Red.

Blood kept dripping from his wrist.

Everything was red.

His breathing went rigid as he leaned to the sink for support. He looked at the lines he had made before his lips formed a thin line.

Alive.

            “Why..?” He muttered as he stared at his reflection on the mirror. A sigh escaped his lips.

            “I feel dead.”

.

.

            “Sports? You excel in sports?!” Dongwoo’s jaw dropped. Woohyun scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

            “You can say that…” Woohyun laughed. “I actually enjoy any kind of activities.”

            “Whoa, I envy you guys,” Dongwoo huffed. Woohyun raised an eyebrow.

            “You guys?”

            “Ah. I don’t know if you know him, but there’s this guy. He’s really good in sports too!” Dongwoo exclaimed. “The teachers usually put him in the top suggestion list whenever there’s a competition.”

Woohyun nodded along Dongwoo’s words. He tried his best to remember the rest of the students in his batch, but somehow his memory was a bit blurred.

‘But then again, it’s been years…’ Woohyun inwardly sighed and cursed his short-termed memory.

            “How about you? What are you good at?” Woohyun raised an eyebrow at Dongwoo. Dongwoo shrugged and grinned lightly.

            “None,” the older laughed. Woohyun frowned at him.

"You're ting me," Woohyun huffed, blowing his bangs.

Dongwoo simply grinned in response, not saying anything. Woohyun's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. He remembered his conversation with Dongwoo during his first year university.

"You excel in sports?" Dongwoo's eyes went wide with excitement. Woohyun nodded with a sheepish grin.

"Cool! We should play together sometimes!" Dongwoo laughed.

"One on one?"

"No, no. We'll play as a team, together with Hoya."

"Hoya?" Woohyun blinked at the unfamiliar name.

"You’ll meet him soon. We used to attend the same high school before. We were the ace of the team, you know?" Dongwoo grinned flashing his thumb up. Woohyun laughed.

Woohyun frowned at the memory. The current conversation he had with Dongwoo was far different from the one Dongwoo told him. And as far as he heard, Dongwoo was an active person throughout his high school years. He's the social butterfly and everybody enjoys befriending him. In fact, everybody used to know him.

"Woohyun, you okay?" Dongwoo waved his hand in front of the younger's face with concern plastered on his face.

"I am." 'But you're not,' Woohyun sighed inwardly.

Dongwoo raised an eyebrow and extended his hand to grab Woohyun's arm, but the younger snapped his arm away from him.

"What are you hiding?" Dongwoo crossed his arm and frowned.

"Nothing."

"Nothing is something. Give me your hand."

"I said there's really nothing..." Woohyun forced a smile.

He had an idea about the burning feeling in his hand along with the creepy voice inside his mind before. He was terrified. And Woohyun's not going to risk any possibility of going through the same experience.

But then, Woohyun noticed a hurt look crossed Dongwoo's eyes. Woohyun winced as voices started to fill his mind once again.

‘Even you reject me...’

"Then I guess see you later?" Dongwoo forced a smile.

"Recess at the rooftop," Woohyun smiled lightly. But the grin slowly turned into a frown when Dongwoo his heels and walked away.

‘This is really weird…’

.

.

Woohyun returned to his class only to receive a glare from his teacher. He apologized for being late and got rewarded with a few spanks on his instead. With a sigh and a throbbing , Woohyun sat in his seat. He was about to doze off until he heard a very familiar voice.

            “Gyu, you okay?”

Woohyun turned his head to see two boys sitting about two tables away from him. One of them had been burying his face in his arms for the past few minutes. The said boy sat up straight and groaned when he saw the bundled up writings on the white board. He only rested his eyes for a few minutes and he’s left behind by a few questions already.

            “I’m fine,” he growled, scribbling nonsense to his notebook. The other boy raised an eyebrow at this.

            “You don’t seem to be fine to me.”

            “Then why did you ask? Just pay attention to the teacher, Sungjong,” he waved the other boy dismissively.

Woohyun gasped when he finally recognized the two boys. Sunggyu and Sungjong, the oldest and the youngest in the group. Tears started to form in his eyes at the sight of the two being alive despite the fact that their appearance differ from the last time he saw them.

