I never felt stupid in my entire life and it had to happen infront of—probably—the most beautiful person in this world. I looked grimly at the mess I just made. I'm soaked, literally.

            “Are you okay?” he asked, coming up to me.

            “I…uh…” I can only stutter. I’m in the verge of crying. This was like a blast from the past when I wet my pants back in third grade, only worse.

I looked like I freaking peed myself. I didn’t drop my macchiato completely on the floor because almost all of its content is now soaking my pants and making a puddle under my feet. I personally wish to teleport back home and save myself from all this self inflicted shame. I also wish to have the pretty boy’s memory of this incident erased.

            “I’m really sorry, I must’ve startled you!” He says genuinely sounding apologetic. He was scrambling around the room probably to look for something to clean the mess I just made. “I just transferred yesterday…and I was excited about this club—Ah! I'll just call hyung! Can you wait here for awhile? I'll be right back!”

I only nodded not knowing what else to do because seriously my tears just dropped when he closed the door. I’ve never been this embarrassed in my life and I suddenly had the urge to hug my mom and let her tell me that everything will be okay. She’s strict but she’s really affectionate towards me unlike my dad who only talks to me about school or whether I topped the dean’s list again. I came fifth this year and he requested for me to get to the top before I graduate like it's as easy as picking an apple from a tree. He'll be ecstatic to hear the news of  his son wetting himself. 

I sniffed as I tried stopping my tears from running, breathing in and out to calm my nerves. Several minutes had already passed and that auburn-haired beauty had not resurfaced from the room. Did he just... ditch me?  I couldn’t even hear his one-sided conversation outside anymore from calling that said 'hyung'.  He seemed not the type of person though so he won’t, right?

After a few more minutes, I was glad I believed in the stranger. I was almost in the verge of giving up and calling for Hakyeon hyung’s help despite the teasing I may receive as an aftermath. He brought another person though; a foreign looking one with a very tall, Greek god-like, nose (What? I read a lot of books and the contour of his surprisingly sharp nose is quite like it) and caramel locks. Another transferee?

            “Woah…” he gasped. His voice was somewhat foreign too. “I didn’t know it was this bad—Ow!”

            “Stop gawking at him and give him the pants!” the beauty slaps the other and the latter only pouted. It was oddly cute for someone that looks quite manlier compared to the one who just hit his head.

            “Fine! Hey, here you go,” he grins wide before passing me his uniform pants; assuming it was indeed his. It was fresh from the university's tailoring department’s bag. He must’ve just bought it from the supplies.

            “You’re lucky, I don’t have any class today!” he continues with a laugh. “I’m a transferee here like this obnoxious cousin of mine. It’s a pleasure to meet you! You can call me Ken!”

He raised his right hand to shake mine and I awkwardly accepted it. He let’s go quickly giving me a wink that made me flinch for some odd reason. Foreigners are really weird for me but they’re generous enough so I won’t really hold anything against them. Plus, they seem really responsible and prepared and thanks to that I had pants to wear and save myself for the rest of the upcoming class I'm not inclined to miss. I was glad I was wearing leather shoes at least so I just have to wash it even if it's still going to make a mess.

            “I’m Han Sanghyuk. Sorry for the trouble,” I bowed my head and they simultaneously reciprocated it which was kinda laughable and borderline endearing because they seemed a little clueless on what they’re doing. In a way, the beautiful person is quite foreign looking himself if not for his eyes. His jaw line and chin were wide and chiseled to perfection. Recently there’s a lot of mix going to our school anyway and they all took the liberty of being damn good-looking. I’m still young and they really make me insecure sometimes. On the bright side though, they didn’t beat my height.

            “It’s fine, I should really be the one apologizing. I was a little anxious and excited to be in this club and work hand in hand with the infamous chief editor of Writer’s Society. I wanted to at least prepare myself and all so I took the liberty to look around and not look clueless. I’d be meeting him later on and—“

            “That’s actually me,” I said almost too quickly, surprising myself in the process. The two gaped at me and instantly had the urge to close them and say Hakyeon hyung’s punchline of ‘close your mouth, flies might get in.’ But then after the incident, I owe them both, I had kept it in.

            “I apologize! Oh my god!” the auburn haired-bowed yet again and Ken also did.

            “It’s okay. I was having too much caffeine lately, it made me jumpy. It’s really busy in the club you see,” I explained roughly, scratching an invisible itch on my head. His apprehensive expression was the cutest thing in the world. I chuckled a little.

            “I heard you’re quite picky according to N-sunbaenim but I’ll try my best to help out in the school’s newspaper!”

            “I like the enthusiasm. I’m looking forward to working with you then,” I bowed my head a little. “And to be honest… I got here earlier because I got curious as to who N-hyung was recommending, so yeah…”

By this time we’re both looking shyly at each other and this type of scenario would usually made me cringe internally and half disgusted because, hey, we’re both men but this was making me feel all fluffy in mushy inside.

Fluffy and mushy... I think it’s about time to look for a new people to hangout with. Hakyeon hyung’s influencing me too much.

            “Ahem,” Ken clears his throat out of the blue and we both straightened up to look his way. “I didn’t mean to go in between your teenage hearts but I have to go and roam around the campus—Bye chicas!” he skips outside the room nonchalantly, his locks bouncing gracefully. He can do a commercial for that and his cousin probably thinks the same way because he just flashed a camera just before Ken completely closed the door.

            “Where the hell is Ken getting his words from?” he mumbles but had a beautiful dimpled smile on his face as he checks his shots. He meets my gaze when I wasn’t aware of it myself. “Is there something on my face?”

