You’ve gotta be ting me.

Coming back to his senses, Wonwoo grabbed his hair and spun in a circle, looking all around him. He could barely react, but he had to think fast. Jeonghan was just on the other side of that door.

Still spinning, Wonwoo finally caught sight of the corner the hallway rounded. He immediately ran in that direction and turned out of sight. Trying to breath calmly through his terror, he pressed his back up against the wall. His ear was right at the edge so he could hear what was happening.

Jeonghan opened the door and found no one on the other side. Confused, he stuck his head out and looked both ways. “There’s no one out here.”

Wonwoo’s heart was racing at the sound of his friend’s voice.

Vernon came to the door and glanced out as well. “Huh,” he said. “Probably just some drunk guy roaming the halls.”

Jeonghan chuckled as both of them went back inside. “Is that common around here?”

“It’s LA. Anything’s common.”

The door shut.

Letting out a huge breath, Wonwoo just stood there for a minute and stared at the dimly lit wall in front of him. He had so many things on his mind, he’d completely forgotten about Jeonghan. He couldn’t decide what to be upset about first. There was the fact that Jihoon and Soonyoung were getting closer to ruining his life. There was also the issue with his stupid emotions. How sad Mingyu was definitely wasn’t something to be thought of lightly. And now he was in LA, one of the few places he felt at home, and he couldn’t be with the people he held close because of his secret. Jeonghan and Vernon would’ve been there for him if they knew he was hurting just a few feet away, but they didn’t.

Feeling all of that pain in his chest, Wonwoo finally pulled himself together and left the building. Stepping out into the chilly night, he didn’t know where to go. LA wasn’t very safe at this time, and he knew that, but at this point not much else could hurt him.

Welling up, Wonwoo thought of his misfortunes as he came to a bus stop. He took a seat on the rusted bench and just let his head drop back. Since there was so much light pollution in Los Angeles, he couldn’t see the stars. He could barely remember the last time he saw them. Sitting there alone, he realized which disaster was obviously pulling his heart the most: Mingyu.

He ached just thinking about how badly he screwed everything up. Sure, he and Mingyu had had their blowouts before, but this was different. All those other times, Mingyu just got angry and yelled. This time...he cried.

I can’t believe this, Wonwoo blamed himself. All this time...freakin Chan was right. God, I should’ve listened! But that’s not fair! Just because I want to stop jumping...that doesn’t mean I love Mingyu any less! I mean...does it? Am I really that messed up that I don’t know why I love somebody? I lied to myself about this whole thing? Is that why I haven’t stopped? Cause the ing universe knows my emotions better than I do?

Frustrated beyond belief, he groaned and covered his face. Did I really screw this whole thing up that easily? Wonwoo could picture Mingyu crying over his desk. It hurt so bad to just imagine. He couldn’t even fathom what Mingyu was feeling. I hurt him today...because he’s feeling what I thought I felt…

Filled with this immense self-hatred, Wonwoo removed his hands and found tears on his palms. He sniffed and wiped his nose. Feeling all of the emotions, he needed help. He needed to talk to somebody who would for sure know how to make him smile again, just for a little while. Someone who knew him better than he did. He couldn’t do this all by himself.

Pulling out his phone, Wonwoo went to his contacts and dialed someone from his favorites. Pressing the phone to his ear, he didn’t have to wait very long.

“Sweetie?” a gentle voice answered on the other side.

Wonwoo sniffled again and closed his eyes. “Hi grandma.”

“Wonwoo-ah,” she said even softer, slightly concerned. “Are you alright?”

Just the sound of her compassion was enough for him to crack a smile. Rubbing more tears off his face, he chuckled. “No. No, I’m really not.”

“Sweetie…”

“I’m safe, don’t worry,” he reassured her. Looking out at the street, he watched the cars go idly by. “I’m just...not alright.”

Knowing her grandson, she asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Shaking his head, he looked down at his hands. “No,” he said with a weak voice. “I just wanted…” He couldn’t even put into words what he needed. “I just wanted to hear from...someone I love.”

Wonwoo couldn’t see, but she smiled on the other end. “Ahh, Wonwoo…”

“I’m sorry, grandma,” he said through his whimper. “I just...I just don’t...know what to do.”

“That’s okay, sweetie,” she told him encouragingly. “You don’t need to know what to do all the time.”

“Yeah, but I really have no clue what’s happening,” he admitted. Trying to hold back his tears, he was unsuccessful. Rubbing the side of his head, he could feel his hand shaking. “I want to stop, grandma.”

“I know you do,” she said gently, trying to help with her calming words. “Dear, these things will happen when it’s right. You have to remember that.”

“But when is it right?” he asked shakily. “When is that going to happen? I feel...I feel like I’m...a ways away from...everything. I’m always so far...from home...from my friends…” He let out a quivering sigh. “From the people I never want to be away from.” He bit his lip and looked at the ground. “I’m even away from myself. I don’t...I don’t even know...how I feel anymore…” Crying harder, he managed to say, “When is it going to stop?”

Feeling all of his pain, Wonwoo’s grandmother wanted nothing more than to give him a hug. “Sweetie,” she said softly, knowing he wasn’t fully there. “Wonwoo-ah, please don’t cry too much.”

