UNSPOKEN LOVE | GYURAE (GYUVIN & TAERAE)

03.

The orientation dragged on, with the same repetitive speeches and presentations that Gyuvin had expected. Sitting in the large auditorium with hundreds of other freshers, he found himself losing focus. The endless talk about university policies and rules felt like background noise as his mind wandered.

Next to him, Ricky sat quietly, paying just enough attention to not seem disengaged, but Gyuvin could tell he wasn't particularly interested either. After all, most of it was the same information they had heard the day before. Gyuvin tapped his foot impatiently, glancing at the clock on the wall. Time seemed to be crawling by.

He leaned toward Ricky, lowering his voice to not disturb the others. "Hey, you as bored as I am?"

Ricky blinked and turned his head slightly, giving Gyuvin a small nod. "A little," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Gyuvin grinned mischievously. "Wanna sneak out? We could walk around the campus or meet up with my hyung, Taerae. He's probably done with his classes by now."

Ricky hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking back to the speaker on stage. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, he just wasn't used to breaking the rules like this. But when he looked back at Gyuvin's hopeful expression, he found himself agreeing before he even realized it.

"Alright," Ricky finally said, his voice calm, though there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "Let's go."

Gyuvin grinned wider, clearly pleased with Ricky's response. He waited for the right moment when the speaker on stage shifted slides and everyone's attention was focused forward. Then, with a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, Gyuvin stood up and gestured for Ricky to follow. The two of them quietly made their way toward the exit, slipping out of the auditorium unnoticed.

The fresh air outside was a welcome relief from the stuffy atmosphere of the auditorium. Gyuvin stretched his arms above his head, feeling lighter already. "Man, that was boring," he sighed dramatically. "Thanks for escaping with me."

Ricky chuckled softly, a rare sound that Gyuvin found encouraging. "It wasn't exactly thrilling," he agreed.

They began walking through the campus, enjoying the quiet energy of the place now that they were free from the orientation. Gyuvin led the way, pointing out different spots on campus as they strolled. He felt much more at ease outside, the open space giving him room to breathe and be his usual lively self.

After a while, Gyuvin pulled out his phone and shot a quick text to Taerae, letting him know that he and Ricky were walking around and asking where he was. "Taerae hyung should be done with his classes by now," Gyuvin said, glancing at Ricky. "He'll probably meet us somewhere on campus."

Ricky nodded, his hands tucked into his pockets as he walked beside Gyuvin. "I'm curious to meet him," he said, his voice thoughtful. "You talk about him a lot."

Gyuvin smiled. "Yeah, he's like a big brother to me and a Friend. He's been looking out for me since we were kids. You'll like him, he's really easy to get along with."

As they wandered around the campus, Gyuvin couldn't help but feel like this was exactly what he needed... a break from the formalities of orientation, a chance to hang out with Ricky and soon Taerae, in a more relaxed setting. For the first time that day, he felt like he was truly enjoying himself, making memories with new friends and old ones alike.

-

Taerae's class had just wrapped up, and he and Matthew were packing up their belongings, planning to grab a drink before their next class. As Taerae slid his books into his bag, his phone buzzed with a message from Gyuvin. He glanced at it, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he read the text.