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As many people believe love at first sight is not real and more likely not to happen, some of them experience it without even realizing. They would say it was purely coincidence, but the stars always align for something that human don’t have the power to handle. In this story, the universe chose to encounter two boys on a bright day of spring, accidentally. Those who never believed that first love is existed at the first sight. The ending, well, it depends on them.
The sky was pretty blue, with some thin clouds were trying to hid the sun behind them. A busy morning was started once again. People were walking fast on the road, the buses were also full of them. Mostly students and workers, those who need to arrive at their school and workplace on time. Jimin looked outside from where he was standing. The trees on the roadside are having their good time in the year—full of flowers. Some of the flower petals are blown by the wind. Spring is here, Jimin’s mind spoke to himself. There should be nothing to expect from this season, it’s his eighteenths spring after all. He had been through so many springs and none of them is special. Yet, he kept looking at the trees and the flowers. The bus is too crowded in this kind of hours, he barely could move his body.
Five minutes later, people started to leave. Jimin took a deep breath, finally be able to raise his hand and checking on his phone. Nothing was all he found. Jimin sighed and looking around. The bus now only filled with students like him. Some of them were chatting, the others stands or sit alone and minding their business. Jimin could spot a student with same uniform as him was standing in front of him. He listened to something with earphone on both of his ears. Jimin doesn’t know that person, yet. Even if Jimin knew him already, he just won’t bother him with a greet. It’s not his thing to have random talk with someone on a bus. He preferred to enjoy this ride by himself.
In slow motion, the bus finally stopped again. It was his turn to leave now. The student whom Jimin saw before was also walking outside. Jimin followed him from behind. His pace was paused when he caught the keychain from that student’s bags was falling down. A knot with green colour. Jimin took it. “Hey!” He called, increasing his steps to get closer to him. His right hand tapped the student’s shoulder. He turned around, fixing his eyeglasses. Jimin stilled, the stranger only raised his eyebrows from behind the glass.
“Excuse me?”
For one milisecond, Jimin lost his ability to speak. “Your keyring,” He handed the small craft. “It was falling.” That explanation sounds so weird, even to Jimin. That student looked at it. It is indeed his keyring, a traditional knot that his mother made special for him. He smiled while taking the precious stuff from Jimin. After thanking him with a short “thank you”, he continued his walk. Stepped away, holding the knot keyring tight with his right hand. The knot is old, it’s not a new thing to find it fall again and again after using it for years. Hoseok chose to keep it inside of his bag from now on. He reached his class in short time and met the eyes of a tall student who stared at him with a frown.
“What did just happen to you? Your look pale.” Hoseok could hear him asking. He didn’t reply. What did just happen to me? There were many things that just happened to him. First, he almost lost the sixth birthday present from his mother. Second, a good boy returned it to him. Third, that boy was doing something to him that makes his heart beating faster than it should. Namjoon cocked his eyebrow. “A boy?” He repeated Hoseok. That bestfriend of him was nodding. Yeah, a boy. Hoseok got his first heart attack at his nineteen because some strange boy was talking to him.
“I don’t know a boy can be look so hot with an undercut. Namjoon, you did have it when we were in tenth grade, right?”
Of course, most of them actually had it on their first year in school. A fresh look for a new school, such thing like that. But, Namjoon back then was not causing any harm to him. Not even a skipped heartbeat. Not even a heat on his face when they talked eyes to eyes. Hoseok felt weird on his tummy. “I feel like a shit.” Namjoon snorted.
“Idiot. You are in love, Jung Hoseok,” He spoke with a hiss. Some of their classmates already entered the room and both of them didn’t want them to hear their convo. “Are you stupid? You excel in school subjects but you can’t even tell that you are developing crush on some stranger you just met this morning?” Namjoon retorted him again. Hoseok took off his eyeglasses. His right hand covered his eyes. That was impossible. Namjoon was right, but he didn’t believe him. Hoseok knew what he meant. Falling in love in the first sight. It’s not real. Hoseok would likely do one or more dates before saying he is in love with somebody. But why did his heart keep beating faster whenever he remembered his face? A stranger, a whole someone-he-doesn’t-know. This is ridiculous.
