try-hard •sunki au•

fourteen

Sunoo have already seen this coming from the moment he met gaze with Riki on his way to the department. He knew the freshman would wait for him outside and there's no way to avoid him.

Curse the instructor who demanded Sunoo's physical presence in sending his completion paper. If not for him, Sunoo didn't have to go outside the dorms and meet this person again.

“Where have you been for the whole three weeks you were gone?” Riki asked straight away as they walk side by side.

Sunoo didn't speak, pretending as if he cannot hear anything like the usual.

“Why don't you talk to me?” Riki speaks again. “I was just going to apologize for the last time. I don't know about the things you like and you hate.”

Sunoo remained quietly walking.

“Can we at least get along before the winter break?”

The audacity, Sunoo couldn't help but frowns at that.

“Why would I want to get along with you?” Sunoo asked, rolling his eyes.

“Because...” Riki paused, thinking for a reason. “Santa don't rewards those with enemies?”

Sunoo couldn't help but to laugh at that.

Riki took that moment and stared at the sophomore's face, smile forming on his lips as well. Laughter and happiness suits Sunoo more than the frowning and annoyed face he always wore. Riki takes note of it.

“What are we, seven? Aren't you too old to believe in Santa?” Sunoo asked, still laughing.

“If he can be a reason for us to get along, I believe in Santa,” Riki said.

Sunoo finally gave him a look, his face still has the trace of laughing too much.

“Good luck then,” Sunoo said, now with sarcasm. “Ask Santa to be your friend so you don't have to bother me anymore.”

Sunoo rolled his eyes at him before turning on his left all the way to the dorms, leaving a stunned Riki behind.

+++

At least, Riki have seen his happy face again.

It was worth trying.

Riki still has a lot of chance to get close to him and see that smile again. For now though, today might be the last day for the year. Tomorrow is the start of winter break and many students will take this opportunity to come home.

Meanwhile Riki, he will stay at the apartment alone. He will celebrate the holiday and the New Year all to himself. In those times, even Jay choose to stay with his family.

Riki sighed as he started walking back to the university gate.

Never did he knew that this year's winter break will not be as lonely as it has been for the last few years.

+++

Jay watched how a human can fully interact with a kitten using weird but cute meowing sounds. He couldn't take his eyes off the sophomore who's pretending to have understood the kitten's loud noise.

He sighed. “When are these two gonna stop,” Jay wondered, playing at the pile of snow on his shoe covered feet.

Jungwon insisted on meeting the cat every afternoon dismissal at the same abandoned lot outside the university, saying that he couldn't go to their apartment for some personal reasons. And for the past seven days, Jay has been watching this unending exchange of meows from both Jungwon and the animal.

It was kind of entertaining, though. Specially because Jungwon looked wholesome talking to the kitten.

“Were you saying something?”

Jay looked up, meeting Jungwon's gaze.

He shook his head, “What did you two talked about, this time?” Jay asked.

Jungwon looked back at the kitten in his lap, who is currently licking his fingers.

“None of your business,” Jungwon said. “If you really are curious, you can ask Engene about it.”

“Why would you name a cat Engene?” Jay curiously asked.

Heck, Jungwon has been calling the kitten Engene for days. Jay have also slipped the word at apartment and accidentally called the cat Engene. Now, three boys are asking him the same question, why call a kitten Engene?

“Because she's too noisy, like a broken engene. Except this Engene is fixed, but still noisy,” Jungwon said.

The kitten meows. “See, she likes it,” Jungwon said after.

After the next two hours, Jay can finally take the kitten home. Jungwon took that long to leave because he will leave the university tomorrow for the winter break.

On their way home, Jay found himself talking to the kitten using the meow language. He wanted to learn understanding the cats too, like Jungwon does.

Jay didn't think it was stupid until Riki found him and laughs about it. Riki never let the chance go and saved a film on his phone, sending it to their group chat. Now, three other guys are laughing about it.

tengyu_