Our Little Secret
Roommates (dropped)You were unfamiliar with the Music Department; you had no classes in the building, and only ventured inside when you had an errand to do. And that was the very reason why you were in it right now: your organization will be holding an event, and asked you to post some posters in the Music Department.
You were lost. You were usually good with directions and maps (the result of watching Se Hun and Tao playing too many video games for too long), but the tutti-frutti walls of this one corner just dazzled you, you ended up taking a wrong turn, and another. You couldn’t even retrace your steps because suddenly, everything just looked so different.
You took a deep breath.
“Just calm yourself.” You approached what seemed to be a thin wall, and knocked on it. “Maybe I can kick this down.”
You positioned yourself, and are about to high-kick the poor wall, when you hear a trio of voices coming from a room with a white door. The door was slightly left ajar, and you peek in to see Baek Hyun playing the piano, Lay on guitar, and Chen on the tambourine. All three were singing some unknown song.
Ah, they sounded nice. It’s like the Angels came down to Earth, and bestowed upon them heavenly voices that will make even the saints cry. Even you felt moved by their harmony. Chen was about to hit a high note when he abruptly stops, and tells Baek Hyun to change something.
“No, I don’t think that tune suits this part. How about something higher, like a B-sharp?”
Baek Hyun nodded, and took his pencil to make the necessary corrections on his music sheet. “Let’s do that one more time.”
They started to play again, and when Chen sang that last part, a phenomenal note you never thought existed, you felt a frisson of amazement—Chen’s voice, alongside Baek Hyun’s and Lay’s, totally sent shivers down your spine.
“Tell me what is love.”
“Wow, that was amazing!” you breathed, clapping loudly as you entered the room. You weren't a music-person, and you were probably the only one in the dorm who was tone-deaf, but you didn't have to be Mozart to know how good that sounded.
But your dongsaengs don't say anything, looking at you as if they've seen a ghost.
“What’s the matter, kiddos?”
They still didn’t reply, and instead, scurried to hide their music sheets. You cocked your left eyebrow at their suspicious movements. You approached Lay with a menacing glance and snatched one of his sheets.
“Noona, that’s—“
“What is Love?” You skimmed through the lyrics, and find them sickeningly sweet, but surprisingly well-written. Plus, the melody you heard a few minutes ago was impressive (well, obviously, this was a collaboration among Chen, Lay, and Baek Hyun; it was bound to be amazing). You flipped to the last page, and looked at the bottom to find out who the lyricist was.
“Written by…Lu Han?” Well, that sure was a surprise.
Chen, Baek Hyun, and Lay smack their foreheads. Damn it, Lu Han will have their heads for sure.
And then you started to snicker, until it developed into a full-fledged guffaw that resounded throughout the room. You didn't even know you were capable of prouducing such a hearty laughter. “Since when did my roommate write songs?” The three continue to give you the same look, lips pursing and cold sweat running down their foreheads.
“Okay…Okay, I’ll stop.” You inhale deeply, and stand up straight as you exhale. “I’m sorry, it’s just really weird. I’ve been Lu Han’s roommate for the longest time ever, and I have never seen him write anything this…sentimental? Should I call it that? Or is he going for the romantic thing?”
“It’s uhh…” Chen gently takes the music sheet from you, “an org project. All four of us…we’re in the college choir, right?” Chen turns to the others, as if asking for their approval, and they all nod. It’s obvious that Chen is lying, but you let him finish anyway. “Ah, well, Lu Han-hyung…he was…he was assigned by our moderator to make a song for this…event…And the theme was…it was…”
“It had to be about love!” Baek Hyun, zestful as ever, perks up and gives you that queasy albeit adorable smile of his; and you know what he was asking from you: Noona, please believe us, even if it’s just this once.
“But Lu Han-gege at composing, so he asked us to make the tune for him,” Lay finished, and you kind of wanted to give him credit for being the most collected among them (a side-effect of his soft, lazy voice and perpetually half-lidded eyes).
“Oh, that’s nice—you guys doing something for my lazy- of a roommate. The brotherhood of EXO never ceases to amaze me," you said.
“By the way, Noona, you don’t have classes in the Music Department, right? What are you doing here?” Baek Hyun asked.
You sighed. “Ah, I was running an errand for my org, but then I got lost. There’s this weird corner in this building—the one with the bright walls—it just mesmerized me so much that I was unconsciously following it, until I could no longer identify where I was. Lame, I know, but the walls were just so…colorful, like a unicorn vomited on them. I tried to--” You pause, realization suddenly hitting you.
“Yixing! You didn’t have anything to do with the walls being that fruity, and making me lose my way, did you?” you point accusingly as him, staring icily into his small eyes.
“I—what...No! Noona, what kind of logic is that?!”
“I’m joking, I’m joking,” you chuckled, and ruffled his hair. “Ah, I see that your hair has gone back to its normal state of silkiness.” You give him a conceited smirk. That tomato you threw at him made his life a living hell. It took him five long days to thoroughly get the goo out and recondition his hair.
“Noona, that was your fault.”
“I know, and I regret nothing.”
Chen cleared his throat. “Noona, our practice is more or less over, so we can guide you out the building.”
“Oh, thank god,” you sigh in relief. Because of your stupidity, and the fruity walls, you were already behind your schedule. These posters won't post themselves in the scattered buildings of your university.
“Are you heading to the dorm already, Noona?” Baek Hyun asked you as all four of you exited the practice room.
You shook your head. “Nah, I still need to do some more errands. Gotta stick one of these posters in every college.”
“Well, that ,” Lay commented.
“No, it’s fine; I'm used to it, you know. Damn high school principal trained me too well.” You unroll one of the tarps you’ve been holding. “And since we're all here, I'm inviting you to my organization's event. Please do go, or I will kick your asses."
Lay, Chen, and Baek Hyun knew better than to refuse your invitation.
~
You had already separated from them when the three reached the dorm. The first place they went to was your and Lu Han’s room. They immediately told him everything that occurred in the Music Department: from your getting lost, to your discovery of their little secret, to their failure of an attempt to lie, to your disbelief at how Lu Han was the lyricist.
“Hyung, we…we’re sorry. We didn’t know that she’d be there…Hyung…” Chen apologized, feeling guilty over what happened. He knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but the depressed look Lu Han gave them made Chen feel horrible.
“No, it’s…That...Can you hand me the music sheets?” The three reluctantly gave the sheets, and Lu Han surprises them by tearing all their hard-work into tiny pieces.
“Hyung!”
“I’m sorry; I know you all worked hard, but I…I don’t…Neither of us are ready. If that’s how she sees it, if that’s how she sees me writing something for her…I don’t…Not yet, all right? I need more time to show her.”
“Gege, hurry up and make her fall in love with you, all right?”
Lu Han sighed.
“What do you think I’ve been trying to do for the past three years, Lay?”
Author's Note:
OH DAMN, now I feel sorry for Lu Han
:))
I have no idea who actually wrote What is Love? but let's just all pretend that it was Lu Han, all righty? And Chen, Lay, and Baek Hyun were the ones who composed it.
XD
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your comments! And, god, Lu Han really does need to step it up, especially since we'll be seeing the arrival of new characters in the story!
OH SNAP, AND THE (nonexistent) PLOT THICKENS!
:))
Once again, thank you all for reading, subscribing and commenting!
Tell me what scenario I should try putting them in! I also want to know what your favorite chapter is so far!
8D
Next chapter: Lu Han has been constantly asking for a sign. Will he finally get what he's been waiting for?
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