"The combination might be a bit strange. I actually meant without the others, just us."

Yeosang slowly realized what Jongho had just said, then everything stopped for him. What just happened?

••••

Yeosang's voice caught as he tried to answer. Was Jongho just asking him if they could meet up alone? But why on earth would he ask him of all people?

Jongho noticed Yeosang's puzzled look and his usual warm smile appeared on his lips. "I can give you my number and we can arrange something." Yeosang heard and saw the words leave Jongho's mouth and yet he couldn't believe them. He must have landed in a dream. But it all felt far too real.

Unable to say anything, Yeosang nodded hesitantly. Jongho held out his hand and Yeosang was confused at first. But then he realized what Jongho wanted from him. With shaky hands, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Jongho. While Jongho typed something on Yeosang's  phone, Yeosang just sat there and stared at him like he was an alien. He had expected Jongho to ignore him or beat him up for what he had done to Lia. That he was angry with him or that he loathed him. None of this would have surprised Yeosang, but he would never in a million years have expected what had just happened. It was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Jongho gave him back his phone, then stood up with a smile. "I have to get back to work, but I'll see you around." With these words, he left Yeosang alone and disappeared back to where he had come from. Speechless, Yeosang looked at his phone and recognized the number that was saved there. He blinked a few times.

Wooyoung fell into the seat next to Yeosang. "Everything good?" he laughed, amused and worried at the same time. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Yeosang shook his head slowly and swallowed. "Jongho just gave me his number because he wants to meet up with me." Yeosang pointed at his phone in disbelief.

Wooyoung's gaze followed his gesture. Various feelings of surprise and amazement crossed Wooyoung's face. Then he grinned and squealed happily while poking Yeosang in the side. Yeosang couldn't help but smile himself. His cheeks felt warm and everything inside him tingled as if a thousand ants were crawling over his skin.

.....

In the afternoon sun, Wooyoung and Yeosang walked along the stony path to the university building. "What did San want from you?" Yeosang asked after a while. There was silence and it was only when Yeosang heard a giggle that he looked next to him and noticed a smile he didn't recognize from Wooyoung. "What?" he asked, irritated. Wooyoung kept smiling and before he could answer Yeosang, someone approached them from behind.

Mingi roughly put a hand on both their backs and shouted hello loudly. Both Yeosang and Wooyoung flinched and Wooyoung let out a loud scream while Yeosang suffered in silence and then turned around angrily. Mingi laughed so loudly that he could be heard throughout the park around them.

"This is payback for meeting without me." Wooyoung recovered from his shock and wanted to punch Mingi but he dodged backwards and continued laughing. He then joined the two and walked across the path beside Yeosang. "We didn't meet alone, I just forced Yeosang to talk to Jongho," Wooyoung remarked, glaring at his best friend.

Mingi's eyes widened slightly and he looked at Yeosang. "So?" he asked with interest. Wooyoung replied in Yeosang's place. "He got his freaking number." Wooyoung grinned and Yeosang looked at him, caught off guard. "I didn't ask though, he just gave it to me." He corrected Wooyoung.

"What?", Mingi exclaimed. Yeosang couldn't help but blush and took an extra step faster to walk in front of the two. "Anyway, I'm going to my class now," he said and turned around again, disappearing down the path. Wooyoung hissed. "Without me, he wouldn't have a number and wouldn't have come to university today."

Mingi next to him laughed lightly. "Maybe you should take care of your love life instead of always helping others." Wooyoung looked at him grimly. "If you ever need help, don't ask me," he said, then ran ahead and Mingi was left laughing.

....

Yeosang walked quickly through the corridor of the building. Although he was here and walking straight ahead, his thoughts were constantly on Jongho. At his words. His smile and, above all, the fact that he now had his number and could theoretically just text him. Jongho the most popular student in his class. Jongho someone who was older than him and seemed unreachable. Jongho who was Lia's brother and Yeosang thought that he had messed everything up.

Just as Yeosang started to think about it, he recognized a familiar face in the crowd. Pink cheeks and lips flashed and Yeosang couldn't help but stop and stare at them from afar. Lia stood next to another girl and laughed. A laugh that was immediately stifled when her eyes met Yeosang's. Yeosang swallowed. He wished he could just walk up to her and apologize again, but that wouldn't change anything.
Lia looked at Yeosang for a short while, then she leaned towards her friend, said something and the next moment she disappeared from Yeosang's sight.

