Sehun pushed open the bathroom door, threw Jinho’s handkerchief in the waste bin, and brought Luhan to the nearest sink. Without saying anything, he placed the plastic bag on the sink, ped his backpack and took out a pack of tissues. He wetted the paper and began wiping Luhan’s nose, which was slightly bleeding again.

 

Not knowing what to say, Luhan simply stared at him, taking note of how Sehun's hair was matted to his forehead and how he could see a trickle of sweat along Sehun's neck. Luhan would have asked why he was sweating if it weren't for the awkward silence surrounding them. I can ask him later, thought Luhan as he continued to stare at his boyfriend.

 

When Sehun doesn’t look him in the eye, Luhan hesitantly curled his fingers around Sehun’s shirt, and slowly inched forward to get closer to Sehun.

 

If Sehun noticed Luhan getting closer, he didn’t show it. He continued cleaning Luhan’s bloody nose, occasionally tilting Luhan’s head around – all while averting his eyes from Luhan’s gaze.

 

Unable to take the silence any longer, Luhan whispered, “Sehun-ah?”

 

Sehun doesn’t reply, instead he tilted Luhan’s head back. At first, Luhan had no idea why Sehun was doing this, but after realizing that Sehun was actually looking into his nostril, Luhan squeezed his eyes shut and blushed.

 

It was embarrassing enough having Sehun see him with a bloody nose, now he’s just standing here and letting Sehun inspect his nostril, which he assumed wasn’t a pretty sight. Fantastic. Just great!

 

Too busy reprimanding himself for being a clumsy idiot, Luhan doesn’t see the small smile on Sehun’s face. When Luhan found the courage to look at Sehun again, the younger one quickly schooled his expression – leaving no traces of the adoring smile he had earlier.

 

With his eyes blinking rapidly, Luhan again asked, “Sehun-ah?”

 

Again Sehun doesn’t say anything, and Luhan began fidgeting – wishing that Sehun would stop examining his nose already.

 

“It stopped bleeding,” Sehun said after stuffing Luhan’s nose with clean tissue paper.

 

Luhan blinked, unsure as to whether or not he actually heard Sehun’s voice. “Huh?”

 

“I said it stopped bleeding,” Sehun repeated, gently turning Luhan’s head to the side so he could see himself in the mirror.

 

Luhan frowned because he looked ridiculous with tissues sticking out of his nose. He wasn't going to tell Sehun though.

 

“Since you bleed easily, you need to be more careful,” Sehun said, eyes trained on Luhan, who suddenly felt heat spread across his face due to the fact that Sehun was now paying him some attention.

 

“I don't think it's broken, but we should go to the doctor's later,” Sehun continued. “Just in case.”

 

Luhan nodded. “Th-Thanks,” Luhan stammered. He's not really sure why he's feeling so nervous around Sehun. It might be because he doesn't know whether Sehun's still mad at him. And that would mean he doesn't know exactly where they stand, and frankly, he's too scared to find out.

 

Sehun kept his eyes on Luhan for a few more seconds before he sighed and cupped Luhan's face. “I really can't leave you – even for a second,” he said tiredly.

 

Then don't leave me, thought Luhan as he tightened his grasp on Sehun's shirt.

 

“I'm sorry for making you worry,” Luhan said, voice almost inaudible. His expression similar to that of a child realizing his mistake after being scolded.

 

Luhan was about to look down when Sehun stopped him, his thumbs lightly brushing against Luhan's cheeks, urging Luhan to look at him.

 

“I'm not mad at you,” Sehun said softly.

 

With eyes wide, Luhan stuttered, “Wha-What?”

 

“I was never mad at you,” Sehun confessed.

 

“But-but you said you were mad,” Luhan countered, still confused.

 

“I was,” Sehun said with a sigh. “But not at you.”

 

“Then wh--”

 

“Oh. Uh.”

 

Luhan and Sehun turned towards the male student who just entered the bathroom, his eyes darting back and forth between the pair. He probably wasn't expecting to see this when he walked in to handle his business. Luhan couldn't decide who he felt more sorry for – the student or himself for being caught with tissue in his nose.

