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Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja are best friends. People can always see that Yoo Joonghyuk is with Kim Dokja. He's always looming around Kim Dokja's presence. It's very funny because why is the Engineering student Yoo Joonghyuk always around the College of Communication? But of course, they know it's because of Kim Dokja.
"Dokja! Look, your dog is already in the hallways waiting for you!" Kim Dokja's blockmate teased him as they went outside their classroom after the bell rang.
"Stop it!" As soon as Kim Dokja says it, he sees Yoo Joonghyuk looking at him. His face is so serious but you could see how it lightened up when he saw Kim Dokja. It's like there's an invisible tail on his back, wagging at the sight of Kim Dokja.
"See, see!" Another blockmate laughed at Kim Dokja's side. Kim Dokja looked away from Yoo Joonghyuk and told his blockmates to stop. He didn't notice that Yoo Joonghyuk was already in front of him.
"Dokja. Let's eat together." Kim Dokja looks at Yoo Joonghyuk again who's towering over him.
"Ah! Joonghyuk-ssi! We're just also going to eat together outside. We have a little mixer organized by me, heh! But we're short by one guy. If you want, you can come with us!"
Kim Dokja felt the sweat going down on the side of his face as Yoo Joonghyuk looks at him. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't answer the guy directly but spoke to Kim Dokja. "Should I go, Dokja?"
Kim Dokja doesn't know but he feels like Yoo Joonghyuk is kind of upset. Before Kim Dokja even answers, his blockmate already started talking again.
"Yes! Dokja is coming, so you should too!" The guy happily said. Kim Dokja is still looking at Yoo Joonghyuk who is looking at him in return.
"Joonghyuk-ah, let's go?" Kim Dokja speaks and without waiting for a reply, he starts to walk with his two blockmates.
He feels like Yoo Joonghyuk is upset but he doesn't know why. Why would he get upset? Is it because I forgot to eat the lunchbox he gave to me yesterday? Is he mad about that?
Kim Dokja is still thinking when they have already arrived at the cafe where the "mixer" is gonna get held. Kim Dokja is actually reluctant to go because he's not that interested in dating but he thinks maybe it's time to meet some people? To be honest, his blockmates teasing seems to get into his head these days. Nothing against gays but it's not like he is! So, he's kind of getting weirded out.
Maybe Yoo Joonghyuk is upset because he's somehow distancing himself these days? Kim Dokja wonders.
When they sat down, four girls are already sitting on the table they reserved. They're cute, Kim Dokja admits. But that's just it to him. Maybe they can be friends though. They ordered drinks. Yoo Joonghyuk is sitting at his right side.
It wasn't really a big mixer and the atmosphere is quite normal so Kim Dokja is not that nervous. Also, he doesn't want to admit it but his mind is getting occupied by Yoo Joonghyuk.
He knows it, and maybe his two blockmates are getting irritated but what can they do? Yoo Joonghyuk is a real looker.
Most of the girls are flocking towards Yoo Joonghyuk, asking him this and that. Kim Dokja is listening while he sips. Most of the time, Yoo Joonghyuk is just saying 'yes' and 'no' then doesn't elaborate. Kim Dokja wants to laugh because he feels like the girls are really trying to pry on Yoo Joonghyuk. Poor them, Kim Dokja thinks.
For years of being Yoo Joonghyuk's best friend, Yoo Joonghyuk never really talked about his love interest or anything related to romantic love. Sometimes he talks about how he loves the murim dumplings on our bus stop or the video games he plays but that's just it. Never about a certain person. So, Kim Dokja doesn't really know anything about that side of Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Dokja-ssi, you mentioned you like reading books. Me too! I'm interested in what kind of books you read?" The girl in front of him suddenly speaks to him. Not gonna lie, Kim Dokja was a bit surprised.
"I read anything but I am currently fixated on this webnovel called 'Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.' In my opinion, it's really good."
"Oh that one! I like it too! Especially how complex the plot is, and how it shows the nature and abilities of the protagonist!" Kim Dokja is surprised at the girl. His eyes beamed.
"Yes! Yoo Joonghyun is such a well-written character and it's great how his character is getting driven along with the story!"