Yeosang lowered his eyes. He felt bad. Especially because he liked someone else and that someone else was her brother of all people. Even if Jongho liked him back, which would never happen, even then it would never work because of Lia. Dejected, Yeosang walked on slowly.

....

The next morning, Mingi was the first of his friends to enter the university. This was mainly because they were supposed to have a composition ready for one of their classes by today, plus a text. Mingi still had no idea what his composition should be about and what lyrics he should include. That was why he had come earlier than anyone else.

Tired, he walked through the half-dark corridor. It was a strange feeling for him that no one crossed his path. Mingi turned the corner and reached his locker. Still sleepy, he turned his key in the lock and the locker snapped open. A piece of paper fell out and landed at Mingi's feet.

Irritated, Mingi looked down and examined the bluish paper. It looked like a normal post-it but Mingi didn't use things like that. He bent down and reached for the note. After looking at it for a while, he recognized some words and as he read and processed them, a smile flitted across his lips.

"You look beautiful when you smile," was written in squiggly letters on the paper. Mingi's heart began to beat faster and he looked around questioningly, but there was no one else here. He had no idea who the note was from or if it was just a prank, but those few words meant so much to him that he couldn't stop smiling.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Mingi pulled his books out of his locker and closed it again. He held the note tightly in his hand and as he continued to walk down the corridor, he kept looking down and reading the words. And each time the words triggered a special tingling sensation in him.

....

Wooyoung hopped excitedly from one leg to the other. It was afternoon and the warm autumn sun tickled his nose. A thick scarf was wrapped around his neck and he kept looking left and right. He was too early and he knew it, but his mind completely stopped every time he thought about who he was about to meet. Who he was about to have his first date with.
Although it was already quite cold outside, he was totally warm.

"Wooyoung," he suddenly heard a voice that was far too beautiful. Everything inside him tightened and he turned around excitedly. Behind him stood San with a broad smile. He was wearing his usual beanie and a black coat. His nose and cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes shone in the sun. He was far too beautiful for Wooyoung to keep his composure. Never before in his life had someone enchanted him so much with their looks alone.

A shy smile crept onto Wooyoung's smile and he returned a soft, "Hey." before turning to face him fully. "Shall we go?" San asked without returning his greeting. Wooyoung didn't know if he was imagining things but San looked happier than usual, which made him even more beautiful. Wooyoung nodded and buried his hands in his pockets. Then he followed San and they walked side by side in silence. Wooyoung hoped that San didn't notice his nervousness.

...

Their path led them to a small restaurant near the university. Wooyoung had never been here before, but when they entered the small restaurant, he felt immediately comfortable. The room they entered had dim lights attached to the marble walls. Some plants grew along these walls.

San gestured for Wooyoung to go ahead and choose a free seat. Wooyoung took a quick look around and then chose a table in a back corner where they could be more private. He walked forward and plopped down on one of the upholstered chairs. San sat down directly opposite him and took off his jacket.

Wooyoung smiled nervously and reached for the drinks menu. "What do you want to drink?" he asked. San didn't have to think twice and, with his love of coffee, he pointed to a cappuccino. Wooyoung nodded and chose something himself. They ordered and it became a little quieter again.

Wooyoung had already thought a thousand times about what he would ask and say if he ever had a real date. Now that the time had come and the most beautiful man he knew was sitting in front of him, his mind went blank. All he could think of was how nice the weather was, but he remained silent and looked uneasily at San.

San seemed calm, but he always had that aura even when he was excited, Wooyoung was sure of it. San cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something?" Wooyoung nodded with wide eyes and exhaled slightly, relieved that San had taken the first step.

"You're freshman right?" Wooyoung nodded again, although he still didn't know how San had seen it right away. "What are you studying?" San asked with interest. Wooyoung opened his mouth to answer but paused and then a smile crept onto his lips. "Guess," he said, amused.

