[One Day] Seoul Academy: Channuneo origins (Junsu's POV)
[Title] Seoul Academy: Channuneo origins (Junsu's POV)
[Rating] PG-13
[Disclaimer] I don't own any of the One Day boys.
[Pairings] Channuneo, Junbros (Junsu->Junho), slight Jinwoon/Kwon
[Notes] Junsu tells Nichkhun the story of how Channuneo got together. It might be a bit rambly towards the end. ><; All the One Days are featured! Enjoy? ♥
"They make an interesting pair, don't they?" Nichkhun mused suddenly.
Junsu looked up from a pile of notes strewn across the coffee table. "Who?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Nichkhun gestured vaguely to some spot outside. Junsu joined the foreign boy near the window and peered out.
Under a tall tree sat Junho, leaning against the trunk and reading a book, while Chansung napped, his head cushioned in the other boy's lap. Junho's fingers, Junsu noted with a pang in his chest, were threaded through Chansung's hair, idly playing with the dark strands. It was like a dreamy scene straight out of a drama; groups of girls all squealed and stopped to snap a quick shot on their smart phones as they walked by.
Junsu forced a smile. "Yeah, a regular Roger and Jessica Rabbit."
Nichkhun laughed. "Opposites do attract."
"They seem happy," Junsu said as he returned to his notes. He made a big show of looking over a sheet, hoping that Nichkhun would get the hint and leave him alone. The last thing he wanted to talk about was Junho and Chansung's relationship.
"How'd they even get together?" said Nichkhun.
Junsu sighed; despite Nichkhun's sensitive nature, he could be really oblivious at times. "Do you want the long story, or the short version?"
"Long," Nichkhun said, before his eyes darted to the notes on the table. "If you have the time," he added quickly.
"It's not time that's the problem," Junsu muttered under his breath. When Nichkhun blinked, baffled, Junsu shook his head and patted the spot next to him. "C'mon, let's get this over with."
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Junsu didn't like the football players.
They were rude, they were loud, and more importantly, they were monopolizing his time with Junho. Ever since they were invited into the fraternity as the team's official tutors, Junho spent nearly every waking moment with them. Junsu was comforted that Junho's interest in them was purely scientific - something about testing the Pavlovian theory and Koko the gorilla? - but it didn't change the fact that he hadn't hung out with his best friend for days. His teeny tiny crush on said best friend wasn't helping the situation, either.
"Five times four is not twenty-five," Junho said from the vicinity of the living room.
"But it's close, right?" said another voice.
"That's right, Chansung," Junho said patiently. "As close as Korea is to the North Pole."
"Cool," said Chansung.
Junsu rolled his eyes as he listened to the pair from his room. On one hand, he was relieved to be tutoring the brighter players on the team. Their captain Seulong, for example, was taking courses on material engineering and could grasp physics concepts rather quickly - provided no one brought up the topic of Shin Min-Ah. On the other, this further ate up Junho's free time, as the younger boy had to overcome the challenge of explaining mathematics to players like Chansung.
Hwang Chansung: the football team's newest player, whose speed and immense power became legend after he dislocated the hip of an opponent with a running tackle. Off the field, he was nothing but a simple-minded boy with a pretty face. Junsu didn't have anything against Chansung for his popularity and good looks; he just wished Junho wouldn't spend so much time with the younger boy.
When he realized that he had been reading the same page for the past twenty minutes, Junsu tossed his book aside and headed to the living room. Changmin had advised him, while baking a batch of scones, that there was absolutely nothing wrong with crashing those tutoring sessions - on the pretext of assisting Junho, of course. He found the pair sitting - a little too close, in his opinion - at the coffee table.
"Need any help?" Junsu asked, plopping down beside Junho.
His best friend smiled and Junsu's heart skipped a beat. "Thanks, but we're making progress."
"Yeah?" Junsu pulled up a textbook and scanned the page. "Limits now?"
"Moving onto differentiation, actually," Junho said with the pride of a boastful parent. "Chansung just needs to be careful of calculation mistakes."
"Junho got me a box of fried chicken the other day," Chansung added, grinning.
Junsu snorted, barely giving Chansung a glance. "Positive reinforcement?" he asked Junho.
"Positive punishment didn't work so well," the first-year said with a shrug.
"Positive what?" said Chansung.
"It's not important," Junho told the footballer gently, before he turned back to Junsu with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but we'd move a lot faster if it's just the two of us."
"Sure," said Junsu, gritting his teeth. He held back the urge to slap the back of Chansung's head as he rose to his feet. "You on for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Breakfast?" Junho said, his smile faltering. "I don't know, hyung..."
"It's okay," said Junsu quietly. He already knew he wouldn't see his friend at the cafeteria the next morning; one of Junho's pupils had a chemistry midterm that required revision. He resolutely turned away when Chansung raised his hand to wave goodbye, stalking back to his room as calmly as he could. It was going to be yet another evening of furious belting to English rock songs and bitter, bitter loneliness.
Junsu really didn't like the football players.
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It took a good month or so before Junsu finally settled in with the rest of the fraternity. He learned that they genuinely considered their little organization as a family, especially after Taecyeon beat up a guy for insulting Junsu's fashion choices. (Junsu held his tongue about Taecyeon's fashion for the next week.) Although Junho was still tied down with tutoring, thanks to the footballers, they now shared another common interest besides science and music: weight-training. Junho thought he could relate with the players if he joined them in their workout sessions; Junsu was just more than happy for the opportunity to hang out with him.
