A:N/ So I've got a 1 week break form uni this week (Yay momentary reprieve from assessments! Which all got done, just so you know!) So if you want to help me pass the time, while I spend like 6 hours a day on this site by chatting, you're more than welcome... Save me from boredom..... BUt only if you want to, I wouldn't want to pressure you or anything, lol! Ah this story is going to finish this week, isn't it? I'm so sorry, don't murder me!

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He felt the joy bubbling in his stomach, dissipate as he took in CAP's form, standing outside their English classroom. “You wanted to speak to me?” he questioned, fairly certain that he didn't really want to be here right now.

Things had been going so well between him and Chunji these days. They'd been talking a lot, and for the first time, their conversations didn't seem to revolve around CAP or their grades or anything. Sure, they'd chat all the time before now, but the whole thing felt different. For the first time since he'd met Chunji, it felt like L. Joe had his whole attention.

And it felt nice.

Everything had been so nice and easy and fun, that he hadn't even spared a thought towards the boy before him. He vaguely wondered if Chunji was finally ready to let go of the other boy once and for all, and just move on. The thought made him even happier than he'd already been about their much closer friendship.

He might finally be able to stop being so friendly to CAP. After all he'd put the other boy through, he'd long since become wary of CAP and his attention to Chunji. He spent most of his time disapproving of him, and other times encouraging the other boy's affections for him. And for the first time since they'd met, it seemed as though the other boy genuinely meant nothing to Chunji.

He didn't want that to change.

But Chunji hadn't said that to him, and until he did, he felt he should at least remain civil towards CAP. But CAP certainly set out to try his patience when he made L. Joe pick himself up from his seat beside the other boy; eyes warm and glowing as they joked with one another during their English class, without a care in the world, just to come out here and talk to him.

“Yeah. I was wondering if you could do me a favour?” CAP began, eyeing L. Joe almost as though he was uncertain about whether or not he could rely on L. Joe to do as he asked. L. Joe didn't like the thought of giving his word to do something without knowing what it was. “That depends. What's the favour?” he asked, arms covering his chest, to mask his irritation with the delay.

“I know you're good friends with Chanhee....so I was wondering if you could ask him to go out with me.” CAP finished, noting L. Joe's stunned face. “What? But you don't even like Chanhee.” he spluttered, feeling a little too defensive for his own comfort. Why had his heart rate doubled at the thought that CAP wanted to go out with Chunji? Why did he feel threatened all of a sudden? They were just friends, weren't they?

“A man has his reasons.” CAP responded, enigmatically. “If a man wants me to ask Chanhee out for him, he better be prepared to explain his motives, or I'm not having any part of it.” L. Joe threatened, eyes narrowing dangerously. CAP looked as though he were considering arguing with him, but reconsidered the matter.

“What's changed? Why do you like him all of a sudden?” L. Joe demanded, resisting the urge to run his fingers through his hair distractedly. “Nothing's changed.” CAP disagreed. “But it must have. You've done nothing but tell me about how much Chanhee annoys you, and how you want nothing to do with him, since the day I met you.” L. Joe argued.

“And all of that is still true.” CAP stated, simply. “If it's still true that you hate him, then why do you want to go out with him?” L. Joe demanded, frustrated. “Because, Minyoung and I broke up, for good this time.... But guys like me, are never alone. I need someone to fill the time with, and I have a feeling that Chunji would be more than willing to agree.” CAP commented, his words bringing a rush of bile up L. Joe's throat; he thought he might be sick.

“I'm not going to let you use Chanhee like that. I don't want anything to do with it. He isn't a plaything, a toy for your amusement between girlfriends, you know.” L. Joe raged. “I should've known you were going to make things difficult.” CAP sighed. “Look, I'm not asking for your permission. Chanhee is a big boy, and he can make up his own mind about these sorts of things. He doesn't need your approval, nor do I. I was simply hoping you might make things a bit easier for me, and get the formalities over with when you go back into the room. I mean a few quick words, and it's done; simple.” CAP continued, talking as though he thought L. Joe was a child, and needed to have everything explained to him.

“It might be simple. But I'm not doing it. Do you have any idea how awkward that would be? I mean that's excluding the whole fact that you're assuming Chunji is gay in the first place.” L. Joe complained, only stopping his tirade when CAP interrupted him with a laugh. “I'm not assuming anything. Everybody..... You think I don't know about him? About his little crush on me? Of course I've noticed, everybody has.... normally I would just ignore it, but beggars can't be choosers now can we? In fact, it's those very things that made me decide to ask him out in the first place. People with misplaced feelings, tend to give it up a lot easier than others.” CAP commented, a derisive look firmly in place as he looked L. Joe up and down.

L. Joe blanched considerably, his gaze drifting over to the little window in the door to their English room. There was Chunji sitting with his back pressed up against the windows, light streaming in around him as he wrote notes, having to cover his eyes just to be able to read what's written on the board. He was smiling slightly, his grin widening as his eyes drifted over to the door, and caught sight of him. He waved softly, inviting L. Joe to come back into the room, and hurry about it.

He looked so happy, and he didn't have any idea about what was going on out in the hallway over him.

