Chansik walked shivering under the freezing night sky, soaked and sneezing from the water incident he had to endure awhile ago.

It started of well, the party, that is. Sunwoo threw an open house party for all freshmen who wanted to join the fraternity and Chansik, who had developed a crush on the fraternity’s leader, in the name of Jung Jinyoung, wanted to see how things go around in a fraternity. It’s his first year in college and college should be about cramming papers, endless coffee, yolo mantras and making it to the last four years of concealed freedom.

He was standing a few inches away the pool, afraid that he might accidentally slip and fall down while holding a red plastic cup filled with a friendly drink—juice. He wasn’t open to the idea of drinking alcoholic at that time, well, he would, but he needed to go to his province for a family event the next day. Chansik’s all aware that going home drunk or with a hangover wouldn’t be something easy to explain. He didn’t bring an extra pair of clothes because the plan is to search for Jinyoung in the party, have a conversation with him, and then leave before 8 pm so he can still make it to the last bus trip for tonight. (Actually, remove the attempt on having a conversation, he’s too shy for that. All he really wanted was just to see Jinyoung and disappear like a bubble.)

That was the plan. He hadn’t seen it coming when Junghwan had pushed him playfully into the pool, making him drenched and gasping for air. He flailed his arms and swam towards the edge to climb the stars and let out a small sneeze. He tried squeezing the water out of his clothes and looked at Junghwan who was beaming widely at him.

“I had to, you’re a freshman, right?” Junghwan said joyously. He turned his heels and walked away. He saw Sunwoo giving him a nice high-five and he shivered at the first contact of cool air against his skin.

Chansik smiled knowingly and sighed because this is part of welcoming freshmen and this is a fraternity, for crying out loud, everything done within the circle of the group is considered legal. However, anything that happened right now is but legal and he worried how ever can he excuse himself from being late and not making it on the trip the morning to come.

He sneezes and walks the half mile walk from the fraternity house to dorm within the streets of the university. Oh how he dreads the idea of going unprepared. And not actually seeing Jinyoung in the first place. He places his hands inside the pockets of his trench coat even if it won’t do much because his coat is soaking wet too.

He grabs his phone as it beeps and slides it open.

“Mum?”

“Are you on your way? I’m sorry for troubling you.”

“It’s okay mum,” he sneezes and sniffs.

“Are you sick?”

“No, it’s just cold in here,” Terribly cold because I got myself drenched in the pool, with my clothes on.

There was a pause and Chansik is about to say something when his mum speaks, “I told dad you can cancel tonight’s trip. It would be tiring travelling back and fort from here to Seoul.”

“Are you sure? I can make it.” Chansik replies hurriedly but is slightly thankful that his mum is being considerate.

“It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll talk to you soon. Stay safe and get some rest, you’ll be catching colds if you won’t take a warm bath soon.”

“I will. Say hi to aunt for me! Good night.”

Chansik holds his phone tightly and sniffs the liquid forming in his nose. He’s thankful that his mum had cancelled his commitments because there’s no way he’ll manage to get on a bus tonight. It’s already past 8 pm and the last bus will leave in the next 15 seconds. Chansik blinks his teary eyes and tries to rub his palms together just to make himself a little bit warm. If ever that's going to work.

“Okay, half a mile, here I go,” Chansik says to himself.

On his way walking, he sneezes nonstop and each step equates to an even redder nose, and set of teary eyes. He blinks the tears away and shivers nonstop. He lets out a yawn and curses at his body for feeling weak, fidgety and sleepy all at the same time it seems funny.

“Are you okay?” he hears a voice all of a sudden and he turns around to see Jinyoung, his crush ever since he entered school, standing behind him. Can it be possible that life will continue to shower you with nonstop blessings? Chansik basks into the idea. How truly, apologetic and sensitively sorry he is feeling right now for skipping family events... Chansik smiles deep inside and stares at Jinyoung.