Maybe Kim Dokja didn't notice it because he's too immersed in talking to the girl about the book but Yoo Joonghyuk stopped answering questions from the other girls and is focusing on Kim Dokja. Yoo Joonghyuk may be a bit more upset now. Maybe.
The girl and Kim Dokja talked A LOT about the book until it's time to go home. It was a very fruitful mixer especially with his two blockmates because as soon as Yoo Joonghyuk stopped talking, the other two took it as an opportunity to talk with the other girls.
And Kim Dokja really had fun.
"I'm really glad to meet someone who has the same interest as me! If you want, should we exchange contacts?" There was a bit of teasing from the other guys as Kim Dokja exchanged numbers with the girl. Maybe with his face showing a bit of a blush. Yoo Joonghyuk is just quiet at his side.
When all is said and done, they all waved at each other to go home. Kim Dokja's two blockmates already went on a separate way because their subway station is on the other way.
Kim Dokja is still walking while feeling the quiet presence of Yoo Joonghyuk on his back. He really doesn't know what Yoo Joonghyuk's problem is, and he doesn't want to go home with an unresolved problem—if they even have one—with Yoo Joonghyuk.
Before he opens his mouth, Yoo Joonghyuk beats him to it by asking, "Did you have fun today?"
Kim Dokja wants to answer genuinely but he feels some bitterness in Yoo Joonghyuk's voice.
"What are you saying? Do we have a problem?"
"Did you? Talking with the girl?" Kim Dokja is stunned at Yoo Joonghyuk's question. What is he even saying?
"What if I did? We have the same interest, you know." Kim Dokja says as he walks, but he hears that no one is following him so he looks back. And he sees that Yoo Joonghyuk is just frozen on his spot.
"I don't like it." Yoo Joonghyuk mumbles. Maybe Kim Dokja didn't hear it because he walked towards Yoo Joonghyuk again.
"What is it, Joonghyuk-ah?" Kim Dokja walks closer and looks up at Yoo Joonghyuk's lowered head. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes meet his and he shivers a bit. Is he mad?
"Good for you." He now hears Yoo Joonghyuk says. Kim Dokja is confused because he doesn't feel like Yoo Joonghyuk is really happy for him.
"Why? You didn't have fun today?" Kim Dokja genuinely asks.
"I didn't." Kim Dokja is concerned. This is his best friend we're talking about. So he tried to ask again. Is it because some girl asked an inappropriate question? Is it still because of the lunchbox from yesterday?
But Yoo Joonghyuk didn't answer, he's still just looking at him. Kim Dokja sighs and holds Yoo Joonghyuk's wrist.
"Okay, okay now. If you don't want to talk about it then okay, I won't force you. Now, let's walk so that we can still reach the last ride." Kim Dokja pulls Yoo Joonghyuk but the next thing Yoo Joonghyuk said made Kim Dokja drop his hand.
"I like you." Kim Dokja looks back at Yoo Joonghyuk in utter shock. What does he mean by this? Also, why does Kim Dokja feel like Yoo Joonghyuk's ears are drooping?!
"Wait, you like me? I like you too! You're my best friend!" Kim Dokja tries to laugh the awkwardness away.
"Kim Dokja. I like you in a way that I am jealous today." Kim Dokja suddenly felt like collapsing. WHAT IS HE SAYING?
"But.. we're best friends…" Kim Dokja is really confused. He never really looked at Yoo Joonghyuk in that way, so he doesn't know how to respond.
"I know, I'm sorry." Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders dropped. Kim Dokja panicked a bit. This dog! Why am I getting panicky all about? I'm not the one who just confessed!
When did Yoo Joonghyuk start to like him? So, if Yoo Joonghyuk likes him, does that mean he wants to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] with me? Kim Dokja blushes at the thought. Kim Dokja brushes the thought away. He feels indecent by thinking that. Here is Yoo Joonghyuk sincerely confessing, and here he is thinking of unspeakable things.
Kim Dokja taps Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders. "Hehe, thank you… But we're best friends…."
"You're cruel. You think we can go back to being best friends? I want you. I like you. I want to be with you not in a friendly way but in a romantic way. So if you don't like me, you can just reject me. I don't mind, I will understand."
