Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

If there was any person on this planet that absolutely despised school, it would be Lee Minho. Lee Minho was loved by some, hated by most, but everyone who stepped foot into the campus of Yongsan High had his name engraved into their memory. That man was pretty well-known, but for all the wrong, nasty reasons. He was like your typical "bad boy", skipping classes, spending his recess in detention, fucking random guys in the make-out stall, or picking on smaller, quieter students just for the "fun of it", he says.

He had his own little friend triangle he always hung around with. Him, along with his roommates Hyunjin and Seungmin. The three of them were always attached at the hip, mucking around the school and doing anything but attending classes. Despite having polar opposite personalities, their triangle was the perfect fit. Of course, they fought too, a healthy friendship always consists of misunderstandings. Their arguments would be as silly as who's turn it was to clean the dishes, or as harsh as the feeling of being left out often times from the trio. Either way, their quarrels always ended with shared laughter and no misunderstandings, that's just how they functioned all the time.

Hyunjin and Seungmin were also the ones involved in the rebellious act of picking on smaller, quieter students just for the "fun of it". There was this one smaller, quieter student in particular that the three of them - well, mostly Minho, the other two sort of tag along - loved to pick on.

"What's up, nerd!" Minho called out as his roommates followed closely behind like dogs on a leash. He ruffled the student's hair a bit too harshly on purpose, then dragged his hand down to his temple, removed his glasses, and handed them to Hyunjin as the three snickered. The kid looked up at their faces. All three wore the same smug expression as they looked down on him.

"Nerd, really? That was the best insult you could've given to the valedictorian? If you're gonna bully me, at least make it hurt a little, damn." he huffed with a stoic expression. Hyunjin and Seungmin instantly shut up, but Minho hadn't; instead, he had bowed down lower and closer until they were on eye level. "Feisty now, aren't we, squirrel?" he had replied lowly.

That nickname earned Minho a good knee to the groin. The boy didn't enjoyed being called adorable nicknames, having stated that they were too "couple-y." Minho groaned in pain and tumbled to the ground as his two best friends rushed to pick him up while yelling incoherent curses at Jisung.

If there was one decent thing to say about these boys, it would have been that they never got into physical fights - bare minimum, I know, but it was Lee Minho, come on.

"Maybe just stick to calling me Jisung," Jisung muttered back, he fisted the pockets of his sweatpants like they held him back from his knuckles making contact with Minho's jaw. Minho recovered quickly; he took Jisung's glasses back from Hyunjin's hold and put them on the boy, his fingers lingered on his temples a little too long. His hands came down to rest at the base of his jaw, and a shuddered breath left Jisung as Minho came face-to-face with him. "Or what? You gonna hit me again, princess? I'd love to see you try, baby." His smirk formed into a small smile, his two front teeth visible now that it had grown wider.

As expected, a fist came flying toward his jaw, but Minho managed to block it this time, his late-night sparring sessions having worked their magic. Jisung's eyes raged with something that was not hate or anger, but something along the lines of it as he continued to glare down at Minho. Jisung tried his best to get his punch to at least graze Minho's jaw, eyebrows squinting, cheeks turning crimson by the second, upper body trembling from all the force he put in. Minho, on the other hand, wore a nonchalant look.

His body was relaxed, the palm stopping Jisung's fist by his head, while his free hand held the strap of his backpack. Jisung finally gave in when the bell had rung, reminding him where he had to be, in Mr. Park's biology class. The younger muttered a sharp "I hate you" before passing by the three, purposely bumping Minho's shoulder, though it didn't do much to stumble him. "Love you too, squirrel!" Minho had yelled while giggling softly, then tapped Seungmin's shoulder, signaling they should head off too. Jisung flipped him off without looking back as he continued walking down the hall in long strides, not wanting to be late.

The other two boys hadn't said much at the time while Minho and Jisung...did their thing; the air been too heavy for Hyunjin to step in on the "bullying", and Seungmin avoiding much talking came naturally with his personality. All Hyunjin managed to get out was a mumbled "Damn" when they turned around and started walking toward the staircase.

"You're actually so touchy and giggly around Jisung for someone who's supposed to be the mean one," Seungmin stated flatly, breaking the awkward atmosphere that had previously lingered.

"No? I tease him like I do all the other boys, what are you talking about?" Minho said while stopping mid-step, foot hovering over the next step of the stair before slowly putting it down.

"Come on, Minho. Baby, squirrel, princess is all I hear you calling him. I've never heard you once call him an actual slur or even his name!" Hyunjin had joined in. "

I was just playing around, gosh! You're making it sound like I'm in love with that loser." Minho's voice wavered with cringe at the last part as he shook his head, ears abnormally red and hot, and scurried up the last of the steps to the top floor.

"Maybe you are," Seungmin had muttered under his breath, as the two of them also made it up the stairs.

Chapter Text

Minho walked in through the school doors, the air conditioner hitting his face harshly - a rather contrast from the blazing July heat outside - and noticed the crowd a students surrounding the bulletin board in the far corner of the hall. His curiosity got the best of him as he made his way to the board, squeezing through high school teenagers who smelled like Axe body spray all the time. He finally got to the front, getting to see what all the commotion was really about.

