“And now, ladies and gentlemen, our next performer, coming from the faculty of Pharmacy, please welcome PARK SUNGJIN!!!” 

 

Brian should be used to cheers as loud as the ones that erupt in the open space, considering the number of shows he’s been to so far, but it still hurt his ears. He’s amazed by the massive number of students that has shown up tonight. He has always thought that the after-exams party the university throws for them every term is useless, with how students are supposed to be too busy or too tired to participate, or to attend. But somehow, almost all the students from all the faculties manage to come, and the lineup for the party is always full with singers, dancers, comedians, actors, magicians, musicians, and all kind of talented students. 

Tonight’s party was full of impressive performances as well. Still, the grand final was left to non other than his best friend, Park Sungjin, aka the campus super star. 

Sungjin walks to the mic in the middle of the stage and has to wait for a whole minute for the cheers to subside before introducing himself. 

 

“Hello everyone, I’m Park Sungjin. I hope you guys did well on your finals. To celebrate the end of the term, I’ll try to make tonight’s performance a little bit special. Shall we start?”

 

He adds a wink at the end that drives the crowd a little bit crazier and makes Brian rolls his eyes. The band members that usually accompany him are already taking their spots in the background. He exchange a final nod with them, affirming that they’re ready. 

 

“Dowoon,” he calls for the drummer, “Can you do me the honor?”

 

The crowd is already fired up, anticipating Dowoon’s iconic opening.

 

Hana, Dul, Hana, Dul, Se. 

 

Fans had fallen in love with ‘Dance Dance’ since Sungjin has sang it in one of his first shows, and it’s been a hit ever since. All the students are jumping excitedly and singing alongside with the young singer. It makes Brian swell with pride, since he’s the one who’s produced the whole song. In fact, he’s produced all of Sungjin’s songs so far. 

It all started with a song he’s written after a bad breakup. Sungjin happened to like it, so he recorded himself singing it and uploaded it to his channel. His few viewers liked it and somehow the video trended in social media, mainly because people related to the lyrics and liked Sungjin’s voice. The number of the latter’s subscribers soared overnight and his viewers started demanding for more. And that’s how Brian ended up producing more songs for his friend and how Sungjin ended up kind of famous, especially in their university. 

 

After ‘Dance dance’, Sungjin switches to ‘Freely’ without a pause, and people are freaking out. He usually starts with a ballad or a soft song at first to soothe them into the fun ones. But Brian had suggested he gets straight to the tonight. He’s sure that, just like him, all the students present are running on just a few hours of sleep and an unhealthy amount of caffeine. So Brian wants them to release all the pent up stress before totally collapsing. He’s also sure that they won’t have any energy left after this. He’s no better and can’t wait to get to his bed already. However, Sungjin does something unexpected. Something that totally recharges him.

Mid-song, the singer approaches the crowd and extends his hand, pulling a student to the stage. Brian, who’s been following his friend’s every move, is kind of taken back by his choice. He can already feel his heart beating fast, the usual way it reacts to the sight of Kim Wonpil. The latter is, surprisingly, a natural on stage. He jumps around singing and hyping the audience even more. When Sungjin passes him the mic, he sings with no second thought, although off tone, but who cares? Definitely not Brian. He still thinks that Wonpil’s voice is as beautiful as him. His attention doesn’t leave his heart-stealer for whatever is left of the song. 

 

Sungjin ends his performance with a promise of meeting again soon, and the crowd gives one final, extremely loud cheer. Wonpil smiles at Sungjin and thanks him before  jumping back to the pit, where his very tall, very jealous roommate, is waiting for him.

 

“Lucky bastard,” Jae greets him back, trying to sound mean but fails. He totally ignores him all the way back to their dorms. It doesn’t stop Wonpil from teasing him though. He keeps talking and talking about being on stage with Sungjin for the whole way back, he can already feel that Jae’s about to explode. 

 

“Did you see how he asked me to sing? It was so fun!” 

 

“Okay I get it! Just shut up already!” 

 

There it is.

 

“You’re the one who dragged me here. You don’t have the right to be this jealous, Jae.” 

 

“Exactly! If not for me, you wouldn’t even know who Park Sungjin is!” Jae cries, “Who’s always listening to his songs? Me! Who truly is his fan? Me! Who gets to be on stage with him? You! That’s unfair.” 

 

“Well, comparing my visual to yours, life is really unfair,” Wonpil ignores the glare sent his way and starts walking faster, just in case Jae decides to get physical.

