It’s the first day of senior year, and Jaebum is sitting in an uncomfortably warm classroom (fifteen minutes early because model-student Youngjae had insisted that they should reach class in a “timely manner”). He’s only been here for about five minutes, and he already can’t wait for the year to be over.

“It’s so hot,” he complains, loud enough for Youngjae to hear in the hope that his friend might feel a little guilty for dragging him here so early. “Thank god we only have to deal with one more year of this.”

“Who knows, college might be even worse,” Youngjae points out from where he’s perched on top of his desk, fanning himself with a folder. He manages to keep a straight face until he catches Jaebum’s decidedly unamused expression and bursts into laughter. “Okay, yeah, I doubt it.”

“Excuse me?” There’s a tentative knock on the doorframe before a boy Jaebum has never seen before peers timidly into the classroom. “Is this the advanced literature class?”

“Yes!” Youngjae calls, automatically snapping into class-president mode. “Class doesn’t start for a while, but the teacher will probably be here soon. You can just take a seat anywhere.”

“Thank you.” The boy smiles gratefully, slowly walking into the room. Jaebum absently notes that the boy’s eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles; he’s not sure why it catches his attention the way it does. After wandering for a few moments, the boy sits down at a desk a few seats away from Jaebum and Youngjae.

Youngjae turns back to Jaebum and whispers, “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”

“Don’t you already have a boyfriend to ogle at?” Jaebum sighs, giving him a look.

“Oh, I have a boyfriend?” Youngjae asks with exaggerated surprise. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Jaebum rolls his eyes. “Well, we’ve been trying to for the past four years, but whatever. I’m just saying, Daehyun would probably get all sad if he heard you going around calling other boys cute.”

“Like Daehyun can control who I think is cute,” Youngjae scoffs. “Anyway, he already knows he’s cuter than every other person in the world, so why should I feed his ego more? Let him think I find other boys cute.”

“You’re so hopeless,” Jaebum says, deciding not to point out Youngjae’s own implication that he doesn’t actually think any other boys are cute; he settles on shaking his head in disbelief instead. (Personally, Jaebum disagrees, because this boy, at least, is definitely cuter than Daehyun. But then again, that might just be because he’s not Youngjae and isn’t insufferably in love.) His eyes land on the boy again, who’s been sitting quietly at his desk, engrossed in a book. Jaebum kind of wants to know what book it is; it must be a good one to have the boy so captivated.

“You’re staring,” Youngjae informs him with a smug grin, interrupting his thoughts. “Seems like you do think he’s cute.”

“No,” Jaebum denies immediately, looking away from the boy hurriedly. “I’m just wondering what book he’s reading.” But his eyes betray him, because they slide back over to the boy almost automatically. Only his side profile is visible from this angle, but regardless, it certainly makes for a pleasant view. Jaebum has only really looked at girls before, but something about this boy is making him think that maybe he’s been missing out.

“Right,” Youngjae smirks. “How could I not have realized? Obviously you haven’t been able to take your eyes off Mr. Cutie since he walked in because you’re interested in his book.”

“I’m being serious,” Jaebum grumbles, because he is curious about the boy’s book. So what if he happens to be curious about the boy himself, too?

Luckily, Jaebum is saved from having to explain himself further by the arrival of the teacher. As she makes her way to the desk at the front of the room, Jaebum recognizes her as the same teacher they had last year. “Ah, Youngjae, Jaebum,” she greets them. “It’s nice to see you back in another literature class.”

“It’s our favorite subject,” Jaebum tells her with a polite smile. It’s not an entirely true statement, because while Jaebum does in fact love books, Youngjae is only in this class because he’s the kind of student who takes advanced classes because he’ll be too bored otherwise. (Jaebum figures it’s probably better to leave that part out, though.)

Fortunately, their teacher doesn’t seem to notice the look Youngjae sends Jaebum as she shifts her attention to the third boy in the room. “And what’s your name, young man? I don’t believe I’ve taught you before.”

