The next few weeks passed in a blink.

Both I and Minho silently agreed on keeping our work a secret. Well, it remained as one until Kibum discovered a magazine with our pictures in it. Only God knows how he found it. The model student turned to actual model, Minho, ended up being teased endlessly by our friends.

I let my head ponder around past week's occurrence while absently staring on my History textbook. Our teacher has given us a period of free reading since she's suffering a sore throat. But free reading or not, most of us think it's a great opportunity to take a break from this tiring hell called school. Including the boy next to me who is currently draped over his table, deeply unconscious.

It's past noon and the last subject of the day. All the more reason to not wanting to stick our heads in books.

Miss Ahn can only shake her head at her students' state.

The said teacher stands up from her seat, catching the attention those who are awake. She scribbles something down on the whiteboard, picks up her stuff and flashes a smile at us before leaving.

Minhyuk, the class president, approached the whiteboard and sighed out loud. "We'll have a test tomorrow if my voice doesn't get better by then." 

"Did she say which topic we're covering?" Kibum asks.

The class president shook his head and groans erupted among my classmates. It was as if the topic was never brought up as the last bell of the day rung and everyone scrambled to leave the room. 

"Well, about time," I say as Woohyun sleepily detaches himself from the table, yawning loudly. "We might have a History test tomorrow."

"I heard the fuss. Remind me later?" He asks, stuffing his things into his bag. 

I watch him pack in a rush. Apparently, his relationship with the girl is still going strong and they're about to go for another date today. The only thing that hasn't change for the past few weeks is I still couldn't find the courage to burst the bubble at him. The guilt of hiding the truth from him is eating me. I could say the same thing is bothering Howon and Jiyoung.

We all know that the truth could bring pain. No friend, in the right mind, would like to see their friend in one.

I mutter a soft sure and he pats my shoulder before leaving. There he goes again. I lazily pack my own things and exit the now empty classroom.

Howon and Jiyoung was talking to Minho by the main entrance when I approached them, lips jutting out.

"Going to work with your partner today?"

Minho glares at the cackling Howon, "I'm leaving first. See you guys tomorrow."

We watch him leave with Howon still laughing in the background. The boy wipes an imaginary tear, "Oh, I love watching him lose sometimes." 

"Do know that when it's his turn to do that, I'll gladly help him," Jiyoung shot back. 

"Me too," I chip in. "Anyway, who's up for gelato? I've been craving for it for days." 

"It's Howon's turn to pay, right?" 

"Hey, we can only use that rule when there's four of us!" 

We were bickering until we reached the parking lot just in time to see a crowd starting to disperse. Minho's voice boomed a moment later, "Didn't you hear what I say? I said leave! All of you!" The students quickly take off, obviously startled by the prefect's yell. 

Once the crowd's gone, my eyes squint on the ones remaining; Minho who is fuming red and another boy with a very familiar backview. The boy squeezes Minho's shoulder and turns around, unknowingly facing us. His face fell right away when he spotted us.

"Woohyun?" 

He waves at us rather awkwardly. "Uh- hey, guys." 

The three of us glance at each other before approaching the other two. 

"What happened here?" 

I didn't miss the anxious look Minho directed at Woohyun while the latter kept mum with his eyes glued to the ground. Sherlock didn't have to tell me that something did happen. 

"Well?" Jiyoung urges. 

"She broke up with me," he finally looks up, tears threatening to spill out. "Said I was just a dare. Told me she had fun doing it in front of her friends. I guess that's a part of the dare too." He chuckles wearily, "God, I must've looked like the stupidest person alive back then." His hands shot up to wipe his wet eyes, muttering some incoherent words. 

I didn't realize I was holding in my breath watching him break down. It's a rare sight since he never showed us his vulnerable side. The Nam Woohyun I've known since I was young has always been the strong, optimistic, ball of sunshine one among us. 

It pains me seeing him so brokenhearted.

I step nearer and wrap my arms around him, trying to be strong myself. "It's okay, you still have us. We're here for you." 

That made him break down for real. He hid his face on my shoulder, his own shoulder shaking as he cried. I had to bite my own lips from bursting into tears myself. The others stepped closer, offering me a small smile. We stood there quietly until his tears subdued into sniffles.  