                                                                                             YONGSAN HIGH
                                                                                                           PROM NIGHT
                                                                                       

                                                                                             timings: 6pm onwards
                                                                                             date: Saturday, 6th February 2026
                                                                                             theme: An Enchanted Night
                                                                                             
                                                                                             for any queries, kindly contact- 010-1430-0325


The board read, bold letters imprinted in vivid, sparkly sheets of paper. "Yongsan High Prom Night, huh." Hyunjin said as he slowly approached Minho, startling him. "Gosh! Don't scare me like that!" Minho replied, holding a fist in the air, imitating a punch. "Okay! Sorry lol," Hyunjin chuckled. "Our school's never done a prom night before, right? It seems exciting, you gonna go?" He continued. "Sure, another excuse to get wasted I guess?" Minho stated.

"Ah yes! Classic Minho, always wanting to get wasted and get railed soon after," Seungmin deadpanned as he came from behind Minho, startling him yet again. "Holy fuck! You guys really need to stop doing that, gosh!" Minho shrieked while the other two burst out laughing. "Also, correction, I rail, not get railed-"  "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, bottom," Seungmin cut him off. "Let me ask Changbin what he's going to wear, I wanna match!" He continued, grinning at the name of his lover, his braces flashing graphically under the harsh white lights of the school.

"Ugh! The better keep your lovey-dovey asses away from me, atleast I got Hyunjin to keep me company." Minho said while bringing an arm across his shoulder and patting his chest with his other hand. "Actually.." Hyunjin mumbled as he slowly turned his head towards the older. "Do not-"  "That blondie was just too pretty okay?!"

Minho left a tired sigh, slowly took his hand off the latter's shoulder, as the other two stared at him in pity. "Guess I'll be drinking alone then." Minho mumbled, but little did the others know, that his mind was already set on a certain blue haired kid.

The bell rang as the three of them made their way to and up the stairs, into their retreat.








"Pleaseeee Jisung it's going to be so funn!!" Felix requested Jisung, eyes wide and begging. This had been going on for the past fifteen minutes, but Felix wasn't one to give up that easily. "No! How many times do I have to tell you that Lix? Parties overwhelm me so much. The smell of sweaty teenagers dancing, the horrible, horrible stench of alcohol that lingers absolutely everywhere, and the worst of it all, crowds. You know how I get when I'm among so many people!" Jisung argued back.

"C'mon~ I'll be with you the entire time, I swear," Felix begged again. Just when Jisung opened his mouth to protest Felix cut him off. "I'll prepare an outfit for you, I'll do your makeup all pretty and shimmery just how you like it, you're gonna be bagging girls and guys all night. Just, please, this once, for me?" He then proceeded to give Jisung the most pleading puppy eyes ever that he knew the latter couldn't resist.

"Argh! Okay, fine! But I swear if you leave me alone for even a second too long, I'll be reconsidering our friendship." Jisung finally gave in. "Sir, yes sir!" Felix replied with a salute, voice all deep and serious, but he was grinning ear to ear. The bell rang as the boys made their way to first period, literature, Mrs. Jung's class.

Felix did not once stop talking about how Jisung was going to be the "prettiest boy at the party!".

"Oh my gosh! You would look so damn hot in a crop top and a skirt, gosh!" He squealed.
"Oh I don’t-"
"It’s about the silhouette, babe. I have a vision."
Jisung narrowed his eyes. "You say that every time you dress me up."
"And am I ever wrong?" The silence gave Felix the answer he was searcing for.

Jisung just sighed while Felix continued daydreaming about seeing Jisung in a pretty little skirt.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur and Jisung didn't realize the day got over until he saw the janitors cleaning up the halls. He liked spending his after school hours in the library when he didn't have to attend any extra classes. The boy would usually be doing his homework if he didn't finish it up in class, extra credit work which absolutely did not raise his already perfect scores, or reading a manga.

Today he found himself doing the first option, not quite though, he stared and stared into the worksheet until he was sure his gaze would burn right through them, but found his mind wandering off to somewhere else, Lee Minho.

He wasn't sure why in the first place, he hates that guy with the deepest pits of his heart, then why was he slightly bummed out when the older didn't go out of his way to find him? Why was he sulky about the fact that his "enemy", didn't tease him with his usual giggles and touches? And why did his cheeks start burning up at the thought of his bunny smile and the way his eyes crinkled every time he grinned?

He got pulled away from his little daydreaming session with the ring of his phone, it lit up as the nametag read "Mom". Jisung didn't really like his mom, but if he didn't pick up her call, she might just barge into his dorm and never leave.

He picked up the call with a loud sigh and wedged his phone between his shoulder and ear, as his hands started tidying up his books.

"Mom, I'm pretty sure I told you to never contact me, why, why do you keep doing this?"
"I just want to know if my Hannie is safe-"
"Okay, first of all, please stop calling me that, I'm not a baby anymore. Second, don't contact me in any form ever again, I thought I left you for good!" He whined in anger, stepping out of the library.

"Leave me for good? How do you do that to your own mother Han Jisung?!"
"The same way dad did!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. He started stomping his way towards the red glowing EXIT sign.

"You know your dad had his reasons!"
"Except for the fact that I don't! Whenever I ask what happened you always dismiss it by saying-"
"Men always leave, I'm aware of what I say, and there's a reason behind that too. You have to learn to rely on your own because no one is going to stay forever, Jisung-ah." His mother's voice calmed down significantly.

