Archive of Our Own ^beta

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The world was conspiring against him, Lee Seokmin was sure of it. There was no other possible explanation to describe the sheer amount of bad luck happening to him all of a sudden in all of his twenty-two years of existence.

Maybe this was the price he had to pay for living in the same building as The Most Beautiful Man In The World. The laws of equivalent exchange and all that jazz. Seungkwan would probably tell him he’s been watching way too many anime and is being overly dramatic about it, but Seokmin knows he’s right this time around. 

The world was definitely out to get him, but instead of making him trip over himself during his first day in Pharmacology or accidentally spilling his cup of coffee all over his CET professor’s suit jacket like he has been dreading at the start of the new semester, the world decided to conspire against him by constantly making Seokmin look like a literal dumpster troll in front of the one guy he’s been crushing on for weeks.

See, The Most Beautiful Man in the World happens to live in the same building as he does, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se, (because he gets to brag about living in the same apartment building as The Most Beautiful Man in World to all of his friends) there is a specific reason why this fact also happens to be a double edged sword.

The thing is, Seokmin actually gets to see The Most Beautiful Man In The World quite often, and each time he does, Seokmin always finds himself completely blinded by the guy’s sheer attractiveness: his gorgeous jet-black hair, perfectly trimmed and silky smooth like he’d just walked straight out of a runway; his sharp brown eyes, which reminds Seokmin of velvety dark chocolates when the sunlight hits it just right in the morning, making it so easy to get himself lost in them; his perfectly kissable lips, which Seokmin has found himself daydreaming about way too often even during some of his lectures; his skin, sun-kissed and absolutely flawless; and his tall stature and muscular built which would probably be able to break Seokmin in half without The Most Beautiful Man In The World breaking a single sweat; not to mention his laugh ― his deep, throaty laugh ― which Seokmin has had the privilege to hear a few times in passing, was enough to get Seokmin hot and bothered whenever he was close enough to hear it.

He’s already encountered The Most Beautiful Man In The World a surprising amount of times in the span of the past three weeks since he’s moved into his new apartment building in his second year of nursing school, but in those same encounters, he always manages to make himself look absolutely disgusting in front of The Most Beautiful Man In The World without fail. 

To be completely fair, Seokmin doesn’t think he’s that ugly of a person. He isn’t an actual dumpster troll, mind you. He can actually pull off looking like a functioning adult when he needs to, and sometimes he would even go as far as to say that he’s a pretty attractive looking individual, a 'smoking hot little vixen' as Soonyoung hyung had so lovingly described him once at a frat party when the two of them had been completely drunk on soju and cheap beer. 

Seokmin actually does take care of his looks as much as he can, and he also likes dressing up in cute little outfits with his friends when they aren’t swamped with school work. He even had to work hard to keep his perfect anime legs in shape for months, for months . He isn't some hideously disgusting eldritch horror that crawled straight out of a lovecraftian story, dammit. 

Seokimin wants to really ask the universe why he can't seem to look like anything but a gross mop monster that crawled out of the depths of their department’s laboratory in search of a stable wifi connection and an iced americano whenever he’s face to face with The Most Beautiful Man In The World. Why can't he just look like a normal human being in front of him for once? 

Was that too much to ask for, universe? 

Was this all because he failed to water his mother's succulent that one time in fourth grade? Did mother nature take great offense in ten year old Seokmin's forgetfulness, which inevitably led to him accidentally killing said succulent. Sorry Mr. Aloe, may your soul rest in peace.

Whatever the case was, whether his streak of impossibly horrible luck with his crush was the result of a vengeful plant spirit or the universe playing a game of ‘How Can Lee Seokmin's Life Get Any Worse? Fuck Around And Find Out,’ Seokmin is definitely getting sick and tired of living his life as a walking disaster in front of The Most Beautiful Man In The World.

The first time Seokmin had actually bumped into The Most Beautiful Man In The World was when he was running all over campus chasing after his research professor in order to pass his papers on time. He’s completely drenched in sweat by the time he’s reached his apartment, with obvious sweat stains all over his back and chest (without any visible indicator that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for his current state of disarray) because he had worn a thin white shirt that day like an idiot, and just as he’s waiting for the elevator door to open, The Most Beautiful Man In The World stepped right out looking like a literal Michelangelo marble sculpture that came to life to bless humanity with his sheer beauty and stunning radiance.

The Most Beautiful Man In The World had looked surprised to see how completely disheveled he looked, but he still managed to grace Seokmin with a blinding smile (he has dimples, and his canines are so prominent that it’s poking out of his mouth when he smiled, and Seokmin might actually pass out) and a slight nod of his beautiful head in greeting when he walked past Seokmin on his way out.

Suffice to say Seokmin had stood completely rooted to his spot, dumbfounded for the next fifteen seconds after their first encounter, with his mouth slightly open and his cheeks burning an embarrassing shade of red as he tried to calm his racing heartbeat before the vital organ actually spills right out of his chest. Jeonghan hyung had always warned him that he falls in love way too easily and wears his heart in his sleeves for the wrong people, but this time was different. Seokmin was sure that there was no possible way that a man as beautiful as that could do anything wrong in his life, ever. 

In the end Seokmin had missed his elevator and had to wait for the next one to arrive. His head was still filled with thoughts of The Most Beautiful Man In The World even as he plopped himself to bed, his mind still reeling from such an encounter. He closes his eyes and finds himself drowsing from his earlier exhaustion, with only images of The Most Beautiful Man In The World’s handsome face flashing across his mind despite having to present a patient’s case study the very next day.

As Seokmin snuggled closer to his pillows, he could only hope that the world would finally take pity on him and let him meet The Most Beautiful Man In The World without having to embarrass himself in front of him again.

Apparently, the world was a spiteful thing and vowed to make his life a series of unfortunate events that would put renowned author Lemony Snicket's own story to shame.

The next time Seokmin ran into The Most Beautiful Man In The World, he was rushing to his morning class.

He was already fifteen minutes late, and it was just his luck that the lecture would be taking place at the very opposite end of the campus.

