It was two days before Homecoming, and everyone around Mark including himself weren't looking forward to it. Taeyong had gone awol on him for the past week because he was sick - physically and emotionally probably, news came around to him that Jaemin had been asked to Homecoming by Jeno, and Ten was absent once again with his friends all against each other. Not to mention, Donghyuck was driving him crazy with how stupid he could be after school. Sadly, he couldn't run away from his problems like his friends could. So he sat in his digital media class and opened his computer right before the tardy bell had rung and the seat next to him was still empty. He gulped nervously. Ten missing again. Taeyong missing again. They've both been absent since then. He's drowning in guilt on his own when he hears the door in the back open. 

"You're late, Ten," Their teacher snarled, "One more and it's a referral."

"I love the sound of that," Ten mumbled sarcastically, sitting down.

Mark glanced at Ten, for some reason he felt nervous to see him, despite being so worried at the same time. Was he at fault, too? Was he going to go off on him too? His friends might show up anytime and beat him up like they looked at him. Oh god, what if –

"Hey Mark," Ten spoke. He sounded dull. Dead. He looked like it too. He had serious eye bags and he looked paler. He probably couldn't sleep last night. Oh god, why was he about to start crying looking at him!?

"H-Hey Ten," Mark mumbled, "Good sleep?"

He facepalmed himself. Why. Did. He. Say. That.

"I-I mean, how are you?"

How was that any better of a question, Mark Lee? You screwed up AGAIN.

Luckily Ten was more forgiving than the voice in his head and answered nonchalantly, "My friends hate me still and my heart ing hurts. But I'm doing fine. You?"

Mark gulped nervously and squeeked out, "Uh, good, I guess..."

The two fell silent. Any other day, the two wouldn't stop talking. But it was clear to both that they felt bad. Mark was too afraid to ask what was wrong. He knew Taeyong's issue, but he was afraid because of their carelessness, that his friends got involved too. He couldn't help but worry in Taeyong's part as well. There was obvious friction that needed to be spoken about, but Ten couldn't bring Mark into it, and Mark had no courage to bring it up himself. That kid just happened to be friends with the cruelest human being he's met. Yet, his morale couldn't beat his curiosity to see how the other name-that-will-not-be-spoken-of-again was doing. 

"Hey, Mark..." Ten mumbled, "How.... How is he?"

"Who?" Mark questioned. He had no clue.

"T... Taeyong." 

There goes not mentioning his name. 

"O-OH!" Mark facepalmed himself. That was a no brainer. "He got sick. He didn't come today either."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, he's always had a weak immune system. We were just out on a roof until night and he caught a cold. He's been absent the past few days too." Mark laughed to ease the tension, but despite how much Taeyong hurt Ten, he could still see how worried he was for him.

"Will he get better soon?"

Mark shrugged, "He's sick for weeks. He'll come to school tomorrow for sure, though."

"And what's the chances of him not?" Ten asked, "What if he gets even more sick?"

"Well... That's a possibility too."

Ten bit his lip and looked away. Missing the last days they'll see each other at lunch because he's 'sick'? That didn't seem ludicrous to him. It actually seemed like something Taeyong would actually do.

"I-I know this is crazy, but do you think... I can visit him or something?"

Mark's eyes widened. Ten still wanted to see that guy? Taeyong's his friend but if he were at least hurt half as much as Ten, he'd never want to see his face again.

Ten chuckled, "I knew it was crazy..."

"N-No!" Mark shook his head and nodded his head, "I think you should. Why don't you? I'll tell you his address."

"Won't it be weird me showing up alone? Come with me after school!"

Mark hissed and shook his head, "I can't. I have to tutor THAT dumb nut over there."

Mark pointed over at Donghyuck who was rough playing with Renjun. Ten raised a suggestive eyebrow.

"It's n-nothing like that!"

"I didn't say anything~" Ten teased.

"Whatever. Do you want his address or not?"

"Actually, I've been to his house before. I think I remember the way."

"Oh," Mark tilted his head, "You have?"

"Well, I've seen it and I know it exists. His dog chased me there. Long story."

Mark laughed and nodded, "Alright then... You'll really be okay going alone?"

Ten shrugged, "I have nothing else to lose anyway."

He said it with no breeze, but Mark knew it was deeper than that. He wanted to ask why Ten still wanted to see him and a part of him felt it was going to be for the worse. At this point, he could tell Ten was tired and ready to give up. Their relationship was at the point of make or break. Now it was up to Taeyong to stop Ten from breaking it. 

It was the longest the friends have been mute between each other, the longest being a day. There was no resolution whatsoever amongst the friend group. Each person was too hardheaded in their own right to apologize to the other, especially when in their minds, they knew they were saying the truth. It was hard for Johnny, the person stuck between both his friends, to decide what to do. He couldn’t help but blame himself for letting this happen, with his temper getting the best of him. He shouldn’t have lied or let his frustration get to him. Jaehyun should have been told the truth. But for a 6’2 intimidating male, his courage was not up to par at all.

