Sunggyu didn’t hear anything from Sungyeol and Woohyun for the rest of the period. He finally saw the two when it was lunchtime, and much to his dismay, with Kim Myungsoo.

He couldn’t understand it. How did the events turn this way? Even Sungyeol sat in front of Kim Myungsoo and joked around with him. He tore his gaze away from them when Sungjong squeezed his arm lightly.

            “Aren’t you going to approach them?” Sungjong raised an eyebrow.

            “Is there any need to? They seem to be having fun,” Sunggyu mumbled.

            “I’m sure there’s a reason for everything. Why don’t you join them?”

Sunggyu sighed and shook his head. He his heels and walked back towards the classroom, deciding to spend his lunch on his task instead.

Sungjong frowned at Sunggyu’s disappearing figure before he approached Woohyun and the others. Someone got some explaining to do.

.

.

            “I know you look stupid, but I never knew that you really are that stupid.”

            “Shush, Myungsoo, that’s not a nice thing to say,” scolded Woohyun.

            “See? See this?! This is why I didn’t want you to befriend this… this… this creature!”

The students around them could only stare at the quartet in horror. They never imagined that there would be a time where someone would dare to call Kim Myungsoo ‘this creature’ in front of his face.

Feeling the sudden tense atmosphere, Myungsoo gazed around the cafeteria. The students froze and immediately scurried away, continuing with what they were doing, pretending as if they didn’t hear anything.

            “I see you still have that impact to the others,” Woohyun said amusedly.

            “Things can’t be changed within a flash. There had to be a process to go through,” Myungsoo shrugged.

            “You really left your group for Woohyun..?” Sungyeol raised an eyebrow. Myungsoo looked down slightly before he nodded.

            “Not only for Woohyun. I left them in order to get my normal life back,” Myungsoo said. “And in order to do so, I also have to get a new group of friends. A better one.”

Myungsoo, Woohyun, and Hoya turned to Sungyeol, expecting his next outburst. But Sungyeol merely continued biting his straw and blinked at them.

            “What?” Sungyeol raised an eyebrow. Myungsoo groaned while Hoya chuckled in response.

            “He was asking permission to join your circle,” Hoya said with a smile. “He wanted to be friends with you and the others.”

And Sungyeol got choked on his coffee. Woohyun smiled awkwardly as he patted the lanky guy’s back, trying to calm him down.

            “You’re seriously out of your mind, aren’t you..?” Sungyeol looked at Myungsoo in disbelief. “Why us, though? Why not the others?”

            “You guys are the only ones who can look at me in the eyes without pissing your pants off,” Myungsoo sighed. “How can I befriend people I can’t approach?”

            “Good point. But that doesn’t explain why—“

            “Yeol, why do you hate Myungsoo that bad..?” Woohyun jutted out his lower lip and pouted at Sungyeol. The other hesitated and sighed in defeat.

            “I don’t hate him, okay… He seems to be… cool enough,” Sungyeol mumbled. Woohyun brightened up immediately.

            “Then it’s okay if he—“

            “He can join us. Whatever. Just approach us whenever it’s lunchtime. Sunggyu and the others might scowl at you and go to another table for all I care,” Sungyeol said as he chewed on his straw.

            “And you?”

            “I… I will stay with you guys. The four of us. Goddammit Woohyun stop giving me that look,” Sungyeol whined.

Woohyun laughed and ruffled the tall boy’s hair, grinning from ear to ear while the other merely pouted. Myungsoo smiled and turned his head when he felt a gentle nudge coming from his side.

            “You should thank Woohyun for this later,” whispered Hoya. Myungsoo just smiled at him.

            “Psh. You think I didn’t ask him for help earlier? I must say he makes a good actor.”

Hoya frowned and thwacked the other across the head.

            “And here I thought you’re being sincere about this,” Hoya rolled his eyes.

