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Out

[                   prologue                  ]

“Marry me,” Sehun demands, his expression permanently fixed in that judging sneer.

Luhan would have been surprised, except, not really. “ off, you’re a creep.”

“Please, marry me!” It’s one of those things that Sehun could never imagine himself saying. But then again, ever since he found out about Luhan and his ‘part time job’, Sehun’s been doing a lot of things that his sane self might have found weird.

Thinking that talking to someone as deranged as Oh Sehun is a waste of his precious time, Luhan turns and trudges off into the campus’ gate. There are no students there anymore, each has gone off to places where they’re expected to be: in their houses, in their friend’s rooms, their lover’s bathrooms, or in clubs where they’d flash fake ID’s while trying to ignore the calling of their conscience. Luhan is in his last year of college, and he doesn’t really have a set destination in mind. Anywhere that’s miles away from Sehun seems like paradise.

Luhan could only care about two things: his family, and himself. He doesn’t have time to deal with spoiled, rich kids who’s going to end up managing a company they didn’t even work hard for.

Sehun won’t allow this. He wasn’t raised to watch the person who may or may not make his life easier walk away. Oh Sehun wasn’t born to go down without a fight.  But he’s already done a lot of things to try to convince Luhan: he already tried blackmailing Luhan, getting down on his own knees, gosh; he even sent him a box of grocery supplies! For someone in between low-class and middle-class, Luhan surely has a lot of guts to decline Sehun’s generous offers.

Sehun’s got to decide soon; Luhan’s not slowing down. He curls his hand into a fist, and takes a lungful of fresh air; as if he won’t be able to do that for a long time. Sehun runs toward Luhan in a speed in which he never thought he could have ran. By the time he reached Luhan, his breathing was forced and he’s starting to feel some sweat clinging to his skin. He hates sweating.

“Hear me out one last time,” Sehun pleads, gripping Luhan by the shoulders. Luhan scrunches his nose in disgust. Sehun tries his best to not punch Luhan across his pretty face. “Ever since I was little, my parents, and most especially my grandpa had always tried to mold me to be a person that can follow their footsteps. Advanced classes, tutors, appreciation of art, you name it and they’ve taught me all of that.”

Sehun takes a deep breath; Luhan uses this break to realize that it might have been the longest thing that Sehun has ever said. Sehun’s known for being stone-quiet. “What I’m trying to say is that all of my life has been focused on learning about the family’s business and everything. I don’t know what else to be. I’ve been trained for this and only this and I don’t know what else I could be. I don’t know what else do if it wasn’t for this. That’s the thing, though.”

“What is?”

“This certainty. I thought that it would just be about running a company. But now my grandpa keeps on bugging me about getting a wife. And you know this feeling? Like someone has just pulled the rug from under you and used that to cover your face and suffocate you?”

“Do I look like I’m wife material to you?” At the age of nineteen, Luhan’s already had been called a lot of things that might have sounded a bit embarrassing. If he could have a won for all of the times he’s been called girly or cute, then he’d definitely be richer than Sehun’s family now. Still, murmuring about being wife material is taking it a bit too far.

Sehun stops in his tracks. His initial plan was to present Luhan to his grandfather—who’s going to be so enraged that his grandson is (pretentiously) gay—and therefore irritate the old man. Sehun takes a closer look at Luhan, examining his features like a curator would to an antique that’s about to be showcased.  Like the rumors that had been floating around the campus, Luhan definitely has soft features. Some people actually mistake him for a girl.

“You know, if you just wear a wig, or put on some makeup and a dress, you’d pass.” Luhan snaps when Sehun starts to connect a line from his ears town to his chin.

“You’re crazy! As if I would ever agree to you.” Luhan turns again and walks away.

“You’re just leaving me like that?! Even after I told you about my problems? Are you really that cold?!” Sehun yells. Luhan doesn’t stop. Sehun let the lowest words he could think of flitter out of his parched lips. “I’ll pay you!” Really? He thinks, I shouldn’t have said that. No one would—

“How much?” Luhan stops and he’s now looking at Sehun straight in the eye. Sehun regrets being so vain he won’t wear glasses, and being so sensitive he won’t use contacts; his vision had always been poor. Luhan’s too far away for Sehun to see clearly; he’s nothing but a nearly-blurred figure in the distance.

No one’s aware of this, but Luhan’s pretty much clutching for straws when it comes to financial matters. Sehun’s offer sounds like a jackpot.

“Uh,” Sehun bites his tongue, not really expecting Luhan to answer to his insane condition. But Luhan’s waiting and Sehun’s instincts kick in. “One million for six months. You’ll get paid each month, and you’re also going to have your allowance. Housing is free because my grandpa would require us to live in the mansion and you won’t have to worry about your remaining tuition fees. Any health problems or emergencies would be personally taken care of.”

“And what will I have to do?” Thankfully, Luhan’s moving closer and Sehun could examine Luhan’s expression.

“Pretend to be my wife. Don’t worry about the clothes and those girly stuff. Just act like a girl, and try your best to exercise your voice. You already move gracefully, so I don’t think that it would be a problem. You’re going to have dinner dates with my family, and of course the getting to know stage that’s essential in couples that are going to get married.”

“Wow, you’re so factual. Why don’t you pick a real girl to pose as your spouse?”

“You’re not paid to ask questions. One question that I don’t like to answer will cost you a hundred won.” Sehun rolls his eyes. “Besides don’t worry, I’m not gay, so you won’t have to worry about anything regarding, that. You’re going to get paid, and I’m going to live normally. It’s purely professional and we’ll both benefit out of this. I’m going to make a contract for you to sign tomorrow, stating all the terms and conditions. Give me your number.”

Luhan scribbles his phone number on the card Sehun gave him, thinking that things are going to take a different turn now.

—

I’m going to pretend to be a girl. To be someone’s wife for two million won a year. What the did you just get myself into? Luhan only realized his stupidity six hours later when he’s starting at the plain white ceiling of his cramped room.