ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛᴇᴅ

【20】

jongho adjusted the strap of his bag as he walked through the crowded hallway of school. it was the first day back after spring break, and the air was heavy with the chatter of students swapping stories about their vacations. for most, it was a time to relax, travel, or binge-watch their favorite shows. for jongho, spring break had been a whirlwind of confusion, emotions, and lingering questions—all centered around yeosang.

he spotted yeosang at his locker, his tall frame hunched slightly as he rifled through his books. jongho's heart thudded, and his steps faltered. he hadn't planned what he'd say when he saw yeosang again. in truth, he hadn't expected to feel this nervous.

spring break had changed everything. what had started as a casual, undefined relationship—a situationship, as their friends liked to tease—had taken a turn during a late-night drive a week ago. sitting on the balcony, they'd talked about everything and nothing. the conversation had veered into dangerous territory: feelings. yeosang had asked, "what are we, jongho?" and the question had hung in the air like a storm cloud.

jongho hadn't answered. he'd mumbled something about needing time to think and left yeosang sitting by himself on the balcony, staring after him as he walked away.

and now, here they were, back at school, where the world was louder, busier, and less forgiving of quiet moments like that. jongho's stomach churned as he approached yeosang's locker. He could turn back, avoid this conversation altogether, but the thought of ignoring Yunho for the rest of the day felt worse.

"hey," jongho said, his voice cracking slightly.

yeosang turned, his expression unreadable. "hey."

the single word carried weight, and jongho could feel the tension between them. yeosang usually bright eyes were guarded, his easy smile replaced by a tight line. jongho shuffled his feet, feeling like a kid caught sneaking out past curfew.

"how did you like the beach house?" jongho asked, trying to sound casual.

yeosang shrugged. "it was fine. you?"

"uh..., same." jongho hesitated. this wasn't how he wanted the conversation to go, but he didn't know how to steer it in the right direction. "listen, about that day—"

"don't worry about it," yeosang interrupted, his tone clipped. he slammed his locker shut and slung his bag over his shoulder. "i get it. you don't have to explain."

jongho chest tightened. "that's not—" he stopped, glancing around at the students milling about. this wasn't the place for a heart-to-heart. "can we talk? like, really talk?"

yeosang studied him for a moment, his expression softening just enough to give him hope. "during break. on the roof".

jongho nodded, relief washing over him. "okay . i'll see you then."

the rest of the morning passed in a blur. jongho couldn't focus in any of his classes, his thoughts consumed by what he'd say to yeosang. he replayed their spring break conversations in his head, analyzing every word, every glance, every touch. he knew he'd messed up by walking away that night, but he hadn't known how to handle the weight of yeosang's question hung heavy,

by the time break rolled around, jongho palms were sweaty, and his heart felt like it was doing pull-ups. he made his way to the roof, where the noise of the hallway and stairwell faded into the distance. yeosang was already there, leaning against the edge of the roof with his arms crossed. he looked calm... quiet, but jongho could see the tension in the set of his jaw.