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It all started with Instagram. More specifically, with Felix’s insanely popular Instagram account.
Felix never set out to be a social media influencer when he first joined the platform second year of middle school. Back then he even had more followings than followers because some of the people at school deemed him not cool enough to follow back. Felix didn’t think it should be a big deal, but despite himself there was a small part of him that cared, that wanted to be noticed. So he did his best to craft an aesthetic Instagram feed, with film camera filters from VSCO and monthly color themes and extensive photo ops with the help of his sisters. Then he left Australia for Korea, and everything changed.
Felix arrived at the JYP University campus for the first time as a fresh-faced, freckled and free-spirited foreigner, not knowing more than ten sentences’ worth of Korean, and it almost feels like he has been singled out to be one of the popular guys since day one. “I don’t know why people notice me just for being foreign,” Felix would say with a wince, as if he hadn’t spent his high school years wishing for the very thing. His friends would rush to his defense with a thoroughly compiled list of Reasons to Like Lee Felix, and eventually he got used to it and even came to find it funny.
And so he kind of stopped caring and started posting more of whatever he liked: a combination of TikTok dances and gaming clips, mostly, though he kept up the aesthetic photos or candid portraits taken for free by his avid photographer friend Hyunjin. Somehow, despite his sporadic posting schedule, that has earned him more than eighty thousand followers on Instagram. He supposes people like the mix of laid-back and picture-perfect, but it’s certainly a large following to have for a third-year college student just living his life.
He can’t help but take advantage of that sometimes, though. Some nights when he comes back to his dorm room, nicely drunk on some grape-flavored soju after an evening out with his friends, he would turn the lights off and his purple mood lights on. His Instagram followers would soon witness a couple of tastefully angled selfies, never revealing below the collarbone but making it very clear that he has no shirt on. His phone always blows up the next morning with notifications from Instagram and the noisy group chat with his friends. Sure, they all find it hilarious that the campus sweetheart is among their ranks, but Felix really doesn’t let it get to his head. He thinks it’s only fair—if the campus is going to notice him so much, he should leave them with something to really gossip about.
And he’s only human, goddamnit, it feels good to feel wanted, and it’s good that he’s finally confident enough to even be posting thirst traps. Besides, his friends help him stay grounded, and no one else can humble Felix like one Yang Jeongin can.
✦
Jeongin showed up on campus one year after Felix did, all playful eyes and dimpled smiles, and wormed his way into the hearts of the entire friend group. He’s so honest it’s just short being blunt, but beneath the poorly-veiled remarks he’s soft and caring at heart. And it’s not like he’s ever roasted Felix to the point where Felix has to feel self-conscious. It’s just, one day at the end of the previous school year, Felix woke up for one of his final exams and realized two things: one, he had such a soft spot for Jeongin and his one-centimeter-deep dimples, and two, Jeongin barely paid him any attention in return.
He had given up his last-minute review session to scroll through Instagram to confirm his suspicions. The evidence was clear: Jeongin has only liked one post out of the four posts he made last month, while Felix has liked all of Jeongin’s posts ever since they started following each other. And Jeongin is a frequent poster, too, showing off selfies and glimpses of his college life and daily outfits. Felix happily perceives all that Jeongin shares, and doesn’t miss a single post. It’s a little unfair, Felix thinks, that Jeongin doesn’t show the same social media support towards him. His impressive follower count only serves to mock him. Joke’s on you, Felix, eighty-four thousand followers and yet you can’t catch the eye of the one person that matters.
Not even one of Felix’s occasional thirst traps ever made it to Jeongin’s radar, because Jeongin has never liked a single one. So it’s either that the Instagram algorithm is a cruel matchmaker, or Felix has to come up with another way to get Jeongin to notice him.
Felix has never had to try to be noticed by others, and he quickly finds that he doesn’t actually know how. His instinct tells him to do outrageous things in Jeongin’s presence, but the last time he tried that, he ended up hunched over the trash can to spit out the bite he took of a banana (with peel) while Jeongin gives him an earful about how TikTok is full of misinformation, gently patting his back. It was more embarrassing than anything.
One day, finally, Felix is put out of his self-inflicted misery when Jeongin comes to him and asks for his participation in one of his class projects. Felix clings to the offer like a lifesaver.
