A pressure on the centre of his chest, a familiar face contorted in a snarl. The itch of his skin as it was pressed into the stiff carpet underneath, the dry scrape as a scream crawled out his throat. The figure, masked in shadows, opened its mouth wide. Sharp, pointed teeth protruded from the jaw, and Kyungsoo was stuck watching in awe.

In a surprising turn of events, the thing began speaking. The voice started low and unintelligible, but soon raised in pitch, and spoke in a tongue Kyungsoo could understand.

“Ughhhhhcmon, wakey wakey eggs and bakey!”

The college student wobbled in his chair, and soon snapped his eyes open. With a jolt, he raised his head from the desk, only to find his musical theory textbook page glued to his face. He quickly ripped the paper off his cheek and wiped at the drool in the corner of his mouth.

“You’re a real class act, Soo.”

Squinting from the library’s bright lighting, Kyungsoo looked up to see a short male standing directly to his left. They had a hand on their hip, but a cheeky smile on their face. The first year yawned.

“You better have brought me actual eggs and bacon, Baek,” Kyungsoo greeted, stretching out his arms and stiff neck. Though quiet, libraries were really not the best place to nap.

“You’re so disrespectful when you’re tired. Where’s my happy-go-lucky, obedient little underclassman, huh?”

“I’m only two centimeters shorter than you, okay, I'm not little. And if there’s no food I’m going to go right back to studying.” Kyungsoo closed his textbook, crossed his arms over it, and nestled his head on top.

“Studying, my !”

“There’s not much there to study...” Kyungsoo mumbled, eyes closed.

“Ah! I take umbrage!” The second year acted scandalised for a mere moment, before starting to pack up the shorter’s stationary that was strewn across the tabletop. “Seriously, c’mon. It’s Wednesday, we said we’d go watch Channie and Min’s game.”

“You said you’d go, I never made any promise.” Kyungsoo repositioned himself, turning his head to face away from the other.

“Ugh, please come. Don’t you want to support your friends? Don’t be mean, Soo.” Baekhyun begged, pushing the younger’s shoulder annoyingly. “Besides, Jongin will be there.”

Kyungsoo had forgotten, but of course Jongin would be there. He was on the soccer team as well, after all. He and his older brother, Jongdae.

Mentioning the second year brought back all the memories from the previous evening. He’d spent the night trying to trick himself into thinking it had never happened, but Hyunsik had sent an immeasurable number of texts apologising and begging for forgiveness. Kyungsoo had ended up switching off his phone, not even taking the time to first message Baekhyun about the situation.

The first year sighed, finally moving to shove the textbook he was resting on in his backpack, as Baekhyun had already packed everything else of his.

The two best friends walked over to the sports grounds, and Kyungsoo was surprised to see so many people waiting to watch the game. It was just a practice match, the college team playing both sides. Nevertheless, the bleachers surrounding the rectangular field were nowhere near devoid of audience members.

“-And I’m not gonna lie, I’m kind of ting myself. Why would the lecturer want to see me? Alone? But either way I’m gonna have to bolt back to the performing arts building at the end of the game.” Baekhyun spoke loudly, not even glancing at the younger as he looked for seats. Having found a good spot, he linked arms and dragged the other singer up the metal steps.

Kyungsoo made a low grunt to signal he was listening to the elder, looking around at the others who’d come to watch. The musician’s gaze stopped as he recognised Kim Sehun and Krystal, who were sitting together on the bleachers on the other side of the field. He had not spoken a single word to either of the two, as many hadn’t, but knew exactly who they were. That’s what happened when you were popular, he supposed.

Almost as soon as the first year fixated his stare on the pair, Sehun turned to face Kyungsoo. Their gazes locked and the music major felt like he was being burnt by the eye-contact. He gave an almost-smile, thinking that would be the polite thing to do when caught staring at a stranger, but Sehun seemed to increase his glare ten-fold. Kyungsoo immediately averted his eyes, unconsciously scooting closer to his best friend next to him. He understood that none of the Kim family were particularly friendly, but Jongin had never been outright rude when the first year had tried to talk to him. He had assumed the other siblings would be the same, but maybe some of them really were unapproachable.

“Ooh, look! Minseok looks like such a nerd with his socks pulled up like that.” Baekhyun pointed to the corner of the field where half the soccer club stood around in a huddle, the third year clearly recognisable between two taller players. “And ha! I knew Chan would need the white shorts washed. He totally owes me for saving his .”

Kyungsoo looked around the group of a dozen or so people clad in white. Not seeing the number eighty-eight, that Jongin had once told him was his, he looked to the other side of the field. There, another huddle took place, with this half of the club wearing pale blue uniforms to distinguish themselves. Jongin had his head down, arms around the players on either side of him.

The singer felt himself smile subconsciously at the sight of the older, though that turned to a frown as he looked at the exposed skin that wrapped around the other soccer players. The group was stationed on the corner of the field closest to where Kyungsoo and Baekhyun sat. They were close enough that Kyungsoo could clearly see what was on his arms. Or, what wasn’t.

