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causeilikelix · 1 year

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'Cause I Like You - Chapter Thirteen - Riding the Soundwaves - Two Years Later

↳ Pairing: Felix x OC / Hyunjin x OC (later)

↳ Genre: Romance, comedy, smut (eventual), slow burn, enemies (idiots) to friends (idiots) to lovers (probably still idiots), high school au, college au, non-idol au

↳ See Chapter One for summery and blanket warnings

↳ Chapter warnings: Like one (1) singular mention of being turned on

↳ Read on my A03: Here

↳ Notes: Sorry this took so long! School, work, you get it! The semester is over in two weeks and then I'm gonna write some more.

<- Chapter Twelve- Chapter Fourteen ->

“Good morning, KNU! You are listening to 90.5 The Art, based out of the Korean National University of Arts! I am your DJ for the next hour, Bbokdi. Welcome to the very first installment of my brand new show: ‘I Am Who?’ I hope we get along! You can follow me and interact with me on Kakao talk or Instagram at @Bbokdi_whoshow.

For this show I just wanted to spend some time with you lovely listeners, play some of my favorite songs these days, and do a couple of talking segments. I have a segment for anonymous confessions and a segment for messages you’d like to send to someone else! Seeing as it’s my first show, I asked a few of my friends to submit some for me to read. However, if you would like me to read something, please message me!

I don’t want to talk your ear off right off the bat, so I’m going to play one of my favorite songs. I’ve been listening to it pretty much non-stop all week so I’m excited to play it for you today. So let’s get started and please enjoy this incredible moving song by Day6, and my message to you! ‘Hi, Hello.’

...

Ah, wasn’t that lovely! Again that was a favorite of mine from Day6 called ‘Hi, Hello’. I hope you enjoyed it! Once again you’re listening to 90.5 The Art and I am DJ Bbokdi with my show “‘ Am Who?’

Let’s see, I really want to feel like I’m friends with all of you and I know that will come in time, but I wanted to introduce myself properly. I am a freshman here at KNU and I have always enjoyed music and production, so in an ideal world I will be studying that while here. Some of my favorite artists are Coldplay, NCT, Sam Smith, Macklemore, and of course Twice. So, you’ll likely hear a lot of them while listening to the show! If there’s anything else you want to know about me, please don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Without further ado, let’s get back to the music. I have a bunch of great songs lined up for this set including Bruno Mars, 2PM, and Imagine Dragons!”

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“... and that was ‘Mirotic’ by TVXQ!. And honestly, what a classic. I admit that I do like some of the older K-pop, as it honestly did set the stage for K-pop as we know it today.

I hope you are all doing well with your midterms! I’ve been studying like crazy all day and all night. I thought the studying I did in high school was intense, but it’s nothing like that! I wish you all luck on your exam week!

We’re going to go into a quick break and then we’ll be back with your favorite segment: Secret Confessions!

...

And we’re back! You’re listening to me! DJ Bbokdi on 90.5 The Art out of Korea National University of Art. Now it’s time for ‘Secret Confessions’ where you guys send me anonymous messages on Kakao or Instagram and I read them over the air! Sometimes it’s nice to get it off your chest. This segment has really taken off since I started the show a few weeks ago! I’m so happy you guys like it. It makes me feel so warm inside.

Alright, first we have a confession from ‘In My Feels’. Well, we’re already off to a good start! They say: ‘I have had a crush on a boy in my class for the longest time and I feel like I’m in middle school all over again! We’re not in the same group for a project and I don’t know if he feels the same. I like him so much and I don’t know what to do. Help!’

Oh, we’ve all been there, I think. Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve liked anyone like this so if anyone has any advice, please text it in and let’s see how we can help! I would suggest just talking to them and maybe asking about a concept you’re talking about in class. Make sure it’s something they seem to know a lot about. That way you can get them talking easily. It will make him feel good about being able to help you with something he knows a lot about and you feel good because you initiated an easy conversation.

Next, I have a message from ‘Dog Days.’ They say: ‘Yesterday it was my turn to walk the dog, but I was so tired from school that I paid my little brother to take the dog out instead while I took a nap. My mother got home from work a while later and thanked me for taking the dog out, but I never did! And I didn’t correct her.’

Wow, looks like you got away with it! I bet that feels great to say. Alright, let’s go ahead and play a song and we’ll be right back!

...

Welcome back! Inspired by the first message, I played ‘The Feels’ by Twice and I am unashamed to say I was dancing a little in the studio. It’s such a fun, high energy song and it always makes me feel warm when I listen to it.

The next confession I have is from ‘Bbokie Fan’. They say: ‘Sometimes I go through the radio archives and listen to your old shows to help me fall asleep. Your voice is so warm and calming and I could listen for hours!’ Well, thank you! Oh, that is so sweet of you to say! I hope you’re sleeping in a cold room or something cause I think if you’re sleeping somewhere warm and my voice makes you warm it might... I dunno, make it too warm? Well, anyway, you can look forward to more shows from me! Maybe I’ll play a few quieter songs to help you sleep better.

