"Call me when you get there, okay?" his mom says, kissing Donghae on the forehead. Donghae leans into her touch—he wants to stay with his mom, especially since she's going to be alone for the first time since his dad had passed away almost five months ago. 

He desperately wants to stay, but he'd worked so hard for this acceptance and scholarship. And abandoning that now would be such a betrayal to his dad's hopes and dreams for his future. So no matter how hard it will be, he'll persevere.

For his dad.

"Okay mom," he whispers. He gives his mom one last hug before he grabs his suitcase. The bus had just pulled up, so he waves goodbye and gets on.

The bus is still empty when Donghae walks in, so he deposits his ticket into the machine and finds a seat near the back. It takes a few minutes before everyone has boarded the bus. And as they pull off, Donghae looks out at just his mom standing on the sidewalk and bites his lip.

It's going to be hard. But he'll be okay.

⸺

His scholarship had included funding for housing, so Donghae and his mom had found a house a few minutes walk from the university. It had six bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, so he'll have five other roommates. 

He hopes they're nice.

He'd grown up relatively isolated; his family had very little money, so Donghae often spent after school working part-time to help out. That of course didn’t leave much time to socialize. Adding in the fact that Donghae has been very dedicated to his studies, he’d spent his childhood alone. 

It had paid off though, because he doesn’t have to pay for university, and has enough money saved so he wouldn't have to work. At least for the first year or two.

So, he'd like to make some friends. He already feels so achingly lonely, with the loss of his father and leaving his mom behind at home. He's just not quite sure how to make friends. Especially since he knows he's a little awkward, and not too good at talking to other people. 

Donghae sighs. 

The bus is pulling up to the university now, so he shifts over, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He stands when the bus rolls to a stop, shuffling along the line of people to exit. 

He pulls up the address on his phone to get to his new house and follows the map out of the campus and to the neighbourhood across the street. He finds the house with relative ease—it’s a small, two-story house, but looks very new, with the grass in the front a lush green, and the building built out of a light grey brick. 

He had emailed ahead this morning, telling his roommates he’d be arriving at around four o’clock. It was a remarkably accurate estimate because a quick check of the time tells him that it’s currently a minute past four. 

Donghae takes a deep breath before he ascends the steps onto the porch and presses the doorbell.

It only takes a few seconds for someone to open the door—a boy with dyed burgundy hair and a kind smile.

“H-Hello.”

"Hey, Donghae, right?" the boy says. Donghae nods. He notices that the boy has a very nice smile, the type that makes him feel welcome and warm. "I'm Leeteuk. I'm a second-year media and journalism student."

He holds his hand out to Donghae, and he shakes it. 

"And you?" Leeteuk asks as he helps Donghae bring his luggage inside the house. 

"I'm majoring in social science," he answers.  

"That sounds cool," Leeteuk says.  "I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun. Here, let me show you to your room and then I'll give you a quick tour of the house, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, hyung," Donghae says. He follows Leeteuk up the stairs, and he leads them to a room in the middle of the hall. 

“This is your room,” Leeteuk says, unlocking and opening the door. He hands the key over and lets Donghae enter. 

It’s a big room—almost twice as big as his own room back home. Yet at the same time, it’s very cosy, with a double bed, desk, office chair, dresser, and bookshelf. More than enough for Donghae to live very comfortably. 

He drops his bag onto the floor and pulls his suitcase inside as well.

“Do you want some time to unpack, or do you want a tour of the house first?” Leeteuk asks. Donghae bites his lip.

“Um, I’ll take the tour first,” he says and is met with a smile. 

“Okay, let’s go,” he says, beaconing Donghae to follow him. “I’ll introduce you to the rest of the residences first.”

He knocks on the door next to Donghae’s, and a few seconds later, it swings open.

“Hey,” a stern-looking boy greets.

“Hello Kyuhyun,” Leeteuk says. “I’m just showing our new roommate around, this is Donghae.”

Kyuhyun gives him a nod.

“Nice to meet you,” he says. Donghae barely has any time at all to say a greeting in return before Kyuhyun disappears back into his room. 

“Don’t mind him,” Leeteuk says. “He’s a little antisocial. He’s a second-year physics student who skipped a year, so I just assume he’s busy all the time.”

“Ah. Okay,” Donghae says, sticking his hands in his pockets and feeling a little put out. Leeteuk points at the door next to Kyuhyun’s. 

“That’s Heechul’s room. He’s in the same year as me, but I don’t think he’s home right now,” he says. He knocks, and when no one answers, he continues, pointing at another door. “I’m sure you’ll see him later. My room is right across from Heechul’s, so if you need anything, you can definitely come to me.”

Donghae nods.

“Thank you, hyung,” he says. Leeteuk smiles at him. 

“Siwon’s room is beside mine,” Leeteuk says. “Siwon’s parents actually own this house, so he’s kind of the person we go to when the house has issues. Not that there are many issues, the house is really new and an absurdly good price for how well maintained it is.”

“Yeah,” Donghae agrees. It’s certainly nicer than his own house, which is a little strange for him.

“Then the room across from yours, nearest to the stairs, is Hyukjae's room,” Leeteuk says. “I don’t think anyone really is home right now.”

“That’s fine,” Donghae says. “So it's Kyuhyun, Heechul, Siwon, and Hyukjae, right?”