The first year remembered the way thin red lines crawled up the second year’s forearms, how little droplets of blood had bloomed from particularly deep cuts. Though the law student had been dismissive of the injuries, Kyungsoo knew they would have taken at least a week to heal.

The singer squinted, not seeing any skin coloured bandages or any other signs of a possible cover-up job.

Kyungsoo quickly grabbed his phone from the bottom of his backpack, turning it on for the first time that day. There were twenty new messages in his group chat, which had been recently renamed as “Chanyeol and the three dwarves” (he was going to have to change that), four emails, and seventeen texts from Hyunsik. He selected that conversation and quickly skimmed it.

‘I’m sorry’

‘I didn’t mean it’

‘I’m glad jongin came when he did’

‘I hope you’re okay’

‘I’m not like that, I swear’

It wasn’t a dream, or nightmare; it had really happened. If Kyungsoo hadn’t made it up, then what happened to Jongin’s wounds?

“I know you didn’t really want to come, but are you seriously going to sit on your phone while the game’s going?” Baekhyun’s teasing tone made the nineteen year old’s gaze snap up from his device, only to see that the match had indeed started.

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo muttered, locking his phone and dropping it back into his backpack. He shook his head a little to try and remove his previous thoughts from his mind. He could just ask Jongin about it later, and he also definitely needed to get the story off his chest. He was probably going to tell the others as they walked home after the game.

Refocusing on the game in front of him, Chanyeol had the ball. Baekhyun jumped up and hooted his pleasure, yelling advice and encouragements from the sidelines as the taller sprinted while dribbling. His reign didn’t last long however, as a blue clad player came out of nowhere, slide tackling the ball from Chanyeol’s possession. The ball flew to the player in the blue jersey numbered twenty one, and Chanyeol tripped over the player on the ground in front of him. Kyungsoo was surprised to see the tackling player who helped the IT student get back up turned out to be Jongin. He felt a sense of pride over the law student’s play, even though it was against one of his best friends.

“Get back in there, Channie!” Baekhyun yelled, sitting himself back down once his boyfriend’s possession was over. “Damn, who knew Jongin was so good? I didn’t even see him coming.”

Kyungsoo let the smug look take over his expression as number twenty one got a goal. Blue - one, white - nill.

“And Jongdae?! What do their parents feed them, the blood of their enemies?” The second year singer continued, outraged by the well-oiled teamwork between the Kims.

Kyungsoo had never had Jongdae pointed out to him before, unlike with Sehun and Krystal. He looked closer, curious as to what he looked like. Probably nothing like Jongin, they’re adopted after all, the musician quickly reminded himself.

Jongdae had messy black hair, and an open grin. As the blue team surrounded him, patting and hugging in congratulation for the first goal, the eldest Kim bellowed out a roar effortlessly. He seemed like the easily noisy type, and Kyungsoo liked him already.

Continuing the gameplay, the white team started the kickoff. A tall, broad and broody man kicked to the closest team member - Minseok. Kyungsoo’s best friend again jumped up in support of his friend, and the nineteen year old couldn’t help but join in. Screw the nearby students who flinched around them and especially screw Sehun, who kept glaring.

The whooping and hollering ended faster than expected. The player who had begun the play with the kickoff sprinted after his teammate, running side-by-side with Minseok. Kyungsoo had certainly never seen that gameplay tactic before. Minseok grimaced and hunched slightly, turning away from the ball. The brawny man, number seven, took possession of the ball, continuing to dribble it into the offside.

“Did he just elbow Minseok in the ribs?” Baekhyun asked in disbelief, both singers too unsure about what had happened to sit back down. Kyungsoo watched the other players, trying to gauge if that’s what he just witnessed. Two of the closest players, one white and one blue-teamed, seemed to check up on the third year. From the distance all the musicians could make out was some vague brushing off motions and Minseok looked fine again.

“No idea, but that number seven seems…” Kyungsoo struggled to find the right word, watching as the player tore through the field like a drill, ignoring calls for passes from teammates. “Intense.”

“You can say that again.” Baekhyun agreed, crouching back down onto the metal bench. “You know, I hate people like that. Why sign up for a team sport, when you’re clearly a one-man-show kinda guy?”

The first year couldn’t disagree. Number seven’s tactic consisted of running at full speed towards the players defending, almost making them cower away in fear. There was no finesse to his style, as he barreled directly forward with heavy footfalls. The ball was passed once near the goal, to create a diversion, before it was back to Mr One-Man-Army. A hollowed thud of the leather against his boot, and the black and white ball flew to the top left corner of the goal. The white team cheered, though only half bothered to fist-bump or ruffle the hair of the muscled man.

Blue - one, white - one.

Kyungsoo should’ve be pleased, his friends’ team got a goal, after all. He wasn’t sure if it was the bad energy around number seven, though, or the fact that Jongin’s team was no longer in the lead, that had him frowning rather than smiling.

Soon enough, the blue team got a kickoff and the game resumed.

In reality, Kyungsoo found himself rather bored by the sport. He just didn’t see the appeal that apparently the rest of the college campus did. The majority of a game, especially if played by professionals, is filled with needless back-and-forth where no points are scored. The nineteen year old could think of a thousand other things much more worthy of his time. But he did want to support his friends, so he supposed one game every now and then wasn’t so bad. Kyungsoo wondered if Baekhyun too only came to watch as a sign of support, or if he actually found it engaging.

