You’re left trailing after Dowoon as he takes off outside the cafe, wanting to get away from Younghyun as much as possible.

“Dowoon, wait! What’s the rush?”

The younger male finally realises his haste when you call out to him, stopping before turning around to face you fully. He has his bottom lip caught between his teeth, chewing on the skin till you can see the first droplets of blooding seeping through the cracks on his lips. His eyebrows are drawn so tightly together that you think they might say stuck in that position forever. His eyes are still as shifty as before, darting left, right; looking anywhere but you. He’s thinking hard, really hard. The internal battle within Dowoon rages on; he was so determined to tell you before, still thinks that he should. But how bad will it turn out? Will this help you start the communication with Younghyun? Or will he ruin everything, causing this end in a bloodbath? He weighs the consequences, but neither seems favourable.

“Dowoon? What did you want to say to me?”

Right. You were still waiting for him to say it.

“Rachel, there’s something – ”

The words die in his throat promptly when he sees a hand reach out to you, and now he’s facing his friend instead, a warning flashing in the older’s eyes – Whatever you do, you mustn’t tell her the truth. From your spot behind Younghyun, you quietly observe the silent showdown between both boys. Seriously, what the heck is going on?

“Rachel, why don’t you head back inside? I need a word with Dowoon.”

“Why? He has something that he wants to say to me too, and I haven’t heard it yet.”

You stand defiantly on your spot, wanting to know what the hell was going on between the two – one that might possibly involve you. You look back at Dowoon, hoping that the younger male would give you some moral support but even Dowoon looks powerless when faced against the older male, and you slowly feel your resolve slip away.

“Rachel, please. I just need a word with him. A quick one. Nothing’s amiss, I promise.”

With his desperate pleading, the last bits of your resolve crumble away like dust being dissipated by the wind and you take a step back, and your legs naturally bringing you back into the café, heading further from the source of tension. You shut the door behind you, back pressed against the wall as you heaved a deep sigh. What was that all about? Your mind flashes back to the kiss, a mixture of disbelief and happiness mixing into a confusing swirl in your chest.

We need to talk. We definitely need to talk.

Not trusting yourself to be able to speak properly once Younghyun was back, you head into the kitchen; a cold drink should restore your parched throat, and hopefully quench the heat rising in your face. You march off into the kitchen, but you’re stopped by an image in your periphery. Dowoon and Younghyun are still engaged in an intense conversation, eyes never leaving one another and lips moving rapidly to fire back at a response at the other. Their lips movement are too small, making it impossible for you to read their lips. The only thing stopping this argument from becoming a full out fight was the lack of volume; had they been yelling at one another, it would be. Frustrated at your inability to decipher their conversation, you decided to head back for your original goal, leaving the two men be. They’ll trash it out amongst themselves, as you decide that it was not your business to intervene unless they want you to.

You gulp down the freezing cold water in one mouthful, letting the cool air seep from your mouth slowly. The cold water numbs your throat and teeth, but does nothing to numb the mind. The same thoughts are still running wildly in your head, maybe with even more intensity now. You had to admit, you enjoyed the kiss. In fact, you’re the one that asked for it. You were just acting on your genuine feelings – there was no denying it now. You’re in love with Kang Younghyun. You’re in love with Brian Kang. Even if it’s not love, you’re sure that at least you like him. But what about him? Does he like you, or were you two still on business partners in his eyes? You can feel the throbbing in the vein at your temple, your head getting tighter and tighter with the passing second. Letting out a deep sigh, you bury your face in your palms as you place your elbows on the kitchen counter, staying in that bent over position for some time, willing the pain to go away. You don’t notice when Younghyun enters the kitchen so when he places a gentle hand on your shoulder, you jump away from him, barely able to keep your scream in.

“Rachel, are you ok?”

“Yea I’m fine. Just the- just the- just the exam stress, you know?”

“Looks like you need a break. Dinner with the boys tonight? Jae called for an impromptu get-together, muttering something about ‘screw finals’ or something along those lines.” He lets out a chuckle at the end, hoping to light up the mood.

“Dinner with the boys sound good. Where’s Dowoon though? Is everything alright?”

Younghyun buffers for a moment at your question – he really was hoping that you wouldn’t bring Dowoon up – it just makes things harder to explain.

“Everything’s alright, just a misunderstanding between him and I. But it’s all good now, so don’t worry about it.” He smiles at the end, but you know it’s just a show.

He’s lying. He’s lying to me.

On any other day you would badger him to tell you the truth but right now… you’re just too tired. You’re worn down to the bones and you’re just absolutely exhausted. You let the matter slide – if neither of them is going to tell you, you’re just going to have to wait till they tell you voluntarily. Or till the secret unveils itself.

“O