Three months had passed just like that without any significant progress between Younghyun and Hwari. This wasn't what Dowoon expected. Those two just had casual conversations as friends, or maybe even worse, as acquaintances who happened to go to same high school. Eventually, Dowoon set up a "double date" for several times. Jaehyung too was being so helpful by arranging some day-outs with just 3 of them. It was quite hard enough for him to hold himself from excitement and talking too much and leading conversations.

The good thing was all those efforts slowly showed a change in Younghyun's habit. He wasn't daydreaming as often before. He no longer got drunk once every two or three days. He played cheerful random melodies with his guitar. He even had healthier meals lately, which sometimes surprised the other guys. It was probably some kind of side effects after hanging out too much with Hwari and Jiwoo who were in Human Nutrition major. Because not only Younghyun who changed his eating habit, but the four guys did too. However, despite the positive change, Younghyun barely mentioned Hwari's name. Maybe he didn't even realize that change of himself either.

As usual, Dowoon was visiting his girlfriend at her campus when Younghyun texted him, asking where he was. Smiling  mischievously, he only replied that he was in the Human Ecology Department. Dowoon expected his hyung would come there although he didn't tell him to. Moreover, Hwari wasn't around either. So he didn't really have any reason to tell him to come over.

Younghyun too didn't really have any reason to go to Dowoon, but there he went once his class was over. Heading straight to Human Ecology Department. Just as Dowoon expected. Every step closer to his destination, apparently he just got more nervous and started to question his own action on why bother to go there. It took 20 minutes walking from Business Management Department to Human Ecology Department. He used to go home right after he finished class. He wasn't that social butterfly especially outside Business Management Department.

"Hey, where are you?" Younghyun called Dowoon.

"Where are you, Hyung?" Dowoon asked back, playing it dumb.

"Why are you asking me back? I've already arrived in Human Ecology Department."

"Ah, really? I thought you're not coming there."

"Didn't you read my text?" Younghyun barked over the phone knowing Dowoon had left.

"Sorry, Hyung." Dowoon's awkward giggle was heard. "Anyway, Hyung, Jiwoo said Hwari noona was still in campus. Why don't you call her?"

Younghyun paused for a moment. Should he call her?

"Okay, Hyung? Well then, I'll hang up." Dowoon ended the call before Younghyun spoke a word.

Younghyun was wandering around in the new place. Not a single face he was familiar with there. Maybe home was his best choice for now. He lurked on his phone once again and found Hwari's contact. Should he or should he not? He shook his head twice, looked around once again, feeling not sure. But his eyes were quick enough to find Hwari sitting on a bench. She had earphones plugged in her ears while she took a look at her notes. Should I? he thought to himself.

Finally his feet made a decision to approach her. Yeah, just take it easy, he encouraged himself. "Hwari," he called her name.

"Oh, Younghyun. Hi," she said, smiling, as she took off her left earphone. "What are you doing here? It's so unusual to find a Business student here." She moved her bag to let Younghyun sit beside her.

"I thought Dowoon was still here. It turned out he had left with Jiwoo," he said, resting his body on the bench. He didn't know it was quite tiring. It was something to walk from his campus up to where he was now.

"Yeah. Jiwoo only had one class today."

"Good for both of them. Dowoon also only had one class. Or maybe he skipped that class. Who knows?" Younghyun took a glimpse at Hwari who seemed to lower the sound on her earphone. "Anyway, what are you listening?"

"It's just something my friend keeps on promoting online and offline since her brother is in this band."

"Band?" Younghyun started to show interest.

"Yeah. The band's name is The Rose if I'm not mistaken. Pretty name, huh?"

"The Rose, huh? I know them."

"You do? That's cool." A sincere wide smile was drew on her face. "I'm actually not into a band that much. But they have amazing vocalists that go well with the songs." And so Hwari continued praising The Rose. "You know, they have great killing parts. Like, 'maybe I just have to let you go', 'clouds are shrouding us into the dark', and 'naega tteonagajulge'," she mimicked the singer.

After all the fangirling, Hwari suddenly looked gloomy for one second. "What a wise decision to leave. I should have left too in the first place," she mumbled with a bitter smile that quickly disappeared and changed into a bright smile in a flash.

Younghyun caught her mumbling, and he only gazed at her with mixed feeling. He was familiar with that kind of expression Hwari had on her face.

