___________ "MACHINE" by EXO-K (EXO) ___________

{ 26 }

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When Sehun exited the High Institution building after dropping you off, he quickly ran towards the auditorium. He entered the backstage area and found Kai waiting for him coolly, smirking friendly at other girls who passed by and smiled at him. Sehun rolled his eyes and whacked the back of his head.

Kai yelped, "Dude, what's your problem?!"

"Be loyal to Ahra, would you?"

"It's just useless flirting. She'll understand." Kai grumbled at the maknae which received another slap from him.

"Okay, okay. In all seriousness, are you ready? Because the judges have cut mostly all the dance teams. We're going up next and we're going to dance to-"

Their song came on so that the quality could be tested and Sehun raised an eyebrow.

"Time Control? The song Chanyeol hyung made?"

Kai nodded and shrugged. "It was the shortest to fit into the time frame required for each dance group. I know it's not our best choreography, but since we're the bestest dancers in K-Round, we'll manage."

"'Bestest' isn't a word."

"Are you done trying to be smart with me and start rehearsing?"

"Chill." Sehun responded calmly, and signalled for one of the staff to put on the song. They got the signal, and pressed play on the stereo.

Once the time had come, Kai started to dance fluently and precisely. Girl's nearby stopped to gaze at the two handsome and talented boys that were dancing their all right next to them, and fell even deeper for them. Kai chuckled to himself and Sehun couldn't help the smirk coming on his face.

"You're kinda rusty, Sehun!" Kai shouted and his smirk widened as the said one's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Or are you always like that?"

Sehun scoffed at his hyung's provoking words and focused on the music. Dancing and smoothly popping, he heard a few girls call his name and giggle. He rolled his eyes. I'll only let noona say my name.

The song ended soon, and the staff clapped for them. The girl's were even more enthusiastic, adding in their screams and chanting their names.

"I wonder what Ahra would say to that." Kai said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

Sehun shrugged and glanced at his hyung. Their performance number was on the sign and it was time for them to go on stage. 

"Are you ready?"

Kai smirked.

"Never been better."

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Joyful was way behind what Sehun and Kai felt as they entered the cafeteria and saw their brothers. Their emotions were over the top despite it being a new moon, and though their bodies felt like molten lead, they were practically bouncing in their seat.

"Did you make it? DID YOU MAKE IT?!" Chanyeol yelled happily as the two boys exchanged glances and smirks simutaneously fell upon their lips.

"HOLY !" Baekhyun shouted and accidentally disturbed the other tables, which were eavesdropping girls trying to get a listen on their conversation. He didn't care and shook Kai, who was sitting in front of him. "YOU LUCKY BASTARD!"

"I'm not lucky," Kai chuckled and dusted off his shoulders. "I'm just a pro."

"Oh, hell." D.O. muttered and rolled his eyes. "We almost didn't get in, so Suho had to do some charming and I had to do some aegyo."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS?! NUMBER ONE AND THE FIRST AND LAST TO PERFORM IN FRONT OF LEE SOO MAN, YANG HYUN-SUK, AND JINYOUNG PARK?! WHAT THE HELL?!" Chanyeol roared, reading the congratulations letter, and slapped the two youngest of EXO-K's backs with pride. "YOU GO GUYS!"

"Hyung, we get the message." Sehun said and rolled his eyes. "You're overreacting. Besides, now you started the gossips."

The boys saw the table near theirs, where all of the girls were on their cell phones and texting something and squealing.

"Oops," Chanyeol laughed it off and shrugged. "I got first place as rapper."

"We got first place in singing~" Suho, D.O., and Baekhyun boasted.

Kai raised an eyebrow and fist-bumped them. "Good going, guys. So Performing Arts, right?"

All five of them nodded and he grinned. "We should do it together. It would be a perfect opportunity. Suho, Baekhyun, and D.O. hyungs will do the vocals, I and Sehun will dance, and Chanyeol hyung will rap."

Suho chuckled, "Leave it to you to come up with the greatest ideas."

"Don't the cocky boy's ego any more." D.O. warned.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun both expressed a disgusted face. "Ew, D.O. You're nasty!" Baekhyun muttered.

"What the hell?!" D.O. spluttered.

"I really didn't need that image." Chanyeol wrinkled his nose.

"Leave it up to D.O. hyung to say the most nasty things." Sehun sighed.

"Hey, hey. Sorry, I know I'm loved by both genders but I'm a straight lover. I like to go in the hole, not the back-up one."

D.O. glared at the younger and smacked the back of his head. The rest of the boys chuckled. They were absolutely in good moods and there was no thing or no one that could bring it down. They had achieved their goals ever since they had started High Institution and eventually moved into University Insitution, except for Sehun, and knew they were going down the right lane.

", Kai, shut up." Baekhyun muttered. "We all know that you're still a and can't go past making out with a girl."

Chanyeol chortled, "Remember that one time when Kai winked at this guy, that was dressed up as a girl-"

His sentence was cut short by the bellows of laughter coming from the rest of his brothers as they remembered the incident very clearly. Suho chuckled and shook his head, still surprised that his dongsaeng could be so foolish.

"I was drunk. Calm down." Kai defended.

"Oh hell, you had just a glass of tequila and that wasn't very strong. it up, you almost had with a guy." D.O. spoke up.

"PWAHAHAHA!" Chanyeol chortled. 

"And remember that time when making out with a girl, he bit her neck accidentally and her knee jerked up-"

"All right, all right!" Kai shouted. "I get it! I'm so popular that they can't handle my iness!"

The boys rolled their eyes, but all still had those silly smiles on their faces.

It felt like old times, where they weren't bothered or stressed about anything, and could joke around freely and carelessly. Even Suho, who was known to hold the responsibility and burdens on his shoulders. They could all laugh loudly without something holding themselves back. No guilt, no conflicts, no problems.

But, they knew that now was different. They needed someone else there, someone that was now apart of their lives to complete the happy family scene.

"Where's Ahra, anyways?" Chanyeol said, breaking the nostalgic atmosphere. They all looked at Sehun who bit his lip and worriedly thought about her.

"Didn't you say she'd meet us here at lunch? She's ten minutes late." Kai said, glancing down at the clock on his phone.

Sehun opened his mouth to respond, but the doors opened which sparked their attention.

"HEY!" A boy student yelled. The talking lowered down to whispers as everybody faced him.

"Isn't he-"

"Some douchebag in our dance class." Sehun said and frowned.

"WE'VE GOT A EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR YOU! SINCE HAN BI AND JOO SUN SUNBAENIMS AREN'T HERE, THE HYE SISTERS HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE OVER!"

Everyone stared at him confusedly, until something caught their eyes. Everyone broke out into whispers, staring at the open cafeteria doors. EXO-K was still confused, because they were sitting at a table far away from the doors. Awhile passed by and they stilled didn't know what was going on. Chanyeol stood up to get a better look when a loud shout went on in the hall and stopped him in his tracks. A minute passed by.

Then, a figure stepped forwards. Well, stumbled inside. If she hadn't gotten her balance in time she would've hit the table in front of the doors.

Simutaneously, their eyes darkened.

________________________

___________ "IT'S YOU