Chapter 06

Someone that I used to like.

He wasn't looking him in the eyes.

"Are you practicing the entire day today?" Nam Soon asked, sitting by the table in the kitchen. Heung Soo was already up when he woke up, doing those strange vitamins he had every morning.

"Yes. We have to win that match if we want a place on the competition. No relaxing until Thursday."

He still wasn't looking at him. Maybe he was just too concentrated on his drink.

"I won't watch your practice today. I don't have classes tomorrow morning, so today will be a drinking night," he took a spoonful of rice, staring at Heung Soo's back - that had just served his green vitamin and was drinking it without turning around.

Was he really awkward because of the photo? Or was he angry somehow?

"That's fine," he finished drinking and placed his arms on the sink, while he slightly shook his head. Nam Soon kept staring at his back - he didn't have anything else to say - and quietly watched as Heung Soo headed to the fridge. Was it as smile he saw on his face?

"Is everything ok?"

It was definitely a smile. He finally turned around, but was still facing his feet. Nam Soon raised his eyebrows.

Heung Soo shook his head again, and finally looked up. And that definitely was a smile. Actually, he was laughing.

"Nam Soon, you're totally crazy."

That was a relief. Nam Soon started laughing as well - just then he realised that he had been quite nervous that Heung Soo might have taken it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry, but really, it was a beautiful photo," he shook his shoulders, feeling that he was allowed to joke again as Heung Soo clearly hadn't got offended by it. In fact, he quite liked the way he was laughing while he shook his head, and he could swear he saw his cheeks getting a bit flushed. Was it because of the laughing?

"Yes, of course," he rolled his eyes, while he ran his hands through his hair before turning again to the sink, "gorgeous." Nam Soon liked to pretend that his answer was not in a sarcastic tone.

"And he just laughed???" Hyun Woo exclaimed perhaps too loudly during lunch time. But people were already used to this group of guys being always too loud everywhere around campus to bother about them.

"Right? It's surprising that he didn't throw a tantrum," Won Geun commented as he stole some of Hyun Woo's kimchi while he wasn't looking.

"Heung Soo wouldn't get angry by that though," Nam Soon shrugged, even though he was worried about the exact same thing just a few hours ago.

"But about that... Show us the picture," Won Geun had a mocking smile on his face while Hyun Woo agreed, staring at Nam Soon in anticipation, "so we can get a better picture of the story."

Nam Soon frowned, adjusting over his chair as he chewed his rice, "you wish. That's exclusive."

"But you showed it to Heung Soo!" Won Geun exclaimed, forcing an insulted expression that Nam Soon couldn't care less about.

"Well, yes," he was making his that's so obvious face again. "First, that was by mistake. Second, it's Heung Soo, which makes it a totally different case."

"Why is it that different?" Nam Hyuk asked out of curiosity.

"Totally different. I could send him a photo of my if he asked me to," he shrugged, ignoring Nam Hyuk that almost choked on his rice by hearing his answer.

"Oh wow, that's a different way to show your love," Hyung Woo laughed, as Won Geun giggled by his side.

Nam Soon rolled his eyes, still pretending that he didn't say anything strange, "I'm just saying that I owe him a lot."

"And you repay by sending some nudes?" Won Geun chuckled, and Nam Hyuk watched him curiously.

"What do you owe him for?"

"You don't know?" Hyung Woo asked while Nam Soon went back to eat his lunch. Nam Hyuk stared at them and shook his head.

"He pays for Nam Soon's tuition," Won Geun explained.

"And he lives at his house," Hyun Woo completed.

Nam Hyuk stared at Nam Soon that was now only facing his food plate with kimchi soup.

"I thought they shared...?"

Nam Soon chewed the rest of his food and shook his shoulders, still looking down.

"Well I guess it's fine," he stared at Nam Soon anxiously - it wasn't normal for him to see him acting like this. "He's rich anyway."

Nam Soon shook his head, "he's not rich," he finally stared at the other. Won Geun and Hyun Woo had decided not to say anything else - "he has some money, yes. But in any case, I'm paying him back in a few years."

Hyun Woo and Won Geun stared at each other in surprise - why was Nam Soon being this serious? They weren't used to it.

"Are you really in love with him??" Hyun Woo was probably the only one that had the guts to be straightforward in everything the others were already thinking.

Nam Soon placed his spoon over his plate and stared at them, shaking his head, "do I look stupid?" Hyung Woo shook his shoulders, "I'm not in love with a straight guy, give me a break."

He shook his head once more and went back to finish his soup, "I said, I owe him. You know he helped me when I didn't have anywhere to stay."

Hyun Woo stared at Won Geun with raised eyebrows, but decided not to insist, while Nam Hyuk was back with his curious expression. Apparently there was a lot about them that he still didn't know.

"What do you mean by that? How come you didn't have anywhere to stay?"

"Lunch time is over guys," Nam Soon suddenly stood up, checking the time on his wristwatch. "Let's go back to class. This night I really feel like drinking. "

He smelled of a cheaper cologne, but it was not really that bad. He liked his pink hair, and the way he moaned against his sheets when he pounded against him right on the top of his bed - Heung Soo should be proud because this time he did go to his room. But maybe that had something to do with the fact that it was almost five in the morning when they arrived. Actually, Heung Soo should be waking up sometime around... Nam Soon checked his phone, it was almost six, so... Probably he should be waking up now?

He lay down restless over his mattress, panting heavily with his clothes thrown somewhere around the floor. He didn't really care. For the sounds the guy was making by his side, he was probably fast asleep by now. Nam Soon looked at him to check him properly - he had a nice . Legs, perhaps just a bit too thin, but he was fine. Nam Soon stood up, searching for his pants somewhere near the bed, and pulled them in as soon as he found them,making sure to close the bedroom door behind him when he left - he was not into having a past conversation so it was better if he didn't wake up.

