First chapter is up because my friend said "post it!" so I posted it. Why not give it a try? Seriously though, this story was supposed to be a one-shot but... well that didn't work out, obviously lol XD. Enjoy~

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She didn't know how she did it.

Ji Hye knew she wasn't a weak person. Weak people didn't get to debut. Weak people quit when the training got tough – when they couldn't handle the late-night practices or the lack of food. She had stuck through the training and the pain and now she's debuted. She was now part of a thirteen-member group and she couldn't be more grateful.

Sometimes she couldn't help but think that it was more of a curse than a blessing. No, it wasn't the practices – she was more than used to those. It wasn't the fans – they had been very supportive of her. It wasn't even the pressure – if anything, it helped her grow into a better performer. No, it was none of that. It was her members, or her roommate, to be precise.

She didn't know when she first fell for Oh Sehun. She wanted to blame the hyungs. Maybe if they hadn't shipped them together so much, she wouldn't have started noticing her fellow maknae as someone who was more than a friend. She would have been content thinking of him as a friend or even as an older brother.

She couldn't really blame the hyungs (mainly Chanyeol and Baekhyun) for it though. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that it was Chanyeol's and Baekhyun's teasing that made her think of him that way (they're relentless when it comes to shipping her and Sehun together, although she can't really see why), she couldn't help but think that maybe it was inevitable. He never really showed the fans, but he was actually very sweet and thoughtful. Maybe that was why she fell over the edge and fell for him. Or maybe he was the one who pushed her.

In some ways, she supposed she was actually pretty lucky. At least he knew she existed, which was more than what most girls could get when it came to having a crush. Moreover, they're friends and that meant that they have somewhat of a relationship, even if it wasn't the type of relationship she wanted. At this rate, she would take anything as long as she could stay close to him. They shared a room too and that meant that he would be the first thing she saw in the morning and the last person she'd talk to before she went to sleep. Yes, she was lucky.

On the other hand, she was unlucky too. They were just friends and it didn't matter how much she told herself she was happy with their relationship status. There would always be a part of her that wanted more. It was a part of her that grew with each passing day and she didn't know how she survived with that constant yearning and with his intoxicating presence so close.

Sometimes she wished he was crueller to her, like Kai (it isn't that he's really that cruel to her, but there is enough animosity between the two of them to remove any feelings she might have for her fellow dancer). It might have made sharing a room difficult, but at least she wouldn't have to struggle with herself every day. She wouldn't have to wonder if she'd always be friend-zoned by Sehun or worry about him finding out about her feelings for him and demanding she switch rooms with Kyung Soo. It was times like that she wished she had fallen for a different member, or even debuted as a solo artist. She might have even played with the idea of never ever debuting if it meant the sorrow and worry would go away. It would never have existed in the first place.

She couldn't really imagine her life if she hadn't debuted with EXO, though. She might still be a trainee at SM. She might not even be a SM trainee. She might have gone to another company instead. All she knew was that she wouldn't have met Sehun and she wouldn't be feeling the emotions she felt right now.

She couldn't help but shake her head. No, she'd be lying to herself if she said she was better off never meeting Oh Sehun. If she hadn't met Sehun, that would mean she hadn't met Yixing and she couldn't imagine life without her crazy and always forgetful best friend either.

Ji Hye looked out the window, watching Seoul's night life pass by as EXO-K made their way back to their dorm. It was quiet as the other members were dozing in their seats, but Ji Hye was wide awake, despite being as tired as the rest of them. All because of the boy sitting next to her, head bent at an awkward position as he snored softly.

Her lids became heavier as the seconds passed. Maybe she should join the rest of her members in dream land. They had an early day tomorrow (she honestly doesn't know how she puts up with practice every day and getting up at ungodly hours of the morning to get to school) and she and Sehun had school. She couldn't afford to fall asleep in class again. If it wasn't for Sehun, she would have gotten detention and gotten another lecture from Kyung Soo and Joon Myun about paying more attention in class again.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window, sighing softly. She finally let her body relax and moulded against the uncomfortable seat. Now that she had the chance to think about herself, she realised she was exhausted. She couldn't wait to get to the dorm and sleep on her soft bed. The van jerked and her head moved away from the window, resting on something much softer. She didn't think much about it, already half-asleep. She drifted off to the comforting scent of pine wood and cinnamon.

