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☆
So, here he was.
Wearing a perfect outfit—a t-shirt with a beautiful nebulous in it under a leather jacket Donghyuck lent him, baggy pants low enough for his tiny waist to be appreciated, and his cleaned-up Converse shoes. With his best looks, hair up and face with natural make-up so it accentuated his eyes. At least that was what Renjun said. And with his best pair of glasses, the ones that didn't fall off his face if he leaned down just a bit. Mark insisted he wear them.
Standing right next to him.
Na Jaemin.
You might wonder, well, what's so special about him? Why the fuss? Why the effort?
Let Jisung tell you the first chapter of a—totally cliché, zero-original, not award-winning—love story about a nerdy boy who fell in love.
☆
It all began with another normal day at campus.
Jisung had attended all his classes and was patiently waiting for his group in the cafeteria. He sat down, opened his lunchbox—pleased to find a good homemade meal waiting for him—and began rummaging through his bag for his Kindle.
He pushed his glasses up as he started reading Project Hail Mary for the fifth time this year. Very entertaining to kill some time while waiting. But his quiet moment was shattered with the sudden burst of laughter echoing across the cafeteria.
Without even turning around, he already knew who the culprits were.
The popular guys.
They were always messing around, causing chaos wherever they went—laughing too loud, shoving each other like it was some sport. Jisung had heard that two of them were dating and had even been caught being handsy by the principal. There were also rumors that one of them came from a ridiculously wealthy family, which apparently translated to no consequences whatsoever.
It was annoying, really.
Surely they couldn’t all be empty-headed. If they behaved like that all the time, there was no way they’d make it to graduation.
Jisung glanced at them, already assigning League of Legends roles in his head—purely for entertainment, of course. When he made eye contact with one of the group.
He had seen him before.
The heartthrob.
Blonde hair styled into soft waves, skin so unfairly smooth, and lips that definitely saw lip balm on a daily basis. A charming gaze paired with a disarming smile. And, obviously, fitted clothes that showed off a very well-built figure.
If Jisung remembered it correctly, he was Na Jaemin, two years older than him. His senior.
There were rumors that he had never accepted love letters or confessions from anyone on campus, which was… suspicious. Because, seriously—looking like that? He could pull anyone.
Like, it wasn't that Jisung couldn't recognize how handsome he was.
What? He was!
He looked like the kind of guy who would wait for you in the morning, carry your things while holding your hand, listen to you with that soft smile, and then wish you a good day with a kiss on your head—
Ehem!
Anyway.
Even if Jisung could admit all that, he was also very aware of his place in the grand social hierarchy. A nerd like him? Dreaming about that?
Absolutely not.
No, sir.
Jisung belonged to what the student body lovingly referred to as: the losers.
You know—the socially awkward, geeky, slightly weird group that preferred to stay out of sight, bonded over their latest shared obsession, and thrived in their collective introversion. They planned entire evenings to discuss things like the best movie of the month or a book one of them had read. Mark had even started a tradition where they all wore ridiculously hilarious science-joke t-shirts once a week, and Jisung loved it. He even started a collection!
He was happy there, really. It was a safe, comfortable group where he didn't need to pretend to be normal. But there were days when Jisung wondered if—only if—he could ever go out of his bubble, what would he do?
Hmmm.
He sighed, looking down at his Kindle again and reading without paying much attention.
Yikes, now he felt a little pathetic. Sitting all along while the populars sat right next to him. Of all places, really!?
Universe, stop it already.
Jisung did his best to focus on the book. And as he was reading Chapter 9 about Grace discovering Rocky's number system, he got a little too excited about the thought.
Because imagine that! Making first contact with an intelligent alien and learning about how they look, how they think, and how they behave.
It made his nerd self giggle, many happy noises coming from him.
Uh…
Slowly—very slowly—he lowered his Kindle just a fraction, eyes darting around like a guilty criminal.
Please tell him no one heard that.
“Talking to yourself?”
Darn it!
Jisung went rigid as he turned around. Sitting there looking straight at him, with undivided attention, was Jaemin.
Smiling.
Jisung’s brain short-circuited.
“I—” he started, then immediately stopped.
Because what exactly was he supposed to say? Sorry, I get emotionally invested in fictional space travels?
Jaemin tilted his head slightly, resting his chin on his hand like he had all the time in the world. “Good book?”
Oh, that was an easier question!
“Yes,” he blurted out, a bit loud. “I mean, yeah. It’s—um—very scientifically accurate. And entertaining, obviously. Not that you asked about the scientific accuracy, but it is important because—”
Stop talking, ah! Stop talking right now.
He clamped his mouth shut. At this, Jaemin’s smile widened.
“Scientifically accurate, huh?” He hummed, eyes flicking down to the Kindle still clutched in Jisung’s hands. “You seem… really into it.”
Jisung felt his face heat up. “It's one of my favorite readings nowadays. This will be like, the fifth time I’ve read it and—I don't know why I'm talking so much, oh God, sorry.”
Jaemin let out a soft laugh.
It wasn't the kind of laugh one does at an awkward social moment to get by, or the kind one does to mock someone else. But the kind of laugh you do when you really find something entertaining.
Which, somehow, made it worse. Or better? Jisung wasn’t sure. His brain had officially stopped cooperating.
“Read something out loud,” Jaemin said suddenly.
Jisung stared at him, glasses slipping a little down his nose. “What?”
“You seemed very happy,” Jaemin shrugged, completely casual. “I’m curious.”
Oh, absolutely not.
“No,” Jisung said immediately.
Jaemin raised an eyebrow. “No?”
“No,” he repeated, hugging the Kindle slightly closer to his chest like it needed protection. “It’s… private.”
“Private?” Jaemin echoed, clearly entertained now. “It’s a book.”
“It’s my favorite book,” Jisung shot back, before he could stop himself.
The blonde seemed now very invested in the conversation, which was bad news for Jisung. He didn't want this awful interaction to keep going.
“Eh, sorry, okay?” He said, glancing around and spotting Mark entering the cafeteria.
Yes!
“I gotta go, bye!”
He picked up his things and practically ran away from that table, feeling the heavy look on his back, so he grabbed Mark's shoulder and made sure he didn't turn around.
“Code red, let's run!” Jisung whispered-yelled, acting as if they were escaping from criminals.
Mark seemed so confused, but immediately followed his younger as they exited the cafeteria.
And Jaemin was left there, still looking at the doors.
“So what?” Donghyuck asked, kicking Jaemin under the table. “Your lil crush is over?”
“I think it got worse.”
☆
Since that day, everything changed for Jisung.
Like literally everything.
Even the recipe for his favorite Mexican food had changed. Now it was spicier. He had learned the hard way that he was now not able to eat it.
But what stressed him out the most was the senior who acted as if they were friends! It was so confusing because they had only one interaction—a really awkward and weird one, if you asked for Jisung’s opinion. So it couldn't be possible for Jaemin to think they were close!
It had become a thing.
Not a big thing. Not something officially acknowledged or written down or even spoken about out loud. But a thing nonetheless.
Because now, every time they crossed paths, Jaemin noticed him on purpose.
Every. Single. Time.
A nod in the hallway.
A “hey” when passing by.
A smile (which, frankly, should be illegal considering the effect it had on innocent bystanders—namely Jisung).
He did not know how to behave. Like, at all.
The first few times, he had looked behind him to make sure Jaemin wasn’t talking to someone else. The next few times, he had responded with something between a squeak and a whisper. After that, he had tried to act normal.
But ultimately, what got on his nerves was Jaemin making conversation.
He even asked about the name of the book he was reading last time, and Jisung had to strongly restrain himself from surrendering at that charming, pretty, and lovely face—
Yeah, he had told him. Maybe also did a quick, super short summary of, humm, fifteen minutes. Maybe, just maybe, he also went on about other books by Andy Weir.
But it wasn't his fault! Jaemin was too much!
He couldn’t refuse him when he was all smiley, polite, and gentle around him. It just didn't feel right.
Which is why Jisung and Mark were hiding behind his Kindle while Jaemin and Donghyuck, sitting across the table, stared at them.
