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“For the love of God, Juyeon. A man needs to study for his finals and is knee deep in assignments. Can you please turn that off—”
“I am not turning it off! Changmin promised me that he’d play my favourite song for my birthday today and I obviously can’t miss that.”
“Well then, ask him through text about when he’s planning on playing that song or something!”
“You think I didn’t try that? I did and he refused to tell me! He’s adamant on it being a surprise for me.”
Jaehyun sighed out loud. He stared at his friend (glared, actually) for a good minute, then looked back at the ridiculous amount of material that he had to study for his upcoming exam laid on the table right in front of him. Then, he looked at his friend again, almost as if he were observing him.
It was Juyeon’s birthday today, yet that wasn’t a good enough excuse to be an asshole to his friend of six years, in Jaehyun’s opinion. Especially when he was aware of Jaehyun’s current situation. His space heater had had the audacity to break down right in the middle of the winter (exactly during the time when Jaehyun had to make sure his nose was still in place whenever he stepped outside), so Jaehyun could do nothing but study at their on campus coffee shop or library for the time being. It was definitely much warmer there — at least compared to his apartment.
Jaehyun had been aware that his space heater wouldn’t last for too long (not when it had been used for over ten years now), yet had put off buying a new one.
Now he had to face the consequences.
You would expect Jaehyun's friends to be considerate and help him through his current situation. That was Jaehyun's initial expectation as well, but as he glared at Juyeon, it became clear that Juyeon did not belong to the group of friends who were supportive enough.
Clicking his tongue, Jaehyun picked up his rubber and unexpectedly threw it at Juyeon. To his pleasure, it hit him right on the forehead.
“Ow! What was that for!”
“You know exactly what that was for, best friend .”
Juyeon simply glared at him. Then, he had the audacity to turn the volume up even more, to the point Changmin’s cheery voice could be heard in the entire coffee shop. It was empty — save for the two of them sitting at their usual seat — hence it could be heard so easily. But still.
“So you’re not going to turn it off?”
Juyeon leaned back on his chair with his arms crossed. “Not after you just hit me with your rubber. On my birthday, too!”
“What are you, five?”
“Technically, I turn twenty-six today.”
Jaehyun shook his head, gathering his belongings.
“I’m going to the library. I’ve got no time or patience to deal with you today.”
Right at that time, as he was just about to shove his last remaining folder inside his bag, a voice was heard behind him.
“Happy birthday, Juyeonie!”
Jaehyun instantly turned around, although there was no need to. He could recognise that voice anywhere and anytime.
He noticed Chanhee walking towards Juyeon, a broad smile illuminating his face. The dark pink knitted cardigan he had selected for the day seemed to engulf him, making him appear as if he was being swallowed by its cozy embrace. He looked adorable; even more with the tip of his nose tinted pink due to the cold.
“Thank you, Chani.” Juyeon’s voice snapped Jaehyun out of his trance, and he looked at Chanhee again. He was already looking at him.
“You’re leaving already?”
It took barely a few seconds for Jaehyun to realise those words were directed at him, but more than just a few seconds to come up with a reply.
“Yeah, he said he’s going to the—”
“Nope, changed my mind,” Jaehyun cut in, sitting down again. “I’m not leaving.”
Juyeon snorted. Any other day he would’ve received a kick by Jaehyun, but not today. Not because it was his birthday (Jaehyun could care less about that), rather due to Chanhee’s wide smile when he heard Jaehyun’s response.
He was happy that Jaehyun was not leaving. Oh he would so cry about this later in the afternoon.
“That’s great,” Chanhee finally said, sitting right beside Jaehyun and setting his bag on the floor.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Jaehyun gently rested his head on Chanhee’s shoulder and made himself comfortable. Chanhee didn’t flinch — not even slightly — and while that was most likely because of how used he was to Jaehyun clinging onto him like this at any given moment, Jaehyun still couldn’t help but feel his insides go warm.
Then, he closed his eyes while listening to Chanhee speak.
“Oh, you’re listening to Changmin’s Station Z?”
Juyeon hummed. “Mmh. He said that he would be playing my favorite song for my birthday today.”
“Aw, that’s cute,” Chanhee cooed.
“Not so cute when someone has to study for his upcoming exam.”
“So that’s why you were planning on leaving?”
“Yeah. This guy refused to turn it off or at least turn the volume down, no matter how many times I told him. But I didn’t leave, anyway.”
Because you arrived. It remained unsaid, though there was no necessity to vocalise it. Jaehyun was aware that Chanhee understood.
“Let him be, Jaehyun. We can’t really blame him, he’s got a crush on Changmin after all,” Chanhee said, amusement evident in his tone.
A smile tugged at Jaehyun’s lips as he heard Juyeon splutter at that, obviously not having expected Chanhee’s bluntness. Watching his friend suffer from Chanhee’s shoulder was perhaps his newfound hobby.
“How long have you guys known?”
“Duh, since forever,” Jaehyun said. “It’s hard not to know when all you talk about is Changmin. Changmin this, Changmin that, Changmin made me this, Chang—”
Juyeon winced. “Okay, okay, I get it.”
Chanhee laughed, his shoulders shaking with each laugh of his. Jaehyun’s own smile widened even further.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s cute. I can’t wait for the day you finally confess to him.”
“Only if Changmin doesn’t confess to him first.”
“True.” Chanhee easily agreed.
Juyeon stared at both of them with wide eyes. “What do you mean! There’s no way he likes me that way!”
Jaehyun only shook his head, dismissively waving his hand at Juyeon. “You’ll realise one day.”
Right at that moment, Changmin’s voice was heard through Juyeon’s phone.
“And that, folks, is a wrap for today! This next song will be the last song, dedicated to my very dear friend Juyeon, who’s turning twenty-six today. Anyone who happens to encounter him today, please wish him a happy birthday!”
“Woo, happy birthday, Juyeon,” Jaehyun flatly cheered while clapping his hands, earning a giggle from Chanhee.
“Before leaving, though, I have an announcement to make. I will sadly not be able to host Station Z for the next week as I’ll be away, so my other very dear friend, Chanhee, will replace me for the time being.”
Jaehyun’s eyes shot open, his head instantly lifting from Chanhee’s shoulder to look at Chanhee in surprise.
“I’m certain most of you guys already know him, but if you don’t, don’t worry! I have several posts with him, most of which have already been posted on my Instagram account. You’re only barely three clicks away from finding out who Chanhee is and becoming familiar with him! I doubt that’ll be necessary, though; that guy is pretty popular himself, even if he denies it. Please show him lots of love next week as he’s never done this before. If there’s anything you’ve been wanting to tell him for a while now but haven’t had the chance to or have been too shy, this is just the right opportunity!”
“With that being said, enjoy the last song of today’s episode. Juyeon, this one’s for you, just like I promised. I hope you guys have a splendid weekend and don’t miss me too much! This is Chaser by Woodz and I’m your host, Q.”
Juyeon silently reached for his phone and turned the volume up, eyes still stuck on Chanhee who seemed even more surprised than the two.
“So.. did you know that you’d be next week’s host or—”
“No. Not at all,” Chanhee denied, placing his hands on either side of his head. “I had no idea that I would be a host —Oh my god, I’ll be a host! What the hell?! What was Changmin thinking when he came to this decision? Without even discussing it with me at first?!”
It seemed like saying the word host out loud was all it took for things to click into place, and suddenly Chanhee was reaching for his phone and furiously tapping on his screen.
Jaehyun and Juyeon shared a look, concerned.
