"Nini!" Baekhyun whined loudly as he walked closer to his best friend's classroom.

To Baekhyun, seeing the empty classroom was a lucky day. To Jongin who didn't bother moving his head plastered on the table, it was pure horror.

This meant seeing Baekhyun in his 100%.

"Oui?" He said in a muffled voice. Baekhyun wasn't tolerating his , leading to the older pulling the other's hair to make him raise his head.

"Have I ever told you how much I plan for your murder?" He says through the pain. Baekhyun shrugged and maneuvered the poor boy's head so at least he'd be looking at him. After placing Jongin's head down on his arms, hopefully leaving the poor boy in a comfortable position, the older turns around.

"Today is a weird day," Baekhyun said, slowly moving towards the teacher's desk and sitting on it.

"And that's new because?"

"It's not like weird weird - but still weird."

“You've pained my scalp for vague words?” Jongin scrunched his face while pulling out a middle finger, to which his problematic friend just laughed off. The boy takes note to search for curse words he could call Baekhyun aloud, a note that he's been reminding himself for the nth time by now.

“Enough of that, here’s my real question," Baekhyun slams a hand on the wooden table,"when will you confess?”

“Confess to what?”

“Oh you know your decade of bribery and murder,” the younger's eyebrows remain scrunched together, “confess to Kyungsoo of course!”

“Oh.”

To say he wished to drill through his best friend’s dense brain was an understatement for Byun.

Only a few days into the start of their friendship and Baekhyun easily noticed how much of a lovesick fool his new friend would go everytime Kyungsoo would be around. Heck, sometimes the boy's name just has to be mentioned for Jongin's knees to go weak and for the older friend to make up some random excuse and leave the fool in complete embarrassment. How Jongin survived beforehand, Byun had no clue.

One time, Baekhyun shared his plans to become friends with Chanyeol (unlike boo boo the love fool, Baekhyun didn't try to pretend it was nothing), this had to do with distracting people around him until he gets them alone somewhere. Of course, being Chanyeol's best friend, Baekhyun had to mention Kyungsoo as the 'final round', and he just watched as Jongin started to melt into a puddle. 

Baekhyun still doesn't understand why Jongin tried to deny it in the first few times he was caught, 'I could be a helping hand!' the older thought.

Fastforward to the present. Byun is still glaring at the dense friend, becoming more tempted to just set the two up instead.

Despite the short time, the two grew close exponentially. This can be seen as Jongin looks at the tense eyes and says, "don't you dare try butting in Byun."

"No fair! Firstly that is hyung to you and secondly-"

"Are we going to stay here or do you have another experiment you're going to repeat?"

"None. But, I do feel like visiting the lab." Jongin surprisingly stood up and immediately took his things. 

"Well? What're we waiting for?"

"For Kyungsoo to love you like you do," Baekhyun mumbles. The two exit the classroom and pass the hallways until they would reach the lab - at least, that's what usually happens.

Today, however, was a weird weird day. Now the two are left in their own exaggerated mid-life crisis in their head as they look at the people walking closer and closer to them.

"Speaking of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo - Did you see their winning performance last week?"

"See it? I forced my brother to buy me front row seats!"

"How did that turn out?"

"I'm doing his chores for a week - but it's all worth it!"

"Seeing them together's definitely worth it."

"I'd choose less work any day," Baekhyun whispered to Jongin. It was obvious the two heard the girls' conversation crystal clear.

"I'm surprised that's all you commented on."

"Hi Jongin!" Two smiles greet the duo. Well, that's what Jongin thought—Baekhyun decided to take a few steps backward since he didn't feel like he'd be greeted as well anytime soon.

"Hi! Baekhyun, right?" The said boy looked at the voice's owner in shock and nodded. 'How the hell does Kyungsoo know me?' He thought.

"You guys should be getting tips from him, he's like the lab genius." Kyungsoo looked at Jongin and Chanyeol while pointing his thumb at the so-called genius. "All the lab supervisors love you!"

"Uh, thanks?" Baekhyun had no idea what to do with this information.

Actually, maybe he could talk to his professor to negotiate for some privileges. Can't knock it 'till he tries it.

"Oh, wait I didn't introduce myself! I'm- "

"Do Kyungsoo, I've heard lots about you." He wasn't sure if the other two could see it, but Jongin wanted to kick Baekhyun's leading stare right out of his face.

