“Since this is the Rose Prince’s first class, we’ll have him introduce himself first.” Sunggyu began, and got out his file with Myungsoo’s information in it. “Ok so, Kim Myungsoo, from the Rose Kingdom…obviously. And it doesn’t say anything for your problems? Well I guess good attendance is an issue of yours.” Sunggyu turned to the prince. “Anything else?”

Myungsoo merely eyed Sunggyu for a moment, before looking to Woohyun again.

“Uh…” Woohyun cleared his throat. “It’s not like he’s ditching or anything. He just didn’t know the time.”

“Oh…” Sunggyu frowned. “Well that’s…wait is that seriously all? I mean I would understand if it was something serious. But you just didn’t bother to check your watch? I’m sorry but that’s just—.”

“No, that’s not all.” Woohyun interrupted, causing Myungsoo to warily glance at him.

“Hyung…” Myungsoo mumbled. Woohyun smiled at him reassuringly, before turning to Sunggyu.

“So what are we learning about today?”

“Oh, right…” Sunggyu nodded, temporarily letting go of Myungsoo’s attendance issue. “Well last time the kids took a table manners and etiquette test. Since Myungsoo wasn’t there for that…ok we’ll do this.” He decided. “We’ll split into groups of two. Hoya, Dongwoo and Sungjong in one group, and Sungyeol and Myungsoo in another.”

“What? Why?” Sungyeol frowned. “I want to be with those guys.” He pointed to Dongwoo and Sungjong.

“You didn’t really do that well on the test and Myungsoo is a beginner, so you’re both pretty much on the same level.” Sunggyu explained. “While Hoya, Dongwoo, and Sungjong are…well they’re a little bit more advanced, so they’ll work on other stuff, ok?”

Sungyeol pouted, folding his arms as he sunk lower on his chair. “No fair…”

“Do better on the next test, and you’ll get to be with the others.” Sunggyu sighed. “It’s as simple as that.”

“If only it were Ssaem.” Sungyeol shook his head, as if a great tragedy had befallen him.

Dongwoo, Hoya, and Sungjong moved to one side of the long rectangular table, and Myungsoo and Sungyeol were on the other.

“So I’ll work with the advanced students—.”

“Yeah nice try.” Sunggyu grinned, patting Woohyun on the head. “But you’re with the beginners.”

“I’m not a child, you know?” Woohyun swatted Sunggyu’s hand away. “I’m an educated, mature adult—.”

“I know.” Sunggyu interrupted, his expression suddenly serious. “I know that.”

Woohyun matched Sunggyu’s gaze, his eyes just as intense. “...But do you?”

Sunggyu reached his hand out, but Woohyun merely backed away. “Woohyun—.”

“Whatever. So I’m working with these two right?” The younger teacher ignored Sunggyu’s eyes, and went to sit down with Sungyeol and Myungsoo. But Sunggyu suddenly grabbed onto Woohyun’s arm and pulled him up from his chair.

“Yah, I need to talk to you.”

“No.” Woohyun shoved the other’s arm off. “I don’t want to—.”

“Right now.” Sunggyu commanded with the most intimidating glare he could muster. Woohyun sighed, and had no choice but to follow. “I’ll be right back.” Sunggyu told the princes. “For now, set up your tableware and advanced students help the beginners.”

The princes watched the teachers go, before immediately disregarding everything Sunggyu had told them.

Dongwoo, Hoya, and Sungjong scooted their chairs closer to Sungyeol and Myungsoo.

“So what’s up with them?” Sungjong asked. “They obviously know each other.”

“Maybe they’re friends.” Dongwoo wondered, but then nodded. “Nah, but they don’t seem to be on good terms.”

“But did you see how different Ssaem was acting around that guy?” Sungyeol pointed out. “First he was all crazy and having a mental breakdown. But then when they came back out together, he was fine. No, more than fine. He was all nice and smiling and he seemed much calmer.”

“And did you see the way he smiled at that guy?” Hoya remarked. “There’s definitely something going on there…”

“Woohyun hyung.” Myungsoo piped up, earning stares from everyone else at the table.

“Excuse me?” Sungyeol raised an eyebrow at the boy sitting across from him.

“His name’s Woohyun.” Myungsoo answered, quietly.

“Oh…right.” Sungyeol nodded. “But how do you know him anyways? Do you know about the two of them? What’s their relationship?”

“Well…” Myungsoo tilted his head. “I don’t know anything about the teacher, but…Woohyun hyung…”

“Yeah?” The princes all leaned forward in their seats, eager to hear Myungsoo’s story.

“He’s…”

“He’s what?!”

“A weird person.” Myungsoo finished, causing everyone to narrow their eyes suspiciously and exchange interested looks.

