They stand together, staring at the menu overhead. This particular café, a few blocks away from Hanyang, has piqued Seokjin's interest after hearing how good their food is. It's hitting two birds with one stone for Seokjin: trying out the café and catching up with the 2nd Kim.

It has been a while since Jonghoon visited any of his cousins on their respective campuses. The only time he leaves SNU is when his friends ask them to go to another university for their picnic. Jungsoo complained that planners should give KU or Yonsei a chance. Because of that, Jonghoon gets to travel longer once in a month.

Hanyang is different, albeit a few minutes away from Yonsei. Wonshik is at an advantage, which Jonghoon believes. Sunggyu mentioned that he stops by at Hanyang whenever he feels like it and the stepsiblings love the university's environment when their school had a campus tour. Jonghoon feels bad, but at least this date would give him an opportunity to visit the 4th Kim's alma mater.

"What do you want?" the elder's eyes still trained on the menu, flitting between the sandwiches and pasta sections.

He feels Seokjin moving his shoulders, shrugging almost, "Whatever you're getting."

Jonghoon squints at his direction, "You sure?"

"Look hyung," Seokjin faces his cousin, "I'm not really that hungry since Pilkyo hyung made us eat a lot for breakfast. So I'm good with whatever you're getting."

Breakfast was, surprisingly, a feast. An array of side dishes and Pilkyo's signature breakfast kimbap had dominated the tables. Pilkyo urged the younger ones to take them for lunch, telling them to pack extras for their friends. The eldest Kim's cooking is their favorite; it's the closest thing they have to home.

Jonghoon's lips escaping a soft sigh. Pushing Seokjin playfully to find them a seat, the older walked over to the cashier to place his order — two BLTs, one iced Americano, and one hot chocolate. A cup of hot chocolate is appropriate in this October winds, which signals the coming of winter.

The younger Kim mentioned that the café became a hotspot for students, thanks to its cozy ambiance and decorative plants. The walls painted a brown color, with wooden furnishings displayed around. Jonghoon expected people filling up the establishment, only to be surprised that a handful have taken their seats around. It makes sense since the café had only opened for a few minutes.

The cashier hands him the pager and his receipt. He cranes his head to look for his younger cousin; his eyes landing when he spots him seated by the windows. The younger one looks calm, even though he has a hectic schedule of projects and part-time work, but he knows that something is still bothering him.

Despite not talking for a long time, the conversations flowed out naturally. As if no gap had occurred between them. They were under the same roof, but Jonghoon blames their schedules. He never gets to catch Seokjin available and when Seokjin approaches him, his nose was buried in between readings.

They talk about college, Seokjin's upcoming play, and a part-time job at Bighit. The familiarity lingered in the atmosphere. Jonghoon enjoyed it. He notes the changes in Seokjin's behavior — much more reserved but still full of chatter. The younger then was able to share stories in his own accord.

In the middle of their conversation on Jonghoon's classes, the pager buzzes, and Seokjin insisted to get the order. When Seokjin arrives with the tray, he hands over the drinks, hissing when he touches Jonghoon's cup. "Sorry," Jonghoon sheepishly says, "I had hot chocolate."

He notices Seokjin raising his eyebrows, "Didn't know you're into that now, hyung."

Jonghoon then explains about his changing tastes, mostly due to study habits and slowly outgrowing caffeine. It surprised the 2nd Kim that he doesn't get sleepy with hot chocolate, a weird characteristic he picked up while staring at a Family and Community Medicine textbook last semester.

"Well, that's possible. I remember hating salads but when Hoseok made me feed his, I became obsessed with it," Seokjin says and they both laugh. Jonghoon is aware that Seokjin could eat anything except 'raw' vegetables. He had to thank Hoseok for converting the salad-hater.

They shared a few minutes of silence, biting into the sandwich and hearing the lettuce crunch in every chew. Jonghoon would stop, sip in his drink, and pipe up a remark or thought flying in his mind space. Seokjin would nod, share his own thoughts, and return it with a bizarre thought that Jonghoon swears it leaves him speechless.

