Sunggyu
Hey, do you think you can get a hold of Hoya?
We’ve been messaging him but he won’t answer me or Dongwoo

Hyun
He’s here with me

Sunggyu
Your place?

Hyun
Yeah

Hyun
You guys apologizing?

Sunggyu
… yeah

Hyun
Good luck

It wasn’t ten minutes after that last message was sent when Woohyun heard the doorbell ring. He was preparing a late breakfast. Their workout session lasted a little longer than anticipated (a little bit of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ …and longer, took place). Time breezed by for the two older males until Myungsoo went out to complain that he was hungry. It passed nine in the morning at the time. Woohyun quickly scrambled upstairs to take a shower first before heading back down to start breakfast. He was in the middle of cooking some sausages along with some bacon and eggs. He wanted to put a little more thought into it but he didn’t have time. At least he got Myungsoo to put some biscuits to bake in the oven the moment he went for his shower.

“Myungsoo!” he yelled as he heard the doorbell ring for the second time.

He didn’t get a response. He silently cursed under his breath when it rang again.

“Myungsoo!!” he tried again, yet he still didn’t get a response.

The doorbell rang again and he cursed again only louder before lowering the flame on the griddle and pan. He quickly rushed to the front door, yelling Myungsoo’s name as he opened the door. He was met with his neighbor and the best friend.

“Oh, hey guys. Come in,” the junior jogged backwards towards the stairs before taking hold of the railing, “Hoya! Myungsoo! What the heck are you guys doing up there!”

“Damn Woohyun. You sound like my mom,” they heard Hoya’s distinct voice come from the top of the stairs.

“Ugh, whatever,” the teen answered before making his way back to the kitchen, “I’m never inviting you to stay over again!” He left the two newcomers standing awkwardly in the foyer.

“Do we just go in…?” Sunggyu whispered to his friend.

Dongwoo only shrugged and shook his head. So they opted to remain awkwardly in the foyer. They heard steps going down the stairs and they froze, wondering if they’d be running into the Nam’s. Who they saw didn’t exactly ease their tense bodies.

It was Hoya with Myungsoo at his heels.

“Oh, hey guys,” the younger greeted, “Why are you both standing there…? Did Woohyun not invite you in?”

“He did invite us in but… we kinda need to talk to Hoya.”

The athletic male sighed and crossed his arms, giving the two a skeptical look. His expression changed dramatically when he saw his two friends kneel in front of him.

“H-hey, what are you guys doing…?!”

“We’re sorry about what happened yesterday. Please accept this gift.”

It was ridiculous how formal it sounded but it was perhaps even more ridiculous to see two men on their knees holding out a flower as a token of an apology.

It was a single stem but the stem held a very bountiful amount of flowers on their end. They were a mixture of red and white and star shaped. A smaller star formed in the center of the flowers.

“Hoyas for Hoya,” Dongwoo stated.

Myungsoo cracked up first. His laughter fit the ridiculous atmosphere.

“Hoyas… really?” Hoya asked, a big smile on his lips, but he managed to keep it from getting onto his voice. The two males held their heads down and weren’t looking at him.

“You think flowers will work on me?”

Sunggyu looked up, a scowl on his face, “Do you know we cut these from my mom’s garden? Do you realize I’m not living past today because of it?”

Hoya laughed as he took both bunches of flowers, “Because of your brave sacrifice, I shall accept them.”

“Oh!” Sunggyu yelled dramatically, “The great Ho-God has forgiven us! Dongwoo!” he turned to his friend and hugged him, “We shall live because of the Ho-God!”

Dongwoo was in his usual fit of giggles at seeing Sunggyu acting so dramatically. Myungsoo was laughing too. Myungsoo didn’t exactly see anything as dramatic as that between the three friends (even though Hoya and Sunggyu seemed to enjoy being dramatic with each other). It was too funny.

Sunggyu stood with a bit of difficulty. Dongwoo was clinging onto him as he giggled like a maniac.

“Thank you, God of Ho’s,” Sunggyu said with a triumphant smirk before walking past him and leaving a giggling Dongwoo and a laughing Myungsoo behind.

“The hell!”

“You guys sound a lot better today,” Woohyun commented as he took a biscuit from the basket in the middle of the island.

“It sounded like both of you were going through puberty again,” Hoya laughed.

They were all sitting around the kitchen island. Sunggyu and Dongwoo watched the other three eat. They already ate breakfast. The red head only smiled as he rested both elbows on the table.

“Myungsoo’s voice still cracks,” Woohyun said, earning a glare from his brother.

“What? No way. But you don’t speak much…,” Dongwoo leaned in to get a look at the younger male who only gave him a look.

