jongin sees what kyungsoo doesn't see.

kyungsoo thinks he is off-putting to others. he comes off cold and frosty, actually a mistaken reserved party, so he doesn't understand how jongin finds a friend and a lover in him.

at first, back in college, he thinks the younger is there to mooch off him, considering that the boy comes to class with nothing but himself and asks his table mate (who unfortunately turns out to be do kyungsoo) first thing for a pen and paper. kyungsoo calls him the paper boy, who ends up sitting in a few more classes with him and quietly absorbs the lectures, kyungsoo's pen tucked behind his ears until the owner calls it back by the end of school. “thanks,” the paper boy smiles, eyes crinkling and lips curling, and kyungsoo shakes off the warmth sinking into his cheeks when the boy pats him on the shoulder and heads out of the classroom before him.

“why me?” kyungsoo voices one day when the paper boy sits down next to him on the bus, their shoulders brushing when they hit a speedbump. the boy doesn’t say anything at first and simply chooses to dig out a pair of earphones from his bag. kyungsoo being kyungsoo, persists and chases after an answer or lack thereof, tapping his foot impatiently until the paper boy, whom he now learns the name of kim jongin, gives in,  soft and succinct, “because you are nice.” kyungsoo doesn’t get to question the sincerity of those words because the younger is reaching over to fix an earpiece on him, and the good thing is, the starting lines of japanese denim are playing off the track and they let daniel caesar do the work—reassuring, confessing, realising and etc.

they date for two years of college and move in with each other for another five. kyungsoo continues being kyungsoo because jongin never sees a need for him to change, loving the same old boring kyungsoo who takes his coffee black and binge watches on nicholas cage. on the other hand, kyungsoo secretly counts down to the day jongin finally gets on his knees—and apologises because he realises things have never worked out between them anymore and kyungsoo isn’t going to blame or hold him back because if anything, jongin deserves better. but kim jongin proves him wrong. the boy, now grown into a man, becomes a constant around him for the past seven years.

jongin