"You trying to intimidate me?!" Jiyong raised his eyebrow, his eyes fierce. Seunghyun was glad he was not the one on the receiving end of that glare.

"I'm not 'trying'..." Chansung, the TA, chuckled and gave Jiyong a teasing wink as he stretched Jiyong's leg in a way no limb should ever be stretched. Seunghyun scrunched up his face in sympathy pain, not even able to imagine how much that must hurt, but Jiyong acted like it was nothing. He was impressed. And judging by the flicker of surprise that appeared in Chansung's eyes, he was too.

"What was all that about?" Seunghyun whispered as Jiyong limped back to the changing rooms.

Jiyong shrugged with feigned disinterest that lasted all of one second before his whole face lit up and he pulled him into a corner for more privacy.

"I'm tellin' ya, he's so totally into me." he grinned like a gossip girl who had just gotten hold of the most juicy gossip of the season.

"Who?" Seunghyun had no idea what they were talking about. Jiyong gave him a disapproving look for being so slow on the uptake.

"The TA?" he guessed, unconvinced.

"Obviously! Did you see that back there?" Jiyong said overly excited.

"When he nearly broke your leg, yeah, I sure saw that." he chuckled, pretty sure Jiyong was barking up the wrong tree.

They were heading for the shower when Chansung came in. Jiyong exaggerated his limp to a comic degree, whilst completely ignoring Chansung.

"Uh oh!" Chansung came running to him with his tail between his legs. "Oh no! Did I do that? Sit down!" he looked devastated as he pulled Jiyong to one of the benches and forcefully sat him down, not taking any heed of the fact that Jiyong was .

"I'm so sorry, sometimes I don't realize my own strength." Chansung grinned goofily. "Not to worry! I'll give you a massage! My massages have been known to work miracles." he declared proudly as he started assessing the damage with his hands, slowly working his way up from the calf. Jiyong gave Seunghyun a panicked look, painfully aware of how he was. Although it would have been fun to leave him in the lurch and see Chansung's reaction when Jiyong's true feelings were made abundantly clear in the most awkward and unmistakable way possible, clearly showing who was really into whom, Seunghyun threw him a towel, which he quickly used to cover up his most important bits before his secret was exposed.

“Let me buy you a coffee to make it up to you.” Chansung said sweetly, looking just like a remorseful puppy with his big, innocent, pleading eyes.

“Mmh... if you must... I guess...” Jiyong shrugged like he was unimpressed, but Seunghyun knew he was doing the happy dance on the inside. Huh, who knew. He really thought his gaydar was better than that. He would have never pegged Chansung as gay, never in a million years.

“You missed practice...” Youngbae said dryly, not at all happy. 'Good', Seunghyun thought. He deserved to be put through the wringer a bit after the way he had treated him. Or not treated him, really. Ignoring him as if he was some kind of non-being, a ghost, an angel fallen from grace, wandering the world alone, completely invisible. What a lonely existence. It was basically the reason he came out of the closet in the first place. He didn't like the feeling of being invisible, alone in the dark. He never wanted to feel like that again, yet Youngbae had come close to throwing him right back in there and closing the door shut.

“Yeah, sometimes you just need a night out.” Seunghyun shrugged like he didn't care. He was actually a bit proud of how well he was pulling this off, he really did have some talent in the acting department. It reminded him of his dream, of what it was he was fighting for. Youngbae was just a stepping stone on his way to paradise. It was like that moment on a hike where you got so tired you really didn't believe you could go any further, but pushing through, it was all worth it in the end when you got to see the magnificent view on the top of the mountain. He decided to treat this semester like that rough patch he just needed to overcome on his way to a better life. Who cared whether Youngbae greeted him in the hallways or not. He was not going to be in his life anyway. He was just a cameo in this movie called 'The life of Seunghyun'. He had just gotten too involved, he had lost sight of the important things, his goal.

“Did you drink?” Youngbae looked at him sternly. Annoyed that Youngbae was judging him when he hadn't even apologized for acting like a total jerk, Seunghyun just shrugged passive aggressively. He hadn't drunk a drop, but Youngbae didn't need to know that.

“You know our deal right.... I tutor you as long as you do as I say.” Youngbae stated firmly. He could see actual fumes starting to come out of Youngbae's ears.

