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It honestly hurts to see the one you like with the one they like.
Kyungsoo has his head on his arms, whining about how he wants to transfer to another school because his crush has finally found the love of their life and also because he wants a new set of friends.
"How are you even sure they genuinely like each other and they're not just fuck buddies?" Luhan asks once again in a high voice. The older male seriously has some weird ways of cheering someone up.
"But Luhan's actually right, you know." Baekhyun adds, ignoring the aghast look Luhan was throwing at him. "Jongin's close with a bunch of people, guys and girls alike. Maybe they're just really, really good friends?"
Kyungsoo raises his head in the slightest bit to stare at his friend. Baekhyun sits up properly, eyes widening because maybe he's finally starting to cheer up.
"I doubt that." Kyungsoo says instead and he sees Baekhyun's face fall before he buries his face in between his arms again. "I've had a crush on him since I was ten, Baekhyun. Ten." he emphasizes. "I'm already sixteen and I've seen enough people with Jongin to know that this- this guy. He's different."
Sehun clicks his tongue, seemingly contemplating what Kyungsoo said. Baekhyun's look told him he's thinking the same thing. Maybe it is better for Kyungsoo to find someone else to focus his attention on.
Luhan was a different topic.
"You don't even talk to Jongin." Luhan scolds irritatingly.
"Of course I do-"
"Properly." Luhan rebuts and Kyungsoo shuts up. It's actually really scary whenever Luhan gets pissed.
"Let's just find him someone else." Baekhyun interrupts, looking back and forth between Kyungsoo and Luhan. He swallows when he sees the oldest glaring at Kyungsoo and he wishes Chanyeol was here to back him up. "Someone better than Jongin."
Kyungsoo gives him a look that clearly says no one is better than Jongin but he just narrows his eyes at him.
Kyungsoo hates loud music.
And now he's wondering why he even agreed to come with Luhan and Baekhyun when the two were just going to leave him behind. He could see Chanyeol and Baekhyun amidst throngs of people once in a while but Luhan has completely disappeared and he didn't want to imagine why.
"Hi."
A voice cut through his thoughts and he looks up to see a male, probably not much older than him, staring down at him before his gaze drifted to the vacant seat beside Kyungsoo. "Mind if I sit here?"
Kyungsoo wanted to say no but the guy seriously looks nice and he's not wearing any of the fancy clothes people inside a club usually wears (and totally not because the male was tan, reminding him of someone). "Sure."
He sees the glass of orange juice on the stranger's hand, much like his own, and he smiles. "Not the partying type?"
The strangers seems genuinely surprised when Kyungsoo talked to him but he quickly dismisses it and opts to smile at him. "Yeah." Then takes a glance at his orange juice as well. "You're the same, I suppose. Judging by how we're both drinking the same thing."
Kyungsoo actually laughs this time, nodding before turning to look for Baekhyun again. "I need new friends."
The other male chuckles at this and it's a nice sound in contrast with the blaring of the music.
They talk more after their glass of juices are long gone. Baekhyun came back once to drink something but quickly disappears again when he catches sight of Kyungsoo chatting animatedly with a stranger. He flashes his friend a smile before running back towards Chanyeol.
Kyungsoo's not paying attention to anyone else aside from the stranger beside him so he's caught off guard when someone takes the vacant seat on his other side.
"I didn't know you were the type to go to clubs."
Kyungsoo quickly whips his head to look at the second stranger, which just so happens to not be a stranger but is instead Jongin.
"Jongin!" he squeaks, sitting up straighter and chanting a mantra of gratitude that the dim lights of the area was able to hide his probably red cheeks right now. "Why- Why are you here?"
Jongin laughs at him, voice low and he's rendered useless when all he could do was stare at him. "My cousin brought me here out of pure spite."
Kyungsoo nods, barely noticing Jongin's gaze flicker to the male on Kyungsoo's other side. "You're with a friend?"
"Oh." Kyungsoo remembers the stranger and he turns to look at him apologetically. "This is... "
He awkwardly stares at the stranger while the latter just grins, extending a hand to Jongin. "I'm Hyunsik. We just met here about an hour ago."