It was at one of these sessions that Seulong approached Junsu in the middle of his workout, backed up by the looming figures of Taecyeon and Chansung. Junsu sometimes wondered if the two boys ever followed their captain into the toilet. "You're not really doing this for your body, are you?" said the tall player, shooting Junsu a shrewd look.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Junsu said as he nonchallantly pulled the iron bar past his head.
"I've seen the way you look at him," Seulong said with a grin. "I've seen the way you look at Chansung when he looks at him."
"Chansung's looking at him?" Junsu said sharply, before he caught the confused expression on Chansung's face and let loose a string of expletives.
"That answers the question!" Seulong said, chortling. "Seriously, how long has this been going on?"
Junsu released the bar and let it sail back to the top with a loud clang. "None of your business," he said coldly, stepping past the boys to leave. He may have gotten closer to them, but that didn't mean he was ready to pour his heart out.
"Whoa, hang on," said Seulong, snatching Junsu by the arm. "I want to help, really I do!"
"The same way you help Kwon and Jinwoon?" Junsu said, raising an eyebrow.
"Who's helping Jinwoon and Kwon-hyung?"
There followed an awkward pause as all four boys turned to see Junho standing nearby, gazing at them questioningly. He was dressed in simple workout clothes, but sweat made the fabric cling almost desperately to his bare skin, revealing masculine curves that drew Junsu's attention like a bee to honey.
"Looking good these days, Junho," Taecyeon hooted shamelessly.
The smaller boy laughed, moving forward to throw a light punch at Taecyeon. "Quit it," he said, embarrassed.
"Yeah, quit it, y'pervert," said Chansung, playfully smacking Taecyeon and knocking his teammate into the nearest weight machine.
With great reluctance, Junsu tore his eyes away from Junho's torso. "I'm done for today," he announced, wrenching his arm out of Seulong's grip. "So I'll see you guys later."
"But you'll join us for the club outing tonight, right?" said Seulong hastily.
Junsu fixed Seulong with a bewildered stare; he hadn't heard about a club outing. In response, the football captain winked and tilted his head in a painfully conspicuous manner towards Junho. Oh geezus, thought Junsu. "Yes," he said out loud, taking pity on Seulong and his valiant efforts. "Of course."
"Can I come, too?" Junho asked. He appeared surprisingly - and thankfully - unaware of Seulong's actions.
"Naturally," said the football captain, before he gave Junsu another exaggerated wink.
"Hyung," Chansung said with some concern. "Does your face itch?"
Junho laughed as Seulong dragged Chansung out of the weights room by the collar, a snickering Taecyeon trailing behind. "They're pretty cute when you get to know them, huh?"
"Very cute," the genius agreed, watching Junho with a smile. It took effort, but he managed to keep his eyes on Junho's face.
The rest of the day was uneventful save for a very odd visit by Chansung, who anxiously asked for advice, listing symptoms that sounded very much like heartburn - given the rate at which Chansung wolfed down his food, it was inevitable - as well as a surprise visit from someone Junsu was glad to entertain.
"I kind of want my legs to breathe," Junho whined.
"You asked me to pick out an outfit for you and I did," said Junsu, pressing the skinny jeans into the other boy's hands. "The shopping mall's about to close; take it or leave it."
"But--"
Throwing an arm round Junho, Junsu beamed widely at him. "You asked me to take you shopping, right?" he said in his outrageous dialect.
Junho laughed, eyes creasing into pretty arcs. "Hyung!"
"You want to look nice at the club, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"You know fashion hurts, right?"
"I do, but--"
"And you do trust me, right?"
Junho paused, frowning. "That's not a fair question."
Knowing that he had won the argument, Junsu walked the younger boy towards the cashier. He had to admit that Seulong's idea wasn't quite as weird as it first sounded; clubbing attire was the perfect excuse to show off Junho's new muscles.
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"Hyung!" Junho yelped for the sixth time. "Hands where I can see them!"
With a drunken snigger, Taecyeon pulled his hand from Junho's ass and held it up in front of the younger boy with an impudent grin. "Happy now?" he said.
"I would be if you'd stop groping me," Junho huffed, swatting the hand away.
"Ain't m' fault you've gotta killer butt," Taecyeon slurred cheerfully.
Junsu took another swig of whiskey, wincing at the burning path it carved down his throat. If he had known the effect the clothes would cause, he would never have chosen those blasted skinny jeans. Taecyeon's hand was stuck permanently to that firm end like a leech, while Seulong and Chansung kept casting appreciative glances. Even Kwon, who had joined them to watch Jinwoon's live performance, made a remark so lewd that Junho flushed to the tips of his ears.
Briefly, Junsu had contemplated using the excuse of alcohol to get in a grope or two, but try as he might, he couldn't sink down to that level. So instead, he sat at the counter, chugging glass after glass of hard liquor as he sullenly tried to ignore that the other boys - and probably a number of strangers - were molesting his crush on the dance floor.
"Some help Seulong is," Junsu grumbled to his drink.
"Having fun, I see," a small, wiry boy quipped, sliding into the next seat.
"Not in the mood, Wooyoung," Junsu sighed.
