Graduation gift
Title: Graduation gift: The second button
Author: xoxo_nat_xx
Pairing: Eunhyuk/Donghae
Ratings: PG
Summary: All guys would give away the second button on their blazers to the girls whom they had liked throughout high school, as an expression of their love for them. And it must be the second button, because the second button is the closest to one's heart on the uniform. Having worn the uniform for nearly every single day, the button should be choked full of the emotions each guy experienced during his high school life, and thus is significant for one to give it away to a girl.
Eunhyuk exhaled slowly, stretching his hands above his head as he gazed around the auditorium in amazement. The student council had just spent three hours in the auditorium, decorating the place fit for their graduation ceremony later. Although he is part of the graduating batch, he still decided to come and help out a little, being the outgoing president of the student council batch.
"My two years in high school really flies…."He mused quietly to himself, taking in the grand atmosphere and closing his eyes briefly to enjoy this moment, all by himself. He never felt such a strong attachment to a school before, be it his elementary or secondary school; this was the very first school that made him feel like he really belonged, like he could make a difference, like he was really part of this big family.
"And it is finally time to say goodbye." He thought to himself, his mouth curling up slightly at the thought. He stretched out his hand to reach and place it on the podium in front of him, tracing the edges carefully, and fondly. This was the last time he could stand here, all alone, and feel this quiet pride swelling within him.
"Eunhyuk…" Someone whispered beside him, and Eunhyuk immediately was jolted out of his silent moment. He opened his eyes instantly and there was another face right in front of him, who was wiggling his eyebrows as he took in Eunhyuk's reaction. Eunhyuk scowled jokingly; his best friend never failed to make his spirits lift, and he could never ever get angry with this person called Lee Donghae.
"Lee Donghae!" Eunhyuk shouted right into the face in front of him, causing Donghae to wince and step back slightly. "I'm giving you a 5 second head start, and if I catch you…" Eunhyuk trailed off threateningly, causing Donghae to widen his eyes in mock fear. Eunhyuk grinned back evilly, and Donghae immediately took off, running towards the direction of the exit.
"No peeking! You can't see where I'm running to!" Donghae shouted over his shoulder playfully, as he made his way out of the auditorium.
"High school life is…wonderful, joyful, and just plain fantastic, because of my friends here." Eunhyuk breathed in, clasping his hands together as he counted the five seconds head start mentally.
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"Yah! What took you so long to find me!" Donghae stood facing the school field on the rooftop, pouting slightly. He stared rigidly ahead and refused to look at the approaching figure, who took approximately 10 minutes to find him, even the other knew that Donghae would be on the rooftop, as always.
"Uhh…this?" Eunhyuk smiled, nudging Donghae with a cool can of drink. Seeing that Donghae was adamant on ignoring him, he placed the can on the railing, while he opened his own and took a huge gulp from it. It was approaching autumn, but the boys in the school still refused to acknowledge this fact. Summer is the best season, with football and beaches whirling around in their minds, where they forged those memories together. Eunhyuk grinned wider at the expanse of the field before them, noting some couples relaxing on the grass as they waited for their graduation ceremony to start.
"You sure you don't want this? It's good, I bought it in the morning before the vending machine ran out of it. Had to especially store it in the council's fridge to get it chilled and now you are refusing it? Oh wells…I guess I would have to drink it then…" Eunhyuk shrugged exaggeratedly, and made a move towards the can of drink, only to have Donghae snatch it right out before him. He had to hide a smile at the scene; Donghae was like a child, childish, but still so adorable.
"I didn't say I didn't want it." Donghae stated simply, as he made a funny face at Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk sucked in his cheeks as he turned back to face the field once more. He sensed a feeling wafting through him, and he immediately identified it: Nostalgia. He would definitely miss this place in a few years time, and his friends, especially Donghae, as Eunhyuk had just accepted a place in Julliard in the United States to major in dancing, his passion. Eunhyuk traced the railing lightly, already missing this place.
"Eunhyuk?" Donghae shifted a little on his feet, twiddling with his fingers a little as he took another slurp from the can of drink.