A teacher came in then. Namjoon had prepared his books, Hoseok gained his sense and put his eyeglasses back. There is no time for him to think about love or date or having a hot boyfriend with undercut. Shit. Hoseok wrote a wrong note. This is his last year in school. In eight months, he would go to college entrance exam and start his college life shortly after. He should be studying for that. Not thinking about that random guy. Shit. Another wrong note. Hoseok screamed inside. He inhaled deeply and getting focus again. Time was going so slow for him today. Hoseok took his time on lunchbreak to re-read his notes again. The food only ruined his mood more—Namjoon had to finish it for him.
“Today’s lunch is so awful.”
Somewhere on the room, far from Namjoon and Hoseok, another tall boy spoke to his friend. Jimin nodded to him. Taehyung wasn’t wrong. Both of them didn’t finish their meal properly. “What’s wrong with you today? You have that blank face all over this morning,” Another sentence from Taehyung. Jimin stratled and turned around to him. Taehyung squinted. “Are you looking for someone?” He changed his question, noticing Jimin had been eyeing the whole room after finished his lunch. Jimin shook his head. No. If he told Taehyung about the boy he met at school entrance back then, he would make fun of him. Jimin wasn’t ready to debate with him again.
“Hey, Taehyung,” He tried to change the topic between them. Taehyung hummed. “Where is your specs?” Jimin had to check something with it. With a confused look, Taehyung gave it to him—he took it off when they had meals. Jimin didn’t grab it. “No, you wear it,” He ordered. Taehyung grew more suspicious of him, but still do what his bestfriend was asking for. Jimin stared in silence. Taehyung also wears eyeglasses—not so different style with that boy from earlier today. It didn’t impact him the same way. He didn’t stutter when talking to Taehyung who had his specs on. No heat was creeping up his face and ears.
“You are sure hiding something from me.”
Well, Taehyung wasn’t wrong with that. Jimin shrugged. He won’t talk about it. Sipping his drink, Jimin threw his glance over the other side of the room. Many people with eyeglasses were around—that girl with high ponytail, the short boy who got hitted at his head by his friend. But, none of them interest him. Jimin’s head rewound the memory again. That boy’s smile while saying thank you to him. Once again, Jimin felt his heart skipped a beat. Taehyung must have been noticed it because he suddenly clapped his hands right in front of his nose. He asked him again but Jimin still closed his mouth. Taehyung kept teasing him, pulling his left ear that was getting red. They were arguing about that until the lunchbreak ends. Jimin failed to catch any glimpse of that boy.
But, he didn’t stop right there. Jimin was still curious. About who he is, which grade he is in, what kind of subject he likes to study—wait, the last one sounds too much. He barely got any focus on the class, mind full of any possibilities about him. A nerd who likes to study math. A class president who has so many responsibilities. A good boy who always helps his classmates. There were so many things that are coming inside his head right now. Jimin had to take some fresh air and clear his mind. He excused himself in the middle of class—saying he had to go to the restroom. Taehyung side-eyed him, but Jimin didn’t care.
Yet, his steps stopped midway to there. What the hell is he just doing now? Jimin isn’t a person who is into a relationship, or even having slightest crush on someone. He already has his good life as teenager right now—many games to play, best friend who is always be there for him, a whole free time to be spent at PC bang during weekend. Falling in love and start a date are never on that list. He doesn’t need that. People say, having your first love story at high-school is an experience you should have. But, Jimin didn’t look for it. He didn’t ask a specific gorgeous boy with specs to meet him and giving him smile which sent his sanity away. This spring is too much.
Who is this boy he had been thinking much about?
