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“You do realize that no matter how hard you stare, that grade isn’t going to change, right?”
With a low growl, Wonwoo lifts his head from his desk to turn toward the giver of unsolicited opinions. “No one asked you."
Mingyu rolls his eyes, taking a seat at his own desk chair. “Dude, you can’t stay upset at this midterm forever. It’s been two days. Your grades are final. Move on.”
“I should have gotten at least thirty more points,” he states, planting his chin back on his fist on top of the desk. The midterm and its score mock him tauntingly. He scowls, brows furrowed. “I have every right to feel upset.”
“Well, feeling upset isn’t going to solve anything. Instead, it’s going to lead to stomach ulcers, which you should know Mr. Science Major.”
As Wonwoo stares at his roommate from the corner of his eye, he’s uncertain whether the second year realizes how annoying he is, or if he’s doing it on purpose just to spite him. Unbothered, Mingyu flips open his laptop and proceeds to hit the tracking pad a few times, followed by the keyboard. But Wonwoo is already turning away, determined to keep moping about his grade for at least a few more days. He didn’t fail the midterm; he actually did quite well, which is the main reason why he is so aggravate with the grade.
The last problem, worth a whopping forty points, cost him half an hour to figure out. He was so sure of his answer, so confident when he turned it in. Needless to say, he was utterly shocked when he received his test back and saw the dismissive red mark across his entire answer. The TA made a note next to the puny 10 pts, saying how Wonwoo didn’t use the formulas used in lecture, thus his answer is not valid. 'Still, good try, though!’
What a freakin’ dick!
Complaining to the professor proved fruitless, because he delegates all the grading to his TAs, providing only the answer keys.
The injustice. The blatant abuse of power. The close-mindedness and condescending attitude of the TA.
That’s the reason Wonwoo is upset. If he ever saw that punk outside of class, he’s going to knock his teeth in.
“There we go!” Mingyu exclaims, pulling Wonwoo out of his murderous intent. His roommate pushes his chair back and stands up. The giant frame looms over Wonwoo’s desk, but he grins happily, canines visible. “Come on, I know just what will cheer you up!”
“I don’t want to be cheered up,” Wonwoo mutters. “I want my thirty points.”
Ignoring his protests, Mingyu easily drags the older one by the arm, out of his chair. “You’ll thank me later.”
“I’m not going to thank you at all!”
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” he laughs, shoving Wonwoo toward the door. “You can’t just waste away such a beautiful Saturday to mope and gripe at your TA.”
Just watch me, Wonwoo attempts to say, but Mingyu is already closing the door behind them and yanking him down the hall of their dorms.
His overbearing roommate is right about the weather, Wonwoo admits begrudgingly. The sun is shining against the clear blue backdrop, a gentle breeze blows through the trees, and the temperature is just right. Despite his best effort, the scenery does smooth out his ruffled feathers slightly. Not that he’ll admit it to Mingyu, who’s still adamant about taking him to who knows where.
“You better not be taking me somewhere weird,” he warns, pulling his arm out of the other’s boy’s grasp.
“Don’t worry, you’ll love it,” Mingyu replies with a knowing spark that makes Wonwoo consider bolting back to the dorms.
Eyes narrowing, he glances at his roommate. “Right…”
The sarcasm doesn’t affect the over-enthused puppy, however. He keeps his smile on his face as he leads Wonwoo down the street, taking a couple turns, to arrive at some coffee house Wonwoo has never noticed. That’s his grand scheme? A cute and quaint café? Wonwoo can’t help feeling a tinge disappointed at the apparent ordinary place. With all the fuss, he expected something more… exciting? But then again, this is Mingyu.
It’s not until they’re within a few feet of the building that Wonwoo realizes what’s so special about this particular one.
He can peek through the large window to see cats of all sizes and colors roaming around the establishment. Some are curled up on patrons’ laps, others rub against various legs and arms. A large bookshelf occupies the entire back wall, and in addition to the traditional tables and chairs, there are couches and bean bags scattered around, providing different levels of comfort.
Noticing Wonwoo staring in awe at the scene, Mingyu laughs proudly. “See? What did I say? A couple hours in here, and you’ll forget all about that stupid midterm.”
Ah, that’s right. The midterm. Well, no thanks to him, now Wonwoo recalls the reason for his foul mood, and he frowns. “You think a cat café is gonna solve my problem?”
