#M41: stop finding your e(x), don’t ask me wh(y)
From: Anonymous until reveals
Title: stop finding your e(x), don’t ask me wh(y)
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: 10,000
Summary: A nasty breakup leaves math genius Lu Han desperate for answers. And pizzas. And cliché romcom films. Sehun just so happens to be the local pizza delivery boy who's failing his Math class.
Warning/s: cursing, lots of time skips
Lu Han could only wish his love story with Junmyeon unfolded the way Margaret Tate and Andrew Paxton's did.
Or maybe it could've at least started off with fleeting love letters and fake relationships ㅡ as thrilling and youthful as Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky's.
"But having been through it all.." A small, munching noise fills the air as he consumes the last slice of his beloved cheese pizza. "I know this much."
Silence fills the air as Eleanor crouches down to cup the side of Rachel's face in a meticulous yet daunting manner. The memory blooms fresh in his head ㅡ the scene in the movie not making his situation comforting in any way ㅡ and the dam in his eyes starts to well up with a fresh new batch of ugly tears as Eleanor delivers one of her most powerful and heart-tugging lines in the film.
"You will never be enough."
Lu Han sniffles out a sob as he gulps down another glass of soju.
'I know that already.'
Kim Junmyeon had been too good of a dream come true.
Lu Han can still remember the days when he crushed so hard on the princely male during their years at the university. Junmyeon was a sophomore back then. A popular one, at that. He was best known within the College of Management and Accountancy for having other-worldly physical features and a commendable prowess with numbers. That, and also because of the fact that he was the only son of a wealthy family.
Lu Han admired him despite being one who was just as equally admired by the rest of the student population. Although he'd hate to admit it, it was probably because he was just as prodigious with numbers as Junmyeon ㅡ if not, maybe even a tad better.
That was probably also the reason why circumstances allowed them to be with each other way too often. The university always paired them up for student workshops and conferences overseas, and they often rallied with each other's rankings every time the semestral grades came out.
Junmyeon never held a grudge even if Lu Han often came out to be on top, though. He would just always congratulate him with a smile and a pat on the shoulder, playfully muttering the words 'Congratulations, hyung. I'll be number 1 next time!' before calmly walking away.
It was probably somewhere along their last team-up, when Junmyeon had gifted him a simple bouquet of roses for congratulatory purposes, that Lu Han had figured out he had fallen irrevocably in love with the younger and that he had to do something about his feelings before officially graduating from college life.
He knew he had to confess everything.
And confess everything, he did.
Which is why he was over the moon when Junmyeon reciprocated his feelings and admitted that he liked him, too. Lu Han's soul had floated off to Cloud 9 during that very moment.
Not to mention, they shared their first kiss in a way that was as awkward yet as heart-fluttering as Landon and Jamie's ㅡ with Junmyeon at first being a little hesistant because he feared he might disappoint Lu Han due to being 'bad at it.'
It was by far the happiest day of his life.
And it lasted for at least one and a half year before everything completely crumbled into pieces.
Ding-dong!
He stirs from his sprawled position on the floor. '11:45 PM,' read the digital clock. Eyes yet again swollen from crying and pulling off another marathon of chick flick movies, Lu Han groggily squints his eyes open to the adamant sound of the doorbell ringing quarter to midnight.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
He rolls over the carpet sluggishly, head unsurprisingly aching due to the two bottles of soju he had recklessly downed earlier before passing out. 27 Dresses was currently playing on-screen and he pauses the movie at 9 minutes and 47 seconds before wobbling lazily towards the front door.
The first color combination that invades his blurry vision upon welcome is a silly checkered pattern of black and yellow. “Oh.” His sight lands at a pair of worn-out black shoes covered with hints of snow before darting up towards the face of its impatient owner. Lu Han's drunken face lights up in recognition. "You again~" the 24-year-old slurs, holding onto the doorframe for his dear life because 'ooh cool, why are there two pizza boys?'
"Why is it always you who delivers my pizzas? Does your shop have no other employees? Are you stalking me~?"
Just like the previous times, pizza boy's eyes were sharp yet friendly and his entire frame was evidently quivering from the cold despite his thick jacket as he extends the boxes of pizza towards a haggard Lu Han's face. A twitch in his smile went unnoticed as he opened his mouth to utter the words he had long been trained to say.
"Thank you for choosing JD's Pizza Galore for the 3rd time this week, customer Lu Han with subscription number 520. Here is your order of 2 boxes of Italian molten cheese," the male said with a strained smile and in probably the most nasal voice Lu Han had ever heard in his entire lifetime.
They both must've looked rather comical at that moment as a spaced-out and intoxicated Lu Han stared at pizza boy's face for god knows how long. Sharp jawline, tall nose bridge, and a pair of deep, expressive eyes. Lu Han couldn't help but nod his head in approval. It didn't matter how tacky JD's Pizza Galore uniforms were. The guy was a definite 100/10.
Pizza boy, meanwhile, was starting to fidget awkwardly because the boxes weren't exactly easy to carry and he couldn't wait to just go home already to finally get some good day's rest and oh lord, it was starting to snow heavily outside ㅡ
"Oh Sehun-sshi.." Lu Han suddenly purrs, eyes blinking lazily at the other's nametag.
"Would you like to come in and have some pizza with me?”
'Wouldn't it have been nice if we had an intense love story like Anastasia Steele and Christian Gray's?'
Junmyeon choked on his Gatorade as he incredulously stared at his boyfriend of 1 year. His ears were blushing from root to tip, but all of those went unnoticed as Lu Han was way too busy watching the sunset. 'I mean, think about it! We probably wouldn't have to worry anymore about having our first time, right? Because by then, we would've already been used to seeing each other's bodies - h-hey, what's wrong?! Are you alright?'
Junmyeon coughs out the remaining liquid stuck in his throat before sighing heavily. 'Han, you...' A hint of disappointment was present in his tone as he shook his head at Lu Han. 'We've only been dating for a year. I think... I think it's way too early for us to be talking about sex.'
'O-oh..' A seagull dives down to catch one small fish the same time Lu Han lets out a strained chuckle. 'I.. guess you're right. Sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?'
Junmyeon nods.
'Very.'
And 'very fucked' wasn't even the most accurate adjective to sum up his current situation.
It was more like an 'Oh shit, what have I done who is this guy whomst've asdfghjkl' type of predicament as Lu Han panickedly pulled the nearest shirt he could find before limping his way out of Room 127.
"What should I do, who should I call, what have I done, what the fuck even happened?!" the 24-year-old mumbles to himself, one hand soothing his aching lower back and the other pressing the 'descent' button on the lift like a mad man as if the half-naked sinister being he had haphazardly left in the hotel room would suddenly come barging through the corridors to chase after him. He hated to admit it but the being sure did have softer and smoother skin than Junmy -
"Hello? Lu Han-hyung?"
"Kyungsoo!" Lu Han cried into his phone. "Kyungsoo-yaaaahhhhakdjfhksjdgh" his ugly sobs caused the barely awoken male on the other line to get his ears away from the speakers. "Kyungsoo-yahhh, help me. Help your Lu Han-hyungggg!"
The suffering tone in his voice was enough to instigate worry from the latter. "Hyung? What happened? Why are you crying?! Where are you?!" Chanyeol's deep yet worried 'Is Lu Han-hyung okay?!' from the other line could be heard as Lu Han wiped his snot away and hastily got into the elevator. Thankfully, no one else was occupying the lift and Lu Han took it as the perfect chance to unleash his inner drama queen.
"Hyung, are you on top of a building right now?!"
"Yes!"
A gasp. "Hyung, listen to me, okay! Don't do it! It's not the end of the world yet. There are lots of better guys than him out there. Chanyeol and I are going to come over to you right now. Where are you?!"
Lu Han glances at the device on the lift before sniffling into his phone. 'I'm on the 12th floor."
An even more dramatic gasp. Chanyeol's 'Kyungsoo-yah, hang in there. Don't faint on me!' this time could be clearly heard and it was now Lu Han's turn to grow confused. "Wait, did Kyungsoo fai - "
"Lu Han-hyung, don't do it, okay? Just don't! We love you so much. If you're gone then who's gonna pay for our electricity bills? Boo-hoo!"
"Wait, Chanyeol, what are you saying I'm n - "
"Hang in there. I'm calling the police right now, hyung. Do you remember that scene in the fantasy movie we watched where the firemen have safety catching nets? I'm gonna tell them to set that up for you too so that you won't fall to -"
Ding!
Silence filled the other line.
And Lu Han was left gaping like a fish as he became the eye-candy of the snickering lift-takers. A little girl with a teddy bear in her hand comes waddling up to the frozen 24-year-old before pulling on his dress shirt.
"Ahjusshi, whewe awe youw twousews?"
Lu Han covers his Bambi-printed boxers and screams.
"This cannot go on," Baekhyun announces as he watches a gloomy Lu Han devour two slices of cheese pizza at a time. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo both share knowing looks with each other before sighing heavily. It was already the 3rd roll of Confessions of a Shopaholic on tv and yet Lu Han was still so focused on the whole show with a wide grin on his face that it almost looked borderline creepy.
"You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down a hot post?" Lu Han pops a crust of cheese pizza in his mouth. "Well, that's what it's like when I see a store." An obnoxious and obviously forced giggle.
"That whole elevator incident must've incredibly traumatized him. Poor Lu Han-hyun - Ack!"
"Both of you are at fault too. Don't play innocent on this."
Kyungsoo groans. "But how was that our fault? We weren't the ones who absent-mindedly used the lift without our trous - mmpfhh!"
"Keep your voice down, you idiot. He may look like he's currently lost in his romcom world but we both know he's got devil ears from hell." Chanyeol let out a scared squeak at the discovery. "Now tell me what happened. Why did he go out of his hotel room without his trousers on? In fact, why was he even at a hotel by himself?!"
"Baekhyun-ah."
The trio flinched.
There Lu Han was, hair undeniably unkempt and unwashed for days, clad in tacky-looking pajamas whilst holding two empty boxes of cheese pizza in his hands. From the three's peripheral vision, it appears that the former had paused the movie just enough to flash Isla Fisher's constipated face on-screen. Kyungsoo fought back a laugh as he hid himself in Chanyeol's shoulder.
"What?" Baekhyun inquires bravely with a raised brow.
"Why are you all being so secretive and flinchy in here? Are you hiding something from me?" Lu Han steps forward and the three begin backing towards the kitchen sink. Chanyeol rushes over the cupboard to fish out a cherry blossom and pomegranate-scented Lysol spray which he shakily points towards Lu Han. Kyungsoo was quick to slap the back of his boyfriend's head.
'Are you nuts?'! he mouths at the taller to which Chanyeol responds with a stifled 'I don't want to suffocate!'
"No, of course we aren't doing any of that sort," Baekhyun clarifies. "What about you? Do you need something?" At those words, Lu Han flashes his notorious 'pretty please' face.
"I'm tired of watching the same show. Do you have any other movies I can watch? Preferably romcom/chick-flick ones." From his backside, Baekhyun could hear Kyungsoo let out a frustrated sigh. It was understandable given that the younger had been wanting to clean the guest room for ages but with a hermit like Lu Han refusing to leave it, the task can be quite difficult to accomplish.
As such, the magenta-haired male finally works up his resolve.
"I do have more of those movies." Lu Han smiles. "But I need you to do something first before I give them to you." The smile morphs into a frown.
"Tell me what happened three days ago. What you were doing at a hotel all by yourself and why you left without your trousers on ㅡ everything. I want complete details."
“We been knew."
"I'm sorry okay?!" Lu Han cries. "I just really want answers. I want revenge!"
"But it's been months already -"
"Deep scars don't fade just so easily, Soo!" the Chinese replies forlornly. "I can only truly move on once I confront him and that mother of his for the last time. I want them to know how much pain they have caused me."
Baekhyun lets out a sigh at his bestfriend's contradictory words. "Is it really revenge you want?" Lu Han nods. "The way I see it, you're merely covering up your true feelings. You don't actually want revenge against Junmyeon -"
"- I do!"
"- you're only using it as an excuse to see him again."
Chanyeol keeps mum as he watches his two hyungs engage in meaningful conversation. Lu Han's silence was enough of a confirmation and he shakes his head. 'Poor hyung.'
"This cannot go on," Baekhyun admits for the second time. "You've been like this for what? Weeks, months already? Have some common sense and look at what you're doing to yourself. And to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. These two have been looking out for you ever since you broke up with Junmyeon. At least be civilized enough to not be a burden on them."
"Hyung, it's fine actually - "
"What else?" Baekhyun provokes. His tone was starting to sound menacing and if it wasn't for the smiley face sewn across his sweater, he would've looked like a horror character that jumped straight out of the tv screen. Lu Han gulps. "I have a feeling you didn't spill everything just yet."