"Hmm…?" It was unusual for Donghae to hesitate; he always said whatever that came to his mind. Eunhyuk sighed imperceptibly, shifting his body so he was leaning against the railing, facing Donghae instead. Then he noticed, that Donghae was flushing, his cheeks a bright red. Eunhyuk raised his eyebrows and bit down on his lips to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
Donghae gulped visibly as he pointedly ignored Eunhyuk's stare. "Eunhyuk…you know…high school graduation…the gift…farewell present…"
"Hmm…you mean the second button on our blazers, don't you?" Eunhyuk placed a hand under his chin, adopting a pensive pose. It was a tradition in their school; all guys would give away the second button on their blazers to the girls whom they had liked throughout high school, as an expression of their love for them. And it must be the second button, because the second button is the closest to one's heart on the uniform. Having worn the uniform for nearly every single day, the button should be choked full of the emotions each guy experienced during his high school life, and thus is significant for one to give it away to a girl.
Donghae nodded a little, before turning his head to face Eunhyuk. "Who are you giving yours to, Eunhyuk?" Donghae asked, shrugging slightly, and focused on a random spot on the rooftop, as if he was not interested in knowing the answer at all. Eunhyuk grinned; he already knew who to give it to, and he was definitely not telling Donghae. Eunhyuk took in a deep breath of air to prolong this moment between them, and lifted the empty can in his hand to throw it into the rubbish bin. However, the can fell short of his target, and bounced several times on the floor instead.
"Oppa, you know…littering in school is considered an offence." Someone said as she walked in to join the guys. Yuri picked up the can on the floor and dropped it neatly into the bin, giving Eunhyuk a mischievous grin. Eunhyuk and Donghae both raised a hand in acknowledgement, and Eunhyuk ruffled her hair playfully as she moved closer to him.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the council meeting now, taking notes, Ms. Secretary?" Eunhyuk asked teasingly, earning a mock punch in his forearm. Yuri shook her head towards Donghae, who lifted his hands up in a hopeless motion.
"I'm here to congratulate my dearest brother, because he is going to graduate in a few hours!" Yuri smiled, and Eunhyuk returned the gesture; his sister was just so lovable and endearing at times. The siblings were born a year apart, and Yuri had successfully made it into the council as well, which created a few scandals in the past, because her brother was the council president then. Yuri had managed well by herself though, and that was enough to squash out any remaining rumours.
"Anyway oppa! If no one wants your second button, I, as your dear sister, will take it for you to help you retain some of your pride on the last day of school!" Yuri exclaimed as she winked at Eunhyuk, earning a swipe in the process.
"Many girls are clamouring for his, so Yuri, I don't think you stand a chance." Donghae quipped in.
Yuri raised an eyebrow towards Donghae, smirking slightly. "Donghae oppa, I think you missed out someone. Some guy will also like Eunhyuk-oppa's second button, right?" Yuri asked innocently, before dodging out of the reach of both guys. Donghae scowled good-naturedly at Yuri, who waved in his direction to dismiss any objections that she could see coming from him.
"Anyway! Donghae-oppa! I know of a certain girl who is trying all she can to get your button though! Maybe you know her, her name's Jessica. Sounds familiar?" Yuri smirked wider, flashing a look at Eunhyuk. "And she's pretty close with you, right? And I think the other competitors don't really stand a chance. Eunhyuk-oppa! What do you think!" Yuri questioned again, and Donghae blushed furiously. Eunhyuk turned towards Yuri, trying his best to push her in the direction of the exit.
"Oppa!" She pouted, turning her head over her shoulder to address Eunhyuk one more time. "Oppa!" She gasped again, and determinedly stopped in her tracks. "Oppa! Your second button is missing! You gave it out already!?" Yuri inquired, surprise etched on her face. Eunhyuk froze, and Donghae froze as well.
"None of your business." Eunhyuk stated firmly, grabbing his blazer simultaneously to cover the missing second button. He continued to push Yuri towards the roof top to get her back to her meeting, and finally succeeded in doing so. Heaving a great sigh of relief, he turned back, only to be met with a still frozen Donghae, whose eyes were riveted towards the palm that was still clutching his blazer tightly.
"Donghae?"
