Work Text:
The Spring had finally made its appearance on the grounds of Eunjang University. Bare trees were now decorated with the pale pink specks of cherry blossoms, loose petals detaching from their stems and fluttering to the greyed floor, a splash of colour in the monochrome spectrum of studies. The grass had grown into its colour, vibrant greens spreading over in patches, where students would sit and let their days waste away, sunbathing with comfort from the slight cool of the morning dew and letting the dread of lingering deadlines be a worry for another day. Concrete paths from all directions of the campus met together in the centre, where a fountain ran endlessly, water glittering in the rays and the sound of the ripples accompanied even the most hushed conversations. The clock was just ticking past 11:00 am, morning lecture students piling out of the surrounding buildings, whilst the echoes of afternoon students' protests grew in volume, though still not making a true effort to move.
On the far end of the campus ground, hidden behind a bush of evergreen leaves, our protagonist, Seo Juntae, was crouched, doe eyes peeking over the top through the uneven layering of leaves. And behind him was his best friend, and now involuntary wing man, Yeon Sieun.
The two had been inseparable since the beginning of the year after being partnered together for a project. It had started awkward, almost scripted, but Juntae's bright, clumsy personality eventually seeped through and melted Sieun's cold, reserved exterior, and despite being two sides of the same coin, they were able to meet in the middle and create a bond that others questioned, but was special to them.
Sieun wasn't the type to be seen outdoors until past 6:00 pm, hiding in libraries or empty study halls to review, refresh and retest himself. One some days, he was accompanied by Juntae, and on most days, by his boyfriend, Ahn Suho, but he never liked to be pulled out of his built-in timetable, and both Juntae and Suho had respected that, for the most part. Today was an exception, however.
It started as a claim of needing more Vitamin D, jumping to Sieun needing the fresh air to focus better. But the shuffle of Juntae's feet and the rustle of something held suspiciously behind his back had Sieun giving him a knowing look, as Sieun was good at reading Juntae. And while he prioritised his own studies, Juntae's happiness was just as important to him.
You see, dear reader, our little Juntae had been pining after a certain member of the university's basketball team ever since they attended high school together. He had attended every game, walked past every practice just to get a glimpse, and had countless essays written in his diary about the boy.
To Juntae, Go Hyuntak was a prince.
Unlike others, who gossiped about Hyuntak's looks, the girls he hung around with, or past relationships, Juntae saw through that, and instead admired his passion for his sport, the kindness that he showed through small actions and the intimate bond that he had with his teammates. He loved the quiet pieces that built into Hyuntak's louder identity, and even thinking back on them made his heart flutter.
And today, he wanted to confess.
"Sieun-ah, I can't see him." Juntae whispered, despite nobody being close enough to listen to them. Sieun's eyes stayed glued onto his textbook, right hand marking another one of his endless practice tests, but the way that his brows twitched showed that he was still attentive, still listening.
"He will be out soon, Juntae. The basketball team always leaves practice together."
"How do you know, Sieunnie? You're always studying."
"Because they're too loud when they walk past the library."
Juntae sighed dramatically, laying on the grass, not minding the beating of the sun against his skin.
"Sieun-ah, how did you confess to Suho hyung?"
"How did who confess to who?" Suho's voice broke the peace, throwing his backpack onto the floor before following, his arm supporting his weight behind Sieun. He looked over his boyfriend's shoulder, eyes running against the words and nodding as though he knew what it was saying before looking over at Juntae.
"Hyung, how did Sieun confess to you?" Juntae sat up, legs crossed and fingers picking at the blades of grass beneath him. Suho's smile beamed, cheek nuzzling against Sieun's own, not bothered by him inching his head away, and pretended to think for a moment. Juntae knew that he was pretending, because Suho's memory was the sharpest when something was Sieun-related.
"Well, it was after the accident," his free hand landed on Sieun's shoulder, thumb rubbing the muscles in a soothing motion, "he actually texted it while I was under, but he wrote it in so many riddles and metaphors without saying it directly." Juntae smiled softly at the story. Sieun was never one to express his emotions head-on, and he found it endearing how Sieun worked around it.
"When I was discharged, we went back to my halmeoni's, and I didn't let him in until he told me the 3 destined words, and Juntae-ya, wow, it was magical." Suho's eyes shone as his gaze stuck onto Sieun, who had paused writing somewhere in the story, his lips turned downwards into the smile that he always tried to hide when Suho was around the two of them.
Juntae looked at the two of them with adoration. He knew the pair when they were already a couple, knowing that they got together in high school. Suho always looked at Sieun like he hung the stars, and while Sieun was never loud about his love for Suho, or was one for PDA, Juntae always noticed the way his eyes sparkled when Suho's name was brought into conversation.
Juntae sighed loudly, flopping onto the floor with his limbs sprawled, "do you think that people will laugh when they find out I'm confessing? What if I become the laughing stock for my classmates?"
Suho groaned, in playfulness rather than annoyance, "Juntae, half of the campus has a crush on Go Hyuntak. You've seen plenty of times how many girls run to get a second of his attention after games. They'll just be jealous that you've known him the longest."