Kim Dokja is stunned. Also, scared. Can't they just go back to being best friends? He really doesn't know how to process what's happening. Does this mean Yoo Joonghyuk is breaking their friendship?
"You're the one who's more cruel, Joonghyuk-ah. I don't want to throw away your feelings, so, can I think about it first?" Kim Dokja smiled in defeat and started to walk away. He heard Yoo Joonghyuk walking behind him and sighed.
The next day, much to Kim Dokja's expectations, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't talk to him the whole day. Well it's obvious because they're not in the same department. But really, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't even visit him in the morning. He's always doing that.
Kim Dokja types at his phone, [Where are you right now?]
He's hesitating to send it because he feels bad he still doesn't know how to answer Yoo Joonghyuk. But he really wants to hang out with Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Dokja what are you pouting about? Also, where's your Yoo Joonghyuk? We don't see him today following you around." Kim Dokja looks at his blockmate who's walking with him towards the cafeteria. Right now, he's heading there because Yoo Joonghyuk also didn't give him lunch today. It's not like he's depending on Yoo Joonghyuk's cooking, but this is the first time he didn't bring him food. Kim Dokja is a bit disappointed.
Kim Dokja didn't answer his blockmate and just laughed it off. They're now inside the cafeteria. It's buzzing inside, full of students talking and mingling with their own circles.
"Oh, there's your loyal best friend? Should I call him for you?" Kim Dokja looks at where his blockmate is looking and sees Yoo Joonghyuk. He's with other people. Laughing with other people. He didn't even message me today that he'll be with other people, Kim Dokja is in disbelief.
"No, let me—Joonghyuk-ah!" Kim Dokja calls for Yoo Joonghyuk, he waves at Yoo Joonghyuk when he sees him look in his direction. He nods at Kim Dokja and continues talking with the people he's with. Kim Dokja feels himself getting angry.
"Oh, did you guys fight?" His blockmate asked with concern.
"I don't know." Kim Dokja started walking outside the cafeteria. His blockmate followed him.
"Are you not going to eat?" Kim Dokja didn't answer. "Well, you see, we're always teasing you how Yoo Joonghyuk is your dog because he's always following you around but he's a good guy. Also you. I hope you guys make up soon."
Kim Dokja stops at his tracks and looks at his blockmate. He smiles at him. "I'm sorry I walked out. Let's eat somewhere else. Don't worry about us." Kim Dokja says.
Kim Dokja's day felt a bit glum. He can't come to a decision towards Yoo Joonghyuk. He's trying to think about it carefully. This is Yoo Joonghyuk we're talking about. His best friend. And he doesn't want to half-ass his response. But he's afraid that whatever his response is, it'll ruin their friendship.
So, Kim Dokja's days went by without Yoo Joonghyuk's presence. He sees Yoo Joonghyuk in the hallways or areas inside the campus but he's sad that Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't even wave or look at him. He doesn't know what to do.
At the moment, Kim Dokja is sipping juice inside a cafe. He's with his blockmates thinking about the group project they need to pass by next week.
"Hey, Dokja, it's Joonghyuk.." His blockmate shook his arm. He looks towards the door and saw Yoo Joonghyuk going inside with a girl. Kim Dokja felt like having indigestion.
Yoo Joonghyuk and the girl sat at the table a bit far from them so maybe they didn't see Kim Dokja and his blockmates.
"His girlfriend? Why would they go here in a cafe with just the two of them?"
"Maybe just a partner in a project? Stop planting ideas into Dokja's mind! Look at him all sad!"
Kim Dokja glared at his two blockmates. "Shut up! So what if it's his girlfriend… Let's just focus on what we're doing!" Kim Dokja says.
He spares glances every now and then towards Yoo Joonghyuk and he sees Yoo Joonghyuk speaking everytime. What are they talking about? Why is Yoo Joonghyuk always speaking? Is what she is saying interesting? He's not like that to me… He's just always staring at me. Is this girl really his girlfriend? I thought he likes me? So that was all a lie? What the heck? But what am I getting all mad for? Wouldn't that mean we can go back to being best friends? But….?
