#4

 

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​@Sehun's side of the Conversation

Ffweet!

The sound of a whistle blowing sliced through the chlorine-filled air as Sehun entered the enclosed swimming gym.

Descending the stairs slowly, he made his way to the railings to spot a certain someone.  

Ffweeet! 

Another ear-piercing sound echoed and Sehun found his most valuable treasure on a diving pedestal.  

 

 

Luhan.

"Ohorat~" Sehun muttered as he his dry lips hungrily.

Basking in the glorious sight of Luhan's underwear-model-look, his crouching figure preparing for a dive. 

Ffweet!

And Luhan was off, diving flawlessly into the water.

In Sehun's opinion, Luhan looked like a mermaid--remaining underwater, gaining speed with every of his feet.

Luhan resurfaced, kicking and paddling towards the other end of the pool.

Sehun watched as Luhan took a breath every three he made. He also noticed how fast he was going. 

Luhan made an underwater flip and was now swimming the other way. Sehun wanted to start cheering, but he was afraid he'd disrupt Luhan's focus so he just gripped the railing.

Luhan was almost there, just a few more sec--

"AHHH!" Luhan yelled at the middle of his , losing breath and momentum, he started sinking.

"Luhan oppa!" Some girls screamed

"O my gosh! Someone get the coach!"

Sehun jumped over the railing and ran to the edge of the pool.

He wanted to jump to the rescue but he simply can't. He just can't. He stood frozen as he stared at the drowning Luhan. 

Then suddenly, a person jumped in from behind and made his way to Luhan, who was unconscious and still sinking.

The boy had reached Luhan's arms and hauled him up to the surface.

The guy was none other than Minho. The school's "Jocklethe". He was so good at sports-related everything that he was neither considered a jock nor an athlete--but both.

"Hey! What the are you doing?! Pull him up!" Minho snapped Sehun out of his paralysis.

Sehun quickly ran to them and carefully helped them up the edge.

Minho was panting hard and Luhan was barely breathing.

'Sehun, think! Your Snow White's dying!' Sehun forced himself to come up with an idea.

'Wait that's it!'

Sehun kneeled down and put his hands on  Luhan's chest. 

"Hana. Dhul. Sehtt." Sehun pumped Luhan's chest keeping in mind what he needed to do next. 

'Ok.. here goes..' Sehun made contact with Luhan's lips, making spectators (the class and some girlfriends and friends) gathered around gasp.

The known Lone Wolf, stood up and saved a prey. 

"Hana. Dhul. Sehtt." Sehun tried again.

This time the girlfriends were ready. They had taken out their phones to spread the news. But instead of Sehun, Minho was in the pictures.

Minho had pushed Sehun away the minute he leaned to Luhan.

Minho mimicked Sehun's breath technique but this time Luhan stirred, slowly fluttering eyes came to focus.

Luhan saw the face of an angel.. too bad for Sehun, it wasn't his--Luhan was 'kissing' Minho.

Luhan jolted and coughed out water.

"The heck were you doing?!" Minho scolded Luhan.

"Alright give him some air people!" The coach push through the kids.

"The heck were you doing?!" The coach repeated "I was having a moment with my salami sandwhich, then out of the blue I hear Ryeowook-ssi screaming, 'Luhan's dying Luhan's dying! Where's coach!? COAAAACH SHINDOOONG!!'" 

"I.. I had a cramp.." Luhan said weakly. Feeling guilty about causing such a ruckus, he buried his head in his arms.

"You know, you're not supposed to swim after football practice, dummy!" Minho bonked him lightly on the head.

"Ow! I--" Luhan was about to argue but flashes of their so called kiss replayed in his brain. "I-I'm sorry." He settled it with that instead. 

"You're lucky I was passing by when Asst. Coach Ryeowook panicked." 

"See! I told you panicking can be helpful." Asst. Coach Ryeowook proudly told the students.

"Not in swimming, pabo." Coach Shindong smacked his head.

"Yeah, kid. Lucky Minho here, can swim." Coach Shindong patted Minho's back. Truth is, the coach just didn't want to play lifeguard. 

