#admin vy

Anxiously, you waited for your stop. The streets were dark behind the bus windows, barely recognisable at all as night-time rain covered everything in sight. A part of you worried you had unknowingly missed your stop already. The streetlights did little to ease your worries.

Finally, you reached your stop, a place you now gladly found you could recognize even in terrible conditions like this. Or rather, you could recognize the person you called your home even as rain did its best to cover him. You were on your feet in a moment’s notice, half-running to the doors that seemed to fold open slower than ever before, keeping you from what you’d been looking forward to all day.

You slipped through the doors before they could even fully open, already running to hide under the umbrella he had brought along. As you took a moment to recover from the shock of the cold rain, you heard his soft laugh and felt a pat on your head. 

Minho smiled at you brightly when you finally looked at him. “I missed you, love.”

Expectantly, you opened your arms. He only hesitated a moment before pulling you into his warm embrace. He scoffed against your forehead. “You’re freezing cold. Give me your hand. Let’s go home and warm you up.”

❥[seo changbin] falling on a stranger during a rough turn… 

As the bus shook and rumbled and screeched, you began to wonder if public transportation was really even half as safe as the media made it out to be. As the driver ran another visibly red light, you seriously started considering calling the police for the safety of the public. 

“Seriously, what is this?” you heard someone grumble from beside you. It was now that you noticed that a young man had taken the standing spot at the back door, the first man standing. And clearly regretting it, if his white-knuckled grip on the seat in front of him was any indication to go by.

The bus jerked in a curve, too sudden for anyone to fully grasp the situation. Most people stayed in their seats, gripping onto their seats in pure terror and already yelling curses at the driver and threatening him with the police.

You were an unlucky passenger. Before you knew what had happened, you were all but flying out of your aisle seat and in the direction of the young man you had just been watching. To your surprise, you felt arms wrap around your waist instead of the cold embrace of the floor. 

Looking up, you found the young man staring at you with wide eyes, arms still tightly around you as he struggled to keep the both of you up. “Oh my god, are you okay?!”

❥[hwang hyunjin] strangers taking the same train home every day…

Perhaps you were too curious for your own good, or maybe you were just nosy, but you just loved to watch the people on the train home. Or perhaps you didn’t want to know about them, but simply wished to imagine a reality different from your own, to live a life through the people you saw but never spoke to. 

The people on the train tended to change every once in a while. Some would move to a different part of town, some would quit their jobs, some would graduate school — they all went on to live a different chapter of their lives in a different place, never to take this train again.

But he always stayed, and he never changed. The boy in the third coach, always seated in a window seat for as long as you could remember. He wore neat and fashionable clothes, much resembling a model fresh off a magazine cover, and he was always listening to something on his phone as he stared out the window the same way you stared at him.

You liked to think he was young and successful and took the train just because he liked the 3 pm view. But one day, —you thought and averted your eyes—, you would find out his true story. One day you’d stop imagining and just go up to him and ask—

“What’s your name?” He appeared right in front of you, a curious look in his eyes. 

❥[han jisung] sharing earphones… 

“Is it just me or is the bus extra noisy today?” Jisung wondered from your side. You wanted to laugh at the adorable confused frown etched onto his brows. Noticing your fond stare, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What?”

You shook your head and looked out the window. Campus was still a long way off. You mumbled, “It’s the breaks. They’re worn out and screeching.”

“So noisy,” he sighed out and leaned against your shoulder. He didn’t remain there for long even as you lifted your hand to play with his hair. 

He pulled out of your half-conscious embrace and dove into his backpack, mumbling something under his breath. Before long, he returned with a victorious chuckle, the tangled cords of his old trusty earphones hanging between his fingers.

Plugging them into his phone, he offered you one. “Let’s listen to something a bit nicer for a chance. Else we’ll both have headaches before academic writing class.”

Your ears would surely thank you for taking the earphone from him as he fiddled with a music app on his phone. Soon a cheerful melody began playing in your ear, contrasting and almost drowning out the painful screeching. A smile tugged at your lips.

“Wait, are these mono or stereo?” you heard him mumble as he fussed with his earphone. You laughed as he shook his head in defeat and leaned back against your shoulder, eyes already falling closed to enjoy your presence.

❥[lee felix] giving you his seat on the bus after a long day… 

Though he got off work way before you ever did, he always insisted on taking the same bus home. He never told you why, but when you brought it up he gave you this one look that made you wonder if he was just as clueless as you were.

And despite how much you teased him for always waiting for the later bus with a bag of take-out and a semi-fresh bubble tea, you couldn’t help but feel strangely fond when you stepped onto the bus and saw his face light up. Habitually, he lifted up his cup as a salute before grabbing your hand the moment you reached him. 

“How was your day?” he always asked you, peering at you from his seat as though every word you told him was important enough for history books. 

Before answering, you glanced around. The bus was more full than usual. You had no chance to sit and rest your legs, as much as you wanted to. You sighed. 

But your boyfriend was no fool. Before you could even voice your concern, his eyes widened and he hopped out of his seat only to push you to sit instead. “Honey, you’re exhausted!”

Though you tried to protest, he shook his head and pressed his hand against your shoulder, effectively making you sit still. “I’ve been sitting for a while already. You need this seat more than I do, love. Get some rest.”

One day you’d repay the favour.

❥[kim seungmin] falling asleep on your shoulder… 

The gentle rocking and steady rumble of the train were more than soothing. Glancing at the clock on your phone, you momentarily considered taking a nap. But then you could miss your stop… You sighed and leaned back in your seat, opting to just stare out the window for now. You’d find something to do for the next hour.

In your dilemma, you hadn’t noticed him boarding the train at the edge of the city. He glanced around somewhat hesitantly before taking the spot next to you. You didn’t mind, too busy in your own thoughts and fantasies.

Ten, or maybe fifteen, minutes passed. Something heavy pulled you out of your thoughts so roughly you almost forgot where you were. It only took a moment to pinpoint the source of the heavy weight on your shoulder. 

The handsome young man had rested his head against you, probably unwitting and too deep in his fatigue to really choose. You contemplated pushing him off, or maybe waking him up gently. 

But your eyes fell on the dark bags under his eyes, remnants of many sleepless nights. His hair was ruffled from a long day, a contrast to the tidy yet casual suit he donned. You glanced at the time once again before making a decision: just this once, you’d be the pillow of this man.

❥[yang jeongin] public shows of affection that feel like a little secret… 

Masks over your noses, dutifully covering the lower parts of your faces, you and Jeongin stood face to face on the tram. Though you could not see his smile fully, you knew he was smiling at you, just like you were at him. 

It was these simple moments that made you appreciate his existence by your side even more. The moments where you were close enough to touch but too engrossed in your conversation to care. Only his fingers periodically brushed against yours on the railing, reminding him of your proximity.

“—and I’m just saying that the plot holes in that movie were—” your rant was cut off as he leaned down to brush his mask-covered nose over yours. Whatever you were saying was completely wiped from your mind. 

He laughed at the dumbfounded look in your eyes. “Why? I can’t show you love?”

“... Not while I’m ranting about the Avengers,” you mumbled, feeling somewhat shy all of a sudden. But beside that shyness was a sense of expectation. Would he go a step further?

As if reading your thoughts, he laughed again, mumbling something about ‘deadly cuteness’ under his breath as he glanced up at the ceiling for a moment. You accepted defeat in that moment.

But when the tram came to a stop and people around you were bustling on and off, leaving and claiming seats all around you, Jeongin surprised you once again. You watched as he briefly lowered his mask and pressed his lips against your forehead. Just as fast as it had happened, he covered his face again and averted his eyes, now feeling shy as well. 

You were sure this moment would be engraved into your mind for days to come.

Minho scoffed. “She’s a grown woman! She should be out of the middle school ‘staring at my crush and hoping he’ll notice me’ phase already.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. “Says mister ‘I haven’t had a single proper relationship since sixth grade because of my commitment issues’.”

“That’s a long ass surname,” Felix mumbled under his breath while wholeheartedly focusing on constructing a tower of fries. He reached over to steal a fry of yours but you slapped his hand away and shook your head. He pouted.

“My commitment issues are still a step up from staring at Bang Chan in the cafeteria.” 

A desperate need to slap the smirk off Minho’s face overcame you. But you were better than this. At least for now, you told yourself. So you just glared at him instead.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the two of your were friends or something,” Hyunjin joked while watching your interaction. He was far too amused.

“Or something,” grumbled Minho and slapped his hand away from his chicken nuggets. “Hey! Get your own!”

Hyunjin laughed. “Why would I when yours are right here?”

Felix was still hyper focused on his tower, but that didn’t stop him from commenting, “You’re a bunch of children, I swear…”

“What’s your deal with Bang Chan anyway?” Minho changed the topic back. 

A mischievous glint shone in his eyes. It reminded you of a cat cornering his prey, eager to make the mouse’s final living moments a hell on earth. You did not like that look one bit, perhaps because you knew you were the prey.

You shrugged off the discomfort. “There is no deal.”

“You keep staring at him whenever he walks by,” Hyunjin pointed out rather helpfully, counting down on his fingers while staring up at the ceiling for answers, “and last week you almost hyperventilated because he said ‘good morning’ to you.”

“In her defense, he has a magnificent accent,” Felix spoke a bit too enthusiastically, finally looking up from his project. “Like, it’s like butter to your ears.”

As his three true friends, you stared at him for a moment, hoping to convey the disbelief and confusion and annoyance you all felt. He didn’t seem to get it, if his puzzled look was anything to go by. You let out a collective sigh.

“You have the same accent, Felix,” Minho was exasperated and for once you agreed with him. “Not even a similar accent, no, you sound the freaking same!”

“I do not.” 

“You–”

“Guys, kids, ladies,” Hyunjin waved his arms to diffuse the tension, “you’re both right.”

“How can we both be right, you moron?!”

As the argument continued, you all but slammed your forehead against the cafeteria table in an effort to escape the situation. It did not work in the intended way. Instead, you seriously began wondering how you were friends with them all. Okay, not all, but ⅔ is pretty close.

“Whatever!” Minho eventually shouted. He shook his head before sighing deeply. He glanced at the clock above your heads before letting out another sigh, this time laced with a whine. “Guys, we’re going to be late to class.”

“Oh, fuck, is that why this place is so empty?!” 

Felix jumped to his feet while shoving the top of the tower into his mouth. His cheeks rounded up like those of a hamster as he searched for his backpack. If you weren’t in a similar hurry, you would have laughed at the scene playing in front of you.

But you couldn’t laugh because you had a very clear motivation to get to class.

“Don’t tell me you’re only going to that Statistics’ class to stare at Bang Chan for two hours again,” Hyunjin realized before anyone else. His laughter felt a bit more fond than teasing so you let it go.

Minho, on the other hand, had no such intentions. He snorted. “Is that why she’s so eager? I thought she just liked staring at numbers.”

“Will you guys please just–” You gave up mid-way through the sentence and just rushed to the staircase to make it to the third floor. 

If you were lucky, you’d get to sit behind Bang Chan and admire his curls up close.

When you got to the classroom, to your annoyance, the seat behind the breathtaking Australian was already taken. Because of course Changbin stole your seat in the fourth row again. You sighed.

“Oi!” You then heard a familiar Australian accent just as you began searching for a free seat. Your neck hurt from the sudden twist to catch the joyful eyes of Bang Chan. The Bang Chan.

He offered you a wide friendly smile before patting the spot next to him. “This place is free still. If you want it.”

And just like that you were sure you weren’t going to be paying any attention to statistic for the next two hours (as if you ever had, honestly). 

Nodding soundless, for you feared your voice might betray your excitement, you took the seat next to him and began taking out your laptop. You swore he watched you almost fondly as you did so. And it made the task ridiculously difficult.

Once the professor managed to successfully turn on the projector, you opened your laptop and tried your utmost to focus on the class. Keyword: tried.

“There’s a socket under my seat,” he whispered to you some minutes later, just as you began tuning out his presence. You felt his warm breath against your shoulder as he leaned a bit too close for you to be able to function.

You must have seemed confused because he chuckled and pointed at the battery icon on your screen. In your daze, you hadn’t even realize the numbers on it had reached single digits. “You might want to use your charger. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“Oh… Thanks.”

You felt your hands shake as you plugged your laptop in. Now, how were you supposed to reach under your crush’s seat? 

“Do you want me to help you with that?” he asked, once again too helpful for his own – or really your – good. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the plug and crawled under his own seat. You took the moment to take a deep breath and calm your rapidly beating heart.

Once he emerged, he offered a bright smile and a thumbs-up before turning back to the lecture. You wished you would have been able to do the same.

When you, after much demanding and begging from Hyunjin, finally told the boys what had happened, Minho laughed so hard he almost burst his lungs. You felt no amusement in watching him laugh at your misery on the floor of the dormitory’s lounge.

“You know, you could try and be nice every once in a while,” you murmured as you glared at his wriggling, out-of-breath figure. 

He calmed down a bit, sitting up to hold his hand over his heart and solemnly tell you, “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” You could barely register his words before his grim look twisted back into a wide smile and his laughter began echoing in the dormitory once again. “Wait, no, I’m not! This is hilarious!”

And just like that he was back to dying of aggressive joy on the carpeted floor. 

“You guys don’t think this is funny, right?” 

You turned to your two other friends and suddenly decided you no longer had any actual friends. Hyunjin was hanging onto Felix for dear life as the two of them laughed through actual tears on the couch. 

“I knew I should’ve sat at Jisung’s table that day,” you grumbled under your breath, thinking back to the first day of school. If only… 

With a sigh, you asked, “Do you guys want to tell me what exactly is so funny about this?”

“Apart from the fact that the two of you are clearly in love with each other but both too dumb to do anything about it?” Felix joked. At least, you were pretty sure he was joking because there was no way he was serious.

“You guys are ridiculous.”

“No, no, that’s you,” Hyunjin countered while wiping his tears. He gasped dramatically. “You are made for each other, I swear.”

You rolled your eyes. “As if he would ever like me. I mean, look at me!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Minho announced, that mischievous smile back on his face. “You really are thoroughly unlikable and I have no idea what he sees in you.”

“Okay, now that’s just rude!”

“But is the truth? Absolutely.”

“Guys, kids, ladies, don’t fight.”

You simultaneously turned to glare at Hyunjin who just began laughing again. 

“Okay, but think about it, (Y/n)!” Felix tried to reason. “Why was the seat next to him available? Especially if Changbin is in the same class. Why wouldn’t he sit with his friend like he usually does?” 

“Maybe they don’t like sitting together.”

He stared at you like you had just told him the Earth was flat. “Or maybe – bear with me here – he was saving the seat for you because he saw you were running late.”

You scoffed. “You’re seriously ridiculous.”

“Says the queen of ridicule.” Minho stuck his tongue out at you, still happily seated on the floor. “No, but Yongbok has a point.”

Felix whined. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

Hyunjin was happy to ignore his protests. “And also, if he wasn’t interested in you, he wouldn’t have offered the charging port! And he noticed your battery was running low! How would he have noticed that if he wasn’t in love with you?”

