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Valentine's Day was fast approaching. All the girls and boys were busy preparing letters, buying chocolates for their crushes and all the department stores were fully stocked with flowers and teddy bears.
And coincidentally, it was Sunghoon's most hated day. Not because he wasn't enjoying the booths at school nor the free chocolates given by his friends Jay and Heeseung because their bags were oozing with chocolates from students all over the school. He hates valentine's day because he wasn't able to give any gifts to his crush for several years in a row. His crush? None other than the cutie introvert who was just a year behind them, Kim Sunoo.
[Classroom, 12-ABM 01]
[11:38 AM, Lunch]
"Ano tol', olats ka na naman ba? Busy na naman ba si baby mo?" Heeseung asked Sunghoon as soon as the guy entered their homeroom, with a frown plastered on his face (evidently pissed and frustrated even though the day wasn't over yet).
"Oo, nasa library na naman tumutulong kay Mrs. Kim, yung librarian. Every year na lang." At napakamot na nga siya sa ulo niya. "Bakit kasi ang hilig ng baby ko sa libro huhu, ayan tuloy bawal ako magdala ng chocolates sa library." Yep, foods of any kind are not allowed sa library, reason is that baka magka-infestation ng langgam at maging dahilan para masira ang mga libro. A librarian's worst imaginable dilemma, ever.
"Wala ka na bang ibang naiisip na paraan para mabigyan mo siya ng gifts after school?" Jay asked, while sucking a lollipop in his mouth, courtesy of Jungwon who handed him several packs of his homemade treats - just for this day, and for his lover.
"Ayaw ko masapak ni Kuya Mingyu," sabi ni Hoon. "I've tried handing sweets and letters kay Sunoo every once in a while, pero wala mga 'tol eh. Bantay sarado yung kuya niya, eh natatakot naman ako baka mamaya imbes na yakap ni Sunoo ang sumalubong sa akin eh kamao na pala ng kuya niya," sabi niya habang winawasiwas ang kamay habang nagk-kwento at sinusuntok ang hangin na tila ba may sparring session sila ng nabanggit na lalaki.
All of the people froze with the name said out loud, except for Hoon who didn't have the slightest idea that the man he was talking about was just behind him, drenched in sweat from running around the school delivering parcels and letters from their homeroom's confession booth.
"At bakit ayaw mong masapak, Hoonie-boy?" said Mingyu. Sunghoon froze in place, praying for his dear life. 'Aba ginoong maria napupuno ka ng grasya, papakasalan ko pa po si Sunoo, buhayin niyo po nawa ako,' he silently prayed as he clasped both his palms and placed it in his chest. He turned around slowly and gave a sheepish smile to his classmate Kim Mingyu, who was smiling from ear to ear as he enjoys teasing the man who's having a big fat crush on his younger brother.
"Ahhh kuya wala naman po hehehe, kumusta po kayo?" Hoon scratched the back of his head whilst his forehead was starting to swarm with cold sweat beads that were almost ready to fall at any moment. 'Bakit kasi pawisin ako punyeta, nakakawala ng angas. No, hindi ako natatakot,' Hoon thought to himself.
"Akala ko naman kung ano, hahaha. Ayos lang ako lover boy. Oh ito pala, may nagbigay ng letter para sayo." Mingyu then searched inside his mailman bag for a mint-themed envelope that has cute stickers pasted on its flap. Jay and Heeseung who were just silently watching the conversation unfold between the two boys were surprised, flabbergasted even upon knowing that someone sent a letter towards their friend.
Sunghoon wholeheartedly accepted the letter with both hands, holding it dearly, and quickly scans the envelope for clues on who might be the possible sender of such a valentine treat.
"Happy Valentine's day lover boy." Sabay tapik ni Mingyu sa balikat ni Hoon. Tila ba nakahinga ng maluwag si Hoon matapos umalis ni Mingyu sa kanilang classroom dahil may ihahatid pa siyang mga sulat sa iba't-ibang sections sa buong school. He slumped on his desk, clasping the piece of paper and still assessing it for clues.