“Yup, you got it,” he says. “And the bathroom at the end of the hall is the one I share with Heechul and Kyuhyun.” He turns around and gestures at the door to the left of the stairs, right beside Donghae’s room.

“Your bathroom is here, and you share it with Siwon and Hyukjae,” he says. Donghae approaches it, opening the door. It’s very clean, not something he would expect, but then again, the whole house is extremely clean. Especially considering that there are five boys living here.

Well, six, now.

“That sounds good,” Donghae says.

“Good, I’ll show you around downstairs, then,” Leeteuk says, heading down the stairs. Donghae trails closely behind. The stairs lead directly into the living room. Leeteuk shows him the downstairs bathroom, and finally the kitchen. Leeteuk is just about finished showing Donghae which cabinets are his to use when someone comes into the kitchen.

“Oh,” the boy says, stopping at the door. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Leeteuk says. “I’m just showing our new roommate around, this is Donghae. Donghae, this is Hyukjae.”

“Hi Donghae,” Hyukjae says, giving him a wave with a small smile. “I just came in for some water, but it’s nice to meet you!” Donghae blinks, watching as Hyukjae fills his water bottle and leaves as quickly as he appears. 

“Um,” he says. Leeteuk pats him on the shoulder. 

“You okay?”

Donghae bites his lip and nods.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says.

“Then I’ll let you unpack and get settled,” he says. Donghae watches Leeteuk go and turns back to the kitchen. He stares blankly at the counter for a second, feeling a little overwhelmed. He forces himself to take a deep breath before heading back up to his room. Once there, he gets to work unpacking some of his school supplies as well as folding his clothes into the drawer.

He’s halfway through unpacking when he starts to get tired of it. There’s still a lot to go, so he decides to go out and find the grocery store to buy what he needs for food for the next week. Luckily, there’s a grocery store a short bus ride away, so he goes and quickly picks up everything he needs before heading back.

When he gets back to his room, he pulls out his phone, sits down on his new bed (which is softer than his one at home), and calls his mom.

"Hey mom," he says when she picks up.

"Hi honey," she replies. Her face is like a balm on his soul and he relaxes for the first time since he's boarded the bus this afternoon. "How is everything?"

"The house is really nice," Donghae says. "I haven't really had a chance to talk to my roommates yet, I'm not sure they're interested in being friends, though."

"Donghae, it's been a few hours, give it time," his mom says. "You're the sweetest little boy I know, and I'm sure you'll be able to make tons of friends soon enough."

Donghae flushes. 

"Mom…" he whines. His mom chuckles. 

"And your leg? I know sitting for a while in one position hurts," she says. Donghae frowns, massaging at his knee. In the chaos of the day, he'd have enough adrenaline to forget about his leg, but now that his mom has brought it up, it does ache.

"It's okay, I'll rub some ointment on it after this," he says. "It's not that bad."

"Don't forget to take care of yourself, okay?" she says. "I love you and I'll talk to you later."

"Love you too, mom," he says. She hangs up first, and when she does, Donghae gets up, searching for his prescription ointment. He rolls up his pant leg and works the ointment around his knee and then down his calf. 

The scars have faded a lot since the accident, but it still stands stark on his skin.

As he puts the ointment onto his side table, a wave of homesickness washes over him, and he suddenly wants nothing more than to hug his mom. He wraps his arms around himself, looking around the room.

There are still things that need to be put away, and he hasn't had dinner yet, but he doesn't really feel like cooking. Nor does he want to continue unpacking just yet. 

He sighs and rummages through his suitcase to find a pair of pyjamas. With his clothes in hand, he heads to the bathroom, takes a quick shower, and brushes his teeth.

When he gets back to his room, he crawls into bed, curls up in a ball, and tries not to cry.

⸺

The next morning, he feels a lot better. Last night had been the first he'd been away from home, but a good night's sleep has done wonders for him.

He calls his mom as soon as he wakes up, telling her about the house and the other boys who live there. When he's finished, he makes quick work of unpacking the rest of his things in his room and gets ready for school.

His first class is at eleven, and he has only two classes today. It's still early when he leaves his room, and he's a little surprised to find Leeteuk sitting at the dining table when he walks out.

"Good morning," Leeteuk says when he spots him.

"Good morning, hyung," Donghae says quietly. He goes to his cupboard and grabs two slices of bread for some toast.

"You're up early," Leeteuk says as Donghae sits down at the island next to him. Donghae nods.

"I like starting my day early," he says. Especially since he's used to waking early to work before school—it's practically ingrained in him to wake up early. "Is no one else awake?"

Leeteuk shakes his head. "Most of them don't wake up until noon if they don't have class."

"Oh," Donghae says. He can't imagine waking up so late, where half the day is over. 

"Are you heading to campus?" Leeteuk asks. Donghae nods. "Have you been on campus at all, yet?"

"No," Donghae says. He was planning to just find the buildings his classes are in and leave it at that.

"I can give you a tour before class starts," Leeteuk offers. Donghae brightens.

"R-Really?" he asks.

“Of course,” Leeteuk says. “It’s an honour to help out a first-year with their first experience on campus. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

Donghae blushes.  “I—yes,” he says. “Thank you, hyung!”

Leeteuk chuckles, patting him on the shoulder.

"Are you ready to go, then?" he asks. Donghae shoves the last piece of toast into his mouth as he nods.