“You guys sound like conspiracy theorists,” you pointed out after a moment of just staring at him. “No, you actually are conspiracy theorists!”

“Do not dare put me in the same group as these two idiots!” Minho immediately complained, glaring at you. “I’m a theorist, at best. I do not interact with–” he paused before pronouncing the next word as though it physically hurt him to say, “–conspiracists.”

“Okay, are you guys done making fun of me yet?”

Felix shrugged. “Ask again in a few minutes.”

“I seriously can’t believe you guys both–”

You decided you did not want to hear what else they had to say. You stood up and walked to your bedroom, followed by the soft sound of Hyunjin wishing you a good night and Minho wishing you happy nightmares. 

The bed creaked under you as you plopped down face-first and sighed. “I need new friends.”

You could practically see the teasing smile on Minho’s lips as he watched you like a hawk from four rows behind you. It took everything in you to ignore it.

Ever since the first day you had sat next to Chan, Minho had been relentless in presenting his beyond ridiculous romance theories. He seemed like a fangirl waiting for his two favourite characters get together on the TV screen. 

At least Felix and Hyunjin had the decency to not make kissy faces whenever you locked eyes with them while in Chan’s presence.

“Hey, do you think you could help me with tomorrow’s assignment?” Chan asked you just as you fell into another daze. You jumped in surprise. “Oh, sorry,” he laughed, “didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, no, it’s fine. What were you saying?”

“The statistics’ assignment for tomorrow?” He offered an awkward smile. “I have no idea how to go about it.” 

Minho appeared at your side as though through magic, wrapping an arm around your shoulder while eyeing Chan suspiciously. “You haven’t started it yet? This one finished it last weekend.”

“Oh, for real?” Chan offered a thumbs-up. “As expected of my favourite deskmate.”

You felt giddy all over and it wasn’t from Minho’s arm tightening around your shoulder.

“So, do you think you could help me?” Chan pouted a little, attempting to look as cute as possible to win your agreement. Little did he know he didn’t need to do half that for he had already won your heart a while ago. You nodded and he cheered. “Okay, great! Do you– Are you free during the next period? I could buy you lunch too?”

“Oh, absolutely!” You were lying through your teeth and you knew that at least one of the men in your presence was perfectly aware. The said man bit back a laugh. “The library?”

“Yes! Perfect! Let’s go!” Chan grabbed you by the wrist (you reminded yourself not to wash it for the next week at least because oh my god! he touched you!) and led you away from Minho. 

The latter offered you a wide grin when you turned back to look at him. He also made a rather obscene gesture with his hands and sent a wink your way. You decided a felony was in order that same evening.

As you walked to the library, Chan began, “So… You and Minho, huh?”

You almost choked on your breath. “What?!”

He laughed. “I take it nothing is going on between you two then?”

“Absolutely not.” You shivered at the mere thought of feeling anything less or more than hatred for Lee Minho. “I hate his guts and I’m sure he reciprocates the sentiment.”

“I don’t know, he seemed pretty fond of you just now.”

You were glad to know he hadn’t seen the gestures Minho had done just moments ago. At least you didn’t have to explain that situation. 

“Oh, believe me, he hates me as much as I despise him,” you assured him while trying to force away any thoughts of Minho. “Why do you ask?”

Chan shrugged before opening the library door for you to walk in. He smiled. “Just because.” 

As you made your way to the desks, you swore you heard him say…

“He said ‘I’d love for you to be mine’ and you still don’t believe us?!”

Felix hit his head against the door of your bedroom, repeatedly. You weren’t entirely sure whether to worry about the whole he would soon develop on his head or the hole he was about to slam into your door. The void in your wallet strongly leaned towards the latter.

“You’ll ruin the door at this rate, Yongbok,” Minho pointed out somewhat lazily while spreading out on your carpet like the human-shaped cat he was. “And then what’s the good in that?”

“No, but seriously,” Hyunjin burst. “How exactly do you interpret Chan’s words??”

“Maybe he was saying that as in he’d love to be my friend.”

Felix let out a wail and hit his head against the door one last time. He then turned to give you the most puzzled and aggressive glare you had ever seen this sunshine of a man muster. He then burst out, “HE’S INTO YOU, YOU IDIOT!”

And you were sure the whole dormitory could hear his frustration. 

“No, he’s not.”

Minho took a deep breath. “Yes, yes, he is, you little–”

“Why else would he say something like that?” Hyunjin pointed out. “It’s not like he was talking to a plant or something.”

You paused. “I mean…” They gave you hopeful looks. “We did pass by a bunch of gorgeous house plants, so maybe –”

“How did someone as dense as you get into college?” Hyunjin wondered while facepalming. 

Minho sighed hopelessly. “Listen, Bang Chan isn’t the plant type. But he is the (Y/n) type so what I’m saying is–”

You’ve never once before slung a pillow so fast and accurately before. He fell back to the ground in a fit of giggles. 

“We’re just saying, you shouldn’t give up so soon,” Felix eventually spoke up again. “Live a little. Flirt with him a little. Compliment his biceps or his accent. Tell him he has pretty eyes.”

“Tell him you have a queen size bed in your dorm, that oughta get his attention,” Minho joked before his face was full of a pillow once again. He fell to the ground once again, this time laughing like a maniac (whether at the pillow slung at his face or his own joke, you had no idea).

“I’m telling you: why would he like me?”

Hyunjin fell to your mattress like the dramatic queen he was. “You absolutely fool. Why wouldn’t he like you?”

“Because I am–”

“I must warn you that for every bad word you say about yourself, I will scream as loud as I can to get you a noise complaint,” Felix announced. 

You almost argued back before remembering that you already had gotten two noise complaints this semester. 

“Seriously, just flirt with the guy a little,” Hyunjin encourage. “Let him know you’re into him as well. Give him some incentive.”

“I don’t think she could make it any clearer if she tried,” Minho pointed out. “She literally stutters and stumbles and has a heart attack every time he speaks to her.”

Felix sighed. “God, they both really are complete idiots. This is ridiculous.”

Before you could say anything, Hyunjin straddled you and demanded, “Promise you’ll try and let him know you like him too!”

“Stop it! HE DOESN’T LIKE ME!”

Hyunjin threw his hands up and walked away. 

“For fuck’s sake…” Felix shook his head. “I give up.”

“There’s no helping the village fool,” Minho concluded with a defeated sigh. But you were no fool: you saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. Once again, you feared for your life.

“So, uh,” Chan started as the class ended. He was still seated next to you, a small smile on his face. “Do you… Do you have plans for Saturday?”

You froze. “Not… really…”

“Really?” He seemed like an excited child all of a sudden. “That’s great! I mean– Would you maybe– Should we– Can we–”

What was he getting at? You would never find out because an arm snaked around your shoulder once again and Minho interrupted the sweet Australian boy. 

“Sorry, bud, she has plans with me.”

Chan’s eyes widened just as yours did. He cleared his throat before pointing out, “But she just said–”

“She says a lot of things,” Minho insisted and offered you a sickeningly sweet smile. “Silly girl must have forgotten Saturday’s movie night.”

You felt like throwing up as he tapped your nose in a way that seemed almost affectionate. Your nose scrunched up instinctively but he didn’t seem to stop.

“We’re watching ‘Spider-Man’, right?” he asked as though you knew the answer. His tone was sweeter than honey. 

Chan cleared his throat once again. “That’s– That’s nice.”

You opened your mouth to protest but Minho beat you to it once again, “It is, isn’t it? I’m so excited to spend some time with my sweetheart.”

You almost gagged. 

Across from you, Chan offered a tight-lipped smile before nodding. “Right, right. Well!” He took a deep breath and got up to leave the room. “I’ll see you next week then. Have fun on Saturday!”

“We will!” Minho cheered while resting his head against your shoulder. He kept a close eye on Chan and once the Australian was out of the line of sight, he made a gagging sound, shivering all over, and practically bounced away from you. 

“Did you see that?” He raised his eyebrows as if he had just proven something. 

You rolled your eyes. “You mean you ruining my chances of hanging out with Chan?”

“What? No. I just did you a favour.” Minho snorted. “Knowing you, you probably thought he wanted to study together again.”

“Well, yeah, we have a test on Thursday–”

“You really can’t wrap your little mind around the fact that he was trying to ask you out? On a date? Romantically?”

You scoffed. “Come on, don’t be ridiculous. And what was that lie you told? Are you insane? Do you want to die?”

“Easy there.” He chuckled and tapped your nose once again. “I have a plan and I think you will thank me for this plan.” 

“Do I even want to know? Whatever it is–”

“Date me.”

Your whole world came to an agonizing freeze as if to let you repeat his words again and again in your mind. This felt like a nightmare. 

“... What?”

Minho was nonchalant about it and only shrugged. “Date me.”

“Why would I ever date you? I hate you.”

“The feeling’s mutual but I am really doing you a favour here.” He held you in the seat by placing two hands on your shoulders. “Hear me out: you like Chan, Chan likes you, you don’t believe he likes you, we pretend to date, Chan gets jealous, Chan proves that he likes you too, you thank me with a big hug and I never have to listen to your pining again.”

“... What?”

His eyes seemed to have a natural inclination to rolling. “You really are so slow, oh my…” He seemed to stare you down. “Okay, let me break this down easy for you: let’s fake date to make Chan jealous.”

Your eyes narrowed. “And what do I get out of it?”

“If all goes well: a boyfriend.” He sighed. “Or, I guess, if you are right and he really doesn’t like you like that, I’ll buy you food or something.”

And right there you saw your chance to bargain. “Bubble tea for a month.”

He scoffed. “A month? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Three weeks and you have to clean my room?”

“Too much. Do you want me to die of starvation?”

“Okay, fine, two weeks! Just bubble tea for two and a half weeks.”

“Two and a half weeks?” He did some mental calculations, eyes squinting and brows furrowing, fingers counting unknown numbers. “Alright. But if I’m right, you have to buy be dinner at the restaurant where Felix works.”

You whined. “But that place is expensive.”

“And two weeks of boba isn’t?” He raised an eyebrow to challenge you. You sighed because for once he was absolutely right: it was only fair. 

“Fine.”

“Besides, you might be getting a date out of this. Don’t try to pull one over on me.”

You took a deep breath. “Okay, so how do we do this?”

He sighed and grimaced, contemplating. Under your unwavering stare, he gave up quickly and checked the clock instead. “Want to get some food while we think about this? My treat.”

“Let me guess: I can only get the cheapest thing on the menu?” 

His smile was brighter than the damned lights of the classroom. “You know me so well, darling.”

You shivered. “Don’t call me that.”

“Call you what?” He feigned ignorance. You were sure he wasn’t truly dumb enough to not know what was bothering you. If anything, he was doing it all on purpose. And so your suspicions were confirmed by the smirk on his face as he acted like it just occurred to him, “Oh! You mean darling? Do you not like it, darling?”

“You are insufferable.”

“But now I am your insufferable boyfriend.”

“God, save me.”

Hyunjin’s judging glare felt like knives against your skin. Or perhaps that was Minho’s arm around your waist and chin on your shoulder. 

“This is uncomfortable to look at,” Felix pointed out with an equally judgemental look. “Can’t you at least not do this in front of us?”

“Well, you see, Chan’s having lunch over there five tables over,” Minho pointed out. “So, no. No, we cannot not do this.”

Hyunjin groaned. “Seriously, (Y/n), you went along with this? Is two weeks of bubble tea really worth it?”

You thought back to Minho practically hanging off you for the past two hours. “I do have my doubts.”

“At least you have one functional brain cell left.” Hyunjin sighed and leaned back in his seat. He watched you for a moment, eyes narrowing, before shivering all over and clearing his throat. “Terrifying.”

“No, actually, this is a good plan,” Felix decided. “Make him jealous so he ends up confessing or at least showing his feelings. Foolproof.”

“You keep forgetting these two are the two fools of the Fool Kingdom.”

Minho pressed a kiss to your cheek and you jumped in your seat at the notion. He whispered, “Bang Chan looking our way. Give me a smile.”

You did as told, turning to grin at him. He replicated your smile and you wondered if he had always looked so sweet and adorable. 

“Hi,” he mumbled before pressing another kiss to your cheek as Chan walked past. 

Your “boyfriend” glanced at the passerby, keeping an eye on him until Chan was out of the cafeteria and the hearing range. Finally, he leaned away from you again. He grimaced. “Oh, that was disgusting. It’ll take me years to wash off that taste. What moisturizer have you been using? Disgusting.”

You watched in amusement as he made a show of trying to get the taste off his tongue – as if it had touched any part of you at all – and Felix laughed at him. 

“Glad you feel as disgusted as I do,” Hyunjin joked before reaching over to steal a spoonful of Minho’s tiramisu. He only smiled innocently at the deadly glare Minho sent his way. “Thank you, big brother.”

“I will murder all you love,” Minho threatened half-heartedly before sighing. “Chan did seem moderately jealous. No?”

Felix nodded enthusiastically. “He was fuming. It was kind of funny.”

Minho turned to you. “Believe me yet?”

“I still don’t think he likes me.”

“One day, Bang Chan is going to kiss your feet and propose to you with a gorgeous diamond ring and I swear you will still think he’s doing it just as a friend,” Hyunjin mused, blinking in disbelief before laughing. He shook his head. “Good luck, Minho.”

“How long are you going to keep this up anyway?” Felix wondered. “A week? A month?”

You and Minho shared a look. You shrugged. “I don’t know. Until one of us proves a point?”

“Ah…” Felix let out a disappointed sigh. “Good luck, Minho. You might end up marrying her instead.”

Minho shivered at the idea but could barely contain a smile. 

If there is anything more jarring than the idea of marrying Lee Minho, it is the possibility of him appearing in your dorm on a Saturday without the comforting buffering presence of Felix and Hyunjin. Thankfully, it had never once happened before. And you were sure it never would.

Until…

“You have got to be kidding me,” you mumbled to no one in particular while simultaneously cursing every god, saint and deity you could think of. 

There was no way this nightmare was about to come true. 

You practically slammed your bag down on the bed, hands coming to rest on your hips as you glared at his semi-apologetic figure. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in?”

He held up a keychain, one that held a large yellow sun charm, and a key. That damned key. You knew exactly who it belonged to.

“Does Felix know you took his keys?” you asked him. 

“Of course he does,” Minho snorted. “I traded him a whole chocolate bar for it.”

It was nice to know your best friend’s loyalty cost less than a simple lunch. You soon found your loyalty cost just as much when Minho pulled all of your favourite snacks out of his backpack.

Still, you remained confused, even more so when he dragged your laptop out of your bag and opened it. How he knew your passwords was beyond you, but what surprised you more was him asking, “What do you want to watch?”

“Excuse me?”

He raised an eyebrow, as if to question your intelligence levels. Then he repeated the question, slower this time. “What. Do. You.” He gestured vaguely to you. “Want. To. Watch?” He now pointed at the laptop. 

You blinked. There was no way he was suggesting what you thought he was.

