But I know in my heart

You're not a constant star

“Such a good morning!” Seunghoon greeted no one in particular when he entered the room; shooting hearts at the ladies he passed by. This was followed by a trumpet of: “Well, welcome to eye bag nation!” when his eyes found Minho – hair inn disarray, slouched over a chair.

The rapper scrunched his nose at the greeting. “Yeah, very original hyung. You’re like the ninety-seventh person who said that to me,” And then he pretended to look at his wrist watch, mocking a: “And it’s only 10:30.”

Seunghoon only laughed at the drowsy answer, watching as Minho slicked his hair back into his signature cap. “Well? We weren’t out partying last night so why did your eye bags conceive another eye bag?” He winced as the other forcefully shove him away when he plopped himself beside Minho.

Minho’s hand gestured over Seungyoon’s direction and Seunghoon’s eyes followed. Kang sighed, “This is the ninety-seventh time I’ll explain this,” Took a deep breath, “Nam Taehyun.”

2:

Constant Star

“Minho-hyung, do you think I have a chance at this audition?” Nam Donghyun, Taehyun’s younger brother asked as the rapper’s first day started in the Nam house. It was a relief the younger Nam was the total opposite of the blond, because if not Minho could have asked the others to put him in a mental asylum already.

It was lucky that Donghyun met Minho way before the older set foot on the Nam household. Little Nam (as Minho calls him) was on one of the auditions Minho was once and he happened to see Donghyun fidgeting, pacing back and forth and just generally shaking all over, his nerves slowly eating him. That’s when Minho came up and told him funny stories to at least lessen the fritters. At that time all Minho knew was Donghyun’s audition number and the resemblance of the young musician to his younger self when he was still starting.

Minho ruffled the guy’s hair and chuckled loudly, his voice crackled and echoed briefly inside the house, “Of course! You’ve been practicing since last summer; you will surely blow them off!”

The young man showcased an unsure expression but still smiled widely at the answer, “Thanks hyung!”

“You’re up early.” It was Auntie Nam, emerging from the back door porch, her gloved hand holding freshly picked flowers. “I found a bottle of Bacchus in the refrigerator this morning, is it yours?”

Donghyun grinned at his mother, “I was just too excited to be housemates with Minho-hyung, Ma. And yah, the Bacchus’ mine.”

Auntie Nam smiled at both men and gently placed the flowers on their table before going off to the kitchen to look for a vase. “I thought it was your brother’s… he knows he can’t have that, anyway, where’s your brother?”

“Yeah, else he won’t be able to sleep.” Donghyun stood up, followed his mother inside the kitchen, “He was out early, said something about the deadline of his research journal.”

“Ah, your brother doesn’t really know what taking a break means.”

Minho was biting the inside of his cheeks in unease as he listened to the exchange, a vivid memory propped from the back of his mind as he he remembered Taehyun’s words before he left earlier that morning:

“I’ll leave early. I don’t want anyone to see me going to school with you.”

He’s really getting on my nerves.

The crew were in the canteen eating lunch when Zico suddenly appeared, teasing Minho on how awesome he is because he made him live under the Nam’s house.

“My mother’s the one who made me live there not you,” Minho defended, smacking Zico across the back of his neck when he remembered their dean’s warning. “I’m near collage eviction because of you hyung!”

But Zico was not even rattled and he hit Minho back playfully, “Ey, just think of the bright side! You’re actually sleeping in the same room with the guy you’re gay with!”

“Damn you!”

“Aish! Shut up you guys!” It was Seunghoon, shushing the both of them with his index fingers smashing across both men’s lips and nudging his pout on a certain direction.

The rest of the crew followed the pout and realized the rest of the cafeteria was looking at the same direction, admiring a magenta-haired man walking with a dimpled smile from the other side of the room.

“That’s Kim Jinwoo.” Kyung broke the silence that enveloped the whole room when he announced the familiar name, making some heads turn their way in understanding.

Kim Jinwoo – the University Angel.

