Sparkle | HoonSuk

ch 20

“You're smiling again,” Junkyu said. Jihoon turned to Junkyu who sits beside him.

“What do you mean?” Jihoon asked.

“Literally. You're smiling again. It used to be really hard to see you smiling. All these years since I have known you, your life is just study and part time. It seems like you didn't really have time to enjoy yourself, that's why you keep that cold expression on your face. And you won't let anyone even get close to you,” Junkyu said.

“Huh? When did I?” Jihoon asked.

“Well. You might not even realize it. I used to be a little uncomfortable around you when we first met. But after some time, knowing that you're just trying hard to maintain your grade and not to trouble your parents with your living expenses here, I can understand you a little,” Junkyu said. “And you're not a cold hearted guy like you look,”

“Do I really look that unapproachable?” Jihoon asked.

“Yeah. No one tells you about that?” Junkyu asked. “But these days, you look more warm. And you have been smiling a lot too. Which you have get yourself your own fanclub without you even realizing,”

“Fanclub?”

“Yeah. There are girls who keep talking about you these days. Recalling how most people are always trying to avoid you, I just find it amusing,” Junkyu said.

“You're making stories,” Jihoon said. There's no way that happened. Like Jihoon knows that he won't even attract any attention just by standing still. Let alone to have someone to admire him enough to make a fanclub. And Jihoon just knows that Junkyu likes to exaggerate stuff. 

He saw Hyunsuk walking inside the lecture hall. He also took this class. Knowing that Junkyu will observe him, Jihoon tried to stare at Hyunsuk too much no matter how much he wanted to.

Even though they spend their time outside college mostly together, because the shorter guy will always invite himself to Jihoon's place, they are still more or less just classmates in college.

Is something changing now? Jihoon can’t really point it out other than that he's now a little more closer with Hyunsuk. Recalling how yesterday Hyunsuk offered to help him cook, he just can't help but to smile. It feels like they are a pair of lovers.

Jihoon's smile dropped as he thought of that. Lovers huh? What are they actually? Jihoon didn't know. Are they even friends? Hyunsuk was someone he knew that attended the same middle school to high school and now even attending the same college. But they were never close. 

They just exchanged a few conversations. Very few. It can be counted by the fingers on his hands on how many times they ever talked to each other for the almost 9 years after he know Hyunsuk's existence. Before that day, he caught Hyunsuk rejecting a girl’s confession.

Suddenly he realized. Their relationship is not stable in the first place. Hyunsuk is just trying to mess with him as Jihoon keeps unintentionally making Hyunsuk pissed off. Seriously. It was never his intention to do so. But now, look how they were.

After realizing that he might have a special feeling toward Hyunsuk, he has been anticipating Hyunsuk to come to him every time. And he will always be delighted when Hyunsuk appears.

But today he just thought of it thoroughly. It probably will never happen. Hyunsuk will definitely go back to how he was after he got bored. Jihoon himself knows how Hyunsuk always tries to have some fun ever since Ryujin left him. It's because of Ryujin, Hyunsuk acted like that. Because he tried to forget about her.