“I can’t believe that class actually happened,” Jiho muttered under his breath, shoving his hands into his pockets, kicking a rock out of his way dejectedly. How could one class go so horribly for him? It didn’t seem possible to him and at this point, Jiho was starting to wonder if today had just been a bad dream. 

Him running face first into a solid cement pole proved otherwise. He rubbed his injured face gently, thankfully feeling no bumps or scratches forming yet. Jiho shook his head vigorously and slapped his face a few times, gathering his wits before he continued walking to his next class.

‘Hang on… My next class doesn’t start until about an hour from now… What the hell am I gonna do while I wait?’ 

He hadn’t thought about that when he was planning his schedule all those weeks ago— what he was going to do in the downtime between classes before he could go home. He sighed defeatedly as he rounded a corner, the door to his classroom in sight. 

Glancing at his phone and seeing that he indeed had an hour till his next class, Jiho settled to sit outside of the classroom and scroll through his phone, checking up on the latest gossip he really didn’t care that much about and seeing if anyone was online. 

As one gets engrossed in their Internet stalking, Jiho didn’t notice the pair of shoes that appeared in front of him and stayed there. Apparently the person in front of him didn’t mind waiting for Jiho to finally notice him. Once Jiho actually looked up, a conflicted smile appeared on his face. 

“Oh, well hey Hojoon. What’s up?”

“From you’re point of view? Me. I’m up,” Hojoon answered dryly, a smug smirk tugging at his lips as he held his hand out, “How about you stand up and talk to me like a man? I’m gonna have to wait here a while…”

Jiho debated for a split second on if he should or not, but eventually decided ‘Ah screw it’ and took ahold of Hojoon’s hand lightly, pulling himself up with the help of the other boy. He tried to not focus on how soft and welcoming Hojoon’s grip was and instead smoothed and patted down his clothing, nodding in thanks. 

“You’re waiting here for a while? What for? Do you have a class here or something?”

‘Really now Jiho, what else would he be waiting for? A ing taxi to pick him up?’

Hojoon chuckled quietly, adjusting his glasses as they, yet again, slid down his nose, “Well duh genius, that is what college is for. Psychology to be exact.”

Jiho raised an eyebrow curiously, “Really now? What are the chances that you and I have the same first and last class of the day together at the same time and at the same place?”

Hojoon nodded thoughtfully as he shoved his hands into his jacket’s pockets, shivering as a particularly cold gust of wind blew past them. “Y-yeah no kidding. It must be destiny or something,” he joked. Jiho snorted and punched his arm playfully, “Hah. Weirdo. As if destiny has anything to do with our schedules being similar.” 

“Still, you cant deny that it is pretty strange. I mean, it’s not a small school by any means… So the odds are considerably more slim…”

“Well life is strange, and is full of strange things and does just plain strange things that you don’t expect, so you just gotta roll with it.” Jiho smirked, proud that he matched Hojoon’s level of intelligence at least this once. “There. I matched your level of intellect and reasoning.”

Hojoon bit his lip to contain his laughter, “‘Matched my level of intellect?’ Dude, that made little to no sense at all. Plus I take it as a compliment that you think I’m smart just because I can talk all pretty and fancy.”

Jiho stared blankly at Hojoon, surprised by his ability to switch from a highly intelligent way of speaking to his way of speaking— that is, more colloquial. Is it normal to pay such close attention to the way someone speaks? He thought not, but tried not to dwell on it too much since it made him uncomfortable.

Hojoon waved his hand in front of Jiho’s blank face, biting his lip to contain his laughter at Jiho’s unwavering gaze that seemed to be trained on his face. 

‘There’s just something about him that really throws me off… But, for the life of me I can’t put my finger on it! Does it have something to do with his face? Is that it? I don’t know— Ugh I can’t tell.’

Jiho finally lapsed out of his staring into the oblivion that seemed to be Hojoon’s face and smiled apologetically. “Uh, what? Sorry, I was kind of having a crisis and spaced out.” 

