Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk is your average popular boy in highschool. Despite being in 11th grade Yoo Joonghyuk already has fans outside of his school. He does great in any sport and has outstanding grades. He's even good at any game you throw at him. So why? Why does such an outstanding person can't stop thinking about his weird senior.
If you compare Yoo Joonghyuk to his senior, Yoo Joonghyuk would be the male lead and his senior would be a side character that gets one second of screen time, and dies at the end of the episode. Yet Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't stop looking his way.
It all started a week after he transferred highschools. Yoo Joonghyuk has just dropped his sister off at her elementary school. He had some time before school started, so Yoo Joonghyuk decided to stop by a convenience store. That's when he first saw him. A boy, running out of the store with a half put on school uniform. It was a brief, yet enchanting moment for Yoo Joonghyuk. Their eyes only meeting for a second. The slight cheekiness in the boy’s face as his smile grows. The raising of his eyebrows as he takes interest in Yoo Joonghyuk. And Yoo Joonghyuk. Oh, Yoo Joonghyuk. If he had the chance to stare into those dark, dreamy eyes again, he would. He could feel his whole body softening as he looked at him. Stopping to turn around to try and look into his eyes once more. Better yet, his face. To examine every inch, every aspect of it. But he couldn't. All he could do was watch him from afar. Watching him run away. This scene. This feeling. Felt far too nostalgic for the poor, helpless, yearning Yoo Joonghyuk. The only thing that broke him from his trance, was his beautiful and intelligent friend Lee Seolhwa. “Yoo Joonghyuk?” She asks, tapping his shoulder, “What are you doing?”
“Lee… Seolhwa…?”
She laughs. “Are you still half asleep? I've never seen you so lost in thought before.”
“It was nothing.”
“Hmm. Well are you going in? If so, I can accompany you.”
“No. I was only going in to kill time.”
“Oh? Is that so.~”
The two friends walk through the crowded streets filled with students and office workers. The two would exchange stories every couple of minutes. After much debate, Yoo Joonghyuk decides to share his “eventful” morning with Lee Seolhwa. To be honest, at that moment, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't even know the boy's name or recognize the fact that they go to the same school. After hearing Yoo Joonghyuk's story, all she could do was giggle. “The ever so cold hearted Yoo Joonghyuk finally opened his heart to someone other than his sister and best friends,” she teased. All she got as a response was an annoyed grunt from Yoo Joonghyuk.
When the two finally arrive at school. They head to their classroom where most of the students are already seated. Sadly, the two friends sit on opposite sides of the classroom, so Lee Seolhwa decides to hang around Yoo Joonghyuk's desk before class starts despite his protests. The two are then interrupted by their friend Han Sooyoung. “Whatcha you two talkin’ about?”
“Oh just Joonghyuk's new boy crush.”
“WHAT!!!” Han Sooyoung shouts.
“It's not a cru-”
“JOONGHYUK IS CAPABLE OF FEELING ACTUAL HUMAN EMOTIONS???”
Yoo Joonghyuk groans while Lee Seolhwa laughs at Han Sooyoung comments. Lee Seolhwa fills Han Sooyoung in on Yoo Joonghyuk romance filled morning. “Oh that guy. I think his name is Kim Dokja.”
“What?”
“The guy you saw. His name is Kim Dokja, and he's our senior. Most students that go to that convenience store have seen him working there, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's him.”
Kim Dokja.
“Han Sooyoung! What are you doing outside my class?” Joonghyuk and Seolhwa's first period teacher shouts, “Get to class!”
“Yes ma'am,” Sooyoung groans, “Anyway, I heard if you go to the library during lunch you might see him.”
“Why do I need to know that?”
“Just thought it would be helpful,” Sooyoung winks.
“Han Sooyoung!!”
“I'm going! I'm going!”
“Everyone please be seated. Please go to page 187 in your textbook and take out your homework.”
For the rest of the day all Yoo Joonghyuk could think about was his senior. A couple of times during their 10 minute breaks or if there was free time before a class ended, Yoo Joonghyuk would find himself walking to Lee Seolhwa's desk to look out the window. Hoping to see the senior outside. Fortunately, one of the times, Yoo Joonghyuk got a glimpse of him.
And damn. There's truly nothing special about him. His hair is the dullest shade of black there is. He has no facial features that would make him stand out in a crowd. His skin is so pale that it makes him look like a ghost. And above all else. He looks and acts like a loser! How do you even read a book while playing basketball? It's impressive, sure. But no normal person would do that! Joonghyuk didn't understand him one bit. But he wanted to. Something about this plain, ordinary guy just drew him in. Romantically or platonically, Yoo Joonghyuk just found him far too interesting to let go.
Yoo Joonghyuk had decided from this day forth that he would continue to watch and study his senior from afar. To not interact with him nor become friends with him. Just watching him from a safe distance.
If only he would’ve kept that rule.