*hello! if you ended off at chapter 65 where youngjae found out daehyun liked him, please read from chapter 66! thank you <3

Really (ii)
(double update, 68 & 69)

A slight thud has me opening my eyes, Daehyun having returned. He lays his head beside mine, our eyes meeting. Instinctively, I shift back at our close proximity, but Daehyun inches closer.

“What are you thinking about?” He asks.

I purse my lips and reply, “You.”

Daehyun stares at me in surprise, simmering into an utterly amused laugh. “You’re learning from me.” His eyes crinkle along the sides and I find myself melting into a mischievous smile.

As we simmer into a serene quietness, Daehyun reaches out and brushes my hair. He gazes at me wordlessly for a long while, his stare simply darting from one eye to the other. I bashfully try to cover up, the nervousness clambering over me, but Daehyun guides my hands away.

"My boyfriend," Daehyun breathes, irises billowed with mist. "You're... really my boyfriend."

I bat my lashes, churning out an embarrassed smile. "Mm, I am." I slip out the watermelon juice and prod it over. "Here. It'll help soothe your sore throat."

Daehyun takes the bottle, inspecting it with large eyes. "Thank you, Youngjae," he wheezes, taking a gulp. I almost think he's unhappy with it when he leans back down, nearer to me.

He's staring at me with those eyes again. The ones I brushed off for months as platonic love; the ones even Himchan could tell on first glance what laid behind them.

"How can someone like you... love someone like me?" Daehyun breathes. His hand reaches out and it takes an utterly long moment for Daehyun to finally rest it on my face, gently brushing.

"It's the other way round," I murmur sheepishly. Daehyun is everything I wanted to be since the first time I met him. While he draped his jacket over me for the first time, I was already counting the dozens of steps our worlds were away from each other.

It's strange how two people can have such different perceptions of the same people. Before we argue over this again, I start, "Did you eat something bad these few days? Is that why your voice is like that?"

Daehyun shakes his head. His lips suddenly curl in such a goofy manner. "Last night, I went to the bridge by the park."

"Why'd you go there?" I remember that bridge—Daehyun brought me there after the play, and I realised there that Daehyun loved a boy instead of a girl. He held me while I cried, and he made sure to walk me all the way home despite it being close to midnight. We parted when it was pretty late yesterday; he must have went there pretty late.

"I went there to shout," Daehyun beams. "I wanted to tell everyone that you were my boyfriend."

No wonder he has a sore throat. "You're just disturbing people who were trying to sleep," I chortle, biting back a blush. Squirming, I uncertainly ask, "Um, who have you told about us?"

"Yoochun-hyung." Daehyun's hair falls to the side as he squishes his cheek against the table. "Did you tell anyone about us?"

"I really wanted to," I halt and lower my gaze. "But I was scared of how they'd react."

The sound of voices has both of us straightening. The high-pitched words soon steer away, two freshman girls searching for the history section. Daehyun glances back to me, smile lost from his expression. I shouldn't have said anything; now, I've dampened the mood between us.

"Do you want to meet Yongguk-hyung this week?" Daehyun perks up.

"Oh, I'd love to," I reply, wondering momentarily why Daehyun suddenly asked when it hits me.

"Yongguk-hyung knows that you..." I flush, trying to process the realisation as Daehyun nods.

It just completely slipped my mind. I guessed he knew who Daehyun liked that time we ate together in the canteen with Jaebum, since Daehyun chased after him. But when he asked me if I knew who Daehyun's crush was using the word 'she', I figured he didn't actually know and Daehyun just ran after him to check if he really did know. That day in the music room where we worked on the album cover with Daehyun accompanying us, I was thinking there was some inside joke between them two since Yongguk kept laughing. But I just brushed it off as Yongguk being hyper.

When he tripped Daehyun and made him fall onto me... It's embarrassing to think about it. I even challenged Yongguk, suspecting if he really did know who Daehyun liked when he was right.

"You want to tell him about us?" I ask, nibbling on my lip with hesitance. Yongguk knows and he's always been kind to both Daehyun and me, so it's safe to say he wouldn't be against us, right?

"Do you want to? We don't have to," Daehyun quickly states.

I shake my head. "I want to." It seems childish, but it makes my insides flutter to think about telling someone. It feels like I'm sharing my happiness. Yongguk's a close friend and has supported us ever since I met him; I shouldn't be so negative and assume the worst.

"Okay." Daehyun breaks out into another incadescent smile, chuckling to himself.

"How did Yongguk know? Did you tell him?"

"He figured it out by himself," Daehyun says. "He said he saw me staring at you a lot."

I burrow my face into my arms. "O-oh..."

A lot of things are falling into place now that I know the truth. So this is why Yongguk knew for sure that I didn't know who Daehyun liked. Imagine if I told him Daehyun liked Taemin. He would probably have laughed in my face.

