It had been over a week since L. Joe last contacted him, and Chunji was becoming convinced that he might have ruined everything. Sure L. Joe had only contacted him in the first place because he wanted help for an assignment, but then he'd started asking him about himself. Maybe he'd managed to outgrow his previously ridiculous image in front of that boy just a tiny bit through their conversation.

But then he had to draw L. Joe's attention to his questions. He had to make him realise that he was taking an interest in him. L. Joe must have been so horrified by his own words, that he'd promptly withdrawn into himself again.

He probably hadn't meant anything at all by those polite questions, but he thought that Chunji was reading too much into them, and that's why he'd stopped speaking to him.

He sighed to himself as he spoke with a boy in his tutorial class. They were supposed to do a presentation together in a few weeks time, so they had arranged to exchange emails so they could talk about what they were going to do in order to prepare for the presentation. While he exchanged a few words with the other boy, he felt his phone vibrate against his leg.

Distractedly he pulled his phone from his pocket. He looked at the short message on the screen, haphazardly typing back a response, trying to mask his surprise at the unexpected text message. L. Joe had been ignoring him for over a week, now he wants to know where his car is? What was with that?

He smiled awkwardly at the other boy, who had been writing out his email for Chunji to take as he received the message. He quickly scribbled his own email on a piece of paper he promptly gave to the other boy, noting the way his phone lit up in his hands due to an incoming call. He hurriedly exchanged his goodbyes with the boy, before answering the call.

“L. Joe?” he asked, breathing a little harried as he struggled to put the things he was holding in his other hand in his bag before he dropped them, and made an idiot out of himself.

“I need a lift.” was the easy reply.

“Um... okay... where are you?” Chunji questioned back, startled.

“I'm at your car. Be here in the next 5 minutes or I'll break in and hot wire it.” L. Joe answered simply, before he hung up.

Chunji stared at his phone for a moment, trying to work out what had just happened. He really didn't understand this kid. But he found himself getting a little nervous at the comment. Who knew what this kid was capable of?

He hurriedly stuffed the scrap of paper the other boy had given him into his pocket, shoving his phone in there too, as he started his light jog over to where he parked his car. He had no idea why the campus had to be so big, but it meant that you were often stuck leaving your car wherever you could find a parking space, rather than somewhere convenient. He was just fortunate that he wasn't far away from his parking space today.

Still he was fairly certain that it took him more than 5 minutes to get there. When he got to the car park, his eyes drifted along the rows, worriedly. He was expecting to see a blank space where his car used to be.

Instead, he was relieved to see L. Joe sitting on the hood of his car, glancing about the place in a relaxed manner. If it weren't for his school uniform, he could easily have passed for a university student, with how at ease he appeared being on campus. Usually school kids treated the university campus like a tourist attraction.

He approached the other boy, eyeing him curiously. L. Joe looked so calm, lounging about on the hood of his car. “You're late. I told you that you had 5 minutes.” L. Joe commented calmly, picking himself up off of the hood.

Chunji eyed his watch, reluctantly discovering that L. Joe was indeed correct that it'd taken him longer than his time limit to get there. “You said if I was late you'd steal my car.” Chunji pointed out mildly.

L. Joe's face quirked up into an amused little grin, as he observed Chunji lightly. “And you believed me? Please... I don't know how to hot wire a car.” the other boy told him, cheerily.

Chunji unlocked his door, shaking his head from side to side. He really didn't understand this kid, or how his mind worked. He hopped into the driver's seat, observing the other boy curiously. “Well?”

he asked.

L. Joe glanced up at him, feet resting on his dashboard, as he observed the older boy clearly having no clue what Chunji was waiting for. “Well what?”

“Where did you want me to take you?” Chunji questioned lightly, shaking his head at the other boy, like he didn't know what planet he came from. Maybe L. Joe was actually a pink haired alien?

“Home.” L. Joe answered easily, sending Chunji an amused grin when he saw Chunji roll his eyes at him. Was he acting like this on purpose, just to annoy him? Or was he being serious, and just finding the response amusing?

“I'm not your stalker, you know. I don't know where you live.” Chunji retorted, displeased.

“One never knows. You knew my school and what I looked like.” L. Joe commented snidely, but continued before Chunji had a chance to glare at him. “Just drive to my school, I don't live far from there. I'll give you more directions then.”

