*A/N: edited. Do read again! Additional snipets of the missing KEo at the end for the stans. Uhmm... there will be actual KEo moments so wait for it. I've already closed the bridge and working at the ending. I'm just going over this again. 

The days proved to be harder than it supposed to be, especially with the growing tension between me and Hongbin that lasted for a week now. Yes, a week. I was just lucky enough, no one really had the time to meddle on the ‘unknown’ matter between me and him and grateful enough that Hongbin isn’t one to point a finger at me. I, after all, started the problem.  I just wish it was just my problem though. Then I won’t feel guilty of taking time on doing something about like a criminal who avoids getting caught.

“Yah, Sanghyuk!”

I jumped upon seeing Hakyeon hyung’s face infront of me. It’s not like he looks bad but whenever he does that it unceremoniously reminds me of the horror film, Insidious.

“Hyung!”

“So what have you decided?” He looks at me irritated. He motions his hand, facing the palm of it to my face as if it can beckon the words to stumble out of my mouth. I literally forgot what we’re talking about and was just lost.

I gawked at his well tanned features as if his face has the answer somewhere. “Come again?”

“Oh, my gosh Hyuk—“

“Give him a break. He’s not actually with us, right now.” Wonsik hyung said, pulling Hakyeon by the waist when he gets closer to me with his ready to swat my face hand, inches above my head. “Remember Hongbin’s acting quite the same?”

I flinched at that. I know I shouldn’t act as if it wasn’t obvious enough but it still caught me off guard they knew.

“Argh… what the hell is wrong with you guys anyway?” Hakyeon frowns. “Tomorrow is the college fest and we’re going nowhere if you’re half gone, Hyukkie. Do you even remember you volunteered to emcee the three-legged relay? We can’t get a replacement anymore if you’re intending to back out—“

“I’m sorry hyung… I—” I looked at the two briefly before ducking my head down slightly. “—I’ll be fine tomorrow, so don’t worry about anything. I’ll do it.”

“I hope so, Hyukkie.” Hakyeon squeezed my shoulder and I had to look up and reassure him with a smile when, as if in slow motion, his mouth opened to say something again. “Well about …”

In my ears it was just a beeping noise but I can read his mouth muttering Hongbin and I knew I was losing an option to flee and avoid being interrogated about it. With Hakyeon’s eyes, still in between looking irritated at me and worried at the same time, I gulped hard ready to spill my guts out until the odds decided to side with me. My phone rang and I quickly picked it up and was out the dark halls of the university at six in the evening after I muttered another lame excuse, “It’s my mom. I have to go!”

The next day was the year-end festival and I never fidgeted a lot in my entire life in only an hour that I got there. I swear my campus mates are staring at me bewilderedly. I was so jumpy that it reminded me of the time I first entered the university as an official student and went up the stage, all eyes on me, as I was asked to do the opening speech ceremony for the freshmen. It was only worse.

I just didn’t know how I could face the rest of the gang now that I am also on the lookout for Wonsik and Hakyeon. Hongbin was already a handful and adding them in the picture just made me want to wish I was invisible. I really wish I had Potter’s inivisibility cloak and disappear.

“You know, there’s no use in hiding things from us.”

I jumped from my spot and saw Wonsik hyung sitting comfortably on the tree branch, looking like he just woke up from slumber. I half glared at him and he just responded with a big yawn.

 “You’ll eventually have to discuss it with someone you know?”

“I’ll fix this myself.” I mumbled quickly to avoid stuttering.

“I’m not so sure of that. Hasn’t it been a week? Don’t think that ‘you’re busy’ excuse worked because it never did.” Wonsik tells me as he jumps down from the branch. He brushed down his pants and took off his blazer while staring at me head on. “So tell me.”

“What makes you think I’ll tell you?” I asked cunningly, trying to feign confidence as I glanced at him sideways.

Wonsik chortles a little before he yanks my right arm and showed me his determined orbs as his laughter falters quickly. I gulped hard thinking surely that the odds won’t favor me this time. And you know? got real.

“That wasn’t a request.”

We arrive to the music department’s empty lounge after a few minutes with Wonsik hyung finally letting me go. He jumps on the small platform and lied on the table. I looked at him befuddled but he just made himself comfortable on his spot, cradling his head with his arms behind it.

I sighed at his action but the cool air in the lounge had me settling on one of the seats as well while I stretch my leg out onto three other chairs next to it. I was going to lie down too and probably take a nap when Wonsik hyung finally spoke.

“Do you know you’re acting exactly the same way as I was before?”

“Oh? You were a scholar then?” my usual mocking came out before I can even stop myself from doing it.   

Wonsik lowly grunted as a response and took the arm chair behind the table, lifting it up with one-hand in a throwing position while I shrunk onto my seat, closing my eyes and waiting for the impact. He was going to kill me.

Or not?

I looked at him with one eye and he was already sitting on the table with the chair he picked up, acting like a stool infront of him. His elbow propped as he crossed his hands under his chin, face blank.

“Since you’re being an , I’ll get to the point.”

“Huh?” I croaked, finally opening my other eye to give him a full-on questioning look. “What are you saying—“

“You’re in love with Hongbin, aren’t you?” he simply says, not in any way sounding like it was a real question.