“How did this happen!?” Mark whispered, face panicking.
“I promise I just rambled a lot about Project Hail Mary,” Jisung muttered back. “He just decided we're friends, and next thing I know, he's sitting here!”
“Oh, God. You got adopted by an extrovert.”
“What? I didn't—Holy moly, I did…”
“And not only the campus heartthrob but the heartbreaker too?”
“I mean, the heartbreaker appeared out of nowhere, in my defense.”
“I did.”
Both heads peeked off the Kindle, glasses a bit down their noses and faces stunned. Looking at two very entertained, popular guys paying attention just at them.
Mark cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “Uh, did you just—”
“Yes, we heard everything,” Donghyuck said, a teasing smile growing. “I can adopt you too.”
Mark froze up and turned on pilot mode. “I am awash in dilemmas and deficiencies. Let me find my footing, and I will attend to your request.”
“You just quoted Rhaenyra Targaryen at me?”
Jisung blinked, eyes jumping from Donghyuck to Mark, and then at Donghyuck again.
“You watch House of the Dragon?” He asked, truly curious.
Jaemin snorted. “Every week. It's one of his favorite series.”
“Hey, it's actually really cool. It has dragons, swords, and drama.” Donghyuck shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. “I'm Team Black, by the way.”
At the silence, Jisung turned around to see Mark. And he could've sworn his eyes had hearts. He bumped his shoulder to his, waking him up.
“Yeah! Me too, and actually—”
Suddenly, the soundtrack of Wild Robot started playing from Mark's phone. He immediately rushed to get it out of his pocket.
“Oh, it's Jun.” He answered and turned around a bit, a hand covering his mouth. “Hi, what's up?”
Jisung scooted closer, trying to listen to the call.
“What? But they were sold out!” Mark straightened out in his place, going rigid with shock. “How did you get them?”
“Hyung?” Jisung called, tapping Mark's back. “What's going on?”
“Wait,” he said to Jisung, while seeming very focused on listening to whatever Jun was telling him. “Oh, it's just Sunggie. But what were you saying?”
Jisung unconsciously pouted, attempting to make Mark turn so he could listen better, but the older one grabbed both of his hands easily, making him still.
“Ha? And where do you plan to find two more people?” Mark furrowed, then seemed shocked. “Why me!? I don't wanna—Wow, okay, no need to curse.”
“Hyuuuuung!” Jisung struggled, trying to get his hands free.
“I get it, I get it,” Mark sighed, as if committing to a heavy duty. “Alright, I'll do it. Yeah, bye…”
When he turned around, he glared half-heartedly at Jisung and squished his cheeks as punishment.
“Respect your hyung, brat.”
Jisung whined, but ignored that completely. “What did he say!?’
Mark let him go, grabbing his water bottle. “He got us tickets for the Spider-Man premiere.”
A beat.
Jaemin and Donghyuck were truly surprised by how Jisung’s face lit up—for all they could know, he had just been blessed.
“What!? How!? Oh, he's the coolest, I knew he was!”
Mark shushed him before shaking his head. “Yeah, but he wants me to find another two people to go, or he'll lose the tickets.”
Jisung immediately lost his brightness. “No…”
The popular guys shared a look before mentally getting into an agreement.
Donghyuck cleared his throat. “So, are you guys gonna continue to pretend we don't exist, or will you invite us now?”
The losers looked at them, then shared a look, and smiled with excitement.
Jaemin tilted his head, noticing how cute Jisung looked, and deciding his casual, simple crush had turned into something far bigger.
☆
By the next week, it had… become part of their lives.
Not in a normal way. Absolutely not in a normal way. More like the kind of “stable” where chaos becomes so consistent it starts feeling routine.
With the continued interactions, Mark no longer flinched when Donghyuck slung an arm around his shoulders like they had signed a lifelong contract. Renjun had downgraded from suspicious glaring to mildly judgmental staring every time one of them showed up uninvited—which was always.
And the table? It had gotten louder.
Because apparently, two popular guys weren’t enough.
Now there was Jeno, quiet and built as if he walked straight out of a sports campaign, sitting there as if he had always belonged. Jisung immediately clocked him as the type who would go along with any dumb plan, as long as he was having a good time.
And Chenle, who talked enough for three people and had already argued with Renjun twice in the span of ten minutes. This one was the kind of guy who created the dumb plan—and then turned it into a full-blown disaster. Jisung was actively trying to avoid becoming his main target. Which was not possible.
Whatever.
Now the cafeteria had turned into a live show.
Students stared, whispered, chuckled at the rare mix of completely random people suddenly socializing. Some even paused mid-walk just to look, probably wondering why the most popular guys on campus were mingling with three… not important second characters—no, scratch that. Extras. The kind whose names show up when the audience has already left the theater.
But said populars didn’t care.
So now Mark didn’t care. And well, Renjun definitely didn’t care. But Jisung did care!
Jisung, who was sitting there with his juice box, aggressively not thinking about the fact that this was his life now.
Because sure. Fine. Okay. Popular people? Sitting with them? Talking to them? Inviting themselves into their space? Weird, unexpected, borderline concerning—but still manageable.
What wasn’t manageable was Jaemin.
Because for some reason, that charming, smiling menace had decided Jisung was his personal source of entertainment.
“Are you going to drink that or just stare at it?”
Jisung flinched, nearly dropping his juice box as he looked up.
Obviously, he was right there, elbow on the table, chin resting on his palm, eyes locked on Jisung with a kind of lazy amusement that made everything worse.
“I’m drinking it,” Jisung muttered.
“You’ve been ‘drinking it’ for five minutes.”
“I’m pacing myself.”
Jaemin hummed. “From what? The intense flavor of apple juice?”
Across the table, Chenle snorted loudly. “He’s got a point.”
“Stay out of this,” Jisung shot back, immediately defensive.
Right now, the last thing he needed was to get dragged into one of Chenle’s loud, unavoidable debates. Too exhausting for his vocal cords and his eardrums.
Jaemin leaned in a little closer. Now that was dangerous.
“Why are you nervous?” he asked, voice light, like he already knew the answer.
“W-What? I’m not nervous.”
“You just flinched like I yelled at you.”
“You did yell at me.”
Jaemin’s mouth twitched. “I didn’t even raise my voice.”
“It was the tone,” Jisung insisted, gripping his juice box like it was emotional support. “It was threatening.”
“Threatening,” Jaemin repeated, amused. “Yeah. I’m terrifying.”
“You are!”
Donghyuck burst out laughing. Mark choked on his drink. Even Renjun let out a quiet, betrayed scoff like he couldn’t believe this was the conversation he was part of.
Jeno looked down, shoulders shaking slightly.
Chenle pointed at Jisung. “You just called him scary. That’s insane.”
Jisung flushed. “You don’t get it.”
“Then explain it,” Jaemin said immediately.
And there it was again. The thing that confused Jisung the most. See, he was okay with social interactions. Awkward, yes, and very much living in that “I either talk too much or not at all” balance—but still, manageable.
But being the one on the receiving end of undivided attention? Completely, unfairly focused on him?
That was too much pressure.
He didn’t apply for this job. Thanks for the opportunity, though. Truly appreciated.
Jisung frowned, shifting in his seat. “Why do you keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“That.” Jisung gestured at him again, vague and unhelpful. “This whole—thing.”
Jaemin tilted his head, making an honest attempt to follow Jisung’s train of thought. And failing. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”
“This!” Jisung repeated, more frustrated now. “You keep talking to me. Sitting next to me. Looking at me—like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like—” Jisung faltered, then groaned. “Like I’m interesting or something.”
That sounded a little like self-deprecation.
It wasn’t. Jisung would gladly explain how he had perfectly decent self-esteem and had made peace with being weird, actually. But he got distracted.
By the slow, classified-as-extremely-dangerous situation: please run smirk spreading across Jaemin’s face.
“Oh,” he said softly. “So you have noticed.”
Jisung choked. “That’s not—what? No, that’s not what I meant—”
“You keep track of how much I look at you?” Jaemin continued, completely ignoring him now. “That’s kinda cute.”
“I don’t keep track!”
