If there was one thing Lee Daehwi regretted, it was that he had fallen in love with Bae Jinyoung. 

For one thing, it was no secret that Jinyoung was in love with his best friend, no matter how hard he tried to hide it or how insistent he was at denying any sort of accusation with regards to his feelings. Jaehwan may have tried to play it off as a joke, but to Daehwi, it was apparent that Jinyoung's roommate had his own share of suspicions. Jaehwan was simply trying to avoid getting Jinyoung mad enough for him to think of smacking him upside the head, or smashing his guitar against the bedroom wall, especially considering how distraught Jinyoung was that he had even forgotten the state of disarray he was in as he rushed out the door.

"Jinyoung," Daehwi said as they walked across the corridors of the boys' dormitory. He looked frantically left and right, praying to all the gods that no one would see them walking by, hand in hand, Jinyoung still in his sleeveless shirt and boxers, and Daehwi blushing from head to toe at the sight of it.

He wondered if he should tell Jinyoung that he should consider sizing up his wardrobe, because his shirt was a tad too tight and his boxers a tad too scandalous. 

"Jinyoung," Daehwi called again, louder this time. "JINYOUNG."

At the sound of his voice, Jinyoung stopped in his tracks, causing Daehwi to bump into his left bicep accidentally. Jinyoung turned to look at him, and Daehwi hated himself for being perpetually distracted by his god-tier visuals. His brain went into autopilot trying to find a suitable gameplan for how to survive the day being so close in proximity to the guy he had crushed on secretly for a month. 

"Did you say something?" Jinyoung asked. "Sorry, I was deep in thought just then." 

"Yeah, I know," Daehwi replied. "Not that you were being obvious." That's it Daehwi-ya, he thought to himself. Play it cool and act as if you aren't fazed by... wow he smells kinda nice.

Jinyoung simply nodded, then slowly looked Daehwi up and down. "Did you need something, then?"

Oh right. Daehwi chastised himself inwardly for forgetting what he had to say in the first place. He seriously needed to get his wayward thoughts back in control. 

"Are you sure it's alright to walk out of the room looking like that?" 

Jinyoung blinked at him. "Looking like what?"

Looking like a freakin' snack, you idiot. 

"Looking like you just rolled out of bed. Even though you probably just did because it's seven in the morning, but that's not really the point."

It took a while for Jinyoung to register what he meant. He simply stared at Daehwi for a while as Daehwi tried his best to hold Jinyoung's piercing gaze. It was enough that he had somehow landed himself in Jinyoung's arms twice that morning in the span of about fifteen minutes. If Jinyoung looked at him for a moment longer, there was a very real danger that he might just spontaneously combust on the spot.

"Oh crap," Jinyoung exclaimed, realizing that he was still dressed in clothes both unsuitable for practice and for female viewership, unless he was deliberately trying to make them pass out from shock. "Yeah no, this is not good. This is actually really embarrassing." Jinyoung ruffled his hair in an infuriatingly attractive manner. "Let's just go back to the room for a sec. I was actually planning on taking a bath, but scratch that. I can't make you wait that long."

"Are you sure?" Daehwi asked, striding to match Jinyoung's pace as he walked in a rush back to their bedroom. "I'm fine with waiting, to be honest."

"Why? Do I smell that bad?" 

Daehwi kept his lips sealed. Yeah right, he thought to himself. You smell like roses and vanilla and all of my dreams come true. Which is very bad indeed.

"That bad, huh?" Jinyoung said when Daehwi didn't respond. "Guess you'd have to endure it for a bit longer then. I don't think a bath is a nice idea, now that I think about it. I'll end up all sweaty after practice anyway." 

Daehwi tried to swat away thoughts of what a sweaty Jinyoung might look like. "Aren't you in the Singer track? I don't think you'd need to move around that much during practice."

"I'm not sure if you know this, but if you've seen me perform I bet you already do. I'm actually still in F class, and if I don't manage to get promoted this time, it's pretty much game over for me as I only have a semester left to redeem myself and that isn't nearly enough." Daehwi could hear the desperation in Jinyoung's voice, and it made him all the more determined to be of help. 

So did you want to incorporate a dance into the performance?"  he asked.

"Yeah," Jinyoung nodded. After a while he seemed to catch himself and added, "But it's not like I'm trying to get into the Idol Track or anything. I'm not that foolish."

All too easily, Daehwi could tell that Jinyoung wasn't telling the truth in it's entirety. He could hear the strain in Jinyoung's voice, the slight pause he made after saying he didn't think about getting into the Idol track, the defensive manner in which he said it even though Daehwi hadn't thought to mention anything with regards to his track preference. A part of him hated himself for being able to sense these things, because it felt like he was unintenionally breaching upon someone else's private thoughts. 

But he guessed there was no helping it. After all, no secret was safe from a person whose entire existence was built upon them. 

A few moments later, they arrived back at the room. Jinyoung knocked on the door thrice. "Jaehwan-hyung, it's me again. Let me in please."

Jaehwan answered the door, surprised at their return. "What's this? Returning Daehwi to me already? I had no idea practice could be ten seconds long, because that was way too quick."

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. "I'm just here to change into some clothes that won't get me stared at."

Daehwi laughed nervously. "I'm pretty sure you're going to get stared at anyway, no matter what sort of clothes you're wearing," he said.

At this Jinyoung elbowed him playfully, flashing him a blinding smile. "Not you too." he turned to Jaehwan. "And no, I'm not returning Daehwi. He's mine for the day."