Sniffling, he tried to control himself. Clearing his throat, he replied, “I’m sorry, grandma.”

“Don’t apologize, dear,” she corrected him, exuding all the warmth a grandmother should. “You don’t ever have to tell me you’re sorry.”

With those words, he weakly grinned, glad that he called the one person who claimed he could do no wrong. “Thank you.”

She smiled. “Wonwoo, you live an incredibly special life,” she explained to him, “one that only a handful of people get to experience. But outside of that, you are an incredibly special person, one who only a few are so lucky to be close to.” He chuckled at her loving words as she continued. “So sweetie, whatever happens to you, no matter how terrible it feels in the moment, you will be alright.” She paused to let him really listen. “I don’t know when it’s going to stop, dear, but I know that it will eventually. Things always work out, and you can always talk to me before or after they do. I’m sorry if I can’t be there to help, but I am always here cheering you on. Okay?”

Wiping away his tears, Wonwoo realized that more weren’t coming. With a smile, he wanted nothing more than to hug his grandmother the way she would hug him. This was exactly what he needed from her. He didn’t call looking for answers or a way out of his situation. He knew nobody could give him that. He needed someone to listen and just be there.

“I love you, grandma.”

“I love you too, my dear.”

— — —

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Jolting up from his sleep, Wonwoo didn’t realize he’d drifted off. Getting up, he ran to the door. “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

Rubbing his eyes, he flipped on the lights and opened the door. Still half asleep, he greeted his guests, “Glad you guys could make it.”

“What the hell man?” Vernon said jokingly as he and his cousin entered the room. “Why’d you wait until now to tell us you were here? I could’ve met up with you when you got here. Kept you company.”

Joshua closed the door behind them and gripped his friend’s shoulder. The news of everything happening the past few days was still fresh. “You okay?”

Wonwoo weakly smiled at his concerned face. “No,” he answered. “But that’s beside the point.”

Looking closer, Joshua could see that Wonwoo had been crying. Vernon saw it too as he sat down on the old mattress. “Wonwoo, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were here,” Vernon told him, truly apologetic for not being there.

Batting the air, Wonwoo came to sit next to him. “It’s okay. I did stop by last night though. I forgot Jeonghan was staying there so I had to make a run for it.”

“Ohhh,” Vernon said, realizing now what happened. “So that was you.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo chuckled. “So it’s okay, Hansol. I’ve just been sleeping here.”

Joshua stepped over and joined them on the creaky bed. Looking all around, he grimaced. “You didn’t have to stay at such a crappy motel.”

Sighing, Wonwoo fell back into the less-than-comfortable pillow. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he explained. “But it’s fine. Not like much could’ve made me feel better right now.”

Joshua and Vernon knowingly looked at each other. Something was wrong. “Hyung, it seems like you always jump here when you feel ty,” Vernon teased, trying to lighten his mood.

“It’s what the universe wants.”

They both knew that was Wonwoo’s sad cry for help. “What’s wrong, Wonwoo?” Joshua asked.

“Is it Jihoon and Soonyoung?” Vernon asked. “Josh told me all about it. Dude, that’s some crazy stuff.”

Wonwoo nodded, but they weren’t one hundred percent correct. “It’s Mingyu.”

Seeing the look on Wonwoo’s face reminded them of the last time he’d jumped to LA. It was about Mingyu then, too. That felt like so long ago, and yet this time he looked even more depressed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Joshua asked him, ready to be there with all the support.

But this time around, Wonwoo really didn’t want to talk about it. “No, no guys. Thanks but…” he clutched his face and groaned. “This time not even breakfast could cheer me up.”

Vernon pouted. “Awww, that’s too bad,” he said as he twisted around to open his backpack. ping it, he took out what was inside. “Then what are we gonna do with these breakfast sandwiches?”

Uncovering his eyes, Wonwoo chuckled. Sitting up, he took one from his friend. “You guys really know me too well.” Unwrapping it, he took a bite and teased, “But McDonald’s? Really? You couldn’t have gone for something just a little more high class.”

Smacking the back of his head, Joshua laughed. “You’re the one staying in a Motel 6. Don’t talk to us about high class.”

The three of them shared a few laughs as they ate. When it seemed okay to ask again, Vernon did. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? We’re right here.”

Chewing with his mouth full, Wonwoo shook his head. “Thanks, but really...I don’t.”

“How can we help then?”

Before taking another bite, Wonwoo knew the only thing that could keep him from constantly hurting over his ty existence. “Distract me, if you can.” He glanced between the two of them. “What’s been going on in your lives? How’s living with Jeonghan? Tell me anything that’ll get me thinking about something else.”

Immediately, Vernon looked at Joshua, as if telepathically saying, “This is all you.”

Joshua knew exactly what he was implying. All of a sudden, his nerves started to act up. “Uhh, okay,” he started, swallowing his food. Trying to think of a way to start, he just beat around the bush. “Jeonghan’s awesome.”

“Yeah?” Wonwoo said, even though he knew that already.

“Yeah, we’ve all been getting along really well.”

“Some of us even more than others,” Vernon said knowingly.

