He is so stressed.  

Today was supposed to be an ordinary day.  He was supposed to go to the university first thing in the morning then eat lunch with his friends and play basketball in the afternoon if they have spare time.  
It is their routine.  But a stupid assignment is stressing the hell out of Seungcheol.  

Actually,  the project was easy.  It's way too easy that it becomes difficult. At least for him.   

As an English major,  they have to study William Shakespeare for their Literature subject.  And their professor, so much for being romantic, gave them an absurd task. 

It's this simple. You just have to define what is love in your own definition of it and write it in a heart then place it in your shoulder. He called it,  wear your hearts on your sleeves.  Literally. The project is due on the fourteenth of Febuary.  He has a week to do the project but how the hell should he define love if he hasn't been in a relationship ever since.  

Why does literature have to be this hard? 

What is love for him?  How the hell he should know?! 

"You look constipated"  Seungcheol doesn't need to look up to know who came.  He has that voice memorized like the back of his hands.  

"Good morning to you too, gyu" Seungcheol has his chin rested in his fisted left hand while playing his ballpen that seems to not know its purpose.  
Seungcheol isn't usually like that.  He knows everything.  He has an opinion about almost everything.  But not when it comes to a certain topic.  Love is a foreign vocabulary for him. 
He's not bitter or anything,  he just couldn't quite decipher the code hidden in that four letter word. It is too complicated for him. 

Of course he knows he loves his mother and father, The cooking of his grandmother and the endless bantering between him and his brother.  He also know he loves his friends in the most platonic way.  He knows people are born to love and to beloved.  He knew he loved his parents the moment he was born and he loves his friends as they grow together.  For him,  love is just like that. 

That's the trouble. How the hell he should put that into words. 

"The others are still not here?" The taller of them asked while fixing himself in his seat.  Seungcheol just nodded not really in the mood for talking. 

"hyung,  spill it" having to know older since he was 5, Mingyu knows that there is something bothering his hyung.  The older is just too transparent to read. 

"Gyu,  what is love?" He asked gathering all of his courage. The question caused Mingyu to laugh till his side hurts. 

"Seriously hyung?  That's your problem?" Mingyu can't help it but to laugh even harder. He can't believe his hyung is stressing himself over that matter. 

Seungcheol gave him 'the look' and Mingyu choked in his own saliva. He knew better to teaase the older when it is already under the stress. He just couldn't believe how simple his hyung's problem is.  Like it's not even worth a sweat.  Well,  that's for Mingyu.  

"Okay.  Chill hyung" he has his hands raised in the air to imply his surrender. His hyung is scary when annoyed so better shut up before he regret it later. 

"What is love for me? hmmm"  he put his his forefinger in his cheeks to indicate he is thinking about his answer toroughly while Seungcheol is patiently (and gullibly) waiting.  

"Love is..   I think it's when you want to know everything about them and study them like an open book?" Mingyu answered with uncertainty.  Seungcheol groaned.  What's with the interrogative tone? 

"What?  I want to know everything about Jeon and study him. Im sure I love him. " Mingyu reasoned out. Seungcheol just rolled his eyes. Well,  what can he do but to listen to someone with experience.  Which he, lacks. 

Wonwoo came after, sitting beside Mingyu ang kissing the latter's cheek.  Seungcheol just heaved a sigh.  

He knew that Mingyu would not give him any help. He scolded himself for bothering to ask.  

 

 

The  first time Seungcheol saw Jihoon was not like a cliché story that happened in the books nor movies.  It was far different from that.  It was exactly the third week after the class begun the new semester of his 2rd year in college. Jihoon is an irregular student so he joined Seungcheol's class fot just one general subject. At first,  Seungcheol doesn't really care about irregular students since he was so close to his blockmates plus he is a little socially awkward. . Well not until one faithful day. 
They got a long quiz that day and it's takings toll to everyone.  Who else loves Economics and Taxation anyway?  Not their class. Especially when they hate their professor to the core.  

The sitting is usually one sit apart tradition. Having a squad in a praticular section is just a norm so as expected,  he sat beside Jisoo and Jeonghan behind  leaving an extra seat beside him.  The exam finally started and the tension inside the classroom increased. 

Seungcheol was busy answering his own paper and thinking about the possible answers to fill his blank paper. Moments later, he was  starlted when the chair clunked a little too loud distructing him.  He looked at his right to see a small black haired guy sitting at the empty chair beside him. 

