CHAPTER 08

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special thanks to kuroaku and her jars of motivation. this chapter is for you darling~ ♥

And just like that, the last few days of Taeyong’s summer break end. He spends them with his friends, hanging out, talking to them on the phone. He spends some of his time with Jaehyun as well, cherishing the freedom and days with no curfew before his college starts and make him cut off from all the social interaction, and to hardly be able to make time for his family let alone friends.

Speaking honestly, he’s not ready. He’s not ready to bury his nose in his thick nose and study when he can, stay up at three in the morning to complete his homework and get less than three hours of sleep just to wake up the next morning. It’s like an infinite loop of tired, exhausted, and tired. There’s nothing new thrown in the cycle, and just thinking about it makes him sigh. He knows he can hang out with his friends in the college, but he’s not ready to not be able to meet Jaehyun, as the man might have college starting soon as well. They’re going to be too busy, for at least the first few weeks, to adjust according to the schedule before they can do something about hanging out.

He tries not to throw up when he packs up all his books in his bag, makes sure he has completed his holiday homework before flipping the bird at them, cursing at Mrs. Jung and Mr. Heo for assigning them something as stupid as that. Homework should be illegal. He runs his fingers through his already disheveled hair and slumps down the bed after neatly putting away his bag.

For a while he scrolls through his laptop, tries to find a movie to ease his nerves. He scrolls through the comedy section, scrolling through the featured movies, none of them triggering his interest. He’s about to press next page when his phone buzzes, and he clicks on Central Intelligence before letting the movie to load, setting his laptop aside.

>>From: Honey baby

What’s my baby doing~?

Taeyong blushes at the text, pressing the phone against his face before he conjures enough courage to text back. Damn Jaehyun and his smoothness.

>>From: TY TRACK

I was just looking for movies to watch. What about you? ♡

>>From: Honey baby

Oh~ did you pack everything? Is my Yongie ready to go back to school?

>>From: TY TRACK

Don’t make me block you.

>>From: Honey baby

ㅋㅋㅋ

They text back and forth like that, with light banter. Taeyong loves how he can talk to Jaehyun about anything and everything, and still not get bored. They could talk hours and hours about the same thing, and it would seem like a new, fresh conversation to Taeyong. He had never felt like this with someone, not being worried about how the conversation would go, and how his brain would try to work nine times the normal speed just so he could come up with a topic and not let the conversation die. Jaehyun was so good at talking; he was such an interesting person, someone who would make you curious about him. He would always tell Taeyong about himself, but also be interested in what Taeyong would say to him or about himself.

It was one of his favorite things to talk to Jaehyun, with so much ease and comfort, and knowing who won’t be judged for or looked at differently for what he would say. With Jaehyun conversations would go on for days, weeks, months, and would never die. Taeyong once told Jaehyun that talking to him was like eating curly fries and then finishing, just to find more at the bottom of the bag. Jaehyun had laughed so hard at that, and to be honest, Taeyong was kind of offended because even though the example was ridiculous, he had meant it.

When Jaehyun tells Taeyong he was going to be right back after giving Rice Ball a bath, Taeyong sends him a thumb up emoji before going through his chats with his friends. They had all contacted him, through the group or individually, but two of his friends that worried Taeyong the most were Hansol and Yuta.

After Taeyong’s talk and advice with Hansol, he had told him he would talk to Yuta about it. That was the last time he had contacted Taeyong and any of his other friends. Yuta was just the same, having disappeared from the group chat as well as his individual chat being vacant. Taeyong was really antsy when he remembered that, worrying if both of his friends were alright.

Just when he’s about to set his phone down and watch a movie after his nervousness coming back to square one, his phone buzzes again. He thinks it’s Jaehyun who’s done with giving the puppy a shower but he’s surprised to see a message from Donghyuk.

Donghyuk was always that friend who either talked a lot, or didn’t talk at all. He was the class clown and the ‘inappropriate friend’ amongst their group. The kid was very funny, and too loud. He was a social butterfly, and so confident in everything he said or did. The way he sometimes talked when he was emotional was too mature, but he was still a kid and you could see it in little things he did.

