Junghan was a huge help around the university campus. Not because he knew where anything was, but because he knew where to get a map of the campus and he could sweet talk anyone into doing anything for him. Including getting the other students to show Joshua the fastest route from one class to the next.

"How don't you know where anything is?" Joshua asked. It was just past two, and he and Junghan were sitting on a bench eating a late lunch together.

Junghan shrugged as he shovelled some food into his mouth. "I dunno, just don't need to. You saw it, I can charm anyone into anything."

"That reminds me," Joshua swallowed a mouthful of food, "there was someone in my first lecture that asked about you. Wanted to warn me you had a couple other people on the hook." Joshua assumed it meant Junghan was flirty and led people on, but he wanted to find out about Junghan from Junghan.

Junghan pulled a face. "I mean, I guess? I had a thing with a few different people -- but don't worry, I've called things off with all of them.

Joshua choked. "You had a thing with a couple of people?" he coughed. Did he mean one thing with a lot of people, like a book club or an , or did he mean separate things with separate people, like a string of dates and hook ups?

Junghan nodded, seemingly unfazed by Joshua's choking. "Yeah, I've been on a couple dates in the last few years and I've kept them around for when I get lonely." He shrugged, "But, like I said, they know there's pretty much no chance of anything happening again."

Joshua nodded and picked up a spoonful of food. He held it out towards Junghan, who grinned and leaned forward to eat it. They ate in silence for a few moments, feeding each other and enjoying the food and sunshine.

"It doesn't bother you does it?" Junghan asked.

Joshua shook his head. "What? No, it's fine."

Junghan looked down and fiddled with his hands. "You sure? People say I should be ashamed. That I shouldn't --"

"Junghan it's fine. You get lonely, you have urges and needs. I don't want to know details, but," Joshua took a sip of his coffee, "it's fine. We've all got a past."

Junghan nodded and looked back up, a hopeful smile on his face. "Really? I've got a lot of past."

Joshua dropped his plastic spoon into his now empty take away container. "Really, it's fine." Joshua paused, trying to think of a new topic for conversation.

"Are you really sure though? Don't you want to know details? How many? How old?"

"If I wanted to know I would've asked. Like you said, everything's over, you called things off. They aren't a part of the picture, I am."

Junghan shovelled some of his food into his mouth. "What about you? What's your past?"

Joshua sat back, his palms by his thighs. "Not very interesting. Church kid, pretty good at school, first boyfriend in highschool." Joshua shrugged halfheartedly. "The usual, I guess."

"Huh. Boring. What time is it?"

Joshua pressed the home button on his phone. "You said you had something at two thirty, right?" Junghan nodded. "You're late."

Junghan hurriedly shoved the last of his food into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, then leaned over and pressed a kiss to Joshua's cheek. Joshua grimaced, there were bits of... some sort of sauce on his cheek now. He wiped it off with a napkin.

"See you later, Shua!" Junghan threw over his shoulder as he rushed off, leaving his mess behind for Joshua to clean up.

***

Joshua reached for his phone vibrating on his bedside table. It had woken him up. He pressed the home button, the bright light making him squint. Why didn't I turn the vibrate off?

30 Sep

2:33 am

hey shua

u awake?

2:39 am

obvs not

sorry, im lonely and i cant sleep

hope i didnt wake u up

dont worry about this when u see it in the morning

Joshua typed out a reply.

2:40 am

I'm awale now. U wanna chat? I can call IG you wanr

Josh didn't even wait for a reply, he called Junghan's phone as soon as he sent the message.

Junghan answered, chuckling. "Did I wake you up?" he asked, tone teasing.

"Didn't turn phone off 'fore I went t'sleep," Joshua mumbled.

"You turn off your phone?"

"Turn it to silent, no vibrate. Glad I didn't, my job t'make sure you're 'kay."

Junghan let out a few amused puffs of air. "Go back to sleep, Shua. I'll be fine."

Joshua shook his head, only vaguely aware Junghan couldn't see the action through the phone. "No. You're lonely, I'm a person. We can chat 'till you feel better. 'Swat soulmates're for."

"You're tired, Shua. I'll be fine.'

Joshua yawned in protest. "I'm a big boy. If you really didn't wantalk, you'd've hung up by now."

There was a breath down the phone. "Fine, you win. You're really cute when you're tired, Shua."

Joshua brought a hand up to scratch his chest. "Aha?"

"Aha," Junghan replied. "Less filtered."

"OK." Joshua rubbed his eyes, starting to feel more awake. "D'you get lonely often?"

Junghan hesitated. "No. Not much, just sometimes. I can deal with it. I just thought, you know -- we're soulmates. Maybe I should see if you help."

"Do I?"

Junghan yawned. "Yeah, you do. Good night, Shua, you can hang up now."

Joshua rolled over, wide awake again. "I want to stay on the line in case you get lonely or want to talk throughout the night. Don't hang up, ok?"

"Shua, the bill."

"You can give me money tomorrow or something, ok? Let me look after you."

"Fine. Good night."

"Night, Junghan."

Joshua stayed awake until he heard little snores from the other end of the line.

Joshua's alarm woke him up the next morning.

"What the is that?" he heard. He glanced around his room before remembering he'd called Junghan during the night.

He turned off his alarm. "Sorry, Junghan. My alarm," he said into his phone.

"What? Ahh. Morning, Shua."

"Did me being on the phone help?"

Junghan yawned. "Aha. Thanks. Look, I gotta get ready for the day."

"Yeah, so do I. Are you going to hang up?"

"On the count of three we hang up together. One, two, three." The line went dead -- Joshua hung up on the count of three like Junghan had said.

7:03 am

u coming to the cafe this morning?

7:04 am

Sure, why not?

