“Why me? Why not you?” 

Sungjong sighs, “well obviously you’re more good-looking than me and you have more friends—” 

“... Okay, if I’m doing this, you have to tell me what’s going on with him.” Woohyun tries to argue, but Sungjong shoots him a look that immediately quietens him down.

“I can’t.” Sungjong replies bluntly.

“Why.” 

“If there is one thing you really need to know, it’s that Sunggyu hyung hates people talking about him. Especially behind his back.” 

And then Woohyun gets it.

And he scowls at the younger boy who immediately raises his arms to protect his head, almost as though he is anticipating Woohyun to hammer his head with a thick dictionary.

“So what you’re trying to tell me is that you can’t do it because Sunggyu will hate you.” 

Sungjong nods.

“Then what about me? What makes you think that he won’t hate me?” 

A wry grin makes its way to Sungjong’s face. “The thing is, Sunggyu hyung already hates you.” 

“Lee Sungjong!” This time Woohyun grabs a random book near him and raises it above his head, and Sungjong immediately cowers, arms raised to protect his head.

“Hyung, hyung, I haven’t finished talking yet!”

Woohyun drops the book and glares at Sungjong, who peeks out from beneath his arm shield, making sure that Woohyun and the book is some distance apart before lowering his arms.

“I mean, Sunggyu hyung is not a stupid person. Why would he hate someone that is trying to help him?”

Woohyun frowns, and Sungjong leans over, smacking his lips. “Stop frowning, hyung. You already have wrinkles.” 

__________________

So Woohyun returns to the dormitory room armed with cups of coffee that Sungyeol insists that the level of caffeine is the highest.

He takes a small sip through the tiny straw poking out from the top, and grimaces immediately when the taste of bitter coffee hits his tongue.

That’s right, Sungyeol said to put sugar.

But sugar or not, Woohyun decides that coffee is not his cup of tea. He takes a few more tentative sips before giving up, abandoning the other cups on the coffee table— literally a coffee table.

Woohyun’s usually still brain turns more than usual this night, and an idea hits him.

Since Sunggyu is still sleeping when it’s five, I’ll just wait for him in the morning.

A plan forms in his imaginative mind as he pulls out his phone, sets a new alarm, and makes sure that it is on vibrate.

Woohyun then allows himself a little smile at the simplicity of his plan as he lies back on his bed, preparing for sleep, pulling the blanket all the way up to his chin.

If Sunggyu obviously did not want his roommate to know what sort of things he does, he will definitely do it when Woohyun is sleeping.

So why not watch the culprit at work while sleeping?

__________________

It starts off as a small itch on his palm, and Woohyun, still immersed in dreamland, uses his other hand to scratch his itchy palm.

When his hand hits solid metal, though, that is when he remembers his plan. Carefully, Woohyun switches off his alarm and cracks open one eye.

He only opens both eyes fully when he spots that Sunggyu is still sleeping— striking red hair sticking out of the dull, black duvet. He checks his phone; 5.03am. A few minutes difference, but it tells Woohyun that Sunggyu doesn’t wake up at five.

Woohyun continues staring, from that tuft of bright red hair, to the dull black duvet, to Sunggyu’s phone lying on the other table, his eyes darting back and forth, just to stop himself from falling asleep again.

He sighs.

Maybe counting sheep will let him remain awake, at least, until Sunggyu wakes up.

__________________

Woohyun’s eyes feel like they are swelling themselves shut, but they snap open when the familiar sounds of a phone vibrating furiously against the wooden surface of the table. 

The speed at which Sunggyu reacts to his silent phone alarm shocks Woohyun to some extent; his roommate never fails to shock him. He manages to keep his eyes half-shut, observing Sunggyu from a narrow world. 

Although, when Woohyun hears the sounds of the tap running and the water gushing out, he knows that it’s somewhat safe to open his eyes fully. 

He opens his eyes, just in time to make out a still rather blurry picture of a redhead popping something into his mouth and downing it with a cup of water.

Woohyun turns purposefully, making sure that the sounds of the  bed shifting can be heard clearly by Sunggyu. 

The sounds of movement stills to a stop, until there is only the awkward silence of water gushing out the still-open tap. Woohyun hears the clings of glass against marble, an uncomfortable silence settling in without the gush of the water, before heavy footsteps set off towards his direction.

Woohyun’s breath stills, and for a few seconds, the room is completely silent.

He thinks the air in the room gets colder with every silent second.

And then Woohyun feels a shift in his blanket, the cold air sifting in through the temporarily exposed skin before the warm blanket lands gently, just below his chin. 

The heavy footsteps resonate around the room for, which Woohyun thinks is a few minutes, before the door opens and closes shut with a metallic click.

He feels himself release the breath that he has been holding ever since, sitting up immediately. 

What just happened?

He walks to the sink, spotting the same abandoned cup that he has seen the day before. 

Woohyun starts checking the cabinets— but all, if not most of them, are empty. 

Somehow, Dongwoo’s words come back to him again.

Deals with drugs.

Sungjong’s words kick Dongwoo’s out of his brain, frustrating him.

... I want you to prove that the rumours about Sunggyu hyung is wrong.

“Forget it!” Woohyun half yells.

__________________

“Good morning Namu!” Dongwoo chirps cheerfully when the trio meet at their usual place in the hallways. The absence of their other two friends are pretty much self-explained; Myungsoo slept in again and Sungyeol is waiting for him.

“Don’t call me that,” Woohyun retorts absentmindedly. 

“Something bothering you?” Howon asks, spotting the lack of ‘Woohyun-ness’ in his friend.

Woohyun turns towards them, a determined expression on his face. “Can I ask you guys something?” 

Howon nods, and a curious expression sets on Dongwoo’s face, cueing Woohyun to continue.

He his lips nervously.

“Who started the rumours about Sunggyu?” 

The atmosphere suddenly becomes tense, and if Woohyun isn’t paying attention, he will not have spotted an expression that he hasn’t seen before, flit across Dongwoo’s face. Woohyun’s eyes widen.

Is it guilt?

Before Woohyun can confirm his suspicions, Howon quickly butts in, “It’s not from our batch; some seniors spread it.” 

And when Dongwoo quickly drags Howon away, Woohyun is sure something just happened.

__________________

“It’s weird,” Woohyun comments, flipping a page of the chemistry book that he is holding for fun.

Sungjong hums, engrossed in his own book. How the both of them always meet in the library, Woohyun doesn’t know. “What’s weird?” 

“Dongwoo.” 

“Dongwoo hyung?” Sungjong’s eyes are still glued on his book.

“I mean, you’re my cousin. How do you even know most of my friends?” 

“I met Sunggyu hyung and Myungsoo hyung in high school,” Sungjong starts, looking down, but not at his book. 

Woohyun keeps his silence, and Sungjong sighs.

“If you must know, Dongwoo hyung was once Sunggyu hyung’s best friend.”