 

While Luhan stayed frozen out of embarrassment, Sehun took a step back, his hands releasing Luhan. “Let's go,” Sehun said before he turned to grab his backpack and the plastic bag.

 

“Uh yeah,” Luhan said, quickly following Sehun. He gave the student a shy smile, and tossed the tissues in the trashcan on his way out of the bathroom. He prayed that he won't need them again.

 

“So?” Luhan began as the two made their way to wherever Sehun wanted to go since Luhan was basically following him. “Aren't you going to tell me why you were mad yesterday?”

 

Sehun came to an abrupt stop and Luhan nearly crashed into him.

 

“Are you hungry?” Sehun asked.

 

“Huh?”

 

Sehun turned around and eyed Luhan up and down. “You didn't come to lunch, so I wasn't sure if you ate or not.” He handed Luhan the plastic bag. “But I got you those fried dumplings you like so much.”

 

Luhan took a peek inside the bag, and spotted the dumplings inside a container along with a few fortunate cookies. Touched by his boyfriend's consideration, Luhan smiled and thanked him.

 

“It's nothing,” Sehun said. “It's my fault you missed lunch in the first place.”

 

Luhan shook his head. “No, it's okay. I didn't starve or anything.”

 

“That's good. Did you eat alone?”

 

Luhan smiled. “Nope, I had lunch with Jinho.”

 

For a brief second, Luhan could have sworn he saw Sehun's eyes darkened.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Is something wrong?” Luhan asked, voice hesitant. He couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive about possibly upsetting Sehun again – especially since he didn't know if they were back to being the way they were.

 

“No,” Sehun said.

 

When Sehun doesn't say anything else, Luhan cleared his throat awkwardly. “So are we going to talk about yesterday?”

 

“I think you should go to class first.”

 

“What?”

 

“I forgot you had class during this time --”

 

“That's okay. It's not like I was going to pay attention anyway,” Luhan quickly cuts Sehun off in fear of his boyfriend possibly delaying their much needed talk. He didn't want Sehun to push him away again. He doesn't think he can handle it this time around.

 

Sehun sighed. “Still, you should go.”

 

“But--”

 

“We can talk afterwards.”

 

“But--”

 

“Lu, I promise we'll talk,” Sehun stated, his hand reaching over to grab Luhan's hand. “Now go ahead.”

 

Still not convinced, Luhan was about to open his mouth to protest when Sehun gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

 

“I'll wait for you,” Sehun promised, shooting Luhan a smile that did nothing but worry Luhan even more.

 

“You will?”

 

Sehun nodded. “I'll be out here.”

 

With a frown, Luhan looked down to their joined hands and then back up at Sehun. “You better be here when I get out,” he said in a tone that was meant to sound threatening, but it actually sounded more like he was pleading.

 

“Yeah,” was all that Sehun said before he turned around and led Luhan back to where he was earlier.

 

Standing in front of his classroom door, Luhan kept his eyes on Sehun, secretly hoping that his boyfriend would change his mind and say that it was okay for him to skip class to be with him. When Sehun lets go of his hand, Luhan realized that it wasn't going to happen.

 

Sehun gestured towards the door. “Go in.”

 

Luhan bit his bottom lip, his mind trying to decide on whether or not he should leaned over and give Sehun a kiss. He wanted to. Badly.

 

Their last kiss was a little over 24 hours ago, and just simply knowing that fact drove him crazy.

 

But something about the way Sehun looked at him told him not to.

 

“Er – I'll see you later then,” Luhan said finally, ignoring the way his heart clenched painfully.

 

“Yeah. Later.”

 

Luhan took one last look at Sehun before he opened the door and stepped inside, his hands gripping the bag Sehun gave him.

 

He really hopes that Sehun will mean what he says and that he'll be outside when he gets out because Luhan doesn't think he can take being like this anymore.

 

He hopes that they'll talk and that everything will be sorted out, and they can go back to the way things were.

 

He doesn't want to feel like this anymore – this feeling of rejection.

 

******

When they got in front of Luhan's classroom, Sehun promptly lets go of his boyfriend's hand, and quickly stuffed his hand in his pocket. He figured it was best to not be in direct contact with Luhan. If he were to hold on to him, Sehun firmly believed that he won't Luhan go, and that would only prove that he was indeed a selfish boyfriend.