“Yes, you were. Now are you just going to stand there and pretend I didn’t ask you a question?” Hojoon resisted the urge to laugh at the guilty face the Jiho pulled as he practically watched his train of thought run through his brain. 

“Um, I don’t think I quite caught your.. question…” Yes, the look of disappointment on Hojoon’s face was plain as he restated his question to Jiho slowly and deliberately. 

“I said: Are you going to do anything about the girl that’s walking towards us or not? Because she really looks like your ex—in fact I’m almost certain it’s her—”

Jiho moved so fast that Hojoon hardly had time to comprehend what he was doing. The taller  boy turned his entire body to face Hojoon directly and moved much closer to him, making it seem as if they were in deep conversation, grabbed his shoulder and started laughing loudly, giving Hojoon a wide-eyed look of warning as the girl walked up and stood next to them. She gave them an odd look, as if she recognized one of them and reached out to tap Jiho’s back. 

“H-hey, don’t I kno-”

“That’s what I was saying, Joon! He was just so weird and creepy, like who does that?! Seriously— Oh my god, and his girlfriend too! They were both such psychopaths— I can’t believe I got away alive!”

It took Hojoon until halfway through Jiho’s bizarre explosion of conversation that he realized he was trying to avoid the girl behind him and couldn’t help but crack a smile at his creativity. 

“Yeah no kidding! What did they do that made them go to jail again?” Hojoon smile widened into a confident smirk as he watched Jiho’s face pale. He was going to play Jiho’s little game, but he was going to play his way.  

“U-uh, well— don’t you remember? They— like— followed me everywhere! I don’t even know how they knew where my classes were half the time… It was just so freaky Joon, I hope I never run into people like that ever again.” Jiho even managed to choke out a fake gasp of horror at the end of his rant, slowly turning to face the girl that tried to get his attention earlier. After hearing his story, she must’ve felt awkwardly similar to heir topic of conversation because as soon as Jiho faced her, she apologized for interrupting their conversation and sped walked away in complete embarrassment. 

Hojoon chuckled quietly as the girl quickly walked away and shook his head in amazement. 

“You sure seem to know how to avoid her well, don’t you?”

Jiho held a finger up to his lips and shushed him urgently, “Shut up! She’s not gone yet— what if she heard us?!” He stood on his tip toes, staring out over the few people standing near the classroom door to see if the girl in question was still near them. He sighed in relief once he finally deduced she was nowhere near them and relaxed, flashing a smug smile at Hojoon. 

“And that’s how you deal with unwanted people like a pro.”

“Like a pro, my . You’re lucky I went along with it. I totally could have ruined that entire thing for you. You owe me one now.” 

“What?” Jiho retorted, stunned by Hojoon’s quick conclusion, “Where the hell did you get the idea that I owe you?!”

Hojoon snorted in disbelief, taking a bold step forward and pointed a finger in Jiho’s face. “You. you’re the one who asked me to help him a couple hours ago then said you wouldn’t bug me again—which by the way, you at keeping promises apparently.” 

The taller of the two frowned and pushed Hojoon’s hand away from his face, “Okay, yeah. Maybe the situation changed and I sort of need your help more often— But how was I supposed to know this was gonna happen? And I never said that! i just said I’d try to make it not awkward, or something…” 

Hojoon raised an eyebrow almost pityingly. “I figured you thought this through a bit better than that, but I guess I was stupid for thinking that.”

“W-well it’s not like I had ten minutes to think all this over before I asked you,” Jiho argued defensively. “I had like thirty seconds before she was gonna notice we were in the same class and threw a fit or something! Don't act like you would have done better if you were in my shoes.”

“Oh please, I think we both know I would have done better—BUT it doesn’t really matter that much,” Hojoon sighed as he glanced at his phone lazily to check the time. “We have five minutes till class sta—”

“Hang on, we weren’t done talking,” Jiho continued as he glared at Hojoon as the other suddenly grinned as something dawned upon him. 

