GLOW-UP

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taeil stared at his new hair.

he stared at it when he first got it done and johnny let out a hoot of, "i told you you'd look hotter!"

he stared at it in the mirror both times he'd brushed his teeth in the time he'd been home, and he stared at it again when he brushed them in the morning. he also stared at it in the microwave reflection, and in every reflectable surface they passed on the way into college that day.

yuta and sicheng also stared. yuta said it looked great, and sicheng told him it looked super cute. taeil was pleased, but there was still one person he really wanted the approval of.

lee taeyong.

if taeyong didn't like his new hair, or even notice it, what was the point of life? the way taeil saw it - if his hair didn't make a difference, he might as well shave it off.

oof!

"god, can you watch where you're- oh, hi, johnny," taeil blurted, smacking right into johnny's chest on his way to their math room.

"god, moony, can you stop walking into people?" johnny teased, ruffling taeil's new haircut, "it's turning into a habit for you."

taeil squirmed away, smoothing his hair back into place. "watch it! you're not the one who payed for this haircut," he grumbled.

johnny just laughed and messed taeil's hair up some more, finding the shorter's shrieks of objection hilarious. "hey, leave it like that," he instructed, "it looks cuter a little messy."

taeil swatted his large hands away, but glanced up at johnny curiously. "you think so?"

"i'm the hotness expert, right? of course i think so," johnny scoffed, rolling his eyes. "oh, shit, can you get something for me, by the way?"

taeil frowned at him. "what are you talking about?"

johnny scratched at the nape of his neck. "i just remembered - i left my, uh, water bottle at the student cafe. run and get it for me?"

taeil wrinkled his nose and snorted, "what am i, your-"

"-slave?" johnny finished. he turned taeil around in the other direction and gave him a gentle push, "yeah, you are, so hurry up! math starts any minute now."

groaning and grumbling to himself, taeil trotted along towards the student cafe. why couldn't johnny just pack his bag properly and not leave things behind? it was stupid, really-

oof!

johnny was right - taeil did need to stop walking into things.

"i'm so sorry!" he gushed, "i didn't mean..." his sentence trailed off as he looked up to see exactly who it was he'd bumped into.

breathtaking as always; hair soft and falling perfectly across his forehead, eyes mesmerising, skin as flawless as freshly fallen snow. 

lee. fucking. taeyong.

"it's okay," taeyong said, giving a small chuckle and taeil's arm a light clap. "i was in a rush. class starts soon, you know?"

"uh... y-yeah, uh, it... yeah..." taeil couldn't stop staring at him, having lost every percentage of his cool at this point.

taeyong nodded, a little awkward in the silence between them. his eyes glanced up to taeil's newly dyed dark hair, which was now just a little messy, courtesy of johnny seo. "new trim?" taeyong spoke up conversationally.

taeil nearly died inside. "y-yeah, it is," he stammered, feeling himself start to beam.

"looks good," said taeyong with a brief smile. "anyway, i'm gonna be late for my art lecture, so..."