Work Text:
A few months is maybe enough for someone to fall in love. Or not; Yuseol isn’t quite sure. He’s never been the one to dabble with romance and thought it won’t change anytime soon. He is, after all, stuck in an academy with brats way younger than he can accept as a partner. But, hmm, well…
“You’re an anomaly.”
Yuseol did not expect Yuseong, the proclaimed number one male lead by the game fandom, to seek him out. Yuseol is a commoner, a nobody; he has no friends, and the only notable thing he did is become an S-class student.
So what made Yuseong be this sensitive? What made him instantly realise he’s not someone who should be here?
“…are you a regressor…?” Yuseol narrows his eyes. He might ignore the lore of the game as much as possible, but to unlock new areas and boss fights, he does have to endure the main quests somewhat.
In one of the bad endings, Yuseong rewinds time and starts over again in the beginning. Or something like that; all Yuseol saw had been shots of the scene and a few of the fans rambling about it that he bothered to read. Considering the Aether World’s bleak future, it might not be far-fetched for Yuseong to be this reactive over a small change.
Yuseong grins, white teeth glinting; it has no business making him look more attractive. Darn male leads and their unfairly handsome faces, “So you knew?”
When the glint in his eyes turned cold, Yuseol knew he was screwed ten times over if he didn’t respond the way Yuseong wanted.
“Say, state your identity, won’t you? You know me so well; after all, it’d be fair, don’t you think?”
‘Darn it, I thought I could keep my secret a bit longer—’
He is, in fact, left alive even after that confrontation that felt like it happened too fast and too slow at the same time.
He thinks he should be more glad he evaded a possible death route, if it weren’t for the fact that Yuseong is now following him… everywhere. He wishes he were joking.
“I thought you didn’t take alchemy?” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion; he never thought Ma Yuseong could take alchemy, even. Yuseong always prefers blasting his enemies away with his staff rather than the other.
“Changed my mind!” The black-haired regressor cheerfully responded; for a guy who’s supposedly traumatised since he witnessed and experienced the end of the world, he sure is a happy-go-lucky guy externally. “You’re in it after all; I got interested!”
“…sure.” Well, it’s not like Yuseol can stop him from doing anything. Even if it meant having Yuseong nearly 24/7 in his general peripheral vision. If he had to deduce... perhaps he’s lonely, is all. Yuseong has never been the one to make true friends who understand him, if Yuseol’s glasses were to be believed.
He, too, was worried about Flame, another individual he never met before. But Yuseol said not to worry, and… Yuseong believed him.
…this guy is a bit pitiful, isn’t he? It’s kind of cute.
“What are you reading?” Yuseong asks one afternoon, a slow and easy Sunday where all Yuseol did was wake up late and had planned to spend the rest of his free hours reading in the library, sprawled on one of its couches.
“Fictional novels.” He responds, eyeing the upside-down face of Yuseong above him. With his head propped by one of the arms of the couch and Yuseong looming over him, it’s ridiculous how he still looks as handsome as ever even with the unconventional angle.
“I didn’t know you read these for fun.”
“What, like you know everything about me?”
Yuseong’s face disappears briefly. From the nearing footsteps, he seemed to be walking closer to the couch. Yuseol’s too lazy to lift his head to properly confirm his hypothesis.
“…what’s with that tone?” There’s a dip near Yuseol’s waist; Yuseong must’ve sat down on the edge of the couch his body didn’t occupy. “Is it so bad?”
He’s being playful. Yuseol doesn’t bother giving him a glance. “There’s nothing wrong with my tone.”
“If you say so~” Silence envelops them. Yuseol knew Yuseong knew that Yuseol can’t focus on reading when Yuseong is here. He doesn’t need to see to know that the male lead is grinning at that, likely finding fun in poking misery into him.
“What do you want?” Yuseol sighs, deciding one of them has to be the bigger guy, and Yuseong is in no way that guy.
“I’m bored.”
“You’re always bored.”
“Tell me about the book.”
Yuseol is taken aback. “...What?”
The black-haired student is gazing at him, a smile on his face as Yuseol props himself up slightly with his elbows, “You’ve been reading for a while; tell me about it.”