The boy had already put down his book when the teacher walked in, and now he bows his head in acknowledgement. “Park Jinyoung. I’m a new student, and I was told that I was placed in this class.” Park Jinyoung, Jaebum repeats in his head, and then he wonders why he cares so much.

“Ah, you must be the junior, correct?” The teacher nods in recognition as Jinyoung verifies that he is, in fact, a junior. “Yes, I remember now. Your transcript showed that you’ve always taken high-level literature classes, so I recommended to the administration that you try this one out. Of course, if you feel that it’s too much for you, it’s perfectly acceptable for you to switch out.”

“Thank you,” Jinyoung replies politely. “I don’t think I’ll need to switch out, but I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Always taken high-level literature classes, huh?” Youngjae muses. He turns to Jaebum with a cheeky grin. “Well, Jaebum, either he’s exactly your type, or he’s way too smart for you.”

“Oh my god,” Jaebum groans, burying his face in his hands. It’s going to be a long year.

~~~

The first thing Jaebum notices as he and Youngjae walk into their photography class after lunch is the same boy from their literature class, Jinyoung, sitting next to the window by himself, once again reading his book. He resolutely tries to ignore the way Youngjae hits his arm excitedly, but he can’t stop Youngjae from pulling him over to the window. Jaebum resigns himself to being forced into the seat next to Jinyoung, offering him an apologetic smile when Jinyoung looks up curiously.

“Sorry if we’re disturbing you,” Jaebum apologizes sheepishly. “Youngjae can be a little...overenthusiastic.” He turns to give Youngjae a pointed look, but Youngjae looks entirely unabashed.

Jinyoung smiles a little. “It’s fine, I was only reading. I’m Jinyoung, by the way.”

“I know,” Jaebum blurts out hurriedly. “I remember you from earlier, in our lit class. I’m Jaebum.”

“I know,” Jinyoung echoes, his smile growing. “I remember you too.” Behind him, Jaebum can hear Youngjae cover up a laugh by pretending to have a violent coughing fit. Jinyoung eyes him concernedly. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Jaebum says dismissively, not even bothering to turn around. Jinyoung giggles at his words, and Jaebum is startled by how much he wants to hear the sound again.

Their conversation is brought to a forced conclusion when the teacher walks in and briefly greets the class before launching into his introduction to the course. “In addition to the smaller assignments, you will also have a year-long project to complete,” the teacher tells them after his detailed explanation of the assignments they’ll be completing during the year. “You and a partner will create a joint portfolio on a topic of your choosing. Remember, you’ll need to work with your partner for the whole year, so choose wisely.”

Before Jaebum can do anything, Jinyoung turns to him. “Do you want to work with me?” he asks. He looks a little nervous, but also seems sure of his choice.

“Oh,” Jaebum says, surprised. He had assumed that he and Youngjae would be working together, but he finds that he doesn’t really want to tell Jinyoung no. When he doesn’t immediately reply, Youngjae elbows him in the side, and he remembers that he still has to give an answer. “Um, yeah!”

Jinyoung beams at him in response, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and Jaebum doesn’t know why he hesitated for even a second.

~~~

Time, Jaebum finds, works in mysterious ways. When he’s sitting in class, listening to the teacher drone on and on, each minute last a year, but right now, it feels like he blinked once and suddenly he’s already a month into senior year with assignments due and college applications to complete and b-boy practices to go to.

When Jaebum isn’t doing any of that, his minimal free time is increasingly spent on Jinyoung. He finds himself talking to Jinyoung during class, at lunch, in the library after school - or, even more frequently, just thinking about his laugh, his smile, the way his eyes light up when he’s talking about a book he enjoyed. Jaebum has never experienced feelings like this over a boy before, and he’s not sure whether to freak out or just enjoy them.

