When Chanyeol woke up the next day, it was to a cushion thrown at his head.

"We'll definitely leave you here if you don't get up now. That goes for both of you," he heard Luhan proclaim - which would have sounded more intimidating if not for the suppressed yawn.

It was then that Chanyeol remembered - and sat up fast enough to send his world spinning. Before the bed, Luhan flinched.

"God, you freak me out sometimes," he groaned, turning to prod Jongin next.

Chanyeol blinked. A look downwards told him that he was indeed alone on the bed, and a second glance showed Jongdae in his shiny white uniform with his eyes on the luggage, folding his pajama to fit it back into the small, stupidly expensive-looking case.

Oh.

Chanyeol relaxed again, relieved that they hadn't been caught. Surely, Luhan (and Yixing) would have never let them hear the end of it. He was already embarrassed enough as it was.

That didn't even come close to what Jongdae was apparently feeling though - during the entire morning, including their trip to the station and the ride back, Jongdae didn't do so much as look his way. He didn't speak up unless directly addressed, didn't have any smart response to anything Chanyeol said and generally treated him like air. Judging by the questioning looks he received from the others, they had noticed that much as well.

Unsure of how to react, Chanyeol only shrugged it off, spending the better part of the train ride thinking about an appropriate reaction.

He could treat this similarly to the fever incident and tell him not to worry about it - but this went a little deeper than some fever-induced rambling. Jongdae had effectively exposed having actual issues with stress or fear of some kind. He was probably not only ashamed, but also even more stressed by the prospect of Chanyeol telling anyone, no matter his intentions. 

So he waited until they had returned to their dorm, waited until he could catch him alone.

This time, Jongdae not only opened the door to his room, he even let him inside despite having a hard time looking him in the eye. He closed the door after him and waited, posture straight but eyes lowered. He may be trying to be subtle about it, but Chanyeol could see him dig his nails into his palm.

The sight gave him the final push and he spoke up, aiming for a casual, neutral tone.

"It never happened. Okay?" he offered, because that's what it really was. An offer.

He could have acted more embarrassed, could have tried to make this about the physical proximity they'd shared, but it would feel like an insult to Jongdae's intelligence.

Jongdae, who was now looking at him with the slightest hue of surprise wrapped around scepticism as he gauged Chanyeol's expression, clearly searching for something. Chanyeol meant it though.

"It just never happened," he repeated calmly. No pity, no unsolicited advice or worries.

Whatever Jongdae had been looking for on his face, he hadn't found it. Or maybe he had, and that was a good thing because his shoulders lowered, relaxing slightly, in tandem with his fingers. He nodded in a tiny move that didn't seem to be directed at Chanyeol at all.

"Alright," he said, barely above a whisper, and Chanyeol felt a twinge. Of what, he wasn't so sure. He had plenty of time to think about it later that day - while writing his reports and running through his daily exercises, and even as he was cleaning up the engineering club room, sorting screws and cables.

Had he done the right thing?

It was quite presumptuous on every level to be disappointed about Jongdae not sharing any details and - on a less selfish note - maybe keeping this a secret was simply not a very healthy choice. But at the end of the day, it was Jongdae's choice to make, not his.

He had a surprising amount of time to himself that day, and for once, Chanyeol would have preferred company to distract him. He was just feeling so... gloomy. But people were either busy with their reports or hadn't yet returned from their trip. And as much as he loved spending time at the engineering club, it was quite lame when not even Minseok was present - apparently, their seniors went on fewer, but more extravagant field trips, travelling to the countries' borders and beyond, occupying them for a few more days.

Resigned, Chanyeol returned to the dorm in the late afternoon, only to be greeted with most of his dormmates lined up in a neat row in the entrance area - with Kyungsoo standing before them, arms crossed and unimpressed glare now fixated on Chanyeol.

"Uhm. I can wait outside," he offered quietly, and an offered document was his response.

"You can stay outside all night for all I care," Kyungsoo began nonchalantly, "as long as you fix up this poor excuse for a report. I marked the most egregious spots."

Chanyeol was pretty sure he was resembling a boiled crab with how the embarrassment was burning on his face.

"Uhm. Thank you?" he asked rather than stated, meekly taking his report.

