ngl i tried to pack in as many cliches from fics as i could think of but i still feel like im forgetting so many! if there's some that i've missed let me know lmao i'd like to have a good laugh (or a cry)

 

Wish Upon a Star

 

“It's getting so cold,” Jiwon whined, pulling his blanket closer. He didn't know why they hadn't left the balcony yet, going inside where it's warmer and lighter and there are snacks. But Junhoe wanted to stay outside and watch the stars, convincing Jiwon that it's the last chance he'll get this year. He had to admit, the stars were shining brighter than usual. Or maybe those were satellites, who knows.

“Oh look, it's a shooting star!” Junhoe excitedly pointed up, his finger following the moving light. “Make a wish!”

Jiwon laughed to himself. I wish my life was more like a story.

*

Jiwon couldn't believe he had to stand one more hour of this. He ran through his notes, checking if he has everything ready before his lecture starts. He waited for Junhoe to arrive and occupy the place next to him, acting as his moral support. He hasn't seen his friend since the first period and they skipped that one on the roof, enjoying the last rays of sunlight. 

“Dude, took you long enough,” he laughed when he heard a bag get thrown on the table. He knew without a doubt it was his friend, he could tell by the annoying sigh he let out, having to sit in the god-awful seminar. 

“I was contemplating even coming here.”

“And you'd leave me alone in here?” Jiwon acted hurt, grabbing his heart. He already heard the voice coming from behind him, not even giving Junhoe the usual look. His friend knew he couldn't stand him. His voice, his face, his jokes, his remarks. God, it was awful.

*

“Can you believe he paired me up with him?” Jiwon yelled quietly on his way home with Junhoe, throwing his hands around as he explained his deepest feeling to Junhoe, even though he's been in the same class as him for 4 years and knew exactly what was going on. Jiwon was rambling on about how their professor paired him up with Yunhyeong for the project, knowing damn well they can't even look at each other. It wouldn't have been the end of the world, hadn't it been that it was more than half of their final grade. Junhoe desperately needed to pass the class, knowing the grade could be crucial for the internship he was aiming for. The best one gets it and he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Except for his percentage. It wasn't that he didn't study or didn't attend the lectures, in fact, he had his stuff right and the professor knew it. It's just that his assignments were always late, best case scenario. Or non-existent. 

He'd be happy to work on it alone. He'd prefer it, he'd beam like a ray of light if that were the case. In fact, he did suggest this game plan to Yunhyeong right after the class ended. But, the boy keeping his head high, refused. He said he won't work on the project alone and wouldn't let Jiwon work on it alone either. He went on about how they could bounce ideas off of each other and two minds are better than one but at that point, Jiwon had to turn off his brain functions. Otherwise, he'd turn around and leave right that moment, giving Yunhyeong the satisfaction of having the upper hand once again, seeing him storm off. 

“I just can't believe I'll have to see his face even when I'm not in school,” Jiwon whined, opening his front door and letting himself and his friend in. They've lived in the same dorm since they started college, lucky to each have their own room. 

“I'll come to see you in prison if your nerves finally snap,” Junhoe laughed, throwing his belongings onto his bed, checking to see if Jiwon has broken down yet or not. 

“It's not if, it's when.”

Junhoe never had a problem with Yunhyeong, they were on good terms. Being in the same sports teams, having classes together, they never had an issue with each other. He seemed like a pretty cool guy.

But ever since he could remember, Jiwon always despised Yunhyeong for some reason. He could never get it out of him. Whenever he asked, whatever would come out of Jiwon were incoherent sentences and groans. Junhoe was convinced even Jiwon didn't know why he disliked the boy. Yunhyeong didn't seem to be too keen on Jiwon either. The further they kept from each other, the better it worked out for all of them.

“So how will you work it out?” Yunhyeong tried to dig up some information, boiling water for some tea while Jiwon prepared their dinner. Junhoe felt incredibly lucky to be living with Jiwon, an enthusiastic cook. He wasn't quite sure how he'd survive college without the magic he did behind the stove. 

“I have no idea,” Jiwon mumbled, cutting the onions even more aggressively. “I guess we'll meet up at the library or whatever. I think he mentioned he wants to meet today at... sometime in the evening.”

“Oh, a library date,” Junhoe teased his roommate, nudging him with an elbow. “You didn't catch the time?”

“I didn't plan on going,” Jiwon clarified, scooping the diced veggies into a hot pan. “It's not a date, though.”

“Your internship's on the line, though.”

“I know! God, life's cruel.” Jiwon mindlessly stirred everything together, giving Junhoe the saddest look he's seen in years. “I suppose I really have to go to the library, huh?”

The dinner was the best part of their day, as usual. Jiwon tried not to think about what's about to follow, but it was inevitable. He packed his laptop and notes, some snacks and his library card. If it were finals season, he'd be practically living there. Thankfully, the year had only begun and they were just getting started. Junhoe couldn't resist teasing Jiwon a little more. “Good luck on your date, dude.”

“It's not a date!”

*

Jiwon checked out all the books he needed for the project, looking for a quiet place to sit. Yunhyeong hasn't arrived yet, giving his partner some time to breathe and mentally prepare himself. He appreciated him not being there but not him arriving late. “You're late,” Jiwon barely looked up from his laptop. He was well aware he didn't actually know when they were supposed to meet.

“Yeah, sorry, stopped on my way to get some coffee. It seems like a long night.”

“Oh, that's great.”

“Got you some too,” he added with an arrogant smile, knowing Jiwon would be bitter over him coming late, even if it was because of him doing something nice. He knew he shouldn't have bothered but a little voice irked him to order one for his partner too. A small part of him regretted it, seeing Jiwon's eyes run in confusion from the cup to him and back. “I knew we'd be here late.”

It still didn't convince Jiwon. “Come on, it's not poisoned,” he rolled his eyes, grabbing his own cup and setting his belongings on the table. “So. Where do we start.”

“I thought you'd know.”

“I figured you'd up to the professors enough for them to give you a headstart,” Yunhyeong shot back, annoyed by Jiwon's stand-offish attitude. They've been working together for 20 minutes and he's already being a headache. 

“Oh, sure. Maybe I'd get the chance if you removed your head from their asses for once. But I'm sure they like you for your jolly personality, don't they?” Jiwon mumbled, eyes fixated on his laptop screen. He hasn't stopped typing since the whole conversation started. 

