Archive of Our Own

William was fanning himself under a small tent, which was just large enough to shelter four neatly arranged tables and a few scattered chairs. The scorching sun made him sweat profusely, yet the bustling crowd showed no signs of slowing down. Having sat there for three grueling hours, he was counting down the minutes until his shift finally ended.

They were currently hosting the Apex Horizon Open Day at the Global Institute of Technology (GIT). William, a sophomore at the Faculty of Faculty of Computing and Digital Media, was assigned to booth duty. Even though every fiber of his being detested being there, he had to fulfill his departmental obligations alongside his close classmates, Tui and Nut.

William wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to promote, or what kind of student registrations he was even supposed to be recruiting for. Frankly, he didn't give a damn. For all he cared, the entire faculty's curriculum could vanish into thin air, as long as he could escape this heat.

All he wanted right now was to be sipping on a freezing glass of iced juice to quench his burning thirst, before jumping straight onto his bed with the air conditioning blasted to the coldest setting.

I want to go back!

He groaned in his heart, throwing a silent, childish tantrum like a toddler denied of sweets.

William looked around, his irritation spiking as he realized even Nut and Tui were completely missing from the booth. They had vanished into the crowd, leaving him to suffer alone. Left with nothing else to do, William shifted his gaze downward and gloomily cataloged the items and forms scattered across the four tables.

There were stacks of glossy brochures, a messy pile of paper sign-up sheets, two high-end gaming laptops running indie game prototypes made by seniors, a QR code acrylic standee and a stray checklist with total nonsense written on it.

Deciding he couldn't take the boredom anymore, William reached for a stack of the glossy brochures. He began folding them into makeshift paper airplanes, aiming them carefully at the empty chairs across the tent just to pass the time.

Suddenly, Nut and Tui crashed back into the booth like a whirlwind of absolute chaos. They were panting, laughing, and tripping over their own feet as they burst through the crowd.

"Where the hell have you guys been?!" William burst out the second they stepped under the tent, his voice dripping with dramatic betrayal. "I've been dying out here for three hours alone, and you two just vanish into thin air!"

Nut didn't even let him finish his rant. With practiced efficiency, he jammed a plastic straw straight into one of the cups and shoved it directly into William’s open, complaining mouth.

"Drink first, complain later," Nut wheezed, gasping for air.

The ice-cold, sweet fruit juice hit William's parched throat like a blessing from above. He instantly shut up, his eyes widening in pure bliss as the cool liquid lowered his body temperature. Brain completely rewired by the sudden influx of sugar and ice, all his anger dissolved into nothingness. He was successfully bribed, right then and there.

"Dude, you have no idea," Tui panted, leaning heavily against one of the tables and accidentally knocking a stack of brochures askew. "The Faculty of Engineering was giving away free limited-edition power banks and mechanical keyboard keycaps. It was a literal warzone out there! Nut got tackled by a freshman, and I had to fight a senior for the last mango smoothie!"

William, now happily munching on a crispy fried snack Tui had pressed into his other hand, just nodded along dumbly, his previous misery entirely forgotten.

Nut and Tui burst out laughing at the sight of William, whose cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk's.

"Look at him," Nut teased, nudging Tui with his elbow. "Two minutes ago, he looked like a ghost and now he’s just a happy little puppy eating his food."

"Right?" Tui snickered, fanning himself with one of the messy sign-up sheets. "We should have left him here for another hour. Maybe he would have actually finished folding all those brochures into airplanes."

William paused mid-chew, his expression instantly shifting. He narrowed his eyes and glared at them with a sharp, piercing look that was meant to be threatening, though the stray crumbs on his chin ruined the effect.

"I heard that," William mumbled through a mouthful of crispy snack, pointing a greasy finger at the two of them. "You guys still left me to rot in this scorching hellhole while you went souvenir hunting. If a professor came by, I was going to tell them you both dropped out."

After delivering his final, dramatic complaint, William scoffed, rolled his eyes and went right back to happily munching on his food, completely content now that his stomach was full.

Tui snickered at William’s dramatic threat, but his laughter was abruptly cut short as a lively group of senior students strolled up to their booth.

William looked up from his snack and instantly froze.

Standing in the center of the group was a senior who seemed completely unaffected by the oppressive Bangkok heat. He was breathtakingly gorgeous. The harsh sunlight filtered through the tent, catching the sharp angles of his jawline and reflecting softly in his dark, expressive eyes. He wore the standard university uniform, but on him, the crisp white shirt and slacks looked like high fashion.

OH MY GOD !

Before William's brain could even process the senior's presence, Nut and Tui instantly sprang into action. The two of them wiped the smirks off their faces, quickly dropping their snacks onto the table to present a picture-perfect image of helpful sophomores.

"Welcome, sawasdee krub seniors!" Nut greeted enthusiastically, bowing his head slightly with a broad, welcoming smile.

"How may we help you guys today?" Tui piped up right on cue, gesturing toward the laptops and brochures with smooth professionalism. "Are you looking for information on our digital media tracks or do you want to test out the senior game prototypes?"

William could only watch them in a daze, completely trapped in his own head as the gorgeous senior’s gaze shifted, his eyes locking directly onto William.

OH MY GODD!!

OH MY GODD!!

OH MY GODDDDDDDDDD!!!

William felt a hot flush creep up his neck, instantly turning his ears and cheeks a bright, burning red. Panic struck him like a lightning bolt as reality crashed back in. He was suddenly, excruciatingly aware of how disastrous he must look right now. Hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, fanning himself like a madman and holding a greasy piece of fried chicken with crumbs literally dusted around his mouth. He desperately wanted the campus ground to swallow him whole.

Before William could melt right into the hot pavement, Tui’s elbow delivered a sharp, unforgiving nudge straight into his ribs under the table.

The sudden jolt of pain snapped William right out of his romantic trance. He choked slightly on his food, blinking rapidly as his focus returned to the group of seniors standing before them.

The gorgeous senior let out a soft, melodic chuckle at William's flustered state, which only made William’s cheeks burn hotter. The man stepped forward, the lanyard around his neck swaying slightly.

"Hi guys, don't worry, we aren't here to grill you," the stunning senior said, his voice smooth and incredibly soothing. "We are from the Student Committee, just doing our rounds to check on the booth setups for the Open Day. I'm Est."

He gestured to the three equally handsome seniors standing right behind him. "And these are my fellow committee members, Daou, Phuwin, anddd…"

"Hey, little bro. Nice crumbs."

William’s head snapped toward the last voice. Standing right next to Phuwin, arms crossed and wearing a smug, knowing grin, was Pond.

William’s heart dropped into his stomach. In his absolute hyper-focus on Est's breathtaking face, his brain had completely filtered out the rest of the universe. He hadn't even realized his own older brother was standing right there in the group, witnessing his entire, embarrassing meltdown.

Nut and Tui’s jaws practically hit the floor. Their professional, helpful sophomore expressions instantly shattered, and they whipped their heads back and forth between William and Pond in absolute disbelief. They had been close friends with William for two semesters, yet he had completely left out the minor detail that his older brother was one of the campus's most famous student leaders.

"Wait... Pond is your brother?!" Tui choked out, his eyes wide as saucers.

"You never told us your brother was on the Student Committee!" Nut hissed under his breath, violently nudging William's shoulder this time.

Before William could even begin to stutter an explanation, Daou gasped, looking genuinely blindsided. He threw his arm over Pond’s shoulder and shook him slightly. "Hold on, Pond! Is this actually your baby brother? The one you always complain about?"

A collective, knowing grin plastered itself across the faces of the senior committee members. Phuwin chuckled, shaking his head, while Est’s smile widened, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at William with newfound amusement.

"The very same," Pond smirked, thoroughly enjoying William’s absolute mortification. "The lazy, messy sophomore who apparently can’t feed himself without getting crumbs all over his face."

William wanted nothing more than a sudden sinkhole to open up right beneath his chair and swallow him whole. Not only was his friends' loud shock drawing even more attention to him, but his ultimate crush, Est, was now witnessing his own brother brutally roasting him in public.

Ultimate crush? William questioned frantically inside his own head. Woah, that fast?!

Before his rational brain could even protest, his heart aggressively fired back a defensive answer.

But what?!  He has such beautiful, doe eyes! Anyone would fall in love!

Snapping out of his internal debate, William desperately tried to salvage what was left of his dignity.

"I am not lazy!" he protested, puffing out his chest and attempting a glare at Pond. "And I can feed myself just fine, thank you very much! The wind just blew the crumbs around, okay?!"

"Oh, come on, William, don't talk to your amazing older brother like that!" Nut piped up instantly.

"Yeah, honestly, P'Pond is just looking out for you," Tui added smoothly, nodding like a bobblehead.

William's jaw dropped as his two best friends immediately pivoted to kiss up to Pond, completely abandoning any sense of loyalty. He rolled his eyes so hard it practically hurt, letting out a heavy, annoyed huff.

Turning his attention back to Est, Daou, and Phuwin, William crossed his arms and let out a dramatic pout. "If you guys want to talk about lazy, you should look at these two. They literally abandoned me under this scorching heat for hours just to go fight freshmen for freebies at the Engineering booth! I was left here entirely alone to rot!"

The entire group of seniors burst into laughter, the sound cutting through the heavy afternoon heat. William barely heard the others, his focus entirely locked on Est. Watching the gorgeous senior laugh.

The way his doe eyes crinkled at the corners and how his shoulders shook slightly, felt like a scene straight out of a romance drama.

Meanwhile, Nut and Tui looked like they had just been stabbed in the back, staring at William in utter betrayal.

"Hey, hey, that's not very professional of you two," Daou said with a grin, jokingly reprimanding Nut and Tui while crossing his arms. "Abandoning your post for freebies? We might have to report this booth to the faculty dean."

"Yeah, leaving a teammate alone in this heat is a serious offense," Phuwin chimed in, tossing a playful, stern look at the two panicked sophomores, who immediately began stammering out excuses.

Pond just shook his head at his younger brother's theatrics, a fond but exasperated smile on his face. "Always the dramatic one," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Don't indulge him too much, guys. He loves the attention."