Sure, he’s already halfway done, but…
“Don’t you have anything else you need to do?” Yuseol is bewildered.
“No? What else would I need to do?”
“…male lead stuff?”
Yuseong’s face scrunched, “What, like wooing Flame? No thanks. Wonryang will have my head and win our bet this time.”
“You knew about that?”
“He told me about it sometime in the future.” The future he came from that became the past… Yuseol doesn’t even know they share a relationship. It shows how much he’s not a lore player. Of course Wonryang and Yuseong are rivals; why not?
…ah, darn. Yuseol can’t deny Yuseong when his eyes become dulled with the telltale signs that he’s stuck in a future that doesn’t exist. When did he become so weak?
“Come here.” Sitting up, he lets his hand rest on Yuseong’s shoulder, gently nudging him sideways. Yuseong’s head fell to the transmigrator’s lap softly, his eyes blinking away that dazed layer to stare up at him in confusion.
“The story is about this girl who has a young lady she served… This young lady was hated by all, and the maid was angry seeing the young lady’s body state, malnourished and thin.”
‘Oh.’ Yuseong thought, listening to Yuseol’s soft rambles. When a hand covered his eyes, letting his eyelashes brush against the palm of someone he learnt to trust…
He can’t help but think, ‘I never would’ve let anyone do this if it had happened mere months ago.’
Before he could ponder about it any longer, he submitted to the temptation of letting his eyes shut, letting his consciousness drift away.
“It turns out the young lady actually cursed herself to…” Yuseol’s voice died down, noticing his companion is still and silent, so unlike himself. He’d thought Yuseong would’ve started to pick at the characters’ awful life choices.
He’s asleep.
The sight made Yuseol dumbfounded, blinking down at the regressor dozing off on his lap. He looked younger somehow; it made him realise how subtly tense Yuseong’s face sometimes was when he could see how Yuseong looked now, all relaxed and soft.
‘He looks like a kid.’ Yuseol thought, ‘He should be about twenty-seven when…’
He paused, slowly letting his fingers trace invisible lines on Yuseong’s face. He slowly ruffles those black locks, soft as it looks. Of course it is. ‘You’ve been through a lot, huh?’
They didn’t speak of it at all, with Yuseong and Yuseol both at the same level of emotionally constipated. But, well, Flame finds them often in the library lately, Yuseong listening to Yuseol rambling about whatnot, a content smile on his face. She’ll gaze at them for a while before leaving them be.
Yuseong told him that even when he regressed, he actually came back during his seventeens, exactly before the entrance for Stella. This, gleefully pointed out by Yuseol, made him two years younger than the transmigrated gamer.
It’s a pain whenever Yuseol feels like teasing him, calling him his dongsaeng and all that, much to the confusion of other students, considering they’re in the same grade. But they don’t say anything about Flame openly calling Yuseol ahjussi, so perhaps it’s the less weird one, actually. Personally, Yuseong doesn’t mind.
It’s actually… nice, in a way, to be reminded that there’s someone he could depend on now. It made him feel tingly and warm inside to realise he could hide behind someone else’s back, even if that person is adorably petite and smaller than him.
Yuseol has always been dependable and mature, just like a hyung.
Yuseong made a rather interesting observation.
“Hey, hyung.”
Yuseol froze, eyes flicking from the alchemy book he’s skimming through to Yuseong’s eyes, “…what do you want?”
“It looks like tomorrow will be a nice weekend.” Yuseong shrugs, a smile never leaving his face.
“If you wanted to go to a dungeon because you’re a battle junkie, you don’t have to do that.” The shorter one sighs, closing his book.
“Hmm?” Yuseong’s eyebrows raise. “Do what?”
“…that…” It’s so fun teasing Yuseol back sometimes; it’s so cute how easily unnerved he is by the simplest of things, like Yuseong’s smile. Or whatever this is.
“Do what, hyung?”
“You—”
Yuseol likes to be depended on, too.
They’re such a match, aren’t they?