Seokmin had woken up after his sixth alarm and came rushing out of the apartment with his recycled shirt untucked, his backpack slung on one shoulder only half way zipped, and his shoelaces untied from his hurry to make it before the first period ended. His black cap, which he had worn over his nest of a bedhead, was slipping out from its place on top of his head in his rush to get to the lobby two steps at a time.

Seokmin comes straight to the parking lot, running past a group of students loitering around and making a mad dash to his own car parked right next to a sleek black maserati. He pauses to gawk at the sports car, surprised to see something so luxurious with his own two eyes. Next to the expensive looking car, his secondhand avante looks impossibly plain and out of shape that it was laughable. Shaking his head a little to stop himself from openly staring at the other car even more, Seokmin fumbles for his keys inside one of his pants pockets, berating himself all the while for getting so easily distracted. 

He pauses with his fumbling when he hears a car door opening beside him. Seokmin looks up just in time to see The Most Beautiful Man In The World walking out of the same black maserati, clad in a three piece suit (probably armani if Seokmin had to guess) which fitted his glorious form a little too well and a prada aviator perched at the bridge of his perfectly sculpted nose.

Seokmin nearly choked from his own spit at the sight.

Their eyes meet for a fraction of a second before Seokmin sees The Most Beautiful Man In The World’s eyes widen at the sight of him: with his recycled shirt untucked, backpack only half way zipped, and his shoelaces untied, as he stood completely still, with his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly ajar while he kept staring at the other guy like an idiot. 

Seokmin wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. 

And just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse, The Most Beautiful Man In The World snorts. He fucking snorts . It was easily the most beautiful sound Seokmin has ever heard in his entire life, and he’s heard Seungkwan belting out to Beyoncé before without missing a single beat.

“Do you need a ride?” The Most Beautiful Man In The World asked him, and his deep, gravelly voice was just as hot as his attractive face.

It takes Seokmin an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that the question had been directed to him.

Stupidly, he point at himself to confirm his suspicion as if there was anyone else around them, and that only made The Most Beautiful Man In The World laugh even more. It was official, Seokmin has now embarrassed himself in front of his crush by making himself look like a complete idiot not only once, but twice in the span of two minutes. It was a brand new record, but at what cost?

Maybe if he stayed completely still, his soul might get sucked out by the ground through osmosis and he wouldn’t have to face this humiliation any longer.

“Hey,” The Most Beautiful Man In The World had called out, bringing Seokmin’s attention back to his surprisingly concerned face. “Are you okay, I kinda lost you there for a moment?”

“Yeah,” Seokmin was quick to reply, wincing at the way his voice cracked at the last syllable. “I’m good.” He adds dumbly.

The Most Beautiful Man In The World seemed to consider his answer for a second before asking Seokmin once again if he needed the ride. The mere fact that he hasn’t run away from Seokmin yet and was even willing to offer him a ride for a second time was a miracle in and of itself. Maybe the guy was just that considerate and nice, even to dumpster trolls like him.

“You really don’t have to,” Seokmin tells him with a shake of his head, trying his best to show some semblance of dignity. “I can drive to campus on my own.” He explained as he pointed to his secondhand car, the same one with the poorly fading paint job and one broken blinker.

“I see.” The Most Beautiful Man In The World says as he eyed Seokmin’s car slowly. “Well, then I guess I’ll just see you around.” He says afterwards with a smile on his lips. It was a mystery to Seokmin how someone can still look that good right after side-eyeing his second hand car with obvious distaste and wariness. 

The Most Beautiful Man In The World kindly nods his head at him in parting when Seokmin failed to say anything else, and Seokmin watched as he turned his back to him and started walking towards their building without another look back. 

When Seokmin checks his phone for the time, he finds out he’s already twenty-five minutes late.

He ends up whining about his second encounter with The Most Beautiful Man In The World to Jeonghan the entire afternoon. The only thing that managed to cheer him up that day was the promise of a tall cloud caramel macchiato with his name on it.

The next time Seokmin meets The Most Beautiful Man In The World, he was wearing a white shirt (again, a poor decision on his part) that he had not twenty minutes ago spilled pizza sauce all over himself with an embarrassingly obvious red stain right down the front like a child because Soonyoung decided to take him to a party the members of the dance club was hosting by the restaurant down the block near his apartment.

And Chan, the traitor, thought it would be so funny to "accidentally" bump into him when he was about to shove a mouthful of pepperoni pizza in his mouth.

Seokmin doesn't even look at The Most Beautiful Man In The World when he quickly tries to pass by the guy on his way home, too embarrassed to even notice the lingering eyes on his back that followed him until he reached the elevator.

There was the time when he was caught carrying two armfuls of enormous bags of calbee honey butter chips with three sticks of strawberry pepero literally in his mouth, and The Most Beautiful Man In The World overheard him telling the concerned looking doorman through his stuffed strawberry stained cheeks, “The practical exam tomorrow is giving me unnecessary stress, and I need snacks to cope or else I might actually die.”

Seokmin could have sworn he heard The Most Beautiful Man In The World laughing at him on his way to the elevator. Seokmin was sure that the next few steps he took to get himself away from The Most Beautiful Man In The World to the privacy of his own place was the fastest he's ever been capable of doing. Beating his renowned campus record of three meters in one point three seconds.

He closes the door to his apartment with a resounding bang and sinks to the nearest wall from both embarrassment and exhaustion, not even bothering to check the state of his groceries as he tosses his head until it hits the wall with a groan. 

There was also the time when Seokmin had dropped all of his things in his haste to get to his apartment and The Most Beautiful Man In The World had caught him talking to his pen and notebooks scattered around the floor like a parent berating their children for misbehaving as he waited for the elevator.

“Why couldn't the world just give him a fucking break?” Seokmin whined to no one in particular.

The continuously unfortunate series of running into The Most Beautiful Man In The World during a particularly embarrassing moment in his life was relentless.

And Seokmin was honestly getting tired of it.

Just two days ago, Seokmin had fallen into and then off of the elevator with The Most Beautiful Man In The World bearing witness to the disaster that was Lee Seokmin’s life as he fell on his ass not just once but twice in the span of one elevator ride.

And then there was today.

"What happened to you, hyung?" Seungkwan asks in alarm, as Seokmin comes barreling through the door with blood soaking through his previously white shirt. He seriously needs to stop wearing white shirts at this point.