“In fact, I'll bet that's what really bothers you about this whole thing, now isn't it? Not the awkwardness of asking Chunji out for me, but the knowledge that no matter what warnings you give him, his feelings will blind him. The knowledge that you mean nothing to him, despite all you do for him, and the fact that there's nothing you can say to change his feelings for me. It eats away at you. You don't want to hear him say it; that he'll take whatever he can get, as long as it's with me, rather than with you, do you L. Joe? Will you be able to handle hearing the truth?” he teased, his words dark and filled with malice.

He was delighting in all of this.

His hands clenched tightly at his sides, L. Joe glared at CAP darkly. “Do whatever you want; ask Chunji out if you want to, use him and throw him away like trash if you really must. But I won't have anything to do with it..” he stated, acidly, before storming into the classroom, trying to cover his dark thoughts; his anger and his fear that everything CAP said might be true, behind a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Chunji looked so relieved to see him, but he could hear the door open behind him, telling him that CAP had retuned to the room as well. Maybe Chunji's smile wasn't for him at all then.

He made his way around the other boy, settling into his seat beside the other boy once again. “What took you so long?” Chunji hissed, trying to make out that he wasn't talking to L. Joe instead of doing work as the teacher wanted. “Nothing interesting.” L. Joe murmured, gazed fixed across the room, on CAP.

“You think I'm going to buy that? You and CAP were talking about something important. Were you arguing? What about?” Chunji enquired animatedly, observing the dark looks CAP and L. Joe were throwing one another across the classroom.

L. Joe froze for a moment, his gaze flashing over to Chunji, to look at him; needing to know how Chunji's words were meant. At that moment, Chunji happened to be looking curiously over at CAP, and after their heated conversation mere moments earlier, that was all it took to set him off. “You've got to be kidding me.” he grumbled, angrily shoving everything he owned in his bag.

Suddenly he just didn't feel like being there anymore, the good humour of the day completely expunged from his mind by Chunji's response. “You know what? I'm done with this. I've had enough of it. Do whatever you want Chunji. You want to get hurt, fine get hurt. I can't believe I've wasted so much of my time trying to help you, and after everything, you're still prepared to just.....Forget it. Just.....Forget it. All of it.” he raged, his voice imploding in upon itself; too filled with anger to be capable of coming out as anything but a whisper, without making L. Joe scream.

Chunji turned to him, alarmed at L. Joe's tirade, trying to figure out what he should say to the other boy, to fix whatever had happened. He'd asked one simple question, and this is what he gets in return? Since when was L. Joe so volatile?

L. Joe stood, his chair clattering, as he stormed out of the room, unfazed by the English teacher's startled squawk, as he stormed out of the building. He was only saving himself from one class, and he knew he'd get in trouble for walking out of a class like that, but L. Joe couldn't be bothered to spare any feelings of regret or concern for his actions.

The school premises were too small for him, right now. His skin crawled at the thought of being anywhere near Chunji, the frustrated teenager torn between wanting to tear something to pieces by hand, and wanting to indulge himself in his selfish, bitter tears of heartbreak.

He paced backwards and forwards, losing his conviction as the moment blew over and his anger gave way to more grief. He couldn't bring himself to leave completely though. He didn't want to be there, afraid of what he might say or what he might do, when he was so riled up, but the cool air, calmed him down; enabled him to just stop and breathe.

Looking back on it, Chunji's question seemed innocent enough. Everyone wanted to know what was said in a conversation they weren't a part of. L. Joe knew that. If it had been anyone else he wouldn't have cared. But after what CAP had said; what he'd suggested, he'd been concerned. He'd fled back into the classroom, hoping to assuage his fears with that affection and interest and warmth he'd indulged in for so long now. He wanted to be reminded of that feeling of being the only person Chunji was seeing. And instead, the other boy has to choose that moment to remind him of his feelings towards CAP.

In a way, he regretted what he'd said, but he couldn't take it back, and he wasn't even sure that he wanted to. Maybe he'd been a little more harsh than he wanted to be, but he was still right.

It all just felt so pointless; helping Chunji, all the effort he'd put into studying, to try and save the other boy from disappointment. Despite all of his negative traits, he'd grown on L. Joe; he found himself liking him, despite knowing what he could be like. He found himself jealous of the unceasing affection he directed towards CAP; a boy who treated him badly and in no way deserved that affection. He'd been the best friend he knew how to be, and he'd fallen hard for his troubles.

This is why you don't go after people you know are in relationships, he chastised, caustically. There was always a chance their feelings were genuine for the other person, regardless of how little they may have deserved it. Just as there was always a chance their feelings for you, were the ones that were false and fleeting.

He should've known better than to try and make Chunji fall out of love with CAP. He should've known that it was a loosing battle; that he should have just left the matter alone, and yet the disappointment rang through him with every heartbeat.

“Someone looks pretty down. No need to worry, I'm here now.” A sickeningly familiar voice commented, sending a chill down L. Joe's spine, as he glanced up, praying that he'd imagined it. His legs might've started shaking when he found the person he both least expected and least wanted to see ever again standing before him, but he wasn't sure. He lost all feeling; he could've even speak, his brain seemingly having forgotten how.

What was he going to do now?