(It’s made even more complicated by the fact that Jinyoung’s older brother, who he casually mentioned once, turned out to be Chanyeol, the new student who had been adopted into Jaebum’s friend group by Baekhyun and Jongdae on the first day of school. It makes for some very awkward lunches, because most of the group, especially Mark and Youngjae, can’t get enough of teasing Jaebum, and Chanyeol usually just sits there listening to it all, somehow looking both uncomfortable and amused.)

It’s on a particularly glum Thursday morning that Jaebum finds himself sitting alone in the advanced literature classroom before class starts, reading, when Jinyoung strolls in and takes the seat next to Jaebum, as he’s been doing since the second day of class.

“Good morning, hyung,” Jinyoung greets him cheerfully. “Are you enjoying the book so far?”

“Hey Jinyoungie.” Jaebum puts his book down and smiles at Jinyoung. It’s almost ridiculous, how the day suddenly doesn’t feel quite as gloomy anymore, but Jaebum quickly shoves that thought from his mind. “The book is really good, of course.”

“That’s why I recommended it,” Jinyoung replies cheekily. “Where’s Youngjae-hyung?”

“With Daehyun somewhere,” Jaebum says disinterestedly. “I wasn’t really paying attention when they gave their two-second explanation, to be honest.”

“Understandable,” Jinyoung says, his eyes twinkling with humor. “Anyway, I was wondering, do you want to start working on the photography project this weekend?”

Jaebum thinks about it for a moment before sighing apologetically. “I can’t. I have a dance competition.”

Jinyoung looks at him in surprise. “You dance?” Jaebum suddenly recalls that Jinyoung dances too, his mind flashing back to a conversation from several days ago at lunch, when Jongdae and Baekhyun teased Chanyeol for being the less graceful brother, despite neither of them having particularly spectacular dancing abilities themselves.

“I b-boy,” Jaebum explains, and the interest that flashes across Jinyoung’s face has words tumbling out of Jaebum’s mouth before he can second-guess himself. “You could, you know, come watch. If you want to.”

“Hm,” Jinyoung hums. “I’ll check my schedule.”

Jinyoung’s face is carefully blank, but Jaebum spots the glint of humor in his eyes and feels a smile tug at his lips. “I guess I might see you there, then. Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Jinyoung agrees with a little smile of his own. “We’ll see.”

(“Why are you smiling like that?” Mark asks Jaebum later as they walk home together, giving him a weird look.

“I’m not,” Jaebum tries to deny, even though he just knows that his smile is probably ridiculously dopey.

“Right,” Mark says skeptically. “I’m sure it has nothing to with Jinyoung asking me and Youngjae if we’ll be at the competition tomorrow, either.”

Jaebum feels a rush of excitement flood through him, but he tries to stay nonchalant. “Oh, he did? That’s cool.”

Mark gives him a long look. “You two are literally perfect for each other,” he finally says, shaking his head. “He tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal, too. He’s a better actor than you, though.”

“I’m sure he is,” Jaebum replies, because he doesn’t doubt it; Jinyoung has mentioned his interest in acting before, after all.

“You’re already whipped, dude,” Mark informs him, amused. “Just try not to get too cocky showing off for lover boy tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jaebum shrugs the comment off and pointedly doesn’t think about how he wasn’t planning on it in the first place, because Jinyoung doesn’t seem like the type to be impressed by anything too flashy anyway.)

((The day of the competition, Jaebum surveys the audience, resolutely telling himself he’s not looking for a certain face in the crowd. But he can’t deny that his heart starts beating a little faster when he finally spots Jinyoung sandwiched between Mark and Youngjae, his face bright with anticipation and his hands clutching a camera.