            “It’s beautiful,” I said without thinking.

His eyes went wide as saucers and he backs away while I gasped in response to my slip off the tongue. Oh !

            “I meant the…photo!” I lied, pointing at the camera at his hand. I wasn’t able to see it at all, but what was I supposed to do?

His fringe covered his eyes when he ducks his head down all of a sudden. His cheeks were turning pink and it was adorable. I had to make my hands and form it into fists to not reach those cheeks impulsively and get a complaint for harassment. It was natural for guys in Korea to do skinship but I read in an article at certain countries people can get persecuted for it. Hopefully the article is false because I might just piss on the new pants I have on. My parents—dad most likely—will kill me and probably his own parents too. How can I be a famous journalist now? I looked at him carefully, optimistic he won’t really press charges on me.

            “I’ll go,” he mumbles and turns to leave. My hand sprung to grab him by the wrist that I did without a thought again.

            “Don’t touch me.” was his sharp reply, swatting my hands away and leaving the room.

From that moment I predicted the whole day would .

The whole day did . The classes were boring and I was called to the Dean’s office because I apparently left a trail of macchiato footprints all over the campus. I forgot that my shoes were also soaked after the events earlier and I missed the last bus because I had to clean my tracks by myself as a punishment. The only good thing about it is that they agreed to conceal the matter to my parents. I was still given my first warning though, soiling my student record for the first time.

            “At deliberation, my dad will hang me up by the tree. I swear hyung,” I grumbled over the phone as I walked my down the shed to wait for a cab. I’m talking to Hakyeon hyung because he’s the only person who is more than willing to hear all my complaints and do something about it, efficiently.

            “I got your back sweetie. You know I have my ways~”

            “Yeah, you do,” I mouthed grimly. I can’t believe how messed up my day was.  

            “Oh, by the way about the photographer I was talking about earlier…” he trails off and I froze, making me miss the first taxi that passed by. I mentioned about me spilling my drink but I had yet to tell him about me meeting the guy already.

            “What about him?” I asked, a little worried.

            “He backed out,”

My heart sunk, hearing the news. I knew I was ruined when he bolted out the room earlier but I wasn’t expecting to that extent. I didn't expect him to take something truthful about him in that way, almost like he was disgusted.

            “I’ll have him back though, by hook or by crook!” the elder giggles on the line and it’s really enough to shine some hope in me.

            “How?”

            “All I have to do is talk to him! It’s my forte remember?”

            “Yeah… but how exactly?”

            “First, I’ll endorse your club to him again. Give him the perks of working with your department like the free lunch coupons and trip to Jejudo—“

            “Don’t lie to him,”

            “Well, I can always talk about how awesome Hyukkawaii is then! I slightly mentioned you earlier and I think he’s fond of you already—”

“No!”I bumped my head on the door frame of the cab I just hailed. I mumbled an apology to the driver before hopping in.

            “Why? It always works. You’re the smartest dude in school and if you promise to tutor them in one of their subjects, it might just work!”

I don’t mind tutoring but that person won’t ever accept it. I’m the core reason why he wanted to back out anyway and Hakyeon hyung can’t find out about that! He’ll make fun of me and worse yap it around the whole campus until my parents get the news themselves. It was an impending chaos I had to stop.

            “I’ll talk to him hyung,”

            “Seriously?” he asked quite surprised.

“Yes,” I mumbled, hiding the slight hesistance in my voice.

I’m quite introverted that up to now I still talk formally with my colleagues from the same class and I don’t really remember their names either due to the fact, I rarely interact with them. It’s already been a year and half and I only got to know my professors and only hangout with Hakyeon hyung and Wonshik hyung. Thinking about it, I was really living in the basement if not the library and my home.

“But baby—“

             “It’s okay hyung. I can handle it,” I winced at my own words but I said it as confident as possible. My dignity is at stake anyway so might as well do something about it myself. I also felt like apologizing to that person even I really don’t get what made him irritated or something.  

               “Omo! Baby you’re growing up!” he playfully cries over the phone. I can hear Wonshik’s—whom I was expecting was there all along—laughter and a little mocking at his boyfriend. He outgrown you in many ways, boo~

“Shut up, Kim Ravi!”

I broke my first laugh, even with the painful ringing in my left ear because of Hakyeon hyung’s screeches, after getting emotionally damaged and it encouraged me back to my optimistic self like. All I had to do now is man-up. I need to be courageous, honest and genuinely apologize to this person.

            “Ah hyung sorry to interrupt your lover’s quarrel but may I have the name and the phone number of this person,”

            “Of course! I’ll send it to you after I kill this blonde. Love you! Bye! YAH RAVI YOU—” he hangs up.

I got home around seven and I received Hakyeon hyung’s message after an hour. My heart was rising in anticipation of finally knowing who that beautiful person is as well as how my premade message for him will turn about after I send it to him. 

[This is Han Sanghyuk, I profusely want to apologize for whatever discomfort I have caused you earlier. If it’s alright, can we meet up at the Photography club’s room again at lunch time? I find the need to explain myself. Plus, I already have your brother’s pants washed and ironed. I’ll return it by then too.

Goodnight.]

I stared at my message, reading it thoroughly not wanting to produce any type of errors, before I sent it. I was feeling rather anxious whether he’ll be able to read it or delete it upon seeing my name. This is more pressuring than any debates I had been through and tomorrow, if this Lee Hongbin will come, it may just be like an actual debate. But I can careless about that now. Whether or not he’d be willing to meet me again was something I’m more worried about. I really hope we do.

TBC