all the pretty girls by fun.

!  woohyun-centric. mild ual references, but nothing much … i guess… orz

What's a boy to do when all the pretty girls can't measure to you?

“When are you taking your stuff?” Woohyun asks, looking at Sunggyu––anywhere but in the eyes. The older male doesn't answer. Instead, he takes a sip from his coffee and looks through the window. "When are you leaving?"

They’re at Myungsoo’s café, enjoying their normal routine of eating the breakfast that their––or now it’s only Sunggyu’s? Woohyun is not sure anymore––friend gives them a discount for. The morning is not cold enough to have the heating on, but cool enough to have a light sweater. Woohyun looks around the place while Sunggyu takes his time the answer. They are the only couple (but maybe 'couple' is not the right term. The only two people?) sitting on the tables.

“I don’t know, on Friday, maybe? I see about it later I guess,” Sunggyu finishes his drink and stands up, taking out his wallet in the process. “And don’t worry," (Woohyun flinches at the sarcasm and hostility hidden under his calm voice) "I’ll be gone by the end of the week.”

Sunggyu's overall expression is strained, his eyes, weary. For a second, it looks like the age difference between them isn't two years but twenty. He tosses a couple of bills on the table and grabs his jacket. Woohyun sees him leave and don’t look back even once.

It's not like Woohyun will stress over Sunggyu's departure. He can do well without the other. happens; losing a roommate is not as bad as it sounds. Roommates aren't supposed to be that close. They weren't close enough to be called best friends, simply acquaintances that happened to share rent. Yeah, Sunggyu leaving doesn't affect him that much.

He decides to go clubbing with Dongwoo and Hoya, not because he wants to drown himself in alcohol and forget about everything like in a cheesy TV show––No; why would he? He simply wants to go and have a good time with his friends. And maybe hook up with a pretty girl from their favorite club.

“Come on, you’re too stiff,” Dongwoo nudges him and laughs that obnoxious laughter of his. Next to him, Howon appears, dressed up in those cool dancer outfits that are so popular on the streets these days, and hands him a drink with pretty colors Woohyun doesn’t bother to ask what are its contents.

“Yeah, what’s gotten into you? By this time you’re usually on your fifth shot and––hang on, sweetie,” he says to a girl who comes and asks him to dance with him, “and trying to get between every possible girl’s legs.”

Woohyun snorts, taking whatever Howon gives him, and sees him flirting with a pretty girl that reminds him of Sunggyu in an overwhelming way. Dongwoo laughs (Again. He never fails to laugh at anything that sounds remotely funny) but agrees, nudging him. Again.

He sees them and thinks of how they would never understand if he told them. But thinking about it, scratch that. Why wouldn't they understand? There's nothing to understand.

“It’s nothing much. My roommate is moving and now I don’t have someone who share the rent with.” He shrugs, downplaying the matter. Hey, it’s not a complete lie, but not a complete truth either.

“That’s all? It shouldn’t be a problem,” Dongwoo says when Hoya ditches them to go dance with the girl. “Sungyeol’s cousin––Sungjong I think that was his name––is looking for a place now that he entered College. You could ask him.”

Woohyun thinks about Dongwoo’s suggestion. He met the boy a couple of months ago. Quite extravagant, but not a bad person. He could make a good roommate. But that boy might be as picky as his classmate Kibum. And he looked like he's the nosy type of person. He doesn't want nosy people around his life (He has enough already, thank you very much). And the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes he doesn’t want another roommate. He wants Sunggyu to stay, and he’s pretty sure that Sunggyu wants to stay too.

But then, why is he leaving?

He gulps the colorful drink it’s been waiting in his hand and hums. It feels like acid burning through his throat, but Woohyun feels better (just a little). Well, he is leaving. If that's what he wants fine; Woohyun is cool with that. People come and go, why should it be different with Sunggyu?

Dongwoo is still looking at him, and his usually bright and cheerful eyes are showing an unusual seriousness that makes Woohyun feel uneasy. He flashes him a smile that he hopes looks reassuring. If Sunggyu is moving out (moving on), so can him. It's not like he won't be able to find another roommate. They weren't really friends, to begin with.