“Well, no,” the second year admits. “But it’ll decrease your stress levels back to a normal amount. Come on.” With a wave, he indicates for Wonwoo to step inside first.
Sighing and shaking his head, he relents. It’s not like it’ll hurt. Besides, relaxing with a nice book and cute cats for the afternoon doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. Besides, he notices the interior is very quiet, aside from the low chatter and rumbles of the coffee machines. A welcome break from the ruckus of the dorms. Wonwoo inhales a lungful of the rich aroma surrounding them.
As he still takes in the atmosphere of the place, trying to get his bearing around the incredible amount of cats, an employee approaches him with a bright smile. His eyes turn into half-moons when he greets Wonwoo, voice cheerful. But Wonwoo is a little distracted by the cat ears sitting atop his black hair.
“Hello! Welcome! I’m Soonyoung!”
Wonwoo smiles politely back, silently wondering if the hyper worker only speaks with exclamation marks.
“You seem a little overwhelmed, is this your first time visiting a cat café?”
Wonwoo hums, and Mingyu jumps in. “I hear that cats, well pets in general, can help with stress, right?”
“That’s right!” Soonyoung confirms proudly. “Exam blues?” he guesses, chuckling when Wonwoo frowns. “No worries, we get a lot of students for that exact reason. Go ahead and order a drink if you’d like, and then you’re welcome to play with any of our cats. We just ask you to be gentle with them.”
Nodding, Wonwoo’s gaze starts to roam around the coffee house idly, looking at the various cats.
“If you’re interested in any one in particular,” Soonyoung says helpfully, “I’ll be more than happy to get it for you while you’re in line. Some can be kind of shy,” he chuckles.
Wonwoo nods again, about to say that it didn’t matter to him, when another worker walks out from around the counter, a brown tabby in his arms. Dropping to his haunches, he releases the kitten next to a food bowl in the corner, smiling gently as he pets the animal. Like Soonyoung, he’s also wearing a pair of cat ears on his head. The black fur matches well with his hair color, offset by the baby pink of the inner layer.
The first thought Wonwoo has upon seeing the barista is, damn, he’s hot. Long limbs, graceful movements, charming smile, bright eyes.
Amidst the haze of mesmerization, Wonwoo gets a nagging sense of familiarity. He’s seen that beautiful face somewhere before, but it didn’t look quite so open and disarming. Wracking his brain, he tries to place where he’s seen the guy.
Then it hits him like a brick to the face.
The reason the worker looks so familiar is because Wonwoo has been staring at his face and the back of his head for half of the semester, only the setting has been a lecture hall and classroom instead of a coffee house.
Wonwoo actually flushes from embarrassment as the realization washes over him. He’s been making heart eyes at his freakin’ TA. The same TA he actually wants to pummel to a pulp for being a dick and docking points off of his midterm. (No, he’s not bitter).
The new development leaves Wonwoo a little uncertain and conflicted.
“Let’s grab something to drink,” Mingyu suggests, cutting into his thoughts.
“Sure,” he says woodenly, glad for the distraction.
As they leave, Soonyoung offers a small wave and heads over to assist another customer.
Wonwoo blames his treacherous thoughts for not realizing that ‘grabbing something to drink’ entails going to the counter and ordering. Which would put him immediately in front of Wen Junhui. Currently, his TA is beaming at the customers ahead of them, eyes sparkling, head cocked at an angle that doubles his cute factor.
Wonwoo does’t know if he wants to kiss him or throttle him.
The guy never looks like that in class. During lectures, he sits quietly in the front row, taking diligent notes. During discussion sessions, he sits at the front desk, answering students who come up to him for help about the homework with a soft and soothing voice. Basically, Wonwoo always associated the word ‘quiet’ with Junhui. Which was altered to ‘quiet and patronizing dick’ after the midterm. But that's besides the point. The point is how should he act toward him now?
A couple people before their turn, Mingyu gets a text.
“Oh, can you order me a strawberry cream?” he asks as he quickly replies. “I forgot I told Hansol he can come by and borrow my games.”
Wonwoo doesn’t want to be alone with his TA, but it’s not like he can tell Mingyu about his spontaneous crush and conflicting emotions. “Yeah, sure. Just hurry up or I’ll drink it.”
