Prompt #28: 小幸运 A Little Happiness

[100xoverfest]

Prompt: #28
Title: 小幸运 A Little Happiness
Genre: High School AU!, Slight College AU!, Fluff, Slight Angst??
Rating: PG-13
Side Pairings: -
Warning/s: Slight Homophobia, Foul Language??
Season: Spring
Summary: Behind hidden bookshelves and closed doors, Yifan and Junmyeon share their own secret love song.
A/N (Author's Note): first I would like to thank the wonderful mods who were so patient with me and for creating such a unique fic fest. I apologize to the op since I didn't fully follow their prompt but I hope they still enjoy my word junk hehe. I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes but I hope all of you can enjoy the story as well.

“Yo Luhan!”

 

“What Chen. I’m on my lunch break right now why are you calling me?”

 

“Okay so I just came back from the convenience store and guess who I ran into? Wu Yifan!”

 

“From high school?”

 

“The one and only! But that’s not all! So I approached him and we made the usual wow-it’s-been-so-long-how-are-you chit chat and guess what???”

 

“What.”

 

“He’s married!”

 

“Well he’s 35 so it shouldn’t be that surprisi-”

 

“Ah but guess who he’s married to?”

 

“Who?”

 

“You’re never going to believe this.”

 

---

 

Yifan loves spring. It’s not too cold and not too warm either. His surroundings look lively with all the cherry blossoms around him and the sun shines brightly everyday. Most of his beloved memories happened in spring too - the first time he rode a bike, the day he discovered basketball, even the time he made breakfast for his mom on Mother’s day.

 

What made spring more special to Yifan, however, was the day he met Kim Junmyeon.

 

---

 

Up until his second year of high school, Yifan has always been prepared. A teacher gives a pop quiz no one studied for? Yifan reviewed the material the night before. His seatmate forgot to bring a pencil? Yifan pulled an extra one from his bag. His mom forgot to cook dinner? Yifan already bought noodles on the way from school. What Yifan wasn’t prepared for though, was a rainy day on spring. He had been enjoying the sun’s rays up until this morning so by the end of the day, he just stands from the front of the school looking up at the gray sky and contemplates how he can get home without getting his entire body soaked. While he comes up with ideas in his head, he feels a soft tap on his shoulder. He turns and looks for who would have tapped and looks down to see the Korean transfer student looking up at him.

 

“W-Would you like an umbrella?” said the short student in hushed and slightly awkward Mandarin.

 

Yifan, slightly confused and in a daze, nods his head and slowly takes the blue-colored umbrella from the other boy’s hands.

 

“Thanks. What about you though?”

 

“I still have after school activities so I think the sky will clear up by the time I finish.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

The other nodded and that was Yifan’s cue to leave after giving the boy a slight nod in thanks and a promise to give the umbrella back the next day. Yifan stepped out into the rain, protected by the umbrella with a smile on his lips and a blushing student watching him leave.

 

---

 

The umbrella was dry and looked good as new the next day but there was a slight problem - Yifan didn’t know who gave him the umbrella so he didn’t know where to find the kind student. He could try asking around for him since it shouldn’t be too hard to track down a Korean student in a high school in China but Yifan didn’t have time in between classes to do so. Yifan tried remembering the details of the boy’s face and it was then that he realized how handsome the transfer student was. Smooth and pale skin with a petite mouth and those eyes, oh those eyes, something about them draws Yifan in the more he thinks about it. Class starts before he knows it and he forgets the weight of the umbrella under his desk.

 

Lunch time eventually came and Yifan took this chance to look for umbrella boy. He buys a red bean bun from the cafeteria and eats it while looking for the Korean student in a sea of other high school students. The tall third year student walks round and round the cafeteria until he gets thirsty and moves toward the vending machines to buy something to drink. After he gets his bottle of apple juice, he leans against the wall and enjoys a few bites of his red bean bun until he hears foreign words from behind him. The Chinese student turns around and sees the boy he’s been looking for the entire day. The black haired Korean student is talking to what Yifan assumes to be are his fellow Korean transferees. He takes this chance to walk up to the said boy and tap his shoulder. The shorter boy looks up with a confused face until it transforms into one of recognition. Yifan gives him a small smile and hands over the umbrella. The grin he receives in return stays in his mind the whole day.