Next to Seungkwan, Jeonghan had paused the game they were playing on the tv to look at Seokmin with concern.

"You know how I can get really focused when I’m studying and don’t really notice what’s happening around me? Yeah. So I was too busy reading about every single blood disorder on my way home to notice Minghao’s bo staff swinging my way." Seokmin takes the wet cloth Jeonghan hands him, and wipes at the blood that’s already crusted over his skin dejectedly. "And the irony of reading about blood disorders after getting a nosebleed isn’t even the worst part," Seokmin says, wiping a hand across his mouth, and of course, smearing more blood all over his face in the process.

Soonyoung’s trying his best to bite back a smile and failing miserably when he asks. "Is this about The Most Beautiful Man In The World again?"

“Yes.” Seokmin whines, slumping on the couch and tucking himself in between Seungkwan and Jeonghan. “We made eye contact right before Minghao’s staff hit me in the face and now I’m sure I’ve traumatized him by the sight of my nose bleeding through my shirt.”

"No way, what happened after?" Seungkwan asked out of both pity and intrigue. 

“Seungcheol hyung saw me and immediately took me to the clinic.” Seokmin says defeatedly. “I couldn’t even say anything to him when I was being dragged to the infirmary.”

“And what about Minghao, did he say he was sorry?” Jeonghan asks with a dangerous drop in his voice, his eyes are doing that thing where he’s in the midst of plotting someone’s demise for crossing him. And Seokmin, fearing for Minghao’s life, was quick to deescalate the situation and placate the pretty blond. 

“Don’t worry hyung, Minghao already apologized about a hundred times and even said he’d buy me lunch for the next two weeks, but my image is ruined beyond repair now. The Most Beautiful Man In The World probably thinks I’m some kind of accident prone human disaster.” He says with another sigh.

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating, hyung.” Seungkwan says, patting Seokmin’s head patronizingly, but there’s a fond smile on his lips when Seokmin pushes his hands off of his hair with a pout. 

"Who even is this guy anyway?" Soonyoung quips, plopping down to the carpeted floor between Seokmin’s legs and resting his head on one of Seokmin’s lap. “You’ve been crushing on him for weeks but you don’t even know his name yet.”

"How could I have asked for his name when I keep embarrassing myself in front of him all the damn time?" Seokmin asks, burying his face in his hands at the reminder of his disaster of a life.

“All I’m saying is, if a guy that hot actually exists, I’d have asked for his name regardless.” Soonyoung shots back. “At least show us a photo of him, Seokminnie.”

Surprisingly, Seokmin does in fact have a photo of The Most Beautiful Man In The World saved in his phone. He didn’t stalk the guy like a creep or anything like that. He was just enjoying the view of the sky on his way to campus one fine Monday morning and thought of taking a photo of the view with his phone. It was only when he was looking through the photos an hour later that Seokmin realized he’d accidentally taken one photo of the campus with The Most Beautiful Man In The World in it as well. He was probably on his way to a lecture with his three piece armani suit and expensive looking prada sunglasses. The image was a bit blurry, but Seokmin could still make out his handsome face easily. 

The photo has been his phone’s lock screen for weeks now because Seokmin is convinced that it’ll bring him good luck one day. 

When Seokmin had pulled up the same photo and shown it to Jeonghan, Seungkwan, and Soonyoung, he was a bit excited to finally show them what The Most Beautiful Man In The World (who lived in the same building he does) looked like. Surprisingly, his three friends had shaken their heads in utter disbelief as soon as they saw the photo, each one with varying expressions of either shock (Jeonghan and Soonyoung) or disgust (Seungkwan).

It was Soonyoung who had broken out of his initial shock first only to yell, “You live in the same apartment as Kim Mingyu?”

Now, Seokmin may be known as a social butterfly when it comes to their department, the type to say hello to everyone he passes by with a smile on his face even during the gloomiest of days, but that’s mainly cause he knows most of the people there since his freshman year. But when it comes to people outside of their department, excluding Wonwoo from Software Engineering, Minghao, Junhui, and Chan from Soonyoung’s dance club, and Jihoon from band class, Seokmin is pretty much clueless with the rest of the student body population.

“Who?” Seokmin asked, looking rather concerned by the disbelieving look Soonyoung was giving him.

“Kim Mingyu!” Soonyoung all but shouts at him, repeating the same name in hopes that it would finally get Seokmin to magically know who he’s talking about, and then looking even more exasperated by Seokmin’s complete ignorance.

Seokmin only tilts his head at him in further confusion, the pout on his lips only deepening the more riled up Soonyoung looked.

"The insanely hot and rich business major everyone’s been talking about since freshman year? Ranked first in all of his classes? He’s two meters tall? Owns a black Maserati? Built like a brick? Practically a sexgod? Known to have fucked all the other hot business majors in the senior class but never dated a single one of them, no matter how rich and influential they are? The guy with a grade A dick? That Kim Mingyu." 

“He so does not have a grade A dick.” Seungkwan was quick to shut down next to Seokmin.

“I can sense good dick from a mile away, Kwannie!” Soonyoung argues back, moving forward to squeeze himself in between Seungkwan and Seokmin to hold Seokmin’s hands dramatically.

“If you’re really living in the same building as this legend,” Soonyoung says with great intensity as his hold on Seokmin’s hand tightened even further, “You need to at least get some of that bomb dick game, Seokminnie. I’m serious, your hyung has to know what having that hot piece of man cake’s cock feels like inside of your―”

“If you finish that sentence Kwon Soonyoung, I will end your ass.” Seungkwan warned dangerously behind him.

“Like you can.” Soonyoung quips back, sticking his tongue out at Seungkwan childishly. “My gamer boyfriend would make your life a living hell if you put a single scratch on me.”

“Wonwoo hyung would pay me actual money to end your ass right now.”

“Take that back, you Thomas the train looking son of a bitch.”

Seokmin lets the fight fade out, too busy with the news he was just given to really find any amusement in seeing Soonyoung and Seungkwan duke it out in the middle of Jeonghan’s living room. 

