flowering // tbz k.sw x male reader

sixteen //

[m/n] sneezed softly as he continued his search for Hwang Hyunjin. Their date, which turned out to not be a date, was seriously bothering him and he needed to know what Hyunjin's situation was. He made sure they'd be alone, so if he found him where there were still people, he'd take him away from them.

[m/n] eventually found him talking Woobin, and wondered if it would be okay to interrupt them. Hyunjin seemed to notice [m/n] walking towards him and smiled, waving as he meared them. "[m/n]-ya, there you are. I was waiting for you."

"You two are still doing work here? That sucks," Woobin chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll be off, then. See you later for the movie."

[m/n] bowed slightly since he and Woobin weren't too familiar with each other and the other simply waved. [m/n] turned to Hyunjin, sighing softly ss he looked down. "It's about time we spoke to each other."

"Let's walk out to the back," Hyunjin suggested. [m/n] nodded and they began walking, silence surrounding them. It wasn't too far from awkwardness, and [m/n] didn't want it to get awkward because the conversation would most likely turn out negative.

They eventually reached an area where they could say they were alone and [m/n] suddenly stopped. "You know, right?"

"I do," Hyunjin replied softly, turning to face the slightly shorter boy. "The thing is… I don't know why I'm scared of commitment. I'm scared of… a lot of things, including admitting those fears. I'm afraid of everyone… looking at me differently. I've been trusted by the student body, and for them to find out I've been lying to them this whole time…"

"You're lying to yourself before you're lying to everyone else," [m/n] said softly. "You know who are, right? So then be confident in yourself."

"I'm trying, but…" Hyunjin fell silent, not knowing what to say. "My parents, too… if they found out that there's a possibility that… I like boys, we'll never see each other again."

"But you should at least be comfortable with who you are," [m/n] told him, his tone gentle. "Whatever you want to be, I'm here to support you — okay? We're all here to support you, no matter what."

Hyunjin was quiet, staring down at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. [m/n] stood in front of him patiently, although he hoped Hyunjin would come to a conclusion soon. He didn't want to rush Hyunjin's journey to figuring out who he was — but he liked Hyunjin, and all he wanted was to be with him.

"You know Sunwoo likes you more than anyone, right?" Hyunjin said, finally looking up. "I mean… why not give him a chance?"

[m/n] shrugged slightly before smiling softly. "Because I like you, Hwang Hyunjin."

Hyunjin's expression seemed happy, as shown by his brightened eyes and slight smile, and he quickly looked down again. [m/n] looked away, an indifferent expression on his face. His ears were turning red, as always, however, giving away what he really felt. Hyunjin cleared his throat making the other look at him. "Can I ask why you like me?"

[m/n] shrugged slightly, unsure of what to say. "You're just… so cool. Everyone likes you, they admire you, and you're just so reliable and nice. You're handsome, and modest about it too."

"Ah, I'm not that handsome…"

"Exactly," [m/n] laughed slightly. "I don't know, I just like those traits on you. You're smart too, and… sweet, and gentle. I just feel like you'd be a… a great boyfriend. I don't know if you'd feel the same, but… I'm hoping you do. And about our date…"

"It was supposed to be a day to hang out, but… I guess calling it a date would have made you happier, and it did. You seemed so cheerful until I told you stop, and I'm sorry about that."

[m/n] held a hopeful glint in his eyes. "So… do you…?"

Hyunjin smiled softly, and [m/n] melted at the sight of his handsome grin. Hyunjin sighed, looking up at the sky for a moment before looking at [m/n]. "Let's go on more dates first, but… I want you to realise what Sunwoo feels for you. If anything happens between us, speak to him. I'm sure he'll want some clarity as well."

[m/n] somehow felt weird about finally confessing to Hyunjin when he knew Sunwoo liked him as well. Sunwoo said he was willing to let Hyunjin have him — so why did he feel some type of guilt in his heart? It felt heavy and unpleasant, especially when [m/n] started to appreciate the other's presence more.

Maybe it just felt weird to actually have to reject someone.

"We should spend more time together while we're here, then," [m/n] suggested, hesitantly reaching forward to take Hyunjin's hands in his own. Hyunjin gripped back, just as tightly, and it felt warm. [m/n]'s eyes brightened slightly at Hyunjin's nod. "Then… I'll see you later."

Hyunjin nodded again and [m/n] released his hand. "I'll try to not make you sad anymore, since suddenly denying our date made you upset. I'm not… comfortable with doing things too openly yet, but… I'll do my best to… make you happy."

[m/n] nodded, stepping backwards slowly as he waved. Hyunjin laughed, waving as well. [m/n] bit his lips together as he scurried off, is heart thumping wildly in his chest. He had liked Hyunjin for a while, and to find that Hyunjin was willing to give him a chance made him beyond happy.

Yet he couldn't stop thinking about Sunwoo and his feelings for him. [m/n], while trying not to be obvious, was torn between the two boys, and was sure he had feelings for them both. Hyunjin fit his standard, but he wondered if his standard even mattered at all, now that he knew he liked Sunwoo.

[m/n] eventually sighed to himself as he reached the dorms. "We should get ready for the movie…"