***********
“What do you mean?” Seungcheol asks, his eyes wide as he stares at a seemingly detached Jihoon.
“They don’t know.” The smaller answers with a small shrug, his eyes not leaving the paper he scribbles on since he arrived.
“Then what do they think you are doing?” 
“Business.” The reply is short, but Seungcheol can see Jihoon grimace at the word.
“You are graduating in a year.” 
“Yeah. I know.” Jihoon gives him that smile he usually uses when Seungcheol says something stupid or unnecessary.

“What are you gonna do when on you certificate will state that you aren’t finishing business? Don’t you think they’ll observe?” Jihoon chuckles at the sarcasm in Seungcheol’s voice and shrugs his shoulder a bit.
“I’ll deal with it then. Or maybe never. They are not the type to come to my graduating ceremony or something. Hopefully I’ll find a job until then.” 
It leaves Seungcheol perplexed. “Just… how?” he asks with a small voice, more for himself that for the other. Jihoon looks up at him for a brief second and lets out a small laugh.
“You face if funny.” He states before his serious look comes back and he starts to answer Seungcheol’s question. 

“I just wanted to do what I want, but I knew that they won’t agree with it. Me doing business in university was like a certainty since almost ever. I didn’t want to argue with them. You know, my parents aren’t bad people. They always made sure I had everything I needed and, even if they are not there all the time, they made sure to show that they loved me. I guess I didn’t want to lose them.”

“Maybe they would have understood.” Seungcheol’s small voice brings a smile just as small on Jihoon’s face.
“They wouldn’t, I know it. It’s like how you know that… I don’t know, you don’t like spinach or that I love music.”
“I like spinach.”
“That’s not the point.” - a glare. “What I want to say is that they wanting me to do business was a fact. It didn’t need to be proved, it was just a general truth.” There’s silence for a few minutes, the information roiling in Seungcheol’s mind. To him it’s still unbelievable.

“What if they find out?” 
“I told you, I’ll deal with it then.  But they won’t find out. Nobody that could be connected to them knows.”
“What about Maya?”
“Maya wouldn’t tell them. She understands me. And beside that, I trust her.” The knowing smile Jihoon has sported back then seemed so sure.

************

“Maya told them that he’s taking music production as a major.”
Seungcheol and Wonwoo are on the roof once again. Seungcheol is the one that found Wonwoo this time. He wanted an explanation for what happened last night and it was obvious that that kid Seungkwan wasn’t going to give him any. Asking Jihoon was out of the question right now so Wonwoo was his only choice.

“His parents came last night from New York. Looks like Maya was little too angry after that incident and directly called Jihoon’s mother.”
“She told them about his university.” It’s a statement, but Wonwoo nods to it anyway. 
“She told them all.”
“All?” Seungcheol’s voice is so quiet he himself barely hears it.
“All.” Wonwoo confirms and Seungcheol knows that ‘all’ means the worst.

“They kicked him out?” he asks, keeping his voice low. Actually, he doesn’t remember when he last spoke loud. It seems like these days he is afraid even to speak. 
“Yeah… they sold his studio and asked him to move immediately. He is staying with Seungkwan until the dorm approves his application for a room. Maybe he can remain in the same room, since Seungkwan doesn’t have a roommate.”

“How are you?” Wonwoo asks after a while. 
“I’m fine” Seungcheol answers and he doesn’t need to look at Wonwoo to know that the younger doesn’t believe him.  

Seungcheol’s days can’t be described any other way than empty. He’s either in class or in his room, but his mind is never there. No, his mind is mostly lost in the past. It’s funny how he never really thought that he will remember such little things. For example, he spent a whole night reminiscing Jihoon’s laugh. He remembers that time when he told a joke, a lame one at that, and Jihoon started laughing so hard that he woke up Seokmin. And it was just so damn beautiful and genuine, his lips stretched wide, showing his small teeth, his eyes closing completely and his dimples showing in the most charming way. From time to time he would even clap his hands, like a cute seal, and it warmed Seungcheol inside, bringing out an adoring smile because Jihoon was just simply dazzling. 

But Seuncheol’s days are still empty. His classes bore the hell out of him and he wonders what devil pushed him to pick literature. Yeah, sure, he always liked to read and when the university came around, he just didn’t know what to choose. But this is not what he expected and he can’t stop from thinking just how useless all of this is, how he doesn’t know what he would do after he graduates. He wants to talk about this, but he doesn’t have anyone to listen to him. It’s only now that Seungcheol realizes how lonely he is, how he has no real friends and how Jihoon was the only one that ever cared. It consumes him day by day and he sometimes stares at him ceiling, the corner of his eyes stinging, and he just wants to scream.  

“How is he?” it becomes his salute for Wonwoo every time he sees the younger. He also pretends that he doesn’t see the pity in Wonwoo’s eyes every time.
“He’s… he’s Jihoon. You know… even if he would be dying, he won’t let it show.” Wonwoo sighs. “I guess he tries to cope with everything. These days he is looking for a job. His scholarship doesn’t cover his dorm expenses.” Seungcheol only nods, following the people under them. The roof seems to have become their place.

