"Oh, come on, is it really that hard to just hand it over?" Woohyun whined as he extended his hand out, palm flat out.

Sungyeol averted his eyes, too absorbed in his dilemma to form a proper sentence, let alone answer his best friend.

"You said you would help me, Yeol," the older man began to fire his long row of guilt trips at Sungyeol, pausing only to catch his breath.

Sungyeol sighed and finally matched his friend's gaze. In those few precious seconds, he tried to get his disapproval across to Woohyun but all was in vain.

Woohyun simply didn't take 'no' for an answer. He was, no doubt, the most stubbornest boy Sungyeol had ever met.

"I know that, Woohyun. But you do realise we're losing enough money to last a lifetime? And for a fricken school concert, no less!"

Sungyeol threw his hands up in despair, ignoring the hint of guiltiness on the older boy's expression. If anything, Woohyun deserved it. At least, that's what Sungyeol has been trying to convince himself.

"You're exaggerating again. I said I would pay you back, didn't I?" Woohyun lowered his eyes as he went back to sipping his water bottle.

The latter sighed and ran a hand through his hair, but not before shooting a group of passing girls a glare. "That's just the thing, Woohyun, I don't want you to."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Woohyun looked almost desperate. 

Sungyeol paused, wondering what could possibly make up for the loss of his hard earned cash. 

"Um, Sungyeol?"

"I seriously don't know," he braced himself for what he was about to say. "You just owe me, big time."

Woohyun's face lightened up, like a child celebrating Christmas early. "So you'll do it, right? Right, Yeol?"

Before Sungyeol could give an answer, Woohyun had leapt out of his seat nosily, instantly garnering the attention of passing students. Woohyun didn't give a damn though, as he proceeded to attach himself to the taller boy.

"Oh my god, what are you doing, Woohyun?" Sungyeol muttered, resisting the urge to punch the greasy tree to his demise.

"I'm not doing anything that is of your concern," Woohyun hummed and only tightened his hold on his friend.

Sungyeol struggled, he really did. But Woohyun didn't even notice him as he sighed in content.

"Nam Woohyun, I am warning you -" the taller boy threatened and gave his friend yet another shove.

"Huh?" Woohyun blinked and finally released his hold on the fuming boy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sungyeol twisted around and peered around the sea of students, blatantly ignoring Woohyun's question. He could barely hear the incoherent whines from the older boy as he searched through the crowd.

After a moment or two, Sungyeol spotted the familiar blazing red hair and with that, he spoke up in a tone that could only be smug.

"Found him," he declared in a rather loud voice.

"Found who?" Woohyun scratched his head in slight confusion.

"Who else?" he snorted and raised an outstretched towards the same boy he spotted earlier, "That guy you're crushing on."

"The guy I'm crushing— wait, you don't mean . . ." Woohyun, upon realising what his best friend was doing, panicked and practically threw himself at the boy, crushing him on the chair. "Yeol, stop it before he sees!"

Sungyeol released a high pitched squeak just before the wind was knocked out of him. He managed to squeeze out of the chair, falling dramatically to the floor. Woohyun, however, had different plans as he tackled the poor boy, pinning him to the ground.

"Yah! Nam Woohyun, I demand you get off me, or else!" Sungyeol muttered in a dangerously low voice. He didn't like the sympathetic looks that people gave him as they walked by.

Woohyun scoffed and patted his friend's cheek mockingly, "Like I'm going to fall for that, idiot."

"Well then, you're not going to get a cent of my money!" he retorted.

"W-What? But you promised!" Woohyun gasped out loud, immediately backing away.

"I didn't promise! I only agreed, there's a difference, you know." Sungyeol sat up with a huff.

"You're the worst best friend ever, Yeol," Woohyun groaned, folding his arms over his chest childishly.

"Well, I have to fight dirty in order to survive, no?"

Woohyun brightened up and crawled next to his friend, eyes shining in hope. "Does that mean you're going to the concert again?"

"Obviously, Woohyun. I mean, I don't play that dirty, alright?" Sungyeol sighed. There goes his money, for good now.

"Oh, man, what are you two fools doing?" a voice hissed.

The both of them glanced up simultaneously, instant recognition flashing in their eyes. It was only their other best friend, Hoya. Sungyeol raised his hand in greeting, mouthing a silent; 'save me'.

Hoya raised an eyebrow at this as he crouched down to the height of the boys. 

"What are you two doing on the floor? You guys are causing quite the commotion in the cafeteria."

Sungyeol pointed at Woohyun with a slight pout, "It's all Woohyun's fault!"

"My fault? How so?" Woohyun frowned, oblivious to the glares Sungyeol had been shooting him.

Before Sungyeol could snap something highly intellectual, Hoya stepped in. "Enough already! And can you please get off the floor? I don't like the look that guy's giving us."

"What guy? Let me have a go at him! We'll see how that bastard likes it!" Sungyeol jumped to his feet, frantically searching the cafeteria grounds.

"That guy," Hoya murmured before heading off with Woohyun at tow, whistling in a quite suspicion manner.

