Work Text:
“I know you.” Junhui Wen says, when Wonwoo wakes up. “Wonwoo Jeon, right? Didn’t we go to high school together?”
Wonwoo remembers where the bathroom in this apartment is, vaguely, because he remembers passing by it six times while trying to avoid watching Jihoon Lee make out with Soonyoung Kwon. His memory serves him well, but as it is, he barely makes it there before throwing up.
---
Jeon Wonwoo arrives in the United States of America at the age of fifteen (international age, of course, because he lives in America now) with a suitcase of clothing and an address typed into his phone that he can barely read. Somehow, he makes it to the boarding school, where one of the live-in staff members takes him to the dormitory. He tells Wonwoo that he’ll be living with the rest of the first year students, calls him a “freshman”, and shows him where to put his stuff.
Wonwoo is sharing the room with two other students, but it hardly matters. He’s fifteen and young and this is the first time he’s been away from his family and he lives in America now. Most importantly, though, he’s terrifyingly alone.
---
“I’m going to kill you.” Wonwoo says, sliding into his seat two minutes before class starts. “Don’t invite someone to a party if you’re just going to spend the whole time making out with your fuckbuddy.”
Jihoon raises an eyebrow as the professor starts setting up her slides. “You had a good time, didn’t you?” He asks, and Wonwoo fumes, because it doesn't matter if he had a good time or not. He has a smashing headache, woke up in a stranger's bed this morning, and has a text on his phone from an unknown number that says This is Junhui ヾ(*'▽'*) Did you make it back to your dorm okay?
“I don’t know.” He says. “I don’t remember much.” Once he had seen Jihoon completely wasted and making out with his best friend slash worst enemy, Wonwoo had given himself permission to do the same. Get drunk that is, because he has neither a best friend nor a worst enemy.
Probably not his smartest decision, given the fact that it was a Thursday night, but it was a choice he made nonetheless.
Jihoon opens his mouth to speak, but the professor cuts in sharply. “Good morning, class.” She says. There’s a glint in her eye that tells Wonwoo she knows half her class is either hungover or half asleep. Or both. (Probably both.)
Wonwoo turns away from Jihoon to his laptop, ready to take notes. Even if English was his first language, computer science is hard stuff, and Wonwoo can’t afford to fail.
***
14:17
just got back to the dorms
thanks for letting me sleep in your bed lol
14:23
just got back??? ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ
did u have class????
14:24
yeah lol
14:27
im sorry!!!
i shldve woken u up sooner o(TヘTo)
14:27
its fine dont worry about it
my fault for partying on a weekday
14:30
i think seungcheol choi is having one on sat night?
u shld def go!!!
ill b there \(★ω★)/
*
22:54
maybe
***
By second period, Wonwoo is ready to quit. He’s genuinely four seconds away from calling his mom (so what if international calls cost extra), telling her he can’t do it, and getting on a plane to go back to Korea.
He’s walking to his third class of the day. It’s a math class, which Wonwoo is good at, but he doesn’t have much hope, because so far biology and history have made no sense to him at all whatsoever. His teachers had talked, and he had stared at the board, the unfamiliar language going straight over his head.
So. Wonwoo is ten steps away from what he’s pretty sure is his math classroom when every single thought flies out of his head. He no longer remembers what he was thinking about, or the struggles of his morning, because right there in front of him is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen in his life. The other student has long hair pulled into a bun, moles dotting his perfect face, and he’s walking with two friends, laughing at something the short one is saying.
He’s beautiful, and Wonwoo wonders if this is what love at first sight is, because it must be. No one he’s met has ever affected him like this boy does.
Across the hall from where Wonwoo’s standing (gaping), one of the kids from Wonwoo’s history class opens his locker and subsequently drops all of his books on the floor. The crash echoes through the hallway, and Wonwoo winces, because everyone’s staring, and if there’s one thing he’s learned throughout his time in public school, it’s that dropping your books in the hallway and catching the attention of everyone around is a great way to get bullied.
But this is a private boarding school for rich business owners and international students, and this beautiful boy must actually be the most perfect person in existence, because the subject of all of Wonwoo’s dreams and desires stops, bends down, and helps the freshman pick up his stuff. Other students step around them, giggling to themselves, but the beautiful boy doesn’t pay any attention to them, and Wonwoo is half in love already.
“Moon Jun, let’s go!” The beautiful boy’s taller friend calls from the end of the hallway.
“Thanks.” The freshman mutters, clutching his things to his chest, shoulders bent over in defense.
The beautiful boy (whose name must be Moon Jun ???) smiles. “No problem!” He says cheerfully, and runs to catch up with his friends.
Wonwoo, by some inhuman strength, turns away instead of staring at Moon Jun’s back. Maybe America won’t be so bad, after all.
He spends the entirety of math thinking about the beautiful boy and still somehow walks away with perfect comprehension of the entire lesson. Huh.
---
Wonwoo doesn’t go to Seungcheol Choi’s party Saturday night. One, he’s still nursing his headache from Friday morning, and two, Mingyu promised to cook for him, and he’s not stupid enough to turn down a home cooked meal. Or time spent with his closest friend, but that comes second to good food.
Mingyu makes enough spaghetti to feed an army. Or, at least, enough to satisfy Wonwoo and Minghao, Mingyu’s roommate. The community kitchen is crowded, but that doesn't stop the three of them from claiming a table in the corner and chowing down.
Wonwoo’s phone buzzes in his pocket, which is strange, because he only really texts one person, and that person is currently right in front of him, stuffing his face with pasta.
“Why’d you even go to that party to begin with?” Mingyu asks, once his mouth is empty and no longer a danger zone.
Wonwoo shrugs, even though he knows exactly why he went. “Jihoon invited me.”
Mingyu blinks. “Jihoon Lee, like Junhui’s Jihoon? How do you even know him?”
Minghao is eyeing them both with the expression of someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, which is good, because that means only one person is currently staring at Wonwoo judgmentally, but also bad, because Mingyu is useless at advice.
“Yeah.” Wonwoo says, because there’s no way to redeem himself now. “That Jihoon. I sit next to him in compsci.”
Mingyu nods. “Right.” He says. “So Jihoon invited you, and you went. Expecting to see Junhui, I bet, but then you…?”
“Blacked out and woke up in his bed.” Wonwoo finishes truthfully, because he knows exactly what Mingyu is trying to get at. “The last thing I recall is watching him dance with Jeonghan Yoon, and I wake up in his bed.” Wearing a hoodie that definitely does not belong to him, Wonwoo doesn’t add, because this conversation is hard enough as is.
“Right.” Mingyu says again, looking completely dumbfounded. Wonwoo doesn’t blame him. It’s his own life, and Wonwoo still can’t believe it happened to him.
“So what are you going to do now?” Minghao asks. He sounds both interested and not, like it’s none of his business but he’s interested in the tea.
Wonwoo smiles, and it’s a completely fake smile, but luckily, he’s been lying his whole life. “Exactly what I do best.” He says. “Pretend nothing happened.”
***
21:27
r u coming?? (=^･ω･^=)
21:42
ur friends with hoonie?
i didnt kno (°ロ°) !
00:43
sorry
i was having dinner with a friend from high school
01:29
oooooooo mingyu? ∪＾ェ＾∪
u guys were pretty close werent u??
hes vv tall,,,,
01:38
yeah
01:40
٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ ( Φ ω Φ ) (･ω<)☆
***
Wonwoo finds out through some in depth research and stalking (aka asking his roommates) who the beautiful boy is.
His name is Junhui Wen (which doesn’t sound anything like Moon Jun), and he’s a second year (a sophomore). His two friends are also sophomores, and Wonwoo is probably around their age, but because of one reason or another he’s somehow ended up a year behind.
