Ten;

It was Kyungsoo who he met the first time that morning. Jongin's stomach didn't feel as funny as before, like what people said, he didn't have any butterflies. This was totally different from when he was still in a relationship the petite guy. Jongin nodded at him briefly, but it's Kyungsoo we talked about and Kyungsoo was extremely friendly so he shouted Jongin's name instead. Ushering him to go closer and walked into the building together.

“It has been a long time since we walked like this, right, Jongin?” The petite guy, Jongin noticed, was bringing an armful of text book (mostly biology, just because Kyungsoo was a nerd for that subject). And being a gentleman he was, Jongin offered to help. “Oh, thank you so much. I've been waiting for you to say that.”

This disturbed Jongin to no end. “Am I some kind of servant for you?” He added a snort and Kyungsoo waved it off with a laugh. Jongin was happy because they still can act this friendly even after that troublesome break up. He didn't want to have enemies just from break ups.

“You're pretty close with Sehun, I've noticed. You would lean to him when you guys were discussing about that assignment, the one that want us to create a script an act it out, I mean. You're in the same group as he is, right?” Kyungsoo said. Jongin frowned, he never did that kind of thing toward Sehun. He didn't lean onto him.

Choosing to ignore the 'lean' thingy, Jongin answered, “Yeah. The same group.”

Kyungsoo stared at him with his wide eyes, and Jongin gulped. Kyungsoo knew he had purposefully left the 'lean' thingy behind and decided to not bring it up again. “I don't want you to responded on that one, and you know it.”

“We weren't that close.” Jongin sighed then huffed, pulling up his arms because the books were going to fall down. “I'm closer to you than to him.” He couldn't bring himself to say Sehun's name for an unknown reason.

The shorter boy rolled his eyes as they passed the lockers. Ah, that bought back memories, Jongin thought. “You're close with him in the different way you're close to me,” Kyungsoo then realized that they were supposed to stop at the latter's locker to put away those nasty biology books on Jongin's hands, so he ushered Jongin to follow him after he made an U-turn. “Come on, don't play dumb.”

Jongin shifted his arms as it got more uncomfortable, and he couldn't be more relieved when Kyungsoo opened his locker's door with an unnecessary power. “Why does it different?” Kyungsoo mentioned him to put those books into his lockers and that was what Jongin going to do.

Kyungsoo was not answering to his question, not after he already closed his locker with an unnecessary power again. (Because Kyungsoo was a petite guy with a big power inside him and sometimes he couldn't hold that power in.)

With a snort, Kyungsoo said, “You don't know? Ah, you will be forever oblivious about this kind of thing even though you're the 'Kim Jongin'. How pitiful.”

“Hey!”

“I think you like him.”

Jongin stopped himself that was going to punch Kyungsoo's shoulder. “Who?”

“Dude! Who are we talking about all this time?! OH-SE-HUN!” Kyungsoo said, purposefully spelling Sehun's name (in such a loud voice). Everyone in the hall had probably heard what Kyungsoo said. Jongin cringed briefly before pinched Kyungsoo's cheek who was flailing his arms in return, begging for Jongin's mercy.

“How can you said his name that easy? And with a loud voice too!” After releasing his ex's cheek, Jongin uttered then sighed. He was worried someone would hear something. But why though? At this Jongin found himself thinking hard.

Kyungsoo snorted and waved his hand in a dismissive manner, “Sehun is no Voldemort, duh. Why can't I say his name easily anyway? The question is on you Jongin. Why are you getting so worked up upon hearing Sehun's name?”

And Kyungsoo just knew the right way to add something he had to think about.

---

Instead of lazing around on his couch like he always did after he got home, Jongin was out with his cousin that decided to visit him after 3 years of separation. His mom immediately beamed at them as his cousin asked for her permission to drag Jongin around the neighborhood. Jongin didn't mind any of that, but come on, at least let him change the uniform first.

In the end, his cousin drove him to the nearest mall near his school. They didn't do anything but window-shopping. He pointed a few things that caught his attention and ushered his cousin to look at the things. His cousin, Minseok, didn't say much though, but Jongin noticed he always gripped on his phone all the way they were strolling around the mall. It made him curious somehow.

Figuring out that Minseok wouldn't start any conversation, Jongin stated calmly. “So, how's your life in there?” and that successfully stole Minseok's attention. For the first time in that day, Jongin could saw the faint and almost unnoticeable dark circle on the bottom of his cousin's eyes. Is college really a hell like the most of college students that Jongin know said so?

“In China?” Jongin nodded and averted his eyes, away from those dark circles. He spotted an escalator, ushering Minseok to go up, to the food court. Which got an immediate approve from the older boy. And Jongin smiled at that, seeing the obvious sparkle in his Hyung's eyes as they arrived at the upper floor.

Jongin waited patiently for Minseok to answer his question, because the older's eyes were glued on the food that being displayed on his right and left side. The sun-kissed boy was fine about that, knowing that his Hyung's first love was, no doubt, food. “It's fine. I met new people. New teachers. It was hard to get used with the new environment and language, but I get used with it anyway—oh! That cake looks delicious.”