 

---

 

A week has passed since Yifan returned the umbrella to the Korean student but he still replays that moment in his mind everyday- when he daydreams in class, while he does the dishes, even as he lays in bed waiting for sleep to overcome him. His eyes always seem to search for the boy during lunch breaks and after school. His friends Luhan asks him why he keeps looking at the Korean student but he only shakes his head and says it’s nothing. That doesn’t stop him from staring at the boy though because whenever he sees the other, a song plays in his mind and he gets lost in his thoughts about him.

 

I was hearing the rains dripping, on the green green grass field

I was hearing far away, the bell ringing sound of class dismissing

However, I did not hear your voice, earnestly calling out my name

The time I fell in love with you, I did not understand deep affection

 

At first he didn’t know why he couldn’t stop thinking about the boy but as he keeps listening to the song while reminiscing about the boy’s smile, he slowly understand why- and it scares him. It scares him a lot.

 

---

 

Yifan still thinks about him, looks for him, stares at him. He thinks he’s getting borderline creepy at this point. The more he watches the boy, the more he notices that the boy sometimes stares back too, even with a small smile. It makes his heart race and keeps him awake at nights. He still doesn’t know where these feelings will take him but all he knows that the Korean student a year below him has the most beautiful smile and his favorite song plays whenever that smile is directed at him.

 

Why did I not understand that meeting you is the best thing of my life

Perhaps at the time being busy smiling and crying, busy chasing shooting stars in the night sky, people naturally forget

 

On a wednesday about a month since the “umbrella incident”-as YIfan calls it- the tall Chinese male finds himself inside the library after school trying to cram for a math test he has the next day. He is bent over a Calculus textbook in a secluded corner in the library when he hears shuffling near the shelves. He looks up and sees the fair skinned male plaguing his mind for weeks. The Korean transfer student is looking through the books in the shelves when he notices a certain pair of eyes staring at him in awe. He blushes at the attention and returns to looking for a book about the Mandarin language. Yifan can’t bring himself to look away and he doesn’t know what compels him to ask the boy what kind of book he’s looking for. The other male answers that he wants to improve his Mandarin skills and thought learning from language book could help, which prompts Yifan to ask his next question.

 

“Would you like me to teach you?”

 

Yifan receives a bright smile in return and the song plays in his head once again.

 

---

 

Junmyeon, as Yifan learns what the Korean student’s name was during their study sessions, is an absolute sweetheart with his eye smiles and hushed Mandarin sentences. They have their daily Mandarin lessons after school and Junmyeon always greet Yifan with a sweet hello and homemade cookies in gratitude for tutoring him. Yifan thinks they taste like happiness in food form. He’s been tutoring Junmyeon for about three weeks now and Yifan has been on cloud 9 since day one. He never felt this excited to go to school before, even when his history teacher gave out free red bean buns on their final exam day last year. Junmyeon is quite a fast learner and his Mandarin skills improve each day. As proud as Yifan can be, he doesn’t want their lessons to end-and now he knows why, but it still scares him. It scares him… but he still wants him. He still wants Junmyeon so so much.

 

On their fourth week of Mandarin lessons, Yifan notices how pretty Junmyeon’s hands are (or he just stares at them longer than usual). Junmyeon is trying to improve on his Chinese writing skills and Yifan is amazed with the way his pale and delicate fingers move with the pencil. He notices a small mistake in one of the characters and before he fully realizes what he’s doing, his hands reach out and hold Junmyeon’s fingers to guide him. Both boys flush and stare holes into the paper as they refuse to look into each other’s eyes. Although they had stopped writing, their hands are still on top of each other with no intention of moving. After who knows how long, Yifan looks up and finds Junmyeon’s cheeks beet red, giving him the courage to bring his other hand to the Korean boy’s cheek and run his finger down the pale skin. Junmyeon finally looks up and the two boys find their faces growing closer by the second. Then, on a sunny Friday afternoon, two boys have their first kiss in the corner of their school’s library. And the song plays in Yifan’s head once again.

 

As it turns out, it is you who are the fortune I would like to keep

As it turns out, we were once close to love

 

---

 

Yifan didn’t think his study sessions with Junmyeon could get any better; however stolen kisses between bookshelves and shy smiles while eating homemade cookies proved him wrong. Yifan doesn’t know what they are yet but he does know that he likes the feeling of having Junmyeon’s fingers intertwined with his while they walk to the school gates after their study session. He also likes the feeling of his lips touching Junmyeon’s cheeks, lips, even his forehead. Although for some reason, Yifan only keeps his affection for the Korean boy in the hidden corners of the library after school without any watchful eyes looking at them with scrutiny and disgust. He couldn’t do that to himself. He couldn’t do that to Junmyeon. The said boy doesn’t seem to mind until he tried to reach out for Yifan during their lunch break a few days ago.

