6:09 A.M

THURSDAY

Jongin jolts awake to the sound of his alarm clock ringing less than an inch from his face, and he fights the urge to cover his head with a pillow when he picks up on the neighbor's dog barking outside. His hair, which is oddly damp, is sticking to his face like glue, but Jongin doesn't have the energy to shift into a more comfortable position as he groans under his breath. The thumping in his chest vibrates against the soft sheets beneath his chest, and despite his brain feeling like a puddle of mush, Jongin finds himself unable to sleep another wink. Jongin is sort of weirded out by the fact that for once, he isn't waking up to the sound of loud strumming, but he blames the infernal ringing for messing with him while he attempts to move his legs to no avail.

It's not until Jongin comes to the realization that he doesn't own an alarm clock that he shoots up like a rocket, which he immediately regrets when a sudden, dull sensation threatens to shatter his spine. For a second, the clouding in Jongin's head makes him unable to string together a single thought, and he runs a hand down his face when the sunshine filling the small room threatens to blind him. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jongin tries to swallow the lump in his throat as he takes in the dead silence all around him. Jongin isn't sure if his head is screwing with him, but he's at least 99% sure that he caught a glimpse of his blouse and Sehun's pants strewn on the floor right before he closed his eyes. Surely enough, he's greeted with the sight of his clothes on the carpet below when he opens them again. Despite the fog in his head thickening by the second, Jongin feels his thoughts falling into place as he fights the urge to bury his face in the pillows.

Jongin doesn't even notice that he's wearing nothing but the sheet strewn across his thighs until his chest erupts with heat strong enough to make him want to scramble to open the window. It's not until he manages to tame the flickering in his head that Jongin, despite having the faintest memory of screaming Sehun's name at some point, feels his eyebrows furrow in puzzlement, because he's certain that he didn't end up staying over at Sehun's house last night. Jongin has to clear his mind when a sudden head rush hits him out of nowhere, and he's seconds away from wondering if he should slap himself in the face when he spots his phone tucked away underneath the duvets.

Jongin scrambles for it before he gets a chance to process what he's doing. In his hazed state, he ends up dismissing nearly every single text before him, except for one, which he finds himself staring at as much as his fogged brain will allow him to.

Was it something I said? /SH

The dullness pressing against his spinal cord with enough force to crush bone is enough to make Jongin slam his phone down on the mattress before he rubs his eyes.

Oh, ing hell.

It's not until the pounding behind Jongin's ears threatens to crack his skull open that he knocks the alarm clock off the bedside table with perhaps a little more force than necessary, and Jongin barely registers it hitting the floor when he audibly curses. The lump clogging his throat is the only thing preventing him from screaming out loud when he tries moving his legs again, only to give up in fear of them breaking in half from how stiff they are. Somehow, Jongin remembers his upcoming math lesson, and the mere thought of his teacher punishing him for arriving late has him falling flat on his face after scrambling off the mattress.

However, Jongin figures that he probably should have stopped to get dressed, which he realizes after practically throwing the door open and being greeted with the sight of Taemin, who seemingly isn't acknowledging his presence as he takes a sip of coffee, at the kitchen table. Well, then. 

A lock of hair, stiff with hairspray, falls in Taemin's face when he looks up from his spot twenty feet away. His eyes, rimmed with thick, black kohl and a hint of glitter, seem to twinkle before he sends Jongin a soft smile. "Good morning." 

Jongin finds himself bolted to the floor, and he's surprised that he doesn't end up locking himself in the bathroom when every single thought floods his head like a tidal wave. It's not until he goes on to reminiscence Taemin's hands gripping his hips hard enough to bruise that he turns on his heel, nearly forgetting to open the door as he scrambles back inside Taemin's bedroom. Jongin is thankful that the clouding in his head makes him repress a large chunk of last night's events, but his relief is short lived when his eyes land on his phone, which seems to be calling his name from its spot on the bed. In his hurry to locate his blouse on the floor among Taemin's laundry, Jongin dismisses the thought of possibly being whipped with a ruler later on while he attempts to avoid touching Taemin's boxers at all costs.