“Weird? Like how?” Sungjong asked.

“Well…” Myungsoo tilted his head. “I…I don’t know if I should be telling you guys this…”

“You should! Tell us!” Dongwoo urged him.

“We’re friends!” Sungyeol exclaimed, hammering his fists onto the table eagerly. “You can tell us anything!”

“…W-We are?” Myungsoo blinked.

“Sure!” Sungyeol grinned, while the other three nodded in agreement. A smile formed on Myungsoo’s lips, and he shyly looked down at his lap.

“R-Really…? You guys really—?”

“YES ALREADY! WE’RE BFFS OK?!” Sungyeol yelled, getting extremely impatient. “JUST SPILL THE BEANS ALREADY!”

“D-Do you guys want to come to my house later and watch movies?” Myungsoo asked, his eyes glowing, completely oblivious to everyone else’s frustrated attitudes. “I can have the chef cook us some tasty food and—.”

“Yes fine! Whatever!” Sungyeol groaned. “Just please! About Ssaem and Woohyun hyung. What’s their story?”

“Ah well…” Myungsoo nodded. “Woohyun hyung is the kind of person who keeps to himself a lot. He’s friendly, but…I feel like he’s always hiding something.”

“Ok, and…?”

“That’s it.” Myungsoo finished, looking quite satisfied. “So have you guys seen Hana Yori Dango—?”

“No!” Sungyeol pouted, pointing an enraged finger at the Rose Prince. “That can’t be it! That was totally useless!”

“So was that a no to Hana Yori Dango, or….?”

*

Sunggyu led Woohyun to a secluded nook of the library surrounded by bookcases filled with thick leather bound encyclopedias that looked like they hadn’t been touched for decades.

“What do you want with me?” Woohyun frowned. “You realize its almost lunch time, and we haven’t taught them one damn thing?”

“This can’t continue.” Sunggyu eyed Woohyun completely serious. “You can’t keep being like this.”

“…What?”

“Look,” Sunggyu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know you don’t like me very much right now, but didn’t you say you wanted to keep things professional?”

“Yeah, so—?”

“Well you’re not acting very professional at all.” Sunggyu folded his arms. “You can’t keep bringing up personal things, and—.”

“Well that’s your fault for acting like such a !”

“When?” Sunggyu frowned. “When did I act like that?”

“Oh so you forgot that too, huh?” Woohyun scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I wish I could forget…”

“Woohyun,” Sunggyu placed a hand on either of Woohyun’s shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. “I’m trying…I really am.”

“So am I.” Woohyun murmured, eyeing the floor.

“Ok then.” Sunggyu nodded, with a small smile. “Then lets just agree to at least try and get along, ok?”

Woohyun pondered it for a moment, and decided it would be easier to concoct his revenge if they seemed to be on good terms. Because then Sunggyu would never suspect him. It was a perfect plan really.

“Sounds good hyung.” Woohyun agreed, his ingenious plan, playing out in the back of his mind. He was so caught up reveling in what he thought was the greatest scheme in history, that he didn’t even notice Sunggyu staring at him.

“Y-You…” Sunggyu had a surprised look in on his face.

“Hm?” Woohyun grunted absentmindedly, only half listening.

“You…called me hyung.”

Woohyun froze, and realization sunk in. He didn’t even mean to do it. The word just came out naturally. “Uh…I-I guess.”

“Wah…” Sunggyu placed a hand over his chest, a look of utter bliss playing up his features. “That’s just…I didn’t think it would sound so nice to be called that.”

Woohyun, completely taken aback by Sunggyu’s reaction, felt embarrassment creep in to him. “Y-You don’t have to look so happy.”

“I-I’m not happy dummy.” Sunggyu smiled at him, one of those over-the-moon, sparkling smiles that turned his eyes into little crescents.

“Liar.” Woohyun fought a small grin forming on his lips, genuinely happy at being able to make Sunggyu smile like that.

“Is that a smile?” Sunggyu pointed at the younger man’s face, and then sighed and shook his head. “Yah, what are you trying to do? If you keep that up, I might think you don’t hate me anymore.”

Woohyun’s smile only got bigger. “I already told you hyung. I don’t hate you.”

Suddenly Sunggyu pulled him into a hug. “Hyung what’re you—?”

 “I-Is it ok?” Sunggyu murmured quietly in Woohyun’s ear. “For me to be this happy?”

“Revenge.” Woohyun told himself. “D-Don’t get in. Don’t get swayed.” He repeated in his head like a mantra, while his body completely disobeyed his mind and wrapped his arms around Sunggyu’s waist, returning the embrace.

*

“They’re coming back!” Sungyeol hissed, when he spotted Sunggyu and Woohyun approaching. “Hurry! Pretend to be doing something that we were supposed to be doing!”

