Archive of Our Own ^beta

Minhyuk glared down at his schedule.

Biochemistry.

What the hell was he thinking?

Jinwoo had asked him as much when they had compared schedules to see what times they both had free. Jinwoo had narrowed his eyes and then scoffed.

“You’re taking biochemistry?”

Minhyuk snatched his schedule away. “It was the only class they had open,” he muttered.

“Yeah, but...biochemistry? Minhyuk, you struggled to get through chemistry, which was supposed to be your only science course. Now you’re taking biochemistry? ”

“No matter how many times you say it like that, it won’t magically disappear from my schedule.” He was glum as he folded the paper back up and stuck it in his pocket. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”

Jinwoo had enough sense to offer MInhyuk a sympathetic smile and a small shoulder pat. “How’d you get stuck in that class, anyway? I thought they would have a prerequisite or something.”

Minhyuk sighed. “The prerequisite was chemistry, unfortunately.”

“And you can’t choose another class?”

Minhyuk shook his head. He hadn’t been able to choose his classes on time, and all that remained were meager pickings. Between his dance schedule and his part-time job, he had to choose a class during the hours of seven through ten in the morning -- and biochemistry had had an opening.

It had been a terribly unfortunate turn of events, and Minhyuk had dreaded this moment for days. Now, as he stared at his schedule, he wondered if he ought to just drop out and try busking instead. The class had been just as miserable as Jinwoo had predicted. First-day introductions went through like a breeze and the professor was quick to dive straight into the material, presuming everyone was already familiar with the concepts he spoke of. Minhyuk had tried his best to follow along but found himself woefully underprepared for the difficulty level.

He gnawed at his lip as he hurried down the hallway. He had a free period, a chance to meet up with Jinwoo and Jinwoo’s clingy boyfriend, but he knew he wouldn’t get anywhere in chemistry if he had any sort of social life.

He texted Jinwoo a quick, sorry, gotta study so i don’t flunk out of this dumb chemistry class , and rushed to the library.

The professor had discussed tutors. He had recommended that students get one early, before they were all taken up, and Minhyuk knew he would need the best of the best. He needed someone who lived and breathed biochemistry, who would explain to him all the ins and outs of whatever concepts he needed to grasp.

The library was mostly empty. It was one of the first days of the new semester, after all, and no one wanted to spend their time in a stuffy library. Minhyuk didn’t blame them. In fact, he wished he didn’t have to be here, either. He wished he could go eat lunch with Jinwoo and the ever-present Myungjun. They would discuss what they had learned and what they had seen. He and Jinwoo could also go over one of their new dances, and Myungjun could watch and cheer as he normally did.

But, nope. He was an idiot and chose his classes too late and was now stuck trying desperately to find himself a tutor. 

A nice librarian pointed him in the direction of the tutoring offices. Minhyuk poked his head inside of one, trying to remember the names his professor had spouted off quickly. Was it a Choi he was looking for? He swore it was Choi-something. 

Someone caught his eye, a devilishly handsome young man. He wore glasses and looked smart. Was he the Choi Something?

“Excuse me?” Minhyuk inquired.

The man, flipping through a textbook, glanced up at him. He gaped for a few seconds before slamming his book shut. It was some sort of anatomy book, and Minhyuk felt relief fill his bones. Clearly this was the biochemistry tutor.

“Oh, thank god,” Minhyuk breathed out. “I’m in Professor Kim’s biochemistry class and I was looking for a tutor. Are you Choi...Something?”

“Choi…? No, I’m...I’m Lee Dongmin.”

Wasn’t Lee another of the names? Minhyuk thought it might be.

“Is this your desk?” Minhyuk gestured to the desk the boy sat at.

“Um…” Dongmin looked around before pushing aside a nameplate and several small goodies. “Yeah, it’s...Yeah, I’m the tutor. Lee Dongmin. For chemistry. Biochemistry, I mean. Biochemistry tutor. That’s me.”

Minhyuk thought that Lee Dongmin seemed rather socially awkward. Then again, he was likely a pre-med student, and they all seemed rather socially awkward. But it wasn’t as if he was one to judge; he wasn’t the most charismatic of people, either.

Now, though, Minhyuk couldn’t clam up, even if this boy was handsome and cute and everything anyone would ever desire out of a partner. He wasn’t looking to expand his social life, nor was he looking for a boyfriend. He simply needed a tutor.

He sat across from Lee Dongmin and pulled his stupid textbook out of his backpack. “I’m Park Minhyuk,” he greeted, “and I know it’s the first day of class, but I desperately need some help. Do you mind tutoring me for, like, the rest of the semester?”

Dongmin’s eyes widened briefly, but he nodded his head with enthusiasm. 

He looked like a bobble-head.

Minhyuk couldn’t help but smile.