Yunhyeong didn't know what Jiwon's issue with him was. But he sure knew why he didn't like Jiwon but he'd rather not unpack all that baggage, rather throw the whole suitcase away. With gripped teeth and his mind set on the prize, he had to convince himself to not leave immediately. The project was important to him and Yunhyeong wouldn't let Jiwon ruin his grade for him. He's worked on it hard enough the whole year. 

Just looking at Jiwon's face annoyed him. And how loudly he typed on his laptop. And how loudly he drank his coffee. He never even said thank you. Or the questioning, irritating look he gave him whenever he looked up from the book. “Don't you want to start working?”

“Figured I'd make an outline first.”

“And that takes you an hour?”

“Well, maybe if you weren't so secretive about your notes, we could move on forward quicker.”

“I see. Good luck with your outline.”

It was almost time the library closed. Jiwon was packing up his laptop and his notes, picking up the books he borrowed to return them to their original place. He barely managed to hold the stash, clumsily turning around just to bump into Yunhyeong who was standing right behind him, packing his own stuff. The books flew on the ground, both boys bending down to pick them up. “I-I'm sorry,” Yunhyeong mumbled, grabbing whatever book he could reach. Their hands accidentally touched while reaching for the last book. Their eyes met and Yunhyeong could've sworn a saw a spark fly. Both boys quickly retracted their hands, acting as if nothing had happened. 

*

Jiwon didn't even think about standing up and going to the coffee shop where he was supposed to meet with Yunhyeong. It's been a week since the library disaster and he still hasn't looked at him in class. He couldn't. A vein would burst somewhere in his body.

“You'll be late for your study date.” Junhoe crumpled up a piece of paper, seeing his calculations weren't correct and threw it at Jiwon. He's been doing it for the past hour, every time he didn't get the right answer and Jiwon ended up lying in a mess of papers with incorrect math problems. 

“It's not a date!” Jiwon yelled into the pillow, digging himself deeper under the covers. He intended to take a nap but Junhoe's constant bickering kept him up. He was always this fussy when he couldn't figure out a math equation. 

“Get ready for your rendezvous, kitten. You're probably late anyway.”

“God, I can't even look him in the eyes.”

“You mean his magical orbs?”

“Shut up!”

Jiwon dragged his tired self out of his bed, looking around the room to find his pants. He couldn't believe he was actually going out to work on the stupid project. They still had a few weeks left and he wanted to spend as little time with Yunhyeong as he could. The project was still in its early beginnings but in the end, he did send Yunhyeong his notes from last week. Of course, Yunhyeong didn't have anything nice to say about them, criticizing every word Jiwon typed. He sent him his outline, what he wanted to work on and all the important points in their presentation. Jiwon took it as his responsibility to find everything wrong with it. 

After texting back and forth until three AM, they were both finally content with each other's notes and preparations. If it were anyone else, Jiwon would just let it slide. But since he was working on the project with Yunhyeong, he had the unexplainable need to work on everything as hard as he could so it'd be better than Yunhyeong's. He had something to prove to himself. He had to show himself he's better than him. 

“I'm doing this out of spite,” he warned Junhoe, grabbing his keys and the messy notes from the library. 

Jiwon couldn't believe he arrived an hour late and Yunhyeong still wasn't there. He contemplated texting him but scrapped the idea as soon as he saw the cakes they served in the coffee shop. He felt a little less angry when he sat down with a cup of hot, foamy coffee and some carrot cake, he couldn't get over the little fondant carrot on top. 

“What's up.”

“Hi,” he dreamily sighed, flipping through a book he brought form the library. It was the first time he didn't glare at his poor rival. Jiwon didn't even scold him for arriving late or demand an explanation. Maybe it was the lack of afternoon sleep getting to him. Yunhyeong didn't waste a second, too energized for Jiwon's liking. As soon as he sat down, he pulled out resources and other useful literature, only stopping his lecture when ordering. Jiwon barely noticed Yunhyeong ordered the same as him.

“And that's why we should end with this graph,” Yunhyeong ran the end of his pencil from one paper to the book and back, underlining the chapter's title. Jiwon nodded, absent-mindedly staring at the book.

Jiwon tried to pay attention but his brain just wasn't co-operating. He held his face in his palms, blankly staring at the book. But the whole time, Yunhyeong's phone was distracting him. It wasn't even on silent and it lit up every few minutes. Jiwon thought he'd take it and throw it out of the nearest window. “Could you maybe... put your phone on silent?”

“Oh, sure, sorry. Friday afternoon, you know how it is,” Yunhyeong laughed, taking his time to reply to some of his friends. Jiwon sighed. Did he know? The only message he received during their study session was Junhoe informing him he'd eaten his sweets because he burned the dinner and was sad. Didn't even offer a ride home. ‘God, am I the nerd in this relationship?’ ran through Jiwon's mind, seeing Yunhyeong still hasn't put his phone down.

“Are you okay?”

“Sure, why?”

“You haven't argued with me for a good hour.” Jiwon thought Yunhyeong was just kidding him but the kid was serious. Seeing Jiwon agree and nod to almost all the things he suggested and came up with was the strangest. 

“I mean, we have to change the color of the background,” he sighed, poking his fork into the little carrot he was saving for the end. 

“Dude, you ate my carrot. I was saving that for last,” Yunhyeong whined and just then Jiwon actually looked up from the book and their presentation to see he's been stirring the wrong coffee the whole time and now Yunhyeong's carrot was gone. 

“Shoot, I'm sorry,” Jiwon took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, explaining to Yunhyeong how tired he is. He looked up, seeing Yunhyeong hasn't taken his eyes off of him yet. The blood rushed up to his cheeks too fast, he swiftly put his glasses back on because he couldn't see anything otherwise. “Something wrong?”

“No, no, I just... haven't seen you without glasses,” Yunhyeong smiled, poking his fork into Jiwon's carrot cake for compensation.

“I literally look the same without glasses.”

“No, I know, it's just-”

“I just can't read anything without them. Dude, I even wear contacts sometimes,” Jiwon continued, feeling some type of way about Yunhyeong's glasses comment. In response, he barely rolled his eyes, seeing Jiwon's back to his old energetic self. 

*

Yunhyeong hated leaving his friends' dorms this late. But their study sessions took way longer than expected, with going out to eat and watching a movie and all. He fished out his umbrella out of his backpack, seeing it's about to rain. It was getting dark so quickly, he hoped he won't get lost on his way home.

He turned the corner and passed a familiar face, sitting on the little railing by the park near his dormitory. “Jiwon?”

