He sat on the grass, the cold edging its way past his thin pyjamas and into his skin. He barely noticed though. He couldn't understand the fluidity of the movements nor the perfect execution and flourish. All he knew was that the figure swathed in black was beautifully captivating and almost possessive in the way that he allowed Sehun not to take his eyes away.

The figure, still heavily shadowed, nothing more than a silhouette against the darkening sky, reached over to grab something from the ground, and for a moment Sehun thought he could see the face behind the mystery. He turned away before he could distinguish though.

Sehun felt wrong. He felt like he wasn't permitted to watch such intricacy. The feline manoeuvres looked too personal but simultaneously like they were meant to be admired by crowds of thousands. The level of martial arts he was witnessing was a result of pure strength, movements coming from the core, and as the figure twisted his body in mid air, forming the beginning of a butterfly kick, Sehun held his breath.

'Are you following me?'

Sehun yelped as the figure lunged towards him and pinned him down by the shoulders. Pain blossomed there but he didn't have long to think about it because he and Tao's faces were far too close together for comfort, and from that angle Sehun forgot to think.

'Oh, it's you.' Tao said, his voice low. He scrambled off Sehun as if his flesh was burning underneath him. For someone who had been so potent a moment ago, his actions were rushed and clumsy.

'Wow, nice pyjamas.'

Sehun looked down at his pink rilakkuma long pyjama bottoms and blushed a pretty colour to match. He hadn't planned on letting anyone else other than Jongdae and Baekhyun see them. 'They were a present.' he mumbled.

They weren't. He'd seen them online and decided that he needed to own them to match his favourite plushie. He'd had to pay a fortune for shipping and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to wear them. They had come with a matching top but he didn't wear it because it made him feel emasculated.

'They make you look like a teenage girl at a sleepover.' Tao smirked at Sehun who was still sprawled on the floor.

'Yeah, well at least I don't spend my nights playing ninja at the dark end of some field.' Sehun got up, dusting himself off. He wasn't sure what time it was but it felt late if the cold and the dark were anything to go by. He scolded himself for having three bad nights in a row. He vowed to go to bed early the next day and not be disturbed by anyone. Especially not by a certain person with dark eye bags and penchant for skulking around in fields when the moon was out.

'At least I don't spend my nights watching people as they do their daily wushu practise, you creep.' Tao had crossed his arms against his chest and would have looked menacing if Sehun didn't know any better. He did know better because Baekhyun had told him that Tao cried at almost everything, especially on the last day of term when everyone would go home for the holiday and he'd have to say goodbye to all of his friends for a while. Looking at him now though, the moon illuminating him nicely, Sehun just couldn't see it.

'I'm a creep? I'm not the one who dresses all in black to blend in with the night.'

'I'd rather wear black than pink with little bears on, what are you, twelve?' Tao scoffed. It didn't help that Tao was taller than Sehun and so could look down on him, making him feel younger.

Sehun mimicked Tao's posture, also crossing his arms and planting his feet firmly on the ground. They gave each other a long, hard stare.

'Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?' Tao asked, breaking the heavy silence that the two had created. 'It still stands.'

'You talked to me first.' Sehun growled. He turned away and began to head back to the dorm room, not wanting Tao to see him shiver from the cold.

…

Sehun watched Tao practise the next night too. It was a coincidence really. He had come back from a bubble tea outing with Luhan and Xiumin and they stumbled across him on the way back. He enjoyed his eldest hyungs company. They talked about things Sehun had no interest for like politics and current affairs, but they also talked about things that made Sehun's ears pick up like acting.

'Sehun, you should audition for the next school play.' Xiumin said over the table, and Sehun had nodded and said that he definitely would. He admitted to them that all he really wanted to do was to sing and dance but that his father was forcing him to take sciences and maths in order for him to take over the family company when he was old enough; Oh Pharmaceuticals.

'Yeah but it's extra credit and you do performing arts as a subject anyway don't you?' Luhan pointed out. Sehun did already do performing arts but it was a compromise and it was only deemed as an acceptable subject if he kept his chemistry and biology grades at an A and his physics and maths at a B.