He is obviously late.  Seungcheol thought.  

The guy uttered sorry for making Seungcheol distracted and he just nodded and continued answering the goddamn questions he really has no idea about.  

"Uhm, excuse me" the guy whispered.  Seungcheol looked at him pointing at himself.  What was this guy doing?  They're surely dead if the professor see them talking.  It's strictly prohibited to talk during an exam.  It's like a general knowledge.  

"Do you have an extra pen?  I don't have one." The guy whispered again. Seungcheol looked at the guy to make sure he was serious and not really trying to crack him a joke. Like,  who the hell would go to class without a pen?  Especially during an important quiz?  He didn't voiced out his thoughts afraid they'll catch attention.  He just grab another pen at the top of his desk to give it to the impossible guy who was seated beside him.  

He continued answering in silence the questions he had spent time reviewing a night before.  Or at least the ones he had skimmed through the pages of his notes. 

Moments later, he felt a poked on his arms. He looked up to see the guy beaming him a little smile.  
"Thanks. " he just nodded not really knowing what to say.  He felt the forgotten guy stood up.  Seungcheol followed the latter's move and found him already handling his papers to their professor.  
Seungcheol didn't really mind. He thought the guy just didn't know the answers that's why he already gave up and decided to just hand his test paper. 
That mentality changed in the following meeting during that particular class. 

When their professor revealed their test results, Seungcheol was beyond amazed. The guy who he later knew of the name Lee Jihoon topped the test followed by Seungcheol as the second to the highest. 

Lee Jihoon just topped the exam despite being late and not having a pen. Seungcheol wowed at the thought.  

From then on, He started to notice Lee Jihoon. He asked his friends and classmates about the said guy to feed his curiousity.  

He later learned that Lee Jihoon is also in his second year of college and he is a music major.  He was taking an advance class in Seuncheol's section because he is working a part time job. He then knew that the latter originally lived at Busan but is currently living in a dorm. He also likes Winter.  
Well,  that was just Seungcheol feeding his curiosity.  Not a big deal.  
------+------------

 

Seungcheol crumpled another paper and threw it to the bin that is just beside the sink.  He lost count of how many papers he had crumbled with his incoherent thoughts that night. 

He just couldn't think straight or there's no thoughts at all.  

He is in their kitchen that night trying to gather all his knowledge about a certain topic he knew nothing about.  

He sighed letting out all his frustrations that night.  
He already finished all of his assignments for the next week but he just couldn't work on the project. Sure it was just easy as one two three for some and he could always do it half-assed if he wanted to but Seungcheol wants the project to be something serious. You can tell Seungcheol is a bit of grade conscious but that is just him.  He just likes studying.  

He tapped his ballpen to the notebook endlesly hoping that he could come up with something useful to use until he heard heavy foot steps coming in his front door.  

"Hyung,  you're still awake? " Hansol questioned him and did another yawn.  Seungcheol just nodded helplessly 

Hansol is Seungcheol's roommate.  The former moved in Seungcheol's apartment when he started college which was just that year. At first, Seungcheol was living alone in his apartment that his parents gifted him when he graduated highschool but Hansol is a family friend so he just let him stay with him in his roof.  

"I just have to finish this project" he replied and placed the pen above his lips making a pout.  It is his mannerism when he's frustrated.  

"Okay. Just don't push yourself too much hyung." Hansol started to march his way to his own bedroom that used to be a guess room.  

"Hansol wait. " Hansol turned around to face his hyung.  

"Yes hyung?" 

"Ahmm.  Can I ask you a question? " Seungcheol rubbed his brows not really knowing how should he ask the question that's been bothering him all day. 

"You just did,  hyung.  What is it? " Hansol chukled a bit before leaning in his door frame waiting for Seungcheol's question to shoot.  

"Ahmm,  what is ...you know,  love?  Ah.  It's not for me.  It's for a friend.  Yes.  For a friend. " Seungcheol waved his hands in front of him to indicate his claim which is futile cause Hansol knewbthe other is just making excuses. He sounds defensive. 

"Love is when you are smiling out of the blue because you thought of them." Seungcheol frowned.  Smiling out of the blue because you thought of them?  Something that a crazy person would do.  He thought.  He knew he was not gonna get something from his favorite dongsaeng.  How would Seungcheol know?  Hansol is a happy person. He smiles and laughs at almost everything.

