It had been a week and a half, since what the boys were referring to as the ‘sleepover incident’.

            As you had expected, Woozi had returned to the strategy of completely ignoring you. Sometimes muttering words to himself whenever you walked into a room. Acting as if you didn’t exist.

            Hoshi and DK, on the other hand were completely supportive of you and Joshua’s relationship, no matter how many times you had told him it wasn’t like that. Often trying to reassure you that they “support your relationship. Regardless of how gross it would be to see you and Joshua make out.” Thanks Hoshi.

However, your fake boyfriend wasn’t being a very good fake boyfriend. He didn’t reply to your texts very often. Completely ignoring the ones that had anything to do with his battered appearance that night. .

            At least you weren’t the only one. Hoshi and DK had been trying to probe information from you about him. Joshua had apparently dropped off of the face of any social networking site. Taking down his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as completely disregarding any other types of digital communication like texts. When they asked you, you had to tell them that you were as clueless as them.

            “The only info we are getting is from Jeonghan.” Hoshi told you worriedly.

            According to Jeonghan, Joshua was picking up almost every available extra shift at the guitar store. In the past five days Joshua had worked two of the three shifts offered. Not accepting the third only because he had classes.

            It must’ve been stressful for them. Joshua was normally an open person, and sociable around people he knew. All twelve boys (Dino not included) had each other in a continuous group text message. You knew this because Woozi’s phone was constantly vibrating with notifications. Day or night; noon or three a.m., those boys were talking.

            According to Hoshi, about a quarter of those texts were from Joshua. Informing the guys of everything from awkward moments that happened to strange customers he saw at the store. But lately, there was silence of Joshua’s end. And you noticed that Woozi’s phone wasn’t ringing as often as it was.

            You had texted him. He didn’t respond. You had called, leaving cringe-worthy awkward voicemails. Still no response. The only word back you had gotten was when you sent a picture of Woozi in his normal working position at his desk with the caption ‘He hasn’t moved in five hours. How much longer do you think his Blatter can take it?”

            It was a pathetic attempt at trying to get him to talk to you. And to be fair, it technically worked. As a reply, you got a smiley emoji. No text included . Just an emoji. One emoji.  One fricken winky-faced emoji. And that was four days ago. And he has ignored all attempts since.

            To say you were worried would be an understatement. And the gut-retching feeling was new to you. Small things around campus would remind you of Joshua and send you into a tornado of destructive thoughts.

            A beanie. Skinny jeans. That guy with a guitar on his back. Hell, every time you drank tea, you felt yourself going sick with worry.

            It was worse that you had no one to express your worries to. You were sworn to secrecy, to keep everything under wraps.

            DK was hosting another one of his dinner nights, inviting all of the gang over. DK invited you to come. You didn’t know whether he invited you because he thought you were Joshua’s girlfriend, or if he invited you just because. Either way, you didn’t care. You agreed to go, hoping that you could show the two of them and the rest that you harvested no hard feelings for them. And try to be friendly to make up for being such an to them in the weeks previously.

            “HOSHI!” You heard DK yell from the kitchen. “GREEN PEPPERS!”

            “ALL GONE!” Hoshi screamed back. You looked over to see Woozi pressing the earpieces to his huge headphones further into his ears. Teeth grinding together from the noise.

            “Oh okay!” DK replied back. “WAIT, NO ITS NOT. I NEEDED THOSE.”

            You heard Hoshi storm into the kitchen and they began arguing. But ten minutes later you saw Hoshi dancing in the kitchen. DK dancing with him, a frying pan in hand, horribly trying to beat-box as Hoshi sang a theme song from an anime in very bad Japanese.

            Hoshi spotted you as you watched them from the hallway. This didn’t stop them. No, Hoshi just grabbed you by your arms and pulled you into the kitchen trying to get you to dance with them. Which you did not.

