"Outside! Point for Team SHINee! Nineteen to fifteen, with Team SHINee leading! "

"It's okay, Gege, the next one is ours!" Lay encouraged his teammate, patting your trembling roommate on the back. Lu Han bit his lip, his pale face growing paler as the previous rally replayed in his head: how you and Minho have done nothing but direct the ball at him, how Lay had saved his countless times during the rally, and how he lost self-control, miscalculated his own strength, and haphazardly shot the ball which landed beyond the other team's court.

They lost a point--yet again--thanks to his carelessness and nervousness.

His entire body grew heavy, and Lu Han just wanted the sand to magically transform into quicksand so that it would engulf and hide his shame. He was so disappointed with himself because he knew it wasn't just his pride (and his love life) that was on the line here: it was everyone's relationship with you, too. Lu Han was scared, for this teensy-tiny game had the potential to render all the years and effort of everyone in EXO to develop a close relationship with you--worthless.

He looked apologetically at Lay, and then at EXO, mouthing an "I'm so sorry" to them. His brothers merely smiled at him, and pumped their fists in the air, howling all sorts of cheers in both Hangul and Mandarin. Despite their efforts to boost his confidence, however, Lu Han felt even more pressured and mortified.

What if he didn't get the courage to man up?

Unknown to him, he wasn't the only one distraught over his pathetic self. Your eyebrows furrowed at the referee's announcement. Of course, you were glad that you and Minho received a point (yet again), and were one step closer to victory, but the sight of your porcelain-skinned, not-so delicate roommate did not please you.

Lu Han's gameplay was nowhere near as impressive as his usual. Your roommate, being the aspiring soccer player that he surprisingly was, was an awesome athlete, and you were certain of it after years of watching him play football with Xiumin, basketball with Kris and Chanyeol, and volleyball with Lay.

So what the hell was with this play of his, huh?

You unleashed a dangerously low snarl, causing Minho to put the ball down just when he was about to serve. With tightly curled fists of fury, you stomped over to the other side, and right in front of Lu Han.

And you did the only thing you thought would break him: you pushed him.

He stumbled back, nearly losing his footing if it weren't for the absorbent sand that caught his feet.

"What is up with you, man?!" you exclaimed. Another push, and this time, Lu Han fell on his bottom. You bent down and looked him in the eyes. "You don't play like this; I know you don't," you accused him, jabbing an angry finger on his chest. "I thought you wanted to win; I thought that you of all people would want to win, so what is up with that sorry excuse of a game you've been playing for the past forty-five minutes, Lu Han?" You added more force to the finger that vehemently poked him, causing him to choke and cough.

"Noona!" Se Hun called you, begging you to calm down.

"Shut up, Se Hun," you growled, and he froze in his place. You reverted your glare back at your roommate. "If you continue to be like this, Minho and I will win this second set, and consequently, Team SHINee will be the victor of the entire competition. If you continue this pathetic play of yours, then--"

"Shut up!" he retorted, pushing your hand away. "If we want to win, you say?" he scoffed, "If you knew that, if you say that you knew all that, then why did you side with them in the first place?! None of us in EXO are happy about your decision, and we're doing our ing best to ing win because our friendship is at stake here. You obviously don't see just how important this is to us. And you don't know, you will never understand that I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown here because I'm stressed to know that Lay and I are the last resorts of EXO! You think I want to be like this?! Do you think that I want to go against my own roommate, to know that she picked them over us? I'm only like this because I love--"

"Then forget about all of that," you cut him off. "You're stressed because I'm your opponent? That doesn't make sense, Lu Han; I'm just like any other enemy you've ever had to play against. Forget about everything that's been bothering you and concentrate on what you're fighting for. Regardless of who your foe is, you have a goal to achieve, don't you? And it doesn't matter who you're up against, even more important than that is accomplishing your goal. If you're worried because your opponent is someone who you think is stronger than you, someone who makes you feel weak, then forget about all of that. Forget about him being stronger because you have your own kind of strength, and that if you channel it properly, then even a mighty opponent will fall."

You grinned at him. "I'm your enemy, so what? You want to win, don't you? Then do it."

But your words don't get across, and Lu Han frowns at you.

"You really don't understand, do you?" he mutters, looking at you with somber eyes and an ugly grimace which you hoped he never puts on ever again. "This isn't just any game--it's one that has dire, painful consequences if we lose. It's not just a competition to see which team is better in volleyball; it's to determine which you favor more, which group holds a more special place in your heart. And the way I see it, it looks like you've chosen them over us. Oh, but wait," Lu Han laughs bitterly, "You already have. Not just today, not just in this game; you always have, always will. We're just a temporary solution for your loneliness while in university. After graduation, I'm certain that you'll return to their arms and forget about us." He crosses his arms, and glowers at you with that face expression of his.

His words don't get across either, and you reciprocate his scowl.

You add something, too: a violent punch to his face.

"Bastard!" you screech, "Stop it with this bull, Lu Han! Don't you ever think that! I'm not playing for SHINee because I prefer them over you guys. What I have with them and what I have with you are two different things with a single commonality: all seventeen of you are important to me! And the reason why I'm on their side is not because I love them more; it's because I want to show you how much they've impacted my life. They're the reason why you twelve can even tolerate how I am. If you met me years before, if you saw how I was, all of you would hate me. In spite of that, I think you twelve deserve to know because that's what friends do, right? They want to understand and get acceptance from each other. They want to make memories, whether bad or good, because that's what friends do. That's what they do, don't they?" You bite your lower lip in frustration, your fists balling tightly against your thighs.

You couldn't believe that you just released everything you didn't want them to know. It was supposed to be a secret that you were too ashamed of to ever disclose, but only because it was just so out of character for you to feel so sentimental towards people.