"I just need to get my bag," he says and runs off to his room. He puts two notebooks and his pencil case into the bag before heading back outside. When he gets back to the kitchen, he opens the fridge to pack a snack, choosing to wash some blueberries as well as pack a few protein bars.

"Okay, I'm ready," he says.

Leeteuk chuckles.

"Okay then, let's go."

⸺

Leeteuk walks him around campus, starting with the buildings he'll be in for his classes. Then he shows Donghae the in-campus resources, from the gym to the campus bookstore and restaurants. And finally, he shows Donghae some of the cooler, lesser-known spots, including study rooms, underground passages, and the one that makes Donghae the most excited: a hiking trail at the edge of campus. 

Donghae can feel himself start to vibrate in excitement at the sight of the trail, and beside him, he can hear Leeteuk laughing. 

“I can tell you’ve found your favourite part of campus,” he says. Donghae nods enthusiastically.

“Yes, hyung,” he says. “I can’t wait to walk here.”

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time,” Leeteuk says, which is true, but Donghae kind of wants to go for a walk right now. Yet class is in a few minutes, so he’ll have to wait. “Do you remember where your class is?”

“Yup!” Donghae says—he had been paying rapt attention to Leeteuk’s tour and he had committed every single building to memory. And also wrote them down in his phone so he doesn't have to bother Leeteuk again.

“Okay, well I’ll see you later,” Leeteuk says. "I hope you'll enjoy your first day."

"Thank you, hyung!" Donghae says. He waits until Leeteuk is gone before he heads off in the direction of his class. He gets there a little early, taking the time to find the classroom on the first floor. When he gets there, he finds a seat near the front.

"Hi," Donghae says softly to the boy sitting next to him as he sits down. The boy gives him a side-eye before turning back to the front without responding.

Donghae slumps but takes the hint, turning his attention to his notebook. He dates the top of the page, trying not to let the rejection sting too much. 

It's okay.

He can still make friends elsewhere. 

The professor walks in right as he finishes, so he doesn't have any time to dwell on it. He listens intently as the professor introduces himself and begins to go over the syllabus. He makes sure to note down midterms and assignment dates to fill into his calendar.

After class ends, Donghae has an hour gap, so he remains seated. He spends a while filling everything into his calendar, making sure he's not missing anything before he packs everything up.

With the time he has left before his next class, he takes his time strolling to the small trail on the edge of campus Leeteuk had shown him earlier. It's nice to be surrounded by a little pocket of nature, even for a little. Especially since his hometown had been very much a farm town, and whenever Donghae wants to relax, he takes a walk through the woods.

When he reaches the end of the trail, something moving in the trees catches his eye. He frowns, walking closer. He slows down when he gets to the edge of the path.

It takes him a second before he spots the source of the noise: a little orange tabby cat. Donghae gasps softly.

The little cat is so cute and Donghae wants nothing more than to pet it. He’d always had stray cats around his neighbourhood and he would always spend time playing with them when he could—he can’t believe that there are stray cats here as well.

He bends down, holding out his hand.

"Hi," he says. The cat doesn't move, staring at his outstretched hand for a second. Donghae understands—cats are usually flighty and not receptive to attention. He pulls his hand back. It seems no one really wants to be his friend; he’s not sure what he’s doing wrong. Was he really so bad?

He bites his lip, pulling his backpack around and ping it. He takes out his tupperware and selects a few blueberries. He puts them down before he gets up, wincing at the pain in his leg as he does so. He really shouldn’t be kneeling like this when his leg isn’t fully healed, yet. Donghae sighs, sticking his hands in his pocket as he continues down the sidewalk to his next class. He's still a little early, so settles on a bench outside the building and pulls out his phone to do a little reading. 

He gets halfway through a paragraph when he feels something brush against his leg. He frowns, looking down.

The small cat from earlier is wrapped around his leg, rubbing its cheek against his pants. It seems to detect that Donghae is looking because it raises its head and gives him an inquisitive meow.

Donghae's eyes widen and he smiles.

"Hello there," he says. He holds out his hand again, and this time, the cat rubs its face against his palm. Donghae giggles, petting it between the ears. 

When the cat doesn't move away, Donghae feels a little brave and gently picks the cat up. It lets him and Donghae coos when it settles into his lap. 

He spends a few minutes petting the cat before class.

"I need to go now," Donghae whispers when it becomes clear he's going to be late for class. He picks the cat up, noting absently that she's a girl cat when he puts her down. 

The cat tangles in his legs as he walks, but finally leaves him when he steps into the building. He can't keep the smile off his face as he descends the steps of the lecture hall. He sits down at the front, not bothering to talk to anyone this time. 

Instead, he simply focuses on what the professor is saying and quickly packs up when class is over. Outside, the kitten comes to greet him. She places a paw on his ankle, looking up at him with wide green eyes. When she meets his eyes, she lets out an inquisitive meow. 

Donghae chuckles, bending down to scratch the top of her head. 

“Thank you for waiting for me,” he coos. “I wish I could take you with me, but I can’t, sorry.” She purrs, butting her head against his hand. Donghae obliges, petting her for a little while longer. 

“I hope I’ll see you later,” he muses as she his hand before stalking off. Donghae stands, watching her go. He giggles at the way her tail sticks up, confident in her stroll. The smile stays on his face for the rest of the day.

