•••••

The sun shone lightly through the blinds in Yeosang's room. He had been awake before sunrise and had not moved since. The blanket was pulled over him and only a small gap between the mattress and the blanket, which let in air, connected Yeosang to the outside world.

He hadn't really slept and his thoughts wouldn't let him rest. He knew he was exaggerating because nothing bad had actually happened, but he felt empty somehow. And he had no motivation to get up and go to the university either.

~

"Where's Yeosang?" Wooyoung asked when he met Mingi in the corridor of the university building that morning. "We were supposed to have breakfast together today," he added. Mingi shrugged his shoulders slightly, as he had no idea himself. "Okay, anyway, I have to go, I'll see you later," Wooyoung mumbled after a while and disappeared.

Mingi looked after him, then continued on his way to his locker. He opened the small door and pulled out a book for his next music class. He closed the door again and winced terribly when a face suddenly appeared. His smile disappeared automatically. "We need to talk," Hongjoong said. Mingi let him pull him along and a few seconds later they were standing in the men's restroom. Fortunately, they were alone.

Hongjoong let go of Mingi and turned to face him. "Can you finally tell me what your problem is?" Hongjoong asked. Mingi snorted slightly. His only problem was standing in front of him. "Honestly, what happened in summer? We were always looking forward to you going to the same university as me, and from one day to the next, I'm a stranger to you."

Mingi scanned Hongjoong's face and realized that he really had no idea why he was mad at him. "It wasn't overnight," Mingi protested, clutching his book tightly. "Do you remember the day we were supposed to meet at the skate park by the lake?" Hongjoong thought for a moment and nodded. "I waited for you for hours that day, only to see that you didn't give a shit about our meeting because you wanted to hang out with Yunho."

Hongjoong's expression became more confused. "After that day, I realized how easy it is for you to replace someone. I wasn't in the mood for your games and that I always came second and Yunho first."

Suddenly, Hongjoong's expression darkened. "Oh yeah? And what was about Wooyoung? You were the first to bring a third person into our friendship, so it's obvious that I was looking for someone else." Mingi couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You don't understand anything," he cursed and tried to leave, but Hongjoong held him back. "Then explain it to me instead of always running away!" he said so loudly that Mingi flinched slightly.

He wheeled around, full of rage.
"I liked you! And every day I wished I was more than your friend, but you never noticed anything and at some point I couldn't take it anymore. I needed someone I could talk to normally without going crazy every time," Mingi pressed out and then fell silent. He lowered his eyes. It was finally out, but he didn't feel a bit relieved.

Hongjoong's piercing gaze was on him, burning a hole in his soul. He had suspected that Hongjoong wouldn't understand, so he had never said it. Maybe it was to talk himself out of the truth, but now that he had said it, it only hurt more. Hongjoong shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now?" Mingi wished it were so. He didn't dare look up. "You've been more than just a friend to me since we met for the first time, but you never understood it,"

Silence pervaded the room and Mingi finally dared to look up. The shock was literally written all over Hongjoong's face. Without saying anything, he turned and ran out of the door. Mingi couldn't blame him. It was just as he had expected, but at least he had finally said it. However, that didn't make anything better. He could never be friends with Hongjoong again, even if they got along again.

Hongjoong stormed out of the restroom. In the hallway, he bumped into someone, but was too distraught to pay attention and just kept walking. Yunho, who he had just bumped into, looked after him thoughtfully, then back to the restroom. He had overheard everything.

~

Yeosang lifted his head out of bed at noon when he heard his phone ring. Disgruntled, he reached for it and picked it up without looking to see who it was. "Hello?" he mumbled tiredly. "Yeosang where the hell are you?" Wooyoung's voice was so loud that Yeosang jerked his phone further away.

"Relax, I'm in my room," he said. "Have you been sleeping till now?" Wooyoung asked, and it was more of a rhetorical question because Yeosang's voice clearly made it obvious. Yeosang heard Wooyoung clear his throat. "Yeo if you're so upset with everything why don't you just talk to Jongho?"

Yeosang laughed slightly, then his smile disappeared again. "Are you crazy? I can never talk to him again. Imagine you had a sister and she liked someone but he dumped her. Then you wouldn't like him anymore, would you?" There was nothing but silence, then Wooyoung sighed. ''Maybe it's not what you think either. I'll meet you at the café in an hour so you can talk to Jongho," Wooyoung said. Yeosang's eyes widen. "How do you know he's working there today?"

A giggle could be heard. "Since I've been there every day, I've memorized who's there and when, and I happen to know that Jongho is there today and San isn't, so we can go." Yeosang slowly rolled out of his blanket. "No way, you can forget it. I'd rather stay in my bed and never go out again," Yeosang said with conviction. But Wooyoung didn't let go, of course.
"If you don't show up in an hour, I'll come and get you myself!" he said, then the call ended abruptly.

Yeosang stared at the display in disbelief. He would never go and talk to Jongho.

~

A loud knock startled Yeosang and he stared at the door to his room. Had Wooyoung really meant it? Yeosang hesitantly walked to the door and opened it a little. He was immediately met with Wooyoung's icy stare and before he could close the door again, a foot slipped between the door and the door frame. Yeosang tried to push it shut again. "Get out of here!" he said, but unfortunately Wooyoung was stronger and pushed his way into the room bit by bit until he suddenly stood in front of him with his hands on his hips. "Now get dressed and come with me," he said promptly.

~

"I don't want to." Yeosang whined as he was pulled across the street by Wooyoung. "I don't care, you'll thank me for it," Wooyoung said and crossed the street. They stopped just before the café. "Really Woo, it's all good. There's no need to talk to him." Wooyoung remained stubborn and pushed Yeosang to the entrance. "Even if you don't talk to each other, let's at least have a coffee."

