Early on Friday morning, a couple hours before classes began, Sicheng was sitting by the window in his room. He was, semi anxiously, awaiting Yuta to arrive to pick him up. 

The night before, Yuta had texted him, asking if he could pick Sicheng up early for school. Sicheng had immediately agreed, and now he was just excitedy waiting to see where Yuta was going to take him. Since they'd kissed two days before they'd been a lot more coupley, but they still hadn't actually been on a real date just yet.

Sicheng saw when Yuta's car pulled up into the driveway, leaping up from the windowsill, grabbing his school bag, and rushing down the stairs. 

"Where are you going honey?" His mom asked as Sicheng stuffed some lunch into his bag. 

"Gotta get to school early to study," Sicheng quickly lied, waving to his parents. "Goodbye!" He called, and stepped outside. 

Sicheng flushed when he realized how eager he looked, standing nervously outside Yuta's car. Yuta pushed the door open and chuckled. 

"I was just about to text, but you beat me there," Yuta spoke, smiling at Sicheng. "Come in." 

Sicheng shyly slid into the passenger seat, groggily rubbing his eyes. He hadn't gotten up that long ago and he was definitely still a bit sleepy. Yuta grinned and rubbed the shell of Sicheng's ear before driving the car down the road. 

"Still sleepy?" Yuta asked with a chuckle. 

"Yeah," Sicheng sleepily responded. "But happy." 

Yuta hummed softly, then turned to Sicheng. "Your morning voice is cute." 

Sicheng immediately blushed and held back a smile, giving Sicheng a shy look. "Th-thanks," he stuttered before looking back down at his lap. 

Yuta chuckled and shook his head. "So cute," he mumbled, pulling into an empty parking space in front of an adorable little cafe a few miles from school. 

They ordered their drinks (a mocha and a croissant for both of them, and of course Yuta paid) and sat down in the corner of the cafe, right by the window. The morning light shined through and Yuta could not think of a prettier sight than that light coming through onto Sicheng's face, shining on his deep brown, sleep hooded eyes. 

That morning before classes, the spent the rest of their time just simply getting to know each other. Hands intertwined on the table, sleepy smiles on their faces, Sicheng simply felt at home. This whole thing with Yuta was becoming more real than he ever expected it to be, but it wasn't a bad thing, no not at all. It was a good thing: he was with Yuta. And Yuta adored him like crazy, and Sicheng was beginning to feel the same way. Nothing was wrong with this picture. 

Sicheng's heart seemed to melt at every one of Yuta's coupley gestures: feeding Sicheng pieces of their food, wiping cream off of the corner of his mouth with his thumb, staring at Sicheng like he was the only person in the entire world. And with Yuta, he really did feel like it was just the two of them together, no matter where they were. 

Sadly, they did have to go to school at some point, finishing up their coffees and hopping back into Yuta's car. The ride to school was short, and they were in the parking lot before they knew it. But Sicheng didn't want to get out of the car. 

"This morning was...special," Sicheng admitted. 

"It was," Yuta responded, tucking a lock of hair behind Sicheng's ear. They both paused and got out of the car, stepping out into the morning sunlight. 

"Thank you. For everything," Sicheng mumbled shyly, standing in front of Yuta. Yuta played with Sicheng's hands and smiled down at him. 

"Thank you. For being you," Yuta responded, and Sicheng couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Now, there's one last thing I want to give you before you go," he spoke. 

"What is it?" Sicheng asked innocently. Yuta tilted Sicheng's chin upward, cupping his cheek and leaning in for a gentle and chaste kiss. Sicheng kissed back without hesitation, clinging onto Yuta's shirt, never wanting to let him go. 

Both boys pulled away with smiles on their faces. Although this was a school day, it would be a good day anyways. 

They smiled at each other and Yuta linked their hands. 

"Can I walk you to class?" He asked. 

