chapter 17 | the truth under the cherry blossoms

 

Sunggyu finds Yongguk before last period and drags him along. He sits Yongguk down in the chair next to his usual one in hopes that this will prevent Woohyun from coming over. Yongguk looks at Sunggyu and shakes his head. “You’re going to need to talk to him sooner or later.”

 

            “But I’d rather not do it in class, you know,” Sunggyu replies and Yongguk leaves it at that, changing the topic to an artist he’d discovered and come to love. He explains to Sunggyu that his art is contemporary and always has a very deep meaning behind the bigger picture that you need to really look for but Sunggyu’s never really understood contemporary art. He’s more of an impressionist kind of guy anyways.

 

            In his peripheral vision, Sunggyu sees Woohyun walk into the room. Sunggyu squeaks and brings up his textbook to his face, hiding behind the pages. “You’re reading it upside down,” Yongguk notes and Sunggyu hurriedly flips the books over.

 

            Sunggyu peers over the pages to see Woohyun coming their way and when he notices that the seat next to Sunggyu is unavailable, he veers to the left to sit in the seat across the way from Sunggyu, which is still close enough to make his heart thump.

 

            Sunggyu pretends to not notice Woohyun’s presence but of course the reality is the complete opposite. The teacher thankfully decides to start the exam review and occupies Sunggyu with studying, but Sunggyu can’t really concentrate at all.

 

            The class is fairly quiet as they begin to study, save for the occasional murmur, and Sunggyu thinks he might actually be able to survive. And then he hears something beside him.

 

            “Psst, Sunggyu!” he hears Woohyun whisper.

 

            Sunggyu fights himself to ignore Woohyun’s calls until paper is being thrown on his desk. The papers start to pile up and Sunggyu finally reads them. Each have little memos like ‘We need to talk,’ and ‘Meet me after school’.

 

            Sunggyu looks at Yongguk who’s stealing Sunggyu’s pen and scribbling something down on the back of one of the little slips. Before Sunggyu can see what he wrote, Yongguk is folding it and stretching his long arms past Sunggyu to throw it on Woohyun’s desk.

 

            “What did you write?” Sunggyu hisses at Yongguk.

 

            “You’re talking to him after school.”

 

            “How could you betray me like this?”

 

            “It’s for your own good,” Yongguk says placing his hands soothingly over Sunggyu’s trembling ones.

 

            Sunggyu reminds himself to punch Yongguk later (after all, he’s acquired a new skill).

 

--

 

            Class ends and Sunggyu takes his time to pack up because his fingers are shaking and his world is spinning. He’s so nervous he thinks he might throw up and kill somebody in panic.

 

            Woohyun stands in front of Sunggyu’s desk. Sunggyu looks up and in panic, says, “Uh, I need to get a few things from my locker but I won’t be long so—”

 

            “I’ll wait outside the front doors for you.”

 

            Woohyun walks away when Sunggyu nods, leaving Sunggyu and Yongguk alone. Yongguk walks Sunggyu to his locker. Sunggyu begrudgingly admits that he didn’t need to go to his locker, he just couldn’t face Woohyun.

 

            Yongguk sighs and pulls Sunggyu into the bathroom and pushes him into a stall. Luckily, no one is in the washroom with them. But Sunggyu is very confused and very surprised and he’s got no idea what’s going on.

 

            “What—” he starts but Yongguk cuts him off.

 

            “Sunggyu, I’m going to be very honest here and I need you to listen to me.”

 

            Sunggyu opens his mouth to say something but thinks better of it when he sees Yongguk’s serious expression and he closes his mouth again, pressing his lips into a tight line.

 

            “You’ve been so weird lately and I know that you’re like this because of Woohyun. He’s made you cry and I really don’t like him for that but you were so happy when you were able to hang out with him and just be around him. I’ll admit something. I like you, Sunggyu. I really like you. But I know that you don’t like me that way and I know how much you like Woohyun and how happy he makes you. I want you to be happy and if that means you being with Woohyun, then I would choose it over seeing you like this. So go tell him how you feel.”

 

            Sunggyu is speechless. And then Yongguk is pushing him out of the stall and he’s walking down the hall and through the front doors. Woohyun looks at Sunggyu and furrows his eyebrows when he sees the elder’s confused and far-off expression.

 

            “Sunggyu?”

 

            “I’m… fine. Let’s just go, yeah?”

