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“You’re an idiot,” Minghao scoffed as he shoved his phone back into the pocket of his scarlet red hoodie as he watched Hansol timidly walked into the dim and slightly damp alleyway. Hansol pouted before adjusted the hood over his head and fiddling around with the strings attached before Minghao let out a snicker. “You actually came.”
“I said I would,” Hansol replied as he stood in front of Minghao. “The TA let me out of my lab earlier than I expected, so I just took the bus straight here rather than home.” He beamed a smile that shined even in the dull light setting as Minghao coughed to keep his composure.
The two walked. Down the dark alleyway that Hansol was hoping that they wouldn’t go down. He stays close to Minghao. Closer than usual. The arms of their jackets—Minghao’s left, Hansol’s right— kept rubbing against each other, causing the materials to produce a scratchy sound that vaguely echoed. Hansol kept glancing up to see if Minghao would move so the sound would cease, or just in general since he seems to do that a lot anyway, but he didn’t.
“We’re matching,” Minghao commented as his breath produced a puff of warm air in the cool draft.
Hansol looked down and saw how they were both wearing the same outfit: black windbreaker, coloured hoodie (Hansol’s was pink), grey sweats that hugged their ankles that were covered with black knee-high socks, and their Adidas running shoes. “I usually wear this,” Hansol hummed as he looked back up to their slim pathway. “Maybe you’re just copying my style.”
They snickered, Minghao nudging Hansol as he rolled his eyes and muttered how the younger one should shut up. “I was going to just wear a hoodie—”
“—but you didn’t because the wind’s been picking up,” Hansol interrupted, “and so you thought ‘Oh, I’ll wear a windbreaker with this to keep warm.’” He grinned cheekily when Minghao puffed his cheeks silently, an indication that Hansol was precisely correct. The younger one poked the older one’s cheek and laughed when Minghao slapped his hand away.
Minghao smiled a bit from the sound of Hansol’s soft laugh. “Don’t you have an early class tomorrow?”
“It’s not that early…”
“It’s at fucking eight o’clock in the morning.”
Hansol frowned. “Yeah, it’s pretty early. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time to hang out with you!”
“We see each other every day, Sol,” Minghao hummed as they turned the corner to another alleyway. It was wider than the previous ones they’ve been walking, but their arms were still touching.
“Yeah, but you’re different when you’re not your ‘school self,’” Hansol nodded to himself as he went to playing with the strings of his hoodie. “On campus, you’re very lively and like teasing Mingyu hyung while also hugging and talking to the others. Off campus, you’re quieter. Don’t talk as much, just think a lot. It’s an interesting side of you.”
Minghao stiffened a bit but tried to not make it obvious, which Hansol didn’t seem to catch anyway. “Aren’t you like that too?”
Hansol shook his head. “No, I’m usually quiet in general. I’m only loud around the guys or people I’m comfortable with.”
“Maybe that’s my case too.”
“I don’t think so. I’m just an introvert, you’re like an introvert and an extrovert. An ambivert.”
“You’re such a fucking psych major,” Minghao exhaled as Hansol just smiled.
They reached the building that Minghao said they would climb and Minghao pulled down the ladder from the fire escape downward, causing a clamorous, rusty sound that made Hansol squeal and cover his ears promptly.
“Hao!”
Minghao turned as his right foot and left hand were already on the rungs of the ladder. “What?”
“What if we wake someone up?” Hansol pouted as he watched Minghao climb the ladder swiftly while humming.
“I highly doubt anyone in a city would care. If anything, they probably think we’re just a cat climbing around.” Minghao reached the landing and turned down and saw Hansol struggling. “I thought you work out.”
Hansol quickly shushed him as he kept climbing quietly. “I don’t want to disturb anyone,” he whispered. Minghao rolled his eyes and offered a hand out to Hansol when he was in arm's reach and pulled him up. Minghao suddenly felt the rush of blood rush throughout his body, mostly towards his cheeks and fingertips, he wasn’t sure why but he’s assuming it was for the purpose of heat distribution since Hansol’s hands were so cold in comparison. The sound of his foot touching the landing startled Hansol, but he didn’t have enough time to react as Minghao already climbed up towards the second landing.