"But why, mom? You guys were so happy-"
"That's, a conversation for another time, son, it- it can't happen on call like this." His mother cut him off again.
"Now, I'll continue to call you until I know my Jisungie is doing well, stay safe, okay love?" She continued.
"Yeah, okay mom, you too." Jisung hung up the call, a small sigh leaving his face.

He was now standing outside the school premises, so he put on his favorite red pair of headphones, pulled up his favorite emo playlist titled "It's not just a phase, mom" and walked back to the barely two rooms and one kitchen dorm he called his home.

During his walk, his mind kept wandering off to the rebel with the black hair, he drowned out the thoughts by increasing the volume, because why on Earth would he even think of wanting to be noticed by his enemy? Was Minho even his enemy anymore? He definitely was, why would he come to annoy him all the time if he didn't hate Jisung? But was he even that annoying? He didn't say anything mean to him. Jisung still hates him nonetheless. Why did Jisung even hate him in the first place? Was it even hate? Then, why does his breath hitch every time the older's skin makes contact with his? Did he secretly like- Okay, that's enough wandering off, his mind said as he snapped back to reality.

He dozed off almost instantly when he got back, too exhausted to even change out of his dirty uniform.

And for once, the rebel with the black hair followed him into his dreams.

Chapter Text

Minho was in a frenzy when he woke up - 8:27 AM - The digital alarm displayed in bright red. His head was banging, the same thoughts from yesterday coming over him again. He hadn't slept properly, tossing and turning throughout the night, his mind going through the same topic over and over again. He grunted and sighed as he sat up on his bed, back fully resting on the headboard. His phone dinged with a notification from his calender; REMINDER: Prom Tonight. The reminder set off those thoughts again like a foot being lifted from a landmine. Prom, Han Jisung, Prom, Han Jisung, Prom, Han Jisung, blowing in his brain in a continuous loop.

The boy had a plan. The plan seemed simple, keyword: seemed, Find out what Jisung was wearing for prom, "accidentally" match outfits with him and go about his night without dismissing any of the couple allegations. See, very simple, nothing could possibly go wrong the entire night, right? His heart was racing though, racing with nervousness, with guilt. The nervousness was there the day before too, making it impossible to even face the boy in the corridors. What if he feels uncomfortable? What if he gets mad at me? What if he doesn't even show up? He shoved all the questions back, far back into the jumble of his brain, and went to the bathroom to scrub off all the grime from yesterday's sparring night.

After a not-so-nice hot shower, he stepped out of the steaming cubicle with a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, waddled towards the sink, and just stared at himself in the mirror after wiping the fogged up glass. He stared and stared and stared until all he could see were the flaws on face. The eyebags, the acne scars, the blackheads. The concept of prom and Jisung came back as he picked up his toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezing a generous amount before he began brushing his teeth.









"How would he ever be mine? He definitely thinks I’m annoying. I mean… he makes that pretty clear.” Minho dragged a hand through his hair, still slightly damp at the ends, pacing the room like a caged animal. "All I ever do is mess with him. Why, god why? I call him stupid nicknames, steal his glasses, get in his face all the time- I- what kind of impression do you think that gives?" He scoffed under his breath.

"And...just, look at him. He’s the god damn valedictorian, Hyunjin. He’s smart, he has his life figured out, people genuinly respect him." Minho paused, leaning against his desk with a quiet sigh. Meanwhile I’m just… me. Skipping classes, getting detention every other week, starting fights for no particular reason.” His voice dropped a little, head tilting towards the floor. "Why would someone like that even look twice at me?"

Hyunjin blinked slowly, leaning back onto the bedhead. “Dude, you harass that boy like it’s your full-time job." He chuckles a soft breath. “If that’s your version of flirting, I’m amazed he hasn’t filed a restraining order yet.” Minho's head snapped towards him, eyebrows scrunched in disbelief. " Dude! I'm in the middle of a high school love crisis right now and all you care about is cracking jokes? This isn't funny!" He whined loudly in annoyance.

"Crisis, is a big word for whatever this is, but man, you're really overthinking all this, even the part where you said Jisung hates you, he doesn't-"

"But he does-"

"Does not! Trust me, Seungmin and I have noticed way more than you ever have when you're in your..subspace, or whatever." His face contorted in slight disgust.

"You and trust do not go in one sentence. Anyways, I called you here to help me out, not give me a whole ass body language analysis, gosh." Minho's voice drooped, pleading for assistance. "Pretty sure that's not what it's called but okay. Leave it to me, you're getting that man, trust me. I have a plan." Hyunjin lifted his head up and patted his chest proudly. "The plan being..??" Minho worded out slowly, hands actioning for the latter to speak up.









"Girl! Wake, the fuck, up!" Felix barged into Jisung's studio apartment like he paid the rent, Jisung really shouldn't have given him the spare keys. He closed his umbrella and took off his shoes in a hurry by the door. "Come on~ We have a prom to get to~ Get up, bitch." He hummed out loud before tackling a sleeping Jisung on the bed. "Dude, it's like nine in the fucking morning let me sleep."

Jisung growled back with his voice heavy with sleep, grabbed a pillow and waved it around in an attempt to hit the blonde. It didn't.

