"It's normal for the ringing in my ear to happen.. It happens sometimes.. Just letting you know in case you are worried." Wonwoo said nonchalantly as he looked at Mingyu. They were walking back to class. 

Mingyu snorted. "What makes you think I'm worried?“ He looked like he didn't care about it but deep down he was so worried. It wasn't the first time he saw Wonwoo in extreme pain. He still could not erase the sight of Wonwoo scrunching his face in pain from his mind.

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "Your hands are still trembling. That's why you hid them in your pockets right?" 

Damn. Wonwoo and his stupid senses. Mingyu glared at Wonwoo. "Fine. You scared me to death earlier! I didn't know what to do, alright?!“ 

Wonwoo chuckled. "I'm fine now."

"I never ask."

"Just saying." Wonwoo stopped when he reached his class. " Thanks for earlier again." He said as he turned to walk into his class but halted when Mingyu gripped his wrist. 

Wonwoo looked at him in surprise. 

Mingyu gulped. There were so many things he wanted to say but those words were lodged in his throat. 

Both of them were staring at each other deeply absorbed in each other gaze unknowingly. 

Until someone cleared his throat behind them, startling Mingyu. "What are you both still doing here? Get into class!" Wonwoo's maths teacher barked at the both of them. 

Mingyu quickly let go of his hand. Wonwoo gave him an apologetic smile before walking into class.

Unbeknownst to them, a girl from Class 3-4 had been observing their interactions through her classroom window. 

She then wrote down something in her book and then stared at it in deep thought. 

Her friend who was sitting beside her looked at her then at her book curiously. "You are still investigating them?" 

She looked at her friend. "I'm just curious. Don't you think there's something between Mingyu and Wonwoo?" 

"Rivals." Her friend replied. 

"Huh?" 

"They are rivals duh." Her friend said it as though the answer was so obvious. 

The girl rolled her eyes. "I know that. But I think there's something more to it."

Her friend sighed. "You do know the story right? Mingyu and Wonwoo used to love the same girl but that girl chose Mingyu. Then something happened to the girl and Mingyu couldn't protect her. Mingyu and Wonwoo who used to be close started to drift apart because of this and that's when their rivalry started."

The girl frowned in deep thought. "But who is this girl? Why have we not seen her?"

"Her friend shrugged. Nobody knows."

"What about Jieun then? Do you think she is that girl?"

Her friend scoffed. "That annoying diva? Hell no. She's just arranged to marry Mingyu after he broke up with his girlfriend or so I have heard."

The girl looked at her friend skeptically then looked down at her book as she tapped her pen on the book while thinking. "I don't think that's simple. Didn't you see the way they both look at each other? They reminds me of Romeo and Juliet." 

Her friend laughed. "You are so dramatic. Romeo and Julie is a tragic romance story. How does that relate to them?" 

The girl shrugged. "That's what I said. I felt those vibes from them."

Her friend shook her head with a sigh. "I don't get why you are so invested in their past. What could you get from learning it?"

The girl smiled as she read through the notes that she wrote. "It's for my next webtoon. My main characters will be based on them. A BL romance story." She replied proudly. 

 

Mingyu couldn't pay attention in class. The earlier incident kept replaying in his mind. It hurts whenever he saw Wonwoo in pain. That was not the first time he witnessed Wonwoo whimpering in pain since the accident. He gripped his pen tightly as memories from 2 nights ago flashed past his mind. 

Mingyu reached his dorm past midnight due to his club activities for the upcoming school festival. He passed by Wonwoo's room on the way to his room. Without the other knowing, Mingyu always visited Wonwoo's room in the middle of the night to check on him. Sometimes Wonwoo had nightmares which he did not remember the next morning much to Mingyu and their friends' relief. Whenever Wonwoo had nightmares, he would be screaming and thrashing in his sleep without waking up. Mingyu would always whispered reassurances or hummed their favourite tune in his ear until he calmed down. That night was no different as well except that Wonwoo was whimpering and sobbing in pain as he clutched his right leg in his sleep. Mingyu had no choice but to wake him up. 