 

He gestured towards the door. “Go in,” he said, trying his best to keep his voice neutral.

 

Instead of leaving immediately like Sehun had hoped he would, Luhan stayed rooted to his spot, his eyes lingering on Sehun. The older boy bit his lip, and Sehun clenched the hand that was inside his pocket – to stop himself from reaching over to kiss Luhan.

 

It's been exactly 27 hours and 43 minutes since their last kiss, and knowing that bit of information didn't help Sehun's case at all. It only made it harder.

 

He knew for sure that if he was to kiss Luhan now, he wouldn't be able to stop and everything he said about going to class would be thrown out the window. Besides, he actually had to do something very important.

 

No. It was best not to kiss Luhan.

 

“Er – I'll see you later then,” Luhan said. Sehun caught the disappointment in his voice, and it hurts.

 

“Yeah. Later.”

 

Sehun watched as Luhan turned around and stepped inside the class. He only relaxed when the door closes right behind the older boy.

 

I'm sorry, Lu.

 

I promise things are going to be fine.

 

Sehun took a few steps back and leaned against the wall opposite the classroom. He's suddenly picturing the scene from earlier – when Jinho had one hand around Luhan's neck and the other hand pressing a handkerchief onto Luhan's nose. On the surface, it looked innocent, but Sehun can't even begin to describe how much he hated seeing that before his eyes – how much it made him uncomfortable.

 

The merciless feelings from the other day came rushing back, and at that moment, for the second time in just two days, he felt inferior to Jinho.

 

Sehun felt like he was suffocating to the point that all he could think about was that suffocation, that feeling of utter uselessness, even when he took Luhan away.

 

As he was wiping the blood off, all while avoiding Luhan's questioning eyes, Sehun could only think about how horrible he's been treating Luhan, and how stupid he was to purposefully exclude him.

 

Even if he prepared what he was going to say while he was running in the gym, Sehun found out that he's even more afraid of Luhan's reaction than he had initially thought. There was no doubt in his mind that Luhan would see him as pathetic for feeling that way.

 

Sehun reached inside the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone. He figured it was about time he do what he should have done since the beginning. He dialed the number and waited for the person on the other line to pick up.

 

“Hello?”

 

Sehun took a deep breath before answering, “Hey. Can we meet?”

 

Walking towards the figure standing in the middle of the bridge connecting the art department building and the music department, Sehun realized that though he had a lot to say, he had no idea where he should start.

 

He figured he should start with a greeting. “Hey.”

 

Jinho turned his attention away from the students, who were currently enjoying their breaks out in the main courtyard, to look at Sehun. “Hey,” he said.

 

“Nice view,” Sehun stated as he walked over to where Jinho was. His eyes also looking at the scene below.

 

“Yeah,” Jinho said, sounding nostalgic.

 

“Do you come here often?” Sehun asked, curious as to why Jinho wanted to meet here.

 

“Only when I really need to think.”

 

“About?”

 

“Everything and anything.”

 

“Hm.”

 

Standing quietly next to each other, the two friends continued to keep their eyes on what's happening below, but neither of them are really paying attention. Both occupied with troubled thoughts and disturbing questions.

 

Jinho was the first to break the silence. “How's Luhan hyung?”

 

Sehun puts his hands on the railings. “He's not bleeding anymore,” he answered, relieved at how his voice was able to hide how he truly felt about Jinho asking about Luhan.

 

“That's good,” Jinho commented.

 

“Yeah. I'm just glad he's okay.”

 

The two went back to being silent – stalling for time even if they both knew that what was going to happen was inevitable.

 

Finally, Jinho took a deep breath and asked, “Are you two okay now?”

 

Sehun glanced at his friend to maybe try and figure out his true feelings by looking at his expression. Sadly, Jinho gave nothing away.

 

“We will be,” Sehun answered honestly. Even if he didn't like what saying that would look in Jinho's mind, he didn't want to lie to Jinho.

 

“You know the way you treated Luhan hyung was unfair right?”

