When Sehun requests Minseok, his boss, for a student assistant, he immediately gets one three days later. It's quite fast for a hiring; his department staff has told him there's always been a third year student who is adamant about getting a sideline job in campus. That has made their work easier.

"Byun Baekhyun," Sehun reads from his personal data sheet when they meet on his first day. Their campus is pretty small and its people’s faces are easy to remember but Sehun admits when he first sees Baekhyun, he initially thinks he's an outsource. He looks quite young for his age when he in fact is two years older than Sehun. He's under a scholarship as well. Sehun doesn't pry on the reasons why he's still an undergraduate student. Besides, they're getting Baekhyun for work anyway so getting personal will come as part of the process sooner or later. He hopes.

"So basically, work is mixed clerical and academic," Sehun explains to Baekhyun. "Uh, how do you want me to call you by the way?"

Baekhyun looks at him and quickly discerns that he's a little anxious about the age difference. "Baekhyun? Whatever is more comfortable with you, Sehun-ssi."

"Just...uh, Sehun," Sehun says. "It's kind of early but, uh, can I call you hyung instead? If you don't mind."

Baekhyun laughs lightly and nods. "Hyung is fine. You can call me hyung."

Sehun is a graduate student with teaching and schooling priorities and Baekhyun has proven himself worth the time, money, and trust for Sehun and the whole department. They normally meet thrice a week, from Mondays to Wednesdays, and they exchange shifts between Thursdays and Fridays. And Baekhyun's next three weeks happen with Sehun not regretting getting Baekhyun as his assistant. He's been an exemplary new kid, finishing his tasks on or before deadlines, the latter being more usual, and he's somehow getting along well with his co-workers.

"Do you just live nearby?" Sehun asks one Tuesday to break the awkward silence. It's just him and Baekhyun in the room and he doesn't really enjoy the sole sound of fingers tapping on keyboards.

Baekhyun hums and stops typing on his laptop. He's proofreading a report which is due tomorrow but he's almost done with it anyway so he supposes a chat wouldn't hurt. "I'm like a fifteen-minute bus ride away west of downtown."

"Oh. Not bad. At least you're still within the city," Sehun says.

"Yeah. I wouldn't survive doing things if I go beyond the outskirts." Baekhyun snickers but with eyes still locked on his laptop screen.

"Same here," Sehun nods. "I live downtown though. Closer to school. Makes my life easier."

And their conversation ends there, short and awkward but at least not too creepy. It's pretty much fine with Sehun anyway, a sneaky way of how they can slowly open up to each other. Small questions, small answers, taking it easy. Baekhyun doesn't seem to be the one to keep himself within his personal zone in a really long time anyway, or at least Sehun feels, and he's a good company so far. There is a growing churn in Sehun's guts. He really wants to be friends with Baekhyun.




It's a Friday night when Sehun goes downtown. He's ran out of chips and coffee for his weekend reviews. He doesn't really like buying things on a Friday evening when the town center is at its fullest. It's the last working day of the week so a larger crowd is always expected. But knowing how he'll never survive studying three majors in two days without something to munch on (and caffeine to keep him awake and sane), he braves his way to the crowded shopping center and falls in a really long line begrudgingly.

Thankfully, he manages to get his supplies quick, already on his way to the bus stop before eight. It's surprisingly early for him when he's left the faculty at seven, an hour later than usual. It's been a week since he's moved his free day from Fridays to Thursdays, making up to the vacancy Baekhyun's left when he's requested for a permanent off. He's stated "important reasons" he's probably disclosed only to Minseok. It isn't really a big deal for Sehun, although of course he still prefers having a day off before weekends when his Saturday schedule is quite monstrous, too.

The bus is yet to arrive in ten minutes when Sehun notices somebody familiar from the bookstore across the stop. It's on the other side of the street but its windows are quite big and clear, making a portion of its inside visible even from the distance. Sehun decides he can miss the stop just to confirm his guess. So he crosses the street and heads for the bookstore, peeking by the sidewalk.

And from there he sees Baekhyun at the cashier post, receiving payments from their customers. He keeps a small smile as he bows, taking their books and packing them quick but neatly in paper bags. His eyes show a tinge of exhaustion but he still greets the customers cheerfully. Sehun checks his clock. There's still thirty minutes left before the store closes.

He's having second thoughts on whether he should greet Baekhyun or not but when the door chimes sound and a group of students come in, he decides not to bother him anymore. He wonders if this is Baekhyun's reason for taking Fridays off but he supposes this isn't really much of his business to meddle on. Besides, he's already made it clear that he's pretty cool getting the Friday work anyway.




Monday comes quick and as much as Sehun wants to stay in the comforts of his bed, he has his TA work waiting in his university. Work is fun, he's always believed, but he doesn't really find it pleasant to wake up realizing a major exam is scheduled in the afternoon plus three syllabus checks are needed at the faculty today.

It's thirty minutes past nine when he arrives, with a cup of coffee in one hand, an inch-thick of documents on the other. He's halfway done with his cup, gulping it's already lukewarm content as he takes his seat. He knows he's late but he's too preoccupied with the tasks piled up on his desk to care. Besides, he's normally late anyway. This is just the first time he's gone beyond his fifteen-minute self-imposed grace period.

And that exactly makes him wonder why the desk next to him is still empty. It's Baekhyun's and if there is one person in the faculty aside from their regular janitor to be doing work before everyone else, it should be Baekhyun.

Each desk gets filled an hour later, and Minseok, who usually comes last, enters the room. Baekhyun still hasn’t arrived. It isn't until another thirty minutes later when he comes in, catching his breath as he begins a never-ending apology to everyone. His brows slant as he laughs awkwardly, mumbling a good morning to Sehun before dropping his bag to the ground and taking his seat.

"Good morning," Sehun greets back. He hands him his box of tissues when Baekhyun looks for something to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He seems to have missed his hanky. "Here."

"Thank you," Baekhyun mutters. He pulls a handful and dabs them on his face.

"Are you alright?" Sehun asks. It's actually a sincere question when he notices how dark the rings around Baekhyun's eyes seem like under bright lights. His lips look chapped, too, that dehydrated kind of dry and rough, and Sehun can't help himself but also give him his extra bottle of water. Baekhyun nods, and thanks him again as he gladly takes the bottle.