However, you just couldn't let any of them think that one was favored over the other.

The beach was quiet after your little sermon; the only sounds were from the billowing waves and the few seagulls that flew above. Even the referee kept still, unsure of what to tell his boss. EXO and SHINee silently watched as you and Lu Han argued like an old, married couple. None took action, however, feeling that they were going to ignite two bombs if they did. You and Lu Han continued to vociferate contrasting thoughts, your voices drowning each other's and melding into a cacophony of sorts. Seeing that both of you weren't go to stop soon, Onew decided to take charge and stepped forward. He glanced at Kris and Suho, flashing both leaders a look that broke them from their trance. The three charged toward the two of you, with Onew taking you by your loose shirt and prying you away from Lu Han, and with Kris and Suho helping Lu Han to his feet.

"You two listen up," Onew said sternly, his voice changing into an authoritative tone different from his normal, cheerful melody, "Friends really do things that you've mentioned, but aren't the two of you past the stage of simply being friends?" You and Lu Han shot him a questioning glance. Onew cleared his throat, "You two are roommates. And they, meanwhile, don't argue with each other like cats and dogs. They're more than just friends--they're like family to each other because living together has made them know things that not even their own friends know. They're true to each other, because what can you hide to someone who practically spends twenty-four hours with you? Being roommates entails not only acceptance, but also honesty; and not just honesty, but also respect. You've been together for almost four years, right? I expected you two to be beyond that stage; apparently, you're not."

"Hyung..." you weakly mumbled, "I..."

That's not true, Hyung. That's not true.

I was just an idiot for never telling them about you.

Of course Onew would render you speechless; he always had the power to make you listen to him. He has, after all, served as your older brother since the day you were born.

"Lu Han, he's right." Kris also gives his older brother a firm look. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. The two of you shouldn't be fighting like this." He tugs on Lu Han's shirt, signaling for his Gege to apologize and make up with you.

But you spoke before Lu Han has any chance to formulate a sincere apology in his head.

"I...I don't want any of you thinking that this game isn't important to me, because it is, just that...it's significant for another reason. I thought that this would be a good way to make new memories that had both EXO and SHINee. EXO," you turned to them, "I'm sorry if you ever thought that I was being biased. I may have met them before, but that has no bearing. Both of you are important to me, I just really at expressing it. And I'm sorry if I never told you about my own past; I didn't want to talk about it since it's not exactly something you would be able to relate with."

You nervously scratched the nape of your neck, feeling embarrassed for having said so much in such a short amount of time, and in a public place as well. You've always been composed--an expert at having a poker face--that's why it surprised you to have exploded just like that. Then again, friendship was something you treasured because in your case, it was rare. Having been a loner all your life, making friends was such a difficult task you hardly accomplished--which was why you vowed to cherish and take care of the few friendships you managed to form.

"Lu Han," you gazed intently at him, "Dude, being your roommate is the best thing ever, okay? And I feel guilty for keeping so many secrets behind your back. It's normal for people to have secrets, and I would've been angry with you for wanting to uncover all of them, but I feel like the ones I'm hiding are something you should know of. I at being open about myself, I at telling personal stories, and I guess, I at showing them through actions, too, because it ended up with us arguing. Despite that, I still want to play, man. I want to play because that's just another way for all eighteen of us to get to know and try to accept each other in spite of our differences. And I want to see you play full force, Lu Han because I want everyone to enjoy, and have an awesome time watching an awesome game. That's why, for even a moment, forget about me being your enemy, forget about the deal, and just focus on winning not for the prize, but for that amazing feeling it gives you."

You flashed both EXO and SHINee a smile. "And I'm pretty sure that all of you forgot about the deal while you were cheering. You forgot about the deal, and just wanted to give moral support to your teammates. The feeling of encouraging others is awesome, isn't it?" They blushed at your words; you read their thoughts just like that.  

Lu Han stayed quiet for some time, staring at you as he contemplated over your words.

And this time, your words do get across, and he smirks at you.

"Okay, I'll play full force. I'll forget that you're the enemy, and I'll concentrate on winning instead."

You grinned. "Great! Now, let's--" You're about to run back to Minho, but Lu Han's unusually suave voice interrupts you.

"But the deal it still on, right?"

"...I guess? It would be unfair if I suddenly take it back."

Then his smirk turned even wider. "Good. Because Lay and I really will crush the two of you."

You chuckle, and Lu Han wonders why you're not intimidated at all (but then he remembers that he was talking to you). "That's good to hear. You better win this second set, all right? Because Minho and I can't wait to unleash everything on the third."

Without waiting for his reply, you dashed off to your side of the court.

A tingling sensation of anxiety and fright momentarily washes over him, but Lu Han, heeding your advice, shrugs the feeling off, and decides to think of winning instead.

He realized now that having you as the enemy was better, because it will make you see just how much of a man he really was, and how much he's willing to do in order to defeat SHINee.

He'll show that you can't always be the dominant one.  

Author's Note:

BECAUSE EVERY DRABBLE FIC HAS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DRAMA IN IT

:))

Angst!Lu Han and angst!Protagonist in the house, y'all! Haha. These two lovebirds. Tsk. Tsk. Really now, having a lovers' quarrel in the beach? Oh hot damn. 

Anyway, the next chapter will most likely reveal the victor, so stay tuned! 

In other news, I have a question for everyone? Who should be the main character for the next segment of His Story? And what kind of story should it be? I don't have a planned outline for each member, so by getting your suggestions, I'll be motivated to think up of a plot for him! 

Again, THANKS SO MUCH for reading, subscribing and commenting! No words can ever express my gratitude to you guys. I just realized that this is the 80th chapter! I could not have done it with you guys! 

And remember, your comments make me happy! 

:-)