Chapter Text
Kim Hajin is a nobody. This is something he’s aware of, accepted, and embraced. He's been an NPC all his life and it won’t change anytime soon. He’s someone easily forgotten, a background character, someone to fill empty space. He doesn’t do overly great at school, nor too bad either. Average, his whole being is described by that one word. He is an average existence.
Kim Suho, however, is not. Hajin knew him, of course he does. Everyone knows the guy, the face of their high school, the student the principal proudly shows off at every moment. A competition won? It’s him, it’s always him. Hajin sometimes wonders how a guy can be so… perfect , seriously. Good looks, good personality, good talent, he had it all. Not that Hajin is envious, he just thought of it sometimes, whenever he accidentally catches the younger student’s face in the hallway. Crowded, because everyone wanted a piece of the infamous Suho. Hajin just stares at pity for a few seconds before rushing back to his class.
Still, there’s something curious about Suho. Something that itches at Hajin’s brain but it sounds so illogical he’s even confused why he’s even worried.
Is it him or is Suho just, everywhere? It feels like Hajin can find him anywhere. He’d thought Suho is following him if it weren’t such a ridiculous notion. Who is he to say that he’s someone who’ll catch the attention of Kim Suho?
He can understand Rachel, the foreign student who got a scholarship to be here. She’d been sitting close to him whenever he went to the library to study because that one time he answered way more questions than her in a history quiz competition. It’s still ridiculous that she, the smart and intelligent girl from Britain, thinks he’s better than her in her own domain, but at least it makes some sense in his confused brain.
Suho for whatever reason seemed to be everywhere for no reason. It’s not like Suho is aiming to one-up him, he’s always better than Hajin, he doesn’t think Suho’s that dense to even think otherwise. Suho is always hundreds of steps ahead of him, so what does he want? It can’t be for studying either, because Suho’s a year younger than him, unless he’s a secretly academic driven guy who’s obsessed with studying, there should be no reason to seek him out. While Rachel is exactly… that, in a good way. You can get away with lots of things with a pretty face.
It got worse when he got elected as the student council president.
Which… doesn’t… make sense…
He was never in student council, as much as he’d love to increase his scores by doing so, he’s just too unworthy to be in. It’s not that he’s particularly active in any student council activities either.
And he never even ran for the position in the first place? How did his name show up as the first candidate??
When he inquires about it to the former president, the other just grins, claps his shoulder and winks, “A certain someone is very persistent.”
‘Who???’ His face screams. The older student pretends to not see.
So here is Hajin. In the student council office. With the president title. And student council paperwork in his hands.
What is life, honestly. He’s trying to convince himself it’s just been a really long fever dream, so far it’s not working well. Reality is often harsh.
Screw the fact that Hajin never even wanted this position in the first place, right? Well, screw the person who apparently recommended him to the former president. Still, as much as he dislikes it… he tries. His best. Which seems to be not doing well. To think his best is not even all that great, isn’t that just plain pathetic.
“Please don’t do that.” Hajin blandly says, eyeing the shambles of today that are your everyday students. If it explains anything, today is a school festival.
“Sorry!” One of them yelps, “Nayun-ah, I told you it won’t work!”
“It looks like it will!”
“Well it didn’t!”
“Please stop them.” He turns to a certain blonde who’s been a quiet seatmate of his in the school library. The foreign student blinks cluelessly at him.
“Sorry, they mean no harm.” The one and only Suho smiles awkwardly at him, before wincing when the ginger-haired girl fell down in a crash and dragging a couple decorations with her, creating a loud noise that made Rachel cover her ears.
“...sure.”
Being a school council president is funny, because that means Hajin has to make sure people are following rules. Like he followed it too. Which is hypocritical of him since he mostly didn’t, since he never said he’s a rule-follower like Suho. What, he can have fun too sometimes, even if it’s all from his phone (fine, he doesn’t have friends).
It was Monday, and he forgot to bring his school cap.
Hajin shamelessly peeked his head inside the student council office and looked around to see if there’s any random school caps lying around. He plucked one off the shelf and wore it before going out on his way to punish people who’s unfortunate enough to forget to bring it.
Student council president is a joke. A big joke. Everything is a lie, the sky is too. Because for whatever reason it rained the moment he was done with said “duty calls”. He’s feeling spectacularly up to jump off a roof and his mood dampens like the sleeve of his hand when he puts a hand out to feel the rain. Perhaps he’s hallucinating since he hates himself and the rain wasn’t a rain at all but a trick to the eye. It’s not. It’s very much real.
Whatever god up there must really adore him, truly.
Hajijn usually brings an umbrella. Today is not one of those days.
…sometimes he wonders about his luck, or the lack thereof. Maybe it’s all stolen by Suho, like many other unfortunate souls, since there’s no way Suho would get that much perfection in his whole existence without stealing some good qualities from others. Life is never fair.
The sky is dark, it’s nearly seven and he’s still at school. This is… very funny. So funny he feels like squatting down and covering his face with both hands and just, think, what had he done in his past life to ever deserve this.