The kid loved pranks, and loved to tease his hyungs just as much. He was kind of soft on Mark, though. Whenever he would hang out with them, he would follow Mark around like a puppy. He was someone whose eyes shined when Mark won a speech contest, someone to always have him on his team. Donghyuk hadn’t been Mark’s friend as long as the other’s had, but he was the first one to click with him. After some time, Mark and Donghyuk were officially one of the closest pairs in their group.

Donghyuk was a little awkward with Taeyong, though. Doyoung had told him that he refused to eat with them once when he first joined the group because Taeyong intimidated him. He said Taeyong always looked mad and since Donghyuk was a ‘trouble maker’ (“His words, not mine.” Doyoung clarified), Taeyong would lash out and just dislike him at all. It was not true, of course. Taeyong couldn’t help looking cold, it was just his face. He had this experience too many times to get used to it. People always judged him and thought he was a bully when he was someone couldn’t even get out of a car without stumbling, and cared oh so much about the stray pets in Seoul. Mark had said something along the lines of “Taeyong hyung looks cold but has a warm heart,” which was the reason why Donghyuk almost immediately dropped the little wall he had built between him and Taeyong and had sat with them and ate.

Taeyong had tried to strike a conversation with him, and had gotten few worded, clumsy words back. Donghyuk’s neck was red with embarrassment as he didn’t meet Taeyong’s gaze, but as time went by, he got more and more comfortable with him. At the end, Donghyuk could comfortably make jokes with them without being worried about offending someone, unless that someone was Taeil, and well, everything was awkward with Taeil. If it was talking about or cute baby animals, it couldn’t be helped. That boy was a personification of if anxiety and awkwardness had a baby. It was like Taeil was the youngest and Donghyuk was the eldest among them, even though in real life it was the complete opposite.

From: DingDong ;)

Hyung, hi!

From: TY TRACK

Hello Donghyuk-ah~ :)

From: DingDong ;)

Where are Hansol hyung and Yuta hyung ???

From: TY TRACK

Wow. I’m fine, thank you for asking, Donghyuk-ah. -_- And I don’t know myself, kid. I tried texting them and messaging them here, so did everyone else, but no one had gotten a text back.

From: DingDong ;)

Oh, sorry, right. Sorry, I’m just really worried about the hyungs. Should I try calling them??

From: TY TRACK

You can call them kid, you don’t need my permission. Do tell me what they tell you if they picked up, though

From: DingDong ;)

Of course! Hyung? I wanted to talk about something else, too.

From: TY TRACK

What is it?

From: DingDong ;)

Uhm this is kind of awkward but I think I might have feelings for someone in our group

Taeyong snickers down at his phone, scrunching his nose at the rare innocent moment he gets to see from Donghyuk.

Ah, first crushes. He feels so old talking to someone almost six years younger than him. It’s been so long since Taeyong had his first crush, and he was sure he was as awkward and shy as Donghyuk. It was kind of like talking to his younger self. Except if that was possible, he would either send him a long string of curse words or, “Don’t get that haircut! No! Please!”

Taeyong has had a fair share of embarrassing hairstyles in his past that he would rather not recall. No thank you. He’s alright.

From: TY TRACK

You have feelings? o_O

From: DingDong ;)

Hyung plz

From: TY TRACK

Hahahaha. Sorry. Well, who is it?

>>From: DingDong ;)

Don’t you know who it is? I figured you would be able to know :/

Taeyong does know who it is. But what’s the fun in just letting this conversation flow like that without teasing Donghyuk first. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come often, and Taeyong is going take full advantage of it. He opts out of the chat and goes into his gallery, opening the group pictures and finding one of Mark he had taken when they had both went to an eating place after a basketball match with Jaehyun.

It was just the three of them who hung out, and he thought he wanted to remember the night well so he took a picture with Mark and Jaehyun that evening. He would admit, both the boys looked incredible handsome that day. He blushes when he looks at Jaehyun’s dimpled smile before sending the picture to Donghyuk, feeling a little evil.

>>From: TY TRACK

Is it perhaps… the guy right beside my boyfriend?