           They just danced around you in a circle as you laughed at their completely ridiculous dance moves, as they chanted and stomped along with the imaginary music. DK was dancing with a frying pan as he stomped around, his beat-boxing sounding more like mishandled sneezes. While Hoshi tried to stay on beat with the bad timing that DK provided, doing dance moves that you were sure you had never seen before in your life.

            They finished with Hoshi banging an imaginary drum set. Head banging to the drum noises that he was providing, his blonde hair whipping back and forth. DK hit a surprisingly high note, which you were sure that your neighbors did not appreciated.

            “Do you know if Joshua is coming tonight?” Hoshi panted once the fiasco ended. Returning to normal as if they hadn’t just improvised an entire dance routine in the kitchen.

            “I don’t know.” You muttered, as Hoshi wiped the beats of sweat on the sleeve of his shirt. “He isn’t responding to me either.”

            “Did you guys get a fight or something.”

            “No.” You hissed. You had given up on trying to convince them that you and Joshua weren’t dating. You knew that over time, the truth would come out. And everyone would have to admit that they were wrong. You would especially go to Woozi and shove his own sheet music down his fat mouth with a huge ‘I told you so.’

            “Well if he doesn’t come tonight, can you and Woozi go and drag his here?”

            “I can do it alone.” You murmured.

            “You can talk to him, while Woozi busts his door down.” Hoshi said bluntly.

            You agreed, setting aside you emotions for Woozi and knowing that this would be the best tactic to get Joshua.

           Soon people starting to flood in.

            Coups and Dino were the first to arrive, and a half an hour early. The first thing that Dino did was run to Hoshi and shove a shirt in his face.

            Hoshi unwrapped it and held it out so that he could see. It was a jersey that read “LEE” with the number seventeen under it.

            “I passed basketball tryouts!” Dino screamed, flashing a gummy smile. “I GOT VARSITY!”

            Hoshi beamed, his eyes reducing to slits in a wide smile. He pulled Dino in headlock, ruffling his hair. “Awesome!”

            “Varsity?!” A voice yelled, and Woozi immerged from the hallway, a grin on his face. Woozi pinched Dino’s cheeks while Hoshi was still restraining him.

            “Get off of me!” Dino struggled against the grip and was able to free himself.

             “Congratulations.” Woozi patted Dino on the back.

            “I sneakeed in on tryouts. “Coups said, still standing in the doorway, taking off his shoes. “He was the best one there.” He crossed his arms over his biker jacket, a proud smile beaming on Dino. “You did good.”

            “I would kiss you, but I’m making dinner.” DK joked, cutting up vegetables. He was under quite the time crunch since they decided to come over.

            “We should celebrate.” Hoshi declared, a fist in the air. “We should get cake!”

            “Ice cream cake.” Woozi muttered under his breath.

            Dino smiled at the idea, looking at Hoshi. Hoshi gripped Dino’s shoulder, looking back down at him. “Ice cream cake it is then.”

            Woozi walked over to Coups.
            “Sup.” Woozi greeted him, a slight grin on his face. Coups grunted in response.

            Men of few words, you thought.

            “When’s your first practice?” Hoshi asked, who’s arm was still wrapped around Dino.

            “In two days.” Dino said. “I’m going to be missing the bike shop for a while for practice.”

            “It’s great having everyone over and everything.” DK spoke up, pressed up against the stove by Hoshi’s back. “But we are squeezing five people in a two-person kitchen.”

            Everyone evacuated the room before DK could get in a chef’s rant at them.

            “Is Joshua coming?” Coups asked.

            “No idea.” Hoshi sighed. “He’s not replying to anyone’s texts.”

            “She got a response back.” Woozi said loudly, pointing at you.

            “He responded to you? I’ve been texting him all week with no response.”

            You felt everyone’s eyes glaring down at you. “It wasn’t a response. He seriously sent me one emoji with no text included and that was it.” You said defensively. “And do you go through my phone? Like seriously, what the crap?”