That question was also going around Hoseok’s head in the past few hours. Glad the class after lunchbreak was cancelled after the class president informed that the teacher got sick this morning and wasn’t capable to come. His classmates dismissed themselves right after. Some stayed inside the classroom, the others—like him and Namjoon—chose to seek quiet place in the library. Namjoon went there first, Hoseok had to go back because his earphone was left on his desk. It’s better to study there by listening some of his favorite lo-fi beats and completely forgetting the undercut boy. Hoseok still felt shiver running on his spine everytime he got reminded of his face. Tough, but a little bit cute with reddish cheeks thanks to the cold weather. Hoseok would be totally going crazy if he met him more than once today.
“Sorry!”
Realizing his left shoulder was bumped hard into someone, Jimin exclaimed in reflex. He had been walking with his head ducked down and that made him pay less attention to what comes on the way. He turned around and the face he saw next was completely sending him freeze. “Oh, you are—that boy,” Jimin could hear him speaking low. He wished his ears didn’t turn red because he was sure of heat that crept up there. Uncounsciosuly, he nodded. Yeah.
“Yeah? W-what are you doing here?”
That was totally a bad question to ask. Hoseok tilted his head. He should have been the one who asked that question. Comparing to Jimin who was wandering around without brought anything with him, Hoseok and three books on his hands were looking way more apparent. “Our teacher didn’t come today so we had to study by ourselves. I’m heading to library, my friend is waiting in there,” It was strange to Hoseok that he could answer him with clear voice. His sentence before came out like a murmur. He turned himself in full circle. “What about you?” That boy must have been noticing he showed interest without mean to because he also turned himself around and looked aside, trying to find an answer.
Actually, Jimin didn’t hear the question clearly. His mind got carried away once again when the specs boy let out “my friend” phrase from his mouth. There was only one friend. They studied together. Inside the cozy library. Only two of them. Something inside him flamed with wants. Jimin wants too—that boy must be smart. He, who usually sleeps in class, suddenly had the urge to study with this specific someone. Jimin slapped himself—in his mind. He shouldn’t be jealous to a person whom he didn’t even know his name yet. “I’m going to the restroom, yeah,” Another yeah—Jimin felt sick on his mouth. “I get to go, bye!”
Without looking at Hoseok again, Jimin left. Almost running. Hoseok fixed his eyeglasses, staring at Jimin who got further and further from his sight. He finally was able to see him more clearly this time. And if he hadn’t mistaken, Hoseok saw an unusual dot on Jimin’s right hear. He went dazed again. Hoseok knew someone couldn’t get hotter and hotter in span of few hours but this boy—oh, this boy—just got hotter the more he landed a gaze. “He must be having a piercing—gosh. Can you believe it?”
Of course, Namjoon believed him. But his eyes still fixed on the book he brought. Mathematics, just as Hoseok knew it. “Congratulations, you have found out your hot guy are going outside school with his piercing on,” Namjoon spoke half-heartedly. Hoseok didn’t answer him. Namjoon looked up and found that friend of him now holding his pen with shaking hand. He groaned. “For fucking sake, Hoseok. How come you are going this insane just because a boy?” Namjoon tried to raise his voice as low as he could. They were still in the library, after all. Hoseok shook his head and continued working on his book. Namjoon let out a sigh.
“I think you two are meant to be,” Suddenly he spoke with calm voice. Hoseok seemed to not giving him full attention—he frowned on a question about stoichiometry. Namjoon knew he was bad at chemistry, but he respected him for never giving up on that subject. “It’s not a coincidence to keep encountering him like that, you know,” His sentence sounded like a supportive message. But Hoseok disagreed. He didn’t believe in such thing. It must be a coincidence—something that happened once or twice without any meaning behind. Tomorrow, he knew it would be different. He wouldn’t meet that boy again and everything would be back to their supposed place. He could go back to his usual days—being a student who dedicated himself on study.
“I don’t think so,” Hoseok replied long after, all serious with his words. Namjoon listened, but he didn’t say anything. They went silence. Namjoon can’t be right, Hoseok stated it on his mind. It was purely accident. Nothing to think about. Hoseok should get focused again. He looked up at Namjoon—the boy was already started another chapter of his book. “Hey,” Hoseok called him, bringing his attention back.
“Can you help me with this one, please?”