“Yeah?” He sneezes and Jinyoung furrows his eyebrows as he looks at Chansik with a worried pair of foxlike eyes.

“You don’t sound like you’re okay.” Jinyoung tells him as he approached him and drapes his trench coat around Chansik’s fidgeting shoulders. Chansik freezes even more. He's quite sure it's not just the coldness of the air but the way Jinyoung touched his shoulders. He looks at Jinyoung with blurry eyes and warm cheeks. He just prays that Jinyoung would think it of as the effect of coldness in him. (And not some weird girl crush running in his veins).

Chansik pulls the edges of the coat and wraps himself around it because he had been shivering for the last ten minutes. Who knew half a mile is really, really, really a long walk?

“You’re Channie right?” Jinyoung asks as he leans closer to get a clear view of the boy with a runny nose.

Chansik found himself nodding despite the fact that it was his first time to hear someone calling him pet names. “Y-yes?”

Jinyoung smiled and Chansik thought he’d gone blind. Jinyoung’s smile was like the sunshine, warm and happy. Chansik smiles back and lets out another sneeze. Jinyoung pulls back his drenched bangs and presses a handkerchief to wipe his nose clean.

“Where’s your dorm at?” Jinyoung asks and Chansik tells him that he stays at the freshmen university dorm.

“That’s too far from here,” Jinyoung tells him and he nods absently not really minding when Jinyoung had held onto his hand and pulled him to the opposite direction. Chansik found himself obeying, following and Jinyoung didn’t mention anything until they arrived at Jinyoung’s dorm, Chansik had realised what just had happened.

“T-this is your dorm. But why…” Chansik half-breathes and half-sniffs. “Oh no, no, no. I can’t. I simply can’t.” He argues but the sneeze that followed next just made him more vulnerable and less convincing.

“You’ll catch cold,” Jinyoung deadpans and Chansik pouts his lips. “Dongwoo's out at the party anyway, it’s okay.”

Chansik gives in defeat and lets Jinyoung pull him on the third floor, to the last door down the hall. Jinyoung turns in the key and the light as they opened the door.

Chansik stays at the doorway, not wanting to create a mess of water droplets on the floor. Jinyoung locks the door and looks at Chansik with that amazingly adorable smile that gets everyone’s attention, even Chansik falls for that smile.

“The bathroom’s over there, I’ll get you some clothes.” Jinyoung says as he points the bathroom door and even before he could protest, Jinyoung’s gone.

+

Chansik finds himself wandering around the room since Jinyoung left to get something at the near convenient store. It's a small apartment with one bedroom, a small bathroom, a kitchen and a living room slash dining room. It's much more spacious compared to the university dorms and Chansik thought living in dorms outside the university is better. He notes mentally to look for vacant dorms before the semester ends.

He looks himself at the mirror in the living room and smiles that he's wearing Jinyoung's clothes. It's a loose white lounge shirt with a print of the university name at the back and an animated image of a fox from Pororo. The sweatpants his wearing are short for his liking but he had done perfectly to bring justice to it by folding it up to his knees.

Chansik sits on the small two-sitter couch and folds his legs up to his chest. He's completely better now and warm. He scans his eyes around the room and sees nothing but shelves filled with books on engineering and literature. He's quite sure the literature books belong to Senior Dongwoo because Jinyoung's taking up engineering.

He spots a guitar case and music sheets on one table just across the couch. He wonders who between the two plays the guitar and write songs. He is busy looking through things from the couch that he didn't hear the door crack open and closed at the process.

"Hey," Chansik was startled and Jinyoung smiles at his reaction. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Just fidgety, sorry." Chansik replies bashfully and looks at the plastic bag Jinyoung's holding.

"I brought food. It seems that you didn't eat much at the welcoming party a while ago." Jinyoung tells him and Chansik hiccups at what he just said. So Jinyoung was at the party awhile ago? And he knew that he didn't eat much because he had an unexpected swim thanks to the sophomores? He eyes Jinyoung and sighs, of course, he is the frat leader, he technically must be there.

