As Wonwoo got up the following Monday morning, he quickly printed out the essay he had worked on yesterday. After not starting it on Saturday night, like he had previously planned, he spent all of Sunday working on it.

He slipped his finished work into his folder and put that into his bag. He was about to head out of his apartment to walk to university. However, he remembered to quickly grab a certain book from his bedside table; it was the book Mingyu had given him on their first date. He was almost finished reading it, so he thought he could read it at university in his spare time.

On his way to university, Wonwoo felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Shifting his books into his other arm, Wonwoo dug out his phone. He the screen, secretly hoping it was Mingyu who was texting him.

Wonwoo let out a sigh when he saw the words ‘Hoshi’ light up on his phone screen. It was only Soonyoung.

Wonwoo opened up the message, reading it quickly.

‘Hey Wonwoo, I’m really sorry for what happened on the weekend. I know you won’t forgive me that easy, but I’ll treat you to lunch today at the usual time – Your very best sorry friend, Soonyoung’

Wonwoo stuffed his phone back into his pocket, concentrating on where he was walking. He couldn’t stay mad at Soonyoung for long, and maybe someone treating him food for once wouldn’t be so bad.

Glancing at his watch as he walked onto campus, Wonwoo realised he was about twenty minutes early for his lecture. Deciding he needed a coffee to wake him up for his first class, Wonwoo entered a small coffee shop next to the student administration building.

The line was a lot smaller than he expected it to be for this time of morning; Wonwoo had barely been in line for a minute and he was already at the front being served by the employee behind the counter.

‘I’ll have a caramel latte’ Wonwoo placed his order.

‘It shouldn’t take too long, just wait over there. Thank you’ the employee said, writing down his order and sticking it up with the other orders.

‘Thank you’ Wonwoo replied, stepping aside to make room for the other customers.

Suddenly, Wonwoo’s vision was blinded, feeling warm hands covering his eyes.

‘Guess who?’ a familiar voice said.

Wonwoo could almost hear the grin present on the other boy’s face.

‘Do you really have to embarrass me here as well?’ Wonwoo questioned, already knowing who the mystery person was.

The hands were removed, revealing Mingyu.

‘It must be fate then’ Mingyu joked, his smile never fading from his face.

‘There’s no such thing as fate’ Wonwoo argued.

Wonwoo had never believed in fate, not once in his life did he believe something had happened to him by fate. Similarly, he didn’t believe in love at first sight either.

‘Suit yourself’ Mingyu shrugged.

At the same time, a coffee order was called out by the barista.

‘One caramel latte’ he announced.

‘Yes!’ both Wonwoo and Mingyu answered in unison.

Wonwoo and Mingyu looked at each other in confusion before Mingyu started to laugh.

‘Do you believe in fate now?’ Mingyu questioned ‘We both ordered the same coffee’

Mingyu took the caramel latte, since he ordered first, and took a sip.

‘It’s obviously just a coincidence’ Wonwoo argued.

‘But what are the chances of both of us getting a caramel latte; I mean, I would understand if it was just a regular latte but… I don’t think this is just a coincidence’ Mingyu continued.

Somewhere deep inside, Wonwoo was starting to think that Mingyu was right. Maybe the universe was trying to find a way to tell him to let his guard down and fall for this guy.

Once Wonwoo had received his own caramel latte, the both of them took a seat outside the café on a couple of stools.

‘So Wonwoo, about that camping trip we were discussing a couple of days ago, we could go during the summer holidays’ Mingyu started off a conversation.

‘I told you that I hate camping’ Wonwoo said stubbornly ‘There are bugs everywhere, and I don’t want to get all sunburnt’

‘You need more sun’ Mingyu said, elbowing Wonwoo in the chest ‘It will be fun, come on’

Wonwoo sighed ‘Maybe’

Mingyu’s face brightened up.

‘Maybe is basically like saying yes’ he said.

‘I’ll think about it’ Wonwoo concluded.

A few minutes passed in a strangely comfortable silence. Wonwoo was checking over his essay to make sure there weren’t any mistakes, and Mingyu just simply sat and watched him, admiring Wonwoo’s silent concentration.

Mingyu closed his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee; he seemed to be savouring the taste.

‘Is it good?’ Wonwoo asked, taking a break from reading through his own work.

Mingyu opened his eyes, smiling as always. He nodded enthusiastically.

‘I always come here before classes because the coffee is so nice’ he answered ‘I used to have a part-time job making coffee until I realised I wanted to study at university; you learn to appreciate coffee a lot more while working in that kind of environment’

‘What do you study?’ Wonwoo asked out of curiosity.

