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Jo met Euijoo on one of the literature event nights Yuma had managed to drag him to. Back then, Euijoo was just a senior, up on the stage, presenting his poem in front of the whole faculty— and Jo didn't even think the two would be formally introduced to each other.
But fate always has different plans.
Yuma had waved Euijoo over when he finished his speech, and from that moment on, Euijoo's presence had started to linger with Jo, constantly.
The next time Jo met him again was in the cafeteria, Euijoo had joined in. They clicked instantly. They were similar at most, both giant softies as their friends would call them.
And they kept meeting— through the hallways, at cafés Jo visited to take a breather and spend his time sketching or working on his new art projects, and in the library where his whole friend group had study sessions at. And almost everytime, Euijoo always found a place to sit beside him.
Before Jo knew it, he'd started falling for the older. He'd started noticing way too many things— the way Euijoo's laughter always sounded soft, that subtle hand holding onto a table edge whenever Jo bent down to pick something up that had fallen, or the way Euijoo lingered longer whenever they were the only ones hanging out— Jo tried telling himself that was just how Euijoo was, naturally kind. But he couldn't help reading more into it, not with the way his heartbeat quickened everytime Euijoo's attention shifted to him.
Everyone had noticed except maybe Jo himself. Or he'd likely just pressed that thought aside because that's how he was. He coped in a different way when he'd start liking something or someone that he's presumed was too good to be true for him to have.
Yuma had enough of it though, he pulled Jo aside one afternoon while they were walking out of one of Jo's favourite cafés slash bookstore. "Seriously, Jo. I see the way you look at him," Yuma started, hands on his hip like it was the most serious thing in the world— kind of was with the way Jo's heart was beating. "You like him." Yuma said it before Jo did. And somehow, that didn't help.
He hadn't responded, just given his usual I'm too scared to figure it out—unsure look which made Yuma sigh and pat his back.
The next person to notice was Maki. Oh, Maki always did. He was a social network and a good observer at that, he knew almost everything without even anyone being ever verbal about them. They were having one of their study sessions in one of the campus libraries, Jo was sketching a face that looked suspiciously like Euijoo. Maki was right beside him and peeked over his shoulder and shuffled a laugh against Jo's shoulder.
"Hey," Jo lightly slid the book away, turning a page. "Oopsie, didn't mean to see that." Maki said with tease and mischief in his tone.
Jo flushed. Ears turning hot red. Maki wasn't done yet though, his voice softened— "Seriously Jojo, you don't think you should tell him now?" Maki gave him that soft suggesting look, never really pushing. Jo's breath rambled slightly. "Tell who what?" Maki only shook his head then, muttering something about 'you should figure it out soon' before going back to his notes.
Eventfully, one afternoon while Jo was looking out of his window, admiring the falling autumn leaves— oranges and yellows, the realisation dawned on him as his mind had created a soft image of Euijoo at the tranquil of the calming afternoon.
I like him.
The realisation wasn't hard, it didn't hit Jo like a train. Just a soft, brush of a wind of thought, a sudden warm feeling pooled in his chest physically making his heart ache.
I really like him.
And the worse thing was, Jo didn't know what else to do other than admire from afar.
Two months had passed. Shuffled between winter break, a whole lot of assignments and artwork projects, students travelling back home, friend groups separating and the dorms feeling quieter than normal. Jo's life moved with it too even though his feelings stayed the same.
The early days of February were approaching. With it came the cool wind and warm rays of sunshine. The campus had gone wild again with chatter about the upcoming valentine's day. Jo didn't have much interest in it— well, used to. But he'd find himself looking here and there at the excited students with the atmosphere of romance. Almost everyone planning to ask out their chosen ones.
If Jo was stupid—as he'd say, he'd be bold enough to be planning to ask 'someone' out, himself. And if he was stupider, he would've been confident about it.
He walked the literature building's hallway, waiting for Yuma who had ran back in to quickly fetch a paper from his professor. From the corner of his eyes, Jo caught the image of Euijoo's figure and that of a girl. His heart sank, awfully heavy but he swallowed. The girl seemed to be giving Euijoo a box of chocolate and the simplest hint of asking him out to be her valentine. Jo turned away before anyone noticed him staring.
