Lee SungJong had a problem. Or at least he thought it was a problem. He had just recently discovered his feelings for his roommate. The ever so popular Kim MyungSoo, how many times had SungJong not experienced girls glaring at him, because he walked beside MyungSoo? When MyungSoo noticed he would stare at them before putting his arm around SungJong’s waist, that’s when SungJong feels the stabs of eyes from behind. Even though MyungSoo tried to help, his tendency to skin ship only made SungJong even more unpopular with the female part of campus.

MyungSoo didn’t really say much the first couple of weeks; he smirked when SungJong began pouting and cutely whined hyuuung. But that was almost the only reaction SungJong got from him though, over time he began opening. SungJong found out how wonderful the sound of his laugh was and how handsome he looked when he really smiled and not just the smirk SungJong was used to getting. Eventually they became close friends.

“Hey are you alright SungJongie? You’ve been awfully quiet today” SungJong lets a sigh escape his lips as he looks up at his friend. “It’s nothing noona, don’t worry about me.” His friend looks at him with skeptic eyes.
“Yeah, sure. It’s nothing. That’s why you’ve been moping all day.” She gives him a compassionate look before sitting down beside him. “You know you can talk about anything with me.” He sighs again and turns his head away from her. “Is this about MyungSoo?” The question is so sudden to SungJong that he chokes on air and start coughing violently. He waves his hand in front of her head, as if denying it.
“Wha*cough*t made you *cough* possibly *cough* get that thought” He looked at her with eyes full of tears from the coughing. “Well, you’re not exactly doing a good job of hiding that blissful sigh that you let out every time he comes near.” He starts panicking because what if MyungSoo noticed too? Oh god, MyungSoo would hate him!

MyungSoo knew SungJong was gay. It was the third thing SungJong had told him when they introduced themselves to each other. MyungSoo had stared at him and answered “That’s cool” and then turned back to unpacking his stuff. SungJong stared flabbergasted at him; he couldn’t believe how easy that had been. Usually people would at least say more than that’s cool. It wasn’t before MyungSoo had turned to him and asked if he was already done unpacking, that he came back from his trance.

“He doesn’t know. Plus it’s when he is coming towards you, meaning he’s not beside you aka he can’t hear it.” SungJong barely heard her, his thoughts working at highest speed. If it was that obvious to everybody else then MyungSoo would notice soon too. Everybody knew that MyungSoo was observant. He turned to his friend and grabbed her shoulders. “Noona! What should I do!? I don’t want to lose MyungSoo just because my hormones are against me!” She looks at him before shaking her head, she opens to retort but gets interrupted when MyungSoo comes up behind SungJong and puts his hand on the younger’s shoulder. SungJong freezes and she can see the panic flashing through his eyes. She just smiles before getting up. “See you tomorrow Jongie” She laughs at the crestfallen expression that dawned SungJong’s face when he saw her leaving him alone with his roommate.
“Are you ready to head to the dorm?” MyungSoo asked when SungJong made no move to leave. SungJong nodded with a depressed look stuck on his face. “Yeah let’s go.” SungJong decided to try and be less obvious and walked a bit further away from MyungSoo than he usually would. At first MyungSoo didn’t put much thought into the action, he thought it was because of the way the girls always gave him evil stares when they walked too close, but then he noticed the silence that surrounded them. Usually SungJong would be telling him animatedly how his day had been much like a child. “Why are you so quiet today?” SungJong looked away. “I’m just tired.” MyungSoo wasn’t convinced, but let it slide.

