Chapter Text
Kim Dokja stares at the bulletin board with knitted brows, disappointment evident on his face. Han Sooyoung lets out a soft cackle beside him, and he turns to her with disdain.
“Guess he came in first this time,” she states the obvious, ignoring her friend’s look of fury. “Chin up! There’s still the finals.”
Kim Dokja grips the sling of his bag as he looks at the name written at the top of the list containing the results of their midterm exam. He curses the fact that his name is just below it. Again. “I was only ahead of him by one point last term. At this rate, he’ll come in first by the time we graduate.”
“Geez, don’t mind it too much. You’ve always been Mr. Smarty-Pants, but you were never the type to get this bothered over your grades or rank. It only started after you began that stupid rivalry with Yoo Joonghyuk in middle school.” Han Sooyoung looks over Kim Dokja’s shoulder, scoffing at someone from a distance. “Look at him. He doesn’t look bothered in the slightest. He didn’t even take a glance at the list.”
Kim Dokja doesn’t even have to turn to see who she’s talking about. “Annoying bastard.”
It’s typical of Yoo Joonghyuk to remain unbothered. In fact, he probably doesn’t see Kim Dokja as a rival, even though they’re always neck to neck during the exams. Sure, he entertains Kim Dokja’s whims every once in a while by accepting his challenges, but generally, he doesn’t give a flying fuck about him. Still, Kim Dokja feels a sense of fulfillment every time he brings out Yoo Joonghyuk’s competitive side, so he couldn’t get rid of the habit of challenging him.
After getting to know Yoo Joonghyuk in 6th grade, Kim Dokja had been convinced that God has favorites. Yoo Joonghyuk is like the protagonist of a webnovel, one who possesses the sturdiest plot armor in the story’s entirety. Things just seem to conveniently go his way, and even if things go awry sometimes, Yoo Joonghyuk would always find a way to work his way through them.
It’s no surprise that Yoo Joonghyuk is revered as a king in their school—the Supreme King, is what they call him. Despite having the emotional capacity of a sunfish, he is still popular among his peers.
Kim Dokja is quite popular himself, truthfully speaking. He may not be as cool as Yoo Joonghyuk, but he has his own charms that draw people to him.
There was a time when Kim Dokja thought that he and Yoo Joonghyuk could be friends. Back in 6th grade, when Yoo Joonghyuk had just transferred to their school, Kim Dokja was the one to approach him first. He even invited him to hang out in the nearby arcade after school so that he could get acquainted with some of their classmates.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he wanted nothing to do with Kim Dokja and their classmates (or anyone, for that matter) but he still came to the arcade that day. They played video games (which Yoo Joonghyuk was insanely good at), ate snacks in the convenience store right after, and chatted about stupid, primary schooler things.
Among Kim Dokja’s classmates who often hang out with him, there was a girl that he had a crush on. For the life of him, he can’t even remember her name or face anymore, but he considers her his first love, nonetheless. Even though he can’t remember much about her since she moved after 6th grade, Kim Dokja remembers his 12-year-old self liking her a lot.
Kim Dokja also remembers that on that particular day, his first love suddenly approached him, pointed at Yoo Joonghyuk, and asked Kim Dokja if he could introduce her to the cool transferee.
And that’s how he got his young heart broken. He had made a few childish excuses to avoid introducing his crush to the newcomer, but she went on to approach Yoo Joonghyuk anyway. Kids are quite bold at that age, and sometimes they just advance without thinking of the consequences.
In the end, the socially-inept Yoo Joonghyuk turned down her advances in such a cold manner that she ended up crying—tears and snot and all that. She never hung out with Kim Dokja after that day, and he never got the chance to talk to her until she moved out of town.
Kim Dokja had been disdainful of Yoo Joonghyuk from then on. He wasn’t actually mad about the fact that his crush liked Yoo Joonghyuk. What pissed him off was how Yoo Joonghyuk had turned her down without a second thought. Kim Dokja had been so careful around her, even going as far as to hold his feelings to maintain their friendship (he surprisingly had deep philosophies about romance at that age), yet it was so easy for this transferee to turn her down. It just didn’t sit right with Kim Dokja.
Thus, after his first love moved away, Kim Dokja began the habit of challenging Yoo Joonghyuk so he could prove that the sunfish bastard—despite being a head taller and a bit more handsome (okay, fine, so maybe he is unrivaled in the looks department) than the other boys their age—is not all that.
