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Jeonghan looked at Seunghee who had a very surprised expression.

"Oppa! What are you doing here? How did you find this place?"

She went over them. Jeonghan stood right up, allowing Sehun to relax. Sehun then fixed his clothing that was a bit wrinkled by Jeonghan.

"I was at the plaza earlier and I saw you with this suspicious guy. So I followed you secretly behind. I don't quite trust this guy,"Sehun said.

"Oppa, this is just so unexpected," Seunghee uttered.

"I’m in no way suspicious or whatever you’re accusing of me. What are you a detective or something?" Jeonghan said.

Sehun gave him a death stare. Seunghee just laughed a bit, it was the first time she heard Jeonghan be snarky. He didn't like the guy as much and vice versa. But she happily welcomed her cousin.

"Well, Sehun oppa, let me introduce to you my one and only loving boyfriend, Jeonghan. Jeonghan, this is the cousin I was just talking about, Sehun oppa."

"You already told him about me? What a waste. I wanted to brag about myself," Sehun muttered.

"Well, too bad. I already know. You're an egomaniac aren't you?" Jeonghan dissed.

"Jeonghan, stop it..." Seunghee tried to stop him.

"Well, I have myself to boast about obviously. Can't you see the difference? You want to try me out? Why don't we just settle this with a dance battle?" Sehun provoked.

"Well I won't let that pass. When do you..." Jeonghan was saying but Seughee cut him off.

"No!!! You guys, stop! Stop it!"

The tension was building up and it was only their first meeting. Seunghee had to stand between them by then. They were both so fired up staring sharply at each other.

"Stop it okay? You'll be staying here oppa so you better make up now. Don't make a bigger deal out of this."

"What?? I didn't say yes yet Seunghee," Jeonghan groused.

"Please..."

She was begging for him, with her hands together before her face and her lips formed a sheepish smile. If only Sehun was not there, he could have kissed her that instant. She was cunningly cute. She almost got him to say yes. But she forbade him to kiss her again that day, he remembered.

"Please... Please..."

But if that was not enough, she grabbed his arm and snuggled by it. Jeonghan just stared at her confused. She would do this just to let this cousin of hers stay with me? But he was giving in, he never really was good at dealing with her. But just before he could say a word, Sehun pulled Seunghee away from him and put her beside him, with his arm around her shoulders.

"I won't let this bastard take advantage of you this way, my dear cousin," Sehun said.

"What?" Jeonghan uttered.

"Oppa..."

Seunghee wanted to go back to him but he held her still.

"You're not meeting this guy here, in his condo unit as long as I’m around. Come on Seunghee, let's go," Sehun commanded.

"What? Wait, oppa! Jeonghan!"

Sehun was dragging her away. Jeonghan was getting mad. How could he keep her away from him just like that? He had no choice.

"Jeonghan!"

"Alright! He can stay. For the time being."

Sehun stopped his tracks and Seunghee fled from his grasp. She went back to Jeonghan's side in an instant the same way Sehun turned around to look at them. Both of them were gazing at him fiercely but he smiled lopsidedly.

"So where’s my room?"

Jeonghan could not believe how arrogant this guy was. He mentally beat the life out of him that moment. While Seunghee was just smiling sneakily by his side. She knew this cousin was going to be a pain. But she liked him nonetheless. She looked forward as to how Jeonghan would spend his time dealing with him. She was her favorite cousin alright. Sehun was staring at them. He was formulating plans in his mind. No one messes with him and his favorite cousin.

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Sehun settled on the living room for the mean time. His luggage was all over the place. He had quite a lot of belongings. Seunghee was helping him unpack as Jeonghan strongly refused to help though. Seeing his place all rowdy and getting untidy annoyed him further. If his personality was not enough, just his presence infuriated him more.

"Oppa... for how long will you be staying here?" Seunghee asked.

"For as long as it takes me to keep you away from that guy," Sehun answered.

"You can try," Jeonghan interjects.

"Jeonghan… Oppa, I’m serious here," Seunghee muttered.

"I’m serious too. Well, give me two weeks and I’ll be out of here and he’s out of your life too," Sehun said.

"Good luck," Jeonghan uttered.

"I’ll talk to you later oppa. I really have to go now. And please be kind to Jeonghan," Seunghee bade.

She went over Jeonghan then kissing him on the cheek.

"Please be patient with him."

"I will. I’ll take you home."

"No, I’ll be alright. See you tomorrow."

Seunghee went out of the condo by then.

