Chapter Text
Someone is shouting over the music when Hongjoong pushes open the practice-room door. The first day of practice after summer break is always chaotic. This time around, there seems to be a mix-up with the practice room, and both the dancers and Hongjoong’s a-capella group are in the same place. He watches Kunho butt heads with the other leader, discussing whose turn it is to practice here.
Wooyoung comes over to hang onto him, just as eagerly watching the exchange.
“Oh my God,” he groans. “Did you see the arms on that guy? I bet he could carry me bridal-style, no problem.”
“What a dreamboat,” Hongjoong says, drily.
“Avert your eyes, heathen. I saw him first, I call dibs.”
“We can call dibs on people now?”
“Watch me.” He’s seen that gleam in Wooyoung’s eyes before, usually aimed at some nice rings or a tricky puzzle. Either way, it probably means mischief is ahead, and Hongjoong will be well entertained for the next couple of weeks. Just like with any new project, he expects Wooyoung to give him a part to play eventually. So far, he has always gone along with it.
“It’s ridiculous that there aren’t enough practice rooms and they keep double-booking us. If Kunho plays his cards right, I hope those dance guys will just find somewhere else to practice.”
“What about the dreamboat, though?” Wooyoung exclaims, again pointing at the guy. Luckily, Dreamboat is still too focused on the heated discussion to notice. He really does have an impressive set of biceps, bulging even when his gestures are limited and controlled.
There are more dancers hanging back or sitting around, waiting for whatever solution their leaders will find. Hongjoong spots a guy so tall he’s probably even taller than Mingi, which is a feat in itself. The giant is talking to two blonde guys, both looking like they could be professional models. One of them has a yellow tint to his hair, the other a shining silver.
“We can’t practice with two groups in one room. It looks fine now, but wait until after tryouts – it would be way too packed.” After some of their singers graduated last semester, they’re in dire need of some fresh blood.
“Joong, are you not listening? I need that one. He’s probably my soulmate. At least his biceps are.” He shakes off Wooyoung to be able to turn and face him. Wooyoung doesn’t return his gaze, still fixed on the buff, short-haired guy arguing with their club leader. He keeps brushing the black, soft strands out of his face, unwilling to accept the hair tie Hongjoong keeps offering.
“What would you even do with a dancer? You’re way too inflexible to keep up. No offense.”
“Offense taken, thank you very much. I would let him do some great things to me, that’s for sure. Why are you hating on dancers all of a sudden?”
“I mean, just look at them,” he says, dripping with sarcasm. “With those faces, they must be conceited as fuck. Legs for days, but not two brain cells to rub together.”
Wooyoung snickers. It’s word for word what some basketball bro said about the two of them last year, and they keep bringing it up whenever they can. Especially because Wooyoung then went on to beat his ass at chess so badly he didn’t dare show his face for the rest of the night.
Just when he turns to see if things have settled down, the three guys he watched before pass them, the silver-haired one giving him some serious stink-eye. Hongjoong’s gaze follows him for a second too long. Only when they’re gone does he realize what part of their conversation they might have overheard.
Wooyoung catches on, too, and laughs. “Oh no, you think they heard that? D’you wanna go after them?”
He watches them leave and turn towards the cafeteria, but eventually shrugs his shoulders. Just imagining what he should say, he’s coming up blank. It’s not like he actually meant what he said. “Nah. If all goes well, we won’t see them too much anyway.”
“You are the worst friend. It’s like you don’t even want me and Dreamboat to get together.”
“Not as long as you’re calling him that, no.”
It doesn’t get settled easily, but they eventually reach a truce and the two leaders work out a schedule on who gets the room when. Close to showcases and competitions, they will need to change it up, but for now, they have an actual plan. It works well, and for the tryout weekend, the dancers hold theirs on Saturday and the singers on Sunday.
Tryouts start early and last long into the afternoon, because there’s a lot of interest this year. Hongjoong is glad to see that one of his underclassmen came and brought some friends.
Minjae, whose turquoise hair immediately sets him apart from everyone, is doing well on his turn. He leans more into rap – which is how he and Hongjoong met last semester, because he came to Hongjoong for advice and they had a few mentoring sessions together – and his timing is impeccable. His friends Sumin and Yechan are also really intense and talented, and Hongjoong is gearing up to talk Kunho into accepting them all.
