Chanyeol did not end up having to pay for Jongdae's sullied uniform.

He did, however, get copious amounts of glares from the other that lasted for an entirety of three meals at the dorm (which accumulated to a single day, really). A small price. It allowed him to properly focus on his other doormmates, who all seemed to be in various stages of distress over the upcoming exam. There was quiet, studious Yixing, who carried the stress like any other noble would (with unnerving grace), and even more quiet, but very clearly stressed out Yifan, who had already made plans to study with his fellow club members.

For once, Chanyel could emphasize more with Jongin, who seemed determined and serious, and preferred to study on his own. Studying in groups may be fun and helpful occasionally, but it was also an invitation to distraction. Distraction that he really didn't need, so he tried to get the biggest chunks down on his own.

And then there was Luhan.

"So, I thought about joining the swimming club," he just announced over a mouthful of toast. The disaster that occured barely two days ago hadn't left a single shadow on his expression (though Chanyeol doubted he'd truly put it behind himself so soon), but that didn't make this statement any less surprising.

Yifan blinked.

"Aren't you in a club already?"

Luhan shrugged.

"And? There's no law telling me to only join one club, is there?"

"I can't believe that is the conclusion you came to after Wednesday," Chanyeol piped up, genuinely taken aback. Luhan didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"Well, what better time to learn how to swim? I mean, why not? Do you take beginners?"

"Of course," Yifan muttered, sharing Chanyeol's surprise but not being one to expose people.

Of course they had all heard of the incident by now, but there really wasn't much else to say about this, except-

"That's really admirable of you," Jongin commented, still somewhat sleepy, but nonetheless genuine.

Chanyeol could only nod. After almost drowning - and being humiliated by someone like Zitao - he certainly wouldn't be eager to step near a pool anytime soon. But apparently Luhan preferred to tackle issues head on, while they were still fresh.

"Eh, it's just something I never learnt," Luhan dismissed them, snatching a small tomato from the bowl between them. "Don't expect the same enthusiasm when it comes to my fear of heights. You're not getting me on an airship any time soon."

The conversation drifted off to one about airship experiences next, and then naturally transitioned to them rehearsing their study material (with Kyungsoo correcting them ever so often, despite insisting that he wouldn’t teach them, ever), but Chanyeol found himself spacing out, mulling over what Luhan had said. Seeing your shortcomings and getting to work on them, without your own pride being in the way… it really was admirable and something to strive for.

It also further drove home why Luhan and Zitao had clashed so terribly. After all, Zitao couldn't be further from this mentality if he actively tried.

That guy probably wouldn't admit to his mistakes if someone put a knife to his throat.

Quite like Jongdae... right?

Chanyeol half-heartedly thought about that as he helped the others clean the table. Saying that Jongdae wouldn't ever own up to his mistakes seemed right. It would be the most noble thing to do. And honestly? He hadn't ever said a word to convince him otherwise, so why was Chanyeol so naturally convinced that Zitao would be even more pride-driven?

His first instinct was to pen it on his and Jongdae’s perpetual arguments fooling him into seeing him in a more... genuine light. But he'd also been arguing a lot with Zitao already, so that didn't make a lot of sense.

It was peculiar, and Chanyeol would be annoyed by the fact that he was thinking about Jongdae in this very rare moment of pleasant (one-sidedly sulky) silence between them, but it was simply something he did; thinking about people and their intentions, making sure he knew where he stood with them. And it was unintuitive and, quite frankly, absurd to think that Jongdae was not the person he was on the absolute worst terms with in this school.

Where did he stand with Jongdae though?

"Chanyeol."

At the sound of Yifan's exasperated voice, he snapped back into it.

"Hm?"

"Never mind," the other muttered, which truly rooted Chanyeol back in the moment for good.

"What? No, tell me," he hurried to insist, trailing after him, doing his best to sound like a rueful puppy. "I'm sorry, I was just distracted. And tired. Is it about our studying session?"

Yifan was right though. There were more important things than pondering his social standing on a couple hours of sleep. The exam came first, and he was determined to do well.

Chanyeol had never been the brightest kid in school.

Sure, he wasn't stupid, but one would have to be a prodigy (or a privileged noble) to stand out in a city known for technological advancements. No, Chanyeol considered himself pretty average when it came to intelligence.

