The sound of something ringing infiltrates his dream.

He then recognizes the tone as that of his mobile phone and this wakes him up. He reaches out his left hand towards the nightstand for the device without opening his eyes as he answers the call with a groggy voice.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?” Yun’s voice greeted him as the former spoke first before he could even say a hello.

“A bit, yeah,” Jae rubs his right eye with his free hand.

There was a moment of silence after his response before the person on the other line continued.

“Remember to eat breakfast, alright?” and even with his half-asleep state, Jae managed to chuckle.

“I’m serious, Jae. I know you. Stop making me worry,” Yun always said what was in his mind and Jae wished he could do the same.

“I know. I know. Thanks, Yun. You’re a good friend,” that last word managed to sting every single time it was uttered to him or by him with regards to Yunho.

“Good night then. I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow,” the younger abruptly ends the conversation.

“Yeah, good night,” Jae then returns his phone to where it was, lets out a sigh and tries to fall back to sleep.

But he couldn’t.

He was now awake. And so was his heart that was pounding painfully. It wasn’t satisfied with torturing him during the day but even in the night.

“Your affectionate worries, do they really mean nothing?”

“Just a wink. A wink of sleep would do, please,” Jae tried to convince himself and the next thing he knew it was already morning.

.

“Yunho! What were you thinking!? Honestly!” Jae was angrily pressing a bag of ice against the bottom right corner of Yun’s lips.

“It’s not my fault your boyfriend’s a ing as*hole,” the latter muttered with as much or even more rage of his own.

“It’s a good thing you got away with only a bruise to your cheekbone and a cut on your lips! What if.. what if-” Jae was pressing harder to emphasize his point. He knew Yun was a straightforward person but he never thought the other would ever pick a fight.

“Look, Jae,” Yun finally looks his way, but this time it’s Jae who wants to look anywhere else. The latter’s gaze was too intense, “Just because you’re lovers doesn’t mean he can force himself onto you. That’s still considered as harassment! You need to stop being so submissive!”.

“You don’t understand-” Jae tries to explain, but he is cut off.

“What don’t I understand. If you don’t like it, say something goddammit!” Yun suddenly stands up and that surprises Jae making the ice bag fall to the floor.

Yun takes one look at the terrified Jae and realizes he snapped. He then bends down to pick up the cold compress and hands it back to the other, “I’m sorry I yelled”.

Awkward silence ensues as Jae washes the ice bag clean and refills it before heading back to Yun.

It’s the latter that breaks it first. He grabs Jae by the wrist stopping his ministrations, so that they could talk properly, “What I’m saying, Jae, is that you need to stop doing this to yourself. You need to treasure yourself more. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

“But I’m not good enough for you,” Jae bites his tongue since he almost said it. He almost said what was in his heart.

The door to the nurse’s office suddenly opens letting SuJin in, “I’m glad you guys are still here. I asked the other student council members and they told me their President had a fight with the Secretary’s boyfriend”. She laughed as she approached them.

 “Hey, baby,” Yun perks up with the sound of her voice and he manages a crooked smile at her.

Jae then steps back away from Yun as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have. He fails in trying to hide the hurt in his face but the other two occupants of the room wouldn’t notice anyway since they were now in their own world.

He leaves the ice bag on the table near the foot of the bed and walks out.

He needed to get out of there. He knew running away wouldn’t do him any good in the long run, but sometimes it was the only thing he could do aside from bursting into tears.

.

“Jaejoongie, got a minute?” ChungHee had knocked once then decided to come in.

“Uhm,” Jae hesitated not only because they were in the middle of sorting out paperwork in the student council room but also because he hadn’t seen his boyfriend since the incident with Yunho.

“Sorry, we’re busy right now. Please don’t bother us,” Yun suddenly steps into the conversation with a deadly glare directed towards the guy he whose jaw he almost dislocated.

ChungHee ignores him and continues to talk to Jae, “What time will you be done? I can wait.”

“I..uh.. still have classes after this,” Jae sees the other’s face fall at this. He knew the guy wasn’t all bad. He was nice and gentle which is why he went out with him after he confessed. Maybe a second chance wouldn’t be so bad, “But we could meet at the university’s gate when I’m about to go home?”.

“Yeah. That would be good. Thanks. It’s usually 5 p.m. right? See you,” ChungHee finally left and with a smile.

Jae felt relieved. Maybe they just needed to talk he told himself.

“I’m not letting you reconcile with him,” Yun then declares.

“You don’t have that right, Yun,” Jae says trying to keep his calm.

“I’m your friend. I have the right to tell you and stop you when you’re being stupid,” Yun says as a matter-of-factly.

“You are JUST my friend,” Jae rebukes all too soon for his liking.

He sees the hurt in Yun’s eyes. He knows it’s hurt and not shock. He’s all too familiar with how it feels.

“Even so! Don’t I matter?” Yun still manages to answer.

