Darling, let me teach you a lesson. (Hyunlix)

Chapter 13

Hyunjin was leaning back on one of the university buildings' walls, taking a puff of his cigarette as he watched the now familiar scenery of young people walking back and forth, some chatting away with their friends, others rushing to go somewhere with headphones fitted in their ears.

Soft music was playing gently through his own airpads, the artist singing about love, about falling for someone's beautiful eyes, about longing for them day and night. Hyunjin closed his eyes shut then, taking another hit to let the poisonous smoke replace the fluttering feeling in his chest as the image of a boy with glasses and soft purple hair painted itself in the back of the brunette's mind.

He didn't quite know what to do with these feelings, some sort of unfamiliarity lacing them as he'd never quite experienced anything like this. The fleeting crushes he'd had before, the short-lasting boyfriends that filled the empty holes in his boring day-to-day never making his stomach turn in such ways.

And against the way he wanted to be, against the way he wanted to feel, right now Hyunjin sensed the sadness creeping up on him, a heavy feeling making its way into his heart that he hated experiencing, hated giving up to and letting it consume him.

He kept reminding himself everything that he already knew. Kept replaying all the words a certain man had told him and he knew, he /knew/ and he understood it all and it made him so angry because no matter how well he understood it, it didn't stop the ugly grey feelings crawling underneath his skin.

He took another hit and the unpleasant burn in his throat made him realise that he'd already finished the cigarette. As he scowled at the stick between his fingers, Hyunjin threw it to the side and dug a hand in his bag, taking out his pack and pulling out another cigarette, craving for something to burn down his feelings further.

As the song playing through his earphones picked up its pace and Hyunjin raised his lighter, a soft palm suddenly placed itself over the brunette's hand and stopped his motions. Hyunjin looked up from where he had been focused on the cigarette and squinted his eyes as the harsh sun was aiming straight at them. Then the figure in front of him moved slightly to the side, hiding the sun rays behind him and the sting from Hyunjin's eyes moved down to his chest at the sight of purple.

Felix stood in front of him and his hand hadn't moved away from the brunette's as he moved his other one to remove one of Hyunjin's airpods with a gentle smile.

'I saw you finishing one just now, please don't chainsmoke like that', were the first words Felix told him and Hyunjin wanted to curse, not even knowing who or what exactly-Felix? Himself? His own feelings? He didn't know and couldn't find himself making a choice when the man in front of him blurred his thoughts and turned them into a haze, the heavy sensation in his chest staying there but illuminated by the strong afternoon sun.

Hyunjin would've rolled his eyes, he would've pushed the hand away only to light his second cigarette, he would've put the earphone back into his ear to let himself drown in his feelings, as he usually acted when sadness crept up on him. But Felix still had that gentle and hesitant smile on his face and his touch somehow brought Hyunjin's cloudy mind back to earth, letting him feel the ground underneath his shoes once again.

So Hyunjin used the hand which was holding the unlit cigarette to take off his other airpad before he lowered it to his side, clutching the hem of his skirt with his fingers and probably breaking the white stick in half at the action.

'Hey', the brunette muttered instead of responding directly to what Felix told him but the other man seemed content with that, now moving his hand away and the warmth he had brought with it.

'Hey', Felix repeated and the two of them stayed in silence for a bit, awkwardly shuffling on their feet before the purple-haired man opened his mouth again.