♡︎|23

chapter twenty-three—✧♡︎✧—

It was a cool Friday morning, the kind where the air was crisp but not too cold, and the promise of the weekend made everything feel a little more relaxed. Hyunjin stepped out of his house, stretching a little as he squinted against the bright morning sun. His eyes, still heavy with sleep, slowly adjusted to the light, but then something—someone—caught his eye. Felix.

Felix was standing by the gate, leaning casually against a tree, his hands in the pockets of his oversized hoodie. He looked effortlessly cute, like he had just rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever was closest. His hair was still a little messy from sleep, but it made him look like he belonged in a dream. His hoodie was a faded lavender, a color that made his pale skin look even softer. His jeans were slightly ripped at the knees, and his grey converse were scuffed from too many days of wear. He was looking down at his phone for a moment before glancing up and catching Hyunjin's gaze.

Hyunjin's heart did a little skip, like it always did when Felix looked at him. There was something about the way Felix smiled, his eyes bright and inviting, that always left Hyunjin feeling all warm inside. Today, Felix's smile was soft but there was something in the way he held himself that made Hyunjin feel a little more nervous than usual. Maybe it was the fact that they had a sleepover to look forward to later, or maybe it was just Felix's presence, as effortlessly magnetic as ever.

Felix's voice broke through his thoughts. "You ready for the weekend, or are you still going to sleepwalk through the day?"

Hyunjin blinked and snapped out of his thoughts, a bit flustered by how he'd been staring. "Huh? Oh, yeah... just... a little tired." Hyunjin tried to act casual, running a hand through his hair as he walked up to Felix. His heart was still racing, but he wasn't about to admit it. Not with Felix looking like that.

Felix's expression softened, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at Hyunjin with concern. "What happened yesterday when Minho called you?" he asked, a bit more seriously this time, noticing the little bit of awkwardness in Hyunjin's posture.

Hyunjin froze, his eyes flicking to the ground, then quickly back up to Felix. He scratched the back of his neck, the awkwardness settling in. "Uh... nothing happened," Hyunjin said quickly, then hesitated for a moment before adding, "Just stuff, y'know? Nothing to worry about."

Hyunjin didn't want to bring up the whole situation with Minho, Chan, and everything else. He wasn't ready to talk about it, especially not with Felix looking at him with those wide, expectant eyes.

Felix raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but he didn't push. Instead, he gave Hyunjin a small, understanding smile. "Okay, if you say so, but you're kind of acting like you swallowed a frog or something," he teased, nudging Hyunjin with his shoulder.

Hyunjin chuckled, the sound coming out a little more nervous than he'd intended. "I'm fine," he said again, a little too quickly, as he tried to shake off the weird tension he felt inside. "Just... a little distracted."

Felix's smile grew a bit more knowing, like he could see right through him, but he didn't press further. "Alright, alright. Whatever you say, Hwang Hyunjin. I'll let it slide for now."

Hyunjin couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He wasn't ready to talk about his feelings yet, not when he didn't fully understand them himself. Instead, he decided to steer the conversation to safer waters.

"Anyway, you're still coming over later, right?" Hyunjin asked, trying to sound casual as he stepped closer to Felix.

Felix's face lit up at the mention of the sleepover, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course I am! I'm not missing a chance to have your fridge all to myself and completely raid your snack stash. Plus, I've got some new movies we can watch—something perfect for a late-night binge session."

Hyunjin couldn't help but smile at Felix's enthusiasm. He felt that same excitement building in him too, but for different reasons. The thought of having Felix all to himself for a few hours, just the two of them, made his stomach flutter in that way it always did when Felix was around.

As they walked side by side to school, the usual comfortable silence fell over them. It wasn't awkward, just easy. They didn't need to fill every moment with words; just being near each other was enough.

But still, Hyunjin couldn't help but steal glances at Felix now and then. The way his hoodie hugged his shoulders, the way his hair fell messily over his forehead, and the way his lips curled when he smiled—Hyunjin's thoughts were definitely straying. It was like something had shifted recently. He wasn't sure when or how it had happened, but he knew one thing for sure.

He was very glad to have Felix in his life. And for some reason, that felt both comforting and terrifying all at once.

As soon as they stepped into the school building, the usual chaos of the morning surrounded them—students rushing to their lockers, loud conversations bouncing off the walls, and the occasional half-asleep zombies trudging toward their first class.

Before Hyunjin and Felix could even get their bearings, a familiar voice called out.

"There you two are," Seungmin said, closing his locker and walking over to them with his usual unimpressed expression. "I swear, you guys act like an old married couple walking to school together every day."

Felix rolled his eyes but grinned. "And? You're just jealous I have a built-in bodyguard."

Hyunjin scoffed, crossing his arms. "Bodyguard? Please, you're more likely to trip and take me down with you."

Before Felix could argue, another voice joined in.

"Ah, my favorite idiots!" Jisung appeared out of nowhere, slinging his arm around Felix's shoulders. "What's the tea today? Any new drama? Any confessions of love in the hallway? I need content to get through this miserable day."

Seungmin sighed. "You are the drama, Han."

Jisung waved him off dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, but seriously, what's up?"

Felix hummed in thought. "Well, I'm sleeping over at Hyunjin's place tonight."

Jisung and Seungmin froze for a second before immediately reacting.

"Oh hell no," Jisung said. "You think you're gonna have a fun sleepover without us? Absolutely not."

"Yeah, why weren't we invited?" Seungmin added, folding his arms.

Felix laughed, shrugging. "I mean... I didn't not invite you?"

Hyunjin, who had been silent until now, clenched his jaw slightly. He had been looking forward to some alone time with Felix, just the two of them hanging out like always. But now? Now it was going to be a full-on group sleepover. Not that he minded his friends being there, but he had selfishly wanted Felix all to himself.

Still, he kept his expression neutral, forcing a small smile. "Yeah, you guys can come if you want."

"Great," Seungmin said. "I'll bring my Switch so I can destroy you all in Mario Kart."

Jisung gasped. "Oh, it is so on."

Felix grinned. "Perfect. This is gonna be fun."

Before Hyunjin could respond, another voice rang through the hallway—one that instantly made his stomach twist.

"Hyunjinnie~"

Hyunjin turned just in time to see Haeri approaching, her usual bright smile in place. She wasted no time looping her arm through his and pouting up at him. "You didn't send me a good morning selfie of your adorable sleepy face today."

Felix immediately looked away, and Hyunjin felt an odd pang in his chest.

"Oh, uh—sorry," he said. "I was walking with Felix, and I guess I forgot."

Haeri sighed dramatically. "You always walk with Felix."

Felix chuckled awkwardly. "I am his neighbor. Kind of hard to avoid."

Haeri didn't seem amused but didn't push further. Instead, she tugged on Hyunjin's arm. "Anyway, walk me to class?"

Hyunjin hesitated for a split second before nodding. "Yeah, sure."

Felix gave him a little smile—one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "See you in class."

As Haeri pulled Hyunjin away, he glanced back at Felix for a moment longer than necessary before turning forward again.

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a/n

ily my readers<3i have so much free time now since it's the weekend, so i will try to update a lot💕