When Daun came back later from eating ice cream with that Jae I person, Horyeong really wanted to ask him questions about the whole outing but knew that Daun didn’t like to be bombarded with questions, even though they shared everything between them. So this meant that Horyeong had to wait. 

 

He was eating some leftover lasagna that he found in the fridge while messaging the groupchat (Zeth was complaining about Seulchan and his boyfriend’s ugly shoes) when Daun came into their makeshift room in the basement, taking off his shoes. 

 

Horyeong looked up when Daun came in. “Hey,” he said, holding himself back. 

 

Daun didn’t even bother to look at him, setting his backpack down on the floor. “Hey to you, too.”

 

“Mom said that they’ll be dinner soon,” Horyeong said, taking another stab at his lasagna. “It’ll just be us with mom and grandma, though. Dad is still at work and grandpa is doing something with some of his friends.”

 

“Not surprised,” Daun muttered, throwing himself on his bed. “I don’t want to do homework.”

 

Horyeong, who had finished his homework earlier (apparently some of the teachers were more lenient to seniors here), couldn’t help but laugh at his younger brother’s misery. “Sounds like a you problem,” he said. 

 

Daun pushed himself off the mattress and glared at Horyeong. “How dare you mock me. Just for that I’m not going to give you any details.”

 

“That’s not fair, you always tell me everything,” Horyeong pouted. “You know I’m curious.”

 

“Well, if I don’t want to tell you, you have to respect my privacy,” Daun reminded him. 

 

Horyeong rolled his eyes before returning his attention back to the group chat, where Zeth was now complaining about being single. “That’s the last time I pay for your ice cream,” he muttered under his breath. “No wonder you have too much homework.”

 

“Well, if you’re really dying to know, Jae I just talked to me about his friends and ask questions about me,” Daun said, grabbing his pillow off his bed to hug it. “And I had some fantastic ice cream. You and your two scoops of chocolate can it.”

 

“Excuse me for being a simple man with simple tastes,” Horyeong said, throwing his phone on his bed. “But I’m glad to hear that this guy doesn’t sound like a creep.”

 

“Please, between me and him, I’m the one most likely to murder someone,” Daun said, swinging his feet on the side of the bed. 

 

Horyeong raised an eye. “Should I be worried about you murdering me in my  sleep?” he asked. 

 

“If you don’t do anything, I don’t see why you have to worry,” Daun said, shrugging.

 

“I- I’m not even going to pry about that,” Horyeong muttered. “But I’m glad this guy won’t stalk you or hide your body in the woods.”

 

“Oh, , he did say something about the woods, though,” Daun added, scratching his head. “Something about how they had a treehouse there or something that him and his friends liked to hang out at.”

 

“A treehouse?” Horyeong asked. “That’s… kind of odd.”

 

Daun glared at him. “What’s odd about a treehouse, it’s just planks of wood, dummy.”

 

“No, I mean like… how many friends does he have again?” Horyeong asked. 

 

“Uh… I don’t know to be honest, like five or second or something,” Daun said. “And he does not have a boyfriend.”

 

Horyeong raised an eye. “Interesting. What does he plan for you to do with that information?”

 

“I don’t know but I have a feeling I’ll get more free ice cream,” Daun said, jumping off his bed. “But I’m still hungry. Is there more lasagna? I don’t want to wait until dinner.”

 

***

 

Donghwi’s father didn’t come back from his business trip until Friday morning, something he had not told Donghwi beforehand. 

 

He woke up at his usual time, brushing his teeth in his bathroom and then getting dressed upstairs in his room. He hadn’t heard his father wake up, so when he walked down the stairs to get his usual breakfast and feed his dogs, he had been surprised to see his father sitting at the kitchen table, working on his laptop. 

 

His father looked up at him, surprised. “Well, you’re up and early, Donghwi.”

 

Donghwi rolled his eyes, opening the fridge to grab a cup of yogurt. “You know Dongin and Uiyeon pick me up in the morning,” he said, grabbing a spoon. “When have I ever been late to class?”