Felix quickly went back towards the shoe rack, shook off the excess water from his umbrella, and brought it back to the latter's bed. "Wake up right now or I'm shoving this umbrella up where the sun don't shine." No response. He then put the tip of the umbrella and slightly pushed it against Jisung's ass. "Okay! I'm up, I'm up!"

About an hour later, Jisung's dorm was converted into a knock-off designer brand fashion week show. Jisung kept trying on new tops, jeans, jackets, shorts, skirts, basically every piece of clothing there ever was. Felix's replies would always be a mix of nah 's and we can do better 's, until finally, finally deciding on a set that didn't suck.

"Yes...yes! This is it!" Felix yelped in success, excitedly tiny clapping. "Thank fuck! I'm tired now, I need food, ramen and cheesecake, and a good Studio Ghibli movie." Both the boys spent their morning watching Howl's Moving Castle for the nth time, munching on takeout ramen and cheap cheesecake. The movie was coming to an end when Felix got a text from Hyunjin.

Hey bubs, quick question, what are you and Jisung wearing tonight?? Just asking!

Felix found the abrupt interrogation a bit off, but he didn't think much of it, it was just an outfit after all.

Oh uhm, okay! I'll send a pic!

thanks!

npp!! y'all are picking us at 5:30 right??

yupp, see you bubs <3

see you soon <3

Putting his phone his phone back, he noticed the movie ended. Jisung shifts on the couch so as he's facing Felix, on leg dangling off the couch while the other one is tucked under him. "We're already done with our fits, can you do my makeup now?" He asked. "Sure! Let me grab my stuff real quick." Felix replied.






"All right...you're all set bubs!" Felix exclaimed, dabbing the last bit of powder on his face. Jisung excitedly walks over into his room and stands in front of the full-length mirror. I look...pretty. He thinks, almost questiong himself. He popped his left hip outwards and wiggled his hips to see the ruffles of his jellyfish skirt bounce around. He gets closer to the mirror, admiring his makeup that Felix oh so lovingly did. He loved it, loved all of it, the way his lips looked so pink and plush and glossy. The way his eyeshadow shimmered beautifully under the right lighting. The way the tip of his nose was so perfectly highlighted and contoured, making it pointier and prettier. The way his lashes looked even fuller with them curled, and the eyeliner making his round eyes, similar to tapioca pearls, pop even more. He grabbed his leather sling purse from his closet and made his way towards the living room, where Felix was on his phone, most likely texting his date.

He looked up from his phone, a wide grin on his face when he saw the latter smiling, absolutely shining. He felt happy whenever the latter looked like his real self again. His free and expressive and feminine self. "You look amazing bubs! Here, wear these." He says, handing Jisung his favorite pair of loafers. They were the prettiest pair of shoes he owned. Dark and simple, but the bow on the vamp was like the cherry on the top. Felix checked the time, 5:32PM, "They should be here any minute now." He confirmed. "Yup, got it. Wait, they?" Jisung questioned after a moment of realization. "Yeah, Hyunjin and Minho." Felix said very matter of factly. Before Jisung could say anything, the bell rang, followed by a series of knocks. The blonde rushed to the door, grabbing Jisung's wrist along and closed the door in one swift motion.

Hyunjin was standing right in front of the two boys, Felix greeted him with a hug. The two continued to make small talk, breaking off the awkwardness. But Jisung didn't pay attention to any of that, instead, his eyes went straight to the short haired male behind Hyunjin, leaning against the boot of the car. He noticed it at the first glance, their matching outfits. His eyes lit up, with anger? With joy? He wasn't really sure anymore. All he was sure about is that his feet started moving before his mind caught on, and when it did, he found himself standing in front of the older, his eyes looking down at him with an unexplainable emotion of want behind them. The both of them said nothing for a while, just, observing each other's attires.

Minho's world had already been shook when he saw the boy walking into the school doors for the first time ever. The way he tucked his plaid shirt into his pants, his ugly, thin little belt holding it all together on his impossibly tiny waist. The way he always fixed his glasses back into place because the frames were too big and heavy for his small face. The way he would always let out these small grunts and whimpers when he struggled to lift all his heavy books into one hand. The way his blue hair would always be disheveled from him constantly running his fingers through them. The boy had grown over the years, although not strength wise, he had grown rapidly in other various aspects. Music and fashion being the two major improvements.

And as of right now? Minho's entire world stopped spinning. He stared at the younger for what seemed like forever. He noticed his entire outfit, all of it. His navy blouse, soft ruffles at the shoulders and at the end of the sleeves. It hugged his waist perfectly, hemmed just above the belly button, showing off the slightest of his abs, silhouetting the rest that was covered beneath. His gray light-washed denim jeans. Loose and straight-fitted, an embroidery of flowers trailed down one side, and small, intricate patterns sown into the seams. His skirt, the shade being a perfect match of his top. Fitted at the top, and about three spiral ruffles cascading down from the left, ending right above his left foot. It wore an uneven hemline that was tightly wrapped around his waist, shorter at the right side so it didn't hide the floral patterns.

His purse slung on his shoulder, black and dainty, the strap was a silver chain. The Gucci logo on the flap was clearly visible, shining under the setting sun. No way he's got money, he literally functions on coupons, must be a gift. And the best of it all, his makeup. His lips, all he could think of is his lips. His beautiful heart-shaped lips, his plump lower lip and the thin upper one. Minho imagined how their lips would fit like, like missing puzzle pieces finally joint together, their lips being opposite in size, how they would slot perfectly together. Oh, god. Oh, how badly he wanted to kiss that gloss off his face.