However, he couldn’t let his senior Homecoming be ruined by a silly feud amongst his friends. Yes, there was a chance it could make things worse. But the truth is better than lying, in his rightful sense.

Yes. Johnny decided. I’m going to tell him the truth!

Johnny nodded his head. This is what he needed to do. He stood up from where he was sitting, grabbing his backpack from the floor and beginning to walk away when an abrupt voice called out to him.

“Johnny Seo, what do you think you’re doing?”

Johnny looked over at his teacher with the oval bald patch on his head glaring at his most favorite disruption in class, tapping his foot in attempts to keep his nerve cool. Of course, it did nothing.

“Uhhh, the bathroom,” Johnny blurted, a bit embarrassed himself for forgetting he was in the middle of class.

The class laughed, assuming it was a genuine joke. This angered the teacher, who raised his voice at Johnny, “Disrupt my class one more time Johnny Seo and I’ll send you to the principal office!”

Johnny rose his hands in a mocking manner to admit defeat, plopping down to his seat. He glanced at the time. Just 10 minutes until dismissal, he can make it.

He can make it.

Johnny was the first to jump out his seat and rush out the classroom, forgetting to pick up their homework assignment on the teacher's desk. 

Jaehyun collapsed onto the gym floor, his sore limbs spread out and breathing deep from his chest. He fanned himself with his jersey, reaching for his water bottle beside him. Like any other day, basketball practice was gruesome but so satisfying. However, for the past week, it had been a great way to vent his urge to screw things up more with Doyoung by begging for forgiveness. He knew his old best friend needed space, but how much space does he need to absolutely eradicate him from his vision and head? Doyoung had avoided him like he was a contagious disease so the small moments during passing period, lunch, and after school where he sees a tiny glimpse of him, were gone. And to make things worse, he didn’t have a class with him to see how he was doing. It was depriving and exhausting, in more ways than one.

“Alright Jaehyun,” a team member sat beside him, “Tell us now. Who you goin’ with to Homecoming tomorrow?”

“I’m not going,” Jaehyun muttered, “At least not anymore.”

His eavesdropping teammates all glanced over at him with shocked eyes. The Jung Jaehyun, not attending Homecoming?

“W-Why??”

Jaehyun took a gulp of water and sighed. He shrugged his shoulders and asked in an unintentional sharp tone, “What do you think?”

“... No tickets?”

“Oh, shut up,” A teammate rolled his eyes, “Jaehyun ain’t got a date to go home with after.”

His teammates laughed at that impossible idea. Jaehyun could walk out the gym all gross and sweaty and get ten willing dates by simply breathing. He knew it, too. Which killed his pride even more that his teammate was right. He was dropped. His supposed date had ditched him, all for a reason he couldn’t figure out.

Before another pestering question could be asked, Jaehyun’s phone rang from his pocket.

“Johnny?” Jaehyun spoke when he answered the call.

“Hey, can we meet up?”

“Uh, right now?”

“Yeah, right now.”

“I’m kinda in practi…” Jaehyun’s voice trailed off when his eyes peered over his teammates teasing Jaehyun still about not having a date, “Where?”

“Parking lot. We’re getting a ride.”

“Alright. I’ll be there in like ten.”

Jaehyun quickly recollected his belongings and stood up from the floor. His teammates glanced up and furrowed their brows.

“Where you going, Jung Jaehyun?”

“I have something urgent to go to. Bye.”

They all started hollering, immediately assuming it was a girl. Jaehyun rolled his eyes when he was sure they couldn’t see, and rushed to the lockers to take a quick shower and change. It took him longer than ten, but he wasn’t sure why Johnny was abruptly asking to meet up after the whole ordeal. His imagination to think that possibly… Doyoung could be with him.

Jaehyun found Johnny at the parking lot as he said he’ll be at, with an unexpected body beside him as well. Yuta was sitting on the front of his car, tossing his keys in the air while on his phone, while Johnny rambled on about something the Japanese boy wasn’t paying any attention to.

“Hey guys,” Jaehyun smiled as he approached them, “Sorry I took so long.”

Johnny shook his head, “It’s cool. Yuta’s gonna give us a ride to my place, is that cool?”

“Oh… Yeah,” Jaehyun said as his eyes tried their best to subtly glance around the surroundings, wondering if possibly Doyoung was hiding. But he was only disappointed.

“Doyoung’s not here. I wanted to talk about that with you,” Johnny patted his shoulder in an attempt of comfort, “Yuta, let’s go.”

Yuta put his phone back in his pocket and looked up, throwing his keys in the air simultaneously. He laid eyes on Jaehyun, who was staring right back, and immediately got flustered that he missed the catch on his keys and dropped them. Jaehyun laughed and picked them up for him, Yuta muttering a quick thank you before turning his head to look away.

Johnny eyed Yuta’s peculiar behavior and glanced over at Jaehyun. He smirked back at him and mouthed a bunch of words Johnny couldn’t decipher. He held onto his curiosity to remind him later of what he said, entering the passenger seat of the car. Yuta is focused on backing out of the parking space and not running over a kid and Jaehyun’s plugging his phone to the aux cor