He rolled his eyes before slumping down into your pillow. “Whatever. I’ll pick the first movie. How do you feel about ‘The Secret Life of Pets’?”

“It’s… fun?”

“Good we’re on the same page then,” he joked before patting the spot next to himself. “Come on then, darling.”

“What’s even happening right now?” you asked but did as he told. Sometimes it was easier to just follow Minho’s lead. 

He once again looked at you the same way he always did when he thought you were being an absolute waste of functional brain cells. “We’re watching a movie.”

You did not appreciate his tone. “I– I got that. Thanks. But why?”

“Because we told Chan we were going to watch a movie on Saturday and I am nothing if not honest,” he announced before his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He clicked his tongue after a moment of thought. 

You watched as he clicked back on the screen and began searching for a different movie. 

“We told him we were going to watch Spider-Man, didn’t we?” he mumbled, finally clicking on the desired film. “Ready?”

“I can’t believe I’m watching a movie with you,” you grumbled but let him rest his head against your shoulder nevertheless. “This feels weird.”

He laughed. “Get used to it. I’m a very needy boyfriend.”

You weren’t sure why this statement made you a bit giddy inside. Perhaps he had brought a weird virus with him into this room. 

As you let yourself snuggle closer to him as well, until you could feel his body heat against your own and his feet rested on top of your own, you told yourself it was a virus. There was no way you were soft for a grumpy cat boy.

When Tuesday arrived, you felt a sense of dread. It was the first time since the whole fake dating plot’s beginning that you had to actually interact with Bang Chan. 

Upon coming face to face with the door of the classroom, you took a deep breath. You clutched your bag to your chest before letting the breath out and opening the door fully. Immediately, you locked eyes with Changbin and Chan. The first offered you a bright smile while the latter only a small wave. 

The dread became stronger.

“Hi, (Y/n)!” Changbin greeted you before reaching out to get a high-five. You granted his wish and greeted him back before settling down in your usual seat beside Chan.

“Mornin’.” Chan gave you a small smile, seeming almost awkward. 

“Good morning.” Why did it feel like your heart was about to collapse?

“Soooo…” Changbin practically danced in his seat, eyeing you mischievously. “What’s up with you and Minho?” 

That was it. Your heart stopped for real this time. “Me and Minho? What about it?”

“Oh, come on, he’s totally smitten.”

“Oh.”

Chan cleared his throat at the awkwardness that ensued. “Well, how was Saturday?”

“Saturday?” You turned every pebble and stone upside down in your brain. The answer was nowhere to be found. 

He chuckled. “Film night, right? Minho said you were going to watch ‘Spider-Man’.”

“Oh! Right!” You laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, it was great. Lots of fun.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m glad.” He smiled. “You deserve to be happy. And if he makes you happy,” –if only he knew how wrong he was about that– “then that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

“Oh, by the way,” Chan cheered up, “do you want to come join us for game night? We’re going to the fair on Friday night.”

“We, as in me, Chan, Jisung, Seungmin, Jeongin,” Changbin felt the need to clarify even though he clearly struggled with recalling every name. “You should come!”

“It’ll be fun!” Chan hesitated for a moment. “You can bring Minho along as well, if you want. Or any friends, really.”

You smiled. “I’ll ask them about it. But I’d love to come along.”

“Perfect,” he breathed as he caught your gaze.

“You see this pillow?” Hyunjin spoke, holding up a flower-patterned cushion. “I am going to smother you with it, you idiot.”

You sighed. “Why are you guys making such a big deal out of this?” 

“Because he likes you!” Felix shouted, exasperated and done and beyond sick of everything. “He probably would have asked you out on a date if he didn’t think you were with Minho.”

“Wait, wouldn’t that mean that Minho ruin–”

Minho glared daggers. “Watch your mouth, Hwang. This is your last warning. I mean it.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened almost comically. He gulped. You couldn’t help but laugh at the way colour drained from his face.

“Point of the matter is, you should go,” Felix encouraged you with a sweet smile. “Go and get your man.”

“Sure.” You sighed. “I still don’t think he likes me though. He’s probably just being friendly.”

Hyunjin took the pillow he held in his hands and screamed right into it. It did little to muffle his despair. Felix quietly handled him one more pillow to scream into, and Hyunjin was glad to accept it before repeating the process. 

“Okay, you know what?” Minho sat up abruptly and grabbed your hand. “We need to up the level.”

This caught Hyunjin’s attention. “Really? This is what you gathered from this?”

“Listen, I’m not trying to get our girl here a date,” Minho defended himself while holding his hands up. “I’m just trying to prove to her that Chan is into her.”

“And he’s clearly not yet jealous enough to do anything about it, or to even show it,” Felix caught on rather quickly, eyes narrowing in thought. He began stroking his very imaginary beard. “You need to make him jealous-jealous.”

“You guys do realize that guy could probably kick all our asses while blindfolded, right?” Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to piss him off even more?”

You sighed. “How would we even up the level?”

“Well, one: we get matching clothing,” Minho decided while grimacing at the thought. You felt similar emotions run through you. The two of you shared a look before both grimacing once again, making pained noises to accompany your expressions.

Felix remained unimpressed. “And two?”

A wicked grin appeared on his face, “Let’s go on a date.”

“How does us going on a date change anything?”

“He follows you on Instagram, does he not? We just have to pretend to have fun on a romantic date and upload some photos and videos to your Instagram.” He rubbed his hands together, much resembling a fly hatching one of its deeply flawed plans to steal your cinnamon roll. You felt fear once again. 

He smiled at you brightly. “Don’t forget to wear your prettiest dress for me on Wednesday.”

His wink made you want to slam a door into his face.

On Wednesday evening, you found yourself getting dressed under the scrutinizing stares of your two best friend. But at least they avoided looking at you while you were in your underwear. 

“That dress looks gorgeous on you,” Hyunjin commented while on his way through his second bag of hot cheetos. “Minho does not deserve this.”

Felix agreed wholeheartedly. “You should be dressing up like this for Chan not for… Minho, of all people.”

“You should’ve just fake-dated me,” Hyunjin joked. “I’d treat you right.”

“That’s where you’re entirely wro– Oh, someone’s at the door.”

You rolled your eyes at the remarks and opened the door. A bouquet of roses greeted you rather loudly. 

“Please feel free to take a photo and brag on Instagram,” Minho’s voice sounded muffled by the flower arrangement. “Please.”

“Oh, right!” You reached for your phone, only for Hyunjin to beat you to it. 

Being the photography major he was, he instantly switched to photographer mode. “A little to the left please. No, actually to the right. Hold it a bit higher. I want you to tilt it forward just a bit. Good, good. Actually–”

“What’s happening right now?” Felix laughed. 

Hyunjin shushed him while the sound of the shutter echoed in the room. Eventually, he lowered the phone and hummed. “These are gorgeous.”

Minho peeked out from behind the flowers before all but shoving them into your chest as he leaned closer to Hyunjin to look at the photos. “Oh, these look great. I like the third one.”

“You do? I think the fifth one really brings out the small colour intricacies though–”

“I’d pay to see the two of you going on a date,” Felix joked, eyeing them curiously as they discussed the photos. 

Hyunjin glared at him over his shoulder. 

“Okay, okay, date time,” Minho announced, clapping his hands. 

Only now did you realize he had uncharacteristically dressed in a button-up shirt, colour matching your dress. He had not, however, gotten rid of his ripped jeans. 

To your embarrassment, he caught onto your staring and smirked. “Take a picture. It lasts longer.”

“God, you’re so cringy,” you retorted with a grimace.

“Oh! Talking of pictures,” he turned to Hyunjin once again, “do you want to be our photographer?”

The smile on Hyunjin’s face made unease creep into your bones. “Depends.”

Minho sighed deeply. “I’ll buy coffee and a meal in return.”

“Let me get my jacket!” Hyunjin ran out of the room. 

Minho extended an arm. “Ready to go, my love?”

The both of you cringed just as he said that. 

“Let’s not do that,” you suggested rather strongly and he agreed. 

He took your hand and led you out of the dormitory, right to a street festival nearby. It was surprising you hadn’t know about it before, being pretty up to date with most local events. 

Paper lanterns lit up the street, hanging from trees as they showed you the way. Vendors called people over to try their baked goods and fruits, to buy their handmade jewellery and hats, to get their fortunes read. 

A short man sang on a bench, a woman accompanying her on the guitar. You couldn’t quite place the song but it made you feel like you had entered a fairytale.

“What do you want to try first?” Minho wondered, glancing around. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Ohoo, are you worried about me? How flattering.”

He snorted. “No, I just fear Chan might stop liking you if you die of starvation. So, do you want to try some dumplings?”

“They have dumplings?”

“Yes!” He immediately led you over to an old lady’s table. “Okay, listen, this is Mrs Yoo and her dumplings are out of this world. You have to try one, okay?”

You didn’t have time to answer before he was ordering for you both. He held a dumpling up to your mouth. “Eat up.”

You were left with no choice but to accept the dumpling. He smiled victoriously. 

“Do you want to go and see some of the handicrafts?” he then suggested. “I think someone had really pretty clay earrings a few metres up from here.”

“I’m not really big on–”

He interrupted you with sparkling eyes. “Do you like cotton candy?”

“Who doesn’t like cotton candy?” You scoffed at the idea. “Of course I like cotton candy.”

He was once again ahead of you, already leading the way with a bright smile on his face. You could hear the faint sound of Hyunjin’s camera and laughter in the distance. 

As you were on your way to the cotton candy stands, another bench with performers came to be before you. This time a woman sang to the sound of an old man’s ukulele. A crowd of people was dancing and singing along cheerfully.

You turned to Minho who continued to wear a proud smile on his face. “How did you find this place?”

“I stumbled upon this place last night,” he told you. “Figured you’d like it. Plus,” he offered a hand, “what’s more romantic than dancing under paper lanterns on a November night?”

You weren’t sure how he expected you to be able to think of an answer when he all but dragged you to dance with him. His hand fit yours perfectly and his other one on your waist. You didn’t think you could feel so at peace in the presence of Lee Minho. 

He rested his forehead against your own as a slower song came on. A smile appeared on his face when your noses bumped together. 

“By the way,” he whispered, “you look amazing.”

Words of thankfulness dried in your throat just as he kissed your nose. You noticed his eyes flickering down for a moment before he was leaning away and laughing.

“See, this is fun.”

“Yes… fun.” You couldn’t fight the smile on your face. 

[01:02 AM] Hyunjinnie has sent an attachment.❤

[01:02 AM] Hyunjinnie: I’ll send better pics when I have time to edit lol

[01:03 AM] Hyunjinnie: ngl u and minho actually look cute together 

[01:05 AM] Hyunjinnie: weird 🤢

You were screwed. It was Friday evening. The night of the fair. The night when you were supposed to be making it clear to Chan that you were interested in him and not in Minho. 

But even as Chan gave you a hug, all you could think about was Minho’s hand in yours.

“You okay?” he wondered as he led you towards yet another game. “You seem a bit out of it today.”

“What?” You just barely snapped out of your thoughts at his words. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

He frowned. “Doesn’t seem like nothing to me.” He looked around before leading you to a bench. As he sat you down on it and crouched in front of you, your heart skipped just one beat. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

“See, you’re saying that,” his brows furrowed further, “but I’m not dumb. Something’s bothering you.”

You laughed, though it was more of an act, before nudging him with your hand. “What makes you think that? What could possibly be wrong?”

His face remained serious. “That’s what I’m asking you.” 

He took your hand in his. It fit perfectly, just like Minho’s hand had fit in yours so perfectly. You tried to shake the thought out of your mind, tried to focus on the way Chan’s rough skin felt against yours.

Lifting your chin with his fingers, he made sure you were looking right into his concerned eyes as he promised, “I’m here for you. You can tell me anything. You know why? Because I care about you. Okay?” You barely nodded but it was enough. 

He sighed softly. “So what’s bothering you? You haven’t laughed the entire night. Even when Changbin almost fell into the trash can.”

You were half-sure he was lying about the last bit. You had no recollection of such shenanigans. 

“It’s just–” You took a deep breath.

“Is it Minho?” he worried. “Did he do something? He didn’t cheat, did he?”

You suddenly wished he had. So you could at least appreciate Chan’s kindness. You reminded yourself Minho didn’t care for you. He was just using you to prove a point. He only tolerated you because you had the same friends.

“No, no,” you whispered as you made up your mind. 

“Oh. Okay.” He seemed almost disappointed. “Then what happened?”

You took another deep breath. Here went nothing. “I like… I like another guy. A really good friend of mine.”

It seemed Chan’s eyes began sparkling. He leaned closer as if to hear you better, as if he could read your mind. All thoughts of Minho melted away as Chan held your hand to his chest, eagerly waiting for your next words.

“I like…” 

“Yes?”

Tears gathered in your eyes. “I like you, Chan.”

His smiled must have been brighter than all the stars in the sky and all the streetlights around you combined. He jumped up to pulled you into his warm embrace. 

A squeal slipped your past your lips as he picked you up and began spinning around in circles, happier than you had ever seen him be. You could feel his heart rapidly beating against your chest, a testament to his joy.

Finally, he set you back down, getting dizzy so he leaned against you. His nose pressed against your own, his forehead to yours. And his eyes held all the adoration in the world. 

“I like you too,” he whispered to you. “So, so much. I’ve been dying to tell you this for months now.”

Wait… Months? Had your friends been right after all? Bang Chan liked you just like you liked him!

“You have?” you asked in disbelief.

He nodded and laughed – giggled rather – before speaking again, “I’ve liked you since the first day I saw you in the statistics class. I just didn’t know how to talk to you.”

You wondered if air existed at all anymore. “Me too.”

“And you just let him go like that?!” Hyunjin screamed into his assigned pillow once again. 

Felix clicked his tongue. “It’s not like you and Minho are actually dating!”

“But Chan doesn’t know that,” you whispered to no one in particular. 

“Then tell him!” Hyunjin screamed. “Is that so hard?”

“What’s hard?” Minho wondered as he walked into the room. He wore a puzzled look on his face before throwing you a paper bag full of your favourite baked goods. “For you, my love.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. “You see, this is why (Y/n) can’t get laid. This dumbass acts like her husband already.”

“Who are you calling a dumbass?” your “boyfriend” questioned, eyes narrowing.

Hyunjin held nothing back. “You. You’re the dumbass.”

“What did I do wrong this time?” Minho wondered.

Felix sighed. “Chan confessed to (Y/n). Or well…” He tilted his head in thought. “I guess (Y/n) confessed to Chan and then he confessed to her. Either way,” he shrugged, “you’re out of a job.”

“Oh, you really confessed?” You mind must have been playing games on you but Minho looked almost disappointed. “Congratulations. When’s the first date?”

“About that…” you trailed off, unable to look at him. 

“He essentially told her to choose between him and you,” Hyunjin put it bluntly. “So, you know, I guess you’re a single man now.”

“Oh.” 

Minho pursed his lips and avoided your gaze. “Well, I guess you owe me dinner now.”

“I… I guess I do.”