‘They seem to be so happy…’ Woohyun bit his lips when Sunggyu ruffled Sungjong’s hair, making the younger whine at the older for messing his hair.

The moment the bell rang, all the students scurried out of the classroom towards the cafeteria. Woohyun leaped out of his chair and approached the two. Sunggyu and Sungjong were too engrossed in their conversation that it took them a few moments until they noticed Woohyun standing there.

            “Can I help you?” Sunggyu looked at Woohyun, raising an eyebrow seemingly annoyed. Sungjong blinked at the sudden intruder.

Woohyun was taken aback at Sunggyu’s attitude. Sunggyu had never shown him that look before. All the time they were together, all he got was a loving smile with warmth in his eyes. Lump started to form in his throat as he noticed how distant Sunggyu’s eyes were.

            “Ah… I… Uh… M-my name is Nam Woohyun,” Woohyun said bowing slightly. “I hope… we can be friends…”

The two boys exchanged a look and Sunggyu shrugged. Sungjong flashed a warm smile at Sunggyu before he turned to Woohyun.

            “My name is Lee Sungjong, and this guy here is Kim Sunggyu!” Sungjong said excitedly.

‘I know…’ Woohyun thought, smiling weakly.

            “Nice meeting you, Woohyun!” Sungjong extended his hand. Woohyun froze and stared at it for a good few seconds.

Sunggyu raised an eyebrow at Woohyun’s weird behavior. The boy suddenly approached them telling them that they wanted to become friends. And yet, he didn’t want to shake hands with them?

            “Yah,” Sunggyu said, snapping Woohyun out of his trance.

            “Sorry?” Woohyun blinked.

            “When a person offer their hand you have to shake it, you know,” Sunggyu rolled his eyes. A hurt look crossed Woohyun’s eyes.

Woohyun turned to the younger and smiled apologetically at him. He extended his hand slowly, a bit afraid to see the outcome. Sungjong smiled and shook his hand firmly…

And nothing happened.

Woohyun blinked at the sight of beaming Sungjong and impassive Sunggyu. He was really confused. Woohyun was positive that the voice he heard came from Dongwoo. And the pain he got when he shook hand with Dongwoo too.

But now, he heard nothing and he felt absolutely nothing aside from a mere skin-to-skin contact.

Then again, he was still a bit lost with the fact that he almost couldn’t recognize his friends.

‘What is going on..?’ Woohyun’s eyes shifted towards the clock.

            “Oh, I guess I’m going now. See you later Sunggyu, Sungjong,” Woohyun bowed slightly with a small smile.

            “Where are you going, Woohyun?” Sungjong tilted his head.

            “Uh… I promised my friend to meet up in the rooftop,” Woohyun said scratching the back of his neck. Sungjong’s eyes went wide while Sunggyu raised an eyebrow at him.

            “You’re a part of that group?” Sunggyu asked.

            “What group?”

            “You told us that you’re heading to the rooftop. Then that means you’re a member of the gang?”

            “Er… I don’t get—“

Sunggyu rolled his eyes once again. “Now you’re playing dumb. Don’t tell me you’ve heard nothing about Kim Myungsoo going around beating up the juniors!”

Woohyun frowned. He wasn’t a bit lost. He was completely lost. Kim Myungsoo beating up the juniors? Myungsoo was one of his closest friends and he knew how caring the younger could be.

Myungsoo would be the one comforting him and taking care of him whenever Sunggyu wasn’t around, and Myungsoo would try to cheer him up whenever Woohyun felt like curling to a ball and cried after a fight with Sunggyu.

Is he really the same Kim Myungsoo..?

            “And what makes you think that I’m a part of the gang?” Woohyun crossed his arms and frowned at Sunggyu.

            “His group usually spends their time on the rooftop… You can say that it’s their territory,” Sungjong said nodding slightly.

Woohyun’s face paled almost instantly. He knew that currently Dongwoo was the main target of bullying, much to Woohyun’s disbelief. But he finally befriended Dongwoo and he didn’t want the older think that he’s setting him to a trap.

