The chance presented itself to Kyungsoo too soon.

Jongin was late to class and it didn't really bother him. He had already expected that the boy would be that way. What surprised him, however, was the state the boy was in when he entered the class. To say that he was dirty would be an understatement.

The teacher looked equally surprised. “Jongin, what happened?” The teacher didn’t wait for his reply and just called out, “Kyungsoo, please assist Jongin here. Do you have spare clothes in your locker, Jongin?” The boy nodded. “Alright. Please be back in fifteen minutes.”

Kyungsoo had no choice but to stand up and follow Jongin. He knew that by assist, his teacher meant that he should follow the boy and make sure he went back to class. It was part of the burden of being a class president, although he normally enjoyed his responsibilities.

“About yesterday,” he started.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jongin said as he wiped the mud away from his face.

He continued anyway. “I wanted to apologize. That was very rude and wrong of me. I’m sorry.”

The boy nodded curtly and opened his locker. Letters and chocolates fell from his locker.

He didn’t miss the groan that escaped Jongin’s lips. “Let me help you with that,” he offered. He wanted to be in good terms with the boy even if it annoyed him. It was for his grade.

The taller boy pulled out a black plastic bag and started stuffing the things inside. “This happens every single day. It’s really annoying,” he said, surprising Kyungsoo.

He started picking up the letters. “Why don’t you tell them to stop?”

“I’ve told them countless times, but they won’t stop.”

“So you don’t like it?” Kyungsoo asked as he placed the last letter inside the bag.

Jongin shook his head. “I hate it. I can’t make any real friends in school because of this.” He took his spare clothes from the locker and closed it with a bang. He picked up the plastic and walked to the restroom.

He felt pity for the boy as he followed him to the restroom. “You know,” he said, “Baekhyun and Chanyeol are good guys. They really want to be friends with you.”

The boy had washed his face and arms. “I just hope they still want to be friends with me even if I steal their girlfriends,” he said sarcastically.

Kyungsoo laughed and Jongin looked at him, surprised and, although he wouldn’t want to admit it to anyone, delighted. “You don’t have to worry about girls and those two. They’re gay for each other and they know it.”

The taller boy cocked his head to the side. Rather cutely, Kyungsoo noticed. “What do you mean?”

“They like each other. And they’re gay,” he explained. “As in, they’re not straight.”

“What about you?” The question was out of Jongin’s mouth before he could even process it.

“What?” He looked at him with those wide eyes.

He shook his head. “Nothing.” He removed his mud-caked uniform and undershirt, making Kyungsoo blush when he saw his toned body.

He turned away and said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Once outside, he placed a hand on his racing heart and asked himself, “Why did I feel that way?”

A few days after, Kyungsoo asked Jongin if they could spend the day together for their Art project. But the latter frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly, “but I can’t miss my dance practice.”

Kyungsoo blinked a few times until an idea came to him. “Can I come to your dance practice then? I think it will help me get to know you better.”

Jongin grinned widely at this. “Sure.”

Going to Jongin’s practice wasn’t an easy feat, Kyungsoo learned. They had to hide a lot of times and run away from the girls who always followed Jongin. They had to take different routes to lose them. “They can’t know where I hang out after school,” he said. “Or else they won’t leave me alone.”

“I love dancing,” he continued. “I’m able to express myself when I dance. I feel free.”

The dance studio was only a couple of kilometers away from the school, but it took them longer to get there because of all the girls. “I’m always late to dance practice because of them,” he complained as they entered the studio.

It was a fairly big studio with only a few of students. There were two boys rapping in the corner. “That’s Hoya and Dongwoo,” Jongin said. “Choreographer and leader. They’re really good friends. They’re great people too.” He pointed to the one sprawled on the floor in the middle of the studio. “That’s Lu Han hyung. He’s the eldest but acts like he’s the youngest.”

“He looks young,” Kyungsoo commented.

A boy a tiny bit taller than him walked in from the door at the far end of the studio. “That’s Sehun, Lu Han hyung’s boyfriend and my best friend.” The front door opened and two boys walked in. “And that’s Taemin and Yixing.”