"Gladly." 

~~~~~~~~~~

Even his small interaction with Jungwoo the day before had brought new life into Yukhei's life. What had once been a mess of sickness and ratcheted nerves was now determination, insistence on completing his one new goal in life. 

He had to be with Jungwoo. Not just hang out with, or have sort conversations in hallways, no. Jungwoo was now his end game, and Yukhei would do everything possible to end up with him. Yukhei knew well that Jungwoo would be hesitant, but he was sure that deeper underneath all of that brainwashing was a growing affection for Yukhei. 

That's why when Yukhei passed him in the hallways, head held down, dark hair swinging in front of his eyes, Yukhei didn't just let him walk on by. Gently holding his arm, he softly held Jungwoo still. 

At the surprising feeling of sparks Jungwoo whipped around to face Yukhei, his cheeks quickly turning that perfect shade of pink. 

Yukhei was momentarily frozen by Jungwoo's beauty, shaking his head to regain control over his brain. 

"Hey," was all Yukhei managed to stutter out at first, taken aback by everything that Jungwoo was; just his presence was enough to throw the ever confident Yukhei off of his game. 

"Hey," Jungwoo responded in his gentle, beautiful voice, looking back down at the floor, attempting to escape from the butterflies that were trapped inside of him. 

"Will you...will you eat lunch with me?" Yukhei asked quietly, practically begging Jungwoo with his eyes. After a moments pause, Jungwoo lifted his head and nodded. 

"S-sure," he stuttered, completely unsure, as Yukhei's expression bloomed into a grin. 

"Follow me," Yukhei responded quietly. "I know a place." 

Jungwoo followed behind as Yukhei pushed open the doors to the school, walking down through the soccer field to the line of trees that bordered the edge of their school. Yukhei sat down behind one, and Jungwoo slowly followed. Jungwoo sat close, but not too close, still keeping his distance. He was surprised but relieved when Yukhei didn't come in any closer. 

"I like it here," Yukhei commented as he opened his lunch. "The trees are really pretty, and there's a breeze, and it doesn't smell like cafeteria food!"

Jungwoo softly chuckled and Yukhei gave him a gentle smile. Jungwoo looked away, staring pointedly at the grass, trying his best to force away the deep pounding of his heart. But Yukhei just kept on smiling at him, and Jungwoo rolled his eyes at himself, too nervous now to eat. 

"So...uh...do you have any hobbies? Other than Christian Club," Yukhei spoke, watching Jungwoo with gentle eyes. 

"I-I like to sing," Jungwoo shyly stuttered, surprised Yukhei wanted to get to know him at all. 

"Really? I bet you have a pretty voice. You have a really pretty talking voice," Yukhei responded. Jungwoo giggled and blushed, unable to stop himself from Yukhei's flirtation. Now, he was beginning to understand why all the girls in their grade had a crush on Yukhei before the soulmate mess began. 

"And you? Do you have any hobbies?" Jungwoo quietly asked. 

Yukhei laughed. "No, not really. I'm not in any clubs at school or anything. I like to watch sports too but I don't play them. I don't know... I like to go to parties and hang out with friends. I like to make people laugh and smile, you know? I'm not good at much, but I always know I can put a smile on my friend's face." 

Jungwoo realized at that moment that he himself was smiling, mostly just out of how sweet Yukhei was. 

"See?" Yukhei spoke with a chuckle. "It worked," he spoke, his eyes trained on Jungwoo's face. Jungwoo shyly looked up at him, at that perfectly tan skin, beautiful brown eyes, mussed auburn hair. 

He'd never really understood the hype over Yukhei. He had always just seemed like another popular kid without any morals, or anything to make their lives significant in any way. But now Yukhei was proving himself as something more than a loud mouthed popular guy, he was someone who cared deeply about his friends. Maybe it was Jungwoo who wasn't following the word of God, placing his judgement on a man he barely knew. It was still immoral to be attracted to him, but Jungwoo could give him his respect. 