"The same goes for all of you, obviously," Kyungsoo continued, now staring down the others again. Chanyeol couldn't help but notice that Jongdae wasn't present for the scolding. Well. Having basically grown up in that military base, he probably knew how to write military-appropriate reports.

"Okay, but... why didn't I get any notes?" Luhan asked, flipping through the few pages back and forth, as if he might have overlooked them.

Kyungsso didn't even blink.

"Just re-write the whole thing. It'll be faster."

Luhan actually gaped at him, and Chanyeol couldn't fault him. That had been cruel.

Humiliated and obviously angry, Luhan left without a word, taking the stairs to disappear into his room. Chanyeol watched after him with a grimace.

"Any other questions?" Kyungsoo asked, daring them to speak up. For once, not even Yixing seemed brave enough for a conversational remark.

Kyungsoo nodded.

"No? Good. You're dismissed, then. I expect the corrected versions on my desk by tomorrow afternoon."

They were wise enough not to do as much as pull a face.

As they padded upstairs, Jongin hesitated, staring at the closed door to Luhan's room.

"In an hour or so," Yixing murmured, giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Let's meet up here in an hour to finish them all together. I'll bring some snacks."

Jongin hummed and Yifan nodded as well, satisfied with the compromise. Chanyeol could once more only dream of being so perfectly put together.

Or to be even a little put together, to be honest. In the following hour spent hunched over his own report, he had a hard time focusing. He was simply feeling... blue. A little out of energy. He'd label and dismiss it as a bad day if it wasn't for his brain mercilessly replaying their field trip in his head, lingering on vast stretches of tapestries and people bowing before them. Well, before Jongdae.

He just couldn't help thinking back to the way the Duke had looked at them, like they were nothing more than mildly entertaining ants. It pulled forth even more memories he'd stored away over the past few months - like how Zitao had tossed Luhan into the pond, how Yixing had slipped into being bullied, and how Chanyeol's words hadn't made a change in either instance, and how his fists and skills were too weak to make a change either. And then he remembered their tour through the provincial army headquarters, and it had been so obvious that there was no way his fists or words would ever get through that.

Sure, it could be called self-pity, probably, but that didn't make Chanyeol feel any less hopeless.

Yes, hopeless probably summed it up perfectly.

No matter how far he'd reach, he couldn't think of a position in which he could make a difference. It was a truth that people in his life had preached to him ever since he was a child. Today, as Chanyeol sat in his room far away from home, with his head buried in his arms, smearing the ink on his report... he might just believe them for the first time.

"I swear he has it out for me," Luhan groaned a day later, as soon as their history lesson was over, throwing his upper body over the desk in a rather dramatic manner. There was no doubt who he was referring to - not with how Kyungsoo had sighed upon glancing at his corrected report earlier, when they'd handed it in.

"I'd like to say you're imagining things," Chanyeol began with a wry smile, "but..."

"Exactly," Luhan grumbled, “but.”

"But what?" Yixing inquired with his ever so gentle smile, slipping into Jongdae's seat while Jongdae moved to sit across Jongin. There was a free seat between the two nobles and if Yifan was feeling particularly bold, he'd take it (today he didn't though, choosing to share Chanyeol's desk). It was their usual seating order for free periods and by now, barely anyone paid them any heed anymore. The number of nobles moseying over to try and up to Jongdae had decreased dramatically by now, thanks to his ever so rude deflections.

"He thinks Instructor Do hates him," Jongin provided helpfully. Predictably, Yixing's expression morphed into one of genuine concern.

"What? No, he doesn't-"

"He gave all of you tips while he told me to toss the entire thing," Luhan protested immediately. "And you've seen it yesterday - my report wasn't that different from any of yours."

"And he'd already criticized it on the train," Yifan added, earning himself a rigorous "I know, right?" from Luhan. Kyungsoo - who had magically reappeared as they’d boarded the train back home - had indeed looked over their shoulders as they added notes to their reports... only to scold Luhan in particular for his lack of professionalism, messy writing, and too vague expressions.

Yixing's gaze softened but he didn't get further than parting his lips.

"Do not," Luhan cut him off, "tell me he likes me now. Do not."

Yixing closed his mouth again, both palms raised in playful defeat.

"After all, he likes you and has never been this, uh. Strict," Chanyeol provided, though referring to Kyungsoo as anything other than strict felt wrong.

"I wonder what his reason is," Jongin trailed off. Next to him, Jongdae huffed.