Someone steps beside him and Hajin feels a bit regretful he spent his blissful time alone just screaming internally instead of savouring it like he should. When he catches a glimpse of blue hair, he knows immediately who’s beside him without turning fully to face the other.
“I didn’t expect sunbae to be here this late.” The other started, good, because Hajin doesn’t fear awkward silences. Awkward silences fear him.
Hajin lets out a questioning hum, “We’re both in student council.”
“That– well, yes.”
Suho’s ears are burning.
He is… so embarrassing.
Hajin is still gazing at the sky with his usual blank look that makes him look like a wet and sopping kitten in his humble opinion and Suho is not. Strong. Enough.
“Is there an umbrella I could borrow in the student council office?” His senior questions aloud.
“I saw someone take the last one…” Suho mumbles, still red in the face.
“Damn.” The other tonelessly cursed, “Should I go for it?”
“Um!” Suho stood straighter, “I have an umbrella!”
Hajin blinks, “Yes?”
“We should–” Suho flushes some more, “Share it.” His words die off at the end that makes it sound like a question mark.
“You sure?” The brown-haired student eyed him, “Do we even go to the same direction?”
“Yes, mine’s just a bit further.” Thats a lie, Suho went the opposite way.
“You won’t mind?”
“I won’t!”
Hajin contemplates silently, “Sure. Thanks.”
“Y- you’re welcome…”
The weather god must like Suho lots.
Like, lots.
Because Suho thought seeing Hajin wearing his jacket is a dream forever unreachable, yet here he is, looking like the most beautiful person Suho has ever seen.
He is… so in love, Jonghak will gag if he sees the dopey smile on Suho’s lips.
“Sorry.” The other says, again. Their shoulders bumped at each other and Suho didn’t even flinch when rain pours at his other side because Hajin is close and warm and Suho can’t focus properly on anything.
Hajin’s hand caught his sleeve and the other gently pulled him below the umbrella he’s holding more, “Stop pushing yourself out.”
“But the rain…” Suho frowns, moving his hand so Hajin doesn’t have to feel wet and uncomfortable if he can be perfectly covered under. A little rain won’t hurt Suho.
“And I’m wearing the jacket you gave me, Suho, seriously.” Hajin holds his hand. To push the umbrella at him again, but still. Hajin is holding! His hand! Kind of! He’s mostly wrapping his hand on Suho’s that is holding the umbrella but Suho can’t even mind the details because he is hopeless . There’s always a merit in Jonghak’s words, sometimes.
When they arrived at Hajin’s house, Hajin squeezed the excess water from Suho’s jacket where the rain managed to hit him anyway.
“Should I return it to you later? I’ll wash it.”
Suho stares intently at the nametag that spelled his name on Hajin’s chest, “It’s up to you!”
Hajin cocks his head, “I’ll return it as soon as possible, then.”
“Okay!”
“...see you tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
Hajin cracks a smile.
Suho maybe fell in love a bit more. Or a whole lot more.
Even with his fans, everyone knows Suho has a crush on Hajin. Except Hajin.
Everyone knows he’s hopeless when they see yet again Suho trying his best (and fails) to catch Hajin in a conversation or whenever he looks like he’s melting like putty whenever Hajin spares him a bit of his attention.
Suho isn’t ashamed either, always yapping about Hajin and whatnot. He might be invisible to most, but as soon as Mr. Pride and Joy opens his mouth, suddenly everyone knows who the Kim Hajin he’s talking about.
As much as they want to say he’s probably biased, Suho can’t lie to save his life. Maybe to save Hajin’s life, but even Suho’s friends aren’t sure. So whenever Suho comments on how dedicated and dutiful Hajin works, the former student council president claps her hands and laughs, “Seems like we have a candidate!”
Suho blinks, like he didn’t realise he’s indirectly recommending his crush to the president. He probably didn’t. He’s just smitten like that.
Hajin did become the president, see. This is a development the other members of the core team is not sure to think of, since Suho became more… goopy… with every meeting session they have.
True to what Suho said, Hajin makes meticulous work of what he’s tasked to do. What he lacks in socialising is paid in paperworks finished like it’s something easy to do. He even started planning for the graduation ceremony , the heck. That’s like, months away? Suho is definitely too nice to not simply say Hajin is a workaholic.
Suho is a nice person. He offers his help to people who look like they need it, but he doesn’t act at all like a particularly excited golden retriever eager to help. He’s just like that only to Hajin. He’s seriously going to make the other members’ teeth rot if he keeps letting out his smitten behaviour shamelessly like this. Hajin is forever none the wiser.
One day, Hajin enters the office before the school bell rings, and sets down something on Suho’s desk, where he’s busy drawing the layout for the market day happening next week.
The person beside Suho’s desk peeked at it, before gaping wide. Oh heck no, Suho just let Hajin wear his favourite jacket he’s always wearing? Damn, he’s actually making a move? Crazy. Maybe he’s not that hopeless.
He sees Suho trips at nothing when he rushes to Hajin who’s leaving already, then dismisses his former thought. Nevermind, Suho is still a loser.