He offered you a small smile. “Go get him, tiger. You deserve to be happy. If you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

So why did it feel like he wanted you to choose him? Why did it feel like he wanted you to take his hand and never let go? Like he would have much more happily bought you bubble tea for a month than get this one free meal? 

“Minho–”

“No, it’s fine.” His voice had never sounded so cold and empty. “Tell him you choose him. My job here is done, I’ve proved my point.”

He smiled once again. “I’ll let you know when I want that meal, okay? But now… I have an assignment to finish. See you guys around.”

He waved goodbye and left you with nothing but a sinking feeling in your tummy and a bag of baked goods.

Hyunjin snorted. “What was that all about?”

You took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

“Hey, (Y/n)!” Chan greeted you with a big bright smile as you walked into the classroom. He patted the spot next to him almost immediately, eagerly waiting for you to join him in the 3rd row. 

“Hi, Chan,” you replied, finding you liked the way his smiled made your heart flutter. 

He giggled as you settled down. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Do you want to go on a date?” 

You froze. 

Right. Rumours of you and Minho’s break-up were already circulating the college.

A few weeks ago, you wouldn’t have hesitated even for a second. You would have jumped at the chance to spend time with Chan. He had been all you wanted in life. 

But now? 

“Chan, I–”

“We could go to this diner downtown,” he began suggesting, “nothing too fancy. Just to talk a bit, get to know each other. The arcade is pretty nearby as well, I think. And a karaoke place, if you’re into that.”

You offered a weak smile. “That seems nice. I’d love that.”

“Right? I think it’ll be fun. And we can get some bubble tea or something too.” He giggled once again, much like a joyful schoolgirl. “I can’t wait.”

You told yourself that hearing his laugh was enough to cover the guilt you felt for Minho. Maybe if you hid it away for a long enough time, it would cease to exist. 

Chan giggled as you pressed a kiss to his hand. His laughter was infectious, you thought. There was no way you could not laugh when he was. 

“I totally failed that test just now,” he told you through laughter.

“I mean, same.”

“At least you have an excuse!” He pressed his forehead against yours. “It must be hard balancing work and school, huh?”

“It’s okay.”

He offered a mischievous smile. “Because you get to see me every day?”

“Obviously,” you chuckled and pinched his cheek. He whined playfully before mirroring your action. “Okay, okay, stop it.”

You tried to keep a smile on your face as your eyes caught those of Lee Minho. He didn’t even bother to smile or acknowledge you. Barely a glare as he walked straight past you. You heard him huff under his breath.

“Hey, you okay?” your boyfriend wondered, reaching up to brush the furrow between your brows. “Do you want to sit down?”

“No, no. I’m fine.” You hoped your smile was convincing enough. 

He eyed you suspiciously. “You sure? We can just go and sit down for a bit, if you want. I’ve got some water and a protein bar, if you need.”

You shook your head and kissed his cheek. “It’s fine. Really. I’d tell you if something was wrong.”

“So you say, but the last time I had to almost force it out of you,” he replied with a deepening frown. 

You sighed and reached up to smooth the crease on his forehead just as he had done for you just moments ago. His face slowly melted into a gentle smile. “I promise I’m okay. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” If only.

You weren’t as good of an actress as you would have liked to think. 

Chan sighed upon seeing the absent look in your eyes as you walked back from class a few weeks later. He saw a familiar figure on the bench ahead of you and he knew what he had to do. 

“You know, I won’t be mad,” he told you after sighing. He squeezed your hand a bit tighter, relishing in the idea that this could be his last chance to do that. He looked down at the pavement, counted the cracks in it up until ten before speaking up again, “I know you still like him. You don’t have to lie or keep hiding.”

“Like who?” you feigned ignorance. There was no use for it – he already knew you like the back of his hand.  

“Like Minho,” he replied softly. He pulled at your hand to bring you to a stop in front of him. With a sad smile, he reached up to hold your face. “You still like him and I can’t take this away from you.”

You frowned. “I don’t like him. What are you going on about? I hate–”

“No, no, you don’t hate him.” He chuckled bitterly. “I’d be happier if you did, but you do not. I don’t think you even remember how to hate him.”

“Chan–”

“No, no, let me finish.” He took a deep breath before resting his forehead against yours. He’d done this many times before, he loved doing it. But he told himself this would be the last time.

“You like Minho and that is completely fine. He likes you too. I can see it in the way he looks at you whenever we pass by. I know he’d give anything to be in my place and it feels unfair that I even am in this place. You deserve someone better, someone who’s been by your side since your first day here. You deserve someone who makes you laugh with his sarcastic comments and takes you dancing even when you don’t feel like it. Someone who calls you cheesy pet names out of sheer irony.”

He shook his head. “I can’t be that someone for you. I am not that someone. I like you but… he loves you, (Y/n). I think he has for a long time. And you care for him just the same, even if you hide it behind sarcastic comments and grimaces.”

A tear ran down your cheek, he reached up to brush it away. “Don’t cry. You’re too pretty to cry.”

One last time he allowed himself to kiss your cheek, your forehead, your nose. “I don’t think he’d like to see you cry. Not today anyway.”

He tilted his head to point out the one person you hadn’t noticed: Lee Minho sitting on the bench outside of your dorm. 

Chan leaned down to whisper, “He always waits there. I don’t know if you’ve noticed. But when we’re out late, he’s always right there and he doesn’t go inside until the light in your room turns on.”

The vibration and blinking screen of your phone pulled you out of a semi-productive zone. By semi-productive, I mean your laptop screen had long dimmed from inactivity as the title of your assignment sadly sat on the screen, screaming at you in Comic Sans. 

You automatically reached for your phone. Perhaps you were awaiting a message from Chan, telling you he had said all he did as a joke. Or maybe it was Minho’s text that you were waiting, confessing his feelings and telling you to stop being so dumb, telling you he’d fight for you.

But of course not. It was just Hyunjin.

[9:32 PM] Hyunjinnie sent an attachment. (39)

[9:32 PM] Hyunjinnie: i dont think this helps in any way but idk what else to do with these pics sorry

With a deep breath, you opened the attachments. They formed a folder in your phone memory, filled with tens of photos of you and Minho. 

“Damnit, Hyunjin,” you cursed under your breath but made no move to close the application. Almost zombie-like in your being, you scrolled through the photos, opening them every once in a while.

One of you and Minho standing face to face under the lanterns, lips spread into wide smiles as he fed you a piece of baby blue cotton candy. You could distinctly recall him sweetly telling you: “Eat it well, my love.” 

Another photo of you and Minho, dancing in front of the street musicians, hand in hand, his hand on your waist. You didn’t remember resting your head on his shoulder but here was the photo proof. A bitter smile appeared on your face.

A third photo. Minho’s hand wrapped around your own as you walked down the street, laughing at anything and everything at once. You suddenly missed his snarky sense of humour, filled with nothing but sarcasm and blunt honesty. 

You missed his cheesy nicknames. 

You missed his hand in yours.

You missed Lee Minho as your boyfriend, even if it hadn’t been real.

Tonight, you were determined to talk to Minho for the first time in over a month. You had made a decision.

You stayed at the library until its closing time, eyeing the clock nervously between sessions of distracting yourself with assignments. A sense of relief was washed away by dread as you walked out of the building. 

This was it. This was your chance. Was he waiting for you on the bench?

You almost didn’t notice him in the dimness of the streetlights. But he was really there: his tell-tale red jacket over his shoulders, his freshly dyed chestnut brown hair chaotically flying in the late-evening wind. 

You tried to call out his name but made no sound. Your throat felt dry. Your vocal cords weren’t listening to reason. Your heart was beating as if you’d run a marathon on the way here. 

You tried again. Nothing.

Your voice finally cooperated on the third try. “Minho?”

His head snapped to face you just as the name passed your lips. A soft gasp, and then he ran towards you, almost falling to his face when he stumbled over his own laces. 

He reached up to wipe your cheeks. You hadn’t even realized you were crying. 

“What did he do to you?” he demanded to know, a frown on his face and his eyes promising murder. 

“Nothing. He did nothing.” 

“Then why are you crying?” He continued wiping your tears, his brow furrowing further and further. “Why are you crying? Don’t cry. He doesn’t deserve your tears. He didn’t even walk you home this late. What a jerk. Tell me where he is and I will–”

Your lips were on his before either of you realized. The kiss was brief, barely a peck, but it held so much meaning. It held everything you wanted to say and you only prayed he would understand what you meant. 

The furrow of his brows disappeared as he took in the situation. You watched as his eyes went through stages of recognition. 

Soon you were secure against his chest, his arms tightly around you and your face hidden in the soft cotton of his t-shirt. You’d never been held this tightly before, you realized. 

“I love you,” he whispered against your temple.

“I love you too.” You sniffled and glanced up at him. “I’m sorry it took me this long to realize.”

He chuckled, fighting back tears of joy as he sniffled as well. “It was only expected. You’re a bit dumb after all.”

You snorted. “I’m not the one that made his beloved date another guy.”

He pursed his lips, holding back laughter this time. “Yeah, I guess we’re both pretty dumb and ridiculous, huh?”

“Dumb and ridiculous… Sounds about right.” You sighed happily but a question tickled your mind. “So,... since when have you loved me? When did you stop hating me?”

“My beloved,” he laughed at your grimace, “I never hated you. I’ve liked you since the first time we talked at that bakery all those years ago. There was never a single cell in my body that holds anything less than fondness for you.”

“... Did you read a poetry book on the way here?”

“I had to do something while my beloved was busy dating another guy.”

“You’re not mad?”

He hummed in thought. “A bit. But I guess I am partly to blame... Still, you can make it up with lots of kisses and hugs, my love.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Oh? What should I call you instead? Pumpkin? Angel? Baby? My kitten?”

You shivered and pretended to gag in his hold. He laughed and pulled you even closer. 

In his embrace, you felt vows of never letting go.

“The stars shining in the sky are nothing compared to the stars in your eyes,” you flirted as seductively as you could without bursting into laughter. 

Minho snorted, barely sparing you a glance as he remained preoccupied with his own phone. “Weak.”

You pointed an accusatory finger. “You almost laughed!”

“Almost doesn’t count,” he decided then and there – you had no recollection of this rule. Before you could word your protest, he looked you in the eyes and bluntly declared, “Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?”

“Bold of you to assume I wished for you,” you shot right back much to his amusement. 

“Eh?!” He sat up straighter. “Are you saying my existence is not a wish come true? The insolence!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously he was taking it. That as your mistake and you realised that the moment your eyes caught the spark in his. “Wait, wait!”

“I WIN!” he declared and threw his arms up in the air. 

You gasped. “That does not count! That wasn’t your pick-up line I was laughing at!”

“When did I ever say that the pick-up line had to make you laugh?” he teased, leaning in closer to brush his nose against yours before leaning back again with a laugh. “I win.”

You rolled your eyes. “One more round: best of three wins.”

❥[seo changbin] painting each other ...

“The longer we do this, the more I doubt this was a good idea,” you spoke through nervous laughter as the brush in your hand seemed to do everything but the one thing you needed it to do. “How do people do this on a daily basis and not cry?”

Changbin snorted. “They’re artists. They cry nevertheless.”

“That’s mean.”

“It’s the reality, baby— Did you steal my green again?” He glared at you.

You smiled at him as cutely as you could, trying to make your cheeks as prominent as possible as he kept his eyes on you. “Just a tiny bit.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re right. This was a terrible idea.”

“Let’s never take date ideas from Hyunjin again, deal?” you offered, but to your surprise he protested loudly. 

“I know you kind of hate this but…” His facial expression went from annoyance to cuteness a bit too quick. “It’s kind of fun though: painting you, in my favourite hoodie. It’s kind of like making a memento.”

“... Sure.”

“Plus, I’m sure my painting will look better than yours,” he added quickly before turning back to his sketchbook. 

You wondered if you should even argue as you stared at the painting in your hand.

❥[hwang hyunjin] learning dances through Youtube ...

“This should be easy,” he mumbled as he hit play on the tenth tutorial of the night at 1:34 am. Before you could protest, he was pulling you to his chest, giggles erupting from you both when the force of collapse cost you your balance.

He soon smiled sweetly, holding your hand close to his chest. “Hi.”

“Hi there,” you replied, staring at him. Had his eyes always looked so beautiful? Were they always sparkling? Just when you thought he couldn’t get any more perfect…

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen and everyone in-between! Let’s get this samba class going!” sounded from the tired Bluetooth speaker, forcing the both of you back to reality outside of beautiful chocolate skies and sparkling stars and cherry lips.

Your eyes widened as the instructor began the class. “Wait, samba?!”

“We’ve got this!” Hyunjin assured you, his arms already wrapping around you as per instruction. “Just trust me.”

You tilted your head doubtfully but uttered, “If you insis—Uegh!” He forced you to do a twirl like a tutorial an hour ago had suggested. You couldn’t hold back the squeal and the laugh that ripped through you as the room began spinning around. “Hyunjin! That’s not part of the choreography!”

“Then let’s make our own choreography!”

❥[han jisung] sampling random sounds for a song ...

“Okay, and now snap your fingers really fast!” He watched you intensely, headphones over his ears. “Faster!”

“I can’t do it any faster!”

He frowned before yelling out through laughter, “Are you even trying?”

“Jisung, my thumb hurts,” you took the chance to tell him. 

“Well, that’s too bad,” he told you and turned to his computer before rapidly turning back to you with wide eyes. “Wait, but really? Does it hurt a lot?”

You put on your best pout and nodded, theatrically holding holding your hand. He grimaced and took your hand to look at it.

“It does look a little red,” he mumbled and then pressed a kiss to your thumb and pointer finger. “There, that should be better.”

“Only a little.”

He whined at you, as if he was the one that was hurt. “What do we do now?” You promptly found yourself sitting in his lap, his fingers reaching over to tickle your sides. “Does it still hurt, hm? Are you still hurt?”

Through giggles, you barely managed to mumble out a ‘no’. He hummed in question but made no move to stop tickling. “Does it still hurt?”

“N-No!” 

Your laughter ceased alongside the tickles. He looked at you for a while – so adorable in his lap – before pushing you off and positioning you back at the mic. 

“Let’s try again. With passion this time, please.”

❥[felix lee] watching films ...

“No, no, don’t cry,” you heard your boyfriend softly whisper as Rose let go of Jack’s hand. 

Wiping your cheeks to confirm that you were, in fact, not crying, you turned to Felix and gave him a nice long look. “Babe, I’m not crying.”

“Well, I am not crying either,” he spoke as loudly as he could while rapidly blinking his eyes. “Definitely not crying. Not even a little bit.”

“... You can just ask me to hug you, you know?”

“But then… “ He glanced at you with sparkling eyes. “What if you let me go?”

“Felix.”

“I’m serious. If you hug me and I fall on the floor because you let go of me when I fully trust you, I’m telling Changbin,” he announced as he wrapped his arms around you tightly, eyes back on the TV screen. “Don’t let me go, Rose.”

“Just so we’re clear: he was okay with dying for her,” you spoke up after a while. 