“Well then let’s all go to noraebang today,” Sunggyu suggested, hoping to make amends for yesterday.

“No can do. I’ve actually got plans today,” Hoya said as he finished his food.

“Are you going out to play?” Dongwoo asked as he stole a biscuit.

The male got up and placed the used utensils in the sink, “Yeah. The guys have been restless since we haven’t been required to attend practice much…perks of being in the varsity team.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. Hoya was clearly tooting his own horn but he let it slide. No one seemed to have taken much notice of his words anyway.

“Well then us four can go,” Sunggyu suggested before drinking the last bit of the smoothie Woohyun prepared for him especially.

He made a container full of a weird orange colored smoothie and gave each of them a bit of it. Hoya made a fuss about it, complaining about favoritism when Woohyun saw the face Sunggyu made and quickly took it away. He then asked if he liked berries, to which the senior responded favorably. He wasn’t sure what was in it but the taste was delicious.

“You… you are too good at this,” Sunggyu commented as he placed the glass down on the island.

Dongwoo giggled, “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“Don’t trip over yourselves guys. There’s plenty of Woohyun to go around,” the junior said jokingly as he picked up the plates.

“Ah, now I see why you’re good friends with Howon,” Sunggyu nodded gravely, as if finally piecing things together.

“Howon…? That’s your name?!” Woohyun asked as he turned to look at the athletic senior.

“Yeah…?”

“… Hoya isn’t your real name…?” Myungsoo asked, confused by the sudden information.

There wasn’t a single time when they called him by anything other than Hoya (or but that was neither here nor there), so to realize that his name was so formal sounding... it left them feeling a little disoriented.

“Howon…” Woohyun tried the name, making said male flinch at the sound of it.

No one called him by that name usually, not even his own parents. The only people allowed to call him that were teachers and even then it was rare.

“Lee Howon,” Dongwoo supplied helpfully, giggling at the incredulous look he got from his friend. “Howonnie, Howonnie, Howonnie,” he said quickly, continuing his taunting.

Hoya got up suddenly, the stool he was sitting on tipping over dangerously and almost falling if Sunggyu didn’t steady it. His face clearly indicated slow torture when his attention turned to the lighthearted friend. Dongwoo saw this and quickly took off, Sunggyu miraculously saving the furniture from tumbling to the ground as Hoya ran past him.

Sunggyu laughed lightly, “He’s not gonna make it.”

Almost exactly after, they all heard Dongwoo’s desperate yell before even more loud giggles filled the house.

Sunggyu sighed dramatically, “He never gets away.”

Somehow, after all that commotion, it was decided that they were all going to tag along with Hoya. Woohyun insisted that one lazy friend needed more exercise and that playing sports would help more than singing until puberty hit them again. He then proceeded to remind him of the tag game they played a little while ago. Sunggyu could only huff at the memory.

So what if he wasn’t in shape! He knew his laziness was cute! He was told so by many girls, although…he’d rather not tell that to anyone. They’d probably laugh at him. They were only halfway to the school grounds and already he could feel the sweat starting to go down his back. The days were getting hotter and hotter and he’d rather spend his time inside reading a book or playing video games or even sleep!

Sweating it out just taking a walk wasn’t in his ideal vacation relaxation time even if it was probably something those three muscle heads would do with a smile any day.

“I hope you guys realize I’m not lifting a finger today, right?” Sunggyu asked.

Even if he was going, that didn’t mean he was playing. He’d collapse from a heat within five minutes. He just knew.

“You’re playing for half an hour before I let you take a rest,” Woohyun stated over his shoulder, giving the male a look.

Sunggyu only whined in complaint. Myungsoo chuckled.

“I’ll buy you some ice cream later, Sunggyu.”

“Ice cream?” he perked up before hurrying up to the youngest of them all and slinging an arm around his shoulder, “How can the youngest take care of the me so well? Okay, promise!” he offered the male his pinky to which he took and sealed the deal, “This is why you’re my favorite!”

There was a smile on Myungsoo’s lips as he heard the senior compliment him. He liked hearing that.

“Hey! But you told me I was your favorite!” Woohyun whined.

“That was then, this is now.”

“But you said that to me a little while ago!”

“Aish, details,” the other waved him off.

Hoya threw an arm over Woohyun’s shoulder, “It’s okay. He’s the kind to use pretty words until he gets what he wants. He’s a spoiled brat.”

“And you’re an ,” the red head shot back at him before reaching out for Dongwoo who was observing it all quietly with a smile.

He intertwined their fingers as they walked. He linked his arm with Myungsoo’s and they continued walking. Myungsoo was a little uncomfortable by the sudden action, not entirely used to being in close contact with other people.