            “Your ringtone is the sound of a car alarm.” Woozi glared at you.

            “So that means you can go through my phone?”

            “A notification popped up on your lock screen, you were in the bathroom.” Woozi shrugged as if It was no big deal.

            Hoshi gave him a look of disgust followed by DK yelling through the kitchen “Creepy, dude.”

            Woozi crossed his arms over his chest. His attempt at trying to get everyone angry at you had backfired. “Her phone fell on the floor! Its not like I purposeful sought out to go through her texts.”

            Coups tried to quickly divert the conversation. “Dino’s first game is in a few weeks. We should all go.”

            “Of course.” Hoshi said, the room nodding in agreement.

            “I’ll get a chance to see that cheerleader that Dino has a crush on.” DK yelled from the kitchen. 

            Dino turned red. “I do not!”

            Hoshi’s head snapped toward Dino. “You have a crush? You didn’t tell me?!”

            “I only found out because there were pictures of her on his iPad.” DK explained. “Unlike some people I will openly admit when I creep through people’s messages.”

            You looked at Woozi, sticking your tonged out at him with wide eyes and crinkled up nose. He gritted his teeth and sneered at you.

            “Wow.” Hoshi awed throwing his head back. “Varsity basketball and now a crush? You are growing up.” Hoshi whipped a fake tear from his eye, pulling a disgruntled Dino in for a hug.

            “What is her name? How old is she?” Coups asked, a look of muffled panic of his face.

            Dino avoided everyone’s gaze, his face crimson. He pushed away from Hoshi. “Urg, I hate all of you.” He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

            “Don’t worry.” You reassured him. “I’ll make sure they don’t do anything stupid to embarrass you.” You gave him a thumbs up.

            “Like you can stop them.” Woozi said looking at Hoshi who was absolutely giddy with the idea.

            “They don’t even know who she is.” You said still looking at Dino. “I would delete those pictures, they might want a reference. “You whispered so that only Dino would hear.

            Dino jumped up and fled to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back!” He yelled, slamming the door behind him.

            The small crowd talked for a while in the living room. And you noticed by the conversation, that somewhere along the way of rooming with these guys that they had lost the sense that you were in any way a girl.

           You got wind of this when Hoshi talked for a good half an hour about how one of the younger dance teacher’s assistant would wear tight fighting clothes. And about how said area of her body kept distracting him in class. This was then followed DK and Coups saying that they completely understand and then sharing similar experiences.

           If Joshua was here, he would turn to you with that lop-sided smile of his and shrug. Probably word vomit on you because of the awkwardness of it situation. Say something blunt and strange like ‘I think they forgot you have a .’ Once he noticed what he said he would probably go red, and start laughing.

           Oh, you missed him.

           Woozi looked at you, amidst all the talk, giving you stink eye.

           ‘What?’ You mouthed at him, returning the glare.

           But he  just sat back on the couch, arms crossed over his chest, and looked away with a huff.

           You looked at the time. “Shouldn’t Joshua have shown up  a while ago?”

           Everyone looked at their phones in turn. “You’re right.” Hoshi said. “You should go get them.”

           You stood up and nodded at Woozi. “Come on, lets go.”

           Woozi pointed at himself, a look of confusion on his face. “Why me?”

           “I’ll be the brains; you’ll be the brawn.” You urged him. “Come on, I want to get back in time.”

           Coups tossed a pair of keys in Woozi’s lap. “You can take her, she’ll be faster.”

           Hoshi followed it by shoving a pair of bills in his hand. “Get an ice cream cake, while you’re out.”

           When Coups heard this, he dug out his wallet and shoved it on top of Hoshi’s crumbled bills. “Get a nice one.”

           Woozi looked at the surrounding  people looking at him expectantly, then down at his hands. “Well, I guess I have no choice then.” He stood up, shoving everything in his pockets. “Come on.” He glared at you, and he left without saying anything else.