"Gago pre may nagkakagusto pala sayo? Akala namin mamamatay ka nang single." Sabi ni Jake na tumakbo pa mula sa corner ng classroom just to tease his friend, sabay agaw ng letter na hawak-hawak ni Hoon. The rightful owner then grabbed it from Jake before he can invade the contents of the letter.
"Uy gagi pre, 'wag." Sabay hablot pabalik ni Hoon sa letter na mayroon nang nakabukas na flap at halos lumuwa na rito ang scented paper na naglalakip ng sulat ng kanyang tagahanga. 'Wow, tagahanga - ang lalim, parang yung pagmamahal ko lang kay Sunoo,' Sunghoon giddily laughed, which made him earn concerned and creeped-out looks from his friends.
"This is for me, and for my eyes only." Sabi ni Hoon sabay labas ng classroom nila, papunta sa lugar na lagi niyang tinatambayan kapag gusto niyang mapag-isa.
[Sunflower Garden, Botany Club]
[11:50 AM, Lunch]
Hoon was holding on to the letter for dear life, na tila ba kapag nabagsak niya ito ay katapusan na ng mundo. He was also worried that his kolokoy friends might have followed him, at ayaw niyang mabasa nila ang laman ng sulat na nakalaan para sa kanya. When he saw the sight of the silent sunflower garden, he was relieved and immediately took sanctuary on one of the benches located inside the amenity.
He unsealed the letter carefully, not wanting to ruin the mint chocolate stickers that was pasted on the envelope flap. "I hate mintcho, pero dahil first letter ko naman 'to, I'll let this one slide na lang siguro." He mentally stated, whilst praying that the mint stickers were a sign that this letter was from the person that he includes on his prayers and wishes. When he pulled out the contents from the envelope, he was greeted with a waft of lemon and lavender scent that was oozing from the scented paper. "Ohh, this definitely smells like Sunoo," he thought whilst still sniffing the paper.
After the seemingly never-ending sniffing session, he unfolded the letter and read it silently, whilst adoring the cute and clean handwriting that the owner left with a black ink pen.
Dear Kuya Hoonie,
It's been years that I've seen you from a far and ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob, I mustered up all the courage that I needed for several weeks para lang masabi ko na gusto ko po kayo. Your sheepish smile, your cold yet very unserious aura, just every single thing about you makes me giddy. Yung mukha niyo po na parang kakabagin everytime you forget something or encounter a bad happening, your cold stares sa library which makes me melt on my seat everytime I look at you from the front desk, your fangs which makes me wanna just lay my bare arm para kagatin mo (alam kong weird pero sorry, I am just that attracted to you po huhuhu, come here and bite me).
Everytime you look at me, I can't help it po pero kinikilig ako kasi you just have that effect on me. I can't even put it into words on what makes me so down bad for you. Gwapo ka po, that's a given; I am cute, kaya bagay po tayo, emz. ( ~￣³￣)~
I just wanna say thank you din po for making my high school years so easy to live by dahil nandyan ka, even your existence alone makes me happy and comfy. Goodluck po on your graduation within the next few months, and I hope I'll see you soon po.
Yours truly,
MintChoDefender
P.S - I know you hate mint chocolate pero wala na po akong ibang stationery items kaya I opted for this one, hope this doesn't count as negative (｡ŏ﹏ŏ)
P.S - I know this is all too sudden po pero if you want to know who I am, just come to the library before the event at the auditorium starts.
The event on the auditorium starts at 12:00 in the afternoon. And it was already 11:55.
Shit.
His time was running out. Hoon ran as fast as he can towards their building, climbed thru the stairs and counter-flowed the students who were rushing down towards their school auditorium. After successfully subduing the wave of students who rushed down their building, he grabbed a pouch from inside his bag and ran for the library.
And when he reached the library, it was already 12:05, with no one is in sight. Sunghoon sighed in defeat dahil hindi na niya nakita ang nag-confess sa kanya.
