Hey guys, (relatively) early update today, because I was feeling so depressed today, and needed to write to cheer myself up. Hope you guys enjoy this chappie, and subscribe and comment, and *throws hearts Woohyun-style* THANK YOUUU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BOTHERED TO CLICK ON THE LITTLE GREY ARROW!!!! *points* It's right there, beside the title in the foreword xD...

Today, like yesterday, the text messages came five minutes per text, until about lunchbreak, when they stopped all of a sudden. Myungsoo had been watching the number of messages in his inbox throughout the morning (lessons in the morning were always boring, and Myungsoo claimed to himself that the food today was worse than usual, and he needed something to keep his mind off it), when he noticed the number didn't increase anymore.

His spirits sank a little.

Maybe Sungyeol had grown tired of texting someone who didn't respond--Myungsoo had been "testing" Sungyeol again, to see if he would continue with the nessages). During lunch, he kept an eye on his handphone, but the device stayed silent, and Myungsoo gave up hoping for another text. Myungsoo couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

Shovelling another mouthful of the stuff (mash potatoes?) into his mouth, Myungsoo tapped onto the little envelope that stood for his inbox, and read the messages.

There were only fourty-seven texts.

All of them were to update Myungsoo about Sungyeol's day at school so far. Apparently, the boy had gotten up late for school (his "stupid alarm clock" had "decided to go haywire") and he'd almost gotten detention for his tardiness. But, he'd rushed into school at the last moment, and had made it just on time, but he'd almost died in the process--the school gates had almost sliced him into half, and he'd just managed to squeeze through. Then, Sungyeol had had literature class, where they had written an argumentative essay--which was (in Sungyeol's books), not literature at all, and frustrated him no end, because he could only write proper literature. And he'd been looking forward to literature class too.

As he scrolled down to read the rest of the messages, Myungsoo could almost see Sungyeol's nose crinkling up in disgust, as his hands waved in the air, trying to recreate the scene, shaking his head and sighing. Myungsoo didn't realise how weird he looked, staring down at what seemed to be his crotch, and smiling, and nodding, until Sungjong leaned across their table to see what Myungsoo was so amused by.

Sunggyu gave Myungsoo a judging look.

"Your girlfriend?" Sunggyu emphasised the second word, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Woohyun bounced around in his seat, making happy seal noises. Hoya and Dongwoo clambered over each other's shoulders, trying to snatch the handphone away from Myungsoo to read the text message on the device.

Myungsoo shook his head so violently that his vision blurred for a split second, all the while fending off Hoya and Dongwoo's hands, so that the handphone might remain in his possession.

"Nonono!" Myungsoo cried, trying to sound disdainful, like 'what the heck?! Sungyeol, his girlfriend?!'. "Hell no." Myungsoo repeated, and hoped he sounded convincing enough. Then he stopped, surprised that he was getting so flustered. Normally, he'd have just snickered disbelievingly, and brushed the comment off, but Myungsoo couldn't think of anything to say for the time being. So Myungsoo tried to laugh, and even he grimaced at how fake and awkward his chuckles sounded. Myungsoo looked round at his his friends.

They had raised eyebrows, and knowing smiles, and Myungsoo knew he had failed, to convince them.

His hand waved faster in the air, and he was about to open his mouth, to deny it even more violently, when the bell rang, and Myungsoo could run off to class, after muttering something unintelligible, leaving them staring after him, snickering. Myungsoo collasped in his seat, sliding down a little in relief.

Twice. The bell had saved him twice this week.

Myungsoo whipped his handphone out again, to finish reading the messages in peace, in the time before his teacher and friends returned to the classroom. Myungsoo started grinning again at the screen, but his smile dissolved as he read the last two messages.

Sungyeol: How about you? What lessons are y

This one had been sent at 11:47 am. And within the same minute, another one had appeared in his inbox.

Sungyeol: Don't bother replying

Myungsoo's eyebrows furrowed. Myungsoo was sure Sungyeol had been about to ask him about his day, when the message ended. It was definitely incomplete, as if the boy had hurriedly pressed send, before he had the time to finish typing out the question. Myungsoo was even more confused by the last text. Sungyeol had sent so many messages. Didn't he want Myungsoo to reply any of them? Was Sungyeol really annoyed at him? Somehow, Myungsoo just couldn't picture that.

