The school bell echoed throughout the school as Wonwoo headed upstairs. It was after school hours and Wonwoo had been planning to put his name on the signup sheet for the courage event.

“What? Wonmaek?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t the event be so much better if someone played a ghost? I’m sure Wonmaek could scare people by just standing there,” Seokmin explained excitedly. Soonyoung laughed and soon they were both giggling like schoolgirls.

“Excuse me.” The two boys jumped when they heard a voice creep up on them.

“OH MY G- H-h-how long have you been standing there?”

“I was, um, wondering… If you would let me be the ghost?” The boys stared at Wonwoo dumbfoundedly.

“What?” they asked in unison. They looked at each other before replying.

“You don’t have to force yourself,” Soonyoung said nonchalantly.

“We’d feel bad if you didn’t actually want to do it,” Seokmin explained. Wonwoo was disappointed, people were misunderstanding him again! He thought back to what Mingyu had said to him just earlier. “But you were able to speak your mind when you tried,” he had said. Wonwoo took a deep breath.

“I’ve never done… anything I didn’t want to do,” he uttered slowly. The two boys looked at him once again, dumbfoundedly. Or maybe they just always looked dumb.

“I’ve always just wanted to get along with everyone, but I haven’t been doing those chores because I didn’t want to do them.” Wonwoo spoke a little more fluidly, a little more confidently. “It’s just that it makes me happy when I can be of use.” He blushed before he continued.

“Also, I’m sorry I can’t live up to everyone’s expectations, but…” he paused, not sure if he should continue because he was scared of disappointing them.

“What is it?” Seokmin demanded.

“I can’t summon ghosts.”

“What?”

“I can’t sense ghost or anything!” Wonwoo admitted dejectedly.

“You can’t?”

“No.”

“Not at all?”

“No.”

Wind blew through the silent classroom. Suddenly Soonyoung burst into laughter.

“And it took you this long to say that? And what do you mean “expectations”? You’re so strange! Seriously, that’s so weird! Right, Seokmin?” Soonyoung glanced over at his friend and did a double take, Seokmin was practically weeping.

“Why are you crying?!”

“I’m weak when it comes to courageous people like him,” he exclaimed as he sobbed.

“You’re weird too…”

“We’re counting on you to be the best ghost you can be, Wonmaek!” Seokmin cried out with determination. “I’ll keep it a secret between the three of us, so scare them as you please!” Wonwoo was touched.

“Thank you so much!” he said to the still-crying Seokmin and the bored looking Soonyoung.

“I was able to get through to them! Even if just a little, I feel like I’ve changed,” he thought triumphantly. “Mingyu-ah, this was all thanks to you.”

➖ ➖ ➖

The sky was a deep blue, spotted with twinkling stars. The air was warm and a bit humid and the crickets were out chirping out their songs. In the forest several dozen students were gathered, all a bit nervous and chattering excitedly about what would be apart of the test of courage.

“It looks like almost everyone is here.”

“Looks like only Wonmaek didn’t show up.” Soonyoung overhears this.

“Oh, Wonmaek is-” Seokmin quickly slaps a hand over Soonyoung’s mouth, stopping him from continuing his sentence.

“It’s supposed to be a secret!” Seokmin says before taking his hand off his friend’s mouth.

“I guess Wonwoo didn’t come,” Mingyu thinks to himself.

Deeper into the forest, the moon is bright and shining high in the sky as Wonwoo creeps behind a tree.

“I really want everyone to have a good time so I’ll do my best!” He cheers himself on before watching the trail for his “victims”. He hears footsteps approaching and moves so that he’s not visible behind the trunk of the tree.

“It’s so dark, I’m starting to actually get scared,” one of them says as they get closer. Wonwoo steps out from the behind the trunk before they arrive. They suddenly see him, he’s dressed in old and tattered tattered, white clothes. They dare to take a glimpse at the face of the stranger. His eyes are sharp and cold as he glares at them through his black hair, his skin pale. They stop in their tracks and turn around, sprinting away while running.

“I think they liked it!” Wonwoo beams.

As the night goes on Wonwoo continues to glare and stare and scare more of his peers. Back at the gathering site the rest of the class is buzzing, not knowing what to expect after hearing the blood curdling screams from the think of the wood. Seokmin and Soonyoung look at each other mischievously.

“I’m so happy, I’m actually being useful to everyone!” his thoughts are stopped when he hears footsteps approaching. He gets into position, facing away from the trail. When the unsuspecting classmate gets close enough he turns around slowly, only to face a startled Mingyu.

