Chapter 11 Home

It was not his day, Chanwoo thought in aggravation. He was so close in raking his hair out in frustration. He still couldn’t get over the announcement that the seminar that they supposed to have next year was now moved next week and they must pay for it now. He stared menacingly at the reply email on his phone confirming his payment he just made before he shut his eyes and release a long string of breath. And just like that, the ticket money he’d been saving to watch the baseball game this coming Sunday was all gone.

Looks like I have to be contented on watching the replay on my phone again…

Shuffling on his sit, he took note of the time on his phone and forced himself to be on his way. If Chanwoo was just feeling a little off earlier about this arrangement he made with Mina, he was dreading it now. He was positive that their dinner will be stiffed and filled with awkward lapses but somehow, he felt that he could get through it. Right now, however, he was not even sure if he can greet Mina with a curt smile at least. He was really looking forward to the game this weekend and the thought of it being foiled certainly put him in sour mood.

Chanwoo was trudging with heavy footsteps in the campus ground when he saw Yunhyeong, who look liked he was waiting for him, waved at him with a suggestive look on his face. He was hoping that he could avoid him today. He didn’t need to add confusion and the weird feelings that kept bothering him to the mix of his already chaotic emotion festering him today. He inwardly cursed his luck as he neared him knowing exactly how will this about to go down.

Before Yunhyeong could say anything, Chanwoo silenced him with a raised hand and met his eyes with wary glare. “I’m not in the mood, hyung,” he said.

He heard Yunhyeong chuckled lightly but when Chanwoo’s expression remain unchanged, his hyung blinked at him owlishly and raised a brow.

“Ya, what’s with the serious look?”

“Not now, hyung.”

Chanwoo averted his gaze and looked ahead. From this distance, he could already make out Mina waiting for him by the gate. He sighed and wished that Yunhyeong would let him off the hook for this one. But when he felt a hand on his shoulder when he tried to get past his hyung, he knew Yunhyeong would not let him go that easily.

“You know it’s not good to go on in a date in that mood.”

Chanwoo knew that Yunhyeong was only teasing him to lighten up the tensed atmosphere but he only found himself rolling his eyes in response.

“Chanwoo-ya, what’s with you? Do you have a problem? You know you can tell me, right?”

The concern on Yunhyeong’s voice was so glaringly apparent that Chanwoo suddenly felt guilty for seemingly taking out his bad mood at his hyung. No one was at fault for this one. The timing was jut not on his side this time. He paused for a moment and he sighed before apologizing to Yunhyeong and briefly told him about what happened on his last class.

“You’ve been looking forward to it right?” Yunhyeong said absently looking at him in deep thought. “It’s LG Twins’ game, your favorite team.”

“It’s ok, hyung,” Chanwoo smiled wryly at Yunhyeong’s frowning face. It was like his hyung was the one who could not make it to the baseball game. “I’ll just go on their next game.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

Chanwoo nodded. Sure, he was disappointed but it’s not the end of the world. It’s pointless to be pissed off on something he had no control over. He promised to himself that he will be at the stadium on their next game no matter what.

“If that’s the case, let’s meet your date now!”

Chanwoo snapped his head on his hyung’s direction in surprise but Yunhyeong just smirked at him and started marching towards the gate. Chanwoo shook his head for letting his guard down for a second before he followed suit. His eyes scanned around where he saw Mina standing a while ago when he felt himself stopped in mid step when he saw Hanbin and Dahyun talking animatedly not far ahead.

It only took Chanwoo a split second to recover from his initial shock before his legs took a life on its own and barricaded himself in front of Yunhyeong, strategically blocking his hyung from seeing Hanbin and Dahyun. For whatever reason, his instinct was telling him not to let his hyung see those two.

“Ya! What are you doing?” Yunhyeong furrowed his brows when Chanwoo moved in the same direction when he attempted to get past him.

With a serious look on his face, Chanwoo remained silent and adamantly held his position in between Yunhyeong and the view he did not want him to see.

“Chanwoo-ya!”

“Hyung,” Chanwoo started solemnly putting his hand on Yunhyeong’s shoulder to keep him in place, “can we… l-let’s just stay like this for a while.”

Yunhyeong gave him a confused look. “Why?”

Ignoring the question, Chanwoo just gazed at him pleadingly and whispered, “Please.”

Chanwoo almost released a sigh of relief when he felt Yunhyeong’s shoulder relaxed but as soon as he loosens the grip on his shoulder, his hyung spun around him in one swift motion.

“Brat, have you forgotten that I’m from the basketball team?” Yunhyeong admonished, briefly glancing at Chanwoo before turning ahead.

Instinctively grabbing Yunhyeong’s wrist, Chanwoo warned in a distressed voice, “Don’t look, hyung.”

But his plea fell in deaf ears.

For a moment, Yunhyeong made no indication whether he saw Hanbin and Dahyun that gave Chanwoo an ounce of hope to believe that maybe they were already gone but when he lifted his head, they were still there on the same spot.

And they were laughing.

Chanwoo’s gaze drifted automatically to Yunhyeong. He was expecting that he was wearing the same pained and yearning expression on his face, but he was oddly surprised to see his hyung looking straight at the two with a face devoid of any emotion. He stood there with wide blank eyes before his gaze soften as he turned to him.

“You… You don’t have to do that, Chanwoo-ya.”

“I... I don’t…”

I don’t want to see you get hurt again, was what Chanwoo stuttering to say but could not bring himself, because