Jongin chuckles as Minseok went into a shop that had the said cake. He himself thought that it looked delicious indeed. He hope Minseok wouldn't mind to share the cake with him.

After Minseok had returned to his side, a box of delicious cakes (apparently Minseok got his eyes on other cakes) in his hand, Jongin remembered about something.

“Hyung,” Jongin said trying to get the other boy's attention, eyes were staring at the front. “I'm not sure about something.” Minseok hummed and Jongin could hear a vibration from his cousin's pocket (where he had put his phone after he knew Jongin always looked at it). Jongin was silent as Minseok pulled out the device and stares at the screen then tapped it a few times before put it back into his pocket.

“Oh yeah? About what?” the older boy answered. “Let's go back. My feet are tired.” he walked to the escalator. Jongin followed shortly, his mind wandering about how would he tell his problem later. But then he saw Sehun, on a cafe near their school, he was leaning way too close in Jongin opinion to whoever his companion is—the hell? Isn't that Chanyeol? What are they doing? Isn't that too close to be called as friendly act?

Jongin could not remember what he had mouthed about, and he guessed Sehun could not even figure out the words. He did not remember ever leaving the spot where he had stared at Sehun and Chanyeol. And he clearly did not remember how hard Minseok had dragged him back home.

“Okay, Kim Jongin. Spill everything.”

Were the first words that Jongin heard, right after Minseok shook him with a big force, snapped him out of his daze. Jongin blinked.

Why did it feel weird seeing them like that? And what did I dazed off for?

---

Jongin was in a bad mood. Anyone could tell. He had furiously punched every button on his friend's game console for a while now. And when it was still look pretty normal for you, he also had won every single match in the game. Kim Jongin's good at games, sure, but he rarely wins any match not when he plays with his crazy for games friends. He used cheat? Psh, that's so not Jongin style.

He noticed how Kyungsoo looked at him with an amusement in his eyes, and it pissed Jongin off. It was like Kyungsoo has already know something he had no clue about. It was not a pleasant feeling, to made it worse, did Kyungsoo should really pulled off that smug smile and rubbed it on Jongin's face? Now Jongin wanted to break some things before he could give Kyungsoo a good punch on his face.

“That's probably the stupidest thing you have said, Kim.” One of his friends pipped up with a hushed tone. As Jongin threw him a threatening glare, he just shrugged. “You know how Kyungsoo has been the teachers favorite. They wouldn't hesitate to give you some nice punishment for breaking their toy's face.” And Jongin couldn't help but agree with it, so he growled instead.

He could hear Sehun's conversation with that freaking kungfu panda. But he didn't have any intend to eavesdrop them, mind you. Why would he eavesdropped something stupid like—Hey! He was no normal 'dark guy'!

“It's not dark,” Came an immediate reply from him before he could zipped the damned mouth. “But y bronze.”

“Shut up.” The look in Sehun's eyes were between annoyance and hopelessness. Jongin did not have any idea why would such emotions were reflected in Sehun's eyes.

“Why don't you do it yourself?”

“Fine.”

Uh-oh. He should not say that in the first place, should he?

---

The book was left alone in the empty classroom. He swore he didn't take it by force from the owner.

He was going to apologize to Sehun after snapping unnecessary (and not to mention very childish) things at the pale boy. So, according to a girl in his club, Sehun also has a club activity today and would also stay late at school. Jongin's plan was to concerned Sehun in their class and have a conversation with him. But he found the book instead. A very interesting one.

At first he only wanted to peek juuuust a little, but then he recognized the writing the book has in it. Painfully similar to Sehun's messy yet still looked neat handwriting, fortunately (or not) it proven by a little scribble of 'Oh Sehun's' on the top right corner of the first page. He got curious and actually read a whole page even though he had promised not to. Jongin laughed as he read about the stupid things Sehun has been through.

One page turned to two pages. Two turned into three, until Jongin realized he had read half of the content. And he didn't feel bad, because this is Sehun's and Sehun is...what?

Shaking off the thought, Jongin proceeded to the next page. And he hoped he did not read it.

It was about Sehun's feeling towards a boy. A little crush it said, but Jongin could feel a deep affection in every words. And those words were actually for him? Kim Jongin?

The rest of the day got blurred when his brain finally finished processing the words. He remembered how he went to school the next day. And how he had got into a kind of heated argument with Sehun, but the clearest thing he remembered was when he pulled out the book and said—

“I've read this. And noticed that you have feeling for me, why did you kiss Chanyeol then?”

—weird things. Hold on a second, when did he get the idea of Sehun kissing that lanky boy? Okay he needed to stop before everything get more absurd and confusing for him to think about.

“You're supposed to like me, right?!”

Oh. Crap. You're dead Jongin.

A/n:

Hi guuuys. I miss you so much ;w;

Sorry for the late update, got really busy with orientation days and stuff

cus finally i became a high schooler!! /throws confetti/

And actually i'm a bit sick right now, so excuse me for more grammatical errors or typos

I'm not in my best condition to edit the chapter, so yeah sorry :'(

I predicted this story will end soon, hope you guys are still here with me till the end <3

I'm going to start another fic, so what pair do you want me to write? Any suggestion?

Now i'm blabbering lol. Till next time guys!