“Wooh! Argh, better luck next time Channie!” Baekhyun bellowed with hands cupped around his mouth, cheering as the IT student narrowly missed a goal. The second year music major sat on the edge of his seat, his posture leant forward and eyes darting up and down the field in front of him. Kyungsoo guessed he must have actually enjoyed it.

It was to no one’s surprise when number seven took possession again later in the game, running straight for the protected net. He sped through the other players, both friend and foe, on his journey across the field. Directly in front of him, however, stood a very determined defender. Though most players seemed to move out of the burly man’s way, one planted themselves right in front of the goal, knees bent and feet wide. Kyungsoo found himself more interested as soon as he saw the two digits printed on the blue shirt.

Jongin stood proud, waiting to see if the other would run around him, or crash into him. Many other blue-jersey’d sportsmen tried to tackle the ball from the white runner, but none managed to. Kyungsoo began biting his lip as he saw that though number seven grew closer, he made no move to slow down.

The crowd quietened, watching intently. Jongin’s hands were wide, out either side of him. Kyungsoo stood up as number seven barreled forward. The two were only a few feet away, and number seven didn’t slow down. A loud smack, the ball was gone. The whistle blew, signalling that time was up. Number seven lowered his shoulder. The two men collided. Both flew, the white teammate landing solidly on top of Jongin. Kyungsoo winced at the sight of the taller getting winded.

“Draw!” The referee called, whistling once more for good measure.

The ball was caught by the goalkeeper, so at least the white team hadn’t scored anything. The blue team took that as a win, anyway. Members cheered as Jongdae ran up to his flattened brother, pushing off the game-hogger roughly. Jongin seemed to get on his two feet relatively easily, with Jongdae’s help.

Kyungsoo let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, though still bit the inside of his cheek in worry for the law student’s well being.

“Gahh. As much as Jackson gets on my nerves, it still would’ve been nice for Chan and Min’s side to win.” Baekhyun said, checking the time on his phone as he got up from the seating. Kyungsoo looked back down to the field, to number seven’s back as he sauntered off the field with a few other players.

“That wall’s name is Jackson?”

“Oh, yeah. He’s totally arrogant, but also talented, sooo... You know how that goes.” The second year shrugged, shouldering his backpack and looking over the players left on the field. “Anyway, I gotta go see Irene now, I’ll meet you and the other two by the locker rooms soon, yeah? It really shouldn’t take long.”

With a rectangular smile and a small wave, the first year was left to make the journey to the locker rooms alone, both Minseok and Chanyeol having already disappeared in that direction. Realising this was the singer’s first time in the sports precinct, Kyungsoo took a few minutes to wander around the newly constructed building. Though not at all interested in the stories behind the trophies showcased in the corridors, he was painfully aware he was the only crowd member who had followed the team back to the showers. He needed the excuse to have something to do other than gawk at the fit guys getting dressed a few metres away. Did Baekhyun really normally wait for Chanyeol here, Kyungsoo wondered, immediately being able to picture the older thriving in such an environment. Kyungsoo would bet good money that his long time friend would make flirtatious small talk with the other players in order to convince Chanyeol to hurry up. And the chump would totally fall for it, every time.

“Hey, Kyungsoo!” The friendly greeting immediately roused the singer from his blank stare at the glass case in front of him, and he hoped it had appeared as though he was reading the little plaques on the polished gold metal. Adjacent to him, Jongin and Jongdae stood at the entrance to the locker room, clearly having only just arrived. “Waiting for Minseok and Chanyeol?”

Kyungsoo nodded to the second year, wondering if the other knew that the shorter had spent most of the game watching him, and not his friends. Jongdae, who he hadn’t formally been introduced to, said something quietly to Jongin, before entering the changing room. The musician supposed they wouldn’t be introduced then, either.

“You did well on that final play,” Kyungsoo said, wanting to sound like this match hadn’t been the first he’d ever seen. He realised that there was probably a real name for the move, like ‘the gatekeeper’ or ‘the stout mule’, and by not referring to it as such he’d exposed himself as a newbie to the sport. Or, would there really be a name for that? The singer was pretty sure an angry bulldozer running at you full speed wasn’t something that happened every game. Maybe from now on the move would be called ‘the Jongin’... “Looked painful.”

Wowww. ‘Looked painful’? Really? Kyungsoo internally smacked himself. Imagine if yesterday, when Jongin had resolved the Hyunsik situation ever so admirably, he’d just stared down at the first year’s helpless form and said ‘Ouch, that looked painful.’ Eugh.

“Ahh, it looked worse than it felt, promise. It was a pretty eventful match, so a good first game to watch.” Jongin’s smile faltered, and he quickly reached up to fiddle with his earlobe. “Not that- I mean, I usually see Baekhyun cheering alone. I don’t ch- It’s just, he’s pretty obvious with his cheering, so…”

Kyungsoo gave a gentle laugh, relaxing at the knowledge he wasn’t the only one a little nervous. He took a step closer to the older, as they had been speaking with an unusually large gap between them beforehand, but he wanted to make the conversation a little more comfortable.

