2010

You, Mari, and Daehoon crammed into the couch.

"It's starting!" Mari announced, pointing to the tv screen.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Daehoon said. "I should have tried out to Woollim, too..."

Then, the show began. You Are My Oppa began playing. Sungkyu appeared on the screen.

"Him! I know him!" you exclaimed, jumping up on the couch.

"Wow, I know an idol!" Mari said, jumping with you.

Daehoon stayed down on the couch. "Tch. Girls."

-

The four of you were eating dinner at a restaurant. It was the first time in weeks all of you could meet up together, because of a certain someone's suddenly busy schedule...

"And here's to Sungkyu, for becoming a true artist," Mari beamed, raising her glass.

"You mean for capturing girls' hearts?" Daehoon joked. Sungkyu punched his arm.

"No, he's not even the most popular one! I think the girls will fall in love with the tall one--or the one who took off his shirt in the music video," you predicted. Sungkyu laughed and covered his face.

"Anyway," Mark said. "To Sungkyu."

-

After dinner, you had to drive Sungkyu back to his dorm.

"...and I start the job next week," you said, glancing at Sungkyu. He looked half asleep already. "Yah, Kim Sungkyu, are you listening?" You made the car swerve to wake him up.

"I'm awake--I'm awake!" he yelled, grabbing your hand and turning the steering wheel back.

"Now you're awake," you pouted. Sungkyu pretended not to hear. He yawned and stared out the window. You reached the dorm, but a group of young girls was standing outside, so you drove around to the back. By the time you were parked, Sungkyu had fallen asleep again.

"Sungkyu. Kyu. Wake up," you said, shaking his arm. He didn't respond. "You're always so sleepy but you never even do anything," you hissed. You had to get out of your seat and open the passenger door. You leaned into the car and yelled, "I know you hear me. Get up!"

Sungkyu yawned and turned the other way. But you saw him open his eyelids slightly.

"What do those fangirls see in you? Sung--" You slapped his arm but lost your balance and ended up falling into the car. You put an arm in front of yourself to stop yourself from falling, but were already uncomfortably close to Sungkyu. He opened his eyes. The two of you stared at each other awkwardly for a second.

You got up quickly and bit your lips. "Good night."

-

Sungkyu quietly snuck back into his room and closed the door behind him. He didn't dare turn the lights on. He crept closer to his bed, when something grabbed his legs.

"Ah!" he yelled, falling to the floor. "Woohyun!"

"Hyung," Woohyun hissed. "What were you doing out so late?"

"None of your business. Go to sleep," Sungkyu whispered, kicking Woohyun away.

"Hyung," Woohyun whispered again, crawling over to Sungkyu. "Were you meeting a girl?"

"It's none of your business--"

"It's totally a girl. Wow, Kim Sungkyu--"

"I never said--" The door opened. Sungkyu suddenly stopped talking. Both of them froze, afraid of what the managers might do if they realized Sungkyu came home late.

"What's up?" Dongwoo said, crawling in. Sungkyu and Woohyun gave a sigh of relief.

"So what's going on in here?" Hoya asked, crawling in behind Dongwoo. He pushed the door close behind him.

"Why are you guys here?" Woohyun whined.

"Ouch, you closed the door on me," Myungsoo complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Go back to sleep! All of you!" Sungkyu ordered, pushing Dongwoo off of him.

"Sungkyu, where were you?"

"He was meeting a girl," Woohyun answered.

"I was not--"

"Is she pretty?"

"What's her name?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," Sungkyu hissed.

"Woah, who ever said girlfriend? You must really like her," Hoya said. Sungkyu sighed and buried his face in his pillow.

"Go to sleep."

"Not until Hyung tells us who the girl is!"

"Yeah, who is she?"

"I was just out with friends," Sungkyu whined.

"Omo! Does that mean you were with Yiseul?" Woohyun asked. Sungkyu didn't reply.

"I thought you were trying to get over her," Dongwoo said.

"I was..." Sungkyu said. He sat up and thought about it. My resolution was to get over Yiseul. And I did, right? I dated other girls and now I'm focusing on Infinite. "Yiseul and I are just friends now."

"You were just friends before, too," Myungsoo pointed out.

"But this time we're both more mature. We know who we are and what we want so we're not going to get into a stupid relationship again."

"But do you like her?" Hoya asked.

It really all goes back to that, doesn't it?

"Yiseul and I are just--" Sungkyu stopped and remembered what happened when you were dropping him off. He recognized your anxious expression.

And just as if Woohyun had read Sungkyu's mind, he asked, "Does Yiseul think that, too?"

"She's the one who broke up with me last year!"

"But you're not a loser anymore," Dongwoo stated.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, hyung," Dongwoo said, patting Sungkyu's head.

Woohyun wanted more from Sungkyu, so he slyly asked, "Well if you and Yiseul aren't an item, do you think I could--"

"Yah, stay away from her!" Sungkyu exclaimed, pinning Woohyun down.

"Shh! You'll wake everyone up!" Myungsoo warned.

"Ha! So you do like her," Woohyun said.

"Yeah, so what? It's not like I can date," Sungkyu admitted in defeat. The four others were silent. Dongwoo patted Sungkyu on the shoulder now.

"Leader-nim, just do this for yourself. Everything will work out." And with that, Dongwoo left the room.

"Stay strong," Myungsoo encouraged, leaving the room.

"I think you should go after her. It's not like the managers can literally break the two of you apart," Hoya said, closing the door behind him.

"Should I go after her again?" Sungkyu asked Woohyun.

"Sure. And if it doesn't work out, you'll still be friends, right?" Woohyun yawned and went to his bed. "What's the worst that can happen, anyway?"

Sungkyu made up his mind.