sunghoon couldn't help but cuss when he sees sunoo running out of the corridor of the hospital, looking for someone.

ah, he'll definitely kill me.

he continues to walk, ignoring what he just saw. it's already past 6 in the evening and sunghoon wants to go home.

"hoon!" sunoo scrambles past the nurses, walking fast as he tried to catch up with sunghoon.

damn it, he saw me. "yeah? are you done talking to hee?" sunghoon puts on his smile, pretending that he didn't just see the guy running across the hall.

"uh, kind of? jake was there so i left them. i don't want to third wheel." sunoo stares at him, "where's riki?"

"who's that?"

sunoo's face remained blank. "don't bullshit me, sunghoon. where is he? i need to talk to him."

"well, he's not here anymore." he scratched the back of his neck.

"what? did he leave?"

"uhm.. maybe? honestly i don't know. just call him or something, make use of that technology you have."

before sunoo could speak again, he walked fast enough to escape his friend. sorry sun, nishimura is probably contemplating his life choices because of what i said.

++++++++++

[ riki 💫 ]

sunoo:
hey 😅
i couldn't find you here at the hospital, did you leave already?
i was planning on talking to you since we got interrupted back in the museum
can i? i just have smth to tell you
text me back if you read this, please?

++++++++++

[ sunoo's angels 🔫 ]

sunoo:
park sunghoon
did you do smth to riki?

jongseong:
he probably did

sunghoon:
what? i didn't do anything tho 😕

sunoo:
then why did he just leave without telling me?
that's unusual for him
and he's not replying to my texts

sunghoon:
i swear i don't know
i just went for a smoke and we talked
that's it

jongseong:
i bet your lungs crusty already

sunghoon:
wanna see? i can open my chest cavity for you 😉

jongseong:
wtf ew

heeseung:
wow that's one way to check for lung cancer

sunoo:
what did you two talk about?

sunghoon:
just ... stuff
random things yano

jongseong:
you? talking about random things? lmao you speak shit all the time

i'm pretty sure you pissed ni-ki off

sunghoon:
ofc not!
i could never 🥺

sunoo:
gods
you really are an asshole

heeseung:
i'm sure nishimura just had an emergency
he'll reply to you, don't worry about it

sunoo:
yeah i hope so too hyung

sunghoon:
see? you're just overthinking it 😐

+++++++++

jay park @cornjay tweeted.

park sunghoon, AB Journalism major in gaslighting 💀💀

752 likes | 106 retweets

replies:

@cyberlee ah no wonder he's so good at gaslighting, he's studying it too well
↪@cornjay he's gonna graduate with latin honors bro 🤌
@parkwrites what are you even talking about? lmao dude why are you making things up
↪@cornjay did you just ... gaslight me? 🧍🏻‍♂️
↪@parkwrites no? when did i even do that you idiot
↪@cornjay YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN

++++++++++

[ jakey ⚽ ]

jakey ⚽:
pspsps
wru?

jay:
out somewhere
why

jakey ⚽:
let's have dinner tgt 😁
you're still near the hospital right?

jay:
no
i already left with sunghoon earlier
when is hee gonna get discharged?

jakey ⚽:
oh okayy

tomorrow at 7:30 am
will you be here?

jay:
maybe, i'll check my sched
you should eat now
it's past 8 alr

jakey ⚽:
i want to, but food at the hospital cafeteria sucks ☹️
and heeseung is already asleep ;-;

jay:
hospital food is healthy tho
are you sure you're gonna stay there? don't you have class tomorrow?

jakey ⚽:
nopee and i already told coach i'll be absent on the practice
can't you come here? :<
i don't have anyone to talk to 😭
plus i'm so hungryyyy

jay:
what are you, a child?
you shouldn't have volunteered then
heeseung told you to go home
but you were the one who insisted on staying there
suck it up

jakey ⚽:
okay then fine
why are you being mean to me 😡😡😡
i'm just gonna starve to death here ig

jay:
you're inside a hospital
you're far from dying 😕

jakey ⚽:
idc idc

☹️☹️☹️
i'm so bored
and hungry
and alone
i'm scared too
☹️☹️☹️

jay:
fucking hell you're so annoying
fine
wait there

jakey ⚽:
YAYYYY 😭🥳
i know you couldn't resist me 😇
ILSYM <333

++++++++++

[ riki 💫 ]

riki 💫:
sorry hyung
i had some emergency earlier
i don't have time tonight
can we talk some other time?

sunoo:
oh okay, no worries ☺️
are you okay? i hope you're resting well

riki 💫:
i'm fine hyung
thanks
you too, have a good sleep 😁

sunoo:
good night ! <3

+++++++++

ni-ki throws his phone on his bed. he picks up another can of beer before chugging it down.

second choice huh. is it really that bad if i say i still want him even though he can't choose me?

he blinks, staring at the ceiling. i know i said that i was willing to fix sunoo hyung's heart, but i didn't know mine would break in the process too.

"riki? i brought food .... what the hell?" jungwon stops walking halfway towards his room, his eyes roaming around the empty beer cans on the floor.

"you didn't tell me you wanted to try alcohol poisoning instead," his friend sighed, picking up the trash and then proceeded to sit on his bed.

"i think that would be a great idea."

jungwon glared at him. "first, a smoker. and now, an alcoholic? what is happening to the people around me..." he mumbles while riki continues to space out.

"did sunoo hyung dump you?"

ni-ki shakes his head "i think he only sees me as his second choice."

jungwon clenched his fist. it really pains him when he sees his friend looking like this. like a lost puppy.

he doesn't deserve this, but what can i do? should i punch sunoo hyung?

"did sunoo hyung say that?"

"no, sunghoon did. he told me a bunch of shitty things that seemed pretty true."

nevermind, that evil spawn deserves to be punched instead.

"well... have you talked to sunoo hyung?" he tries to ask.

riki's head hangs low. "i couldn't. i'm scared." he chuckled bitterly.

jungwon bites the inside of his cheek. he's bad at comforting people and giving advice, so he just pats ni-ki's shoulder- a sign that he's here, listening.

"i get it, rik. you can try to avoid him for a few days, but you know you'll eventually have to talk things out, right?"

"you have to tell him honestly, and you have to hear him out too. it might hurt the both of you- but it's inevitable, riki." jungwon wipes his friend's tears using the sleeve of his hoodie.

because just like love, we cannot avoid pain. it's bound to happen- one way or another.

+++++++++++

jw ✌🏻 @yinyang tweeted.

damn did that just come out of my own mouth? i knew i was on par with socrates sunbaenim 😌💅 #proud_philosopher

386 likes | 28 retweets

replies:

@yinyang are you proud of me @nishi_rk ? i bet you are 😉
↪@nishi_rk we're literally just few feet away from each other
↪@yinyang and??? irrelevant to the topic but pop off ig

++++++++

kind of a filler chapter before we proceed to the 🧘🏻 part :)

ask me anything on my cc: https://curiouscat.me/bubblyksn

and yes, there is a book 2 :D