Yongseung nudged his glasses back up. His eyes flicked between the professor's notes on the whiteboard and his own notebook. He had only been in college for a few semesters, but he found it equally challenging and rewarding. Only thing is, he tended to isolate himself. Not entirely his fault; whenever he entered a classroom for the first time, he tried to find a spot near the front. Others were not as bold as him, instead opting to sit near the back or leave a few seats between them. 

It grew a bit lonely; he won't lie. But he tried to focus on his studies. Most of his classes hadn't asked for partner work. However, this was a much smaller class size, and he remembered spotting the words "group project" on the syllabus. Thinking about it made his leg bounce. 

"Okaaay, I know we're still pretty fresh into the semester, but keen eyes probably saw a mention of a group project in the syllabus," the professor beamed at them, despite the students' uneasy squirming. "I wanted to use the project as a way for everyone to get to know each other! Don't worry, there's no more after this." Some sighed in relief, others in quiet annoyance. 

The professor pulled out a box from their desk. "In here are names of countries we'll be studying throughout the semester. This'll be a duo project, meaning two of you will get the same country and have to create a short presentation overviewing basic details." They rattled the box and began to walk around, stopping at Yongseung's desk first. "Go on, don't be shy!"

He gave them a tight-lipped smile then reached into the box. His hand dug through the papers for a minute before he pulled a piece out. The professor kept walking, so he undid the folds to reveal his country: Mexico. He hummed and nodded- not a bad choice. He has been studying the language for a while and has been wanting to learn more about its culture for a while now. 

But he looked past his shoulder at everyone else. As some were reading their countries, a few looked around expectedly and showed their country. There were some murmurs of disappointment, as well as quiet cheers. He scanned the room to see if he could make eye contact with his partner, but no one came forward. 

"Alright," the professor spoke up, "I'll be ending my lecture a bit early, so you all can find your partners and start planning. The details are already posted on your portal, but I'll be here for another 10 minutes if you have any questions."

The room sparked with conversations and awkward hello's. Once again, he looked around, but... his leg began to bounce-

"Um, hi."

He whipped around to look up at a classmate. He gave them a relieved smile. "I was starting to think I'd be doing a solo project." He laughed lightly. They smile awkwardly at him. "Can I sit here?" They point to the chair and his backpack that was occupying it. "Oh!" he hurriedly pulled it off. "Yes, yes, of course. Sorry." He cleared his throat and readjusted his chair. "What's your name? I don't think I've met you," he asked.

"(y/n)," they answered. "And that's probably because I tend to hang out in the back..." They fiddled with their pencil. "And you? I don't think I've seen you around either."

"Yongseung." He replied.

"Y...Yongsung? Sorry, I wanna make sure I get it right-"

He shook his head, smiling kindly. "Yongseung, as in sing."

"Oh! Okay, okay. Yongseung. Just gimme a few tries and I'll get it down next time we meet." They share some light laughter, causing his nose to scrunch up. It's true; he hasn't seen this person before, but they're making a good impression on him. A bit awkward, but he's dealt with awkward before. If anything, it only made them cuter. 

"So... Mexico. Dunno if this is gonna be easy or tricky." They looked down at the paper. "We shouldn't overthink it," Yongseung pointed out. "But..." he peeked back at the emptying classroom, "I honestly don't want to be the last ones here. Are you okay with heading to a little cafe spot nearby?"

"R...Right now?" They stared at him with wide eyes. He nodded. "Oh! Yes, that's... that's totally fine." Although he wore a smile, his brow furrowed in slight confusion at their blush. He gathered his things and led (y/n) out of the room. They made pleasant conversation as they walked, finding out each other's majors and other classes they're taking. It... was nice to be able to talk to someone, just as he's watched others do. He only hoped he wasn't coming across as overeager.

He wasn't exactly sure why people avoid him. He did his best to smile politely and sometimes ask questions, but he'd always be met with weird or awkward looks. And his other friends were all occupied with different things. He wanted to make friends on campus. A study buddy, even. 

He may be getting his hopes up too soon, but he hoped something will come out of him and (y/n). 

A short bus ride later, and they arrived at the Privacy Cafe. He held the door open for them then asked, "Do you want anything?"