"There must be another reason why we're here together, hyung," Seokjin points out as he puts down his cup. Jonghoon could feel the younger's eyes on him, observing the slight changes in his behavior. The main reason why he convinced Seokjin to this date had temporarily left his system, only returning when Seokjin brought it up.

"Also," the younger adds, snapping Jonghoon in his increasing thoughts, "I noticed you keep on mentioning a certain name. Never heard of him before."

This should be the cue then. "Jin-ah," the older starts, his voice growing quieter, "what would you do if someone you like is with someone else?"

He watches how Seokjin shifts in his seat, seemingly in deep thought. Is he thinking about how to approach the question? Is he wondering how he would be honest about his feelings?

A small, inaudible sigh escapes. "I'll just, I don't know, let them be?" it was an answer hidden in a questioning tone. Jonghoon knows that the younger is still not okay with what happened a few months back. Actually, throughout their conversations, Seokjin only mentioned five or six of his friends. Namjoon looked like he gradually faded in Seokjin's circle.

"If he's not a friend," Seokjin continues, "then I have no right to meddle. Like, I like him — but he doesn't know I exist so why bother."

"But," Jonghoon watches how the younger's eyes were trained on the plate, contemplating whether to let his thoughts out, "if he's a friend, then I have to pretend that everything okay."

This was probably the closest thing that Jonghoon has seen Seokjin in his raw emotions. Seokjin wasn't the type of person to be this sad. A pocketful of sunshine, an outgoing, typical extrovert. The break-up had taken its toll on Seokjin's being — acting like everything's okay when the internal turmoil has been eating him alive.

Jonghoon nods and the 4th Kim asks again, shifting on his seat. "Is it because of the new name I heard? Kim Ryeowook?"

Without another word, Jonghoon spills him the details about his best friend. About where he came from, his likes and dislikes, how he brought him to his circle of friends, and what Heechul & Hyukjae think about the guy. He tells him about the moments that he couldn't forget and how he believed that there's something going on beyond this friendship.

Seokjin listens to him. Digesting each word and picturing the scenes being described to him. Jonghoon notes the smiles, the occasional sipping, the knowing nods. It seemed like he understands.

Ending the whole monologue with a rephrasing of the same question, Jonghoon looks at the younger. His eyes might have read desperation because he's desperate on what to do. He's angry, disappointed, sad even, that someone had beat him to it. That kiss that he saw was the turning point. And he's frustrated at how that particular gesture made him realize his growing affections towards the younger.

I'm hopeless, Jonghoon thinks as he leans back, slumps down.

A few minutes and an excruciatingly long silence later, the younger speaks up. "That's kind of hard."

It is, Jonghoon drawls in his mind.

"But first, come into terms hyung with your feelings. Like, admit to yourself that you like him. Then try to observe how you really feel around him. If you're a daredevil — which I know you are — and if you're ready, tell him what you feel. Be ready for the rejection, cry over it, and let it take over your life for a short while. Then move on. Support him and Kyuhyun hyung, or whoever he's with. Even before all of this happened, you were his best friend first," Seokjin says.

He continues, "Sooner or later, your feelings will fade. You'll be okay, hyung."

Jonghoon thinks about that for a second. He could just hide the growing, almost permanent, feelings but it would definitely get much worse. The advice was too direct in Jonghoon's liking, the least he could do was to modify it to suit him. He tries to examine every move that Ryeowook has given him — was it really because he was friendly, just like what Sunggyu said? But he thinks about the times most gestures were personal — the coffee runs, the late-night conversations, their alone time. Those were more common and the feelings continued to blossom in his heart.

Should he just go for it?

He sees Seokjin look at his watch. Picking up his bag hanging underneath the table, he stands up and looks at his cousin with a small smile. "You have all the time to think it through, hyung. Now, let's go to campus. I know you're excited."

The 2nd Kim chuckles as he grabs his bag and slings an arm around Seokjin's shoulders.