"Uh, yeah?" Chansik says and he can feel his cheeks heating up again. Jinyoung looks at him and he tries to break the gaze and focuses on the cookies and ramen pouches instead.

"Do you like ramyun?" Jinyoung asks and Chansik looks at him shyly. "I am the best ramyun cook in the university!" Jinyoung brags and Chansik finds himself laughing at Jinyoung's silly remark. He beams his foxlike eyes and Chansik smiles.

He didn't lie when he said that he's the best ramyun cook around because Chansik asked for two more servings after his share, which included Jinyoung's share, and to which Jinyoung didn't really mind. Chansik lets out a burp and covers his mouth quickly in embarrassment. Jinyoung only laughs and pinches his cheek. "You're too cute when you're shy, Channie." He says and Chansik can't quite contain his red cheeks anymore.

Jinyoung cleans up and he offers to help but Jinyoung only presses a can of strawberry juice on his face and he takes it gladly.

+

Jinyoung's idea of Friday night is studying for his extra classes the next day and Chansik watches him as he plays the guitar with perfect tunes and beautiful melody that makes his heart tingle.

"Wow hyung!" Chansik claps after Jinyoung plays a beautiful rendition of one pop-acoustic medley song in his guitar. Chansik finds Jinyoung's voice unique and melodic that he can't stop cheering for him. "I didn't know you can play!"

"That sounded like an insult Channie," Jinyoung pouts yet follows it with a smile. "I don't look like it, ne?"

Chansik feels bad but nods, "I guess because you're taking up engineering." Chansik replies softly and Jinyoung smiles, clinking their cans together. Jinyoung drinks up his beer while Chansik finishes his strawberry juice.

He lets out a yawn and when Jinyoung notices this, he packs away his guitar, piles his music sheets and gets up. Chansik lets out another yawn and looks up at Jinyoung who's reaching out a hand.

"Let's go to bed, you look exhausted." Jinyoung says and Chansik reaches out, feeling slightly shaken when Jinyoung had held him again. The stupid girly crush rushing in all over again, Chansik thinks.

Chansik opts to stay in the couch because going home wasn't allowed since Jinyoung reasoned it's not safe to walk alone on late hours, but Jinyoung drags him into the bedroom because not him or Dongwoo had attempted to sleep on the couch in their entire life. It will break your back, he says to the freshman and Chansik rolls his eyes in disbelief.

He finds the room neat, with two single beds, one on each side, and surprisingly clean. "Dongwoo's a neat freak," Jinyoung says and he feels slightly bad. He can't put out the correct word but there's no way he's being jealous over this. But he can. There's no law that says he can't be jealous about these petty things. Even though Jinyoung and him don't have anything particularly special

Jinyoung pulls the blanket and pushes Chansik down his bed. Chansik sinks in, moves near the wall and widens his eyes when Jinyoung lies beside him, his almost falling at the edge.

"Are you comfortable?" Jinyoung asks and Chansik wants to say no but nods instead. For the record, he wants to tell and insist even more that he can manage sleeping on the couch because Jinyoung’s hanging at the edge of his own bed but feeling Jinyoung against is him is just too irresistible.

"Hyung, I can leave if--"

“Just sleep Channie, it’s okay.” Jinyoung tells him and Chansik can feel Jinyoung’s breathing against his skin. Chansik tries to roll away but he’s basically pinned into the wall and tangling his arms and legs with Jinyoung is probably the most best way to feel comfortable on a single bed.

“Are you all right?” he hears Jinyoung asks and he nods, feeling his cheek brush against Jinyoung’s lips. “Dongwoo doesn’t like it when I sleep on his bed.” He explains and Chansik feels slightly relieved. At least, he had confirmed that the two are not dating. Or is it?

