♡︎|21

chapter twenty-one—✧♡︎✧—

The next day at school, everything felt normal—until it wasn't.

Felix and Hyunjin were at their lockers, sleepily leaning against each other because mornings were not it. Hyunjin had one arm lazily draped over Felix's shoulders, his cheek resting against Felix's hair as they mumbled about how they should just drop out and become full-time bums.

And then it happened.

"Hello! Felix, right?"

The voice was unfamiliar—low, smooth, and in english- thick with aussie accent .

Felix and Hyunjin turned at the same time, and there he was.

Bang Chan.

Felix blinked. Okay, yeah, up close, he definitely looked like the type to have half the school crushing on him. Built like an athlete, blonde messy curls, dressed in all black, easygoing smile—ugh, of course he had dimples too.

Felix nodded. "Uh, yeah?"

Chan grinned. "Nice, I was hoping I'd run into you."

Hyunjin's arm instantly dropped from Felix's shoulders.

Felix noticed but didn't react—yet.

Chan leaned against the locker next to his. "I heard you were Aussie too. Finally, someone who understands my struggles."

Felix blinked again, then let out a small laugh. "Damn, word travels fast."

Chan smirked. "What can I say? People talk."

Felix grinned, suddenly feeling a little too seen. "Yeah, I get that."

Meanwhile, Hyunjin was silent.

Which was weird.

Chan glanced at Hyunjin, then back at Felix. "So, how long you been in Korea?"

Felix shrugged. "For a few years now. I still go back to Australia a lot, though."

Chan nodded approvingly. "Sick. Maybe you can teach me how to navigate this place without getting lost."

Felix laughed. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

Chan chuckled. "Barely. I swear, I spent twenty minutes trying to find the cafeteria yesterday."

Felix snorted. "That's tragic."

Chan put a hand over his heart dramatically. "Right? You'd think they'd give the new guy a map or something."

Felix grinned. "Guess I'll have to be your tour guide."

And that's when Hyunjin snapped.

"Felix has class," Hyunjin said suddenly, voice clipped.

Felix turned to him, confused. "Uh, yeah, in like ten minutes—"

"Right. So we should go."

Felix blinked. "Hyunjin, what—"

Hyunjin didn't give him a chance to finish before grabbing his wrist and dragging him down the hallway.

Felix barely had time to glance back at Chan, who just smirked and shot him a casual wave.

And then they turned the corner, out of sight.

Felix yanked his wrist back. "Okay, what the hell was that?"

Hyunjin crossed his arms. "Nothing."

Felix narrowed his eyes. "Oh, please. You looked like you were about to fight him over a geography lesson."

Hyunjin scoffed, looking away. "He was flirting with you."

Felix rolled his eyes. "No, he wasn't. He was just being nice."

Hyunjin's jaw tensed. "Don't you know about his reputation? Everyne knows he is a fuckboy."

"Why do you care?" Felix asked.

Hyunjin huffed, brushing past him. "Forget it. We're gonna be late."

Felix grinned, following after him.

The class was silent, except for the occasional sound of pens scribbling on paper, tapping against desks, and the low murmur of students who clearly weren't as invested in the lesson as they should've been. Felix and Hyunjin, as usual, were in their own little world—quiet, but still talking. They had perfected the art of whispering without getting caught by the teacher.

Felix was leaning back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other as he spun his pen between his fingers, his mind wandering. Hyunjin, on the other hand, was scribbling down notes like it was his job. Or maybe he was pretending to take notes, Felix couldn't really tell.

"Hey, Hyunjin," Felix said, staring at the ceiling. "Do you think it would be weird if I dyed my hair purple?"

Hyunjin's eyes flicked up from his notebook, catching Felix's. He raised an eyebrow. "Purple?"

Felix nodded seriously. "Yeah, like really purple. Like grape-purple."

Hyunjin grinned. "You'd look like a grape, but in a good way."

Felix snorted. "Great, now I'm gonna be a fruit. I'll be the first to tell you, I'm not signing up for the 'fruit bowl' club."

Hyunjin chuckled, lowering his voice. "I'll be your personal photographer. You'll look fabulous."

Felix smiled softly, just the smallest hint of happiness. "You'd really help me? Even though I'd look like I got smushed in a smoothie?"

"Absolutely. I'd even tag you on Instagram, 'cause I love my bestie looking like a walking fruit snack."

Felix laughed, letting his head loll to the side, resting on his hand. "Alright, alright, but no jokes about the 'fruit bowl' club. That title is too much for me."

Hyunjin smirked, barely holding in a snicker. "Fine, no fruit bowl jokes... but only because you'd look cute as a grape."

