Chapter Text
If he can, he would scream all his lungs out. Why would the professor even make them work together for the end of the semester project that has the most credit to pass the course Hyunjin’s currently trying to pass? Why out of all of the students in the class? Why does he have to be paired with his current rival to be at the first position on the end of the semester's ranking? Han Jisung is actually an okay person, out of all of Hyunjin’s experiences when associating with him, the squirrel like guy is actually really polite and good person, he just has a bit of temper whenever something didn’t go as his plan and not to mention he has a really fluffy hair and cute puffy cheeks even though his jawlines, ugh, meticulously sharp and defined.
Hyunjin admits that he probably has this little crush on Jisung, his academic rival, which is why it’s going to give him a hard time when he has to work together with him to have the biggest mark yet in their project. Him for starters, doesn’t want that little crush to be known by anyone let alone by Jisung.
To make matters worse, the tiny guy seems to be oblivious to Hyunjin’s frustration. He kept rambling about his plan and outline for their shared presentation even as far as invading Hyunjin’s personal space. He’s been leaning way too close to hit his already weakened state of heart for the past 30 minutes while they're talking on one of the benches under the biggest tree in the campus courtyard. Hyunjin can almost see the pores on the other man’s face and how sometimes his mouth turns into a lopsided grin here and there when he thinks he grants the universe with yet another one of his brilliant ideas.
“Are you even listening to me, Hwang Hyunjin?” Hyunjin’s musing was cut short by the sudden determination in Jisung’s voice who directed them to Hyunjin himself.
“Uh-huh. I- I don’t think so.” came somehow a sheepish response out of Hyunjin’s mouth, the one that even rendered him speechless.
Jisung knit his eyebrows while glancing up at him. It’s highly unlikely for Hyunjin to lose a snarky remark, usually the guy won’t pass up the chance to be a brat. Today for some reason, he’s been looking at the pattern of the table’s wood quite intensely ever since they came here to discuss their strategy to get the biggest mark for their upcoming little project. Hyunjin’s unusual behavior somehow piqued Jisung’s curiosity.
Jisung rested his head on his elbow at the table looking at him curiously when Hyunjin looked up. He chooses to nudge whatever it is bothering Hyunjin out.
“You can tell me if something’s bothering you, you know? As you publicly stated before, yes we are rivals but to be honest at this point I think we’ve established some kind of friendship, don't you think? I mean it’s been two years.” Jisung smiled at him, albeit a little too tender to Hyunjin’s liking.
Damn his weak resolve. Damn this stupid heart doing a cartwheel out of his ribcage. Damn Han Jisung and his pretty smile.
Sensing that Jisung won’t drop the subject anytime sooner, and also because he thinks they already waste some valuable time to strategize, Hyunjin tried to swallow his nervousness and put on a reassuring smile on his face towards Jisung.
“I’m just a little bit tired from the all-nighter I pulled last night with my roommate.” Hyunjin finally looked at Jisung’s eyes for the first time that afternoon. It's true tho, he was pulling an all-nighter with his new roommate, Kim Seungmin, a psychology major student about that one Sociology course they were sharing. Jisung however only eyed him a little longer, disbelief written all over his face but Hyunjin isn't one to falter, he held Jisung's stare until the other relent with a long sigh.
"Was the class giving you a hard time?" Jisung finally asked.
"A little, there's a test coming up. I kinda have to cram considering all the training I've been pulling the past week." Also, truth. That seems to distract Jisung out of his current inspection, he smacked Hyunjin with his forgotten notebook a couple of times.
"Yah! You should at least be more mindful Hyunjin-ah. Who would be my rival if you got sick, dude?" Jisung now stared at him with annoyance and exasperation that somehow made Hyunjin laugh out loud. Jisung who found no humor with the situation just whack Hyunjin's arm again.
"Okay-okay, I'm sorry, jeez. I might start to think that you like me or something with all this attention I've been getting lately." Hyunjin held up his arms in a surrender gesture. Jisung threw him a glare before settling his notebook back down and huffed a long sigh.