Mingyu laughs, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll be quick.”
When his turn comes (much too soon), his palms are clammy. He rubs them up and down his jeans, hoping it’d ease the tension in his muscles somewhat.
“Hi, what can I get for you—Oh, Wonwoo!” Junhui exclaims, large eyes blinking in surprise. But a small smile tugs the corners of his mouth. “This is a surprise.”
Yeah, no kidding. “Yeah, I didn’t know you worked here.”
“Only on the weekends,” he clarifies. “So what can I do for you today?”
You can start by telling me why you were a freakin’ dick on my exam. Or why you never look this cute in class. “I’ll have an iced mocha cappuccino and a strawberry cream,” Wonwoo says instead.
Unaware of Wonwoo’s internal monologue, Junhui smiles brightly and nods, punching the keys on the register to give him the amount. As Wonwoo pulls out his card to swipe, Junhui makes casual conversation.
“How did you do on last week’s midterm, by the way?” Wonwoo stills, fingers gripping the stylus with enough force to snap it in half. He lifts his gaze to meet Junhui’s. The latter has the audacity to smile innocently at him as if he doesn’t know what he did. “You probably got one of the top scores, right?”
The machine beeps, cutting off Wonwoo before he can reply. He pulls the card out and takes the receipt.
Grabbing two cups, Junhui goes on, “Go ahead and find a cat you like. I’ll come find you with your drinks.” He chuckles. “Midterms are done. You deserve to relax and celebrate a job well done.”
That’s it, Wonwoo thinks. He can’t take this anymore. “So I can choose any cat in here, right?”
Junhui nods. “Yeah, just don’t grab one someone else is cuddling,” he warns with a light giggle, scribbling onto the cups.
“Then you’re available, right?”
The brunet’s eyes flicker upward as his pink lips part in surprise. “Pardon?”
Wonwoo gestures to the cat ears headband. “What if I want to pick you?”
His TA starts to fidget with the cups, stammering, “Um, I—I don’t think—"
“He would love to!”
“Soonyoung!” Junhui exclaims, eyes wide, clearly asking his co-worker what he’s saying. Wonwoo isn’t sure where the third male came from, but he’s suddenly pushing his way behind the counter, leading the taller brunet out by the shoulders. “You can’t just—Hey!"
Soonyoung is unfazed by the protests as he turns to Wonwoo with a large grin. “I’ll be out with your drinks shortly.” Then he addresses Junhui, waving a hand toward Wonwoo. “You can’t say no! Look how stressed the young man is! He’s one of your students, right? The one you talk about all the time? You're the one who constantly whines to me about how you wish you could de-stress h—”
“Shhhh!” In a panic, Junhui spins around and clasps his hand over Soonyoung’s loose lips, eyes imploring him to be quiet.
“Mm!” the other shakes his head, managing to pull his arm free to remove Junhui’s hand from his face. “Fine. But here’s your chance! Go de-stress him!”
Suddenly, with no warning, he shoves Junhui forward, right into Wonwoo.
“Ark!” the other lets out a squeak, eyes shutting, shoulders crunched up. Thankfully, he somehow manages to stop the impact right before he collides into his student. Unclenching his eyes, he stares at the few inches remaining between them and lets out a relieved sigh.
“You okay?” Wonwoo asks, lowering his hands from the defensive stance. He’s not sure if he would’ve pushed Junhui away or pulled him in. It’s very fortunate for both them that the other successfully stopped the momentum.
“Yeah, I’m great,” he clears his throat, throwing a pout toward Soonyoung who pretends not to see him. “Let’s go over there,” he motions for the corner couch, one hand rubbing his neck.
Once they get to the couch, though, Junhui stands awkwardly in place, not really sure how to proceed. Truth be told, Wonwoo isn’t so certain, either. All he knows is that he’s frustrated, and that Junhui is the cause for all of the reasons why. Pretending to know what he’s doing, he takes a seat at the couch and pats the space between his legs. Junhui looks at him with an arched brow, cheeks dusted pink.
“Just sit on the carpet,” he instructs.
With a sigh, his substitute cat closes his eyes, appearing to have accepted his fate. He sits with his back to the couch, arms brushing Wonwoo’s calves. His shoulders look really tense, Wonwoo notices, staring at him from behind. He wracks his gaze from the top of his TA’s head, from the cat ears to the soft black hair, along the column of his throat, and down his broad shoulders. This is basically the same view he gets every week during lecture, and yet the feelings are so different, Wonwoo takes a moment to contemplate the contrast.
