It was a beautiful day at Jeguk High, not too warm or too cool, with the sun shining brightly at its peak in the sky and a light breeze rustling through the trees on the grounds.  Most students had moved outside to enjoy the weather, and even some of the teachers were out and about today.  Those who hadn’t were enjoying their lunch hour in the classrooms, chattering and gossiping about various idols and stealing each other’s food.  

It was, in fact, a perfect Monday, and would be even better if--

“Luhan!”

“Owwwwwwwww,” Luhan promptly pouted and rubbed the back of his head where Junmyeon had very cruelly whacked him.  “What was that for?”

“Pay attention,” Junmyeon scolded.  “You were gazing out the window with that look.”

Luhan blinked at him innocently.  “What look?”

“Ya know, the real stoic one,” Chanyeol chimed in as Baekhyun and Jongdae snickered.  “The one that makes all the girls fall for you.  It was irritating Junmyeon hyung.”  

“It’s just because you’re really ugly, hyung,” Sehun deadpanned, and they all cracked up, Tao laughing himself silly.  

Luhan was unfazed.  “At least I can get a girlfriend.”  He looked pointedly at Jongin, who turned very red and started kicking the floor.  “Jonginnie here can’t say two words to Kyungsoo without turning into a tomato, and that’s on a good day.”

“Ah yes,” Baekhyun cited dreamily.  “How long has it been since love at first sight, again?  A month?  Two?”  

“A year,” Chanyeol guffawed, and Tao cackled so hard he almost choked on his half-eaten chicken.  Jongin was slowly sinking further into his chair, as if he wanted to meld and become one with the furniture.  He probably did.

Junmyeon gave them all a look of absolute disgust.  “Immature brats, the lot of you.”  He pointed an accusing finger at Luhan.  “Especially you.  You’re the oldest, you’re supposed to set an example, but instead you’re running around dumping one girl after another, leading them on like some...playboy.”

“Aw, that’s not fair hyung,” Baekhyun crooned before Luhan could respond, “They’re the ones always dumping him.”

“I’m telling you, it’s because he’s ugly,” Sehun said, now trying to reanimate a worryingly still Jongin.  “It’s that face he makes when he laughs, it completely ruins that pretty boy image.”   

“When Luhan sings onstage he looks like an adorable angel,” Yixing said, patting Luhan’s head absentmindedly.  “He glows.”  

“I think that’s the spotlight,” Sehun muttered.

Baekhyun looked at Yixing in mild surprise.  “Oh, did you finally decide to join the conversation?”  

Yixing blinked at him.  “Huh?”

Tao was looking at Luhan curiously.  “Wait, don’t you have a girlfriend right now, hyung?”

“Oh that’s right!” Junmyeon perked up visibly.  “Sojin, right?  You’ve been dating her for two months now.”  

“We broke up.”  Luhan had gone back to looking out the window, not keen on joining a conversation that involved humiliating him and his love life.  

There was an actual silence for about a minute before Junmyeon gave a sigh so deep it could have filled the Panama Canal.  “Luhan.”  

“Wait, when you say we…” Baekhyun trailed off.  Jongin had actually arisen from his Kyungsoo-induced coma to stare at Luhan in amazement.

“Yeah, she dumped me.”  Luhan shrugged.  “She couldn’t handle it.”

“Wow.” Jongdae gave a low whistle.  “Luhan hyung’s the most popular out of all of us, but he’s also the least capable to keep a girlfriend.”  

“What was the reason this time?”  Junmyeon asked.  

“There’s no need to look as if someone died.” Luhan rolled his eyes.  “The same reason as all the others.  I wasn’t what she expected, and she couldn’t reconcile with that.”

Baekhyun scoffed.  “It’s because you have the face and voice of an angel and so girls expect some kind of sweet, shy gentleman and then they actually get to know you and find out you’re actually the devil incarnate.”

“And a huge dork,” Sehun added.

“Look who’s talking,” Luhan snapped.  “You guys aren’t exactly innocent little doves either.”

“But at least we’re obvious about it,” Jongdae pointed out.

“Well then it should be obvious enough by the company I keep what type of person I am.”  Luhan scowled.  “It’s not like I’m leading them on on purpose.”

“It’s such a pity.” Junmyeon regarded Luhan mournfully.  “You’d be the perfect role model if you just had manners and more sense.”

Luhan looked scandalized.  “I have manners and sense.  Just not around you people.”

“Sense of sarcasm more like,” snickered Tao.

    “I’m not going to give my personality a makeover just because some girls want me to be their perfect Korean idol,” Luhan continued.  “Sojin was nice and all, but she wanted the ideal boyfriend, and I’m not going to be the one deluding her into thinking that sort of guy actually exists.  So find someone else to be your role model, Junmyeon.”

    Chanyeol made a pow noise.  “Ooooh, shots fired.”  

    Junmyeon put his head in his hands.  “Why am I friends with these people?”  

    “No really, why are you friends with us?” Sehun asked.

    Jongin blinked.  “We’re friends?”  

    Yixing patted Junmyeon’s shoulder consolingly, a little too late to the conversation.  “It’s okay hyung.  None of us ever looked up to Luhan hyung anyway.”  

……………………………………………………….