“Oh, hi,” the boy looked up with surprise in his face, wrapping his jacket closer to his body. Yunhyeong was getting worried about the way he was shivering. He stopped himself, thinking twice over whether he actually worried about him. 

“What are you doing out here? Aren't you worried it's going to rain?” Yunhyeong pried out of Jiwon, feeling the first few drops fall on his head. 

“No, I felt too dry, actually,” Jiwon shot back, rolling his eyes. When he saw Yunhyeong's annoyed look, he got worried he might just leave and began explaining his whole journey. He got back from school, Junhoe's gone for some days, he locked himself out in the morning, his phone died and the doorbells in their dormitory haven't worked since...well, forever. 

“Oh, .”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

“If I did, I wouldn't be waiting out here at night,” he sighed, pulling his backpack closer. Yunhyeong considered his options, looking up to see if anyone's light is still on. Even though it was fairly early for college students to go to sleep, very few lights were on and what was worse, no one he knew. What now, what now. 

“You can come... over to my place,” Yunhyeong suggested, assuming it's the right decision to make. He wasn't sure at first but seeing a little spark in Jiwon's eyes convinced him. Or at least he thought he was it. It was hard to see in these park lights.

“No, it's okay,” Jiwon assured him, a part of him hoping he'd go away and a part of him hoping he'd ask one more time. 

“Jiwon.”

It started to rain. Yunhyeong pulled out his umbrella but knowing Jiwon, he didn't even own one. He felt the cold rainfall on him, his hair getting too wet for his liking. “I... don't want to trouble you with tha-”

“Come on. Where else would you go?”

“I'll figure something out,” Jiwon looked everywhere around, avoiding eye contact with Yunhyeong. His heart gave a tiny squeeze when he suggested going to his place and saving him from this dreadful weather but something about it just didn't feel right. Would he do the same if roles were reversed? Would he be the savior in this situation? He knew once he saw some humility in Yunhyeong, he knew he'd help him in a whim. 

“You won't. Come on, before you get sick,” Yunhyeong sighed, grabbing Jiwon's wrist and pulling him closer before he managed to excuse himself and leave. He tried to squeeze him under the umbrella too, seeing he's already wet enough. His own jacket was getting wet but for some reason, he didn't care. Jiwon muttered a quiet thank you, head hung down low. This was never a position he wanted to be in. 

“God, you got wet,” Yunhyeong laughed, taking his partner's soaked jacket. He just stood in the hall, looking around the empty flat like a lost kitten. He was unsure whether he should take off his shoes and come in or... or what. 

“Come on, we can work on our project.” Yunhyeong navigated him into his room, disappearing in what Jiwon assumed was the kitchen. Never in his dreams, he thought he'd end up in Yunhyeong's room tonight. He felt so awkward, didn't know if he should sit on the bed or the chair or where to put his things. He left his snappy attitude out in the rain. 

Yunhyeong came back with two steaming cups, handing one to Jiwon. Even he was surprised but decided not to question Yunhyeong's change in attitude. Jiwon's wet shirt was sticking to him, feeling so cold he started to shiver and Yunhyeong seemed to notice, digging in his closet and throwing him a dry shirt. “I'm not going to present the project alone if you get sick. Get changed.”

“But I need to do more research then,” Jiwon whined, rolled over on his back, feeling papers crinkle underneath him. There were everywhere around them, scribbled with notes and numbers and sources, graphs and arrows Yunhyeong could never make sense of. He pulled a pillow closer, laying down on it. It was late but neither wanted to check the clock, a little afraid to see how long they've been working for. 

Jiwon had to convince himself to keep his eyes open, Yunhyeong's bed was just too comfortable. And pretty big, considering they were both laying on it, along with their laptops, notes, baby carrots and there was still more than enough space between them. He wondered where he'd sleep, maybe in the living room. But both boys were set on finishing up a major part of their project, not letting sleep get in their way. 

“If someone mentions ‘Customer behavior prediction’ to me, I swear I'll hurt them,” Yunhyeong angrily typed in numbers into his laptop, already sick of their assignment. Not only did he have to do it with Jiwon who, as it turns out, was not the worst part of this, but it was also so important, yet so boring. He knew how well it'd look on his resume, but at what price? “My graph's not working.”

“What?”

“The freaking graph I spent the last two hours on is not working!” Yunhyeong tapped his laptop's screen a few times, wishing for it to work. He knew it wouldn't help, just as clicking his mouse a hundred times or pressing the spacebar didn't help either. “Come check it out.”

With the last bits of energy, Jiwon crawled to Yunhyeong, dropping himself on his pillow. He turned the laptop to himself, trying a few tricks that might help. His eyes were closing unwillingly, he woke up from microsleep a few times. Both boys were too tired to talk, instead, Yunhyeong let him work silently while he took a short mental break. Jiwon couldn't concentrate on the numbers and letters anymore, unwillingly letting himself fall asleep.

Beep, beep, beep. Jiwon has never heard a more annoying sound. He reached out to turn his alarm off, not finding his phone where it usually is. He managed to open his eyes, looking at his night table only to notice it wasn't there. Neither was his bed or his room, Jiwon looking around the place disoriented. Then it hit him, realizing he's in Yunhyeong's room, spent the night on his bed. 

Jiwon wanted to sit up, a weight on his other arm stopping him from doing so. He inspected it, Yunhyeong asleep on his shoulder making his arm fall asleep. “Oh God,” escaped his lips before he noticed how peaceful he actually looked. He was finally bearable for a few moments. 

Jiwon turned off his alarm, careful not to wake Yunhyeong up. Thankfully, he was a heavy sleeper, only squirming a little when Jiwon managed to free his arm. But Jiwon was now stuck, not really sure what to do. Yunhyeong was still asleep and it would be rude to just go around his house. But they had a lecture in about half an hour. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Wake up, dude,” he shook Yunhyeong gently, only for him to frown and turn to the other side. “We've got class, pumpkin.”

“Wha- Oh God, oh God, did we fall asleep?” Yunhyeong was wide awake, shooting up from his bed. He was already digging through his closet, grabbing whatever he could find to go change. They had practically no time and with Yunhyeong's sleeping habits, he knew he'd be in trouble if he came late again. 

Jiwon collected his belongings, stuffing them in his backpack while Yunhyeong ran around the flat looking for granola bars and his jacket and keys. “I can never find anything!” he yelled to himself, turning his room upside down to find his perfume. Jiwon was in close enough proximity to catch most of the spritzes, feeling as if his lungs are going to grow legs and leave because this amount of fragrance can not be healthy. 

