I promise I haven't forgotten about this story. More than half of this chapter was already written, but I had trouble writing the rest. And since I haven't started writing anything for the next chapter, I have no idea when I'll end up posting it. I know what's going to happen I just don't know how to start. But anyway, I hope this chapter is at least a little interesting. (I've read it so many times, I don't know anymore.) And the second part is italicized because it's a flashback.

i.

Woohyun wakes up his usual groggy self. He stumbles to the bathroom with his eyes half-open and proceeds to get ready for school. He's showered and washed his hair and is in the middle of brushing his teeth when his brain finally starts running and he remembers what happened the day before. He stops brushing his teeth and just stares at his reflection. His damp hair sticks up in all directions and toothpaste foam is starting to run down his chin. He doesn't even notice, though, as a huge grin spreads across his face. It stays in place for the rest of his morning routine. As he pulls on his uniform (which he may or may not have spent extra time ironing); while he eats breakfast (which receives questioning looks from his family, but it's not like he’s paying them any attention); and on the bus to school.

His good mood lasts all the way to the school's front doors where he's met by a calm (and possibly bored and/or sleepy) Hoya and a practically foaming at the mouth Sungyeol.

He's not especially surprised. He did ditch them the day before to be with Dongwoo. Of course they would be on him first thing to spill everything.

Sungyeol gives him a hard whack on his shoulder in lieu of a hello. "How could you bail on us and not even elaborate on what 'hanging with Dongwoo' means?"

"I think you're being a little overdramatic," Woohyun says while rubbing the sore spot on his arm.

"And when is he not?" Hoya slings an arm around Woohyun's shoulders and they take a moment to commiserate together. It was a sad fact that after finding his calling in acting (according to him, at least) Sungyeol had become prone to theatrics. They'd both suffered through way too many meltdowns and tantrums over trivial things.

Sungyeol falls into step on Woohyun's other side as the three of them head into the building. "Yeah yeah, I'm a drama queen. But that's not important right now. We should be talking about what happened yesterday with you and Dongwoo."

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but nothing happened so there's nothing to talk about." The sentence is barely out of Woohyun's mouth when Hoya's arm tightens around his neck. It's not tight enough to hinder his breathing, but he ends up hunched over while being dragged along as his friends continue the walk to their lockers. Sungyeol points an accusing finger in his face, his voice loud in the quiet hallway.

"Do we look stupid to you?" Hoya's arm wraps just the slightest bit tighter around Woohyun's neck as Sungyeol quickly backtracks. "Don't answer that."

"We all know you're a terrible liar," Hoya says, finally loosening his arm enough for Woohyun to stand up straight. "Just tell us what happened. It's not like it was a date or anything. Plus, you totally owe us."

Woohyun rubs his neck, shooting Hoya a dirty look. He hates when his friends are right. He's saved from another attempt at believable lying by Sungyeol's hand on his shoulder. That is until he hears what the other has to say.

"You don't have to tell us." Woohyun really doesn't like the devious look in his friend's eyes. That's never a good sign. "I'm sure Dongwoo will be more than happy to do it for you." To Woohyun's utter horror, Sungyeol turns away and stomps off. Towards Dongwoo.

It takes him a moment to realize that they're standing in the same hallway in which Dongwoo's locker is located and that his friend is currently making his way to the upperclassman with the intention of embarrassing Woohyun in one way or another. And when his brain finally does catch up, he wastes no time running after Sungyeol (with Hoya right on his heels). He wonders how acceptable it would be to jump on his friend's back and tackle him to ground before he can reach Dongwoo.

"So you're the one my best friend can't stop talking about." Woohyun would be internally cooing at the startled look on Dongwoo's face if the reason for it wasn't his friend towering over the other with what Sungyeol probably thinks is a pleasant smile. It only looks downright evil to Woohyun. Dongwoo gapes up at the younger student, speechless.

"Hey, Dongwoo," Woohyun says with a wave to get the upperclassman's attention. He's relieved it comes out so casually despite the dread hanging heavy in his stomach and panic jumbling his thoughts. He pulls Sungyeol back a step in the hopes of making his friend seem less intimidating.

Dongwoo's eyes shift over to his and after the second it takes for his brain to recognize Woohyun's face, a bright smile breaks out on his own. "Woohyun."

The sound of his name coming from Dongwoo's lips replaces all other thoughts in Woohyun's head. It's genuinely warm and happy and gives him feelings friends shouldn't have about other friends. He doesn't realize he's been staring at Dongwoo for just a little too long (or that Dongwoo had been staring back) until Hoya gives him a small nudge. His words come out dazed as his mind starts working again.

"...This is Sungyeol and, uh, Hoya. My friends."