“You just said I do it a lot.”
“Because you do!”
“How much is ‘a lot’?” Jaemin pressed, leaning closer again. “Like, percentage-wise?”
“Huh, about 85%—hey, no—stop talking!”
The whole table erupted into laughter.
“Oh my god, he’s bullying him.” Chenle leaned against Jeno’s shoulder, trying to catch his breath.
“I’m not bullying him,” Jaemin said easily, eyes never leaving Jisung. “I’m having a conversation.”
“You’re interrogating him,” Renjun corrected flatly.
“Semantics.”
Jisung dropped his forehead against the table for a second. “Why me…”
“Yeah,” Jaemin echoed, softer this time. “Why you?”
Jisung lifted his head, frowning. “Exactly! Why me?”
The blonde blinked. “You want a list or—?”
“I don’t need a list—”
“Okay, good, because it’s kinda long.”
“Hyung!”
Jaemin laughed quietly, leaning back just enough to give Jisung space, but not enough for Jisung to actually calm down.
“Alright,” the blonde said, like he was being generous. “Serious answer?”
Jisung narrowed his eyes. Being the youngest had taught him exactly how suspicious it was when someone suddenly acted nice. “You’re capable of that?”
“Sometimes,” Jaemin shrugged. Then, after a second, he reconsidered, “I just feel like it.”
“Hey, that’s not a reason.”
“It is for me.”
“That’s—” Jisung sat up straighter, exasperated. “That makes no sense.”
Jaemin smiled again, softer this time. “It doesn’t have to.”
At that sight, there it was again. That weird feeling right in the middle of Jisung’s chest. Warm and annoying.
Around them, the conversation kept going—Donghyuck dragging Mark into yet another argument about House of the Dragon, Chenle loudly agreeing with himself, Jeno quietly adding comments here and there while Renjun tried, and failed, to maintain order.
Everything was loud, normally chaotic. Except Jaemin was still looking at Jisung.
Like this—whatever this was—mattered.
Jisung quickly looked away, stabbing his straw into his juice box like it had personally betrayed him.
This was bad. This was really, really bad. Because, apparently, he was the only one losing his mind over it.
And Jaemin was clearly having the time of his life.
☆
A few days later, Jisung was barely functioning.
Which wasn’t new.
What was new was that he had woken up from an accidental nap in the library; face smushed against an open book, glasses slightly crooked, hair doing whatever it wanted. And had decided, for reasons unknown, to walk across campus like that.
Half-asleep. Half-aware. Fully vulnerable.
He yawned, dragging his feet as he turned the corner and stopped.
Jaemin was standing near the lockers, looking… annoyingly good for someone who was literally just existing.
And in front of him was a girl—the type who knew she was pretty and had never doubted it a day in her life. She was mid-speech.
Jisung blinked slowly, brain buffering as he tried to process the scene. He adjusted his bag over his shoulder and subtly shifted behind a column.
Note: he wasn’t spying! He had simply stopped mid-walk strategically. Coincidentally, right here.
Where he could hear everything.
“…so I’ve liked you for a while now,” the girl was saying, hands clasped in front of her, smile steady and confident. “And I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out with me?”
Uh, a confession.
Jisung should leave. He knew that. Logically, he knew that. But he couldn't, because Jaemin hadn’t answered yet.
And for some reason, one he absolutely refused to unpack right now, Jisung’s chest felt… weird.
Jaemin tilted his head slightly, listening. Ever so polite and calm, as he had been in this position quite a lot. He wasn't even uncomfortable, yet not exactly interested either.
A little bored, even, if Jisung had to guess.
“I appreciate it,” he said after a moment, voice easy. “But I’m not really—”
“Oh,” the girl cut in, smile tightening just a bit. “Is it because of them?”
She gestured vaguely, dismissive.
Jisung frowned. Them?
“You’ve been hanging around those losers a lot lately.” She continued, tone shifting into something sharper. “It’s kind of ruining your image, don’t you think?”
Ah. There it was.
Jisung felt something in his chest drop. It had been a while since he’d heard something like that, and… yeah. It stung.
He should leave now. He really should—
“I don’t think that’s your concern,” said Jaemin.
Okay. Now he definitely wasn’t leaving.
Jisung ducked further behind the column, blinking away the drowsiness, eyes wide.
Jaemin’s expression didn’t change much, but there was a subtle, colder edge that made people usually take a step back.
“It kind of is if you’re rejecting me for them,” she pressed, crossing her arms. “I mean, seriously, what do they even—”
“Hey.”
His voice was firm, making Jisung jolt. Even the girl was surprised. It was rare—very rare—to hear Jaemin drop that polite, easy tone.
Oh, she got him mad!
Jisung silently gasped, suddenly very aware that he was witnessing something exclusive. Premium content. Front row seats to a side of Jaemin most people didn’t get to see.
The not-so-gentleman version.
“You’re way out of line here.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Liking me doesn’t give you the right to talk trash about my friends.”
The girl scoffed. “Friends? You barely know them. Are you serious?” She smacked her lips together, like she was gearing up to spit venom. “They’re so weird, and everyone thinks you’re doing charity work or something. There’s no way you’re actually friends. You have nothing in common.”
Jaemin’s face turned even scarier. He smiled.
Evilly.
“Oh, sorry,” he started, voice smooth. “I wasn’t aware you knew me that well. Or that you knew them enough to talk like this.” A slight tilt of his head. “Behind their backs.”
She was speechless. Visually getting angrier by the second.
If this were a Mexican novela, she would’ve slapped him by now.
Which was not an image Jisung needed in his head.
So before he even fully registered it, he had already moved—stepping right between them.
Still slightly disheveled, sleepy eyes and puffy face with his hair a total mess. Glasses hanging wrongly from his ears and bag like it had given up on life.
Great. What his day needed. Drama.
The girl blinked, caught off guard. Jaemin did too, his anger melting into worry, with a tint of curiosity.
“Oh. Hi,” Jisung said, scratching the back of his neck, voice still a little rough from sleep. “I just, uh… well, there’s no need to say all that.”
She frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I mean,” Jisung gestured awkwardly, words coming out faster now, “he already answered, right? So it’s not really like—you don’t have to make this whole scene—”
“It’s not a scene,” she snapped. Jisung jolted a little at her high-pitched voice. “I’m just saying the truth.”
“Yeah, but it’s a mean truth,” Jisung said, blinking at her like that should be obvious. “And you don’t have to say it out loud.”
There was a brief silence.
Jaemin was staring at him now. Whether he was impressed or questioning every single one of Jisung’s life choices was… unclear.
The girl scoffed. “And who do you think you are?”
Jisung hesitated, glancing at Jaemin.
“…I’m—”
Okay. Saying friend felt like a lot right now.
“Someone who doesn’t think that’s fair,” he finished instead, a little more firmly this time.
She rolled her eyes. “Right. One of them.”
Jisung inhaled slowly, clearly trying to keep things from escalating. “Look, you confessed; that’s brave. Like, I couldn't even imagine myself doing that. And he answered, politely, that’s fair. We can just… stop here.”
The girl looked between them, unimpressed. Then, with a final huff, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Jisung stood there for a second longer, like he wasn’t entirely sure what he had just done.
“Oh my god,” he blurted out, hands on his knees like he’d been holding his breath the whole time. He glanced up at Jaemin. “I definitely should not talk to people before fully waking up.”
The blonde didn’t say anything. Only continued to stare at him, with a faint smile on his face.
Jisung straightened awkwardly under the attention. “…What?”
Jaemin’s lips curled, just slightly. “You defended me.”
Jisung blinked. “I—no, well… she was being rude.”
“To me,” Jaemin pointed out.
“Eh yeah, but—” Jisung faltered, then waved his hand. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It doesn’t?” Jaemin asked, stepping a little closer.
Jisung immediately took half a step back.
“It just means,” he said quickly, “that I don’t like people being mean.”
“Mm,” Jaemin hummed, clearly not convinced. “Interesting.”
Jisung frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
The blonde tilted his head, eyes narrowing just a little—not in suspicion, but in curiosity.
“I thought you didn’t like me.”
