Work Text:
Renjun’s been seeing him for two weeks straight, and he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy it.
He has moved to the area quite a while, it was probably three weeks ago. He has to adapt quickly, meets new neighbours (fortunately, all of them are nice—Lee Donghyuck is a bit…, loud, but Renjun has asked him to keep it down since he prefers a nice and quiet atmosphere when he studies, and Donghyuck said okay), tries transportation options to see which routes he has to take and how long it is—also, if he has to combine both subway and buses. He has come to the best option: buses aren’t really packed and have the best routes for him to take, go to and back from school. So he chooses buses.
But, out of boredom, and maybe he just wanted to explore Seoul more, and most likely because he woke up way earlier than his alarm going off, Renjun started to ride subway. It was when he realized that maybe, subway isn’t bad. At all.
First, it is convenient. With the air conditioner over his head, it keeps him cool during the spring that starts to feel like summer. Second, it is faster. Though he has to walk longer because the station isn’t really near his school, but it’s still okay. Third, uh, well, him.
By him he means a cute and good-looking boy just across the railway. Renjun first saw him two weeks ago, that exact time when he woke up early and decided to ride the subway. That guy was standing exactly across him, earphones on, one foot stomping on whatever music he listened to. He looked anywhere but Renjun, and the latter felt relieved because he didn’t want the guy to think that he was some creepy assholes or so (though a lot of people would never say that—he’s cute, is there even a creep that is cute?). After that day, Renjun just decided to ride subway more, the calculation and all the thoughts of riding buses be damned. The bus stops don’t have that guy he could stare at.
It has been the third week of school, and Renjun still rides subway. He still sees the other guy across the railway, and Renjun starts to pick his little habits. The stomps he makes as he listens to music, the way he yawns and scrunches his nose afterwards, his feet leaning on both sides when he looks bored…, Renjun remembers them all, and he thinks he’s stupid for knowing this. They don’t even know each other, and he’s already whipped. He can hear Jeno’s voice in his mind, telling him to put himself together and stick to the original plan of riding buses because he’s started to coming late and apparently, staring at some cute guy in the station won’t get him high grades.
Sadly, Jeno is right.
That’s what makes Renjun say to himself one fine morning, that today will be the last day he rides the subway. Jeno made him promise to stop coming late, and start riding buses again, in exchange he even tried to play matchmaker if Renjun really needs a boyfriend. He mentioned some name, Dong Sicheng or something like that, and Renjun eventually agreed. Not that he really wants a boyfriend, he just wants Jeno to shut up and stop embarrassing him in front of their friends. Jaemin’s been calling him a lover boy for three days now and he can’t really hear that for the rest of his school life.
He arrives earlier than ever, and of course the subway guy hasn’t been there yet. Renjun knows that he’s early and he really should think that maybe the guy is on his way or something, but he still feels a little disappointed. It actually brings him to the fact that he’s been the only one who wants to see the other, and of course it’s been him—what does he expect? Renjun moves closer to a column, leaning on his side and waiting for the cute boy to come, maybe in a minute or two.
Or five. Six…? Ten? … fifteen?
…
Or perhaps he doesn’t come.
Renjun straightens up his back, chewing on his lower lip. The guys hasn’t come, it’s almost the time for him to go aboard, but he isn’t there. Renjun frowns. Is the guy late? Or worse, is he sick? Renjun knows it’s not his place to worry because they are not even acquaintances, but he finds himself running to the other side of station, exactly across from the spot he usually stands. He’s looking for him in the toilet, searching through a sea of people, behind the columns, on the benchs…, but he sees nothing. His frown deepens, and at this point he actually doesn’t care if he’s late again to his class. Jeno must be mad if he knows the reason, but Renjun can’t stop himself from worrying over someone he doesn’t even know the name, let alone the numbers he could call to know where the hell he is.
He huffs out a sad sigh, standing on the guy’s usual spot with his shoulders droopy—that’s when he hears a timid voice on his back.
“Hey…?”
Renjun turns his head only to see a guy—the one he’s been staring at for two weeks, the cute guy he’s been drooling over, that guy—standing behind him, so close that Renjun can see sweat forming on his forehead. He looks like he’s been running like crazy, from the way he sucks air and his chest moving up and down so quickly. Renjun feels no weight on his shoulder anymore, his frown disappears, but he has one question to ask so he almost barks, “Where were you?”—in which the boy in front of him responds with a frown and a small ‘huh?’.
Great, Huang Renjun. Now you will be remembered as a creepy boy who has been eyeing his prey for weeks.
“I mean,” Renjun blinks, the gesture he does when he’s embarrassed and has nothing to say, “I just—I’m sorry, I’ll leave,” it is the best option, to run and never show up anymore. Yet before he can sprint out and hide himself beside some stinky trash bin, he feels a hand tugging on his right arm and stopping him from walking further. Renjun can feel the blood running from his face because he’s scared, so scared that the guy will investigate him and drag him to the nearest police station with the accusation of Renjun being a creep and maybe some made up story of him actually wanting to steal something from the guy, or anything.