"It's probably nothing to worry about. At least he hasn't given up on you yet, like he's done for certain other people."

"Ha ha," Chanyeol muttered tonelessly, poking around his lunch box and ignoring the stares he could feel on himself.

"You know, you've been suspiciously peaceful today," Luhan muttered from where he was still hunched over the desk. "Not a single hissy fit."

"No denying that," Yixing piped up, and Chanyeol didn't like where this was going. Yixing rested his chin on his hands in a devilish display of faux casualty.

"Did something happen between you two?" he asked candidly. "In Bareahard, mayhaps?"

Chanyeol rolled his eyes in response, doing his very best to look convincing.

"You were with us the entire time."

"Were we? Can't remember any of us sharing the bed with-"

"O- kay, and that's enough chit chat for today," Chanyeol said resolutely, getting to his feet and grabbing his lunch box. "I'll be right back."

He didn't even think of an excuse and straight up turned to leave, ignoring Yixing's disappointed "Now don't be like that-"

He didn't get far though, not with how someone was blocking his way.

Huang Zitao. Pretty much the only noble who still bothered to bother them.

Ironically enough, he looked startled by Chanyeol almost running into him, but decided to stand his ground, after all. Now if only said ground wasn't so inconveniently keeping Chanyeol from leaving.

He groaned.

"And what do you want?"

Zitao looked highly offended over the lack of shivering on Chanyeol's part.

"Well," he began, quickly catching himself as he crossed his arms and gave him a haughty look. "I was going to inquire how far you've gotten into despairing over your reports. Since it has come to my attention that our accomplishments are going to be presented in class, I figured it a good idea to prepare for the embarrassment that will be your presentation."

Void of patience, Chanyeol gave him a blank stare.

"So you came to say hi," he summed up. "Cool. Hi."

Luhan snorted but Chanyeol didn't linger. He simply side-stepped Zitao without a second glance and left the classroom. It wasn't like he had a particular destination in mind. Maybe he'd take a quick stroll through the library. It didn't really matter as long as he could escape this conversation. He'd promised Jongdae that he'd act like their shared night ( shared night, that sounded terribly wrong) had never taken place, and he knew his poker face was non-existent. Yixing could probably read thoughts off his face that Chanyeol didn't even know he was having... or, if all else failed, make some up.

Part of him felt a little bad over leaving Jongdae to defend himself but there was no denying that he was helping more by not being present.

As for the real reason he'd been quiet...

Well, Chanyeol thought. He simply wasn't in the mood to fight anyone today. Nothing unusual about that.

By the time he returned to the classroom just before their next lesson, everyone had returned to their seats already. That way, he could stare at the back of Jongdae's head, who was sitting in front of him - thanks to Jongdae cramming himself into the back corner of the block reserved for nobles and Chanyeol taking up a spot in the row just behind him. Next to Jongdae was a permanently unoccupied seat. There were quite a few empty seats since the number of nobles was smaller than the amount of room reserved for them. It was a waste Chanyeol had internally bemoaned more than once but that day, he didn't quite feel the need to. He should focus on his own studies instead.

He made a valiant effort at doing so, taking notes as the Instructor for orbal science introduced them to an important group project that would make up a good chunk of their final grade.

"This year's theme will be Orbs in Weaponry, specifically regarding orbs attached to weaponry," the Instructor - a rather flippant, but no doubt competent young woman, rattled down as she wrote a few notes on the chalkboard. "I want each pair to choose a weapon as well as an orb constellation and examine the way they influence said weapon. This is a guideline for you to work with-"

Chanyeol kept scribbling everything down, hurrying so he could ask someone to partner up with him. Clearly, he wasn't the only one thinking of that, and the general noise did not go unnoticed by the Instructor.

"You can quit the mumbling and get rid of those hopes," she said loudly, still writing away, "since we'll draw partners for this."

The disappointment was audible but no one dared protesting. Chanyeol bit his lips as he drew a piece of paper from the bag that got handed around not much later. So much for begging Yifan to partner up with him. It would have been so great, with Yifan's orbal expertise and his own engineering skills. Now he could only stare at the little eleven scrawled on his paper and hope to be partnered up with someone decent. Next to him, Luhan was looking at an eight, and craning his head told him that to his right, Jongin had drawn a three.

