She was on top, her long blonde hair surrounding them both in a cocoon as if to separate them from the world. The air was heavy with their soft breaths and moans. A line of sweat trickled from Junmyeon’s forehead to the side of his face as he stared into her deep hazel eyes. The glow from the candles on the bedside table highlighted her soft features. She was a goddess and he was a damn lucky man to finally have her. Putting one arm around her waist, he leaned up and skimmed his mouth around her face, peppering her with small kisses. Starting from her forehead, then her eyelids, to both of her cheeks down to her chin. His lips paused just before it reached hers, so close that he could feel her warm breath on his. He wanted her. Wanted those lips. They were his to take after all. Junmyeon inched closer to her to close the gap-

“Wake up, ”

Junmyeon felt his body being poked.

“Wake up or I’ll tickle your with that feather duster in the corner.”

Junmyeon felt another nudge.

“Oh Sehun, if that’s your rank toe that’s touching me, I swear to God, I will strangle you”

“Chill out, it’s just my . How does it feel?”

“Short and unsatisfactory.  Just like how the girls around campus talk about” Junmyeon grumbled under the blanket groggily. It was way too early to handle his best friend’s . He took his blanket off and sat up on the bed trying to chase both the sleep and the vivid dream away as Sehun sat on the end of his bed, the -tickling feather duster in his hand.

“I know you secretly love it.” He said, pointing the duster towards Junmyeon. “I can see your making a tent under the blankets”

Junmyeon scoffed as he walked into the tiny bathroom attached to his room to freshen up.

That would be the dream.

*

“You look like , man.” Minseok, his roommate and other best friend said as Junmyeon walked out of the bathroom, with just a towel tied around his waist. Minseok was sitting on his own bed on the opposite side of the dorm room, looking up at Junmyeon from his phone.

“He looks normal then.” Sehun piped happily, earning him a slap on the head from Junmyeon.

“You came home late last night.”

Minseok was a light sleeper just like Junmyeon so not much ever escaped him. That was one of the pros of having Minseok as his roommate. If anyone were to ever break into their dorm room at night, Junmyeon knew he could rely on Minseok to be awake and help him attack. Not that either of them was particularly good at fighting. To be honest, they’d probably both be killed before they could even step out from their bed, but it was still comforting to know he wouldn’t be alone while his roommate slept through the whole thing like a lug and of course, having his best friend as his roommate was always a bonus.

Having attended the same schools since they were in kindergarten, Junmyeon, Minseok and Sehun were practically joined at the hip. They done everything together. From spending their childhood to entering adulthood together. They had their first bike lessons together, lost their first tooth together, hell, they even had their first kiss with each other. Well, Minseok and Sehun did. 'For experimental reasons' they explained when Junmyeon had walked in on their moment.

The room he shared with Minseok was tiny. Barely enough space for the both but they liked it. It was comfortable. Minseok’s family had offered to pay for a separate room for Minseok alone but he had refused. He'd rather share a tiny space with Junmyeon than have a spacious room by himself. With Sehun sharing the room next door with his friend Jongin, the three were always together. Sehun's mother had nicknamed them as the holy trinity ever since they were young and the name stuck with them since. 

“I was finishing off my assignment in the library till I got kicked out at closing time and then I decided to do some extra research for the last topic of our module.” Junmyeon reached into his set of drawers and took out his ‘Monday’ underwear, putting it on under his towel which he followed up with a set of pants.

“But we didn’t even start that topic?”

“One can never be too eager to learn, my friend.” Junmyeon answered as Sehun made gagging noises.

“Why did you even ask? As if Mother Theresa over here was going to say he spent the night in a club getting blowed.” he complained.

“Not everyone’s like you, Sehun. Some of us have ambitions to end up as something other than a stripper.” Junmyeon said as he buttoned on his white shirt.

“It’s because you don’t have the body for it.” He replied smugly. He had a nice body and he knew it.

“What’s the point of having a nice body if you don’t have brains to accompany it?”

Sehun huffed. “We get it. You’re the 'brains before beauty' type.”

“Speaking of beauty, how will you proceed with project Irene?” Minseok suddenly asked.  

Sehun lay down on Jumyeon’s bed and groaned as Junmyeon perked up from where he was applying his moisturiser.

“Irene? The new girl? The one I tutor?”

“Sehun was telling me how he wants to get into her pants while you were in the bathroom”

Junmyeon grimaced as thoughts of last week’s tutor session infiltrated into his mind. The way she had been staring at him intensely while he was teaching and her intrusive questions about his dating life.

“I told you guys she’s weird. She wasted my time ‘looking’ for her math book when she didn’t even bring it with her in the first place. She could have just told me she never got it in the first place.”

