Playing football was the only time when he enjoyed the attention he was given.

It also helped that there were eleven other players to help divide it more evenly, although he still got a major chunk. Still, not being the only one for whom people were exploding left and right helped.

‘Oh stop your whining!’ Chen was already salty since his extremely excellent pass had been intercepted and they’d lost a golden opportunity to score. ‘Oh look at poor me, people like me too much!’ He mimicked, rolling his eyes and prancing around before stopping to glare at him. ‘The rest of us aren’t that lucky.’

‘… what?’ Missing a goal did not warrant this kind of behaviour.

‘Ignore him, he just got dumped.’ Baekhyun said in a stage whisper. Chen threw his helmet at the midfielder, muttering and swearing under his breath as he undressed aggressively.

‘Oh.’ Luhan looked at his back, disappearing in the showers. ‘Sorry dude…’

‘Shut up princess!’

Luhan gritted his teeth, trying not to lash out. But seriously, this was the last time Chen was getting away with calling him a princess and only because Luhan was a sensitive, supportive friend.

‘Chill dude,’ Xiumin rubbed his shoulders soothingly. ‘You know he’s just projecting…’

‘Actually, I heard the girl was just using him to get close to Luhan…’ Lay slipped in the seat beside Luhan, offering him a water bottle. Luhan’s jaw tightened even more, both in regret and anger.

This was exactly why he hated it. Even though he was a friendly person, this kind of thing had happened often enough. People either got close to him to get the girls or got close to his friends so they could attempt to get close to him. And normally, he wouldn’t mind that but apparently, he was some sort of benchmark or trophy for the social climbers and enough was enough. He was a person, not some trophy to be possessed or an object without emotions. He was a living breathing human being and he had no idea how anyone – everyone – could just ignore that…

He gripped his hair, ready to pull it out but Lay pried his fingers off. ‘I’m sure Chen doesn’t blame you. He understands.’

‘Yeah and its good riddance if she was only using him.’

It didn’t make Luhan feel any better but he appreciated his friends’ efforts. Even more so when Chen stopped in front of him afterwards, a towel resting around his neck and muttered a quick ‘sorry, didn’t meant to snap at you earlier,’ to his shoulder before shuffling off.

……………………………………..

‘What?’ Mei shrieked as she was suddenly swung around, Minyoung somehow managing to contort herself enough so that she was completely hidden behind her.

‘Shh… just…’ Minyoung peeked over her shoulder before quickly ducking again. ‘Tell me when he’s gone.’

Mei rolled her eyes, understanding but still annoyed. ‘You need to stop letting him bully you around.’

‘He’s not…’ she whispered, sounding frantic. ‘It’s just super-duper embarrassing. Now hush!’

Mei shook her head but straightened herself to her full height and pretended to be engrossed in the book she’d just picked up. Sehun loitered past her lazily, looking bored, a lollipop stuck in his mouth. He cast her a sideways glance as if sensing her eyes on him and narrowed them a bit. A ghost of a smirk touched his lips and he suddenly switched lanes, turning and heading straight towards her.

Minyoung squeaked behind her but Mei squared her shoulders, ready to tell him off.

‘No food in the library!’

The stern warning from Head Boy Suho was nothing short of a blessing. Suho was about as tall as one of Sehun’s legs… okay maybe a little taller but he looked positively tiny next to the gigantic bully and it was impressive how he still managed to sound so authoritative.

Sehun cast a bored glance at the demanding hand stretched under his nose and rolled his eyes before spitting out the lollipop directly in Suho’s hands.

Mei’s eyes widened, both grossed out and a little awed by his daring. Talk about rude.

Suho seemed to be having similar thoughts as he stared at the sticky candy in his palm, looking at it clinically.

‘Alright…’ He sounded frighteningly calm. ‘Detention.’

Sehun ignored him, walking off with the same bored, lazy saunter he’d wandered in with. Suho stared for a moment before stomping after him, no doubt to tell him off.

Minyoung had forgotten to hide, observing the spectacle with