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Chapter 66 - Two and a Half Confessions

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Now that Donghae has confessed that he likes Sungmin, Hyukjae does not want to give up. Donghae has declared war on him, and he knows that it will go on until Sungmin chooses either one or none of them.

Donghae on the other hand plans to invite Sungmin on weekends in his hometown. He thinks that it will be a perfect timing since he cannot afford to delay his confession now that he told Hyukjae that he liked Sungmin.

"May I know why you are spacing out?" It is Ryeowook. Donghae has been spacing out for almost a quite long time already. Fortunately, the ice cream parlor still has few customers. "Are you planning for something?"

Donghae told Ryeowook about his plan and of course, he was very supportive of it. "Yeah. I wonder if Sungmin likes to be confessed to at a certain time or place."

"Well, if you ask me," Ryeowook looks at Sungmin who is busy writing his homework on one table. "Sungmin's a bit unfamiliar with confessions and the like, because he has only been confessed to a lot of times already, but he ends up breaking each and every girl's heart."

"I thought people don't really go to him?" Donghae asks.

"Hmm, that must be an overstatement. Even if Sungmin had that kind of reputation, still, a lot of girls liked him. Some girls weren't able to confess because they were shy or scared, others had the guts to. And the others who had the guts to are quite too many. Oh, did I mention that guys also confessed to him? Of course, Sungmin had twice heartaches to give when it came to guys," Ryeowook explains. He realizes that he has said something that made Donghae hopeless, he chuckles. "Oh well, it doesn't apply to you though. Sungmin treats you as a friend. He won't hurt you."

"Only a friend, though," Donghae sighs.

"I have to cut your discussions because..." Kyuhyun approaches the two of them then points at the door where customers are flooding in. "You must also get Sungmin back to work."

"Why can't you just call him?" Donghae asks.

Kyuhyun sighs. "Just because he's in panic and I don't want to be yelled at."

Kyuhyun has not been talking to Sungmin ever since that day when the latter saw him 'kissing Ryeowook.' Sungmin has not been talking to Kyuhyun either. They are obviously awkward right now.

Donghae grins and does a victory sign. "Alright then, I think it's time to ask him!"

While Kyuhyun and Ryeowook serve the customers, Donghae finds time to approach Sungmin. Sungmin is really indulged in doing his homework. "Ugh, this thing . Math . Everything . Tell me, why is PE class only one-sixteenth of all grades!?"

As he can remember, Sungmin's semestral tests are fast approaching, and he also knows that Christmas is also fast approaching. The time is moving too fast. In a matter of months, they are finally graduating, and he doesn't know if they are all going to be together or not. "Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes please," Sungmin nods simultaneously without even looking at Donghae. Donghae sits beside Sungmin. "I can't understand these cosigns and tangents. I don't know why they even mixed letters with numbers!"

Donghae smiles at the sight. "Things are really better if they are simple, but we also need to make it more complicated to fully understand how it develops."

Sungmin looks at Donghae. "Wow, you're talking big, Lee Donghae." He laughs.

"Sungmin, I... I just want to ask if you're free on this coming weekend?" Donghae finally asks. "I want... I-I want to invite you to my hometown."

Sungmin's eyes twinkle. "Wow, seriously? To Mokpo? I want to go there! Yes, of course. But you need to treat me to the upcoming festival! And I know you have a restaurant there! I want to taste your specialty!" Sungmin replies. Donghae grins widely. Sungmin then realizes that he has an upcoming test on Monday. "Oh my! I... I have a test on Monday! I don't know if I can go, but I'll try my best."

Donghae frowns, but after a while, he smiles. "Of course. The bus will leave at seven in the morning on Saturday. I'll wait for you at the bus station though, just in case," he says. Then he looks at Kyuhyun who is eyeing him. "U-Uh, I... I think we need to work. I'll help you out later, alright?"

Sungmin hugs Donghae. "Thanks, Donghae! You're such a good friend."

Good friend.

***

Hyukjae arrives after an hour.

"Hey, Sungmin!" He greets and waves at Sungmin who is cleaning a table. Sungmin excitedly waves back.

"Hyukjae, hi!" Sungmin greets back and waits for Hyukjae to approach him.

Hyukjae looks around to see if Donghae is around, fortunately for him, he isn't. "Where is Donghae?"

"He was asked to deliver six orders, so he's not going back. Why? Do you like to talk to him or-"

"No!" Hyukjae laughs. "I want to talk to you. Are you free later in the evening?"

"Hmm, I guess?" Sungmin thinks for a moment if he has something to do. "But I think I need to finish my homeworks first."

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Hyukjae assures. Sungmin smiles. "I just want to treat you to dinner, then we're going to talk all night long about who we are, about everything."

Sungmin laughs. "Wow, aren't you going back to the basics? We've met for quite a long time now. And we're only doing it now."