He's been sighing a lot today, isn't he?
Not that he's complaining but lately, Jisung has been giving him a lot of attention. He joins Hyunjin on lunch a lot, they always sit beside each other in classes they share together, Jisung lending him his note when Hyunjin was too tired to pay attention to a class one day despite being infamous as a person who never share his note with anyone and he frequently texts him casual domestic texts asking about his day or to talk about class. They never really declared being friends or anything despite the obvious shift in their relationship, nor Jisung's ever addresses them but Hyunjin can't help but to admit he's liking them. A bit wary but he wishes he can always be at the receiving end of it, and because this is the first time Jisung addresses them being friends, Hyunjin can’t help but wanting to reassure the other boy.
"I'm sorry, Jisung. I will try to be more careful and I promise my recklessness won't jeopardize our final project. So, you were saying?" In a moment of bravery, Hyunjin poke Jisung's cheek when the guy was still sulking and refusing to look at him. The brief touch somehow made him relax and he turned to look at Hyunjin with a small smile.
If you ask Hyunjin whether his heart can beat way faster than it already has upon seeing that simple smile, he won't ever admit it.
…
After discussing their project's time table, matching up each other's schedules and the general theme they want to work on, it's already time for lunch. The two of them agreed to meet up again later tonight at the student center after their last class. Hyunjin went to collect Seungmin from the psychology building, because they agreed to meet up for lunch.
Despite the fact that they've only known each other for half of the semester, Hyunjin can feel like he knew Seungmin all his life. It’s funny, his dry humor, the way he always absentmindedly respond in conversations, their shared love of Ice Americano, and the way he carries himself calmly but with a collected confidence, Seungmin is calm and soft but also a little bit unhinged here and there, like he got some screw loose somewhere on his brain. Hyunjin just adores him just the way he is. Seungmin makes him comfortable and he can be a really reliable study partner.
Hyunjin was scrolling mindlessly on his Instagram explore page when an excited pitter patter of students’ feet was heard, he looked up from his phone just in time to catch his roommate smiling wide, displaying his shiny teeth braces. He smiled back at him then threw his arm around the smiling boy when he reached him.
“So, I was thinking, maybe we can just catch lunch in the cafeteria instead of the initial sandwich place?” Hyunjin said to a still smiling Seungmin while they started to walk. His friend just shrugged then started to slung his arm over Hyunjin’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m too tired to get out of the campus’ ground to get lunch. I heard they’re serving that delicious dakgalbi today. Come on, before the rush hour starts to kick in.” Seungmin then dragged the both of them towards the cafeteria with a briskier walk making Hyunjin almost stumble more than once.
True to his suspicion, the queue is already long, Seungmin sighed but then started to jog to get a place at the queue, dragging an amused Hyunjin behind him. They managed to secure a full portion of said dakgalbi, three fried sausages, some scoop of rice, some stir fry vegetables and a bottle of water. Also a table on one of the corners of the cafeteria. Not long after they situated themselves, the queue got a little too long and the room instantly filled with a sea of students’ chatter. Seungmin made a little victory dance at the sight and Hyunjin can’t help but to laugh at his antics.
They were on half of their meal when two people were asking if they could join their table of 4. Hyunjin recognized them as some of Jisung’s friends so he gestured wildly to the both of them to take a seat since his mouth was full with rice. They smiled gratefully at him then took their seat beside the roommates. The majority of Jisung’s friends are upperclassmen, these two Hyunjin recognized as the couple, Bang Chan and Lee Minho. He’s actually in the same dance club with Minho so they pretty much know each other already. Meanwhile Bang Chan, the infamous Bang Chan who most of the people at the campus known as the midnight host of campus’ radio station, Hyunjin only knows about him from Jisung because the little guy has a really soft spot for his friend here he always talks about him and also Minho and how much he root for his friends’ relationship.
A moment or two passed with all of the parties just minding their own meals, with the occasional conversation between Bang Chan and Minho until Minho broke the silence bubble.