Next we’ll be hearing from ‘Rainbow’ who says: ‘I want to get this off my chest and I think you might be my safest option. I think I’m gay, and I don’t know how to tell my family. I’ve never had a girlfriend and I don’t want one. I’ve only ever liked boys, but I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’m too scared to tell anyone who I truly am.’

Wow, I’m honored that you told me! Of course, your secret is safe with me. I’ll be honest in return. I can go either way. I’ve liked both girls and boys but I’ve never told anyone about the boys before. Sorry to my friends who are just learning about this! But I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of. I think that if you don’t feel safe coming out to your family, wait until you are before saying anything. I know it’s tempting to scream it to the world, but your safety is the most important thing. I’m positive that one day you will find like minded people and you will find someone with whom you belong.

Oh, look. It looks like I have time for one more song before I have to sign off. Hmm... I wonder what I should play. Just kidding, I pre plan my playlists. Once again my name is DJ Bbokdi, thank you for listening to the show today! This is ‘Viva la Vida’ by Coldplay!”

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“Guys I am just floored with the support you’re giving me! Just now my Instagram passed two thousand followers! I never would have imagined my show getting so popular in less than a semester, but I am very happy it did!

I have people saying they love the music I play, my advice, and how I sometimes whisper into the microphone. My best friend always says I have a good voice for radio, so I’m glad to be putting it to good use. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for saying such wonderful things!

Anyway, in the last few minutes I’ve gotten a bunch of questions that I want to answer for you, so we’re switching gears a little bit! I just got the question ‘do you have any pets?’ and the answer is unfortunately no. I would love to adopt a little kitten or a puppy, but I am about to move in with a couple of my friends in an apartment that does not allow pets. So maybe one day! Until then, I satiate my desire to have a pet by going to dog and cat cafes to cuddle with them there!

Someone also asked ‘What was your favorite memory from high school?’ and I had to think about it for a minute. I had so many great memories in high school. However, I would say this. In my junior year I transferred schools and I was worried about fitting in, but right away I ran into an old friend from primary school and from there I met many of the guys I consider my best friends today. So, I think I got lucky in that regard.

Ah! Sneaky! Someone asked what my real name is! I would have told you if I wanted you to know! I know you’re all so curious, but part of the fun is the anonymity. I know you all have so many more things you want to ask, but I’ve been talking forever. So, I think it’s time to play a song!

Honestly, I’ve been thinking about someone I knew in high school a lot. I’ve been missing them and wondering where they ended up. Whenever I think about high school I always think about this song. I used to listen to it every day on the bus ride in. It always motivated me to face the day, and I hope it can help you, too.

This is ‘Amsterdam’ by Imagine Dragons.

...

That last song we just heard was ‘Sugar We’re Goin Down’ by Fallout Boy. Truly, what a classic. I really like the era of music from about 2003 to 2010 with all of those boy bands like Fallout, Panic! At The Disco, Parachute... just to name a few.

Gosh, you guys are swarming me with so many questions! Today I’ve received more questions than confessions, so next week I’ll do an extra long confession segment and focus on questions today! You know I love sharing my thoughts with you guys.

This one reads ‘What did you think of Ali Gatie’s last album? Have you listened to it yet?’

Oh my gosh, of course I’ve listened to it! One of the songs is on my playlist for next week. I really think he has a unique take on...

...

... Which is why I think that is my favorite song off the album. Oh boy, I didn’t mean to talk your ears off about that for so long! We’re going to go through a quick little commercial break and then we’ll continue!

...

Welcome back! You are listening to “I Am Who?” with your favorite smooth-talking DJ Bbokdi! For those of you just joining us, I’ve decided to mostly just answer questions today instead of doing confessions, so I’ll be reading only confessions next week!

Just in, I got a very important question from number 3783, ‘Important! Please read! Are you dating anyone?’ Oh! Haha, I suppose I should have been expecting this question at some point. To be honest, no. I’ve gone on a few casual dates with people but I haven’t had a significant other since high school. I haven’t been terribly interested in dating, since I’ve mostly just been focusing on University!

Next I have a question from number 8236 asking, ‘DJ Bbokdi, what is your number one hobby on the weekends?’

Oh this is an easy one! Lately, when I have free time, I’ve been baking a lot! Last weekend I got to try out this incredible banana bread recipe and...

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Welcome to the show! You are listening to 90.5 The Art and I am DJ Bbokdi. For today’s show, since earlier this semester I did a show all with questions and then later did one with all confessions, I figured we needed a show with all music.

You see, finals week is almost upon us and I know we all have a lot of studying to do. Myself included! So I’ve come up with a great relaxing playlist filled with slow songs and some Lo-Fi stuff to help you focus. I’ll pop in to say hello a few times, but for now let’s just enjoy the music!

Admittedly, this playlist was inspired by someone who I miss and hold dear to my heart, and wherever they are, I hope this brings them a little slice of joy. Our first song today is a favorite of theirs called ‘Kiss Me Slowly’ by Parachute. A part of me always knew they were romantic!

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Welcome to the new semester at KNU! My name is DJ Bbokdi and you’re listening to ‘I Am Who?’ on 90.5 The Art.

