Chapter 46- Just a Warning

“Won. Is it just me…or have you been losing lots of weight lately…? It feels like I’m hugging a bag of bones…” Jihoon asked, looking at Wonwoo sceptically. Wonwoo fidgeted a little, scratching the back of his head.

“Yeah…I kind of noticed too…my uniform’s getting a little loose.” Wonwoo said, tugging his shirt.

“Have you been eating? At all?” Jihoon questioned as he poked Wonwoo’s skinny limbs.

“Kind of? I’ve been losing my appetite lately…and I get nauseated within a few bites…it’s kind of hard to consume food…” Wonwoo sighed.

“I think you need to check that out…it doesn’t sound good…” Jihoon narrowed his eyes. The two whipped their heads in the direction of the door, where someone was knocking.

“So that’s where you were! Did you know how worried I was when Soonyoung hyung came to the clubroom alone?” Mingyu questioned as he barged into the music room.

“Yeah hi Mingyu. So nice of you to greet me huh.” Jihoon greeted sarcastically, making Wonwoo laugh.

“Oh. Hi Jihoon hyung…” Mingyu greeted as he waved awkwardly.

“Okay get out before you start any of your stupid couple .” Jihoon snapped when Mingyu kept staring at Wonwoo, trying to get the older’s attention.

“Are you feeling better? Do you want something to eat? Does your stomach still hurt?” Mingyu questioned Wonwoo as they walked out of the music room together. Jihoon overheard Mingyu’s questions, his brows knitted. Wonwoo was a weak kid to start with, but something was not right. His health seemed to be having problems. The weight loss, nausea and now stomachaches. Jihoon needed to drag Wonwoo to the doctors. He knew there was no way Wonwoo would go to the doctors by himself.

“I’m fine Mingyu…I won’t die.” Wonwoo sighed, as they walked down the hallways with Mingyu’s arm around Wonwoo’s shoulder.

“Yah! Don’t say such things! Of course you wouldn’t die!” Mingyu scolded.

“…I need to help Seungcheol hyung fix things up…but how? You have any ideas?” Wonwoo asked.

“Huh? Fix things? Oh! You mean with Jihoon hyung?” Mingyu questioned back to which Wonwoo nodded his head.

“…I did tell him that he could lock himself up with Jihoon alone…but what should he do after that…” Wonwoo wondered out loud.

“Ah! Maybe Seungcheol hyung can write some kind of lyrics and present it to Jihoon hyung. You know? Like try to connect with Jihoon hyung through that similar connection.” Mingyu suggested. Wonwoo’s face brightened up.

“Oh my god! Kim Mingyu! You’re such a genius!” Wonwoo exclaimed, as he stopped walking.

“Of course! Who am I? I’m Jeon Wonwoo’s boyfriend! I have to be smart to match him.” Mingyu grinned proudly.

“Yah…don’t say that so loudly…aren’t you embarrassed…” Wonwoo blushed, walking ahead of Mingyu.

“Jeon Wonwoo is my boyfriend! And he is the hottest thing ever alive!” Mingyu shouted across the empty hallway.

“Oh my lord….You’re so embarrassing…I’m leaving.” Wonwoo laughed, covering his face running back to the clubroom where the rest of their gang were.

“Yah! Kim Mingyu’s boyfriend! Wait for me!” Mingyu laughed, running after the older. Little did they know, someone was creeping in one corner, watching and hearing them.

“Jeon Wonwoo…I warned you. I’ll make you suffer if that’s what it takes…” Nayeon gritted through her teeth, stomping off in the opposite direction.

“Sup noona. You seem angry?” Hanse greeted with a question as Nayeon appeared. Hanse and Sejun were having lunch together near the football field as usual, when Nayeon appeared out of nowhere.

“What do you want? I thought you said you never want to be seen with me?” Sejun rolled his eyes, but nonetheless moving a little to the side to make some space for Nayeon.

“Hanse-ah. I need your help.” Nayeon said, ignoring Sejun.

“O-oh sure…what is it? Jeon Wonwoo perhaps?” Hanse smirked when he saw Nayeon seething in anger when his name was brought up.

