Because Himchan’s crazy and Jongup’s a peaceful stalker.

 

 

“Just… Just how many times—, , ,” Himchan’s grips onto his hair hysterically and spins around on his heels, snapping the fiercest glare he has ever pulled on at the person behind him. He stands at a distance of a metre away from Himchan, hands wrung together like a shy little child but Himchan finds nothing on him adorable because—

 

“YOU’RE ANNOYING AS , YOU FRIGGIN’ IDIOT, WOULD YOU JUST GO AWAY?! STOP FOLLOWING ME, GODDAMNIT!?!?!”

 

Himchan explodes into nonsensical blabbers that are half-screams as he almost pulls his hair out along with the roots. The receiving end of his crazy tantrum and hysterical outburst, is however, extremely calm and peaceful as he just stands there, his hands still wrung together like he was in church. Like an angel he is.

 

Himchan, on the other hand,

 

“GOD, HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW ME?! YOU’RE A STALKER, A FRIGGIN STALKER, A FRIGGIN ANNOYING STALKER, FOR ’S SAKES. OH GOD, OH GOD.”

 

Well, Jongup knows Himchan can throw a y fit but he still likes him a lot. He guesses he likes the whole package. Including the part.

 

Himchan on deep breaths of air as he tries to calm himself down, a vein popping in his temple as he rubs them as soothingly as he could possibly manage.

 

After minutes of trying to compose himself, Himchan finally speaks.

 

“Now. What’s your problem?”

 

Without opening his eyes, Himchan points a finger to the boy before him with his palm upwards. Hand still rubbing on his temples, Himchan lets out a shaky breath of air when his question is left hanging in midair, unanswered.

 

“I said,” Himchan repeats with very much effort, the strain in his tone and the grit in his teeth, “What’s. Your. Problem.”

 

The boy before him opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. Like a puppet with no voice, he stands there, wringing his hands and opening his mouth after closing it each time.

 

Himchan’s patience is put to the ultimate test and he fails it.

 

“ you. You know what? you. Very, very much. I hate you. I. Hate. You. STOP FOLLOWING ME FOR ’S SAKES. YOU MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, VERY UNHAPPY.” Himchan bursts out in fury again and Jongup shrinks at his spot, trying not to squint with each word Himchan forces through his teeth. An obvious pull on his lips is visible as Himchan turns his back to him once again, to march away in long strides, cursing along the way. “For ’s sakes, just, just arghhhh!”

 

“Wait!”

 

Even Jongup was surprised by his loud shout.

 

“Oh, so now you can talk.” Himchan turns around, gives a dramatic eye-roll and speaks with dripping sarcasm. He puts his weight on one foot and waits for more words to come rolling out the seemingly dense mouth of the boy behind geeky spectacles. Himchan doesn’t exactly appreciate people who aren’t fluent in speaking because he’s such a blabber mouth.

 

“There’s a reason why I follow you.”

 

“Oh and that is?” The annoyance is rising rapidly inside Himchan and he thinks he is going to explode once more and bring on Armageddon before this slow kid is going to say his first word.

 

“I like you.”

 

Suddenly, the -mode is terminated inside Himchan as he stands with his arms hanging by his side, gawking at the incredulous answer.

 

“S-sorry, say that again?”

 

“I like you.”

 

The boy repeats his answer with no hesistation and Himchan swears he cannot even take him jokingly with that look of absolute seriousness and sincerity in those eyes.

 

“I…” Jongup leans in slightly as Himchan’s voice trails away and softens.

 

“I… uh… Ineedtogo,bye.”

 

And Himchan flees.

 

>>>>>>>>>> 

 

Now that’s news.

 

That weird kid likes him? Himchan can’t take that news. He knows he’s a really pretty looking man but still, he didn’t expect that kid to be one of those admirers.

 

Well, Himchan isn’t sure why he thinks of that kid this way but, he sure looks dense and slow and he’s no where close to the people who woo him.

 

Sure, he’s got girls falling head over heels for him but there are guys after him as well. And they are all those flirty kinds who buy stuff to please and show off. And that kid is definitely miles away from that kind.

 

Himchan didn’t expect it to be like this. He thought it was just another weirdo who just happened to pick him as his target. He thought he would go away soon enough but as time passes, Himchan realizes that this pair of eyes isn’t going away soon.

 

And that completely annoys him.

 

Sure, Himchan is a social butterfly. Look at the number of friends he has. But being a popular celebrity in school does not weigh down the importance of solitude and privacy to him. He enjoys every moment of being alone, all the more it being so precious because he is always surrounded by his friends.

 

And then that weird kid’s gotta ruin it for him.

