2017

Woohyun sat at his desk in the studio, bent over the almost finished canvas as he scrubbed the edges and indulged in some finishing touches. He had to make it look just right. No sense in making such a big deal about the day and then not showing up with a gift.

As he sat back to take a look at his masterpiece, he couldn’t help feeling that maybe, just maybe, this might look good hanging in the living room. It had been a while since he hung anything up in the house. Maybe it was time to change that.

A two year anniversary was a big deal. And he was going to make the most of it.

“Cliché.” Sungyeol said, leaning over Woohyun from behind as he stared down at the canvas in disdain.

Refusing to rise to the bait, Woohyun shoved him away and continued.

“Of all the things you could paint…” Sungyeol said, leaving the sentence to hang between them in the quiet studio as Woohyun hated that he hadn’t played any music when he got in.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, suddenly unable to resist Sungyeol’s nonsense.

“You’re painting your old apartment! For your anniversary.”

“It’s not just about the old apartment.” Woohyun said, looking down at the drawing and feeling inadequate all of a sudden. He pressed the lever on the side of the stand as the top rose till it was almost vertical. “It’s the day we first met.”

Sungyeol looked over and squinted at the painting.

“Right?” Sungyeol said. “How didn’t I see that?”

“So you agree it’s a great present?”

Sungyeol scoffed.

“It’s still a cliché!”

Woohyun tossed his brush at Sungyeol and rejoiced when it hit him squarely between the eyes.

*****

2014

Woohyun knew he was going to get beaten. One way or another. So he just figured he’d reduce his sentence by, at least, giving Sunggyu a heads-up.

“You’re staring again.” Sunggyu said, through clenched teeth where he’d stuffed a pencil in his mouth while tapping a pen on the mixer before him. “If you’re not going to be useful, get the out of my studio.”

“Hyung, we need a roommate.” Woohyun stated.

“No, we don’t.”

“This house was built for five people.”

“And we’re managing.”

“I don’t think I can afford it much longer.”

“We don’t need anyone else.”

“We used to be five and now we’re only two.”

Sunggyu turned and faced him, taking the pencil out of his mouth.

“Because you slept with all our roommates, broke their hearts and they couldn’t look at you anymore.”

Woohyun wavered, staring intently at his hyung. Sunggyu was exaggerating –of course- but there was a time Woohyun had labored under the impression that he was right. But then he’d gotten over that pretty quickly when he’d realized that he’d never lied to any of them. He’d never promised them forever. And he’d never told them they were exclusive.

It wasn’t his fault that they were jealous and childish about the whole matter.

“We have a good set up here, Woohyun.” Sunggyu said, p