4| That's not even my name

“What do you mean by that? The popular introvert-bipolar-prince?” Heechul’s voice resounded through the other line.

“You know that hyung. He’s actually the prince of the whole campus. Everyone’s oh-so crazy about him. But.. his attitude.. uhmm.. the total opposite of how he is here at home. Nobody dares to go near him, and he actually hasn’t even talked to at least one of those who approach him, not even look at them.” Ryeowook answered, drying his hair after taking a bath.

“That snob brat. Make sure you do something about that Wookie.” He commanded.

“I’ll try my best, hyung… I miss you.” Ryeowook whispered the last phrase.

“I miss you too my baby..” Heechul’s voice is with obvious tears as he cleared his throat, making Ryeowook tear up too. They shared a minute of just silently sobbing and sniffing until Heechul spoke again.

“I think I need a vacation…” He said, and Ryeowook’s eyes grew wide.

“Hyung… I know what you’re thinking.. but.. please don’t do unnecessary things..” That’s what he says, but actually at the back of his mind, he wished that his hyung would be the hard-headed person he always were and stick to his own decision.

“Why are you like that? Don’t you want to see me?” Heechul’s annoyed voice saddened Ryeowook.

“No hyung.. it’s not that.. but I know there are more important things you need to do than just stay here in this deserted island..”

“Important? You know what’s important? That YOU, stay with me only and not with just some SUBSTITUTE MOMMY.” There. He hang up. And Ryeowook swore he heard Sungmin’s name before the line got cut.

“That bipolar…” He cursed under his breath. Kyuhyun doesn’t know how it is when Heechul gets jealous. Why does he need to tell him about Sungmin being a substitute mother?

Ryeowook tried to contact Heechul, but failed to do so. He tried a lot of times but nothing happened. Then when he’s ready to give up his phone rang, and he immediately picked it up.

“Hyung! I’m sorry! It’s not Sungmin hyung’s fault.. I’m so—“ He stopped when he heard a low voice from the other line.

“Calm down Wookie.. It’s me, Siwon.”

“Oh.. sorry hyung..” He blushed and sank from embarrassment.

“I just called to ask you something.. and yeah. Tell me.” The older demanded.

“Hyung said he needs a vacation.”

“Then?”

“He said I need to be with him only…”

“Why?”

“Because Kyuhyun that little bastard told him that I got a substitute mommy.”

“And the stupid got jealous he’s now done packing his belongings, ready to fly.” Siwon ended the story with a loud chuckle. If not for the laughing fit, Ryeowook would think that the other is angry.

“Hyung.. is that alright?”

“Of course. I’m already tired of him pestering me all day. Keep him ‘till you get sick of him.”

“Oh. Thank you hyung! I miss you!”

“I miss you too. You should sleep now. School’s early tomorrow. Take care, and don’t catch a cold. Goodnight.”

“You too, don’t skip meals okay? Goodnight hyung.”

Ryeowook placed his phone under his pillow, and before turning the lights off, he made a mental note to treat Kyuhyun ‘better’ the next day.

“Hyuk, where’s Wookie?” Kyuhyun asked the boy who’s obviously sleeping on the table.

“He left early. Better luck next time.” Sungmin answered him instead with a wide grin flashed on his face.

“Hyung! Breakfast!” Donghae hollered by the door, entering the kitchen.

“Come here now.” Sungmin motioned for him to come, and as he approached his brother, he elbowed the sleeping guy which made him jolt up.

“Yah! I’m trying to sleep here!” He just said, then went back to sleep again.

“Where’d he go? Is there something important at school?” Kyuhyun continued to ask the other.

“I actually don’t know. When I woke up, he already left. I had to call him to know that he left early because he’s not in his room when I went there, and he’s the one who prepared today’s breakfast.”

“Oh.. he cooked this?” Kyuhyun grabbed a plate of pancakes on the table and sat in front of Hyukjae. Spoon after another, he picked from the different viands on the table.

“Tastes a lot better than yours hyung!” Kyuhyun shouted, and Sungmin sent a flying spoon as a response.