If he had any confidence left, it had died down. Along with it— hope had, too.
He'd rot himself in bed all week after that, until the group was supposed to meet in the morning for an early study prep.
Euijoo was running late. Jo and Yuma stayed behind (Yuma's idea by the way) while Fuma, Nicholas and Maki walked ahead. One look at Yuma's face and Jo knew he was upto something, "Don't," Jo muttered before Yuma spoke and that only made him groan. "Hear me out," Yuma started, almost earning a big 'NO' from Jo but he was faster.
"Ask him out this valentine, do it. If he doesn't agree, that saves you some time to move on."
Yuma was right, it doesn't sound that bad. Jo sighed, he couldn't resist that insistence. Also, it was good advice, he'd give Yuma that.
Valentine's day morning arrived faster than Jo imagined. The campus buzzed with a calmness that only meant suspense before chaos. They were all in the cafeteria, except Euijoo and Nicholas.
Yuma was practically beaming, munching on his favourite chocolates— it was from a bouquet that Fuma had hand decorated himself. He had taken like ten pictures of it along with the pinkish card that came with it that said 'Will you be my valentine? Again?' Fuma was poking at his breakfast, pretending not to watch that pleasing look on the younger's face.
Maki on the other hand was anxiety in disguise of a human being. He fidgeted in his seat, anxiously waiting. He'd told Jo earlier how he was worried Nicholas wouldn't ask. Jo had reassured him but the sight of the younger constantly gazing at the entrance way fueled his own anxiety.
Moments later, footsteps walked up ahead to them. It was Nicholas, looking at Maki with this soft smile on his lips and the subtlest heart eyes ever. He extended his hand out to give Maki a card. Maki's eyes widened as he opened and read it.
Before anyone could say anything, he sprung up from his seat, throwing his arms around Nicholas's neck and hugging him tight. Nicholas's soft chuckle muffled onto his shoulder as he placed a hand on Maki's waist in an attempt of balance, stumbling backwards a little. That ended with a soft kiss Maki had placed on his lips.
The sight warmed Jo's heart up a little. His hands were still cold, he'd been hoping a certain 'someone' like that would ask him out too.
But Yuma had helped make up his mind— before Jo had left for the campus that early morning, he had torn one page of his sketchbook wherein he had hand-sketched Euijoo reading a book. Softly folding it and tying a red thread around it before attaching a reddish card that engraved the same thing everyone asked and tucked it into his bag, carefully so that he wouldn't crush it.
He'd be meeting Euijoo after their first class, in the library. Jo had thought of it to be a good opportunity.
His walk to the library was slow, as if buying more time to himself. When he walked in, Euijoo was waiting at one of their go-to stalls. Euijoo's eyes lit up when he noticed and stood up quickly. Jo had decided on dancing around it, he was still a procrastinator. But before he could muster up enough mental capacity to pull his gift out, Euijoo did,
"Uhm actually," he scratched the back of his nape, blush flushing up to his neck, "Jo, I meant to give you this."
And pushed infront of Jo, in Euijoo's hands was a delicate, square box of chocolates— the cover was simply white and pink painted with several small hearts.
Jo's pulse picked up for a painful second,
"What's this?"
Euijoo smiled, sheepish.
"I wanted to ask, will you be my valentine?"
Silence returned for a second. Before the sound of Jo's soft laughter broke through it, quiet enough to not disturb anyone, resounded in Euijoo's ears.
"Uhm I was going to ask you the same thing."
Jo pulled the folded page and the small card handing it to Euijoo.
"So?" Euijoo's front teeth picked at his lower lip.
Jo smiled, "I say yes, yes, I would love to be your valentine."
And god, that pulled the widest smile from Euijoo's curve of lips. His brown eyes softening as he stared down at Jo's card.
"Wow..." His voice faltered for a second, as if in disbelief. "This turned out better than I thought." The spark was quick and electrifying when Euijoo looked up into Jo's eyes. The air held the string of acknowledgement towards their feelings.
Maybe this was enough for now. Jo's cold hands warmed up as they walked back to class together, Euijoo's hand intertwined with his.