kumo_is_kumo (ao3)
In which Jongin has to be honest with himself when it comes to his feeling for Kyungsoo; when he says that he is as straight as a metal ruler.
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"Hey, Jongin!"
Jongin glances back through his shoulder at the call of his name, his hand rearranging his sling bag at the same time. He smiles upon seeing his close friend skipping closer to him, trying to slip in between the crowded students walking in the hallway.
"Hey, Baekhyun." He welcomes him, listening to Baekhyun's low grumbles of people with 'smelly scent and sweaty skin, eww'.
Baekhyun regains himself back, before he slings an arm around Jongin's shoulder to drag him away from the mass of humans.
"Do you have some time today? I've got a friend, an old friend actually; I would like to introduce him to you. He is cool and all, I'm sure you would warm up to him immediately." Baekhyun says, way too quickly for Jongin's kind of slow brain to catch but he manages to hear the words of 'friend', 'introduce', and 'cool'.
"Sure. Your friend?" Jongin blinks, staring at Baekhyun's head nodding before the guy's lips curl up into a very wide smile.
"He was kind of... my first friend in my whole life? I mean, he was the first one who was brave enough to stand up for me when some kids toppled me over into the mud."
The imagination flashes in Jongin's head, with kid Baekhyun being dirty and messy and another faceless kid defending him. He lets out a soft laugh at the image, which causes Baekhyun to slap the back of his head slightly. Jongin grunts, playfully glaring at the other.
"That hurts, you know." He murmurs softly. Baekhyun grins, squeezing his neck tighter.
"You are going to like my friend. He is cool and friendly. Sure, he could pass the look of some underground boss, but he is a softie so you shouldn't worry about anything."
Jongin furrows his eyebrows at him. "And why do you think I would be worried?"
Baekhyun gives him a lopsided grin. "Because you are such a worry wart."
"I'm not." Jongin defends himself. What kind of friend he has here?
Well, a one of a kind friend, since Baekhyun snorts at his answer.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on." Baekhyun pulls onto his ear while dragging him away from the crowded hallway. Jongin follows after him with a groan.
***
He met Baekhyun for the first time in the second semester when he had to group with another person for a quick assignment. Jongin had almost panicked (well, not really) when he looked around and found everyone was paired already.
A miracle (or Jongin would call hell in nowadays) fell upon him when Baekhyun came tapping him on his shoulder to grab his attention. Jongin swore he heard some singing of angels when Baekhyun came to sit by his side and asked to pair with him. Jongin couldn't thank him enough for letting him pair with him and Baekhyun, with a smirk on his lips, asked for a cup of coffee as his thank you.
And that was how Jongin befriended him. Baekhyun was and is the only person who he thinks is cool and has no problem like the others. Sure, Baekhyun has his time in being bitchy and whiny, but he is always there whenever Jongin needs help (or even when Jongin doesn't need his loud whining).
Now in his fourth semester, Jongin is on his way of meeting the famous friend that Baekhyun can't stop mentioning about his kindness. What kind of person that can make Baekhyun, the talkative and picky person, to become even more talkative?
