inches : j&d

01

the engineering faculty building at chulalongkorn university buzzed with the hum of students, their voices a low murmur, punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter. joong sat near the back of the lecture hall, his posture rigid and perfect, the image of someone who was always in control. his black leather watch gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights as he tapped his pen rhythmically against his notebook. he preferred this—staying in the background, unnoticed, detached from the chaos around him. it was easier that way.

outside the lecture hall, dunk pushed his way through the crowded corridors. his loose, paint-splattered hoodie hung off his frame, the art student’s signature disheveled look. he was rushing—barely glancing at the posters on the walls, at the other students who smiled and waved at him as he passed. dunk didn’t have time for pleasantries today. he was running an errand for boom, his best friend and fellow art student.

“damn it, where is that file?” dunk muttered to himself as he entered the engineering building’s student resource room. the room smelled faintly of paper and ink, the walls lined with shelves of organized folders. dunk’s eyes scanned the space until they landed on joong, who was standing by the counter.

joong looked every bit the part of an engineering student—perfectly pressed shirt, perfectly combed hair, perfectly in control. there was something about his calm, measured demeanor that always seemed to irritate dunk.

“do you mind?” joong’s voice, smooth and deliberate, cut through the air like a blade. he raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking over dunk’s messy appearance.

“relax, mr. perfectionist,” dunk shot back, his tone playful, unbothered. “i’m not here to ruin your vibe. just grabbing something for a friend.” he barely even noticed joong’s obvious distaste for him. he’d grown used to it.

joong’s lips tightened, a slight edge to his expression. he took a step back, his eyes narrowing. “this is the engineering section. you don’t belong here.”

dunk rolled his eyes, unperturbed by the jab. “wow, real original. was that supposed to hurt?” he shuffled through a folder on the counter, accidentally knocking over a cup of pens.

joong’s sharp intake of breath was audible as he stepped forward, picking up the scattered pens. “can you not be so careless?” he asked, his tone cool but frustrated.

“sorry, your highness,” dunk said with a grin, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “didn’t realize i was in the presence of royalty.”

joong straightened up, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “you’re a mess. i can’t believe they let you into this building.”

“well, maybe because we don’t all need to be as uptight as you,” dunk shot back, raising an eyebrow. “maybe some of us are here to actually live.”

their eyes locked, the tension crackling between them. joong’s jaw clenched, his muscles taut with irritation. dunk didn’t back down either—his lips still curled in a mischievous smirk, as if this whole thing were some kind of game.

the exchange lasted only a few seconds, but to both of them, it felt like hours. neither of them willing to blink first.

finally, joong broke the silence with a clipped tone. “fine, do whatever you want. just stay out of my way.” he grabbed his papers and turned on his heel, his back straight, his movements precise.

dunk watched him go, his smirk widening. “what a piece of work,” he muttered, shaking his head. he returned to his search, finding the file boom had asked for.

outside, aou—joong’s best friend—approached him, a curious look on his face. “what was that all about?”

joong didn’t answer right away. he was still irritated, still tasting the sharp edge of dunk’s words. he shook his head, brushing it off. “nothing important,” he said, though his mind lingered on dunk—the art student with a way of pushing his buttons, who didn’t seem to care about anything except getting under his skin.

and in that moment, joong couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time their worlds collided.