“H-Hi, hyung,” Hoseok greets sheepishly, his cheeks blushing a bright pink. Hyunwoo glances over at him, a Buddha-like grin quirking up his lips.

“Hello, Hoseok. How are you today?”

Hoseok just about dies right then and there, the congenial tone warming him to the very tips of his toes. His nervous smile grows to a full-blown smile overtaking his entire face, an expression of purity and delight.

“I-I’m d-doing fine~” Hoseok replies, his attempts to stave off his own stutter utterly failing. “I thaw that the team got to nationalth,” he goes on, desperately trying to keep up a conversation with the boy. “Congratulationth~! I know you were worried about how well you’d do…” Of course, he’d gone to the game himself and quite possibly been the loudest cheerer there, but Hyunwoo didn’t need to know that.

“Thanks, Hoseok-ah,” Hyunwoo says, sounding genuinely pleased. “It was a difficult meet, but I’m grateful for the outcome.” Hoseok beams, pleased with the successful exchange of words and thoughts with quite possibly the best boy he’ll ever meet. Sadly, however, the teacher comes in, and all hopes of carrying it on are squashed. They all stand simultaneously, bowing as they give the woman their greeting.

“Good morning, Hyolyn-songsaengnim!” they chant, each child doing their utmost to sound as cheery as possible. Their teacher gives a hoarse laugh at the exuberant greeting, returning it before turning round to begin scribbling the day’s objectives out on the board.

Just as she turns, Hoseok’s seatmate, Minhyuk, scrambles into the room through the backdoor, ducking to avoid notice as he slides into his seat.

“Hey, hyung,” the black-haired boy greets, chewing on a straw as he sets his books down. “What’d I miss?”

“Oh my god, Moongie!” Hoseok immediately shout-whispers, whirling about to face Minhyuk. “You just missed the best thing that’ll ever happen to me ever!!” Minhyuk chuckles, recognizing the light of joy in the older’s eyes that only ever appears when he speaks with Hyunwoo without puking. “I actually had a conversation with Hyunwoo!!! Oh my god, he’s so cute and he singlehandedly led the swim team to nationals and he’s so cool and oh my god I thought I was gonna pass out!!”

Minhyuk raises a brow, wondering if the older realizes how loud he’s being. Luckily, their teacher doesn’t seem to hear, but the kids within a four-seat radius do… Including, it seems, the man of the hour, so to speak. The swim captain’s tan cheeks are painted a deep red, and it’s all Minhyuk has to not burst out in laughter.

God, Hoseok was absolutely hopeless…

“I just don’t know what I’m gonna do, guys,” Hoseok whines, glancing plaintively across the lunch hall to where Hyunwoo sits with two younger boys who seem to hang off him like drapes. “He’s obviously got so many followers already… How am I gonna be able to catch him all for myself?” Kihyun glances over at Minhyuk with a bit of a dubious look, stuffing his cheeks full of rice from his homemade lunch.

“You know Hyunwoo-hyung already kno—”

“Already knows just how amazing you are, hyung,” Minhyuk quickly interrupts, jabbing the boy in the side in silent warning. “I’m sure all it’ll take is one little confession from you, and he’ll be all yours!” Hoseok scoffs skeptically, drowning his sorrows in the last of his school-bought lunch before standing to leave.

“He knows how much of a stuttering, intelligible mess I am,” Hoseok bemoans, his eyes taking on the light that of a forlorn bunny. “I’m gonna go to the library and work on some extra credit assignments… I’ll see you two later.”

Kihyun doesn’t even bother waiting for Hoseok to fully leave the hall before kicking Minhyuk square in the shin in retaliation, earning a yelp of pain from the lanky boy.

“You and I both know Hyunwoo-hyung knows Hoseok-hyung likes him, Minhyuk-ah,” Kihyun states around his mouthful of saucy chicken, completely ignoring Minhyuk’s whining. “Why’d you interrupt me like that? It’d save Hoseok-hyung a lot of trouble if he knew.”

“But why make it easy for them?” Minhyuk asks rhetorically, pouting at his greasy slop. He sighs wantonly as he looks over at Kihyun’s food, stealing half his sandwich before going on. “It’ll be a funny story they can bond over after they get together. You know, like how we got together~” Kihyun rolls his eyes, biting back a nag about how Minhyuk should just wake up the extra hour it takes to make a decent boxed lunch instead of attempting at the school slop everyday before stealing Kihyun’s food.

“We’re together now?” Kihyun asks, choosing instead to tease his same-age friend. “Is that why you’ve been clinging to me more than usual? I thought you were just wanting me to do your math homework again.”

“Ha ha,” Minhyuk says sarcastically, frowning at the shorter’s words. “I don’t know why I put up with this abuse. I could leave you and start hanging out with Jooheonney, or Changkyunnie. You wouldn’t be so mean to me then…” Kihyun looks over, yelping out a high-pitched laugh before cooing at the adorable pout that’s overtaken Minhyuk’s face.

“Aw, I’m sorry, Min-ah,” Kihyun apologizes genuinely, bumping their shoulders together. “There’s no need to make such an ugly face. You know you can have all the food you want from my lunch… I pack extra everyday for a reason.”

“I knew it!” Minhyuk shrieks in victory, cackling as he picks up the rest of the sandwich and stuffs the whole thing into his mouth. Kihyun in a disapproving breath, shaking his head as he turns his gaze back to his neatly-packed lunch.

God, how did he fall for such a mess??

Hoseok heaves a heavy, downtrodden breath as he sits down in the library, pulling out a couple of binders from his backpack. He’s vaguely aware of one of his underclassmen friends, Hyungwon, slipping deftly into the seat across from him.

“Why the long face, hyung?” Hyungwon asks, his tone low. Hoseok glances up to see the pretty younger boy frowning in concern at him around the Cheetoh in his mouth. The older pouts openly at him, his shoulders dropping defeatedly.

“I’m in love with someone totally out of my league, Wonnie,” he murmurs in response. Hyungwon splutters out a laugh of disbelief at this, knowing exactly what Hoseok is speaking of. After all, when someone so loudly blabs in the middle of class about a crush he’s having on the star of the school, the gossip mill would spin faster than you’d think possible.

“I don’t think so,” Hyungwon muses aloud, unable to keep from giggling softly at the look of astonishment passing over Hoseok’s face. “Why don’t you just try telling him how you feel? I highly doubt he’d turn you down.”

“I couldn’t,” Hoseok quickly says, shaking his head frantically. “He’d say no to me right then and there! I told you, Wonnie, he’s out of my league! He’s just so perfect and pretty and kind and sweet and I just don’t stand a chance!”

“Then tell him anonymously,” Hyungwon sighs, growing tired of the conversation. Hoseok has always been so dramatic, he finds it hard to remember that he’s actually older. Hoseok gives him a confused frown, and Hyungwon goes on to explain, “You know, leave him anonymous notes in his locker or something.” Hoseok gasps sharply at this, standing so quickly he knocks his chair back.

“Of course!” he cries out a bit too loudly. His outburst earns a stern glare from the passing librarian, and he quickly bows in apology before hurriedly beginning to gather his things. “Thank you, Wonnie, thank you,” he mutters under his breath, practically shoving his things into his bag before rushing over to hug Hyungwon gratefully round the shoulders.

Hyungwon merely watches him as he goes, shaking his head amusedly at his ditzy hyung.