"You sure?" Sehun asks.

"Yes. Don't worry, I just kind of, uh, overslept," Baekhyun chuckles. He then pulls his laptop from his bag so he can start on his work.




The week carries on but with lesser workload in the university this time, to Sehun's gratitude. Baekhyun's also proven that his late Monday is an isolated case when his Tuesday and Wednesday witness their early bird back. Thursday is Sehun's free day, which isn't really "free" since he's still swamped with graduate school reports to read, polish, and finish.

He spends it in his favorite cafe downtown. It's a weekday so there'll be lesser people, which means it's temporarily become a better and more conducive place to study. He gets his usual americano with an extra espresso shot, knowing how he might end up asleep halfway through his readings especially when he's also stayed up late last night for a different subject.

He takes his favorite spot which is luckily empty, and sits comfortably on the couch with a slight groan. He closes his eyes, letting the smell of caffeine fill his nostrils. It's soothing and he likes it. Before getting on what he's supposed to do, he sips on his cup first and looks down by the window, staring at the still almost empty roads. A few blocks from where he is, he sees the familiar bookstore, the same place where he saw Baekhyun a week ago. His questions all come back to him but decides not to think of them too much when he has more important things to work on. Besides, it should be normal to see students get side jobs after school anyway. It must be just him and his too inquisitive nature on many things. Or on Baekhyun.

Realizing he's wasted ten minutes staring blankly on the window, he takes his laptop, books, and a bunch of papers out and begins his challenge towards information overload.

The loud rumbling of his stomach has Sehun checking on his wrist watch he's totally ignored for the past four hours. It's already six in the evening, close to his dinner time, and he's still inside the cafe with a quarter more of papers about European politics and hegemony to read. He also has two empty tall cups of what are once filled with americano, his fingers wrapped around the still warm third cup. Knowing he'll end up staying late anyway tonight, he opts to just take pastries from the counter later and carry on until he's done with all the things he has to finish. But right now, he deserves a couple minutes of break.

The crowd on the streets has gotten a lot thicker, a sign that the day is finally coming to an end. Sehun enjoys looking at them, a bunch of people filling downtown streets, loving the buzzing sound of their chatter slightly audible from where he is. He sometimes observe them, singling out a person from the crowd, watching how he walks, figuring out what she's wearing, finding who he is with. Sometimes he makes stories, fancy funny ones. It's a little boring but at least it helps him cool his brain down from too much work.

It's only until he notices somebody that sends him straightening up from his lousy slouch. When Sehun sees him, he immediately thinks he looks oddly familiar, so he does a double take and convinces himself that his guess is right. Baekhyun. He's wearing the same uniform Sehun's seen last week and by the looks of it, Baekhyun is headed to the same bookstore. True to his assumption, Baekhyun does get inside it a few steps later.

Sehun wonders if he can pay Baekhyun a visit at the bookstore later. He’s got himself curious again. But at the sight of his papers scattered on his table, he decides he can have it next time. Then, he's back to wondering if this night job is taking its toll on Baekhyun's health, quite apparent with the way he looks more exhausted at every turn of the day. Sehun quickly drops his issue when the image of Plato on his political theories book seems to stare back at him with threat and pending danger.

He hates how many different things start cluttering in his head and he's confused and in an instant, he’s out of focus. Why is he so curious about Baekhyun and the things he does in his life anyway? He scratches his head and heaves a deep sigh. Concentrate, he reminds himself although begrudgingly.




Deja vu, Sehun thinks, when Baekhyun comes in a few minutes after Minseok punches in on a Monday morning. This is Baekhyun's second late mark and as much as Sehun feels a little bad calling Baekhyun out for this (knowing Minseok will be too kind to do such), he thinks he still is professionally accountable to remind Baekhyun of his responsibilities.

"Uh, hyung," Sehun whispers as soon as Baekhyun takes his seat. Baekhyun looks at him, his eyes obviously tired, a slight red on its whites, with darker circles surrounding it. Sehun lowers his head, squinting his eyes and forgets what he initially wants to say when he asks instead the same thing as last week.

"Are you alright?"

Baekhyun smiles at him and nods. "I am. I'm sorry I'm late again."

"Are you sure?" Sehun stops his question quickly when he realizes he sounds unnecessarily uncertain.

Baekhyun chuckles lightly and bows his head. "Yes. I'm just a little tired."

Sehun nods, his brows slanted as he figures anything more different from Baekhyun. The way he drowns his words at the end doesn't sound good but Sehun doesn't want to get too personally intruding so he lets it pass and gives the other the benefit of the doubt. "Okay. If you say so. Just...try not to be late again."

"I'm sorry," Baekhyun says, scratching his head and bowing apologetically.

A little bothered, Sehun checks on his clock and calls Baekhyun again. "Three hours before lunch. Let's have takoyaki and bubble tea. My treat."

He doesn't really understand what brings him to such an offer but he feels like he has to compensate on the slightly unsettling feeling after calling Baekhyun out on his punctuality issues. He raises his brows expectantly, smiling at the other as he waits for a response.

"Sure," Baekhyun nods and smiles, that one that pushes his cheeks and eyes to form wonderful crescents of unmasked emotion.




It's midterms week, at least for the undergrads, so he expects Baekhyun to skip a bit of his TA schedules for reviews. He is a student, to begin with, not a full-time faculty staff (Sehun knows it applies to him, too, but grad school students are always different. Unfortunately). Baekhyun comes on a Tuesday, spends the whole afternoon to finish a few of his deadlines and excuses himself for the rest of the week. Minseok understands though and Junmyeon, one of the instructors, even backs him up. "Yes. You should study more, Baekhyun," Sehun overhears him say and he shares a light chuckle with Baekhyun.

Apparently, Junmyeon, being the concerned instructor, has all the reasons to remind Baekhyun of his studies. He’s Baekhyun’s social science instructor. When he asks Sehun to help him sort out exam results, the latter expects to see Baekhyun's name on the list of passers. He finishes recording the last checked paper and sighs defeatedly when he doesn't see it. He's probably missed it so he goes back through the stack once again just to make sure.

"Did Baekhyun pass?" Sehun asks. He probably didn't. He clicks on the save button and sends the excel file to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon shrugs and smiles at Sehun. "I'll...try my best. I give second chances you know."