           “Be back soon!” You said, before hastily following him.

           You jogged to catch up with him. You found him waiting at the door for you, looking annoyed, twirling the keys around on his index finger.

           “Let’s go.” He muttered, as the two of you set out in the night. He two of you approached a van.

           A black van. The type of van that people normally assume are owned by guys who set up cable at your house, or serial killers. That kind of van.

           “No way.” You muttered as Woozi unlocked it and you climbed in. “I was expecting something like a truck. A big wheeled truck.”

           “He’s had this since high school. We used to try to fit eleven in the back.” Woozi said. You looked behind you to just see empty space. “Coups would always drive and me in shotgun.”

           Woozi turned the key once. The car reared and then died. The key caught on the second attempt.

           “How old is this thing?” You asked, not liking how rustic the interior look. And not wanting to compare that to the parts behind the hood.

           “Older than you would like, lets just say that.” Woozi shot you a sarcastic grin as he pulled out of the parking lot.

           The car putted along the road, you fearing that it would break down at any second. Apparently, this showed.

           “Just relax.” Woozi snapped, his eyes fixated on the road.

           “Is it supposed to make that noise?”

           “It’s always made that noise.”

           “Yea, that didn’t answer my question.” You sighed, both hands gripped tightly on the sides of your seat as if you were preparing for the machine to eject you into the sky.

           “Here, just-“ Woozi said, his hard resolution melting, as he put a hand on your shoulder. “Just don’t pass out, okay?”

           “What are you not angry at me anymore?” You asked eyeing the comforting hand resting on you.

           Woozi’s snatching his arm away from you, clearing his throat. Slouching over the steering wheel a bit. “Not really.” He said in low tones.

           “Oh, so we’re cool now?”

           “No, we are not cool.” He mocked you in a girlish tone.

           “But you just said-“
            “I’m not mad at you. I’m just pissed as that the both of you though it was okay to lie to us like that. But I guess…in a way… I could…understand why-“

           “Woah, don’t go all empathizing with me right now, I wouldn’t know how to react to that.” You stopped him

           “I’m still pissed!” Woozi hissed, irritated that you were interrupted him. “But I’m not as pissed. There.”

           You considered something for a minute.

           “So, if I tell you the truth, will you believe me?”

           “If you tell me that you slept with Joshua, yes, I will believe you.”

           “No! Like the truth truth. I really didn’t sleep with Joshua. I wouldn’t keep denying it just for s and giggles.”

           Woozi slide eyed suspiciously, eyes still locked on the road. “What do you mean the truth truth?”

           “I mean, Joshua swore me to secrecy not to tell you guys the reason why he was there that night. So I couldn’t tell, obviously. But now I am getting concerned, I think you guys deserve to know. Not to mention it’s eating me up inside.”

           Woozi’s narrowed eyes flickered back. “Lets just pretend that this isn’t a huge lie. Why would you tell me?”

           “Because we are going there now and we can find out.”

           “Find out? I thought you said you already knew.”

           “Let me explain.” You said. “That night, I came back from Dino’s art lesson to find Joshua in my bedroom-“

           “I seriously do not need details. I will forcibly remove  you from this car if you think-“

           “and he was beaten up!” You yelled over him.

           Woozi froze in his seat. “B-beaten up? That impossible, I saw him the next morning.”

           “And didn’t you notice that he had almost every inch of his face covered by his sweatshirt?”

           “But why was he in your bed then?”

           “He was beaten up badly, so I let him take the bed.” You said earnestly. “I slept on the floor.”

           “Joshua would never let a girl sleep on the floor.” Woozi dismissed you.

           “He would if he would completely beaten to a pulp and coughing up blood.”

           “Coughing up blood!” Woozi’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Did he go the hospital?”

           “He said he didn’t want to go. He wasn’t coughing that up from internally, one of the guys who jumped him bashed a tooth out and it kept sliding down his throat.”

