FIRST | JOHNTEN

SIX | CRUSHES

"i have a crush... on johnny?" ten says more to  himself than aunt hong. on one hand, he wants to deny that he'd ever have a crush — any romantic feelings — for another man. but at the same time, on the other hand, it feels like the right answer. he's has those feelings for other people before. they just weren't other guys.

"yes, ten, i figured as soon as you described what you felt for him," aunt hong gives him a kind smile.

ten frowns. "isn't it weird?"

"weird? no, definitely not. it's completely normal," his aunt explains, continuing the sweep the floor. "one of my close friends is in a relationship with another woman. it's not weird. it's no different from a man loving a woman. it's just a man loving another man. it's still perfectly normal love."

ten lets those words sink in and his frown fades. he finally knows what those feelings are and the fact that it's normal. it's reassuring in a way. but... what about johnny? what if he doesn't —

"that's all i needed to ask," ten cuts his own thoughts off. he moves to stand up from his chair. "i should go. it's late."

he needed time to think about this. he really did. aunt hong just nods, gives him a goodbye hug, and then ten sets out back for his dorm on campus. he knows him — he keeps repeating this to himself — what those feelings are, what caused those sudden feelings out of nowhere. he's attracted to johnny because he's handsome, has pretty eyes, has a nice voice and laugh, is really helpful without needing to be and nice and funny. perhaps that list of reasons is even longer, but he can't think of those reasons right now.

just johnny himself seem to consume his thoughts.

he's already laying on his bed, absentmindedly scrolling on his phone when ten gets back. his head is resting on his other arm, his eyelids halfway closed. he's going to nod off any second from now. however, he does acknowledge ten's return with a small smile glance before returning his eyes right back onto his phone. ten tilts his head to the side.

"i brought you dinner, i didn't know if you went out to eat already," johnny mumbles. "you went out and i just assumed you were going to eat something, which is fine, i can have — "

"i didn't eat," ten tells him. "i'll eat it."

"it's in the fridge," johnny smiles again — a little lazily — and ten's heart does a backflip. he cared enough to get two meals. why is johnny so nice?

it feels like it's going to be hard to talk to johnny now, knowing those feelings he carries for him. will it just make everything awkward for ten? definitely not johnny since he doesn't even know. what aunt hong said made him feel better but just... what would johnny think? then, his thoughts go back to that night johnny video called his friend and he said all about how johnny kept talking about him.

he takes the meal out of the fridge, removing it from the plastic bag. then, he warms it up a little in the microwave. while he waits for his food, he looks back at johnny again. he's still scrolling on his phone, still looking rather tired and bored. ten's kind of bored, too.

when his meal finishes and is warm enough to his liking, ten sits down on johnny's bed alongside his roommate. johnny looks mildly surprised but appreciates the gesture nonetheless.

****

art quickly stuffs another apple slice in his mouth, his other hand already reaching into his little bag for another. he claims he didn't get enough time to eat breakfast this morning because he woke up late. maew was fast to tell him it was entirely his fault and eating wasn't allowed in their professor's class.