Chapter 17

Ricky had school again the next day and he slipped out the dormitory while everyone ate breakfast so he wouldn’t have to face Changjo again. Instead he used his card that his parents loaded money on to buy something quickly at a convenience store. Upon reaching school Ricky went to his locker to put his things away. When he closed his door, again, just like yesterday there was Lee Hi standing by him waiting.

Ricky jumped in surprised.

“Ah, Ha Yi!” Ricky said. “You surprised me!”

“Sorry, Oppa,” apologized Lee Hi shily. “Did you get home ok in the rain?”

Ricky was surprised by the question but then remembered what Changjo had said about what it meant when a girl wanted to share an umbrella with him. But Ricky had his doubts. How could Lee Hi even like him when they barely even knew each other. They rarely ever talked one on one. The previous day was the very first time.

Because of that, Ricky pushed the thing Changjo said oout of his head and focused instead on Lee Hi.

“I got home ok,” he replied to her question. “But I should really be asking that about you.”

“I was fine,” Lee Hi said. “Actually I ended up calling my mom and she picked me up.”

“Oh lucky!” Ricky said. “I wish I could do that.”

“My mom actually lives with me in my dorm because I am solo,” explained the YG vocalist.

They turned from the lockers and Ricky went to go to his class and was surprised with Lee Hi followed him. He was walking thinking she was going to go a separate direction but she kept following.

“Uhm, Ha Yi, don’t you have to go to your class room?” Ricky asked.

“Yes but I don’t mind being with Oppa a little longer,” she said.

Ricky quirked a brow and shrugged and kept walking and they finally reached his class room and stopped in front.

“Uhm, I really have to go now because this is my class,” Ricky said turning to the younger girl.

“Ah yeah but uhm, oppa take this?”

Lee Hi reached into her uniform pocket and bowing deeply handed Ricky a tiny light blue envelope sealed with a shiny pink pig sticker. Ricky wordlessly took it and then watched as a now red in the face Lee Hi straightened.

“Excuse me,” she said before running away down the hall, never once meeting his eye.

Ricky thought it was weird but went into his class room. He sat at his desk and went to open the envelope. Inside there was a letter written on a cute frilly stationary.

“Changhyun oppa, I really like you. Please accept my feelings! –Lee Ha Yi”

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It was another practice after school and really, Ricky had felt nothing but crappy. The entire day ever since getting to school he felt in a weird mood. After lunch he had to reject Lee Hi so he did. It was funny how easy it was to reject her.

“I think you’re a cool girl,” he had said. “But really I’m not thinking of a relationship like that right now.”

And really, that was true. Plus, Lee Hi had taken it pretty well. He could see she was hurt but she nodded and said she understood. She even smiled and said she hoped to still be friends.

So why couldn’t it be that simple with Changjo? Why couldn’t he just bluntly say he wasn’t thinking of a relationship? If anything, because he was closer to Changjo than he was to Lee Hi, Ricky figured it should be easier to discuss his feelings with the other but he was wrong. If anything being close to Changjo just made it worse.

Of course he knew that he could just say it and it’d be quick and easy like a bandage, right? There’d be, like with Lee Hi, a hint of pain in Changjo’s eyes from the rejection but then he could get over it. But just thinking of seeing Changjo’s pained made Ricky ache. He couldn’t do it.

That was on Ricky’s mind when he reached the practice studio. Unlike the other day he was the first member there and he quickly dressed into his practice clothes. He started stretching to warm up before the others go there. It was the least he could do for being so late the other day.

Ricky was in the middle of stretching when Changjo came in. Ricky said a greeting and looked away as Changjo began getting his stuff together. Ricky decided to try to act natural around Changjo as much as he could and kept stretching. He was focused on his task when he heard something fall so he turned to look and saw that Changjo had accidently knocked his bag and spilled everything out.

“Ah, sorry Changhyun,” Changjo said, bending down to pick everything up.

“It’s ok. It was just a mistake—“

Ricky’s train of thought stopped though when he saw that the envelope Lee Hi had given him had also fallen.

“What’s this?” Changjo asked, picking it up and inspecting it. “To Ricky Oppa?” he read.

“Wait Changjo no!” Ricky exclaimed as Changjo was opening it.

“What’s the big deal?” Changjo asked and then looked down and read it. “Oh.”