Woohyun grimaces. He's doing it again, isn't he? Repeating himself.

Dongwoo is giving up with making him talk, masking his gaze under ignorant happiness, when he sees a girl batting her eyelids at him. She's pretty, almost as pretty as the girl Hoya is dancing with, and has a nice body, wreathed in a tight red dress. Has Woohyun mentioned he likes red? Especially if it's as red as that dress and comes with a nice pair of legs and s. Woohyun decides to give a try and asks her to dance. She agrees, excited. Maybe she's already a bit tipsy, huh, whatever, so is he.

Dongwoo's eyes squint, skeptic look hidden under his cheerful façade. If he suspects something, he doesn't tell. Either way, Woohyun can't care less. He feels better when he forgets Sunggyu and starts dancing with the girl.

(He does he does he does. And he wishes Sunggyu could see that he can have a good time without him.

Of course he can; why wouldn't he?)

Maybe he drank too much of that thing Howon gave him, because Woohyun is sure he doesn’t remember how he got to the point he is now. And why. Most importantly why.

He’s hovering over the girl he was dancing with before––he assumes––both , on a funny-smelling and old bed, on one of those dirty rooms the owners of the bar rent for those in need (Jungryul's words, not his). Woohyun doesn't know if he should be proud or not to say he's been here quite often. But back to the point, the girl under him squirms and moans, and he’s pretty sure she’s drunker than him––and that says a lot. The worst part of it is that he hasn’t even touched her yet.

She pulls him by the neck and their lips are now centimeters apart, before she whines "oppa" and kisses him. Her lips are bitter and wet, her breath still reeking of alcohol. They look completely the opposite of Sunggyu’s eternally dry lips. The girl bites his lower lip sensually, opening her big eyes and muffling another whine when Woohyun's hand travels from her neck to her stomach. Her eyes are also different from Sunggyu’s. They’re a Vandyke shade of brown, dilated pupils from the alcohol and agitation.

For a moment, Woohyun wonders how would Sunggyu’s eyes look if he were the one on this situation.

She parts her legs, hands now roaming through Woohyun’s chest and abs. Woohyun isn’t paying much attention, but he doesn’t miss the frustrated sound that comes from because of the lack of response from him. He suddenly feels confused––read as freaked out––of what is he doing (of who is he thinking about).

His vision becomes cloudy, and instead of her, he sees Sunggyu under him, with that lost and desperate look. Woohyun can make his figure, not as slender and sure not as pretty as the girl’s. His shoulders may be too broad, his legs too thick and heavy, but they might perfect for him to grab anyway. And he can even make the recently dyed chestnut hair, stuck to his forehead at awkward angles on the dim lights instead of the girl's wild long locks. Woohyun is sure he’s seeing him, panting and biting his dry lips with the same sensual sound the girl is making, and he swears it's Sunggyu's hand the one placed on him. It's then when something snaps in him.

Just for the record, the girl falls asleep, maybe because of his lack of response, or maybe because she's too drunk. Literally.

Woohyun ends up frustrated, still somewhat drunk, and with the most awkward he's had on his life. He tries to shake the girl because god damn it woman, help me keep being straight, but she simply buries her cheek further on the pillow. Three (possibly five) minutes later, Woohyun can hear her snoring.

Woohyun he stands up and staggers to the bathroom, closes the door and, as if feeling a sense of protection thanks to the dirty white door, finishes up. (He's not proud to say that maybe, just maybe, he thinks of Sunggyu with his half-lidded eyes sitting on his lap and giggling while he does so.)

When he comes back to the room, sobriety and guilt making his head hurt, he pulls the neglected blanked from the floor and over the sleeping girl. There must be something wrong, he thinks as he puts back on his underwear. Then, he realizes those are Sunggyu's boxers.

Well, .

Woohyun is lost after that incident with the girl whose name he didn't bother to learn (Whatever, is not like she's going to remember him either) so he resorts to his childhood disgrace and sometimes useful friend, Sungyeol. They're at Myungsoo's cafe because apparently all of them like to with his mind and interconnect their lives. Sungyeol asks for an Americano, which Myungsoo promises is 'on the house.' This er, now he doesn't even get a discount.

