aversion | bbangnyu

48

"You're not eating?" Chanhee heard Yeri ask as the girl walked up to their usual lunch table.

He let out a small hum and finished the text he was sending to his brother before responding. "I'm going out with..." his words trailed off as he looked up to see the new boy from their math class standing next to Yeri. "With somebody after school," he continued.

Yeri giggled at the boy's lousy attempt of a coverup for Younghoon before she sat down. "I was talking to Changmin earlier in our creative writing class...because you know I don't actually do work in that class and I think you two would get along well," she rambled, explaining why Changmin was sitting awkwardly across from them.

"I'm Chanhee," he introduced quietly before sending the boy a small smile.

"We have math together, don't we?" Asked Changmin as he glanced around the cafeteria as if he wasn't used to the environment yet.

Chanhee hummed yet again and looked over at Yeri, not quite knowing what to say to the boy. Although he didn't mind getting to know Changmin, he liked to meet people on his own time...usually with plenty of things he planned to say. "So...why did you switch schools so close to the end of the year?" The boy asked finally.

"My mom got a new job about two hours away from our old house—and that's a little too far to drive to school so she enrolled me here."

"Y'know," Yeri started through a mouthful of food, "That sucks, Changmin, I'm sorry. Maybe it wouldn't have been so hard if it was the beginning of the year, but we only have like two months left..."

Chanhee nodded, "especially because exams will be here so soon."

The boy only smiled, waving off their worries, "oh it's not too hard to catch up. The teachers are really nice here."

"Did you go to a private school before?" Yeri asked.

"Yes, I went to an all boys preparatory academy...it was awful. The teachers were so rude and the boys were horrible."

"The boys here are pretty horrible too..." Chanhee muttered, "but I'm glad you like it better here."

A small laugh slipped out of Changmin before he shrugged, "they're okay...almost everybody I met has been nice enough expect for this one sporty guy in my science class who told me I sound and act like a little girl."

"Who?" Yeri hissed suddenly.

Changmin raised an eyebrow at the girl's sudden defensiveness before turning around to scan the room. "It's...that boy over there, the one across from Younghoon."

Perking up at the sudden mention of his boyfriend, Chanhee asked, "You know Younghoon?" He waved a hand in front of his face before correcting, "that's not important, the boy you're talking about is Juyeon—he's a jerk to everybody, it's nothing about you."

Yeri smiled at Chanhee's moment of jealously and said, "He hates anybody who isn't a straight man that makes sports their whole life." There were a few moments of silence before he gasped, "oh—Chanhee will you come with me to the movies tonight? Sangyeon can't."

"Glad to know I'm the second choice...but I can't either I already have plans."

"Lame...I wanted to see that new horror movie..."

Changmin leaned forward, listening carefully to their conversation before asking, "horror movie...? I love scary movies."

"Then you have to come with me," Yeri mumbled, "I'll even pay for your ticket."

✨✨✨

"Chanhee..." Younghoon whined as the two climbed into his car. Instead of putting the keys in the ignition, the elder turned towards his boyfriend and grabbed one of Chanhee's hands, holding it under his chin.

"What?" Asked the younger quietly before he wiggled his fingers trapped trapped in Younghoon's hand.

A sigh fell from the elder's lips before he grumbled, "I saw that new boy at your table at lunch—is he trying to steal you from me?" 

"He's not interested in me."

"How do you know?"

"I barely know him, Younghoon."

"That doesn't mean anything."

Laughing at the reoccurring jealousy about a boy in particular he barely knew, Chanhee explained, "even if he was trying to ruin a relationship he doesn't even know about—I won't let him. I like you too much."

"I just..." Younghoon started, a small frown resting on his lips, "never mind."

"Say it," Chanhee urged.

With yet another dramatic sigh, the elder finally explained whatever was responsible for his gloomy mood. "All through lunch I just kept staring at you—because I just want...I want to be able to sit next to you, Chanhee. Is it too much to ask just to be able to put my arm around you and tell these guys myself that we're dating so I don't have to think about Changmin taking you from me." There was a long pause before he choked out, "Sangyeon goes to sit by Yeri all the time and they've known each other two weeks it just makes me so upset."

"All this because you can't sit by me?" Chanhee asked softly as he reached out to stroke Younghoon's hair, "you're so sweet..."

"I know it's stupid...getting so worked up over a thirty minute lunch period, and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, it's okay. I get it, I really do, Younghoon, it would make me so happy if you could come sit by me, but right now you can't and that's okay too. And I can promise you that there's absolutely nobody who would be able to take me from you. I think you're pretty stuck with me right now."

Younghoon nodded as he listened to Chanhee's words, a little calmer now that he got everything out in the open. "I'm not really so sure it's lunch itself that makes me so mad—I think I might be jealous of Yeri and Sangyeon. They can just do whatever they want whenever and it doesn't mean anything."

"I've always been jealous of her in that way...there's really nothing that I could say to make it any better. Even if we didn't have to think about your parents or your friends, there's always going to be somebody who doesn't like us just because," Chanhee paused when he saw the frown on Younghoon's face only deepening as he listened, "but we don't have to explain ourselves to the whole world. You're what's important to me, not what anybody else thinks."

"Or what they don't think..." Younghoon muttered, still hung up on having to keep things so secretive, "but I'll stop worrying about it."

Leaning across the center console, Chanhee placed a delicate kiss on Younghoon's lips before asking, "you're okay?"

"I'm okay," the elder agreed before pulling the boy back for one last kiss.

———
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