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i.
Seungmin has no idea what he did to become a target of Minho’s constant antagonism. When he thinks back on the minimal times they’ve interacted in a 50 person lecture, he can only come up with a single conversation – one that barely explains it:
Seungmin is sitting near the front, laptop open as he reviews notes for today’s midterm one last time. He doesn’t register that Minho is walking in, nor does he notice him slide into the seat beside him until he starts talking on the phone. Minho was two classes above him and they never really had a reason to interact. He’s only familiar to him as the captain of Hyunjin’s dance team.
Minho seems unperturbed by the impending test that’s about to be passed out. He grits his teeth when Minho laughs loudly despite the tense air in the lecture hall and the amount of stressed energy Seungmin is certainly emanating. After what seems like several minutes, and calling someone honey, he finally hangs up. And turns to Seungmin.
“Hi. Can I borrow a pen?”
Seungmin moves his head slowly to look at him, dragging his eyes from the computer screen and trying not to frown. Minho is smiling back.
“Sorry?” Seungmin asks. He still doesn’t really understand why he’s here. He knows Minho has at least a couple of other friends and several classmates in this lecture. There’s no good reason he’s sitting next to him.
Minho tries again, sounding more serious this time. “A pen. Can I use one? You of all people must know we have a test today.” If it were Hyunjin or Felix, Seungmin would register his tone as gentle teasing. But Seungmin didn’t even know him.
“I didn’t bring an extra,” he replies honestly, instead of asking if all popular, handsome guys have a habit of coming off as entitled.
Minho’s smile drops a bit, eyes narrowing like he didn’t believe him.
Really? Just because he’s wearing his glasses and participates often it’s assumed he’d have an array of writing utensils stowed away? In a lot of ways, Seungmin is just trying to get through class like everyone else.
Before Minho can say anything, the girl behind them offers a pen. Minho accepts it, thanking her sweetly, before returning a cool gaze to Seungmin.
“What?” Seungmin deadpans when Minho doesn’t stop regarding him with mild distaste on his face.
Minho scoffs, which officially spurs a seed of annoyance in the back of Seungmin’s mind. He doesn’t know what comes over him when he continues this useless excuse for a conversation.
“You have cat hair on your sweater. And it’s getting all over the table.”
Minho looks at his sleeves resting on the surface, eyebrows creasing as he mutters, “So?” He’s acting like Seungmin said the most offensive thing he’s ever heard.
Before Seungmin can respond, the professor begins handing out exams and the rest of class falls to a hush. He reaches over to where Minho’s sitting to brush a couple strands off the table until they fall to the floor.
He sees Minho scowl at him before Seungmin turns to face the front.
ii.
Unfortunately, Seungmin is forced to notice Minho a lot more after that day. Seungmin wishes their less than positive interaction could have resulted in Minho ignoring him, but instead it seems like he had earned a permanent place under his skin.
He didn’t go out of his way to humiliate Seungmin or anything, but comments under his breath when they passed each other and pointed looks when they made eye contact – they all left Seungmin irritated and wondering why he deserved any of this just for existing.
Today, Seungmin arrives a few minutes late after lecture started. When he looks up, scanning over the filled chairs for a seat, it's another ill fate that he catches Minho’s gaze. The upperclassman stares down at Seungmin completely unabashedly, a smug smile on his lips assumedly because of his late entrance. Under Minho’s stare, for some reason Seungmin hopes that his hair isn’t sticking up.
He looks away as soon as he registers that he’s just standing there stupidly, only to find the nearest empty seat on Minho’s left. He sighs internally, climbing up and trying not to look at Minho who is probably still smirking.
He sits down, getting out his computer and behaving normally as if wasn’t sitting next to a menace of a person. Seungmin ignores Minho when he pushes his notebook into his space, covering the corner of Seungmin’s laptop keyboard.
Just a few minutes later, Minho pushes his notebook far enough so Seungmin can’t type properly.
