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It's almost time for graduation and Kibum has applied to a million schools and has gotten a million acceptance letters. That's what Donghae thinks, anyway, because he only applied to two schools, and the only reason he applied to that second one was because it was the only school Kibum was applying to that Donghae even had the slightest sliver of a chance of getting into.
Kibum's mom has been more stoic than ever the last few times the two have walked home together, and she's taken to glaring pointedly at Donghae, as if he is the cause of her son's recent "slacker" attitude. Which is probably pretty true, but it's still totally unfair to Donghae, he thinks sulkily.
His mother discovered his acceptance to The Slightly Better School (as Donghae has always referred to it) and now Donghae is going whether he likes it or not, in spite of his protests that the only reason he got such a high score on the admissions test was because he'd wanted to spend more time with Kibum so he'd lied and told Kibum that he wanted to study for the exam, and then Kibum had gotten really excited about it and had plagued him for weeks, forcing him to study at all hours of the day. It hadn't exactly been what Donghae had expected; in fact, what he'd really hoped for from the announcement was a quiet evening where he could make out with Kibum, but apparently Kibum is really really really thick and cannot pick up on when his best friend is trying to hit on him.
Not that Donghae is bitter or anything.
Donghae really doesn't want to go to The Slightly Better School alone. Besides, if Kibum goes to the same school he does, he has a much better chance of getting it through Kibum's thick head that he wants him. Thus, he's been trying for weeks to think of ways to keep Kibum from choosing a different school and the only plan he's thought of is stealing all of Kibum's acceptance letters except the one for The Slightly Better School. It's the only plan he's got and deadlines for deciding which college to go to are fast approaching, so he forces his way into Kibum's house (Kibum's mother is extremely angry but determined to still be polite; her face ends up looking like an angry glare and a pasted on smile), and then up to Kibum's room and then he demands that Kibum fix him a smoothie.
"A smoothie?" Kibum asks incredulously.
"Yeah, one with real fruit. Come on, it'll be awesome." Kibum crosses his arms and just stares at him. "Pretty please?" Donghae asks hopefully. Kibum sighs, throws his hands up in the air, and leaves the room muttering darkly. Donghae considers Operation Steal Kibum's Acceptance Letters a success. He takes a few other things as well and stuffs them in his bag because Kibum's mother will probably never allow him into the house again--the only reason he got in this time was through the element of surprise, but he's pretty sure she'll be watching out for him like a hawk now. So really, this is his only opportunity ever to take anything and that is just too much temptation. Besides, he's sure Kibum won't miss any of it.
Kibum comes back about five minutes later, two smoothies in hand, and Donghae exclaims, "Great! Strawberry! You rule, Kibum."
"Yeah, I'd better," Kibum says, his annoyance sounding a little fake and half-hearted. "Seriously, I don't know why I'm still friends with you. What have you ever done for me?"
"There is that whole being really good at keeping your secrets thing," Donghae says with a smirk.
Kibum has the decency to blush a little. "Yeah, there is that."
Two days later, Kibum corners him in the bathroom. "I can't believe my best friend is a kleptomaniac!" Kibum shouts, waving his hands in the air like a madman.
"I'm not a klepto," Donghae mutters defensively. After all, this is the first time he's stolen anything from Kibum. He can't believe Kibum noticed the missing items so quickly anyway, or that he figured out it was Donghae who took them and not a simple matter of "misplaced stuff." Then again, Kibum has always been pretty sharp, except for the whole not noticing Donghae wants him thing.
"Oh, yeah, because stealing all of my acceptance letters and also my favorite t-shirt and my teddy bear is so totally a normal expression of friendship." Donghae looks up at Kibum after a long silence, and he is standing with his arms crossed, looking extremely angry.
"I - Well I just - " Donghae tries to think of what to say, but it all just makes him sound more insane than if he were to let Kibum think he's a klepto. He's positive that he was totally justified in stealing almost all of Kibum's acceptance letters--after all, if he's going to be forced into more school and more learning then he might as well make it enjoyable by going to the same school Kibum is going to, and besides, he's sure Kibum will totally thank him later. It's the other stuff he took that will make him sound insane.
Since he was already in Kibum's room, he thought he might as well just take a shirt, something he could--well, okay, this is where Donghae gets a little creepy. Just something he could smell, you know, in case Kibum somehow managed to choose a different school even though Donghae had stolen almost all of his acceptance letters. Donghae had never seen Kibum wear the t-shirt before, so really, how was he supposed to know it was Kibum's favorite? Seriously. And the teddy bear he just took because he liked it. Donghae has always liked teddy bears, and since when did Kibum start liking teddy bears anyway? He was always making fun of Donghae for his collection of stuffed animals; how was Donghae supposed to know that this teddy bear was the one exception Kibum made?
Kibum clears his throat, and Donghae looks up at him, startled out of his inner ramblings. "You know," Kibum says, "I just saw the most interesting display of emotions on your face. Would you care to elaborate? It seems to promise an interesting explanation for why you were going through my room and stealing my belongings." His tone is menacing, but at this point, Donghae is past caring. He's been trying to get into Kibum's pants for months and months, or at least even to just have a little make out session, he's frustrated, been frustrated for months, and now Kibum is accusing him of being a kleptomaniac even though he hardly stole anything and--
Donghae kisses him. Kibum splutters, and shoves him off, wipes at his mouth. "What was that?"
Donghae shrugs. He's angry and slightly offended, but mostly just angry and frustrated and seeing red, and that's why instead of explaining things or brushing it off as a joke, he decides to be cruel (cruel, because he knows the answer to this, because Kibum totally told him all about how insecure this made him one night when the two of them were smashed but he just can't stop himself and--).
"Really, Kibum, I would have thought that you'd have had your first kiss by now. Aren't you a bit old to have never been kissed?"
Kibum punches him, and when Donghae comes to, he is nowhere in sight.
Donghae has a black eye. He has a black eye, who the hell knew Kibum could punch like that. However, punching Donghae did make Donghae realize something. He should probably be a bit more honest with Kibum, and then maybe he would get less black eyes and not be thought of as a kleptomaniac, which Kibum totally posted on his blog last night so now everyone at Neul Paran High is avoiding him like the plague. Great.
He finds Kibum in the library, and he supposes that Kibum is trying to hide from him, since the library is the last place Donghae would ever be found. (That is, of course, why Donghae looked there first.)
"I'm sorry," he says as Kibum notices his presence and tries to gather up his things to leave.
His words make Kibum pause, and look up at Donghae. He still looks angry. "What the hell was that for," he asks, though it isn't much of a question, more like an accusing statement with the underlying words: You're such a jerk. Donghae supposes he kind of deserves that.
And then it all comes out, the reasons he stole Kibum's things and how he's wanted to get into Kibum's pants since even before the Attack on the Pin-Up Boys thing and how he's really sorry but he still wants into Kibum's pants and--
The entire library is staring at him, and Kibum is blushing. "Okay," Kibum says simply, and that is that.
Donghae really wishes he would have known a year ago it would be this easy.