The boy named Sehun walked to them and fist bumped with Jongin. “Yo.” He looked at Kyungsoo. “You must be Kyungsoo. I’m Oh Sehun.”

He nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Lu Han came bounding up to them. “Hello!” he greeted and gave them a radiant smile. “You have pretty eyes, Kyungsoo. Jongin was right.”

He looked at the taller boy in confusion.

Jongin and Sehun gaped at Lu Han. Sehun was the first to recover. “Hyung,” he said in a tone that was used for five year olds.

The older man blew them a raspberry and left them. His boyfriend shook his head and sent an apologetic look to Jongin.

Jongin scratched his head and said, “Sorry about Lu Han hyung. He can be a bit... hyperactive sometimes.”

He just nodded with a smile. “No problem.”

Dongwoo, the leader of the group, gathered them in the middle of the studio. He told them to get ready and started the music. They started dancing and they looked like they were in a different world.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but stare at Jongin. It was like he was watching someone else. The way he moved his body enthralled him. He felt his heart racing again.

It was too much for him, so he hurriedly left the studio without saying goodbye.

The next day, Jongin walked up to him with a determined look. “Where did you go yesterday?” he asked.

Kyungsoo swallowed the bile in his throat. “I felt sick.” It wasn’t a lie. He didn’t feel like himself yesterday and he assumed that he was sick.

Jongin’s face softened and he asked, “Are you alright now?” He reached for his forehead to check if he still had a fever.

He froze but he managed to utter, “Yes.”

The teacher chose that moment to walk in and Kyungsoo was grateful that she did. She was a few minutes late though, for his heart had already started to race.

A week later, Kyungsoo decided that it was time for him to go back to the dance studio and watch Jongin practice. He needed to ace this project after all. He also ran out of excuses. Baekhyun and Chanyeol just gave him sly smiles and mischievous winks when they overheard them talking.

He learned something new about him as they were walking towards the studio.

“So your girlfriend-“

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Jongin said. “Those are just rumors.”

“But the girls-“

“They like thinking that I’m their boyfriend.” He sighed. “It’s gotten really ridiculous now. I’m not even a K-Pop idol.”

Kyungsoo looked at him sympathetically, but inside he was grinning. He didn’t know why. “They’ll probably stop once you get a girl-“

He was cut yet again when Jongin ran away from him and to the old woman crossing the street. The old woman looked was carrying a lot of bags, too much for her frail body carry. Jongin took some of the bags from her.

Kyungsoo ran to them and took the remaining bags from the woman.

Once they reached her house, she smiled in gratitude and thanked them again. “Thank you so much. You boys are angels. Would you like to come to stay for a while? I’m making seaweed soup. It’s my grandchild’s birthday.”

He was ready to refuse when Jongin smiled at her and said, “Of course! Thank you so much for asking.”

He wanted to remind him about the dance practice, but the taller boy beat him to it. “I’ll just text Dongwoo hyung and tell him I can’t go today.”

He didn’t know why but his heart started racing again.

They spent the last five months of the school year together, working on their project. Kyungsoo learned a lot about Jongin. He learned that the day he went to school covered in mud was because he saved a wounded dog that was left to die. He learned a lot about his family.

He learned that he was actually really shy. But once you get to know him, he was pretty talkative.

He also learned that he liked fried chicken. So once a week, he cooked fried chicken for him and they would eat together.

The girls and guys following him around started to lessen and they were both thankful for it.

Kyungsoo also learned that he was weak when it came to Jongin’s heart-stopping smile and tinkling laughter. He learned that he liked seeing the crinkles beneath his eyes whenever he smiled and the way his Adam’s apple protruded obviously when he laughed. He learned that he didn’t like seeing him cry because he didn’t lie seeing him hurt.

He learned, although he didn’t want to admit it, that he liked him.

Only a week was left before their project was due, but Kyungsoo was still at a loss on what artwork to pass.

“I still don’t know what to do,” Kyungsoo whined to his best friends during lunch.