The Instructor read out numbers and people raised their hands, being noted down accordingly.

Jongin was partnered up with Yifan - that lucky guy - while Luhan had to work with one of the amazon-like noble girls that Chanyeol knew were scary with a sword.

Anxiously, he drummed his fingers on his thighs as the students were all sorted in more or less happy pairs.

Jongdae hadn't been drawn yet, and neither had Yixing.

"Ten."

Two girls raised their hands.

Chanyeol restlessly crossed his fingers over his thighs.

"Eleven."

He raised his hand.

And so did Zitao.

"Park Chanyeol... and Huang Zitao," the Instructor hummed, light and casual.

"What?" Chanyeol burst out before he could help it. "No-"

"Any problems?" the Instructor asked, patiently. Like she had simply waited for this moment.

People were staring at him, mostly annoyed and ready to hear one of his anti-noble tirades. Chanyeol was smart (and embarrassed) enough not to say anything, and the Instructor nodded.

"Good. There is no class segregation in the military. I hope all of you keep that in mind. Twelve."

Chanyeol slumped down in his seat.

Of all people.

Huang Zitao somehow managed to make a show out of not looking at him.

He tried very hard not to groan.

"First Jongdae, now Huang. You're really collecting the nobles, aren't you?" Luhan asked conversationally as they packed up their things an hour later, ready to move to the training grounds for their combat lessons.

Chanyeol only shot him a vague, unimpressed look.

"That doesn't even make sense."

He decided to ignore the probing way Luhan was staring at him, instead giving Yifan a nod as he caught up with them.

"Man, we would have made for an amazing team," he bemoaned straight away. Yifan shot him a small, but genuine grin.

"'course we would have," he said simply, patting his shoulder. "You'll be fine though."

"For real," Luhan agreed, stretching his arms over his head as they walked down the hallway, "if anyone is gonna get some actual effort out of Huang, it would be you."

Chanyeol wasn't feeling nearly as confident and the entire prospect of actually working with Zitao was giving him a headache already.

Would he have preferred for it to be Jongdae? Well, maybe. Maybe, if he'd been asked last week-

"Park."

He didn't even turn his head at the nasal sound.

"Hm?" he hummed in disinterest as Zitao took up his unoccupied left side. Somehow, he even managed to walk like a noble, polished shoes clicking on the ground with every determined step.

"Don't hm me," he commanded. "Just to make this clear right now: I am not going to settle for anything less than the top spot for this assignment."

Chanyeol shrugged.

"Then you better get to studying."

He turned his head just in time to see Zitao's cat-like eyes narrow.

"I am not going to do all of the work here."

"Never said you would," Chanyeol said. He simply wasn't in the mood for any of this.

The fact that he wasn't really inviting any trouble seemed to stump Zitao, who looked mildly taken aback. It took him an awkward couple seconds to even think of a comeback at the nothingness Chanyeol had added to the conversation when Yixing and Jongdae caught up to them, the latter piping up from behind them, tone airy as ever.

"What a stellar example of the infamously poor discipline of commoners."

His words stung. Chanyeol was not a slacker. Neither were Yifan nor Luhan (well, maybe Luhan could be a bit of a slacker). But what use did arguing really have?

"Whatever," was all he muttered, not even sparing Jongdae a glance as Zitao rattled down all the tiny gaps in his oh-so-packed schedule where he expected Chanyeol to be present.

Like that, he completely missed the unreadable gaze of Jongdae boring holes into the back of his head.

It had been almost a week since they had returned from Bareahard, and Chanyeol was tired of hearing his own sighs.

He flopped onto the bed - fully ignoring how his damp hair wet the cushion - to stare out of the window and into the starry sky. This area may be well-lit, but he could still see more stars than back in his home town.

So far, every single meeting with Zitao had been terrible. Zitao had acted like an alpha monkey, taking charge despite lacking a clear vision, and Chanyeol had rolled his eyes and let him do it. They - and by they, he was really referring to Zitao - had chosen to center their project around some type of long sword Zitao was proficient with, and everything after that had been excruciatingly boring and dry, with them basically copying all the sources they could find at the library. It felt pointless and frustrating. And afterwards, he'd return to the dorm, assure his friends that he was perfectly fine, do his homework and eventually go to bed. Not even the engineering club really had his attention these days, with Minseok actually cramming for an important exam, leaving them all to realize just how integral their president was to the club.

