|| Average Tomfoolery ||

|| Chapter 5: Average Tomfoolery ||

The campus was buzzing with students conversing and laughing when it was lunch break for everyone. It was no different than the cafeteria. Just outside the crowded cafeteria, the ravenette slouched on a bench with a cigarette between his lips. A torn-open brown paper bag was seen next to him; a small platter of eggrolls and a bowl of fried rice was on top of it. A half-empty macchiato cup was next to the torn bag. Dazed, he was watching how students roamed across the open field. His hair was messily pushed back yet some of his bangs draped over his exhausted-looking eyes. His glasses were sitting on his nose bridge, slowly slipping down before stopping on the tip of his nose. 

"Yo, Siwoo-ah!" A husky yet charismatic voice greeted him from the other side of the open field, catching his and passersby's attention almost instantly. The owner of the voice belonged to a slender young attractive man; he had short wavy silverish-pink-dyed hair, pale skin, foxy upturned amber-coloured eyes, poutish lips, and a sharp jawline. He was dressed in a dark grey hoodie and sweatpants with white sneakers. A black beanie was on top of his head, causing some of his bangs to drape over his eye. A pair of headphones were around his nape while a backpack was attached to his backside. 

"Minho-ah," The ravenette stoically greeted with an unnoticeably small smile when the silver-haired man came closer to him, huffing and wiping sweat off his chin, "Did you just finish your class?" Pleased, the silver-haired man nodded and plopped down next to him on the bench while being mindful of the food between them. "Yeah, Professor Li was being mean to us again with testing the game prototypes," Minho complained, slouching as he manspread his legs with a pout. A small chuckle escaped the ravenette when he saw the cute expression and blew a puff of smoke into the air, catching Minho's attention.

A familiar sweet fruity yet tobacco scent wafted past him, causing him to grow relaxed. Whenever his friend smoked, this calming scent stuck to him. It always helped Minho to find him in massive crowds; that's how he associated the scent with his childhood friend. "Where's Jihun-ah?" He asked with a raised brow as he looked around for any signs of the said man before frowning in displeasure, "Don't tell me that petty bastard got caught up with his fans again? Tch!" The ravenette sweatdropped at his assumption and bitterness. 

"I don't think so...?" Siwoo chuckled, rubbing the cigarette bud dead against the trashcan's ashtray, "He's not that stupid to get caught by them." Meanwhile, the said man is, indeed, surrounded by some fangirls in the cafeteria. 'Siwoo-ah, Minho-ah,' The peach-haired mentally cried as he kept a charming facade on his face, trying to escape the women, 'Please come save me~!' It was almost like his internal pleas were sent telepathically to the ravenette and silvernette, however, they dismissed the feeling with a shrug. 

"By the way," Minho started with a hum, glancing at the ravenette while picking up the container that had some rice left, "How was your managing job for that idol group?" At the mention of his side job, the ravenette's shoulders grew tense and a look of 'you don't wanna know' appeared on his face as he kept his gaze in front of him. "One word," He sighed before breaking into a chuckle that was filled with exhaustion and despair, "Disasterious." A sympathetic expression was seen on Minho's face when he heard his answer. 

"Aish," He winced a bit, stuffing his cheeks with the leftover rice like a chipmunk, "Was it that bad? No wonder you're smoking more than usual." Drained of energy, the ravenette slouched against the backrest of the bench with his head hanging off it, staring at the sky. He could see how the clouds were forming, hinting that fresh snow was going to fall sooner than usual again. "Maybe I should quit that shitty job," He unconsciously mumbled out loud, causing Minho to look at him in surprise with his eyebrows raised. "You really should, dude," Minho urged him, nodding as he recalled how Siwoo got drunk one night and spilt everything to them over the phone several weeks ago. 

"But what job can I do then? The pay grade is top notch for that managing job..." Siwoo groaned, feeling a headache throb against his forehead from stress. For a moment, the silvernette pondered about his words before snapping his fingers with a look of realization. "You used to do some modelling whenever you visited your dad in Russia, right?" He asked, his eyes twinkling as he leaned towards the ravenette - who tensed up at the mention of his father, "I'll look for an amateur modelling gig for you!" 

A heavy yet tense silence met his expectations and his excitement instantly turned into confusion. "...Right," The ravenette mumbled as he lifted his head with a dark frown on his face, folding his hands between his knees while leaning forward with his mouth hidden behind his fingers, "I did modelling for that bastard when I was overseas..." Immediately, Minho realized his mistake about bringing the ravenette's father up in the conversation. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-" He tried to apologize, however, he was interrupted when the ravenette suddenly placed his hand on his head and bullied him a bit. "Urgh!" He yelped as the ravenette's hand used his beanie to make his hair messier than ever.

"I'm not angry at you so chill," He playfully reassured him with an amused scoff, his lips curling into a lopsided smirk, "There's no need to apologize." Dazed, Minho stared at him with wide eyes before clutching his heart. "Dude, don't make my heart skip a beat when you smile like that," Minho bluntly retorted but his eyes were filled with childish teasing as he dramatically acted, "I don't want to be one of your fanboys like the others!" A laugh escaped Siwoo's mouth at his absurdity and teased him more, tickling his sides. 

Both of them were unaware of the handsome man holding up a camera towards them, clicking the button before a soft shutter was heard. The man was tall and lean; his pure white dyed hair was styled back, showing off his droopy azure-coloured eyes and pale skin. He was dressed in a navy-coloured turtleneck and white trousers with a black trenchcoat. As he aimed the camera again, he was zoomed in on the ravenette's genuine smile as he laughed. It was like his entire face grew brighter with colour, revealing the faint blush of youth on his cheeks as his pale blue irises twinkled with happiness. 

'What a shame that he isn't a model,' The man thought with a hint of disappointment as he continued to capture the small moment between the duo, 'He would've been a top model...' Slowly, he lowered his camera and flipped through the photos. He paused when a certain photo came into view; it was when the ravenette leaned forward with his hands on his chin while an intimidatingly scary look was on his face. "Maybe I should let Soo-sunbaenim know that there's a candidate here for his action film...?" He muttered to himself, unconsciously grinning as he continued to stare down at the photo.