Time won't run out. And Jonghoon has all the time that he needs. But he does need a bit of courage.

Before sending Seokjin inside of his building, Jonghoon eggs the younger to visit SNU when he's not busy. It's been a while since Jonghoon saw someone regarded as filial other than his friends.

"How about later, hyung? My classes end around 5. We could have dinner together," Seokjin says as they both stop in front of the entrance. Jonghoon nods, clinging onto the straps of his bag pack. Never in the 2nd Kim's entire life that he would ask a cousin to stop by in his university. They would just visit him out of nowhere.

Jonghoon was about to let him go when he spots, in his peripheral vision, a familiar figure walking out of the building. His head turns to look at the figure, eyes widening when he makes out the face. How long has it been since he last saw Namjoon?

The 4th Kim imitates his moves, a visible stiffening on his shoulders when he sees him. Namjoon was talking to someone, a girl almost the same height as him, and looked like he's been laidback. There was something different from the older, probably the stature? His face? The new shirt that Jonghoon has never seen in his entire life?

The male faces their directions so suddenly, stopping in his tracks when he sees the cousins. Namjoon doesn't hesitate to wave, so does Jonghoon, but the latter notices how stiff his cousin is. The figure walks away, a visible disappointment contorting on his face, his hand holding onto the girl's.

"Namjoon changed," Jonghoon finds himself saying when the two were gone, his eyes still on them.

Seokjin nods sadly, "His new girlfriend has been taking good care of him well."

Something in Seokjin's voice sounded like he's broken. The sad, lifeless Kim Seokjin that he encountered earlier in the café came out again. Seeing the younger shattered made Jonghoon downcast. Where has he been when the younger is struggling to come into his own terms?

He wraps one arm around the younger again, rubbing his shoulder. "I told you my dilemma about Ryeowook. You have to tell me about what's bothering you."

And while he expected a playful push, he feels a pair of arms hugging his torso. The wetness seeps into his clothes. Seokjin's shoulders move, his wails reaching Jonghoon's ears.

His heart breaks. The confession could wait. He has someone to tend to.

The 4th-floor hallways have been quiet but Jonghoon's watch indicates that classes are about to end. He's early for his Neuroscience class. Ryeowook would also be there, a vacant seat beside him whenever he reaches the class hall early. For today, he'll be the one to save him a seat.

A few steps away from the door, the lecturer's voice is loud and clear. A few seconds of silence, then the voice booms again. The walls are thick enough and look like it'll be impenetrable of sound, but it doesn't — as proven by the loud voice.

Footsteps approach his place. Students with the same class as him and unfamiliar ones begin to flood his vision. Some waved, others huddled in circles. He sees a bit of hazel brown hair, breaking into a wide grin when he meets the other's eye.

"You're early," the voice is too familiar in Jonghoon's ears.

"Early head start. Went to Hanyang for lunch," Jonghoon leans his back against the wall, smiling triumphantly at his accomplishment.

"No wonder I didn't see you around," Ryeowook pouts, a view that Jonghoon could categorize as 'cute'. Whenever the younger breaks into an unconscious facial expression, Jonghoon's heart would leap. Almost in a mini-tachycardia.

The younger pats down his pants, feeling an object in the depths of his pockets. The 2nd Kim observes how the younger pulls it out, his expression beaming with excitement. It's a silver band, glistening underneath the fluorescent lights.

"Kyu gave it to me," Ryeowook boasts, and Jonghoon crumbles. He should've seen that coming.

Being a good friend that he is, he snatches the ring to take a closer look. It's simple, in contrast to Ryeowook's uncanny interest in shiny things, with no engravings found on the surface.

"That's nice," he simply says as he returns it gingerly. He watches how Ryeowook slides it on his finger, flaunting his hand in front of Jonghoon's face.

"Pretty, right?" Ryeowook says. Jonghoon suppresses to scoff; he knows that Ryeowook isn't a big fan of common designs. Maybe he changed his likes but he knows him better.