"Oh, come on, Pond, cut him some slack," Est suddenly spoke up, stepping in to defend William. He looked directly at William, his expression incredibly gentle and warm.

"He was left completely alone to guard the fort for three hours in this scorching sun. I think a little drama is fully justified. Honestly, he did a great job holding things down."

William swore he could combust right then and there. A wave of intense heat that had absolutely nothing to do with the Bangkok sun rushed straight to his face. His heart hammered so loudly against his ribs he was terrified Est might actually hear it. His ultimate crush had not only just validated his childish pouting, but had called him out for doing a great job.

William was practically jumping up and down in his heart, his chest swelling with absolute joy. Unfortunately for him, his best friends were far too observant. Nut immediately noticed the bright pink flush spreading across William’s cheeks and the way he was staring dotingly at Est. Smirking, Nut sent a highly synchronized, playful eye signal over to Tui. Tui caught it instantly, his eyes widening in amusement before he quickly ducked his head to giggle into his fist at the silent joke.

Clearing his throat to break the spell, Pond spoke up, shifting the mood back to official business. "Anyways, we're here to check on your booth's registration metrics and make sure your tech equipment is holding up under this heat. The committee needs a mid-day update on student engagement."

"Oh, right! We actually have everything ready," Nut announced, eager to prove they weren't completely useless after being scolded.

With William still temporarily short-circuited by Est's defense, Nut and Tui took the lead in explaining their setup. Tui stepped over to the two whirring laptops, typing rapidly to pull up the dashboard. "So, for the senior indie game prototypes, we’ve had about forty high schoolers test-play them today. The laptops are running a bit hot because of the sun, but we've been keeping them under the shade and running cooling pads underneath."

"And as for the registrations," William finally chimed in, finding his voice as he tapped the acrylic standee, trying his absolute best to sound professional in front of Est. "Most students prefer using this QR code standee to sign up for our upcoming hackathon and coding bootcamps digitally. But for the older parents who accompany them, we’ve been using these paper sign-up sheets. We’ve already gathered around fifty manual entries today."

Est nodded attentively, taking down a few notes on his tablet while maintaining that devastatingly handsome smile, making William’s heart skip yet another beat.

Phuwin suddenly interrupted, looking over the paper sign-up sheets with genuine curiosity. "Hey, you guys are organizing coding bootcamps? What language are you teaching and what's the main project for it?"

"We're actually running a weekend crash course on Python for beginner data visualization," Tui explained smoothly, gesturing to the curriculum outline on one of the glossy brochures. "The students will learn how to build interactive data dashboards from scratch by the end of the camp."

Phuwin’s eyes lit up and he immediately looked over at Est. "Wait, Est, didn't you need to complete your final project for the Advanced Data Analytics and Visualization course? Isn't your professor requiring you to build a similar interactive dashboard. I remember you told me you've been struggling to debug your script?"

Est nodded, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face as he stared at the flyer, still trying to fully grasp how perfectly the timeline lined up.

Before Est could even say a word, William’s brain completely bypassed his nerves. Eager for any excuse to see the handsome senior again, he immediately jumped into the conversation. "Well, the camp is open to everyone, including seniors! So, if you'd like to join and get some hands-on help from our department, you can sign up right now!"

Pond narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze to look at William with deep suspicion. He knew his younger brother better than anyone. Usually, William loathed organizing these department bootcamps and would complain about the extra workload for weeks. Seeing him suddenly act incredibly welcoming and eager to recruit someone was a massive red flag.

Before Pond could voice his doubts, Daou burst out laughing and nudged Est with his shoulder. "Hey, Est! Did you hear that? Having a talented sophomore tutor you might be exactly what you need to finally pass that class!"

"Yeah, maybe a change of pace is just what your code needs," Phuwin added with a knowing smirk, clearly enjoying the teasing.

Est’s cheeks flushed a very faint pink, but he laughed it off gracefully, turning his deep doe eyes back onto William.

"Honestly, a bootcamp might actually save my grade at this point. Do you mind if I scan the code?"

William’s heart hammered furiously against his ribs as he quickly slid the QR code acrylic standee forward, his hands trembling slightly as Est pulled out his phone.

While Est focused on scanning the digital flyer, the rest of the booth suddenly descended into pure, unadulterated chaos. Daou had noticed the senior indie game prototypes and practically dragged Pond over to the whirring laptops. The two of them immediately started a chaotic, highly competitive match, yelling and trash-talking each other so loudly that a small crowd of high schoolers gathered just to watch the spectacle. Phuwin, Nut, and Tui instantly got pulled into the madness, cheering them on and shouting commentary.

Sensing the perfect distraction, William took a deep breath to steady his racing heart. He leaned in slightly closer to Est, using the loud cheers from the gaming table as cover.

"Um, P'Est?" William started, his voice a little breathless. "Since the bootcamp fills up really fast and the system can be a bit slow with updates, maybe... we could exchange line IDs or phone numbers? Just so I can fast-track your registration. And, you know, if you ever get stuck on your Python assignments before the camp starts, you can just ask me directly."

It was a completely fabricated excuse and William prayed his trembling voice wouldn't betray how terrified he was of rejection.

Est blinked, a soft, pleasant surprise washing over his handsome features. Instead of questioning it, his lips curved into a warm, genuine smile. "Oh, that would actually be amazing. Thank you, William."

Without a single complaint or hint of hesitation, Est opened his contact app and handed his phone over to William. William’s fingers brushed against Est’s as he took the device, typing in his own number with hyper-focus before handing it back. Est immediately dialed the number and a second later, William felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket like a winning lottery ticket.

William was absolutely over the moon, his heart doing ecstatic backflips. He was feeling a little too giddy for his own good, but he firmly told himself to stay focused and keep his cool. Still, his invisible puppy ears practically perked up in sheer delight as Est smiled warmly at him.

A few minutes later, Pond and Daou finally finished their chaotic gaming match with a loud round of groans and cheers. The student committee members checked their watches, exchanged polite goodbyes and waied with the sophomores and finally walked away to check on the next faculty booth.

Before leaving, Pond simply couldn't resist messing with William one last time. He looped an arm around William's neck, violently ruffling his sweaty hair into an even bigger mess. "Try not to scare away our registrants with that pout, kiddo," Pond laughed.

But William wasn't backing down this time. Empowered by the contact number sitting safely in his pocket, he sharply elbowed Pond in the ribs and swatted his hands away. "Mind your own business, P'Pond! Go manage your committee and leave us professionals alone!" he barked back, sticking his tongue out as Pond walked away laughing.

The very second the seniors were out of earshot, Nut and Tui did not waste a single second. They immediately pounced on William like a pair of starved predators.

"Oh my god, look at him! He's literally glowing!" Nut squealed, aggressively shaking William's shoulder.

"’Just so I can fast-track your registration, P'Est,’" Tui mocked in a high-pitched, dramatic whisper, mimicking William's exact tone.

"Smooth, William. Incredibly smooth! We see you getting that Line ID!"

"Okay, okay, shut up for a second!" William finally gasped, pulling his hands away from his face, though the bright red blush remained. Instead of staying quiet, he completely lost all restraint and started gushing about the senior non-stop.

"But did you guys actually see him up close?! His skin is literally glowing in this heat! How is he not sweating? And when he looked at me, I swear his doe eyes were staring right into my soul!"

"Oh boy, here he goes," Nut laughed, leaning back against the table.

"He defended me from P'Pond!" William continued rapidly, waving his hands in the air, his voice full of pure, unadulterated excitement. "He told Pond to cut me some slack! He's not just breathtakingly gorgeous, he is an absolute angel. And his voice? So smooth. I’m going to make sure he gets the absolute best seat in that Python bootcamp, even if I have to kick a freshman out myself!"

Tui and Nut could only exchange amused, exhausted glances as William paced around the tiny tent, completely unstoppable now that the floodgates of his massive crush were wide open.

William’s heart did a little jump, hitting that familiar thump! thump! against his ribs as he stared at the glowing screen. He completely forgot about his peanut butter waffle, quickly wiping his hands on a napkin so he wouldn't get grease on the glass.

It was a text from P’Est.

P’Est suayyy

11.14 a.m.
Hey Will! are you free rn? need a little help to fix my dashboard script.  

William practically squealed, kicking his legs under his desk like a kid. He didn't waste a single second and started typing furiously, his thumbs flying across the keyboard.

11.15 a.m.
i’m free always for you, phi. sure! send me yr code here. let me look what went wrong. 

William waited patiently while the bubble with three dots appeared and disappeared on the screen. He took his waffle with one hand while his invisible puppy ears perked up, eagerly waiting for the incoming code snippet.

But instead of code, a completely different message popped up, making William freeze mid-bite

11.15 a.m.
always free? hahahahha you’re such a sweetheart william. your brother told me you’d probably complain about helping with schoolwork. guess he was wrong.

William’s cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. A sudden rush of heat hit his face and he almost choked on his peanut butter waffle.

You’re such a sweetheart wiiliam… YES, YESS HE ISSS!

He frantically kicked his legs under the desk again, this time out of pure, overwhelming embarrassment and slammed his free hand over his burning face.

He caught it! He teased me back!

I THINK HE LIKES MEEE!

His mind went into a complete tailspin. He couldn't believe Est had just called him sweet. Staring blankly at the text, William tried to force his malfunctioning brain to figure out a reply that wouldn't sound completely desperate.

11:18 a.m.
p'pond is just a hater, don't listen to him! 🙄 i am a highly dedicated sophomore who loves helping my handsome seniors. strictly professional, of course! 😌✨

11:19 a.m.
strictly professional, huh? 😉 alright then, professional, please save my life. here is the dashboard script that's currently ruining me.

The only thing that ruining you should be me.. Whoops!!

import pandas asvt pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

df = pd.read_csv("campus_metrics.csv")
filtered_df = df[df["faculty"] == "Computing"]

plt.bar(filtered_df["month"], filtered_df["registrations"]) plt.show()

The second the code hit his screen, William’s inner software engineer took over. He shifted instantly into hyper-focused, professional mode, glad to have a solid distraction from his racing heart. He analyzed the lines, spot-checking it against his own department's database formats.