Spring is in the air! Well, kind of. It’s still brutally cold since it’s only January but I’m honestly so excited because that means we only have two more months until cherry blossom season. I long for the warm weather and sunny days. I haven’t been on a decent bike ride in years so I hope to go this spring if I get the chance.

This semester, I have a lot of great things lined up for the show and I hope you love them as much as I do! This semester I’ll be incorporating some new things, like a mindfulness ASMR segment, where each show I’ll be reading out some phrases that will hopefully motivate you. I also have a really exciting show planned for Valentine's Day, so please be thinking about questions and confessions you want to send to me! If you send them now they’ll likely get lost, so just think about it and I’ll let you know when to send them!

Since it’s cold outside, I decided I wanted to share with you some warm and motivational songs to get you going. It’s so easy to let that seasonal depression get you into a rut. I get it, I’m the same way. So hopefully today my show will make you feel a little bit better.

This morning we’ll be starting off with ‘Like Ooh Aah’ from my favorite girl group, Twice!

...

Alright, that last song I played was ‘Red Flavor’ by Red Velvet. This playlist is so warm and wholesome. I hope that these songs are warming you up on this cold day. I think it might snow later, so be careful wherever you’re headed!

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Good morning and welcome to the [Show] Valentine’s Day special with me! DJ Bbokdi! Today’s show will be composed of love songs, love confessions, and a few questions from you guys! Typically I avoid questions that get too personal, but I figured I would make an exception today since so many of you have been asking.

Today, we’re going to start right off with a beautiful love song to start the show! This is ‘No Other’ by Super Junior! What a classic!

...

Alright, that last song was ‘For Life’ by Exo. That winter tune made me tear up the first time I listened to it! My roommates made fun of me for it, but I don’t care a bit. It’s just so lovely and an incredible declaration of love.

Speaking of declarations of love, we have some lined up for our anonymous confessions! We have a really interesting one here from ‘Playing With Fire’. He says, ‘I like my dance partner. We’ve been paired together in our classes for the last two semesters and with every project I fall for her more and more. She’s beautiful, funny, and talented, and I can’t believe we’ve been so lucky to work together for so long. Luckily, I think our teachers see that we have chemistry, but I wonder if she sees it?’

Wow, you’ve got it bad, dude. Still, she sounds great and I’m happy for you! Hopefully you can get up the courage to confess. If I were you, I’d at least wait until the end of the semester. You don’t want ruined feelings to make things awkward!

Next I have a confession from ‘Chipmunk’. He says, ‘I’ve been with my girlfriend for two years now, but now I see that I don’t think I’ll ever want to be with anyone else. I want to wait until after we graduate to propose, but I don’t know if I have that kind of self control! I think we can wait that long.’

Oh, congratulations, Chipmunk! That’s so exciting! I hope that you can work with her to build a happy life together. Wow, all of these messages coming in are so happy and warm, I wish I could read them all to you!

Okay, last one before I play another song. This one is from ‘Lovestruck’. They say, ‘Mina-yah! I like you! If you like me back, meet me at our spot and accept my heart!’

How sweet! Mina-ssi, I think this was very brave of them so I hope you can give them a chance! Honestly, for me, it’s always so hard to confess to someone and I think I’ve let a lot of opportunities slip away because of it. So if they’re brave enough to tell you, especially over the radio, I think you could give them a chance.

Anyway, I’m going to play a few songs and go into a quick commercial break and I’ll be back in a few! Starting us off on this set is ‘You Really Are Beautiful’ by Choi Nak Ta!

...

Welcome back to ‘I Am Who?’ with DJ Bbokdi! For this Valentine’s Day special, I wanted to share a little more about myself. In general, I like to keep my identity secret and only a few of my friends know about the show. Especially now that the show is so popular, it’s just easier for me to keep my radio life and my school life separate. But today, because you’re all so lovely and kind to me, I’ve decided to answer a few of the more intimate frequently asked questions.

So! For the first question many of you have asked: ‘Tell us about your first kiss?’. Gosh, it was so long ago. I couldn’t have been older than twelve or thirteen. I remember I was at school, I went to a private Catholic school that was co-ed and one of the girls had a crush on me. This is so embarrassing, but even though I didn’t like her back I agreed to kiss her. So during lunch we went out to the yard and behind a tree and I gave her a little peck. Only a few seconds. It was so embarrassing I couldn’t talk to her for weeks!

Her crush on me went away after that, so I don’t know what that says about my kissing skills. I like to think they’ve improved but it’s not like anyone’s given me any feedback.

Anyways! The next one is... oh boy... ‘Who was your first love?’ This... this isn’t really an easy answer? I had my first love in high school but we knew each other before. She was incredible and pretty and, in hindsight, it was love at first sight. But it took me a while to realize I liked her. In any case, we weren’t close or anything and she liked someone else. She was a piece of work though, but it was fun sometimes. While I never confessed or anything, she made it extremely clear that she wanted nothing to do with me. Last I knew of her, she got accepted into medical school so I haven’t seen her since graduation.

I had a chat with all my friends the other day about this, actually. It was nice to reminisce and think about all the lovely, positive things about my first love. I don’t think I’ll ever see her again, but it’s nice to think about her and I genuinely hope she’s doing well.