 

“Yeah. I was wrong.”

 

Jinho turned to face him. “Are you mad at me?”

 

Sehun kept his eyes in front of him. “At the beginning, I was. Then I realized that I was the only one to blame.”

 

“I rather you be mad at me than at him,” Jinho confessed.

 

Sehun closed his eyes for a second because things were going exactly the way he had imagined – the way he had feared.

 

“Why did you take him to that studio?” Sehun asked, voice calm unlike his heart.

 

Jinho turned his attention to the fountain located in the center of the courtyard. “Because I didn't like seeing him sad.”

 

“You care a lot about him,” Sehun stated, his hands clutching the railing, dread slowly seeping in.

 

“Yeah. I do.” Jinho glanced at him. “But I'm sure you already knew that.”

 

Sehun exhaled. “Jinho....”

 

“I like him,” Jinho blurted. “I know it's wrong, but my feelings for Luhan hyung have never been platonic. Never.”

 

And there it was. The confirmation.

 

Sehun's gripping the railing so tight that his knuckles have now turned white. He expected this, he did, but actually hearing Jinho's confession was a lot different. He felt a whole array of emotions hitting him. One would assume that anger would be one of the more prominent emotion, but surprisingly it wasn't.

 

Sehun felt sadness above all else.

 

Why?

 

“Why does it have to be him? Why can't it be someone else?” he croaked.

 

Jinho sighed. “You can't help who you love sometimes.”

 

Love.

 

Even if he wish he was, Sehun knew that he was not imagining things – Jinho had indeed said love. Jinho loves Luhan.

 

“Why?” Sehun asked again, hoping that Jinho's reply wouldn't hurt as much as his previous.

 

“There's no simple reason why I like him. I just do.”

 

“This isn't happening,” Sehun whispered, gradually denying the very existence of their current conversation.

 

Jinho looked at him, his face apologetic. “Sehun...”

 

Sehun turned to face him, hurt and confusion written all over his face. “You're in lov –” Sehun stopped himself. The word love refusing to roll off his tongue.

 

“You really like my boyfriend?” Sehun pointlessly asked.

 

Jinho shook his head. “It's not your boyfriend who I have feelings for. It's Luhan hyung. There's a difference.”

 

What?

 

Sehun scrunched his face, failing to understand what Jinho meant by that.

 

“Luhan hyung was the person from the music shop,” Jinho explained. “He was the one I told you about. Ever since our first meeting, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I liked him way before I ever found out he was dating you.”

 

Sehun stood there, his eyes unblinking as he tried to make sense of what Jinho just said. A frown made its way onto his face when he concluded that there was no way he could make sense of Jinho's statement. It was, in his opinion, ridiculous.

 

“Jinho, we both know you were always the smarter one. Growing up together, it was always you who got the praises and the grades. I've never once questioned you because you were always right. But Jinho, I think today is the day when I tell you that you're wrong.”

 

You couldn't be more wrong...

 

Jinho's eyes turned to gaze into his own. Sehun could see the surprise in his eyes. He also saw the willingness to listen, to hear what he has to say.

 

“You may have liked him before you found out he and I were dating, but Jinho, that doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the fact that Luhan is my boyfriend.”

 

The last thing Sehun wanted was to sound territorial, but as soon as those words were said, he realized that there was no way he couldn't. Luhan was his. There's no need to sugar coat it.

 

“You probably think that it's easier to accept your feelings if you rationalize it as such – that Luhan the person and Luhan the boyfriend of your friend are two different people,” Sehun continued. “They're not.”

 

Jinho doesn't say anything, but Sehun hoped that he understood – that he could come to terms with that fact.

 

They stood there, neither moving, not until Jinho spoke again. “Where does this leave us?”

 

It was a question Sehun himself wanted to ask. Where do they go from here?

 

“I don't know,” Sehun replied honestly.

 

“Things are not going to be the same anymore,” Jinho said, more to himself. “Are we still friends?”

 

“I'm not sure.”

 

Can a person still be friends with someone who's in love with his other half? Sehun doesn't know the answer to that.

 

Jinho sighed. “Even so, I can't help feeling relieved. You don't know how difficult it was for me to keep this to myself.”