11:21 a.m.
found it! p'est, there are actually two little bugs here! first, you have a typo in your first line
import pandas asvt pd should just be import pandas as pd.

11:22 a.m.
second, for the KeyError, our faculty's CSV file capitalizes the columns. change filtered_df["month"] to filtered_df["Month"] with a capital M. python is super case-sensitive!

It took a moment before Est’s reply came in.

11:24 a.m.
oh my god, it worked!!! the bar chart actually popped up! you are a literal genius, william. i was staring at this for two hours.

11:25 a.m.
haha told you! you just needed a digital media major's touch. my consulting fee is one very cold iced spanish latte.

11:26 a.m.
deal. i’ll add extra caramel drizzle for you. you looked like someone with a sweet-tooth.

11:27 a.m.
wow, look at you bribing a sophomore. i might have to report you to the student committee, p'est. 😉

11:28 a.m.
heyyy, i am the student committee! i am the law here. anyway, i have to run and submit report of this week’s progress. thanks again, sweetheart. see you soon!

11:29 a.m.
hahaha, sure phi. no problemm and remember to find me anytime you need me. can’t wait to see you, phi.

A massive, giddy smile plastered on his face. Not only did he fix the code like a total pro, but Est had called him sweetheart again.

The second he set his device down on the wooden surface, a tray clattered against the table as his friends abruptly pulled out chairs and sat down around him.

"Look at him, blushing," Tui teased immediately, leaning forward with a smug grin. "Must have been talking to his P'Est."

"P'Est?" Lego blinked, looking up from his own drink. "Who's that?"

"His crush," Nut snickered loudly.

William immediately shot a glare at Nut, making an annoyed, childish face at him.

The café table instantly fell into absolute chaos.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Lego slammed his hands down dramatically, staring at William with wide eyes. "When did you get a crush? Why was I not informed about this?!"

Nut didn't need to be asked twice. He launched into a highly animated, exaggerated retelling of the Open Day, detailing how William had frozen like a statue, got crumbs all over his face and practically drooled over the student committee senior.

As Nut finally finished his story, gasping for air from laughing so hard, Hong, who had been quietly sipping his iced coffee the entire time suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, Est?" Hong said casually, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Yeah, I've known him since last semester. We worked together on the university's annual exhibition committee."

William’s jaw dropped. The giddy smile completely vanished from his face, replaced by a look of sheer, comedic betrayal. He slapped his hands on the table and pointed a finger at Hong.

"You knew him?!" William shrieked, his voice cracking slightly. "You knew the most gorgeous man on this entire campus and you didn't think to introduce him to me?! Hong, you are a horrible friend!"

"Exactly!" Tui chimed in, pivoting instantly to point an accusing finger at Hong. "Why were you keeping such a handsome senior all to yourself anyway? Sharing is caring, Hong!"

Hong just rolled his eyes, a sassy smirk playing on his lips. "Please. Why would I care about other seniors when I already have the most handsome boyfriend right here?" He leaned his weight heavily against Nut, who was sitting right next to him.

Nut laughed happily, completely leaning into Hong as he wrapped a strong arm around Hong's shoulders and pulled him closer into a tight embrace. The rest of the table, Tui, Lego and William made disgusted, exaggerated grimaces at the sudden, shameless display of affection.

William loudly cleared his throat, interrupting the fake lovebirds before they could get any more, sappy. "Please, can we focus? My P'Est is still the absolute best. No competition."

Lego’s head snapped toward William, his eyes narrowing playfully. "'My P'Est'?" he mocked, pitching his voice up. "Whoa, that quick?!"

"Well," William flipped his imaginary long hair, a proud, incredibly smug grin spreading across his face as he tapped his phone screen. "He literally called me sweetheart over text just now."

Tui let out a low, dramatic whistle, and the entire table burst into a collective round of loud laughter and cheering, completely turning the café booth into a noisy, chaotic mess of friendly teasing.

Once the laughter died down into amused snickers, Hong took a sip of his drink and casually shifted the topic. "Oh, by the way, the campus football team is having a massive practice session down at the main stadium this evening."

Nut snapped his fingers, turning his head sharply toward William. "Wait, aren't you joining the practice tonight, William? You usually never miss a football session."

William shook his head, waving his hand dismissively as he took another bite of his peanut butter waffle. "Nah, not tonight. The coach said this specific practice is strictly for the seniors. They're preparing for that upcoming friendly match between departments next week, so sophomores are benched from the field today."

Hong’s eyes suddenly widened, a sly, knowing smirk spreading across his face as he instantly connected the dots. He leaned forward on the table, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Right... if I'm not mistaken, isn't your brother the starting midfielder for the Engineering senior team?"

"Yeah, so?" William blinked, completely clueless.

"And since the senior team has that massive friendly match coming up, they're running full tactical drills tonight," Hong’s grin grew wider, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"And… guess who is the official team manager for the Engineering department senior team? The one who has to bring the first-aid kits, clipboards and water bottles for them?"

William froze mid-chew, his eyes going wide as saucers as the realization hit him like a lightning bolt.

"P'Est," Tui gasped out loud, pointing dramatically at William.

William was completely exhilarated. His heart did a massive, chaotic flip and he sat there totally frozen, not knowing what to do with his hands or his face. The sudden rush of adrenaline made him feel dizzy with excitement.

He blinked rapidly, turning his wide eyes toward Hong. "But... how do you even know all of this?"

Hong let out a soft, mocking sigh and rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair with his signature sassy smirk.

"Please, William. Did you forget who you're talking to?" Hong tapped his temple with a perfectly manicured nail.

"I literally just told you I worked with him on the exhibition committee last semester. We're still in the same campus group chats. He posted a photo of the team's massive water coolers on his social media story like ten minutes ago, complaining about how heavy they are. Unlike you, I actually pay attention to my feed."

"Oh my god," Nut squealed, slamming his palms on the table. "This is destiny! William, you have to go down there this evening.”

William stood up all of a sudden. The relentless teasing instantly died out. Everyone at the table blinked, looking up at him like he had just grown two massive horns out of his head.

"I'll have to make sure P'Est is hydrated," William declared, his voice dead serious as his hands flew across the table, aggressively throwing his notebook, tablet and pens inside his bag.

"He'd be so busy looking after his team that he might completely forget to take care of himself."

The rest of the them looked at him in utter, unbelievable shock.

"Oh, also, I need to make sure he doesn't stand too long under the hot sun..." William muttered to himself, zipping his bag with a sharp snap.

"He's a team manager, William," Nut deadpanned, staring at him blankly. "His entire job description is literally standing on the side-lines holding drinks for other people."

Yeah, but who is going to hold a drink for him?!" William fired back defensively, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"What if he gets a heatstroke? What if he slips on a stray football? He needs a dedicated assistant manager. That's just department solidarity!"

And just like that, William spun around and disappeared into the campus crowd at lightning speed, leaving his friends looking at his no-longer-there shadow in complete, clueless silence.

"Woww..." Lego breathed out, staring at the empty chair.

"I said it before, but I'm gonna say it again," Tui said, shaking his head slowly. "He is absolutely, completely down bad."

"Bad, baddd..." Nut added, making a dramatic weeping face.

The remaining four looked at each other for a brief second of silence before the entire table burst into a collective roar of loud laughter, drawing curious glances from everyone else in the campus café.

When William reached the stadium, the heavy afternoon heat was finally starting to settle. A few students were hanging around the bleachers, chatting or scrolling on their phones, while a handful of track athletes ran their routine practice laps around the red tracks. Down by the booths near the field, sports bags, running shoes and training gears were scattered everywhere, likely belonging to the senior engineering team.

William immediately scanned the area, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched for the boy with the beautiful doe eyes. Or maybe the one with the perfect, heart-shaped lips. Or perhaps simply the most breathtakingly gorgeous man to ever exist on this campus...

His mind was rambling into pure fanboy territory again, completely out of his control.

And then, there he was!

His P'Est.

The senior was standing right at the edge of the field, looking incredibly fit clad in an Engineering department jersey and athletic shorts, with a black cap pulled low over his messy hair. He was holding a clipboard, a few statistical tracking sheets slipped neatly into the transparent plastic sleeve on the back. He looked intensely focused, his sharp jawline tensing slightly as he jotted down notes on the paper.

William's face instantly split into a soft, helpless smile. His heart commenced that familiar, frantic thump! thump! against his ribs and his legs automatically started walking toward his senior without his brain even giving the command. If he could, he would have practically flown across the grass, but unfortunately, humans have their limits.

"Heyy, P'Esttt!!" William called out, his voice a little higher than usual as he finally crossed the running track and stepped onto the grass.

"William?" Est looked up from his clipboard, his doe eyes blinking in genuine surprise. A warm, effortless smile immediately broke across his handsome face as he lowered the board.

"What are you doing here?" Est asked, adjusting the cap on his head. "I thought sophomores were benched from training today."

Oh, I just ran across campus because I wanted to make sure you didn't get heatstroke while holding a clipboard.

Shit!

William’s brain instantly flatlined. He hadn't thought that far ahead. In his rush to meet P’Est, he hadn't prepared a single logical excuse for why he was suddenly standing at the seniors' private practice field, gripping his backpack straps like a lifeline.

"Aaa, my department is having training and I thought... I'd just give them a visit," William stammered, offering a quick, tight smile.

Bullshit.

The words tasted like pure lies the moment they left his mouth. If it wasn't his own mandatory practice day, William would a thousand times rather spend his evening rolled up like a burrito on his bed, watching Tom and Jerry reruns while munching on sour cream and onion Pringles. The last place he would willingly be is a humid, sweaty stadium.

Est tilted his head, his dark eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and skepticism. He looked down at the Computing department patch on William's bag, then back up at the field where only the Engineering seniors were running drills.

"Your department?" Est echoed softly, his lips pulling into a teasing, knowing grin. "William, the Computing juniors aren't on the schedule today. And the guys practicing over there are all from my faculty, Engineering."

