Chapter 11
Locker Room Love
When Sehun woke up the morning of their first game, Kyungsoo was standing over him with a giant smile on his face. Sehun would have figured it was just another morning until he saw the flat disk that Kyungsoo was holding in his right hand.
“Another?” Sehun asked, sitting up, completely incredulous.
“I think it’s a CD.” Kyungsoo predicted excitedly, sitting on the edge of Sehun’s bed.
The blond passed Sehun the ‘CD’ and waited with expectant eyes. The gift receiving was becoming quite the ritual in the Oh-Do household.
Sehun opened the case, and sure enough, it was a CD. Kyungsoo celebrated with a quiet happy dance while Sehun read the message on the disk:
Sehun,
A pre-game playlist for you. :)
PS. Something has changed in me, but it’s for the better.
Sincerely, Someone who cares
Dumbfounded by the cryptic message, Sehun passed it to Kyungsoo so he could make his own evaluation of it.
“What does the ‘PS’ part even mean?” Sehun wondered aloud, furrowing his brow in an attempt to analyze it.
Kyungsoo read it slowly and when he was done, he looked up at Sehun with a sheepish face. “I think, that what the person is trying to tell you is…. That they like you.” The boy explained his interpretation.
The idea of having a secret admirer had crossed Sehun’s mind before, but now it just seemed ridiculous. He had deemed the gifter as a ‘concerned friend’. The evidence was standing though, ‘someone who cares’ was using the oldest rule in the gifting handbook: he made Sehun a mix tape.
In a cloud of thought, Sehun took the CD and put it in his computer. The first song that played was ‘y, Free and Single’ by Super Junior.
Sehun clapped an embarrassed hand over his mouth when he realized he was only in the company of innocent Kyungie.
“Wow, the person wants you. That’s pretty straight forward.” Kyungsoo stated before jumping to his feet and shaking his groove thang.
Sehun’s mouth dropped at Kyungsoo’s statement but instead of dwelling on it, Sehun joined in to the dance party.
~~~
Over the past week and a half, Kai had been in the woodworking shop for nonstop. It was his favorite class because he found the idea of creating something so relaxing. He spent a lot of free time in the room but the teacher never minded the company. They would each work in quiet harmony.
The symphony of saws whirred and axes chopped apart the material that would turn into a masterpiece. Kai considered woodworking an art, which made him an artist, of sorts.
He had inquired about a certain project and his teacher had swiftly drawn him up plans for it. Kai had worked endlessly on it, sparing every waking moment not spent in practice on it.
When he arrived that morning, all that was left to do was string it. He had enlisted one of the members of the band to help him to do so, and when it was over, he was more than pleased with the finished project.
Kai strummed the instrument, whether he knew exactly how to play it or not and set off to Kyungsoo’s dorm room.
~~~
Luhan was in the zone. It was the morning of their first game and he was sitting across from Minji as if nothing was different. But everything was different.
“Wow, you’re really going to town on that parfait, aren’t you?” Minji asked, laughing at her ex-boyfriend’s eating habits.
Minji and Luhan had decided to keep their breakup under wraps for a while for personal reasons. Not that anybody would have guessed a thing, they still hung out with each other for the same amount of time. They had promised each other that they would remain best friends; Luhan couldn’t imagine getting through the rest of his senior year without her.
“I’m just… distracted.” Luhan explained, putting down his spoon to force himself to take a break.
Minji’s eyes softened in sympathy. “It’s hard, Luhan, I get that. But if you don’t admit who you are to yourself now, than it might never happen. I’m here to support you.” She assured him, putting her hand atop of his.
“You’re only supporting me in this because you want me to approve of you getting into Xiumin’s pants.” Luhan teased wickedly, wanting to turn the conversation away from him.
Minji gasped, “I told you that in confidence, mister. And I don’t want to ‘get in his pants’, I just admire him…. A lot.”
Luhan smirked at Minji’s blush that had seemed to creep up on her.
“Than do something about it?” He suggested.
“You are such a hypocrite! You totally have a thing for Sehun and you’re not doing anything about it.” Minji accused in rebuttal.
“Will you keep your voice down?” Luhan requested before continuing on, “I’m doing as much as I can right now. It’s a totally different situation, Min.”
Minji respected that Luhan was done having the conversation for now. She simply wanted her best friend to be happy with who he was. He deserved to be at peace with himself and to be with someone who he actually wanted.