Baekhyun gaped at him, mid-bite. Chanyeol looked like he saw a ghost. It was the first time Kyungsoo whined and it was also the first time Kyungsoo looked worried about a school project.

“What?”

“I still don’t know what artwork to make,” he said. “I don’t know. Only a week left now. I can’t believe it. I’m going to fail.”

The two tried to comfort him, but they were also panicking. It was so unlike him.

“Maybe you’re spending too much time with Jongin?” Baekhyun suggested. “That happens to me when I’m with Chanyeol too much. My brain gets wired and-“

“Baek, you’re not helping,” Chanyeol told him.

The smaller boy just smiled at them sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Kyungsoo sat up straight. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am spending too much time with Jongin.”

“Are you getting tired of me?” Jongin asked.

They all turned to see Jongin standing behind them with a look of hurt in his face.

“That’s not what I meant,” Kyungsoo started to explain.

“I’m sorry,” the boy said and walked away, his shoulders slumped.

“Maybe you should go after him,” Chanyeol said softly.

He shook his head. “No. I need some time to think.”

The day of the submission and report came. It had also been a week since Kyungsoo last talked to Jongin.

He came to school with only just his usual school stuff. Baekhyun and Chanyeol exchanged worried glances.

“Were you able to think of something?” Chanyeol asked.

He just nodded with a small smile. He turned to Jongin who was sitting at the back, but the boy refused to meet his gaze. He sighed, but forced himself to think positively.

Their other classes flew by quickly and soon, it was time for their Art class. The order of the report was done alphabetically. Baekhyun was the fifth person to present. He showed everyone a scrapbook filled with photos and memorabilia.

“I’ve known Chanyeol for as long as I can remember. I think it’s safe to assume that I know him more than anyone else. Right now, I know everything there is to know about him. This scrapbook proves it.” He smiles lovingly at the tall, gangly boy. “Chanyeol-ah, saranghae!” The class cheered as Baekhyun went back to his seat.

After two students reported, it was finally Kyungsoo’s turn.

He took a deep breath and walked to the front of the class. He wasn’t holding anything.

The students started murmuring to each other. Baekhyun and Chanyeol paled. The teacher looked at him with a smile. “Start,” she said.

He took another deep breath and started. “I was partnered with Kim Jongin without my consent. I hated it at first. In fact, I truly loathed him before. When I first saw him, my immediate thought was that he was nothing special. So I wondered why people always flocked around him. But when I got to know him, that's when I realized. He had this certain aura that would pull you closer to him. And you wouldn't be able to resist it.”

Kyungsoo and the class laughed. Jongin had a tiny smile, but he was still looking down. “I learned a lot of things from him. I also found out that he's not really bad looking, contrary to my initial thoughts. He also has charm, charisma, and talent."

“Because of him, I learned that everyone is special in his or her own way. And for me, what makes him truly special is his heart. His most mundane actions that come from his heart are the ones that make him who he is. The ones that make him Kim Jongin."

“When the teacher first announced this project, someone asked how it is related to art. Art is around us. It makes everything bright and wonderful. Every single thing, no matter how simple it is, is art. Every one of us is an artwork.” Kyungsoo looked at him again and this time, he met his eyes. “And my partner, Kim Jongin, is the most beautiful work of art I've ever seen.”

The class clapped their hands and the teacher smiled proudly at him. But Kyungsoo could only see the boy sitting at the back.

“That was very beautiful, Do Kyungsoo. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. This is the reason why I gave this project. Although your presentation was fantastic, you still have to pass an artwork. That is one of the requirements,” the teacher said.

He turned to her and nodded. He went back to his seat and took a photograph. He passed the photograph to his teacher. It was a photo of fire burning wildly and freely that he took the day before.

When he turned to go back to his seat, Jongin was there. The taller boy hugged him tightly.

“Thanks for coming to my life, Jongin,” he whispered and hugged him back. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“Thank you,” Jongin said. “You brought color to my life.”

Jongin had spurred the lighting of the fire within him before. He had done it again and set the fire within him ablaze. But this time, it was a good kind of fire.