“How astute of you, Mr Kim. It was indeed the first game I’ve come to see.” The nineteen year old giggled, glad to see Jongin smile warmly, no longer fiddling with his ear.

A group of four more players, all wearing white uniforms, squeezed passed the talking duo. Jongin moved forward, further away from the doorway.

“And how did you find it, Mr Do? To your tastes, I hope.” Jongin played along, his brow piqued in interest as he leant over the shorter slightly. Both were a lot closer now but Kyungsoo didn’t want to back down, not when he’d initiated it.

“I’m not too sure…” The singer shrugged dismissively, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Maybe I’ll have to see another game to properly decide.”

A laugh bubbled from Jongin’s throat, and his smile reached his eyes. The older’s gaze quickly shifted around the features of the shorter’s face, and Kyungsoo could feel himself blush at the open attention. The music major looked down shyly, and tried to think of something to say to continue the conversation.

The peaceful silence was broken by the rambunctious yells and hoots from the end of the corridor. Kyungsoo turned to watch as half a dozen soccer players crowded the hallway. The cluster was led by none other than Jackson, who smiled and hollered loudly along with the other men, a pepsi in hand. As soon as the white team member caught sight of Jongin, and Kyungsoo, his grin turned wicked. The first year tried to avoid making eye contact, but was unsuccessful, and Jackson’s gaze burned.

“What are you looking at?” Jackson asked in a gruff tone, walking up to the pair talking by the doorway. Kyungsoo didn’t answer, instead lowering his gaze to the ground and unconsciously hunching in on himself. Jackson was the embodiment of intimidating, especially when he towered over someone.

Jongin opened his mouth, a frown already in place, when Jackson shoved Kyungsoo roughy, his elbow propelling the smaller forward.

“Tch. Can’t see why you chose him, Kim.”

A firm scowl erupted across the second year’s expression. Though his jaw was set and his eyes aflame, his touch still carried gentleness when he caught Kyungsoo against his chest.

“Hey!” Jongin barked, moving Kyungsoo aside with assertiveness. He was clearly about to begin a fight of some kind with the other, who smirked with satisfaction. The confrontation on the field only half an hour ago must not have been enough for Jackson, if he still wanted to push people’s, maybe just Jongin’s, buttons. Either way, though, Kyungsoo didn’t want that happening.

“Jongin, don’t.” Kyungsoo interrupted, suddenly having the confidence to hold the taller back, a hand grabbing the other’s upper arm. Jongin’s movement halted immediately, and he turned to look at the younger. Kyungsoo implored him to stop with his gaze, and the law student took a deep breath to calm himself down, stepping back from the other sportsman.

“Pathetic,” Jackson spat, the self-assured smirk never falling. He seemed ready to continue provoking the second year, but made no argument when he was ushered into the locker room by another member of their group. One of the other players, someone even taller than Jongin, patted the law major on the back as he passed, an apology for his friend’s actions.

When the corridor was yet again emptied sans the two, Kyungsoo realised he still held the taller’s arm. Remembering what he’d wanted to ask, the singer investigated the scratchless appendage. Running his fingers softly against the caramel skin, there were no divots or bumps. No cover-up of the thin cuts, it was as if they were never there.

“Kyungsoo, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten upset, I know, but you can’t let people treat you-”

“What happened to the marks?” Kyungsoo interjected, interrupting the older again. This clearly surprised the second year, as he followed the shorter’s gaze to the uninjured arm with a frown.

“The marks?”

“Hyunsik scratched you. There was blood.” Kyungsoo finally separated his gaze from the golden tone, looking up into the brown eyes of the elder. Maybe he was focussing too much on such a simple thing, but it was the first thing he could think of to change the direction of the conversation. He didn’t want to be told he was a doormat, he already knew he was bad at defending himself against bullies. Nor did he want to see the look of pity on Jongin’s face when he offered to defend Kyungsoo on his behalf. Instead, he wanted to know he wasn’t crazy, that the Hyunsik thing had actually happened. Even though he had more than enough proof in the form of apologetic texts on his phone and a large yellow bruise in the middle of his chest.

“Oh, that. They weren’t that serious. Cleared up overnight, not as bad as they looked.” Jongin laughed sheepishly, rubbing a hand over his own arm self-consciously. Kyungsoo got a sense of deja vu from the way the other dismissed the injury, though made no comment on it.

“Well, I’m glad,” Kyungsoo said, trying to brighten the mood of the conversation that seemed more tense and sour than before. Was that Jackson’s fault, or mine? Kyungsoo thought to himself, intent on fixing it either way. “I know I didn’t really get to say it yesterday, but thank you. For being there. The whole thing was so crazy, I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come when you did.”

“You’re welcome. But, really, it was just a case of right place, right time. I’m sure anyone would’ve done the same thing.” Jongin spoke modestly, but still avoided eye contact. “Speaking of, I know this sounds a little… But I was hoping maybe you could, kind of, not tell a lot of people about yesterday..?”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows in surprise, as Jongin continued to stutter.

