DAY 14 - Sunday

Tomorrow marks the day of the last School Mock Test. Minwoo asked Dongwan to add 1 more day for their study session even it mean they studied during weekend. Dongwan couldn’t protest with that sudden request from Minwoo so he said yes but under one condition if this time they needed to study at Dongwan's place instead of Minwoo's. Minwoo agreed when Dongwan gave excuse if Minwoo’s house was too noisy and during study Minwoo got distracted alot because of that.

And so after took 1,5 hour ride with the train from Seoul to Gapyeong, Minwoo finally arrived at Dongwan’s apartment.

" Ya! Are you listening to what I said? " Dongwan stops himself when he realizes that Minwoo kind of doze off.

" Uh huh. Go on. " Minwoo answers though he still has his eyes lands on Dongwan's face, not to his book.

" How can I go on if you dont focus to your homework?! " Dongwan throws his pen angrily.

" Aigoooo Dongwan-ah! " Minwoo's childish tantrum surprises Dongwan. Minwoo kicks both of his feet which caused all the belongings scattered around the floor.

" It’s your fault it’s your fault it’s your fauuulltt!! " Minwoo whines.. Now he lays in the floor and still with his feet kicking.

" Ya! You! Get a grip! Stop act like a baby! " Dongwan pulls Minwoo to sit properly and shoves the book back to Minwoo's direction. " I dont have a time to deal with your childish behaviour, let's go back to study."

" I caanntt~~ Your dimples! So distracting! Dongwan-ah you cant do this to meeee."

Dongwan automatically brings his hand to cover his cheek, face already blushing. " What kind of nonsense that you talk about? I, I dont care. Let's just go back to study.. Open your book, Minwoo.. "

But Minwoo leans closer, his lips just an inch from Dongwan's cheek and Dongwan quickly moves away. " Can I take a bite ? Just a little it wont bleed " Minwoo points his finger to Dongwan's dimple. " Puhleeeazzee.. "

" Stop it!! You! Aaarrgh! " Dongwan screams in frustration seeing Minwoo acted that way.

But Minwoo doesn’t budge. He now sits like a puppy. Still not drop the talk about dimple yet. " You know that you are so lucky, Dongwan-ah. To be born with dimples is like the cutest deformity everrr..and you have it in both cheek! And it’s so obvious, so prominent even when you just casually talk, it keeps showing and teasing me to munch your cheek all the way! "

" What are exactly you talk about Minwoo? You come here to study not to do this, this is wasting my time to hear you talk nonsense about my dimples. "

Minwoo pouts. Then he clears his throat. " I think I have low blood sugar, Dongwan-ah. That’s why I’m behaving so weird like this. And I also forget to bring my Gummy Bear. "

Phew. At least Minwoo’s voice is back to normal. Dongwan feels relieved with that.

" Eating my dimples wont help you with that, you know? Wait, let me check my kitchen. Hopefully I have something I can fetch for you."

Dongwan back to his room with Chocopie only to find Minwoo already laying on his bed. Minwoo spreads both arms and legs so all the bed is covered with his body.

" Min.. Minwoo? " Dongwan silently calls just to check either Minwoo is already fall asleep or still awake.

" Uh-huh. " Minwoo answers hazily without opening his eyes nor moving his body.

" I bring you a Chocopie.. "

Minwoo raises his hand and Dongwan put 2 chocopies to Minwoo's hand.

" You dont mind if I eat in your bed do you? "

Yes. It’s the actual answer. Dongwan is pretty sensitive about hygiene. But No is the word that comes from Dongwan’s mouth. And so with that, still with his eyes close, Minwoo rips the Chocopie package and start eating it.

Dongwan then back to sit down on the floor. Clueless for what to do now with Minwoo in his bed eating Chocopie.

" Dongwan-ah "

" Huh? "

" Can I be honest with you? "

" About what? "

" Promise you wont hate me or misjudge me after I tell my confession.."

Dongwan hesitates for a moment before says, " Yes I promise. Now what? ”

Minwoo rolls his body and let his head falls to Dongwan’s side, the distance between them is now a bit too close that Dongwan can even feel Minwoo’s breath on his neck. And suddenly Dongwan feels that his stomach churning for no reason.

