*


"Like, uh, food. You. Want. What?" Joonmyun tries again. He's sure he's never felt so hopeless before.

Because Kyungsoo, whom they all decided is going to be the main cook in the house and he only rolled his eyes at that, has sent him with mission of asking everyone what they wanted for dinner and making a list.

Joonmyun thought it's really nice of Kyungsoo to consider everybody's opinion and he said that. Kyungsoo just shrugged and said he didn't know what to cook, so with the list he'd choose something that's easy and/or doable with the stuff they have at the house, as he doesn't feel like going shopping for food.

Joonmyun didn't feel so awed by Kyungsoo's kindness after that.

But Joonmyun agreed anyway, deciding that they must figure out the food shopping thing and maybe make group that would go every week. That's a nice idea.

Much more nice than Joonmyun having to ask Tao what he wants for dinner as he's trying to do now.

He would've thought that after living two weeks with eight Korean guys, Tao's Korean would improve at least slightly, the basics at least. Joonmyun doesn't expect to talk politics with Tao, but food would seems like a basic thing.

"Food?" Tao repeats. That's the only thing he understands from what Joonmyun's trying to say to him, that it's about food. He's not sure what about food, though.

"Oh, for 's sake." Joonmyun burries his face in his hands. "You. Like. Food. What?" he tries again, his voice weak.

Tao frowns.

"I like food?" he tries hesitantly, because now it seems like that's Joonmyun is asking, if he does. Who doesn't, though.

Joonmyun sighs. He gives up. He'll send Yifan to ask Tao or something.

"Kyungsoo just wanted to know what you like to eat and what you'd like for dinner," Joonmyun murmurs sadly to himself, looking at Tao like he's a sick little kitty and Joonmyun is worried about him. Then Joonmyun looks around, looking for one of their other Chinese housemates. "Where is Yif-"

"Meat," Tao answers, sounding quite happy. Because he's definitely more positive, because it seems like Joonmyun's moment passed. He seems so sad, though. Tao really hopes the other doesn't feel bad, because Tao understand that Joonmyun just can't help it sometimes.

"Oh." Joonmyun looks at Tao surprised. Good, it worked, somehow, Joonmyun has no idea. He doesn't care, though, it did work, now he'll just put meat on the li-

Joonmyun looks at his list and blinks at it.

There are six numbers with meat next to it. Then one with chicken. His housemates seem to be pretty one-minded.

Joonmyun frowns.

Tao pouts, seeing Joonmyun frowning. He doesn't want the other to be sad, especially as it does seem like Joonmyun is feeling troubled by having had his moment in Tao's presence again, especially that it's been multiple times already. But, really, Tao understands and doesn't want Joonmyun to feel bad because of that.

Tao moves forward and embraces Joonmyun tightly.

"It's okay," he murmurs softly, his hand Joonmyun's back delicately.

Joonmyun tenses at first, having not expected anything like this. Then he hugs Tao back, because it's actually a very lovely hug and he hasn't been hugged lately and it feels so nice.

Poor Korean or not, Tao might be one of Joonmyun's favorite people in the house now.


*


When Jongdae walks out of his room, he sees Baekhyun, Yixing, Jongin, Chanyeol and Sehun grouped around the door to the living room. They seem to be watching something happening in there and trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Jongdae's curious. He likes laughing at others' expense, so he'll be happy to join the guys.

He approaches them and when they see him, they only smile, pointing inside the room.

Subtly he looks inside and sees Joonmyun and Tao. And Joonmyun is kind of yelling at Tao weirdly, who's looking at the older very, very confused and uncomfortable.

Jongdae observes the scene for a moment, feeling both amused, because what is this thing Joonmyun is doing/saying, and confused, because why is Joonmyun doing/saying this thing.

He actually snorts loudly, when he realizes what's going and looks at the other guys.

"So he really, genuinely thinks Tao can't speak Korean at all?" Jongdae asks, whispering. He thought it's just some kind of thing between the two, because Joonmyun can be pretty playful with his favorite dongsaengs.

Sehun needs to cover his mouth, because he actually starts laughing, when he hears the question. The others aren't much better.

"Yeah," Baekhyun says quietly.

"It's been like that since the beginning," Chanyeol adds. "Yifan-hyung told us what happened on the first day, too. It's only got worse, I think."

"I'm so sad I missed that," Jongin murmurs. He would've loved to see that.

"You were too busy freaking out after you saw Sehun at the door," Yixing says.