           “HE GOT JUMPED?!” Woozi growled, and he swerved a bit on the road. You jumped a bit, pressing yourself up against the side of the van.

           “Yes, he did.”

           “By who?” Woozi hissed quietly, now leaning forward, his chest pressed up against the wheel. The veins in his neck popping out.

           “I don’t know that’s what we need to find out. I don’t know why either. “You explained. You felt the car jolt as Woozi pressed on the gas pedal.

           “Jeonghan did say that Joshua was looking like at work.” Woozi hissed. “But I didn’t know that meant like beaten up, Goddamnit Josh.” He hit the steering wheel. “Actually I think I might have an idea what is going on.”

           You tried to ask him about it but he didn’t answer. The car was deadly quiet until you arrive at the apparent complex. As you were walking up, Woozi stopped you for a second. “Try calling him.” He said as you followed him up the mountain of stairs.

           You pressed number three- his number on your speed dial- and called him.

           By the time the both of you reached the top the ringing had stopped at it went to voicemail. You shook your head at Woozi, shoving your phone in your pocket.

           You turned but you grabbed him. “Wait, how are going to do this?”

           “Do what?” Woozi asked, glancing down the hall at Joshua’s’ door.

           “If we just barge up there, demanding to let us in, he isn’t going to even open the door.”

           “You’re right” Woozi sighed. “Well I know that Joshua keeps a journal, so if you can distract him I can go and look in there for information.”

           “He has a journal?” You were whispering now.

            “Does that even surprise you?” Woozi looked at you with one eyebrow up. “The guy once tried to plant a garden outside of his apartment last year.”

            “So?”

            “Last year, he lived on a third floor without a balcony. He just put the pots of flowers outside of his door. He gave each one of them names for Christ sake, and when they got stolen he pouted for a week, of course he has a journal.” Woozi hissed at you in low tones.

            “Whatever! You stay out of sight of the door, and I’ll make up some excuse. And then when he opens the door I’ll barge in.”

            “Are you so sure that is the best idea?” Woozi growled. “What excuse are you going to use.”

            “I dunno, I’ll just look all sad or something. It’s bound to work.”

            “You and what acting ability?”

            “I can act!”

            “Well right now isn’t a good time to test it out.”

            “I am not just- URG. Just trust me okay?” You whispered, turning your back on him and walking to the door.

            “Like you’ve given me any reason to!” He whispered at you, pressing himself up against the wall next to the door nob.

            You took a deep breath in and then knocked.           

            “J-josh?” You said timidly. Assuming the position. Shoulders hunched, sad eyes, hands folded together over your stomach.

            You waited for a second and there was no response. You knocked again. “Hey Josh, I didn’t know where else to go. I was at the b-bike ship giving lessons to Dino and these guys started following me-“ You let your eyes dart across the hallway.

            “Holy .” Woozi whispered looking at your eyes b with tears. “How the -“

            “I’m not sure if they came in but-“

            There was a creak and the door opened ever so slightly. It was just a sliver, enough that you could only see one of his deep brown eyes.

            “Guys are following you?” He asked, his one looking around.

            But this was a mistake. Joshua’s eye landed on a bit of Woozi’s fabric peaking out from behind the wall.

            His eye widened and he was just pulling his face away from the door to slam it shut. But you kicked the door with all of your force, your foot hitting high on the wood.

            The door swung open, you heard a grunt.

            You rushed in. To see Joshua fallen on his behind, holding his nose.

            “What the crap!” He yelled at you as Woozi flooded in behind you.

            You held out your hand to him and you helped him up. “Sorry but you weren’t responding to any of our texts.”

            “But why are you guys here?”

            “You’re missing out on dinner.”  Woozi said, closing the door behind him. “and we needed to get cake.”

            “When do you guys ever get cake?” Joshua asked disbelieving, glaring at both of you.

            “Dino got on the varsity basketball team.”.