"Yeah. Oppa saved your life! Which reminds me! What are we going to do with these pics?" Ji-eun

"Spread it anyway. It's Minho-oppa. I'm sure it'll get as much likes and retweets." Ji-yeon said

"Probably even more." The twins giggled.

"Sorry. And t-thank you." Luhan blushed. Being saved by somebody younger was not something to be proud of..

"That's alright. What were you thinking?"

"Well I was trying to beat--"

"Luhan! Where's Luhan?!"

"Oh. Xiumin. Figures." Minho mumbled.

"What did you do to him?!" Xiumin held Minho by the collar.

"Relax, -cheeks, I saved him."

Sehun shoved his clench fists in his hoodie. It was his moment with Luhan, it was his chance to be noticed by him again, but it was all stolen with a flash of a camera, in a matter of seconds.

"Oh, Sehun," Xiumin let go of Minho's collar and helped Luhan up. "What are you doing here? I thought you're afraid of water?" Xiumin said bluntly. Forgetting it was a secret he meant to keep with his life. But too late.

"Hyung.." Sehun quietly reminded.

"Oh shoot! Sehun I'm so sorry! I-- well it slipped my mind." Xiumin apologized frantically. 

"You're.. afraid.. afraid of WATER?" Minho mocked and laughed like crazy. Making everyone else follow along. Except two. 

Sehun turned cherry red and ran out as fast as he could.

Luhan and Xiumin, being ones that weren't laughing, noticed. 

"Sehun!" Xiumin called out.

"You're a jerk you know that?!" Luhan smacked Minho's arm, though not inflicting much hurt.

"What? You don't.. want to be with.. a wussy.. do you?" Minho said in between laughs making everyone laugh harder.

The next thing was a shock for all, Luhan punched Minho in the gut then pushed him in the pool. 

"Sehun!" Luhan callled then chased after the said male.

Yep. In his trunks and barefooted.

°°In the woods. (Yeah, they have a forest in their school campus, like Hogwarts except it's magicless, more lush and very much safer.)

Sehun climbed on top of his favorite tree: A red oak directly above a crystal clear lake. 

He looked down to see his reflection. 

"I'm not afraid.." Sehun told his image and lied down facing the sky.

"I'm NOT afraid.." He convinced himself. A soft breeze blew as if saying "That's alright; it's ok."

"It doesn't make you weak. You know?" 

Sehun sat up, seeing Luhan walk up to his tree.

"What are you doing here?" Sehun asked as Luhan was nearing. 

"Oh you know," Luhan said as he figured out a way to climb up the tree. "Taking a casual stroll along the woods."

"?" Sehun plucked a leaf then blew it away

"Yeah. I'm feeling a bit bold for clothes today." Luhan gave up on climbing and settled on the grass instead. "Of course not! I'm wearing trunks aren't I? Do you see anything hanging out??" Luhan sincerely asked. He was feeling insecure so he hugged his knees.

Sehun blushed at the older's words. He hadn't meant that, he just wondered why he would do such a thing.

"I would've put on clothes if you had waited for me." Luhan threw a stone into the water hoping it would skip but pouted when it didn't. 

"So what are you doing here?" Luhan asked again.

Sehun answered by throwing his hoodie to the other.

"What is this?" Luhan examine the said clothing.

"Wear it. You'll catch a cold..because of me."  Sehun whispered the last three words.

"It's alright. I can--" Luhan sneezed mid-sentence "--take care of myself." He sniffed. 

Sehun laughed. "I can see that." Sehun teased.

Luhan wore the hoodie which was a size bigger but it kept him warm so who cares?

"So.. what are you doing here?" He asked for the hundredth time.

"Thinking." Sehun answered nonchalantly leaning against the trunk

"How'd you get up there?" Luhan sat back down and pulled out grass

"I climbed." Sehun closed his eyes though he kept one eye slightly open so he can watch the cute actions Luhan made.

"Is it nice up there?" He asked as he smelled a hibiscus.