The previous class disperses from the hallway and Jonghoon puts a protective arm over Ryeowook. The sudden wave of students forces them to move along the currents. Jonghoon dislikes changing classes, as everyone is scurrying to leave and enter the hall.

He lets the wave die down before he tugs on Ryeowook's... wrist? Arm? Finger? Whatever it is, he didn't bother to look as he scurries to enter, a few seats still vacant. Jonghoon slithers around, making his way to the seats a few rows away from the front. Rushing over before someone takes it, he sits down and motions the younger to sit on the free seat.

The lecturer is nowhere to be seen, maybe resting her voice for their class. Nonetheless, the hall is packed with students buzzing and chattering. Jonghoon picks up a conversation about their homework or that one exam bearing the heaviest grade. A typical med student concern.

Jonghoon sighs. Besides the curricular ones, he still has a pending song to practice for his collaboration with Wonshik. He also needs to finish the draft of his editorial, as well as polish his contributory article. A lot of things on his plate and he still has the guts to wonder about this raging affections to a certain Kim Ryeowook.

He could just tell it to him straight. Ryeowook likes everything direct. He doesn't like beating around the bush. At the same time, Jonghoon is scared that he might push the younger away from him. The directness of his confession might find it repulsive to Ryeowook. He had to prepare himself first before he confesses.

When the lecturer arrives, a water bottle underneath her arms, she begins the class almost immediately. Jonghoon tries his best to catch up with the lesson, but his thoughts have been bugging him. His heart may sound calm but his thoughts are sending unhelpful signals. Kim Ryeowook's beside you! You have to act fast! They haven't even really dated so grab this opportunity!

When did his brain act like Heechul?!

He focuses his attention on the powerpoint presentation, but he was unconsciously forming a plan on how to confess. To shift back his focus, Jonghoon tries to gently calm his thoughts down — and when it becomes too severe, he pinches his arms. Which is a bit harsh.

An hour and 30 minutes (and an internal struggle to understand the new lesson), the class ends and the students file out of the hallway. Jonghoon waits for the initial wave to end before dragging Ryeowook to the outside. It was silent when they leave the hall, as Jonghoon usually tries to compose himself and let the discussion sink into his brain cells. But he was surprised when he sees Kyuhyun waiting in the floor's lobby.

Ryeowook breaks into a sprint and tackles Kyuhyun, enveloping the younger into a bear hug. Jonghoon chuckles but stands awkwardly, watching as the scene unfolds fully in his sight. He has the urge to look away, but he remained strong. The thoughts continue to swirl in his mind space, Now's the chance!

What...?

He was staring blankly when he finally feels Ryeowook tugging on his sleeves. Blinking several times and Kyuhyun chuckling at his hyung's behavior, Jonghoon finally paid attention to them. Ryeowook squints at him, "Ah... You're spacing out again, hyung!"

"No I wasn't, I was just thinking about something," Jonghoon quickly dismisses. , he thinks as he mentally slaps himself, stop being so obvious!

Kyuhyun nods before the older notices his action — wrapping one arm around Ryeowook's waist — and Jonghoon could just full-on breakdown in the lobby. But he stops and exhales rather forcefully.

"I was saying that Kyuhyun might tag along on our usual dinner. Is... that okay with you hyung?" Ryeowook drawls.

Jonghoon was about to agree when he forgot that he promised Seokjin later that evening for dinner. He's narrowly saved!

"Oh, uh," Jonghoon stutters, pretending to feel bad about not joining them, "Seokjin's dropping by after the last class. Sorry about that."

He thanks the Heavens for saving his over a dragging date with his best friend/crush and his other friend/best friend's date.

Ryeowook's face contorts into a frown but Kyuhyun's quick to comfort the younger. Ryeowook relents and the three of them walk to the next class. Jonghoon tries to focus on his walking, ignoring the excessive PDA exuded by the two. He groans, partially because he's annoyed and mostly because it's his common 'best friend move'. Kyuhyun playfully pushed him, with Jonghoon complaining "We're on a staircase!"

