A/N: For those of you who are wondering, I managed to complete my survey. Thanks again for helping out!

            Idly staring at the bird pecking at the ground outside, I groaned internally as the professor continued blabbering on. I wanted to skip this class so bad. I really did, it was only the first week back after the hellish scene that was exams and to be completely honest, I wouldn’t have missed anything important. Except Sungjae had practically begged me to go. He was apparently trying to impress some person in the class – whom I didn’t even know existed – and needed someone to suffer with him. That was his excuse in any case, but lo and behold, I had been sitting here for a good hour and a half. Alone. Because Sungjae was a sometimes and I definitely was going to make him buy me pizza or something as compensation.

            “And that’s it, you may stay for further study and questions but class is finished,” the professor finally shut up and closed his book. As he arranged his lecture notes, almost half of the class, myself included, packed our things at the speed of light and raced out the door. Looks like I wasn’t the only one who was bored out of their mind. Revelling in the freedom of no more classes, I slung my bag over my shoulder and exited the lecture hall. Deciding to just wander around the campus, seeing as I had nothing better to do, I set off in a random direction with my hands shoved in my pockets.

            It was peaceful; most of the students were either in class like good kids or out in town having fun. There weren’t that many people sitting on the lawn or running around like there usually was but I assumed that most of the student body was still on vacation. Even though school had started this Monday, almost everyone knew that they could come back from wherever they went for the holidays the next Tuesday and still not have missed anything important. Sighing, my brain flashbacked to the torturously boring lecture and I once again wished I had skipped like everyone else. There hadn’t been more than half the class today and I could’ve been one of those still sleeping at home. I really needed to go kill Sungjae later.

            “Ah, Sanghyuk oppa!” a female voice called, causing me to turn my head. A pretty, tall girl walked towards me, slightly wavy hair bouncing when as she practically skipped, and a wide smile on her face. “How are you?”

            “Good,” I said cautiously, still trying to match her face to the extremely small list of names in my head. I didn’t know many people but I was kind of also really bad at remembering names. Unlike Sungjae, who seemed like a social butterfly and knew practically everyone on campus (although he wasn’t as popular as Hongbin). Sungjae... Oh. “How are you Sooyoung?”

            “You remembered my name!” Park Sooyoung said happily, clapping her hands together. “I wasn’t sure if you would since I haven’t talked to you much lately.”

            “Nah, you’re pretty memorable,” I lied, smiling at the younger girl. People always say that honesty is the best policy but it really isn’t. If I had said I almost forgot her name, Sooyoung would probably get offended and possibly, mad. This way, I kept my head and Sooyoung stayed happy. It wasn’t entirely a lie anyways; I did end up remembering her... eventually. And what she had done when I first met her was extremely memorable. I had met her at a house party Sungjae dragged me too. After a couple shots of alcohol and a couple hours wandering through the house and avoiding couples, I had found myself on a couch where a girl had practically thrown herself on me. When I rejected her, because, even though girls were attractive and all, I was more interested in males, she took it personally and began screaming all kinds of unattractive slurs and words at me. This is when, to my surprise, Sooyoung came to my aid. The girl was younger than me but was smart enough to skip a grade so Sooyoung was extremely respected and well-liked. I had seen her around obviously, like I had with Hongbin and unluckily, Chansik, but I didn’t expect her to swoop in, grab the girl from the waist, and practically throw her across the room onto another couch and tell her to, “Go yourself.” It was probably the highlight of the night.

            “I hear that a lot,” Sooyoung let out a loud, happy laugh. She began to walk beside me as I circled the campus once again. “So, where are you going?”

            “No where in particular,” I confessed, shrugging. “I don’t have any more classes today or homework in general so I’m just kind of here, wasting my time.”

            “I don’t think it’s a waste of time,” Sooyoung replied, “I love taking walks to clear my head. It helps when I’m stressed over classes and marks.”

            “You? Stressed? You’re like, the jewel of our year,” I joked, laughing when Sooyoung shoved me lightly. “Seriously though, you’re so smart.”

            “Smart people can have problems too oppa,” Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “In any case, it’s good to get exercise – even when you think studying is more important. You should take a ten minute break every hour when you’re sitting down.”

            “Thanks for the information,” I said, “although I maybe get up once or twice throughout the whole day to go to the washroom when I’m gaming.”

            “Of course you would, you nerd,” Sooyoung teased, eyes twinkling.