Wonwoo couldn’t believe he hadn’t asked Mingyu that question yet. In fact, he realised that Mingyu was always the one asking him questions.

‘I’m taking culinary studies; it’s a new course they started offering here. I really liked making coffee, but I think food is my destiny, do you know it?’ Mingyu said ‘And after taking this course for three years, I’ll be able to get a job at a restaurant. I’ll even have the qualifications to manage one’

Wonwoo allowed himself to smile at Mingyu’s passion for cooking.

‘You will have to cook for me some time then’ Wonwoo said, something shifting inside of him.

‘Are you, Jeon Wonwoo, asking me, Kim Mingyu, to cook for you?’ Mingyu said, his voice cracking during his excitement.

Wonwoo blushed a little at what he had proposed. Why did I say that?

‘Yes, I’m asking you to cook for me’ Wonwoo confirmed.

What am I saying? Stop Wonwoo, stop!

‘Perfect, I’ll cook for you tonight then’ Mingyu said, practically jumping up and down in his seat ‘I can meet you after your classes and take you to my place. I’ll cook for you there’

‘I’ll be anticipating it’ Wonwoo said with a dorky smile on his face.

Why am I smiling like this? What’s wrong with me?

Mingyu brightened up when he saw Wonwoo’s smiling face.

‘You have the most beautiful smile’ Mingyu commented without much thought.

Wonwoo blushed and got up from his stool.

‘I-I really have to go or I’ll be late for class’ he said.

‘Let me walk you there’ Mingyu offered, also getting up from the stool.

As Mingyu got off from the stool, his leg tangled around the stool’s leg, causing him to fall onto the cement and scrape his knee.

‘O-Oh, are you okay?’ Wonwoo asked, attempting to help the taller boy up.

‘Uh… yeah, I’m fine’ Mingyu said ‘Nothing to worry about’

However, as Mingyu went to stand up he let out a pitiful yelp of pain.

‘I-I think I’ve sprained my ankle’ Mingyu cried out, leaning onto Wonwoo for support.

‘Um… just keep leaning on me, and I’ll walk you to the infirmary’

Once Wonwoo and Mingyu had reached the university campus’s infirmary, Mingyu was laid down by the nurse and had ice applied to his wound.

‘Should he be alright?’ Wonwoo asked; a degree of worry he was trying to hide was evident in his tone.

‘He should be fine’ the nurse replied ‘As long as he doesn’t walk on it for a couple of hours, he will be okay’

‘Can I still make it to my afternoon classes?’ Mingyu asked ‘I have a presentation I need to make’

‘You should be fine by then’ the nurse reassured.

Once Wonwoo was sure that Mingyu would be fine, his eyes drifted to the round clock on the wall.

It was already 9:10.

‘Oh no, I’m late!’ he exclaimed, bidding a hasty farewell to Mingyu and briefly thanking the nurse.

Wonwoo ran all the way to the classroom where his lecture was held, out of breath as he finally reached the door.

He entered the room, his head hung low in shame. He had never been late to class in his entire period of existence.

‘Why are you so late?’ the lecturer questioned, pausing his entire lecture just to scold the late-comer.

‘I apologise sir, I’m so sorry’ Wonwoo began ‘I had to take a friend to the infirmary; here’s my essay’

Wonwoo bowed deeply to the lecturer, holding out the essay for the middle-aged man to take.

The lecturer took the essay, putting it aside with the others.

‘If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe you. But, you’re a trustworthy student, so I will pretend that you didn’t hand this in late just this once’

Wonwoo let out a breath that he had no idea he had been holding.

‘Thank you sir’ Wonwoo thanked, before taking a seat at the front of the lecture hall.

The teacher restarted his lecture, and before Wonwoo knew it, the lecture was over and it was time for his lunch break.

As he entered the burger joint, about a three minute walk from campus, Wonwoo’s eyes scanned the place for Soonyoung.

‘Hey Wonwoo, over here’ Soonyoung’s voice shouted over the chatter and music inside the burger place.

Wonwoo spotted him over beside the window, also noticing his pink-haired boyfriend was there too.

Wonwoo didn’t mind Jihoon, it wasn’t his fault that Soonyoung tricked him into having on his kitchen table. However, he was under the impression that it was just going to be himself and Soonyoung having lunch together like always.

‘You remember Jihoon, right?’ Soonyoung asked, as Wonwoo took a seat across from the couple.

Wonwoo nodded, picking up the menu to give himself something to do.

‘I already ordered your favourite burger’ Soonyoung said, taking the menu from Wonwoo ‘Now let me officially apologise to you’

Suddenly something outside the window was more interesting to Wonwoo than his friend apologising to him. There was a dog being walked by its owner; the dog was dressed up like a little fireman.