            “I am, okay? I want to befriend them so badly that I’m begging at Woohyun’s feet for him to help me,” Myungsoo pouted. Hoya just shook his head and flicked Myungsoo’s forehead, earning a small yelp from the other.

.

.

Sunggyu stood next to Sungjong, his arm being held tightly by the smaller boy, staring agape at the view in front of him. He was more than confused when he saw the four of them sitting together. But then what’s with Sungyeol and Kim Myungsoo pouting like that? Kim Myungsoo pouting? That doesn’t even make any sense.

            “Sunggyu, you heard what he said,” Sungjong smiled and tugged at his arm. Sunggyu sighed and massaged his temple before he walked towards their table, followed by Sungjong.

The four boys were chattering and Sungyeol was threatening Myungsoo that he would spray him with his coffee, but they all quieted down when they saw Sunggyu and Sungjong approaching them.

Woohyun bit his lips and looked down. His heart clenched painfully when he saw Sungjong’s arm wrapped tightly around Sunggyu’s.

            “Sunggyu…” Sungyeol started. Sunggyu raised his hand, halting Sungyeol from saying anything.

            “I’m not going to question anything. I’ll just sit here with you guys, so continue with whatever you were doing,” Sunggyu said as he plopped himself next to Woohyun, earning a frown from Sungjong.

            “You mean… You’re fine with this..?” Woohyun blinked at Sunggyu. Sunggyu just sighed and nodded.

            “I don’t mind,” Sunggyu mumbled. Sungyeol and Woohyun’s eyes widened.

            “It’s okay if you want to be a part of them, I don’t mind,” Sunggyu cleared his throat, “I mean, even if you go with them you guys will still be my friends.”

Sungyeol and Woohyun shared a confused look before Hoya’s voice interrupted Sunggyu’s misinterpretation of the situation.

            “Sunggyu, you got it wrong. It’s not that Sungyeol and Woohyun wanted to join us,” Hoya started.

            “I want to be your friend,” Myungsoo said bluntly, earning a surprised look from Sunggyu.

            “I know you didn’t have the best impression towards me, but I hope you guys will accept me as your friend…” Myungsoo trailed off. Hoya bit his lips and nodded.

            “There had been lots of misunderstanding between us, but I hope we can be friends,” Hoya said.

Sunggyu sighed and turned to Woohyun, lightly nudging the other’s shoulder. Woohyun blinked at him.

            “And you’re okay with this?” Sunggyu motioned at the two sitting across them.

            “W-well… I don’t mind,” Woohyun bit his lips and played with his fingers, “since they’re my friends too…”

Sunggyu was once again rendered speechless, but he just nodded nonetheless.

            “Since Woohyun is okay with it then I guess it will be all right,” Sunggyu shrugged. Myungsoo looked up and stared at Sunggyu with wide eyes.

            “Seriously? You really have nothing against this?”

            “I’m not the one being thrown off the roof. If there’s anyone who goes against you, that will be either him or Dongwoo. And if Woohyun’s okay with it, I think Dongwoo will be all right with it too,” Sunggyu said.

Myungsoo was at loss for words. He stood up and bowed at the four sitting across him. The other students gasped and murmurs could be heard amongst the student body. Sunggyu sighed and Woohyun immediately held Myungsoo’s shoulders, telling the other to stand up straight.

Woohyun was more than surprised when he saw streaks of tears cascading down on Myungsoo’s cheeks.

            “I’m really grateful… Thank you very much, Woohyun-ah,” Myungsoo chuckled before pulling the other into a tight hug.

Hoya could only smile at the sight while Sungyeol screeched at Myungsoo, telling the other to release ‘his Hyun’. Sungjong smiled as well but the smile soon faltered when he saw the dark look plastered on Sunggyu’s face.

            “Sunggyu?”

            “It’s nothing. Don’t mind me,” Sunggyu said sharply. Sungjong frowned before he looked at the other four.

‘This is bad,’ Sungjong thought.

.

.

            “Woohyun.”

