It’s just one of those seemingly normal afternoons at the university when Song Mino’s heading to another lecture with his friends. There in the hallway, he sees him; his best friend Kang Seungyoon. They make a quick eye contact, just a mere glance but it’s like acknowledging each other’s presence in their secret means. Then they simultaneously look away and walk past each other.

Like total strangers.

It’s like their norm. To pretend and act like strangers in front of other friends. It had become like that since their sophomore year of high school.

After that incident.

The incident that the jerk Seungyoon had a crush on, publicly outed and embarrassed him. They lived in a small town where most of the people were conservative and not very open minded to new ideas and things. Homouality was considered abnormal and unacceptable. Some would even call it despicable.

High schoolers were worse of course. They were young, foolish and of all, homophobic. The whole class mocked, insulted him and did every mean thing they could to a boy with difference ual preference.

Seungyoon’s mom ended up switching him to a different school. But it wasn’t easy like those shown on TV dramas. They had to find a school that would accept him midterm. There was a lot of paperwork and process to go through. So, he still had to come to school till they could finalize the process and the new school to accept him officially. During those days, Mino stood by his side, tried his best to protect him which led him to be bullied too.

Almost every day, they had to go home either with a bruise on their skin or a wound in the heart or both.

So Seungyoon proposed this idea, to act like Mino and he were not friends anymore. He had to move out soon anyway but Mino had to finish his school there. He didn’t want his friend to get hurt and became an outcast.

Seungyoon had this grand plan, Mino followed along. They acted out a fight and pretended to fall out with each other. But they would meet up secretly after school hours. They had planned to go to the same university after high school. It was all perfect.

They thought.  

They did get into the same university though both taking different majors. It was going smoothly until.. they found out their other friends from high school also got accepted. So, they inevitably had to continue with their pretense.

Still, Mino would always come to his place secretly, to hang out or to vent out his problems. It was the same as all those years. What different was that Mino started dating with, girls.  Girls.

Why was that a problem?

Oh.. that was a problem because at one point of time, Seungyoon started falling for his best friend. It was never easy for friends to become lover. There were ambiguity, doubts and other invisible barriers already. And when his friend (unintentionally) revealed his homophobic thought, Seungyoon was more than certain to not even come close to that line, let alone crossing it. 

He asked one day when Mino was talking about the girl he was dating at that time.

“You don’t seem to like her that much. Why are you with her?”

 Mino shrugged_

“She’s hot and she kinda chased me first. The guys are saying that I must be gay to not date her. So. I just.. You know well how they are like to gays. And I don’t..”

Mino just thoughtlessly blubbered but he realized his mistake when Seungyoon silently retracted a hand wrapping around his shoulder and glanced away looking all dejected and broken.

“I see.” He just muttered in a small voice.

Mino tried to change his words but it was too late already. The damage was done.

So since then, Seungyoon tried to be stricter with his boundaries. He would never talk or even smile at Mino in front of other friends. He would refrain from doing any form of skinship except those times when Mino literally asked for a hug or his comfort and support. Especially when his heart got broken and needed a shoulder to cry on. Only then Seungyoon would allow Mino (and himself) to get close.

And he decided, to bury his feelings deep inside and to never confess to his friend.

So, back to present day..

They walk past each other in the hallway like usual.

What unusual is that there is a guy attached beside Seungyoon. On the guy’s shoulder is the bag Mino recognizes to be Seungyoon’s. And one of his hands draped around him. Mino thinks the guy is too clingy for his liking. And all of a sudden, he feels annoyed at the scene. What he finds more annoying is the fact that Seungyoon allowing that guy to cling on to him like that.

He hates it. He hates to see Seungyoon smiling brightly at the guy. He hates how close they look together.

He hates everything.

And he hates the burn he feels in his chest too.

Is this jealousy? But why would he feel jealous?

Mino dismisses his thought. Maybe he feels weird right now because he has never seen Seungyoon dating anyone. Whenever Mino brought up that topic, he would simply reply that he hasn’t found anyone he wanted to date.

All the time they’ve been friends, Seungyoon has his fair share of people who are after him. It is nothing surprising since his friend is handsome with a tall and lean body. And those bee-stung kissable lips contrasting against his milky white skin could easily put any girl on shame.

But wait!

What is he thinking?

He shouldn’t think of his friend’s lips that way. All the more reason to not, when it’s a guy friend. He doesn’t swing that way. He’s into girls.

Mino’s confused and upset.

So, he does the only thing he knows to do when he’s feeling that way.

That is, to go find Seungyoon.

Although he is the source of his frustration now, he can’t help the habit of looking for his best friend at times like this. Maybe they will talk this through, maybe Seungyoon would know why and could help him find answer.

He calls but Seungyoon doesn’t pick up. He just decides to drop by his place after class.

He punches in the code to the door and turned the handle. But it remained locked. On the little LED screen, it shows “Wrong password.” He sighs. Maybe he pressed it wrongly since he is in a rush. He presses again but it doesn’t open. After his third attempt, the alarm goes off loudly. He is shocked and doesn’t know what to do.

He stands there with a stunned face when Seungyoon opens the door from the inside like 5 seconds later. Seungyoon turns off the alarm through his mobile and gives him a strange look.

“Mino? Why are you here?”

Seungyoon looks surprised to see him but not only that, he seems somewhat off. But Mino can’t tell why.

“Did you change the passcode?” He questions.

Seungyoon awkwardly mumbles... “Ahh right. I did. I forgot to tell you.”

“But why? Did someone find out?” Mino worriedly questions as he thinks it must have been for security reason.

“No.. Not like that.” Seungyoon softly denies and opens the door wider for him to come in. Only then he realizes there is someone else in the room, standing behind the door and watching their conversation all this while.

It’s the guy from the afternoon.

He only remembers then to pay close attention to them both. His best friend’s hair is in a mess and clothes disheveled. The buttons on the guy’s shirt are also opened. Seungyoon’s cheeks are turning red as he notices Mino’s look.

So they were doing something…

Quickly, his brain clicks into gear. Blood rushing to his face as realization sinks in.

His can only mutter a hurried apology before he dashes out of the room.

He hears Seungyoon calling him from behind but he doesn’t look back anymore. He just wants to get away from there, away from them two as fast as he can.