William’s cheeks instantly caught fire. His brain scrambled for a backup lie, his thumbs digging into his backpack straps so hard his knuckles turned white. He had officially walked right into a trap of his own making.

"Aaaa..." William dragged out the syllable, his eyes darting frantically to the sky as if searching for a script to read.

"Omg, reallyyy?? I must have misread the timetable. I'm so silly!" he gasped dramatically, slapping a hand over his mouth in mock realization.

Woww! He should really be an actor. No, seriously, he should have received an Oscar by now for this performance. He even managed to squeeze out a nervous, innocent laugh, hoping his wide, blinking eyes would make the lie believable.

Est stared at him for a beat. Then, a soft, melodic chuckle escaped his lips, his heart-shaped lips curving into a beautifully broad smile that made William's knees go weak. He lowered his clipboard, leaning his weight casually onto one leg.

"Is that so?" Est teased, his doe eyes practically shining with amusement.

Pond, completely drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, suddenly jogged over to the sidelines from the pitch. He wiped his forehead with the collar of his jersey and froze when he noticed William standing right next to Est.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Pond asked, his tone laced with genuine curiosity.

William’s throat went dry. Before he could cook up another theatrical lie, Est answered for him, a warm, amused smile still playing on his lips. "He said he misread the timetable."

"Misread?" Pond's eyebrows shot up. He looked at his little brother with extreme suspicion. He knew William’s daily routine like the back of his hand. "You wouldn't miss your Tom and Jerry reruns for the world. How could you misread a football timetable?"

Est blinked, his doe eyes shifting between the two brothers. "Tom and Jerry?" he asked, completely charmed by the sudden, bizarre revelation.

William felt his soul briefly leave his body. He glared at Pond with absolute fury, silently cursing his brother’s existence. His carefully crafted persona as a dedicated, professional sophomore was being stripped away, line by line, right in front of his ultimate crush.

"I'm a human! I can make mistakes over reading a timetable!" William stammered out, desperate to defend his honor against the Tom and Jerry slander. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and let out a huge, dramatic pout, glaring at the grass to avoid his brother's piercing gaze.

Est laughed at that. It wasn't just a polite chuckle this time. He laughed a little too loudly, his entire face lighting up as his shoulders shook. The musical sound of his laughter echoed beautifully over the open stadium.

William just felt himself floating in the air.

His annoyance at Pond instantly vanished, completely replaced by a dizzying wave of euphoria. He didn't care that he had been exposed as a cartoon-obsessed couch potato. As long as he got to witness Est laughing like that with those beautiful doe eyes wrinkling and his heart-shaped lips stretched into a radiant smile, William was perfectly fine with his soul leaving his body entirely.

"I think… Tom and Jerry is cute!" Est added, wiping a tear from laughing so hard. He looked at William with a soft, incredibly warm expression.

William’s heart completely stopped, before beating twice as fast. He thinks it's cute! He didn't think I was a total loser!

Pond just rolled his eyes at Est’s defense of his little brother, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "Great, now you're validating his cartoon addiction. Don't spoil him, Est, he's already impossible to deal with at home."

Before Pond could continue his sibling slander, a sharp, loud whistle echoed across the stadium. The senior coach was standing near the center circle, waving his arms aggressively for the midfielders to get back into position for the main tactical drill.

"Alright, that's my cue," Pond sighed, patting Est on the shoulder before turning a warning glare toward William. "Don't cause trouble for my team manager, kid. I'm watching you."

With that, Pond jogged back onto the green pitch, leaving the two of them alone on the side-lines once again. Est turned back to William, the bright stadium lights reflecting perfectly in his dark doe eyes as he extended the clipboard forward with a playful wink.

"Well…, since you're officially off the hook for your cartoon time, care to help me log the sprint metrics for the next drill?"

William groaned, a fresh wave of heat flushing all the way up his neck as he reached out and took the clipboard from the senior's hands.

"You're never gonna let this down, right..." William mumbled, staring down at the tracking sheets to hide his burning cheeks.

Est burst into laughter again, the sound light and completely unbothered by William's grumpy display.

"P'Estttt!" William whined, glaring at him with a look that was supposed to be fierce but ended up looking like an irritated puppy.

"Okay, okay… my bad," Est said, raising his hands in mock surrender, though the massive grin remained on his face. He leaned in just a fraction closer, his doe eyes locked onto William's flustered face. "You're lucky you're cute."

Before William's brain could even register the words, Est patted him gently on the shoulder and turned around. "Hold the board for a second, I need to go grab the extra stopwatches from the bleachers," he mumbled over his shoulder as he walked away.

Est had no idea that William was currently half an inch away from doing a full Olympic high jump right there on the grass.

He called me cute?!

CUTEE??!!

ASDJHGDHJSJSGFKJSGFJHSGJ!! I AM CUTEEEE!!

William screamed at the top of his lungs inside his own mind, gripping the edges of the clipboard so hard the plastic creaked. His soul didn't just leave his body this time. It launched straight into the stratosphere. He buried his face into the top of the clipboard, biting his lip fiercely to stop himself from letting out an actual, physical shriek of pure joy right in front of the entire senior engineering football team.

The practice ran late into the evening. By the time the coach blew the final whistle, it was already 7:45 p.m. The fierce Bangkok sun had long set, replaced by the towering, bright stadium floodlights that cast long shadows across the grass.

The exhausted football players trotted over to the middle of the pitch, circling around the coach for a short post-training briefing.

William was seated cross-legged on the cool grass, with Est standing right next to him. Reality was starting to sink in. The practice was over, which meant his excuse to hang out with the handsome senior was coming to an end. His invisible puppy ears drooped sadly and his fingers fidgeted nervously over the edges of the paper clipped to the board. He really didn't want this evening to finish.

As a final check before wrapping up for the night, Est leaned down slightly, his shadow falling over William.

"Hey, how did the numbers look for the final tactical sprint?" Est asked softly, his voice a comforting contrast to the distant shouting of the coach.

William quickly snapped out of his gloom and held up the board. "Uh, the senior midfielders all peaked during the third lap. P'Pond actually had the fastest recovery time, but don't tell him I said that or his head will get too big."

Est let out a soft chuckle and took the clipboard, checking through the neatly written rows of numbers to make sure every single data point was tallying up correctly. He nodded in pure satisfaction. "Wow, William. Your handwriting is surprisingly neat and your logging is flawless. Everything matches my stopwatch perfectly."

William blushes a little at the sudden compliment, looking down at his own sneakers. "Thank you, phi," he murmured shyly, his usual dramatic confidence completely melting under Est's warm gaze.

Est smiled, sliding the clipboard into his sports bag before slinging it over his shoulder. He looked down at William, his doe eyes reflecting the bright stadium floodlights. "I still owe you a Spanish latte, remember? Wanna have dinner? It’s on me," Est said, offering it both as a promise fulfilled and a genuine thank you for helping him out tonight, even though William hadn't been obligated to do a single thing.

William’s invisible puppy ears perked up instantly, his previous gloomy mood vanishing into thin air.

"Really, phi??!!" he blurted out, before quickly catching himself.

Cool, William, cool... don't look too desperate!

He cleared his throat, trying to compose his racing heart. "But, um, it's okay, phi. I really do not want to trouble you."

Est's heart-shaped lips curved into a beautifully soft smile. He shook his head slightly, stepping a fraction closer.

"It’s not a trouble at all, William. After all, you've helped me out a lot tonight. Also..." He paused, his dark eyes locking onto William's flustered face with a gentle intensity.

"...I just wanted to treat you to something nice because I wanted to."

William nodded eagerly, and they were about to walk off the grassy field when Pond and Daou suddenly rushed over to them, both completely drenched in sweat and breathing heavily from the drills.

"Estieee..." Daou whined playfully, throwing his arm over and locking Est in a tight, sweaty headlock, while Pond smoothly did the exact same thing to William.

William immediately started thrashing around, trying his absolute best to escape the damp embrace. "Ewww, P'Pond! You're filthyyy... let me go!"

Daou and Est burst out laughing at his dramatic struggles and Pond just grinned, rubbing his sweaty forearm against William’s shoulder.

"Hey, show some respect to the star midfielder who feeds you, brat. This is the scent of hard work."

William rolled his eyes so hard it practically hurt, letting out a loud huff.

"Do you guys want to have dinner together?" Pond asked suddenly, wiping his brow with his jersey.

William’s heart instantly plummeted. He was about to open his mouth to scream an aggressive "NO," when Daou interrupted enthusiastically. "Oh, that'll be nice! The guys on the team told me that new ramen shop right over by the campus back gate is absolutely delicious."

William pouted fiercely in his heart. His perfect, romantic dinner plan with his P'Est was currently being hijacked by two sweaty seniors.

"Actually, I've already made plans with Nong William," Est suddenly spoke up, patting Daou's arm to get him to release the headlock.

"Huhh?" William looked up, a little shocked by Est's smooth defense before he started nodding his head aggressively like a bobblehead. "Yeah, yeah! We did!"

"And I'm already starving," Est continued with a calm, charming smile, adjusting his clipboard bag. "If we have to wait for you two to go back to the dorms, get cleaned up and then meet at the restaurant, I'll be completely famished by then."

YES! YESSS! William was practically dancing a victory jig in his heart.

"Yes, P'Pond! You are so smelly that you'll probably need at least a two-hour-long shower to wash all that grime off," William chimed in right on cue, gesturing dramatically with his hands to emphasize the stench.

"Let's have dinner together some other time later. Let's go, William," Est said softly. He reached down and gently grabbed William's wrist, pulling him smoothly out of the stadium and away from the chaos.

"Bye, Phis!" William yelled over his shoulder, a triumphant, smug grin plastered across his face as he happily followed right behind Est's footsteps.

Daou and Pond blinked in unison, standing frozen on the damp grass as they watched the two figures quickly disappear past the stadium gates.

"Is there something going on between those two...?" Pond asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the empty exit.

Daou shrugged his shoulders once, a lazy, amused grin slowly spreading across his face.

"I don't know," Daou said, checking his watch before looking back at Pond with a knowing smirk. "But Est is… weird.”

