside, but that's proven to be a difficult task when he feels as if he's been kicked in the chest by a horse, on the inside, that is, and he hopes he doesn't look like he's in the middle of an asthma attack as he fights the urge to reach up and loosen the buttons on his collar.

Only crossing his arms over his chest, Jongin's expression doesn't change, and he doesn't even seem at all fazed. "What do you have to say about that?"

Sehun hopes his ribs are still in tact from the mass explosion in his entire chest area. Attempting to pull himself together again, he coughs into his fist. In all honesty, he doesn't know what to say about that, because there are a million different words on the tip of his tongue right now, and none of them seem to want to escape his mouth. All he wants to do is rush over and envelope the brunet in a bearhug, but, judging by the look on the latter's face, Sehun figures that will probably have to wait until later.

Jongin sighs. "You really aren't making this easier for me," he mumbles, running a hand through his hair. "So you leave me no choice than to be straightforward: You can bet your I'll open this door right up, grab the first attractive male I see and bring him to the dance instead if you don't open your goddamn mouth right this very instant and tell me what the hell's been going on for the past few weeks," he says all in one breath and his gaze on the taller only intensifies. 

Suddenly, Sehun feels as if he's been kicked in the chest by a horse again, but this time from the outside, and he knows for a fact that every single rib of his has been shattered to smithereens when his lungs constrict painfully. He's still feeling woozy thanks to Jongin's unexpected words a moment ago, which makes shifting to the more serious parts of his brain all that more difficult. When Sehun finally manages to get a grip on reality, he has to walk two feet to his left and grab onto the edge of the sink for support in case his knees were to give in, since getting beat up by the brunet's piercing gaze isn't sitting so well with him. 

"I'm not kidding," Jongin suddenly says, making Sehun flinch a little. "Stay silent for another minute and I'm outta here." He waits for few moments before shaking his head in disbelief, and it's not until he reaches for the door handle that Sehun emits a noise of alarm, which nearly makes the brunet wet himself in surprise. 

Sehun feels his cheeks heat up at his sudden (and unexpected, even to him) noise of protest and he rubs the back of his neck, although there's a very, very heavy feeling lodged deep inside his gut. Everything he'd been trying to keep inside moments ago is now trickling down the inside of his chest and down to his stomach in the form of thick defeat, which subsequently makes his chest deflate. No matter how much he's freaking out on the inside, all it takes is one look at Jongin's hand and how it's hovering above the door handle for Sehun's legs to feel like they're moving of their own accord as he promptly walks over and grabs the brunet's arm firmly, but not painfully (at least so Sehun hopes), before quickly dragging him towards one of the cubicles, whilst ignoring the brunet's protest of 'What are you doing?'. 

Once he hurriedly ushers Jongin into said stall, Sehun wastes no time in locking it and placing his hand on the lock so Jongin can't open it. Sehun knows how downright strange the situation must look for him right now, but he would much rather risk looking weird than have some crazy woman opening the door and assaulting Jongin for 'Stealing Sehun from her'. Any. Day. Sehun assumes somebody must have put his heart back in its place while he wasn't paying attention, because there's a frantic beating in his chest, and across from him, Jongin is staring at him in both confusion, fear and...something else, and Sehun inwardly screams.

"Okay, I know you don't care and that you think they're no match for you," Sehun starts, still keeping his hand on top of the lock, "but they're ing insane and I'm not doing this because- Well, yeah, just to be on the safe side." Because I care a great deal about you and your safety. He bites his lip awkwardly and listens to the sound of the leaking faucet on the other side of the door. 

Seemingly unfazed, Jongin only shrugs before crossing his arms over his chest. His expression hasn't changed at all. "Doesn't change the fact that I demand an explanation," he deadpans, leaning against the wall. There's a hint of sadness in both his words and his eyes and Sehun just wants to vomit.

Sehun clenches his jaw. He has never been good at explaining himself, but there's a feeling of impending doom hovering above his head in the form of a black cloud, and before he knows it, he's opening his mouth to speak. "I'm sorry," he mumbles and mentally slaps himself. He may be bad at apologizing, but he can admit that he can certainly do better than that. "Jongin- Damn it- My God, I don't even-" He has to cut himself off when it feels as if his airways are constricting and he practically collapses onto the toilet seat when his knees do, in fact, cave in. He finds himself paralyzed with a newfound feeling of guilt, anxiety and sadness which all, conveniently, come crashing down on him at once, and Sehun is awfully glad that he's sitting down, because he thinks he'd faint otherwise. 