 

Himchan saw this confrontation coming, but just didn’t expect the stalker to actually ANSWER his question and furthermore, give such a shocking one.

 

>>>>>> 

 

The next day in school, Himchan feels the familiar feeling of being watched again and this time, he isn’t pissed. He’s kind of awkward. And afraid. And awkward. And even more awkward.

 

After this kid’s confession to him—and he didn’t even know his name—Himchan feels like a cat being held by the tail. Every time he tries to turn around or look over his shoulder, he stops himself and gets nervous because he doesn’t really want to have eye contact with that pair of eyes with that look. That look.

 

And when he finally got the courage to look back into that same pair of eyes as he sit among his group of loud friends, he smirks.

 

Those eyes that seem intimidating looked away almost the instant he saw them. That kid blushed slightly behind his glasses and stirs his cup of drink awkwardly, biting on his bottom lip as his feet fidget underneath the table. Because he knows Himchan’s staring at him.

 

Himchan on the other hand, can really get used to this. ‘That annoying prick of a stalker, now you feel how it’s like to be watched!’

 

He turns back to his group of friends and laughs the loudest.

 

“Wait, what were you people laughin’ about?”

 

>>>>>>>>>> 

 

Himchan lifts an intricately designed music box in his hand, examining it with much interest, intrigued in the tiny patterns on it. He opens it for inspection and is greeted with a nice reflection in the small mirror inside it.

 

He turns back and smirks. “Come out. I can see you.”

 

Jongup side-steps from behind the wall he’s been hiding behind to face an amused Himchan who returns the music box back to its original position being walking up towards a very nervous Jongup. With his eyes stuck on the ground, Jongup can only see the white sneakers on Himchan’s feet and he swears even his feet look that good.

 

“Why are you following me again?” Himchan asks sweetly, his arms crossed around his chest.

 

Jongup looks up slowly into Himchan’s pretty eyes and just stares with a look, ‘You want me to repeat it again?’

 

Himchan’s unmoving stare just says, ‘Not really.’

 

Himchan casually walks away, carrying on in his window shopping as a confused and awkward Jongup stands at the same spot staring at him, mouth slightly agape. Jongup isn’t sure if that was an invitation to continue following Himchan or something else… which he can’t think of.

 

Slowly and unsurely, Jongup steps slowly, trailing behind Himchan who stops now and then to look through the items in the shops. He seems especially intrigued by small and delicate things like a necklace or a figurine. He always picks them up to touch and feel or just examine. Himchan seems to be enjoying himself and Jongup is too. His eyes follow Himchan’s every move, and his lips tug a smile every time.

 

They walked through all the shops and had already spent hours but Jongup doesn’t realize. He’s too absorbed in it. Himchan turns around and walks up to Jongup again.

 

“Well, I’m going home now. So, stop following me. Go home.” Himchan shoos Jongup away.

 

Jongup keeps on staring at Himchan’s back as the older boy walks away, light in his steps, long legs striding.

 

“Oh ya,” When Himchan suddenly turned back again, Jongup jumped a little as he was caught staring. “what’s your name?”

 

Jongup takes a moment to understand Himchan’s words. He wants to know my name??

 

“J-Jongup.”

 

“Jong—up?” Himchan pronounces the name on his tongue, looking upwards as if in doubt.

 

“Yea…”

 

“Ok, cool.” And with that, Himchan turns around and continues walking away while Jongup remains standing right there, watching the back of his obsession as he spazzes with the thought of Himchan asking for his name.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

It’s been like this for another week. Yes, another week of incessant stalking slash following by Jongup, the boy in black geek specs with the awkward looks and fidgety limbs. To be honest, Himchan got rather used to having an awkward stalker behind him all the time. It is quiet company during his solitude time. He can’t deny that he kind of likes it. It’s like having a puppy follow you around the house but it cant say a word, like Jongup.

 

Himchan enters the gents, shirt swinging in his hand, whistling a familiar tune. His eyes search the toilet for a free cubicle which then got distracted by something else. Something very intriguing.

 

Himchan stares.

 

There, in front of the mirror, stands that awkward boy, with that usual dense look except the absence of his black rimmed glasses. Himchan’s eyes roam the tanned torso, rippling with taut muscles and skin a nice smooth colour that reminds Himchan of toffee.

 

At this moment, Himchan can only gawk and ogle.

 

Jongup, however, is oblivious to the presence of Himchan like the slow kid he appears to be, and most probably is, and continues taking off his shirt, stripping the material to reveal his arms and muscular biceps. Himchan’s eyes widen.