San seemed to be thinking and his eyes didn't take his eyes off Wooyoung. "Design? Media design?" Smiling, Wooyoung shook his head. San scratched his head nervously. "Acting? Art?" Wooyoung started to laugh slightly. "Music." he then mumbled. San's eyes widened slightly. "Music?" He sounded like it was the last thing he expected.

Wooyoung nodded. His eyes began to shine as he spoke of his dream. "To be more precise, music performance. In other words, how music is used for performances. There are lots of different ones, but I'm specializing in dance at the moment." San followed his words with interest. "So you dance too?" he then asked. "Yes, outside of university I attend a dance class. At university, we tend to work on computers and so on."

San nodded. He seemed impressed. "I've always found dancing and music interesting, but I don't think it's my thing. I'm not good at it." Wooyoung gave San a smile. "Nonsense, everyone can dance. If you want, I can teach you sometime." San nodded with a smile.

Their drinks arrived and Wooyoung sipped his orange juice. "Do you already know what you want to eat?" San asked and Wooyoung shook his head. San grinned and Wooyoung noticed how even his eyes bent slightly and looked like a smile. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen.

"I know something I think you'll like." San ordered for both of them and Wooyoung was curious what he had ordered. "It's your turn," he said, noticing how he became more and more relaxed. San looked at him, puzzled.

"Well, there's not much to say, except that I've been running a café with my friend Seonghwa for two years. I used to want to study too, but it wasn't my thing." Wooyoung nodded. "Not everyone has to study. As long as you do what makes you happy." San nodded in agreement. "In the beginning, it was very overwhelming and a lot of work. Now it's still exhausting but I'm glad we've built something of our own."

Wooyoung was about to sigh loudly because San was even more perfect with every word he spoke, but Wooyoung held back. It was quiet again for a moment until San spoke again. "I have a cat, by the way. Her name is Byeol and if you come to visit me, you can get to know her." Wooyoung suppressed a cry of joy and nodded excitedly.

....

It was evening and Yeosang's room was shrouded in darkness. Exhausted, he sat down on his bed and dried his slightly damp hair with a towel. The day had been far too exhausting for Yeosang to feel any energy left in his body. His tired eyes wandered around the dark room and caught on a brown bag. At a bag containing Jongho's borrowed clothes. Yeosang had stopped counting how many times he had smelled his clothes before washing them. Now Jongho's smell has faded. Next to the clothes, however, was the scarf he had given Yeosang that evening. A scarf that had changed so much for Yeosang. A scarf that still smelled of Jongho today and reminded him every time how much he liked Jongho.

A slight smile crept onto Yeosang's lips. Tired, he reached for his phone and went to his contacts. A tingle ran through his body when he recognized Jongho's name in the contact list. He still hadn't texted him. He didn't know what to write.

Heart pounding, he pressed the number and a chat opened. His finger wobbled nervously over the keys. But before he could change his mind, he typed the first message and waited eagerly for a message back, which was not long in coming.

Yeosang
Hey here is Yeosang
Sent 9.21 pm

Jongho
Finally, I already thought you wouldn't text me
Sent 9.29 pm

Yeosang
Sorry I was busy today, but now I have time :)
Sent 9.30 pm

Jongho
Don't worry haha
Sent 9.32 pm

Sooo

Do you have time this weekend
Sent 9.33 pm

Yeosang
Yes I have time, why?
Sent 9.37 pm

Jongho
Do you maybe want to come over to my house on Saturday?
Sent 9.38 pm

Yeosang
You're serious?
Sent 9.43 pm

Jongho
Of course, so what do you say?
Sent 9.44 pm

Yeosang
Well...
Sent 9.45 pm

Sounds good :D
Sent 9.46 pm

Jongho

Yeosang
Yepp
Sent 9.48 pm

Jongho
Yeyy
Sent 9.49 pm

Then how about you come in the afternoon? You already know the adress right?
Sent 9.50 pm

Yeosang
Okay great and yes I know the way
Sent 9.51 pm

Jongho
Then I guess see you Saturday :)
Sent 9.52 pm

I can't wait
Sent 9.53 pm

Yeosang
See you on Saturday!
Can't wait either ^^
Sent 9.55 pm

With a broad smile, Yeosang fell into his bed and pressed his phone against his chest. Everything felt so unreal. It was too good to be true.

________________

Update tomorrow <33