Freshman Zelo meets a shady, quiet senior called YongGuk who actually isn't as scary as he seems

Zelo walked through the doors of the university and took a deep breath. This was it. This was his new beginning. His awkward high school phase was over – he could tell as the girls around him glanced at him with interested eyes – and he was ready to reinvent himself. He was not shy, awkward JunHong anymore. He was now Zelo – a handsome, budding rapper ready to take the world (or university) by storm.

He straightened his back that he was so used to hunching to hide among his peers and walked confidently down the hallway even though he had no idea where he was going. He started looking around more, surreptitiously trying to read signs to find his dorm. In his mental absence Zelo walked smack into another guy standing in the hallway. The guy actually fell forward and dropped a bunch of papers he was holding.

“I’m sorry!” Zelo said anxiously, immediately bending down to help pick up the papers.

“It’s ok,” the guy muttered in a deep voice.

Zelo looked up from under his fringe to see if the guy was upset. Firstly, this guy looked like he shouldn’t be messed with. He was wearing a shiny black leather jacket over a dark grey shirt and black jeans finished off with black and grey studded sneakers. His hair was red on top and black and shaved at the sides. He didn’t look angry but he didn’t look particularly pleased either.

“I’m sorry,” Zelo said again as he handed him the papers.

He glanced at Zelo and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t hurt yourself, kid, it’s fine.”

He shrugged his jacket more comfortably over his shoulders and walked away leaving Zelo feeling a little less confident than before. If there were other guys like that guy at this school he just might not be the hottest thing since sliced bread. Zelo sighed and ruffled his hair a little as he looked around. Thankfully no one else had seen that little slip-up. He continued to wander around the school for almost an hour until he found himself in the exact spot where he had bumped into the red-haired fellow.

He leaned against the wall and frowned. He didn’t want to ask for directions; that was such a newbie thing to do.

“Hey, kid!” Zelo heard.

He turned around to see the red-haired guy walking towards him.

“Have you been standing here all this time? What’s wrong with you?”

“N-no!” Zelo started defensively, “I was just…looking around. I just ended up back here.”

“Yeah, right,” the guy said, “you look just as lost as when you bumped into me. Who or what are you looking for?”

Zelo tried not to blush in embarrassment and told the guy the name of his dorm. He smirked and shook his head.

“That’s on the other side of campus, kid. You should have just said you were lost.”

“I wasn’t. And stop calling me kid.”

The guy raised an eyebrow.

“Well I don’t know your name…”

“It’s Zelo. Yours?”

“YongGuk. Come on, I’ll take you to your dorm,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure I can get there on my own,” Zelo muttered.

“I’m just trying to help you out, Zelo. You can follow me or wander around until Christmas break – your choice.”

Zelo frowned but started walking along with YongGuk. Zelo noticed the way some of the older students avoided YongGuk’s gaze or hurried quickly away when they saw him coming. He looked at the older boy walking next to him with intrigue. Was he a bully or something? But there weren’t any bullies in college were there?

“Something on my face?” YongGuk asked without turning to Zelo.

“No, sorry…”

YongGuk rolled his eyes and kept walking.

“Why is everyone so scared of you?” Zelo asked, deciding that if he was reinventing himself he might as well be bold.

YongGuk looked a little surprised at Zelo’s question and smiled. The first smile that Zelo had seen from him.

“I have a bad rep,” YongGuk said simply.

“Are you…?” Zelo’s voice trailed off as he realized he wasn’t sure what to ask. “Um…why do you have a bad rep?”

YongGuk shrugged nonchalantly.

“Rumours,” he answered.

Zelo was about to ask another question when his phone started blasting his Drake ringtone. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and pressed answer.

“JunHong-ah!” His mother’s shrill voice trilled through the phone and he hastily lowered the call volume.

“Yes, mom?” he asked quietly. YongGuk didn’t need to hear this.

“Just seeing how you are, my little lemon tart!”

Zelo cringed and hoped YongGuk hadn’t heard but guessing from the smirk on his face…

“Mom I asked you not to call me that, and I’m fine,” Zelo answered. He could practically hear his mother frown through the phone.

“Well if you’re going to be blonde then what else should I call you? Lemon tart is perfect! And why are you talking so quietly? Oh! Are you with a girl?” His mother squealed.

“No, mom, I’m with a guy I just –”

“Oh! Well…whatever team you decide to play for I’ll support you sweetie!”

