There's one thing Kyungsoo really, really hates: people.
Especially when there's lots and lots of them.
That's why he chooses to practice his vocals during the busiest lunch hour times and avoid going near the cafeteria, cafés and coffee shops.
There's no way he's gonna be able to elbow his way through all those crowds and find a table, especially when he's alone.
He only goes for lunch when there's about half an hour left before afternoon classes start; he'd saunter into his favorite cafe and sit down at his favorite table in the back, and polish off any assignments due while humming whatever song he has in his head that day.
He takes comfort in the fact that he will always arrive at one thirty, his table will always be free, the employee will always have a mug of hot honey milk and a Chicken Caesar wrap ready for him, he will always go over his assignments before leaving at ten to two.
Everything should run smoothly.
Should.

"You keep dropping crumbs everywhere."
Kim Jongin?
Kyungsoo perks his ears up and looks around, abandoning his work and searching for where the source of the calm voice came from.
Kyungsoo has always had good musical ears, and he's always listening out for good voices; he's not a music major and choir secretary for nothing.
The moment he finds this tall, blonde, strange youth sitting beside him telling him not to cry, he knows he's a er for his voice already.
You really can't miss it; it's a little nasal, powerful yet peaceful, like a giant with a gentle heart.
That's kinda what he is, from what Kyungsoo knows.
At first glance, he's this young tough-looking man with frosty blonde hair and an equally icy stare.
But as soon as he spoke, Kyungsoo knew he couldn't find anyone with a more contrasting voice and exterior.

"Look, there's chocolate cake crumbs over here too."
There it is again.
Despite the slightly annoyed undertone, Jongin's voice is steady and full of energy; it unmistakably belongs to the same man who took Kyungsoo back to his dorm on both occasions when they meet.
And then he sees him.
Jongin is in a booth right in the corner, blonde hair concealed under a black beanie, long and strong fingers poking out from the sleeve of his dark blue linen shirt brushing away brown crumbs from the table.
There are two other people with him.
One of them, the one who Kyungsoo assumes Jongin is talking to, is facing away and Kyungsoo can't see anything other than ashy brown hair; the other has jet black hair, dark skin that can rival Jongin's, dark eye bags and a small snarl on his face, leaning away into the corner.
Kyungsoo is about to make a guess of whether the exotic looking boy or the one facing away is Jongin's housemate, when the man himself catches Kyungsoo's eyes.
, Kyungsoo begins nibbling on his top lip, a bad nervous habit of his, then breaks into a small, shy, and perhaps a little guilty smile.
Jongin returns it with a gentle one, and then Kyungsoo watches him excuse himself briefly in front of his friends and make him way over, and he swears he can hear his heartbeat and feel a lump in his throat forming.

"Hey." Jongin is standing in front of Kyungsoo, a faint pink tinge evident in his cheeks.

"H-Hi." Kyungsoo croaks.
Oh, that wonderful and youthful alto voice, he has to hold himself together so he doesn't say it out loud.

"Mind if I join you? ...You can say no, if I'm interrupting your work." Jongin motions with his hand at the tablet, open notebooks and scores sprawled out on the small round table Kyungsoo's sitting at, and Kyungsoo is quicker than he's ever been in the past ten years in cleaning up his work surface.

"No, of course not, not at all."
The table's meant for two anyway, Kyungsoo panics and forces the words down before they can slip past his lips.
He finds himself slamming his notebooks shut and clawing loose sheets towards himself, determined to make space for the blonde man.
Jongin chuckles lightly and lowers himself onto the chair opposite Kyungsoo, but not before waving his two curious friends away in annoyance.
Kyungsoo can see the brunette's face now, and he's pretty sure that one's Jongin's housemate; he has smudges of chocolate fudge icing across his chin and lips.
The raven haired boy has moved beside him, and they're both staring right at Kyungsoo without even bothering to hide their awe.
Kyungsoo suddenly feels like an zoo animal, and he sinks a little deeper into his seat as he diverts his gaze back to the man before him.

"Don't mind them, they're a little nosy." Jongin must have sensed his unease, and he shuffles forward a little to block his friends' view.

"Are they your friends?" Kyungsoo manages a small wavering smile and reaches a finger up to scratch behind his ear.

"Yeah... My only ones, sadly."
Oh. Am I not...?, Kyungsoo isn't very good at hiding his emotions, and he knows it.
He looks away in embarrassment as soon as he realizes disappointment is etched all over his face.

"... Apart from you, uh, you know... Are we friends?" Jongin says the last few words so quietly it's barely audible, and Kyungsoo feels himself nod all too quickly, and goodness, he just feels like burying himself into his mountain of notes.
But then he sees Jongin's smile, wide and glad, and the next second he's reaching his hand out at Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo freezes; suddenly it's a little hard to breathe.
His gaze is fixed on Jongin's tanned fingers that's holding his pencil, lightly scribbling in the corner of his notebook.

"Which is your least busy day of the week minus the weekend?"

"T-Tuesdays ." Kyungsoo doesn't even know where he gets the mentality to think clearly and give the right answer, when the thoughts in his head are all jumbled up, and he's assuming all kinds of ridiculous things inside.
Only all his ridiculous assumptions are somehow correct.

"Okay... Well, I'm not so busy myself on Tuesdays, just labs in the morning. Can I pick you up after your class next Tuesday and uhm... maybe buy you dinner?"
No... Really?
Yes, really.

"Is this a d-date?"
You shouldn't have asked! Now you just made it awkward.
As if it wasn't already.
Well...It's been too long since you had any normal human interaction.
True. Anyways, I need to know so yeah, it up.

"Yes...? If you want it to be?" The pink tinge in Jongin's cheeks have deepened to a bright red, and he's leaning back, although his hand is sliding Kyungsoo's notebook forward.
Kyungsoo can see clearly now, that Jongin has written down a string of numbers down.
You should have seen it earlier.
Of course it's his phone number.
Of course it's a date.
Now go for it.

"Okay. Music department lobby at five next Tuesday." Suddenly Kyungsoo's heart feels light and relaxed, and he gives Jongin the most genuine smile he's ever given anyone in years.

Author's Note:

EXO is my bank account dry...

Bought a bunch of merch, like that ring from their concert and replicas of their clothes.

*le sigh* life of a fangirl

anyways, hope you enjoy the update as usual, and thank you for all comments votes and subs <3

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