 

The taller pouts, sulking. Even though Wonpil has said it as a joke, he’s got a point. His handsomeness is probably the reason why Sungjin has picked him, even though Jae’s been more enthusiastic than anyone else and was standing just next to his roommate. He’s really wanted to make Sungjin notice him, at least once.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

“Hyung, wait!” 

 

Dowoon stops him before he could close the car’s door. 

 

“Your turn this week.” 

 

Brian groans at the sight of the blue phone, but takes it nevertheless. He knows he can’t refuse when the deal was originally his idea. When Sungjin’s fame has exploded, Dowoon pointed that his presence in social media was much needed to keep it and expand it. But the singer, even after gaining almost a thousand followers overnight, has left his accounts totally abandoned, and Brian had no choice but to interfere. He suggested that he and Dowoon will take care of Sungjin’s accounts, which lead to the blue phone. 

Brian is in charge of uploading videos and pictures of the singer while Dowoon replied to fans and teased them whenever there was an upcoming show or a new song. And indeed, Sungjin’s fame expanded locally, and somehow, he even has some foreign followers now. Brian likes to take credit for that as well. 

 

“So, what do you think of today’s show?” Sungjin asks once he’s started the car. He has insisted on driving Brian back to the dorms when it’s just a ten-minute walk from the campus.

 

“Good, I guess.” Brian answers, absent-minded. A certain black-haired guy still occupying his thoughts.

 

The lack of enthusiasm catches his friend’s attention, “Just good? Nothing worth mentioning?”

 

When Brian finally looks Sungjin’s way, he gets a wink from him. That’s when he realizes the reason behind the other’s mischievous smile.

 

“Don’t tell me you did it on purpose?!” 

 

Sungjin’s grin widens, “Why would I pick someone randomly when my best-friend’s crush is standing just a few feet away from the stage? Don’t forget to ask Youngjae for tonight’s footage. It’ll be better than stalking you crush’s facebook account.”

Brian blushes instead of denying it. 

 

“I don’t understand why it’s taking you too damn long to send him a friendship request.”

 

“I ing did, ok?! But it got rejected,” he adds the last part in a small voice. 

 

Sungjin frowns, “Didn’t you say you’ve talked before? Why would he reject it?”

 

“We ing did! We talked for a while and he was extremely friendly with me. I don’t get it as well! Anyways, I won’t send another one. I have my pride, you know.” 

 

“Yeah yeah, whatever!” Sungjin doesn’t even try to sound convinced. He knows that Brian does not give up that easily.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Monday morning found Jae in a good mood, humming one of Sungjin’s most recent songs on his way to class. It’s been stuck on his head since last night and he has long given in for the temptation to hum it. 

 

“Arghh! So annoying!” 

 

Without even looking in the direction the voice came from, Jae rolls his eyes, getting ready for the long squabble that is sure to come. The voice’s owner is cooly leaning against the wall, his eyes hungry for a challenge, or more, hungry to drive Jae mad.

 

“Does Sungjin know that someone like you is going around butchering his songs?” he shoots his first insult, already provoking Jae.

 

“And does Sungjin know that his lousy assistant is going around mocking his fans?” 

 

“Lousy assistant, huh?!” the other smirks, “Well, it’s always better to be a lousy assistant, than being an obsessed fan, right?”  

 

“You-” 

 

It’s only eight in the morning but Jae is already the collar of Brian Kang’s shirt, in the middle of the hallway. He really needs to learn how to control his temper in front of the guy. The smug look on Brian’s face does not go away. This is the reaction he’s been waiting for after all. 

Regrettably, their classmates interfere and Jae has to let go without throwing a single punch on the other’s face. He stomps off to his first class, doubting his anger will lessen in the few next hours. He actually doubt his anger will ever lessen when he’s attending the same college as Brian ing Kang. 

 

Jae is a very cool, very level-headed guy by nature. He knows how to control his actions and emotions in the best ways, in the worst situations. However, there’s something about Brian Kang that just drives him nuts, makes him react in the most violent ways by just one simple stimulation, and Brian seems to enjoy that. He’s always waiting for the chance to get on Jae’s nerves, and he freaking knows how to press all of his buttons, just like earlier.

 

“You okay dude?” Bernard sits by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder like he usually does whenever Jae goes through one of those fights, which happens a lot.

 

He just groans in response, slams his notebook really hard on the desk, and almost does the same for his phone. Thank god he stops last moment. Jae tries to focus when the lecture starts, but Brian’s voice constantly asking their professor questions doesn’t make it any easier for him. 

One of his classmates sitting behind him passes him a piece of paper. When he turns around, he’s met with a smiling Kevin, waving at him from the last row. He unfolds the note to see what his friend has written on it.

