Chapter Text
Calling Jaehyun a good student would be an understatement. The boy was an exceptionally talented protege, and anybody who took the time to read his work would then go on to praise his one-of-a-kind talent. He loved hearing people sing his praises; he never seemed to get enough of it. Deep down, he didn’t truly believe he was the generational talent they described him as. If you were to sit him down and ask him, plain and simple, “What makes writing so special for you?”, he’d stray away from the usual vague and abstract answers, and say something as simple as “It’s my creative outlet, it makes me happy,” accompanied by a charming smile and a shy chuckle.
He’d never really struggled in university. Writing had always come easily to Jaehyun; he’d scribble poems in the margins of notebooks back in middle school, take his summer-reading book reviews way too seriously and even had a very intense roleplay phase in high school.
To create stories, paint beautiful, vivid pictures in people’s heads and touch their hearts was like second nature for him. He was a very passionate artist, so when he stepped into a more polished and professional environment, surrounded by not a bunch of other twenty-two-year-olds, but students of all ages (some even published academic authors), he felt more in his element than ever before.
He never felt the urge to compare himself and overanalyse their work for “different perspectives”, as they say. Most of the time, he was entirely focused on his own work. When he writes, stuck in his own head, everybody else seemingly stops existing. He gets immersed in the worlds he creates, often daydreaming and getting caught being distracted.
Just like… right now.
“Myungjae!” he heard his name being called out, loud and clear, by his friend, who was already looking at him when Jaehyun’s head snapped towards him. It was always a little jarring to see such a delicate-looking boy like Seongmin raise his voice and furrow his eyebrows.
“Yeah, sorry— you just mentioned lilies, and I got distracted…” Jaehyun said through a chuckle that almost sounded as if it was punched out of him in awkwardness. “It’s just because– well– I was actually thinking of requesting my cover art to have a bouquet of lilies… I think they’re waaay prettier on their own.” He said, the corners of his lips pulling into a smile as he waited for his friend’s approval.
“So you like them?” the shorter blonde boy asked, wiggling the fingers he was holding up to show off his nails, each finger prettily decorated with a different pale colour and tiny intricate designs of flowers, with different 3D elements. They were colourful, but also elegant, and it was clear that Seongmin had a knack for nail art.
“Yeah! Are you kidding?! Let me see!” Jaehyun’s small smile turned into a grin, and he took Seongmin’s hands in his, leaning closer, the thick frames of his glasses slipping further down his nose, “They look like pieces of candy!”
“Yeah?” Seongmin giggled, the unique compliment making him feel more prideful of his work, “Took like all afternoon.”
The two first became friends last spring, during a very early seminar when he was fighting one of the worst hangovers of his life. He sat at the back to hopefully avoid the sunlight that was spilling through the windows and shining over the rows of desks, but only a couple of minutes into the class, he came to regret it, because the sun moved to torture him and shine right in his face. It bothered him just as much as it bothered Seongmin, who was trying to covertly take a nap. They bonded over their shared misery that day and decided to pair up for the project that was being assigned. Then, the rest was history: coffee dates that would stretch way longer than planned with books sprawled between them, always with the intention of studying but getting distracted every time, wandering into bookstores to look at all the shelves and point at whichever book one’s read or was planning on reading, or taking a stroll whenever the weather was even remotely sunny. Seongmin seemed to enjoy nature as much as Jaehyun did; they had that much in common, along with their shared passion for writing, of course.
Jaehyun smiled, letting Seongmin’s hands go so he could push his glasses back up his nose. He adjusted the strap of his leather messenger bag where it pressed into his shoulder and ran a hand through his black hair, pushing it back and out of his face out of habit, only for a few shiny locks to fall over his forehead again.
He heard footsteps again, the clicking of heels on marble and turned to see a familiar face, his modern fiction professor. She was one of his younger lectors, possibly early thirties, who always smiled and greeted them in the hallways, and would sprinkle in the most interesting stories she had about her second job as an editor. “Good morning,” she greeted, her lips pulled into a smile.
“Morning, professor!” Seongmin replied, immediately turning towards her and bowing respectfully, with Jaehyun doing the same. “Do you have a minute? I’d like to ask you about the critical analysis we are supposed to turn in by next Friday…” The boy paused for a second, waiting to see if she’d interrupt him, but she only shifted her weight and nodded, allowing him to continue. “Yes, so I am struggling with one of my arguments. I have the idea of what I want to say in my head, I even wrote up the method we practised for structuring arguments, but I just can’t execute it properly without going off topic—”
Jaehyun listened, or at least he _tried_ to. He caught pieces of their conversation, enough to follow along, but his attention loosened without him realising it. Words blurred together at the edges, and he sank into his own thoughts, thinking about how he’d hit a brick wall with his essay. He felt stuck, and every time he sat in front of his laptop the past week, nothing would come to mind.
