Text after text came through asking WooHyun what he was doing, where he was going, whether he was feeling okay, if he'd slept enough. Every text he replied to as quickly as possible, sometimes that wouldn't be for hours, depending on what their schedule was that day. The others had noticed his increasing interest in his phone and they didn't appear very happy about it.
     "WooHyun ah! Concentrate!" SungGyu shouted over the music. SungJong was closest to the laptop and stopped the track so they could start again. Running his hands through his hair, WooHyun braced himself for the onslaught from their leader. "What has gotten into you recently?" He closed in on WooHyun quicker than the younger anticipated.
     "N-Nothing! I just...I need to practice some more." WooHyun excused, blushing a little and turning his eyes away. "I'm sorry, I'll stay behind later and catch up." SungGyu growled and turned away, grabbing his hair to stop himself from losing his temper completely. "I said I'm sorry, what more do you want?" WooHyun snapped, scowling at the back of their leader's head.
     The others fell into an uneasy silence, fearing an argument was about to erupt. SungGyu let his hands drop to his sides and turned to glare at WooHyun over his shoulder. "Give me your phone." WooHyun turned from irritated to angry, his scowl deepened and his body tensed, hands curling into fists. "Either you give it to me willingly or I'll confiscate it and you'll have to wait even longer to get it back!" The eldest shouted.
     WooHyun forgot there was anyone else in the room. He couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes from SungGyu's face. The longer it took him to reply to Hyeri, the more chance she would think he was messing her around. Sighing heavily, he looked down and took a moment to decide what to do. He was obviously testing SungGyu's patience. Glancing over at DongWoo, WooHyun could see the sadness all over his face and closed his eyes.
     "Now. WooHyun." SungGyu pressed. The more he demanded WooHyun listen to him the more he wanted to ignore him and do his own thing. He crossed the room to the stack of chairs, grabbed his coat and threw the door open. "Nam WooHyun! Get back here right now!" SungGyu hollered. Running as fast as he could down the street, WooHyun caught sight of a blue bus pulling into the stop and urged himself to go faster.
     He heard a shout after him as he sprinted across the road, grabbing a lamp post to help him turn faster. The bus driver gave him a surprised look as he threw his T-money card down onto the reader, panting heavily from the sudden burst of energy. "Thanks." He managed between breaths. The driver nodded, closed the doors and put the vehicle into gear. Glancing out of the window, WooHyun smirked as DongWoo, SungJong and Hoya just made it to the far side of the road.
     Grabbing the pole beside him to keep steady, WooHyun took a moment to catch his breath before pulling his phone out of his pocket. It rang in his hand, DongWoo's number flashed up on the screen. He rejected it and flicked through his contacts, almost hitting the dial button when DongWoo rang him again.
     Rejecting the call a second time, WooHyun hit the call button before DongWoo could ring him again and held the phone to his ear. Considering Hyeri had text him no more than twenty minutes ago, she shouldn't be in a lecture, he decided. It rang a few times and then connected. "Hello?" WooHyun smiled. He hadn't heard her voice since the day at the karaoke bar and it was more beautiful than he remembered.
     "Hey, Hyeri! It's WooHyun." She gasped and it sounded like she closed a door. WooHyun was nervous he'd caught her at a bad time. "Are you okay to talk? I can call back later if you're busy..." He really didn't want to but if she was in the middle of something he had no choice but to give her time to finish.
     "No! No, no. I'm fine to talk, I was just doing a little bit of extra study with a friend. I wasn't expecting you to call...Is everything okay?" She sounded flustered, WooHyun felt the heat creep up his cheeks. He was sure he'd never felt so strongly for someone so quickly before. "WooHyun ah?" She called. Apparently he'd been quiet for too long.
     "Ah! Well uh...If you have time...I'd like to meet up with you." He didn't really know what he was saying. The longer he stayed away from the practice room the more trouble he'd get into. It had only been four days since he'd met Hyeri but, for some reason, he was desperate to see her again. She giggled down the phone and the sound made his heart flutter.
     "Nam WooHyun...Are you asking me out on a date? Right now?"She chimed, sounding enthusiastic. WooHyun hummed his confirmation and she squealed a little. "Okay! Where do you want to meet?" WooHyun hadn't thought that far ahead. He also realised that he probably stank of sweat. His knowledge of bus and tube routes was put to the test as he had to think on his feet.
     He was sure the blue bus stopped somewhere near the Aeogae station on the purple underground line and the purple line ran to... "Yeouido..." He mumbled out loud. "Can you meet me at Yeouido station in half an hour?" It was probably warm enough for the fountains to be full and working, he'd be able to jump under the water and wash the worst of the smell away before she got there.
     "Half an hour? Okay that gives me time to change." WooHyun could hear the excitement in her voice. He glanced around, trying to work out where he was in relation to the underground station. "I'll see you there!" She hung up and WooHyun put his phone on silent before slipping it back into his pocket. The bus driver pulled into a stop and WooHyun took the opportunity to move across to the cabin.