“Hey Chanhee, calm down. It isn’t that bad—”
Chanhee threw Jaehyun a glare, instantly shutting him up.
“What do you mean it isn’t that bad? To begin with, I’ve never been a host in my entire life,” he said while dialling Changmin’s number, putting it on speaker. “That’s Changmin’s thing. Second of all, I’ll be Station Z’s host — the radio literally everybody on campus listens to. It isn’t just bad, it’s horrible!”
At that instant, Changmin picked up.
“Hey, Chani..”
Jaehyun could notice the slight tremor in Changmin’s voice, prompting him to scoff.
Before either Jaehyun or Chanhee could speak, Juyeon beat them to it with a cheery “Thank you for the song, Min!”
“Oh, Juyeon, it’s you! Whew, I thought it was Chanhee. Weird, ‘cause I definitely saw his contact name. Is my phone broken or—”
“Don’t worry, it isn’t broken. Far from broken, actually.” Chanhee finally spoke, leaning closer to his phone.
“Oh. So it is you.”
“Mind telling me what went through your brain when you decided to announce me as next week’s host? Without even initially discussing it with me?”
“Look, I know it is probably not the smartest idea—”
“It isn’t!”
Jaehyun placed a hand on Chanhee’s back and rubbed it gently. Chanhee’s shoulders instantly sagged, falling slack.
“Hear me out! You know how important Station Z is to me. I can’t just tell any random person to be the host.”
“I get that, but you have other friends as well! There’s Sunwoo, Juyeon, Jaehyun—”
“Hey, don’t bring me into this.” Jaehyun gestured towards all the material that he had yet to study for his exam, smiling guiltily.
Chanhee only sighed. “Alright, maybe not Jaehyun. But that’s not the point. Why me?”
“You’re the only person I know who is currently not insanely busy. I did ask Sunwoo and Jacob first, but they were both busy with their assignments. Juyeon has a project to finish and, like you said, Jaehyun’s not available as well. Please, Chanhee. Just this one time. I’ll do whatever you want me to do if you do this for me.”
“Where are you even heading to, anyway..”
“I have to go home next week.”
“Why? Did anything happen?”
“It’s Ghana’s birthday soon! And my mom wanted me to visit soon, anyway.”
“You’re doing this for your dog,” Chanhee deadpanned.
“It isn’t just a dog, excuse you. Please, Chanhee. You’re the only one who I trust not to mess up everything. It isn’t difficult at all, I promise! You’re even going to have fun. I’m begging.”
Chanhee heaved a sigh, looking at both Juyeon and then Jaehyun. He was still uncertain, Jaehyun could definitely see it, but because it was Changmin asking..
“Whatever.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yeah, yeah. But you’ll have to buy me coffee for one month straight after this. Otherwise I’m not doing it.”
“Whatever you’d like! Thank you so much, Chani. I love you.”
“Bye. Love you too, I guess.”
Silence.
Jaehyun’s eyes were stuck on Chanhee, who seemed on the verge of passing out. How could he comfort him without making things worse?
Before Jaehyun could reach out, Chanhee lowered his head and dropped it on the table, a loud bang following right after. Both Juyeon and Jaehyun winced at the sound. That must’ve hurt.
“This will go terribly wrong.. I’ll make a fool out of myself and everyone will make fun of me.”
“Chanhee, we’re not in middle school,” Jaehyun gently reminded him, patting his back.
“Still.”
“I mean, what could go wrong?” Juyeon spoke, and Jaehyun knew that whatever he’d say next would be nothing remotely smart. “The worst that could happen is you inadvertently playing the wrong song or stumbling over your own words. Perhaps you’d—”
“That’s enough.” Jaehyun glared at Juyeon, gesturing for him to zip it up.
“Nothing will go wrong, Chanhee. I promise.”
Chanhee slightly shifted his head so he could take a proper look at Jaehyun. “How can you be so sure?”
Jaehyun flashed a smile. “I just do. I know you’re going to worry your pretty little head over this the entire weekend,” he said while tapping his forehead. “You’ll most likely come up with a plan as well, about what you’ll say and things like that. And then things will go so well that you’ll go home laughing about how there’d been no reason to worry. And I just know that the second episode will be even better, because many people will tune in just to hear you. I know, ‘cause I’m going to be one of them.”
Chanhee’s smile lit up his face in the most genuine way Jaehyun had ever witnessed with the corner of his lips gracefully turning upwards, adding to the beauty of the moment. The way Chanhee gazed at him with stars in his eyes inspired Jaehyun to write a poem just for him. However, Jaehyun, never quite skilled with words, chose to simply return the smile. Words had never been his strong suit, and he would rather cherish every second spent gazing into Chanhee’s eyes.
Juyeon cleared his throat, causing the two to break their eye contact. “Yeah. Jaehyun’s right.”
Seemingly realising where they were and who was with them, Chanhee raised his head from the table and began tapping on his cheeks, willing the rosy color to go away. Jaehyun didn’t even bother to hide his disappointment, but perhaps it was better that way.
He wasn’t sure whether he could force his hands to stay put and not do something foolish. Pinch the flesh of his cheeks, maybe. (Definitely)
“Changmin hosts every Tuesday and Thursday, right?” Chanhee asked, despite clearly knowing the answer to his question. He was just embarrassed.
Juyeon nodded. “Yup. Today’s Thursday, so that gives you four days to prepare. I’m pretty sure he’ll give you some sort of guide, don’t worry. You’ll do well Chanhee. Jaehyun and I will be cheering for you while we’re both drowning in our respective assignments and study materials.”
That prompted a chuckle from Chanhee, and he only shook his head fondly. “Thanks, you two. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. It’s our duty as your biggest fans,” Jaehyun added.
Chanhee looked at him, amused. “We’ll see about that.”
—
Friday came and went, with Jaehyun spending the entire day at the library to make up for the studying he had missed the day before. In his defense, he had his priorities straight. Comforting Chanhee was top of the list, even if he did so by using the most cliché words and phrases he could think of. Top priorities, in his opinion.
The weekend rolled by, and Jaehyun found himself studying once again, though not at the library due to its early weekend closure. The coffee shop was off-limits as well, as it was packed with people. This left him no chance but to study in his still no-space-heater apartment, though he had his numerous hoodies to rely on for some warmth and a pair of Christmas socks given to him by Chanhee during the first Christmas they celebrated together.
Monday was a rather uneventful day, with Jaehyun having less studying to do. He spent it annoying Juyeon and enjoying the sight of him struggling when he teased him about Changmin. While perched on Jacob’s shoulder this time, though, as Chanhee was diligently preparing for his first day as the host.
As much as he adored Jacob, he still preferred Chanhee’s shoulder.
Tuesday finally came and Jaehyun was seen jogging towards the on campus coffee shop with his phone in his hand and half-closed bag messily thrown over one shoulder — hair flopping with each big step he took. His professor had wanted to talk to him after class, discuss something about some type of event, and Jaehyun had gotten carried away. It wasn’t until thirty minutes later, when Jaehyun realised he should’ve headed for the coffee shop ten minutes ago.
No, he didn’t miss Juyeon. But he’d definitely miss Chanhee’s first few minutes as the host, and he didn’t want to miss a single minute.
As soon as he stepped inside the coffee shop, Jaehyun could hear Chanhee’s mellifluous voice through his earphones.
“Hello, everybody! This is Chanhee speaking — Choi Chanhee , Station Z’s temporary host!”
Jaehyun plopped down on his seat in front of Juyeon, causing the latter to flinch and place his hand over his heart. He disconnected his earphones from his phone and placed it on the table, turning the volume up. As much as Jaehyun would’ve preferred listening to Chanhee speak through his earphones, he still had to get back at Juyeon for that day.
