Not Her || HAOBIN

~ MELTING POINT [Hey, you wanna come in?] ~

The sun was shining brightly over the university campus, casting long shadows as students moved about, some rushing to their next class while others lounged around, enjoying the afternoon. Junhyeon was in his usual state, goofing around with a wide grin plastered on his face. He darted around, waving at people he knew—or didn't know—with an exaggerated friendliness that only he could pull off. Yunseo, who had the misfortune of being his best friend, followed him at a leisurely pace, his face twisted in a mixture of amusement and mild irritation.

"Junhyeon, will you ever act your age?" Yunseo muttered, shaking his head as Junhyeon skipped along the path like a five-year-old on a sugar high.

"Act my age? But I'm young at heart, Yunseo! You should try it sometime. You're always so grumpy," Junhyeon retorted, spinning around to face Yunseo, walking backward and nearly bumping into a passing student, who gave him a bewildered look.

Yunseo rolled his eyes, too accustomed to Junhyeon's antics to be truly annoyed. "Yeah, right. You're gonna break your neck one of these days, and I'm not carrying you to the hospital."

Just as Junhyeon was about to reply with some sarcastic comment, they both noticed someone sprinting towards them. Taerae was running at full speed, his face flushed, and there was a wild look in his eyes that immediately caught Junhyeon's attention.

"Oh hey, Taerae!" Junhyeon shouted, throwing his arms wide as if to block the path, thinking it would be funny to make Taerae stop. "What's the rush, man?"

But Taerae didn't stop. Instead, he grabbed Junhyeon by the arm without breaking his stride, dragging him along without so much as an explanation.

"Hey! What the hell? Where are we going?" Junhyeon yelped, trying to keep up as Taerae pulled him across the campus.

Yunseo, still standing where he'd been left, just watched them go, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Uh, okay then. Borrow him for as long as you want," Yunseo muttered, shaking his head as he watched the two figures disappear around the corner.

Taerae didn't say anything until they reached the university cafeteria, where he finally slowed down, letting go of Junhyeon's arm. Both of them were panting from the run, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Junhyeon immediately flopped down onto a chair, slouching dramatically and fanning himself.

"Man, you nearly killed me!" Junhyeon groaned, though there was a playful lilt in his voice. "What's the big deal? You never run like that unless you're trying to escape an exam."

Taerae didn't respond right away, still catching his breath. He looked around the cafeteria, which was mostly empty, before turning his gaze back to Junhyeon. There was a seriousness in his eyes that Junhyeon hadn't seen before, and it immediately made him sit up straighter, the humor fading from his expression.

"Junhyeon..." Taerae started, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant.

Junhyeon's brows furrowed, leaning in a bit. "What's up? You're acting weird. Did you get in trouble or something?"

Taerae took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly as he clasped them together on the table. "No, it's not that. It's... I have something to tell you."

Junhyeon tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "Alright, lay it on me. What is it?"

For a moment, Taerae hesitated, his eyes flickering around the room as if searching for the right words. Then, taking another deep breath, he looked directly at Junhyeon. "I like you, Junhyeon. I mean, I... I have feelings for you."

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still. Junhyeon's heart skipped a beat, his breath catching in his throat as he processed what Taerae had just said. The playful grin that had been on his face seconds ago vanished, replaced by a look of shock, then something much more serious.