“Hey, Donghae! Your lapdog’s already waiting for you at the gate.”

Donghae halted to a stop. He intensely glared at his two laughing school mates who he didn’t bother knowing and remembering the names. Since the night Hyukjae made him promise to never avoid the taller again, they spent almost all of their free time together. The taller made it his habit to meet up with Donghae after his afternoon classes and after the taller man’s shift at the bubble tea shop.

Their classes just ended and he was walking alone towards the front gate when he was stopped by two of his school mates. Rudely stopped to be exact! If his memory served him right, he was classmates with them on two subjects—or maybe three. He couldn’t really remember as he deemed them not important anyway. Heechul was supposed to be with him like the usual but the older went on ahead after his father sent him on an errands in the neighboring city.

Lapdog?

Donghae felt how his chest tightened at the words of the two. He suddenly felt furious and he tried his hardest not to attack them and break their necks. Fine. Maybe he was slightly exaggerating as he was aware the two might break his spine first before he could even reach their positions.

“Our dearest eternal top one student found himself a guy! How sweet!”

The shorter of the two exclaimed which earned another round of laughter from them. But Donghae didn’t find that the slightest bit funny. The school probably thought he was unaware that everyone called Hyukjae his lapdog after witnessing their encounters several times. But boy they were wrong! Donghae was more than aware and his heart hurt each time they called and insulted Hyukjae with degrading names.

Usually, he just ignores them but Donghae have had enough. Hyukjae is a great person. He always defends Donghae and maybe it is time for Donghae to return the favor.

With an intense glare, he faced his two school mates. “Insult me all you want but never ever insult my friend. Stop calling him names that suit your stupid asses more.”

His voice was cold. His expression was between fury and emotionlessness. The whole world can insult him all they want but not Hyukjae.

“Eih! You should have just let them be. It’s not like I would feel offended by their words anyway.”

Donghae scoffed, throwing tissue on Hyukjae’s face stained with sprinkles of sugar. He made a motion for the other to wipe his face which the latter obliged. They are currently wasting their time at the convenience store while waiting for his advanced classes to start as well as Hyukjae’s shift at the club.

“They are calling you names, idiot. You think I will just let them be? Those people are s,” Donghae muttered under his breath. “And that’s my doughnut you just ate, Monkey.”

Hyukjae shrugged, “So what if they call me names? I’ve been called worse.”

Because it ing hurts me, you stupid Monkey! Donghae wanted to shout but he willed himself not to. He can hardly understand himself lately and those random thoughts that popped in his mind from time to time about the taller man just confused him more.

The thing about Hyukjae, he was the worst yet he was the best at the same time. Donghae hated him for his occasional conceitedness and regular playfulness and sarcasm yet he felt like something was missing whenever Hyukjae’s away.

Donghae wanted to shout at the man in front of him for his sporadic selflessness. Hyukjae may appear smug and stuck-up when dealing with other people but he was sometimes oblivious and ignorant like a little child.

Hyukjae proudly vowed to protect him during one of their ridiculous banters before and what the other didn’t know was that he also vowed to do the same thing. He didn’t say that out loud unlike the taller man of course. Donghae didn’t need to inflate Hyukjae’s ego even more. Nope. Thanks but no thanks.

“Hae, was your father bothering you again?”

Donghae looked up from playing with his microwaveable mac and cheese. He told Hyukjae about his last encounter with the Chief Justice. Just like what he had said before, Hyukjae could be very persistent and so he spilled every detail. He just didn’t expect the other would bring the topic up this soon. Hyukjae knew he hated that subject.

“He called the principal about me a couple of times.” His voice was controlled. “I have no plans of meeting him anytime soon.”

Hyukjae hummed. “If he demanded for you to meet him personally, can I come with you?”

He glanced at the other, a large question mark noticeable on his expression.

“Why? The Chief Justice isn’t as impressive as the media portray him, you know?”

“I don’t know. I think I just want to meet the person behind your sufferings. Who knows? Maybe he isn’t half as bad as you and Heechul hyung had described him.”

Donghae rolled his eyes. Hyukjae surely had no idea what he was talking about.

“Trust me. He’s a bigger than what Heechul hyung and I labelled him to be. Can we not talk about him anymore? It’s already worse that I have to attend those filthy advanced classes.”

The taller chuckled, nodding his head. Donghae watched his friend gobble a bowl of spicy ramen and softly chuckled due to Hyukjae’s clumsiness. He handed him another handful of tissue paper.

“Seriously, what are you? A child?”

“Mmm not!” Hyukjae spoke in between his mouthful of noodles, eliciting more laughs from him. After slurping a portion of the soup, he saw Hyukjae glared at him. “Stop laughing at me! I’m not a child.”

“Yet you eat like one. Hurry up! I don’t want to be late in class and you don’t want to be late on your job.”

Donghae wanted to go home and sleep, more than anything and everything. The stress and fatigue were slowly getting to him once again and he cursed as he was still stuck in class. He could barely comprehend what their lecturer was explaining in front and he forcefully smiled when he felt Hyungwon elbowed him discretely.

“I’m okay,” he mouthed as he saw the younger’s worried face.

He was doing fine when the class started two hours ago but he gradually felt the strong need to curl up and sleep. However, as the clock slowly ticked away, he felt worse over time. He clutched his chest as his heart burned painfully against it. He clenched his fingers who were trembling madly like they had minds of their own. He shut his eyes which pulsated agonizingly. To make everything worse, their lessons for tonight were crucial and important. Although his mind was resolved to participate well in class, his body just wo