Juyeon seemed to notice that and only shook his head, not even bothering to protest.
“Woah, so many of you are already coming in. We’re already at a hundred listeners and it hasn’t even been a minute!” Chanhee sounded nervous. “Changmin wasn’t kidding when he said that his radio was pretty popular.”
“It’s nice to see many of you already. If you’re not familiar with me, it’s okay! We’ll get to know each other during these two episodes; perhaps even more if Changmin is kind enough to invite me any day. Of course, only if I manage to succeed at being the host. Anyway, I see that the first song requests are already being sent! Changmin told me that this week’s theme is love, and I see that many of you have already been informed. A whole lotta love songs are being requested.”
Jaehyun’s heart stopped. Of all possible topics, of course it had to be love.
“Well then, let’s start with a very popular one! I’m sure all of you already know this song. Love Shot by EXO, requested by.. Chen’s wife? Hello Chen’s wife.”
Jaehyun giggled, heart swelling at how adorable Chanhee was.
Juyeon threw him a look. “Is that what I look like when I talk about Changmin..”
Jaehyun frowned. “Worse.”
Juyeon gaped at him. “No way.. Why have you never said anything?!”
“It’s fun seeing you embarrass yourself,” Jaehyun said, shrugging.
Ignoring Juyeon’s death stare, Jaehyun turned the volume up a little bit more.
“And that was Love Shot by EXO! Five years have passed and it still remains a good song. I’m going to be honest with you guys, I’m a little bit nervous. Seeing the number of the listeners is a bit daunting, but I’ll try my best today! And, in case you were wondering, Changmin is fine. Oops, I mean Q. Nothing bad happened to him. He just had to leave for.. Personal reasons."
“The reason being Ghana,” Jaehyun remarked, amused.
“Oh my, someone just said ‘there’s no need to be nervous, I’m already in love with your beautiful voice’. Thank you so much! I don’t get that a lot.”
Jaehyun frowned.
He would tell that to Chanhee everyday! He could come up with even better adjectives than just beautiful .
“Well then, let’s talk a little about love since it’s this week’s theme. You can send in anything you want to say about love. Perhaps a love confession, a statement, an opinion, a question; whatever you guys feel like saying! Maybe some of you need some advice right now; I’m here for that! Even though I’m not the best at giving advice, especially about love since I’ve never been in a relationship before, I have heard a lot so I’ll try my best.”
Juyeon looked at Jaehyun, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Jaehyun just ignored his look.
“Oh, someone just asked ‘are you single?’ Yeah, I am!”
Jaehyun crossed his arms. Why would anyone be interested in that?
“‘How come you’re still single? Should be a crime, honestly.’ Oh wow, I’m flattered really. Someone said ‘You don’t know how excited I was when I heard Changmin announce you as the host. I thought my ears were playing tricks on me at first, but here I am, listening to you on my way to work. You’re my crush and everybody else’s crush Chanhee.’ Everybody's crush? That’s impossible! Thank you a lot, though.”
“The topic is indeed love . It seems to be entirely about someone, though,” Juyeon muttered, amused by the turn of events. His friend looked incredibly funny right now; almost on the verge of ripping his hair out.
“When I said that you could send in love confessions I didn’t mean it for myself! So many love confessions for me are being sent right now. Ah, this is so embarrassing..”
Jaehyun could picture the wide smile that Chanhee was sporting right now, and as much as it made him incredibly happy to know that Chanhee was feeling comfortable, he couldn’t help but keep frowning upon the realisation that he had competition .
Of course, he was no stranger to the fact that Chanhee was considerably popular on campus, mainly because of his looks and kind personality. It made perfect sense, Jaehyun couldn’t deny it, but still..
“User curioswishes said ‘Chanhee I’m totally in love with your style! I look forward to your outfits everyday on campus.’ This just made me incredibly happy, thank you so much! One of the things I love the most is fashion and people complimenting my outfits and recognising me by them is a dream come true.”
“‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Because you’re an angel.’ Come on, this is a very overused pickup line. Thanks, though!"
"‘I feel like this is a bit weird to say, but you smell pretty damn amazing. I love it whenever you pass by me.’ Aw, thank you!"
"‘You’re so pretty I can’t take my eyes off of you.’ I’m flattered!"
"‘When Changmin mentioned checking his Instagram account in case some people didn’t know you, I had to laugh. Honestly, it would be odd if someone didn’t know you, not the other way around.’ I’m being fully honest when I say that I had no idea so many people knew me! I thought that was Changmin’s thing.”
“Alright guys, this episode can’t go on like this,” Chanhee sighed. “I keep receiving so many compliments and I deeply appreciate all of them! If you continue like this I might even ask Changmin to become the permanent host of this radio. Don’t tempt me! On a serious note, though, I don’t think Changmin would be too happy if I spent the entire episode doing this. Come on, send your opinions, questions, song requests; whatever you’d like. But please don’t make them about me!
“Oh, I finally see a song request! Peach eyes by wave to earth, requested by bluepaints.”
As the melody wafted through the air, Jaehyun's gaze fixated on the intricate floor tiles. Gradually, the melody morphed into mere background noise, drowned out by a swarm of unrelenting thoughts that swirled in his troubled mind. Within his mental chaos, Jaehyun couldn't find a single positive thought to cling to — not when he had to listen to the entire campus confess their unwavering affection towards the person he had harbored feelings for over the past two years.
Jaehyun felt faint.
“..You good?”
Jaehyun slowly looked up from the floor tiles, staring at a concerned Juyeon. He feigned a smile.
“Yeah, never been any better! It is so exciting to hear numerous love confessions about your crush of two years.”
Juyeon grimaced, leaning back against the chair.
“I mean.. You can’t really stop people from crushing on Chanhee, you know. What’s more important is what Chanhee thinks and feels when he hears those love confessions and compliments. Especially if he’d rather hear those words from somebody else; a specific person.”
Jaehyun leaned back as well, sighing in defeat. “I guess you’re right.. But it still doesn’t feel good.”
Juyeon shrugged. “Obviously. I doubt anybody would be happy if someone else confessed to their crush, much less the entire campus.”
Jaehyun simply shook his head, pinching between his eyebrows.
“That was peach eyes by wave to earth! It was such a great song, thank you bluepaints for requesting it! I’ll definitely add it to my playlist.”
“I can see some opinions and questions finally being sent! Although most of these questions are yet again about me.. Well, better than nothing, right? Let’s see.. Someone asked, how did you and Changmin become friends? That isn’t even about love!” Chanhee laughed. “But it’s fine, I can answer that.”
“Changmin and I met in kindergarten, actually. It was the first day and I was feeling a bit anxious, as well as sad because I wouldn’t be able to see my parents until hours later. I was wearing an orange shirt that day, and Changmin approached me, looked me dead in the eye, and told me ‘I hate the color orange’. He was wearing a red polo shirt, so I responded back with ‘I hate red too, it reminds me of tomatoes’. He was so angry about that, although he literally started it!” Chanhee said, clicking his tongue.
“Anyway, I kept sticking to him the following days because I was too shy to talk to the other kids and we eventually became friends. To this day I still hate tomatoes. I don’t know how he feels about the color orange, though. I think he likes it now.”
Juyeon and Jaehyun chuckled upon hearing his answer, despite knowing the story of how the two became friends. They had been inseparable during childhood and remained inseparable.