Of course average intelligence alone would not have garnered him a spot at the Red Sun Academy. But what Chanyeol lacked in raw genius, he made up for in hard work. Consistent, painstakingly hard hours and hours of studying. He was no stranger to all-nighters. Or frustration. In fact, he considered his self-awareness his greatest academic strength. He knew what it felt like to push himself, knew exactly how his body and mind reacted to stress; knew when to take a break, when to keep going, and how to deal with feelings of irritation and dread.

Not like that meant much in this prestigious school that seemed to be a melting pot of studious people from all over the country. The library was always crowded and there was no such thing as teasing people for studying too hard. Maybe it was just something about all the first years being equally nervous. It wasn't even their official midterm just yet - just a mixed exam on the military-based subjects - but apparently Chanyeol wasn't the only one determined to do well and report to his family with good news. Luckily for him, Minseok seemed somewhat offended that just about every new club member was sitting at the table, studying together instead of tinkering.

"That's way too sad," he'd sighed, clearly taking pity on them as he pulled out a chair to sit down and give them a quick rehearsal. Studying with his doormmates was pretty great, but having a senior break things down was a different level entirely. It certainly helped that Minseok turned out to one of the best students in his year. How he managed any of this while spending his every free minute hunched over machinery, Chanyeol didn't know. And he didn't care, as long as someone could actually make him understand basic Military Finance concepts.

"Uhm, Chanyeol?"

He looked up from his practice exercises to see Yixing and Luhan hover in the doorway, awkward at having interrupted what probably looked like a club meeting. Well, technically, it was-

Only then did Chanyeol remember. He'd made plans to study with them that morning.

"Right-" he breathed out, scrambling to pack up his things. "I forgot. Again. Ugh, Yifan will kill me-"

"No, he won't," Yixing chuckled, while Luhan crossed his arms.

"But I might," he quipped. "My time is precious, so move it."

Chanyeol gulped.

"Yessir," he muttered, nodding towards his fellow club members, and once more to Minseok. "Thanks for the lesson, it was really helpful. Good luck guys-"

He was already half-way around the table when Minseok's hand shot forwards, grabbing his arm with shocking force.

"One moment, Chanyeol," he chirped, a merry tone that was completely at odds with his iron grip as he got to his feet and dragged Chanyeol with him. Confused, he stumbled after him, almost tripping as Minseok stopped as abruptly, pulling him down and lowering his voice for two slow, firm questions.

"What's his name and is he single?"

Chanyeol blinked.

"What?"

"Park Chanyeol. Don't make me come and get you," he heard Luhan threaten him from the door, voice sharp enough to pull Chanyeol away from Minseok with an apologetic smile and confused nod.

"Sorry - I'll be back tomorrow," he muttered, still feeling mildly disturbed as Yixing herded him out with a hand on his back.

He didn't dare spacing out on the others for a third time that day though, so the weird encounter had to forcibly be pushed to the back of his mind for the time being.

The day didn't respect his wishes though, making him mentally stumble over the next thing as soon as he entered the dorm to find a familiar-looking book on the table in their entrance area. It was his book on plants.

"Huang came up to me in the library and pushed it in my hands," Yifan shrugged. "Stormed off without a word."

Luhan huffed, and Chanyeol could only agree.

"Coward," he muttered, sinking into the couch to pick up his book. Not only had he avoided Chanyeol, he'd also given it to Yifan, of all people.

"At least you got it back?" Luhan offered. It was admirable how little he seemed to care about Zitao, considering the guy had almost drowned him not too long ago. Then again, nobles acting like nobles wasn't exactly groundbreaking news to most people (not like Chanyeol was going to overlook their faults or, god forbid, excuse them).

Having the book on plants back did indeed come in handy though. He'd planned to share the copy of one the others for the time being; he had in no way been afraid of approaching Zitao to demand his book back, but he simply hadn't been in the mood to see his face. Without potentially punching him, that is.

"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled, half-heartedly flipping through the book in search for the chapter he had bookmarked a few days ago. The bookmark was gone though.

Only then did he realize something.

"Wait a second..." he mumbled, turning open the cover, only to find the first page empty.

"What is it?" Luhan asked in mild interest, leaning into his view. Chanyeol could only shake his head.

"This isn't my book. I've written my name in it and everything. This one's... brand new?"

"Huh," Yifan muttered.

"How peculiar," Yixing commented.

Chanyeol only stared at the book in scrutiny, trying to figure out what to think about this. Was Zitao mocking him? Was this his retaliation to Chanyeol admitting that he could hardly afford a new book every day?

