Monday morning was welcoming workers and students who were either taking the refreshed steps or dragging themselves into their respective buildings.
Park Jinyoung, Im Jaebum and Wang Jackson, the three friends in their early twenties, were on the university campus, walking together to their class.
"Last night was wild," Jackson said, with a yawn followed, "I'm still feeling dizzy. You guys look better than me."
"Thanks to you, I couldn't get drunk last night," Jaebum said, throwing his hand over Jackson's shoulder, "You gave me that job of carrying your pitiful ass back to the dorm."
"You sympathise with me now?" Jinyoung said, "It was always me carrying you two back, except last night. It was always like hell."
Jackson glanced over at Jinyoung, "Hey, Jinyoung, speaking of the last-night party, did you finally do that? Was it a yes or no?"
Jaebum also turned his head to Jinyoung, in curiosity. Both of them were anticipating Jinyoung's answer and Jinyoung shook his head.
"What? You didn't confess to her? Or did she say no? But I won't believe that she said no. She's totally into you, I'm not blind," Jackson said, incredulously.
"I didn't confess to her," Jinyoung said, quietly.
"What happened?" Jaebum asked, "We even stayed away from you last night so you could confess to her. Didn't you have a chance?"
The last-night incident came back to Jinyoung's mind. He had been there, in front of Minji, and about to say to her the words he had been arranging in his mind. But then he got suddenly confused and felt that it was not right. Maybe, not the right time or place. He was not certain; he just felt it was not right.
But actually, there shouldn't have been any confusion or uncertainty. He and Minji had been hanging out a lot these days, and subtly showing their crush on each other. What had bemused him last night?
"We were together and I was about to confess to her."
"Then what stopped you?" Jackson asked.
"I don't know. I got hesitated. I talked to her about other stuff, instead, until her friends came and got her."
"Why? You were afraid that she would say no?" Jaebum asked.
"No, that's not it. I don't know. I just didn't feel like doing it."
"So, are you going to wait for another chance or what? You chickened out, man."
"Hey, hyungs!"
A familiar voice, coming from a few yards before them, caught their attention, and a boy, who was one year younger than them, was waving at them, with a big smile plastering his lips.
Both Jinyoung and Jackson, automatically stole glances at Jaebum, whose eyes brightened up not so subtly.
"Hey, Youngjae," Jaebum greeted, as they came to be face-to-face with the boy named Youngjae.
"What's with Jackson hyung?" Youngjae asked, looking at Jackson, who gave him a wry smile.
"He's having a hangover," Jaebum said, "By the way, why didn't you come last night? You'd promised us that you'd be there though."
"Ah, something came up. It was a family thing, so I couldn't refuse. But you all did enjoy yourselves there, right?"
"I'd have, more, if you'd been there."
Youngjae blushed under Jaebum's gaze; Jaebum was smiling like an idiot and Jackson was rolling his eyes, at the familiar scene. Jinyoung just watched them, wearily, as the last-night incident was still occupying his mind.
"I'm keeping you here," Youngjae said, with his cheeks still flushed, "See you later, hyungs."
"Come eat with us for lunch," Jackson said.
"I'll." Youngjae waved at them and left them, going to the opposite direction. Jaebum's eyes were following him, until Jinyoung cleared his throat and Jackson practically dragged him, to continue to their class.
Choi Youngjae was a sophomore student, one year lower than them. He and Jaebum had met while volunteering in the library, in the second semester last year. Afterwards, he had become quickly fit into their group, and Jaebum's soft spot for him had also changed to something like a crush.
Jackson and Jinyoung were already getting tired of these two idiots, obviously liking each other but still not confessing to each other. But for that matter, Jinyoung could not judge them much, because he himself had failed to confess to the girl he liked, last night.
They had not been walking much further, when they were joined by the two friends, BamBam and Yugyeom, who were freshmen but whose experience in partying and such stuff was approaching that of senior students.
"What's up, bros!" Yugyeom greeted, throwing his hand around Jinyoung's shoulder.
"Aside from Jaebum, grinning like a fool, you two don't look so good," BamBam commented.
"Hello to you, too, BamBam," Jackson said, rolling his eyes again.
"By the way, Jinyoung hyung, I saw you and Minji noona together last night. And I'd heard something was going to happen then. Is our hyung no more single now?" Yugyeom asked, with a cheeky grin.
"Jackson Wang!" Jinyoung muttered, with a hiss.
"What? I was just boasting, on behalf of you, that you wouldn't be alone anymore. Wait, how did you know that I was the one who told them?"
"Who else?" Jaebum said, drily.
"So, Jinyoung hyung's in a relationship now, right? Finally. Congratulations!" BamBam cheered.
"Correct him, Jinyoung," Jackson said, still irritated by the fact that Jinyoung had let go of his chance.
"I didn't get to confess to her."
"He chickened out at the last minute," Jackson added.
"Really? You didn't look like a coward to me, hyung," Yugyeom said.
"Shut up."
But Yugyeom and BamBam started to chatter about how wild they had got at the party, until they had to part for their own classes - Yugyeom and BamBam to one and the other three to another.