He watched as Jongin stares at Hyunsik's hand before finally taking it and shaking it once. And then his attention is back to Kyungsoo again. "Did you come here alone? Where's Luhan and Baek-"
"Jongin!"
All three of them turned their heads to the fourth male. He's almost as short as Kyungsoo, with blonde hair and soft features. Kyungsoo feels his face fall and his chest starts to hurt.
"I've been looking all over for you. Come on."
Jongin pouts, glancing at Kyungsoo and then back to the male. "But I want to-"
"Let's go." the male whines, holding Jongin's hand and tugging him up to stand. Jongin just sighs, curling his hand around the male's hand and Kyungsoo could feel small chunks of his heart slowly fading away.
"I'll see you around hyung." Jongin calls out and the other male even sends a smile and a wave to Kyungsoo and Hyunsik before dragging Jongin away.
"That was quick." Hyunsik says and Kyungsoo feels stupid again.
"I'm sorry." Kyungsoo quickly says, smiling apologetically at Hyunsik but the male just waves it off with a smile.
"It's okay, Kyungsoo." Kyungsoo blushes. "I don't think your friend liked me very much."
Kyungsoo scrunches his nose at this, forcing his eyes to look away because he just happens to see a glimpse of Jongin and that person in the bar, laughing with each other.
It's been days since the club thing and Kyungsoo's messaging Hyunsik just for the hell of it. They've actually clicked off and Kyungsoo was happy he was able to gain a new friend.
"Why don't you just date him?" Baekhyun suggests during lunch and Luhan is quick to glare at him. "He's obviously interested in you."
"Who's interested in who?"
"Hyunsik-"
Baekhyun stops, mouth still open as he takes in Jongin who was looking at him. "Hyunsik?"
Luhan wrinkles his nose in smugness, Sehun slapping a hand on his face at the act.
"Hyung, are you dating Hyunsik?" Jongin asks Kyungsoo who was obviously trying to shrink away from the table. "But you just met him, what, barely a week ago?"
This, unexpectedly, makes Kyungsoo mad. How could Jongin say that when he's dating someone who just transferred a month ago?
"I don't think you have a say in this." he says flatly, avoiding Jongin's gaze before standing up and excusing himself to go to his class early.
Baekhyun and Luhan just stares at Jongin helplessly who soon walks away without saying anything.
Hyunsik is interested in him.
Two more weeks had passed since the awkward encounter at the cafeteria and Hyunsik tried asking Kyungsoo out last night. Kyungsoo wanted to say no but then again Hyunsik has only ever been nice so he says yes instead, pick him up tomorrow afternoon so they could grab some snacks. It was all Kyungsoo could offer and Hyunsik just smiles and nods enthusiastically.
They end up going to a nearby convenience store and then eating instant ramen outside on a park bench. Kyungsoo keeps on laughing with whatever Hyunsik was saying.
But it seems like fate isn't all too fond of it when Jongin and his boyfriend walks by past them.
"Hyung." Jongin calls out and Kyungsoo bites his lip before forcing a smile, trying so hard to not make it obvious how hurt he was because the blonde guy is with Jongin again. Of course.
Hyunsik must have sensed his discomfort because suddenly a warm hand is enclosing his, squeezing gently and he smiles unconsciously.
"Yah, Jongin, can't you see those two are on a date." The male beside Jongin says and Jongin's face actually contorts into something painful but Kyungsoo's quick to not give meaning to it. "Let's just leave them be."
Jongin makes a move to open his mouth but stops at the last second, letting the other male lead him away.
"You should just tell him you like him."
Kyungsoo turns to look at Hyunsik in reply and he notices that their hands are still clasped. Hyunsik raises his hand and presses a soft kiss on his knuckles. "You'll be surprised at what honesty can do, Kyungsoo."
Kyungsoo texted Jongin to meet him after school that day.
It's not like he plans to confess to Jongin and hope that they'll be together. He wants to confess because maybe if he starts being honest with himself then maybe he could finally move on from Jongin and give Hyunsik a chance.
"Do you need anything, hyung?"
Jongin was flawless even when he's just wearing a pair of jersey shorts and a loose shirt. How could he forget that the younger male is part of the basketball team?
"I have something to say." he says as loud as he can, nerves wracking him inside.