"W-what are you talking about, haha," Lu Han chuckles nervously. "Of course I already told you guys everything! I was in that hotel because I wanted to spend some time alone -"
"- and work up an algorithm to hack into Junmyeon-hyung's bank account -"
"- yeah, and work up an algorithm to hack into Ju - hey, I already said I'm sorry!" Lu Han glared at Chanyeol who was crouching behind Kyungsoo with a sly grin on his face. "Park Chanyeol, you -!"
"Enough!"
Lu Han sits up straight. Baekhyun sure didn't look pleased. Even Kyungsoo backed away at the sheer powerful tone of his voice. "Are you gonna keep on dilly-dallying like this or are you going to tell us the truth?"
"..."
"You know, we won't judge you right?" A sigh. "Whatever your reason is, Lu, you can tell us. Why did you do it? Why did you ride the elevator without your trousers on? Why were you in a hurry? What exactly happened in that freaking hotel you impulsively checked into? Wha -"
"....ered."
A unified 'huh' emanated from the trio.
"Iwjdghksjguovbasdeflofshfdhyjywered."
Baekhyun's face scrunches out of curiosity. "What? I didn't understand you."
Lu Han pulls his hoodie over his head and curls into fetal position. The sound of wood cracking from the fireplace fills the four friends' humble [and dingy] little apartment for a moment before it was followed by Lu Han's sniffles.
"Ho - wait, hyung, why are you crying?"
Lu Han looks up to his friends with puffy eyes and snot dripping down his nose. "Isjxwasjdhhddeflofjejweredbyhshdshefhdhunbkdjf."
"Huh?"
Lu Han grits his teeth.
"I SAID I WAS FUCKING DEFLOWERED, YOU UNCULTURED SWINES!"
"Oh I see, you were deflowered..."
Wait.
The three exchange looks.
1.
2.
3.
"NANIIIIIII?! WHOMST'VE?!"
"Nonononononono, Baekhyun, I'm not going in there!"
"Yes, you are!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lu Han attempts to break free or at least stall his adamant bestfriend from dragging him inside the restaurant by lying down on the pavement. A few passerbys shoot them weird glances before walking away while whispering to each other. Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "You can't make me go in there. I will nail myself right down this cement if I have to!"
"Suit yourself." If there was one thing that Lu Han had forgotten about Baekhyun, it was that the latter had a tremendous amount of arm muscle strength courtesy of his years of being a hapkido kid. Thus, when he effortlessly begins to tug on Lu Han's wrist to pull him inside the freaking restaurant, the latter is reduced to a suprised, whining 24-year-old desperate for escape. "You are going with me in there no matter what."
Lu Han plants his feet on the ground and shakes his head. His pants were by now filled with dust and the floral shirt which Baekhyun had earnestly lent him earlier was suffering the throes of his passionate reverse planking. "No, you can't make me!"
"Oh, what seems to be the problem in here?" Both friends turn towards the source of the voice. "Why is he lying on the floor? That's not exactly sanitary."
Baekhyun coughs. Thankfully, Lu Han has enough common sense left in his system to actually stand up and greet their long-time friend. Or ex-friend, if one could be honest. "L-long time no see, Jeonghan."
Jeonghan lets out a rather haughty-sounding chuckle [though it could've been just Lu Han's imagination]. "Yes, it has indeed been a long time, Lu Han. I didn't expect to see you here. How have you been doing with Junmyeon?"
"..."
"Oh, my bad," he brushes off. Baekhyun wanted to wipe off the smug grin on his face so bad. "I forgot that you two already broke up. Sorry. Did I hit a nerve?"
"Lu Han's doing fine," Baekhyun cuts in. Lu Han looks at him worriedly but he tries not to falter as doing this was far better than seeing his bestfriend get humiliated. "Junmyeon's about to take over his father's position in the company. They may have already parted ways but they retained their friendship. They are still on good terms." The way Jeonghan's face darkened upon those words brought joy to Baekhyun's heart. But then he was too late to realize the mess he had just created.
'Let's just hope we can keep up the facade till this day ends.'
"Is that so.." Jeonghan affirms but Lu Han deep-down could sense the animosity in his voice.
It's been a year already since their graduation and Lu Han could see that the latter had made obvious changes in his physical appearance. He was no longer the kid who sported huge black glasses and curly hair. Yoon Jeonghan had transformed into a fine young man with dark-blonde tresses and insanely smooth-looking skin. "I wish you both a happy friendship, then. That is, if you'd be able to keep that up till the end - "
"Hey, two Hans and a Byun Baekhyun!"
The three turn their heads towards the restaurant's door. "What are you all doing just standing in there? Come on in! We're almost complete."
Seeing how Taemin seemed genuinely happy to see them, the three decided to postpone their tension-filled conversation for a short while. Baekhyun holds onto Lu Han's sagging shoulder and assures him with a whisper of 'don't worry I won't let them know' before dragging him inside. Upon arrival, Jeonghan immediately walks up to his two pals, Seungkwan and Jisoo. Baekhyun and Lu Han walk the opposite way and find themselves some seats.
The venue was rather small and the only people present were Baekhyun and Lu Han, Taemin with his pals Kibum and Ji Hoon, and Jeonghan with his [unscrupulous] circle of friends. Things would've inevitably gotten awry if it wasn't for Taemin trying to liven up the atmosphere.
"Wow, I didn't expect that you all would actually accept my invitation for this mini-farewell party. And Jeonghan even made time to come here despite just recently coming back from a business trip in Taiwan. Thank you so much," Taemin commends while passing around the tea pot. Lu Han's inner turmoil starts to dissipate upon hearing the former's words.
Taemin had always been the 'mister congeniality' of their block. He was literally everyone's friend and was an active participant in the university's council. Baekhyun knew how very fond Lu Han was of him hence, the decision to drag him out of their apartment and see the latter for the last time.
But the downside of it all was that Taemin was also quite notorious for being a matchmaker and Lu Han dreaded that realization upon seeing him place his trademark pen on the table. "I assume you guys haven't forgotten about my favorite activity, right?" Groans emanate from Jeonghan and his friends. "Aw, don't be such killjoys! This will be the last time I'm playing this game with y'all before I move to California, you know!"
"Fine, fine," Seungkwan comments, side-eyeing Lu Han. "I guess there are those who really need some romance in their lives right now."
"Great! I'm gonna call him over with his friends now."
"Wait, who is it gonna be this time?"
Taemin smiles. "Sophomores from our uni!"
"What's wrong with him?"
Jongdae brings a finger to his lips to gesture Jongin to shut up. The latter quietly obeys though he still couldn't help but peek a glance at their obviously disgruntled maknae who was wiping the tables rather aggressively. The latter may look unapproachable most of the time but today his aura was a bit different and Jongin knew something was up.
"Really though, what's wrong with him?" he asks for the second time.
Jongdae looks at him, unfazed. "No idea. He's been like that since three days ago."
"Oh. Is it because he was reprimanded by Minseok-hyung?"
A click of the tongue. "You ask too many questions. Minseok has not come by the shop for a week now. Sehun's probably just being depressed over his midterms again -"
The sound of the chair screeching halts the two Kims' conversation. Sehun was now apparently starting to mop the area and even by the way he was doing it, it was obvious that he had something serious on his mind. Jongin looks at his bestfriend with worry.
"Maybe he got into an argument with his roommate or something.."
"Or maybe he's finally done with filling in for your delivery shifts," Jongdae reminds to which Jongin lets out a 'that's impossible he's the most patient person I've ever known.' The former gladly rolls his eyes at the younger before reverting his attention back to the cash register. "I have a strong hunch that it has something to do with a customer."
"A customer?"
"Sssh!" Jongdae hisses before pulling on the younger's collar to whisper into his ear. Goddamn these youngsters for being such giants. "It's like this. Three days ago, I got a call from Sapphire Hotel just minutes before we were about to close shop. The customer sounded like a drunken kid and he kept giggling and shit it was annoying as hell but I knew who he was and I think you know him, too."
Jongin looks at him, confused.
"Italian molten, less tomato sauce and lots and lots of freaking cheese. Does that ring a bell?"
Jongin's mouth forms an 'o.' "Oh, the slurring dude!"
"Slurring dude?"
"What was his name again... wait lemme think.. oh! Lu Han! It was that Lu Han guy, right? Subscription number 520?" Jongdae nods. "I often get to answer his phone calls and yeah, I won't deny that he either sounds like a kid or he's drunk as hell. But I have never seen him before. So what does he have to do with..." he points at a grumpy Sehun. "... that?"
"I'm not completely sure either," Jongdae admits while sorting the bills in the register. "But Sehun's been the one delivering his orders the past few days. He ordered the same stuff 3 times this week. Two boxes of Italian molten cheese, less tomato sauce. And knowing how Sehun's been busy with both work and uni, I'd say that that guy can almost rank right next to me in terms of having the most interactions with Sehun."
"So you're saying that they might've formed a little friendship due to pizza deliveries, is that it?"
"Judging by how that Lu Han guy sounds over the phone, I'd say he's pretty much very thick-faced and extroverted as a person." Jongdae finally finishes counting the bills and puts them inside a small secured vault located underneath the counter. "But rather than a friendship, I'd say they formed something else."
"Like what? A baby?"
A slap to the head. "You idiot. This isn't an mpreg fic."
Jongin pouts. "I was just kidding! You didn't have to hit me that hard."
Jongdae rolls his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, I think something happened between Sehun and that Lu Han guy and it didn't end well. That much I can deduce by observing how he's been pissed off these past three days."
"But how can a drunk-sounding guy even be of trouble to him? Sehun's good with dealing with people and he knows how to put up with shitty customers. That guy must've really been something exceptional for him to piss off Sehun like that."
"I know that. And it's the reason why I'm not entirely sure. But get this," Jongdae leans in to whisper in his quietest voice. "I called Yixing the next day because I was worried whether or not Sehun managed to go home right after the delivery since the snow was blowing quite harshly that night. You know what he said?" Jongin hums, trying to communicate that he was listening intently.
"Sehun didn't go back to the dorms. Yixing had to go to Sapphire at around 8 am in the morning to fetch him and lend him some clothes."
Jongin gasps dramatically, facing Jongdae with the look of bewilderment on his face. "Why would he need extra clothes? You mean to tell me that he..." he points at Sehun. "... and that Lu Han guy..." he points at some corner in the shop as if to emphasize Lu Han's non-existent presence. Jongdae nods and he gasps even more dramatically that it got borderline exaggerated.
"Sssh!" Jongdae hisses for the second time. "It's not yet confirmed, okay? Sehun has not spoken a word about it and I don't think he ever will explain what truly happened. I assume he doesn't want us to poke our noses into it or he's just feeling embarrassed."
"But we already poked our noses into it."
"Ssssh!"
The sound of Sehun's cellphone ringing cuts off the two's conversation. They observe how the younger boredly answered the video call [probably from a university friend] and when his face morphed into that as if he had recognized something, they grew even more curious.
"Guanlin, could you take a video of what's happening in there again," Sehun says, tone adamant. The look on his face was akin to that of a child who spotted something he liked and Jongin couldn't help but to sneak up behind his friend.
Guanlin was apparently in some sort of tea house and he was recording the place like some kind of a rookie blogger. "There!" Sehun says. "I mean, turn your camera to your 10 o'clock."
"Man, if you're gonna be sight-seeing through chat like this might as well just come and see for yourself. We're a little short on people here and there's this poor guy who has no partner yet. Taemin-sunbae is somewhat clingy but he sure gives out expensive drinks. You won't believe this but he seems to have taken a liking to Mi-"
"Where is that place?"
"I.. wait," Guanlin pauses. "You're coming? For real?!" Even Jongin himself could not believe his own ears. Sehun was never the party type of person. He often prefers to stay at the dorms and study till late at night because he saw parties as 'unreasonable social practices and a huge waste of time.'
Jongin used to invite him a lot of times before and ended up always being rejected. So why all of a sudden is his supposedly party pooper of a bestfriend agreeing to Lai Guanlin's invite? What was so special about that tea house slash mixer party organized by this certain Taemin guy?
"You're really gonna come here? Right now? Or after you're done with your shift?
Sehun doesn't reply for a while but he eventually relents. "I'm taking a leave off work right now to go there. Now tell me where that place is."
Guanlin's video chat starts to get noisier. "Whoa, I didn't expect that you'd actually agree this time -" hey, Guanlin you're up next! "Alright! I'll just text you the address, man. They're starting the games already, I don't wanna miss out!"
And then the line went off.
Sehun turns to Jongin. "You heard what I said," he reminds coolly. "I'll leave all the deliveries for today in your hands. And next time, if you're gonna sneak up on me, at least try not to breathe too closely on my nape. Jongdae-hyung, I'm off for today."
"I.. but.. okay." Jongdae couldn't do anything but acquiesce to the younger's demand. Sehun rarely asked for leaves anyway.
"What the heck, hyung? Why'd you allow him to leave?!"
"Shut up, Kim Kai. You are staying here to help me run the shop." Just right after he says that, the phone rings. Jongdae smirks. "Looks like your first errand is here."
Jongin groans.