 

Jongup grabs a shirt in between his knees, replacing it with his uniform shirt and pulls the white cotton shirt over his head. And Himchan can’t describe how y that actually looked even though Jongup’s face isn’t nowhere near to those expressions fashion models make.

 

He’s just that silly-looking boy who wears his glasses all the time and blushes really easily.

 

Himchan stares intently at Jongup’s hands which are reaching for his pants only to be disappointingly interrupted when those hands stop and he looks up to see that pair of eyes staring back at him again like déjà vu. The surprised boy then looks away, a blush creeping up on his cheeks like the many times Himchan looked back as he removes his hands from his pants and adjusts his shirt.

 

Himchan, despite being the one caught staring, isn’t at all embarrassed. The one embarrassed, is however, the one being stared at. Himchan feels a great sense of disappointment when Jongup just stops doing everything. Goddamnit, if that upper body looks that good, the other half’s gotta be worth the look! Himchan groans with a roll of his eyes and then realizes how loud he must have been because Jongup is staring at him through the mirror.

 

Himchan wonders that if he pretends to look away, Jongup would continue doing what he was doing. But his plans are awfully ruined when the cubicles open almost together at once and Jongup retreats into the available space, away from Himchan’s view.

 

Himchan groans. He’s got to know the full picture.

 

If you know what I mean.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

“ man. What is this I’m doing?”

 

Himchan punches himself while he crouches behind the low wall of the street soccer court, eyes darting and searching.

 

Now, there’s a change to whatever’s happening and Himchan thinks it’s absolutely ridiculous, ludicrous. He scoffs.

 

“Wait, what? Am I laughing at myself?”

 

He punches himself again.

 

He starts mumbling under his breath again, rolling his eyes whenever he feels like his words aren’t sarcastic enough until he catches sight of somebody familiar.

 

“Oh —“ He crouches down lower, palms flat on the ground. “, did he see me…”

 

Raising himself on his hands slowly, Himchan peers over the low wall and quickly spots the target who have kept him long awaiting. He is relieved when the target doesn’t seem to have notice a bit and is somewhat expectant of it. ‘Well, Jongup does look like a dimwit—no offense.’ Himchan raises his hands to mimic a surrendering position as he quickly interrupts his own thoughts.

 

Jongup, deeply engrossed in his books, makes things extremely easy for the stalking Himchan, who just casually strolls behind the bespectacled boy, legs kicking higher than normal.

 

“Hmm, strange. Isn’t he gonna find me… Come on, you’ve gotta be consistent and hardworking as a stalker too!” Himchan grumbles as they make their way across the school with Jongup still reading his book, concentrated.

 

They come to the swimming pool, vacant of swimmers that usually disturb the peaceful surface of the azure waters during the afternoon. Himchan watch the water ripple beneath a fallen leaf. He wonders what is so fun about stalking somebody. Maybe it’s because Jongup is too easy to stalk.

 

As he watches the water, an evil idea is born inside Himchan’s complicated mind…

 

The way Jongup is walking along the sides of the pool, too close for his own good...

 

“SURPRISE!! HAHAHAHAHA!!” Himchan laughs himself to space as he pushes Jongup into the water with a loud splash and a cut shocked gasp from Jongup.

 

The boy resurfaces, looking stunned and wet from head to toe, glasses floating on the water beside him. His books are spilled from his bag and completely wet, just like him. Jongup stares with widened eyes, face blank from the shock, at Himchan who is currently engaging himself in a laughing fit, arms around his stomach with his back bent from the amusement.

 

“Oh my god, that’s just… hahaha, epic.” Himchan pauses for air only to burst out laughing again.

 

Jongup silently wades in the water that is up to his chest, reaching for his floating books and throwing them to the dry tiled floor above him, followed by his bag. He swims over to his glasses and picks it up, deciding not to put on the wet object.

 

He climbs out of the pool, drenching wet from head to toe before going over to his wet possessions, trying to shake the water off them.

 

Himchan slowly calms down from his fit and sees Jongup quietly trying to return his items back to their original state. He suddenly feels a little guilty for doing that.

 

“Hey man…” He touches Jongup’s wet shoulder and is ignored.

 

“I’m sorry. I, erh…” Himchan scratches the back of his head sheepishly as Jongup tries to squeeze the water out of his bag.

 

Jongup slowly turns around, hands still trying to wring the water out of his bag. “It’s okay.” The response is so calm, Himchan finds it hard to believe that it’s what Jongup really feels.

 

“Hey... Don’t be angry. I meant it to be a joke… Not trying to be mean here…”

 

“I know. It’s alright.”

 

There was a slight pause before Jongup looks up at Himchan with a small smile on his lips and it is genuine. More genuine than any other smile Himchan has ever plastered on his face.