“Not like that, mom! Can you – can you call me back later? Now isn’t really a good time!”

“Fine, fine,” Zelo’s mother agreed, “Talk to you soon, lemon tart!”

“Bye mom,” Zelo said, letting out a breath of relief.

He took a quick glance at YongGuk to see him grinning. He didn’t look so threatening when he smiled; actually he looked downright adorable if Zelo ignored the leather jacket and studded shoes.

“What?” Zelo asked.

“Nothing…you like Drake, lemon tart?” YongGuk said smirking again.

“Yeah I actually love –” Then Zelo groaned in embarrassment. “You heard that?”

YongGuk actually started laughing and Zelo felt his face turn completely red. So much for being the cool, new kid.

“We have to take a bus, come on,” YongGuk said leading Zelo to a campus bus stop.

“You don’t have to take me all the way there,” Zelo said.

YongGuk glanced at him and shrugged but he still got on the bus with him when it arrived.

For a guy with such a bad rep he seemed pretty cool, Zelo thought. He was helpful, and he had a sense of humor plus a nice smile…

They got off the bus and YongGuk led Zelo to a tall brick building.

“Here it is, lemon tart,” YongGuk said, smiling and brandishing his hand towards the building.

Zelo winced at the name and thanked YongGuk for showing him the way.

“Yeah, sure,” YongGuk said, then hesitated, “you wanna hang out sometime? I can show you around, the shortcuts, and where your classes are…since you don’t have such a great sense of direction.”

Zelo blinked. Was he making a friend already?

“Sure, thanks,” he said smiling brightly.

“Can I have your number, then? And I can text you whenever?” YongGuk asked, looking ever-so-slightly embarrassed.

“Yeah, sure,” Zelo said and gave him his number.

“Cool, I’ll see you around lemon tart.”

Zelo snorted and walked into his dorm.

***

That very night Zelo found himself standing outside his dorm waiting for YongGuk who had texted him about half an hour earlier asking if Zelo was free that night. It was nine at night…kind of a strange hour to go around the campus Zelo had thought but he agreed anyway and was now patiently waiting for YongGuk to arrive.

Zelo saw a figure waking towards him that proved to be YongGuk once he got closer. He was wearing dark colours again – all black except for his deep red velvet coloured jacket which just happened to be leather again but the soft kind that Zelo liked not the shiny kind. Zelo noticed that YongGuk’s shoelaces were the same colour as his jacket and raised his eyebrows. That was a nice accent.

YongGuk just screamed “cool”. Zelo suddenly felt conscious of his clothing choices and nervously the cuff of his colourful hoodie and glanced at his bright blue sneakers.

“Hey,” YongGuk said, smiling, when he arrived in front of Zelo.

Hey,” Zelo answered, a little taken aback at YongGuk’s smile. He knew YongGuk could smile but it was still a little disarming at times.

“Um…” Zelo started, “Maybe I’m just really unfamiliar with how university works but isn’t it a little late to go around? I mean if we have to take the bus and stuff…”

“Yeah, it is,” YongGuk said nodding.

Zelo blinked a couple times.

“So…”

“I thought we could just hang out instead,” YongGuk told him, “That’s cool, right?”

“Oh…yeah it is, that’s fine,” Zelo said.

YongGuk raised his eyebrows.

“If you don’t want to…” he started.

“No, I do!” Zelo said honestly, “I’m just surprised. Why do want to hang out with me? You’re…”

“I’m…?”

“I dunno,” Zelo said shrugging, “You’re older, and cooler and I’m…me.”

YongGuk shook his head and motioned for Zelo to start following him.

“Honestly I’m not that cool and you’re…not that bad.”

Zelo took a sideways glance at YongGuk. Not that cool? He scoffed quietly; YongGuk was the epitome of cool. He still couldn’t fathom what YongGuk was doing walking around with him. What if…what if he had a bad reputation for a reason? Was he being a complete idiot walking around in the dark with this guy?

“Zelo?”

He jumped and realized he had stopped walking.

“Are you ok?” YongGuk asked.

“Um…yeah…where are we going again?” Zelo asked nervously.

“Just chill out,” YongGuk said laughing but Zelo remained rooted to the sidewalk. “What is it?”

“I want to know where we’re going,” Zelo said firmly.