Seungmin grimaces. “It’s so obvious you want attention,” he whispers as the professor switches slides.
Minho’s freezes where he’s nudging it even further, like Seungmin’s just caught him red-handed.
Then just as quickly, he moves to grab his pen before coming back to the notebook. Minho’s close enough that his knee lightly knocks again Seungmin’s, and his elbow is practically stabbing his chest as he scrawls something into the corner. When he pulls away, he looks satisfied. Seungmin looks down.
>:(
He tries not to laugh out loud. This guy was ridiculous. He shoves the notebook off his computer.
At the end of class, Minho tears off the tiny drawing, throws it onto Seungmin’s keyboard, and promptly closes the laptop on top of it.
Seungmin’s about to ask what his problem is, because really?, but Minho has his head ducked packing as if he didn’t spend the last 45 minutes trying to elicit a reaction out of him. Seungmin goes to say something anyway, but the older boy is already up and heading to the exit.
iii.
Interestingly, as much as girls cooed and whispered about Minho, and as much as guys regarded him as some kind of beacon of coolness, Seungmin found that he was relatively quiet and often kept to himself. Except when it came to him.
Seungmin dealt with Minho’s antics several times a week now. As the semester went on, Seungmin accepted it almost as routine. In fact, he found himself voluntarily walking to the seat beside Minho.
He told himself it was for entertainment. When Minho poked him hard in the side, Seungmin would stab a pen into his thigh and watch him try not to yelp. When Minho called him a nerd for getting high marks on his assignments, Seungmin would sweetly ask if he needed a tutor. And when Minho scoffed, Seungmin found himself smiling back in response.
Because getting under Minho’s skin was entertaining. That’s all. If for a second he recognized he was enjoying or becoming fond of anything Minho did, it was gone immediately because Minho would find a new and tortuous way to aggravate him.
Like today. Minho would not stop kicking his chair. And Seungmin can’t even do anything about if he actually wants to focus on getting these notes down, especially because they’d be quizzed on them later this week.
“Sunbae, can you stop?” Seungmin says under his breath, still looking towards the front.
Minho is being particularly stubborn though. He kicks the chair again, hard enough that Seungmin’s entire body vibrates with it.
He turns to shoot him a look and asks through his teeth, “What is your issue?”
Minho just smiles at him, scrunching his eyes shut and trying to look cute. Seungmin shakes his head, looking back to the board and dealing with frequent kicks the rest of class.
When the lecture is finally over, Seungmin’s actually peeved. He barely got what he needed to down. Congrats to Minho, he successfully made his life unnecessarily challenging today. He packs his stuff up quickly, not sparing Minho a second look even when he exclaims Kim Seungmin! while he’s making a beeline for the exit.
Not even ten seconds into the hallway, Seungmin hears the quick footsteps behind him. He scolds himself at his own complacency, slowing his pace before Minho can call out to him again. It’s not like he wants to be dramatic. He just isn’t in the mood to deal with Minho’s shit right now.
When Minho catches up to him, he has to pause to catch his breath. Seungmin turns towards him, his back to the painted brick wall behind him. He leans on it slightly, trying to ground himself so he doesn’t snap.
“Haven’t you done enough?” It comes out sharper than he wanted it to.
Minho looks up at him, face immediately hardening. “Huh?” Seungmin watches a slight line between his eyebrows appear, like he really doesn’t get what Seungmin’s referring to.
Something about that makes Seungmin even more infuriated, so he spells it out for him. “Are you here to say sorry? For not giving me any peace today.”
“You want me to apologize?” Minho’s mouth stretches into a sarcastic smile, “For what, like you don’t sit next to me by choice every day.”
“Yeah but you–,” Seungmin pauses, cutting himself off with a groan as he realizes it’s not even worth explaining how he went too far. He also doesn’t want to admit to Minho he may have actually pushed his buttons. “Nevermind.”
