it was finals week, and the library had never been busier.
minghao, who was so used to the library's peace and quiet, was struggling to keep up.
jisoo was doing just fine. smiling and showing students to certain shelves, organizing the books, and working as the second employee at the help desk. minghao supposes it's due to his ability to communicate so easily. that's something that minghao lacks.
the chinese librarian has been stuck at work all day, while his lover is cooped up in his bedroom, studying hard. it's the same with chan, and jisoo makes it very clear how much he misses him.
"there you go." the girl thanks minghao, collecting her stack of books and rushing out of the library. minghao, with a long and dramatic sigh, relaxes back onto his heels.
his hand automatically slips into his jean pockets, retrieving his phone. there are a few cute texts from junhui, and a bunch of long paragraphs from wonwoo.
- - -
1woo
i literally
1woo
oh my god
1woo
hao i'm in love
1woo
mingyu just. he's so. i woke up this morning and i saw his face and this bitch almost burst into tears. he's a puppy. so cute. i'm gonna bawl
1woo
he came into my house real late last night and just died on the couch it's so cute
1woo
he's an angel??? i'm SOBBING what the hell
1woo
please this is TOO MUCH
hao
pics or it didnt happen
1woo
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hao
okay thats kinda cute
1woo
kinda? bitch whomst the fuck do you think you are
- - -
for some reason, mingyu's pose in the photo reminds minghao of the elephant plush he purchased for feng a few days back. the boy just wouldn't stop cuddling the stuffed animal, always in comfy poses with his elephant (which he named stampy) pulled closely into his chest.
the appearance of another person at the help desk forces minghao to set his phone aside. with a smile, he begins to check out their books.
"wait, i know you!" the student says loudly, emitting stares from those who were trying to focus. minghao's head jerks up, eyes scanning over this kid in an attempt to recognize him. he looks familiar, achingly so, but minghao just can't place his finger on it...
"i'm soonyoung! we met at the cafe a while back! you're the dude my man junhui's got a thing for, right?"
"er, yeah..." minghao responds. "i think?"
"gee, you really are cute! but not as cute as jihoon. he's my boyf--"
"shut up. i'm not your boyfriend." the addition of a new voice adds. it's the boy soonyoung was with all those days ago, still adorable yet internally dying.
"got it. anyways, could you check these out? i've got a history final. history can suck my ass! it's boring. why can't we learn about those roman dudes? they were legit. all that roman shit, man. greeks? i don't know. really tickles my pickle, if you know what i mean."
jihoon elbows soonyoung in the hip. he looks extremely uncomfortable.
"...yeah, okay." is all minghao says. he quickly checks the books out, practically shoving them over to the mismatched pair with a grin. "there you go!"
"thanks a lot, dude. i can totally see why jun's into you. wait, have you guys done the deed yet? the fun time? the woo-hoo? the party in bed--"
"please excuse him. we'll be going now." jihoon cuts in. minghao offers a nervous smile as soonyoung is dragged out of the library.
the ridiculous comment still makes minghao blush.
- - -
jun groans pathetically. his work just seems to be piling up. a textbook sits next to him, pencils and pens scattered everywhere, uncapped highlighters strewn, and erasers chipped.
like any other student out there, junhui hates finals. despises them.
he wishes that minghao was here. but he's also smart enough to know that minghao is just as busy.
this is his mindset:
good grades --> good college --> good job --> money for his family.
yet his motivation is lowering, being tugged down by stress. he wants to work hard for those he loves, but understanding a few concepts has never been more difficult than it is now.
jun fumbles with the mechanical pencil in his hand. it brushes against the table, causing the lead tip to snap off and skitter away.
yelling in frustration, the student begins to bang his head against the table.
the sound of his phone suddenly ringing makes him jolt. maybe it's minghao!
he quickly grabs the device, not even bothering to read the caller id and accepting the call.
"hello!"
"junhui."
it's his mother.
jun's smile falters. his mother, someone who is constantly overwhelmed with work, rarely ever calls-- unless it's something serious.
"...mom?"
the other side of the line goes quiet for a moment. something clicks in jun's mind. he grips the phone slightly tighter, not wanting to believe the worst case scenario. but there was no avoiding it.
