Present day…

“We were happy.” Wonwoo whispered

 as he gripped the empty can.

“We were happy.” Sohye spoke weakly

as she rubbed her tear-filled eyes.

“It was enough just being with her.

Just seeing her smile. I thanked God every day.”

“Atleast, I knew I was. I truly was.

But him? I don’t know. I guess he wasn’t.”

“But everything changed when…”

“Our relationship went downhill when…”

“…I thought I deserved better.

That’s when I seriously ed up.”

“…he made me feel that I wasn’t

good enough for him. So I gave up.”

-----

Past: The year Sohye turns 15 & Wonwoo turns 18 [international age]

From: sohye <3

I got out early today!!!!!!! Can i go fetch u?? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ Lets chill somewhere~

Wonwoo chuckled under his breath at the weird emoji his girlfriend used. It did not go unnoticed by his surrounding classmates who all looked at him suspiciously.

“Eyyyyyyyyy.” they all chorused teasingly. Some shoved him lightly. “Look at this idiot. His smile is so creepy.” one of them said.

“Shut up.” he shot back as he began to type a reply.

“Girlfriend?” one of them asked and Wonwoo nodded. “Eyyyy~” they chorused again. Wonwoo simply shook his head at their antics.

“What’d she say?” one guy asked as he tried to peek over his shoulder. Wonwoo immediately locked his phone but it was in vain. “Ohh! Looks like she’d coming to fetch her boyfriend.” he placed emphasis on the last word and wiggled his eyebrows teasingly.

“Jinjja?” they exclaimed. “Wow, bro. After years of just telling us about her, we finally get to see the mystery girl.” one mused. “I almost thought you just named your right hand ‘Sohye’, man.” he smirked as everyone exploded in laughter. Wonwoo glared lightly at his friend.

“Screw off.” he grumbled and his friends laughed at his reaction. He looked away and tuned them off as he mentally wished time would fly faster. It was the first time she would visit be able to visit his school, most times he went to hers. So he couldn’t help but anticipate it slightly.

---

The bell rang and Wonwoo shoved his things in his bag.

“Whoa, someone’s excited.” his female seatmate said as she kept her stuff at a slower pace.

“Don’t mind him. Dude’s excited to see his girlfriend.” his friend teased as he passed by. Wonwoo just glared back, but didn’t deny it.

“Yah, yah! I see a girl with a different uniform~!” his other friend screamed and the whole gang scrambled to the window. Though, Wonwoo was a step too late.

They pushed and shoved each other to get a better view. They all talked over each other, excitedly asking if she was pretty or hot or what.

Then the hype died down.

“Oh.” they chorused again lifelessly. Wonwoo was confused.

“It’s just a middle schooler. False alarm!” one guy announced.

“Turned out to be a kid. Must be someone’s sister.” another mused.

Wonwoo blinked. He walked to the window to check what made them unhappy.

What greeted him was his Sohye’s back. His girlfriend. He stared for a few seconds as he realized the stark contrast of a middle schooler’s uniform next to a high schooler’s.

It made him a bit uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she turned around. Wonwoo froze.

“She turned!” one of his friends who stayed by the window said in surprise. “Oh. I got curious since her hair looked pretty but I can’t say the same about the face. What a let-down.” he sneered.

At that moment, Wonwoo’s blood ran cold. He clenched his fists and took a step toward the he called a friend. He was just ready to swing his arm when…

“Surely, your girlfriend can’t be that kid, lol.”

“That girl seriously looked like she just started middle school. It can’t be her.”

“Yeah, she looks too young to be in a relationship.”

“Yah, think of the . Wonwoo would look like a , lol.”

 “Wonwoo, we admit you’re good looking, you know? Surely your Sohye matches up to you.”

“Yeah. You’re even training to be an idol! Is your girlfriend, too?”

“You said your girlfriend was a trainee, too, right?”

“Well, if she was then she would definitely be hot.”

The boys all agreed with each other. They looked expectantly at Wonwoo, waiting for his answer.

Wonwoo squirmed under their gazes. He felt uncomfortable about their assumptions, but at the same time his ego flared. He wanted to answer them but he couldn’t bring his self to speak. Simply because he didn’t want to disappoint them.

What?

He was shocked at his thoughts.

“I-I gotta go.” he stuttered. “She… can’t make it today.”

“Waeeeeeee?” his classmates whined. “When will we get to see her, then?”

“Soon. Bye.” he said and took off. He whipped out his phone.

To: sohye <3

Let’s meet somewhere else.

-----

A few weeks later…

“You don’t want me to go to your graduation?” Sohye blinked in surprise.

“Yeah…” Wonwoo answered from across her, not meeting her eyes.

They were in a café where they were the only customers, considering it was secluded and it was turning dark. After their plates lied empty and drinks forgotten did Wonwoo drop the bomb.

“Waeyo?” Sohye asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, it’s just gonna be a long program. I don’t want you to get bored.”

“Why would I get bored? I’d be the most excited girl there! You’re finally graduating! I want to be there to celebrate that moment with you and your parents.” she reasoned out.

Wonwoo rubbed his face. “We can celebrate it ourselves, you know? Immediately after. Just us, even without my parents. Wouldn’t you like that?” he proposed.

“I would. But oppa, graduation isn’t only for you. It’s to give back to the parents. You can’t just leave them out.” she frowned at him.

“Then what’s your point? Do you want to celebrate it or not?” he said in a slightly annoyed tone.