Minho heard it from some groups a few tables behind them and he resisted the urge to repeat the title, fixing his eyes instead on the rare opportunity presented before them.

Sure, everyone knew the Kim Jinwoo is enrolled in their uni but seeing him on school grounds is near to impossible. Sightings of the University Angel are limited to the Drama Club Room and the auditorium stages.

Jinwoo was followed by a blond man right after, a shade Minho knew so well by now, his hands in his pockets, a thick book clasped between his torso and the inside of his arm.

He has the same cold and piercing gaze, pale skin, and his nose in a snout.

“And that’s Nam Taehyun,” Seungyoon was still munching some of his burger when he said this, but he immediately gulped down the remaining bits to add: “Now that makes it ninety-eight.”

Hushed tones echoed inside the room, murmurs of Jinwoo being a model and soon-to-be professional actor mingled with rumbles of Nam Taehyun graduating summa laude with honorary awards filled the empty voids of the canteen.

Kim Jinwoo walking the ‘regular’ school areas such as the cafeteria is one thing.  Seeing Nam Taehyun with him in the crowded cafeteria is another.

Everyone watched as Jinwoo fed the vending machine with some coins, his porcelain hand reaching down to fish the cans of vanilla milk and Red Bull right after.  He looked over his shoulder to smile at the blond, giving him the silver and blue can. Taehyun accepted the can and nodded as a thank you, saying something that only Jinwoo heard because the model’s smile broadened.

Before long the two were out the place and as they slowly disappeared in the hallways the room started to buzz louder again, “Wow, Red Bull,” Zico was still staring at the canteen’s door, his thick lips in an o, “Never knew he needed that.”

Minho rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his iced choco.

“I thought it was your brother’s… he knows he can’t have that, anyway, where’s your brother?”

Taehyun knows he can’t have energy drinks, right?

By four Minho’s classes were all over and he decided to tag along with Seunghoon, who was recruited to come and join the Drama Club.

“You’ll join because of Kim Jinwoo,” Minho teased, smirking at the older man beside him. “Now who’s gayer now?” He sarcastically asked as they made their way to the building where the Drama Club resides.

Seunghoon side-glanced him and swatted his arm, “It’s actually love for art. Art!”

“And Kim Jinwoo. “ Minho insisted, carefully distancing himself from the other this time. “You’ve been head over heels with him since first year hyung.”

“And yes, I only got balls now, thank you very much.”

Minho chuckled at the compliant admission. “It’s because it’s your last year in uni so you have no reason to fear!”

Seunghoon’s jolly steps suddenly slowed and his face suddenly dropped, “That is one thing but Jinwnoo leaving the country for a musical is the biggest reason!”

Minho nodded in understanding. It had been a few weeks when the school announced Kim Jinwoo’s casting in a popular musical abroad, forcing him to leave even before graduation. “Pretty bad to be in love with someone you can’t reach eh?”

“ you Song Minho.” There was an irritated furrow in between Seunghoon’s brows and Minho only laughed at the curse. “If being in love means being contented with them being happy then why not.”

Minho contorted his face in an exaggerated astonishment, “Wow, poet Seung all the way!”

And the older whacked him with another “ you.”

Minho waited outside the Drama Club President’s room, disgusted at the thought of seeing his hyung being all red and stammerry and just overall pitiful as he tries to talk normally with Kim Jinwoo. It was a relief that the studio was actually barren, so Minho was left playing on his phone and glancing over his reflection on the mirror occupying the entire wall across him from time to time.

He could hear a muffled pair of laughter and murmurs and he was glad things seem to be going well for Seunghoon.

How about me? He wonders, When will things go well for me?

Rather, How will things go well for me and Taehyun?

The Drama Club room’s door opened with a light creak that made Minho look up from his phone. A pair of black creepers started to step in, revealing a blond wearing a red cardigan.

“The hell you’re doing here?” Greeted Taehyun when he saw Minho, one of his droopy brows raised in a sharp arch and the other plucked his earphones off.

Minho, with an agitated brow up as well, tried not to glare back at Taehyun. “Uh, I could ask you t