“Awesome, thanks,” Minhyuk said, and he splayed his book across the desk, minding the fallen nameplate. “So tell me everything you know about cells. And explain it all to me like I’m an idiot. Because I am.”

Dongmin cleared his throat. “You’re...you’re, um, you’re not an idiot.”

“I am.”

“But this seems like a lot of material. I...I probably have to prepare more, and I’ll--”

“Please!” Minhyuk begged. “Just...make an exception and...just talk me through it in easy terms.”

Dongmin blinked. “Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“What if I’m busy?”

“I’ll…pay you.” But he had no money. Minhyuk screwed up his nose in thought and added, “I’ll dance for you, or something.”

“You’ll...dance for me?” A blush began to creep over Dongmin’s cheeks, and Minhyuk realized what he was thinking.

“Not -- oh, god, not like that! I just meant...I’m a dance major. I do dances. Ballet, hip-hop, you know.”

“Oh.” Dongmin visibly relaxed. “I don’t...I mean, I can...I’ll do it. You...you don’t have to dance. I’ll do this anyway.”

Minhyuk grinned and then pulled out his notebook. “Alright, then,” he said, and he gestured to his textbook. “Help me pass my course, please.”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

They had gotten into a steady rhythm. Three days a week, Dongmin would meet up with Minhyuk and tutor him. They didn’t often go to the tutoring room anymore; Dongmin claimed it was because he hated being cooped up in there and he wanted to enjoy the outdoors or else go to a lively coffee shop.

The real reason was that Dongmin was not a tutor.

“So,” Bin drawled, sprawled out across his bed and gazing warily at Dongmin through thick glasses. “Your dumb ass decided to lie because you thought he was cute? ”

Dongmin scowled at his roommate. “You haven’t seen him,” he defended. “He’s...short, kinda, and he’s got the sharpest cheekbones I’ve ever seen in my life. And his gaze is so piercing! And he’s tan, too, with smooth and shiny skin. He has the best smile, and he has a deep voice…” Dongmin’s scowl vanished and was replaced instead with a dreamy smile. “He dances, too. He’s a dance major.”

“Oh, god, he sounds perfect,” Bin moaned, rolling into his pillow.

“You’re not even gay.”

“No, but he sounds perfect . Like me.”

“Shut up.”

“Seriously, he’s like everything I would be if my parents didn’t force me to become a fucking doctor or something. I’d be a hot, strong, deep-voiced dancer.”

“I don’t think you can change your voice, Binnie.” Dongmin sighed and turned back to his textbook. He had been hanging out in the tutoring office to wait for a friend, a fellow pre-med student, but upon seeing Minhyuk, he had been quick to fall into his lie. Now he had to study for his courses and develop small lesson plans for his tutoring sessions with Minhyuk.

He wasn’t even getting paid.

Or, rather, he wasn’t getting paid in cash. Minhyuk paid him with company, and his company was worth millions.

Bin picked his head up from the pillow and pursed his lips, gazing at Dongmin with curiosity. “You gonna ask him out?”

“What?” Dongmin gave a start. “No! I’m his tutor! ”

“And that’s how it starts!” Bin sat up fully, looking excited at the opportunity to play matchmaker. “You guys spend lots of time together learning biology or whatever--”

“Biochemistry.”

“Sure. You spend time learning about cells and homeostasis -- which sounds sexy if you say it in a good, husky voice -- and then one night, you’re studying with him in the library, and it’s dark and no one else is around. He asks, ‘Dongmin, how do cells multiply?’ and you lean in close and whisper, ‘Let me show you.’”

Dongmin stared at Bin, who finished his disgusting monologue with a bow.

“No,” Dongmin replied. 

“No to what?”

“That. All of that. Whatever that was. Just...no.” He turned back to his own textbook, trying to will himself not to think of Minhyuk any longer.

Bin, however, refused to let the subject go so easily. “Are you seriously not going to let this go anywhere? Dude, you’re super hot! Chicks dig you, and I’m sure gay guys do, too.”

“Well, he’s not gay.”

“He’s a dance major . It’s in the arts department. That’s as gay as you can get.”

“You wanted to be a dance major.”

“The only straight guy amongst a crowd of homosexuals!” Bin gave a small whistle. “I’d be super popular with the ladies.”

Bin was the strangest pre-med student Dongmin had the displeasure of ever meeting. He shook his head, though he refused to even look over at his friend. 

“He isn’t gay. Seriously, you’re wrong here. He looks every bit as straight as can be.”

“How do guys look gay?” Bin asked, incredulous. “I mean, I thought Jinwoo was straight for the longest time, but he’s actually got a boyfriend, did you know that?”

Dongmin blinked and spun in his chair. He had heard Bin discuss Jinwoo a few times before. In fact, he had met Jinwoo during a drunken game of Mario Kart. Bin had invited several friends over (without telling Dongmin, but he had gotten used to that) and had introduced one as, “I think this is Jinwoo.”

