Chapter Text
Wonwoo had simply forgotten to stop by the convenience store last night to refill his not-so-healthy addiction - yes, he knows that little white cylinder is a monster to his lungs, indeed to his entire body. On the other hand, it's an escape valve for stressful days like today.
It's almost part of Wonwoo's routine to stop there after morning classes for a smoke. Well, but today there was no cigarette, just the crumpled box in his hand.
"You can take one of mine if you have a lighter there..."
Wonwoo almost jumps in place when he hears a voice too close, he turns to his right to face a guy he's never seen before. He was a second ago alone there, so where the hell had that stranger come from?
"Sorry if I scared you... I don't usually approach people like that."
The stranger then goes down some stairs and sits next to Wonwoo, who still doesn't know how to react.
"Do you have a lighter?", asks the guy.
Without even questioning anything Wonwoo takes the lighter out of his coat pocket. The stranger opened an almost victorious smile.
“You saved my day today. Here, take one and we're even now."
He offers the box of cigarettes and again, no questions asked Wonwoo just takes one out. Wonwoo lights the stranger's cigarette, who thanks him and then lights his own.
"Are you always this quiet?", the question comes after a few minutes of complete silence.
"Oh... I... No."
"My name is Jeonghan. And you? You can speak without stuttering?"
Wonwoo rolls his eyes almost automatically, which makes Jeonghan laugh.
"I'm Wonwoo. And yes, I can form a whole sentence without stuttering."
"I see."
A few minutes of silence stretched out as they both just enjoyed the nicotine on their tongues and let their heads relax.
"You come here often?", Jeonghan questions unpretentious, but soon he's laughing at himself by the tone of speech.
Wonwoo smiles.
"Are you flirting with me or what?"
"No, no. Sorry”, he says, catching his breath, “It's just that this place is kind of unknown around campus. Few students know about the existence of this abandoned amphitheater around here. And those who know use it to do exactly the same thing as us..."
"Or worst."
Jeonghan identifies in Wonwoo's tone the suggestion that I had already witnessed something there that he didn't want.
"What you saw?"
"Hmm?"
“What did you see here?"
" I won't talk, it was a little weird. Compelling."
"Come on dude? Tell me, please."
Jeonghan's almost pleading eyes on him don't do much to keep the information to himself. Wonwoo sighs and then spills out the most embarrassing situation in his life.
At the end of the story Jeonghan is laughing so hard that his face turns red.
"Professor Kang and a student? Who knew... That man has the face of someone who wakes up early to go to church every Sunday... Wasn't he married?"
"Was he?"
Jeonghan laughs even harder and doesn't even know why.
"I'm so sorry for you. It must have been awful to witness such a scene."
"And it was. Serious. He was so tormented when he saw me that he didn't even notice the lit cigarette in my hand. And the girl graduated last year, every time she saw me she just walked away."
“The walls of this amphitheater have seen everything."
"And they heard..."
Jeonghan stood up and wiped the back of the case with his hands.
"Hey, what building do you study in?"
“Building 17, east side. Journalism course."
“A little far from me. I do architecture, over in the western department."
Jeonghan takes a cigarette out of the box.
"For you. You owe me one now."
Wonwoo takes him from the other's hand, then watches him go up some stairs.
“And how do I pay for it."
"You know. I'm sure you're smart enough to think of something until the next time we meet."
"Are we going to meet?"
"Will we?", Jeonghan echoes the question, an almost sly smile on his face.
So he just turns his back on Wonwoo and leaves him there alone.
Wonwoo looks at the cigarette in his hand and then puts it in his pocket, starting his way to the opposite side.
Until next time, he would have already thought of something to reward Jeonghan.