“You matter too much,” Jae says as he gets up and leaves. He was getting too good. Too good with walking away.

.

*drip* *drop* *drip* *drop*

“He’s not here. I guess he already went home,” Jae thought to himself as he pulled out the umbrella from his bag. It suddenly started drizzling.

He was forced to stay longer than expected since his professor had come late and decided to make-up for the lesson by going overtime.

“Jae! Jae!” a voice was calling for him from a distance. He stopped in his tracks to look back. Yun was running towards him getting soaked by the second.

He gave the other the chance to catch his breath as he shielded him from the rain.

“Can we walk home? We need to talk,” Yun finally straightened up and took the umbrella from him. It was easier for them that way since he was taller. Jae just nodded.

“I met with ChungHee. I took advantage of the fact that you weren’t there. I’m sorry for being a jerk to your boyfriend ever since you got together, but I don’t regret it. We talked and he raised some good points,” Yun didn’t wait for his response he just started talking and didn’t seem like he was stopping anytime soon.

“I guess I am a bit overprotective of you. I don’t know why. I can’t help it. Even SuJin has mentioned this to me before,” Yun continues, “speaking of my girlfriend, she broke up with me that day I punched your boyfriend. But anyway, back to what I was saying”.

Jae was only lightly listening but then he heard something about a breakup, “What?!”.

“She said it seemed like I love you more than I love her. Funny isn’t it,” but Yun wasn’t even smiling as he said it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jae asked with worried eyes.

“I was set on us getting back together but then I realized some things when I talked to ChungHee. He pointed out almost the same things SuJin did. I even recalled thinking I hope you guys wouldn’t work out when you first got together. Selfish of me, I know.” Yun, who was facing the road ahead that they were walking on, was now looking towards the ground.

“I’m just confused.. or perplexed. I don’t know if there’s a right term for what I’m feeling right now. I thought it was normal.. to care about you, to wish you happiness, to always want to be by your side, to able to share everything. Where is the boundary between platonic and romantic love exactly?” Yun was voicing out how he felt and all Jae could do was listen. At least for now.

“Is it normal for a friend to think of their friend as someone who’s perfect?” Jae wasn’t sure if Yun was asking him or if he was just saying a thought out loud.

Still he answered him, “I don’t know. I’m not perfect. I have flaws”.

“Is it wrong to think that your flaws make you perfect?” Yun turned to face him and asks with sincere eyes.

“Isn’t that contradictory?” Jae replies not fully registering what Yun was trying to say.

“I know there’s no one perfect. Especially not me,” Yun tries to explain.

“But you are. At least to me,” Jae manages a small smile. He finally said it.

“If that’s so. Do you know what you’re feeling? Do you understand why is it and what it is that you feel for me? Are you just being a supportive friend?” Yun asks the last one with a small voice.

“I know mine is love.. that I love you, more than a friend,” Jae confesses not even looking at the person beside him.

“So is mine love too?” Yun inquires with a  throbbing heart.

“I don’t know. Can we find out?” Jae stops them both and they face each other.

They look at each other for a moment before Jae leans in and closes his eyes. He tiptoes a little to be able to kiss the other properly.

“How do you feel?” Jae inquires as he pulls back shortly after.

“I feel.. I feel like my heart’s about to burst,” Yun fights back a choke.

“Like in a good way?” Jae tries to stifle a laugh that creeping up his throat by biting his lower lip.

“I think so. I’ve never felt this way before, so I don’t know,” Yun shakes his head too.

“Not even with SuJin?” Jae tilts his head to the side finding it hard to believe.

“She said what we felt for each other weren’t the same. I didn’t really get it. ChungHee said the same about you,” Yun felt his cheeks flush.

“I figured that out too. That day I broke up with him, which is why he tried to touch me to see if I really didn’t feel the same about him,” Jae said as he gestured to Yun that they start walking again.

“People say how we love someone will not be the same as how they love us even if you have mutual feelings. I used to believe in that. But then I began thinking maybe then the person meant for us is the one who doesn’t make us wonder if we are loved more or loved less. Not everyone falls in love once and I’d like to think that when you’ve found the one for you, is when you’ve found the one with the same love as yours,” Yun was beginning to understand what Jae was talking about.

“There are flaws in romance, but love is perfect,” Jae said with a smile.

Yun was still absorbing Jae’s words when it finally stopped raining. They were a corner away from Jae’s dormitory.

“Jae, is it possible that love is perfectly flawed?” Yun asked as Jae was closing his umbrella catching the latter off guard.

The person in question pondered for a minute before answering, “Yes, I guess that’s true,”.

“Then I get it now.” 

-----

A/N: I wanted to write something for YunJae anniversary and this is where it led me. People have asked me before how does one know if they love someone and I honestly don't know how to explain it and/or if it's the same with how others see or feel it. I guess this fic depicts the confusion between friendship and love and the so-called different kinds of love. I'd like to know how you guys view love and/or you know when you're in love, so please comment them below if you have the time :)