Right now, he’s reeling at the reality of finally knowing who The Most Beautiful Man In The World is. The Most Beautiful Man In The World ― Kim Mingyu ― Seokmin corrected himself, is apparently just as amazing and as popular as Seokmin had predicted he would be. Soonyoung was the type to know a lot of people even outside his department, after all, so it was no surprise that he knew so much about the guy already. 

Kim Mingyu, Seokmin repeats the name in his head, and god, even the guy’s name is perfect.

“Seokmin-ah.” Jeonghan says, placing a delicate hand on Seokmin’s shoulder to get his attention while also stopping Seokmin’s elaborate daydreaming about Kim Mingyu in the process. “I’ve also heard a lot of things about Kim Mingyu, and if any of those rumors are true, I want you to promise me that you won’t let yourself get hurt, okay?”

“It’s just a stupid crush, hyung.” Seokmin says with a laugh. “And besides, he’s way out of my league.”

“Hush.” Jeonghan said, pulling Seokmin to him in a tight hug. “You’re the cutest dongsaeng a hyung like me could ever ask for. You’re a beautiful ray of sunshine who deserves all the good things in the world and I’m scared that your crush on Kim Mingyu will overpower your love for me one day.”

“He won’t take me from you, hyung.” Seokmin huffs with a roll of his eyes, curling up in Jeonghan’s arms and laughing all the while when Jeonghan starts telling him about the horrors of losing Seokmin to someone like Kim Mingyu. 

“You baby me too much, hyung.”

“That’s because this world is full of idiots and I don’t want them getting their disgusting hands on you, Seokminnie.” 

The two stayed like that, curled up in each other's arms while they watched Seungkwan trapping Soonyoung in a headlock. Getting to hang out with his friends like this was just the kind of healing Seokmin needed to get over his last encounter with Mingyu.

He can only hope that the next time Seokmin sees him, it won't be as awful as last time.

Surprisingly, Seokmin doesn’t bump into Kim Mingyu for a while. Which was a bit disappointing, but Seokmin thinks it was for the best given how midterms was just around the corner and he cannot for the life of him afford any kind of distraction (no matter how attractive of a distraction Mingyu would be) during such an important week, he also can’t afford to embarrass himself in front of Kim Mingyu if he ever wants to survive the stress of midterms.

It was just his luck that right after thinking he was finally in the clear, something disastrous had to happen to him. 

And of course, of fucking course, it was during the very lowest moment in his life when Kim fucking Mingyu of all people had to bare witness to the state he was currently in― standing in front of one of the vending machines in campus, trying to get some nausea pills and failing miserably, and still completely hungover from the party Minghao had dragged him to last night, with his bloodshot eyes barely open. 

Everything was going fine.

Everything was actually going fucking peachy until Seokmin pressed the button and watched in great horror as his one key to salvation got stuck in said vending machine.

No. Fucking. Way. In. Hell.

Seokmin has never felt more betrayed in his entire life than at that very moment. The vending machine stood tall, unmoving as it glowed an intimidating shade of neon blue, as if taunting Seokmin even further.

All Seokmin sees is red and he hears the Strong and Strike OST from Naruto playing in his head as he glared at the machine, rolling his sleeves up in preparation for battle. No way was he going to let this stupid hunk of metal keep him from his precious pepto bismol.

He crouches down, eyeing his poor little box of nausea pill in distress, and sets off to a one on one battle with the brightly colored machine. 

Why he had thought shaking the machine that probably weighed around four hundred kilograms with his barely sixty-six kilograms of weight would work was something sober Seokmin wanted to blame on his barely sober self. It was embarrassing how he had not only been trash talking the vending machine the entire time he had been shaking it, going as far as to tell said machine to meet him in the pit and fight him for pulling shit like this to innocent vending machine consumers, but apparently, Kim Mingyu of all people was standing right behind him the entire time.

Seokmin was mid rant when he heard someone coughing behind him and he was about to go off on the poor stranger as well for interrupting him only to turn around and see The Kim Mingyu standing behind him.

Seokmin probably screamed, it was either that, or he squealed like a preschool girl at the sight of her crush.

Mingyu, bless his soul, didn’t even wince at the pitch Seokmin’s vocal cords was capable of producing and just smiled at him with a kind of smile that was so bright that it probably rivaled that of the sun’s. 

“Let me.” Kim Mingyu says just as kindly and calmly, before pushing Seokmin gently in the shoulder to move him to the side as he walks in front of the machine to insert a few paper bills from his own pocket. Once he is done, Mingyu presses a single button and Seokmin watches, transfixed as the item drops to the waiting slot, taking his precious box of pepto bismol with it.

“Here you go,” Mingyu hands him the box and Seokmin takes it with shaking hands before hugging the box close to his chest, afraid it would disappear at any second if he didn’t. 

“Thank you.” Seokmin all but blurts out, still disbelieving the reality of the situation as he looks up at Mingyu with tear filled eyes. “You saved me from that monster.” He adds, gratitude making his voice wobble as he pointedly glared at the vending machine with vehemence.

“It’s nothing.” Mingyu shrugs, about to leave, but barely sober Seokmin was too caught up in his emotions to let the beautiful man go just yet. 

He takes Mingyu’s hands in his own, standing closely without a single thought of considering the other man’s personal space, and very slowly says, “You don’t understand, I was going to fight that thing to the death.” Seokmin explained, pointing to the vending machine with horror. “You saved me from dying an unjust death.” Seokmin says with a sob. “You’re my hero.” 

Seokmin was about to go on another tangent about heroism and the unjustness of the universe when Jeonghan showed up with Seungkwan in tow and all but dragged him away from Kim Mingyu, thus preventing Seokmin from further embarrassing himself in front of the other man. Although barely sober Seokmin had other thoughts as he cried and wailed the entire time, thinking that his two friends were cruelly  separating him from the love of his life.  

They made it to one of the empty laboratories before Seokmin blacks out.

He wakes up with the worst hangover a few hours later and immediately regrets not succumbing to the sweet release of death when he’s suddenly bombarded with the reality of what he’d just done.

“We’re really in it now, Miku.” Seokmin groans, rubbing his eyes dejectedly with the palms of his hands and trying his best not to cry.