The first time Jimin’s teacher asked the same question, he didn’t hear him. The second one, though, sending him jolted on his chair. All eyes were on him. Shit. He didn’t listen to what the older man was talking before. Without thinking much, Jimin approached him. The teacher gave him a marker and told him to work on the equation he had written on the board. Shit. Jimin didn’t understand any of it. He just scribbled down everything his memory could grasp from the textbook. Surprisingly, he only made slight error. The teacher sent him back without scolding him even further.
“How did you get that right?” Taehyung was whispering not long after Jimin reached his desk. He re-wrote the equation and the answer on his book, then gave it to Taehyung. Letting him learn about it by himself. Jimin was lucky this time—he read the book after coming back from the restroom. He never read it before, but thinking about studying with that specs-boy made him open the book and scanning one or two page of it. As he started to get reminded of it again, Jimin let his head hid under his hands on the table. Is this a good sign? Jimin was not a type of student who is all-out about study and school. He went here because everyone did and everyone was supposed to. He preferred his life outside this place. Living his youth with Taehyung and some other friends. Would a date and a boyfriend take him away from these? He was afraid of that.
His notebook was passed to him again. Taehyung had finished doing whatever he did with it. Jimin didn’t touch that square thing. He closed his eyes. The teacher’s voice was going further from his auditory sense. Jimin was ready to sleep and waking up to a whole new day—pretending all of this never happened. This day was way too unreal to be true. It would be lasted only for a day. It would be surely different for tomorrow. He didn’t have to worry about it. Jimin said to himself. All noise disappeared and nobody realized he had been drifted to unconscious state.
When Jimin’s eyes opened again, the class has shifted to another subject. He did try to pay attention this time but every words from the old lady in front of him just entered his mind and evaporated shortly after. Jimin was used to that. From the corner of his eyes, he could snatch Taehyung was playing something with his phone. His eyes went up to the clock above the board. Jimin wished the school dismissed earlier today—he just wanted to go home and have proper sleep.
His wish was granted, though. He parted with Taehyung who walked home without riding bus. Jimin was all alone, waiting on the bus stop with nobody around. He picked some game to play on his phone, hiding his head under the hood of jacket he wore. Jimin sat at the end of the bench, leaning over a glass barrier. One minute, two minutes. No one was coming to sit next to him. Some of students prefer to go home with a walk, with one or two friends in a group. Jimin couldn’t do that. His house was located far enough from the school. Same thing also applied to that boy who just arrived and taking seat on another end. Jimin pushed back his hood and his eyes went wide when he noticed who was sitting there. Of course, they would meet again to ride the same bus. If only Jimin could run right now. He had it enough today, he couldn’t do this any longer.
Should I greet him?
Both of them had the thought. Hoseok stared at the boy from behind his glass and then looking away. He didn’t know how to do that. A hello? A hi? A hey, what’s up? Hoseok wished Namjoon was here so he could talk to him instead of greeting that undercut boy. But there were only two of them in there, separated by the thin air. Hoseok scratched the back of his head. How does he usually greet Namjoon? There must be a safe one word that would help him getting out from this awkward situation.
“Hey.”
And, again. Both of them spoke at the same time. The awkwardness was going worse than before. Jimin pressed his lips. His eyes met the specs boy’s ones. He looked away—he couldn’t stare at him more than five seconds without getting his heart rammered. This was not what he expected to be happened. Jimin thought of greeting him and introduced himself. It would be better for them to know each other’s name first. Now, he lost all the words in his mouth. Jimin cleared his throat. “I’m Park Jimin, anyway,” He succeeded saying that. The specs boy glanced over him.
“Jung Hoseok,” That was the reply. Hoseok let his gaze went straight to Jimin now. “You are sophomore, right? We met at the second grade’s floor,” He added, mentioning their second encounter today. To reach the library, he had to pass the second grade’s floor—their school building was separated into three section for every grade. Hoseok could see Jimin was nodding at that. Another yeah slipped his mouth then. They went silence. Hoseok was about to ask something about Jimin’s class, but the boy already asked him the question.