            “Says you, you basically live at the library,” I countered, causing Sooyoung to break out in another sassy remark. This is why everyone loved Sooyoung; she was just really easy to talk to. I hadn’t seen her up close and personal since last semester (we had the same required literature course) but the conversation was comfortable. Sooyoung managed to treat everyone like her best friend and so she was never short of admirers. Kind of like Hongbin I guess.

            “Well, I have to go now, regrettably,” Sooyoung sighed as we stopped in front of the main sciences department. “I have a class soon.”

            “Are you just saying that because you couldn’t think of a comeback?” I smirked, snickering when Sooyoung gave me a look. “I’m just kidding; go to your fancy pre-med class.”

            “It’s actually anatomy,” Sooyoung grinned, “but I’m honoured that you remembered my major.”

            “Difficult not to,” I shrugged, “I’ll call you up in the future when I need surgery.”

            “I don’t know,” Sooyoung copied my pose, “maybe I’ll accidentally cut through the wrong tissue because a certain someone was too sassy to me back in university.”

            “First of all, that’s illegal,” I narrowed my eyes jokingly at her, “and second, maybe I won’t go to your clinic then.”

            “Kidding, kidding, tell all your friends and family and extended family to come to the Park Sooyoung hospital, I’ll even give you a 1% discount,” Sooyoung grinned before waving goodbye and walking into the building.

            “Even 1% is a lot if we’re talking about medical bills,” I muttered under my breath as I contemplated whether or not I should start heading home. I had spent around thirty minutes just walking around with Sooyoung and had been walking for a little over fifteen minutes by myself before that and it was starting to get cold. I could probably catch the next bus within the next ten minutes and make it home in time to catch the opening of “Cheer Up!” if I really wanted to.

            “Was that Park Sooyoung?” a voice asked, causing me to break out of my decision making mode. Looking up, I found myself grinning unconsciously at the familiar, dimpled face.

            “Yup,” I said, popping the ‘p’. “And how do you know her Hongbin hyung?”

            “I’m popular,” Hongbin said as a lame attempt at an answer. “All the popular people pretty much know each other since everyone ships us together and stuff,” he continued in explanation when I simply stared at him with a confused expression.

            “They... ship you?” I asked, not really sure if I had heard him correctly. “Like, when fans ship idols or anime characters? They do that? In real life? In front of your face?”

            “Well, it’s more like, ‘You’d look good with Sooyoung’ or ‘Chansik you and Hyemi should date’ kind of thing. Not to the extent of fan edits and fan fiction,” Hongbin laughed at the incredulous look on my face. “I hope at least.”

            “That’s really weird,” I concluded.

            “You’re just antisocial so you wouldn’t know about these things. Although I’ve heard people shipping you too,” Hongbin teased, poking fun at my lack of social interaction once again.

            “I was literally just talking to someone,” I rolled my eyes, “and who?”

            “Me,” Hongbin winked, causing me to pretend to gag. “I joke; they think you look good with Park Jimin and Kim Yujin.”

            “Oh,” I said, blinking slowly because I hadn’t really taken him seriously. “That’s, weird. How do I act around them now?”

            “You barely interact with them in general don’t even worry about it,” Hongbin stated matter-of-factly before pushing me in front of him. “You don’t have any classes today right? Come eat with me.”

            “Why do you know my schedule? What if I don’t want to eat with you?” I asked offhandedly even though I was already following Hongbin. “Seriously, this whole spontaneous going out thing needs to stop.”

            “It’ll stop soon,” Hongbin smirked, “don’t worry about it. Yes or no?”

            “What, what does that even mean? And how soon? Don’t be so vague; who do you think you are? An oracle?” I spluttered, confused out of my mind (then again, when was I not puzzled around Hongbin).

            “Mmm,” Hongbin hummed, pretending to think. “Probably by the end of the day if you stick with me.” Hongbin winked. “So, yes or no?”

            “Y-yes?” I said, not really sure what I was agreeing to, causing Hongbin to grin widely. “That’s still really vague though, mystery doesn’t fit you as a genre,” I muttered; although from the way Hongbin snorted he probably heard me. When I glared at him and raised an eyebrow in hopes of an explanation, he just shot me a knowing look before opening the door to a local cafe.

            “I never knew there was a cafe this close to campus,” I said absentmindedly while Hongbin found us a table. Slipping into the spot across from him, I watched as a couple people left the store.

            “Hakyeon hyung was telling me all about it because apparently it’s stealing customers and what not. He made me come here to check up the competition,” Hongbin rolled his eyes.

