inches : j&d

04

the days after their last encounter passed slowly, like the moments before a storm. joong found it harder to focus on his studies, his thoughts constantly drifting back to dunk. his calm demeanor had been shaken, his rigid control slipping just a little more each time their paths crossed. 

joong’s routine remained the same—wake up, go to class, study, repeat. but even within the quiet confines of the library or the lecture hall, he felt the weight of dunk’s presence, like an echo that followed him everywhere. 

it wasn’t just the fact that dunk was always so *loud*, so *unapologetically himself*. it was the way he somehow made joong feel… unsettled. like he didn’t belong in his own life anymore. 

it was a friday afternoon when the next encounter came, completely unplanned. joong had just finished a long session in the engineering lab, his mind foggy from hours of calculations. he was about to leave when he heard voices outside the door. 

“seriously, man, what kind of idiot forgets their sketchbook?” dunk’s voice rang out, full of disbelief. 

“hey, it wasn’t my fault,” boom’s voice followed, sounding defensive. 

joong barely paid attention at first, until the door swung open, and dunk—once again—was standing right there in front of him. 

“oh. it’s you,” dunk said, his eyes lighting up when he saw joong. there was an almost mocking tone to his voice, like he knew exactly how much joong hated these unexpected encounters. 

joong clenched his jaw, determined not to show any irritation. “i didn’t know the art department came all the way over here.” 

“we do when we’re looking for *someone*,” dunk said with a grin, his gaze lingering a little too long on joong. “looks like you’re deep in thought, huh? i’m sure you’d rather be doing something more *productive*.” 

joong narrowed his eyes, irritation flaring up once again. “what do you want?” he asked, his tone colder than he meant. 

“nothing. just thought i’d say hi,” dunk said casually, as if they were best friends. he walked into the lab, ignoring the fact that it was a space meant for joong’s work. 

joong’s eyes flicked to boom, who had followed dunk inside and was leaning against the doorframe, looking mildly amused. “maybe you should leave before you get in trouble,” joong suggested, trying to keep the conversation neutral. 

“nah,” dunk said, spinning around to face joong. “i think i’ll stay for a bit. don’t worry, i’m not here to ruin your world. just wanted to see what you were up to.” 

joong’s hands tightened around his notebook, irritation building in his chest. “you’re wasting your time.” 

dunk’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with mischief. “maybe. but you’re kind of fun to mess with.” 

joong felt his heart beat a little faster. why did it bother him so much? why was dunk’s presence like an itch that couldn’t be scratched, a force he couldn’t seem to ignore? 

“maybe you should go back to your side of campus,” joong suggested again, his voice more clipped than before. 

“nah, not today,” dunk replied nonchalantly. he turned to boom, who was still standing in the doorway. “come on, man, let’s go grab lunch. i’m starving.” 

joong watched them leave, the tension in his chest slowly easing, but the unease didn’t dissipate. he couldn’t figure out what it was about dunk that made him so… *distracting*. 

aou had been right. the tension between them was palpable, and it seemed to be growing with each passing day. 

when joong returned home that evening, he tried to push all thoughts of dunk out of his mind. he had more important things to do—like focusing on his studies and keeping his grades perfect. but even as he sat at his desk, flipping through textbooks, all he could think about was the way dunk’s smile had made his pulse quicken, the way dunk had effortlessly gotten under his skin. 

it annoyed him. it frustrated him. but more than anything, it left him feeling unsettled. 

was this what aou had meant? joong didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was inescapable. somehow, dunk had gotten under his skin in a way no one else ever had. 

and joong didn’t know how to stop it.