In the debate world, there are five unspoken rules. The first four are trivial; simple social laws that every sane person would understand.
But the last one. Now that's something.
Rule Number Five: Never, ever, under any circumstances, date your d...
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today's theme: brilliance
Jisung kept his eyes on the boy in front of him.
Relief, regret, and and insecurity were flooding through his body, dusting across his cheeks in a violently red blush. This was a part of tonight he hadn't planned, an aspect that he wasn't ever expecting to come across—and when it did, it left him blindly grasping at the darkness.
But he didn't move.
He didn't run away, try to stop himself, backtrack and stay under. He didn't want to anymore.
Minho took a step back, and then another. "You..."
"I like you."
His breath hitched. Those three words sent an electrifying jolt through his mind, and his conscience came to a full stop.
Jisung stuffed his hands into his pockets, digging his feet into the ground. "You don't...you don't have to respond, Minho. I...I just. I really like you."
"You can't be sure of that," Minho said softly. "You might not...you might not really."
That was a lie. It was quite evident, but denial came through in every initial reaction, seeping into Minho, as well.
He shook his head. "I do. I really do."
"You're not great with emotions. You know that."
Minho was panicking internally. He was inches away from the line—and with each affirmation, it pushed him closer to crossing it.
"Minho, I like you."
"Ace..."
"No, no, listen." He looked down. "I...I know about your Rules."
The older boy stopped short. "You what?"
"I...I met Jumin. Please don't get mad at him, he came to me. And...and he helped me, with all of this, and without him, I would've freaked out and...and probably would have avoided you so much until we grew painfully apart...and, and I just...I just realized everything."
"I spent so long trying to figure out what the hell was happening, and it, it honestly made me feel so weird. But I went through all of the rules. Every one of them. I confirmed them for myself, I finished them, and—and like, I just, I can't avoid it. I won't. I won't avoid it."
An uneasy feeling bubbled up, chasing more and more nerves into his system. "Like you said, I'm not good with emotions. Hell, I can't even figure out what you're thinking right now. But I know. I know from those rules, and everything, th—"
"Prove it."
His head shot up. "What?"
Minho had an unreadable expression on his face, but there was an element of stun and wonder to it. "Prove to me. The five checkboxes. That you...that you have them."
