The party was just starting when Jongin and Baekhyun arrived. Jongin saw Chanyeol and some other guy bringing in grills, and bags and sacks of what was hopefully food. 

“Is he in charge?” Jongin asked Baekhyun.

“Self-proclaimed. Chanyeol loves gatherings and he loves cooking when it comes to stuff like this. I know he set you on fire, but if you just learn to excuse his experiments with fire, he’s actually an okay person to be around with. That short dude next to him is Jongdae — the microwave guy I told you about?”

Jongin chuckled. “I forgot to ask, just how drunk was he?”

Baekhyun pointed at an empty bench and they sat down. They could see everything, but were in a safe distance from Chanyeol and Jongdae. Chanyeol was excitedly waving around a torch lighter.

“Miraculously, not at all. But it was during the midterms — everyone was at some level of insanity. I know a girl who went around cleaning everyone’s rooms instead of studying for her exams.”

“Did she pass?”

“Oh yeah. Maintained her 4.0”

“Damn.”

A very pretty girl with round glasses came around, pushing a trolley full of cans of beer. She gave them one each.

“Thank you,”

“Thanks, baby.”

“You know her?” Jongin asked, cracking his can open. It made a satisfying click and the sound of fizz made Jongin feel good. The air was cool and had a fresh smell to it. A small group of people had started playing dodgeball, two guys were playing catch, and more and more people were arriving from everywhere. Chanyeol was starting fire on one of the grills. The Jongdae dude was sitting cross legged on a chair and shouting instructions at random people, who looked confused for a second but obeyed him anyway.

“Yeah, she works in the library. One of the best students of this school.”

“What’s her major?”

“Creative Writing. I know she doubles in something else but I forgot. Was it Japanese Literature or Interior Design. She sometimes lets me read what she’s writing and — you’ll see, she’s going to whip out a bestseller very soon.”

Jongin let out a low whistle. 

“Yeah. So what’s up with your friend Sehun? Why is he so…”

“?” Jongin suggested.

Baekhyun laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I mean he’s adorable but just too — like, he never played outside.”

“That is it, actually. Sehun is an only child and he’s really good with being alone. I met him in kindergarten and we’ve been friends since. I don’t know what would have happened to him if we didn’t become friends. I mean, whenever we were placed in different classes, I never heard him being close with the kids from his class. He was civil and polite, and nobody was mean to him or anything, but it was just me for him, you know?”

Baekhyun was suddenly looking very serious. “Maybe — Have you considered, Jongin? That he might be…”

“Nah. Sehun’s straight. I was always just a friend to him. He said he didn’t click with others as much as he did with me. So after school, he would hang out with me and if I was busy, he’d just stay at home and play games on his own. Both his parents are doctors — that’s why he's a little bit of a germ freak by the way.”

“Aaah, that makes sense.”

“Yeah. So he is not very good at mingling with others. Never really had to. We were together throughout our whole life, and this is his first time trying to do things almost all on his own. He can be a prude since he didn’t have anyone else other than me to bring the dirt to him. He was always kinda awkward whenever I tried to, like, talk about and stuff with him, so I never pushed it.”

Baekhyun took a few large gulps and breathed out heavily, grimacing. “Now I just feel bad.” 

“Nah, it’s not like you were mean about it.” 

“I still feel bad.”

“You’re letting him shower in your room.”

“Our room.”

Jongin was about to take another sip of his beer but stopped and let his hand drop down. He looked at Baekhyun who was looking uncharacteristically shy. 

“Yeah, our room.”

As the smell of grilled meat went around, Jongin sat with Baekhyun on their little bench and talked about nothings while drinking their beer. He noticed many people greet Baekhyun, wave at Baekhyun, call for Baekhyun, and ask Baekhyun to join them. Jongin felt like he was holding Baekhyun back.

“You can … hyung, maybe you should go and hang out with your friends.” he said timidly.

Baekhyun looked at him. “I am hanging out with my friend.” 

Jongin wasn’t convinced. Of course Baekhyun was popular, it’s not like Jongin didn’t notice the amount of people came knocking on their doors, or the calls and texts Baekhyun got throughout the day.

“Really, Jongin,” Baekhyun said softly. “I want to be here.”

Suddenly his cheeks and ears felt really warm and Jongin just nodded, resolutely looking down at the ground.

“At least until the second batch of meat is ready. Then we’ll go and stuff our faces until we pass out.”