Alright, last one before another break! You guys wanted to know if I like anyone now and the answer is... not really? I think I’m still hanging on to some residual feelings from my first love. Those are kind of hard to forget, you know? But anyways, maybe one day I’ll find someone I like. In the meantime, I have you guys!

Okay, for the next song I wanted to play some K.Will, a true romantic classic...

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...

And that was ‘You Were Beautiful’! I’ve been listening to a lot of Day6 recently. I don’t know why, but their songs always hit the spot. The instrumentals are incredible and the lyrics are always so powerful. Honestly, I don’t know why I haven’t listened to them more. I used one of their songs as my first song last year, but at the time I hadn’t listened to much else, but I’m glad I listen to them now! One of my... um, friends, kind of... put me onto them indirectly and now I can’t get enough! They honestly don’t have a bad song, if I’m being honest...

I hope that these slower songs have been helping you prepare for midterms this week! I have literally three exams on Friday and I’m tired already. My wrist is killing me from all the writing and the revision I’ve been doing. I think I’ll do well, but who knows. I just hope I won’t fall asleep during my exam. Anyway, enough talking from me. I wanna make sure my voice is rested for the ASMR Affirmation segment here in a few songs!

This next one is from another artist I’ve only recently started listening to. You guys all know how much of a connoisseur of good music I am, so I always love discovering new music. I came across this completely by chance and I wanted to share it with you. This is a great track from LOONA, a group who is admittedly new to me. This is from their album [12:00], ‘Fall Again’...

...

Alright, the last song in that set was [Song] and while I’m loving all of these great songs, it’s time for ASMR Affirmations.

If you’re just joining the show for the first time, my friends all tell me I have a really nice, deep voice for doing stuff like this. Since I’m too embarrassed to release a proper ASMR Youtube series or something, I decided to do it in small bursts to work up my confidence. Since the theme of my show is generally positive, I want to share warm affirmations with you to help you get through the day. Without further ado, here we go, I’m going to whisper into the mic...

Today I will get everything done that I need to, and even if I don’t, tomorrow is another day.

I wake up every day and I do my best.

I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.

I am here for a reason and I will see it through to the end.

Failure is just another way to learn how to do the right thing.

You all are going so amazing on your exams and I am so proud of you for sticking it out even though it is hard.

Your dreams await you.

...

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Thank you for tuning into [Show] with your favorite DJ, Bbokdi! I’m so thrilled to be back this semester!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is an absolutely GORGEOUS day to start the new semester. Last year just whizzed right by and I can’t believe I’m already a sophomore! Honestly, I think the fall semester is often my favorite. Starting the semester when it's warm outside and the energy is high is my favorite. I have some great classes lined up this semester and I have some huge projects I’m working on and, honestly, I’m just loving my youth right now.

This show will continue on as it has. I will share my favorite songs, your confessions, answer questions, and do some warm affirmations to start your day! This morning, I’m just so excited so I want to start off with a bright, warm song that I’ve been obsessed with to get the mood right for the morning. This is ‘Shivers’ by Ed Sheeran, featuring Sunmi and Jessi!

...

And that was ‘The Way I Am’ by Charlie Puth! Hopefully, these songs are giving you the energy to start the day! I’ve been really motivated the last few days, so I want to share it with you! These songs have really inspired me recently.

I want to jump into a few of your confessions because I have some great ones that you guys sent in this morning. This is one from number ‘6348’:

‘I just moved away from my family to go to school here and follow my dream. They all said I would regret it, but I don’t. In fact, I don’t even miss them. I’ve never felt more at home.’

Oh wow, I’m so excited for you! It’s hard, I get that. My family and I moved to Seoul so my sisters and I could get a good education, but over the summer they moved back home to be closer to my grandparents. I miss them, but I know I belong here. So, maybe it’s not exactly the same but we’re definitely in a similar boat. I am so excited that you’re following your dreams! Here’s a confession from number ‘8234’:

‘I have a huge crush on my best friend but I’m so afraid to say anything and mess it up! We’re so compatible but for some reason, I can’t seem to take that extra step. I don’t want to ruin a good thing.’

I think we’ve all been there, Friend. At least, I have. I had a crush on my best friend when I was a freshman in high school I think? Anyways, I’m sorry you’re going through a tough time and I hope you can figure out what to do! If it gets too bad, I would consider talking to your friend and seeing what you can do to keep up a healthy relationship. Remember: communication is key!

Alright, last one for the day, we have a message from number ‘0392’:

‘I’ve been studying pretty much every day for years because my parents want me to succeed, but my secret is that I hate it. I don’t want to study for a while and just live my life. I barely was able to convince them to let me come to KNU but even now they want me to be the top student. I feel like my life has been completely taken over by textbooks and exams and I don’t see an end in sight... I feel so burned out.’

Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear that. Studying is hard and I am so proud of you for sticking with it even though you hate it. I hope that soon you can take a break or talk to your parents about letting you take a break. If you really have worked this hard, you deserve to take a rest. Now that I think about it, I had a friend, I say friend... she didn’t like me, but anyway, she was like this. She studied so much our senior year and she got so many nosebleeds from the stress. My friend, you need to prioritize your health above all else. That is what truly matters.