>>From: DingDong ;)

Rip Donghyuk, 2000 - 2016. He was a son, a friend, a soon to be boyfriend to someone but they were too good looking man

>>From: DingDong ;)

AND YES. THIS IS THE GUY RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR BF. HE LOOKS SO GOOD. HE’S MY DREAM

Taeyong splutters at the messages, smiling and biting his lip as he quickly takes a screenshot of them for blackmail material later before he gets back to replying to the supposed ‘soul’ of Donghyuk.

>>From: TY TRACK

What are you waiting for?? Tell him. I’m sure he feels the same about you, Donghyuk.

Donghyuk doesn’t reply to his message for a while and Taeyong starts to get worried, but Donghyuk starts typing again, a little slower. He types, then stops, then types, and then stops.

>>From: DingDong ;)

You really think so?

>>From: TY TRACK

Oh h*ck yes bro. Go for it!! Don’t disappear like Hansol and Yuta though lol

>>From: DingDong ;)

Not planning on it ;)

Taeyong lets his phone fall from his hand as their conversation lull into goodbyes, Donghyuk saying it was time for him to go to bed because he needed to fix his night routine before school, and Taeyong agreed, before checking his phone the last time. Jaehyun still hadn’t come back so he turns around to face his laptop and presses play. Before he knows it, his eyes start drooping and he’s falling fast asleep, movie completely forgotten.

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Taeyong stares out his mother’s car, blowing air on the car window before drawing patterns on them. He was on his way to school, his break finally coming to an end. He couldn’t believe it was his first day to hell, aka college.

He knew it wasn’t his day today. He had woken up late after hitting snooze on his phone out of habit, and was feeling throwing up while his mom told him to have at least a few pieces of toast. He politely declined, telling her he didn’t want to throw up on his neatly pressed uniform on the first day of school.

She begrudgingly agreed, and they both got ready to go to their respectful study/job places. Taeyong had tripped on his own feet and was having a really bad hair day. His hair was super wavy and wouldn’t sit in place because he had gone the day before to bed without drying his hair after a shower.

Taeyong looks at his reflection, an image of a broken man, he thinks as they near his college. His backpack straps are tight on his shoulders, a little heavy with all the assignments and other junk inside. His mouth felt a little dry and his throat was tight, and he was very nervous, but at least he would get to see his friends’ familiar and lovely faces on his way to classes, which was the number one motivation for him to go to college in the first place.

The finally reach the college, and Taeyong takes a look at the busy entrance, the place filled with students. It’s a little busy, traffic making it a little hard for his mother to drive him all the way to the entrance. When they finally make it, Taeyong turns to his mother with a wounded expression.

“Please don’t make me go.” He says, lips quivering dramatically. His mom rolls her eyes and smiles, patting a warm hand on his cheek before giving him a kiss.

“Go inside before you get late. Good luck on your first day darling,” She coos, pulling both his cheeks before she shooed him out of the car. Taeyong gets out and closes the door, still pouting when his mom when she blows him a kiss and turns the car, waving him goodbye. Taeyong watches her car disappear amongst the many others, before holding tight onto his bag straps and going inside.

Jaehyun had texted him early in the morning, a selfie of him shirtless and pouty lips, wishing him good luck and told him to concentrate in his classes. Taeyong had been in a daze after looking at the picture, before setting the picture as home screen. The picture had made his day a lot brighter, made him look forward to it. His was also a bit distracted because of his boyfriend’s collarbones and his soft pink lips, but he bit his own, pushing the thoughts at the back of his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was to be distracted by a shirtless Jaehyun on his phone, looking ridiculously handsome. It was not fair.

He was also a little touched that Jaehyun had woken up so early in the morning just to text him that. It made his heart flutter, the sweet gesture making him smile. Taeyong must’ve done something good in his previous life to be able to date someone as gorgeous and kind hearted as Jaehyun.

Taeyong makes his way to the lockers, the corridor inside the school a little crowded and loud for his liking. It was too early in the morning for people to be so energetic and loud. Jesus. He couldn’t believe there were people actually excited to come to college. He thinks he’s being a little hypocrite, when he sees his group of friends yelling his name and waving in the air at him, practically making a dash towards him. Taeyong quickly shoves his back into his locker before cowering, waiting for the inevitable death hugs from all of them.

“Taeyong-ah, you made it!” Doyoung yells loudly in his ear and envelops hi