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i.
If there’s one thing Lee Donghyuck remembered most about loving or even liking something about Na Jaemin was that the happy-go-lucky male had the most beautiful smile Donghyuck has ever seen.
He remembered the first time that he had met Na Jaemin. Donghyuck was there as a mutual friend of Mark’s. They were at some jock’s party and Mark was nowhere in sight to Donghyuck after the said male had left Donghyuck in one corner of the room to survive on his own between rowdy teenagers who were getting high on not only alcohol but as well as the adrenaline of the music. It wasn’t Donghyuck’s thing and he could be playing his Rune Factory 4 on his 3DS XL now back in his own room or try finishing off the Algorithm homework that was due in 2 days. He could be doing anything at the moment but instead here he was, stuck in one corner of the room trying to avoid the dancing beeline of people who were attempting to do the macarena dance.
Feeling like he needed the fresh air, Donghyuck ducked and dodged his way outside where there isn’t a lot of people and that’s where he met Na Jaemin.
ii.
Maybe it had been the way that everything else felt out of place but not Na Jaemin — or was it that everything had felt so in place but himself and Na Jaemin?
Scratch that. Everything else had indeed felt out of place but him and Na Jaemin. Especially Na Jaemin.
iii.
Donghyuck remembered Jaemin’s smile as his first impression of the other male. It was beautiful. Extraordinary and nothing else like Donghyuck had seen before.
It felt like the world would have stopped when Jaemin smiled and Donghyuck knew from that moment, he was screwed. He didn’t need any Disney movie telling him that it was love at first sight to know that this was one of those moments and certainly not the soundtrack of Frozen’s Love is An Open Door playing in his head; he also didn’t to remember about that one time that he and Mark had watched and read Romeo and Juliet for an assignment for Donghyuck to know that his life is slowly turning out to be like Romeo and Juliet’s (and hopefully it would be less tragic than the Montague and Capulet’s).
But ‘less tragic’ is an understatement when Donghyuck starts harbouring a crush for Jaemin, a guy whom he had met at a party and had only exchanged a few words together about how lame the party was before Mark had called out Donghyuck to announce their going because “the night is not young any longer and Algorithm awaits”.
So much for Donghyuck to finally be able to experience what love is truly about and to no longer be single.
iv.
“You owe me that much.” Donghyuck has been sulky for the entire week ever since The Party.
“Look, I really didn’t know you were talking to The Na Jaemin. But really, it wasn’t entirely my fault because you could have asked him for his number, really.” Mark defended himself before he rolled his eyes at his best friend. Donghyuck is a drama queen but Mark is still his best friend.
“Easier said than done. He is gorgeous. None of which I’ve seen before. He’s like a rose among sunflowers, a Greek God sculpture crafted by the finest artist; almost inhuman yet extremely beautiful” Donghyuck sighed.
“Oh god, you really are whipped.” Mark shook his head at his friend.
“Whipped is an understatement. I am completely intrigued, completely hopelessly in love as Olivia Newton-John would put it in Grease terms and I have found myself sinking into an abyss of darkness and this Na Jaemin — he is my light that guides me in the Dark, as to put in poetic lines.” the dramatic raven-haired flopped himself on Mark’s bed, curling up in a foetus position while hugging Mark’s pillow. “Mark, as my best friend, you gotta help me out. Take one for the bro, please.”
“Gosh, you’re dramatic as ever. But okay. I happened to know a guy who knows this other guy who knows Na Jaemin.” Mark shook his head again before he turned to his Algorithm homework.
Donghyuck perked his head up like how a puppy would with their ear before he tackled his best friend from the back.
“Spill the beans.”
v.
So it turned out that Mark knew Renjun who is really good friends with Jeno who apparently is Jaemin’s close childhood friend who managed to get Jaemin’s number for Renjun to give it to Mark who eventually gave it Donghyuck. Long story short, Donghyuck had been staring at his phone for the past hour wondering how he should approach Jaemin with a text because he doesn’t want to sound stupid but it would most likely be impossible because his heart is beating incredibly fast. Mark told him that this is what first love feels like.