They scanned the menu hanging overhead and hummed. "What do you usually get?"

"Iced matcha or something with caramel."

"Ooh, I'll go with the caramel option. Don't disappoint me," they chuckled. His eager smile returned. "Okay, you can find a spot. I'll get us the drinks-"

"Wh- are you sure?" Their blush returned, "You don't have to..."

"Really." Yongseung nodded. "Don't worry about it." They stared at him for a minute before a small, warm smile appeared. "Alright... thanks, Yongseung." And they turned to find a comfortable booth to sit at. 

He watched as they took a seat. "God, you're hopeless." His friend's voice made him turn back to face the barista. He huffed slightly. "I am not! I'm just being nice. Nothing more than that, Gyehyeon."

"Mhm," Gyehyeon tiredly rubbed an eye, "so, two of your usual caramel?" He rung up his friend's order and gave him the ticket number. "They seem nice," he continued. "Surprised you haven't scared them off."

"They wouldn't run..." Yongseung mumbled. "I hope not, anyway. And I'm not scary-"

"Start talking about space and see how they react," Gyehyeon softly snorted. "Or soccer. Or your collection of Rubiks cubes. Or-"

"Okay!" The other raised his hands to silence him. "Okay, I get it. Well, they don't really have a choice. We're partnered up for a presentation."

"Ohh, that explains it." Gyehyeon soon passed his drinks over. "Hm. Good luck. Keep me posted," he gave him a thumbs up. Yongseung said a quiet thank you and walked back to the booth, handing a cup to (y/n). Even though he wanted to know more about them, he spotted their open laptop. Right, the assignment is more important. He took some sips of his drink and pulled out his to look at the project details. 

They began to layout a plan for their presentation - finding good sources and dividing the work between the two of them. He also found some enjoyment in this. He could tell they were a hard worker and wasn't about to let him shoulder all the work. It was actually starting to become a little fun. 

As they studied the words on their screen, Yongseung found himself staring. They chewed down on their pencil and held furrowed brows in concentration. Their fingers delicately swiped the mousepad up as they scrolled. He... wasn't sure why he was staring. But even when he tried to break away and focus on his own screen, it was as if his gaze was magnetically pulled towards them. 

Eventually, he was caught. "You... okay?" They asked. He blinked then rapidly shook his head, forcing himself back to his screen. "Y...Yeah, sorry. Spacing off."

"Oh..." Was that disappointment in their voice? "Well, it is getting late. I don't wanna miss the last bus to the parking lot." They started to pack up their things. "Thanks for the drink. I actually really liked it," They smiled softly at him. His shoulders relaxed at the sight. "Oh, we should exchange numbers. Y'know, to schedule more meet ups." He nearly shot up at the suggestion. He was all too quick in breaking out his phone to receive their number. 

"You okay with heading back by yourself?" He quietly asked. 

They chuckled softly. "It's cute that you're worried for me, but I'll be fine. Look, I'll um... I'll text you when I make it to my car safely, yeah?" He could only nod pathetically. But their smile remained as they gave their goodbyes. 

Yongseung slumped in his spot. That... wasn't so bad, right? He got their number, after all! He leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. God, they're really cute... And it wasn't just in the physical sense. A little awkward at first, sure, but he was already admiring their work ethic and willingness to try new things. This interaction only made him more eager to learn about them. Their likes and dislikes, sources of fear and joy.

Is this normal...?

"Hey." His head rolled over to Gyehyeon, who was standing over him. "Congrats on a successful first date. Can you take me home? I forgot Hoyoung was out of town for a wedding."

Straight to the point with that one. Yongseung sighed but otherwise nodded and grabbed his things. Not many words were shared, but that's how it normally is. Besides, his thoughts were on his new partner. He barely remembered dropping Gyehyeon off and making it back to his apartment. He practically collapsed on the couch. Too much energy spent from social interaction. Mindlessly, he turned the tv on to a rerun of a soccer game. 