    Sometimes Luhan could relate to Junmyeon.  Just sometimes.  

    Especially at those times when his dongsaengs piteously whined and needled him to order them dinner, and pay for it besides.  Luhan hadn’t really minded because he’d had the money and he was the hyung, but he did wish it didn’t involve going all the way down three floors to wait at the school gate for the food to arrive, and then taking it all the way back up.  

Two girls whispering excitedly amongst themselves giggled and waved shyly as he made his way through the courtyard.  Luhan gave them a polite smile and nod, the corners of his lips turning up in amusement as he heard one of them squeal.  He didn’t stop though, just kept walking to large gate at the school entrance, currently open as it was still daylight.  

Being a Chinese exchange student had its pros and cons, as Luhan had learned when he’d first transferred to Korea. Learning another language was a lot more difficult than Chinese classes had made it out to be, and it was scary being surrounded by people who couldn’t understand a word he was saying, which was why he kept mostly to himself that first year.  Once he’d gotten past the language barrier though, Korea wasn’t such a bad place, and the students were kind enough, though some of them still looked at Luhan as if he’d grown another head. He’d even managed to make friends his second year; Junmyeon, as the class president, had been in charge of helping the exchange students out, and he’d been the one to introduce Luhan to Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Jongdae.  When Yixing and Zitao had transferred, they’d had even more trouble learning Korean than Luhan had, but with Luhan’s help they had a much easier time and had blended with the group easily.  Even Zitao, with his childish Korean, had somehow managed to make friends with Sehun and Jongin along the way.  

Yixing had been the one to convince Luhan to sign up for voice class, and the moment Luhan had opened his mouth he’d been an instant hit.  He’d been known before as the cute Chinese student, but now he was the cute, attractive Chinese student who could sing, and girls loved him.  There was even a rumor that he had a fanclub.  

Being popular wasn’t something Luhan felt he was cut out for, however.  There was a certain image he was expected to fill, and Luhan didn’t much like doing what was expected of him.  It was why he’d left China in the first place.

Luhan reached the gate.  With no food delivery boy in sight, he flopped on the ground to wait.  He’d been seated for about five minutes before a silver car pulled up to the gate.  

Well the delivery boy did quite the vehicle upgrade, Luhan thought to himself before the door opened and a boy in Jeguk’s uniform got out.  

Luhan recognized him immediately.  “Well well, look who’s late to school,” he called out, taunting, and Kim Minseok looked up in surprise.  

“Hello, Luhan-ssi.” Minseok slung his bag over his shoulder and waved goodbye to the driver, a pretty girl with dark hair and sharp features, before walking over to sit next to Luhan.  "What are you doing out here?"

“Waiting for food.”  Luhan gave a sigh of long-suffering.  “My dongsaengs got me to pay for it.”  

“Oh,” was all Minseok said in response, the corners of his lips pulled up in a small smile.

Luhan would have asked what Minseok was doing at the gate in return, but there was no need.  They both knew why he was there.  The whole school did.

Every Monday, Kim Minseok would wait at the school gate, and anyone who confessed to him would become his very important other for a week.  But only for a week.  

“Just a week?” Luhan had said, disbelieving, when Baekhyun had first told him the story shortly after they’d become friends.  “He’s never had a relationship longer than that?”  

“If he has it definitely hasn’t been at this school,” Baekhyun had responded matter-of-factly.  “At the end of every week, on Sunday, he tells the girl ‘I’m sorry, I don’t feel anything for you, let’s break up.’  Then it starts all over again on Monday, and he never dates the same person twice.”  

“And now he’s one of the most popular guys in the school,” Junmyeon had sniffed.  “You’d think, what with all the heartsore girls he’s left in the dust, he’d be well disliked, but no, all the girls still adore him.”  

“He must have some sort of secret to his success,” Jongdae had mused.  “None of the girls he dates ever says anything about that week, or bears him any ill will.  It’s a mystery.”

It certainly was, thought Luhan as his gaze slid over the boy next to him, although his looks might have factored in somehow.  Minseok wasn’t very tall or incredibly handsome, the type most girls at Jeguk High seemed to fancy, but his large eyes had an alluring look, and he had a sweet smile.

He’s cute, Luhan acknowledged.  Really cute.  Aloud, he said, “You haven’t been to voice class recently, and now I see why.  Like to skip school, do you?”  

Minseok chuckled sheepishly.  “That was just for today.  Something came up.”  

“Oh?” Luhan grinned playfully.  “So that girl driving you, was she your girlfriend?  She looked much too mature to be with you.”

“Wrong on both counts, Luhan-ssi.”  Minseok smiled, but didn’t say any more.  

Polite but doesn’t say much, sweet, but mysterious--small wonder girls are attracted to him, really.  “So no one’s confessed to you yet, then?”  

Minseok shook his head.  

Luhan studied Minseok curiously, an idea popping into his head.  It was just a whim, really, not even something to be bothered by.  “So anyone can confess to you?  Anyone at all?  And you’ll date them?”

Minseok looked at Luhan, a little confused.  “Yes...anyone.”

“Even me?”  Luhan gave Minseok a bright, playful smile.  

“Huh?” Minseok blinked.  

Luhan grinned mischievously.  “Will you go out with me, Minseok?”