Over Junhui’s shoulders, he sees the brunet wriggling the ends of the strings holding his black apron. Gently, Wonwoo places his hands over his shoulders, involuntarily making him jump slightly.
“Just relax,” Wonwoo says close to his ear. He sees his blush intensifying, and he can’t help chuckling at the honest reaction.
“Aren’t I supposed to be the one to relax you?” the brunet asks, titling his head a little to see Wonwoo. The action surprises the latter, and he pulls away in the nick of time. Still, his heart is hammering at the mere thought of their lips almost coming into contact. Albeit accidentally.
“You’re supposed to be my cat for now,” he replies, swallowing.
“Is that what I am now?” Junhui laughs softly, shoulders relaxing a fraction. Wonwoo smiles. “I’m not very good at making animal noises, though.”
“That’s okay,” the other answers. “You can just purr.”
The comment makes Junhui laugh, and Wonwoo suppresses the desire to join along. He’s supposed to be angry, damn it. Since he can’t bring himself to actually hurt Junhui as he previously wished, he’s going to take another approach at revenge.
With one hand still resting on Junhui’s shoulder, he runs the other through his hair. The substitute cat startles from the foreign feeling, but he stays still as Wonwoo continues to comb through the soft and silky short strands. After a few strokes, Junhui’s muscles begin to loosen up, his head lolls to the side, allowing Wonwoo to ogle at the expanse of skin, defined collarbones peeking from the shirt collar.
This is not going according to plan.
This is supposed to make Junhui squirm, not turn Wonwoo on.
“Iced mocha cappuccino and strawberry cream!” Soonyoung announces, waltzing toward them.
Wonwoo releases Junhui, and the other scrambles away. Now he definitely looks flustered, Wonwoo thinks with satisfaction. “Thanks,” he tells Soonyoung, sipping on the cold drink. It’s not that he’s feeling warmer than usual, he tells himself, eyeing Junhui inconspicuously.
“Do you need help with the orders or anything?” he asks a grinning Soonyoung.
“Nope! You just worry about our new customer. Have fun!” With a wink, he skips away.
Junhui shakes his head with a sigh, returning to his previous position and letting Wonwoo stroke his hair again. After a couple minutes of silence, he ventures, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“About what?” Wonwoo gazes at the perfect side profile.
The brunet shrugs. “Whatever it is that’s upsetting you. If it’s something I did or said, I apologize, but I won’t know how to properly ask for forgiveness if you don’t tell me.”
The hands in his hair still, and Wonwoo bites his lips. Just thinking about that midterm and the comments bring the nestled irritation back to the surface. He was already aggravated when the remarks came from Junhui the TA, but now that he thinks he might actually like him, the results of the midterm seem to sting.
“It’s about the midterm,” he says finally, voice cold and emotionless.
Noting the change, Junhui carefully extracts himself away from Wonwoo’s hold on his shoulder in order to turn fully around. “Did you not get one of the highest grades?”
“It’s not about the grade,” Wonwoo snaps, startling Junhui. He chews on his bottom lip as he waits for Wonwoo to elaborate. “It’s about the last question. I should have received full points,” he glares at his TA, feeling the frustration quickly shooting up. “But because I didn’t solve it exactly the same way the lecture showed, I got points taken off, even though I ended up with the correct answer. Did you not even look at the amount of work I did? It took me half an hour on that one question alone!” his voice is rising, but he can’t stop. “And did you have to be such a dick about it, too? I mean, I get it. You’re smart, you’re a TA. But there’s no need to be so condescending!”
Eyes blown up the size of saucers, Junhui gapes at him. He blinks a couple times, then gets to his feet. “You need to calm down,” he says collectedly, but Wonwoo notices the trembles in his hands. “I’m getting you a real cat.”
When Junhui walks away, Wonwoo reacts on instinct. He doesn’t want a cat, he wants Junhui to stay. He reaches out and tugs on the other’s wrist. But his anger and panic causes him to overcompensate. Instead of a gentle tug to halt his TA’s movement, it turns into a sharp yank. With an alarmed squeak, Junhui falls back, landing straight into Wonwoo’s lap.
