These past few weeks have been so great for Hongki. Each passing days Hongki walked to school with Jaejin and met Wonbin half way to the school.  And during lunch, Hongki will be ready with lunch boxes for everyone.

As usual, Minhwan will be the one who excited the most as everyday Hongki promised to cook chicken meal for him. Jaejin, Minwhan, Wonbin and Jonghun felt happy having Hongki around now. Hongki is like their ‘umma’ now as the boys called it. As for the ‘appa’ the boys can’t decide who should be as everyday Jonghun and Wonbin seems to fight over who should sit beside Hongki during their break.

Wonbin have been quite good to Hongki now.  Hongki glad everything seems to fall in place. In no time, Wonbin will fall for him for sure. Hongki thought alone and watched Wonbin eat his lunch.

“I heard there are new haunted house open nearby”

Minwhan said after finishing his last piece of chicken nugget.

“Really? Let’s check them out then!”

Wonbin spoke aloud. Wonbin, after all is the school’s gangster. A haunted house can be so much fun, especially for Wonbin who really loves to let out his fighting skills to some fake ghost.

“We will be going after school today, how about that?”

Everyone nodded, agreed to Jonghun’s idea.

“I don’t want to”

Hongki said in low voice and hid his face.

“What’s wrong? Don’t say you are scared, princess”

Jonghun blurt out, hands roaming to Hongki’s neck making it nearer for each passing second.

“I am not. And stop your playboy thingy again Jonghun. Go find yourself a girlfriend”

Hongki managed to free himself from Jonghun and stare at Jonghun in a split second before move his chair a bit to Wonbin who is still not finishing his meal.

“Yeah, go find yourself a decent girlfriend”

Wonbin said it aloud after finding his elbow almost brushing with Hongki’s skin. He saw Hongki pout.

“What if I don’t want to?”

Jonghun managed to pull Hongki’s waist as Hongki tried to get up from the chair. Hongki who was shocked by the sudden skinship failed to balance himself, ended sitting on Jonghun’s inviting lap. Jonghun is more than happy having Hongki sitting on his lap, he sniffed Hongki’s hair and his nose almost touching Hongki’s neck. If only I can mark him as mine right now. Jonghun thought all dirty things in his mind alone.

Hongki who felt the awkward position he is having try to stand up and Wonbin hold his hand in the process.

“Jonghun-hyung and Wonbin-hyung really need to stop fighting over Hongki. I know Hongki-hyung is cute, but really, it’s getting grossed day by day”

Jaejin sigh. Minwhan was right. The sight in front of him really makes him what to vomit his lunch he had just now. Hongki was in between both of Jonghun and Wonbin who fighting over a girl, in this case fighting over a boy with girly-face.

***********************************

The 5 boys were standing in front of the gate of the old-fragile looking house. This creepy looking house closed down years ago for its mystery and then somehow it reopens to be a haunted house. And as the boys heard it, it supposed to be a secret haunted house. Only those who have some links can enter.

The boys knew there will be fake ghost around scaring them but then the thought of having fun with fake ghost inside a mystery house was more adventurous for them. The boys were anticipating something else. As Jaejin have said before,

“Who knows what will happen inside? What will we found once inside? We never know. That is the fun in it. The mystery.”

The boys walked inside. Wonbin was the first to step in, followed by Jaejin and Minwhan. While Hongki walked tugging Jonghun’s shirt. Not that Jonghun minded his shirt were crimpled by Hongki, but the pain of Hongki’s nail biting his skin was disturbing for him.

As they walked through a small hall, Wonbin noticed a ghost in front of him. As usual, the brave Wonbin chased after the ghost and disappeared into the dark. Minwhan then followed Jaejin to a different passage searching for the mystery in the house.

Hongki who saw the ghost within the 5 minutes they enter the house was so scared that his legs were paralysed. Hongki was half laying on the cold floor, hands holding to Jonghun’s trousers which clearly able to see Jonghun’s boxer.

“Hongki, get up. You are stripping me. Not that I don’t like the idea you are having, but let’s make it at another place.”

His eyes closed. Hongki still don’t want to make any move. Jonghun squatted down. His hands cupped Hongki’s small face. Hongki open his eyes and met with Jonghun’s black eyes. Hongki was crying. Jonghun shed Hongki’s tears softly. His thumb brushed Hongki’s cheeks.

“Hongki, my princess, trust me. Everything is going to be alright. The ghost will not come near you. You have me. I promised you, princess. I’ll be protecting you. Those bastards ghost will not come even an inch to you.”

Hongki who was still scared felt soothing in Jonghun’s calm voice. His words, calling Hongki princess somehow gave a feeling to Hongki’s heart. His touch gave some kind of sensation in Hongki’s skin.

“Princess, you can trust me. Please, do you trust me?”

“I trust you”

With that, Jonghun pull Hongki’s hand and stood up. Their hands entwined. They were at the bottom of the stairs. And they walked to the spiral stairs wanted to reach the second floor of the house. Hongki was still holding Jonghun’s hands. And indeed, it felt safe to Hongki, like Jonghun was some kind of guardian angel for Hongki.