After finally finding his blouse, wrinkled beyond recognition, Jongin manages to button it after three failed attempts, and it's not until he eyes the navy blue sweatpants in a rumpled heap on the floor that he bites the inside of his cheek. Despite the numbing pain in his hips, Jongin is unable to recall anything beyond Sehun handing them to him at some point. Jongin barely registers the electric shocks tingling his palm when he picks them up off the carpet. The electric guitar resting against the wall is the only thing Jongin can bring himself to look at until he stares at his phone again. His hair must be a matted crow's nest at this point, but Jongin would rather die than use Taemin's comb as he inches towards the bed. 

His phone is ice cold in his hand, and Jongin tries to dismiss the coiling in his gut when his eyes trail across the screen.

(8:21 PM) From: krystal ʕ •ₒ• ʔ

YO!! guess who's got the entire studio to themselves for the next two weeks??? be there or be square ^.^

(8:21 PM) From: krystal ʕ •ₒ• ʔ

Could you do me a favor sometime after school tomorrow???? Meet at my place at 6 

(11:21 PM) From: Sehun

Was it something I said? /SH

(11:22 PM) From: krystal ʕ •ₒ• ʔ

Why haven't you been answering your phone lately???? im offended lol

(11:23 PM) From: Sehun

Can we talk about it tomorrow?? Since you're not answering your phone. /SH

(11:30 PM) From: Sehun

You left your bag at my place, I'll give it back during class /SH

(11:50 PM) From: LU

thanks for walking monggu!! IOU

(12:01 PM) From: krystal ʕ •ₒ• ʔ

do you think taemin would like it if i wore my red dress tomorrow??? just wondering ㅎ(ｪ)ㅎ

Wondering how on Earth he could have so dumb as to leave his backpack behind, Jongin's eyes trail across Krystal's texts and missed calls. It's not until Jongin genuinely worries that his knees might give in that he practically collapses on the carpet among the ocean of Taemin's random (music related) junk, and Jongin quickly backs himself up against the door when he hears dishes clattering in the kitchen. Veins buzzing, Jongin goes on to stare at his phone like it's a bomb about to explode, after assuring himself that Taemin won't open the door. As much as he's entally beating himself to a pulp, Jongin squasheshe wave of nausea that comes over him when his gaze flickers back and forth between Sehun and Baekhyun's names. Even the loud sound of boots pattering around behind the door isn't enough to drown out the pounding in Jongin's ears as he grips his phone in his hands. He sort of wonders why he's even bothering in the first place, given that class starts in less than half an hour, but Jongin shoves the thought away when he presses Baekhyun's number.

Inevitably, his call goes straight to voicemail, and Jongin doesn't even realize how tightly he's gripping his phone until he opens his mouth to speak. "Hey, it's me," he blurts out, mentally slapping himself when he realizes just how stupid that sounded. Making sure to keep his voice low, Jongin anxiously runs his tongue across his bottom lip as he tries to get his heart to stop pounding. "It's-- I mean, I know you hate me now, but there's something I-- I mean, I just wanted to say--" Jongin doesn't even notice that he's brought his legs close to his chest until he feels his own heartbeat against his knees. "--that I miss talking to you, I guess." All Jongin hears is his own ragged breathing echoing on the other end as he swallows the lump in his throat. The sound of footsteps approaching the door has Jongin ending the call before he can process what he's doing. Tossing his phone aside, Jongin blames the ice in his gut for making him reach up and click the lock into place. Jongin manages to tune Taemin out when the latter goes on to ask him 'what the hell he's doing', and despite his legs being stiff as cardboard, he finds himself practically crawling towards the bed, anyway.

Jongin lets out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding when he flops back down on the cold mattress, feeling like he's been kicked in the chest when he catches a whiff of Taemin's perfume after running a hand through his hair. In a sense, Jongin has no idea why he thought it would be a good idea to call Baekhyun in the first place, since they'll run into each other during class (if Baekhyun hasn't chosen to move out of the country to avoid seeing him again, that is), but Jongin dismisses it when he spots Sehun's sweatpants at the foot of the bed. Jongin is sliding them on before he has a chance to process what he's doing, and it's not until Sehun's natural scent fills his head that Jongin reminisces Sehun hands touching his cheek yesterday. It's not until Jongin reaches up to touch his face, which is burning hot, that he feels the salty wetness staining his cheeks. Goddamn it.