“I’m not saying what Hyunsik did wasn’t bad, it’s just… He was really not himself, you know how normal he usually is. I’m not saying you have to forgive him or anything, but… I just think not telling anyone would be for the best. For now, at least.” The ear fiddling was back with reverence.

The first year college student wasn’t sure what to say. ‘He was really not himself’? Yeah, that much was clear. How did not telling anyone help that, though?

“I… didn’t know you and Hyunsik really knew each other.” Kyungsoo decided to say, unsure why Jongin was defending the person he had protected the shorter from the day before. The person who, if Kyungsoo’s memory served, shared a tense look with the law student before the whole ‘thing’ had even happened. What had changed? Were they besties now or something?

“I don’t!” Jongin was quick to correct, his hand frozen mid-squeeze of his earlobe. He looked away again afterwards, speaking in a way that was closer to a mumble. “But Sehun does. My brother.”

Kim ‘McGlarey Face’ Sehun. Great, that elicited confidence. Kyungsoo didn’t like to judge people before he’d met them, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t trust Sehun’s judgement of character further than he could throw the tall twin.

“I can’t not tell Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo blabbed, thinking out loud. Trying to keep something from the older never ended well. When there had been a surprise sixteenth birthday party organised for the other singer, the two friends had ended up in a fight right before it started because Baekhyun had known he was keeping something from him. From then on they’d decided to ban all secrets between them. “But I guess I won’t seek disciplinary action from the college. That’s the best I can offer.”

The music student still didn’t know why the law major was begging for secrecy about Hyunsik’s episode, but the second year had more than proven himself worthy of the younger’s trust. So Kyungsoo would agree to his request, assuming it didn’t happen again. He also wanted to know what was going on with the first year science major more than anything, but was willing to hold his tongue a little longer.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo. I- he owes you big time.” The bashful facade melted away from the soccer player’s body language, his good mood regained.

Jongin suddenly snapped his fingers as his eye lit up, and a bright smile stretched along his face once more.

“That reminds me, I just finished the latest ‘Guns and Garnets’ book. I loved the ending!”

“Ahh! No spoilers!” Kyungsoo squealed reflexively, sandwiching his hands over his ears. He and Jongin had discovered, over one of their lunch hangouts, that they both loved murder mysteries. They were both avid fans of the series by Park Soo-yeong, which featured a married couple going undercover in a series of occupations in order to investigate various killings. The most recent novel, titled ‘January Joyriding’, had only just come out. The first year student hadn’t had a chance to pick up a copy of it yet.

“Of course not, I would never!” Jongin laughed at the shorter’s display: his shoulders hunched and eyes squeezed shut. “You have to read it, though. I can lend my copy to you?”

The softness in the older’s voice indicated that he was sincere in his offer, more than just acting polite. Kyungsoo liked the idea of reading the same copy as the other, his hands turning the exact pages Jongin’s had as he was hooked on the same words.

“That would be really nice!” Kyungsoo chirped, eyeing two familiar figures leaving the locker rooms in fresh clothes over Jongin’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure to reread the end of the last novel to refresh my memory.”

“Cool. I’ll message you about it later!” The law student said farewell with a wave, leaving to go shower himself as Kyungsoo’s other friends entered the scene.

“Oooh what’s this? You two finally giving in to temptation and making it official?” Chanyeol asked, only having heard Jongin’s last comment. The IT student skipped over, smiling mischievously, whilst Minseok followed behind.

“The phrase ‘making it official’ means getting married, Park.” The third year informed, taking out his phone when he felt it buzz.

“Really?...I have some people I need to apologise to, then.” Chanyeol frowned in contemplation, before shaking it off and wrapping an arm around the first year's shoulders. “Whatever. You two smitten kittens going on a date or what?”

Kyungsoo denied the possibility immediately, cursing his biology for nominating that moment as the perfect time to send a flush of blood to his cheeks. He also cursed his friends for being so on-top of his crush without him ever explicitly telling them, nor them ever seeing the nineteen year old and law student interact more than once. How could he possibly be that obvious?

He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he had daydreamed about the two dating, though. But Jongin was virtually perfect, he was way out of the younger’s league. It was never going to happen.

“Byun’s finished with his lecturer, says to meet by the west gates.” Minseok tapped a quick reply before locking his phone, adjusting the strap of his sports bag on his shoulder as he began heading out of the sports complex.

Chanyeol shook the short nineteen year old, smiling merrily while the first year squeezed his eyes shut in pre-embarrassment. He knew that Chanyeol was going to blab and Baekhyun was going to overreact, even though there was nothing to react to. Plus, he really wanted to get the whole Hyunsik thing off his chest… And sometimes talking seriously with his friends was a difficult feat. Kyungsoo sighed as Chanyeol laughed.

“Should I start preparing the ‘you break his heart and I break you’ speech?”

~Wild Flowers Worth Knowing~

The sun lounged on the horizon, burning a dull orange into the surrounding sky. The fizzle in his stomach hadn’t yet died down, and even the chill of the autumn evening couldn’t steal the warmth from his skin. Jongin sighed.

