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Despite his genuine intention of finally taking his education seriously, Wooyoung had already started feeling his willpower waver a mere month into his freshman year of university.
During his high school days all his focus had been stolen by baseball practices and the prospect of a career overseas. Having hung up the bat after his dreams were shattered by the insurmountable obstacle that was the English language, Wooyoung had discovered a new weakness that he’d been previously too busy to consider. The real threat to his academic achievements could be summarized in two words: cute boys.
Or cute boy, singular, because the problem currently sitting at the desk right in front of him has a name, and it’s Jeong Yunho.
In a display of strength that did not affect Wooyoung in the slightest, Yunho had lifted his desk and turned it around to neatly slot with Wooyoung’s. Quickly joined by Hongjoong and Jongho, they’d created their own private square to work on the group project they’d been assigned a couple weeks ago and was finally coming to an end with the presentation due the following class. Such an assignment as their first ever homework was certainly… a choice, from their Social Studies professor. Wooyoung had the impression she was conducting her own social experiment using her students as test subjects, or maybe she just wanted to watch her dating show in peace while they worked independently.
Whatever the reason, Wooyoung didn’t mind it. He was extroverted enough to not be bothered by awkward first meetings, and luckily for him he had both the year’s top 1% student and a future CEO in his group (both of these titles self-proclaimed). Hongjoong had quickly taken the role of leader while Jongho had taken the role of opposing virtually everything the oldest said, just to end up at the same conclusion. The process had been like pulling teeth, but the two of them ended up putting together a project Wooyoung wouldn’t have even known where to start with. Having secured a good grade without having to do anything was only made more satisfying by all the free time he’d had to stare at the fourth and final member of their group.
Yunho, with his messy fringe resting on his too big glasses, his checkered shirts under adorable knitted vests, was so quintessentially nerdy he looked straight out of a coming of age movie – the perfect parallel to Wooyoung’s jock appearance. Since their professor had made them do an introduction in front of the whole class, Wooyoung had felt like a moth to a flame.
Yunho was a gentle giant, simultaneously bashful and self-assured as he talked about his over 500 hours of volunteer work and community service, seemingly oblivious to the stunned looks and badly concealed murmurs of ‘he’s handsome’ and ‘he’s so tall’ permeating the whole room. Then he’d turned around after sitting back, reintroducing himself privately to Wooyoung as his desk neighbor and revealing that he also liked baseball, and Wooyong was a goner.
“Which team do you support?”
“The Kia Tigers,” Yunho had answered, smiling knowingly at the subdued hum he’d received back. “You support the Lotte Giants, right?”
“We can be friends anyways,” Wooyoung had smiled, pouting prettily right after. “I actually need a study buddy, I want to focus on my studies more but I can’t do it by myself. Can you help me, hyung?”
And so he did, because Yunho was the kindest person Wooyoung had met in his entire life. When the professor had announced the group project in that same first period, Yunho had raised his hand and asked if they could be in a group together. Wooyoung initial excitement had wavered when they’d been told they needed two more people, and then it had turned into actual irritation when Jongho had raised his own hand to join their duo with a way too eager glance directed at Yunho. Hongjoong had joined them to not have to work with Seonghwa (whom he had some kind of academic heated rivalry with), and that was that.
Albeit a bit dysfunctional, their group had made it work and now, on their last session, all that was left to do was finalize the details of their presentation. Wooyoung was considered fully unnecessary to this task, so he got to sit back and watch Yunho exercise his peacekeeping abilities – which he’d put to good use for the entirety of the project to avoid actual violence between Hongjoong and Jongho. His deep voice was even as he talked to them like a kindergarten teacher would, the pen twirling between his long fingers putting Wooyoung in a trance. He adjusted his glasses, encasing the entire frame with one flexed hand, and Wooyoung had to take a sip of his iced Americano to stop a whine from escaping his throat.
Jongho, sitting right next to him, seemed to notice his predicament and side-eyed him with a competitive glint to his eyes, before switching to the most endearing gummy smile he could muster to address Yunho. “Hyung, could you switch seats with Wooyoung? I need your opinion on this slide but you can’t see it very well from there.”
Yunho looked a bit skeptical, and if he wasn’t such a sweetheart he would’ve told Jongho to just turn his laptop towards him. Still, he asked, “do you mind, Youngie?” and there was no way he’d ever say no to that.