Sohye’s eyebrow twitched. “My point is, we could have a celebration with all of us. Your graduation is special to you, to me and to your parents, I don’t see why you have to keep us away from sharing the moment together.”

“Fine! We will. You just don’t have to be at the event itself, okay? Let’s just meet up after.”

“Why don’t you want me there?” Sohye asked half-irritatedly. “Are you hiding something from me?” she narrowed her eyes.

“No!” he cried out defensively. “I’m not hiding anything! Just listen, okay?”

“Why should I? You’re being very suspicious right now, Wonwoo.”

“Look, it’s my graduation!” Wonwoo exclaimed angrily. “My graduation is mine, okay?! And like you said, it’s also for my parents! You aren’t any of them so there’s absolutely no reason for you to be there, understand?” he stared icily. “Just because you want to be there, doesn’t mean you should be.”

It took him a few seconds to realize what he just said.

Sohye stared back at him with pure hurt in her eyes. Those eyes pierced his heart and struck him down. He opened his mouth to speak. To take back what he said. To apologize. But he was beaten to it.

“But, I’m your girlfriend, Wonwoo…” she said softly as her eyes watered. “Can’t I be proud of you, too?” her voice cracked at the end. She took a deep breath. “Maybe, I just don’t mean anything to you.” she hissed angrily.

“Aniya. Sohye, I’m sorry. I—“

“Save it.” she gathered her things and stood up. She returned his icy glare. “Fine. You get what you want. You won’t see me at your graduation. And you won’t be seeing me anytime soon, either. Bye.”

Wonwoo wearily watched her stomp out the café. He rubbed his face in frustration, chiding his self for being so stupid and selfish. He mentally beat himself over and over.

But it never occurred in him to chase her.

----

Wonwoo and Sohye made up after their last argument. However, Sohye still wasn’t allowed to attend the graduation and she meekly obeyed. But ever since then, their relationship couldn’t return to its regular smoothness, but instead veered to a rockier path.

Things were changing.

But only one felt fear for it.

----

Time after…

 “I’m really really really excited for the trip on our birthday, oppa!” Sohye asked excitedly over the phone. It was the month of July, both their birthmonth. They’ve made it a tradition to dedicate a day for a celebration for both their birthdays for only the two of them. A date, in other words.

“Oh.” Wonwoo replied blankly. “Yeah, the thing is, could we go on another day?”

“What? Wae?” Sohye said in surprise. “I thought we both made it clear to keep that day free no matter what?”

“I know, but this year I’m turning legal you know? My friends want to celebrate it by drinking so…”

“Drinking? Alcohol?”

“Yes. That’s usually what it is.”

“Is it seriously that important? Drinking? Can’t you do it another day?” Sohye argued.

“No. It’s more meaningful when it’s on the day itself, but that day is for my family so we went with the next best day.”

“And our day together is not as important?” she snapped. “So our day is something that is easily pushed away for something as stupid as drinking?”

“What? No! It is, but Sohye we’re always together. And we’ve done this for the last years so I thought we should make way for other engagements you know? Stop misunderstanding.”

“Am I? Look, lately you keep pushing me away for some reason. You can’t blame for thinking such thoughts when you keep acting like this.”

“Acting like what? I’m being normal! You’re the one keeps assuming things with no basis!”

“No basis? Are you that insensitive?! Heol, I can’t believe it.” she scoffed loudly. “Look I don’t want to fight again. Can’t we just do things normally and spend that day together? Please? You’re free to do anything else the next day. On any other day.”

Wonwoo felt an inexplainable anger rise within him. “I’m free to do anything I want on any day. Stop acting like my mom, Sohye. I decided I’m going and that’s final.” he growled and hung up. He turned it off and threw his phone across the room. He was irritated by her attitude and found it so confining. He grumbled his complaints repeatedly and fell asleep.

---

Wonwoo sat surrounded by his Seventeen hyungs: S,Coups, Jeonghan, Jun, Hoshi and Woozi. Joshua decided to stay home. He leaned back into his seat as he watched the lights move wildly in the bar. He held a glass of alcohol in his hand and downed it.

“Welcome to adulthood, my friend!” Hoshi placed an arm on Wonwoo’s shoulder. “Enjoying alcohol?” he smirked. S.Coups and Jeonghan had their arms around each other, too, cracking corny jokes and sharing irrelevant stories. Jun was somewhere on the dance floor, no doubt charming girls. Woozi was downing continuous shots like a real man.

“Yeah. I surprisingly like it.” Wonwoo smirked back and reached for another glass. His hand stopped short as he suddenly felt the call of nature. He excused his self quickly and they all waved him away.

He walked briskly to the restroom, his vision slightly blurry due to the alcohol in his system. He thought he was walking straight, but his feet tangled each other and ended up bumping someone and stepping all over her.

“Ow! Hey!” she cried.

“Ah! Mian, I’m a bit tipsy.” Wonwoo immediately apologized and bowed slightly. “Mianhaeyo.”

“Ah, it’s fine. No harm done…” the girl replied. Wonwoo raised his head and faced her properly. They looked at each other for a good while before the girl broke into a flirty grin.

“…but interest caught. You’re pretty handsome.” she complimented. “Hi, I’m Jae Eun.”

“Thanks. Not so bad yourself.” he smiled cheekily. “I’m Wonwoo.”

“Very pleased to meet you.”

-------

Birth of an , lmao.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chap. 

Bai chingus~