SEHUN

 

 

I barely finished that test in time. I literally bubbled in the last answer as the bell rang. And now the weight of taking the test is off of my shoulders; but waiting for the grade is always worse. I was about to go home and resign myself to staring at the computer screen, waiting for the grade to pop up when I realized- I don't have a ride home. I couldn't call Jongin because he was busy today with friends..... Chanyeol? No..... He had his big test too, he's probably still taking it. Baekhyun would dutifully wait until he was done..... I would have to take the bus- gross. I started walking toward the bus stop when a voice called my name-

 

"Sehun! Sehun-ah!" A very excited Luhan was jumping up and down waving at me to get my attention.

 

"Hey, Luhan," I said skeptically as he jogged toward me.

 

"Hi, Sehunnie!" He panted, and smiled his cheeky smile. I couldn't help but smile back at that. "I was wondering," he shifted nervously, "are you busy?"

 

"No...why do you ask?"

 

"Just wondering if you wanted grab some..... Bubble Tea? I've got nothing better to do today, and just wondered if you wanted to come? You did say you owed me like..... A million, as I recall," he said still deep in thought, he winked at me and nudged my elbow.

 

"Ummmm....." I trailed off, thinking. Luhan was a cool guy, older than me, plus I didn't have a ride home anyway; and maybe it'll take my mind off the test. "Sure. Why not?" I replied.

 

Within five minutes we were in his car, on the way to a bubble tea shop. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea where I was going, I was in a car with someone I barely knew, and I didn't even know what we were going to do! Drink bubble tea sure....but....what in the world was bubble tea? Luhan was singing along quietly to a SHINee song playing on the radio. I listened intently, he was really, really good.

 

"Luhan?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"You're a REALLY good singer....why aren't you in school for that?"

 

"It's not practical...according to my parents. They're paying for the school so.... Business school it is," there was a silence, "but what about you?" He asked me.

 

"What do you mean?" I looked at him quizzically. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

 

"What do you mean, what do I mean?! You can't honestly tell me that your dream isn't to be a dancer," he asked me, a bewildered look on his face. I didn't know what to say to that. I almost never dance outside of my house, there is no WAY he has ever seen me dance. I guess he noticed how confused I was and chimed in, explaining that which I could not figure out.

 

"We were kids," he says, smiling shyly at me, "I danced too... I still do, I just...sing more. We lived in the same neighborhood, but because I'm older than you, we had our groups of friends, and we never really talked. I never really paid attention to you, or you to me until this one time," he smiled to himself this time. "I was...eleven maybe? So you must have been seven or so. Anyway, I had a dance competition in Seoul, and my parents dropped me off for the weekend and I stayed with my grandparents. I showed up, 6 am Saturday morning, only to find that I was NOT the first person there as usual," he smirked at me with this comment. 

 

I looked at him with blank expression on my face, and made it clear that still didn't understand, so he kept going.

 

"You were there, Sehun-ah. I asked how old you were, where you were from, and how long you'd been there and you promptly answered- seven, just outside of Seoul, and since 4 am. Then you added,- and my name is Sehun, yours?" He mimicked the way I had said it. "I told you, and you watched me practice all morning, refusing to practice while I was there. I assumed you were dancing with group since you were so young; but you told me otherwise. We were competing against each other, which didn't seem fair to me, because of the age difference, but you didn't seem fazed at all. I didn't imagine you'd be of any competition to me, and once I saw the other contestants dance, I was sure I would win. You went on just before me and I wished you luck. You started to dance...and.. Sehun. Everything slowed down. You don't understand what your dancing does to people. What it did to people even at age seven. After you it was my turn, I danced my best, flawless, said the judges, but-"

 

"I beat you".

 

"Yes. You beat me. You choreographed your own dance, just like me, but your choreography was better. I've never forgotten you since, always wondering what happened to you after that". I was speechless. I can't believe I didn't remember him. I thought.

 

"Sehun, you have a talent. You really do. It would...it would be stupid of you not to go after that dream". 

 

I didn't even realize the car had stopped. We were sitting in the parking lot in front of the Bubble Tea shop. Luhan was looking straight into my eyes, and the intensity of his gaze made me flush with heat. 

 

"Luhan..."

 

"Look. I know it's not my place to tell you that,"

 

"Luhan".

 

"And I'm sorry if it's too forward, or sudden or abrupt,"

 

"Luhan".

 

"But I really do think that-"

 

"LUHAN!"

 

"What?! What is it, Sehun-ah?"

 

"What's bubble tea?" I asked him, grinning.

 

"Did you just ask me what bubble tea was? Are you joking? BUBBLE TEA IS BUBBLE TEA! This is unbelievable. You've never had bubble tea?!"

 

"Nope". 

 

"We'll get out of the car, man! We are going to try EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR OF BUBBLE TEA IN THIS JOINT!" He flailed his arms as he said it, to better prove his point.

 

He hopped out of the car, more excited than I'd ever seen him, the embarrassment gone, replaced by relief, happiness, and surprise that I had never had bubble tea.