Woohyun immediately his heels and ran, ignoring the two boys yelling out his name. He gritted his teeth as he ran up the staircase, heading towards the rooftop. He winced when he felt a familiar stinging sensation, but this time he felt them coming from his sides.

‘Dongwoo might be in danger because of me…’ Woohyun bit his lips.

The moment he reached the last floor, he went to the door and slammed it open. He looked around to see a group of boys staring back at him, obviously didn’t expect a sudden intrusion from a total stranger.

Woohyun panted and scanned across the area until his eyes landed on a figure on the floor, clutching to his stomach with a pained expression in his face. Woohyun felt another lump in his throat as he approached the older boy.

            “Dongwoo…” Woohyun pulled him into his arms and rubbed the other’s back soothingly.

            “W-Woohyun…” Dongwoo buried his face to the other’s chest. Woohyun wrapped his arms around the older protectively.

The boys around him looked at the two of them with wide eyes. Most of them took a step back away from Dongwoo and Woohyun. Woohyun looked up and glared at them.

            “ off,” Woohyun spat.

            “Oh . Apparently our school got another ,” one of the boy said, making a gagging sound.

            “Don’t tell me that they’re actually dating? Man that’s nasty.”

            “And here I thought one was enough!”

Woohyun frowned and was about to yell at them, but then his eyes caught sight of a familiar eyes staring at him. Woohyun immediately noticed that pair of eyes.

            “Enough. There’s no need for you guys to restate the facts,” the boy said giving out his signature smirk. The other boys in the group laughed as Myungsoo kneeled down in front of Woohyun and Dongwoo.

            “Be careful, Kim. They might show a violent reaction,” a boy exclaimed.

            “After all, kitties have claws,” another boy cooed, making the others laugh again. Myungsoo chuckled and shook his head.

            “As if they can do such thing,” Myungsoo said as he placed two fingers under Woohyun’s chin, lifting it slightly.

Woohyun kept his gaze at Myungsoo’s eyes. He refused to open his mouth even though he could retort back and curse them all with his wide range of vocabulary. And even though he could punch the hell out of them, he refused to do so because he didn’t want to let go of Dongwoo.

Myungsoo smirked once again as he tilted Woohyun’s face, examining the other’s facial features.

            “Well… Apparently this one might be a little feisty…” Myungsoo muttered, grabbing Woohyun’s chin with force. “Sadly this face is too pretty to be ruined.”

            “ you, Myungsoo,” Woohyun said between gritted teeth.

Gasps could be heard from the boys around him. Screw best friends. If Myungsoo’s going to stay acting like a jerk, then he could be a jerk as well. Myungsoo grabbed Woohyun’s collar and stood up abruptly, pulling the older together with him.

Woohyun flinched when he felt the same jolt in his hand. He looked down and his eyes went wide. Myungsoo followed his vision and he immediately let go of Woohyun when he noticed what Woohyun saw.

            “Myungsoo… You…” Woohyun was at lost for words. Myungsoo glared at him.

            “No one calls me by my real name,” Myungsoo said before he walked towards the door, purposely bumping his shoulder with Woohyun’s in his way.

Woohyun stared at Myungsoo’s back as the latter motioned for the rest of the group to leave first. Myungsoo stood there for a while before he turned around to face Woohyun for the last time.

            “And you saw nothing,” he muttered before he left the area.

Woohyun stood on his ground for a moment before he turned his attention to the groaning Dongwoo on the floor. He crouched next to him and helped the older to sit up. Woohyun looked at him worriedly before Dongwoo grinned lightly and lifted up a plastic bag.

            “I bought some food for us to share,” Dongwoo said smiling. Woohyun couldn’t help but smile as well, finally seeing a similar side to the Dongwoo he knew. The smile was genuine, and Woohyun was sure of it.

But then Woohyun’s smile slowly vanished as he remembered his meeting with his other friends. Sunggyu’s attitude was quite a surprise to him, but Myungsoo’s was pure mess.

            “You saw nothing.”

‘My best friend is cutting himself… How can it be nothing..?’ Woohyun thought sadly.