Tastebuds (And Photos of You)

- three

"Seok, I think something is actually wrong with Mingyu. He got an 82% on that Algebra test, and he's been mumbling the first scene of Macbeth under his breath whenever he does homework ever since." It was 9:04pm on a Wednesday when Seokmin found out that Mingyu can recite almost the entirety of Hamlet with little to no effort, as well as Macbeth, and that Wonwoo thought this was a sign of something. Specifically, his untimely death at the hands of his soulmate.

"People deal with stress in different ways, Wonwoo. Let the boy recite the witch's curse if it's what helps him pass Algebra." Seokmin was trying to wrap this conversation up as quickly and politely as he could, but it was not going well. He loved his friends, and he missed them dearly since they left for college, but he knew that the inevitable Wednesday Night Vomiting would come soon, and he didn't want to put Wonwoo through that again.

"If he kills me in my sleep, I'm gonna haunt the shit out of you, Lee Seokmin."

"I'll hold you to that." Seokmin heard Wonwoo laugh through the receiver, as Mingyu yelled "FUCK ME!" in the background. Seokmin could practically see him yanking at his hair.

"I'll let you guys get to that." Seokmin grinned and hung up before sending a message to Mingyu that read:

Me: dont let ur words become ur actions kim mingyu. the lord is watching u.

~

9:15 pm came and went, and Seokmin was very confused. He hadn't tasted much, but what he did taste was too sweet, almost bitter, like medicine. He briefly wondered if his soulmate was sick, but was soon distracted when he heard his computer ting with an email notification.

It was now almost 10:00, but Seokmin nearly vomited right then.

From: Kwon Soonyoung

To: Group (YF 101 Class)

Subject: Class Cancellation

Hello, class! I am so sorry to contact you all this late at night, but I know that if I'm awake you're probably awake as well. I regret to inform you -because I know how much you all enjoy my class ;)- that class will be cancelled this Friday. I seem to have contracted some sort of food poisoning, and the school is unable to find a substitute for my class. :(

Have a safe weekend! I'll see you all on Monday! :)

Mr. Soon

~

Of course, it was perfectly plausible that Soonyoung had just coincidentally contracted food poisoning the one Wednesday in nineteen years that Seokmin didn't get sick at exactly 9:15 pm.

It was completely reasonable that Soonyoung's soulmate just happened to like banana's, Seokmin's favorite thing ever, and it was totally acceptable for Soonyoung to gush about his soulmate.

What was not okay, however, was that Seokmin enjoyed attending the class simply to be in the presence of Soonyoung. He enjoyed watching the older boy's eyes crinkle with laughter, and he liked the way he stood with his hand on his hip when a student gave him an obviously made up excuse for not doing their homework.

He loved looking up during a test and seeing Soonyoung focused so intently on something, his eyebrows furrowing together, and his black hair falling in his eyes. He wanted to rub out the creases in his forehead like Mingyu had done for him so many times. He wanted to force the tension out of his joints that came from teaching a class, and being a student himself.

Seokmin wanted to drown in Sooonyoung's entire existence, and that thought terrified him.

Soonyoung was still a student at the university, and had only taken this job because he was qualified to teach the course without an actual teaching license. Seokmin knew he wouldn't stay for very long, and the thought of not seeing Soonyoung three times a week made Seokmin's head spin.

"How did I go my entire life without knowing a smile like his existed?" Seokmin had asked Wonwoo that one night when the older told him to "confess his sins." Wonwoo had audibly cringed, but Seokmin didn't care.

Seokmin's tastebuds flared with a familiar spice, and mixed with the citrus tang that was always present on his tongue.

None of this was a coincidence.

He had to talk to Soonyoung.

~