gossip ;; 2jae [Editing]

CHAPTER 25

||||| - Dark Green - |||||
• Tuesday •

If you had told Youngjae today was an important day, he would have never believed you. Sure, it was admittedly an odd one, but important? He would have laughed in your face.

Anyways, said day started like all his most recent days: with a hug. "See you later," he whispered into Jaebum's shoulder, arms comfortably around his middle. "Good luck on your test."

Pulling away, Jaebum ruffled Youngjae's already messy hair (another thing out of the ordinary for the brunette). "Thanks for helping me study," Jaebum said, grabbing his bag and turning to Mark and Jinyoung. "Bye!"

"Later," Mark spluttered from his seat, both him and Jinyoung shocked (like the rest of their Korean Lit class) by what they'd just witnessed, watching Jaebum walk out the classroom.

Grinning, Youngjae slid into his seat, his fingers tapping a two-beat rhythm as he waited for his brain to catch up with his body. That hug had been the first he'd initiated, regardless of the whispers and comments it would garner. He'd woken up this morning with the sudden want and confidence to do it, his mind all but shutting down when he saw an opportunity to complete his mission and, before he knew it, he was hugging Jaebum, head further fogged by the smell of the woods and coconut shampoo. It was kind of crazy to think that just last week Jaebum's hugs had the effect of instantaneously turning him into a bumbling idiot.

"What was that?" Mark whispered, him and Jinyoung twisting around in their seats.

Youngjae sighed, hand flattening against the table. "What was what?"

"That," Jinyoung hissed.

"The hug?"

"Yes," Mark said.

"We do that now, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I guess."

"Are you still in limbo?" Jinyoung asked, remembering the conversation they'd had at the Lake.

"In what?" Mark asked.

"I dunno." Youngjae pulled out his pencil case and books.

"I'm confused."

"Youngjae." Jinyoung sounded like a parent reprimanding a child. Youngjae hated it.

"It's going good, Park," he said, "I'm not testing the waters while the weather's nice."

"That's the best time to, you idiot!"

"Super confused."

Ignoring Mark, Youngjae crossed his arms. "We die like men."

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and turned away. "You die stubborn."

Still very confused, Mark looked between the two of them until it all finally clicked. "Really?" He said, tone reproachful.

"What?"

"You're friends with Jaebum, good friends with him. Did you even think to tell Yugyeom and I?"

He had, we all know he had, and he'd decided not to say anything because he wanted to protect his friends from getting their hopes up and promptly crushed when things didn't work out. It was a stupid move, sure. Youngjae should have just told Mark and Yugyeom that he and Jaebum were... almost friends when he'd gotten that text from Jaebum about going to the Lake. Maybe then he would have avoided how tense things were now. Could you blame him, though? Things never worked out for him.