Awkward
The Other Side of the Mirror
The cold water came in contact with her cheeks. Enjoying the cool sensation, Sunmi splashed more water on her face, hoping to clear her mind with it.
She shook her head and stared at herself in the mirror, her gaze coming to rest on the very red lips that were slightly swollen due to her vigorous rubbing after the incident. In a flash, the memory of Sehun's lips on hers surfaced in her mind again and Sunmi let out a mewl, burying her face in her hands.
Why couldn't she forget it even though they agreed that it never happened? Even though it happened for just two seconds, the feeling of his lips on hers... ARGHHHH.
"Chill." Sunmi hissed to herself. "It was accidental. It didn't mean anything. It doesn't even count as a first kiss, we agreed. It didn't even happen!" she took a deep breath.
"Even though Suho doesn't like you back, you like him remember? You can't possibly forget your childhood crush that easily even if it was really more of a habit than affections." she mumbled. "Just...keep calm and pretend nothing happened. Good."
She took a deep breath and strode towards the door. She had spent a great amount of time in the bathroom and Sehun was pacing outside, waiting for her. The entire corridor was empty because the rest of the students were still back in class having lessons and they still have fifteen minutes to spare before the lessons for this period was over.
Her confident strides slowly dissolved into hesitant shuffles when she caught sight of Sehun waiting for her outside. Her face immediately flushed at the reminder of the kiss and she ducked her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
He looked equally awkward and he kept playing with his fingers, not knowing what to do with his hands. "Are you okay?" he muttered, glancing at her face hesitantly. "You took a long time."
"Uhm yeah." Sunmi her lips. "My stomach isn't feeling too well." she fibbed. "But I'm okay now."
"Good." Sehun shoved his awkward hands into his pockets. "We uhm...we still have fifteen minutes to hide away from teachers before the lessons end. Uhm...should we go hide at the rooftop?"
"O..Okay." Sunmi looked in the opposite direction, following him hesitantly.
As they walked past the janitor's closet, both faces turned equally red and they strode past it as quickly as possible. They got to the rooftop and both seeked opposite corners to sit down and stare blankly at the ground.
And that was how the rest of the EXO-K boys found them later after school.
-----
"Hey want to go for dessert?" D.O. suggested. "The weather's too hot. I could use some mango shaved ice." he grinned at the thought.
"I'll have patbingsu." Chanyeol beamed, wriggling his eyebrows meaningfully at Suho. "And some ice cream. If there's orange cheese cake, I'd have some of that too."
Suho blinked and backed away in alarm. "Why are you looking at me when you're going to order all those things?"
"Aww hyung~" Chanyeol hugged Suho's arm cutely, which was very hell weird because of his height and voice. "I'm sure it's okay for you to show your love to your dongsaengs once in a while."
"I show my love enough." Suho muttered blandly. "Baekhyun, can you please control your husband?"
Baekhyun gave a curt nod and whacked Chanyeol's head hard. He grinned back at Suho. "Controlled." he reported.
The gang trotted towards the dessert shop and Sehun and Sunmi made sure to walk on opposite ends of the group, both of them remaining unusually quiet. "Anyway," Kai looked over at Sehun with a grin. "That was one good show you put up back there. I never thought you had it in you to suggest something like the janitor's closet." he looked somewhat proud. "That Lee Jina didn't know what hit her."
"Anyway what did you two do in the janitor's closet?" D.O. asked slyly. "Did anything happen?"
"OF COURSE NOT." Both Sehun and Sunmi blurted in unison.
Baekhyun raised his brows in suspicion and Chanyeol grinned happily. "Oooh it looks like something did happen." he rubbed his palms together. "Come on, spill!"
"Nothing happened." Sunmi declared in a firm voice that sounded really convincing if her eyes didn't wander everywhere while she was saying it. "We just hid in there for a while for show and then went up to the rooftop to wait for the lessons to end. That's it."
"So why aren't you two talking to each other?" Kai asked carefully, grinning evilly.
Sehun swallowed and risked a glance at Sunmi, his cheeks flushing out of his control. He cleared his throat. "We talked a lot just now and we ran out of things to say. We don't need to talk all the time." he defended.
"Well if that's how they want to put it.." Baekhyun snickered. He slung an arm round Sehun. "Anyway, I don't think our maknae here will go for some girl like Sunmi."
Sunmi's eyes rounded and she frowned. "Hey."
"True that." Suho nodded solemnly. "Maknae is from another world, remember?"
Sunmi quickly shut up and she looked away, while Sehun stared at his feet. No, they didn't.
A few days after the accidental kiss, Sehun and Sunmi somewhat returned to normal. Somewhat. They continued joking around each other like usual, but then there would be times when one of them would suddenly turn cold and the entire conversation would turn awkward. It usually happened when the accidental kiss surfaced in their minds, but that was becoming less frequent.
Both of them almost forgot about the entire incident, and Sunmi continued trying to find the second enchanted mirror while Sehun continued obsessing and crushing over Lee Jina. Things were normal.
This situation was hyped up a little with the introduction of a new school event that was anticipated for months before. The annual school dance.
SM high commemorated the day which the school was founded with an annual school dance. It was quite the event, something like prom or homecoming, but perhaps a little less grand because it was held in the school hall. The location aside, the entire event was really quite decent looking, with the grand decorations by the student council members.
