Wheels: The Third Wheel 

If there was one thing Junhong was used to, it was being left out. It wasn’t like people intentionally left him out, or that he didn’t have any friends, it just kind of happens and it wasn’t like he minded, because truthfully he sometimes preferred being alone.

But, his eyes glanced up at the three girls who had their arms linked together in front of him, this wasn’t what he had in mind when he had called Sooyoung up for a date. What had started out as a Junhong and Sooyoung day somehow turned into a Sooyoung, Hayoung, Yerin, and Junhong day, if he could even consider himself in the picture because if Sooyoung and him weren’t wearing couple shirts, it would have looked like three cute girls walking with a very creepy guy following them.

“Sooyoung-ah.”

“Park Sooyoung,” he whined quietly when the girls spotted another store they wanted to entered. Of course his weak attempt at whining went unnoticed by his girlfriend who entered the shop without sparing a glance back at him. Spotting a bench outside the shop, he grumpily made his way there. It wasn’t like she’ll miss him anyways, two hours of trailing behind them was clear that she had forgotten all about him.

He wondered if she’ll even noticed if he left? He grunted, “she’ll probably be glad I left. That way she’ll get to spend the whole day with her girlfriends, which was what she was probably going to do anyway.”

It was rare to find time alone with her, she was just so damn popular. Sure they saw each other almost every day, but this was different. Today they would get to do things that didn’t involve school, wouldn’t be bothered by their classmates who always had something to say to Sooyoung. He couldn’t remember a time when Sooyoung wasn’t greeted with a thousand hellos and definitely not a time when those hellos didn’t turn into a conversation, causing him stand awkwardly by her side as she conversed away.

He sighed as he glanced at his watch – 12pm – it was lunch time. There was a cute restaurant nearby that he had wanted to take her too, but seeing her exit the store with Hayoung and Yerin still in tow, he knew that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

“Junhong ah,” she called out to him as they neared him, “there’s a cute restaurant nearby, let’s go try it with the girls okay?”

“Okay,” he responded, it wasn’t like he could’ve objected. Not with Hayoung and Yerin standing there and especially not when Sooyoung looked so eager to go eat with her friends or were they “their” friends? They did all graduate from the same high school, - nah -  he shook his head, they were definitely her friends he concluded when she had locked arms with them once more, leaving him to trail behind them.  

Well, at least one thing was going according to plan, he was going to get to eat at the restaurant he had thought of.

♥

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Yes, there was definitely four people at the table, yet why did he feel like the odd one out, like he was the third wheel. Was it even possible to feel like the third wheel when there was four of them. It should have been Yerin and Hayoung, then Sooyoung and him, yet why was it Yerin, Hayoung, Sooyoung, and then him?

“And then he handed me a napkin. Oh Sooyoung you should have seen him, it was so romantic the way he offered me the napkin. He had his charming smile too,” Yerin gushed and Junhong had to keep from laughing. He glanced at his girlfriend who was staring at the girl telling the story with dreamy eyes.

Don’t tell me she actually thinks that was romantic. The guy merely handed the girl a piece a napkin, most likely because she had something on her face in the first place. When did common decency become romantic?

“Oh please, that’s nothing compared to what happened to me,” Hayoung started, “I was leaving my morning class the other day when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and guess who was standing behind me with my book?”

Sooyoung looked at Yerin, who shrugged, “dunno.”

“Ugh, you guys are no fun, but it was Sehun,” she gushed.

“No way, you mean the one and only Oh Sehun ran after you to give you your book?” It was obvious the girls were smitten by this Oh Sehun, who if Junhong wasn’t mistaken had skipped one too many classes and was now being forced to retake some beginner classes.

“Yep, the one and only Oh Sehun. I didn’t even think he knew my name,” Hayoung fanned herself.

“You know Sehun, right Sooyoung?”

Junhong who had been zoning in and out of their conversation suddenly took interest.

“Yeah, I-um, I sort of know him,” she said as she shyly pushed her hair behind her ears as a red hue appeared on her cheeks.

He couldn’t believe his eyes, was she blushing? His girlfriend was smitten over this Oh Sehun guy too. Today was just getting better and better. First his date with Sooyoung was ruined and now she’s gushing over some heartthrob. He might as well be invisible, which was what he had felt like the entire morning.

“But you know, he isn’t all that great. I hear he’s a real baby,” she quickly added, much to his delight.

“Yeah, and how do you know that?” Hayoung questioned, she wasn’t about to let Sooyoung ruin her Oh Sehun’s image.

“Seulgi unnie, my roommate. She’s somewhat acquainted with him. Says despite his looks, he can be a real pain in the . Her words not mine.”

“Well, baby or not, he’s still super-hot,” Hayoung stated and Yerin shook her head furiously in agreement. 

“Anyway enough about Sehun, let’s go to that pet store across the street. I hear they have the cutest puppies there,” Sooyoung shouted eagerly, much to Junhong’s dismay. He was never going to get his date with her today was he?

♥

“Junhong, we’re here,” he felt a soft whisper in his ear.

“Hmm,” he stirred from his sleep, “where are we?”

“Silly, we’re back at the university. Come on, Hayoung and Yerin already got off.”

At the mention of their names, Junhong frowned, - right, they had spent their entire day with those two.

“You sure you don’t need us to take you back to your dorms?” Junhong asked the two girls and as much as he was slightly annoyed at them for unknowingly ruining his date, he couldn’t let two girls walk alone at night. Yes, it was nighttime already, the sun had set and the day was over.

“We’re sure. Hayoung’s dorm is literally beside mine so we could watch each other go in and our dorms are super close to here so don’t worry,” Yerin smiled at the tall man.