“You’re right, we aren’t. I almost forgot, Jiho. Since when do you call me Joon? When did this happen, hm?” 

“U-uh,” Jiho squeaked, “It just sorta… happened?”

“‘It just sorta happened’? That sounds like you just summed up yourself pretty well Jiho. Everything for you seems to ‘just sorta happen’,” Hojoon concluded smugly. 

Jiho bit his lip and locked eyes with Hojoon, his own angry and frustrate ones met with Hojoon’s amused ones. “That’s pretty shallow of you to sum up my entire life in one sentence that I said— Also, why do hate me so much?”

“Hate you?” Hojoon asked, bemused by the question. “I don’t hate you at all, Jiho. On quite the opposite side of the spectrum, I actually find you to be pretty entertaining. Dare I say I like being around you…You look confused. Are you?” 

Jiho coughed to cover up his surprise and cleared his throat before he spoke. “Well duh. Who wouldn’t be?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be.”

“Ugh. See, there you go again. contradicting yourself and being generally confusing.”

“But I’m not?”

“Damn it Hojoon— stop toying with me!” 

Hojoon burst out into a fit of giggles at Jiho’s frustrated face as the other pulled at his hair in frustration. He collected his thoughts and calmed down sufficiently to add, “You know, to me, it seems that you hate me, not the other way around— did you ever think of that Jiho?” 

“Yeah, I thought about it just now. Why?” 

Hojoon seemed to be unable to stop smiling around Jiho since practically everything the idiot did or said was just so funny to Hojoon that he couldn’t help it. 

“Well, why are you blaming me if you’re the one who actually is doing the hating?”

“Ohhhhhhh my god,” Jiho breathed out slowly, managing his temples slowly as he attempted to control himself, “Hojoon, I don’t— Hey, are you even listening to me at this point?”

Jiho waved his hands around in front of Hojoon’s face as the shorter boy was staring at something behind him with an oddly content look on his face. Eventually Hojoon snapped out of his revery and shifted his gaze back onto Jiho with unnerving focus. 

“So sorry, but I was just watching someone walk by. You were saying?”

Jiho managed to hold Hojoon’s gaze as he repeated himself, slowly and deliberately, “What I was saying was that I don’t know why I’m so feisty right now…”

Hojoon’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his fringe in shock. “Wow, OKAY. I’ll be honest: I was not expecting that.”

Jiho smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “ Well I mean, it’s true. I wasn’t expecting to see my ex on my first day here and I had a really crappy Chemistry class a little while ago and it was just really frustrating and weird and boring and now I almost ran into her again and then this whole thing happened and I just—”

Hojoon reached out and patted Jiho on the shoulder, oddly enough with a reassuring look on his face. “Hey man, that’s pretty rough and all,” he paused, the familiar smug smirk sliding back into it’s usual place, “but come on, you don’t apologize for being snappy—Hell, I was just going along with you since I thought it was funny—BUT, if you really feel bad about it, then just know it’s not that big of a deal.” 

Jiho bit his lip to contain a giggle that was threatening to escape and tried to keep a straight face. “I like how when you try to act all sentimental you’re still super snarky. Oh well, I guess that’s your way of being nice, huh?”  

Hojoon shrugged carelessly. “Eh, if you don’t like me, don’t deal with me and leave. But I’d rather you didn’t since,” he turned as the people around them that had also been waiting stated to flood into the classroom then turned back to face Jiho, “class is starting and we need to get the good seats at the back.”

Jiho smirked and nodded as he lead the way into the classroom, mumbling under his breath as they entered the room so only Hojoon could hear “Man, you sure seem to know how to push my buttons, the good and the bad.” 

                        ~~~

Jiho stretched his arms out lazily behind Hojoon’s head and sighed. Their classes were finally over for the day and both boys were sitting in their last classroom, hanging out. Jiho had already packed up all of his things and was ready to go back to his dorm and play video games till he inevitably went to sleep, but Hojoon had other plans as he so eloquently said “Let’s go get some bubble tea.”

Jiho scratched the back of his neck in confusion, “Why?”

