Mingyu wasn’t really fond of the bonfire dance at first.

 

He already spent all his energy competing at the sport festival today so he doesn’t understand why he should spend extra energy to dance.

Sure, it’s just folk dance and not some kind of b-boy dance so he may be exaggerating a bit, but still.

That’s why at last year’s closing ceremony he chose to just sit around on the side of the field with some of his classmates watching other students dance, all the while eating all the free foods and drinks from the school’s cafeteria.

(And by some of his classmates he means those who didn’t have a date to bring to the dance. This, he also doesn’t understand why they all treat the bonfire dance like it’s some kind of legit prom).

So really, Mingyu was rather indifferent to the whole concept of ‘dancing-around-a-bonfire-with-your-partner’ and the whole closing ceremony in general. (Except for the fireworks. Mingyu loves fireworks. And free foods.)

 

But this year, though, things are a bit different.

Those ‘single’ classmates of his have all magically gotten themselves a girlfriend last week. And that means they are all going to dance at the bonfire this evening, leaving Mingyu and his free foods alone.

Mingyu didn't mind it, at all. He really was going to spend this year’s bonfire dance just the same like last year, even if he’s going to be alone in this. But seeing them – and all people in his school – totally excited about the dance honestly made him feel a bit… left out. And because Kim Mingyu doesn’t like being left out, he decided that he will dance at the bonfire too.

 

The problem is, he doesn’t have a girlfriend to ask to dance with.

It’s not that he’s not popular at school. In fact he’s been getting all these 'promposals' since yesterday from the girls at school asking him to go with them, but he (politely) turns them down. All of them.

No, he’s not being mean or anything. It’s just, he doesn’t really know those girls, because, despite his popularity at school, he rarely talks to, or even interacts with the girls. Sure, some of them may have talked to him once or twice, but the rest, he doesn’t even know their names. And Mingyu for sure is not going to dance with some girl he doesn’t know.

 

That’s why he wants to ask Jeon Wonwoo to the dance instead.

He and Wonwoo have always been pretty close. They’re always together in basketball practices – sharing earbuds listening to music during breaks, or going home together and then stopping by some food stalls on the street, are just a few examples of things they always do together. Mingyu thinks they’re best friends – he knows when Wonwoo’s birthday is, he knows where Wonwoo lives, and he also knows what Wonwoo’s favorite food is. That’s all enough for him to consider Wonwoo as his best friend.

 

And so it’s set. He’s gonna ask Wonwoo to the bonfire dance this evening. (as his best friend, by the way, not as his date).

 

But now, he can’t seem to find Wonwoo anywhere. He scans the crowd of students in front of him looking for the older, but it’s hard to do so when the whole school gathers in the field like this so he gives up.

He then walks towards the food stands along the side of the field. There aren’t many students here, but still there’s no sign of Jeon Wonwoo. He meets some of his friends there, though, and after chatting for a bit he goes again looking for his soon-to-be-dancing-partner.

Walking past a group of third grades he sees some of Wonwoo’s classmates he recognizes. Still no sight of Jeon Wonwoo.

Where is he, the tall boy mutters.

He finally decides to just get his phone in the classroom and text Wonwoo to ask where the hell he is. It’s then when he enters the school building he sees a familiar figure heading for the stairs to the second floor.

 

Mingyu is pretty sure he’s never run as fast as this before.

 

He appears in front of Wonwoo in a flash he practically made the older jump a bit, clearly shocked by his sudden antics.

“Where are you going?” he asks, panting a little.

“I’m going to class, it’s too crowded here.” Wonwoo looks at him confused and laughs, “Why were you running anyway, you scared me there.”

Mingyu doesn’t immediately answer the question. He quietly curses himself for being too distracted at this shorter male in front of him. Wonwoo’s face is flushed and his black hair is damped with sweat, looking tired after competing at the festival today. And oh, does he love this sight of Wonwoo.

No, wait, what am I thinking? Mingyu mentally slaps himself for having such thoughts on the older.

It all feels familiar though. It’s the same feeling he gets whenever he sees Wonwoo at the basketball practice, being all sweaty and his hair sticking to his forehead. Has it always been there?, Mingyu wonders.

He shakes his head and quickly turns his attention back to the boy in front of him. “You’re not coming to the closing ceremony?”

“Nah, too tired. I’ll just stay in class and maybe take a quick nap.”

“What about the fireworks, you’re going to miss it, then.”

Wonwoo shrugs, “I can see it from class.”

Come on, Mingyu. This is your chance. Ask him.