Sehun has become more worried for Baekhyun's grades when he finds out it isn't just Junmyeon's that he fails. Two days later, when Baekhyun isn't around and Sehun has taken his shift, Sehun learns from Kyungsoo, his friend and Baekhyun's instructor from the English department, that Baekhyun has also failed his Communications course. When Sehun checks the list of midterm passers on the corkboard outside the Math Department, Baekhyun's student number isn't on it, too.

"You're quite concerned of your kid, are you?" Kyungsoo tells him one day during lunch. He has asked him out since he doesn't really feel like eating alone.

Sehun sighs, poking his food with his fork. He isn't even sure why he's out for lunch when he's too bothered to have a proper appetite. "He's older than me so he's not a kid," Sehun scoffs.

He closes his eyes, slouching on his seat with a groan. "I was just curious. I just feel like," he pauses, trailing off a bit as he finds the right word. "Like looking after him."

"I don't quite get it," Kyungsoo says, shoving a slice of kimbap in his mouth. "He's older than you, you said it yourself. I suppose he can manage his life on his own?"

"Not sure about that," Sehun says.

"Okay. I have a guess," Kyungsoo drops his chopsticks and wipes his mouth with a napkin. He smiles at Sehun.




Apparently, Sehun has more reasons to be worried past the midterms crisis. Aside from his own grad school deadlines and own set of exam schedules getting more demanding, his TA work is piling up at the absence of Baekhyun. He hasn't shown up, not even the slightest of his shadow, for three straight days. No message, no notice, no one in the faculty knows his whereabouts. When Sehun asks Baekhyun's classmates, they'd be clueless as well.

Texting isn't really something Sehun's fond of. Or calling. Or Kakaotalking. Or phones in general. He isn't even sure why he has one to begin with. But this situation has a weird compelling churn in his chest that has him fishing his phone out of his pockets and actually dialing Baekhyun's number. Minseok's looking for him anyway, he rationalizes as the phone begins to ring. He can feel his heart thump harder, entirely unsure if it's because he doesn't like phone calls. Or it's simply because he's calling Baekhyun.

He reaches the fifth ring without the othet line picking it up. He gives it a few more seconds but nothing happens so he gives up, opening his messaging app in hopes that Baekhyun will see it sooner or later. It's the best alternative he can think of right now anyway.

Hyung, where are you? Minseok's looking for you.

Sehun stares at it, wondering if the Minseok part is necessary. He's doesn't want to sound too clingy, he tells himself, so he keeps it and sends it right away.

The first half of the day ends but his message remains unread. Sehun has his phone on the table, the Kakaotalk thread still open waiting for the "1" right beside the bubble disappear. He stares at it even with another excel sheet on his screen waiting to be filled up with grades.

He waits for a few more minutes. Maybe a bit more patience will help but unfortunately he loses it before even the time he sets ends. He stands up and heads to Minseok's office.

"Can I get Baekhyun's address?"




As soon as the hour hand hits five, Sehun immediately grabs his bag and punches out of his shift. He isn't really in a hurry to reach Baekhyun's place but he doesn't like taking buses at rush hours. If he misses that one scheduled in two minutes, he'll have to wait for another ten and that would be enough to fill the stop with a crowd. Thankfully, he's just in time when the bus arrives and he hops in, taking the seat at the far end.

He keeps his phone open, staring at the address written on a notepad app as if he's memorizing it. It shouldn't be far, if he remembers correctly. He should be reaching the stop in fifteen minutes, Baekhyun once told him. True enough, fifteen minutes later, he gets off the stop and sees the exact street just across it.

"Number 24," Sehun whispers to himself, looking for the apartment. The area is highly residential and surprisingly, although Sehun's been in the same city for a couple of years already, he still isn't familiar with the place. Everything looks identical when all buildings are either three or four storey-high all in simple but different shades of white and grey. If it isn't for the numbers, and it's easy even-on-the-left odd-on-the-right pattern, finding the exact building would be difficult.

He counts as he looks on the left side of the street, feeling a bit of relief as he nears 24. But he stops when he sees the person he's looking for, Baekhyun, in front of what could probably be his apartment. He isn't alone though, talking to a middle-aged lady. She looks quite infuriated, her voice noticeably high and angered, a hand on her hips as she holds her index finger at Baekhyun. The young lad remains mum for the most part of the conversation, if Sehun can even call it one. He would bow his head at times and from Sehun's distance, he can figure Baekhyun mumble embarrassed apologies. Sehun doesn't approach them until the lady heaves a sigh, seemingly defeated, turns on her heels and walk away. Baekhyun remains by the gates though and Sehun guesses it's the best opportune to get his presence noticed.

"Hyung?" Sehun calls, his voice calm, not too loud but not too quiet either, yet it surprises Baekhyun, his shoulders jerking awkwardly before turning around right away.

"Oh! Sehun!" Baekhyun exclaims, forcing an uncomfortable smile on his face, as if trying to hide the surprise and confusion on why his workmate just appeared in his neighborhood. "Why are you here?"

Sehun tries to make the most relaxed expression but with the way Baekhyun stiffens a bit, he can't help but feel anxious, too. What if Baekhyun doesn't really want people to see him in his own place? Some people tend to be protective of their solitude. What if Sehun is a little close to overstepping, going beyond the privacy Baekhyun wants to keep?

"I'm sorry if I suddenly like, uh, popped out or something but..." Sehun trails off, suddenly unsure if he should really be apologizing when he realizes he's acting simply on assumptions and a tinge of pessimism.

Baekhyun snorts and then chuckles. "It's okay. Uh, let's get inside first. It's cold."

Sehun doesn't get it at first until Baekhyun opens the gate wider and lets him in. Well, he isn't that too reclusive as Sehun has assumed and he's glad.




It isn't really the kind of place Sehun is expecting. Not that he's looking forward to an expensive, completely furnished classy flat, given how the apartment's facade looks, but the place is surely cramped and old. He isn't judging Baekhyun for this though, on a defensive note. He is, in fact, quite in awe how Baekhyun is managing to survive in such a place for the past two or three years.

"It's...quite uncomfy in here," Baekhyun says as he pulls a small, foldable table from one room, laying it on the floor, and grabs two cushions for them to sit on. "Sorry."