Donghae jumped a little, as if he had been shocked earlier. "Nothing!" He exclaimed loudly, even though he didn't hear what Eunhyuk said previously. His mind was solely focused on one object, and it wasn't hard to guess what it was, as Eunhyuk saw the disbelief drawn over Donghae's face. There was also something in his face which Eunhyuk couldn't understand, and he quickly brought his hand down from the blazer, giving out an awkward laugh.
"Who is it?" Donghae asked, shifting a little and stared down at his shoes. Silence met his question, and it soon grew longer. Donghae raised his gaze to meet Eunhyuk's unreadable one, staring right back at him. Both of them coughed, clearing their throats as they looked away at the same time.
"Let's go. The ceremony is about to start." Eunhyuk stated, and he grabbed Donghae's hand in his, pulling his best friend towards the auditorium.
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"And now, our outgoing student council president will be personally handing out the graduation gifts to the council members of his batch." The emcee announced, and the parents clapped politely, while the other members of the student population cheered as loudly as they could. Eunhyuk stepped onto the stage, bowing towards the audience, one last time as the president. He breathed in this familiar atmosphere, trying to imprint it in his mind, to remind himself that he was 18 years old once, that he had a childhood once, that he enjoyed himself once, that he was a reckless youth once.
Feeling the spotlight on stage, Eunhyuk realized that he would miss this moment a lot in the future, these fun times with his classmates, playing without a care in the world at all, being a part of this school, getting scolded when pranks went wrong, and every single thing. Which includes him meeting the person he thought he loved in this school. This school definitely was one of the best places ever.
"Eunhyuk?" Someone whispered in front of him, and Eunhyuk smiled, handing a teddy bear wearing their school uniform over. "Thank you Sungmin, for being the council's treasurer and keeping the notes safe. And for showing us your cute antics from time to time." Eunhyuk whispered back, as Sungmin accepted the bear, a wide grin stretched all over his face.
"Eunhyuk…are you going to get it over and done with soon? The other executive members are not so patient seeing you two like this anymore…. If you guys haven't confessed by the end of the week, we are going to dump the both of you in the swimming pool and you know we can do it -" Sungmin cut off, as Eunhyuk pushed him slightly in the direction of the stairs, clamping down on his lips to prevent himself from laughing on stage. Sungmin frowned and gave a mock glare, jerking a finger at the person behind him, and mouthed something, which Eunhyuk blatantly ignored.
"Eunhyuk…"
"Donghae. Thank you for being the vice president along with me." Eunhyuk stated simply, thinking that this short sentence was enough to express his gratitude. Words were unable to convey how much he actually felt for Donghae during these two years, they just seemed to degrade this moment between them, at this point of time. Donghae seemed to understand, as his eyes crinkled in the familiar way which Eunhyuk was so used to now.
Eunhyuk shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a little nervous. He pressed the bear into Donghae's hands, who accepted them with a grin on his face. The smile was quickly replaced with confusion, as Donghae looked back at Eunhyuk, tilting his head slightly as he felt a slight lump under the shirt of the teddy bear. Eunhyuk pretended not to catch his question, as he looked over Donghae's shoulder to welcome the next council member. Donghae pouted, and he started making his way towards the back of the stage. In the process, he accidentally bumped into Eunhyuk, and held out his hand for Eunhyuk to stabilize himself, before continuing on his way.
Once out of the audiences' gazes, Donghae fumbled underneath the shirt of the teddy bear, wondering what was underneath. His fingers finally grabbed the foreign object, and he quickly pulled it out to hold it against the light, in order to identify the unknown the object.
It was a slightly worn out second button, but still a second button nevertheless.
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Eunhyuk made his way down the stage, and was escorted back to his seat with the school personnel. He wondered if Donghae had checked the bear yet, or perhaps Donghae was sometimes a klutz that didn't understand what he was trying to tell Donghae. Sighing silently in his head, he settled comfortably in his seat, pushing his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. His fingers brushed against something, which he knew immediately wasn’t there when he went up the stage; he had checked his pockets beforehand to make sure he didn't leave anything behind accidentally. And he was sure that no one gave it to him. Unless someone….who bumped into him earlier…
He dug his fingers further and eagerly into the pocket, trying to pull out the foreign object. He frowned, because he couldn't make too obvious movements while sitting beside the school principal, and because it was too dark for him to actually make out the exact position of that foreign object in his pocket. Finally, when he managed to close his fingers around the object, he pulled it out, raising it right to his eye level.