Chang stuffed the paper back in the envelope and stuffed it back in the bag along with Ricky’s other stuff that fallen out.

“I’m sorry Jonghyun I—“

“Why are you apologizing?” Changjo asked, not even looking at Ricky. “If you like that Lee Hi you should go out with her I guess she’s cute.”

Ricky’s heart was beating so fast, “What? What are you saying?” Ricky crossed the room and kneeled at Changjo’s side. “I don’t like that girl!”

“You don’t have to say that for my sake,” Changjo said, and he looked a bit annoyed. “I don’t care if you like that girl. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Ricky pouted. He was so confused.

“I don’t understand!” Ricky complained.

“What don’t you understand?” Changjo retorted. “I said I don’t care if you like that girl back.”

“Exactly” Ricky said. “You say I’m so dense and nieve but you’re not making sense either you know! How can you tell me you like me and then now say that it doesn’t matter if I like Ha Yi back or not? Did your confession to me mean that little to you?”

Changjo shook his head but said nothing.

“I don’t like her ok. I don’t. And I already declined her as soon as she confessed today!” Ricky clarified.

Changjo lifted his head and looked Ricky in the eyes, “Why?”

“Because I just don’t! What do you mean why?”

“I mean how can you find it in you to decline her but then you leave me hanging like you did yesterday. Do you know how much that hurt me seeing you run away? Do I repulse you that much, Changhyun?”

Changjo’s voice shook and Ricky had to swallow when he saw the hurt expression on the other’s face.

“No. I dind’t want to hurt you. And you’re different.”

“Why? Because I’m a boy?” Changjo demanded.

Ricky shook his head, “No. Because I don’t know! I don’t want to hurt you and I just don’t know!”

“Don’t know what?”

“How I feel! It’s not just yes or no. How am I supposed to say how I feel when I don’t even know?”

“Wait so what are you saying?” Changjo asked, turning completely towards Ricky, reaching out and grabbing the other by the arms.

Ricky closed his eyes and looked down, afraid to look back up at the other again.

“Changhyun!” Changjo yelled, squeezing Ricky’s arms.

Ricky looked up, bottom lip trembling. His eyes were a bit glassy as they met with Changjo’s intense gaze. And Ricky really didn’t know where it came from but the answer came.

“I guess what I mean is… I wouldn’t mind if you kissed me.”

“What?” Changjo blinked, his hands letting go of Ricky.

“I don’t really know how I feel. I really like you. The last thing I want to do is mess up whatever we have. I’m scared but it’s nice and if it had to be anyone in the world then… right now it has to be you.”

Ricky bit his lip in worry afraid that Changjo wouldn’t understand what he was trying to say because Ricky honestly didn’t understand it either.

“I… I really like you,” Changjo said. “I’m not confused at all. I know how I feel. I had to be completely sure before I said anything. You do understand that, right? I really mean this.”

Ricky nodded.

“Can I… can I kiss you?” Changjo asked.

Ricky’s stomach churned violently but he nodded. Changjo’s hands cupped his face and Ricky was not sure if he should close his eyes or leave them open but when Changjo leaned forward they slipped closed on their own.

Their lips brushed lightly and even though Ricky was sitting on the ground he felt like his stomach was about to fly into the air.

Changjo backed away slightly and Ricky’s eyes fluttered open. But he didn’t have a chance to say a word because Changjo leaned back in again and kissed him harder. It was by anyone’s standard a chaste kiss. Lip on lip only and yet Ricky felt like he was flying.

Soon they were leaning together pecking each other with closed lipped kisses. 3 kisses became 4 and then 5 and then 6. It was like an addicting drug and all Ricky wanted was to feel Changjo’s lips against his own.

Finally though Changjo pulled away and held Ricky back at arm’s length. Ricky tilted his head in confusion.

“They can come back at any time now,” Changjo clarified.

“Ah right,” Ricky said, blushing even harder upon remembering where exactly they were and it was Changjo yet again who was being the mature one in the situation.

Changjo stuffed the last of Ricky’s things back in his bag.

“Uhm Jonghyun so… does this mean we’re…”

“You never really said ‘yes’ did you?” Changjo cut in.

Ricky shook his head.

“So we’re not.”

-to be continued-

AN- Changrick made up! hahaha what you think? thanks eveyrone again for the comments and such and sticking with this. let's see what new things unfold for this innocent pair and also what new trials are in store for teentop (especial NAP)