“Who’s the ho now, huh?” Hoya asked.

There was already a small crowd when they reached the school’s practice grounds. The red head recognized most of the guys there. They were the school’s star soccer players. Some of Jinki’s friends were there too.

“Hoya!”

“You finally made it!”

They waved their friend over so they let him jog to them as they stayed a little behind.

“You didn’t bring your bike today?” the red head saw it was Jonghyun that asked.

The simple question attracted all eyes to the small group that hung back.

“Nah, walking was a better warm up,” Woohyun answered with a friendly smile.

“If you’re gonna play, come on!” he called them over.

The brothers made their way over but the other two simply shook their heads no. Hoya didn’t urge them to join and for that they were grateful.

“Jinki should be here in a little while!” Jonghyun called out to the male.

“Okay!” he answered before turning his attention to the provided bleachers.

Those were out in the sun and provided no kind of shelter from its strong rays. He wasn’t going to be playing but he wasn’t going to sit at such a hot place willingly. Besides, he didn’t want to get a tan. After debating for a couple of minutes they both decided to sit under the shades of the trees that were off to the left side of the goal. The grass was impeccably green, despite the heat that would have it turning a golden brown if not properly taken care of.

They watched as the guys discussed the rules before they began to set up cones as make-shift goals on the touchlines (side boundary lines).

“Jinki’s coming, eh?” Dongwoo questioned, too innocent-like.

He was wearing a small smirk as he leaned back against the trunk of the small tree. His eyes followed a certain senior as he moved about before moving to the only junior on the field. They were picking teams.

The continued to watch as Hoya and Minhyuk, another senior that was also a varsity player, made pick after pick. There were nine of them out in the sun in total. There were more people scattered about under the shades of the trees. He could see Kibum and Taemin, more of Jinki’s friends, sitting under the tree next to them. He waved at them as they came into view. He didn’t really know anyone else.

“Do you really think… I should go out with Junho?” Sunggyu asked as he worried his bottom lip.

He didn’t turn to look at his best friend but leaned back as well, letting his head fall back against the bark of the tree. The pink haired male gave him a side-glance before letting out a sigh. He wasn’t sure what his best friend wanted to hear. He already told him what he thought and he was still having second thoughts over it. He wasn’t trying to force anything on him, he was simply trying to look out for his friend but if his opinion didn’t help him, then what could he do? Should he say no? Should he tell him to try things out with Woohyun even though they were nothing more than friends, even though the pain he could experience could break him? The situation was very unclear and very uncertain for the red head. There was always the fear of rejection. Even worse, the fear of losing those people they held close and so dear completely. It scared them…both of them.

“…”

Sunggyu groaned, “Forget about Junho, how the heck are we even gonna break the news to Hoya? We need to tell him Dongwoo.”

The pink haired male sighed deeply at the mention of it. It wasn’t that he didn’t think of it, it actually occupied his mind more than he wanted to admit, more than he wanted to care.

“If we keep dragging this out… we’ll completely miss the right timing for this…”

Dongwoo remained unmoving and merely looked out into the distance, his eyes were unfocused but his mind was going a mile a minute. What would Hoya do? What would he say? What kind of face will he have to witness?

“Should I tell him first?” the red head asked.

“No… I… I’d want you there with me. I can’t do it by myself.”

The emotions that ran through him at the simple thought scared him. He didn’t feel that way when he came out to Sunggyu, nor his family. He knew them and he knew they’d embrace him. His mother and sisters were nothing but loving and supporting.

The first person he confided his secret in was Sunggyu. He wanted to tell someone what he felt and Sunggyu did a great job at keeping his secrets. Although he’d admit, this secret was on a completely different level than completely ruining some paperwork that his father laid about in the kitchen (which turned out to be his father’s renewing contract for the company he worked for).

Sunggyu was completely shocked, but he accepted it without any struggles. There were two people left that he needed to break the news to, and Hoya was one of them.

“Okay, we’ll do it together,” Sunggyu said as he patted the other’s thigh.

Sunggyu sighed mentally as his thoughts brought him around to a full circle. He was still unsure about Junho. With Junho, he was assured he was liked. He would be sure that he’d be loved in return. He wasn’t walking in blindly. The younger male paved the ground for him and lit it brightly. He felt so much safer stepping on solid ground.

So then why was it so hard for him to make that decision? Everything was clear in front of him, yet he still hesitated. His foot was on the path and the other still lingered at the starting point.

Why was he being held back?

His eyes sought out Woohyun and he couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his lips when he saw him.

How far deep was he exactly? He wasn’t sure he could see the top anymore.