To which Maybe-Jinwoo had drunkenly responded, “I think he’s right.”

Maybe-Jinwoo was buff, though, and manly and had tattoos and played sports.

Seeing that he caught Dongmin’s attention, Bin continued, “Yeah, I met up with him again recently. He’s got a boyfriend! I like his boyfriend. If I was gay, to be honest, I’d probably date his boyfriend. He’s got great lips. I bet he kisses real good. And he can probably do other things, too.” 

One lewd gesture later, and Dongmin turned back to his books.

“Well,” he muttered, “even if Jinwoo’s gay, it doesn’t mean Minhyuk also is.”

“But Jinwoo’s a dance major.”

“He is?” Dongmin was surprised. Maybe-Jinwoo had drunkenly proclaimed his major was “Business or something,” when asked about it. “Has he always been a dance major?”

“Yeah.”

Maybe-Jinwoo was an idiot when he had a few drinks, apparently. 

Dongmin tentatively turned around and tried his best to ignore the smirk on Bin’s face. “If...if you talk to him again, do you think you can maybe-possibly-kinda ask a bit about Minhyuk? Just, you know, what he likes and what he dislikes and if he has a boyfriend or girlfriend or even if he’s gay, and also maybe what type of guy he likes?”

And Bin, though terribly offensive and sometimes obnoxious, gave Dongmin a genuine grin and nodded his head.

“Of course! I’ll do it discreetly for you, too.”

Dongmin returned the smile, albeit a bit shyly. “Thanks,” he murmured.

Perhaps he could try out Bin’s late-night-empty-library idea, too.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Minhyuk took out his most recent quiz and passed it over to Dongmin, who smiled fondly at the large number written on the top.

“An 82!” Dongmin exclaimed. “That’s not bad at all!”

Minhyuk had to agree. His initial goal was to just not fail, and if that meant scoring in the lower 60’s, he was prepared to have his GPA take the hit. However, ever since Dongmin had started tutoring him, he had scored far higher than he thought would be possible. Dongmin somehow made such difficult concepts into the easiest explanations. Minhyuk’s notes were simplistic but covered the subjects well enough that he could keep up in a class full of science majors.

“Thanks,” he responded. Dongmin looked upon him with such adoration that Minhyuk found it difficult not to blush. He took the paper back and cleared his throat. He couldn’t crush on his tutor, no matter how hot Dongmin was.

And Dongmin was really hot.

He had asked Jinwoo and Myungjun for assistance, and Myungjun had instantly sat him down and began a lecture titled, “How to Woo a Hot Tutor.” As it turned out, it mostly consisted of a fanfiction Myungjun had written a year prior, but some of the ideas weren’t too terrible. One consisted of a dark and empty library and muttering inane phrases about cells that could be taken a bit sexually, but even that one was a bit interesting.

Jinwoo gave him far better advice. “Don’t listen to Myungjun,” he had ordered. “Let it all happen naturally. Make sure you two are friends, and then maybe ask him out. And assure him that no matter what happens, the friendship will remain.”

Minhyuk had decided early on that he didn’t want to be just friends with such an attractive man. How would he handle Dongmin dating other people? Could he really smile and accept that?

But Jinwoo was confident, and so Minhyuk knew he had to focus on their budding friendship first and foremost.

Dongmin cleared his throat. “So,” he started, opening his anatomy book and staring down at the words. “Have you, uh, been dancing lately?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m a dance major. It’s required,” Minhyuk replied.

He felt he had been too blunt, especially when Dongmin blushed and nodded his head frantically.

Struggling to redeem himself, Minhyuk added, “Plus, I dance for fun, and not just for school. I mean, when I’m at home, you know, I like dancing.” 

That seemed to do the trick. Dongmin finally looked at him and he didn’t appear too flustered any longer. 

“My roommate dances.”

“He does?” Minhyuk’s interest piqued. If Dongmin’s roommate was in the dance program, as well, then they might have a mutual friend who would help bring them closer together.

But Dongmin laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. I honestly don’t really know. See, he says he dances, but I’ve never seen any evidence to back up those claims.”

“Is he a dance major?”

“No. Pre-med, like me.”

Ah. Of course. The dance majors hung out with the dance majors and the pre-med majors hung out with the pre-med majors. He should’ve known.

Still, he wondered if he could use this information as an opening to learn more about Dongmin. He could ask a few questions concerning the roommate and then slowly transition into a couple of personal questions. If he was sneaky enough, Dongmin would never see it coming.

“Is...is your roommate gay?” he asked.

Dongmin blinked and Minhyuk swore. 