"And?" Sungyeol replies after Woohyun finishes telling him the story of his and Sunggyu's separation. He's unimpressed, almost rising one eyebrow.

"And?" Woohyun repeats, exasperated. He just finished telling him everything; his answer should be different. "I don't know. I'm asking for your advice."

Oh, how much do those words hurt.

"Nam Woohyun asking for advice?" Sungyeol asks and then Myungsoo comes to serve him their orders, he whistles.

"That's something new."

"Let me get this straight." Sungyeol puts the cup after drinking (how is this human able to drink half a cup of hot coffee without batting an eyelash is still a mystery for Woohyun) on the table with a solemn face. "Sunggyu is leaving you––"

"Not me! Our apartment!"

"––because he got drunk once and kissed you. And then you punched him." Sungyeol sighs. "No wonder. I would leave you too."

"I've punched you before, and you're still here."

"I don't see how that makes a point." Sungyeol sips more of his coffee. "And just for the record, I haven't kissed you. Nor have I gotten drunk."

"You're lying. Remember that time when we––"

"Enough." Sungyeol's voice becomes oddly businesslike. "We're getting sidetracked."

The worst part of this is that Sungyeol's summary isn't exactly accurate. Okay, the part about Sunggyu getting drunk and kissing Woohyun against his will (more or less) is true. But that's not it. He doesn't want to tell Sungyeol––his pride is getting in the way––but there might be the possibility of him being the own culprit of Sunggyu's departure.

Whatever, it's not like Sunggyu is a martyr.

"Well, since you're no help, and Myungsoo is giving you free stuff," Woohyun says, standing up, "I'll be going. See you later."

"And where are you going to go, to your apartment? And then what? There'll be nobody waiting for you anyway." Sungyeol, that er. Hitting where it hurts.

Woohyun gives him the bird and leaves.

Turns out that Sungyeol is wrong (that's not something new. It makes him ask himself why does he bother with the guy at all). Sunggyu is there when he opens the door of his soon-to-be lonely apartment.

He's sitting on the floor, in front of the lowest bookshelf, legs crossed and cardboard boxes around him. His hair is messed up, sticking out in every possible direction. It almost looks adorable, but then Woohyun has a flashback of the same messy hair when Sunggyu kissed that night and woah––a 'hairstyle' shouldn't have this effect on him.

Sunggyu turns to face him, but he turns back when their eyes meet. He's tense, Woohyun notices. It's so obvious even though there's a whole room separating them.

"There's food on the kitchen," Sunggyu says, trying to appear indifferent. It's soft, and Woohyun has to pause for a moment to wonder if it was his imagination or if he said it in reality. These days they barely talk to each other, so it comes as strange.

Woohyun takes off his shoes, humming in ackowledgement. The atmosphere is so calm, despite the sound of the books and albums Sunggyu is packing, that it feels wrong to break it. He makes his way through the boxes and books and magazines and whatnot (Sunggyu might be doing it on purpose. He knows Woohyun despises disorder) and sits on an empty space he finds, close to a box with a 'CDs' label.

Watching Sunggyu furrow his eyebrows in concentration and running his pretty fingers around the cover of his books feels oddly frustrating. Like when you know you have something to do and yet push it to the back of your mind until the last minute and start panicking. Like he wants to take Sunggyu's hand into his and put them away from the useless stuff he's packing and embrace him and soothe him and and––

Look. He's not even making sense now. He seriously has to quit watching those TV dramas.

Shaking his thoughts out of his head, he focuses on Sunggyu's actions instead, rather than what they represent. He's packing some that Woohyun has given him as a present––Christmas. Birthday. Just because he didn't know what could be more interesting for Sunggyu than books. His shoulders are still straightened; tense. Woohyun feels like he should say something (Like, "I'm sorry for the punch (Again)," or "I'm seriously starting to question my uality because of that kiss you gave me," or "I pictured you while I was trying to have with a girl") but then he decides that no, that will make things more awkward. And Sunggyu is going anyway.

Without a word, Woohyun stands up, eyeing the way Sunggyu's shoulders and lips twitch at the sound. He surveys the living room for the last time, and decides to go depress himself on his room. (And, since he's at it, question his uality a bit more, and live in denial some more time.) Him, just as Sunggyu did that day he pretended he didn't care about leaving, doesn't look back when he makes his dramatic exit.