Pond scoffed, shaking his head as he finally turned back toward the team circle. "If that brat causes any trouble for our manager, I'm locking him out of the apartment."

Unaware of his brother's empty threats, William was currently living his absolute best life. The heavy sports gear, the humid stadium air and the chaos of the football pitch faded into a distant memory the moment they stepped into the cool, air-conditioned sanctuary of a cozy café just outside the university gates. The soft acoustic playlist humming from the speakers was a blissful upgrade from Pond’s sweaty shouting.

They sat across from each other at a small, dimly lit wooden table by the window. Placed right in front of William was the grand prize he had… earned?

A tall, glass of iced Spanish latte, complete with a generous, swirling mountain of whipped cream and topped with extra caramel drizzle.

William took a long, blissful sip through his straw. The sweet, rich coffee hit his throat and his invisible puppy ears practically wagged in satisfaction.

Est smiled warmly across the table, leaning his chin on his palm as he watched the sophomore's dramatic expression of pure joy.

"Does it pass your sweet-tooth test?" Est teased, his doe eyes crinkling at the corners.

William set his glass down, a tiny smudge of caramel catching on his bottom lip as he grinned back. "Absolutely! I’d die any day for something as good as this.”

Est laughed. The sound warm and low. He reached for the wooden napkin holder in the middle of the table, pulling out a crisp white square. Instead of just sliding it over, Est leaned forward slightly across the small table, his focus dropping down to William’s mouth.

"Careful there, genius," Est murmured softly, a gentle, amused smile playing on his lips. He raised his hand and lightly tapped his own bottom lip to indicate the spot. "You've got a little bit of caramel right here. Unless you're saving it for later?"

William froze, the sweet taste of the Spanish latte instantly turning into a roaring fire that rushed straight to his cheeks. His heart began hammering a frantic thump! thump! thump! against his ribs.

Est chuckled at the immediate, deer-in-the-headlights expression on the sophomore's face. He gently reached across the short distance and pressed the napkin into William's palm, his warm fingers brushing against William's skin for a brief, electric second. "Here. Wipe it off.”

William took the napkin with trembling fingers, quickly dabbing at his lip while frantically screaming inside his own head.

HE LOOKED AT MY LIPS.

HE PRESSED HIS HANDS AGAINST MINE.

ASDJKFLHG! I CANNOT BREATHE

The waiter arrived just a moment later, breaking the intense romantic tension. He neatly placed their steaming dishes down on the wooden table. A comforting bowl of shoyu ramen with extra chashu chicken for Est and a plate of crispy chicken katsu curry rice for William.

"Thank you," they both said in unison to the waiter, bowing their heads slightly.

With food finally serving as a much-needed distraction, William's racing heart began to stabilize, though his cheeks remained a faint, pretty pink. They ate happily, quickly diving into a comfortable rhythm. Between mouthfuls of savory curry and rich ramen broth, they shared light conversations here and there.

William found himself completely losing his nerves as the dinner went on. He gushed about his favorite digital media projects, while Est shared hilarious stories about the engineering seniors failing their lab experiments. The small café booth was constantly filled with their soft laughs and spontaneous giggles, the atmosphere growing warmer and more intimate by the minute.

Following that dinner, a subtle shift rippled through the space between William and Est. It wasn’t a jarring, dramatic change, nor was there any awkward tension left over from the napkin incident. Instead, the air around them simply grew lighter and… a whole lot sweeter.

They became intertwined in each other's daily routines. William, who usually guarded his sleep like a dragon over gold, found himself waking up early just to call Est randomly in the middle of the day. He’d mask his excitement under the guise of casual checks. "Phi, have you eaten yet? Don't skip meals or you'll mess up your data metrics," he’d ramble, his invisible puppy ears perking up just at the sound of the senior's sleepy voice.

In return, Est developed a devastating habit of dropping random sweet nicknames into their conversations. "Thanks, sweetheart," or "What are you up to, lovely?" would slip off Est's tongue so effortlessly over the phone. Every single time it happened, William’s brain would short-circuit, leaving him flustered and on the absolute verge of physical combustion. Yet, despite his racing heart, William remained entirely oblivious, convinced Est was just being naturally affectionate.

They began spending every available pocket of time together. They shared chaotic lunches at the campus café and established a permanent residency at the university library. They didn't share a single related course, but they would sit side-by-side for hours anyway. William would dutifully help Est debug his complex Python script, their heads practically touching over a single laptop screen.

Whenever the coding grew too intense, Est would insist on quick runs to get sweet treats.

"Time to feed the sugar monster," Est would tease, pulling William along by the wrist. "You have a serious sweet tooth, William. If I don't get you a peanut butter waffle right now, you're going to turn into a kicked puppy left under the rain."

Which wasn't exactly an… exaggeration. Just last Tuesday, William had almost thrown a full-blown toddler fit after a grueling three-hours lecture, his face completely sour and pinched as if he’d been forced to eat raw lemons.

He had dragged his feet across the pavement, refusing to speak a single word. But the very moment they stumbled into their usual bakery stall and the warm, rich scent of toasted batter hit his nose, William had instantly lit up like a Christmas tree. Est had just laughed fondly, shaking his head as he paid the vendor and handed the golden, peanut-butter-slathered waffle over to his fiercely munching sophomore

And as for social distancing or personal space? It was as if the concept didn't even exist in their vocabulary anymore. They sat so close their shoulders constantly brushed and Est would casually rest his chin on William's shoulder to look at his phone. They were so naturally attached at the hip that people across the faculty were already openly whispering, completely convinced that the sophomore coder and the gorgeous engineering senior were a couple.

All of that campus gossip aside, William was just a completely happy puppy. He got to spend almost every single day with his ultimate crush. Even if said crush absolutely loved to test his heart at every turn, constantly leaving him flustered, giddy and hopelessly breathless.

William was simply a man deeply, irreparably, and irrevocably in love. He fully accepted his defeat.

And he did so right gladly.

That blissful bubble of privacy expanded all the way until the following weekend, when the highly anticipated inter-departmental friendly match finally arrived. The stadium was packed to the brim with roaring crowds, banners waving under the bright lights as the Faculty of Computing faced off against the Faculty of Engineering.

William, Nut, Tui, Lego and Hong had all squeezed into the crowded bleachers, proudly wearing their bright blue Computing department jerseys to support their own faculty. Well, everyone except William. Physically, he was sitting in the designated Computing zone but his eyes and his heart were completely anchored to the opposite sideline. He was there to aggressively cheer for the Engineering team, entirely because of a certain gorgeous team manager standing by the bench.

The match hadn't even reached halftime before William became a public hazard to his own faculty's section.

"GO P'EST! YOU LOOK AMAZING HOLDING THAT FIRST-AID KIT! BREAK A LEG, ENGINEERING!" William shrieked at the top of his lungs, waving his arms wildly in the air.

"Shut up! Oh my god, William, shut up!" Nut yelled in a panicked whisper, instantly launching himself sideways to slam his hand firmly over William’s open, cheering mouth.

"You are wearing a blue jersey! Look at where we are sitting!" Tui hissed, aggressively swatting at William's shoulder to force him back down into his seat.

William merely thrashed against their grip, his muffled protests sounding like an angry, suffocated puppy as his eyes remained locked on Est. Meanwhile, Lego and Hong were forced to take turns bowing and frantically apologizing to the sea of Computing students around them, who were all throwing very judgmental, deeply offended looks at their chaotic row.

The intense, nail-biting game finally ended with a dramatic score of 3-2, with Engineering taking the hard-fought victory. The moment the final whistle blew, William completely lost his mind, leaping out of Nut and Tui's loosening grip to jump up and down, cheering wildly for the rival team while his actual classmates around him groaned in collective disappointment.

The moment the students began to clear out from the crowded bleachers, William immediately stood up too, grabbing his bag and instantly aiming his body toward the stairs. He was practically vibrating with the urge to run straight down to his P'Est. They had already promised to have a post-match dinner together and William wouldn't miss it for the world.

"Look at him, acting like nothing is wrong after completely embarrassing us for ninety minutes straight," Lego said, crossing his arms and shaking his head in mock exhaustion.

William paused at the top of the stairs, turning back to glare at him with a look of pure, stubborn innocence. "I did no such thing!" he said defensively, puffing out his chest. "I was simply supporting sportsmanship and ensuring our engineering neighbors felt welcomed on our turf. It's called being a good host!"

"You literally cheered louder when their striker ran past our defense than when we scored our second goal," Tui deadpanned, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.

"Details, Tui, minor details!" William waved his hand dismissively, his eyes already wandering back down toward the pitch where Est was packed up and looking directly toward the bleachers. "Anyway, my shift as a good host is calling. See you guys later!"

"Aren't you having dinner with us?!" Nut screamed at the top of his lungs over the roaring crowd, trying to catch William's retreating back.

"I'm having it with P'Est!" William screamed back over his shoulder, not slowing down for a single second. He was already sprinting down the concrete stadium stairs, running full speed toward the field, which was still buzzing with post-winning energy.

Up on the bleachers, the group of friends could only sigh in collective defeat, laughing warmly at William's dramatic theatrics as they headed toward the opposite exit.

William strided down the stadium walkway, his heart doing a frantic, happy rhythm as he neared the Engineering bench, utterly eager to meet his senior. But the exact moment he reached the edge of the grass, his footsteps slowed to a sudden halt.

Est wasn't alone. He was currently deep in conversation with someone else.

The man standing opposite Est looked incredibly mature, radiating an effortless, magnetic confidence that immediately caught William's eye. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a striking, model-like posture that made him look like he belonged on a fashion runway rather than a dusty football field. His jawline was sharp, and his dark, expressive eyes were locked onto Est, crinkling slightly at the corners with a warm, intimate familiarity. He was impeccably dressed in a crisp, stylish casual outfit that made him look a bit older, perhaps a senior from another department or a well-known campus leader.

The two of them were standing remarkably close, their posture relaxed as they laughed together at something private. For a split second, William felt a sudden, unfamiliar pinch of anxiety tighten in his chest as he watched how comfortably the handsome stranger rested a hand on Est's shoulder.