“You’re not usually so quiet, the Jackson thing got you pent up?” The lollipop clacked against Jongdae’s teeth as he spoke. When no answer was immediately forthcoming, the third year removed the candy from his mouth entirely. “You know, I didn’t ditch my car in the student parking lot to walk home with you for you to completely block me out.”

“No, it’s not Jackson.” Jongin pursed his lips. He had to admit, though not what was currently plaguing the second year’s mind, Jackson’s stint both on and off the soccer field earlier that day had been a massive frustration. Jongin rarely got so competitive or angry, but with Jackson purposefully getting under his skin, and his direct attack on Kyungsoo… he couldn’t stop himself.

“Ahh, the human, then.” The white stick twirled betwixt two fingers, orbiting the strawberries and cream planet atop. “I did warn you getting involved with a human wasn’t a good idea.”

“Believe me, I know, but he kept talking to me at those committee meetings. It turned out we have similar interests… At first I just didn’t want to seem rude, but then…” The law major tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He should regret befriending Kyungsoo, definitely. There was no way it was going to end well, for anyone. And yet, Jongin couldn’t say he did. The deceptively youthful man was naturally social, and being forced to restrict himself to only associate with his family was difficult. Sehun, especially, could be such a drag. But the sweet heart-smiles and animated eyes of a little nineteen year old was so refreshing, the second year couldn’t help but fall into orbit around him.

“Because getting him killed by a rogue vampire isn’t rude at all.” Jongdae scoffed, and Jongin immediately turned his head to glare at the older. The history major softened, placing a gentle hand on the younger’s shoulder. “Seriously though, it’s for their safety we stay away.”

Jongin wanted to mention how he’d seen the older pay special attention with helping another human, Minseok, setting up a cutter for a header during practice. He quickly decided against it, knowing Jongdae was well practiced at making people think he was friendly, whilst actually keeping them quite distanced. A trait Jongin couldn’t replicate for the life of him.

“What’s done is done, and now I have to make sure my mistake doesn’t cost him his life. Hyunsik’s already started going after him, and don’t even mention that whole bloodthirst spectacle.” The second year threaded his fingers through his fringe. The first year science major was obviously newly turned, and Jongin couldn’t believe he had to clean up his mess. Speaking of, the law major reminded himself to track the kid down and tell him what he’d ended up telling Kyungsoo, so that their stories lined up. Maybe Hyunsik could just say he was on a new medication or something.

“Human ‘going after’, as in trying to date him? Or rogue-vampire ‘going after’, as in about to kill him behind a dumpster?” Jongdae asked, not even wanting to know about the bloodthirst situation. That could only be bad.

“God, I don’t know. Maybe they need a feeder, and he’s enthusiastic to prove himself.”

The third year watched his companion for a long time, eyes thoughtful. He seemed to be weighing his words carefully before he shrugged and looked to the other end of the street.

“Maybe you should date him.”

Jongin blanked. Where had that come from?

“I mean,” the older of the two explained, turning back to the younger, “It would make the human less suspicious of your constant surveillance, and maybe it would be a serious enough move that Hyunsik would back off.”

Jongin sobered, reflecting on the other’s words. It was common for vampires to claim a human under the pretense of dating, ‘dibbs’-ing them with the intention of later turning them. And though Jongin had no intention of creating a vampire out of the boisterous music major, it would be a strategic move that might just get Hyunsik and his clan to leave the human alone. Or it could create an even larger target on his head.

“I mean, I'm like seventy percent sure you would have tried to get into his pants anyway.” Jongdae added flippantly, plopping the lollipop back in his mouth. “This way it's just a win-win.”

Beyond the embarrassment Jongin could feel gathering at his cheeks, he was also surprised. The Kim Clan had few rules, but ‘no human relations’ was definitely one of them. ‘No exceptions’, being another. And here Jongdae was, not only supporting a romantic relationship with one, but planting the idea in Jongin’s mind in the first place? Jongdae was definitely an open-minded, relaxed individual. He was also the only person on the face of the Earth that had known Jongin as long as he had. The clan was still the clan, though. And loyalty to that always  had to come first.

Jongin kicked the gravel that had gathered on the concrete path as he walked, falling behind Jongdae’s pace. The second year college student felt like the weight of the world had been resting on his shoulders for the past few days, but could the solution actually be so simple? His only other option, he supposed, would be to cut off all ties to the human. That method was unlikely to work, now that Hyunsik had seen how close they were, and would probably just leave Kyungsoo utterly defenseless. In the end, he decided he at least owed the musical student the chance to let things play out. Maybe everything would turn out fine.

“Can’t hurt to give it a try,” Jongin muttered to himself, having to jog a little to keep up with his older companion, who started somehow whistling whilst still his sugary sphere. “Dae, where did you even get that lollipop?”