Jongin glares at him and then at Sehun, who chuckles and smirks at Jongin.

"I didn't and it doesn't matter." He shakes his head and turns to watch Joonmyun and Tao.

The others focus on the two as well, just in time to see Tao hugging Joonmyun out of nowhere.

Jongdae freezes. Yixing and Baekhyun gasp. The others just keep watching, their mouths open in surprise.

Jongdae can't really do anything else, but keep on looking and he sees how Joonmyun embraces Tao back and how he relaxes into the hug.

He frowns. He's not sure, if he's okay with that. He's known Joonmyun for so many years and he got hugged maybe three times and he's not even sure if any of those was such a content, tight hug.

He snorts, feeling pretty annoyed at the moment and looks away from Joonmyun. Immediately Jongdae notices that at this point most of the guys aren't watching the two in the living room anymore, but they're mostly looking at him.

"What?" he pretty much growls at them.

Baekhyun shrugs.

Sehun finally stops watching Joonmyun and Tao and turns to look at Jongdae, no trace of previous laughter on his face.

"What are you waiting for? Go and do something about it," he says. Jongdae stares at Sehun, because, really, what is he expecting him to do. Why would even Jongdae do something, it's not like he likes Joonmyun or something, or maybe he does, but it's not like they know Jongdae likes the guy, no way.

Sehun just rolls his eyes and uses the fact that Jongdae is standing right next to him: he makes a little step backwards and pushes Jongdae inside the living room.

Jongdae isn't expecting that at all, so he falls forward and onto the floor, his body hitting it hard.

"Jongdae, are you okay?" Jongdae hears immediately and when he looks up, he sees Joonmyun making a little towards him.

Everything hurts and Jongdae feels like throwing Sehun out the window, but seeing Joonmyun so worried for him makes it a little better.

"Yeah," he says softly, trying to get up, and winces at the pain in his right knee.

Joonmyun sits next to Jongdae and takes his hand softly.

"Are you sure? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Jongdae panics at the thought of a hospital and winces again as moving away from Joonmyun might've not been the best idea.

"Sure and I don’t. It just hurt a little. Not that bad."

Jongdae doesn't like anyone thinking that a little fall would send him to hospital. He might not be a regular at the gym or something, but he's not that weak.

"Yixing, help me get him up," Joonmyun's voice turns to the one they've already learnt not to ignore, so Yixing moves to the other side of Jongdae. "We'll take you to your room, okay?"

Jongdae hums in agreement, focusing on the pain for a moment.

So Joonmyun and Yixing get him up and standing and walking might not be really the best idea, as moving his legs kind of hurts, so with the help of the two, Jongdae somehow proceeds to walk back towards his room.

Passing by Sehun, Jongdae glances at him and sees a smirk on his face. He's a bit disturbed by it and then even more disturbed as it quickly turns into a lovely smile and Sehun pretty much skips towards Tao.

Then Jongdae kind of stops caring, because Joonmyun's hand is around his waist and he's really close and Jongdae puts his plan of throwing Sehun out the window for later.


*


When Joonmyun makes sure Jongdae is all alright and fine and doesn't need anything more and has everything, he goes back to his own room. It takes a while, but Joonmyun just wants to make sure his favorite dongsaeng will be okay. Especially as a big, pink bruise is starting to pop out on Jongdae's forehead.

But Joonmyun opens his door, he hesitates and stops. Because there's Yixing inside and going through something on Joonmyun's desk.

"What are you doing?" Joonmyun asks, frowning. He walks in the room and goes to Yixing.

The man only turns to glance at Joonmyun and looks back at whatever he's doing.

"Getting the key," Yixing answers simply.

"Huh?" Joonmyun approaches Yixing and, indeed, Yixing is going through the box of keys, where most of those left are to Yixing's room.

"You lost it already?" Joonmyun doesn't appreciates Yixing just walking in the room and going through Joonmyun's stuff to find the box and the key, but he can ignore this little incident once.

"I told you, it's the curse," Yixing says, taking a key out of the box and turning to Joonmyun. "It makes the keys disappear."

Joonmyun blinks. Yixing looks so serious, like he really believes the curse is real. Joonmyun isn't sure how to react to this.

"And the curse is only on your room?" he asks, glancing at the lots of keys with "2" plastered on them.

"Yeah." Yixing nods.

Joonmyun stares at Yixing for a while, completely lost.

