He never trusted people. Never believed anything they said. So when he heard those words come out of the latter’s mouth, he didn’t know how to react.

“I like you, Sungyeol.”

What. He thought, as he continued to look blankly at the other male who fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

“Never mind.” He mumbled, embarrassed by the lack of response. He ran away, hiding his face, before Sungyeol could even begin to say his name, ‘Myung… Soo…”

~

“How did it go?” A small voice peeped from behind. Myungsoo lifted his head, which he had buried in a nest made by his arms.

“Terrible.”

“You want to talk about it?” He didn’t. He wanted to forget.

“He didn’t even say anything! I just stood there dumbly, as he coldly stared back at me! I hate him, Sungjong, I really do.”

“Maybe it was just too unexpected?”

Unexpected. Yes it was, but he was waiting for what had seemed to be 5 minutes for a response, “I could feel his eyes ridiculing me, and telling me to go away.”

~

“He confessed?”

“Yes, Hoya. I just said that.”

He rolled his eyes, “What did you say?!”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?! You just waited for him to walk away rejected?”

“Precisely.” At that moment, Sungyeol had felt a blow against his head, “Yah! What was that for?”

“For being an idiot, that’s what. Didn’t you like him?”

“I never said that.”

“You showed it.”

“I’ve never liked him. I’ve never spoken to him, and I don’t trust him.”

“He just confessed though! Do you even know how much courage it takes to do that?”

Sungyeol glared at the other, “So do you just expect me to accept him? To pretend to like him back so I don’t break that pretty little heart of his? Do you expect me to date him and then break up with him in 3 weeks’ time? Isn’t that a little selfish? Even just for someone’s happiness?”

Hoya sighed and looked down. “You’re still bitter about what happened aren’t you.”

“It’s not only that.” He said, before getting up and leaving, “I’ll see you later.” He murmured, turning around to see the back of Myungsoo hurrying away.

~

Three words. It was simple: Sungyeol had changed. It was true that he was never this way. The Sungyeol, Hoya had first met was very different. He was happy, childish and fell in love too quickly. He trusted people too easily and helped anyone in need. He lived to make people happy. And, well, when around him, everyone was happy.

Everything changed, about a couple of years ago. Everything Sungyeol had known and loved were crumbling down. From the divorce of his parents to the death of his brother. From his first heartbreak, to the threat letters telling him to die. Despite this, every day, he would fake a smile and pretend everything was alright. To make everyone laugh and forget about their worries and problems. Soon enough, the utopian world, in which he had created to make everyone smile and laugh, slowly collapsed, and shortly drove him to the brink of insanity.

That was when he realised everyone’s true colours. He never noticed that his parent’s marriage was never a happy one. His father was a drunkard and gambler, his mother cheated on him all the time, yet he had always dismissed it as a small misunderstanding, consolidating himself in some strange way, that everything was alright.

He never realised that his brother was part of a gang. He never noticed that he took drugs, came back home at 3AM, stole and even murdered people. He didn’t even know that he was even murdered by the hands of his brother’s own ‘friends’.

He never realised that his first boyfriend was only using him for money. He was so in love that he disregarded all the negative signs, persuading himself that the female perfume that lingered on his shirt was simply from a visit to a shop. That the harsh, forceful words, were only to help him become stronger. That the strange and sudden break-ins, where thugs double his size tried to him, were merely pure coincidences.

He never realised that those death threats that routinely arrived throughout the day were sent directly from his own best friend. The best friend who he had told everything to. The one he would never thought would judge him for who he was. He never believed it. He was too stubborn to.

All he wanted to do, was to make everyone happy, but in the end, he was the one who was most hurt.

That was why, he never trusted people. Not even Hoya, who stood by him from the beginning.

“Only the person themselves, know what they are truly thinking. No one else. How scary is that?” He would say. “They could tell you all the lies in the world. And if you were a , you would believe it.”

Hoya sighed. This was why he refused to accept Myungsoo, he concluded. He was too scared of making the same mistakes. He knew what the other had been through, and one more deception would ruin him.

“Are you okay?” A deep voice from behind asked, rubbing his back.

“Yeah, I’m just worried about Sungyeol.” Hoya said, smiling back at his boyfriend.

~

Weeks after the confession had past and everything was seemingly back to normal. Sungyeol would lock himself in an empty room, away from everyone including Hoya. Hoya would spend his break times upset, with his boyfriend, and Myungsoo and Sungjong would continue bickering together. Nothing had changed. Nothing at all, until that day.

The barking grew louder and louder. Sungyeol wanted it to stop. He groaned and struggled reach for another pillow to block the noise, but he couldn’t find one. He slowly opened one eye, closing them instantly, as the morning sun rays invaded them. He let out a louder groan and turned to face the sound of the annoying barking. Realisation soon hit him, when he concluded that the barking was way too loud to be from the outside. As well as the fact, that he did not have a dog. He immediately shot up from his bed, and saw an unfamiliar brown poodle wagging his tail.

“What the heck is this?” He mumbled.

The dog barked again and jumped up and down onto the bed, making Sungyeol jump in fright. He reached for his clothes and put them on as fast as he could, and sat across the room, watching the dog jump up and down on his bed.

“How did you get up here?” He asked, mentally slapping himself for talking to a dog. The pet cocked its head to the side, and jumped off the bed, jogging towards him excitedly, leaving him to run out the door, letting out a rather unmanly scream.

As Sungyeol reached the front door, he realised that the door was opened ajar. As he made a quick scan around the house, nothing was out of place, which meant that he had probably forgotten to close the door. Like always.

The dog barked again, and he jumped, “Okay, okay, what do you want? Do you want to get out?” He asked, opening the door wider, to let the dog out, however it did not budge.

