When did it all start?
He asked himself that one question countless times over the past two days. He didn't see it coming. He truly didn't.
He didn' see his best friend crumbling down in despair.
He didn't see that with each passing day his buddy's smiles kept becoming more and more fake.
He was busy. He was too busy to care about the one person who actually listened to him wholeheartedly.
And he couldn't understand what possibly could've broken that person, Jo Myungsoo, who always smiled with all his heart no matter what.

Choi Youngdo was overwhelmed with emotions. He didn't know what to do anymore. 
He knew the others have noticed something was off, too. Whenever Myungsoo spaced out, which was more often now than ever, everyone was worried.

The Jo Myungsoo they knew weren't like that. He was always smiling that honest smile, trying to lighten up any uncomfortable situation. He was bright, alive. 
But now it seemed like the fire in him slowly dimmed by each passing day. 
To Youngdo, it was suffocating to watch.

Watch his friend be eaten up whatever demons that were inside of him.

Watch him tense up whenever people shouted at him or near him.

Watch him die away. 

He felt guilty. For not noticing, for being careless and, most if all, for not asking simple and primitive questions before it all came to this. 

Are you okay? How are you?

Yet Choi Youngdo didn't bother to ask any of it. 

He would be fine. He's Jo Myungsoo. He's fine. 

These were the things he kept telling himself all this time, not knowing how dire the results would be. 

Youngdo wanted to punch himself.

He felt like an .

He probably was one. 

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Choi Youngdo was just casually standing there observing the remaining guests. It was the 21st birthday of the youngest daughter of the Shinsadong Group. He silently scoffed.  He had met the girl a few times before due to the business contract he had with her dad. The girl was... hyper, for the lack of better words. And spoiled rotten, too. She was the typical daddy's princess kind of daughter. It didn't help much that everyone in her family cooed her for her "adorableness". Gosh he almost gagged at the memory. 

A masquerade ball. Really? Did she finally run out of themes for her numerous (and torturous in Youngdo's opinion) parties  she held throughout the year? 

The man let out a strangled sigh. Where the heck was that bastard? Youngdo fished out his phone and typed a message  to his "dear" friend. 

To: Idiot

Jo Myungsoo, where the are you?

Almost immediately a reply came.

From: Idiot

 Be there in a minute. 

Youngdo stared at his phone in slight confusion. No emoticons or cheesy flirting sentences? 

​He shrugged it off despite the bad feeling in his chest. Must be having a bad day or something.

He knew Myungsoo was no angel. Even he had bad days, when he'd usually flip everyone off before going to his special room at school and stay locked up in there for God knows how many hours. During those days it was better not to get on his bad side. While Youngdo, when angered, was temperamental and acted like an (he hated to admit that, really.) Myungsoo was just straight out vicious and (unfortunately for everyone else) horribly bipolar. The bastard would go from furious to bright in seconds and it was always a hassle to keep up with his moodswings. In the end Zeus Hotels heir (technically the CEO but whatever) simply gave up. During those days he just went with whatever crazy plan the other had planned and prayed the God that it would end quickly. And then again it's not like those days were often, maybe two or three times a year, no more. So yeah, life was still bearable. 

Just as he was fumbling with his mask with a glass of champagne at hand somebody came up to him. All in her silk dressed, high heeled glory with blood red lipstick on her lips . 

Youngdo sighed dramatically at the other. The girl blinked before frowning. If only looks could kill... 

"What are you doing here, spacing out? Where's Jo Myungsoo?" The girl asked. Youngdo just shrugged his shoulders before checking her out from head to toe. The other just akwardly shifted on her feet. 

"Doesn't your feet hurt? Walking on those high heels all day. Looks pretty painful to me." The girl just shrugged her delicate shoulders carelessly. 

"I've worn heels since I was 12 so I'm pretty much used to it by now. And besides.." she smiled at him " ..Beauty demands sacrifice."

In return the boy let out a chuckle. Conversations between them were always like that ever since they almost became siblings, playful, carefree. They even interact sometimes like real brother and sister. 

Just as they were engaged in their own little conversation another person walked up to them. Seeing him Youngdo raised an eyebrow. 

"Yah, Jo Myungsoo! What took you so long?"

In return the other sent a foolish grin. 

"I got stuck in traffic." And his attention quickly turned to the girl. "Yoo Rachel! Looking fantastic today!" The girl let out a pleased smile. At least somebody was appreciating her efforts unlike the stupid oaf beside her.  

Then Myungsoo turned around, as if looking for somebody before taking out his mask from his inner pocket.

How the does that fit there?!?

As if reading his thought the other boy just laughed at him before putting the mask on, a gloss black mask with three tear-shaped blue gems under the left eye. 

"It's almost 8. They said the real masquerade is going to start at 8:20. You guys gonna wear your masks soon?"

Youngdo lifted his, a white full face venetian mask, and pulled it on, seeing that the other guests were wearing theirs, too. Rachel took out her mask from her purse, a black venetian phantom mask decorated with elegant red diamonds. Looking at his friends, Youngdo scoffed. 

"Why did she even bother with masks? Who is she looking for? Romeo?"

The heiress just smirked while the prosecutors son mock-glared at him. 

"C'mon, don't be like that! Maybe she's trying to find her future husband. We all know she's not gonna be that young forever." He fixed his mask just before the lights dimmed. "Besides some people think it's quite romantic. Mask, unknown people, dimmed lights and all." 

He sent them a smile before walking towards the group of girls, who were glancing at them and whispering between themselves for quite a while now. 

The spotlight concentrated on the birthday owner, who stepped up to give a speech towards the guests. 

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Myungsoo aimlessly strolled down the school halls. Having been the first student to come to school, he was bored. Although it was the first day of being a senior, it still felt dull. Touching his sides and wincing in pain, he quickly strotted to the photography room. 

While he was having a nap, people came rumbling in. Lee Bona and Yoon Chanyoung clinging to each other with an ever so irritated looking Youngdo. Chanyoung shushed his girlfriend, noticing that Myungsoo was asleep. The girl peered at the sleeping boy curiously. 

"Why is he sleeping here today of all days? Did he go clubbing last night?"

She looked at Youngdo for an answer but only got a shrug in return. She just frowned before waving it off. Then Youngdo went out followed by Bona, who headed to the broadcast room. While everyone was busy with their own things, the sleeping boy was sweating profusely, tossing and turning in his sleep. Chanyoung furrowed his brows at the sight and stepped closer to him to shake the boy awake. Just as he touched the raven haired male, he bolted awake, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Still confused, the brown haired male glanced at the clock before turning to his friend. 

"Classes are going to start any minute. Let's go."

Myungsoo just smiled weakly in return and got up to grab his backpack. Together they headed to class.  

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In class, just as the bell rang the teacher came in with somebody trailing behind her. She adressed the class

"Class this is your new classmate. He came from America, help him out, okay?" Then she gestured at the new student to introduce himself. The tall blonde just scanned the classroom before focusing on one particular student before letting out a smirk. 

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Kris Wu."

While the blonde was introducing himself a certain raven haired male gritted his teeth in annoyance. 

ing Bastard!!

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Ok so the 1st chap is up! This is all I could write in a week so IM SORRY!!!!!!! Its just that i dont have much free time plus i write on my phone so it takes a lot of time ( my parents dont buy me a laptop T.T) so anyways

Rachel's mask:

Youngdo's mask:

Myungsoo's mask (something like this but with 3 blue tear shaped gems under the left eye):