~Wild Flowers Worth Knowing~

Kyungsoo was surprised to find the library still crowded so late into the evening. Normally at eight o’clock on a Thursday night he’d already be snuggled in bed with his dinner and an episode of ‘Murder She Wrote’ streaming on his laptop. But instead, he was writing an essay on rootless voicing for his musical theory subject a whole month before it was even due. Well, he was supposed to be. Somehow, he couldn’t stop his eyes from glancing at his phone next to him every three seconds, wondering if he was going to get an update from Jongin. The second year had asked to lend him his novel after his evening class, which was supposed to have ended twenty minutes ago. The first year had agreed, organising to meet in the library, pretending he was studious and hardworking and totally not a chronic procrastinator.

But, honestly, the longer Kyungsoo waited the more he found the white noise of the hushed discussions and tapping of keyboards to be lulling him to sleep. Thinking back to when he had fallen unconscious in the library the day before, he decided that he most certainly did not want Jongin to find him in such an embarrassing state as Baekhyun had. Focussing on researching references for his paper, however, was not a good distraction and Kyungsoo couldn’t hold back a wide yawn, not even bothering to cover his mouth.

“Blank document syndrome?” The honey-coated voice would have added to the sleep-inducing atmosphere had it not brought with it a whirlwind of bees to the music student’s stomach.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, suddenly arching his back out of its hunch and slamming his laptop shut in reflex. He begged whatever power lived above that Jongin hadn’t seen his gross display of a yawn. He didn’t want the other thinking he was unhygienic or something. God, what had happened to ‘studious and hardworking’? His image was falling apart before he’d even opened his mouth. Well, technically...

“Oh, I didn’t mean to scare you. Sorry, I shouldn’t have just… spoken, like that.” Jongin tried to apologise, but clearly even he didn’t know what he should have done instead. He shifted his weight onto his other foot as he looked around to the few students who were awake enough to register the younger’s yelp and glare annoyedly in their direction.

“No, no. Totally my bad! I was just-” Kyungsoo motioned to his laptop, before remembering that Jongin had seen it and knew it only showed an empty word document. “Yeah…”

“I brought the book.” Jongin changed the topic quickly, noticing the haze of exhaustion over the first year’s eyes. “How about I walk you back to the dorms?”

Kyungsoo nodded gratefully, slipping his laptop into his backpack before following the elder to exit the library. As soon as the pair made it out into the cold night air, Kyungsoo dipped the lower half of his face into his scarf. He couldn’t believe that this was the third time the two had made this walk, though this time was definitely the best. The previous two were under less than desirable circumstances, after all.

“I could probably navigate this trip with my eyes closed by now.” Jongin laughed, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he walked. His head was tilted towards the ground and he didn’t turn to look at the first year. Kyungsoo took the opportunity to admire how good the second year looked in his blue striped shirt and loose, faded jeans. He really didn’t dress like a law major, not that Kyungsoo judged people based on such stereotypes. But if he did, he would be pleased by the observation.

“Yeah, sorry.” Kyungsoo could only apologise, feeling a twinge of guilt for putting Jongin in a situation where he needed to help the younger home on three separate occasions. Though, in his defence, he thought he would’ve been perfectly fine to find his way back to the dorms alone in this instance.

“Oh, no! There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Jongin was clearly shocked by the younger’s more downcast response to what he had meant as nothing more than a lighthearted comment. “It’s not a bad thing.”

The soccer player had turned to face the musician as he clarified, and he watched the way the rosy hue spread over the tops of the shorter’s cheeks and button nose. The younger’s expression, though half covered by bright yellow material, stretched into a relieved smile. Jongin looked away quickly, worried that if he stared much longer he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“So… do you share your dorm with anyone?” The second year spoke as the thought occurred to him, surprised that he didn’t actually know. That seemed like the kind of thing Kyungsoo would have mentioned during one of his long-winded anecdotes.

“Nah, I don’t have a roommate. Honestly the place is too small for two people unless they’re joined at the hip.” It was the shorter’s turn to giggle at his own comment.

“Good.” Jongin replied without thinking, before realising how rude that sounded. How did he explain that without admitting he would be just a smidge jealous if the first year roomed with someone else? “I mean, I’m glad I’m not disrupting both you and your roommate’s night by making you stay behind in the library.”

Nailed it.

“Well, thank you for walking me here. Again.” Kyungsoo said as they reached the entrance of the student residential building, turning his back on the door to face Jongin. He smiled up at the elder expectantly.

God, even his blinking is cute, Jongin thought, before remembering the entire point of the evening.

“I’m the reason you were on campus so late, so it was only right that I should see you home safely.” The second year explained, stalling as he dug around in his backpack, before he pulled out a paperback. “Here’s the book, don’t hurry to finish it. Take your time. I actually read it twice, just to absorb all the details.”

He handed the fairly thick novel over, Kyungsoo’s cold fingers touching Jongin’s warm ones as he gripped the spine. The sensation sent a chill down the second year’s arm, for more than one reason. He continued to smile and gaze into the enthralling eyes of the singer, and though the shorter thanked him again, he didn’t hear.

Well, this is it. Just follow Jongdae’s advice and… ask. Human’s do it all the time.