"I hear you," the journalist said, unfazed. "My editor thinks it's fun to torture me with Ace of Spade write-ups." He tapped at the counter to get the bartender's attention. "Black Russian, on the rocks."
"Hit me," Junsu said, pushing his glass across the counter.
Wooyoung took a glance at Junsu's face and clicked his tongue. "How many is that, hyung?"
"Who wants to know?"
"A concerned junior," Wooyoung said. "Something on your mind?"
Mutely, Junsu jerked his head towards a circle of boys near the stage. An eyebrow arched in curiosity, Wooyoung craned his neck to peer through the crowd. "Damn," he whistled, as Junsu wasted no time in emptying his refill. "Who's the cutie dancing in the middle of the frat jocks?"
"Junho," Junsu said miserably.
"The first-year Olympiad nerd?" Wooyoung said, surprised.
"He's wearing contacts," said Junsu, beckoning to the bartender for another glass.
"Who the hell's looking at his eyes?" Wooyoung snorted. "Has Kwon seen him?"
"As far as I'm concerned, the whole damn club has had their fill of him," Junsu snapped.
The journalist blinked once. Then, slowly, Junsu could see the light dawning on the younger boy's face. "Hyung," Wooyoung started sympathetically.
"Don't," said Junsu, looking away.
What Wooyoung said next, Junsu had no idea; the boy's words were drowned out by a reverberation of D minor chords on an electric guitar. Girls erupted into high-pitched shrieks - Kwon's sounding loud and clear - and there was a sudden, almost terrifying, stampede to the main stage.
"Let's rock this joint!" Jinwoon's voice rang through the club, before the band launched into their latest song.
When Junsu finally turned back to Wooyoung, he reared back in shock: Chansung was sitting in the journalist's place. "Wooyoung-hyung's catching a few girls for an interview," Chansung explained when he saw Junsu's expression. The freshman then ordered a cocktail - Dirty Banana, complete with a tiny, pink umbrella - before leaning over to shoot a dopey grin at Junsu. "I didn't know you were such a drinker, hyung."
"Hell yeah," said Junsu, lilting in his Daegu dialect to hide his melancholy. "I loooooove drinking."
Chansung snickered. "Nice." Taking a sip of his drink, he gestured towards the stage. "Is that gay or is that gay?"
Junsu's lips quirked at a corner. Through the screaming throngs, he could make out Kwon right in front of the stage, flailing and swinging his hips like his pants were on fire. "You're the one with a pink umbrella," he said with a shrug.
"Oh snap," breathed a voice close to his ear.
"Junho," Junsu choked, spinning round so fast he nearly flew off his seat. He lifted a hand to scrub at his neck; the spot below his ear was still tingling from the warm sensation.
The culprit stood right in his personal space, grinning from ear to ear. "Why aren't you on the dance floor?" Junho said, poking Junsu in the chest.
"Because--" 'I hate watching the others rock against you that way' "--I don't dance."
"Hyung prefers drinking," Chansung said helpfully.
"Really?" said Junho, wrinkling his nose. Junsu resisted the fierce urge to smooth those creases with his lips. "I never knew that."
"Hey, does alcohol give you heartburn, too?" Chansung said suddenly, looking down at his drink.
Junsu stared at Chansung, but before he could react, Junho stepped past him to lay a hand on the footballer's chest. "You have heartburn?" he said worriedly.
Swallowing, Chansung nodded. "My heart just starts beating really fast sometimes," he said, placing a big hand over Junho's and shifting it gently to the right side. "Like this."
Junho's head snapped up, startled. There was a beat - their eyes met and the air sizzled - before Junho pulled his hand away. "Your heart's on the other side," he murmured, rubbing the back of his hand.
As Chansung laughed sheepishly in response, Junsu noted, with some queasiness, that Junho's ears were flaming red.
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They got back to the frat house a little past four in the morning.
Taecyeon and Seulong had their arms around each other as they staggered to their room, bumping into furniture and howling some off-key tune that sounded suspiciously like the Titanic theme song. Chansung was laughing at his teammates, while Junho, who had made the mistake of downing a bottle of soju at Kwon's insistence, slept soundly on Junsu's back; he hadn't woken up the entire way home.
As much as Junsu enjoyed the contact, Junho wasn't exactly light. By the time he arrived at Junho's room, his legs were threatening to buckle from the weight.
"Chansung," he shouted over the caterwauling. "Open this door before I drop the idiot!"
Still giggling, Chansung jogged over. "I could've helped, you know," he said, opening the door as requested.
"That would just aggravate your heartburn," Junsu lied. Hell would freeze over before he gave Chansung an excuse to hold Junho. Behind him, Junho muttered something inaudibly and pressed his nose into his neck.
"He's really cute when he sleeps," Chansung said quietly.
"Yeah, sure," said Junsu. There was a strange emotion to the other boy's voice that made him very uncomfortable - not to mention that moment in the club, too. "Close the door behind us, will you?"
"Okay," said Chansung obediently, but Junsu didn't miss the soft smile he shot at Junho before pulling the door shut.
"And my heart will go on and on~!" Taecyeon all but shrieked down the hall.