“It’s different to when you see it with everyone, though. What’s the fun of watching firework display alone. Come on, let’s come,” he smiles despite his nervousness.

“…. No.”

Mingyu forgets that Wonwoo can be so stubborn sometimes.

He then thinks of another excuse. “Ah, the free foods! How about the free foods, there are more of them this year, we can eat all up while watching the pretty fireworks.”

“Still no.”

What are you doing, you fool. Skip the free foods and ask him to the bonfire dance.

Mingyu finally gathers up his courage. “Well, okay, no fireworks, no free foods,” he pauses, quietly taking a deep breath, “What about the bonfire dance, you’re gonna be there, right?”

“No, Mingyu,” Wonwoo sighs. “That’s the last thing I want to do, actually. Listen, even if, say, I go to the bonfire. As far as I know it takes two people to dance and everyone seems to have their partner already so, no, I’ll pass.”

This is really a perfect chance for me. I’ll ask him now.

 

 

But seconds pass and Mingyu just stands there, staring at Wonwoo.

 

 

Oh, how Mingyu hates it. He hates that he can’t say the words. He hates how he often chickens out at the last minute like this.

 

(He and his other best friend, Seokmin, once planned to skip school for a day back in middle school to go to some video arcades in town, but Mingyu ended up not doing it despite being the one who came up with the idea, and going to school instead, leaving Seokmin alone at the train station where they were supposed to meet. He kept texting Seokmin that morning, apologizing and explaining on why he didn’t come, in which Seokmin only replied once with [JERK] and really, Mingyu felt like one. It was just, he was afraid. He was scared of what people would think of him if they found out he was slacking, if he met any of his teachers or schoolmates in town, if his parents found out. He’s always been that ‘good kid’, anyway. He cares too much about what others think of him and that’s what holding him most of the time for doing something ~rebellious~.

Luckily that day, though, Seokmin wasn’t really mad at him because, let’s be real, who can be mad at Kim Mingyu, that ball of sunshine. In the end of the day Seokmin actually proceeded to skip school by his own, visiting random internet cafés).

 

And this time, he’s scared, too. Scared of Wonwoo’s reaction.

What if he said no.

 

So he just stands there, fidgeting. He feels that he’s never been so nervous in his life. The words stuck on his tongue and he hates, hates, hates it.

“Oi Mingyu, are you okay?” Wonwoo waves his hand in front of Mingyu’s face, turning the younger’s attention back to him. “You look so tense, what’s up,” laughing, he continues, “I’m going to class now. Have fun with the fireworks and free foods.” Not waiting for the younger’s response he pats Mingyu’s shoulder and walks past him heading to the stairs.

No, wait.

Mingyu would really hate himself if he wasted this opportunity.

 

"Dance with me, then.”

 

Wonwoo stops and turns his face to the taller boy. “What?”

“Dance with me,” Mingyu repeats. “The bonfire.”

“I thought you once said you weren’t interested in this kind of thing?”

Well, that’s true. “I’m not. But everyone’s going this year, so I think we should, too.”

“I don’t know, Mingyu,” Wonwoo sighs. “I already said I don’t feel like going to the closing, didn’t I?”

“Yes, I know, but!” Mingyu clears his throat. “As I said, everyone is going to be there and I think it’s nice if we can enjoy it with them too. Also, you said you might go to the dance if you had gotten yourself a partner. I don’t have one, either, so why don’t we go together?” He praises himself for being able to finally say all these without stuttering or such. I can actually do this, wow, good job, Kim Mingyu, he thinks, feeling proud of himself.

“Why me, though? There are plenty of your fan girls, just choose one of them.”

“Well, I want to go with you!” Mingyu might have shouted a bit too loud, and Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at him, and he quickly corrects himself, “No, wait, I mean," he clears his throat again. "I don’t really know them, and I don’t want to dance with people I barely talk to. It would be just awkward for me. So I guess it’s better if I go with you, someone I already know better.”

Seeing Wonwoo being awfully quiet, he quickly adds, “Well, we can not dance if you don’t want to. It’s okay. But just, let’s go together.”

Great, now I sound so desperate, Mingyu thinks miserably.

Wonwoo is still not saying anything, he’s just quietly staring at the younger and Mingyu’s heart drops at the realization of a possible rejection. He mentally curses his luck and prays hard to God that his relationship with Jeon Wonwoo would not be awkward after all this.

Mingyu’s ready to apologize and ask Wonwoo to just forget everything he said before and pretend that everything is normal. He’s about to open his mouth to say sorry when–

“Okay.”

What.