Sehun and Jeonghan were in silent war with each other. If not for Seunghee, I will never let you stay here, Jeonghan thought. But he had to deal with it. She was her cousin, he just couldn’t comprehend why he was so against him from the start and why he did not equally like him.

Sehun on the hand was thinking about things to tear them apart. He really hated Jeonghan’s guts. Seunghee was a precious cousin to him. He would not let just any guy be her partner. He was far worse than her father, he was an overly protective cousin to her ever since they were young. It all came down to their childhood, as he recalled.

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Sehun's past

His mother left him to be with another man when he was young. He was always alone, he became a very aloof child since then. He would not talk to others aside from his father who was often away due to business travels. And during those times, he would be left in the care of Seunghee’s parents. He would stay in their house for a few days till his father came back. At four years old, he would simply stay at a corner of the house playing with his own toys. He would see Seunghee playing with her own toys too somewhere far away from him. And not minding her, he would be lost in his own world. Until she appeared before him one of those days, in her red dress, cutely smiling at him and asking, Can I play with you? We can share toys if you want. He would usually disregard her. He would usually just ignore her and let her play there near him but still not giving a care at all. Until she told him one day, Hey, Sehun oppa, my mother told me to look after you. She said you’re sad because your mother is not here anymore. I’ll be sad too if mommy is not here for me. But don’t be sad anymore. I’m here now, I’ll look after you and make you smile every day. I’ll make you happy! So let’s play! She said those words with a really bright smile on her face. He did not know how, but Sehun was enlightened. He finally found someone who would stay by his side and promised to make him happy. In his little mind, that moment made a very strong impact on him. She was the girl who lifted his spirits and made him into the person he is now. She was the one who made him forget about the mother who left him. And she was the only cousin he would never trade for anyone else.

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But he found her with this despicable guy near him. The second he saw him, it made him exasperated. His favorite cousin was together with this common human he was not even aware of. If he was someone who stood close to him, he would not object. But he was a mere student, not even popular or someone he had heard of. So he would not yield. Seunghee deserved someone more than this type of guy. He was determined to take him out of her life. He would do it.

"Feel at home Sehun-shi," Jeonghan said

Jeonghan left him on his own. He won’t waste his time arguing with him to his delight.

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The next day, Seunghee and Jeonghan talked about Sehun early before class. They were sitting at the gym bleachers together as fellow students were preparing for the day’s rehearsals.

"How’s Sehun oppa last night?"

"I don’t know, we did not talk at all. I left him alone at the living room and when I woke up, he was not there. I really don’t think it will work Seunghee."

"It doesn’t have to work between the two of you. He said he’s leaving after two weeks right? Don’t worry, if he said it, he’ll do it."

"So he’ll really try to break us apart."

"Well… that I do not know. But don’t worry, he can only do so much. He can’t break us right?"

"Yeah, not in a million years."

They held hands and smiled at each other.

"But you know, Sehun oppa’s really clever. I wonder what kind of tactics he will do against us."

"What? Are you serious?"

"I am. He’ll really plan things against you. Cuz you know, when we were little, he bullied a kid for months just because that kid made fun of me and my dress at an event. I was really upset and that made me cry so much. So the whole night, he thought of things to make that kid as upset as I was. He did make the kid cry the next day, but he did not stop with just that, he bullied him for the rest of the year."

"Wasn’t Kevin-sunbaenim with you too?"

"Well actually, it was Kevin-oppa."

"Really now…"

"Kevin-oppa and I did not start in good terms then. It was really Sehun-oppa who was there in my early childhood days. But he relocated with his dad by the time he was seven. That time, I became close to Kevin-oppa after he left."

"Isn’t sunbaenim older than him?"

"Yeah, he’s three years older than him. But he could not do anything about his mischievousness. When it came to me, Sehun-oppa had always been overprotective. We are really close even though we only meet each other once every six months since then."

"You really have a lot of guys caring for you. I’m a bit jealous."

"What are you talking about? You are next to dad for me. Sehun-oppa only comes after you, then Kevin-oppa."

"Except for sunbaenim, I’m glad they’re both your relatives."

"Don’t even think about it. I won’t trade you for anyone else."

She cuddled over his arm and Jeonghan beamed at her.

"And I will not let anyone come in between us."

"I won’t too."

But what is this that Jeonghan was feeling? Am I intimidated? He thought. But he looked at Seunghee who was gladly snuggling beside him. She will not be swayed, he was sure. But what was her egocentric cousin capable of doing? He will not hurt her but she will be the one to bite the bullet at the end of it all. He was concerned.

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To be continued…