Junhui Wen is also very popular. Whenever Wonwoo sees him in the hallways, he’s always surrounded by other people– whether it be his two friends, Soonyoung Kwon and Jihoon Lee, or other students who are naturally attracted to his beauty. Wonwoo understands completely. There’s just something about Junhui that draws him in, makes him unable to tear his eyes away in fear that he might miss something.
Junhui Wen is also incredibly smart. Wonwoo thinks it’s unfair, that someone so good looking and sociable can also be so smart, but Junhui gets near perfect grades in every class and has a perfect four-point-oh gpa, whatever that means. He also dances, and used to be an actor, and Wonwoo starts storing all the information he finds out in a very small corner of his brain. It’s the same place he puts his parents’ expression when they dropped him off at the airport and the smell of the ocean on a hot summer day– all the things most important to him.
“Why are you asking?” One of his roommates asks. “Isn’t it kind of creepy?”
His other roommate snorts. “Are you gay? You into him, or something?”
Wonwoo doesn’t answer either of them. It’s not like Junhui’s ever going to know he exists, anyways.
---
“Hey.” Wonwoo looks up from his laptop, sees Junhui’s face, and immediately wishes he didn’t. “Can I sit?”
Junhui has an iced coffee in hand and a backpack slung around his shoulder carelessly. Wonwoo wants to say no, because Junhui is wearing shorts and a striped tee and his short hair looks unfairly good, but when he looks around, no other table in the small cafe is open.
“Sure.” He says, clearing his papers and pushing his classes up his nose. “Be my guest.”
“Thanks!” Junhui’s voice is bright, and there’s a smattering of bb cream on his face covering his moles, and Wonwoo’s heart does a flip. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“You’re welcome, I guess.” Wonwoo replies, turning back to his half-finished essay. It’s due in two days, but he’s always hated academic writing, and English grammar can suck a dick.
“Whatcha working on?” Junhui asks, peering over his shoulder. Wonwoo can smell sunscreen and sweat and something a little bit sweeter, like apples, and his heart does another flip. He tells it to shut up and calm down.
“Essay.” Junhui has an iPad and a stylus, and his screen is open to some expensive looking drawing software, because of course he’s good at art, too.
“Oh wow.” When Wonwoo looks over, Junhui’s eyes are wide, and his mouth is slightly open. His lips look extremely kissable, unlike Wonwoo’s, which are crusty and cracked and bleeding half the time.
“You read a lot, so you must be really good at writing.” Junhui’s lips are saying, and it takes Wonwoo’s brain a moment to catch up.
“Not this shit, though.” He snorts. “Writing for fun? Sure, that’s fine, but this–” He gestures to his screen. “This isn’t fun.”
“Plus, writing is a lot different than reading. It’s different to be taking words out of your brain, rather than putting words in.”
Junhui cocks his head like a puppy, or a very inquisitive cat, and it suddenly makes sense to Wonwoo why he uses those god-forsaken emoticons all the time now. It’s because they look just like him. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Wonwoo says, because it’s hard to put his thoughts into words. “When you write things, you’re giving a part of yourself away, y’know? Your opinions and knowledge and experiences are all part of what makes you who you are, and inevitably some of that is going to get transferred into whatever you’re writing. When you’re reading, you get to look into other people’s thought processes, and that’s much more interesting, to me. Writing essays and papers and academic shit makes me feel exposed, and it’s worse, because the professors don’t even care about any of that. They’re just looking to give you a grade.”
When Wonwoo finishes his rant, Junhui is just staring, and Wonwoo can feel his face getting red. “What?” He asks, trying not to let his embarrassment show too much.
Junhui shakes his head slowly. “You’re really passionate about this, aren’t you?”
“So what if I am?” Wonwoo replies, because he’s not going to let Junhui make him feel self-conscious about this. He has more self-respect than that.
“It’s not a bad thing!” Junhui is quick to understand what Wonwoo’s getting at. “It’s not a bad thing at all. I like it when you get passionate about things. It’s cute.”
Junhui starts to turn red, but Wonwoo barely notices it, his brain stuck in a loop. It’s cute. Junhui had said. It’s cute. It’s cute. It’s cute.
“So!” Junhui changes the subject. “What are you majoring in, then? Creating writing? Journalism?”
Wonwoo stares blankly. “Were you listening?” He asks, because Junhui is supposed to be smart. “I hate writing. I'm a math major.”
Junhui shakes his head. His reactions to everything Wonwoo says are incredibly endearing. “No, you said you hate writing for people who don’t care.”
“Wonwoo Jeon.” Junhui says, pronouncing his name with a perfect Korean accent. “I will always care about what you have to say.”
Junhui stares deeply into his eyes. Wonwoo looks away first.
***
20:05
i had fun today!! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
we should hang out again sometime~~
20:07
me too
yeah sure lol
20:08
u shld write me a story! ___〆(・∀・)
20:08
a story?
20:09
uh huh!!
make it funny!! u have rlly good jokes
20:11
lol mingyu hates my jokes
20:11
perfect!!
my friends hate my jokes 2…
(╥﹏╥)(╥﹏╥)(╥﹏╥)
20:12
lol
20:21
hows the writing essay going??
20:23
bad
very bad
is it too late to drop out of school
20:24
yes yes it is
dont leave ill miss u 2 much
｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡
20:26
lol
you dont want me to write you a story
itll be so bad
20:27
no it wont! ♡ ～('▽^人)
and even if it was
idc!!!!!
i always wanna hear what u have 2 say (⌒▽⌒)☆
20:30
ah
thanks
20:30
(つ≧▽≦)つ
***
Wonwoo spends the rest of the year struggling through his classes, avoiding conversation with his roommates, and watching Junhui Wen from afar.
To clarify, it’s not that he hates his roommates. It’s just that they’re not interested in the same things, and would rather go out to the back of the school and smoke weed while Wonwoo would rather stay inside and read. Personal differences, but there’s enough of them that it’s impossible to reconcile, so Wonwoo finishes the year friendless and alone, the same way he came.
When he goes back home, he sleeps for nearly two days straight, and goes to the beach to sit in the sand and stare at the water. The ocean is the same as it always is, the tides rising and falling without fail, and the universe doesn’t care that Wonwoo is lonely. Somehow, that thought is comforting.
Wonwoo briefly wonders what Junhui Wen is doing during his summer vacation. He had hoped that some distance would be good, that he would forget the way Junhui’s eyes crinkle at the corners when he laughs, but if anything, Wonwoo is seeing Junhui more often now. He sees Junhui in the bright sun, he sees Junhui in the sticky sweet popsicles he gets from the convenience store, and he sees Junhui in his dreams.
They’re all sorts of dreams, ranging from platonic and friendly to hot and perverse. Wonwoo wakes up some mornings, his underwear sticky and a disgusting feeling in his stomach, but the dreams are oh-so-good in the moment, and they don’t stop.
“We sent you away because we thought it would be better.” Wonwoo’s mother says to him one night, when he’s sitting in the living room, cool breeze floating in through the open window, ruffling the pages in his book. “We were hoping things would be better for you.”
Wonwoo shrugs, and closes his book. He doesn’t want to talk about this. “I’m not sure that’s possible.” He says, before retreating to his room.
That night, he dreams the worst dream of all. It’s not one of the sex dreams, which can get pretty bad, especially since they’re about someone who has no idea he exists. Instead, it’s fairly normal, all things considered. Junhui is walking with his friends down the hallway at school, only Wonwoo’s there with them. He’s holding Junhui’s hand, and laughing with Soonyoung and Jihoon, and when they get to Wonwoo’s math classroom Junhui kisses him goodbye and tells Wonwoo he’ll see him at lunch.