With faux confidence, Jongin took a step closer to the music major. He almost leant over the shorter, and Kyungsoo craned his neck and raised his eyebrows at the sudden move, but didn’t step back. Jongin took this, and the increased frequency of white puffs of air he now felt tickle his chin, as a good sign. The icy autumn breeze could do nothing to reduce the heat that Jongin felt strum through his body, and the second year noticed he could see the stars reflected in Kyungsoo’s eyes. They were wide and imploring, as if begging the older to act. Jongin swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I also wanted to ask you...”

“To be respectful to your belongings? Don’t worry, I don’t dog-ear my pages. I use a bookmark I made for my mother when I was four, it’s pretty ugly but-” Kyungsoo interrupted the elder, immediately breaking the eye contact, somehow looking at something that was not the tall and broad man that blocked his entire view. He continued to talk, describing how the piece of coloured card originally had painted pasta stuck on it, but he’d ripped them off when he realised that the piece of stationary then wouldn’t sit flat between closed pages.

Jongin stood stunned, his mouth still open, as the other continued to speak. Why had he been interrupted: was Kyungsoo turning him down politely, or did he genuinely think that was what the law student was going to ask? Quickly thinking over the past four months the two had spent getting to know each other, Jongin couldn’t eliminate either possibility. The shorter sometimes went to extreme efforts to be overly kind to everyone around him, but could also be painfully oblivious. Jongin sighed, knowing he was just going to have to be straightforward about his intentions if they were going to get anywhere.

“Actually.” The second year began firmly, feeling a little bad for cutting the younger off as he explained his colour choices for the glitter he put on the bookmark. “I wanted to ask you out on a date.”

The words felt foreign on his tongue, but he was glad he’d just out and said it. Kyungsoo stilled, barely even breathing as he looked into Jongin’s eyes. The first year stood unresponsive, but visibly tightened his grip on the borrowed novel that he now clutched to his chest. The law major frowned as the seconds ticked by without an answer. Definitely just being polite…

Jongin barely registered that he’d begun to move away when a pale limb shot out to grab his hand, tugging him back into close proximity with the younger. The pull was a bit more forceful than necessary, making the older almost bump right into Kyungsoo. The musician, however, simultaneously yanked his scarf off his face and directed the taller down with a hand on the back of Jongin’s neck.

The immediate and urgent press of lips on his made the law student’s head spin. Another wave of warmth shot through his body as he pressed back, unable to repress his relieved smile. Long arms found their way around the shorter’s waist, hugging the first year into the chaste kiss.

Kyungsoo pulled away slowly, keeping his eyes squeezed closed. He bit his lip, but was definitely smiling. Jongin didn’t think he’d be this over the moon about being accepted, but wasn’t going to take it for granted. He really owed Jongdae, confessing to Kyungsoo was the best idea he’d ever had. The second year was amazed how one innocent kiss could completely wipe his memory of all the other things he had to worry about. Hyunsik, who?

“Technically you didn’t ask, it was more like a pseudo-ask. But I’m not going to give you time to take it back.” Kyungsoo finally opened his eyes, and they were absolutely sparkling. Jongin was sure the shorter could feel the heavy beat of his heart through their hugging position, but didn’t care. In fact, he hoped he could. “I would love to go on an official date with you.”

The taller just watched the shorter as he glowed, his arms still wrapped around the younger’s waist, never having felt more comfortable in his life. Kyungsoo’s hand had wandered from the base of Jongin’s neck, his fingers now twirling the hair on the back of the older’s head. The musician continued to fiddle with the short brown locks as he kept talking, describing how he prefered more casual dates, like going to amusement parks, over fancy dinners. Jongin took note of every detail the shorter dictated, watching fondly as Kyungsoo yet again got lost in a world of his own words.

Somewhere along the way, the first year stopped speaking, grinning cutely back up at the law major. The comfortable silence stretched on until Kyungsoo shivered, retracting his hand from the other’s neck, tucking it along with his other arm, which still held ‘January Joyriders’ between their chests.

“How are you always so warm?” The question was stuttered through chattering teeth, and the singer blushed before tucking his head under Jongin’s chin. The inquiry, no matter how normal, still set a stone into the pit of Jongin’s stomach. He immediately remembered every reason why he shouldn’t have done what he just had. This was going to ruin everything.

“Are you saying I’m hot?” Jongin joked, hoping his sudden tenseness wasn’t obvious to the smaller man in his arms. The second year rubbed his hands up and down Kyungsoo’s back, both in an attempt to share some of his heat, and as a form of distraction.

The singer scoffed, shoving Jongin’s chest away, revealing his flushed face. He shivered again, squeezing the book with both hands.

“We should get going, unless you want both of us to get sick.” Kyungsoo leant forward again, resting a hand on Jongin’s shoulder for balance. On the tip of his toes, he placed a gentle kiss on the taller’s cheek. “I’m sure ‘couple colds’ aren’t as good as they sound.”

Jongin chuckled, promising to message the younger soon. And with that, the musician was quick to disappear behind the dormitory entry, sending a little wave and heart-shaped smile over his shoulder.

The vampire was rooted to the ground a moment longer, staring at the closed doorway. The only light came from the bare bulb over the entrance Kyungsoo had just walked through. The glow was bright, safe even, but the illumination didn’t quite reach Jongin’s form, and so his figure continued to bask in the shadows alone.