"He's so cute."

"How can his back look so cute, I mean who can do that?"

Minghao normally appreciated compliments. He took whatever he can get, be it on how snappy and stylish he dresses or how he styles his hair, parting his bangs the right way (was there a wrong way to part hair? That was one of the weirdest compliments he received but, somehow still a compliment). Or something as simple as a genuine "you look nice" was always well-received and returned with a smile. It was all about people getting out of their way to express appreciation to Minghao's silent efforts at being presentable. Of course that only applied to people who actually tells him what they think.

And not to people who only thinks it.

Kept compliments shouldn't be creepy to anyone. But Minghao wasn't anyone and it certainly was creepy for someone like him who hears random projected voices inside his head picked up from somewhere within range.

Yes. Xu Minghao can read minds. But it wasn't as cool as it sounds, believe him. Would've been better if it was as easy and as cool as how those vampire movies made it seem. Unfortunately, those are just plain movie propaganda and there's nothing cool about picking up thoughts of holding in pee nor knowing someone out there forgot to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and not caring about it at all. Yeah. Not cool at all.

However, Minghao never saw his telepathic abilities as a blessing nor a curse. It was always somewhere between the two, that gray area where somehow pros and cons of such ability manage to balance themselves out throughout the time. Some circumstances refuse to be classified under one category so they automatically belong to this gray area. Not unfortunate enough to be called a curse nor too advantageous enough to be a blessing. At least, that was the case as Minghao grows up.

One of the cons of it, however, was its random frequency pick-up. (Or pro? Not too sure. See? Gray area). It's more like a short-ranged radio where frequencies closest to the machine were automatically projected right to his brain. He could shut it off completely for a few moments or for a certain period of time but that also requires focus and it didn't help that he's in his college and concentrating on a dull lecture was already difficult enough as it is. Instead, Minghao remedies this by focusing on a particular frequency of thought (that sounds cool so he calls stray head voices that), and maximizing his focus on it that it tunes out the rest of the picked-up frequencies. Pretty much like how every radio works. If he wanted, he can also tune out his boring professor droning on and on about quantum physics which wasn't any bit as interesting as a string of compliments on how his back looked cute today.

Speaking of the devil.

"Minghao is cute name too. Bless."

Minghao was worried about this person's mental health because those thoughts were ringing for almost half an hour now. Is Minghao all this person thinks about? Welp, Minghao can't actually blame the guy. Minghao was probably a better pick over quantum physics nonsense. 

In all fairness, before things got too creepy for him, Minghao actually found it cute.

As soon as he found out physics wasn't gonna help him land a job as a designer, he began tuning his prof out and looking for a frequency worthy of his time. Hopefully he had left all those gross people who don't wash their hands after potty outside his range. As he was scanning around for an interesting frequency to tune in, he caught a familiar voice in a faint static. He maximized the interesting train of thought when he heard the words, "Gucci king."

". . . gucci king. He was cute too, Jungkook's boyfriend. But Chinese boy is way cuter. Minghao. That's his name right? Xu Minghao."

Minghao came for the word Gucci. He hadn't expected to hear someone thinking about him being way cuter than the Gucci king, whoever that is. He subtly glanced around as if bored of looking ahead, and his eyes landed on the direction where the frequency was the strongest.

On Kim Mingyu's seat.

His gaze lingered for a heartbeat or two, and the voice in his head was already going haywire in a string of profanities and an awful lot of bullocks.

"OH OH HE'S LOOKING AT ME. ACT NATURAL."

What was amusing is that Minghao knew it was Mingyu's voice freaking out inside his head and yet all he saw in his face was a dead calm expression as he looked ahead, looking almost as if their prof was nuisance in front and now he's asking himself why he tolerated him. 

Minghao held back the urge to smirk and turned back instead.

A mental sigh of relief echoed in his head and for a moment, it was almost cute to Minghao. Until, that is, the weird thoughts started.

"Should I ask him out? I should ask him out. I probably should. Look at that back."

Okay, but what is it with Kim Mingyu and his back? Sure, Mingyu. You can hit if off with my back for all I care, don't mind me. 

Kim Mingyu . . . he didn't really know Kim Mingyu that much. He knew he was outstanding in almost everything. Had him in a couple of his seminars, a few of the classes he didn't really cared enough to be attend to often. From afar, Minghao had "witnessed" quite a few of his endeavors over the course of two years of college because he was pretty popular in their department by rumor. But who knows what ridiculous exaggerated things already sprouted from those. He heard he can cook well, can clean well and can dance and rap well. Okay, so he's a multi-talented housewife. Yup, got it. He's heard of things like he can solve a Rubik's Cube in under ten seconds and that he's secretly some idol's off-cam boyfriend. Those were just the less ridiculous stuff that goes around the area. Next thing he'll hear, he'll probably be Spider-Man in disguise, or that he saved a hundred rhinos from poaching in Africa. Yeah, rumors were the worst in their school. 