Chanyeol half-turned, hugging his cushion as he looked up and into the sky.

Last night, he'd dreamt of being lost in the Kim family mansion. He'd meant to go get Jongdae, no big deal, but the instructions of the maids had been confusing and the more he tried, the more he got lost. It also included some blurry images of pompous clothing as he tried to avoid being spotted by the Duke, like this was some sort of game or action novel. It was quite embarrassing, really, and if Chanyeol could choose to erase those memories right away, he would.

There was a knock on the door, just loud enough to be heard.

People didn't usually knock - at least not like this, with two precise knocks, followed by expectant silence. Confused, he sat up.

"Yeah?"

Two seconds passed. When the door opened, it revealed none other than Jongdae, looking freshly showered as well. He was back to wearing one of his long, silky pajamas - a navy blue one this time, with a proper collar, buttons and everything. Chanyeol would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't already seen it.

"Do you have a moment?" Jongdae asked. Still wary, Chanyeol nodded, not even getting up. With a light nod, Jongdae entered, closing the door after him with a soft click. He didn't even attempt to step further into the room, keeping his back to the door, eyes flitting over his shelves and belongings for just a second, barely lingering on the somewhat messy workbench.

It only occured to Chanyeol then that Jongdae had never been in his room before. Weird.

Jongdae quickly focused on him though, and something about his gaze made Chanyeol feel defensive already. He kept his mouth shut though, mostly because Jongdae had been the one to approach him, so it was up to him to say what he'd come for. He didn't have to wait long.

"You said nothing happened," he said quietly. Accusatory, really.

Chanyeol blinked. He had no idea what he'd expected, but this was not it.

"Yeah?" he confirmed quizzically. "Why, did someone see us? I didn't tell anyone."

"They can tell, anyway, I think," Jongdae began, looking unhappy with his own choice of words. "You're not... acting like nothing happened."

When Chanyeol didn't have an immediate response, his gaze strayed, coming to rest on the ground and allowing his damp bangs to obscure his expression.

If the circumstances were different, Chanyeol would have taken his words as an insulting demand. Now, though, he was a bit too taken aback to do so.

"Eh, it's got nothing to do with that though," he eventually dismissed him with a casual wave. "They just got a wild imagination."

Mild surprise turned into confusion as Jongdae looked up at him again.

"Oh?" he asked, the inquiry light and deceivingly probing.  "I guess I wasn't imagining your odd attitude towards Huang, then. So it is a matter of nobility then, isn't it?"

"What do you even want from me?" Chanyeol demanded reluctantly - at least he was trying to make it sound demanding, maybe even aggressive. It came out rather weak instead, and while he couldn't recall a specific situation, it felt like the tables had turned for once.

Jongdae didn't back down though his voice remained even.

"Confirmation of whether or not a single walk through a noble district was enough to shut down all your yapping."

Chanyeol could feel the heat rise to his face, could feel the anger bubble up.

But Chanyeol wasn't a fire orb master in the making for nothing - he knew that his anger was hardly directed at Jongdae, and he knew that most of the heat stemmed from something else - shame.

"If you're here to rub it in and make me feel like then I can assure you that you can save yourself the effort," he said between gritted teeth.

Jongdae lightly shook his head in disbelief.

"That's all it took? Should have done this right from the start, then, shouldn't I?" he asked, sounding unusually sardonic. "Should have invited you over to call it a day."

"What do you even mean, that's all it took?" Chanyeol echoed angrily, fists balled by his sides, bunching up the blanket. It dawned on him right away that he had involuntarily exposed himself and he rubbed his forehead, pressing against the incoming headache. "Just- ugh. You know what? Just leave me alone."

Jongdae did not make any move to leave though. He just kept talking in this calm, matter-of-fact tone that made Chanyeol want to get up and strangle him with his bare hands.

"All those big words and threats, and for what? You're just a hypocrite at this point-"

"Shut up," Chanyeol snapped sharply, having finally had enough. "What's it to you? You want me to go back to complaining about every single thing you do?"

Jongdae didn't reply to that though the silence - combined with his mildly stubborn look - spoke volumes. So did his clenched fists and raised shoulders.