 

‘Happy reminder for Jae: Your internship starts next week. Less college, less B. -Kevin’

Jae smiles immediately and gives his friend a thumb up. Kevin’s right. He just needs to endure this week and then he’ll enjoy a Brian-free life for two months. When the lecture ends, he enjoys Brian’s baffled reaction when he grins at him on his way out.

 

“Have you finally gone crazy? What’s with the ugly smile?” 

 

“Nothing Bribri,” Jae says in the most sugary tone he can muster. He then walks away satisfied, humming another Sungjin’s voice. 

 

Jaebum approaches a dumbfounded Brian, shaking his head in sympathy.

 

“I think he has finally lost his sanity. Poor boy.”

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 “Aren’t you tired? You’ve watched it like a thousand times by now.” 

Jae straight out ignores Wonpil’s question, eyes plastered to the small screen of his smartphone. He woke up this morning to his favorite kind of notifications. Sungjin has uploaded a video of his latest performance, and he’s been rewatching it ever since, didn’t even leave his bed yet. Wonpil lays next to him, silently watching it with him.

 

“You’re totally whipped for the guy, do you know that?” he comments before Jae presses the replay button once more.

 

“You don’t say.” the blond deadpans, his eyes finally detaching from the phone, only to glare at his roommate. 

 

“I mean you should do something about it.”

 

Jae sits up abruptly and starts listing all the things he’s done as a Sungjin fan, “I attend most of his shows, I’m already following him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, subscribed to his Youtube Channel, and I comment on every single thing he posts. What more do I have to do for him to notice me? Send him nudes?!” he flails his long arms in frustration.

Wonpil frowns, “Dude! At this rate, you’re basically stalking him!” 

Because of his words, he ends up on the ground. It makes him break into a fist of laughter nevertheless. 

 

“Just keep laughing. It must be good to be that handsome, getting all the attention without even trying.”  

 

Jae pouts, dejected. It’s not that he envies his best friend or anything. He freaking loves Wonpil. It’s just that he sometimes wishes to be like him, to experience what it feels like to be a natural beauty, to look good all the time without the least effort. He hates being too tall and too slim that everything he wears is way too big or way too short. He hates that he has to wear glasses all the time so he can see perfectly, and hates that he’s became too dependent on them that he doesn’t feel confident without them anymore.  

Wonpil senses his internal turmoil right away and is by his side in a second, all amusement gone, “Listen Jae, you’re one of the greatest guys out there. So don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.” 

 

His words make Jae smile in appreciation. Wonpil always knows what to say to kick his self-deprecating thoughts away. 

The moment is broken by Wonpil’s phone buzzing. He adverts his attention from Jae to check it, expecting a message from one of his friends. Surprisingly, it’s a facebook notification. He frowns at the sight of the friendship request, before he breaks into a huge, mischievous grin.

 

“I think I might’ve found a way to get you closer to Sungjin.”

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Left leg bouncing uncontrollably fast, hands tightly grasping the blue phone and heart beating fast, Brian can’t believe what he’s just done, but he’s done it anyways, and he is thrilled. 

All feelings of guilt disappear as soon as he sees the new notification. Wonpil has accepted his request! He jumps from his seat and punches the air in triumph, yelling a serious of loud ‘YES!’, and gaining a pillow straight in the face from a still-sleeping Jaebum. It doesn’t ruin his mood though. His chance to finally get close to Wonpil has finally came. 

 

 

 

-

 

 

First flashback:

 

Brian’s day has started in the worst way possible. He woke up late, forgot his umbrella, got soaked in the rain on his way to college, he couldn’t get his coffee, was scolded for being late to class, he forgot his assignment as well, got scolded once more, and to top it all, he didn’t have the chance to eat for the whole day. He is practically starving by the time he reaches his room. 

The only good thing about the whole day is the absence of a certain blond. He can’t imagine how worse it could’ve been if Jae was there, witnessing all of his suffering, and mocking him. He thanks god for whatever reason made Jae incapable of attending class that day.

The first thing he does, is send his overdue assignment via e-mail, he then changes his clothes and goes to the closest diner to the dorms. As expected, it’s packed and there are no vacant tables. He wonders if the day can get any worse. He orders his dinner then scans the place for a second time. Fortunately, there is a guy sitting all by himself in one of the tables in the back, so he walks towards him.

 

“Excuse me.” 

 

The guy, initially focusing on his phone, lifts his eyes, and oh god, Brian is already gone. 'Is this what they call love at first sight?'

After an awkwardly long pause of staring, Brian forces himself to remember why he’s there in the first place, “Can I sit with you? All the other tables are full,” he manages to say without stuttering. He’s just hoping he’s not blushing.