I let out a gurgling sound that surprised me more than him. I was just left in between wanting to answer and not and so the words were having a tug of war inside my throat. I felt like I was going to mentally drown or barf.  

“You look horrible, you know.” Wonsik continues, giving me a sympathetic look. “I do understand though, because like I said I was in the same position once. Conflicted, frightened and upset at the person who made me turn into a man I never would have imagined myself to be.”

I didn’t know why but my eyes burned at his words. The feelings that swelled up to my chest felt almost the same as when my mom found out about it before I did. I was shocked, upset but then I’m also relieved that I finally understood why I was crying.  I felt understood.

“I know it’s hard for you now and our situation is different since I knew beforehand that Hakyeon liked me but you have to talk to him. It’s scary but it’s the only choice you have unless you’re just ending your relationship like that—And I don’t want that to happen personally.” Wonsik walked up to me and pats my head before giving me a comforting squeeze on my shoulders. “The Lees, especially Hongbin brought a change in you that neither me nor Hakyeon could do for the past two years we were with you. It was upsetting at first because hey, we’re like your parents here and these two came only after four months later and you’re already chirping like a baby chick that finally hatched out of his shell; Hyukkawaii had never been more Hyukkawaii up until now and we don't want you to return back to your shell again. So please take my advice and talk it out.”

“Ravi hyung, I just... don’t know what to tell him…” I sobbed, my face buried between my hands. I felt hyung sit next to me and he pats my head again.

He looked at my alarmed face and just smiles. “Just don’t run away. “  

Just don’t run away.

My mom said it. Wonsik said it. It was obvious that it’s the right thing to do but it still didn’t change the fact that it was also the hardest for me. I was so used to avoiding things that makes me eerily conflicted with myself and this was even beyond just having divergences. I was relieved earlier but the moment I stand waiting on the stage where we would emcee together for the relay, my legs just felt like jello on the sparkling silver stage that Jaehwan designed to fit the whole fantasia concept of the college fest and year-end ceremony that would mark our Christmas break.

Speaking of which, I haven’t really seen Jaehwan—the least person I was bugged on meeting on the hell week I just went through, knowing that he’s stuck up in his own little playful world and is oblivious to anything—around. I may just have the right reason why though. He must be practicing really hard for his duet because it’s with no other than his arch enemy, Taekwoon.

Yes, a duet. It turns out that the glee club had not saved enough to continue on with the competition along with their booth’s expenses and so they ended up doing a chorus instead with them as the main singers. We honestly thought they would reject the offer but the two’s seemingly mutual competitive nature against each other got the best of them and they both agreed onto it, not wanting to back down on the main vocal title. There were rumors going on about the glee club turning into a hell hole after that and that their vocal coach had wanted to quit on them. Nothing like that really happened though because the glee had celebrated the end of their rehearsal and Taeyeon noonim had been chirping about it excitedly. Students, or should I say all female population of the school in general was just like her and had been gossiping about the oddeest duo’s duet positively. There was even an audio leak of the festival’s closing song that they sang together in their studio rehearsal. I actually heard it and I almost could not fathom on how great they sounded together, especially on a song that’s entitled “All I want for Christmas is You.”

“Excuse me—“

I froze on spot, all thoughts dispersing in the air.

“—do you happen to have my cue card too?”

I gulped hard before slowly turning my head behind me nervously as the familiar voice I haven’t heard in awhile caught my attention. I scrunched up my face the second I turned not seeing anyone from where I was when I’m so sure I heard an actual voice talking to me. Did I just imagine that?

“Hey, I’m down here…” Hongbin trailed off, looking up to me with a dull expression. He was wearing a white polo that I was sure had nothing underneath it besides his porcelain skin.

I gasped slightly at my strange thoughts and then shook my head.

“Where did you get it then?” Hongbin continuously asked with his voice sounding raspier than the last time I heard it. I had the urge to ask if he was okay but my mouth starts to make those weird noises again and I had to shuffle the cards on my hands that I already read a hundred times yesterday just for a distraction.

When I heard him sigh softly, I cleared my throat and turn my head partially to make it seemed like I glanced at him when all I actually saw was the top of his auburn hair. I cleared my throat and finally spoke.  

“Baekhyun hyung and Chanyeol hyung has it. They’re backstage, preparing the props for the event.”

“Okay…” he trails off and I watched him leave from my peripheral vision.

When he disappeared behind the black curtains, I finally took a full turn and had my eyes lingering on the vague image of his back in disappointment. I sighed and brushed my fringe in frustration and chuckling bitterly at myself. I never felt so pathetic in my life and I felt like crying again but I it up anyway.

“Get yourself together Han Sanghyuk… you have to…there’s no other options. You promised N-hyung too.” I mumble to myself when Hongbin reappears with his cue cards and the students had started to gather for the opening ceremony.

“You can’t run away.”

Once he passed by me, I followed suit towards the center stage as careful as I could. The nerve from standing in the crowd makes things worst but at least NaVi couple are there to support their pseudo sons and it actually made me feel good.

I took a deep breath and the festival started with the flare gun Changmin-hyung had triggered. 

TBC