✦
The project is supposed to last for a month. It’s for a psychology class that’s also cross-listed under the business/marketing department, which studies public perception of an individual based on what they choose to showcase on their socials, and how a shift in the content and appearance of what they post impacts their engagement and following. For the case study, the student must curate some public posts on any given social media platform, and take note of the corresponding response and analyze the results in a report.
Felix has to meet up with Jeongin every week for an hour in the library, so Jeongin can debrief him on the academic basis behind the project as well as present his observations, and finally, go over the risks and remind Felix that he can opt out anytime. It’s Felix’s personal account, after all, and he definitely isn’t forced to have it be part of a psychology case study. Jeongin keeps absent-mindedly touching his ears as he explains the requirements and guidelines, as if he feels bad for even asking Felix to be his test subject in the first place. But it makes sense, the larger the following, the more results and impact there is to be observed, and if anything, Felix is proud to be on top in that regard.
Besides, it’s fascinating, really, to see Jeongin in his element as a student, surrounded by his thick and glossy psychology textbooks and a handful of documents always open for his lab reports.
Today he’s wearing a dark green flannel and round frame glasses, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he types up Felix’s response to the initial survey. Across the table, Felix waits and watches him work, in awe of how knowledgeable and confident and attractive he looks, just sitting there doing his homework. It’s a side of Jeongin that he doesn’t see often when they’re together with their friends. They’re all pretty good students, but with their vastly different majors and a shared desire to achieve some work-life balance, they don’t really talk about their studies when they hang out. Jeongin is the youngest of the group, so naturally his older friends coddle him and fuss over him a fair amount, something Felix is also very guilty of. Here in the library, Jeongin is quite the opposite, demonstrating an admirable level of understanding and self-reliance for a second-year student. Felix blinks. Not to mention Jeongin looks really cute with his glasses too. Nerdy, but charming somehow. Felix is so enamored. When it’s just the two of them together, they’re on more equal footing, and it’s refreshing to get out of the big bro-little bro dynamic of their usual group hangouts.
“What’s up, hyung?” Jeongin looks up from his keyboard suddenly, his eyes bright. “It seems like you were going to say something.”
Felix realizes his mouth is slightly agape, so he closes it with a pop, feeling like a fish out of water. “I just wanted to say, you’re really good at what you study. I’m honored to be a part of your project.”
Jeongin’s cheeks turn pink, and his dimples deepen. He looks down to the space between them on the table, at Felix’s hands resting just behind his laptop. “Thank you, that means a lot. Sometimes I’m worried that people don’t take me seriously. Like, everyone is always looking out for me, because I’m the youngest, and I get it, but at the same time I don’t get a lot of chances to prove myself.”
Felix reaches out to place his hand on top of Jeongin’s hand before he can stop himself, and hopes that it makes his words extra reassuring. “I know we don’t usually talk about our classes, but I think psychology is pretty cool, and I want to learn more about it. So if you ever want to talk about your lectures or projects or anything, I’m here. I mean, this project? It’s honestly cool, and I wouldn’t even say that about my own major classes.”
“Okay, hyung,” Jeongin laughs softly, and his eyes crinkle in the way that Felix finds so endearing. “I can tell you about psych stuff. I like talking to you.”
Felix wasn’t even trying to flirt, and now he’s actually flustered, Jeongin’s hand a burning reminder under his. He lets go to scratch his head. “Why don’t you go back to work? The sooner you finish the sooner we can go grab a snack. It’s on me.”
The promise seems to be an excellent motivator. Jeongin wraps up the thing within the next thirty minutes and they head out of the library together. “Where to?” Felix asks.
“I don’t care. Let’s walk around campus for a bit.”
It’s early fall and the weather is still comfortably cool, though at night the winds do make it chilly. They walk side by side, jacket hoods up and hands in their pockets to hide from the cold. If Jeongin is cold, he doesn’t say anything, and Felix sure isn’t going to mention how cold he is. He doesn’t want to interrupt whatever they’re doing. They hang out a lot with their friend group but not nearly as frequently alone with each other, so going for a night walk seems like the perfect reprieve from the awkwardness of sitting across each other in a confined space somewhere.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Jeongin begins, “most of your Instagram posts seem rather polished? I’m not sure if that’s the word. It’s like, not exactly staged but definitely not spontaneous. Do you intentionally pose for them?”
“Yeah, I do,” Felix replies, a little embarrassed to be discussing his social media approach. He didn’t expect Jeongin to still be in work mode after leaving the library. “I mean, everyone wants to show their best self on Instagram. Have you been studying my feed?”