He’s really not trying to show off, but he also just happens to give one of the best performances of his whole b-boy career that day. And when his friends are congratulating him after the competition ends, he’s not sure why it isn’t the first place trophy in his hands, but the hug he gets from Jinyoung, that makes him feel like he’s won.))

~~~

“So, I think I came up with a topic for our project,” Jinyoung announces, dropping into the open seat next to Jaebum at lunchtime.

“Really?” Jaebum asks, curious. “What is it?”

“Youth,” Jinyoung says proudly. “I thought of it after your competition. I took a bunch of pictures to practice action shots, and when I was going through them later, I realized that even though you looked super intense and everything, you also just looked like a teenager enjoying his youth. It got me thinking that we could probably make a whole portfolio based on that.”

“That could work,” Jaebum hums in agreement, already trying to think of ideas. “You dance too, so we could probably do something with that, and since we both like to sing, that could be something else we could try to incorporate.”

“That’s perfect!” Jinyoung says excitedly. “We should start working on it soon.”

“I can do this weekend,” Jaebum suggests. “If you’re not doing anything, we could start figuring out what we want to do for the actual shoots.”

“That’s fine with me,” Jinyoung nods. “Chanyeol-hyung won’t be home on Saturday so you could come over if you want. I can text you the address.”

“You could,” Jaebum agrees, “but you would need my number first.”

The corner of Jinyoung’s mouth curls, and without breaking eye contact, he offers Jaebum his phone. “I guess I would.”

(He won’t admit it, but Jaebum spends the rest of the day anticipating Jinyoung’s text. It isn’t until later that day, when Jaebum is at home, working on a literature assignment, that his phone buzzes twice.

From: unknown

you know hyung, if you wanted my number you could’ve just asked

i know doing the project at my house was just an excuse for you to finally get it

Jaebum grins and saves the number. He’s about to reply when his phone buzzes again.

From: Jinyoungie ^.^

or was it an excuse for me to get YOUR number???

Jaebum is pretty sure Jinyoung is just kidding, but it’s nice to imagine that he isn’t, so he types the first thing he thinks of and sends it before he can doubt himself.

To: Jinyoungie ^.^

clever plan nyoungie...expect i think u just accidentally revealed it to me :O

From: Jinyoungie ^.^

maybe i wanted you to find out ;P

Needless to say, Jaebum doesn’t end up finishing his assignment until the early hours of the morning, but he falls asleep to a “sleep well hyung ^.^ see you tomorrow!” so he doesn’t really regret it.)

~~~

Before Jaebum knows what’s happening, winter break and college deadlines fly by, and all of a sudden, it’s the second half of the year and the hot topic in school is prom.

Unsurprisingly, Daehyun and Youngjae are the first to officially be a prom couple, after Daehyun’s promposal in the middle of the hallway. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are next, a few weeks later, when Chanyeol asks Baekhyun before their music theory class starts.

Jaebum watches his friends pair up, all the while thinking about how there’s only one person he really wants to go with, but it’s the one person he’s too nervous to ask. And unfortunately, time is going by faster than he’d like it to.

“You’re like, the only person who wants a date but still doesn’t have one,” Baekhyun points out at lunch one day. Prom is only a month away now, and the last day for buying tickets is drawing nearer. “Well, except for Jongdae.”

“Joke’s on you because I do have a date,” Jongdae reveals smugly. “I’m going with Seulgi.”

Baekhyun stares at him. “Jongdae, she’s a lesbian. She likes girls.”

“I know what lesbian means, Baekkie,” Jongdae says, rolling his eyes. “And she’s been one of our closest friends since first grade, obviously I know she’s not into boys. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go to prom together, especially because she’s the one who asked me if I wanted to go as friends.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun blinks a few times before grinning. “Okay, I take it back then! You really are the only person who doesn’t have a date yet, Jaebum.”

“Thanks,” Jaebum mumbles. “I really needed the reminder.”

“You should really just ask him,” Jongdae recommends. “Honestly, I don’t get why you haven’t already, but you’re running out of time, so you better get on that.”