“Okay… what?” Mingyu wants to make sure he heard the word correctly because, did he just agree to go with me??

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, “I said, okay. I’ll go dance with you.”

And Mingyu tries so hard not to punch the air here and there.

 

(Though he feels that familiar feeling again. The feeling whenever Wonwoo agrees to go home together or eat together with him. But he dismisses it again because he’s sure it’s just a normal feeling everyone has when their bestfriend agrees to do something with them. It is, isn’t it?)

 

“Right, great! Okay! Great!” He fails to stop himself from grinning too big, but who cares, Kim Mingyu is really happy right now.

Wonwoo can’t help but smile at Mingyu’s child-like excitement.

 

(And Mingyu feels that damn familiar feeling again and he makes a mental note of what other things Wonwoo does that cause this feeling, so maybe he can find out what they mean later.)

 

“Yeah, so,” Mingyu checks his watch. “We still have ten minutes before the ceremony starts. Would you please wait here for a moment, I’m gonna go get my phone in class, gotta record those pretty fireworks later,” he grins. “Or do you want to get yours too?”

“Nah, just send the videos to my phone later. I’ll go wait beneath that tree, yeah?” Wonwoo points at the big tree on the side of the field, the one Mingyu and his friends spent last year ceremony at.

“Okay. Not gonna take long, I’ll be back in seconds,” Mingyu grins, again, and heads to his class upstairs.

 

 

 

And Mingyu immediately regrets his decision.

The second he sees Jihoon struggling with two seemingly heavy boxes on the hallway in front of his classroom, he quickly runs to the nearest classroom to hide.

But of course, he just had to trip in the process, making Jihoon notice him.

“Oi, Kim Mingyu! Thank God you’re here. Would you mind helping me carry these to the sports hall?”

Mingyu closes his eyes and blames his luck for the second time this day. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help Jihoon, no. Mingyu is a good kid, he always gives hands to everyone who needs his help, he in fact feels awful for trying to avoid Jihoon in the first place.

But it’s Jihoon. Lee Jihoon. He’s the kind of person who would ask you to help buy things at grocery and end up making you visit every shop in town to buy other things he needs. “While you’re still at it, then why not” seems like his motto in life.

And Mingyu really doesn’t have much time for some extra errands right now because: 1) the ceremony will start in nine minutes, 2) the sports hall is on the other side of their school building, so it will take a while to get there, and 3) he doesn’t want Wonwoo to wait too long for him.

But Mingyu is a good kid. So in the end, he agrees to help Jihoon. (Though he still wishes he didn’t go to get his phone in the first place and just wait for the ceremony together with Wonwoo). "Let me go get my phone first," he says, excusing himself to his classroom.

“Okay, thank you!” Jihoon beams at him. When he gets back, Jihoon immediately places a box in his hands. It IS heavy!, he thinks. The older of the two continues, “Everyone else is working on the fireworks so they ask me to do this. Should’ve just asked Seungcheol instead, he’s clearly stronger and taller than me, he would walk faster,” Jihoon grumbles. “Sorry for making you do this, though.”

Mingyu smiles, “Nah, don’t sweat it.” He really feels guilty now for originally not wanting to help Jihoon, the short man clearly is struggling to carry the box, it being literally half his height.

They chat about school, basketball (Jihoon is also in the basketball team), and all random things on their way to the sports hall, stopping to rest for a bit here and there because those boxes are damn heavy – inside are some equipments from the sport festival today, Mingyu had asked Jihoon about it before.

 

By the time they arrive at the hall, it’s five minutes left until the ceremony. Mingyu hasn’t realized that yet, he’s now busy unloading stuff from the boxes to put them back in the storage.

He’s still chatting with Jihoon, laughing at the jokes the older tells, totally forgets about the ceremony.

That is until he hears music start being played from the school field.

Mingyu quickly looks at his watch, “Is it starting already?” he abruptly stands up. “I didn’t hear any fireworks! And don’t we usually get to hear the principal’s speech before opening the ceremony? Why is the bonfire starting now?!” Mingyu realizes his voice was too high-pitched for his liking but who can blame him – he’s panicked now because he was the one asking Wonwoo to go to the bonfire dance with him and now that it’s starting, he’s not there. He feels bad because now he’s abandoning Wonwoo, who is probably alone now standing beneath the tree, waiting for Mingyu to return while everyone else around him is dancing.

Jihoon who has no clue about that looks up at him strangely, “What are you being so worked up about?” he then laughs hysterically after seeing Mingyu’s face, “Lookit your face, oh my God! You look like you just failed an exam!”