“No, problem, Yunnie,” he smiled, genuinely at Yunho and then proudly at Jongho when he stood up because yes, he could call him cute nicknames without using honorifics and Jongho could not. Just to drive his point home, he stopped Yunho with a hand on his chest as they came face to face while switching seats, popping the straw of his coffee out of his mouth to offer it to Yunho’s lips. “It’s a bit too sweet for me, but you like sugary drinks, right?”
He’d never tried something this bold in the short time they’d known each other, limiting his flirting to prolonged but subtle touches and potentially allusive jokes, but if there was something he’d learned about Yunho was that he liked their banter just as much as him. The perfect bow of his lips met the same spot Wooyoung’s had been seconds before, the indirect kiss feeling like an actual intimate act as Yunho’s eyes didn’t leave his while he sucked. Wooyoung didn’t back down, simply reclaiming his straw once Yunho swallowed and finally sitting next to Hongjoong.
“That was disgusting,” the oldest mumbled, a grimace twisting his lips while he kept his eyes trained on his notebook and his pencil kept scribbling.
“Mind your own business,” Wooyoung muttered, sending him a flying kiss just to see him flinch back. Looking back ahead, he felt his cheekbones go up in flames as he found Yunho still looking at him, his tongue licking over his upper lip before he finally paid attention to Jongho’s screen.
Shutting his laptop closed, Jongho leaned back on his chair with a sigh. “I think we’re done.”
“According to my calculations, we should get the best possible grade,” Hongjoong conceded, unsubtly throwing a glance at the other group to assess their progress. The rest of the guys seemed to be done as well.
“Perfect,” Wooyoung clapped his hands together, “I think we should celebrate.”
Expecting the lackluster reactions from their group members, he looked to Yunho for support. The older smiled, humming in assent. “What did you have in mind?”
“Me and San were thinking we could all rent a house this weekend, just for one day.”
“You mean, with the guys from the other group?” Hongjoong asked, interest piqued.
“Yeah, we can buy food to cook together and share all the expenses.”
“How could we get that many people to-” Jongho started his complaint, promptly shutting up when Yunho said “I think that’s a good idea.”
Wooyoung snickered to himself, watching smugly as the youngest backtracked on his words just to agree with his hyung. Everything was going according to plan. “It’s decided, then,” he said, picking up his phone, “I’ll make a group chat and send all the details.”
Yunho’s knee knocked gently against his thigh, his freakishly long legs encasing both of Wooyoung’s under the desk. “Thank you for organizing everything, Youngie.”
He rode that high all the way to the cafeteria, where he sat down to have lunch with San. Out of all the guys he met through Social Studies, he was the one Wooyoung had grown the closest to and for a very specific reason. They were both weak at the knees for a way too popular guy in their class.
“Did you ask them?” San asked before his bottom had even touched the chair.
“Yeah, Hongjoong folded as soon as he realized Seonghwa would be there, and Jongho just follows whatever Yunho does,” he rolled his eyes, throwing a grape in the air and catching it with his mouth.
San’s lips curve in a sympathetic frown. “He still hasn’t given up?”
“I don’t think that’s even in his vocabulary, but I accept the challenge. I’m confident I’m going to make Yunho my man. How’s it going with Yeosang?”
San sighs at the question, eyes lowered to his tray. He’d fallen for the pretty transfer student at first sight and wasn’t shy about it, always offering his help and never wasting an opportunity to talk to him. The only problem was, the same could be said about basically everyone else.
“I’m not really sure,” San said, toying with a french fry, “he’s just so aloof. One minute I think he’s into me and the next he’s letting Mingi hold his hand. I don’t even know if he’s actually entertaining both of us or just letting things happen unintentionally.”
“Don’t give up, Sani, remember our plan! You just need to spend time together alone so you can talk and confess properly. Now, give me your group’s numbers. We have a Love Retreat to organize.”
—
They got to the house on that Saturday morning, after both groups had achieved a near perfect grade for their presentations. Wooyoung had big doubts the professor had much else planned for the rest of the semester, but he hadn’t really spared it much more than a fleeting thought. His main (sole, really) focus for that day was getting his man, and playing matchmaker for the rest of them because they could all use some help, honestly.
The place had been chosen mainly for the size of its kitchen, whose table was now mostly occupied by the groceries he and San had provided for their celebratory lunch.
“Alright,” as everyone finally settled, Wooyoung stood up. “Since my hobby is cooking, I will split the tasks between us.”