It was something which he instantly recognized, because only that person's second button was slightly cracked along the middle, when he had accidentally knocked into his locker on the very first day of school, just because, according to Donghae himself, he was staring at some guy. And Eunhyuk had a rough idea who that guy might be, now.
"Someone gave you a second button?" The school principal asked puzzedly, motioning towards the button in Eunhyuk's hands. Eunhyuk quickly gave a slight bow, still seated, and nodded politely. The principal nodded back, a frown still evident on his features. Eunhyuk muffled his laughter with his hand as he spotted the principal's reaction.
"Well…it seems like our council president is popular with both guys and girls, aren't you?" The school principal addressed him, smiling slightly as he stood up to be escorted to the stage to make the closing speech.
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Eunhyuk made his way towards the council room, because he knew all the council members would be there, waiting for him, for their final, last gathering. He quickened his pace as the room came into view, the light within shining brightly. He now allowed the smile to grace his features, instead of having to hide them and his occasional snorts of laughter during the ceremony, because of a certain second button, now resting in the middle of his right palm.
He reached the door and opened it, ready to greet his fellow batch mates. He froze in the doorway, and Donghae froze as well, as he saw Eunhyuk at the door.
"The…the others?" Eunhyuk questioned, once he got over his surprise.
"They asked me to wait here…they went to get something?" Donghae shot back, a little confused.
Eunhyuk mentally cursed the others; they were doing it so obviously that only someone like Donghae would get fooled by them. He then thanked them in his mind, glad that he could get this time alone with Donghae. Eunhyuk couldn't help but raise his right hand up, so Donghae could see what he was holding. Donghae blushed furiously, as he turned away from Eunhyuk to observe random groups of students making their way home.
"Where did yours disappear to during our session at the rooftop?" Donghae blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity. Eunhyuk raised his eyebrows at Donghae, letting laughter escape from his throat, surprised that Donghae had not figured it out yet.
"Well…I think it went under the shirt of some teddy bear…I'm not sure if the owner understood what it meant, though…" Eunhyuk trailed off, and Donghae whirled around immediately.
"Of course I do!" Donghae spluttered indignantly, only to slap his hand over his mouth, mentally scolding himself for letting it slip out of his mouth. He winced and shut his eyes tightly, praying for the ground to swallow him up at this exact moment.
Eunhyuk chuckled softly, as he raised his hand to cup Donghae's face, his thumb trying to disperse the redness that was increasing by every passing second.
"Well…" Donghae ventured, a little awkward.
"Hmm…?"
"So…does this mean… we…" Donghae trailed off, biting his lips slightly as he figured out how to continue his question.
"Hmm…" Eunhyuk closed his eyes, as if he was deep in thought.
"Eunhyuk you idiot! Just say yes now!" Someone screamed from outside, and both Eunhyuk and Donghae turned towards the door, only to see Sungmin flailing his arms wildly about, while being held back by Kyuhyun, who was also currently trying his best to keep Sungmin quiet by covering Sungmin's mouth with his palm. Offering a sheepish smile, he quickly dragged Sungmin out of the room, careful to not disturb the two of them further.
Eunhyuk turned his attention back to Donghae, the atmosphere completely broken now. He felt uncontrollable laughter rising up within him, and soon Donghae joined him in his amusement, their peals of laughter ringing forth in the room, and spreading towards the soon empty courtyard.
"Donghae?" Eunhyuk smiled, his eyes softening a little.
"Eunhyuk?" Donghae stared back, looking deep into those eyes.
Eunhyuk raised his left palm, an invitation. Donghae smiled, and placed his hand in Eunhyuk's. Eunhyuk quickly twined his fingers around Donghae's, smiling at the sight of their hands clasped together, finally, not just as best friends.
"Thank you." Eunhyuk breathed out, closing his eyes.
"For what?"
"For you, just being you."
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A/N: I just had my graduation ceremony a few days ago...and I was reminded by Proposal Daisakusen! The very first Japanese drama I watched, and I promptly fell in love with it! I love how high school students are all so innocent and carefree, and although I speak like I'm not one now, I AM (!) and I still enjoy high school life ^^v. The second button idea was taken from the drama! Hope you like it!