“It’s public and I need to do that for the project,” Jeongin reminds him. “But if you’re uncomfortable, I will stop. There are other ways for me to get to know you and make my observations.”
“No, you’re right. It’s okay. I guess it’s just a little intimidating to be observed and to admit that I pose for pictures because I want to look my best. Seems superficial and uncool.”
“Uncool? Hyung, if anything, you have half the campus obsessed with everything you post. People go kinda wild in the comments,” Jeongin sneaks a glance at him from beneath his hood. “Actually, sometimes I think they forget that you’re a normal person behind the account. They don’t always say the most considerate things…”
“Occupational hazard,” Felix laughs it off, touched all the same that Jeongin is looking out for him.
Just then, they pass by a bungeoppang cart and the sweet red bean smell draws them like moths to a light. Jeongin gives Felix a sweet, childlike grin and Felix takes out his wallet to pay for them both. With the warm buns in hand, they find a bench to sit down. Felix takes a large bite of the bun, forgetting how hot the filling actually is, and hisses with his mouth open to cool off. Steam evaporates from his mouth like he’s a fire breathing dragon and Jeongin laughs, a cute, breathless sound.
“Anyway. I think a possible angle for the project might be for you to post something more candid. Not necessarily exposing parts of yourself that you don’t want to, but rather show more of your life in a way that’s less filtered. More spontaneous. It might help people realize that you’re just a student as they are, with normal feelings and doing normal things. Just because you’re handsome and charismatic doesn’t mean that you’re invincible. I feel like that’s a good message.”
Felix nods thoughtfully. It’s not that the attention bothers him much anymore, he has learned to handle it, but maybe leaning into people’s perception of him and feeding them more ideas isn’t the only way to deal.
“I’m in,” Felix decides.
✦
Felix has to give himself credit for coming up with this one. In order to deliver the message that he’s just another college student while staying on some kind of theme, what’s a better way than to spend time exploring different spots on campus and share his experience on Instagram? If the idea of spending one on one time with one another sounds too much like a date, well, it’s really not. It’s just for the project. But they’re able to coordinate their schedules to find the time without a hitch, and Jeongin, ever the planner, creates a Google Doc of date ideas that he invites Felix to edit, and well, it’s working out a little too well.
Today’s project-date location? The campus greenhouse.
“Ooh, hyung. Here’s a nice spot.”
Felix stands against the wall in the spot that Jeongin pointed out for him. He’s flanked by shelves of succulents and behind him is a lush curtain of ivy vines. The warm air of the greenhouse smells faintly of grass and the sweet, clean scent of Jeongin’s clothes. It’s peaceful to be among the leaves, and it’s warm enough that he feels his cheeks heat a little, though it might just be a side effect of spending time with Jeongin.
“How do you get your clothes to smell so good?” Felix wonders out loud as Jeongin raises the camera.
“I do laundry every week, dry them well, and fold and store them neatly. But I think the key is to use fabric softener. Do you want to know what brand I use?”
“Sure,” Felix says, and smiles despite himself when he senses the soft scent of fabric softener. Jeongin snaps the photo. “Wait, I forgot to pose.”
“It’s fine, hyung. I got a really good photo. If only you could smile like this when it’s time to do your laundry,” Jeongin teases, but adds, “Seriously, hyung, your smile is so pretty in this one. Take a look.”
It is a really good photo where Felix is smiling fondly, his hair slightly blurry from the motion. Jeongin says that in addition to the candid photo, it would help him connect with his Instagram circle if he wrote a short caption about his experience at the greenhouse, and more specifically, what he was feeling when the photo was captured. Felix nods attentively.
For the sake of experience, they spend the rest of their hour walking leisurely around the gardens, admiring the orchids, succulents and seasonal flowers. They don’t talk much, but it’s a companionable silence. Jeongin likes to read the info cards, and Felix likes to feel the leaves in his fingers while he listens to Jeongin read aloud some interesting bit of information here and there.
Felix spends almost an hour that evening to craft a caption like he’s doing homework. The campus greenhouse could really use some promotion, but he’s nothing but honest in his praise. He really did have an amazing time.
✦
Maybe Felix is a little dramatic when he spends all evening moping face down on Chan’s bed and then tells Chan that there is no hope with Jeongin. It’s not true, and Chan says as much. But still.