Jisung froze. “…What?”
“You keep avoiding me,” Jaemin continued, like he was listing facts. “You get nervous when I talk to you. You overthink everything I say.”
“I do not—”
“And yet,” Jaemin cut in smoothly, “you just stepped in for me. Without thinking.”
That was true.
And he didn’t like that it was true.
“I—” Jisung rubbed the back of his neck again, suddenly very aware of how close Jaemin was. “That’s not… I mean—”
Jaemin waited. Amused.
Jisung groaned softly. “Oh, come on. Who doesn’t like you?”
The words slipped out.
And the second they landed, Jisung’s eyes went wide.
Jaemin blinked. And then painfully slowly his smirk appeared.
“…What?”
Jisung’s entire face flushed instantly. He shook his hands in denial. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
“You didn’t?” Jaemin asked, voice dangerously entertained.
“I mean, I did but not like—” Jisung let out a distressed noise—honestly, kind of adorable—waving his hands around uselessly. “I just woke up! My brain isn’t working! That doesn’t count!”
Jaemin let out a laugh.
Head tipping back slightly, shoulders shaking, the sound warm and bright and completely unrestrained.
And Jisung stared at him, still red and panicking, but something in his chest shifted again. That same feeling, way stronger.
Oh.
Oh.
Jaemin wiped at the corner of his eye, still smiling as he looked back at him. “So you do like me.”
“I did not say that!”
“You literally just did.”
“I said people like you!”
“And you’re people.”
“That’s not—” Jisung covered his face with both hands. “Oh my god, stop talking.”
Jaemin stepped a little closer again, grin softening into something quieter. “You’re cute when you’re honest, you know that?”
“I’m neither of that,” Jisung mumbled into his hands. “I’m sleep-deprived.”
“That too.”
Jisung slowly lowered his hands, peeking at him—and immediately regretted it, because Jaemin was still looking at him like that.
Like he had figured something out. Like he wasn’t going to let it go.
Oh, this was bad.
Because somewhere between the teasing, the attention, and that stupid, bright laugh—Jisung had officially fallen.
This was a disaster.
A very personal, very humiliating disaster.
“…You’re staring again,” Jisung mumbled, voice smaller now that the adrenaline was wearing off and his brain was slowly—unfortunately—coming back online.
“Yeah,” Jaemin said easily.
“Stop it,” Jisung insisted weakly, already taking a step back, and immediately stopping when his back hit the lockers.
Darn it. It couldn't be. Was he maybe the protagonist of a romance novel!?
“Running away already?” Jaemin teased softly.
“I’m not running! There’s just this thing called personal space, you know,” Jisung said quickly, gesturing vaguely to absolutely nothing.
“Mm,” Jaemin hummed, clearly unconvinced.
Then he reached out. Jaemin’s hand pressed beside his head, caging him slightly, just enough to stop him from attempting another escape.
Jisung’s brain short-circuited a little.
“You said,” Jaemin continued, voice quieter now, “that everyone likes me.”
“Well, yeah…”
Jaemin smiled. “And you’re part of everyone.”
“I’m… not relevant to the statistic.”
“That’s not how statistics work.”
Jisung, for a brief and deeply unnecessary moment, looked fully prepared to explain statistical analysis right then and there.
“That’s exactly how they work.”
Jaemin laughed under his breath. “So you don’t like me?”
Now that Jisung was awake enough to actually think, every possible answer felt like a trap.
Yes? Sounded suspicious.
No? Sounded like a lie.
Silence? Already incriminating.
Jaemin leaned in slightly, eyes bright with amusement. “That’s a long pause.”
“I’m thinking,” Jisung said defensively.
“About whether you like me?”
“No!”
“Yes,” Jaemin corrected gently.
Jisung groaned, dropping his head back against the locker. “Why are you like this…”
“Like what?”
“Like—this,” Jisung repeated helplessly, gesturing at him again.
Jaemin’s hand moved slightly from the locker to caress Jisung’s messy hair. The other inhaled sharply, eyes glinting.
“Oh,” the blonde murmured, softer now. “You’re sensitive.”
“I am not…”
“You flinched.”
“I didn’t flinch. I reacted.”
“To me.”
Jisung shook his head quickly, trying to ignore the way his heart was suddenly beating way too fast for a normal conversation. “You’re reading too much into it.”
“Am I?”
“Yes!”
Jaemin hummed, like he was considering it.
Then, without warning, he reached up and fixed Jisung’s glasses. Just adjusting them up properly on his nose, fingers brushing lightly against his temple.
It took less than a second. But it felt way longer, the small action engraving itself on Jisung’s mind.
He went completely still.
“They were crooked,” said Jaemin, like he hadn’t just caused a full system shutdown.
“Oh,” Jisung managed, voice a little higher than usual. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jisung swallowed, staring anywhere but at him. “You don’t have to, like—do that.”
“Do what?”
“Touch me.”
Wow. Out of context, that sounded weirder than intended.
A couple of people walking by glanced at them.
Jisung immediately lowered his voice. “I mean, not like that, I just—”
Jaemin leaned in again, just enough to make it worse. “You don’t like it?”
Jisung froze. “I didn’t say that,” he muttered.
Jaemin’s eyes flickered with something pleased. “Good,” he said quietly.
Jisung blinked. “Good?”
“Yeah,” Jaemin shrugged lightly, finally—finally—leaning away. “Would’ve been inconvenient if you did.”
“Inconvenient for who?”
“For me.”
Jisung stared at him, fully awake now, brain catching up in the worst possible way.
“…You’re doing this on purpose,” he accused.
“Doing what?”
“This!” Jisung gestured wildly. “Whatever this is!”
Jaemin smiled, slow and unapologetic. “Yeah.”
No denial.
None.
Jisung’s face heated up again. “Why!?”
Jaemin took a small step back then, giving him space but not really easing the pressure.
“Because,” he said simply, “you’re fun to tease.”
“That’s not—”
“And,” Jaemin added, cutting him off gently, “because you don’t run away as much as you think you do.”
Jisung paused. “…I literally tried to leave.”
“And you didn’t,” Jaemin pointed out.
Jisung hated that fact.
The blonde watched him for a second longer, something softer slipping into his expression beneath the teasing.
“Relax,” Jaemin added lightly, straightening up. “I’m not gonna make you say anything you don’t want to.”
Jisung narrowed his eyes. “You just did.”
Jaemin grinned. “And you survived.”
“…Barely.”
Jaemin laughed again, softer this time.
Then, before stepping away, he reached out once more—quick, playful—and flicked Jisung lightly on the forehead.
Jisung gasped. “Hey!”
“That’s for trying to escape,” Jaemin said, already turning to leave.
Jisung rubbed his forehead, glaring at his back. “I wasn’t escaping!”
“Sure,” Jaemin called over his shoulder, not even looking back. “See you later, Jisung.”
Just like that, he was gone.
☆
Before the weekend arrived, Donghyuck decided he’d had enough.
Which is how, somehow, the seven of them ended up sprawled across Donghyuck’s living room on a Saturday night.
Movies queued. Snacks everywhere. Board games already half-opened with definitely missing pieces. And some casual drinking, because well, they were grown-ups. Right?
Still, all of them refused to let Jisung sip a bit. Rude.
Anyway, here there weren't uniforms, definitely not an audience or whispering crowd watching their every move.
It was just them.
For the first time, Jisung wasn’t overthinking it. Not as much, at least.
“Mark, if you hoard one more card, I’m calling the police,” Renjun said flatly, eyeing the pile in front of him.
“I’m not hoarding, I’m strategizing,” Mark shot back, clutching his cards like his life depended on it.
“That’s not strategy, that’s greed.”
“Same thing.”
“It’s not—”
“Can we focus?” Chenle cut in loudly. “Some of us are trying to win.”
“You’re losing,” Jeno pointed out calmly, not even looking up from his cards.
Chenle gasped. “How dare you?”
Donghyuck, sprawled on the floor like he owned the place (oh, wait, he did), snorted. “This is why I don’t play with children.”
“You invited us!” Chenle protested.
“Already regretting it.”