“HYUNG! I FOUND HIM!” A boy screamed from outside. Sungyeol jumped and looked out the door to see Sungjong running to his front door. As he saw the owner of the house, he halted instantly and bowed, “Oh! S-Sungyeol-ssi. Good morning.”

Sungyeol nodded in acknowledgement, and focused his attention to the dog, who ran and jumped onto his owner’s arms.

“Uhm, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but where did you find my dog?”

My dog? Sungyeol thought. “Your dog?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m so sorry. He ran away last night, and Hyung’s been searching everywhere.”

“You live near here?”

“O-Oh, no. I live around 30 minutes from here. Hyung just saw the dog running and he following him, but he lost track of him, and has been searching in this neighbourhood for hours. I just came. I’m so sorry for interrupting you. I promise he didn’t come here purposely. He’s been up since 4AM finding him, and I promise he didn’t mean to interrupt your sleep, especially since it’s a weekend.” Sungjong blabbered. To say that he was scared of the latter would’ve been an understatement. He was petrified. Everyone knew of Sungyeol’s history. Everyone knew not to speak to him, and to avoid contact. And to find out that his brother was in love with this boy, and that their dog was coincidentally found in his house made him want to cry.

“Sungjong…” The said boy felt a hand grip his wrist. He looked up and saw Sungyeol smile at him. This was new. “Don’t worry. He just came into my house, because I forgot to lock the door. It’s not your fault at all.” He reassured warmly. This was the most Sungyeol had ever said to him, and Sungjong felt nervous.

“I-I promise this isn’t one of Hyung’s tricks. He would never do such a thing. He promised that he would give up. Actually, it was me who let the dog go because I knew Omma didn’t like it, but Hyung found out and chased it. He had nothing to do with it, I promise. If you want to be mad. Please be mad at me, not Hyung. Please. I’m so sorry.” He continued to blabber.

“Woah woah. I’m not mad. It was quite… and experience.” Sungyeol said. He didn’t want to be the cause of making someone cry, and this boy looked like he was about to break down right there. Even so, he was still unable to understand something. Why was Sungjong so protective of his brother? “Sungjong-ssi.” He started.

“Y-Yes?”

“Who is your Hyung?”

The other’s eyes widened, “You don’t know?”

“I don’t often see you with anyone.” He admitted.

“Uh…”

“Jong, did you find him?!” A sweaty, tired person shouted from afar.

Sungjong jumped and saw the advancing figure, “Uh, that’s my Hyung.”

Sungyeol squinted past, as the sun shone brightly behind the figure. “M-Myungsoo?”

“What are you doing here, Sungjong? We’ll go home now.” Myungsoo smiled politely and bowed to Sungyeol, thanking him and turned.

“Wait.” Sungyeol said suddenly. What the hell are you doing? He thought. As he felt two sets of eyes staring at him, he stuttered, “Why don’t you come in for a while? Have a drink or something?”

“I would love to,” Sungjong started, “but Omma’s going to kill me, if I don’t get home now.” He bowed, “I’m so sorry.” He muttered before running away with a hidden smile.

“Yah, Sungjong-ah!” Myungsoo yelled, beginning to follow him.

“Uhm, would you like to stay then?” He turned to see the other slightly smiling, opening the door wider.

Myungsoo smiled in return. What the hell am I getting myself into? He thought, before accepting the invitation.

~

The atmosphere was awkward, to say the least.

“I’m sorry.” He started.

Myungsoo looked up from his cup for the first time, “For what?”

“That day. I felt like , for not giving you a reply.”

“That’s alright.” He smiled, “I’m used it it.”

“What?”

“I prepared myself for the worse. I understand and respect your feelings.”

“It isn’t that, I just-”

“You don’t have to explain.”

“Myungsoo.” He sighed.

The other became silent. “I… just have issues.”

“…”

“I have problems. I know you mean well. But I just can’t date you.”

“…”

“I need to make myself happy first, before making others happy. I’m sorry if that sounds selfish.”

Myungsoo smiled, “I understand. I’ve promised myself to give up now. I won’t burden you.” He replied, getting ready to stand up.

“You’re… not sad?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then, why aren’t you showing it?”

Myungsoo chuckled, “I am. But just not in front of you. Like I said, I don’t want to burden you. I’m happy with your decisions.”

“You’re… happy?” Sungyeol knew that those walls he had built to isolate himself from the rest of the world were falling down, as he continued to converse with the latter.

“Of course. Life’s too short to always be sad. There are times, believe me. But I get through them. Thanks to Sungjong. He helps me get through everything.”

Sungyeol thought of Hoya. How he would always be there for him, and try to find out what was wrong. Because he was only trying to help.

“You’re… not faking it?”

“Faking what?”

“Happiness?”

Myungsoo smiled wider, “I used to be. But I found out that there’s truly no reason to fake it, when feeling true happiness was easier and better. Faking happiness was a job. In the end, you’re still miserable. So I learnt to do what I loved, and forget about those who judged me for who I was. You’d get used to it, and seeing how happy you are, compared to them is worth it.” He laughed.

Sungyeol took a deep breath. He was having an internal debate. “Maybe… you can help me with that?”

The other tilted his head to one side in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Sungyeol took another breath, “Maybe you can teach me how to be happy again?”

So erm h-how was it? XD I hope it was alright and you guys didn't just cry out in frustration over how terrrible it is >~< Please let me know how I did :) But of course, if you don't want to, I won't force you hahaha

Oh! and I'm not sure if I should leave it like this or not. I mean, I kinda like the suspense, but at the same, even I, as the writer, kinda want to know what's gonna happen ahahaha okay, I'm a loser, I know xDD Please let me know whether or not I should make it longer or not ^-^  

Thank for reading, I hope you enjoyed it :) Stay safe and healthy! Byee xx