They reach the next hall and Jonghoon watches how (disgustingly) cute Ryeowook is. He speaks in a baby voice, pleading that Kyuhyun should wait for him. The youngest of the three returns the same behavior, with him declining since he had to do other stuff.

Jonghoon snorts a bit too loudly. He chuckles when Ryeowook sent him a glare.

After a few more begging and cutesy moves, Kyuhyun reluctantly pulls out of Ryeowook's hold. "I'll text you later!" the youngest says as he walks away, Ryeowook waving sadly at the male.

Jonghoon crosses his arms after watching the entire scene unfold, "Didn't know you're sickeningly pathetic around Kyuhyun."

Ryeowook squints at him, "You're just jealous because I have a boyfriend."

Yes I am, Ryeong, Jonghoon thinks when the younger turns his back on him, I'm jealous because you're with Kyuhyun. When it should've been me.

Seokjin is already waiting outside of the building when Jonghoon spots him. The older breaks into a sprint and engulfs the younger in a hug, "You came, you came, you came!"

"Yah, so you could stop acting like a baby!" Seokjin scoffs but he's genuinely happy to be back in SNU. The last time Seokjin went his was on Jonghoon's first day in premed. While he could drag his other friends in here, they're mostly busy.

Jonghoon pouts at him and he turns around to see an approaching Ryeowook. He stands up straight, "Um, Ryeowook, this is Seokjin. My cousin."

"You're the one from Hanyang, right?" Ryeowook recalls and Seokjin nods, stretching out his hand for a shake.

"Hyung has told me a lot about you," Seokjin says with a hint of teasing. Jonghoon nudges him a bit hard, with Seokjin faking his expression while rubbing his shoulders. Ah, Kim Seokjin and his mouth. He could just blabber about his embarrassing moments without Jonghoon noticing.

Jonghoon clears his throat, grabbing the 4th Kim's wrist a bit harshly, "Well we're going now. We have to get home or else Pi— Hyesung hyung's going to explode."

Ryeowook chuckles and waves at them, hollering a "nice to meet you finally, Seokjin-ssi!" before he also turns around to leave. Walking in the opposite direction, Seokjin yanks his wrist away from the older cousin's grip. Jonghoon mumbles an apology quickly, clutching back to the bag pack's straps.

They pass by the line of lamp posts illuminating the path. It was quiet; Jonghoon lets the younger take in the twilight sky in SNU's vast campus. It's the same view that took the 2nd Kim's breath away. Whenever he feels tired due to the whole day of classes, he looks up at the mix of orange, pink, and purple hue occupying the skies. It makes him grounded, giving him enough time to breathe.

"So," Seokjin starts as they walk, "that was the famous Kim Ryeowook."

Jonghoon nods. He doesn't want to talk about it. Just thinking about it makes his head hurt.

"He's a nice guy. You should invite him over," Seokjin points out as they make a turn to the nearest gate.

Jonghoon thinks about the suggestion. He should, shouldn't he?

Grabbing the younger by the shoulder, Jonghoon dips his body to do a headlock with his arms. Seokjin's head traps in the older's arm, ruffling his head, while the younger whines at the action. They're definitely back at their own pace.

"Where do you want for dinner?" Jonghoon lets the younger free. He watches as Seokjin pats down his clothes, straightening his black coat.

"Anything, although I am craving for Mom's Touch."

Jonghoon then tugs the younger by the arm, dragging him to the exit near the said restaurant. He never liked eating outside of the campus, since it's more expensive and bland cafeteria food gives him enough energy. But this, this is the first time he'll enjoy eating outside. As long as Seokjin's around, he'll get through his social life. And his damn feelings with Kim Ryeowook.

Chapter Notes: Currently listening to Taylor Swift's new album and it's nice and comforting~ It's been a while since I listened to her album. This chapter is actully fun to write, most esp since I'm in dire need of a Yesung x Jin (or any SJ x BTS) interactions xD

Please do leave a comment! I'll se you guys on my next update~

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