YongGuk looked utterly confused at Zelo’s sudden change in demeanor.

“I wanted to surprise you…” YongGuk said, furrowing his eyebrows. “Why are you acting so weird?”

“You could be taking me anywhere!” Zelo defended. He wasn’t going to be a gullible freshman.

YongGuk suddenly rolled his eyes.

“Did some idiot in your dorm feed you some crap about me? Is that what this is about?”

“What? No –”

“Wow…I finally thought I found one person that I could relax with but obviously you’re just as judgmental and brainless as everyone else,” YongGuk spat.

“I –”

“For the record, kid, just because I dress differently and don’t make friends with every Tom, and Harry doesn’t mean I’m some huge warlord, ok? Some people don’t make friends as easily as everyone else does – why am I even – just forget it,” YongGuk finished.

He stormed away and left Zelo standing shame-faced in that same spot.

***

As soon as Zelo woke the next day he groaned and covered his face with his hands. The embarrassment from last night was still awfully fresh in his mind. He wanted to apologize to YongGuk but at the same time he was petrified that YongGuk would just embarrass him again. Zelo didn’t know why he freaked out like that…wasn’t it even a little normal to worry about walking alone in the dark with a person with whom one wasn’t familiar?

If it was someone else you wouldn’t have acted like that, a little voice said.

Zelo blew his messy bangs out of his eyes and rolled over to stare at his phone on his small bedside table. He really should apologize; whether or not it resulted in more embarrassment at least his conscience would be at ease…

He reached for his phone and typed out a short text,

YongGuk, I’m really sorry about last night. I want to apologize to you in person…could I please see you?

Zelo hesitated. Did that sound too desperate? He squeezed his eyes shut tight and hit send. Within an anxious minute he received a reply.

In 5 outside your dorm, I’m in the area

Zelo shot up in his bed with wide, panicked eyes. Five minutes? He looked like a train wreck! He pulled on the jeans he had dropped off miserably last night and a random hoodie from the back of a chair. He raked a comb through his hair and rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and splashed some water on his face so he looked remotely awake.

He stumbled down the stairs and out into the crisp morning air. He reflexively cringed when the cold air rushed past his face and pulled up his hood. YongGuk was already there, looking as sauve as ever in a light black sweater and dark grey jeans with trademark matching shoes.

Zelo hurriedly trotted over to him and began to apologize profusely.

“YongGuk, I’m so sorry about last night, I really am. I swear no one said anything to me about you I just freaked out for some stupid reason. I don’t know why I did I just started thinking about you saying you had a bad reputation and I just panicked! It was so stupid because you’ve been so kind to me and I only judged you in return. I’m such an idiot, really. I don’t think you’re a bad person at all! You’re a good senior, you took care of me yesterday and –”

“Ok!” YongGuk shouted as soon as he could get a word in. “Just calm down! I understand! In all honesty, I freaked out too. You could have been antsy for any reason but I got insecure…I’m sorry too…”

Zelo blinked a few times.

“You…accept my apology?” he asked disbelievingly.

YongGuk nodded.

“Oh…well…ok…” Zelo said awkwardly. He had honestly been expecting more of a fight.

“So can we go out tonight, then?” YongGuk asked. “Same time, same place?”

“Um…yeah! Sure!” Zelo said eagerly. “You seem really intent on taking me to this place…”

“I know you’ll love it as much as I will,” YongGuk said, stepping closer. He pulled something out of his back pocket and held it out to Zelo. “You’ll need this for tonight.”

Zelo took the small piece of paper curiously then almost collapsed when he saw what it was.

“You…you have tickets to see Drake?” he whispered hoarsely.

“We have tickets to see Drake,” YongGuk corrected, “You said you liked him so I thought we could go together.”

Zelo suddenly flung his arms around YongGuk and gave him a bone-crushing hug.

“Hyung, you’re awesome!” Then he suddenly stood back. “I…I can call you hyung, right?”

YongGuk snorted and flicked Zelo’s forehead.

“Of course you can, lemon tart."

"Hyung! Don't call me that!"

Hello everyone! Over 50 subscribers! That's a lot for me OTL thank you all so much for subscribing and commenting! I'll be traveling and getting back into the swing of school so I probably won't update for 3/4 weeks ;_; but I have a couple onshots I just need to finish up so hang in there! ^^

P.S. I hope this ending didn't too much >_<

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