 

“Yifan!”

 

Yifan stops talking with his friends and turns to the voice who called him. He sees his lovely Junmyeon making his way towards him and he can feel the confused stares of his fellow peers.

 

“Why is the transfer kid calling you?”

 

“Oh shit he’s coming over here what the hell Yifan.”

 

Junmyeon finally reaches Yifan and takes his hand with a blinding grin that makes the latter’s heart race and breaks his heart with what he’s about to do.

 

Yifan yanks his arm away from Junmyeon and gave the most convincing glare he could manage. The quiver of Junmyeon’s lips and widening of his eyes breaks his heart even more but Yifan is a coward- a coward who falling deeper into the boy with the beautiful smile and into his own fears.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Y-Yifan…”

 

“Let’s just go guys.”

 

Thus, Yifan turns to leave with his friends but one boy stays behind and looks at Junmyeon with sympathetic eyes.

 

“I’m sorry about them. Yifan’s just in a bad mood today I guess. I don’t know why he wouldn’t recognize you though since he stares at you quite often”

 

“He does?”

 

“Yeah. Hey you know you speak pretty good Mandarin for someone who only transferred here a few months ago.”

 

“O-Oh thanks. I just have a really good teacher.”

 

---

 

By the time school ends, Yifan still goes to the library even though he doesn’t expect Junmyeon to show up after what he did earlier- but lo and behold, there was the apple of his eye waiting in the back of the library with a fresh batch of homemade cookies just for him. Yifan quickly walks to the table where Junmyeon is and sits down. He can’t find the right words to say but apparently Junmyeon has.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Yifan’s head perks up, “For what? I should be apologizing to you. I also owe you a huge ass explanation.”

 

“No don’t worry. I get it. You’re scared and still a little bit confused. I understand. I shouldn’t have just run up to you like that in public when there are some people who will judge you-us.”

 

Junmyeon is too perfect and Yifan finds himself falling even more the more he listens to boy talk.

 

“Hey tell you what. For today’s lesson I’m gonna teach you a song.”

 

“A song?”

 

“Yeah it’s one of my favorite songs and I think it’ll help with how you pronounce your words… Also if you ever think of me, just listen to this song and maybe you can feel a bit better.”

 

Junmyeon giggles. “You think so?”

 

“I know so. It’s what I do whenever I think of you.”

 

---

 

It is so fortunate to meet you

But I have already lost the right to shed tears down my cheeks for you

 

For a few months, Yifan and Junmyeon’s worlds consisted of knowing smiles in the hallway, soft kisses by the cherry blossom tree at the front of the school, and even secret notes between lunch breaks. None of their friends suspected a thing as they ran in different circles and their teachers and parents were even more oblivious to the whole affair. Although Yifan knew Junmyeon understood that they would need to keep whatever relationship they have hidden, he can see how Junmyeon wants more. He sees the longing in the latter’s eyes when they pass by each other in the hallway, his sad smile when he sees other couples showing affection to each other during lunch breaks, and the way his hand itches to hold his when they stand next to each other in the lunch line. Yifan badly wants to hold Junmyeon whenever and wherever too. He wants to proudly call Junmyeon his the same way his friends brag about their girlfriends, but he can’t. He can’t do any of those-not with the way his peers showed disgust when they heard the news of America passing same sex laws; not with the way they look down on the only openly gay person from their class last year and had to switch schools because of the abuse; and especially not with the way he knows they’ll treat Junmyeon if and when they find out. Yifan wants to protect the boy he is so infatuated with but he doesn’t know how.

 

Yifan knew he couldn’t keep Junmyeon a secret forever but he always thought that it would be society pulling them apart, not him pushing the other way with his cowardice. The secret couple are nearing their first 100 days together as some sort of couple and Yifan’s smile grows wider the more he sees how excited Junmyeon is. The former knows how special this day is for the both of them and decides they should do something outside the walls of their school library. He plans for the both of them to go to amusement park nearby on their 100th day and his heart warms once he sees how elated Junmyeon is when he tells him the news.

 

They meet on a Saturday in a quaint little cafe where they grab drinks and set off to the amusement park. Their day starts off smoothly as they go on as much rides as they can and eat lots of cotton candy along the way. They don’t hold hands and they keep some distance between them but both know today definitely defines how they feel for each other.

