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“I'm going out!”
Gunil calls from the entryway of the dorm. He’s loud enough that everyone home can hear, deep voice carrying down the hall. Only the occupants of the living room give him any sort of acknowledgment they heard him.
Hyeongjun lets out a noncommittal mutter from where he's sitting on the floor, not looking up from the manga he's reading. Jungsu perks up from his spot on the couch, setting his phone down and turning towards the door to look at him. He rests his chin on the back of the couch, eyes sparkling expectantly.
“You going skating?” Jungsu asks, nodding towards the longboard tucked under Gunil’s arm.
“Mmmm,” Gunil hums in response, patting the board gently with one hand. A beat passes and Jungsu looks like he has more to say. Gunil waits patiently, still standing by the entryway.
"Can I come…” he trails off shyly, not looking directly at Gunil. He feels unsure of himself for some reason, like he’s infringing on Gunil’s precious alone time. His worries a fond smile spreads across Gunil’s face, eyes softening.
“Of course.”
“Ok,” Jungsu beams at him, jumping off the couch, “Let me grab my stuff.”
Jungsu scurries down the hallway towards the room he and Jiseok share. Immediately, he grabs his wallet off of the dresser and shoves it in his back pocket. He turns to the mirror leaned against the wall, giving himself a once-over. His brows knit into a frown when he sees the state of his hair. He runs his hand through it several times in an attempt to get his bangs to sit nicely.
“I guess that’s good enough,” he huffs to himself, though he’s not quite done messing with it.
He continues scrutinizing himself in the mirror and frowns again, deeper than before. He inspects his shirt with newfound disdain, untucking it and re-tucking it before deciding to change it all together. Before he knew it, he changed shirts twice before .
When he comes back out to the living room, Gunil looks up from scrolling on his phone and quirks an eyebrow at him. Hyeongjun glances at him, too, an unreadable look on his face.
“It’s hot out,” Jungsu whines, throwing his arms in protest.
“I didn’t say anything,” Gunil smirks, putting his phone away. He ushers Jungsu out the front door, gently steering him by the shoulders from behind. “See you later, Hyeongjun.”
“Bye Hyeongjun!” Jungsu calls out over his shoulder as Gunil guides him out the door.
“Have fun,” Hyeongjun calls after them vacantly, like an afterthought.
The walk to the park is short enough, not too far from their dorm. They’ve left late enough that the sun is starting to set when they arrive, painting the sky a soft pink. The park lights above are starting to turn on. They make their way to the large open space they usually skate at.
Almost immediately, Gunil sets his board on the ground and kicks off. Jungsu is content to watch as Gunil cruises and carves around the open space. He’s so at ease when he skates, like all the pressure placed on him fades away. He looks genuinely happy, wind from his movements gently blowing his hair back.
The boys love to give Gunil a hard time, but Jungsu knows they’re lucky to have him leading them. He knows everyone else thinks so, too.
Jungsu’s musings are interrupted as Gunil lets out a yell and stumbles off of his board, sending it rolling in the opposite direction. He catches himself before he falls, looking up at Jungsu with wide eyes and an even wider smile. He breaks out into laughter. Laughter bubbles out of Jungsu, too.
“I almost died,” Gunil jokes, smiling sheepishly as he straightened himself out.
“Lucky you didn’t or they’d put me in charge,” Jungsu shoots back.
"Doubtful," Gunil scoffs playfully, "They'd sooner put Jooyeon in charge." Jungsu throws his head back in laughter at that. He wipes gently at his eye, slightly teary and lightheaded.
“Hold on,” Jungsu says, fishing his phone out of his back pocket, “We should take some pictures – for the fans.”
“Oh!” Gunil stands up a little taller, smoothing over his clothes, “Good idea!”
Gunil steps back up on his board, angling his body and looking away from Jungsu and the camera. It’s completely dark out now, but Gunil is illuminated by the park lights behind him.