     "Excuse me." He asked quietly. The driver grunted to show he was listening. "Which stop should I get off at for Aeogae station?" WooHyun moved to the side to keep out of the way of people wanting to get on the bus and use the T-money scanner. The driver checked a small map on his sun visor before turning to look at WooHyun.
     "Six stops from now but if you want line 5 trains we stop right outside Chungjeongno station." WooHyun nodded his thanks and turned to walk up the bus. He found a spare seat and looked around to see if someone else needed it before taking it. The college student sat beside the window gave him a small smile before turning his attention back to the world beyond the glass.
     WooHyun was disgusted to feel a slight attraction to the boy. The sooner he saw Hyeri the better, he thought.

     "So I guess you know everything there is to know about me..." WooHyun laughed as they sat on top of a grassy bank, eating fried chicken. "Yet I know nothing about you." She nodded in agreement and smiled. "Don't you think that's just a little unfair?" Hyeri laughed and nodded again, eyes meeting WooHyun's this time. They were pretty much dry now, after playing in the fountains for a while.
     Her damp hair clung to her face and neck, WooHyun reached across and tucked it behind her ear, smiling warmly as her cheeks flushed softly. "Well I'm pretty boring really." She stated, looking down at her take away box. "My parents moved to America when I was 6 and stayed til I was 16, then we moved back to Korea, I finished school and enrolled at university and that's pretty much it."
     WooHyun smiled. "So you speak English fluently?" She nodded. "That's cool, I wish I had the time to learn another language properly." He watched her smile and wondered what she was thinking. "What about family? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" A simple shake of the head gave him an adequate answer. "Okay so what are you studying?"
     She pulled all of her hair round to one shoulder and began wringing the extra wetness from it. "Film making." WooHyun cocked an eyebrow. "I want to be a movie director..." To him, Hyeri looked more of an artist than a director. At the very least he thought she should be onscreen instead of behind the cameras so the would could appreciate her beauty as much as he did. "You look thoughtful..."
     His head snapped up and he grinned sheepishly. "I was just thinking you're too beautiful to be hidden behind a camera." WooHyun watched as she blushed furiously. "What? You don't think you're pretty?" She nodded, raking her fingers through her hair to tease some more water from it. "Well I think you're stunning." He murmured, looking down at his hands.
     "In America..." Hyeri started breathily, WooHyun lifted his head to look at her. She stared straight out in front of her blinking rapidly, he guessed, out of nerves. "The whole dating thing is completely different..." He stayed quiet, curious as to what she was getting at. "People are more upfront about their feelings than in Korea...You're like that." She turned to look at him, eyes catching the glow of the sun.
     He swallowed, feeling the butterflies tremble in his stomach. She looked down at his hand, hesitantly reaching forward and taking it before fixing her eyes on his again. "In America people show how much they like someone by kissing them...Which is completely different to here." She continued quietly. WooHyun realised what she was getting at and felt the blush creep over his cheeks.
     This was it. If he didn't enjoy kissing her as much as DongWoo there was no hope. He found himself comparing her lips to DongWoo's, they were thinner and much less plump. He guessed they wouldn't be as warm and inviting either. There was no second chance here, WooHyun had to know for sure if this attraction to Hyeri could be something more. "Then..." He murmured. "Can I kiss you...?"
     She bit her lip, looking more adorable than ever in WooHyun's eyes, before nodding and leaning into him a little. His fingers caressed her cheek gently, guiding her face up towards his. Their lips touched, but WooHyun didn't feel anything like the sparks of excitement he got when DongWoo's lips found his. He tried not to let his disappointment get the better of him and pressed his lips a little harder against hers. Maybe it would just take time, he hoped.
     Her fingers tightened around WooHyun's hand, she obviously really liked him and he didn't know if he could string her along like this. Pulling away slowly, WooHyun stared into her eyes and smiled shakily. "Is it normal to kiss on a first date in America?" He asked, trying to look interested. She blushed a little deeper and nodded.
     "Sometimes..." Hyeri's fingers played with WooHyun's hand. "I think you'd like America..." She murmured, WooHyun wasn't sure what she was hinting at. "Most Koreas would have been shocked when I said about kissing but you...You embraced it." She smiled warmly. "I like someone that accepts other cultures."
     "Well we have fans all over the world so it's good to know some stuff about their lives." He wasn't really in the mood for keeping up appearances anymore. Hyeri nodded and looked away, making WooHyun realise he'd possibly upset her. "Ah, sorry...I'm distracted..." He excused. "Hyeri...I might not be able to contact you for a while..."
     "Why's that?" WooHyun pulled a pained expression and pulled his phone out of his pocket. On the home page were two or three dozen missed calls and notifications for a bunch of angry messages from SungGyu. "Oh...You weren't supposed to meet me, were you?" WooHyun shook his head, sighing heavily. "WooHyun ah...You can't get in trouble because of me!"