Woohyun turned the faucet and looked up from his hands. He smiled when he saw Sungjong’s reflection on the restroom mirror.

            “What is it, Sungjong?” Woohyun dried his hand before turning around. He gasped when he saw Sungjong standing close, too close to him. Their faces were merely inches apart.

            “Woohyun, do you… like Sunggyu..?” Sungjong asked slowly. His voice was laced with hurt and Woohyun didn’t fail to recognize it. Woohyun gently placed his hands on the other’s shoulders and gently pushed him away.

            “I like Sunggyu, but I like him as a friend,” Woohyun smiled rigidly. Sungjong looked down before turning around, walking towards the door.

            “Sungjong..?”

            “I don’t trust you.”

            “S-Sungjong..?”

Woohyun saw it, the hurt look plastered on the other boy’s face. He felt another pang inside his chest as he came into a realization.

‘Sungjong likes Sunggyu too,’

            “I don’t like you, Woohyun…”

Another pang.

            “You just came lately, and yet you managed to grab Sunggyu’s attention,” Sungjong gritted his teeth. Woohyun noticed how his hands balled into fists. Woohyun swallowed thickly.

            “I don’t understand why you, of all people, managed to affect Myungsoo that much,” Sungjong sighed. “Obviously you successfully attracted people’s attention with whatever magic you did there.”

            “You just came striking like a lightning and suddenly Dongwoo and the others were all over you as if they can’t live without you,” Sungjong shook his head.

‘Well, in a way it is actually that way…’ Woohyun thought.

            “I don’t know who you are, or what you are, but I’ve decided,” Sungjong inhaled deeply and looked at Woohyun, “that I don’t like you.”

Woohyun held his breath and shut his eyes tight before releasing a deep sigh. He pushed himself off the counter and stood up straight.

            “I believe that my feelings towards Sunggyu has nothing to do with you, Lee Sungjong,” Woohyun said smiling as he caught Sungjong stiffened slightly.

            “Unless that you’re confronting me about this because Sunggyu told you that he likes me?”

Bingo.

And just like that, the fists that were on the petite boy’s sides came lurching at him. And Woohyun didn’t even bother to evade his punch, he just let his face fell to the side, letting the stinging feeling on his jaw to be registered into his brain.

‘Endure this, Nam Woohyun…’

            “Don’t get too full of yourself, Nam Woohyun,” Sungjong spat before he walked back towards the door. “And I’m warning you, never get too close to Sunggyu.”

‘Yes, I shouldn’t be too close to Sunggyu…’

            “Or else I’ll teach you how to not touch what’s not yours.”

‘… Right. This Sunggyu is not my Sunggyu.’

Woohyun swallowed thickly when Sungjong walked out of the restroom. The tightening feeling in his chest was becoming unbearable and he sank to his feet, gently embracing the pain that was finally surging throughout his whole body.

Woohyun lifted his trembling fingers to touch his sore jaw. He sighed when he realized the mess he had gotten himself tangled in.

‘He really likes him, doesn’t he..?’ Woohyun thought sadly.

.

.

He still felt that painful tug in his chest as he walked along the hallway. Sungjong’s words were somehow dripping venom and he tried his best to swallow his pain away. But then he stopped in his track when he saw the petite boy talking and smiling at a certain Kim Sunggyu at the end of the hallway.

“And I’m warning you, never get too close to Sunggyu.”

He felt bile rising to his throat as he recalled the event he had with Sungjong. Deciding that it’s not the best time to face the other boy, Woohyun turned away and walked towards the other end of the hall.

            “Sunggyu, were you listening to me?” Sungjong crossed his arms and huffed. Sunggyu just stared ahead of him and watched the boy walking down the hallway.

            “Yeah, I am listening,” Sunggyu said as he looked back at Sungjong.

Sungjong rolled his eyes, “So I was saying…”

The next words coming out of Sungjong’s ears didn’t reach Sunggyu’s ears. His mind was too preoccupied with the sad look plastered on Woohyun’s face earlier.