Also, this is your youth! You will never get these years back and it is so important for you to make the most of it and live your life to the fullest. I know that’s easier said than done but sometimes that just means closing your book and drinking your tea or coffee in silence, or sitting down and listening to your favorite song a million times, or going for a walk.

I believe in you!

...

Alright, that’s about all I have for the day, I have to get to class here soon. We listened to some great music and I have just posted my playlist on Twitter! Before I wrap up, I want to take care of some housekeeping!

As of tomorrow, I will be changing my Twitter handle to something a little more fitting so keep an eye open for that and...

...”

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“GOOD MORNING? EARTH to Cha Eunbyeol!” Jiho tugged lightly at the earbud cord dangling from her best friend’s ear.

The girl in question sighed happily as she stared out across the bustling and busy quad. The sun warmed her skin and her favorite radio show warmed her heart. Jiho’s nagging was pure background noise as DJ Bbokdi whispered his final few affirmations of the day into her ear. His rich, smooth voice covered her like warm chocolate and she sighed again. Jiho rolled her eyes and muttered something Eunbyeol couldn’t hear, but it didn’t matter. Not when Bbokdi was talking. Who cared about anything else?

Her sophomore year at KNU was already off to a good start. Eunbyeol’s dance class yesterday went perfectly and she was aptly paired with her favorite dance partner for their final project. The other kids protested, knowing they would get a good grade that way but their professor pretended not to notice. She and Hwang Hyunjin met in her first dance class in college last year, and while they weren’t partners right away, they hit it off swimmingly. They helped each other with their routines and with the choreography their professor had them memorize. Then, during the spring semester they finally got paired together properly for a project and sparks flew. No other dance partner had ever complimented her the way he had. His dance style was distinct and skillful and Eunbyeol wondered why he even needed to take dance classes in the first place.

Eunbyeol only just barely managed to convince her parents that KNU was the place for her to be, and not Seoul National University. Human anatomy and organic chemistry didn’t interest her in the slightest, so she had to go after something she liked. No one except her was surprised when she got accepted into the school. She, Jiho, and Jisung all got their letters on the same day and they met in the library of their high school to open them. Eunbyeol, somehow, was lucky enough to get just enough of a scholarship to convince her parents.

And the rest was history.

She got good grades, had amazing friends, an adorable apartment with Jiho not far from campus, a perfect dance partner, and the warmest radio show to help her through the week. DJ Bbokdi rambled on about something that happened to him earlier this week and she chuckled at the anecdote but finally noticed Jiho pointing at her watch.

“What?” Eunbyeol tugged an earbud out of her ear.

“Don’t you have class?”

“Yeah, I have Fundamentals of Acting of all things at noon, but that’s not for a while.” Eunbyeol waved it off and went to put the earbud back in, but Bbokdi’s voice was rudely cut off by the shrill ringing of her phone. Hyunjin’s handsome profile picture popped up on her phone, alerting her of a call. It was a sweet picture they took together back in March during cherry blossom season. The pair of them smiled into the camera and Eunbyeol could forgive the interruption. “What’s up, Jinnie?”

“Where the fuck are you?” Hyunjin’s airy voice hissed into the phone and Eunbyeol jumped.

“What do you mean? I’m in the quad waiting for class?”

“We agreed to meet at the theater building so we could go in together and get a better chance at being partners for the semester.” Hyunjin’s pout could be heard through the phone.

“Yeah, and I’m going to go! Class isn’t for an hour.”

“You idiot! It’s literally 11:55 right now. Don’t tell me you were listening to that stupid radio show of yours again.”

“What! It’s not stupid! DJ Bbokdi really gets me! Today he played like three songs I’ve been obsessed with recently. Besides, I won’t be late, it’s only-” Eunbyeol checked the time on her phone. “Fuck!”

“I’m never going to speak to you again if I have to be stuck with some random person for the entire semester.”

“I thought Minho was taking this class, too?” Eunbyeol scrambled to gather her things, shoving her papers and books into her backpack unceremoniously while Jiho watched on.

“He had to switch out for his stage managing practicum. I think I have another friend who agreed to take it, but I don’t know if he got in! If that’s the case, I don’t want either of us to be stuck with some rando.” Hyunjin whined.

“Bye, Jiho-yah! I’ll see you at home!” Eunbyeol called to her friend, ignoring the ‘I told you so’ eyeroll that she was so famous for. “Relax, I’m on my way, I’ll be there soon.”

“It’s 11:56 now! If you’re late you owe me dinner. You’d better run!”

With nothing else, Hyunjin ended the call and Eunbyeol wasted no time in picking up the pace. While running she quickly navigated to the radio station app to see if Bbokdi ended his show yet. She fumbled as she ran, cussing under her breath the entire time. Eunbyeol shoved the earbud into her ear just in time to hear the last ten seconds.

“That’s it for me today, my friends! Be sure to tune into [Show] next week! Same time, same place. Now, I have to get to class. See you later!”

“Damn it...” Eunbyeol muttered, racing past the student center without getting the chance to peer in and see if she could see the mastermind at the switchboard.