Hyukjae just smiles.

***

The two of them go together to a five-star restaurant after work. And little did they know, Ryeowook informed Donghae about that. Donghae immediately finished deliveries and decided to meet Ryeowook to follow them and spy on them.

"Ugh, I sincerely hate that monkey to the core," Donghae angrily comments. "He always uses his money to do this and that. As if Sungmin would fall for this."

"Shh," Ryeowook hushes Donghae. They are hiding behind a post so that Hyukjae's bodyguards won't see them. If they are caught, they would be in big trouble. "They are talking now."

"You really reserved the place for a dinner?" Sungmin laughs. "You're so rich, I begin to envy you."

"If you only want this, then I'll give it to you," Hyukjae smiles. "Their food is really nice. You need to try it."

Hyukjae reserved the whole place, prepared everything needed and also, he asked his bodyguards and also the staff of the restaurant to create a very romantic and cosy aura. And there it goes - candles and flowers everywhere.

The food is served. Sungmin excitedly digs in and gets so happy when he tastes the food. "This is so yummy! Seriously, everything is..." Sungmin looks around the continues, "Nice. I could have worn better clothes, not a school uniform."

"You look better in everything, Sungmin. And even if you wear ragged clothes, I don't care. You're still handsome to me," Hyukjae compliments.

"You're funny. Why are you suddenly showering me such things?" Sungmin asks. "And why are we even talk about me and you? We have known each other for quite a long time now."

"Because," Hyukjae holds Sungmin's hand. "Because I like you. You know that, right? And I want to know you better not only through secretly investigating you. I want to know you using my own effort."

Sungmin is not able to speak. He just looks at Hyukjae's serious face. After quite a while, Sungmin realizes what he is talking about so he removes his hand from Hyukjae's grasp. "Hyukjae... I want to be blunt about this. I don't really put these things to my top priorities."

"I understand, Sungmin. What matters is that I make you feel what I really feel towards you," Hyukjae says. 

"Hyukjae, thanks for this though."

Donghae feels down after hearing Hyukjae and Sungmin's conversation. "What if my confession doesn't turn out right?"

"I hate to use Hyukjae as a reference, but if ever Sungmin doesn't accept your feelings, you still have to understand," Ryeowook tells Donghae. "Just like what I did when Kyuhyun didn't accept my feelings. I still continue loving him. Because it's what makes me happy."

"Sungmin is my first love, Ryeowook," Donghae says. "If it doesn't work things out then, I am afraid I would not be able to love someone else other than Sungmin, and I'll end up miserable. I give up... I'm going home."

Donghae leaves Ryeowook who just stares at his friend until he is completely out of sight.

***

"Donghae's not going to work? It's already Friday," Ryeowook asks Kyuhyun who is busy calculating something. Kyuhyun nods. "I wonder if it's because of yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Kyuhyun asks without looking at Ryeowook. "What happened yesterday?"

"Hyukjae invited Sungmin to dinner and confessed to him again. You knew that Donghae would confess to Sungmin this coming weekend, right? Sungmin rejected Hyukjae and Donghae got discouraged again," Ryeowook explains. Kyuhyun stops calculating and he just stares at the calculator. "He's afraid Sungmin won't accept his feelings nor go with him to Mokpo."

Kyuhyun resumes doing what he has started. "If Sungmin goes tomorrow, then he should rejoice, because it's seventy-thirty chance that Sungmin would accept and return his feelings. He knows that he is graduating and he needs to pass the tests to graduate. Even if it's Sungmin who doesn't really care about his academic status, I bet, he's not going to exchange his tests to a trip to Mokpo. Donghae is so selfish because if he really loves Sungmin, then he would understand why Sungmin would not go."

"But everyone can be selfish when it comes to love. Have you never been selfish because you love someone?" Ryeowook asks. "Donghae is selfish because he loves Sungmin more than anyone else. I can see how genuine he looks at Sungmin. And you know what? I am hundred percent sure that Sungmin would go tomorrow because he loves Donghae whether as a friend or more than that."

Ryeowook leaves Kyuhyun who was speechless at what the former said. He suddenly looks at Sungmin who is busy studying for the test. And if Ryeowook is right that Sungmin would go to Mokpo with Donghae, then it means...

***

"Ugh, I need to finish all of this!"

"Are you sure you won't go home with me?" Ryeowook asks Sungmin who is very eager to finish studying for the test. "You can study later and tomorrow at home."

"I can't study there. I would fall asleep there. Besides, I will go to Mokpo tomorrow. I won't disappoint Donghae, so I need to do this," Sungmin says as he flips the pages of his notebook. Then he looks at Ryeowook who is smiling at him. "Why? I think you should also go home to study."

