yuwin ✧ infatuation

Three

The two boys sat across from each other on a wooden bench located at the entrance of the school. Yuta's head rested against his palm as he watched Sicheng write something on his notebook in hànzì. Sicheng peeked up at Yuta a few times, flashing him a soft smile then continuing to write. After a couple minutes, Sicheng set his pen down into the top of the notebook and unzipped his backpack, pulling out an apple. Yuta's head perked up as Sicheng brought the fruit to his lips, snatching it away before the Chinese had consumed part of it.

"Don't eat that, It'll make you look like an asshole."

Sicheng's eyebrows furrowed in confusion,"Yuta, what- I don't care just give me the apple back." He reached his arms out like a baby trying to reach for their bottle.

Yuta brought the red fruit to his lips, biting it before Sicheng had been close to retrieving it. Sicheng pouted while attempting to wear an angry face which resulted in him appearing cuter. Upon seeing Sicheng's expression, Yuta choked on the fruit's flesh, hitting his chest to stop himself from basically dying right there.

"Yuta, are you okay-"

He coughed once,"Definitely."

~~~~

"You didn't bother buying lunch today?" Sicheng asked as his counterpart had sat across from him without a food tray.

"I end up wasting most of it anyways so, why buy it?"

Sicheng began eating the food that sat on his tray, making a awkward eye contact with Yuta every one-in-a-while which caused them to laugh at nothing.

"Sicheng!"

Immediately after hearing his name called, Sicheng dropped his chopsticks onto the tray creating a clang sound. He rubbed his temples with his thumb and index finger, muttering a,"Oh, God." under his breath. Yuta gazed at the boy with curiosity,"What is it?"

A shorter, older male approached Sicheng and plopped himself next to Sicheng. Sicheng moved his hand out of his face and with a bored and slow tone to his voice, he spoke to the boy unknown to Yuta,"Oh, Taeil. You're back-"

Taeil hung his arm over Sicheng's shoulder, getting incredibly close to Sicheng. Closer than Yuta liked. The shorter male squeezed Sicheng's cheek,"These two weeks without you were boring."

"Did being sick make you stop being boring?"

"I- Luckily, you're still cute. So who's this?"

Sicheng leaned his head the opposite way from Taeil,"Taeil, this is Yuta. Yuta, this is Taeil."

Taeil bowed his head slightly,"Nice to me you, Yuta."

Yuta replied with a bow and a "Likewise," that made his body cringe as he spoke to the older male. He had obviously anticipated that Taeil and Sicheng would be closer than he was to Sicheng but, he didn't expect Taeil to be so physically close to him. He bit down on his tongue, trying to block any signs of jealousy from showing. He didn't pay much attention to what Taeil said to Sicheng until he heard the words,"I love you."

He knew Taeil had to be joking in his speech. His mind began to scramble. What if Taeil used it in the context of a joke but emotionally he means it? What if the two were actually in a secretive relationship? Impossible, as long as Yuta had been "observing" Sicheng, there were was no was he was. It didn't matter because Yuta wouldn't allow it either way. Sicheng was his. Not Taeil's.

~~~~

Yuta stretched his arms after the bell signaling chemistry was over, rung. He carelessly shoved his chemistry books into his backpack. A black-haired boy behind Yuta, tapped his shoulder,"You should probably be more careful with your books."

Yuta looked at the boy. He was about the same height, his black hair hung over parts of his eyelids which complemented his pale skin and sharp jawline.

"Chemistry and science in general is useless. Like, is there gonna be a time where you're being chased by a murder and for them to 'not kill you', you're required to recite the periodic table to survive?" 

"Um, okay-" The statemant made the boy awkwardly smile while Yuta zipped up his backpack and slung it around his shoulder, exiting the classroom. "That was... weird."  He walked to the man hall where he instantly spotted Sicheng, once again being annoyed by Taeil. Yuta walked to the side of them, opening his locker, honestly looking for nothing. 

Sicheng placed his hand on Taeil's chest, pushing him away,"Yuta, how was chemistry?"

"Sucked as usual." Yuta couldn't say much as Taeil fixated his attention. They'd only known each other for merely a couple of hours but he already hated him. It didn't help that Taeil and Sicheng had most of their classes together while Yuta was only in two with him.

 Taeil leaned off the lockers, peeking at Sicheng before saying,"I'll be right back."

SIcheng leaned his shoulder on the locker towards Yuta,"You okay? You've been quieter than usual."

"It's nothing maybe just a mood swing," he hesitated to ask,"Does Taeil annoy- Does he bother you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just the way he constantly forces himself onto you. Isn't it a nuisance?"

"I mean, sometimes the skin ship is annoying but, I wouldn't call Taeil in himself a nuisance."

Yuta just 'hmm'ed in response. "Does he like you? Like, like-like you."

Sicheng shoved his hand into his pocket and shrugged,"I don't know. You'd have to ask him that yourself. It's hard to tell when a person likes you if they've always treated you the same way. Why'd you ask?"

Yuta slammed his locker door closed,"He just gave me this 'vibe' that he likes you like that."

Sicheng wore a confused smile while his head tilted to the left,"I doubt it."

Though Sicheng was confident in the fact that Taeil did not like him in that way, Yuta would beg to differ. It was easy for him to see Taeil's true intentions through the mindless way he flirted with Sicheng, even if it was just the way Taeil smiled at the Chinese or the way he clung to the younger.

"If Taeil liked you in that way, would you like him back?"

Sicheng hung his head back against the lockers, giving the question a deeper thought than originally intended.
After a small series of 'hmm's, Sicheng answered with,"I guess."

Yuta's face darkened for a quick second,"I see."

Though it was only two words and a barely confident statement, it would later make Sicheng realize that words can be more powerful than any gun.

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