“I don’t know, hyung, it’s like… I know he cares about me because we’re friends, but I don’t think he sees me as anything more than a friend? I can’t even be rejected if he doesn’t consider me as an option.”
Chan hums from behind his computer screen. Felix knows he’s working on a track for one of his composing classes, but if anyone can come close to true multitasking, it’s Chan, so he patiently waits for a response.
“Have you tried letting him know that you’re, well, interested? Or just single in general,” Chan asks after a minute.
“No. I thought it was obvious that I’m single.”
“It’s not necessarily a weird thing to assume… you’re kind of popular at school and you know a lot of people.”
Felix mulls things over as he stares at the ceiling. “I just don’t want to make things uncomfortable for him. If he will only ever see me as a big brother, I can get over it, you know? Maybe he never has to know. I probably shouldn’t say anything.”
Chan levels Felix now with a gaze of a concerned sibling. “I know it’s hard to navigate, but for what it’s worth, try to enjoy yourself when you spend time together with Jeongin. Platonic or not. Try to be happy.”
✦
Felix doesn’t think it’s particularly noble of him to want to take his feelings to the grave to avoid inconveniencing Jeongin. He just thinks it’s the right thing to do. So when he finds out that his attempt to be valiant so far still fails to protect Jeongin from the hassle that is the school’s public interest, he can’t help but feel guilty.
“So… something happened today, please don’t freak out, hyung,” Jeongin prefaces, raising both hands in surrender, which does little to ease Felix’s nerves. They’re having lunch together in an empty classroom, Felix having picked up sandwiches and onigiri from the convenience store after his class before meeting up with Jeongin, because that’s what they do now, have lunch together on an almost daily basis.
Felix swallows, prepared for the worst. “Okay… what is it?”
“Some people approached me after class earlier and asked me if you were seeing anyone, and I didn’t really know what to say,” Jeongin recounts, eyes trained on his sandwich.
“Hold on. Who were these people? Anyone we know?”
“I don’t think so? I mean I recognize some faces but I don’t think they’re friends with either of us. I told them it’s not my place to tell, which might have given them more reason to be curious, now that I think about it. I’m sorry, hyung, I should have been honest and said I didn’t really know.”
“You don’t have to apologize, it’s not your fault people are nosy,” Felix gently cuts him off. “But what do you mean you don’t know? If I was really seeing someone, you would definitely know about it.”
“It’s none of my business who you date,” Jeongin blinks. Innocently.
“Well, you should tell them to talk directly to me instead of bothering my friends. I don’t know why they’re suddenly curious enough to bug you about this. People have too much free time.”
“I think I have an idea why,” Jeongin admits sheepishly, his cheeks turning pink. “People say that your Instagram posts recently give off boyfriend vibes, and we have been hanging out more. So maybe they figured that I might have third-wheeled for you once or twice.”
Felix chuckles, nervous. “Heh. That’s a funny conclusion to come to. It’s just us.”
He doesn’t know what Jeongin is thinking. He has been trying to follow Chan’s advice to enjoy the time they spend together for what it is. It has been a lot of fun, going on weekend non-dates with Jeongin to explore their campus and the city beyond their gates, actually relishing in the refreshing air and pleasant company without worrying too much about anything. They take quite a lot of photos, though not all of them are necessarily for the Instagram project. Felix snaps photos of the scenery, of passers-by enjoying their lives, of Jeongin showing off his outfit of the day, of the snacks they share. Jeongin snaps photos of Felix when he’s not looking, lost in the moment: mid-bite of a soft-serve ice cream cone, staring wistfully at the Han River, dodging the sizzling smoke coming from the K-BBQ grill. The photos are blurry, soft around the edges, not the best in terms of aesthetic or quality, but the joy he feels in those moments is absolutely genuine. Felix would be sorry if all of that had to come to an end. He has been trying to ignore the approaching deadline of the project.
“Do you want to stop the project?” Jeongin asks, dragging him back to reality. “I mean, there’s not much longer to go, but if you’re worried it might give people the wrong impression, then we can wrap it up a little early.”
“No!” Felix replies a little too hastily, and takes a deep breath to reel his heart back in. “I want to keep going. I don’t mind.”
Jeongin looks like a weight has been lifted off his chest, too. “Good. See you on Friday?”