“Sorry,” he stammered out. “I...I misspoke. I meant…” What did he mean? What could he possibly mean in asking about Dongmin’s roommate’s sexuality? How could he ever recover from such a humiliating moment?

His mind rushed to find an answer, and he found himself blurting out, “I only ask because my roommate’s gay. Lots of, heh, crazy stories to tell.”

He mentally apologized to Yoon Sanha, the best roommate ever and also straight as an arrow. Sanha was a theater major, though, so he should have no trouble acting gay if the need to do so arose. 

He was thinking too far into his lie. He needed to calm down. He took a quick breath and shrugged his shoulders to Dongmin’s confused expression. 

“Sorry. It’s...I mean, I just learned it today. Had to tell someone, you know.”

Dongmin, still confused, asked, “Are...are you gay?”

Lying about his own sexuality would just be ridiculous, so Minhyuk nodded his head.

Dongmin’s eyes seemed to widen. “Oh. Wow. My roommate was right.”

“Your roommate speculated about my sexuality?” It was Minhyuk’s turn to be confused. Why had Dongmin discussed him with anyone else? Did that mean Dongmin was, perhaps, interested? Did that mean that Minhyuk actually might have a chance?

“No, no, he didn’t! It was just, um, we were just discussing the dance majors and he joked around that they…” Dongmin trailed off and then gestured wildly at his textbook. “Let’s just get through the lesson. I think I made plans. Maybe. I think. Here, this chapter is about metabolism. Tricky stuff, you should pay close attention.”

Minhyuk didn’t pay close attention. He internally screamed about his idiocy instead.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Dongmin stared up at the sky. The sun shone brightly down and he wondered if he had remembered to put on sunscreen that morning. Probably not. He had been in a rush to see Minhyuk and had likely forgone any sort of skincare routine.

And it was all for naught. He had revealed that he and Bin talked about Minhyuk. He had made himself out to be a fool in front of the hottest guy on campus. 

The sun could burn him to a crisp. He would appreciate the slow death.

A shadow fell over him, blocking his body from its well-deserved punishment. Dongmin narrowed his eyes through the glare in his glasses, struggling to make out the figure before him.

“Hey.” 

It was Bin. Dongmin sighed and closed his eyes. “Not now, Bin. I’m trying to die.”

“You’re not doing a good job at it.”

“It’s a slow death.”

“Oh. Are you starving yourself, then? Wasting away like the drama queen you are?”

What a good idea. Starving himself seemed a quicker way to go than waiting for the sun to melt his skin off.

“Sure,” he agreed. “I’ll do that.”

“Is he okay?” Another voice asked. Dongmin sighed, but sat up anyway to greet the guests Bin had dragged along to his side.

It was Maybe-Jinwoo, who didn’t seem to recognize him.

“Hello, Jinwoo,” Dongmin greeted. 

Jinwoo looked rather surprised and asked Bin, “How does he know me?”

Dongmin didn’t quite like being ignored. He responded, “Bin invited you over. You were super drunk and didn’t even know your own name.”

Jinwoo smiled, sweet and gummy, but nowhere near as adorable as Minhyuk’s. “Yeah, I forgot about that. Crazy world, huh?”

He was about to half-heartedly agree and return to his sacrificial position, but then a thought rushed in his head -- Jinwoo was a dance major. Sure, Jinwoo had drunkenly claimed to be a business major, but sober-Bin was adamant that he was in dance, not in business. Dongmin scrutinized him. He didn’t look like a dance major. He didn’t have Minhyuk’s lean, well-toned body shape. He didn’t have the aura of elegant grace and pose. He looked shorter, stockier, and less likely to wear a leotard than even Bin.

“Are you a dance major?” Dongmin asked.

Bin raised his eyebrows as Jinwoo answered, “Yeah. How did you know?”

“Again, you were super drunk.”

“God, I must have revealed a lot about myself. Hope it wasn’t anything personal,” Jinwoo teased.

Dongmin didn’t laugh. He didn’t have time to laugh. He only had time to figure out how the hell he was to recover his confidence from the earlier terribly humiliating experience he endured.

“Do you know a Park Minhyuk?” Dongmin continued with his interrogation.

Jinwoo nodded his head eagerly. “Yeah! He’s one of my best friends. Super great dancer, too. Why, do you know him?”

It was Bin who cut in, rather deviously, “Dongmin tutors him in biochemistry. They go to cafes on study dates. ”

Dongmin felt horrified at Bin’s blatant implication. He couldn’t even keep a simple secret in front of someone who knew Minhyuk very well? He couldn’t keep his mouth shut so as to not embarrass Dongmin any further?

But before Dongmin could pray to the sun to just end him already, Jinwoo gave a small ooh , and said, “Minhyuk’s mentioned you before. He says you’re a great tutor!”

So Jinwoo was too slow to pick up on the mood. Excellent. Perhaps Dongmin’s ego could stay intact for just a bit longer.

