since seventeen | rirae ✔

04

"I got rejected."

Ricky couldn't tell how he felt at that moment. Taerae was beside him, looking at Ricky with a bitter smile.

"Hyung, it's gonna be okay." Ricky uttered. He placed his hand on the latter's thigh and caressed it soothingly.

"You know I didn't even confess or anything. All I've asked was if she wanted to be my partner for this project." Taerae paused and let out a sarcastic laugh. "She told me she wasn't interested in me and I should leave her alone. Because she would never date a 'nerd' like me."

Ricky's heart ached even more. How could someone be like that to his Taerae hyung? He immediately engulfed the latter in a hug. Taerae broke down at the physical touch, he needed that so much. He felt safe when Ricky patted his trembling body. He felt blessed because after everything, he had someone like Ricky to give him a shoulder to cry on.

"It was very insensitive of her. All you've proposed was to be project partners, she could've say it nicely that she didn't have that."

Taerae nodded, head still buried in the younger's chest.

"But she's right though. Who would wanna date a nerd like me?" He tried to suppress his cries but failed miserably. His muffled sobs pierced through Ricky's heart.

"Hyung, you're amazing. Being smart and getting good grades doesn't make you a nerd. You're pretty abd lovable. You care for your close people and know how to value one's feelings." Ricky saud these words with so much honesty. "You're genuine and kind. Even your imperfections are perfect, hyung." He cupped Taerae's face with affection. The latter could smile only. His dimples on display and his cheeks radiating a sheer glow of his own tears. Ricky didn't miss the opportunity to subtly peck Taerae's forehead.

Taerae blinked once before settling his head on Ricky's shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Ricky got up.

"Hyung, stay here and give me one hour. I'll be right back."

As promised Ricky returned in an hour. He was wearing a black shirt with white strips andblack pants. A bouquet of white tulips in his hands and an excited grin on his face.

"Let me take you on a date!"

And that's how they ended up going literally everywhere. Dog cafe, gaming cafe, photobooth and street food stalls. Ricky agreed to everything Taerae wanted, everywhere he wanted to go. They had the times of their lives. Ignoring every thoughts in their head and just enjoying each other's company.

For a while, Taerae kind off forgot that he in fact got rejected by his crush in the morning. That's how understanding Ricky was. He was and would always be the place where Taerae could find his solace at.

But his heart broke again. He clearly stated it was a date, call it friendly but it still was a date. Yet, Taerae mentioned it as their hangout, their bonding time. But even if his heart got shattered into pieces, he was still happy to make Taerae smile a bit. His squeaky laugh was melody to Ricky. Because Ricky loved Taerae, a lot.

He walked Taerae to his dorm and then started for his own college dorm. Everything that had happened replayed in his mind. Taerae crying, him taking his hyung out on a date, Taerae smiling and after everything, he called it a hangout.

His face probably lost all of its glow because when he stepped foot into his dorm, his dormmate, infamous Kim Gyuvin stared at him weirdly. "Why the long face?" He knew something was going inside Kim Ricky's mind (this Kim is from Kim Taerae hehe) so he took out two cups of strawberry ice cream and placed them in front of the couch on a table.

Ricky plopped himself down beside Gyuvin on the sofa and aggressively snacked on his favourite ice-cream.

"Spill." Gyuvin muttered, seeing Ricky's expression turning back to normal.

The blonde let out a dramatic sigh. "Friend-zoned."

"You didn't say the word 'date'?" Gyuvin asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Did. He still called it a hangout while eating."

"Damn. It must hurt like a bitch." The thing with Gyuvin was very simple yet frustrating. He sucked at comforting people. All he could do was sit in silence to give company and say "must suck a lot, man". Ricky was still grateful and he could really use some advice then.

And almost like a mind-reader, Gyuvin clapped his hands together, startling Ricky.

"I have an idea. Let's make your hyung jealous."