04

SUBTLETY

If it’s not the quarterly exams that has Youngjae’s brain in verge of exploding, it’s the mini thesis they are required to submit every semester that makes his life three times harder. It accumulates a lot of points in the final grade and sometimes defines if you pass or fail. Are you even sure you know what you’re writing about?

No. Sometimes he wanted to tell his professor just that. Sometimes, when he’s caught in a crossover of what he wants and needs. When his fingers is itching to touch the strings of his guitar and plays the melody his mind keeps on bugging him in the middle of the night.

“Hey, Jae.” Jaebum lays a palm flat on his shoulder. He flinches from the touch and calms down when he realized that it was unnecessary.

“Hey.” He tries a smile and moves to give space for his friend to sit at.

“You’re staring at your own feet like they suddenly talk to you or something.” They are sitting by the campus back yard, a wide plane of green lawn with trees here and there giving shades for students who are in pursuit of solace from this hectic place.

“paper,” He raises the A4 size notebook from his lap showing his friend the cause of his dilemma.

“Mr. Park,” Jaebum asks stifling a laugh.

“Who else?” Youngjae replies flipping the notebook on the next blank page. His pen hovers above it trying to collect the ideas he had before he’s brain drifts somewhere else.

“So, how’s life? You transferred already, right?”

Youngjae sighs giving up on writing something and puts down his notes. “Fine. Adapting, pretty well. The place is nice. The people are nicer.”

“Anything interesting?” Youngjae looks at his friend with narrowed eyes. He’s pretty sure what his friend is implying about.

“Well,” He dwells. Out of blue, his brain supplies him an image of a drenched little kitty, unconsciously putting a grin on his face. 

“There is. Who is he? Does he go here, too? What’s his name? C’mon share it, man.” Jaebum tugs his arm, poking him on the sides when he tries to brush off the topic.

“Stop. It’s nothing.” He pants as he successfully detached himself from the torturous act. “It’s not like that. He’s interesting, as a person. Like—someone who’ll be fun to be friends with.”

“Sheesh, liar. You always say that.”

Youngjae chuckles. “It’s true. Also, I have a lot of things to think about and starting a love connection is not really on the list.”

“You’re living such a boring life, my friend.” Jaebum snickers shaking his head in dismay. “But really, if, just if, you’re not this dull twenty something old gramps, you think you’ll date him?”

“Quit it, JB.”

“Ok, let me rephrase that. Do you think he’s cute?”

Youngjae bites his lower lip because, how can he even deny it if he keeps on seeing a cute little kitten on his head in place of the boy who lives right across his door. It’s unfair, really.

“Your silence is telling me a lot of things.” Jabeum teases with another poke on his tender spot. “Just admit it, you’re attracted.”

Youngjae snorts that is soon followed by a shy smile. He can feel his cheeks in heat and swears, by the look his friend is giving him, he’s certainly blushing.

“You’re not stopping until I say yes, right?”

“Just the truth, man. Just the truth.”

“Fine,” Youngjae says with a huff. “He’s cute. Happy? But it’s not like I can date him or something even though I am really interested.”

“Why?” Jaebum asks with creased brows. “Is he too popular? Hard to get type?”

“Well, for starters” He picks up his notebook and holds it between his fingers before giving his friend a glance. 

“He’s already taken.”

∞∞∞

“ACHOO!”

Daehyun’s sneeze is so loud that it sends their table shaking and onlookers watching. He runs the back of his palm on his nose easing the itch that comes with that sudden violent expiration of breath.

“Are you ok?” A white tissue is handed to him by his companion that he gratefully receives with a subtle nod. “Are you down with a cold or something?”

“I don’t think so.” He’s feeling fine despite the fact that he was soaking wet from the rain last night. His throat feels itchy that morning but fastly gone before lunch.

“Perhaps someone’s thinking about you,” Luhan says with a playful smirk in his lips. He met the boy in one of his volunteer works back in the days when he was trying to prove his goodwill (or more like he was following this senior he got his eyes on in his freshman year). Whatever reason he had that time, the good thing is he gained something out of it. An angel