Joshua was prepared to throw something at the boy, but Wonwoo asked, “What do you mean?”

Unprepared to fully address this, Joshua had to trust what Chan said before: he wasn’t going to screw it up. “Jeonghan’s really, really great, Wonwoo,” Joshua said anxiously. “I can see why you and him have been such good friends.” Nodding along, Wonwoo just listened since he wasn’t sure what to expect. Letting out a deep breath, Joshua nervously stared into his sandwich. “Ummm, yeah. We’ve been...getting to know each other and...I don’t know. I’ve noticed a lot of things about him and...I really like hanging out with him and…”

“Joshua,” Wonwoo interrupted, a smile crawling onto his face.

Joshua looked up to find that grin. “Yeah?”

Craning his neck out, Wonwoo smiled a little bigger. “Do you like Jeonghan? AKA my next door neighbor friend from when I was a little kid, Jeonghan? The Jeonghan with the long hair and the…”

“Yes, very cute smile,” Joshua finished for him.

Wonwoo chuckled. “I was gonna say awesome swimming skills, but I guess you’re right. Funny, I never noticed his smile.”

Blushing like crazy, Joshua didn’t know how to answer. But Vernon and Wonwoo were definitely enjoying themselves. “He’s like this all the time,” Vernon whispered to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so flustered.”

“Hey!” Joshua shouted as the other two laughed at him. “I’m not always like this!”

Catching himself from laughing too hard, Wonwoo was well distracted from his pain. “So wait, Joshua do you actually…”

Dropping his shoulders and sighing, he nodded. “Yeah, okay? I—I like Jeonghan. Okay? There. I said it. I like him. I like your childhood friend. Okay? Stop laughing at me, Vernon.”

As he was talking, Vernon couldn’t contain himself. He’d known it for so long and it was always so hard to pull out of Joshua, but it was so nice for him to hear his cousin say it to the one person he was most concerned about.

But Wonwoo was smiling from ear to ear. It was such a strange thing to hear about, his friend liking his other friend, but it was awesome at the same time. “Wait, so how long has this been going on?”

Joshua opened his mouth to answer, but Vernon beat him to it. “Since Jeonghan got here.”

“Really?!”

“HEY!” Joshua shouted, hitting Vernon on the arm. “I just—it hasn’t been that—I don’t know what you’re—”

Laughing way too hard, Wonwoo interrupted, “Josh! It’s okay!” Turning to face his friend, Joshua stopped to hear what he had to say. Wonwoo chuckled a little before going on. “It’s okay! But you and Jeonghan...wow, I never saw that coming!”

“I’m sorry, Wonwoo,” Joshua said, still worried about what his friend must think of all this. “I know it might be weird for you or—”

“No!” Wonwoo exclaimed with a smile. “Are you kidding me? That’s awesome! I mean, I never pictured it, but I guess...yeah you guys would be good together. The two of you must’ve really hit it off.”

“They did,” Vernon assured him. “They’re always talking and Jeonghan loves hearing Josh sing and Josh loves...well, just everything about Jeonghan.”

“Would you shut up already!”

Wonwoo kept laughing as Joshua beat Vernon up with a pillow. “Hyung, that’s great! I’m so happy for you guys!”

Looking at him again, Joshua was still a little uneasy. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Wonwoo shouted through a laugh. “I don’t know why you find that so hard to believe.”

“Sorry,” he said again, sitting back in his spot. “I don’t know why I’ve been so nervous to tell you.”

“Yeah, you didn’t need to be,” Wonwoo reassured him. “You guys would be great together. Well, I guess I didn’t ask, but does Jeonghan feel the same way?”

“I don’t know,” Joshua sighed.

But at the same time, Vernon very firmly said, “Yes.”

“Oh, get out of here!” Joshua yelled, hitting him again.

Vernon and Wonwoo laughed as he asked, “So you haven’t told him about how you feel yet? You haven’t asked him out?”

“He’s been waiting to tell you,” Vernon explained.

Joshua sighed and collapsed face first into the bed. Still rattled, he added, “I wanted to make sure you were okay with it before I did anything.” His voice was muffled but they all understood him.

Wonwoo patted him on the back and said, “Well, you have my blessing if that’s what you needed. Go for it with Jeonghan. Man, I wish I was there to see all of this.” Leaning over, he whispered to Vernon, “Are they really that into each other?”

Vernon nodded and whispered back, “It’s like a freakin rom com in the apartment.”

As both of them giggled, Joshua took the pillow and chucked it at their heads. “Shut up!”

Catching the pillow in his arms, Wonwoo asked, “So are you gonna go for it? Are you gonna ask out Jeonghan?”

Joshua flipped around and stared at the ceiling. He was nervous for a whole different reason now. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Vernon asked in disbelief. “You’re crazy about him! And he definitely likes you back. Go for it, dude.”

“I don’t know if he likes me back,” Joshua clarified. “And even if he did, he’s only here for like just over a month left. Then he goes back to Korea.”

“So what?” Wonwoo remarked. “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”

Rubbing his face, Joshua sighed. “Still, there are other things. Like...our whole Jumper ordeal.”

Groaning, Wonwoo fell to lay beside him. “Do not remind me of that crap right now.”

