PA 11

Yejun finished his last class and was walking toward the central library for a group project. Then, with a worried expression, he made a phone call.

“Suho hyung.”

— Yeah. Are all your classes over?

“Yes, but hyung…. Is our title track still not decided? I heard practice was canceled again tonight….”

— I know.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

— If it comes down to it, there are a few songs Wooju hyung and I were working on. I’m thinking of mentioning them to the CEO.

“It seems like the company is in a really tough spot these days.”

Suho couldn’t bring himself to blame Youngsik, the CEO of their agency, for fear of unsettling the other members. Sirius hadn’t even fully established itself as a boy group with a solid fanbase, yet Youngsik had squeezed the money they earned and invested heavily in a girl group.

However, the response to the new girl group he had ambitiously launched was lackluster, and as a result, High Entertainment was facing significant financial difficulties. Suho, the only one who knew this, couldn’t stop sighing.

— Yejun, don’t you worry too much. Take this as a chance to focus on your schoolwork.

“How can I not worry, though?”

— Worrying isn’t going to make the situation any better. Just fulfill your duties as a student.

“…Okay.”

Yejun had no choice but to pretend he hadn’t heard Suho’s long sigh over the phone. With his shoulders slumped, Yejun stared blankly at the central library.

“Lee Yejun.”

“Huh? Junhyuk, what are you doing here?”

The two had agreed to meet in front of the central library, located between the economics building and the theater and film department. There were still twenty minutes until their meeting time, so Yejun approached Junhyuk, looking at him quizzically.

“My morning class ended early today, so I was getting bored of waiting. I was on my way to get you. Looks like your class ended a bit early, too.”

“Yeah, the professor let us out a little early.”

“It looked like you were on the phone earlier…. Is something worrying you?”

“Ah… I was talking about work with my team leader hyung, so I guess I got a little serious. It’s nothing major, so don’t worry too much.”

“Okay.”

Yejun, who had only recently paid off all of Hyungyu’s gambling debts, had a lot on his mind. In other words, for Yejun, this was a new beginning.

Yejun had to earn money for his basic living expenses and tuition, and he also had to find a new place to live to avoid Hyungyu. Although he had received the cancer insurance payout, he also needed to save money for his mother’s treatment in case of any unforeseen circumstances. But with the team’s comeback schedule being repeatedly delayed, Yejun was starting to grow anxious.

“Junhyuk, before we go into the reading room, let’s talk out here about how we’re going to handle the group project.”

“Sure.”

To the right of the central library was a student lounge area. Yejun placed his bag on one of the large, sparsely arranged tables there and spoke as he checked the time.

“By the way, I wonder when Nayoung sunbae and Cheolwon sunbae will get here?”

“I don’t know.”

Yejun picked up his phone, checked the time, and posted a message in the group chat for his project members. In the meantime, Junhyuk got four vitamin drinks from a vending machine and placed them on the table.

“I sent a text message. Told them we’re in front of the central library.”

“Good job.”

Junhyuk took out the handout from class, spread it on the table, and said, “This is our group project topic.”

“I looked up some materials yesterday….”

Just then, Nayoung ran toward Yejun and Junhyuk, waving her hand.

“Am I late? My professor taught for the full three hours.”

“What class was it?”

Nayoung naturally sat down next to Yejun and chattered on.

“Electromagnetics.”

“Ah… that makes sense.”

Yejun’s gaze fell on the thick and difficult-looking textbook, and he smiled awkwardly. Junhyuk, sitting opposite them, could tell at a glance that Nayoung was a fan of Yejun. With a calm expression, Junhyuk slowly looked around before speaking to Yejun.

“Looks like Cheolwon sunbae isn’t coming.”

“I know. He’s not responding to the group chat or my private messages.”

“Let’s make an attendance sheet for group meetings, and if someone misses more than seventy percent, we’ll take their name off.”

After setting the basic rules for their group meetings, they took out their laptops and began to search for materials.

“I looked into the history of the late Joseon Dynasty, and I think we can divide our research into roughly four parts.”

“How so?”

Junhyuk turned his laptop around to show Yejun and Nayoung.

“Ah, if we really divide it like this, it’ll be easy to make the presentation materials.”

“Then for now, let’s each take one topic. I’ll let Cheolwon sunbae know since we’re in the same department.”

Yejun summarized what they had discussed and organized today and posted it in the group chat. Then, he stretched wide and got up from his seat.

“Everyone worked hard today. Nayoung sunbae, please pass the message on to Cheolwon sunbae, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Okay.”

Nayoung answered Yejun while checking the time. Surprised at how late it was, she quickly packed her things and continued speaking.

“I have to go catch the last bus, so I’m going to head out. See you next time.”

“Bye.”

Yejun also stood up to head to the subway station, but Junhyuk grabbed his shoulder and said, “It’s too late, so come sleep over at my place.”

“If I miss the last train, I can just take a taxi….”

Yejun had grown comfortable with Junhyuk at some point, and he began to feel conflicted over an offer he would have normally refused outright.