 

“What are you going to do next?”

 

Jinho shrugged. “I figured I should tell him how I feel.”

 

That was what Sehun had hoped he wouldn't say. Anything but that.

 

“What if I told you not to?” Sehun said.

 

Jinho inhaled. “I don't think it'll matter.”

 

“What if I told you that it won't end well – that you'll get hurt...”

 

Jinho smiled. “You still care about me.”

 

“I --”

 

“It's okay. I know.”

 

“I don't want you to tell him.”

 

Sehun knew that in situations like this it was best to let everything out in the open. It was fair for both parties involved to be aware.

 

But the question is – is it worth it?

 

There was no way that Jinho telling Luhan how he felt would end well. Jinho would feel hurt when Luhan gives him the answer he doesn't want, while Luhan would feel hurt from simply seeing Jinho hurt. Sehun doesn't want that to happen.

 

“I have to,” Jinho said.

 

“No, you don't,” Sehun argued.

 

“I've kept the secret for too long. It's exhausting,” Jinho said with a pained expression.

 

Sehun felt a prick, a stab in his chest, a result of Jinho's honesty.

 

“Do you --” Sehun paused, second guessing what he was going to ask. Knowing Jinho likes Luhan is one thing, but knowing whether or not he wanted to pursue him is another.

 

Giving in to his desperate need to know, regardless of the consequences, Sehun asked, “Do you want to go after him?”

 

“I can't say I don't.”

 

“Jinho..”

 

“I'm a bad guy,” Jinho said, giving Sehun a smile that holds no happiness behind it. “I realized that when I told you how I felt.”

 

“But you don't have to be the bad guy,” Sehun reasoned. “Isn't there a way for you to move on?”

 

Jinho shook his head. “I tried. Nothing worked. Every time I see him, I get this overwhelming urge to – to show him how strongly I feel about him. And in the beginning, the only thing that stopped me from ever doing so is the thought of you. Just thinking about how betrayed you would feel if I was to tell Luhan hyung stopped me. I told myself that I couldn't do it because of you. But now --” Jinho swallowed. “Now you don't come to mind anymore. It's as if the thought of your feelings doesn't matter, like it doesn't faze me. And honestly, I'm kinda scared of how I'm changing.”

 

“Jinho.”

 

“Is this what loving someone does to you?” Jinho asked, voice sincere.

 

Sehun has no reply for that.

 

“You're going to hate me,” Jinho suddenly said.

 

“How would you know?”

 

“Because I do. I'm going to do something unforgivable and you're going to hate me.”

 

Sehun grabbed his collar. “Don't say that,” he warned, voice dangerously low as he peered into Jinho's eyes. “I'm not going to put up with you thinking like that.”

 

“But you can put up with me liking Luhan hyung?” Jinho asked, sounding tired. “Don't lie to yourself, Sehun. This isn't the reality you wanted. Your best friend and your boyfriend. Don't act so calm. Please. I know you better than that. Even if Luhan hyung loves you and only you, the thought of me liking him drives you mad.”

 

“Then why are you insisting on telling him?!” Sehun raised his voice, his grip still firm on Jinho's collar.

 

“Because I really want to know if it's possible!” Jinho shouted back. “I want to know whether or not I have a chance!”

 

“Even if it drives me mad? Even if I lose my cool and take it out on you?!”

 

“You can beat me up all you want, but if he somehow decides to be with me, no matter how slim the chances are, I won't regret it.”

 

Sehun groaned and pushed Jinho away roughly. “You're not supposed to say that, Jinho!”

 

“But I did. And I'm not taking it back,” Jinho said calmly.

 

“You have to let him go,” Sehun said. “Telling him won't do you any good. It won't do him any good. And it sure as hell won't do me any good.”

 

Jinho frowned. “I'm disgustingly selfish, Sehun.”

 

“Only if you choose to be! I know you're not like that, Jinho. You're not. So stop talking like you're some sort of villain!”

 

Jinho sighed and kept his head down. “We both know that once I make up my mind about something, I'm not giving up.”

 

“And we both know that I hate seeing the people I care about get hurt.”