“Stop it,” the tall boy whines, feeling a bit embarrassed at his overreaction before. “Seriously, is there a change in the schedule or what?” Jihoon is a member of the student council, so if anything he would know about the rundown.

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Jihoon finally calms himself and stops laughing. “Yeah, we tweaked the schedule a bit. You know that huge projection screen we put on stage to display photos from today’s festival, before the closing starts? Well, we got a lot of requests from the students to play some music during this photo display and make it some kind of ‘pre-dance’. You know, to get people more excited for the next part,” he shrugs and continues, “So it’s not exactly started, the ceremony. The pre-dance will last for about ten minutes – after that there’s the principal’s speech, fireworks, and then the actual bonfire dance.”

Mingyu suddenly feels relieved at the news, and happy because, this means he will get to dance with Wonwoo twice. Twice. Oh God bless the students who requested the idea, and the student council who agreed with it, he gleefully thinks.

Seeing Mingyu smile to himself clearly makes the older of the two curious. “What is this, you’re now interested in bonfire dance? You got a date now? Is she the one who confessed to you after our match last week? Or the one from my class? Or the cafeteria dudette? Who? Who? Who?” Jihoon nudges him, half smirking half smiling, that annoying smile he has whenever he teases Mingyu, or anyone for that matter.

Mingyu rolls his eyes at the senior in front of him. “I’m not telling. Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go to the field now," he starts walking towards the door.

“Noooo, you’re not done helping me with these yet!” Jihoon grabs on Mingyu’s left foot, preventing him from walking.

“What the hell, Lee Jihoon, let go of me!” Mingyu tries to free his foot but the short devil’s grasp is surprisingly quite strong, so he just proceeds to step forward with Jihoon still latching onto his left foot. “I only agreed to help you bring the boxes here, anyway, not unload them too!” He takes a step again, literally dragging Jihoon on the floor.

“Tell me who you go to dance with and I’ll let you free,” Jihoon loosens his grip a bit to prove that he’s serious with the deal and glances up at Mingyu.

“No, It’s confidential,” the tall boy answers shortly and Jihoon immediately tightens his grip again. “Then you’re not going anywhere,” Jihoon stubbornly says.

Mingyu sighs, “Come on, Jihoon, drop it. I really need to go back to the field now. I told him I was just going to get my phone, I –“

“Awwweeeee,” Jihoon cooes, cutting him mid-sentence. “So it’s a He? Is it Jeon Wonwoo?” he stands up and pinches Mingyu’s cheek, “Don’t answer, I’m one hundred percent sure it’s Jeon Wonwoo,” he wiggles his eyebrows animatedly at Mingyu, and wears again that annoying smile of his.

Mingyu feels his face get warm at the mention of Wonwoo, though he doesn’t know why. “So what if it’s him? How did you know anyway?!”

Jihoon sighs exaggeratedly and puts his hands on Mingyu’s shoulder. “Kim Mingyu, everyone in our team knows that you’ve been smitten with Wonwoo since like, forever, though I’m not sure if Wonwoo knows. It’s just about time you finally man up and take him on a date or something, I just never expected this to be a bonfire dance date.” He wiggles his eyebrows again and smirks, “Although that’s kinda romantic, if you ask me.”

“Wha–,“ Mingyu flushes at the idea of him and Wonwoo and how everyone has been thinking like that of them. “I am NOT smitten with Wonwoo! Don’t make things up!”

“Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that. Your reaction says otherwise, boy. Your face is as red as tomato, what, are you thinking about him now?”

“I – No!” Mingyu wants to explain everything to Jihoon that this is definitely not a date. That he asked Wonwoo to go with him because he doesn’t want to dance with some random girl  – because Wonwoo also hadn’t gotten himself a partner. And that he's definitely not in love with Wonwoo. But he knows that it’s no use telling Jihoon all that because he would just accuse him of making excuses.

"No?" Jihoon teases him, still wiggling his eyebrows.

"No, yes. I mean, No. Whatever, I'm going now," Mingyu sighs, looking over his shoulder at the field, ignoring the teasing smile Jihoon is giving him.

"Yeah, sure. Go, have fun with your future boyfriend." Jihoon makes a kissy face at Mingyu, pushing the tall boy towards the door.

"He's not my future boyfriend!" Mingyu groans in frustration.

"Hm, sure he's not," Jihoon hums cheekily, clearly enjoying teasing the younger. "Now go, don't let your man wait too long. The pre-dance is about to end, don't want to miss it, do you?"