            Joshua’s annoyed expression softened a bit. “Dino got varsity?” He couldn’t help put from being excited. “That is so-, no you guys need to go, now.”

            “Well don’t act all annoyed that we are here. Did you seriously think that we would just sit back and let you just ignore us?”

            “I’m going to the bathroom.” Woozi patted Joshua on the back. “When I return, be ready to go.”

            “I’m not going!” Joshua hissed at Woozi’s retreating form.

            “Why not?” You asked him.

            Joshua groaned. “You of all people should know.” He snapped sitting down on his couch, folding his arms over his chest.

            “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “I just want to be left alone!”

            “Well, If I remember clearly, when I told you that I wanted to be alone, you bugged the crap out of me. And it must’ve worked because here I am.”  You said down next to him, Joshua diverted his eyes out the window. “Besides, no one really wants to be alone.”

            “Yes, yes  I do.”

            “Well consider this my own selfish ambition then. If I don’t know you are okay, I will be a worrying mess. It’s completely unproductive to my schedule.”

            “I know what you’re trying to do.” Joshua looked up at you with pleading eyes. “And I just can’t-“

            “Can’t what?” You urged him as his voice caught in his throat. “Come with us?”

            “Tell you anything.” He said. “I know you want to know but its just better if you were left in the dark.”

            “I might be able to help. Maybe Woozi too.”

            Joshua laughed bitterly, a hint of fear on his face. “Woozi would be the last person I would tell.”

            “He’s your best friend.”

            “He is also more involved in the situation than you think. If he knew… I would be dead meat.”

            , your eyes glanced down the hallway. “How dead?” You asked nervously, a sinking feeling growing in your stomach, you had made a severe mistake.

            “He would rip out my vocal cords with his teeth . Next day headlines of Joshua-Hong-goes-missing, cops-suspect-violent-best-friend’ kind of dead.” Joshua glanced down at your hands that were fidgeting. “Why? What’s wrong? You didn’t tell him did you?”

            You couldn’t control your expressions any longer. “Well, I mean-“

            “You TOLD HIM?” Joshua half yelled, wide eyed. “You PROMISED me this would be secret.”
            “He just knows that you were beaten up, nothing. Besides I think he already knew, he said he had an idea of what happened.”

            “NO! No, he does not!” Joshua half whispered half yelled. “If Woozi knew-“

            “WOOZI!’ You screamed getting up from the couch. You had severely screwed things up. You ran through the hallway to bed room. “STOP RIGHT NOW! DON’T LOOK-“

            You passed the bathroom and flung yourself on the door handle of Joshua’s bedroom door, the door swinging open as you pushed your entire weight on it.

            You heard footsteps pounding behind you and Joshua peaking his head in after you.

            “What are you-” Joshua said, then his eyes laid on Woozi. Back to both of you, one hand on Joshua’s desk, the other holding a broken down composition notebook.

            Joshua pushed past you. “What are you doing with that?” And to your surprise, he yanked Woozi back by his sweatshirt, and ripped the notebook from his hand.

            Woozi stumbled back, his blonde hair falling over his eyes. He held on limply to Joshua’s bedframe.

            “What the crap man, why are you going through my stuff?” Joshua yelled, looking at Woozi and then at you. His expression dark.

            But then Woozi looked up and you felt like you were going to yourself.

            The veins from his neck were building, his eyes ignited as they locked on Joshua. His forearms tense. His shoulder hunched over, every part of his body seized up. His breathing shallow and fast.

            Joshua instinctively took a step back at the sight.

            “What the IS THIS?” Woozi roared .

            Joshua pushed you of the doorway, bolting away. And milliseconds after Woozi pushed you as well, pursuing.

            Annnddd There you go! Thanks for reading you guys! Make sure to leave a comment telling me what you thought. I love to read your guys reactions. <3 Love you guys

           I'm am writing chaoter 24 right now it is going to be so good, you guys are going to love it! I hope :)