 

Jinho looked up at him. “We were bound to get hurt, Sehun. Since that day Luhan hyung introduced you as his boyfriend.”

 

“No,” Sehun argued. “There has to be a way for us to avoid it.”

 

Jinho shook his head. “It's too late, Sehun. You're hurt right now. No matter how hard you try to not let your emotions get the best of you, I still see it clearly. I realize that we can't keep that promise we made.”

 

Sehun's eyes widened.

 

“You remember that little pact we made as children?” Jinho continued.

 

How could I forget?

 

The memory of the two sitting in the sandbox, proudly vowing to share the happiness they would have in the future, appeared vividly in Sehun's mind.

 

“I think we are both old enough to realize that we can't simply take turns,” Jinho said with a small chuckle, and Sehun felt his heart being stabbed a second time.

 

“I hope you don't think I still stand by what I said,” Sehun declared with an anguished expression.

 

“No. I know you won't. Not with Luhan hyung in the picture.”

 

“Even if there's a chance that Luhan picks you, I can't let him go.” Sehun clenched his fists. “I can be selfish too.”

 

“Are we rivals now?”

 

“Only if there's a decent chance of you being chosen. For now, no.”

 

Jinho smiled. “Would telling him increase my chances?”

 

“Don't,” Sehun growled. “Don't put a strain on your friendship with him simply because you want to see if your chances would get better. It's not a wise thing to do.”

 

“You're not afraid are you?” Jinho asked, and Sehun knew that he meant no cockiness in his tone.

 

“No, I'm not. However, I do know that he likes being your friend. I just don't want to see your relationship with him changing for the worse. I know Luhan. He's only going to feel burdened if you tell him.”

 

“Well, if he could take away some of my burdens --”

 

“Jinho,” Sehun called, voice stern. “If you really like him, you wouldn't say that.”

 

Feeling tormented, Jinho exhaled. “I don't know anymore.”

 

“Just think about it. Don't do anything rash or you'll regret it later,” Sehun advised.

 

“What if I were to tell him today?” Jinho asked, his eyes trained on Sehun, awaiting his reaction.

 

“Then I won't be able to hide how I really feel, and that's going to be a big problem.”

 

Jinho stayed quiet after that, but Sehun could tell that he was contemplating over everything they had discussed.

 

They parted ways after that – Jinho with the excuse that he had class to attend, and Sehun had to go wait for Luhan like he promised.

 

He honestly hoped that Jinho would take his suggestion into consideration. He rather not have anyone get hurt, but judging from the way his steps felt heavy and the way his chest constricted painfully, it was too late. Jinho was right - Sehun was just putting up a brave front. He's been wounded and there's simply no way for him to ignore it. 

 

But there was someone who could make this ache go away, if only temporary. 

 

Sehun really needed to see Luhan...

 

On the way to Luhan's class, Hongki ran up to him, panting and red in the face like he had ran a mile. “I was looking for you all over! Why didn't you pick up your phone?”

 

“Sorry, I was in the middle of something important. What's wrong?”

 

“The assistant dean wants to meet with us to discuss the entertainment for the commemoration of our donors. We have to see him in like five minutes. Let's go.”

 

“But I have to wait for Luhan.”

 

“What time does he get out?”

 

Sehun checked his watch.  “In twenty minutes.”

 

“We'll make it out before then. You'll be fine. Now come on.” Hongki didn't wait for a response from Sehun before he grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him towards the main building.

 

“We better get out before then or else,” Sehun threatened, to which Hongki nodded mindlessly in return.

 

I can't afford another screw up.

 

 

******

Luhan wondered if the professor could sense his impatience because ten minutes before the actual end of their class, the professor had released them. It was almost if she knew that him getting out to see Sehun was the only thing on his mind right now. Grabbing his backpack and the empty plastic bag (he finished the dumplings during the lecture), Luhan rushed out of the classroom, slightly pushing a few people out of his way.

 

“Sehun-ah?” Luhan called as soon as he stepped out, expecting to see Sehun waiting right in front of the classroom.

 

He was left disappointed.

 

And Sehun-less.

