[A/N] Just want to make it clear, but you might’ve thought of it already: the boys are in an arts college.

It was a late Saturday afternoon. Chansung sat cross-legged under a shady tree, it’s long, leafy branches stretched at least two meters outwards in every directions. His black backpack sat resting against the tree trunk by his side. He was on the south side of campus, where the ground was carpeted with soft, lush green grass. A few stone benches littered left and right, the footpaths lined with large round pebbles. In his hands held a black-and-white Olympus digital camera, the zoom lens fitted in place. He was scanning the campus grounds, which, at that particular time, was uncharacteristically crowded due to a mini performance of street hip-hop.

It was the dance club’s exhibition – something that the club does often. Chansung held his camera up and began snapping shots around him, the students, the dancers, the setups, everything. He took pictures of the onlookers cheering for the dancing group, he took a few snaps of the azure sky overhead, clouds like floating cotton candy, he also took few more on the main attraction, the dancers. In his continuous shots, he managed to capture the dancers in midair, doing backflips, in the midst of jumping down from the second layer of a pyramid, cartwheels.

Chansung did not let his camera linger long on the performers. Instead, looking at the crowd through his camera screen, he intuitively brought the lens to focus on a certain charcoal-haired boy, who was one of the cheering audiences. The said boy had is back facing Chansung, enthusiastically applauding for the dancers. Chansung did not mind; he continually took pictures from behind, using his camera to absorb the attractive back view of the fair-skinned boy.

As though sensing the observing eyes of Chansung’s camera, the said boy turned around; he appeared to be whipping around in slow motion through the camera screen. The said boy was grinning spiritedly thanks to the blaring rock music in the background. He started approaching Chansung, the entire movement constantly being captured in his camera.

Chansung put his camera down as the smiling boy arrived, standing just few small steps before him. His soft eyes fixed on the said boy’s face as he crouched down to Chansung’s level.

“What? Taking pictures of me?” the charcoal-haired boy smirked.

“You’re pretty photogenic, Juneo” Chansung commented as he started looking through his latest snaps, adding, “And cute.”

“Channie, you’re missing the fun sitting here,” Junho whined, taking Chansung’s wrist and standing up, expecting him to do the same. However, Chansung did not budge; he let his arm stretch upwards as Junho tugged. “Up now, Chan. Wooyoungie’s about to perform,” Junho demanded, his hands now on his hips.

Laughing heartily at Junho’s forced command, Chansung rose to his feet as he slung his bag onto his shoulder, the camera in his free hand. Junho then eagerly grabbed his hand and started leading him towards where the audience had gathered. They squeezed past the crowd and found a place around the front lines directly in front of the group of dancers.

Wooyoung stood in position in the center of the group comprised of four other members, waiting for the music to start. He was clad in a black graphic t-shirt, tight jeans ripped at the knees, red high-top sneakers and a white hoodie tied around his waist. His dark blue snapback sat sideways on his head, revealing a full view of his dark bangs that covered his forehead.

Chansung began his snapshot frenzy right before the get-go, just as Wooyoung sprang into action with the energetic music. Beside him, Junho, like the other students, was pumping his open hands in the air along the beat, thoroughly living the dynamic atmosphere. Chansung smiled behind his large digital camera; he was having fun all right, with Junho enjoying himself right beside him like that.

***

 “Youngie’s the best!” Junho cheered loudly as he slipped his arms around Wooyoung’s neck from behind, nearly choking the latter.

Wooyoung was on one knee in a corner where the performance had taken place, with his back facing the crowd; hence, he did not notice Junho and Chansung approaching him. He was wiping his sweat while drinking water when Junho leaped onto him.

“Yah!” Wooyoung exclaimed after abruptly swallowing a mouthful of water. “Can’t you at least praise me without making me jump out of my skin?”

Both Chansung and Junho laughed. Junho’s arms shifted from around Wooyoung’s neck to around his stomach in a back-hug as Wooyoung stood up.

“A’ight I’m going back to the dorm first,” Wooyoung said as he stuffed his towel and water bottle into his bag.

Junho pulled back from behind Wooyoung, “You’re not coming with us? Channie and I are going out for a walk.”

“Do you really want me to be bothering your date?” Wooyoung teased with a mischievous grin, successfully causing the charcoal-haired boy to blush. “Enjoy yourselves!” Wooyoung started his lone stroll back to the dorm building, but not before ruffling Junho’s hair and giving Chansung a playful punch on his forearm before going.

Chansung reached out to hold Junho’s hand and started heading out of the campus grounds into the street. Standing by the main gate of their college, Chansung looked around, deciding which way to go. To their right, adjacent to their college stand three lines of stores, of which one was Snow Spoon. Opposite to those shops lies the street food alley that Chansung and Wooyoung had visited a few days ago. In front of their college are several skyscrapers lining side by side down the road. Further down, to their left, indirectly leads to a stretch of grass slope that overlooks Han River. That was where the couple headed.

They walked in comfortable silence. Junho stuck to Chansung’s side timidly and kept his eyes on the ground a short distance in front, too shy to keep his head up. Upon this sight, Chansung smiled to himself and efficiently snapped a picture of Junho from the side. The click of the camera caught Junho’s attention and he looked up at Chansung, puffing up his cheeks and scrunching up his eyebrows in mock disapproval.