The next few weeks continued with SungJong being extremely quiet around MyungSoo. In the beginning MyungSoo just blamed the more frequent dance practices SungJong had been attending. Then came all the small things where it began to dawn on MyungSoo that maybe SungJong was avoiding him. There was a time where MyungSoo had walked in on SungYeol and SungJong having a heatedly discussion about if teddy bears also had feelings, he had been listening in on them for some minutes before entering the room. SungYeol had come to their room to discuss some things with MyungSoo about an upcoming test, but MyungSoo had been out so SungJong entertained him meanwhile. The thing was that as soon as SungJong saw MyungSoo he clamped up and only greeted him with a meek Welcome Back before he with great haste rushed out the door mumbling something about the cafeteria. Even SungYeol noticed the sudden change in behavior. Then there was that time where MyungSoo had approached SungJong and HoWon. They had been talking about the upcoming Christmas festival on campus; MyungSoo had hugged SungJong from behind and laid his head on the petite shoulder as he always did. SungJong had jumped untangled himself from MyungSoo’s grip before making up an excuse and running away. Both MyungSoo and HoWon had stared after him, shocked at the abrupt exit. He had similar experience with all of their friends. SungJong would be lively talking and laughing, but when he saw MyungSoo he would shut up and rapidly leave. In the end SungJong rarely was in their room, mostly only to sleep. Before they would study together, but now SungJong opted to study in the library alone.
Five weeks after SungJong started to avoid MyungSoo, MyungSoo decided to go talk to the person SungJong confides in the most, his department noona Gina. She wasn’t a person MyungSoo talked to often, mostly it was if SungJong hadn’t been to class that she tracked MyungSoo down (yes, she tracked people down), to ask for the reason. MyungSoo hates those days, Gina is a very caring person sometimes a bit too much and MyungSoo has been on the end of a wrath when she one time found SungJong crying from the bullying of MyungSoo’s fan girls. It was not something he wanted to experience again. This time though there was no other way around than to ask her not matter how much MyungSoo feared it. He found her chatting with her group of girlfriends and suddenly felt very self-conscious as he approached the giggling group of girls. He stood awkwardly beside them not sure how to get Gina alone without it sounding like he wanted to confess to her. They were all friends with SungJong, so it wouldn’t help using him. To MyungSoo’s fortune Gina noticed his awkward presence beside her and took the course in own hands.
“MyungSoo what brings you here?” At the mention of his name MyungSoo turned to look at Gina, though his mouth didn’t corporate with him. It was the first time MyungSoo didn’t talk because he couldn’t rather than he wouldn’t. “I suppose this is about why SungJong is avoiding you?” MyungSoo just dumbly nodded, this woman had that effect on him. He was always tongue-tied around her. “It’s so good to be young and full of hormones isn’t it? SungJong is just afraid his has gone out of control.” She looked up at him with a glint in her eye; she wasn’t going to say anymore. MyungSoo smiled slightly and bowed before scurrying away. What had she meant by that? Seriously why couldn’t she just have told it straight out, MyungSoo wasn’t in the mood for riddles he just wanted to get everything back to what it was. He wanted to be able to walk back home to the dorm together with SungJong and their late night study sessions that more often than not ended in a tickle fight than actually studying. He wanted to have everything back to normal.
For a week MyungSoo wandered around like a ghost only responding when asked directly otherwise lost to his thoughts. He analyzed every word Gina had said, he had replayed the scene a million times in his head trying to figure it out but he still hadn’t come up with a solution to why SungJong would avoid him because of hormones.
MyungSoo was standing in the little hidden garden where he and SungJong in the summer liked to visit. During this summer they hadn’t really gotten the chance to visit it. MyungSoo was standing just in front of the fountain marking the center of the garden, he had for quite long wanted to capture the statue that adorn the fountain in the winter’s morning light. It pictured a young couple, the boy facing the girl with a bucket of roses hidden behind his back. Her face was full of hope and there was a hint of shyness. They were both very bashful. So full of hormones, but no idea how to put them to use. MyungSoo continued to snapping pictures for a few seconds before it hit him. So full of hormones, but no idea how to put them to use. SungJong liked him; SungJong had romantic feelings for him. How come that never struck him as a possibility? He had been fully aware of SungJong being gay; the younger never tried to hide it. He sometimes even would comment on how hot some passing guy was, even though MyungSoo never hinted anything like him being into boys, well MyungSoo didn’t really hint to being into anything ually at all. So both genders were a possibility. Even MyungSoo had never really considered his uality; he had always been popular with both genders, but never really shown interest in romance. Sure he too had ual drifts, but he never really thought about anything when he got rid of his morning . It was mostly just colors splashed before his eyes. That’s also the reason why he barely showed any reaction to SungJong’s confession about him being gay. But was MyungSoo himself gay? Did he have any romantic feelings for SungJong? MyungSoo stood there frozen after his realization, now that he found out why SungJong was avoiding him how should he react when he saw him next time?

MyungSoo was mostly a lost cause when it came to feelings, so he decided to ask advice from WooHyun. WooHyun was as popular as MyungSoo, but he had worked hard for it. He was the singing major’s idol and a ladies man. “Hyung, can I ask you something?” WooHyun looked up at him and grinned, he threw an arm around MyungSoo’s shoulders. “Anything for my favorite dongsaeng.” MyungSoo rolled his eyes at the last remark, he knew WooHyun told them all that. “Well, it’s kind of private so can we not sit in the middle of your fan girls while we do?” WooHyun winked at the girls and waved them away, he turned to MyungSoo with a serious look in his eyes.
“So tell me what’s up? What’s troubling our dear MyungSoo?” MyungSoo sighed; he was starting to regret asking advice from WooHyun and not SungGyu. “Well, I just found out that a really close male friend probably has romantic feelings for me, but I don’t know about my own feelings.” WooHyun stared at him, before breaking into a eating grin. “You’re talking about SungJong, right?” MyungSoo shrugged before nodding. “Yeah.” WooHyun, still grinning, gripped his chin like he was thinking hard about something. “Don’t you like to take pictures of him?” MyungSoo nodded, his lens did have a tendency to find a way to SungJong. “Why don’t you look at those pictures then? It might help you find something that has been there all this time without you realizing it.” WooHyun gave his shoulder a pad accompanied with a small smile before he ran over to the singing trainer that had called him. When he reached the trainer he turned around and smiled giving MyungSoo thumps up.
MyungSoo trotted back to their dorm room, and just as he had foreseen SungJong was nowhere in sight. He walked over to his bed and sat down reaching under the bed frame. He pulled out a big plastic box and placed it in front of him taking out several photo albums, he had three marked SungJong. When did he end up taking so many pictures of SungJong? He opened the first one; it was pictures from their first year.