"Sure." Sehun closed his eyes shut as Luhan looked up at him. 

"Is that all you can answer?" Luhan said scowling. He never thought conversations like this existed in real life.

"It isn't like we're texting. It wouldn't hurt if you tried not killing the conversation." Luhan said crossing his arms at Sehun's direction. 

Sehun stared at the angry deer with a half-opened mouth; he  was shocked when Luhan snapped which led him speechless. But Luhan didn't get it due to his stoic expression. 

"Fine." Luhan walked away. 

"Wait!" Sehun jumped off the branch and grabbed Luhan by the wrist.

"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to. I just...It's just.. it's just that I can't bare with the fact.." Sehun stumbled on his words.

Luhan spun around to face him "Bare with what? Having a conversation with me? Am I that repulsive, Oh Sehun?"

"That he saved you!" Sehun yelled. Luhan flinched.

"He? Minho?" Sehun nodded.

"Well. Still! That's not an excuse! Besides he's a jerk." Luhan sulked.

"Alright.. shall we start over?" Sehun smiled the warmest smile he could offer.

Luhan looked dazed but still gave a small nod.

Sehun climbed back the tree and looked at Luhan expectantly.

"What?" Luhan asked.

"Your question?" Sehun closed his eyes as he waited for Luhan.

"Uhm okay." Luhan said taking a seat once again on the grass.

"What are you doing?" Luhan threw the first obvious question. 

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know. After I saw you get kissed by Minho, I felt like crashing down. So I went here."

"Felt like crashing?  Why's that?" Luhan asked as he crawled over to the edge of the lake. He felt intrigued. 

"I was the one supposed to save you." Sehun said staring into Luhan's eyes.

Luhan looked away but blushed nonetheless. 

"It's not important now."

"It is to me." They made eye contact again and they both broke it this time. Sehun sighed while Luhan dipped his feet in the water.

"I have an idea." He giggled as small fishes began gathering around his feet. "Take out your phone." 

Sehun complied with a raised eyebrow. 

"I'm going to give you something no man, woman or admirer has ever gotten from me." 

Sehun visibly gulped hard. His palms feeling clammy and his pants slightly tightening..

"My number." Luhan said standing up and reaching out for the phone. 

Sehun gave it to him and let out the breath he unknowingly held.

'Down, boy, down.." he told . Yep. Sehun is as erted as his friend, Kai, but more mellow.

"Here. " Luhan passed it back after he saved his number and took a selfie for the contact.

Sehun took it and checked. He stifled a laugh when he saw the picture. 

"What is this?" He said while laughing.

"My number." Luhan crossed his arms while he puffed out his cheeks.

"No I meant the photo!"  Sehun showed him the said picture.

"Well, I thought you need a laugh. So I want you to laugh everytime I show up on your screen." Luhan explained. "I see it's effective." Luhan said but right then Sehun quieted down.

"But if you don't like it then give it to me!" Luhan snatched the phone back and tried to delete his number but Sehun was quick enough to intervene. 

"No! I like it actually." Sehun said. He tried to steal back the phone Luhan tried so hard to keep out of reach.

"Ok." Luhan gave up due to the tossing around, he wasn't built enough for such a rigorous task, Sehun noted.

Sehun continued to tinker with his phone and pocketed it. He looked back to Luhan who was inspecting the tree.

"What's wrong?" He inquired as the curious looking boy circled the tree.

"Looking for the inscription." Luhan said as he felt the tree's bark.

"Inscription? What inscription?" Sehun asked scratching his head. 

"You know, like in the movies--where couples etch their initials on a tree, and the heart and plus thing. That inscription." Luhan popped his head from behind and then rounded back to try and climb the tree.

"There are no inscription like that on this tree" Sehun said as he noticed Luhan struggling. "OK, how can you be sporty but still be weak to climb a tree?" 

"I lack upper body strength, ok? Anyways, there aren't?" Luhan said as he dusted his borrowed hoodie.

"Last time I checked." Sehun shook his head.

Luhan hummed, "then why is it so special then?"