'Damn you, Sehun. Why did it have to be today..'
"Okay, has everyone placed an item already?"
Jeonghan scans the stuff they have placed on the table. There were a total of 15 people in the room and when he figures out that there were only 7 items laid out for the sophomores to choose from, he turns to an unusually quiet Lu Han and smirks. "I think Lu Han hasn't placed an item yet."
"Leave him out of this," Baekhyun scowls. "There are only 15 of us in here. Someone will end up having no one to partner with and Lu Han chose to sit out to make the players even in number. I'll play in his stead - "
Upon hearing Baekhyun's logic, Guanlin perks up. "Oh, about that! I asked a friend of mine to come over if he had free time so that everyone would have a partner. He's on his way already. I hope you don't mind?" he inquires childishly, flashing a 'pretty please' face at Taemin.
Everyone seems to have agreed to Guanlin's plan except Jeonghan who was internally rooting for Lu Han to be left out and Lu Han himself who was reluctant to join Taemin's mini-mixer game. He chugs down a whole cup of tea to calm his nerves. Damn. Can't he just go home and find comfort in his beloved movies already? Munching on a slice of cheese pizza sounded tempting at the moment, too...
"Alright! Since Guanlin's friend is about to arrive soon, I think we can already start the game?" The eager sophomores nod vigorously. It was pretty obvious that they had their eyes set on the gorgeous Jeonghan and were silently hoping they'd be the ones who'd snag a date with him. If only they knew how wretched the former's personality was, they probably wouldn't even dream to be at least his friend.
Baekhyun worriedly turns to Lu Han. The latter was fidgeting in his seat and when he takes out the item he would like to represent himself, it takes all of Baekhyun's willpower to avoid facepalming himself.
"Okay, sophomores, turn around! Lu Han, go and place your item on the table and then we're going to start shuffling them! Remember, not all of the items previously placed will stay on the table. Let's see how good y'all are in judging people by the stuff they carry around. Aren't you all excited?!" The sophomores reply with an enthusiastic 'Yes!' before turning their backs on the table.
Baekhyun felt irked by how they seemed to be too passionate about the whole thing. 'Such thirsty youngsters..' he thinks to himself, nonchalantly replacing the eyeliner he had placed earlier with a bottle of guava perfume, hoping it would somehow put them off.
When Lu Han hesitantly places his item on the table, Taemin lets out a small laugh. "Hyung, you still carry this around with you? I see you haven't changed!" Lu Han only replies with a nervous smile before retreating beside Baekhyun. Taemin starts shuffling all the 8 items and snaps his finger as a cue for the sophomores to turn back around.
"Okay! All items have been shuffled. Some of us chose to retain what we've previously placed while others replaced theirs. Minho-yah, you're the first to choose! I hope you pick me kk," Taemin offered flirtatiously which caused the poor kid to turn tomato red. Minho carefully scans all the stuff placed on the table before ultimately settling for the lace choker. To his surprise, a wild Lee Taemin immediately jumps on him. "Oh my god, you really did pick me! This must be fate!"
The whole room erupts into laughter upon the formation of the new couple.
"Ah but really, guys, remember once we're done choosing our partners, we'll be going to the next destination I have in mind! In short, it'll be like a group date! So whoever it is that you fancy in here, make sure to choose what you think belongs to them." The sophomores nod eagerly and a flared-up Daehyun eventually lands his hands on Baekhyun's guava perfume. Cheers once more fill the whole room and Baekhyun reluctantly sits beside his partner for the day, thoughts still constantly worrying over Lu Han.
The game then went on until the table was left with only two items. Guanlin was starting to worry because what if Sehun took back his words and won't actually come anymore? What if he ditches and intentionally said he'd come just to embarrass him? What if - But then he realizes he had no time to think anymore of such things as pressure was on him to choose his partner.
"Whoever's item gets left on the table will be the partner of Guanlin's friend!" Taemin reminds though the distress could be heard from his tone as it has already been a good 45 minutes yet no such friend had yet to arrive. He was worried for both Ji Hoon and Lu Han, who were the only ones left with no partners. It was now solely up to fate and Guanlin's luck to choose between a pair of scissors and an ancient-looking scientific calculator to determine which between the two would be his companion for the day.
"Hurry up and choose, Guanlin!" One of his friends, the one partnered up with Jeonghan, starts to shout. If Baekhyun was not mistaken, his name was Yongguk. "Whichever you pick will be a good choice anyway. They're both gorgeous but I guess Ji Hoon-sunbae is more of your type since you don't like nerdy people." Baekhyun flashed a death glare towards said sophomore. How dare he shout such disrespectful words when Lu Han was just right across them to hear it all.
"I-I mean, Lu Han-sunbae is good, too. I guess..."
"You... guess?" Baekhyun taunts. "You brat, do you even know who he is for you to just simply label him as nerdy?"
"Hey, come on, stop it," Taemin intervenes coolly. "This entire thing is supposed to be fun. Let's not put pressure on Guanlin and avoid saying such slanderous words. Yes?" Baekhyun and Yongguk reluctantly agree. Regardless, Baekhyun had already carved into his brain the image of the cocky brat and when he sees Jeonghan snicker beside said jerk, he could not do anything else but scowl. They were indeed the perfect couple: an arrogant, brainless bastard paired with a pretentious, sly bi -
"I, uhmm, choose this..." They whip their heads around to see Guanlin's final verdict and when Baekhyun sees the latter raises a pair of scissors, his heart deflates.
"I think it belongs to Ji Hoon-sunbae.."
Jeonghan and his friends had let out a stifled laugh upon seeing Lu Han being the only one left across the table. The poor Chinese was biting his lip out of shame, head hung low, and his precious calculator lying in wait on the table but to no avail. He was really bound to be the one without a partner. Who in their right mind would even choose a calculator in the first place? The thing itself already looked disagreeable compared to Jeonghan's 6 figure-worth Swarovski bracelet.
Baekhyun saunters over to his friend. "Lu, are you alright?" he turns to Guanlin. "Where is that friend you said was arriving? Were you just lying this whole time?"
Guanlin raises his hands in defense. "I swear I wasn't lying! He said so himself. He even told me to take a video of the place twice and then proceeded to say he was on his way - " The door suddenly slid open. Lu Han was starting to tear up and Baekhyun was quick to console him, both bestfriends too busy with each other to welcome the latecomer. The usherette gives Taemin a respectful bow.
"Sir, a guest has arrived for Mr. Lai Guanlin," Baekhyun hands a tissue and a glass of water to Lu Han. 'Get a hold of yourself, your snot's starting to droop.' Lu Han chugs down the water in one go, desperate to keep his ugly tears out of Yoon Jeonghan's sight.
"He says his name is Oh Sehun."
Lu Han chokes on his water.
And when the familiar worn-out black shoes and trademark black and yellow uniform started to manifest on the figure who calmly entered the room, war flashbacks immediately flooded his buffering brain. What kind of sorcery was this? Were the gods purposely doing this to punish him?
"Thank god, you're finally here!
"I apologize for being late," the newcomer said, flashing a small smile at the people in the room though it could've been just Lu Han's paranoia doing its work because there's no way that the guy could possibly remember him. Right? "I had to make a delivery downtown before coming here." This time, Sehun's gaze really did zero right into him. Lu Han knew, because even Baekhyun himself noticed it.
"What were you all doing? Am I already too late?"
"We were just about to finish and - oh. You and Lu Han-sunbae could be partners!" Guanlin offers. "We were playing a mix-and-match kind of game and basically everyone needs to have a partner for some sort of group date. You don't mind partnering up with Lu Han-sunbae, do you? He's nice and he seems good at academics, too. I think you both will get along, to be honest."
Sehun walks up to the table and picks up Lu Han's precious little calculator. It could've probably just been Baekhyun's imagination but he swears he saw a flash of familiarity in the newcomer's eyes upon seeing the analytical tool. "Is this the item you think represents you best?" he asks, but immediately adds a 'hyung' at the end. Lu Han doesn't dare look the taller in the eye as his brain was busy panicking over turmoils of 'it's him, it's really him, why's he even here?! what does he want?!'
"Hm?"
"Yes, it's his. Do you have any problem with it?" Baekhyun replies sassily. "You are free to refuse if you don't fancy nerdy people," he glares at Yongguk. "But one thing I can assure you is if you dare to say anything offensive about my bestfriend I am not going to let you off." Lu Han holds onto the cuff of Baekhyun's shirt and shakes his head. 'Don't be so loud. I'm fine already.'
Sehun lets out a hum and sits right across Lu Han. The smaller visibly tenses, still refusing to meet the other in the eye. The room was eerily quiet but Baekhyun could already hint on some of Jeonghan's friends, and even Jeonghan himself, subtly crushing on Guanlin's friend who was apparently working part-time as a pizza delivery boy - a job that somehow didn't fit his model-like face and physique.
"Nice to meet you," Sehun extends a hand. "I'm Guanlin's friend, Oh Sehun, 21, a sophomore at Seoul National University majoring in architecture. I do swimming for sports and also work part-time as a delivery boy at JD's Pizza Galore. I hope you don't mind me being your partner for the day." Lu Han looks at Sehun's big hands but not on his face. Those very same hands are what touched him all over that one snowy night and -
"L-Lu-Lu Han," he replies nervously, accepting the handshake. "24. Chinese. I'm an alumnus of SNU. N-Nice to meet you."
Sehun smiles, eyes turning into crescents, before shaking their hands happily.
"Let's have a lot of fun on our date, shall we?" he says.
Until he tugs Lu Han closer to him and whispers deviously into his ear.
"Customer Lu Han with subscription number 520."
Blackmail.
That was how the devil Oh Sehun managed to tie poor, innocent Lu Han to him.
There was nothing romantic nor novel-worthy at all about how they suddenly became too close with each other. No wooing nor flirty texts and letters like that of Kate Forrester and Alex Wyler's. Or maybe there were texts, but all Lu Han could remember was that right before the group date ended, despite his wish of never having to see Sehun again, the younger had apparently other plans as he dragged Lu Han in some empty alley and trapped him against the wall, demanding for his phone number if he wanted to keep their little snowy night shenanigan hidden within the recesses of their minds.
'I have evidence of what happened between us that night. If you want me to keep quiet about it then you do as I say.'
Lu Han, threatened out of his wits, had no other choice but to give the other his KaKao ID. But Sehun didn't seem to be satisfied with just that so he eventually relented and gave away his phone number. Immediately two weeks after that encounter, a text indeed came.
It was Sehun begging for Lu Han to tutor him for his Trigonometry class.
'Help me pass my Maths class just for this term and I'll let you off for good.'
Lu Han wasn't convinced by such and Sehun seemed to have picked up on that as another text immediately followed.
'If I pass, I'll tell Jongdae-hyung to give you special service at JD's. Unlimited pizza deliveries for free.'
That was the final tactic to have Lu Han completely wrapped around his finger. Afterwards, they set up an easy-to-follow routine: Lu Han would go to Sehun's house for tutoring sessions every Fridays and Sehun should already have his books and two boxes of cheese pizza laid out for Lu Han to feast on while they answer problem sets. It seemed relatively easy and downright monotonous.
Until feelings started to emerge along the way.
"What are you doing?" Lu Han screams as he immediately shuts the sketchbook. Sehun looks at him weirdly, lollipop in his mouth as he spun lazily on his chair. "The heck is wrong with you, screaming like a girl."
"Stop creeping up behind me like that! Don't you know about personal space?!"
Sehun scoffs. "You act as if we've never invaded each other's personal space before."
Lu Han blushes. Hard. "Stop bringing that up! That was months ago already. And I was drunk so I wasn't myself when we d-did that!"
"Okay, whatever," Sehun snickers. He picks up his solution paper and shoves it in front of Lu Han's face. "I'm done with these ones. Can you check them for me?" Lu Han lets out a sigh before eventually acquiescing to the other's request. Sehun offers a slice of cheese pizza near his mouth which Lu Han gladly bites into with a delighted moan.
"Why do you always have to moan like that when you're eating pizza?"
Lu Han raises a brow at him. "Why? Dsh ish bther yu ?"
"You wish," Sehun replies curtly, turning back to another set of practice problems which he passionately starts solving. At least until he gets to the trickier parts. He groans in frustration and backs away. "Ah, shit, I'm done for the day."
Lu Han takes that as his cue to leave and so, takes the two boxes of cheese pizza for him to supposedly bring home to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. "Alright. I'll be going then. I've already checked your previous problem set. I think you'll be fine on your finals."
"Wait." Lu Han turns to Sehun.
"What?"
Sehun doesn't reply for a while but Lu Han's impatient tapping on the floor riles him up and he ends up blurting out the first thing that came onto mind.
"Do you wanna go for a swim?"
Sehun was unexpectedly good at swimming, might Lu Han say. But of course, he wouldn’t dare say that out loud because it would probably just boost the other’s ego.
“Aren’t you gonna come in?”