Remembering what they were there for, Joshua put his hands up in defense. “Sorry, sorry. I mean, there’s so much he doesn’t know about me and...I don’t know. I have a history of…” He closed his eyes and felt a pinch in his chest. “...not being wanted.”

That struck Vernon and Wonwoo so suddenly, neither were prepared. This was the first Vernon was hearing about this issue in a while. “Hyung, you can’t possibly be talking about your dad,” he said, astonished that his cousin had something so far in the past in his present thoughts. “Him leaving you...that wasn’t your fault.”

“We don’t know if it was,” Joshua replied, unsure of himself. “All I know is only one person’s been able to physically stick around for me.”

Vernon cracked a small smile. Bowing slightly, he said, “You’re welcome.”

Joshua chuckled even though they spoke so somberly. “I don’t know. Maybe Jeonghan will also want to leave me.”

Listening to the pains from his friend’s heart hit a nerve for Wonwoo. It was so strange to him how different their love stories were, but how they were simultaneously going on without him knowing. Love was pain and pain was everywhere. Unlike his own issue though, he felt like he had some words for Joshua. “I don’t think he’ll leave you.”

“How would you know that?” Joshua scoffed. “You haven’t seen the two of us together.”

“No, but I’ve seen you apart,” he explained. “Both of you are really loyal to the ones you care about. I mean, Jeonghan and I met when we were little kids, but he still wants me to fly across the world to hang out with him more. And then you’re always waiting for me on this half of the planet.” He smiled and looked Joshua in the eyes. “If Jeonghan feels the same way you do, then he’ll never want to let you go.”

Joshua smiled back and was forever grateful that Wonwoo was in his life. “Thanks.”

Vernon chuckled and said, “Okay, you’re not leaving me out of this sap fest.” Crawling into the small space between them, he laid on his back and stared up as well.

Laying shoulder to shoulder, they all laughed. There was a moment before Wonwoo let out a breath. “Wow, you and Jeonghan. That’s really something.”

“It’s nothing yet, okay?”

Ignoring him, Wonwoo turned to face Vernon in the middle. “Do you have a ship name for them?”

“I’ve got a couple options,” he answered.

Rolling his eyes, Joshua groaned, “Oh my god.”

“Like what?” Wonwoo laughed.

“It’s between Jeongsoo and Jihan,” Vernon listed out.

“Ahh, so it’s his Korean name.”

“Yeah it was too weird with Joshua. Josh-han just seemed weird. Same with Jeongua.”

“I can literally hear you guys,” Joshua said bluntly,

Still ignoring him, Wonwoo thought about it. “I like Jihan. That has a nice ring to it.”

Clapping his hands, Vernon announced, “Jihan it is!”

Laughing together, the two of them didn’t even notice that Joshua was smiling too. He was just glad that he was able to help distract Wonwoo. Even if it was just for a few hours while he was in their time zone, Joshua was always glad to help out his friend.

— — —

“Seriously though, Soonyoung is so great! I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone eat so many egg rolls in my life!”

Not fully paying attention, Minghao focused through the lense of his camera. “Uh huh.”

“I mean it was insane!” Junhui shouted to the heavens. “He told me before he could eat a lot but I seriously didn’t think he could eat more than me! Like seriously, Minghao, have you ever met anyone who could eat more than me?”

Blindly following the sound of his best friend’s voice through the park, Minghao kept trying to take a good shot. “Uh huh.”

Junhui hit the side of his arm. “No you haven’t!” he chuckled. He hadn’t taken too many pictures yet since he was too busy talking. “Man, I wish you got to hang out with them more! Soonyoung and Jihoon are great! Gosh, I miss them already.”

“Uh huh.” Wearing the same frown he’d had all afternoon, Minghao lowered his camera in frustration. Nothing looked good today.

Noticing Minghao’s temperament, Junhui tried to get a clearer view of his face. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you so glum?”

I’m not just glum, Minghao thought. I’m genuinely bothered by the people you’ve grown so fond of. They broke into my house and are actively trying to ruin everything I love. Not only are they despicable, but you seem to see them as wonderful human beings. But that’s not really your fault so I can’t even blame you. And for other reasons that , I can’t even explain to you why I’m so “glum,” as you would say, he imagined himself answering.

But instead, he just picked his camera back up and headed towards the park stairs. There were prettier scenes to capture on lower grounds. “I’m fine,” he insisted. “Come on, let’s go down there. Closer to the water.”

Unconvinced, Junhui knew something was wrong. He never needed Minghao to admit to his feelings to know what they were. Seeing this sadness, Junhui wanted to cheer him up.

Minghao was already heading down the stairs when Junhui jogged to catch up. “Fine,” he said. But instead of following his friend down the steps the proper way, he swiftly hopped onto the railing that went straight through the center of the stairs. “Let’s go!”

Immediately shocked, Minghao’s eyes grew wide. “What are you doing?!” he screamed, watching his friend in horror.

“Don’t worry,” Junhui said through a laugh, his arms spread out to keep his balance. He took a few steps down the slant as he said, “I have impeccable balance.”

Watching him make his way down, Minghao got scared for him. “Jun, get down! You’re gonna fall!” He walked just beside him with his arms out wide, as if to catch the daredevil if he fell.