'Probably not for much longer, my chemistry has been awful lately.' Sehun shrugged. As long as he had Kris and Tao for partners he was sure to fail. They had the attention spans of goldfish and seemed to spend every lesson trying to make the prettiest colours with the chemicals. Tao also seemed to spend chemistry lessons testing out his powers, making one hour feel like several.

And that's how he felt when Tao did wushu. Like time was irrelevant. When he watched he had to do so objectively. He had to forget that it was Tao and focus on the movement instead. He remembered though, who it was every time he threw over a snarl or a squint and told Sehun to go away. Sehun, in response, would stay firmly where he was and send a gust of wind in his direction, toppling him over if not just irritating him and making him shudder.

Tao stormed over, today dressed in less of a black cloaked garment and more of sweats and a tank top. Sehun who was wearing a huge woollen coat and scarf, shivered at the sight, but the sheen of sweat on Tao's body as he walked over showed that he was boiling hot, and Sehun believed his temper to be the same. But if he reversed the roles then he'd be mad too.

'Sehun please stop before I make you stop.' Tao said it darkly but the red around his eyes suggested otherwise. 'Please just go back inside.' His tone was gentle and defeated. Sehun crossed his arms and showed Tao that he wasn't going anywhere.

Tao's shoulders drooped and he looked tired. He looked really tired and it was only close up that Sehun could see it. 'Maybe you should go inside.' Sehun responded.

'You know, I really wish I could, but unlike you I actually have things to do and competitions to win. So no, you go inside.' Tao seethed. 'Do not get on the wrong side of me today. I'm tired but I still have enough energy to break your pretty face.'

Sehun didn't need telling twice. He scurried away as fast as he could without looking like he'd surrendered too easily. Having nothing better to do, he decided he would wander around until he saw somebody he knew, but it appeared that most chose to spend their time off campus. There was no way that he was going out alone either as he didn't know his way around well enough to be trusted not to get lost and end up in some dark alley crying for someone to come find him.

He entered the school building, finding a window seat that happened to overlook the field. He curled his feet under him and lifted his backpack up, taking out his physics guide and planning on getting some studying done. Newton's 3rd law of motion just wasn't very interesting to him though and there was no getting around it. Nuclear reactors were slightly more interesting but only because they reminded Sehun of Fallout 3. After a few minutes of trying, and failing, to absorb any information, Sehun gave up altogether. Besides, he was being heavily distracted by his peripheral vision. Stupid Tao.

Stupid Tao doing kicks and flips.

Stupid Tao twisting his hips and falling to the ground, holding them as he writhed on the grass.

Sehun looked away. He closed up his book and hitched his backpack on. He'd decided that he was going to go to the library and check out some books to read at the dorm.

'Hello Sehun!' someone said excitedly when as he browsed the shelves. His mind had said to go to the reference books, but his heart screamed at him to read sci-fi to quell his book thirst. He turned, a novel clutched to his chest, to find Yixing.

'Hello.' Sehun said quietly, adapting his voice to the hush of the library 'What are you doing here, I thought you were in town.'

'No, me and Junmyeon come here every Thursday to play board games. We're just starting a game of Cluedo so you can join us if you want to.' Yixing said, happily pliant to Sehun's appearance in his and Junmyeon's supposed couple time.

'I'd like that, thank you.'

Yixing smiled in response and led Sehun upstairs to where Junmyeon was sitting at a table setting up the game. There were drinks and snacks on the table and Junmyeon told Sehun to help himself. 'It's really great that you're here Sehun, it's so hard to play Cluedo with two people.' Junmyeon inserted as Sehun chewed on a doughnut thoughtfully. 'Actually, I think it's still pretty hard to play it with three. Sehun, will you please ask Tao if he wants to play. He's outside.'

Sehun paused his chewing, swallowing down what was in his mouth with a grimace. He was about to interject and say that it would be fine with three players, but Yixing was far too fast for him. 'It's okay, I'll get him.' He jumped up quickly, leaving Sehun to shudder at the thought of being in such a confined space with Tao.

