Jooheon stays up all night trying to figure out just the perfect thing to do to show Changkyun how much he cares for the younger. He throws out the typical ideas like gift-buying and candy-grams, thinking them much too predictable. Changkyun’s special, and a special boy deserves a special confession. However, amidst his frenzied research and frantic jotting down of ideas, he falls asleep just as the sun comes up.

And, when his mother shakes him awake the following morning, he’s empty-handed.

“I told you to not sleep at your desk,” Jooheon’s mother tells him, her tone washing over him like a warm blanket. Jooheon glances around blearily, unaware of the paper sticking to his cheek thanks to his drool. He rubs at his eyes, feeling his mother peel away the paper. He doesn’t have the state of mind to snatch it back from her, still trying to figure out where the rest of the morning went. There’s a breathy chuckle, and he glances up to look at her knowing smile with a small pout.

“Your father wrote me a song…” she says, handing him the paper back. “It was cheesy, but it definitely swept me off my feet. It’s worth at least adding to your list.”

Jooheon gulps, taking the paper and hugging it to his chest. His eyes are blown wide, looking like he’d just been caught stealing from the cookie jar. His mother only pats his head and walks out, telling him over her shoulder that breakfast is ready.

The boy slumps in his chair, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. He glances over his nose at the ideas he’d come up with, shaking his head and balling the list up. He tosses it haphazardly towards the cylindrical waste bin, throwing an arm over his eyes.

How the hell is he supposed to prove he’s worth Changkyun’s time if all he can come up with are lackluster confessions not even worthy of a tv drama??

Jooheon softly shuts his locker, eyes downcast. He had half a mind to play hooky today… After all, he didn’t even do any of his homework last night, so it isn’t as if he has anything to show for his time to his teachers. But, that’d mean a missed opportunity to see Changkyun, and he could never abide by that.

He huffs out a sigh, tucking his books under his arm as he goes off to the one class guaranteed to be worth it all. He gets to hear Changkyun play that beautiful song again, and he gets to support Changkyun and comfort him and possibly hug him again … The mere thought makes Jooheon feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He quickens his pace to get to the music room a bit sooner, wanting to be there already when Changkyun gets there.

A happy thought that’s squashed, however, when he reaches said room. The first thing he sees is Changkyun, sitting at the piano, seeming to only stare at the keys. Jooheon doesn’t notice the way Changkyun’s head is dropped at first, only sees the only object of his affections and storms towards it with renewed vigor. all his exhaustion falls away when he draws close, and he’s beaming from ear to ear.

“You ready for the recital, Kyunnie?” he asks, sitting on the same bench with his back to the piano. His shoulder brushes Changkyun’s a bit, but neither react… despite how Jooheon’s heart skips a beat at the simple touch. Changkyun gulps so loud Jooheon hears, and the older’s brow furrows as he glances to study the boy.

“Changkyun…? What’s wrong?” His shoulders are drawn in, and there’s a certain lack of energy. His black nail polish is chipped, his nails bitten off… Jooheon presses a bit closer, and Changkyun finally glances up from the keys, a defeated light to his eyes.

“Oh… hey, hyung,” Changkyun greets, as if just now noticing Jooheon’s presence. Jooheon pouts a bit, tilting his head to the side.

“What’s up?” he asks, his voice soft between them. Changkyun shakes his head, his eyes dropping to the piano keys once more.

“My parents talked to me this morning…” he says, his tone cracking slightly under pubescent pressure. “My dad got a job, but it’s in a different town…” Jooheon feels his heart fall to his feet, already able to see where this is going. “They said we’ll have to move by the end of the month if he can’t find something else.”

“They can’t... just... e-expect you to move in the middle of the term like this,” Jooheon argues, struggling for a moment to find a reason for his outright denial of the news. Changkyun shrugs a singler shoulder, deflating a bit more where he sits and slumping against the older.

“I tried to get them to agree to me staying with my aunt, but they wouldn’t go for it,” Changkyun goes on to say. “I told them I didn’t want to move to a new school in the middle of everything, but they said the move might be good for me… I think they’re starting to wonder if I should really keep studying music.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Jooheon outright argues, shaking his head. “You’ve learned so much just in the passed year. I don’t see why they’d just pull you out of it now.”

“Dad’s always wanted me to study the sciences, you know that,” Changkyun huffs, scooting back to leave the bench. “He could think this is his chance to get me into it.”

“It’s just not right!” Jooheon snaps, his voice wavering. He doesn’t want to cry, not here in front of Changkyun because that’d certainly lose him any chance he has with his dongsaeng, but he doesn’t know how well he can hold it in. Changkyun blinks at him, seeming confused, and he knows he didn’t do a very good job. Jooheon shakes his head again, clearing his throat to regroup.

“I-I mean, it’s what you want to do, right?” Jooheon explains, trying to low-key excuse his behavior. “This is the best arts school in the country! If anywhere’s going to help you for what you want to do, it’s here. It isn’t right that they’d want to take you away.” Changkyun seems to hesitate a moment before nodding, looking away with a look of defeat.

“I just… I need to prove to them that this is worth it,” he says, glancing at the window. “I need to show them that I’ll be fine if I stay here, that what I’m doing here is credible… I need to win more competitions, I need to make a name for myself!”

“Yes!” Jooheon cheers, leaping up with a clap of support. “Exactly! And I’m here to help you, Changkyunnie, always! We’ll show your parents!!” Changkyun cracks a smile then, something unreadable in his gaze… Jooheon does his best not to shift uneasily at it, feeling as if he recognizes it though is unable to name it.

“Thank you, hyung,” Changkyun says, his smiles growing both in size and softness. “Really, I don’t know what I’d do without you~”

Jooheon gulps hard around the ball of nerves in his throat at the sweet tone in Changkyun’s voice, the utter gratitude. Jooheon chuckles loosely, gives a small nod. He rubs at the back of his neck as Changkyun says he’s going to get something to drink from the machines, and asks if Jooheon wants anything. Jooheon shakes his head in reply, and Changkyun only gives a nod before disappearing into the hall.

Jooheon deflates against the piano, jolting back up when he accidently hits a plethora of keys. The sound of dissonance echoes around him as he tries to think of what he can do to help Changkyun, in more ways than just being moral support… There’s just got to be something more he can do.