During his class, he finally clarified with himself that what happened the night at the party was just his imagination. He can now stop worrying about what if and what if not and to continue on what's more important; his grades. He had a 66% in his art history class. He groaned in disappointment as the professor showed him the grade from his last exam. Sehun was sure he remembered the main important points of each chapter, but it was clear that he didn't study enough.
A few hours after his last class, he was skimming through the pages of European Renaissance art, trying to remember the dates, titles, and artists of the art pieces. There was always something else on his mind. He would rather be biking with his new club, or even hang out with Junmyeon to drink. Anything but staying in his study area, bored to death. But this is something that he has to do to prevent from failing the class. His future is on the line, anyway.
He threw his pencil in frustration and complained, "Why are we studying European art anyway? What's the significance?" Sehun wasn't an artist, but he thought to take this class to fill in his curriculum was a good idea. He instantly regrets it when he realized he had to read more things he didn't understand.
His phone chimes on his desk. A picture of Junmyeon leaning against his bike popped up along with his name. Sehun answered.
"What?"
"Did you want to hang out tonight? I don't feel like bike riding today, so I'm going to just binge watch some action films at my place. I have some beer, too."
"Can't today..." Even though this sound fun to Sehun, he knew he had to study at least for tonight for the upcoming pop quiz. He checked his clock on his date and it was 8:48 pm "I have to study tonight for this quiz. I'm really on the borderline of passing and failing."
"You gotta do what you gotta do," Junmyeon replied, "What subject is it anyway?"
"Art History."
Sehun heard him stifle a laugh on the other end. "You're failing art? That's such an easy subject!"
"Hey shut up. It is not as laid back as you think. The chapters are humongous, and my memory is terrible."
"I've taken art history before. All you have to do is know the artwork and understand its significance around that time period. It can't be that difficult." Junmyeon teased. Sehun's face felt warm in anger.
"Well, it's not only that. The only thing I'm mainly losing points on is the essay part. I am just blunt about it and explain the main points, but she keeps saying there's more to it than that."
"Ah, I see. The answer essays can be pretty precise. I can help you if you want. I've taken an art history class before and remember getting an A."
Something in Sehun's gut fluttered.
"Instead of watching stuff, I can help you with your studying. Sometimes I forget you still go to school."
Studying with his best friend is better than being alone, bored to death in his lonely dorm.
"Okay, sure. Give me half an hour."
When Sehun got there, he set his messenger bag on the kitchen table and took out his giant book of art history, a notebook, and a pencil.
"What chapter you're working on?" Junmyeon asked, holding a dark beer bottle in his hand, leaning against the counter.
"15th century Italy," Sehun murmured, and opened the page where it was recently booked marked. Junmyeon leaned over his shoulder and stared at the pages.
"These are familiar. I definitely know about this one. It is very popular." He points at the serene picture of an angel kneeling in front of a woman.
"This one is the Annunciation. This same story was painted by different artists. What exactly is something you don't get?"
"I guess the art style. I can't seem to differentiate the brush strokes of the artist."
"Oh, well I can help you with that." Junmyeon sips his beer and sits next to him at the table. He smirks. Sehun was close enough to smell Junmyeon's cologne and faint beer on his smirking lips.
"Are you pretending to act like you're going to tutor me just so you can keep yourself from being lonely? How pathetic." Sehun joked.
Junmyeon rolled his eyes. "Calm down, you're not that special. I'm just helping a friend out who is too dumb to figure out art."
Sehun chuckled faintly. Junmyeon looked at him and could tell he was offended by the comment. "That's what buddies do right? And besides, Everyone else wants to party tonight. I don't feel like being around everyone today. Anyway, do you have a study guide?"
"Yeah," he pulled out a sheet of paper that was tucked from a random page of a book with about 50 questions.
"We can get started on that. First question, 'How Does Masaccio use his technique of linear perspective in Trinity with the virgin?' That seems like an easy answer to find." Junmyeon looks in the index to find the key points to the art piece and pics a page to read. He pointed at the geometric graph underneath the painting on the page.
"There's your answer. See? All you have to do is write about the artist's sketch and studies before he executed the painting."
"Okay." Sehun murmured apathetically.
Junmyeon laughed, "I think you're just lazy, Sehun. You're pretty mature and clever."
Sehun sighed, "I guess you're right. Maybe I am not really focusing because I'm not actually interested."