Despite saying that, Donghyuck was actually the most excited of all of them. He was even playing rather seriously despite barely knowing the game just a few minutes ago.
Across the room, Jisung was laughing. Eyes almost closed with an eye smile, completely unguarded in a way he usually wasn’t.
Jaemin noticed immediately.
He had been noticing all night, actually.
The way Jisung had slowly relaxed the moment they all settled down in the living room. The way he had stopped second-guessing every word after a few minutes into the conversation. The way he had started talking more, interrupting, even complaining without immediately apologizing after.
It was… new. And very, very entertaining.
“Hey,” Jisung suddenly said, leaning forward and pointing at the board. “You can’t do that.”
Mark blinked. “Why not?”
“Because that’s not how the rules work.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not,” Jisung insisted, already reaching over to move Mark’s piece back. “You skipped a step.”
“I didn’t skip anything!”
“You cheated,” Jisung repeated, fully committed now.
Jaemin’s mouth twitched.
“Wow,” Donghyuck chimed in, grinning. “Look at you, Jisung. Standing up for justice.”
“I’m always like this,” Jisung said immediately.
The entire room went quiet for a second.
“No, you’re not,” Renjun said.
“Not even a little,” Mark added.
Okay. It was rather obvious those two hadn't watched My Little Pony and weren't aware of the element of loyalty!
Jisung frowned, visibly offended. “Yes, I am!”
“You literally panic when someone asks you what time it is,” Chenle pointed out.
“That’s because it’s a trick question!”
“It’s not a trick question!”
“It could be!”
Jeno chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
Jaemin, meanwhile, leaned back against the couch, arms crossed, watching Jisung with open amusement.
“So this is your true personality,” he mused.
Jisung turned to him, immediately defensive. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Jaemin said, tilting his head, “you’re kind of a brat.”
Holy, he found out. Quick, act offended!
Jisung gasped, overly dramatic yet totally serious. “I am not a brat!”
“You just accused three people of cheating in under ten minutes.”
“Because they are cheating, duh.”
“We're not,” Mark said.
“You are!”
Jaemin smiled slowly. “Brat.”
“I’m not!”
“Brat.”
“Stop saying that!”
“Make me.”
Jisung froze.
A challenge? That sounded like a challenge. Huh!
And apparently, relaxed Jisung was a completely different person from overthinking Jisung.
“Fine,” he said, sitting up straighter. Glasses slipping down a bit. “I will.”
Jaemin raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“You too are one of them, keep breaking rules,” Jisung continued, pointing at him now. “You literally changed the scoring system halfway through.”
“I improved it.”
“You made it unfair.”
“Sounds like a skill issue.”
Jisung gaped. “That’s not—”
“Also,” Jaemin added casually, leaning forward now, “you missed your turn.”
“I did not—”
“You were too busy complaining,” Jaemin cut in, already reaching over.
And before Jisung could react, Jaemin flicked his forehead.
The audacity!?
“Hey!” Jisung yelped, immediately grabbing his forehead. “What was that!?”
“Punishment,” Jaemin said easily.
“For what!?”
“For being annoying.”
“I’m not annoying!”
Jaemin leaned closer, just enough to make Jisung pause.
“Brat,” he repeated, softer this time.
Jisung’s face heated up instantly. “Stop calling me that,” he muttered, looking away.
“Why?” Jaemin asked, voice light. “You don’t like it?”
Jisung hesitated. “…No.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying!”
Jaemin hummed, unconvinced, and reached out again, this time grabbing Jisung’s wrist when he tried to swat his hand away.
It was quick.
But it lingered just a second longer than necessary.
“Relax,” Jaemin said, a quiet laugh in his voice. “I’m not gonna bite.”
“Totally debatable,” Jisung muttered, trying—and failing—to pull his hand back.
Jaemin tightened his grip just slightly. “You were talking big a second ago.”
“I still am!”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“Well, you're way stronger physically speaking, obviously!”
Jaemin smiled, eyes flicking briefly to Jisung’s lips before meeting his gaze again. “Then say it again, and I'll let you go.”
Jisung blinked, pouting without noticing. “Say what?”
“That you’re not a brat.”
What's his deal? Jisung couldn't know. That blonde mind worked in completely different ways to his.
Jisung sighed, surrendering for the sake of his dignity. “I’m not a brat.”
Jaemin tilted his head, not even caring to hide how pleased he was. “Convincing.”
Jisung glared at him. “You’re insufferable.”
“And you’re cute when you’re mad.”
Lord?
Jisung choked. “What—”
“Okay!” Donghyuck clapped loudly, cutting through the moment with a grin that said he had absolutely been watching. “I’m ending this before it becomes a whole thing.”
“It’s already a whole thing,” Chenle said, not even trying to hide his interest.
Jeno just sighed quietly, though there was a small smile on his face.
Renjun pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we please go back to the game?”
Jaemin finally let go of Jisung’s wrist, leaning back as if nothing had happened.
Jisung immediately pulled his hand back, rubbing it absentmindedly.
“…You’re actually the worst,” he muttered.
Jaemin grinned. “You like me.”
“I don't.”
“You literally said you did.”
“Uh, well, not anymore!”
Jaemin just looked at him and smiled with amusement. While Jisung huffed, turning away—but not before the corner of his mouth betrayed him, just slightly.
For the rest of the night, Jisung couldn't stop talking, arguing with Chenle or annoying Mark, sharing memes with Renjun and fun facts with Donghyuck, and definitely, he couldn't stop being himself.
His quirky, little nerd side going all out.
And Jaemin?
He couldn’t stop watching, not once.
☆
Jisung was playing a mobile game while waiting for the others to come back with breakfast—because, apparently, no one believed in cooking right now.
Almost everyone had gone out to “secure” something delicious. Everyone except Jisung.
And the blonde man who had just walked out of Donghyuck’s bathroom.
Freshly showered, and shirtless.
Okay. Firstly, how much exercise does one need to do to look like that? Secondly, why did his muscles look so… soft? Like, logically, they should be firm. But visually? Extremely squishable.
Jisung kind of wanted to test that theory—
Cough!
He glanced back at his phone, only for the game to say ‘you lose’.
Jisung stared at the screen, personally offended, already preparing a full rant—when the couch dipped beside him.
“What’re you playing?”
He quickly closed the game and locked his screen, throwing his phone to the side as if it burned.
“Nothing!”
Not suspicious at all.
Jaemin raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He simply leaned back, stretching comfortably, eyes closing like he had zero worries in life.
And listen—Jisung tried not to look. He really did!
But those very defined, very suspiciously squishable-looking muscles were right next to him. What was he supposed to do? Be respectful?
So Jisung subtly—the most subtle to ever subtle—peeked to the side.
“Hey?”
Jisung felt his soul leave his body. He froze, immediately looking anywhere else. The wall. The ceiling. The concept of life.
“Uh, yeah?” he said, like he hadn’t been doing anything at all. Like he hadn’t just been conducting a full scientific study.
“Would you really not confess to someone?”
Jisung frowned, thrown off. “Confess? Like a crime or something?”
Jaemin chuckled, finally opening his eyes and looking straight at him. “I meant a love confession.”
Right, that made more sense—Huh!?
“You said you could never,” Jaemin murmured, like he was actually thinking it through. “Why?”
Okay, that was… not the question Jisung had expected to get ambushed with at eight in the morning.
He could totally not answer it. That was an option.
A very valid, safe, no-risk option.
But… since yesterday, Jisung felt a little more comfortable around Jaemin, so maybe opening up with him was a good idea.
Right?
He stared at his own hands for a second, picking at the edge of his sleeve, of this very hilarious shirt that said ‘um, the element of confusion’. He then remembered his glasses were still hanging wrongly off his ears, and since this was rather a more serious conversation, he adjusted them up on his messy, barely woken-up hair.
“…I just think it’s a bad idea,” he said at last.
But Jaemin didn't say a word, waiting for him to explain more.
Jisung let out a small breath, shoulders dropping a little. “Like—okay. Hypothetically. If I liked someone.” He gestured vaguely, like the concept itself was embarrassing. “Confessing would just… ruin it.”