Jisung stood below Minho, staring back at the older just as hard. His aggressively sharp facial structure catching the golden light amazingly. His sharp cat-like gaze burned holes right through the latter's eyes. He also saw how the concealer he put on was slightly creasing at the inside corners of his eyes. Must not be the brightest at makeup, I guess. His perfect, angled nose, a small beauty mark sat on it, somehow making his nose hotter. His ears we pierced and filled with all sorts of silver jewels. He got six new piercings on both ears recently, a total of eight now. Studs, hoops, rings, diamonds. His mouth was slightly agape, front teeth peeking out just the tiniest bit. He put on chapstick, his lips looked healthy for once. Jisung wondered what flavor it was. He didn't know what he was talking about, the chapstick, or the older's lips?

He recognized the embroidery on the front pocket of his navy vest, the same pink and mint florals that ran through the side of his own jeans. The vest wrapped snugly around the older's abdomen, cutting off right at his navel, large white buttons with gold accents adorning it, and a weird, wrinkle-faced creature carved on them. He wore a white undershirt, tucked into his trousers, blocking any view of his stomach. Well that sucks. The sleeves were rolled up till his elbows, revealing his forearms that the younger found very much attractive, he wouldn't admit it any time soon though. His trousers were also the same shade of blue as his top, resting on his ankles perfectly. Jisung's gaze lowered even more as his head was noticeably pointed down towards Minho's footwear. He wore a black pair of leather loafers, newly polished, Jisung was sure he could see his reflection if he looked hard enough.

"My eyes are up here, pretty boy." Minho whispered in that voice, the kind of voice that was only reserved for Jisung. "Am I really that ugly, huh? You find my shoes more hot, squirrel?" The teasing continued. "Enough with the names, scumbag." Jisung snarked. "And yes, your shoes are in fact more intruiging, because you look like the fucking endoplasmic reticulum." He continued, and started walking towards the car door. Whatever that means. Minho instantly grabbed his shoulder and lightly yanked him back, stopping him from reaching the handle, the younger yelped at the sudden force. "Woah-hoh! Let me be a gentleman at least, jeez." He howled, before opening the door for him and stepping back and gesturing for him to go inside. "In you go, princess." he said, before getting in himself and shutting the door with a soft thud.

"Are you guys finally done with the eye fucking, or what?" Hyunjin whined, one hand on the wheel, other one draped across the centre console, onto Felix's lap. Jisung hadn't said anything for long, he just gave an offended eyebrow raise to Hyunjin. Felix groaned in annoyance as he said; "Dude, it's been fifteen minutes, we thought y'all were just going to eat each other's faces off-" "Hyunjin can you just fucking drive off already?" Jisung spoke over the blonde, staring outside the window. The car took off.

He was still mad about their not-so-coincidentally similar outfits. Being really witty, he instantly figured out that Felix had something to do with this since he was the one who was in charge of his outfit. Jisung didn't know why, or how, but he initated a talk between him and Minho. He knew everything, but suddenly when it came to the topic of Lee Minho, the boy didn't have a clue about anything.

"So, did you just happen to be wearing the same outfit as me, or is this a new stalking trend that I'm not aware of?".

Minho smirked, pretending to think long and hard, before saying; "I'd say, the second option is the more accurate one."

"I could have you thrown in jail for that you wretched fuck waffle ." Jisung put out, head turning towards the latter.

"I'd love to see you try, baby." He replied in that same intimate tone that sparked something in the younger's heart, his face suddenly five centimetres away from his lips making contact with the latter's.

Jisung grumbled annoyingly, but he didn't back away. Again, not sure why. He felt something low pooling in his stomach, seeing Minho this close, he could smell the tang of his cologne from here, the sweet orange marmalade hitting his nose in an instant.

"Save this for after prom, you horny motherfuckers." Felix snarked. This seemed to pull the both of them from their trance, instantly straightening up. "That blonde dye must be getting into your pea sized brain, huh. We, weren't, doing, anything!" Jisung's voice raised with each syllable, his fist smacking the empty leather seat beside him. Hyunjin and Felix just shared a glance, before bursting out into laughter. "Whatever floats your boat, I guess." Hyunjin managed to say between laughs.

Minho simply turned his head away, towards the window, tongue poking against his cheek so he wouldn't get caught smiling like a lovesick idiot. His insanely red ears would give it away though, but no one noticed that thanks to the lack of light inside. He was feeling ecstatic about the night, imagining how Jisung would be like by the end of it, all wasted and giggly, whining for the older's attention, clinging on to his arm so he wouldn't collapse on the floor right then and there.

Little did he know, it was about to be one hell of a night. A night he would never forget, a night really not worth remembering.

Chapter Text

Jisung's heartbeat picked up as soon as they arrived, mind swirling with the worst of thoughts as they got out the car. People.so many.too many.loud. All the voices around him blurred into mumbles as his vision tried its best to stay steady. Felix rushed to his side, grabbed his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "Jisung, hey- listen to me. It's all fine- hey- shh. I'm right here, okay?"