The episode then continued like that, with Chanhee answering questions about himself that were very much not related to love, but Jaehyun still paid attention to every one of his words nonetheless. Honestly, Chanhee could be talking about the weather and Jaehyun would still pay him his undivided attention.
It appeared that people had completely disregarded the initial topic, focusing instead on asking questions about Chanhee with the goal of getting to know him better. Every time Chanhee answered a question that Jaehyun already knew the answer to, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy, knowing that he knew Chanhee better than these individuals did.
At the end of the day, none of these people were the ones Chanhee sought out when he was feeling down or simply wanted to spend time and create happy memories with. Jaehyun was the one Chanhee turned to, just as Jaehyun himself did. So really, there was truly no reason to become so worked up over strangers confessing their feelings to Chanhee. Chanhee would still choose Jaehyun over anyone else.
Right?
“Ooh, the next question is an interesting one. Once again about me, but it seems like you all are so curious about getting to know me better! I hope I’m not bothering anyone by answering these questions, since they’re all I’m getting, anyway. It says, ‘Hi Chanhee! What’s your ideal type?”
Jaehyun abruptly raised his head from where he was resting it on his arms, eyes focused on his phone.
“An ideal type..” Chanhee hummed, deep in thought. “Honestly, I didn’t even have an ideal type. I mean, I did have one, but it was a pretty vague one. You know, one who’s kind, patient, good with animals — all those qualities aren’t specific at all, so I never really bothered to create an image of the person that I’d like to date, afraid that I would never meet them and just become disappointed. I was also a firm believer that the saying ‘opposites attract’ was nonsensical and applied to very few people, but I was proven wrong. Like I said, I didn’t have an ideal type, until I met this person.”
Jaehyun almost put his hands over his ears, afraid that he’d hear something he’d been doing his best to avoid hearing for the past two years. But then he remembered that he was an adult — not in middle school or in his late teens — so he forced his hands to stay put, abashed.
“Ah, this is a little awkward, especially because I’m certain that the person I’m about to describe right now is listening to this, but.. My ideal type is tall, laughs a lot and is always energetic. Always. They’re like my personal social battery charger. Whenever they’re around it’s impossible not to notice them and fall for their charm and playfulness. They’re loud and funny, yet at the same time, display an admirable level of determination and reliability.
“They have a unique way of showing that they care, but I believe that’s what sets them apart and makes them unique. They’ve got curly hair which they always straighten because, according to them, it looks like a bird’s nest. I wish they’d embrace their natural hair more often, though. They’re also a dog person, which is ironic because their dog of many years doesn’t really like them. Above all, they’re the kind of person whom I can always trust and be authentic with — be myself, never fearing judgment. Honestly, that’s what I appreciate the most in a person: their ability to make me feel comfortable enough to show my true self to them, aware that they’d never judge me for who I am.”
Jaehyun's leg ceased its up and down motion, and his hands no longer fiddled with his ripped jeans. The turmoil in his stomach also subsided. After staring intently at the floor tiles for several minutes, they almost seemed capable of engulfing Jaehyun completely, so he averted his gaze, lifting his eyes to meet Juyeon's.
The latter seemed shocked, his wide eyes staring right back at Jaehyun.
“Jaehyun, did you.. Did you hear what he just said?”
Jaehyun blinked. “I did. I think so.”
Chanhee’s voice resonated in the coffee shop again, but this time neither of the two were paying attention.
“What do you mean ‘I think so’?! Jaehyun, he literally just described you !”
Jaehyun furrowed his eyebrows, pointing to himself dumbly. “Me?”
“Yes, you!” Juyeon nearly shouted, looking merely seconds away from ripping his hair out of frustration. “Literally nobody else describes your curly hair as a bird’s nest but you. You have a dog that doesn’t like you. You are whatever Chanhee described and you are the person Chanhee is certain is listening right now, because you yourself told him you would. Jaehyun, it can’t be anyone else.”
Jaehyun slowly brought his hand to his mouth, covering it while his eyes widened comically.
“Wait, hold on. You’re telling me that I’m Chanhee’s ideal type ?!”
“Apparently.”
“He chose.. Me ? Among all those people who just confessed to him right now?”
Right at that moment, as if Chanhee had heard him, he spoke.
“‘Aw, so you already have a crush? That’s too bad, I was planning on confessing to you.’ Ah, well.. I really appreciate your interest, but like I said, I’m interested in someone else. I’ve been interested for a long time, so..”
That’s too bad, I was planning on confessing to you.
Confessing to you..
Someone wants to confess to Chanhee?!
Jaehyun abruptly slammed his hands on the table and pushed himself up from his seat, startling Juyeon for the second time that day. His eyebrows were drawn together and lips pursed into a frown, yet his posture was determined and his gaze unwavering. Although Juyeon was unaware of what was going on in Jaehyun’s mind, he could make a guess judging by his facial expression.
Jaehyun’s next words made him realise he had been right.
“Someone wants to confess to Chanhee? Oh hell no. Not if I do that first.”
Juyeon’s eyes enlarged in surprise, watching Jaehyun try to wear his coat in a rush, yet fail once its sleeve slipped from his grasp. He sighed, standing up to help his friend.
“You’re confessing? Right now?”
Jaehyun nodded his head, standing still so Juyeon could help him.
“Yeah. I’ll wait until Chanhee is finished, which should be in less than thirty minutes. I can’t just sit still and do nothing while listening to people confess their liking for Chanhee as if they have the right to do that. I mean, they do, of course, but.. I liked him first .”
Juyeon chuckled, amused by his childish behavior. Jealousy had obviously clouded his mind, yet he couldn’t blame him. Nobody had confessed to Changmin the way people were confessing to Chanhee, after all.
“Well,” Juyeon said, patting Jaehyun’s shoulder, “good luck, friend.”
Jaehyun let out a sigh, a smile tugging at his lips.
—
10 minutes left.
Everything had happened so quickly. Just ten minutes ago he had been sitting at his usual seat in front of Juyeon, showing support by listening to Chanhee unexpectedly having fun while being the host for the first time, and now he was on the fifth floor, waiting for Chanhee to finish hosting for the day so he could confess to him.
Right. He had a confession to make.
Jaehyun almost let out a yell, his hands instinctively going to the sides of his head. Of all the ways he had envisioned confessing to Chanhee, this one was definitely not on the list: evoked by a stranger and teetering on the edge of insanity while Chanhee was blissfully unaware, wrapping up his first episode as the temporary host. Jaehyun had envisioned many scenarios in his mind, most of them set in romantic locations like a movie theatre, amusement park, or during a picnic. Some even took place in their respective apartments, although Jaehyun had considered those less likely to occur and had never dwelled on them too much.
Somehow, the university setting had slipped his mind and had not made it to one of his scenarios. But who could blame him? Jaehyun had no idea that the entire campus would seize the opportunity to confess.
Taking his hands off of his head, Jaehyun heaved a sigh and rested his head against the coolness of the wall, looking up at the ceiling. As he sat there, leaning against the wall with his head resting on it, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. Jaehyun would’ve preferred the confession to happen under different circumstances — not at the university and definitely not because he had been spurred on by a stranger. He wished he had had ample time to gather his thoughts, as well as his courage needed to bare his soul, before making the daunting decision of confessing to Chanhee.
Chanhee deserved much more than a plain confession at the university. At that thought, Jaehyun almost turned on his heel to walk away and devise a thoughtful plan instead. But a nagging voice in the back of his mind urged him to stay, warning that someone else, that person, might confess to Chanhee before him. So, despite his initial impulse to leave, he stayed put and rooted himself to the ground.
