“Hey, new kid! Catch!”

Surprised, Hoya turned his head and barely caught the flying cleaning supplies in his arms. The boys from earlier sent him a sideways smirk as they turned away. “Do us a favor and clean up for us, will you? If not – well, let’s say we’re not afraid to pack a punch.” With that, they turn and ran off, snickering about who knows what.

Dongwoo pouted as he stared after them. “That was kind of mean,” he said. He glanced over at Hoya. “Are you going to clean up for them?”

“Do I have a choice? I’m not really afraid of their threats, but the teacher said that if we didn’t finish all the classrooms we’d all get detention again. And we have three hours to make seven filthy classrooms spotless,” he groaned.

Dongwoo smiled. “Well, no better time to start than now, right? Come on – the fast we finish, the faster we can get out.” He laughed and pulled Hoya’s wrist along with him until they arrived to the first classroom.

They skidded to a stop and stared. The classroom was dirty. With mud-tracked floors and half used chalkboards, the place reeked of sweat. Was this even a classroom? Desks and chairs were overturned and the windows were streaked with dirt.

“…how is this considered a classroom?” Dongwoo asked.

Hoya shrugged. “Not too sure. But might as well get to work. Catch,” he said, tossing a clean rag and a bottle of window-cleaner to his partner. He caught it with ease and started to spritz on the windows before wiping them clean.

“So,” he started as he traveled along the dirty glass, “what exactly got them to pick a fight with you?”

Hoya, who was kneeling on the ground and vigorously scrubbing his rag on the floor replied, “They were harassing Sungyeol. I had to step in.”

Dongwoo paused and turned around with widened eyes. “Sungyeol? Why were they picking on him?”

“Something about him giving advice to a girl that dumped him. Personal grudge.”

Dongwoo nodded and returned to the glass. “Well, you can’t expect the entire school to adore the Love Hospital.”

“Nah, you can’t. But if most of the school loves them, it’s pretty plausible that any haters would be demolished in seconds. Especially with that fanclub they have. Man, girls in this school are crazy,” Hoya shuddered.

“Tell me about it. That’s why I don’t date girls in this school,” Dongwoo commented.

“…What is that supposed to mean?” Hoya questioned.

Dongwoo grinned. “Isn’t easier to date males than females? They’re so much more chill and less dramatic.”

Hoya smiled. “You have a point.”

Dongwoo laughed as he wiped a window clean. “I know I do – that’s why I’m a genius.”

…

“You really don’t get it, huh?” Myungsoo sighed as he stared at Sungyeol’s dumbstruck face. “I like you. Remember the first note in your locker?”

“That was you?” he gasped.

Almost sheepishly, Myungsoo nodded. “Yeah, that was me. But, it wasn’t me who wrote it.”

Sungyeol scrunched his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Remember that note I put into IU’s locker?”

“Yeah, that one where you confessed some of your feelings, right?”

He shook his head. “Wrong. I didn’t confess to her.

Myungsoo furrowed his eyebrows as he pondered what to write down. Uncomfortable under Sungyeol’s heavy gaze, he bit the inside of his cheeks before scrawling down something on his scrap of paper.

‘Yah, Ji-Eun. Remember what I said about liking your friend, Sungyeol?  You know his locker combo, right? Leave something in there for me. Uh… yeah.

• Myung <3

P.S. – Love you, cousin, dearest :3

After running to IU’s locker and slipping the note in, the duo waited patiently behind a convenient janitor’s cart. Myungsoo watched as IU found the note and opened it, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Their eyes met for a split second before she and Hyosung traveled back down the hall.

Later, when Sungyeol found the note and it’s simple ‘I Like You’ in obvious female handwriting, Myungsoo kept a straight face but on the inside, he was smiling all over and felt his stomach flutter.

‘Good job, Ji-Eunnie.’

“And remember that note from your locker with the soup?”

“Was that you, too?”

Myungsoo shook his head. “It wasn’t me – well, it was my intention, but I didn’t write it.”

“Was it IU again?”

“Actually, apparently it was Woohyun this time around. Remember when you went home sick? Well, I saw Sunggyu instead of you for my love life and I told him everything.”

Sungyeol blinked. “What do you mean by ‘everything’?” he asked.

 “I told him about how I actually liked you and not IU. Sunggyu obviously told Woohyun and he asked IU if he could write a note just once. He made the note super greasy and the soup wasn’t even that good, but it ended up working to my advantage.”

Sungyeol shook his head rapidly. “Do you mean to say that this whole time… my secret admirer was you?”

“Actually, most of those notes were from Hoya,” he said. “I only sent you a few in the beginning, but then we started getting closer, so I thought I could stop.”

He paused for a second and stared at his feet before looking back up. “Is there… anything else that you’ve done?” he asked.

“…Remember that day off when we were cleaning your office and there was coffee on the desk?”

“That was you too?”

Myungsoo nodded. “You don’t understand how long I’ve planned this. I know it just seems like some elaborate trap, but I really do like you, Sungyeol. Even more so now that I’ve met you and hung out with you.”

“Then… what about IU? How did Ji-Eun get involved in all of this?”

“She’s actually my cousin. Well, more like Jessica’s cousin, but that makes her my step-cousin, right?”

Sungyeol shrugged. “Something like that.”

“She knows I like you, Yeol,” he explained. “She was the first person I told, since you two are pretty close, after all.”

Sungyeol nodded apprehensively then the thought struck him. “What about in Jeju Island?!” he exclaimed. “That time you ditched the group and secretly went shopping with her!”

Myungsoo eyes widened. “You saw that?!”

Sungyeol scratched the back of his head. “Well, I saw it on accident, but I did see it.”