⸺

Over the next week and a half, Donghae doesn’t really see much of any of his roommates. He catches a few glimpses of Siwon exiting his room and sometimes sees the others as well. No one ever seems interested in any sort of conversation (not that Donghae is feeling brave enough to strike up a casual conversation, anyway).

He also can't help but notice that his roommates' sections of the fridge are often empty or filled with takeout and frozen meals. He feels a little bad about it: it can't be healthy or feel good at all to be eating like this.

And one afternoon, after his morning class, he finds himself staring at an empty fridge (besides his own groceries), debating if he should do something about the issue. He purses his lips, considering. His mom had always said his cooking was good and he finds it therapeutic. Maybe, he can cook something for his roommates and use it as a means to talk to them.

Yeah.

That sounds like a good plan. 

With that in mind, he closes the fridge, grabs his keys and wallet, and heads out. 

Donghae spends a good half an hour scouring the aisles of the grocery store, considering what he should cook. He knows buying in bulk and cooking for the week would be the most cost-effective, so he stocks up on rice, vegetables, and some snacks. He only buys a little bit of meat, given that spoils more easily. 

Satisfied with his haul, he pays for everything and heads back to the house. He isn’t surprised that the kitchen is empty when he returns. Donghae makes quick work of unpacking everything and getting to cooking. 

Preparing the vegetables and meat is a meditative experience, and Donghae loses himself in the repetition of washing and chopping. 

He then cooks the rice as well as the vegetables and the meat. When he's finished, he takes a step back. 

Donghae had originally planned to pack everything into the fridge, but he also knows that some of his roommates are home. Food is always best eaten freshly cooked.

With his mind made up, he grabs a bowl and puts together a serving before heading up the stairs. He stops in front of Kyuhyun's door. It takes him several seconds to work up the courage to knock on the door.

The door swings open and he's met with Kyuhyun frowning down at him.

"Hi," Donghae says, shrinking in on himself at the intensity of Kyuhyun's stare. "I uh—I just couldn't help but notice you don't cook much. So I thought you might want…"

He trails off again, the courage he had built up quickly evaporating.

"Here," he squeaks, holding out the bowl of bibimbap he'd made. Kyuhyun looks down at it for a second before taking it.

"Thanks," he says and doesn't say anything more before he turns and leaves. The door drifts shut behind him and Donghae is left staring blankly at the white of the closed door. He can feel his eyes prickle and he quickly wipes at them to keep them from falling.

"Donghae?" a voice comes from behind him. Donghae gasps, whirling around. 

"H-Hyukjae!" he says. 

"Are you okay?" Hyukjae asks, frowning at him. Donghae bites his trembling lip, horrified when another tear falls. He wipes it away.

"I'm fine," he says. Then, because even though he's upset at his failure, he's determined to make friends with his roommates, he continues: "I made lunch for you guys, do you want to eat it with me?"

Hyukjae frowns and Donghae feels like all of his hopes have been dashed. He steels himself to be rejected again.

"You made lunch… for all of us?" Hyukjae says. Donghae shrugs.

"I was planning to leave it in the fridge with a label," he says. "But since you and Kyuhyun are here…" He trails off, shrugging again. 

Hyukjae nods, still frowning. Donghae bites his lip, looking down at the ground.

"I—uh—I have an hour before class so I can have lunch with you," he says. Donghae's head snaps up, eyes wide. 

"Really?" he says. Hyukjae nods.

"Yeah, of course," he says and Donghae beams, ecstatic. 

"Okay!" he says. "I'll get it for you."

He heads off in the direction of the kitchen, stopping when he realizes Hyukjae isn't following him. He turns to see Hyukjae still standing in front of Kyuhyun's door, smiling slightly in his direction. 

Donghae tilts his head—has Hyukjae changed his mind?

"Hyukjae? Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'm coming, Donghae," Hyukjae says. He walks over, putting a hand on his shoulder as they head down the stairs to the kitchen. 

He hadn't gotten around to actually packing the food up, so he opens the rice cooker and scoops out two portions of rice. The vegetables go on next, and then the meat.

"Here you go," Donghae says, placing the finished bowl in front of Hyukjae. Hyukjae smiles, and it makes Donghae feel warm inside.

“Thank you, Donghae,” he says. “It looks amazing.”

Donghae beams. “Thank you,” he says. “My mom taught me how to cook when I was young. I hope it tastes good.”

He watches as Hyukjae takes a bite.

"Oh my god, this is amazing, Donghae," Hyukjae says after he's swallowed and Donghae feels like he's glowing under the praise. 

"Thank you," he says again. 

Hyukjae liked it! The only other people he'd cooked for were his parents. His dad had always told him he was a talented cook.

He's suddenly hit by a tsunami wave of grief that leaves him feeling dizzy. His chest hurts, and he forces himself to take a deep breath.

"Donghae?" he hears Hyukjae say and he comes back to the present, blinking rapidly.

"Hm?"

"I was asking if you like cooking," Hyukjae says. Donghae forces himself to smile as he nods.

"I do," he says. Hyukjae smiles back.

"Good. I'm glad. You're very good at it," he says. Donghae nods, feeling a little flustered as he focuses on his own meal. 

"Hey Donghae," Hyukjae says after a moment of silence. "Why did you cook this? Not that I'm not thankful, I can't cook at all and this is delicious."

Donghae fidgets a little. He's not sure what to say to not sound strange or desperate. He sighs, shrugging.

"The fridge is always empty," he says finally. "And I just thought… I could help. I like cooking."