Wonwoo wakes up with tears in his eyes and beads of sweat creeping down his neck. In the dead of night, with only the moon watching him, Wonwoo lies awake until sunrise, counting his breaths in silence.
---
“I don’t understand jack shit in this class.” Jihoon heaves himself into the chair next to Wonwoo in the library, and Wonwoo glances over in sympathy.
Wonwoo is majoring in math. He likes math, and he’s pretty good at it, because math is a language in and of itself that never really needed a translation, and he only has good memories associated with math. Jihoon, on the other hand, is majoring in music composition and production. He doesn’t do math, or science, or whatever category compsci falls under, despite it being required for his major.
“Good thing you have me.” He says, opening his laptop.
Jihoon squints at his screen. “What’s that?” He asks, because there are words on a word document, but they aren’t in neat little paragraphs the way essays are organized.
“Nothing.” Wonwoo says, and quickly switches tabs before Jihoon can read anything on the screen. “It’s compsci time.”
Jihoon groans, but leaves the subject alone. “Ugh. Do we have to?”
Wonwoo laughs. “Do you want to pass the class or not?” He asks. It’s a rhetorical question. Jihoon is the literal definition of a perfectionist, and even if Wonwoo wasn’t here helping him, he’s sure Jihoon would pass anyway. Even throughout high school, if Jihoon wasn’t the best in his class, he was only second to Junhui.
“Fine.” He says, not sounding happy about it. “Teach me your ways, oh wise one.”
They both open their laptops to the problem set, but before Wonwoo can begin explaining how to do question one, a bright voice interrupts their study session.
“Jihoonie!” Junhui calls, earning the glares from several students nearby. “Wonwoo!”
Jihoon is one of the nearby students glaring. “Don’t call me that.” He huffs, grumpily. Wonwoo hides his laugh behind his hand.
“Yeah, yeah.” Junhui says. “What are you guys working on?”
Jihoon frowns angrily at his computer, and it’s actually kind of adorable. “Compsci.” He says. “Which you know nothing about, so please go away.”
The statement itself is kind of mean, but Junhui must be used to it, because he pays it no mind.
“Wonwoo?” Junhui pouts, pushing his lower lip out, and Wonwoo is ready to lose his mind. Being this cute should be illegal. “You don’t want me to leave, do you?”
“Do what you want.” Wonwoo manages to reply, somehow holding on to two of his brain cells. The rest of his mind is focused on how easy it would be to lean forward and bite–
“Awesome, thanks!” Junhui cheers, stealing a chair from the table next to them and sitting down. He pulls out his iPad and stylus again, and when Wonwoo manages to sneak a peek, he sees what looks to be the beginning of a very realistic dragon.
“That looks good.” He says, because he didn’t actually manage to catch a glimpse of what Junhui was drawing the other day in the café.
Junhui beams. “Thanks!” He says. “It’s for my brother. He loves dragons.” Junhui drags out the “o” in “loves”, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, and Wonwoo can’t help but smile back.
“Ugh.” Jihoon says. “Can we please get this done.”
“Right, sorry.” Wonwoo says, because now is not the time to be distracted by Junhui’s good looks and his precious love for his brother. “Problem one.”
The three of them work for a little while, the silence only broken when Wonwoo is explaining different problems to Jihoon. After a while, Jihoon gets the hang of it, because he’s basically a genius, and it’s smooth sailing from there.
“Done.” Jihoon breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
“Good job.” Wonwoo says offhandedly, because he’s busy replying to a text from Mingyu about fried chicken. “I knew you could do it.”
“Hyung?” Junhui asks out of the blue. Both Wonwoo and Jihoon turn to look at him, but they don’t have to turn far, because he’s creeping behind Wonwoo, peeking at his texts from over his shoulder. For a split second Wonwoo wonders if Junhui knows what personal space is before remembering that he doesn’t really care. He’ll take any opportunity he can get to be as close to Junhui as possible.
“Wonwoo’s a sophomore, dipshit.” Jihoon says. “We’re juniors.”
Junhui shakes his head. “No, Mingyu calls you Hyung? I thought you were in the same year?”
Oh. “I’m older than him by a year.” Wonwoo explains. “Even though we’re both sophomores, yeah.”
Junhui blinks rapidly. “So you’re our age, then?” He asks. “I always thought you were younger.”
Wonwoo shrugs. “July ‘96.” He says.
Jihoon breathes out heavily through his teeth. “Shit, you’re older than me?” He asks. “The fuck?”
Junhui laughs loudly, far too loud for the library. He gets shushed along with glares, this time. “No way.” He says. “That’s great.”
Jihoon shakes his head in misery. “I can’t believe I’m still the youngest.”
“Well.” Normally Wonwoo wouldn’t reach out like this, but there’s something about the air that makes him feel a little bit brave. Maybe it’s the way Jihoon slouches in his chair, soft despite his harsh words. Maybe it’s the way Junhui is smiling at him, soft and kind, one single earring twinkling in the artificial light. Maybe something has always been building up to this moment, ever since the first time Wonwoo saw Junhui and his friends in the hallway of their high school, laughing and smiling and wishing he could be part of that group.
“I’m getting dinner with Mingyu soon.” He tells Junhui and Jihoon. “Do you guys wanna come? You won’t be the youngest anymore.”
He can’t help the smile that erupts on his face when they say yes.
***
23:11
it was
a terrible idea
to introduce hoonie to mingyu
..・ヾ(。＞＜)シ
o!
1111 makeawish
23:21
lol
its fine
minghao was able to control them
well
him and soonyoung i guess
23:22
minghao!! (♡°▽°♡)
my brother from another mother!!!
23:22
lol
im glad you guys had a good time
23:23
the best time!!!
your friends r rlly nice!!!
23:24
eh minghao is more gyus friend than mine
theyre roommates
23:24
ohmygod they were ROOMMATES ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ
and idk what ur talking about!!
WERE your friends now!!
°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
23:25
lol thats good then
i think my mom was getting worried about me
23:26
mrs jeon you have nothing to fear!!
wonwoo is loved by many
loved by all!!!! ♡ (⇀ 3 ↼)
23:27
she’ll be happy to hear that then
23:27
Yayayay (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡
23:29
:)
23:30
ต(=ω=)ตต(=ω=)ตต(=ω=)ต
***
Wonwoo makes his first friend in America his sophomore year of high school.
All of his classes are harder, and everything seems more fast paced, and yet at the same time, it’s starting to feel a little more natural.
He only has one roommate this year, and it’s another Korean boy who is somehow taller and clumsier than Wonwoo is. Long story short, it’s a match made in heaven.
Mingyu Kim isn’t an international student, though. He’s Korean-American, born and raised on this side of the world, and he has a distinct American accent when he speaks Korean to his parents. Still, he makes sure to always call Wonwoo “Hyung” respectfully, and that little bit of home away from home makes Wonwoo think that, perhaps, this year will be a good one.
He helps Wonwoo with his english, too, walking him through pronunciation issues, and when Wonwoo asks him what he knows about Junhui Wen, he doesn't crack any mean-spirited jokes.
“Junhui’s really hot, isn’t he.” He says, and Wonwoo blushes for the rest of the day. Still, that’s the most he says on the subject, and for that Wonwoo is extremely grateful.
“So.” Mingyu says one Saturday afternoon at the beginning of the semester, while Wonwoo is forcing himself through Romeo and Juliet. “One of the upperclassmen is having a party at his house tonight, and it’s only like a fifteen minute walk from here. Thoughts?”
Wonwoo puts down his book and shrugs. “That’s not really my thing.” He says.
Something in Mingyu’s eyes glint. “I heard Junhui Wen will be there.” It’s game over from there.