“Hyuk! Where is he?” Kyuhyun asked for the nth time as they reached the campus. People are probably staring at them now, seeing Kyuhyun whimpering like a kid. A rare scene indeed.

“I really really really really really don’t know.” Hyukjae said, then ran elsewhere. Anywhere away from Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun just sighed.

“Kyu, have you seen Ryeowookie?” Donghae, coming from somewhere just blowed up Kyuhyun’s mind when he asked that question.

“Are you kidding me Hae?!” He shouted and started to walk out.

“I was just asking!”

Kyuhyun waited inside the classroom, watching Hyukjae annoy the hell out of the class bully. Kyuhyun doesn’t know his name. Or maybe he knew, he just can’t remember since he doesn’t really care. A minute before the bell rang, Ryeowook entered the room and sat on his seat beside Kyuhyun. The latter’s face suddenly lit up. He turned to the smaller one to talk to him but the teacher suddenly barged into the room with a loud ‘Good Morning’. Kyuhyun frowned when he saw a small smirk on Ryeowook’s lips when they stood up to greet the teacher.

Staring. Kyuhyun spent the whole class staring at Ryeowook. He tried to open up a conversation but the other just won’t cooperate. He said he needs to focus on the lesson, which made Kyuhyun extremely annoyed. He never reacted when Kyuhyun poked his sides. Totally reaction-less. He sighed in frustration as he heard the bell rang again, signaling the end of the period. He turned to his side again only to see Ryeowook stand up and start to walk away.

“Yah! Kim Ryeowook!” Kyuhyun shouted, standing up to follow the smaller one. Everyone froze when they heard an unfamiliar voice. They slowly turned to Kyuhyun’s and Ryeowook’s direction and saw him sprinting towards the boy. Ryeowook just shrugged and continued walking.

“Yah!” Kyuhyun shouted again, then soft squeals and whispers are heard inside the room the moment Kyuhyun stepped his foot outside.

“Hyukjae, who’s that boy?” The class bully asked Hyukjae, then everyone looked at him, waiting for his answer.

“Oh. He’s Kim Ryeowook.” He just stated, earning giggles and laughs from the whole class.

“We mean, what is he to Kyuhyun, you idiot!” A girl said.

“ I don’t know! Maybe his lover? Ask him, not me. I’m just here to do my job.” He shrugged and tilted his chair backwards, leaning on the table behind him, and he almost fell when the girls crowded around him saying things all at the same time.

“What do you mean lover?! Are you nuts?! Is that true?!” The girls got literally crazy and out of control.

“That was meant to be a joke.” He plainly said.

“The next time you’re cracking a joke, make sure it’s funny.” Another girl said.

“What’s your job here?” The bully said, but Hyukjae misheard it when he saw Sungmin and Donghae pass by the window.

“Hey! Kangin’s asking you a question!” a guy slapped Hyujkae’s shoulder.

“What? Who’s Kangin?” He asked them, but no one replied. So he just shrugged and got out of the room to meet with Sungmin and Donghae.

“Ryeowook! Wookie! Ryeowookie! Ryeongu?! Kim Ryeowook!” Kyuhyun called every name he knew that linked to Ryeowook’s name, but still the boy won’t even budge.

“Yah! Cho Ryeowook!” Kyuhyun stopped in his tracks. Feeling extremely annoyed, but he smiled, more likely smirk when Ryeowook froze in his steps and turned to look at him, wide eyed.

“That’s not even my name.” He just said then started to walk away again.

Kyuhyun took the chance to start a conversation. Annoyed or not, Ryeowook still responded to that name.

“But it sounds perfect. Cho Ryeowook. Besides, Heechul hyung is your mother, so why don’t you just change your surname.”

“If hyung wants us to have the same surnames, he will be the one to change his. I am Kim Ryeowook, he will be Kim Heechul. Perfection at it’s finest.”

“But if you marry me you will still have to change it to Cho.”

Again, Ryeowook froze and he felt anger or maybe something he doesn’t know creep up his spines, sending him chills throughout his entire body.

“Who.. what.. the… Why would I marry you!?” Ryeowook’s face flushed. Maybe because of anger? Yes. Anger. Let’s just say it’s because of that.

