cold | junhao

十七

The Jeonghan on screen comes to a flourishing finish, his arms held above him graciously with a wide smile painted on his face. As the group of boys sat curled around the glaring television start cheering, they turn to their best friend, clapping him roughly on the shoulder while Jeonghan hunches himself together, grinning shyly. "Come on Han, you must've won that!" They beg for spoilers of the results, but Jeonghan shrugs them off.

Eventually they settle, as the commentators are exclaiming lavishly about his performance and the line appears that they've been waiting for almost as much as the final results.

"They always give skaters nicknames, right?" Soonyoung asks.

Jeonghan nods, "But mine are usually crap."

"This one can't be as bad as Snow Angel though, surely." Jeonghan shrugs again, refusing to give them any hints whatsoever. But when the two words finally come through the speakers connected to the TV, his mouth widens slowly. He must be honest, he quite likes this one.

Jun sits up straighter and glances at him with one side of his lip curled up. "White Lion? Seriously?" he grimaces. "Where did they come up with that?"

Jeonghan goes to his own defence. "I kinda like this one! I think it's because I bleached my hair since the last competition, but have you ever seen a white lion? They're so cool! And plus it doesn't make me sound like a pretty weakling who doesn't know what he's doing."

On the other side of the sofa, Minghao leans forward away from Jun and draws his knees up to his chin. "I think it suits you," he says quietly, but still loud enough that everyone hears it.

Jeonghan grins and thanks him, but before he can say much more Jihoon exclaims something illegible and points to the screen, where the results are about to be announced. 3rd place is called - and it's not Jeonghan - but they all notice the growing smirk on their friends face, and so they don't get discouraged even when 2nd place is called out too... and it's still not Jeonghan.

Mingyu gasps, "You didn't..."

Finally, first place is announced, and Jeonghan leaps up onto the podium, being handed his flowers as a gold medal is placed over his head. The seven of them let out cheers and congratulate their friend constantly, until it gets to the point where Jeonghan pushes them off him. On the screen, it's showing him congratulating the other two skaters, which is when Jun speaks up.

"Don't you have a crush on Yuzuru?"

The room goes silent and they all turn to Jeonghan, who's staring at Jun with a strange look in his eyes. "No..." he says slowly.

"No, that's not it, he likes his coach," Dino gestures to the screen, where Jeonghan is now hugging supposedly his coach tightly, his cheeks red and smile wide. Immediately you can tell it's not just from the excitement of winning or exhaustion from performing, because the skater seems to be enjoying the hug a little too much. Although Jeonghan doesn't say anything, the fact that he suddenly whacks the younger on the arm hard enough that Dino recoils and his other hand flies to protect himself is enough to give them their confirmation.

Wonwoo, who had still been watching the screen whilst this was happening, nods his head. "I might too, he's really cute." When Mingyu gives him an appalled look, he only laughs. "I'm not lying! Look."

After a while, Mingyu sighs. "Yeah, you're forgiven. He's really hot."

Jeonghan hums, "Song Hyunjae..." he sighs, getting lost momentarily in his own dazed thoughts and fantasies before the snickering pulls him back abruptly. Scowling at the people surrounding him, he leans further back into the sofa and crosses his arms over his chest. His eyes scan the room, searching for something to draw the attention away from himself. Jeonghan spots his target, and his grin widens.

"So what about you two, then?" He juts his chin towards Minghao and Jun, only making them lean further into each other. Minghao's head is laying on Jun's chest, arm over his waist while Jun embraces him back.

The smirks that ebb into their expressions are unstoppable as everyone stares at them dumbfounded, for some reason only now realising the questionable position between the two as it was pointed out to them.

"Uhh," Jun starts, "Yeah, about that..."