Chapter 16

“Yoo Changhyun… I, Choi Jonghyun, like you!”

Ricky’s eyes widened at the confession. As naïve as Ricky appeared to me he wasn’t that dense to not understand what Changjo meant. What was happening at that moment was an honest to goodness confession and it wasn’t coming from a small neat cute girl. No. It was instead coming from his rather masculine and taller yet younger band mate.

Ricky hadn’t been prepared for it at all and he didn’t know what he should do.

“I,” he began and the words began to tumble out on their own. “I like you too! I like everyone.”

“Stop trying to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about!” Changjo said. “I know you’re not THAT stupid to not know what kind of like I’m talking about.”

“I don’t――“

“CHANGHYUN!”

Ricky stopped what he was going to say midsentence, his eyes and mouth wide open. He stared up at Changjo who was staring intensely at him with his deep eyes. He could see the emotions swirling within the slightly younger male and Ricky didn’t know how else to feel but scared.

“You’re… serious.”

“Of course I’m serious,” Changjo said, all traces of any playfulness completely gone from his voice and face. “I’m nothing but serious about you.”

Ricky didn’t know how to feel as his stomach churned violently. His voice completely left him and his throat seemed to close. He had nothing to say. What could he possibly say? Nothing. And it wasn’t fair. Ricky didn’t know how he felt but he knew he couldn7t stand another moment like this. Without another word Ricky turned, dropping the umbrella as he did so and ran away in the opposite direction they were supposed to be.

“CHANGHYUN!”

Ricky could have sworn he heard Changjo’s voice calling after him but he pretended not to hear through the heavy rain. He just kept running, never looking back and letting the rain soak right though his hair, his clothes, through his entire being.

It wasn’t fair! It just wasn’t fair! Why did Changjo have to confess to him like that? Why did he have to confess at all?

Ricky didn’t allow himself a moment to rest. He reached an intersection and the light was red so he just turned the corner and kept running still.

He felt like if he stopped he would have it think so he just kept going as fast and as hard as he could ignoring the way it felt like his heart was beating so fast it could burst right out of his chest!

When he finally stopped it wasn’t because he wanted to. His legs were like jello and collapsed on their own, sending him painfully to the ground with a splash. The rain water didn’t bother him as he was already completely soaked and he beat his fist against the flooded side walk in a silent scream.

Why did it have to be him? Why did Changjo have to confess? It was too much pressure. He didn’t want it. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his friend. Ricky wanted to say yes so bad because he did love Changjo, as a friend. But how could he know if it were more than that? Changjo didn’t want to make that choice. How was he supposed to know.

‘He probably thinks I hate him now,’ Ricky frowned, looking down at the water streaming around him. ‘Because I ran.’

But it wasn’t true. The reason why Ricky ran was quite the opposite. He ran because he liked him too much. But how was Ricky supposed to get Changjo to understand that when Ricky couldn’t even understand it himself?

----

Ricky was already 30 minutes late when he arrived at TOP media for practice. He was soaked all the way through including all of his school books and notes. He probably looked pitiful but no matter how pitiful of a state he was in nothing could excuse being tardy to practice especially when they had an overseas schedule to attend soon. He had no reason to be late anyhow and if he had any ounce of common sense he would have headed straight to the studio rather than wander around aimlessly avoiding practice at all costs.

As he approached the practice room he could hear the music of “To You” even in the hallway and he knew they were well into practice. He waited until it ended before opening the door and right away 5 pairs of eyes were upon him.

“Changhyun you’re soaked!” Niel gasped.

“Sorry guys I’m late,” Ricky said lamely.

“Why didn’t you call?” Chunji pouted.

The two came over to clamor over him including his soaked uniform when Changjo pushed between them and pushed him roughly in the shoulder causing Ricky to wince. Ricky looked to the floor, afraid to meet Changjo’s face. Changjo must have been so angry at him for running.

“You idiot!” Changjo yelled. “I waited for you at your school with an umbrella but you never came out.”

Ricky looked up shocked as Changjo was smirking at him in his own way.

“Serves you right. Now you’re soaked through.”

Ricky was shocked but then he realized what Changjo was doing, he was pretending like nothing happened so as to save face. Maybe it was easier that way for both of them. Ricky laughed weakly.

“Ah, sorry, Jonghyun. You should have messaged me you were coming.”

“Guys we have to practice,” C.A.P said from where he was standing near the stereo. “Byunghun can you let him borrow some of your extra practice clothes? He can’t practice still in his uniform.”

L.Joe nodded and ran off to do as told.

After that practice went by just as usual. They had a joint KPOP concert coming up in a week in Malaysia and so they were busy with that. Afterward they went to go back home and Ricky made sure not to sit by Changjo in the van, which was fine because Changjo sat in the front anyway. No matter what they did Ricky avoided Changjo.

During dinner he kept talking to Chunji and Niel nonstop. After dinner when they had some down time Ricky pretended to be more interested in his homework than anything else.

He could see how Changjo watched him like a hawk no matter what and even tried to approach him a few times but Ricky would just get up and immediately find something else to do or someone else to talk to.

Ricky knew he was being immature and avoidant but what was he supposed to do? He wasn’t ready to face the consequences of his answer to Changjo’s confession. And if Changjo was trying to make things go back to normal by not mentioning it again Ricky knew it was futile.

The seed had been planted. Unknown to Ricky the seed had been planted long ago and began to sprout.

‘If I had to kiss one of the members… I wouldn’t mind if it was you.’
‘If you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was ask.’

Suddenly Changjo’s words back then made a lot of sense.

‘He was trying to hint that he liked me for a while now,’ thought Ricky.

He groaned as he laid his head on his desk in defeat. He couldn’t stop thinking of the situation and he couldn’t stop wondering what it is that he felt. The thought of Changjo liking him made his body feel really weird. He felt light as air one moment at the thought that his friend really did like him a lot, but then heavy as lead at the thought of the burden he carried.

“I know that I like him,” Ricky pouted with his chin on the table. “But how do I know if I like him like him?”

“Like who?”

Ricky jumped up quickly at the sound of a newcomer in the room and turned to see Chunji crawling into bed.

“Hyung you scared me!” Ricky protested.

“Sorry. This is my room too, you know,” Chunji chuckled.

“I know,” Ricky pouted, he then looked back down at his untouched homework.

“So… who is that you like?” Chunji asked.

“I don’t like anyone!” retorted Ricky, looking at Chunji again.

Chunji didn’t look like he believed him. In fact he looked a bit annoyed.

“If you like someone it can’t be helped, but if that’s the reason you were late to practice today then I’m disappointed in you.”

Ricky whined, “Hyung really it isn’t.”

Chunji just looked at Ricky a bit suspiciously before laying down and getting under the blanket.

“I’ll believe you for now but if you really do like someone can you just do one thing please?”

“What’s that?”

“Just… don’t tell Jonghyun. I think it’d really hurt him.”

Ricky felt something in his heart burst at the mention of Changjo.

Chunji continued, “He’s the youngest and the only one who doesn’t have an interest so I think he’d feel a bit sad if you go out and find a girlfriend.”

Ricky closed his text book, a tight knot forming in his stomach.

“Don’t worry, Hyung,” came his shaky reply. “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.”

-to be continued….-

AN- sorry for the wait. was busy. thank everyone who reads this! and BIG thanks to everyone who subs and comments! so what do you think about ricky? does he like changjo or what? xD