“Please don’t ever say that out loud again.” Seungkwan qips, sitting next to where Seokmin was sprawled on Jeonghan’s couch.

“Seriously, Seungkwan.” Seokmin cries. “I don’t think I can gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss my way out of this one.”

“You’ve been hanging out with Soonyoung hyung way too much.” Seungkwan tsked. “I can barely understand what you’re saying right now, hyung.”

“He hates me.” Seokmin wails, turning his face away from Seungkwan to hide himself further into the couch, cringing at the reminder of how Kim Mingyu not only bore witness to the lowest moment in his life, but had also partaken into Seokmin’s rather pathetic attempts of sobriety. “He saw me fighting a vending machine, and losing to said vending machine, and now he probably thinks I’m a hazard to society.”

“Kim Mingyu isn’t even all that, hyung. I don’t see why you’re so hung up on him.” Seungkwan says it as a form of consolation, but Seokmin took it as a great offense. 

“He is in fact all that, Kwannie.” Seokmin clarifies, chastising the younger man for ever doubting Mingyu’s capabilities. “He saved my ass from drunkenly fighting the vending machine on campus, he’s my hero.”

“Ew, please don’t ever call him that when you’re around me ever again.”

“Get out, you’re not making me feel any better.” Seokmin grumbles from the couch, wrapping himself in his favorite pink blanket and making a makeshift cocoon of warmth and comfort as he looks around the apartment for any other occupant. “I want Jeonghan hyung instead, where is he?”

“Well too bad.” Seungkwan says with a huff. “He’s still out on a date with Seungcheol hyung and won’t be back until later. So it’s either me or Soonyoung hyung.”

“I hate you.”

“Then I guess you don’t want any of the chicken pop I painstakingly bought for you an hour ago―”

“I take it back, Kwannie.” Seokmin says, immediately emerging from his blanket cocoon to make grabby hands at the younger man to give him the precious snack. “You’re the best dongsaeng a pathetic hyung like me could ever ask for.”

“You’re not pathetic, hyung.” Seungkwan says, crouching in front of Seokmin to pat his head fondly. “You just happen to put yourself in the most embarrassing types of situations humanly possible in front of others a lot more often than normal.”

“There’s not a single encouraging word in that sentence.” Seokmin says dejectedly, opening a chicken pop and munching on the snack as sadly as he could. 

“I’m not here to encourage you in your pursuit to get Kim Mingyu’s dick.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like business majors by default, and the guy’s born with a golden spoon, so I hate him even more.” Seungkwan shrugs nonchalantly.

“You can’t judge someone like that, Seungkwan.” Seokmin reprimands him with a disappointed tone in his voice. “It’s not fair to the other person.”

“And this is why you’re too nice for your own good.” Seungkwan sighs, scooting Seokmin a bit to sit himself next to him. “I hope you’re right about that capitalist bastard.” 

“Please don’t call him that.”

“I can at least call him that when he isn’t here.”

“Seungkwan, please.”

“Fine.”

It’s been seven days since Seokmin’s disastrous meeting with Kim Mingyu at the vending machine, which Soonyoung has artfully dubbed as ‘The peak of existential dread™’ and has been the talk of their little friend group all week.

Seokmin has been nursing his rather crumbling (non-existent at this point if he was being honest) image via trapping himself inside of his room, binging on every rom com he could find on netflix while stuffing his face with ice cream as he cries himself to sleep. 

At least in his dreams, Mingyu was kind enough to kiss Seokmin’s tears away.

“Let’s go, Seokmin.” Soonyoung banged on his door loudly. “We’ve barely seen your perky ass all week and there’s gonna be lots of cute guys attending the party.”

“Yeah, hyung.” Seungkwan beckons. “You promised we’d hang out now that midterms are over.”

“I don’t think I can go out tonight,” Seokmin yells back. “I’m like, fighting my inner demons right now.”

“Bitch why,” Soonyoung shouts from the other side. “Fight your demons in the club.”

Seokmin groans and turns his head away from the door to ignore the incessant banging the two were making at his door, fully prepared to ignore them all night if he had to. He hears a twist on his doorknob, and Jeonghan emerges inside with a copy of Seokmin’s key spinning on one of his pretty fingers.

Their eyes met and Seokmin could see the triumphant smirk on Jeonghan’s lips as he began to enter Seokmin’s room.

“Don’t even bother, hyung.” Seokmin mumbles. “I already said I wasn't going.”

“So I’ve heard,” Jeonghan says placatingly. “And you don’t have to come if you really don’t want to.” He adds, sitting at the corner of Seokmin’s bed with Seungkwan and Soonyoung following suit.

“But the offer still stands.” Jeonghan adds with a smile. “I know you’ve been feeling down lately, but locking yourself inside your room won’t do you any good, and it won’t change what’s already happened, Seokmin-ah.”

The older man reaches out to pat Seokmin’s cheek with a gentle hand. “It can be hard to get back up after experiencing something awful, but that’s how we learn and heal. You know this more than anyone. A wound can only recover with the right kind of treatment.”

“Did you just quote our nursing professor to me?” Seokmin snorts, finding Jeonghan’s words of encouragement touching and a bit overwhelming, especially since the older man tends to choose his words carefully whenever he’s consoling anyone.

Jeonghan only winks at him and Seokmin laughs, feeling worlds better now that he’s surrounded by the people he loves and cares a lot about. Soaking in their warmth and affections like a flower bud in the presence of sunlight.

“That’s enough pep talk, let’s fucking go, bitches.” Soonyoung announces, dragging Seokmin’s arms to get him out of bed, completely ruining the comfortable silence with his all encompassing enthusiasm. “I’m sure you can snag every hot guy out there as soon as he sees your ass shaking it on the dance floor.” 

“Remind me never to bring Soonyoung hyung over at any pep talks moving forward.” Seungkwan half whispers half hisses at Jeonghan, making the older laugh.

“Don’t worry, Seokminnie,” Soonyoung grins, completely ignoring Seungkwan’s words as he places a few sets of clothes for Seokmin to try out, all of them mesh and skin tight to hug his ass just right, as Soonyoung explained when he hands Seokmin another pair of denim shorts. “This hyung will make sure you’re going to get the best dicking of your life!"

