Previous chapter:

“HOW CAN YOU NOT BE REACTING LIKE I AM OMFGGG!!” Chanyeol yelled, jumping up and down like he was bouncing off the walls. “THE OH SEHUN DOES NOT GO OUT TO PLAY. EVER.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Well, maybe Sehun’s finally met his match.”

Chanyeol gazed at Kyungsoo with questioning eyes.

“Let’s go.” Kyungsoo said abruptly. He threw Chanyeol’s backpack at him and walked out the door.

“Ahh!” Chanyeol exclaimed as the backpack came flying.

By the time he caught his backpack and looked up, Kyungsoo was gone. Chanyeol blinked.

“HEY, HYUNG, WAIT UP!!!”

Chapter 24:

“Stop sighing, Sehun,” Suho complained. He chugged down the rest of his coke before putting the glass down on the table. “Your life is getting 10 years shorter with every sigh. I can’t even count the number of wrinkles on your forehead anymore!”

“Well, why do you think I’m sighing?” Sehun retorted, casting Baekhyun a long stare. The next Baek-song selection period to begin, and frankly, Sehun wanted to cry (of course, figuratively, because Sehun claims that he has never cried since he left his mother’s womb). This was the 29th time Baekhyun was selecting a song, and Sehun knew that because he had counted.

“Lemon soju, tequila for me, mojito for you,” Baekhyun sang as he twirled away from the karaoke screen and reached for the gigantic navy blue book sitting on the table. “Let's go to Jeju, California, Rome! Let's go to a white pearly beach with great waves!”

He flipped through pages among pages of numbers, song titles, and artist names in a hurry. His good mood slowly turned sour as he flipped the pages desperately.

“Aiiiiiiish! Where is the song code for Party by SNSD?! I want to sing it so badlyyyyy!" Baekhyun whined. "SUHO, HELP ME!”

Sehun shot Baekhyun a judging look.

“Baek, are you serious? You actually want to sing that song about parties and alcohol?”

Baekhyun glared back at Sehun before running to Suho and dragging him over to the gigantic book.

“Look. Now! Now now now now nowwwww, please? Sehunnie is being mean to me. As I expected, you’re the only one who will be there for me no matter what. You'll protect me from the mean Sehunnie, riiiight?”

Sehun rolled his eyes as he watched Suho give into Baekhyun’s pouty lips and watery eyes. That boy could really put on a show when he wanted to. Sehun was not even sure how Baekhyun managed to get top grades while playing like crazy the moment school was over. Partying was never his thing, and Sehun believed the topic would remain forever incomprehensible as long as he lived. Alcohol? Dancing? What do those mean? As you can see, Sehun also liked to feign innocence.

“Sehun!” Suho called out, effectively bursting Sehun’s thought bubbles. “Aren’t you going to sing at least one song? We’ll sing with you! You’re going to get bored sitting there just watching us.”

“No, it’s fine. You guys are pretty entertaining.” Sehun said, forcing neon white lies out of his mouth. In reality though, there was no way anyone would catch him singing a song like "Party" by Girls Generation over his dead body.

To tell the truth, Sehun was bored out of his mind. Just what was Luhan thinking when he said that hanging out with friends once in a while was fun? Sehun clearly did not see the word "fun" anywhere and it has already been over three hours. Was "fun" supposed to appear soon? Within the time frame that the trio had been in the noraebang, Baekhyun had whined about every 10 minutes, Suho had offered Sehun the microphone every 15 minutes, and the only thing keeping Sehun sane were the multitude of snacks he kept ordering from the waiters every 5 minutes.

Snacks aside though, Sehun did accomplish quite a list of things during these three hours. Among them, the most notable feats were:

1. Reciting the scientific periodic table front and back

Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron...Meitnerium, Hassium, Bohrium, Seaborgium, Dubnium...

2. Naming the fifty states of America in order of annexation

Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina...

3. Delivering famous American president speeches to thin air while pausing at certain sentences for effect. (His favorite president of study as of right now happens to be John F. Kennedy).