“Because I said so. Oh god. I was just kidding. I’m saying… ‘just in case..’ or something like that.. nothing serious..” He said, but Kyuhyun’s smile says otherwise.

And with that. The conversation ended. Ryeowook walked away.. again.. and Kyuhyun, followed.. again.

“Hey.. where are you going? There are still afternoon classes.” Kyuhyun pulled the smaller one when he headed towards the main gate.

“Oh. Don’t you know? I need to fetch hyung at the airport.” Ryeowook shrugged Kyuhyun’s hand off his elbow but the other held tightly.

“What do you mean? Heechul hyung is coming?”

“Yes. And may I remind you, it’s your fault he’ll be staying here.. leaving his studies there, and his work, and Siwon hyung.. alone.”

“Why is that my fault?”

“Because you told him I got a substitute mother!”

“….. That’s… it?”

“You don’t know how it works when Heechul gets jealous. You.. you.. dead meat.”

“Yes.. I think I don’t know… but I think it’s not me who’s the dead meat here.. I bet it will be---”

“Why do you need to tell him it’s Sungmin hyung? And why do you need to tell him everything? We’re just playing back there.. you took it seriously.. for goodness sake.”

“Because he asked who it was… and.. I never thought he would take it seriously too..

“I can’t believe you don’t know your own brother.” Ryeowook rolled his eyes and started to walk away again, but halted when he saw a huge crowd.

“It’s not my fault he spends more time with someone.. what’s his name again? Cho Ryeowook?”

“Cho your face. It’s not my fault you decided to stay in this de-- .. this island.”

“But he does visit me here. But all he talks about is that boy. That Cho Ryeowook. If I hadn’t known you..” Kyuhyun’s at the heat of teasing Ryeowook but stopped when he realized what he’s about to say.

“I what?” And Ryeowook got curious. He wanted to know.

“You.. I guess Cho Ryeowook is it then.” Taking his joke a step higher. “If I know you don’t want to marry me because you want to marry my hyung.” Kyuhyun smirked while tapping his index finger on his cheek, pretending to be thinking.

“Wha—a—Kyu— What are you saying!” Ryeowook stuttered. Flushed all the shades of red until it reached the reddest of red.

Kyuhyun saw it. And his smirk, slowly fading away. Teasing completely gone in his tone.

“Don’t tell me…” He tried to clarify what’s on his mind at the moment, but Ryeowook started walking away again but he grabbed the boy’s elbow to stop him.

“Hey.. I was just joking.. I..didn’t know you…”

Ryeowook pulled his elbow from Kyuhyun’s grip and looked at the boy again.

“I don’t! I—I was just shocked.. I didn’t know you would say something like that.. I..”

“But you’re like real family.. and he’s you’re mother.. and you’re like real brothers… and..” Kyuhyun’s voice sounded so tensed and panicked he started to gesture his hands in front of him.

“Listen Kyuhyun.” Ryeowook said, taking one of the other’s gesturing hands. “I know, okay. I was just shocked. He’s like a real family… that would be.. uous.. so don’t ever think about something like that again.”

He pulled the boy hands and led him to the main gate. “Come on.. Hyung doesn’t like waiting.”

“But aren’t we going to tell Sungmin hyung and the others?”

“If we tell them.. they might come with us.. and I don’t know what might happen if Heechul hyung sees Sungmin hyung.. I actually haven’t seen him angry before..”

“Do you think he would kill Sungmin hyung?” Kyuhyun said, starting to laugh and shrug off the tensed atmosphere.

“Why would someone kill me?” A voice suddenly spoke beside Kyuhyun. And when they turned to where it came, they saw Sungmin, Donghae, and Hyukjae walking beside them.

“Hyung! Why are you here?” Ryeowook almost shouted in surprise.

“Well.. because it’s lunch time, and.. wait.. aren’t we supposed to have lunch with each other? Or are you two… planning something else?” Sungmin said, poking Kyuhyun’s side.

“No.. ummm.. we’re actually… umm… Kyuhyun’s going to teach me something about our math assignment!” Ryeowook gleefully shouted, as if his excuse actually worked.

