inches : j&d

05

joong sat in the corner of the campus café, nursing his coffee and staring blankly at the textbook open in front of him. his fingers absentmindedly traced the edges of his notebook, but his mind kept drifting back to dunk. it was a constant pull, like a magnet drawing him in, despite everything joong told himself. 

it wasn’t that he *liked* dunk, exactly. dunk was loud, carefree, and an artist—everything joong hated. he was reckless with his words, with his actions. everything about him was the complete opposite of joong’s carefully crafted, structured world. 

and yet, every time joong saw him, he felt something shift inside. 

it was the laughter, joong realized. dunk’s laugh was genuine, unfiltered. it was a sound that made everyone around him feel lighter, and for some reason, joong had started to hate how much he wanted to hear it. 

a few tables away, aou was deep in conversation with boom. from the looks of it, they were discussing some upcoming project for their art class. every now and then, aou would glance at joong, noticing the way he seemed to retreat further into his own thoughts. 

“you’re quiet today,” aou remarked as he slid into the chair across from joong. 

“just studying,” joong said, his voice distant as he kept his eyes on the textbook. 

“you know,” aou started, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, “i’m starting to think you’re spending more time thinking about dunk than your studies.” 

joong stiffened. “what do you mean?” 

aou chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the discomfort in joong’s response. “don’t play dumb. i’ve been around long enough to know when something’s bothering you. you’re always thinking about him, aren’t you?” 

joong shot him a glare, but aou just smirked. “it’s fine, you know. it’s normal. i just want to make sure you don’t spend too much time pretending it’s nothing.” 

“i’m not pretending,” joong said stiffly. “i don’t care about dunk. he’s just… annoying.” 

“annoying, huh?” aou raised an eyebrow. “i’ve seen that look in your eyes before, my friend. trust me, this isn’t just about being annoyed.” 

joong didn’t respond. he couldn’t. because deep down, he *knew* aou was right. 

dunk had wormed his way under joong’s skin in a way joong hadn’t expected. he couldn’t stop thinking about the way dunk looked at him, the way his smile seemed to challenge everything joong stood for. it wasn’t supposed to be like this. he wasn’t supposed to be *thinking* about dunk at all. 

but every time their paths crossed, joong’s mind went blank, his usual focus slipping away. it was maddening. 

the next day, joong’s usual routine was interrupted by an unexpected appearance. he was heading to the student lounge after class when he bumped into dunk, quite literally, as he turned the corner. 

“watch where you’re—” dunk started, but the words died on his lips when he saw who it was. 

“you,” joong muttered, stepping back instinctively. 

“yeah, me,” dunk said, his grin as effortless as ever. “it’s like fate keeps making us run into each other. what’s the deal?” 

joong didn’t respond, his gaze flicking toward the ground as if avoiding dunk’s gaze might somehow make the situation less uncomfortable. “what do you want?” 

“nothing, really,” dunk said, shrugging. “just wanted to see what you were up to. we could grab lunch or something. it’s always so quiet when you’re around.” 

joong clenched his jaw, irritation bubbling up again. “i’m not interested in hanging out.” 

“yeah, i got that,” dunk replied nonchalantly. but he didn’t move away. instead, he leaned a little closer, his eyes glinting with mischief. “but i think you like the attention. don’t lie.” 

joong’s heart skipped a beat. he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. *damn it.* 

“i don’t like being harassed,” joong replied quickly, though there was a nervous edge to his voice. 

before he could turn away, dunk took a step forward, almost as if on impulse, reaching out to catch joong by the sleeve. “hey, it’s just a joke, man. relax.” 

but the moment he touched joong’s arm, something in the air shifted. joong’s gaze snapped to dunk’s, his pulse quickening. 

it was a brief, split-second thing—just enough for the world to tilt. in the chaos of their proximity, dunk’s face moved closer, his hand brushing against joong’s sleeve, and then... 

there it was. 

the kiss was accidental. joong hadn’t been prepared for it. dunk had leaned in at the same time joong had turned his head, and their lips met in a clumsy, startled collision. neither of them had expected it, and for a moment, everything stopped. 

it was nothing like joong had imagined. it wasn’t passionate, it wasn’t planned—it was awkward and sudden, but it still made his heart race. 

the shock of it made both of them freeze. dunk pulled away first, his face pale and his eyes wide, staring at joong with a mix of confusion and surprise. 

“shit, i didn’t—i mean, that wasn’t supposed to—” dunk stumbled over his words, his usual playful demeanor gone. 

joong stood there, unable to form a single coherent thought. his lips still tingled, his mind racing. he couldn’t believe what had just happened. 

“you... you’re an idiot,” joong finally managed to say, his voice strained. he stepped back, his body tense, his emotions a confusing mess. 

dunk opened his mouth, but then shut it, clearly at a loss for what to say. he ran a hand through his messy hair, looking guilty. “look, joong, i didn’t mean for—” 

“i don’t want to hear it,” joong interrupted, his voice cold. he turned sharply and walked away without another word, his chest tight, his heart pounding in his ears. 

the kiss had been a mistake, and deep down, joong knew that it had changed everything.