During a break, Hongjoong hangs back with Jongho, sipping on an energy drink and watching Wooyoung socialize with their candidates.
“It’s like he already knows everyone at college,” Hongjoong says. “I think half of them are only here because he recruited them.”
Jongho shrugs, taking in the boisterous group. “He’s living the classic college experience, I guess? It’s not your thing?”
“Not right now, but I wouldn’t mind, actually. I’m just not Wooyo. I have no idea how to do what he does.” He gestures towards his friend, and they both know what he means. Just then, Wooyoung breaks into loud, cackling laughter, clapping one of the younger guys on the back, and the whole group is grinning with him. It’s like he’s the tide, and everyone moves with his moods.
“Well, I don’t think anyone but him can do this. But–” He pulls out his phone, opening an app. “–I’ve met some people through the college app, KQ. It’s for any kind of campus connections.” He shows it to Hongjoong. There are three different icons, and Jongho points to them. “You can choose between finding friends, dates or study partners, and then it gives you matches. It’s pretty much like a dating app.”
Hongjoong takes the phone and looks through it for a moment. There are no photos, just nicknames. Jongho comes up as jjongbear, and he has a list of chats.
“Sounds cool, I might try that.” On a whim, he takes out his own phone and downloads the app. Last semester, he only made a handful of new friends, and for a while he felt like college should be more than that. Always relying on Wooyo to drag him out of the house on weekends makes him feel like a loser. Maybe this is a chance to meet some people he never would have talked to otherwise.
Just when Jongho tells him about a painting class he’s now taking on the weekends, Wooyoung bounds over with a lanky, younger guy in tow. He introduces him as Seeun, and he shyly waves at them. He’s half a foot taller than Hongjoong, but with the way he hunches down, it feels like he’s shorter than that.
“Seeun was here yesterday, too. He’s trying out for both dancing and singing.”
“A man of many talents,” Jongho acknowledges, and the guy is starting to blush at their appraisal.
“I’ve been in a group in school where we did both. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to continue with.” He is soft-spoken, looking at them one after the other.
“If you get accepted by both, you’ll have to choose one, though,” Hongjoong says. With the way they split their practices, he’d have practice five to six times a week on top of his studies. As much fun as clubs are, he’ll still need time for his actual coursework.
Seeun looks a little intimidated, but Wooyoung reassures him, “Joong is just looking out for you.”
The break is over before he can say anything else, and everyone heads back to their respective places.
By the end of the day, Wooyoung decides to head to a bar with the applicants, but Hongjoong begs off. He heads back to the dorm, dragging his feet. He takes tryouts really seriously, and had long discussions with their leader on who should be accepted. He will send out emails the next day, and he’s glad Kunho and he were on the same page regarding Minjae and his friends.
The dorm he’s sharing with Wooyoung is on the far side of campus, close to the artisan quarters of the city and within walking distance of some small restaurants that Hongjoong favors when their fridge runs low again. There’s also the interstate close by that brings them to the beach and the harbor. Hongjoong loves dropping by the harbor to do some quiet work while listening to seagulls and taking in all the noises from people working on the boats.
At home, the quiet is rare – it’s either Wooyoung yapping as soon as he’s through the door or he’s bringing over friends to hang out. Most of the keepsakes around the rooms are Wooyo’s, too, like little figurines or streamers he took home from parties. Hongjoong added his record player and a collection of vinyls.
As he gets home, he puts on an old EDM record from his teenage years that always puts him in a good mood and helps him wind down. One of his professors asked him to help out at a fundraiser next month, and he should really get back to him, but when he pulls out his phone, he sees the KQ app on his home screen, and his curiosity wins out.
So he taps it, and is asked to fill out a profile. Since he is not interested in finding dates or study partners, he just taps the friends option and adds some basic info about himself. He ponders the nickname for a while. He wants to go for something pirate-y since he got back into the old Johnny Depp movies a while back, but also wants to bring his initials in. He lands on harbor.jack and leaves it at that.
He hasn’t been into online dating for a while, since most girls already skip over him because of his height, and sifting through a hundred guys who are only out for a one-night-stand just to find one man willing to actually date soured him to the whole experience pretty quickly. He hasn’t tried actual dating either for the last year, after he and his long distance boyfriend decided to end their relationship on a high note.