“Yeah,” Jaebum agrees. He and Jinyoung have been spending more time than ever together, with all the work they’ve been putting into their photography project, but that’s the problem. What they have right now is comfortable and safe and Jaebum is scared to ruin it. He’s still unsure about the whole liking-a-boy thing, which is completely new territory for him and therefore kind of terrifying, but he’s also fully aware that Jongdae is right. “I know.”

(But even though he knows, Jaebum doesn’t act, and then it’s too late: prom ticket sales are over and Jaebum was too scared to go through with asking Jinyoung and, well, there’s nothing he can do about it now.)

~~~

Jaebum doesn’t learn that Jinyoung is coming to prom with them until the day of prom itself, when he finds himself standing off to the side during prom pictures at Daehyun’s house, watching Jinyoung pin a boutonniere on Mark’s tux. It’s like a double blow to Jaebum’s gut, because Jinyoung going with someone else is one thing, but Jinyoung going with Jaebum’s own best friend just makes him feel like the universe is making fun of him.

The thing is, Jaebum knows he can’t even be mad, because the fact that he never asked Jinyoung obviously meant that anyone else was at perfect liberty to do so instead. Still, it stings more than Jaebum would like to admit that Mark never told him about Jinyoung being his date. Mark’s apologetic looks in his direction every so often as they all take pictures together doesn’t do much to make Jaebum feel better.

(It really shouldn’t be a big deal, Jaebum knows. It’s only prom, after all, and it’s not like he expects to like, marry Jinyoung or anything. It’s not the end of the world that Jinyoung is going to prom with someone else. But the reality is, he’s a high schooler with a crush, and so prom is a big deal, and right now, it does feel like the end of the world that Jinyoung isn’t by his side for it.)

“I know it must ,” Hyunwoo says sympathetically, standing next to Jaebum as they watch the people with dates take a group picture. “But try not to let it ruin the whole night, right? It’s prom! You’ll have fun anyway!”

Jaebum nods, knowing his friend is right, and tears his eyes away from Jinyoung’s happy face to offer Hyunwoo a grateful smile. “Thanks, Hyunwoo.”

The whole group had pitched in to rent a limo for the night, but Jaebum can’t fully enjoy it because he’s still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Mark, despite his constant teasing, has apparently had his eyes on Jinyoung this whole time. Jaebum wants to be happy for his friend, and he knows that he brought this upon himself, but he can’t help the prickly feeling of jealousy that rises up inside him every time he looks over at them.

Mark seems to snap, because he finally pulls Jaebum aside as they’re all walking into the venue. “Jaebum, look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Mark says quietly. “It’s just - Jinyoung is a junior, you know.”

Jaebum is still busy being annoyed at the whole situation, but now he feels confused too, because Mark isn’t exactly telling him anything he doesn’t already know. “Yeah, I know.”

“So he couldn’t come to prom unless a senior invited him,” Mark continues. He’s looking at Jaebum intently, like he’s hoping Jaebum will catch on to his point.

“Okay...” Jaebum still feels lost. He has no idea where Mark is going with this.

Mark lets out a huff of frustration. “But you didn’t ask him. And if I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been here. Luckily for you, I did ask him, so he is here.”

Jaebum blinks. “Yeah, he’s here. With you. I won’t get in your way, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Oh my god,” Mark groans. “I asked him because of you, stupid. He was really hoping you would ask him and then you just chickened out and never did. Fortunately for both of you, I didn’t have anyone I wanted to go with anyway, so I did what you should’ve done and invited him. So now that you’re both here, I hope you’ll grow up a little and at least ask him to dance with you.”

“Uh.” Jaebum stares at Mark in surprise. This is the last thing he expected to hear. “Wait. So you don’t like him?”

“Not the way you do,” Mark confirms, shaking his head a little in disbelief. “But he is still my friend, and he looked so upset about you not asking him that I just did it myself. And I also know you would have moped around all night if he wasn’t here.”

“You did this...for me?” Jaebum clarifies, still a little stunned at the turn of events.

“And for him,” Mark corrects him, rolling his eyes. “Why I’m playing matchmaker for you two, I have no idea. But you better appreciate this.”

“I do,” Jaebum assures him hurriedly, already feeling guilty about being upset with Mark before knowing the whole story. “Of course I do. I - I owe you, Mark. Thank you.”

Mark’s face softens, and he shakes his head, smiling slightly. “Whatever, man. What are friends for, right?” He punches Jaebum’s arm playfully. “Now, go get him.”

