Boo Seungkwan hates waking up 5AM in the morning to take the subway transit in which he has to have at least go through 10 different transits to get to his school. It’s usually cramp, filled with other students like himself as well as working adults and other people who uses the subway as their daily form of transportation from the outskirt cities to the main city. Getting in to his platform, he had to squeeze himself in between the sea of people, mumbling to himself on how he hates the 6AM transits because that’s when the subway is filled with people and it doesn’t lessen until his 6^th stop.

The brunette is glad that most of the people in the subway are mostly quiet, usually busy attending the morning newspaper, minding their own conversation or at least has an earphone plug to their ears, music blending with the background of the intermission that is played; an almost robotic woman’s voice informing the next destination stop and how they should be aware of their belongings before they get off the subway.

It is by Seungkwan’s 6^th stop that most people have finally cleared out and that there’s a place for Seungkwan to sit, his oddly usual spot. The subway was by then filled with mostly student and some business man and a possible newly employed intern that he remembers seeing. He remembers the ‘intern’ being a college student before but seeing how the other male is now dressed in a formal manner as well as there’s the flashy intern tag around his neck with the name ‘Choi Seungcheol’ on it, it didn’t surprise Seungkwan if the other was the obvious.

By the 7^th stop, the intern and the other business man as well as some student got off, leaving Seungkwan and a few others on board. A few other entered, usually stopping by the 8^th or the 9^th stop before him. One of them, the brunette recognizes easily, takes his usual spot; the opposite seat to where Seungkwan had himself settled. He recognizes the male; raven-haired, cat-like eyed and a smile similar to the sun, often the male’s hands are kept busy with the many star papers in hand, folding them while waiting for his stop to his destination. The other male is a university student, Seungkwan recognizes this and remembers even though Seungkwan prefers calling him the ‘subway boy’, a nickname the brunette had thought of for the longest time. And for one, the raven-haired does not wear uniform unlike himself and there isn’t any high school at the 9^th stop if Seungkwan remembers. Besides, the male had also seem older than he was so.

The 8^th stop was quite, again the ‘informative’ woman with the automated intermission played over, informing the boarders about the next destination stop and reminding them about their belongings before they leave the transport. The other male looks at the amount of stars he has folded so far before continuing what he’s been doing since boarding as Seungkwan pretends he’s reading the book he had in hand since his 6^th stop. The latter does not realize how Seungkwan had been glancing at him from time to time. In all honesty, Seungkwan is infatuated.

By the 9^th stop, the raven-haired got up from his sit, ready to depart from the subway to wherever his destination is as he move himself to where the door is; to where Seungkwan had actually have himself seated. Before the other male left, he hold his fisted hand out before dropping a folded star to Seungkwan’s lap before getting off.

Seungkwan picks the star from his lap. It’s a perfectly folded glittering purple star this time.

“It’s the 99th star! Do you think ‘subway boy’ notices me? I mean it’s already the 99^th star! He gives it to me daily! Everyday!” Seungkwan ask his best friend, Xu Minghao, whom he had been friends with ever since their diapers days. The other male looks up from his book, pushes his round framed glasses back and gives the brunette a stink eye before replying shortly. “Yes. Now go play somewhere. It’s break time anyway.”

Seungkwan frowns then complains. “That’s no way to treat your best friend.”

Minghao unwraps a packet of melon bun and stuffs it to the other male’s mouth with a smile. “Apologizes. I love you.” Minghao states before opening a new packet of melon bun for himself and takes a bite. Seungkwan mirrors his action and chews on the food, swallowing it after before he replies his best friend. “Ew. That’s gross, Minghao. Take it back. I can’t love someone who used to eat snow, thinking it is ice cream.”

Minghao gives him another stink eye. “Well I can’t love someone who made mud cookies and tried to actually eat them.”

“Touché.” Seungkwan snorts before feeding himself with more of his melon bun and then questions Minghao again. “But really do you think he likes me?”

His best friend calmly takes more bites of his melon bread while the brunette is left to anticipate the male’s answer while stuffing himself with his own melon bread. It takes the other male a while to reply but when he does, the male is done with his bun, pushing his round frame up to the bridge of his nose again and comes up with the best idea even Seungkwan wouldn’t have thought.