Eunbyeol stumbled onto the radio show quite by accident. In her first semester, she’d found Jiho listening to it one day because Jisung recommended it to her. Something about DJ Bbokdi just made her heart all warm and before she knew it, she found herself listening every single week. He had the perfect voice for radio, smooth and enticing. And he was friendly and loving and such a wonderful person, truly the whole package. It was no wonder that most of the girls she met on campus always had something to say about DJ Bbokdi and his beautiful voice and beautiful personality. Surely, with a voice like that, he had to be good-looking.

The idea of being ‘just another fangirl’ was abhorrent and Eunbyeol winced at the mere thought. She wanted to be his friend somehow. He’d read a few of her confessions on-air and answered a question or two, but for some reason, it wasn’t enough. It didn’t feel like he was talking to her. Not exactly.

Eunbyeol couldn’t tell if the warmth in her chest was from the show this morning or the physical exertion of running down the path toward the theater building. She’d only agreed to take this stupid class for Hyunjin, who wanted it as one of his electives outside of his majors. The idiot was enrolled for two bachelor’s degrees and still found time to take asinine acting classes and he convinced her to do it with him. She needed a few electives herself, so she agreed. But... it wasn’t the only reason.

Her heart pounded as she made her way closer and closer to the building. She could see it, but he wasn’t standing outside. Hyunjin must have gone inside to secure a partner. The professor for this class did the same thing many professors did. They stuck you with a partner for a semester-long project where you had to equally contribute towards a mutual goal. It’s how she and Hyunjin got close, and how they wanted to stay close. Hyunjin was the perfect partner for her and she for him. It was no wonder why he wanted her to take this class with him. He didn’t want to be stuck with someone potentially unreliable. With that thought, Eunbyeol sped up.

Her phone pinged with a message and she winced, eyeing the preview on her screen as she ran. Hyunjin wasn’t going to wait for her to be late. Eunbyeol’s heart sank at the idea of running up to the building without seeing Hyunjin on the stairs. The only reason she ever liked being late was getting to see him waiting for her. She wished she could see that today: Hyunjin’s slender form leaning against a wall or a pillar and swiping aimlessly through his phone before looking up at her and smiling. She couldn’t decide what she would have missed more. The end of her radio show or her gorgeous best friend.

[Jinnie: Professor Min is beginning to dish out partners as a way of taking attendance. She hasn’t even read the syllabus yet. You’d better hurry!]

A new text from Hyunjin made her lungs claw for breath. Eunbyeol cussed under her breath as she started up the stairs toward the building. The theater building was tall and made of pristine glass. In the evenings, you could look in and see the sparkling chandeliers and ivory marble floors. Her senior showcase would be performed on the expansive stage and just the thought made the hair on the back of her neck stand to attention. She longed to leap and twirl on the hardwood under the lights.

She didn’t have time to stop and peer into the hall to appreciate the stage like she normally did. Eunbyeol wanted to dance there more than anything. Well, except for maybe getting to class on time.

[Jinnie: Just listen to your stupid radio show in the building next time... you’re too whipped for that guy.]

She would have to tell him off for that later. She didn’t have enough brain power to come up with a comeback, but thankfully she could give Hyunjin an earful after class. She wasn’t that whipped.

Eunbyeol gratefully rounded the corner and was glad to see the door to her classroom open. A few students hurried up and down the hallway to get to their respective classes, so at least she wasn’t alone. A boy several feet ahead of her slipped into her classroom and her heart swelled with a moment of camaraderie. At least she wouldn’t be the only one late to class. She glanced quickly at her watch to find that she was only three minutes late, so she might still be able to be partners with Hyunjin. Eunbyeol wasn’t sure she could survive this semester being partnered with anyone else.

“I’m sorry, Professor!” Eunbyeol gasped as she threw herself into the brightly lit classroom. She doubled over to suck in some deep breaths. “I lost track of time, please forgive me-”

“Look at that! It looks like you won’t have to be in a group of three. We’re back to an even number in the class!” Professor Min exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

Eunbyeol slowly straightened out and glanced through the room, her eyes finding Hyunjin as naturally as looking towards the light. Hyunjin sat near the back by the window and he stared at her with wide eyes. His jet-black hair was about as long as his chin but pulled back tastefully out of his eyes with a white ribbon. A few stray stands fell out to frame his slim face. His features were soft and elf-like, with a strong jawline and cheekbones but handsome eyes and lips. His thick eyebrows were furrowed together and he mouthed a few words at her through the classroom. She knew him well enough at this point to tell what he was saying.

“Where the hell were you, what happened?”

“Lost track of time! Who is that?”

Eunbyeol gestured vaguely to the random boy on Hyunjin’s left. He glanced over before scowling at Eunbyeol. She didn’t need to be told that the random kid was Hyunjin’s partner. She hoped he at least saved her a seat. Eunbyeol knew he’d be mad, but they’d have to talk about it after class.

“Oh, okay!” A voice at the front of the room exclaimed and Eunbyeol’s attention was ripped rather rudely from her best friend.

The boy who had slipped into the room before her stood at the front of the room by the professor. He wore a black hoodie, strange for the middle of August, and a black cap that had tufts of blond hair sticking out the bottom. His backpack sagged but his shoulders were straight and showed no strain from the weight. Something about him struck her as familiar, but she couldn’t seem to place him.