“The taxi fare is a waste of money. Let’s just go to my place.”

Smiling brightly, Junhyuk wrapped an arm around Yejun’s shoulders as if kidnapping him. Then, they headed home, crossing the pitch-black campus.

☂︎

Junhyuk, having showered quickly, brought out canned beer and snacks and set them on the coffee table before Yejun came out. He plopped down on the sofa and turned on the TV. A music show happened to be on, and Junhyuk naturally started watching it.

“You showered fast.”

Yejun sat down next to Junhyuk, drying his wet hair with a towel, and his gaze naturally shifted to the TV.

“It’s an old music show.”

“You were just on a little while ago.”

“Ah! Don’t watch. Change the channel, quick.”

“Why? You looked so pretty under the stage spotlights.”

Yejun lunged at Junhyuk to snatch the remote. Their arms got tangled, and their stomachs pressed together. Then, Junhyuk’s lips came into Yejun’s line of sight, and just as Yejun realized how close he was to Junhyuk and tried to pull back slightly—

At that moment, Junhyuk grabbed both of Yejun’s wrists, flipped his body over, and pinned him to the sofa. Yejun ended up struggling underneath Junhyuk, and Junhyuk even put his weight on top of Yejun to hold him down.

“Ah! Junhyuk, you’re heavy.”

“I bought all of Sirius’s albums. But I barely got any of your photo cards.”

“What? You’re collecting photo cards now?”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Junhyuk lay on top of Yejun, looking down at him with loving eyes. Seeing Junhyuk looking down at him with a radiant smile, Yejun momentarily felt a tickle in his lower abdomen. He felt his heart pound violently, as if he had just run a hundred-meter dash.

“Yejun, your face is red.”

“Cha Junhyuk, it’s because you’re heavy.”

Yejun, who barely managed to free one hand, slapped Junhyuk’s shoulder and pushed him away. Junhyuk chuckled, relaxed his body, and got off Yejun. Yejun seized the opportunity and quickly sat up.

“Drink this, it’s cold.”

Junhyuk said as he handed Yejun a can of beer. In an attempt to somehow calm his heated body and racing heart, Yejun chugged the cold beer in one go.

“Why are you drinking so fast?”

“It’s just… I’m hot.”

From that point on, Yejun somehow couldn’t look Junhyuk straight in the eye. Junhyuk, sensing something was off, kept trying to meet Yejun’s gaze, but Yejun kept avoiding his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, Yejun shot up from his seat and said, “I’m going home.”

“Now? At this hour?”

Junhyuk grabbed the hand of Yejun, who was about to walk toward the front door, and pulled him back. Then he cornered Yejun into a corner of the sofa, gripped both his arms to keep him from moving, and looked at Yejun’s face from extremely close up. Their lips were close enough to almost touch.

“It’s too late now, it’s dangerous. Don’t go.”

“L-let me go.”

“No. I won’t let you go until you say you won’t leave.”

“Cha Junhyuk.”

Only then did Junhyuk notice Yejun’s clear eyes shaking violently. Moreover, his face was flushed as red as an apple. Junhyuk could be certain of Yejun’s feelings. That Yejun was wavering because of him.

“Lee Yejun.”

“L-let go of me.”

“I told you, I can’t.”

Junhyuk pulled Yejun tightly into his arms. The flustered Yejun twisted his body, trying to somehow escape from his broad embrace. But there was no way he could overpower Junhyuk. In that moment, Yejun realized it too. That the feelings Junhyuk had for him were not simple friendship.

Yejun’s eyes were instantly filled with bewilderment. But the more precise reason for his bewilderment was not the fact that Junhyuk’s feelings for him were more than just friendship. It was the fact that at this very moment, with his body pressed flush against Junhyuk’s firm stomach, his own heart was pounding fiercely.

In that moment, Yejun’s and Junhyuk’s eyes met.

Ah… I’ve been caught.

Yejun, his feelings exposed, felt as if he were standing stark naked in the middle of a public square.

Junhyuk did not hesitate in the slightest. He brought his lips down on Yejun’s red lips. At the hot, soft touch of the lips, Yejun’s shoulders trembled faintly. Junhyuk held Yejun firmly, supporting the back of his head with one hand. Yejun could no longer retreat.

Junhyuk’s soft, wet tongue pushed its way between Yejun’s lips. Yejun’s eyes, filled with bewilderment, closed on their own. Junhyuk caressed Yejun’s lean back with a lingering touch, meticulously licking everything from the roof of his mouth to the soft mucous membranes.

Behind him, he was completely blocked by the sofa’s backrest and armrest, and in front, Junhyuk’s large body was in the way. Yejun could do nothing but accept Junhyuk’s pouring kisses. But the strange thing was, Yejun’s lower abdomen was tickling again. At the unfamiliar sensation, Yejun twisted his body, and Junhyuk pressed him down with his own.

Junhyuk tilted his head the other way and kissed Yejun again. Taking advantage of the brief moment their lips parted, Yejun let out a thin moan.