Kyuhyun knew Donghae was in love before Donghae did. Donghae found out when he was ecstatic about seeing Eunhyuk after their holidays. Kyuhyun found out when Donghae won’t stop talking about Eunhyuk saving him from that bully girl back in junior year.

The main point was, Donghae was in love and Eunhyuk had a girlfriend.

There’s no way Kyuhyun could tell that to Donghae. He would be heartbroken. He didn’t want to cause any pain to his cute and fragile hyung. There was nothing he could do but try making Donghae fall out of love with Eunhyuk. Even though Eunhyuk was once in love with Donghae too.

Only if Donghae was three years earlier.

But Donghae was never early. He was always late, sometimes, too late. Eunhyuk had already slipped from fingers and in Somin’s. He had learned her name from Eunhyuk and decided she was too good for him. Somin was a seemingly perfect girl. She was smart and beautiful and funny and everyone loved her. He wasn’t sure how she even fell for Eunhyuk. Not the Eunhyuk was bad, Kyuhyun was just jealous. But she did and he could see it in her eyes. She liked Eunhyuk and Eunhyuk liked her. He was completely sure of that.

 Kyuhyun felt that, somewhere in his heart, Eunhyuk still liked Donghae. The way Eunhyuk acted around Donghae wasn’t how a friend acted with his friend.

The way Eunhyuk stared at Donghae, the way Eunhyuk smiled at Donghae, the way Eunhyuk held Donghae, the way Eunhyuk talked to Donghae, the way Eunhyuk talked about Donghae, everything screamed that he liked Donghae.

Donghae’s feelings, on the other hand, were quite obvious to him. He still acted the same way, except for getting shy sometimes, his behavior the same. It made Kyuhyun wonder if he always loved Eunhyuk and was just too late to realize that.

What if Eunhyuk had confessed to Donghae back then? Would they have started dating?

But how could Eunhyuk confess? Donghae was already dating that girl. Stupid Donghae and stupid Eunhyuk.

Now Donghae is in the same situation as Eunhyuk was three years ago, except Donghae doesn’t know that Eunhyuk has a girlfriend and Eunhyuk and Somin share a stronger bond than Donghae and his girlfriend did.

It was such a big drama. If Kyuhyun didn’t care about his two friends, he would have sat in the sidelines and watched the whole drama while eating popcorns. He wouldn’t have needed 3D glasses either.

He was confused also. What should he worry about? Donghae’s happiness or Eunhyuk’s happiness?

Rather than brooding over it, he decides to wait and see how the situation unfolds for him.

** **

He didn’t have to wait for long. It was after New Year when he went to visit Eunhyuk. The boy was watching television, a sappy romantic movie. Eunhyuk wouldn’t have watched such a movie if Donghae didn’t force him to… or his girlfriend, maybe. Kyuhyun greeted the older’s mother and just sat there. He was getting bored and Donghae had almost stopped coming to Eunhyuk’s house because of his feelings. Moreover, his mother threw him outside and ordered him to socialize rather than play video games.

“Who recommended this crap to you?” Kyuhyun grumbled as the two main characters kissed and violins started playing in the background. It was too boring for his already boring day.

“I hope my life was like this,” Eunhyuk mumbled. “This bastard is so happy with his girlfriend.”

Kyuhyun looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Why? Aren’t you happy with your girlfriend?”

“My girlfriend?” Eunhyuk scoffed. “I don’t have a girlfriend now.”

Kyuhyun perked upon hearing that. His whole attention was on Eunhyuk, not that he was invested in the movie before. But now something could turn his boring day into an interesting one.

“Did she dump you?”

Eunhyuk glared at him. “Yes,”

“What?! Really?” The taller man widened his eyes. That was so unexpected. Just a few days ago Eunhyuk was celebrating Christmas and New Year happily with his girlfriend and then… they broke up? “How? When? Why?”

“Disagreement, argument and the end.” Eunhyuk didn’t tell him the details. Kyuhyun wanted to ask more but didn’t, knowing very well that Eunhyuk was a very private person.

“Don’t be so sad. You two will be back together in no time.” The younger one tried to assure his hyung because, maybe, that’s what he was supposed to do.

“Not this time.” The answer took him off guard. Eunhyuk sounded more detached than sad. Kyuhyun was getting curious. “It’s all over now.”

It was hard to decide whether he should be happy or sad. After witnessing Donghae falling for Eunhyuk, he selfishly (he shouldn’t be called selfish because he was worrying over Donghae though he didn’t have Eunhyuk’s best interest in mind) wanted the couple to break up so that his two friends could have a chance together. Also, the thought of Donghae hurting saddened him. His hyung would cry rivers if he ever came to know about Eunhyuk and his girlfriend.

But after the breakup, the coast was clear. He needed to come up with a plan and bring Donghae and Eunhyuk together. The whole school population already thought they were dating. If they actually started dating, it would give everyone a special gift.

He was getting excited.

“I’m sad for you.” Kyuhyun grinned and Eunhyuk gave him a flat look.

** **

Donghae observed that Eunhyuk was rather distracted lately. He smiled less and didn’t talk much. It made him worry. He asked the older boy what had happened but received no answer which frustrated him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Donghae asked Kyuhyun as the three of them were in Kyuhyun’s house, playing video games and Eunhyuk needed to use the washroom.

“He’s just going through puberty,” Kyuhyun replied.

“I thought that happened back in middle school.”

“This is the second puberty. He is growing up and feels lonely. What he needs is a girlfriend or a boyfriend.”

“What?” Donghae gave him a wide-eyed look. The younger one tried hard not to smirk. “That, what, wait,” Donghae was at a loss of word. Hyukjae, girlfriend or boyfriend? His Hyukjae?

Before they could talk more, Eunhyuk returned.

Now it was Donghae’s turn to look distracted. The difference between Eunhyuk and Donghae’s distraction was that Eunhyuk could still focus on the present but Donghae was always completely lost. His mind had drowned in another dimension with thoughts of Eunhyuk dating someone.

“What’s wrong with him?” Eunhyuk whispered as him and Kyuhyun progressed in the game and Donghae got killed. The shortest of them was fine before he went to the washroom. It was after he returned did Donghae have a very dazed look on his face.

“He’s going throu