The following week, everyone except Felix gathered in the school cafeteria, sitting together as they ate and waited for their friend. Minho inquired, "Where's Felix?"
Jeongin chimed in, "Kai stopped him on our way here. He was asking about some projects, I think. But honestly, it seemed more like he was flirting with him."
Changbin's muscles tensed at the mention of flirting. "Flirting?"
Jeongin laughed, "Oh, don't worry. It's pretty typical for Felix. People are always flirting with him. He's just got that natural charm, you know?"
Seungmin nodded in agreement, "Exactly. Have you seen his DMs? They're full of messages telling him how pretty he is or even asking him out."
Minho added, "That's true. But Felix is loyal, so you really shouldn't worry."
Changbin reminded them, "Guys, we're not dating."
With a sly grin, Minho retorted, "Oh, in that case, you should definitely worry."
Everyone at the table burst into laughter, except for a slightly flustered Changbin.
Hyunjin pointed to the side and said, "Well, you definitely shouldn't worry. Looks like Felix is trying to escape from him."
Everyone's gaze followed the direction Hyunjin indicated, where they saw Felix hurriedly walking towards their table, followed by Kai. Felix wore an annoyed expression on his face, which caused Changbin to feel a bit more at ease.
Felix finally reached the table and took a seat. Kai, still following, brazenly announced, "Hi guys, I'm Felix's future boyfriend."
The group exchanged amused glances, impressed by Kai's audacious confidence.
Felix, however, was unamused. "Kai, don't make a fool of yourself. I already told you, I'm not interested."
Kai persisted, "But you don't have a boyfriend, right?"
Frustrated, Felix snapped, "I don't know how that's relevant. Whether I have someone or not, I can still say no to you."
Kai tried to defuse the situation, "Chill, Felix. I'm just asking you to give me a chance."
Felix remained resolute, "Still no. Goodbye."
Kai sighed, "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."
Felix simply nodded at him before turning back to his friends. With that, Kai finally took his leave.
Chan commented, "You were pretty harsh on him."
Felix defended himself, "He declared himself as my future boyfriend in front of my friends, even after I repeatedly said no to giving him my number."
Felix was uncertain about how Changbin would react to Kai's advances. He worried that Changbin might think he had given Kai some hope when he hadn't. Of course, there was a possibility that Changbin could get jealous and finally make a move toward Felix, but Felix was strongly against using this type of manipulation.
First and foremost, it raised ethical concerns. Manipulating someone's feelings and actions was simply not right. Secondly, the outcome of such manipulation was unpredictable. It could backfire, leading Changbin to question Felix's loyalty and commitment. If that happened, Changbin might not take him seriously in the future because of it.
Felix believed in building a relationship based on honesty and genuine feelings, rather than resorting to manipulative tactics. He decided to trust that if things were meant to progress between him and Changbin, they would do so without resorting to deception or trickery.
Changbin spoke calmly, giving Felix an appreciative look: "I can't blame him, you've been looking especially good lately. I don't know who could resist your charm."
Felix's face lit up, a playful glint in his eyes. "You resist," he teased.
Changbin chuckled and shook his head. "Me? I'm the last person who could resist it."
Felix's smile widened, and he playfully raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you ask me to be your boyfriend?" he asked
Felix couldn't help but ask that question. The time he spent with Changbin had been the best time of his life. He found himself admiring Changbin more and more with each passing day. He could watch him for hours while he studied or wrote lyrics. The way Changbin became so engrossed in his work, to the point of obliviousness to anything else around him, was something Felix found incredibly endearing. Changbin's charisma was magnetic, effortlessly drawing Felix's attention and inevitably making him smile, even if Changbin remained blissfully unaware of the effect he had.He could spend hours listing all the things he liked about Changbin, each quality only serving to deepen his feelings.
The more time he spent with him, the more deeply he fell for him. What had initially been a crush had transformed into something far more profound. He had come to love everything about Changbin – the good, the bad, the beautiful, the not-so-beautiful – and he knew now that what he felt was no longer just a crush. It was love. He was completely, irrevocably in love with Changbin. He should just admit that
The entire group fell silent following Felix's question, each one holding their breath in anticipation of Changbin's response. Realizing the weight of his words, Felix began to laugh nervously, attempting to lighten the atmosphere and make his question seem more like a joke than a sincere inquiry.
Changbin hesitated before asking, "You don't really mean that, do you?"
Felix replied, a hint of playfulness in his voice, "That depends on your answer."
Changbin looked around at their friends, all of whom were watching the exchange with a mix of curiosity and concern. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but at that exact moment, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their break.
Changbin suggested, "Let's continue this conversation in the evening, okay?"
Felix nodded in agreement, knowing that whatever happened next, it would be best discussed in private
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As they drove back home, Chan asked, "What will you tell Felix?"
Changbin responded, "It depends on what he tells me."
Chan pressed, "He's going to tell you he's in love with you."
Changbin laughed dismissively, "Yeah, sure."
Chan's frustration was evident, "Why are you like this? Why do you have problems with your self-confidence? Why can't you believe that someone could actually love you?"
Changbin frowned, well aware of his issue but finding it too difficult to admit, even to his closest friends. He remained silent, not offering a response. They pulled up in front of their dorm.
