Chapter 4

Sehun decided that it was not necessary for him to attend the rest of his three classes. For some odd reasons, he preferred not to be alone today.

"The next classes aren’t really significant. I don’t think you, our precious scholar, will find them difficult either,” he said to Kyungsoo. He efficiently walked out the music class, receiving constant nods from the boy following behind. He went straight back to his dorm, and of course, he had Kyungsoo tagging along happily.

The boy's developing a habit on tailing me, and just like a dog, he seems to have no worries about anything at all. Sehun's facial expression went softer. His lips spreading a bit at the thought. He shook his head and scoffed. Better keep out his mind off funny things.

Sehun's expression changed to his usual look when he saw the confusion in Kyungsoo's eyes. He cleared his throat. "You can play the piano quite well," he said with a small cough. It's a nice save, he thought.

"How did you learn it?" I don't think you can afford a piano lesson."

All the contradictories within the boy made Sehun questioning many things, which rarely happened to him.

"I used to take care of Mr. Shim, an elderly who lived a few blocks away from my orphanage as a part time job after school. I cooked for him, did his laundry, and shopped for him too. After I was done with works, he taught me to play the piano for free, so he would not forget, he said. Mr. Shim used to teach piano lesson in the past." Kyungsoo made a wide grin and continued in a mischievous tone,

"The pay was good too."

Ah, so that's why, Sehun thought. He lived in an orphanage before.

"Then how can you be admitted here? You are the only one who goes to this school by a scholarship, you know."

Kyungsoo answered in a light tone, "Nothing special, really. I won high school's International Olympiads competition recently. To be able to study here was a part of the prizes this school's founder offered to me. I took it because this way I can live at the dorm as well.

"I'm turning seventeen this year; soon I will be too old to stay at the orphanage." Kyungsoo said it all as if it was a normal thing, being kicked from the place he had been living his entire life, and winning Olympiads.

Sehun could not decide whether this boy was lucky or not. He wondered where Kyungsoo got his entire positive, borderline dumb attitude.

"What subject?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kyungsoo tilted his head in confusion.

"Your olympiad competition subject." Sehun sighed as he repeated his question. Definitely dumb.

"Oh." Kyungsoo's lips folded into an apologetic grin.

"Physics and math." Again, he answered it like it wasn't a big deal.

Sehun stopped abruptly, causing Kyungsoo's poor nose to bump into the taller boy's back. (Kyungsoo began to sense a pattern here. He made a mental note to make a sufficient distance from Sehun's back from now on.)

"Oh." That was the only response Sehun could muster up. He continued walking without saying another word. Kyungsoo trailed his steps with small little whimpers as he rubbed his nose to soothe the pain.

***

Sehun's tone of voice became bland and distant as they reached the dormitory.

"Here we need two things to be able to enter the dormitory; a key card, which is used to pay all the things we buy here as well, and fingerprint scan. Both are needed; you cannot borrow someone else's card." He swiped his card and put his right index finger on the fingerprint verification scanner to enter the gate.

"Forget your key card, you will not able to get in." Sehun turned to look at Kyungsoo over his shoulder.

"I assume that your key card will be given to you soon. They will input your fingerprint data as well. I have informed the security manager that you're going to come with me today, so the arrangement can be done later this noon." He swiped his key card once again, and another gate was unlocked for them.

"There are four checking gates before we have an elevator access. The elevator can only be operated by the key card, and it will only stop on your floor." Sehun swiped his key card and pressed the floor number. He leaned back and watched the numbers light up one by one as the elevator ascended.

"There is only my dorm on the twelfth floor. There are other rooms I supposed, but they cannot be accessed through this elevator. In short, only my key card is able to go to this floor through this elevator. Soon yours too," Sehun explained, his eyes were staring at the floor buttons as if they were the most interesting thing inside.

Kyungsoo nodded. He chewed on his upper lip as he let the information sink, oblivious of the taller boy who was staring at him. By then Sehun had recognized the boy's habit of biting his lips whenever he had any thought of something.

Cute, Sehun thought. Immediately he was flustered at his own thinking. Clearing his throat, he stared at the elevator buttons rather demandingly, as if by doing so he could make the elevator moved faster.

The blinking light of the numbers stopped at the twelfth floor. Sehun put left index finger on the fingerprint scanner to open the door, but the elevator door remained closed; instead, there was a voice heard through the speaker above the floor buttons.

'Good afternoon, Mr. Oh. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience. There is another person in the elevator at the moment, is it okay for us to open the door to your room?'