Mingyu lets out a tiny sound of protest as Jihoon rushes him out of the sports hall. He's not my man, he wants to say that, but decided not to because it's useless, Jihoon would still keep teasing him. Decided to just drop it, he then waves Jihoon goodbye and starts walking towards the field. After a few steps, though, he turns around. "We'll talk again about this later," he says, pointing at Jihoon.

"Talk to Wonwoo, not me! Tell him your feelings!" Jihoon replies and then proceeds to laugh like he just told the funniest joke ever. Mingyu rolls his eyes, not bothering to respond and just continue to walk. What's so funny about that?, he thinks. And more importantly, what feelings?!

 

 

He likes Jeon Wonwoo, that's true. He adores the older a lot, actually. He likes how Wonwoo doesn't really talk that much, and how he would just fondly smile at his teammates' silly antics (Mingyu loves Wonwoo's smile, it's beautiful). He likes how Wonwoo would scrunch his nose when he laughs, and how he would hit people when he laughs – how he would hit Mingyu when he laughs. He likes Wonwoo's beautiful eyes (those sharp, fox-like eyes, they're intimidating yet captivating at the same time). He likes Wonwoo's beautiful deep voice (it's nice and soothing, he could listen to the older talk for hours) and how it doesn't match his cute face at all.

See, there are many parts of Wonwoo that he likes, but it doesn't mean that he loves Jeon Wonwoo. He doesn't.

Or does he?

"Ugh, this is all shorty's fault," Mingyu groans, hands running through his face. He stops walking and replays the previous conversation he had wih Jihoon in his head. He blames Jihoon for mentioning the idea of him being in love with Wonwoo, because it's honestly bothering him now. That is such a baseless idea. He's trying to recall if he ever did or said something that would indicate his so-called lovesickness towards Wonwoo, but nothing comes to his mind. Yes, he might have stolen a glance a bit too much at Wonwoo during their basketball practices. He even caught himself too often staring at the older, but he's sure, that doesn't have anything to do with this. He just likes the older a lot, and it's not Mingyu's fault that Wonwoo is pleasant to look at.

He decides then that he has another important thing to do now, which is the pre-dance, rather than thinking about his supposedly crush on Wonwoo, so he just brushes it off and continue to walk. Though he feels an odd feeling stirs in his stomach when he thinks about him and Wonwoo dancing. He feels so nervous yet excited about it, and as much as he doesn't want to, he has to admit that he's starting to believe that what Jihoon said before might be true.

 

 

 

The loud music and students' chatter bring Mingyu's attention back from his thoughts. He's finally arrived at the field. Most of the students are dancing to the music playing in the background now, while those who don't are just chilling in the food stands alongside the field, watching photo slideshows from today's sport festival that are being displayed at the huge projector on the stage. It's just like what Jihoon explained earlier, Mingyu thinks, smiling at the scene in front of him. His mind then involuntarily thinks of Wonwoo and he feels his cheeks heat up. Great, now I'm blushing even with the thought of him. Stupid Mingyu. He feels like a giddy high school girl going to the prom with her boyfriend, all nervous but excited at the same time. But he's not my boyfriend!, he screams internally. He still blames Jihoon for this. Since when is asking a friend to a dance considered as a date? Since when is asking a friend to a dance means that you're in love with them?

He's not as sure as he was before about the answer, though, because a little part of him tells him that maybe, just maybe the feeling they call love is really there. He just refuses to acknowledge it.

"Ugh, whatever. Dance first, think later," he finally tells himself, decided to put his thoughts aside. He really doesn't want to miss the fun today. He too, wants to have stories to share with his friends about today, and he sure won't let these confusing feelings stop him. So he continues to walk, searching for Wonwoo. It is quite a struggle, though. The tree is across the field, so he has to push through a crowd of students dancing in the middle of the field, to get there faster, rather than walking around the entire field. "Excuse me, sorry," he keeps muttering while making his way out from the crowd. When he finally arrives to the less crowded part of the field, he stops for a bit and breathes a sigh of relief. He unconsciously fixes his hair but immediately stops himself, feeling embarrassed at his own action. What, this is okay, right? I just want to look proper, like everyone else is today. 

He knows that's not entirely true, though. He wants to look good in front of Wonwoo, he knows that's the reason. After all, he's the one that asked the older to the dance, so he wants to at least look serious about it. Now I know why they all treat it like a real prom dance, he thinks to himself. He takes out his phone from his pocket and opens the front camera, checking his hair again, and his face, of course. He grins at himself, Nice, I look great!, but feels embarrassed almost immediately for praising his own looks.