✦
The final time they meet for the project is at the seniors’ suite on campus. Felix is the one who suggested that they all get together. The fact that he’s been spending pretty much all of his free time with Jeongin means that he didn’t get to see as much of his other friends. He’s not going to admit it, but he sort of misses Jisung’s stupid puns. And maybe he’s hoping that with the presence of everyone else, he will be too preoccupied to feel any lingering longing towards the time he had with Jeongin.
It’s exactly these moments of goodbye that has Felix at his weakest of heart and of will. If it was just him and Jeongin, wandering the campus grounds and holding hands (there was only one heat pack to share and it was getting cold outside, okay?) like they were doing this time last week, he would crumble knowing they will never be this close again. Right now he’s in the dorm kitchen taking the freshly baked brownies out of the oven for their little party, and maybe it’s the heat from the oven, but he feels his traitorous eyes tearing up a little bit. At least the brownies smell heavenly and all the cleaning up that comes with baking keeps him busy for a while, enough to forget what’s waiting for him at the end of the night: his last Instagram post for the project.
When he enters the hyungs’ suite, Jeongin holds the door open for him and then quickly relieves his arms of the heavy brownie tray, while Seungmin pulls him to sit down for the game of mafia that’s about to start. He draws citizen and spends the nighttime doing nothing but thinking about how Jeongin chooses to sit down next to him on the floor. In daylight, he doesn’t have much to contribute to the heated accusations because he really is clueless about what’s going on. He lives until the end of the game without dying under the hand of the mafia, Hyunjin and Chan.
Jeongin leans in to tell him, “I was the doctor. I saved you almost every night.”
Felix tries to smile. It’s all a little overwhelming, so he excuses himself to go to the kitchenette to cut up the brownies, which he didn’t have a chance to do before. He doesn’t expect Jeongin to follow him, willingly missing out on a game of Uno that’s about to start.
“Hyung.”
“What’s up?”
“Do you… Are you looking to date anyone?” Jeongin asks, lowering his voice so no one can hear them from the living room area, but definitely not whispering.
The way he poses the question totally catches Felix off guard. Felix bakes his brownies with the utmost love and care, but he’s never been this focused on getting the large slab of brownie cut into perfect little squares. Or at least that’s what he’s trying to do to avoid having to give an answer, so he hums in acknowledgement of the question and mumbles, “One second…. Three, four, five. Is my math off? I’ll have to trim off the edges a bit.”
When Felix finally looks up, he finds Jeongin leaning against the counter watching him like he was doing something much more interesting than mental math. His posture is too relaxed for anger, but the way his hands grip the edge of the counter suggest nervousness. Maybe. Felix is terrible at reading body language, or even spoken language sometimes.
“Why do you ask? You told me once that it’s none of your business.”
Felix regrets his choice of words as soon as they left his mouth, he didn’t mean to sound bitter. It’s just a fact that he’s trying to remind himself. Jeongin isn’t at all interested, so don’t you dare get your hopes up, now. Especially not right at the end.
Jeongin swallows and stares at the floor beneath his feet. “What if I want to make it my business? Can’t I be curious?”
Felix momentarily squeezes his eyes shut to gather his courage. The question is a curveball that he can’t dodge, so he faces it head on and asks, “Jeongin, do you like boys?”
“I…” Jeongin stammers, turning red. “I haven’t been sure, but…”
“It’s okay,” Felix says gently, turning back to his brownie squares. “Is this piece slightly bigger than the others? I think so.”
Jeongin leans over to steal a piece of freshly cut brownie, and the way his arm almost brushes Felix has Felix so flustered that he has to tighten his grip on the serrated knife. That human psychology thing when you suddenly doubt your self-control as you’re holding a sharp object, Jeongin would probably know, he’s the psych major after all. Jeongin takes his hand then, the hand holding the knife, and he belatedly realizes that he might have been shaking a little bit.
Jeongin’s fingers are long and beautiful, and Felix feels safe and steady in his palm, but his heart is doing the exact opposite. Jeongin doesn’t let go as he says, “I liked holding your hand, when we did it last week. I’d like to do it again.”
He adds after a moment, “I don’t know if I like all boys. But I like you.”
And there it is, the peak of their month long project together. Felix hears the metaphorical fireworks going off in the rhythm of his heart as he smiles at Jeongin, for real this time, and sees Jeongin’s eyes mirror the excitement he feels. “Me too,” he whispers.
“Let’s hang out on Sunday night. I’ll meet you after your group meeting in the library.” Of course Jeongin remembers Felix’s schedule better than Felix himself, and it seems like a good idea to continue this conversation when they’re not one room away from their loud, nosy friends.