Jaehyun huffed, frustrated. He definitely needed to keep his jealousy in check, otherwise he’d end up in other unpleasant situations due to his unrestrained jealousy.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, Jaehyun turned it on to check the time.
5 minutes left.
Chanhee must be playing the last requested song right now, Jaehyun thought. Or perhaps he was still acknowledging the wave of compliments that continued to pour in, outnumbering the number of songs that had been requested.
As Jaehyun had learned from Changmin, the listeners of Station Z were ardent music enthusiasts, submitting request after request for songs they wanted the radio host to play. Changmin found great delight in this rather than being bothered by it because, as a music enthusiast himself, he could only marvel at all the suggestions that poured in. Most of them even made it into many playlists of his. He also enjoyed interacting with people who shared his music taste, so he mainly received song requests rather than other things.
It seemed like that wasn’t the case with Chanhee, though.
A couple more nerve-wracking minutes passed and before Jaehyun knew it, five minutes were already over.
It didn’t take long before Jaehyun heard a door opening to his right; the door which separated the fifth floor hall and the room Changmin, now Chanhee, used to host Station Z. He immediately turned his head to his right, spotting Chanhee stepping out of the room, one arm carrying all his belongings and the other one fixing the few strands that were sticking out.
Upon noticing that his puffer jacket seemed on the verge of slipping from his arm, Jaehyun strode forwards and took the jacket, startling Chanhee.
“Oh, Jaehyun!” Chanhee’s voice sounded happy. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”
Jaehyun flashed a smile. “Here, give me your belongings so you can wear your jacket. It’s cold outside; I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”
Chanhee shyly glanced down and subtly nodded his head, wordlessly doing what Jaehyun told him to. Once he had his jacket on, he looked at Jaehyun expectantly, waiting for him to give him his belongings back. He had not zipped his jacket, though.
Jaehyun clicked his tongue, handed over the possessions, and moved closer. He firmly grasped the zipper and pulled it up for him.
“There. Now you’re all set to face the bitterly cold weather,” Jaehyun said, satisfied, and then pinched the flesh of Chanhee’s cheeks.
Chanhee stilled, eyes going wide, before he slapped Jaehyun’s hand away and ducked his head, desperate to hide the growing blush on his face. Jaehyun laughed, endeared by his uncharacteristic shy behaviour, and then fondly ruffled his hair.
“Hey! That took me a long time to fix!” Chanhee whined, lips forming a pout.
Jaehyun imitated his pout, yet didn’t show a hint of remorse. “You look cuter this way, though.”
Chanhee broke his eye contact with Jaehyun and began walking ahead. Once Jaehyun fell into step with him, he heard Chanhee speak.
“What’s gotten into you..”
Jealousy. Hearing hundreds of people compliment your crush of two years is definitely not for the weak.
Instead of saying that out loud, though, Jaehyun nonchalantly shrugged and looked straight ahead. “You’ll understand later.”
“Huh?” Chanhee sounded confused, yet didn’t push him further.
“So.. How was it? Being the host?”
Jaehyun saw Chanhee’s eyes light up at the mention of being the host and felt something tug at his heart.
“It was.. Crazy. Seriously. You know how I was reluctant to accept Changmin’s request at first, but I unexpectedly had a lot of fun.”
Jaehyun gave him a knowing look. “Because of those endless compliments you received?”
Chanhee, once again, didn’t dare to look him in the eye and kept his focus on the stairs they were descending. His reaction made Jaehyun soon realise that his words were a dead giveaway that he had heard almost the entire episode, and Chanhee’s sudden lack of courage to lock eyes with him made much more sense.
He had confessed to him indirectly through the campus radio, after all.
“Well, that was one part of it. Believe me when I say I hadn’t expected that many compliments, though! Like, I was expecting nothing. Maybe one or two at most, but.. Not all that . It took me so much by surprise that I didn’t know how to react.”
Jaehyun chuckled at the way he was defending himself. “I believe you, Chanhee. It came as a surprise for me and Juyeon as well. Now that I’m thinking about it, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. You are popular, apparently even more than we thought. It felt as if I were listening to an idol hosting his radio for the first time.”
Chanhee huffed a laugh, slapping his arm. “That’s too much.”
“What did you like the most about hosting a radio?”
Chanhee’s eyes lit up again. He loved it when people asked him about his opinions, hence Jaehyun asked him whenever an opportunity arose.
“The interactivity. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the amount of people tuning in at first was terrifying . It was so strange to realise that the number shown on the screen was actually the number of people listening to the radio, listening to me. Although I was alone in the room, it never felt like I was talking to myself. All those people could be on their way to work, studying, cleaning their rooms or simply resting, yet had still taken their time to tune in and hear me speak. Even send in requests and questions! I appreciate it so much. I think I get why Changmin loves it dearly.”
As Chanhee continued to ramble, Jaehyun couldn’t restrain his smile. Chanhee rambling was a sign of the authenticity he had talked about while hosting; something his quiet and reserved self only did with the people he felt comfortable the most. Jaehyun was undoubtedly one of the few people Chanhee felt comfortable around, and while it wasn’t the first time he was realising it, it never failed to make his heart pound faster and his insides go warm and mushy.
“It was also very fun to play the requested songs. Many of them had very good taste, so I actually added a lot to my playlist. Answering the questions was also entertaining, although I wish they would’ve sent more of their personal thoughts and opinions. I like to hear other people’s thoughts and comment on them.”
As they neared the exit, the ait grew colder and frosty. Each time Chanhee spoke, a gust of smoke escaped his mouth, and soon enough Jaehyun noticed that he had tucked his bare hands into his jacket pockets in an effort to warm them up. Without hesitation, Jaehyun took his left hand and cradled it in his gloved one, gently rubbing it to create friction and bring warmth.
Jaehyun’s gesture took Chanhee by surprise, judging by the way his speech slightly faltered, but he soon composed himself. His cheeks did appear redder, though.
“I’m happy you enjoyed yourself, Chanhee. See? You worried your pretty little head for nothing.”
“Ah.. you’re right. I do feel kind of like a fool right now.”
Jaehyun squeezed his hand. “You aren’t a fool for that. It is only natural to worry about something you’ve never done before.”
Chanhee smiled timidly, glancing down. “I guess so..”
Once they stepped outside, they were hit by a strong gust of wind, instantly causing shivers down their spine. Jaehyun almost touched his nose to make sure it was still there, not able to feel any of his facial muscles.
“Are you going to ask Changmin to host Station Z more often?”
“Hmm.. I don’t know, honestly. I mean, it is fun. I’m actually looking forward to Thursday. But I don’t know if he’d be okay with me hosting his radio. It is his, after all.”
Jaehyun looked at him in disbelief. “If there’s anyone Changmin would willingly give up his role as a host for, it would be you. No doubt. Changmin would do anything for you, Chanhee, just like you would for him. That doesn’t have to happen, though. You could be the second host; most radios have more than one host, anyway.”
Channee hummed. “That makes sense. I’m still not sure, though.”
“It was just an idea. If I were Changmin, though, I’d definitely bring you as my second host. I’m sure the radio reached its highest peak of listeners today. You had everyone on their knees going out of their way to compliment you.”
Chanhee laughed, stumbling onto Jaehyun as he threw his head back. Jaehyun tightened his grip on Chanhee’s hand, laughing as well.
“What can I say, I’m irresistible. Your radio would probably be on the verge of shutting down, with barely ten listeners tuning in, and then I’d come in, saving your station from the abyss. I’d have your station flourishing in no time.”
Jaehyun gasped, feigning offence. “How could you say that to your number one fan!”
