𝘚𝘱𝘶𝘳

3.

Well, that was... a shit show. Quite frankly, Yeonjun wished it could've gone any other way but the way it did. He woke up early for his morning run, having finally set an alarm. He put on his headphones and started running, hoping to clear his mind.

As he jogged through the quiet campus, the rhythmic sound of his feet hitting the pavement and the beat of his music helped him process the previous night. He replayed the conversation with Soobin in his head, feeling a mix of regret and frustration.

Maybe he had pushed too hard, or perhaps Soobin just wasn't ready to open up. Either way, Yeonjun was determined not to let it affect the rest of his day. He picked up his pace, the cool morning air refreshing against his skin.

As Yeonjun rounded the corner of the dorm complex, lost in thought, he suddenly collided with someone. "Whoa, sorry!" he exclaimed, pulling out his earbuds.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a familiar voice responded. Yeonjun looked up and saw Thomas, the guy he had run into during his first run.

"Thomas, right?" Yeonjun asked, trying to hide his surprise and embarrassment.

"Yeah, and you're Yeonjun," Thomas said with a small grin. "Running into each other seems to be our thing."

"Yeah, I guess so," Yeonjun laughed. "How's it going?"

"Not bad. Just heading to grab some breakfast before my first class. You?"

"Just finished my run," Yeonjun replied. "Trying to clear my head after... a weird night."

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Weird how?"

Yeonjun hesitated, then shrugged. "Just some awkward project stuff. Nothing major."

"Well, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm around," Thomas said, his tone friendly. "How about we grab some coffee or something?"

Yeonjun smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "That sounds great. I could use a distraction."

"Cool. Let's head to the café then," Thomas said, leading the way.

As they walked together, Yeonjun felt a sense of relief. Maybe this new friendship would be just what he needed to balance out the craziness of college life.

As they walked towards the café, Yeonjun couldn't help but notice how Thomas carried himself. He was a gentleman, opening doors and letting Yeonjun walk through first. There was an ease in his manner, a confidence that was both appealing and a little intimidating. And then there was the way he smiled—warm and friendly, but sometimes with a hint of something more.

They found a table by the window and ordered their drinks. As they sat down, Thomas leaned in slightly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, tell me about this weird night. What happened?"

Yeonjun chuckled nervously. "It's kind of embarrassing. I had to do this reaction test for a project, and it didn't go as planned. My partner...well, let's just say we didn't exactly click."

Thomas nodded, his expression understanding. "Yeah, those can be tricky. Sometimes it takes a while to find your rhythm with someone."

"Exactly," Yeonjun agreed, feeling more relaxed. "But enough about that. What about you? What's your major?"

"Psychology," Thomas said with a grin. "I like figuring out what makes people tick."

"That makes sense," Yeonjun said, smiling back. "You seem like a people person."

Thomas shrugged modestly. "I try. So, you're into architecture, right? What got you into that?"

Yeonjun launched into his story about growing up in his parents' café, helping with the redecorations, and his dream of building the perfect home. As he spoke, he noticed Thomas watching him intently, his eyes never leaving Yeonjun's face.