" I think I’m addicted with you. Your voice, to be exact.. For 3 years we dont know about each other. So hearing your voice is like opening the door that lead me to this unknown world I never enter before. I feel happy. Comfortable at its best. I feel like I want to stay there forever. But sadly, you only talk when you feel the needed to. It makes me sad. Because I want to hear your voice more. I want to hear your voice when you laugh, or when you sing. I bet it will be as good like when you talking. ” Minwoo takes a moment to breathe before he goes on.

“ At first I found your habit to answer a question with short respond was annoying. It’s disrespect me, it’s like you aren’t interested in having a conversation with me. It’s frustrating, like going one way down the lane. But then I remember if Eric already told me that you are indeed a quiet person. So I try not to really upset with the silent treatment that you pulled for me. After all, I only need your help to study then it’s okay if you dont talk much unless you still want to help me. But then, the more I hear your voice, the more I’m addicted to it and become greedy. What is it Dongwan? What spell that you put till you make me like this? "

Silence. What Minwoo gets in return after his long statement is only silence.

" The night when we had our first day studied together, I wake up in the middle of the night and unable to go back to sleep. I kept hearing your voice playing inside my brain. And same thing happened on last Wednesday. So yesterday, I secretly recorded your voice on my phone. " Minwoo pulls out his phone from his pocket. And after he touch something on the screen, he plays yesterday's recording.

Silence. Dongwan is still silence when he hears his own voice coming from Minwoo's phone.

" I played this file last night and nothing bad happened to my sleep. " Minwoo says in the end and stop the recording.

" Is that all? Your confession? " Dongwan asks when Minwoo says nothing. Dongwan’s hand wet in a cold sweat. The room suddenly feels like suffocating him after hearing what Minwoo said to him.

" No. I actually want to ask the reason behind your silent behaviour. Why you despise the idea of talking with other people? You have to know that you have a very good voice, Dongwan-ah. You’ve been blessed with such a special vocal cord and sure it’s a crime for you not to use it.. "

For another silence moment, Dongwan is battling this internal conflict between himself. To hear a sincere confession from Minwoo is the first time ever happen to his life. Someone praising his voice? What kind of dream is that? It’s very sweet of Minwoo too, to let Dongwan know about his true feelings. And because of that reason, Dongwan feels like maybe it’s time for him to learn to open up about himself and let at least, someone in this world, know about little piece of him. But then before he fully agrees to that idea, something halts his mouth to open. The negative part of him now taking control of his mind. What’s the point for telling a piece about yourself to Minwoo? Come on, in less than 3 months, both of you will walk on different path. You stays here till the rest of your life while Minwoo will be that guy who have a higher chance to travel around the world. And how can you easily trust this guy? You never trusts someone before, then what’s with Minwoo that makes you like this?

“ I, ” Dongwan opens his mouth when he unsure of what to say next.

“ No, ” Minwoo stand up from Dongwan’s bed abruptly. “No, dont tell me if you dont want to. I’m sorry, what I did was wrong, I shouldn’t force you like this. ”

But Dongwan is already pulling Minwoo’s arm so Minwoo falls back to the bed again, but his other arm puts him on steady.

“ It’s okay, Minwoo. I mean, thank you for your nice words about me. And it just that, isn’t that I dont like talking, because even Eric once joked that the moment I talked, it will be hard to stop. He said that I sounded like a Fussy Grandmother. ”

Minwoo chuckles and makes Dongwan eased a bit.

“ I used to be like that. Like you. A chatty person, uhm maybe I’m more chatty than you. Let me use this term, I used to be such a noisy person. The one who talked alot. Alot until my friend said that I became too annoying. As a student, I kept asking questions to the teacher until they asked me to shut my mouth. I couldn’t  help it. It just me became very curious about so many things.

Back to the old days, my childhood was dominated by my Grandfather’s presence. He was like a surrogate parent because my Mom were off working and had no time for me and my Dad left us after he divorced with my Mom. And it was my Grandfather who never get bored to hear me talking. Back then, I didn’t mind the fact that I’m a single child without sibling, because at least I knew, my Grandfather will always be there to listen to everything that I said. But then he passed away. And  to make it worst, Mom also needed to work longer than before to pay the debt of my grandfather’s hospital bill. So without I realized, suddenly I was left all alone. That’s when reality hit me so hard, that it’s to be a single child. Then I started making this imaginary friend. Acted like it was my grandfather’s spirit. I did that to comfort my own sadness, to cope with this loneliness. The other kids saw me talking by myself, and started to leave me because they think I turned crazy. So I guess, that’s the moment when I gradually become like this. Too traumatized? Or maybe because I dont have a friend at first place. Even if I have one, I dont feel like to talk alot too. Because no one can give me guarantee if there will be someone who will stay forever beside me to hear me talking, right? So I only talk when it’s necessary. In school, most of the time I behave like this. But at least things are way more better when I’m doing my part-time job. ”

When Dongwan stop talking, it’s Minwoo who turns speechless. Suddenly he feels very guilty, because he thinks about the effect that Minwoo’s family caused to Dongwan when Dongwan visited Minwoo’s house.

