Donghae looked like the next day. He hadn’t slept a wink last night after he got home yesterday. He kept mulling over what Hyukjae had said, ‘I at least hoped we could be friends.’ Donghae didn’t like Hyukjae, so why did his words get to him so much. They kept repeating over and over in his mind, and it got him thinking. To be honest, he’d never considered being friends with the monkey and when he really thought about it, it wasn’t that bad of an idea. Thinking back, he started to think about how harshly he had treated him and whether or not it may have been a slight overreaction.

He had only managed to fall asleep once he came to a decision. Tomorrow I shall befriend Hyukjae.  Sadly, this happened 5 minutes before his alarm was due to go off.

“My god, Donghae you look like ,” was his greeting when he entered the door.

“Like you look any better, Yesung.” Donghae laughed when his friend pouted whilst being comforted by an equally bruised Ryeowook.

As much as Donghae wanted to sit and chat with his friends, he couldn’t. He was on a mission. But looking around the classroom he finally noticed that the blonde monkey wasn’t there. He shrugged, he’s always late anyway.

But they were 10 minutes into the lesson and he still hadn’t arrived. 10 more minutes passed, and another, but there was still no sign of him. Donghae shifted nervously in his seat. Was he really that injured yesterday or was he just avoiding the younger? 

Donghae watched the clock. With each passing minute, his guilt only grew.

The bell finally rung and Donghae glanced at the empty seat beside him before trudging out the classroom door with the rest of the schoolboys. He hoped that he may be in by lunch time.

Lunch time finally came and Donghae was starving. As well as skipping out on breakfast, the guilt that had been eating at him all day had left him famished. Entering the canteen, they were about to sit in their normal seats when they were called over by Heechul.

They looked at Donghae and he looked back. It was only now that he realised that he had become the leader of their gang of friends. With a light blush dusting his face, he shrugged his shoulders and they all swiftly made their way to the centre table that was known throughout the school as Super Junior’s table (and only Super Junior’s table.) The five of them awkwardly stood next to the table, waiting for Heechul to address them.

“You guys saved us yesterday, so the least we could do is invite you to sit with us.” He smiled enticingly.

Donghae was busy glancing around the room, looking for Hyukjae, when he once again realised that everyone was waiting for his answer. He shrugged again. “Okay.”

Everyone had soon settled round the table and was talking excitedly about yesterday’s fight. However, Donghae couldn’t be any less interested in the conversation. Violence didn’t interest him and besides, he had a mission to accomplish. “Heechul hyung, have you seen Hyukjae today?”

“No. And he’s not answering his phone either.” Heechul frowned before shrugging, “He’s probably still sleeping.”

Donghae was sad that his mission couldn’t be completed today and couldn’t stop the pout that graced his face.

“Yah, I thought I was your boyfriend. Why do you look so sad? Do you not like me?” Siwon faked an angry/sad face.

Donghae leaped out of his seat into Siwon’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Of course I like you, Siwonnie, otherwise we wouldn’t be dating. I love you my Siwonnie!” Siwon showered his face in kisses, effectively cheering the younger up. Donghae forgot about his mission and enjoyed the rest of his day.

Hyukjae wasn’t in the next day, or the day after that, and Donghae was close to pulling out his hair. He was now almost 100% sure that Hyukjae wasn’t coming in to school because of him. Donghae’s guilty conscience had been keeping him awake at night, and whilst he tried to hide this from his friends, they were not stupid. They constantly questioned him about why he looked so tired, and the only reason why Sungmin hadn’t dragged him back home and forced him to sleep yet was because of his top class aegyo.

It was now Friday and Donghae had decided; if he wasn’t coming to me then I’m going to him. So that lunch time he had asked a slightly bewildered Kyu for Hyukjae’s address. The youngest was reluctant to give it to him, but one flash of Donghae’s award winning smile had him reaching for a pen and paper.

Donghae fixed his hair for the tenth time as he stood outside Hyukjae’s house. The two-storey modern looking house comprised of brick and glass was imposing. Hyukjae clearly came from money and Donghae couldn’t help but feel out of place. He glanced at the address written on the piece of paper he was holding in his shaking hand. Why was he so nervous? It was only the monkey. He opened the metal gate and walked up the garden path. On