William desperately wanted to ignore the sharp, irritating itch currently gnawing at his heart. Every protective, stubborn fiber in his body urged him to simply march right up to Est, flash a bright smile, and playfully pull his senior away by the wrist for their promised dinner. He wanted to claim his space.

But as his feet glued themselves to the concrete walkway, William saw the way Est smiled.

It was a hearty, effortless smile that lit up his entire face. There was absolutely no rigid posture, no polite distance and his beautiful doe eyes crinkled deeply with pure, unadulterated comfort as he stood remarkably close to the tall man. Seeing his ultimate crush look so radiant in another man's presence sent a heavy, suffocating wave of something ugly beating violently against the walls of his chest.

And… he couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was.

Suddenly, a harsh, painful realization crashed over him like a wave of ice water. Of course, he thought, his throat tightening up.

Of course, someone as incredible as P'Est would have a crush. Or a boyfriend. Or someone they love. Looking at the mature, model-like senior standing beside Est, William felt entirely small. There was absolutely no way a breath-taking, sophisticated senior like Est would ever want to be with someone like him.

A messy, loud sophomore who got crumbs on his face, whined when is denied sweet treats, spent his weekends throwing tantrums over cartoons, and behaving like a puppy wearing its heart on its sleeve.

But... what about all the time they had spent together this past week?

William let out a silent, self-deprecating laugh in his head, his shoulders slumping.

Oh, please! Don't you spend most of your time with your own friends too? To Est, all those library study sessions, the random mid-day phone checks and the spontaneous runs for peanut butter waffles were probably nothing more than a senior being kind to his friend’s younger brother. Est was just a naturally affectionate person. He called everyone sweet names. He treated everyone kindly.

Maybe it was entirely his own fault. William had felt too much, falling hopelessly, irrevocably in love, and stupidly allowed himself to think that maybe, just maybe… Est was feeling the exact same way about him too.

Feeling defeated, he walked away, forgetting the dinner plans they had made. He told himself to pull himself William shot a simple text to Est, not wanting him to wait around.

7:56 p.m.
Phi Est, I'm not feeling well suddenly. I'm sorry, but I can't go to our dinner tonight.

As soon as the text sent, William silenced his phone, turning on both Do Not Disturb and airplane mode. He completely ignored the final incoming message that flashed across his screen right before the signal cut out.

Est read the message again and again, but his reply remained unread.

Puppy Liammm

7:56 p.m.
Phi Est, I'm not feeling well suddenly. I'm sorry, but I can't go to our dinner tonight.

7:56 p.m.
Not feeling well? Do you need anything? I can take you to the clinic if you want.

He couldn't help but feel worried. William wasn't one to cancel plans, at least, not with Est.

A soft smile touched his lips at the mere thought of William. The boy was like a puppy who had somehow intertwined himself into Est's life and surprisingly, Est didn't mind it at all.

"Your boyfriend?"

Est looked up to find Joong watching him.

"Huh?" Est asked, momentarily confused.

"You looked so worried at first and then you started smiling," Joong pointed out. "So... is he your boyfriend?"

Est smiled softly. "No… Not... yet."

"Wow! Does that mean I've lost my chance?" Joong teased, though a hint of genuine hurt flickered in his eyes.

"Joong..." Est sighed, warningly.

"Okay, okay, I was just joking around," Joong conceded with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, I've got to go. See you around."

As Joong walked away, Est looked back down at his phone. Still no reply from William. Feeling increasingly uneasy, Est made a mental note to call Pond to see if he knew why William was suddenly unwell.

It had been three days.

Three agonizing days.

William had been avoiding Est the way people avoid the plague. He hadn't replied to any of Est's messages, nor had he picked up any of his calls. He simply sent a brief text telling Est he wasn’t well enough to go to the library for their study date… no, scratch that.

Their study sessions.

On top of that, he had been steering clear of their usual cafés as much as possible. Instead, he kept himself fiercely busy, running only to his lecture halls, attending labs and heading straight back home the second everything was over. His friends had asked him multiple times if he was okay. Each time, William shrugged it off, claiming he was just tired and wanted to be left alone.

Of course, they didn't believe him for a second. However, not wanting to push him, they gave him his space. They simply stayed close by, remaining within arm's reach for whenever William finally decided he felt safe enough to confide in them.

"William... William," his teammate, Win, called out, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Ah, yes?" William blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Are you okay? You look a little spaced out."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine," William lied, nodding quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... just a little nervous, perhaps," he said, shutting his locker door.

"Don't worry, man," another teammate, Mark, stepped forward and threw an arm around William's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll pull through and smash this game."

William smiled and nodded half-heartedly.

Just then, the team captain, Perth, called for everyone to gather around. From up above, they could already hear the faint cheering and chanting echoing from the stadium crowds.

Today was the junior friendly match of the inter-department tournament. This time, the Computer Science department was facing off against the Business Administration department.

Perth, their captain spoke a few words of motivation, huddling the team tight. They stacked their palms in the center and shouted a loud cheer to psych themselves up. William simply went through the motions. His heart was left somewhere far away. Perhaps at that Open Day booth, perhaps at the café with an iced Spanish latte or maybe somewhere else entirely.

They walked out of the locker room, each of them determined to win the game. They lined up at the sidelines, waiting for the instruction to walk out onto the middle of the field.

As the chants from the crowd grew louder, William instinctively looked around. He felt a sudden prickle on his skin, like someone was intensely watching him. When he looked up toward the booths near the running tracks, his eyes locked onto Est.

Zap!

He felt a painful tugging in his chest. Est was staring directly at him with an unreadable expression. Terrified of crumbling right there, William instantly snapped his gaze away, shaking his head to force himself to focus on the game.

The referee signalled and they walked to the center of the pitch. They did a few quick stretches and light jumps in place. Then, the opposing team walked onto the field, making the cheers roar even louder.

Is Phi Est tired?

William thought as they lined up to shake hands with the other team.

Why does he look so different?

William followed behind his teammates, his boots crunching against the crisp grass.

Is Phi Est angry at me?

Each player broke formation, running across the field to take their positions.

Why should he be? He has someone else.

The whistle blew. The midfielder of the opposing team kicked the ball high into the sky, beginning the frantic battle for possession between the twenty-two men on the field.

The game quickly turned into a high-stakes game of ping-pong. William and his teammates pushed forward, passing the ball in a tight, synchronized rhythm. Mark swept it wide to Win, who crossed it beautifully right into the box. It was a golden opportunity. Perth lunged forward for a header, the ball flying agonizingly close to the crossbar. Only for the opposing goalkeeper to make a spectacular, fingertip interception at the very last second.

A collective groan echoed across the pitch, matched instantly by a frustrated roar from the crowds in the stands. They were so close. But with no time to wallow, they quickly scrambled back into formation to try all over again.

William forced himself to sprint, desperately trying to lock his focus 100% on the white lines and the leather ball. Yet, his traitorous gaze kept drifting toward the tracks during pauses in the play. Every time his eyes searched the crowd, it was like playing russian roulette with his own feelings.

On the turns where he caught Est watching him, his chest would tighten with a painful squeeze. But ironically, during the moments he checked and Est wasn't there, perhaps looking away or talking to someone else, a cold, hollow disappointment would settle deep in William's stomach, which was far worse.

"William, ahead!" Mark yelled.

William snapped back to reality just as the ball rolled perfectly into his path. He trapped it cleanly, his instincts taking over as he surged forward, weaving past a defender. The ball was practically glued to his feet now, the goal within striking distance. But as he cut sharply to the wing, a sudden opening forced him to glance toward the sidelines for a passing option and that was when he saw it again.

It was Est.

With the exact same mature, model-like senior from the open day. They were standing together, smiling and clapping for someone on the field.

A sharp, ugly spike of fury flared up in William’s chest. The distraction was fatal.

"WILLIAM!"

The frantic warning from his teammate shattered his tunnel vision, but it came a split second too late. By the time William snapped his head back to the front, a heavy force running at full speed slammed directly into him.

The collision was brutal. William was violently tackled to the ground, the wind knocked out of his lungs as he hit the turf hard. But the real agony struck a millisecond later. As he went down, his cleats caught awkwardly in the crisp grass, forcing his right foot to twist at a sickening, unnatural angle. A blinding flash of white-hot pain shot straight up his leg, stealing his breath entirely. He curled into himself on the grass, clutching his ankle as tears of pure shock pricked his eyes.

TWEEEEET!

The referee’s whistle blew instantly, sharp and aggressive. Up in the stands, the crowd erupted into a chaotic roar, screaming, "FOUL! That's a foul!"

Within seconds, the thumping of heavy footsteps rushed toward him. Win and Mark were the first to drop to their knees by his side, faces pale with worry.

"William! Don't move, man, stay down!" Mark yelled, shielding him from the opposing players.

A few feet away, Perth was already white with rage. He marched straight up to the referee, gesturing wildly toward the spot where William was downed.

"Are you blind, Ref?! That was a late challenge! He took him out completely from the side! That’s a straight yellow, if not a red!" Perth argued fiercely, trying to reason with the official while defending his fallen sophomore.

William curled tighter on the turf, the world spinning in violent blurs. He tentatively reached down, his trembling fingers hovering over his right ankle but even the slightest movement sent a fresh, white-hot wave of agony screaming up his leg. It hurt too much to even touch. He gasped for air, his throat tight as he fought back the tears threatening to spill.

A moment later, the frantic shouting of the crowd faded into the background as the word "Medics!" echoed across the field.

"Open up, open up! Give him some space!" one of the paramedics shouted, pushing through the wall of jersey-clad players.

Two of them immediately knelt at William's feet, popping open a large first aid kit. They worked with practiced urgency, carefully unlacing his cleat and gently removing it to inspect the swelling flesh beneath his sock. Every microscopic shift of his foot made William hiss, his hands digging into the grass to anchor himself against the blinding pain.

Suddenly, a comforting warmth engulfed him from behind. The harsh pressure of the grass against his palms was gently replaced as a pair of strong, steady arms wrapped around his torso. A firm, broad chest pressed flush against his back, acting as a solid anchor in the middle of the chaotic field. The familiar, intoxicating scent of clean linen and mint washed over him, instantly cutting through the smell of sweat and crushed grass.

