For: LovelyM17Kis

Partner: NCT U's Taeyong

Have anice day!

Taeyong locked his car and walked to Greenhouse Apartments, where he and a few of his friends were dorming for their sophomore year of college. He scanned his key at the front sliding doors, greeted the deskman, and walked to the elevator.

He pressed his floor and the doors closed, just missing a girl who was running from the front door.

“Wait! Damn it.” Hana pushed the elevator button with her elbow, trying to balance the overflowing grocery bags in her arms.

“You look like you need some help.”

Hana turned around and saw a handsome stranger with his backpack slung on his right shoulder. She gave him a sheepish smile and he chuckled before grabbing half of her bags.

Hana sighed at the feel of weight being lifted from her arms.

The elevator doors opened.

“After you,” the handsome boy gestured. Hana blushed and mumbled a “thanks” under her breath before walking in.

“What floor?”

“Eleven.”

“Oh, perfect. We’re on the same floor.”

Hana smiled to herself as they went up.

“So, what’s with all the groceries? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“It’s one of my roommate’s birthdays so we’re throwing a party for her at the rooftop today.”

The boy nodded, “Sounds like fun.”

The elevator dinged open and the boy walked Hana to her room. “I’m Jaehyun, by the way.”

Hana took her groceries from him. “I’m Hana. Thanks for carrying these for me.”

Jaehyun smirked, “No problem.” He saluted her and walked to the end of the hallway on the other side to his room. Hana smiled before walking in.

Jaehyun took off his shoes and walked into the sound of his friends arguing like usual.

“Let’s go!”

“No, Jaehyun and I have to study for the test on Friday.”

“Friday? Today’s Friday.”

“Dude, don’t tell me you guys are studying a week before the test.”

“Nerds.”

Jaehyun walked in just as Taeil jumped Haechan. Yuta struggled to get Taeil off of the poor younger one.

“I’m back.”

Taeil’s attention went toward Jaehyun and Haechan used this chance to push him off and ran to Jaehyun. “Let’s go to the swimming pool today!”

“No, Haechan. Jaehyun and I-”

Haechan wrapped his arm around Jaehyun’s and looked at him with puppy eyes. “Please? Today’s the perfect weather for a nice swim! Plus, it’s on the rooftop so it has a nice view.”

Jaehyun’s eyebrows lifted. “Did you say the rooftop?”

“You’re not actually planning on going, are you?” Taeil asked as Haechan excitedly nodded.

“Call the other boys. I’ll go change.” Jaehyun walked to his shared room with Yuta as Haechan cheered and giddily went next door to tell their friends.

“The swimming pool?”

Haechan nodded. “Jaehyun even agreed.”

Mark and Winwin dropped their jaws. “He did? He would never go out if it had nothing to do with food or studying though.”

Haechan shrugged, “He said yes right after I told him it was at the rooftop.”

Taeyong furrowed his brows in his spot on the couch. What’s so special about the rooftop?

“Taeyong, you’re going too, right?”

Taeyong nodded and went to change.

“Jaehyun has a girl!” Yuta declared right when the seven of them met in the hallway.

“What? Why didn’t you tell me!” Mark frowned.

Jaehyun scoffed and hit Yuta on the head. “I don’t have a girl. Don’t listen to this liar.”

Taeil quietly added, “But you said you wanted to go to the rooftop to see a girl.”

The rest of the gang hollered and teased Jaehyun as they crammed into the elevator.

“Wait!” Hanna ran up to the elevator with a bag of plastic cups in her hand.

Taeyong’s eyes widened from his spot in the back corner of the elevator. Hana? What is she doing here? He frowned when she didn’t notice him. She was looking at someone else instead.

He followed her gaze and stopped breathing when his eyes landed on Jaehyun who was smiling back at her. Jaehyun cocked his head, signaling her to step in. Hana smiled and squeezed in between Jaehyun and Winwin.

Taeyong saw how close they were and his blood boiled. Do they not know the definition of personal space?

The elevator opened at the rooftop. It was already decorated for the birthday party with balloons, big letters that spelled Happy Birthday, and party hats.

The boys gawked in awe. “This is so cool! Can we stay?” Haechan asked with sparkling eyes.

Hana looked at Jaehyun who looked at her with pleading eyes and said, “Of course! Join the party.”

“Whoo!” The boys yelled and started trying to push each other into the pool.

Hana laughed at them when she noticed one of them staring at her. She turned to him and her smile slid off right away. Taeyong.

They kept staring at each other as the memories of high school flooded back into their minds. She could sense something in his eyes but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Longing? Confusion? Nostalgia?

Before she could read it, she felt a tug on her arm that made her jump.

“Woah,” Jaehyun chuckled. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Your friend is looking for you.”

Hana absentmindedly nodded and followed him. She looked back at Taeyong for a second before helping her friend set the food up.

The whole night, Hana felt Taeyong’s eyes on her. Every time she looked up, she would catch him staring at her. But she couldn’t tell if his eyes were showing love or hatred. It was as if he was glaring at her, trying to burn holes into her skull.

Hana wanted to brush it off but couldn’t when she felt her heart strings tugging again. After three years, she saw her first love again for the first time. Of course she would feel things.

Taeyong was sitting down on a chair alone while the boys played in the water.

Hana carefully sat down next to him. “Hey.”

Taeyong ignored her. She frowned but tried again. “Long time no see, huh?”

Taeyong kept his eyes on the view and didn’t utter a word. Hana furrowed her brows. Why is he ignoring me? He was looking at me the whole night!

“Taeyong-”

“Don’t try to talk to me.”

Hana slightly leaned back in shock. “What?”

“Don’t act like we’re close. We ended three years ago and I never planned on seeing you again.” Taeyong looked at her with hard eyes, “So don’t try anything.” He stood up to go but Hana grabbed his arm. “Tae-”

“I said don’t talk to me!” Taeyong glared at her and breathed heavily. He glanced around and realized that the whole rooftop was silent and was now staring at the two.

“Taeyong…” He glared at her once more before storming off.

Jaehyun touched her arm. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

Hana, still taken aback by his outburst, didn’t say anything and just stared at the exit.

Jaehyun sighed, “He’s probably just having a bad day. Don’t take it personally.”

Hana wanted to believe Jaehyun but she couldn’t when she just got hurt twice by the boy she once loved.

Taeyong exhaled once he was inside the building. “!” He punched the wall, cutting the skin on his knuckles, as his actions replayed in his mind. He leaned on the wall and slid down to the floor.

He knew his life was too peaceful to be true. Of course his first love had to live in the same apartment as him. Of course she had to go to the same school. Of course his best friend had to like her.

Of course. His life never went the way he wanted it to go.