“But what were we supposed to be doing?” Myungsoo blinked.

“Yah, are you stupid?” Sungyeol scoffed. “Weren’t you paying attention to Ssaem?”

“Why don’t you tell us what we were supposed to be doing then Sungyeol?” Hoya piped up, causing Sungyeol to grin sheepishly and shut his mouth, as their teachers neared.

“What happened?” Sungjong asked the two teachers, curiously.

Sunggyu smiled warmly in Woohyun’s direction, completely void of a little thing called subtlety. Woohyun, on the other hand, awkwardly avoided Sunggyu’s gaze and stumbled to his seat beside Sungyeol. The Lotus Prince eyed them both suspiciously before looking at Myungsoo. He widened his eyes and moved his lips in an attempt to form some kind of non-verbal communication with the other boy.

Myungsoo merely tilted his head with a blank expression, before mouthing the words, “Hana Yori Dango.”

Sungyeol slapped a palm to his forehead, realizing it was hopeless attempting to communicate with the Japanese drama obsessed fellow sitting across from him.

*

“Ok,” Woohyun cleared his throat, as he read over the questions. “Sungyeol, when do you use the salad fork?”

Sungyeol snorted. “Never! I ain’t eating no salad. And what’s so special about the salad that it needs to have its own fork? Like is it just too good for the rest of the food? Hey look at me! I’m Salad hyung-nim! I’m so special and awesome and you peasants better not touch my lettuce with an unclean spork.”

“Uh…” Woohyun blinked, not really knowing how to respond.

“Why’s the salad a man?” Myungsoo asked.

“What?”

“You called him, hyung-nim."

“Oh…” Sungyeol nodded. “Well, this is my theory—.”

Woohyun kind of stopped paying attention to the two he was working with when he heard Sunggyu laughing at the other side of the table. He frowned when he spotted Sunggyu’s hand on Sungjong’s head.

“He’s not that cute.” Woohyun folded his arms, glaring at Sungjong from across the table. “I could be cuter…” He absently began to contort his face, attempting to make a cuter expression than Sungjong.

“What…what are you doing?” Woohyun snapped out of his stupor, to see Sungyeol and Myungsoo staring at him, curiously. Sungyeol looked suspicious, while Myungsoo merely seemed amused.

“Nothing.” Woohyun coughed lightly.

“Were you having like…an episode or something?” Sungyeol asked, this time with a concerned expression.

“What? No.” Woohyun sighed. “I’m fine. I just—.”

He suddenly grabbed a pencil and broke it in two when he saw Sunggyu smiling warmly at the three princes in the advanced group.

“That was my favorite pencil.” Myungsoo frowned.

“Oh, sorry.” Woohyun grinned sheepishly, at the Rose prince. “Uh, I’ll get you another one.”

“You can’t.” Myungsoo sighed. “That was my limited edition Inoue Mao pencil. It was one of a kind.”

“You’re the Prince of the Rose kingdom. I’m sure they’ll make another pencil for you.” Woohyun waved him off, still eyeing the advanced group across the table. Suddenly Sunggyu absently looked up, inadvertently locking eyes with Woohyun. Sunggyu smiled slightly, but Woohyun instantly looked away, clearing his throat. He hastily flipped through his papers in a messy fashion.

“S-So let’s go onto the next question.”

Sungyeol and Myungsoo exchanged a confused look, as the oldest of the three continued on asking them pointless questions about table manners.

*

“Not the first day, you were expecting, huh?” Sunggyu grinned as he and Woohyun organized their folders and books. Class had just ended and the two were packing up, in the now quiet library.

“Yeah, I guess.” Woohyun nodded, as he handed Sunggyu a file.

“So what do you think?” Sunggyu stopped, staring at the other from across the table. “Do you think this’ll work?” Woohyun looked up and instantly regretted it. The afternoon sun was streaming in through the high-set windows, casting a warm orange glow into the empty library. The light made Sunggyu’s hair shimmer, and Woohyun desperately wanted to touch it--bury his face in that soft looking caramel colored hair.

Woohyun averted his gaze. “I-I guess…”

Sunggyu nodded quietly. “…Woohyun?”

Woohyun paused, refusing to meet Sunggyu’s gaze. “What?”

“Uh…” Sunggyu bit his lip. “How’s…how’s Boohyun?”

That made Woohyun look up and chuckle bitterly. “Oh…it’s about him again.”

Sunggyu quickly shook his head, holding his hands up. “Never mind. You don’t have to—.” He winced slightly, when Woohyun slammed a book on the table.

“You’re actually asking me how he’s doing?” Woohyun scoffed. “Wow, you must really…you think you’re so funny don’t you? To be making crappy jokes like that.”

