16 year old eunhae

“You know, ever since we finished middle school and started high school, I’ve always had this feeling of everything falling into place,” Hyukjae muses as they sit at their usual table during lunchtime, Donghae basically attached to his side while Heechul, Sungmin, Siwon, and Kyuhyun sit around with a normal distance between them.

“What makes you say that?” Donghae asks, gulping down another mouthful of water, trying to keep his distance from Hyukjae in the public environment but failing as he keeps their thighs pressed against each other.

“Well we all stayed friends, we were reunited with Siwon and Kyuhyun, and you’re still in love with me,” Hyukjae murmurs, only saying the last portion loud enough for Donghae to hear.

“You’re lucky I put up with your sulking all the time, but yes, I do love you,” Donghae confirms, gripping Hyukjae’s hand for a few moments underneath the table to reinforce his words. Their brief moments of affection go unnoticed in the crowded cafeteria; the pristine white walls making the area seem more like a laboratory than a place for students thankful for the break.

Sometimes Donghae does think that he’s some test subject under observation, the world his cruel captor, but then there’s Hyukjae to make everything just that bit more bearable because if they are just pawns in a relentless and unforgiving game, he knows who he’ll be relying on until the end.

“Why do we have so much homework?” Hyukjae whines when they get home at the ghastly time of eleven o’clock. The night air on the walk back home has woken them mostly from their slumberous ways caused by fatigue and the warmth of the tutoring classroo