Chapter 10

Ling's POV

I held Sehun's ring in my hand and grinned at him. I slipped it on my middle finger and showed it to him.

"It fits!" I grinned. "Thank you, Oppa."

He laughed and his eyes crinkled. "So how about doing our hair?"

"I agreed to spend the day with Xiumin tomorrow." I pouted.

He nodded kind of disappointed then smiled cheerfully. He stood up and reached for my hand. "Let's go now."

"N-now?" I blinked in surprise.

He grabbed my hand and pulled on his cover. The two of us left the house and got on a bus
towards the heart of Seoul.

"This isn't right," I whispered standing next to him on the bus. "If we get caught you're going to be kicked out of EXO for sure."

I hear him laugh behind his mask as he leaned closer to me. "Don't worry, no one has recognized me yet."

I frowned. "Yet, but if it happens."

He put his arm around my shoulder and brought me closer to him. "Let's just have fun alright? You've been cooped up at the dorm way too much."

I couldn't help but smile at him. Alright, only this time.

We arrived at the barber shop. It was a small place that sat between two tall business buildings. It looked completely out of place with it's battered up sign that hung crooked on the front of the building.

"Ajumma!" Sehun yelled as soon as the door closed behind us. When he noticed that the shop was empty he took off his cover and motioned for me to sit on a chair.

"Yes?" A short lady walked out and stopped when he saw Sehun. "No no no no no. I can't dye your hair today."

Sehun smiled and looked at me. "She was the one who gave me that rainbow hair."

"Oh? What's this?" Her eyes narrowed when she saw me. "You finally went and got a girlfriend huh?"

My face felt hot and I looked away.

Sehun laughed and leaned on the counter next to me, his tone was embarrassed. "No, we're just friends."

I nodded in agreement but avoided eye contact with him.

"What made him your favorite," the lady shook her head and gathered her equipment. "He's nothing but trouble."

We chatted with the lady as Sehun watched her give me a hair cut. I watched in the mirror as my dyed brown hair fell to the ground little by little.

When we were finished Sehun grabbed me by the hand and took me out for dinner at a small diner.

"Alright so, tell me," He said as we were waiting for our order of extra large fries with honey garlic wings. "What is your relationship with Xiumin?"

"Xiumin?" I repeated after him a bit surprised at the question.

He chuckled and leaned forward in his chair directly in front of me. "Well?"

"I don't know," I frowned and looked at his eyes through his sunglasses. "What are you expecting me to say."

He shrugged. "I don't know, I feel some kind of tension between you two. Do you, like him?"

I blushed and he burst out in laughter. Lucky we were in a noisy diner, otherwise, Sehun would not be able to get away with his disguise right now. He pulled his hood lower to cover half of his face. "You do don't you."

"N-no! I don't."

"Yaa, you don't have to lie about it, it's pretty obvious."

"I really don't."

"Oh come on, you don't have to hide it from me, I'm your Oppa remember?"

"I really don't," I desperately tried to convince him. "I like Luhan."

Oh, crap.

Sehun stared at me, mouth open as our plate of food came.

He ignored the food and leaned even closer to me. "Really? Like really like?"

I felt like running out of the diner at that very moment. I was prepared to disappear in embarrassment. I nodded and covered my face with my hand. "Ah, why is this happening."

He laughed at me and took a Chicken Wing. "Hey don't worry, this Oppa will keep your secret. On one condition."

I froze. There's a condition?

"Tell me how this love of yours happened."

The sky outside had already started to darken, but it seems like its going to be a long night.

-
Xiumin's POV

I was the last member that returned to the dorm with exception to Sehun who didn't return at all. When I walked through the door Ling was nowhere in sight and her shoes were gone. In the living room, the members sat surrounding the shopping bags that were filled with the clothes we had bought for her.

"Sehun came back," Chen complained. "I told him to bring these back since he was finishing first today."

"Yeah but he's not here is he." Suho ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Neither is Ling," Baekhyung said lazily. He looked exhausted.

"They probably went somewhere together," D.O said looking around.

"Hey Xiumin, what did you buy for her?" Chen asked taking his bag out of the bunch. "I got her this hoody."