Sehun shakes his head fervently, sitting on the cushion as he finds the most comfortable position, eventually kneeling and sitting on his legs, his jacket resting on his lap. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I should be the one sorry for suddenly crashing into your place, you know."

"No," Baekhyun says as he takes two cans of cider from the fridge and hands one to Sehun. He takes the other side of the table and smiles. "I don't really get visitors so it's kind of a fresh air to have one. Not that I have plans of inviting people over, you know, given the...uh, space," he chuckles.

Sehun simply nods when he can't really think of an appropriate response--any response for that matter, actually. He simply takes a sip from his can, letting the sweet lemon taste linger in his mouth, and puts it back on the table. The tap of tin against wood sounds like a soft reminder why Sehun is in Baekhyun's unit in the first place. He's catching up on him, he recalls as he snaps from getting lost into Baekhyun's eyes staring at him. He doesn't realize it at first, but when he does, a soft touch of pink paints his cheeks. It's probably the heater, he wants to think.

He's has his lower lip caught between his teeth. The silence is getting dull and awkward, too, so before it gets a little too much to bear at least for him, he decides to break it the soonest and phrases the questions he earlier had properly in his head.

"So, uh, Minseok's kind of worried," Sehun begins low and mumbled, hand still wrapped around the can. Well, Minseok probably is worried but he didn't explicitly mention it to Sehun. He's still using his boss as an excuse. At least it's effective in concealing that it's actually him, Sehun, that is concerned. He just hopes Minseok doesn't choke on his own spit or something.

"S-sorry," Baekhyun mutters, keeping his head low. "I didn't mean to disappear out of the blue but..."

He trails off, as if unsure whether he should continue or not. Sehun discerns. "It's okay? I guess? We just wanna know if you're doing fine. Like sick. Kind of," he stutters.

Baekhyun laughs. "I'm fine. Just, you know, a lot of things. They came up all at once and I was maybe a bit caught off guard. Those moments when you wish we have more than twenty-four hours a day."

Sehun nods. He knows what Baekhyun means and he himself has always wished for a day extension when school and work piles up on him. He wonders though if by things, Baekhyun refers to his academic priorities, given his apparent struggle to keep passing marks. But he feels there's more to what he actually means. They stop talking for a while and drink on their ciders again.

"It's not like I was intentionally eavesdropping but," Sehun says. At the same moment, he wishes he doesn't sound too defensive. Baekhyun looks at him curiously, raising both his brows. "The lady earlier. I just wondered..." he trails off, keeping awkward spaces between words, careful and unsure of how he's to form a coherent sentence without sounding too encroaching on the border. Baekhyun doesn't seem to mind though, still calm as he listens. He even smiles, short and quick, finding Sehun's awkwardness and unnecessary caution amusing.

"Ah. That," Baekhyun begins. "She's the landlady. She owns this building but she lives at the other block." He lets an exasperated sigh escape his parted lips. He pulls his can of cider to his mouth again and takes a sip before carrying on. "I was supposed to leave this unit next week. I, uh, requested if she can like let me stay for another month if I pay at least half. She agreed, thankfully, but without fuming about it."

Sehun is quite surprised, then confused, then worried, then all three happening at the same time. His brows slant, and that's the only thing he does as he stares at Baekhyun.

"I kind of took a couple of overtime from jobs," Baekhyun continues. He drowns the latter part, like he's revealing a secret he doesn't really want to tell. "Just to get more for, uh, stuff. Not enough, I guess."

"The...bookstore?"

Baekhyun's eyes widen and huffs, lips round in surprise. "Y-you know?"

"Y-yes?" There is a bit of guilt in Sehun's chest but resolves that he doesn't really have to apologize about it, he guesses, when he finds about it anyway by accident. "It's just coincidence. I was downtown and I saw you twice."

Baekhyun scratches his head. "So I don't really have any reason to hide it from you then," he laughs. "But yes. I thought what I get from my TA work's enough. Sorry."

Sehun wanders his eyes, as if checking the whole place. Baekhyun can't be paying much for a small space like this? Then he remembers he's in a major city and things can cost twice or thrice the price of it in the outskirts. He wonders if his parents are even supporting Baekhyun at least financially, but with the looks of it, Sehun can assume that he's on his own.

"What...are you planning next?" Sehun can't help but ask

"I'm still looking for a cheaper place," Baekhyun says. There is a discernable desperate tone as he speaks. "I don't really mind if it's small. As long as I can eat and sleep and study. And shower, of course," he ends it with a light chuckle, laughing to himself like it's the only thing he can do to at least ease the trouble away.

"At least I got my tuition off," Baekhyun continues when Sehun doesn't say anything. He's started opening up quite a bit of himself anyway and he feels comfortable venting things out on Sehun, surprisingly. "Or...well, not sure about the next term."

Sehun nods hesitantly. He knows about Baekhyun being under a scholarship and he's doing pretty well at first. At first. "Your grades..."

"I know," Baekhyun nods back and laughs again. "I think they're close to crossing my name out of the list. Life's really hard on me, I guess."

The uncomfortable churn and heavy dip in Sehun's chest are unsettling. He's always believed Baekhyun's a nice person, not that they've known each other long enough to trust him this much but Sehun can't help himself to feel bad about Baekhyun.

"If I help, will you let me?"

Sehun asks before he can even think through his words. It surprises both of them and Baekhyun perks up, looking at Sehun with reservation. "Thanks but I don't want to bother people with my...own troubles. I can do this, I guess."

Sehun then leans closer to the table. He's stated it so better carry on. "No, I mean, let me help. Not that I don't trust you. I mean I just want to, uh, do something, if I can do something. As a friend, if...if you think I'm your friend, that is."

Baekhyun doesn't answer. He just bites on his lips and keeps his gaze down on his cider, playing with its can as he twists it around, smearing its water stain on his side of the table.

"I'm...sorry. I just probably got a little worked up," Sehun retreats, pushing himself away from the table and relaxes. He feels embarrassed all of a sudden, head bowed down as he stares at his hands rested on his jacket, slightly trembling. This is weird. He feels weird.

"It's okay," Baekhyun says when the silence becomes unbearable. "I can listen to suggestions?" He smiles.

Sehun looks at him, lips curling up in delight. It isn't really part of the plan--well, he doesn't really have any plan yet to begin with--but he's glad Baekhyun's giving him a chance. And he assures himself that he's not doing this simply out of pity. He's concerned, he cares, and he's a friend. He just hopes things turn out really well soon.