He continues to walk towards the tree, and only now he's realizing that Wonwoo is not there. "Huh, where is he?" he looks around searching for the older. He was about to text Wonwoo a message but he remembers that the latter doesn't bring his phone now so he puts his phone back and turns to walk to his right. That's when he sees Wonwoo, standing with someone.

 

No, not standing.

Dancing.

 

Wonwoo is dancing.

With someone else.

 

He feels a pang in his chest. He freezes at the scene in front of him. Someone is being so close to Wonwoo. And he doesn't like it.

He takes a few steps forward to see more clearly.

Ah, it's Junghan.

His jaw tightens and his fist clenches as he sees Junghan's hands on Wonwoo's waist. Junghan is whispering something to Wonwoo, the latter leans a bit and then laughs at whatever Junghan was telling him.

Mingyu doesn't like it, at all.

 

A wave of jealousy washes over him at the same time the realization hits him.

He loves Wonwoo.

 

He's in love with Jeon Wonwoo.

 

He finally understands now what those familiar feelings from before mean. When he found Wonwoo so attractive with his face flushed and hair damped to his forehead, when Wonwoo smiled at him, when Wonwoo agreed to go to dance with him. It's always been like that, he realizes that now. How he would always search for Wonwoo first when he goes to the basketball practices, and how he would feel sad when Wonwoo doesn't come. How he would feel exceptionally happy whenever Wonwoo agrees to go home with him, and how he blushed so hard when, for once, Wonwoo asked him first. How he would look at Wonwoo when he tells a joke to the whole team, only waiting for his reaction, and feels proud when Wonwoo laughs at it. He doesn't care if his teammates find his jokes lame and mock him for it. Wonwoo laughs – Wonwoo thinks his jokes are funny, and that's what really matters for him.

So he understands too now why Jihoon and all his teammates think he's in love with Wonwoo. It must've been so obvious from the way he acts around or speak to Wonwoo, he just didn't realize it before. It surprises him a bit, though, how he wasn't aware of the fact that he's been in love with Wonwoo, because the feelings have always been there. He's not sure when it all started, he just knows that he's always been fond of the older for as long as he remembers.

 

And so he doesn't like what he's seeing right now. Wonwoo is dancing with someone else and not him. Wonwoo is laughing at someone else's jokes and not his.

 

And of all people, it has to be Yoon Junghan. Junghan, his basketball team captain – world's perfect, dream boy. Smart, well-mannered, good in sports, and has that flower boy next door vibes coming out from him. What's more, he's been so close with Wonwoo these days, actually. He had spotted two of them chatting on the bench a few times when they're on break on practices, studying in the library together, sharing snacks and drinks, and going to a cinema together last week. He feels so bad for feeling this way, for not wanting Wonwoo to hang out with others but him. He knows that Wonwoo and Junghan are actually close too, though not as close as Wonwoo and him. He knows that if it wasn't him, it would be Junghan, who would be Wonwoo's bestfriend. And to add more, Wonwoo and Junghan are also classmates, so it's natural that they will be close outside from the basketball team too.

 

But Mingyu was the one who asked Wonwoo to dance. So why is he dancing with Junghan, and not him?

Didn't Wonwoo say he would wait until Mingyu came back from getting his phone?

 

He's so upset and disappointed. And heartbroken, as cliche as that may sound. He wants to push Junghan away from Wonwoo, wants to pull his hands off Wonwoo's waist, wants to yell at Wonwoo for dancing with someone else. But of course he doesn't, that would be too childish and embarrasing to do in front of these people. Also Junghan has always been nice to him, and he respects the captain a lot, so he doesn't really have the courage to tell him off. He just stands there, unable to say anything. He never thought he would ever feel this weak, all because of his love for Jeon Wonwoo.

 

"Mingyu?"

Junghan's voice brings his attention back. "You're back," Junghan waves at him, smiling as he and Wonwoo walk towards him. He's still upset, so he just gives Junghan a smile, a forced one. 

"What took you so long? The dance started earlier, they said it's a pre-dance or something. Did you get your phone with you?" Wonwoo asks him, but he pretends to look at the crowd, purposely ignoring Wonwoo's question. The latter doesn't realize it, though, and goes on to point something at the crowd and tells Junghan, which Junghan then laughs at. Which just makes Mingyu more upset.

"Well, now that Mingyu is here, you can go back to your nest now, hush," he hears Wonwoo tells Junghan jokingly, pushing him away.

