Chapter Eighteen:
No Matter What Anyone Says or Teases,
I Fell for your Broad Shoulders and your Smooth Voice

“Can I uncover my eyes?”
 

“Not yet.”
 

Jongin pouted, though he wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo could see it with his hands covering his eyes, as the older lead him through the dorm, pulling him to a gentle halt.
 

“There’s a chair right to your left,” Kyungsoo said and Jongin scrunched up his face to show his eyes were still closed as he lowered one hand to feel around for the chair and take a seat. “Almost time,” Kyungsoo assured him before Jongin heard him walk away. He was quick to return and not long after Jongin heard the chair in front of him move and he his lips.
 

“You can open your eyes now.” He did and they widened at the plate in front of him before meeting Kyungsoo’s eyes across the table.
 

“Fried chicken?”
 

“It’s something you love to eat, so I thought I would make it for you,” Kyungsoo replied, Jongin watching him light the last of four candles placed on the table. Jongin smiled and opened his mouth, then jumped when the lock on the dorm door clicked and Baekhyun stepped him, Chanyeol trailing in behind him.
 

“For the last time, that’s not how things work.”
 

“Okay, but you’re wrong,” Chanyeol replied, slipping out of his shoes. He looked past Baekhyun to the pair and a smile lit up his face. “Jongin!” He exclaimed, almost knocking Baekhyun over as he bolted for the table, sitting down in the hair next to the dark haired male. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, after Kyungsoo told me I couldn’t go with him to pick you up from class,” He said, oblivious to Kyungsoo trying to burn holes into his skull with a glare.
 

“Chanyeol, I think that’s because they got tired of you going on dates with them after,” Baekhyun stated, coming up behind Chanyeol, who tilted his head back to look up at the brunet.
 

“Well you never want to go with me to make it a double date.”

“Baekhyun can tell when he’s unwanted sometimes, as much of a miracle as that may seem,” Kyungsoo said dryly and Chanyeol glanced at him before turning a pout to Jongin.
 

“You don’t want me?” He asked, his puppy-dog eyes expression disappearing as Kyungsoo kicked him under the table.
 

“Don’t go whining to him, he’s not going to save you,” Kyungsoo said though Chanyeol turned his pout back to the younger.
 

“You can tell me if you don’t like me,” He said and Jongin cringed, jumping when his mobile notification sound went off.

“I should check that,” He said, getting up quickly and bolting into Kyungsoo’s room. It was a text from Sehun that he ignored, calling the other instead.
 

“I was expecting a texted response, are you going to yell at me to stop being gross instead?”
 

“What? I-no. Was that text gross-” he shook his head. “No, I need you to find some way to get everyone out of the dorm door a few hours. Kyungsoo-Hyung and I got… Interrupted by Chanyeol-Hyung and I don’t think we’re going to be able to get him to leave,” He explained.
 

“You’re not going to use our bed, are you?”
 

“Sehun! Please,” He whined.
 

“Yeah, fine. Yifan-hyung is getting ready to go watch that recital he’s been drooling about, so I’ll get ZiTao-hyung to come out with me to do something. Text me when all your clothes are back on,” He added, and Jongin could hear him start to laugh before hanging up.

Jongin pocketed his mobile, taking a deep breath before looking to the door. Now he just needed a way to get Kyungsoo and him out without Chanyeol following. He stared at the door as he rehearsed what to say a few times, and then opened the door. He watched Chanyeol hovering over Kyungsoo, trying to nab a piece of chicken as Kyungsoo was putting it in plastic containers, earning a smack to his hand.

“Kyungsoo-hyung?” He started once the dark haired male had finished packing the food he had laid out. “That was Sehun. He… He said something’s going on… With ZiTao-Hyung and asked if we could head to the dorm to help,” Kyungsoo frowned, eyebrows knitting together before something seemed to click and his face relaxed for a moment before faux worry crossed it.

“Then we should hurry over.”
 

“ZiTao? Your roommate from China?” Baekhyun asked and Jongin nodded.
 

“I know a few things in Chinese, I could help!” Baekhyun rolled his eyes at Chanyeol.
 

“H… He’s really skittish around people he doesn’t know, I don’t think that would help as much as you mean it to,” Jongin replied.
 

“But… Kyungsoo’s going.”
 

“I know ZiTao since I’ve spent a lot of time over there. I’m not a stranger to him,” Kyungsoo explained, putting the tubs of food into a bag and handing it to Jongin, nudging him towards the door.
 

“Hope he feels better,” Baekhyun said, sitting on the couch while he started messing with his mobile as Kyungsoo and Jongin slid on their shoes, and Jongin smiled at him.
 

“I’ll let him know you said that,” He said before they exited the dorm, ignoring Chanel’s whines. Once they were a few doors down Kyungsoo moved his hand to intertwine their fingers, and their pace slowed a little.
 