Unfortunately, as much as Sehun is a hundred percent sincere and sure about offering a vacant room for Baekhyun for free, it isn't easy convincing the latter to say yes to it. Baekhyun has insistently said no, turning down what he thinks is "too much" and an "excessively genuine" offer. He's too shy to accept, apparent with the raise of tone in his refusal and the fervent shake of his head. Eventually, when Sehun manages to make Baekhyun realize how the pros outweigh the cons of moving in, they both decide that Baekhyun will take Sehun's offer after a month, once he's exhausted the remaining days he still has in his current apartment.

"You're being too kind," Baekhyun tells Sehun, a shy pink blush creeping up his cheeks. "I'm sorry."

Sehun shakes his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about. To be honest, I'd feel bad not doing anything."

"Thank you so much," Baekhyun says, looking at him with a relief on his face. His eyes crinkle, lips curving to a more relaxed smile. He's glad and grateful but he seems to be a quite at loss for proper words, probably still getting over the obvious self-consciousness and letting the whole thing sink in.

The offer doesn't end there yet, although this time, it's more of a mutual agreement with just a bit of persuasion on Sehun's part. It's like a smooth move when Sehun asks if Baekhyun's up for a study session.

"That'd be nice?" Baekhyun says. He's returned to his desk that day with Minseok obviously pleased when Baekhyun finally appears by the department's doorsteps. Sehun laughs at how Minseok acts like a father welcoming back a long lost child.

"I can help you with your English subjects," Sehun offers. He's a lot more sure and confident this time. His midterms and reports will be over in a week's time. Regular class sessions will resume which means he'll have more time to kill and he wouldn't mind spending it helping Baekhyun with his studies. Baekhyun gives him a confused look and Sehun isn't sure if he should be offended or not. He takes the latter and laughs.

"Kyungsoo and I actually took the same undergrad major. He's just a senior," he explains.

There is amusement in Baekhyun's eyes, lips round as he nods. "That's cool! Does that mean I can like, uh, hire you? As tutor?"

"Man, we'll be staying in the same house soon. Why would I ask for payment?" Sehun quickly says and Baekhyun promptly shakes his head. Before he can even say anything, Sehun raises an index finger. "Nope. It's totally fine, Baekhyun."

"You're being too kind, again," Baekhyun says.




Coincidentally, Kyungsoo's just handed his class a couple of materials to read. Baekhyun tries to study it on his own but the lines and diagrams look extremely hieroglyphic to him, and he's reminded of the exact feeling he gets when his eyes land on numbers and polynomials. He gives up after reading the second page.

"I thought he gave us architecture readings," Baekhyun says when he hands the papers to Sehun on their agreed first day of tutor session. They're back in Baekhyun's apartment, the familiar table they once used for two cans of ciders is now filled with pencils, papers, and a couple of beer.

"Sentence diagraming?" Sehun mutters while he skims on it. "Who even still does this ?"

There is an initial worry on Baekhyun's face because he's getting an impression that Sehun has also the slightest idea on how to do this. He worries more when he remembers Kyungsoo's giving them a short quiz three days from now.

"It's not even my major," Baekhyun whispers and he tries not to sound a little bitter only to fail.

"I'm gonna kick Kyungsoo in the balls, I swear," Sehun laughs, shaking his head as he continues to read. Thankfully, Kyungsoo isn't as sadistic as Sehun thinks he is. It's only the basics and he's still familiar with all, smiling to himself as he recalls his lessons years ago. "I think we can work on this," he tells Baekhyun.

Although Sehun knows Baekhyun has good and quick pick up on things, he's never seen it yet work on actual studying. So when they begin, he finds himself in awe when Baekhyun understands the whole thing in just thirty minutes of light discussion. He hasn't explained it in depth yet but the readings don't seem to be foreign to Baekhyun anymore. They try the sample exercises and Baekhyun gets seven correct ones out of ten.

"Are you sure you haven't studied this before?" Sehun asks when he can't hide his amusement anymore. He hands Baekhyun his corrected answers, a red "7/10" marking the top right of the paper. Baekhyun shakes his head, biting his lower lip as he tries to stop a shy smile from happening.

"It just looked complex at first. And I guess because you're a good teacher," Baekhyun says with a rise in his tone, teasing Sehun as he nudges him on the side.

Sehun doesn't understand but he ends up speechless. He can feel his face warm a little up and he can't believe he's blushing this much on a simple compliment. He fumbles on the pen, pretending to write something on the paper but he just prods on it, making random red dots. He's glad Baekhyun doesn't notice his flushed cheeks though, or at least he thinks. He breathes out and eventually gets over it. He gives Baekhyun one last set of exercise before they call for a break.

Baekhyun finishes fifteen minutes later and while Sehun checks his work, Baekhyun takes out a box of donuts from his fridge. "Snacks," he says, pushing the box towards Sehun so he can grab some.

"Thanks," Sehun says, pulling a sugar-glazed one, taking a small bite before placing it on a small plate. "You got them all correct now. Congrats!"

"Really?" Baekhyun scoots closer to Sehun. Sehun's initial reaction is to gasp and pull his body away when Baekhyun leans on the table, diminishing the distance between them. He's close enough for Sehun to smell his shampoo (aloe vera, Sehun recognizes) and the hint of cologne he's wearing. He holds his breath in when both scents fill his nostrils, quite confused and alarmed when he's starting to feel oddly warm. He can even feel the pound of his heart against his chest. Baekhyun pulls away soon, to Sehun's relief, as he grabs his paper and reviews it with a proud smile on his face.

"Yes," Sehun says before quickly grabbing his donut and stuffing half of it in one bite.

Break time isn't awkward, at least for Baekhyun, who begins talking in succession, jumping from one story to another, from his classmates, to the customers he's dealt with at the bookstore, then to the students he's talked to during his TA shifts. Sehun just listens, a little undecided if he should lay on the table his own share of stories. But he can't bring himself to in anyway when he's enjoying this new side of Baekhyun.

"Oh. Are you dating anyone right now?"

Sehun chokes on his donut. Or he thinks he does but he isn't actually choking. He just stops breathing with the donut stuck in between his teeth.