Felix sighed. “I know… I’d die for you too, under any circumstances.”

“... You’re trying to make me cry too?”

“It’s unfair!”

❥[kim seungmin] picnic at midnight ...

You whined habitually when the strawberry bowl turned out to be out of your range. Seungmin paid it no mind at first but soon laughed at your grabby hands and pout. 

“Why? You want more cake?” he teased as cutely as he could. Or maybe he wasn’t trying to be cute; it was hard to tell with him. He made a show of reaching for the cake container before changing directions. “Or a sandwich?” 

You shook your head. His eyes lit up. 

He changed direction towards your desired strawberries and you could almost taste the sweetness on your tongue… when he changed direction again and picked up a water bottle instead, offering it to you. “Do you want some water, my love?”

You let out another whine before softly slapping his shoulder. He howled in laughter, the melodious sound echoing back from the trees of the park. “Why? What do you want, baby? Use your words.”

“... Strawberries.”

“You can’t reach?” he continued teasing, patting your head to annoy you further. “You could’ve just said so, love.”

“I wouldn’t have trouble reaching,” you grumbled and poked his shoulder, “if you weren’t quite literally lying on top of me.”

He clicked his tongue but handed you a strawberry nevertheless. “And here I thought you loved my affectionate side.”

❥[yang jeongin] playing board games ...

“So, just so we’re clear, there are no actual rules to UNO,” Jeongin joked as he dealt the cards for the fifth time that night. At this point, he was past suspecting foul play — you were clearly cheating. 

You stuck out your tongue. “It’s not my fault that you keep forgetting to say ‘UNO’.”

“I said ‘one’!” he protested with wide eyes and an even wider smile. The deck of cards was pointed at you in a manner that was clearly meant to be threatening but… Let’s be real: they were UNO cards. There are far more threatening things in this world.

“But that’s not ‘uno’!”

“Why would I say ‘uno’? I’m not Spanish,” he grumbled but dealt the cards anyway. “One more game and then we’re switching to ‘LIFE’.”

“Bet I’ll marry a doctor,” you joked as you picked up the cards, a plan formulating in your head as you saw the three ‘+2’ cards. Momentarily forgetting that your boyfriend had excellent hearing, you mumbled, “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

Visibly deflating at your words, Jeongin all but slammed his cards down before glaring at you in exasperation. You offered a questioning look before he took the cards from your hands and placed them back in the deck. 

The two of you always seem to be on the same wavelength, whether it was choosing dinner or pranking your common friends or even your most peculiar interests. You were essentially the same person split in two and it was becoming more and more apparent as months went by and you became even closer.

Beside all the seemingly normal things you two had in common, you two also shared a sleeping schedule. It wasn’t that you had agreed to both go until sleep at 4, or god forbid, 5 am and then wake up at 3 pm the same day. It simply happened this way. 

Donghyuck, an avid gamer and too competitive for his own sake, spent most of his nights gaming. His roommate, Jaemin, often complained about the sound of Donghyuck’s gaming computer whirring and screeching and clicking at godforsaken hours of the night. The same roommate also gladly used said issue as an excuse for his caffeine addiction: “I can’t sleep in the same room as that computer. Coffee is the only thing giving me energy!”

You, on the other hand, simply couldn’t sleep at night. Not everyone has been blessed with the ability to fall asleep in the blink of an eye; not everyone feels sleepy at night. While you struggled until sleep during the night hours, you had no trouble taking naps in the middle of the day. 

Needless to say: your sleep schedules were messy and needed fixing. 

You begrudgingly arrived at that conclusion when you opened your eyes on a Saturday afternoon. The clock on your wall revealed it was already 5 pm, meaning you had actually slept even later than usual. That was the last straw. 

When you stumbled to the kitchen to get a coffee, you found Na Jaemin blinking up at you from his spot at the dining table. He tilted his head, raised an eyebrow, and then lowly remarked, “You too? This is becoming inscrutable.”

You glared at him. “Learnt a new word again?”

“I have to do something while Donghyuck snores the day away instead going to get coffee with me,” he joked and took a sip of his darker-than-Renjun’s-humour Americano. “Did you just wake up?”

“What gave it away?” 

You reached up to get a mug for your own coffee. It remained a mystery how even after sleeping for ten hours in a row, you were still as sleepy as you were. Coffee was starting to become a staple food for you and this realization scared you. You were just a few espresso shots away from becoming Na Jaemin.

Jaemin hummed, his eyes running up and down your figure as he attempted to word his answer. “Your hair is a mess, you’re wearing pajamas in the common area, and—” he smirked, “—your forehead has pillow creases in it.”

You cursed his inspection skills and the distraction they provided; now how would you know how many sugars you had already put in your coffee? You had lost count at two spoonfuls and now you had no idea if your coffee was just sweet enough or way too sugary.

Before you could taste it to check, the familiar figure of your best friend dragged itself into the kitchen and grabbed the precious red mug he himself had bought for your personal use. Without a second of hesitation, he took a sip of the liquid inside. It took him barely a second to spit it out into the sink and glare at you. 

“Why are you putting salt in your coffee?” he raised his voice while slamming your mug back on the counter. With a mutter, he shuffled over to get himself a different cup and started his own coffee. 

Jaemin watched in absolute amusement as you peeked into your cup like a little kid afraid of getting reprimanded. You dared to take a small sip of the drink. Then you followed Donghyuck’s earlier actions by spitting the coffee into the sink and slamming your mug down. To Jaemin’s worry, you proceeded to just stand in the middle of the kitchen and glare at your salted coffee.

You only snapped out of your disappointed daze when Donghyuck stumbled over to you and gently smoothed out your frown with his finger. He rested his head on your shoulder. “Not your day, huh?”

“She’s been awake for five minutes, if even that. It hasn’t been much of a day,” Jaemin quipped, taking a sip of his own perfect Americano and humming in appreciation as you and your best friend glared at him. “What? Just because you screwed up your coffee doesn’t mean I have to suffer as well.”

“I’d prefer it did,” Donghyuck mumbled and hid his face in your shoulder. When you reached up to pat his hoodie-covered head, he let out a quiet sigh of appreciation. His hands naturally wrapped around your waist to pull you closer.

The sound of the kettle finishing its job had your best friend perking up again. He walked back over to the opposite counter to pour the water into his cup. You followed suit, rinsing the salty substance out of your mug before starting a new coffee. 

“Have you two considered going until sleep and waking up on time?” Jaemin wondered after a while of watching you. “Maybe then you wouldn’t be such zombies at 5 pm.”

“We’ve tried,” you whined and sat down across from him at the table. “Even when I go to bed at 9 pm, I still won’t fall asleep until 4 am.”

“Tiring yourself out?” Jaemin suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Donghyuck sat down next to him and placed his head on the coffee-addict’s shoulder. His eyes closed and his body limp, he spoke, “Tried it. Last week I spent the entire day at the gym taking random group classes.”

“Any progress there?”

Your best friend opened one of his eyes as if to search the room for answers. He then joked, “Well, the group instructors now think I am a lunatic because I took three yoga classes in one day. But other than that? None. Still fell asleep at 4 am.”

“Calculus?” The rise in Jaemin’s voice was one of the many key indicators of his panic and worry for you two, right up there with his eyes widening and his arms flying around. 

You and Donghyuck took the chance to glare at him. He shrunk under your deadly stares, eyes widening for a whole other reason now. 

“You don’t think we hate ourselves enough yet?” you scoffed and took a sip of your coffee. Thankfully, this one tasted exactly how you liked it. 

“What other options are there other than getting someone to shoot us with tranquilizer guns at exactly 10 pm?” Donghyuck wondered to himself. “Should I just join Jeno’s all-nighter and let him bore me until sleep?”

Then an idea struck you. You glanced at Donghyuck who had also sat up a bit straighter, staring right back at you with wide eyes. Quirking your head, you wondered if you were thinking the same thing.

“I don’t like the look that you’re sharing,” Jaemin sang nervously. “What are you two planning now?”

“All-nighter? We go until sleep tomorrow night instead of tonight.” Donghyuck raised the question, leaning towards you.

You took out your phone and checked the time, counting the hours on your fingers. It was 5 pm still. “If we don’t go until sleep until tomorrow evening at 9 or 10, we have twenty-eight to twenty-nine hours to fill.”

Donghyuck narrowed his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall. “That should be enough to tire us out, right?”

“I should report you two to the nurse,” Jaemin announced with a horror-struck expression on his face. “What are you two? Insane?”

“Not yet,” Donghyuck joked, “but hopefully we’ll reach that point of exhaustion by 9 pm tomorrow!”

Jaemin sighed and slammed his palms down on the table. “Right. So, I’m gonna go and stay over at Jeno’s for the night. Do not call me or text me or anything. I want nothing to do with this. If one of you dies, call Mark.”

“Alright, roomie!” Donghyuck called out cheerfully and cutely as Jaemin walked out of the room. “I’ll see you soon, roomie!”

You took a deep breath before asking, “So, your room or mine?”

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding me? Jaemin just moved out for the night. My room, of course!”

“Alright,” you agreed and set the timer for 29 hours, “let the torture begin.”

>>> 6:34 pm // 27 and a half hours until sleep <<<

Donghyuck sighed loudly from his spot on his bed. After his third theatrical sigh, you picked you head off Jaemin’s pillow (which Jaemin gently reminded you to change the case of when he came to pack up his things) and looked at him. Your best friend was spread across his bed like a starfish, staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, his phone long forgotten on his belly. 

“What’s up?” you asked him after a moment, just as he took a deep breath to, no doubt, force out another loud sigh. 

He glanced at you in surprise before sitting up. He smiled at you brightly. “Let’s do something!”

“Sick of your phone already?” you wondered, locking your own device and putting it down on Jaemin’s bedside table. “Really thought it would take you longer than that.”

He scoffed. “You’re one to speak. You’ve refreshed your Instagram feed at least 30 times in the past minute.”

“Alright,” you sighed and checked the timer on your phone. “So what do you want to do? We have 27 more hours to fill.”

He took a moment to think. “Well, I am a bit hungry right now.”

You raised an eyebrow before sitting up. “Alright, but you’re paying. This was your idea.”

“You had the exact same idea though?” he laughed before pushing himself to his feet and shuffling over to his closet.  He pulled out a green hoodie a few shades lighter than the one he was wearing and threw it at you. “Put it on and let’s get going. I am desperately craving tangerines.”

As realization hit, you let out a groan. “This isn’t going to be a short trip to the convenience store, is it?”

“Of course not,” he sang. “We have to supply ourselves for 27 whole hours. I don’t plan on leaving this room again until tomorrow.”

“Should we make a shopping list?”

He waved off your suggestion. “Shopping lists are for the weak and the Renjun. Let’s just go with our gut. You want Cheetos? We’re getting Cheetos.”

“We’re going to regret this,” you mumbled.”

“If we’re going to be regretful, might as well go the whole way,” Donghyuck stated before tugging you towards the door.

>>> 6:59 pm // 27 hours until sleep <<<

You had laughed to the point of hiccups just watching his expression. 

Donghyuck stood in front of the cash register, his card in his hand and his eyes glazed over. His jaw had dropped the moment he read the numbers on the display. 

Gently, you nudged his shoulder. “Feeling the regret yet?”

“Yup,” he replied after a deep sigh and pushing his card into the terminal. He pointed at the total sum before telling you, “Since I am paying this much for our food, you should be the one to carry it.”

As he punched his code in a bit too aggressively, you began bagging the various snacks you had bought. Once you were done, you sighed at the sight of three paper bags waiting to be carried back to the dormitory. 

Donghyuck joined your side and smiled. “Feeling the regret yet?”

“Oh, yes.” You nodded and began picking up the bags, one by one. It became really difficult by the time you reached for the third bag. He laughed at your struggle for a while before teasing you, “Alright, just this once I am going to be nice to you. Give me one of the bags.”

Before you could reply, he took the lightest bag from you and began making his way back to the dormitory. You stared after him, feeling flabbergasted. He turned back and chuckled at the sight. “You coming, slowpoke?”

“Fight me!” you snapped, rushing after him as his laughter echoed in the parking lot.

“Maybe later. We’ve got the time.”

>>> 8:18 pm // 25 and a half hours until sleep <<<

“The battery of this thing is just—Ugh!” you expressed your frustration loudly while struggling to plug in your laptop. Your arm burned at the stretch of you attempting to reach the outlet beside Jaemin’s bedside table without getting off of Donghyuck’s bed. 

Donghyuck stared at you in amusement. “Maybe you should invest in a new laptop with a battery that doesn’t run from 40 to 3 percent in the runtime of a single episode.”

You glared at him over your shoulder before continuing your pursuit of momentary happiness. “Do I look rich enough for that?”

“No, but I’m sure finding a sugar daddy wouldn’t be difficult for you,” he stated without any remorse or hesitation while unwrapping a chocolate bar, not even bothering to look at you anymore. 

Whether it was the sugar daddy bit as a whole or just the implication that he thought you were pretty enough for a sugar daddy, you weren’t sure, but his wording caught you off-guard and had you fall flat on your face from his bed. You let out a whimper as your fingers just barely grazed the outlet—so close, but so far away.

Hearing your little noise, Donghyuck glanced at you over his chocolate bar. Assuming you had simply run out of energy or motivation, he cheered you on in his cutest voice: “You can do this! Hwaiting! I believe in you!”

“Fight me!” is what you were trying to say, but the carpet of his room muffled it into an incomprehensible mumble that your dear best friend seemed to translate into the complete opposite of its original meaning. 

“I love you too,” he called out softly and took a bit of his chocolate. “Now hurry up and plug this thing in. Your laptop’s about to die.”

You groaned.

>>> 11:01 pm // 23 hours until sleep <<< 

You and Donghyuck sat side by side, your arms touching and your head pressed against his shoulder. Your eyes were wide in disappointment and realization hit you: the universe hated you more than you hated yourself.

“Well, that’s just rude,” Donghyuck suddenly spoke up, his voice full of disbelief and offense. He sat up a bit too fast for you to react, leading to you not only getting your chin hurt but also falling, but he barely took notice of that as he clicked through the settings on your laptop. 

He then proceeded to glare at the router Jaemin had placed on their window, only to find it blinking red. The wi-fi was officially down. 

“How are we supposed to entertain ourselves now?” he wondered, slamming your laptop shut and placing it on his bedside table. He sighed deeply, staring at the wall across the room. Without breaking his imaginary and rage-fuelled staring contest with the dusty yellow wallpaper, he asked you, “How many hours do we have left?”

You unlocked your phone to check. Then you groaned. “Twenty-three.”

“Why is the wi-fi down anyway?” He clicked his tongue in frustration and stumbled to Jaemin’s bed, picking up the router and glaring at its blinking lights. He turned it off before turning it on again before asking you to check the wi-fi. His efforts proved useless. 

He sighed. “How about the dormitory wi-fi? Maybe it’s just Jaemin’s wi-fi that’s weird.”