 

Luhan looked around, thinking maybe Sehun was waiting behind a corner or something. It didn't made sense, but he had nothing else to act on. He ran to the bathroom and called out, “Sehun-ah? Are you here?”

 

“No,” a male student had replied from within one of the stall.

 

He eventually resorted to asking the students who were waiting outside of their classrooms.

 

“Have you seen Sehun?” he asked, expecting them to know who he was talking about. They were featured in the school's forum.

 

A few of them ignored him, and some shook their heads. One female student told him that she saw Sehun leaving a while ago.

 

“A while ago?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh. Thanks,” he said before turning to walk away.

 

If only he had a working phone, he could call Sehun to ask him where he was, but of course he doesn't. Why would Sehun leave anyway? He was supposed to be here. Waiting.

 

Was it something important? An emergency?

 

Luhan walked out of the sociology building and headed towards the music building, assuming that Sehun would be there. He's always there.

 

Except maybe when Luhan is actually looking for him.

 

He asked around and checked every floor, but the result was all the same – Sehun was nowhere to be found.

 

Eventually, Luhan found himself at a public phone, dialing Sehun's number. The phone started ringing, and all he could do was wait for Sehun to pick up. What if he doesn't because it's an unfamiliar number?

 

--The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the beep.--

 

“Sehun, where are you?”

 

Luhan leaned his forehead against the post. “You were supposed to wait for me,” he said softly.

 

He stayed on the line for a few more seconds, hoping that Sehun would magically pick up. He doesn't.

 

Fighting back the urge to tell Sehun off, Luhan finally hung up and left. He made his way towards the library.

 

 

******

“What do you mean they already left?” Sehun asked, face incredulous.

 

The other student shrugged. “I think they were released early.”

 

“What??” Sehun groaned. This isn't real.

 

After meeting the assistant dean, he rushed back here with four minutes to spare, only to find out that Luhan's class had already left.

 

All he could think about was how this was bad. Really bad.

 

He checked the bathroom in case Luhan's nose started bleeding again. “Lu? Are you here?”

 

“No,” a student answered from one of the stalls.

 

Dammit. Sehun rushed out of there and began searching for the other.

 

Where did he go?

 

He tried calling Luhan's phone a few times, but he kept getting the same message.

 

--The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.--

 

After failing to find Luhan, Sehun made his way to the courtyard. Why won't he pick up? Is it because – No.

 

Sehun quickly dialed Jinho's number. No. No. No. No.

 

“Hello?”

 

The last thing he wanted was to ask Jinho about Luhan's whereabouts, but he realized that he had no choice.

 

“Jinho, are you with Luhan right now?” Please say no.

 

“Why? You can't find him?”

 

“So he's not with you?”

 

“No. He's not.”

 

Sehun couldn't decide if he should be relieved that Luhan wasn't with Jinho or worried that Luhan was still missing.

 

“Weren't you supposed to wait for him?” Jinho asked in an accusatory tone that didn't go unnoticed by Sehun.

 

“I- Yeah.”

 

Beep.

 

Sehun looked at his phone screen. There's an incoming call from an unknown number. Without a second thought, Sehun pressed the reject call button.

 

“Do you know where he could be?” Sehun asked, slightly becoming desperate.

 

Jinho doesn't answer immediately, but Sehun could hear movement from his side. “You're supposed to know this better than me.”

 

Sehun mentally cursed at the situation. At Jinho. At himself.

 

“Just keep looking. You'll find him,” Jinho said. “I have to go.”

 

Jinho hung up before Sehun could say anything else.

 

What was that?

 

Sehun looked around, unsure of where to even start. Lu, where are you?

 

Spotting the library, Sehun decided that he should try looking there first. Luhan did like to go there sometimes when he needed to be by himself. Sehun figured that since Luhan was probably mad at him by now, he'll be at the library.

 

At least he hoped he was.

 

 

******

Jinho just got out of class and he was making his way towards the library when Sehun called him.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Jinho, are you with Luhan right now?” Jinho could hear the slight panic in Sehun's voice.

 

“Why? You can't find him?”

 

“So he's not with you?”

 

“No. He's not.”

 

He's not supposed to be with me.