“Which class are you in?”
It was taking long for Hoseok to answer. He just realized it now. If Hoseok were being honest, Jimin would start speaking formal with him. Or, maybe not. He seemed to be that boy who doesn’t care about whom was he talking to. From his appearance, Hoseok guessed Jimin would just keep talking informally, even if he was way older than him. “I’m in 3-2, how about you?” Hoseok returned the question. They didn’t look at each other but Hoseok could sense Jimin was flinched at that.
“2-2,” Jimin replied in short. He didn’t expect him to be a senior. Everything would be easier if they were in the same grade. Now, Jimin had to speak formally with him. Calling him with sunbae-nim. Their next convo would sound so boring, he knew that. Hoseok kept asking him about this and that and he would answer politely. Jimin threw some question back, and Hoseok gladly replied with ease. Time is ticking slow, their bus didn’t arrive for the next five minutes. It was late, in this situation where Jimin just wanted to run and hide. If Hoseok smiled once more to him, Jimin would surely pass out. His heartbeat has been racing as if he were running around the school.
The trees at the other side of the road was shaking a little—strong wind passed by them. Some of the flowers were blown away, Jimin felt a slight a deja vu looking at that. He turned to his right side, staring at Hoseok who was now quiet. He didn’t continue his answer about Jimin’s question—What subject do you like the most?—and shifted his attention to watch the flowers flying around them in awe. Jimin’s heart skipped a beat. No. It stopped beating. His breath was sucked up. If he could cry right now, he would do it gladly. But Jimin was too embarrased to do that.
There were two small flowers got caught on Hoseok’s brown locks. As if someone was putting them gently—the pink colored petals looked so pretty in contrast with Hoseok’s hair color. And his beautiful smile when he was looking up to the trees—gosh, why is he so gorgeous?—Jimin wished he could snap this moment and store it securedly in his memory. He scooted closer. The desire to touch, to make Hoseok fully faced him. The older must be noticed it because Hoseok now turned around and stared at him with wide eyes.
“Excuse me, sunbae-nim,” Jimin breathed out. His right hand was shaking. “You have one in your hair,” He took the small flower with soft touches, and showed it to Hoseok. The older felt blush all over his face. They were so close right now. Jimin’s figure was clear on his sight—red cheeks with sharp eyes and pierced right ear. Hoseok’s heart was beating faster, so loud that he could only hear that. Cars passed by them but no sound was audible. Time was stopped for a second in his mind. When Hoseok was brought back to his sense, he spotted a tiny thing flew over and landed right above Jimin’s left ear. There was another flower.
“Hey,” He spoke, low voice. Jimin met his eyes. Hoseok held the contact for two good seconds before his hand slowly raised up. “You too,” A whisper, Hoseok’s fingers finally brushed Jimin’s left ear. “You have this one too,” Repeating his words, he pulled the flower from there. Jimin’s eyes followed his hand’s movement and only then—by his head slightly bend down—Hoseok was able to see his pair of red ears. They stopped talking. Hoseok’s breath was unsteady—Jimin himself was trying so hard not to look up right now. Both were trembling. Loud sound of their thumping could be heard. Their body heated up.
Wait.
They forgot the bus.
“Wait!” Jimin shouted, already running and tapping the bus’ body. “Wait! Please stop!” He yelled louder, hitting the bus even harder. Hoseok was far behind him. He tried to catch up, but Jimin was faster. The driver looked at them from his rearview, clicking his tongue. He finally hit the brake—for this once time only, he was being kind to them. Jimin was the first one to get in, paused his step before the door to catch his breath. He glanced outside, Hoseok was almost there. In one move, Jimin reached his hand out and pulled Hoseok in. They bowed a thank you to the driver and walked to the back, sitting side to side. “That was close,” Jimin was panting. Hoseok chuckled. Their breath were still unsteady.