Hyukjae stares at him for a second before he smiles, eyes crinkling.

"That's very sweet of you," he says. He reaches out, ruffling Donghae’s hair. Donghae feels his face heat at the gesture as Hyukjae takes another bite and groans. "This is honestly so good, you've made my day."

His face is on fire at this point and Donghae, feeling so embarrassed, covers it with his hands. He can hear Hyukjae laugh at him and an embarrassed whine escapes him before he can stop it. 

"Ah Donghae, you're so cute, you know that?" Hyukjae says, which doesn't help at all.

"Thank you," he squeaks out. 

“You don't need to be embarrassed,” Hyukjae says. Donghae takes a deep breath before he puts his hands down.

"Okay," he says. He focuses on eating, trying not to pay too much attention to the way Hyukjae is smiling at him. He's not sure how to handle the sudden compliments and attention, so he keeps his eyes on his plate.

"Donghae," Hyukjae says after a while. Donghae looks up to see the other boy smiling at him, chin resting in his hand as he eats. "Where are you from?" 

"Oh—um—Mokpo," he says. Hyukjae nods, chuckling a little.

"I see," he says. "Not from the east sea?"

Donghae feels his ears heat, ducking his head to hide his smile at the joke.

"Ah, I'm glad you find my cheesy joke funny," Hyukjae says and Donghae scratches the back of his neck. 

"Where are you from?" he asks, in lieu of anything else to say. 

"Neunggok," Hyukjae says with a gentle smile. "Not quite as beachy as Mokpo. I'm definitely jealous, I would have loved to spend time on the beach as a kid."

Donghae nods, though he's never really had too much free time on the beach, some of his best memories are going there with his parents.

"There's always the future," Donghae says and Hyukjae grins.

"That is true," he says. "I should plan to go to some of the beachiest places. Hawaii maybe? And I can take you with me."

"Me?"

"Of course!" Hyukjae says. "I need an expert to teach me about the best ways to enjoy the sand and the water, don't I?"

Donghae tilts his head.

"I'm sure there are tour guides for that," he says and ducks his head, blinking rapidly. "But—um—if you want."

"Yes, definitely," Hyukjae says and Donghae nods. He isn't sure if that means they're friends, but when he's about to ask, he's stopped by Hyukjae's phone going off. 

"Oh ," Hyukjae says. "I really have to get to class now."

He scrambles up as Donghae nods, picking up the bowls.

"Wait, no, I can clean those up later," Hyukjae says. "Especially since you cooked, just leave everything at the sink and I can wash them later."

Donghae looks down at the bowls in his hand. 

"...Okay," he says. Hyukjae grins, and reaches out, patting the top of his head. Donghae blinks rapidly over at Hyukjae.

"I'll see you later, okay?" he says. "Thanks again for the food!"

He waves at Donghae as he rushes out the door, and Donghae can't help but giggle a little at the sight of Hyukjae tripping as he goes. When Hyukjae is gone, Donghae looks back down at the dishes. He can't really bring himself to leave them in the sink, so he washes them anyway—it doesn't take him more than ten minutes to clean everything up, anyway. Then he packs and labels all the lunches and dinners, stacking them neatly in the fridge for his roommates. 

When he's finished, he slips back into his own room, spending the rest of the afternoon reviewing his notes.

He's startled out of his concentration hours later when Hyukjae comes bursting into his room. 

"Donghae!" he says as Donghae jumps out of his skin. 

"Y-Yeah?"

"You washed the dishes, didn't you?" Hyukjae says, pointing at him. Donghae stares at the finger, and then back up at Hyukjae.

"Yes," he says.

Hyukjae groans, plopping down on Donghae's bed. 

"Donghae…"

Donghae blinks.

"I'm… sorry?" he says.

"Ah, Donghae, don't apologize!" Hyukjae says sitting up. "I just didn't want you doing so much work."

Donghae shrugs.

"It only took about ten minutes," Donghae says. 

"Mm, but you should have left it for me," Hyukjae says. "Next time, okay? Next time get me to clean up."

Donghae nods.

"Okay."

Hyukjae gives him a narrow-eyed stare.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" he says. Donghae ducks his head, hiding a giggle behind his hand.

"If you're home, I'll find you," he says.

"Promise?" Hyukjae says, holding out his pinky. Donghae laughs and rolls the chair over to Hyukjae, linking their pinkies together.

"I promise."

⸺

Donghae is not one to break his promises, so when he finishes cooking his next batch of lunches and dinners a couple of days later, he goes to see if Hyukjae is home. He knocks on Hyukjae’s door, hoping desperately that he isn't interrupting something important.

"Donghae!" Hyukjae greets with a smile when he opens the door. "Hi."

"Hi," Donghae says softly. "I—uh—"

"Oh, you were cooking?" Hyukjae says, sniffing the air. "It smells good!"

Donghae nods.

"I was," he confirms.

"I can clean up," Hyukjae says immediately and Donghae nods again.

"Thank you," he says. "I have to go to class in a bit."

Hyukjae grins and ruffles his hair.

"That's actually good for me, it means I don't have to risk you doing it because I took too long," he says. Donghae giggles.

"Okay, Hyukjae," he says. "I didn't leave that much of a mess, so it shouldn't take too long. I usually clean as I cook."

"Lovely," Hyukjae says. "I'll go now."