Predictably, none of them went to class that day. Noon found them sprawled out lazily in various positions around the living room, watching TV with bleary eyes - with the exception of Junho, who strolled in looking perfectly lucid. Junsu looked up from cradling his throbbing head; he could never figure out how Junho's body dealt with alcohol. Every time the younger boy drank his limit, he would sleep like the living dead and then wake up fresh like a daisy, without a single effect of a hangover.
"Wow, who died?" said Junho, taking a look at their blank faces.
"Not so loud," Seulong groaned.
"Sorry," Junho said, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"Junho," Chansung whined from somewhere near the couch. "My chest hurts again."
Junsu sat up instantly to glare at the football player. "Junho's not your nursemaid!"
"It's okay," Junho laughed, much to Junsu's chagrin. Crossing over to where Chansung lay, the smaller boy knelt down and patted Chansung's knee. "How long have you had this?"
"A month ago?" said Chansung. "It got really bad this week."
"Want me to rub Vaporub on your chest?" asked Junho, seconds before Junsu yelped, "No!" and Seulong feebly raised another protest.
"It's kinda funny," Taecyeon said, speaking up for the first time. "The pain started exactly when the Jun-boys came to live with us."
Frowning, Junsu mustered the last of his mental reserves to recall the freshman's complaints the day before. "Chest pains and breathing difficulties," he said. "These are classic heartburn symptoms."
"But doesn't he always get it after dinner?" Taecyeon persisted. "You know, when he's back in the frat house?"
"Yeah, when I have tutoring with Junho," said Chansung.
Silence filled the living room, as the other boys shot him incredulous looks.
"Wait so," said Taecyeon slowly. "Your heart races and you find it hard to breathe when you're with Junho?"
Chansung blinked. "I guess so." His eyes widened then. "Are you trying to say I caught heartburn from him?"
It was absurd; no, it was beyond ridiculous. Chansung had a horde of fangirls stalking his every move, offering bananas, lunch boxes and assorted sweets; he could have had the pick of any gorgeous freshman girl he wanted. Instead - Junsu throat tightened as Junho rapped Chansung's forehead with his knuckles, eyes curved into crescent moons - Seoul Academy's most popular boy chose to become his biggest competitor for the one person he had loved since junior high.
"Our village idiot's in love with the resident nerd," said Seulong with exasperation, flinging his arms into the air. "Fantastic. Now can we all just shut up so I can die in peace?"
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Junsu wondered if it had something to do with his karma.
Not only had Chansung figured out the source of his symptoms - which took an hour of thorough explanation from Seulong and Taecyeon - the freshman had decided to turn his charms on, full blast. As foolish as Chansung may look, in full concentration, the boy had a smouldering gaze that could lure even a rock into his bed.
Day after day, Junsu was forced to watch Chansung woo Junho - from sharing fan gifts with Junho during their tutoring sessions, to whispering into Junho's ear all through lunch. Worst of all, Junho appeared to be responding favorably, accepting the advances with a playful edge.
"Hey," Chansung said huskily, a hand resting on the wall, next to Junho's head.
"Hey," said Junho, looking up with a smile.
A chorus of 'awwws' surged through the female onlookers who had blocked the path to the lecture halls - again. Standing behind the crowd, Junsu kneaded his temple, while Wooyoung ground his teeth impatiently beside him. "Some of us have classes," the journalist hissed.
"Tell that to the idiot couple in front," Junsu sighed.
Wooyoung shot him a keen eye. "We don't know if Junho likes him back yet."
"I've known Junho for years," Junsu said bitterly. "He'd have rejected Chansung by now if he didn't like him."
"Then you should make a move before it's too late," Wooyoung suggested.
"I don't--"
Shrill screams cut off Junsu before he could finish.
"Oh," said Wooyoung. "Too late."
It took one glance at the 'idiot couple' to send Junsu's hopes and heart plummeting in a painful nosedive - Chansung was kissing Junho, pressing the smaller boy against the wall with his body. Vaguely, Junsu could feel Wooyoung tug his arm, dragging him away from the scene.
"Chansung!" Junho gasped over the din. "I said not in public!"
It was official, Junsu decided: he must have killed a nun in his past life.
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"Oh Junsu," said Nichkhun.
"It's cool," Junsu said casually. "I'm over it."
"Are you really?" Nichkhun asked, eyes filled with kind sympathy.
"Totally," said Junsu with a shrug. "Just..."
"Just?"
"... I wish I knew why."
"What are you guys doing?" said Junho, peering through the open window.
Inhaling sharply, Junsu leapt to attention, while Nichkhun scrambled to his feet beside him. "Nothing important," said Junsu, eyes darting to Nichkhun in a silent plea for help.
"Yeah," the Thai boy said quickly. "Nothing important."
"So why do you look so guilty?" Junho said with a laugh.
"Um..." said Nichkhun.
"Did you need something?" Junsu cut in.
Junho grinned, but thankfully decided not to pursue the matter. "Could you get a tube of sunblock from my room? Chansung's face is going to roast at this rate."
"Sure," said Junsu, padding off.
"Hey Junho?" he heard Nichkhun say after a moment. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," said Junho in accented English. Junsu snorted quietly to himself as he slipped into Junho and Chansung's shared room.
"Why Chansung?"
Junsu halted in his steps, eyes wide.
"You're not the first person to ask," Junho said, chuckling. "There's actually lots of reasons."
"What's the biggest?" said Nichkhun.