And it's with that goal in mind, and Soonyoung’s infectious liveliness and positivity, that finds the four of them inside a crowded bar, five shots in and counting. They made it to one of the frat parties Soonyoung was invited to and Seokmin’s camping at one of the bar stools, nursing a rather fruity blend of peaches and vodka, already feeling a bit tipsy as he took another sip of the martini.

“Look, hyung,” Seokmin says, his words slurring as he places a hand on Jeonghan’s shoulder to emphasize his next words. “Is it really too much to ask for a broody handsome suitor to stroll across a field, in the morning fog at dawn, to tell me that I've bewitched him body and soul, and that he loves me and never wishes to be parted from me from that day on?”

Jeonghan was laughing next to him, tipping his body dangerously from the action as he regarded Seokmin with a wide grin. “You can’t seriously be talking about pride and prejudice with me right now.”

“I’m telling you, hyung,” Seokmin starts, leaning his head on Jeonghan’s shoulder to keep himself balanced. “Whatever the fuck Jane Austen was on when she wrote the entirety of that novel had a point. We don’t just want a rich and hot asshole as a love interest. We want him humbled and capable of change in the pursuit of love and affection.”

“Don’t tell me this is still about Kim Mingyu.” Seungkwan groans next to Seokmin.

“Kim Mingyu.” Seokmin says the name with a dreamy sigh. “I’m definitely going to marry him someday.”

Jeonghan laughs aloud. “Oh my God, are you serious? Marry him? What's gotten into you, sweetheart? Didn’t you say it was just a crush a few days ago?”

Seokmin mulls it over. For the past three weeks, his encounters with Mingyu have been nothing but disastrous, often leading to a lot of Seokmin’s most embarrassing encounters with another human being. And while Seokmin is convinced that Kim Mingyu probably thinks he’s some kind of goblin from the labyrinth, Mingyu is yet to show any signs of disgust or hatred for him throughout all of their encounters, which is why Seokmin’s completely enamored with him at this point. There’s no denying the obvious attraction he feels for the other man, and with the presence of alcohol in his system, Seokmin is finally brave enough to admit that his crush on Mingyu has definitely evolved into something a lot more than simple infatuation.

“Yeah, I want to marry him someday,” Seokmin concludes, hugging the bottle of peach flavored soju Soonyoung had just gotten for him close to his chest. “Who wouldn’t want to marry The Most Beautiful Man in the World?”

A few more shots in and Seokmin knows he’s already pretty drunk. He’s about to call it a night and head home when Soonyoung all but drags him to the dance floor, adamant that Seokmin should stay and dance until he finds someone who can, as per Soonyoung’s terms, “fuck him until all of of his problems fade away.”

And who was Seokmin to say no to such an offer? 

It doesn’t even take a minute before he’s getting dragged to the very center of the dance floor, with Soonyoung’s giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as he lovingly says, "Don't come back unless you've had a dick up your ass!" before leaving Seokmin to fend for himself.

Seokmin, far too drunk to even feel embarrassed at Soonyoung’s rather obscene words of encouragement, just nods his head and gives him a little salute and a wink in return. He’s high on adrenaline and with the amount of alcohol he’s consumed, Seokmin’s ready to take on the task of getting himself a guy who’d be able to bend him like a straw.

Two songs later and Seokmin’s bopping along to the bridge of bang bang bang only for Seokmin to pause mid sway when he sees someone who looks exactly like his type: handsome, tall, well built, has a really cute smile. It was surprising just how beautiful the stranger was, Seokmin would even go as far as to say he resembles The Most Beautiful Man in the World in a way, he tells the guy that much when he approaches him with wobbly legs as he all but throws himself at the stranger. 

The guy catches him easily, much to Seokmin’s delight, and the guy’s also laughing along with what Seokmin had just said, and it's a sound that leaves butterfly wings fluttering inside of Seokmin’s stomach. The stranger pulls him closer, making Seokmin stumble a little as he wraps his arms aroud the guy’s neck to keep himself steady.

"I think I’m even more handsome than the most beautiful man in the world, don’t you?" The stranger asks, all charm and bravado, with a playful smirk dancing across his lips.

Seokmin taps his chin to think it over, his eyes trying to focus on the guy’s face as much as he drunkenly can.

“You're pretty hot, I’ll give you that much. And any other day I might have said yes, but Kim Mingyu is definitely hotter.” Seokmin says with a laugh as he pats the guy’s cheek playfully. He whispers the next words to the guy’s ear as if he’s sharing a secret with him. “Mingyu owns my heart, actually. I'm gonna marry him one day."

Surprisingly, the stranger falters, pausing in his steps as he stared at Seokmin like grew another head. Seokmin was about to ask him what was wrong when the guy asked, "You're going to marry Kim Mingyu?"

And it was in that moment, at the reminder of who The Most Beautiful Man In The World is, that Seokmin is suddenly bombarded with memories of all the awful encounters he’s had with the object of his affection. The sheer embarrassment that he had to face whenever he meets his long-time crush was suddenly too much for him at that moment, and Seokmin finds himself heartbroken for a love that would never be because Mingyu definitely thinks he’s a dumpster troll. 

As soon as the first tear broke free and rolled down his cheek, Seokmin couldn't stop the rest from falling. He’s practically bawling his eyes out in front of this cute stranger, and it was pathetic. He was pathetic. 

"No, I won't be able to marry him because he probably hates me.” Seokmin cried, leaning onto the stranger’s chest for comfort and was rewarded with the stranger’s strong arms wrapping around his waist protectively. “He probably thinks I'm a mop monster that grew eyes or something." Seokmin sobs, hating just how awful he’s feeling at the idea of Mingyu finding him remotely disgusting.

And Seokmin knows he’s pretty much embarrassing himself in front of another incredibly hot stranger, and that just sets him off even more, because now he’s faced with the possibility that he'll doom himself to looking like a sad, wet mop whenever he encounters someone with a handsome face. It was awful. He’s spiraling into a ball of sadness and self hatred and he can’t seem to stop crying no matter how much he keeps telling himself not to.

The stranger’s surprisingly nice enough to keep holding Seokmin despite all the tears and snot that’s probably staining his really expensive looking shirt. 