With the neighbors dog yapping outside like the world is going to end, Jongin tries ignoring the sound of Taemin running upstairs to fetch the spare key as he curls up beneath the duvets. Jongin can still hear Vivi barking at him while he scrambled out of Sehun's house last night, and even though he tries to distract himself by staring at Taemin's messy closet, Jongin has to sit up when his cranium threatens to split down the middle.

Issues.

Jongin isn't sure if it's the fog in his brain preventing him from thinking clearly, but no matter how much he tries wrapping his brain around it, he can't help the painful coiling that flares in his gut whenever he thinks about it. Jongin knows that if Taemin knew about it, the latter would belittle him for 'overthinking like a goddamn ', which has Jongin wanting to tear the bedsheets to shreds. It's not until the pounding in his chest threatens to send him into overdrive that Jongin forces himself to snap out of it, because he knows that Sehun wouldn't have it in him to belittle Baekhyun, despite them not getting along lately. The sound of footsteps descending the staircase makes Jongin drag himself out of bed before he can think another thought, and it's not until he realizes that he's got less than twenty minutes to get to school on time that he throws the door open.

To Jongin's (un)surprise, he barely avoids knocking heads with Taemin after he scrambles out of the room. At first, Jongin finds himself unable to move, but it's not until Taemin wordlessly reaches out to wipe the dry tears staining Jongin's cheeks that Jongin bolts down the hallway. 

8:32 A.M

Jongin doesn't think anything will ever top the relief that comes over him when he barely manages to avoid beating the bell by less than thirty seconds, and he opts against sending his math teacher a smug smile when she proceeds to glare at him from her spot up front. However, Jongin's relief is short lived when he takes a seat at the back, only to come close to falling off his chair when he notices Sehun staring at him from his usual spot by the window. Jongin immediately regrets flinching when the familiar dullness spreads through his hips, which has him cursing Taemin's godawful methods of stress relief, all while he attempts to distract himself by staring at the blank worksheets on his desk. Even though Jongin wants to scream at the thought of completing fifty worksheets, he figures that it would be useless, anyway, considering his voice is practically gone at this point.

It's not until Jongin bends down to retrieve his pencil case, which he actually remembered to pack for once, that realization catches up with him. Frankly, Jongin still has no idea how on Earth he managed to forget his backpack, and before he knows it, his eyes are flickering to Sehun, who is immersed in scribbling out equations, which has Jongin contemplating bothering Sehun by demanding his backpack back.

Jongin opts against it, and he fixates his gaze on the mind numbing algebraic equations laid out before him in an attempt at squashing the nausea in his throat. Even though he isn't entirely sure, Jongin doesn't need to guess twice to know that Baekhyun is definitely eyeing him like a hawk two rows behind him. But then again, it's not like Jongin is about to put his theory to the test by turning around, so he simply pretends to be hard at work when his teacher looks up and glares at him. The monotone ticking of the wall clock is the only thing keeping Jongin awake as he attempts to stifle a loud groan of agony. Jongin still regrets deciding against telling Baekhyun to pick up his phone when he walked into class earlier, and he makes a mental note to talk to Baekhyun the moment the bell rings. If he doesn't end up dying halfway during the lesson, that is, Jongin figures, as he fights the urge to flip his desk clear across the room.

Surprisingly enough, Jongin finds himself filling out every single question with an alarming amount of simplicity, and he makes sure to avoid his teacher's sharp gaze when he proceeds to hand it in before anybody else. It's not until she goes on to scan every square inch of the paper, with the usual unreadable expression on her face, that Jongin knows that he's going to be spending the rest of the evening in detention, so he simply excuses himself before slipping out of the room. 

Tthe deserted hallway does wonders for Jongin's spinning head, and he fights the urge to lean back against the nearest wall when he worries he might pass out on the floor. Even though his brain is screaming at him to leave early, under the guise of helping Taemin prepare for the show tomorrow, Jongin finds himself glued to the floor as he tries to get his heart to stop racing. In an attempt to distract himself, Jongin opts to scan his surroundings, only to regret it when his eyes land on the small, glass window on the door. Jongin isn't at all sure if he's got the lump clogging his throat (or the fact that he's on the road to becoming a regular in detention) to blame, but he stifles an agonized sob when he sees that neither Baekhyun nor Sehun are glancing at each other, despite being well in each other's line of vision. Come to think of it, Jongin doesn't think that Sehun and Baekhyun have even exchanged a single word since last week, and the mere thought makes Jongin want to become one with the wall. A part of Jongin aches to call Taemin, but then again, the probability of Taemin picking up the phone just to discuss his screw ups less than 24 hours before the show is equally as nonexistent as Baekhyun ever wanting to talk to him again. A group of law students walk past, their judgemental stares only making Jongin painfully aware of the dark circles beneath his eyes (and the crow's nest atop his head).

