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Hyunjin wasn’t going to tbe library to just study.
Well — it was pretty obvious that Hyunjin needed to study. And study meant cramming books into his brain and praying to all possible entities out there that the information stayed stuck in his mind. He wasn’t failing any classes by any means, he just wanted to bump up his grades to straight A’s.
Thing was, Hyunjin had never stepped foot anywhere near the campus library. Jeongin liked to joke that Hyunjin was secretly illiterate and that any sort of book would send him running for the hills. Of course, it didn’t make any sense but that was just Jeongin’s sort of humour.
The only times Hyunjin had managed to be thirty feet away from the library was when he and the others had their smoke session by the bushes right next to the obnoxiously tall statue of a random man. He didn’t know who the man was and he didn’t care to find out. But that smoke spot was sacred, and though being caught with weed was a minor issue on campus, none of them wanted to risk their records so they hid right behind the bushes.
And every time they did so, the looming bell tower would sort of taunt Hyunjin from afar.
He had given up on avoiding the library and when he mentioned studying over there, Jeongin had the audacity to prepare a party and invite everyone they knew. It was a bit painful to explain to Jaemin and the others that no, he wasn’t illiterate and yes, he had never stepped foot into the campus library.
But he wasn’t just at the library to just bring up his grades. There was a particular reason as to why he was even motivated to keep on going every day.
“Are you okay?”
Hyunjin immediately lifts his head from his arms, looking around to see who had just spoken to him. He relaxes a bit when he sees that it’s Seungmin, the librarian that had to help Hyunjin find a textbook on Chemistry the first day he went to the library. Hyunjin had to admit that the boy definitely caught his eye from the start. A pretty face, fierce personality, and a liking for books. He wasn’t like any other person he’d come across, and because of that he had peaked Hyunjin’s interest.
The kid is looking at Hyunjin with a semi-concerned face, and that’s when Hyunjin notices the tiny white flowers in his hair.
He gives him a friendly smile and pushes his hair from his eyes, “Yeah! I’m good jolly — I mean jolly good!”
Seungmin raises an eyebrow, incredulous, “Are you sure?” He gestures to the mess on Hyunjin’s single table with an elegant hand, “Because this doesn’t quite reflect that.”
Hyunjin stares at the boy in front of him for a moment, trying to figure out why he cared so much about what he was doing. He knew of Seungmin since his first day at the library, obviously, but there was something about the boy that made him a little strange to Hyunjin. He always had flowers in his hair, he never seemed to not have round, thin wire glasses on and he always had pretty pink eyeshadow on his eyes.
“I find it quite rude that you’re staring at me and not responding to my question.”
Hyunjin snaps back to reality, blinking rapidly, “Has anyone told you that your eyeshadow is pretty?”
“If you’ve come here to hit on me please take note of the exit to your right.”
“No!” Hyunjin accidentally shouts, quickly hunching over and sending an apologetic look to the girl at the far corner before repeating himself, but quieter, “No, no.” He slowly looks at Seungmin, “I’m just pointing out that your eyeshadow is pretty.”
Seungmin hums, seemingly unamused.
When he turns around to leave, Hyunjin scatters and hastily grabs his things, shoving them into his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He stumbles a bit in his efforts to catch up to Seungmin and when he does, he grins at him, “Are you up to anything later?”
Not looking up from his tablet, Seungmin shakes his head as an answer, “Why do you ask?”
“We should go get a bite to eat!”
Seungmin sideyes him, “We’ve barely spoken and in the three months you’ve been here the only conversation we’ve had was when you were looking for a stupid Chemistry textbook. Not to mention you often gawk at me like some weirdo.”
Hyunjin does a double take, “I do?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t notice yourself staring. But nevermind that — you want to go grab something to eat and this is possibly the most interaction we’ve had.. you’re strange.”
Hyunjin stops right in front of him, leaning forward a bit to pout, “Come on! I want to get to know you, Seungmin.”
The boy finally looks up from his tablet, quirking up an eyebrow, “ Why do you want to get to know me ?”
“It’s simple!” Hyunjin straightens himself up and proudly gives Seungmin a smirk, “I think you’re an interesting person — not to mention very pretty — and I’ve been dying to get to know you.”
“So you are hitting on me.”
Hyunjin raises his hands in mock defeat, “You got me. It’s not every day that someone like you gets my interest, darling.”
Seungmin scoffs, holding his tablet against his chest and attempting to push against Hyunjin so he can go back to the front desk. He undermines Hyunjin, though, because the taller immediately grabs his elbow and crashes both of their bodies together.
Hyunjin links their hands together and kisses Seungmin’s knuckles, “You’re blushing.” His voice is much different than from how it was not even a minute ago, and Seungmin feels his façade start to decay. He feels Hyunjin’s hand grip the arch of his back and faintly registers that this is scandalous and he’s still technically at work.
“You do realise we’re in public, right?”
The stupid grin is back on Hyunjin’s face.
“And? Do you want to take this somewhere private? Only where I can see you?”
Seungmin blushes again, looking at their joined hands and back at Hyunjin’s — unfortunately — handsome face, “You know, Hwang, for a confident man like yourself you do fail to see that I’m quite liking this.”
Hyunjin leans in, grin falling back into that smirk that Seungmin definitely shouldn’t find attractive, “Oh sweetheart, don’t think I don’t notice the adorable blush you’re wearing.”
“Why do you even come to the library? Because if it’s solely for studying then we wouldn’t be doing some sort of tango right now.”
Hyunjin chuckles, rolling his eyes at the question and gripping Seungmin tighter, “What other library has a pretty boy with flowers in his hair? If it isn’t obvious, Seungmin, I like you.”
“It’s pretty obvious. You stare at me like I’m some sort of prey.” Seungmin laughs quietly, squeezing Hyunjin’s hand, “Three months you’ve been coming in here to stare at me.. that's a bit desperate, don’t you think?” He looks off to the side for a quick second before gazing back at Hyunjin and letting a soft smile grace his features, “I’m free in fifteen minutes.”
Hyunjin lets go of Seungmin and both boys straighten up, looking at each other with amused expressions. Seungmin grabs Hyunjin’s shoulder and gives him a kiss on the cheek, lingering for a second before pulling away and pinching the flesh, eyes sparkling.
Hyunjin stares as Seungmin walks away with a small skip in his step. He places his own hand right where Seungmin kissed him, skin tingling, and smiles goofily.
Hyunjin was definitely studying now.