‘Wonwoo, I’m apologising to you here’ Soonyoung complained ‘Jihoon, make him pay attention to me’

‘I’ve already forgiven you Soonyoung’ Wonwoo said, turning back to face his best friend ‘I couldn’t stay mad at you for that long, just… try not to do that again’

Soonyoung smiled brightly at his best friend.

‘I knew you’d forgive me’ Soonyoung said ‘Oh, and I brought Jihoon here to apologise to you as well’

‘He doesn’t need to’ Wonwoo said ‘He didn’t do anything wrong’

Jihoon grinned triumphantly, taking a five dollar note that Soonyoung was handing out to him.

‘I told you I didn’t do anything wrong’ Jihoon said with glee.

Wonwoo was shocked, he had never seen Soonyoung’s boyfriend looking so happy.

‘We had a bet’ Soonyoung explained ‘I thought Jihoon needed to apologise; he thought he didn’t do anything wrong and he didn’t need to apologise’

‘Thanks for the money honey’ Jihoon said, snagging a kiss onto Soonyoung’s cheek.

Wonwoo laughed to himself. He found it amusing that what he said rhymed.

‘So, do you want me to drive you home after this?’ Soonyoung asked ‘You don’t have afternoon classes on Monday anymore, right?’

‘Oh um… no, I think I will just stay on campus and read my book’ Wonwoo said, tapping the book that he had placed on the table when he had arrived earlier.

‘Oh my god, is that the book that Mingyu bought at the op-shop last week?’ Soonyoung questioned, leaning in to get a closer look at the book.

‘What? No’ Wonwoo said, shaking his head.

‘It is’ Jihoon piped in ‘I was there when he bought it’

‘Wow, that’s so cute’ Soonyoung gushed ‘You’re using the present he bought you; soon you’ll be eating food that he cooks for you. You’ll be a truly domestic couple!’

‘Well…’ Wonwoo trailed off, blushing at the thought of doing exactly that with Mingyu tonight.

‘He’s cooking you dinner?’ Soonyoung gasped ‘That’s so adorable, he’s a really good cook too. You’re so lucky!’

Jihoon coughed from beside him.

‘I’m lucky too’ Soonyoung quickly insisted ‘Just in a different way. You gotta admit it, having take-away food every meal gets a little bit boring’

Jihoon rolled his eyes ‘Just be grateful that you’re not starving. And besides I’m sure your parents cook you proper food when you aren’t with me’

Wonwoo sat patiently, waiting for his food while listening to the two bicker like a married couple.

Once the hamburgers had arrived everybody was quiet, enjoying their lunch in silence. Once they were done, Soonyoung got up to pay.

‘Can you pay for mine too please?’ Jihoon asked, tugging on Soonyoung’s shirt with a childlike innocence.

Soonyoung shook his head.

‘Why don’t you treat me for once? I’m sure Mingyu pays for Wonwoo’s meals all the time’ Soonyoung insisted ‘If I was dating Mingyu, I bet he would always treat me to meals’

Jihoon muttered something in audible, reaching for his own wallet.

Wonwoo laughed on the inside. If only Soonyoung knew of Mingyu’s dating habits as well as he did.

After a couple of hours spent finishing his book and starting his literature analysis he had just received in his previous lecture, Wonwoo felt a buzz coming from his phone on the desk.

The words ‘Kim Mingyu’ appeared on the screen.

Wonwoo opened the text.

‘I just finished my last class for the day. If you’re done with classes too, I will meet you out the front of campus in about ten minutes. Thanks again for helping me when I sprained my ankle <3’

Wonwoo couldn’t help himself, a small smile appeared on his usual blank face.

‘I’m done with classes too, I’ll see you soon’

Wonwoo gathered his books and other belongings, slipping them into his backpack, before heading to the front of the campus where he was told to meet with Mingyu.

As Wonwoo neared the entrance, he stopped his footsteps; he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

There at the entrance of the university was Kim Mingyu, a girl locking lips with the taller boy. From what Wonwoo could tell, the girl was flawless. Wonwoo knew it had been too good to be true.

Avoiding the entrance, Wonwoo walked out the back way. He quickened his pace, as he attempted to keep a hold of his emotions.

He hated this; he hated everything about this. Why was it that when he let somebody into his heart for the first time, his heart was ripped to shreds? He absolutely hated Kim Mingyu.

Turning the corner, entering into an alleyway, Wonwoo let himself break. A stray tear escaped his eyes as he leaned against the wall. That one tear turned into many tears; he cursed Kim Mingyu for meddling with his heart.