After what feels like forever, the door finally swings open, and Jongin tries his best not to get trampled by the hoard of students rushing out one by one. At first, Jongin inwardly panics (and low-key cries in relief), because with all the people rushing by, he figures that trying to spot Baekhyun will be like finding a needle in a haystack. However, Jongin remains exactly where he is, partially since he figures that missing a bright red mop of hair among the crowd is practically impossible, but mostly because he worries he might actually burst into tears if he doesn't hear Baekhyun's voice soon. Jongin whips his head up when he catches a whiff of Sehun's perfume, and Jongin wants to cry when he's at least 99% sure he sees Sehun walking past before becoming one with the crowd and disappearing down the corridor. The faint murmuring of students all around him is the only thing Jongin hears as he shoves his hands in his pockets, and it takes every fiber of his being not to turn on his heel and bolt after Sehun. However, Jongin forgets all about it when he looks up, and he's awfully glad that he doesn't end up tripping when he flies forward and grabs Baekhyun's arm.

Baekhyun whirls around, his red locks bouncing  everywhere as he whips his head aside. Even though they've only been avoiding each for a week, it takes Jongin a second to process the fact that he is, in fact, looking at his best friend. For a minute, Jongin finds himself unable to speak due to his tongue feeling like a brick in his mouth, and he only tightens his grip around Baekhyun's arm when he's unable to choke out a single word. It's not until Baekhyun raises an eyebrow that Jongin feels his pulse quickening.

"How long are we gonna keep doing this?" Jongin blurts out, fighting the urge to slap a hand over his mouth when Baekhyun blinks. A female student awkwardly excuses herself to brush past them, but Jongin barely pays her any attention as he tightens his grip. It's not until Baekhyun has been silent for nearly half a minute that Jongin huffs. "I know you can hear me, you utter lunkhead-"

"You really need some concealer, just so you know," Baekhyun mutters, and Jongin figures if it wasn't for the fact that it's entirely true, he would have decked Baekhyun square in the jaw. "No seriously, you look awful, you should consider hitting Taemin up for some of his godly makeup routines," he adds, adjusting his collar. 

Opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, Jongin racks his brain for a response, only to give up when his head throbs at the mention of Taemin's name. The dull sensation that courses through his waist has him biting back a growl of irritation, which he's barely able to stifle when he looks at Baekhyun. "Just ing stop this-"

"Stop what, exactly," Baekhyun huffs, white shirt glowing like a beacon in the darkening hallway.

"This whole-- Whatever the this is," Jongin croak-garbles, feeling his tongue twisting itself into a million knots as he feels his heart pound. "You know, avoiding me and pretending like I don't exist--" He chokes back a sob when Baekhyun's expression doesn't falter. As much as he tries his best to bite back the words in his throat, Jongin ends up opening his mouth when they weigh down his tongue almost painfully. "I know you've taken a break," he says before he can stop himself, feeling the familiar sense of irritation bubbling in his gut when Baekhyun simply shrugs. "You and Sehun, that is--"

Baekhyun is silent for a moment. "Okay," he says with a calmness that nearly has Jongin screaming out loud. He slaps Jongin's hand away before he adjusts the straps to his backpack. "I thought you said this whole thing wasn't about Sehun, anyway-"

"It's not," Jongin whisper-yells, hoping his math teacher isn't nearby as he tries controlling the boiling in his veins. A part of him wants to bolt down the hallway when Baekhyun sends him an impatient look, but Jongin finds himself unable to move as he clenches his jaw. "I already said sorry-- I mean, I know you hate me, and that's fine, but--" Jongin clamps his mouth shut, unsure if he should go on when Baekhyun turns his head away. "But I want you to know that I haven't done anything-- So you can lay off this façade of yours cause it's getting pretty ing irritating, to say the least--" He cuts himself off when he worries Baekhyun might run away at the desperation in his voice.