"William, are you okay?"

The voice was ragged, laced with a terrifying amount of panic.

Est...

Hearing that voice, William turned his head slightly. The moment his blurred vision locked onto Est’s pale, utterly terrified face, his eyes stung fiercely with a mixture of physical pain and overwhelming relief.

"Phi..." he whispered weakly, his voice cracking.

"William, what happened? Does it hurt that much? Do you need anything?" Est asked in a frantic rush, his hands trembling as he held William tighter, completely uncaring that the entire stadium, the referees and his teammates were watching them.

All of William’s previous anger, jealousy and three days of agonizing avoidance evaporated in a single second. He shook his head weakly, entirely defeated by the pain. Turning his body into the embrace, he leaned his weight completely into the senior, hiding his tear-stained face deep into the crook of Est’s chest.

"Hurt..." he sobbed out, finally letting the tears fall against Est's shirt.

Est was stunned for a moment, his heart hammering against his ribs as he stared down at the boy sobbing into his chest. He was completely unsure of what to do, his usual calm composure entirely shattered by the sight of a broken, vulnerable William.

"It looks like a severe lateral ankle sprain," one of the paramedics informed him, gently wrapping a temporary cold compress around the rapidly swelling joint.

"The ligaments took a bad hit when his foot twisted under that tackle. We need to immobilize it right away. We'll bring him to the campus nurse's office for a proper evaluation and icing."

Hearing this, a few of William's teammates from the reserve bench quickly stepped forward. "We've got him, Phi," one of them said, reaching down and placing a hand on William’s shoulder to gently tear him away from Est's embrace.

The moment those hands touched William, a fierce, primal protective instinct flared up inside Est. He instantly tightened his grip around William, pulling the younger boy even closer to his chest.

"I'll take him," Est said, his voice dropping into a fierce, unyielding tone that brooked no argument. He looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto the reserves. Then, shifting into a more diplomatic but firm tone, he added, "The team needs everyone focused right now. The game still has to continue, and you guys need to be ready to sub in. Go help Perth. I've got William."

The reserves blinked, intimidated by the absolute authority in the senior's posture and slowly stepped back.

Turning his attention back down, Est’s entire demeanor softened instantly. He brushed a stray strand of hair away from William’s damp forehead.

"Liam... I'm going to take you to the nurse's office myself, okay? Just hold onto me," he murmured softly, his voice a soothing contrast to the chaos around them.

William, completely exhausted and overwhelmed by the pain, simply nodded against his chest.

Est carefully guided William up. The moment William tried to shift his weight, a sharp pang shot through his leg, causing him to hiss out loud, his grip tightening frantically on Est's shirt.

"I've got you, I've got you," Est reassured him quickly. He gently pulled William's left arm over his own shoulders to share the weight, while wrapping his own strong arm firmly around William's waist. He held the sophomore incredibly close and tight against his side, terrifyingly afraid of dropping him or causing him even a fraction of more pain. Together, they slowly made their way off the field, leaving the roaring stadium behind.

As they walked out of the stadium gates, Est suddenly came to a complete halt. William panicked, thinking he was being too heavy or an inconvenience. He opened his mouth to apologize but before a single syllable could escape his lips, Est shifted his weight and effortlessly lifted him off the ground in a secure bridal carry.

William let out a startled yelp, his hands instantly gripping Est's shoulders for balance. "Phi Est, put me down! I can walk, people are looking…"

Oh my god! He's carrying me. He is actually carrying me!

William’s brain completely short-circuited into a jumble of pure, unadulterated panic.

Ahhhhh! What is happening?! My heart is going to explode right out of my ribs!

Wait, no, no, no! Stop it, William!

He internally shook his head, trying to beat back the dangerous hope rising in his chest.

Don't fall for this again. He's just being a nice senior. He probably does this for everyone.

Remember the model guy! Don't be deluded!

"Don't fight me, William," Est interrupted softly, cutting him off as he looked down at him with intense, unwavering concern. "You are hurting. Walking would only injure your ankle more. Just let me carry you."

William’s cheeks flared with a brilliant, uncontrollable blush. Feeling completely defeated by the warmth of the senior's gaze, he quietly nodded and hid his face against Est's neck.

But he smells so nice though…

NO!

I missed him so much...

Stupid brain! Shut up!

Exhausted by the intense emotional whiplash and the throbbing pain in his ankle, William finally stopped fighting his own thoughts. He went completely limp in Est's secure hold, letting all his defenses crumble as he allowed the senior to carry him.

Est carefully carried William inside the nurse office and set him down on the crisp white examination bed. The nurse on duty immediately came over with a medical tray, her eyes softening at the sight of the young athlete.

The treatment began with the nurse gently cleaning the scrapes on William's leg before moving on to the main issue. His badly sprained ankle. She had to gently manipulate the joint to check the range of motion and apply a thick, soothing layer of anti-inflammatory gel. Every time her fingers pressed a little too close to the swollen ligament, a sharp spike of agony tore through William. Instinctively, he would lean forward and wrap both arms tightly around Est's waist, burying his face in the senior's shirt and squeezing for dear life whenever the pain became too unbearable.

Est stood completely still, acting as a human anchor, his large hand gently stroking the back of William’s hair to soothe him. Looking down at the younger boy clinging to him like a terrified koala bear, Est couldn't help but feel a little amused by the sheer dramatics of it all.

The nurse, noticing the iron grip William had on the senior's waist, let out a soft chuckle. "Well, it looks like you've got a very effective painkiller right here," she teased, gesturing to Est with a playful wink. "I usually have to hand out ice packs but it seems a hug from your senior works much better."

William’s face instantly caught fire, flushing a deep, brilliant crimson. "I-it's not like that!" he stammered, frantically trying to defend himself while keeping his voice loud and defensive. "My hands just... needed somewhere to hold on so I wouldn't kick you by accident, ma'am! It's just a reflex!"

Est let out a rich, melodious laugh at the sophomore's desperate excuses, the sound vibrating directly against William's cheek.

Feeling thoroughly betrayed by Est's laughter, William let out an indignant huff. He pouted deeply, puffing out his chest and sharply turning his head away to look at the blank clinic wall. Yet, despite his best attempts to look angry and independent, he didn't loosen his grip around Est's waist even a single millimeter, keeping the senior firmly tethered to his side.

A moment later, the nurse was done stabilizing the joint. William’s right foot and ankle were now neatly encased in a thick, immaculate white bandage, wrapped tightly to keep the ligaments from moving.

The nurse stood up, wiping her hands as she addressed them. "Alright, it is a bad sprain, but luckily nothing is broken," she explained, looking directly at the two boys. "For the next forty-eight hours, you must follow the RICE method. Rest the foot completely, keep an ice pack on it for twenty minutes at a time to bring down the swelling, keep the bandage compressed and elevate his leg on a pillow whenever he is sitting or sleeping. Absolutely no putting weight on it for at least a week."

While William was busy staring blankly at his newly mummified foot, Est was listening with rapt attention. He didn't miss a single word, nodding seriously as if he were memorizing a textbook for a crucial exam.

"What about the pain, ma'am?" Est asked, his tone laced with deep concern. "Does he need any specific medications or painkillers to help him sleep tonight?"

"Yes, I’m prescribing an oral anti-inflammatory and some standard pain relief tablets," the nurse replied, walking over to the cabinet to pack the medicine. "He needs to take them after meals. And make sure he doesn't get that bandage wet when he showers."

Est nodded firmly, taking the small paper bag of medication from the nurse. "Understood. Thank you so much. I will make sure he follows everything exactly."

The nurse walked out of the room, leaving Est and William completely alone in the quiet clinic.

"Thank you, Phi," William muttered slowly, his voice barely above a whisper as he stared down at his bandaged foot.

Est raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he looked down at him. The gentle, coddling demeanor from earlier vanished, replaced by a firm intensity. "Do you think you have anything to tell me?" he suddenly asked.

William frowned, his heart giving a nervous thud. He knew damn well what Est was asking, but he stubbornly pressed his lips together. "No."

"Really?" Est asked again, stepping closer. His sharp, unwavering gaze fixed on William, making the younger boy feel as if he were an erring student pinned under the watchful eye of a strict school teacher.

Unable to hold the intense eye contact, William looked down, staring intently at the white sheets of the clinic bed.

“William, you've been avoiding me for three days and I don't even know what my mistake is," Est said, his voice laced with genuine hurt and frustration.

All men do is lie...

William grumbled bitterly in his heart. Aloud, he tried to sound cold and detached. "You don't have to care, Phi. I'm just a friend to you. I can take care of myself and you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"What?" Est asked, thoroughly confused by the sudden, icy wall William was putting up.

"Shouldn't you go?" William snapped, the jealousy finally bubbling over. "Wouldn't your boyfriend be worried if you were missing for this long?"

Est’s eyes widened. "Boyfriend? What? William, I don't—"

"You don't have to worry, Phi. I'm happy for you," William interrupted sharply, cutting Est off before he could defend himself.

"Though, you could have told me. But it's okay, I understand that maybe you need your privacy. Your boyfriend is very handsome, too."

Est stared at William for a long moment, the silence in the room growing heavy as the senior processed the bizarre accusations.

"I'm at a complete loss, William," Est finally said, his voice remarkably calm but firm. "Mind explaining to me what you are talking about?"

Getting thoroughly irritated by Est's clueless act, William's defenses broke. The words came spilling out in a frustrated rush as he began complaining about the guy Est had been talking to. The mature, model-like senior who had been standing remarkably close to him three days ago and who was sitting right beside him at the stadium today.

"You know exactly who I’m talking about!" William burst out, the pent-up frustration of the last three days finally exploding.

"That senior! The tall, mature one who looks like he just walked off a fashion runway! Three days ago, at the stadium, you were standing so close to him. No polite distance, no rigid posture, nothing! You looked so completely comfortable with him and you gave him this huge, effortless smile that lit up your entire face! I’ve never seen you look that radiant!"