“ D, did, coming to my house bugging you, Dongwan-ah? I, I'm truly sorry, I really dont know about your family, I’m sorry if I make you feel bad when you were on my house. ”

“ Of course no, uhm, yeah, maybe? A little jealous? ” Dongwan decides to just be honest with Minwoo. “ But then it’s the warmness from your family that makes me think that it’s a fool for me to feel jealous with you. It’s okay, no need to feel sorry. ” 

Minwoo then puts himself on the floor and scoots closer to Dongwan. Both of them is now sitting face to face. “ Then let me be your friend, Dongwan-ah. You can talk to me about everything. You already know that I am addicted to your voice, so from now on and then, you will always have someone who will listen to you talking. ”

In Dongwan’s brain right now Minwoo is exactly looking like a 3 years old toddler who begging for a pack of candy to their parent. That puppy eyes of Minwoo that makes Dongwan unknowingly takes a gulp and clears his dry throat just to remind him to not pulling Minwoo’s face closer because damn that eyes is so irresistible.

“ Cmon, Dongwan. Said Yes pleaseee... I promise that I wont leave your side. Never. And I wont  mad even when you start babbling or saying something nonsense, I wont complain if you nag at petty things, and I will laugh at every jokes you throw at me. I want to know your stories, things you love to do, things you want to do in  future, I want to hear that from you. Please, let me take the honour for becoming your friend.... ”

Dongwan is amazed at how convincing the words that just comes from Minwoo’s mouth. Sometimes, spending time with Minwoo is really like talking with a kid who have this pure, naive mind that only sees the good in this life and no place for something bad. Of course, it’s easy for Minwoo to say all of that. But, the moment he back to school, surrounded with his friends, sure it wont take that long for Minwoo to ignore Dongwan, or maybe acts like they never know each other. But Dongwan knows better, that it will be useless to tell Minwoo how ridiculous his words and so Dongwan only nods his head.

What comes next is surprise Dongwan though, that Minwoo pulls his body and hugs him tight and even send a little peck to Dongwan’s cheek. Dongwan suddenly freezes.. And Minwoo notices how Dongwan’s body stiffened and quickly releases Dongwan’s body and steps back. “ Oh, God! Sorry, ! I dont mean to. I mean, me and Justin, I mean, CJ, ng, you know? Choong Jae? We, we used to hug each other when we are happy. Dongwan-ah, I’m sorry!! ” Minwoo says in total panic voice. Damn it, Minwoo. Control yourself, you ! How can you hug and even kiss Dongwan’s cheek like that, you stupid. Minwoo curses to himself.

“ Y, yeah, its okay. ” Dongwan tries to act nonchalant with the sudden skinship.

Then they hears something from outside the room. What a perfect thing to break the awkwardness between them. “ I think it’s my Mom. ”

“ Your Mom? ”

“ Yeah. Let me open the door for her. ” Dongwan then exits from his room. Minwoo uses that moment to comb his hair with his finger and tidying his clothes.

Dongwan unlocks the door and greets his Mother. “ Hey, Mom. ”

Dongwan’s Mom kisses both of Dongwan’s cheek. “ Good evening, Darling. Do we have a visitor? Mr. Jang told me  that he saw you with, oh, ” the word stops when Dongwan’s Mom seeing Minwoo comes from Dongwan’s room. “ So I guess Mr.Jang tell me the truth. Hi, are you Wannie’s friend? The one who ask My Wannie’s help to study together? ”

Minwoo rushes to bow and greets Dongwan’s mom. “ Good evening, Dongwan ommonim. Yes, I’m Minwoo. Dongwan’s schoolmate. I’m sorry for kidnapping Dongwan to my house the past days. ”

“ Ah, so you are Minwoo. Nice to meet you, Minwoo. I guess, you are the first person from Dongwan’s school that comes to our house. " Dongwan's mom says and quickly corrects herself. " Ah, no, no, there’s Jung Hwan before. ”

Minwoo shots a confuse look to Dongwan. “ Jung Hwan? ”

Dongwan quickly changes topic. “ Ng, Mom, it’s already late and I think I will  send Minwoo back home now. ”

“ Ah, I thought Minwoo will stay for dinner. You two still not have your dinner yet right? ”

Minwoo who feels a bit shock when suddenly Dongwan said about sending him back home quickly nods his head vigorously. “ Yeah, ommonim. Can I stay for a dinner? Pleaseeee, I’m hungry after studying~~ ” Minwoo pleads in his 3years old toddler’s voice.