“Since tomorrow is the 100^th star, why don’t you talk to him?”

“And this is why you’re my best friend, the class representative and first in place when it comes to class ranking. I love you, Minghao.” Seungkwan almost cries in joy at the male’s suggestion to which earns him the 3rd stink eye Minghao has to offer for the day. He doesn’t hear Minghao muttering about how yet again he would date someone who ate mud as mud cookies and especially someone whom he known since their younger days. In no way would he date someone who has a lot of dirty secrets among themselves respectively.

“Now get your working on those algebra algorithms.” Minghao tells Seungkwan.

“My can’t write though.” Seungkwan retorts playfully.

“Boo Seungkwan. I swear one day-”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. One day I’ll be the death of you. Too bad you’re my best friend and that’s your responsibility. I love you though in a non-romantic yet brotherly way. For real.” The brunette cuts the other male’s sentence with a grin.

---

The next day, Seungkwan repeats his usual routine – waking up at 4.50 this time because he wanted to look better though there wasn’t anything much Seungkwan could change. He gets himself on the subway by 5.25AM after consuming the amazing breakfast his beloved mother mad. He is also standing throughout the first transit to the sixth as of daily though this time he had his earphone plug to his ears because he’s too excited and he needs a distraction. He then gets to his usual seat after that when the same people that rides the subway daily gets out and by the seventh stop, he sees the ‘subway boy’.

The other male is just the same like every other day before this. The only difference would be the clothes his wearing though Seungkwan had noticed a very slight difference to what the male brought this time. A guitar bag. He has seen his old senior, Lee Jihoon, bringing a similar case to school before this and had even played the musical instrument a couple of times so it wasn’t surprising for Seungkwan to identify the object. “Focus.” Seungkwan mumbles to himself. He needs to think of a way to say hi to the other male or at least exchange a greeting or strike up some sort of conversation. He needs to at least learn the ‘subway boy’s’ name.

But Boo Seungkwan does not do anything until the ninth stop.

As the other male is getting ready to get off the subway, Seungkwan panics inwardly. “C’mon Boo. You can do this.” Seungkwan internally motivates himself as he sees the male taking his usual spot by the door. When the automated intermission makes its announcement of the 9^th stop, the ‘subway boy’ held his fisted hand out as usual though before he could drop the usual single folded star to Seungkwan’s lap, the brunette grab his hand gently and looks at the male, this time making an eye contact.

It’s the first time their eyes meet especially this close. Before this, it had only been Seungkwan sneaking glances at the male without the latter knowing but now that the gazing distance was this close, the brunette finds himself feeling flustered and he’s sure that his cheeks are burning, if that was possible.

“I- I’m Boo Seungkwan. It’s the 100^th star- as of current. And I thought I should use this as an opportunity to get to know you.” Seungkwan stutters as his heart beats out or nervousness.

The male smiles but doesn’t say anything and hands Seungkwan the stars he has folded; two stars to be accurate.

“Unfold the green one.” the other male tells him before he flashes another smile to Seungkwan and gets off from the subway before it shuts the door to move on to the next stop.

The high schooler stares at the stars given – one being the mentioned green and another that is a glittery grey. He’s a bit disappointed about not having to learn the other male’s name but at least he managed to talk to the other male even if he had stuttered and for the fact the other male had responded to him with four words was a great achievement for Boo Seungkwan.

There’s still about half an hour before his last stop and so Seungkwan unfolds the green star just as the other male had told him so. The brunette doesn’t know why and he didn’t want to since it was perfectly folded by the male but he wasn’t disappointed after having to see the small handwriting on the back of the green coloured side, trying to squeeze all the words to the star paper.

“My name is Hong Jisoo. I have a busking this weekend and if you’ll like, you’re invited. YS Uni 3PM! P.S I do see you glancing at me and admittedly, I do the same.”

Later in school, Minghao had to deal with a grinning Seungkwan though at least the boy is good enough to treat him to fried chicken after class.