Kim Dokja ruffles his hair in frustration. He's starting to hate Yoo Joonghyuk. He thinks Yoo Joonghyuk is such a liar. Claiming he likes him when he's fawning all over with someone else. Kim Dokja remembers Yoo Joonghyuk not messaging him for days. He can't even have the time to think about some reply for the girl he met at the mixer. He's too busy thinking about Yoo Joonghyuk! Well, he doesn't really message always but he would sometimes update Kim Dokja. And they haven't gone home together for days now. Such a liar!
Kim Dokja really can't take it anymore. The next day, he went and waited at Yoo Joonghyuk's building. When he sees Yoo Joonghyuk walking, he's on his way to call when he sees the same girl talking again with Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja, seething a bit, which he doesn't know why, he walks towards Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Joonghyuk-ah. You're unfair." Kim Dokja felt petty with this approach, and without even looking at the girl but he doesn't care. He doesn't like the girl.
Yoo Joonghyuk raised a brow at Kim Dokja and looked at the girl. WHAT IS HE LOOKING AT HER FOR? Kim Dokja feels like he's going to explode.
The girl smiled at him and said her goodbyes to Yoo Joonghyuk, smiling more warmly on Yoo Joonghyuk before going away.
"Why are you here?"
"Ha! How could you ask that to me? When you're literally ignoring me! Who's that girl? Your girlfriend? You're such a liar." Kim Dokja says without holding back. He's not one to mince words when he's angry so here he is.
"You ask too many questions." Yoo Joonghyuk grunts at him.
"Just answer me." Kim Dokja holds his anger back.
"You're jealous? When you don't even like me? We're just best friends." Yoo Joonghyuk said bitterly.
"But you're ignoring me! I want to think about your feelings properly and you're all over the place finding a replacement for me! You're so cruel."
"You're cruel. You should just reject me. We can't go back to being best friends, when my feelings are already out in the open." JH says as he walks. Kim Dokja walks with him. Years of being /best friends/ gave them tacit understanding.
"....But I don't want to reject you." Kim Dokja says in a small voice. He wants to be buried on the ground. He feels his whole face going red all over. He believes that he doesn't want to be apart from Yoo Joonghyuk, and being in a relationship with Yoo Joonghyuk isn't such a bad idea. He was tormented when Yoo Joonghyuk was ignoring him and he doesn't like the idea of Yoo Joonghyuk being with someone else. He sighs in defeat.
He felt Yoo Joonghyuk stop walking and looking back at him. Kim Dokja looks at him and sees a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Say something! I'm embarrassed." Kim Dokja says as he buries his face on his palms. He felt Yoo Joonghyuk's presence getting closer to him. Yoo Joonghyuk held the sides of his face. He feels his face getting even warmer.
"Let me see you." He heard Yoo Joonghyuk says and so he slowly removed his hands. With Yoo Joonghyuk's hands enveloped on the sides of his faces, he felt the gentleness and warmth from those scarred hands. He looks at Yoo Joonghyuk's face and he can literally feel some imaginary tail wagging on his back. His face is so serious with a hint of a smile. It's giving so much comfort to him.
'Maybe I have always liked him.' Kim Dokja thinks.
They walked side by side, a bit closer than their usual. Kim Dokja's face is beet red, partnered with Yoo Joonghyuk's red ears. Today, they rode the subway together again.
Luckily for them, there's enough free space for the two of them to sit. They sat side by side with each other. There's a bit *more* space for them but they're so close to each other that they feel each other's bodies against each other.
With this familiar feeling, Kim Dokja felt all the tiredness from thinking for days straight. He realizes he really doesn't like to be apart from Yoo Joonghyuk. He wants to ride the subway, eat lunch, and be with Yoo Joonghyuk so much.
He yawned and looked at Yoo Joonghyuk. The other seemed to understand because he nodded at Kim Dokja and let Kim Dokja lean his head on his shoulder.
With that, he soon drifted to sleep. He knows he's safe with Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk looks at him. And without Kim Dokja's knowing, smiles with malice. He whispers to Kim Dokja, "I'm never your best friend. And you'll soon be all over me. But don't worry, I'll catch you. And I'll be the one to put a collar on you. Everything is as it should be." He said without his smile fading away.
Yoo Joonghyuk felt someone looking at him so he looked up and saw a woman sweating profusely. He puts up his finger and motions a "shh" sign on the woman. He smiled again. His smile contained malice much more sinister than before.