The pillow was pulled closer to him. The exhaustion washed over him like a soothing wave. That is, until he felt buzzing from his pocket. He groggily rose his head and pulled out his phone. Oh, right! (y/n)! He tried to rub some sleep out of his eyes to read the message:

sorry for the late text! was driving. but made it home safely :]

hope ur getting some sleep too

i'll see u in class tomorrow! 

A smile stretched across his face. He snuggled back into the pillow and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. 

The project served as a good excuse to hang out throughout the past few weeks. As predicted, though, it didn't take much effort to finish, and their presentation went off without a hitch, so he came up with the idea on holding a minor celebration at his place. 

"God, now I can close all these damn tabs." (y/n) groaned as they leaned back from their laptop, earning a chuckle from Yongseung. He took a sip of his water then readjusted himself on his spot on the floor. 

"Oh yeah, I was always curious about something." He tilted his head at their question. "And what is this something?" he asked them. 

They point towards the bottle in his hand. "I only ever see you drink water or some juice. I've never seen you drink soda. Hell, not even sparkling water! I get staying hydrated but man."

Yongseung let out a few nervous laughs as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a bit hard to explain... I basically can't drink anything carbonated." He winced at the memory. "Last time I had a soda, I passed out."

"No way!" They gasped. "Seriously?"

He meekly nodded. "My body just can't handle it, I suppose. One of my friends, Dongheon, he tried to make me drink something carbonated to see if I was still the same. I spat it back out and just laid there on the floor..." Even if it was embarrassing, he found himself laughing all the same. He quieted himself to hear their laughter more, though. "Um... please don't ask me to do that, though. Yeonho would kill me if I got stains on his rug."

They shake their head, smiling up at them. "Nah, I won't. But that is a funny story to tell." They shifted a bit closer to him as they became quiet. He nervously stiffened for a second. Since they've been hanging out, he had found out so much about them. He was shocked at how many interests they shared, and even more so when he realized how attentive they were when he would ramble about his favorite topics. 

It only made his crush worse.

It's gotten so bad that his friends were beginning to notice. Gyehyeon was already teasing him, but Yeonho couldn't, considering he had also started seeing someone he met at his job. The others were just like Gyehyeon - teasing him until Yongseung scolded them like a mother. Also didn't help that this was his first crush in a while...

"Yongseung..."

Their voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Mhm?"

"There's something else I've also been curious about."

He tilted his head again. "Yeah? Ask away."

"I... kinda lied when we first met. About not knowing who you were."

His brow furrowed as he sat up a little. He waited for them to continue, "Truth is," they sighed, "I've seen you in a lot of my classes. The entry-level ones. Y'know, with the big halls. You always sat in the front, but you were never with anyone. You... don't have to answer, but why? Why do you sit by yourself?"

He took in a deep breath then sighed. Honestly not a question he was expecting, but he wasn't offended by it. They were merely being observant. "It's not exactly my choice," he began. "My main group of friends are all doing their own thing, so it's just been me on campus. And..." he stared at the ground, "I've tried talking to people. I don't know what it is about me. I asked my friends once. Yeonho told me that I look kind of intimidating. He figured people were just too nervous to talk to me," He shook his head. "But I've done my best to come across as nice. So, I don't know what I'm doing wrong..."

They quietly sat, eyes staring off as they listened attentively. They finally take a soft breath, "I... don't think it's on you, then. You're not doing anything wrong." They shuffled even closer. He felt their weight rest against him. "Okay, yeah, I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated by you. I mean, super pretty boy who's also insanely smart? I was also kinda worried you'd be some kind of jerk."

He paused, mouth slightly agape. Did they just-?

"But," they continued, "talking to you, hanging out with you, working with you..." They rest their head against his shoulder. "You surprised me. You're genuinely such a sweet person." His heart began to race, but not from their closeness. He felt a lump forming in his throat and had to swallow it down and cover it up with a quiet laugh. A hand wiped away the few tears that managed to leak from his eyes. 

"That's... That's really nice to hear, (y/n). Thank you. I could say the same of you... Being a sweet person, I mean. Not the intimidating part." He smiled warmly, "I actually find you quite pretty yourself."

He felt them flinch and their arm warm up against his. "Jeez, don't play like that, Yongseung..."

