Lee Taeil was walking down the street to school like every morning, his bag loosely hanging from his left shoulder. As he was walking, he adjusted his glasses and tugged his beanie hat a little more over his ear. It was already December and the blowing air was icy. It was only a matter of days until it would start to snow.

Taeil let out a deep sigh. At that moment, he was suddenly thrown forwards by a heavy weight on his shoulder.

“Good morning, Taillie~” someone sung next to his ear and Taeil didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Morning, Jaehyo.”

“Ugh, why so gloomy?” his childhood friend asked while detaching himself to walk next to the shorter boy.

“Someone like you wouldn’t understand…” Taeil mumbled, trying not to meet his friend’s questioning eyes.

“Someone like me? Ok, is this about your smelly feet again? Look, I know my feet always smell like flowers but this is no reason to be mad at me.”

Taeil stopped walking for a second and shot the older male a glare.

“No.” he stated simply before catching up with Jaehyo again.

“What is it then? I’m your friend, aren’t I? No matter what it is, you can tell me.” He put a hand on Taeil’s shoulder and offered him his best reassuring smile.

“It’s just…you know how I have never been in a relationship before? I always thought that it’s because I’m gay and not many guys know or admit they’re gay at our age. Plus my parents barely let me get out, so the only place for me to meet someone would be at school. And since our school is so small…I figured that was the reason why I never had any luck. But you know the kid that came in our class two weeks ago? That guy from America?”

Jaehyo only nodded, not wanting to interrupt his friend’s speech.

“Well, he already found himself a boyfriend. At school. And he didn’t even tell anyone that he’s gay! So I came to the conclusion that it’s my fault. What else could it be? But why? I mean, what is wrong with me?”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. So you’re saying new guy has a boyfriend?”

“Yes. But that’s not really important. What I was trying to say is-“

“Aw, that’s too bad! I really wanted to try it out with him!” Jaehyo exclaimed, totally frustrated and suddenly unaware of his friend’s worries “I even had a three-months plan to impress him! Here, wanna see?” he added fishing a little folded piece of paper out of his coat’s pocket.

“Uh, not really…” Taeil answered unsure of where this was going. “Anyway, can we focus on-“

“And who? Do you know who he’s dating?” the taller male cut his hyung off again.

Taeil just sighed deeply again. This wasn’t going anywhere anyways. Once Ahn Jaehyo was set on something…well, he was set on something.

“Yes, it’s that school library desk guy. Jung Joon Young.”

“Damn, he’s hot! No wonder new kid would immediately fall for his deep voice and intense eyes. He’s the only reason I even go to that library.”

Taeil shot his friend a weird glance. Did his three-months-plan also include to find any other guy in the school attractive?

Suddenly, the both of them were pushed away from each other and Park Kyung, the mood maker and their longtime friend pushed himself in between them, throwing his arms over each of their shoulders.

“Hey guys. What’s up?” he asked in his usual bright voice.

“Roy Kim is dating Jung Joon Young. And something about Taeil’s feet.”

The latter shot his friend another deadly glare. And he was secretly beginning to question the friend part.

“I see.” Kyung nodded before turning to Taeil. “So Taeillie, what’s really up?”

Once Taeil had finished his speech for the second time, Kyung hummed understanding.

“There’s just one thing I don’t get.” He looked at Taeil who looked at him questioningly. “Why did you ask him for advice?” he pointed his thumb towards Jaehyo who looked mockingly offended.

“Had no one else. And who knew how he would’ve annoyed me if I didn’t entertain him. I didn’t think you would show up that early.”

‘Yeah well, about that…long story short, my sister kicked me out.”

“Again.” Jaehyo added. “You know, if you and your sister really don’t get along, you should move back to your parents.”

“But wouldn’t you miss me then?” Kyung wiggled his dark eyebrows at Jaehyo, who looked fairly unimpressed.

“Oh yeah. I’d cry every night.” After a pause for sarcastic effect he added, in a more serious tone “But seriously, you spend more time crashing over at friend’s houses than sleeping on your sister’s couch, don’t you think it’s time for a change?”

Kyung let out a deep sigh. It was true. He loved his sister, but they were both in the age where it was typical for siblings to argue. It didn’t help at all that she had a very rocky relationship with her boyfriend (who in Kyung’s eyes was just a sick who spend his life drinking).

“I guess you’re right.” Kyung mumbled to no one in particular, staring into space. “Hey, guys?”

After both of his friends gave him signs of acknowledgement, he took a big step forward and turned around to face them, a big grin now on his youthful face.

“I think I’m going to look for a part-time job after school today?”

“About damn time!” Jaehyo hit him playfully on the back of his head, while Taeil just chuckled happily.

“But.” Kyung stopped and looked at the latter. “Until then we’ll have to work on a plan that by the time I move out from my sister, our little Taeillie here will have a boyfriend.”