SM High was founded on February 14, 1995 and it was the school's 18th year running. Despite the importance of the founders' day, the annual dance was usually held a week or a few days before the actual day because, well, everyone knew it was Valentines' on February 14 and no one would turn up for the dance otherwise.
This year's dance was to be held exactly a week before Valentines and even with the dance more than a week away, the students were already getting excited for the event.
It was customary to bring dates for an event like this, but Sunmi had turned up with five male dates for every single one of these dances and she didn't think it was neccessary to have an exact partner. The EXO-K boys didn't bother finding themselves any female partners to bring as well because they had always gone in a group.
Sehun on the other hand, never even went to any one of these dances before because there was an unwritten rule that outcasts weren't allowed. He never thought of joining this year's dance either but he had to rethink his decision when the invites started coming his way with the date of the school dance fast approaching.
"Sehun oppa, have you found a date for yourself yet?" a pretty girl named Sulli approached him. "If you haven't, I was wondering if you'd like to come with me." she blushed prettily.
Sehun shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Sunmi beside him, not knowing why he did so. "I uhm...I'm not going."
"You're not?" Sulli blurted. "You're not?" Sunmi and the EXO-K boys repeated in unison, their eyes wide in surprise.
Seshun rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah I'm not. I never liked these things so I don't think I'm going. You guys can go ahead yourselves."
"But you always went to these events all these past years." Sulli looked disappointed. "If you change your mind, feel free to tell me about it!" she sent a half-hearted smile and pranced off.
D.O. turned to look at Sehun. "You're not going? Why?" he frowned. "Come along with us at least. We're going as a group so there'll no need to feel left out."
Shifting uncomfortably, Sehun rubbed his arm. "I don't like these dances. The first time I went some dude splashed fruit punch on my suit and threw my glassses on the ground. I don't want to experience that again."
Sunmi softened and touched his arm. "But it's different here, you're actually respected. Just give yourself a chance and have fun with us, please?"
Sehun gazed down at her large bright eyes and he swallowed. That sounded really tempting. Really, really, realllllyyyy tempting.
However, the reminder of how rotten he felt that one night he went for the dance the first time suddenly welled up in his mind and he shuddered. He felt like the scum on earth and he wasn't even someone who had self-esteem problems. "I don't think so.." he muttered, still unconvinced.
"Just think about it, maknae. You've got more than a week." Kai shrugged. He looked forward with a grin. "And a few more proposals to reject."
Sehun turned to the direction Kai was looking and saw a few more girls lining up to approach him. He let out a sigh and groan. Well .
------
While Sehun was busy trying to fend of his suitors, the EXO-K boys got a few of their own and all of them rejected the offers with kind smiles. "Wow, a girl actually asked me out." Chanyeol seemed to be in a dream state.
"I think it's because Sehun keeps hanging around us and he brought the out the trend for goody two shoe boys." D.O. muttered.
"How about goody two shoe girls then?" Baekhyun elbowed Sunmi playfully and she stuck her tongue out at him, laughing. Her laughter was promptly cut short when she bumped into the hard chest of a guy, and she bowed in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."
"No worries."
Sunmi glanced up and saw that it was the basketball captain, Choi Minho. He wasn't as popular as Sehun was, but he had his fair share of supporters. Not to mention, his smile was pretty darn cute.
"Uhm Sunmi sshi, actually..." Minho swallowed visibly and struggled with his words. Sunmi blinked up at him in confusion, not knowing what he wanted to say. They never really talked except when they were partnered for a project two years back.
"I was wondering..." Minho took a deep breath. "I heard that Sehun isn't going to the school dance. That means you two aren't going as dates right?"
Sunmi nodded hesitantly.
"So I was wondering...will you be my date then?" Minho blurted. Sunmi's eyes widened in surprise. "It doesn't mean anything. We can go as friends and I know you already have a boyfriend. Just uhm...you know...we could go together." he pinked.
The EXO-K boys elbowed each other behind Sunmi and were laughing silently, watching excitedly for her response. Sehun had just finished dealing with his surge of proposals and he was puzzled by his hyungs' behavior. "What's going on?"
"Sunmi's being asked out by the basketball captain." Baekhyun whispered. "Cool. I once heard her tell me that she thought he was cute you know. I wonder if she'll accept."
Sehun's gaze snapped towards Sunmi in shock and he eyed Minho from top to bottom. Damn, that guy did look fine. He shifted his gaze back to her and watched her for her answer.
Say no, please say no, he chanted in his mind.
"Uhm...I'm going with the rest of the EXO-K boys." Sunmi shrugged awkwardly with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."
"No problem. Just thought to try my luck." Minho's words didn't quite fit with his expression because he did look disappointed. "I'll see you at the dance then. Save a dance for me?"
Sunmi smiled and nodded, waving as Minho walked off. She sighed softly and turned back to the boys, slightly alarmed at the five pairs of wriggling brows and one solemn stare.
"What?" she pinked, fanning herself. "Am I not pretty enough to be asked out?" she huffed.
"Yes." Kai and D.O. nodded in unison and high-fived each other. Sunmi rolled her eyes and ignored their comment, turning back to her locker to put back her books.
Sehun watched her from the side, the unpleasant feeling rising up in his chest once again. Frogskins, he really would eat frogskins than feel this way if this feeling appeared everytime a guy came to ask Sunmi out.
Sehun eyed the male students walking past them with a scowl. *I'll feed them enough frogskins to scare them away if I have to.*
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