Chan continued, "Listen, I don't know what you're thinking, and I'm afraid you're going to make a mistake. Felix does love you; everyone can see it. If you'd only open your eyes, you'd see it too. He's always looking at you, smiling at you, and he's oblivious to everyone else around. Once, I saw you two in the library. You were studying, and Felix was just staring at you, a book in his hands. Actually, I took a picture of that moment, intending to show it at your wedding someday. But now, it's more important. Wait..."
Chan quickly pulled out his phone, found the photo, and handed it to Changbin.
Changbin took the phone and stared at the photo. There he was, sitting at a table surrounded by books and writing something, while Felix was in front of him. Felix was holding a book, but his eyes were on Changbin, and he had a soft, dreamy smile. Changbin recognized that expression; he'd seen it before when Felix looked at him.
Chan pressed, "Do you see it now? I know you're scared of being in a relationship, scared of getting hurt. But the truth is, right now, you're the one who could hurt Felix."
Jisung chimed in, "If you have feelings for Felix, which I'm sure you do, don't be a coward."
Changbin remained silent, deep in thought. Chan decided to give him some space, saying, "Alright, we're going to go. Please think about this conversation."
With that, Chan and Jisung left the car, leaving Changbin alone with his thoughts, contemplating the photo and his feelings for Felix.
Changbin was shocked. How could he have missed Felix's feelings for him? How was it even possible that someone like Felix would be interested in someone like him? Changbin saw himself as average, while Felix was almost perfect in his eyes. Felix was gentle, supportive, and loyal. He was intelligent, humorous, and generous. Undoubtedly, he was the most beautiful and alluring person in the world. His warm smile and sunny freckles could brighten anyone's day. How could it be possible that Felix had feelings for him? Changbin hadn't even considered the possibility before. But now, his friends had told him it was true, and somehow, Changbin could feel the truth in their words. Felix did have feelings for him.
As for his own feelings, does Changbin like Felix? He didn't need a second to answer that question. Yes, he does like Felix, and he knew that for quite some time. He had just chosen to ignore those feelings earlier because he couldn't believe they could ever have something serious.
Changbin snapped out of his thoughts and started the car. He had made a decision, and he needed to see Felix. He arrived at Felix's place, parked the car in the garage, and entered the house. Felix surely hadn't heard him arrive. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, a TV show playing in the background, but Felix wasn't paying attention to it. He appeared lost in thought, almost in a trance.
Changbin said, "Hi."
Felix jumped, looked at him, and exclaimed, "Oh my god, I almost had a heart attack."
Changbin apologized, "I'm sorry, you seemed lost in your thoughts."
Felix replied, "Yeah, I was."
Changbin asked, "What were you thinking about?"
Felix hesitated, "I-I'm too scared to answer."
Changbin reassured him, "Then let me tell you something first."
Changbin took a seat next to Felix and gently took his hand in his own. He looked into Felix's eyes and began, "Felix, I think you're an incredible person. You're kind, gentle, smart, and talented, and..."
Felix interrupted, fear in his voice, "Please, if you're going to leave me, just do it quickly. This is too hard."
Changbin quickly reassured him, "No, no, that's not what I meant. I want to say that I like you, a lot. And if you're willing, we can try and see if we can make this work, together."
Felix's eyes widened, "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"
Changbin smiled warmly and nodded, "Yes, I am."
Overwhelmed by the wave of emotions, Felix broke into tears. The pent-up feelings, the fear, relief, and joy – everything came pouring out in the form of deep, heart-wrenching sobs that shook his entire body. It was as if he had been holding back an ocean and now, it had found an outlet, crashing through the dam of his self-control.
Changbin reacted instinctively, pulling Felix into his arms, holding him close. Felix clung to Changbin, his sobs echoing in the quiet room, his tears soaking the front of Changbin's shirt. Amidst the heaving sobs, Changbin heard Felix whispering, his voice choked with emotion, "I love you, I love you so much."
These words, repeated like a mantra, filled the room for the next twenty minutes. Felix's confession of love, raw and heartfelt, was the only sound heard in the quiet room. Changbin remained silent, simply holding Felix tighter, his hands gently patting Felix's back and running through his hair in an attempt to comfort him. The outpouring of emotion was intense, but necessary, and Changbin was there for Felix, offering his unwavering support and love.
Felix gradually calmed down, his sobs subsiding as he lay in Changbin's lap. When he finally regained his composure, he apologized. "I'm sorry for that."
Changbin reassured him, "You shouldn't be sorry, that's okay. I'm here."
"Thank you," Felix said, his voice still shaky.
Felix hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you still want me to be your boyfriend?"
"Of course," Changbin replied without hesitation.
"Then I agree," Felix said, a small smile forming on his face.
Changbin gently took hold of Felix's chin, lifting it up so their eyes met.
"Don't look at me, I must be a mess right now," Felix protested, trying to look away.
Changbin countered, "I only see the most beautiful person in the world."
He leaned in, pressing his lips to Felix's in a tender, loving kiss. When they finally pulled apart, Changbin continued to gaze into Felix's eyes, his voice soft and sincere as he said, "Felix, I like you a lot. I can't say the words of love just yet. It's too sudden for me. But you should know that I've never felt anything close to what I feel for you, not even 10 times less. Please give me time."
Felix's eyes shone with understanding, and he replied, "I'll give you as much time as you need. That's enough for me."