He gives Donghae a gentle smile as he brushes past. Donghae bites his lip, feeling a little awkward leaving his mess to someone else. But he forces himself to let it go, heading to his room to get ready for class.

He passes Siwon's room on his way there, and he can hear the boy speaking. Donghae can't help but stop and listen—it sounds like Siwon is rehearsing an argument. Something about poverty, and Donghae frowns at what he'd just heard. 

He knows what Siwon is saying is technically true, but it lacks any of the nuances that exists when you bring real people into the equations. He fiddles with his sleeves for a second, debating what to do.

He doesn't want to just intrude on Siwon's practice, nor does he want to overstep and lecture someone about their own work. Especially since they barely know each other. But at the same time, he can't help but think that Siwon has missed the mark.

He sighs. Then he up all of his uncertainty and knocks on the door. 

All of his confidence disappears when the door swings open. Siwon is so tall and incredibly intimidating and Donghae can't help but shrink back in the face of him.

"Hi," he says.

"Hello," Siwon says. "Donghae, right?"

"Yes," he says. "Uh. Hi." He looks down, embarrassed.

"Was there… something you needed?"

Donghae bites his lip.

"I—uh—I couldn't help but overhear your… debate? And I just…" he trails off. When Siwon raises an inquisitive eyebrow, he swallows thickly. 

"Your point on poverty," Donghae says. "It… it's not strictly accurate because you're glossing over the fact that the definition of poverty changes for different locations. That's why poverty lines are a much better comparison because someone who lives in poverty in an affluent area would be well off in somewhere that is already poor, because of the difference in the standard of living. That's not even taking into account the nuances such as the level of government-funded programs available, how liquid cash flow is in a certain area, and more."

He stops, realizing he'd been talking for a while. Siwon is staring at him, and Donghae shrinks back a little again.

"Uh, sorry, I got a little carried away," he says, feeling his cheeks heat.

Siwon shakes his head.

"No, no," he reassures quickly. "That's good information for me that I didn't think about."

Donghae brightens.

"Ah, really?" he says. "I'm glad."

"Do you have any more information on this?" Siwon asks and Donghae nods.

"Of course!" he says. "It's one of my courses this year, so I have a textbook on it. I can lend it to you if you want?"

"Ah, don't you need your textbook?" Siwon says.

"I already read ahead, it's okay," Donghae says. 

He runs to his room, grabs his textbook on “society and government” before heading back to Siwon’s room. 

“Here you go!” he says, holding out the heavy textbook. “It’s chapter four.”

Siwon takes the textbook from him and smiles at Donghae. 

“Thank you,” Siwon says and Donghae beams. 

“No problem,” he says. Siwon reaches out, ruffling Donghae’s hair, which makes his cheeks heat. 

“You’ve probably saved my grade,” Siwon says. “I’ll let you know how it goes, okay? When do you need this back?”

Donghae shrugs. 

“Two weeks?”

“That’s plenty of time, thank you,” Siwon says. Donghae nods, glad to be of help. He's about to leave when Siwon looks up again from the textbook.

"Want to study together?" he asks. Donghae perks up.

"Oh!" he says, excited. But then he realizes what time it is and what he'd been doing before he'd been distracted. He deflates a little. "I would love to but I have class."

"Maybe some other time then," Siwon says and Donghae nods.

"Yes please," he says. He checks his phone, straightening when he realizes the time. He's going to be late for class. "I have to go now!"

Donghae ducks his head in a small bow before running off—he can’t be late for class. He can hear Siwon chuckling as he does so and he’s not sure if the other boy is laughing at him. He’s had people tell him he’s awkward and overbearing in the past, maybe Siwon thinks that as well. 

He shakes his head, not allowing himself to think too hard about it. 

"Bye Donghae!" he hears Hyukjae yell from the kitchen as he exits the house.

"Bye!" he calls back to Hyukjae. He has to walk at top speed to ensure he isn't late—thankfully he arrives just in time and finds a seat at the back of the lecture hall. 

His next class is right after, but thankfully the building is right next to this one. So he has ten minutes to spare before getting to class. 

Which is a good thing, because he sees the stray cat again when he leaves to go to his next class.

“Hi,” Donghae says, smiling. He continues walking, pleased to see her follow him.

When he gets to the building, he bends down, gently scratching underneath the cat's chin.

"I need to go to class, but if you're still here afterwards, I can give you a treat," he says. She meows, his wrist. Donghae giggles and stands. 

He hopes she'll be there after his class. He should think of a name for her if she is still there because he can't just keep referring to her as "the cat." Donghae keeps one ear on the professor and the other debating possible names.

He settles on Sunny by the time class is over. She's an orange cat, after all, and she's been a bright light in Donghae’s life right now. 

He leaves class as soon as the professor dismisses them, and when he steps out, he spots the cat immediately.

"Hello again," Donghae says as she strolls over. She meows, rubbing against his leg again. Donghae laughs and kneels carefully. "Can I call you Sunny?"

She looks up at him for a long while before she meows quietly and dips her head. Donghae takes it as approval.

"Hi Sunny," he coos. "It's nice to finally have a name to call you by."

As he pets her, he suddenly remembers he promised her a treat. He had gone to the grocery store a few days back and had picked up a small bag of cat treats, which he pulls out of his bag. He opens it and dumps a few into his hand, holding it out to her. 

She eats them, looking extremely pleased with him. 