They had been inseparable as long as they were both in college, but when Nate was recruited by a company five hours away and moved there to work, it all fell apart.
The occasional night out with someone has been enough for Hongjoong these last months, and he doesn’t intend to date now, either. He doesn’t want to end up in that same situation again. Maybe he will just wait until after graduation to see where he ends up.
Anyway, despite him having limited Tinder experience, this app was clearly made in its image. There’s a profile and he has to swipe left or right. He isn’t picky and since he just wants to meet some people, he skims the profiles and swipes right on a bunch of them.
After half an hour of that, he finally does get to his professor’s request and finds out more about the charity they’re planning the fundraiser for. He’s helped with two of those last semester, as well, so he was approached again.
The last time, everything was still so new that he was running mostly on nerves, only trying to put together a cohesive event. This time, he wants to bring more of a personal touch to it. Not from himself, but from the charity they are supporting. He also knows that the more he feels connected to the cause, the more he will give his all for the fundraiser.
He gets himself leftover pasta while he’s working, shooting Wooyoung a quick text to make sure he eats while he is out and doesn’t come back hungry to find the fridge empty. Then he takes out his contacts and dons his glasses instead, setting up a list of preparations to be done for the fundraiser.
It’s dark out when he’s content with his efforts and puts down the tablet he’d gotten for his notes. His hair is sticking up in various directions, although he doesn’t remember running his fingers through it. He pats down the black strands, trying to get them in order. They usually fall just to the middle of his forehead, but he’s messed them up good, and it feels like a futile effort. Just then, his phone pings with an app notification and when he checks it, he sees he got some matches on the KQ app.
The first is some guy asking for a dick pic, and Hongjoong immediately blocks him. This is giving him serious dating app flashbacks and he considers just deleting the whole thing. Maybe if the others are more of the same, he will.
The second message is from a girl, and it takes him a moment to realize she’s asking for weed. Well, there goes another match. He has another four messages, but those are mostly inane, and he replies with something light to start the conversations.
Only one of them replies instantly. His username is luke.starwalker and his profile says he’s an education major. His hobbies and nickname seem pretty nerdy, raising Hongjoong’s curiosity. From what he gathers from the profile, it seems the guy has a knack for model rocket ships and gorging himself on snacks.
luke.starwalker
hi stranger \ (•◡•) /
what r u doin right now?
harbor.jack
finished up some stuff for my professor
now i’m busy blocking weirdos on this app
luke.starwalker
oh youre new here?
youll have to block a lot of filth to find us diamonds
what do i call u? jack?
harbor.jack
i don’t care, really
hj would be fine too
luke.starwalker
alright hj (ᵔᴥᵔ)
u can call me luke
if you dont pull the “im your father” line
harbor.jack
are you an actual luke?
luke.starwalker
no, ew
not straight enough for that lol
i could pull off a lightsaber tho
harbor.jack
if you make this into a dick joke right now, you’re blocked too
luke.starwalker
hj
where did your mind go
harbor.jack
sorry, i guess those other peeps kinda got to me
luke.starwalker
dw, youve got me now
we’ll be making dick jokes in no time
consensually
harbor.jack
you’re a weirdo aren’t you
the star wars name should’ve clued me in
well
we’ll see
ttyl luke
luke.starwalker
u too hj ☆
Huh. He sits back on the couch, reading through the chat again. This was actually pretty fun, and he decides to hold off on deleting the app for now. He doesn’t hear back from the other matches, so he’ll just have to check in again tomorrow.
His professor checks his preparations, gives him more input, and then lets him get started. It’s good practice and another chance to make new connections on campus. They decide on a charity run, and Hongjoong starts making calls to last year’s sponsors. Every time he picks up the phone, he has to take some deep breaths and calm his heartbeat, that’s how uncomfortable it makes him. But knowing it’s for a good cause makes him brave.
After hours of awkward calls asking strangers for money, he’s had enough and goes looking for Wooyoung. They always share both their location and schedules with each other. Also, when he gets close enough, he can usually hear Wooyo’s voice from afar. He’s with a study group, and they’re laughing so loudly that Hongjoong doubts they’re getting much work done.