Or was this a messed up kind of apology?

It was hard to decide which option would be more upsetting, really.

After all, the one he should be apologizing to was Luhan-

"Oh, Jongdae, there you are!" Yixing exclaimed with his usual, open and friendly smile that he seemed to wear whenever he interacted with Jongdae. Who was currently standing at the foot of the stairs, a messenger bag slung around his shoulder, shooting them a look that qualified as neutral at best.

His stance and uniform were pristine as ever, but the subtle strain on his expression wasn't.

"Was there anything you needed?" he asked, at least saving the passive aggressive undertone he'd whip out for Chanyeol.

Yixing shook his head and scooted a little closer to Luhan to make room.

"Not particularly. Would you like to study with us?"

"I prefer to study on my own, thank you," he shot him down straight away. Chanyeol fully expected to be ignored, so he didn't even bother with a comment, but despite the other's tense state, Jongdae generously made time for a pitying glance thrown his way.

"Good luck getting something into his poor excuse for a brain," he sighed, but it lacked the usual venom.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for your concern."

"Good luck, then," Yixing smiled, even though Jongdae was halfway to the door already, blatantly ignoring the others' friendly attitude. "Don't overdo it though, and remember to take breaks."

"Sure," was all Jongdae said, and then he was gone.

"Breaks sound fantastic," Luhan murmured, and Yifan hummed in sympathy.

Chanyeol snorted.

"We didn't even start yet."

"I was more saying like, in general," Luhan whined. "I hate studying."

"We should treat ourselves after this, then," Yixing suggested. It was almost comical how fast both Chanyeol and Luhan perked up at this.

"With what? Food?" Yifan asked. Yixing shrugged.

"Sure, why not? It could be a dorm three event. We've never actually gotten dinner downtown, did we? I've heard there's quite a few nice restaurants. That are affordable for students," he added after seeing their doubtful expressions.

"You better not get my hopes up for nothing here," Luhan half-threatened him, though the attempt was ruined by his pursed lips. "Or else you'll have to treat me."

Yixing only chuckled.

"If you score over 80 percent, I'll think about it."

"80 percent?" Luhan echoed incredulously. "I'm not sure if I've ever scored 80% on anything in my entire life-"

Yixing assured him that it would be fine, that Luhan surely had the brains to get through this if only he memorized a few things, and Chanyeol tried not to day-dream about restaurant food. The last time he had been to a restaurant was when his parents had celebrated his acceptance into the academy. Not like they couldn't afford them at all - restaurant visits were simply reserved for special occasions. Sure, having Jongdae with them was somewhat lame but if he dared to try and ruin their fun by commenting badly on the food, Chanyeol would be right there to remind him that he was incapable of making a sandwich.

During dinner, Yixing repeated his proposal, and Jongin seemed excited.

Kyungsoo politely declined - and then declined a little more firmly when Yixing tried a more sugary sweet approach - and Jongdae... wasn't present. He'd returned at some point, only to go straight up to his room and shooing Luhan off upon calling for him.

"He's working too hard," Jongin sighed, moping into his second bowl of meat and vegetables. "By the time I did my morning stretches, he already looked like he'd been up for ages. He was playing around with a fire orb, insisting that he wasn't studying, but it's not like he didn't have his books with him."

Chanyeol felt a completely irrational pang of guilt. While he'd expected Jongdae to keep practicing with orbs before their next study session, partaking in Jongin's morning exercises would have been more than enough. Trying to squeeze in more practice while cramming for an exam was just stupid.

Luhan hummed in sympathy.

"Can you bring him some food, Yeol?"

Chanyeol shot him a bewildered look.

"Why would I do that? Pretty sure his majesty knows where the dining area is-"

"Cause if it's you, he's probably actually going to eat something, if only out of spite," Luhan cut him off, already filling a bowl and putting it down before a very reluctant Chanyeol. "Now quit whining and go."

Chanyeol forlorny stared at his own, empty bowl, contemplating asking for another serving, simply to buy himself more time. Eventually, however, he caved - not without a petulant, withering glare sent Luhan's way. Somehow, making a fuss would feel like losing, and turning Luhan down after the other had so diligently reviewed his study materials with him earlier didn't feel right.