"You have grown so much, Sungmin. You weren't the reluctant best friend that I used to have. You've become mature to set your own priorities," Ryeowook comments and gives him a thumbs up. "Seriously, I am proud of you. And Donghae will also be happy to see you tomorrow."

"Oh well, although I want to stay with you and help you, I have a curfew. And mom would call later," Ryeowook says. "Goodluck to you tonight and tomorrow."

Ryeowook leaves Sungmin but before doing so, he turns to Kyuhyun and smiles at him. Kyuhyun sighs as he stares at Sungmin.

Finally, they are the only ones left.

Kyuhyun has finished cleaning up his assigned parts. Sungmin has never done anything in his assigned parts to clean. Kyuhyun finally approaches Sungmin. "When are you going to clean the tables assigned to you?"

"After studying, I guess," Sungmin replies reluctantly. Then there is another awkward silence again. Sungmin keeps on scribbling something on his notebook. He can't study now that Kyuhyun's presence is bothering him. "Just go home," he says without looking at Kyuhyun. "I'll just close everything when I'm done."

"You're not planning to go tomorrow, are you?" Kyuhyun asks as he sits on the chair across Sungmin.

Sungmin lifts his head and looks at Kyuhyun. "I don't want to disappoint Donghae."

"You need to study-"

"Who are you, my father?" Sungmin's blank stare turns into a cold glare. "Kyuhyun, just mind your own business."

Kyuhyun hits the table hard with his fists. Sungmin gets shocked at that action. "Why are you even avoiding me?"

"You know exactly why I am avoiding you," Sungmin's voice begins to stutter as he recovers from shock. "You kissed me out of the blue then the next day, you kissed Ryeowook. What are you, a kissing factory?"

"I didn't kiss Ryeowook," Kyuhyun clarifies. "He kissed me. And what is it to you? You are pushing me to him. And I bet, you're also the one who told Ryeowook to kiss me just to erase everything that happened between us."

Sungmin snortles. "You're talking nonsense Kyuhyun." Sungmin stands and gets all his things. He needs to go away from Kyuhyun before he says something more ridiculous than the truth that Kyuhyun told him. "I'm going to the lounge and I will lock myself inside so that a certain someone can't disturb me from studying."

But before he can go away from Kyuhyun, the latter grabs his arm and pulls him. The books and notebooks fall on the ground. Sungmin sends him another glare, but Kyuhyun remains holding Sungmin's arm. "Tell me, why would you go tomorrow? Why..." Kyuhyun stutters as he says the last word.

Sungmin pulls his arm from Kyuhyun's grasp, then he picks up his notebooks and books on the ground. "Whatever my decision is, whatever we do tomorrow, it's not your business."

When Sungmin walks away from Kyuhyun, the latter whispers as he clenches his fists. "Don't go... please. I beg you. Don't..."

Sungmin stops from walking. Then he laughs. "You're being funny now. Why do you keep on stopping me?"

He is surprised when he feels Kyuhyun's warm body hugging him from behind. "If you were not the dense person I've been talking about, then you could have guessed the answer a long time ago."

"W-What do you mean?" Sungmin tries to get away from the hug. "L-Let me go, Kyuhyun."

"No," Kyuhyun mumbles as he kisses Sungmin's temple. He tightens his hug. "I won't let you go unless you tell me that you're not going tomorrow."

"Why are you doing this, Kyuhyun? Why are you playing with me?" Sungmin's voice falters at the last sentence.

"Because I want you to stay... I want you to stay here with me," Kyuhyun says. "I am in love with you. So please, don't go to anyone else, especially Donghae."

***

Donghae sighs as he looks at his wrist watch. It's already six-forty-five in the morning, and the bus will leave in fifteen minutes. Sungmin is still out of sight.

"You're just fooling yourself, Lee Donghae. He won't come," Donghae says to himself as he smirks. "But then, it's not bad to wait until the last minute, right?"

Five minutes. Ten minutes. Thirteen minutes. Still no sign of Sungmin. Donghae finally gives up as the bus driver calls the passengers to go up the bus. He gets his luggage and steps in the bus. His heart just sinks in sadness.

"Lee Donghae! Donghae!"

Donghae's hope suddenly rises as he hears Sungmin calling his name. When he alights the bus, he sees Sungmin running towards him and the bus, trying to catch them up. "S-Sungmin!" He smiles widely as Sungmin finally reaches the bus. He catches his breath. "I-I thought, you're... you're not coming anymore..."

Sungmin straigthens his body and grins at Donghae. "Well, here I am. I can't just miss a chance to go to Mokpo with you, Lee Donghae."

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《Kyuhyun confesses... but the hell happened? Why did Sungmin still go? Next chapter - The Night at the Festival. XD Where emo-hearts emote. LMAO Will erase the announcements thingy, since you've read it already. Hihi.》