“Hyung!” Chanyeol's voice booms and resonates off the hallway walls. Junmyeon freezes and squeezes his eyes shut, ignoring the snicker Sehun throws his way.

“Bye hyung,” the younger teases as he dances away quite possibly to face with his boyfriend for a few minutes before class, and leaving poor, poor Junmyeon defenceless against Chanyeol. What was the point of stupid little brothers besides existing to torment their hyungs lives? The tell-tale sound of approaching heavy footsteps breaks him out of his internal sibling rant and Junmyeon musters up the most pleasing smile he could (which really just makes him look like he has a horrible wedgie sawing him in two) and turns to face the giant.

Chanyeol grins widely- almost painfully, eyes glistening as he looks down at Junmyeon (quite literally). The fact that the younger is so much taller is a bit disconcerting, already having to deal with Sehun who is at least two heads taller and always teases him about it. Straightening his posture and pointing his nose, he eyes Chanyeol questioningly.

“Oh! Hi hyung!” Chanyeol yells and Junmyeon winces, prompting the other to whisper out a ‘sorry’.

“Hello, Chanyeol. How are you today?” Curse him and his sense of goodness or he’d be like just like his brother, the resident heartthrob, and ditch his admirers in the most brash and rude ways. It’s a good thing Jongin finds Sehun’s personality so endearing. He doesn’t get it but then again, he doesn’t get most things that relates to Sehun.

Chanyeol is exactly what Junmyeon thinks he is; an excitable (and slightly annoying) puppy as he vividly relates (with hand movements and all) his eventful morning which includes walking into a pole twice, stepping in a puddle and almost getting knocked over by car while crossing during a green light because ‘I was too engrossed by the music!’ By the time he’s finished, Junmyeon has had a total of three minor panic attacks and his worry that the younger would probably die before his time, increases exponentially.

“Well… that’s all very interesting but I’ve gotta go to class now,” Junmyeon interjects just as Chanyeol is about to recount that time his puppy, Beethoven, peed in his loafers and he only noticed after slipping his feet into them. As if he hasn’t told that story at least seven times before. 

Chanyeol’s face falls slightly but he masks it almost perfectly with one of his signature face-splitting smiles. Junmyeon desperately tries to ignore the guilt crawling through his veins because he does this every single time Chanyeol tries to talk to him and he knows the boy is aware of it yet for some strange reason, he never gives up.

“It’s fine. I’ll see ya later! Bye hyung!” his deep voice raises an octave too high and cracks, causing Chanyeol to flush a deep red and Junmyeon to genuinely chuckle as rounds the corner, almost crashing into Jongin who has Sehun pressed up against the lockers, practically inhaling his face. Reckless kids.

***

“Junmyeon hyung!”

Sehun snorts into his chocolate pudding and Jongin elbows him lightly before shooting Junmyeon an encouraging smile. At this point Junmyeon just wants to go home and lock himself in his room, strip down to his boxers and wrap himself his baby blue fluffy blanket while eating double chocolate chip ice cream and listening to 80’s rock. All in all, his back to back lectures were a disaster and his list of assignments has doubled, leaving him less time to study or volunteer at the animal shelter just off campus.

Junmyeon doesn’t move an inch, not even when he feels someone slide into the empty space next to him and bump his shoulders playfully. He keeps his focus on the soggy ham and cheese sandwich on his tray until Chanyeol clears his throat awkwardly. “Is something wrong?” the younger asks with genuine concern, voice a low hum that buzzes around Junmyeon’s ear and flutters his heart strangely.

He looks up and grants the boy with a tired half smile. “Sort of. It’s just been a really tough day and well, I’d appreciate it a lot if I could just be left alone for a while… please.”

Junmyeon studies the way Chanyeol’s eyes widen in concern, mouth turn down at the corners and eyebrows furrow when he realises he’s not wanted and then settles into a look of gentle complacency. “Sure, I’m sorry,” he chokes out a laugh and stands with his tray. “Bye guys!” he lifts his tray slightly and turns to walk away… except that he doesn’t.

Chanyeol takes a total of four steps- Junmyeon counts- before halting and spinning around abruptly, almost tripping over his long legs, tray nearly crashing to the floor. ‘That would have been tragedy,’ he thinks gripping the hem of his knitted sweater.