From there Yukhei just kept blabbering on and on and on, about sports and his friends and parties and stuff that really, really didn't matter, but Jungwoo was enthralled. Yukhei wouldn't stop talking but somehow, it seemed like the most adorable thing in the world: his big hands gesticulating wildly, his voice getting louder and louder, his smile getting bigger as he dominated the conversation. Jungwoo just listened but he was so happy to; Yukhei's smile and voice and laughter were becoming enough for him, as much as he despised the way he felt. Jungwoo sighed. At least for now, he could let it go, until the bell for class rang. 

And just at that moment, the bell rung. Yukhei was in the middle of a sentence when lunch ended and he cursed loudly, stopping to sadly stand up. 

Jungwoo was left surprised. Yukhei hadn't tried to force anything: he hadn't touched him, or even said anything flirtatious to scare Jungwoo away. Yukhei had just been...sweet. A little talkative, but sweet. Maybe he deserved a chance... 

No. Jungwoo could never give in. This was a test; to see if he could follow God's will despite his heart forcing him in the exact opposite direction. 

"Today was fun," Yukhei said, standing up. Jungwoo nodded sadly and looked away. "Another time?" Yukhei asked, trying to sound casual, but it came out desperate. 

"M-maybe," Jungwoo stuttered. Jungwoo only saw Yukhei's face fall as he ran off to class. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Doyoung couldn't possibly have described the previous days. The mix of emotions was terrifying to him, god, he couldn't stop feeling. 

Doyoung had never noticed how much Jaehyun was a presence in his life: he saw him at choir, student council, class, and not to mention that giant stuffed bear Jaehyun had given him was just sitting in his room. That's what made it so uncomfortable: he was constantly reminded of the decision he'd made with Jaehyun, and therefore constantly questioned it. 

One part of Doyoung was relieved. Now, there was no risk of Jaehyun breaking his heart or hurting him. And since they'd stopped talking entirely, Doyoung was assured that finally, after so many years of competing, their rivalry had finally died. Good riddance, Doyoung thought, it was about time Jaehyun had stopped trying to sabatoge his life. 

Another part of Doyoung just generally felt sick, very physically ill. Luckily, Jaehyun being constantly there, although it made things awkward, kept Doyoung from being too sick to stay home from school. But they hadn't spoken or touched since their pseudo-breakup, and Doyoung's body was feeling the effects: headaches, sleepiness, and occasional nausea were making it hard for Doyoung to pay attention in school. It was like getting rid of the distraction of Jaehyun only brought on a new, even worse distraction. 

Another part of Doyoung, a part Doyoung wanted to pretend didn't exist, was the part that was missing Jaehyun. Although Doyoung had decided it was all an act, Jaehyun had just been so loving and kind with Doyoung that he couldn't stop himself from getting a little crush. Despite his distrust for Jaehyun, he sometimes wanted to go back to the time when they would just talk between classes or hold hands in the halls. For those few days Doyoung had felt adored, something he'd never felt before, and he wanted it back. 

But the biggest part of him felt guilty. If Doyoung wanted to be, he could be cruel and cold without any remorse. But to Doyoung's constant surprise, Jaehyun looked legitimately upset: he came to school looking sicker than Doyoung felt, looked like he was constantly crying, and avoided Doyoung's gaze as if it was the plague. 

Doyoung could've handled all of these conflicting feelings, easily. But apparently Jaehyun could not, because one day before choir Doyoung felt a grip on his arm that sent sparks shooting through him. 

He whipped around to see Jaehyun staring at him with the most pained expression on his face, one that even sent a pang through Doyoung's heart. Doyoung shook Jaehyun's hand off of his arm subconsciously; after not feeling the sparks for a few days they were jarring when they touched and he just wanted them off. 

"Please," Jaehyun begged, his voice cracking. "Can we talk?" 

Doyoung exhaled and nodded gently, staying in place, waiting for Jaehyun to talk. Finally, he cleared his throat. 

"I...I don't know what happened. I don't understand Doyoung; it was all going so well. I don't understand what was wrong. I love you so, so much, I always have, and I'll do anything to fix this," Jaehyun said, holding back tears, his fingers trembling. 

Doyoung sighed, his eyebrows furrowed. What was this, sincerity or some sort of act to win back Doyoung's trust just to break him further? He would explain his side to Jaehyun though; what harm could that do?

