Here you go guys, the present time!!!!! I've been writing about the past for way too long. Hahahahahaha. This will mostly be on Kyungie poo because I love him and I know you do too. XD

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Kyungsoo doesn't remember the day his relationship with Jongin took the slope downwards. It probably happened over some minor dissatisfaction that one of them held over the other. Or it could have been a misunderstanding. Or maybe they were just too occupied with classes and curricular competitions to give any attention to each other.

Either way, Jongin doesn't see him as much as they used to anymore. The occasional glances in the hallways wouldn't count, because Jongin is still too paranoid about the world seeing him next to Kyungsoo. And the beta frat has been worried about their Kyungie poo, who seemed so deprived lately. Deprived of what, they weren't sure, because the boy still refuses to tell them no matter how much they asked.

"He needs love." Luhan concludes one night, peering over at his doe-eyed dongsaeng who has been spacing out on the couch for the last two hours. It's one of those occasional meetings they hold to talk about Kyungsoo, because it's not like the younger boy heeds any attention to what  they have to say, and they've been trying to find a way to help Kyungsoo. Lately, these occasional meetings are becoming more frequent.

Despite the boys' not-so-hushed conversation about their frat mate's 'condition', Kyungsoo doesn't stir from his seat. He just stares off, unblinking, at a spot above the furnace. No one knows what he's thinking about. No one is even sure if he's thinking about anything at all, because all he does is stare.

Sometimes for hours on end.

"Yeah, I'm worried about him." Baekhyun states, tapping his chin. "We should talk to Jongin. Speaking of Jongin, where the hell is he these days? I don't see him coming around our frat anymore. I don't even see him in campus. It's like he vanished into thin air."

"He doesn't." Jongdae says, in a mocking tone. "He's too busy living his life to care about his boyfriend. I don't even know the last Kyungie talked to that . When was it? Two months back?"

They all turn to look at Kyungsoo then but as expected, the boy shows no reaction whatsoever to their conversation, eventhough they know for a fact that he can hear them well enough. "We need to do something before things get worse." Minseok mutters softly. "At this rate, Kyungsoo could end up failing the course he worked so hard to ace." 

The others nod their head in agreement. Kyungsoo has always been the top student in SMU since.....well, since forever. It didn't matter which course he took, he still worked his off for all of it, even if he had to sacrifice boys' night-outs and holiday celebrations. And to see him sitting there, spacing out for the last few hours, is heart-wrenching to the beta boys. Kyungsoo is hitting rockbottom in his life right now, probably in his relationship too, and the boys feel like it's time to step in and do something.

"Kyungie ah, come sleep with hyung tonight." Minseok insists, scooting over to the younger boy in a flash. "We can play a game and listen to music. Hyung just wants to hug you. I miss hugging you." 

Kyungsoo returns a tired nod and follows the older boy up to his room, while the others watch them quietly from behind. It might take a while, it seems, before the younger boy finally admits his pent-up feelings. They couldn't do much to change the way Kyungsoo acts, but Baekhyun and Jongdae vow to seek Jongin out tomorrow, even if they have to stalk him through Google map. That boy has a lot of explanation to do.

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Life is good for Jongin after returning from England. His reputation in campus is still strong, he is still the captain of SMU's basketball team, still the best dancer in campus, his sister's family had been perfectly healthy, and his grades are still above average. Basically, he is still a student with both the brains and the brawns. Moreover, his father's company didn't suddenly go bankrupt overnight, so yeah, he is still filthy rich.

But for him, the best thing of all, is that the person he loves is still standing by his side. Do Kyungsoo. The love of his life. What else could he ask for?

The older boy had basically admitted his complete trust for Jongin when he gave away his ity on Valentine's Day. And the timing was perfect too. Jongin now has a holiday he cherishes, besides Christmas of course. He vows never to break his lover's trust, because it took a long time for Kyungsoo to trust him, but it can only take seconds for him to destroy it. Not that he intends to destroy it, of course. That's absurd.  

A lot of things had changed after that memorable trip.