The noises coming from the kitchen when he approached revealed that Heung Soo was indeed up. In fact he was already dressed making his vitamin - even earlier than yesterday. Nam Soon wondered if he was the responsible one for waking him up.

"Up already?" Nam Soon approached the sink, getting himself a glass of water. Surprisingly he wasn't feeling drunk, but he might have a slight headache if he didn't do it.

"Your friend is quite noisy," he explained without looking back as he chopped some lettuce. "So you finally did it, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Nam Soon frowned, getting another knife to help him slice some other vegetables for his strange vitamin.

"You and that guy, what's his name?" Heung Soo pointed out to the bedroom, shaking his head, "well the one from the karaoke."

Nam Soon faced him for a bit before showing a funny smile "Oh no, it's another one."

He almost got startled as Heung Soo noisily placed the knife over the chopping board. "Another one? Really?"

"Oh, you know," he shook his shoulders, still with that smile on his face, "couldn't resist. You should check his ."

Heung Soo couldn't hold as smile as he shook his head in disapproval, getting back to cut the lettuces, "nice to know, but no thanks." He got silent for a few seconds and shook his head again, dropping the knife over the sink. "Honestly Nam Soon, you really feel nothing at all for these guys? I thought you were having a bit of a different feeling for that one and now you've just ed another?"

Nam Soon finished slicing the vegetables and dropped his knife next to Heung Soo's, getting back to the fridge for something to eat.

"Of course I feel something, what do you think of me?" he laughed, placing a ramen package over the counter as he searched for his usual ramen pot under the sink.

"That's a surprise," Heung Soo frowned, staring at him.

"Attraction, excitement," Nam Soon counted those on his fingers, "and finally, ."

Heung Soo rolled his eyes, "that's indeed a deep feeling, I'm shocked."

Nam Soon laughed, as he added some water to boil and watched Heung Soo's back as he mixed his vegetables on the blender.

He finished and started pouring the liquid on a glass, shaking his head slowly as a slight smile appeared on his lips, "but honestly..." He frowned, "All these years and you never loved anyone? I kept thinking how's that possible? I mean... Really?"

"Of course I did," Nam Soon said with indifference, "you know about it though," he placed his noodles on the boiling water and bended against the counter.

"Huh... No I don't," he raised his eyebrows, staring at the younger. That was something new.

"You, of course."

Heung Soo frowned for half a second before rolling his eyes. "I don't mean it like that. I mean love, like with dating purposes, as a boyfriend."

"Yes, I know what you mean," he nodded, checking his noodles with the chopsticks. Heung Soo kept staring at him, holding his vitamin without saying a word, and Nam Soon looked back with his are you stupid expression, "really,Heung Soo? You do know that I had a crush on you for years, right?"

"No, of course not. How was I supposed to know that?" He looked dumbfounded, but then a smile showed up on the corner of his lips and he slightly shook his head, "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"No, I wouldn't make fun of something like this." Nam Soon pretended to feel insulted, and Heung Soo raised his eyebrows.

"You totally would."

"... Okay, fair enough," Nam Soon laughed, taking the pot off the stove and sitting by the table, "but I'm not making fun now, honestly. You really didn't know though? How slow are you??"

"Of course I didn't! You've never told me!" he exclaimed, sounding offended for some reason.

"Yes, but it was obvious." Nam Soon frowned, getting a spoonful of his ramen and stared back at him, rolling his eyes, "and stop making this face, that was ages ago."

"When was it then?" Heung Soo bended against the chair with his hands, forgetting his vitamin over the sink.

"Back at school of course," Nam Soon answered indifferently, and Heung Soo kept staring at him with that shocked expression still on his face.

"Holy , I don't know what to say."

"You're overreacting, Heung Soo," he put his chopsticks down, shaking his head.

"Well, sorry but my best friend just told me he loved me, how do you expect me to react to that?" Heung Soo exclaimed, and Nam Soon shrugged, frowning a bit before running his hands through his hair,

"Well, I don't know, maybe think how lucky you were to have a handsome guy like me interested in you," he laughed, and Heung Soo shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Can't you be serious once in your life?"

"I am," he still had a smile on his face, but nodded, bending his back against his chair, "okay, but really Heung Soo, I was just young and stupid. I'm over it, I'm not an idiot to keep liking someone that's straight, common'.'"

"But for how long did it last?"

"Why are you so interested? You know... I can't promise you those feelings, but I'm still available," he gave him a mischievous smile and blinked, but Heung Soo kept staring at him without a smile on his face. That was boring. "I don't remember ok?" He complained, getting back to eat his ramen.

"I mean, did I hurt you somehow?" Nam Soon stared at him like he was crazy, "don't make that face, I keep thinking if I was rude to you."

"Yes, right, I'm so traumatised that I might cry," he faked the saddest expression he could pull, but by seeing that Heung Soo was not in a funny mood, he just rolled his eyes again. "I'm fine, please. Can you stop with the awkward questions?" He tried to reach the end of the conversation when he heard some footsteps approaching the kitchen door and quickly stood up.

A guy that seemed to be in his early twenty approached the door, wearing only some blue jeans and a purple shirt. He held the door handle with his hands full of rings on his fingers. He stared at Nam Soon while he approached him, but didn't react when he saw Heung Soo - what showed that maybe he didn't recognised him or he was not a fan of soccer at all.

"Now, if you excuse me," Nam Soon made a goodbye gesture with his left hand and used the right one to contour the guy's waist, "this conversation made me want to go for a second round," and he winked at Heung Soo, before pulling the younger back towards his room.