That next evening you knocked on the door to the Seventeen Carat Club room. You stood there waiting staring at the door and studying its grooves and edges. You then knocked on the door a few more times and waited again, hoping that maybe Seungcheol would open the door.

“Don’t you have the master keys?”

You looked to see Minghao walking towards you. You quickly hid Seungcheol’s card behind your back and faced Minghao.

“What’s that behind your back?” he asked while slightly bending his neck to peek at your secret.

“Nothing,” you replied as you turned your body to keep it concealed. You then quickly tried to cover it up by announcing, “It’s actually for you,”

“For me?” Minghao asked, unconvinced.

“Yea…but…actually I forgot something. Stay here ok? I’ll be right back,”

Minghao watched you turn around, concealing whatever was in your hand as you fast-paced your way down the hallway. Something about how fast you walked broke him into a chuckle. Although he didn’t take you seriously, he found himself leaning against the wall waiting for your return.

“Minghao…Minghao…Minghao…” you spoke as you pulled each card out to see that it wasn’t Minghao’s. You placed your hands on your hips to only realize you had huge pockets that you could use. Why hadn’t you thought about putting the cards into your pockets and carrying it around?

“Oh! Duh! The8,” you stated and re-searched the cards. There it was, his name written in bubble letters. The 8 though, was a nicely designed infinity sign lying on its side. “I thought it was an eight…it’s an infinity sign?” you asked while turning the card sideways. Unable to answer your own question you shrugged it off and quickly shoved both The8 and Seungcheol’s cards into your pocket while returning the rest to your cubby.

On your way towards the club room, the sight of Minghao waiting, leaning against the wall with his dark hair covering his eyes slowed you down. His arm was crossed over his chest and his profile was undeniably dreamy. He was thin, allowing his Pledis uniform to define his shoulders and thin waist. The memory of his body flashed in your mind and you squeezed your eyes shut to cut the remembrance short.

“Took you long enough,” Minghao complained while glancing down the hallway at you.

“Sorry…” you answered as you approached him. You reached out your hand, “Here’s a card for you.”

“You went through all of this back and forth just to give me a card?” Minghao asked, his arms still folded against his chest.

You sighed and then exaggerated, “Yup, sure did,”

Minghao gave you a skeptical look. Why would you out of the blue give him a card? There was nothing going on…or could it be that you were replying back to this note he left you during Christmas?

“Just take it,” you demanded yet Minghao did not accept it. He didn’t budge from his position while he continued to contemplate in silence. You took a step closer to him and reached over to force the card into the pocket of his serenity blazer. Minghao watched you struggle for a few seconds before he dropped his arms and took the envelop from your hand.

“Why are you giving me this?” he asked.

“I wonder why as well,”

“Explain yourself,”

“Have you seen Seungcheol? I have to speak to him,”

Minghao shifted positions allowing him to stand straight, “He’s in the gym with Jeonghan,”

Jeonghan’s name automatically changed your plans. There was no way you were going to see Jeonghan. Besides, you didn’t have his card on you anyway.

“I’ll go with you over there if you want,”

“No! That’s ok…I’ll just…oh! it’s late already I should go home,”

Minghao watched you turn around and hurry away as if you were trying to avoid something. Whatever it was, he was partly curious.

“Hey,” Seungcheol answered with a grin on his face revealing his dimples.

“Hey Seungcheol…I have something for you…can you come out here to the courtyard for a bit?” you asked through the phone.

“Sure…meet you there,”

As Seungcheol hung up his phone Jeonghan sat up from the gym floor. “Who was that?” he asked.

Seungcheol revealed your name and a lump grew in Jeonghan’s throat. Not once had you contacted him since he learned that you were back. What exactly was that feeling inside his chest the moment Seungcheol told him it was you? His heart was crumbling and he couldn’t even stop it from falling apart.

After Seungcheol left to meet you, the silence in the gym was loud against Jeonghan’s ears. He touched his phone that lay beside him and knew he hadn’t received a message from you. He sighed and laid back down on the gy