Jinyoung’s running late again for his morning class; mornings and gravity seemed to go always together. He drank too much water before he fell asleep; he woke up around five in the morning to pee, it was still too early to prepare for school so he went back to bed and thought of taking a nap. The next moment he opened his eyes, it was already eight fifteen, that means his class is about to start in fifteen minutes. Using all his willpower to reach his class on time or at least only ten minutes late, he ran and skipped his morning shower.  He could always take one after his first period since his next class would be after lunch.

Despite the soft pitter patter of the rain and his situation, Jinyoung couldn’t help but compliment himself for beating his last record of leaving the dorm late. The last time took him ten minutes to prepare and reach the bus stop, but this time, he managed to do it in seven minutes. Talking about breaking the record, Jinyoung felt proud. When the bus came, it was already crowded, but nothing is ever crowded for a late student.

As soon as he found a nice spot to settle, he noticed another boy looking at him. A very good looking boy who has an orange hair tousled perfectly messy, probably late for his class too. He kept staring at Jinyoung and the latter having a low tolerance for not giving s, he blushed and tried his hard to avoid eye-contact with the boy.  The good looking boy continued to smile as he noticed how pink Jinyoung is and when their stop came, the latter bolted out of the bus to run for his class.

“Park Jinyoung, you are late again.” The professor said as Jinyoung tried to walk in casually, pretending he wasn’t fifteen minutes late for her class, “One more time you come to this class late, I’m dropping you out.” She said, voice stern and the whole class  turned to look at him, most of them were giggling and whispering when he looked around.

“Is that the new style?”  She asked, pointing her manicured nail towards him. Judging with the way Jinyoung blinked and leaned his head backward; she knew he didn’t know what she was talking about. “Mr. Park, I’m asking if wearing your shirt inside out is a new style.” Jinyoung looked down on his multi-colored polo shirt and noticed that he was indeed wearing it inside out. He facepalmed when he remembered how the good looking boy wouldn’t stop looking at him earlier, it was because he looked stupid, and not because he thought Jinyoung was cute.

“Yes, to save your from further embarrassment, you can change it in the comfort room.” The professor then continued her roll call for attendance, Jinyoung also noticed how his friend, Jackson was laughing like a dying hyena beside his supposed seat. He left but not  after forgetting to give his friend a dirty finger.

“Here comes the fashionista!” Jackson immediately shouted once he spotted Jinyoung walking towards their table in the school canteen. Everyone turned to Jinyoung and gave their fair share of laughs while the others passed the reason why he is now called the fashionista. The latter had no choice but to walk faster towards their table and keep the little in a tight headlock.

Yugyeom and Youngjae were watching the two trying to kill each other, or rather Jinyoung trying to kill Jackson. But since Youngjae is such a warm and adorable dongsaeng, he gave in to his request to let Jackson live. He then made his way to sit beside him and coo at his favorite baby dongsaeng. “Hyuuuung, I’m only two years younger than youuu.” The younger whined with an adorable pout in his lips; he knew that acting cute in front of Jinyoung would only amplify the latter’s cooing at him. Youngjae liked it when his favorite hyung babies him.

Jinyoung was talking gibberish towards Youngjae while Jackson was faking a gag and Yugyeom was only laughing in the background. Yugyeom would have been Jinyoung’s second favorite dongsaeng but the not so little is Jackson’s spawn. Though he’s a cutie, he’s a meanie who makes fun of Jinyoung along with Jackson.

“Yo! JB! Wanna join my crew?” Jackson shouted again, calling the attention of everyone in the canteen even though he’s only trying to call one. It was normal for Jinyoung not to pay attention when Jackson calls people to join their 'crew', they aren’t permanent anyway and Jackson just has a lot of friends. He was still cooing and trying to feed Youngjae when a not so familiar guy sat in front of him beside Jackson.