(Too bad he misses the tired sigh from Sunggyu and the longing stare.)

"Why does it sound like you're trying too hard to fit the 'good guy' in your story?" Dongwoo asks. Unlike Sungyeol, he can raise one eyebrow.

Woohyun leans over the counter with an overpained expression adorning his features. The music store where Dongwoo works is not overcrowded that day (even though Woohyun is here, why isn't crowded?), so they have time to chat.

"Because––" Woohyun starts, but then realizes he doesn't have a way to retort, so he tries to change the subject. "Are you going to be like Sungyeol? I need to find better friends."

"If I were Sungyeol, I'd tell you that you need to find a brain instead," Dongwoo laughs at his own joke. "But I'm not that rude."

You are, Woohyun thinks. Instead, he says: "See? You're not helping either."

His friend shakes his head, grabbing a rag lying close to them. He starts cleaning the counter, making circles. "Listen, Woohyun. You need to be more specific than 'Person A made a mistake and now is leaving person B, but B doesn't want A to go, even though that mistake confused him.' " He makes air quotes, this time raising both eyebrows.

"I didn't say 'that mistake confused him.' I said: 'that mistake confused person B,'" he says, folding his arms in front of his chest. "And I think that's good enough."

"You want to know what I think?" Dongwoo asks. Then, there's a pause, and Woohyun understands it's not a rhetoric question. This guy, making him do unnecessary movements (like nodding).

"Yes, Dongwoo. I want to know what you think," Woohyun says with a monotone voice.

"You sound like you're blaming anyone but you for whatever it's happening, and being childish. And selfish. And also an with your friends who are trying to knock some sense into you." There's another pause. Woohyun stares at him, startled. He's never heard Dongwoo talk like an older person. As a hyung. "Huh, that was too harsh, wasn't it?"

Wow. What a way to demoralize a person with two-three sentences.

Woohyun nods––slightly, because he himself is not sure. He's trying to digest the words, bitterness stuck on his throat. Dongwoo's rant was even harder than any he's ever heard––from anyone, including Sungyeol. Not because of the length (heck, he remembers his parents lecturing him for more than an hour. But nope, not feeling at all) but because the words are like Sungyeol's; hitting where it hurts.

When he finds his voice, Woohyun retaliates. "Well it's not like it's easy. What are you expecting me to do? Why does it look like everybody is against me and I'm the only bad guy?"

"Nobody is telling you that."

"You're all doing!"

"Who exactly do you mean by all?"

"Sungyeol, Myungsoo––that guy can't even see me now––you, the girl from the other night. , why is everybody tauting me? Especially Sunggyu. Hell I want to go back when everything was fine and I Sunggyu didn't try to kiss me and my friends were my friends and I was a perfect, happy straight guy––" Woohyun pauses his verbal vomit, widening his eyes and covering his mouth, panicked. Dongwoo looks at him surprised, and he realizes his mistake. "." He hits his head on the counter, hoping this situation will disappear (or magically fix itself) if he hits his head hard enough to get knocked out.

Maybe doing it more than once will do.

"Were straight," Dongwoo repeats. Now it sounds ten thousand times worse. Then, Dongwoo hits his forehead, looking like he did the discovery of the century. "Right. How come I didn't realize it sooner? That's why you were so weird the other day at the club. 'Were straight.' Now I get it." Woohyun sends him a warning look––that seems more like a desperate one––but Dongwoo keeps going. "Ah. So then this is all about your roommate and you!"

When he's is about to say something to defend himself (what can he do anyway?), the entrance bell chirps. Dongwoo, who has been acting all serious while talking with Woohyun, goes back to his happy-go-lucky self. He sends Woohyun a quick glance, muttering something similar to you have a lot to explain, and I'll come back in a second. Then, he straightens up, and flashes one of those blinding, product-selling smile to the customer.