"Is...is it an uncomfortable question? Sorry," Baekhyun asks.

Sehun laughs and he's finally back to his proper senses. He shakes his head. "It's okay. I once dated, uh...somebody."

Baekhyun raises a brow, apparently curious and expecting Sehun to actually spill the whole thing.

"If I tell you who, will you promise not to tell anyone?" Baekhyun's cute round eyes that show how much eager he is to learn more sends Sehun to ask it. He doesn't really have any plans of talking about it but he hasn't given his own share of story since they've rested from studying. Besides it's a thing of the past anyway and he's gotten over it already.

Baekhyun raises a hand and straightens his back. "I promise," he says with an excited grin.

Sehun sighs and chuckles. "Okay. Kyungsoo and I..."

Baekhyun's jaw drops. He stutters, completely surprised, chuckling awkwardly while his lips remain parted in disbelief. Or amusement. Whatever it is, Sehun can't really discern. "S-seriously?"

When Sehun nods, Baekhyun's immediate reaction is to clap to himself, spewing a series of "Oh my god" and "I can't believe this!"

"Don't laugh at me! It was years ago! And just experimental!" Sehun says defensively, laughing in between sentences as Baekhyun continues to wiggle his brows. Well, it was really just sort of experimental with actual feelings involved. It didn't work out but he's glad they remained really good friends. Besides, Kyungsoo looks happy going out with this tall guy with a deep voice and wide smiles from his same department.

"How about you? Are you dating anyone right now?"

Sehun asks in his attempt to end the questions and the knowing smirks Baekhyun is throwing at him. It isn't really because he finds the topic uncomfortable but more of how the quirk of Baekhyun's lips makes him imagine things he shouldn't be thinking about. They look playful, a bit nasty, and Sehun sure isn't ready for thoughts beyond this stage Take things slowly, he reminds himself.

Baekhyun's grin disappears, easing to a soft, pursed smile. Sehun thinks he's hit a sensitive spot, something he shouldn't have thrown back at Baekhyun. Suddenly, he's sorry. Then unsure whether he's ready or not to hear the answer. If it's a yes--

"Nope," Baekhyun answers, shaking his head. "Broke up like a month ago," he continues.

"I'm sorry," Sehun mumbles. Although, honestly, he feels relieved for reasons he doesn't know yet.

"It's okay! Don't be. I've gotten over it. Besides, I don't think I deserve somebody who wouldn't understand me," Baekhyun says.

"Wouldn't understand you?"

Baekhyun nods. "You know, my life's too busy. His, too. Things started not working out well. It gets suffocating at times," he snorts, shaking his head. "They say you should let go of things that don't help you anymore. So we did."

It sounds conclusive, though, like he doesn't want to carry on. Sehun is pretty cool with it anyway, knowing how there are always parts of stories worth not sharing. It drowns from that point. They're back to silence. Sehun munches on his donut, head down, staring blankly at the lines of the wooden table.

The silence is warm, the soft kind of warm, stirring in his chest until he's giddy. Sehun likes it. Finally, they're slowly opening up, letting one know the other more. It started with small steps and now they're pacing up, taking bigger leaps. At least they're on their way and Sehun is glad about it. He looks up and sees Baekhyun smiling at him.

There should be an explanation to this funny churn in his stomach and the light feeling that makes him happy, a different kind of happy. Well, it's kind of conflicting when he's sorry about Baekhyun's story but Sehun has never felt excited knowing somebody more since the day he's taken Kyungsoo out on their first date three years ago. It feels familiar, and there's a name to it, but he doesn't want to label it yet. If it's true, it'll sink in deeper in his chest and he'll realize it well until the fateful day comes. Kyungsoo has told this to him before and a part of him has recognized it. Just a bit more and he'll say it's perhaps true. He's not in a hurry anyway.




Baekhyun's last two weeks in his apartment happens quick and the next thing they know, Baekhyun is moving into Sehun's flat. They schedule it on a weekend. Baekhyun has taken a leave from the bookstore and Sehun has nothing urgent at grad school so it's perfect timing. The unit is indeed big for a single occupant which explains why Sehun is more than okay to offer his place. Baekhyun on the other hand is astonished, wondering how much this flat could have cost.

"Damn rich," Baekhyun kids as he steps in, eyes wandering, amusing himself at the post-modern whitewash interiors.

"Nah," Sehun laughs. "My dad just gave this to me so it's basically free."

"So why do you work for the department?" Baekhyun asks, resting a huge box of his stuff on the floor.

"Grad school requirement. But I like how I get paid. I can't depend on my parents all my life," Sehun says in the most honest way possible. He doesn't really want to leave impressions on people that he's simply living within the comforts of his family's wealth.

Baekhyun smiles at him with a slight nod and says nothing. They take more of the boxes until everything's piled up in front of what will be the Baekhyun's new room.

They take a rest, Sehun handing Baekhyun a can of soda as they plop on the sofa, groaning at the comfort of cushion on their exhausted bodies. The room has been cleaned already anyway and the bedsheets were already changed. All that is left is to get Baekhyun's stuff arranged to his liking.

"Hey," Sehun says, his head thrown back as he rests his head on the backrest. "Let's celebrate your moving in."

Baekhyun, who's also in the same position, cranes his neck to look at Sehun. He blinks innocently.

"What do you say? My suggestion, my treat."

Sehun looks at him expectantly and Baekhyun can't say no to those kind, warm eyes. He nods before he can even think about the offer. The grin Sehun gives him is just enthusiastic, excited even, and Baekhyun gets a giddy feel on it.

"Let's get at least half of my things in place," Baekhyun says. Sehun nods.

This isn't bad, he supposes.




Ten minutes of walking and they find themselves in a nearby restaurant, a variety of food laid on their table and a couple of soju bottles. They're basically on a feast and Baekhyun can feel his stomach literally grumble at the sight of everything delicious right under his nose.

"Aren't we having too much?" Baekhyun asks.

Sehun shakes his head. "I have enough space in my tummy right now," he kids, laughing a bit as he rubs a hand on his stomach region. "But we can take out if we are."

In all honesty, Baekhyun feels as hungry as Sehun does. The heavy work they've done moving things in and out, from his old apartment to Sehun's flat, sure has the energy out of them. Their food is probably just enough to get them working again, and the soju's pretty nice to warm themselves up, too. Besides, Sehun has told him to eat to his heart's contents. It's him on this and Baekhyun won't win if he argues about paying.

