genre: slice of life, fluff, suggestive? idk.
character/s: student to neurosurgeon!seungcheol x student to criminal defense attorney!reader.
overview: you can’t keep a secret forever.
word count: 1465.
warning: overly strict parents. weird people. talks of crime. seungcheol in a lab coat, ‘nuff said.
If anyone asked how you met, you and Seungcheol would first exchange knowing glances. At first, it might make the curious friend or a newly-introduced colleague feel as if they were invading the couple's privacy by asking. And like it was rehearsed, the male would scoot over forward until his tailbone hits the edge of his seat, and you would nudge him, urging him to speak first. You met in the library during their university days because, you know, that's where people like you usually meet. Unlike other students who only visit the library during midterms or finals, both of you were among the few who go to the library almost everyday to study -- with or without exams.
Seungcheol, anxious to finish a paper that was due in a week, didn't want to go back to the dorms and get dragged into playing video games with his roommate. So when the librarian made the final rounds before closing, he did his best to disappear in between the biggest shelves. He only allowed himself to breathe once the lights were switched off, one by one, until he was swallowed by total darkness. Opening his laptop once more and returning to the paragraph he left half-finished, he carefully tiptoed to one of the desks, only to find someone already there.
You, on the other hand, had to finish your fourth reading of the book. You had two chapters left when the librarian began asking students to pack up their things and leave. Knowing you'd only lose momentum if you stopped reading now, you went under the computer table and hugged your backpack close to your chest. Just one more hour, you screamed mentally. One more hour and I'd leave.
And then when the sound of the librarian's heels against the tiled floor began to grow faint until it disappeared completely, you deemed it safe to go out of her hiding place. You hurried back to your previous seat and delved right back to the page where you left off. Your nerves must have been on edge the entire time, because you almost let out an ear-piercing shriek the moment a hand landed on your shoulder. Seungcheol, as it turned out, only wanted someone to share his guilt with. But the guilt extended to more nights, until it wasn't limited to just the library or simply studying anymore.
"And the rest, as they say," Seungcheol grins, leaning back against his seat with a quick glance towards you, as if proud of himself for accurately relaying the story. "...is history."
Or, at least, that's the story you tell everyone.
Seungcheol was convinced it was fraud -- the way you both rewrote history and tweaked it into something you deemed to be more appropriate, something that would meet people's expectations.
"Okay, so it's more than just a little white lie," you sigh, slamming your textbook down on one of the round tables in the middle of the cafeteria to declare your temporary possession of the space. "Then tell your grandmother the truth."
The man sinks down on one of the chairs and pulls his arms out of the straps of his backpack. "I can't, she'd be horrified."
"Oh, my sweet sweet boy Cheollie," you exclaim in fake enthusiasm, clasping your hands under your chin while batting your eyelashes at him. "Now you understand why nobody but us can ever know the truth. If your grandmother would be horrified, my parents would send me to rehab or something."
Seungcheol eyes the plate of cheesy nachos in front of him and reaches out to help himself to a piece. “That would probably be better, to be honest. You know they won’t send you to just any rehab center. If anything, I’m more scared of your parents suing me for… kidnapping.”
“First of all, stop hogging my food. You said you weren’t hungry.” You frown, slapping his hand away before grabbing a piece yourself. “Second, kidnapping is only for minors. Do I look like I’m below 18?”
Defeated, the man unzips his bag and reaches for one of his notebooks. “Hey, hey, I don’t care about any of those legal stuff you’ve got going on.” He waves his hand in front of his face dismissively, making you laugh. “Technicalities.”
You let his remark slide, letting him focus on studying. After eating, you, too, pull an envelope out of your bag and thumb through several pages of stapled papers before beginning to pore through one. Together, you slip into a relaxed, quiet study session, save for when someone has to ask something, or when any of your friends drop by to say hi.
Because who said being in a relationship was distracting? You were – to your friends and classmates, to his grandmother and brother, and to your parents – a power couple.
In his old high school sweater and faded jeans, Seungcheol looks like any other college freshman, except he was towards the end of his third year of medical school. And as early as now, he’s more than prepared for the licensing exam he’d be taking in two years’ time. On the day you were supposed to introduce him to your parents over lunch, there was a small voice inside your head telling you that your parents might overlook all of Seungcheol’s good qualities and focus on what he lacks, even if you were absolutely sure no one could ever be as perfect for you as he is. The doubt in your mind was dispelled completely when lunch was over and it looked as if your boyfriend has completely won your parents over. You were sure that if you only had listened very, very closely, you would’ve heard the wedding bells ringing in your mother’s imagination. Determined and hardworking, Seungcheol was everything you could ever ask for. His only fault, you think, was that he was a bad liar. And though it generally is a good thing, you needed him to be a little bit more good at lying, especially when the both of you were hiding a secret you would prefer to take with you to the grave.
Occasionally, he would reach out to rub his thumb over the back of your palm, one of the few displays of affection the both of you could afford when outside. “You okay?” he asks softly, looking up from his notes. Seungcheol rolls his shoulders back before tilting his head from left to right, wincing as his joints crack.
“Mhm.” You pause, finishing up on highlighting a sentence before looking up. “You?”
“Dead bored. D’you wanna go somewhere when you finish?”
“Please.” You put the cap back on your highlighters and quickly stuff them, together with your readings, into your bag.
Seungcheol chortles when you’ve stood up from your seat faster than he could fix his things. “You’re that excited to leave?”
“I only studied because you did, too.”
“Well, you—” “Cheol!” Your boyfriend was about to fight back, but was interrupted by something – or someone. You didn’t have to look behind you to confirm your suspicions. But as usual, unlike lightning and thunder, you could always hear Boo Seungkwan first before seeing him.
“Oh, [Y/N]!” The younger slowed as he came in between you and Seungcheol until he came to a halt. He wriggles one of his arms out of the straps of his backpack until his bag was dangling in front of him. “I’m sorry, did you have to go somewhere?”
Your eyes shifted from Seungkwan to his busy hands, which fumbled as he produced papers, a pencil, and a calculator from his backpack, until they meet Seungcheol’s. “Uh, no, not really.”
“Great!” And then he turns to Seungcheol, his senior by three years. “I really needed help with lab work, and I didn’t know who else to approach.”
Feeling bad for the boy, you slide back into your previous seat and watch your boyfriend hide the disappointment in his face. To comfort him, however, you sit by his side and keep him company as he tutors Seungkwan,
“I’m really sorry you had to stay behind, [Y/N],” he says afterwards while he packs up. “I took a chunk out of your study time.”
You fight the urge to snort. “Study time?”
“Yeah.” Seungkwan stands up. “Isn’t that all you guys do in your free time? I’m pretty sure your dates are just full of studying or quizzing each other or whatever.”
Seungcheol opens his mouth, as if to say something, but your look convinced him to do otherwise. Pursing his lips, he flashed Seungkwan a tight-lipped smile as the younger walked away. Once he was completely out of sight, you raise an eyebrow at your clearly annoyed boyfriend.
“Now, do you see why we have to hide the truth?”
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