“Are you dating someone, hyung?” Chansik bites his tongue after he said that stupid question. He closes his eyes shut and plays with the hem of his shirt because clearly, you do not ask such questions Gong Chansik!

Jinyoung chuckles and pulls him closer. “I’m currently not dating. Why?”

Chansik gulps and wants to smack himself for making a ruckus. He should be on his way back to the province to celebrate his aunt’s birthday tomorrow and not nuzzling with his secret crush and basking into the wonderful fleeting feeling. “N-nothing, hyung. Just asking.”

He feels Jinyoung nods and he sniffs at Jinyoung’s scent. “You smell beer.”

“What?” Jinyoung asks, tangling his legs with Chansik who willingly obeys.

“You smell beer,” Chansik finds himself repeating and Jinyoung laughs.

“You smell nice too,” Jinyoung replies and Chansik can terribly feel how his cheeks are so red right now. Good thing the lights are turned off!

And Chansik finds himself blinking because Jinyoung presses himself closer to Chansik, enveloping him in a hug and nuzzling his face against his cheek. He looks at Jinyoung and tries to fight the visible shivering off his body. Jinyoung closes his eyes and pretends to be sleeping.

This is not happening! Chansik screams in his mind. How can this be happening? How can someone who he admires is lying just beside him, hugging him and pressing himself near him? Chansik wants to hit himself but the warmth that radiates from Jinyoung's body is making him fall sleepy, aside from the fact that his mind's too tired to argue at everything that happened tonight.

He places his arms against Jinyoung's arms that are linked on his waist. He pushes his cheek against Jinyoung's and closes his eyes. If this is a dream, then let me bask into it, Chansik speaks in his head.

Chansik breathes like a baby and Jinyoung cracks an eye open to see the man already sleeping under his embrace. He smiles at Chansik and pulls the blanket over them.

+

Chansik wakes up the next morning and finds himself cuddling against Jinyoung's chest. He wasn't so certain at first, trying to recall where he was but memories of last night engulfed him and he blinks at the shirt that smelled of laundry detergent and a hint of beer. He looks up, tries his best to open his half-asleep almond eyes and shocks himself to find Jinyoung already awake and staring at him.

"Good morning," Jinyoung tells him as he plays with Chansik's hair and Chansik lets out a soft mewl from the soft massage on his scalp.

"G-good morning, hyung." Chansik replies, hiding his face in Jinyoung's chest. Jinyoung laughs a thick, velvet, rich laugh and Chansik looks up only to be kissed in surprise.

"You look even more cute when you blush, Channie." Jinyoung says and Chansik smiles.

And god, if this is a dream then please don’t wake me anymore, Chansik squeals inside.

“I’ll get ready in a couple of minutes, attend my only class in the morning and then I’ll pick you up for a lazy brunch. Yeah?” Jinyoung tells him and Chansik finds himself nodding as response.

“S-sounds good,” Chansik replies and Jinyoung kisses the top of his head.

“Are you dating someone hyung?” Chansik asks playfully as he pulls the blanket over them. Jinyoung looks at him and grins.

“I believe I am,” Jinyoung replies and leans down to kiss Chansik on the lips. “If he actually thinks we are dating, then yes.”

Chansik blushes but grins an equal amount of happiness and tackles Jinyoung in a tight hug.

Who knew being thrown in the pool and missing your family event can lead you to other door which are far more delightful. Chansik holds to Jinyoung’s hand as they went out the room to see Dongwoo sleeping on the couch. He looks at Jinyoung and Jinyoung rolls his eyes.

“I told you, I don’t want you to sleep on the couch,” Jinyoung tells him and he tries to push away the sarcasm. So that’s why he didn’t want Chansik to sleep on the couch but on his bed, beside him instead.

Dongwoo stirs and mumbles something along the lines of ‘Saw you spooning the freshman’ and ‘I didn’t want to bother, so couch instead.’ And Chansik blushes even more while pulling Jinyoung out the apartment and Jinyoung’s laugh can be heard along the hallway.