“How?” Jaemin asked, quieter now.
Jisung huffed a little laugh, but there was no real humor in it. “Because I know how I am.”
Jaemin’s gaze sharpened slightly. “And how is that?”
The other hesitated. Then shrugged, like it didn’t matter. Like he hadn’t already thought about it way too many times.
“I’m awkward,” Jisung said simply, nodding as he made a list. “I overthink everything. I say the wrong things at the worst time. Sometimes I talk too much, sometimes I just… shut down completely.” A small pause. “I’m weird.”
Jaemin opened his mouth, but Jisung kept going.
“And it’s fine,” he added quickly, almost defensive. “I’ve made peace with it. I like being weird, most of the time. It’s just—” He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes dropping again. “Not exactly something you want to surprise someone with in a confession.”
The room felt quieter.
“So,” Jisung continued, softer now, “it’s easier to just… not say anything. That way, you don’t risk making it uncomfortable. Or scaring them off. You just keep it to yourself, and eventually it goes away.”
He shrugged again, and Jaemin didn’t say anything right away. Which, for some reason, made Jisung glance up.
Bad idea.
Jaemin was already looking at him. He looked kind of… upset?
“You think you’d scare someone off?” He asked, as if he had heard it wrong.
Jisung blinked, a bit confused by his reaction. “Well… yeah.”
Jaemin let out a quiet breath through his nose, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.
“That’s stupid.”
Jisung stared at him. “What—?”
“That’s a stupid reason,” Jaemin repeated, sitting up properly now, fully facing him. Jisung leaned away just a bit, letting the blonde occupy more space. “You don’t get to decide for someone else what they’re allowed to like.”
“I’m not deciding,” Jisung shot back, nervous. “I’m just being realistic—”
“No, you’re assuming,” Jaemin corrected, a little sharper now. “You’re assuming they’d think you’re ‘too much’ or ‘too weird’ without even giving them a chance.”
Jisung gulped down, instinctively pulling back a little. “It’s not like that—”
“It is like that,” Jaemin cut in. “You’re basically saying, ‘I like you, but I’ve already decided you won’t like me back, so I won’t even try.’”
“That’s not—” Jisung stopped, faltering. “…Okay, maybe a little. But that’s the point. It saves everyone the trouble.”
Jaemin shook his head, clearly unimpressed. “No, it saves you from rejection.”
Jisung flinched. “And?” He said, quieter now, a little defensive again. “What’s wrong with that?”
Jaemin leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes locked onto him in a way that made it impossible to look away.
“Because it also takes away their chance to say yes.”
Jisung froze.
“You’re so busy protecting yourself from a ‘no’,” Jaemin continued, voice steady now, “that you’re also blocking out a ‘yes.’”
The words landed heavier than Jisung expected. He twiddled his thumbs, wanting to let the topic go. But he knew full well Jaemin wouldn't.
“…It’s still risky,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Jaemin said easily. “That’s the point.”
Jisung huffed softly. “You make it sound simple.”
“It is simple,” Jaemin shrugged. “Not easy. But simple.”
Jisung let out a small, tired laugh. At that, the blonde’s expression softened.
Then, quieter, almost like he was choosing his words this time, he added, “Also… for the record?”
Jisung glanced up, wary.
“You’re not as off-putting as you think.”
Jisung blinked, a smile growing on his face. “…That’s a weird compliment.”
“It’s an honest one.”
“Thanks.” Jisung swallowed, looking away, ears slightly red. “Still not confessing.”
Jaemin hummed, leaning back again like he had all the time in the world.
“We’ll see.”
☆
“He was totally hinting at you!”
Donghyuck looked seconds away from committing a crime, already clutching the nearest pillow like it had personally volunteered for violence. Without further thought, he swung it at Jisung with full emotional commitment.
Jisung let out a startled squeak, immediately ducking and scrambling behind Mark like a human shield.
“Hyung, help me!”
Mark, traitor to chaos, just laughed under his breath and caught Donghyuck’s wrist mid-swing with unfair ease.
“Hey, hey,” he said, still smiling, effortlessly holding him back while Donghyuck struggled like a dramatically betrayed cat. “No violence.”
“Let me hit him!” Donghyuck whined. “He deserves it!”
From behind Mark, Jisung pointed accusingly, indignant despite his hiding spot.
“Listen, it wasn’t like that!”
Donghyuck slowly turned his head toward Renjun, eyebrow raised so high it was practically questioning reality itself.
“You hearing this?”
“Yup.”
“Am I insane?”
“Nope.” Renjun crossed his arms, giving Jisung a flat look. “You’re just dense.”
“Hey! That’s not fair!”
Mark hesitated—just for a second—before reaching back to pat Jisung’s head.
“A little bit only…” he admitted, like he was trying to soften the blow.
“Hyung!”
Donghyuck groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face.
“He was basically throwing himself at you,” he said, exasperated, “in the most polite, emotionally considerate, non-threatening way possible—and you just stood there like a confused NPC!”
Jisung blinked, processing that.
Then pointed at himself, genuinely baffled. “…But me?”
That made all three of them pause. Not because it was a ridiculous question, but because he sounded serious.
Jisung shifted slightly behind Mark, frowning now, his voice quieter, still confused.
“I mean… it’s Jaemin,” he said, like that alone explained everything. “Why would he—”
He didn’t finish the sentence. Well, he didn’t have to.
Donghyuck stared at him. Renjun too.
Mark slowly turned his head, looking down at the boy hiding behind him like he’d just discovered a deeply inconvenient problem.
“Oh my god,” Donghyuck whispered, horrified. “It’s worse than I thought.”
“He really doesn’t get it,” Renjun muttered.
Mark sighed.
Jisung, still confused, frowned deeper. “Get what?”
Donghyuck pointed the pillow at him again, pure menace returning. “Don’t make me say it out loud.”
“Then don’t say it!” Jisung shot back immediately, clearly panicking now. “Why are you all acting like this?!”
Donghyuck let out a long, suffering sigh, like the weight of Jisung’s obliviousness had personally ruined his life.
“Fine,” he said, tossing the pillow aside dramatically. “We’ll walk you through it. Slowly. Step by step.”
Renjun nodded once. “Because clearly, we have to.”
Mark, still acting as Jisung’s accidental shield, gave his shoulder a small squeeze. “You’ll survive,” he murmured, half amused.
“I don’t like this,” Jisung muttered, a little pout on his face.
“No one asked,” Donghyuck replied.
He held up one finger.
“First. Does Jaemin go out of his way to talk to you?”
“He talks to everyone.”
“Wrong,” Renjun cut in immediately. “He talks to people. He seeks you out. That’s different.”
Jisung opened his mouth, and closed it. “Okay… maybe sometimes.”
“Sometimes,” Donghyuck echoed flatly. “Sure.”
Second finger.
“Does he remember weirdly specific things about you?”
Jisung hesitated. “…That’s just being nice.”
Renjun tilted his head. “He remembered your favorite snack. You mentioned it once.”
“Just one time—”
Donghyuck gasped like he’d just proven a life-altering point. “Exactly! One time! Thank you for supporting my argument!”
“That’s not—” Jisung faltered again.
Third finger.
“Does he look at you like—” Donghyuck paused, searching for words, then gestured vaguely. “—like you’re something he’s trying to figure out and also protect at the same time?”
“…What does that even mean?”
“It means yes,” Renjun said.
Jisung’s frown deepened. Mark finally spoke up again, voice gentler.
“Jisung,” he said, and waited until the younger looked at him. “Do you really think someone like Jaemin would spend that much time, that much effort… if he didn’t like you?”
Jisung’s instinctive answer came out quiet. “He could.”
Donghyuck groaned loudly. “Unbelievable.”
But Mark didn’t laugh this time—he just shook his head slightly. “He’s kind, yeah,” he said. “But he’s also honest about where he puts his attention.” His tone softened. “And he chooses you. A lot.”
Renjun uncrossed his arms, stepping a little closer. “You’re not hard to like, you know,” he said bluntly.
Jisung immediately made a face. “That sounds fake.”