“No thanks, I didn’t bring any spare clothes with me,” he replies, peacefully sipping on his orange juice as he scribbles on his sketchbook. Splashing sounds invaded the whole pool area as Sehun made majestic dives and practiced his butterfly strokes.
“I have clothes at the dorms,” Sehun offers and Lu Han shakes his head ‘no’ for the last time. “Is it because you don’t have any spare clothes or you just really don’t know how to swim?” the younger began teasing which prompted Lu Han to lay his glass of juice on the table.
“I know how to swim!”
“Really? Then why don’t you wanna go in?”
‘Because I don’t want you to see my body!’ Lu Han yearned to scream but chose to just kept mum. Apparently, his body consciousness never truly went away especially when it came to Sehun. Sehun would probably argue that he had already seen it before during their snowy night escapade and that it didn’t bother him at all but Lu Han’s case was different.
He didn’t want Sehun to see him in such a way ever again -
“Hey.” Lu Han screams for the second time. A half-naked Sehun backs away, blocking his ears, a frown on his face.
“Do you really have to scream every goddamn time?”
“What do you want?!” Lu Han demands, pulse beating erratically because ‘what the fuck was this guy thinking shoving his face so closely on mine like that?!’ He spots his precious sketchbook laid out in the open and immediately jumps on it to hide its contents. ‘Please tell me he didn’t see!’
“You’ve been acting weird lately,” Sehun deadpans. “Whatever. You should go in,” he gestures towards the water. Lu Han briefly replies with a ‘no.’ “Why not? The pool’s all yours.”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Then why did you accompany me here if you aren’t gonna be swimming anyway?”
“B-because!” Damn. Why indeed? “You asked me to come! Simple as that!”
“Huh,” Sehun smirks. “I didn’t know you had such a soft spot for me.”
“Shut up!” By this time, Lu Han was trying his best not to explode because 1, a half-naked Sehun was right in front him, 2, his feels were all over the place, and 3, his damned sketchbook needs to find cover right about now. “If you’re done already, then I’m going home for real. Good luck with your finals!”
“Your shoelaces are untied.”
“Huh?”
It was too late for Lu Han to realize he had just been tricked. Sehun had already pushed him into the water and his precious sketchbook was the first thing that came onto his mind as he fell. He let go of it and managed to throw it on the bench before fully plunging into the water.
‘Oh Sehun, you’re really gonna get it this time!’ Lu Han thinks to himself, smirking underwater as he pretends to sink and fall unconscious. What would Sehun do if he finds out he had just accidentally killed Lu Han? It would be such a delightful sight.
Right on cue, the sound of someone diving could be heard and Lu Han struggles to keep his eyes shut as he feels Sehun hold him by the waist and carry him over by the poolside. “Lu Han,” Sehun mumbles worriedly, lightly tapping his cheeks to wake him up. “Han, wake up.” Lu Han holds his breath as he feels Sehun lean down to listen to his breathing. He reminds himself to reprimand the latter for calling him so casually by his first name next time.
“Shit,” was the last thing Lu Han heard from a panicked pizza boy and he would’ve already burst out laughing and mocked the hell out of Sehun had it not been for the pair of lips that was now attached to his, trying to supposedly resuscitate him. Sehun blows some air into his lungs and Lu Han immediately pounds on his chest.
“Mfffphh!” Lu Han squealed internally, hands pushing on the younger’s chest because he didn’t expect the joke to escalate into something as intense as a CPR from Oh Sehun. Sehun feels the pounding and immediately breaks away, surprised to find underneath him a blushing Lu Han who was breathing heavily.
“Lu Han!”
“What the hell did you just do?!”
“What I did? I was trying to keep you alive! I thought you were -”
“I was alive, you idiot!” Lu Han sat up, face beet red. “I was just trying to trick you! The hell you were thinking trying to give me CPR out of the blue.” The look on Sehun’s face was one of pure confusion before it turned into something more serious.
“You… were faking it?”
“Yeah, I was! Because you’ve done nothing but bully me these past few weeks so I thought why not do the same?!” Lu Han wipes his mouth with his wet shirt. His ears were burning from embarrassment and it didn’t help that Sehun had turned unusually quiet. He turns to the younger and finds him starting to walk away. “Hey, where - “
“Get up and go back with me upstairs. You need a change of clothes.”
“Seh - “
The younger had already turned the hallway before Lu Han could even mutter his next words.
That was weird.
Was Oh Sehun angry?
The ride up to the 7th floor was excruciatingly silent.
Both of them were dripping wet and Lu Han was starting to shiver from the cold compared to Sehun who didn’t seem to be bothered at all. The elevator rings open. Lu Han had just stepped out, Sehun had already gone first without a word, until he saw the face of the man he had long been yearning to see.
“J-Junmyeon…”
The man stops talking to the beautiful woman beside him upon hearing the mention of his name. The moment he turns to face his ex-lover, his face turns into that of utter disbelief as he scans Lu Han from head to toe.
“…Han?”
“Oh. Who is he?” The woman beside Junmyeon inquires. Lu Han turns to look at her. Was she the reason why Junmyeon left? No doubt she was beautiful. Ethereal, even. The accessories adorning her petite frame looked way too expensive for a simple country girl to afford. Perhaps she was an heiress…
“I.. I’m Junmyeon’s -“
“-friend.”
Lu Han’s heart cracks.
“He’s a college friend,” Junmyeon nervously says. “I believe I haven’t introduced you to each other yet. Lu Han, this is my fiancée Joohyun. Joohyun, meet Lu Han. We used to be great friends during our university days.”
“Oh, I see,” Joohyun smiles before extending a hand towards him. Lu Han doesn’t fail to notice the shining silver band on her ring finger. “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Lu Han. What might’ve brought you here at SNU’s dorms? Are you taking up graduate studies?”
“I, no, I don’t stay here. I’m just here to - “
“visit me,” Sehun interferes. Lu Han internally clenches his teeth because why in the world does he have to be always cut off so rudely? And what was Oh Sehun even doing, butting into a conversation half-naked where he’s not even needed?
Lu Han looks at the younger with confusion. He had thought that Sehun had already went in and took a shower and yet here he was, getting himself involved in a mess that wasn’t even meant for him to be involved in. “I’m Lu Han-hyung’s tutee, Oh Sehun. He’s here to help me out with my final exams.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Lu Han-sshi.” Joohyun’s compliment seemed genuine enough and Lu Han bowed his head as a show of thanks. Junmyeon, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly convinced about their relationship as shown by the disapproving look on his face. Sehun looked at him with eyes that spoke strong emotions, casually sliding an arm over the smaller male’s shoulder before pulling him in.
“If that is all, then we shall take our leave - “
“Wait,” Junmyeon calls out. “Han, is he saying the truth?”
Sehun could feel Lu Han’s small frame shiver in his hold. “Yes, he is. You don’t have to be suspicious of him. He’s just a kid.”
And then he walked away with Sehun, sparing not even a glance at the one person who used to be his entire world.
If Junmyeon already had such a bright future laid out for him, then Lu Han figured it was time to lay out his own as well.
‘So this is really the end for us, huh,’ he thinks bitterly to himself, tears starting to stream down his face. ‘Goodbye, Kim Junmyeon. Thank you for being a part of my life.’
Lu Han thought he could cry the rest of his tears at the bathroom; but Sehun seemed to have other plans as he gripped tightly on the other’s wrist and threw him on the bed upon arrival at his dorm room. Sehun didn’t look too happy about the whole ordeal and for a brief second, Lu Han felt submissive towards him. He sits up on the bed and frowns.
“What the hell are you doing? I thought you already showered - “
“So that’s him?”
Lu Han pauses. “What?”
“Kim Junmyeon, the man whose name you often scribble on your sketchbooks and disguise as sample math questions for me to solve.” Guilt started to eat Lu Han from the inside-out. He admits that he often zoned-out during tutorial sessions with Sehun and that he used majority of the time to figure out the answer as to why Junmyeon left him like some sort of unsolved Math equation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d - “
“You didn’t think I’d notice because I was stupid in Math, is that it?”
“That’s not what I mean, Sehun. And what’s it to you anyway?” Lu Han bursts out. “Fine, I admit I’m still hung-up over my ex and that I can’t help but to incorporate him into every fucking equation I can think of but what does it have to do with you?! We’re just tutor and tutee, it’s not like I’m shoving my personal life in your face every damn time we see each other!”
Sehun’s nose flared in anger. Lu Han flinches when the younger slams the door shut and faces him with a certain glint in his eyes. “You’re right, it’s none of my business however hung-up you are over your ex and how you can’t stop yourself from treating your break-up like some sort of competition-level Math equation,” he starts crawling towards Lu Han which causes the latter to back away in caution until he bumps against the headboard. Sehun takes that chance to trap him within his arms.
“But what can I do?” The look on Sehun’s face transforms into that of pure bitterness. He nuzzles his face on Lu Han’s wet shoulder and sighs. “I’m so fucking jealous of him that I can only wish you’d also try to look at me the way you do with him.” Lu Han freezes in his spot.
Was that a freaking confession?
“Sehun, I - “
“I’m not done yet,” Sehun shushes him. “If you’re going to reject me, that’s fine but at least let me say what I’ve always wanted to say since the very beginning. After this, you are free to walk away and I promise to do my best in my final exams because I don’t want all your efforts to be in vain. I’ll tell Jongdae-hyung to still give you the pizza promos and you can have my sister’s collection of romcom films.”
Lu Han fought back a laugh as he listened to the younger blabber like his life depended on it. He spots his sketchbook by the bedside table and smiles. He’d have his turn. But for now, he wants to hear Sehun out.
“That night, when we accidentally slept with each other, it wasn’t just mere sex that we did,” Sehun confesses. “You cried over Junmyeon and told me all the stuff I didn’t really need to know about your relationship. At first, I didn’t care but when you told me about how you were plotting to avenge your broken heart by hacking his bank account, that was when I started to find you endearing.”
Lu Han starts to blush profusely. Sehun was still hugging him, refusing to look him in the face. “You said that you were SNU’s Math genius, Lu Han. Junmyeon only came in second to you all the time. I wasn’t really interested in what you were saying and just wanted to go home but then the snowstorm got worse and we ended up having to cuddle near the heater.”
“We cuddled?!”
Sehun nods. “It was you who initiated it.”
“I am no such person!”
“You aren’t exactly the same person when you’re drunk.” Lu Han shuts up. “You were also the one who kissed me first. And the first one to take off his clothes because it was too hot. The first one to offer se - “
“Okay, shut up already I don’t want to hear it out!” Lu Han whines, wriggling in Sehun’s hold. “Can’t you please let go of me already, we’re not exactly in an ideal condition to be hugging like this.”
“I don’t want to,” Sehun deadpans, a hint of sadness present in his voice. “You have no idea how desperate I was trying to figure out why you stood me up the next day. When I saw you at the party with Guanlin, I had to take my chances. This will be the last time I’ll be able to hold you so I’m treasuring it for as long as I can.”
Lu Han laughs. “Why are you acting as if I’d reject you?”
Sehun sits up, baffled. “What?”
Lu Han gestures for him to take the sketchbook by the bedside table. Sehun hesitantly takes it and opens the pages. The contents spill out in a way that he didn’t expect.
“I’ve been working on how to incorporate you into my Math equations, you know.” Lu Han smirks. “I had a difficult time because you were such a dumbo especially in using your GEMDAS and reciprocals and I had to keep on changing them in hopes that you’d be able to solve and decode them and then I’d confess afterw - mmmppfh!”
“Fuck,” Sehun curses in between, kissing the life out of the tiny math genius in his arms. “You are such a trickster,” he moans. “I love you so much, I don’t think I’d be able to hold back,” he whispers against Lu Han’s mouth and the latter responds with a smile.
“Then don’t.”
The two then proceed to their kissing session.
Until Sehun’s phone rings and he grumpily answers it.
“Sehun-ah, Jongin has ditched for today. Maybe you can help me out with the deliveries?” Lu Han shrugs at Sehun’s predicament.
“Go help him out, pizza boy,” Lu Han suggests, a teasing smile on his face. Sehun sees the patch of skin starting to show through his wet shirt and it officially becomes the catalyst to make up his mind.
“Sorry, hyung,” Lu Han fights back a laugh. “I’m gonna run a bit late. I have this really difficult Math equation I want to solve.”
“Really? How difficult is it exactly?”
Lu Han saunters over to the bathroom, swaying his hips teasingly before leaving the door ajar. Sehun growls.
“It’s god-tier level difficult I wish it would finally stop finding its x’s and y’s.”
Jongdae’s ‘huh? what does that mean?’ was left hanging in the air after Sehun had eagerly ended the call and left for the bathroom to deal with Lu Han.
Lu Han, who was and will be, by far and probably till infinity, his favorite Math equation.
End.