“Most of the time he is working on something. His equipment is at the library, Seokmin asked his father to let Jihoon move it there until he has enough money to rent a place. In the meantime, he kind of occupied one of the study rooms there. No one uses them anyway.”
“Is he at least resting?” Seungcheol sees two students sitting at a table and laughing happily and somehow it reminds him of Jihoon and himself. 

“He is sleeping… sometimes.” Wonwoo voice is distant and Seungcheol turns around to see him frowning.
“Sometimes?” 
“Yeah. His insomnia has gotten worse. We need to make him take some pills and put him to bed from time to time.” The sigh Wonwoo releases is painful to hear, just as his words. And Wonwoo was never one to spare Seungcheol of the painful truth. “Seungkwan said that sometimes, at night, when Jihoon probably thinks that he is asleep, he can hear him crying.”  

Seungcheol have always known how passionate Jihoon is about his music. He knows the smaller is a bit of a workaholic and that he sometimes forgot to sleep or eat while he was working on a song. Hearing what Wonwoo said he can’t help but worry endlessly. He is, however, glad that the smaller has Seungkwan and Wonwoo to take care of him, even though he wished he was also there.

“My songs have color, you know?” Jihoon once said to him. “I mean every song has its color, but I try to give mines something different, so that when somebody hears them they could tell: ‘Aah, this are Lee Jihoon’s colors.”

That’s what Seungcheol thinks when he hears a few of his classmates listen to some song. He approaches them with hurried steps and looks at the phone one of them is holding.
“What is this?” he asks them. A girl, Seungcheol can’t really remember her name just that she is quite pretty, raises her eyes from the phone’s screen and smiles at him. 
“Oh, it’s a new group. Their debut song is pretty good, isn’t it?” she asks, all pearl white teeth and flirting eyes. Seungcheol ignores her and bends a little to see the song’s name. 
“Thanks.” he says and he storms out of the classroom, even though the class will start in less than five minutes. He sends Wonwoo a quick text and waits for him on the roof.

“You know I have classes, right?” the deep voice merges with the wind when the younger joins him.
“I think somebody stole Jihoon’s song.” Seungcheol announces dead serious. “Some new idol group… Seven-something.” Wonwoo large smile takes him aback and he blinks a few times, to make sure that he is not seeing things.
“Why are you smiling?” he asks, his anger starting to build. Wonwoo just chuckles as he sits next to Seungcheol.
“Nobody stole his song. He sold it.” He says. Seungcheol take a little time to process the information.

“He sold a song?” he asks, just to confirm. Wonwoo's nod brings a large smile on Seungcheol’s face. His face muscles hurt a bit, like they forgot how to actually smile, but he does anyway.
“And it’s getting pretty famous too.” Wonwoo adds, smiling just as widely. “The company offered Jihoon a job as their producer. He says he is still thinking about it, but I think he just tries to play hard to get.” Seungcheol lets out a little laugh and a short ‘oh my god’. 

That’s the moment he sees Jihoon. It’s been almost a month since that night and Seungcheol is surprised by how much he changed. The small boy is so much thinner, his face marked by dark circles. His hair isn’t it pink anymore, but it has his natural shade of black and it contrasts painfully with Jihoon skin that seems to have become even whiter. But the boy looks happy. He is laughing as he walks together with Seungkwan in the university garden and Seungcheol can’t help himself but smile along. He wants to go down and congratulate him, but Wonwoo stops him.

“Not today.” The younger says and Seungcheol can see that he regrets his words. “He is so happy now.” And Seungcheol smile fades away, just as the warmth he felt for a moment. Wonwoo doesn’t say it directly, but Seungchol catches on it anyway. If he goes down now he will ruin Jihoon’s happiness. That thought alone makes his heart sting and brings tears in his eyes. He blinks them away, but Wonwoo must have seen them because the younger surrounds his shoulder with an arm.
“I’m sorry.” He quietly says and Seungcheol shakes his head.
“No, you are right.” He replies, his voice hoarse. ‘I’ll ruin it.’ He doesn’t say the rest out loud. He doesn’t need to.

That night is the worst of all. Seungcheol doesn’t remember when it was the last time he cried so hard or if he ever done it. It’d past midnight when he takes his phone in his hand, fingers hovering over Jihoon’s number. He doesn’t press on it, however. He changes the number and calls his mom even though he knows she must be asleep. 

A.N

I forgot to tell you but I think you realized already that the parts between **** are from the past :D This is the fourth part... I think the next part will be up in a few hours... if I don't loose my inspiration that's it. Also, I didn't proof read this, I will do it later or tomorrow, sorry :D

Once again, thanks to all those who subscribed, upvoted or commented. 

How do you like it so far? I know I said to some of you that it won't be so angsty, sorry :)) seems like I can't stop myself from writing angst :D See you later, everyone. Sincerly thank you for reading this! Please comment!!