"I... I didn't know you loved me, I never thought that," Doyoung started, not even letting himself think about Jaehyun using that strong of a word. "I always thought we were just rivals, in school, sports, everything. I thought you always wanted to one-up me and that every thing you did was just to throw me off my game or catch me off guard so you could beat me," he explained as Jaehyun began to vehemently shake his head. 

"No, no, that was never it, never. I only ever wanted to be close to you, even though I was too afraid to tell you how I felt. I didn't join choir or run for student council or try to get good grades to 'beat' you, I joined choir and student council to be in the same clubs as you and work with you and I tried to get grades to impress you because I know that's important to you. Doyoung, honestly, the best days of my life were those days after we discovered we were soulmates and I thought you felt the same. I had gotten everything I'd ever wanted, because everything I've ever wanted has just been your love. It always has been," Jaehyun admitted, his head hanging low. 

By this point, Doyoung was holding back his own tears, the guilt threatening to spill at any moment. Finally, Doyoung was realizing that Jaehyun had been telling the truth the entire time, that he really had a crush on Doyoung since they were little kids. Doyoung was just too caught up in his superficial competitiveness, up until this moment, and he'd possibly ruined something that could have been very special. 

"A-are you crying?" Jaehyun suddenly spoke, looking up as Doyoung put his face in his hands. "N-no, don't cry! I'm sorry I made you sad." 

"I'm so stupid," Doyoung responded. "I can't believe I didn't believe you." 

Jaehyun simply stood and waited, giving Doyoung his distance until he calmed down a little bit. Finally he rubbed his eyes and sighed. 

"I'm sorry. You were being honest all along and I...I just couldn't get over my own competitiveness. I hope this doesn't ruin what we could have," Doyoung responded. 

Jaehyun looked at him, his expression suddenly hopeful. "You...you want something with me?" He asked, almost unsure. Doyoung looked up at him and nodded. 

"W-well...maybe...we can start over. I can promise not to be so...enthusiastic, and you can go in with an open mind. You can have time to trust me and we can really get to know each other, without thinking about our past histories. And...don't be too sad over this, okay? You just read the situation wrong. I don't want you beating yourself up over it, okay? I just want to move on and be with you, but slowly." 

"I don't deserve you," Doyoung immediately responded. 

"No way, you're all I could ever want," Jaehyun spoke, then immediately rolled his eyes and giggled. "Look, I'm already breaking the overenthusiasm rule. I mean, if you want this." 

"I...I want that," Doyoung responded. "I want to try this out with you." 

Jaehyun's expression bloomed into a smile and Doyoung found himself being more relieved than he'd felt in weeks. 

"Hug?" Jaehyun asked. Doyoung nodded and Jaehyun pulled him in close, Doyoung burying his nose in the crook of Jaehyun's shoulder. At first, the sparks were too much but then a sense of calm flooded through his veins, every organ in his body relaxing. He felt safe, he felt comforted, he felt...at home. Jaehyun was his soulmate for a reason, and he was finally realizing this. 

They pulled away from the hug and Jaehyun checked his watch, immediately laughing guiltily. 

"We're twenty minutes late for choir," he spoke. 

"Oh god!" Doyoung cried. 

"Let's get going," Jaehyun spoke. Doyoung interlaced their fingers, and they shared a knowing smile before walking inside the practice room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: for our final in my writing class everyone had to write short stories, and read and review the rest of the class's. my story was reviewed today, and people generally liked the story, but...im very sensitive and not good at handling critiques :( and people were basically just critiquing my writing (something im actually very insecure about) for like 30-45 minutes straight :(( 

im feeling pretty insecure about my writing skills right now so some nice comments would be very, very much appreciated. NOT NECESSARY! but if you have something nice to say please say it, i will appreciate it very much. thank you all so much and I love you guys a bunch!

-RainbowDonkeys