Myungsoo decided to type an answer back anyway.

Myungsoo: Huh?! What's going on, Sungyeol? I'm sorry I didn't answer the previous texts...

And all through the rest of school for the day, Myungsoo would keep his hand on his pocket, alert for the vibration that signalled a message received, but he felt nothing. And received nothing.

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After school, Myungsoo flew out of the classroom, and sped down the corridors, and swung his head round, left right, left again, and e circle just for extra measure, but he couldn't see Sungyeol anywhere. They were supposed to go out with Myungsoo's friends again today, to catch a movie together, and have dinner together afterwards, at Woohyun's house.

His friends were right behind him in his escape from the school building, and they watched Myungsoo as he watched for the arrival of the ridiculous boy. Myungsoo's foot tapped on the pavement after about five minutes. Maybe Sungyeol's class had been released late?

"You guys go first, and buy two tickets for Sungyeol and me. We'll meet up with you guys later." Myungsoo turned to his friends. "We won't be late," He promised, looking at Sunggyu, who shrugged and led them off, and gave Myungsoo a look over his shoulder that told the boy he expected him to keep his word.

Myungsoo waited for another fifteen minutes (he had ten left--just enough to rush to Sungyeol's school's gates, to look for the missing boy, then race to the movies nearby), before turning the corner to Sungyeol's school. The courtyard infront looked rather empty, and so did the classrooms. Epik High School ended half an hour earlier than Myungsoo's school. He looked around for the familiar gangly figure, fingers wrapping around the bars of the school gate (Myungsoo didn't feel like going in), and peering into the school. But he couldn't see Sungyeol. And time was ticking away.

Myungsoo glanced at his watch for what must have been the hundredth time. He hopped from one foot to the other, indecisive. if he didn't leave now, the movie would start without him, and Myungsoo would have to deal with Sunggyu-dominated consequences for breaking his promise, and wasting a ticket. The problem was, Sungyeol was nowhere to be seen, and he wasn't picking up Myungsoo's calls either.

Finally, Myungsoo sighed, threw a nasty look over his shoulder at the school, where Sungyeol was still (presumably) inside, and sprinted towards the movie theatres, arriving just in time to catch the opening sequence of the show. Sungjong tilted his head, and mouthed Sungyeol's name, and Myungsoo just shrugged, and took the popcorn Sunggyu passed to him.

It was a comedy that his friends had decided on watching, and it seemed good--his friends were nearly splitting their sides with laughter. But Myungsoo's lips didn't turn up once. He couldn't focus on the movie. Because he was too preoccupied with pretending that he couldn't care less about Sungyeol's empty seat beside him.

And all through the movie, Myungsoo would keep his hand on his pocket, alert for the vibration that signalled a message received, for when Sungyeol apologised for his absence. Myungsoo decided he wouldn't respond to the text when it came (but he'd forgive the boy, of course). But he felt nothing. And received nothing.

After the movie, Myungsoo sighed again, whipped out his phone, and called Sungyeol, but the boy still wasn't picking up. It was as if Sungyeol had fallen off the face of the earth. Myungsoo texted Sungyeol Woohyun's address, just in case he could still make it for dinner, and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Myungsoo was now sure that Sungyeol hated him. Perhaps it was because Myungsoo was too slow in responding to the texts? Sungyeol hadn't seemed bothered about it yesterday...

Perhaps, a small voice at the back of Myungsoo's head nagged at him for what had to be the millionth time since yesterday evening, Sungyeol hated him for what he'd yelled at the boy yesterday afternoon?

"I don't feel well." Myungsoo lied through his teeth to his friends, rubbing his forehead wearily. "I'll have dinner at home, then go to bed early."

Sunggyu looked concerned, and tried to feel his forehead, but Myungsoo flinched away.

"Get well soon." Sunggyu patted his back instead, and Myungsoo turned and trudged home. He could feel the weight of his friend's stares on his back, so he couldn't risk a glance in the direction of Sungyeol's school, hoping against hope for a tall boy to come rushing towards him, and make him miraculously recover from his "illness".

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It wasn't until someone knocked on his door, at about 11.30pm that night, that Myungsoo dragged his weary body out from under the covers on his bed, and gave up trying to sleep while gripping the handphone in his hand. Myungsoo grumbled all the way to the front door--it was probably his sister who'd forgotten her keys. Myungsoo hadn't seen her since that day at the hospital, and guessed it was about time for her to come and do her weekly checkup on him. He wrenched the door open.