Chanyeol was the first to break eye contact, if only to discreetly blink away the treacherous, wet burn he felt behind his lids. This was the worst-

"I was starting to think you mean it," Jongdae spoke up again, almost too quiet to be heard. There was neither disappointment nor accusation nor pity to it. As per usual, Chanyeol had no idea what Jongdae's intentions were.

"I actually bought it - like Luhan would say," he heard him add, sounding a bit embarrassed for the first time that night. "If you waver so easily now, you'll make me look like an idiot."

It should be a selfish, annoying statement, it really should be - if not for the fact that all Chanyeol heard was a thinly veiled plea.

He took a deep breath, trying to relax. A light pitter-patter suggested that it had started to rain. Funny how fast the sky could cloud up.

"It's not like I can make a difference though," he admitted eventually, unable to even look his way. The anger had died down as soon as it had come, leaving behind nothing but fatigue. "Throughout the years, the number of people I could actually protect could be counted on one hand, at best. Even here, where everyone's supposedly equal, it takes a name to actually cause a change. It just feels like wasted breath at this point. You can laugh and call me pathetic. I don't care."

Jongdae put his hands behind his back, leaning against the door in what had to be a more comfortable position.

"If that's pathetic, then what would that make the people tolerating oppression their entire life?" he asked calmly.

Chanyeol shot him a dubious look.

"Are you admitting that the nobility is oppressive?" he asked slowly, momentarily distracted from the whirlwind of negativity.

Jongdae shook his head.

"Not necessarily. It's not any more or less oppressive of a concept than the royal family or the military are."

"So...?" Chanyeol asked, not sure where this was going anymore.

"That doesn't make abuse of power right though. Wasn't that the whole point? Of you harping for justice?"

He paused, as if expecting an answer Chanyeol couldn't possibly have.

Was it? He'd always thought it was but right now, everything felt muddled and unclear, making him doubt every single thing- but if Jongdae wasn't right, if he was thinking too highly of him... he should be right. That should be the whole point.

"You've seen the walls they're leaning on with your own eyes now," Jongdae added, still calm. Patient. It reminded him of their fencing lessons, back when they'd had a hard time talking at all. "Of course they're not budging easily. But it would be foolish to assume a failed attempt equals none at all. It may not yield the results you hope for, but people like Jongin, Luhan and Yifan - and even Yixing - are going to take note. Huang, too, even if he doesn't want to."

Even you?

Chanyeol bit back on the question, wasn't even sure what it would entail and what kind of answer he'd like to hear; and he'd already received enough to ponder, really.

"So I should go back to mocking your shiny, stainless uniform?" he asked eventually, a careful attempt at a joke - if it even was one. It felt like an offer of peace, really, which was odd considering that Chanyeol hadn’t offended him this time.

Jongdae insinuated a shrug.

"If that's what you want," he hummed evenly. "As long as you're prepared for the response."

"Because you're so witty," Chanyeol replied, the words slipping out before he knew it, muscle memory winning over the tension.

Jongdae's expression changed, lips tugging into that barely there smile.

"Wittier than you," he commented. "Not like that's a notable accomplishment."

Kim Jongdae was actually smiling at him.
Chanyeol scoffed, not quite sure what to do with any of this when Jongdae already turned, ready to leave. He paused with his hand on the doorknob though.

"Just so you know," he began slowly, and Chanyeol could tell the smile was gone, could tell by how subdued he was sounding.  "I was being provocative just now. It's not pathetic to be... intimidated. It is not an unreasonable reaction."

Stunned, Chanyeol looked at his back, from the slightly hunched shoulders to his lowered head.

It's not pathetic to be scared.

Seeing all this, and feeling small and powerless is... normal.

For some reason, this sentence alone felt like it was taking an enormous weight off his shoulders.

"In fact, he invited you in for that very reason," Jongdae admitted, head ly slightly. Like he couldn't bear facing him right now. "This man is used to getting what he wants. But you don't need to cater to him."

With that, he left before Chanyeol could think of a response.

The door was closed quietly once more, and then Chanyeol was left to himself.

Outside, the rain had grown stronger, mercilessly rapping against the glass as he pulled up his knees to look out of the window and into the barely lit streets.

That last statement could be taken negatively as well. Like Jongdae was only doing this to spite his father. There was nothing really stopping him from making this assumption and yet it didn't seem right at all.

It didn't feel right to assume that Jongdae had ulterior motives.