Chanhee turned to look at him, a challenging glint in his eyes. “How are you so sure that you’re my number one fan? A lot of my listeners today complimented me on my looks, outfits, scent, voice, one even confessed to me—”
Jaehyun felt an ugly feeling at the pit of his stomach, making its way up. Chanhee’s enumeration of all the compliments he had received that day and the sole mention of that person seemed to amplify the turmoil within him, and before he even knew it, Jaehyun opened his mouth to speak.
“None of those people are the ones you described as your ideal type, though. Isn’t that right?”
Chanhee halted, his feet coming to a stop. The sudden distance between them caused his hand to slip away from Jaehyun’s grasp. Jaehyun caught himself before he reached for it.
“A lot of people could be loud and funny, sure. Determined and reliable as well, and all the other qualities you mentioned.” Jaehyun stopped, taking a deep breath. “But… none of them have curly hair which they always straighten because it resembles a bird’s nest. Or a dog of many years that doesn’t like his owner not one bit. Am I correct?”
Jaehyun watched how Chanhee took a step back and his lower lip wobbled. His bare hand, no longer in Jaehyun’s warm grasp, was vulnerable to the cold and had already turned pink. He wanted to hold onto it, feel the way their hands fit like a missing puzzle and warm it up once again, but he had something to do first.
“You’re my ideal type, too, Chanhee.”
Unless Jaehyun’s vision was deteriorating severely, he was certain he could see Chanhee trying to hide his smile. (It was deteriorating and he foolishly refused to wear glasses, however his nearsighted vision was still intact and he could confidently say that Chanhee was indeed fighting back a smile.)
“My ideal type is someone who’s a little bit shorter than me, extremely pretty and stylish. He comes across as reserved and clever at first, but once you get to know him better, he’s really just a silly person who acts clever. He— ouch ! He’s violent, too! Despite his seemingly weak and frail appearance, he’s stronger than you think.
"He has a thing for cute things, is very easy to rile up and his itty-bitty ears are endearingly sensitive. Above all, he’s extremely caring and kind. He holds great love for the people he deeply cares about and subtly takes care of them, thinking nobody will notice. He’s very hardworking and brave, never once failing to amaze me with everything he does. He also dyes his hair every business day, but the health of his hair is something he needs to grow concerned about.”
At that moment, Chanhee was unable to suppress the wide smile from spreading across his face. Jaehyun himself wasn’t certain if he was mirroring Chanhee’s smile; he couldn’t feel his facial muscles at all, but it only made sense for him to do so.
In the freezing cold, where Jaehyun could only hold his arms tightly against his body and fight off the urge to sniffle every ten seconds, Chanhee’s radiant smile felt like a ray of sunlight, even though the sun had long disappeared.
Jaehyun’s heart raced as gathered his courage to inch even closer. His eyes fixated on Chanhee’s pale hand, now tinged with a deeper shade of pink. He extended his own hand and took it in his hold once again, intertwining their fingers together. With his eyes closed and in a soft, almost trembling voice, he asked, “Chanhee, will you be my boyfriend?”
“It’s snowing.”
Jaehyun opened his eyes.
“Huh?”
“It’s snowing!” Chanhee exclaimed, voice clearer this time, as he looked up at the sky with eyes wide in wonder.
That prompted Jaehyun to look up as well and discover that yes, it was indeed snowing. He had just confessed to Chanhee and asked the question in the first snow.
Something about it made Jaehyun feel like he was the protagonist of a romantic movie.
“Ah, yeah.. Explains why it’s so unusually cold today.”
As his eyes followed each snowflake float down from the gray sky and then reach the ground, he suddenly felt a ticklish touch atop his head. Jaehyun blinked, slightly startled, before looking down to lock eyes with Chanhee.
It was Chanhee’s hand touching his hair. Probably because some snowflakes had fallen on top of his head.
“And what do I get from being your boyfriend?”
Chanhee’s eyes had a playful glint to them, assuring Jaehyun that he was being anything but serious (he was just in a silly little mood, as Jaehyun liked to call it), yet his brain was a little slow to catch up, most likely due to the cold.
He cleared his throat, awkward and his posture a bit stiff, before he cautiously raised his unoccupied gloved hand in the air and wiggled his fingers.
“Um, free winter gloves?”
Chanhee burst into uncontrollable laughter, joyful giggles escaping his mouth as he clutched onto Jaehyun’s hand tightly in an attempt to maintain his balance. Chanhee’s joy was infectious, spreading in waves until Jaehyun couldn’t help but join in as well, unable to contain his laughter upon realising how foolish his answer had been. His cheeks were sore, both from the cold and constant smiling in Chanhee’s company. Despite the icy air, he felt oddly warm inside.
“Of course I’ll be your boyfriend, Jaehyun.” Chanhee sounded tired, probably due to all the laughing he had done. He huffed out a breath, watching how it turned into smoke, before resting his forehead on Jaehyun’s chest with a high-pitched, muffled giggle.
He looked lovely, sounded lovely, was lovely, and Jaehyun couldn’t help but fall for him even more. It was incredibly endearing how all it took for the childlike side of him to appear was cold weather and just a little bit of snow.
Jaehyun adored each of his sides equally, but this one had to be his favourite.
“Thank you,” Jaehyun muttered, voice hushed but genuine. He rested his chin atop of his head, brought Chanhhee even closer to himself by wrapping his arms around his small frame, and closed his eyes.
He felt content. Happy. Like nothing could spoil his mood.
And it was the truth; nothing could spoil his mood. Not when he had the person he adored the most tucked safely in his embrace, equally as happy.
Chanhee suddenly broke the hug, craning his neck upwards to look up at the sky again. The snowflakes were almost inconspicuous, blending in with the gray sky and of small size, but it was still enough to fill Chanhee with joy. It was apparent by how wide he was smiling.
Jaehyun watched Chanhee, his now boyfriend , close his eyes and stand still, waiting to feel the snowflakes land on his face gracefully. Judging by his facial expression, though, Jaehyun could tell Chanhee felt little to nothing.
“Can’t feel anything?” Jaehyun said, stifling his laughter.
Chanhee pursed his lips, nodding. “Yeah. It feels just the slightest bit wet, but that’s all.”
Jaehyun hummed in thought. Then, he settled for, “Stick out your tongue.”
“Huh?”
“If you can’t feel it, taste it.”
“It’s water,” Chanhee deadpanned.
Jaehyun shrugged nonchalantly. “You do you. I am going to taste it,” he said before he stuck out his own tongue, closing his eyes.
He could feel Chanhee’s gaze on him, probably judging him and his antics, and then he heard his chuckle. Jaehyun managed to barely taste only two snowflakes before two long arms wrapped around his middle and a fluffy head rested on his chest, catching him by surprise. He opened his eyes and looked down, being met with the top of Chanhee’s pink head. If he looked closely enough, he could notice the tip of his ears were tinted pink as well. Everything about Chanhee was pink: his hair, his cheeks, his nose and his ears. Jaehyun loved it.
Jaehyun giggled, wrapping his arms around Chanhee’s frame. Tighter this time.
“Now it’s my turn to ask you what’s gotten into you,” Jaehyun teased him.
Chanhee huffed. “You’ll understand later.”
“Touché.”
They stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s embrace, until Jaehyun could genuinely no longer feel his facial muscles. The coldness had begun to seep in through the fabric of his coat as well, though he didn’t dare tell Chanhee that.
“We should probably not stay longer in the cold like this.” Chanhee’s voice was muffled. He shifted his head slightly so his chin could rest on Jaehyun’s chest and his eyes could look up at Jaehyun. “We might catch a cold.”