Author: xoxo_nat_xx
Pairing: Eunhyuk/Donghae
Ratings: PG
Summary: All guys would give away the second button on their blazers to the girls whom they had liked throughout high school, as an expression of their love for them. And it must be the second button, because the second button is the closest to one's heart on the uniform. Having worn the uniform for nearly every single day, the button should be choked full of the emotions each guy experienced during his high school life, and thus is significant for one to give it away to a girl.
Eunhyuk exhaled slowly, stretching his hands above his head as he gazed around the auditorium in amazement. The student council had just spent three hours in the auditorium, decorating the place fit for their graduation ceremony later. Although he is part of the graduating batch, he still decided to come and help out a little, being the outgoing president of the student council batch.
"My two years in high school really flies…."He mused quietly to himself, taking in the grand atmosphere and closing his eyes briefly to enjoy this moment, all by himself. He never felt such a strong attachment to a school before, be it his elementary or secondary school; this was the very first school that made him feel like he really belonged, like he could make a difference, like he was really part of this big family.
"And it is finally time to say goodbye." He thought to himself, his mouth curling up slightly at the thought. He stretched out his hand to reach and place it on the podium in front of him, tracing the edges carefully, and fondly. This was the last time he could stand here, all alone, and feel this quiet pride swelling within him.
"Eunhyuk…" Someone whispered beside him, and Eunhyuk immediately was jolted out of his silent moment. He opened his eyes instantly and there was another face right in front of him, who was wiggling his eyebrows as he took in Eunhyuk's reaction. Eunhyuk scowled jokingly; his best friend never failed to make his spirits lift, and he could never ever get angry with this person called Lee Donghae.
"Lee Donghae!" Eunhyuk shouted right into the face in front of him, causing Donghae to wince and step back slightly. "I'm giving you a 5 second head start, and if I catch you…" Eunhyuk trailed off threateningly, causing Donghae to widen his eyes in mock fear. Eunhyuk grinned back evilly, and Donghae immediately took off, running towards the direction of the exit.
"No peeking! You can't see where I'm running to!" Donghae shouted over his shoulder playfully, as he made his way out of the auditorium.
"High school life is…wonderful, joyful, and just plain fantastic, because of my friends here." Eunhyuk breathed in, clasping his hands together as he counted the five seconds head start mentally.
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"Yah! What took you so long to find me!" Donghae stood facing the school field on the rooftop, pouting slightly. He stared rigidly ahead and refused to look at the approaching figure, who took approximately 10 minutes to find him, even the other knew that Donghae would be on the rooftop, as always.
"Uhh…this?" Eunhyuk smiled, nudging Donghae with a cool can of drink. Seeing that Donghae was adamant on ignoring him, he placed the can on the railing, while he opened his own and took a huge gulp from it. It was approaching autumn, but the boys in the school still refused to acknowledge this fact. Summer is the best season, with football and beaches whirling around in their minds, where they forged those memories together. Eunhyuk grinned wider at the expanse of the field before them, noting some couples relaxing on the grass as they waited for their graduation ceremony to start.
"You sure you don't want this? It's good, I bought it in the morning before the vending machine ran out of it. Had to especially store it in the council's fridge to get it chilled and now you are refusing it? Oh wells…I guess I would have to drink it then…" Eunhyuk shrugged exaggeratedly, and made a move towards the can of drink, only to have Donghae snatch it right out before him. He had to hide a smile at the scene; Donghae was like a child, childish, but still so adorable.
"I didn't say I didn't want it." Donghae stated simply, as he made a funny face at Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk sucked in his cheeks as he turned back to face the field once more. He sensed a feeling wafting through him, and he immediately identified it: Nostalgia. He would definitely miss this place in a few years time, and his friends, especially Donghae, as Eunhyuk had just accepted a place in Julliard in the United States to major in dancing, his passion. Eunhyuk traced the railing lightly, already missing this place.
"Eunhyuk?" Donghae shifted a little on his feet, twiddling with his fingers a little as he took another slurp from the can of drink.
