“I can hear your parents,” Jinki’s voice comments over the phone when the conversation seems to be petering out, “What are they talking about?”

Jonghyun holds the phone away from his ears and turns his head to the side, listening into the steady stream of conversation coming from the living room. He returns the phone to his ears, “Talking about naming their future children ‘Bill’ and ‘Note’. Because that’s the way to make it rich.” He can’t help but to snicker.

Soft laughter issues and Jonghyun smiles along, restless hands idly drumming a steady tempo against the wooden arm of the chair he is slouching in.

“Your parents are cute,” Jinki finally replies, and Jonghyun can nearly see the smile in his voice.

“Not as cute as you though,” Jonghyun says a second later, half-teasing, half genuine. He pauses, “You are blushing now, aren’t you?”

“No.” the response comes too fast for it to be true and Jonghyun immediately chuckles softly into the phone. He can already imagine the pink blush dusting Jinki’s cheeks.

“You are so cute.”

“Jonghyun.” Jinki admonishes gently, “Don’t tease me like that.”

“It’s true though,” Jonghyun says, a wide grin across his face, “You are really adorable.”

“And you are really handsome too,” Jinki replies easily. He continues a second later, “You are blushing too now, aren’t you?”

Feeling the heat in his face, Jonghyun complains, “That’s not fair. It’s an ambush.”

“An eye for an eye, Jonghyun.” Jinki says without ill intent, “Besides, you are cute when you blush.”

“I am getting embarrassed,” Jonghyun grumbles, “What if my sister happens to be listening into the phone?”

“Then she will know that her brother has a loving boyfriend,” Jinki says with a soft laughter. “I love you, Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun feels something in his chest melting at the sudden declaration and the heat in his face tripling in intensity. He can practically see his red ears. Putting a hand to his face, Jonghyun shifts from the chair to his bed and snuggles into his pillows, his phone still glued to his ears though.

“I love you,” JInki repeats when Jonghyun doesn’t respond after a suitable pause.

“What’s the occasion?” Jonghyun mumbles a reply, voice muffled by the pillows.

“No occasion.” Jonghyun can nearly see the smile on Jinki’s face. The small, genuine, open smile that he specifically reserves for Jonghyun when it’s only the two of them. The smile that has Jonghyun falling deeper and deeper in love with the gentle man. The smile that makes the world tilt slightly on its axis and everything seems right.

“I love you too.” Jonghyun says softly, heartfelt, but still somewhat embarrassed.

Jinki hums a tune in response, “Let’s not name our children ‘Bill’ and ‘Note’ in the future.”

The embarrassment is swiftly replaced by incredulous laughter. “Is that your way of proposing to me, Lee Jinki?” Jonghyun teases, “Since when did I say I will marry you.”

“Will you?” Comes the serious answer and Jonghyun stops abruptly in his guffaws as he realizes that Jinki is not joking around. Stilling himself and looking into his heart, Jonghyun knows that there’s no other response he can give when the man asking this is Jinki. A strange warm feeling wells out from within and the mood shifts and Jonghyun now feels as if he is wrapped up in the other man even though he is a thousand meters away.

The silence is broken when Jonghyun speaks. “I want to name our daughter Eunsook.”

A long pause ensues and Jonghyun is starting to wonder if Jinki has managed to fall asleep during the time it takes for him to answer when Jinki says, “I really love you, Jonghyun.”

“Me too,” Jonghhyun smiles, “I miss you so much.”

“Me too. I miss you.”

“I want to see you. Can I come over to your house?”

“It’s too late in the night. My mum won’t let you in.”

“Let’s go to school together tomorrow then? I will pick you up at 7?”

“Ok. Do you need me to get you breakfast?”

“It’s ok. My mum bought a loaf today.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow then.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

I want to bring across the feeling of first love between two people who are unfettered by the concerns of the society. It shall be a story all about self-fulfilment and contentment. It will be about two people who fit each other, not perfectly, but well enough so that they can bring out the best in each other.

It's highschool love.