Baekhyun opens his mouth respond, only to close it when his phone rings. The sound nearly has Jongin jumping out of his own skin in surprise, and he can only watch as Baekhyun glances at the screen, seemingly contemplating typing out a reply, before he puts his phone away. "Could you stop being so entitled for once?"

Jongin swallows the lump in his throat, because even though he knows that Baekhyun is right, he doesn't bother stifling the noise of irritation that escapes his lips when he runs a hand through his hair. "And you can stop doing that--" He gestures at Baekhyun angling his phone away from him as he types. "Y'know, trying your goddamn best to hide to the fact that you're together--" Jongin blinks when Baekhyun stills, and he sort of contemplates bolting down the hallway before Baekhyun can beat him to a pulp.

Baekhyun whips his head up, a glint briefly flashing in his eyes as he stares at Jongin. "Who told you?"

Wondering if he should just keep quiet, Jongin meekly shrugs, feeling the familiar heat creep up his neck when he swallows. "I mean, nobody-- I just know you are," he blurts out. "Point is, I kept my goddamn promise, I haven't done anything, so you're entirely free to--" He blinks and cuts himself off, and Jongin honestly doesn't know if he should cry or punch the nearest wall when it hits him. "What did you say-"

"I said you're entitled," Baekhyun sighs with an eye roll. "You-"

"I'm entitled?" Jongin echoes, worrying his head rush might make him topple over as he flails his hands in all directions. "To what, exactly? My confusion?" He scans Baekhyun's face, and Jongin doesn't even bother squashing the heat that bubbles in his chest when Baekhyun only rolls his eyes. Jongin curses under his breath, fighting the urge to smack the smirk off Baekhyun's face when he growls in irritation. "Well, what else am I entitled to now that you're being so ing generous?"

"Sehun, I guess," Baekhyun absently hums as he types on his phone, and it takes Jongin every fiber of his being to restrain himself from craning his neck to get a better view of the screen. They fall into silence before Baekhyun presses 'Send' and turns to look at Jongin. "If you'd get out of my way--" He attempts to brush past Jongin, who effectively blocks his path by extracting an arm.

For once, Jongin is glad that he's two inches taller than Baekhyun, and he can't help the irritated scowl that creeps up his lips when Baekhyun attempts to shove past him to no avail. "What do you want me to do, get on my knees and beg?" he huffs, shaking his head. "I already told you, I didn't--" Jongin sighs in exasperation, wondering why he's even bothering in the first place, before he throws his free hand in the air. "Don't you get it? He's all yours, you utter --" He makes sure that Baekhyun is looking at him when he continues. "So why can't we-" 

"You know what? Fine," Baekhyun interrupts, making Jongin blink. Putting his phone away, he sends Jongin an unreadable look as the latter takes a step back. "It's-"

"Is something the matter?" Jongin blurts out, figuring the puzzlement in his head must be making his veins tremble as he eyes Baekhyun. "I mean-- You've been acting so weird lately-- Like, even before all this--" Awkwardly clearing his throat, Jongin rubs the back of his neck when Baekhyun simply stares at him. In a sense, Jongin doesn't blame him, since he doesn't even want to know how much he sounds like Krystal right now, but he finds himself unable to keep quiet when Baekhyun clears his throat. "I mean, I could try to help if...never mind."

Baekhyun is silent for a minute, gaze nearly foreign when he shakes his head. "It's...whatever, nothing's the matter." He turns his face away just in time to miss the way Jongin awkwardly shifts. "Just a lot going on lately, that's all." Gesturing at his overflowing bag, Baekhyun emits a low chuckle, but it's less than joyful as he slings it over his shoulder. 

At first, Jongin finds himself unable to choke out a single word, mostly because he's just surprised that Baekhyun even answered his question to begin with. It's not until Baekhyun waves a hand in front of his face that he nearly jumps through the ceiling in surprise. Jongin goes on to awkwardly say something about how he most likely flunked their math exam, only to clamp his mouth shut when he realizes that Baekhyun isn't listening. As much as Jongin wants to slap Baekhyun silly, he can kind of get behind him, given the suffocating amount of homework they're both carrying on their backs right now. The silence of the building threatens to suffocate Jongin when he lets Baekhyun slip past him, before he quickly disappears down the hallway. Jongin remains stuck to the floor until a hoard of law students nearly trample him to death trying to get to class, and it's not until one of them accidentally crushes his foot that he scrambles in the opposite direction.