'Look, if this is about you trying to make me become closer with Tao so you can win the bet then it's not happening.' Sehun finally said after building up enough courage to say what he was thinking. Junmyeon looked taken aback for a moment, then smiled. 'You know about the bet.'

'Jongdae told me.'

'Sehun it would be great if you went out with Tao, but it would also be wonderful if you got a boyfriend full stop. We just want to see you happy and not lonely.'

'I don't like Tao, he's mean and y.' Sehun pouted, taking another doughnut from the plate on the table (they were pink and rainbow sprinkled, how could he say no?).

Junmyeon smiled even wider, and Sehun was worried by his constant cheerfulness. 'You know it's funny. I didn't like Yixing at all at first. I thought he was too forgetful and sometimes it was like he was on a different wavelength altogether.' he paused as if for effect. 'But then one day during dance practise I was really hurt and Yixing healed me right up. I never believed in love at first sight but when I looked into his eyes there were butterflies and it was just sort of obvious that he was perfect.' Junmyeon blushed at the thought.

'Ew that was the grossest thing I've ever heard.' Sehun felt comfortable enough to say to him. 'It's not like that with me and Chanyeol or Kris or Tao though.'

'I'm just saying, these powers come in handy sometimes when it comes to finding soul mates. Ask around and you'll see.'

Junmyeon grinned widely as Yixing came back, dragging Tao behind him, who seemed a lot more eager to join them once he saw the food on the table. 'I call Miss Peacock.' he said through a mouthful of cake. Sehun snorted, earning a snide look from Tao.

The game didn't last long because Tao refused to show Sehun his cards even when he owned the accusations, and Junmyeon deemed the game over because of 'lack of communication'. He suggested that they play monopoly instead and they both complied as less talking was involved. It didn't help that they were painfully close together, to actually speak to each other would be far too much. As they began to squabble over who would be banker, Junmyeon cut them off with a splash of water in their faces. 'Will you stop being such children. Yixing is banker.'

Tao stormed out half way through the game because he said that Sehun was cheating and kept knocking his property over. Also Yixing had forgotten to give him two hundred pounds when he passed go more than once.

With the game coming to a halt, Sehun thought to ask Yixing himself how he and Junmyeon decided to date.

'He always gave me cups of water after dance practise.' was his simple reply as he patted Junmyeon on the head.

Sehun thanked them both for the invitation to play and for the free food then made his way downstairs to check out the books he had chosen.

Halfway down the stairs he could hear Yixing telling Junmyeon that he had to heal Tao's waist and back before they had come to play the games, and after that he quietly asked Junmyeon to tell him not to work so hard because he was too stubborn to Yixing's pleas. He wouldn't get any sympathy from Sehun though. None at all.

…

'How did your powers make you date?' Sehun demanded to know when he got back to the dorm room. He found Jongdae and Baekhyun sitting up in bed together reading comic books and almost walked straight out. Their affection for each other was too much for Sehun to handle.

They blinked at him in response. Jongdae got out of the bed, throwing the covers off and pulled Sehun to come join them, putting him in the middle of the two. As it was only a single bed, Baekhyun whined and said that he was falling out. Jongdae shushed him and put an arm around Sehun. 'Our story begins on a cold October night. Halloween night to be precise.' Jongdae began by putting out his other arm as if to illustrate the air. 'The most charming Jongdae was invited to a party at the common room, and off he went dressed as no face from spirited away, happily obscure enough to be different but not too niche to look like a hipster douche bag. When Jongdae arrived at such party, he was sad to see five individuals all dressed as Batman. Jongdae decided that such a party was a waste of time and concluded that he would eat some food then go back to the dorm and watch horror films, and by horror films he meant gossip girl.'

Sehun interrupted him. 'I'm sorry are you going to speak in third person all the way through this story?'