“Well, I don’t know,” he grumbled.

“Don’t worry Junhong, we’ll be fine. We do this all the time,” Hayoung assured causing him to raise his eyebrows.

“Of course Sooyoung’s never with us,” she added and Sooyoung wanted to slap her friend for making it obvious that she was in fact a part of their nightly excursions.

“Anyway, we’ll just be on our way now. Thanks for letting us hang out with Sooyoung today Junhong.”

“Yeah, sorry about today, don’t worry though, Sooyoung will give you a reward for being so good,” Yerin cheekily said as she winked at him.

“Yah. Oh Hayoung. Jung Yerin. Do you guys want to die?” Sooyoung shouted, causing the two girls to laugh as they ran off.

“So shall we head off?” Sooyoung turned to him as she reached for her usual spot on his arm. He smiled and nodded his head, - finally.

“Thanks for today and I’m sorry,” he heard her say as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Hmm?”

“You know,” she pried, but Junhong wasn’t about to let her off so easily. Today had been an exhausting one for him, “I don’t know.”

He heard her sigh in defeat, “fine. I’m sorry I spent all day with Hayoung and Yerin when today was supposed to be our day, but in my defense I didn’t know they would be there.”

When he didn’t respond she tilted her head so she could read his facial expression, “you’re upset aren’t you?”

He gave it a moment. He was upset but, he supposed it could’ve been worse. Hayoung and Yerin were decent girls so really no harm done right?

“Well, to be truthful, I am a little upset,” still he needed to be truthful to Sooyoung.

“I know, but you know Hayoung and Yerin, we go way back and it’s hard not to get so carried away when I’m with them.”

“I know. I know you guys go way back, but still. I felt like the third wheel the entire day and it wasn’t fun,” he cutely pouted causing her to smile at him with her crescent eyes.

“Oh Junhongie, I’m really sorry. I won’t let that happen again, I promise. You forgive me?” She asked with her doe like eyes.

“Well, there was one more thing,” he boldly stated earning a confused face from Sooyoung.

“Oh. Sehun,” he breathed. She was hoping he wouldn’t bring him up. It was an honest mistake. Lots of girls had crushes on him, heck didn’t he hear Hayoung and Yerin, who were swooning over him?

“Junhongie,” she whined.

“It’s just Sehun. You know he’s considered a heartthrob on campus,” she pleaded.

“Still, your boyfriend was right there and you blushed,” he countered her argument, “and you even pulled your hair behind your ear, like this” he demonstrated with his non existing hair.

“Junhongie,” she whined again, before releasing her hold on him and crossing her arms against her chest.

“Yah, why are you getting mad? I’m the one who should be mad,” he asked taking one quick glance at her before turning away, one second longer and he would had been a goner. No one could resist a mad Sooyoung because she unfortunately made the cutest angry person ever.

“Argh, alright. I’m sorry,” she admitted defeat. She’ll probably be mad if she was in his shoes too, so it was only right that she apologized and besides, she missed him terribly even though he had been with her the entire day. There was no time for her pride when she much rather be in his arms anyway.

“Oh alright, apologize accepted,” he said as he held his hands wide open for her to fall into, which she happily did.

“Hey, how about we watch a movie tonight?” She asked as she lifted her head up at him.

“Where? I think Himchan has friends over and we’re not supposed to have girls pass eleven. There’s no way we’ll finished a movie by then,” he logically stated. Though a movie sounded great after today.

“How about my place?” She shyly asked, playing with the strings on his jacket.  

“But boys aren’t allowed after eleven either.”

“You can spend the night,” she stopped swirling the string and made eye contact with him, a playful glint in her eyes, causing his heart rate to soar.

“Se-seulgi?” He muttered. 

“She went home this weekend, some family event going on,” she said nonchalantly as she began swirling the string of his jacket once again. Oh god, he was sweating bullets. Was it just him or was it getting extremely hot.

He felt her tiptoed up to his ear and whispered, “just think of it as your reward.” A shiver shock down his spine.

“Reward?” He gulped nervously.

“Hmm, for being such a great and understanding boyfriend. Yerin did mentioned it earlier didn’t she? But if you don’t want to then I’ll…..” she released the strings and turned her head to the side.

“No,” he shouted, “who said I didn’t want to,” he tried not to sound so nervous or eager, earning a laugh from Sooyoung.

“Oh gah, you’re so cute Junhong,” she exclaimed as grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her dorm.

♥

The room was dark, save for the light coming from the television, the movie playing long forgotten as the two sole inhabitant of dorm room 803 were busy doing their own things; one of them (Seugli), gone for the weekend and not even aware of the movie playing, the other one (Sooyoung) asleep in the arms of her boyfriend. The boyfriend (Junhong) stared at his girlfriend, a mixture of bewilderment and admiration in his eyes.

On one hand, he couldn’t believe when she had asked if he wanted to watch a movie, she had actually meant it despite her playful acting not even an hour ago. On the other hand, he couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked in his arms, bare faced and all. A wave of contentment entered his heart as he lightly placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before closing his eyes. If this was the reward she was talking about, then, being the third wheel was worth it.  

I just love Joylo so much. Why? Why? Why? Anyway this was largely inspired from their graduation (it was so long ago, and the start and end of their interactions). I mean everytime Joy interacted with Yerin and Hayoung, it really looked like Zelo was her bored boyfriend who happened to be dragged along on their play date. It was so cute and I want more. 

Please give me some Joy and Zelo moments in the future...lol I'm so desparate for them and it's been a while since I've updated any Joylo related things so here's to everyone who still loves them. 

Also note, they did not do anything scandalous. Sooyoung was just teasing him. XD