“All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words........’Ich bin ein Berliner!’"

In fact, he even resorted to using a non-academical way to pass time when he ran out of new ideas: counting the number of times Baekhyun and Suho’s voices have cracked while singing. Sehun was also not alarmed that the number of times their voices cracked exceeded forty -- his little friends were going through puberty and it was a natural process, so he couldn’t blame them.

At this point, even Sehun was surprised at the amount of weird things he could do when he was bored. In fact, it was quite frightening.

“For the love of god, why am I even here?!”

Sehun groaned inwardly and leaned back onto the couch. He popped a chip into his mouth as Suho and Baekhyun began to heartbreakingly sing another song by 4Men called Confession, successfully screeching when they reached the high notes. When he agreed to go to the noraebang with his two friends, he thought he signed up to learn what "fun" really meant. He didn't know that he consequently signed up for a 1 plus 1 deal: the so-called "fun" with an exclusive addition of listening to dolphins attempt to sing. Sehun meant no offense, but he felt the need to be honest on his opinions toward his friends' singing since honesty was his best virtue.

Of course, that was just an excuse.

Quite frankly, he could not let this snarky comment slip by. They really did sound like dolphins.

He watched as his friends made fools of themselves, dancing like fish thrown out of the water. If he were to name one thing he learned from going out to this noraebang, it was that his friends were party animals. Their dancing and singing was so uncoordinated, Sehun had to fight the urge to tell them that they looked like fish and they sounded like dolphins. Luckily, Sehun recalled the times that his mother told him he was too critical and always found faults in everything, so he needed to keep his mouth shut when he had nothing nice to say. He learned to listen to his mother, but really, social rules were never in Sehun's ball park. He could not help but let out another resigned sigh. His mind slowly began to wander, and relaxed, he closed his eyes.

I wonder how Luhan is doing...I bet he would love it here. I can just imagine him stuffing himself with food and singing his heart out like a pabo. He would probably sing an EXO song too, since he loves them so much. Hell, he might even trip over himself on the microphone cord since he's so clumsy too.

Sehun chuckled softly as he imagined Luhan wobbling to maintain balance after tripping over the microphone cord. He would be okay though, because Sehun would be there to catch him.

And Luhan would probably order Korean food when the waiter comes around. Judging from the first time he had an English breakfast at our house, he definitely doesn't eat foreign food all the time. That morning, he definitely looked like a lost deer when he saw the toast, bacon, and eggs on the table. He would be better off sticking with Korean food.

No wonder Luhan's friends liked to call Luhan a deer. Starting from the first time they met, Luhan reminded Sehun of a small and cute deer with a wide multitude of facial expressions. Sehun liked how every single thing he did illicited a new reaction from the small boy. He seemed to have a strong authority over the boy in a sense. He liked being in control, and he liked seeing Luhan react to every miniscule thing. This was the problem. Why did he like it?

Wait.

Sehun's eyes suddenly fluttered open as reality hit him. He had been thinking about the boy for a relatively long time, and he reached no conclusion. Furthermore, he was supposed to have a good time with his friends right now. Why did Luhan have to pop up in his mind? The image of that boy followed him everywhere now, and Sehun did not appreciate the nuisance Luhan was becoming. His life was fine the way it was, and he did not like the way Luhan was changing it. He frowned, confused by the sudden mix of emotions he was feeling. Gradually, he let himself get distracted by the new song that began to play.

The sudden low and deep bass emanating from the loudspeakers took over his thoughts and the ground began to vibrate underneath his feet. Sehun turned to see the words “Lightsaber” and “EXO” flashing across the television screen. As if it were a call to action, Suho immediately jumped to his feet and grabbed for the closest mic.

“THIS CAME OUT LAST NIGHT AND I KNOW ALL THE LYRICS ALREADY SO BRING IT ON, BAEK!”

Without warning, Baekhyun dived on top of Sehun for the second microphone which was lying idly on the empty seat. Sehun groaned as Baekhyun's left elbow collided with one of his ribs where his top abdominal muscle was located. He swore Baekhyun's hard elbowing was going to leave a purple bruise by tomorrow morning. A few seconds later, he barely saved himself from falling off the couch as Baekhyun scrambled back up to answer Suho's challenge.

