Jiho’s foot jiggles impatiently, knocking against the chair beside him. Youngjae turns to glare at him, a pencil clamped between his teeth, but Jiho is firmly staring at the clock hanging above the door.

It’s a minute til five, which means only one more minute of the student council meeting. Though he’s only the social chairperson in the council, the one who organizes school events and whatnot, he’s required to attend every meeting. He usually spends these meetings counting down the seconds until they’re over.

Jungsoo is counting down the seconds almost as closely, because the second the minute hands hits five o’clock, he stops midsentence and closes his notebook. “Meeting adjourned!” he declares happily, shoving the student council notebook into his backpack.

“Hey!” Himchan exclaims, sticking out a long leg to trip Jungsoo up before he can make his usual escape out the door. “We’re not finished talking about plans for the welcoming party on Friday!”

Jungsoo wrinkles his nose in distaste despite the fact that he loves the parties they plan. “Isn’t that Jiho’s job?” he whines.

Jiho makes a face right back. “Isn’t it the president’s job not to be a whiny little ?” he suggests mildly.

This earns him a snicker from Donghae but, surprisingly, Hyukjae doesn’t join him for once.

Jungsoo isn’t at all offended by the insult. On the contrary, his face splits into a wide grin. “Yeah, well, I guess none of us work very well, huh? See you guys tomorrow!” And, hopping over Himchan’s leg that’s still blocking his way, he slips out.

Jiho manages to be the second one out of the student council room even though Himchan and Junyoung try to corner him into making more serious commitments about the welcoming party. He’s got a fairly general idea of what he wants for the party, and he’s still got four days to pull it together. He’s not worried. He seldom is.

He climbs the stairs two at a time, his messenger bag thumping against his thigh with every extra wide step. He reaches the fourth floor in no time, hardly out of breath, and makes a beeline for a familiar room.

It only takes half a minute of incessant banging on the door for it to open. “Why are you so loud?” Kyung demands, giving Jiho his usual annoyed look.

Jiho is used to this sort of treatment. They’ve been friends since kindergarten and Kyung is always annoyed with him for one thing or another.

Jiho brushes past his friend into the room, familiar even though Kyung has only been living in it for a fortnight. It’s tidy, the beds neatly made and all dirty clothes neatly stored in a hamper in the closet. There’s a small wooden crucifix hanging on the wall above Kyung’s bed, with a Bible sitting on the end table between the two beds. “Did you not have soccer practice today?” Jiho asks, making himself comfortable on the bed, kicking his shoes off and snuggling down into the pillows.

Kyung pulls out the desk chair and straddles it backwards, long hair falling into his eyes. “No. You know I don’t have practice on Mondays or Fridays. Besides, it’s a while before our first game so Coach is letting us take it easy at the beginning.” He gives Jiho a stern look. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do for the welcoming party yet?”

Jiho shrugs indifferently. “Eh, I’m sure I’ll just do the same sorts of things as last year. The students really seemed to enjoy last year’s party.”

Kyung tuts disapprovingly. “You mean you’re going to get everybody wasted on cheap beer and hope that nobody starts having in the bathroom.”

“Who said anything about ?” Jiho waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Is our little Kyunggie getting some naughty ideas?”

Even though it’s obvious that Jiho is teasing, Kyung blushes the color of a ripe tomato. “That’s not funny,” he grumbles. “You know that I don’t believe in until marriage.”

“You also hate gay people,” Jiho points out, accompanied by another suggestive eye waggle.

Kyung blushes even more. “I don’t hate gay people,” he insists, fidgeting uncomfortably with his hands. Somehow Jiho always seems able to make him uncomfortable. “I respect everyone’s decision on how to live their lives.”

“Except mine,” Jiho interjects, giving a dramatic sigh. “You’re always lecturing me.”

“That’s because you’re an idiot,” Kyung replies flatly. “Getting a bunch of freshmen drunk at the welcoming party is not one of your best ideas.”

“Oh, but I do have good ideas?” Jiho prompts, grinning.

His best friend doesn’t give in to the bait. “No, you don’t. You just have certain ideas that a little less than the others. Honestly, it’s a complete mystery how you ever got on the student council in the first place.”

Jiho pretends to be wounded by Kyung’s words. “You’re so mean to me!” he wails. “You’re my best friend but you’re so mean!”

“Ugh, quit saying things like that,” Kyung insists. “And get out of my room already.”

Jiho rolls onto his stomach, popping himself up to look at his friend. “Don’t wanna,” he says childishly. “I want to hang out here.”

“I have homework to do,” Kyung insists. “And my roommate will be back any minute.”

Jiho rolls onto his back again, now looking at Kyung upside down and batting his long eyelashes. “Does your roommate have something against me or something?”

More blushes from Kyung. “No, but I didn’t ask if it was okay if I have someone over and-”

“Baekhyun isn’t going to care,” Jiho insists impatiently. “Besides, he’s always bringing that tall kid over. If he says anything to you about me, you can just call him out on that guy.”

“That’s beside the point,” Kyung insists, groaning. “I really have a lot of homework to do. Unlike you, I actually care about my grades.”

Jiho pretends to think about it. “I’ll leave on one condition.”

Another groan. “What?” Kyung demands. After being friends with Jiho for most of their lives, he’s used to Jiho’s ‘conditions.’ He usually isn’t happy with them.

Jiho grins. “You have to go out with me this Saturday.”

Kyung hesitates. “We go out all the time, so I guess that’s fine.”

“No, no,” Jiho says, shaking his head. “I want you to go out on a date with me. A real date.”

His best friend growls deep in his throat, obviously annoyed. “Look, it’s fine that you’re not religious and I don’t bug you about it. So please quit teasing me about my religion.”

“Who says I’m teasing?” Jiho demands innocently. “I’m being serious. Let’s go out on a date.”

And, mostly because he knows that Jiho won’t stop until he gets what he wants, Kyung reluctantly gives in. “Fine. I’ll go on a ‘date’ with you. Happy? Will you please leave now?”

Jiho grins, hopping up off the bed obediently. “Whatever you say! See you tomorrow!” And he lets himself out of the room.

He can’t help but smile to himself as he goes back down a floor to his own dorm room. Honestly, he hadn’t been expecting Kyung to give in so easily or so quickly. He figured he’d have to wear his best friend down a lot more before Kyung would agree – although that fact that he would agree was never up for question. Kyung usually gave in to whatever Jiho was asking.

Jiho isn’t sure exactly when his platonic feelings for Kyung had matured into something more, something deeper that went beyond the level of friendship that they had enjoyed for so many years. Though he knows that Kyung claims to be straight as an arrow, he’s hoping that he’s only saying that because of his strict religious upbringing. He figures that he can work on Kyung enough, wear him down enough, to make real decisions for himself.

And Jiho can only hope that Kyung decides on him.   

Park Kyung (Block B)

Sorry so short! I've been so busy lately! But Block B tickets go on sale in a few days and I really, really, REALLY hope I can go see them here in Seoul! It would be amazing!