I originally planned to update this after I’m done with Loving Your Attention’s Chapter 6 but since I’m having a writer’s block with that story (it requires longer updates and I’m just halfway through it), I decided to put this up first.

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“Ugh!”

The first thing Hyukjae felt when he opened his eyes this morning is the sudden throbbing of his head. He cursed himself for drinking too much last night when he knows that there will be classes to attend today… and to make the matters worse, it’s Monday for crying out loud!

Who gets hangover during Monday morning? It’s him, who else? Students tend to party during Friday and Saturday nights however his friend, Sungmin who’s also as crazy as him, asked him to go clubbing on a Sunday night.

“Sheez… what the fck happened? Who sent me home?”

He scanned his brain for memories of last night and he almost jumped out of the bed when he remembered something.

‘Strawberry Guy’

“Shi—I kissed someone?!”

“No, no, no! I was kissed by someone!” he yelled and touched his lips, being reminded of the electricity he felt throughout the kiss. “Stupid, stupid! Damn Hyukjae! You’re so stupid!” he slaps himself as he was saying those words in repeat.

“Oh my God! My first kiss!” he was so disappointed of himself, it wasn’t the first kiss he always dreamed to have. He wanted to have it under the night sky, full of stars, moon shining extra bright and with the man he loves… Lee Donghae.

 “DAMN!” Hyukjae pulled his hair out in annoyance. Everything’s a mess. If only he could remember things clearer!

“No! It’s actually better if I won’t remember! It’s embarrassing!” He said before catching a glimpse of the wall clock. It says 6:30 AM. “Work your Lee Hyukjae, you’ll be late!”

Shaking his head, he forced himself to get up and prepare for school, mind still busy wandering about what happened last night. He charged his phone before eating and taking a bath because hell—even though he didn’t want to take a bath with an annoying headache, he also didn’t want to go to school without getting clean at the risk of smelling like alcohol.

After taking a bath, he opened his phone and was surprised to see messages from Sungmin last night arrived one after another and there’s also like 30 missed calls from the former. He was asking him where the hell was he?

Apparently, Sungmin just excused himself to pee but he didn’t hear it right and thought that the other already left him.

“Great! Why do I have to be so stupid?” he bit his lower lip and messaged his best friend, telling him how sorry he was but got no reply.

‘He’s definitely upset with you!’

Once in school, Hyukjae prepared himself for Sungmin’s possible wrath but before heading to their classroom on the third floor, he passed by the locker area in the hallway to check on something.

Hyukjae beamed when he saw a carton of Strawberry Milk above his locker. It’s been like this for quite a while now – almost 3 months already – and no one’s still showing up to take responsibility.

He reached for the carton and read what’s in it today. There’s a sticky note with the words ‘Behave Hyukkie.’ written on it.

“Behave? I’m very sure that I’m beha—oh sht…” he muttered when he was reminded of the Strawberry guy once again. “Don’t worry, I’m only stupid when I’m drunk and I promise not to be stupid again.”

He chuckled and put the drink inside his bag and scanned the whole area, looking for someone suspicious but to his dismay, no one does. His thoughts were immediately cut off when he saw Donghae – two lockers away from him – getting something from his own locker.

To be honest, the first time a carton of Strawberry milk appeared on top of his locker and he was scanning the whole place to look for a suspicious person who he might held as responsible for giving that to him, he caught a glimpse of Donghae a few meters away. Although it was impossible, he hoped it was him… but he was very wrong.

Hyukjae was moving towards his locker with his head bowed a little. He doesn’t want to make eye contact with any students because just a moment ago, he was punched by their school’s bully, Ok Taecyeon for bumping onto him. It was embarrassing! Of course, he could just the punch the guy too but he doesn’t want a bigger mess that’s why he just walked away,

When he reached his locker, he was shocked to see a Strawberry milk on top of it, with a sticky note that says ‘Please smile, Hyukjae’. He explored the area to find the person who might have placed that there but then his eyes caught Lee Donghae with his best friend, Cho Kyuhyun instead. The former was getting something from his own locker.