When Wooyoung sees him, he jumps up and runs to him for a hug. Hongjoong learned early on that the more he struggles against it, the more determined his friend becomes. Instead, he now just holds still and gets it over with, only trying to dodge the cheek kisses that often accompany the hugs. It’s actually become easier to lean into it now, maybe he’s even enjoying it from time to time.
Wooyoung introduces him to the other students, everyone waving at him with friendly faces. Just like always, hurricane Wooyo swept up more hearts onto its shores. Since they’re done for the day, he packs up and follows Hongjoong past their dorm and toward a little Thai place.
They’ve been here plenty of times last semester when Hongjoong was addicted to their papaya salad, and there’s a small table next to the door that turned into their usual spot quickly. Hongjoong traces the now familiar tabletop with its little grooves and nicks.
“I finally found out more about Dreamboat,” Wooyoung says excitedly, only skimming the menu they already know by heart. A waitress comes over and brings both of them Thai iced coffee. They smile at her, thankful, and order their usual meals.
“You still don’t know his name?”
“Yes, I do! It’s San.”
“Like ‘mountain’?” Hongjoong asks, eyebrows scrunched together.
“Exactly. Just wait until I mount him!” Wooyoung cackles into his drink while Hongjoong considers holding his ears with his hands for dramatics.
“I don’t want to hear about you mounting anyone, didn’t I tell you that before?”
“And do I listen? Of course not, and we both know it. So – San. He’s been in the dance group for two years, ever since he was a freshman. Now he’s already the leader, even though he isn’t even the oldest. If that doesn’t scream alpha to you, I don’t know what does.”
“You hate toxic alpha males. Do I have to find that essay you wrote about Andrew Tate and read it to you?”
“I didn’t say toxic.” Wooyoung’s lips close around the glass straw in his drink, and he takes a long sip from it, sighing afterwards. “From what I’ve found out, he’s an actual angel when he’s not trying to usurp our practice room. He’s studying to become a high school teacher, and he’s doing community service at the public school close to campus. Tutoring some underprivileged kids or something.”
The drink is cool and sweet, just what Hongjoong needs after hours of being cooped up and working. With the air conditioning on full blast, the place is quite chilly, even if summer is long past gone. He enjoys it, though. He hardly ever runs cold.
“Living up to the dreamboat name,” he comments when Wooyoung obviously wants him to praise this San guy. It doesn’t take much more acknowledgement for his friend to continue his tale. His cheeks are red, eyes glowing with delight.
When their food is brought out, he’s just recounting a story of San helping a first-year who lost her friends at a party and was then accosted by some shady men. “You know how I hate it when guys just watch. Girls shouldn’t have to look out for each other. We should just all take care of one another.”
If Hongjoong had to choose his one favorite trait of Wooyoung’s, it would be that. No matter that they’re both short and lithe – if Wooyoung sees someone being mistreated, he steps in. He’s gotten himself two black eyes – separately, not both at once – and one sprained wrist last semester alone for it. His relentlessness definitely changed Hongjoong for the better, too, which is why he offered his help for those past charity events. Talking to people in need and hearing their stories makes him try this much harder.
“So you’re already head over heels for him?”
“Who wouldn’t be? He’s obviously not just a nice set of arms, he’s the whole package.”
It’s silent for a moment. “You’re dying to make a joke about his package right now, right?”
Wooyoung pats his neck affectionately. “You know me so well.”
The waitress comes over to check on them, and Hongjoong orders them sticky rice for dessert. He considers telling Wooyoung about the campus app, and how he has been talking to Luke every day since installing it, even if it’s just some short, quirky messages back and forth. But at the same time he knows Wooyo would blow it completely out of proportion, so he keeps it to himself. He can make a new friend without making a big deal out of it.
He does the safe thing – bringing the conversation back around to Wooyoung’s new obsession. “Knowing you, you’re going full stalker mode on that San guy, right?”
“I have no idea what you mean,” the other sniffs. “On an unrelated note, we’re going to a party on Saturday. Yes, you are going, too, stop it with the painful expression.”
Hongjoong dodges the swat aimed at him, but he knows better than to talk back. If Wooyo decides they’re going to a party, then there’s no way out of it. “Fine. But we’re bringing Mingi and Jongho, too.”
“They’ve already agreed to come.” Agreed is probably an exaggeration, but at least Hongjoong won’t be on his own at that party.