Author’s Note: Am not that proud of this one because it was literally crammed but I still enjoyed writing it! Hope I gave justice to the prompt T_T Dozens of thanks to the mods for putting up with my procrastination and for being so nice to allow an extension. I hope everyone enjoyed the read. I love you all! 520 Forever <3
Title: stop finding your e(x), don’t ask me wh(y)
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: 10,000
Summary: A nasty breakup leaves math genius Lu Han desperate for answers. And pizzas. And cliché romcom films. Sehun just so happens to be the local pizza delivery boy who's failing his Math class.
Warning/s: cursing, lots of time skips
Lu Han could only wish his love story with Junmyeon unfolded the way Margaret Tate and Andrew Paxton's did.
Or maybe it could've at least started off with fleeting love letters and fake relationships ㅡ as thrilling and youthful as Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky's.
"But having been through it all.." A small, munching noise fills the air as he consumes the last slice of his beloved cheese pizza. "I know this much."
Silence fills the air as Eleanor crouches down to cup the side of Rachel's face in a meticulous yet daunting manner. The memory blooms fresh in his head ㅡ the scene in the movie not making his situation comforting in any way ㅡ and the dam in his eyes starts to well up with a fresh new batch of ugly tears as Eleanor delivers one of her most powerful and heart-tugging lines in the film.
"You will never be enough."
Lu Han sniffles out a sob as he gulps down another glass of soju.
'I know that already.'
Kim Junmyeon had been too good of a dream come true.
Lu Han can still remember the days when he crushed so hard on the princely male during their years at the university. Junmyeon was a sophomore back then. A popular one, at that. He was best known within the College of Management and Accountancy for having other-worldly physical features and a commendable prowess with numbers. That, and also because of the fact that he was the only son of a wealthy family.
Lu Han admired him despite being one who was just as equally admired by the rest of the student population. Although he'd hate to admit it, it was probably because he was just as prodigious with numbers as Junmyeon ㅡ if not, maybe even a tad better.
That was probably also the reason why circumstances allowed them to be with each other way too often. The university always paired them up for student workshops and conferences overseas, and they often rallied with each other's rankings every time the semestral grades came out.
Junmyeon never held a grudge even if Lu Han often came out to be on top, though. He would just always congratulate him with a smile and a pat on the shoulder, playfully muttering the words 'Congratulations, hyung. I'll be number 1 next time!' before calmly walking away.
It was probably somewhere along their last team-up, when Junmyeon had gifted him a simple bouquet of roses for congratulatory purposes, that Lu Han had figured out he had fallen irrevocably in love with the younger and that he had to do something about his feelings before officially graduating from college life.
He knew he had to confess everything.
And confess everything, he did.
Which is why he was over the moon when Junmyeon reciprocated his feelings and admitted that he liked him, too. Lu Han's soul had floated off to Cloud 9 during that very moment.
Not to mention, they shared their first kiss in a way that was as awkward yet as heart-fluttering as Landon and Jamie's ㅡ with Junmyeon at first being a little hesistant because he feared he might disappoint Lu Han due to being 'bad at it.'
It was by far the happiest day of his life.
And it lasted for at least one and a half year before everything completely crumbled into pieces.
Ding-dong!
He stirs from his sprawled position on the floor. '11:45 PM,' read the digital clock. Eyes yet again swollen from crying and pulling off another marathon of chick flick movies, Lu Han groggily squints his eyes open to the adamant sound of the doorbell ringing quarter to midnight.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
He rolls over the carpet sluggishly, head unsurprisingly aching due to the two bottles of soju he had recklessly downed earlier before passing out. 27 Dresses was currently playing on-screen and he pauses the movie at 9 minutes and 47 seconds before wobbling lazily towards the front door.
The first color combination that invades his blurry vision upon welcome is a silly checkered pattern of black and yellow. “Oh.” His sight lands at a pair of worn-out black shoes covered with hints of snow before darting up towards the face of its impatient owner. Lu Han's drunken face lights up in recognition. "You again~" the 24-year-old slurs, holding onto the doorframe for his dear life because 'ooh cool, why are there two pizza boys?'
"Why is it always you who delivers my pizzas? Does your shop have no other employees? Are you stalking me~?"
Just like the previous times, pizza boy's eyes were sharp yet friendly and his entire frame was evidently quivering from the cold despite his thick jacket as he extends the boxes of pizza towards a haggard Lu Han's face. A twitch in his smile went unnoticed as he opened his mouth to utter the words he had long been trained to say.
"Thank you for choosing JD's Pizza Galore for the 3rd time this week, customer Lu Han with subscription number 520. Here is your order of 2 boxes of Italian molten cheese," the male said with a strained smile and in probably the most nasal voice Lu Han had ever heard in his entire lifetime.
They both must've looked rather comical at that moment as a spaced-out and intoxicated Lu Han stared at pizza boy's face for god knows how long. Sharp jawline, tall nose bridge, and a pair of deep, expressive eyes. Lu Han couldn't help but nod his head in approval. It didn't matter how tacky JD's Pizza Galore uniforms were. The guy was a definite 100/10.
Pizza boy, meanwhile, was starting to fidget awkwardly because the boxes weren't exactly easy to carry and he couldn't wait to just go home already to finally get some good day's rest and oh lord, it was starting to snow heavily outside ㅡ
"Oh Sehun-sshi.." Lu Han suddenly purrs, eyes blinking lazily at the other's nametag.
"Would you like to come in and have some pizza with me?”
'Wouldn't it have been nice if we had an intense love story like Anastasia Steele and Christian Gray's?'
Junmyeon choked on his Gatorade as he incredulously stared at his boyfriend of 1 year. His ears were blushing from root to tip, but all of those went unnoticed as Lu Han was way too busy watching the sunset. 'I mean, think about it! We probably wouldn't have to worry anymore about having our first time, right? Because by then, we would've already been used to seeing each other's bodies - h-hey, what's wrong?! Are you alright?'
Junmyeon coughs out the remaining liquid stuck in his throat before sighing heavily. 'Han, you...' A hint of disappointment was present in his tone as he shook his head at Lu Han. 'We've only been dating for a year. I think... I think it's way too early for us to be talking about sex.'
'O-oh..' A seagull dives down to catch one small fish the same time Lu Han lets out a strained chuckle. 'I.. guess you're right. Sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?'
Junmyeon nods.
'Very.'
And 'very fucked' wasn't even the most accurate adjective to sum up his current situation.
It was more like an 'Oh shit, what have I done who is this guy whomst've asdfghjkl' type of predicament as Lu Han panickedly pulled the nearest shirt he could find before limping his way out of Room 127.
"What should I do, who should I call, what have I done, what the fuck even happened?!" the 24-year-old mumbles to himself, one hand soothing his aching lower back and the other pressing the 'descent' button on the lift like a mad man as if the half-naked sinister being he had haphazardly left in the hotel room would suddenly come barging through the corridors to chase after him. He hated to admit it but the being sure did have softer and smoother skin than Junmy -
"Hello? Lu Han-hyung?"
"Kyungsoo!" Lu Han cried into his phone. "Kyungsoo-yaaaahhhhakdjfhksjdgh" his ugly sobs caused the barely awoken male on the other line to get his ears away from the speakers. "Kyungsoo-yahhh, help me. Help your Lu Han-hyungggg!"
The suffering tone in his voice was enough to instigate worry from the latter. "Hyung? What happened? Why are you crying?! Where are you?!" Chanyeol's deep yet worried 'Is Lu Han-hyung okay?!' from the other line could be heard as Lu Han wiped his snot away and hastily got into the elevator. Thankfully, no one else was occupying the lift and Lu Han took it as the perfect chance to unleash his inner drama queen.
"Hyung, are you on top of a building right now?!"
"Yes!"
A gasp. "Hyung, listen to me, okay! Don't do it! It's not the end of the world yet. There are lots of better guys than him out there. Chanyeol and I are going to come over to you right now. Where are you?!"
Lu Han glances at the device on the lift before sniffling into his phone. 'I'm on the 12th floor."
An even more dramatic gasp. Chanyeol's 'Kyungsoo-yah, hang in there. Don't faint on me!' this time could be clearly heard and it was now Lu Han's turn to grow confused. "Wait, did Kyungsoo fai - "
"Lu Han-hyung, don't do it, okay? Just don't! We love you so much. If you're gone then who's gonna pay for our electricity bills? Boo-hoo!"
"Wait, Chanyeol, what are you saying I'm n - "
"Hang in there. I'm calling the police right now, hyung. Do you remember that scene in the fantasy movie we watched where the firemen have safety catching nets? I'm gonna tell them to set that up for you too so that you won't fall to -"
Ding!
Silence filled the other line.
And Lu Han was left gaping like a fish as he became the eye-candy of the snickering lift-takers. A little girl with a teddy bear in her hand comes waddling up to the frozen 24-year-old before pulling on his dress shirt.
"Ahjusshi, whewe awe youw twousews?"
Lu Han covers his Bambi-printed boxers and screams.
"This cannot go on," Baekhyun announces as he watches a gloomy Lu Han devour two slices of cheese pizza at a time. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo both share knowing looks with each other before sighing heavily. It was already the 3rd roll of Confessions of a Shopaholic on tv and yet Lu Han was still so focused on the whole show with a wide grin on his face that it almost looked borderline creepy.
"You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down a hot post?" Lu Han pops a crust of cheese pizza in his mouth. "Well, that's what it's like when I see a store." An obnoxious and obviously forced giggle.
"That whole elevator incident must've incredibly traumatized him. Poor Lu Han-hyun - Ack!"
"Both of you are at fault too. Don't play innocent on this."
Kyungsoo groans. "But how was that our fault? We weren't the ones who absent-mindedly used the lift without our trous - mmpfhh!"
"Keep your voice down, you idiot. He may look like he's currently lost in his romcom world but we both know he's got devil ears from hell." Chanyeol let out a scared squeak at the discovery. "Now tell me what happened. Why did he go out of his hotel room without his trousers on? In fact, why was he even at a hotel by himself?!"
"Baekhyun-ah."
The trio flinched.
There Lu Han was, hair undeniably unkempt and unwashed for days, clad in tacky-looking pajamas whilst holding two empty boxes of cheese pizza in his hands. From the three's peripheral vision, it appears that the former had paused the movie just enough to flash Isla Fisher's constipated face on-screen. Kyungsoo fought back a laugh as he hid himself in Chanyeol's shoulder.
"What?" Baekhyun inquires bravely with a raised brow.
"Why are you all being so secretive and flinchy in here? Are you hiding something from me?" Lu Han steps forward and the three begin backing towards the kitchen sink. Chanyeol rushes over the cupboard to fish out a cherry blossom and pomegranate-scented Lysol spray which he shakily points towards Lu Han. Kyungsoo was quick to slap the back of his boyfriend's head.
'Are you nuts?'! he mouths at the taller to which Chanyeol responds with a stifled 'I don't want to suffocate!'
"No, of course we aren't doing any of that sort," Baekhyun clarifies. "What about you? Do you need something?" At those words, Lu Han flashes his notorious 'pretty please' face.
"I'm tired of watching the same show. Do you have any other movies I can watch? Preferably romcom/chick-flick ones." From his backside, Baekhyun could hear Kyungsoo let out a frustrated sigh. It was understandable given that the younger had been wanting to clean the guest room for ages but with a hermit like Lu Han refusing to leave it, the task can be quite difficult to accomplish.
As such, the magenta-haired male finally works up his resolve.
"I do have more of those movies." Lu Han smiles. "But I need you to do something first before I give them to you." The smile morphs into a frown.
"Tell me what happened three days ago. What you were doing at a hotel all by yourself and why you left without your trousers on ㅡ everything. I want complete details."
“We been knew."
"I'm sorry okay?!" Lu Han cries. "I just really want answers. I want revenge!"
"But it's been months already -"
"Deep scars don't fade just so easily, Soo!" the Chinese replies forlornly. "I can only truly move on once I confront him and that mother of his for the last time. I want them to know how much pain they have caused me."
Baekhyun lets out a sigh at his bestfriend's contradictory words. "Is it really revenge you want?" Lu Han nods. "The way I see it, you're merely covering up your true feelings. You don't actually want revenge against Junmyeon -"
"- I do!"
"- you're only using it as an excuse to see him again."
Chanyeol keeps mum as he watches his two hyungs engage in meaningful conversation. Lu Han's silence was enough of a confirmation and he shakes his head. 'Poor hyung.'
"This cannot go on," Baekhyun admits for the second time. "You've been like this for what? Weeks, months already? Have some common sense and look at what you're doing to yourself. And to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. These two have been looking out for you ever since you broke up with Junmyeon. At least be civilized enough to not be a burden on them."
"Hyung, it's fine actually - "
"What else?" Baekhyun provokes. His tone was starting to sound menacing and if it wasn't for the smiley face sewn across his sweater, he would've looked like a horror character that jumped straight out of the tv screen. Lu Han gulps. "I have a feeling you didn't spill everything just yet."