Hyukjae think twice before approaching them shyly. “Ahh… e-excuse me. D-Do you happen to see who—put this over my lock—”

“No. We don’t.” Donghae answered him in a hurried tone, not even looking at him.

“Oh – okay…” Hyukjae slightly bowed his head.

“Let’s go, Cho.”

Without a word on him, Donghae suddenly pulled Kyuhyun’s arms but the latter looked up to him first.

“Sorry, Hyukjae hyung. He’s just really… weird.”

“Yah! I said let’s go!”

Hyukjae could only watch the two guys walking away, asking himself why was Donghae acting like that.

“He didn’t want to talk to me…” he said with a sad voice.

“Psh!” Hyukjae dissed, brushing the memory off his mind and headed to the stairs. He was nervously walking to the third floor where their classroom was. But looks like, luck wasn’t on his side. Even before he could reach their classroom, he bumped onto someone drinking a bottled water – Shindong, he isn’t the nicest person on this campus. Talking about attitude, he’s a little better than Taecyeon but a lot of a badass than Sungmin, his sassy best friend.

“Hey!” Shindong said. “Don’t you know how to walk straight?!”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Hyukjae put on a calm façade. He doesn’t want to get into a fight right now, he dug into his pocket to get a handkerchief. “Here.”

The guy looks insulted. “As if your sorry could do something. You, dumb kid!”

“Yah! That’s why I’m handing this to you!” he raised the handkerchief in his hand.

Shindong’s feature hardened and pushed him that his back hit the wall. “We’re not finish yet.”

Hyukjae clenched his fists and sighed, deciding not to punch the guy even though he wanted to do it. “Whatever…” he fixed his uniform while glaring at Shindong who was walking away.

“Hey! Are you okay?” A guy asked him out of the blue.

Hyukjae turned to see Kim Kibum, another popular student on this campus. The guy was smiling cutely.

“Oh yes!” He nodded. “Thanks for your concern anyway.”

Kibum chuckled with a scratch on the head. “Anytime. I just hate when people are being unreasonable. I’m Kibum by the way.”

“Ah I know you. Everyone does…”

The guy nodded. “Just do yourself a favor and avoid him, I guess he isn’t joking that you guys aren’t finished yet.” Kibum pat his shoulder. “So yeah, I’m going bye!”

Hyukjae followed the nice guy with his eyes while smiling. Well, Kim Kibum isn’t just popular, he’s also kind.

“So, here you are! I was worried sick last night! You cost me a sleep!”

As expected, Sungmin’s mouth was the first thing Hyukjae heard when he entered the classroom. Their classmates eyed them with confusion but no one dares to speak up.

“I – I…” He was contemplating on what to say. Guilt was eating him, considering Sungmin’s dark eyebags, he knew the guy slept late searching for him.

“What? I told you, I just need to pee! Why do you have to be so stubborn? I swear! I will never take you out on drinking again!”

His best friend scowled with crossed arms and rolling eyes. Hyukjae sat beside him and tap the other’s arms, urging the other to look at him.

“Look Sungmin, I’m sorry, okay?”

“Not okay.”

“I… just didn’t hear you correctly when you told me you’d pee. I thought you had left.”

Sungmin glance back at him, looking insulted. “You know well that I won’t leave you there wasted like that! Gosh!”

“Hey easy! I wasn’t in the right mind yesterday.” Hyukjae reasoned out, scratching his head and smiling cutely, hoping that Sungmin would let it pass.

“What easy?!” his friend’s eyes got bigger. “I swear I almost disturb the police station just to find a grown man just because he was too drunk and I know very well that he likes doing stupid things whenever he’s drunk! Have you forgotten? The last time you downed 9 shots of whiskey, you kissed my foot!”

Sungmin lowered his voice at the last sentence, not wanting people to hear about his friend’s weird habit when he’s drunk. He combed his hair and sighed. “God, Hyukjae! You are stupid!”