On the other hand, Younghyun was flustered for a second when she said that a band was not her style yet she complimented The Rose. An idea just crossed Younghyun's mind. "May I borrow your phone for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure." She unplugged her earphone and handed her phone over to him. She just silently observed him doing whatever he was doing with her phone.

"There, I made a playlist for you," he said as he gave her phone back. "I'm not sure if the others have told you, but, we're also playing in a band called Day6. Try to listen to our songs."

"Oh, right. Jaehyung did tell me that." Hwari put her phone in her bag and collected her textbooks. "Thanks. I'll listen to them well."

"Listen more to my songs instead. Don't listen too much to The Rose. I'm afraid you might fall in love with Woosung. Or Dojoon, since he's more good looking." One second later Younghyun just realized the words slipped off his mouth. He utterly surprised himself because he didn't sound he was joking. He didn't usually proactively promote his own songs and he told her to not listen too much to The Rose. He must be out of his mind. "Anyway, listen to our songs," he repeated it with an awkward laugh.

She chuckled as she got up. "I'll bear that in mind."

Younghyun let out a relieved sigh.

"Anyway, I've got a class to attend. I'll catch up with you later?"

"Oh, okay." He waved back to Hwari who was waving at him from 10 steps ahead.

——

Sungjin found Younghyun daydreaming while randomly playing his guitar in his studio. "No class today?" asked Sungjin.

"Yeah."

"Working on a new song?"

"No, I was just playing."

Sungjin then stopped talking before going out to take some water. He couldn't figure out Younghyun's mood today. One thing he was certain of was Younghyun became unusually quieter. Younghyun had already been quiet and calm, but these days he was quite extra at being quiet and calm.

Dowoon suddenly popped up at the pantry when Sungjin was making a cup of tea. "Oh, Hyung is here," he greeted.

"Oh, hi." Sungjin took a sip of his tea. "Hey, what do you think about Hwari and Younghyun?" 

"I think they are getting closer?" Dowoon sounded enthusiastic.

"I hope they are." Sungjin sighed. "Younghyun doesn't seem to be at it today. And we barely hear about Hwari from him." Sungjin looked very concerned. Usually Younghyun was very open to the guys. It was odd to see him being private.

"Yeah, actually, I'm not really sure." Dowoon paused. "Especially since Hwari noona doesn't really seem to like guys in a band. I guess we're not her style at all."

As soon as Dowoon finished talking, the pantry door was slammed open and both Sungjin and Dowoon were startled. It was Younghyun who entered the pantry with poker face yet his sharp eyes were making contact to the other guys. "What are you guys doing here?" asked Younghyun as he refilled his water bottle.

"Nothing, I was just coming by. I've got drum practice upstairs. I'll get going, Hyungs." Dowoon successfully ran away from the awkward situation. Having not much choice, Sungjin followed Younghyun back to his studio and spent time in silence working on anything could be worked on.

Out of the blue, Younghyun  the loudspeaker and played The Rose's song titled Baby. He closed his eyes tightly that his eyebrows curled. "Sungjin. What do you think about The Rose?"

Sungjin looked puzzled. That was the most random and sudden question Younghyun had ever asked. And he didn't know why but he gave a lot of thoughts to answer that.

"You have a great voice too. What do you think about Woosung and Dojoon?" Younghyun threw another random question before Sungjin answered the previous question.

"Uh, I don't really get what you mean by asking these.."

"Nevermind." Younghyun was back to randomly playing his guitar. His eyes were between wandering around and staring at nothing. "Do girls like voice like Woosung's?" He struck again with his weird questions as he abruptly stopped playing guitar. "Is it common for people, particularly girls who are not into a band yet they like The Rose? Is Woosung's voice really that good?"

Sungjin glanced at him in disbelief. He was confused with this form of Kang Younghyun. At least he could sense where this was going once the key word was mentioned. He immediately realized those bunch of questions were actually rants and he didn't have to answer. Now it was Sungjin's turn to randomly play his guitar with sweet melody. A beam was slowly bloomed on his face.

On the other hand, Younghyun was still ranting, now with lower voice. He then turned to Sungjin, and hesitantly asked for one more time. "Will we, as those guys playing in a band, be okay if we're to approach someone who is not into a band - or worse, doesn't like a band or guys in a band?"

Sungjin seemed to understand what was on Younghyun's mind. He knew he would need the other guys to push Younghyun to go for it. As for now, Younghyun only got a smile without words from him.

Picture made with Unfold /// photo credit to owner
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