“Uhg, don’t mind him. He’s our mother, that’s normal for him to coo at babies.” Jackson said as soon as he noticed JB looking weirdly at Jinyoung, but the latter wasn't paying attention. “I’m not a baby!” Youngjae shouted at him, but his pout and his facial expression says otherwise. “Aigooo! Of course, you’re my only baby! Come here!” Jinyoung said as if Youngjae wasn’t already leaning way too close at him. He pulled him for a hug as he rub the younger’s back, like a mother consoling an angry baby.

“By the way, this is Yugyeom,” Jackson pointed at the giant baby in front of him and the latter gave the new guy a smile, “He’s still a baby, but he likes to act like a man.” The younger slapped Jackson’s arm complaining for being called a baby, “This one is Youngjae, he’s older than Yugyeom, but he’s the baby.” Jinyoung knew Youngjae would complain so he placed his palm’s beside the younger’s ears and whispered something like, ‘don’t listen to that little , you’re an adorable baby and that’s all you need to hear’ “and that mother, is Jinyoung.” Finally hearing his name, he turned to the guy.

“Guys, this is Jaebum.” Jinyoung’s jaw fell down; of course it would be the super good looking guy he saw at his bus ride earlier. Of course, this moment, whatever it is, is not something impossible to happen, not when Jackson’s his friend. That little knows almost everyone in their school.

“I’m Im Jaebum, nice to meet you all.” The guy said smiling to everyone in the table, even at Jackson. Jinyoung’s blood suddenly evaporated and he looked like Jaebum dropped a nuclear bomb in front of him and he’s dying, turning into a powdered pitiful college student. Of course, of all people he could have a slight crush on; it has to be on Im ing Jaebum. Jinyoung may forgive, but he never forgets.

Jinyoung gathered all his belongings, carefully disentangling Youngjae from him, and he took his food. “Bye Youngjae.” He said, pinching the latter’s cheek softly before turning to leave without saying goodbye to the other people in the table, “Just because you’re a fashionista today it already gives you a right to be rude!” Jackson shouted again, for the nth time, calling all the students’ attention when Jinyoung left.

“Hyung? Don’t you have a class this afternoon?” Youngjae said, over the phone, fifteen minutes after Jinyoung’s class. Yes, he decided not to attend his class because he was so pissed off by the sudden appearance of Jaebum in his life. Jackson called him rude for leaving the table without saying goodbye, but if only he knew the real Im Jaebum, compared to what he did, it was nothing.

“I do.”

“Then why aren’t you at school right now? What happened?” If he could see Youngjae right now, he would have a big cute pout on his lips as he clings to him. That would have been a nice scene, but no, he’s not okay right now.

“Youngjae-ah, do you remember the story I told you about my childhood?”

“Which one, hyung?”

“The one with my neighbor?” As far as he could remember, the younger’s reaction with this story was good. The younger was mad and he felt sorry for him going as far as hugging Jinyoung for the rest of the day. Because his favorite hyung doesn’t deserve such unkindness, so to make up for it, he let Jinyoung baby him for the rest of their lives.

“Yes hyung?” the younger said in a worried tone, Jinyoung got this. He knows the younger will be on his side once he told him that the mean neighbor he had when he was younger was Jaebum. “It was Im Jaebum.” Jinyoung said, he heard the younger gasped. Of course, he would never forget how that Im ing Jaebum made so much fun of him when they were younger. Jaebum would have been a boyfriend material, if only he wasn’t so mean to Jinyoung.

Even at a very young age, Jinyoung had always been a little different from the other kids, specifically with boys. He doesn’t like playing outside under the heat of the sun while horribly sweating. He doesn’t like to run around and punch other kids. He doesn’t like being too loud when he talks to other kids. He doesn’t like fighting and shouting. He doesn’t like the idea of catching frogs and playing with them. In other words, he doesn’t like what usual boys like to do in his age.

But he likes smelling like a baby, nice and fruity. He likes sitting down with a book in between his hands and letting his mind do the running. He likes quietness and calmness. He likes whispers and gentleness. He likes the idea of catching thoughts and learning. In other words, no he doesn’t like what girls do, or it has nothing to do with him being effeminate, he’s just not your typical boy. And whether you care or not, he likes himself that way.

