Chapter Text
Yeosang, I would like you to know who I am but I’m also scared that you’d hate me once you’d know who I am. This is enough for now and I just want to let you know through these letters that I admire how amazing you are. I know you have that pressure of doing good in everything that you do especially with people watching your every move but know that you’re doing more than enough and a lot of people around you are proud of you. I hope this letter will bring you happiness because you deserve to be happy. The Yeosang that I know looks really good with a smile on his face that would make the entire place bright and I would love to see that as well. I won’t give you hints as to who I am and I wouldn’t want you to look for me either but as selfish it may sound, I hope you’ll remember this letter among all the letters you’ve received.
Yours,
Rocky
“Yeosang!!! Kang Yeosang!!!”
The voice of his best friend, Wooyoung, brings him out of his trance. Yeosang closed his eyes and tried to shut off all the thoughts and feelings from reading the letter. He could not allow himself to feel this way.
“Yeosangieeee!!” Wooyoung’s voice grew louder and closer as Yeosang quickly hid the letter that he was holding. He wasn’t ready to answer all the questions Wooyoung would ask him regarding it. He had a lot to figure out himself. He needed to figure out who it was from and why it sounded so genuine coz he knew that people only ever liked him for his popularity, money and apparently his statue-like looks. But this letter didn’t seem anything like that—
“Hello? Earth to Yeosang” Wooyoung sat beside him, waving his hands in front of Yeosangs face, breaking his train of thoughts.
“I’ve been screaming your name around the hallway but you never said anything but well anyway, right so yesterday I told you about the text I got from this random guy right and then-”
“Woo, can you not start with your ramblings this early in the morning? Some people are maybe just trying to study, you know? ” Yeosang deadpanned.
“Jongho, Yeo has been acting differently” Wooyoung said in pout to their other best friend Jongho.
Wooyoung and Yeosang had been together for as long as they could remember. You could never see one of them without the other. Yeosang wasn’t always the pretty popular boy— well pretty yes but not the sassy popular boy he is now. Wooyoung though had always been the social butterfly he is. And in high school when they finally befriended their new neighbour who was a mix of their both, certainly since then there was no going back for the trio. It’s like they perfectly balanced each other. Wooyoung would go as far as to say that the reason of their birth was to befriend each other and the other two would blatantly call him dramatic but Wooyoung knew that they found him cute and in fact thought the same as he did as well.
“He’s just being his natural self, and also he’s right hyung” Jongho said and continued on playing games on his phone.
“Traitor” Wooyoung huffed scrunching his nose.
“By the way Yeosangie hyung it's your turn to treat us coffee today, I hope you didn't forget that?” Jongho said with his eyes finally off the screen of his phone
“As if you'll ever let me forget that ? Yeosang stated as a matter of factly. “But yes, I'm kinda getting a headache too and I guess I need caffeine, so shall we?” Yeosang added.
Yeosang along with his friends entered the cafe across from the school where they always meet up. There were other students busy with their own work and coffee but most of them turned to look at Yeosang as he walked in with his friends. Yeosang didn't particularly enjoy the attention but it's something he and his friends had got used to now. They ordered their usual and proceeded to their seats.
"What I was saying is that Yeosang has been being mean to me these days!! Did I do something wrong?" Wooyoung frustratingly said to them while Yeosang just shrugged at him.
"As if you aren't used to that" Hongjoong replied. Hongjoong was a year older to them but he loved to spend time with the trio as they loved to spend time with him. Hongjoong and Jongho would also work together in his studio every weekend as they both were passionate about music and had it as their majors.
"You've just been continuously annoying Woo, oh right that's how you are" Yeosang teased that made Wooyoung annoy him even more.
"When will you hyungs stop fighting?" Jongho shook his head and enjoyed his cup of coffee.
Wooyoung and Hongjoong talked about his new piece of music he was working on along with Jongho while Yeosang absentmindedly fiddled with the cake that he ordered. His mind was still thinking about the letter and its contents. The words from the letter felt familiar as if he was close to who it was but also felt distant at the same time.
“Yeo? Hey Yeo” Hongjoong waved his hands in front of yeosang to get his attention, “if you won’t eat that then can I have it?”
“Share with me hyung” Jongho said and grabbed his own fork, ready to take a piece from the cake.
“Fine” Yeosang replied and finished drinking his coffee instead. After a short while, they stood up and were about to leave when someone grabbed the door handle from the outside that surprised them.
“Oh” Yeosang moved away to give way for the students who entered.
“San!! I haven’t seen you around campus” Wooyoung excitedly leaped and talked to one of the students that entered. Yeosang just shook his head and passed by them with Jongho and Hongjoong following him. They knew if they’d wait up for Wooyoung, they would stay there for far too long and it was almost time for their next class.
“I’ve been busy, Woo. You’re leaving?” San asked as his eyes wandered to Yeosang’s back getting further away.
“Yeah me and my friends only stayed for a bit and our classes will start in a while. Oh they left me, assholes. I'll catch up with you later San!!” Wooyoung waved and ran towards his friends.
“Was that Wooyoung?” Yunho asked with his boyfriend, Mingi.
“Yeah, the same noisy Wooyoung” They went inside the cafe and ordered while they waited for Seonghwa to arrive.
“Did you order a chocolate cake?” Yunho asked as he placed their orders on the table.
“Yup why?” San asked, gently took the cake he ordered and placed it in front of him.
“GIve me a little” Yunho smiled and scooted closer to San.
“Me too!!” Mingi also moved closer to San and now it looked like they were swarming him.
“Hello children '' Seonghwa took the empty seat across San and didn’t dare ask what was going on, “Oh right I saw Yeosang and his friends while I was on the way here. Have you heard Yeosang broke up with his girlfriend?”