So he took the stairs, mentally preparing himself for a last, annoying encounter before he could take a hot shower and fall into bed. He was sick of staring at numbers and historical texts, and there was no use trying to cram any more into his head, so he'd save his last revision for the morning hours.

Jongdae's room was across his own, and for once, there was actually noise coming from it (though to be fair, Chanyeol had never tried to listen in on him).

The noises were muffled and abrupt, with small gasps in between.

Chanyeol took a deep breath. If he caught Jongdae in an indecent position, he'd unfortunately have to bleach his eyes.

After steeling himself for another three seconds, he knocked. The lack of a response seemed to mock his mental preparation.

Chanyeol leaned in closer to the door, carefully straining his ears. Only when he was absolutely sure that the other wasn't making any suspicious sounds, did he open the door.

He'd never actually been inside Jongdae's room but he hardly spared it a glance now, eyes immediately resting on Jongdae - who was standing in the middle of the room, facing away from him as he swung a saber. He sounded fairly exhausted, with his posture about as strained as he'd seen it during their combat lessons before. He had clearly not lied to Zitao about his regular court fencing training.

For a while, Chanyeol watched him swing his blade in complex-looking swirls.

Then he gave himself a push. He really did want to go to sleep, after all.

"You really don't have anything better to do, do you?"

He had never seen Jongdae flinch so hard. Within a split second, the tip of his apparently very beautifully crafted saber was pointed at Chanyeol's throat.

Chanyeol may be easily scared, but he had seen this one coming and, as a result, didn't even flinch.

"Hmhm. I'm super scared of you," he said, as unimpressed as he could muster.

The look of wild surprise in Jongdae's eyes immediately cooled down into one of confused irritation. His bangs looked sweaty, and in the orbal light source, Chanyeol could finally pinpoint the strain he had noticed earlier. Jongdae was tired.

Not like that affected his hissy fits in any way.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded immediately, lowering his saber. "I do not recall inviting you in-"

"And I don't recall seeing you at the dinner table," Chanyeol countered curtly. "You’re short, but not that short."

"I'm not hungry."

"U-huh," Chanyeol hummed in disinterest, looking around the room. "Where should I put it?"

"I said," Jongdae repeated slowly, patience wearing thin already, "I am not hungry."

"And I didn't ask whether or not you're hungry, I asked where to leave this bowl of rice and fried meat," Chanyeol replied, echoing his tone, "that, by the way, was made by Yifan. Took him quite some time. He also burnt his finger when he realized Yixing was watching."

Jongdae was still glaring at him, but there was a tick of hesitation on his expression, a nick of weakness Chanyeol aimed for without mercy.

"Didn't you want to become friends with him?" he began. "And now you're not even bothering to eat what he cooked for you? How noble-"

"Just hand it over," Jongdae cut him off, holding out his hand and radiating annoyance. Chanyeol didn't say anything else as he handed over the food. He didn't have to, and his silence only further drove home that he had won this one.

His dormmates’ words echoed around his mind still, and Chanyeol thought about telling Jongdae off for pushing himself this hard before an exam. In the end, however, he thought better of it and simply left, closing the door with a soft click.

Not like it would have made a difference, anyway. Stubborn as Jongdae was, he'd probably work even harder if he commented on it.

Chanyeol internally shrugged as he grabbed fresh clothes from his wardrobe.

As long as the moron ate Yifan's homemade food, he considered his job done. What Jongdae did in his free time was none of his business. And if he thought that stuffing every waking minute with exercise was a wise thing to do, he'd be the last one to stop him.

It turned out that they really had been worrying themselves over nothing.

The exam was not nearly as difficult as they had all deluded themselves into expecting. For once, Chanyeol felt quite overprepared, and while he surely didn't get everything right, he had an overall good feeling upon leaving the classroom. The relief was mirrored on Yifan's face, and even Luhan looked cautiously hopeful. Jongin and Yixing remained wary, but they were obviously the type to fret despite their likely excellent results.

And Jongdae?

Jongdae was lying sick in bed barely an hour after the exam was handed in.

Of course he had been too stubborn to head to the infirmary, instead insisting how he simply needed some rest. They were still rewarding themselves with snacks in the kitchen when Yixing burst in, looking frazzled as he claimed Jongdae wasn't feeling too well.

Turned out that even the otherwise perfect Zhang Yixing was still a noble at heart, and helpless in the face of a cold.

"We could carry him to the infirmary," he suggested, looking very ready to do just that, and Yifan, who looked every bit as overwhelmed as him, volunteered as well.