"Nest, so I am a bird, now?" Junghan laughs, mimicking a bird sound and Wonwoo laughs at that, and it just irritates Mingyu more. Are they doing that on purpose? Being flirty and like that??

Junghan finally turns to him. "Okay then I'll excuse myself now. Have fun, you two. Bye, Mingyu," he smiles at him and then hits Wonwoo's shoulder before running away, laughing. Wonwoo shouts at Junghan which sounded like "I'll get back at you" or something, Mingyu wasn't really listening. He's too upset and jealous seeing Wonwoo being flirty and playful with Junghan.

Junghan finally disappears into the crowd and Wonwoo turns to him, "Hey, so what was taking you so long–"

Without any words he grabs Wonwoo's hand, cutting him mid-sentence. He drags Wonwoo away from the field and heads to the school building. He stays silent all the way, ignoring Wonwoo's protests and questions. He keeps walking past the side of the building, and turns the corner to the back of the building. He finally stops and Wonwoo takes a quick look at his surrounding, they're on the far back of the school building, in front of the storage room where the school puts the spare cleaning utilities and unused chair and desks.

"Oi, oi, why are we here, what are you–" Wonwoo can't finish his sentence as Mingyu suddenly pins him against the brick wall. He was about to protest when he feels the younger's hand on his cheek, lifting up his face, and the next thing he knows, Mingyu is kissing him.

 

 

 

 

 

Mingyu feels the blood rising to his face and he gets this weird feeling in his stomach when his lips touch Wonwoo's. He feels like his heart is going out of his chest from all these feelings because he is kissing Jeon Wonwoo right now. It's just a short, a bit nervous, but nonetheless gentle kiss, which ends as quickly as it began. When he finally pulls away, he quickly looks at the ground, avoiding to look at Wonwoo.

For a half minute, none of them say anything. Mingyu hangs his head down, eyes closed, preparing for a punch or any verbal attack from Wonwoo, because, who wouldn't get mad if someone suddenly drags you away and kisses you out of nowhere?, he miserably thinks.

After a few seconds, he hears Wonwoo sigh, finally breaking the silence, "What was that, Mingyu?"

He looks up timidly, facing the older for the first time after the kiss and mumbles quietly, "I asked you to dance first." He blushes and averts his gaze to the bushes on his right.

"Well, you weren't there when the music started. I waited for you for a while, but you just didn't come. Then Junghan came and said that it was just a pre-dance and accompanied me dancing while waiting for you."

"Yeah? Well, that's the problem!" he snaps, but then he tries to calm himself when he sees Wonwoo was a bit taken aback by his sudden outburst. "You could've said no to him and wait for me, but no you chose to dance with him," he stares at Wonwoo angrily, frustration can be heard from his voice.

Wonwoo blinks, trying to process what the younger just said. A tiny smile escapes his lips once he understands what is happening. "Mingyu, are you jealou-"

"Damn right I am!" Mingyu yells, the older could barely finish his sentence. "Junghan is–" he stops for a bit to take a breath, feeling overwhelmed by his own emotions, "Junghan is really cool, you know? He's nice, smart, helping, strong, dependable, and a freaking basketball team captain. Everybody loves him, and you – of course you would fall for him too if you guys get closer." His voice gradually lowers into a whisper, "You've been really close to him too lately, often leaving me out of your chat."

Seeing Wonwoo had went quiet, he lowers his head and stares at the ground. He feels silly, and embarrassed, and mostly scared that Wonwoo would hate him.

"...You're so stupid."

Mingyu's head shoots up at Wonwoo's words because, Did he just call me stupid??, and looks at the older with a mix of hurt and confusion in his eyes.

Wonwoo sighs and he pinches the bridge of his nose with his left hand – because Mingyu is still holding his right hand this whole time from dragging him before, and Wonwoo decides to let it and not mention it to the tall boy. "Junghan has a boyfriend, Hong Jisoo from the football team."

Mingyu stares at Wonwoo blankly, "...Jisoo?"

Wonwoo rolls his eyes. "Yes, Jisoo, the American boy. He sometimes drop by our practice with his friends. He and Junghan got together last week."

"Oh. OH," Mingyu feels dumbfounded. How can I not know about this??

"Seriously, though. How can you not know about this? We were talking about it like crazy, weren't you also there?"

"I think it was the day when I skip practice, to finish my Biology report?"

"Ah, right. You and Seokmin both skip the practice that day. That explains it all."

 

Mingyu can't find anything more to say, and he also notices that Wonwoo had gone quite too.