“You look good,” Jungsu says, mostly to himself. It’s loud enough that the corners of Gunil’s mouth quirk upwards and he puffs out his chest a little at the compliment. Jungsu crouches and tilts the phone up, making sure he gets a good angle. Jungsu pops up from his spot on the pavement, phone securely held in both of his hands, “Let’s get a video, too.”
With a nod, Gunil pushes off the ground and resumes his skating. Jungsu chases after him, phone in hand, capturing the way Gunil cuts across the pavement smoothly. He commands the board effortlessly, leaning into the turns and turning back to look at the camera cheekily. It’s a little too charming, if you ask Jungsu.
Jungsu slumps onto the ground to sit, out of breath after running around with Gunil. He crosses his legs in front of him and leans his back against the raised flower bed. He checks the footage he got, feeling strangely proud. The fans will definitely like this. Gunil skates over and joins him, plopping unceremoniously on the ground next to him with a relieved exhale and a smile.
They sit together on the pavement for a while, enjoying the distant sounds of the night and the bubble of comfortable silence they share. Jungsu lets himself relax, mind going pleasantly blank as he looks up into the sky.
"Hey," Gunil nudges Jungsu's arm after a while, breaking the silence and getting Jungsu’s attention. "Thanks for coming out with me." He smiles, warm and genuine. He leans in slightly closer – the way he does when he’s giving someone his full attention. Jungsu finds himself instinctively leaning in closer too.
“I wanted to spend time with you,” Jungsu reveals in a moment of unfiltered honesty. He tugs at his ear, eyes darting away from Gunil’s gaze. His nervous habit, so he’s been told.
"I think I needed to get out and clear my head a little…” Gunil admits. There’s something heavy hidden in his words, and Jungsu feels the mood turn serious for a moment. Jungsu reaches out, finding Gunil's hand and tentatively taking it in his own.
"I'm here if you ever need me, y'know?" Jungsu says quietly, squeezing Gunil's hand reassuringly. Jungsu means it. He wants Gunil to lean on him as much as everyone leans on Gunil. He doesn’t say as much, but he hopes the gesture translates anyway. Gunil squeezes Jungsu’s hand back, tension in his shoulders melting away.
"I know." Gunil meets his eyes. The street lamps are making them shine, and it makes Jungsu falter for a moment. He breaks eye contact first. When Gunil leans his weight against him, Jungsu shivers. As if his oversized t-shirt suddenly isn’t enough to keep him warm.
They both let the conversation peter out, slipping back into their comfortable silence. Jungsu suddenly takes great interest in Gunil’s longboard. He picks it up, examining it with curious eyes. He turns it over and runs his fingers over the stickers on the deck with a smile.
“What’s that called,” Jungsu asks. Gunil makes a puzzled face, silently prompting Jungsu to go on. “That trick you do when you skate,” Jungsu continues, “The one where you turn the board?”
Gunil thinks for a moment, pursing his lips as he tries to understand what Jungsu is asking, "The nollie pivot?"
“Yeah.” Jungsu pauses, pulling on his ear again, “Can you teach me ?”
“Yes, definitely!" Gunil gives him a grin, preening under the idea that Jungsu thought he was good enough to teach him something. He stands up, brushes himself off, and offers Jungsu his hand. Jungsu takes it, letting Gunil do most of the work of hoisting him up into a standing position.
Gunil explains the finer points of landing a successful pivot – keeping your knees bent, leading with your shoulders, and following through with your arms – animatedly acting out what it should look like. Jungsu chuckles at him, but imitates him anyway, trying to understand what to do.
Gunil gestures for Jungsu to hop up on the longboard. Jungsu places his left foot on the board, making sure it’s placed in the right spot before stepping on to the board completely.
Gunil places his hands on either shoulder, adjusting Jungsu’s positioning. Jungsu can feel the warmth of his palms burning through his t-shirt, and it makes his chest tighten. Gunil pushes down gently, silently reminding him to soften his knees. Jungsu does as directed, feeling warmth collect in his cheeks.
It makes Jungsu think back to the first time Gunil had gotten him to try skating. He clung to Gunil’s hands like a lifeline trying to keep his balance, ears burned red while Gunil’s deep voice reassured him.