MyungSoo was taking pictures of the room he was going to stay in for the next several years when the door opened, he turned and just when a new face looked at him he pushed the shutter and the camera captured the moment.

The first time MyungSoo saw SungJong was through his lens, he picked up the picture and studied it. SungJong had black hair then, not the soft light brown it was now. He looked startled on the picture, startled and shy. Without MyungSoo realizing it he had begun caressing the picture. He shook the feeling off and put the picture back down. He kept looking through the album and memories flooded his thoughts. He had pictures of SungJong passed out after the first time he drank alcohol, SungJong laughing, crying. He had pictures where SungJong was well aware of the lens and posing, others where he was all natural. Those were MyungSoo’s favorites, they really showed his beauty, his grace. They reflected the real SungJong; the SungJong MyungSoo knew and cared for. He felt a soft smile adorn his face as he fell over a particular picture.

They were in the hidden garden; they had packed a lunch that morning and decided to go out on a picnic. They knew most people rarely visited the garden and that they most likely would have it to themselves. SungJong had been the most excited, he loved picnics and the hidden garden just made it so much better. They ate and MyungSoo listened while SungJong told about someone in his department. Afterwards SungJong got up and decided he wanted to wade around in the fountain. As always MyungSoo had his camera on him, and when he saw how carefree SungJong was, his happy laugh filling the air, he grabbed it and just when he pushed the shutter SungJong had turned to him with the most beautiful smile in the world. All the happiness in the world shared between them in that moment.

MyungSoo wasn’t someone to get sentimental, but he could feel the warmth that spread through him during that moment all over and he couldn’t help the thought that it was only SungJong that had ever made him feel that way and that it was a feeling that he wouldn’t miss out on for anything in the world. MyungSoo was convinced now. Just like WooHyun said, he discovered something that most likely has been there since the first snap shot.
MyungSoo pulled out his cellphone and dialed the familiar number of his oldest hyung. SungGyu would know where the younger was, he was sure of it. “What’s up MyungSoo?” MyungSoo broke into a grin when he heard his hyung’s tired voice. “Hyung is SungJong with you?” He could hear someone in the background, before a hand was laid over the phone and shut the voice out, not before long SungGyu was back with a sigh. “Yes, of course. I can always help you with your homework (He’s in my room doing his homework).” MyungSoo’s grin widened as he got SungGyu’s message. “Thanks hyung, I’ll be there in a minute.” He received a sigh before SungGyu hung up. MyungSoo wasted no time in rushing out the door, still holding the photograph of SungJong as he ran down the corridors until he got to SungGyu and WooHyun’s shared room. He knocked three times, catching his breath. SungGyu opened the door and smiled when he saw MyungSoo. “He’s in the bathroom right now; I’ll be in DongWoo and HoWon’s room if something happens. Join us afterwards.” He walked out and let MyungSoo in just before he left he gave MyungSoo thumps up. What is it with them and thumbs up? MyungSoo wondered. He still stood in front of the door, just in case SungJong decided to make a run for it again. He heard the flush of the toilet and chuckled lightly, if SungJong knew he heard that he would probably freak out. The door opened and as if he was a deer caught in light, SungJong froze to the spot as soon as he saw MyungSoo. MyungSoo gave him a little smile. “Hey. It’s been a long time hasn’t it?” SungJong relaxed and sighed before nodding. “Yeah, it has. Why are you here hyung?” SungJong had sat down on the floor and was looking up at MyungSoo with dead eyes. MyungSoo hated when SungJong did that, it meant that he hated whatever was going on and that was never a good time. “I just wanted to talk to my roommate who has been avoiding me without giving me a reason.” SungJong sighed. “What is it?” He sneered. “You know this morning I was out in the hidden garden, I took pictures of the sculpture. You know the one with the boy and girl.” SungJong sent him a glare; get on with it was what he said. “As I took pictures something hit me, Of course with the help of your dear noona Gina.” He could see SungJong’s jaw tense up. “SungJong, do you like me?” Tears were welling up in the younger’s eyes as he refused to answer. “I didn’t know how I felt, so I decided to talk to WooHyun hyung. He told me that I should look at the pictures I took of you. Did you know I have three albums dedicated only to you? Me neither. I stumbled over this picture here.” MyungSoo held up the picture for SungJong to see, but he refused to look at it, his tears threatening to fall. “I recalled the memory behind the photo and realized something.” MyungSoo paused and he could tell that SungJong was fighting hard not to break down. He got down on his knees in front of SungJong, his right hand cupping SungJong’s jaw as he leaned in. SungJong’s lips were just as soft as he always had believed them to me, if not more. When he pulled away, SungJong finally broke down the tears spilling, but soon enough a smile broke out on his face. “Stupid hyung, I don’t think I ever heard you talk so much.” MyungSoo chuckled and dried SungJong’s tears with his thumb. SungJong began laughing and MyungSoo could feel his heart spill over with happiness. He never wanted to go for that long without the sound of it again. “Hyung” MyungSoo hummed in reply. SungJong smiled before kissing him softly. “I like you”.