"If he does, I'll beat him up for you. I actually think you're pretty cool” Seokmin heard the stranger saying, and the sincerity in his voice only made Seokmin cry even more.

"I wish Kim Mingyu would say the same thing to me." Seokmin says dejectedly.

"What do you even like about that guy anyway?" The stranger asks with an eyebrow raised in question.

For some odd reason, drunk Seokmin took the stranger’s rhetorical question seriously and proceeded to list out all of the things he found attractive and charming about The Most Beautiful Man In The World, starting with Mingyu’s handsomeness which is similar to the way the sun spills over water at dusk, to the way Mingyu always manages to still be nice and polite towards him no matter how much of a mess Seokmin manages to make himself look like in front of him.

Once Seokmin was done waxing poetry about the way Mingyu’s beauty marks are like a constellation across the wide expanse of his sun-kissed skin, the stranger goes really quiet, seeming to be contemplating something. There’s a cute blush on his cheeks too, as if he’s embarrassed to hear Seokmin’s entire analogy between Mingyu and the sun’s radiance.

And it suddenly dawns on Seokmin that there’s a possibility that the stranger’s expecting something out of him, and while Seokmin had initially been up for a good fuck like this, the reminder of his new found love for Mingyu is making it difficult to ever commit to getting himself banged by anyone else.

So Seokmin does the responsible thing and says, “I'm really sorry, you're incredibly sweet and cute, and totally my type, but my heart belongs to another."

But before he could make his grand, dramatic escape like a victorian dutchess about to exit the cotillion after finding out her one true love’s hand was promised to another, he sees someone about to pass out next to the hot stranger and tries to move him in time only to fall on his ass which led to him blacking out completely.

Seokmin wakes up to the worst hangover in his life, even worse than the one that led to the whole vending machine fiasco. As soon as he opens his eyes, he regrets it immediately, wincing from the pain throbbing at the back of his head. Blindly, he reaches for his phone by his nightstand only to find said nightstand missing. He looks to the side and is surprised to find it on the other side of the bed, and now that he’s actually looking, none of the interior in the room looks familiar.

And as he starts to inspect the mystery room even further, noting the wider expanse of the room and the minimalist design, from the dark curtains that blocked the sunlight seeping from outside the tall windows, to the queen sized bed that’s a whole lot bigger and softer than Seokmin’s own. It takes Seokmin a few more blinking and squinting before realization finally sinks in and he concludes that he is in fact not in his own room.

Even his clothes are someone else’s since the shirt he was currently wearing is way too big to be any of his.

Seeing that he didn’t make it home last night and the change in wardrobe, (or rather the lack of it, given that he’s only wearing a pair of boxer shorts along with the too big shirt) Seokmin could only assume that in the span of him getting shit faced drunk last night, he’d managed to make good on Soonyong’s advice and had slept with someone after the party.

He’s halfway through raiding the surprisingly large wardrobe for a pair of pants that would actually fit his frame when he hears the door open.

Seokmin turns his head just in time to see who the occupant of the room is, only to openly gawk at the face that greets him. He must still be dreaming because right now he’s staring right at The Most Beautiful Man In The World, Kim Mingyu.

Even stranger than seeing Kim Mingyu entering the room is the relieved look on his handsome face as soon as their eyes meet, and before Seokmin could even start pinching himself to wake up from the dream, Mingyu immediately crosses the room to reach him.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, worry and concern coating his voice and making Seokmin’s heart skip a beat.

Mingyu is checking on him now, his hands are gentle and warm when they start roaming over Seokmin’s face as he inspects him for any injuries. “You hit your head pretty hard last night.”

It wasn’t possible for Kim Mingyu to magically appear in the same bedroom where Seokmin was in and fret over his well-being like this, the universe wasn’t the kind to actually be this nice to him, after all. This was probably just another elaborate dream his mind concocted, spanned from his crippling loneliness and growing affection towards The Most Beautiful Man In The World. 

Mingyu must’ve heard him saying all of that out loud because the next thing he knew, the other man was laughing and explaining to Seokmin how this was not a dream and that he had to take Seokmin to his place because Seokmin was too passed out last night to tell Mingyu what his apartment number was.

Seokmin, on his part, has no recollection of anything that had transpired last night after drinking his fourth shot. He’s curious to know what happened last night just as much as he’s dreading to find out how he’d managed to get himself in this situation. But inevitably his curiosity won out over his nerves, and he finally asks Mingyu what’s going on.

"You pretty much rejected me when I asked you out last night." Mingyu summarizes for him with a wounded look on his expression.

It takes a few seconds for the words to really sink in, and when it does, Seokmin is letting go of Mingyu’s hands as he shakes his head adamantly. "Nope. That’s never gonna happen. Even if I was completely drunk, I would have been willing to let you do anything to me.” Seokmin was spewing each word out like he was chanting an exorcism, unfiltered and completely honest.

“As much as I find that offer pretty hot, I would never do anything to you if you’re drunk.” Mingyu says, right before tucking a stray hair behind Seokmin’s ear fondly. “No matter how much you’re willing to let me.” He adds with a playful smirk on his lips.

Seokmin’s sure his heartbeat is going past nine point eight meters per second squared. He was probably going into cardiac arrest, Jeonghan hyung always warned him he’s got a weak heart. Maybe this was finally it? There are thirteen major organs in the human body, and apparently Kim Mingyu could make the most important one inside of Seokmin beat right out his chest just by looking at him like that.

Next to him, Mingyu’s smirk only got wider. There’s a knowing look on his face as if he could read all of Seokmin’s thoughts just by staring at him, and while he looks even more attractive like this: with his dark hair falling to his eyes, fluffy and soft looking compared to his usually pristine and classy style, while the black hoodie he was wearing along with a loose gray sweats only made him look every bit comfortable and charming as he stood in front of Seokmin; there was definitely something dangerous about him. It was in the glint of his eyes. It was as if he’s waiting for something to happen with the way he was gauging Seokmin’s reaction the entire time.

“You don't remember breaking my heart and telling me you're in love with someone else?" Mingyu asks, feigning surprise as he dramatically clutches his chest.

“I did what?”