“Breakfast,” he handed Jiwon a strawberry granola bar while he fiddled with his keys. 

“God, you take better care of me than I do.”

“Oh my, what happened to you?” Junhoe scanned Jiwon from top to bottom, taking notes of his messy hair and a wrinkled shirt that surely wasn't his and the bar that he was eating. 

“When did you come last night?” 

“At around one but- You weren't home,” Junhoe remembered last night, coming home from a trip but it never seemed strange to him their dorm was empty. “You're eating breakfast?”

“Sure,” Jiwon took off his jacket and sorted his belongings. He was feeling too hot, running into class with Yunhyeong.

“What happened? And... Is- Is that Yunhyeong's shirt?” Junhoe exclaimed with great surprise, tugging on the cloth. Jiwon didn't answer but as he sat down, Junhoe caught a whiff of the cologne he was practically drenched in, recognizing it immediately from when he and Yunhyeong used to go to the gym together.  “ting hell, is this how you spend your nights when I'm not home? You sly fox!” Junhoe teased his friend, always in it for the reaction. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You're wearing Yunhyeong's shirt! And his perfume! And the bed hair!” Junhoe ruffled his hair some more. Jiwon wanted to give him a piece of his mind and explain the situation but never got the chance, their professor coming in. “Hope you enjoyed the date.”

“It wasn't a date!”

*

Junhoe offered to help Jiwon with lunch prep for the next few weeks but Jiwon regretted ever agreeing, seeing how Junhoe was cutting the garlic. But he welcomed the change for a minute, sitting up on the counter to order his roommate around. “How's the project going?”

“Cool, we're like... halfway through,” Jiwon sighed, stealing bites of Junhoe's cut-up veggies until he slapped his hand away. Junhoe wasn't convinced, seeing something isn't right with his roommate. He wasn't his usual self, just staring into the wall, lost in his own thoughts. Junhoe noticed he's been like that the past few days. He wouldn't be worried if that weren't the case with Yunhyeong too. He hasn't been able to talk to him properly, he always seemed so lost in his own thoughts too. 

“And how are you doing?”

“Cool.”

“You're not doing cool. I know you.”

“No, I'm...” Jiwon stopped mid-sentence, looking at the sizzling pan. What was he going to say? He wasn't sure what was wrong with him. The last weeks have been so strange and the only person he could blame it on was Yunhyeong. Every time he thought of him, his stomach turned in this weird cramp and he loathed going to their study sessions even more than before, even though he knew they'd end up well. He knew he'd enjoy it. And that's what scared him. He didn't have the kind of aversion towards Yunhyeong anymore. It vanished too soon for his liking. He didn't know where it went or what made it go away, but it scared him. It was strange, so strange.

“Is it Yunhyeong?”

“What? No, it-”

“It's Yunhyeong, dude,” Junhoe assured his friend, putting the lid back on the pan. Their dinner wasn't so important now. Junhoe was dead set on getting Jiwon to talk about what's on his mind. “Here,” he handed him his bottle of beer, hoping maybe it'll make him talk. He knew if he didn't make him speak about it, no one will and it'll just bother him until the end of time because he has trouble speaking about his feelings.

Jiwon sighed deeply, spinning the bottle in his hand. It was Yunhyeong. “It's just weird.”

“What's weird?”

“I don't know, okay? It's like I still dislike him but I also look forward to our da-... When we hang out and work on the project. Dude, I couldn't even look at him in the beginning, because it's... it's Yunhyeong. And now, we have inside jokes and ! I don't like the fact that I like to spend time with him, it just... makes no sense, you know?”

“Why did you even resent him in the first place?”

“I don't know, you didn't? I mean he's not like a... ty person, but something about him just...”

“Couldn't it be that maybe he's doing better than you right now?” Yunhyeong grabbed the bottle back, seeing it's about to be a long night. “I know how you are when we have lectures. You don't let them see, but you're a ing brain. You know everything, dude.”

“Not everything.”

“Yeah, what you don't know, Yunhyeong does. Dude, you could cut the tension between you two when you disagree in class. Kid's just putting in more work than you are right now. That's why he gets better percentages, if you didn't forget every other assignment, you'd be doing just as well. You nerd.”

“I'm not a nerd, okay? I was always just good with numbers. That was like my one thing and now he comes and every time he corrects me it's just... If it were anyone else! I just hate how he is during those lectures, God, speaking like he's on a radio show. And then there's the internship! They told us whoever has the highest grade will get it! And I'm against that asswipe now! I could be walking around in a suit in a glass cubicle now if it weren't for him, climbing up to my grade. I deserve the internship and you know it, I've worked my off this year for it.”

“And so did he, and you know that. But you're warming up to him now, right?” Jiwon rolled his eyes, walking over to the fridge to get his own bottle. This wasn't a conversation he was ready for. Yeah, he is. But their rivalry was such a big part of their relationship, he didn't like it was going away now. It was starting to feel like something was missing. Maybe he even liked the rivalry, and now he doesn't even have a reason to glare at Yunhyeong whenever he gets the chance. He didn't like that he was now enjoying their time together, that he didn't mind being corrected or to correct. The internship part was still a touchy subject for him. Junhoe knew that he really wanted it, seeing it as a great headstart. Everything was in his favor until Yunhyeong showed up, as goal-driven as ever and Jiwon's efforts were now in danger. “He's not a bad kid.”

“He isn't!” Jiwon agreed, popping the cap off the bottle. “But I've spent so much time not even being able to stand next to him, doing that project and seeing we have a lot to talk about and... and it going so well and everything... it's so weird, man.” 

“So when you borrowed my car last night, it was because of Yunhyeong?” Junhoe teased, wondering whether he'd be able to get more information out of Jiwon.

“I wasn't sneaking out. He needed a ride home from the party, okay?”

“So you're his safety contact?”

“God, I hope not. I mean... You want to hear something?” Junhoe grabbed a chair, knowing Jiwon won't shut up for a while now. He was ready.

“Sure.“

“Last night, I was over at his place. And he passed this mirror and he had the nerve to say ‘I can't believe I've looked like this the whole day.’ Can he see properly?”

“Did he look great?”

“He always does! I don't get how his hair stays in place like that.”

“And did you tell him?”

“Well, sure I did,” Jiwon defended himself, flailing his arms around. “How are you going to go around with dewy skin like that, telling people you're a mess? He does it so often too! And!”

“And?”

“And I went to pick him up yesterday. And his friends all gave me really weird looks, the whole time he was getting ready because I had to go get him up into the apartment because he was trashed. Dude, I'm the nerd friend!”