~~~

As luck would have it (or perhaps as misfortune would have it, he thinks as the night progresses), Jaebum ends up seated next to Jinyoung at their group’s dinner table. He’s disappointed, but not entirely surprised, when his timid attempts to start a conversation are met with an icy silence from the younger boy throughout dinner. It also doesn’t help that Jaebum is uncomfortably aware of Chanyeol keeping an eye on them, understandably concerned about his brother’s happiness. Eventually, he resigns himself to being ignored, knowing he probably deserves it, and joins in on the conversation between Youngjae, Daehyun, and Wendy on his other side instead.

Jaebum is slightly relieved when the music finally starts, because dancing is easier than trying to talk to an upset Jinyoung. I’ll do it later, he promises himself, before he starts letting himself loosen up. And it’s unquestionably fun, dancing with no cares in the world alongside his best friends. At some point, Seulgi and Hyunwoo start showing off their moves from their years of dance classes, and after some convincing, Jaebum does a few of his simpler b-boy tricks (he thinks he spots Jinyoung watching, but then again, that might just be wishful thinking).

A slower song starts to play, and everyone clamors around trying to find their dates so they can dance together. Knowing this is his opportunity, Jaebum looks around, seeking out Jinyoung. He can see Mark and Hyunwoo deep in conversation as they walk back to the table together, but Jinyoung isn’t with them. “Where did he go?” Jaebum mumbles to himself, surveying the room carefully.

He spots Baekhyun and Chanyeol swaying together, smiling at each other in a way that makes it seem impossible that they won’t be dating by the end of the night (although knowing them, it probably still won’t happen). Baekhyun is nearly leaning on Chanyeol’s chest with how close they are, and Jaebum has to admit that as sappy as it is, they do look rather cute. He’s amused to see that nearby, in stark contrast to Baekhyun and Chanyeol, Jongdae and Seulgi have a decent amount of space between them as they dance and talk animatedly.

As he keeps searching, Jaebum finds Youngjae and Daehyun near the middle of the dance floor, just barely moving to the music. They’re almost sickeningly sweet, Jaebum thinks, with their foreheads resting against each other as they whisper back and forth, their faces only centimeters apart. He absently wonders how they’re this comfortable with being so openly intimate, especially when they’ve spent so long trying to convince everyone that they’re only friends and nothing more.

“Hyung,” a voice says from behind him, interrupting his thoughts, and Jaebum already knows who it is without even turning around.

“Jinyoungie,” he replies, feeling his face light up of its own accord as he faces the person who’s been avoiding him all night. “I was just looking for you.”

“Oh, really?” Jinyoung still has the same expressionless look on his face that he wore all throughout dinner, and Jaebum suddenly feels suffocated.

“Yeah, I, uh,” Jaebum stammers nervously before pausing. Aftera few moments of silence, he sighs, frustrated with himself. “God, I’m sorry about this whole thing, Jinyoung.” Jinyoung raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. “I should have just asked you. I really wanted to, and there was no one else I wanted to go with, and I don’t know why I didn’t just - get over myself and ask you to be my date.”

For a few seconds, Jinyoung remains silent, simply looking at Jaebum with an unreadable expression. “The song’s almost over,” he finally says.

“What?” Jaebum asks, confused.

“The song is almost over,” Jinyoung repeats. “And we haven’t danced together yet.”

“Oh,” Jaebum says dumbly. “Right.”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling faintly as he holds out his hand. “So, will you dance with me, Jaebum-hyung?”

