Kyuhyun waits until he securely locks his bedroom door behind him before pressing Send button on his prepared text to Yesung:

I’m home hyung~ ^^

After about twelve seconds, and not that Kyuhyun is staring at his wall clock at is goes tic-toc-tic-toc after he sent his message to Yesung, Kyuhyun’s phone rings and when he sings it’s Yesung, he answers it.

“Yesungie-hyung,” Kyuhyun says.

“Hey, Kyu,” Yesung answers.

And there’s something in Yesung’s voice that somehow, even though from their previous calls Kyuhyun didn’t notice it, rings a bell for Kyuhyun. It’s like he heard it before. “Hyung, your voice sounds,” Kyuhyun starts, “familiar.”

Jongwoon, who is at Room 342 because all classrooms at the university can be utilized up to fifteenth period at ten in the evening, literally facepalms and even considers changing his voice. But Jongwoon, even though most people think that he is stupid, isn’t stupid. He knows Kyuhyun will know if he tries to alter his voice and besides, he talked with Kyuhyun already. He’s sure the latter knows Yesung’s voice but it must be the first time Kyuhyun hears Jongwoon’s voice.

Jongwoon decides to play it cool, like Yesung would. He chuckles, “Really, Kyu? How come?”

Kyuhyun doesn’t know himself how. It’s just that when he heard Yesung’s voice, his first though is, I’ve heard him before. He just can’t remember where or when.

When it comes to Yesung, Kyuhyun is very honest. It’s not always because he wants to be honest but sometimes, he just can’t lie to Yesung. So he decides to speak exactly what’s on his mind. “I really don’t know, hyung,” Kyuhyun answers. “But when you spoke, my first thought was I’ve heard you before. I just can’t remember where or when.”

It’s barely twenty minutes ago, Kyu, Jongwoon wants to say but he knows he mustn’t. He can’t even blame Kyuhyun that he doesn’t remember his voice. He doesn’t even know if Kyuhyun even remembers talking to him. But even if Jongwoon tells himself that, there’s still that corner in his heart that broke. Can’t you remember?

“So you’re saying we’ve met before, Kyu?” Jongwoon still chuckles because that’s what Yesung will do.

“I think so, hyung,” Kyuhyun says, nodding to himself seriously because if there’s ever a chance that he really met Yesung already, he wants to know where and when. He’s practically dying to meet Yesung. That’s why he plans on asking him to meet him at the Thanksgiving Ball tonight.

“How come I’ve seen you but not know it’s you?” Kyuhyun mutters softly, looking at the stars shining at the top of the university building. He sees there’s still a room with lights on and if he’s not mistaken, it’s on the third floor.

Jongwoon smiles, looking at the stars above the university’s dormitory. How he wish he can also live there, so he can be with Kyuhyun more, even though he’s the only one who knows it. Because for Jongwoon, if he and Kyuhyun has to take a thousand steps to be together and Kyuhyun takes one step forward, Jongwoon will take the nine hundred ninety-nine steps. And even if Kyuhyun will take a step backward, Jongwoon will still walk those thousand and one steps, to be with Kyuhyun.

“Maybe you are looking,” Jongwoon begins and his voice sounds like a song to Kyuhyun’s ears, even though he isn’t really singing, “but you aren’t really seeing.”

“So, have you thought about what to write for you English paper?” Jongwoon asks, changing the subject because if Kyuhyun would ask any further and would think about it more, Jongwoon’s not sure Kyuhyun will not realize that the Yesung he is talking to on the phone has the same voice as the Jongwoon he talked to for the first time that afternoon’s choir practice.

Fortunately, the pure torture English has been giving Kyuhyun since the first day of classes is enough to shift his mind of the other end. He shrugs, “Can I not write that paper, hyung? I’d rather solve a hundred precalc problems.”

Jongwoon laughs and says, “That’s not gonna happen, Kyu, no matter how math genius you are. So you better think of a topic now.”

“But hyung, I can’t even form a single paragraph without any grammatical errors!”

“Well, I’ll say what you always say to me when it comes to precalc. Practice makes perfect.”

Kyuhyun smiles because he imagines Yesung smiling when he says that to him. “Help me think of a topic, hyung?”

“Sure,” Jongwoon says, resting his chin on the window and looking towards the university dormitory. “What’s Ryeowook’s topic?”

“I think he’ll write something about giraffes, hyung,” Kyuhyun says disinterestedly. Because seriously, even though Ryeowook’s his friend, who’s going to read a paper about giraffe although their professor did told them that they should be able to write about something they like and convey those feelings to the readers and that the reader might like – or think to like – whatever they wrote about.

Jongwoon smiles because he already knows that. Ryeowook asked him to read his paper two days ago even though the paper’s due two more days because unlike Kyuhyun, Ryeowook’s diligent like that and even though he doesn’t love English as much as he loves music, he undeniably loves giraffes.

“Our professor told us that we should write about something we like,” Kyuhyun further tells Jongwoon.

“Well, that’s simple,” Jongwoon says. “What do you like?”

Kyuhyun answers without thinking, “You?”

Kyuhyun wants to vanish into thin air and never be found again. He wants to jump off the university dormitory’s thirteenth floor and be pronounced dead on the spot. He wants professional assassins to shot him now so he doesn’t have to face the greatest embarrassment in his life.