Oh God, this is so awkward and embarrassing. What should I say? Oh God why am I so stupid. This is why you should always think first before doing something, stupid Mingyu! Stop acting on your own only according to your feelings! Check your facts first! He keeps blaming himself in his head. His eyes are looking at everywhere but Wonwoo. His face feels warm from blushing too hard.

 

"So, are you gonna say it now?" Wonwoo says, breaking the silence.

Mingyu looks up and blink, "...Say what?"

Wonwoo sighs (which is a little too loud in Mingyu's opinion). "Well, let's see. You dragged me here, and then kissed me, and then said that you were jealous because I was dancing with another guy, and not you – which apparently that other guy already has a boyfriend but you didn't know about that." Wonwoo stops for a bit, while Mingyu is flushing a deep shade of red, looking like he's ready for the world to swallow him. Wonwoo then adds, "And the fact that you've been holding my hand the entire time–" he points at his right hand, unable to hide the smile that escapes his lips as he sees Mingyu quickly lets go of his hand upon realizing that and mutters "I'm sorryyyyy".

Wonwoo then continues, "So I take that as you having feelings for me. So I want to at least hear the words, Mingyu," he pauses. "Or unless I read the situation wrong?"

And Mingyu might have yelled a bit too loud at that. "No, you're not wrong! At all! You're right!", he mentally slaps himself and thinks, Crap, he's right. I haven't exactly told him that I like him, have I?

"Why are you yelling?" Wonwoo laughs and it caught Mingyu offguard. He lost his words, he's always loved Wonwoo's laugh. It hits him so hard and just reminds him how heavily in love he is with the older. So he just blushes and quietly mumbles, "I wasn't."

Which that only makes Wonwoo laughs harder. And not long, Mingyu finds himself staring fondly at Wonwoo. Everything about this boy in front of him is just beautiful. His laugh, his smile, his voice, his eyes, his lips. Jeon Wonwoo is beautiful.

Wonwoo's laugh dies down, and he lets out a soft yet teasing smile as he pokes Mingyu, "Oi, stop staring. Confess to me already."

Mingyu feels his face heat up. "Are you making fun of my feelings?", he asks, feeling somewhat offended.

Wonwoo laughs again at that, "What, no, I just want to hear it directly from you." He might mean that to tease Mingyu but he also really wants Mingyu to say it himself, to confirm if indeed the younger likes him.

"You already know anyway so why should I say it??"

Wonwoo shrugs, "I don't know. I guess it's nice to have someone you like say that they like you too."

 

And that one really caught Mingyu offguard. Does that mean...?

He feels like his heart could burst out of his chest. This is all too much for him.

So Wonwoo likes me too.

He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again.

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at him as if saying, "So?". And Mingyu really wants to say it. He wants to say that he likes Wonwoo. That he loves Wonwoo. He wants to ask Wonwoo how long has he been having feelings for him. But he couldn't find the words. So he just stands there, gaping like a fish at Wonwoo. And it's time like this when he wishes he could do telepathy so he could deliver his feelings to Wonwoo and say all things that he couldn't say directly.

 

The sound of a firework makes both of them look up at the sky. Mingyu just realizes now that it's getting darker already and pretty fireworks shooting up at the cloudy sky, painting it in colors. He forgets about everything for a while, too absorbed in the beauty of the fireworks.

"Ah, it's starting already. Let's get back there." Wonwoo's voice bringing his attention back to his situation now. He looks at the older, who is now getting the dust off his uniform which he got from leaning against the brick wall.

No, wait. I like you too, he wants to say that but of course nothing comes out his mouth.

Wonwoo then starts walking to go back to the field. After a few steps though, he turns around and approaches Mingyu who is still standing wordlessly at the exact same spot. He lifts up his hand and reaches the back of Mingyu's neck, pulling him down to his level, and whispers, "I like you too, Kim Mingyu."

Mingyu can only widen his eyes and blush at the older's action. He sees Wonwoo jogs a bit, heading back to the field, leaving him behind. When there is quite a distance between them, Wonwoo suddenly turns around and points at him, "There, I say the confession first. That means I win. Treat me ramen after this," he says, shouting a bit. And then he laughs and runs back to the field, quickly disappearing in the corner of the building.

Mingyu is still standing at his spot for a while, trying to process all the things that happened today. It's still feel unreal, how things went unexpectedly perfect for him. He then hears the music started from the field, and he smiles to himself, realizing that the bonfire dance date with Wonwoo – the reason all these things could happen today, is only starting now. Although actually at this point, he doesn't care anymore about dancing. He just wants time to go faster so he can go eat with Wonwoo and spend the time together just the two of them.

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