That realization alone was something to think about, but Chanyeol moved it to the side for the time being. Deciphering Jongdae came second. After all, he needed a clear head to even attempt such an insane task.

He stayed awake for much longer after that, switching off the lights to sit by his window as he re-played their conversation over and over again. By the time he fell asleep, the rain shower had stopped already, and the silence felt like a soothing breeze for his tired, but much more organized mind.

He had this.

The next day, he stalked up to Zitao - who had been sitting in the empty classroom they usually worked in - and slammed his palm on the table hard enough to make him jump. And squeak.

"What- was that?!" Zitao demanded, trying to downplay whatever noise that had been.

Chanyeol shot him a smile. It was the kind that he knew from both his mother and his sister. The one that meant trouble.

"The sound of our plans changing," he announced simply. "Our project is boring as hell and we won't even make it into the top five with that yawn fest."

Zitao was predictably offended, lips parting but no immediate response coming out. At least none that would be fast enough to interrupt Chanyeol, who was slipping into the chair,  nonchalantly closing the other's books and shifting them aside.

"You think our teacher hasn't read these books already? Bo-ring. We need to come up with something better than this. Yifan and Jongin are writing about the use of wind orbs in traditional Northern Lances for their dances. Nobody will care about this standard sword with a traditional orbment setting-"

"Then what do you suggest?" Zitao demanded, masking his embarrassment with anger. And poorly so, if Chanyeol was concerned.

His smile returned.

"I'm glad you're asking," he began, definitely imitating Jongdae now. "Incidentally, I do have one or two suggestions."

With that, he flipped open his notebook and turned it as he explained their new plan to Zitao.

And Huang Zitao, stubborn, spoiled noble extraordinaire, could only sit there, half angry and half stunned as Chanyeol took charge and didn't even give him a chance to refuse.

Chanyeol simply kept going, the pace a challenge in and of itself, and when he was done, he gave him a challenging look.

"So, which one will it be? This one or this one?"

Zitao bit his lips, staring at the two sets of notes and sketches.

Eventually, he reached for the first one.

"It's gonna take a while to get a hand on one of those," he said eventually, sounding stubborn for the sake of it.

Chanyeol shrugged.

"Maybe I can get one, too. Chances are looking good on my end."

After three long seconds, Zitao narrowed his eyes, placing the paper back down to glare at him.

"If we don't make it to the top of the class, I'll make your life hell."

Chanyeol smiled back, completely unfazed.

"You're flattering yourself, aren't you? But rest assured, I'm not planning to fall behind on this one. You better do your part well."

Zitao looked furious and it was funny how light that made Chanyeol feel. He was tempted to laugh at him, really.

He blamed it on feeling so weirdly energetic and was determined to make the most of it.

After his little catfight with Zitao, he walked back to the dorm to find the corrected reports lying in a neat stack on the entrance area table. He hardly got a look at the first one before Jongdae snatched it.

"I thought your report was perfect already?" he asked, confused more than snarky.

Jongdae looked at him like he had switched to another language mid sentence.

"What are you talking about?"

Chanyeol blinked.

"You're the only one who didn't get a scolding from Kyungsoo-"

Jongdae only lightly shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course he corrected mine as well. He handed it to me first, actually. How would you expect a freshman to write a flawless military report on their first attempt?"

Chanyeol looked at him, dumbfounded for a moment.

Then he snorted.

Jongdae looked at him, clearly unsure of whether to be embarrassed or weirded out.

"I don't see what was funny about this."

Chanyeol shook his head, still biting back on a grin as he grabbed his own report.

Stupid. He was so, so stupid.

Stupid enough, apparently, to not find one of Jongdae's written notes in his report until much later, when he was sitting in class. Even Kyungsoo could get things mixed up, it seemed. Not like that was a big deal. In fact, he only had to reach out and all but poke the other's back with the paper until he received an annoyed glare in return.

After all, Jongdae was sitting right in front of him.

This was quite the fast update, uhm... I hope that's not annoying *haha*
But I figured 'why leave this on my laptop to catch dust, when it's already done?'
Also my last vacation this year is now over and I'll throw myself at the retail-christmas hell, so the next update will probably not come THAT fast, but I'll do my best ❤

I hope you guys stay warm, and if you celebrate Christmas, don't let it stress you out ❤
Love,
Sugary