 

And something fizzles inside Himchan.

 

“You know what?” Jongup looks up again, hands squeezing the hem of his shirt, waiting for what Himchan’s got to say after that pause.

 

“Screw you. Screw you, Jongup.”

 

Jongup just stares, stunned.

 

“Screw. You.”

 

Jongup thinks for a moment, what did he do again? He didn’t stalk Himchan for the whole day today! What could he possibly have done?!

 

“You , Jongup. You . When people push you down into the pool, you’re supposed to throw a pissy fit and rage, why the are you so calm?! YOU .” Jongup receives another rant by Himchan like the one when he first talked to him, only this time, Jongup doesn’t really know what’s Himchan talking about.

 

“LOOK AT YOU. YOU’RE ALL WET FROM HEAD TO TOE AND LOOK, THERE’S YOUR BOOKS, RUINED. R.U.I.N.E.D. RUINED. BUT LOOK AT YOU AGAIN, YOU’RE LIKE… LIKE… NOTHING’S HAPPENED?! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! COME ON MAN, RAGE AT ME. JUST DO SOMETHING. PUNCH ME OR SOMETHING. COME. DO IT.” Himchan grabs Jongup’s wrist and puts his fist to his own cheek, trying to rouse Jongup into anger.

 

But the boy just stands there, watching him like an intrigued little bird.

 

Himchan feels himself deflate like a balloon.

 

“You’re impossible. You sir, are the weirdest ing person I’ve ever met.”

 

Jongup isn’t sure if that’s a compliment or what.

 

But he is dragged by Himchan on the wrist as he struggles to keep a hold on his heavily soaked bag and glasses.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

“I… I can do it myself…”

 

“No, I want to do it.”

 

“No…”

 

“Let me help you.”

 

“Nnnnooo!”

 

“COME ON.”

 

Himchan and Jongup struggles against the bathroom wall as they arm wrestle each other for Jongup’s shirt. Himchan lets a small cheer as he successfully s Jongup’s shirt. Jongup, on the other hand, is a little terrified by Himchan’s actions. He wonders who’s the weird one now.

 

The senior dragged him up a bus despite him being dripping wet in his drenched clothes and stuff. When the bus stopped, he got dragged into an apartment where he was pushed into the bathroom—which is where he is right now.

 

And he feels extremely unsafe.

 

“Stop… What are you doing!” Himchan is surprisingly strong for his build and Jongup wants to cry at the moment.

 

“HAHAHAHA!” Himchan lets out a very evil laugh as he separates Jongup from his shirt. He proceeds by ogling at the lean torso before him. Jongup notices the glint in Himchan’s eyes and tries to cover himself but his attempts are futile as Himchan’s grip tighten around his wrist.

 

“What…” Jongup’s voice shrinks and trails away as Himchan’s eyes lower to the belt on his pants.

 

A loud shriek echoes within the bathroom walls of Himchan’s house.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

“Aish.”

 

Himchan flips through the channel, leaning back against his couch. He’s bored.

 

Jongup’s eyes glances at Himchan occasionally as he dries his books with a hairdryer borrowed from Himchan. The glasses are back on his nose bridge and Himchan secretly wishes he can take those off.

 

“Aiiiiish.” Himchan drags the word in between his teeth.

 

Because he’s upset.

 

He didn’t get what he want.

 

And Jongup kicked him in the gut just now.

 

“Sorry…”

 

Himchan sends a glare in Jongup’s direction and he cowers further to the end of the couch.

 

He can feel the bruise throbbing and he moans quietly to himself before raising a fist at poor Jongup who was just trying to protect himself from a groping Himchan…

 

“You little .” Himchan mumbles as he feigns another punch at Jongup.

 

“Sorry! I’m sorry!”

 

“You better be, or else—“ Himchan pretends to strangle Jongup as he shies away from his hands. He stares at Jongup’s lean form, glimpse of biceps still showing even in Himchan’s baggiest clothes. And he can’t help but want to squish Jongup’s cheeks because Jongup looks so adorable in his clothes with his bunny tooth.

 

“Aigoo…” Himchan squeezes Jongup’s cheeks and Jongup is extremely confused. His was about to get punched and was hurled by insults and then suddenly he is in the arms of Himchan who is cooing at him…?

 

But Jongup returns the hug anyway. He smiles into Himchan’s chest which he nuzzles in. He pushes himself away from Himchan to see the wide eyes on Himchan’s face.

 

The two stare at each other for a while.

 

“You know what.”

 

Jongup waits for Himchan to talk.

 

“You one weird little… little thing.”

 

Jongup stares.

 

“But I like you.”