Felix rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress his smile. "I swear, you just have a thing for making everything sound cute."

Hyunjin pretended to be offended. "Who, me? I am not cute. I'm just charmingly sarcastic."

"Sure you are," Felix said, smirking. "But don't worry, I think you're cute anyway."

Hyunjin paused, his pen hovering above the paper for a second. "Wait—"

Felix looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Hyunjin shook his head and grinned, quickly returning to his "notes."

"Nothing. Just had a weird thought."

Felix, ever the curious one, leaned over and whispered dramatically, "Tell me! Is it about how cute I would be with purple hair?"

Hyunjin opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, the teacher called out, "Felix! Could you please pay attention?"

Felix shot up in his seat, caught off guard. "Oh, right. I'm paying attention. Definitely."

Hyunjin leaned over, whispering, "You just got caught, dude."

Felix grinned, unbothered. "Well, they're wrong. I was totally paying attention."

"Sure, sure," Hyunjin said, his tone dry. "You were deep in your thoughts about your potential purple hair."

Felix threw him a look. "I was thinking about important things! Life-altering things!"

Hyunjin snorted. "Right. Life-changing decisions. A new purple identity."

"Exactly," Felix said with a dramatic nod. "The world's not ready for my purple hair."

"Neither is your scalp," Hyunjin said under his breath, causing Felix to snicker.

—

The bathroom was filled with the scent of hair dye and the sound of soft laughter as Felix sat on the edge of the bathtub, his legs bent at an awkward angle while Hyunjin stood between them, carefully applying the purple dye to Felix's hair. The mirror reflected their carefree energy, with Felix's soft giggles filling the space as Hyunjin focused on making sure every strand of hair was coated perfectly.

"Okay, I think I look like a grape now," Felix said, his voice playful, as he tried to get a glimpse of his hair in the mirror. "Are you sure this isn't going to turn out as lavender?"

Hyunjin chuckled, glancing up at him from beneath his bangs. "I told you, it's grape, not lavender. Trust the process."

Felix smirked. "But what if I end up looking like one of those real grapes? You know, the ones that don't get picked and turn all wrinkly?"

Hyunjin paused for a moment, eyes widening slightly as he tried to suppress a laugh. "Felix... you always overthink things, don't you?"

Felix pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm just saying, you could end up with a purple disaster on your hands."

Hyunjin leaned closer to him, focusing on the next section of hair, but Felix couldn't help but notice how their faces were just inches apart. "Felix, if it's a disaster, then I guess I'll just have to take full responsibility. But considering your love for all things purple, I'm pretty sure you'll end up loving it."

Felix raised an eyebrow, giving him a sidelong glance. "You just wanna be the one to take all the credit when I look like a queen, don't you?"

Hyunjin smiled softly, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Of course. I'm the one doing all the hard work here, after all."

Felix rolled his eyes, unable to stop a smile from tugging at his lips. "Well, if I look like a royal grape, then I'll owe you a massive thank you. I'll even buy you a smoothie."

Hyunjin laughed quietly, fingers gently massaging the dye into Felix's hair. There was a brief silence, and for a moment, Felix swore he caught Hyunjin looking at him a little differently—his gaze flicking to Felix's lips before quickly moving back up to his hair.

Felix's heart skipped a beat. Was he imagining things? The heat from Hyunjin's hand brushing against his neck felt so warm, almost too warm. The touch lingered for a moment longer than it should have, and Felix couldn't help but feel his stomach flutter.

He swallowed, shifting a little, trying to focus on anything other than the tension building between them. "So... uh... what's next after the hair's done?"

"Hmm," Hyunjin murmured, still concentrating on his work. "Well, once it's all set, we'll wash it out, and then maybe we can take some pictures of the final look... unless you don't want to share your royal grape transformation with the world."

Felix's lips curved into a grin. "You're really obsessed with this 'grape' thing, huh?"

Hyunjin paused for a moment, lips quirking up into a small smile. "I just think you'll look perfect, no matter what color your hair is."

Felix caught the sincerity in Hyunjin's voice, and for a brief moment, he found himself speechless. His heart beat a little faster. He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.

As Hyunjin carefully finished applying the dye, their hands brushed once more, and this time, neither of them pulled away immediately. Felix could feel his breath catch in his throat.

"All done," Hyunjin said softly, stepping back and giving Felix a final glance. His fingers lingered a little longer on the back of Felix's neck, his touch light but deliberate. "Now we just need to wait, and then we'll see if you're truly a royal grape."

Felix nodded, his mind racing. "Right, sure, royal grape. I'll be the best one you've ever seen."