Hojoon finally put the last book into his bag and stood up, slinging it over his shoulder as he helped Jiho up. “To celebrate us finishing the first day of school without dying, duh.” 

Jiho smiled as he rolled his eyes, “I think you’re just making up an excuse to go get bubble tea, not that I’m complaining…” Hojoon raised his eyebrows and gestured with his hands as if to say ‘and…?’ . Jiho finally gave in and nodded decisively, “Okay, bubble tea it is. But where are we going to go? I can’t think of any good places around here…”

Hojoon chuckled and grabbed Jiho’s hand, dragging him out of the classroom and down a pathway that lead downtown to where it was more shops than schools. He didn’t talk the entire time they walk/jogged down to a small shop tucked away behind a gas station that Jiho would have never even thought to look for a bubble tea shop in a million years. 

Once they walked into the small, quaint shop Hojoon finally released Jiho’s hand from his iron grip and smiled in total self-satisfaction. Jiho glanced around, taking the interior decorations of plastic flowers and random paintings scattered across the walls with a feeling of uncertainty. It didn’t look like a shop that would sell anything of good quality, but Hojoon must’ve brought him here for a reason… Right? Hojoon glanced over at Jiho and nudged his shoulder. 

“You don’t look too impressed.”

“Should I?” Jiho questioned under his breath. 

“Nope! In fact, every time somebody walks in here, they look almost exactly the same as you do right now.” Jiho turned his head to look at a boy a little shorter than him standing behind the counter with a smug smile set on his face. ‘When did he get there?’  

“They do?”

“Yup, but once they try our tea here, their opinions and faces almost always change,” the boy concluded with a certain sense of self-pride as he adjusted his crisp outfit, clashing almost blindingly with the store surrounding him. Jiho stuck his lower lip out thoughtfully as he surveyed the menu, an item catching his eye. 

“How is the red bean bubble tea here Hojoon?” 

Hojoon raised his head at his name and stared at the menu. “Oh, how smart of you Jiho. That’s like their best one here. You definitely should get it.” 

Jiho nodded in satisfaction and opened his mouth to say his order, but the boy behind the counter was already moving and talking before he could. 

“Okay, so that’s one red bean tea and one milk tea with half ice coming right up!  Just sit over there and your drinks will be there in just a moment—Oh, and I’ll just charge his card for you both,” he pointed at Hojoon before disappearing behind a door that tustve head to the kitchen. 

Jiho sat at one of the chair in front of a small round table and set his bag down, shooting Hojoon a questioning look. “Wait, how’d he know what you were going to order? And why didn’t he charge me?” 

Hojoon smiled knowingly and sat across from Jiho, folding his hands in front of himself and he waited. “Jiho, I have been here a million times, and it’s like whenever you go to a restaurant that you regularly visit and you can’t seem to get anything besides the one thing you really love and got the first time you came and can’t get anything else— that’s how it is here for me. Plus I know Sangwon really well, so he knows what I get down to a Tea.” He smiled at his own pun s Jiho nodded slowly, only now beginning to comprehend what just happened.   

“Okay… But what about the whole card thing?”

“Oh yeah, since I’m a regular here, I have a card that they keep behind the register that they charge me on. It’s like a rewards card that basically gives me free drinks once a week.”

Jiho raised his eyebrows in astonishment. “Wow, they’d do that? Sheesh, you must be their only source of income if they're treating you like that… But wait, so does that include my drink too? Because I can pay—”

“Nah, just let ol’ Hojoon pay for you. Here’s your drinks by the way.”

The boy, or Sangwon as Hojoon had said his name was, set down two glasses full of delicious looking bubble tea with cute pink straws popping out from the top in front of them, Jiho’s a faded red color and Hojoon’s a milky pearly color. ‘That kid has a talent for popping up out of nowhere… Is he a ninja or something?’  

“Thanks, uh Sangwon, right?”

“Yup, that’s me! I guess Hojoon’s already explained everything huh? Well go figure. Anyway, enjoy your drinks~ Let me know if they change your mind about this place, yeah?”