Hongjoong scoffed, standing up to protest. “I’m the leader of our group, and I’m good at cooking!”
“Please sit down. Does anyone have any preferences?”
“I want to make tteokbokki with Yeosang!" San’s hand flew in the air, and Wooyoung had to purse his lips not to laugh as he saw Yeosang’s attempt at feigning disinterest. He glanced at San’s enthusiastic smile and blushed prettily before nodding.
“Okay, San and Yeosang are the tteokbokki team. Mingi and Seonghwa can make the gimbap, then?” That earned him a glare from Hongjoong that he promptly ignored and a bashful nod from Seonghwa, his finger coming up to nervously push up his glasses when Mingi’s smirked at him.
God, he was too good at this. “Hongjoong and Jongho will make the fishcake soup,” Wooyoung said and then smiled sweetly as he placed his hand on Yunho’s shoulder, the taller having to look up at him for a change. “Is it okay if we make ramyun together?”
Yunho’s eyes sharpened for a second, his easy grin growing imperceptibly amused as he agreed. If he caught the double meaning in what Wooyoung was implying he didn’t show it.
“Actually,” Jongho interrupted their eye contact, immediately grating on Wooyoung’s nerves, “wouldn’t it be smarter to boil just one pot of water for both the fishcake and the noodles?”
“I agree. And we bought buldak, not ramyun,” Hongjoong added.
If looks could kill, they would’ve both dropped dead at that same moment. Alas, they remained breathing and their logic was irrefutable, which is how Wooyoung ended up sandwiched between his crush and a sulking hyung. He started feeling bad for Hongjoong as he kept looking at Seonghwa, fully absorbed in his own world with Mingi, their heads close as they spoke with low voices and smiled softly while working.
Yunho noticed his hyung’s downbeat mood as well, and he put on his most clueless expression. “Hyung, can you turn on the induction stove? I can’t figure it out.”
“It’s so easy, seriously,” Hongjoong grumbled but still complied, pushing Wooyoung out of the way and into the taller’s side and throwing himself back into his grumpy leader role to distract himself. “Jongho, pass me the knife if you’re not going to cut the fishcake.”
Yunho caught him easily, his big hand instinctually finding Wooyoung’s waist. The tips of their hair mingled with each other as Yunho leaned even closer, the redness of his ears betraying his cool demeanor. “I think he really likes Seonghwa hyung.”
“It looks like Mingi is going to win that match. Maybe I should go out with him to make him feel better?”
His tone was playful, but his heart started to race at Yunho’s raised eyebrow. His fingers briefly squeezed his hip before he gave him a pat dangerously close to where Wooyoung had fantasized about one too many times. “You two can go.”
His lips fell open, his brain scrambling to find a witty – or coherent, at least – reply while Yunho’s eyes fell to stare at the mole under his right eye. Wooyoung counted two, then three stars adorning Yunho’s own skin before he decided one single gesture would be worth more than a thousand words. Unfortunately, he’d come to this conclusion too slowly; he only managed to raise his hands to hover over the taller’s chest before getting interrupted.
“Yunho hyung,” Jongho called, “we don’t have any drinks, come to the store with me.”
Yunho looked even more distraught than himself, but Wooyoung couldn’t avoid feeling a pang of disappointment as he searched his expression and found it apologetic. He knew he was going to say yes, incapable of turning his back to someone asking for help, and that’s exactly why Jongho had asked. Still, Wooyoung had hoped, and his mood did lift slightly as Yunho asked – not to the room, but to him. “Is that okay?”
He nodded, pouting, and then called after them while they were leaving the room. “Don’t take too long!”
“Everyone’s working hard, so don’t take too long!” San joined him, throwing him a frowning look that Wooyoung just waved off. He could see (and hear, San was incredibly vocal about his affection) just how much his friend was enjoying himself next to Yeosang, and he wanted at least one of them to accomplish their goal.
Ten minutes turned to twenty, and then to half an hour. Wooyoung spent that time sulking next to Hongjoong, trying to distract both of them from their heartaches by being more obnoxious and over the top than he already usually was.
He could at least find some satisfaction in knowing that his Love Retreat had worked for basically everyone else in the room. Mingi and Seonghwa had turned their gimbap making into one of the most romantic things Wooyoung had ever seen, and Yeosand seemed to have finally relaxed enough to reciprocate San’s flirting to the most of his capabilities, turning him into a human beam with how brightly he was smiling.