Jongin still remembered: the moment they arrived in front of the beta frat house two days after Valentine's, Jongin had sneaked in without the beta boys' knowledge and made love to Kyungsoo that night. Since then, it becomes an almost daily routine as time passes by. He would quietly sneak out of his room at midnight, and wait behind the beta frat house, where Kyungsoo would find him before they indulge themselves in nights of love-making and heartfelt conversations.

Of course, there are a few times later in their relationship when both of them don't agree on certain personal matters, but Kyungsoo has always been the one who gave in first, so their fights never lasted more than an hour. Jongin always concludes that it's healthy for them to lash out any pent-up frustrations or dissatisfactions they have inside. And really, what could Kyungsoo say to that? 

Daytime meetings soon become impossible though, as April rolls in. Basketball practice and soccer practice really tire Jongin out. The inter-college basketball tournament is supposed to be starting soon, so Jongin has to attend a lot of basketball practice. On top of that, he has an abundance of business and arts assignments to complete---complimentary to him for skipping so many classes for basketball practice---so weekends are spent finishing up those extra work. He is also expected to attend the yearly dance competition that SMU holds, in affiliation with an international university. And this is something Jongin does not want to miss for the world. Dance is as much a part of him as Kyungsoo is. 

Kyungsoo is also busy with his own classes. Maintaining a perfect grade for all the subjects he took requires a lot of hardwork. Debate competitions, chess tournaments, music practice, and SMU's council representative's meetings are just a few of the many activities that he has signed up for, thanks to SMU's administration (they took a liking in him after he had countlessly won all the competitions he participated in). And although he's fine with the workload, it really takes a toll on the amount of time he has left to spend with Jongin. He could only wait for the younger boy to turn up on his doorstep every midnight. 

Even that....eventually....becomes impossible, basically throwing their life out the window.

While Jongin is not spending the remaining time he has left in a day to complete any due assignments, he'll try to catch up on the sleep he lost. He needs all the energy he could get before the next basketball practice, so when midnight strikes, he couldn't even lift himself off the comfort of his bed and pillows, much less make love with his boyfriend.

So he sends a short text, apologizing for his absence. Kyungsoo doesn't really mind the first one week without Jongin, but when the second week rolls in, and the third week follows suit....it's becoming apparent that Jongin doesn't wish to see his boyfriend at all, and this makes Kyungsoo very upset. He's not the type to lash out on someone unneccessarily though, so he makes it a point to find Jongin whenever he's free instead. Toilet breaks and lunch hours are the only moments he could manage to see his boyfriend, but Jongin seems to be always so busy with something.

He'll come out of his class to give a short greeting, and then leaves before Kyungsoo could even share a small kiss. 

It soon dawns on Kyungsoo that maybe.....what if, maybe....Jongin doesn't love him anymore?

And thus the hours of silence he spent staring off into space and wondering when Jongin would turn up again. He knows his frat mates are worried about him, but his heart is too much in a turmoil to entertain them. All he does is stare....and think.

Think about his boyfriend.

Think about himself.

Think about what went wrong.

Think about what he did wrong.

And think about....Jongin's feelings for him.

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It's somewhere around the third week of May when Kyungsoo decides to meet Jongin again. He wants to clear up the muddle in his head, to set things straight with his boyfriend again. But he doesn't want to come off as clingy, because he knows how busy Jongin is. But surely everyone would have time to spend with their loved ones, right? Even someone as busy as Kyungsoo could make time for his boyfriend, so why can't Jongin?

He finds the younger boy in the dance studio, practicing the moves he'll do for the yearly dance competition. Chanyeol and Sehun are there with him.

"Hey Jongin ah, it's your boyfriend." Chanyeol announces, as soon as he spots Kyungsoo.

Jongin quickly turns around and notices Kyungsoo standing awkwardly by the door, staring at them. "Hey love, what are you doing here?" He beams, instantly running over to his boyfriend.

"We need to talk." Kyungsoo says simply.

Jongin immediately steps outside the dance studio and closes the door behind him. "Ok, talk then."

"Were you busy?"

"Yeah. The competition is in two months, and we still have three more songs to choreograph. What about you?"