Daehwi's head reeled at the contact, his thoughts whirling around Jinyoung's words. 

He's mine. 

Daehwi smiled to himself, watching Jinyoung's back as he rummaged through his closet for a loose shirt and a pair of joggers. He was completely oblivious to Jaehwan's apprehensive gaze, moving from him to Jinyoung and back again. 

You're right, Daehwi thought. I was all yours from the moment I first heard you sing. 

Daehwi suppressed a sigh, wondering how deep of a hole he had gotten himself into. He looked away from Jinyoung, feeling more than little guilty. He had gone past the point of being honest with his feelings if it meant that there was a way for him to be closer to Jinyoung like this. After all, he had lived most of his life as if it was a masquerade, throughout which he danced behind a mask of content and happiness, despite the crushing weight of his loneliness.

A loneliness that he, for once, found mirrored in Jinyoung's haunting song on that day he first fell in love a month ago. 

But if Jinyoung found out... he might never have the chance to stay beside him again, to help him, to make him smile, to get to know him inside and out. He'd have to end their friendship before it even had a chance to start.

No secret was safe indeed.

A few moments later, Jinyoung had changed into a red Supreme shirt and a pair of gray joggers. "I'm ready," he said. "Sorry for the wait."

Daehwi shook his head. "It's fine. But we should probably go before all the practice rooms get taken. You know how it is during promotion exams."

"Speaking of promotion exams," Jaehwan said, walking to his bed and from it retrieving a small stack of papers. "These are the music sheets I borrowed from you last time. I forgot to give them back. The arrangement is great, by the way. Your musical genius just doesn't disappoint." 

Daehwi's cheeks flushed with color at the compliment. "Thanks, hyung. Coming from a singer, that's reassuring." 

Jaehwan nodded at him. "Well, good luck then." he turned to Jinyoung. "And you... you had better take good care of Daehwi, or else I'll sing to you every night until you can hear my voice even in your dreams." 

"You mean my nightmares?" Jinyoung said. "And don't worry. I'll take better care of him than you ever will, that's for sure."

Daehwi was right about there not being any more rooms that were vacant, or even just peaceful enough for them to practice in. All of them were occupied by students from different tracks, and the music drifting through the air was an unbearable cacophony of songs that could be heard through the practice room doors that busy students couldn't even be bothered to properly close. 

"I'm starting to think we should've just kicked Jaehwan-hyung out of the room and practiced there instead," Jinyoung said. "Unless a miracle falls from the skies, I'm done for if I can't even find a place to practice."

As if on cue, Daehwi's phone vibrated, alerting him to new mail. He retrieved it from his pants' pocket. The screen read: new message from Yoon Taejoon. Daehwi rubbed at his eyes for a moment, not believing his eyes. What was Taejoon doing, sending him mail? He had just rejected the guy's confession a week ago, and he was the last person Daehwi would ever expect to receive any sort of mail from. Not after Daehwi had slapped him across the face for forcefully pulling at his arm, backing him against the wall as he suffocated from the contact, and threatening to expose the secrets he had so willingly shared in thinking that Taejoon was worthy of his trust. 

And especially not because he had done it at the hallway where everyone could see them. He swiped at the screen nervously to access the message.

Hey Daehwi. You going to practice today? If so, our group just finished practice and I was wondering if you needed a place. It's Room 216-A at the Right Wing. 

P.S. Sorry if this message startles you. I'm not upset anymore and just wanted to make up for my behavior last week. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. 

Daehwi stared at the message for a long time, reading it over and over again just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating out of desperation. Until then, Daehwi had no intention of patching things up with Taejoon, because of how shaken up he'd been at the incident. But a part of him thought Taejoon was simply brave enough to confess, and Taejoon had been one of his very first friends at Mireu. Losing him as a friend had hurt in a way. 

But Daehwi had no idea if the real Taejoon was the one who befriended him and made a mark on his heart, or the one who threatened him and left a bruise on his arm. He wasn't sure that it could have been both. He could still remember how painful it felt to have Taejoon's hands tightening around him, how he couldn't even think straight because of the fear. 

But to Daehwi, that didn't matter much at a time like this. It was true that he needed a place to practice, and that was more for Jinyoung's sake than anyone else's. Besides, it wasn't at if he'd be forced to interact with Taejoon during practice, as Taejoon was leaving anyway. Only his pride would compel him to reject the offer, and that was something Daehwi could willingly set aside.

"Jinyoung," he said. "We should head upstairs to Room 216-A. A ...friend of mine told me they'd vacate it  for the both of us."

Jinyoung nodded, and as both of them walked up the stairs, Daehwi wondered if he had made the right decision.

Taejoon greeted them at the entrance to 216-A.

"Daehwi-ya," he said. "I didn't think you'd come here."

Daehwi sighed, still unable to properly meet his gaze. "Yeah, but I really needed a practice room. They run out real quick at this time of year." He shifted uncomfortably,  knowing that Jinyoung could already sense the tension and the awkwardness between them. He had probably even heard of what had occured, because news traveled fast at a school where everyone thrived on gossip. It was a blessing somehow that Taejoon was a master at acting like nothing had between them. 

"I'm not sure if I should say this," Taejoon said. "But I'm really fine now. I knew there was someone else that you liked anyway. Makes sense that it's Bae Jinyoung."

Daehwi almost wanted to kick off one of his shoes and chuck it at Taejoon's hea