 "Why hyung,  are you inlove? " Hansol gave him a teasing stare.  Seungcheol is wrong.   he did get something.  A question and a little tease.  

"No.  Go to your room. Goodnight Sol. " he shooed Hansol out of his hair.  No matter how much he likes Hansol,  sometimes,  he wanted to kick him out because the kid is just so mischievous and stubborn.  

 

Seungcheol is waiting for Jeonghan and Jisoo so they can hang out at the park and play together.  That's their routine every Sunday to relieve their College stress.

After minutes of waiting,  the two finally came hand in hand.  

"Can we eat first?  I didn't eat lunch" Jeonghan pointed at the near fast food on the area.  Jisoo scolded the younger for skipping lunch and the necessity of eating on time in which just earned an eye roll from Seungcheol.  They banter like a married couple.  

They ate their foods while chatting loudly about absurd things that got them laughing,  earning an occasional states from the other customer of the fast food.  But they don't really care.  As long as they're having a good time and not causing harm to anybody.  

"That.  Also,  in high school, do you remember our biology class when we did dissection? " Jisoo asked the two of them.  They were classmates before when they were still in high school but they weren't that close.  They were barely throwing each other's glances before.  Except Jisoo and jeonghan who are really close since the very beginning. 

"Yes! That was ing hilarious when Kwanghee cried because the frog was alive and jumping. That's the best, right Cheol?" Jeonghan excitedly reminisce as he wipe the sidelines of his eyes from too much laughing.  Seungcheol nods,  throwing his head back because of too much laughing. Of course he remembered it.  Since that incident,  Kwanghee was branded as the frog prince in the whole school.  
Frog.  

A random memory suddenly crossed his mind.  
He remembered strolling their school garden so he could review in peace for his linguistic subject.  He was quietly reviewing his IPA because he have already forgotten some of it when he heard a soft thud somewhere followed by angry yelling.  Being a curious man he was,  he stood up to look at where the noise was coming from.  

He didn't expect to see his irregular classmate Lee Jihoon sitting under the big Narra tree, clutching his phone in his ears yelling. His guitar and his notes are lying flat on the ground beside him.  

"DON'T WAIT FOR ME TO GET THERE OR YOU'LL BE DEAD.  JUST WAIT. " he yelled in the other line.  Then a little later , Jihoon is grinning.  This guy yells like a thunder.  He thought.  

"Good.  Bye"  his classmate hanged up the phone and tossed it in his notes while still grinning.  

"WHAT THE,  AHH! "  seungcheol got a real shock when the smaller screamed in a high octave and standing up in a rush. He carefully but hurriedly got his things struggling to keep all of them to his small frame.  

He look at what made Jihoon panic. He started laughing out loud later when he saw why. .  

"What are you doing here?  Are you laughing at me? " the midget asked when he heard the older.  

Srungcheol laughed louder causing him to furrow his brows.  

He was freaking out because of some frog in the corner looking at him.  Who would have thought that after threatening whoever was on the other line just a moment ago,  he'll be screaming out loud just because he saw a frog.  It was hilarious.  

When Seungcheol finished laughing,  he couldn't see the subject of his entertainment in the area.  

Seungcheol smiled then laugh again when he remembered that incident, earning an accusing stare from his friends inside the fast food place because they already stopped laughing a minute ago.  

A smug smile never left Seungcheol's lips that day.  
-----

Seungcheol and his friends is eating at the mall after playing in the arcade for hours.  It's the first time in that week that they had a breahter  since it's a midterm week.  Hell day to e a little more dramatic.  

"I heard you're flirting with someone hyung" Mingyu began.  It's the first thing that Seungcheol heard in their table the moment he sat down to put down their orders.  

"Ohhh. Jun hyung has another again" Hansol pinched Seungkwan's cheeks causing him to be hit in his left arm. 

"It's not flirting you .  It's called loving" Jun sneered at Mingyu which earned a laugh from Jisoo. 

"How do you know you love him?" Chan entered the conversation innocently. 

"Because I want to stare at him all the time and I feel the whole damn zoo in my stomach when he's near me" Jun answered a little too proud.  Is that another one in his bag of pick up lines?