"Okay," is all he finally manages. He doesn't have strength for more today.

Yixing just pats his hand on Joonmyun's arm and goes out of the room.

Joonmyun sighs.

What are the people here, he doesn't understand.


*


When Jongin walks into the living room, he sees Chanyeol pretending to be reading his school book, when in reality he's watching whatever Yifan and Minseok are watching. Jongin doubts Chanyeol understands anything that's said, because it's in Mandarin and Yifan keeps explaining some stuff even to Minseok, but he guesses as long as it's not a school book, Chanyeol is content.

Jongin really wonders how is Chanyeol acing all his courses, when he gets so easily distracted.

But Jongin is a nice dongsaeng, too, so he decides to help Chanyeol.

He walks over to the couch and throws himself next to Chanyeol, grinning at the guy, who only grins back at Jongin.

"Reading going well?" Jongin asks and snorts.

Chanyeol frowns at first and only then follows Jongin's eyes to his book.

"Ah," he gasps a little, as if he forgot he was holding it in the first place. "Yeah. Like, cystic fibrosis usually-"

And that's where Jongin kind of zones out. It's so easy to forget that Chanyeol is one of those genius, medical nerds, fascinated by his stuff and pretty much by everything. Jongin really should stop provoking Chanyeol to tell stories about whatever he was just reading, because Jongin just doesn't understand a word. But it's so difficult, because Chanyeol gets so excited and lovely and Jongin likes him like that. Jongin likes him in many ways, if he needs to admit this to himself. He wouldn't admit that to anybody else.

But excited or not, Chanyeol still gets easily distracted, so he cuts off the moment he hears somebody walking into the living room.

Jongin turns to look, too, and sees Sehun.

He sees Sehun looking around, looking at Jongin and then Sehun walks out.

Okay, the distraction is gone, so Jongin looks back to Chanyeol.

Jongin blinks.

Because now Chanyeol is staring at him. He glances to the side, because he doesn't hear the other two talking anymore, and, yeah, Minseok and Yifan are staring at him, too.

"What?" Jongin asks, confused, because he's pretty sure he missed something.

"He just walked out," Minseok whispers.

"Uh?" Jongin is more confused.

"Sehun. He came in, saw you and walked out," Yifan explains.

Jongin frowns. He doesn't think Sehun walked out, because he saw Jongin. Sehun isn't a person who would not be in the room, just because somebody he doesn't like is in there. He wouldn't care so much to go out of his way to avoid whomever he simply doesn't like.

Jongin guesses Sehun was just looking for somebody, didn't find them in the room and walked out. And, yeah, he saw Jongin, because Jongin was here.

"So?" He really doesn't understand what's going on in their minds.

"What's with you two?"

"What happened?"

"Did you fight?"

"Were you lovers?"

"Did one cheat on the other?"

"Did he walked on you with your beautiful lips around somebody else's di-"

"Wait, what, no!" Jongin can't stay it anymore. The thought of him and Sehun being... together is just- "Ew!"

He thinks for a moment.

"Beautiful lips?" Jongin blinks and looks at Chanyeol.

"What?"

"You said-"

"What."

They stare at each other for a moment.

"Doesn't matter," Yifan decides, because Jongin can squeeze out of Chanyeol that he really finds his lips beautiful (and maybe what he'd like to do to them, Jongin would be all for that). "What happened to you and Sehun."

Minseok nods, because he wants to know, too.

Jongin observes the two and Chanyeol for a moment and thinks that they all must've been curious. He remembers getting weird, subtle questions. And everything fits, as he knows that guys can be even bigger gossipers that girls at times.

"Well, we were best friends. Like, since we were little. He lived in the house next to mine. Our parents liked each other and then I was born and then he was and our moms found it easier to keep us together most of the time, because we'd get distracted by each other instead of crying or demanding their attention or ruining things. Unless we were getting destructive ideas together, that was always fun." Jongin smiles, thinking of his first dog being all rainbow-colored. He's sure he still has a picture of that.

"We were always together and went to schools together, always in one class. And then in our last year of high school there was this boy Sehun liked and went to be friends with and, well, I kind of might've liked that boy, too."

Jongin hears scandalized gasps. He looks at the guys and sees them all shocked and into his story. He chuckles.

"Yeah. I tried to keep it low, but Sehun knew me too well and he found out. And he didn't like it. I get it now, but it annoyed me back then. And so he was angry and jealous, so he spent more time with him instead of me and then I sometimes appeared and stole the attention of the boy. We both kind of knew better than to expect anything, because he had a boyfriend he loved a lot and the guy was older, but it didn't stop us from trying, mainly to annoy each other, though.