Stunned, the boys stare at each other, matching shocked expressions and flushed cheeks.
“I don’t think this is what they meant when they said you can play with the cats.”
At the sound of Mingyu’s voice, they snap their necks in his direction. He’s standing a few feet away, holding his strawberry cream, straw between his teeth. He shakes his head in mock disapproval.
Growing redder by the second, Junhui averts his gaze and scrambles out of Wonwoo’s arms. The latter glares at Mingyu’s smirk, letting go of the brunet.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Junhui tries to explain, eyes darting toward Wonwoo, prompting him to say something.
Heaving a sigh, he says, “Junhui’s my chem TA.”
Mingyu’s brows rise. “You’re getting handsy with your TA? Aside from the fact that it’s probably frowned upon, didn’t you mention you wanted to kick his ass?” Wonwoo sees Junhui’s expression changing from embarrassment to confusion as he listens to Mingyu. Then it turns downright miserable with his next comment, "I mean, I thought you hated the guy."
“I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t shut up, Kim Mingyu,” Wonwoo mutters, glaring at his big-mouthed roommate.
The oversized puppy puts his hand up. “I’m just trying to understand what changed your mind.”
“I’m sorry,” Soonyoung cuts in, once again appearing out of thin air. “But there’s absolutely no violence allowed on the premises, or anywhere else for that matter.” Then he grins. “Whatever the problem, nothing can’t be solved without a nice coffee and some cake!”
“Soonyoung,” Junhui calls, exasperation evident. “This isn’t the time for one of your jokes.”
“Who says i’m joking?” he retorts. “I’m always serious!”
Junhui sighs and shakes his head. He turns to Wonwoo. “Let me see your midterm,” he says calmly, and Wonwoo recognizes his usual quiet TA.
“It’s back at the dorms.”
Nodding, Junhui continues, “Do you want to go get it? I’ll try to see what happened.” There's a dejected hint in his voice, and his eyes are dull. Wonwoo is positive it has to do with Mingyu's last comment. He needs to fix it.
Instead of answering what Junhui just said, he blurts out, “I don’t hate you.”
The brunet blinks. “Uh, thanks… I think?”
An awkward silence settles among the boys. Soonyoung and Mingyu glance at each other. “Um, I’m gonna go back to work.”
“I’m gonna…” Mingyu struggles to come up with an excuse, and the third years stare at him. “I’m just gonna be outside.”
Left alone again, Junhui pretends to fix his apron, while Wonwoo stares at him without appearing too obvious. When the silence and awkwardness becomes unbearable, Wonwoo grits his teeth and walks up to Junhui. This time, it’s really a tug and not a forceful yank. He holds his wrist and takes him back to the couch. His TA doesn’t protest, but he’s staring at his shoes. Both of them sit on the couch this time, maybe a little closer than necessary, but Wonwoo isn’t scooting away. He watches Junhui tracing some invisible picture on his knee.
“I didn’t mean to yell at you,” he starts. “I was just… frustrated.”
Junhui shakes his head, finally looking up. “It’s okay. That’s why you come here, right? To let it all out.”
Even though Wonwoo nods, he’s distracted by the other’s bright eyes and plump lips. It’s odd how he’s been seeing Junhui for months, and only feeling something stir his chest today. He wonders if it’s because today is the first time he’s talked to him as a peer instead of a TA. And he also got to see so many expressions and emotions that he normally doesn’t. He finds that he likes seeing those reactions. A lot.
Not really thinking, he reaches up and plays the hair at the back of Junhui’s head, prompting the other to arch a brow. “Your hair is really soft,” he says simply.
The other laughs, dimples showing, and this time Wonwoo cracks a smile, liking the sound very much.
“You should smile more,” Junhui suggests, head titled as he studies Wonwoo. “It looks really good on you.”
Wonwoo averts his gaze, the tips of his ears heating up. “Thanks.”
“Do you feel better now, or should I get you a real cat to pet?” Junhui teases with a smile, and Wonwoo turns to him. They’re so close; if Wonwoo so much as leans a couple inches, he could kiss him.
Flickering his gaze from the full lips, he stares into Junhui’s dark and sparkling eyes. “I don’t think a real cat would cut it, to be honest.”
