“Soooooooo,” Luhan said a week later as he ate. Minseok was at home, sick, so Luhan had invited Jongdae to eat lunch with him. “Have you asked Minseok to prom yet?” he asked, even though he knew for a fact that it hadn’t happened.

“No,” Jongdae blushed. “Baekhyun said he had some great plan.”

That got Luhan’s interest. “Oh really? Go get him, I want to swap ideas.”

Soon Baekhyun and Chanyeol, because you can’t get one without the other, were sitting at the table as well and Jongdae and Chanyeol were listening awkwardly.

“My idea was to have Minseok ask Jongdae through a video but of course we can switch it around since now he’s heard it.” Luhan acted like Jongdae wasn’t even there. “But it won’t be a surprise for Minseok since I already tried.”

“Well, my idea was to have Jongdae get on a table and take his shirt off.”

Silence.

“You wanted me to do what?”

“I want you to get on this table, take your shirt off, and have the word “Prom” painted on your chest.” Baekhyun didn’t even laugh and Jongdae knew he was being serious and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

“Chanyeol, did you help with this?” If Chanyeol had any hand in this, it would just make it worse. If he was against it, it would make Jongdae feel better about his dignity.

“I actually thought about standing on the table.”

Jongdae slammed his head on the table. “You guys want me to die.”

“We just want you to get with Minseok, is all. And if embarrassing yourself is the way to do it, which I know will do the trick because he can’t resist cute embarrassing things, then so be it,” Luhan said.

“Do you have any better ideas? I don’t want to give up on asking him but I’d rather not take off my shirt.”

“Okay, then, let’s think of other ideas.”

“Hmm, what if I got him a soccer ball and write on it?”

“No, that’s lame. You need something spectacular, out there. WHA-BAM!” Luhan stood up and spread his arms out, almost hitting Chanyeol in the face. “Cute is dead, Jongdae. Go with something weird.”

Everyone seemed to be thinking for a while and the bell rang.

“Wait, has anyone come up with a better idea? I need to do it this week!” He watched his friends gather up their things as he continued to sit.

Baekhyun smiled a -eating grin. “Nope. Looks like you need to find a good way to take off your shirt.” He disappeared into the school with Chanyeol in tow and Luhan just laughed before following.

“I’m ruined,” Jongdae mumbled into his hands in defeat.

Three days later, Minseok was back at school and Baekhyun and Chanyeol had Jongdae cornered in the art room before lunch.

“I don’t want to do this!” Jongdae’s cries could be heard from outside the room before Baekhyun stuffed Jongdae’s undone tie into the younger’s mouth.

“Too bad. You waited too long and didn’t find a better way. Say goodbye to your dignity. We’ll at least let you pick which color to do it in.”

“Blue,” Jongdae said through the fabric but Baekhyun didn’t listen. It wasn’t that hard to tell what the younger had said so how Baekhyun had gotten “pink” out of it, Jongdae will never know. He decided not to fight it because it was Baekhyun.

Chanyeol held his arms while Baekhyun ed his shirt and carefully started plastering the paint onto his pale chest.

“That’s cold,” Jongdae whined, squirming under Baekhyun’s fingers and Chanyeol’s tight grip.

“Hold still or it’ll take longer.”

Within a minute, Baekhyun was finished and was fanning Jongdae’s chest with a magazine to help it dry faster. Soon enough, Jongdae was able to put his shirt back on.

“You know what to do now?” Chanyeol asked.

“Unfortunately.” Jongdae walked out the room, leaving his tie with Baekhyun since it was just going to get in the way.

“Don’t forget to get on the table!” Chanyeol called after the boy.

“Luhan, do you know where Jongdae is? I saw him earlier and he said something about seeing me later.” Minseok was lost without Jongdae even though he wouldn’t admit it this soon. He’d grown attached quickly and had missed the younger while he was sick.

“I don’t know where he is,” Luhan lied. Of course he knew exactly where Jongdae was. He caught sight of the boy coming through the front doors, who seemed to be a bit angry, and he smiled. “There he is. Must have been running a little late. See, he’s even missing his tie.”

Minseok turned right as Jongdae got to the table but was shocked when Jongdae didn’t sit but stepped up onto the table, carefully moving by the food. “What are you--?”

Jongdae didn’t speak, he just ripped his shirt open like Superman, revealing the word “Prom?” written in pink with a winky face below it on bare skin and Minseok blushed. He couldn’t have chosen a different color?

“Minseok?” It was Luhan.

Minseok and Jongdae just looked at each other because they knew they liked each other enough to go together but this was a totally unexpected promposal. Before Minseok could answer, however, a teacher had arrived.

“Mr. Kim Jongdae! This is unacceptable! Get down this instant!” She was furious and there was no hope for Jongdae. He was a goner. As he was getting dragged away before even being able to button up his shirt, he looked back at Minseok to see if he was getting an answer.

“Yes, Jongdae!” Minseok yelled across the courtyard but wasn’t sure if Jongdae could hear but there was a huge smile that confirmed it for him. Everyone around them was suddenly talking about what had just happened but Luhan and Minseok just looked at each other, Luhan with his signature “I knew it all along” smirk.

“You had this planned, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes. You didn’t want to do anything too cheesy and Jongdae is gullible. It wasn’t that hard. I actually didn’t even come up with this plan myself, his friends did. I just helped.”

“You’re horrible, you know that right? He’s probably getting detention or something for that.”

“I know but it was a sacrifice I was willing to take.”

“Luhan! You’re not the one sitting in detention!”