“Oh… well, that’s alright, I suppose. I was just taking her out as a thank you for everything she had done for me. I owed her quite a bit, so I decided to make it up to her then.”

“So, all of those times you were talking with her and what I thought was flirting… You two were just trying to figure out a way to–”

“–get you to like me?” Myungsoo finished. “Yes. She and I have been talking this whole time. I’ve known her from the beginning.”

“So, you never liked IU?”

“Never,” he responded, his smoldering eyes boring into Sungyeol’s. “But I really like you, Sungyeol. A lot.”

“…since when?” he questioned.

“To be honest, I don’t remember. I just remember thinking you were really nice, and attractive. And when we got put into the same homeroom, my heart did a breakdance,” he admitted, flushing red.

Though still overwhelmed, Sungyeol smiled softly. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flustered before.”

“You haven’t seen a lot of sides of me, Yeol,” he chuckled.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not kidding me, huh?”

Myungsoo stared at his shoes and shook his head. “No. I really like you. And… I don’t know, I just really like you.”

Sungyeol ruffled his hair softly. “Myung, you’re really cute when you’re shy, you know that?”

Myungsoo glared as he looked up at him. “I’m not cute, remember?”

Sungyeol only gave him a sideways smile before taking a deep breath. “Myungsoo, I’m really flattered that you like me, but I just don’t think I’m ready to accept your feelings.” Myungsoo shot his head up and stared at Sungyeol’s sorrowful eyes. “With Hoya’s recent confession, and being confused as to where my heart stands at the moment, I don’t think I’m ready to be in a relationship.”

“Sungyeol, I–”

“I’m sorry, Myungsoo. I don’t think I can accept your feelings.”

Myungsoo blinked for a second and looked him back in the eyes. “That’s okay.”

Surprised, Sungyeol said, “What? You’re okay with me not accepting your emotions you’ve kept in for so long? I know I’m probably not in the position to say this, but if I were you, I think I’d be kind of angry.”

“Well, I’m not completely ecstatic about it but it’s not something I’m going to commit suicide over.”

“So… we’re still good friends, right?”

He paused. “If you consider us in that kind of relationship,” he replied.

“Uh, what’s that supposed to mea–” Sungyeol was cut off as Myungsoo reached forward and pecked him on the lips. He pulled back with a kitten-like smirk as Sungyeol gasped and turned a hot red. “Y-Yah, Kim Myungsoo!” he exclaimed, covering his lips. “What was that?!”

“That,” Myungsoo answered, taking Sungyeol’s chin in his fingers, “is my new plan.”

“Wha-wha-what?” he stammered, still shell-shocked.

“Lee Sungyeol,” he said, “you may not accept my heart now, but you will in due time.”

“I don’t–”

“From this day forward, I will kiss you everyday until you return my feelings.” He paused. “Or at least until I get over you. Sound good?”

“What?! You’re going to kiss me everyday?!” Sungyeol screamed, still cherry red and flustered.

Myungsoo nodded. “I might mix things up a bit from time to time, but more or less.”

“Myungsoo, you–” He was cut off as Myungsoo pressed his lips to his again. Sungyeol let out a high pitched squeak and jumped back into his locker, banging the back of his head. He rubbed the sore spot as Myungsoo chuckled.

“You’re so stupid, sometimes I wonder how I fell for you,” he smirked.

With that, he turned around and started his way down the hall without turning back.

“Yah, Kim Myungsoo!” Sungyeol shouted after him. “You can just kiss me and leave me here like this! Yah!” But by then, Myungsoo had turned the corner, and Sungyeol was left alone. “Aish, that jerk!” he yelled, kicking his locker.

He pouted and inhaled deeply through his nostrils. Grazing his lips with his hand, he huffed and slumped against his locker. How was he supposed to feel about this? Sighing deeply, he ran his hand through his hair. What was he supposed to do? He had just rejected Hoya – someone whom he thought he really liked – and then Myungsoo confessed to him.

Shaking he head, he let out a frustrated grunt and hit his locker again.

“Sungyeol?”

He looked up to see Dongwoo walking down the hall, his hands looking grimy and wet. “Ah, Dongwoo-hyung.”

“What are you doing here so late after school?” he asked. “Shouldn’t the Love Hospital have closed a while ago?”

Sungyeol sighed and stared at his shoes. “There were some personal things I had to do,” he explained. “Why are you here so late?”

Dongwoo grinned. “Detention for falling asleep in class,” he smiled.

Sungyeol broke out into a smile. “None other than Jang Dongwoo,” he laughed.

Dongwoo bent down and crouched next to him. “You don’t look so good,” he said worriedly, taking Sungyeol’s face into his hands. “Are you alright?”

“Dongwoo,” a voice from down the hall called, “I got the wet wipes!” Hoya turned the corner and raised his eyebrows at the sight of Dongwoo and Sungyeol. “Oh, Sungyeol,” he said, smiling casually. “What’s up?” He tossed Dongwoo a wet wipe and they cleaned their hands.

“I don’t think he looks too good,” Dongwoo told him as he stared at Sungyeol’s face. He placed his hand on his forehead. “Yeol, are you sick?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Sungyeol smiled and shook his head. “No, I’m not sick. I guess… I guess I’m not feeling my best today.”

Hoya grinned and said, “Well, Dongwoo and I were going to go get some coffee~”

Dongwoo smiled. “Do you want to come with us~? Coffee’s on us~!” he sang.

Sungyeol smiled. “Well, if you insist.”

With the help of their hands, Sungyeol stood up and walked with them down the hall. With one last glance over his shoulder, he couldn’t help but wonder how Myungsoo felt right now.