‘That’s weird. I thought he was heading this way just now,’ Sunggyu thought. He shook his head and focused his attention back to the now whining Sungjong.

.

.

            “What’s the news, kitty?”

Woohyun sighed as he pulled Myungsoo’s ear, ignoring the sharp yelp coming from the boy lying on his lap.

            “Stop calling me that way, it sounds really weird,” Woohyun muttered.

Myungsoo glanced at Hoya and the latter merely shot a questioning look at Sungyeol. The tall boy merely shrugged in response.

The four of them somehow got close to each other and decided to skip the remaining classes together on the rooftop. The other three noticed the somber look on Woohyun’s face when he reached the meeting place, and they all took note on the fake smile plastered on Woohyun’s face.

He stopped the whole smiling thing when they all pestered him about it, and now they almost regretted the fact that they’re losing Woohyun’s happy side.

            “Hyun,” Sungyeol started. He inwardly sighed in relief when Woohyun stopped pulling at Myungsoo’s ear and actually looked at him.

            “We might not be that close, but you know that you can share your problems with us, right..?” Sungyeol asked carefully. Woohyun sighed and nodded.

            “I think I should be honest to you too, Yeol,” Woohyun mumbled. “Since Sungjong is going to tell you anyway…”

Sungyeol furrowed his eyebrows. Is Sungjong the reason to why Woohyun is really down now?

            “You still remember the time when you asked me whether I like him or not?”

Sungyeol blinked at Woohyun. It took him a few seconds before he fully registered what Woohyun was talking about.

            “Ah. What about it?”

            “I lied, okay. I like him,” Woohyun bit his lips. “And in fact, I love him…”

Sungyeol gasped and pointed an accusing finger at him, “I knew it. It was too obvious anyway! But—love..?”

Woohyun nodded and smiled weakly. He played with Myungsoo’s hair, deciding that it’s better to look at the boy on his lap since Myungsoo practically knew about his situation anyway.

            “He doesn’t know me… But I know him,” Woohyun said with a small smile. “I know how much of a stupid hamster he is, I know how loving he can be and I practically know everything about him.”

            “But lately, he becomes someone I don’t know...” Woohyun sighed. “I told myself not to get too close to him, I told myself to know my boundaries because he’s not the person I knew.”

            “But… You fall for him instead..?” Sungyeol raised an eyebrow, pretty much confused. Woohyun nodded slowly.

            “I fall for him again. And his friend noticed it. And he confronted me about it,” Woohyun chuckled breathily, “Sungjong told me that he doesn’t like me.”

Sungyeol’s eyes went wide. Woohyun just smiled sadly as he continued playing with Myungsoo’s hair, noticing how the other was looking at him throughout the whole time. He glanced at Hoya to see the other looking at him as well.

            “Sungjong actually told you that?” Sungyeol frowned. “And here I thought he’s the little angel among us all…”

            “Yeol, don’t let me hinder your friendship with him. Just because you’re currently with me that doesn’t mean you have to prioritize me,” Woohyun smiled, “I know that you’re close with Sunggyu and Sungjong—“

            “Whoa, whoa. Hold on there. Who says I’m close with them?” Sungyeol furrowed his eyebrows.

Woohyun blinked in confusion. ‘Wait. Sungyeol was not a part of Sunggyu’s group..?’

            “I only get close to them because you and Dongwoo are close with them. Truth to be told I don’t really like Sungjong,” Sungyeol said, “he has that attitude that I despise.”

Slowly realization dawned on him. The Ruler of Death sent him back to the past not to save his friends. He was sent so he can gather them all together. It was to make it easier for him to finish his intention.

‘I… I put them all in danger didn’t I..?’ Woohyun stiffened when he felt cold breeze brushing against his back, causing the hair on his neck to stand.

            “Finally you get it, Nam Woohyun~ Now you better be quick, tick tock.”