~

Yeosang sat crouched in a seat by the window. Anxious, he looked around every five seconds, fervently hoping that if Jongho was there, he wouldn't spot him. Wooyoung sipped his coffee. "Relax Yeo, you look like you're on the lookout for a murderer." Yeosang glared at him. "This is all your fault. I didn't even want to go here." Wooyoung shrugged his shoulders calmly. "I'm just trying to help you feel better, and talking always helps." Yeosang shook his head. It would help him more if he hid forever.

"Wooyoung?" a voice suddenly rang out and Wooyoung flinched. Confused, he turned around and then looked at San's face in surprise. He could have sworn it was San's day off, otherwise he would never have come here. Wooyoung quickly turned around and looked at Yeosang for help, but Yeosang didn't know what was happening either.

"Can we talk for a moment?" San then said, which made Wooyoung turn around again. He didn't really want to talk to him, mainly because he wanted to leave San alone, but with those eyes and that face, he just couldn't say no. He nodded slowly, then followed San to the back exit of the café, leaving Yeosang alone.

~

San stopped in a small side alley from the back exit and Wooyoung looked at him with wide eyes. "I thought you weren't working today, otherwise I wouldn't have come. I'm sorry," Wooyoung said quickly before San could say anything and looked down. Even if he had visited San here every day until recently, he didn't want to come across as a stalker.

A small smile formed on San's lips.
"I stepped in because one of our employees is sick," he explained. That made sense. Wooyoung still didn't dare to look up again. "I wanted to apologize for what I said last time," San said and Wooyoung finally looked up. He looked into San's eyes and noticed the heat rising in his cheeks.

"You don't have to apologize.", he then said and immediately San shook his head. "I'm sorry if it came across as me not taking you seriously because I do and to be honest, I really appreciated you coming here every day and going through so much trouble to get to know someone like me. I might have even been a little happy." Wooyoung looked at him speechlessly.

"It's just that I'm very busy and haven't really had any good experiences when it comes to relationships. Most of the girls I've been with have been lonely and unhappy with me. I can be clingy and annoying, but I still need a lot of space and I work a lot. I don't want to do this to anyone anymore. Especially not to someone like you," San said.

"Someone like me?" Wooyoung croaked. "Someone who is so open and positive. You should keep your smile and spend time with someone who is good for you." Slowly Wooyoung understood what San meant and he could slap himself for never thinking about why San had always rejected him. He always thought that he just didn't like him, but now it all made sense somehow. And even though it didn't make the situation any easier, Wooyoung was somewhat happy. Because that meant that San at least didn't dislike him, like everyone Wooyoung had been interested in so far.

"San I understand what you mean, but not everyone is like the girls you've been with. And just because you've had bad experiences doesn't mean it will be the same for other people." San lowered his head and sighed slightly. "I know, but still." Wooyoung had to smile slightly. "Like you said, we don't know each other and you can't really tell what I'm like and whether I'd be unhappy with someone like you," Wooyoung suddenly said with more confidence. San looked up again. "Wooyoung." he said, but Wooyoung didn't let him finish.

"If you ignore everything you just said and only think about me as a person, do you think you could at least give me a chance to get to know you?" San looked at Wooyoung perplexed. Everything in Wooyoung tensed up.
"I think so," San then mumbled and Wooyoung had to grin. Full of joy, he nudged San. "Then we can work it out, don't you think?" San couldn't help but smile slightly and Wooyoung felt everything inside him soften.

~

Yeosang looked around nervously and wondered where Wooyoung was. He wanted to leave, but it was mean to just disappear like that, wasn't it?

The thoughtful silence was cut and the thing Yeosang had feared the most happened, because someone appeared in front of him. Someone he never wanted to talk to again. Jongho came up to him. Were these his last seconds? Would he now be personally strangled by Jongho? Yeosang's pulse quickened and he became afraid as the other came closer and closer. Just before Jongho arrived, he held his breath.

To Yeosang's surprise, Jongho dropped onto a chair next to him and then smiled. Was he really smiling? Yeosang couldn't believe his eyes. Was he dreaming? "Hey, I didn't even see you at first. What are you doing here?" Jongho asked. Yeosang looked at him, speechless. Is that any way to talk to someone you hate? Not really. "Are you okay?" Jongho asked after Yeosang didn't respond. Yeosang quickly shook his head.

"Yes, yes, I'm here having a coffee with my friend," Yeosang said, still not realizing what had just happened. Jongho's lips had the warm smile he was known for. Was he not mad at Yeosang at all? "And you work here?" Yeosang asked, looking at Jongho skeptically. Maybe he was just playing nice to make him feel even worse. Jongho nodded with a smile.
"Yes, as a part time job to save a bit of money," he said.

"Do you remember Seonghwa?" he then asked and Yeosang nodded immediately. "He and another guy called San own the café. Both of them are my best friends." Yeosang was surprised and Jongho giggled slightly at the look on his face. Yeosang didn't understand the world anymore, why the hell wasn't Jongho angry at him? Not knowing what to say, Yeosang looked at his hands and swallowed.

"You disappeared so quickly on Saturday, was everything okay?" Yeosang lifted his head again. Wasn't it rather his sister he should be asking that? Or had Lia not told him at all? But why would she keep it a secret?

"Yes, everything was fine, the evening was really nice, thank you," Yeosang said quickly, as Jongho looked at him expectantly. Then Jongho smiled again. "Maybe we can do it again if you feel like it." Yeosang's pulse suddenly quickened. "You mean the four of us?" Jongho laughed lightly and Yeosang looked at him in confusion.

"The combination might be a bit strange. I actually meant without the others, just us."

Yeosang slowly realized what Jongho had just said, then everything stopped for him. What just happened?

____________

It's slowly starting guys 🤭

Update on Saturday <33