Pulling out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, Juntae hummed. He unfolded it, reading over the words that were scribbled in colourful ink. His own bullet points for how he planned to confess. It was fool-proof:
1. Pull Hyuntak aside
2. Mention how he is always at his games
3. Actually confess
4. Reassure him that it is fine if he wants to reject him
5. Walk away, and let Hyuntak give him an answer in due time.
"Where should I do it? There's not exactly a quiet part of the campus during this time of the year." Juntae sighed, letting his head thump onto the grass in light frustration.
Sieun closed his textbook, hitting the pen on the book loud enough to catch Juntae's attention. He sighed, and took the paper from Juntae's hand, reading over it.
"You're planning it out too much, Juntae. It's not going to seem genuine if you go off of a script. If you stutter, or ramble, it shows who you actually are. You're more likeable than you think, he will think it's cute. You don't need this."
Juntae snatched the paper back, holding it against his chest protectively, but his head lowered, knowing that Sieun was right.
"Okay… but when do I do it?"
"How about now?" Suho suggested, nodding his head towards the university building. Juntae sat up, scrambling to his knees and peeking over the bush.
Down the main pathway, leading to the entrance of the building, five boys made their way with long strides and exaggerated movements, smiling and hitting each other, arms waving excitedly as they were lost in their own world.
In the centre, in his famous blue hoodie, Go Hyuntak watched the four quietly, his smile wide, and eyes creased into crescents. His pace was slower than the others, yet he still caught up, and his hands were stuffed carelessly into his pockets.
He focused on nothing but his four friends, and despite not saying anything, he still carried the conversation across with reactive expressions, drawing laughs out of the others. They had their own bubble, their own place in the hierarchy of the students, yet they never boasted, or saw themselves as more important. Hyuntak greeted every student that looked his way, calling out names that Juntae hadn't heard before, and even posing for a photo that a group of girls had tried to sneakily capture.
Before Juntae could realise it, he was being pulled up by the arm, and Suho was dragging him across the courtyard with determination. Juntae pulled back in a panic, fingers trying to pry Suho's hold off of him and squealing for him to let go, but that only made the taller laugh.
"Juntae-ya, there's no time like the present! Everything is more genuine when you act on the spot! How's Hyuntak ever going to know how to feel if you keep procrastinating it?"
Suddenly. he was shoved mere metres away from the team, and with a hearty slap on the back, Suho was jogging away, only the echo of his motivational cheer being heard over the distance.
Juntae's hands gripped the hem of his t-shirt, rolling over Suho's words. He knew that Suho was correct, and he would never be able to confess his feelings if he kept pushing back the date. So, with a deep inhale, and a glance back at his best friend, who stared at him with the slightest of smiles, he turned, and let his feet carry him to the group.
Hyuntak stumbled to a stop as Juntae stormed in his direction. In his hands, he was holding a packaging of some sort, and his glasses were askew, halfway down his nose. But his eyes never left the path that he was walking on, his eyes shining with determination, yet his cheeks dusted with the lightest pink. When Juntae came to a stop, the campus did too. Whispers circled the two of them as gossipers began conspiring, and groups of girls giggled among each other.
Juntae's eyes locked onto Hyuntak's shoes, the shine contrasting with the black colour, and his socks standing out with a dark blue colour. His shoulders lifted in a deep inhale, and dropped suddenly. Still facing down, Juntae's turned his head ever so slightly, just lifting it enough to see the encouraging beam on Suho's face, his fingers wrapped around Sieun's wrist, waving their hands in support, which relaxed the tension in Juntae's shoulders. When he turned back, Hyuntak's eyes were on him, studying his face with a look of puzzlement, and the heat of Juntae's cheeks was enough to form sweat droplets on the back of his neck.
"Ah, Seo Juntae!" Humin had exclaimed from beside Hyuntak, a big hand landing on the fluff of Juntae's head, ruffling in the playful way that Baku was known for. His lips were spread wide, teeth on display as though he was a new puppy that Humin wanted to adopt. His smile was contagious, one that pulled Juntae's lips upwards shyly, his voice softening.
"Huminie hyung, it's been a while."
"A while? Juntae-ya, I see you at our games all the time, but you never say hello! Don't you think about your hyung's feelings, hm?"
"I'm sorry, hyung, I'll make sure to greet you more in the future." Juntae politely finished, his eyes pulling back to Hyuntak's, who was already looking at him. The pounding of Juntae's heart felt as though it was visible through his uniform, his doe eyes fluttering from one eye to another, almost unsure of where to look. His tongue ran over in lips, a nervous habit of his, and he failed to notice Hyuntak's eyes glancing at the motion.
His vocal chords felt as though they had been blocked, his mouth opening, yet no sound coming out aside from small breaths. Hyuntak's eyes ran from his eyebrows, to his nose, to his cheeks and lips, before meeting his eyes once more.
Juntae's hand gripped the paper tighter, his nails digging into the material, a paper cut already forming in his palm, yet he didn't flinch, nor give it a second glance. The script that he had written, re-written and scrapped endless times was forgotten, and all he had was the pressure in his chest, and the overwhelming love that he felt for Hyuntak.
