Just Like Now

Stages of Love

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Turning at the opening of the door Sehun immediately moved over to lower the music on the computer behind him. He had stayed behind to finish putting together music clips for an upcoming screening. Now, he had moved onto arranging music sheets including the draft of the poster design the club would be using to promote their musical.

"Why are you the only one here?" Seona wondered walking in.

"The others got tired and left early."

"You should be tired too."

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I slept in between classes today, so I'm wide awake," Sehun grinned.

Seona frowned but broke into a smile. "It's way past club hours. Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

"I'm ok, don't worry about me," Sehun assured.

Walking over she snatched the sheets in hand from him. "I said, I'll give you a ride home. The screening doesn't take place until a week from now, we have lots of time. Now, get up."

Watching her set the sheets onto the table as a final say Sehun couldn't help but muster a happy smile that she cared. Hurriedly following her he asked, "Anyway, what are you still doing on campus?"

"I had a meeting with my math tutor," she explained. "Our schedules didn't quite match, so we agreed to meet after his classes ended."

"I could help you," he enthusiastically offered.

Seona laughed amused, "I don't think you're at the level of PBIS yet."

"P...PB....P-B-I-S?" he repeated uncertainly.

"PBIS," she enunciated the word. "Are you required to take it?"

"I...I don't know," he glanced up at the starry sky. What would his future schedule be like?

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Have you met up with your advisor yet?"

"No, not yet."

"You should hurry up. If you wait for later, sessions will already be booked and you'll be on the waiting list," she advised.

"Have you seen yours?"

"Of course," she nodded. "I'll be graduating next spring. Isn't that cool? I've waited forever for this."

"Next spring?" he repeated with dying excitement. If she graduated, he wouldn't be able to see her again. They'd be nothing...

"We're here, get in." The beep of her car unlocking noisily rang through his ears while he watched her get into the driver's seat. Was she so happy to be leaving? Then what about him? Did she not catch any of the signals he had been trying to shed from the beginning? Or had he been to blunt about his feelings that she didn't understand him? Or maybe, he was just too young for her?

Dropping into the passenger's seat he set his gaze on the window, watching as the headlights floated by. Everything had been so smooth recently. The semester had resumed, he had caught up with his friends again, and the art club was flourishing with activity – so much activity that he was able to see everyone every day, that including Seona.

They had gotten closer, hadn't they? He was sure they had. Among everyone else, Hwang Seona was the first friend he met up with upon returning to Seoul. They were even close enough now to share food and drinks. She would even buy him food and deliver it to him if he got extremely hungry between classes and didn't have enough time to get any of his own. They were small gestures, but were they really nothing?

"You should try getting as much sleep as you can. With club activities coming up, we'll be getting super busy. I'll yell at the guys the next time they dump work on you," Seona said. "Don't do anything and just go to bed."