Chapter Text
The bustling main cafeteria of the university. A week has passed since Donghyuk's welcoming tour. The lunchtime rush is in full swing, trays clattering, conversations overlapping, and the air thick with the aroma of diverse cuisines. Yang Yang sits alone at a corner table, a half-eaten bowl of noodles in front of him. He scans the crowded room with a slightly bewildered expression, as if searching for something or someone.
Donghyuk, ever the observant and friendly soul, spots Yang Yang looking a bit out of sorts as he navigates the crowded aisles near the drink dispensers. He finishes filling his water bottle and heads over to the younger student's table, his usual bright smile in place.
"Hey, pink hair! Fancy seeing you here. You look like you're plotting your escape route. Everything alright?"
Yang Yang looks up, a flicker of recognition followed by a hint of relief in his eyes. He manages a small, slightly hesitant smile. "Oh, hey... Haechan. Uh, yeah, I'm okay. Just... trying to figure out which way the library is from here. I thought it was on this side of campus, but all these hallways look the same." He gestures vaguely with his chopsticks.
Donghyuk chuckles, pulling up an empty chair and turning it around to sit facing Yang Yang, resting his arms on the back. "Ah, the infamous campus layout! It gets everyone at first. You're actually on the opposite side for the main library. You need to head back out the main doors, take a left past the student union building – you can't miss the giant 'SU' sign – and then follow the path that curves uphill. It's about a five-minute walk from there. Big stone building, lots of steps." He accompanies his directions with animated hand gestures.
Yang Yang listens intently, nodding along. His shoulders seem to relax slightly as Donghyuk explains the way. "Okay, that makes much more sense. I think I went the wrong way entirely. Thanks, Haechan."
Donghyuk's smile widens, but a touch of playful curiosity enters his expression. "No problem at all! That's what friendly upperclassmen are for, right? Speaking of friendly... I haven't heard from you all week! I gave everyone my number, figured some of the new folks might have questions or just want to, you know, grab coffee or something. Everything been okay?" He tilts his head slightly, his eyes conveying genuine concern.
Yang Yang shifted in place, fiddling with the edge of his long sleeve. He finally met Donghyuk's friendly gaze, a hesitant expression clouding his features. "I wouldn't want trouble with your boyfriend." He mumbled the words, his eyes darting around the busy cafeteria as if expecting someone to materialize.
Donghyuk blinked, his smile faltering slightly. He tilted his head, a genuine question in his voice. "My boyfriend?" He repeated the words slowly, as if trying to process them. A crease appeared between his eyebrows.
Yang Yang nodded once, his pink hair swaying slightly. He avoided direct eye contact again. "Ehm, yeah?" The affirmation was soft, laced with uncertainty.
Donghyuk leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. The playful demeanor from moments before had been replaced by genuine intrigue. "And who would that be?" He asked, his tone gentle, encouraging Yang Yang to elaborate.
Yang Yang finally looked back up, a flicker of confusion mirroring Donghyuk's own."Mark?" He offered the name tentatively, as if it were a question itself.
Donghyuk's eyes widened in surprise, then a chuckle escaped his lips. He shook his head, a bemused smile spreading across his face. "Mark Peters? He told you he was my boyfriend? He's a prankster, an absolute menace." He said with a fond shake of his head, a hint of amusement in his voice "I quite like the guy, actually, but didn't think he'd be joking about that." He emphasized the last word with a playful laugh.
Yang Yang frowned slightly, trying to reconcile this jovial description with the rather intense encounter he'd had. He wracked his brain for details.
"Eh, no, it's… actually I don't think we exchanged last names but he was Korean so…" He paused, searching for the right name "...Mark Kim?" He offered this guess with a shrug.
Donghyuk's amusement faded, replaced by a look of sudden comprehension. His eyes widened slightly, a realization dawning on him. "Wait: Mark Lee?" He asked, his tone now carrying a note of recognition and perhaps a hint of understanding.
Yang Yang's brow furrowed. He hadn't been entirely sure of the last name, but Donghyuk's certainty made him second-guess himself.
"Sure?" He replied, his voice still questioning, unsure if he had the right Mark.
Donghyuk's eyes widened slightly as the younger confirmed Mark's name. He pressed his lips together, a mixture of disbelief and a dawning understanding washing over him. He paused for a beat, his gaze drifting thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes lit up as he spotted a familiar face weaving through the crowded tables.
"Sungchan! Hey! Come here for a second." He called out, raising a hand to flag down the taller freshman, his voice carrying easily over the cafeteria noise.