"I've been busy with student council meetings and debate practice. Are you free tonight?"

"Sorry babe, I have a lot of assignments to complete. Due tomorrow, you know. I don't think I could hang out." Jongin replies apologetically.

"It's okay then." Kyungsoo remarks. He could feel tears springing up in his eyes, but he hides it quickly by clearing his throat and looking away.

Yeah, so much for not being clingy. In all honesty, all he wants to do now is to cuddle with his boyfriend and watch a movie somewhere, with a large quilt draped over them. But that's not happening, it seems.

"I've got assignments too. They're not due tomorrow, but at least if I finish up tonight, I get to see you another day right? And we could hang out, maybe watch a movie, dinner..." A glint of hope still resides in his heart, praying that Jongin would say yes.

But instead, Jongin turns down the offer without a moment's hesitation. "I can't, baby. You know I've been really busy these days, with classes and assignments. I can't even find time to sleep lately."

Yet, you could find time to sleep with so many strangers last year. Kyungsoo wants to point that thought out, but a small part of him stops him before the words could roll out from his mouth. A small part that doesn't want this moment to turn into a big fight. "Alright then." He mutters, ignoring the painful twist in his guts.

Tears are glistening in his eyes now, threatening to fall out anytime soon. , he really doesn't want to cry about this, but...ugh, it, might as well release the floodgate. It hurts even more to cry alone later. Jongin notices the first tear, and immediately feels a pang of guilt shooting up his spine. "H-hyung, please don't cry." He says softly, pulling his boyfriend into a tight embrace. "Hey, you don't have to cry about this. I still love you, you know. It's just that---"

"I know, you're busy." He couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, love. I really hope you could understand the situation right now. But I promise you, the moment I'm free to do whatever I want, I will spend it all with you until you get tired of looking at me."

Kyungsoo lets out a small chuckle at this. "I would never get tired of you, Jongin ah. You know I love you too much." He stiffles a groan, pressing his face closer to Jongin's neck and sniffing in the sweaty scent on his lover's body. Jongin may have felt uncomfortable about this at some point, but he doesn't push his boyfriend back, knowing how much Kyungsoo misses him.

Jongin simply holds the trembling figure in his arms for a few more minutes before Sehun interrupts them by informing that the choreographer had arrived.

"Good luck with practice then." Kyungsoo mutters, hesitantly wrenching himself away from the warmth of his boyfriend's embrace.

"Walk back carefully, hyung. And please don't cry about this. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Jongin then presses a quick kiss on his lips before he skips back into the dance studio, and Kyungsoo then makes his way back to the frat house with slumped shoulders, once again failing to get his boyfriend to go out with him. He doesn't know how long it will take before Jongin is free again, but he's quite sure now that his boyfriend might not be around much for the next couple of days. Maybe weeks.

The elder sighs.

At least he tried.

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Baekhyun and Jongdae stumble across the alpha frat in an empty gymnasium a week later.

"Oh hey, it's them." Baekhyun says, raising his hand ready to call Chanyeol, but Jongdae immediately pulls him into a corner. "Hey, what the hell---"

"We can't let them know we're here, because then they won't talk about the things they usually do. I want to know what they do when we're not around." he states in an urgent tone.

Baekhyun is a little reluctant about spying on his boyfriend, but agrees eventually. After all, Jongin has been rather sketchy lately. Maybe It's because of some rumours going around campus lately about Kim Jongin being back on his womanizing spree. But rumours tend to be false, and Baekhyun hasn't told anyone, except Jongdae and Luhan about this. He doesn't want to worry Kyungsoo unnecessarily. Obviously Jongin would not admit to the rumour, so maybe Jongdae's idea of sneaking up on them might be good. Baekhyun would just need to be extra quiet so that Chanyeol won't know he's there.

The two boys quickly switch into their stealth mode, sneaking closer to the alpha boys from under the audience stand. Jongdae places a finger over Baekhyun's lips to silence him as they scoot closer, and moments later, they are squatting directly below Jongin, hidden under a dark corner. The conversation is as clear as day now, with Chanyeol stating something about....uh, food?

