[CONTENTID1] "So pull me closer..." [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

Jeonghan just didn’t like Mingyu. He didn’t like the type of guy Mingyu was. A player who toyed with too many hearts. A flirt who intentionally leads anyone on. And on top of that, Mingyu was the kind of dude who knew exactly what he was capable of—he fully understood the power he held. Therefore, he easily had control over whoever was in his sight. Answers to tests with the flash of his smile, you name it. Someone else to do his cleaning duties after school or even lie to cover up his tardiness with only a wink. A wink! Jeonghan thinks he’s probably the only person at this school who isn’t a big idiot.

Because Mingyu was seriously...a spoiled brat.

At the chime of dismissal, Jeonghan walks out to see the ‘spoken devil’ standing outside  his classroom. He doesn’t miss Mingyu. How could he? Mingyu is as tall as a palm tree and without lifting even a finger, people gather around him for no reason at all.

Jeonghan sighs deeply. Why did Mingyu have to be here of all places? So annoying. Now there’s a huge crowd of people and Jeonghan is struggling to escape.

“Excuse me,” Jeonghan grumbles, already angry that his foot has been stepped on for the third time. But of course, no one cares. They’re too busy trying to reach their ‘king’ that Jeonghan, a little bunny, is not worth even a piece of dust.

Then suddenly—a pair of hand grasps Jeonghan’s palm and long, slender fingers grip to great strength. What the actual hell? Is what he asks himself when Mingyu’s light brown eyes are all that he can see. “I was waiting for you, Jeonghan,” The palm tree spoke. Jeonghan’s mouth falls open. Huh? What? Did Mingyu just address him as Jeonghan? Because the last time they bumped into each other in the hallway, Mingyu said, “Oh, didn’t see you there, shorty. My bad.” Jeonghan was furious that day.

“Can we talk on the rooftop?” Mingyu asks with the raise of a brow.

Rooftop? Why the rooftop? Jeonghan wanted to ask. But he doesn’t get the chance to.

Mingyu quickly pulls him away from all the boring eyes. But the most surprising thing wasn’t Mingyu’s hand wrapped in his own or the warmth that emits from such subtlety but the confession that Jeonghan receives when they step foot on the school’s rooftop.

“Jeonghan, I like you. Will you date me?”

Jeonghan blinked hard. He wanted to gulp but couldn’t get anything down his throat.

“W-What?” He stammered upon getting his tongue tied.

Mingyu took a deep breath. Then he ran fingers through his strands of hair.

What the—is he nervous?

“I um, I’ve liked you since my first year so—”

“First year?” Jeonghan intervenes, “That’s a long time. Are you lying?” Jeonghan pried, squinting his eyes in suspicion. However, Mingyu denies at an immediate pace, shaking his head innocently. “No! I’m not lying! I really like you!” Mingyu yells a tad too loud that it paints Jeonghan’s cheeks deep red. “I know your favorite food.” Mingyu whispers.

“Jjamppong. And I know your favorite band. You always buy their new albums at the music store down the street, two blocks from your house. Seventeen, their new song is called Eojjeona, am I right?” Mingyu confidently grins, two canines poking out cutely.

Cute? Mingyu is cute?

Jeonghan crosses two arms across his chest, “Impressive,” He hums under his breath and Mingyu seems to be satisfied with just that. “But Mingyu…” Jeonghan consequently addresses, for the first time, properly. “I won’t date you,” He tells the taller in all due seriousness, “I don’t like a player like you.”

Mingyu frowns, “Those days are done,” He says in a soft tone, shoulders drooping sadly. “I’m serious, I won’t play around anymore. Jeonghan hyung, I like you a lot.”

The usage of ‘hyung’ especially coming from Mingyu makes Jeonghan flinch. And the amount of times Mingyu has said the word ‘like’ is in some way tugging at Jeonghan’s heart. After all, Jeonghan is human, not a robot. He has feelings. And abruptly being confessed to by the most popular boy in school surely did things to his body. His hand trembled. His legs quivered. But his brain? It doesn’t waver. Not for a boy who had never even called him by his name.

“Sorry but no.” Jeonghan states firmly.

He turns his heel to leave but Mingyu snatches his wrist. “I won’t give up,” The taller confirms, his hold tightening. “You don’t know me at all, Jeonghan. It’s unfair because I know you. I know everything. Once I show you I’m serious—if you get to truly know me. Then, would you consider dating me?”