Woohyun finally looks up, revealing his tear stained face and bloodshot eyes. "This is so embarrassing," he groans and breaks out laughing.

"Don't ever cry, you look ugly," Howon says, earning a punch from the boy. "I bet you'll look uglier." 

I let out a long relieved sigh; he's starting to act like his normal self. I feel more at ease. The others are evidently too. 

"Feeling better now?" 

"I'm okay," he shot back rather quickly. "I'll get over it soon." We eyed him wearily and in the end he assured us with a simple I'll be fine. 

"You sure?" Jiyoung checks again. 

"Yeah, don't worry. I have you guys, remember?" 

"You're such a sap," Howon mocks him. "We all are actually." 

"We're stuck together, aren't we?" They hummed in agreement at my statement.

Woohyun hits Minho's back lightly, "I'm sorry, but it hurts my pride to let you go after witnessing that. From now on, you have to bear with us. Welcome to the club." The tall boy glances shortly at me before being pulled into a headlock by Howon. "Your welcome, you brat." 

"Am I supposed to thank you for this? You're the one who willingly accepted me," Minho states nonchalantly. It resulted into a childish fight between the males ("I and Kibum have a club of our own already!" "I'm taking my words back then!") and Minho surrendered, laughing. "I have to remind you; I and Kibum come in a package."

I roll my eyes, "We do know that." 

Jiyoung drapes her arm around my shoulder, "Anyway, who's up for gelato? It's Howon's treat today!" 

 

I'm totally used to getting home to a quiet house since Minhyuk is always knocked out right after school and my parents usually come home before dinner. Today didn't seem like always when I returned home to see my parents hanging out in the living room. 

"You're home early today," I noted, earning a hum from my mom. "Something came up."

"Where's Minhyuk?" I frown once I didn't spot my younger brother.

"Music class," mom said curtly, turning off the tv.

I nod before heading towards the stairs, "I'll be in my room."

Dad suddenly called out my name before I could reach it. "Change your clothes and come back here." I furrow my eyebrow at dad's request but later decided to just go with it. 

I came back down a few minutes later, dressed in my usual home outfit. "Is there something you want to say?" I voice out, taking a seat on the couch across them.

Mom simply slides a magazine on the coffee table towards me. I recognized it right away; it's the same exact magazine Kibum showed me a few weeks ago.

I should've seen this coming sooner or later. 

But the shock is inevitable as I didn't expect it coming. The thing with Woohyun earlier made me forget the worry I had since I started my little project. I didn't even suspect it to be the reason them being home unusually early.

My old man puts his paper down next to it, sighing. "Explain this, Areum." 

Here I am thinking in the middle of my parents' little interrogation; did Kibum tell them? 

Oh, wait, he hasn't met my parents, not even once. A small voice in my head - eerily similar as Kibum's - cries out, "It wasn't me!"

"Areum," mom calls out, pulling me back into the conversation we were having. "Explain. Now."

"I- uh, it's m-my part time job?"

Their facial expression turn from serious to utterly surprised. "What?"

"But I'm not doing it for the money! My monthly allowance is more than enough, it's just that I like..modelling." I almost whispered the last part, cringing inside.

Dad purses his lips, clearly not happy with what I did. Behind his back, if I must add. He has always been the strict one compared to my mom. As the eldest child in the family, he put his trust on me to become a successful heir for the family's company which means I have to maintain good grades and all those stuff. 

"You should be focusing on your studies, not this job! Your entrance exam is a few months away, do you know that?"

"I do," I mutter. "I'll manage my time wisely, I promise. It won't affect my studies."

They exchanged looks and I saw a glint of hope for me. Oh god, please, let me keep the job-

"Quit the job. I don't want to hear any excuses."

"What? No! I can't-" 

"I don't want to see this again, you hear me?"

"But-"

"No buts, you heard your dad," mom interjects.

"Omma!" I cry out, almost pleading.

 Mom gives me a pointed look, "Areum, go back to your room okay? We'll talk again later." Seeing dad returning back to his reading material, he probably won't budge from his decision. 

I defeatedly return to my room and locked myself in for the rest of the day. 

 

---

 

 

i'm practically singing shinee's tell me what to do every second now since my second semester's starting in three days i'm so done 

anyway, tell me what you think of the story so far!