While climbing the stairs carefully, Hongki felt a grip on his ankle. Hongki look down, his eyes widen in shock. A pairs of hand was holding his ankle. Hongki can’t see well in the dark. Thanks to his short-sighted. But he can definitely feel well a pairs of hands was actually holding his ankle. Hongki screamed and try to shake the hands but failed as the hand was stubbornly attached to his skin.

In order to save his ankle, Hongki push and kick the hands, and while doing so, Hongki lost his balanced and fall from the spiral stairs to the cold floor of the bottom of the stairs.

Jonghun who was late to grab Hongki’s hand from falling ran down to where Hongki was laying and hold Hongki’s body. Hongki’s head was bleeding.

************************************

Hongki woke the next day with a bandaged head and literally swollen ears. Yunho have been nagging Hongki and his friends for letting Hongki entered that haunted house. Yunho knew his brother’s weaknesses.

“Yunho-hyung, we are sorry”

Jonghun and Jaejin said in unison. They were at Hongki’s house visiting him after schools.

“You are his friends. You should set good examples”

Yunho said with his stern voice. Yunho never knew Hongki’s friends because Hongki never had a friends coming to his house from the previous school. This was the first time Hongki’s friends came to visit him, except from Jaejin who are their neighbour.

“We just knew him this few months, over-protective brother”

Wonbin speak lazily, clearly audible to Yunho’s ear.

“How dare you to speak that to me”

Yunho went in front of Wonbin and hold his collarbone. Yunho certainly was angry at this ill-mannered boy in front of him. Yunho doesn’t like this boy attitude. Yunho never likes people behaved badly in front of him, except from his brother.

“Wonbin, shut up”

Jonghun stand in between. Try to calm down the tenseness between them. His hand reached Yunho trying to make Yunho let Wonbin go. As soon as Yunho heard the name, he knew this was the boy who Hongki have first crush on. This brat. How the hell, his baby, his sweet baby, fall in love with this brat. Yunho thought as his hands making tighter grips on the younger boy’s collarbone.

“Hyung, what are you doing?”

Hongki who was in his pyjama and bandaged head went down after hearing some commotion downstairs shocked to see his brother’s action towards Wonbin.

“I’m just teaching this boy some manners”

“Hyung, please”

Hongki pull his brother hands away from Wonbin.

“I’m out from here”

Wonbin walked out from the house followed by Jaejin and Minwhan who bowed 90 degrees, as if they apologized for Wonbin behaviour.

“Hongki, called me if you need me okay”

Jonghun was the last who went out. Instead, he went to Hongki and stare deep inside Hongki’s dark brown eyes. He really regret for not taking care of Hongki. He, after all made promise to Hongki that he will be safe.

“I’ll be fine Jonghun. But can you do me a favour?

Hongki asked. His eyes look up to Jonghun eyes. For a second, Hongki felt the same sensation his having at the haunted house. Jonghun’s eyes was so inviting that he can be drowned by just looking at it.

“Anything for you, princess”

“Stop that playboy thingy again, Jonghun.”

Hongki felt his cheeks blushed slightly and turned away from Jonghun’eyes.

“Can you watch over Wonbin? My brother seems a bit harsh on him just now. I don’t want him to be sad. Please”

“If that, what you want. I will”

“Thank you, Jonghun. You have been a good friend”

Hongki said. Hongki himself wasn’t sure if Jonghun really have been a good friend after yesterday event.

Friend. That was never my intention. I wish you saw me more than that. Jonghun thought and left the house chasing after Wonbin.

******************************

“Wonbin. Wait up!  Want to have some drinks tonight? My treat.”

Wonbin who was obviously always short of money agreed. Wonbin really need some drinks after what had happened. It’s not that Wonbin care enough what Yunho did. Wonbin was after all never pleased with anything in the world.

That night, both boys went to Jonghun’s favourite club. Thanks to Jonghun who was a regular customer there, they slipped inside without trouble.

“Saw that girl over there? Obviously, she was checking your just now”

“She’s not my type”

“How about that girl with that mini skirt down there”

“Too skinny” “Too short” “Too shameless”

Each girl pointed by Wonbin seems to be unattractive to Jonghun. Wonbin start to felt weird. Who doesn’t know Jonghun. Each girl will definitely surrender themselves to Jonghun who was obviously the most attractive ulzzang there. Jonghun’s perfect pointed nose. His perfect small, deep eyes. His perfect kissable lips, especially when he bite his plump bottom lips, every girl sure to be melt in front of him.

“Every girl here seems displeased you. You were never like this before. You were the type of playboy who grabs anything in front of you. You have never been this too choosy, Mr.Ulzzang”

“Well, maybe, today, the girls doesn’t seems to meets my standard”

“Oh. Or the standards you set already fill with Hongki?”

Wonbin said his hands holding a glass. Drinking non-stop. As for high-schooler, Wonbin drinks like an adult. To be a real man, he must to have alcohol tolerance since young. That was Wonbin thought since he was a kid. Thanks to his father who is a drunkard.

“Maybe”

“You like him? Last time I checked you never gay”

“That was before I met Hongki. But looks who’s talking. You also all over him all right”

“To be honest, for a split second, sometimes I do like him. He’s beautiful. He has that girly-face and milky skin and the right curves all girls will be envy of, but you can’t deny that he’s a he. Not she. Maybe a couple of make-out sessions with him then I’ll let him go”

Wonbin laugh loudly. He was half drunk.