“You're both nerds.”

“I wear glasses!”

“Oh sure, I should've guessed it was you who was bringing down my street cred. And he's... a bad boy? A Chad? A jock?”

“You know he is. All of those! You go to the gym with him!”

“How come you've never called me a jock? I can lift more than he can! I mean, well, he can handle more pushups but my dude can not handle his alcohol.”

“Sure. Figured when I had to his back while he threw up by the road.”

“Oh, you two are awfully cliché. If I didn't know better, I would've said it's like a sappy romantic comedy.” If Jiwon didn't know any better, he would've blamed this whole situation on the falling star. 

He didn't even start about the parts where they went out for coffee and didn't even open the books and notes they brought, how they'd sometimes walk each other home. Or how he'd always text him to go to sleep, whenever they worked late on the project. How he'd always ask Yunhyeong about his day and he'd listen for half an hour but didn't mind a second of it He really was warming up to him. And it scared him, he wasn't ready to feel anything other than frustration when he was with him. But he did.  

*

“I'm so glad they made us take a few days off,” Jiwon wiggled in his seat, watching the world pass by. The train was going through the woods and hills, early winter approaching. The clouds looked eerie, hanging low over the cold world. It hasn't snowed yet but it sure looked like it'll start any second.

Jiwon was glad he brought a thicker jacket, ready to spend a few days in the mountains with his friends. The school sent them on a trip to unwind a little and work on their respective projects in a different location than the library or classrooms, in hopes it'd boost their creativity and energy. He was even excited about the workshops their professors prepared, even the lectures and seminars they planned to hold in their cabins. It'd be a nice change for a while. 

Jiwon looked at the monitor above their heads, seeing their stop is approaching. He swiftly collected his belongings, seeing Junhoe's still sitting in his seat. “You signed us into the same cabin, right?” Junhoe wanted to be assured he wouldn't be spending the days with someone he couldn't handle. But Junhoe wasn't quick to agree, giving Jiwon a guilty look. Jiwon was concerned. 

“You remember the astronomy class I'm taking this year because I had a few blank spaces between my lectures?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, we're going higher into the mountains because it's supposed to be really nice these days and we'd see the stars and constellations better,” he spat out of himself quickly, a little afraid of Jiwon's reaction. His friend just stared at him with blank eyes, processing the info.

“You're... not staying with me?”

“No?”

“When did you want to tell me?” he quietly yelled at him, putting on his jacket. He couldn't believe he told him just now, minutes before the train stopped. At this point, he was more worried about who he's going to be staying with than anything else. Junhoe muttered a quiet apology but Jiwon just wished him a nice stay before exiting the train. 

He carried his duffel bag with him up the trail, talking to whoever was around. Thankfully, he had a few other friends around. They arrived at the base soon enough, learning their cabins are spread pretty far away from each other. There were no signs of civilization, only a few sparse houses you could see downhill from their place of stay. The trees blocked the view of anything else, guarding the hills against the outside world. It got so much colder as they hiked up, the ashy clouds dropping even lower. 

In the meantime, Jiwon tried to figure out what the cabin situation was like. From what he could gather, everyone else was paired up, in couples or threesomes. Maybe he'd have one for himself. That would be ideal. 

The cabin keys were being handed out, people gradually dispersing into their cabins. Jiwon looked around, his stomach twisting in a familiar knot when he saw Yunhyeong standing nearby, his bag between his legs, eyes on his phone. He probably didn't notice him. Jiwon wished it'd stay that way and he'd quickly get paired with anyone. But there were fewer and fewer people, in the end only leaving two of them. The professor informed Jiwon both of them weren't signed anywhere, leaving them together in the farthest cabin. It wasn't ideal. Actually, it was the worst-case scenario. Jiwon gathered his bag and broke the news to Yunhyeong who still hasn't noticed they were the only ones left. 

“Junhoe left you for the stars?” Yunhyeong laughed, dragging his belongings up to the cabin. They were both tired from the journey and making their way up the hill with luggage was hard enough on its own. 

“Sure did. Is Chanwoo there too?”

“Yeah,” Yunhyeong sighed, opening their cabin. It looked big enough, wood everywhere you looked. As soon as they stepped in and hung their jackets, both boys made their way into the nearest room, seeing there were a fireplace and a huge bed. The other room was missing just that extra touch of comfort. They stopped in their tracks, realizing they both have their eye on the room. 

“Rock, paper scissors?”

“Sure.”

Yunhyeong set his belongings on the bed, looking around to see if there's any wood to set the fireplace up. He offered Jiwon he'd go into the other room even though he won but the loser humbly accepted his defeat, taking the room across the hall. They were both near a small kitchen and a bathroom, practically everything they needed for a few days. They knew they'd be spending most of their time outside anyway, working on the project or workshops or taking in nature.

After an hour of setting up their cabin, they were called into the main building for their first lecture. It was a rocky road down there, but it was well worth it. Having a lecture by the fire with sweets and snacks wasn't too bad after all. It was the only place where they'd get an internet connection, using the time to work on their presentation some more. It was almost time to go back as it was getting dark. Jiwon didn't want to admit it, but he kept close to Yunhyeong the whole way back, the woods getting pretty scary with the sun setting down. He even got to see the first few snowflakes of that winter. The clouds finally let go, snow falling gently on the hills and mountains. 

They thought the next day would be similar. Wake up, go down to the main building and work the whole day. Or maybe at least half of the day. The morning stroll down was pretty difficult, thanks to the freshly fallen snow. Their professors sent them up after working the whole morning, to get some lunch. Jiwon came prepared, bringing his own gourmet cooking. But their workday ended there, receiving a message the blizzard got too strong, forcing them to stay inside. Jiwon excitedly checked the outside, informing Yunhyeong they're snowed in. He was pretty sure he couldn't open the door without snow flowing in. 

 It was still pretty early in the evening, both boys too awake to go to sleep. Jiwon took it upon him to break the barriers, sitting on Yunhyeong's fluffy carpet while he searched the whole cabin for wood. He had to run outside to find the stash, remarking it's snowing quite heavily now. The wood was thankfully dry and now placed in the fireplace. 

“You've got fire?”

“Here,” Jiwon threw his partner a lighter, receiving a funny look. “I'm not asking you why you have a corkscrew in here,” he teased Yunhyeong, watching him roll his eyes and light the fire. It crackled pleasantly, slowly warming up the room, Jiwon could finally take off his hoodie. Yunhyeong sat next to him, both staring into the fire that illuminated the whole room. 