Dongwoo sends a friendly smile at the two of them before wrapping an arm around the waist of a student Woohyun hadn't even noticed. "This is Sunggyu," he says, pulling the assistant director closer despite the other's attempts to distance himself. "But I guess you already know who he is, don't you?"

Woohyun doesn't think he's imagining the knowing look he gets from Sunggyu as his eyes pass over him and his friends. He can't help wondering what Dongwoo might have told him about the time they'd spent together the day before. But there's nothing to tell so he shouldn't feel like the other student is judging him. Maybe that's just his usual expression.

"Oh, Howon. How'd your happy tree turn out?" Woohyun isn't sure which is weirder: the small smile that spreads across Sunggyu's face or the fact that it's being directed at Hoya of all people. Or maybe the weirdest thing is that he used Hoya’s real name. Hoya almost always introduces himself with his nickname. At least Woohyun's not alone in his confusion. Sungyeol and Dongwoo are both seem just as lost as they look between the two boys.

"You guys know each other," Dongwoo asks.

Sunggyu is slow to answer and Woohyun wonders if that's what he'd looked like a couple minutes ago, so focused on the object of his affections that it takes a second for his brain to process things. (Not that he's sure that's what's going on between Hoya and Sunggyu.) "We met yesterday during rehearsals." Sunggyu and Hoya share a smile that only confuses the other three boys more.

For a moment Sungyeol looks torn between pursuing it further and continuing to grill Dongwoo on the time he'd spent with Woohyun before making a decision. "Speaking of yesterday," he starts with that predatory look returning to his eyes and lighting them up as he turns his attention back to Dongwoo. Hoya will have to wait. "Did you and Woohyun have fun hanging out together?"

The startled look is back on Dongwoo's face. "O-oh, yeah, that," he glances at Woohyun as he fumbles for an answer. He's probably unsure of how much of his conversation with Woohyun he's allowed to share. "You guys probably had plans. I didn't mean to steal him from you. It's just—he was—um—"

"You know what," Woohyun cuts him off. He's not worried about what Dongwoo might say about the day before—because, really, nothing happened. He just thinks Sungyeol has scared Dongwoo enough. "We should probably head to our lockers now." He doesn't miss the relief that washes over Dongwoo's face. And he's not offended by it either. He'd feel the same way too.

"Okay, I'll see you around then." The sweet smile is back on Dongwoo’s face. "It was nice meeting you guys," he says to Hoya and Sungyeol, surprisingly genuine considering the last five minutes.

Sungyeol pouts at the end to his fun. He’s not too put out, though, because now he can pester Woohyun for the full story. "You too," he replies. Or at least tries to. Woohyun has a hand wrapped around Sungyeol’s arm and is almost forcefully pulling him away. Hoya manages a small wave, his eyes lingering on Sunggyu for a moment before he turns around to join his friends.

"You still have to show me how that tree turned out," Sunggyu calls out to Hoya. "In case you forgot."

Hoya stops and turns his head (Woohyun and Sungyeol follow suit out of sheer curiosity). There’s a grin on his face from whatever joke he and Sunggyu seem to be sharing. "We’ll see," he promises vaguely.

ii.

"I want to be surprised that this is the kind of place you go to cheer yourself up," Woohyun says as he watches Dongwoo scratch behind a tiny black cat's ear. Dongwoo sits with his legs outstretched and the animal comfortably settled in his lap. Woohyun kneels awkwardly next to him. The cat closes its eyes and lets out a soft purr. "But somehow it's not working."

This is not at all the pick-me-up he had been expecting. His confusion as they stood outside of the pet shop had been shed shortly after entering the welcoming warmth of the store. He had watched the older student greet the staff and animals, all smiles and friendly words. It wasn't hard to tell he was a frequent visitor. Despite having only met Dongwoo three weeks earlier and having a total of three short conversations, Woohyun feels this is definitely the kind of place the other would retreat to. Maybe it's his bright smile with a hint of playfulness or his seemingly (and most likely) kind personality, but Woohyun can't imagine Dongwoo relieving his stress in more aggressive ways. Surrounded by adorable, nearly harmless little creatures sounds more probable.

Dongwoo picks up the cat, who opens its eyes at the loss of fingernails lightly moving through its fur, and cradles it to his chest. It closes its eyes again as it sinks into the warmth of the boy's arms. He starts petting its head in slow even . He looks down at the animal as if it's the most precious thing in the world. Woohyun feels his heart clench at the sight.

"I guess I just like being around animals. They're simple, you know? You feed them, pet them, play with them, and just love them. They don't ask for anything else. As long as you're there for them, they'll always be there for you. People aren't usually like that. When I feel like things aren't going how I want them to I like to come here and just be around the puppies and kittens. They're so... I don't know, free, I guess. It's a nice distraction. All of my stress seems to melt away by the time I leave."