But Junhui just smiled down at him. “Minghao, I’m not gonna fall! You should know that better than anybody. Ya know why?”

Minghao scoffed and couldn’t help but share that same bright smile. “Why, idiot?”

“Because I have my lucky number with me!” he yelled with such enthusiasm that the old women doing tai chi hundreds of feet away felt his joy.

Knowing exactly what that meant, Minghao groaned. Still holding his arms up, he continued to walk down the stairs at his friend’s pace. “How many times do I have to tell you this isn’t gonna be a thing between us?” But even though he said that, his heart always fluttered whenever Junhui brought this up.

And Junhui knew that, from the way he glowed a slightly different light. Junhui saved this secret weapon for whenever he saw his best friend in a bad mood. “Tell me, Minghao,” he said, like a magician would to his assistant, “What apartment number do you live in right now?”

Shaking his head, Minghao chuckled, “Eight.”

“Eight!” Junhui repeated louder. “And what time did school start when we first met each other?”

Minghao laughed, “Eight but it doesn’t really mat—”

“Eight!” Junhui shouted over him. Reaching the bottom of the railing, he stood there and stared down at his friend. “And how old was I when I learned how to tie my shoes?”

“I don’t think that’s one to be proud of—”

“Eight!” he screamed again. Minghao couldn’t contain his laughter, making Junhui smile. “Do you see, Minghao. All the great things in life are eight.”

“No, I don’t really agree—”

“So what does that make you?!” he yelled, drawing attention from people walking near by.

Getting embarrassed, Minghao smiled into his chest. “The eight,” he said softly.

“THE EIGHT!” Junhui shouted as loud as he could. In the middle of his scream, he leaped from the stair railings to ones that surrounded a flowerbed just a few feet away.

Watching his friend soar over, Minghao hollered, “OH MY GOD, JUNHUI!”

But the boy landed perfectly on his two feet. Standing triumphantly, his balance never wavered. “See, Minghao! I can do anything when the eight is with me.”

Minghao moved over to the grass so he was standing right in front of him again, Looking up, he smiled at the boy he was in love with. “You’re gonna fall,” he told him.

Junhui laughed, “What did I just tell you? I can do—”

“LOOK OUT!” someone yelled.

Both of them turned to the side and saw a kid on a skateboard come flying down the stairs. But by the time they realized how much wind he was creating, it was too late.

“WOAH!”

“JUN!”

Having lost his balance, Junhui tumbled off of the rails and came crashing into Minghao’s arms and chests. The two of them fell straight into the grass. Groaning and aching, it took Minghao a second to realize Junhui was right on top of him. His heart racing, he immediately pushed him up by the shoulders. Staring into his eyes, he frantically asked, “Are you okay?!”

After the initial shock, Junhui laughed .Nodding, he said, “I’m fine. I’m fine. Are you?”

“Yeah,” Minghao laughed back. “I’m good. How’s your camera?”

Thankful that his was strapped to his back, Junhui made sure it was still there. Giving a sigh of relief, he nodded again. “It’s alive.” He glanced over and saw Minghao’s safely resting off to the side. He smiled down at the boy. “Everything’s okay.”

Shaking his head, Minghao was too busy laughing that he’d completely forgotten how upset he just was. The only thing he could think about was Junhui. Hugging him in his arms, he said, “You are so dumb.”

Letting himself be embraced, Junhui rested his chin on Minghao’s shoulder. Closing his eyes, he smiled by his friend’s ear. “I’m only dumb when I have my lucky number.”

— — —

“You seriously expect me to believe that?” Seokmin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Soonyoung laughed and ate another bite of his cookie. “She said it. I’m telling you.”

With a weak chuckle, Seokmin shook his head. “Sure, Soonyoung. That’s what she said.”

“My professor’s just ridiculous,” Soonyoung continued ranting. “She’s always on my tail about being late for class or not doing the assignments when I clearly do them.”

Seokmin couldn’t help but enjoy listening to Soonyoung talk about his life. He’d been captivated by it for the last hour. Glancing around the bakery, he’d never been more glad to have the place so slow. “What class is this for again?”

Finishing chewing, Soonyoung said, “Biology.” Playfully snapping his fingers in the boy’s face, he told him, “Keep up, Seokmin.”

“Sorry,” he laughed. “It’s just hard to keep up with all that you have going on. I mean, you just got back from China. You take, what, like five classes? You have a lot to talk about.”

Soonyoung noticed how he graciously left out how he had a really time consuming internship, which he also wanted to ignore when they were together.

Looking for another chance to talk to Seokmin, Soonyoung had come by the shop earlier. He was lucky that Seokmin was working the shift alone that day. Yesterday, both of them really hit it off, so this time around it was less awkward when he came through the door. Somehow it was easy for the conversation to start. They laughed and smiled and just talked. And both of them were happy, but they also made sure their conversation never came to the one topic that made it harder for them to get along.

“Six classes,” Soonyoung corrected him with a smug smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Seokmin said sarcastically, mocking the boy he was glad to hang out with. “Six then.”