“Oh that popular girl from Juhan High?? I never got good vibes from her” Yunho replied with a mouthful of cake.
“So that’s why you came late cause you were still busy listening to the rumors around the campus?” San asked with a little bit of irritation in his voice.
“Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway apparently, Yeosang broke it off because the girl was getting more annoying and she had lots of issues” Seonghwa continued.
“Well good for him, I would leave too if I was him. I'm surprised they stayed together for 6 months” Mingi said and took a sip from his coffee that he shared with Yunho.
“Okay this isn’t what we’re here for. Hyung, why did you want to meet up with us?” San asked, and shooed away Yunho and Mingi who were trying to eat all of his cake.
“Can’t I meet up with you?? But also I just wanted to ask San if he wants to study with me since I get pressured to study well around him” Seonghwa replied with an innocent look on his face.
“You’re pressured by a junior?? Seriously hyung?” Mingi giggled in disbelief.
“Have you seen his grades?!? And have you experienced studying with him??? He’s intense!!” Seonghwa exaggeratedly expressed, which made them laugh except for San.
San was too busy watching the people outside the window passing by that he didn’t mind what they were talking about. His mind was wandering to somewhere else, to someone who was once important to him.
“That’s true, let’s have a group study sometime. I need to pull up my grades too” Yunho added and continued finishing San’s cake without him noticing.
“What about our study dates?”
“You need to pull up your grades too Mingi, and experience the intense studying of San” Yunho gave Mingi a flick on the head.
“I don’t study that much and my grades are just mediocre. But sure hyung, I’ll study with you and pressure you” San laughed and was about to take his back but it was already empty.
“Ha mediocre then what do you call my grades? You’re the top student of your batch San, I hate you and I didn’t even have those kinds of grades when I was at your level” Seonghwa glared at him jokingly.
“We’ll head to our next class hyung. Text me when you want to have a study session” San said as they all stood up to leave.
“Okay!! Thank you Sannie!!”
San was still out of it when they left the cafe, and even worse that he was alone now. Yunho and Mingi skipped class for the rest of the day to play at a game cafe but he can never do that. He had grades and a scholarship to maintain. He was on his way to his next class when he saw someone familiar, so familiar that he couldn’t help but stare longer than usual and thought of the rumors that were going on about him.Yeosang always had some or other rumour going on about him and it never seemed to have bothered him but this time it didn't feel like that.This time he seemed like he did care. San shook his head and looked away. He couldn't bother with these thoughts now. He had a presentation to give in Mr.Kim's class. He walked straight while looking for his notes, not paying attention to where he was headed to when he bumped into someone that sent his notes flying away.
“I’m so sorry” San quickly picked up his notes on the floor and looked at the person he bumped into.
“Oh it’s you, no wonder” Yeosang brushed his clothes and smirked at San.
“What do you mean?”
“You look in the front while walking, not your notes. Why don’t you start dating your notes itself?” Yeosang scoffed.
“First of all I did say I'm sorry Yeosang and also since when did you start caring about who I should date or not?” San raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms.
“So you really do consider dating your notes then?” Yeosang chuckled.
“That's not what I meant”
“Well that's exactly what you said” Yeosang was the one who raised his eyebrow this time and with a smirk that he knew would annoy San.
“You’ve always been like this, even in the past. Well in any case I didn’t mean to bump into you” San’s eyebrows furrowed and placed his notes back inside his bag.
“Yeah, whatever” Yeosang walked away without sparing him a look that made San feel hurt but he knew he shouldn’t be feeling that way so he continued walking as if nothing happened and headed to his class.
Yeosang walked towards his dorm and texted Wooyoung that he’s headed home. They’ve been roommates since college started and would always almost do everything together. Wooyoung replied to his text that he’s also home and he should bring snacks.
“Woo, can you believe San wouldn't look in the front while walking, bump into me and then ask me questions like excuse me sir, you bumped into me, okay?” Yeosang said chuckling and placed the snacks he bought on the table.
“Is it really that big of a deal though?” Wooyoung replied while his eyes were still stuck on his laptop.
“No, that's not all. He asks me and I quote “ when did you start caring about whom I date or not” like as if I care like why will I care right?” Yeosang laughed and sat beside Wooyoung on the couch.
“Righ--”
“And this is the funniest part Wooyoungiee, he considered dating his notes like who does that?? Jesus Christ”
“Did he say that or ?” Wooyoung looked at him like he was crazy and Yeosang looked right back at him confused.
“He didn't but please you should have looked how he pouted when I said that, it was so funny I swear” Yeosang could notice how Wooyoung looked at him funny.
“Is it really that funny to you Yeosangie?”
“You don't find it funny? It's soo funny please--” Yeosang stifled a laugh but didn’t look at him.
“Also this is the first time in a while I've seen you talk about someone so much. Generally you wouldn't even care but you've been talking about this since the moment you entered the room. And not to mention I missed you laughing like that” Wooyoung smiled teasingly and went back to doing his homework.
“It’s nothing like that. I was just laughing at this because it's really hilarious and your humour is broken. Anyway I'm tired, so I'll go shower and then sleep. Goodnight” Yeosang immediately stood up and went to the kitchen to put away the snacks he bought.
“It's not even 9.30 pm?”
“Doesn’t matter, I'm sleepy,” Yeosang continued.
“Says the insomniac” Wooyoung said while working on his assignment.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, you should go shower. I’ll complete this assignment and then watch The Squid Game”
“Who said you could watch without me?” Yeosang came back with a snack at hand and sat beside him again.
“Didn't you say you're sleepy?” Wooyoung stretched and closed his laptop after finally finishing his homework.
“Fuck sleep we are watching squid game together”