↱TOUCH↲ ⇾seongjoong⇽

열아홉

The walk back to Hongjoong's dorm was quiet, the two boys slowly making their way through the college campus.

Hongjoong made sure to keep his pace slow and even, careful not to rush Seonghwa, and staying close to his shoulder.

He kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Seonghwa was walking with his head down and his hands buried in the pockets of Hongjoong's bomber jacket, shoulders slightly hunched.

He was glad that Seonghwa was still wearing his jacket – the campus was cold and dark, illuminated only by the light of the distant moon, and Seonghwa would have been shivering in his white t-shirt otherwise.

Though there was a good chance that Seonghwa wouldn't have noticed the cold at all, given how out of it he still seemed.

From what he could see from Seonghwa's eyes, the boy's gaze was slightly unfocused – Hongjoong had to wonder if he was still processing what had happened.

He wouldn't be surprised.

Everything had happened so fast – Hongjoong was still trying to understand it himself.

Hongjoong knew who he'd hit, though.

It didn't take a genius to piece together what Seonghwa had told him on Friday night with the spluttered "Hyeri!" and the girl's wild accusations of cheating and sex.

The angry guy had been Soobin, the guy Seonghwa had kissed, and Hyeri was the girl that had yelled at and slut-shamed him for it.

They seemed to have made up, considering that Seonghwa had been protecting her, but that simple fact did nothing to scrape away the memory of Seonghwa crying into Hongjoong's chest over the venom she'd spat at him.

He still had questions over what had happened – not just about the fight, either, but their heated argument in the hallway and all that had come before it.

But Hongjoong knew better than to voice them, at least for now.

He swallowed the words hesitating on his tongue and simply kept pace with Seonghwa instead, hoping his silent presence was support enough.

Seonghwa hadn't offered any explanations yet – but then again, Hongjoong thought, maybe the other boy didn't need to.

He remembered what had happened between them, and he'd known that Hongjoong did, too.

This whole time, he'd thought that Hongjoong was simply ignoring what happened... out of disgust, anger, or something worse.

Hongjoong's heart sank a little at the thought.

What a mess, Hongjoong thought silently, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth.

He knew how he felt about Seonghwa.

He could remember all too easily the ache in his throat as Seonghwa had cried bitter tears into his chest, his arms tight around Seonghwa like a desperate shield.

The dryness in his mouth when he'd seen Seonghwa at the party, eyes bright and skin glowing, and the jealousy writhing in his stomach as he'd watched Seonghwa on Jackson's lap.