"W-what are you talking about, haha," Lu Han chuckles nervously. "Of course I already told you guys everything! I was in that hotel because I wanted to spend some time alone -"
"- and work up an algorithm to hack into Junmyeon-hyung's bank account -"
"- yeah, and work up an algorithm to hack into Ju - hey, I already said I'm sorry!" Lu Han glared at Chanyeol who was crouching behind Kyungsoo with a sly grin on his face. "Park Chanyeol, you -!"
"Enough!"
Lu Han sits up straight. Baekhyun sure didn't look pleased. Even Kyungsoo backed away at the sheer powerful tone of his voice. "Are you gonna keep on dilly-dallying like this or are you going to tell us the truth?"
"..."
"You know, we won't judge you right?" A sigh. "Whatever your reason is, Lu, you can tell us. Why did you do it? Why did you ride the elevator without your trousers on? Why were you in a hurry? What exactly happened in that freaking hotel you impulsively checked into? Wha -"
"....ered."
A unified 'huh' emanated from the trio.
"Iwjdghksjguovbasdeflofshfdhyjywered."
Baekhyun's face scrunches out of curiosity. "What? I didn't understand you."
Lu Han pulls his hoodie over his head and curls into fetal position. The sound of wood cracking from the fireplace fills the four friends' humble [and dingy] little apartment for a moment before it was followed by Lu Han's sniffles.
"Ho - wait, hyung, why are you crying?"
Lu Han looks up to his friends with puffy eyes and snot dripping down his nose. "Isjxwasjdhhddeflofjejweredbyhshdshefhdhunbkdjf."
"Huh?"
Lu Han grits his teeth.
"I SAID I WAS FUCKING DEFLOWERED, YOU UNCULTURED SWINES!"
"Oh I see, you were deflowered..."
Wait.
The three exchange looks.
1.
2.
3.
"NANIIIIIII?! WHOMST'VE?!"
"Nonononononono, Baekhyun, I'm not going in there!"
"Yes, you are!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lu Han attempts to break free or at least stall his adamant bestfriend from dragging him inside the restaurant by lying down on the pavement. A few passerbys shoot them weird glances before walking away while whispering to each other. Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "You can't make me go in there. I will nail myself right down this cement if I have to!"
"Suit yourself." If there was one thing that Lu Han had forgotten about Baekhyun, it was that the latter had a tremendous amount of arm muscle strength courtesy of his years of being a hapkido kid. Thus, when he effortlessly begins to tug on Lu Han's wrist to pull him inside the freaking restaurant, the latter is reduced to a suprised, whining 24-year-old desperate for escape. "You are going with me in there no matter what."
Lu Han plants his feet on the ground and shakes his head. His pants were by now filled with dust and the floral shirt which Baekhyun had earnestly lent him earlier was suffering the throes of his passionate reverse planking. "No, you can't make me!"
"Oh, what seems to be the problem in here?" Both friends turn towards the source of the voice. "Why is he lying on the floor? That's not exactly sanitary."
Baekhyun coughs. Thankfully, Lu Han has enough common sense left in his system to actually stand up and greet their long-time friend. Or ex-friend, if one could be honest. "L-long time no see, Jeonghan."
Jeonghan lets out a rather haughty-sounding chuckle [though it could've been just Lu Han's imagination]. "Yes, it has indeed been a long time, Lu Han. I didn't expect to see you here. How have you been doing with Junmyeon?"
"..."
"Oh, my bad," he brushes off. Baekhyun wanted to wipe off the smug grin on his face so bad. "I forgot that you two already broke up. Sorry. Did I hit a nerve?"
"Lu Han's doing fine," Baekhyun cuts in. Lu Han looks at him worriedly but he tries not to falter as doing this was far better than seeing his bestfriend get humiliated. "Junmyeon's about to take over his father's position in the company. They may have already parted ways but they retained their friendship. They are still on good terms." The way Jeonghan's face darkened upon those words brought joy to Baekhyun's heart. But then he was too late to realize the mess he had just created.
'Let's just hope we can keep up the facade till this day ends.'
"Is that so.." Jeonghan affirms but Lu Han deep-down could sense the animosity in his voice.
It's been a year already since their graduation and Lu Han could see that the latter had made obvious changes in his physical appearance. He was no longer the kid who sported huge black glasses and curly hair. Yoon Jeonghan had transformed into a fine young man with dark-blonde tresses and insanely smooth-looking skin. "I wish you both a happy friendship, then. That is, if you'd be able to keep that up till the end - "
"Hey, two Hans and a Byun Baekhyun!"
The three turn their heads towards the restaurant's door. "What are you all doing just standing in there? Come on in! We're almost complete."
Seeing how Taemin seemed genuinely happy to see them, the three decided to postpone their tension-filled conversation for a short while. Baekhyun holds onto Lu Han's sagging shoulder and assures him with a whisper of 'don't worry I won't let them know' before dragging him inside. Upon arrival, Jeonghan immediately walks up to his two pals, Seungkwan and Jisoo. Baekhyun and Lu Han walk the opposite way and find themselves some seats.
The venue was rather small and the only people present were Baekhyun and Lu Han, Taemin with his pals Kibum and Ji Hoon, and Jeonghan with his [unscrupulous] circle of friends. Things would've inevitably gotten awry if it wasn't for Taemin trying to liven up the atmosphere.
"Wow, I didn't expect that you all would actually accept my invitation for this mini-farewell party. And Jeonghan even made time to come here despite just recently coming back from a business trip in Taiwan. Thank you so much," Taemin commends while passing around the tea pot. Lu Han's inner turmoil starts to dissipate upon hearing the former's words.
Taemin had always been the 'mister congeniality' of their block. He was literally everyone's friend and was an active participant in the university's council. Baekhyun knew how very fond Lu Han was of him hence, the decision to drag him out of their apartment and see the latter for the last time.
But the downside of it all was that Taemin was also quite notorious for being a matchmaker and Lu Han dreaded that realization upon seeing him place his trademark pen on the table. "I assume you guys haven't forgotten about my favorite activity, right?" Groans emanate from Jeonghan and his friends. "Aw, don't be such killjoys! This will be the last time I'm playing this game with y'all before I move to California, you know!"
"Fine, fine," Seungkwan comments, side-eyeing Lu Han. "I guess there are those who really need some romance in their lives right now."
"Great! I'm gonna call him over with his friends now."
"Wait, who is it gonna be this time?"
Taemin smiles. "Sophomores from our uni!"
"What's wrong with him?"
Jongdae brings a finger to his lips to gesture Jongin to shut up. The latter quietly obeys though he still couldn't help but peek a glance at their obviously disgruntled maknae who was wiping the tables rather aggressively. The latter may look unapproachable most of the time but today his aura was a bit different and Jongin knew something was up.
"Really though, what's wrong with him?" he asks for the second time.
Jongdae looks at him, unfazed. "No idea. He's been like that since three days ago."
"Oh. Is it because he was reprimanded by Minseok-hyung?"
A click of the tongue. "You ask too many questions. Minseok has not come by the shop for a week now. Sehun's probably just being depressed over his midterms again -"
The sound of the chair screeching halts the two Kims' conversation. Sehun was now apparently starting to mop the area and even by the way he was doing it, it was obvious that he had something serious on his mind. Jongin looks at his bestfriend with worry.
"Maybe he got into an argument with his roommate or something.."
"Or maybe he's finally done with filling in for your delivery shifts," Jongdae reminds to which Jongin lets out a 'that's impossible he's the most patient person I've ever known.' The former gladly rolls his eyes at the younger before reverting his attention back to the cash register. "I have a strong hunch that it has something to do with a customer."
"A customer?"
"Sssh!" Jongdae hisses before pulling on the younger's collar to whisper into his ear. Goddamn these youngsters for being such giants. "It's like this. Three days ago, I got a call from Sapphire Hotel just minutes before we were about to close shop. The customer sounded like a drunken kid and he kept giggling and shit it was annoying as hell but I knew who he was and I think you know him, too."
Jongin looks at him, confused.
"Italian molten, less tomato sauce and lots and lots of freaking cheese. Does that ring a bell?"
Jongin's mouth forms an 'o.' "Oh, the slurring dude!"
"Slurring dude?"
"What was his name again... wait lemme think.. oh! Lu Han! It was that Lu Han guy, right? Subscription number 520?" Jongdae nods. "I often get to answer his phone calls and yeah, I won't deny that he either sounds like a kid or he's drunk as hell. But I have never seen him before. So what does he have to do with..." he points at a grumpy Sehun. "... that?"
"I'm not completely sure either," Jongdae admits while sorting the bills in the register. "But Sehun's been the one delivering his orders the past few days. He ordered the same stuff 3 times this week. Two boxes of Italian molten cheese, less tomato sauce. And knowing how Sehun's been busy with both work and uni, I'd say that that guy can almost rank right next to me in terms of having the most interactions with Sehun."
"So you're saying that they might've formed a little friendship due to pizza deliveries, is that it?"
"Judging by how that Lu Han guy sounds over the phone, I'd say he's pretty much very thick-faced and extroverted as a person." Jongdae finally finishes counting the bills and puts them inside a small secured vault located underneath the counter. "But rather than a friendship, I'd say they formed something else."
"Like what? A baby?"
A slap to the head. "You idiot. This isn't an mpreg fic."
Jongin pouts. "I was just kidding! You didn't have to hit me that hard."
Jongdae rolls his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, I think something happened between Sehun and that Lu Han guy and it didn't end well. That much I can deduce by observing how he's been pissed off these past three days."
"But how can a drunk-sounding guy even be of trouble to him? Sehun's good with dealing with people and he knows how to put up with shitty customers. That guy must've really been something exceptional for him to piss off Sehun like that."
"I know that. And it's the reason why I'm not entirely sure. But get this," Jongdae leans in to whisper in his quietest voice. "I called Yixing the next day because I was worried whether or not Sehun managed to go home right after the delivery since the snow was blowing quite harshly that night. You know what he said?" Jongin hums, trying to communicate that he was listening intently.
"Sehun didn't go back to the dorms. Yixing had to go to Sapphire at around 8 am in the morning to fetch him and lend him some clothes."
Jongin gasps dramatically, facing Jongdae with the look of bewilderment on his face. "Why would he need extra clothes? You mean to tell me that he..." he points at Sehun. "... and that Lu Han guy..." he points at some corner in the shop as if to emphasize Lu Han's non-existent presence. Jongdae nods and he gasps even more dramatically that it got borderline exaggerated.
"Sssh!" Jongdae hisses for the second time. "It's not yet confirmed, okay? Sehun has not spoken a word about it and I don't think he ever will explain what truly happened. I assume he doesn't want us to poke our noses into it or he's just feeling embarrassed."
"But we already poked our noses into it."
"Ssssh!"
The sound of Sehun's cellphone ringing cuts off the two's conversation. They observe how the younger boredly answered the video call [probably from a university friend] and when his face morphed into that as if he had recognized something, they grew even more curious.
"Guanlin, could you take a video of what's happening in there again," Sehun says, tone adamant. The look on his face was akin to that of a child who spotted something he liked and Jongin couldn't help but to sneak up behind his friend.
Guanlin was apparently in some sort of tea house and he was recording the place like some kind of a rookie blogger. "There!" Sehun says. "I mean, turn your camera to your 10 o'clock."
"Man, if you're gonna be sight-seeing through chat like this might as well just come and see for yourself. We're a little short on people here and there's this poor guy who has no partner yet. Taemin-sunbae is somewhat clingy but he sure gives out expensive drinks. You won't believe this but he seems to have taken a liking to Mi-"
"Where is that place?"
"I.. wait," Guanlin pauses. "You're coming? For real?!" Even Jongin himself could not believe his own ears. Sehun was never the party type of person. He often prefers to stay at the dorms and study till late at night because he saw parties as 'unreasonable social practices and a huge waste of time.'
Jongin used to invite him a lot of times before and ended up always being rejected. So why all of a sudden is his supposedly party pooper of a bestfriend agreeing to Lai Guanlin's invite? What was so special about that tea house slash mixer party organized by this certain Taemin guy?
"You're really gonna come here? Right now? Or after you're done with your shift?
Sehun doesn't reply for a while but he eventually relents. "I'm taking a leave off work right now to go there. Now tell me where that place is."
Guanlin's video chat starts to get noisier. "Whoa, I didn't expect that you'd actually agree this time -" hey, Guanlin you're up next! "Alright! I'll just text you the address, man. They're starting the games already, I don't wanna miss out!"
And then the line went off.
Sehun turns to Jongin. "You heard what I said," he reminds coolly. "I'll leave all the deliveries for today in your hands. And next time, if you're gonna sneak up on me, at least try not to breathe too closely on my nape. Jongdae-hyung, I'm off for today."
"I.. but.. okay." Jongdae couldn't do anything but acquiesce to the younger's demand. Sehun rarely asked for leaves anyway.
"What the heck, hyung? Why'd you allow him to leave?!"
"Shut up, Kim Kai. You are staying here to help me run the shop." Just right after he says that, the phone rings. Jongdae smirks. "Looks like your first errand is here."
Jongin groans.
'Damn you, Sehun. Why did it have to be today..'