“Are you ready to try it for real?” Gunil asks, bringing Jungsu back to reality. Gunil offers his hand for support. Jungsu tries to ignore how nervous he suddenly feels and takes it. He pushes off the ground gently, and the board rolls forward slowly. Gunil keeps pace, still holding onto Jungsu.
“Yeah, just like that,” Gunil coos when Jungsu finds his center of gravity, “You’re doing great.” When Jungsu looks back up to meet Gunil’s eyes, he lets out a nervous laugh. He can feel the tips of his nose and ears growing red now.
“Now slowly move to the nose…” Gunil instructs him. Jungsu adjusts his stance, inching forward so he’s at the front of the board. “Okay good,” Gunil says, still walking at Jungsu’s pace.
Jungsu bends his knees and braces himself to turn. Gunil’s hand pulls him slightly, prompting him to move his upper body. He winds up his shoulder and swings his torso, ready to let the force of the motion move the board for him.
In a split second, he feels the board rush out from under his feet and he's crashing forward. Before his body can react, Gunil grips his hand tighter. Gunil’s arm wraps around his waist, stopping him from falling. They both freeze, looking at each other. Jungsu can feel his heart thumping away in his chest – partly from adrenaline, but mostly from being held and seeing Gunil looking so concerned.
“That was close,” Gunil chuckles, and the moment passes almost as quickly as it had surfaced. “You good?”
“Yeah,” Jungsu replies, sounding dazed. Gunil releases his grip on Jungsu’s waist only after he’s collected himself and stood upright. He tries not to read into that.
“We should take your picture,” Gunil says, echoing Jungsu’s own words from earlier in an attempt to put him at ease. “For the account,” he adds. Jungsu nods dumbly, still fazed from their close encounter.
He steps back up on the board, looking away from the camera – and Gunil. He’s thankful it’s dark, he knows his bright red ears would betray him right now. He wills his heart rate to slow down to normal speeds.
“Look at me,” Gunil coaxes, voice lilting the way it does when he’s feeling playful. Jungsu complies, against his better judgment. Gunil takes more photos, the sound of the faux camera shutter sounding off in excess. Gunil inspects the photos he’s taken on his phone, eyes softening with fondness. He turns his phone to show Jungsu the photos he’d taken.
“You look good,” he says decisively. Jungsu tries not to read into that, too.
The walk back to the dorm is mostly quiet, leaving them alone with their own thoughts. Jungsu’s mind wanders, thinking back on all the times Gunil has been there for him; to help him, support him, make him feel safe and seen. Brush eyelashes off his face, listen to him attentively, let Jungsu cling to him when he’s feeling needy. It makes Jungsu warm and dizzy. He starts to feel like he’s suffocating a little, but he’s not sure he can blame it on the humidity of the night.
They come home to an empty living room. The two part ways, Gunil heading towards the bathroom, intent on showering after being out in the humid summer air. Jungsu lingers in the entryway before wandering absently towards his room. Lost in his thoughts, he nearly bumps into Hyeongjun coming from the kitchen on his way. He’s holding an armful of snacks.
“We’re having movie night in Jooyeon’s room,” Hyeongjun explains before Jungsu can ask. “Did you and Gunil have a good time?”
“Yeah, we skated,” Jungsu pauses, “Gunil taught me a trick.”
It sounds casual enough to Jungsu’s ears, but Hyeongjun looks him up and down. Not with suspicion or judgment – just quietly observing him. Jungsu watches his facial expression change slightly, like he's caught on to something no one else has yet.
Jungsu is saved when they both hear Jooyeon calling for Hyeongjun from the next room over. Hyeongjun nods a silent goodbye, turning towards Jooyeon’s room and releasing Jungsu from their exchange.
Jungsu brushes past him, eager to return to the safety of his own room. When he enters the threshold, he leans against the door and lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he tries to will away all his lingering thoughts about Gunil. It doesn’t work.
He’s finally come face to face with the reality he had been avoiding for months – he has a crush on Gunil.