Chapter Text
Seonghyeon
The harsh late summer sun stretches across the schoolyard, as if signalling the end of a past enthusiastic summer. The weather forecast says that it will be cold at the end of the week.
Today is Saturday; the cold is still hiding somewhere. You can only see sweat pouring out on the forehead of the 16-year-old boy. Well, he is coming to the age where people say that the buffalo horns can be broken.
Whether he can break the buffalo horn or not, Eom Seonghyeon doesn't know, because now his head is dizzy. He regrets agreeing to play basketball with Martin in this weather of nearly 40 degrees. Regrets for rejecting the invitation to eat an acai bowl with Juhoon.
He drags his feet towards the physical block, intending to buy a bottle of cool water at the vending machine near the swimming pool.
From a distance, his eyes couldn't help but sneak towards the group of people at the swimming club. Unconsciously looking for the stature of a person, that person is very special (but only for him, and that is a secret).
There, his eyes are locked on the target. That person is still the same; the strong bronze-brown skin glistens in the sun, and that person is smiling brightly. It seems that he has never seen that person sad or angry. The voice is also as soft and gentle as water. His fatigue is more than half gone. And it seems that in just a moment, he feels that person's eyes are also on him.
A warm stream spread from his fluttering chest. They spread to his ears and then to his face, making them blush for a moment, and he knew it wasn't because he had just finished playing basketball.
A little dazed, Eom Seonghyeon rolled his eyes to avoid the other person's scorching gaze. The footsteps are also unconsciously faster, as if they are running away.
Arriving at the turn next to the water vending machine, Seonghyeon's irregular heart calmed down. He breathes a sigh of relief, then slowly walks to the water vending machine. But before he could put the money into the payment box, a hand reached out to block first. Seonghyeon didn't have time to glance at it; as soon as he raised his head, he panicked. Because the person who cut in line is none other than Ahn Keonho – the person who makes his heart beat wildly just by seeing him.
The hidden corner of the corridor was a bit dark, causing the light from the water vending machine to shine on Keonho's skin a light blue colour; his hair was a little wet, and a few small drops of water remained on his forehead and jawbone. Makes Seonghyeon think of a cool mint ice cream.
Oh my god, what nonsense are you thinking about? Seonghyeon hurriedly shook his head to let those thoughts fall out, and they must have been lying on the ground full of self-pity. Lips slightly pursed, he tries to rearrange the vocabulary that was turbulent in his head.
But the other person doesn't seem to know that in his head now angels and demons are fighting wildly. Seeing his pursed expression, that person just smiled softly.
- Let me invite you!
And before Seonghyeon could say thank you, Keonho hurriedly put a bottle of cold spring water in his hand and left as fast as the way he came.
Since that day, Seonghyeon can't count the number of times he accidentally met Keonho on the football field, in the pool, in the corner of the library, or at the end of the corridor. It's so much that he can't ignore it and call it "accidental" anymore. And the other person didn't seem to care, still showing an innocent puppy face, wet eyes with long eyelashes blinking slightly.
- I accidentally met you again, Dimple boy!
Suddenly, the surprise on Seonghyeon's face turned shy; his eyes did not dare to look directly at the other person. But the mouth hastily refuted:
- My name is not Dimple, he sulked.
- Well, I know, Seonghyeon.
Does he know my name? Seonghyeon wondered how he knew; they never talked to each other, just passed each other in the schoolyard. He thought the bottle of spring water that day was a coincidence.
Keonho burst into laughter because of his expression.
It was that smile again, which made Seonghyeon feel like his heart was aimed directly by a love bow of hidden Cupid (probably) hovering behind Keonho.
Seonghyeon has imagined this hundreds of times: if Keonho came to talk to him, what would he say? What would he do? Now his throat is so dry that he can't say a word. His cheeks were hot, even though the weather had turned to autumn, just like the weather forecast said. But in the corridor now, he feels like summer is back; his clenched palms are also sweaty.
What is Keonho thinking? He doesn't know.
Outside, the sound of students laughing and joking, the sound of hurried footsteps, the sound of the wind swaying on the foliage, a few tiny grains of sunshine through the glass door, weakly stretching in the corridor...
All those things are no longer important; right now, only Seonghyeon – with a beating heart...
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Keonho
The feeling when the water slides on the skin, the supple body winds like a killer fish hunting, the feeling of a rapid heartbeat, and the brain secretes dopamine along with the heat spreading throughout the body because time is counting down every minute.
The hand reached the wall of the swimming pool and floated up. Everything seemed to burst in the moment of victory, when cheers emerged all around. Keonho knows that he desires that feeling.
Keonho's daily schedule is monotonous, not only when he is not going to class but also for hours of underwater training with the coach. But Keonho does not feel depressed; on the contrary, he is very satisfied with his high school life.
But often the peace will lead to bigger storms than expected. And for a simple boy like Keonho, it was the moment he realised that there was always a hot eye watching his back when Keonho walked on the schoolyard, in the canteen or at the swimming pool. Those eyes hesitated and weakly, at first that person just peeked from a distance as if hiding; Keonho could not clearly identify who that person was.
A habit formed after repetitions, Keonho did not realise that he was also unconsciously looking for that person's stature in the crowd.
He is almost as tall as Keonho; his light brown hair is neatly trimmed; he likes to play basketball and often goes to the library just to spend hours reading books; his smile is very special; and his cheeks are dimpled every time he smiles. And Keonho must confess that his heart often jumps a little as soon as he catches that smile.
Keonho first saw him at the opening ceremony of the first school year. When the last performance – something that few people expect to be sung, an old rock song. Keonho, who was absent-minded, had to look up at the stage. A three-person group with a brown-haired boy as the main singer; for a moment, it seemed that the world only had Keonho with him when their eyes met.
"It's the best thing that you've ever had.
The best thing that you've ever, ever had
It's the best thing you've ever had.
The best thing you've had has gone away."
•High and Dry – Radiohead •
Keonho didn't understand what this emotion was; he just knew that the person on the stage was so attractive, every gesture, even the smallest, made him vibrate too much.
Don't know when, but that person's image has been vicious in Keonho's mind regardless of day or night, while practising or in class listening to teachers' lectures.
Day by day, that feeling keeps growing, but Keonho can't hide it anymore; he wants to get close to that person, wants to talk to him, wants to touch him, and wants to see his smile for him.
So when he saw Seonghyeon's eyes that afternoon, Keonho couldn't help but want to follow him. But he didn't want to scare him, so he came up with an "accidental" way to meet.
He shyly follows him, creating unexpected situations (which are actually not very surprising); he wants Seonghyeon to pay attention to him a little. Because he can't stand it anymore, he wants to talk to him. And if Seonghyeon refuses him, he may be so sad that he won't eat fries for a week :<.
Keonho plucked up all the courage to start a conversation when the two met again in the corner of the corridor.
- I accidentally met you again, Dimple boy!
- My name is not Dimple, - he refutes.
- Well, I know, Seonghyeon.
He answered gently and honestly. He has practised calling his name thousands of times in his head.
Seonghyeon's eyes were momentarily surprised, and then a pink cloud slowly spread over his cheeks and then to his ears.
The eyelids moved slightly; in Keonho's heart, there were hundreds of colourful fireworks dancing and falling like a rain of sweet candy, filling his chaotic mind...
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L.S: English is not my first language so I hope that this translation will be OK (I tried my best).
Hope that you will enjoy this!:3