“What?” Sunggyu’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t—.”

“Just forget it.” Woohyun huffed. “It doesn’t matter anymore. We’re keeping things professional now. So I’ll stop bringing up the past—.”

“Stop doing this.” Sunggyu marched over to the other side of the table and grabbed onto Woohyun’s wrist. “You can’t just explode like that without an explanation. Tell me what’s going on. What happened to you? What did Boohyun say—?”

“Don’t you already know it all?” Woohyun muttered, shoving Sunggyu’s hand away.

“I only know what I know. But maybe Boohyun told you something else.” Sunggyu took a step forward, his eyes laced with concern. “Woohyun, I…I wasn’t a good person. But I still…I don’t want there to be misunderstandings, so—.”

“Misunderstandings? There’s none of those.” Woohyun assured him, his voice low. “I know exactly what happened.”

“No, you don’t.” Sunggyu took another step closer, but Woohyun merely backed away. “You don’t know what really happened—.”

“I do know!” Woohyun blurted out. “You were just messing with me!” Sunggyu’s lips parted for a moment, before he looked away, silently.

“See? You can’t even deny it!” Woohyun growled. “Because I’m right! Because I—.” Suddenly Sunggyu cupped his cheeks and leaned closer.

“Woohyun…” He whispered, matching the younger man’s gaze. “I…”

“Y-You what?” Woohyun spat, though his voice was trembling.

“I’m sorry.” Sunggyu murmured.

“Y-You’re sorry?” Woohyun’s eyes narrowed. “You’re…?”

“I…” Sunggyu his lips nervously. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness…I just—.” Suddenly Woohyun grabbed the collar of Sunggyu’s shirt pulling him closer.

“Good.” Woohyun muttered, his eyes still locked on Sunggyu’s. “Because I’m not going to give it to you.”

“But then…” Sunggyu couldn’t really focus on anything but Woohyun’s mouth at that moment. “You…”

“I’m never ever giving it to you.” Woohyun repeated, though his words seemed to have lost their edge.

“Ok…” Sunggyu’s thumb absently Woohyun’s cheekbone.

“I’ll never…” Woohyun felt his heart beat quicken, as his words trailed off. He kind of forgot whatever it was he was saying, or anything else for that matter. “I…”

“I’m sorry Woohyunnie.” Sunggyu murmured. Woohyun gulped, feeling Sunggyu’s breath on his lips.

“O-Ok…” He mumbled, completely mesmerized.

“Is it?” Sunggyu breathed. Woohyun couldn’t form proper words anymore and merely gripped on tighter to Sunggyu’s shirt collar. His eyes fluttered close in expectation, when suddenly a noisy upbeat pop song started blasting. Sunggyu jumped back in surprise.

“Is that…?”

“Huh?” Woohyun blinked dumbly, barely even hearing his own phone’s ringtone playing in his back pocket.

“I think it’s your phone.” Sunggyu commented.

“My, what…?” Woohyun gazed dreamily at the older man.

“Your phone.” Sunggyu grinned. “It’s your phone Woohyun.”

“Oh…oh! Right…” Woohyun gasped, hastily digging into his pocket. He checked the screen to see who it was. He merely sighed, and turned his phone off before stuffing it back in his pocket.

“You’re not going to answer it?” Sunggyu asked.

“I-It’s not any of your business.” Woohyun huffed, quickly returning to his cold demeanor.

“Who was it?” Sunggyu took a step forward, causing Woohyun to retreat.

“I just said it’s none of your—!”

“But I want to know.” Sunggyu cornered Woohyun against the desk. “Can’t I make it my business?”

“I-It was just Jinwoon.” Woohyun murmured, eyes downcast.

“Ah, that guy you’re living with.” Sunggyu nodded in understanding. “But why didn’t you answer it then?”

“I don’t want to talk to him right now.” Woohyun mumbled.

“Why not?” Sunggyu asked, quietly.

“Because…” Woohyun matched Sunggyu’s gaze, intently. “I...I’m talking to you right now.”

Sunggyu merely blinked, taken off guard by Woohyun’s straightforward comment. He immediately cleared his throat and backed away.

“Uh, i-its getting late.” He grabbed his brief case, and a stack of folders.

“Hyung—.”

“I’m sorry I made you stay so late.” Sunggyu continued, as he scanned the table to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. When he was sure he had everything he turned to leave.

“Wait, hyung—.”

“Today,” Sunggyu paused in his steps, his back to Woohyun. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Woohyun frowned. “What are you—?”

“See you tomorrow.” Sunggyu finished and left, without looking back.

---

Sorry Woohyun, but you can never be as adorable and perfect as Sungjong. Don't even try. Jk you're a cute puppy