He held up a black hoody with the word EXO on it. The members broke out in laughter.

"What is that," Chanyeol laughed and held up a white and blue ruffled skirt. "See this is cuter."

"Not as cute as this." Baekhyung held up a coral colored sundress.

The members followed by showing each other what they had bought for her. We proceeded to laugh about the events that happened during our schedules today and eventually decided to sleep.

I was getting restless. As Baekhyung and Chen played cards on the kitchen counter I paced around the living room waiting for Ling to come home with Sehun.

At around 11, Ling and Sehun burst through the door huffing and puffing.

"I win!" Ling laughed holding up her hand.

Sehun shook his head and bent over to support himself on his knees. "No, I did."

I could barely watch as Sehun slipped his hand through her fingers and dragged her to the living room where they sat next to each other. They whispered in each others ears and laughed like old friends. I frowned and retreated to my room where I buried my face in a pillow.

Ling, please look at me and only me.

-
Luhan's POV

I found myself working harder than before. I wanted to get to Korea as soon as possible and join Xiumin, Zhang-ge, and Ling. I made sure my manager had packed my schedule so that I would be able to get to Korea sooner. With 3 more days of heavy schedules, I had started to feel like I was back with SM again.

After the photo shoot with Puma, I left with my manager feeling slightly nauseous. I left the set with my mask and sunglasses on and walked with my head down behind my manager. I tried to avoid the groups of fans who were standing outside the building, nodding at them and jogging to keep up.

The sun was blinding and the weather was extremely hot. It was suffocating behind the mask and I started to feel slightly dizzy as I moved towards the crosswalk. I pushed myself thinking of my trip to Korea and nodded away the feeling.

For a brief moment, everything blurred. A car beeped loudly in my ear followed by an intense pain in my sides. Everything went hazy then before I knew it, I was on the ground and everything went dark.

Chapter 9

Sehun's POV

I heard footsteps following after me but did not turn to see who it was. I shut myself in my room without giving a chance for the person to follow in.

They knocked on the door. "Sehun, open up."

It was Ling. I looked up feeling irritated.

Why hadn't Xiumin brought back Luhan rather than this girl? Why was she here anyways?

"Sehun, please open up," she continued. "Don't do this."

I scowled in the darkness.

Next she's probably going to tell me all the words I want to hear. Yes, I know how comforting people works.

"You know you're really a jerk for saying those things to Xiumin."

I glared at the door.

What?

"I get that you're angry but come on, don't be so immature about it."

She was not helping.

"I guess that's what you get for being the youngest."

I swung open the door in anger. "What did you say?"

She slipped passed me and into my room. I held back my anger and closed the door.

"You planned that."

She turned on the light and smiled. "Oh, believe me, I meant everything I said."

I frowned.

"Let's run through this in Xiumin's perspective okay?"

I sat angrily on my bed and said nothing.

"Xiumin wants to see Luhan, he doesn't care if he breaks the rules, he's ready for the consequences." She paused. "Do you think he would've told you the youngest member to break the rules?"

I thought about it.

"If let's say something went wrong on the way and you got caught. Who do you think is going to be more disadvantaged? The older guy or the younger?"

I looked at Ling. Her eyes were soft and her brows were furrowed.

She made some good points.

"I could've prepared myself for the consequences." I reasoned with myself.

"Xiumin couldn't," she didn't hesitate. "I doubt he would've forgiven himself if something bad had happened."

I felt guilt rush throughout body like a bolt of lightning. I stood and gave Ling a hug. "Thank you."

She stared at me blankly when I let go and I couldn't help but smile.

-----♡
Xiumin's POV

I didn't know what was worst. The fact that Sehun and I were fighting, or the fact that Ling went to him rather than me. I sat in the living room with the other members giving me words of comfort. I could never tell if what they say we're genuine or just out of respect because I'm the oldest. I kept glancing in the direction of Sehun's room hoping Ling would return at any time now.

Few minutes later, Sehun rushed out followed by Ling. He walked straight up to me and bowed his head.

"Hyung, I'm sorry," He said. "I was wrong."

Everyone just stared at him then at Ling.

"Wow, what did you say to him!" Baekhyung laughed. "Incredible."