Jaebum lets out a little laugh of disbelief. It’s almost fitting, he thinks, that after everything, Jinyoung was the one who asked him to dance instead of the other way around in the end. “Of course, Jinyoungie.”

Jinyoung finally gives him a full, genuine smile, and Jaebum thinks that as petty as Jinyoung tries to act, he’s ultimately pretty forgiving. He watches the corners of Jinyoung’s eyes crinkle in their usual way as Jaebum wraps his arms around Jinyoung’s waist and Jinyoung’s arms settle on his shoulders. As they start swaying the to music together, all Jaebum can think about is how good it feels to finally have Jinyoung in his arms, and he makes a mental note to thank Mark again for being such a good friend to both of them.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jinyoung asks amusedly after several long moments of Jaebum gazing at him.

“No reason,” Jaebum says, trying to be nonchalant. “You just...you look really nice.” It’s an understatement, Jaebum thinks, because Jinyoung truthfully looks better than just “really nice,” but from the way Jinyoung is beaming at him, it doesn’t seem to matter.

“You look pretty good too, hyung,” Jinyoung replies. “I really like your earrings.”

Jaebum gapes at him for a second. “You do?” In all honesty, Jaebum had been hesitant to go through with wearing them at first, worrying that they might be too much, but now he’s glad Youngjae, Mark, and Hyunwoo convinced him to keep them on while they were getting ready.

“Yeah, especially the scary-looking ones,” Jinyoung tells him earnestly. “They’re really cool.”

Jaebum can only stare at Jinyoung in amazement. He’s personally quite a fan of his earrings too, but for some reason, he hadn’t pictured Jinyoung as someone who would agree. “You know, you’re full of surprises, Jinyoungie.”

Jinyoung just smiles cheekily at him, and Jaebum feels like he’s ready to spend as much time as it takes to learn everything there is to know about Jinyoung. They’re only in high school, he knows, and they’re still young and they aren’t even actually dating, but right now, looking at Jinyoung’s smile, Jaebum thinks he might already be on his way to falling in love.

(Despite not officially being Jinyoung’s date, Jaebum takes it upon himself to walk Jinyoung home after prom ends. The rest of the group heads directly over to Baekhyun’s house for their after-prom party, but Jinyoung isn’t allowed to come with them because his parents didn’t want him to go, citing the fact that everyone else is a year older than him.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine by yourself?” Jaebum asks worriedly as they linger outside Jinyoung’s front door, neither of them quite ready to part ways. “We can always, I don’t know, hang out here for a bit or something.”

“It’s really okay, hyung,” Jinyoung says, his eyes twinkling amusedly at Jaebum’s suggestion. “I have a book I’ve been wanting to start for a while, so I won’t be bored or anything, I promise.”

“If you’re sure,” Jaebum concedes, trying not to think about how ditching after-prom and staying here with Jinyoung suddenly sounds even more appealing. He absently wonders if it’s too soon to be absolutely certain that Jinyoung is his soulmate.

Jinyoung smiles like he knows exactly what Jaebum is thinking. “Go and have a good time with your friends, hyung. I’m not going to say no if you ever want to hang out later.” He steps closer, and Jaebum momentarily forgets how to breathe. Jinyoung lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, his tone almost amused as he continues, “Provided you actually, you know, ask.”

“Yeah,” Jaebum manages to say, because not asking Jinyoung to do pretty much anything isn’t a mistake he’s likely to make again. “Yeah, I will.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, then,” Jinyoung replies, his voice still soft. There’s a brief moment of hesitation, and then suddenly Jaebum feels the fleeting sensation of lips pressed to his cheek before Jinyoung pulls away abruptly. Jaebum stares at him in shock as he opens the door, an uncharacteristically shy smile tugging at his lips. “Good night, Jaebummie-hyung.”

