Since when did Ma Yuseong become so easy to accept?

In the hallway on the second floor of the academy, sunlight shone through the glass windows, creating soft streaks of light on the marble tiles. Baek Yuseol and Aiselle were standing next to each other, discussing club selection. Seol leaned lightly against the railing, his eyes absentmindedly looking out at the garden in the distance, while Aiselle seemed a bit shy, but still talked to Seol naturally

Ma Yuseong stood at a distance, arms crossed, observing the scene for a long time. He didn't know why he felt uncomfortable seeing Yuseol and Aiselle standing so close together. Perhaps it was because he wasn't used to Seol having other friends around, or perhaps he simply didn't tolerate loneliness well. Thinking so, Ma Yuseong walked closer to the two of them, his wine-red eyes reflecting a bit of sparkling light

After a polite greeting, he began to carry out his main purpose - joining the same club as Yuseol

"Have you chosen which club to join?" Ma Yuseong spoke, his voice low but full of laughter. He stood close to Seol, deliberately tilting his head a bit to look straight into his eyes

Yuseol tilted his head slightly, not being able to help but be surprised when Ma Yuseong took the initiative to talk about this matter

"I'm still considering it. But to be honest, I want to join a club that can help me make more efficient use of my time"

"Is that so?" Ma Yuseong nodded, his eyes slightly narrowed with interest "So which club are you joining? I'll join you"

Ma Yuseong suggested interesting clubs in the academy. Most of them received a shake of Yuseol's head. Sometimes his eyes paused for a moment, pondering as if he was considering Ma Yuseong's offer. But he also flatly refused. Seol didn't seem really interested in joining any club

Ma Yuseong frowned slightly, hearing the rejections that continuously passed through his ears made his mood slightly drop, a bit of disappointment and disappointment rose in his heart. Yuseol was a difficult person to please, it was hard to please him. Ma Yuseong would remember this trait, eliminating things that could make Seol uncomfortable

He was curious about which club Yuseol wanted to join. His mind raced to find a club Seol would be interested in. Or at least know what kind of club he likes

Realizing Ma Yuseong's stubbornness, he chuckled softly, his eyes flashing with a hint of teasing

"The club I want to join must be a quiet place, not too many people. Must have guaranteed insurance, fried pork with cheese for lunch every day, freedom to participate in extracurricular activities. Oh, and especially respect personal meetings, no meaningless meetings. Must also be allowed to go out especially when necessary"

Ma Yuseong stared at Seol, his expression unchanged but he felt a little amused inside. How could there be such a club in this world? He knew clearly that Seol was teasing him, but instead of refuting, he just tilted his head, smiling lightly

"If you want... I can create such a club, just for you." Ma Yuseong said casually, as if he was talking about something very simple.

Yuseol blinked, his expression slightly frozen. He looked at Ma Yuseong as if to confirm whether this person was joking or not, but Ma Yuseong's expression remained calm, even a little serious

Aiselle also looked at the two of them with wide eyes, seemingly equally surprised. Yuseol was confused by that answer. He just wanted to tease Ma Yuseong a little, not thinking that the other person would take his joke completely seriously. He was silent for a moment before speaking in surprise

"What good does this do for you?"

Ma Yuseong looked straight into Seol's eyes, the corners of his lips slightly raised

"Yes. You're special, you know that"

"You....."

This time, Seol was completely speechless. He was about to object, but then again... such a club would actually be very beneficial to him. Moreover, Ma Yuseong was simply a person who couldn't stand loneliness, so he probably just wanted to find someone to make friends with.

After thinking for a while, Seol sighed and crossed his arms.

"Alright. Let's form our own club together."

Ma Yuseong smiled slightly, not saying anything more. There was an indescribable joy in his heart when he saw his rival agree. Of course, he thought it was simply a feeling of satisfaction from being closer to the person he cared about... in the name of a rival.

But, was that really all?

Ma Yuseong leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly absent-minded but in reality, he was still attentively observing the person in front of him - Baek Yuseol. He was discussing the club name with Aiselle, his tone not too enthusiastic but not as indifferent as usual

"Food Club, sounds simple right?" Aiselle tilted her head, a little hesitant

"Yeah, that's easy to remember" Yuseol replied, twirling the pen in his hand "And it's not limited to any activities. We can do anything related to food, as long as we like it"

Aiselle laughed, her eyes shining with admiration. "That's right. After all, since you thought of it, it's definitely reasonable."

Ma Yuseong frowned slightly. He didn't like that look from Aiselle. He didn't know why, but seeing Aiselle talking intimately with Yuseol, seeing Seol willing to listen to her without showing any discomfort, he felt uncomfortable.

Well, it's not a big deal.

Maybe it's because he can't stand loneliness.

That's right, that's probably it.

But this discomfort is really... annoying.

"Then let's decide on this name?" Aiselle asked, her face full of anticipation.

Seol nodded, put down his pen, then looked at Ma Yuseong, his pale yellow eyes flashing with a hint of laughter.

"Now we have to find some professors to guide us and ask for the seal to establish the club." He propped his chin, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Ma Yuseong... you have better rights than normal students, right?"

That sentence sounded like a request, but in reality, there was no pressure at all. It was simply an expectation

A very natural expectation

Ma Yuseong blinked, staring at Yuseol for a few seconds. There was no order, no request, just a meaningful question. But that was why it made him want to do it more than anything else

He curled his lips and smiled slightly, "You want me to go get a mark? And also find a professor to guide you?"