"Delicious cream pie with a distinct smell." Baekhyun and Jongdae had heard that one. They exchanged puzzled glances with each other, but no one said anything otherwise.

"You're nasty, derpyeol." Kris says with a chuckle. "Cream pie ain't so delicious in my book. But it is a candy to my eye." He has a sly grin on his face.

"! You guys are the worst. I might not be able to resist the temptation if this conversation continues." Jongin groans.

"You never did anyway. You've only been resisting them because of Kyungsoo." Tao says with a shrug. "But we can see how much you miss it?"

"A lot, actually." The younger sighs. "Especially when it has a strawberry taste to it."

Jongdae and Baekhyun could simply gape at this. Were they talking about....? Was cream pie referring to the of spilling hot seeds into someone's hole and watch it seep out seconds later? Shouldn't it be known as then, with the pie pronounced as pee?

Holy . Was Jongin cheating on Kyungsoo?!

Colour gradually drained from their cheeks as they continue eavesdropping into the conversation, but soon, it becomes impossible not to feel sick from all of this anymore. For Baekhyun, it's painful to know how different Chanyeol acts behind his back, that he could talk so freely about women and when he's around his own frat mates, but around Baekhyun, it's always the proper stuff. He could feel his chest tightening as the seconds stretched, and sweat begins to form on his temple. 

He tugs on Jongdae's sleeves and when the latter turns to face him, he could see how pale Baekhyun's face had become. It's time to get out from there, Jongdae decides, grabbing Baekhyun's wrist to guide them out.

Before they leave though, one last information slips into their ears as Yixing suggests, "Why don't we hang out again for old time's sake? We could party all night long at a club this weekend. The last time I stepped into Underground was six months back, before Christmas."

"Sounds fun." Chanyeol says. "What do you think, Jongin ah?"

"Why not? I'm getting tired of finishing up assignments lately. Too much work and no time for fun."

"And Kyungsoo?" Kris asks.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'm not going to sleep around with someone. I made a promise to stop all my playboying ways. But I would need a shot or two of tequila. And maybe some vodka. Whisky would do too."

"And scotch?" Sehun chips in.

"Yeah, that too."

"But no ?"

"No ."

"That's a ing lie, Kim Jongin. And we all know it."

Jongdae and Baekhyun didn't bother to know who said that before they return to the frat house that day. Kyungsoo is making dinner in the kitchen as usual, a little more alive that day than he'd been the last few weeks. Luhan and Minseok are busy finishing up some powerpoint presentation on the latter's laptop, and Joonmyeon is helping Kyungsoo out with the dishes. Everything seems picture perfect, like a family spending quality time together.

But dark secrets linger in the air, and Jongdae makes it a point to tell Minseok first, because the older boy would know what to do. Minseok would always know what to do.

Away from the watchful eyes of Do Kyungsoo, Jongdae drags Minseok up to Luhan's room upstairs and spills out everything. Minseok only listens intently to every word Jongdae says. And at the end of it, the older boy shakes his head with a sigh and remarks, "It seems that we have no choice but to tell Kyungsoo about this. He deserves to know what Jongin is up to."

"It would hurt him, hyung."

"But it's better if he knows this sooner, because it'll hurt more later. And we don't have to tell him everything you say. Let him see with his own eyes. We'll just suggest going to the club this weekend, and dress up to have fun. But we'll be there when Kyungsoo needs us. We have to keep a close eye on him."

"I don't know about this, hyung......" Jongdae trails off, a little reluctant now. The thought of leading Kyungsoo into misery sounds so....painful and depressing. It's definitely going to hurt the younger boy, no two ways about that.

Minseok suddenly takes his wrist and gives it a soft squeeze. "Kyungsoo is strong. He can get through this." The older boy assures his dongsaeng. "We'll be there too. No worries."

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Yeah, here we go! This is the period where we'll hate Jongin with all our hearts. Uh....some of you might bash me for making him into a capital-A . But chillax....all will be well later. Or not. This is just the first drama guys.....there're many more to come.

Let's start taking out our shotguns and hankerchiefs. Sorry for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Hahahaha.

XOXO everyone.