"Okay, has everyone placed an item already?"
Jeonghan scans the stuff they have placed on the table. There were a total of 15 people in the room and when he figures out that there were only 7 items laid out for the sophomores to choose from, he turns to an unusually quiet Lu Han and smirks. "I think Lu Han hasn't placed an item yet."
"Leave him out of this," Baekhyun scowls. "There are only 15 of us in here. Someone will end up having no one to partner with and Lu Han chose to sit out to make the players even in number. I'll play in his stead - "
Upon hearing Baekhyun's logic, Guanlin perks up. "Oh, about that! I asked a friend of mine to come over if he had free time so that everyone would have a partner. He's on his way already. I hope you don't mind?" he inquires childishly, flashing a 'pretty please' face at Taemin.
Everyone seems to have agreed to Guanlin's plan except Jeonghan who was internally rooting for Lu Han to be left out and Lu Han himself who was reluctant to join Taemin's mini-mixer game. He chugs down a whole cup of tea to calm his nerves. Damn. Can't he just go home and find comfort in his beloved movies already? Munching on a slice of cheese pizza sounded tempting at the moment, too...
"Alright! Since Guanlin's friend is about to arrive soon, I think we can already start the game?" The eager sophomores nod vigorously. It was pretty obvious that they had their eyes set on the gorgeous Jeonghan and were silently hoping they'd be the ones who'd snag a date with him. If only they knew how wretched the former's personality was, they probably wouldn't even dream to be at least his friend.
Baekhyun worriedly turns to Lu Han. The latter was fidgeting in his seat and when he takes out the item he would like to represent himself, it takes all of Baekhyun's willpower to avoid facepalming himself.
"Okay, sophomores, turn around! Lu Han, go and place your item on the table and then we're going to start shuffling them! Remember, not all of the items previously placed will stay on the table. Let's see how good y'all are in judging people by the stuff they carry around. Aren't you all excited?!" The sophomores reply with an enthusiastic 'Yes!' before turning their backs on the table.
Baekhyun felt irked by how they seemed to be too passionate about the whole thing. 'Such thirsty youngsters..' he thinks to himself, nonchalantly replacing the eyeliner he had placed earlier with a bottle of guava perfume, hoping it would somehow put them off.
When Lu Han hesitantly places his item on the table, Taemin lets out a small laugh. "Hyung, you still carry this around with you? I see you haven't changed!" Lu Han only replies with a nervous smile before retreating beside Baekhyun. Taemin starts shuffling all the 8 items and snaps his finger as a cue for the sophomores to turn back around.
"Okay! All items have been shuffled. Some of us chose to retain what we've previously placed while others replaced theirs. Minho-yah, you're the first to choose! I hope you pick me kk," Taemin offered flirtatiously which caused the poor kid to turn tomato red. Minho carefully scans all the stuff placed on the table before ultimately settling for the lace choker. To his surprise, a wild Lee Taemin immediately jumps on him. "Oh my god, you really did pick me! This must be fate!"
The whole room erupts into laughter upon the formation of the new couple.
"Ah but really, guys, remember once we're done choosing our partners, we'll be going to the next destination I have in mind! In short, it'll be like a group date! So whoever it is that you fancy in here, make sure to choose what you think belongs to them." The sophomores nod eagerly and a flared-up Daehyun eventually lands his hands on Baekhyun's guava perfume. Cheers once more fill the whole room and Baekhyun reluctantly sits beside his partner for the day, thoughts still constantly worrying over Lu Han.
The game then went on until the table was left with only two items. Guanlin was starting to worry because what if Sehun took back his words and won't actually come anymore? What if he ditches and intentionally said he'd come just to embarrass him? What if - But then he realizes he had no time to think anymore of such things as pressure was on him to choose his partner.
"Whoever's item gets left on the table will be the partner of Guanlin's friend!" Taemin reminds though the distress could be heard from his tone as it has already been a good 45 minutes yet no such friend had yet to arrive. He was worried for both Ji Hoon and Lu Han, who were the only ones left with no partners. It was now solely up to fate and Guanlin's luck to choose between a pair of scissors and an ancient-looking scientific calculator to determine which between the two would be his companion for the day.
"Hurry up and choose, Guanlin!" One of his friends, the one partnered up with Jeonghan, starts to shout. If Baekhyun was not mistaken, his name was Yongguk. "Whichever you pick will be a good choice anyway. They're both gorgeous but I guess Ji Hoon-sunbae is more of your type since you don't like nerdy people." Baekhyun flashed a death glare towards said sophomore. How dare he shout such disrespectful words when Lu Han was just right across them to hear it all.
"I-I mean, Lu Han-sunbae is good, too. I guess..."
"You... guess?" Baekhyun taunts. "You brat, do you even know who he is for you to just simply label him as nerdy?"
"Hey, come on, stop it," Taemin intervenes coolly. "This entire thing is supposed to be fun. Let's not put pressure on Guanlin and avoid saying such slanderous words. Yes?" Baekhyun and Yongguk reluctantly agree. Regardless, Baekhyun had already carved into his brain the image of the cocky brat and when he sees Jeonghan snicker beside said jerk, he could not do anything else but scowl. They were indeed the perfect couple: an arrogant, brainless bastard paired with a pretentious, sly bi -
"I, uhmm, choose this..." They whip their heads around to see Guanlin's final verdict and when Baekhyun sees the latter raises a pair of scissors, his heart deflates.
"I think it belongs to Ji Hoon-sunbae.."
Jeonghan and his friends had let out a stifled laugh upon seeing Lu Han being the only one left across the table. The poor Chinese was biting his lip out of shame, head hung low, and his precious calculator lying in wait on the table but to no avail. He was really bound to be the one without a partner. Who in their right mind would even choose a calculator in the first place? The thing itself already looked disagreeable compared to Jeonghan's 6 figure-worth Swarovski bracelet.
Baekhyun saunters over to his friend. "Lu, are you alright?" he turns to Guanlin. "Where is that friend you said was arriving? Were you just lying this whole time?"
Guanlin raises his hands in defense. "I swear I wasn't lying! He said so himself. He even told me to take a video of the place twice and then proceeded to say he was on his way - " The door suddenly slid open. Lu Han was starting to tear up and Baekhyun was quick to console him, both bestfriends too busy with each other to welcome the latecomer. The usherette gives Taemin a respectful bow.
"Sir, a guest has arrived for Mr. Lai Guanlin," Baekhyun hands a tissue and a glass of water to Lu Han. 'Get a hold of yourself, your snot's starting to droop.' Lu Han chugs down the water in one go, desperate to keep his ugly tears out of Yoon Jeonghan's sight.
"He says his name is Oh Sehun."
Lu Han chokes on his water.
And when the familiar worn-out black shoes and trademark black and yellow uniform started to manifest on the figure who calmly entered the room, war flashbacks immediately flooded his buffering brain. What kind of sorcery was this? Were the gods purposely doing this to punish him?
"Thank god, you're finally here!
"I apologize for being late," the newcomer said, flashing a small smile at the people in the room though it could've been just Lu Han's paranoia doing its work because there's no way that the guy could possibly remember him. Right? "I had to make a delivery downtown before coming here." This time, Sehun's gaze really did zero right into him. Lu Han knew, because even Baekhyun himself noticed it.
"What were you all doing? Am I already too late?"
"We were just about to finish and - oh. You and Lu Han-sunbae could be partners!" Guanlin offers. "We were playing a mix-and-match kind of game and basically everyone needs to have a partner for some sort of group date. You don't mind partnering up with Lu Han-sunbae, do you? He's nice and he seems good at academics, too. I think you both will get along, to be honest."
Sehun walks up to the table and picks up Lu Han's precious little calculator. It could've probably just been Baekhyun's imagination but he swears he saw a flash of familiarity in the newcomer's eyes upon seeing the analytical tool. "Is this the item you think represents you best?" he asks, but immediately adds a 'hyung' at the end. Lu Han doesn't dare look the taller in the eye as his brain was busy panicking over turmoils of 'it's him, it's really him, why's he even here?! what does he want?!'
"Hm?"
"Yes, it's his. Do you have any problem with it?" Baekhyun replies sassily. "You are free to refuse if you don't fancy nerdy people," he glares at Yongguk. "But one thing I can assure you is if you dare to say anything offensive about my bestfriend I am not going to let you off." Lu Han holds onto the cuff of Baekhyun's shirt and shakes his head. 'Don't be so loud. I'm fine already.'
Sehun lets out a hum and sits right across Lu Han. The smaller visibly tenses, still refusing to meet the other in the eye. The room was eerily quiet but Baekhyun could already hint on some of Jeonghan's friends, and even Jeonghan himself, subtly crushing on Guanlin's friend who was apparently working part-time as a pizza delivery boy - a job that somehow didn't fit his model-like face and physique.
"Nice to meet you," Sehun extends a hand. "I'm Guanlin's friend, Oh Sehun, 21, a sophomore at Seoul National University majoring in architecture. I do swimming for sports and also work part-time as a delivery boy at JD's Pizza Galore. I hope you don't mind me being your partner for the day." Lu Han looks at Sehun's big hands but not on his face. Those very same hands are what touched him all over that one snowy night and -
"L-Lu-Lu Han," he replies nervously, accepting the handshake. "24. Chinese. I'm an alumnus of SNU. N-Nice to meet you."
Sehun smiles, eyes turning into crescents, before shaking their hands happily.
"Let's have a lot of fun on our date, shall we?" he says.
Until he tugs Lu Han closer to him and whispers deviously into his ear.
"Customer Lu Han with subscription number 520."
Blackmail.
That was how the devil Oh Sehun managed to tie poor, innocent Lu Han to him.
There was nothing romantic nor novel-worthy at all about how they suddenly became too close with each other. No wooing nor flirty texts and letters like that of Kate Forrester and Alex Wyler's. Or maybe there were texts, but all Lu Han could remember was that right before the group date ended, despite his wish of never having to see Sehun again, the younger had apparently other plans as he dragged Lu Han in some empty alley and trapped him against the wall, demanding for his phone number if he wanted to keep their little snowy night shenanigan hidden within the recesses of their minds.
'I have evidence of what happened between us that night. If you want me to keep quiet about it then you do as I say.'
Lu Han, threatened out of his wits, had no other choice but to give the other his KaKao ID. But Sehun didn't seem to be satisfied with just that so he eventually relented and gave away his phone number. Immediately two weeks after that encounter, a text indeed came.
It was Sehun begging for Lu Han to tutor him for his Trigonometry class.
'Help me pass my Maths class just for this term and I'll let you off for good.'
Lu Han wasn't convinced by such and Sehun seemed to have picked up on that as another text immediately followed.
'If I pass, I'll tell Jongdae-hyung to give you special service at JD's. Unlimited pizza deliveries for free.'
That was the final tactic to have Lu Han completely wrapped around his finger. Afterwards, they set up an easy-to-follow routine: Lu Han would go to Sehun's house for tutoring sessions every Fridays and Sehun should already have his books and two boxes of cheese pizza laid out for Lu Han to feast on while they answer problem sets. It seemed relatively easy and downright monotonous.
Until feelings started to emerge along the way.
"What are you doing?" Lu Han screams as he immediately shuts the sketchbook. Sehun looks at him weirdly, lollipop in his mouth as he spun lazily on his chair. "The heck is wrong with you, screaming like a girl."
"Stop creeping up behind me like that! Don't you know about personal space?!"
Sehun scoffs. "You act as if we've never invaded each other's personal space before."
Lu Han blushes. Hard. "Stop bringing that up! That was months ago already. And I was drunk so I wasn't myself when we d-did that!"
"Okay, whatever," Sehun snickers. He picks up his solution paper and shoves it in front of Lu Han's face. "I'm done with these ones. Can you check them for me?" Lu Han lets out a sigh before eventually acquiescing to the other's request. Sehun offers a slice of cheese pizza near his mouth which Lu Han gladly bites into with a delighted moan.
"Why do you always have to moan like that when you're eating pizza?"
Lu Han raises a brow at him. "Why? Dsh ish bther yu ?"
"You wish," Sehun replies curtly, turning back to another set of practice problems which he passionately starts solving. At least until he gets to the trickier parts. He groans in frustration and backs away. "Ah, shit, I'm done for the day."
Lu Han takes that as his cue to leave and so, takes the two boxes of cheese pizza for him to supposedly bring home to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. "Alright. I'll be going then. I've already checked your previous problem set. I think you'll be fine on your finals."
"Wait." Lu Han turns to Sehun.
"What?"
Sehun doesn't reply for a while but Lu Han's impatient tapping on the floor riles him up and he ends up blurting out the first thing that came onto mind.
"Do you wanna go for a swim?"
Sehun was unexpectedly good at swimming, might Lu Han say. But of course, he wouldn’t dare say that out loud because it would probably just boost the other’s ego.
“Aren’t you gonna come in?”
“No thanks, I didn’t bring any spare clothes with me,” he replies, peacefully sipping on his orange juice as he scribbles on his sketchbook. Splashing sounds invaded the whole pool area as Sehun made majestic dives and practiced his butterfly strokes.