Chanyeol only sat there, watching them argue back and forth like headless chicken, battling the nagging feeling of guilt settling in his stomach. Because yes, he may have tossed the other into a pond, but that had been two days ago and the weather had been nice and sunny that day. No one should get sick that easily.
Before they could decide on a course of action, Kyungsoo entered the dining area, demanding an explanation for the chaos. With Kyungsoo, one never forgot that he was part of the military - not even for a second - but right this instance, Chanyeol was grateful for it.

He told them to stop fussing and to stay downstairs while he took a look at Jongdae himself.

"He'll be fine," he said not too long after to Yixing, who had been hovering at the foot of the stairs, with the others seated at the table. "It's just a cold. I'll fetch him something from the infirmary. Don't crowd him in and let him rest."

"Who would have thought Instructor Do would be the one to mother us," Luhan deadpanned a while later.

Kyungsoo had allowed Yixing to accompany him, leaving the rest to sit around, twiddling their thumbs and feeling somewhat useless. Eventually, Jongin claimed that he'd go out and get some ingredients for a traditional soup helping with colds.

"I didn't know he had a medical background," Chanyeol admitted. Luhan only made a dismissive sound.

"What do we know about him, really? Maybe we should pay more attention. If only to thank him properly."

Chanyeol leaned back with a huff.

"Jongdae should be the one worrying about this. He kinda really begged for it with how he's been acting."

"We all make mistakes," Yifan only hummed. "I just hope it's really just a cold."

Chanyeol got to his feet with a yawn.

"If Instructor Do says it's a cold, it's a cold," he said dismissively. "Our highness will live. I don't know what you guys are up to, but since our town outing isn't happening, I'll head over to the club house. I'm itching to do something with my hands after all this sitting around we did the past days."

Yifan shot him a dubious look, while Luhan shrugged. It was quite obvious who of them was more familiar with dealing with sick people. Yifan truly was an only child, while Luhan had the relaxed attitude of someone used to watching over people.

Chanyeol spent the rest of the day at the engineering clubhouse, tinkering on a little orbal vehicle that was supposed to be remote-controlled. Due to an exam of his own, Minseok wasn't present, leaving Chanyeol to dumly wonder who of his friends would have caught the attention of this otherwise preoccupied guy. Ultimately, he could only shrug it off and immerse himself into fiddling with the tiny motor until someone let him know that the sun had set hours ago.

By the time he arrived at the dorm, nobody was downstairs anymore. He assumed them all to have retreated to their rooms, and enjoyed the solitude as he took a late shower and had a bowl of leftover soup. It was nothing short of delicious and he really hoped Jongdae had at least tried it this time.

He was on his way to his room, hand already on the door handle, when he paused.

With his eyes trained on the wood, he listened. There were faint sounds coming from the other end of the small corridor, where Luhan's room was. He was probably listening to the radio.
There were no sounds coming from the room behind him.

Chanyeol thought of the excessive worry Yixing and Yifan had showed. Ridiculous? Yes, obviously. But it also meant that they were straight up useless when it came to treating sick people.

Deep down, he already knew he was fighting a losing battle, so he turned with a sigh.

He'd just make sure the other was doing well, he told himself. No long, drawn out arguments, just a quick check. Considering how delicate Jongdae was, he was probably just being dramatic, anyway.

Chanyeol didn't knock this time, just in case the other was asleep.

Of course he had no such luck - the room was brightly lit, with Jongdae's eyes fluttering open the moment the door creaked.

Whatever defensive comment had rested on Chanyeol's tongue was forgotten, clogging up his throat instead. He entered the room and closed the door, if only not to alert anyone else, before he stated the obvious.

"Wow. You look like ."

Jongdae's responding glare was so unfocused that Chanyeol wasn't even sure the other was actually seeing him.

"Go away," he rasped out. It came out weak and pitiful, and therefore Chanyeol generously ignored him as he stepped closer. Jongdae was flushed red and drenched in sweat, heat all but radiating off him.

Chanyeol didn't bother with the orbal thermometer resting on his nightstand and simply used the back of his hand against the other's cheek. It earned him another weak glare, and what almost felt like a burn.

"Your fever is way too high," Chanyeol stated, already looking around the room.

"Side effect of the medication," Jongdae muttered, closing his eyes. "Just leave."