“He’s, uh, he’s a great student. I like, um...hanging out with him.”

Even with Dongmin’s blushes and Bin’s sadistic grin, Jinwoo still had yet to catch on. “I think he likes hanging out with you, too. I mean, he brushes me off all the time to be with you.”

“He does?” Dongmin grasped at the small sliver of hope Jinwoo had handed him.

“Yeah! And it’s not even during your usual tutoring times. I’ve noticed you’ve added on times here and there. Like, super early in the morning, or later in the evenings. It’s almost like he has a boyfriend, but he hasn’t dated since middle school.”

Bin smirked. “ Almost like he has a boyfriend ,” he repeated.

Dongmin wished the sun would kill Bin.

Jinwoo glanced over at Bin, inquisitive gaze searching for the reason behind his mocking tone. Then, he looked at Dongmin, and slowly recognition began to bloom in his eyes.

“Wait a second,” Jinwoo said. “Oh my god, do you like Minhyuk?”

“No!” Dongmin hurriedly said, while at the same time Bin exclaimed, “Yes!”

But it was too late for any sort of damage control. Jinwoo had (finally) caught onto Dongmin’s crush, and he seemed rather gleeful.

“Oh, god, this is so neat! See, Minhyuk doesn’t usually have really hot guys crushing on him. Especially hot pre-med students.”

His life was completely ruined. Jinwoo would tell Minhyuk, who was likely to be appalled. Dongmin would be publicly humiliated and Bin would never again stop laughing at him.

He begged the sun to kill him quicker.

“You know, though,” Jinwoo continued, a sly smile crossing over his face, “I think he may or may not have some feelings for you.”

Dongmin blinked. He ignored the sun and his impending doom for the time being. “He what?”

“I mean…” Jinwoo cleared his throat. “I really don’t think I should be telling you this. I mean, Minhyuk should probably let you know, not me.”

“Does he or does he not like Dongmin?” Bin asked, clearly having lost his patience.

Jinwoo seemed to crack under the pressure he had set up for himself, and he blurted out, “He does. He likes you. He’s been trying to woo you for a while now, but I think he’s too shy to actually do anything my boyfriend suggests.” 

Dongmin was silent. Bin, also, was silent.

Jinwoo quickly added, “I mean, my boyfriend suggested some really raunchy stuff, you know. I told Minhyuk to maybe ignore that stuff. It’s good to see he listened to my advice.”

“Minhyuk likes me?” Dongmin wondered aloud.

“Yup.”

“Minhyuk... likes me?”

Bin rolled his eyes. “He’s an idiot, Jinwoo. Let’s leave him.”

“We deliver such life-changing information to him and then ditch him?” Jinwoo asked, but Bin was already walking away. Jinwoo hesitated for a second, but then followed after Bin, casting Dongmin a few concerned glances as they walked away.

Dongmin waited until they were long gone, and then he shot up in absolute glee.

“Not today, sun,” he murmured as he gathered his bag and ran to the dorms, prepared to do everything in his power to make himself look decent for when he inevitably confessed his love to the prettiest man in the entire world.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Jinwoo was staring at him.

Minhyuk could sense it, even though Jinwoo was on the bed behind him. He could feel sharp, gray eyes pinned right on his body, keeping him frozen in place in front of his laptop. Myungjun’s incessant rambling was but a gust of wind; Minhyuk was so preoccupied on the staring that he couldn’t register a single thing being told to him.

“Are you listening?” Myungjun snapped, and Minhyuk blinked and turned his gaze back to his friend.

“Huh?”

“Geez, you weren’t. I was saying that I think Sanha has fucked a girl in this bed.”

Minhyuk wrinkled up his nose. “Gross. Why the hell are you on Sanha’s bed, anyway? Why aren’t you sitting with Jinwoo on my bed?”

“Oh, we had an argument. He wanted to go get ice cream instead of eating my cream.”

“That’s even more gross!” Minhyuk exclaimed, and he turned around in his chair to meet Jinwoo’s eyes. Jinwoo started as if he had been caught, and then cleared his throat and offered Minhyuk a small smile.

Minhyuk didn’t give him the same pleasantries. “Make your boyfriend shut up and stop talking about such disgusting shit in my room, and also refrain from staring at me so much.”

“So it’s not my cream he wants, then; it’s yours,” Myungjun said to Minhyuk, who tried not to gag.

“Stop talking about cream! It’s revolting!” 

He succeeded in one problem; Myungjun rolled his eyes and went back to reading his book and occasionally mumbling under his breath. That led him to the second problem, and so he looked at Jinwoo and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why are you staring?” he asked.