His voice was the only thing that filtered through the mush of sounds. "Yea- yeah. All good. We can go, I- yeah- I'm fine." He managed to get the right words out as he held onto Felix's hands. Minho watched Jisung in pity, then glanced at Hyunjin, who had a soft smile on his face as he stared at the blonde, then back at Jisung who got his shit back together.

Jisung clung onto Felix's arm as Hyunjin had his shoulders draped around Felix. Minho hesitated a bit before placing the pads of his fingers on Jisung's lower back, a touch small enough to ignore, which Jisung did, but meant everything to the older. The four of them slowly made their way inside.
 
The venue was booming with youth. LED lights were spread across the entire gym, covering every nook and cranny in bold hues of pinks and greens. 

When they had first entered, the smell of strong liquor had hit Jisung first, his nose had scrunched up with the intense tang. Bodies on bodies had moved on the dance floor, the stench of sweat mingling with the alcohol. Felix had stuck with the boy as they met up with other peers, keeping him from bolting out of the place.

Now that Jisung loosened up a bit, the four of them were sitting at a booth near the bar. Jisung and Felix on one side, Hyunjin and Minho sat opposite to them. All of them except Jisung had their pints of beer infront of them, while he sat like a child with his fruit punch. He was never a fan of alcohol, he didn't know how people drank that bitter, stinging monstrosity that only rewarded them with a pounding headache the next day.

Jisung slouched in his seat when he felt Minho's gaze on him, again. He continued to swirl his paper straw in the fruit punch that now sat room temperature on the table, ice long gone.

He didn't really understand paper straws, they were meant to be dipped in liquid, why make them paper? They always disintegrated after two minutes or so. This whole switching to paper to save the environment concept was really helpful, but couldn't they make straws with biodegradable plastic? Who was stupid enough to think that paper straws would be an amazing invention?

He got lost deep in the invention of paper straws as he lifted the disheveled straw up to his face and watched the red liquid drip back into his glass, a couple pieces of paper going down with it. I'm so not drinking that, he thought as pushed his pilsner away from him. It glided across the small table and collided with Minho's near empty mug, the loud clink catching the attention of the other three. The force of the collision made Jisung's drink spill into Minho's, the bits of paper spilling along. Jisung felt bad, not expecting the glass to slide that far let alone, ruin the older's drink.

"Oh- shit- sorry I- I didn't mean to-"

"No, you're good pretty boy, you're all good."

Minho replied back as he grabbed a handful of tissues from the holder to wipe down the table. It took Jisung a while to register what the older had actually said because he was still muttering out apologies. When it finally did, he stopped mid sentence and snapped his head back up to glare at him with squinted eyes, furrowed brows, and a look of something only Jisung would describe as "disgust".

Minho gaped back with hooded eyes when he was done wiping. The corners of his mouth were slightly lifted but not quite a smile, and leaned in closer. The silence between them seemed to stretch on for hours before Hyunjin decided to break it. "Hey- uhm- guys," the both of them straightened up before he continued,

"Im taking Lix to the bar if that's fine with Jisung?"

"Oh- yeah no go ahead guys it's all good." Jisung hesistated a little but replied with certainty.

"You sure, bubs? Don't wanna leave you alon-"

"I'm fine lix, you guys have fun c'mon."

When Felix was sure that the latter would be fine, he took Hyunjin's hand and dissapeared around the corner. Jisung turned back towards Minho as his smile slowly faded into a frown. He found the latter still gazing at him. The air suddenly became thicker, too full of everything. Jisung continued to look back at Minho, but found it hard to maintain prolonged eye contact. He kept glancing down at his phone, the walls, the ceiling lights, the tissue holder, quite literally everywhere but the older's eyes.

He fidgeted with the strap of his purse, twirling the cold metal chain around his knuckles and running his nails along the length of it, using the sound it made as a distraction from the fact that Minho never stopped drilling holes into him with his eyes. Though he could barely hear the clinking of the metal over the music that blasted through the entire gym, or the howling that came every twenty seconds as someone took a shot a couple tables over.

Minho noticed how the younger suddenly became so aware of his surroundings as soon as his best friend left, looking around everywhere as if he was searching for an escape. As he was busy fiddling with his purse, Minho placed his elbows on the table and rested his face on his palms. Jisung jerked up at the movement and saw the older two inches closer than before.

His breath hitched and he felt heat slowly making its way up the back of his neck. "W-what are you looking at, freak?", his voice came out higher than intented and his attempt at being bold failed miserably. The rebel tilted his head and scoffed. "Your cute, red face. What are you looking at, squirrel?" He replied with a soft voice which made the younger trample over his words even more. "Uhm, your face. Your very ugly- yes- face."

Jisung swore his heart would break through his ribs if it beat any harder. That wouldn't be very nice now, would it? Broken ribs take roughly three to six weeks to heal, and full recovery can take up to three whole months. Imagine having to struggle through every breath for three months. "You're even cuter when you're lost in that small little head of yours, you know that?" Minho chuckled and the words broke Jisung from his trance.

"I hate you."

"You're saying that like you're trying to convince yourself."

"Maybe take the hint- and- back away a bit, will you?"

"Maybe I like being too close."