Jaehyun hummed. He looked at Chanhee’s eyes, ever so loving and captivating, before leaning closer to press kisses all over his face, starting from his forehead to the tip of his nose, which was still tinted adorably pink. He paused, and then bumped their noses together, giggling when Chanhee scrunched his nose. His eyes then focused on Chanhee’s lips, but he didn’t lean in.
“You’re right.”
He made no effort to move, though; his arms were still caging Chanhee.
“Jaehyun..”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the cold. I’ll let all the snowflakes fall on me.”
Chanhee gasped, hitting Jaehyun’s chest. “No need to impress me by acting like a hero. I don’t want to be the cause of your sorry ass waking up with a cold tomorrow morning.”
Chanhee wiggled out of his embrace, despite Jaehyun’s whining. Unable to withstand the thought of being separated from Chanhee for one second, Jaehyun immediately interlocked their fingers. Perhaps he came across as clingy and overbearing, but before those thoughts rooted in his insecurities could linger in his mind, Chanhee began swinging their intertwined hands together; once again showing that endearing childlike side of him.
“So, where do you wanna go?” He inquired with a wide smile.
“Hmm.. I’m not sure. Definitely somewhere where it’s warm.”
“The coffee shop?”
Jaehyun made a face. “Juyeon must be still there.”
“Well.. The library?”
“Nowhere near the university, please,” Jaehyun sighed. “I’ve had enough of school, honestly. How about your place?”
“Hm. Sure. It’s a bit messy there, though. My time was quite limited this morning.”
Jaehyun playfully bumped his shoulder. “I’m sure it is nowhere as messy as mine, don’t worry.” He paused, before adding, “I’d suggest we go to mine, but..”
“But?”
“The space heater is still broken.”
Chanhee gasped. “Are you serious? You still haven’t bought a new one?”
“I haven’t had enough time! My exam is next week.”
Chanhee simply shook his head, pursing his lips in thought.
“Well, why don’t you stay at my place for some time? At least until you buy a new one.”
“Ooh, we’re already having the moving in talk? A little bit eager, aren’t we?”
Chanhee scoffed, head turning to the side. He would’ve probably pushed Jaehyun to stumble, if they hadn’t been holding hands. His hand felt a little too warm to push Jaehyun away.
“You know, I can just take my offer back and let you freeze in your apartment.”
Jaehyun giggled, leaning down to nuzzle his cheek in Chanhee’s shoulder. It was a bit awkward, especially because they were walking, but Jaehyun seemed adamant on making it work.
“I’ll think about it. Only if you’re comfortable with me staying at your place, though.”
“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I hadn’t been comfortable with it. Don’t think too much about it.”
Jaehyun smiled.
The entire way to Chanhee’s apartment, Chanhee wouldn’t stop swinging their entwined hands back and forth and walking with his neck craned upwards to continue marvelling at the snow. Jaehyun was sure he would wake up with shoulder pain the next day, as well as an elevated heart rate because he was still terrified by how Chanhee had almost stepped off the sidewalk and into the middle of the street while a car was approaching, way too distracted by the snow. Fortunately, he had been quick to pull him by his side, and then had not once taken his eyes off of him.
He never would. At least not while Chanhee was outside in the snow, utterly delighted and marvelled by its beauty.
Once Jaehyun entered Chanhee’s apartment, he could immediately feel his facial muscles waking up and the warmth seeping through the fabric of his coat.
“Oh I’m definitely moving in,” he said, collapsing on Chanhee’s couch to lie on it. He straightened his legs and oh, he could finally feel his toes again.
He heard Chanhee giggle from the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, Chanhee emerged from the kitchen, carrying two cups in his hands.
“What made you change your mind so quickly?”
“Your apartment is incredibly warm. I don’t understand how you can leave the warmth of your apartment and step outside in the cold. It would kill me to do that.”
Chanhee simply chuckled, placing the cups on the living room glass table. Judging by the bit Jaehyun could see from his angle and the steam coming out from the cups, they were carrying a hot liquid. Most likely tea.
“I’m sure this will make you feel even warmer.”
Jaehyun could barely react before Chanhee plopped down on top of him, eliciting a grunt. Chanhee was heavy by no means; he had just done little to control his fall.
While lying on Chanhee's couch, wrapped in warmth with Chanhee nestled on top of him, gazing at him with his doe-like eyes, Jaehyun was convinced that nothing and no one could convince him to move. If only he could remain like this forever.
“You’re right, it does make me feel warmer,” Jaehyun said, carefully placing his hands on Chanhee’s waist.
Chanhee simply giggled, letting out a sigh of satisfaction right after.
“Today feels unreal.”
Jaehyun hummed. “Why?”
“Today was my first day as a host and it is the first day of being someone’s boyfriend. I can’t believe it,” Chanhee muttered, almost to himself. “What made you even confess to me?”
Jaehyun cleared his throat, looking away. “Well. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Oh? Embarrassing?”
“Mmh.”
“You can’t say that and then not tell me! I’m curious now.”
Jaehyun sighed. “It’s all because of Changmin’s damn radio and his listeners.”
Chanhee raised an eyebrow, confused at first, but then it seemed like realization dawned on him. “It was those compliments, wasn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but not entirely. What really convinced me to find you and confess to you was.. That person. Your description of me as your ideal type as well, but mostly that person.”
“That person..?” Chanhee repeated to himself, confused.
“Come on, don’t make me say it,” Jaehyun whined.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to say it yourself, Mr. Lee.”
“The person.. Who said.. They’d confess..”
Chanhee’s eyes widened in realization and then the corners of his lips tugged up in a smile. He then began to giggle uncontrollably as he buried his nose into the slope of Jaehyun’s neck, causing Jaehyun to flinch. The tip of his nose was still quite cold.
“I had completely forgotten about them! Wait.. you’re telling me that you were jealous? I hadn’t taken you for the jealous type, honestly.”
Jaehyun closed his eyes, almost as if he were in pain, and covered his eyes with his palm. “Well, me neither. I told you it’s embarrassing.”
Chanhee continued giggling from where he was hiding in his shoulder and Jaehyun scrunched his nose, feeling ticklish.
“It’s cute!”
“Yeah well, cute or embarrassing, it made me confess to you. Which I apologise, because I hadn’t meant to confess to you at the university . But it’s not everyday that I hear hundreds of people confess to my crush and do nothing about it. I had to do something.”
Chanhee raised his head so he could lock eyes with Jaehyun.
“What are you even apologising for? Don’t be silly. I loved every second of it, especially because it began snowing.”
Jaehyun smiled, pinching Chanhee’s cheek.
“Whatever you say, cutie.” He paused, before he shyly added, “But you will tell all those listeners on Thursday that you’re now dating someone, right?”
Chanhee hummed in faux deep thought, even going as far as placing his pointer finger on his chin. “Hmm.. I’ll think about it.”
Jaehyun whined. “Come on! I can’t let that person live still thinking that you aren’t taken.”
“Well, I did tell them that I already had my eyes on someone, right?”
“Still. It’s not the same.”
Chanhee sighed, smiling. “If that makes you happy, I’ll do it.”
Jaehyun smiled back. “Thank you,” he muttered shyly. Then, he added, “..And I’m still better than all those people who complimented you, right? Better than user curioswishes who complimented you on your fashion? Or that person who used that.. Gross pickup line. Or that person who complimented your voice—”
Chanhee shook his head fondly, a broad smile apparent on his lips. He cupped Jaehyun’s cheeks with his now warm hands and his eyes traveled to Jaehyun’s lips. Hesitated at first, but then he leaned in to do what Jaehyun had previously hesitated to do; he pressed a kiss to Jaehyun’s lips, and then pulled back with flushed cheeks. Jaehyun was certain his own cheeks were even more flushed.
