Title: Seconds

Words count: 758 words

5 minutes.

He can make it.

Daehyun took long swinging strides down the hallway. He can’t afford to be kicked out of psychology class for the third time. Professor Jung warned him during the last lesson that another consecutive mistake would reward him an F on his first half of semester assignment despite how well he’d done. Daehyun had his own reasons for being late and at the top most of that list was that  his previous class was quite a distance from the psychology department, followed by the fact that he does not possess any vehicle.

150 meters ahead along the same path Daehyun was heading, stood a pretty boy, cheerfully chatting with his friend. Hands in the pockets of his jacket, shifting his weight from one leg to another.

If Daehyun maintains the same velocity he was moving at, he’d be a second late to meet his fated destiny because in exactly 2 minutes, said destiny would turn to the opposite direction towards his own destination.

But destiny is still destiny.

Daehyun increased the speed of his strides and lengthened the gaps between his footsteps. He rushed with all his might, thoughts occupied with Professor Jung’s threat.

50 steps ahead, the pretty boy glanced at his watch, unaware of the upcoming event, the wonderful new chapter that life ventured for him.

15 seconds left.

He waved at his friend and said his final joke before they dismissed for the day. He looked ahead and an arm unconsciously reached out upon seeing a familiar student rushing down his path only to stumble over the uneven tile students had often complained about. It was Jung Daehyun.

Daehyun cursed under his breath as he felt his body losing control of his stability, unable to stop due to the inertia, only to speed up. He was going to fall in the most painful and embarrassing way ever.

Looking up ahead, he could make out the most beautiful person he had ever seen, reaching out as if waiting to catch him and he let himself fall into that embrace. He got his arms around the other boy, whilst feeling the foreign palm crawled up from his chest towards his right shoulder, fingers curled. They stayed that way for a few seconds.

Daehyun caught his breath he didn’t know he was holding. His mouth was slightly parted, wowed at the beauty right in front of him. He was really pretty, skin milky white with a touch of tinted red on his cheeks, matching the color of his pouty lips. Light brown doe eyes staring back into his own dark orbs.

Psychology class was long forgotten. Daehyun could reason with the professor, it’s his dad anyway. What matters then was the pretty boy with the longing expression on his face, fluttering his lashes as he hesitantly let go of Daehyun.

He bowed before turning the other way, waving at the blue haired boy who masked a teasing smile on his face. How long had he been there, Daehyun didn’t know.

Daehyun glanced at the blue haired boy who then wiggled his brows at him and tilted his head towards the pretty boy as if asking Daehyun to go after him.

And so Daehyun complied.

He mustered up his courage and hurried up to catch the other. He went out the exit and immediately set up his umbrella because it was raining lightly. He searched among the students for the angel that has caught his eyes minutes ago.

Youngjae looked up at the sky, thinking that if he’d left earlier he wouldn’t be drenching in tiny rain droplets but then he wouldn’t have caught Daehyun, the one person that occupied his thoughts mornings and nights.

An uninvited smile made its way to his face, and he could feel his cheeks heated up. Jung Daehyun held him, and everything about Daehyun’s expression said yes. He smiled, ignoring the rain that started pouring down crazily faster as seconds went by.

And as if the rain had stop following him, he felt a warm presence by his side. He looked up to the umbrella raised above him and down to the arm holding it.  He bit his lower lips before slowly glanced towards the boy who smiled bashfully, head lowered.

Daehyun finally turned his head towards the shorter boy.

“Hi.”

His insides felt ticklish as the other replied with a soft hello.

“Thanks for catching me, umm..?”

“Youngjae. My name is Youngjae.” Youngjae said, honey like voice Daehyun found addicting.

“Youngjae…”  He whispered to himself.