He sighs, defeated. While he waits, he sees a girl walking down the street through the windows of the store. At first glance, she's pretty, small, and long-haired. Her smile is cute and she has a nice body, but Woohyun feels like there's something lacking. Her eyes are too round, and she's too thin, now that he looks closely. She also has a bratty air around her, and her fashion sense is too good for him. There should be a balance, like some kind of mess mildly contained. Her hair is one shade too brown for his liking, and maybe, just maybe, her s are too big.

Woohyun shakes his head, frustrated with himself. He's doing that again; comparing her to Sunggyu. This, this––whatever this is happening to him––is getting worse.

What's there to explain? Woohyun thinks, there's nothing to explain. It's just that it's been a week since Sunggyu, his now former roommate, left the(ir) apartment.

Woohyun shouldn't bother to explain that Sunggyu moved to his apartment six months ago. Why should he bother to explain that Sunggyu was looking for a place to rent, and Woohyun, looking for a roommate to share the rent with? Or that Howon and Dongwoo were out of question since they already had each other (when haven't they?), Sungyeol stayed at the dorms of his College, and the prospects he interviewed were, for the lack of a better word, weird?

That's irrelevant information. Just as irrelevant as how he thought Sunggyu was different. Sunggyu was––not because he's not anymore, but because we're talking about the past––messy and relaxed, but also conscientious and a tad perfectionist. Sunggyu came and settled on the back room, working on whatever he was doing, and occasionally leaving to do the laundry downstairs, to later go back again. Please, the fact that he couldn't even cook to save his life and Woohyun was the one to make lunch and dinner (and sometimes even breakfast, when they didn't go to Myungsoo's) isn't even worth a mention.

And not to mention that he started nagging once he made himself comfortable. Or how he started intelligent conversations next to a hot cup of coffee (the only thing he could make without hurting himself, and even that wasn't so successful once in a while) and a review prepared to be published about Coelho. Woohyun is pretty sure he doesn't have to tell Dongwoo that, even if he pretended not to notice, Sunggyu's words sometimes seemed to linger, or how his hands were pretty––no, no. Wait, just–No. Not pretty––like a musician's instead of a book reviewer's. It's just that, there's no reason for him to know that.

Maybe the only mildly relevant information (and by that Woohyun means the most embarrassing one) is how they got to the situation that caused this whole conflict. But how can he tell Dongwoo about them, about how they decided that a couple of drinks wouldn't do bad after tons of popcorn and action movies. Or how it sort of went out of his control and, in less than a second, Sunggyu passed to be just the man with whom he shared the rent to the man sitting on his lap with whom he shared a kiss? And a wet one, for that matter. That is most likely to be awkwardly painful to tell.

This is the reason Woohyun doesn't ask for help. Too ing complicated.

So he decides that no, Dongwoo won't help him. And neither will Hoya, for that matter. Woohyun will have to tell them everything, and that's not something he wants to do. Either way, they will react like Sungyeol. And that's not help.

He leaves Dongwoo's music store while he's still busy with the customer. He motions a phone call when he's at the door, and Dongwoo sends him a panicked grimace. But it's too late; Woohyun is already gone.

Nope. He won't tell how after the kiss he was scared enough to punch Sunggyu––rather weakly; he wasn't sober enough to use all his strength––and run (read stagger) to the bathroom, to later realize he was half-hard.

As he said, there's nothing to explain.
 

Woohyun thinks he's desperate enough to resort to his last source. He'll go to the only man who he doesn't have to tell everything, and who will probably be the only one who will give him the best advice, even if Woohyun himself doesn't want to admit he wants some advice. Yes, he'll resort to his last friend (kind of), Kim Sunggyu.

(And he will ignore that the man himself is the cause of his despair.)

He goes to Myungsoo's café because well, he doesn't have Sunggyu's new address, and the young owner is most likely to know where is he staying now. Unfortunately for him, it's that time of the day when young ladies––pretty young ladies that Woohyun wants, he really wants to feel attracted to––go to the café to stare dreamily at the owner and sometimes the customers (reads Woohyun), giggling and mumbling something. So he has to queue behind a long line talk to him.

Fourty-five minutes later, Myungsoo's polite smile receives him from behind the counter. But then, he realizes who is in front of him, and his smile disappears.

