Start Line • s.cb & h.js

23

"Binnie"

He just hummed in reply.

"We finally reached the finish line"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we'll be graduating tomorrow"

He turned to face you as you both laid side by side on the rooftop of one of the buildings in your campus. It was currently eleven in the evening and you couldn't sleep. So you decided to call Changbin up and ended up sneaking in the school to hang.

A few months had already passed since Jisung had confessed. Time flew by faster than you had thought.

Exams passed by quickly, and those days were filled with 'study dates' -as Jisung liked to call it-, and midnight cramming with Changbin at your place wherein he'd stay until the next day, a drawer in your closet already filled with his stuff.

*

"You know y/n, only couples do that" Jisung said with a shit-eating grin when you mentioned it to him.

"Shut up Jisung, we're just friends"

"If you like him then confess"

"And ruin my friendship with him?!" You ask with a scoff. "I'd rather not"

"Do you see our friendship getting messed up even though I confessed?"

"Jisung..."

"I'm just saying! You never know unless you try. Besides, how are you so sure that he'd just flat out reject you?!"

Silence fills the air after that.

"Changbin... Changbin's not like you. He's the type of guy wherein when one thing is off, everything else will be as well and I- I just- things might get awkward and I really don't want that to happen. And him liking me? I'm not gonna assume just to get my heart broken"

*

"Whats wrong?" He asks.

"huh?" You blink, a little confused by Changbin's question.

"You were zoning out"

"Oh"

"So what's on your mind? What's bothering you lately?" You furrow your brows at Changbin's words once again. Yes, there were times wherein you would be a bit off, but then Changbin had already gotten used to it. The fact that he sounded so concerned now shocked you because he was usually the type to drop the topic off when he'd notice your discomfort to talk about it.

"y/n-"

"I just- we might be in different colleges and I'll miss you if that happens" You suddenly blurt out, a bit pressured to give him a proper answer.

Technically, what you were saying wasn't a lie. Despite the fact that the two of you promised to always keep in touch, and the fact that he said he'd go to the same college as you, you were still worried that you two might grow distant.

But that wasn't the main thing that was bothering you.

It was your damn feelings.
Sometimes, you felt like a time bomb that was seconds away from exploding. You just wanted to tell Changbin how you felt. Sometimes, you just wanted to hold his hand, hug him, kiss him, go on sweet dates with him, cuddle with him -not just as friends- but as something more.

You wanted him to see you the way you saw him.
And despite telling yourself not to assume, you can't help but hold on to the little hope that some of his sweet gestures give.

"Didnt I tell you that I'll just follow you to whatever school you decide to go to" He says with a small chuckle, patting your head as he spoke.

And that was it.
That little gesture caught you off guard and your timer counted down to zero.

"y/n stop worrying abou-"

"-Changbin I like you"

When the words left your lips, you opted to stare at the sky, unable to face him as you said it.

Silence follows.
And all you could do was pray that he wouldn't  hear how fast your heart is beating.

When the silence is too long, you gather up all of whatever's left of your courage and turn to face Changbin, already expecting his rejection.

But he's simply staring at you with blank eyes, mouth agape.

"Changbin?"

He blinks.
Changbin blinks his initial shock away. That's all he could do. His mind is blank and at this point he was a mess on the inside.

Changbin doesn't like you.
The guy's in love with you and has been since the beginning.

And to hear those words fall from your lips, something that he never expected, is beyond comprehension for him at the moment.

So he simply decided to mutter whatever came to his dumb head first.

"y/n. Its late. You should go home"

"Oh... yeah"