Jongin frowns at this so Kyungsoo looks down, choosing to focus on Jongin's shoes instead of the other's expression.
"I like you." he starts suddenly, not wanting to prolong this any longer because just standing in front of Jongin is making his knees weak. "I've always liked you ever since you saved my cat from drowning on that kiddy pool. I know you might probably not remember that but I just want to say it."
He sucks in a breath, wanting to just run back home already.
"And I know it's impossible for us to be together when you clearly like someone but I just-" Kyungsoo's face scrunched up. He didn't know it was this hard. "I just wanted you to know."
He swallows nervously after, not daring to look at Jongin before he's hitching his bag higher up his shoulder and turning around. But it didn't happen because the next thing he knows, Jongin is hugging him, face pressed on Kyungsoo's hair and laugh rumbling loud on his chest.
Kyungsoo was confused and scared.
Did he break Jongin?
"J-Jongin?" he stutters out and Jongin hums a yes, nuzzling his cheek against Kyungsoo's. "Why are you h-hugging me?"
"Because you like me." Jongin all but singsongs and Kyungsoo's never been this confused.
"Your- Your boyfriend might see us." Kyungsoo adds after much thought, the sentence actually hurting him.
Jongin seems to sober up at this and Kyungsoo clenches his fist because of course Jongin's just playing with him.
"Boyfriend?"
Kyungsoo finally raises his head to meet Jongin's confused gaze. "Your boyfriend. The... blonde guy always with you."
He sees Jongin's brows furrow for a second before he's laughing again and pinching Kyungsoo's cheek. "You're cute, hyung."
Embarrassment momentarily forgotten, Kyungsoo frowns and weakly bats Jongin away. "What are you laughing at?"
"Junmyeon's not my boyfriend." Jongin says after he's calmed down enough and Kyungsoo hates to think that Luhan might be right and they're just fucking. Still.
"He's my cousin."
Then he suddenly remembers that time at the bar, expression blank as he stares at Jongin who was obviously having the time of his life.
"He's from China and his family just moved in here. He's the only cousin I have who's close to my age so we're really close."
Well that makes sense, Kyungsoo thought. And now he's blushing because realization finally dawned on him. He just confessed to Jongin.
"So you don't need to say you like me just because you want to say it." Jongin started, stepping closer and bending slightly to stare at Kyungsoo levelly. "Say it because you want us to be together, hyung."
"Why?" he blurts out, staring helplessly at Jongin.
Jongin returns the look with exasperation. "Did Sehun even told you how much I like you?"
Kyungsoo blinks stupidly at that, watching as Jongin curses Sehun over and over again before he's back to hovering his face in front of Kyungsoo.
"I like you hyung. Very, very much."
Kyungsoo flushes red at this and then he's stuttering words he doesn't really know and Jongin's laughing again before hugging him. "I like you."
Kyungsoo hesitantly returns the hug, nodding shakily before finally relaxing and letting himself indulge on Jongin's warmth.
"I like you too."
Kyungsoo sees Luhan whacking Sehun with his book the next day at lunch and he doesn't need to guess the reason why.
"You could have just said that he was Jongin's cousin and that Jongin likes our baby so much instead of staying quiet all the time and letting us rip our heads out!"
He winces, shaking his head when Baekhyun walks in as well, glare solely directed at Sehun.
He turns around, trying to find a different table so he could avoid the catastrophe happening on their usual table, when his tray is suddenly being lifted by a very smiling Jongin.
"Eat lunch with me?"
Kyungsoo couldn't say no even if he wanted to, remembering what happened after the confession. Jongin quickly dragging his cousin to say sorry to Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo blushing red to the roots of his hair for misunderstanding.
And then Jongin asked him out.
And who was he to say no?
To: Hyunsik
Thank you.
He looks up to see Jongin frowning at his phone and he blinks. "What?"
"Do you like Hyunsik?" the younger male says bluntly, looking at Kyungsoo underneath lashes and Kyungsoo wants to melt there and then.
But he doesn't because he needs to be solid in order to hug his boyfriend. He swallows his nerves and braves himself to plant a kiss on Jongin's cheek. "No."
And then he's pulling back, smiling when he sees Jongin blushing. "I only like you."
end