"Aren't you just constipated? " Soonyoung butted in earning a huge laugh in the table and an annoyed Junhui in a picture.  

 

 

The first time Seungcheol felt giddy around somebody was when he hanged out with Seungkwan in their university Cafeteria. 
 

When he walked to where Seungkwan was sitting,  he didn't expect to see Jihoon  there too sitting beside Seungkwan. He smiled awkwardly causing Jihoon to roll his eyes on him. The younger sure hold a grudge. 

After the frog incident,  Seungcheol would always receive a glare from Jihoon whenever they cross paths and even in their class. Jihoon obviously held a grudge against him which weirdly,  Seungcheol finds cute. 

"He is your hyung? " Jihoon asked Seungkwan who excitedly pulled Seungcheol to sit worh them.  

"Yep. He is Seungcheol hyung,  my favorite hyung I was talking about.  He writes songs too. " Jihoon threw him a look of really,  as if mocking him.   

"We're classmates" Seungcheol stated which made Seungkwan yell 'daebak' and a 'tch' from Jihoon.  

"Wait. Please talk to him hyung,  I'll just empty my bladder." Seungkwan stood up and run to the comfort room.  Now they're alone.  

"So you know Seungkwan" Seungcheol tried to break the ice. He nust hope it will melt.  

"We're on the same music club.  What do you care?

" Seungcheol snorted at the reply. Some attitude showing in there.  But Instead of getting offended,  Seungcheol lowered his gaze to meet the younger's eye.  

"Look.  I'm sorry I laughed at you the other week while you were in your frog misery. If that's the reason why you're so mad at me, I swear I didn't mean to make fun of you.  I just find it cute that's why I laughed that hard" Seungcheol tried hard to sound sincere which he really is. 

"But you still laughed" Jihoon reasoned out.  

"That's why I'm saying sorry.  What can I do to make up to you?" Seungcheol pouted a little.  He is just like that.  He didn't mean to act cute in front if Jihoon.  He, doesn't even like being cute.  
Jihoon was startled by the action but that doesn't mean he didn't find the older adorable in that state.  

"Okay.  Just buy me a coffee" Jihoon said flatly. 

"Really? Okay. I'll buy you one.  You want the coffee now?" Seungcheol excitedly exlaimed.  He didn't really know why he is acting like that.  He's not aware that he looks like a cute puppy in front of Jihoon.  The latter tried hard to suppress a blush.  

"You can buy me one some other time.  I still have a drink" Jihoon pointed at his coffee which is on top of their table. 

"Okay.  Friends? " Seungcheol asked offering a handshake.  He was always excited to have a new friend that he feel comfortable with.  He's a little socially awkward if some forget. That's just his nature.  

"Friends" Jihoon shook his hands beaming him a bright smile.  

Seungcheol felt something weird but good crossed his stomach for the first time in his life when he saw the smile in the younger's face.  

He felt a weird thug in the strings of his heart but he just let all of that slip. All he know is that he's happy to have Jihoon as a friend.  

Those weird but good feelings greeted Cheol for the first time and it happened a year ago when they started being friends.  
---------

 

After their squad's exhausting plays at the mall, they all part their own ways.  Except for Seungcheol. He doesn't feel like going home just yet so he decided to crash into Soonyoung's and Chan's shared dorm room.  
 

"Cheol Hyung, do you think Jun hyung is really in love with Myungho hyung?" Chan joined him at the sofa while he's watching tv.  

"Wow Chan,  you're really asking that to hyung? Cheol hyung is innocent when it comes to that kind of topic" Soonyoung yelled while making sandwhich at the table.  

" you. " Cheol snapped earning a laugh. Seungcheol being clueless when it comes to that certain topic is like a general information among his friends.  

"Why do you ask? " Seungcheol questioned Chan who rested hi's head on the arm of the couch.  

"Myungho hyung is my friend.  I just don't want him to be hurt by Jun hyung" Chan answered and Seungcheol moved to ruffle the younger's hair.  He wish he could say something but he can't.

 Sometimes he wonders why he know nothing about romance when everybody else does.  He's just too proud of Chan's way of thinking.  He's growing up well. 

"Soonyoungie hyung,  how 'bout you? How did you know you love Seokmin hyung?" It seems like Chan is really curious about the topic . Seungcheol thought.  

"Me?