“Wonwoo?”

“Mingyu?”

“W-what are you doing here?” He asks, lowering his flashlight.

“I-I was playing a ghost.” Mingyu breathes a sigh of relief and sits down.

“What the heck… You should’ve told me. I am the coordinator after all. I thought you weren’t coming,” he confesses. Wonwoo is taken aback. He flushed and looked away.

“I didn’t want to make you look less cool,”

“What? What are you talking about,” he laughs. “Weren’t you scared out here by yourself?”

“I like nighttime, especially summer nights. The air, the scent, the sound of the wind rustling through leaves, the insects,” Wonwoo states. Mingyu smiles as he talks.

“You’re right,” they both smile at each other. “It feels nice out here, can I stay here with you?”

“Huh? What about the event?”

“Well, because a certain someone didn’t show up, there was an odd number of people and I had to come out alone,” he explains while holding up a paper that stated some rules about how you couldn’t tag along in a group of three.

“It’s scary out here alone.” Wonwoo is speechless. In fact, he’s like that for some time as they sit side by side.

“Wonmaek,” a voice sings out. The boys look to where it came from. From the shadows two figures emerge.

“Seokmin! Soonyoung!”

“Oh, what’s Mingyu doing out here?” Seokmin asks.

“If you guys knew about this, you should’ve told me,”

“Oh my, aren’t you a gentleman?” Seokmin whispers to Mingyu.

Soonyoung joins in as well, “Lively guys are so amazing!”

Mingyu turns beet red. “Cut it out already!”

“Wonmaek, it looks like you’ve been doing a great job,” Seokmin gives him a thumbs up and tosses him a bottle. “Here, drink up.” Wonwoo stares at the drink in appreciation.

“Thank you!” Wonwoo sees Seokmin in a whole new light now. Seokmin: the kind and dutiful.

“They’re so nice,” Wonwoo exclaims after the duo walk away.

“It looks to me like you’re beginning to open up to people. I’m happy to see that.”

“Opening up? Really?”

“I-It’s all thanks to you M-Mingyu-ssi,” Wonwoo declares with tears in his eyes. Mingyu chuckles.

“I haven’t done anything!”

“That’s not true, I wouldn’t be able to express my feelings if it weren’t for you! I’m glad I took this job,” Mingyu stares at Wonwoo and unconsciously smiles.

“You’re actually pretty cheerful, don’t you think?” Mingyu smiles a little brighter. “I think you’re optimistic.”

“Cheerful? Me?”

“That’s the first time anyone’s said that to me,” Wonwoo says while looking directly at Mingyu. After a second of silent eyeing, Mingyu gets flustered. He blushes and hides his head in between his knees.

“Don’t look at me for so long!”

“Oh, I-I-I’m so-sorry! I got a bit carried away…” Wonwoo turns his head away.

“I’ll try not to stare into your eyes for longer than three seconds! Ah, b-but the thing is, it really won’t cause any misfortunes to happen or anything,”

“That’s not what I mean,” Mingyu yells out suddenly. He tucks his head back between his legs once again.

“It’s embarrassing… Don’t make me say it, gosh...”

The fireflies resting idly start floating into the summer air, twinkling and blinking softly.

“He stopped talking, so I don’t know what to do,” Wonwoo thinks while staring into his lap. “My heart feels like a mess! It’s like I was reborn. I’m feeling so many new things I’ve never felt before.” The wind blows through the forest making the leaves rustle and a breeze to run through their hair.

“It seems Mingyu is introducing me to many new things.” Wonwoo realizes as he stares into the bright moon overhead.

“I’m glad I was able to meet him.”

➖ ➖ ➖

The second the school bell rings, the school breaks out in “woop’s” and “woot’s”. Summer break was finally upon the hardworking students of Pledis High.

“Okay guys, let’s announce the results of the test of courage before we head off,” Mingyu said to the class.

“First of all, you’re getting a penalty, Mingyu,” a boy named Chan interjected.

“Yeah, you didn’t even finish,” another boy named Hansol agreed.

“You guys noticed?”

“Seungkwan, you came in first! Your prize, seventeen scrubbing brushes,” Chan said while holding in laughter.

“What kind of prize is th-”

“And the penalty for Mingyu is…” Hansol started mischievously.

Wonwoo felt a shove from behind, pushing him towards the front where Mingyu was standing.

“You get to date Wonwoo for a week!”

“Did he just say what I think he just said?” Wonwoo thought while staring at the half American boy.

The entire class was buzzing(they do that a lot).

