Not Too Late | One-Shot | 6,664 words | unbeta

Hyukjae let out a deep sigh lifting up his gaze at the crowd in front of him. He's wondering if he's being envied, or look upon to because he got the first place. Or a lot of them hate him because a transfer student like him is the one given the opportunity to share his validictory speech. He's not sure if someone even listened to him earlier.

He still felt bad on what happened even though everyone in his class congratulated him after the announcement.

"Hyukjae ssi..." someone calls beside him

"Yes?" Hyukjae answered quite startled. He must be in his deep thought that he didn't notice what's happening.

Cho Kyuhyun, the second year student who got the highest mark on his class is smiling down at him telling him to do the same. He felt shy and quickly stood up, he is sure that everyone is looking and laughing at him now.

Kyuhyun once again call for him asking for his hand to hold to take a bow. He hesitated a bit but Kyuhyun grab his hand and do the act with the others, he's quite late though but he did.

After the bow Hyukjae just watch quietly as everyone in the crowd clap their hands and shouting cheer of joy and victory. Their graduation ceremony is finally over.

He felt overwhelm once again, his dream is coming nearer and nearer. He is going to Harvard and for that mean time, he forgot his misery. This is the reality, this is what he's been waiting for.

Is it really? He ignore the question of his inner self because he knows it's too late and over.

The thought of seeing his Mom came over because she's the only one he can share his feelings with. He looks around from the stage down to the crowd to make sure that the ceremony is over so that he can finally leave. But the process only brought the hidden sadness he keeps on holding back when he saw a lot of group of people taking pictures with each other. He look on the other side and its all the same. He can see some of his classmates taking pictures with their friends. They're all smiling, trolling with each other. He didn't realize it but he is smiling too just watching them.

That is the group of people he really envied to. For a year of being with them on the same class, Hyukjae can't help but to imagine how good it felt to be friends with them. They look so carefree all the time, cool you may say and Hyukjae really admire them because of that.

Sungmin, the cute guy is always doing aegyo everyday so that his friends will give what he wants. Ryeowook, who always carrying that huge lunch bag that full of foods he made for his friends. Yesung and Siwon the funny guys who always shares a lot of jokes to make them laugh all the time. Kangin who's always there to protect them. The famous Kim Heechul, the gorgeous guy of the group but blunt at the same time is there to support them too, together with Leeteuk the nicest guy he ever met.

And there's Lee Donghae. He felt his cheeks heated up just by thinking about him. He saw him being tease by his friends and he can't stop himself laughing seeing the latter being tease like that.

He is the coolest kid ever, sometimes he envy him. He has the good looks and at the same he got the brain. He's so nice that you'll feel shy when he approach and talks to you.

He even congratulated Hyukjae for being the top of their class. Which supposed to be the opposite because it is so clear that Hyukjae stole that place from him. Hyukjae expected the hate during their last class for announcing that he is the one who got the top and Donghae being the second one, but the latter stood up and even clap his hands to congratulate him. Hyukjae never felt so bad like that in his whole life, he came to apologize to Donghae after their class only to be tease and laugh out . Donghae ruffled his hair and even said that he is so adorable and congratulated him one more time.

He can't help but to smile at those moments. That's the first time he encounter Donghae that close. He thought they were heaven and earth apart from each other. His friends are lucky to have him. His girlfriend is lucky to have him. 

The thought suddenly sadden him, it hurts him thinking about Donghae being with  someone even though he's not sure if the latter has a special someone. He didn't saw him with someone before except for his friends.

What is he thinking? He scolded himself, he shoudn't think that way. He still need to look for his Mom somewhere in the crowd and leave the place. There's nothing left for him to do anyways.

He walks down the stage carefully looking at every step when he heard someone calling his name.

"Hyukjae ssi"

He halt on his step and look around to find who's calling him when he notice that Donghae, yes, the Lee Donghae is running towards him.

With his wide puppy eyes, he waits for Lee Donghae to approach him just to confirm if the latter really did called his name. He's not hopeful, yes, he's not. It's just that he wanted to make sure, right? But there's no one else looking at him except the running Donghae. Maybe it's really him whom the latter called. He's not hopeful but his heart started to beat so fast just the thought of Donghae calling him.

"Hyukjae ssi.." someone calls again and this time he is really sure that it was Donghae who's now in front of him and smiling so handsomely towards him. He felt his cheeks heated up by the seconds their eyes met.