Wait, Taemin... I was so sure that Daehyun liked Taemin. It seemed so much more logical he'd like someone like Taemin based on his description, yet it turned out to be me. Then, why did Daehyun act strangely around Taemin?

"Um, Daehyun, can I ask you a question?"

"Mm."

"I kind of thought you liked Taemin because you acted weirdly around him. You always seemed uncomfortable with him around," I mumble.

Daehyun blinks at me, the fondness in his smile doubling into amusement. He lowers his stare and divulges, "He saw me give you my jacket, so I was afraid he knew I liked you."

"He saw?" I widen my eyes in surprise.

Daehyun nods, his eyelids falling. He glimpses around and gingerly cups my cheek. Will he ever stop holding me this way? Like I'd break into pieces at his touch, like I'm someone worth all this care and tenderness...

"I was scared he'd tell you. I didn't want you to be disgusted with me," Daehyun breathes. "I'd rather... you not know me for the rest of your life."

"You shouldn't like me if I'm that sort of person," I say in a quiet voice. So, Taemin may know? Worry washes over me for a second but I remind myself what kind of person Taemin is. He's always been nice to Daehyun and me. If he really does know, he hasn't told anyone up till now—at least, I think so. We can trust him.

Daehyun's lips curl. His smile fades away as he keeps his stare fixated on me, raking over every blemish, every odd feature, every one of the things that make me so inferior to him.

"That day in the library, I was so busy drawing you that I forgot I had practice," Daehyun laughs.

"Stupid." I think back to Daehyun's gift and ask, "Do you want your sketchbook back? I feel bad taking something so precious..."

"No, I want you to have it. I don't draw anymore."

"Why not? You draw so well," I blurt.

Daehyun bashfully squeezes his shoulder. "I sketched you so I could remember the times where I got to see you around." He purses his lips and sends a rather mischievous smile. "But now, I don't have to because I get to see you everyday."

I flop my head and bury it into my arms. "Stop it. I'm tired of your cheesiness, Jung Daehyun." Daehyun bursts into a hearty guffaw, gently touching my shoulder.

"I bought a new one," he says jubilantly. "When I fill up the pages, I'll give it to you too."

"I don't want it," my voice comes out muffled.

Daehyun laughs once more, his hand remaining on my back. Quietness settles upon us as I continue hiding my face, truthfully trying to shroud my red face.

Daehyun breaks the silence after a long moment. "I want to take you out on a lot of dates," he whispers, voice low and raspy.

I peek out from the refuge of my arms and lock eyes with Daehyun. He his lips and continues, "We can watch movies, have dinner together, go to carnivals... and go to the beach again."

"I'd really like that." I churn out a shy smile, finding it harder to breathe as I look at Daehyun. "When it's winter, let's have a sleepover together."

"...Okay," Daehyun chuckles, the tips of his ears pinking. "Let's go on a trip too, someday."

"Okay." I glance up at the clock on the wall and straighten up. "Daehyun, it's almost three. You should go or you'll be late for practice."

Daehyun's face falls when he looks at the time, standing reluctantly. I smother a giggle as he picks up his bag with a subtle pout.

"I'll wait for you at the canteen, okay?" I say, pumping my fists. "Do your best!"

Daehyun broadly grins and nods, swinging his shoe bag over his shoulder. "I will. You should go home if you're tired, Youngjae."

"I'm not," I assure. I bid Daehyun goodbye and he paces away, cutely turning back every once in a while to smile at me. He finally exits the library and I finally realise how hard my heart had been thumping. My skin is all flushed and my smile feels all squiggly.

I'm the luckiest person on earth, aren't I? My boyfriend is Jung Daehyun. He's kind like no other, warm-hearted like the sun lives in him, sweeter than sugar and honey. And he loves me, out of all the possible people in the world.

I plop my head back onto the desk, making a pillow out of my checkered jacket. Putting on Daehyun's jacket which he gave me just in case, I fall asleep to the thought of Daehyun's lovely smile, waking up half an hour just fifteen minutes before the library closes.

I pack my jacket back into my bag, groggily walking out with a thin shiver. It's a good thing the librarian didn't catch me sleeping.

Strolling to the canteen, I sit at one corner with my back facing the sports hall, watching the bustle in the canteen. Today's kind of chilly. Some students stay back to study in the canteen while others just hang around to talk to their friends. Out in the courtyard, the netball girls are doing their practices dilligently while the scouts jog around the school.

I used to feel uncomfortable sitting on my own in school where it was crowded, since it felt like the students would secretly think there was something wrong with me for having no friends to be with. While walking down the hallways, I've always tried to make myself as unnoticeable as possible, pacing close to the walls.

After these few days, it feels a little trivial. I cried so messily as I ran through the crowds, some of them my friends, others schoolmates who have probably seen me around. Even though it's embarrassing to think about it, it doesn't make me wince as much as it would one week ago. All I wanted to do was find Daehyun at that time; I didn't think at all about what people thought of a chubby, crying boy