As he makes his way towards his locker, Jongin tries to ignore the fact that the sky outside is already darkening, and he's sort of relieved that he's going to be spending the next five hours in detention, because all he really needs is some time to organize his thoughts. However, it's not until Jongin sees his History teacher approaching that he remembers their project, which in turn only reminds him of the fact that his backpack is still missing. In a sense, Jongin sort of wishes that he didn't choose to place his History textbook in his backpack, because he would rather sit in detention overnight than aimlessly wander through the corridors with his head feeling like it's about to explode. For some reason, his locker door is taking abnormally long to swing open, but Jongin doesn't gets a chance to cry at the thought of it possibly being jammed when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

Even though Jongin knows he has no reason to yell at Baekhyun, the frustration over not being able to access his things makes him whirl around with an pained groan. "The hell do you want now???" he barks, only to clamp his mouth shut when he looks up.

Sehun blinks before he clears his throat. "Sorry, I was just--" He holds up Jongin's red backpack, which Jongin goes on to stare at like it's a creature from outer space. "I didn't have time to give it to you during math," he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck.

Jongin grabs his backpack with a low thanks and it's not until he remembers that his locker has given up on him that he points at it. "I think it's--" He nearly yelps when Sehun takes a step forward and promptly slams his fist against the door, and Jongin finds himself gawking like an owl when it seamlessly swings open. Ignoring the heat creeping up his neck, Jongin proceeds to rummage through the endless ocean of papers and textbooks before him until he locates old math worksheets. The silence that settles over them has Jongin wanting to bash his head against his locker, and it's not until Sehun makes it clear that he isn't planning on walking away by shoving his hands in his pockets that Jongin wants to cry. "Thanks--" He gestures at his locker. "It does that sometimes." 

Sehun nods. "Sometimes a little force is all it takes," he chuckles, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, but-- Never mind." Jongin mentally smacks himself, and it's not until he turns around, only for Sehun's gaze to burn holes in his head, that he swallows. A cold wave comes over him, which he can't shake no matter how hard he tries. Great. Just great. "How...uh, how're you doing?" 

Sehun is silent for a minute. "Fine, I suppose," he says with a slow nod. "A little confused, but other than that I'm good." Adjusting the strap on his briefcase, he sends Jongin a look. "You seemed to a great job earlier."

It takes Jongin an embarrassingly long time to realize that Sehun is talking about their math exam, which has him wanting to shove his head in his locker in embarrassment. For a second, all Jongin can think of is how on Earth he's going to survive three hours of detention, before he realizes that he should probably say something. "Yeah, I wouldn't count on it," he mutters, eyes trailing over a heap of wrinkled papers at the back of his locker, all of which he should have thrown away weeks ago. Heart racing, Jongin wholeheartedly expects Sehun to continue down the hallway, which is why he feels like screaming when Sehun leans against the wall, instead.

"Well, you looked confident enough to me," Sehun chuckles, to which Jongin responds by embarrassingly rummaging through his locker. "What do you even do, you know? For so long?" He stuffs a hand in his pocket when Jongin blinks.

Jongin clears his throat, hoping his voice won't crack when he opens his mouth to speak. Despite the thousands of words resting on the tip of his tongue, all he manages to croak out is a low 'Nothing much' as he feels his phone vibrate. Jongin nearly wants to cry when he sees yet another reminder about Taemin's concert, and he makes a mental note to launch Taemin into the deepest parts of outer space when he puts his phone away. The silence creeps into his brain, leaving Jongin with no choice than to open his mouth to speak. "I heard Baek's going," he blurts out, only to curse himself when Sehun blinks. "To see Taemin, that is."

Eyes flickering, Sehun is silent for a minute before he raises an eyebrow. "Is he?"

It's Jongin's turn to blink. A part of him wants to smack Sehun for thinking he's dumb enough not to know about it, but he restrains himself at the last minute when he nods ever so slightly. "Taemin told me," Jongin mutters, and he has to tear his eyes off Sehun's hoodie, which looks soft enough to bury his face in. Cursing himself for getting way too little sleep as usual, Jongin ignores the way his chest flutters when Sehun clears his throat. "So have fun, I guess."