Barely able to choke out the words, Sehun buries his face in his hands as he keeps his gaze fixated on the squares of toilet paper strewn across the floor (on the other hand, not having to look the brunet in the eyes is actually doing wonders to calm his nerves). He has to take three deep breaths in a row to assure himself that he isn't going to pass out. "I know this sounds ty as hell, but I never expected to genuinely mean anything to anybody," he says lowly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I mean- , like, two days after we went to the café I started questioning whether I really meant anything to you, because being special to someone is all I've ever wanted, but after you showed, you know, these huge signs of affection towards me I was terrified since I had no goddamn clue how to properly treat someone who was that close to me, trust me, I really tried but it definitely didn't work very well." He chuckles humorlessly. "Since I was so used to people never bothering to delve that deep into me or simply avoiding me, I, uh, guess I got suspicious and kinda...well, scared when you decided to act so suddenly." He clears his throat nervously. "Don't take it personally- , I don't want you to take any of this personally, it's just- Yeah. Seriously, you have no idea how awful I felt whenever I'd think about whether or not I really deserved someone like you, since the thought of if it's worth having someone to take care of when I can barely even take care of myself has made me want to puke several times, Jesus-" He has to stop and take a breath, not only because he's running out of air, but because his vision is quickly getting blurry and the last thing he wants is to break down. 

"And then there's this whole...thing, whatever this is," Sehun continues, clenching his fists in his lap. "I don't expect you to understand it, but it's ing stressful, having hundreds of people on your back, watching your every move, expecting certain things from you, day after day on a regular basis, and , I just- I don't even know why I even bothered worrying about what they'd think, since they most likely wouldn't give a either way, but I found myself giving into the things they expected from me, which I know is bull now, but still- Damn it-" He reaches up and lightly pats his under eye area which is, surprisingly, dry. Even though he feels an awful lot like a character from a teenage film, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling as if a heavy weight is slowly being lifted off his shoulders, and he flinches when he hears Jongin's voice.

"But," Jongin starts, clearly confused, although his voice is laced with sympathy, "I mean, I don't get it- Why didn't you just choose to ignore them? I mean, I know it's hard, but."

"Because, as much as I don't want to accept it, they've kind of become a part of my life now, you know?" Sehun says, shivering a little. "You slowly start to change yourself to accomodate their likings and end up catering to their every need, even though in reality, they don't really care and you end up feeling like afterwards. Trust me, I'd take a bullet to the head any day if it meant getting away from these people, but it's impossible, and they don't listen when you try telling them to stop, anyway. I ing know I shouldn't care, but I have to, because if I don't, there'll only be more rumors at the expense of some random unfortunate soul or- Damn it, it's all 'Straight' this and 'Straight' that and 'Womanizer' this and 'Womanizer' that to them, it gets to your head whether you awant it to or not and it goddamn ing - Jesus, point is, I can't just ignore them. It sounds easy as a motherer but trust me, I've tried for years, it's simply not possible." He takes a deep breath to pull himself together before he proceeds to a full on rambling spree. He figures (and knows) Jongin wouldn't want to stick around to hear that. "And- , I tried to protect you from them as much as I possibly could but it all just- -" He has to stop and wipe at the tear that's travelling down his cheek, which he's thankful Jongin can't see.

Jongin blinks. "Protect me?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. His lips suddenly form an 'o'-shape and he presses his lips together. "Wait, so that's why you-"

"Avoided you like you were AIDS, yes," Sehun says, wiping his eyes. "And damn it, I know I should've done it differently- Hell, I shouldn't have done it at all, I know, it's just- , the thought of them possibly finding out and coming after you and doing what they did to that other girl made me want to kill myself, and it still does. Damn it, Jongin, I know it's a ty reason and I'd totally understand if you- Damn , I remember how sad you looked whenever I'd ignore you and trust me, you probably don't believe me, but it hurt like hell and I contemplated walking over to you, but they were all staring and I didn't want them to judge me since you were probably jealous of the girls coming upt t ome 24 goddamn 7 and I didn't want you to make a scene, and, well, I didn't want 'em to judge you, but hell, now that I think about it, I'd much rather have them figure out I was gay and hated them all than find out I was dating you, I mean, don't take it personally, it's just that I'd rather let them beat me the up than you." He chuckles dryly because he knows how fake deep he must be sounding right now, and he doesn't know if it's convincing enough for Jongin, and the thought of the latter possibly disregarding his every word is enough for Sehun's hand to blindly reach out and grab the brunet's hand. 

