Not your average rich boy

The afternoon sunlight cast a faint yellowish glow as it filtered through the window. It reflected off the dusty shelves of the library, making the floating specks of dust in the air clearly visible. At a table near the back, next to one of the rows, Dae-jin was leaning on his elbows, a pile of books spread out in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously – he hardly felt like being here after classes. 

But he and Jae-hyun had agreed to look into it, in case there were any written accounts of something similar to their little problem. 

Looking back, the whole thing sounded pretty ridiculous. Who would this ever actually happen to? 

He had been staring at the same book in the same position for nearly ten minutes now, and he couldn't help but notice how quiet it was without Jae-hyun there. 

Sure, he barely knew the guy – this was maybe their third time meeting. But people got used to things quickly when they are lonely. 

And Dae-jin was certainly that. 

No friends, no breaks. His whole life felt like one big task – and if he didn't figure out how to solve it, the ending wouldn't be pretty. 

For a moment, he felt drained – if he didn't have something to focus on, he felt lost. Slowly, he lowered his head and let out a deep sigh. 

Then, suddenly, he jerked back in his chair when Jae-hyun appeared out of nowhere, dropping his bag onto the table with dramatic flair and quickly sliding into the seat across from him. 

- Sorry for being late, practice ran long. - he panted, his forehead and neck glistening with sweat, strands of hair sticking lightly to his skin. 

Even the best of the best would've had to admit, there was something undeniably sexy about the way he looked right now, with his tank top revealing just a bit more of his body than usual, and that effortlessly magnetic aura hanging around him. 

Dae-jin looked at him, but even that was too much. There was nothing intentional about how Jae-hyun looked, and yet somehow, he looked like he knew what he was doing. 

He felt his throat go dry and swallowed hard. 

| No..I'm not thinking about that…

Jae-hyun tilted his head, wearing that insufferably smug smile of his. 

- Really? That's what you're thinking about right now? 

- You just imagined that. I didn't think about anything. - Dae-jin flinched and quickly lowered his gaze. 

- Pretty vivid imagination, then. 

Dae-jin tried to focus, tried to force his attention back to the book in front of him, but the words were blurring together.

- Okay. Let's get to it. Here's a book for you. Try to search something useful. - Dae-jin said and handed it to Jae-hyun. 

Jae-hyun took the book willingly, turning in his hands for a moment as he examined the cover. Then, without a word, he opened it and began to read. With varying success, that is – because the boy sitting across from him, Dae-jin turned out to be far more interesting sight than the book itself. 

So between pages, Jae-hyun would occasionally steal glances at the clearly more exhausted boy. Dae-jin was leaning on one hand as he stared at the text, wearing an expression that was equal parts pained and bored – something Jae-hyun found strangely attractive. 

The other boy was a complete distraction. A walking temptation.

And though Jae-hyun wasn't exactly sure when he'd started looking at the same sex that way, it somehow just felt natural to him. If something - or someone was beautiful and caught his eye, he didn't really care whether it was a boy or a girl. 

" If someone catches your eye, he thought, what does it matter who they are?" 

- Less fantasizing, more reading. - Dae-jin said, still keeping his eyes on the book. 

Jae-hyun immediately dropped his gaze. 

It wasn't the suggestive thoughts that embarrassed him - it was the one that crept in when he thought about going home. And being alone again. That was what truly unsettled him. 

He hated being alone. And somehow…he had the feeling Dae-jin felt the same way. 

He didn't really talk much about his personal life. 

And Jae-hyun despite trying with all his might – hadn't been able to pick up a single clue. Not one detail that might help him understand Dae-jin better. 

Nothing. 

Dae-jin was just so damn focused on that book. 

Maybe he's doing it on purpose, Jae-hyun thought. 

- Hey, it's getting a little late. - Jae-hyun said, set the book down in front of him. - I don't really think we're going to find anything anyway. How about you just stay over at my place tonight? 

Dae-jin almost threw the book he was holding right into Jae-hyun's face.

- Alright. - Dae-jin said, narrowing his eyes. - But you have to promise you'll calm those thoughts of yours while I'm there. And just so we're clear - I'm only saying yes because I don't like being alone either. 

| Ah. So he really did hear that.

Jae-hyun sighed inwardly. 

| There goes my cool, laid-back image. 

- Don't worry. - Dae-jin laughed as he stood up and picked up the stack of books to put them back. - I never thought you were cool to begin with. 

Jae-hyun scoffed, feigning offense as he leaned back in his chair. 

- Ouch. Brutal honesty. You really know how to keep a guy humble.