Chanyeol hummed, and when he didn't find what he was looking for, he actually did leave... only to return with a bowl of cold water and a tower of clean towels.

Whatever protest Jongdae was mumbling into his blanket was entirely wasted on Chanyeol, who pulled out a chair and placed the bowl on the nightstand.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say" he hummed, dipping a towel into the water, only to press out the excess water. "People with a 40 degree fever don't really get to call the shots."

"You don't even know that-"

"Want me to get the thermometer and prove it?" Chanyeol all but threatened as he used the wet rag to slick back the other's bangs and place it on his burning forehead.

Jongdae sighed, eyes fluttering closed. He didn't even twitch when Chanyeol folded the rag to seal the wet pack with the dry end of it.

Chanyeol moved on autopilot, already wetting the next rag.

Jongdae twitched when the blanket was pulled down.

"What are you doing?" he whined, because his condition really didn't allow for any real snark. "I was told to stay like this-"

"And overheat completely? Yeah, no. That's not how this works," Chanyeol shot him down, calm and casual as he rolled up the other's sleeves.

"Since when does your knowledge exceed that of a Major?"

Chanyeol didn't even bat an eye.

"I know what I'm doing. Just zip it and let me work in peace," he said as he placed the second wet towel over his upper arm, wrapping it with swift, routinary movements. "Man, I can't believe you still got the energy to talk so frilly."

"I told you that it's just how I talk," Jongdae replied with his eyes still closed and brows furrowed. "It is not a deliberate choice."

"All that fancy talk but you didn't bother to let anyone know that you're about to evaporate."

"I was told to be prepared for a higher fever," Jongdae protested weakly, but he relaxed considerably under the cool fabric pressed into his skin.

"And here I was, thinking that your noble, sensitive would be extra dramatic about everything," Chanyeol muttered, preparing a third rag for the other arm. "But no, of course you'd be 'perfect' in that regard, as well. And where did it get you? Nowhere."

"Is this your way of being smug?" Jongdae asked, but Chanyeol only clicked his tongue.

"Nah, I think it's pretty obvious that you were being dumb. I just wanted to see you all whiny and dramatic so I could tell you to up your harmless cold and take it like a man. But no, of course you're not providing me any joy at all."

Jongdae huffed, watching him through glassy eyes.

"That wouldn't be very noble, now would it?"

"What, being sick?" Chanyeol asked, clearly rhetorically. 

He attached the third rag, allowing the words to pour out just as he thought them - because talking like this, with a pliant, barely even conscious Jongdae was deceptively easy. "Tell you what - if I get sick? My whole family knows right away. The entire house knows, really. Especially when I was a kid - I'd whine and complain and act like I'm dying until my sister told me to just shut up. And then they'd all take care of me for a day or two, and I'd be just fine again, and my family could forever tease me about being a dramatic baby when I'm sick."

"Sounds pathetic," Jongdae murmured, not seeming particularly judgemental, and Chanyeol shrugged.

"Sure. But I think it's not that bad to alert people around you if you need their assistance. Of course they roll their eyes at me and sometimes I don't  like their idea of nursing, but they're always there right away."

"How nice that you have these options," Jongdae breathed out, somehow managing to add a thin air of sarcasm. "I'll let you know when it becomes socially acceptable for a Kim to act like a whiny child."

"Yeah, cause Yixing will totally out you as a loser on the next rich people event," Chanyeol shot him down immediately.

"What do you want from me, Park Chanyeol?" Jongdae sighed. Chanyeol stilled with his hands around another wet rag. He hadn't wanted anything in particular, but now that Jongdae asked, he actually thought about it.

After a while, he went back to squeezing out the rag.

"Just don't hold back so much," he said eventually, not meeting his eyes. "The others are worried and your behaviour isn't exactly reassuring. You're kinda terrible at taking care of yourself."

For once, Jongdae didn't have a smart reply ready for him. The sudden silence was much more oppressive than the halfhearted banter had been, but Chanyeol didn't let it get to him, focusing on the task at hand instead. He applied a fourth wet pack to the other's leg, with Jongdae's shallow breaths being the only sound for quite some time.

"Did they do this for you?"

"Hm?" Chanyeol hummed, refusing to feel weird about feeling the other's slightly fuzzy calves under his fingers.

"Your family," Jongdae elaborated. "Did they apply these for you?"

"Sometimes," Chanyeol replied. It was odd how quiet both of them were, with no background noise or argument demanding otherwise. "And sometimes I was the one doing them for my sis. That's just how it works."