“I haven’t been running that intense before,” Hoseok breathed a sentence. He took off his eyeglasses to rub at his sweaty forehead. His eyes were closing. “Why are you so fast?” Jimin laughed at that. It wasn’t a big deal for him. He and Taehyung often had to run faster than that when they were accidentally involved in affair with a gang of thugs. Hoseok’s lips curled upward—it must be fun to have that kind of experience. His days usually only filled with books and classes. He and Namjoon had to study hard in order to get into their dream university. His life was totally an opposite of Jimin’s one. As Hoseok realized it, he suddenly remembered something.
“Hey, Jimin,” Hoseok called and Jimin immediately looked at him. “You are playing at PC Bang too, right?” To that question, Jimin was nodding slightly. Of course, he did that. More often than not. That place was like a second home for him, instead of school. Him, Taehyung, and some of their friends always went to there during weekend and afterschool. It was a luck for Hoseok that Jimin didn’t go there today. Otherwise, they wouldn’t meet again.
“What about a match with me tomorrow?”
That offer seemed like a declaration of failure to Jimin. He scoffed. “Are you sure? I will beat you up easily, sunbae-nim,” Jimin put a intentional punctuation at the honorofic. Hoseok let a dry laugh. No, he wasn’t being wrong there. Jimin might be judging his appearance right now—specs on, tidy uniform, bag looks heavy with books. Everyone could simply tell he is a nerd and Hoseok won’t deny it. People like him didn’t go to such place so often, like Jimin and Taehyung. He and Namjoon only went to PC bang once and they were totally noob. They couldn’t beat anyone and the online people kept calling them with bad words. The only fun game for them is chess and Hoseok definitely won’t play that with Jimin.
“Alright, I will comply,” That was the deal from Jimin. He didn’t mind if he should play easy tomorrow. At least, he could spend his time with this gorgeous senior from his school who openly said to him he was a noob. It surely would be fun. To that thought, Jimin paused his words. Hoseok asked him out, but it wouldn’t be impossible if the older brought that friend of him along. No, Jimin didn’t want that. He looked over. “But, only if you come alone,” Jimin spoke again, this time sound more like demanding something from the older.
For a second, Hoseok was frowning. “Why do I have to come alone? It would be good if we—” He stopped mid-sentence. Jimin still had his gaze on him.
Oh.
Oh.
“Sure,” He agreed then. They stared at each other. “I will come alone. It’s one vs one,” Hoseok ensured him and he saw Jimin’s face beamed at that. That sharp eyes turned into a cute pair of round balls. Hoseok tried so hard not to smile but Jimin grinned wide at him. There goes his weakness. Jimin finally broke the eye contact between them and looking outside. Hoseok heard him saying about a good place he knew and how they could get there by walking for five minutes from school. From his voice, Hoseok could sense that Jimin was excited about this. He was glad to know that.
“And there is a good burger place near it. We could try it on the way back home,” Another suggestion was given by Jimin. There was no intention in that. Jimin just likes that place and the food was not as awful as today’s lunch. It was nearly perfect, according to him and Taehyung. He wished Hoseok would approve that too. Having dinner together after playing some game is not a less fun thing to do. When he threw glance at him again, Hoseok was nodding.
“Sounds good already. So, tomorrow?”
A nod from Jimin. “Yeah,” That was his habit aroun Hoseok. “Tomorrow,” They exchanged smile. The bus slowed down and finally came to full stop. Hoseok stood up, he would get off in here. Jimin just watched him walking further. He struggled to say goodbye. “See you tomorrow, sunbae!” Jimin shouted, his ears turned red again. Hoseok stopped before the door. He fixed his eyeglasses. They stared at each other. Short after, Hoseok was waving his hand to him with a big smile attached on his face.
“See ya, Jimin!”
One, two, three. Hoseok was off and the bus started running again. Four, five, six. Jimin’s face heated up. Hoseok stopped walking to squat down and hiding his face under his hand. Their heart was thumping again. Seven, eight, nine. Jimin pulled his hood to fully cover his head. Hoseok almost broke his specs from pressing it too hard to his hands. Ten. With a loud gasp, they both screamed same thing.
“Are we going to date tomorrow?!”
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The ending, well, it depends on them.
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-fin