 

“Weren't you supposed to wait for him?” Jinho asked, unable to hide his accusation because it made no sense for Sehun to ask him where Luhan was. Wasn't he supposed to know this better than anyone?

 

“I-Yeah,” was Sehun's pathetic reply. “Do you know where he could be?”

 

Jinho was about to say that he doesn't know, but then he saw a familiar figure with honey brown hair heading towards the library from the west wing. Luhan?

 

Jinho doesn't wait to run after the figure.

 

Maybe this was his chance to tell Luhan. To confess.

 

Whatever it was, Jinho wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

 

“You're supposed to know this better than me,” Jinho said while running, fully aware that what he was doing was completely wrong. He should tell Sehun that Luhan was at library. He should.

 

But he couldn't find it in him to do it.

 

“Just keep looking. You'll find him,” Jinho said as he stepped into the library, his eyes desperately searching for Luhan. “I have to go,” he said before hanging up.

 

He had spotted Luhan taking one of the elevators, but to which floor he doesn't know.

 

What he does know is that he has to get to Luhan first.

 

Timing is everything.

 

******

Sehun stepped into the library's elevator. His finger lingered on the floor buttons, unsure of which to press. He huffed and pressed a random number.

 

If Luhan wasn't on this floor, he can just go look on another floor. It didn't matter because eventually, he'll find Luhan. He just has this feeling he would.

 

Ding.

 

Sehun gets off the elevator and makes his way towards the bookshelves. He's searching in between each bookshelf, looking through every corner.

 

It might take awhile, but Sehun doesn't mind.

 

He simply has to find Luhan.

 

 

******

After Luhan got in the elevator, he chose a random floor because it honestly didn't matter which.

 

Ding.

 

Luhan strolled past a few bookshelves. He doesn't have an exact destination in mind – not until he spotted a small area in between the shelves that looked extremely secluded.

 

He plopped down on the floor and looked around. He was hidden from all sides. There was no way for someone to accidentally stumble upon him.

 

Luhan sighed. It's also possible for someone who's actually looking to not be able to find him.

 

But he secretly wished someone did. Someone specific.

 

He won't find me, thought Luhan as he pulled out a textbook from his backpack.

 

He placed the textbook across his lap and started flipping through the pages. Maybe he should study to keep his mind off of a certain someone. To keep his mind off of the sharp pang in his heart he's been ignoring. 

 

He was in the middle of reading when he heard someone approaching. Thinking there's no way that a person would notice he was here, Luhan continued reading.

 

Luhan was only mildly aware that someone was standing a few feet away from him when the person spoke.

 

“Hey,” he said and Luhan felt his heart beating faster than before. 

 

Luhan looked up......

 

 

 

~~~~~~ OMG. CLIFFHANGER!!!! WHATTTTTTTTT HAPPENED NEXT?!?!?! WHO WAS IT?!?!?! Lol. I'm a horrible author :P 

 

There are only 2 possible scenarios. 1) It's Jinho and he's there to confess. 2) It's Sehun and he's there to apologize. WHICH IS IT?!?! OMG. Lol. You won't find out till maybe next weekend. I'm sorry >< 

 

Btw how was the Jinho-Sehun scene!? That was intense, but a different kind of intense. Not similar to the intensity from the previous Baekyeol-Jinho scene. There's something about that conversation that gave me goosebumps. It's very understated and calm. But you can also feel the underlying tension. It's like the calm before the storm basically. There are a lot of foreshadowing in their dialogue. What are your thoughts on Sehun-Jinho's conversation? I bet a few of you were expecting Sehun to punch Jinho or something. Lol. I think the way Sehun handled that was very mature. Maybe because he sorta already knew? Hm. I really like the mention of the childhood promise. They both remember! 

 

And the mini fluff at the beginning - awww. Sehun taking care of Lulu's injury. Cute. And lol, he knew exactly how long it's been since he last kissed Lulu. Hhaha. And the dumplings ^_^ asdhfjkhl. 

 

I leave you with a cute Luhan gif in hopes that you won't threaten to kill me for leaving you hanging :D 

 HE'S SOOOOOOOO ADORABLE. I CAN'T! ♥