"I have a brother, too."

Chanyeol looked up at this.

"I didn't know the Kims had two sons," he said slowly, trying to remember otherwise, but failing.

Jongdae was staring at the ceiling, face still flushed.

"He's an illegitimate kid," he hummed. "Sickish, too. I heard that the maids were tending to him a lot."

"You heard?" Chanyeol echoed carefully. It took a while for Jongdae to even digest his question, he could see it in the furrow of his brows.

"He lived in another wing of the estate. Didn't see him around a lot."

Chanyeol leaned back, hands coming to a rest on the last, dry rags.

It was absurd to picture having a sibling and not being allowed around them. It was even more absurd to think that a kid's entire existence would be kept under wraps simply because of it being a result of adultery.

To Chanyeol, whose parents had rarely been home, life without his sister was unimaginable. Sure, they had fought and argued and riled each other up countless times, but they'd always cherished each other at the end of the day. It was the two of them, whether they were angry at each other or not.

Jongdae seemed lost in thought, and it prompted him to lower his voice even more.

"Older or younger?"

"Younger," Jongdae replied immediately. "By two years. His birthday’s in April."

"Do you celebrate it with him?"

There was the shadow of a smile flickering over his expression, but it looked sad rather than happy.

"I send him something every year. He probably doesn't want to see my face."

"Why wouldn't he?" Chanyeol asked cluelessly. This time, Jongdae did meet his eyes, and there was something unreadable in them.

"I am the official successor to the Kim family. Whatever he does will always be compared to my results, and I don't have the luxury of slacking off. Use your brain."

Chanyeol looked away first, opting to prepare the last wet pack as he thought about this. Sure, the Kims were one of the most influential families in the country but it was hard to accept that they were that... inhuman. That they'd shun their own kid and stir up a constant rivalry between them in an attempt to raise the perfect successor, stringing the bastard son along to have a replacement ready.

It was... upsetting.

Chanyeol got to his feet with an annoyed huff, but before he could take a single step, there was a hand grazing his thigh.

"Wait-"

Taken aback, Chanyeol looked down at Jongdae, whose eyes were resting somewhere around his torso.

"Hm?"

"Wait. Just a little longer," Jongdae said quietly, voice frazzling at the edges as he slowly lowered his hand again. "You just told me to be more upfront and I- I don't feel so good."

Chanyeol snorted, easily covering up all the weird things his mind and stomach were currently doing.

"You don't say," he commented, crossing his arms. "Like I'd leave a guy with a 40 degree fever out of my sight. I'm just getting fresh water and towels."

"Oh," Jongdae muttered, clearly embarrassed. Chanyeol should be saying something comforting and reassuring, but all he could think of was running his hand through the others sweaty hair. It was something he'd do to his sister (mostly to annoy her), but with Jongdae, it came out awkward more than anything. Luckily for him, the other was barely conscious and had a hard time focusing on him.

"You just stay right there," Chanyeol hummed, grabbing the bowl and exiting the room. He wiped his hand on his pants only after the door was closed, absently going over the books he could take along to keep him company as soon as the other would fall asleep.

"What's his fever doing?"

Chanyeol jumped, almost dropping the bowl.

There, at the small wooden table nestled into the corner of their floor, sat Kyungsoo, an array of papers spread around him. His voice was even more subdued and low than usual, but his gaze was probing and attentive as ever. He truly gave off the vibe that lying to him was impossible. Not that Chanyeol needed to even try. Instructor Do Kyungsoo would never mock him for doing something for Jongdae, because he didn't care about their petty feuds. He was the embodiment of professionalism. Which was strangely reassuring.

"Still high,” Chanyeol admitted. “But the wet packs are working."

Kyungsoo nodded before going back to his paperwork; like the conversation had never taken place. Never before had the instructor bothered to voluntarily spend time outside of his own room. That fact alone had Chanyeol smile to himself as he entered the bathroom to grab fresh water.

Maybe he really had lucked out when being assigned to dorm three.

The memory of a comically helpless Yixing came to mind, followed by that of awkward Yifan, worried Jongin and grounding, caring Luhan.

It might be a pretty preposterous assumption (preposterous, who even uses this word?) but maybe... just maybe, Jongdae had lucked out even more.

Taking bets on who Minseok has taken an interest in! c:

Love,
Sugary