Five years passed just like that.

His activities went back to how it was. He moved to a different school and met new friends: Sungjong, Sungyeol and Myungsoo. One thing that was different from his previous years, though, was that he was trapped in a strange rumour.

Sunggyu didn't know how the rumours started, but out of nowhere, people started suspecting him dating Woohyun. They weren't even close, one bit.

Until one Thursday, Sunggyu ran into Woohyun as he ducked through the doorway of his Physics class, his last class of the day.

"Sorry," Woohyun apologised, holding Sunggyu by his arms.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh, it's you."

Sunggyu lifted his head up to see his acquaintance. It was Woohyun. Sunggyu met him a month before, when the rumours started. Woohyun caught up with him as he walked through the school gates after school. Both of them had agreed to stay away from each other.

Sunggyu noticed Woohyun had dyed his hair a darker shade of brown since he last saw him. He wasn't sure if the rumours had died down, but it could have since they were practically strangers.

"It's been long," Woohyun said, and Sunggyu only nodded his head.

Their heads snapped to the left when someone called for Sunggyu at the end of the school hallway. It was Sunggyu's Chemistry teacher.

Sunggyu bowed to her, then took a quick look at Woohyun before walking towards her and into a classroom. He tightened his bag straps over his shoulder as his teacher handed him a stack of books. As he walked out from the classroom, a voice called him and Sunggyu turned around to see Woohyun pushing himself off the wall.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, merely taking a glance as he noticed Woohyun had walked up to his side.

"Need help with that?" Woohyun offered. When he got no response, he grabbed half of the books in Sunggyu's hands.

They reached her office without any words exchanged. Sunggyu scanned the tables for his teacher's name, and when he felt a firm nudge on his side, he turned around. Woohyun gestured over to the table furthest left beside a black cupboard.

Sunggyu followed him nonchalantly and placed the books on her table before Woohyun did the same. Sunggyu led their way outside and Woohyun trailed behind. He shoved his hands into his pockets casually as Woohyun jogged to his side. He acknowledged him this time, and initiated the talk.

"Why did you want to see me?"

Woohyun looked startled for a moment, but immediately pulled in and scratched his head. "I don't really know..."

Sunggyu looked at him weirdly, but his attention flickered over Woohyun's shoulder when he spotted someone running towards them. Woohyun turned as well.

"Hyung!" Sungyeol called as he approached them. "Are you free tonight?" he asked with a slight pant, "we're planning on going karaoke, you coming?"

Sunggyu nodded absentmindedly, pausing when Sungyeol looked at Woohyun. He mentally hoped that Sungyeol wouldn't invite Woohyun as well, but as if on cue, he had said it and the latter had agreed to it.

"See you later then!" Sungyeol said and waved off.

Woohyun and Sunggyu looked at each other. Coming to terms that no one was going to speak, they parted their ways home.

-------

Sungyeol stood in front of them as he fumbled with his fourth glass of alcohol. "Cheers!"

Sunggyu, Woohyun and Myungsoo rose their glasses and then drank it all in one go. Sunggyu was already drinking his second bottle. Woohyun looked at him skeptically. He even tried to stop Sunggyu from drinking any further, but instead, Sunggyu held the back of Woohyun's neck and forced him to drink more from his bottle.

"Let's sing~!" Sungyeol yelled enthusiastically, throwing his arms up in the air. That tall choding was crazy when he's drunk. "Woohyun-sshi! Sing with me!"

Sunggyu looked over to Woohyun as he waved his hands in front of his face in attempt to say no, but Sungyeol had pulled him up to his feet. He walked wobbly to the front of the large screen and grabbed the nearest microphone.

The music started playing and Sungyeol started screaming the lyrics written on the screen. Sunggyu raised his eyebrows when Woohyun started singing as well. He laughed when he noticed his microphone was upside down and everything was in chaos. Their song didn't match the lyrics at all.