"Finally, we couldn't take it anymore and we fought. Badly. And, well, that was the last time we spoke till the day we moved in the house."

The story finished, Jongin doesn't really know what to say more, so he focuses on the tv. He still has no idea what the people in there say, but it's probably hilarious, since a couple is yelling at each other and the girl is almost crying.

Did Minseok really need help with such a movie?

"That's so sad," Chanyeol is the first to say. He's pouting and he raises his hand and puts it on Jongin's head, slowly his hair.

Jongin can't say the thing Chanyeol is doing isn't pleasant, so all he does is shrug. He guesses it's kind of sad, yeah.

"Breaking long, long friendship because of a boy, wow," Minseok murmurs, grimacing. That's terrible.

"Well, I guess that just helped?" Jongin adds. "Like, Dongho might’ve been a little bit of an excuse to fight, too. I mean, we'd always been together and then we were finishing high school and knew things couldn't be the same when we would go to college, we couldn't be always together anymore. So I sometimes think it was easier to fight and stop everything."

Minseok and Yifan stare at Jongin, who doesn't even notice, with how Chanyeol keeps his hair. Minseok sighs and Yifan shakes his head; they're really not impressed by Jongin and Sehun dealing with having to go separate ways. Because, seriously, fighting is a ty way.

"Young people these days," Minseok mouths at Yifan disapprovingly. Yifan nods and rolls his eyes at the amount of boydumbness that he just heard.


*


Luhan is just simply walking out of his room. He wants no trouble, he wants just a bit of food and then sleep and just nothing. It's not that easy, of course, nothing is easy, because suddenly something passes by him and goes into his room, before he can even notice what that is. And then the something grabs Luhan from behind and turns around.

"Where's Sehunnie?" Luhan hears, before he can even react. He takes a moment to blink away the pages of book that still keeps appearing in front of his eyes and finally sees that it's Tao who's holding him. So that explains some of the things.

"Sehunnie?" Luhan thinks for a few seconds. "I don't know. He went out."

He wants to add something more, something like maybe that he's not Sehun's nanny, why would he know where Sehun is, he doesn't keep track on him. And Luhan would add something like that, except Tao looks honestly surprised by Luhan's answer.

"Is everything okay? Do you want me to call him?" Luhan asks carefully. Tao is pouting and seems sad and Luhan can't even suggest for Tao to call Sehun himself, because he looks too pitiful for that.

Tao shakes his head.

"So, something is not okay?" Luhan makes sure.

"No. Just don't call him." The pout is gone and Tao rolls his eyes at Luhan.

"Okay..." Luhan murmurs, frowning a bit. They stand like this for a moment, Tao still holding him, when Luhan decides it's probably enough. "So... I'll go?" he kind of asks, pointing to the stairs.

Tao stares at Luhan for a moment and lets go of the older. Then his face turns all pouting and adorable and just cute panda and Luhan kind of wants to hugs him and never let go.

"Shower with me?" Tao suddenly asks.

The want to hug Tao pauses. Luhan blinks. He makes a step backwards and raises his hands in a protective gesture.

"How about no?"

The adorableness grows, but Luhan is stubborn. The only person in this house he'll be showering with is Minseok. Hopefully. One day. Soon.

But this thing, Tao, is so not happening.


*


As Yifan is walking upstairs to his room, Luhan passes by him. It's not really anything strange, but then he's mumbling to himself and Yifan can't help but raise his brow at that. He doesn't ask, though, he knows better.

And then when Yifan makes the last step, suddenly Tao sprouts out in front of him.

Yifan gasps, barely managing not to fall back and totally downstairs, which would badly.

"Shower with me?" Tao asks immediately, adorable pout on his face and eyes cutely widened.

First thought in Yifan's mind is okay. Except then it's followed by Tao. And then he realizes it's Tao and how Yifan is still full of thoughts like be straight, be straight, be straight, whenever he sees Tao's awed look directed at him and there's nothing else Yifan can do and maybe a shower isn't a good idea. Well, not even maybe, it's just definitely not a good idea, if somehow unfortunately Tao happened to maybe kind of have a little crush on Yifan. Which Yifan doesn't even want to think of, that can't be true, nope.

But, anyway, the shower. And Tao still looking at Yifan cutely.