The years of following him around, making sure he ate and smiled at least three times a day. His silent cheers during matches, and the tiny notes of encouragement that he would leave in Hyuntak's locker, likely just a percentage of other, better-written letters of admiration, but still happy to be supportive in the background. He wouldn't let those years waste away without Hyuntak knowing how he felt. No matter the outcome, all he wanted was for Hyuntak to know that he would cheer on for him until the end of time.
Hyuntak had spoken first.
"Seo Juntae? Did you need somethi-"
"I like you!"
The volume of the courtyard had died down, as though everybody had disappeared within a snap of a finger. Humin was no longer at Hyuntak's side, Juntae noticing him backing away with a concealed smile in the corner of his eye. One of support. Hyuntak's eyelashes fluttered, his chest stuttering in breaths as the words echoed in the air until they were permanently engraved between them.
Juntae took a deep breath, crumbling his note in his fist as he looked into Hyuntak's eyes, ones that were containing an emotion that he couldn't quite mark. Yet, he continued.
"You won't remember, but in high school, you gave me your water bottle during a practice session that the class was invited to watch. It was really hot that day, and you needed it more than me, but you still chose to let me be hydrated. I felt guilty, but the smile on your face reassured me. I still have it at home, because I was never confident enough to give it to you, and every day, I fill it with fresh water, just in case I finally have the courage to give it back to you."
Juntae scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "I forgot to bring it with me today, I thought that I wouldn't be able to speak to you again, but… here I am."
Hyuntak's eyes flickered between Juntae's, lips parting, but nothing escaping through but a breath, so he continued, his eyes dropping to Hyuntak's torso, unable to look at him in the eyes as his cheeks warmed.
"I think, from that day, I started to like you. No, I… I liked you from that day, it just grew stronger every day. You're handsome, and you are really, really good at basketball but, that isn't why I like you, Hyuntak.
I like how you hold the door for people, even if they don't thank you. How at the end of every match, you run to the bleachers to help the younger years down the steps, and you're always the last to go to the locker room because you like talking to your fans. You never show up to practice without drinks for your teammates, and you always have spare snacks incase somebody forgets theirs. You always insist on five more minutes of play when it's sunny outside after classes, and, when you think nobody is looking, you always close your eyes for a few seconds, and you smile when you feel the sun on your face."
Juntae's vision blurred as tears brimmed his eyes, his fist relaxing, letting the ball of paper drop to the floor, and his eyes finally met Hyuntak's own again, not missing the dusting of pink that laid prettily on the tan of his face, and he broke into a smile, lopsided, but filled with emotion.
"It's okay if you reject me, if you don't like me. I will still cheer you on, and support you in the background, but, I wanted you to know that, even when the day ends, and you are exhausted, you still have somebody sending you strength, and I always will until you tell me not to anymore, because just seeing you happy is enough for me."
A tear dropped down his cheek, but before he could lift his hand to wipe it away, there was the warm touch of another's against his skin.
Hyuntak.
He was gentle, barely grazing the skin as he wiped the tear away, letting his thumb linger on the swell of Juntae's cheek as his lips curved fondly, eyes softening with a shine to them, and his nostrils flaring with an exhale.
"Juntae-ya," he spoke, oh-so-softly, the depth of his voice awakening the butterflies that had rested previously, "I noticed, I always did."
A gasp slipped out of Juntae, eyes shaky, sparkling in disbelief.
"I noticed you sitting in the back of every game, I noticed how you would clap whenever our team won a game, even if you weren't loud. I notice you in every class, and how you always doze off when we have a morning class." He chuckled quietly, more like a breath, and Juntae's breath quickened.
"I forgot the water bottle on purpose, because I hoped that you would return it to me one day. And knowing that you still have it… Juntae, that makes me happy."
His hand slipped off of Juntae's face, fingers slipping into the hand that was balled into a fist of nervousness. Their fingers interlaced together, the sweat of Juntae's palms only making Hyuntak's smile softer.
"The small things I thought nobody noticed, what I thought other people overlooked… Juntae, you see me more than I see myself. You're kind, and you always look out for others, and you make the smaller things in life seem beautiful. Whenever I see you studying outside, it makes my heart flutter, and now I know why."
A squeal, noticeably Suho's, had the crowd of students chuckle lowly, too invested in the centre pair to react with dramatics.
Hyuntak lifted their intertwined hands, and moved his fingers to Juntae's wrist, pressing his palm against his chest. Juntae felt the thumping of Hyuntak's heart through the thick material of his hoodie, the beat regular, but in a tempo that he recognised too well.
"Only you have made my heart react in this way, Juntae-ya. I don't want you to support me in the background, or leave me tiny notes in my locker," he knew… "I want you to be by my side through my life, and I want to support you as much as you support me."
"I like you too, Seo Juntae."
There was an eruption of cheers around them. Humin had bent over in relief, dramatically clapping his hands like he had won the lottery. A singular petal of a cherry blossom flower had landed on Hyuntak's shoulder, and Juntae giggled ever so softly
Spring had never been so beautiful.