"Noona--" Myungsoo closed his mouth, so the rest of his sentence got cut off. It wasn't his sister.

"I'm sorry--"

"I'm sorry--"

Sungyeol and Myungsoo stopped, and looked at each other. Myungsoo's eyes widened.

"What the hell...?" Myungsoo's eyes landed on the scrape on Sungyeol's forehead (that was barely hidden by Sungyeol's bangs), and trailed downwards, to stare at the bruised nose, and scrape on his cheek.

Sungyeol raised his hand to cover the side of his face. He didn't look Myungsoo in the eye. Myungsoo took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about..." Myungsoo trailed off, trying to figure out how to phrase his apology. "What I said yesterday afternoon..." Myungsoo stopped again, frustrated at how difficult it was for him to finish his sentence properly. But Sungyeol just waved his hand in the air, as if it was nothing, and Myungsoo found he could smile again.

"Where were you?" Myungsoo eyed the boy, and asked the question hesitantly.

"S-School." Sungyeol swallowed visibly, "I had detention..."

Myungsoo frowned. Sungyeol was lying. He'd texted Myungsoo that he'd narrowly escaped detention that morning. He'd just made it to school on time. Myungsoo's eyes widened even more, when Sungyeol's other hand came up to hide his battered nose. The screen of Sungyeol's handphone was broken, was shattered. It looked as if a spider had decided to spin a web across it, fine silver threads marring the smooth surface.

"What happened?" Myungsoo pointed to the handphone, and Sungyeol glanced down at it, and shoved it into his bag.

"It got squished. When...I got squeezed between the gates this morning..." Sungyeol fidgeted a little, and spoke slowly, as if Myungsoo was a nitwit.

Another lie. Myungsoo wondered why Sungyeol didn't want to tell him the truth, wondered what the boy was hiding.

"That's why..." Sungyeol motioned to the scrape on his face, and looked away again. Myungsoo noticed how his bangs were dripping wet, how his shirt was almost transparent with sweat. Sungyeol must have run all the way here from school--Myungsoo couldn't imagine Sungyeol forgetting about the movie, and going off somewhere else.

"Do...Do you mind if I stay the night?" Sungyeol's eyes landed on Myungsoo (finally), and gleamed with ill-concealed hope. Myungsoo's head spun even more with questions unasked, but he thought of his couch in the living room, and stepped back, and nodded. First, he'd tend to Sungyeol (Myungsoo glanced at the bruises, the scrapes, and grimaced a little), then, he'd ask questions.

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"Owww..." Sungyeol made a hissing sound, and his eyes watered a little.

Myungsoo clicked his tongue in annoyance again. "Stay still!" Myungsoo knew how his sister felt now. Then, he took another look at the expression on Sungyeol's face, the tears in his eyes, and his hand hovered over the scrape, medicine-soaked cotton pad hesitating on it's way to Sungyeol's face. Damn. He'd managed to make Myungsoo feel like the bad guy again.

Gently, Myungsoo cupped the (relatively) unbattered side of Sungyeol's face, and pressed the medicine against the other boy's last wound. He winced with Sungyeol.

"There." Myungsoo stood back, satisfied with his work, and tossed a plaster to Sungyeol, to stick over the scrape on his cheek. Sungyeol caught it, and went over to the mirror that hung on Myungsoo's wall to put it on. Myungsoo busied himself with packing the bottles of medicine, antiseptic, the cotton buds, when he glanced up, to see Sungyeol smiling at him in the mirror.

"What?" Myungsoo raised an eyebrow, used to Sungyeol's weird behaviour by now. He went back to packing his first aid kit, and went into the kitchen to replace it on one of the shelves there. Sungyeol's voice came in from the living room, where Myungsoo heard him shuffling towards the couch they'd made up with a blanket and a pillow. There was a rustling sound, as Sungyeol slipped beneath the blanket.

"Let's be friends forever."

Myungsoo paused, his hand on the soap, as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink.

"Two months..." Myungsoo reminded.

"Friends forever." Sungyeol insisted, voice floating to Myungsoo. Before Myungsoo flipped off the light switch, and returned to his room for the night, he glanced at Sungyeol.

The boy was still smiling.

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Hope you guys enjoyed the chappie :))))))