Chapter Text
“No Jay…”
“No? Really?”
Jay was standing outside the lecture hall, it being late in the evening and time to leave for the dorms. The trip was in a few days, and he still hadn’t gotten the courage to ask someone to be his plus one.
He wanted to ask Chaeryeong. Well, he already did. And she said no.
“Yeah…”
Her eyes were everywhere but on Jay’s. She wanted to let him down gently, he is a good guy. He really is. She would be lying if she said she didn’t find him attractive the first time she saw him a few months ago…
But…
He is g-
“Oh… um- well uh- that’s alright.”
She nodded a sorry one at the boy who wasn’t really shocked. Just a little disappointed. It’s the same story as always. It doesn’t matter. He can just go alone, right? He is sure it will be fine. Sunghoon’s coming, Yeonjun Hyung is coming – with Soobin. Heeseung is coming too.
Wait, Heeseung is coming right?
Right, didn’t Heeseung agree on coming? He can always just stick around with him and Sunghoon. That should be fine. It shouldn’t be an issue. Going alone can’t be that bad…?
Right?
It is bad.
Not going alone, going with someone.
“Hyung can you like move a little. Jimin Hyung told me to sit with you.”
“Well- Jungwon. Why don’t you just sit with Jimin Hyung?? I wanted to sit with my friends.”
“There is literally no one in the seat yet.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m saving them a seat.”
“Who is them, then?”
Jay spots Heeseung walk groggily down the aisle, his brows furrowed as he seemed to be cursing under his breath. Obviously making way to where the boy was sitting. He also spotted Yeonjun Hyung and Soobin making way. Their eyes tell, its so obvious what they were doing.
Soobin seemed to have his dimples plastered the whole time while Yeonjun was grinning like a mad man. They look good together, Jay reckons.
“Heeseung. Heeseung will sit with me. Fuck off and sit with Jimin Hyung.”
“Ugh fine. I hate you.”
“Yeah, yeah love you too.”
After successfully shooing Jungwon away, Jay found himself relaxing for the first time in a while. His back comfortably slouched against the seat. His eyes meeting Heeseung’s tired ones as he happened to be giving him a confused look. Something along the lines of “isn’t that your brother?”, “why is your brother here”, “where is Chaeryeong, I thought she was going with you”.
A constipated look was all Jay could muster to the taller and Heeseung perfectly understood what it meant. Years (5 years) of knowing each other does that to you. So, he settled down on the seat in front of him, noticing the deadpan look Jay received from his brother from the seats above.
“He isn’t sitting next to you though!?”, he mouthed. Poor kid must sit with Professor Park now.
Not that he is no fun or anything. He is actually great, Heeseung loves him. It’s just that, sitting next to a professor when you’re on a trip to a ski resort…?
You get the idea.
Just then Heeseung’s eyes met with Soobin’s, the boy stood uncomfortably in the front. His eyes then travelled onto Yeonjun because… you know? He is supposed to be his plus one so he must be sitting with him too, its common knowledge. And yet, Soobin stood awkwardly, as if contemplating his seating plan. Heeseung’s eyes divert to Jay as he turns to look at the boy. Trying to read what he is thinking.
But all he had was a smirk plastered on his face.
He looked cute…
This guy.
With a very dejected look, Soobin seemed to have been dragging his feet over the velvety floor of the bus, matching eyes with Heeseung himself. He seemed worried, and it seemed to have made sense as soon as the front of the bus finally became clear to his sight. It is Professor Kim who has hogged Yeonjun.
That makes sense.
“Can I… sit with you?”, he asked and Heeseung promptly replied with a curt nod.
Looking behind himself, he rolled his eyes at how Jay sat sprawled on the good two seats.
On his own. Leisurely.
All the while grinning at the two of them talking in sign. Heeseung could feel the awkwardness in the air. He has never once conversed with Yeonjun’s roommate before. Just silent nods when he’d pop in to return something.
Thankfully, the boy read the space well. Pulling out a book immediately. It seemed that he read it well that Heeseung isn’t one to speak that much, good for him.