He looks over at Woohyun, a small smile on his face. The caring look he had given the cat is still on his face.

Woohyun spends a moment just staring back at him. It's really unbelievable how much more perfect Dongwoo seems to become every time he talks to him. The most attractive thing about him is his genuinely kind nature. His good looks and sweet smile are just added bonuses.

"Uh, is this working for you? I know everyone deals with stress differently, so maybe this isn't your kind of thing. You can tell me what you think; I won't be offended."

Woohyun manages an amused smile at Dongwoo’s eager tone. He looks away from him and lets his eyes fall on the sleeping cat. "I don't know," he answers honestly. He sits fully on the floor and pulls his knees to his chest to rest his chin on them. "I guess," he heaves a big sigh as he tries to find the right words. "I guess I'm sort of in the middle. Like, I know I shouldn't be mad about...um, the situation." He just manages to stop himself from saying more than he intended to. "Because it is what it is and there's not really anything I can do about it. And I'm not mad, not really. But I don't want to settle for..." Woohyun pauses, finishing the sentence in his head instead. I don't want to settle for just being friends with you.

He could have only imagined it, but the first time they met he had felt like there was something between them. It's presumptuous of him to think that they were both on the same page. But he actually believes in love at first sight and all of those other cliché ideas about love. He could see the two of them getting to know each other slowly by just talking and then he'd probably build up the courage to stumblingly ask Dongwoo out, or maybe Dongwoo would be the straightforward type who would just ask because it seems right, and then they'd share their first kiss at someone's front door after a date that didn't really feel like a date because it was a lot like the times they would talk endlessly and there weren't any furtive glances or hesitant hand-holding and the kiss is perfect and then, naturally, they start dating and hopefully it lasts longer than most high school romances. That's how he imagines their relationship unfolding, but it's not reality. Because reality .

"Maybe I'm just being selfish," he wonders out loud.

"It's okay to be selfish sometimes. You don't always have to think about how everyone else will feel. That's way too much stress for one person." Dongwoo reaches out with the arm not holding the cat and rests a hand on Woohyun’s shoulder.

"Thank you for this," Woohyun begins. If Dongwoo hadn't found him earlier he would have most likely spent the time sulking in his room. "I feel a lot better now."

"Just glad I could help."

Woohyun heaves himself off the floor and smooths out the wrinkles in his uniform. "I hope you don't mind if I go now. My mom will kill me if I'm late for dinner."

Dongwoo gently places the still sleeping cat back in its cage and shuts door before rushing to his feet. "Let me walk you back."

"You don't have to. I actually live pretty close by."

The older boy picks up both of their book-bags, that they had tossed aside shortly after entering the store, and holds Woohyun's out to him. "I want to. And I'm not taking 'no' for answer."

Woohyun accepts the bag. "You know, following me home would just make you look like a stalker."

"Which is why you're letting me walk you home, right?" Dongwoo's face is alight with a winning smile. Woohyun doesn't bother trying to move away when the other slings an arm across his shoulders and steers them towards the front door. He can't, actually. Not with how Dongwoo's smiling at him. (The slight quirking of one of his eyebrows might have also played a part.)

That means he's really screwed if they're going to be friends. Dongwoo gives him all of these warm, fuzzy, puppy love kind of feelings. How is he supposed to act like they aren't there? Like every time he sees Dongwoo he doesn't have the urge to kiss him senseless and tell him how beautiful he is and what a wonderful person he is? But it's too late to change his mind. He can't just suddenly decide that he doesn't want to be friends anymore. He could tell Dongwoo how he really feels and maybe Dongwoo will be uncomfortable with it and he'll be the one to give up on their friendship. But Woohyun doesn't think he can handle that kind of outcome. At the very least he should be half-honest with Dongwoo, although it's not like he won't find out eventually. The trick is how he should broach the subject. Should he blurt it out or beat around the bush? Would it be better to see how Dongwoo feels about gayness in general before bringing up his own gayness? All of these thoughts swirl around Woohyun's head as he and Dongwoo walk in near silence. It's not until they're a block from his house that Woohyun gathers enough courage to say something.

"I'm gay."

That's not how he had wanted to bring it up, but the words are out now. He keeps his eyes on the ground in front of him and clenches his hands in his pants' pockets. He can feel the thin layer of nervous sweat on them. Dongwoo is still silent beside him, like he has been since their attempt at small talk ended not too long after they left the pet store. He's curious to see Dongwoo’s expression, but nervous at the same time. It's not that he thinks Dongwoo will shun him; it's just that he always gets uneasy when he chooses to come out to someone. Even when he's sure that the reaction will be positive (like it had been with Sungyeol and Hoya), he can't help the nagging fear that he won't be accepted.