They managed to reach the roof within a few minutes. (Though, they would have been there sooner if Hansol climbed up without caring about how loud the volume of his foot or hands were while touching the rungs of the ladder.) Minghao pulled his phone out and began typing away as Hansol looked over Minghao’s shoulder and rested his chin against the wind breaker. “Who are you texting?”
“Soonyoung hyung,” Minghao answered just before he sent the message. “Meeting him here with Seokmin.”
“Why are they out this late? On roofs?” Hansol asked as he trailed behind Minghao who went to the railing at the edge of the roof, sitting on the roof flooring with his legs dangling in between the spaces of the railing poles. Hansol mimicked his action and gripped onto the vertical bars, looking over at Minghao while still awaiting an answer.
“Soonyoung hyung and I do this all the time. Sometimes he brings Seokmin with him.”
“Oh, like me!”
“Sort of, except, y’know, Seokmin usually says yes and actually goes with Hyung when he asks.”
“Hey, I told you I would when I can, and I’m here now, aren’t I?” Hansol puffed his cheeks. He scrunched his nose when Minghao smiled and poked his cheek before they both turned back to looking at the skyline and the lively city below them. “You do this often?”
“Usually just on Mondays,” Minghao shrugged. “The rest of my week is busy and then weekends are filled with work.”
Hansol nodded. “Why?”
“Why?”
“Yeah, why do you do this? Sit on the rooftop of a random building and just— this?” Hansol questioned with his palms wide open while he motioned to the landscape around them.
“Hm, I’m not sure actually,” Minghao answered truthfully as he leaned back, resting his palms on the roof pattern. “It is pretty, I like looking at the buildings, lights, and people underneath me… but, huh, I guess it’s just relaxing? I mean, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Oh, yeah it’s astonishing,” Hansol nodded excitedly. “I’ve never done this before. It’s pretty amazing.” He hummed as he took in the atmosphere. “I don’t know… I guess I’m just so busy with school since I’m double majoring in such heavily loaded work fields that I don’t really have the time…”
“You made time now.”
“Well, yeah. I wanted to spend time with you,” the younger one professed. Minghao was caught off guard, seeing as though he literally felt his heart skip a beat. The mere fact that Hansol found time in his busy schedule just to spend an hour or two with him meant the world to him, but with the confession that Hansol wanted to spend time with him left him dumbfounded.
He snapped out of his trance when he realized Hansol was snapping his fingers in front of his face. Minghao quickly grabbed his phone out and hissed. “Shit, it’s getting late and you really need to get home to rest up for your class tomorrow.”
Hansol blinked. “Huh? No, it’s fine. The bus ride from here is probably like an hour—”
“I just texted Hyung that we can’t meet up with them tonight.”
“Ah, Hao…”
Minghao patted Hansol’s back and gave him a small smile, Hansol turning his head shyly in response. The younger one was the first to stand up and helped the older one to his feet. “I’ll ride with you home.”
“You live the opposite direction,” Hansol commented as he walked to the fire escape. Minghao quickly grabbed his hand, making Hansol turn his head before blushing embarrassed when Minghao pointed to the staircase door behind them which they proceeded to walk towards.
“Yeah, but I just want to make sure you get home safely.”
Hansol smiled before squeezing Minghao’s hand as they kept their hands interlocked as they made their ways down the stairs. Even making their way out of the building and down to the nearest bus stop, their hands remained together. “You can let go, Hao.”
“Your hand is cold,” Minghao mumbled as he pulled at the left string of his hoodie, enclosing the hood over his hair as Hansol snickered giddily.
“Well that’s fine, since your hands are warm. Transfer of heat and everything.”
“Your bio major side is showing.”
“Shit, sorry,” Hansol chuckled.
They stood by the bus stop sign while their hands were still locked. “Don’t worry about it,” Minghao hummed as he turned to Hansol with a grin. “It’s an interesting side of you.”