Without realizing it, Junsu held his breath as he strained his ears for the answer.
"He makes me laugh."
[Rating] PG-13
[Disclaimer] I don't own any of the One Day boys.
[Pairings] Channuneo, Junbros (Junsu->Junho), slight Jinwoon/Kwon
[Notes] Junsu tells Nichkhun the story of how Channuneo got together. It might be a bit rambly towards the end. ><; All the One Days are featured! Enjoy? ♥
"They make an interesting pair, don't they?" Nichkhun mused suddenly.
Junsu looked up from a pile of notes strewn across the coffee table. "Who?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Nichkhun gestured vaguely to some spot outside. Junsu joined the foreign boy near the window and peered out.
Under a tall tree sat Junho, leaning against the trunk and reading a book, while Chansung napped, his head cushioned in the other boy's lap. Junho's fingers, Junsu noted with a pang in his chest, were threaded through Chansung's hair, idly playing with the dark strands. It was like a dreamy scene straight out of a drama; groups of girls all squealed and stopped to snap a quick shot on their smart phones as they walked by.
Junsu forced a smile. "Yeah, a regular Roger and Jessica Rabbit."
Nichkhun laughed. "Opposites do attract."
"They seem happy," Junsu said as he returned to his notes. He made a big show of looking over a sheet, hoping that Nichkhun would get the hint and leave him alone. The last thing he wanted to talk about was Junho and Chansung's relationship.
"How'd they even get together?" said Nichkhun.
Junsu sighed; despite Nichkhun's sensitive nature, he could be really oblivious at times. "Do you want the long story, or the short version?"
"Long," Nichkhun said, before his eyes darted to the notes on the table. "If you have the time," he added quickly.
"It's not time that's the problem," Junsu muttered under his breath. When Nichkhun blinked, baffled, Junsu shook his head and patted the spot next to him. "C'mon, let's get this over with."
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Junsu didn't like the football players.
They were rude, they were loud, and more importantly, they were monopolizing his time with Junho. Ever since they were invited into the fraternity as the team's official tutors, Junho spent nearly every waking moment with them. Junsu was comforted that Junho's interest in them was purely scientific - something about testing the Pavlovian theory and Koko the gorilla? - but it didn't change the fact that he hadn't hung out with his best friend for days. His teeny tiny crush on said best friend wasn't helping the situation, either.
"Five times four is not twenty-five," Junho said from the vicinity of the living room.
"But it's close, right?" said another voice.
"That's right, Chansung," Junho said patiently. "As close as Korea is to the North Pole."
"Cool," said Chansung.
Junsu rolled his eyes as he listened to the pair from his room. On one hand, he was relieved to be tutoring the brighter players on the team. Their captain Seulong, for example, was taking courses on material engineering and could grasp physics concepts rather quickly - provided no one brought up the topic of Shin Min-Ah. On the other, this further ate up Junho's free time, as the younger boy had to overcome the challenge of explaining mathematics to players like Chansung.
Hwang Chansung: the football team's newest player, whose speed and immense power became legend after he dislocated the hip of an opponent with a running tackle. Off the field, he was nothing but a simple-minded boy with a pretty face. Junsu didn't have anything against Chansung for his popularity and good looks; he just wished Junho wouldn't spend so much time with the younger boy.
When he realized that he had been reading the same page for the past twenty minutes, Junsu tossed his book aside and headed to the living room. Changmin had advised him, while baking a batch of scones, that there was absolutely nothing wrong with crashing those tutoring sessions - on the pretext of assisting Junho, of course. He found the pair sitting - a little too close, in his opinion - at the coffee table.
"Need any help?" Junsu asked, plopping down beside Junho.
His best friend smiled and Junsu's heart skipped a beat. "Thanks, but we're making progress."
"Yeah?" Junsu pulled up a textbook and scanned the page. "Limits now?"
"Moving onto differentiation, actually," Junho said with the pride of a boastful parent. "Chansung just needs to be careful of calculation mistakes."
"Junho got me a box of fried chicken the other day," Chansung added, grinning.
Junsu snorted, barely giving Chansung a glance. "Positive reinforcement?" he asked Junho.
"Positive punishment didn't work so well," the first-year said with a shrug.
"Positive what?" said Chansung.
"It's not important," Junho told the footballer gently, before he turned back to Junsu with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but we'd move a lot faster if it's just the two of us."
"Sure," said Junsu, gritting his teeth. He held back the urge to slap the back of Chansung's head as he rose to his feet. "You on for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Breakfast?" Junho said, his smile faltering. "I don't know, hyung..."
"It's okay," said Junsu quietly. He already knew he wouldn't see his friend at the cafeteria the next morning; one of Junho's pupils had a chemistry midterm that required revision. He resolutely turned away when Chansung raised his hand to wave goodbye, stalking back to his room as calmly as he could. It was going to be yet another evening of furious belting to English rock songs and bitter, bitter loneliness.
Junsu really didn't like the football players.
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It took a good month or so before Junsu finally settled in with the rest of the fraternity. He learned that they genuinely considered their little organization as a family, especially after Taecyeon beat up a guy for insulting Junsu's fashion choices. (Junsu held his tongue about Taecyeon's fashion for the next week.) Although Junho was still tied down with tutoring, thanks to the footballers, they now shared another common interest besides science and music: weight-training. Junho thought he could relate with the players if he joined them in their workout sessions; Junsu was just more than happy for the opportunity to hang out with him.
