With half his attention, Kai typed on his notebook, trying to concentrate, but today it was difficult for him to listen to the lecturer. That's why he kept switching to his document, which he had opened next to the lecture notes. Every now and then he wrote a few sentences for his little text, which he planned for the next blog entry.

And as he did so, he also felt the gaze of his student friend on him, finally looking at him questioningly.

"You look tired," Mark Lee noted with a smile. "Were you up late last night?"

Kai had gotten along well with the young Canadian since their first day at the university, and he was glad to have found someone with whom he could at least pass the waiting time.

"A little bit," Kai said, thinking about the young musician he had met on the dating app. He had also been the reason why he had stayed up longer than usual. "Did you take notes about Goethe?" he then whispered and leaned over to Mark to look at his notes.

"Sure thing!" chuckled Mark, picking out the notebook from under his entire pile of papers and handing it to the blond 19-year-old.

Mark owned a complete mess of his own that only he understood, but still, it was totally confusing that he needed close to five different notebooks for one lecture.

And as soon as Kai saw the many jumbled notes, he merely smiled sheepishly. Because he really didn't understand any of it, he nevertheless thanked his buddy for the kindness and accepted one of the notebooks, but chewed a bit on his lower lip when suddenly his smartphone vibrated.

[CHOI YEONJUN, 09:45]
Are you off at the same
time today as yesterday?

[CHOI YEONJUN, 09:45]
Should I pick you up?

Surprised that his sister's boyfriend texted him, Kai stared at the message for a few seconds. Then he scratched his temple, rubbed the bridge of his pointy nose while he was thinking.

A ride on the moped?

Yeah, he already missed the feeling of the wind and... of the vehicle.

[KAI, 09:56]
Yeah, I'm done at 12.
That would be cool

[CHOI YEONJUN, 09:57]
Sure! Should I bring
something to eat?

[KAI, 10:00]
Nah, I'm gonna eat
something at home ☺️

[CHOI YEONJUN, 10:00]
Ok, see you later

With a smile on his thin lips, Kai put his cell phone back next to his laptop, then tugged thoughtfully at the corner of Mark's notebook. He was looking forward to being picked up by Yeonjun, and at the same time he didn't want to be his girlfriend's annoying little brother.

But he had suggested it, so it would only be rude to cancel. Wouldn't it?

After all, he was just giving him a ride because the university was on the way from his work to the Huenings' anyway. So it wouldn't be a detour either.

Kai sighed and saw from the corner of his eye the look of his brown-haired seatmate again.

"I'm getting picked up today, so you don't have to wait for me," Kai let him know, because Mark sometimes waited outside the university so they could walk halfway home together.

Mark nodded in agreement and when the lectures were over, Kai even hurried to be at the university square earlier than Yeonjun. He even put his cap on a little crooked in a hurry and also his heart was beating strongly in his chest. But when he pushed open the door, he could already see Yeonjun sitting on his bright red moped. He had his leg bent, holding his helmet under his arm as he brushed back his raven-black hair, and Kai would have loved to stop and hide. But it was too late, because as Yeonjun let his gaze wander across the courtyard, he spotted the tall blond.

Immediately Yeonjun put his foot down on the ground, but still remained sitting on the seat of his moped and smiled towards Kai, waiting for his girlfriend's brother to approach him.

Proudly holding up a brown paper bag that showed a few light grease stains, he said, "I know you'd rather eat at home, but I brought us Bungeoppang anyway."

This was a stuffed fish-shaped waffle.

Surprised, Kai beamed from ear to ear because he loved this pastry. He accepted the bag, took a peek inside to smell it, and gave an indulgent hum. When he realized there were only two of them in there, he looked at the elder in wonder. "Didn't Lea want one?"

Yeonjun briefly bristled at the question.

"Honestly ... I totally forgot about the girls," he confessed to the student, scratching his nose in embarrassment.

"Oh," Kai laughed hoarsely, crumpling the opening of the bag back up. "Then we should eat it before they know it. They're cruel when they're hungry."

With an approving nod, he responded to Kai's suggestion, grinning slightly. "I was also wondering today if you were about to get your driver's license yet. We haven't gotten to talk lately and Lea's just got her studies on her mind right now," Yeonjun began to chat.

Embarrassed, the taller one scratched the back of his neck, chewed the inside of his cheek a little uncertainly, and then drew in a sharp breath. "Oh that-..." he laughed awkwardly, "the driving license thing is still dragging on a bit. I passed the theory test, but I just don't get to taking driving lessons. Besides, they always cost way too much."

"I could help you," Yeonjun offered immediately. "Won't save you the driving lessons, but you could get practice."

It was a genuinely kind offer because, moreover, Kai had often heard his father praise the fact that Yeonjun had started getting his driver's license back when he was sixteen. He had told him that once and the Huenings' father was holding on to it.

Probably more to get his son excited about it, but Kai had taken his time with it.

"Sounds good!" Kai smiled at that, even if he had some respect for it. And that wasn't because of whether Yeonjun had enough experience to help him, but because he didn't necessarily want to embarrass himself in front of him. "But I don't know if my dad will lend me the car for this. He needs it to get to work every day, after all, and he hates riding the bus."

"Don't worry about that," Yeonjun waved it off, "I have a buddy who can lend me his car and then I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?"

Startled, Kai gasped for air.

"Tomorrow already?" he beeped, feeling nervousness creep into his head. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest and he could feel his hands getting sweaty.

Laughing softly, Yeonjun shook a hand, wanting to calm him down directly. "If you already have plans, we can postpone," he said, though he could also guess that Kai was a bit panicked about the practice. Especially when it came to such a massive vehicle as a car. "But if it's just too fast for you, I can assure you that I was nervous at first, too. But you don't have to be afraid." With a grin, the black-haired boy raised his hand and straightened Kai's cap. "I'll take care of you."

A slight, red glow stretched across Kai's cheeks and he lowered his gaze to just nod silently.

How could he say no to that?

After all, it was really nice of Yeonjun to want to help him.

"I-I'm thinking about it," he then murmured, looking back up into the 23-year-old's eyes. "Is it too short notice if I let you know in the morning?"

Yeonjun shook his head. "I have a free day tomorrow," he let him know, "but I'll still be at the workshop, so it wouldn't be any trouble either, if you're worried about that." Kai never seemed to want to be ballast for other people, or so Yeonjun had the impression. He would give him the time to think.

"Thanks," Kai murmured softly, looking again at the bag in his hands. "Shall we eat these now, before they get cold?"

"Sure!" Yeonjun hung the helmet he still held in his arm on the handlebars and held out his hand. Waited for the blond to give him the pastry and together they enjoyed the lukewarm snack. After they finished, Yeonjun handed the helmet to his girlfriend's brother and nodded at the empty space behind him.

Obviously he didn't have the spare helmet that Lea sometimes used when she rode with him, and so Kai hesitantly accepted the helmet. He knew nothing would happen and wasn't afraid at all, especially since it wasn't the very first time he rode with Yeonjun. But the fact that he casually swung his leg over the moped without putting on a helmet turned the lovely pink on Kai's cheeks into a dark red.

Carefully, he got on and put his hands on the older boy's stomach to hold on.

The driver of the moped cleared his throat softly. "H-Hold on tight," Yeonjun muttered, starting the vehicle.