Wilted Flowers | soonhoon au

Wilting Petal #6

January 7, 2020

1:00 PM

Jihoon's office.

"So, you have seen him in university?"

"Yes, I did. He's actually the new appointed department head. I think he is a new employee.", Chan said over the phone, before his next class was about to start.

"Isn't that too coincidental? Hmmm this is quite unexpected. I would like to know his every move. Would that be fine for you?" Jihoon sighed. He already expects him to decline, realizing how grumpy the younger was the whole morning. He was about to end the call when Chan laughed at the end of the line. "Sure thing. I'll try my best."

Jihoon asked if he is alright considering his sudden change of mood. "I am. Wait, the professor's about to start his class. I'll call you back later." And from there, Jihoon ended the call looking dumbfounded. 

"I guess Chan loved the gift."

January 7, 2020

5:00 PM

Pledis University. Faculty Room.

Minghao clutches his Lacoste body bag close to himself while checking his table for at home to-do's. Seeing nothing to keep out of his huge pile of paper, he saw the new employee rummaging through his desk, almost emptying his drawers.

"Mr. Kwon, you're overreacting. You need not to stay overtime tonight. Chill, it's your first day." The professor went closer to Soonyoung's space only to find him wearing a dirtied white shirt sitted on the cold floors. "What are you doing?"

Hearing someone talking to him made the hamster-looking prof bump his head. He's under the table eventually. "Oh, hello. I-I was cleaning my s-space. I-I'm k-kinda concerned with how people might see me as a first impression."

"You don't need to worry about that. Pack up, let's celebrate tonight. I'm actually going for a drink with friends. Do you want to come with me?" Minghao gave his hands for him to reach but somehow, he was anxious and looking worrisome, based from how his co-professor sees him. 

"I-I d-don't think it would be right for me to-" He continued to stutter while his eyes were all over the place. Minghao, on second thought, would want the new professor to lean on him more. If that's the proper term for helping him to easily adjust. Sure, being a college professor isn't something easy to digest overnight. Some needs all the help they can get. 

"Come on, let's go.", Minghao immediately offered help the second time around to make him stand but, he was stopped by Soonyoung himself.

"Hey, it's fine. I-I'm fine by myself here. You can go ahead." Soonyoung shyly declined his colleague's offer. His co-professor was quite desperate befriending him. 

However, to no avail, he wasn't able to convince him. He just went on his way and began to wait for his friend he'll be drinking with.

Soonyoung rubbed his head in frustration realizing he declined someone who wanted to be friends with him. "Great. Now you're alone again." He started to get dizzy and held on to something sturdy, his table, for balance. He closed his eyes, wanting to make the pain go away.

From a distance, Chan was searching for Hansol, who promised to accompany him home. "That homie boy didn't even say goodbye." 

From every corridor, he have only seen janitors. When he was about to head to the school garden, he heard a voice screaming in pain. Scared at first, he hesitated to open the faculty room. Is it a ghost, a monster or a killer? These questions started to pop in his head when he heard another scream. 

Although afraid himself, he pushed the sliding door aside and listened where the sound was coming from. Whose cries was it? Shit. He roamed his eyes around the room and all he sees are tables and dividers per department. He isn't supposed to be here, knowing Hansol is also finding him. He got to find his friend fir--

"A-ah, fuck this headache." 

Chan literally sprinted to the corner from where he heard someone complaining and crying. He was worried someone was alone in pain, the same way someone was foolish enough to cause an accident haunting him in the orphanage as he lost both of his parents on the same night. With a worried look, he noticed how the table from his left was shaking so bad he's scared himself. 

Slowly, he whispered if it is alright, if everything's fine. 

Slowly, he saw someone's familiar silhouette. He can't help but feel responsible seeing the state of the man. "Are you okay?" Chan was careful  in assisting the man to stand up. He reached out his hand while asking him once again if he's well enough to go home alone. He kept massaging his temples while Chan checks the new department head's table. 

Nothing suspicious. Only a pile of new index cards collected from the day. some of his papers in disarray, few of his pens scattered on the floor under the table. What exactly is he doing? 

"Sir, are you feeling better now? W-well I g-got a bit lost finding my friend." Chan lied. He wanted the teacher to tell something. He wanted something to report to Jihoon. He wanted information. What was the purpose of Jihoon to ask him to stalk a guy almost the same age as him? Can't he make someone else do it instead? 

Silence. No one said anything. Its as if both mouths were muted. Not until Soonyoung hugged Chan. 

He didn't even care when his swivel chair fell the moment he stood up. It was warm, Chan thought. Soonyoung was drenched in a familiar scent he can't get enough off. He hugged him tight and they stayed like that for a while. 

"Excuse me, can you please let go?"

"How have you been?"

Chan pulled a frown. What does he have got to do with a man he doesn't even know?

"Excuse me, sir, but, I don't know what you are talking about. Can you please let me--" 

The teacher just won't budge even though they are already in an awkward position. Hugging between two men isn't illegal, but their nonexistent relationship is. 

"N-no, I-I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry. I apolo--"

"For the second time already, sir, please let go."

He was crying for real. Soonyoung wasn't able to hold back his tears not until a loud thud was heard coming from the faculty entrance. 

"Chan, what do you think are you doing?"

And there he was, standing confidently wearing his Gucci slippers, his mouth agape and is utterly confused.