Donghae giggles at her expression, running his hand down Sunny's back.

"Would you come home with me?" Donghae muses. "If not here, back to Mokpo, maybe?"

He pets her for a little while longer, ending up sitting down on the grass when his leg starts to protest. It's easy for him to lose track of time, and for Sunny to walk onto his lap and curl up there.

She falls asleep not long after.

Donghae wants to join her—a nap sounds like a great idea. But he also has classes, and he’s starting to think that Sunny is going to sleep on his lap forever. He carefully places his hand on her back, scratching lightly at her fur.

“Sunny…” he mutters. “You need to wake up now, Sunny.”

When she doesn’t stir, Donghae sighs. There’s clearly only one thing that will work, so he reaches into his bag and pulls out another treat. Her nose twitches as soon as he does so and Donghae giggles, bringing it closer to .

She opens her eyes in time to take the treat from him, casually strolling off his lap. She looks up at him, casually at his paw, looking somehow disgruntled yet adorable.

Donghae rubs her between her velvety ears and she meows once, and then spins around, trotting off.

"I'll see you soon, Sunny," he says.

⸺

Donghae had purposely scheduled a gap day into his schedule, on the recommendation of his old therapist and his mom. He had been reluctant to do so—having that one day in the middle of the week without any classes made him feel like he's taking the easy way out.

Yet now, almost three weeks into school, he's immensely glad he'd taken their advice. Especially since sleep is hard to come by, it's nice to have the day to catch up on sleep in the afternoon, as well as decompress from his lectures and the midweek rush.

Donghae had just woken up from a nap on his break day when he hears someone (probably Hyukjae) stomping up the stairs.

Donghae rubs his eyes and gets out of bed. When he opens the door, Hyukjae has just ascended the last step.

"Donghae!" Hyukjae says when he catches sight of him He screeches to a halt at Donghae's door. Donghae tilts his head.

"Hi Hyukjae," he says. Hyukjae smiles, his eyes flickering up to his hair momentarily. Donghae is suddenly aware that his hair is sticking up and he almost certainly has pillow lines on his cheek from his nap. He looks at the ground, face heating as he tries to flatten his hair.

Hyukjae chuckles. 

"You look very cute, it's fine Donghae," he says. "If you're not doing anything right now, I'm heading to the library, do you want to come with me?" 

Donghae brightens. 

"Yes please!" he says. "Um, let me change first."

"I'll wait for you in the living room," Hyukjae says.

"Okay," Donghae says. He closes the door and quickly gets changed. A quick run of a comb through his hair is enough to fix his hair so it's no longer standing upright. There's no helping the pillow lines running down his right cheek, but it doesn't stop Donghae from rubbing at it. 

He gives up when all it does is make his cheek red in addition to the lines.

He grabs his bag and jogs down the stairs to find Hyukjae lounging on the couch. The other boy looks up when Donghae approaches.

"Hey," Hyukjae says. "Ready to go?"

"Mhm," he says, following Hyukjae out the door. The boy leads them to a library Donghae hasn't been to before: a small, quiet one in the back corner of campus. Donghae is quite taken with the surroundings—he likes the intimacy of the couches that are laid out around the area, as well as the small coffee shop at the back that fills the air with the warm aroma of coffee. 

He instantly knows that he’s going to be coming to this library a lot.

“It’s nice here, isn’t it?” Hyukjae asks.

Donghae nods, taking a deep breath. 

“It smells nice too,” he says. “I love the smell of coffee.”

“Do you want a cup?” Hyukjae asks. “I can get one for you.”

Donghae shakes his head. “No, that’s okay,” he says. “I just like the smell of it, I don’t like how bitter it is. I prefer hot chocolate.”

Hyukjae opens his mouth, looking like he’s about to say something, but then closes his mouth again. Donghae tilts his head.

“Hm?”

“Nothing,” Hyukjae says. “Do you want some hot chocolate, then?”

“That’s okay, Hyukjae,” he says. “Can we sit near the back?”

“Sure,” Hyukjae says, and they find a nice spot in the back corner of the library. Donghae sits down on one of the plush chairs at the table and sinks into it, humming in contentment.

“These chairs are so comfortable, Hyukjae,” he says. Hyukjae sits down next to him with a quiet groan and lays his head back so he’s staring at the ceiling.

“Why do you think I come here all the time?” he asks. “Though I never really do get that much work done here. I do have an assignment to finish, though, so.”

He shrugs.

“Well then, I’ll let you work,” Donghae says. “I have lectures to go through too.” He giggles when Hyukjae makes a dramatically disgusted face in response. He pulls his laptop out of his bag and searches around the table, finding a socket to charge the laptop, which has already lost all of the batteries. When it finally manages to turn on, he pulls up the PowerPoint slides for tomorrow's lectures.

He always likes to go through everything the day before, which makes it easier for him to keep up with lectures and remember everything better. It’s easy to lose himself in his notes, emerging from his concentration an unknown amount of time later when he finishes the three lectures he has tomorrow.

He stretches out his neck—he's gotten a good amount of work done and he feels pretty satisfied with it.

He glances over at Hyukjae to see the other boy looking at him. He tilts his head.

"Hyukjae?" he says. Hyukjae jumps slightly and then blinks.

"Hm?" Hyukjae says. "Oh. Sorry, I just got a little distracted."

Donghae nods slowly.