Eyebrows furrowed, Sehun is silent as he bites the inside of his cheek. "I was planning on it, but I'm still not sure," he says, running a hand through his hair. "It's-"

"There'll be an after party, so I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves," Jongin blurts out, mentally slapping himself for interrupting when Sehun clears his throat. Jongin doesn't even need to ask to know that Taemin has invited Krystal, and that she is no doubt going to be there. The thought makes something in Jongin's blood boil, but he attempts to keep his head cool as he slams his locker shut. "Krystal's probably freaking out about the whole thing--" Jongin sheepishly rubs the back of his neck before he bends down to pick up his backpack. "It's-- I mean, she obviously likes him and it's just...irritating, I guess." Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Jongin makes a mental note to hop in the shower as soon as he gets home, since he can practically feel how filthy his hair is. Even though his brain is screaming at him to just go home, Jongin can't bring himself to move his feet when Sehun sends him a look.

Sehun is silent for a minute. "I see," he hums while he keeps his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Listen, was it something I said?" he asks, the promptness in his voice making Jongin flinch. "I mean, I get if you don't-- It's just weird, all of--" Sehun cuts himself off when a group of women walk past, and he waits until they're well out of sight to continue. "I mean, at first I thought I came on too strong, but then all this happened, and-- Well, I'm pretty ing confused, to say the least." An exasperated glint flashes in Sehun's eyes, and there's something about his overly calm demeanor that has Jongin wanting to burst into tears.

Awkwardly gripping his backpack, Jongin shrugs. "Why're you even here?" he blurts out, fighting the urge to scream when he feels an ice cold sensation shoot up his spine. Jongin has to look away when Sehun goes on to run his tongue across his bottom lip, and it takes every fiber of his being not to grab onto Sehun's shoulders for support when he worries he might pass out on the floor.

Sehun swallows, seemingly contemplating his words as he shifts. "I don't know," he says with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Absently fiddling with his ring, which threatens to blind Jongin under the harsh lights, he clears his throat. "I guess all I really want to know is why you're avoiding me after--" Sehun cuts himself off, running a hand through his hair as he keeps his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm probably misreading everything, and I'm sorry, but I just want to know-"

"Know what?" Jongin retorts perhaps a little more sharply than he'd intended. "That-"

"Why you'd kiss me, only to to run off and avoid me like your life depends on it," Sehun says, not even trying to mask the puzzlement in his voice as he shakes his head. "Like I said, I'm probably misreading the whole thing, but I'd be awfully thankful if you told me," he adds with a pointed look at Jongin, who is doing a less than subtle job at making his anxious fidgeting a few feet away.

Jongin swallows the lump in his throat making it nearly impossible for him to choke out the words. Except nothing comes out, so he clamps his mouth shut in hopes that Sehun will get the hint to leave him alone. Amid the deafening pounding in his ears, Jongin's eyes flicker back and forth in worry of somebody possibly coming down the hallway. It's not until Sehun makes it clear that he wants an answer by clearing his throat that Jongin genuinely worries he might suffocate. "I didn't know if you felt-- I mean-- Never mind--"

"Is this about Baekhyun?" Sehun asks and Jongin fights the urge to slap him across the face for being so godforsakenly straightforward when his gaze hardens. "You know we've-"

"Yeah, well he ing hates me now, so that's that," Jongin blurts out, the irritation rushing through his head making it impossible for him to keep his voice down when he throws his hands in the air. In a sense, Jongin wishes that Taemin were here, because he figures he could really use a good whack to the face with an electric guitar when Sehun blinks.

Sehun remains motionless for a minute, slight puzzlement flickering in his eyes before they visibly soften. "I understand," he says, "but that doesn't have to be-"

"Like, he won't even look at me, he won't call me, he won't do anything--" Jongin has to bite his lip to get himself to shut his mouth, and it works for a brief moment before he finds himself opening it again. Amid the painful throbbing in his head, Jongin barely makes out Sehun trying to tell him something, but he's so focused on trying to prevent his brain from splitting down the middle that he doesn't hear. "So yeah, enter this goddamn ing mess," he growls, barely even hearing his own voice over the spinning in his head as he unlocks his locker and retrieves his unfinished worksheets. The mere thought of spending the whole afternoon stuck in detention is enough to make Jongin's veins burn with irritation, and he sort of wants to cry for subsequently yelling right in Sehun's face. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"I mean, I get that, but I think you're missing something here," Sehun huffs, clearly doing his best not to raise his voice when he runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. "You kissed me-"