At first, he tried not to dwell on this problem too much; perhaps it was due to the lack of sleep or feeling overwhelmed by the looming pressure of finishing his bachelor’s, but he was an overthinker whose anxiety often brought the worst out of him. It felt embarrassing to even admit that he was struggling with his essay, let alone the fact that he was only one sentence into his thesis. Just thinking about it made him want to crawl out of his own skin, possibly crawl into some tiny hole in the ground, never to be seen again.
He was deep in his own head when suddenly a sound cut through his thoughts. It was low, sharp and unmistakable—a motorcycle engine.
It was not loud enough to interrupt anyone else. The plaza in front of the steps of the entrance was full of students, for whom it was just another noise in the background of a very busy Thursday morning.
He turned before he could stop himself. Past the big fountain, near the edge of the parking area, a motorcycle rolled to a stop. The engine rumbled once more before falling quiet. Jaehyun’s gaze remained, completely tuned to everything that was happening around him.
The rider remained still for a moment, hands resting on the handlebars, shiny black helmet reflecting the pale daylight. He reached up and pulled it off.
Jaehyun’s breath got caught in his throat.
The movement felt slow and drawn out, and everything else faded. The man shook his head slightly, raven black hair falling into place. Jaehyun became aware of the way his heart was hammering in his chest, like it was going to burst through his ribcage. He felt nervous, his hands trembling as he suddenly felt the need to hold onto something and quickly latched onto the strap of his bag in a tight grip.
The biker swung off the motorcycle and stood by it, so casual in his movements like he’d done it a thousand times before. He shrugged off that thick, bulky jacket, the leather sliding down from his wide shoulders, before he caught it and draped it over his arm. Underneath, he wore a black button-up that clung just enough to show the shape of him. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, exposing his forearms and half of what looked to be a full sleeve of tattoos that made Jaehyun swallow hard. His eyes fell down to the man’s waist, the tucked-in shirt revealing the kind of proportions you’d see on a Calvin Klein billboard. A few of the buttons were undone, and they would have practically exposed his whole chest if it wasn’t for the white shirt he wore beneath it, which made it look intentional.
Jaehyun looked hypnotised by this man, the way he moved, the small head tilt as he checked if he’d locked the bike, then took the key and tossed it once, then turned and headed towards the entrance. That’s when he saw his face, even from afar, the boy was mesmerised at how handsome he was. Clean-shaven, skin glowing, thick bushy eyebrows over a pair of beautiful dark eyes and a lip piercing hooked around a rosy lower lip.
He mindlessly took a step closer, almost as if he was sucked in by that man’s gravitational pull. The closer he got, the more details of his face he could see. The patterns of his tattoos were clearer; he could see him fidgeting with the keys of the motorcycle and looked around the plaza curiously, careful to keep enough space between him and the students who walked past, as if making sure he couldn’t cross anybody’s path.
He’s being so considerate, Jaehyun thought, his wide eyes glued to the man, watching him offer anybody he made eye contact with a smile so charming and dazzling, like a prince out of a fairytale. He lifted his foot to take another step forward when suddenly the ground disappeared from beneath him, and he slipped, tumbling down the stairs like a sack of potatoes.
Except that the floor never disappeared. He had simply been lingering around the top of the stairs, completely enamoured with that man to the point where everything but this gorgeous, tall man ceased to exist.
Ceased to exist in his mind only, he came to realise that once he was tumbling down the steps, his limbs flying in all directions. He landed hard on the last step, catching himself with his hands right before his face would have slammed into the ground with his bag sliding off his shoulder and hitting the steps.
Jaehyun froze, the stinging blood spreading across his skin in sharp, pulsating waves as his breath refused to come back properly. For a split second, everything had gone silent in his head, but now it was all coming back to him all at once–the sound of hurried steps, the low murmurs of voices, and worst of all, the awareness of all eyes on him. Heat flushed his neck, spreading across his cheeks and ears as he realised what had just happened in a split second. He heard somebody call out his name, possibly Seongmin, judging by the high pitch of the voice, which made him feel even more embarrassed, and think about how everybody around him could now put a name to a face. He pushed himself up on his knees and, for a moment, simply wondered if he had to get up or if it was possible to stay perfectly still, and that somehow it would erase the last ten seconds from everybody’s mind. He hissed, hand going down to rub his bruised elbow, when he suddenly heard a voice that interrupted his thoughts.
“Are you alright?”
Jaehyun froze. And then slowly, he lifted his gaze. His breath hitched when he saw him standing so close to him, offering his stretched-out hand for Jaehyung to take. The sloped eyebrows framing the man’s face made his chocolate-coloured dark eyes look so much more expressive, showing both his concern and empathy for him.