Sunggyu heard a whimper from his side, so he turned to look at Myungsoo who was downing a full glass. He wanted to stop the latter, but in no time, the liquid had disappeared from the glass. He looked at the younger warily. Myungsoo was no drinker to begin with.

Stucking the glassware between his teeth, Myungsoo rolled his eyes to look at Sunggyu over the rim of his glass. He blinked a few times - lashes brushing on his blushing cheeks - then pulled the glass out before putting it on the table. A mere smile, and he had his gaze elsewhere.

Myungsoo was Sungyeol's close friend. He remembered Sungyeol running into his classroom one day, panting so loud, his words were all jumbled up. Sungyeol managed to calm down after that and finally announced that he and Myungsoo were officially friends. He didn't understand how it was a big deal.

He felt the couch dip down beside him, but he didn't need to know who it was. Sungyeol had also returned to the seats and immediately clung to Myungsoo.

-------

"Bye Hyung! I'll go now!" Sungyeol yelled, pulling him into a hug then lunged to Myungsoo doing the same before shoving himself into a taxi. Sunggyu laughed at his friend's antic. He looked over to where Woohyun stood - trying to press the right button on his mobile phone to call his driver.

He whipped his head to a sudden push on his side. Black hair tickled his cheeks as the person nuzzled into his chest. Sunggyu's hands paused midair as he took in what was happening. He had expected this; Myungsoo had passed out.

He stumbled his way to Woohyun as he held onto Myungsoo. "Woohyun-ah, can you send him too?" he panted and swung Myungsoo's arm over his shoulder.

"No," the latter simply said, and poked his tongue out while squinting his eyes to the bright screen. Sunggyu was definitely taken aback. Shortly after that, Woohyun's car came, so the latter rushed into it and slammed the door and yelled "home!" to his driver.

Sunggyu grunted and tightened Myungsoo's arm over his shoulders and held onto his waist firmly. They stumbled to the sideway while Sunggyu called to hail for a taxi.

Sunggyu opened the taxi door wide, bending one of his knees over the seats to help Myungsoo onto the backseat. Sunggyu opened his mouth to tell the driver Myungsoo's address, but was cut off when Myungsoo held his hand and pulled him into the cab. Sunggyu looked at him weirdly, but the latter showed no signs of being awake.

Getting off Myungsoo's lap, he sighed and closed the door and said the address to the driver.

"Why am I doing this...this is supposed to be Sungyeol's job..." He mumbled to himself as he took a glance at Myungsoo.

The car came to a turn, causing Myungsoo to slide in his seat and ended up leaning onto Sunggyu's side. He snuggled closer, but Sunggyu shrugged him off, keeping his gaze out of the window, looking out at the lamp posts and neon shop lights - morphing into blinding colours as the taxi drove.

When the car came into a halt, Sunggyu heaved a relieved sigh and searched blindly for money in his pockets. He thanked the driver and helped Myungsoo out of the car, letting him lean on his body as he closed the taxi door. He pulled Myungsoo up on his back and carried him to the front door.

"Myungsoo," Sunggyu called, but got no response, "Can I type in your password?" He peeked behind his shoulder to see him, but immediately turned away.

He hesitated, but did it anyway. He typed in Myungsoo's birthdate and entered the house and carried him to his room. Sunggyu laid him down on his bed, tucking him under the warm blanket.

As he turned to leave the room, a hand wrapped around his wrist. Sunggyu twisted his head to look at Myungsoo who sat up on the bed, holding his head with his other hand. The latter blinked a few times and looked at Sunggyu.

"What are you doing here?" He asked after he straightened his vision.

"You're drunk, and I sent you home," Sunggyu answered nonchalantly as he let go of Myungsoo's hand around his wrist.

But what he didn't expect was that Myungsoo would tug onto his hand again and pulled him down to his bed.

"What are you doing-"

"Stay," Myungsoo said, cutting him off, "Just until I fall asleep."