“There isn’t a real emergency with ZiTao, is there?”
 

“No, but there is an empty dorm waiting for us.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me, ZiTao?” Yifan asked, working on his bow tie before running a comb through his hair for the last time. Even with what he had heard Yixing say about his reasoning for staying in Korea, he still found himself peaking in when he had the chance to watch the other practice. So when he had heard Yixing state he was playing a small recital this evening to give a small taste of the showcase at the end of the month he couldn’t help but attend.
 

“It sounds boring,” ZiTao admitted, flipping through the magazine that Yifan had bought him as a reward for the B he had gotten on is verbal Korean test the day before. “I’ll stay in with Sehun,” He added turning another page and looking up at Yifan when the elder padded over to him. He was laying on his stomach on his bed and smiled as Yifan run his fingers through his hair, looking to the door when it opened.
 

“ZiTao-Hyung I’m hungry. Let’s go out,” Sehun said and ZiTao sat up, closing his magazine with a curious look on his face.
 

“I think that’s a good idea, it’ll give you two a chance to get to know each other better,” Yifan said as ZiTao slid off his bed. “I’ll be home after ten, if you’re ready for bed before then go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” He added and ZiTao gave a nod, following after Sehun’s lead from the room and then the dorm.
 

“Make yourself comfortable? What’s that about?” Sehun asked and ZiTao’s cheeks tinted pink.
 

“S-sometimes Yifan-Ge lets me… sleep in his bed when I feel… Homesick or have a nightmare,” ZiTao explained, a small bit of pride forming in his chest at how he didn’t switch to Chinese halfway through his statement like he often did. He and Yifan conversed in Mandarin when it was only the two of them, but the elder encouraged him to take part in the conversations Yifan had with Sehun and Jongin saying it would help him improve his Korean, thus rarely spoke in Mandarin around the them. “Is that… weird?” He asked and Sehun shrugged.
 

“My cousin uses me as a body pillow half the time, so I’m not one to judge.”

“But you’re… soulmates.”
 

“Platonic ones.”
 

“Isn’t touch… common in play soulmates?”
 

“Play-ton-ice” Sehun corrected, letting ZiTao pronounce the word correctly before continuing. “Yeah, but I’m not sure if being as touchy as Jongin-Hyung and I are is a good norm. We got taunted when we were little; people liked to say we were dating,” His face scrunched up a little at the memory.
 

“Yifan-Ge and I aren’t platonic soulmates though,” ZiTao said as they exited the dorm complex.
 

“So why do you seem embarrassed about sleeping in his bed? You got a crush on him?” Sehun laughed, turning to look at ZiTao when he noticed the other had stopped, and saw that the blush had crept down his neck.
 

“I…”
 

“No way,” ZiTao looked down, sheepishly nodding. “Is that why you follow him around like a duckling? I thought that was just because he was your mentor,” Sehun said and ZiTao shook his head, starting to walk and following Sehun’s lead again. “What could you possibly like in him, he’s an idiot.”
 

“He’s always been so nice to me, and encourages me not to hide in our room. He saved me from bullies and make sure that I’m happy,” ZiTao said softly. “I always hear people talk about… how they feel a pull towards their soul mate. That’s right, right?” He asked, looking to Sehun.
 

“Yeah, but… there are two kinds of pulls. And both sides have to be open to the idea of someone being a soul mate of theirs before the pull really starts,” He said, wondering how many times he was going to have to educate people about soulmates this week. ZiTao’s eyes lit up, a string of Chinese passing his lips, to which Sehun gave a blank look to in response. “Try again.”
 

“The pull I feel. If I feel it, it means GeGe feels it too?” ZiTao asked.
 

“Unless you’re some freak case, then yeah. That’s how people can tell that a bond is actually forming; you’ll feel a pull towards them. The pull gets stronger as both sides become more aware of it,” Sehun explained, opening the door to a Jjajangmyeon restaurant and letting ZiTao go in first. The older was practically bouncing on his heels as they waited to be seated.
 

“Maybe that’s why GeGe acts the way he does with me. Maybe I should ask him later tonight,” ZiTao said once they were sitting across from each other in one of the booths, Sehun giving a small hum.
 

“Well he sure feels something towards you. It would probably be a good idea to find out what before you start making wedding plans,” Sehun replied, flipping through the menu.
 

“What about you, Sehun?”
 

“What do you mean ‘what about me’? Do I feel something towards you?” Sehun asked, ZiTao shaking his head.
 

“No, do you like someone?” ZiTao clarified and Sehun froze as a voice ran through his head.
 

Call me LuHan-Hyung then.
 

Sehun his lips, shifting a little in his seat under ZiTao’s excited stare. “I don’t know yet. It might just be a crush, because I don’t feel a pull yet,” He said, looking back down at his menu. “But from the way he was talking the other day, he doesn’t have a romantic soulmate yet.”