“It’s not over, Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja declares as he takes his seat in the classroom, turning to his rival with a sneer. Yoo Joonghyuk returns his gaze, but doesn’t retort with words. Kim Dokja takes offense in the lack of response, for it makes him feel like he’s not even worthy of one.
Well, if it’s a battle of glares, Kim Dokja wouldn’t back down. He keeps his eyes on Yoo Joonghyuk, not even daring to blink. Yoo Joonghyuk does the same, but unlike Kim Dokja whose eyes are about to pop out of their sockets from keeping them open for too long, making the veins appear in his temples like he’s constipated, Yoo Joonghyuk is just staring at him with a different kind of intensity that is hard to decipher.
And before he could analyze that gaze, he hears Han Sooyoung cough from behind them, saying with a very indignant tone, “As much as I’d love to tolerate your eye fucking, may I remind you that my girlfriend is seated right in between you guys? So can you please stop?”
“We weren’t—” Kim Dokja almost screams in defense, too baffled by Han Sooyoung’s horrifying assumption. He looks away from Yoo Joonghyuk to glance awkwardly at their classmate who is seated in the middle.
“It’s fine,” Yoo Sangah says with a smile, turning her head back to appease Han Sooyoung. “They were just…looking at each other.”
“Dammit, this happens on a daily. I’m so fed up with it,” Han Sooyoung sighs, picking up her pencil to point it at Kim Dokja, then at Yoo Joonghyuk. “Why don’t you try getting together for a change? With two of the smartest idiots together, the world would surely become a better place.”
Kim Dokja wants to laugh, but he can’t even find that funny. “On the contrary, I think we’d be a mess together. Please don’t bring that up again. It’s horrifying to even think about it. And we’re both straight.”
Han Sooyoung ignores him, turning to Yoo Joonghyuk with an expectant grin. “And what do you have to say about this?”
“Class is about to start,” is all Yoo Joonghyuk says, taking out his Science book with a stern face…
…which is funny, because their first period is Ethics, as far as Kim Dokja remembers. He’s about to ask Yoo Sangah for confirmation, when Han Soyooung is suddenly breathing on his neck again.
“Let’s test it out,” she says. From the corner of his eyes, Kim Dokja could see her dubious expression. It’s the kind of expression that makes his skin crawl. He doesn’t dare to ask what it is that they should test, because he’s sure that it’s anything but good. He doesn’t want to indulge Han Sooyoung so he keeps his mouth shut, but his scheming friend continues anyway. “Let’s see just how straight you guys are! Have you heard of gay chicken?”
“The fuck, Han Sooyoung,” Kim Dokja mutters, his frown deepening as he looks at his sorry excuse for a friend. The sexual orientation of the junglefowl species is obviously none of their business, and Han Sooyoung is obviously out of her mind.
“It’s a game, you dimwit,” she deadpans, as if she had just read Kim Dokja’s thoughts. “In this game, two ‘straight’ dudes do, well, homoerotic things to each other. And the first one to chicken out loses.”
Kim Dokja thinks that’s even worse than his literal interpretation of it. “You really are out of your mind. And so was the one who came up with that silly game.”
“If it’s just a silly, little game, then surely there’s no harm in it, right?” Han Sooyoung nudges him while wiggling her eyebrows. If not for Yoo Sangah, he would’ve headbutted her already. “You love challenging Yoo Joonghyuk! And despite how he is, he has never turned down a challenge from you.”
That may be true, but Kim Dokja’s sure that Han Sooyoung is just pulling one of her tricks again, and he’ll make sure not to fall for it. “Sangah, please talk some sense into this crazed woman.”
Yoo Sangah shifts in her seat, an innocent smile on her face as she says, “Well, you don’t have to think too much of it. If one of you backs out due to discomfort, then that’s that. It’s just a game.”
The gasp that Kim Dokja lets out is horrified. Yoo Sangah is starting to sound an awful lot like her girlfriend. Mischief can be contagious, so it seems. “Some of Han Sooyoung’s traits have rubbed off on you, huh?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Han Sooyoung snorts. “So what do you say? Are you gonna say no to a challenge as simple as this?”
It’s not that simple, is what Kim Dokja wants to say, but he just can’t bring himself to admit that out loud. He doesn’t want to play the game, but he doesn’t want to be the first to decline the challenge, either.
Sure, it’s just a silly little game. But if played by two overly competitive guys, things might just go out of hand.