As cheesy as it is, Yuseong likes to stargaze. Sometimes, Yuseol finds himself having to deal with the male lead breaking into his room, and all he did after saying hello was sit down near the window and just stare. At the stars, the moon(s), he gazes at the sky and gets lost in something Yuseol can’t seem to pull him out from.
When he blinks back to reality, he finds himself wrapped in warmth. His ears pressed against someone else’s chest, their heart beating steadily for him to hear. He’d find fingers on his hair, as if they were caressing him before they fell asleep.
On mornings like this after nights like those, Yuseong lets himself get lost in something nicer. Something like Yuseol’s embrace. Something like hiding under the blankets and thinking of it as the most defensive spell to ever exist. Something like the word home.
“Five more minutes…”
“I know I’m a hypocrite for saying this since I skip classes a lot, but don’t you think they’ll kick up a fuss if you don’t come for classes?”
Yuseong groans.
…it’s such a treat to see him fighting against the urge to just stay in bed, Yuseol thought. You don’t exactly see a perfect-looking male lead being this ridiculously relatable often.
People notice. They always do. They pick apart someone from every inch of their existence and tear them into nothingness, it’s what the noble society has done and has to deal with every single day. Commoners who are around them either get swept in unwillingly or willingly had to deal with it too. It’s just how people act here.
Flame wasn’t so surprised to see people gossiping about Yuseong and Yuseol, it’s inevitable, frankly it’s about due time. If she bothered to listen –because as much as she won’t admit it, Yuseol managed to wiggle his way in and carve a little space in her heart, it’ll suck if the fuss is about how awful he is when they know nothing about Baek Yuseol– it’s a bit of a fifty-fifty.
Both Ma Yuseong and Baek Yuseol are popular in their own right. Both are geniuses of the Stelle Academy, the first-year S-class students who shook the world with their intelligent minds and strength. They are precious gems, and when they realize that these two gems are one and the same?
Some think these gems are better apart, sharing for each corner of the world. Some think if the gems mash together into a bigger treasure, it’ll be better, for what? For them to use, what else?
But Yuseol and Yuseong aren’t them if these stupid rumors managed to destroy their worth, so perhaps Flame shouldn’t need to care about them, since these boys don’t.
It’s not like they’re hiding their relationship either. They’ve always been stuck by the hip, glued by fate since the start of the year till then. Wherever Baek Yuseol is, Ma Yuseong follows and vice versa. They’re always together, is it so odd for people to start speculating that they might be dating?
No, as she said, it’s about due time. Has nobody paid attention? Yuseong had always had that lovestruck gaze since forever. Yuseol had never given someone his attention so freely to none other than Yuseong. They, honestly, made Flame feel like a third-wheeler more often than not, it’s about time the world realizes there might be something going on between them.
And, well, once she realized how harmless these rumours are… It’s a bit funny to see how freaked out some students are. These boys aren’t so bad looking, especially Yuseong. Even Flame had to admit his features are otherworldly. Guess attractive guys only like other attractive guys. If only they’re as accepting of it as Flame did.
“How did they start dating?!” One of Yuseong’s fans moans, a love letter in her hands that she never got the courage to give, all wet because of her tears. It’s been two months now, hasn’t it? Flame thinks she’s just a massive coward.
“Right? It came out of nowhere!”
…ah, seriously. She came here to study, not to hear about the two boys she’s friends with.
“They’ve always been stuck with one another since the start of the year, didn’t they…?” Another hesitantly spoke up Flame’s personal opinion. She looks at the student in subtle surprise.
“Really?” They looked at one another. “I’ve never really noticed…”
“Maybe you just didn’t see Baek Yuseol?”
“Yeah, Ma Yuseong has always been in the spotlight hasn’t he?”
“Eh? Flame? Where are you going?”
“I’m here to study, you kids are too loud.” She sighs, grabbing her books with her. “I’ll be away.”
“Ah… sure, have fun…?”
…does she look like someone who’d have fun studying?
Flame is a genius girl who’s hard working. This is a fact, like many other star students with intellect that outshines the rest of the student generation, it’s not rare to find her stuck in one spot, eyes glued to a book. Even if the number one spot for Most Hardworking will always be for Aiselle –with her treating books as a higher priority than food– at least she can be visibly seen by others that she, too, needs blood, sweat and tears to achieve what she can do.