Dongwan’s mother looks so happy seeing Minwoo like that. “ Wannie, darling. Help me set the table for three of us, please. ”

With that Dongwan gives up. His plan to send Minwoo home failed, but at least it distracts Minwoo from asking about Jung Hwan.

*

The dinner apparently takes a longer time than Dongwan expected, as both his Mother and Minwoo wont stop chatting during eating.  Somehow it’s feels like seeing 2 old friends that hadn't seen each other in a decade. When it’s finally ends, Dongwan clears the table and soon after he finish cleans the dishes, he hears that Minwoo is asking permission to his mother for a sleepover.

“ What? Is he crazy? ” Dongwan quickly dries his hand with towel and rushes to the dining room where he sees Minwoo hands his phone to Dongwan’s mother.

Too late for Dongwan. Using Minwoo’s phone, Dongwan’s Mom call Minwoo’s house to inform   Minwoo’s parent if Minwoo will sleep at Dongwan’s house for tonight. When Minwoo’s parent seems unbothered with this sudden event, Dongwan’s mother ends the call and gives the phone back to Minwoo who accept it with this wide smile on his face that makes his puppy eyes back to life.

“ Okay, I will leave you two and bid goodbye. Goodnite, Kids. ” Dongwan’s mother says before enter her room.

“ What the hell is that? ” Dongwan asks when Minwoo bypasses him and simply walks back to Dongwan’s room, acts exactly like he’s the one who owns the house.

“ Whoa, we’re just officially became a friend a moment ago and here I am now already hear the first curse word from you. ” Minwoo says jokingly. “ That’s still sounds cute in my ear though. I like it. ”

Dongwan chases Minwoo. “ B, but seriously. Minwoo-ah? Are you blind? Dont you see my room is not as spacious as yours? How can you ask for a sleepover then?? ” Dongwan’s voice is raising once he closes the door.

“ It’s okay. It’s already 10 pm. We will wake up at 4. My body is too tired I bet I will sleep a second after I touch the bed. I wont be a fussy about your room too. ” Minwoo starts to ing his shirt. “ Ah, do you have any clothes that I can borrow to sleep? And a toothbrush? ”

Dongwan still paralyzed with everything that happens with Minwoo, but his mind back on its state when he realizes Minwoo is now ready to his pants down.

“ Wait! Please change your clothes inside the bathroom. You can find new toothbrush in the cabinet. And, I,I will bring you a clothes. ” Dongwan hustles Minwoo out from the room to the bathroom.

Dongwan curses unstoppably while Minwoo already inside the bathroom. Dongwan opens his drawer, trying  to find any decent clothes for both of them. No matter what, Dongwan still have this dignity and there’s no way he gives Rich Kid like Minwoo an ugly clothes even it just for 1 night.

“ Damn, how about the underwear? , I dont have the new one. There’s no way I borrow him mine. ”

Panic comes to Dongwan’s brain. He then knocks the bathroom door and Minwoo’s face pops up.

“ Here’s the clothes. And towel. ”

“ Thanks. ” Minwoo reaches out to grab the clothes. Dongwan tries not to look at Minwoo’s arm while this exchange clothes happens.

“ But, I, I dont have new underwear for you. ” Dongwan admits in the end.

“ Ah, it’s okay. I never wear that while sleeping too. Wait a minute, and I will finish soon. ” Minwoo closes the door.

Dongwan rushes to the kitchen sink and taps the faucet and splashes water to his face. “ What the is that? ”

Dongwan tries hard to make his breath normal and prevents his face to not turn any redder in front of Minwoo. After a minutes that feels like eternity, Minwoo exits the bathroom, already wearing Dongwan’s tshirt and boxer. “ Bathroom’s ready, Dongwan-ah. ”

“ Yeah, yeah. ”

Dongwan decides to clear his mind and stalling a little time before he going back to his room by taking a cold shower. But that attempt seems like a total failure, because the moment after the water touches his body, all he think about is this flash of Minwoo when Minwoo hugged and kissed his cheek, flash of Minwoo when Minwoo casually ed his uniform and ped his pants in front of him, flash of Minwoo when he popped up from bathroom door and showed his arm, and flash of Minwoo when he fully dressed in Dongwan’s clothes but Dongwan knows if beneath the fabric, Minwoo is total .