“All those compliments vanished from my head as soon as I saw you. They’re strangers, Jaehyun. Strangers whom I deeply appreciate for saying all those nice words to me, yeah, but none of them comes close to you ,” Chanhee said, placing a strand of Jaehyun’s hair behind his ear. “Yes, you’re better than all of them. No doubt. Better than user—You silly, you even remember their user?!”
Jaehyun closed his eyes in embarrassment, placing his hands over his face to hide away but ended up putting them on top of Chanhee’s hands instead.
“You try to listen to the entire campus confess to your crush of two years!”
Chanhee froze. “Two years? I’ve been your crush for two whole years?” His voice was playful, obviously teasing Jaehyun.
Jaehyun simply groaned and turned his head away, unable to look Chanhee in the eye longer. Nevertheless he couldn’t suppress a silly, wide smile from illuminating his face. Ever since Chanhee’s radiant smile in the freezing cold, he could feel a ray of sunlight stuck with him.
Jaehyun wished for it to never fade away, and with Chanhee by his side, he was certain it wouldn’t.
“Your crush of two years huh..” Chanhee muttered to himself, now resting his cheek on Jaehyun’s shoulder. “That means..” a sudden gasp. “We met two years ago!”
“Are we really having this conversation right now..”
“We definitely are!” Chanhee exclaimed, pulling himself up to face Jaehyun. His boyfriend refused to look him in the eye, though, so Chanhee placed his hands on Jaehyun’s cheeks and turned his head in front. Only then did Jaehyun look at him.
“Fine, fine,” Jaehyun mumbled, defeated. “What do you wanna know?”
“When did you realise you liked me?”
“Well.. Two years ago?”
“When we first met?”
A pause, before Jaehyun nodded. “When we first met.”
Jaehyun watched how Chanhee paused, seemingly pondering how long ago that was, before he hid his face in the slope of his shoulder, face red.
“Why are you even embarrassed?” Jaehyun laughed. “I should be instead! And you were the one who wanted to know!”
Chanhee only slightly punched Jaehyun’s chest with his fist, muttering a weak “Shut up..” which came out muffled, though Jaehyun picked it up.
Jaehyun sighed, utterly endeared, and then grabbed his fist to open his hand and lock their fingers together. His other unoccupied hand flew to Chanhee’s hair and started swirling the strands of hair around his finger, while occasionally scratching Chanhee’s scalp. He did that for about ten minutes, before he heard Chanhee mumble.
“Stop doing that or I’ll fall asleep..”
“Sleep then,” Jaehyun said, his own eyelids feeling heavier than before. The silence and the cozy atmosphere, along with Chanhee’s body heat was inevitably making him feel sleepy.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable for you, though?” Chanhee asked, ready to push himself away, before Jaehyun stopped him.
“It isn’t. Quite the opposite, actually.”
Chanhee nodded, too tired to protest, and went back to his initial position. Jaehyun hugged him closer, while his hand resumed playing with his hair.
Perhaps less than five minutes had passed, when he realised something.
“Can you breathe with your nose on my shoulder, though?”
No response. Jaehyun’s eyebrows furrowed, his hand stilling to focus on Chanhee. Only then did he notice how Chanhee’s body felt slightly heavier on top of him and how his breathing had slowed down, evening out. He was fast asleep.
Jaehyun huffed a chuckle, careful not to wake his lover, and then closed his own eyes.
“Sleep tight, Chani.”
It didn’t take him long to fall asleep as well.
On Thursday, Jaehyun lay on Chanhee's bed, having moved there from his couch once he realised it was more comfortable. He actually hadn't budged since; declaring it as his own. His textbooks scattered beside him and his earphones in place, he was listening to Station Z. He wouldn’t call himself a fan of Changmin’s radio, rather a fan of Chanhee and his voice. He was also sure one of his favorite highlighters had fallen under Chanhee's bed in the midst of studying, but he couldn't muster the energy to search for it.
That day, Chanhee decided to take calls and have some fun on his last day as the host while communicating with his listeners. Was it actually his last episode? Nobody knew.. Chanhee would have to talk to the actual host of the radio, Changmin, about it.
Barely five minutes into Thursday’s episode, Chanhee expressed his wish to go by a different name like an actual host. He had been thinking about it and hoped that his listeners could offer some suggestions since apparently he wasn’t good at coming up with names.
The first two suggestions, made by a girl and a man, who Jaehyun realised were his classmates by recognising their voices, were absolutely.. Hilarious, to put it simply. Zzangguri and Dooly; both cartoon characters that apparently resembled Chanhee. Chanhee’s reaction was priceless, awfully similar to the ones Jaehyun evoked in him whenever he playfully teased him, hence he always did it.
The next one wasn’t a cartoon character, but rather linked to something Chanhee hated. Tomatoes . As soon as he had heard the word come out of the caller’s mouth, Chanhee responded with a quick and firm ‘No’. Jaehyun was surprised that he hadn’t hung up on him.
The next one was.. Well, Jaehyun wasn’t certain as he had unfortunately spaced out in the midst of hearing it, but it was something that had to do with how New was the most fitting name for him as he was apparently born under a new moon. Fascinating, but he had zoned out. Clearly he wasn’t into such stuff.
The last name suggestion before a requested song was played was offered by a guy who was very clearly, obviously, unabashedly , flirting with Chanhee. His boyfriend. Jaehyun hadn’t even bothered to listen to what the actual name was, too focused on the way the guy wasn’t even hiding how flirtatious he was intending to be. Without even realising it, his hands had curled into fists and his jaw was clenching.
Before he could properly think about it, cool-headed and down to earth, Jaehyun punched the numbers on his phone and pressed the call button as soon as the requested song was over, waiting patiently. Perhaps not as patiently as he would like, since his knee wouldn’t stop fidgeting.
Chanhee wanted stage name suggestions? Jaehyun was more than happy to give him one; one that surpassed all the ones he had been suggested so far. One that Chanhee would undoubtedly like.
A few seconds of silence passed and then Chanhee’s voice echoed in the empty room.
“Hi!”
“I have a perfect name suggestion for you.”
“Oh? I doubt it’ll be as good as New but let’s hear it.”
“Hyunjae’s boyfriend.”
“Hyun.. What? Who’s—oh.”
Jaehyun grinned as he heard Chanhee falter, realising who the caller was.
“Ah, really..” Jaehyun could practically picture the small, embarrassed smile on Chanhee’s face. “I told you I’d announce it myself!”
“You were taking too long! I’m an impatient man. Hello everybody, I’m the guy whose curly hair resembles a bird’s nest and is the owner of the dog which hates its owner. Your dear host’s ideal type, basically. I’m his boyfriend now, sorry not sorry.”
“My ideal type isn’t impatient, though.”
“My ideal type also doesn’t resemble Dooly .”
“You’ll never let that go, will you..”
“Correct.”
“You—”
In the end, Chanhee still chose New as the name he preferred to go by and ended the episode while calling himself New, but it was alright. At least the entire campus was now aware that he was dating someone, dating Jaehyun , and that had been Jaehyun’s aim when he made the call. He may be the temporary host everybody had a crush on, sure, but he was Jaehyun’s boyfriend.
Jaehyun’s boyfriend.. Oh, he absolutely loved how that sounded.