Sungyeol eyed his two friends in suspicion. "Wha— "

"Mr. Lee, I beg your pardon? Who's the bastard?" a man in his late twenties stood in front of Sungyeol, glaring daggers at the poor boy.

"Oh, um, just that kid over there, seonsangnim. It's nothing personal, I swear!" Sungyeol gulped, recognising the man as one of the meanest teachers in school. 

"Is that so? Perhaps you should apologise for cursing at a fellow student?"

Sungyeol could've sworn he saw a malicious glint in the teacher's eyes, but he was in no situation to point that out.

"Uh, yes, right away!" he bowed a full ninety degrees, racking his brains for any possible escape plan.

Unfortunately for him, the sound of his two 'best' friend's snickers only infuriated him, diminishing any sane thought in his body.

"Well? Go on, Lee Sungyeol, I'm waiting."

Sungyeol gulped and nodded slowly. He raised his eyes and swiftly scanned the vast amount of students in the area, deciding on his last-minute victim. His gaze landed on a boy with skin fairer than most people and eyes, seemly hazel in colour.

With a sigh, Sungyeol strode to the boy, garnering his and a boy, who Sungyeol assumed was a friend of his victim, in a second.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he mumbled, somewhat intimidated by the latter's shameless stare. And to top it off, he had unbelievably handsome features that even Sungyeol found it hard to swallow.

"You said something?" the first boy tilted his head in confusion.

Sungyeol merely nodded and averted his eyes.

"Go on, tell him the truth, boy," the teacher ordered.

"What truth?" he peered at Sungyeol and the teacher, "What's going on?"

"Fine! You want the truth, old man? You can have it; you're the bastard here. Are you satisfied now?" Sungyeol, having reached his limit, snapped at the man.

He glared at him one last time before stalking off with both hands in his pockets, muttering vile curses under his breath.

The next thing he knew, he was in the classroom, scrubbing the chalk off the board with unnecessary force. Woohyun glanced over at him in sympathy, though he didn't dare approach the boy. Hoya sighed and shook his head.

"I warned you before, Yeol."

Sungyeol didn't answer but merely turned his head to the side to glower at Hoya.

The latter flinched and took a step back. "But that teacher was to blame as well!" he blabbered out, in an attempt to save himself.

"Yeah, he's not called the 'devil' for nothing," Woohyun pipped in.

"Ugh, enough about that old fart. Just help me out here, you guys," Sungyeol pressed his lips together in a thin line, obviously sulking at the fact that his friends were just standing by and doing nothing to help.

Woohyun sighed and nodded reluctantly, he reached out to grab Hoya by the back of his collar and sauntered in.

"Hey, hey! I didn't agree to this!" Hoya argued, desperately struggling to free himself.

"We're all in this together, right?" Woohyun clearly spelt 'death' for the boy.

Hoya froze, noticing the look in Woohyun's eyes. He huffed and finally broke free but made no move to flee. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

Sungyeol brightened up and forced the cleaning equipment into Woohyun's arms and the bucket of water into Hoya's. "Thanks a bunch, you two! I'll be off now. Ta-ta for now!"

He saluted to his friends with a teasing wink before dashing out the door, snickering at the bewildered expressions on their faces.

Hoya almost dropped the bucket, completely seething in rage. "That brat! Come back here!"

Woohyun was still staring at the door, dumbfounded. He snapped out of his daze when something vibrated in his pocket.

"Hang on, Hoya. Don't kill him yet, let's see what he has to say for himself."

He dropped the equipment carelessly on the floor before pulling his phone out, opening up the message from the choding. The dark expression on Woohyun's face disappeared as he read through the message.

It took a while before he finally glanced up at Hoya with a surprisingly wide grin.

"Uh, what's gotten into you, Woohyun?" Hoya squinted at him, clearly crept out.

Woohyun ignored his question and placed both of his hands on either shoulder of Hoya's. "So, when should we start cleaning?"

- -

Sungyeol pocketed the device with a soft chuckle. He knew that there's no way Woohyun would give up on his offer, since the boy has been practically bugging him about it for the past week. He also knew how stingy the boy could be, and how sensitive Hoya was.

Fighting back a smile, he walked into the school's front office, instantly spotting a young woman sitting behind the counter. She had her hair tied up into a bun and a warm smile adorning her face as she watched him approach her.

"Hi there, how can I help you, dear?" she greeted in a friendly manner.

Sungyeol liked this pretty woman way better than that old hag from last year. "Hey, I was wondering if you sell concert tickets here."

"We sure do! How many tickets would you like?"

"Just two, thanks. Here," Sungyeol handed over the money, trying not to weep at the loss.

"Thanks, please write down your full name, age and phone number on this slip of paper. I'll be back in a moment with your tickets," she pushed the slip forward before exiting the room with a warm smile.

He glanced around for a pen or something he could write with, but it was just his luck that there was nothing in sight.

Sungyeol furrowed his brows, wondering if another administrator was around to lend him a pen.

"You sure are taking your time," a voice murmured into his ear.

Sungyeol whipped his head up, eyes wide in surprise.

He stared at the boy that now stood behind the counter with a soft smirk at his lips. His dark orbs were staring right into Sungyeol's, making it almost uncomfortable for the latter.