Smiling, Soonyoung leaned over the counter. He’d pulled up a chair to make himself more comfortable. “Well, since you know so much about me,” he said, looking into the shining boy’s eyes, “why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

A little blushy, Seokmin felt his stomach turn. “I’m not one to tell people too much about myself.” Especially not to reporters, he reminded himself.

And Soonyoung could tell his job was getting in the way. “Seokmin, I’m not asking this like I’m questioning you,” he explained genuinely. “I just...wanna get to know you better.”

Squinting at him, Seokmin tried to read his face, and somehow he could sense that Soonyoung was telling the truth. “Right…”

“I’m serious,” Soonyoung laughed. Something came over him and he reached out for Seokmin’s hands. His heart leaped as they made contact.

Seokmin felt his entire body tingle. For a second, he was stuck there, staring at their hands, until he lifted his gaze. Soonyoung was softly grinning at him. He tilted his head and reassured him, “I just...like talking to you.”

His heart racing, Seokmin immediately pulled his hands away. Rubbing them against his apron, he walked away behind the display case. “Fine,” he said, trying to stop his face from getting red. “What do you want to know?”

A little disappointed that Seokmin was so far away now, Soonyoung slouched in his chair. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “Tell me about...the bakery.”

“You mean this one?” he chuckled.

“No I mean the one across town,” Soonyoung replied sarcastically.

Nodding along, Seokmin kept himself busy by adjusting some of the baked goods. “Well, I’ve been working here for a few years,” Seokmin started. “My parents got me the job cause they’re friends with the owners.”

“That’s cool,” he commented, craning his neck so he could keep an eye on Seokmin. “So do you like baking?” Reaching over and taking another cookie from the box he bought, he added, “Cause you make a mean sugar cookie.”

Smiling, Seokmin said, “You should try my egg tarts. They’re the best.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that one day,” Soonyoung said with his mouth full, eagerly thinking about the next time the two of them would get to see each other. Maybe it didn’t have to be in a bakery.

Blushing, Seokmin tried to stay out of sight. “I love baking,” he continued. “I guess I just really picked it up working here for so long.” He leaned deeper into the display case to clean up some crumbs. “It’s great for friends and food, but not so great for the waistline,” he joked.

“I think you look great.”

Startled by the remark, Seokmin immediately lifted his head and smacked it into the shelf just above him. With a loud bang, he pulled himself out and clutched his head. “Ow!” he uttered, rubbing his skull.

Guilty that he probably caused that, Soonyoung stood up and went to stand in front of him. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Wincing, Seokmin looked up and found the boy’s concerned face. Flustered, he started to walk away down the counter. “I’m fine,” he quickly replied, clutching his head.

But Soonyoung could tell that he was hurt. “No, did you hurt yourself?” he asked, following him along the storefront.

Seokmin waved his other hand up and weakly smiled. “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” he said frantically, but a bump was definitely forming.

“No, let me help,” Soonyoung insisted. Seeing that Seokmin wasn’t going to let up, he needed to take matters into his own hands. Hopping over the counter, he landed in front of him. “Let me see it.”

Startled, Seokmin turned in the other direction. “You’re not supposed to be back here!”

Soonyoung could tell the boy was getting frazzled. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was shy or because he had a concussion. “You should sit down.” And before Seokmin could run any further, Soonyoung grabbed him by the wrist.

Frozen, Seokmin didn’t know what to do with himself. Staring at his arm then up into Soonyoung’s shiny eyes, he gave in. “Fine,” he sighed. Rubbing his head with his free hand, he admitted, “It hurts.”

Laughing, Soonyoung let him go. Tilting his head and raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Where do you guys keep the ice?”

Pointing to the door, Seokmin replied, “It’s in the back fridge, but I can get it. You don’t need to—”

“No, you stay here,” Soonyoung insisted, pulling up a stool for the injured boy. “I don’t want you falling over or something.”

“Thanks,” he softly said as he sat down.

Soonyoung smiled at him before disappearing to the back.

Anxiously sitting by himself, Seokmin sure if he was dizzy from hitting his head or for some other reason. Fidgeting, he realized he couldn’t sit still.

After a minute, Soonyoung came out from the back with a plastic bag filled with ice. “I found the bag in a huge pile on the counter. I hope it’s okay if i used it.”

Looking at it, Seokmin grinned. “Yeah, we usually cut holes in those for piping. That should work.”

Satisfied, he smiled back and tied the bag shut. “Good. This’ll help that head of yours.”

Seokmin reached out his hand, prepared for the boy to give him the ice pack so he could help himself, but instead Soonyoung pressed it to Seokmin’s injured skull. Surprised, Seokmin tensed up. “I can do it myself,” he told him.

“No, it’s okay,” Soonyoung said, gently pressing the ice. He glanced down and felt his heart racing. He loved being so close to Seokmin. Looking in his eyes, he said, “I want to.”

Overwhelmed with this tingly, fuzzy feeling, Seokmin blushed harder than he ever had. He had to look away to stop from turning red all together. It felt nice to be taken care of by Soonyoung. “Thanks...again.”

“I’m glad you’re so good at baking,” Soonyoung said, watching the top of the boy’s head, “because I’m sure other jobs would cause you much greater injury.”