His mouth jutted out into a deep, furious pout as he ranted, gesturing wildly with his hands. He went on and on about how close they had been standing, how beautifully Est had smiled at him, and how the two of them had been laughing and clapping together on the sidelines.

"And then today!" William continued, his voice cracking slightly as his arms flailed in the air. "Right before the match started, I looked up at the tracks and there he was again! Sitting right next to you! Both of you were smiling, clapping and looking all happy together while I was out there losing my mind! If you already have someone that perfect and sophisticated in your life, you should have just told me! You didn't have to keep me around like some loud, messy puppy just to pass the time!"

"You're jealous?" Est asked him, a little amused.

"What? No..." William snapped instantly, his face heating up even more as he tried to deny it.

"But from what you've told me, you sound incredibly jealous to me," Est said again, a teasing smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he leaned in slightly.

"Phi Est!" William groaned, thoroughly annoyed. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest, huffing as he turned his face away from the senior's amused gaze. "I'm not jealous! I'm just... stating the facts! You don't have to laugh at me!"

Est smiled down at William, closing the distance between them as he sat on the edge of the mattress, right beside him.

"William... look at me," Est said softly.

When the younger boy refused to budge, Est leaned closer. "Look at me, na...?" he coaxed, his tone melting into a gentle plea as he reached out. His fingers carefully caught the edge of William’s chin, gently turning his face so he had no choice but to look directly into Est's eyes.

"Joong is not my boyfriend," Est stated, his voice absolute and final.

What? William stared at him in utter disbelief, his brain temporarily freezing.

"I don't like Joong. I like someone else," Est added.

Just like that, William was heartbroken all over again. The fragile hope that had flared up just a second ago was violently snuffed out. How could he? How could Est say something like that so easily right to his face?

William's eyes welled up with fresh, hot tears, his vision blurring.

Paying no mind to the William's tragic expression, Est fished his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and tapped open his photo gallery. He scrolled past his recent photos and clicked on a folder secured with a passcode. The title of the hidden album read, My Puppy.

"Do you still remember Freshie Day?" Est asked, keeping his gaze locked on William while holding the phone close to his chest.

"What does that have to do with me?" William choked out, his voice thick with tears.

"I met him there," Est murmured.

Pranggg! It felt like a physical blow. William's heart shattered into a million jagged pieces.

"He has the most melodious voice I have ever heard," Est said, a beautifully fond, tender smile washing over his face at the memory.

William felt a volatile mix of anger and profound sadness. He was angry because he couldn't find the strength to slap Est's hand away and stop him from gushing about another guy and he was devastated because he knew he could never be that person.

He was late.

Too damn late.

"He was pushed onto the stage out of nowhere to sing," Est continued, entirely ignoring William's internal agony. "At first, he looked completely weirded out and unsure of what to do. But when the crowd started cheering for him, he tried his best to calm his nerves."

I was pushed onto the stage that day, too, William thought bitterly, the irony twisting like a knife in his gut.

"He looked around the stage and noticed a stray guitar," Est went on, his eyes crinkling warmly. "He picked it up, walked back to the microphone and introduced himself. Anyone could see he was incredibly nervous but he kept trying to steady his breathing."

Why didn't you notice me instead? William wanted to scream.

I was right there too!

"You should have seen him, William. He had this completely flustered look on his face, his cheeks burning a bright pink and he looked so painfully shy as he adjusted the guitar strap," Est recounted, his voice dropping into a soft, mesmerized whisper.

"He looked like a startled puppy under the stage lights, holding onto that instrument like a lifeline."

“For a moment, I wished it was me he was holding instead..." Est confessed, his voice dropping to a low, breathless murmur that seemed to vibrate through the small clinic room.

William remained completely silent, staring down at his lap as a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. His heart was hammering a frantic, agonizing rhythm against his ribs.

Maybe, he thought, regret blooming heavily in his chest, maybe I should have just held P’Est's hands earlier.

If he hadn't been so cowardly, if he hadn't built up a wall of bitter assumptions and run away for three agonizing days, he wouldn't have wasted so much time being miserable

Est finally turned his phone screen around, presenting it directly in front of William's face. "And then he started singing. Do you know what song he chose?"

William kept his eyes glued to the bedsheets, refusing to look.

"He sang Fade," Est revealed softly.

Yeah, okay, he got it. P'Est's ultimate crush sang Fade, and he…

Wait.

William’s brain abruptly slammed on the brakes. His eyes snapped open and he slowly, tentatively looked up at the phone screen right in front of his nose.

The image displayed on the screen was a slightly blurry, candid photograph taken from the middle of a crowded auditorium during Freshie Day. On the brightly lit stage stood a messy-haired, wide-eyed freshman holding an acoustic guitar, looking incredibly flustered with a bright red blush dusting his cheeks.

It was a photo of… him.

William’s breath hitched completely. His eyes widened as his brain desperately tried to process the image, his mind short-circuiting into utter disbelief.

"See?" Est murmured, his fingers gently reaching out to wipe away the stray tear on William's cheek with his thumb. He leaned in close, his beautiful doe eyes crinkling with the exact same pure, unadulterated comfort William had envied three days ago.

"I told you. I don't like Joong. The only puppy I've been waiting for... is sitting right in front of me.”

"What... how?" William stammered, his eyes darting frantically between the photo and Est's face. "But... but you hadn't known me when we met at the booth during the open day!"

Est let out a soft, melodious laugh, completely captivated by the younger boy’s bewildered expression.

"Do you know how much courage it took for me to walk over to you that day?" Est asked, his voice dripping with affection. "I was just incredibly lucky that my group had to head to your department's booth. Otherwise, I would have just kept staring at you from afar.”

"Then you asked me for my phone number," Est said, a smug but entirely fond grin spreading across his face.

William’s cheeks burned, blushing a brilliant, deep crimson as the memory of his own bold move rushed back.

"Which, I have to say, was real smooth. And I just... agreed to give it to you," Est continued.

"The assignment was a perfect excuse, honestly," Est said again, leaning a fraction closer to a flustered William

"I actually have to thank Phuwin for reminding me about that project deadline. Because of that, I got to spend all those extra hours with you. And honestly, William? It’s the happiest I've ever been."

William looked at him in utter disbelief. All his memories came rushing back to him in a vivid, overwhelming wave. Especially the recollection of just how incredibly eager and obvious he had been whenever P'Est was around.

"So... all along, you knew I…?" William asked slowly, his voice barely a whisper.

Est nodded, his eyes crinkling warmly. "You were so transparent, William. I couldn't help but notice."

"So, you were just playing with me this whole time, Phi Est?!" William gasped out, a sudden rush of playful indignation rising up to replace his sadness. He raised his hand and slapped Est's forearm in mock annoyance.

"I wasn't playing with you, William," Est insisted quickly. This time, the tables turned and a visible wave of nervousness washed over the senior. A light pink hue dusted Est's cheeks as he reached up, rubbing the back of his nape with his palm. "I was just... a little afraid to tell you."

"But you literally just said I was transparent!" William countered, throwing his hands up in frustration. "If you knew I liked you, why would you think I’d run away?"

Est let out a soft, self-deprecating sigh, his eyes dropping to look at William's hands. "Because being obvious about a crush is different from being ready for something real," Est explained softly, his voice full of careful vulnerability.

"You behave like a puppy wearing his heart on his sleeve, William. You are loud, you are sweet and you give your affection so easily. I was terrified that maybe it was just a fleeting sophomore crush for you. What if my confession pressured you? What if the reality of a serious relationship scared you off and I ended up losing the comfortable space we already shared? I didn't want to gamble with you until I was completely sure."

William looked at Est, his eyes turning glossy all over again as the heavy weight of the past three days completely lifted from his chest.

"You made me cry," William whispered, a tiny, watery pout forming on his lips.

"I'm sorry, na..." Est murmured, his expression melting into pure, unadulterated tenderness as he reached up to cup William's cheek.

"I thought you had someone else," William admitted, his voice cracking slightly under the leftover weight of his jealousy.

"It has always been you all along," Est promised softly, leaning in until their foreheads gently rested against each other.

"And... it will forever be you."

At those words, a single, final tear dropped from William's eye, washing away every last bit of doubt he had carried.

Est caught the tear with his thumb, coaxing the younger boy with a soft, breathless smile. "So, no more running away, okay? Will you be my boyfriend, William?"

"Only if you agree to buy me iced Spanish lattes and strawberry shortcake every single weekend," William demanded, trying to sound tough despite his bright red cheeks. "And you have to promise never to scold me when I get crumbs on my face or when I throw tantrums over my cartoons."

Est let out a rich, melodious laugh and nodded without a second thought. "Anything for you," he murmured, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss against William's forehead.

"So, are we..." William hesitated a little, his fingers twitching against the mattress.

"Boyfriends, yes," Est said proudly. He slid his hand down, slotting their palms together and holding William's fingers securely in his.

William gave Est his signature puppy smile and playfully held out his hand. "Give me your wallet."

Est looked at him, a little confused, but reached into his pocket anyway, pulled out his wallet, and handed it over without a second thought.

William took the wallet, flipped it open and slid Est's student ID card out of its slot.

"This is mine now," William declared, flashing the card with a triumphant grin before reaching toward his gear bag for his phone.

Still confused but eager to help, Est reached into the bag and handed the phone over to him. He watched with a soft, amused smile as William carefully slotted Est's ID card into the clear back of his phone casing, letting the picture face outward.

Once that was secure, William popped off his own phone case, slipped his own student ID out, and stretched over to snatch Est's phone. He slid his own ID right into the back of Est's phone casing in the exact same way.

"There," William said, looking thoroughly pleased with himself as he handed Est's phone back. "Now everyone will know that you're mine and nobody gets to stand remarkably close to you anymore."

Est smiled and let out a soft laugh, completely charmed by William's cute display of possessiveness, before pulling him into a tight, warm hug.

He buried his face in the crook of William's neck, holding him close as if to reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere. "Deal," Est whispered against his skin, his heart finally feeling at peace after three days of agonizing distance. "I am entirely yours."