Other than that, they pretty much stayed clear of each other's radar until now. Now, Mingyu's everything in Minghao's radar.

". . . need to talk to him after this. I did brush my teeth, right? Or did I forget . . . !"

All those amazing things he's heard about the guy and he turned out to be an actual dork. 

As the period progressed, the more these thoughts turned unbearable. Tuning into Mingyu's frequency would be a good idea if only Minghao was a bit more narcissistic, but he wasn't and the cute impression had withered long after the first twenty minutes of hearing how much he looked good in a denim vest. Minghao had personally thought he looked like of slumpy today. Obviously Mingyu had opposite thoughts, which made Minghao wonder just how much Mingyu is smitten for him. The thought sunk in deep for the first time, giving Minghao a mild case of cheek warming. 

A pro: thank God, this thing was one-way. Or else it would be embarrassing having Mingyu hear him curse or clear his throat mentally and awkwardly. When the bell rang, Minghao's head was filled with once again a flurry of profanities as Mingyu panicked. 

"OH !"

"CRAP! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

"COME ON MINGYU! You don't want to disappoint your mom! Man up!"

"I should've bought mints."

"Seokmin is gonna have my balls if I don't ask him out now. He did gave me a pick-up line."

"What was it again?"

"'Hey, are you Xu Minghao? Good. I got the right person to Xu (Show) Ming (Me) Hao (how) to love."

What. 

Minghao held his reddening face and sunk into his palm in utter shame. Apparently nobody dies from secondhand embarrassment, but he absolutely felt like his very life was slipping from his very fingers after that sad, sad, sad pick-up line it almost physically hurts. 

There's no freaking way Minghao's actually hearing that with his own ears.

Mid-thoughts, Minghao stood up from his seat and sauntered over to Mingyu's direction to get this over with. Mingyu, that impressive dork, still had his face sculpted just how Minghao saw him awhile ago; a dead calm face and bored eyes. How he managed to maintain his cool despite in stark contrast with his screaming, hormonal-teenage-girl panicking, inner self, Minghao had absolutely no clue but kudos to him. Sadly, Minghao had easily saw (or heard) through the suave front. And he's never letting Mingyu enunciate that sad pick-up line. Ever.

"Hey," Minghao greeted, determination winning over greeting jitters. "I'm Xu Minghao."

Mingyu managed to look surprised, but not enough to hide that hint of rise in the corner of his mouth. "Hello, Minghao."

"HE'S!! TALKING!! TO ME!! KILL ME!"

"Oh wait no, not yet, talk to me more."

Dork.

"Did you take notes? I kind of tuned out awhile ago. I was wondering if you happen to be a lot more attentive than I am today," Minghao grinned. 

"OH HE'S SMILING, I FEEL FAINT. I FEEL VERY FAINT."

"Uh . . ."

"Oh crap I don't have anything to give him! Who the hell cares about quantum physics? Well, Mingyu apparently, your Minghao does 'cause he's literally asking your for notes now. YOU'RE GONNA SCREW THIS UP!"

"Actually . . . I-I have a book at home so I didn't jot anything down," Mingyu smiled. "I-I do know a lot about it so . . ."

"Yeah, that's it. That's it. Good going Mingyu."

Minghao suppressed the urge to double over and laugh over all this. Well, actually he's tempted to do that and pinch Mingyu's cheeks as hard as he can because this was just absolutely priceless.

"Really," Minghao managed to sound disappointed and turned halfway around, ready to leave. "I see. Uh, okay. Thanks, anyways."

"No don't let him leave! Tell him the pick-up line!"

"Um, actually," Minghao turned right back as soon as he heard. "I'd love to borrow your book. If that's cool."

Mingyu's face lightened up and he wasn't even bothered to hide it. "Yeah sure! Sure! I'll bring it tomorrow."

"We don't have physics tomorrow."

"Right . . . um, how about, I give it to you over coffee?"

That is so much better than telling me that pick-up line, Mingyu. Minghao smiled. "That's great Mingyu."

The dork smiled wider, nodding enthusiastically like a hyped puppy. "Great, great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Great! Cool. Tomorrow maybe I can," Minghao gestured before he can stop himself. "Xu (Show) Gyu (you) Hao (how) to love."

He his heel and walked away as fast as he can biting his lip and mentally hitting himself, Mingyu's last thoughts radiating in his head as he faded out of his range.

"WHAT."

Yeah Minghao, WHAT THE HELL. 

This ability had its pros and cons. One con, however, was letting Minghao recyle such a sad pick-up line and turn it into something even sadder. Welp, at least this will be a good laugh to share with Mingyu into the near future hopefully not as strangers nor acquaintances. Hopefully something more intimate than two people who share an embarrassing and painful pick-up line as a remains of a once blossoming romance. But after that pathetic display of idiocy, Minghao wasn't so sure anymore.

Hopefully his back will still radiate that same otherworldly iness enough to keep Mingyu interested.