The party itself is boring. Wonwoo doesn’t see a single hint of Junhui or his friends the entire night, and as an underclassman, he only has one drink ticket.
Mingyu, on the other hand, is a social animal. But by the time one a.m. hits, Wonwoo is tired, and the buzz from his single solitary beer has worn off a long time ago. So he grabs Mingyu, forces him to say goodbye to the two freshman girls he was chatting up, and starts the long walk home.
“You know.” Mingyu says, stumbling. “It’s okay to have a crush.”
Wonwoo wonders how Mingyu got his hands on extra drink tickets. He wishes he were at least tipsy right now, instead of painfully sober, so he wouldn't have to deal with this.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wonwoo says.
Mingyu turns and grabs Wonwoo’s face with his hands, and they’re sticky and rough, but Wonwoo thinks he gets the idea.
“No, no.” Mingyu says. “I gotchu, bro. I may not get it, but I’m here for you. We’re bros.”
Wonwoo sighs, and removes Mingyu’s hands from his face. “Okay, okay.” He says. The chances of Mingyu remembering this in the morning are painfully slim, so really, Wonwoo can talk about whatever he wants right now and get away with it.
But Mingyu is still being painfully earnest, staring with puppy dog eyes and an exaggerated pout, so Wonwoo gives in. He’s always been partial to cute things.
“My parents decided to send me here after I came out to them. Korea’s not as accepting of these kind of things, so they thought it would be better if I could make a life for myself here, in America, where being gay is more okay.”
Mingyu nods and strokes his non-existent beard. “That makes sense.” He says. “So why are you still hiding in the closet?”
“I’m not hiding.” Wonwoo replies, slightly affronted. “There’s a difference between being closeted and crushing on a guy who has no idea you exist.”
“Yeah, but you could tell him.” Mingyu offers. “Then he would know you exist.”
Wonwoo wonders what that would be like. If he just walked up to Junhui Wen in between classes or at the dormitories and introduced himself. He wonders what Junhui would do, if he would shake his hand and invite him to lunch or just stare blankly at this random dude with absolutely no right to approach possibly the most popular guy in the entire school.
“No thanks.” Wonwoo says, because he isn’t brave.
“So what, you’d rather just spend the rest of your high school life crushing from afar? Never knowing what could actually happen?”
Wonwoo shrugs. “Maybe?” He says. “Or maybe we’ll meet naturally, at a party or something. I won’t force it.”
Mingyu sighs. “Hopeless.” He replies, but they walk the rest of the way back to the dorm in silence.
Wonwoo knows Mingyu remembers their talk the next morning, because he finds a rainbow flag enamel pin under his pillow two nights later, but he finds he doesn’t mind. Mingyu treats him normally, still calling him “Hyung” and forcing him to talk to other human beings instead of hiding away in his room, and if this is what it’s like to have a friend, then– well, it’s not so bad.
---
“Hey, can I sit?”
Wonwoo looks up from his computer. He’s been stuck on a particularly difficult paragraph since last night, running through the different scenarios his characters could take. He had fallen asleep to the images of two kittens, running through a forest, getting more and more lost as they go.
“Junhui,” Wonwoo sighs, “We’ve been meeting here every week for a month. You don’t have to ask to sit anymore.”
“Still!” Junhui says, sitting next to Wonwoo. He’s wearing jeans this time, but he still smells like apple shampoo and bb cream, and Wonwoo breathes in the scent carefully. “It’s the polite thing to do.”
Wonwoo rolls his eyes. “Whatever.” He says, changing tabs on his computer and pulling up his homework. “I don’t actually own this table in this café, and you’re being ridiculous.”
Junhui hums. “Nothing new, then.” He accepts the insult easily, and Wonwoo wishes he were half as confident as Junhui is, because life would be so much easier if he was. “What are you working on?”
“Math.” Wonwoo says, turning his computer towards Junhui. “See? We call those funny shapes numbers in the STEM world.”
“Uh huh, very funny.” Junhui sucks up the last of his iced coffee, and quick as a snake, changes tabs back to Wonwoo’s word document. “What’s this?” He smirks.
“Hey!” Wonwoo jerks, quickly taking his computer back. “None of your business, that’s what it is.”
Something in Junhui’s eyes glint. “Wonwoo Jeon,” He says, and Wonwoo ignores the shiver down his spine he feels whenever Junhui says his name. “Are you actually writing me a story?”
Wonwoo bites his lip. “Maybe.” He says.
Junhui’s face is turning red, but his grin is getting wider and wider, and Wonwoo’s greatest weakness is Junhui when he’s happy. “You are! You actually are, I can’t believe you’re writing me a story.”
Wonwoo blushes. “You asked for one.” He replies.
Junhui shakes his head. “I didn’t think you’d actually do it.” He says. “What’s it about? Is it funny?”
“I’m not telling you.” Wonwoo replies. “You’ll know the answer to both questions when I finish it.”
Junhui pouts, and Wonwoo was wrong. This is his greatest weakness. “Please?” Junhui asks in a cutesy voice, bottom lip quivering. “Not even a little hint?”
“No.” Wonwoo pushes Junhui’s face away to hide how close he is to giving in. His ears are burning, and he’s sure his face is bright red all the way down to his neck, but maybe Junhui won’t notice. “Stop asking.”
Junhui leans back in his chair. “Fine.” He huffs. “When are you going to be done, then?”
Wonwoo shrugs. “Maybe by your birthday. I also have actual school work to do too, you know.”
Junhui rolls his eyes. “I’m obviously more important.” He jokes, and Wonwoo doesn’t voice it, but definitely agrees. “Also, do you even know when my birthday is?”
“Uh, June?” Wonwoo asks, because shit. Junhui is going to think he’s a stalker. “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Soonyoung call you Moon Jun before, so I kind of assumed.” Wonwoo digs his fingers into a rip in his jeans, because he needs to shut up. The more he talks, the worse the situation gets.
Thankfully, Junhui just laughs. “That has nothing to do with my birthday, even though you are right. Moon Jun is my Korean name.”
Wonwoo’s mind blanks for a split second. “I’m pretty sure I heard you’re Chinese.” He tries, hesitatingly.
“Yeah, I am.” Junhui nods. “But my dad lives in Korea, so I use the language every time I go to visit him.”
“You speak Korean?” Wonwoo asks, in Korean. The words are unfamiliar on his tongue, because he only really speaks English in America, but Junhui doesn’t flinch.
“Yes?” He raises an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you know this. I’ve definitely spoken Korean around you before. I read your messages with Mingyu in Korean?”
“Mingyu and I text in English.” He says automatically. Mingyu’s spelling is atrocious– Wonwoo can’t imagine how long it would take Mingyu to type a single sentence if they texted in Korean.
But Junhui does have a point. Mingyu, the overexcited puppy, does text Wonwoo in Korean sometimes. Normally it’s simple things, like hello or thanks. Or, in one very particular case, Hyung.
“Also, I pronounce your name properly.” Junhui wrinkles his nose. “Or, at least, I think I do.”
And yes, he does. Even though it’s Wonwoo Jeon and not Jeon Wonwoo, Junhui’s pronunciation has always been spot on. Including the day Wonwoo woke up in Junhui’s bed, the very first time they talked, Junhui had called him Wonwoo Jeon with all of the correct intonations.
“You have a point.” Wonwoo agrees. “I guess I just never noticed.”
Junhui scoffs jokingly. “You don’t notice a lot of things.” He says, but there’s an undercurrent of honesty in his words that Wonwoo can’t quite put his finger on. There’s a shifty look in his eye, but Wonwoo only barely catches it, because Junhui is already turning back to his iPad.