Oh, please. He still needs to graduate, he can’t leave his mom all alone in home when he’s locked up in a jail. Please.
What he doesn’t expect when he turns around is, that guy is actually blushing. And he has a nice feature on his face, his eyebrows are perfect, his eyes doe, his cheekbones are protruding and his smile is…, beautiful—wait, did he just smile? To Renjun? To…, the creep that he should drag to the police?
“Did you look for me?”
One more thing Renjun notes in his mind, this guy’s voice sounds so nice. Gentle and strong in one time, how could that even possible. And for the question, Renjun can’t even reply with anything. Not even a nod, nor a yes, or anything because he doesn’t want to look even dumber than he already does. While he keeping silent and refusing to answer, the guy actually has the audacity to laugh it off (oh, he sounds really nice when he laughs, too) and when Renjun is about to wiggle his hand off the guy’s firm grip—he starts to think that it’s actually the other way around, he’s not a creep, this guy is—he hears the guy clearing his throat and letting his hand go.
“Because I did,”
Now is the right time for Jeno to take a picture of Renjun’s dumbest face and state—he’s gaping, for God’s sake, and look at his eyes getting bigger, almost out of the holes.
“Why—when,” but most importantly, “… what?”
The guy scratches his head, getting so flushed and red before saying, “I…, I’m sorry if I creep you out, but, uhm,” he tilts his head to the side, his tongue poking out a bit as he’s (looking like he’s) trying to form a sentence—and Renjun just wants to pinch his cheeks because he’s so cute…, before remembering that this guy is, perhaps, a creep. A cute creep, actually. “I just…, I’ve been seeing you lately? I mean, I know I didn’t see you before but one day I saw you across and…, and, the day after you were there too, and I just…, I’m getting used to see you there across my spot. That’s it, I’m sorry if I’m being weird, I’ve been called that a lot,” an awkward chuckle completes his words before he’s being silent again, maybe waiting for Renjun to speak literally anything.
Renjun doesn’t really know how to respond, so he smartly asks, “But you’re not here today, though?”
His train comes afterwards, and Renjun lets out a faint ‘shit’ from his mouth, already having a scenario of Jeno shaking his head because Renjun actually ditches school only to talk to a stranger. Sorry for being a disappointment to you, Jeno. He turns his head to the taller guy, “Your train already came, anyway, and that is—“
“Yours. I know.”
Okay, actually, what the hell is happening here?
Renjun forgets to form any sentences for a while, he even forgets to breathe—damn, is it hot here or just him? Being flustered, Renjun doesn’t forget about his unanswered question. “So, are you sick or running late?”
The guy clears his throat (another habit Renjun takes note on—WHAT THE HELL, RENJUN, STOP!) and runs his hand through his hair, biting his lower lip before opening his mouth, “I…, I kinda wanted to talk to you, so,” an unnecessary um—it’s long enough for Renjun to look at the guy’s name tag and read, Mark Lee, “I came to the other side of station, to…, maybe greet you or something but I saw you running across to my usual spot…. I couldn’t bring myself to catch you because I was confused…, well, I still am, but, yeah. That’s it.”
Renjun actually needs a lot of time to comprehend all the things that are going on here, he mentally lists one by one and holy shit, he’s not the only one? He hasn’t been the only one? “I—wait, so are you telling me we’ve been looking at each other this whole time?” The taller guy of them two—Mark, apparently—raises his eyebrows, perhaps both confused and happy to hear Renjun using the word we, and shrugs his shoulders.
“Yeah…, so, what do you think about one cup of coffee?”
Renjun decides he likes to see the taller guy getting flushed in the deepest shade of red, he thinks that he looks cuter that way—Renjun decides to play a little, mini game that won’t hurt.
Thus, he replies, “I don’t like it.” Renjun almost falls on his knees, laughing at the blood running out from Mark’s face and the blinks his eyes do it’s so fast and hilarious. Because he’s nice and Mark deserves better, Renjun continues with, “I prefer two,” he chuckles, “and a small talk. That would be lovely.” The smallest of shy smile is painted on his face, Renjun tries his best not to get it wide and enthusiastic—when he’s very much so.
Mark laughs, after passing three whole seconds to gape at the shorter boy. He scratches the back of his head, can’t really hide the wide smile. “Okay. We have so much time for that so-called small talk, anyway, you’re not planning to go catching up the next train, are you?”
One last thing he decides this morning, is that spending time with Mark will be enough to cure his deaf ears after getting yelled by Jeno later—so he shakes his head. “No. Now, bring me to the coziest café near here. You better make this worth it.”
Mark laughs once more, “Aye, captain, and you gotta tell me your name. I guess it would be beautiful and pleasant to hear.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Renjun definitely will ride subway more.