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"Aw, they look so sweet. Do we have to wake them?"

"Unless you want to carry them up to the dorm…"

"Are you crazy? That's on the fourth floor!"

"There's always the elevator."

"It's been out of order for the past two weeks!"

"Then I suggest you wake them up."

The murmurings reached Ji Hye's ears, but they didn't register in her sleep-hazed mind. Was that Baekhyun and Chanyeol? She couldn't really be bothered at the moment. She was comfortable and warm. She shifted closer to the heat next to her, burying her face into the pillow she had her head on. It was slightly harder than usual, but she was comfortable so she wasn't complaining.

She felt someone bury their nose into her hair. Wait, what? She slowly blinked awake, the bright light of the street lamp disorienting her for a moment. The van had stopped moving and it looked like they were in front of the dorm building. She shifted slightly and arms around her waist tightened.

"Oh, look, she's awake," she heard Chanyeol lament followed by the sound of skin on skin. "You could have at least waited until I took a picture!"

Her shifting caused Sehun to wake up and she felt his weight lift from her head. "Are we there yet?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Baekhyun greeted, an almost mocking grin spread across his lips. "To answer your question, yes, we have. Would you like us to carry you up while we're at it?"

Sehun scowled, his arm unwrapping itself from her waist as he jumped out from the van, chasing a laughing BaekYeol towards the dorm building. He caught them right before they reached the entrance, landing what seemed like a hard punch on both their shoulders.

Ji Hye rubbed her eyes, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes and forget the feeling of Sehun's arms around her waist. It wasn't the first time – it was far from the first time – but she enjoyed having his arms around her waist too much. She was supposed to think of him as an older brother (she realises she's long past that point, but that doesn't mean she can't stop trying). She slowly stepped down from the van, sending an apologetic smile towards the driver for making him wait. Slinging her bag across her shoulder, she shut the door and headed towards the building. She hadn't expected to find Sehun waiting for her. She had thought he would have gone up without her. It wasn't exactly the first time that happened. Then again, she didn't really mind since she was already eighteen and perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"There you are," he sighed. She thought she heard a hint of relief in his voice, but she might have been imagining it. Her imagination ran wild a lot when it came to Sehun (A/N: No, not like that you y fans, you). "Joon Myun hyung would kill me if he found out I left you out there alone."

She pushed away the disappointment that he only cared because of Joon Myun and not because he truly cared about her. It wouldn't do her any good to be thinking of him like that. He would always see her as a kid sister that needed to be looked after or think that appa would yell at him if she got hurt (she finds it ironic she never used to mind all that much being the maknae until now).

She plastered a slight grin on her face, nudging him lightly as they walked up the stairs to their dorm. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," she told him, teasing him slightly.

"Yeah… but you're the maknae. We worry about you a lot. I worry about you a lot." She tried not to sigh. Because she was the maknae.

"Ah, I'll be fine," she tried to reassure him. Maybe she was just too used to acting strong so she could match up with the rest of them. Being the only girl, she didn't want to fall behind. Sometimes it felt like everyone expected so much of her and she didn't want to disappoint them. It made her want to push herself harder. At the same time, it made her want to break down too.

Suddenly he slung his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. She floundered for a moment, flustered. It wasn't that she wasn't used to skinship. It was just that skinship was usually reserved for in front of cameras and for the fans. She didn't question it as her hands found their way into the pockets of her coat. She could feel the heat from his body and suddenly she didn't feel so tired anymore.

"Doesn't matter. I'll always wait for you," he declared and she felt her heart skip a beat. If only he meant it the way she wanted him to. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, 'course I know that," she replied, blinking away tears that threatened to appear. She was just tired. Yes, that was it. She pushed him away, giving him a playful grin. "Last one to the dorm does the dishes for the whole week!"

She raced up the stairs, ignoring his complaints that she wasn't being fair. She just needed to spend some time away from him (it isn't like she's going to spend much time away from him. It's hard to do that when you share a room and practically live together). She didn't even think she could spend much time without him.

It might just be because she was in love with him.