Jinwoo tapped his fingers along his knee. “Hypothetically,” he started, and Minhyuk instantly knew the story would be long, “let’s say that I met someone who liked this one guy. I knew this one guy, and I knew this one guy also liked the guy I just met. What would happen if the guy I knew figured out that I told the guy I just--”

“I’m confused,” Minhyuk said, holding up a hand and stopping Jinwoo mid-sentence. “And I know it isn’t hypothetical. It never is with you. What happened?”

Jinwoo seemed rather hesitant to speak, and so it was Myungjun who stepped up to explain the situation. “Jinwoo met Dongmin and told Dongmin you liked him.”

“What?” Minhyuk bellowed. “You told Dongmin?”

“There’s more to it,” Jinwoo grumbled, sending a glare to his boyfriend, who only smiled menacingly back at him. “See, he told me that he likes you . So then I thought it’d be okay to say that you liked him.”

“No, that’s not okay! Oh, god, now things are going to be so awkward and weird between us,” Minhyuk moaned, melting onto the bed next to Myungjun (whom he now considered his only true friend, aside from Sanha). “He’s my tutor!”

Myungjun snorted. “What’s wrong with that? It’s not like he’s your professor. He’s younger than Jinwoo, and hotter than Jinwoo.”

“Shove it, Myungjun,” Jinwoo snapped, and Myungjun sighed and flopped backwards onto the bed. “But Myungjun is right,” Jinwoo continued, eyes imploring Minhyuk for forgiveness. “He’s only a year or two older than you are. It’s perfectly acceptable for the two of you to date. There’s no rules against dating a student tutor.”

Jinwoo was likely right; there weren’t any rules against that . Minhyuk was allowed to date an attractive, smart man. No one would stop him. And if Dongmin truly liked him back, then wasn’t it all the better? Wasn’t it a good thing?

“Wait,” he murmured. “How...how did he tell you that he liked me?”

Jinwoo blinked. “Huh?”

“I mean, what did he say?”

“He said...I mean, he didn’t necessarily say it, but his friend said it.”

“So it was his friend who told you Dongmin likes me?”

As if sensing where the questions were headed, Jinwoo shook his head. “No! No, I mean...technically, yes, but he...Dongmin didn’t deny it. And he seemed happy that you liked him back.”

It was possible, then, that Dongmin didn’t really like him. Dongmin was a polite person; what if he was just being nice so as to not bring down Minhyuk’s spirits? 

“Oh, god,” he moaned, sinking into Sanha’s bed. 

“He does like you,” Jinwoo assured. “I swear it.”

Minhyuk’s response was a groan. Jinwoo looked worried and Myungjun leaned over Minhyuk and shook his shoulder.

“If you’re that upset, I’ll let you try a taste of my cream,” he whispered.

Minhyuk kicked him in the stomach.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“He hasn’t come to any of our tutoring sessions!” Dongmin complained to Bin, who regarded him with interest.

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb, you idiot. You know I’m talking about Minhyuk.” Dongmin sat in the chair across from his friend and sighed. “I texted to see if he was alright, and he said he’s fine, just preparing for a dance. He won’t tell me anything else.”

Bin raised his eyebrows. “Really? Jinwoo must’ve said something stupid to him, then.”

“Maybe,” Dongmin mumbled. He had hoped Jinwoo would have been a bit more discreet about his feelings, since there was always the possibility that he was wrong. Whatever the case, it now seemed as if Minhyuk was trying to avoid him as much as possible.

“I wouldn’t give up on him,” Bin urged. “I believe he likes you. Jinwoo talked to me later and I don’t think he was lying or making shit up. I think Minhyuk truly does like you.” He shrugged and suggested, “Maybe he’s awkward.”

“He...he can be awkward, yeah. But I’m way more awkward than he is.”

“You’re more awkward than anybody I know,” Bin agreed, nodding his head. “But this isn’t about you, you know. It’s about Minhyuk. Maybe his type of awkward is the type that avoids all sorts of issues. Or maybe he’s avoiding you because he’s embarrassed. Or maybe he’s sex-repulsed -- that’s a thing, right? -- and you ooze sex.”

“I don’t.”

“I mean, hey, if I was gay, I’d date you in a second!” Bin laughed and stuffed a few french fries in his mouth. Then, chewing loudly, he added, “Or maybe Minhyuk’s already in a sort-of secret relationship and is working on breaking up with his current lover in order to go out with you.”

That theory didn’t make any sense. Dongmin ran his fingers through his hair and sighed once again. He had been ecstatic upon learning that Minhyuk was interested in him, but his spirits fell day by day as Minhyuk never bothered to meet with him again. Was he really that undesirable? Was something so dreadfully wrong that Minhyuk needed space? Or was he already committed to someone else and had decided to stay away in order to not cause any trouble.

Dongmin wanted to figure it out.