"Morning Shua!" Junghan greeted him enthusiastically when he walked into the cafe with Vernon.

"Hey, is there anything I can do? Like, help cleaning up or something?" Vernon asked Junghan. Junghan gestured to Jihoon, a shorter man with pink hair that also worked at the cafe. "Ask him."

Vernon gave a single, definitive nod before marching off.

Joshua grabbed Junghan's hand and pulled him over to a table. "You sure you're OK? Do you want to talk about last night? Why were you lonely?"

"I was just lonely -- my parents weren't home and I'm -- it's fine. You being on the phone helped."

Joshua tucked a lock of hair behind Junghan's ear, then cupped his cheek. "You can talk, you know. Why weren't your parents home?"

Junghan placed his hand on top of Joshua's. "Just away on a business trip. Well, dad is. Mum works at a convenience storeband they gave her the late shift last night. It's fine. I'm just not used to it -- mum used to never work until a couple months ago. Still getting used to not always having someone at home."

Joshua nodded. "If there's anything I can ever do to help, tell me, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Junghan moved Joshua's hand off his cheek and just rested their hands on the table. "Actually, if it isn't too much, can you come to mine this evening? Dad's going to be away for a bit longer and mum won't finish until eight."

Joshua nodded, squeezing Junghan's hand. "Sure, no problem."

***

Junghan's parent's had a nice apartment. It was fairly big, well furnished, and tastefully decorated. It was exactly the type of thing Joshua expected to see in a display home or an interior design magazine

Junghan, on the other hand, obviously got his interior design inspiration from early 2000s American movies.

His double bed was pushed neatly into a corner, the sheets blood red and satin black. Fairylights hung across the bedhead, a vanity with a large mirror half covered in sticky notes and polaroids was sat in between a wardrobe and a set of shelves. A red shaggy rug was laid out on the floor. Everything was tidy.

Junghan dropped his bag just inside the doorway and flopped face down onto his bed. Joshua stood in the doorway awkwardly, wondering where to place himself.

"Just sit on the bed, Shua. Or we can head to the kitchen and eat. We don't need to talk or do something together -- I just..."

"Want someone else here. I understand -- I was going to read the last few bits of one my textbooks and organise my notes." Joshua put his backpack down on the floor next to Junghan's then pulled a textbook out. He sat on the bed next to Junghan, opened to where he'd left off, and continued reading.

After a while, Junghan whined and moved himself closer to Joshua, his head settling on Joshua's thigh. Joshua smiled, and rested a hand on Junghan's head, massaging it with his fingers.

They spent the whole evening like that, studying on Junghan's bed, organising notes, Junghan messing about on his phone. When it got to seven thirty, Junghan dragged Joshua to the kitchen ("Our bellies are growling, Shua. You're studying to be a nutritionist -- you should know that means eat.")

Joshua stood leaning against the fridge as he watched Junghan whiz about, trying to prepare something quick and simple for them eat. Something on the fridge caught his attention; it looked like a weekly schedule with both Junghan and Junghan's mum's work shifts for the week filled in. It said Junghan's mum was working the next night until two in the morning.

Joshua cleared his throat. "Junghan? Is your mum working tomorrow night?"

Junghan stopped dead, two packets of instant noodles in his hands. "Yeah, how'd you -- oh, the roster. You want me to call you if I need to?"

Joshua nodded, before changing his mind and shaking it. "Would it be a better idea for me to stay over? If your parents would be OK with it, of course."

Junghan's face lit up. "Yes! You can stay over tomorrow night -- my mum really wants to meet you. She always wakes up before I do, even when she works late. And dad should get back sometime tomorrow night, too. They were both so excited that I met you; they'll be fine with it."

Junghan skipped to the stove and dumped the noodles into a pot of boiling water.

"You sure? You aren't going to check just in case?"

Junghan laughed, and it sounded overly sweet. "They'll be glad it's my soulmate at their house and not me at some random guy's who's eleven years older than me," he said as he poked at the noodles with a pair of chopsticks.

Joshua wondered how many times that had actually happened.

The instant noodles were soon done, with little bits of carrots and tinned corn stirred through.

"Junghan, why are there vegetables in here?" Joshua asked when Junghan put a bowl of it down in front of him.

"Vegetables are healthy, right? I thought I should make an effort," Junghan answered simply. Joshua couldn't even reply, just grinned and shook his head.

How cute is he?

They were back in Junghan's room, Joshua and an exercise book spread out over the floor, Junghan on his bed with his head hanging off, when Junghan suddenly looked up from his phone.

"Hey, it's getting kind of late. You want me to walk you home?" he asked.

Joshua closed his exercise book and stood up. "No, I'll be fine. You gave me a rundown on the public transport system and how to get back to the Chois' on the way here, remember?"

Junghan rolled his eyes. "You were supposed to say yes, you dork."

Joshua picked up his bag and slid his exercise book inside. "I mean, you can if you want," he amended, shouldering the backpack.

Junghan's phone whistled, and his eyes lit up. "Sorry, no can do. Hot gossip."

Joshua rolled his eyes. Of course. He gave Junghan a kiss on the forehead in good bye.

Vernon was quite chatty on the walk to the cafe the next morning, rambling about Chan and his date with the younger boy.

"Like, even though some of his friends crashed it, which meant I had to invite some friends, it still felt like a date. You know, Josh?"

Joshua nodded and hummed. "Yeah? That's nice."

"Yeah. We have to arrange a date for another time, 'cause. --"

Joshua zoned out, letting Vernon be excited about his date. He paid enough attention to nod and make small, interested noises at the right places. From what he heard, it sounded like Vernon was more excited that he'd gone on a date than he was about the date being with this Chan kid.