Wonwoo doesn’t reply. He doesn’t know how to, because there’s a weird mood shift that's making everything weird. But Wonwoo is great at ignoring things he doesn't want to deal with, so he goes back to his math quietly and pretends he doesn’t feel Junhui’s eyes on the side of his head.
***
13:14
wonu wonu wonu wonu!!
ଲ(ⓛ ω ⓛ)ଲ
what r u doin for thnksgvng???
14:01
lol why did you shorten thanksgiving like that
im not doing anything
staying on campus
14:03
booooo booooringgggg (￣Θ￣)
ur not going home??
14:03
nah
too far, planes cost too much, not enough time
14:04
makes sense makes sense
u shld
come home w me!!! ☆ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ
14:07
what? lol
14:07
im srs!!! (´-ω-`)
u can meet my brother
and my mom
shes rlly nice!!! ♡ (￣З￣)
14:08
im sure she is
but i wouldnt want to intrude
14:09
ur not intruuuudingggg
im inviting u!!! (つ . •́ _ʖ •̀ .)つ
14:21
ah its okay
i really shouldnt
thanks for inviting me though
thats very nice of you
14:23
r u sure?? o(>_<)o
14:55
okayyyyyy ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡
***
The holidays in boarding school are probably the hardest part about moving to America.
Wonwoo thinks he’s gotten used to being alone, but when Thanksgiving and Christmas come around, he’s alone alone. Even in his first year, when he didn’t really have any friends, watching the dormitories empty out while he himself had nowhere to go tugged at his already aching heart even more.
Thanksgiving isn’t as bad. Most of the students who board don’t go home for that one, since they only get three days off school. The dining hall has a huge feast with at least twenty hams, and every year, Wonwoo gorges himself on the food until he can no longer feel the emptiness in his heart.
Christmas, on the other hand, is awful. Their break lasts for an entire month, but Wonwoo doesn’t want his parents to spend the money for a flight home, so he’s stuck at the school. His entire hallway is cleared out, and there are maybe four people living in his entire building. Mingyu is too busy with family to text back, so Wonwoo walks up and down the empty halls, footsteps echoing on the linoleum.
The break passes by achingly slow. Wonwoo plays videogames on his computer to pass the time, leveling up until boredom takes over, and spends the rest of his time rereading his favorite books for the seven-millionth time and staring at his ceiling. He calls his parents for New Years, but hearing their voices and not being able to hug his mother or his brother makes everything harder.
Junhui Wen comes back before any of his friends do, and for approximately two days Wonwoo sees him around the dormitory in passing. Junhui is constantly on his phone– video chatting with his friends, taking pictures of pretty things for his little brother, and Wonwoo watches from a distance. They don’t room anywhere near each other– Junhui lives four floors above Wonwoo, but he makes it an effort to go hunting and at least see Junhui’s side profile every single day.
At sunset, the night before the other students are scheduled to come back, Wonwoo somehow manages to take a picture of Junhui’s back, perfectly framed in the golden sky. It’s a beautiful picture, all purple and orange and pink, and the pathetic feeling in his chest isn’t nearly enough to get him to delete it.
---
“I think Junhui is mad at me.” Wonwoo tells Mingyu when he comes back from break.
Mingyu blinks. “Junhui?” He asks. “Like Junhui Wen, the guy you were in love with all of high school? That Junhui.”
Wonwoo rolls his eyes. “Yes, that Junhui.” Wonwoo has long ago stopped being embarrassed about his crush. “We were texting, and–”
“Wait.” Mingyu raises his hand. “Hold up. You have his number?”
“Yes?” Wonwoo wishes Mingyu wouldn’t sound so incredulous. “I’ve had it since that one night. Keep up, dude.”
Mingyu isn’t replying– just staring at Wonwoo in shock. Wonwoo supposes surprise is justified, especially considering he spent all of high school and their first year of university specifically avoiding Junhui, but at some point, Mingyu is going to have to get over himself and help a brother out.
“That one night being the night you woke up in Junhui’s bed?” Minghao asks carefully from his bed. Wonwoo and Mingyu are lying on Mingyu’s, and they really don’t fit, but they’ve been sharing beds that don’t fit for years, so they’re used to it by now. Minghao, who is far smarter than the other two, is sitting on his own bed on the other side of the room, staring at the two of them like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.
“Yes.” Wonwoo answers.
Minghao nods. “Okay,” He says, “So why is Junhui mad at you?”
Wonwoo considers burying his face in Mingyu’s pillow, before remembering that Mingyu drools in his sleep. Death via embarrassment is probably better than death via drool, he thinks.
“He asked me to go to his house for Thanksgiving and I said no.”
Mingyu wakes from his stupor. “He asked you what?”
“Why’d you say no?” Minghao asks, both of them ignoring Mingyu, who makes unintelligible noises in protest. “I thought you liked this guy?”
“Yeah.” Wonwoo says. “I like him, which is why I cannot imagine anything worse than going to his house where he lives and meeting his parents who he loves and his little brother who he adores.”
“I don’t get it.” Minghao says, and it takes everything in Wonwoo’s power not to scream.
“Wonwoo-Hyung is just like that.” Mingyu says with the tone of voice of someone who has suffered far too much. Wonwoo would hit him, but he also kind of wants to hear what Mingyu has to say. “He’s scared of love, so he’ll avoid the things he likes and pretend good things don’t exist so he doesn’t have to deal with them.”
“Excuse me!” Wonwoo sputters.
“Oh, I think I get it now.” Minghao says, and Wonwoo glares in his general direction. “Like the waking-up-in-Junhui’s-bed thing. How that could have been the perfect opportunity to get closer to him and actually have a conversation, but instead he pretends it never happened and doesn’t even realize they’re friends.”
Mingyu sits up suddenly, and it throws Wonwoo off balance. “Exactly!” He sounds far too excited. “He’ll go to parties to see Junhui but instead of talking to him, he’ll just watch from afar. He’ll find out what Junhui’s interested in and try them out for himself so they’ll have things in common, but won’t actually make conversation with the poor guy.”
Wonwoo rolls onto his back and takes off his glass with one hand, covering his eyes with the other. “I’m shy.” He says to both nobody and everybody. “Boys are scary.”
Minghao snorts. “Yeah,” Mingyu says, “But what’s stopping you from talking to him now? You guys are friends, aren’t you? Tell him you like him!”
Wonwoo sighs. “I just can’t okay? Do you know how many people have crushes on him? Probably hundreds. We’re barely friends, and I can’t afford to lose that.” Wonwoo has been chasing after Junhui for years. They’re friends now, and even though there are still times when Wonwoo wishes he could just reach out and touch, being friends is a lot more than he thought he would ever have. Why would he risk that?
“You’re hopeless.” Mingyu tells him, and it sounds just like Mingyu from their sophomore year of high school, half-drunk and confused. “Minghao, tell him he’s hopeless. He needs to hear it from someone that isn’t me, for once.”
“You’re hopeless.” Minghao repeats obediently, and Wonwoo picks up Mingyu’s drool pillow and throws it at him.
---
01:56
are you still angry at me?
im sorry
01:56
(((o(*°▽°*)o))) ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡
01:57
lol what?
01:58
wonu texted me first!!! wonu texted me first!!!
♪♬((d⌒ω⌒b))♬♪
i was a liiiiiiiiittle bit mad ヽ(`⌒´メ)ノ
but now evrything is fine!!!!! (~˘▽˘)~
01:59
haha i text you all the time
but thanks i guess
02:00
n e v e r m i n d |▽//)
its so late
did u stay up bc u thougt i was mad
aww wonu u do care!! (￣ε￣＠)
02:02
my mom told me to never go to sleep angry so
figured that would apply to other people too
now that its sorted, goodnight
02:02
WAIT NO DONT GO
im so boooooooored
(｡╯︵╰｡)(｡╯︵╰｡)
i dont wanna do hwwwwwww
o(〒﹏〒)oo(〒﹏〒)oo(〒﹏〒)oo(〒﹏〒)oo(〒﹏〒)o
02:03
calm down lol
im here
02:03
tell me about my story (･ω<)☆
02:04
Your story?