"How can I help you," he forces, looking at the screen in front of him. His tone is so forced Woohyun feels the impulse of hitting him. But no; he has to be nice. This man is his key to find Sunggyu and … do whatever he has to do with him.

"Giving me Sunggyu's new address." Myungsoo looks up again, mildly surprised, but looks back down to the screen again, clicking tapping random places.

"I'm sorry, we don't serve that. Anything else?"

"Myungsoo." That surprisingly comes out as whiny and not Woohyun-like. Ew. What's he turning into? "You have to help me."

"Anything else?" he flashes him a smile that looks more warning than polite. "Next, please."

"No!" Woohyun turns to the girl––another pretty girl with big innocent eyes, god damn it, stop being attractive but not attractive enough, okay?––"I'm sorry, this won't take long."

"No, it won't," Myungsoo agrees. "Next, please?"

"Myungsoo, L-goon, L-sama. What do you want from me?" he resorts to his last weapon: begging. Whatever; he's been struggling with this for what, two-three weeks? his pride, which is what gives him problems. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't know, what can you do for me? For Sunggyu-hyung. For yourself," he stresses the last word. Thank you, Myungsoo. As if I need more internal conflicts.

"I'll let you borrow my apartment and get Sungyeol for you." Yes, Sungyeol might be useful for once. "Tied and blindfolded, only for you. And with cat ears! Yes, you like cat-ears, don't you?"

There's a gasp behind him (probably the girl's) and some whispers. Myungsoo, unable to stand it anymore, collapses on the counter. "Shut up. God, I'll give you the address. Just––go away. And don't ever think to come back." Woohyun smiles, knowing he's won.

When they exchange addresses (Myungsoo partly unwilling to) he doesn't stop bowing and thanking him. The part of 'Sungyeol tied and blindfolded' might be left out of the deal since there's no way he can tie Sungyeol, but still, Woohyun texts him. On his text, he says that he has an emergency at home and that Sungyeol should come. He also doesn't forget to mention the cat ears.

Now, to Sunggyu's place.

To be honest, Woohyun didn't consider what to do after getting the address from Myungsoo. He knows Sunggyu might be the only one able to help him, but still. How should he start? Should he say the same thing that crossed his mind when Sunggyu was packing? What would be better? The 'questioning my uality' part, or the 'I was thinking of you while I was at it'?

No. Scratch that. That's an awful way of confessing requesting for advice.

Woohyun is in front of Sunggyu's new apartment still struggling with his oh-so-dramatic internal conflict, when the door opens and Sunggyu comes out. The man's expression is so priceless that Woohyun would laugh––or take a picture––if he weren't busy being startled himself. He stares a Woohyun, trying to process the situation.

And then he shuts the door closed back.

Okay, Woohyun has to admit this wasn't on his plans.

"Wow, Sunggyu," he says with a loud voice, knowing the other male is listening. "Very mature of you."

"What are you doing here?" Sunggyu's voice comes out somewhat muffled through the door, but is still loud. "I thought I was done with you."

"So did I! But," Woohyun pauses, looking around. The hallway is empty, but if they start arguing through a door, the neighbors may come out to see what's happening. He lowers his voice. "Can you open the door? That'd be more civilized." Not to mention that he would look less like a psycho yelling to a door.

There's a pause and Woohyun is sure, he is sure, Sunggyu sighs. Then, the older male opens the door and lets him in.  The apartment is smaller than Woohyun's, and it's, for the lack of a better word, a mess. There are cardboard boxes here and there, and the entrance is full of shoes. Not to mention that the couch on the living room is covered by clothes and blankets. Woohyun cringes, feeling the urge of start cleaning.

"What do you want?" Sunggyu says, leaning on the closed door.

"I––" Woohyun pauses. Great. Now what? His eyes flicker to Sunggyu's face and realizes something. "Is your, is your cheek okay?"

"Don't tell me you came just for that." Woohyun says nothing, still waiting for an answer. "Yes, it's fine. Can you go now?"

"What's you problem with me coming?" His hostility is somewhat hurtful (but Woohyun won't admit that), so he retaliates. "Was I really that much of an ?" He makes his way through the mess, looking for a kitchen. He feels like drinking something to calm himself. Sunggyu doesn't answer (I'll take that for a yes, he supposes), but follows him.