“…”

Hyukjae kept his mouth shut, looking down on his feet, unable to say something because , his friend is right. He’s really stupid.

“Do you even know who sent you home?”

With the question, he looked up to him and shook his head.

Once again, he tried to recall what happened last night.

“I don’t really remember who.” He answered honestly after a while. But he has someone in mind… the Strawberry guy.

His friend shook his head, smirking in an amused way and whenever he does that face, it only means one thing… he was thinking of something mischievous.

“I bet you did something stupid.” Sungmin said with prying eyes.

Hyukjae’s eyes widened. Unable to think how should he defend himself.

“I think you’re hiding something from me…”

“I—I don’t…”

“Uh-uh…” Sungmin wagged his index finger, not believing him. “Last time you kissed my foot because it smells like Strawberry, right? Don’t be shy, tell me… you did something naughty last night, right?”

“Okay! Fine!” Hyukjae raised his hands. “I have completely forgotten where or who but I kissed someone last night.” he whispered.

“You kissed someone last night?” Sungmin wasn’t shocked, instead he sounded entertained but Hyukjae missed the tone because he’s busy thinking.

“I – I mean… someone kissed me last night but then I kissed back… and –”

“Oh! You kissed back? You’re naughty Lee Hyukjae!”

“Here’s your book, hyung.”

Hyukjae was just about to speak when he heard a deep husky voice behind him but instead of looking at the owner of that voice, he stayed in his position, freezing on his seat awkwardly. He knew that voice, he could recognize it anytime, anywhere.

And knowing that his crush was just at his back, Hyukjae felt the need to defend himself.

“Y-Yah! I’m not naughty, I don’t even like the kiss!” he whisper-shouted but his friend smiled sneakily at him. With a pat on his head, Sungmin said…

“Oh, my dear little Hyukie, don’t say things you don’t mean.” And he was quick to look back on his brother behind Hyukjae. “Donghae! How sweet of you to deliver your hyung’s book, next time I’ll be sure to not mistake your bag as mine—Oh! And good morning Kyuhyun!”

“Morning…” Kyuhyun said softly and immediately looked away. A shade of pink, scattering throughout his cheeks.

“Please stop acting. I know well that you did this on purpose.” Donghae deadpanned.

Sungmin smirked. “Really? Then what purpose should it be?” His younger brother just shook his head, making him want to tease the brat a little more. “What manners do you have dongsaeng-ah? You can’t even say hi to my buddy here!” he pretended to scold the younger.

Hyukjae almost slap his best friend’s shoulder because of what the latter had said but instead, he chose to behave and listen to what Donghae would reply.

“… h – he’s not even facing me…”

Hyukjae turned crimson red at Donghae’s comeback,

‘How could I face him anyway? He just heard that I kissed someone!’ his mind shouted. Why is it a big deal? Of course, it’s because Donghae is his ultimate crush, the guy he never got tired of loving for the past years even though it was impossible for him to look his way.

 “Sure.” Sungmin chuckled. “Why don’t you face my brother, Hyukie?”

“Eh?!” he said hysterically, face getting flushed with embarrassment and eyes getting wider than ever at his best friend while wriggling his eye brows, gesturing Sungmin to shut the fck up.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys?! What’s so hard with a simple ‘hi’? Gosh!”

Hyukjae doesn’t know if Sungmin can’t take a hint or he’s just in the mood to but nonetheless, it makes him uncomfortable. If only he could hit him this instant.

“And why are you both blushing anyway?”

‘H-He’s blushing?’ He thought and without thinking, he turned to look at Donghae and ing yes! His cheeks were reddish too… ‘But why?!’

He gasped when all of a sudden, Donghae just turn around and dragged Kyuhyun, heading out of their classroom.

“So, where were we?”

Hyukjae turned to his friend who was resting his chin on his hands while smiling sweetly at him. Swear! he almost flick Sungmin’s forehead.

‘Why does he seem so