Sehun waits for Jongin to forcefully shrug him off, but when the latter doesn't, Sehun bites his lip before taking a much needed breath. The feeling of Jongin's hand in his own, which is a feeling he hasn't felt in what feels like decades, is enough to make Sehun's mind clear up and the latter clears his throat. "I know you think I'm a monster, and I don't blame you, but please, ing believe me when I say that I thought I was doing the right thing to protect you and that I would never, ing ever, do anything to purposefully hurt you or make you feel bad, and I hope to God you realize that," he mumbles lowly, not having the energy to speak any louder, and he unconsciously squeezes Jongin's hand so hard that he worries the latter's fingers might shatter under his touch. "God, it just got worse and worse, you kept getting closer and closer and it got so much harder to keep you safe, and it frustrated the hell out of me since I thought you knew what I was thinking, and the freaking pressure of Nationals and all that it just- , it became too much, which is why I did what I did in the changing rooms. God damn it, I still have nightmares about that, Jesus Christ, it - You have no freaking clue how many times I've wanted to die whenever I would think back to that, oh my God-" He pauses and wipes his eyes with his free hand. He's thankful that he was born with the ability to control his tears because the last thing he wants is to burst into them.

Sighing deeply, Jongin runs a hand through his hair with his unoccupied hand. "Jesus Christ- No, I had no idea you were feeling the need to 'protect me'," he says quietly, biting his lip. "I, I mean, in honesty, I just thought you were getting tired or annoyed with me," he adds and swallows before dragging the same hand down his face. "Christ, Sehun, you should've told me, I would've toned it down a bit- God-"

"I could never get tired or annoyed with you," Sehun says, feeling tears stream down his face. Well then. "I could never- Jesus- It was never your goddamn fault in the first place-" He hastily stands up, ignoring the head rush before mustering the courage to look Jongin in the eyes. "I'm going to admit, at first I was hesitant to get together with you since I was terrified of dragging you into this mess and possibly putting you in an uncomfortable position, which, thanks to me, I did." He chuckles humorlessly. "But anyway, I couldn't ing resist you and I still ing can't, but believe me when I say that I would rather have you beat me to death twice than risk putting you in danger or hurting you in any way, and I know that that seems impossible to believe, and I understand, but still, please at least acknowledge it because I've felt like dying all week, I've barely slept a wink, you're the best person I've ever met and I'm the most careless, heartless bastard you could ever have the displeasure of meeting and I honestly don't understand how you could even bring yourself to think the thought of asking someone like me to prom because a person like you is so much better off without a person like me and-" He promptly feels his mind (as well as everything around him) blank out when he suddenly feels a certain pressure on his lips, effectively making him fall silent and lose his train of thought. What the-

"You're awfully annoying when you ramble like that, you know," Jongin huffs after leaning away and rolling his eyes a little. He's crying, too; his entire face is glistening with a certain wetness and Sehun feels a pang of guilt surge through his entire body. "Just thought you should know, for future reference," he adds with a small chuckle before shrugging.

It takes Sehun a painfully long time to register Jongin's words because of how his mouth is tingling, it feels like his lips have been set on fire and he fights the urge to reach up and pat them to assure himself that they haven't. After a few moments, he blinks in confusion because the last thing he expected was for Jongin to freaking kiss him; Sehun figures the brunet would either whip out the sledgehammer he'd (somehow) been hiding behind his back the whole time or simply knee him in the groin before unlocking the door and walking off. His confusion only grows when Jongin's lips suddenly curl into a weak smile and Sehun briefly wonders if he actually did pass out mid-ramble and if he's actually dreaming. He's about to pinch himself, just in case, when Jongin speaks up.

"You know, right after you and Yifan left yesterday," Jongin hums, playing with Sehun's collar, which only makes the latter's confusion skyrocket, "Junmyeon actually decided to pay me a rather...informative visit." 

Sehun's jaw nearly hits the floor. He had not been expecting that. "Really?" he asks dumbly and clears his throat when Jongin blinks. "No, it's just that, uh, Junmyeon isn't the type to actively seek out people to talk to, that's why I...yeah. Nevermind," he mumbles, scratching the back of his ear.