What started as small talk, grew into a conversation about anything and everything. Jiwon lost track of time, lost in their words. Yunhyeong spoke so softly, Jiwon couldn't get enough of his voice by the fire. After he stopped for a while, he turned to Jiwon and asked if he's up for a drink. Jiwon agreed, nothing else to do in the cabin. 

Yunhyeong was gone for a while, Jiwon leaning back on his arms. The fire was getting too hot now. He wondered when it'll die down. 

The past weeks have been weird. He tracked it back to when it all started, remembering sitting on the balcony with Junhoe the night before he was assigned the project. He remembered the shooting star and his wish and as stupid as it sounded, a little part of him believed his wish might've become true. Though not in a way he wanted or anticipated. He laughed to himself. The way it was going, he was worried it might end up like some romantic teenage story.

His mind stopped working for a second, realizing what he said. They might end up like a romantic teenage story. Romantic story. He cursed every neuron that passed this thought around, denying he meant it like that. He didn't, of course, he didn't. Did... Yunhyeong even... His mind was riddled with thoughts if Yunhyeong could even see this as anything more but he swiftly shunned those thoughts, worried where they came from. It's probably the amount of oxygen in the air. He wasn't feeling well, the ideas awakening something uneasy in him. It was the silence, that made it so awkward now, even though Yunhyeong was still struggling with the bottle in the kitchen. 

Jiwon didn't waste a second, running to his room for a speaker he brought. Some music might help, he convinced himself. When he came back, a song already playing, Yunhyeong was back with two teacups filled with what looked like wine.  

“I couldn't find any other glasses,” he laughed setting them on the table, next to the speaker. Jiwon stood next to him, skipping through some songs until he landed on one they both enjoyed. They both loved it, as he learned days ago during one of their study sessions. He saw a huge smile appear on Yunhyeong's face, both boys singing the first verses. Jiwon couldn't deny the smile did something to him. He couldn't help but smile back. 

Yunhyeong did waste a second, moving into the rhythm and letting loose. Soon enough he was prancing around the room living out every word of the song. It was so sweet, seeing him enjoy the tunes so much. Yunhyeong walked over to Jiwon, grabbing his hands to get him into the groove but tripped over his open suitcase, dragging both of them down on the bed. He caught himself on his arms, finding Jiwon pinned beneath him. No one was hurt but both were still collecting their minds over what has happened. This was close, closer than they ever wanted to be, or so they tried to convince themselves. 

Yunhyeong held himself up on his elbows, staring right into Jiwon's big eyes. He tried to look away, move further, but couldn't. He felt the blood rush into his cheeks but something about having Jiwon this close made him want to move even closer. But Jiwon didn't seem to move away either. Yunhyeong swore he saw his eyes move from his, down his nose, right to his lips. It was almost a reflex, Yunhyeong closing his eyes and leaning in closer, only to be disturbed by another song starting. 

The loud basses ruined the moment, Yunhyeong jumping in surprise. It made him come to his senses, standing up and getting the teacups, promptly taking a sip to calm his beating heart. Jiwon looked equally flustered, he handed him his cup. He was glad Jiwon wasn't starting any conversation, his thoughts all over the place to form a sentence. It wasn't long before Jiwon excused himself, saying he's too tired and going to sleep.

Yunhyeong spent the night turning from side to side. He couldn't take his mind off the little incident. It wouldn't have been a big deal if his heart didn't go absolutely insane the moment he was on top of Jiwon. And God, if he didn't try to kiss him, what was up with that? He hoped it somehow slipped Jiwon's attention. 

Yunhyeong laid on his side, watching the snow fall and fall, it looked like it'd never stop.  He knew he wouldn't fall asleep, instead, he went to the kitchen to get some water. To his surprise, the lights were on. He found Jiwon by the table, with the same intentions as him. He sleepily greeted him, Yunhyeong finding it a little strange he was standing there with a hoodie on, the hood popped over his head. Jiwon asked him to refill his drink and if it weren't for him being lazy, Yunhyeong would never brush his hand with Jiwon's, noticing it was cold. “Dude, you're freezing.”

“It's fine.”

“No, it's not. Is your room this cold?” Yunhyeong didn't believe his partner, almost on his way to check his room. Jiwon was quick to grab his hand, stopping him mid-track but Yunhyeong never let go of it, trying to warm him up a little but.

“It's kinda cold, no big deal,” he laughed, swirling the water in his cup. He looked at the water, not wanting to look into Yunhyeong's face. But Yunhyeong didn't believe a word he said, dismissing it as fine. He knew Jiwon wouldn't get any sleep and it was bad enough he planned to stay awake the whole night. Something in Yunhyeong irked him to take care of Jiwon, even though he said he didn't mind. He tried to convince him his room is warm enough, thanks to the fireplace burning the whole evening but Jiwon claimed he didn't want to keep Yunhyeong awake the whole night, saying there's nowhere to sleep anyway. 

The bed is huge, Yunhyeong convinced him but he didn't take it anyway. He saw the flush in his cheeks. Jiwon denied, saying he moves around in his sleep a lot. But Yunhyeong took it upon himself to not let him go back into his room that night, blocking the way out of the kitchen. If he can't convince him, he'll use force. Yunhyeong grabbed his partner's wrist, pulling him into his own room, no more questions asked. He closed the door, letting him know he isn't getting out.

A part of Jiwon was glad he wasn't in a room that felt like an igloo but after the evening, he wasn't sure he'd fall asleep alone in a room, let alone sleeping next to Yunhyeong. But he was persistent, in the end, Jiwon laying down and falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but not before putting pillows in between them, so they wouldn't end up in the same situation as last time. Just in case.

Yunhyeong didn't want to move a muscle when he woke up, instinctively pulling the person asleep on his arm closer. He didn't move away when he realized Jiwon had his arm draped across his chest, peacefully sleeping next to him. A little voice was telling him to move away and pretend nothing happened. But he didn't, he didn't want to. Maybe it was the morning hazing his mind or the sheer delight of reality not settling in yet. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't feel nor move his arm, thanks to Jiwon laying on it. But he didn't want to move an inch, feeling Jiwon's breath on his neck and his heartbeat as he laid so close. He felt Jiwon move, worried he might've woken him up but he only moved a little closer, his hair tickling Yunhyeong's face. 