Donghae cackle and Hyukjae is sure that it is because of his tomato like face. He wants the ground to open up and eat him alive, he is so embarass to look back.

"I'm sorry. Did i scare you?" Donghae asked him and he only shook his head to answer.

"No, I'm fine... It's okay" Hyukjae didn't know what to say, he felt like dying, "i'm sorry" he ended up looking at the ground not to embarass himself more in front of his crush.

Donghae laugh once again,

"you're so cute.." Hyukjae did hear it but he choose to ignore because his heart can't handle more and Donghae really didn't say it out loud, so maybe the latter didn't mean it.

"I actually came here to ask you a small favor. Yeah.... just a small favor.." Donghae started.

Hyukjae look at the latter with his confuse face. "Favor?"

"Yeah..." Donghae cackle again, "Our classmates planned to take our class picture for the last time before everyone got separated, and... it's not going to be a class picture if anyone didn't take part on it right? So,...." Donghae touches his nape looking a bit nervous.  "Actually... i saw you're getting ready to leave..."

Hyukjae nodded.

"That is why i immediately run and call you so that you can take picture with us." Donghae smile handsomely once again which made Hyukjae look away. "Uhmm... we're just waiting for the others to finish their other business so that everyone in our class can join."

Hyukjae nodded again.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but are you in hurry?"

Hyukjae look at the latter in the eye and shook his head quickly, "NO!" He answered "It's fine! I'm just looking for my Mom because i have nothing else to do anyway, so i thought it's better to leave..." he smiled sadly looking back at the ground. He didn't saw the sadness that painted Donghae's face because of what he said.

"Now you have things to do. You'll take pictures with us right?" Donghae tried to cheer up the latter and he felt happy when he saw Hyukjae smile and nodded his head excitedly. "We decided to wait there, come on..."

"Okay.." Hyukjae answered shyly and follows Donghae. He's still in daze, he can't believe that something like this is happening. He felt so happy for the first time in his life. Even though he knows it's just a simple thing to be celebrate that much, he knows this moment will become the most memorable thing he can keep to remember forever.

"Congratulations.. once again.." Donghae take a halt so that he can walk beside Hyukjae and talk to him.

"Thank you and I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Hyukjae stop from walking and bow sincerely in front of Donghae. Just like what he did on their last class before the graduation.

Donghae cackle, "I will really get mad if you did that again. I told you its fine!"

Hyukjae pouted, "but..."

"It's fine you deserves it. We both did our best, there is nothing to apologize with that. I'm really happy for you and for myself, so stop worrying about it, okay?"

"You're so nice" Hyukjae whispered.

Donghae heard it a little bit, "what?" He move closer to Hyukjae to ask for it once again but the latter refuse to do so.

Hyukjae felt like suffocating when Donghae's face suddenly came closer to his own. He thought Donghae will do something but he realized soon that the latter was just asking for what he said. He felt embarass once again.

"Nothing.." he answered quickly and take some step away from his crush. Donghae saw it and didn't try to ask again. He just smile how cute the latter is.

"Yah! Donghae-ah, where did you go?" Ryeowook asked but quickly shut his mouth when he saw their class valedictorian with his friend. He smiled secretly and call for their friends attention. "Guys!"

Everyone look at Ryeowook but soon at the two people walking towards them. Everyone shared a teasing smile that only them can understand the meaning. They all looking at Donghae because the other one choose to look down on his feet the entire time. Donghae pouted and threaten  his friends not to say anything about it.

But Heechul is Heechul and so the latter gave the two a catcalls. Hyukjae didn't want to look up anymore while Donghae send daggers look toward his friends.

"Stop it!" He mouthed glaring at Heechul who only gave him a cute smirk back.

"He's just too cute when he's blushing, i can't help it." Heechul answered staring at Hyukjae.

"You're making him uncomfortable." Donghae retorts back looking at Hyukjae.

"No, it's fine." Hyukjae lift up his gaze. He just don't want them to fight over such simple thing.

"Are you sure? You okay?" Donghae ask in concern and Hyukjae nodded looking at Heechul too to apologize.

"Aigoo, such a nice kid." Heechul smiled back.

"Tch. Come on let's sit there." Donghae shook his head and pull Hyukjae on the other side so that his friends would stop teasing them.