"He didn't really seek me out, he just stopped by 'cause the light was on, he didn't actually know I was in there," Jongin replies. "Anyway, I won't go into detail but it only strengthened one of my strongest beliefs," he adds with a bright smile, which nearly makes Sehun collapse on top of the toilet seat again. 

Nodding slowly, mainly in confusion, Sehun raises an eyebrow. "That's...interesting," he says, more interested to know why Jongin isn't punching him in the face or leaving him. "What, uh, what did you...uh."

"I've always been a firm believer of the fact that every person deserves a second chance, as well as sympathy," Jongin says sincerely. "My mom actually taught me that when I was like, eight, and it's stuck with me ever since. Didn't ever think it'd come to good use." He chuckles slightly and raises an eyebrow when Sehun suddenly looks like he's about to pass out. "What's the ma-"

As relieved (and happy) as he is, Sehun can't help the feeling of guilt that explodes in his chest. He takes a step back, as much as the tiny cubicle will allow him to, before stuttering as he gestures wildly (and blindly) with his hands. "But- I- I mean, what the he- I mean, it's true, but- What- I-" he babbles, unable to keep his thoughts in line. He worries his brain might implode from the information and emotional overflow. "But."

"What is it?" Jongin asks, cocking his head to the side as he watches Sehun (make a fool out of himself) a few feet away. "Are you having a seizure?"

"Why aren't you mad," Sehun blurts out before he can stop himself, his confusion getting the best of him as he continues to stare at Jongin like the latter is a creature from outer space. He suddenly realizes how vague his sentence sounded and he mentally slaps himself silly. "Wait-"

Jongin throws his hands in the air. "What? Why? You want me to be mad at you?" he asks in exasperation, his own confusion growing. "Why would you want me to be pissed at you?!"

"Because I treated you like ," Sehun retorts, a pang of guilt erupting in his chest. "You should be!" He clears his throat and presses his lips together. "I mean, I'm happy you aren't, it's just...yeah."

"You're just realizing that now?" Jongin sarcastically mumbles under his breath before he rolls his eyes. "And yeah, moron, I ing hate your for the you pulled last week, don't get me wrong." He makes sure to send Sehun a stern glare with each word. "As a matter of fact, now that you mention it, I'm gonna have to ask you to pick me up in a limo with a personal chauffeur, as well, tomorrow, to make up for it," he adds and honestly, Sehun doesn't know if he's joking or not.

Scratching the back of his head, Sehun tries his best to laugh. And he really needs to try, not because he doesn't find Jongin's joke (or, demand) funny, because he does, it's just that his knees are already threatening to cave in from the overwhelming amount of guilt crowding his brain. Personally, Sehun would never demand solely a thousand dollar car ride in order to make up for what he did, and he opts to chuckle lightly whilst low key hoping Jongin was joking, mainly because Sehun can't afford any of that (not to mention his highest priority as of right now is to save up for college). However, across from him, Jongin looks dead serious and Sehun wants to cry.

"Seven PM sharp, outside my front door," Jongin says promptly, eyeing Sehun with an unreadable look, before crossing his arms over his chest. "And a white one, preferably," he adds. "Black limos are so hard to see in the dark and I don't want us both to die in a car crash before even arriving, you know?" He shrugs. "Oh, and make sure you wear one of those flower thingies, as well, you know, the water squirting ones? I wanna prank some people there!"

Sehun seriously wonders if this is all a prank set up by Jongin to get him to feel all fuzzy, only for the latter to kick him in the groin and storm out of the restroom. He figures it probably isn't, because the exhilarated glint in Jongin's eyes makes Sehun think otherwise, and even though Sehun is overly relieved about the fact that Jongin isn't roundhouse kicking him on the spot, he can't bring himself to share the brunet's excitement for multiple reasons, and the next thing Sehun knows, he's reaching out and grabbing Jongin's wrist. Sternly, but not painfully.

Jongin blinks. "What's the matter? Why do you look so sad? Are you embarrassed to wear the flower or what?" He raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Hey, are you feeling constipated? There's a toilet right here, you know," he adds, pointing to the porcelain seat to the right and Sehun drags a hand down his face. "What!"

"Jongin- Damn it, yes, I'll wear the goddamn flower, but, look," Sehun stutters, unable to find the words to say since the brunet's pulse under his touch is making his nerves buzz. "This is serious, look, I need to make sure you aren't feeling forced to...well-" He cuts himself off and clears his throat. Honestly, he doesn't even know what he's even saying at this point.