The snow was still falling, though a little less now. Yunhyeong spent the first few minutes of his day looking out of the window, studying the trees and their branches, as they bent under the weight of the snow. He didn't even notice he was Jiwon's back, it came as naturally as it could. Something about this made it feel like a dream. He was glad to be in the position, he was glad to have Jiwon around. It seemed strange, but he grew to like him. He really liked him. It was almost hard to imagine how much they despised each other in the beginning but slowly, their ice walls melted. Yunhyeong guessed it was all the coffee. 

Jiwon was such a prick in the beginning but there was something about that cheeky smile he just couldn't resist. After they let out all their anger and built-up frustration by making all kinds of snarky and mean remarks, they realized the other boy wasn't so bad after all. He learned to appreciate Jiwon's dinners and his music taste, Jiwon grew to like Yunhyeong's constant doodling on their notes. He'd look at the little bugs with big smiles and he was just that more excited for their next study session. His heart jumped when he saw Yunhyeong doodling his favorite band's logo on the corner of his paper absent-mindedly, knowing he introduced him to them. They'd hum their tunes together, not even noticing. 

Jiwon couldn't get enough of how they play video games together, knowing they are supposed to study and work on their presentation. Yunhyeong's home was always so empty, he never saw his parents. He never tried to discuss it with Yunhyeong, afraid it would be a touchy subject. It was and he knew it was a boundary he couldn't overstep. Instead, he always enjoyed how they'd end up sprawled on his bed, snacking on snap peas and mangos while discussing the colors of the graphs. 

Yunhyeong was a little afraid to let himself be so vulnerable, especially with Jiwon. Now that he was thinking about it, it did seem a little foolish. He was in his own dream world, but never knew Jiwon's stance. He could be dreaming up their whole future and Jiwon could still be just warming up to Yunhyeong. Yunhyeong didn't know. The morning was great until he started to doubt the whole situation. He didn't know and it scared him. He was afraid he was developing feelings for someone who could never reciprocate them. He didn't want that, not again. He was starting to get scared that he might hurt himself. Jiwon wasn't just playing a game with him, putting up a friendly facade just because they were assigned to the project together... Right? 

Yunhyeong was at the point of overthinking where he doubted every nice word Jiwon said. He knew Jiwon was awake when he turned away, he slowly slid his arm from underneath him. Seconds later, Jiwon was acting as if he'd just woken up but Yunhyeong knew that wasn't the case. He didn't know what to feel, he didn't know what to think.

*

Jiwon stayed behind with Junhoe, working on an assignment they'd received that day. They thought they'd get it done sooner if they stayed in class instead of going home and finding a million other things to do. “So how's your presentation going? When's the next date?”

“Tomorrow. I think it might be the last one. I sure hope,” Jiwon laughed but didn't notice the door to their classroom opened a bit. The person stopped, hearing their conversation accidentally. 

“You sure sound happy.”

“I mean I just want to be done with the whole project. It's such a bother, I hate talking about what color graph we should use. I... honestly think Yunhyeong and me could both use some time apart,” he joked, flipping over the pages in his notebook.

“Wasn't what you were saying last time.”

“I mean... I don't know, dude. It's weird, I told you. I just... just don't know what to think about him.”

“Well, you sure seemed to have a lot of opinions on Yunhyeong a few nights ago,” Junhoe laughed, remembering their kitchen talk. 

“Oh shut it. If I could erase the last few months, I would.”

“And I said you two could never get past your walls.”

“Well, I proved you wrong, didn't I?”

“Sorry to interrupt,” a third voice joined in, both boys turning around in surprise. Jiwon felt his stomach shiver up and disappear, seeing Yunhyeong standing in the doorway. He didn't even look at him, excusing himself and going over to his usual place, looking for notes he left there. 

Jiwon felt like he was glued to his chair with duct tape on his mouth. He couldn't believe Yunhyeong was standing there, God knows how long, especially during those last words. He knew he didn't mean it like that. He knew, he knew he didn't mean Yunhyeong when he said those words but it's all he heard. But he couldn't stand up or speak, it felt too embarrassing to try to save the situation in a whim, brushing his words under the carpet with an ‘oh, I didn't mean it like that’.

He watched Yunhyeong look for his belongings and pack them into his backpack, keeping his face away from the boys. But Jiwon knew something was wrong. He quickly bid his goodbye, practically running out of the classroom.

Jiwon gave Junhoe a confused look, his friend only pointing at the opened door, telling him to run. Jiwon didn't waste a minute. He knew he had to catch up with Yunhyeong and explain what he meant. He couldn't believe how much it hurt his heart, seeing the near-broken expression in his face. It felt like thorns in his heart but he knew he deserved it. 

He caught Yunhyeong barely before he left the building. He tried yelling out his name but Yunhyeong didn't stop, didn't turn around, didn't slow down. He wished Jiwon would just go away. But he didn't, catching up with Yunhyeong and grabbing his wrists, making him turn around. He'd never seen Yunhyeong with such a look on his face, not even when they were just rivals.

The combination of hurt and disappointment, anger and sadness, he couldn't believe this all belonged to him. He didn't want to. He felt his heart clench when Yunhyeong asked him not to say a word, taking his wrist out of his hand. Jiwon let out a quiet please, not giving up on Yunhyeong, not just yet.  Yunhyeong repeated himself, worried Jiwon might see the tears welling up in his eyes. His head was starting to hurt from holding it all in.

“Let me explain.”

“Dude, there's nothing to explain.,” Yunhyeong snapped, finally turning around. Jiwon felt like a thousand knives were going through his stomach and a thousand more through his head. He knew he wanted to hold him back and explain everything, every word. Say that he didn't know how he meant it, that he didn't mean it like that. But Yunhyeong didn't let him have a second of rest, now that he held him back. “What do you want to explain? That this has been such a nuisance to you? That you hope it's going to be over soon? , that this was about proving something? I...I can't believe we... I thought we had something going. Don't worry, the project's over soon. I won't bother you after that.”

Jiwon didn't know if he heard the whole thing. His thoughts were buzzing so loudly and he couldn't concentrate on one more word Yunhyeong was saying. he couldn't say a word either. Maybe Yunhyeong was waiting for him to do so, but his tongue was tied. He knew he messed up, he wanted to explain. Sure, he wanted the project to be over. Sure, it was a bother. But whatever he said was never about Yunhyeong. He didn't want his times with Yunhyeong to end, he never wanted that. Now that he was standing there with him, seeing him wipe away his own tears, he realized that. He never wanted to let go of Yunhyeong.

He wanted to tell him so many things. So many, but he felt so crushed under the weight of Yunhyeong's broken look, he didn't know how. He didn't know what would make it better. “I'm... I'm sorry.”