“Can’t blame her.” Minseok and Sehun said in unison.

“Poor girl wanted to save herself from being bored to death.” Sehun whined as Junmyeon scoffed.

Math? Boring? Never.

“I don't know if I'll actually go for it. think Irene's a lesbian. She glares at anyone who even looks her way except if it's a girl. I get the feeling she gets one step closer to plotting my death every time I smile or breath. My poor balls shrivel when I look at her but at the same time, she has that whole ‘untouchable’ thing going on for her and it’s pretty hot.” He smiled, mostly to himself.

Junmyeon and Minseok glanced at each other and then back at their disturbed friend.

“How can she be a lesbian if all the stories going around campus are about her and the fact that she goes around dating guys and breaking their hearts? I heard, in high school, she dated a much older man and had a with him and two of his friends. Apparently, there’s a video of it or something.” Minseok said.

Junmyeon rolled his eyes.

“Stories.”

“What?”

“You just said so yourself: ‘all the stories going around campus’. It doesn’t mean what you hear is true.”

“Yeah I guess. That’s all I hear about her though.” Minseok mumbled.

“Guys, do you think Baekhyun is into me?” Sehun sighed.

And like that, Minseok and Junmyeon knew, Sehun was already over Project Irene. Project Baekhyun was a-go.

-----------------------------------------

The sun streamed through the slanted window of the library and touched Junmyeon’s skin, leaving him feeling warm tingles. It was a stark difference to the weather compared to the past five days which had been filled with continuous rain and wind. Junmyeon didn’t like the rain because it made him feel sombre and sleepy. His favourite past time was to study in the park during a nice hot day. Students on campus would often go out to sun tan, but Junmyeon would go out to study. Closing his eyes and leaning back against his seat, Junmyeon basked in the warmth of the sun.

“Junmyeon?”

His eyes flew open. Her voice.

“Yoona.”

Memories of this morning’s dream came back to him and he flushed a light shade of pink. Her long blonde hair hung neatly down below, and she wore a knee length navy-blue dress which hugged her in all the correct places. She looked perfect.

“Sorry, did I disturb you?” she asked politely.

“No, no, of course not. You could never disturb me. Take a seat.” He slapped himself mentally. Why did he say that? Why was he acting like this was a job interview?

“OK good.” She sat and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Junmyeon tried not to stare but he was failing.

“I just wanted to ask if you had the book on the importance of economy? I wanted to get ahead on the last topic.” She blushed. “The librarian said a guy took it out a few days ago so I figured it was you.”

A beauty with the brains. She was Junmyeon’s ideal woman.

He had been crushing on Yoona since he was a freshman in college. They both attended the same classes, had chosen the same subjects, and chosen the same university to go into. All by coincidence or fate as Junmyeon would think of it. The only thing he could never muster was the courage to ask her out. Every time he wanted to, he would chicken out. Just talking to her made him nervous enough to start producing sweat.

“Yep, that would be me.” He softly chuckled.

He didn’t have to be embarrassed over his over-enthusiasm to learn because Yoona was just like him.

He reached into his bag and handed her the book. 

“Are you sure? You can give it whenever you’re done. I don’t really need it right away”

“Yes, No. Its fine. I’ve finished. You can have it.” This was the most he had ever spoken to her and he was loving it even though what he was saying was a lie. He wasn’t finished with the book.

“Thanks, Junmyeon.” She smiled at him shyly and he, too, smiled back bashfully. His cheeks had turned bright pink now. He felt elated he had spoken to her without stumbling on his words.

“No problem.”

They both stared at one another for a beat too long for it to be casual.

“I’ll…….…get going then.” Yoona whispered.

“That would be nice, since you’re in my seat.”

They both broke off their gaze and looked up to see Irene. The freshman that Junmyeon had to tutor. She was dressed in a white blouse which was neatly tucked into a short black skirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she wore glasses which looked like they were there for accessory. Junmyeon didn’t see no lenses in them. She had the whole -what Sehun would call- ‘y librarian’ look going on. A math textbook and a writing notepad and pen were in her hands. She came equipped this time round.

Yoona apologized profusely and swiftly got up.

“I’ll see you in class.” she gazed at Junmyeon before mumbling a quick “Bye.”

Irene happily took her seat opposite Junmyeon as he watched Yoona walk away. Even the way she walked was humble and filled with poise

"Hey Johnny.”

“It’s Junmyeon.”

“Hey, Junmyeon.”

“Open your book. Let’s get started”

“No quick-fire teaser math questions as fore-play first?”

Irene was met with a blank face. It was only week 2 of their tuition session at the library but she already liked it but most of all.... she liked her tutor. Well, triggering him, anyway.