“Why the second batch?” Jongin asked, grinning. Really, he was unable to feel down with Baekhyun around, who was looking particularly cute tonight with his yellow hoodie tucked behind his big ears.

“Chanyeol always either overcooks or undercooks the first round,” Baekhyun said, grinning back at him. 

“I don’t know him, but that’s so typical of him,” Jongin said, braving a glimpse at Baekhyun’s lips.

“Yeah, it is.” Baekhyun said softly, leaning in closer to him, still smiling.

Jongin knew it was a bad idea — they had just met and Jongin knew nothing about dating — but how could he turn away when Baekhyun was this close to him? His lips looked really soft. Pink and pretty.

When a loud bang and a scream interrupted their moment, Jongin groaned and hung his head down. Baekhyun just laughed and shouted with the others, as the firework exploded high in the air.

It was purple and gold and then blue and green and then a whole bunch of them mixed up with each other. Students shot them one after another. Jongin and Baekhyun covered their ears with their hands (who knew fireworks were this loud from close distance?) and jumped every time a firework was shot, laughing themselves into near tears. 

A very tall guy came running and stopped the mad students from launching any more fireworks. 

“That’s for AFTER!” he said and yanked a particularly big looking one from a student. He had jet black hair and fierce eyes, and his black jeans and the leather jacket made him look like a protagonist of an action movie. His hair was long enough to be tied into a ponytail at the back of his head. Jongin felt like the dude should have a sword, or a handgun, and a y cut on his cheek.

All the girls were looking at him in a fit of giggles. There were lots of blushing and hiding faces behind their hands.

“Who’s that?” Jongin asked. “Who has legs like that? Look at them!”

Baekhyun gave him a sly look. “Like what you see?”

Jongin spluttered. “No! I mean, objectively? Anyone can appreciate legs like that, hyung! Just — look!” he pointed at the tall dude.”

“That’s Kim Woobin, one of the TAs.” Baekhyun said and made a face like Sehun’s stingray one, nodding. “So I see, that’s your type. Naturally … naturally, who wouldn’t go for legs like that.” 

“Hyung, he’s not my type. I didn’t even … I don’t think —”

“As expected,” Baekhyun sighed dramatically and kicked his legs around in the air. “Being tall is the best.”

“Of course it is.” someone whispered right next to them. 

Jongin and Baekhyun both screamed and jumped on to their feet. Jongdae was standing behind them, with an unimpressed and disgusted expression.

“You!” Baekhyun roared. “Don’t sneak up on people like that? What if I got a heart attack just now, huh? Will you take responsibility? Will you? Will you? Why are you even holding a knife, you lunatic?”

“For dramatic exposure,” Jongdae said, simply. He was indeed holding his both hands up to his chest. One had a fork with a piece of meat on it. The other one was holding a big, bloody knife. He was also chewing on something. Jongin was strongly reminded of a lazy camel, or a chameleon. 

“Here,” he offered the meat for Jongin. “Eat up.”

“No,” Baekhyun began but Jongin, wanting to make a good impression on Baekhyun's friend, bowed slightly, thanked him and took the meat into his mouth. It was extremely salty and sour. He didn’t know if he wanted to spit it out back to Jongdae’s face or just drop and die.

“It’s good,” he said and with a great effort, swallowed it.

“Of course it wasn’t. You look like you just got stabbed. What did you do with it, Jongdae?” Baekhyun demanded, passing Jongin a bottle of water. Jongin took it and gulped it down madly.

“Dipped it in a jar of soy sauce and then salt,” Jongdae said, shrugging. His face was still infuriatingly passive. Jongin wanted to hit it with something, like a brick.

“Don’t eat anything he gives you,” Baekhyun said, fishing out a bar of chocolate from his hoodie’s pocket and giving it to Jongin. “His one and only joy in life is watching people suffer.”

“Jongdaaaaae! JONGDAE! WHOAAAAAA…”

Quite a lot of people screamed. The grill machine Chanyeol was working had just erupted some fire out. Jongin saw Kim Woobin curse and make his way to Chanyeol with fury. One of the students grabbed a firework and ran away. 

Jongdae didn’t even look back at Chanyeol to see what happened. He just groaned and tilted his head back. He stayed there like that for a few seconds, just groaning into the open air. “Aaaahhhhghhghhgh ….” Then he snapped his head back up and left. 

“What is this school?” Jongin slumped down on the ground.

Baekhyun sniggered. “I know, right? It’s the best.” 

Next chapter: Sehun will arrive. Games will be played. Food will be devoured. A dare will be taken. And a kiss will be planted.