"How about no," Yifan says and then feels like slapping himself at how indelicate that was. Because if Tao really has the unfortunate crush, then it probably hurt Tao's feelings and Yifan doesn't want to hurt Tao's feelings.

Yifan glances at the other and sees Tao frowning. He sighs, disappointed with himself, because he totally hurt Tao's feelings.

Except, what Yifan doesn't know is that Tao is just frowning, because two people said no to him the same way and that wasn't even five minutes. That . Did his aegyo break or what?

But it's always been said about three tries, so the moment Kyungsoo appears, Tao changes his target to him.

"Shower with me?" Tao tries again, except now he adds a little bbuing bbuing.

Kyungsoo chuckles at the cuteness that is his kind of dongsaeng.

"Of course. Let me just get my stuff, okay?" Kyungsoo pats Tao's head softly, ignoring that fact that he’s the shorter one, and goes.

Tao grins, very happy of the success and how quickly that went. So he should've added bbuing bbuing before, too, yeah, that makes sense.

Not even glancing towards Yifan, Tao skips to the bathroom.

Yifan is just left frowning after Kyungsoo. Because somehow that just doesn't sit with Yifan. He's not sure why, but he's pretty uncomfortable and annoyed at the moment. But, really, Yifan just has no idea what is wrong exactly.


*


The breakfast next morning pretty much goes the same way as it does always, with most of them being not happy about having to be up at such ungodly hour.

Jongin is one of the prime examples of that, as he's literally annoyed at not being asleep at the moment and Kyungsoo's glorious food can only help so much.

His breakfast half-eaten, Jongin notices Sehun walking into the kitchen, looking pretty unexcited and sleepy himself. He thinks for a moment and decides to ask Sehun about something that he was thinking about yesterday evening.

"Sehun," Jongin starts sleepily. He doesn't really pay attention to how everybody stops what they're doing and look at Jongin. Sehun doesn't react, but Jongin doesn't need him to, he knows he's listening. "How is Dongho?" Jongin last talked with the guy at the graduation and only briefly, as he hadn't crushed on him for a while back then.

Some of the guy gasp, when they hear the question and start whispering a little.

Tao is more awake at this point and can only stare at everyone, confused. He has really no idea what Jongin is asking and why is everybody else freaking out. He pokes Luhan's arm, demanding explanation.

"It's the boy Sehun and Jongin liked and they fought about," the man whispers quickly and looks back to the two, not wanting to miss any action.

Tao frowns. He thinks for a moment and he knows he probably should be frowning at both of them liking one guy, but somehow he can only focus on Sehun liking a boy. As in, liking somebody. That's kind of disturbing and Tao doesn't find the thought nice, even though it must've been way before.

Sehun doesn't react in any interesting way, though. He just sits calmly and takes his food.

"He's great. He got in where he wanted. And he's still with Alexander-hyung." Sehun smiles softly at the last thought. Those two were always such a nice couple.

"Didn't Alexander-hyung quit two months before the graduation?" Jongin frowns a little.

"He did. It was, because somebody almost caught them. But they stayed together anyway."

The others just keep watching them and frowning. It's going too easily, considering what they were imagining and all the fighting about a boy the two are now happily talking about being with somebody else.

"Quit?" Yifan risks and cuts in.

"Oh, he was a teacher at our high school," Sehun explains simply and turns back to his food.

More gasps are heard, because, really, a teacher? Sehun and Jongin's crush was going out with a teacher? Wow, so scandalous.

"That's nice," Jongin comments quietly, because it really is. Dongho had to be really careful, but since Jongin knew what to look for, he saw that he liked their teacher a lot. And Alexander liked Dongho a lot back, too. That's really nice that they've been together all this time.

Sehun nods, too busy with his food. He didn't eat dinner last night, so he's really hungry now and there's just nothing that can get him away from food, even Jongin, if he was actually trying.

Except, then Sehun suddenly feels a hand on his thigh. He needs to admit that's a bit unexpected. He knows the hand, though, and as he glances to the side, indeed, he sees Tao watching him with one of his brow raised. Tao doesn't look very pleased, though.

"Okay, I'm done," Sehun decides as he stands up. "I need to shower," he mumbles cutting off Baekhyun trying to say that Sehun's plate is still half full, and walks out of the kitchen quickly.

Well, that was sudden, some of the guys think, confused. Some don't care.

And then there's Jongin, who notices Tao following Sehun after barely a few seconds.