Having joined the college after the first term had passed, she had missed several topics which she had to make up for. She was never really bothered about education and didn’t want to spend her free time catching up with what she missed out on especially in maths, (when was she ever going to use algebra and Pythagoras theorem in real life anyway?) until she learnt of who her tutor was. None other than the one and only Kim Junmyeon.

She heard of him from various students and teachers alike. He was famous for not only owning the looks of a royal prince but mainly for his brains. Junmyeon's name always came with praises which was the complete opposite to hers, even though she was new, her reputation was tarnished with the wide spread of rumours. Her math teacher would often refer to him as his prodigy with pride and right now, said prodigy was frowning at her.

"What?" Irene asked, feigning innocence.

"I don't appreciate your ual innuendos"

"I'm surprised you even know it was a ual innuendo. You don't strike me as the type to be aware about those kind of things or like when a girl is openly flirting with you".

Junmyeon blanched.

"For starters, no-one has ever flirted with me"

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"Because..." he trailed off, embarrassed. "What are you doing here early, anyway? I don't teach you until another 10 minutes. I'm surprised you didn't turn up almost an hour late like last week."

"Don't get too excited. I had nothing better to do. Trust me when I say this was my last resort."

Junmyeon snorted.

"I'm honoured, your highness."

"Yeah, you should be. Why are you here so early, anyway?"

"I always prefer to arrive earlier than the scheduled time."

"Yes, that was so evident from last week. When you came huffing and puffing into the library 30 minutes late. I thought you would pass out without your inhaler." sarcasm dripping from her words.

"How did you know I was late if you weren't here?"

"Who said I wasn't?"

Junmyeon glared at her. He wouldn’t put it past her to have been watching him from behind a bookshelf so he wouldn’t notice. Anything to waste his time. Sehun and Minseok would approve.

“Are you sour that I chased away your crush?”

“What?” he gasped.

“Oh please.” Irene rolled her eyes. “It’s all over your face. You might as well have it written across your forehead.”

Junmyeon blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. A trait he had when he was feeling embarrassed and awkward.

“I- I don’t think we should be discussing this-”

“Oh, come on.”

“Are you just trying to waste more time like last week?”

“I wish. But you said so I was 10 minutes early so technically it’s not like I’m wasting time. So, spill.”

Junmyeon hesitated. No-one knew about his crush on Yoona except his best friends and he didn’t want anyone else to know either. But a part of him wanted a female’s advice. His friends were great at giving advice (well, Minseok was, anyway) but there were some things that they couldn’t help Junmyeon with, like the inside of a female’s mind.

“It’s complicated.” Junmyeon said, wringing his fingers around together.

“Let’s start with the uncomplicated then. You like her.”

It wasn’t a question but a statement. One that caused Junmyeon to blush.

“You can’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. I promise.” She smirked and for some reason Junmyeon couldn’t find the answer to, he believed her.

“So, what’s stopping you from asking her out?” 

“I don’t know. I just……. can’t. I don’t have the courage, I guess. Every time I come close to asking her out, something always stops me.”

“Well, that’s a fancy way of saying you don’t have the balls.”

Junmyeon glared at her.

“I’m kidding. It’s fun to joke around every now and then. You should try it sometime.”

Junmyeon sighed.

“I think it’s mainly down to fear. What if she rejects me? What if I at dating? What if she says yes but then realizes I’m the biggest loser? What if she already thinks I’m a loser and laughs when I ask her out? I’ve never had a relationship before. I don’t know how these things work.” He felt everything spilling out before he could get a chance to stop himself.

“Maybe I could help.” Irene suggested after thinking for a while.

“How?”

“I’ll teach you the ropes. I’ll take you on ‘dates’”, she quoted with her fingers, “so you can feel more experienced when you do finally ask her out.”

“What?”

“Think about it. You can use this opportunity as a form of learning. With my help, you’ll be able to learn the tips and tricks to dating. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of dates. The good and the bad. I can teach you the stuff you should do and the stuff you shouldn’t. You could learn a lot from me” Irene said happily as if her idea was a genius one.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea.” Junmyeon hesitated.

“Well? Do you have any other suggestions?”  

Junmyeon pondered over the situation and mentally added up the pros and cons of the situation.  For starters, he had no other suggestions or solutions. His lack of experience had always made him lack confidence in the dating department. He didn’t want to be like this all his life. He really needed a female perspective on things plus he could never say no to education and especially not if it would mean it would immensely benefit him at the end by asking Yoona out. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. He heard enough rumours about Irene to know about the endless people she dated. The only con was that he’d have to hang out with Irene. Who knew what sort of things she would get up to with him? He didn’t really know her after all.

He had made up his mind and Irene sensed it.

“Deal?” Irene held out her hand.

“Deal.” They both shook hands on it.