And so they feast on their food, gulp on their soju shots, and before they know it, they already have their hands shot up in the air for more plates. True enough, they eat until they are sure they are a hundred percent satisfied. They're also down with their third soju bottle, surprisingly, and although they feel a little warmer, they're still sober enough to not walk back home tipsy or stumbling down sidewalks.

As promised, Sehun pays for everything, pulling his credit card from his wallet and handing it to the waiter. "Aren't you finishing that shot?" Sehun asks, looking at the still filled shot glass of soju in front of Baekhyun.

"I don't think I can take more alcohol," Baekhyun declines. raising both hands as he shakes his head. "I'm done."

Sehun snorts, silently taking the shot glass and emptying its contents in a gulp. He hisses, its strong taste lingering in his mouth and his hand scrambles for the nearest glass of water. "Gah! That's enough!" Sehun shivers with eyes shut.

"You just did this funny squished face!" Baekhyun points at him, laughing so hard as he tries to mimic Sehun's face. Unfortunately, he does something just as equally hilarious and they end up laughing noisily, clenched fist pressed on their tummies.

They calm down and Sehun heaves a sigh, stretching his hands in the air as he waits for his card. Baekhyun remains silent, his laughter dying down to a smile. The next second, he finds himself staring at his friend, eyes dropping to the dip of Sehun's v-neck shirt. Suddenly, Baekhyun's all hot and bothered, swallowing emptily as he catches sight of the collar bones, up to his neck, craned to his side while talking to the waiter, his jawline more prominent than Baekhyun has ever seen. He shakes his head. It must be the alcohol in his system trying to be up to some mischief. Yet he can't stop himself from looking across the table. Sehun is suddenly, extremely attractive.

"Hyung, are you okay?" Sehun asks, standing up.

Baekhyun sits straight and answers promptly. "Yes! Yes. I'm, uh, good! Are we going now?"

Sehun blinks and nods. "You're so red."

Baekhyun's initial reaction is to gasp and the desire to hide his face with his hands is so strong. But then it would just prove nothing since he really is so red in the face. "Soju. The soju," he mutters quickly, bowing his head as he chuckles to himself. Awkwardly.

"You weren't that red earlier but okay," Sehun shrugs. He pulls his hand chest level and out of the blue, pokes Baekhyun's cheeks, sending the latter to back away in apparent surprise. "Blushing. Cute," Sehun says with a straight face while Baekhyun, a foot stepped back, looks confused and a lot more flustered. He is probably a bit terrified, too, because his heart is beating too fast and his stomach is doing quirky somersaults.

"Just kidding," Sehun pulls his hand back. "Let's go."

Still dumbfounded, Baekhyun doesn't follow until Sehun is a few steps ahead of him. He's pretty sure they're not drunk. He can make sense of everything Sehun is saying, and Sehun is in a more or less sober state as well. But then it feels as if everything's done in lightheaded ways. He groans. It's the soju, he convinces himself. It's the soju. He catches up on Sehun's pace and walks back home silently with him.




The first that they do as soon as they're back is to go back to the last thing they did before they went out: plop lazily on the sofa until everything feels great and wonderful. The soft couch just feels extremely good on their still sore bodies and it's too tempting to remain like this for the next hours.

"God, this is so nice," Sehun groans, an exhausted sigh coming out of his mouth. Baekhyun nods because there's nothing else to say. It feels nice and it's all to what has to be said.

They're silent in their lazy slouch, only their breathing audible. It goes on for a couple of minutes, enough for Baekhyun to remember many things, happy and bad ones alike. He ponders on them again and ends up how grateful he is that he's met Sehun. Baekhyun looks at him, the dim spot lights on his face giving a strangely beautiful glow on his face.

Sehun notices, shifting to his left so he meets Baekhyun's eyes. He smiles. "Why?"

"Nothing," Baekhyun says, tearing his gaze away from Sehun's and back to the ceiling.

"Doesn't sound nothing to me," Sehun chuckles.

At that point, he wonders if it's the right time to ask something that has bothered him earlier. He's scrapped it, thrown at the back of his head because Sehun's shown nothing but pure kindness to him. Yet, still the desire for an honest answer doesn't leave. He's not entirely sure if this is the opportunity but he resolves he can give it a try.

"Sehun," he calls him. "I hope you don't take offense in this question."

Sehun perks up, sitting properly and looks at Baekhyun, a little bewildered. A tinge of worry paints his face. "Okay," he says.

"I'm really grateful for all. Trust me, I am. But I was wondering if," Baekhyun inhales, suddenly hesitant, but Sehun looks at him expectantly so he continues. "If you helped me out of pity?"

There's a three-second silence and Baekhyun can feel his heartbeat race. He probably has offended Sehun and his immediate reaction is to form the most appropriate apology in his head.

"Not really," Sehun answers before Baekhyun can even speak again. He's looking at Baekhyun, eyes sincere, lips pursed. He seems to be a little loss at first, as if finding the right words to say and Baekhyun lets him take his time to do so.

"Okay. I wouldn't say it wasn't part of the reason, if I'm gonna be honest, that is," Sehun begins. "But believe me, I really wanted to help. Not purely out of pity but because I know I can do something."

"I see," is all Baekhyun says. He isn't sure what to react now. Well, the honest part is a bit of a pang in the chest of course, and a portion of him is quite crushed, but it somehow is a relief, too. He wants the real answer, not a sugar-coated one and he thinks he's admired Sehun more for this. He's a friend, to begin with, and real friends say the truth, truth that may hurt but still help.

"I can't explain it well," Sehun carries on. He wishes he doesn't sound too defensive but Baekhyun's answer doesn't sound good enough to convince him it's okay. He's shaking. "I just...I wanted to help you because I don't want to see you...hurting. I wanna do something because..." he trails off, biting on his lower lip. "I just want you to not worry about many things."

It doesn't sink in and Baekhyun's processing things slowly. What is Sehun saying?

"It doesn't make sense right?" Sehun laughs when Baekhyun pulls the confused look on him again. "I don't know, hyung. I don't like seeing creases on your forehead because you worry too much. You're good. You're nice. You don't deserve life being too unfair to you. I just want you to be happy. All the time. I want you to smile."