When Heeseung looked behind himself, he was yet again greeted by Jay being… Jay. Still grinning at the two of them – Yeonjun and Soobin suggestively, as they appeared to make conversation intermittently.
“What the fuck are you laughing at Jay?”
“What dude? Why are you being embarrassing??- oh hey Soobin!”
Adjusting his positioning a bit more comfortably, Jay had now situated his arm in such a way that he was almost hugging Heeseung – who was busy grimacing at the shorter. He could spot Yeonjun grimly assessing the situation as he continued to nod at what Professor Kim had to say.
“H- Hey Jay.”, Heeseung heard Soobin stutter.
Oh god, someone end him already.
“We realised we never really formally introduced ourselves- This is Heeseung and I’m Jongseong- you can call me Jay though.”
Oh my God.
“He already knows who we are jackass. Don’t mind him Soobin, he’s a little weird. Trust me I’m not like that. I’m just embarrassing by association.”
Heeseung pinched Jay as he clarified, smiling a genuine one to Soobin. His attention soon drawn towards Yeonjun as he seemed to have let out a very loud breath. Very loud to have been a coincidence.
Jay’s phone dings after an exact second and Heeseung already knew what was in store. A warning of course.
‘Please don’t embarrass me in front of Soobin.’
Soon enough, this unlikely trio was joined by Sunghoon, looking ever fashionable. He settled into the space, with Jay squished between his bags. A pained yowl and Heeseung found himself chuckling at the sound, earning a deadpan look from Jay afterwards. After a few moments of silence and non-embarrassing behaviour, Heeseung found himself glaring at Jay yet again. This time for reading Yeonjun and Soobin’s texts from behind.
Oh my God Park Jongseong.
Soobin laughed at that though, since it was pretty funny, so it didn’t really bother Heeseung. He was happy to just not be the one causing trouble, that’s all. Especially after figuring out whatever the fuck Yeonjun and Soobin have going on for each other. They better get their acts together honestly; it is a little painful to watch as a bystander.
Slow burn… it sucks.
Heeseung would know.
His eyes peer at Jay, who was now fast asleep on Sunghoon’s luggage. His head jostling cutely every time the bus ran over a speed bump. His mouth twisted into a small pout as his brows furrowed in his sleep. He looked so peaceful like that. Calm and composed, unlike all the other times they spend together.
In fact, Heeseung might even say that Jay looks pretty right now…
So, the boy looks away at the scenery outside, his chest feels tight as he pulls himself out of whatever fantasies his brain concocts.
It is evident, of course Heeseung would know what slow burn feels like.
He would know so. so. well.
This is bad, this is bad.
This is horrible!!
There lay an unread text message in Park Jongseong’s phone. Not a surprise. Phones are made to receive text messages. It would actually be pathetic if he didn’t receive text messages. So, it wasn’t that the functionality of the device was surprising to him, it was the content.
Mom: Hey son, I hope you received the invite well. Do come a few weeks before the actual ceremony, we haven’t met in so long! Jimin is finally getting married, and it is such a lovely occasion!! I was hoping you could get your girlfriend to join us too! It would mean the world to me and your dad if we can finally meet her. Love you son.
Yeah…
Jay doesn’t have a girlfriend…
Or a partner… so to say.
“Jay?! What is this?! Why do we have a wedding invite in our mail? And why is it for Professor Park?! What is going on?!”
Jay doesn’t know what to say.
“Jongseong what the fuck is going on. Why would we get his wedding invite, he left the university last year didn’t he?”
“Yeah…”
“It must be the wrong address then?”
The boy in front of him stood tall, a little hunched over from years of hunching over. The boy being none other than Heeseung, Jay’s best friend and housemate. There is a letter in his hand, all glittery and pretty. It sickens Jay – with how lovey-dovey it all looks.
This is no coincidence actually, just masking the reality. Just a few white lies. Nothing too crazy.
“You uh- might wanna sit down for this one Heeseung.”
The boy croaks out with hands over his head. Surrendering.
Heeseung… might not take it very well.