It was at one of these sessions that Seulong approached Junsu in the middle of his workout, backed up by the looming figures of Taecyeon and Chansung. Junsu sometimes wondered if the two boys ever followed their captain into the toilet. "You're not really doing this for your body, are you?" said the tall player, shooting Junsu a shrewd look.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Junsu said as he nonchallantly pulled the iron bar past his head.
"I've seen the way you look at him," Seulong said with a grin. "I've seen the way you look at Chansung when he looks at him."
"Chansung's looking at him?" Junsu said sharply, before he caught the confused expression on Chansung's face and let loose a string of expletives.
"That answers the question!" Seulong said, chortling. "Seriously, how long has this been going on?"
Junsu released the bar and let it sail back to the top with a loud clang. "None of your business," he said coldly, stepping past the boys to leave. He may have gotten closer to them, but that didn't mean he was ready to pour his heart out.
"Whoa, hang on," said Seulong, snatching Junsu by the arm. "I want to help, really I do!"
"The same way you help Kwon and Jinwoon?" Junsu said, raising an eyebrow.
"Who's helping Jinwoon and Kwon-hyung?"
There followed an awkward pause as all four boys turned to see Junho standing nearby, gazing at them questioningly. He was dressed in simple workout clothes, but sweat made the fabric cling almost desperately to his bare skin, revealing masculine curves that drew Junsu's attention like a bee to honey.
"Looking good these days, Junho," Taecyeon hooted shamelessly.
The smaller boy laughed, moving forward to throw a light punch at Taecyeon. "Quit it," he said, embarrassed.
"Yeah, quit it, y'pervert," said Chansung, playfully smacking Taecyeon and knocking his teammate into the nearest weight machine.
With great reluctance, Junsu tore his eyes away from Junho's torso. "I'm done for today," he announced, wrenching his arm out of Seulong's grip. "So I'll see you guys later."
"But you'll join us for the club outing tonight, right?" said Seulong hastily.
Junsu fixed Seulong with a bewildered stare; he hadn't heard about a club outing. In response, the football captain winked and tilted his head in a painfully conspicuous manner towards Junho. Oh geezus, thought Junsu. "Yes," he said out loud, taking pity on Seulong and his valiant efforts. "Of course."
"Can I come, too?" Junho asked. He appeared surprisingly - and thankfully - unaware of Seulong's actions.
"Naturally," said the football captain, before he gave Junsu another exaggerated wink.
"Hyung," Chansung said with some concern. "Does your face itch?"
Junho laughed as Seulong dragged Chansung out of the weights room by the collar, a snickering Taecyeon trailing behind. "They're pretty cute when you get to know them, huh?"
"Very cute," the genius agreed, watching Junho with a smile. It took effort, but he managed to keep his eyes on Junho's face.
The rest of the day was uneventful save for a very odd visit by Chansung, who anxiously asked for advice, listing symptoms that sounded very much like heartburn - given the rate at which Chansung wolfed down his food, it was inevitable - as well as a surprise visit from someone Junsu was glad to entertain.
"I kind of want my legs to breathe," Junho whined.
"You asked me to pick out an outfit for you and I did," said Junsu, pressing the skinny jeans into the other boy's hands. "The shopping mall's about to close; take it or leave it."
"But--"
Throwing an arm round Junho, Junsu beamed widely at him. "You asked me to take you shopping, right?" he said in his outrageous dialect.
Junho laughed, eyes creasing into pretty arcs. "Hyung!"
"You want to look nice at the club, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"You know fashion hurts, right?"
"I do, but--"
"And you do trust me, right?"
Junho paused, frowning. "That's not a fair question."
Knowing that he had won the argument, Junsu walked the younger boy towards the cashier. He had to admit that Seulong's idea wasn't quite as weird as it first sounded; clubbing attire was the perfect excuse to show off Junho's new muscles.
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"Hyung!" Junho yelped for the sixth time. "Hands where I can see them!"
With a drunken snigger, Taecyeon pulled his hand from Junho's ass and held it up in front of the younger boy with an impudent grin. "Happy now?" he said.
"I would be if you'd stop groping me," Junho huffed, swatting the hand away.
"Ain't m' fault you've gotta killer butt," Taecyeon slurred cheerfully.
Junsu took another swig of whiskey, wincing at the burning path it carved down his throat. If he had known the effect the clothes would cause, he would never have chosen those blasted skinny jeans. Taecyeon's hand was stuck permanently to that firm end like a leech, while Seulong and Chansung kept casting appreciative glances. Even Kwon, who had joined them to watch Jinwoon's live performance, made a remark so lewd that Junho flushed to the tips of his ears.
Briefly, Junsu had contemplated using the excuse of alcohol to get in a grope or two, but try as he might, he couldn't sink down to that level. So instead, he sat at the counter, chugging glass after glass of hard liquor as he sullenly tried to ignore that the other boys - and probably a number of strangers - were molesting his crush on the dance floor.
"Some help Seulong is," Junsu grumbled to his drink.
"Having fun, I see," a small, wiry boy quipped, sliding into the next seat.
"Not in the mood, Wooyoung," Junsu sighed.