“No?” the other quirks a brow, smirk tugging his lips. “That kind of defeats the purpose of coming here, then.”
Lifting his hand, Wonwoo pretends to fix the cat ears as an excuse to get close. “You’re doing a pretty good job, though.”
Junhui laughs, bashful and timid, lowering his gaze. After a few seconds, he says, “I’m glad, because I have a confession to make.”
“What is it?”
Catching his bottom lip in between his teeth, Junhui does a pretty good job at distraction Wonwoo from what he’s about to say. He takes in a deep breath, as if to steady the nerves, and Wonwoo feels a tad nervous. At last, Junhui looks over. “I didn’t grade the last question on the exam.”
“What?” Although his TA’s voice is soft, it sounds like a firetruck.
On top of chewing his lip, Junhui brings his hand up to tug at it. “I only grade pages 3, 6, and 9. The rest were distributed with the other TAs.”
Wonwoo can’t believe this. He’s sitting there, his face as blank as his thoughts.
Softly, Junhui’s concerned voice reaches his ears. “Wonwoo?” A hand is placed on his wrist. It’s warm and pleasant, he thinks. “Are you all right? I'm sorry. I better get you some water.” The last line is mumbled, probably only meant for Junhui’s ears. But Wonwoo isn’t paying attention. He feels him getting up, and he reaches out.
“Stay.” He tugs him back down to his side. He senses Junhui looking at him expectantly, expression so open and vulnerable, and he groans, dropping his head and pushing his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe this,” he mumbles out. “What a freakin’ fool.”
“No, don’t say that!” Junhui scolds lightly. To cut off any retort, he encircles Wonwoo’s shoulders and rubs his arms reassuringly. “I think everyone would feel upset in your situation. Besides, it’s an honest mistake. The other TAs hardly ever show up to lectures, or hold study periods. It’s fine. You didn't know.” His hands are warm and firm as they knead Wonwoo’s arms, and the latter feels himself lulled by the soothing voice and comforting gesture.
Slowly, Wonwoo lifts his head and looks at the gentle smile that Junhui offers him. “Thanks,” he says with a tiny smile of his own. His companion notices the minute change in emotion, and squints his eyes in satisfaction. “I still feel pretty lousy about everything,” he admits with a wry chuckle, “but thanks for being so understanding.”
“Of course!” the other exclaims, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. “I like y—ahem—I mean, I, uh,” a nervous laugh escapes his lips, and he turns bright red, removing his hold on Wonwoo and scooting away on the couch. The latter ignores the feeling of abandonment for the moment, because he’s too busy rewinding what Junhui just said three seconds ago. Would it be too arrogant to think that Junhui might have almost admitted to liking him?
A teasing smile starts to form on his lips. “What? What were you going to say?” he asks, inching toward the other boy, slowly closing the distance between them.
“N-nothing,” the brunet says, but he’s not meeting Wonwoo’s eyes, and his cheeks are flushed. He moves back; however, there’s not much room left before his back hits the armrest. And then he’s stuck between it and Wonwoo’s smirk. He swallows, face downturned. “You’re uh, you’re kind of close.”
The other boy grins. “Is that a problem?”
“It’s just…” he squirms, “People are going to misunderstand again.”
Wonwoo shrugs, leaning his shoulder against the blushing kitty. “I don’t mind. Do you?”
With a start, Junhui peeks up at him. “I’m your TA,” he whispers, glancing around them, as if it’s a secret only to be shared between the two of them.
It’s such an adorable gesture, Wonwoo chuckles. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Then… you know…” Junhui makes some vague hand motions, and Wonwoo does know. Mingyu, despite his bad habit of showing up at the wrong time, was right. It’s not only frowned upon, it’s often forbidden to date your TA. Conflict of interests, as they say.
But that’s not going to stop Wonwoo. He’s already had to suffer through that awful midterm misunderstanding. He’s going to make the best of this mess, damn it.
“Yeah, but not on the weekends, right?” he asks, recalling what Junhui told him when they first saw each other. The other blinks, pink lips slightly parted, bewilderment crossing his large eyes. “As far as anyone knows, I’m just here to pet cats. Well,” he shrugs. “Just one, but, semantics.”
Finally reeling back from the surprise, Junhui gives Wonwoo a look, brow raised. “You seem awfully confident that I’ll go along with those plans."