He doesn’t really care, but the other kids in his age seemed to see it as a big deal; especially his neighbor Im Jaebum. Oh, the horror of remembering all his memories with him. Jinyoung thought Jaebum was nice, on the first few weeks Jinyoung and his family moved in their village, Jaebum was all smiles at him. For example when he passes by their house and the older was playing in his front yard, he would wave and smile at Jinyoung. Or when Jinyoung looks over at his window and Jaebum is also in his room, looking at him and smiling. He was really cute in Jinyoung’s eyes; he also had a cute eye smile. It was like, Jaebum was his first crush.

There are actually few happy memories with that boy, but then one day while the other kids were picking on him for being ‘not boyish enough’ Jaebum came. The other kids stole Jinyoung’s hat and the latter was trying to get it from the rude kids, but Jaebum easily took it from them. Jinyoung remembered seeing hearts and rose petals as he watched the scene, but it quickly changed into tornados and hurricanes when Jaebum stood in front of him and said, “Kiss me first!” puckering his lips and hiding the hat on his back.

Let’s just say, Jinyoung broke his heart from his first crush. At first, Jinyoung managed not to cry in front of his crush; he tried to steal back his hat, but the older wouldn’t stop chanting “Kiss me first.” The other kids had already joined in and , he heard mean words like gay and gay and gay and gay. That was too much for his young heart; unknowingly he shed tears and fell onto his while hiding his face on his tiny hands. Through the cracks of his fingers, he saw Jaebum’s facial expression changed and gently handed him his hat. And as soon as he got his hat back he went back inside his house and pledge to never look at his former crush again.

For a whole month, Jinyoung managed not to show his face towards the older until the latter decided to finally put it into something permanent. No, it was not really Jaebum’s decision; it was his family’s decision to move away. Jinyoung heard from his mother that Jaebum’s family moved to Incheon for good. So, Jinyoung is not ready to face the other, even after all these years.

“Hyung, I’m sorry! Don’t worry; I will always be here for you.” Youngjae replied and Jinyoung couldn’t hide his excitement with his favorite dongsaeng’s words. “I will visit you in your dorm later, I’ll bring food. Don’t be sad anymore, okay?” Jinyoung managed to say yes over all his fanboying over Youngjae.

Jinyoung couldn’t believe that he’s nostalgic over what happened to him thirteen years ago. He’s hiding again from the same boy, avoiding all possible meetings and confrontation. He’s praying so hard that Jaebum doesn’t remember him because he’s not ready for another series of embarrassment. But at least, last week was still a nice week because Youngjae was really keeping his promise to be there for him.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jinyoung almost jumped from where he was standing when Jackson pulled him towards the bleachers. “Are you hiding from someone? Did you do something stupid?”  Jinyoung quickly slapped his friend’s bare arm, he thought it wasn’t allowed to wear sleeveless clothes in the school, but that wasn’t the point.

“I’m not and I did not!” Jackson slapped his arm too as he rubbed his own arm.

“Either way if someone tries to hurt you, just tell me.” Jinyoung doesn’t need to know the reason why, they may not look like it, but they are actually the best of friends. Youngjae is his baby, Yugyeom is his mean baby, and Jackson is the next door uncle who is his best friend. He faked touched face and held his chest whilst making a sound like “ahhhwwww!” Jackson only gave him a stone reaction, but it did not last long, though, because, of course, nothing is ever serious whenever they are together (except their friendship).

“Meet me later at the coffee shop few blocks away from the school; you know what I’m talking about right?” Jinyoung knew Jackson hated that coffee shop; he never failed to trash-talk that shop whenever they pass by. So he gave him an incredulous look, before asking why.

“Don’t ask.” Jackson replied, placing his index finger over Jinyoung’s lips which were placed a little off as the tip of his fingers went inside Jinyoung’s nose. “Just go, okay?” Jackson, being the real he is, he pushed his finger deeper inside the nose and wiped it off Jinyoung’s face before running away.

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