"I see," he says. “Are you okay?”

“Yup,” Hyukjae says, smiling slightly at Donghae. "I'm going to go to the bathroom, could you watch my stuff?" 

"Okay,” Donghae says, shuffling some of Hyukjae’s belongings closer before he turns back to his work. A few minutes later, hears someone sit down next to him and looks up, gaping at the girl who is now in Hyukjae’s seat. 

“Hi,” the girl says. 

“H-Hi,” he says. 

“You’re really cute,” the girl says, smiling at him. “I was wondering if you're single, I’d really like to go out with you.”

Donghae blinks rapidly at her, a little at a loss of what to say back to her. He bites his lip. 

“I—uh—you’re very pretty and I’m sure you’re very nice, but, uh, I don’t like girls.” He feels like his face is on fire by the time he’s finished speaking. The girl looks disappointed, but thankfully not angry. She stands. 

“Well, you never know until you ask, right?” she says. “Thanks for being nice about it, though.”

She turns to leave, only to run directly into Hyukjae. Hyukjae raises his eyebrow at her.

"Hi," he says and she steps back, looking flustered.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she says. "I'm leaving now."

Hyukjae nods and she shuffles off. With her gone, he takes a seat beside Donghae again.

"What was that?" he asks. Donghae turns back to his work, cheeks still feeling warm.

"Nothing much," he mutters. Hyukjae chuckles and Donghae has a suspicion that Hyukjae had heard most of the conversation that had occured.

"Okay," he says, and thankfully doesn't push. Donghae looks pointedly away from Hyukjae as he tries to calm his fiery cheeks. As he looks around, he catches sight of a familiar figure walking in the door.

"Leeteuk-hyung!" Donghae calls immediately, only to clap a hand over his mouth afterwards when he realizes he had been very loud. Beside him, Hyukjae laughs. He has a very nice laugh, Donghae notes absently as Leeteuk spots them and approaches their table.

"Working?" Leeteuk asks. 

"Yes," Donghae confirms at the same time that Hyukjae says: "Eh."

Donghae frowns over at Hyukjae.

"You're… not studying?" he asks. 

"I got distracted again," Hyukjae says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "But it seems like you got a lot of work done."

Donghae pouts. "I did," he says, and Leeteuk ruffles his hair.

"I can join you guys for a little while," he says. "Are you finished classes for today?"

"Yup," Hyukjae says. Donghae nods—he didn't have classes, but that means he's technically finished for the day, right?

"What are you doing in this library, hyung?" Donghae asks. "It's far from your classes."

"I have a student council meeting in about thirty minutes," Leeteuk says. "The meeting rooms here are usually free all the time so it's a safe bet to hold our meetings here."

"Fair," Hyukjae says. "I do the same with the dingier practice rooms on campus because I don't have to fight anyone for the space."

Donghae listens quietly as they converse about their activities—both Hyukjae and Leeteuk seem to have so many extracurriculars lined up and Donghae hasn’t even considered applying for any sort of clubs. He hasn’t done any exploring of what options that are open to him, yet at the same time he’s not sure if he could handle the extra workload. 

But maybe doing something that isn’t related to school would also be good for him, especially when he gets overwhelmed.

“I’ll be right back,” Hyukjae says suddenly, snapping Donghae out of his thoughts. He disappears before Donghae can even acknowledge him. Donghae continues working until he hears Hyukjae come back, looking up as the other boy places a cup and a croissant in front of him. “Here.”

“For… me?” Donghae says, peering up at Hyukjae, who is still standing.

“Of course," Hyukjae says. "You're hungry, right?"

As if on cue, Donghae's stomach lets out a loud growl. Hyukjae and Leeteuk both laugh as Donghae buries his face in his hands.

"Thank you, Hyukjae," he murmurs, picking up the croissant and taking a small bite. 

It's a little cold, but it's nice and flaky. Donghae hums, pleased with the taste. He takes a bigger bite this time, cheeks full with the croissant. He beams over Hyukjae.

“It’s good,” he says, voice slightly muffled. “Thank you.”

Hyukjae just stares at him, and eventually, Donghae feels a little uncomfortable by the attention and turns back to his croissant. Hyukjae’s a little weird, but Donghae finds that he doesn’t mind. It’s comforting, in a way, and Donghae decides he quite likes it as he takes another large bite.

⸺

A few days later, Donghae comes home from classes to see Siwon lingering at his door.

“Oh hey, I was looking for you,” Siwon says. “Here's your book back. Thanks again.”

Donghae takes it with a dip of his head and tucks it under his arm. 

"Was it helpful?" he asks.

"Well, I don't know yet," Siwon says, "but I'll let you know when I get my mark back." Donghae nods, about to turn to go into his room when he realizes that Siwon is dressed in a tank top and basketball shorts. He frowns.

“Why are you dressed like that?” he asks and then realizes it’s probably rude and scrambles to apologize. Siwon waves him off.

“I’m heading to the gym,” Siwon says. Donghae straightens. 

“Oh! Can I come too?” he asks. Siwon blinks at him and then nods.

"Yeah sure," he says. Donghae stands, ecstatic. He's never been to a gym before, since he couldn't afford to do so, nor did he have the time. 

But now there's a gym at the school, which is paid for in his tuition and he hadn't even remembered. He's so excited to try out some of the machines he's only ever seen in videos. He quickly throws on a t-shirt and shorts and