"It's not a problem, I guess," he says when they reach the kitchen. At least the place looks decent enough. "It's just awkward. Do you want something? I have… stuff."

"Water, please." Woohyun sits on one of the clean chairs. "So then you're not mad at me anymore?"

"No, I don't think I am," Sunggyu says, placing a glass of water in front of him. "I'm sorry about closing the door on your face."

"It's fine," Woohyun reassures. "I would've done the same."

"Yeah, I guess."

The room is surrounded by silence after that. Woohyun, still keeping his internal conflict, hears the faint sound of the afternoon dying; of the city moving under them. Sunggyu is quiet, staring at the table, and playing with the hem of his shirt. Once again, he looks tense.

"Did I come in a bad moment?" Woohyun decides to break the silence. "You looked like you were going out."

"Not really," Sunggyu replies, shaking his head. The fingers playing with the shirt stay still for a moment, then start moving again. "I was going to, you know, go looking for an apartment."

"An apartment?"

"Yeah, I can't stay with here with Myungsoo too long. It's not nice to invade his living room." Oh, so this is Myungsoo's home. He almost feels sorry for Yeol. Key word almost. He's still mad at his friend.

"That was actually what I wanted to talk about." Woohyun smiles sheepishly. Him, smiling sheepishly. What's the world's turned to? "Why don't you go back to our apartment?"

Sunggyu sighs. "I knew that's what you wanted to say. Why should I go back? I don't want to make things any more awkward."

"Things aren't awkward."

"Look at us now."

Woohyun stares at him and realizes that yeah, point proved. "Okay, they are," he admits. "But I still want you to come back."

"Why?"

Why? Why? Why? Woohyun questions himself the same. "Because," he starts. He might as well give a shot. "For starters, the apartment is cleaner."

"Is that the only reason?" Sunggyu takes a step closer and Woohyun feels somewhat cornered. Like he's about to confront something he doesn't want to.

"Yes," Woohyun says. "I mean no. No. Well it kind of worries me that you live in this kind of place. But that's not it."

"Isn't it?" Sunggyu takes another step closer. And if Woohyun weren't so focused in trying to connect his brain with his mouth, he would notice the uneasiness from the older man. "Then what else?"

Well, here we go.

"I'm not sure myself, actually. I know we both sort of ed things up that night, but I'm not as freaked out as I should be." Wow, that is actually easier to say than he thought. "Listen, at first I didn't think I would be bothered by your departure, but then you started getting serious about it, and then I tried to forget about the whole thing and I after I went to the club I found this girl and––" he stops. Maybe telling him about that disastrous night with the girl isn't the best. "Never mind, that's not important. The thing is that now I see other people––other girls––and I don't know. They're just that. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you understand the implications?" He finishes his word-vomit, hoping Sunggyu does.

Woohyun starts mentally counting the time. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Why doesn't he say anything? Eight. Ni––

"I do," Sunggyu says, and Woohyun releases a breath he doesn't know he was holding. Those words have more effect on him that he would like to. "How could I not? I'm not stupid. You're saying that––"

"Yes, yes!" Woohyun interrupts him before he can continue. "But you have to be patient with me." He feels like punching a wall because ugh––damn pride getting in the way. But he contains himself, knowing this will probably make him more good than harm. "This is new."

"Then," Sunggyu his lips, and Woohyun shouldn't be so concentrated in that movement, "you're lucky that I haven't finished unpacking my stuff."

He flashes a smile––coy, but just as bright as the ones he shows when he finishes a review or wins a discussion––and Woohyun wonders if this whole situation is truly the result of their drunken antics, or if it's something small that's been growing since he got to meet this interesting character called Kim Sunggyu. He's not supposed to be so whipped, but whatever; he gives up.

Girls? Who needs one if he has Sunggyu for himself?

why does it look like i prefer to write on woohyun's perspective? it feels like an excuse to describe sunggyu through woohyun's biased eyes. i promise the second next (that will be what? 'chapter 4'?) will be from gyu's perspective.

also, i want to start making blog posts instead of putting long author notes. i guess that'll be better than spaming this section.

read more random musings about this one-shot here~

thank you for reading!