"It's okay." Hyukjae answered once they got to sit. He's smiling looking at Donghae but quickly look away when he noticed that Donghae is looking intently at him.

"Don't be shy." Donghae cackles once again. "It's cute."  And Hyukjae can feel the hotness of his face once again. How can he not be shy? His crush just said he's cute for the nth time.

"So you can call him cute and im not?" Heechul retorts beside them and Donghae quickly punch him lightly on his shoulder which successfully shuted him up but still laugh out loud in the end.

"Aish, don't mind him. He kinda loose some screw on his head these days." Donghae pouted and Hyukjae just quitely chuckle on that.

They didn't talk a lot or more like, Hyukjae didn't talk a lot. Beside him, Donghae is contemplating if he can start anything to talk about but ends up with a zip mouth. He's thinking that Hyukjae didn't want to talk to him. The latter is not even looking at him, so he stayed quiet.

Donghae's friends continue to troll each other, taking pictures here and there at their back.

"Hey, you two, smile..." Sungmin came in front of them startling the poor Hyukjae. While Donghae reacted fast and put a V sign in front of his mouth then smile.

"Aigoo, maybe our valedictorian can smile a little bit?" Sungmin cackled looking through the lens of his camera.

"I'm sorry." Hyukjae answered but smile a little bit.

Sungmin captured it in no time. "Cute. One more time, smile..."

This time Hyukjae felt like he just smile like that for the first time in his whole life, he felt so happy.

"Ya! Why you didn't include us!" Kangin shouted at the back making their other friends running beside Donghae and Hyukjae, posing for the camera.

Hyukjae felt someone put a hand over his shoulder but he didn't actually mind it.

"One, two, three, smile!"

And Hyukjae smiles widely this time.

Everyone gather around the two after the endless shutter, laughing about their last wacky face.

"You look like a fool!"

"Ya!"

Everyone continue on laughing.

"Are you okay?" Donghae whispered near Hyukjae's ear when he saw the latter a little bit uncomfortable with the crowd around him.

Hyukjae was startled once again looking beside him but he almost got a heart attack when Donghae's face welcome him. He swear, he felt their nose touched. "I'm sorry!" He quickly hide his face with his palm.

While Donghae remains in his place like a statue, his face felt hot too.

"Ya! What are you two doing? Donghae ah did you already..... " Heechul butted in once again but Donghae quickly shut the latter's mouth with his hand to stop him from blabbering non sense. He sends daggers look once again. He's thankful Hyukjae is still not looking at them.

"Don't you dare!" Donghae mouthed to Heechul which only gain another set of laughter from his friends. Their Donghae is really acting so cute today.

"Aigoo..." Heechul cackle looking at the super shy Hyukjae beside him. "Neh Hyukjae ssi."

Hyukjae immediately look at him,  "Yes?"

"I heard that you're going back to America after this, is it true?"

"Yes." He answered, looking at his feet to hide the sadness in his face. "I submitted my application to Harvard."

"REALLY?" Everyone joined the conversation hearing the word Harvard. "DAEBAK!"

"So, are you accepted?" Sungmin asked this time.

"I haven't recieve the confirmation yet." Hyukjae answered shyly, everyone is looking at him now.

"But i heard you applied for Seoul University too." Ryeowook said.

"Eh? " Hyukjae can't help but to touch his nape in shyness "yeah, i did."

"Why?" Donghae ask this time, he look so serious.

"Why?" Hyukjae think about it for a moment.

Why did he do it by the way?

"Is it okay Mom, to do this?"

His Mom smiled at him, "If that's what your heart says."

Hyukjae look down, "Do you think i'm too hopeful for this?"

Mrs. Lee sighs, she knows the burden of his son and she felt guilty about it because it's their fault on the first place. It's their fault they didn't ask their son for what he really wants. It's their fault their son can't find his true happiness.

She readied her smile and hug her son, "I know you'll find what you want. Just be yourself and do it, okay?"

"What if they didn't like me? Like those previous kids?"

"They will like you okay? You're kind my son, everyone will like you here."

Hyukjae hug his Mom tightly, "I really do want to have friends Mom, i do."

His Mom tighten her embrace, "I'm sure of it, don't worry."

"If that happened.... can we just stay here?" He look up to his Mom hopeful.

"Of course. For you my son, we'll do anything for you."

Hyukjae hug her again, "Thanks Mom"

"It's just, if i did