“HAH, I BET YOU CAN'T SING THE EDM PART AS WELL AS I CAN, MYEONMYEON!”

It took all of Sehun’s willpower to stop him from facepalming himself. There was almost never a reason for Sehun to facepalm himself, but whenever he was around other people, reasons just appeared in front of him as plain as day. Seriously, Myeonmyeon? One of Sehun's strong languages was Chinese, and to him, the nickname myeonmyeon sounded like noodles in Chinese. Bring it on, Noodles! Sehun had to admit that it was the most amusing thing he has heard all day. While Suho and Baekhyun were getting ready to start their competition, Sehun pulled up his shirt, grimacing in pain as he massaged the location where he was attacked.

"LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN!" Baekhyun cheered. He shot Suho an invisible love arrow and on cue, Suho began to sing.

“I wandered here to your outreached hand,” Suho sang with passion, literally extending his hand out in mid-air and pretending to serenade someone. “Found you to protect you, be your savior. In the pitch black darkness I’ll take your hand!”

He grasped at thin air and clenched his fists dramatically.

Just how lonely and desperate is this high school boy that he needs to serenade the air? Sehun shook his head to himself, feigning sympathy.

“OOH MY PART MY PART MY PART!” Baekhyun shouted next, flinging a tambourine around in his hand as he jumped up and down. The rattling noise rang and clattered in Sehun’s ears. “Light LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT SABERRRR!”

If he thought his friends needed a little down time just before they came here, he now thought that they belonged in a therapy office reflecting on their crazy actions. He wasn’t sure what would have been worse, listening to them sing "Party" or watching them rock out to "Lightsaber". He wasn't too much of a sci-fi fan, meaning Star Wars was out of question. Even worse, his good memory meant he remembered the names of every single member in the music video, courtesy to Luhan, and therefore he was not pleased that the song reminded him of the boy.

Sehun sighed dramatically as he pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket.

My IQ must be deteriorating. I can’t believe I have to think stupid thoughts to keep myself entertained.

He checked the time and realized it was already well over 6:30pm. He glanced over at his friends who were fully immersed in pretending to be hot idol singers. If he left now, he’d probably be able to make it home before dinner and his friends wouldn’t notice a thing.

Do the teenagers these days call it “YOLO”? “You Only Live Once”? ...Yeah, well, YOLO.

Slowly yet steadily, he arose from his chair and scooted toward the door.

“Oooooh YEAH!” “Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Suho began what he called his “professional” adlibbing during the instrumental, and Sehun fought the urge to go out and buy duct tape to tape his friend’s mouth close. But Sehun never acted on his personal feelings. And...even if he did, he would have to leave the noraebang first in order to walk to the convenience store.

As it came time for Baekhyun to screech “LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT LIGHTSABER” again, Sehun flung the door open and closed it loudly without regrets as he made a run for it. A few strides later, Sehun was outside and breathing in the cool and crisp air. He could still hear the remnants of echoing in his ear from being inside the loud noraebang for so long.

A small thought crossed his mind as he headed down the street. It was a scary realization that made Sehun feel both insecure and scared for the first time.

He realized that right now, at this very moment, he would much rather spend his time at home with an idiotic boy named Luhan than stay in the karaoke room with his friends.

There was one question swimming around Sehun’s head the whole time he ran home.

When did spending time with Luhan become more enjoyable than spending time with my friends?

~*~

Suho and Baekhyun collapsed onto the couches inside the karaoke room after the song had ended. They were well aware that Sehun had somehow escaped the confinements of the noraebang during their intense performance, but they did not have the energy to run out and find him. As they laid side by side, Baekhyun turned his head toward Suho and smirked.

“I think I’m going to win this bet, man.”

Suho turned to face him and rolled his eyes. “I still stick to my own beliefs. Sehun isn’t that much of a weakling, right? It takes a lot to break his walls down. That 'ice prince' isn't made out of ice for nothing, Baek.”