Luhan used the spoon to absentmindedly push around part of his breakfast on the plate. He wanted things to be much less complicated. He didn’t have time to interpret his own feelings for his teammates, they had a game to win.
Luhan decided to push his thoughts and feelings aside for the rest of the day; he was the Captain, he needed to be ready for the game.
~~~
Sehun and Kyungsoo had continued their dance party until track three (‘Neverland’ by UKISS) when Kai knocked on the door.
Sehun was near it, so he flung it open, without a thought and continued to dance. Kyungsoo’s eyes settled upon Kai and the instrument he was cradling in his arms. He froze.
When Sehun noticed the guitar that Kai was holding, he immediately turned off the music.
“Wow.” Sehun complimented as Kyungsoo began to walk toward it.
“You made this?” Kyungsoo asked, running his fingers along it’s perfectly sanded exterior. Lastly, he let his fingers fall down the strings. It made a gorgeously warm sound and Kyungsoo’s breath hitched.
Kai nodded slowly and Kyungsoo had to bite his lips to hold back the excited tears that were forming in his eyes.
“It’s for you.” Kai explained, nervously, handing the guitar over into Kyungsoo’s grasp.
Kyungsoo stared down at the gift, unsure of how to react. Sehun was the one who was supposed to received gifts, not him. He wasn’t experienced in how to react to it, so he just held it in his hands helplessly.
Sehun was shocked at how tenderly intimate the scene in front of him was. Kai and Kyungsoo looked so vulnerable and unsure of themselves, but that same fault is what made it look so right.
Kyungsoo collected his ranging emotions and stammered, “Th-Thank you, Kai. It’s beautiful.”
Kai smiled, relieved that Kyungsoo liked the guitar. He wasn’t sure how the little cheerleader would take it considering they had only been friends for a short time. The way that Kyungsoo was looking at the guitar made Kai’s heart soar with a feeling that he didn’t recognize. Appreciation? Admiration?
Kyungsoo sat down on the end of his bed and began to play a simple chord progression. By trade, he was a classical guitar player but he thoroughly enjoyed playing contemporary music in his spare time.
“You should play ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ for him, I’m going to go take a shower.” Sehun suggested mischievously, before darting out of the room.
“Will you?” Kai asked, gently. He didn’t want Kyungsoo to do anything that he wasn’t comfortable with.
Kai took a chance and sat down on the bed next to Kyungsoo, who answered, “I’m not a great singer, so if I’m going to do this, you better not laugh.”
Kai nodded in agreement as Kyungsoo began to play the first chords to the song.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Enthralled by Kyungsoo’s tentative but lilting voice, Kai bobbed his head in the rhythm of the song. Kyungsoo smiled at Kai’s reaction, feeling more confident with every new chord that he played.
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
Kai hummed along with Kyungsoo, loving the happiness that the song gave him. Kyungsoo felt freer than he had in a long time.
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?
“Sing with me.” Kyungsoo requested and Kai couldn’t resist.
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?
Kyungsoo was surprised to hear how soulful and vulnerable Kai’s singing voice was. Kai even took the liberty to start implementing some harmonies.
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
Both of them were caught up in the music and each other, eyes locked as they sang the words of the song. Neither dared to break the eye contact, fearing they would lose each other if they did.
So if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
So why don’t we go
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?
As the song ended, the were staring at each other, breathless. They each tried to read each other’s reactions but all there was left was more questions.
“Well, you’re an athlete, a woodworker and a singer. What can’t you do?” Kyungsoo asked, breaking the tension.
“Oh, please, Kyungsoo. My voice is nothing compared to yours… and the way you play the guitar, it’s like you were born with one.” Kai deflected the compliment, by making one of is own.
Kyungsoo blushed and mumbled, “Well, thanks again. I guess I’ll see you at the game.”
Kai looked down at his watch, seeing the little time he had to get ready. He stood up hastily and said, “You better be in the stands, cheering like mad for us!”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Kyungsoo responded, smirking.
“Good. See yah!” Kai said, winking before he left Kyungsoo alone with his new guitar.
Kyungsoo looked down at the instrument and was surprised to see tears falling down onto it. It was the most thoughtful thing someone had ever done for him.
A/N Heyyyyy guys!! I really tried to find a kpop song for Kaisoo to sing but Somewhere Only We Know just seemed to stick perfectly! It seems that cordial ex-girlfriend Minji is causing a stir up!!!
Comments