buy me your love (no returns)

chapter 10 ☆

it was official: park jihoon was ready for death.

he felt like this all the time returning back from college though, so this was just routine for him. trudging through the park, jihoon kept his eyes downcast and his music on almost full volume (going deaf wasn't on the agenda so full volume was an absolute no.) with every step, jihoon bobbed his head along to the music: it was troye sivan's 'fools.'

it was all going fine for a while; jihoon's walk was uninterrupted. this died after the sounds of someone calling his name penetrated his ears, forcing him to stop his music and look up. to be fair, this could've just been one of those things where you think you hear someone calling your name when, in reality, it's nothing. fortunately, that wasn't the case this time.

walking through the park back from college was routine for jihoon.

running into jinyoung however was not.

to his surprise, jinyoung was waving him down and already running over to him. the younger boy wasn't alone though, as he dragged a slightly taller boy along with him.

"hyung!" jinyoung grinned, his dimples in full display.

"oh, hey." the response was blunt and almost emotionless but can you blame him? college had taken all the life out of him.

"i didn't expect to see you here," he began, temporarily oblivious to jihoon's death wish, "this is my friend guanlin, by the way!"

the taller boy waved at him awkwardly. for someone who'd just been dragged here against their own will, guanlin seemed more chipper than he expected.

"hmm..." jinyoung's smile was suddenly wiped off his face as he simply stared at jihoon, "...is something wrong?" jihoon wanted to scream, he really did. "my education is wrong, kiddo! my feelings for you are wrong!" is what he would've said if he really wanted to grant his own death wish.

instead, he chose to shrug it off with a simple, "i'm just tired, i suppose."

"well that won't do!" jesus, he really wasn't gonna let this one rest, "here, pass over your phone!" jihoon's exhausted look turnt into one of confusion and reluctancy at the demand. it wasn't like he didn't care for jinyoung's number but was this really the situation he wanted it in? that, and did he really deserve it with all the thoughts about jinyoung that he shouldn't even be having?

his eyes drifted over at guanlin who, to his surprise and amusement, was nodding at him. jinyoung wasn't a person to be denied easily, he figured.

"ok..." awkwardly fumbling with the phone, jihoon managed to pass it over to jinyoung. the younger boy looked so proud of himself briefly as he typed his number down. jihoon looked over at him whilst he did it and, in doing so he realised: how could he even think of refusing his boy? genuinely, he was so pure and giddy.

no, stop! what're you doing! jihoon mentally punched himself for thinking like that. jinyoung wasn't his, couldn't ever be his, so wishful thinking was useless.

"here you go," jinyoung handed his phone back, "i put my number down, so text me whenever you feel exhausted ok?"

"o-ok..." he couldn't hide the shaking of his hands at that.

"we should get going now," he hummed to himself, grabbing onto an unsuspecting guanlin yet again, "you must be cold, huh?"

"what?"

"your hands are shaking," he observed, "get home quickly and safely, hyung!" it was then that jinyoung left almost as quickly as he came, pulling guanlin with him (the kid gave him another awkward wave as he left too. pure friends for a purer boy.)

as jihoon began walking back, he put his music back on. simple plan's 'untitled' on full blast (because fuck you, he was allowed to have different tastes in music!) to be honest, he wasn't too fond of the song compared to everything else he had. he rarely ever put things on full volume unless it was something he was willing to lose his hearing over.

this time though, he had to have it on loud no matter what.

anything to block out the growing thoughts and affections he was having about a certain black haired boy.