“Why do I get the feeling that everyone’s staring at me?” Sehun asks. Groups of friends were clustered at the edges of the hallway, chatting in low voices to each other and periodically throwing sneaky glances over in Sehun’s direction.

“Because they are,” Kai says matter-of-factly. “You’re lucky it’s Yoon you beat up. He’s not a tattletale so you don’t get in trouble. And Yoon’s little followers can’t keep a secret, so the whole school knows you singlehandedly beat up about fifteen people.” Kai twists his face in jealousy. “Now you’re practically the school celebrity!”

“Hey guys!” Xiumin waves to the two friends from the other side of the hallway and jogs over to them. “You’re here early,” he puffs, out of breath. “So, what’s up?”

“We were just talking about yesterday,” Kai replies. “I could have beaten them up too- if I wasn't injured,” he mutters under his breath.

“Oh, you mean the whole thing with Yoon.” Xiumin scowled. “You know, Sehun, the funny thing is that Yoon isn’t even popular. Everyone thinks he’s a jerk, but he doesn’t know it. Yoon just parades around with his little group of friends thinking he’s all that.”

“I feel kind of bad for him,” Sehun says, and Kai looks up with an incredulous look on his face.

“You won’t once you get to know him.”

Weeks go by, and Sehun’s life is relatively free of drama for a short time. Yoon avoids him like the plague. Kai gets off his crutches. Xiumin actually loses three kilograms. But one thing remains unchanged; Sehun is still totally lost in class. What the is algebra? Sehun doesn’t even know how to do long division. “Oh Sehun,” Chen calls out, holding out a sheet of paper. Sehun gets up from his desk and retrieves it from the front of the room as Chen calls out the next name. It’s last week’s math test. He makes his way back to his seat and flips it over slowly. All he sees are X’s and a large 25 scribbled at the top in red, along with a note from Chen that says, See me. Sehun bites his lip.  

During lunch break, Sehun slides open the door to the classroom.

“Sehun! So glad you decided to stop by,” Chen says, smiling. “A lot of kids don’t, you know. They see the note at the top of their test and just pretend they didn’t see it.”

“So. I notice you’ve been having some difficulties with this year’s curriculum,” Chen starts off, still looking sympathetically at the boy. “What did you learn at your old school? Maybe you just need a bit of review to get you up to speed?”

Sehun nods and stares at his feet, trying to keep down the frustration that keeps building inside.

“Because if you keep getting scores like this, I might have to drop you down a few grades.” Sehun looks up, eyes wide. “Drop me down?”

“Yes. So, how are you going to raise your grades?”

Sehun stands up abruptly. “Give me a month,” he says, suddenly fueled by motivation, “And I promise I’ll get straight A’s.” He bows to Chen and hurries out of the room.

“But... You don’t have to get straight A’s...” Chen trails off, but Sehun is already gone.

Baekhyun rolls down the car window. “How was school?”

“Good,” Sehun answers, struggling to fit his giant school bag through the car door.

“What is that?” Baekhyun asks, pointing to the bag.

“Oh, I just borrowed a few textbooks from the library.” Sehun slides into the old Camry and slams the door shut.

Baekhyun chuckles and pulls away from the curb. “I didn’t know you were the studious type. Go figure.”

Sehun just shrugs and fishes a book out of his swollen backpack. Fifth grade math.

“Just to let you know, Chanyeol’s coming over today,” Baekhyun says, looking back at Sehun through the rear-view mirror.

“Okay,” Sehun replies offhandedly, absorbed in the art of multiplying fractions. But after five minutes of the nauseating car ride, he gives up and shuts the textbook.
 

Sehun makes a beeline for his desk as soon as they get home. Hours fly by like seconds as he skims through all the material he’s missed. Eight years of schooling, he thinks. I’ve lost eight years of my life. And all the sudden, Sehun knows why everyone hates school so much. It’s because they all take it for granted. He smiles and reaches for the next book. Sehun decides he won’t ever take it for granted.

Sehun finally looks up at the clock, which reads 7:28. He reminds himself to ask Baekhyun for a new one. Of all the girly decor that used to hang from the walls, the pink clock is the last one remaining. The rest are all in a box in Baekhyun’s basement. Sehun remembers Baekhyun’s somber face as he carefully carried it downstairs. Who did this room belong to?

“Sehun! Dinner’s ready!” Baekhyun calls out.

“Coming!” Sehun carefully steps over the pile of books on his floor and walks into the dining room. Two bottles of beer sit on the table. “Uh, Baekhyun? I’m not old enough to drink yet.” Baekhyun carries a plate of chicken wings out of the kitchen and places it on the table.

“That’s not for you. Chanyeol’s coming over, remember?”

“Oh, right.” Sehun sighs. Dinner with a detective and a policeman. Definitely his idea of fun.

The doorbell rings. “Can you get that?” Baekhyun asks, and Sehun opens the front door.

“Hi Sehun,” Chanyeol greets him cheerfully. Sehun still flinches inside when he hears his deep voice. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to it.

“Chanyeol! Have you gotten your fridge checked out yet?” Baekhyun asks. Sehun his head to one side. He’s never really noticed before. The way Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol. His voice... It sounds tender. Baekhyun’s never talked to Sehun with that voice.

Chanyeol shakes his head. “Someone’s coming tomorrow. Hopefully the repairs don’t cost too much. I’m broke!” Sehun stares at Baekhyun’s face, trying to name the emotion he sees all too clearly in his expression. No. Not love?

They all sit down and the two adults pop open their beers. Sehun watches wide-eyed as Baekhyun chugs down the whole bottle in less than a minute. Chanyeol, on the other hand, sips at his beer calmly, not even worried.

Sehun anxiously nibbles at a piece of chicken as Baekhyun vents to Chanyeol about work. “It’s so hard, you know? I get all the hardest cases. Why can’t they give me a simple amateur robbery? I hate this job!” Chanyeol responds sympathetically, and the detective listens to his comments with adoring eyes.

Baekhyun’s condition deteriorates as he burns through two more bottles. He starts sobbing. “It’s,” he hiccups, “not fair.” The detective flops his head and arms down on the table and wails.

Chanyeol gets up. “I think I should go home soon,” he says, prying Baekhyun’s fourth bottle out of his hands. He waves Sehun over. “Help me get him to his room.” Chanyeol throws Baekhyun’s left arm over Sehun’s shoulder and takes the other arm. They pull him out of his chair and drag him over to his room. Baekhyun collapses on top of his bed, completely drunk.

“He’s never been very good with alcohol,” Chanyeol comments, “But I let him drink because otherwise he wouldn’t tell anyone how he feels.”

“Oh,” is all Sehun manages to say.

Chanyeol leaves, and Sehun is left alone in the house with a very drunk Baekhyun. He showers and gets ready for bed, trying to ignore the slurred muttering coming from across the hall. Finally, Sehun’s has had enough and he bursts into Baekhyun’s room. “Do you mind? I’m trying to sleep!” The detective looks over at the boy listlessly and recognition flits across his face. “Sehun,” he whines, “Why won’t you trust me?” Baekhyun raises his voice a notch. “All I need is the truth. Just tell me what happened!”

“I can’t.”

“Please.” Baekhyun begs. “Please!” Sehun can’t bear to see the detective in such a pitiful state, so he turns his back to him, walking back across the hall and pulling his covers over his head.

For once, Sehun feels a little guilty.