inches : j&d

06

joong couldn’t shake the feeling of that moment. every time he closed his eyes, it was there—dunk’s lips, soft and unexpected against his own. it had been quick, just a flash of contact, but the impact lingered, like an electric charge that wouldn’t fade. 

he tried to bury it. tried to bury the confusion that came with it. he was joong, after all. he was the guy who had everything figured out. but that kiss—*that kiss*—had thrown him completely off balance. 

he spent the next few days avoiding dunk. it wasn’t hard. after the awkward encounter, dunk had disappeared from his usual spots, as if giving joong space. it was the smart thing to do, and joong appreciated the distance, even if it made the tension between them more unbearable. 

the days stretched on, and joong threw himself back into his studies. he had an exam coming up, and he knew that focusing on schoolwork would help him push the thoughts of dunk out of his mind. 

but no matter how hard he tried, there was always something tugging at him. every time he saw someone with messy, wood colored hair or heard laughter in the distance, his mind would wander, and a piece of him would think of dunk. 

aou had noticed the shift in joong. his friend wasn’t stupid. he could tell something had happened. 

“you’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” aou asked one evening when they were both walking to the engineering building after class. 

“thinking about what?” joong replied quickly, his voice tight. 

aou smirked, clearly not fooled. “dunk, obviously. you haven’t been the same since… well, since the kiss.” 

joong stiffened, his jaw clenching. “don’t talk about it.” 

“why not? it’s not like it didn’t happen.” aou’s voice was casual, but joong could hear the curiosity in it. “i mean, i thought you didn’t like him. but now? now you’re acting like a different person.” 

joong didn’t answer, not because he didn’t want to, but because he *couldn’t*. 

he didn’t know what to make of it. he didn’t know why dunk’s presence—his smile, his laugh, the way he looked at joong sometimes—had started to *mean* something. it shouldn’t. it didn’t make sense. 

but he couldn’t deny that it did. 

joong spent the next few days in a sort of limbo, trapped between what he knew he should feel and what was actually happening. he wanted to forget about dunk, but he couldn’t. 

then, one afternoon, while joong was leaving the library, he saw dunk standing across the courtyard, talking to boom. joong froze in his tracks, his pulse instantly quickening. dunk’s voice carried through the air, light and carefree as always, but something in joong couldn’t quite shake the sense of unease that followed him. 

without thinking, he turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. he was being ridiculous. he had nothing to prove. there was no need to face dunk, not when they both knew the kiss had been a mistake. 

he was halfway to his car when he heard a familiar voice behind him. 

“joong.” 

he stopped in his tracks, the sound of dunk’s voice making his heart skip a beat. he didn’t turn around. 

“i think we need to talk,” dunk said, his voice hesitant, like he wasn’t sure how joong would respond. 

joong’s grip tightened on the strap of his bag. *talk?* about what? 

“there’s nothing to talk about,” joong said, his voice cold and final, even though his chest felt tight with tension. 

dunk didn’t leave. instead, joong heard the sound of footsteps approaching. 

“joong,” dunk said again, his tone softer this time. “i’m sorry. i didn’t mean for things to get so… messed up between us.” 

joong’s eyes closed for a moment, a deep breath escaping him. he didn’t want to hear it. he didn’t want to feel this way anymore. 

“i didn’t want any of this,” joong replied, finally turning to face dunk. his words came out sharper than he intended, but he couldn’t help it. “but now—now you’ve crossed a line.” 

dunk stood a few feet away, his gaze steady, though his expression was unreadable. he looked apologetic, but there was also something else in his eyes. something that joong couldn’t quite place. 

“i know,” dunk said quietly, taking a step forward. “i just… i don’t want to leave things like this. i don’t want things to be weird between us.” 

joong swallowed hard, staring at dunk as if he was trying to make sense of him. of everything. 

“it’s too late for that,” joong said, his voice barely above a whisper. he turned away, unable to look at dunk any longer. “i need space. i need time to figure things out.” 

dunk didn’t try to stop him this time. he just watched joong walk away, the weight of the moment settling between them like an unspoken understanding. 

it was over. 

or at least, that’s what joong told himself.