Jiho nodded as he drew the glass closer to him, eyeing it cautiously. He could hear Sangwon walk over behind the desk as he took his first sip, trying to ignore the stares from both Hojoon and Sangwon boring into his head. They were both right. The bubble tea was delicious and had a certain flavor to it that seemed iconic to the store, unlike any red bean bubble tea he had tried. His first thought was that it was drugged, and considering how his day had gone he wouldn’t necessarily be surprised, but he withheld his suspicions. 

Jiho nodded encouragingly, giving Sangwon a thumbs up as he mumbled to Hojoon who was sipping on his own tea, “Yeah, this place is pretty darn tasty.”

Hojoon grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “Right? Now you know why I come here so often, plus the customer service is great too,” he joked. 

Both of them sipped on their teas and chatted the afternoon away, commenting occasionally on how they felt their classes were and generally complaining about their teachers until it started to get into the early evening. Jiho was the first to stand up and stretch again, rolling his shoulders at the familiar feeling of sitting in the same place for a few hours. Hojoon followed his lead and collected their glasses, setting them in the spot directed as “PUT DIRTY GLASSES HERE” by the oh-so-subtle sign. 

Sangwon waved as they left, grinning as Jiho indeed look less skeptical of the store as they left and made him promise he’d come back. Jiho’s reply went along the lines of “well seeing as Hojoon brought me here first, I might have to.” 

Both college student tracked their way up to the dorms and parted ways at a crossroads on campus, Hojoon living a couple dorms away from Jiho. 

“Well, see you tomorrow.”

“Maybe, if you don’t get tracked down by your ex first,” Hojoon commented dryly, smiling as Jiho punched his shoulder jokingly.

“Okay Hojoon, whatever floats your boat.” With that, Jiho turned and walked back to his dorm room, a smile still lingering on his face from the day’s past events. As he unlocked his door, he suddenly felt off, something felt wrong. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it until he was laying on his bed, texting his mom about his first day. 

‘OH. That’s why. I didn’t even bother to get his number! We’re basically friends now and I didn’t even ask for his basic information getting way of knowing how he was doing and class projects and stuff… His phone number, I mean..’ 

“What’re you groaning about?” Jiho’s roommate Dongsung muttered as he dried his hair with a towel, another white cloth secured around his bare waist. Jiho rolled onto his side lazily, “Oh nothing. And put some clothes on for pete’s sake!” 

“Why?”

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Kinda…”

“There. There’s a reason. Now clothe yourself before you get sick then get me sick.”

“Tch, okay mom.”

Jiho could hear the other smirk as he pulled on some pants and a loose shirt. They had talked a bit online before meeting a few days before school started so they weren’t complete strangers when they first met in person. Jiho knew to leave Dongsung alone when he wanted to be alone and vice versa, but they still chatted nonetheless. 

Early evening turned to late night as Jiho was too lazy to even play a game of Super Smash Bros with Dongsung. He got ready for bed and just scrolled the night away until he finally fell asleep, tucked away in his covers and deaf to the grunts of annoyance coming from Dongsung as he too eventually turned the console off and went to sleep.

Even though his eyes were closed, Jiho couldn’t get the days events out of his head. Seeing his dreaded ex then pulling Hojoon into his life, quite literally, then having the weirdest Chemistry class ever, then almost encountering his ex again but managed to avoid her (again thanks to Hojoon) then going and hanging out with said boy while drinking possibly the best bubble tea he’d had that might’ve been drugged, but he still didn’t know. At this point, he didn’t really care.

Sleep finally started to claim him, and Jiho snuggled into his blankets with a sleepy smile on his face. ‘Overall summary of today: not bad…not bad at all. I could get used to this…’ 

—————————————————————————————————————————

A/N: A bit longer of a chapter~ Yay! : D

I’m starting to get a feel for this now, which is always good.

I hope y’all enjoyed it~

If you did, feel free to write a comment below ;)