     "I needed to see you!" He dropped his phone into his lap and took both of her hands. "You're in my head all the time." He lied. Trying to sound convincing was a lot harder than he thought. Hyeri's eyes widened in shock at his words, the blush found its way onto her cheeks again. "Even if I can't call or text you I still want to see you. The more I see you the more I like you..." He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or her.
     "Then let's meet again..." She mumbled nervously. "Let's set a date now and stick to it, no matter what." WooHyun nodded firmly. He was sure if he focussed all his efforts on Hyeri he'd grow to love her eventually. "I'm going to Lotte World next friday, come with me?" WooHyun bit his lip. Going to a theme park with a girl was a big risk, especially if he couldn't keep up with the charade.
     But if Inspirits saw them...Accusations of him being gay wouldn't even begin, let alone spread. The pros outweighed the cons. He nodded. "Perfect."

     DongWoo twisted his driving licence between his thumbs, sitting in the driver's seat of the van as he waited for WooHyun to come back to the dorm. It was nearly 8pm and SungGyu was moments away from losing the plot completely. WooHyun was in more trouble than he realised and that's exactly why DongWoo was waiting for him.
     If he knew the younger at all, WooHyun wouldn't dare to use the front entrance. Twisting his licence, DongWoo kept his eyes on the entrance to the car park, waiting for the first sign of WooHyun. He was tempted to try WooHyun's phone again but the younger was being stubborn and had completely ignored every single one of the 11 calls he'd made in the last hour.
     Whatever was going on with WooHyun right now, he was starting to resent the distance the younger was putting between them. Since they'd come back from Japan WooHyun had barely spoken to him, let alone try to kiss him. He wondered if WooHyun's feelings for SungGyu were fading, or if he'd found another way to release the tension. The feeling in the pit of his stomach made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to admit it but he missed WooHyun's lips.
     But it didn't stop at his lips. Since that night in the gay bar, DongWoo couldn't stop thinking about the soft heat radiating from WooHyun's body, how wonderful he'd felt beneath him...How he'd touched parts of WooHyun's body that only a lover should touch...A soft knock on the drivers window made him jump out of his skin. He sighed heavily at WooHyun and pushed the button to let the window down.
     "What were you daydreaming about hyung?" WooHyun asked, smiling cheerfully through the window. His face dropped when DongWoo didn't get flustered. "I'm in really big trouble aren't I?" He questioned quietly, biting his lip nervously. SungGyu was going to dig right into him as soon as he stepped foot in the dorm.
     "Get in the car." WooHyun didn't need telling twice. If DongWoo was willing to help him escape SungGyu's wrath for a little while longer, he wasn't going to turn him down, even if he didn't like the elder's driving. DongWoo started the car as WooHyun walked around to the front passenger side. He closed the door and clipped in his seat belt, sitting silently as DongWoo pulled out of the parking space and made his way round to the exit.
     They sat in silence as he navigated the smaller streets. WooHyun let his mind wander, thinking of how angry SungGyu would be with him, how sweet DongWoo was for helping him and how evil he was for dragging Hyeri into this horrible mess. It wasn't until DongWoo was speeding out of town on the motor way that he interrupted the younger's thoughts.
     "Did you have a good day then?" He asked, WooHyun expected his tone to be bitter, instead it was full of disappointment. Sighing heavily, the younger looked over at DongWoo. He'd prefer it if he yelled at him, it was the least he deserved. "Whoever you were with must have kept your attention quite well...I'm sure you didn't even realise your phone was almost constantly going off."
     "I put it on silent..." WooHyun mumbled, casting his eyes down to his hands clasped in his lap. "I'm sorry hyung...I just..." DongWoo glanced at him as he trailed off. WooHyun looked more agonised than he'd ever wished to see. The disappointment drained out of him, replaced by sympathy. "It's not fair to ask you this..." He started, biting his lip as he looked up at DongWoo. Their eyes met for a moment before DongWoo set his eyes back on the road in front of him. "Will you help me catch up with the choreography? It's the least I can do to make things better with SungGyu."
     DongWoo couldn't say no. He nodded and turned the car around at the next opportunity. An uncomfortable silence washed over them. WooHyun was debating what to do. Hyeri deserved someone who loved her unconditionally instead of someone like him who was using her to work out his own uality. He knew the longer he played with her the more she'd hate him when she found out.
     WooHyun glanced over at the driver, studying his profile in the dim light. His face wasn't as perfect as Hyeri's, but his lips were far superior. The feeling rising in his stomach was undeniable. He needed DongWoo's lips against his own for a completely different reason to usual. SungGyu wasn't the trigger for this urge, his need for the comfort DongWoo gave him was.
     The urge was so strong WooHyun couldn't wait til they got to the practice room. "Pull over." He demanded.