02:04
Yes ヘ(￣ω￣ヘ)
Its a story being written for me
so its my story
duh ~(˘▽˘~)
02:06
fine, your story then
02:06
yesssss └(￣-￣└))
whats it about
02:07
…
fine
cats
02:07
cats??? (^=◕ᴥ◕=^)
02:08
yeah
two cats who travel the world together
fight evil
and stuff
02:09
thats so cute!!!! ʕ •ᴥ• ʔ
who knew u were such a softy
hehehehehehehe
02:09
lol
02:15
wonwon
wonu
wonu
02:16
what
02:16
i think my story sounds “purr”fect
02:16
…
02:18
really!!
ur such a good “fur”iend to write write it for me
02:20
please stop
02:21
aw are you not “feline” my jokes?
i think theyre “hiss”terical
theyd be better out loud
but ur “litter”ate so u understand
02:23
why are you like this
02:24
“paw”don me
ur being kinda “claw”ful right now
02:25
im going to bed goodnight
02:25
dont leave me!
itll be a “cat”astrophe
02:34
wonu
02:47
wonuuuuuu ( ╯°□°)╯ ┻━━┻
03:03
meow
goodnight junnie
03:04
!!!!! GN ♡♡♡♡
---
The summer after their junior year of high school, Mingyu visits Wonwoo in Changwon.
Well, a lot of things happen that summer. First, Wonwoo finds out that Bohyuk is going to a local public high school instead of the fancy high school in Seoul he wanted to go to.
When Wonwoo asks his parents about it, they tell them Bohyuk changed his mind, and doesn't actually want to live away from home yet. It makes sense to Wonwoo, who feels loneliness cling to his skin on most days and has forgotten what home really is, so he takes their claim at face value and doesn’t question it until he sees his parents in the kitchen one night, poring over bills, worry lines creasing their faces.
School in America is expensive. Wonwoo knows that, but seeing it right here in front of him hurts more sharply than it ever had before. He knows his family isn’t rich, not like Mingyu’s or Junhui’s is, and while they do have enough money to send him overseas for high school, they don’t have enough to send Bohyuk to Seoul too.
Wonwoo doesn’t sleep that night, staring at the ceiling blankly, and there’s no going back now, so he promises himself he’ll do better. That he’ll work harder to make his parents proud and take away whatever regrets they might have, or whatever uncertainties they might be feeling.
So he invites Mingyu to visit.
Technically, Mingyu is in Korea for a month, but he only visits Wonwoo for two days. His family lives in Anyang, which is nearly four hours from where Wonwoo lives, and Mingyu has grandparents to see and aunts and uncles to charm.
“They all hate me.” He groans to Wonwoo over the phone. Wonwoo marvels at them being in the same timezone during the summer. And in the same country. Hah, take that, international phone calls. “They love Minseo, but they all hate me.”
“I don’t blame them.” Wonwoo replies, and laughs when Mingyu sputters in return.
Mingyu visits, and Wonwoo’s mother is nearly beside herself in joy. “I can’t believe you made a friend!” She tells Wonwoo again and again. Wonwoo rolls his eyes. Thanks, mom. That’s very encouraging , he thinks.
Wonwoo takes Mingyu to his favorite spot at the beach, a little alcove hidden by large rocks and high tide. Mingyu squeals when he gets the bottom of his pants wet, but Wonwoo just pushes him further into the water.
“Don’t punch me if I’m wrong,” Mingyu says a few hours later, sunbathing on a rock. “But isn’t that Junhui Wen and his friends?”
Wonwoo wants to punch Mingyu anyway, for assuming that his first instinct would be to resort to violence, but he has a point. Wonwoo turns his head to where Mingyu is pointing, shielding his eyes against the late afternoon sun with one hand.
Sure enough, a few yards down the beach is Junhui, Soonyoung, and Jihoon. They’re kicking water at each other, hands muddied with wet sand, looking for all the world like regular teenage boys just having a good time. Wonwoo’s heart thumps painfully in his chest, because Junhui’s laughter carries over the water easily, and it’s almost too tempting to just fall into the sound and never return.
“Probably a grad trip.” Wonwoo says, turning back to Mingyu. Thankfully, they’re mostly hidden by the rocks, otherwise Wonwoo would most definitely be freaking out right now.
“Or one of them has family near here.” Mingyu points out, and Wonwoo hums noncommittally. Even if Soonyoung or Jihoon do have family near here, the chances of running into them again are painfully slim, and Wonwoo refuses to torture himself with what could be.
“We should go say hi.” Mingyu suggests.
Wonwoo shrugs. “You can go.” He replies. “Have fun.”
“Come on.” Mingyu groans. “They’ve all graduated, and you’re probably never gonna see any of them again. What do you have to lose?” He asks.
Wonwoo looks directly into Mingyu’s eyes so he can see how serious he is. “My dignity.” He says, and flinches when Mingyu reaches down to flick water at him.
“I’m just saying.” Mingyu’s voice is too soft. Wonwoo really does want to punch him now. “This might be your last chance to let him know you exist.”
Wonwoo thinks of Junhui’s face when he smiles, or when he laughs. He thinks of the way Junhui had helped that freshman in the hallway without a second thought all those years ago, the way he’s loud and bright but also soft and patient.
“Good.” Wonwoo says, and pretends he doesn’t feel an ache rising in his throat. Things are better this way.
---
“I have a question.” Junhui slams his iced coffee down on the table in front of Wonwoo.
Wonwoo blinks a few times. “Great.” He says. “Is the question for me, or…?” He wonders if this is better or worse than Junhui asking if he’s allowed to sit next to him every time they meet.
“Yes, it is.” But Junhui’s not sitting. He’s standing in front of Wonwoo, hands fisted in front of him, backpack still slung haphazardly on one shoulder. “Why aren’t we dating?”
Wonwoo chokes. Well, to be more specific, he simultaneously forgets how to breathe, inhales his iced americano into his lungs, and presses his pencil down so hard the lead snaps. It’s a wooden pencil, too, and he doesn't have a sharpener on him.
“What?” He asks.
Junhui makes his determined face, the one he gets the night before midterms, when he’s cramming all necessary knowledge into his brain, and Wonwoo files it under his list of Things Junhui Does that are Actually Very Cute.
“Dating.” He says. “You, and me. Why aren’t we?”
Wonwoo’s mouth is dry. “Because…” He says, and stops, because Mingyu was right and he’s most definitely allergic to feelings.
“Because I like you.” And now Wonwoo wishes Junhui would shut up and sit down, so that the rest of the café would stop staring at them. (No one is staring, because they’re all university students, and weirder things happen every day.)
“I like you.” Junhui says again. “And I think you like me too, because you keep staring at me but looking away whenever I catch you. And you came to that party that I had in the beginning of the year at our apartment and we talked and you flirted with me and asked if you could kiss me and then you woke up and said nothing about it at all, making me think I dreamed the whole thing up. And Jihoon and Soonyoung have been making fun of me for years, because all I do is talk about you, and you don’t notice anything! None of the hints I drop are being picked up, so this is me, being straightforward, and asking why we aren’t dating yet.”
Junhui swallows, and Wonwoo’s eyes instinctively follow the line of his throat as it bobs, and he can hardly breathe. What on earth happened at that party?