Taeil’s chuckle turned into a worried frown. Maybe those two weren’t the best people to ask for love advice after all, judging from the wicked grins on their faces.

*~*

The morning passed by quite quickly and the three friends, who were all in different classes, met again in the cafeteria for their usual mid-day talk. Once they all had grabbed something to eat, they sat down at a table already occupied by two guys.

Jaehyo, who already had a piece of bread sticking out from his mouth still managed to mumble out an acceptable greeting.

“Shey Kshwonnie, shey Minshyukie.”

“Jaehyo, don’t talk with so much food in your mouth, that’s disgusting.” Kim Yukwon, the trio’s blonde dancer friend with the y , shot Jaehyo a wary side-glare.

“So, what’s up guys? Some new gossip to tell us?” Lee Minhyuk, Yukwon’s best also-a-dancer-friend asked.

“What are you, Minhyuk? A bored housewife?” Kyung looked at his friend with a skeptical look. Nonetheless, as soon as he sat down he turned to him and said, with the most serious look he could come up with at that moment. “We need a boyfriend for our Taeillie baby, a.s.a.p.”

Taeil rolled his eyes for nth time that morning. Seeing a psychiatrist or visiting a helpful internet forum about dating would’ve been so much easier. But noooo, he had to go with the crazy friends option.

“What’s asap?” Yukwon frowned.

“Oh Em Gee, Kwonnie, you don’t know that?” Kyung said in a unnaturally high pitched voice.

“As soon as possible.” Minhyuk informed.

“As soon as possible what?”

“My God, Kwonnie, a.s.a.p. means as soon as possible! Can we please focus now?”

Everyone turned to Jaehyo, surprised.

“What? I said please.”

“Whatever. So you need a boyfriend Taeillie?” Minhyuk asked interested.

Tail nodded shyly, unsure of what he had gotten himself into. That was when he heard a cry from Yukwon’s direction. When he turned to him, he saw him fake-sobbing into his napkin.

“My baby is growing uuu~uuup! What to dooo~oooo?”

“Can you all cut if off please? I’m still older than all of you, yet you treat me as if I was a little baby all the time…” Taeil said sulking and picked up his strawberry milk with the little cartoon strawberry on the front.

“Whatever.” Kyung interjected once again. “So, we came to you guys because you’re practically our relationship gurus.”

“But we’re not in a relationship!” Minhyuk answered a bit too quickly, but no one noticed. “Together. We’re not in a relationship together.”

Jaehyo looked at his now nervous friend with a suspicious glance.

“No one ever said that.”

“Right. So you were saying? You need our advice?” Minhyuk said, happy to change the subject.

After a collective nod, Minhyuk turned to Taeil.

“Okay, so most importantly, who is it? Who do you have your eyes on?”

“Well…” the short boy looked away shyly, “That would be the first point. I really have no one.”

“Then I might have someone!” Yukwon chirped happily. “There’s a new student in my class, he’s quite nice. And handsome.”

“But he already has a boyfriend.” Jaehyo said with a gloomy aura around him.

“What? No way, he just told me he’s single.”

“No, I tell you. He’s dating hot library boy with the pretty eyes.”

“Joon Young? But he’s dating Roy.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Now Jaehyo and Yukwon awkwardly looked at each other. The others just looked lost.

Jaehyo decided to break the silence first.

“Wait, what new guy are you talking about?”

“A guy who arrived in my class yesterday. He’s from Japan. Well, he’s actually Korean, but he studied in Japan for a few years.

“Japan.” Kyung suddenly spat dejectedly.

“What is wrong with him?” Yukwon whispered, a little bit worried.

“Oh you know, there’s that guy he didn’t get along with at all in middle school. That one that always bullied him.” Jaehyo whispered back, though everyone could hear him anyways.

“Oh, that one that got Kyung’s first – and until now, only – girlfriend to break up with him?” Minhyuk wondered aloud.

“Yes, him exactly, thank you very much!” Kyung spat again.

“And what’s the thing with Japan?” Yukwon asked Jaehyo.

“Let’s just say, the day his parents moved to Japan and he had to follow was the happiest day of Kyung’s sorry excuse for a life so far.” Taeil concluded.

“I see. But don’t worry, Taeil. That guy you described sounds like the biggest , but Jiho is really a nice guy.” Yukwon beamed happily.

“Excuse me, who?” Kyung stood up angrily, already getting red in the face.

“Park Kyung, is that you?” an amused voice asked from behind as a tall guy approached the table.

Kyung, at that moment, wanted nothing more but to loudly curse at the world. What exactly did he do wrong? Did he ruin the country in his past life?

Like in slow motion, he turned around, though he already knew who he was going to face.

It was the devil in person.

And that devil had a name.

Woo Jiho.

********

Woo, thank you to everyone subscribing! Didn't think you'd be so many TT__TT

I hope you're not disapointed with this first boring chapter.