She shrugged and grinned happily.

"Hyung, forgive me?" Sehun hung his head in shame.

I pulled him in and gave him a bear hug. "Of course."

"So tell us, did u get to see Luhan?" Chanyeol asked excitedly.

I nodded and sat down on the couch again. Everyone sat down and looked intensely at me. Ling sat next to Sehun, the two of them looked closer than before making me wonder what had happened in his room.

"He's doing really well in China actually," I explained. "Healthier and a lot happier."

"He asked about all of you, asking how you were and stuff."

"Oh!" Ling cut in. "He has a concert in Korea, that's the main reason why I'm here actually."

Sehun looked at Ling. "Really?"

She nodded and explained how she met him at the coffee shop.

"Ah, Zhang-ge's coffee shop, of course, he loves it there."

"Ling's staying here until Luhan comes to Korea," I explained.

"Then we can get Luhan to come over," Chen shouted.

Lay nodded in agreement. "We'll make sure we're not caught."

Sehun's face lit up and agreed.

The next morning I woke up to find Ling in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Good morning!" She glanced at me and smiled. "How was your sleep?"

"It was great."

Sehun walked down downstairs still in his pajamas and stood next to Ling.

They exchanged looks and laughed. "Go wash your face Sehun, you look like a mess." She ran her finger through his hair and pushed it away from his eyes.

I frowned at the feeling at the pit of my stomach.

First Luhan, now Sehun. Why won't you look at me?

When Sehun left to wash his face, I took the opportunity to help her with breakfast.

"Thanks for the dinner last night, it was delicious."

She beamed at me. "Glad you liked it."

"Tomorrow, I don't have a schedule, how about going somewhere with me?"

She turned and looked at me. To my surprise, her cheeks were red. "Sure."

My heart skipped a beat and I let out a sigh of relief. She poked my cheeks and I turned to look at her.

She giggled. "Xiumin, you're so cute."

I laughed feeling a bit embarrassed, but somewhere in the back of my head, I didn't like her calling me that.

Sehun returned and together the three of us cooked for the rest of the members. We ate and once again left and headed for our schedules. I locked eyes with her for a brief second before leaving and she smiled.

"Oppa, fighting!"

-----♡
Ling's POV

The minute they left the house I began to clean again. The boys were friendly and funny but they were undoubtedly the messiest people I have ever met. I picked up a shoe in the middle of the stair way and began to search for its pair. I found myself wondering into the old rooms of Luhan and completely forgot about the shoe. I looked around at the unfurnished bed, the clean desk and the photos hung on the walls. They were mostly cute selfies with the members. Behind a group picture of all the EXO members, a red strip of ribbon was hanging out. I pulled on it and a stack of folded paper fell out. I kneeled and looked through them.

They were letters dating back to before he debuted, letters that went back and forth from him to his friends in China. A picture of Luhan and a girl slipped out of the last picture. I picked it up and examined it. His hair was blonde which meant that it was taken after their debut.

Borin?

I recognized the girl as a friend of mine during my time as an exchange student in Korea. I hastily pulled out my phone to look at her pictures on social media.

It is! This is Borin!

I scowled at the photo and stuffed it into my pocket. My heart thumped loudly as I left the room.

Jealously pulled at my heart as I thought about Borin and Luhan together. I shook it off and continued cleaning.

At around 2 PM (shout out to my all-time favorite group), Sehun returned to the dorm with bags of clothes and sat on the couch.

"Ling, come here." He motioned me towards him.

"We all decided to buy some clothes for your stay here." He pointed at the bags. "They are all here, they wanted to see if you could guess who got you what."

I stared at him and turned as if I have not seen him.

"Hey," he stood up. "Do you know how hard it was to get these clothes? We had to sacrifice our break, go under cover and walk into female stores. We had to-"

"Alright alright." I turned and returned to his side on the couch.

I looked at all the bags. "These weren't expensive were they?"

Sehun smiled. "No, we don't want to burden you. Hold on, before you start."

He took off his ring and gave it to me. "It's the one I gave you that time at the fan signing. Keep it."

Sehun dropped it into my hand. "How about we go and get our hair done tomorrow?"