"I'm serious." he gazed down at them, silently waiting for them to raise their head up. When they did, he chuckled quietly at their red face. "Not only are you pretty, you're also intelligent, observant, and attentive." His voice quieted to a soft murmur as he leaned in. "I've never met someone quite like you."

He heard their breath get caught in their throat. A tiny smile couldn't help but appear on his face as a result. His forehead delicately rested on theirs; he could smell the perfume that was beginning to fade. "(y/n)..." He mumbled against their lips.

But he quickly pulled back as he heard keys jangling and the door creaking open. He bit down on his tongue and straightened out his lips as Yeonho entered. His friend paused, staring at the two of them. "...Did I interrupt something?" he snorted. 

"It's fine!" (y/n) blurted out. "It...It's getting late, anyway. I have a paper to finish." Yongseung could only sadly watch as they grabbed their things in a haste and rush to the door. "I'll um... I'll text you when I get home, okay? ... Bye." They hurried out, closing the door behind them. 

Yongseung jumped as Yeonho clapped his hands. "You were about to kiss them!" His friend laughed. But his smile dropped at Yongseung's glare. "What? Oh, c'mon! You know what time I come home!"

"I lost track of time," Yongseung grumbled. He started to clean up the area around him. "Damn, now it's just gonna be awkward," he hissed to himself. 

"Might've been awkward if you did kiss them too-"

"Not helping."

Yeonho raised his hands up in defeat, "Okay... Okay. Relax. Look, I'm sorry for ruining your little date." He hung his jacket up. "But if they really like you, then you'll get another chance soon enough." His eyes shifted to his phone. "Besides, it really is getting late. Have you ate?"

Yongseung sighed deeply. "No..."

"Then it's decided. I'll cook us up a quick meal; it'll help us sleep easier, 'kay?"

He couldn't help but nod. He could never be genuinely upset at his friend. It wasn't his fault. He just hoped he was right... 

After the brief dinner, he washed up and crawled into bed, phone in hand. He stared at the messages shared between himself and (y/n). Should he text them...? No, that might come off as too strong-

He jumped at the vibration. 

made it home
see u in class
:]

Despite them sending their little emoticon, he still felt like shit. He buried his face into his pillow as it began to burn hot. Why? Why did he do that? Now he might've ruined his only potential friendship - all because he got too greedy...

He took a deep breath then sighed. No use crying over it. He plugged in his phone then turned over. He'll deal with this tomorrow.

And tomorrow came all too fast. He honestly slept walked through the day. Everything his professors said went in one ear and out the other. He thought he could sleep it off, but no, it continued to haunt him. And (y/n) hasn't texted him since. His heart ached as a sudden thought came through: they hate him...

It was finally time for their class together. His footsteps felt heavy as he made his way to the building. He kept his head down, earbuds in. They can't hate him; they texted him last night! But what if that's just them being nice? His hands clenched together in his pockets. Man, he needed to apologize and soon -

His steps slowed as he took out his phone to check a notification. His eyes went wide, and he had to rub them to make sure it wasn't a mistake. His head shot up; he suddenly gained the energy to bolt the rest of the way. He knew the spot where (y/n) usually waited. And sure enough, he found them right there.

No fear weighed him down as he rushed up and called out their name. They turned towards him, only to jump as he grabbed their shoulders and spun them around. "Did you see it??" he asked excitedly. 

"Wh...What? See what?"

"Our grade! A perfect score!"

"What?!" They whip out their phone to check. "I...I mean, I knew we'd get a good grade, but a perfect score?" They looked up to him, "Shouldn't you be used to this? I'm sure you get perfect grades all the time-" They froze when he quickly kissed their cheek. Wide eyes stared at him as he was beaming. "No! Okay, sometimes, but I... I don't know! I guess since we worked so hard together on it... I guess I'm just... really proud?" He questioned himself. He finally noticed their expression and pulled their hands back.

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Yongseung softly grunted as his arm was yanked down. A blink later, and he felt soft lips against his own. His heart swelled with joy, but the feeling disappeared as quickly as it happened as they pulled back. He had to blink a few times to get out of his daze. 

"Tell your friend if you have me over next time." They huffed with burning red cheeks. "Also..." their eyes darted around