"Hmm…?" It was unusual for Donghae to hesitate; he always said whatever that came to his mind. Eunhyuk sighed imperceptibly, shifting his body so he was leaning against the railing, facing Donghae instead. Then he noticed, that Donghae was flushing, his cheeks a bright red. Eunhyuk raised his eyebrows and bit down on his lips to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
Donghae gulped visibly as he pointedly ignored Eunhyuk's stare. "Eunhyuk…you know…high school graduation…the gift…farewell present…"
"Hmm…you mean the second button on our blazers, don't you?" Eunhyuk placed a hand under his chin, adopting a pensive pose. It was a tradition in their school; all guys would give away the second button on their blazers to the girls whom they had liked throughout high school, as an expression of their love for them. And it must be the second button, because the second button is the closest to one's heart on the uniform. Having worn the uniform for nearly every single day, the button should be choked full of the emotions each guy experienced during his high school life, and thus is significant for one to give it away to a girl.
Donghae nodded a little, before turning his head to face Eunhyuk. "Who are you giving yours to, Eunhyuk?" Donghae asked, shrugging slightly, and focused on a random spot on the rooftop, as if he was not interested in knowing the answer at all. Eunhyuk grinned; he already knew who to give it to, and he was definitely not telling Donghae. Eunhyuk took in a deep breath of air to prolong this moment between them, and lifted the empty can in his hand to throw it into the rubbish bin. However, the can fell short of his target, and bounced several times on the floor instead.
"Oppa, you know…littering in school is considered an offence." Someone said as she walked in to join the guys. Yuri picked up the can on the floor and dropped it neatly into the bin, giving Eunhyuk a mischievous grin. Eunhyuk and Donghae both raised a hand in acknowledgement, and Eunhyuk ruffled her hair playfully as she moved closer to him.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the council meeting now, taking notes, Ms. Secretary?" Eunhyuk asked teasingly, earning a mock punch in his forearm. Yuri shook her head towards Donghae, who lifted his hands up in a hopeless motion.
"I'm here to congratulate my dearest brother, because he is going to graduate in a few hours!" Yuri smiled, and Eunhyuk returned the gesture; his sister was just so lovable and endearing at times. The siblings were born a year apart, and Yuri had successfully made it into the council as well, which created a few scandals in the past, because her brother was the council president then. Yuri had managed well by herself though, and that was enough to squash out any remaining rumours.
"Anyway oppa! If no one wants your second button, I, as your dear sister, will take it for you to help you retain some of your pride on the last day of school!" Yuri exclaimed as she winked at Eunhyuk, earning a swipe in the process.
"Many girls are clamouring for his, so Yuri, I don't think you stand a chance." Donghae quipped in.
Yuri raised an eyebrow towards Donghae, smirking slightly. "Donghae oppa, I think you missed out someone. Some guy will also like Eunhyuk-oppa's second button, right?" Yuri asked innocently, before dodging out of the reach of both guys. Donghae scowled good-naturedly at Yuri, who waved in his direction to dismiss any objections that she could see coming from him.
"Anyway! Donghae-oppa! I know of a certain girl who is trying all she can to get your button though! Maybe you know her, her name's Jessica. Sounds familiar?" Yuri smirked wider, flashing a look at Eunhyuk. "And she's pretty close with you, right? And I think the other competitors don't really stand a chance. Eunhyuk-oppa! What do you think!" Yuri questioned again, and Donghae blushed furiously. Eunhyuk turned towards Yuri, trying his best to push her in the direction of the exit.
"Oppa!" She pouted, turning her head over her shoulder to address Eunhyuk one more time. "Oppa!" She gasped again, and determinedly stopped in her tracks. "Oppa! Your second button is missing! You gave it out already!?" Yuri inquired, surprise etched on her face. Eunhyuk froze, and Donghae froze as well.
"None of your business." Eunhyuk stated firmly, grabbing his blazer simultaneously to cover the missing second button. He continued to push Yuri towards the roof top to get her back to her meeting, and finally succeeded in doing so. Heaving a great sigh of relief, he turned back, only to be met with a still frozen Donghae, whose eyes were riveted towards the palm that was still clutching his blazer tightly.
"Donghae?"
Donghae jumped a little, as if he had been shocked earlier. "Nothing!" He exclaimed loudly, even though he didn't hear what Eunhyuk said previously. His mind was solely focused on one object, and it wasn't hard to guess what it was, as Eunhyuk saw the disbelief drawn over Donghae's face. There was also something in his face which Eunhyuk couldn't understand, and he quickly brought his hand down from the blazer, giving out an awkward laugh.