“! Now what? ” Dongwan feels twitches under the thought of Minwoo wears nothing inside the boxer.

“ , , ! ” Dongwan more panic now as he needs to tug himself off.

After 20mins, Dongwan finally done with the bathroom drama and with shiver runs all around his body as the after effect of taking a cold shower, he enters his room.

And just like a dejavu, Minwoo is already stealing half part of his bed.

“ No way. ” Dongwan thinks to himself.

“ Minwoo, hey. ” he pats Minwoo’s shoulder. No movement from Minwoo. “ Minwoo! ” now Dongwan is shaking Minwoo’s shoulder with bigger motion.

Minwoo half open his eyes. “ Whaaaaat? ”

“ I should be the one who ask you, what are you doing in my bed? ”

“ Sleeping of course? What elseeee? ” Minwoo answers in between the yawn.

“ No, I mean, who give you permission to sleep in my bed? ”

“ Then where I should sleep, Dongwan-ah? In the bathroom? ” Minwoo sounds annoyed at the fact that he already fall asleep and now Dongwan ruin it.

“ But if you sleep on my bed, then where should I, the owner of this room, sleep??? ” Dongwan emphasizes every word to make Minwoo realize if this is not Minwoo’s room.

“ Damn it, Dongwan. What’s the problem of sharing your bed just for the next 6 hours?? ” Minwoo finally wake up and props himself up on his elbow and staring directly at Dongwan.

“ That’s exa ctly the problem! I,I cant do that. I, I never do that. I’m not like you! ” Dongwan stutters. Being a single child since newborn means he never share his bed to anyone before.

Seeing Dongwan suddenly become uncomfortable, a realization hits Minwoo’s brain. “ Ah, damn. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Dongwan-ah. I used to sleep together in the same bed with my brother, so I think we will also share the bed tonight. I’m sorry. ”

Dongwan sighs. It’s crazy to think about the term of being friend with Minwoo when they already fight over the bed like this. “ It’s okay, you can go back to sleep. ” Dongwan grabs the pillow.

“ Then where you will sleep? ” Minwoo asks.

“ Floor is okay for me. ”

“ Noo.. ” Minwoo quickly pulls Dongwan’s back to the bed. “ No, you make me feel like a bad person if the owner of the room sleep on the floor. ”

“ Then you also make me feel like a bad person for letting the guest sleep on the floor. ”

A moment of silence comes again between this two since Minwoo still not want to let Dongwan’s arm go.

“ Rock-Paper-Scissors then. ” Minwoo says with cheeky grin.

“ What? ”

“ Yeah, we play Rock Paper Scissors. If you win, you can sleep on the bed, and I sleep on the floor. Same goes if I win, you take the floor, I take the bed. This time, whoever wins, no hard feeling. Is that fair enough? ”

Dongwan nods. Anything that can end this silly bickering over the bed soon.

“ Aish! ”  Minwoo curses when Dongwan’s paper knocks down his rock. But Minwoo knows, he’s the one who suggest the game, so he needs to take the floor.

“ Wait, ” Dongwan says.

“ What now? ”

“ No one sleep on the floor. It’s okay, you right. I shouldn’t fuss over the bed. ” Dongwan drops his body onto the bed.

“ . Then whats the point for bickering like that? ” Minwoo curses but he quickly shuts his mouth when Dongwan is glaring his eyes at him.

“ Dongwan-ah? ” Minwoo calls Dongwan’s name in between his sleep.

“ Huh? ” Dongwan quietly respond.

“ Thank you. ”

“ What for? ”

“ For everything. The chocopie. The clothes. The toothbrush. The bed. ”

“ Yeah. ”

“ And I’m sorry. ”

“ Now what? ”

“ For being annoying when it just our first day become a friend. Please dont hate me, okay? ”

“ I’m beginning to think about the idea of unfriend you if you keep talking instead of sleeping, Minwoo-ah. ”

“ Kekeke, okay okay. Goodnite, Dongwan-ah. ”

“ Yeah, goodnite. ”

***