His heartbeat stumbled, like it was trying to catch up with Jaehyun’s racing thoughts. He felt so overwhelmed; his cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and his whole body was left on fire simply because of their close proximity.
“I– I– I’m… uh– didn't see– I’m okay–” he stumbled through the sentence, losing it halfway, eyebrows twitching when he heard himself.
The stranger’s expression softened, a small pitiful smile appearing on his face, and he slightly waved his hand to bring attention to it, seeing the way Jaehyun’s eyes were glued to his face.
“Oh…” Jaehyun looked down at his hand, his eyes immediately landing on his tattooed forearm, seeing the way his protruding veins spread down his arm all the way to his thick wrist. He hesitated for a moment, then brought his trembling hand up to his, and practically melted into a puddle when the taller man held his smaller hand in his and helped him up on his feet.
“Are you sure you're okay? That looked quite painful…” he said, the small head tilt paired with those beautiful, worried eyes nearly causing Jaehyun to stumble and fall once again.
“Wh–” he cut himself off, and suddenly became more aware of himself; he straightened his back, hurrying to dust off his clothes and clear his throat. “No, no, painful? Pfft, not at all! I didn't feel a thing, it was– I didn't even notice that I… didn't… feel anything.” he cringed at himself and failed in trying to act calm and nonchalant about the whole situation.
“Aha…” the other man let out a light, breathy(airy?) laugh and then paused for a moment, Jaehyun noticing the way he seemed to take a moment to look at him. “Well, I still think you should maybe head to the infirmary for some ice.”
“Ice?” Jaehyun repeated, his tone laced with confusion as he was blindly unaware of the deep red swelling that was slowly forming on his forehead.
“Yeah, ice can help reduce the swelling—”
“Swelling?!” Jaehyun’s eyes widened. Heat rushed to his face so quickly it made him feel lightheaded, embarrassment settling deep in his chest as he immediately dropped his gaze, one hand coming up to cover his face like he could hide behind it.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed, it happens to the best of us. See this?” he said, shifting his jacket from one arm to the other, before turning his forearm outward. A pale, jagged scar stretched along his skin, slightly raised, the kind that looked like it had once been bad enough to need stitches. “Rock climbing.” He added, smiling sheepishly.
“R-rock climbing?” Jaehyun echoed, completely thrown off. For a moment, he forgot about everything else, the throbbing in his forehead, the sting in his elbows and knees, his mind going somewhere else entirely. He pictured him, just for a second, shirtless, clinging onto the side of a mountain, sun catching on his warm, tanned skin, glistening with beads of sweat, muscles tightening with every movement, harness straps pulled snug against his hard body. Maybe even holding onto a tiny puppy he was risking his life to save, because he seemed like the type to do that, with his long black hair caught in the wind, gaze sharp and focused—
“-maybe when the weather clears up.”
Jaehyun blinked, the image snapping away just as quickly as it came. He hadn’t heard most of what was said, only catching the last part, and it took him a second to refocus.
“Anyway… you should really get it checked by the nurses.”
“Uhm, yes. I will. I will go right now, thank you…” Jaehyun said, a little too quickly, adjusting the strap of his bag just to give himself something to hold onto.
“—Jeongguk.”
“Jeongguk,” Jaehyun repeated his name in a softer voice, a small smile slipping through, watching him nod once before walking past him and towards the stairs. “Thanks!” Jaehyung called out after him, immediately regretting how loud it came out, until he saw the man glance back over his shoulder and flash the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
“Holy shit…” he suddenly heard his friend’s voice, followed by the sound of hurried steps and chuckles. Jaehyun instantly wiped the grin off his face and turned to see Seongmin walking up to him, snickering behind his hand while clearly staring up at his forehead. Right beside him was Sohee, who Jaehyun could swear had tears in his eyes. “I think I’d skip class if I were you…”
“Skip class? I wouldn’t leave my room for a month!” Sohee snorted upon closer inspection of the bump on his head. “I don’t even think your bangs can manage to hide Mount Everest over here…” He joked and made Seongmin curl up in laughter.
“Stop, this is humiliating!” Jaehyun whined dramatically, turning away from them and covering his forehead with his hand.
“You didn’t break anything, did you?” Sohee added and waved his hand, moving slightly to the side to try to get a better look at him, even though the boy kept turning.
“And in front of the hot biker guy too, that’s just brutal…” Seongmin said and playfully cooed at the way Jaehyun kept sidestepping to escape the two of them.
***
Every step he took felt like he was dragging heavy bags on his feet. Embarrassment was an understatement; he couldn’t even manage to try to shake it off. His mind felt foggy, and Jaehyun couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so humiliated. The fact that he was walking around with a large, shameful reminder in the shape of a bump in his forehead didn’t help at all.
The swelling, in fact, did not go down.
He’s a talented writer and a good artist who cares about his work. He tries to pour every emotion into his sentences, weaving words carefully to clearly express his message. But unfortunately, he’s also extremely clumsy.