“It’s not,” Renjun replied, just as blunt. “You’re just used to thinking it is.”
Donghyuck pointed at him again, less aggressive now, more emphatic.
“You’re weird,” he said.
“Wow, thanks—”
“But,” Donghyuck continued, cutting him off, “you’re good weird. You’re honest. You don’t pretend to be something you’re not. You care about people in a way that’s actually real, not performative.”
Jisung was completely caught off guard.
“And,” Donghyuck added, folding his arms, “some people like that. A lot.”
Jisung looked between them, like he was trying to figure out if this was some elaborate prank. “…You guys are serious.”
“Unfortunately,” Renjun said.
Mark smiled a little, softer this time, and nudged him lightly. “You don’t have to suddenly believe everything,” he said. “Just… maybe don’t assume the worst about yourself, yeah?”
Jisung looked down, thinking. “So you’re saying,” he started slowly, “that Jaemin might—”
“Likes you,” Donghyuck said immediately.
“—might like me,” Jisung corrected weakly.
Renjun shook his head. “No ‘might.’”
Jisung’s ears turned red. “That doesn’t make sense,” he mumbled, but there was no conviction left in it.
Donghyuck leaned forward, squinting at him. “You’re not rejecting the idea anymore,” he noted.
“I’m processing!”
“Slowly,” Renjun added.
“Painfully,” Donghyuck agreed.
Mark laughed quietly, giving Jisung’s shoulder another reassuring squeeze.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Take your time.”
Jisung exhaled, still overwhelmed, very much confused—but not in the same way as before.
“If you’re wrong,” he muttered, glancing at them, “this is going to be really embarrassing.”
Donghyuck grinned. “If we’re right,” he shot back, “this is going to be really interesting.”
Jisung groaned, dragging his hands over his face. “I hate all of you.”
“Yeah,” Renjun said calmly. “But we’re still right.”
☆
Okay, that’s enough context, right? Great.
Moving on.
Jisung’s life had, objectively, been derailed ever since the day Jaemin decided—out of nowhere, unprovoked, and frankly suspicious—to talk to him in the cafeteria.
Because now?
Now Jisung was somehow friends with those guys. And, even worse, he had managed to fall in love with one of them.
A disaster. A crisis. A deeply personal problem.
After that very aggressive (and mildly traumatic) intervention with Donghyuck and Renjun, Jisung had tried—tried—to ignore everything they said.
But he failed, miserably.
Because once you notice something, you can’t un-notice it. So, over the next few days, he started seeing it.
The way Jaemin always drifted toward him in a room full of people.
The way he remembered things Jisung didn’t even remember saying.
The way he looked at him sometimes… soft, focused, like Jisung was the only thing currently loading in his brain.
Which was super annoying, highly suspicious, and emotionally inconvenient. And slowly, against his will, Jisung began to consider it.
Maybe—maybe—there was a tiny, microscopic, barely-there possibility… that Jaemin might like him too.
Which would be great because ugh!
Jisung liked Jaemin a lot. Embarrassingly a lot. Painfully obvious-to-himself a lot.
Like, crystal clear. No analysis required. No debate. No peer review. The results were in, and they were humiliating.
So now? Now they were here.
At a park that looked like it had been designed specifically to make people confess their feelings and ruin their lives. Why were there flowers? There were way too many flowers. Suspiciously romantic flowers.
Jisung sat on a bench, rigid, holding his grape ade like it was emotional support. Because apparently, today was the day he needed sugar to survive.
Next to him, Jaemin sat like a normal person—relaxed and calm—holding an iced americano as if he weren’t unknowingly responsible for Jisung’s current internal collapse.
Jisung’s knee had been bouncing for the past five minutes in a physical manifestation of panic. He tried to stop it. And it had actually stopped for approximately two seconds… Then resumed with greater intensity.
Fantastic.
“Are you cold?” Jaemin asked suddenly, glancing at him.
“No,” Jisung said immediately.
He glanced at his drink and sighed.
“My leg just does that sometimes.”
Jaemin hummed, like that was a completely reasonable explanation and not a blatant lie fueled by nerves.
“Cute,” he said absentmindedly, before taking a sip of his drink.
Jisung short-circuited.
Alert! System error. Reboot required.
He stared straight ahead, gripping his cup a little tighter.
Okay. Okay. This was fine. He just had to not overthink.
That was the goal.
He was, unfortunately, already overthinking.
Badly.
Because Donghyuck’s voice had decided to replay in his head like a cursed audio file.
He likes you.
Renjun’s voice followed.
You’re dense.
Mark’s voice, softer.
He chooses you.
Jisung inhaled, then exhaled. It eased his body a little, but he was still nervous. Very, very nervous.
Correction.
He was not just nervous. He was dying with nerves.
Sitting on a park bench. Holding his grape ade. Next to the boy he was in love with. While possibly being liked back. And ready to confess.
Yes, that's right.
He said it, and he meant it!
Jisung puffed his cheeks, filled to the brim with determination, courage, and at least 70% grape ade-fueled delusion.
And when he turned around to find Jaemin already looking at him, Jisung didn't shy away.
No, sir.
He held his ground.
He also turned a very noticeable shade of red, but that was irrelevant. Completely unrelated. Ignore that.
“Hyung,” he said, voice a little tighter than intended, “I wanna tell you something.”
The look on his eyes made Jaemin nod, paying full attention to him.
Jisung inhaled sharply, then pointed at him—because apparently his body had decided this was a courtroom now.
“Listen first,” he said, serious. “And at the end, I’ll answer questions.”
Jaemin’s lips twitched, like he was holding back a smile, but he nodded anyway.
“Okay.”
Jisung swallowed.
This was it. No going back.
“I like you,” he said… with absolutely no build-up.
OMG.
He blinked once, because well, he hadn’t expected himself to go there immediately!
“No, wait, I had a whole structure planned,” he added quickly, panicking. “That wasn’t supposed to be first.”
Jaemin let out the smallest breath of laughter, but he stayed quiet.
“Okay. Reset,” Jisung muttered, pressing his lips together, regrouping. “That was… the conclusion. You weren’t supposed to hear that yet.”
A beat.
“I mean—now you know. But still.” He groaned softly, dragging a hand over his face. “Why did I say it like that…”
Jaemin’s voice came out gentle. “It’s okay.”
Jisung shook his head immediately. “No, no, I had points. Important points.”
The blonde nodded again, patient. “Go on.”
Jisung took another breath. Come on, he got this!
“Okay. Point one,” he said, holding up a finger. “I didn’t plan this properly.”
“…I can tell.”
“Meanie,” Jisung muttered in defense, before sighing. “I didn’t want to make a whole plan because, if you haven’t noticed, I tend to overthink. Like, a lot. And it’s completely unnecessary, and it just makes me more nervous than I already am, so then I’d ruin everything before even getting to the point, so—yeah.” He waved a hand vaguely. “I’m trying this new thing where people apparently just… use their feelings. You know?”
Jaemin let out a long, understanding “ahhhh,” like that explanation made perfect sense. Jisung was, honestly, very grateful for that.
“Point two,” he continued, calming down a little, “I know I’m not exactly—” he gestured vaguely at himself, struggling for the right word, “—the easiest person to like.”
Jaemin’s brows pulled together slightly, which immediately made Jisung speed up.
“As I told you before, I’m awkward. Extremely socially awkward to the point where Mark—who is also awkward—somehow looks extroverted next to me.” He nodded once, as if that was solid evidence. “And as I said, I overthink. And sometimes I say things that don’t make sense, or I don’t say anything at all, which is worse. And I know I can be… weird.”
His voice softened on that last word, but there was no bitterness in it—just honesty. Something he had learned to accept, even if he didn’t always know what to do with it. It wasn’t like he’d forgotten what it felt like to be left out, or overlooked, or worse.
“And I know you have a lot of people around you,” he continued, quieter now. “Easier People. Probably less…” He made a small, helpless gesture toward himself. “This.”
Silence stretched for a second, but Jaemin didn’t look away.
“I was actually a bit worried about you,” Jisung added, glancing at him. “Because I can only imagine how tiring it must be to have people confess to you daily.”