The other grins, “I thought you wanted to make me feel better.”
“That’s what all the cats are here for,” he points out, poking Wonwoo’s thigh.
Wonwoo looks at him with amusement, really wanting to kiss that tiny pout off of his lips, but he resist the urge for now. “I told you, they’re not going to cut it. You be my cat and de-stress me.” He pokes him back, then fixes the cat ears again.
Junhui looks at him and laughs, a sound that Wonwoo has come to like quite a lot. “So demanding.”
“But you still like me, right?” He has no idea what possessed him to say that, because his ears are burning up from the embarrassment. But when he sees a similar reaction in the other boy, he thinks maybe it’s not too bad.
“I never said that,” the lying liar claims, feigning ignorance by turning his face away.
“You’re a bad kitty,” he mockingly reprimands, bumping their foreheads together.
“Ouch!” Junhui rubs at the spot and pokes the perpetrator, scrunching up his nose and making a face at him. “That is no way to treat a cat.”
The other laughs, running his fingers through Junhui’s hair again. “I guess that means I should come by every weekend and learn, then.”
Propping his cheek on a fist, he watches Wonwoo with amusement. “Every weekend? That’s a big commitment.”
Wonwoo shrugs. “I’ll be okay. It’ll only be until the end of the semester, after all.” When Junhui’s face falls for a moment, he immediately regrets his teasing. Quickly, he thinks of a way to salvage it. “After that, I think I’ll be good enough to take care of him on week days, too.”
“Really?”
He smiles at the brighter expression replacing the previous state. “Yeah. I mean, as long as I don't flunk the class and have to take it again next semester.”
The comment is funny to Junhui, because he laughs and pats Wonwoo’s knee gently. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I’ll take a look at your midterm and talk to the TA who graded it. I’m sure we can work something out.”
Wonwoo lets out a relieved sigh, feeling his chest lighten up. “Thanks.”
Junhui smiles back.
“So,” he nudges his TA’s shoulder. “What should I learn for my first lesson?”
Grinning and nudging his shoulder back, Junhui answers cheekily, “How about anger management?”
Wonwoo burst into laughter at that, nodding, and extending his hand out for a high-five. Junhui meets him halfway, sheepishly laughing along. Then Wonwoo winds an arm around Junhui’s shoulders and leans his head against the other.
“The rest of the semester is going to be tough,” he comments with a sigh.
Junhui tilts his head to the side to see him. “Why?”
The third year cracks a smile, raising his hand to play with the cat ears. “Because I’m gonna keep imagining these on you during lectures.”
His TA rolls his eyes, but he’s laughing, poking Wonwoo’s cheek. “You’re supposed to look at the board and the professor. What are you even doing staring at me?”
Wonwoo turns pink at the teasing, which makes Junhui giggle even more.
“That’s okay,” the brunet says with a smirk. When Wonwoo turns to him, he concludes, “I like looking at you, too.”
The boys lock eyes with identical sheepish grins and rose cheeks.
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From a table outside, Mingyu glances through the window as a cat passes by and catches his attention. He smiles, putting his finger against the glass to play with the gray furred animal for a few seconds. The cat leaves afterward, hopping down to find a brightly colored toy to play with. As Mingyu readjust in his seat, movement inside makes him pause.
His eyes widen when he sees his roommate on the couch with Junhui, the chem TA and one of the waiters of the coffee house. Earlier, when he'd walked in on them, he had hardly believed it. But apparently it was only a misunderstanding. Now, though, if this is a misunderstanding, then he's no longer Kim Mingyu.
Wonwoo is grinning, head tilted toward Junhui's as they exchange words, laughing quietly together. They appear completely off in their own world, not minding the amused and curious looks the other customers are throwing their way. They can't even seem to see Soonyoung in the corner, chin propped in his palm, watching them with tangible excitement. Mingyu's earlier question still remains: how did Wonwoo go from wanting to kill his TA to looking at him like he's the sun? Sure, Junhui is handsome, but Wonwoo isn't the shallow type of guy. Mingyu will have to remember to pester ask him about it later.
For now, he has to gloat.
Gleefully, he opens his text messages and finds Wonwoo's name.
You owe me a 'thank you'. Just like i predicted ;D Aren't you glad I didn't let you mope all day?
Enjoy your date with your TA. How scandalous!