“I have clothes at the dorms,” Sehun offers and Lu Han shakes his head ‘no’ for the last time. “Is it because you don’t have any spare clothes or you just really don’t know how to swim?” the younger began teasing which prompted Lu Han to lay his glass of juice on the table.
“I know how to swim!”
“Really? Then why don’t you wanna go in?”
‘Because I don’t want you to see my body!’ Lu Han yearned to scream but chose to just kept mum. Apparently, his body consciousness never truly went away especially when it came to Sehun. Sehun would probably argue that he had already seen it before during their snowy night escapade and that it didn’t bother him at all but Lu Han’s case was different.
He didn’t want Sehun to see him in such a way ever again -
“Hey.” Lu Han screams for the second time. A half-naked Sehun backs away, blocking his ears, a frown on his face.
“Do you really have to scream every goddamn time?”
“What do you want?!” Lu Han demands, pulse beating erratically because ‘what the fuck was this guy thinking shoving his face so closely on mine like that?!’ He spots his precious sketchbook laid out in the open and immediately jumps on it to hide its contents. ‘Please tell me he didn’t see!’
“You’ve been acting weird lately,” Sehun deadpans. “Whatever. You should go in,” he gestures towards the water. Lu Han briefly replies with a ‘no.’ “Why not? The pool’s all yours.”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Then why did you accompany me here if you aren’t gonna be swimming anyway?”
“B-because!” Damn. Why indeed? “You asked me to come! Simple as that!”
“Huh,” Sehun smirks. “I didn’t know you had such a soft spot for me.”
“Shut up!” By this time, Lu Han was trying his best not to explode because 1, a half-naked Sehun was right in front him, 2, his feels were all over the place, and 3, his damned sketchbook needs to find cover right about now. “If you’re done already, then I’m going home for real. Good luck with your finals!”
“Your shoelaces are untied.”
“Huh?”
It was too late for Lu Han to realize he had just been tricked. Sehun had already pushed him into the water and his precious sketchbook was the first thing that came onto his mind as he fell. He let go of it and managed to throw it on the bench before fully plunging into the water.
‘Oh Sehun, you’re really gonna get it this time!’ Lu Han thinks to himself, smirking underwater as he pretends to sink and fall unconscious. What would Sehun do if he finds out he had just accidentally killed Lu Han? It would be such a delightful sight.
Right on cue, the sound of someone diving could be heard and Lu Han struggles to keep his eyes shut as he feels Sehun hold him by the waist and carry him over by the poolside. “Lu Han,” Sehun mumbles worriedly, lightly tapping his cheeks to wake him up. “Han, wake up.” Lu Han holds his breath as he feels Sehun lean down to listen to his breathing. He reminds himself to reprimand the latter for calling him so casually by his first name next time.
“Shit,” was the last thing Lu Han heard from a panicked pizza boy and he would’ve already burst out laughing and mocked the hell out of Sehun had it not been for the pair of lips that was now attached to his, trying to supposedly resuscitate him. Sehun blows some air into his lungs and Lu Han immediately pounds on his chest.
“Mfffphh!” Lu Han squealed internally, hands pushing on the younger’s chest because he didn’t expect the joke to escalate into something as intense as a CPR from Oh Sehun. Sehun feels the pounding and immediately breaks away, surprised to find underneath him a blushing Lu Han who was breathing heavily.
“Lu Han!”
“What the hell did you just do?!”
“What I did? I was trying to keep you alive! I thought you were -”
“I was alive, you idiot!” Lu Han sat up, face beet red. “I was just trying to trick you! The hell you were thinking trying to give me CPR out of the blue.” The look on Sehun’s face was one of pure confusion before it turned into something more serious.
“You… were faking it?”
“Yeah, I was! Because you’ve done nothing but bully me these past few weeks so I thought why not do the same?!” Lu Han wipes his mouth with his wet shirt. His ears were burning from embarrassment and it didn’t help that Sehun had turned unusually quiet. He turns to the younger and finds him starting to walk away. “Hey, where - “
“Get up and go back with me upstairs. You need a change of clothes.”
“Seh - “
The younger had already turned the hallway before Lu Han could even mutter his next words.
That was weird.
Was Oh Sehun angry?
The ride up to the 7th floor was excruciatingly silent.
Both of them were dripping wet and Lu Han was starting to shiver from the cold compared to Sehun who didn’t seem to be bothered at all. The elevator rings open. Lu Han had just stepped out, Sehun had already gone first without a word, until he saw the face of the man he had long been yearning to see.
“J-Junmyeon…”
The man stops talking to the beautiful woman beside him upon hearing the mention of his name. The moment he turns to face his ex-lover, his face turns into that of utter disbelief as he scans Lu Han from head to toe.
“…Han?”
“Oh. Who is he?” The woman beside Junmyeon inquires. Lu Han turns to look at her. Was she the reason why Junmyeon left? No doubt she was beautiful. Ethereal, even. The accessories adorning her petite frame looked way too expensive for a simple country girl to afford. Perhaps she was an heiress…
“I.. I’m Junmyeon’s -“
“-friend.”
Lu Han’s heart cracks.
“He’s a college friend,” Junmyeon nervously says. “I believe I haven’t introduced you to each other yet. Lu Han, this is my fiancée Joohyun. Joohyun, meet Lu Han. We used to be great friends during our university days.”
“Oh, I see,” Joohyun smiles before extending a hand towards him. Lu Han doesn’t fail to notice the shining silver band on her ring finger. “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Lu Han. What might’ve brought you here at SNU’s dorms? Are you taking up graduate studies?”
“I, no, I don’t stay here. I’m just here to - “
“visit me,” Sehun interferes. Lu Han internally clenches his teeth because why in the world does he have to be always cut off so rudely? And what was Oh Sehun even doing, butting into a conversation half-naked where he’s not even needed?
Lu Han looks at the younger with confusion. He had thought that Sehun had already went in and took a shower and yet here he was, getting himself involved in a mess that wasn’t even meant for him to be involved in. “I’m Lu Han-hyung’s tutee, Oh Sehun. He’s here to help me out with my final exams.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Lu Han-sshi.” Joohyun’s compliment seemed genuine enough and Lu Han bowed his head as a show of thanks. Junmyeon, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly convinced about their relationship as shown by the disapproving look on his face. Sehun looked at him with eyes that spoke strong emotions, casually sliding an arm over the smaller male’s shoulder before pulling him in.
“If that is all, then we shall take our leave - “
“Wait,” Junmyeon calls out. “Han, is he saying the truth?”
Sehun could feel Lu Han’s small frame shiver in his hold. “Yes, he is. You don’t have to be suspicious of him. He’s just a kid.”
And then he walked away with Sehun, sparing not even a glance at the one person who used to be his entire world.
If Junmyeon already had such a bright future laid out for him, then Lu Han figured it was time to lay out his own as well.
‘So this is really the end for us, huh,’ he thinks bitterly to himself, tears starting to stream down his face. ‘Goodbye, Kim Junmyeon. Thank you for being a part of my life.’
Lu Han thought he could cry the rest of his tears at the bathroom; but Sehun seemed to have other plans as he gripped tightly on the other’s wrist and threw him on the bed upon arrival at his dorm room. Sehun didn’t look too happy about the whole ordeal and for a brief second, Lu Han felt submissive towards him. He sits up on the bed and frowns.
“What the hell are you doing? I thought you already showered - “
“So that’s him?”
Lu Han pauses. “What?”
“Kim Junmyeon, the man whose name you often scribble on your sketchbooks and disguise as sample math questions for me to solve.” Guilt started to eat Lu Han from the inside-out. He admits that he often zoned-out during tutorial sessions with Sehun and that he used majority of the time to figure out the answer as to why Junmyeon left him like some sort of unsolved Math equation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d - “
“You didn’t think I’d notice because I was stupid in Math, is that it?”
“That’s not what I mean, Sehun. And what’s it to you anyway?” Lu Han bursts out. “Fine, I admit I’m still hung-up over my ex and that I can’t help but to incorporate him into every fucking equation I can think of but what does it have to do with you?! We’re just tutor and tutee, it’s not like I’m shoving my personal life in your face every damn time we see each other!”
Sehun’s nose flared in anger. Lu Han flinches when the younger slams the door shut and faces him with a certain glint in his eyes. “You’re right, it’s none of my business however hung-up you are over your ex and how you can’t stop yourself from treating your break-up like some sort of competition-level Math equation,” he starts crawling towards Lu Han which causes the latter to back away in caution until he bumps against the headboard. Sehun takes that chance to trap him within his arms.
“But what can I do?” The look on Sehun’s face transforms into that of pure bitterness. He nuzzles his face on Lu Han’s wet shoulder and sighs. “I’m so fucking jealous of him that I can only wish you’d also try to look at me the way you do with him.” Lu Han freezes in his spot.
Was that a freaking confession?
“Sehun, I - “
“I’m not done yet,” Sehun shushes him. “If you’re going to reject me, that’s fine but at least let me say what I’ve always wanted to say since the very beginning. After this, you are free to walk away and I promise to do my best in my final exams because I don’t want all your efforts to be in vain. I’ll tell Jongdae-hyung to still give you the pizza promos and you can have my sister’s collection of romcom films.”
Lu Han fought back a laugh as he listened to the younger blabber like his life depended on it. He spots his sketchbook by the bedside table and smiles. He’d have his turn. But for now, he wants to hear Sehun out.
“That night, when we accidentally slept with each other, it wasn’t just mere sex that we did,” Sehun confesses. “You cried over Junmyeon and told me all the stuff I didn’t really need to know about your relationship. At first, I didn’t care but when you told me about how you were plotting to avenge your broken heart by hacking his bank account, that was when I started to find you endearing.”
Lu Han starts to blush profusely. Sehun was still hugging him, refusing to look him in the face. “You said that you were SNU’s Math genius, Lu Han. Junmyeon only came in second to you all the time. I wasn’t really interested in what you were saying and just wanted to go home but then the snowstorm got worse and we ended up having to cuddle near the heater.”
“We cuddled?!”
Sehun nods. “It was you who initiated it.”
“I am no such person!”
“You aren’t exactly the same person when you’re drunk.” Lu Han shuts up. “You were also the one who kissed me first. And the first one to take off his clothes because it was too hot. The first one to offer se - “
“Okay, shut up already I don’t want to hear it out!” Lu Han whines, wriggling in Sehun’s hold. “Can’t you please let go of me already, we’re not exactly in an ideal condition to be hugging like this.”
“I don’t want to,” Sehun deadpans, a hint of sadness present in his voice. “You have no idea how desperate I was trying to figure out why you stood me up the next day. When I saw you at the party with Guanlin, I had to take my chances. This will be the last time I’ll be able to hold you so I’m treasuring it for as long as I can.”
Lu Han laughs. “Why are you acting as if I’d reject you?”
Sehun sits up, baffled. “What?”
Lu Han gestures for him to take the sketchbook by the bedside table. Sehun hesitantly takes it and opens the pages. The contents spill out in a way that he didn’t expect.
“I’ve been working on how to incorporate you into my Math equations, you know.” Lu Han smirks. “I had a difficult time because you were such a dumbo especially in using your GEMDAS and reciprocals and I had to keep on changing them in hopes that you’d be able to solve and decode them and then I’d confess afterw - mmmppfh!”
“Fuck,” Sehun curses in between, kissing the life out of the tiny math genius in his arms. “You are such a trickster,” he moans. “I love you so much, I don’t think I’d be able to hold back,” he whispers against Lu Han’s mouth and the latter responds with a smile.
“Then don’t.”
The two then proceed to their kissing session.
Until Sehun’s phone rings and he grumpily answers it.
“Sehun-ah, Jongin has ditched for today. Maybe you can help me out with the deliveries?” Lu Han shrugs at Sehun’s predicament.
“Go help him out, pizza boy,” Lu Han suggests, a teasing smile on his face. Sehun sees the patch of skin starting to show through his wet shirt and it officially becomes the catalyst to make up his mind.
“Sorry, hyung,” Lu Han fights back a laugh. “I’m gonna run a bit late. I have this really difficult Math equation I want to solve.”
“Really? How difficult is it exactly?”
Lu Han saunters over to the bathroom, swaying his hips teasingly before leaving the door ajar. Sehun growls.
“It’s god-tier level difficult I wish it would finally stop finding its x’s and y’s.”
Jongdae’s ‘huh? what does that mean?’ was left hanging in the air after Sehun had eagerly ended the call and left for the bathroom to deal with Lu Han.
Lu Han, who was and will be, by far and probably till infinity, his favorite Math equation.
End.
Author’s Note: Am not that proud of this one because it was literally crammed but I still enjoyed writing it! Hope I gave justice to the prompt T_T Dozens of thanks to the mods for putting up with my procrastination and for being so nice to allow an extension. I hope everyone enjoyed the read. I love you all! 520 Forever <3