Scoffing, he rolled his eyes. “I’m usually not this clumsy. I’m actually very aware of my surroundings most of the times.”

“Oh, sure. I believe that,” he replied sarcastically.

“It’s true!”

“Riiiiggggghhhhhtttt,” Soonyoung answered, giving him a knowing look. “The first time I met you, you nearly knocked me over with your tray of drinks.”

Recalling the incident, Seokmin tried to argue, “Okay, that was not my fault.”

“Well, you definitely weren’t aware of your surroundings then,” he laughed, having fun teasing him. “If anyone’s aware of their surroundings, it’s me.”

“You caught that stuff one time!” Seokmin teased back. “You said it yourself. You doubt you could do something like that again.”

“Maybe I was being modest.”

“Maybe you’re lying now.”

Soonyoung smiled. “Either way, I’m just glad it got us here.” He was trying his hardest not to melt with Seokmin so close to him. “You’re a cool person, Seokmin.”

Feeling the other boy’s warmth, Seokmin was scared to glance up. He knew if he stared into those beautiful brown eyes, he would be in. But he did it anyway. Letting himself slip, he looked.

“You’re a cool person, Seokmin,” he heard echo in his head. Why did those simple words sound so sweet? Maybe it was because of who they came from. Nervous but happy, Seokmin was about to tell Soonyoung something along the same lines when the boy’s hand slipped.

With a clang, the bag of ice slipped down from Seokmin’s head and crashed into the ground. Tearing a hole through the plastic, all of the ice came flying out, spreading themselves all across the floor.

“Damn it,” Soonyoung muttered. “Sorry, that was my bad.”

Seokmin chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him. “Who’s the smooth one now?”

Soonyoung couldn’t help but laugh as he crouched to the ground, hidden behind the counter. Starting to pick up the ice before they melted, he replied, “Still smoother than you.”

As the two of them bantered, Soonyoung could sense that Seokmin was treating him like any normal person, like a friend or someone who could be more than a friend. Thrilled with this feeling, he wanted to talk to Seokmin forever. The same could be said for Seokmin, since the only time he wanted to stop was when he was blushing too hard to think of what to say next. With both of them laughing and chatting while Soonyoung continued to clean up, someone walking down the street was having a much less pleasant time.

Staring down the alley, Mingyu scanned through the dark corners. He was tempted to step inside, but he had a feeling it was no use. No cats were around.

Maybe they're off exploring or something, Mingyu thought to himself. He’d rather think of it that way than worrying about where his furry friends might’ve wandered off to. The cats by 10/10 usually didn't go too far. Accepting that they weren’t around, Mingyu shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the street.

Ever since yesterday with Wonwoo and what happened, Mingyu hadn’t talked to anybody. He didn’t see his friends the whole night and didn’t bother to have breakfast with Seungcheol in the morning. Seokmin was already at work by the time Mingyu got up, so nobody knew what was going on with him.

Feeling alone and beaten down, Mingyu was so genuinely annoyed.

How...the hell...did this happen? was what he kept getting to. How did I...fall for him? Like did that really happen? I let myself be so stupid and then...and then he just...he just...Oh my god. He just used me. He’s been using me the whole damn time. He’s been lying to himself and to me and to the world. Jesus...Christ, I wanna kill him. And to think I called him my best friend. Idiot. This is what it feels like...to be so dumb.

Part of the reason Mingyu hadn’t talked to anybody was because he couldn’t stop crying. Feeling the tears come again, he sniffled and tried to ignore how much he was hurting.

But it’s so much...pain.

At this point, he realized he needed somebody. He felt so defeated and so battered. His emotions were killing him as much as he wanted to kill Wonwoo. But at the same time, that wasn’t true.

I fell for him...I let him do this to me. This is my fault. Why...why did I fall for him?

Unable to handle this on his own, Mingyu was going to seek the help of the person who helped him realize how he was feeling in the first place. He wasn’t great with expressing himself, and up to now he never had to express himself in this way. But he knew there were two people, two human people more specifically, who would always be there to help him.

Yesterday I thought there were three…

Just thinking about Wonwoo again forced Mingyu to wipe his face. He knew he probably looked like a mess, but that’s what he felt like. He just needed to talk to Seokmin to help him get through it.

Walking up to the store’s clear, glass door, he found his close friend smiling to himself. Wiping his nose one last time, Mingyu tried to have the same look. He decided to knock first.

Knock! Knock!

Seokmin looked up and immediately stood up from his chair. His eyes grew wide as he found a grinning Mingyu waving at him from just outside. Trying not to freak out, he awkwardly smiled and waved back. For a moment, his eyes shot down until he realized the person he’d been laughing with wasn’t supposed to be there. Hit with a wave of guilt, Seokmin remembered, He’s the bad guy.

“Stay down,” Seokmin said as subtly as he could muster.

Confused, Soonyoung turned over and looked up. He could see how uncomfortable Seokmin was. Prepared to ask him why, he was interrupted by the ding of the door opening.

“Mingyu!” Seokmin exclaimed.

And Soonyoung understood. Following Seokmin’s orders, he didn’t want Mingyu to see him for a completely different reason. What’s Mingyu doing here? What are they gonna talk about? But just as he thought that, he felt guilty for going behind Seokmin’s new trust and tried to wipe it from his mind. Instead, he just stayed hidden.

