Sunggyu will have never missed the bright orange square, the first thing he spots when he returns to the dorm that night.

The orange is bright, like really, really bright. And Sunggyu hasn’t seen bright things for a while. Maybe his own bright— on his head.

Sunggyu doesn’t like bright things. The only way he survives his own bright is to never stare in mirrors; the colour makes him flinch.

He wouldn’t have dyed it red anyway, if she didn’t insist that she liked his hair red.

So the first thing that comes across Sunggyu’s mind when he spots the bright post-it is to rip it off his pillow and throw it away.

But he remembers the little talk he’s had earlier in the day, and with a small sigh, he peels the post-it off his pillow and sticks his arm into his bag, digging for something.

__________________

Because I’m an idol, because I’m a celebrity, I can’t hold your hand when we walk—

Woohyun groans, the soft, acoustic tune of his new alarm blasting gently beside his ear. He reaches an arm out to pat his phone alarm into silence (the last time he whacked it he left a huge, ugly, battle scar running down the back of his phone that he patched up with plasters), but instead of touching the cool, metallic surface, his fingers come across a papery surface.

The alarm continues playing, a sweet, soft song about how a couple couldn’t go on normal dates because the guy is an idol. When the song reaches its chorus, that is when Woohyun decides to sit up, eyes still glued shut by heavy eyelids.

The first thing he sees when he opens his eyes is his phone; well, not exactly his phone. But what’s on top of his phone is a dull, purple piece of paper—

It’s a post-it.

Woohyun peels it slowly from his phone screen, and the words on the dull purple paper are hard to decipher; it’s written with black ink, on a somewhat equally dark surface.

But when he finally manages to read the messily scrawled handwriting, a bright, foolish-looking smile cracks on Woohyun’s face.

My name is Kim Sunggyu.

__________________

“Myungsoooooo!” 

Myungsoo’s late reflexes stopped him from successfully dodging Woohyun’s bear hug. The younger boy stumbles forward from the impact of the forceful hug, crashing into several people as he did so.

“Are you on drugs?” Myungsoo immediately says, the moment he manages to wrench Woohyun’s arms off his neck. 

Woohyun shakes his head, stubbornly latching an arm on Myungsoo’s shoulders. “Imagine if Sungyeol ignored you for like ten days, and suddenly one day he replies you. How would you feel?” 

“Happy, I guess...?” Myungsoo replies, his voice apprehensive.

“Exactly!” Woohyun’s voice is ten times higher pitched than usual, and Myungsoo thinks that even people ten metres away can sense Woohyun’s aura of happiness. (That’s exaggerating, of course, but it’s Myungsoo and Myungsoo has weird thoughts.)

But even Myungsoo with his weird thoughts feels happy at his friend’s sudden happiness.

__________________

“Hi Sunggyu-ah!” 

Sunggyu’s head snaps up when he hears an overly cheerful voice call his name (he is sure he heard something snap as he did so), lowering his head immediately when he sees the very predictable person sliding into the seat next to him, a big smile on his face.

He coughs awkwardly. “It’s Sunggyu-sshi to you.” 

“Mmm, Sunggyu-ah.” 

Sunggyu mentally facepalms himself at the other male’s stubbornness, stealing a slight glance towards his left as he does so.

He looks away almost immediately— the bright on Woohyun’s face is too bright for him to handle.

But somehow, it’s not like his bright red hair, he doesn’t exactly dislike Woohyun’s bright.

Sunggyu sighs, wondering why he is thinking so much on irrelevant things. He looks back to his lecture notes, the lecturer’s sharp and annoying voice automatically tuned out from his head. Sunggyu absentmindedly highlights a few random phrases with a dark blue highlighter, before he sighs again.

Remember, you’re only doing this for Sungjong.

He looks towards his left again, and the brightness hasn’t changed.

Woohyun doesn’t see it, Sunggyu doesn’t sense it, but a small, almost-hidden smile appears on the redhead’s face.

__________________

Two hours pass, and the first person Woohyun sees when he pushes open the huge double doors of the auditorium is—

“Sungjong!”

Woohyun literally plasters himself onto the younger male, Sungjong spluttering in shock and fright as he tries to push his suddenly skinship-craving hyung away. But Sungjong knows that there is a reason for his hyung’s sudden happiness, so he fakes a smile and asks, “Did something good happen today?”

“Maybe,” Woohyun replies, shrugging, his smile hanging loosely on his lips. “I don’t even know why I’m so happy, anyway.”

Just then, Sungjong spots a red haired man walking out of the lecture hall. The latter looks up immediately, almost as though sensing that someone’s gaze is set upon him. Their gazes meet for a moment, and Sunggyu just raises his eyebrows slightly, sending the younger a message that only two of them will understand, before he walks away in the opposite direction.

Sunggyu’s slight eyebrow raise sends Sungjong something that sounds like, I’m only doing it just for you.

Sungjong smiles slightly, his long fringe covering half of his face, hiding his smile from Woohyun.

“Hyung, what’s your impression of Woohyun hyung?”

Sunggyu just shrugs, keeping his silence. But when Sungjong prods on, the elder looks up to him with such a cold glare that he literally shivers.

“He’s annoying.”

“But Woohyun hyung’s like that, you can’t stop him from being annoying.”

Sunggyu’s eyes narrow. “Are you trying to defend him, Sungjong?”

Sungjong shrugs. He knows he’s stepping into the undefined battlegrounds with just a wooden shield and a spear, and Sunggyu is like a hamster warrior with a million atomic bombs. You just have to tread really carefully and pierce the place that hurts the most. “Hyung, just listen to me,” he tries, keeping his tone light.

Sunggyu keeps his silence, but Sungjong doesn’t know if he’s listening or ignoring.

“Hyung.”

The few seconds of silence tell Sungjong that he can continue talking. He props both arms up onto the table, leaning closer in so that he covers some distance between the both of them.

Instinctively, Sunggyu shrinks back. Sungjong doesn’t even bother to roll his eyes at his hyung like he usually does— it’s already a habit of Sunggyu’s. Him shrinking back from anyone or anything that’s within a 50 centimeters radius around himself. Sungjong gives himself a mental pat on the back as he remembers Woohyun— Woohyun who hugs anyone and anything within a 50 centimeters radius around himself.

“Woohyun hyung is nice,” Sungjong can already sense the elder losing interest, so he quickly summarises everything up in what he hopes is less than ten words, “He’s sincere. Please give him a chance.”

When Sunggyu doesn’t answer, Sungjong knows that he’s succeeded. Poked the hamster with the chopstick where it hurts.

And maybe this time, he’s found the right person.