The more he looked, though, the more he started feeling sorry for himself. He’d convinced himself Yunho reciprocated his feelings, when in reality he just treated everyone with the same kindness and consideration, because that’s just how he was. Why would he still be out with Jongho if he wasn’t enjoying himself enough to forget the time? A lump formed in his throat.
“Wooyoung?” Hongjoong looked at him with a concerned expression, but he just offered his hyung a tight lipped smile and quickly excused himself, claiming he needed to go to the toilet before bolting.
Wooyoung stopped in the hallway, far enough that nobody in the kitchen would see his breakdown. He felt like such a fool. Leaning his back against the wall, he only had a couple of minutes to breathe and calm himself down before the front door at the end of the hallway opened. He steadied himself as two pairs of steps came closer.
“Sorry for taking so long, we-” Yunho’s face fell as he saw Wooyoung’s expression. “Wooyoung, what happened?”
Wooyoung shook his head, his smile failing to reach his eyes. “I was just going to the toilet. You should go put the drinks in the fridge, lunch is almost ready.”
Yunho’s hand wrapped around his wrist before he could turn away, just as Jongho said, bitterly. “I’ll do it. I wouldn't want to put you in any predicament, hyung.”
The kitchen door slammed closed after him, and Wooyoung looked back at Yunho, confused. “Is he alright?”
Yunho winced and then sighed. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, and Wooyoung had the impression it was more directed towards himself. “Are you alright?”
Looking up into Yunho’s concerned eyes, his hand warm as it was still gently wrapped around his skin, Wooyoung felt his previous helplessness turn into resolve. Who cares if he got rejected? He’d planned this entire thing just to be alone with his crush and have a chance to confess. Well, they were alone now.
“No, actually, I’m not. I need to tell you something.” he said, taking a deep, steadying breath. Yunho straightened up, still visibly worried but focusing his entire attention on him, and that gave Wooyoung enough confidence to keep going. “I know I look confident, but since starting this class I’ve felt so inferior. Everyone here knows a second, even a third language. They’ve been serious about studying their entire life and have so much ambition, while I’ve done nothing but waste time and dream too big. You’re the only one who listens to me even when I’m saying something ridiculous, and you’re so beautiful and nice. I’ve been waiting for a romantic moment to share my feelings with you, but then you left with Jongho and you were gone for so long I wanted to die, so I couldn’t wait anymore. I like you, so much.”
A couple of seconds pass in complete silence, only broken by the distant voices of the others finishing up the cooking. Wooyoung had stopped breathing, mesmerized by the blush spreading on Yunho’s ears and the adorable way he pursed his lips before swiftly covering his uncontrollable smile with his free hand. He finally let go of his wrist to entwine their fingers, looking down at him so tenderly Wooyoung’s heart genuinely skipped a beat.
“Jongho confessed to me, as well, that’s why we took so long,” Yunho started, cupping his cheek to stop him from looking away. “I had to reject him. None of the things you say are ridiculous, your dreams are not too big, and we will study together to make sure you achieve them, because I know you can. You’re the one who made me want to open up and make new friends, Youngie, because you’re so good and you made me feel so curious about you. Thank you for sharing your feelings with me, I want to do the same. I like you, too, so much.”
Wooyoung’s joy was uncontainable, his shoulders rising to his ears as he smiled so bright his eyes disappeared into half moons. Yunho chuckled along, leaning down so their noses could touch and Wooyoung rose on his tiptoes to meet him in a kiss. He felt euphoric from the sweetness of Yunho’s lips on his own, the softness of his hair between his fingers as he buried his hand in the dark strands, the way they moved in synchrony without having to say a word. They kissed for so long he had to put his feet back down and Yunho simply followed, his thumb drawing gentle shapes on the back of his hand he was still holding.
A very distinct click-clacking was the one thing that managed to separate them. They both looked up in time to catch Yeosang’s quickly retreating back. Yunho called after him, but the blonde just kept going. “I’m not Yeosang! Lunch is ready!” he said in English, before disappearing in the kitchen once again.
Wooyoung doubled over in laughter, and then looked back at Yunho’s amused expression. The taller leaned down to peck his lips again, and then whispered. “Next time, how about we eat ramyun just the two of us, instead of buldak?”
Screw the gentle giant bit. Yunho was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Wooyoung couldn't wait to be eaten whole.