“Unless, of course, that was just you letting me down gently.” There’s something that looks like fear in Junhui’s eyes, only that doesn’t make sense, because Wonwoo has never once seen Junhui afraid. “Or you didn’t mean it, and I was making wrong assumptions and now you hate me.”
“Sit down.” Wonwoo rasps, pulling out Junhui’s normal chair for him to sit. “And shut up for a second, so I can think.”
Junhui does both of those things, and Wonwoo closes his eyes and rubs his head gently. Hints? Party? He really doesn’t want to know what Jihoon and Soonyoung have to do with any of this, either.
“We’re friends.” Wonwoo bites his lip, because that’s a great way to start. “I don’t want to lose that.”
He knows he’s basically giving himself away, and from the relieved look on Junhui’s face, Junhui also knows. But instead of fear, because he’s freely giving away a secret he’s held for years, Wonwoo mostly just feels confusion, because what? Junhui likes him too?
“Well something’s going to have to give.” Junhui says. His cheeks are flushed with the lightest shade of pink. “Our entire friendship has been built on unresolved feelings, so it’s either we take a step back and try for a real friendship, or we resolve those feelings and go on a date.”
“A real date.” Wonwoo repeats. The words in his mouth don’t feel real. “Is this not a real date? Hanging out in a coffee shop?”
Junhui shakes his head violently. “No, of course not.” He says. “I’m taking you on a real date. Reservations, flowers, cheesy pet names, the whole shebang.”
Wonwoo winces. “One, never use that word again. Two, what makes all those things a real date?”
“Ah.” Junhui’s eyes look like they’re glowing, and if Wonwoo wasn’t already head over heels, he would be now. “The difference is, what makes those a real date is me, because I’m going to fuckin’ Won- woo you.”
Wonwoo rolls his eyes so hard he gets a headache. He also wants to laugh, but Junhui is already giggling at his own joke, and to give him the satisfaction would be signing up for more terrible puns, and Wonwoo can’t do that to himself.
“I’m leaving.” He says, pretending to gather up his things, but Junhui grabs his arm to stop him.
“Wait.” Junhui looks actually, genuinely, nervous now. He’s biting his cheek and not looking Wonwoo directly in the eyes and Wonwoo shifts so that he’s holding Junhui’s hand. His palm is soft, and it lights a fire in Wonwoo’s stomach.
“Will you actually go on a date with me?” Junhui asks.
Wonwoo sighs and takes pity on Junhui, because he looks painfully earnest and heartbreakingly exposed. “I’ve been in love with you since high school. Of course I’ll go on a date with you.” Somehow, he manages to get the sentence out without throwing up over the whole table.
“Yes!” Junhui pumps his hand in the air, and Wonwoo resists the urge to bury his face in his hands, because even if people weren’t staring before, they definitely are now.
“Don’t be embarrassed.” Junhui says, a little quieter this time. He smiles softly and Wonwoo smiles back, even though there’s a part of him that can’t actually believe he agreed to go on a date with Junhui. “No matter how long you’ve liked me, I guarantee that I liked you first.”
Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. He’s willing to take that bet. “Really? You’ve liked me since the first day of my freshman year?”
The back of Junhui’s neck is starting to turn red, and if Wonwoo wasn’t so curious he’d be extremely endeared right now.
“I lived one floor above you that year.” Junhui says, and Wonwoo nods, because he knows this. “I saw you moving in on your first day, and you looked so lost and confused and you were really cute.”
Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. He hadn’t seen Junhui then, because he would definitely remember if he had. “You were always so mysterious, not talking to anyone but Mingyu, but I saw you giving treats to the stray cats that like to hang out around the dorms, and everything about you was super cute and endearing. Except that one day, when you wore ripped jeans and got in trouble for it. I’m pretty sure the only reason why anyone noticed was because I couldn’t stop staring at your legs.”
Now Wonwoo raises his other eyebrow, because he barely remembers that day. He thinks he vaguely remembers standing in the hallway, trying not to sink into the ground from embarrassment, definitely avoiding eye contact with Junhui and his friends, who were standing a few feet away, watching him get berated by a teacher on proper dress code conduct.
“I can’t believe you.” Wonwoo says, because he’s wearing ripped jeans right now, and really doesn’t want to think about the implications of that.
“Me neither.” Junhui mopes. “Soonie and Hoonie made fun of me so much that day.”
“I never thought you would notice me. I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was just that awkward international student who spoke terrible English.”
Junhui shakes his head. “You should’ve seen me when I first moved to the States.” He says. “It was right after my brother was born, so I was ten, maybe? I had never spoken a single word of English my entire life up to that point. I’m lucky I spoke Korean and Soonyoung was nice enough to take pity on me, because if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t have had any friends at all.”
Wonwoo tries to imagine an awkward ten-year-old Junhui and fails. “You were so hot in high school, though.” He says, and immediately regrets every decision that had led him to this point.
“It was the summer right before you showed up.” Junhui says, knowingly. “I got my braces off and grew, like, six inches. If anything, I’m the lucky one, since you’ve only ever seen me at my best.”
“Your horny best.” Wonwoo counters, and thinks of the Junhui Wen he watched from a distance in high school. It’s impossible to imagine him watching Wonwoo back when he wasn’t looking and getting distracted by his legs. The facts just don’t line up in Wonwoo’s head.
But, Wonwoo realizes, he has time to figure things out. If he plays his cards right and they manage to resolve whatever emotions they have in a healthy manner, Wonwoo could be looking at a long future of being able to sit next to Junhui in their favorite café, laughing over high school memories together.
Just the thought of that alone is enough to make him giddy.
“Wait.” Wonwoo says, because he does have one more question. “Did I really ask if I could kiss you at the party?”
Junhui laughs. “Yeah. You’re really smooth when you’re drunk. You even gave me your number without me asking.”
Wonwoo sighs, slouching in his chair. Of course he would finally manage the courage to approach the guy of his dreams and not remember it. “I really don’t remember anything that happened that night.”
“I figured.” Junhui giggles, and it’s just as beautiful as when he laughs full on. “We flirted a bit, you asked if you could kiss me, and then gave me your number. But you also spilled some punch on your shirt, spent thirty minutes making really bad dad jokes, and passed out on the floor right outside of my bedroom, so if I were you I’d be glad I don’t remember.”
Junhui is right. Wonwoo would never have spoken to Junhui again if he had remembered all of that.
“What did you say when I asked if I could kiss you?” Wonwoo wonders.
Junhui blushes. “I said to ask again when you’re sober.” He says, his voice tiny.
Wonwoo feels a smile start to creep in at the corner of his mouth. “Well, what about now?” Hey, maybe he can be smooth when he's not completely wasted, too.
Junhui’s smiling too, and Wonwoo finds nothing but pure joy in his expression.
“Why don’t you find out?” Junhui asks.
So he does.
---
18:12
do u like spicy food (´｡• ω •｡`)
18:45
???
why
18:48
spicy food
so hot it burns ur tonge off Σ(▼□▼メ)
tongue*
spicy hot
y do u think (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
18:50
oh
date?
spicy is fine
18:53
good (o^ ^o)
friday night
theres a good chinese restaurnt downtown
dress to impress
dont actually (*/▽＼*)
the owners know my mom and ill be made fun of forever
18:55
haha
suit and tie got it
18:56
wonuuuuuuuuuuu („ಡωಡ„)
babe
baby
baobei
19:01
stop
19:02
kitten ฅ(•ㅅ•❀)ฅ
meowoo
wonuwu
19:03
stop
do you want a pet name that badly
19:06
!!!! (｡・//ε//・｡)
no its ok
i like when u call me junnie ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)
19:10
…
okay junnie
19:11
<33
---
Wonwoo’s senior year of high school is both the easiest and the hardest year yet.