“I’m not stupid, you know! I know you score higher than me in most of the test but that doesn’t mean my intelligence quotient is low.” Donghyuck sighed before he turned his attention back to the screen of his phone with the messaging app open yet nothing written.
Mark stared at his best friend. “Honestly, the more you keep staring at it, the more I feel like your phone will start a fire from your intense gaze. Just send a ‘hi’ if you can’t think of anything to write. It’s not like a ‘hi’ would be something dumb to say.” Mark rolled his eyes. He knew Donghyuck was dramatic but this was too much. They’re at the cafe for the past 2 hours and Mark had to even refilled his latte and Donghyuck has yet to send a text to Jaemin when the latter had been excited about getting Jaemin’s number. This was it. Mark is going to take things to his own accord.
“H- Hey! What are you doing?” Donghyuck frowned as Mark had took his phone, typing away yet moving his body in an angle where Donghyuck can’t snatch his phone back.
“There.” Mark smiled proudly as he handed Donghyuck his phone back.
Donghyuck on the other hand stared in horror to what Mark had sent to Na Jaemin.
vi.
This is how Donghyuck ended up in a cafe with Na Jaemin.
The cafe was slow paced as it was one of those odd hours where you don’t find college students sitting the long hours away in a cafe to chase their deadlines or trying to survive on affordable caffeine and running on free refills given only at this particular cafe Donghyuck was in.
Jaemin sat across him, taking out his earphone that was probably blaring to some old Beatles’ music — and if Donghyuck hears carefully he could hear Hey Jude faintly from Jaemin’s earphone
“A Beatles fan?” Donghyuck tries striking up a conversation.
“Not as much as for Nat King Cole and The Rolling Stones but Beatles are still a way to go too.” Jaemin chuckled. “Are you a Beatles fan?”
“Not a fan of any group in particular but as long as it’s good music, I listen.” Donghyuck replied with his hand cupping his lukewarm coffee cup.
The atmosphere fall into awkwardness as Jaemin nodded to what Donghyuck had said and nothing else was exchanged because neither knew what to really talk about. Donghyuck then spoke up first.
“I’m sorry. Maybe we should cancel this- I’m sorry that this was awkward and honestly, it was my best friend Mark who took my phone to send you the message to ask you out and all.” Donghyuck rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly while the other is still in contact with his coffee cup.
Rather than looking mad, Jaemin look at the ravenhead male with amused. “Does this mean you don’t want to go out with me and don’t find me attractive like what was said in the text?”
“No!” Donghyuck responded almost quickly and continues, “I mean no as in I do find you attractive and I really want to go out with you. I mean- you are attractive but that’s not the point! I mean, I do really find you attractive but gyah-.” Donghyuck gave up trying to not sound stupid and ended up laying his head on the table.
Jaemin laughed. “You really are amusing and one of a kind, Donghyuck. Let’s start over again.” Donghyuck looked up to see Jaemin giving him smile — the same smile he fell for the first time he met Jaemin.
“My name is Na Jaemin. We met a few nights ago at a party and I find you attractive too.”
“Oh…” Donghyuck was taken aback by the fact that Jaemin had found him attractive too and that this had been a mutual feeling all these while. “My name is Donghyuck. This sound stupid but I find you attractive too and not just like visually- like your smile is attractive and the way you speak is attractive and I really like you a lot.”
And with that, their first meeting went… pretty well.
vii.
“I believe that Jaemin and I are soulmates.” Donghyuck announced proudly one day to their circle of friends during lunch. Jaemin, who sat by Donghyuck’s side, could only laughed.
“And how many times have you told us that?” Jeno commented over bites of his homemade sandwich. Jeno had been the new addition to the group who had recently joined in Donghyuck’s circle of friend with Jaemin when Donghyuck and Jaemin were finally officially going out after months of having a certain ‘some’ relationship.
“More than my fingers could count.” Chenle remarked, shaking his head at Donghyuck who could only frown in disbelief.
“And you all call yourself my friends.” Donghyuck feign being hurt. And from a near distance, a soft ‘drama queen’ could be heard.
