Let's rewind a little.
Three days had passed since he met Yun Jiho.
Stone pathways stretched beneath a pale blue sky, dotted with trees still holding on to spring blossoms.
Seo Minjae figured they were at least on greeting terms by now.
The familiar black hoodie over a white shirt and that walking style like he was stuck in energy-saving mode.
Even from a distance, Seo Minjae could tell it was him.
He raised a hand to wave.
"Oh—!"
But before he could say anything, Jiho abruptly turned and slipped into another building.
Minjae stood there frozen.
... Huh?
Though he was pretty sure their eyes met briefly in the air.
Maybe he really didn't see him...?
After that, Minjae hardly had a chance to talk to him on campus.
Even at the apartment, the lights in Jiho's unit were always off.
Minjae idly sat on the sofa, practically lying down, occupying the huge place all by himself.
He was scrolling through his socials absently, then his fingers sped up.
It was strange...
Yun Jiho.
Minjae knitted his brow lightly as he typed in the name again in different variations.
Still nothing.
Nowhere on Nsta.
No profile tags and not even a ghost account.
Minjae squinted at his screen like it personally offended him.
Tsk.
"Seriously? Not even a burner account?"
No way he didn't have social media.
What is this—
Did he live under a rock?
Aishhh.
Whatever...
He dropped his phone carelessly onto his chest and rolled over to face the wall, pressing a pillow over his head.
***
Meanwhile, Sangmin and the rest kept talking to serve as background noise.
"Man, that's fucking hilarious! You should totally invite him over sometime, he sounds interesting."
"I'd love to, but he's more introverted than he looks." Kyungho nodded, and then his eyes drifted towards the sofa involuntary. "That Sunbae... He looks like he's resting. We're not being too loud for him, are we?"
"Ah~ Him? Leave him be. Even if an earthquake hit, he wouldn't budge."
Lee Sangmin waved it off, slowly glancing towards the couch. Not even trying to be subtle about it.
Minjae huddled in the corner, buried under the pillow silently.
"Anyway, where were we?" Sangmin brought the topic back casually. "Right… Is your friend really that good?"
"Sunbae, I'm not even exaggerating. His work's everywhere." Kyungho advertised his friend earnestly. "You've probably seen it without knowing. He's insanely good at what he does. Unfortunately, he's been super busy lately."
"That's a shame. What was his name again?"
"Yun Jiho. Even his name sounds wise—"
THUD.
"Who?!"
Sangmin and Kyungho turned at the same time.
Few moments later...
Kyungho nervously let out a laugh at a joke he didn't even understand.
He was currently sandwiched between the two seniors who are known for having the 'life cheat code.'
Basically, they are living their life on easy mode. Someone who's already on the fast track to success.
It was kind of an inside joke within the campus.
"So, you have been friends with Jiho since middle school?" Seo Minjae propped up his chin. "Was he always this tragically adorable?"
Ugh.
How is he supposed to reply?
He wasn't even sure when the conversation got hijacked.
And I thought we were gonna talk about the project.
He glanced at the dependable Sunbae on his other side for backup, only to see him leaning in with peak interest sparkling in his face.
Practically sipping tea with his eyes.
There was no help over there.
"Uh..." Kyungho hesitantly nodded, then shook his head. "He's always been... unique?"
"You're saying that's his default setting?" Minjae raised a brow, obviously interested. "What about his socials? Is he active?"
"He probably had one... but I think he doesn't use it anymore. He's not very interested in it."
"Does he have any hobby?"
"Watching movies. He's a very dedicated fan."
Minjae nodded like he was taking mental notes.
Wait.
What is this interrogating feeling?
Somehow, Kyungho ended up answering without thinking.
"But, how do you know Jiho?" He asked doubtfully.
"Well, I'm his new neighbour." Minjae touched the side of his neck, almost self-consciously. "I was just... curious. And I felt kind of bad about the video, y'know? I wanted to apologize, but I haven't gotten the chance to talk to him properly about that."
Minjae didn't really know why he was explaining all that but it slipped out anyways.
Kyungho nodded understandably. "Ah, don't worry. Jiho's not the type to care about stuff like that. Please don't mind."
"Is that so?"
Minjae was unsure of how to take that.
Jiho definitely didn't strike him as someone who doesn't hold a grudge.
***
It was a huge lecture hall.
One of those electives barely anyone took seriously.
With more than a few rows of seat empty at the front.
So why—
Why were they all crowded over here?
"Hey, Yun Jiho! Do you know Seo Minjae?"
Jiho didn't even have the time to react when he was bombarded by another question.
"Do you perhaps have his number? You guys seem pretty close in that video."
From which angle?
Today marked the fifth day of Seo Minjae being forcibly injected into my peaceful life.
And why do you think he needs to entertain this nuisance in his life?
"I'm sorry but you're disturbing my lesson," Jiho took a deep breath and patted the desk irritably drawing attention. "And if you want his number or whatever the likes. Sorry to disappoint but I'm not that familiar with him."
Jiho didn't care about their stunned reactions. He packed his bag and walked out of the hall.
He walked down the hallway when a group of students came in from the other side. That guy was eye-catching because of his heights already. To top it off, god even gifted him an insanely handsome looks.
Even with his myopia, Jiho could surprisingly recognised his silhouette like it was burn in the back of his mind.
Their eyes met in thin air.
Jiho can definitely see him mouthed something but he can also sense all eyes were on this motherfucker.
He'd had more than enough of fangirls screaming in his ears.
***
Minjae stood there stunned as he watched Jiho leave coldly without an ounce of emotion on his face.
"This kid just ignored me, didn't he?"
"Pfft." Sangmin held his stomach as he laughed till his tears came out.
He definitely did.