Sungchan, a tall young man with a friendly smile, turned at the sound of his name and made his way over to Donghyuk's table.
"Hey Hyuck." He greeted with a polite nod, his eyes flicking curiously to Yang Yang, who was watching the exchange with a bewildered expression.
Donghyuk gestured for the new comer to sit down with them, a playful but pointed look on his face.
"Sungchan-ah, who's my boyfriend?" He asked, his tone light but with an underlying seriousness.
Sungchan blinked, a look of mild confusion spreading across his features. He glanced at Yang Yang again, then back at Donghyuk.
"Uuhh, is that a trick question?" He replied hesitantly, clearly unsure of the context.
Donghyuk shook his head slightly, a small, almost exasperated smile playing on his lips. "Answer anyway." He insisted, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.
Sungchan shrugged, still a little lost, but willing to play along. "Mark Lee, the senior." He stated matter-of-factly, as if it were common knowledge.
Donghyuk's jaw dropped slightly, and he let out a soft, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head again. "Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath, more to himself than to either of the freshmen.
Sungchan looked from Donghyuk to Yang Yang, his confusion deepening. "What? Why?" He asked, genuinely curious about his senior’s reaction.
Yang Yang, feeling a surge of awkwardness and understanding down on him, leaned slightly towards the younger freshman and whispered conspiratorially "I don't think they're actually dating."
Sungchan's eyes widened, and he looked back at Donghyuk, then back at Yang Yang, his confusion reaching a new peak. "Wait, you're not?" He blurted out, directing the question at the tan male with a bewildered expression.
Donghyuk, who had been processing Sungchan's confirmation with a wry smile, now turned his attention fully to Yang Yang, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Did he tell you to stay away from me?" He asked, his tone surprisingly gentle, almost understanding, but behind his gentle eyes, wheels were turning, points were joining. A lot of things suddenly made sense.
The tall freshman's cheeks flushed slightly. He avoided Donghyuk's gaze for a moment before admitting sheepishly "Yeah, as he should. I came onto you pretty strong, any guy would have taken issue with that." He mumbled, looking down at the table between them.
Donghyuk's eyes softened, a genuine surprise flickering across his face. He leaned forward, his earlier amusement returning, tinged with a hint of intrigue. "So you did like me! I was so confused when you pulled away, I thought I was reading it all wrong." He exclaimed, a bright smile returning to his lips.
Sungchan's blush deepened. He stammered slightly, trying to clarify. "Ahm you weren't wrong, there was definitely a move there I was trying to make. But after he talked to me, of course I would back off, I'm not a homewrecker." He spoke earnestly.
Donghyuk chuckled, shaking his head with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "There was no home for you to wreck." He stated plainly, his eyes twinkling.
The Korean looked up, his confusion returning full force. "Yeah, that's what I'm gathering now, but why would he do that?" He asked, his voice laced with genuine bewilderment.
Yang Yang chuckled, a wry smile playing on his lips as the pieces started to fall into place. "I think the answer is obvious." He quipped, nudging Sungchan playfully with his elbow.
Donghyuk rolled his eyes dramatically, a sheepish grin spreading across his face despite himself. "Yeah, the clues are neon green at this point. He likes me, sure, but why hasn't he said anything?" He wondered aloud, a hint of genuine frustration creeping into his voice.
Yang Yang's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Never?" He asked, incredulous.
Donghyuk shook his head, his expression a mixture of amusement and resignation. "Not in the two years he has known me." He emphasized the time frame with a sigh.
The Chinese man whistled softly, shaking his head in mock pity. "Oh wow, he's gonna lose that train." He said, remembering how highly Mark spoke about the committee president.
Donghyuk's eyes narrowed playfully. "He's not though! Not if he keeps telling every cute guy that's into me that he's already riding the train!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation.
Sungchan's jaw dropped slightly, and he exchanged a surprised glance with the Chinese man. The younger Korean has known the not-couple for half a year now, and the idea that there is nothing going on between the two is preposterous to him, and to anyone who has witnessed just how close and compatible they are, the heart eyes they send each other.
"So he's not even riding it?” He asks, more crude than he intended to sound but exactly what he'd been meaning to ask “No friends with benefits, no situationship? Nothing?" He clarified, wanting to be absolutely sure.
Donghyuk shook his head emphatically. "At all." He confirmed, a definitive tone in his voice.
The tall man, stared intently with wide eyes, suddenly perked up, a hopeful and shy smile spreading across his face. "So I do have a chance." He ventured, his voice soft but filled with a newfound optimism.