Jeonghan has never seen such a face from Mingyu. He’s so sincere...so honest. And hurt.

“Fine…” Jeonghan exhales a heavy breath he didn’t know he was holding. He guesses Mingyu’s touch just does that to him. “Okay. I’ll think about it again after getting to know you better.” He gives in. Why not? The big puppy in front him looks like he’ll cry soon.

The curves of Mingyu’s lip stretches to a grin and he lifts up Jeonghan’s arm, “Yes! There’s this ice cream place I want to bring you to, it’s near school. There’s a yummy flavor you’ll like because hyung likes strawberries, right? It’s vanilla and strawberry swirls—”

“Mingyu,” Jeonghan cuts in midway, “I didn’t mean go on our first date. I just agreed to get to know you. You know, friends?”

“I made it clear I didn’t want to be your friend though?” Mingyu purely expresses to no embarrassment. “Come on, let’s go.” He beams brightly toward Jeonghan’s baby pout.

“Vanilla and strawberry swirls,” Mingyu chirped at the bashful boy behind the register. He obviously crushed hard on the latter and hadn’t noticed Mingyu still holding onto Jeonghan’s wrist with all his might, as if he lets go for even a second, Jeonghan would run.

“And I want mint chocolate.”

Mingyu passes over Jeonghan’s treat, one hand still attached to Jeonghan’s while they head outside. “Do you wanna try mine? It’s good—” Mingyu asks the shorter who spins around at a bad timing and Mingyu’s ice cream cone ends up crashing into his face, splattering over his cheek. “I’m sorry…” Mingyu gasps, as if fearing for his own life when Jeonghan gives him the scariest glare.

The liquid melts quickly and drips down his neck—but the stickiness isn’t what enrages Jeonghan. It’s the action Mingyu takes in the next second. Mingyu has the audacity to lean over and up the ice cream he’d spilled. And Jeonghan freezes on spot. The instance he feels Mingyu’s tongue skim against his skin, up the dissolved sweet clean, Jeonghan neglects every word he had wanted to shout out loud. What enraged him wasn’t even Mingyu him like some mutt. It’s the fact that his heart skipped a beat when Mingyu him like some mutt.

“There, no more.” Mingyu smirked. He freaking smirked.

Jeonghan pushes the taller rearward. “I can’t believe you.”

Yet Mingyu persistently wags his tail after Jeonghan.

Persistent—is really a word to describe Mingyu.

Jeonghan wasn’t expecting any more surprises that day after having ice cream with Mingyu and even getting canned coffee on the way home. Jeonghan just wanted to sleep peacefully, maybe have one or two nice dreams...but Mingyu did not grant him of such a request. Instead, Jeonghan wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of objects hitting his window. He ignored it the first few times. Mingyu was throwing rocks at his window like Jeonghan was rapunzel or something. Jeonghan was not rapunzel.

So he ignores the following thumps too. Until he hears his window crack.

Jeonghan kicks off his blanket and races to the window in his polka dotted pajamas. He unlatches the lock and almost loses his mind when he sees Mingyu climbing up the tree on his lawn, ascending his way up Jeonghan’s room. “Mingyu!” Jeonghan screeches a whisper, his hair a lock of mess and irritated that he woke up at ’o clock to Mingyu sheepishly grinning in a tree after breaking his window. “You broke my freaking window, idiot!”

“Ha. ha.” Mingyu tries to conceal and then he drops something of substantial aspect from his hand and grunts, “oh ,” just as Jeonghan realizes it’s a telescope. “I wanted to watch the stars together. I brought a blanket and hot tea for us.” Mingyu sulks, “But you wouldn’t wake up so I threw the rocks a little harder at your window and turns out I’m quite strong?” He finishes with a cheeky smile and a shrug to the shoulder.

Jeonghan facepalms. He’s gonna go crazy because of Mingyu.

“How are we supposed to see the stars when the city has so many bright lights? Idiot.” Jeonghan replies nonchalantly, and it’s obvious Mingyu hasn’t taken notice of that at all.

Mingyu’s eyes enlarge, an expression like that of a child, “You’re right…” he murmurs.

It’s all he says for a while as silence overflows.

“Okay...guess I’ll j