Minho laughs loudly. “No, say it. Did I upset our precious star student today?” Minho leans in closer, lightly poking Seungmin in the ribs. “Aw. Maybe you’ll get a couple points off the next quiz.”
Seungmin attempts to breathe calmly, but he can’t help it anymore. “You’re so fucking annoying.”
Minho’s eyes narrow. “Shouldn’t you be more polite to your sunbae?”
Seungmin laughs airily. “Shouldn’t you be a nicer one?”
Minho scoffs, taking a step closer until Seungmin’s back has to hit the wall, now completely pressed against it.
“Kim Seungmin, watch yourself.”
“Why should I?” He clenches his fist. “God, why are you even like this to me!”
Minho looks behind them quickly, noticing how some students are still filtering through the hall.
“Can you lower your voice?” He says sharply, turning back to him. His eyes are so dark, practically piercing through Seungmin’s head.
But Seungmin’s patience has already slipped away. The words are rolling off his tongue. “Is it that fun to mess with me? You can’t find another hobby?”
“It’s because I think you’re cute!”
Seungmin’s mouth hangs open, Minho successfully getting him to quiet down if only for a moment. He’s pretty sure his eyes are wide with shock, and he barely manages to find his voice again.
“You act like this because you think I’m cute?” he almost shouts, easily conveying he considers Minho’s behavior as even more ridiculous now.
“You–you don’t need to be so loud!” Minho hisses back, warm breath fanning against Seungmin’s mouth. He only then realizes how close they really are, the way Minho has him crowded into the wall behind him.
Then Seungmin processes the pink blooming across Minho’s cheeks. The way his fingers are slightly trembling by his sides. Oh god, Seungmin thinks. He’s not lying.
“You think I’m cute,” Seungmin repeats, starting to believe it for real. A ghost of a smile tugs at his mouth.
“Once again, not so loud brat,” Minho seethes, even as his ears redden.
“So what if I’m loud,” Seungmin’s laughing now, “I think sunbae likes me,” he singsongs.
“Shut up.”
Seungmin continues blabbering, even as a couple of students start walking in their direction from the other end of the hall.
Suddenly, both of Minho’s hands come up to the wall on either side of Seungmin’s head, making Seungmin pause. He has him practically caged in with his entire body.
“Shut up or I’ll kiss you.”
Seungmin's next inhale is shaky, especially as Minho’s eyes drop to his mouth. He quiets down, but he doesn’t back down.
“No you wouldn’t.”
Seungmin never took Minho to be one for PDA. Then again, whatever he was currently burning up with might have been stronger than his distaste for public affection. Some crazy part of Seungmin’s brain was thrilled he’d be able to test it.
Minho leans in dangerously close, still staring at Seungmin’s mouth. He whispers, lips almost brushing his own when he speaks. “I would.”
Seungmin gulps, about to squeeze his eyes shut. But when he hears the other students near them, he panics and clumsily starts pushing him away.
Minho drops his hands back to his sides, laughing softly. He takes a few steps back, looking at Seungmin like he just won something.
Seungmin tries to collect himself and refuse giving him that satisfaction. “You’re the one who didn’t get to kiss the guy you think is cute.”
Minho stops smiling.
“Bye,” Seungmin chuckles, turning on his heels.
-
When he gets outside, he has to peel off his coat immediately. He’s overheating, even in the crisp air of October. He fans himself with his hand, unable to stop Minho’s close face flashing in his head the entire way home.
iiii.
Seungmin drags his feet to class the next day. He doesn’t want to arrive first. He keeps having a prolonged daydream, nightmare really, of Minho seeing him and deciding to sit somewhere else. It fills his chest with an achy feeling of disappointment, even if it hasn't actually happened.
Seungmin pushes open the oak door finally, almost immediately noticing Minho in his usual spot in the third row. Minho’s already looking at him, as if he’d been watching the door the whole time. They hold eye contact only for a brief second, before Minho turns away abruptly to face the front.