"Wait, really?"

"Of course! You're like, Jongin's number one idol -"

"Oh hyung!" Jongin puts an arm around the boy's waist, "didn't you have that really important test you need to finish?"

"Ah yes, yes..." Baekhyun knew the boy would be ready to pinch the life out of him if he messed up.

"See you hyungs later!" Jongin and Baekhyun wave the two goodbye as the former pushes his friend with the boy's waist still in danger.

"That conversation could've led to Chanyeol talking you know!"

"Believe what you want to believe, hyung."

Jongin knew well. He knew why Chanyeol wouldn't talk.

He knew, but he didn't exactly plan to make it easy for Baekhyun.

------

It was a new day, a new lunch break, and a different scenery to find Baekhyun and Jongin at.

They could've been at the usual laboratory, but Jongin told Baekhyun that the professor would be bringing in some students for their make-up practical. The professor was no stranger to the volume of Baekhyun's voice, especially at time of the boy's whine, so he couldn't expect his best student to keep his mouth shut while he pressures the out of the students held back.

So here the duo stayed, in the Chemistry laboratory. It was no shock that Baekhyun still treated the room like it was his home, lightly dancing as he looked around the drawers and cupboards of the lab.

"Hyung, say I were to confess to Kyungsoo..."

"Yes go on," Baekhyun holds in a squeal.

"What do you think I should look out for?"

"ing finally!" The older stops his adventures in the lab and marches up the whiteboard with a marker.

"Note 1," he writes out, "skip out on your general romantic gesture bull crap."

"Uh, elaborate?" Jongin isn't even sure if the older has much experience with love.

"Before I do, I'd like to tell you of my experience with romance: I have some. Now this is what I mean," Baekhyun approaches Jongin. He places a hand on the boy's shoulder and says, "now imagine this..."

"You are a shy boy with a passion for dance and two people claim to love you so dearly, both planning to ask you out. Person A decides to take action and, during lunch, he invites everyone to go to the cafeteria as he slowly goes up to you, presents you a cute rose 'for a cute you' and asks if you would go out with him. Person B, on the other hand, goes for a quieter route and asks if you would like to meet up with him. He attempts a bit of a dance routine and, although he doesn't match up to your utmost talent, tries his best before he asks you out. Now who would you go out with?"

"I guess I would answer Person B..."

"Exactly!"

"But! What if, although I'm shy, I've always dreamed to be serenaded in front of everyone?"

"Okay but-"

"Heck! What if my heart still beats for Person A the way Person A's heart beats for me? Isn't love the first-"

"Okay fine!" Baekhyun puts a hand over the boy's mouth. "Back to the specific point I was trying to point out, doesn't it just make it more special that the confession is for you and only you?" Seeing that he seems to be calm, the older removes his hand and goes back up to the whiteboard.

"Well there are so many people in the world, someone else could be just as shy and as passionate a dancer-"

"Jongin!"

"Plus! The guy who gave me a rose might've given one in reference to an inside joke we share! Isn't that more personal-"

"I ing swear this marker will hit your ing uvula."

"Peace?" A sigh heard before Baekhyun turned back to write on the board again.

"Secondly: get your timing right." 

"But time is just an-"

"Marker. Uvula." Silence takes over for a second.

"Anyways, although the 'perfect time' isn't like some scheduled prophecy for you, you can try to make sure you aren't causing problems with the timing of your confession. Examples to avoid include, days before finals or other academic stresses, or - knock on wood -  right after a horrible accident happens to their family. Gets?"

"Yes sir."

"Now for one more-"

A knock disrupted the lesson, to be followed by Chanyeol's face sticking into the room. "Hey... Jongin?"

Baekhyun was stumped.

"Yes hyung?"

Beyond stumped.

"Mind if I borrow you for a few?" Chanyeol finally looks over to the boy standing next to the words 'get your timing right'. "Hi," he softly says with a little bow. It took a bit for Bakehyun to realize that the Chanyeol had finally exchanged a word with him. 

To Chanyeol, Baekhyun looked so offended he couldn't bother responding. Oops.

"Hyung," Jongin goes to Baekhyun, "I'll be back in a few." He taps the older's nose, finally waking up the confused boy.

"Stay alive!" He waves as he goes with Chanyeol outside the Chemistry lab.

It seems some new lab apparatus will learn about Baekhyun's rants and misadventures.