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Junmyeon has always considered himself to be a hopeless romantic, always itching for comfort and cheesy moments to share with another. In fact, at the age of 15 he thought he found his ‘forever’.
Sehun was 14 at the time and Junmyeon had never met anyone as odd yet charming as this boy. They met at school, during Junmyeon’s last sports day there. Since Junmyeon was one of the fifth formers at the school, he was helping out in organising the stations of each activity and after he finished he had decided to go take a seat in what was considered to be the biggest ground of the school. He thought he deserved to take a break from all the work he’d been doing for the past hour and a half.
He conveniently sat where soon a limping boy would approach him and ask to take a seat next to him.
This is when his whole life was about to take a turn, for the better or for the worse is for his now shattered heart to decide.
Although Junmyeon didn’t like when people approached him, he still accepted the injured boy’s request, he may be an introvert but he’s not an asshole. The stranger clearly didn’t seem too fond of silence as he quickly tried to make conversation with the older student.
“You injured too?” The unidentified boy joked.
“Nope just taking a break...” Junmyeon chuckled awkwardly.
“I got hit in the back of my knee by a damn football, how unlucky can I get huh?” The boy questioned light heartedly as his eyes formed pretty crescents upon his rosy cheeks.
“...My name’s Sehun by the way, I’m a year below you... I think.” He added shortly after, never letting a second of silence intervene.
“Junmyeon, and if you’re a fourth former then you surely are.” Junmyeon introduced himself monotonously.
After his little introduction, Sehun would not shut up, and at first Junmyeon found him to be quite obnoxious, as the younger seemed to talk about anything and everything. However, Sehun continued pestering him even days after the sports day and Junmyeon started to like the attention, crave it even.
~ ~ ~
Junmyeon would usually spend his breaks at the back of the library, in the storage room. He’d read countless books there and would take many naps. The following week he met Sehun, he realised that the younger too, spent his breaks in the library. Just not at the back of the room like he himself did.
Turns out Sehun was a library helper, and that the pest found the older’s hiding spot. The librarian had told Sehun to place a box full of old books out back in the storage room and as he was doing so he heard light snores travel through the narrow dark room around the corner.
Sehun was quick to investigate as he peeked around the corner, to which his eyes met a stiff body, nestled into itself like the lip of an envelope against its paper body.
Sehun glanced at his wrist watch and saw that the bell was about to ring in just a few minutes, so being the good Samaritan he was, he went to wake up the cramped boy.
As soon as he shook the boy, he was met with a kick to the knee and a piercing scream.
“What are you doing?!” Junmyeon confronted with a hoarse voice, looking half terrified and half regretful.
“The bell is about to ring, so I thought about waking you up.” Sehun replied groaning as he rubbed his knee.
They younger’s face resembled like that of a kicked puppy and Junmyeon couldn’t help but feel even worse. He was quick to apologise and even offered to take him to the nurse. How was Sehun supposed to refuse an offer like that?
He felt a connection to the boy and wanted to get closer, so putting on his best puppy face, he accepted his offer and they both made their way out the library together. With his arm over Junmyeon’s shoulder he limped his way to the nurse, feeling nothing but satisfied with how everything had turned out.
Ever since then, they got closer and closer. Junmyeon had always been lonely, as he never took up the initiative to make friends, so when he got closer to Sehun he couldn’t help but feel... special.
Not many people liked Sehun, he was energetic and rambunctious and people thought he was just horrible company in general. Yet Junmyeon thought they just misunderstood the boisterous boy. This seemed to bring them closer together and after a while Junmyeon realised that the butterflies in his stomach were not because he made a new friend, but rather because he liked him.
He liked him so much that no words could express how the younger made him feel. It was a breath of fresh air to be noticed and appreciated. Junmyeon couldn’t help but wonder if Sehun felt the same.
A month after they started talking Junmyeon departed from school and started his GCSE’s, yet they still managed to keep in contact and talk every day.
Junmyeon passed his exams with flying colours and so Sehun proposed they go out on a date and celebrate.
Nothing was ever clear between them which confused Junmyeon deeply. Especially when Sehun proposed a ‘date’, did he mean it or was he just using the term lightly with no meaning attached to it at all?
Either way it didn’t really matter to him as long as he spent time with his new best friend.
Summer ended in the bat of an eye and soon Junmyeon was piled with stack and stacks of school work. That didn’t stop him and Sehun from hanging out though. They spent the weekends at each other's places and frequently met up during the week, after school.
Weeks passed by quickly and soon weeks turned into months and suddenly Junmyeon was attending Sehun’s graduation.
~ ~ ~ ~
Summer was once again approaching and Junmyeon decided to apply for a job at his favourite café. He’d often take Sehun to this café, to treat him for a snack whenever they’d hangout, so working at this place would basically be a privilege as it is very dear to his heart.
Working there was nothing less than he expected, at times it was hectic but fun nonetheless. He enjoyed tending to customers and making small talk, bit by bit he was getting out of his shell and everything was looking up. In fact, he ended up making a new friend. His name is Yixing and he’s quite the charmer but nothing compared to Sehun.