Seungmin walks to the seat next to him like he’s done for the past month. Minho’s still looking at the board, for once interested in paying attention. Which would be almost believable if class had even started.
“Hi,” Seungmin says so neutrally it’s obvious he’s trying for it. He slides into the adjacent seat.
Minho ignores him, and Seungmin knows he’s only pretending to read whatever the professor is writing on the board right now. Which is enough to remind Seungmin how annoying this guy really was, and the only way he knows how to deal with it.
“Sunbae, there’s a cute guy sitting next to you.”
He’s pretty sure he sees Minho’s eye twitch, but still no response. He shifts his seat and gets close to Minho’s face.
“Your ears are turning red,” Seungmin observes. “Do they always do that?”
He catches Minho’s fist clench in his lap. Perfect.
“Or just around me?” he continues lowly against the shell of his ear.
Minho practically shivers at that, turning to face Seungmin the same time he pulls back. His eyes are soft and shy, maybe a little surprised, and Seungmin feels a surge of warmth across his chest.
Then he feels a sharp poke to his side, Minho quickly reminding him that he’s still Minho.
He barely suppresses a yelp, somehow stops himself from keeling onto the table.
The professor starts talking and Minho finally opens his mouth just to chide him. “You should be focusing on the lesson, Seungmin-ssi.”
-
The rest of the lecture is all too ordinary. Minho doesn’t mess with him at all, which is somehow more irritating to Seungmin than when he does. Once he admits that, Seungmin knows he's probably done for.
Seungmin wonders if Minho is going to ignore him the entire time, if nothing would change even after what happened yesterday. Part of him thinks it might have all been a joke. Seungmin’s mind is whirring, in contrast to the Google Doc he has pulled up staying blank.
“Minho sunbae,” he says once the lecture ends, not really sure what he’ll say next.
Minho looks at him.
“You can say hyung.”
Seungmin’s eyebrows rise into his fringe.
“Hyung?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Minho huffs, averting his gaze.
“Ok, hyung. Hyung. Minho hyung,” Seungmin starts smiling; the words taste sweet on his tongue. He smiles even wider when Minho starts rubbing the back of neck the more he says it.
“Enough. Let’s go,” Minho cuts him off, standing up to leave.
“Are you going to try to kiss me in the hallway again?”
Minho picks up his notebook. Instead of putting it in his bag, he smacks the back of Seungmin’s head.
v.
The next time they’re in the lecture hall, there’s no class being held. It’s 7 pm, and Minho had asked Seungmin to meet him here to study.
When Seungmin walks in, Minho doesn’t have his backpack or textbook and probably not even a pen. Seungmin should have expected as much, but his heartbeat still quickens as he approaches him.
He’s leaning against the first row, arms crossed. His eyes travel down from Seungmin’s face all the way to his legs, and then back up again. Seungmin stops a few feet away from him, swallowing thickly.
“Stand in front of me,” Minho demands.
“Where’s your stuff?” Seungmin asks, even as he obliges. The dim light highlights his sharp cheekbones, his even sharper nose. Minho looks up at him, gaze slicing through the mere inches between their faces.
His mouth breaks into a smirk. “You didn’t actually think we were studying?”
Seungmin shakes his head. “No. Even though your grades could have used it.”
Minho’s arms snake around his neck instantly, and he’s roughly pulling Seungmin in to kiss him. Seungmin lurches forward, lips still connected, hands going to the table on either side of Minho’s waist to support himself. Seungmin kisses him back with just as much force, pushing his tongue past until Minho’s whining into his mouth.
“Can you take this off nerd?” Minho says out of breath as he pulls away, tugging the strap of his backpack.
“Is that all you want me to take off, hyung?” Seungmin teases. He still shoulders it off, laughing at Minho’s expression that’s somewhere between disdain and desire.
“No,” Minho admits, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back for a deep kiss. He drops his hand only a few seconds later, moving to undo the top button of Seungmin’s shirt instead.
Seungmin accepts it as a win.