Chapter Text
“Why do you look like you’re trying to solve a Math problem?” a voice remarked from the door. Da On allowed the door to close shut behind him, giving his boyfriend a smile as he tucked his hands into his pockets.
Only his boyfriend would take cleaning up the council room seriously, staying back to sort out the recyclables on his own. Well, lucky for Tae Kyung, he’s not on his own and Da On automatically got to work.
But the energy he initially had didn’t last very long when Da On found himself yawning. Tae Kyung scrunched his nose slightly, watching as Da On shook off the yawn.
“I can do this alone,” Tae Kyung lightly chided his boyfriend. It seems being president and also Shin Da On can be a taxing job to have and it has already taken a toll on the older boy.
“If we do this together, we can finish this quicker,” Da On reasoned out, “plus, how can I let my boyfriend suffer here alone while I’m home resting. I don’t think my heart can take it.”
Da On playfully grabbed his chest, feign wincing in pain. Tae Kyung snorted at the act as he catalogues this moment in the back of his mind.
A tired Da On is a relaxed Da On.
“You’re not suppose to be helping me anyway remember?” Tae Kyung reminded the latter as he went back to work of separating the plastic bottles, “Shin Woo said I was suppose to be doing this on my own.”
And at the mention of the vice-president’s name, Da On felt his stomach twist and turn uncomfortably inside of him. It was an unusual feeling for Da On to be experiencing but it isn’t rare. In fact, it’s been happening ever since he caught Shin Woo lurking by the library. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Da On casually asked, “how are things with Shin Woo? It seems like you’ve gotten closer.”
Tae Kyung paused for a moment, his head tilted to the side. It was Tae Kyung’s usual look when he tries to figure something out.
Something
someone was puzzling him and Da On doesn’t like it one bit.
He would never consider himself to be someone who gets jealous in a relationship and besides, there was no reason to feel that way when it comes to Tae Kyung. He trusts Tae Kyung with his entire being and he would never want Tae Kyung feel as though he did something wrong if someone, maybe, have a crush on him. And knowing Shin Woo, Da On could see why he has taken a liking to his boyfriend (even though he might be a little bias coming up with that thought). Therefore, the only thing Da On could do is suck it up and be an attentive boyfriend while Tae Kyung laments about the vice-president’s hot and cold attitude towards. And because he is Shin Da On, Da On couldn’t help but offer advice on how Tae Kyung should tackle the problem.
Just remember, if Shin Woo is willing to open up to Tae Kyung, there was a higher chance of Tae Kyung being accepted into the school council. And maybe, just maybe, it was a step closer to becoming more public with their relationship.
“Am I the only one who sees that Shin Woo isn’t here?” Namjung asked, sounding puzzled at the realisation. The former looked around before looking at his members, hoping for some sort of clarification.
Da On instantly looks away at the mention of their vice-president, his mouth turning downwards in annoyance. But as quickly as it appeared, it immediately disappeared when Namjung looked directly at him.
“He must be busy these days. The vice-president has a lot to do,” Da On simply said, effectively killing the conversation.
“Oh right,” a voice from beside him groaned. Tae Kyung stared at the broken screen of his phone, remembering that it wasn’t working the way it was suppose to. Da On crinkled his nose slightly in amusement, the thought of his boyfriend completely forgetting that his phone needs replacing was adorable to him. Which only reminded Da On to bring Tae Kyung to a phone shop to have it fixed soon.
Just as he was about to suggest it to Tae Kyung, Tae Kyung gave a shrug to Namjung’s question of getting it fixed. “I don’t really look at my phone,” Tae Kyung said, “Plus, I can focus on my studies more, so it’s nice.”
Namjung let out a gasp in horror, eyes widening at the mere mention of studying, “imagine if my mum heard that.”
Namjung shuddered in fear. It’s almost as though he could hear the voice of his mother already nagging at him.
“I know, it’s admirable,” Da On praised his boyfriend and gently press the back of his hand against Tae Kyung’s cheek before going back to his homework. Tae Kyung stiffened at the unexpected touch, glancing at Namgung to check his reaction.
To his relief, Namgung appeared to be unbothered by the display in front of him. The latter even leaned in closer to take a look at Tae Kyung’s face. “Wah, Tae Kyung ah. You actually have really nice skin,” Namgung praised, eyes squinting to find a single pore, “of course it’s not as nice as mine. But we can always exchange skincare routines.”
Feeling self-conscious by the attention he was getting, Tae Kyung awkwardly covered his face to avoid being stared at, “stop looking at me.”
“Whyy?” Namgung said incredulously. He straightened his back and pointed at Da On accusatory, who was simply watching them with amusement, “why is Da On allowed to touch your face but I can’t look at it?”
Because I’m his boyfriend, Da On smugly thought to himself. He wished he could say those words out loud but he knows that now was not the appropriate time to suddenly come out to Namgung about his dating status.
“ Aigo, ” Da On playfully cooed, “are you jealous Namgung-ah?”
Before Namgung could retort back, the sound of the council room door being opened and shut made everyone stop their banter to see who was their visitor.