 

“Well, it’s a well known fact that high schoolers always find the time to rebel,” his father said, taking a sip of the coffee mug in front of him. “Doesn’t help that teens these days are always stuck with some technology in their hands.”

 

Donghwi grabbed a dollop of yogurt with his spoon. “Dad, you’re on your laptop right now.”

 

His father scoffed at him. “You know I’m trying to do work on it- oh, will you look at the time?” He slammed his laptop shut and grabbed his suitcase on the table, getting up from his chair. “I have to head to the office and deal with some paperwork, some interns messed up a couple of documents-”

 

He grabbed his jacket and opened the front door. “Don’t be in front of your phone all day Donghwi,” was the last thing his father told him until he closed the door, leaving Donghwi alone in the house. 

 

The commotion must have woken up his two dogs, since Kevin and Helicopter soon made their way into the dining room, wagging their tails in excitement for Donghwi. 

 

Donghwi sighed at his father’s departure, setting his yogurt cup down. “Do you guys think I’m on my phone too much?” he asked rhetorically to his dogs, the two of them wagging their tails and smiling in response. “Or is he just saying that so he doesn’t feel bad for never answering my messages?”

 

A knock on the door startled him. Hopeful that it was his father returning to admit that he missed him or something, Donghwi rushed to open the door, deflating when he saw that it was just Dongin. 

 

Donghwi mumbled a hello and walked away, causing Dongin to raise an eye. “As your best friend I feel so loved,” he said sarcastically, stepping inside the house. “Does this have to do with how I just saw your dad leave the house?”

 

Kevin and Helicopter followed Donghwi back to the kitchen, where he was pouring them their breakfast. “Not even one comment of how much he misses me,” he muttered, scratching Kevin’s head as he and Helicopter ate out of their bowls.

 

Dongin sighed, bending down to pet the dogs’ fur. “Let me guess, another boomer comment?”

 

“Yep.” Donghwi grabbed his yogurt cup again and finally ate a spoonful. “But you know how he is, it’s just the usual.”

 

“I mean… yeah, if you say so,” Dongin trailed off. His phone started buzzing, so he took it out of his pocket, finding that Uiyeon was sending him messages. “Uiyeon says he’s gonna kick our if we take any longer- holy , Haneul is bringing us gelato!” he shouted, tugging Donghwi’s arm to pull him out of the kitchen. “We have to go!”

 

“Damn, can I say goodbye to my dogs first?!” Donghwi shouted at him, watching Kevin and Helicopter make their way back to the living room. “No, you traitors!! How dare you leave me?”

 

“Come on, Donghwi, this is gelato we are talking about!” 

 

Dongin pulled Donghwi out of the house, giving him five seconds to lock the door before they made their way to the car, where Uiyeon, sitting at the driver’s seat, was banging his head against the steering wheel. 

 

“Um, Uiyeon, can you not do that, we still need a ride to school and we can’t get one if you’re dead,” Dongin said, heading to the passenger’s side. “Uiyeon! Stop crying again.”

 

Uiyeon grabbed his phone off his lap and showed Dongin the screen as Donghwi made his way towards the back of the van (he liked to sit in the back to lay his feet across). “I REPLIED LIKE A DUMB !” Uiyeon shrieked, slamming his head on the steering wheel again. 

 

Donghwi sighed, pulling out a bag of chips in his backpack. “What did Haneul say this time that made you short circuit?” he asked, taking out a chip to eat. 

 

“He said if he could come over and I accidentally said no!” Uiyeon cried out. “I’m never going to have a chance to be with him.”

 

“Just tell him it was autocorrect, that should solve the issue,” Dongin said, grabbing the phone from an incapable Uiyeon. “I can’t believe even Jae I is making more progress than you.”

 

“Because he’s lucky!” Uiyeon yelled. 

 

Donghwi sighed. “Uiyeon, can we go to school now? Didn’t Haneul promised to bring gelato or some ?”

 

“Yes, Uiyeon, forget about that typo and think of his gelato!” Dongin reminded him. “We can do it!”

