Sunggyu lets out a sigh as he ruffles his hair a bit while they stand at the entrance of the park, "So why exactly did you call us and screamed in my ear that 'it' was an emergency?"

"Because it is an emergency!" Woohyun said, making Sunggyu sigh again at the unclear message.

"Okay I have a better question: if this is an emergency, then why is Myungsoo hiding behind that tree?" Sungyeol points behind him, Woohyun taking immediate note at seeing how Myungsoo's foot was sticking out and yelling, "Dude squeeze behind more!" to which he received a muffled grumble as the foot was squished in.

This is the worst plan ever... Myungsoo thought as he hid behind that tree with a branch that extended with leaves that was his only access to see what was going on with his hyungs as little children passed by and gave him weird looks. Their plan led up to this because Woohyun couldn't come up with a better plan. He sighed as he continued to try to think very hard about what he could possibly say to Sungjong.

Well, to rewind a bit, after the cafe meeting he did listen to Woohyun's instructions, however he was still a bit stumped as to what to do exactly. The most that Myungsoo could conclude was to focus on that bitter feeling whenever he sees Sungjong with someone else who's romantically interested in him. At there it was easy but from then on it was a messy thought process where he was basically led into a useless circle.

"Someone tell me why the hell Myungsoo is hiding behind a tree like a complete idiot."

Speak of the devil.

Myungsoo peaked out from the side of the tree that he could see better to see an unimpressed Sungjong standing beside Howon. Sungjong lets out a sigh, "I knew that the neighborhood might come up with something like this but going to the extent of trying to hide him with such a cliche tactic of getting people to meet is ridiculous. Are we done here? If that's the case, I'm gonna go ahead and leave."

While Woohyun had grabbed Sungjong and barely stopped him on time and started to whine abou the usual things and only earning irritated responses from the maknae, Myungsoo walks over to the group, feeling a bit awkward now that he was in the same area as Sungjong once again.

"Woohyun can you let go of Sungjong? This is honestly kinda starting to get embarrassing because people are kinda staring," Sungyeol spoke up.

"But I can't! Sungjongie if you don't want to hang out as a group how about a date instead?" to which Myungsoo smacked Woohyun over the head very harshly and causes the latter to let go of Sungjong, who didn't expect the abrupt release and stumbled a before being caught by Howon.

"Ow what was that for, L?!" Woohyun held the area where his head was hit.

"For coming up with a ridiculous excuse." Myungsoo deadpanned before noticing that the bitter feeling he was thinking about was there again, Weird...

"Er- listen, we appreciate you trying to get us to hang out together but I know where you're trying to go from here on out," Howon awkwardly murmured, a slight glare from his unimpressed expression.

Why are you glaring at us? I should be the one glaring at you... Myungsoo pouts, realizing how much he missed his skinship with Sungjong, seeing how Howon helped Sungjong stand up. The feminine boy lets out a sigh, his gaze drifting to the ground, "Isn't it time to stop pretending that everything is okay?"

It felt like Myungsoo was hit by a brick at such a question, feeling pained as this scene reminded him of the day that Sungjong confessed. Thankfully, Woohyun continued to try to at least do something to protest for Sungjong to stay, "I know that nothing is okay! So why don't you and Myungsoo just go on a da-?!"

"He can't."

And Howon grabbing Sungjong's hand led to surprised looks from everyone except Howon which led to the latter suddenly declaring:

"We're already dating."

.

.

.

hwat

If Myungsoo could rewind time to a couple of seconds ago before the rest of them choked on their spit and yelled in surprise, then Myungsoo would like that very much. Very much.

"Wait Howo-"

Sungjong was cut off as Howon pulled Sungjong and dragged the younger to somewhere else quickly away to wherever the hell they were going as the rest of his hyungs continued to shout a variety of things in confusion and surprise- but mainly confusion.

As Myungsoo was still trying to rewind time in his head, he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders by Woohyun and shooked rapidly, the older yelling, "DUDE WE DONKED UP SO HARD!" When the world wasn't shaking anymore, Myungsoo's brain was still processing [about 30% done] before he what Woohyun said finally jabbed right into his head.

"Holy crap. What have I done." so were the only things that Myungsoo coulld manage to say in his frozen state. Woohyun then went off to walk around in circles, ranting about how this was never how their rivalry was suppose to go down. Everyone knew well enough that this was definitely not how it was suppose to end.

Sungyeol awkwardly spoke up, "Um- is this why we came here?"

"No! This was part of a plan but then the plan- I don't know what happened but it's broken!" Woohyun yelled.

"Well maybe we would've known if you told us instead of whatever the hell this is about!" Sunggyu points in the direction that Howon and Sungjong went off to.

"Except Myungsoo couldn't think hard!"

"What does that have to do with the plan?!"

"IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PLAN I MADE!"

"WHICH ONLY YOU KNOW ABOUT!"

"BOTH OF YOU GUYS SHUT UP BEFORE MY EARS BLEED!" Sungyeol pushed both of them away from himself and each other since the tall boy was in between the bickering. Everyone went quiet because even they knew that if the choding is irritated then nothing is okay at this moment.

The tallest lets out a sigh of irritation before scratching the back of his head, "Listen, yes I put myself out there that I'll always be rejected by Jjongie with the whole lie and everything, but honestly I didn't come out here for- well 1) screaming and 2) Howon getting together with Jjongie. I ended that fiance thing because I was hoping that that would help or something but this is starting to get really, really annoying for me- and once the one who's called a choding says that something is annoying then you should know that something is VERY wrong with everything. I'm outta here until everything is okay again, okay? Bye."

Sungyeol turns sharply and leaves their area, Sunggyu awkwardly and quietly following suit. Woohyun lets out a sigh, scratching the back of his head, "I kinda hate to admit it, but the choding is right... Let's... just take tomorrow to think, m'kay? No contact unless you've found your answer."

Myungsoo turns back to the direction where Howon and Sungjong had left to.

"... Okay," he said quietly, barely noticing that Woohyun had left too.

He stood there by himself, his eyebrows scrunched up slightly before he reaches up and clutched his chest that felt like it was aching too much as his mind spun in circles with that awful taste in his mouth.

Bitter. Just bitterness and pain.