            “Yet here we are, supporting them and not him,” I raised an eyebrow at Hongbin’s logic, causing him to shrug.

            “You don’t pay for the coffee you take from Starlight anyways,” Hongbin countered, causing me to snort. “What do you want? I’ll pay.”

            “No way,” I got up immediately before Hongbin could stand. “I’m not poor, after all,” I grinned, “I have a job.”

            “Fine, don’t let me spoil you,” Hongbin pouted slightly before handing me some money. “But you’re not paying for my coffee.”

            “Never said I would,” I sassed, plucking the bills from his hand. “So, how do you like your coffee?”

            “Sweet, like you,” Hongbin winked, causing me to gag. “Joking, I’ll have my usual, cafe mocha please.” I nodded and went up to the counter. There weren’t many people seeing as most students weren’t even on campus so I immediately ordered two drinks and stood off to the side to wait. Humming to myself gently, I couldn’t help but watch as the barista on duty started making the drinks. Raising my eyebrows at their technique, I couldn’t help but feel a small amount of pride at the fact that I was better. A little cocky, but it was true. After my name was called, I collected the drinks and returned to the table.

            “Here you go, one cafe mocha. Not made by me, unfortunately, but it’ll have to suffice,” I joked, placing Hongbin’s drink in front of him.

            “What a shame, you’ll have to make the next one then, thanks a latte anyways,” Hongbin shot me a -eating grin as I took some time to process what he just said.

            “Did you just,” my mouth dropped in shock. “I am so ing done with you. That was the lamest pun I have ever heard.”

            “I’m sorry,” Hongbin laughed, “but I saw my chance and took it.”

            “You are definitely not sorry,” I rolled my eyes before taking a sip of my coffee. It was a dark roast, I didn’t really like any sugar or milk in my coffee because that took away from the flavour. The best way to taste the skill of the barista was to get plain coffee because you couldn’t hide the imperfections of the roast with syrup or milk.

            “How’s the coffee?” Hongbin asked a couple minutes later as we had drifted off into a comfortable silence.

            “It’s good I guess, not as good as mine though,” I grinned, surprised when Hongbin nodded along.

            “That’s what Hakyeon hyung said too. He made me get some for him to test it and after drinking he immediately declared that this cafe was no longer competition because its coffee couldn’t hold a light to the ‘greatness that is Hyukkie’s coffee’,” Hongbin explained. “And I agree, yours is way better.”

            “Wow, thanks then I guess,” I said awkwardly. Most people reacted to my boasting with eye rolls and scoffs. No one had actually really agreed with me and I was always awkward when people complimented me so I wasn’t sure how to react. “Never thought Hakyeon hyung would say that. He’s always telling me I’m brewing the coffee wrong.”

            “Hyung’s just that kind of person,” Hongbin shrugged. “He’s not very vocal about his compliments but he holds you and the other workers in high regard. Kind of like a parent I guess. You know how they never really say anything about your accomplishments and always act like you’re not reaching their expectations when in reality they’re extremely proud of you and are always cheering you on? Hakyeon hyung is like that. He really does love all of the workers at Starlight, some more than others, and he’s thankful that all of you deal with his sass and nosy personality.”

            “Really?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. “I never thought of him as nosy though. Annoying sometimes because he always asked me stuff, but it was just in good fun. Hakyeon hyung is well, a good hyung.”

            “He’d be happy to hear that I’m sure,” Hongbin grinned at something.

            “What? Why are you smiling?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

            “Nothing,” Hongbin continued smiling. “No one really hates him or thinks he’s annoying but he just always has that feeling. It’s a habit from when he was younger.”

            “When he was younger?” I echoed. “Did something bad happen? I remember you saying something like that before.”

            “Yeah,” Hongbin sighed, grin disappearing. “I don’t really know the details; the only person who really knows what happened is Taekwoon hyung because he was there when it happened. All I know is that Hakyeon hyung went through a really rough time in university. Hyung’s always been a social butterfly so he talked to almost everyone – a stark contrast to Taekwoon hyung who has spoken like, five words this year – but he started talking to the wrong crowd. It’s a bit cliché to say but he started going to more parties and stuff like that. Taekwoon hyung was obviously worried but he’s not good with words so he could never convince Hakyeon hyung to stop. The thing that made him stop was when he finally figured out that his friends were fake. They abandoned him while running away from the police – something about vandalism I think – and he was the only one who got caught. After that he had trouble trusting people and always thinks that people merely tolerate him to use him. Taekwoon hyung is the only one he believes loves him for sure.”