 

The car ride to school was filled with Uiyeon’s worries about gelato. 

***

 

Horyeong couldn’t help but notice that Daun kept hanging out with Jae I. 

 

To be fair, from what Daun had told them, they were in the same class for last period, his intro to engineering class, so of course they were going to talk with each other. However, he would see Daun taking a lot of time to meet Horyeong by the lockers to head home together, sometimes coming out of the classroom with Jae I, the two engage in a conversation. 

 

When he asks Daun about this, Daun just shrugs and says that Jae I is pretty smart in conversation, so he doesn’t mind one bit. That is all he has said about the subject, and since Horyeong can’t pry, he is left deducing everything from afar. 

 

During lunch on Friday while he was in line for his food, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at the table that Jae I sat at, holding a textbook high above his head to hit someone, the cash register guy from the ice cream parlour.

 

“Are you try to murder him or something?” he heard someone speak behind him. 

 

Horyeong turned around and saw someone behind him, staring at him. “You look like your giving Jae I death glares,” the guy said.
 

“Uh… do I know you?” Horyeong asked.

 

The guy shrugged. “You’re Daun’s brother, I saw you at the ice cream parlour,” he said. “You ordered two chocolate scoops, very original I might add.” 

 

Horyeong looked away, taking a bowl of rice in front of him. “You sound just like my brother.”

 

“I would say great minds think alike but that’s not the full quote,” the guy said. “I’m Donghwi, Jae I’s friend, you’ve been giving him death glares for as long as I can remember.”

 

Horyeong tilted his head, confused. “I have not been giving him death glares.”

 

The guy - Donghwi - shrugged, also grabbing a bowl of rice, along with a serving of chicken. “Baekgyeol and Haneul are experts at giving death glares, I know when there’s one coming.”

 

“That’s a really odd power to have,” Horyeong admitted, though he could probably guess when Daun was giving him dirty looks too. “At least they don’t actually kill, though, I would hate to be in jail.”

 

Donghwi looked back at his friends table, watching Baekgyeol and Uiyeon now have an argument. “He’s not going to do anything to your brother, if that’s what you’re  so afraid of,” he said, thinking of Jae I. “I know he looks like a playboy but he’s only kissed like three boys or girls in his life.”

 

“More than me,” Horyeong mumbled. “And why do you guys keep reassuring me about this Jae I guy anyways?”

 

“What part of you giving Jae I death glares do you not- nevermind,” Donghwi muttered. “Beat up Jae I for all I care, you won’t be that different from Haneul anyways.”

 

Horyeong raised an eye at him as he swiped his card on the machine, leaving the line to go sit alone. 

 

As he sat down, he looked at the table again, but this time not paying attention to the guy that was infatuated with his brother, but a so called person who apparently went by the name Donghwi. 

 

***

 

Stop Changing the Group Chat Name

 

I’m dating a different Woojin

Hello

Horyeong are you there

I know it’s you lunch idiot

 

I hate my real name

I bet he got a boyfriend now and they hooking up instead

 

I’m dating a different Woojin

FOR THE LAST TIME

I WAS NOT HOOKING UP WITH WOOJIN

I WAS HELPING HIM WITH AN ASSIGNMENT

 

I hate my real name

No you were hooking up with him 

Pretty sure

Hey Horyeong where the are you man we miss you

 

I’m dating a different Woojin

Zeth why do I even bother with you

I’m not calling you Zeth anymore I’m calling you Jaemin

 

I hate my real name

YOU KNOW I HATE THAT NAME

DO YOU NOT REMEMBER HOW I WAS BULLIED IN ELEMENTARY

 

Ice Cream

They just called you the second Jaemin

Because there was already a Jaemin, Na Jaemin

 

I hate my real name

MAN THAT HOE I DON’T GIVE A ABOUT HIM

 

I’m dating a different Woojin

But Na Jaemin is really sweet!

Also wtf took you so long Horyeong

 

I hate my real name

Like I said

He was probably hooking up with someone

 

Ice Cream

Why do I even bother with you people