“It’s true.” Mingyu says, pretending to wipe a stray tear from his eye. “You were adamant to reject me at the party, I was pretty heartbroken.”

“No, that’s not possible,” Seokmin was shaking his head again, unable to comprehend what Mingyu was telling him. “You’re literally the love of my life.” 

There’s a look on Mingyu’s face that almost seems like fondness, but Seokmin is too wrapped up in the idea of ever rejecting someone like Mingyu to really notice.

And Mingyu wasn’t really helping, not when he’s relentless in his teasing, even going as far as to say, “But I seem to recall you telling me last night that you’re already in love with someone else, and I quote, ‘my heart already belongs to The Most Beautiful Man In The World’ or something along those lines.”

It takes Seokmin exactly five seconds before he’s suddenly flashed with memories of what transpired last night, from taking one too many shots with Jeonghan and Seungkwan to dancing with Soonyoung to every girl group song that was playing. He even recalls meeting a very attractive stranger at the dance floor, who he’d even contemplated asking to fuck him after the party. It was all coming back together in quick successions.

Except, something still wasn’t adding up. It still didn’t make sense for Mingyu to know all of this. 

"But I was only talking to a cute guy last night,” Seokmin started, confused. “How did you―"

Mingyu was still looking at him expectantly from where he stood, patiently waiting for Seokmin to remember something, to piece it all together on his own.

But Seokmin is struggling to solve the puzzle that was last night’s fiasco on his own. It's hard to even think straight when his head is still too groggy to remember much of anything else after his conversation with the stranger. Seokmin wracks his brain for any kind of clue, but nothing’s coming up which upsets him even more.

Noticing his growing distress, Mingyu finally relents and pulls Seokmin to him, effectively catching Seokmin’s complete attention from their sudden proximity.

"Let me tell you again, I was seconds away from heartbreak,” Mingyu whispers right next to Seokmin’s ear, sending a shiver down his spine from the way Mingyu’s hot breath ghosted over his skin. “I was even gonna fist fight whoever the guy was, only to find out that I was actually getting jealous of myself."

It takes an embarrassingly long amount of time before Seokmin’s mind was able to catch up to what Mingyu had just confessed, and when it finally did, Seokmin was red in the face, from his cheeks all the way to the tip of his ears.

He has his hands on his face, refusing to look at the other man as he continues to hide himself from the embarrassment of not only being unable to recognize Mingyu at the party, but also drunkenly confessing so many humiliating things to him about himself. Seokmin even recalls having a mental breakdown on the dance floor and bawling his eyes out in front of him. 

“I’m never gonna get it right with you, am I?" Seokmin groans out, seconds away from fleeing Mingyu’s apartment to his own, ready to face the walk of shame so long as it can keep him from having to face Mingyu any further. “Please pretend like none of this ever happened.”

“But you said you were gonna marry me one day, remember?" Mingyu injects, coaxing Seokmin’s hands out of his face to tilt his chin up so that their eyes are meeting. “Did you forget that already?”

“Oh my god, please stop talking,” Seokmin whined with a pout. “I’ll just see myself out of your life to save myself from this embarrassment. I’ll even move away to a new city and change my name if I have to."

Mingyu pretended to contemplate Seokmin's statement, but the glint in his eyes was still there, and Seokmin visibly gulped as he waited for whatever it was Mingyu was going to tell him.

“I don't know about you moving away and such,” Mingyu drawls, keeping his eyes locked with Seokmin’s the entire time. “But your name would definitely sound better if you changed it to Kim Seokmin."

Seokmin falters, completely forgetting how to breathe for a good three seconds. Seungkwan was definitely going to chastise him if he ever finds out about this. 

“How do you even know my name?"

Mingyu’s smiles at him, then, as if he was waiting for Seokmin to ask him the exact same question all this time. 

"Why wouldn't I know the name of the guy I’ve been crushing on for weeks?" Mingyu replies cheekily. There’s a brilliant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and his canines are nearly exposed because of it. The sight was enough to knock the remaining breath right out of Seokmin’s lungs. 

“I’ve actually been trying to ask you out, but you always end up running away before I could.”

And now maybe is a good time to crash his lips on Mingyu’s, but while Seokmin was still contemplating on the idea, Mingyu was already leaning in to do the exact same thing.

The kiss was surprisingly gentle and Seokmin felt his eyes close instinctively, savoring the feeling of Mingyu’s lips on his as he leaned in further, with Mingyu deepening the kiss and drowning Seokmin in the process as he suddenly felt overwhelmed by the reality of the situation. 

And when they finally break away, against kiss swollen lips, Mingyu breathes into them, “You’re the most beautiful thing to have ever grace this earth, Lee Seokmin.”

"I still can't believe you like me too." Mingyu adds, breathing the words out like he can’t quite believe it himself. 

The words keep tumbling out like he can’t get them fast enough, but Seokmin can’t hear anything past Mingyu knowing his name. The disbelief and warmth and pure, wild, all encompassing joy he was feeling was making him feel lightheaded.

Seokmin laughs, sounding almost like a sob, and sinks down to the floor with Mingyu kneeling with him, clutching his hands with his.

"You're not joking with me, right?" Seokmin asks, shakily. Wanting so much to believe that this was real and not some kind of made up reality his mind fabricated. "You actually like me and this isn't some kind of dare you were forced to do?"

“I do, and I'd never do something like that to anyone.” Mingyu says into his ear, still cradling Seokmin in his arms as he leans back into him. “I like you so much that it hurts.”

Seokmin wants to ask him why, wants to pull the answers right out of Mingyu's throat because he's dying to know how someone as perfect as him could ever find someone like Seokmin even worth liking.

And Seokmin knows his self doubt would rear its ugly head later on when he's left alone with his thoughts, but he fights off the urge to pull away from Mingyu's embrace as much as he can. Mingyu has already made it perfectly clear what his feelings were and Seokmin wants to trust him that he's telling the truth.

And right now, Seokmin is content to let Mingyu keep holding him, to lean on the solid warmth of Mingyu’s chest, and feel the resounding thump of his steadying heartbeat. 

Seokmin closes his eyes and lets himself be lulled by it, lets himself succumb to the feeling of being loved by The Most Beautiful Man in the World.