Sure, he likes Yesung, because if you’ve been following the story, that’s pretty giving and obvious. But he doesn’t, not even on his most vivid dream, think that he’s going to tell Yesung in such way.

Kyuhyun mentally screams so loud that he thinks the entire world on his brain must be dead by now.

On the other hand, in Room 342, the only classroom in the university building that still has lights on, someone is dying as much as Kyuhyun is on his dorm room. Jongwoon doesn’t even have any idea how red his face is although he can tell because he feels his face hot all over.

Kyuhyun likes him? How does he respond to that?

Jongwoon bangs his head on the air and seriously thinks that if the wind blows on his face, that stupid grin on his face will never go away.

Kyuhyun likes me?

Kyuhyun likes me?

Kyuhyun likes me?

AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!

Kyuhyun thinks that maybe, Yesung feels disgusted to him now because the latter isn’t answering. When Kyuhyun listens carefully, the other doesn’t seem to be breathing on the other end which is technically true because Jongwoon has his hand on his mouth, afraid that if he didn’t cover his lips, Kyuhyun might hear his squeals.

Maybe hyung is disgusted to me now.

Maybe he will never text me or call me or chat with me now.

Maybe I’ll never be able to meet Yesung-hyung.

Stupid Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun is near to crying like seriously when he hears Yesung’s ethereal voice again. Kyuhyun feels like he already used the word ethereal on someone else’s voice but he can’t really remember who. Anyway, he doesn’t bother himself more about it because more than anybody else, Yesung is much, much, much more important.

“Hey Kyu,” Jongwoon says when he finally calms himself down, even though there’s still on his face that stupid lovesick grin. “Are you still there?”

“Ye – Yes, hyung,” Kyuhyun stammers, holding his phone tightly on his ear like if he holds it loosely, he might miss something Yesung’s saying. “Hyung, I didn’t…” Kyuhyun starts but stops because he really likes Yesung. What if he denies it now and regrets that he denies it later? But what if Yesung will think that he’s a gay freak?

Kyuhyun’s tsunami of thoughts is interrupted when he hears Yesung’s voice, giving him the best message he ever received in his entire life.

“I like you, too, Kyu,” Jongwoon says softly, blushing even redder than before.

And it’s Kyuhyun’s turn to mentally squeal and scream and shriek and everything, killing the remaining entities in his mind, a complete massacre.

He likes me, too.

He likes me, too.

He likes me, too.

OHMYGODWHATAMIGONNADO?????

“But you can’t write about me,” Jongwoon continues, smiling weakly over the university dormitory, like if he’s looking there, it will seem like he’s talking personally to Kyuhyun.

“Why not, hyung?” Kyuhyun asks, a little too quickly than he intended. Because if he’s going by the guide that their professor gave them of writing about something or rather, someone they like, then Yesung is the number one choice.

“Well, you don’t know me, Kyu,” Jongwoon state, a matter-of-factly. “I mean, personally. We haven’t formally met each other. So what will you write about me?”

“I know you, hyung,” Kyuhyun still says stubbornly.

“Yes,” Jongwoon sighs, agreeing, “but not enough to base a ten-page English paper that’s fifty percent of your semestral grade, Kyu. You can’t take this paper lightly.”

“I’m not taking this lightly.”

“So you’re going to choose another topic, something you’re more familiar and have a greater grasp with. Okay?”

“I want to write about you, hyung.”

“You can write about me anytime, Kyu. Not just this paper. It’s fifty percent of your grade.”

“I don’t care about fifty percent,” Kyuhyun still says stubbornly.

“I don’t want you to fail,” Jongwoon states patiently.

“I will not fail.”

“You won’t, if you’ll choose another topic.”

“Like what?”

“Well, whatever you like,” Jongwoon says, remembering things that Kyuhyun likes, “Like games or color blue or music or guitars or singing or people with huge foreheads or caramel ice cream or the smell of coffee or dogs…”

It amazes Kyuhyun how Yesung knows so many things that he likes but still says, “They’re not the same as you, hyung. And seriously, hyung? Who’s going to be interested to read a paper about people with huge foreheads?”

Jongwoon laughs, “Well, that’s just a suggestion, Kyu.”

Kyuhyun laughs as well. “Even I am not going to read it, hyung.”

“So, are you changing it?”

After several seconds, Kyuhyun finally sighs and says, “Fine, hyung.”

Jongwoon smiles and is about to say something when Kyuhyun continues, “But you have to meet me at the Thanksgiving Ball. So next time, when I have to write a paper like this one about something I like, I’ll be able to write about you.”

It takes Jongwoon to take in what Kyuhyun is saying but before he can answer, Kyuhyun says, “It’s dinner, hyung. Are you still going to call later?”

Another several seconds before Jongwoon snaps back, “Er – I have lots of homework, Kyu. I’ll text you, okay?”

“Okay, hyung. I’ll see you at the Thanksgiving Ball!” Kyuhyun sounds so excited.

“Bye, Kyu,” Jongwoon sounds like somebody just announced that he’s next on the death row.

Because, Jongwoon thinks sadly, There’s no way Kyuhyun will ever like if me he learns who I really am.