“Student? What is your name?” Professor Min, a tall and lithe woman with a long ponytail down her back, once again brought Eunbyeol’s attention back into the room.

“Ah... I’m Cha Eunbyeol.” she introduced herself with a deep bow, missing how the boy at the front tensed up the moment she spoke her name.

“Welcome Cha Eunbyeol! Please find a place to sit with your partner! Ah, please introduce yourselves.”

Eunbyeol rose back up just in time to have her world completely turned upside down. The blond boy turned around to greet her, his handsome face melting into a satisfied smirk that she knew all too well. She never thought in a million years that she would see him again after high school and, in fact, was banking on it. She wanted to forget her entire relationship with him but somehow, fate had brought them together again. She supposed it was her fault for not paying a lick of attention to him after the music video shoot before their senior year. How could she have known they chose the same goddamn university?

The boy took a step towards her and held his hand out to her. He stuffed his free hand into the pocket of his hoodie. Blond hair poked out of the cap he wore from all angles, curling around the back of his neck and flaring out around his perfectly shaped almond eyes. She almost wouldn’t have recognized him with the longer blond hair if she wasn’t hyper-aware of so many other parts of him. His soft hands, plush lips, perfectly angular nose and those beautiful freckles scattered along his cheeks.

If it wasn’t for his signature smirk and the obnoxious nickname he called her, she might not have recognized him at all. When he spoke, Eunbyeol’s jaw dropped and she found herself stuck to her place on the floor. His voice somehow got even lower and it reverberated through her and went right to the empty space between her legs.

“Hello, nice to meet you, Sweetheart.” He whispered the name under his breath so just she could hear it. “I’m Lee Felix. Let’s get along, shall we?”

Oh no... he got hot. Really, really hot.

~!~!~!~!~!~

EUNBYEOL TRIED TO pay attention to the syllabus in front of her, but she’d heard all of the boring stuff before. The professor droned on about things like classroom policy, school policy, and plagiarism for several minutes and Eunbyeol convinced herself that was why she wasn’t paying attention.

Same shit, different day.

Same shit, same guy, different day... different school. Eunbyeol’s jaw set as the thought about the unbelievably hot blond-haired boy sitting next to her. Thankfully, Hyunjin put his backpack on the seat to his right so she could sit there.

Hwang Hyunjin: Her dance partner, the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, her best friend, her crush. Whenever she saw him her heart leaped into her throat and she couldn’t believe that he actually liked her too. Even if he didn’t like her in a romantic sense, he liked her enough to hang out with her all the time and seek out being her partner for class projects. In fact, aside from Jiho, Eunbyeol thought she spent most of her time with Hyunjin and he spent most of his time with her. Not only that, but he was the best dance partner she’d ever had in her life. It was almost movie-like and stereotypical how well they worked with each other, most of the time predicting the other’s moves way before they did them.

“It’s your fault we’re like this.” Hyunjin leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“I know!” Eunbyeol wanted to scream, but she kept her voice as a harsh whisper. “You don’t have to remind me.”

“I would have been happy with either of you but now I have neither? Ridiculous.” Hyunjin rolled his eyes and leaned away, leaving Eunbyeol to wonder what he meant. She didn’t have time to ask before the professor finally spoke up about the project.

“Alright, and now the project!” Professor Min began. “You’ll see the details in the syllabus, but here’s the gist. Your final project will be a pair scene that we work on all semester. You have a couple of weeks to read a bunch of scenes and one-acts. Ideally, your performance will be between ten and twenty minutes. By the third week of class you will have chosen a scene with your partner, by midterms you will perform it once for the class and we will spend a few weeks workshopping each piece. Then, your final exam will be performing your piece at a showcase in the Black Box theater.”

“Oh god, are you sure you wanna take this class?” Eunbyeol whispered to Hyunjin, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Of course I do. Come on, it’ll be fine!” He responded with a glint in his eye.

“In the meantime, while you all are working on your scenes, you will be doing weekly exercises with your partner.” Professor Min continued and the class groaned at her words. Everyone except... Lee fucking Felix. “These exercises will be in the most important thing you can have with anyone: trust. We will be doing various trust-building exercises in class and out of class for the next sixteen weeks. Every week I expect you to complete one of them and submit a reflection by Sunday at 11:59 pm. While I have some plans for in-class things, there is also a list of things you could do with your partner on the syllabus. There are more than sixteen so you are welcome to do more than that for a few points of extra credit. By the way, that will be the only extra credit I offer this semester. With that, let’s get into the grade breakdown...”

Eunbyeol flipped through to the page that listed all of the things she would have to do. Her eyes widened at the extensive list and nausea bubbled up within her at the thought of doing these things with Lee Felix. Hold hands for thirty minutes... stare into each other's eyes for twenty minutes... cook a meal together... read to each other...

What is this bullshit?

She glanced over at Felix who, like her, was perusing the list. However, he had a delighted smile plastered onto his soft features, making his eyes sparkle in the bright natural light. Felix, the last person Eunbyeol expected to see much less be paired with, looked over at her and balanced his chin with the palm of his hand. He smiled warmly at her. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

How obnoxious... ly hot.

