The Project 'Buddy'

~28~

A few had minutes had passed since the two got comfortable on the mat. They had eaten a few brownies, finished their drinks and were now just waiting for the sun to set.

But Jungwon felt agitated and really wanted to get this fuzzy feeling out of him. He finally knew what he was feeling when he had talked to his mum a few days ago. Miss Yang couldn't have been happier and started giving her son advice. He even told his friends, and they all urged him to confess.

Now, he looked over at a calm Jay, sun hitting his beautiful face and his smile making Jungwon's breath hitch. A few months ago, the old Jungwon would puke over what the current Jungwon was thinking now.
But after seeing this new side of Jay, he really started falling for him, and he needed to express it properly or it'll come out wrongly.

"Wonie, why do you keep staring at me like that?" Jay chuckled when he caught the younger red handed, and Jungwon blushed furiously.

"Am I hot or something?" Jay teased and Jungwon smacked his arm. The latter laughed and leaned back on his palms.

"But you actually are..." Jungwon mumbled, which made Jay snap his head to where Jungwon was sitting.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing! I'm just saying you're so delusional to be thinking that," Jungwon covered up, hiding his red face. Jay squinted at him and Jungwon spat out a laugh and hit the older's shoulder, causing Jay to laugh too.

Silence greeted them again, and Jungwon was trying so hard to not fidget with his fingers. Oh gosh, how was he going to sentence his thoughts? It would probably sound something like: 'Hyung I like you, you're so hot, I almost had a heat stroke-wait no that's a pickup line.'

Jungwon mentally cursed himself. This was so tiring to think about. He buried his face in his knees and groaned, totally forgetting about the person sitting next to him.

"Whoa, you okay there?" Jay asked, leaning towards Jungwon's direction.

Jungwon's head snapped up and his face flushed pink with embarrassment. "I...just have something on my mind."

"Oh? And what's it about?"

"...Someone."

Jay smirked. "Ooh. I bet it's about your crush-wait, isn't that me? Hah!" Jay joked, laughing slightly when he said it. But when Jungwon didn't laugh back, his eyes turned wide and he turned back to look at the latter.

"Wait, for real? It's me?"

Jungwon looked away and sighed. "I know...you're probably thinking that's weird or whatever, and I totally get that you're probably not interested in me but...yeah. I like you, Jay."

Jungwon had said this all with his eyes shut. And when he heard nothing but silence, his heart thumped hard and fast, and negative thoughts came popping up in his mind. He wanted to close his eyes forever and make the moment vanish, but he knew he needed to face reality.

He slowly opened his eyes, but didn't look up. He had really thought Jay was rejecting him, or at least preparing to reject him gently, but he definitely did not expect the latter to tilt his chin upwards, causing Jungwon to look right into those piercing dark eyes.

Butterflies erupted in his stomach and his breath hitched at the sudden contact.

"H-hyung?"

"You," Jay started, "do not know how much I've been wanting to say the same."

Wait, what?

"What are you talking about?" Jungwon questioned softly, and Jay scooted closer to him, until their faces were this close from touching.

"I like you too, Yang. That's what I'm talking about. Ever since I got to know you more, I feel like I'm not being seen as just some cold hearted student of Belift. I really wanted to confess but I didn't know if it would have been....appropriate," Jay explained, smiling.

Jungwon grinned. "Yeah, well now it is."

The latter hummed in agreement before turning serious and gazed into his crush's beautiful feline eyes. Then, he whispered, "Can I...?"

"There's nothing stopping you, Park," Jungwon whispered back, and that was all it took for Jay's lips to meet his. The kiss was soft, loving and full of eagerness. Gosh, Jungwon almost couldn't believe he was there. He deepened the kiss and brought his arms around Jay's neck while the latter pulled him in by the waist, making them impossibly closer.

Is this what a kiss was? Sure, he had kissed his ex before but it was nothing like this. The amount of love being put into it, it was different.

Pretty soon, they pulled apart and panted slightly, foreheads touching. Before Jungwon could say anything, Jay kissed him again moved his lips along Jungwon's in sync with the latter. Jungwon groaned slightly and Jay smirked into the kiss, finally pulling back when Jungwon pushed him away from oxygen.

"You're not bad of a kisser, kitty," Jay teased into Jungwon's ear, and the latter hit him on the arm.

"Wait, does this make us...?"

"If you're ready for it, Yang," Jay finished, "do you want us to be official?"

Jungwon thought for a while. He may be paronoid, but his past experience still traumatised him to do this. "Can we...just go out on a few dates for now? I still need to think about it."

"Whatever you're comfortable with, wonnie," Jay replied, placing a kiss on the latter's cheeks.

Jungwon smiled and pecked him on the lips. "You're the best."
_____
For the next few days, the two have been extra clingy with each other, calling each other pet names and sitting together during lunch. Their friends definitely noticed something, but they didn't talk about it.

In 3 days they've been on about 5 dates if you add the picnic confession and all the times they sat together on the grass patch during lunch.

Jungwon couldn't feel happier. It felt so different so from his old relationship, and he wanted it to be that way. Forget the past and make way for a new future.

"Say ahh!" Jay cooed, feeding Jungwon a piece of mango. Jungwon opened his mouth and smiled as his bit on the mango. Jay smiled and kissed his cheek, which made Jungwon flustered and hit him on the arm.

"We're in public~!" Jungwon whined.

"Do you see people here?" Jay gestured to the empty grass patch. "Excatly," he added when Jungwon didn't respond.

"You'll never know...." Jungwon sulked, and Jay pulled him into his arms, laughing at how cute the latter was.

Ok but on a serious note there were-ahem- 5 men being absolutely horrible spies because you can clearly see their heads sticking out from behind that thin-ass tree but hey, it's not like Jungwon and Jay noticed. 😌

Jungwon leaned his head against Jay's chest, inhaling his vanilla and cinnamon scent slowly, not wanting to forget it. How was all this even possible? He really felt like it was all heaven....

Suddenly, Jay's phone rings and the latter gets off his chest to allow Jay to pick it up. Jay answered the call, and the whole thing after that happened so fast.

His face was normal when he answered the call, but with every second it turned darker and darker and it became the most fearful Jungwon had ever seen Jay looked. Immediately after that happened, Jay stood up, taking his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hyung-?" But Jungwon couldn't say anything when Jay cut him off.

"I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow," Jay said dryly after hanging up. He looked over the latter and Jungwon just nodded. Jay then sprinted out of the under that tree and to the university doors.

Jungwon was then left alone, sitting on the grass. He was shocked at what had just unfolded in front of him, and he felt his heart pierce at how dark and fearful Jay looked. Something definitely happened....

He stood up, and walked out of the grass patch, only to find his friends waiting for him.

"Did you see...?"

They nodded, worried expressions on their faces. Jungwon sighed and prayed silently that everything was okay.