ten's still in a good mood during his fourth class, feeling awfully giddy. he and johnny were so determined on stopping each other from reaching their destination, they ended up being a minute or so late for their last class. ten has drawing while johnny... he doesn't know about his last class. he never asked.
maybe he should. ten doesn't know.
he was supposed to be focusing on sketching an apple, but ten could only think of the time before class, during lunch time. ten was still giddy with remaining energy despite running all the way to class. ten can't hold back the smile at all.
"what's got you so happy?" maew whispers as she leans in closer.
"what do you mean?" ten gives the basic shape of his apple another outline, a bit more darker than the first.
"you look like you're going to hop up like a rabbit and burst from happiness."
ten gives her a look. "that's... a weird way to describe me."
"well, it fits to me."
"i just had a nice lunch, that's all," ten mumbles and maew keeps talking though the other hoped the conversation would end there. their professor wouldn't be happy.
"that reminds me, where did you go?" maew questions in a whisper. "me and art didn't see you."
"i went out with my roommate to get something to eat other than cafeteria food," ten answers quietly. "we came back late."
"oh," maew nods. "you just didn't say anything, so — "
"ahem," their professor clears her throat rather loudly. "let's save talking for after class, shall we?"
"sorry," maew bows her head. ten simply avoids her gaze.
he's happy to finally return to his dorm afterwards, seeing johnny already there on his bed, his laptop open and resting upon his lap. his roommate waves with a smile that gives ten that weird fuzzy feeling — at a lesser amount than usual — before looking back at his laptop. he speaks at it in english, "yeah, i missed you too."
ten moves to put his bag aside, furrowing his eyebrows. whoever johnny was talking to wasn't his business, but he still felt kind of curious about who it was, though an easy answer came to his mind. it was probably one of his friends from the united states.
"no, i miss you more," johnny says in a teasing voice and a bright smile.
ten can't help but keep listening as he opens his bag to pull out his sketchbook to finish the apple. despite definitely having more than enough time to finish it during class time, he still wanted to add a bit more shading to it until he's fully satisfied. he sits down at the dining table and begins, pressing the eraser of his pencil to his lips.
"what's happened with you recently, jeffery?" johnny then says, running a hand through his hair. ten admittedly thinks the little action makes him look even more handsome.
anyways —
"mark getting into more trouble?" he continues on with a chuckle. the other person on the other end — jeffery — laughs as well before answering.
"no. he keeps asking me for advice about how to have fun during senior year."
"ah, of course he is," johnny then quickly changes the subject. "are you still seeing that exchange student from south korea that you fell in love with? you know, your prince charming to your cinderella?"
johnny's friend doesn't immediately respond. when he does, his voice sounds full of affection for someone. "yeah, taeyong's still my boyfriend."
"good to hear that..." johnny pauses himself before beckoning ten over with his hand. ten totally hadn't already been looking at him already or anything. "wanna meet my roommate?"
"sure," comes jeffery's voice. so, ten complies and walks over.
when heads to the opposite side of the bed to sit down, johnny's eyes follow him the entire time. ten expected to hear english come out of his mouth, but instead, it's thai. "do you want me to translate or — ?"
"i can speak english," ten answers confidently and johnny smiles. oh boy, here comes that annoying fuzzy feeling in his stomach. he moves to prop himself up with an elbow, basically laying on his side, which reveals his face to johnny's american friend.
jeffery's hair was a dark shade of brown and slightly long (fluffy-looking too!), some of his fringe falling onto his eyes just the tiniest bit.
"ten, meet jeffery. jeffery meet ten," johnny gestures his hand back and forth from the laptop to his roommate.
"nice to meet you," ten says, moving a little closer. it causes his arm to brush johnny briefly and it makes that spot sort of tingle.
"same to you," jeffery replies before looking amused. "so, johnny, this is the guy you won't shut up about."
johnny blushes. "shut up, jae!"
jeffery just laughs.
ten, on the other hand, feels his face start to heat up, too. that fuzzy feeling in his heart is back in full force due to hearing those words from jeffery's mouth. johnny... tells his friends about him? why would he even do that? it brings him back to what aunt hong had told him.
he really seems to like you, ten.
maybe it's because they're basically friends at this point. or is ten just not understanding something that's right in his face?
"huh?" is all ten gets out in reaction.
"yeah, he goes on and on about you — "
whatever else he was going to say, ten doesn't hear it because johnny mutes his laptop, so jeffery's mouth is just moving with no sound coming out. he finally notices the annoyed and embarrassed look on johnny's face and grins; he has dimples. then, johnny returns the volume slowly, the both of them hearing jeffery's voice grow louder and louder each time.
"sorry, john."
"you better be," johnny hisses. he spares ten a glance before looking away quickly. his cheeks are red again.
...ten doesn't question it.
but then, his heart seems to race faster at the thought that johnny told his friends about him, as much as he is confused by it. that thought feels nice somewhat.
before jeffery can say anything else, he looks off to the side because of the sound of a door opening. he stands a little straighter and his short-lived, open-mouthed confusion face is gone and replaced with a smile. there's a faint voice in the background. "who is that?"
jeffery speaks in another language that ten immediately recognises as korean before someone else peeks at the camera on his own computer. he smiled and waves before disappearing only to appear again on jaehyun's bed.
"i'm not letting you make me feel single," johnny rolls his eyes. "i'll talk to you later."
jeffery just nods. "alright, see you."
"see you." johnny ends the call first.
"he seems nice," ten says, not sure what else was supposed to come from his mouth. johnny nods.
"yeah, sure, he is," he sort of smiles. "what do you want for dinner?"
"i'll find a place when i go out," ten retorts.
johnny closes his laptop and straightens his back, running another hand through his hair before meeting ten's eyes again. "i'm coming with you."
****
ten needed someone to rant to. he needed someone who could explain that weird feeling johnny gives him. over the next few days, those weird feelings johnny gives him just grew stronger and stronger.
he doesn't know how many times he caught himself staring at him when trying to sketch something, absentmindedly lightly doodling with his pencil while seeing johnny do whatever he was doing before quickly adverting his gaze.
so, he goes to aunt hong.
he heads out late on a saturday. aunt hong is likely closing up for the day, the last few customers long gone. johnny was just listening to music while flipping through some sort of book when ten left. he doesn't know why he cared to notice that, or notice the slight smile johnny had on his pretty face.
well, moving on.
aunt hong is happy to see him when he arrives, giving the younger a quick hug before patting his head. "what's up, my lovely nephew?"
ten grins a little. "well, i need to ask about something."
"sure, ask away, just sit down," aunt hong gestures to a chair at a clean table. so, ten does.
clasping his hands together, he finally starts talking. "i — well, i don't know how to explain these feelings someone gives me."
"feelings?" aunt hong tilts her head to the side as she sweeps the floor.
"yeah, my heart... feels... fuzzy? i'm not sure how to explain it well," ten continues on, looking at his hands. "my face gets warmer too — "
" — blushing — " aunt hong mumbles.
" — i think hi — their eyes are really pretty and — and their smile too," ten feels his face getting warmer, his hands now on his cheeks. "they're really good-looking and — and i think i really like their voice. i can't stop looking at them either."
aunt hong thinks for a moment. "who is this person, ten?"
ten hesitates. what would she even think when she reveals who it is. "it's kind of weird, auntie."
"whoever it is, it's not weird," she says kindly.
"well — it's my roommate," ten admits. "it's because of him. i don't know — "
"i do know," aunt hong says confidently.
"you do?" ten's eyes widen.
"you have feelings for johnny, sweetie," she concludes.
"f — feelings for johnny?"
"yes," she nods. "you have a crush on him."