It’s easy because there are no distractions in the form of beautiful boys with bell-like laughter, but hard because his days are filled with university applications and financial aid applications and appeals to postpone his military service.
“I can’t believe you have to go.” Mingyu says, because he’s a United States citizen and has no sense of patriotic pride.
“It’ll be after I finish undergrad if things go according to plan.” Wonwoo replies. “It’ll be fine.”
He applies as a math major, because he likes math, and it makes sense. Mingyu applies for photography, because he’s artsy, and has the money to support himself as an artist. Wonwoo is only a little bit jealous.
When Wonwoo gets his acceptances back, there are only two real choices. There’s a university in Seoul, which is offering him a full ride and has a pretty decent program, and there’s Junhui’s university.
(Wonwoo had attended the graduation ceremony the year before and had carefully noted where Junhui and his friends were going to university. It’s a good university, but it’s a little bit of a reach for Wonwoo. Plus, even if he did go, it’s not like Junhui would notice him anyway. It’s a big school, Wonwoo is a quiet guy, and math doesn't have a lot of overlap with international relations.)
“Don’t make any rash decisions.” Mingyu says, when Wonwoo tells him his results. “Don’t pick based on who you know is a student there.”
Wonwoo thinks that statement a little bit uncalled for. Junhui is no longer hanging around in the halls of their high school, and Wonwoo hasn’t mentioned his name in at least two weeks. Yes, he had worked his ass off to get into this university, but that wasn’t because of Junhui. It’s a good university– that’s all.
“I won’t.” Wonwoo says instead.
But Mingyu is also going to that same university, and at the end of the day, it’s not like Wonwoo has much of a choice. He can’t imagine going back to school in Korea after all the experiences he’s had here in America, and as loathe as he is to admit it, Korea is no longer home for him. Home is burying himself in Mingyu’s fluffy blankets after a long day of classes, working on assignments and being proud of how much his language skills have grown, and walking up and down the halls and listening for the laughter of someone who has no idea who he is.
It's the little things that have become home for him, and he’s not going to get all of that from a university in Seoul, so that’s not where he goes.
Wonwoo’s first year of university is perfect. He has a single room, finally, but hangs out in Mingyu’s room most of the time, because his roommate Minghao is nice. His professors are chill, and the assignments are no harder than they were in high school, and sometimes if Wonwoo is really lucky, he’ll see Junhui walking with his friends in between classes and gets to ogle him for a little bit.
But in his second year, things start to change. Wonwoo has a nine thirty a.m. computer science class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, which should probably be illegal. He’s almost late on the first day because his alarm doesn't go off properly, and when he gets there, the only open seat is right next to Jihoon Lee.
“Hey.” Wonwoo says, sitting down. Jihoon, who is slumped into his chair, resting his head on his arms, peers up at Wonwoo.
“Hey.” He replies. “Wonwoo Jeon, right?”
Wonwoo nods. “Yeah.” Jihoon Lee knows who he is?
Jihoon sits upright, and wow– he’s a lot shorter in person. Not that Wonwoo would ever tell him that.
“Thank god.” Jihoon says. “You were top of your math class in high school, weren’t you? I’m totally going to fail this class, you have to help me.”
Wonwoo laughs, because he was actually second place. “Where did you hear that?”
Jihoon doesn’t reply. “Please.” His eyes widen in exaggerated sincerity. “I’ll pay you in food.”
Wonwoo eyes Jihoon, because he only knows a few things about the upperclassman. One is that he’s really smart. Two is that he’s friends with Junhui, and three is that he really really likes food. He must be serious, then.
What the hell. Wonwoo thinks. It’s not like he’s going to go out of his way to introduce me to his friends. We’re just study buddies.
“Sure.” Wonwoo says, smiling. “But it better be some really good food.”
---
“I can’t believe we’re actually done.” Jihoon says when Wonwoo meets him outside the lecture hall. “Finals are done, and Dobby is a free elf.”
“Jihoon the elf.” Soonyoung nods. “I like it.”
Jihoon snarls and aims a kick at his knee. “Don’t call me short, hamster.” He bites.
Wonwoo laughs. “Thanks for waiting for me.” He says.
Jihoon waves his hand at Wonwoo distractedly, both of them watching Soonyoung roll on the ground in pain. “Don’t worry about it. You took like five minutes longer than I did.”
“That's because Wonwoo actually checks his answers.” Junhui says knowingly from behind Wonwoo. “Unlike Jihoonie, who probably just wrote down whatever he wanted and turned it in.”
“Hey.” Wonwoo turns and smiles at Junhui, who immediately takes his hand. Over the past six months, Wonwoo has learned that he really likes holding hands with Junhui.
“I don’t actually need to care about this class.” Jihoon tells Junhui, eyes still narrowed from his fight with Soonyoung. “Two quarters of compsci and one quarter of statistics done.”
It’s true. Wonwoo has spent the entire school year sitting next to Jihoon, helping him through his math classes. In return, he has received many free boxes of really good takeout, a whining Junhui who pouts because neither of them are paying attention to him, and some very untimely visits from a horny Soonyoung.
Wonwoo still hasn’t figured out if the two of them are dating. Sometimes, Wonwoo thinks they might be, because Jihoon will hold Soonyoung’s hand and kiss him when he leaves. Other times, when Soonyoung is sitting on the floor with tears in his eyes because of a well placed kick, Wonwoo second guesses himself a little.
“Where to, boyfriend?” Junhui asks Wonwoo, swinging their hands together. After turning down every pet name suggestion Junhui had to offer, Junhui had just stuck to “boyfriend”. It’s not exactly false advertising, so Wonwoo can’t be too mad, and it’s thankfully not as disgustingly sweet as some of the other names Junhui had come up with.
“Two floors up.” Wonwoo replies. The other three are done with finals, but Wonwoo still has one more. Back to back finals, but they’re his easiest classes, so it’s not too bad.
Jihoon and Soonyoung follow the two of them to Wonwoo’s discrete maths classroom. Wonwoo is immediately reminded of that dream he had all those years ago, and how interesting life has been since then.
Things aren’t exactly the same, of course. They’re all older now, and these halls look nothing like the ones from high school, but Junhui Wen is holding his hand and walking him to class while talking and laughing with his friends, and it’s more than Wonwoo could ever have asked for.
“Good luck!” Junhui cheers, giving Wonwoo a kiss at the door. Wonwoo tries not to blush when he sees some of his classmates staring.
“Thank you, Junnie.” He replies softly. Wonwoo hesitates for a moment, before quickly reaching into his pocket, pulling out a USB stick, and handing it to Junhui.
Junhui’s eyes widen. “Is this what I think it is?” He asks, holding it like something precious. He looks so undeniably happy that Wonwoo can’t help but laugh.
“Happy early birthday.” Wonwoo says. “I debated on giving it to you later, but June 8th is close enough, right?”
Junhui nods vigorously. Jihoon makes a whipping sound with his mouth, and he and Soonyoung double over in laughter.
Wonwoo and Junhui ignore them. “Read it while I’m taking my final, and let me know what you think after, okay?”
“I’m going to cry.” Junhui states matter-of-factly, his mouth still split wide open in a grin. “But thank you. Thank you thank you thank you! I love you.”
Wonwoo’s heart sings, because he’s still not used to those words coming from Junhui’s mouth, despite it being two months since he heard them the first time. “I love you too.” He says, and kisses Junhui one more time. “But I really do have to go now.”
“Go go go.” Junhui says frantically, pushing Wonwoo towards the room. “You’re gonna do great.”
“No,” Wonwoo says, walking backwards towards the door. “I’m gonna do clawsome.”
He escapes into the classroom, but not before he hears his beautiful boy’s laughter.