It was Baekhyun’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Please. You don’t think Luhan is enough? He’s wayyyy more than enough to melt that outer coating.”

Baekhyun grinned as he saw Suho’s eyebrows furrow in contemplation. He continued elaborating on his side of the argument.

“Don’t you remember what we learned in psychology about Freud and the unconscious mind? I bet on my whole collection of eyeliner that Sehun is unconsciously thinking about Luhan at least ten times a day. I bet he even thought about Luhan half the time he was with us today!”

Suho almost choked on his own saliva. “Y-your whole eyeliner collection?!”

“Yup.” Baekhyun giggled as he sat up from his lying position.

Suho lifted himself up too, and watched as Baekhyun grabbed a handful of chips and began to munch on them like a chipmunk would.

“Are you sure you want to give up your whole eyeliner collection?” Suho asked in a serious tone. He turned to Baekhyun with a grave expression on his face.

Baekhyun laughed, eyes turning into moon crescents as he stared at Suho with a confident gaze.

“Myeonmyeon, you know that I never lose my bets. I'm 100% sure that Sehun will be basking in Luhan's glorious love by the end of this year, and I'm willing to add my eyeliner collection to the original bet of 100,000 won.”

Baekhyun nudged Suho lightly in the arm with a wry grin on his face and winked. He then got up and stretched his arms over his head.

“Ahhhhh, what an eventful day.” He slowly walked to the door and stopped in front of it before turning back.

“Hyung, thanks for paying today!” Baekhyun said cheerfully, a small smile gracing his lips.

He then skipped out of the room, leaving a clueless Suho behind. It took him several seconds to register what just happened before a fiery ball of rage formed inside of Suho.

“Oh, not again...” Suho muttered under his breath. "I am NOT paying again." However, before he could go on a manhunt for Baekhyun, the door opened again and a waiter entered.

“Sir, here is your bill.” He said, handing Suho the receipt board. “The total is 92,400 won please.”

There was an awkward silence as Suho realized he would not be allowed to leave until he paid the bill. Suho began to rant angrily to himself in a flurry of English.

“Oh god damn it, that little brat, I am so going to chase him down after this, I can’t believe he would do this to me, oh my god, what the hell, does he think I am a walking bank, oh my god, I hope I brought my wallet, I'm not as rich as he thinks I am, my parents still manage my bank account, I WAS SAVING UP TO BUY STARCRAFT 2 OMFG I AM SO GOING TO KILL THIS KID!”

The waiter, frightened and confused, glanced at Suho, then the floor, at Suho, then the floor, repetitively for the next two minutes. He finally looked up at Suho nervously.

“U-Uhm. Sir.” He said weakly in broken English. “Bill, the bill. Money....U-uhm, eighty U.S. dollar. Eighty. Eight, zero.”

Suho gave the waiter the nastiest glare he could spare before slamming his money onto the receipt board and shoving it into the waiter’s arms.

“Thank you very much, but I am ONE HUNDRED PERCENT KOREAN JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW.”

Without another word, Suho marched out of the room and slammed the door, leaving a poor and now traumatized waiter shaking in fear.

~*~

A/N:

Hi again! It's been...two months, maybe(?) and a lot of stuff happened within these two months...including first marking period grades in high school, ACT testing, SAT testing, and the first round of college applications! (Am I going to get into college ;_;). But I stayed up today on a weekday in hopes of finishing at least another chapter for you guys to read (because I was starting to feel super guilty about not updating and also because I missed my characters), so hopefully you guys enjoyed today's chapter! I wrote this all in one go, and then edited and edited on here but I may have totally missed a few sections because I'm so tired right now xD. (The Luhan-Sehun juicy action is coming up next!)

HERE IS EXO'S "LIGHTSABER"!!! Click ---> here. <---

Comments and votes are totally welcome to boost my motivation, and I definitely send out a warm welcome to all the new readers! P.S. If you guys want to be friends, I have open arms! :D Love all my subbies as always