“Right, master!” he theatrically took a bow, his nose almost touching the ground. Clenching his teeth, Youngbae started the practice.

“Ah! So to what do I owe this great fortune of not being kissed at all today, not even once.” Youngbae stretched out on the floor, soaking wet after a strenuous lesson. He smiled as if he couldn't believe his luck, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

“Just didn't feel like it.” Seunghyun said, just telling it like it was. This was all partly his fault too, for not being more careful not to fall for Youngbae's charms in the first place.

“Finished your kissing quota last night, did ya?” Youngbae snorted like he was joking, but there was a bite to it.

“What if I did?” he looked right back at him, hoping to freak him out with a visual of him kissing a bunch of guys, but Youngbae just nodded and started the stretching exercises.

“So... dating anyone special?” Youngbae asked, his voice strangely soft.

“You have a say in that, too?” he asked incredulously.

“Look...” Youngbae sighed, looking like he was going to say something to try and clear the air. Seunghyun wasn't in the mood for it. He wanted to hold on to his grudge a tiny bit longer, for it was the only thing keeping him from falling even deeper for this cute, little idiot.

“Nahh, not the dating type.” he cut him off.

“Oh, I bet.” Youngbae said, like it didn't come as a surprise.

“What's that supposed to mean?” he took a tiny bit of offense, even though he was not wrong.

“Just... eh...” Youngbae fumbled for words.

“I could be the perfect boyfriend if the right guy came along.” he said with fake confidence.

“Oh, reaaaally?” Youngbae chuckled. He did not look convinced.

“You don't believe me?” he tried to maintain a defiant posture, but all the feistiness had disappeared from the atmosphere. He wasn't pissed off anymore. His stupid, imbecile heart had forgiven him already, without so much as asking him if it was okay with him.

Youngbae shrugged, smirking. He was such a cutie. Cute as a button, except a button had nothing on him.

“I'll show you.” he exclaimed, sticking up for his pride.

“How?!” Youngbae laughed.

“I'll be your boyfriend for a week.” his gut twisted as the words left his lips, his lungs holding his breath hostage as they waited for a response.

“Hahh! ...already have a girlfriend and I'm not... you know...” Youngbae shook his head like he thought this was a ridiculous idea. In all fairness, it was.

“Gay. You can say it. It's not a bad word.” he chuckled softly.

“Gay.” Youngbae said resolutely.

“There you go!” he exclaimed excitedly, proud of him for actually stringing those three simple sounds together despite his disdain for what they represented.

“I bet I could get you to fall in love with me.” he added cockily, being temporarily possessed by some jokester demon, pushing the joke way too far for comfort.

“Hahh! I'd like to see you try!” Youngbae shook his head like the idea was so absurd, it didn't deserve a second thought.

“Your wish is my command!” Seunghyun announced dramatically, misunderstanding him on purpose.

“No... I didn't mean...” Youngbae's eyes grew two sizes, confusion taking over his face.

“I bet you my favorite thing in the whole wide world that I can get you to kiss me before the end of the semester.” Seunghyun said full of confidence, but greeted only by silence.

“What's your favorite thing, then?” Youngbae said after a few minutes, joining the deceased cat in surrendering to his curiosity.

“A-ah! No spoiling the surprise.” Seunghyun teasingly waved his finger back and forth, not able to hold back a big, fat grin. This was too much fun.

“Is it expensive?” Youngbae quietly asked, not able to let it go. He was like a fish on a hook, the bait had been swallowed.

“It's priceless.” Seunghyun said, very serious. He was not lying, it really was.

“Hmm....” Youngbae seemed like he was actually thinking this over. It couldn't be.

“Alright... since it's a sure win, why not.” he added decisively, a couple of giggles popping out.

“But it can't be an accidental kiss or some kiss you've staged. It doesn't count unless it comes from me, completely voluntarily.” he went on to clarify, clearly thinking he had this in the bag. Maybe because he probably did.

“Okay!” Seunghyun knew this was a bad idea, it was like playing with fire, but it was too late to back out now.

“What do you get if you win?” Youngbae asked, noticing that the bet was awfully one directional as of yet, not realizing that the kiss in itself was all the reward Seunghyun ever needed.

“Recognition outside these four walls.” Seunghyun demanded.

“Okay.” Youngbae nodded hesitantly. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he did look a bit guilty.