- Nerd Ji and Jock Seung -

“Come on, Ji. Come with me.” Seunghyun pleaded.

There was this dorm party that had been secretly announced throughout the boy’s dormitory, and as usual, Jiyong was the last one to hear about it. Or maybe he was never really invited at all in the first place?

“I’m not going.” Jiyong muttered back, pushing his thick black glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Jiyong was peacefully studying on his study table when Seunghyun just came barging in their shared room and slumped down the couch complaining about this party that has been spreading around.

“Why not? It’ll be a good change for you.” Seunghyun continued on, lying on their shared couch, arms hugging the fluffy side arm of the couch to face Jiyong.

“Everyone will be there!” He added on emphasis.

“Precisely why I don’t want to go.” Jiyong said sharply, he closed his eyes in frustration and not so gently placed his library borrowed 5^th edition Science book down.

“I can already picture that it’ll be just a small room crowded with them half-drunk oversized jocks, drinking God knows what in their system making them dumber and stupider than usual. And I don’t want to associate myself with those kinds of people.” Jiyong explained, every word pieced with an anger that was unintentionally brought out.

But Seunghyun caught none of that, instead he said, “What’s wrong hanging out with an oversized jock?” His voice was different which was definitely caught by the nerd.

Jiyong turned towards Seunghyun and his roommate’s stance matched with the tone of his voice. With his head down, avoiding eye contact with Jiyong’s, Seunghyun played with the loosened strings on the ends of the couch.

And Jiyong knew why he was like that. Because Seunghyun was one of them, one of those oversized jocks that he was walking about. Compared to his small frame, Seunghyun looked huge, tall and big, muscled and lean. He was popular and well-liked by everybody. Which was the total opposite of Jiyong who was petite and thin, a typical nerd. A nobody hiding behind those black glasses and hand-me-down jackets.

Jiyong sighed. “You know I didn’t mean you.”

“No, that’s exactly what you meant.” Seunghyun whispered back, voice still hinted with hurt.

Jiyong sighed again.

“You’re not like them, you’re different. You…. You talk to me, which make a huge difference. They, they don’t even associate with me, Seunghyun. Did you even know that? People here don’t like me.”

“That’s not true.” Seunghyun cut him off before he could say anything else.

 “Well it is for me.” Jiyong replied, but he didn’t what Seunghyun to know how hurt he also feels so he tried to say it gently.

“You’re not the one who’s at the receiving end of it. You don’t know what it feels like to be ignored, forgotten. Just because I don’t have muscles like yours or.. or a sport that I’m good at. No, it’s because I’m like this that people chose to do those things to me. So, no, Seunghyun. I’m not going with you.”

Jiyong sighed yet again, he knew that Seunghyun wasn’t prepared for what he just said. They had been roommates for quite some time now but Jiyong hid these things from him. He hid the fact that he hated Seunghyun’s group of friends, those people who give him looks of disgust whenever he walked pass them making him feel small. Those group of friends that know nothing but to spend their parent’s hard earned money while he struggles to get his grades up for his scholarship.

And what’s more important was that, he hid the fact that Seunghyun was the only person who’d actually talked to him not because they needed something from him but because he wanted to. And it felt good.

So he hid this from him because for once, he wanted someone to be his friend. Someone who won’t pity him, someone who won’t judge him. A friend. Just that.

But he guessed it was too late, now that Seunghyun knows.

Without looking at the jock on the couch, Jiyong continued on.

“You can go to the party. I’m sure they’re all waiting for you. I’ll just stay here. Don’t mind me.” Jiyong looked up this time and saw Seunghyun looking at him too. So he just put on a sad smile.

“I’ll be fine, I’m used to it anyway.”

Seunghyun stared back in complete shock. This time he really did felt stupid, just like those jocks Jiyong had mentioned. Why didn’t he found out about this before? Was he really that stupid? He had been roommates with Jiyong for a couple of months now and he still didn’t know anything about the guy.

But now he did. Now he realized why he never really saw Jiyong anywhere else except at their classes and at the library. That every time he would go out on a Friday night, Jiyong would still be here in their room alone studying instead of going out with friends. That every time he would stay on the weekends, Jiyong would smile a little bit wider as if happy that Seunghyun would be staying.

Maybe it was Jiyong that needed his company more, not his friends.

So when Jiyong was about to turn away towards his bed, Seunghyun spoke up.

“You know what? them. We’ll have our own little party right here, just you and me.” Seunghyun stood up from the couch surprising Jiyong to the point that he just stood frozen looking at him in confusion.

“I’m not gonna lie..” Seunghyun approached the collection of dvds they had in their little room, and picked out the Big Bang theory dvd that he had seen Jiyong watch from time to time.

“This series is one of the funniest s I have ever watched.” He turned back towards the still stunned guy.

“Let’s stay here and just watch this whole thing. What do you say?” Seunghyun smirked, holding up the dvd in his hand, persuading the little Jiyong.

Seunghyun had to admit, Jiyong had grown on him. He wanted nothing more than to make this little blonde haired nerd happy. Even if it means ditching his so called friends. They’ll survive without him.

the status quo.

And judging from the wide smile that had appeared on Jiyong’s face, he could say that he had succeeded.

By the end of the night, Seunghyun concluded that being with Jiyong proved to be more fun than those of his friends. He had never seen Jiyong laugh so much to the point of almost crying, he had never seen him be so carefree, so normal. How can people not see this person? How can they judge him without even knowing who the person behind those black glasses were?

So with that he made a promise to himself that he’ll never leave Jiyong again. He would never make the guy feel lonely or unwanted. He’ll never let this guy go.

He’ll give Jiyong what he deserved, a friend.

/Or maybe even more?/