Normally, in such situations, he would lay down and take it. He would accept that things didn’t always go his way and he would move on. He could probably forget about Minhyuk in a year or two, give or take, and in the meantime, he could date a few other guys here and there. Then, once Minhyuk was well out of his mind, he would allow himself the pleasure of falling in love with someone else and getting married and adopting children overseas.

Ah, but Minhyuk was really his first serious crush. All of the dumb crushes in high school didn’t count, and he hadn’t really dated anyone since high school. Minhyuk was the only guy to ever catch his attention enough to make him lie about being a tutor. Would any other guy take up hours of his precious free time? Likely not. Only Minhyuk held that power over Dongmin, and so Dongmin wanted only Minhyuk.

“He has a dance coming up,” Bin suddenly pointed out, as if he was able to read Dongmin’s thoughts and desires. “Jinwoo was talking to me about it.”

Dongmin leaned forward, interested. Didn’t Minhyuk mention his dance in that one text he had sent? Surely this must be that very same dance. 

“Are you going to it?” Dongmin asked.

“Of course! I have to see what they’re doing so I can copy them and later join them. Jinwoo has a solo, and Minhyuk also has a solo. Actually, I think he said Minhyuk had two or three solos. He’s apparently the best male dancer on the team.”

“Really?” Dongmin could imagine Minhyuk up on stage. Would Minhyuk do ballet? Or would he do hip-hop? Or contemporary? Maybe tap? He knew how to do a lot of different types of dances, so he claimed. He also once claimed to be able to do a split, and when Dongmin told Bin, Bin told him, All the girls I’ve been with who could do splits were super flexible in the bedroom .

Shit, he wanted to see it. He wanted to see it so bad.

He opened his mouth to request joining Bin in the audience, but before he could say anything, Bin grinned widely.

“You wanna come?”

Dongmin blinked. “How did you know?”

“I’m pretty intuitive when I want to be. Plus, you looked about ready to start drooling, so I assumed you were thinking about Minhyuk up on stage.”

“I wasn’t...I wasn’t about to start drooling,” Dongmin defended himself, but he did wipe at his face to ensure no saliva had escaped his mouth. 

Bin smirked, and it was so infuriating, but Dongmin couldn’t exactly punch the man who might be taking him to see the glory that was Park Minhyuk.

He would tolerate Bin’s existence for one more evening; then, he could confess and beat Bin up later.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Minhyuk leaned forward as far as he could, stretching his hands out in front of him, both of his legs splayed to either side. He closed his eyes briefly, letting Sanha’s constant stream of words run through him like a cascading waterfall.

Sanha leaned gently on his back, stretching him out even more, and Minhyuk muttered a quick word of thanks.

“No problem!” Sanha exclaimed, letting Minhyuk sit up again. He passed over a bottle of water, which Minhyuk took a small sip of. “Are you excited?”

Minhyuk nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“Just yeah? Usually you’re a little more expressive than that.”

He usually was; Sanha wasn’t wrong. Minhyuk loved dancing up on stage. He was confident in his abilities and knew just what to do to make the crowd go wild. He would get full marks and he would also impress several casting agents who were likely to be in the crowd. All would go well, and when he graduated, he would have a solid dance career in front of him.

But his mind was addled with thoughts of Dongmin, who may or may not (but probably not) like him. 

Where did that leave them? They had been friends before, as much as one could be friends with their tutor, but things were different between them now. Could they go back to their simple friendship, or should Minhyuk just let Dongmin go? They would be acquaintances after this; they would nod their heads and continue on their way if their paths ever happened to cross, which, given their differing majors, was unlikely.

Minhyuk was just going to let him go, it seemed, and that thought killed him inside.

“Hey, Sanha?”

“Hm?” Sanha looked up from his own stretches. He wasn’t nearly as flexible as Minhyuk; his skills lay more with singing than with dancing. But he claimed to enjoy the high-energy exercise and the friendship within the dancing circle, so he stuck around while he worked on releasing some albums.

“Have...Have you ever liked someone but decided not to confess because you’re worried that they might not like you back?”

Sanha screwed his nose up in concentration, then shook his head. “Nah.”

Minhyuk’s confidence took a small plummet. “Really?”

“I mean, I’ve only liked Yerin and we’re dating, and I confessed to her in high school. I don’t have any experience otherwise.”

Ah, sweet, innocent Sanha. Minhyuk was reminded day by day just why he adored his roommate so much.

“But,” Sanha continued, “if you’re shy, that’s totally cool. You just have to remember that you won’t get anywhere by doing nothing.”

He had a point, but Minhyuk had concerns. “What if he rejects me? And then I’m humiliated?”

“Well, then he rejects you and you’re humiliated. Nothing more you can do.” Sanha shrugged his shoulders. “But at least you gave it a shot. Otherwise, you’ll wonder your entire life whether or not he liked you back.” Sanha smiled and asked, “It’s a he , right?”