Jaebum stands there for a few moments longer, a smile spreading slowly across his face as he brings his hand up to touch the spot Jinyoung kissed, not even caring how much of a cliche he is right now. “Good night, Jinyoungie.”)

~~~   

“Okay class, great work this year, and have a great summer!” the photography teacher dismisses them as the bell rings. As Jaebum makes his way to the door, in the middle of a conversation with Youngjae and Jinyoung, the teacher stops him. “Jaebum, Jinyoung, would you two mind staying back for a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Jaebum agrees, and he and Jinyoung part ways with Youngjae despite being slightly confused. A glance at Jinyoung tells him that the other boy is equally puzzled.

“I just wanted to let you two know that I think you did a fantastic job on your portfolio,” he tells them.

“Thank you,” Jinyoung replies politely, but Jaebum has learned how to read him by this point and knows that Jinyoung is carefully concealing his excitement at being complimented. “We worked really hard on it, so we’re glad you liked it.”

“It’s interesting to me that you described the theme as ‘youth,’” the teacher continues. “It’s a unique perspective, I think. ‘Dance’ or ‘performance’ or even just ‘colors,’ based on your outfits, all could have been reasonable themes as well, but I like your choice.”

They have to stifle a laugh at the mention of their clothes, which they had admittedly gone slightly overboard with, selecting bright, gaudy outfits that were far from their normal style. Jinyoung had also agreed to spike his hair up after some convincing from Jaebum (“It’s like acting, Jinyoungie, you’re just playing a character. It’ll be fun!”), and Jaebum had dyed the front of his blond hair pink and orange to add even more vibrance.

“I think we inspired each other to go with that theme over anything else,” Jaebum explains, exchanging a small smile with Jinyoung. “We’re both still enjoying being young. For us, going out and dancing and singing, and wearing weird clothes and hairstyles, and just making decisions that are a little crazy, that’s all part of our youth. So we wanted to capture that in our pictures.”

“I would say you managed to successfully do that,” the teacher informs them with a smile. “If you two don’t mind, I’d like to use your portfolio as an example for future classes, to help them with their projects.”

Jaebum glances at Jinyoung, whose expression of amazement mirrors his own, before clearing his throat to reply. “Of course, that would be amazing.”

“Great!” Their teacher thanks them again, and sends them off with the recommendation that they don’t give up photography in the future.

They walk out of the classroom together, still a little stunned. “So...” Jaebum clears his throat and turns to look at Jinyoung determinedly. “Do you want to get something to eat with me, Jinyoungie? You know, to celebrate?”

“That depends,” Jinyoung replies cheekily. “Is this a date?”

“Well,” Jaebum takes a deep breath, internally convincing himself that he can and will finally go through with this. “If you want it to be, which I hope you do, because I do, then yes, it is a date.”

Jinyoung’s smile is radiant as he links his arm with Jaebum’s. “Okay. Then I’m in.”

“You can choose the place,” Jaebum offers in an effort to cover up how jubilated he feels right now.

“Really?” Jinyoung somehow looks even happier than before.

“Yeah, I don’t really mind anything,” Jaebum says, trying to brush it off casually. As long as you’re there, he almost adds, but he stops himself because that might be too much, too soon. Then again, Jinyoung is already frighteningly good at reading him, and if the gleam in Jinyoung’s eyes is anything to go by, he knows perfectly well what Jaebum is thinking.

“You might regret saying that,” Jinyoung warns playfully as they make their way outside. “I’ve been told I have weird tastes.”

And he has a point, Jaebum admits to himself as he leads Jinyoung to his car. Jinyoung could very well want to go somewhere that Jaebum absolutely hates, with food he doesn’t like or music that isn’t his style. But glancing over at the passenger seat, watching Jinyoung gleefully pick out his favorite radio station, Jaebum thinks that even then, he still wouldn’t regret it, because he’s finally going on a date with Jinyoung - and that’s enough to make anything worth it.