Sehun.
By far the best part of his job.
He’d constantly look forward to his surprise visits and would treat him to anything he requested.
Junmyeon decided to keep his job even after summer reached its end for the nth time.
~ ~ ~ ~
He didn’t miss the fact that things started changing after that summer. Sehun started going to a new school and slowly, they started drifting apart.
He visited the café less frequently and suddenly Junmyeon’s weekends were shared with his cold lonely bedroom and his thick boring textbooks.
He started slacking in both his school work and at the café, Yixing didn’t fail to realise his gloomy mood and careless performance. So, Yixing took it upon himself to look after the older and now feeble boy.
To top it all of Sehun reappeared out of nowhere after a month, he entered the café, this time with a boy by his side. A big smile was adorning the taller’s face as he dragged the shorter boy along to the counter, thankfully Yixing was the one tending the cash register and not Junmyeon.
However, it was hard not to spot the tall clumsy boy as he always made his presence obvious with his awkward mannerisms and freakishly perfect posture. So, to say Junmyeon was surprised when he saw the tall figure looming over the counter would be an absolute understatement, and to say he didn’t drop his tray the second he ran out the store would be a lie.
As soon as Junmyeon bolted out of the café, Sehun stood cluelessly next to the red-head as the cashier ran out the store after the distraught boy.
Once Yixing caught up to him, he pattered his way over to his friend who was sitting by the sea bank and gently plopped himself close to the tear stained boy.
“Is that who he’s been spending all his time with? He ghosted me, his best friend, for some fucking guy he just met?” Junmyeon expressed angrily through blurry eyes and a wobbly voice.
“Baby, I’m so sorry it had to be like this...” Yixing sighed as he pulled him closer to his side, rubbing small patterns against his arm.
“I don’t understand, I gave him so much and he decides to pull this crap? I trusted him...”
“I know, I know.” Yixing cooed.
“Why couldn’t he be like you? Soft, caring... everything I’d want in a man.” Junmyeon sniffled as he looked up at yixing, his puffy eyes and red cheeks making him ten times cuter, so cute that Yixing couldn’t help but lean in. Junmyeon seemingly wasn’t opposed to the idea and as they shared a kiss somebody cleared their throat.
Sehun stood behind them, arms crossed and a scowl etched upon his pointed face, as if he was expecting Yixing to leave.
“I’ll leave you two alone...” Yixing coughed awkwardly as he pushed himself off the ground and trailed his way back to the café.
“What are you doing here?” Junmyeon grunted as he picked himself off the floor, ready to walk away from the slim figure attempting to block his way.
“You seemed upset, I wanted to talk...” Sehun sighed, his face now representing that off like puss in boots’ innocent eyes. His eyes seemingly grew larger and his pout dug itself deeper into his face.
“I was doing fine without you! Till I saw your face, now how am I supposed to erase everything from my mind again... all these thoughts I have of you and all the moments we shared together...” Junmyeon cried, he was enraged and tears were helplessly pouring down his rosy cheeks, pain was seeping its way through his heart.
“I- I...” Sehun stuttered, not knowing how to get himself out of this one.
“Don’t even bother Oh. The less I know the better.” Junmyeon grunted as he shoved the taller’s arm, making his way past the younger and back to the café.
“Don’t go.” Sehun whimpered as he grabbed Junmyeon by his arm and pulled him against his broad chest.
“I can’t do this Sehun.” Junmyeon sniffled, making no effort to leave the boy’s embrace.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to distance myself from you... I just got carried away with my new friend, and I was confused about our friendship...” Sehun trailed off, never daring to make eye contact as he felt the shame creep up through his veins and into his gut.
“So, you just left me, left every good memory behind because you were too scared to confront whatever was bothering you. You thought hurting me like that was ok?”
“I wanted to protect you! I saw the way you looked at me... I didn’t want to hurt you.” Sehun exclaimed.
“What the fuck are you trying to say?”
“You always treated me like I was the only one that mattered, you were always ready to fight my battles with me and god... your eyes said it all.” Sehun answered wearily.
“So, you didn’t bother being straight up with me and telling me that you never felt the same?”
“I realised now that I messed up and I’m sorry... I just never saw you like that.”
“You’ve made that pretty clear you jackass, go hang out with your new friend and never talk to me again.” Junmyeon pined.
He finally found the strength within him to push himself out of the other’s warm arms and walked away. The taller was left standing there, heart pooling in hurt and regret.
~ ~ ~ ~
After that day, Junmyeon quit his job. He stayed home often -disregarding school and all-. Yixing would often visit his place and they would hang out, in fact they ended up getting closer.
However, it was nothing like his first innocent and beautiful friendship. Never would this new boy, who seems to be picking up the shattered pieces the other left, replace what they had.
It was one of a kind and rare to stumble upon.
Although he missed him with all his heart, he would not run back to all the confusion and cluster fuck of emotions that that friendship was. He just couldn’t.