When they reached their destination, the couple sat down on the soft grass under the soothing breeze of the warm late afternoon. A few tens of meters before them, the waters of Han River glimmered spectacularly under the orange sun as small waves splashed. No one else was around that area, granting the couple some peace and quiet.

Junho closed his eyes and leaned against Chansung as the latter proceeded to take snapshots of the landscape surrounding them.

“Channie, why are you taking so many pictures?” Junho asked him in a sleepy tone, his eyes still closed.

“Because I like to keep things in a photograph, I guess?” Chansung replied, finally placing his camera back into his bag. He then lifted Junho’s shoulder off him and lied down, motioning the latter to do the same.

Instead of lying on his back like Chansung, Junho propped himself on his elbows so that he was facing his boyfriend. He reached out and caressed Chansung’s dark brown hair lovingly. There was this longing gleam and the slightest hint of downcast in his eyes that made Chansung ask, smirking,

“You wanna kiss me, don’t you?”

Junho immediately denied, looking away from Chansung, “I-it’s embarrassing…”

Out of the blue, a rumble sounded in the distant sky overhead, causing the charcoal-haired boy to flinch. He was clinging onto Chansung’s arm the very next second, his face buried into the latter’s neck in an attempt to escape his fear.

“Looks like I won’t be able to kiss you now,” Chansung remarked as another growl erupted in the sky. “It’s okay, Juneo, let’s go back now.” Chansung ruffled Junho’s hair to calm him down as he helped the latter to sit up.

The wind intensified as Chansung hauled his bag onto his shoulder and began leading Junho back towards their campus. Neither of them had thought of bringing an umbrella along so their only option was to return quickly, owing to the fact that there are no usable shelters along their way back from Han River to their college.

Unfortunately, rain started drizzling upon them just as they rounded the last corner a few meters from their campus main gate. They picked up their pace, Junho being thankful for the absence of more thunderclaps and that Chansung was by his side, tightly and protectively holding his hand.

By the time they reached the dorm building, they were drenched from head to toe, glad to have reached shelter. They made their way to their dorm only to find Wooyoung standing at the doorway upon opening the door. The oldest among the three boys draped towels on the younger boys’ heads and he started ushering them into the warmed up living room, taking Chansung’s bag from his shoulder in the process.

“Dry yourselves up quickly before you catch a cold, sheesh,” Wooyoung demanded as he headed towards the younger boys’ rooms to fetch some fresh clothes for them.

***

A while later, Wooyoung was sitting cross-legged on Chansung’s bed right beside the maknae, who was now washed up and refreshed, and both had their attention on the screen of Chansung’s camera. Outside, the heavy downpour crashed viciously against the window due to the strong winds.

Chansung was in the middle of showing Wooyoung the pictures of the latter dancing taken that afternoon when the door swung wide open and a wet haired Junho darted to his side. The small boy had bolted from the bathroom straight to Chansung’s room the minute he had dressed, very much frightened of the thunderstorm. Junho snuggled closely against Chansung’s side, his hair wetting the latter’s shirt as he did so. Smiling understandingly, Chansung took Junho’s towel from him and started drying his boyfriend’s hair while comforting him.

A sudden chain of thunderclaps sounded and Junho whimpered, his arms around the maknae’s torso tightened as he squeezed his eyes shut, shuddering.

“Yah, am I invisible or what?” Wooyoung complained childishly, the roaring downpour slightly drowning his voice.

Chansung merely chuckled in response, “Sorry, hyung, I need to take care of this baby.”

Grinning at how cheesy the maknae was, Wooyoung shook his head and sighed, “I’m going back to my room.” He left Chansung, who was now gently Junho’s hair while pecking his forehead.

Wooyoung hugged himself as he walked to his room. The booms of the thunder continued, like thousands of drums being beaten simultaneously. The rain was beating down ever so mercilessly, so heavy that one might get flattened when standing under the downpour. Wooyoung shivered as he entered his room and climbed into his bed; not because of the coldness in the air, but because he too was afraid of thunderstorms. He did not show it, though; he never liked showing his vulnerability, regardless of anyone.

Wooyoung curled up in his bed, facing the wall. He flinched when a thunder sounded; it felt as if it had been right above the dorm building. He squeezed his eyes shut, and a blurry name swam into the murky blackness behind his eyelids. He tried to grasp it; the name was right on the tip of his tongue.

Before he could realize, Wooyoung pleaded to the wall, “Khun-hyung… I… I’m scared…”

[A/N] Honestly, I feel so cliché now :c In the middle, it may have seemed like Chan was ‘neglecting’ Junho when he was taking pictures but it wasn’t intended… T^T and now I have to start pondering over Chapter 12 ㅋㅋㅋ Readers-san, is there anything you’d like me to add, change or improvise? Thank you all for your support~! ^^

P.S. This chapter serves as a "link" for the development of KhunWoo. Plus, I actually wanted to write a chapter focusing on Channuneo so I did this ><