✚

Jongin finds out he shares class with Sehun.

After the first bell, he makes it to class with two minutes to spare, and finds Sehun sitting on top of his boyfriend’s desk, facing the latter who’s seated on a chair. The boy perks up upon seeing him.

“Jongin, hey! I didn’t know we share homeroom together!” Sehun waves cheerily, which attracts the attention of everyone in the room.

“Yeah…” Jongin mumbles, taking an empty seat in a corner, a few desks away from Sehun.

“That’s great! Let’s be super close, okay?”

Before Jongin can react, Sehun’s boyfriend is narrowing his eyes, cutting in. “‘Super close’? As in how close?”

“As in close friends close~” Sehun answers nonchalantly. “Like how you and I are suuuuper close, too.”

“Yeah, but we’re not just close friends, are we?”

“Of course not, otherwise you wouldn’t get to do this,” and with that, Sehun leans down to kiss his boyfriend full on the lips. The boyfriend then curls a hand around Sehun’s nape, pulling him down as they make out heatedly.

Jongin looks away and concentrates on pulling his notebook and pencil out, ignoring the small moan leaving Sehun’s throat just three desks away.

Thankfully, the final bell rings and the teacher walks in soon after. What is not thankful, however, is Sehun hopping off his boyfriend’s desk and plopping down on the seat right in front of Jongin.

Which means now Jongin has to look at Sehun―more specifically, Sehun’s back―anytime he looks at the chalkboard.

Just his luck.

✚

When Baekhyun meets with Jongin for lunch, the younger’s face is more sour than it had been when they last parted.

“People won’t leave me alone,” he complains first thing as they find a table to settle down. “They keep asking me questions, like where I’m from, why I transferred, if I’m going to join any clubs. Is a new student such a big deal?”

“A new student normally isn’t a big deal, but a new student that Sehun has taken interest in is a big deal,” Baekhyun tells him sympathetically.

“Why?”

“Because Sehun is a big deal, if you can’t tell already. He’s one of the most popular students in this school. Kinda has the whole school in the palm of his hand, to be honest.”

Jongin frowns, picking at his spaghetti.

“Seriously, what did you do? Didn’t you tell me you moved in on Saturday? It’s only Monday, and I came over all of yesterday! How did you manage to catch his interest on your first day here?”

“I don’t know…” Jongin grumbles. “I barely said two words to him. It was mostly him talking to me.”

Baekhyun inspects him, feeling sorry for Jongin since Sehun’s reputation is notorious. “Well, you are pretty goodlooking.”

“Sehun has a boyfriend.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Sehun always have a boyfriend.”

“Whatever. I need to go meet my teacher before class. She has some materials to give me.”

Baekhyun nods, and Jongin leaves a few minutes later to meet with his teacher. He watches as the younger leaves, contemplating.

Jongin is a strange kid. He lives in the same neighborhood as Baekhyun and Sehun, which means that―yeah, Jongin is a rich kid. Santa Monica in general is a place for rich people, and its High School is undoubtedly more for the uppercrust kids of the society, but just being in that neighborhood means your social status is elevated even higher compared to other students.

So… Jongin is a rich kid, but he doesn’t seem very stuck up at all. In fact, it seems like he hates attention. Hates when people bother him for frivolous, shallow things.

Which―Baekhyun identifies with. Feels some kind of kindred bond with him.

And this… means Jongin hasn’t been tainted yet. And Baekhyun is going to try his damnest to not let the boy be corrupted by this school and all the rottenness that comes with it.

He won’t fail again. Like what happened before. Like what happened to―

“I told you, Sehun, I am not your personal slave that you can drag me whichever way you feel like it!” a deep voice resounds, cutting Baekhyun out of his thoughts. He looks up to see―Oh no. The last two people he wants to see.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend to trail after you like a puppy? Where’s he?” Chanyeol is grumbling as he follows after Sehun nonetheless.

“I don’t know, Zitao’s probably off fighting someone. Besides, you’re my best friend! So that makes you my personal slave anyway!” Sehun sticks his tongue out at Chanyeol as he reaches Baekhyun’s table, then gives him a wide grin. “Hi Baekhyun! Where’s Jongin? I thought he was with you.”

Sehun’s smile is perfectly bright, too genuine and almost innocent, but Baekhyun isn’t fooled. Not after all these years.

“He left early to meet with a teacher.”

“Awww~” Sehun whines. “Then, can you relay a message to him? Tell him I have a party this weekend, and that he’s invited! You can come too, Baekhyun.”

“No thanks,” Baekhyun says automatically. Sehun only blinks at him, then at Chanyeol, before clapping his hands together.

“Okaaay then! I’m going to let you do your magic, Chanyeol. Get them to come no matter what!”

With that, Sehun bounces away, and Baekhyun simply glares as Chanyeol takes a seat next to him.

“Come, Baekhyun.”

“No.”

Chanyeol crosses his arms and looks straight at him. “You know, my mom told me to hang out with you more since your mom told her you’ve been cooped up inside your room playing Leagues of Legend in your free time.”

Baekhyun curses inwardly. He knows his mom is only worrying about her son, but seriously―did she need to tell Chanyeol’s mom that? It makes him look so pitiful!

“Not everyone likes to spend their free time partying like you do,” he answers blandly.

“You used to be so outgoing, though! Had lots of friends! Now you only have me as a friend.”

“You’re not my friend,” Baekhyun blanches.

Chanyeol only grins at him. “You are my friend.”

Baekhyun glares at him. “No, thank you. And you don’t need to worry. I made a new friend in Jongin, remember?”

“Then you can bring your new friend along to the party!”

“No.”

“Jongin is new here. It’ll be good for him to make new friends through this party!”

Baekhyun pauses, considering his words. But he still keeps silent.

“Come ooon! Sehun’ll have my head if you don’t say yes.”

Baekhyun crosses his arms, mimicking Chanyeol’s actions. Honestly, he’s never understood the relationship between Chanyeol and Sehun. They seem to have some kind of symbiosis bond going on, being the two most popular boys in the school. Chanyeol seems to dote on Sehun a lot and does whatever Sehun asks even if he always complains about it.

“I don’t care if he’ll be mad at you.”

Chanyeol huffs, blowing air through his nose. “If you don’t go, I’m going to tell my mom that you explicitly turned down an invitation to hang out from me, and she’ll tell your mom, and they’ll end up locking us together in a room for five hours so we can ‘get our bond back, just like the old days’,” he quotes while rolling his eyes.

Baekhyun shivers. His mom really will do it. She’s ridiculously fond of Chanyeol for some unfathomable reason, and keeps lamenting over the fact that he is no longer close to Chanyeol. She keeps creating opportunities to make them hang out together, and if she hears how he dares to turn Chanyeol down when the other boy is being so ‘kind’ to reach out to him first, she’ll have his head.

“Fine,” Baekhyun grits out. “Just one! This one dumb party, that’s it!”

“Great! Remember to wear something nice, okay? And take off those nerdy glasses!”

“No―”