"You aren't forcing me to ask you out because of your sob story, you idiot," Jongin huffs with an eyeroll, although he quickly wipes his eyes with his free hand. "I even said I was serious! Seriously, do you have the memory of a goldfish?" 

Sehun squawks. "No, I-"

"And stop crying, it doesn't suit you," Jongin says whilst reaching out and gently wiping the underside of Sehun's eyes, nearly causing the latter to collapse. "At all, like I like you better when you're smiling, even though you do look kinda creepy when you d- Hey, what's the matter?!"

Wiping his eyes, Sehun mumbles a low apology before slowly letting go of Jongin's arm. "Nothing, it's just...I mean." He contemplates not even saying the next part, the reason being that he definitely doesn't want to steer their discussion into cheesy and cliché territories, but alas, the fogginess clouding his brain begs to differ. "It's just- , man, I know I've said it already, but- Damn it Jongin, you're the only one who's ever, truly believed in me and you confused the hell out of me and I just got so scared and-" He pauses and takes a deep breath. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't kicked me straight in the groin and run off by now," he chuckles sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

"I'm going to if you don't lay off with your rambling already," Jongin murmurs before he smiles impossibly wide and, if it wasn't for the fact that it looks awfully creepy, in a way, Sehun would have felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

Sehun eyes Jongin suspiciously. "What? The hell's with your face?" he asks, inwardly panicking because what if it was all, indeed, a prank? He clenches his jaw and braces himself for the subsequent, agonizing pain that his crotch is going to endure in a second.

Jongin says nothing and keeps staring at Sehun, presumably only doing it to get a rise out of the latter. "I've missed your godawful cheesiness," he says simply and Sehun doesn't know if he should laugh or cry.

"Uh," Sehun mumbles, scratching the back of his ear. "Thanks...?" he says dumbly and mentally smacks himself. Quite frankly, he's always hated his own jokes and puns and he remembers wondering if he should lay off with it all together, but after hearing Jongin's words, he definitely isn't planning on doing that any longer. 

"You're welcome, ," Jongin chuckles and frowns slightly when he sees the look on Sehun's face. "What now?"

Sehun bites his lip. "Nothing," he murmurs, keeping his gaze fixated on the toilet brush by his feet. Speaking of which, his legs are seriously starting to ache from standing up for so long and he curses inwardly. "It's...I'm just a little confused- Nevermind. Forget about it." He shoots Jongin his most convincing smile, which doesn't turn out to be all that convincing when the brunet only sighs. "I'm serious!"

"I don't want a goddamn repeat of what happened, so just spit it out already," Jongin says, crossing his arms over his chest. "You have three seconds."

With a drawn out sigh, Sehun runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. Damn it. "I was just wondering, I mean- Yifan's such a nice guy, I mean, you're perfect for each other, why wouldn't you wa-"

"For the same reason you bawled your eyes out a moment ago," Jongin says and he watches as Sehun visibly stills. "And let's just say that me and Yifan going to prom together, after he said such awful things about y-" He blinks and clears his throat. "It's not happening. Ever. Okay? Whaddya want me to do, get a tattoo that says 'I'm Not Going To Prom With Yifan' or what?" 

Nearly laughing out loud, Sehun nods. Even though he's dying to drop the topic of Yifan already, there's one question that's been plaguing his mind for a while now and he can't help but let it out. "But, I mean...why'd you said you like hi-"

"First of all, I said 'Maybe'," Jongin starts, leaning against the wall. "And second of all, let's just say you weren't the only one trying to protect yourself back then," he adds, pressing his lips together. "So yeah. Whatever. I don't wanna talk about that scumbag, he makes me sick." With a dramatic grimace, he sticks out his tongue and pretends to gag.

Sehun doesn't want to drag it out any longer, so he nods before shifting a little. It suddenly feels as if he's been into a vacuum and he shoves his hands into his pockets, hoping his head doesn't explode. Even though there are no more words lingering on the tip of his tongue, he has no idea what to do next, and Sehun keeps his gaze fixated on Jongin's black shoes as he racks his brain for an appropriate thing to say. "So...you're not mad?" he asks before he can stop himself. "Anymore, that i-"

"I'm ing pissed off as hell," Jongin says seriously, even though he follows it up with a chuckle. "But gimme my limo ride and fancy chauffeur tomorrow evening and maybe I won't be anymore," he adds with a bright grin and Sehun doesn't know if he wants to strangle or hug him.