Jaemin let out a small laugh. “It’s not daily!”
“It looks like it!” Jisung laughed too, his nerves easing just a little. Then he pointed at him, accusingly. “Don’t interrupt me.”
“Alright, alright,” Jaemin said, smiling as he took a sip of his coffee. “My apologies. Please, continue.”
Jisung huffed, but there was a tiny smile tugging at his lips now.
“Anyway… I didn’t want to say anything at first,” he admitted. “Because, as I said, I thought—if I just keep it to myself, then nothing changes. I don’t mess anything up.”
His grip tightened slightly around his drink.
“But then… it didn’t go away,” he said, almost sounding surprised by it even now. “I tried. Really. I ignored it, distracted myself, told myself it was just a phase or whatever.”
He exhaled softly.
“It didn’t work.”
A small, embarrassed laugh slipped out, quieter this time.
“You’re really hard to forget, hyung.”
Jaemin’s lips curved faintly, but he didn’t interrupt.
He just kept looking at him like always since they met—soft, steady, like Jisung had his full attention and wasn’t losing it anytime soon.
“And then someone,” Jisung went on, glancing at Jaemin accusingly, “told me that maybe I was being unfair.”
He looked down for a second, the memory flickering across his face.
“That maybe I was deciding for you… without giving you a chance to feel anything about it.” His voice softened. “And I didn’t like that.”
He looked back up. This time, he didn’t look away.
“So… I’m saying it now.”
Jaemin went very still, like even breathing too loudly might interrupt something fragile.
“I like you, hyung,” Jisung repeated, softer than before, but sounding sure. “A lot. Like—more than I planned to.” He let out a small, nervous breath. “I admire how calm you are. How you always seem to know what you’re doing, even when things get messy. And you’re gentle, and polite, and such a gentleman.”
He paused, then added, very seriously.
“You have no idea how weak my knees get when you touch my waist to guide me somewhere.”
Jaemin huffed out a quiet laugh, and Jisung did too, the tension cracking a bit.
Almost unconsciously, Jaemin’s hand moved, resting lightly over Jisung’s bouncing knee and pressing down just enough to still it.
It worked immediately.
Jisung blinked at that, then continued, a little softer now.
“And… your whole personality is just… nice,” he said, searching for the right word and failing adorably. “Like, you seem perfect at first, which is honestly intimidating, but then you let me see the side of you that’s kind of a pain and a little… unhinged sometimes.”
He glanced at him, a tiny smile forming.
“I like that side too.”
The words lingered in the air.
Jisung exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding all of that in for far too long.
“I’m not asking you to feel the same,” he added, voice quieter now, the earlier confidence slipping just a bit. “I just wanted you to know.”
A small pause.
Then, almost as an afterthought, “that’s it.”
He nods, relaxing his body.
“I'm done, you can talk now.”
For a moment, Jaemin didn’t say anything.
His hand was still resting over Jisung’s knee, grounding him. Ever so naturally, like he hadn’t even realized he was doing it. His thumb moved slightly, a small, absentminded stroke, trying to make sure the younger one was really there.
Jisung, meanwhile, had gone completely still. Waiting patiently for him. Very bravely. Very quietly.
Finally, Jaemin let out a soft breath, the kind that felt like it had been sitting in his chest for a while.
“You really don’t make this easy for me,” he said gently.
Jisung blinked, caught off guard. “…I don’t?”
Jaemin shook his head, a faint smile pulling at his lips.
“I had a whole plan too,” he admitted. “It was supposed to be smooth. Maybe even a little impressive.”
Jisung stared at him. “You?”
“Mm.” Jaemin nodded. “I even picked this place on purpose.”
Jisung’s eyes flickered around the park—the flowers, the light, the very suspiciously romantic bench—and then back to him.
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Jaemin said softly. “Oh.”
A small silence settled between them again, but this one felt… warmer.
“I was going to take my time,” Jaemin continued. “Make sure you were comfortable. That I didn’t rush you into anything.” His thumb brushed lightly over Jisung’s knee again. “I know you get overwhelmed easily.”
Jisung huffed quietly, attempting to look cool. “I do not—”
“You do,” Jaemin cut in, not even looking apologetic.
“…Yeah, you're right. ”
Jaemin’s smile softened.
“So I thought I’d just stay close,” he went on. “Give you space, but not too much. Be someone you could… come to, if you wanted to.”
Jisung’s chest tightened at that. Because wow, this guy was yearning for him or something? Willingly waiting for Jisung? Someone give him an award. Like, right now.
“Turns out,” Jaemin added, a little amused, “you needed a push instead.”
“More like a beating,” Jisung muttered, thinking of Donghyuck with a pillow. “Apparently.”
Jaemin let out a quiet laugh, writing a mental note to ask later what that meant. Then his expression softened again, more honesty slipping through.
“I like you, Jisung.”
Jisung’s breath hitched, barely noticeable. In his eyes, behind those glasses, a sparkle was growing.
“I think I started liking you before I realized it,” Jaemin continued. “I had already spotted you before, and you had a ridiculously cute shirt. You were this super introverted dude that, once surrounded by his friend group, became someone else entirely. It was as if some switch flipped on. So I talked to you after noticing you staring at me.”
The blonde gave him a knowing look, and Jisung cleared his throat, acting as if that didn’t even happen.
“That’s when I really paid attention to you. And I was a goner,” he didn’t waver, voice controlled and tone confident. He wasn’t ashamed of admitting that. “I liked the way you listen to others, actually being curious and involving yourself. Like you actually care about what people are saying. The way you get excited over small things, even if you try to hide it, and do these little noises that are very similar to hamsters’ squeaks, if you allow me to say.”
Jisung gasped, dramatically offended. But nodded after, knowing full well it was true.
“I also like the way you try so hard to be brave, even when you’re nervous.” Jaemin’s voice dropped, softer now. “And yeah… you are awkward,” he added, a hint of a smile returning. “But it’s honest. It’s never fake. I don’t have to guess who you are.”
His hand shifted slightly, fingers curling just enough to gently hold Jisung’s.
“I like that,” he said. “So much.”
Jisung stared at their hands, like he was still trying to process that it was allowed.
“I don’t think you’re hard to like,” Jaemin continued quietly. “I think you’re just… careful. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
A small pause.
“And for the record… I don’t get tired of people liking me.”
Jisung blinked, confused. “…You don’t?”
Jaemin shook his head.
“I get tired of people liking an idea of me,” he corrected. “They don’t even talk to me before coming to say they like me. I often wonder how someone can like someone else without actually having spoken to them before.” His fingers tightened just slightly around Jisung’s. “But you aren’t like that.”
Jisung’s throat felt tight.
“You saw me,” Jaemin said simply, a warm smile spreading on his face.
Oh, he was so handsome.
“So no,” he added gently, “this isn’t something I need a break from.”
He seemed to think for a second.
“It’s actually something I was hoping for.”
Jisung’s eyes widened just a little, now realizing everything. “Ohhh.”
Jaemin laughed softly under his breath. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Ohhh.”
Well, look at that.
They shared a moment of silence, while processing everything that had just happened. Which was quite a lot for two young college guys.
Jisung shifted slightly, very overwhelmed and a bit red, but smiling now in a way that he couldn’t quite stop.
“…So,” he said carefully, “what happens now?”
Jaemin tilted his head, pretending to think. “Well,” he said, “you already confessed.”
“Right.”
“And I already said I like you too.”
“…Right.”
Jaemin’s smile grew just a little. “So I think,” he said, gently squeezing his hand, “we can start officially dating, and maybe stop overthinking for five minutes.”
Jisung huffed out a quiet laugh. “Hmm,” he said, “five minutes sounds manageable.”
“Let’s start there.”
They chuckled, still holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes.
☆
Anyways, that’s it.
That’s the end of this chapter. Jisung liked to think that it was just the beginning of a whole story full of laughter and love.
And in which, according to Donghyuck’s guide into a serious, long-term, healthy and safe relationship, the next chapter was: the first kiss.
Yeah, Jisung was half-excited and half-worried.
But that’s for another time! Bye-bye!
☆