Sehun is visibly trembling when he ends, breathing heavily as if he's exhausted himself from merely speaking. His heart still pounds in his chest and he's scared. Baekhyun, on the other hand doesn't expect Sehun's answer to escalate to a mush of emotions.

"I guess...maybe..." Sehun says. He recalls what Kyungsoo has told him earlier, during lunch, when Sehun's blushed so hard at his friend's suspicion, denying it so hard, refusing to believe that he's reached such state. But now, suddenly, it all comes rushing at him. He's scared because as it slowly sinks in, he's getting scared, but they're too much to handle and he can no longer hold them in. He knows only Baekhyun can trigger this reaction out of him and he can't blame Baekhyun for getting all surprised at the sudden burst of seemingly pent up emotions. He himself is surprised, too. But he's started it already. Better finish than keep them both hanging.

"Maybe because I like you, hyung."

There. Done. He's finally said it. It's terrifying yet relieving.

But there is no time to see Baekhyun's reaction because the next thing Sehun knows, he's being held on the shoulders, pressed down on the couch, Baekhyun on top of him and their lips sealed together. It's chaste for seconds until Baekhyun shifts a little and Sehun takes it as a sign to part his lips and kiss Baekhyun back. It feels surreal for Sehun as he wraps his arms around Baekhyun, pulling his body closer in their exchange of wet, sloppy kisses.

Baekhyun breaks it first, breathing heavily, pulling a bit away. Sehun can see his reflection on Baekhyun's glistening eyes as his chest heaves to gasp for air. He can't speak, still in a state of shock, but he doesn't let go of the firm hug that keeps Baekhyun in place. He likes the warmth.

"What is this?" Sehun asks shyly.

"I don't know," Baekhyun answers quick, his cheeks extremely flushed as well. "I don't know. But I want to do this for quite some time now."

"Are you sure?"

Baekhyun doesn't say anything. He just smiles, staring at Sehun's face--his forehead, eyes, the bridge of his nose, his lips.

"Well, no one's stopping me from liking you back," he mutters and kisses Sehun again. It's slow this time, mouths moving as if savoring the touch of their lips on each other. Sehun lowers his hand and Baekhyun's fingers slide down on Sehun's chest.

Tongues, wet kisses, clothes scattered on the floor. Hands roam their bodies and they don't hold in the sounds of intimacy and pleasure. It escalates to something they've least expected yet it happens.

It's probably the soju. And their honesty. And the night that is long enough to get them moving to their heart's desires.




Baekhyun comes to the faculty with a bright smile, face glowing with a seemingly excessively pride and joy. He goes around greeting everyone, even dropping by Minseok's isolated desk just to wish him a wonderful day. When he goes back to his desk, Sehun is looking at him, totally weirded out. He shrugs, chuckling to himself.

"Having a good day?" Sehun asks.

Baekhyun just nods. "Before you say anything, it's not because I enjoyed you quite getting rough on me last night." He pulls his collar down a bit to reveal a still red collarbones and Sehun remembers how he's on it hard enough to leave the mark. Baekhyun finds so much amusement in the other's apparent shock and panic. Sehun even hushes at him, slapping him but gently on the arm to stop him of speaking things he shouldn't be talking about. It's been a month since they've agreed to get their relationship official, as Sehun would always call it, and Sehun is obviously still not used to how playful and teasing Baekhyun can be at times. It's new but he doesn't really regret knowing this.

"Okay enough. Tell your story," Sehun says when he's assured no one's seen and heard Baekhyun. He pushes the other's hand to hide the mark beneath clothes again because it isn't the right time to be remembering things that can get him uncomfortably tight in his pants.

Baekhyun opens his bag and pulls a white A4 paper, handing it to Sehun with care. "Read," he orders.

And Sehun does, skimming on the text. His eyes grow wide a few seconds into his reading and his lips part to a wide open-mouthed smile. "You're keeping the scholarship!"

Baekhyun nods proudly.

"So you passed your subjects!" Sehun exclaims.

Baekhyun nods again.

"God, I'm so happy!" He literally jumps on Baekhyun and hugs him that they almost fall off the chair. Baekhyun yelps loud and Sehun yells, too. The rest of the faculty members look at them, alarmed, some slightly scandalized. Minseok even peeks from his office only to shake his head as soon as he sees the two TAs in a very compromising position, Sehun on top of Baekhyun with Baekhyun holding the other by the bum.

Minseok clears his throat and Sehun carefully crawls back to his seat. Baekhyun gulps awkwardly, bowing his head as he mumbles apologies. Once they're properly seated back to their respective desks, Sehun fishes his phone out, opting to talk using it because he's still embarrassed to speak. He sends Baekhyun a text message: "Congratulations! You did it!"

His phone vibrates and Baekhyun's reply flashes on his screen. "Thank you. But nope, not 'I did it'. You helped me. So WE did it. :)"

Sehun looks to his side, lips slowly curling to a giddy smile. It's too early for the slightest of a morning drama but Sehun can't ignore the bubbly curls in his chest, a funny yet happy reaction brought by just three words. He hasn't really thought about this but when he does, it sinks in quick until it's embedded right in the middle of his heart. It's no longer just him, or just Baekhyun alone, but him and Baekhyun, both of them, together. It will never be a life of absolute all smiles but he is excited about spending it in knowing that what he's wanted for Baekhyun and for himself is finally a real deal.

I want you to smile. And so it happens, Baekhyun, right next to him, his flushed cheeks pushing his eyes to wonderful crescents. Genuine, no unmasked emotions. And it's all that Sehun needs to make his day complete.




"Celebratory dinner? My treat." Sehun sends Baekhyun a message minutes later, packing his papers and shutting his laptop close. He's leaving for his grad school class and the next time he sees Baekhyun again is back home.

Baekhyun chuckles when he reads it. "I think I've heard this before," he says out loud, an obvious twirl in his tone.

Sehun nods and he's reminded of the very exact moment he first asked him out for a "celebratory dinner." He clearly remembers it, that night when food isn't the only delicious thing his tongue has tasted.

"I wouldn't mind a repeat of it," Sehun says, wiggling his brows. Baekhyun bites his lips shyly as a visible pink starts to stain his cheeks.

"Me too, I guess."