“So, how’s your day so far Hyunjin?” he asked Hyunjin, who didn’t expect the question at all. Sure, he and Minho might share the same club and converse from time to time but they’re always brief and to the point, the older seems quite unapproachable so he never dares to overstep the civil relationship between them. Jisung also never actually introduced any of his friends to him. Only a guy named Felix because they’re the same year and Hyunjin also share the same dance club with the guy
“Uh, pretty neat actually. I’m partnering with Jisung for a Creative Writing class end year project apparently.” Hyunjin replied after his initial shock wore off. His reply somehow made Minho light up with some unknown gleam in his eyes.
“Really, now? That little brat didn’t tell me anything about that.” Minho then chuckled to himself. Hyunjin just chuckled along with him even though he found Minho’s reply a little bit weird. After a while, Minho finally stops his laughter then goes back to scooping his lunch to his mouth.
“What about you, hyung?” Hyunjin asked him finally for the sake of conversation.
“Hmm a little chaotic but that’s expected from someone in their last year like me. I mean I need to revise a lot of my research findings this morning and this dude here,” he gestures to his boyfriend beside in front of him “he’s been making me anxious about his graduation project. He’s so perfectionist I want to strangle him sometimes.” Minho is now full on glaring at his boyfriend who appears bored but amused at the same time. Hyunjin however didn’t expect an elaborate reply from Minho, so he politely chuckled as a response.
“Thank you for spreading your distaste for me to your friend, Min-ah.” Bang Chan then suddenly spoke, making Seungmin jump a little. He then offered the both of them a dimpled smile before introducing himself.
“I’m Bang Chan, his perfectionist and perfect boyfriend.” Bang Chan jerked his chin towards Minho who bristled silently.
They are… interesting, Hyunjin thought. The way they converse easily with people they barely know and not making it awkward with the way they overshare, Hyunjin can’t help but wonder if that’s why Jisung oftenly speaks highly of them.
Hyunjin smiled at the introduction and his dance club senior.
“I’m Hyunjin, Hwang Hyunjin. Minho’s dance club friend and Jisung’s classmate. Well more like an academic rival, as you probably already know.” he chuckled then pointing at Seungmin.
“This is my roommate and friend, Kim Seungmin.” Hyunjin then finished. Seungmin brandished his smile towards both Minho and Chan. The latter looked endeared by the full brace smile as he shook his hand meanwhile Minho seemed puzzled.
"To be honest, this is the first time we've officially been introduced to one another, Hyunjin. Jisung tells me so much about you." Hearing them from Chan somehow made Hyunjin's heartbeat a little too fast. Jisung talked about him to his friends? Huh. Actually he’s just a really chatty guy, the possibility of Hyunjin got mentioned a lot of times in his stories to his close friends seems possible.
“Haha really? Well, it’s nice to finally meet you too Chan-ssi.” replied Hyunjin while smiling a little.
“Ah, call me Chan or hyung or Chan hyung. I don’t mind. All of Jisung and Minho’s friends are also mine. It goes for you to Seungmin.” With that, Chan went back to finishing his meal and conversing lightly with his boyfriend. Hyunjin and Seungmin just smiled at him and went back to their respective meals. The atmosphere is light on their table, despite half of the student bodies still fighting their way to get the infamous dakgalbi from today’s menu.
Minho seems to talk with pout most of the time and Chan was trying his best not to squish his boyfriend's cheeks right there and then. They seem to talk about something with a serious undertone in it, with the way Minho was pouting and poke Chan’s forearm with his finger frustratedly a lot of the time. Seungmin seems to be oblivious to the lover’s squabble because he kept on asking Hyunjin about his plan with Jisung regarding the end of the semester's project they're trying to finish and complaining about finding a mandatory date to his sister’s engagement party. The roommates finished their meal first and decided to go their separate way to their next schedule of the day, Hyunjin with his last class of the day and Seungmin with helping one of his professors for a project, with a promise of extra credit of course. As they said their goodbyes to Chan and Minho, the couple sent them away with a promise of hanging out together someday, something about several get-togethers before they graduate.