Not for one Ma Yuseong and Baek Yuseol, apparently.
It’s one thing to realize how utterly brilliant they are even when all they do in class is fool around. It’s another to have them flirting during studying sessions.
Seriously, do they not have shame?! We, as Stella Academy students, shed efforts that break our bones, our hearts and minds, studying for a scrap of good score that always felt forever out of reach.
And then there’s these two?!
“Must you be here?” Yuseol whispers. “Why?”
“Why not?” His companion grinned at him, he thinks we won’t notice the lovestruck gaze in his eyes! Unacceptable!
“You don’t need to study too, what are you doing here?”
“Reading.”
“About?”
“None of your business.”
“How mean!”
Their conversation should’ve meant nothing, should’ve. But then Yuseong is staring so tenderly, his cheek propped by his palm. But then Yuseol is indulging him, eyes on Yuseong and not the book that formerly took all his attention like a black hole. Honestly, even with students staying away from them, it feels like they’re spitting out flowers and sparkles that hit the other students like bricks! Have some decency!
“Won’t you continue telling me about that story you told me last night?” Yuseong asks. “You should have a try at telling bedtime stories.”
“...unlike you, I don’t break into people’s rooms at night.”
Please… S– stop this flirting… Why do they need to remind everyone how inadequate their intellect is and how irritatingly single they are?! Annoying!
Ugh! Is that Yuseol flicking his finger at Yuseong’s forehead?! Stop this instant!
(“...why are they glaring at us.” The aforementioned resolutely ignores the stabbing stares aimed at his back.
“Nothing for you to worry about!” Yuseong has no clue.)
These two geniuses’ conversation made sense when one stumbled upon them late at night in the library. With Sunday the only weekend where students can truly do nothing, the teachers are more than fine with students going around late Saturday, which includes visits to the academy’s library.
Some manic students might be studying there, night owls that they are, up until around three in the morning where they’ll pack their bags and take their leave. One of said night owls, does exactly just that.
It’s eleven, a time where students mostly chose to fall asleep or tucked in their beds. A door opened in the female dormitory and left, waving to her roommates. There’s a bag held close to her chest, filled with assignments she decided she’ll do today till Sunday morning.
It’s always a pleasure when it’s night, dark and empty. There’s a certain peace with walking in the hallways, no voice to bother her and nothing bright to hurt her eyes. When she entered the library, she saw some of her equally sleep-deprived friends working on their own work. She said hi, and decided she’ll try to get a reading assignment done on one of the couches. She knew she wouldn't fall asleep anyway, her body knows instinctively that it can rest however it wanted if it just patiently awaited for tomorrow.
She knows she’s not the only one who’s going to occupy one of the couches. Stella Academy has lots of students, probably 20% having the same awful studying habits that she does. She does not, however, expect to see two faces she kept seeing everywhere, considering their fame.
The two S-class geniuses, she knew them! Ma Yuseong and Baek Yuseol, right? She didn’t know they actually bothered to stu–
Wait. No, they’re not studying. What are they…?
“I didn’t really know how that happened, it’s like he gave up living all together. The main character did the traditional death parting ritual, which is a cool concept to be explained, since he’s from another region.” Soft mutters, she could hear them. The voice, is it Baek Yuseol?
It’s not like she’s spying or anything, and she’s plenty allowed to be in this part of the library! She doesn’t bother concealing her presence, and it seems like the boys don’t care either way.
She could see the brown tuffs of Yuseol’s hair, he’s leaning down, holding a book –a fictional book? He seems to be telling the contents of the book to… Ma Yuseong… who’s gazing up at Yuseol, head resting on the shorter boy’s lap, looking a lot like a content cat basking under the sun.
…suddenly, she felt like she’s intruding on something.
She didn’t end up studying in the couches.
So scary… she didn’t know being a Stella Academy student can actually allow romance with their busy schedules… it showcased their smart minds and she kind of felt like crying about it to her roommates.
(And perhaps, Yuseol was right. Even if time felt like sand passing through his fingers most of time, a few months is definitely enough time for one's heart to be stolen.)