“We are.” Mark added and Renjun nodded in agreement. “It’s just that you’ve been telling us that you and Jaemin are soulmate like ever since you two got together thought for me, it was even before you two had got together because someone had to be your best friend to hear you out.”
“Oh really now?” Jaemin grinned over Mark exposing Donghyuck in which had caused the latter to flustered from the remark Mark had made. “It’s cute though.” Jaemin added.
“You find everything Donghyuck do cute.” Renjun shook his head.
“Touché.” Jaemin snickered before he rubbed his boyfriend’s back who had still been sulking before leaning in to whisper.
“Meet me at the rooftop later?”
viii.
“This is cheesy but very like you.” Donghyuck chuckled softly when he has his arms around Jaemin’s waist as Jaemin has his around Donghyuck’s neck. “How did you even managed to find an old gramophone up here?” Donghyuck asked as he glanced over to where the old gramophone sat by the corner under the shelter of the roof of the rooftop house.
“It just happened to be there so I kinda borrowed it.” Jaemin grinned as he swayed side by side with Donghyuck with the music playing from the gramophone.
The sun was setting but here they are slow dancing on a deserted rooftop like nobody’s business to Rod Stewart’s Have I Told You Lately. Donghyuck thought that Jaemin could have gone with Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable instead or even The Beatles’ Don’t Let Me Down but he didn’t mind this especially when he is with Na Jaemin.
“Remember when you told me that you wouldn’t mind listening to any music as long as it is good music?” Jaemin spoke up softly as he made an eye contact with his boyfriend.
Donghyuck nodded to urge Jaemin to continue his sentence.
“I figured you would like Rod Stewart. You’re a hopeless romantic. And his songs are for the hopeless romantic, in my opinion.” Jaemin grinned as he kept swaying with Donghyuck; he leads the dance between the two of them because Donghyuck wasn’t very much of a dancer and Jaemin had learnt this from one of those club quarter end dance party that Jeno had convinced Jaemin and Donghyuck to attend.
“Well it’s not bad. You always recommend me the best music. You know I’ll like them regardless. I don’t think I’m a hopeless romantic though- sorry.” Donghyuck pauses in his step after having to accidentally step on Jaemin. It somehow made Jaemin laughed.
“One thing’s for sure, you’re not the best dancer between us two.” Jaemin shook his head and continued to sway with Donghyuck.
“Why are we swaying to Rod Stewart on a deserted rooftop, Jaemin?” Donghyuck asked randomly but he knew Jaemin’s answer very well — after all, this was the Jaemin whom he fell for and had learnt to know about more.
“Just because.” Jaemin answered casually. Donghyuck knew that was going to be the answer. “Maybe because I’m a hopeless romantic too.”
“That’s new.” Donghyuck don’t seemed to be surprised and instead had a smile on.
“What’s new?” Jaemin pursed his lips to which Donghyuck had took the opportunity to steal a peck from.
“That and you being a hopeless romantic.”
Jaemin chuckled. “I supposed it’s the Donghyuck’s impact.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Donghyuck frowned.
“It means I love you and sticking to you would make me develop a sort of attachment to the things you like or how you behaved.”
“Like how I like your classic music taste?” the raven-haired asked curiously.
“Like that. And like how I enjoy reading W. B. Yeats’ than Pablo Neruda’s.” Jaemin grinned and removed himself away to make a run for it.
“Jaemin cancelled!” Donghyuck shouted before he chased after Jaemin. “How can W. B. Yeats beat Pablo Neruda! Neruda is the best”
“That’s why you’re a hopeless romantic!” Jaemin laughed and eventually lets himself be caught by Donghyuck. He likes this — that Donghyuck has his arms around Jaemin when he got caught by the latter so this wasn’t all that bad if Jaemin had thought of it this way.
“Do you prefer me or Pablo Neruda?” Jaemin asked with a grin as he has his arms around Donghyuck’s middle.
“Isn’t it obvious? You, of course.”
“You’re still a hopeless romantic though.” Jaemin stuck his tongue out.
“I may be one but that makes you too. You like me. And Air Supply would say, now there’s two less lonely people in the world.” Donghyuck chuckled.
“Gosh, I love you and your love for references.”