Kim Dokja’s pride wouldn’t allow him to chicken out first, and he knows the same goes for Yoo Joonghyuk. If Kim Dokja is straight, then he’s pretty sure that his long-time rival, Yoo Joonghyuk, is even straighter. There is absolutely nothing that could make that sunfish bastard bend. If they play the game, no matter how much he dislikes the acts that they’d have to do, he’d probably grit his teeth and endure, all for the sake of not getting labeled as the gay chicken.
But Kim Dokja is also relentless. He can be stupidly stubborn when it comes to his rival, and he knows that stubbornness would come back to bite him in the ass someday, but he just can’t control himself.
In other words, between him and Yoo Joonghyuk, this game is more of a test of resilience.
Well, it’s not like Yoo Joonghyuk would accept the challenge anyway.
Kim Dokja glances at his rival, the textbook definition of a Straight Man™️, and he thanks the stars above that the insufferable bastard probably finds the idea of doing homoerotic things with Kim Dokja repulsive, which means he will definitely—
“I accept.”
—not accept the…huh?!
“You what?” Kim Dokja asks, eyes wide open and mouth agape.
“I accept.” Yoo Joonghyuk repeats, his expression unperturbed. “It won’t take long. I’ll just win and get it over with before class starts.”
And with those words alone, Yoo Joonghyuk had successfully pushed Kim Dokja’s buttons, making him forget everything else that initially made him hesitant to play the game.
Yoo Joonghyuk may be good at concealing it, but Kim Dokja can see the smug look on the bastard’s face. It’s usually Kim Dokja who does the taunting, so he’s a bit surprised by Yoo Joonghyuk’s provocation. There’s a look on his face that says he’s confident of winning, and Kim Dokja has no choice but to prove him wrong.
“Bring it on, Yoo Joonghyuk.”
“Now that’s more like it!” Han Sooyoung eagerly claps from behind. She gets up from her seat and sashays in front of them, pulling Yoo Sangah up to her side before pushing the now-empty seat to the back so that there’s no one and nothing in between Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk. “Let’s begin with stage one, aka easy mode.”
It has only been a minute since Kim Dokja accepted, and he’s already regretting his life choices. He must’ve forgotten for a second that Han Sooyoung is behind this game, which means it most likely wouldn’t end well. “There are…stages to this?”
“Well, if no one loses in this round, then you can take it up a notch next time until one of you chickens out. That’s how it is.”
Kim Dokja is utterly convinced that that’s not how it is, but he had already thrown himself into whatever it is, so he’ll have to deal with the repercussions.
“That won’t be necessary,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, arms crossed like the smug bastard that he is. “I’ll end it here.”
Kim Dokja takes great offense in that (well, he takes great offense in everything Yoo Joonghyuk does) so he mirrors his rival’s haughty arm crossing posture and says with vehemence, “If you mean you’ll end it by losing, then go ahead. Be my guest.”
“Alright, alright,” Han Sooyoung interjects, picking up the folder on Kim Dokja’s desk. “Save the snarky remarks for later when we have a loser.” With the folder now suspended in between Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk to conceal their faces from each other, Han Sooyoung excitedly states the mechanics. “The first stage is seduction.”
Kim Dokja can only gulp as he stares blankly at the brown folder in front of him. Yoo Joonghyuk is on the other side, with only his neck visible, leaving Kim Dokja with no choice but to stare at his Adam’s apple that’s slightly bobbing up and down. Huh.
“You can do whatever you want,” Han Sooyoung continues, snapping Kim Dokja out of his unintended reverie. “Look into each other’s eyes, inch closer until you’re almost kissing, or even go for a kiss if you want to—I don’t know, it’s up to you. Whoever backs away first loses.”
Kim Dokja feels a sense of foreboding at the shadiness of this game. He can feel the dangers lying ahead. He has a lot of questions and violent reactions that he’d like to direct at the game master, but she doesn’t even give them the time to say a word as she begins the countdown. “Time’s a-wastin’ so let’s get on with it. Okay, in three, two—”
It seems there’s really no way out now.
“—one!”
With the folder out of the way, Kim Dokja’s eyes land on Yoo Joonghyuk’s dark orbs in an instant. There’s something electrifying about the sudden eye contact, and it stuns Kim Dokja for a good second.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze is so intense that it almost makes Kim Dokja look away, but he gathers his senses by blinking in rapid succession. There’s no way he’d lose right when the game just started.