 

Fortunately, the guy smiles politely, then nods, “Of course. I don’t mind.” 

Brian sits with a mumbled ‘thank you’. The guy smiles again before diverting his attention back to his phone, giving him the chance to stare longer at his beautiful face. Not to get caught and be seen as a creep, he takes out his phone as well and tries to busy himself with it. They stay like that for a while before the guy’s phone rings and he picks it up immediately, his face sporting an annoyed expression instantly.

 

“What is it?… I’m still waiting for my dinner…. Another fifteen minutes won’t make you starve…. You literally had six meals today!… Aren’t sick people supposed to lose their appetite? ….. Jae hyung, I swear to god if you don’t stop complaining- … You know what? I’m gonna really take my time eating my dinner, and if you call me once more I will have a long walk before coming back. Let’s see when you’re going to have your dinner!”

With that, he hangs up and pockets his phone furiously. It was a very interesting talk and Brian can’t help but chuckle. 

 

“Annoying friend?” 

 

“Worse. Annoying friend, who’s also my roommate, and who’s sick, but also seems to have a lot of energy to boss me around and treat me like a servant, ” the guy complains furiously.

 

Brian gives him a sympathetic look, “That’s too much dude.”

 

“Tell me about it!”

 

Brian is amused by the guy’s reply and heavy sighs. He’s about to ask him another question, to keep the conversation flowing, but gets cut off by the arrival of their food. He waits until the waiter leaves to do it.

 

“I heard you calling him Jae. Is that his name?” 

 

The guy nods, his cheeks already puffed with food. So freaking cute.

 

“Is his full name, by any chance, Park Jaehyung?” 

 

The other’s replies with another nod, an excited one this time. Just to eliminate any confusion, -there’s probably more than one Park Jaehyung in their campus, what are the chances, really- Brian asks a more detailed question.

 

“You know, Park Jaehyung, second year business management student, tall, blond, big glasses and clumsy and a general annoyance. Is it that one?”

 

The guy swallows before chuckling in amusement, “It’s definitely that Park Jaehyung. How do you know him?”

 

Brian can’t stop the disgusted frown form forming on his face when he tells him that they are classmates. Jae’s roommate bursts in a fist of laughter. The sound makes his heart flutter.

 

“Seeing your reaction right now, I’d say you’re definitely Brian, right?” 

 

Pleasantly surprised, Brian stupidly nods. He surely didn’t expect his new crush to know his name. Things had been taking weird turns and twists today. 

 

“I’m Kim Wonpil, Jae’s forever-suffering friend and roommate.” 

 

‘Kim Wonpil’. A beautiful name, like its owner.

 

“Brian Kang, Jae’s nemesis. But you already know that.” he replies, amused by the whole situation. 

 

Wonpil smiles again, making his heart flutter, again,  “He talks about you, a lot. That’s why.” 

Brian snorts, “As in badmouthed me a lot? It’s okay you can say it. I don’t really care about him or whatever he says about me,” he lies. Of course he cares, or started to, the moment he knew that Wonpil is Jae’s roommate. God only knows what kind of image the insufferable tall guy has built in his roommate’s mind about Brian. He can already see his chances with Wonpil vanishing.

 

The other just shakes his head, “You seem really nice though.”

Brian gets flustered at the compliment. He’s probably blushing, so he tries to hide it by stuffing his face with food. 

The dinner doesn’t last long afterwards, but they kept talking through it. By the time they finish, Brian gets to know that Wonpil is from Incheon, that he’s a second-year biology student, and that he’s his age and Jae is actually a year older than them. Such a valuable information.

 

“We also compare him to chicken little a lot. Enjoy your time teasing him about it. But don’t you tell him I told you about it! He’ll kill me!” Wonpil warns him jokingly. He seems to enjoy teasing Jae more than he does.

 

“I need to go take care of my baby of a roommate. It was nice meeting you Brian.” 

 

He waves at him as he walks away in a hurry. For the first time ever, Brian feels grateful for Jae, or at least for his ty immune system. Not only did it rid him of the taller for the day, and probably for two more, but it also gave him the chance to meet Wonpil and develop a huge crush on him. 

When he gets back to his room, mood better that it’s been in ages, he searches for Wonpil on Facebook and sends him a friendship request, in the heat of the moment, almost certain that he will be accepted.

All of his good mood vanishes as he refreshes the page and the ‘Await friend confirmation’ icon is replaced by an ‘Add friend’ one. 

 

Wonpil has rejected his request.

 

---

 

Bad Wonpil! Why would you do that to our BriBri?!

Anyways this is just the start, so I hope the next chapters will be better. See you then!