Oh how Jisung hated those snarky little flirtatious comments and how his round cheeks, or jeekies, as Felix always called them, burnt in red. He hated how these comments always caught him so off-guard, thinking hard for an equally snarky comment, but the words always remained stuck in his throat. He didn't hate how those comments sounded, though. How they rolled off the older's tongue with ease. How those teasy nicknames always managed to pause his breath.

Jisung wanted to smile at the thought, maybe Minho isn't all that bad- wait no, he's wandering off again.

"I- I need air. You, go- drink or whatever- I don't know." Jisung quickly sputtered out as he stood up and took his purse with one hand and phone with the other. He left in a hurry, leaving a snickering Minho back at the table. "He's ridiculous." Minho muttered, a quiet laugh slipping out anyway. He watched as Jisung slowly dissapeared into the crowd, his significantly short height making it harder to spot his blue blob of hair.

Jisung realized soon after that leaving was not his wisest decision, the presence of the huge crowd hitting him while his breathing got shallower. His heartbeat picked up the same way it did with Minho around. But with Minho, the way his heart thudded in his chest was way different than how it did amidst so many strangers. This thudding was more terrifying. His heartbeat spiked too fast, too uneven. The same music that pumped adrenaline into bodies now pumped anxiety into his. The voices in his head became louder, practically yelling at him to get out of this place. too. loud. can't breathe. need to- get out. 

Jisung led his trembling self towards a small booth tucked away from the huddle of people, tripping over each step he took. The moment he was seated, far from the mass of students, was when he was able to get himself together. He felt like a puzzle thrown to the ground by a toddler who was mad that they couldn't complete it, shattered into pieces. The pieces were all far from each other, unbelonging, and Jisung felt accomplished when he finally got all those pieces joined back together.

His breathing was now normal, and living didn't feel like a chore anymore. The voices in his head died down as new ones took over. Voices from when he was with Minho flooded into his brain as if someone opened a valve and let them in like gushing water. Voices like; "Your cute, red face" and "squirrel" and "Maybe I like being too close." rushed in as his face heated up with fluster. "squirrel. He just called you a damn squirrel, Jisung. Why are you so red why why why why?" Jisung whisper-yelled, in an attempt to persuade himself that everything is fine, it's not. He slapped his forehead repeatedly as he continued, "Dumb, dumb, dumb Jisung. Why did you tremble so much god damn? Who jumbles up their words in front of the person they hate the most?" His face contorted with revolt with each syllable he hushed out.

He placed his elbows down and interlocked his fingers, placing his chin on his interlocked hands, and huffed a long, shuddered breath. Not long after, a man approached him. 

"Hey there, pretty." He said, voice filled with lust, Jisung could practically smell all the liquor from where he was sitting. He looked up towards the voice and saw someone he did not recognize. A tall guy in an all black outfit with matching black glasses, a sharp jawline and curly, fluffy hair stood there, glass of red wine in hand. "H-Hello." Jisung mumbled and bowed his head in etiquette. The man simply scoffed, the smirk on his face growing visibly wider as he continued to get closer, sitting right beside him. "What's a beauty like you doing here all alone?" He said as he pressed his thigh closer to the latter.

Jisung tried to back away, but his side was pressed to the booth, restricting him from doing so. He simply sat there in discomfort. "Oh- uhm- Just, sitting." The man let out a soft chuckle as if Jisung had said something amusing and took a swig of wine before placing it on the table. His hands came up to the backrest of the booth, right behind Jisung's shoulders, caging him in without quite touching him.

"You know what happens to pretty boys like you who are left alone?"

Jisung pressed his head far back into the backrest and a strangled noise left his mouth. He shook his head so hard he felt something snap in his neck. Fear had him paralyzed due to which he couldn't move a finger let alone push the guy off, so he just silently prayed for his knight in shining armor to come and save him. He felt the walls of comfort closing in on him as the man started moving his hand.

"C'mon," the guy murmured, bringing a hand from the back to get a hold of his jaw, "I'll show you, pretty boy." That nickname felt so foreign to his ears. Even though he was often called that by the rebel and would reply with an annoying huff, it didn't feel wrong coming from Minho's mouth. But this right here was much more painful and oh so wrong. Jisung let out a small, shuddered sound, eyes darting anywhere but the man's face, his own face unable to move due to the sheer grip the man held on his chin. Jisung's fingers curled into his palms hard, knuckles paling by the second.

The last thing he saw before he shut his eyes in panic was the guy closing the gap between them.

It all occured too fast, not giving his brain enough time to catch onto the situation. One second he was trying his best to pull away, and then the next, an unfamiliar pair of lips were pressed against his own. His breath got caught in his chest and his body used the last of its strength to shoot his hands to the guy's chest, not to pull him closer, but to create a gap that wouldn't exist. The man's chapped lips felt wrong on his own. The harsh scent of wine went up his nose first, the bitter taste entering his mouth not long after. For a split second, his body refused to move even an inch before the man tried to deepen the kiss, and then it hit him.

He shoved hard against the guy's chest, breath coming out in huge gasps, eyes blown open in fright. The man, obviously startled, yelled a "What the fuck, dude?" before he stood up right in front of Jisung. The words barely registered in Jisung's mind, his ears still ringing as he struggled to steady his breathing, each breath coming in desperate and leaving in shaky sobs. His hands hovered uselessly in front of him, shaking and trembling.