“Don’t even bring up that dirty name in front of me.” Nayeon snarled.

“What do you want with him? He didn’t even do anything to you…” Sejun’s forehead creased with lines.

“Shut the up . I wasn’t talking to you. Hanse-ah. We’ll talk about this somewhere else. When the jerk isn’t around.” Nayeon folded her arms, rolling her eyes at Sejun before walking off.

“Look. Hanse. Whatever she is planning. It isn’t good. Don’t do it just because you want revenge on Mingyu! Wonwoo is innocent!” Sejun begged.

“I…don’t know what you’re talking about hyung.” Hanse sighed, ruffling his hair.

“Come on…you just told me that day about what happened…don’t lie to me.” Sejun confronted.

~Hanse and Mingyu’s past~

Back in middle school, Hanse was one of those kids who skipped classes just because he didn’t feel like attending. He wasn’t one of those popular kids, but he wasn’t one of those who got bullied either. He had friends, but few. He frequently hung out with Subin and Byungchan. But that was it. Mingyu started off being an ordinary kid, hanging out with his classmates and hyungs. But in his last year of middle school, he became popular within months. Puberty hit him hard in the face. He had those beautiful eyes, high angled nose, lips like cherry, and the perfect skin. His deep voice and canines that stood out when he smiled were what truly turned heads around. He was in the same form class Hanse, and they were placed next to each other as deskmates. However, Hanse never spoke a word to him. And so, one day the ever so curious Mingyu decided to find out why. He started to speak to Hanse, dropping the boy small notes during lessons. Hanse slowly opened up, starting with one word responses, to gradual short sentences. One day, Subin decided to make a dare with Hanse. And it was for the other to make Mingyu fall for him, and then dump him. It wasn’t a surprise that Hanse gradually fell for Mingyu’s odd charms, but he knew he had a dare to complete. He felt so guilty seeing Mingyu treat him with sincerity every day. He knew he could either forfeit the dare, or just tell Mingyu the truth and deal with the consequences.

“Mingyu-ah. There’s this scenario where A has a dare with a friend, to make B fall for him. So B finally falls for A. Which means that A has succeeded his dare. But A has unknowingly fell for B too…What do you think A should do?” Hanse asks out of the blue.

“Huh? I think A should tell B. And explain things. I’m sure B would understand. Why? Who is this A and B?” Mingyu asked.

“N-nothing…it’s just one of my friend. So you think A should tell B the truth? Or should he forfeit the dare?” Hanse asked back.

“Well…if B is someone who doesn’t take the truth very well…then A can keep the truth away for a moment…but then again. What if B finds out one day….hmmm…that’s bad.” Mingyu wondered out loud.

“What if it’s you? Which would you prefer if you were B?” Hanse asked, this time looking anxiously at Mingyu for his reaction.

“I don’t know…I don’t think I would take the truth very well…but I would still want the truth I guess?” Mingyu shrugged. Hanse nodded.

“M-mingyu-ah…” Hanse stuttered, calling out the other.

“Yeah? What’s up? Why do you look so pale?” Mingyu asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I know this is going to sound ridiculous…but I…asked you out for a dare. But I swear I really like you now.” Hanse explained.

“H-huh? W-wait…Hanse…what’s going on…?!” Mingyu exclaimed, his hands shaking.

“W-wait Mingyu! Listen. It started out as a dare but I really fell for-” A slap fell onto Hanse’s right cheek. It stung.

“I can’t believe it…so you were hinting me…” Mingyu cried, taking steps away from Hanse as the other tried approaching him.

“I can’t ing believe this…just stay away from me…” Mingyu cursed before running off. Hanse dropped to his knees. He ed up. Mingyu was never one to curse. If he did, he was really pissed.

Several days after that incident, Hanse started to notice that people he didn’t know were throwing him dirty glances. His classmates, juniors and seniors. As he was walking down the hallways getting to class, people walking past him would “accidentally” shove him by his shoulder. He would get hate letters and when he got to class, his table was vandalized. That was when he knew. Words got out. The dare about Mingyu. And after a few weeks, Hanse transferred out, when his parents got concerned about the bruises he got whenever he came home from school