"I just wanted to let you know," he fills in the silence between them. "Because we're friends now, I think, and it’s not like it’s something I’m trying to hide." He clamps his mouth shut to keep from nervously rambling on.

"We are friends," Dongwoo assures him. And when Woohyun turns his head to finally look at Dongwoo he sees him looking back with a smile and positive energy practically seeping from his pores. "This is actually a first for me. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say. Thank you for telling me?"

Woohyun laughs in relief, his hands unclenching from the tight fists in his pockets. "So you're okay with it?"

"Of course." He wraps an arm around Woohyun's shoulders, the move as natural as if they've been friends for longer than the last ten minutes. "You’re still the same person I accidentally hit with a door.”

"That's a good thing, right," Woohyun asks with a laugh. That's not the first impression he would've hoped to have with anyone. Dongwoo only laughs along with him as they walk up the path to Woohyun's house.

iii.

"So why do you and our assistant director have an inside joke?" After spending half of lunch determining that there really isn't anything going on between Woohyun and Dongwoo, Sungyeol has moved on to dissecting the mystery of Hoya and Sunggyu.

"Who?" Hoya looks up from his bowl of noodles, either genuinely clueless or faking it.

"Sunggyu," Woohyun supplies. He’s both grateful that the attention isn’t on him anymore and just as curious as Sungyeol about Hoya’s new friend.

To Sungyeol's disappointment, there's no reaction from Hoya at the mention of Sunggyu. Hoya only shrugs. "What about him?"

"You two seem pretty close." Sungyeol watches Hoya closely, anticipating a slip-up. "He knows your real name. And you didn't even get mad when he used it."

One corner of Hoya's mouth pulls up just the slightest bit. "It's nothing," he dismisses. "A lot of people know and use my real name." He goes back to his food as if that's the end of the conversation.

"Yeah, like your parents. It's obviously something."

"To you," Woohyun joins in again. "Why are you so interested in our love lives anyway?"

"Well, mine is non-existent." Sungyeol sighs dramatically and looks off into the distance like the memory of his last relationship is replaying in his mind. "So you guys are the next best thing. It's incredibly sad, but please don't ruin this for me."

Hoya snorts and starts to say something (probably a comment on the sorry state of Sungyeol's life) when he's interrupted by someone clearing their throat. All three heads turn to look up at the newcomer to their table. Myungsoo stands over them with regret practically tattooed on his forehead now that all of the attention is on him.

"I don't mean to interrupt," he starts quietly. His eyes lock onto Sungyeol as if he's the anchor keeping him from fleeing to someplace with fewer eyes and ears. (And Sungyeol supposes that's true in a sense considering he's the reason Myungsoo had come over in the first place.) "I was just wondering if you're done thinking about working together—not that there's, like, a rush or anything. You can take as long as you need. I'm sure you're busy and you probably already have all the help you need. You don't need me. I mean, what do I know? Just forget I even asked. It was stupid to even—"

"Myungsoo." Sungyeol cuts him off a little more sharply than he means to. But he doesn't stop to apologize. "Breathe," he instructs the younger boy instead. He seems like he needs it.

Surprisingly enough, Myungsoo does just that. He takes a long deep breath as his fists slowly unclench where they'd been balled up at his sides. "Thanks," he says, sounding a lot calmer than before.

"Wait." Hoya's sudden statement fills in the short silence that had settled over the table. He looks from Myungsoo to Sungyeol as he asks, "He's Myungsoo?" The sarcastic thought in Sungyeol's head dries up before he can voice it when he hears his friend's next words. "When did you guys become friends? I thought you hated him."

Sungyeol doesn't have to look at Myungsoo to know how hurt he must be. "I never said I hated him," he refutes, aiming a sharp kick at Hoya's shin under the table. Hoya winces in pain, but doesn't seem half as sorry as he should be.

"I think I should go now," Myungsoo says barely above a whisper. He doesn't wait for the other three boys to say anything—probably doesn't even expect them to—before he turns away.

Sungyeol isn't sure if he should feel relieved that Myungsoo didn't sound close to tears. Technically, it's not his fault; he didn't actually say he hated Myungsoo. But he's not exactly going to chase Myungsoo down to explain himself either. In a way, this is kind of a good thing. He'd been trying to find a way to shake off the younger boy and if this is it then he should take advantage of it. His conscience has other thoughts, though. A heavy weight sits in his stomach for the rest of the day, curbing his appetite and distracting him when he should be paying attention. Feeling guilty .