Before you could reply, Jaemin and Jeno all but burst into your room. While the former had his face set in a frown, you found that the latter looked less worried and more amused. Jeno offered you one of his objectively adorable smiles before asking, “Do you guys have wi-fi? Because we don’t.”

“You don’t?” Donghyuck sounded scandalized before letting out a sound akin to crying. He slumped against the wall and rested his head against the white router in his lap. Faintly, you could hear him mumble, “Of all the nights in the year…”

“Oi, Felix!” Jaemin called out, peeking out the door. A deep hum sounded from the hall. “Is your wi-fi down too?”

“The dormitory wi-fi is down, my wi-fi is down, everyone’s wi-fi is down,” Felix’s voice could be heard saying. “I guess the internet provider is having some issues.”

Jeno clicked his tongue, his smile finally dropping. “Well, there goes my plan of finishing my essay early.”

“There go everyone’s plans,” Jaemin sighed and rubbed his temples.

As the four of you sat and stood there in silence, marinating in your immense collective disappointment, Donghyuck glanced around the room. He was sure there had to be something to do to pass the time. 

His eyes lit up at the sight of a familiar small red box on the shelf above your head and his bed. Without another thought, he smiled and stood up. “Light bulb moment! I have an idea.”

“An idea?” Jaemin groaned and nearly hit his head as he leaned back against the door. “The last time you had one of those, you decided to stay awake for thirty hours straight.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “First, it’s twenty-nine hours.”—Jeno raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything—“Second, we’re already six hours in. Thirdly, I think you will like this idea more than I do.”

He then reached up and grabbed the little red box—a game of UNO—, waving it in his hand before settling down on the floor. He motioned for the others to join him and, unlike the hesitant Jeno and Jaemin, you were more than happy to comply. 

Once you were safely sitting down, you looked up at Jaemin and Jeno expectantly. You assumed Donghyuck was looking at them in a similar way. To make the matters even more uncomfortable for the two, Donghyuck sang in a high-pitched tone even for him, “Come play with us.”

“You know what?” Jaemin plopped down across from you after a minute of doubting his life choices. “Game on. Loser pays for for the winner’s breakfast tomorrow.”

“What about second and third place?” Jeno wondered as he sat down between you and grabbed the stack of cards from Donghyuck’s hand, expertly shuffling them. You could only watch in awe as his hands moved smoothly as if this was his day job; Donghyuck took notice of that and nudged you with a pout.

“Second and third place are mediocre and don’t deserve to be punished or celebrated.” Donghyuck grabbed a notebook from under his bed (what a horrid place that must be), caught the pen Jaemin threw his way and drew a table on a random page. “I’m making the scoreboard.”

Jaemin smiled. “Friday Game Night rules?”

“What are those?” Jeno asked, turning to you for answers. In his eyes, you were the second most sane person in the room, right after himself. He awaited your response as he dealt the cards.

As an expert Friday Game Night participant, you rolled back your shoulders and explained, “Two points for every win. One point if you come second. The last two to hold cards get no points and have to shuffle and deal the cards for the next round.”

“It’s no fun for the last two standing, you know,” Donghyuck pointed out without looking at any of you, completely focused on creating the score board. “But watching them play is no fun for the winners either, so we made these rules.” After writing down your names, he glanced up from the notebook. “How long will we play?”

“Until we get sleepy,” Jaemin decided and grabbed the cards dealt to him. Looking at his cards, he smirked. “Game on.”

>>> 11:56 pm // 22 hours until sleep <<<

“I trusted you!” Jaemin cried out, looking at Jeno with hurt-filled eyes. You honestly didn’t even think his eyes could hold so much emotion. There seemed to be actual tears glistening in there.

Jeno chuckled nervously from your side. “Sorry.”

Jaemin gasped theatrically, squeezing his eyes shut as if to force back tears. He placed his hand over his heart and pretended to sob before reaching to the middle of the circle. 

On your other side, Donghyuck cackled maniacally as Jaemin picked up card after card. There were tears in his eyes from the force of his joy and cheer, his body rolling on the floor as his laughter echoed in the room. The sight and sound brought joy to your heart and made you smile along.

“There.” Jaemin sighed after a while, holding his fan of cards up for everyone to see. He pointed to each card as he counted, “Sixteen cards. I hope you psychopaths are happy.”

“We only made you pick up ten though,” you teased, earning a glare from him. 

Before he could retaliate, Donghyuck spoke up, though his voice was just barely regretful. “(Y/n), know that I love you.” 

Your heart dropped as he picked one of the cards from his fan. You anxiously watched as he wiped a tear from his cheek with the sleeve of the same hand he held the card in. You began shaking your head as he hesitated before placing the card down.

“I’m sorry, I truly had no other cards to play,” he apologized with a slight smile as he moved his hand so you could see the card. You whimpered. “Pick up four. Jeno, I need the colour blue.”

Defeated, you sighed and reached for the cards.

>>> 1:07 am // 21 hours until sleep <<<

“That was fun, but I am in a desperate need of schleep. No wait. Sleep,” Jaemin yawned and lazily gathered the cards up from the middle of the circle. “Who’s gonna tally up the scores?”

“Working on it,” Donghyuck mumbled, a frown on his face as he intensely focused on counting the points. 

You couldn’t help but find the way his tongue poked out adorable. Mentally, you slapped yourself for the thought. You had twenty-one more hours to spend with this guy and developing an even stronger crush on him was not the ideal way to do so.

Finally, after half a minute, he straightened up and cleared his throat. “The results have arrived. It was a tough and difficult competition. Counting up the scores… Dare I say, it was even more difficult.”

“Hurry it up a little,” Jaemin ushered him drowsily. “I want to go to bed before sunrise.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes before continuing in a much more casual tone. “Alright, so, in third place is Jeno with 11 points. Second place, 12 points, Donghyuck. Woo!” 

You glared at him for his noisiness before locking your eyes with Jaemin. With a smirk on his face, he leaned forward to keep your stare, his eyebrow quirking as if to challenge you. One of you was the winner, the other one the loser. 

Always one for the dramatics, Donghyuck smiled brightly as he watched your little stand-off. After half a minute, he began again, “In the first place… This person got a total of 15 points.” He paused. “This person is… Drum roll, please.” Jeno began patting his thighs rhythmically, much to Donghyuck’s happiness. Finally, the young announcer declared, “Jaemin! Congratulations!”

Jaemin burst into cheers, pulling Jeno and Donghyuck into a hug before sticking his tongue out at you. “And that’s how it’s done!”

Donghyuck, struggling in Jaemin’s unexpected iron grip, choked out, “I thought you were tired.”

“I am. But I also happy.” The winner smiled as though his life dream and world peace had been achieved at once. You had never seen such serenity in this man. “Very happy.”

“Alright, Happy,” your best friend sighed, “go sleep. (Y/n)’ll buy you your breakfast tomorrow morning. Just come and let us know when you’re ready.”

Jaemin turned to smile at you brighty. “You can’t go back on the deal. Bring your wallet.”

“I’ll be sure to remind her to do so,” Donghyuck quipped before nudging him towards the door. “Now go. We still have hours to go.”

>>> 1:41 am // 20 and a half hours until sleep <<<

Donghyuck hummed a song, looking up from his phone where he had taken numerous photos of himself and you (but mostly you, as much as he refused to admit that to even himself). He glanced at you sitting across the room in Jaemin’s bed, your face illuminated by the light of your laptop. Behind your head, the router’s indicator light was still blinking red for no wi-fi.

Wordlessly, he pushed himself off his bed and shuffled to your side. Once he felt he was close enough, he rested his head on your shoulder and stared up at you. When you looked down to catch his eye, he blinked lazily and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you replied with a slight chuckle before turning back to your laptop, trying to hide the way your heartbeat picked up at the proximity. 

He mirrored your actions. Then scoffed. “Solitaire? Really?”

“It was either that or Minecraft,” you told him, focusing on the screen to find a place for that two of spades that was blocking you from succeeding. Donghyuck sighed and you replied the same way. “Dude, it’s not like this old thing can run any better games. Not my fault.”

“I mean, sort of,” he teased, laughing when you shoved him by his shoulder. He then quieted down and wistfully glanced at his own gaming computer perched on his desk. “I can’t play anything on mine either.”

“Everything’s online?” you queried with a knowing smile.

“Everything’s online,” he confirmed with a sigh and leaned on you even more.

>>> 3:28 am // 18 and a half hours until sleep <<<

As it appeared, if there was one thing where you two were not on the same wavelength, it was guessing games. An hour into the intense game of pictionary, only two drawings had successfully been guessed, both drawn by you and pinpointed only thanks to Donghyuck’s ridiculously amazing guessing abilities.

“Is it a squirrel?” Donghyuck guessed, eyes wide and focused on the drawing pad in your hand. You shook your head and added more details to your drawing of an animal. He stared at it helplessly, a frown teasing at his brows and confused sounds echoing from his throat. 

From the drawing, he could tell it was an animal with a furry tail and pointy ears. The box-like figure you had drawn next to it in a desperate attempt to get him to guess the animal suggested it had to be a small being. Still, he was at a loss.

Finally, as the timer on his phone rang to signal a minute had passed, you dropped your enthusiastic act and glared at him. You told him, “It was a raccoon.”

He blinked once, he blinked twice, he blinked three times more for good measure. He then burst out, “Have you ever seen a raccoon? That is not a raccoon!”

“It is!” 

“It is not. Seriously.” 

“How is it not a raccoon?”

“In every way possible. Don’t even argue with me.”

He stood up and gently shoved you onto Jaemin’s bed, taking the drawing pad and marker from your hands. He picked an Alias card from the stack on Jaemin’s desk and clicked his tongue. Quietly, he read over the words before nodding and placing the card down in another pile. 

He smirked. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

You raised an eyebrow and counted down, “Your time starts in 3… 2… 1… Go.”

Without any time to lose, he drew a rectangle, adding some volume to it. 

You tilted your head in thought. “A box.”

He shook his head, smiling a bit. He then drew a stick, then another over it, and another, and another until the lines resembled a star, before gesturing at his drawing again. 

“A box and a star?” You raised an eyebrow. “A box of fragile items? Glass?”

Donghyuck’s stare—one that screamed that you had disappointed him in ways a person’s brain could never comprehend—said you were on the wrong track. So you took a step back and frowned. 

As you tilted your head side to side and muttered questions to yourself, Donghyuck continued drawing little asterixes. In the last 20 seconds left, he snapped and drew a figure that could only resemble a penguin next to the box. Frantically, he pointed at it, willing you to guess right.

“Oh!” you realized, sparking hope in him, “is it ice?”

He gestured for you to continue, biting his lip and bouncing in his spot like an excited kid. You snapped your fingers, trying to find the answer, before shouting out “Ice cube!” just as the timer ran out.

Donghyuck let out a deep breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in. He slumped a bit as he laughed and reached over to pat your head. “Good job. I was worried you and your slow brain wouldn’t get it in time.”

“Hey! My brain’s not that slow!” you whined, crossing your arms over your chest.

While shoving the drawing pad and marker back into your hands, he offered an apologetic smile that said otherwise. He threw himself onto the bed before sighing. “Your turn.”

>>> 4:07 am // 18 hours until sleep <<<

“I only have, like, four songs, but hey,” he laughed to himself, feeling almost pathetic, as he set up his Bluetooth speaker and pressed play on his phone, “it’s better than silence and snores.”

You snorted and agreed, focused on the drawing pad in your lap. Slowly, the blank page was being filled with pencil and marker doodles, some more nonsensical than others—a testament to your boredom and unwillingness to go until sleep. 

As you thought of things to doodle, the music filled your ears. The more you listened to it, the more you wanted to laugh. When he looked at you curiously, you voiced your thoughts, “You have four songs on your phone and one of them is Shinee’s ‘Sherlock’?”

“... It wouldn’t help my case if I said the second one’s ‘Catallena’, would it?” he asked no one in particular, chuckling to himself. 

You burst into laughter. “When was the last time you updated your music library?”

“Long ago,” he told you before he began humming.

It was nice listening to Donghyuck sing along passionately but just quietly enough to avoid noise complaints from other students. His voice grew louder as he shuffled closer to you and rested his head on your shoulder. Soon it felt like having your personal little speaker right at your ear. 

“What are you drawing?” he asked when the song changed, a ballad coming on. 

“I don’t know,” you told him honestly and continued drawing circles on the paper, hoping that perhaps one will inspire you to draw something a bit more creative. 

Watching you struggle was entertaining, but Donghyuck soon decided that more was needed. He took the drawing pad from you, flipping the page before taking a pencil from you.

You stared at him quizzically as he drew a big square and some smaller ones connected to its sides. When he looked up, he smiled. “You said we should get an apartment of our own next year, right? Since dorm life sucks.”

“So?”

“So, let’s plan our apartment,” he spoke casually, as if he couldn’t be bothered to understand the implications behind his words. “Let’s say this is the living room. What should we have in the living room?”

You took a moment to hesitate. As all kinds of thoughts raced through your head, you finally gathered to courage to speak up again. “A couch.”

“And a TV!” he added cheerfully before drawing the two items into the square in what you assumed to be a bird’s point of view. “For movie nights. And a small table, for snacks.”

A smile tugged at your lips as he continued rambling about the furniture. The things you’d do for that apartment to come to life…

>>> 4:21 am // 17 and a half hours until sleep <<<

“I’ve always wanted to watch the sunrise with a friend,” you pointed out as the two of you opened the window and settled down on Jaemin’s bed. “This is great.”

“I can’t believe the things I am doing for your happiness,” Donghyuck grumbled. 

He then proceeded to wrap Jaemin’s throw blanket around your shoulders, worried you might catch a cold from the chilly morning air. 

He couldn’t help but smile when you leaned a bit further out of the window, attempting to see the sun. He’d have to have a talk with the person who allowed you to be this cute—he had to thank them for this adorable view.

“Wait,” you suddenly sat up and looked at him with wide eyes, “which way does the sun rise?”

Donghyuck snorted. “You’re a college student and you don’t know this?”

“I have a very selective memory.”

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Listen up and remember well, my dear little (Y/n), the sun rises from the east, shines from the south and then goes down in the west.”

“And which way is east?”

>>> 4:58 am // 17 hours until sleep <<<

Donghyuck stood in the middle of the hallway, hands on his hips in an attempt at a superhero pose, Jaemin’s royal blue throw blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape. 

You stood a few metres away from him, his phone in your hand (he claimed his phone camera had a better photo quality than yours) as you snapped photo after photo while counting down from five to one repeatedly. He changed his pose every time you said “One.”

“Do I look like Superman?” he wondered, posing once again. 

You chuckled. “Kind of. I think Superman’s a tiny bit taller.”

His murderous glare even managed to send a shiver down your spine through the camera lens and his phone screen. You grimaced but snapped a picture of it anyway. 

“Whatever,” he sighed dramatically before striking a different pose, his hand lifting the blanket up in a similar manner to Batman. Only his eyes shone in the dim hallway light. 