"Who is it?" Donghae asked, shifting a little and stared down at his shoes. Silence met his question, and it soon grew longer. Donghae raised his gaze to meet Eunhyuk's unreadable one, staring right back at him. Both of them coughed, clearing their throats as they looked away at the same time.
"Let's go. The ceremony is about to start." Eunhyuk stated, and he grabbed Donghae's hand in his, pulling his best friend towards the auditorium.
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"And now, our outgoing student council president will be personally handing out the graduation gifts to the council members of his batch." The emcee announced, and the parents clapped politely, while the other members of the student population cheered as loudly as they could. Eunhyuk stepped onto the stage, bowing towards the audience, one last time as the president. He breathed in this familiar atmosphere, trying to imprint it in his mind, to remind himself that he was 18 years old once, that he had a childhood once, that he enjoyed himself once, that he was a reckless youth once.
Feeling the spotlight on stage, Eunhyuk realized that he would miss this moment a lot in the future, these fun times with his classmates, playing without a care in the world at all, being a part of this school, getting scolded when pranks went wrong, and every single thing. Which includes him meeting the person he thought he loved in this school. This school definitely was one of the best places ever.
"Eunhyuk?" Someone whispered in front of him, and Eunhyuk smiled, handing a teddy bear wearing their school uniform over. "Thank you Sungmin, for being the council's treasurer and keeping the notes safe. And for showing us your cute antics from time to time." Eunhyuk whispered back, as Sungmin accepted the bear, a wide grin stretched all over his face.
"Eunhyuk…are you going to get it over and done with soon? The other executive members are not so patient seeing you two like this anymore…. If you guys haven't confessed by the end of the week, we are going to dump the both of you in the swimming pool and you know we can do it -" Sungmin cut off, as Eunhyuk pushed him slightly in the direction of the stairs, clamping down on his lips to prevent himself from laughing on stage. Sungmin frowned and gave a mock glare, jerking a finger at the person behind him, and mouthed something, which Eunhyuk blatantly ignored.
"Eunhyuk…"
"Donghae. Thank you for being the vice president along with me." Eunhyuk stated simply, thinking that this short sentence was enough to express his gratitude. Words were unable to convey how much he actually felt for Donghae during these two years, they just seemed to degrade this moment between them, at this point of time. Donghae seemed to understand, as his eyes crinkled in the familiar way which Eunhyuk was so used to now.
Eunhyuk shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a little nervous. He pressed the bear into Donghae's hands, who accepted them with a grin on his face. The smile was quickly replaced with confusion, as Donghae looked back at Eunhyuk, tilting his head slightly as he felt a slight lump under the shirt of the teddy bear. Eunhyuk pretended not to catch his question, as he looked over Donghae's shoulder to welcome the next council member. Donghae pouted, and he started making his way towards the back of the stage. In the process, he accidentally bumped into Eunhyuk, and held out his hand for Eunhyuk to stabilize himself, before continuing on his way.
Once out of the audiences' gazes, Donghae fumbled underneath the shirt of the teddy bear, wondering what was underneath. His fingers finally grabbed the foreign object, and he quickly pulled it out to hold it against the light, in order to identify the unknown the object.
It was a slightly worn out second button, but still a second button nevertheless.
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Eunhyuk made his way down the stage, and was escorted back to his seat with the school personnel. He wondered if Donghae had checked the bear yet, or perhaps Donghae was sometimes a klutz that didn't understand what he was trying to tell Donghae. Sighing silently in his head, he settled comfortably in his seat, pushing his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. His fingers brushed against something, which he knew immediately wasn’t there when he went up the stage; he had checked his pockets beforehand to make sure he didn't leave anything behind accidentally. And he was sure that no one gave it to him. Unless someone….who bumped into him earlier…
He dug his fingers further and eagerly into the pocket, trying to pull out the foreign object. He frowned, because he couldn't make too obvious movements while sitting beside the school principal, and because it was too dark for him to actually make out the exact position of that foreign object in his pocket. Finally, when he managed to close his fingers around the object, he pulled it out, raising it right to his eye level.