Walking up to the counter, Mingyu greeted his friend back, “Hey, Seokmin.”

Almost instantly, Seokmin could tell that something was wrong. The way Mingyu’s head drooped and how unsteady his voice sounded made it clear. Crinkling his eyebrows, Seokmin asked, “Are you okay?”

Clearing his throat, Mingyu had never been in this situation before. He’d never needed to seek help for a broken heart. He’d never had it break before. It made his entire body ache and he needed someone to help make it go away. Looking up, he revealed his pink, gleaming eyes. Biting his top lip, he wasn’t prepared. “No, hyung. I’m...really not.”

As if hit by the same pain that his friend was feeling, Seokmin felt something pull at his heart. It hurt just seeing Mingyu, the always cool headed, always hiding his emotions boy, show how not okay he was. “Oh my god,” Seokmin said, his voice drowning in sympathy. “Mingyu, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Unable to really handle himself, Mingyu grabbed the nearest chair and sat down. He could feel his hands tingling. Scratching his head, he thought he was going to choke on his words. “I need your help.”

Concerned and ready to be there, Seokmin nodded. “Of course, man. Anything. Tell me what’s going on.” He’d almost completely forgotten that Soonyoung was hiding right beside his feet.

Relieved to have somebody by his side, Mingyu sighed. The name came to his head again and he thought he was going to burst into tears. It was a terrible feeling and he hated it so much. “It’s Wonwoo.”

Seokmin’s heart sank. Immediately, his eyes darted to Soonyoung, and Soonyoung could tell what he was thinking. He wanted to reassure Seokmin that this wasn’t why he was there. He wanted the boy to know that he didn’t want to bring work into this new relationship that was forming. But at the same time, Soonyoung couldn’t help but fall into reporter mode. If Mingyu was going to talk about Wonwoo, he was there, ready to take notes.

And Seokmin knew that. Bothered by himself at getting them in this situation, Seokmin looked back up at Mingyu and felt more guilty than he ever had before. Swallowing hard, he couldn’t stand to see Mingyu so sad, but he couldn’t do anything to help. “Mingyu,” he started to say.

Mingyu met his gaze and wiped his cheek. “Yeah?”

Devastated by what he was about to say, Seokmin sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said with regret. “I—I can’t help you...right now.”

It felt like a pile of bricks had rained down on him. “Oh.”

“Maybe, you can talk to Seungcheol?” Seokmin suggested.

As if this feeling couldn’t have gotten any worse, Mingyu’s broken heart cracked a little more. I should’ve known, Mingyu thought. Nobody can help me. I’m just an inconvenience.

Mingyu stared at Seokmin for another moment. He could see that his friend felt bad, but he already refused to be there. Nodding slowly, Mingyu stood up. “Umm, no. It’s okay,” he said weakly. “I get it. I’ll...just go home.”

“Mingyu, I promise we can talk later today. I’m just—” He twisted around and gestured to the back door. “I’m just working on this massive order and I can’t really be there for you right now.”

As if he were about to start crying some more, Mingyu waved him off. “No, no, it’s fine. I get it. I’m not usually like this so—”

“Mingyu, I will be there for you when I get home. I promise,” Seokmin told him. “I’m here for you—”

“But you’re not,” Mingyu interjected. He was so hurt in so many ways. He just needed someone to help him, someone he could trust. And it felt like he’d come to the wrong place. Shrugging, Mingyu backed away towards the door. “It’s fine. I’m—I’m being stupid.”

“No, you’re not!” Seokmin desperately cried after him. “Mingyu, I just—”

“It’s fine,” Mingyu said one last time. Leaning on the door, he weakly smiled. He wasn’t blaming Seokmin. He was blaming himself for being so pathetic. In that moment, he’d never felt more alone. “I’m fine.”

And with that, he left.

Seokmin let out a huge, heavy breath as he leaned over the counter. It felt like he’d just run a marathon when really all he’d done was lie to his best friend in his greatest time of need. Feeling so incredibly bad, Seokmin wanted anything to explain to Mingyu why he couldn’t help, why he didn’t want the boy to say anything about Wonwoo while they were there, why he was worried about somebody else hearing their conversation.

And that somebody slowly stood up. Soonyoung didn’t know what to say to make Seokmin feel better, because he knew what must’ve been going through his head. It was his fault that Seokmin had to be a bad friend. It was because of who he was that made Seokmin suffer.

As he stood there beside Soonyoung, Seokmin was so mad that he was standing next to Soonyoung. It was his fault that he had to turn Mingyu away. It was because Soonyoung as a reporter that he couldn’t let Mingyu talk to him, truly and vulnerably talk to him. It was because of this bad guy that Seokmin had to be the bad guy. And it was then that Seokmin realized he could never again forget who Soonyoung was.

“Seokmin,” Soonyoung said gently, unsure of what the next move should be.

But Seokmin knew. Unable to even look at him, Seokmin stared straight ahead, just thinking of how he had wronged Mingyu.

Feeling responsible for more of Mingyu’s pain, Seokmin told him, “You should go.”