Like a first-day-on Earth kind of clumsy.
Everyone around him knew this—his family, friends, and even colleagues. He’s not bad at talking to people; in fact, his social skills are quite polished. But he gets distracted easily, which sometimes makes him seem rude, and this side of him always seems to appear at the worst moments. Like when he's carrying a tray with drinks, staring at his phone while walking among people, and apparently, when he is near a tall, muscular biker.
He shouldn't be so dazed. He’s always found different people attractive—men and women—and felt nervous around them. But he couldn’t recall any moment where he felt as shy as he did back there, with his legs almost entirely giving out on the stairs. And most of all, in front of motorcycle man.
All these thoughts and questions clouded his mind like a thick fog of messy sentences as he headed toward the classroom. His feet guided him through long, busy hallways he knew so well he could find his way around blindfolded.
Seongmin walked beside him, his lively voice explaining the design he’d created for his latest cover art. He held some artwork in his hand that Jaehyun hadn’t seen before. He squinted, trying to focus while they climbed the stairs. He felt horrible for not fully listening, with so many thoughts racing through his head, making him tense and uneasy.
His eyes still fixed on the picture Seongmin was holding: the cover was bold, its colors striking, and he wondered if his face had matched that same shade of deep crimson red back when he locked eyes with the motorcycle man. God, not motorcycle man… He has a name.
“Jeongguk…” he thought to himself, the name striking a faint, familiar chord in his mind. He’s decent with names and faces, but he couldn’t focus on remembering, as all he could think about was whether those tattoos extended up to his biceps.
With his head lowered, he found his seat and collapsed into it, arms spread in defeat. He fiddled anxiously with his pen, clicking it nonstop. His stomach was in knots. He looked around, hoping no one would meet his eyes. It was silly, but sometimes he felt like everyone was watching and judging him. Despite that, he never missed class and always paid attention. He wasn’t a pushover or a “goofy-two-shoes,” just very passionate about his work.
He didn’t notice his friend trying to grab his notebook from his desk in a quick movement and flinched slightly.
“Oh my god, are you still jumpy? Relax, I’m just trying to copy your notes,” Sohee said with a small snort, standing right in front of Jaehyun, leaning on the sturdy gray desk.
“Seriously, are you okay? Maybe we should ask the nurse to check your temperature,” Seongmin added softly, pressing the back of his hand to Jaehyun’s forehead like a mother checking her child for increased temperature.
“Oh my god, no need for that. I’m just a little hot,” he huffed, unzipping his sweatshirt and letting it hang over the back of his chair.
The students were starting to fill in as the class time approached. The seats weren’t assigned, but everyone usually sat in the same spots, including Jaehyun, who liked to aim for the front or second row so he could stay as mentally present as physically. The seat next to him was usually occupied by Seongmin, who had trouble with his vision. It worked well for assignments and tasks they’d have to complete during their lectures. Possibly even chit-chat.
As the clock neared eight, people sat with their belongings spread out—water bottles, laptops, notepads—while Jaehyun desperately tried to focus, gulping down what seemed like a gallon of water.
His nose was buried in his notebook, his head lowered as it was when they first entered. By then, even the most talkative Seongmin had quieted, munching on a protein bar.
He didn’t lift his head when he heard the door open; his eyes stayed glued to the course outline for the semester, as if studying it intently would answer all his questions. It wasn’t until he felt a hand tap the back of his head that he finally looked up, feeling a bit steadier.
He stared at the topic written on the whiteboard in erasable ink when something caught his eye—those striking, detailed artistic tattoos hidden beneath a black button-up. Too familiar. He recognized him before he even fully turned to look at him. His heart pounded, and his breath caught in his throat.
At first, he tried not to look, but it was far too tempting, not when he was right there…
He couldn’t stop himself. He lifted his gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw him—perfect posture, carefully handling books and folders from his bag. He felt a rush of dizziness again.
He couldn’t believe it. Out of all people, it had to be him—the man he’d humiliated himself in front of. He wished he could call this his worst nightmare, but part of him felt like the luckiest guy alive. He quickly realized that if this were a regular thing, he’d get to enjoy an hour and a half of his presence once a week.
Jaehyun heard Seongmin chuckle softly beside him but didn’t care much about being teased. All he could think of was… him. Leaning over his desk, licking his thumb to turn pages in a thick textbook. Jaehyun pushed his glasses up, thighs pressed together, watching him prepare for the lecture while the last students entered.
Suddenly, their eyes locked.
Jaehyun felt like he was going to faint, his eyes blinking repeatedly, and he looked down at his desk, shuffling in his seat awkwardly.
“Good morning. My name is professor Jeon Jeongguk, and I will be leading the Advanced Korean Composition seminar this semester.”