“Um… actually,” Chanyeol begins, looking slightly terrified as his eyes skit from Junmyeon to his brother and brother’s boyfriend on the other side of the table. “Iwaswonderingifyou’dliketogooutwithmeonSaturday.”

“What…” Junmyeon’s pretty sure he’s intelligent enough to decipher Chanyeol’s word vomit. The problem is, he wishes he didn't. Chanyeol looks at him with those large, sad puppy eyes and he has to look away or he'd immediately give in. He doesn't want to date anyone. It's been a stressful academic year and his goal is to graduate with first class honours and zero distractions.

Chanyeol isn’t even his type. They’re complete opposites. The younger has that easy-going, cheerful and bubbly attitude topped off with extreme clumsiness and limbs too long, making him a walking hazard whereas Junmyeon is the overly-responsible and tightly wound over-achiever who does things by the textbook and textbook alone (what even is fun on a weekend?). Junmyeon gazes across the table to Sehun who's giving him a pointed look, disappointment clearly etched on his stone-faced features.

“He'll go. He’ll meet you at Shakers. How does seven sound?” Sehun supplies instead, ignoring his older brother’s gaping face, eyes wide with disbelief and slight betrayal- annoyance even.

Chanyeol glances at Junmyeon and sighs. “I don’t- I’m not sure your brother would- you know… I’d just like him to accept instead of being forced to, Sehunnie,” he stutters out, cheeks tinted in a light shaded of pink.

‘Sehunnie? When did Chanyeol and Sehunnie become such close friends?’ Junmyeon wonders incredulously and snaps his jaw shut, fixing his features carefully. “Chanyeol, I-”

“Junmyeon,” Sehun grits and everyone at the table startles, even Jongin, who looks slightly mortified because Sehun rarely ever becomes angry but when he does, it’s like a black hole has opened up, disrupting the space time continuum and reigning hell upon the world. “If he has to wait for you to agree, you’d be ing grey in the pubes and still a . Just one night. Let go for once, man. Go.”

He says it with such finality that Junmyeon really has no choice and turns slowly, frame still tense as he nods at Chanyeol and manages a half smile. “See you at seven,” he practically squeaks, cheeks colouring in embarrassment. Chanyeol nods unsure and shoots Sehun and undecipherable look before turning away and heading out of the cafeteria.

“Chanyeol is one of my best friends and he’s a total puppy who wears his heart on his sleeve. I swear to God hyung, if you this up, I’m burning your Princess Leia Toy.” With that, Sehun stands with his tray, free hand Jongin’s shirt and dragging his boyfriend with him, leaving Junmyeon to terrifying images of Sehun standing over their stove with his precious twelve inch official Princess Leia Action Figure that had cost him his entire summer job savings from the year before.

***

“What the happened here?” Sehun questions, throwing all caution into the wind and purposely stepping on stray shirts and pants that are strewn across Junmyeon’s floor. He’s so used to seeing his brother’s living space void of clutter or even the slightest bit of mess that it feels like he’s stepped into a parallel universe of some sort.

“I don’t know what to wear!” Junmyeon whines, sticking his head out of his closet, clad in nothing but his boxers, his hair a crow’s nest. “I haven’t dated since… since high school Sehun! I don’t know why you thought this was a good idea. I’m losing my mind.”

“That’s exactly why,” the younger snorts, planting himself on Junmyeon’s bed. “Do you still have the skinny jeans I bought you last month?”

“Which one?” Junmyeon asks, lips pressed into a thin line and eyes narrowed. He’d told Sehun countless of times that he hated wearing skinny jeans. They made his balls suffocate but of course, that’s exactly what the little devil had bought him- and several pairs of it too.

“Huh… how about the faded blue one? That one makes your look really nice,” Sehun decides, using his hands to curve out a visual representation of the shape of Junmyeon’s . The older just sighs and fishes said jeans out from the bottom of his closet and tugs it on with much difficulty.

Sehun nods in agreement and then throws a random black long-sleeved sweater at Junmyeon’s face. “Wear that, fix your hair and put on some cologne and you’re good to go!”

Once he’s fully dressed and smells humanly, it’s fifteen to the hour. Shakers isn’t too far from their apartment thankfully so he slips on his white converse and pockets his wallet and phone. Sehun grabs his hand at the doorway and turns him around to give him once-over, breaking out into one of his rare but absolutely breathtaking smiles that have his eyes turning into crescents and pearly white teeth showing between his thin pink lips. “You look stunning, hyung. T