Payback AU: What If

Act 9 - BLIZZARD

Time was the most unforgiving in the way it didn't compromise. It went away steadily, no matter how much Jay wanted it to stop, or at least slowdown. Rather, because time is relative, he felt it just kept getting faster the closer it was to winter.

It was a sentiment that was felt by all third years as they faced the ever menacing CSAT. But Jay could care less about the test. He had way more important things to think about.

Like how to tell Yoohan that he was leaving.

Sometimes, Jay wanted to laugh at how much he had changed. But also at how he only changed in Yoohan's presence. How much he was holding himself back, but also how much he chased the temporary indulgence Yoohan provided during these few months.

It was cruel on his part. It was cruel for Yoohan.

Jay had been texting and calling Yoohan with an obsessive intensity, and Yoohan almost thought he had been pranked or something. Jay would pick Yoohan at school randomly, and take the boy for a drive or coffee. Sometimes Yoohan would force him—with a cute sleeve grabbing that Jay couldn't say no to—to go into an arcade or convenience store; activities Yoohan deemed as "experiencing the common people" as if Jay was born a noble or something.

In short, Jay had been indulging the last of his days in Korea.

But it came to a stop in November, as Jay had to take CSAT and Yoohan had his mid-term, so the boy had no time indulging Jay's whim anymore. It was quite funny, because it was the CSAT student who was supposed to be too busy to make merry.

But once CSAT was over, Jay was forced to be busy with moving out procedure. So they ended up not seeing each other very much until the end of the month.

For Jay, it was time to sober up and awaken from his nice dreamy days.

For Yoohan, it was time to realize that he was stumbling deeper.

Spending almost all his waking hours to Yoon Jay's shenanigans had made the presence of the high schooler grow so much bigger inside the hole in Yoohan's heart. And that presence wasn't just there to fill the emptiness, it was there to seep into the crack and mend everything that had been broken.

And suddenly not being with Yoon Jay for weeks made him restless and jittery. He couldn't even pretend not to miss Jay anymore. He had clung to the text message they had been having, and waiting for a call that rarely came anymore.

Not even his useless pride could prevent him from realizing a crush.

So when they met again within the cold of early winter, no matter how much Yoohan tried to suppress it, he couldn't hide the brightness in his eyes and the little flush on his cheek. It send Jay's heart aflutter and made his stomach churn in pain. Still, Jay couldn't help himself from rubbing and squeezing that pretty face.

"What are y—stoph. dhuin. diss!" Yoohan struggled as Jay played him like a plushie.

"You look happy," Jay grinned. "Why are you so happy, hmm? Is your result that good?"

Yoohan managed to grin with apparent smugness despite being made into a chipmunk. He waved the report card in front of Jay, who finally released him to catch the paper.

It was right for Yoohan to be smug. His result was far better this time, since he wasn't just packing it up within two weeks. Even his English result was better, slightly.

"I exercise patience and diligence." Yoohan crosses his arms. He was proud. He was happy. Not because he got a good result, but because he got something good to show Jay.

Jay smirked, eyes looking down playfully. "You sure you do not just get lucky with your guessing?"

"Luck is also a skill..." Yoohan pursed his lips, turned his head in annoyance, and grumbled, not entirely refuting the guessing part. Would it kill this guy to praise me just once? In the middle of his sulking, Yoohan suddenly felt a hand in his head, ruffling his hair.