Sungyeol could tell how handsome this boy was.

He could also tell that this was the same boy that accompanied his victim at the cafeteria. 

"I wouldn't be if there had been a pen around here," Sungyeol retorted, looking away from the boy's enticing eyes.

"Oh? Then what's this in my hand?" he mused.

Sungyeol glanced up, partially annoyed that now, of all times, a pen appeared out of the blue. "I don't suppose you hid them from me?"

The boy looked surprised and a little amused at his conclusion. "Why do you think that? We haven't met before, so I have no need to do this to you."

Sungyeol frowned, somewhat offended that the guy doesn't seem to remember him, when he certainly had. "I see no reason to tell you, after all, we are strangers."

"Aquaintances, you mean," he corrected.

Sungyeol swore he saw a hint of disappointment in the boy's eyes. Though, it made more sense if he was just imaging it.

"Here." he said, handing the pen over to Sungyeol.

"Hardly. I don't even know your name," Sungyeol scoffed. "Oh, thanks."

"Myungsoo. And you're welcome."

Sungyeol merely hummed as he began quickly filling out the slip. He shifted to the side awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable under Myungsoo's gaze.

"Lee Sungyeol, huh? It suits you," Myungsoo commented suddenly.

"Well, I suppose 'Myungsoo' suits you too," he mumbled, finally looking up, only to look back down with a scowl.

Myungsoo's tone of voice seemed almost teasing. "What is it now?"

"Nothing of your concern, you jerk."

Sungyeol heard the boy laugh for the first time. 

It was soft, almost like a whisper, and it left Sungyeol feeling dumbfounded at the light sensation in his stomach. 

He frowned at this. Definitely a manipulating jerk. Sungyeol released a tiny huff, deciding that Myungsoo was a bad influence on him.

"You're sulking."

"Shut up." 

Myungsoo laughed again. Sungyeol felt the urge to shove this pen down the boy's throat. And he did, almost.

The tip of the bottom brushed against Myungsoo's lower lip, rendering both boys speechless. 

Myungsoo, however, recovered first and procceeded to gaze at the older boy in curiosity. "Sorry, it's not my thing to kiss strangers."

Sungyeol blinked, almost choking on his spit. He pulled his arm back in record time, muttering out a 'who would want to kiss you'.

Myungsoo wasn't too pleased with his answer; the way his eyes were focused intently on Sungyeol was proof of that.

Sungyeol averted his eyes, squirming under his hawk gaze. He glanced down, deciding the faster he completed the slip, the faster he would be able to escape this uncomfortable situation.

He had finished writing down the last digits of his phone number before daring to look up again.

Myungsoo's eyes were now elsewhere and Sungyeol didn't know whether to feel disappointed or glad.

Probably the latter, since Myungsoo was, by all means, a jerk. 

"Yah, hurry up and give me the tickets so that I can leave."

Myungsoo doesn't seem to hear him because he doesn't make any move to face him. Sungyeol clicked his tongue in annoyance and peered behind the boy for another possible person to serve him instead.

When no one was in sight, he groaned and debated whether or not to just grab the tickets that was just sitting there in plain sight.

After a quick minute of pondering, Sungyeol finally leaned forward and placed his first few fingers in a manner he deemed as sneaky.

"Na-ah, not too fast, Sungyeol," Myungsoo had a teasing smile on his face as his own fingers trailed down Sungyeol's outstretched arm.

"Just give me the damn tickets," Sungyeol growled and withdrew his arm back because the touch seemed awfully warm to him.

"Hand over the slip first."

"Fine," he muttered and pushed the slip of paper forward.

Myungsoo looked pleased as he skimmed through the slip, a hum of approval slipping through his lips.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sungyeol raised a brow at the boy.

"Someone's impatient," Myungsoo stated, but handed the tickets over nevertheless. 

"Thank you," Sungyeol said curtly, immediately curling his fingers over them.

Myungsoo snorted, "Welcome."

Sungyeol couldn't help but give the boy one last glance before leaving without another word.

He walked out of the front office, exhaling a breath he never knew he was holding. All of a sudden, his phone vibrated in his pocket, signalling an incoming message. Sungyeol pulled out his phone and opened up the message, smiling as he read through it.

Sungyeol rolled his eyes at this, already feeling Hoya's wrath through the constant vibrations from his phone. He felt the need to turn his phone off, but he doesn't because he simply did not have any time to lose. He snorted and began jogging back to the classroom, knowing how hard-headed the both of them could be.

- -

Myungsoo kept his eyes on the figure until it was out of sight. He sighed and glanced back down at the slip in his hand to the pen that Sungyeol had left behind.

Myungsoo bit his bottom lip, re-reading the information that the slip contained.

"Lee Sungyeol, aged 18, huh?" he murmured softly, chuckling at the boy's messy writing.

His eyes travelled down the paper, noticing that he almost missed the clump of black ink below. Almost, but not quite.

Myungsoo squinted at the scrawny bunch of words at the bottom of the paper, smirking as soon as he realised how vital it was to him.

"Hm, this just got interesting."

- - -