"This tree? Well that's because he's my pet." Sehun explained looking up at the magnificent tree.

"You have a pet tree?" Luhan asked with wide eyes.

Sehun shrugged, "Yeah. Some people have pet lizards, rock, imaginary friends--I have a tree."

"Noncomformist much? So, what's his name then." Luhan said hugging the tree. Yeah he's a tree hugger.

"Name? Should he have one?" Sehun scratched his nape.

"What kind of pet owner are you? Of course he should have a name!" Luhan scolded.

Sehun nodded timidly. He wasn't much of a pet owner, coming from parents that are allergic to almost any mammals, he didn't know a pet should have a name.

"Well what name fits?" Sehun said scanning tree. 

"What name do you like? That's the unwritten rule. Name any pet you like, any name you want. No matter how ridiculous or unfit it may be. Your pet, your rules." Luhan said holding Sehun's shoulder. 

"I have no idea." Sehun said. Then a bunny rabbit came hopping by, nibbling on the grass and casually looking up from time to time. 

"Awwww! How cute!!!" Luhan cooed and run to the rabbit who toppled over mid-hop due to shock.

"Oops, sorry little guy. Didn't mean to scare you there."  Luhan said sheepishly as the rabbit shot him a nasty look (if rabbits could do that) and hopped away. 

"That's something you don't see everyday." Luhan chuckled. "So thought of a name yet?" Sehun shook his head.

"Well.. I have a pet rabbit--kinda like the one earlier. His name's Hannie. You know, like LuHAN, I used the HAN to name him and added a cute twist to it. Hannie." Luhan explained with closed eyes and a raised index finger.

"Se.. HUN." Sehun mumbled like a little child learning two syllables.

"No no." Luhan laughed. "It doesn't have to be like that always. You can play with words or names. Like take two names and add them together."

Sehun looked confused as heck. What is this deer freaking talking about? 

Luhan sighed. "Ok keep it our secret, k? Like with D.O, I've been teasing him for a long time for liking Kai. And the most effective is KAISOO-- a play of their names. Kai plus Kyungsoo, KaiSoo. It's their ship name. Or KaiDO but KaiSoo's way better. In my opinion." Luhan explained.

"Hun. Han. Hunhan." Sehun said again rather child-like.

Sehun blushed at the name he had just created. And looked at Luhan who was only inches apart from his face, giving the same flustered look. 

Silence. The wind blew. Grass swayed. Foliage rustled. Leaves fell. Water rippled. Birds chirped.

"What?" Luhan finally interrupted the orchestra of silence. 

"Well-- I-- I-i just-- an example. Yeah, an example!" Sehun flailed his arms in every direction making Luhan laugh hysterically. 

"Do my eyes deceive me? Or is the Usually Composed, Supposedly Emotionless, Lone Wolf--panicking?" Luhan laughed out more.

'Am I? What have you done to me Luhan?' Sehun thought as he felt his heart beating out of his chest. His cheeks blushing and jaw slightly agaped.

He felt vulnerable, felt like running but his whole body saying otherwise. His limbs were as rigid as the branches of his pet tree, his feet firmly rooted to the ground.

"Something wrong?" Luhan stopped laughing.

"Uh, no. Nothing." Sehun pulled himself back together, "So HunHan."

"You're serious about that?!" Luhan was shocked yet again by Sehun's words.

"Yes." Sehun stubbornly said, hinting he wasn't about to change his decision.

"Fine." Luhan rolled his eyes. "But at least make it HanHun."

"I seem to recall, 'my pet, my rules' and, correct me if I'm wrong, I get to name any pet I like with any name I want?" Sehun cockily said as he repeated the older's wise words. Don't you just love loopholes?

"Fine." Luhan said walking away.

Sehun trailed after him.

"So I can name him HunHan now?" Sehun was thrilled that he got his way.

"HanHun." Luhan still said.

"HunHan!"

"HanHun!"

"HunHan!"

"HanHun!"

And the two continued bickering back and forth whether to name the tree one or the other.

"But I like HunHan better. Don't you?"