"I hear you," the journalist said, unfazed. "My editor thinks it's fun to torture me with Ace of Spade write-ups." He tapped at the counter to get the bartender's attention. "Black Russian, on the rocks."
"Hit me," Junsu said, pushing his glass across the counter.
Wooyoung took a glance at Junsu's face and clicked his tongue. "How many is that, hyung?"
"Who wants to know?"
"A concerned junior," Wooyoung said. "Something on your mind?"
Mutely, Junsu jerked his head towards a circle of boys near the stage. An eyebrow arched in curiosity, Wooyoung craned his neck to peer through the crowd. "Damn," he whistled, as Junsu wasted no time in emptying his refill. "Who's the cutie dancing in the middle of the frat jocks?"
"Junho," Junsu said miserably.
"The first-year Olympiad nerd?" Wooyoung said, surprised.
"He's wearing contacts," said Junsu, beckoning to the bartender for another glass.
"Who the hell's looking at his eyes?" Wooyoung snorted. "Has Kwon seen him?"
"As far as I'm concerned, the whole damn club has had their fill of him," Junsu snapped.
The journalist blinked once. Then, slowly, Junsu could see the light dawning on the younger boy's face. "Hyung," Wooyoung started sympathetically.
"Don't," said Junsu, looking away.
What Wooyoung said next, Junsu had no idea; the boy's words were drowned out by a reverberation of D minor chords on an electric guitar. Girls erupted into high-pitched shrieks - Kwon's sounding loud and clear - and there was a sudden, almost terrifying, stampede to the main stage.
"Let's rock this joint!" Jinwoon's voice rang through the club, before the band launched into their latest song.
When Junsu finally turned back to Wooyoung, he reared back in shock: Chansung was sitting in the journalist's place. "Wooyoung-hyung's catching a few girls for an interview," Chansung explained when he saw Junsu's expression. The freshman then ordered a cocktail - Dirty Banana, complete with a tiny, pink umbrella - before leaning over to shoot a dopey grin at Junsu. "I didn't know you were such a drinker, hyung."
"Hell yeah," said Junsu, lilting in his Daegu dialect to hide his melancholy. "I loooooove drinking."
Chansung snickered. "Nice." Taking a sip of his drink, he gestured towards the stage. "Is that gay or is that gay?"
Junsu's lips quirked at a corner. Through the screaming throngs, he could make out Kwon right in front of the stage, flailing and swinging his hips like his pants were on fire. "You're the one with a pink umbrella," he said with a shrug.
"Oh snap," breathed a voice close to his ear.
"Junho," Junsu choked, spinning round so fast he nearly flew off his seat. He lifted a hand to scrub at his neck; the spot below his ear was still tingling from the warm sensation.
The culprit stood right in his personal space, grinning from ear to ear. "Why aren't you on the dance floor?" Junho said, poking Junsu in the chest.
"Because--" 'I hate watching the others rock against you that way' "--I don't dance."
"Hyung prefers drinking," Chansung said helpfully.
"Really?" said Junho, wrinkling his nose. Junsu resisted the fierce urge to smooth those creases with his lips. "I never knew that."
"Hey, does alcohol give you heartburn, too?" Chansung said suddenly, looking down at his drink.
Junsu stared at Chansung, but before he could react, Junho stepped past him to lay a hand on the footballer's chest. "You have heartburn?" he said worriedly.
Swallowing, Chansung nodded. "My heart just starts beating really fast sometimes," he said, placing a big hand over Junho's and shifting it gently to the right side. "Like this."
Junho's head snapped up, startled. There was a beat - their eyes met and the air sizzled - before Junho pulled his hand away. "Your heart's on the other side," he murmured, rubbing the back of his hand.
As Chansung laughed sheepishly in response, Junsu noted, with some queasiness, that Junho's ears were flaming red.
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They got back to the frat house a little past four in the morning.
Taecyeon and Seulong had their arms around each other as they staggered to their room, bumping into furniture and howling some off-key tune that sounded suspiciously like the Titanic theme song. Chansung was laughing at his teammates, while Junho, who had made the mistake of downing a bottle of soju at Kwon's insistence, slept soundly on Junsu's back; he hadn't woken up the entire way home.
As much as Junsu enjoyed the contact, Junho wasn't exactly light. By the time he arrived at Junho's room, his legs were threatening to buckle from the weight.
"Chansung," he shouted over the caterwauling. "Open this door before I drop the idiot!"
Still giggling, Chansung jogged over. "I could've helped, you know," he said, opening the door as requested.
"That would just aggravate your heartburn," Junsu lied. Hell would freeze over before he gave Chansung an excuse to hold Junho. Behind him, Junho muttered something inaudibly and pressed his nose into his neck.
"He's really cute when he sleeps," Chansung said quietly.
"Yeah, sure," said Junsu. There was a strange emotion to the other boy's voice that made him very uncomfortable - not to mention that moment in the club, too. "Close the door behind us, will you?"
"Okay," said Chansung obediently, but Junsu didn't miss the soft smile he shot at Junho before pulling the door shut.
"And my heart will go on and on~!" Taecyeon all but shrieked down the hall.
Predictably, none of them went to class that day. Noon found them sprawled out lazily in various positions around the living room, watching TV with bleary eyes - with the exception of Junho, who strolled in looking perfectly lucid. Junsu looked up from cradling his throbbing head; he could never figure out how Junho's body dealt with alcohol. Every time the younger boy drank his limit, he would sleep like the living dead and then wake up fresh like a daisy, without a single effect of a hangover.
