Chapter Text
When Youngjae and Jaebum were together it wasn’t loud. It was shocking, honestly, for the people who knew how loud the both of them could be on their own. But when they were together it was quiet, comfortable and warm. Everyone knew about there relationship as well, with Jaebum being the golden boy on campus. Everyone in the school looked up to him for some reason or another, whether it be his leadership skills or his musical talent. either way people were unvested in his life. Youngjae, on the other hand was shy, especially when meeting knew people. He was introverted and liked being with a selected few close friends. He wasn’t much of a partier. I short they balanced each other out. And they were so in love.
And it follows that, when they broke up, it was just as quiet. There was no screaming or crying. There was no anger because there wasn’t really anyone to be angry at. Sometimes things just don’t work out. Sometimes you just can’t keep fighting anymore.
The bottom line of it was that Youngjae had left. He had left Jaebum and then he left the city. Off to study music therapy with the promise of an impressive scholarship. Jaebum didn’t blame him for taking it. They weren’t together anymore, and even if they were he would never have asked Youngjae to give up the opportunity. But he would have asked him to stay, to make long distance work. He didn’t have any excuse to ask Youngjae to stay with him.
Not mine . his brain whispered. At that moment he knew that Youngjae’s friends would be at the train station, Exchanging final hugs and tearful goodbyes before Youngjae boarded the train and rode off toward his future leaving everything he knew, leaving his friends, leaving Jaebum, behind. And Jaebum wasn’t standing beside like he had always imagined.
Sitting up in his dorm room, earbuds jammed into his ears, volume turned up almost all the way, Jaebum couldn’t help but feel like he had made a mistake. That maybe, had he said something when they were together, had he said something when they broke up, had he gone to that train platform and said something, anything, Youngjae might have stayed.
And here they were, eight months later. The second week of classes in the second semester of the university school year. The three of them, Mark, Jinyoung and himself, were heading over to the music building for the class they had all decided to take together. The professor was one they had all had previously and had loved so they had decided to take his class together as an elective.
They all bustled into the classroom and took there seats. The professor was at the front of the class talking to some kid, handing him some papers, probably the syllabus, but Jaebum wasn’t paying much attention. Too busy listening to Mark and Jinyoung bicker over some book Jinyoung had recommended.
They started pulling out there notebooks and pencils when suddenly, Jinyoung grabbed his arm, grip so tight Jaebum thought it might actually bruise him.
“Ow! Jinyoung what the fu—“
“Shut up! Also, don’t freak out, and don’t turn around, but that kid at the front of the class? I think that’s Youngjae.”
Despite Jinyoung’s warning, Jaebum whipped his head around to the front of the class and sure enough, Youngjae was staring right back at him. They made eye contact for a second before Youngjae looked down at his feet. He seemed to take a deep breath before walking down the aisle, past Jaebum and taking a seat a couple of rows away. Jaebum’s eyes followed him all the way to his seat. It took Mark’s elbow in his ribs to snap his attention away from his ex. No one told him Youngjae was coming back. No one told him Youngjae was going to be in his class. Maybe he should just drop the class then he wouldn’t have to deal with all the feelings he had been repressing for the past eight months.
“Stop it. What ever your thinking about doing, don’t” Jinyoung whispered to him.
“What do you mean? I wasn’t thinking about doing anything.” Jaebum said.
“You knew he was eventually coming back.”
“Yeah but I didn’t think he was gonna be in the same class as us! Last time I checked he was a year behind us. He shouldn’t be able to take this class.”
“Basically your saying you thought it would be easier to avoid him and now you actually have to face what happened and you're not ready.” Jinyoung whispered harshly. “It’s been eight month, Jaebum, you have to deal with the fact that you guys broke up.”
The professor cleared his throat to get there attention. They leaned away from each other, an embarrassed blush flooding Jeabum’s face.
“As I was saying, class, your first assignment is going to be a partner assignment.” There was an immediate rush of excited whispering as people tried to sort out their partners.
“Hold on!” The professor said, voice raised to be heard above the din. “You will not be picking your own partners.” A groan of disappointment rippled through the class room.
“In order to be as diplomatic as possible I will be drawing names out of a hat. That way you can be sure that there is no prejudice in who gets partnered with whom.”
The professor reached into the hat filled with little paper slips. “Okay. Jaebum, you are going to be partnered with,” He reached in to pull out another slip, “Youngjae.”
Jaebum snapped to attention. Jinyoung and Mark were both staring at him with wide eyes. There was no way this was happening to him. Eight months of reminding himself that Youngjae wasn’t his anymore. Eight month of trying and failing to move on, to let go. And that was when Youngjae wan’t even in the city. How on earth was he supposed to convince himself to move on when Youngjae was sitting right beside him? When he had to look at his adorable face? When he had to hear him laugh for someone else, smile for someone else? How on earth was he gonna get through this?