Chapter Text
You recall the first time you ever met him. Remembering all the details, exactly as they were. A tall figure walked into the classroom with small shy steps, following behind your homeroom teacher.
“Okay everyone, be quiet now.” The teacher banged the duster on the desk once, twice and thrice, until he finally managed to grab everyone’s attention and then proceeded to gesture at the boy standing next to him,” We have a new student today who will be joining us. Soobin, you can go ahead and introduce yourself.”
On most mornings you’d be sleeping your way through class, giving half assed responses and only putting your head up from the desk after getting exhausted of the incessant chatter that seemed to continue forever. It wasn’t like you weren’t a loud person yourself, it was just that you barely had any energy to go through the first half of morning without having urges to escape and lock yourself in the sick room so that you could take a good nap (which you did sometimes anyways).
But something piqued your curiosity as you decided to take a tiny little glance at him instead of dozing off to the sweet melody of your teacher taking the attendance. And when you finally do look at him, you don’t let yourself stop staring. Circular, thin rimmed glasses, milky complexion and a sheepish look on his face as he kept pulling down the backpack strap. You could see the expression on his face, drenched in nerves, as he tried to speak with every single one of you focused on him. Clearly pressured. And definitely cute.
“Um good morning everyone. I’m Choi Soobin and I transferred here today. Hope we get along!” With his lips pursed and a pinkish tint spreading throughout his cheeks, you could tell his face would explode anytime soon. And yours would too if you kept on making eye contact with him
Then he awkwardly tiptoed from the front of the room to the back. You were probably staring at him way too long because he looked at you and did a little wave. You immediately looked away, feeling somewhat miserable for getting caught. You heard the dragging of a chair coming from beside you. The seat to your right was no longer empty. All you had to do was not give away the fact that your stomach was turning upside down as you couldn’t help but glance at him every few minutes, and wondering how fucking breathtaking can one be. Cause, oh boy, if love at first sight was a thing, you were definitely experiencing it first hand.
You try not to look at him. But it doesn’t last long. He’s tapping your shoulders.
“Umm, hey, do you have a calculator?” He asks, eyes giving away the embarrassment and pale cheeks now showing a hint of colour in them.
First period was math. Always. And you, always, slept away in the first period. Therefore, meaning: you never bothered to bring a calculator.
The colour on his cheeks slowly makes its way onto yours too. Like it was contagious.
“No?” You say it like a question, coming off a little rude, and immediately berate yourself. Bringing a calculator would have done you no harm, even if you didn’t do the class. You just missed an opportunity to be the guardian angel of this new, shy, and absolutely clueless looking guy.
“Uh, okay.” He says, sinking back into his seat, lips pursed together, and a tensed look on his face. Like he wouldn’t be able to survive the class without a calculator.
Lunch time rolls around and you find yourself slightly drowsy. You’re sitting in the cafeteria with your friends. They’re talking about Soobin too. Reason being you brought him up.
“Aww he’s just like you.” Taehyun remarks, upon listening to the calculator incident.
“No, he’s nothing like me. He’s insanely shy.” You pause, picking out the carrot from your veggies, and ask, “Why do you think he sat beside me though? I mean there were a few other empty seats too.”
“Maybe cause you were making it extremely obvious that he’s just your type. And you were literally staring at him all the way.”
“Wasn’t everybody else too? Of course I’d be curious about the new student.” You try to justify your intense staring competition moment.
“Just admit it, you think he’s cute no?” Yeonjun figures it out. He always had to.
You’re defeated at this point, so you tell them the truth, “I mean that’s not something I can deny. He is cute. Clueless but cute. Maybe this is love at first sight?”
You were expecting a sly grin from him, and more teasing, but instead Yeonjun almost chokes on his food, while Taehyun’s already doe eyes go even wider. They’re looking at something. At someone. Right behind you.
“What?” You ask, looking at them all confused.
And then you turn your head around to see what had surprised the shit out of them. But you don’t have to keep looking back for long. Soobin walks towards you with a smile, and sets down his food tray on the table, beside yours.
“No one’s sitting here right?” He questions, even though it was pretty clear nobody was.
“No… Yeah. No! I mean no one’s sitting here.” Your mind is spinning. And your face is all red.
If he listened to any bit of that conversation you just want to throw yourself out the window. Love at first sight? Who the fuck believes in that shit anymore.But he’s sitting beside you. Either because he didn’t hear what you said, or he did, and found you entertaining. Maybe you should go and run a circus and paint your nose red for being such a clown.
If he did listen to your utterly stupid words, he doesn’t show it. He never brings it up. Instead, he continues to pick the seat beside you. Whether it be the classroom, the cafeteria or the lab, you were always his seatmate. And ever since that day, you’ve stopped sleeping through the morning classes. And maybe even carry an extra calculator in your bag in case he ever forgets to bring it again.