            “Oh,” I said quietly, mind flashing back to the many times I had been alone in the store with Hakyeon. I had never noticed until Hongbin brought it up, but Hakyeon had always seemed distant. He was cheerful, as always, but it seemed forced. His eyes would always watch me carefully when I talked – to see if I was lying or irritated with him I realized now – and after a while he’d always retreat into the kitchen to talk to Taekwoon. “I never knew.”

            “Not many people do,” Hongbin confessed. “I don’t know if I should’ve told you to be honest. The only other person at work that knows is Taekwoon hyung and Jaehwan hyung.”

            “Jaehwan hyung?” I raised my eyebrows, not really seeing Jaehwan as the type of person to keep secrets.

            “You haven’t worked at Starlight for a very long time,” Hongbin took another sip from his coffee cup. “Jaehwan hyung is cheerful yeah, almost as much as Hakyeon hyung, but he’s more sensitive and intelligent than he seems. He noticed right away that Hakyeon hyung was careful around everyone but Taekwoon hyung – even me – and he confronted him right away. If it were anyone else Hakyeon hyung would’ve dismissed them but Jaehwan hyung is hard to ignore. He’s the kind of person that always manages to get you to open up, kind of like Sooyoung I guess. Everyone who meets him automatically feels put at ease. And, I think this is the main reason why Hakyeon hyung opened up, Jaehwan hyung has been through sort of the same thing. I’m not saying that everyone at Starlight has a tragic back story,” Hongbin raised his hand to stop me from making a smart remark, “but everyone has their flaws. Jaehwan hyung is a lot more sensitive than he seems. He takes criticism to heart but doesn’t share his negative emotions with other people. Usually he channels his frustration into his artwork but sometimes he bottles it up until it explodes. So Hakyeon hyung and him share that in common, hiding their true feelings under a cheerful front.”

            “I can see that,” I confessed, humming thoughtfully. “Are you going to tell me about everyone now? Wonshik hyung and Taekwoon hyung too?”

            “I don’t know too much about Taekwoon hyung to be honest,” Hongbin laughed. “He doesn’t talk much but his actions mean a lot. He’s kind of like the stoic yet doting father of Starlight. I’m his favourite by the way; he always reserves pastries for me. He doesn’t even do that for Hakyeon hyung and they’ve been together ever since high school.”

            “Together? As in, romantically...?” I ventured. I had always seen them close together, and with all of the hours Hakyeon spent in the kitchen something had to have happened. Besides, the other workers always smirked and snickered to each other when they disappeared in the middle of the day and I was tired of being out of the loop.

            “Maybe,” Hongbin grinned slyly. “Their relationship is complicated. You’re too young to understand.” Hongbin reached across the table to pat me on the head like a little kid.

            “You’re literally only a year older than me,” I deadpanned.

            “A year is a lot,” Hongbin said, waving his arms mysteriously. “Anyways, Wonshik is more open than the others. You’ve probably gotten to know him the best. He’s a chill person, although he’s sometimes really dorky and embarrassing. One time he tried to sing an Ailee song and even the customers laughed at him. Wonshik’s voice is not one for singing high notes. He’s hardworking and dedicated, especially to his sister. He loves her more than anything else on this world. I worry for his future significant other. They’ll probably be jealous of her or something.”

            “I think they have bigger problems to worry about,” I said as Hongbin stood up to throw our coffee cups out. “I mean, they’re in a relationship with Wonshik hyung.”

            “True, true,” Hongbin laughed. “Anyways, let’s stop talking about them; this isn’t what I asked you out for.”

            “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t ask me out though?”

            “Not yet at least,” Hongbin smirked.

            “What?” I blinked, confused.

            “So, Han Sanghyuk,” Hongbin started. “You said you were tired of me dragging you to random places without asking correct?” Hongbin waited for me to nod. “Well, that’ll stop now.”

            “What do you mean?” I said cautiously, voice lower than I thought it would be.

            “You said you didn’t like it,” Hongbin said looking into my eyes with a seriousness that made my heart speed up. “So I’m not going to do it anymore. That’s what a good person would do right?”

            “Y-yeah, I guess,” I confirmed, “but why are you suddenly doing that now? It never seemed to bother you before.”

            “Well,” Hongbin said awkwardly, causing me to realize that he was actually sort of nervous. Nervous? Lee Hongbin was never nervous. The boy had the entire world in his hand, including me, and always walked around with an air of confidence. “Maybe I’ve decided to be a better person?”

