“HAKNYEON, gising,” whispers Kevin habang tinatapik ang kaibigan.

“Hmm.” Haknyeon turns to lie on his right after stretching.

“Haknyeon, ano ba?” Kevin shakes him a bit more violently.

“Kevin, ang aga aga,” whines Haknyeon, eyes still closed, “Sila Chanhee muna gisingin mo.”

Instead of going to Chanhee’s room first, Kevin decides to wake Changmin up, only to be pushed to the door and have it slammed in front of his face. Good morning to him, he guesses.

With Chanhee, however, it is easier. At least, compared to those two. Chanhee is the least violent amongst them.

Kevin thinks he’s at luck when Chanhee’s eyes flutter open as soon as he taps the boy’s arm.

“Bakit?” Chanhee asks, his voice hoarse and a little slurred.

The thing about Chanhee when he’s not in a bad mood is that he cares about his friends a lot, like a parent. He’s always worried even though he won’t admit it. (He won’t go to sleep unless everyone’s home. Sometimes, he even tucks them in. Everyone thinks he’s naturally a morning person but he just really sets his alarm earlier than the others so he can cook for them, a task which they first agreed should be rotational since all of them are pretty decent cooks.)

“Gising na, aalis na ako hehe.”

“Edi umalis ka.” Mahinang sabi ni Chanhee at nagtalukbong ng kumot.

“Eh, baka sabihin niyo hindi ko na naman kayo ginising. Gising ka na, nagluto na ako ng breakfast niyo hehe.”

“MOON KEVIN, EIGHT PA PASOK NATIN, ALAS-SINGKO PA LANG. JESUS CHRIST .”

O o p s. Is it too late for Kevin to run for his life? Probably.

HYUNJAE walks out of his room. To his surprise, he finds Sangyeon waiting for him in the living room.

"Oh, ba't ang aga mo na naman?" asks the older with a hint of suspicion.

These past few weeks, Hyunjae has always been the first one to wake up AND the first one to leave. He argues that he doesn't even bother informing the others because they'll still go to school late anyways.

"Ah, magbbreakfast ako outside," Hyunjae replies as he scrambles into his shoes. "Like always. Sige, una na ko."

"Ba't ka nagmamadali, eh alas singko pa lang?" Sangyeon stops him from leaving. "Sabihin mo nga, may tinatago ka bang girlfriend samin?"

Hyunjae tries to stop himself from laughing, and fails.

"Anong nakakatawa?"

"Wala, hyung,” replies Hyunjae, "Wala akong girlfriend, I swear."

"Fine," Sangyeon sighs and decides not to pry any further.

"Ingat. Ipagluluto kita nang maaga next time para di ka na magbreakfast sa labas."

"No need, bye!"

"Good morning, bro."

"Good morning din, bro," Hyunjae greets back when he sees his best friend, Kevin, already sitting at their usual spot. "Matagal ka ba naghintay?"

"Hindi naman," replies Kevin.

"Uunahan kita bukas, promise."

"Okay, tara order na tayo."

Hyunjae and Kevin arrive at their classroom a little bit later than usual. There, they’re welcomed with the usual scene: Younghoon aggressively staring at Changmin, and Changmin pretending not to care.

"So bakit ngayon lang kayo?" Juyeon asks.

"Nagkainan-- I MEAN, kumain kami," Hyunjae blabbers, much to Kevin's displeasure. "Medyo natagalan, sorry"

Juyeon absentmindedly nods, probably pretending not to hear Hyunjae's first statement (or he just didn't hear it talaga, idk na at this point)

"UGH," Younghoon groans out of nowhere. "Bakit ba ayaw niya sakin?"

"Gusto ka din ni Changmin, kunyari lang hindi." Hyunjae says as he sits beside Kevin.

"How would you know, Hyunjae?" Younghoon scoffs, "Eh straight ka."

"Straight ako?"
"Straight ka?"

Hyunjae and Kevin simultaneously exclaim while looking at each other.

"I didn't know you were straight,” articulates Kevin, playing with his lips in an attempt to stop the grin spreading on his face.

Hyunjae replies, "Hindi ko nga rin alam eh."

"ANONG NANGYAYARI," Sunwoo exclaims. "KAYO BA?"

"Sino?" Eric asks from the other side of the room.

Hyunjoon, previously dozing off, is now awake and looks a tad bit interested as well. (although he still looks a bit sleepy)

"Hyunjae," Sangyeon says nonchalantly. "And Kevin."

"ANO?????" Changmin yells, immediately dashing towards Kevin and the others, with Haknyeon and Chanhee following. "KAYO NA????"

"Sana tayo na rin,” says Younghoon but Changmin just ignores him.

"BAKIT DI NIYO KAMI SINABIHAN???????"

"No one asked naman eh."

With Kevin's statement, the room quiets down for a few seconds.

"He has a point,” says Juyeon, who, probably for the first time ever, has quickly caught up with what’s happening.

Chanhee agrees, "Lagi silang magkasama but we assumed they're both straight."

Juyeon giddily pinches Younghoon on the waist and whispers, “Nag-agree si Pres sa sinabi ko!”

Haknyeon, on the other hand, whines, "HYUNG AKALA KO GALIT KA SAMIN HUHUHU KALA KO KINAKAHIYA MO KAMI KAYA KA UMAALIS NG MAAGA LAGI."

"Grabe kayo kay Haknyeon." (who else would say this tbh)

"Hindi ako galit," Kevin states while pouting. "Sorry di ko agad nasabi."

"Same here guys," Hyunjae says to his group of friends. "Three weeks din namin 'tong tinago, though di naman sinasadya."

"OKAY but," Eric (the devil) suddenly speaks. "Sino yung top?"