He stared at his palms, small crescent shaped indents from when his hands were balled into tight fists, and waited for his body to catch up to the fact that it's all over, that the man had already left. He swallowed thickly, willing the feeling away, willing himself to move, to think, to do anything other than sit there frozen in the aftermath.

Jisung had had enough of this night and was already taking his phone out to shoot a text to Felix. Tears brimmed his eyes and one even managed to slip down his cheek, right onto the blank screen of his phone. He wiped his eyes with the back of his palm before they started to drip like a leaking faucet and finally looked up to face the presence that stood merely three strides away from him.

The man was looking off to the side and his head was tilted slightly to the floor, his eyes also seemed to be glossed over with unshed tears, or that could just be another cruel trick of the light. He wasn't facing Jisung completely, but Jisung didn't need him to. He could recognize that sharp nose and those feline eyes from miles away.

And that outfit, the same outfit he spent god knows how many minutes on admiring, to the point that it was engraved into his memory, carved into his brain by the little people that lived in there rent free.

Why was the man turning to leave? Why was the man that would go out of his way just to get a glimpse of the younger, turning to leave? That thought alone broke something in his heart, something fragile, something that was yet to be named, something that only surfaced when it came to the older.

"Minho-"

Too late.

Minho was already pacing in the opposite direction, straight into the crowd gathered right by the bar. Every part of Jisung's body screamed at him to run to him, tell him everything, anything, but he didn't. Minho was supposed to be his nemesis, the person he despised the most in the world. Then why,

Why did it feel like something inside him was breaking at the sight of him leaving like this?

Why did it feel like he was shattering a heart that was never meant to be dedicated to him in the first place?

Why did it feel like he had ruined everything before it had the chance to become anything at all?

He didn't remember how he got back. The walk to his house blurred into flashing lights and voices he didn't register at all, his mind busy running laps between what had just happened and what he still didn't understand. By the time he pushed open the door to his dorm room, the silence made his thoughts run wilder than they had earlier, tugging at his heart the same way that made his chest feel tight all over again.

Jisung dragged a hand through his hair while pacing around the small hallway, his thoughts too loud now that there was no chatter or thrumming beats to drown them out. They kept circling over and over again to the same situation, refusing to settle on anything else. Minho, Minho, and, you guessed it, Lee effing Minho. Absolutely nothing made sense to Jisung, which was insane considering he was the valedictorian of his high school. 

The same person who never struggled in the most challenging of quadratic equations now wanted to cry his heart out over these yet-to-be-named feelings for a boy he supposedly hated. He was supposed to hate him, wasn't he? That was what he always told himself, what he convinced himself of since the very start. Minho was an irritating, insufferable and rebellious man who never got good grades, was never early to school, never paid attention in class and would instead stare at the boy's blue fluffy hair from two rows behind. So why did it hurt Jisung so god damn much?

Why was that one moment of Minho leaving knowing damn well Jisung saw him the only moment that stuck in his head like the gum on his shoe? Why was that moment, out of all the events that occured that night, the only moment that stayed? Not the anxiety, not the panic, not even the weird man. Just him.

Jisung let out a quiet, shaky breath, letting go of his body as he dropped onto the edge of his bed, arms resting by his side as he stared blankly at the floor as if it held all the answers to his complicated love life. His fingers lightly curled into his palms again, pressing into the faint marks that hadn't quite faded yet, grounding himself in the sting as his feelings spiraled off further than he wanted to.

Why did it feel like he had lost something he never even realized he had?

That question sat heavy in his chest, unanswered, and for a moment he let them sink deeper, deeper than he was comfortable with. Because if that was true, if there was something to lose in the first place, then everything that he had been telling himself up until now had been wrong. And that, that was worse.

Jisung's hand flew to reach for his phone, entering the passcode after messing it up twice, and opened his and Felix's contact almost on instinct. The message he had meant to sent earlier did not deliver, leaving Felix panicked.

lixie<3
dude where r u

missed voice call

Ji this isn't funny 

missed voice call 

pick up the fucking call jisung 

three missed voice calls

Jisung called him back and Felix didn't even let it ring once before he picked up. "Where the fuck are you, Jisung?" He yelled through the other side of the call, his voice loud and clear, too loud to be inside that absolute mess of a party.

"This isn’t funny, Ji. I’ve been looking for you for the past thirty minutes. You could’ve texted me, god. Are you okay? Where even are you right now?" Felix rushed out.

For a split second, Jisung wondered if he should tell him what had happened with the man earlier, change the topic. But no, he had only one thing to say, and he was determined.

Silence stretched between them for too long, atmosphere so thick you could slice it with a knife. Jisung didn’t know what to say, and Felix, for once, didn’t interrupt him.

"Jisung?"

He swallowed, throat suddenly dry like a desert, words getting caught like a someone waist-deep in quicksand before he could even force them out. For a moment, he considered lying, pretending it was nothing, brushing it off with an I’m fine, but even that felt like too much effort at the moment.

“I…” His voice came out broken and quieter than he expected, so quiet you could mistake it for a breath. He doubted the phone even caught it.

There was still time to lie, still time to push it down, to shove it somewhere deep enough that it would stop clawing at his insides and scratch them raw like a starved feline.

His grip tightened on his phone, a tear slipping down his left cheek.

"I think I like Minho."

"...what"