            “Bull,” I stated. “You’re obviously lying.”

            “You caught me,” Hongbin smiled weakly. “Uhm, let’s just. I,” Hongbin sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I was talking to Hakyeon hyung the other day and well, we were talking about my past and, you know, how well, for a lack of better words, ed up I got after what happened.” Hongbin held his hand out, silencing me. “And well, Chansik was the one who helped me out after that but he also kind of, well, taught me bad things. Not intentionally of course, but I never really learned how to deal with friends. Sure, I’m popular. I have lots of friends, admirers, all my professors love me, but I’m still not entirely sure how to treat people. Especially you.”

            “And why am I different?” I asked softly, heart palpitating.

            “Because,” Hongbin looked me straight in the eyes, “you’re the first person to accept me the way I am. My mother tried to control me. My sisters tried to manipulate me. My father tried to mold me. Chansik tried to change me. Even my friends now try to use me. But you, you’re the first one to accept me. You were the first, the first to overlook my pedigree, to not care about the rumours around me, the first to judge me as the person I really am, the first to show me that the past doesn’t matter, the first to make me cherish the present, the first to learn about my story and not run away. You didn’t drop me when you realized how weak I was, you accepted me. Chansik had tried to change me you know; he said that he’d help me become a better person. But you, you really believe that I am a better person than who I was back then. So,” Hongbin stepped closer to me, causing my stomach to drop. “I don’t know how to treat you.”

            “Treat me?” I echoed slowly, looking at the earnest look on Hongbin’s face. “Treat me however you feel is right. You know yourself best, not matter what anyone says. You’re the only person who knows what you’re really thinking. So just follow that feeling and everything will work out in the end, fate has a funny way of doing things.”

            “Well then,” Hongbin slowly began to smile. “I was hoping you’d say something like that. How do I want to treat you? I want you, Han Sanghyuk, to be my, Lee Hongbin, boyfriend,” Hongbin dragged out the words slowly, grinning at my reaction. “Understand?”

            “B-but,” I flushed, slightly surprised at the sudden turn of events but pleased nonetheless, “you didn’t even ask me!”

            “Doesn’t matter,” Hongbin said confidently. “You said yes.”

            “I didn’t–” I started, about to deny his claim, before I thought back. Before going to the cafe, Hongbin had randomly asked me a ‘yes or no’ question and I, not knowing what he meant, had answered ‘yes’. “That doesn’t count! I didn’t even know what you were talking about!”

            “Fine,” Hongbin rolled his eyes, before looking back at me, a nervous look in his eyes. “Guess I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way. Hey Hyuk,” I raised an eyebrow. “Want to go out with me?”

            “As your boyfriend?” I asked, just to confirm, not like I liked announcing that I was his.

            “Yes,” Hongbin replied. “As my boyfriend.”

            “Sure, why not, I’ll give it a shot,” I said, unconsciously grinning.

            “Was that a coffee pun,” Hongbin groaned, as we walked out of the cafe.

            “Perhaps,” I laughed at Hongbin’s done expression.

            “You’re lucky you’re cute,” Hongbin rolled his eyes before grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. “Because no one else would love you the way I do.”

YAY. THEY GOT TOGETHER. *confetti falls from the ceiling, trumpets blare, lights flash, fireworks launch* Don’t worry, this isn’t the end. There’ll be a couple more chapters. Maybe 3-4, I have yet to decide. I thought about going with my idea of having 25-30 chapters but I don’t really feel like it’ll work. I tried making an outline of the story with more chapters and it wasn’t cooperating so the story feels perfect (I think) at 20-21 chapters. *shrugs* Sorry.

I was supposed to finish writing this chapter last week but exams hit me like a truck on the high way so I’ve been living at the library. I finished my exams on Friday though which is why this was able to be written. I’ll try to write more now that I have time but I dunno. We’ll see which way the wind takes me.

Did you like the coffee puns btw. My friend helped me come up with them. You can’t have a story without puns. :D

Once again, thanks for reading and I do not own anything in this story other than the idea and plot, any similarities to other works of fiction are purely coincidental or have been used as sources of inspiration. Please do not repost this anywhere without my permission; plagiarism isn’t nice!

Hope you’re smiling!

~ Alateni

PS: Thanks to Karenkitty1092, ilivefororeos (I do too fam), mistressofsecrecy1, vmin4me, and exocat15 for upvoting!!