“I don’t think you need any tutoring from that brat.” Another voice shouted from the heart of the crowd. A voice Ryeowook knew so well. The crowd split into half and made a way.

There he was. Heechul, sitting on the bench under the huge tree just beside the main gate. He stood up and raised an eyebrow to Ryeowook, staring at him.

“Hyung!” Ryeowook shouted and ran towards Heechul, bumping Kyuhyun in the process. Kyuhyun almost fell on the ground when he lost his balance.

“Yah! Watch it! Cho Ryeowook!” Kyuhyun shouted, not actually wanting to shout ‘his and Ryeowook’s couple name’ but did so, because he found it so cute. Just so appropriate, a perfect fit.

The crowd became noisy when they heard what Kyuhyun said. They actually know what Ryeowook’s full name is. Hyukjae and him became an instant celebrity just like Kyuhyun and his friends, noted to be the only ones that are able to talk and get close to Cho Kyuhyun.

Ryeowook continued to run towards Heechul, and hugged him when he reached his place. Heechul hugged the boy back and threw daggers with his glances towards Kyuhyun and Sungmin. When they let go of the hug, they headed towards where Kyuhyun and the others are standing.

“If I heard right, you said.. what?” Heechul narrowed his eye on Kyuhyun.

“Cho Ryeowook?... Isn’t that… just.. perfect?” Kyuhyun answered showing a wide innocent-looking grin.

“Why is that?” Heechul then crossed his arms in front of his chest, Ryeowook slightly slipping behind his Hyung to hide his tomato-red face.

“Because he….” Kyuhyun trailed off, and looked at Ryeowook first before finishing his sentence. “He’s your son, so he must be called Cho Ryeowook.” He ended with a very wide smile, making his eyes disappear.

“Oh” Heechul just said. And before he could look at Sungmin, Kyuhyun said something again.

“Hyung.. the one I said the other night on the phone.. I just made everything up..” He said, standing beside Sungmin and smiling that innocent smile again.

“Are you sure?” He looked at the confused boy beside Kyuhyun first before raising another eyebrow to his dongsaeng.

“Yeah. 100%.” Kyuhyun smirked, but Heechul missed it when he reached behind him for Ryeowook. The other held his hand and hugged him from behind.

“Hyung.. I missed you.” He whispered against Heechul’s back.

“Yeah. Same here. It felt like years.. when we’re just away from each other for.. what.. a week?” Heechul laughed.

“But I really missed you.” The smaller said.

“I know. I know. I’ll be staying here.” He said, but his eyes focused on something.. rather.. someone.. hidden in the crowd.

“Heechul.” A faint voice said. Heechul tapped Ryeowook’s arm and lightly pulled his arm to release him from the hug. He slowly walked towards the end of the crowd.. to a tall, masculine man, smiling warmly.

“Oh. Here they go again.. I told you it’s Heechul hyung. I saw them before.. when I haven’t met hyung yet.” Donghae told Sungmin.

Heechul just punched his chest lightly, and the other ruffled Heechul’s hair. That’s it. No hugs, no words. Just pure smiles and sweet violence, and you’ll know they really missed each other.

Ryeowook stared at them for what seemed like forever until Kyuhyun brushed his hands on Ryeowook’s. He looked at Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun saw something in Ryeowook’s eyes. Something he actually knows. Because that’s just how he looked like when he learned Ryeowook is in love with Heechul. And now that he’s confirmed it, his heart felt like wanting to give up beating, and he knew Ryeowook feels the same way as him now.

“Hey.” His worried voice gave him up.

“Sorry.” Ryeowook just said.

“Hey.. Cho Ryeowook..” He said again. And Ryeowook smiled at him. His heart literally stopped beating for seconds at that sight. The smaller one’s smiling but his eyes spelled pain.

“Because I’m his son, right?” Ryeowook said.

“No. You’re Cho Ryeowook. Not Heechul’s son. But Cho Kyuhyun’s Ryeowook. Cho Ryeowook.” Kyuhyun said, putting an arm around Ryeowook’s waist and pulling him closer.

“You’re mine, okay?”

: :

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