“Yeah.”

“Who is it?”

“Not telling.”

“Aww, come on!” Sanha whined. “I wanna know all of the good, juicy gossip, and no one ever tells me anything!”

Minhyuk sighed and sat up from his stretches. His song was in ten minutes, and he wanted to be ready, but he also wanted to get all of his emotions out in the open. 

“If I confess and he tells me yes, then you’ll be able to meet him.”

Sanha rolled his eyes but seemed to accept Minhyuk’s statement with a nod of his head.

Minhyuk grabbed his phone, intent on texting Dongmin to meet him somewhere in the next few days, but before he could even unlock the device, he heard a knock at the dressing room door.

Minhyuk and Sanha turned as the door slowly opened, and in popped Dongmin’s head.

Dongmin instantly met Minhyuk’s wide-eyed gaze, and he stammered out, “Um, he-hey, Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk could only stare owlishly, and he didn’t respond until he heard Sanha mutter, “Oh, now I know the juicy gossip.”

“Mind leaving us for a bit, Sanha?” Minhyuk asked, his voice a bit strained.
As if sensing his distress, Sanha nodded his head and gestured down to where some of the other dancers mingled. “I’ll be over there if you need me,” he assured, and off he went, casting a few glances back at Minhyuk here and there.

Dongmin entered the room and shut the door behind him, clearing his throat. “Bin convinced me to come back here,” he said. “He told me where the dressing room was. Jinwoo told him, apparently, and he was going to come back here, too, but he wanted to watch some of the other dancers.”

“The female dancers,” Minhyuk murmured.

“Yeah. He’s kinda embarrassing.”

Minhyuk nodded his head, and soon Dongmin followed suit, as if realizing he had nothing else to do. 

They stood in an awkward silence until Dongmin said, “I’m...I’m not actually a tutor.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, when you came looking for me that...that one day. The first day we met. It was, um...it wasn’t my desk. I pushed the nameplate off so you wouldn’t see it. But I’m not an official tutor for biochemistry.”

That was a bit shocking. Minhyuk wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. It wasn’t exactly the confession he had been hoping and dreaming for, though it was rather interesting.

“You’re not a tutor?” he repeated.

“No.”

“But...I mean, I’ve been scoring well. I’ve been averaging a solid B. How...how are you not a tutor?”

“I know the subject,” Dongmin admitted. “I had to take it. But I was just in there waiting for my friend, who I guess was the tutor for your subject. And...and then you came in, and you were just...so handsome and attractive, and I decided to lie so I could spend more time with you.”

Minhyuk had to process this information. “So you tutored me because...because you like me?”

Dongmin nodded sheepishly, like a child who had been caught taking cookies before dinner.

Minhyuk found him all the more endearing.

“And then Jinwoo...sorry, but Jinwoo told me that you liked me, as well.”

Minhyuk scowled and cast a glance over at the other dancers; Jinwoo met his gaze and grinned widely.

“Sounds like him,” Minhyuk muttered, looking back over at Dongmin. “Jinwoo can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

“Ah, well, I mean...I didn’t mind it, because I...I realized I can confess to you and maybe you wouldn’t just toss me to the curb.”

Minhyuk’s heart hammered in his chest and his spirits soared. He offered Dongmin a small smile and responded, “Jinwoo’s right. I do like you. But, god, I thought you wouldn’t like me! ”

“How could I not like you?” Dongmin asked, looking personally affronted. “You’re so handsome, and attractive, and I...I really wanna watch you dance.”

“I did promise I’d dance for you,” Minhyuk mused, remembering his first meeting with Dongmin.

Dongmin seemed to remember it, too. He gave a chuckle and added, “But not like how I had initially thought.”

“The…? Oh. Like a stripper.”

Dongmin turned red and stammered something inaudible, and in a bold move, Minhyuk whispered, “I can do that later for you, if you’d like.”

“Oh.” Dongmin hid his face in his hands and said, “Let’s...Let me take you out first, and then--”

“We’ve technically gone on lots of dates,” Minhyuk pointed out. When Dongmin still seemed rather flustered, he couldn’t help but laugh. “But take me out officially and we’ll see about the private dance. But for now…” He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss onto Dongmin’s cheek. Dongmin turned even more red, as impossible as that seemed, and Sanha gave a loud whoop! of excitement.

“Go take a seat,” Minhyuk ordered. “I’ll dance for you here first.”

“That’s…” Dongmin nodded his head, and Minhyuk noticed how hard he was trying not to smile.

Cute, cute, cute , Minhyuk thought, and he let himself grin as Dongmin hurried off to his seat.

He took a deep breath, butterflies fluttering about in his stomach as he prepared himself to go on stage, knowing full well that he would have eyes for only one awed audience member that night.

Biochemistry wasn’t so bad after all.