mask | DODAM

DOYOUNG

the first year university student could see the doors of the library up ahead, and with determination to get there faster than he is now, doyoung began to run over to the doors, his hair flying back and out of his face as the force of his movements caused wind to form in the empty, still hallway. just as he was about to approach the library doors, he saw a figure walk up to the door and reach his arm out to the handle to open them, the color of the black mask present on the boy's face all too familiar to the running male.

"yedam hyung!" doyoung yelled, calling for the older male with a smile on his face before he had a chance to disappear inside the library walls. he waved towards the shorter male, who turned towards doyoung's direction and widened his eyes before taking three steps back from the approaching male. the first year university student saw this action and recalled the events from yesterday during their conversation, how yedam had stepped back every time the younger took a step forward, and the running male slowed himself down to land in front of yedam, exactly seven feet away as the two were yesterday.

"sorry, i forgot that you were scared of me," doyoung said, catching his breath while speaking and leaning against his knees, putting his weight on it as he tried to regulate the oxygen levels in his body and normalize his breathing.

doyoung noticed how the masked male blinked a couple times, most likely trying to process what was going on, before shaking his head and escaping from the frozen trance he was in for a few seconds. after his breathing became normal again and all the signs of the younger male running towards the library disappeared, the first year university student stood back up properly and faced towards the older male again.

"you... don't have to speak formally to me," yedam said, averting his gaze from the business management student. doyoung just shook his head, disagreeing with what the other had said.

"you're older than me, so i must call you hyung. it's a form of respect," doyoung said, stating the obvious.

"but... you don't know if i'm someone you should respect or not."

that was true. the second year university student had a point, and doyoung knew that. but it didn't erase the fact that doyoung found yedam to be someone who was worth the respect. sure, it is possible that yedam could be some kind of bully that makes fun of other students for no reason, but the possibility of that possibility being possible is just another possibility that could possibly happen, and it seemed very unlikely to be true. yedam appeared to be one of the most sincere and caring people that doyoung may ever meet. but of course, that was all just a first impression.

"well, you've been nice to me by giving me strawberry milk, so i would say that you are someone i can respect. plus, you don't seem like a person who doesn't deserve respect from other people," doyoung claimed, making his own point and defending himself.

the two were engulfed in silence as neither of them really had anything else to say. doyoung just looked around, finding the empty white walls of the hallway more interesting than anything else right now. the second year university student was looking at the ground, fumbling with something behind his back that was in his hand before deciding to hold the item in his right hand and pulling it out from behind him.

movements from yedam caused doyoung to turn his attention back to the older male, and he watched as the masked male placed a bottle of strawberry milk down at his feet. standing back up properly, yedam started taking some steps back, signaling doyoung to walk towards him. with confusion evident in his face, the first year university student walked towards yedam, following his speed of backing up. when the masked male would take a step back, doyoung would follow forward, until the second year university student stopped right when the bottle of strawberry milk was at doyoung's feet.

"sorry... i couldn't get you strawberry milk during break. i had something to do," yedam said, making doyoung understand the reasoning as to why the older was unable to provide the usual bottle of strawberry milk to the younger. the first year student saw how yedam slightly pulled down the right sleeve of his shirt further down his arm to where it was now covering over his hand. doyoung was curious, but he didn't want to make the other uncomfortable, so he let it pass by and didn't question anything further.

"you.. don't have to keep giving me strawberry milk, you know," doyoung said, picking up the bottle of pink liquid from the floor. following the same process from before, except in the other direction, the two returned back to their original places, not allowing their conversation to cut off.

"i want to get it for you though..." yedam's voice died down towards the end, almost as if he was embarrassed for saying it. his head fell towards the ground, feeling his cheek turning red, and doyoung just smiled at the cuteness of the older male and shook his head.

"then... can i start expecting strawberry milk from you everyday?" doyoung asked, the smile on his face growing with each word. the second year university student looked up at the taller boy and nodded his head eagerly, telling doyoung that he won't stop buying strawberry milk for him.

silence fell over the two once more as the university students lost ideas as to what to talk about. the transitory silence between them wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't awkward either. it was more of like those silences that fill the classroom when students are taking an exam or doing independent work, just silence.

"um... why don't we go in now?" doyoung asked, and yedam nodded his head, agreeing with the younger male. after about two minutes of arguing about who would go in first, the two agreed for the older male to enter, so following the same process as they did just now, doyoung took steps back while yedam took steps forward, just enough for the masked male to enter through the doors of the library first. after seeing yedam walk inside and take about six steps towards the inside of the library from the doors, the first year university student followed behind and made his way inside as well.

the two boys spent the rest of the afternoon together at the library, two tables away and seven feet apart. however, the distance between them didn't make their conversations stop, since every once in a while, they would hold small conversations about little things. both university students were able to get to know more about each other through the little exchange of words that they shared, and they could feel themselves growing closer and closer with each letter that was said between them.

but doyoung couldn't shake the fact that something inside him was slowly growing, maybe too quickly for his liking, and it was confusing the first year university student because he had just met yedam the day before.

"what is going on with me?"

[DOYOUNG]