 

They take a break and sit on one of the benches. They’re sitting quite close to each other and Yifan likes the way Junmyeon sags against his shoulder. They watch birds fly by in silence as a comfortable silence falls upon them. The rest of the world ceases to exist when Junmyeon lays his head on Yifan’s shoulder and they both enjoy each other’s company without a care for society’s pressures-until they get brought back to reality.

 

“Yifan?”

 

“Yi-Yifeng?”

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

“I-I’m-”

 

“Oh shit are you gay? You’re fucking gay?”

 

“N-No I’m not!” Yifan feels Junmyeon slowly move away from him and his heart drops.

 

“Oh fuck wait till the others hear about this.”

 

Yifeng leaves and Yifan turns to Junmyeon only to find that the spot beside him is empty with no traces of his first love left behind.

 

---

 

It’s close to midnight and yet Yifan can’t bring himself to fall asleep. He keeps replaying the events of the day, breaking his heart even more. If he’s feeling this distraught over what happened today, he can’t even imagine how Junmyeon feels. He texted the other multiple messages asking him where he is and if he’s safe, how sorry he feels, and how he doesn’t want to lose him-all left unread and unanswered. As he contemplates on how to get Junmyeon to forgive him for the nth time, his phone rings. He quickly picks it up thinking it’s Junmyeon but sighs when he sees the caller id as Luhan.

 

“Hey Han.”

 

“Hey. So, uh, Yifeng saw you and Junmyeon today.”

 

“Damn. He’s fast.”

 

“Tell me about it. Hey, look, Yifan, it’s okay. It’s okay that you like Junmyeon. I mean, it’s great that you like him!”

 

“R-Really?”

 

“Totally! Look I know the others will probably give you hell about it but who gives a shit about them. I’ll still be your friend.”

 

“Y-You will? You don’t I’m a freak? You don’t think Junmyeon’s a freak?”

 

“Of course not. I think you guys look good together too to be very honest. So get him man.”

 

“Thanks Han. That...that really means a lot.”

 

With a newfound determination to fight for his first love, Yifan goes to sleep anticipating what tomorrow will bring.

 

---

 

It’s Yifan’s first day of college he’s starting a new life in his university. His feelings are in a mix between nervous, excited, and just plain tired. He wants to leave his high school life behind and start anew. The taunting of his peers haunts him at night sometimes but only because it reminded him of what he had lost. Adjusting to keeping quiet to himself sitting class and eating only with Luhan during lunch was rough at first but trying to go through his days without Junmyeon was even harder. The day after his disastrous “break-up” with Junmyeon, he finds out from Luhan who found out from Chen that Junmyeon moved back to Korea the night before. Apparently Junmyeon was set to leave for months now but Yifan had no clue. Yifan figured Junmyeon had his reasons and he had a lot of growing up to do before he could deserve someone like Junmyeon.

 

That’s why the moment he heard of an exchange program to study in Korea for his first semester of college, he immediately completed an application and got accepted right away.

 

It was a very impulsive decision and now Yifan thinks about how ridiculous he was to think he’ll be able to find one person among a sea of millions. He’s here now and he might as well make use of his six months here.

 

---

Yifan’s been studying in Korea for three months now and everything has been quite easy so far. He’s been learning the language pretty well and he made a few friends-one of them being a fellow music major named Chanyeol. They're meeting up for lunch in the Chinese restaurant nearby and Chanyeol said he’s bringing a friend with him. He hasn't met this friend yet so he's pretty excited to meet someone new. He arrives earlier than Chanyeol and goes to buy his lunch. He then saves a table for the three of them and plays on his phone while waiting. A familiar song plays in the speakers of the restaurant and Yifan begins to daydream of a boy with a beautiful smile and soft after school kisses. He continues to long for this boy and promises to himself to keep searching no matter how long it takes.

 

After a few minutes he hears footsteps nearing his table and looks up to see Chanyeol with a smaller boy walking next to him. He couldn't see the other’s face very clearly...until they reach his table.

 

“Junmyeon?”

 

And the man of his dreams smiles and sits in front of him while their secret love song plays in the background.

 

(And Chanyeol stares confusedly between them while the two lost lovers stare at each other as if they're the only ones to exist in the whole world.)

 

---

 

“Wow who knew Yifan would actually have the guts to date Junmyeon again and marry him too!”

 

“Yeah I was really surprised myself Han. I thought Junmyeon’s crush on Yifan would just end up one sided all throughout high school. I never thought they'd actually date all through their college years!”

 

“I should've been invited to their wedding though. I helped them get back together!”