When Myungsoo arrived home, he was immediately reminded of his task: To have a nice good talk with Sungjong. As he saw Sunggyu and Dongwoo lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling while Woohyun was busy reading manga in his room and Hoya most likely in the dance studio practicing again, Myungsoo asked, “Where’s Sungjong?”

“Wow, rude much.” Dongwoo mumbled as the Visual hadn’t even bothered greeting his hyungs upon his return, immediately questioning the maknae’s whereabouts. L ignored the rapper’s comment and looked at Sunggyu, expecting an answer.

“He just left with Sungyeol for a stroll.” Sunggyu answered, flipping onto his stomach as he buried his face in his cushion, trying to fall asleep once again. Sungyeol again? What is with that choding? And they just left… So they couldn’t be far right? Myungsoo was ready to put on his shoes again to head out when he received a text message. Flipping open his phone, his thoughts of finding the duo was thrown aside as he read Gyuri’s message.

“I had a great time today! Rest well! Good luck for tomorrow’s performance<3~”

Yes, he should rest. He could talk to Sungjong later anyway, Myungsoo thought as he kept his phone and headed off to the showers in glee.

“Yah maknae! What’s with that emo look again!? And you know I hate fake smiles!!” Sungyeol burst when the couple had situated themselves against the biggest tree in the park, Sungjong’s favourite place to be alone, looking out to the lake. Well, at least Sungjong was. The choding had most likely been staring daggers at him to be able to have an outburst like that.

“It’s really nothing, hyung!” Sungjong replied, and Sungyeol could see how much the maknae didn’t want to talk about it. The choding pouted as he turned to look at the crystal clear waters; half knowing what was most likely going through his dongsaeng’s mind once again.

“Don’t you feel that Love isn’t supposed to be painful?” Sungjong looked at Sungyeol when he heard his hyung talk, “Love is supposed to bring you smiles, flutters in your stomach; making you not want to sleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams.” Sungyeol turned to face the smaller boy beside him.

“That’s why Love is so beautiful right?”

Sungjong bit his lower lip, as he could feel his tears overwhelming him again. Sungjong wasn’t feeling anything close to that at all. He had been scared when he knew he had fallen in love for the first time; heartbroken, confused, depressed and sometimes wishing he had never been born throughout the year after realizing his feelings for the Visual of Infinite.

Was this love too?

“However, it is inevitable that Love do come with pain, suffering, grief and sometimes making you wish you had never seen that person you had fallen in love with in the first place.” It was like Sungyeol had just answered his thoughts. The choding picked up a small pebble beside him and threw it into the waters, causing ripples as Sungjong saw his clear reflected image became blurry.

“That’s why Love is so special above all feelings. Because the emotions it gives you are never one-sided.”

Sungjong smiled softly, and Sungyeol grinned back when he noticed it. Sure, it wasn’t a big smile, but at least it wasn’t fake.

Perhaps being mature at appropriate times wasn’t so bad after all.

That night, Sungjong wrote out the exact words Sungyeol had said in his diary, smiling to himself as he kept in under his pillow before drifting off to sleep.

Myungsoo had claimed to talk to Sungjong later, only to realize that “later” didn’t come till exactly two whole weeks later, when he was done being fed up with Sungjong slowly being more distant with him, and that Sungyeol seemed like he was super glued to the maknae. Myungsoo even suspected that the maknae hated Gyuri, judging from how he always seemed to excuse himself when Gyuri was around; or not even mentioning a single word when Gyuri was chatting with everyone else in Infinite.

Myungsoo was really done being fed up.

L stared at the ceiling of his dark bedroom as he thought of a plan to get into the bottom of things. Not like he could fall asleep that easily with Dongwoo snoring loudly by his side. Firstly, he needed to get rid of Sungyeol; which wouldn’t be easy, knowing how easily a punch could come flying into his face if he was to order his hyung around. Next, he had to stop Sungjong from escaping every time they were left alone together. Perhaps tying him to the chair would do a trick, but that might just leave the maknae in tears and him getting a huge trashing from the other members.

Just as Myungsoo was about to give up, he heard a soft creak outside in the living room. Who was still awake this late at night? He heard shuffling and footsteps passing by his bedroom and the light of the kitchen flicked on. Oh well, L could really use a drink too, at the same time find out who was there.

But the moment he spotted who it was, clad in pink pajama bottoms and an oversized blue tee, the Visual made his way towards the figure as quick as lightning, scaring the daylights out of the member as he spun the other around and cornered the smaller boy between his arms on other side of the counter. Sungjong gave a squeak as he almost dropped his glass of water.

“H-hyung?!”

“Why are you avoiding me?” Myungsoo asked in his cold tone, eyebrows furrowing as he glared at the boy.

“H-huh?”

“Why? Aren’t we best friends? What happened? Did I do something wrong? Did I offend you someway??” Myungsoo did not bother to repeat his question as he damn well knew the maknae heard him clearly.

“No… No you didn’t.” Sungjong replied, as he stared at the ground and gripped onto the glass so tight like his life depended on it. He could feel himself confessing sooner or later… No… His dream was to confess in a perfect situation, perhaps under the big tree in the park, not like this… not when he is pressured by all these questions and being cornered by a frustrated L.

“Then WHY?! Why are you not talking to me anymore?? And why do you seem to dislike Gyuri, did she do something to you?? How can you be mad at someone so nice and kind like her?!” Myungsoo slammed the counter with his hand, causing Sungjong to jump. Things were not going according to how L had planned it; he swore he wouldn’t shout at his dongsaeng like that. What was he thinking?

“I SAID NO!!!” Sungjong yelled back, finally looking up at the man before him, his tears already sliding down his cheeks. He could see Myungsoo’s eyes widening, most likely in shock at the boy’s rare outburst and the tears that escaped his eyes.

“Then why-”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!!!” Sungjong shouted back, cutting off Myungsoo’s words. He said it, he finally said it. He couldn’t look at L in the face anymore, immediately burying his face in his hands as he sobbed.

Yet he never expected L to say something like that, something so hurtful and not thought through.

“You’re kidding right?”

TBC...

A.N: WHEEE FINISHED THIS CHAP WITHIN ONE HOUR!! :D my exams are starting tomorrow so i decided to update one last time before my mini hiatus. i will only be able to update next thursday, when my major exams are finished *left with language exams that i don't study for*. so do look forward to it!! HOPE THAT YOU CAN COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE!! and also an assurance to everyone: THIS IS MYONGJONG FIC. SO IT IS EVENTUAL!MYUNGJONG. *unless i decided to write YEOLJONG in the end as unexpected ending LOL* just needed angst to spice things up you know :D HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPPIE!! P.S HAVE YOU GUYS WATCHED INFINITE'S PARADISE MV?! OMO @#$%#$%@#$ I CAN'T EVEN-KYAAHHHHH XD