"Yeah, yeah," Sehun mutters, lips curling into a smile. He clears his throat and keeps his gaze fixated on the floor. "Looks like Myeon and Yeol hit a home run," he chuckles, desperately wanting to break the silence. Across from him, he hears the brunet chuckle and Sehun nearly cries because dear God, has he missed that sound.

Jongin nods, shifting a little. "Yup, Baek and Dae, those lucky bastards," he hums. "Honestly, I didn't think they'd actually end up...you know, but hey, what do you know."

Gaze fixated on the toilet paper roll by Jongin's waist, Sehun laughs a little. "I probably would've forced them to in the end, anyway, since seeing Myeon beat himself to death over it day after day got awfully annoying, if I do say so myself. I mean, I kinda felt sorry for him, you know? Since he's the last person you'd expect to find love, but whatever," he says, pressing his lips together. "Anyway." He looks up and scratches the back of his ear. "Y'know, when we were with Yifan the other day, you had a sports bag with you." He looks at Jongin in curiosuty. "Did you...you know?"

"I did," Jongin says boldly. "Last week. Met up with a few old friends of mine, we've trained a couple of times, they haven't changed a thing, which is really cool," he adds, a euphoric glint in his eyes. 

A sense of proudness erupting in his chest, Sehun nods in understanding. He really wants to sneak in a remark about Jongin making sure not to slapshot any pucks in his groin this time but he decides against it for obvious reasons. "I'll bet it is," he hums before his eyebrows furrow. "Wait. But, your-"

"Haven't told him yet, and quite frankly, I doubt he'll give a ," Jongin says nonchalantly. "Besides, he'll have to accept it otherwise. Jungah will convince him, don't worry," He pouts a little before he whips his head up. "Wait, just to be clear, you were serious, right?"

Blinking at the sudden subject change, Sehun furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "What? About what?"

"When you said yes earlier," Jongin says, biting his lip. He scratches his head and suddenly, Sehun thinks he looks awfully small. "You know, when I asked...you? I mean, you were serious, weren't you?" he adds, shifting awkwardly.

"Of course I was," Sehun blurts out way too loudly and mentally smacks himself afterwards. "I was," he repeats, quieter this time, before nodding reassuringly. "You know, I still can't freaking believe you-"

"You at love, Sehun," Jongin says in exasperation before huffing slightly, although there's a hint of warmth in his voice. "But I'll help you at it a little less, don't you worry," he adds with a thumbs up. He speaks up before Sehun has a chance to reply. "On one condition, though."

Sehun blinks. "What's that?"

"I want my limo," Jongin says, almost in a whine, as he crossed his arms over his chest. When the taller only sighs, he squawks. "Don't act like it's brand new information! Hey, we could look up some professional chauffeurs right now!" he exclaims excitedly, grabbing Sehun's wrist as he practically bounces up and down.

Reaching for the door lock, since he's definitely running at least forty minutes late to his last period, Sehun mumbles something incoherent under his breath. "Jongin, it doesn't work that way, and I'll see what I can do."

"Do you think Junmyeon could be our chauffeur? He's got that serious, creepy look, he's the perfect limo driver," Jongin squeals, shaking Sehun's arm so frantically the latter worries it might break off.

"Are you kidding? If anything, he'll want to be in there with us," Sehun mutters before shaking his head, although the thought of Junmyeon as a limousine chauffeur is awfully...intriguing, to say the least. "Jongin, let go, I'm late as hell and Baekhyun and Jongdae are probably wondering where the hell we went-"

"You'll wear the water flower thingy, won't you? Please tell me you are-"

"Miss will kill me, seriously, I don't want detention," Sehun whines as he practically tries to pry Jongin off of him while he tries opening the door. "I promise I'll call you right after class-"

"Think of how cool we'll look!" Jongin says excitedly. "Junmyeon opening the doors to our limo before we step out, it'll be like the red carpet! Isn't that awesome?" Please, please, please book one! Okay?" He stares at Sehun with doe eyes and the latte nearly cries.

Sehun barely even has the chance to properly reply, because his words come out sounding like a mangled, incoherent mess when he lets out a surprised noise after he accidentally, somehow, unlocks the door lock in the commotion (he fully blames Jongin, though, and the latter weighing him down), and Sehun barely registers the door flying open under his and Jongin's weight before he feels them both tumbling down to the floor with a squawk.

~~~