"Wow, who died?" said Junho, taking a look at their blank faces.
"Not so loud," Seulong groaned.
"Sorry," Junho said, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"Junho," Chansung whined from somewhere near the couch. "My chest hurts again."
Junsu sat up instantly to glare at the football player. "Junho's not your nursemaid!"
"It's okay," Junho laughed, much to Junsu's chagrin. Crossing over to where Chansung lay, the smaller boy knelt down and patted Chansung's knee. "How long have you had this?"
"A month ago?" said Chansung. "It got really bad this week."
"Want me to rub Vaporub on your chest?" asked Junho, seconds before Junsu yelped, "No!" and Seulong feebly raised another protest.
"It's kinda funny," Taecyeon said, speaking up for the first time. "The pain started exactly when the Jun-boys came to live with us."
Frowning, Junsu mustered the last of his mental reserves to recall the freshman's complaints the day before. "Chest pains and breathing difficulties," he said. "These are classic heartburn symptoms."
"But doesn't he always get it after dinner?" Taecyeon persisted. "You know, when he's back in the frat house?"
"Yeah, when I have tutoring with Junho," said Chansung.
Silence filled the living room, as the other boys shot him incredulous looks.
"Wait so," said Taecyeon slowly. "Your heart races and you find it hard to breathe when you're with Junho?"
Chansung blinked. "I guess so." His eyes widened then. "Are you trying to say I caught heartburn from him?"
It was absurd; no, it was beyond ridiculous. Chansung had a horde of fangirls stalking his every move, offering bananas, lunch boxes and assorted sweets; he could have had the pick of any gorgeous freshman girl he wanted. Instead - Junsu throat tightened as Junho rapped Chansung's forehead with his knuckles, eyes curved into crescent moons - Seoul Academy's most popular boy chose to become his biggest competitor for the one person he had loved since junior high.
"Our village idiot's in love with the resident nerd," said Seulong with exasperation, flinging his arms into the air. "Fantastic. Now can we all just shut up so I can die in peace?"
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Junsu wondered if it had something to do with his karma.
Not only had Chansung figured out the source of his symptoms - which took an hour of thorough explanation from Seulong and Taecyeon - the freshman had decided to turn his charms on, full blast. As foolish as Chansung may look, in full concentration, the boy had a smouldering gaze that could lure even a rock into his bed.
Day after day, Junsu was forced to watch Chansung woo Junho - from sharing fan gifts with Junho during their tutoring sessions, to whispering into Junho's ear all through lunch. Worst of all, Junho appeared to be responding favorably, accepting the advances with a playful edge.
"Hey," Chansung said huskily, a hand resting on the wall, next to Junho's head.
"Hey," said Junho, looking up with a smile.
A chorus of 'awwws' surged through the female onlookers who had blocked the path to the lecture halls - again. Standing behind the crowd, Junsu kneaded his temple, while Wooyoung ground his teeth impatiently beside him. "Some of us have classes," the journalist hissed.
"Tell that to the idiot couple in front," Junsu sighed.
Wooyoung shot him a keen eye. "We don't know if Junho likes him back yet."
"I've known Junho for years," Junsu said bitterly. "He'd have rejected Chansung by now if he didn't like him."
"Then you should make a move before it's too late," Wooyoung suggested.
"I don't--"
Shrill screams cut off Junsu before he could finish.
"Oh," said Wooyoung. "Too late."
It took one glance at the 'idiot couple' to send Junsu's hopes and heart plummeting in a painful nosedive - Chansung was kissing Junho, pressing the smaller boy against the wall with his body. Vaguely, Junsu could feel Wooyoung tug his arm, dragging him away from the scene.
"Chansung!" Junho gasped over the din. "I said not in public!"
It was official, Junsu decided: he must have killed a nun in his past life.
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"Oh Junsu," said Nichkhun.
"It's cool," Junsu said casually. "I'm over it."
"Are you really?" Nichkhun asked, eyes filled with kind sympathy.
"Totally," said Junsu with a shrug. "Just..."
"Just?"
"... I wish I knew why."
"What are you guys doing?" said Junho, peering through the open window.
Inhaling sharply, Junsu leapt to attention, while Nichkhun scrambled to his feet beside him. "Nothing important," said Junsu, eyes darting to Nichkhun in a silent plea for help.
"Yeah," the Thai boy said quickly. "Nothing important."
"So why do you look so guilty?" Junho said with a laugh.
"Um..." said Nichkhun.
"Did you need something?" Junsu cut in.
Junho grinned, but thankfully decided not to pursue the matter. "Could you get a tube of sunblock from my room? Chansung's face is going to roast at this rate."
"Sure," said Junsu, padding off.
"Hey Junho?" he heard Nichkhun say after a moment. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," said Junho in accented English. Junsu snorted quietly to himself as he slipped into Junho and Chansung's shared room.
"Why Chansung?"
Junsu halted in his steps, eyes wide.
"You're not the first person to ask," Junho said, chuckling. "There's actually lots of reasons."
"What's the biggest?" said Nichkhun.
Without realizing it, Junsu held his breath as he strained his ears for the answer.
"He makes me laugh."