Junmyeon rests his cheek on his fist while staring at Sehun, who was still frowning at the book. "The real question is how can you make art interesting enough to learn? "
Sehun shrugged, "I mean, why? What does it have to do with my life right now? Also, I get the artist, date and title, and why it was painted but I still keep getting half points."
"Well, you aren't explaining it enough then. Usually, art professors want specific answers. As for this question, you just have to be as specific as you can. One word- two-word answers aren't enough to explain artwork."
Sehun just rolled his eyes, "Alright, I'll work on that."
"Give it a try." Junmyeon finishes his beer and gets up with a warm smile. "Come up with the answers and I'll look it over and try to understand why you're not getting full points."
"Alright." Sehun went straight to work, highlight keywords that could possibly be the answer to the questions, and jotting down whatever he can explain about the painting in a proper order. He was mainly copying word for word of what's written in the textbook.
"I'll leave you to study a bit. I'll come back and check to see what you wrote. I don't want to be a distraction." He left the kitchen and disappeared into the hallway. Sehun thought either way with Junmyeon here, he would be fine studying. As long as he is getting help. For every answer, he searched his book, analyzing the formal structure and composition of the work that was missing. The basics of visual elements that he can talk about in each painting that was mentioned in the questions. There were some questions he gave up on, leaving them into a long run-on sentence that wasn't fully articulated. Even though he still felt he had more work to do, he was happier with himself that he is actually trying in this class finally. Maybe the class wouldn't suck so much if I actually paid attention to the lecture slideshows. But he couldn't help himself. It was so boring, it is so hard to keep his eyes opened.
A shower was heard in the back hallway that suddenly broke Sehun's conversation. He set his pencil down, using this as an excuse to take a break from keeping his face in the book for a while. It seemed like ten minutes passed, and he started to feel a cramp in his neck when he sat up straight. Sehun felt his gut flutter again. Something about Junmyeon taking a shower while he was still at his apartment made him feel uneasy. He suddenly remembered that dream he had of Junmyeon in his costume. A sweaty, panting Batman who was undressing and kissing all over Harley Quinn. He couldn't deny the fact anymore that he could possibly like him. He never felt himself become uncomfortable because of a simple lewd act. Sehun stretched his neck to see through the hallway and found a faint light glistening from underneath the door and steam from the hot shower. The bathroom door was cracked, which felt like that was an invitation for Sehun to curiously peek through. Discreetly, he gingerly rose out of his seat and walked slowly through the hallway. The closer he got to the door, the more warmth spread through his body and his heart pounding ferociously.
I shouldn't do this, he thought. Why am I doing this? What if I get caught? He thought of an excuse if Junmyeon suddenly opened the door, but couldn't find a logical one. The sounds of the shower were louder, and he felt the warm steam hit his face as he looked through the crack of the door. He suddenly forgot how to breath when he saw Junmyeon's pale, toned backside facing the door. He was just standing there, possibly staring at himself in the mirror.
Sehun felt his bottom lip trap between his teeth as he watched Junmyeon's sweaty back flex as he sighed. It was just as muscley as the drunken dream he had from the party. Sehun wasn't sure why he was just standing in front of his mirror and sink until he realized his hand was occupied with something else. Listening closely, he heard the sound of Junmyeon's flesh flapping and soft sighs behind the sounds of the water. A familiar itch grew in his pants from the sight of Junmyeon's arms vigorously moving, his head tilting back in pleasure as droplets of substance patted between his bare feet on the floor. Sehun's heart dropped in terror as he realized his own flesh was pointing out in his jeans. He swiftly but quietly went back into the kitchen, closing his book and throwing all of his stuff in his messenger bag.
Clumsily, when he tried to throw the book in his bag, it missed the opening and slid across the table, knocking off an empty beer bottle and shattered as it hit the floor. The noise of the book and the glass automatically petrified Sehun.
"Sehun!" Junmyeon yelled across the hallway, and Sehun hesitated if he should just run out of the place or answer.
"Yeah?" Sehun called back.
"What'd going on?"
"Accidentally knocked down a glass. Hey, Listen I have to go. Family emergency. I'll text you later okay!!" Sehun yelled out, and picked up his book, with a few small shards of the glass stabbing his fingertips.
"Ah, Okay then," Junmyeon replied. Sehun winced from the pain but didn't care about blood at the moment as he stuffed his bag and rushed out the door as if he was running from a serial killer.