Not until…
[Library, Data and Resource Center]
[12:05 PM]
"Hi, the library will be closed po for the afternoon event. Do you need something po ba?" It was Sunoo, the resident library assistant who came out of nowhere from the library's front desk. The Kim Sunoo whom he adores the most, the Kim Sunoo whom he knows loves Mint Chocolate more than anything in the whole wide world, and the Kim Sunoo of his life, the reason why he was rushing towards their school library despite all odds.
"Hi MintChoDefender." Hoon said out of nowhere, not minding if he would embarrass himself if he was wrong. The other teen froze, attempting to hide the blush that was already forming on his cheeks. But he figured out that this wasn't one of these days where his kuya Mingyu will be around to subdue his love interest.
"Hi IcePenggu." Sunoo softly whispered as he took out the letter which was neatly placed inside a white envelope with a penguin stamp on it. Hoon scratched his head and silly-smiled in front of Sunoo, who on the other hand was already blushing so hard from the encounter. Sunoo then slowly came out of his station, and stood right in front of the man he admires.
Silence followed as they stood there for a second, not minding the awkward air. "Uhm, so…" Sunoo broke the silence when it was getting insufferably awkward. The next thing that Hoon did made his heart almost jump out of his chest and his cheeks to be evidently red, and in heat.
Hoon engulfed Sunoo in a warm and tight hug, as if compensating for the past years that they missed because Hoon was just a menace and he couldn't "find the timing" to give chocolates to Sunoo nor confess his feelings, and Sunoo always getting shy around the loud introverted sunbae who's always afraid of his older brother Mingyu.
"Ehem." Their precious time together was cut-off when the librarian entered alongside the Kim Mingyu, whom Hoon fears the most dahil nakabantay ito sa kapatid niya almost 24/7. "Ma naman, nakakahiya." Sunoo whimpered, at mas siniksik niya pa ang sarili sa dibdib ni Sunghoon, hugging him back more tightly - sniffing the tall guy's cologne which he thought was definitely his new favorite scent.
"Anak, hindi landian place ang library ha. After niyo dyan, sumunod na kayo sa auditorium. Baka mahuli kayo ng prefect of discipline dyan." Sabi ng librarian, a.k.a Sunoo's mom, na siya namang sinundan ni Mingyu habang tinititigan ng taimtim ang dalawang magkayakap na lalaki sa entrada ng library.
"Wag' mong sasaktan ang kapatid ko ha?" Sabi ni Mingyu sabay taas ng kamao niya at flex ng biceps niya bago sumunod sa kanilang ina. "Nanay mo yung librarian?!" Hoon broke off the hug and held Sunoo at his shoulders, making the younger give his signature eye-smile that made the older man almost melt immediately at his place, making his knees weak.
"I know you've been taking notes of my wants and likes Kuya Hoon. Dapat you've taken notes na din sa magiging mother in law mo po." Sunoo giggled after he said those words, as in front of him was a malfunctioning Park Sunghoon, who was intently staring at thin air - still processing the words that left the younger boy's mouth. "Huy, 'wag kang ganyan. Baka mamaya pakasalan talaga kita ngayon. Hindi mo alam na I've waited for years para lang makausap ka." Hoon almost cried, and Sunoo touched the older's cheeks - finding him cute.
"Kuya Hoon ano ka ba." Sunoo slapped the older's chest, sabihin na rin nating chancing kasi he assessed if the rumors about Hoon having a fit body was true.
Hoon sheepishly smiles, and he takes out the pouch that he was holding on. He unzips it and hands it over to Sunoo. The pouch was filled to the brim with mint chocolate bars, candid polaroid shots, and several letters that were written on mint-colored and pastel blue papers. The pouch was also filled with with shiny metallic mini-confettis, almost making the pouch a (mint) chocolate disco.
A disco that only knows the rhythm of Sunghoon's heartbeat. A disco which only plays his love and affection towards the guy he's been pining for years and years on end, Kim Sunoo.