Beside You (Law School)

Grateful

Notes: The one where Han Joonhwi needed to be called out for that stupid 'grateful for her' answer. Sol B could have let slip what Joonhwi told her in the laundry room because she found the partial truth, not the whole truth annoying lol

***

"Thank you for your notes, hyung," Bokgi said, lashes fluttering. "I'm grateful for you."

"Thank you for your notes, Take Two," Yebeom echoed. "I'm grateful for you."

"Thank you for—"

"Not you too, Jiho?"

"--being a quiet roommate. You know I cannot study when it's noisy." Seo Jiho shot Han Joonhwi his trademark deadpan stare.

Joonhwi let out a small sigh for the reprieve.

His expression unmoving, Jiho added, "I, too, am grateful for you, Han Joonhwi."

"Okay, I got it. Stop." Joonhwi threw his hands out, laughing. Laughing meant he could seem unaffected. It meant he could prevent admission. "Now you guys had that out of your system, can we study?"

"Sure, hyung," Bokgi said brightly, returning his attention to his laptop, Yebeom and Jiho huddling with him. "I am always grateful for our time together."

"I am grateful you guys allowed me to join your study group," Yebeom said, arms around the boys.

"You are also grateful to be on my team for this contest," Jiho added, fingers pushing up his glasses. "Because we will win."

Don't be flustered. Ignore them, Joonhwi willed himself, hunkering in front of his laptop as the cycle of gratefulness continued at the other side of the table.

He wasn't annoyed at the teasing. He wasn't even mad at Kang Sol B for letting it slip, his answer to her question when they were alone in the laundry room. What he was really feeling was alarm, with just a tiny hint of mild panic.

Why do you keep looking out for my roommate? Sol B had asked, when he kept pestering her to join his and Kang Sol A's team for the mock trial contest. Urging her to say yes to Sol A's desperate request.

Because I am grateful for her, he'd said.

It wasn't a lie. He'd felt it since the first time she'd been there for him, saved him, and it had happened a few more times. It seemed to be how the two of them were—at each other's side, bickering, eating, and studying. Helping and protecting each other.

Joonhwi and Sol A had fallen into their dynamics as easily as falling in step with each other. When he realized it, he knew he wasn't going to walk away. Not from his safe space.

He had realized other things too, quite early on. But it wasn't something he could say out loud. Not yet. And definitely not for the first time to his nosy friends.

"I am grateful how you don't share your ramen," Jiho was saying. "Because I am reminded to eat healthy."

"Who has ramen?"

Joonhwi's heart stuttered, eyes darting to the source of the voice.

Kang Sol A barged into the copy room like the hurricane she was—messy bun and crumpled clothes, arms burdened by a toppling stack of books.

Joonhwi's eyes met hers. Her lips sloped into a smile.

Alarm and mild panic.

"No one," Jiho said flatly. "But if Han Joonhwi did, he wouldn't share."