“Wow, we were just talking about you,” Namgung remarked, deciding it was time to focus his attention back to his mobile game, “from now on, if I want to see you, I should talk about you.”
“You’re here,” Da On greeted, managing to hide his disappointment at the newcomer. It was beginning to get harder and harder to watch Shin Woo and Tae Kyung be in the same room. It wasn’t as if the vice-president was actively pursuing his interest towards Tae Kyung but Da On can’t help but have a bad feeling that is just waiting at the pit of his stomach. While Shin Woo was busy retrieving his stationaries from his backpack, from the side, Da On could see how hard his boyfriend was staring at the boy in front of him.
“Yea.”
Da On genuinely can’t believe he was going to do this but he can’t bear to watch Tae Kyung harping over the boy who can’t seem to decide if he wants to act as if he hates his boyfriend or likes him. Sighing under his breath, Da On cleared his throat, catching the attention of Tae Kyung. Discreetly, Da On glanced at Shin Woo, hoping that his boyfriend would take the hint, meanwhile trying to convince himself that if Shin Woo and Tae Kyung get along, it meant that Tae Kyung wouldn’t be bothered by or fixated with the other boy.
“Noh Shin Woo. Good morning!” Tae Kyung suddenly greeted out loud, raising his hand to welcome the boy.
With the amount of affection and adoration Da On has for his boyfriend, Da On sometimes forget that Tae Kyung isn’t used to social interactions. It took all of Da On’s will to stop himself from hugging his boyfriend in hopes of getting rid of the awkwardness his boyfriend holds.
“Oh, it’s not good morning,” Tae Kyung meekly said when everybody stared at him in silence. He lowered his arm to check his watch, “it’s good afternoon. Although it’s not lunchtime yet.”
Don’t do anything Da On. Believe in Tae Kyung. He can pull through this.
…
Tae Kyung was unable to pull through this. After being obviously rejected by Shin Woo and looking so dejected by it, Da On knew he couldn’t just sit there and allow his boyfriend to retreat back into his comfort bubble.
“Yes, Tae Kyung’s right,” Da On leaned back to take a look at the clouds through the window, “Gosh the weather is really nice today. Do you guys want to go on a walk after lunch?”
Da On stared at Namgung with a smiled plastered on his face, basically forcing the boy to agree to his suggestion. With Namgung nodding along and Tae Kyung sounding out his agreement as well, Da On felt as though he could finally breathe.
Crisis averted.
Crisis not averted.
And all it took was 15 minutes for everything to turn upside down. After the entire fiasco Tae Kyung attempting to start a conversation, the room into silence as all went back to their homework, sans Namgung who was more interested in his game. Nothing but the sounds of pens scribbling on paper, textbook flipping and Namgung’s game could be heard.
Until a sigh escaped from Tae Kyung. Da On immediately turned to look at his boyfriend who was frowning to himself. “Is something wrong?”
“I keep getting the wrong answer.” Tae Kyung slouched slightly in disappointment. The equations on his notebook seemed to be mocking him for not being able to solve it. “Let me see,” Da On soothingly said in hopes to lessen the frustration his boyfriend is feeling.
Da On reached out to grab the pencil from Tae Kyung’s hand, intentionally allowing his hand to rest on Tae Kyung’s hand briefly, as though saying, “I’ve got you.”
Tae Kyung hid back a smile, scolding himself slightly for getting distracted. Eager to learn and prove himself to his boyfriend, Tae Kyung forced himself to focus. “You can’t put this equation in the back. Bring it to the front and transpose it with x.”
“Oh, is this how it’s done?”
“Yes, this is a bit hard,” Da On stated as he stared at the question a bit longer, “that’s why there’s a formula to solve this.”
“Can I write it on here?”
As if Da On ever needs to ask.
Still, Tae Kyung nodded his head. Da On leaned closer to his boyfriend and smiled playfully at him with sincerity in his eyes “I’m just teaching this to you.”
You’re special.
“This isn’t a cafe,” a voice interrupted the couple, “aren’t you being noisy in a space that we all share?”
Shin Woo glared at the couple in front of him. Not one to be pushed over, especially when he wasn’t in the wrong, Tae Kyung glared back with the same level of intensity, “what?”
Sensing a conflict brewing and knowing Tae Kyung that Tae Kyung isn’t afraid to fight back, Da On immediately tried to appease Shin Woo.
“Shin Woo,” Da On called for his attention, “I was a bit too loud right?”
If there’s anything that Da On hate more than conflict is someone starting something with his boyfriend. And he refuse to have his boyfriend being told off over something that’s not even his fault.
“I just need to teach him this and I’ll be done soon. Will that be okay?”
When Namgung attempted to step in, Da On shook his head. He knows better to why Shin Woo was being snappy.
“No, I was being loud. I’m sorry, Shin Woo,” Da On apologised to which Shin Woo purposely avoided the eye contact, choosing to look down at his notes instead.