Jiwon snickered, not believing this was all Jiwon could come up with. He didn't know what he wanted to hear. That it's all over and he was really glad? Maybe. Maybe it'd make it easier. That he was sorry and explain? Was there anything to explain? “Just let it go.”

“Yunhyeong...”

“Please. For now.”

*

Junhoe hadn't given up on trying to convince Jiwon to do something. Anything. For a few days now, he's been useless. He wasn't replying to his questions, hadn't paid attention to anything he's said. He could see his mind was still with Yunhyeong and everything that had happened. “Come on, you have to go,” he urged his friend, refusing to let him lay down in his bed. He knew once he was asleep, there was no way of getting him out and doing anything.

“He said I should let it go for a while.”

“Yeah, until he gets home. I can see it in your sad little eyes, God. Isn't it enough of a proof, seeing how hard it hit you?”

“I still... don't know.”

“You do.”

He did. Jiwon knew exactly what he felt towards Yunhyeong. The past days he tried to convince himself that he didn't know. That he was just confused, that it was weird. But deep inside, he knew. He knew he wanted Yunhyeong to be his. As strange as that sounds to him. He wanted to hold him, he wanted to see him smile and he wanted to make him laugh, he hoped their contact won't be ended once the project ends. Yunhyeong became a part of his daily routine, of his everyday life and he couldn't imagine not texting him the first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. 

Sure, he used the stupid excuse that they were just working on a project together. Sure. But he began to realize how much of their time spent together actually revolved around the project. And how much they spent talking, talking endlessly, lying on Yunhyeong's bed and laughing so hard they cried, catching little glances of the other boy and feeling all the stupid butterflies in the stomach whenever their eyes met. He cursed himself for dismissing all this, for convincing himself it's nothing when clearly it's so, so much. Yunhyeong meant so, so much to him. He knew.

“Do you think I should go?” he grabbed his jacket, stopping on his way out. He was scared of what Yunhyeong might say. That he might tell him to go to hell, not even listen to him. Maybe that he's misread this whole situation. He was afraid he might get hurt. But he wanted, no, needed Yunhyeong to know all the things he's known for such a long time. 

Jiwon never waited for Junhoe's answer, already on his way to Yunhyeong's place in hopes of catching him. 

Jiwon cursed himself for walking instead of borrowing Junhoe's car but the fresh air helped him calm down even though his stomach was still twisting and turning. The clouds looked so heavy again, dark and grey, hanging low. He hoped it won't rain until he gets there.

Jiwon was almost at Yunhyeong's place when he noticed the figure leaving towards the bus stop, recognizing the jacket immediately. He yelled out Yunhyeong's name, hoping he'd stop but he didn't hear him. He quickened his pace, in the end running just so he would catch up with him. Yunhyeong turned around soon enough, seeing Jiwon run after him. A part of him was happy to see his partner. Part of him wanted Jiwon to disappear. “Jiwon, please-”

“No, listen-”

“I need to catch the b-“

“Please,” Jiwon sighed, grabbing Yunhyeong's hand. Yunhyeong couldn't help but look into his eyes, seeing something pure and genuine in them. He didn't know whether he wanted to hear it. But he didn't stop Jiwon from talking, which he took as a good sign.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I said. Yeah, this whole thing is a drag-”

“A great start.”

“It is a drag, but you aren't. The project is terrible and I'm glad we'll be over soon but you're the best ing thing that came out of this. I never even hoped it could end this well. Yunhyeong, you don't even know how many times you couldn't leave my mind. I hated it, so much. I couldn't even look at you at the beginning without frowning and then there you were... Weeks later, the one thing I couldn't take my mind off of.” Jiwon felt the few raindrops fall, not giving them much attention. Spilling the contents of his soul was more important.

“It's starting to rain.” Yunhyeong never let go of Jiwon's hand. 

“Whatever. Listen, I need you to know this. I need you to know you were a blessing and a curse. I never thought someone could get my feelings so mixed up. That someone could get under my skin so quickly. I did mean it when I said I wished I could erase the last few months. Because I don't think I've ever been this scared of feeling anything towards anyone. I don't know if this is one-sided. I don't know and I know I might get hurt. But it's all better than letting you think you were a bother and I didn't care for you. Because-”

“Dude, come on, it's starting to rain.” Yunhyeong cut him off once more, this time pulling his hand to go hide under the little roof above his front door. He had already forgotten about the bus he was supposed to catch and the friends he wanted to meet. Jiwon was the one thing and the only thing right now that mattered. 

But Jiwon didn't budge from his space, not letting Yunhyeong stop his train of thought. “...because I'm in love with you.”

Jiwon felt like he's just spat out half of his heart with that confession, ready for whatever Yunhyeong might say now. It felt like a rock was lifted from his heart and soul. The rain was now falling heavily and it was hard to say if he was wiping away raindrops or tears. Yunhyeong was looking away, trying to collect his thoughts while Jiwon wiped away the drops from his face. He didn't know what to say. Anything and everything. 

But Yunhyeong didn't waste one more second, the weight of Jiwon's last words finally dawning on him. He locked lips with Jiwon, his cheeks. When he felt him kiss back, the world seemed right, so right. He didn't care they were both wet, soaking wet. What mattered now were Jiwon's words and Jiwon's lips, finally on his. It all finally felt so complete. 

“I'm sorry,” Yunhyeong whispered against Jiwon's lips, he was sorry he was being such a about it. He knew he might've overreacted. But at that moment, the realization that it was all just one-sided and there was no hope for him and Jiwon crushed him. He wanted to tell him how he felt, he truly did, he explained to Jiwon. He thought they had something, chemistry, whatever. Whenever they spoke or had coffee, there was that something between them. It made him crazy, it made him think about Jiwon often, so often and so much. It made him want to hold his hand and caress his face. It made him want to wake up every morning just like they did during the trip. But he never had the courage, knowing they started where they started. He didn't know whether Jiwon was on the same page, he didn't know what this new thing was. He was so surprised to see him break down his walls so easily.  But he was glad he did. 

Both boys were soaking wet from the rain, standing by his front door, soaking up what had just happened. Jiwon couldn't take his eyes off of Yunhyeong, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. This was all so sappy. So cliché, the whole kiss in the rain deal. But if Yunhyeong was what sappy brought, if Yunhyeong's smile and laugh and holding his hand and claiming his lips was what mushy, sentimental romance brought, he loved it. He thanked his stars, his lucky star. Thank you.