You see, Professor Park, Jimin – for ease of explanation, is actually Jay’s cousin. Albeit second cousin but a cousin none the less. And when Jay got to know that he had gotten into SNU, he didn’t want to do things that may seem like he was favoured you know? A literal professor was his cousin, who him and his brother even lived with. You know, since he is actually American?
Jay moved during high school back to Korea, with his brother Jungwon since his parents thought it would be safer to be there. Since they had to be traveling a lot, they didn’t want their children to be neglected and Jimin took the baton to be their residing guardian. And practically Jungwon’s third parent at this point.
The elder was 15 when he moved, Jungwon – 12. And Jimin was great at taking care of them too, as liberal as he may seem.
Yeah… that’s the reason Jungwon was there at the ski trip to begin with. Can’t leave a teenager alone in an apartment so he was made to be Jay’s plus one instead. Heeseung knew Jay – High-school-acquaintances-turned-college-best-friends.
So, obviously, they were the closer pair than all other friends at university. However, he too was unaware of Jimin’s association with Jay.
It was just a small thing Jay had kept from his friends… that he was related to Jimin. He never thought that would be of any concern honestly, why would it be?
His friends don’t need to know that they are related, it’s absolutely meaningless.
But apparently not. Not anymore.
“Uh…”
“What? This is weird Jay-”
“Jimin Hyu- Professor Park… is my cousin.”
“PROFESSOR PARK IS YOUR COUSIN?!”
The boy had sprung to his feet, the wedding invite long forgotten on the couch. Jay’s phone lay open too, his text messages completely visible for all and sundry.
***
We cordially invite you to this great celebration of
Park Jimin
&
Jeon Jungkook’s
Love
We hope you can join us!
***
And the messages on his phone read…
Jay: Sure mom… I’d love for you to meet
Jay: Him.
Mom: Him??? Oh, dear Jongseong is that why you hadn’t told us…?
Jay: Yeah…
“You told your mom you have a boyfriend???”
“I had no other choice!!! IT WOULD BE SO EMBARRASSING IF I SHOWED UP ALONE!”
“SO, YOU SAID YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND JAY HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!”
“I DON’T KNOW I WILL ASK SOMEONE I DON’T KNOW-”
Pacing around the coffee table, Jay had his head in his hands. Every round, he’d nearly miss the leg of the table. Always almost tripping.
But he was counting, he was counting all the people he can ask for being his fake boyfriend for this trip.
“I need a fake boyfriend…”, he said, looking absolutely distraught. Heeseung wanted to howl at this situation, the second-hand embarrassment he was feeling was off the charts.
“No, you absolutely do not.”
“Then what am I supposed to do HEE?! I can’t just whip out a man out of nowhere, that too a boyfriend when I don’t even like guys like that.”
Right… That.
So, the thing is, Jay is actually very much into men, it’s just that he has this weird way of getting back at himself by saying he is not into men? Literally everyone in the world knows that he is, he just doesn’t… listen? At first everyone, including Heeseung, thought that he was just playing a practical joke or something you know? Test if people like him or something like that. University is a big sample space; Jay could very well be pulling something off like that.
But… Heeseung isn’t really sure, they haven’t had conversations related to dating. Or having a boyfriend or anything like that.
Ever.
“Well then why did you say boyfriend to begin with?! You could’ve just said girlfriend or partner or anything?!”
“Okay but like I did it now- so…”
“What did your mom say?”
His fingers were pinching at his temple, Heeseung was getting more and more flustered by the second. Completely forgetting about the part where he found out that Professor Park and his closest friend are related.
“She… she was happy for me. I don’t know why but she was very happy…”
“Woah… well that’s good I guess.”
“My parents aren’t homophobic Hee.”, Jay whined.
Sometimes he wished that they were, honestly. But that would make him an asshole, and an asshole is something Jay most definitely isn’t.
Neither is he into.
“But Jimin Hyung sending an invite is what I’m actually sad about. Everyone didn’t need to know that we are related.”, Jay interjected. He was still more pissed about the physical invite than anything else. He doesn’t even know why, actually. He just is.