Jongdae ignored him completely and Baekhyun told him to shut up. 'Jongdae was ready to go but Junmyeon, dressed as an angel persuaded Jongdae to stay, proving himself to be much more than just his outfit, because if Jongdae had left then he would not have been there when the mysterious stranger walked into the room and stole everyone's attention completely. Said handsome stranger, or should I say pretty stranger, was captivating, dressed as Princess Mononoke and the dashing Jongdae was smitten. Jongdae began to chat to the eyeliner god and complimented him on his ghibli knowledge. Jongdae asked the stranger, who introduced himself as Baekhyun, why he had never seen him before, and Baekhyun replied that he was a new student. Jongdae took the alluring Baekhyun back to his dorm room, but it turned out to be Baekhyun's room too which the two were joyful about. As they watched gossip girl together, a howl was heard outside and the power went out, leaving Jongdae scared and not manly at all. Before Jongdae knew what was happening, Baekhyun had found a torch, except upon further investigation, it wasn't a torch but instead it was the palm of Baekhyun's hand emanating light. Jongdae exclaimed 'holy that's cool', but Baekhyun frowned and said he was a freak. Jongdae said that he was also pretty freaky and chased Baekhyun around the darkened room, giving him electric shocks.'

Baekhyun cooed all the way through the story and at the end of it showed Sehun his scar from when Jongdae got really excited. 'That was a nice story and all but why was it in third person.' Sehun asked.

'For the drama.' Jongdae said with a flourish. 'Now get out of the bed, you're taking all of Baekhyunnie's heat.'

Sehun was happy to comply. He sat on his own bed, facing them. 'What did everyone else go as to the party?'

'It's hard to remember. Jongin and Kyungsoo were sailor moon and tuxedo mask.' Jongdae reached out under his bed and pulled out a shoebox full of photos. 'Flick through these.'

As Sehun rifled through the pictures he saw that Yixing was a zombie and in most of the photos was running around after Junmyeon and freaking him out. Tao, in most of the photos was perched on top of things dressed as Ezio Auditore. When Sehun asked about it Baekhyun said that the photo was taken during Tao's parkour phase. In a later photograph he was sprawled on the floor with a bloody nose because he had fallen and landed on his face. Sehun suppressed a laugh at the image. 'Where's Xiumin and Luhan?'

'It was date night for them so they didn't come.'

That was another couple that Sehun had to question about their powers. 'I'm going to go shower, if you take my clothes again I'll ruin you both.'

As Sehun shampooed his hair he realised that he spent a lot of his time showering. It wasn't exactly a bad thing because at least he wouldn't smell. He figured he'd just have to do something more productive with his time. Maybe he'd take up running or some other kind of sport that would involve working up a sweat and giving him an excuse to shower so much. Soapy blue bubbles fell on the ground and as Sehun pulled his hands away from his hair he noticed that they too were a shade of blue. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping when he opened them again his hands would be a normal colour, because if his hands were blue then that could only mean the worse.

…

Everyone cheered as he came into the hall wearing a hat. He chewed solemnly on his Cheerios as everyone looked at him expectantly. He huffed loudly and ripped the hat off, only looking up when the laughs had died down.

'It looks good.' Yixing comforted from Sehun's side and Xiumin quickly agreed with him.

'Blue hair wasn't on my to do list.' Sehun put his head in his hands. 'You sort of look like Jack Frost.' Chanyeol said, patting his hair.

'It's a nice pastel blue though, that makes it better.'

When breakfast was over, Sehun got up last from the table to find Kyungsoo waiting for him. 'You passed the second trial; being able to look good with a different colour hair.'

'What kind of trial is that?' Sehun rolled his eyes and thought back to his blonde hair. He missed it already. He was going to have to spend his weekend at the hairdressers trying to get it sorted out. Maybe he could take Chanyeol with him and make him get his hair cut too.

Kyungsoo smiled. 'It matters, because we need to check that you're good looking enough to suit lots of things.'

'That's really stupid.'

'Well yeah, to be honest we just wanted to prank you then call it a trial. Same goes for the thing.'