“Hey your reputation is falling faster by the minute!” Someone yelled across the classroom.

“Yah! I’m still the funny one!” Donghyuk exclaimed, leaning back in his seat with a sarcastic frown wiped across his face.

The afternoon was always like this. Some joking around, a little bit of competition and finally the end of the day bell signalling it was time to go home.

It was a chilly day; the trees decorated in ice sheets here and there and the students all huddled around to preserve the heat. But today, they were all huddled around a specific table in the classroom.

“I totally beat you though, those last jokes made everyone laugh,” Eli shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Her petite body was so adorable sitting smugly in the chair. All eyes were on Donghyuk as he turned to give her a scoff, “A lot of things you do make everyone laugh.”

The class erupted. Cheers and amusement emitted in the small room and Donghyuk was nearly on the floor, mentally praising his wits. Eli gave him a glance, a small pout forming on her lips but nonetheless, she countered, “That’s not how you felt last night Donnie.”

His cheeks tinted a darker shade of red than ever before. He bit his bottom lip managing to mumble something under his breath while he earned a few slaps on the back from his peers.

“We’ll continue another time Eli. What do you say?” He laughed.

She paused, watching the way his shoulders bounced slightly when he chuckled and how he would have this weird habit of biting his lip when he was nervous.

“Walk me home?” She smiled earning a successful high five from the latter.

The two made their way through the halls, her pushing him with every unnecessary comment he made and him smiling deeply at her whenever she said something dumb. It was the same thing every day and the two only began to grow closer as the weeks went by. But friendships weren’t the only thing that came between the two.

“So tomorrow, I have something in mind that’ll blow you away!” Donghyuk beamed holding the door open for her.

She stepped out and immediately a gust of wind came at her. She shivered, her uniform barely enough to keep her warm. Donghyuk noticed this instantly and almost naturally, he tossed her his jacket.

The strong smell of vanilla and bittersweet sweat flew up her nose. She would have enjoyed the smell if the jacket hadn’t come flying at her full speed.

“Ow,” She squeaked, throwing it over her body.

It was large and didn’t fit at all but something about seeing her in his clothes made Donghyuk smile. Just a little.

“I’m talking to you,” Eli waved a hand in front of his face and Donghyuk stepped back.

“Wh-what?” He asked, too lost in his thoughts to realize she was speaking to him.

“This is my stop,” She repeated and Donghyuk looked up at his surroundings.

Tall buildings, a bus shelter, a corner store and houses down a long row. Yes, this was where she had to go and it pained him. Whenever they had walked together he felt fuzzy inside as if he would explode any minute but when she left, it felt cold and bare.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” She smiled enough to send him over the edge.

He lifted a brow, smirking in satisfaction, “So you want to see me that bad eh?”

With a small punch on the arm, she scrunched her nose, her face turning pink before she knew it.

“Why are you blushing Eli? Do you like me that much?” He nudged her side for a second.

She let out a laugh, forced and fake, “I would never like you!”  

“Can you eat already? What’s wrong with you?” Junhoe probed, picking at the small thread in his hat.

The two were sitting in Donghyuk’s basement with the heat on high and a large table of chips and coke on the table. Although Junhoe was already full, Donghyuk hadn’t touched a thing and had been sitting in the same position for over an hour. His school uniform was on and he seemed lost and in some sort of disconnected world. Junhoe feeling completely awkward eating alone decided to confront his buddy but there was no answer.

“Look I’m usually not this nice so don’t take it for granted and eat!” Junhoe whined. He set down his controller and sighed.

“I’m not hungry,” Donghyuk mumbled.

“Ugh!” Junhoe groaned, lying on the ground and spreading his arms across the floor.

Minutes passed and the two hadn’t spoken. Junhoe just couldn’t break through.

“Shouldn’t you get going? It’s late.” Donghyuk finally spoke.

Junhoe looked up at him, a hint of entertainment in his eyes before he pulled out his phone and his fingers tapped furiously on the screen.

“It’s about her isn’t it?” Junhoe finally smiled.

He was going to make the best out of this moment for sure.

“Who?” Donghyuk snapped, sitting straight and looking the younger in the eye.

Junhoe threw a couch pillow at him, aiming for the right side of his chest.

“She hit you right there didn’t she? Just like this pillow, right in the heart,” Junhoe joked again.

It wasn’t often they talked about Eli but when they did, Donghyuk would deny everything at first but eventually he would be pouring out his feelings like there was no tomorrow.

“Junhoe it’s not funny,” Donghyuk groaned tossing the pillow back at him.

Just then, the front door flew open and a smiling Bobby walked in. His coat was thrown over his torso effortlessly and he mockingly walked in swaying his hips like a model.

“Bobby hyung!” Junhoe chimed.

“Someone texted me saying you were having Eli problems,” Bobby laughed, tossing his phone on the couch.

“Junhoe!” Donghyuk yelled, causing the two to laugh at the same time.

Bobby walked over and took a seat on the floor next to Donghyuk, “Listen, what’s up?”

“I don’t know hyung, I don’t know how to tell her,” He moaned, running a hand through his hair.

Junhoe bit his lip, trying not to laugh, “Just write her a love letter like you did in the third grade!”

Bobby shot him a look and he smacked his lips shut.

“I want to be with her, I want to hold her. I want to be the only one holding her.” Donghyuk was beginning to speak louder, his fists clenching slowly.

“So...do it!” It was Bobby’s turn to laugh and Junhoe joined in, throwing his head back as if it were the funniest joke on the planet.

Donghyuk ignored them and continued,

“I like her too much for my own good. Whenever I see her I just want to-”

“KISS HER” Junhoe and Bobby finished at the same time.

The room erupted and Bobby and Junhoe began to hold each other and make kissy faces at one another. Bobby held the younger boy by the waist and they continued to laugh and mock one another.

Donghyuk stood up, rubbing his temples. It was always like this with the boys. They would beg him to tell them his problems but they would make a joke of it later.

“I’m going to Jinhwan hyung guys!” He stormed off leaving a laughing Junhoe and Bobby in the background.