“Hah, you’re taking this seriously, Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja comments in an attempt to ease the discomfiting tension in the air. “You don’t have to try so hard for a silly game, you know.”
Expression unchanged, Yoo Joonghyuk shifts forward until his knees are bumping against Kim Dokja’s. “I could say the same thing about you.”
Kim Dokja’s eye twitches at that, and he forces out a grin to conceal his unease. At this rate, Yoo Joonghyuk would reign victorious again, so Kim Dokja swallows his nerves back and decides to make a move. Now that things have come to this, he might as well pull all the tricks up his sleeve.
Thus, after a millisecond of extreme mind-conditioning, he boldly runs a palm against Yoo Joonghyuk’s thigh, smirking in triumph when he feels the sunfish bastard flinch. “Still not gonna back away?”
The intensity of Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze grows fiercer to the point where Kim Dokja could almost feel the searing heat burn his skin. Yoo Joonghyuk inches closer, placing both palms at the edges of Kim Dokja’s seat, trapping him between his arms. Then he brings his lips close to Kim Dokja’s ear, whispering in a guttural tone, “No.”
Kim Dokja’s breath hitches and he almost loses it, but he hangs on for dear life. If not for the sudden hollering in the background, he would’ve remained frozen on the spot. He blinks back to his senses, realizing that they’re already surrounded by an enthusiastic audience. Their classmates who were just minding their own businesses earlier are now gathered around them like a pack of hyenas.
With so many witnesses, Kim Dokja really can’t afford to lose now. But is it really worth it to take things this far all for the sake of winning against Yoo Joonghyuk? Is Yoo Joonghyuk asking himself the same question? Kim Dokja wouldn’t know. And he doesn’t have the time to ponder on that question either, because if he doesn’t make a move now, he’ll really end up as the gay chicken.
So after taking a deep breath, he turns his head sideways to face Yoo Joonghyuk, their noses now touching. They’re so close that Kim Dokja can inspect even the smallest details on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face, like the stubble that remained after what seemed to be a hasty shaving session.
He shakes away the image of Yoo Joonghyuk shaving, before lowering his gaze until it ultimately lands on Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips. His hand that is still on his rival’s thigh thoughtlessly balls into a fist, and Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips slightly curl up at that. This bastard.
“Kim Dokja,” Yoo Joonghyuk utters, and it comes out sounding like a growl, making Kim Dokja inhale sharply. “It’s not too late to back out now. Or else.”
Or else what? Kim Dokja wants to ask, but his throat feels so constricted that words wouldn’t come out. His lips remain pursed, and he doesn’t dare to move, because even one small move could result in an accident that could never be undone.
The encouraging screams around them sound muffled, because all Kim Dokja could hear is Yoo Joonghyuk saying his name once again, his low voice almost pleading. “Kim Dokja.”
Despite the events escalating to this point, Kim Dokja continues to resist with every fiber of his being. He chooses to shut his eyes tight instead of backing away, letting nature take its course. Whatever happens, at least he didn’t chicken out. Hopefully, Yoo Joonghyuk would come to his senses and relent first.
There’s no way he’d actually kiss Kim Dokja, right?
For a while, there’s silence. And then he feels Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips hovering just a breath away from his own. “You asked for it, Kim Dokja.”
He wants to argue that no, he didn’t ask for it. But his mind is too muddled to even argue, so he decides to just wait for the inevitable.
But right at that crucial moment, they hear the door slam open, followed by the exasperated voice of their homeroom teacher.
“What’s got you all gathering over there? Go back to your seats! Class is about to start!”
Kim Dokja’s eyes fly open in an instant, just in time to see Yoo Joonghyuk back away from him at the speed of light. His expression remains composed, without an ounce of shame on his face.
Their classmates disperse from the scene, groaning in disappointment as they shuffle back to their seats. If not for them covering Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk earlier, their homeroom teacher would’ve passed out from the spectacle. The top two students, causing a scandal in broad daylight for the whole class to see. That would’ve caused an uproar, for sure.
Kim Dokja is relieved that he had managed to escape such a predicament. Still, his heart won’t stop thrumming against his chest. He’s probably still troubled by how he almost gave his first kiss to Yoo Joonghyuk.
The feeling of relief doesn’t last for too long, though. Because Kim Dokja soon realizes that none of them had backed away, which means there’s no way of declaring who the gay chicken is.
The game isn’t over yet.