While Da On wanted to continue the conversation, his phone decided it was not the time and began to buzz incessantly. He reached out for it and answered the call after checking who it was. As Mr Seo was requesting for help in the library, Da On already had someone in mind to go to. At the rate Shin Woo is going with Tae Kyung, the doubts that were on Da On’s mind faded a little. Instead of worrying Shin Woo might attempt something to express his interest to his boyfriend, Da On is just worried that Tae Kyung might attempt bodily harm into his vice-president instead.
The amount of relief that Da On had when Tae Kyung and Shin Woo arrived for lunch was indescribable. There were no noticeable bruises on either boys and it seemed that the relationship between the two was exactly the way it was before Da On sent the two of them off. That means Shin Woo didn’t attempt to come on his boyfriend or insult him . At least Da On is able to sleep peacefully tonight with his conscience free - he did what a supportive boyfriend would do, attempting to help Tae Kyung in his way to mend the friendship between him and Shin Woo and at the same time, nothing seemed to progress between the two of them.
Eager to finish up his duty and head back to his boyfriend and friends, Da On quickly grab his complimentary yoghurt and stuffed it into his pocket before grabbing his tray for lunch.
“What are you talking about? You’re not done yet right?” Da On piped into the conversation. He gave a smile to his boyfriend who was busy moping down at his meal.
“Enjoy your meal,” Da On wished his boyfriend who barely glanced at him. Swallowing at the cold shoulder, Da On turned to Shin Woo, “you too, Shin Woo.”
Da On leaned back into his seat and glanced back at his boyfriend. Remembering about the yoghurt drink in his pocket, Da On called for Tae Kyung’s attention, “Hey Tae Kyung-ah. Give me your hand.”
“My hand?” Tae Kyung asked in confusion. Da On simply nodded his head, glancing at his hand that was resting on the table. Tae Kyung looked at the older boy in uncertainty before doing what he was told. He straightened his arm and lifted it up in the air, clenching his hand into a fist.
He is adorable.
Playfully bumping his fist against Tae Kyung, Da On specified his boyfriend to open his hands. He finds it endearing at how Tae Kyung sees the world black and white, that sometimes simple request may not be so simple in his boyfriend’s mind. Without another word, Da On placed his yogurt drink onto Tae Kyung’s open palm, much to the shock and dismay of Namgung. Too busy placating the whiny Namgung, Da On managed to miss the way that Tae Kyung was stunned at the gesture. Tae Kyung slowly wrapped his fingers around the bottle, a small smile present on his face.
“Right, Tae Kyung,” Da On said, giving his attention back to the boy in front of him, “do you want to get tutored in Math?”
“Do you know someone?”
“I do,” Da On’s eyes twinkling, “he’s the first in school. His name is Shin Da On.”
“Huh?” Namgung asked incredulously.
“I’ll tutor you.” Da On beamed at his boyfriend. He doesn’t know why he didn’t think about it in the first place. It’ll be a perfect way for Da On to spend time with Tae Kyung while also keeping up with his studies. It was a win-win situation.
“You will?”
“Yes, it was fun helping you. I get to review it too,” Da On explained, feeling himself getting excited at the thought of it. Sensing the hesitance from the younger boy, Da On reassured the worry that he had.
If only everyone have the same curtesy about his time the way his boyfriend is, Da On wistfully though. The only difference is that Da On actually want to use his time on Tae Kyung. Once everything was settled, Da On allowed himself to relax and enjoy his meal. But he should have known that the peace wouldn’t last because in the next second he was attempting to get Shin Woo to stay and within a blink of an eye, he found himself completely covered in hot soup.
Da On stared in shock at his soup covered blazer, vaguely aware that the chattering in the cafeteria slowly ceased. He looked up at Shin Woo who seemed as equally shock as he was. Shin Woo’s mouth agape, struggling to get words out of his mouth.
As if working on autopilot, Da On’s brain quickly began to work on damage control to prevent the scene from escalating any more than necessary. “I’m sorry, I must’ve pulled your arm too hard. Are you okay? Did you get burnt?”
Don’t make it a big deal. It’s not a big deal. No one is hurt. You’re not hurt.
While Da On was busy brushing off any concerns aimed towards him, it was the sound of Tae Kyung’s chopsticks being slammed on the metal tray that brought Da On back. When Da On said he hated conflict, only Tae Kyung really understood by what Da On meant by him hating conflict.
“Did you have to push him away like that?” Tae Kyung asked, eyes narrowed at Shin Woo, “he could’ve gotten seriously hurt.”
“Also, aren’t you going to apologise?”
Da On’s eyes on were Tae Kyung, filled with worry at the coldness the boy was showing. Shin Woo glanced back and forth between the two of them before turning around and walking away.
“Tae Kyung-ah,” Da On softly called out but it was useless, he doesn’t have his boyfriend’s attention. And just like Shin Woo, Tae Kyung stood up and walked after the former, leaving Namgung and him behind at the table.
Da On closed his eyes and shook his head. Things are getting out of control, way too fast and Da On could barely keep up with the recent events between Shin Woo, Tae Kyung and him. Letting out a sigh, Da On opened his eyes to see Namgung staring at him with concern.
“Let’s get this clean up before study hall starts,” Da On suggested, carefully removing his blazer. And his ever so reliable head of volunteer work, nodded and began clearing the trays without another word.