Chunji considered making a comment about how he wasn't a taxi service. He realised that he could dump L. Joe out of his car, if he really wanted to. There was nothing forcing him to be nice to this kid. But he wanted L. Joe to like him. He wanted to make things better between the two of them, so that the formal would be more tolerable for the both of them. Besides, how long could it possibly take to drop the kid home?

He sighed, starting his car, L. Joe occupying himself by staring out the passenger window, in between bouts of exploring the interior of Chunji's car.

“Why did you dye your hair pink?” Chunji enquired, scrounging for something to say. Usually he would listen to music when he drove, but he felt like he'd be missing an opportunity to talk to the younger boy if he did that now. L. Joe tended to ignore him, but right now he was a captive audience; he didn't necessarily have to answer him, but Chunji suspected that as long as he kept talking to him about something, the younger boy would answer him.

“As an act of protest, I guess.” L. Joe answered softly. Chunji wondered how long he'd had pink hair. L. Joe seemed so surprised by the reminder of his hair colour; it was like he'd forgotten it was dyed an unusual colour at all.

“But why pink?” Chunji pushed again.

L. Joe's head lolled to the side, as he partially curled his upper torso into the seat, facing Chunji slightly. “To be obvious; noticeable.” He gazed at the older boy intently, making Chunji feel unsettled, as he tried to keep his gaze focused on the road in front of him. “What about you, Chunji? Why is your hair black?” he pressed, fingers reaching out to brush through the older boy's thick hair.

He shifted slightly in his seat, unconsciously. He hadn't been expecting L. Joe to touch him like that. He'd been so startled, he could've crashed the car if he wasn't careful. He was just lucky no unexpected hazards jumped in his way, because there was no way he would've seen them. Noting the older boy's discomfort, L. Joe withdrew his hand, again, a small grin etched upon his lips.

It was fun messing with Chunji, after all.

“What on earth are you talking about? My hair's black, because it's my natural colour. I've never dyed it.” Chunji commented, sounding mortified by L. Joe's suggestion that he might've dyed his hair.

“Just because it's natural, doesn't make it right you know.” L. Joe informed the other boy, crossing his arms, as he slumped in his seat.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Chunji questioned, knowing that L. Joe had meant something by the comment that he wasn't sharing.

“Just that we're going to have to do something about your hair before the formal. Black doesn't suit you.” L. Joe responded.

“What ended up happening with that Hamlet essay of yours?” Chunji questioned, scrounging for something to talk about so the car wouldn't fall into silence. He couldn't bring himself to continue the previous conversation, feeling a little insulted by L. Joe's comment. Who did that kid think he was? He didn't even know this kid, and yet here he was telling him what he should do!

L. Joe's attention shifted to their surroundings, recognising that they were almost at the school. “Fine. Okay, go to the end of this street then turn left.” he instructed, sitting up in his seat, so he'd be able to see better, to give Chunji directions.

Chunji followed his advice wordlessly, but continued trying to push for a more detailed response from the younger boy. “What do you mean by fine? Last I heard you only had the beginnings of an argument.”

L. Joe ignored the comment momentarily. “Okay now go to the end of this street. Turn right at the traffic lights; you'll have a turning lane and an arrow.” He directed, before settling a little, knowing that it'd probably take a little while for Chunji to be able to go. “When I said it went fine, I mean that it went fine. I've already written the whole thing, and handed it in.”

“I take it you left it quite late to start work on the essay then?” Chunji questioned with a grin. He wouldn't judge the other boy for that; he tended to leave things late too.

“Yeah, I suppose so. But I couldn't think of anything to write about. Okay now there's a bend in the road coming up, turn up the street on the left, just after it. They're pretty close together.” L. Joe stated.

“When are you going to find out how you did on the essay?” Chunji asked, as he rounded the bend.

“Could take years, knowing the English department. Okay, Now quickly, turn right up this side street. My house is that one, with the blue car out the front, on the right.” L. Joe answered quickly.

Chunji pulled into the driveway, stopping the car. “Thanks for the lift, Chunji. See ya round.” L. Joe said cheerfully, as he jumped out of the car, starting the trek up to his front door, without so much as a glance at the boy parked in his driveway. But Chunji continued to sit there, waiting until he saw L. Joe go inside before he drove off, wanting to make sure the boy was okay before he left.