"Let it open. This is Do Kyungsoo; he will be living with me from now on, so please inform the others. His arrangement will be settled later," Sehun answered flatly.

"We understand. Welcome back sirs." The elevator door opened, providing them the view inside the room.

***

The room was huge; it practically could accommodate Kyungsoo's whole orphanage inside without any difficulty. Kyungsoo couldn't even see a glimpse of the whole place without moving further inside.

Sehun's room was not like any usual dorm; it was more like a luxurious room of a five star hotel.

Sehun walked toward the living room and dropped his bag carelessly on the carpet.

"There are three bedrooms, one of which is mine. I believe the school staff has put your stuff inside the room they have prepared for you." Sehun plopped himself into a leather couch.

"Okay," Kyungsoo replied cheerfully. He sat on the couch across Sehun, placing his bag neatly beside him.

Sehun raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you curious to see your room?" He asked, straightening up in his seat a bit.

"Later. The room won't go anywhere," Kyungsoo lightly said, his lips folded into a heart shaped smile.

Sehun was dumbfounded to hear that. He thought Kyungsoo, who had never had any luxurious thing in his life before, would be at least in awe to see all the wealth.

"So you always have this huge room by yourself until now?" Kyungsoo asked him, cutting his thought. Sehun was taken aback before he could finally answer, "Uh, Yes."

"You're lucky to have me to accompany you then," the boy stated happily, eyes sparkling as if he was doing a good deed.

"I am... the one... that is lucky?" Sehun asked in disbelief.

"Surely. You're very lucky to have me. I'm good at cooking and cleaning. Speaking of which, let me check the kitchen." Kyungsoo stood up from his seat in excitement, almost hopping; he inspected each room to find the kitchen.

Sehun frowned as he digested what Kyungsoo just said. Am I lucky to have you..?

***

By the time Sehun got there, Kyungsoo was already standing in front of an opened fridge, frowning as he saw the ingredients inside.

"You only got bottles of mineral water and fruits here, you know," he stated disapprovingly.

"Why bother? I always eat out anyway." Sehun leaned on the kitchen's door, staring at the boy who was grumbling in front of the fridge, checking the very few items inside.

"That's such a waste. You could've cooked yourself, it's way cheaper. You've already got all the neccesities to make decent food." Kyungsoo looked around the kitchen to emphasize his statement. Everything there looked new and never been used (Sehun did never use any of them).

"Money is not a matter," Sehun replied straightforwardly. He walked inside, placing himself on one of the seats.

Kyungsoo hopped up to the kitchen counter and sat. His short legs swayed slowly. "But still, no fun..." He pouted discouragingly. As if he was just having a good idea at that very moment, his eyes shone. Kyungsoo jumped down,

"Let's cook something!" He exclaimed with a small clap. Kyungsoo slightly ran toward Sehun, gripping his arm excitedly.

It felt like he was just struck by lightning; jolts of electricity spread from the small hands clutching his arm. The warmth radiated from the smiling boy in front of him, flowing into his entire body.

When Kyungsoo's hands loosened their grip and moved away, the warmth seeped out.

In a swift moment, Sehun had an urge to grasp the tiny hands and placed them to where they were before. He deadpanned at the thought. Never in his life had he ever felt this way. The unknown feeling agitated him; it was new to him to have something he could not control.

It’s just because he was so poor and I have never met a poor person like him before. Yes, that’s why.

“Whatever," Sehun mumbled. He walked away, building a thick wall around his heart to cover it up.

Kyungsoo, completely oblivious of Sehun's mood changes, followed suit.

“Eh. Where are you going? What about cooking?”

“I'm going to call the dorm superintendent to provide us the ingredients. What do you want to cook?” Sehun went to the living room to pick up a phone.

“Ehhh, no fun...” Kyungsoo whined.

“Let's buy the ingredients together. It will be more fun, I promise.” Suddenly Kyungsoo was already in front of Sehun, all with his huge eyes staring at the taller boy, pleading, his hands were clasped together tightly across his chest. Sehun, who just grabbed the phone, was flabbergasted.

“Alright, alright. Whatever. Stop staring at me,” he grouched and diverted his gaze away. "Let me change my uniform first. Go find your room and manage your stuff," he retorted.

Sehun was flustered and irritated. He would say yes to anything to get rid of the puppy eyes out of his sight.

Kyungsoo’s eyes gleamed. He nodded and went to go get his bag, and dashed to find his room.

The boy changed his pace too much; his steady, manageable, well-organized life. Sehun couldn’t decide whether it was good for him or not, but, for now, he did not wish to go back to his usual pace. Yet.

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