“We heard you were with him last night,” Chan cooed.

They giggled like little girls, “I bet he was making a move on you”

“You guys should totally hook up,” they laughed as they high-fived.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo was frozen in his spot, unsure how to react or what to say.

“Hey, you guys are crossing the line,” Soonyoung called out from the other side of the room.

“I will do anything but that,” the class hushed when Mingyu spoke out finally.

“Hey, now,” Soonyoung warned.

“That’s pretty rude for a penalty,” Mingyu continued. “Wonwoo is a person too. That wasn’t even funny as a joke.” Wonwoo gasped a bit.

“Don’t let this get to you, Wonwoo.”

The class buzzed(again).

“No… You shouldn’t stand up for me… Mingyu, your reputation…” Wonwoo knew he had to do something, the words of his peers were getting harsher by the second.

“This is a misunderstanding,” he finally uttered. The class quieted down to listen to him.

“I was with Mingyu-ssi last night… But it wasn’t anything special that you guys are thinking,” he felt Mingyu’s hard gaze on him as he talked.

“It’s only because Mingyu-ssi is okay with talking to anyone,”

“It’s okay,” Wonwoo thought to himself. “I know how to fix misunderstandings now…”

“But it was true that I was attracted to Mingyu’s kindness, liveliness, cheerfulness, and integrity. That’s all it is.” As he finishes his last words he blushes and looks up at his classmates. The class is still silent.

“I guess I did all I had to,” Wonwoo walks towards the door and excuses himself, bowing before he walks down the hall.

“I did the right thing,” he determines while putting on his shoes and walking down the steps. “I’m sure the misunderstanding was cleared up. I was being honest the whole time. I’m positive I was able to save Mingyu’s reputation.”

➖ ➖ ➖

The next morning Wonwoo wakes up and dresses as usual and bounds down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” his mother questions when she sees him putting on his shoes.

“To school,”

“Even when it’s summer vacation?”

“Yeah, I need to help out my teacher,” he explains while walking out the door.

As he walks he picks up on his thoughts from the night before.

“I know I did the right thing,” he supposes.

The wind picks up and blows the hair out of his face, revealing large tears spilling from his eyes.

“But even so, I’m lonely,” he thinks of Mingyu and his warm aura, his cheerful energy. “I might not be able to look him in the eye after summer break. He may never smile at me and tell me ‘good morning’ again. He might start avoiding me.” Wonwoo wipes at his tears.

“I believed that I was used to these things by now, yet the last few days of my life have been so wonderful that I forgot all about it...” He begins to walk again, his hand wiping away his still flowing tears.

“... about how I was before I met Mingyu,” He looks ahead of him and his eyes widen in surprise. He stops in his tracks and stares at the figure sitting on the curb.

“I’ve already forgotten…” Mingyu stands up to face Wonwoo.

“... Why? It’s summer break,” Wonwoo watches Mingyu as he reaches for something in his pant pocket. He was also wearing his uniform.

“They said you were the shadow MVP,” Mingyu voices and holds out a small goodie bag. Wonwoo holds out his hand and his places it on it. It was a bag full of candies with a note attached to a ribbon. “We’re sorry, Wonmaek! From, your classmates,” it read.

“Everyone apologised,” Mingyu states. Wonwoo just looks at his hand for a brief moment, speechless. He clutches it to his chest, still crying.

“T-the misunderstanding… it’s all cleared up, right? You stood up for me and then came all this way just to g-give this to me… And you’re still willing to talk to me! Thank you, I really a-appreciate it,”

“Hey,” Mingyu pauses. “I have a feeling you don’t really understand me,”

Wonwoo looks up at him, “Don’t worry about me! I understand how you feel-”

“No, you don’t.” Wonwoo looks at Mingyu incredulously, but he only smiles at him.

“Is it alright… if I expect we’ll see each other over the summer?”

➖ ➖ ➖

Hey y’all!! I’m so happy I had Friday off, I was able to complete this chapter woot! Thank you for all the support so far!! It’s crazy how many people subscribed and commented and I only had one chapter up haha. But here was the second chapter!! We were introduced to Soonseok, Hansol, and Chan(and a little bit of Seungkwan) in this chapter! I love Soonseok so they’re probably going to end up together(oops spoiler). ♡ I hope you enjoyed it and that you anticipate the next chapter. I definitely can’t convey the same feelings as the original manga and anime did, but I’m really trying my best ;; Time to go write up a draft for the next chapter….

Please sub and comment in the meantime!! I love you guys. ♡