You quietly cheered him on from your spot, lying down on the carpeted floor for a better angle. He almost laughed at the sight. And another pose change.

Focused on your photoshoot, you and Donghyuck failed to notice a third presence. When you finally did, it was because the intruder, if you could call him that, cleared his throat.

Glancing up, you were met with a very confused Osaki Shotaro, sleep still heavy in his eyes. He looked down at you before quietly asking, “Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?”

“We’re just having a photoshoot,” Donghyuck informed him with a smile, dropping his poses just for this conversation but expecting to get back to the shoot in less than a minute.

Shotaro blinked, or at least it seemed like he did. His eyes were refusing to open fully because of his exhaustion so it was a bit hard to tell. The frown and small smile on his face were pretty easily readable though. “Why? It’s barely morning.”

Though you would never admit it out loud, the gravelly undertone of his voice was a nice change from Donghyuck’s high pitch and constant babbling. It took you a lot of self control to keep from tugging at on Shotaro’s sleeve and begging him to stay and speak to you for a while. 

“We’re trying to stay awake until tomorrow—” Donghyuck grimaced. “Well, until tonight evening. Is that a thing?”

At that, Shotaro giggled and rubbed at his eyes. “I can still barely tell formal and informal speech from each other. Don’t ask me for words.”

“(Y/n)? Your verdict?” 

The two boys turned to look at you, your form still lying on the floor. You laughed nervously. “I am just as exhausted as you are. I don’t know.”

Donghyuck sighed and shrugged. “If it wasn’t before, it is a thing now: tonight evening.”

“Have you slept at all?” Shotaro wondered. 

“Not since 5 in the afternoon,” Donghyuck notified him a bit too cheerfully. 

The Japanese boy next to you sighed. “Why not?”

“We’re trying to fix our sleep schedules,” you told him. “We’ve been sleeping at really weird hours and it got annoying.”

“So we’re hoping this twenty-nine hour no-sleep marathon will exhaust us to the point of fixing our sleep schedules,” Donghyuck added. 

Shotaro sat down next to you on the floor and pushed back his hair, chuckling. “I could understand only, like, six words you said.”

“Dude,” Donghyuck shook his head and placed his hands on his hips like a disappointed mother and you couldn’t help but sneak a photo or two, “you need sleep.”

“I can’t join your photoshoot?” the Japanese boy wondered, tilting his head to the side a little and pouting. To this day, you swear you heard Donghyuck go “Aw.” at the sight—you couldn’t blame him.

You smiled up at the boy and nudged his shoulder. “Do you want to? We could include you in a couple of photos.”

“Cozy friendship photoshoot!” Donghyuck called out, earning a curse from a nearby room. He cringed and tensed up, looking at the door of the room fearfully. When no more movement or sound came out, he breathed in relief and relaxed again. “Damn it, I forgot Renjun is a light sleeper.”

>>> 5:21 am // 16 and a half hours until sleep <<<

You rolled over in Donghyuck’s bed to face him but didn’t say a word. It didn’t take long before he rolled over to face you the same way, quirking an eyebrow. 

For a moment, you glanced at his lips, so pouty and plush and kissable-looking. He seemed to have a similar train of thought, leaning closer to you with a soft look in his eyes.

But you decided that these thoughts were probably induced by your lack of sleep. Haechan had never before looked at you with such disappointment as he did when you suddenly asked, “Shouldn’t we at least try to catch up on our assignments?”

He rolled his eyes and pushed your face away. “Not a chance in hell. I do not hate myself that much.”

“What if I do though?”

“No, you don’t.”

“... You’re no help.”

>>> 5:55 am // 16 hours until sleep <<<

Donghyuck was tugging at your (well, actually his) hoodie like a little kid or a puppy begging for attention. He whined and let out several noises as you attempted to find your phone and keys. 

“Hurry up!” he begged, ready to go out already. The curfew had lifted half an hour ago and he was desperate to go outside and get some fresh air, sick and tired of sitting in the dorms. You, however, seemed to be taking your sweet time, even if the panic on your face stated otherwise.

Finally, you let out a sigh of relief, finding your phone, wallet and keys on the floor beside Jaemin’s bedside table. You picked them up as Donghyuck cheered and began tugging you outside. “Let’s go!”

As you walked down the stairs of the building, a faint memory of a past UNO game echoed in your head. You cursed a bit before looking back up the stairs. 

Donghyuck stopped beside you and stared at you in clear disappointment again. “What is it now?”

You turned to him and asked, “What time does Jaemin wake up? I have to buy him breakfast.”

Your best friend frowned. “Fuck if I know! I sleep past noon.”

“Let’s hope he’ll text me when he wakes up.” 

“Knowing him, he’ll facetime,” Donghyuck sighed before intertwining your fingers and leading you down the stairs. 

As you walked past the front desk, you could feel the doorkeeper’s curious stare. You flashed her a smile and greeted her, Donghyuck following your lead and bowing her way, before walking out of the door. 

The moment fresh air reached your lungs, your smile brightened. It was Sunday morning and not a lot of people were walking or driving around. For once, you didn’t mind being outside. Donghyuck seemed to share your sentiment. 

“This is great,” he nearly moaned, closing his eyes as he took another deep breath. Then he shivered, prompting a giggle from you. He offered you a side-glance before sighing. “It’s colder than I thought it would be.”

“I know a way to warm you up.” You nudged him with your entire body. “Race you to the cafe two houses down.”

“Are they open at this hour?” he wondered.

You chuckled and began slowly jogging towards the cafe, giving Donghyuck some time to catch up for the fairness of the challenge. “We’ll find out when we get there. Come on!”

>>> 6:19 am // 15 and a half hours until sleep <<<

Sat on a park bench by a pond, Donghyuck leaned into your warmth and sighed happily. He held up the to-go cup in his hand and noted, “This is the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

“It certainly is,” you agreed and took a sip of your preference of a warm beverage. “Feels nice, the warm drink and the chilly morning air.”

“The contrast is refreshing. I feel more awake all of a sudden.” 

He drank his coffee and looked around to watch the people passing by. There were only a few of them, most of them on their morning run or walking their dogs. Despite the park’s proximity to the college and the dormitories, you didn’t see a single familiar face. 

Suddenly, Donghyuck tugged at your sleeve. You turned to find him discreetly pointing at a person walking on the other side of the pond. “I bet that guy has a crush on a barista.”

“What?” You chuckled, looking at him weird.

He smiled at you. “I bet. I also bet that the only reason he’s up at this hour is to go and see said barista and order his usual coffee. What do you think he drinks?”

Catching onto his little game, you hummed in thought and narrowed your eyes. “My gut says he’s a cappuccino guy.”

“With cinnamon,” Donghyuck added to your little idea. 

“Maybe he’ll order a cinnamon roll to go with it, just to have an excuse to talk to the barista some more.”

Donghyuck snorted. “Is that what you do?”

“I don’t have a crush on a barista!” you screeched and laughed. 

“You sure? Because, you know,” he attempted to play nonchalant and you could easily tell by the way he lifted his eyebrows and avoided eye contact, “Shotaro works in a coffee shop.”

You hummed. “He does? I didn’t know.”

“Really? I thought you liked him.”

“I really, and I do mean really, do not,” you emphasized and patted his head. “I promise.” To cheer him up further, you threw in a quick, “Besides, you’re the only significant guy in my life right now.”

As he nudged you with his shoulder, Donghyuck laughed at that. “I feel honoured.”

“You should,” you teased, nudging him back. Then you nodded towards a woman walking on the other side of the pond, clad in a red coat. “What do you think she does for a living?”

“Modeling,” Donghyuck replied without hesitation, taking a sip of his drink. “Either that or she’s an actress.”

You scrunched your face up in thought. “I think she could be a spy.”

“... Is it because she kind of looks like Carmen Sandiago in that outfit?” 

>>> 6:56 am // 15 hours until sleep <<<

You offered Donghyuck a hesitant look, holding a pan and a spoon in your hands. The two of you were stood right outside Renjun’s room, ready to barge in at any moment now. 

“Are we sure about this?” you asked him when he seemed to not notice your hesitation. “Won’t he kill us?”

Donghyuck pursed his lips before grimacing. “Probably. But to be honest, he has this wake-up call coming after he shoved a whole bucket of ice cubes into my shirt and pants last week.”

“In his defence, you were sleeping in and about to miss your history class,” Jaemin pointed out from his spot on a couch near the kitchen. He had settled there just a minute ago, his eyelids still heavy and hair a mess, his whole body still in the process of waking up and getting ready for the day.

“Maybe the first three ice cubes were justified,” Donghyuck agreed before his glare hardened, “but the rest of that bucket? I’m going to make him regret.”

You chuckled and agreed. “On the count of three?”

“On the count of three.” He rolled his shoulders and neck before reaching for the doorknob. “Ready? One…”

You leaned forward a little, ready to run in.

“Two…” He took a deep breath and quirked his eyebrows. 

“Three!” You burst in through the door, going straight towards Renjun’s bed. It was at that moment that you realized that the lucky boy didn’t have a roommate. This only fueled you to wake him up.

Renjun’s eyes shot open as the noise of pots and pans being hit with spoons and Donghyuck’s loud attempt at yodelling registered. It was incredibly loud and he was sure the whole building could hear the commotion. He cursed and rubbed at his eyes before covering his ears and glaring at you in turns.

Donghyuck kept a close eye on him while dancing around the room. As he noticed the boy’s emotions flash from confusion to rage, he dropped his pot and grabbed you by the sleeve. Giggling like a giddy schoolgirl, he led you away from the room, the both of you running down the hallways to avoid Renjun’s anger. 

“Get back here, you—!” Renjun’s voice and footsteps echoed after you. You had no doubt he had picked up the wooden spoon Donghyuck had used and was planning on murdering you with it. 

“(Y/n), this way!” Donghyuck called through your shared laughter, hand gripping yours as he directed you towards an empty bathroom on the second floor. The moment you were inside, he slammed the door closed and locked it, pushing his back against it for extra safety.

Through the door, you could Renjun cursing in various languages. This only made the two of you laugh harder. Donghyuck quit attempting to hold back his laughter and folded over, tears in his eyes and his cheeks hurting from the violent giggles.

“When you come out from there, I swear I will—” Renjun continued cursing in Mandarin and you couldn’t be bothered to listen to him. 

Instead, you sat down on the floor and leaned against Donghyuck’s laughing body, joining his glee. Instinctively, your hands wrapped around the soft fabric of your best friend’s hoodie as you continued cackling at your friend’s anger.

>>> 8:37 am // 13 and a half hours until sleep <<<

Sitting in a cafe with you and Donghyuck and Jeno, Jaemin chuckled. “You really hid in the bathroom for an hour?”

“We did,” Donghyuck confessed with a sigh. “It was a bit cramped and could’ve used some cleaning, but fuck, it was fun.”

“The bathroom or Renjun’s anger?” Jaemin narrowed his eyes.

Donghyuck and you raised your eyebrows at him, both clearly disappointed in his dumb joke. He seemed unbothered, chuckling nevertheless. 

“Renjun seemed pretty pissed. I wouldn’t even make eye contact with him for a few days, if I were you,” Jeno pointed out, stirring his drink with a straw. “Just a warning.”

“Wasn’t planning on it anyway,” Donghyuck promised earnestly before leaning back in his chair. He picked a strawberry off your plate and ate it. You listened as he let out a hum of appreciation and mumbled about the berry being just right.

“How long until you two are going to sleep?” Jaemin then wondered. “It’s been a long while already.”

“Not sure,” you sang and pulled out your phone. With a proud smile, you announced, “Only a bit over thirteen hours to go.”

“So,” Jeno frowned, “like a whole normal day.”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck agreed and straightened up with a smile that screamed regret, “except we’ve already been awake for 16 hours.”

“You’re insane,” Jeno whispered, staring at the two of you with wide eyes. “Seriously insane.”

Jaemin kissed his teeth before lifting his coffee cup. “That’s what I told them.”

“To be honest, I am slowly starting to feel the insanity seeping in, yeah,” your best friend mumbled and took a sip of his coffee. “But breakfast helps.” 

He then proceeded to look at you with a pout and his eyes adorably wide. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted. 

You shook your head. “I am already paying for my and Jaemin’s breakfast. If I pay for yours as well, I’ll be broke before next weekend rolls in.”

“Oh come on,” he whined, pinching your arm gently, “I bought us three bags of snacks last night. The least you could do is pay me back with breakfast.”

“What am I? Your boyfriend? Girlfriend? Sugar mommy?” you asked, in a state of disbelief.

“I mean, you could be,” he wiggled his eyebrows rather suggestively. If you had any thought of paying for him earlier, the thought now vanished. 

>>> 9:17 am // 13 hours until sleep <<<

“Okay, but no, it’s not okay! I worked my ass off for that essay and she just—” Jaemin stopped mid-sentence, his gaze switching from annoyance to absolute adoration as he stared at something ahead of you. He placed his Americano in Jeno’s hands. “Hold on a sec.”

While he did so, and you and Jeno stared at him in clear confusion, Donghyuck let out a squeal before dashing forward. “Puppy!”

As the puzzle pieces fit into their places, you began laughing at the two boys’ cute reactions. “They’re so weird.”

“They love dogs,” Jeno sighed, almost taking a sip out of Jaemin’s coffee but managing to stop himself somehow. He glanced towards you, a smile appearing on his lips as he nudged you gently. “And you love him.”

“Who?” you panicked, almost snapping your own neck from the speed at which you turned your head. Your eyes wide and heartbeat going insane, you defended yourself, “I don’t even like Donghyuck like that.”

Jeno smirked and brought a coffee cup to his lips. “I didn’t say a name.” 

He then sputtered and coughed as the bitter liquid of Jaemin’s coffee instead of a creamy and sweet hot chocolate met his tongue. You didn’t say anything, but silently thanked karma.

“(Y/n)!” Donghyuck screamed, his fingers knuckle-deep in a Malamute’s fur. “Come and pet this dog! Her fur is so soft! And she’s so friendly! Yes, she is! Yes, she is!”

Recovering from his coffee mistake, Jeno nudged you once again with a smile. He mumbled, “He likes you too.”

It took every ounce of your self-control to keep from telling Jeno a choice of non-child-appropriate words. You just glared at him instead before heading towards Donghyuck and the dog. How dare he give you hope like that!?

>>> 11:03 am // 11 hours until sleep <<<

“Not gonna lie,” Donghyuck spoke, his head peeking out of your room (since Jaemin had kicked you two out of theirs for a cleaning session the moment you got back to the dorms), “I’m a bit surprised Renjun hasn’t attempted to murder us yet.”

At his comment, you looked up from your homework sheets, an eyebrow raised. After a moment of consideration, you asked, “You were counting on getting murdered?”

Donghyuck ducked back into your room and shrugged, “I was feeling some hatred towards myself when I came up with that plan, so yeah.”

You chose not to reply. Instead, you squeezed your mouth shut and focused back on your homework. 

Your determination to study was broken again when you felt him lean his head on your shoulder once again. Though he didn’t say anything, you still found it hard to focus back on your work, his proximity making your mind hazy.