Felix nods.
“Okay, I’ll head out and see who’s winning.”
Before Jeongin leaves, Felix calls after him, “Let’s agree to finally call it a date, yeah?”
✦
It’s been a month since they started going out and whatnot. It’s been a long time coming, their friends say, it’s funny how the two of them managed to dance around the subject for so long. But well, Felix still has one thing to bring up tonight.
“Hey, Jeongin.”
“Hi,” Jeongin’s eyes crinkles. “What’s the latest?”
“So I was thinking…” Felix is already embarrassed about what he has to say. “I know you don’t mind if people find out we’re together, and we kinda went public with that post I made last week, but I don’t want to have to hide being with you. Can we post a couple photo on your Instagram too?”
“Mine? I don’t think there’s anyone who follows me that doesn’t follow you. I’m sure the entire campus got the message. Can’t say I’m used to the attention, but it’s a fair price to pay to date the most popular guy at school.”
Jeongin leans in to give him a peck on the cheek. He’s usually not super physically affectionate, but it’s always reassuring and special when he is. Felix closes his eyes, tries to find his inner zen, but the petty voice at the back of his mind stands its ground.
“Okay, there’s this one person who commented on your last post. I don’t think they got the memo that you’re taken, and I know it’s silly, but… I’ve always liked how you express yourself with your OOTD posts, and I want to be a part of it. And maybe I want them to talk about my boyfriend more respectfully. Not because I’m jealous or anything.”
“There’s a weird comment? I didn’t notice it. Let me check it out.” Jeongin immediately unlocks his phone and starts scrolling. Of course he’s taking Felix’s concern seriously, bless his heart, and if anything, he’s too distracted to tease the way Felix is turning tomato red with jealousy. “‘Fashion king! He’s my boyfriend… that’s where the boyfriend vibes come from.’ I kinda recognize this person? I think we were classmates at some point. There’s nothing you have to worry about, Felix. That’s how kids talk on Twitter these days, I think they just like my aesthetic.”
Felix rubs the back of his neck. “I know. I just don’t like it when she talks about boyfriend vibes… only I get to experience the boyfriend vibes.”
“The real thing. Let’s go out tomorrow after class and take some OOTD pics. But only if you let me style you,” Jeongin winks at him, dimples and all, and Felix is so down bad he’d give Jeongin the moon unprompted. So he nods.
✦
There’s a notification ding. It’s not even from his phone, but Felix whips his head back to look at it like a hungry hyena. “Can I?”
“Sure. You know the password,” Jeongin smiles easily. It’s not like a huge gesture of trust, Jeongin just has a very predictable password and Felix has been pretending to not know it for months.
“It’s the same person commenting, Innie, let’s see… ‘THE BOYFRIENDS! I can’t decide if I want to be them, or be with them,’ and someone else says, ‘Ugh I want them both. It’s unfair.’” Felix looks up, trying hard to hide the fact that his brain is doing a victory dance right at that moment. “I guess they get the message now.”
But of course Jeongin sees through Felix with whatever mind reading skills that his psychology coursework has taught him. He grins. “Felix, hyung, you’d be having such a hard time if I was the one with 80K followers.”
“You’re the only one that matters to me,” Felix says, and as corny as it is, there is some truth to that. Now he knows the only thing that counts is the person sitting at his desk in his dorm room, the person he gets to spend all this time with, so he decides to let Jeongin in on his secret.
“You know, I used to check if you’ve liked my post every time I posted something, and if for some reason you missed a post, I’d get kinda sad over it. It felt like evidence that you’d never like me back. It’s really silly now that I think about it.”
“I never missed a post of yours, just saying. I liked almost all of them.”
“Except for the thirst traps, apparently. My ego kind of took a hit,” Felix laughs, and it’s very interesting that Jeongin is looking all shy, chewing on his bottom lip. “What, were you avoiding the thirst traps on purpose?”
“Kind of,” Jeongin mumbles. “It felt like a reminder that you’re so pretty and popular you could have just about anyone on this campus. Didn’t make me feel good about my chances.”
“I’d delete all of those posts for you. I’d delete my account for you, and just make a burner account for the memes.” Felix pulls Jeongin closer and rests his chin on the top of Jeongin’s head. “You know that, right?”
Jeongin meets his eyes, and there’s nothing but unabashed affection to be found. “I know that now.”