“Alright, class. I am going to pass out your first pair assignment now.” Professor Min handed a stack of paper to a student in the front, who took one and passed it down. “On this page, there are three questions you’re going to ask your partner. Simple things, nothing too much. Write down their answers and on the back write a brief paragraph about first impressions. Once you’re done, you can leave for the day and we will start learning about genres in the next class. If you have any questions let me know.”

The room burst into conversation immediately. Eunbyeol glanced over at Hyunjin to see about talking to him instead of her partner, but he seemed to be invested in his. Eunbyeol then turned to look at Felix, who was already looking her up and down with an obnoxiously perfect smile on his face. Slowly, Felix leaned forward to whisper in her ear, sending chills down her spine involuntarily.

“I can’t wait to work on this project with you! I’m sure we’ll have a great time.” Felix shot her a wink and she scowled in response.

“As if!”

“Come on, it’s the perfect chance to catch up. We haven’t seen each other since high school!”

“Yes, and there is a very good reason for that.” Eunbyeol hissed.

“Here-” Felix produced a pen out of his bag and leaned over to scribble something on her syllabus. She tried to wrench her papers away from him, but his veiny hand kept them in place effortlessly. “When you decide you’d like to do well in this class, shoot me a text. Or, actually... you should give me your number, you probably won’t text me first.”

“What?” Eunbyeol blinked in surprise when Felix tilted his pen toward her and moved his syllabus closer.

“Sweetheart, like I’m sure you’re thinking right now, we’re stuck doing this together. Some of these dumb exercises are things we have to pre-plan, so we should talk about what we want to do. If you won’t give it to me, I’ll just get it from Hyunjin.” Felix rolled his eyes, taking a page from the stack handed to him before offering it to her. She took a page and passed it over her shoulder to Hyunjin. She didn’t miss how Hyunjin’s long fingers brushed over her own. “God, these questions are dumb. Let’s get this over with.”

“Fuck this,” Eunbyeol muttered, grabbing a pen from her backpack. She leaned over and wrote her digits on his paper before huffing and looking at the page. After reading the questions, she glanced up at Felix.

In high school, his eyes seemed to shimmer in the light and it was no different now. However, it was somewhat reassuring that he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see her either. On that, at least, Eunbyeol knew they could agree. Felix rolled his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and read off the first question to her. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek in annoyance. He glanced over the page at her and heaved a sigh.

Why is he hot even when he’s mad?!

“This is gonna be a long fucking semester, isn’t it?”

~!~!~!~!~!~

“Student Name: Cha Eunbyeol.

Partner Name: Lee Felix

Question 1: Why are you taking this class?

Answer: My (our?) best friend asked him to take it. It’s not in his major, but he said he didn’t want to be alone. They’re not partners now so I guess it didn’t work out.

Question 2: Three interesting facts about yourself?

Answer: One... He likes nutella toast way too much, I think it’s a problem. Two, he’s a music production major. Three, his favorite color is black.

Question 3: What is it that you hope to get out of this class?

Answer: Of course, he said friendship. He loves meeting new people and learning new things and he really thinks that this class will help him to learn how to develop relationships and work with difficult people to work towards a common goal.

Reflection: Professor, PLEASE let me switch partners. If anyone else is unhappy with their partner, I will HAPPILY switch with them. I know all of this is about trust but I wouldn’t even trust Lee Felix to spell his own name correctly, much less do the work. I do not like him and I don’t think we will be a good fit for this project. I’m scared of what will happen if I’m associated with him. What if... what if I don’t hate him?”

“Wow, Eunbyeol-ssi, it sounds like you have to learn to trust people a little more! The fact that you and him seem to clash is the exact reason I do this project every semester. Stick it out and all will be well! -Professor Min”

“Student Name: Lee Felix

Partner Name: Cha Eunbyeol

Question 1: Why are you taking this class?

Answer: Her best friend (also my best friend! Small world!) Hyunjin wanted her to take it so they could be partners for the project. They actually work well together. Also... this fills an elective requirement.

Question 2: Three interesting facts about yourself?

Answer: One: She hates the color black, she prefers blue. Two: She’s at KNU on a scholarship and if she drops this class, she’ll probably lose it. So, lucky for me Eunbyeol is stuck here. Three: She really likes to dance. (I knew that already, but she wouldn’t change her answer.)

Question 3: What is it that you hope to get out of this class:

Answer: She hopes to get out of this class alive. (Sorry, she didn’t give me a better answer before she left.)

Reflection: Honestly, we knew each other in high school but she hasn’t changed much. She likes things done her way and she really doesn’t like me. Unfortunately for her, I think she’s great and I’m super excited to get to work with her on this. I really hope that some of these trust exercises will help bring us a little closer together. If anything, I just want to be her friend. Chances are, she’ll be dramatic about it for a few weeks and then she’ll do it.”

“Felix-ssi, you have your hands full! Normally I wouldn’t share this, but she asked to switch partners. If things were bad, I would allow it. However, it sounds to me like you really care for her and you want to put in the work to do the project and to build your relationship with Eunbyeol. I’ll be rooting for you! -Professor Min”

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