It was something which he instantly recognized, because only that person's second button was slightly cracked along the middle, when he had accidentally knocked into his locker on the very first day of school, just because, according to Donghae himself, he was staring at some guy. And Eunhyuk had a rough idea who that guy might be, now.
"Someone gave you a second button?" The school principal asked puzzedly, motioning towards the button in Eunhyuk's hands. Eunhyuk quickly gave a slight bow, still seated, and nodded politely. The principal nodded back, a frown still evident on his features. Eunhyuk muffled his laughter with his hand as he spotted the principal's reaction.
"Well…it seems like our council president is popular with both guys and girls, aren't you?" The school principal addressed him, smiling slightly as he stood up to be escorted to the stage to make the closing speech.
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Eunhyuk made his way towards the council room, because he knew all the council members would be there, waiting for him, for their final, last gathering. He quickened his pace as the room came into view, the light within shining brightly. He now allowed the smile to grace his features, instead of having to hide them and his occasional snorts of laughter during the ceremony, because of a certain second button, now resting in the middle of his right palm.
He reached the door and opened it, ready to greet his fellow batch mates. He froze in the doorway, and Donghae froze as well, as he saw Eunhyuk at the door.
"The…the others?" Eunhyuk questioned, once he got over his surprise.
"They asked me to wait here…they went to get something?" Donghae shot back, a little confused.
Eunhyuk mentally cursed the others; they were doing it so obviously that only someone like Donghae would get fooled by them. He then thanked them in his mind, glad that he could get this time alone with Donghae. Eunhyuk couldn't help but raise his right hand up, so Donghae could see what he was holding. Donghae blushed furiously, as he turned away from Eunhyuk to observe random groups of students making their way home.
"Where did yours disappear to during our session at the rooftop?" Donghae blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity. Eunhyuk raised his eyebrows at Donghae, letting laughter escape from his throat, surprised that Donghae had not figured it out yet.
"Well…I think it went under the shirt of some teddy bear…I'm not sure if the owner understood what it meant, though…" Eunhyuk trailed off, and Donghae whirled around immediately.
"Of course I do!" Donghae spluttered indignantly, only to slap his hand over his mouth, mentally scolding himself for letting it slip out of his mouth. He winced and shut his eyes tightly, praying for the ground to swallow him up at this exact moment.
Eunhyuk chuckled softly, as he raised his hand to cup Donghae's face, his thumb trying to disperse the redness that was increasing by every passing second.
"Well…" Donghae ventured, a little awkward.
"Hmm…?"
"So…does this mean… we…" Donghae trailed off, biting his lips slightly as he figured out how to continue his question.
"Hmm…" Eunhyuk closed his eyes, as if he was deep in thought.
"Eunhyuk you idiot! Just say yes now!" Someone screamed from outside, and both Eunhyuk and Donghae turned towards the door, only to see Sungmin flailing his arms wildly about, while being held back by Kyuhyun, who was also currently trying his best to keep Sungmin quiet by covering Sungmin's mouth with his palm. Offering a sheepish smile, he quickly dragged Sungmin out of the room, careful to not disturb the two of them further.
Eunhyuk turned his attention back to Donghae, the atmosphere completely broken now. He felt uncontrollable laughter rising up within him, and soon Donghae joined him in his amusement, their peals of laughter ringing forth in the room, and spreading towards the soon empty courtyard.
"Donghae?" Eunhyuk smiled, his eyes softening a little.
"Eunhyuk?" Donghae stared back, looking deep into those eyes.
Eunhyuk raised his left palm, an invitation. Donghae smiled, and placed his hand in Eunhyuk's. Eunhyuk quickly twined his fingers around Donghae's, smiling at the sight of their hands clasped together, finally, not just as best friends.
"Thank you." Eunhyuk breathed out, closing his eyes.
"For what?"
"For you, just being you."
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A/N: I just had my graduation ceremony a few days ago...and I was reminded by Proposal Daisakusen! The very first Japanese drama I watched, and I promptly fell in love with it! I love how high school students are all so innocent and carefree, and although I speak like I'm not one now, I AM (!) and I still enjoy high school life ^^v. The second button idea was taken from the drama! Hope you like it!