“Why are you doing homework on Sunday morning?” Donghyuck wondered, tilting his head from side to side as he stared at the sheets in your lap. You shrugged and he chuckled. “Let’s do something more fun.”

“These are due tomorrow morning though,” you pointed out somewhat begrudgingly and leaned back against his chest. 

With your mind sleepier than ever before, you kept finding yourself thinking thoughts  and asking questions you never had before: for example, since when was his chest so well-built? You shook the thought out your mind and tried to continue your work instead.

Donghyuck let out a whine. When you looked back at him, he was sporting a confused frown and his lips were adorably pouted. He made eye-contact with you and you almost melted. “Do you want some help?”

“Why?” you teased, simultaneously making the mistake of pushing your face closer to his. “Are you jealous of this worksheet.”

Now. There were a million ways your sleep-deprived brain imagined this going. You could imagine him pushing you away and denying. You could imagine him scoffing in your face. You could even imagine Renjun interrupting the moment with a slam of the door and a chainsaw in hand, a murderous glare in his eyes. 

Never in a million years could you have imagined the reality.

Closing his eyes, he closed the small distance left between your faces to rub his nose against your own, nuzzling his face into your own in an attempt of showing affection, before mumbling, “And if I say yes?”

Your mind, your heart, and your body were going into a frenzy, desperately trying to figure out the meaning behind his actions. Did he like you back? Was Jeno right? Were you hallucinating? Was he just teasing?

Before you could make sense of your feelings, the door opened and revealed Renjun glaring at him. Donghyuck was up and off your bed within the span of  a second, already dashing towards the door. Renjun caught him before he could leave, dragging him out in a chokehold and leaving you behind to ponder your existence.

Gasping for air, you shook your head and turned back to your homework. As you grabbed your pen, you mumbled, “Dear Classic Literature 101, provide me with the distraction I need.”

>>> 1:02 pm // 9 hours until sleep <<<

Your daydreams and a desperate situational analysis were interrupted by the cause of it all walking back into your room, face flushed and his hair a complete mess. Donghyuck stood in front of your door for a bit, resting his hands on his hips, before sighing and smiling and trudging over to your figure.

Without a single second of hesitation, he threw his body over yours, resting his head against your shoulder once again, his nose just barely grazing the side of your neck as he let out a noise of happiness.

Deciding to ignore the way your heart once again picked up its speed and your skin seemed to burn where he touched, you poked his shoulder and asked, “Where were you for so long?”

“Renjun threw me around for a bit,” Donghyuck half-joked tiredly, his eyes closing as he relished in the comfort of your embrace. “Had me in a chokehold, tickled me, beat my ass in Yu-Gi-Oh twice, and reported me to the RA,” he took a deep dramatic breath before continuing, “who then made me fill in some paperwork and made me write an explanation to my actions and threatened to kick me out if I do any of this ever again.” He sighed. “All in all, a perfect morning.”

You stared at him in disbelief. “Wait, does this mean I’m getting punished too?”

Donghyuck’s eyes opened abruptly. “Do you want to be?”

“No?” You raised an eyebrow. “I’m asking if I will be.”

He patted your head gently, almost off-handedly, before assuring you, “No, you’re not. I made a deal with Renjun. The RA has no idea you were involved. All he knows is you were an unwilling victim of my crime.”

“What kind of a deal?” you wondered. 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes before closing them once again. “Does it matter? Do you want to be punished so badly?”

“No, I don’t.”

“So, don’t worry.” He took a hold of your hand, intertwining your fingers. “Just trust me.”

>>> 1:57 pm // 8 hours until sleep <<<

A feeling of déjà vu filled you as you watched the scene unfolding in front of you in Jaemin and Donghyuck’s bedroom.

“Why are we playing UNO again?” Jeno wondered, shuffling the cards like a professional and making you marvel at his skills all over again for the umpteenth time in the past 12 hours. As you watched his hands at work, you made a note to yourself that if you weren’t so head over heels for your best friend, you’d definitely consider dating Lee Jeno.

Donghyuck, once again busily drawing a table in his notebook, mumbled, “Because we live in a dorm where there is no wi-fi and the only board games are this and strip poker,” he closed the cap of his marker before looking up, “and I don’t know about you, but I personally have some body image issues which I am afraid would only get worse if I was shirtless in the same room as you two Greek gods.”

Jeno’s hands halted and a puzzled frown appeared on his face. It only lasted for a second before he shrugged and turned back to the cards. “Whatever you say.”

“What’s the prize this time?” Jaemin asked. Lying on his tummy and kicking his legs back and forth gently, he looked like a giddy schoolgirl about to gossip with her friends. You weren’t sure why your sleepy brain came up with that particular analogy, but judging by the amused look Donghyuck sent your way, your brain wasn’t the only one.

With the cards shuffled and dealt, you got ready for the brutal game that was about to start.

“Loser buys the winner a meal,” Donghyuck spoke as though it was obvious. “I’ll go first.”

>>> 3:12 pm // 7 hours until sleep <<<

“How did you lose?” You still couldn’t believe it as Donghyuck put away the cards. Hungry for some proper food, Jeno and Jaemin had left just minutes ago, coming in second and third place respectively. 

Donghyuck shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe my brain just isn’t built for UNO.”

With a loud sigh, he jumped onto the bed and lied down. You raised an eyebrow. “That’s a big lie. You’ve never lost at UNO before.”

“Maybe polarities switched?” he guessed half-heartedly, not even bothering to make sense. Even you could see through that facade.

“Whatever,” you scoffed before poking him between the ribs. “Now you owe me a meal.”

You almost missed the way his lips tugged into a tiny smile. “It’ll be my pleasure.” He pulled you closer before asking, “What do you want for dinner, oh dear winner?”

>>> 4:10 pm // 6 hours until sleep <<<

Loud hollering interrupted your in-depth discussion about best dog breeds to own. You shared a confused look before jumping up and peeking out the door. To amplify your shock, the first face you saw was that of Na Jaemin, his face twisted in a nearly maniacal smile.

“What’s up with you?” Donghyuck asked lowly, stepping between you and Jaemin in a stance that you nearly dubbed protective in your sleepy haze.

Jaemin let out a squeal and pulled Donghyuck into a tight hug. “The wi-fi is back!”

“It’s back?” Donghyuck struggled out while pushing Jaemin away to his best ability. He glanced at you over his shoulder as you went to check the router. Indeed, instead of an annoying blinking red light there was a bright happy green. 

You pulled out your phone to connect to the network and gasped as notifications began rolling in. “Woah! It’s really back!”

“I told you!” Jaemin squealed once again, tightening his grip on Donghyuck who could only let out quiet whines and whimpers at his roommate’s strength. You guessed his tired state was making him slightly less physically strong. 

After what felt like a long while, Donghyuck pushed free from Jaemin’s giddy embrace and instead ran to give you a similar treatment. You groaned as he squeezed you and spun you around as if you were the sole cause for the return of wi-fi. As much as you loved being in his embrace, you shortly realized you also dearly loved to breathe and so you struggled out of his hug. He only laughed.

“Yeah, yeah,” you gasped out before leaning back on your best friend’s bed. “Ready to continue our drama?”

Donghyuck’s eyes lit up. “Oh my god! Yes! Wait,” he rushed over to his closet to pull a bag of snacks out before nearly dancing over to you again, “we have snacks, we have wi-fi, we have each other. Let’s see who that girl ends up with.”

“Can you hand me my laptop?” you asked sheepishly when he expectantly looked at you. He rolled his eyes but did so anyway. 

“You’re lucky I love you,” he grumbled. 

>>> 6:29 pm // 3 and a half hours until sleep <<<

“Yah!” Donghyuck’s whiny voice woke you up from a slumber you hadn’t even realized you had fall in. You begrudgingly opened your eyes to find him glaring at you as if you had just insulted his very being. You gulped. “I thought we agreed to stay awake together! What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled and adjusted your position to chase sleep away, “I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep.”

Theatrically, Donghyuck sighed in defeat. To your surprise, he then took your hand and placed a chocolate bar in your palm. “Eat up. Maybe you’ll get some energy. We can do this.”

“Hwaiting,” you chuckled weakly and unwrapped the snack while attempting to understand the plot of the drama. “Wait, what happened here? How long was I asleep?”

“A few minutes,” Donghyuck lied. It was closer to half an hour, really. “You didn’t miss much.”

You tilted your head. “It kinda feels like I did though.”

“Believe me,” he snorted and pulled you to rest under his arm, resting his head on top of yours, “you didn’t miss anything.”

>>> 8:24 pm // 1 and a half hours until sleep <<<

“Wait what!?” you screeched, jumping up and waking Donghyuck from the little sleepy daze he had found himself in. He looked at you with suddenly wide and awake eyes as you frantically paused the drama and gestured. 

“What?” he asked.

You pointed at the screen. “The lead girl is related to the male lead’s half-sister!?”

“Yeah,” he yawned and tried to pull you back into his embrace, “they revealed it in the last episode already, I think. Or maybe a few episodes ago.”

You frowned. “I don’t remember that.”

“You don’t?” Donghyuck hummed. “I couldn’t sworn they revealed it then.”

You attempted to make sense of the situation. Surely your brain was remembering the drama selectively! Either that or…

As realization hit, you gasped. 

Donghyuck soon found himself at the end of a very accusatory pointer finger, his eyebrows shooting up. “What?”

“You lied!” 

“I didn’t.”

“You did!”

“When?” he raised his voice just a bit.

You pointed at the screen once again, as if it was key evidence, and accused your best friend, “You said I was only asleep for a few minutes and I didn’t miss anything!”

“You didn’t,” he chuckled sleepily. “See, you’re all caught up already.”

“That’s different!” you whined and let him pull you into a cuddle.

“Don’t be so dramatic and just watch the drama,” Donghyuck mumbled, half-consciously pressing a soft kiss to the crown of your head before pressing play on the drama once again. 

>>> 9:54 pm // six minutes until sleep <<<

“The other guy was a much better choice,” he complained, eyes still glued to the laptop screen. “He knew her so well and was so sweet.”

“He reminded me of Shotaro a bit,” you pointed out while munching on a tangerine. 

Donghyuck’s eyes narrowed, finally tearing away from the screen just to glare at you. “What did you just say?”

“He reminded me of Shotaro?” Under his intense gaze, it was difficult to continue eating or even thinking. So you halted both actions and stared right back at him like a deer caught in headlights.

“How is he like Shotaro?” he whined after a while, switching from irritation to poutiness. “If anything, he’s like me.”

“Like you?” You snorted. “Please. He’s adorable. Plus, this guy knows everything about this girl, like Shotaro with his girlfriend.”

“I know everything about you too!” he pointed out and sat up straighter, though his face only appeared to lean closer to yours. “Don’t believe me? Try me.”

You weren’t one to back down from a challenge, so you asked, “What’s my least favourite subject?” 

You could barely finish the question before he had the answer ready. “You hate the professor of that subject because she always gives too much homework and uses outdated memes in her presentations. Try again.”

While swearing to yourself that he was getting closer to you physically, you asked, “My favourite clothing item?”

“Those trendy jeans you got for a cheap price at a second-hand store and have been wearing at least once every week,” Donghyuck replied without any hesitation. As you were about to pose another question, he added on, “You also love the green hoodie I gave you last night because it’s my softest and warmest one and it always smells like me. That’s why I borrow it to you every time without you even asking.”

You were a bit taken aback. He, on the other hand, seemed to not plan on stopping anytime soon. 

“I know all of your allergies, I know all of your likes and dislikes and loves and hatreds and I know you are oddly attracted to the way Jeno shuffles cards and how Renjun speaks Mandarin. I know you like the smell of fresh laundry and you have no idea how a compass works or which way is north. I know you better than anyone.” He sounded both bitter and infatuated as he listed. 

He also seemed to get closer to you with every word he said. If you hadn’t noticed that before in your state of awe, you definitely realized it when his nose pressed against your own and his eyes seemed so big you felt like you were watching at an ocean of hot chocolate swirl in them. 

After a beat of silence, he sighed and pulled back, looking away as he seemed almost upset. He ran a hand through his hair and mumbled, “And yet you’re into—”

You didn’t let him finish his sentence. Instead, your fingers wrapped around the collar of his worn black t-shirt and pulled him towards you until your lips met his. Instinctively, your fingers released his shirt to run up his neck and to his fluffy and soft hair that you knew smelled of pine trees and the ocean. His lips felt soft against yours and the hum of happiness that rumbled in his chest felt like you had finally found your reason for being. His hands on your waist left burning prints in their wake and you couldn’t help but lean closer to him. 

He pulled back after a moment, desperate for a breath of air as well as answers. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the way his eyes were glazed over with something akin to admiration. They seemed to shine. 

With a blissful and relieved smile on his face, he spoke, “So you’re not into—”

While chuckling, you pressed a hand to his lips to stop him from speaking. “I am not into Shotaro, or Jeno, or Jaemin, or Renjun, or even Felix Lee.”

“Then…” He leaned forward again, testing the waters. “Are you into…?”

“You? Why yes, Lee Donghyuck,” you replied pressing a quick kiss to his lips to reassure him, “I really am into you.”

Donghyuck kissed you again and you could feel the smile on his lips. He kept pulling you closer and closer and didn’t stop until you were positively in his lap and not even a sheet of paper could fit between your bodies. When he pulled away again, his grin widened. “We’re both idiots, then. I’ve been in love with you since Freshman year.”

“Seriously?” You giggled. “That’s long.”

“I know,” he sighed dreamily. 

You swore you had never seen his eyes shine like that before and yet you couldn’t imagine them looking any other way all of a sudden. You smiled. “I’ve loved you since—”

The alarm on your phone blared and forced you out of your little paradise. After shuffling off Donghyuck’s lap and to his bedside table to shut off the alarm, you found yourself quietly fearing you had dreamed this whole thing. It felt unreal. 

Yet, when you turned back to him, he was smiling at you the same way he had just a minute ago. With his eyes shining with galaxies in them and a dreamy tilt to his expression as he held out his arms, eager for your return. You felt just as eager and quickly found your way back to your best friends—your lover’s—arms. 

He pressed another kiss to your lips before hugging you tighter and falling to his back, head resting against his pillows. He hummed as you adjusted your position so you were cuddled into his side, head tilted just enough to be able to reach his lips again without much additional effort. 

“Stay the night?” he asked lazily, lips pressing to your temple for a peck before he pulled his blanket over the two of you. You smiled and nodded, breathing in his familiar scent as you closed your eyes. He chuckled a bit before pressing another kiss to your forehead and whispering, “We’re going to talk about this tomorrow, okay? No running from our feelings.”

“Why not now?” you teased, cracking an eye open just enough to gauge his reaction.

Donghyuck scoffed and lightly raised an eyebrow. “Sleep.”

“Pft!” You poked between his ribs affectionately, prompting him to catch your hand in his hand and giggle. “Who needs sleep?”

“Us,” he mumbled and tightened his embrace. “We need sleep. Desperately.”