"I know I did," Jongin exclaims, inwardly screaming when he hears his voice echoing down the narrow hallway. Even though he knows he should turn on his heel and run, he can't help the irritated scowl that curls up his lips when Sehun sends him an annoyed look. "Don't tell me you're-- Lemme guess, this the part where you proceed to tell me all about how much of a  up I am, right?" For a second, all Jongin can think of is the dull pain surging through his hips, all while he wholeheartedly expects somebody to kick him out when he hears himself yell to the point of his throat growing sore. "Well, ing save it, 'cause I've had-"

"When did I say you--" Sehun cuts himself off, expression contorting into one of pure irritation when he eyes the row of lockers before them. "I guess Baekhyun hasn't told you, but he isn't nearly as innocent as you think he is," he says, crossing his arms over his chest when Jongin sends him a glare. "I mean, he's a good guy and all, but he's just got a pile of issues-"

"Don't you ing dare drag Baek into this," Jongin growls, fighting the urge to rip his hair out when he once again curses himself for raising his voice. Even though his head may be clouded beyond the point of no return, Jongin knows for a fact that he's sharp enough to know that Sehun attempting to drag Baekhyun's name through the dirt in an attempt at making him feel less guilty is enough to make him want to burst into tears. "You think I'm proud of all this??? I don't need your false goddamn sympathy-- You really think insulting Baek is gonna make me feel any-"

"This has nothing to do with your friendship," Sehun sighs, attempting to get Jongin to look at him when the latter runs a tired hand down his face, "I just figured you might want to know since you seem-"

"Why don't you just admit that you think I'm a -up and leave Baek alone," Jongin scoffs, fearing he might collapse when a sudden headrush nearly knocks him off his feet. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for screwing all of this up, I'm sorry it's this way, and I'm sorry for avoiding you, but don't think you're making any better by insulting my best friend." Jongin doesn't even realize that he's practically gasping for air until he hears his pulse draining in his ears. He stares at his worksheets, which are crumpled to bits at this point, before he looks at Sehun through matted locks. Even though Jongin knows that Baekhyun has told Sehun all about their argument by now, he can't help but open his mouth when a sharp pang ignites in his chest. "I don't know how much he told you, but I deserved every word of that, so-"

"What the actual are you talking about?" Sehun stares at Jongin like he's a grown a second head, all while confusion flashes in his eyes. "He hasn't-- Anyway, my point is that he's-"

"-don't act like you know about-"

"Jongin, if you would just let me talk-"

"But I don't want to hear your excuses," Jongin sighs, tongue going off of its own accord as he tries controlling the spinning in his head. "Or your bull about Baek--" A female law student sends him a strange look when she brushes past him, but Jongin ignores her existence while he keeps his eyes locked on Sehun. However, it's not until he notices the unreadable glint in Sehun's eyes that Jongin immediately fixates his gaze on the uneven strings on Sehun's hoodie. It takes every fiber of Jongin's being not to walk over and adjust them when he hears himself emit a shaky, drawn out sigh. Despite the fact that the thought of Baekhyun makes Jongin's nerves shrivel up with irritation, he knows for a fact that Baekhyun wouldn't lie to him, and he finds himself awkwardly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he listens to Sehun's shallow breathing. 

Checking his phone, Jongin can practically hear the detention hall calling his name, and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't looking forward to it, considering he knows he won't make it another minute if he doesn't sit down soon. Jongin swallows when he realizes that his heart must have gone numb from freaking out at this point, given that the pounding in his chest seems to have died down. It's not until Jongin hears his History teacher's loud voice echoing in the distance that he wants to die, because he'd forgotten all about their project up until now. The thought of not turning anything in next week makes Jongin's skin crawl, but he doesn't even get a chance to his backpack and ask Sehun if he'd be willing to study with him for just a moment when Sehun takes a step back.

Sehun is silent as he reduces his hair to a tangled, black mop with his hand. "You know what--" He closes his mouth, seemingly contemplating his words before he shakes his head. "Forget it, forget I asked," he mutters. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, but I must have misunderstood the whole-- Sorry for bothering you." And with that being said, he shoves his hands in his pockets, and Jongin can only watch as Sehun apologizes, turns on his heel, and makes his way down the now darkened corridor.