04. Coping Mechanism 

"Why do you sleep with someone else knowing you have a mate somewhere in the world?"

The question is disturbing him, on top of all the physics notes he had copied from Chanyeol and the hundred missed calls from Soojin. Leah is surely eating his head up, but the wrong way, yet he knows she is right. At least he knew he has someone waiting for him somewhere in the world. When he did sleep with Soojin, he was completely sure that the girl wasn't the one, it would be someone else. Yet he did.

There was no restraint of emotion, or even jealousy or any kind of acknowlegdement in Leah's voice when she asked him that. It was like she was making fun of him and his claims over her, like asking him that if this mate thing exists, why did he sleep with someone he knew not to be his mate?

Like she was asking him:

Is this mate thing even credible?

If he says a yes to that simple little question, she would start about his loyalty again because he really should've known not to sleep with someone who isn't his mate, doing something that isn't in harmony with whatever they had asked her to believe.

And there is simply no way he will say no to the question. It will ruin his life; not like Leah already wasn't doing something near to that with her mindless words that she conjured up for him only. Not for Baekhyun, not for Chanyeol, not for Kyungsoo, only for him. 

His phone glared up at him. He read her name on the screen and stared at it for a couple seconds. He doesn't know what to tell her. Other than telling her not to go out with Hendery of course. He also thinks the reason her resolution to go out with Hendery strengthened is because she heard he had with Soojin. Sehun officially renamed that night as the worst mistake of his life but he can only regret now. That is what mistakes keep at the end of the day, a load of regrets. 

"Hey," her voice floods his head, making his shoulders fall and relax. Crazy what a simple voice can do.

"What is it?" he asks, looking at his nails.

Leah hums, as if thinking, "I just made a list and I want to read it out to you."

"I'll go to bed now," Sehun dismisses her idea even though he knows he wants to hear her voice, even her reciting from a crappy list will be okay.

Leah heaves a sigh, "Bummer."

Her tone makes him smile bit by bit. He can hear his siblings hollering downstairs. Getting up, he closes the door with the phone pressed to his cheek, "Fine. Go on, then."

"So, do you know Vikigamins?"

"Vikigamins? Did we read that in bio today? I didn't take notes," Sehun started flipping his fat biology book before searching down the content in the back of the first page.

"Uh, of course you didn't. You were staring at me," Leah comes back with that, making his lips curl up in a smirk. There is a fluttering feeling in his stomach, growing with every word from her lips through this machine he held to his ear. "And no, Vikigamins is a famous youtuber, Sehun. I thought you'd know with that lot of games in your phone," she says.

Sehun sighs, "Viki-gaming, you mean? Oh my god, Leah. You're so dumb." More like, you're so cute even if you heedlessly throw all those harsh words at me. Why do you put me through this struggle?

"Viki-gaming?" Leah asks, he can hear a confusion in her voice. "Oh maybe. I actually don't know."

"What about her?"

"I was just saying that Soojin knows the girl. Like they are best friends. That's cool, right?" Leah chuckles nervously. Sehun arches his brows, confused as to what she actually wants to say. He wants to speak but Leah doesn't let him, "And then, Generation Bong, Lightyaright--I don't even know if I'm pronouncing that right but you know these people, right?"

"What is your point, Jeon?"

"Did you just--whatever. Listen to me first. I'm reading from the list," Leah takes a deep breath before letting go. Sehun feels a ripple in his heart but doesn't think too much into it. The confusion building up in his stomach now takes a turn towards the brain, full force; and Sehun willn't be lying if he says he is getting to what Leah is beating around. 

"Soojin also has two cars, both customized," it does seem she is reading off something. "I don't know what that means, maybe they can dance or something but that's definitely not the end of it," she mumbles. "You once told her you liked girls with tattoos so she made one and that's dedication talking in there--"

"Leah—"

"Sehun—"

"Leah, what are you—"

"She likes you, Sehun."

"Why are you trying to set me up, for 's sake, Leah? What the are you doing?" Sehun can't help but raise his voice a little at her. He doesn't want to do this with her, but he knows the answers of his own questions. Leah thinks they are friends so she can set him up with someone to return favors for the phone number of someone she likes. She thinks he is a joke, all four of them are jokes. Her nonchalance makes his nerves fluff up with frustration. What is her problem?

Leah has grown quiet. Sehun heaves a silent sigh, calming his frantic heart down. It is not natural for him to lose his cool like that but when it comes to something emotionally connected with him, it's rather instinctive. He waits for her to speak but she doesn't. Her um's and you know's never make it to full sentences that will explain her actions regarding Soojin, making Sehun heave a disappointed sigh. Why is he disappointed? Does he had a right to be so? He is just glad Leah isn't asking him these questions because he doesn't have answers. The place they all stand in is shaky, very vulnerable. They don't even know what they are; they kn