"Wonwoo hyung, wake up." Mingyu called out as he shook Wonwoo gently. Wonwoo woke up with a start. Droplets of sweat beading his forehead. Wonwoo looked up to see a concerned looking Mingyu. 

"Are you okay? Is your leg hurting?“ Mingyu said softly. 

Wonwoo nodded." I think my right leg cramp."

"Let me see." Mingyu held Wonwoo's right leg gently. "Is it your right foot?“

“I think my thigh as well."

"Stay here, I will get hot water to ease the tense muscles."

Mingyu came back with a basin of hot water and a towel. He placed a hot towel on Wonwoo's leg as he wiped and massaged gently. "Is it better now?" Mingyu looked up at Wonwoo. 

Wonwoo nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Mingyu. And sor-" 

Mingyu shushed him with his finger before he could continue his words. 

"Anytime for you, Wonu."

"It's been awhile since I heard you calling me that." Wonwoo smiled slightly. 

Mingyu looked down as he continued massaging, ignoring the words Wonwoo said earlier. 

"Mingyu.."

"This is just a dream. You won't remember this after you wake up."

Wonwoo's smile faltered. "You want this to be a dream?“

Mingyu looked up at him. His expression unreadable. “Yes. So forget everything that happens tonight and wake up with only happy memories."

Wonwoo sighed. "If you say so.." Wonwoo then pushed Mingyu's hands away from his leg. "It's fine. I can do it on my own. I will forget everything that happens tonight as you wish. You shouldn't even come into my room in the first place."

From then on onwards, the next night and the night after... Wonwoo would lock his room at night. When Wonwoo had nightmares in his sleep, all Mingyu could do was to sit outside Wonwoo's room with his knuckle to his mouth, trying to muffle his sobs as he could only helplessly listen to Wonwoo screaming and whimpering in his sleep. 

All Mingyu wanted was Wonwoo to not remember the pain the next morning. The pain that always associated with a person named Kim Mingyu.

Classes were over. Mingyu was leaning against the wall outside of Wonwoo's classroom. Wonwoo was always the last person to leave his class. As Wonwoo stepped out of his class, he was surprised to see Mingyu waiting for him. 

Wonwoo looked at Mingyu questioningly . "What's the matter, Mingyu?“

Mingyu scratched his head. "Uh.. I don't have activities for today. Let's walk back together."

Wonwoo sighed. "It's fine. I'm going to the library. You can go back first." Wonwoo said before he walked away. 

"I will go to the library then. I can do my homework there." Mingyu followed after him. 

Wonwoo halted his steps and turned towards Mingyu with a scowl. "I said I'm fine, Mingyu. You don't have to feel guilty or pity and protect me like I'm a damsel in distress."

Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo's arm. "I care about you, hyung."

Wonwoo snorted as he shook his arm off Mingyu's hold. "What you feel now is guilt and pity, Mingyu. You always avoided me but whenever I'm in pain, you would come rushing to me. If it's not guilt and pity, what is it then? “

All Mingyu could do was stare at Wonwoo forlornly. 

Wonwoo stared back at him in disappointment. "I'm right then. All I want is to mend our friendship and not to make our friends uncomfortable because of what happened between us in the past. Why can't you do that too, Mingyu? I don't blame you at all. It was my choice for what I did back then. Why can't you get it?“ Then Wonwoo walked away. 

Mingyu clenched his fist as all he could do was to watch Wonwoo walked away from him..from his life...

 

The girl from Class 3-4 was hiding behind a wall as she witnessed the entire encounter. "They never mention anything about a girl. Did something happened to Wonwoo before?“ The girl mumbled to herself. 

"Yuri, what are you doing here peeping at my friends like a ert?“ She turned when she heard a voice behind her. 

Minghao, who was from her class was looking at her scrutinisingly with his arms folded across his chest. 

Ahh..I forgot Minghao is in their gang too. She thought to herself. 

"W-what do you mean a ert? I-I don't mean to eavesdrop the-their conversation. They just happened t-to be there.