Yuseol didn't answer, just silently looked at him. Ma Yuseong felt a small electric current running down his spine

Hmm. Strange

He shrugged and stood up

"I'll take care of the stamp-requesting. As for the professor's guidance, you should find it yourself. There are a bunch of useless people around me."

Without hesitation

Without a word of complaint

It's unclear when, but when it comes to matters related to Yuseol, he easily agreed. He thought that helping Seol was the right thing to do, as long as everything was under his control. Those professors were useless, it would be better for Seol to find it himself. Or even if he didn't need the professor's guidance, Ma Yuseong could explore the culinary field on his own.

Since when did he become so beautiful? .....Yuseol

The steam rose hazily, covering the bathroom in a layer of warm mist. Tiny drops of water fell from his damp brown locks, quietly sliding along his collarbone before disappearing into the water. Baek Yuseol leaned against the edge of the tub, his golden eyes slightly squinting from the heat, his long eyelashes unintentionally condensing with water, making them appear to be covered in a layer of dim light

Ma Yuseong didn't know why he kept quietly observing him. He had only intended to step in to take a bath like normal, but the scene before his eyes made him pause for a few seconds. This wasn't the first time Ma Yuseong had seen Seol, nor was it the first time he had looked at him from up close. But at this moment, right here, amidst the warm water, his eyes were unconsciously drawn to every line of the other person. He had always known that Seol looked a bit smaller than him, but now that they were both half-covered, half-exposed, he truly realized how big the gap between them was.

"...You have a nice body."

The compliment slipped out before Ma Yuseong could think. He frowned slightly at himself, but once the words were said, he couldn't take them back. His eyes shifted slightly away, trying not to show the confusion on his face. But his hot ears had already betrayed him.

Yuseol raised his head, looking a bit surprised. He blinked a few times, clearly not expecting to receive such a compliment from Ma Yuseong.

"Are you complimenting me?"

Seol's somewhat guarded voice pulled Ma Yuseong out of his chaotic thoughts.

Ma Yuseong leaned against the edge of the tub, trying to keep his face calm as if what he had just said was nothing special. He smiled, his tone casual but his eyes never leaving Seol

"Yeah. Not everyone has such a well-proportioned body."

Yuseol was a little stunned, seemingly thinking about whether to respond or not. After a while, he just laughed, his golden eyes flashing with a teasing light

"I never thought I would be praised by Ma Yuseong."

"Don't think too much." Ma Yuseong slightly turned his face away, reached out to scoop up some water and let it flow through his fingers. He didn't want to reveal that he had just felt the heat spreading to the tips of his ears.

Yuseol didn't notice Ma's unusual appearance, he just lazily reached out, suddenly splashing water towards him

Ma Yuseong was startled, the hot steam suddenly splashed onto his chest, pulling him out of his wandering thoughts. He turned back to look at Seol, his sharp eyes filled with warning

Seol curled his lips into a smile, the kind of smile that made people unable to hate

"If you've already complimented me, then let me respond a little." He tilted his head, his tone slow but carried a hint of laughter "Your body isn't bad either"

Ma Yuseong paused for a moment, feeling something in his heart tremble slightly. He took a deep breath, then burst out laughing, he told himself that Yuseol was just joking, but he couldn't stop his still slightly erratic heartbeat. No matter what... he couldn't deny the fact that, tonight, Seol was really beautiful

So beautiful, he had a bit of difficulty breathing

Since when did Ma Yuseong miss him so much?

Every time Baek Yuseol left his sight, he had a strange feeling - a little empty, a little lost, and more than that, an inexplicable nostalgia

Not once but many times

One day, Yuseol was dragged to the dormitory by him with an unreasonable reason - "Check out my room, it's where I live after all. How can friends be close if they don't know how each other lives?" Seol originally didn't plan to go, but Ma Yuseong kept nagging, and even put on a "can't refuse" look, so he clicked his tongue and agreed

The two of them talked for a long time, so long that when Yuseol stood up to go home, Ma Yuseong realized that it was already dark outside. He watched Seol's back as he slowly walked out the door, feeling like something was pulling at his chest

"Just a few minutes ago, he was here, and now he's gone?"

He didn't say anything, just standing there watching Yuseol until he disappeared. When he returned to the empty room, he felt strangely unfamiliar. He had always been fine being alone, but today he felt a little... lonely?

Ma Yuseong shook his head, laughing to himself "I guess it's just because I'm used to him talking to me"

Another time

After getting the sign of the vice president of the club, Ma Yuseong quickly left. He had a lot of things to do, but before leaving the academy area, he unconsciously turned back to look for a familiar figure

Yuseol was still standing there, tilting his head slightly to look at him. For some reason, his gaze made Ma Yuseong slow down a bit

He blinked, suddenly feeling reluctant to leave. What was going on? It was just a short meeting, so why did he feel so regretful?

Ma Yuseong chuckled lightly, as if to dispel his strange thoughts. He raised his hand, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded slightly at Seol and turned away

But after walking a few steps, that feeling of loss became more obvious

"I should have stayed a little longer"

Many times after that

Every time Yuseol left, Ma Yuseong had this feeling. At first, he thought it was just a habit, but when it happened too many times, he began to wonder:

"Why don't I want him to leave me?"