“What do you mean? I got an email invite like a few weeks ago, I thought everyone in the robotics club got it. I even confirmed with Yeonjun, and he got one too.”
His jaw dropped at what Heeseung said. Jimin called everyone?!
“I thought you got one too and you didn’t really mention anything about it is why I never said anything either…”
Heeseung carefully assessed the situation. Jay really seemed to be a little too worked up about Professor Park’s wedding. Honestly, its not that bad that he hid it from everyone. Heeseung understands where he is coming from. The shorter didn’t want it to seem like he was at the position that he was in – the vice president of the Robotics club, because of his association with Jimin. Jimin being one of the professors leading the Robotics department.
And being related to him, it wouldn’t seem fair. To others. Heeseung knew how he struggled to earn the position though, of course he knew.
All that makes total sense.
It’s the overreaction and the blatant lying to his parents that doesn’t make any sense to the taller.
“I got one but obviously I didn’t see it, I don’t check my emails-”
“You should though you really should.”
“I should yeah you’re right…”
The boys nodded at each other as their eyes met, both their expressions of utmost seriousness.
“You almost missed the deadline to apply for the internship too.”, Heeseung reminded, to which Jay replied with an embarrassed chuckle. A small grin tugging at his lips as he looked at the taller that was still hunched over in front of him.
This robe looks new, Jay wonders when he got it.
Anyway, the point remains. Jimin played an asshole move and Jay is going to confront him when he meets him.
“I am going to confront Hyung about this Heeseung you just wait- wait and watch.”
“Shouldn’t you be thinking about who your plus one would be?”
Heeseung has a point. The boy always has a point. Hearing the word plus one brings out a memory in both their minds that they haven’t really thought of in a while. It’s been a little over two years since then – The fated ski trip…
Scratching his scruff once, Heeseung sits back at the couch. Looking at the coffee table with his arms crossed in front of him. Jay too joins him with a thump, grappling a hold of his phone to peer at prospective ‘clients’, so to say.
Is he planning on paying them? Heeseung is uncomfortable in asking.
“Beomgyu?”
“No. Next. He wasn’t even in the club remember. Music major?”
“Kai- you know what? No. I don’t even know the guy lol.”
“Did you just say lol, IRL?”
“You aren’t any better- you literally just said IRL lmao-”
After much scrolling and bickering, with Heeseung’s name being completely skipped out of the list, they reached the bottom of the list.
Yeonjun.
See, the catch is… Yeonjun wouldn’t really mind, but obviously him and Soobin are like you know, a thing? Have been for a few years, they have a house together in San Jose and they are living very happily together, ever since Soobin transferred in final year and Yeonjun got a job at the same place too.
Come to think of it, they did move to USA the same time Heeseung offered to move in together because Jay seemed lonely.
Yeah.
Well damn, Heeseung and Jay have been living together for a while too then huh? 8-9 months or something.
“Yeonjun Hyung must be coming with Soobin already-”, Heeseung interjected. He seems to know already then.
He lied; Heeseung doesn’t even know if they are attending.
Heeseung hasn’t asked them yet.
“Oh- yeah right, obviously. Why would Yeonjun Hyung even agree to this silly arrangement…”
…
“I guess I- I’ll just tell my parents when I get there…”
Jay sounds disappointed. And Heeseung feels uneasy, seeing him like this. Not that he pities him but there is a pit in his stomach. Growing with the passing second. A proposition lies at the tip of his tongue, waiting to spill out. Maybe he will just keep it in.
He ought to keep it in, it is a stupid idea anyway.
Instead, his eyes meet Jay’s troubled ones, and he feels himself unravelling fairly quickly. It is like he barely has any control when it comes to this beady eyed round-faced guy.
“I could- I could be your plus one…? Well- If you want that is. It would be easier- less pretension. You know, since we already live together, I’ve seen you fart and all too-”
Jay’s eyes have never been wider, his brows raise further than Heeseung has ever seen him raise them. The taller is afraid that Jay might cramp something. This shouldn’t be humanely possible.
Wow, wow indeed.
“Okay- Yeah yeah cool cool cool- um, Okay?”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Be my boyfriend Heeseung…”