 

--

 

            Woohyun takes Sunggyu to his house and explains that no one is home; his parents are working and Hye Mi is at a friend’s house. Woohyun suggests that it’ll be nice to talk with some fresh air so he leads Sunggyu into his backyard and into the garden, which is much more beautiful than Sunggyu expected. There are numerous cherry blossom trees that overlook the garden which is filled with various colourful flowers and cleanly cut shrubs.

 

            Woohyun leads Sunggyu to a stone two-seater underneath the branches of the largest cherry blossom tree. They sit next to each other on the small bench, their thighs pressed up against each other.

 

            “You knew about Myungsoo’s plans,” Woohyun starts.

 

            Sunggyu nods, his eyes fixated on the toes of his sneakers. “Why did you do it? Why did you go along with him?”

 

            “I—”

 

            “You let him touch you and play around with you. For what?”

 

            “You already know what he wanted. I heard your conversation with him yesterday in the classroom.”

 

            Woohyun’s eyes widen. “H-how much did you hear?”

 

            Did Woohyun just stutter? The Nam Woohyun?

 

            “Enough. I’m the naïve play thing that you’re just entertaining yourself with, right?” Sunggyu turns away from Woohyun, hoping Woohyun won’t see the tears that are forming behind his eyelids.

 

            “That’s what you think?”

 

            “Y-yeah, I mean that’s what I heard. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be, right? You’re popular and likable and you’ve got lots of friends and you’re talented and I’m just… me,” Sunggyu’s voice is shaken, despite his greatest efforts to keep it steady.

 

            He doesn’t know why he’s spilling all of this to Woohyun but it’s just coming out of his mouth and the tears are spilling from his eyes and he realizes how weak he really is.

 

            Woohyun grabs Sunggyu’s shoulders and spins him around to face him. Sunggyu gasps and hides his face in his hands before Woohyun can see his tears, which he’s pretty sure makes him look very ugly.

 

            “Why would you even think that?”

 

            “Because it’s true! I’m nothing but a… a toy… that doesn’t matter…”

 

            Woohyun manages to pry Sunggyu’s hands off his face. Woohyun holds his shaking hands in his own and takes a deep breath.

 

            “I never once thought of you as a play thing. You aren’t.”

 

            “But y-you’re perfect and I’m just not.”

 

            “Perfect? I’m not perfect.”

 

            “B-but—” Sunggyu becomes a babbling and sobbing mess and Woohyun pulls him into his arms.

 

            “Stop, Sunggyu. Don’t berate yourself or think that I don’t care. Just listen to me. I care about you. When I first saw you at that club, I was surprised. I knew who you were; you were the quiet kid who sat at the back of class and aced every test. I was curious because you looked so different from usual. I was interested in you. I didn’t do anything with you because I knew that taking advantage of you was wrong.

 

            And then I started to talk to you because I wanted to get to know the quiet kid who sat at the back of the class. So I talked to you, and I played a little experiment by kissing you that first time. And then I invited you to my house because I knew you were different. You didn’t try to be someone else like most of the people I know. Like me. My thoughts were confirmed when Hye Mi took such a liking to you – she doesn’t like anyone. And you stuck around me. We got pretty close. And then you just vanished. I saw you with Myungsoo and I was angry. I saw him kiss you and touch you and I hated it. Then I saw you at the Battle of the Bands – which was really hot by the way and you have an amazing voice – and then I spoke to Myungsoo. He told me the truth and, to be honest, I was relieved.”

 

            “W-what—”

 

            “What I’m trying to say is… I like you, Sunggyu. Not just as a friend. I like you, Sunggyu.”

 

            Sunggyu’s breath catches in his throat and he thinks he might faint. Was Woohyun being serious? There was no way. But when Sunggyu looks into Woohyun’s eyes, he sees the sincerity. Sunggyu gasps, his heart thumping loudly.

 

            “Sunggyu… do you like me?”

 

            Sunggyu bites his lip. What if this is all a joke and when Sunggyu says yes, I like you; Woohyun will laugh and call him an idiot. But the look in Woohyun’s eyes tells him differently. So he takes a deep breath and musters up every ounce of courage he has. “I like you, Woohyun.”

           

            A second passes and it feels like a lifetime. Woohyun wipes away Sunggyu’s tears with the pad of his thumb and a soft smile graces his lips. “Don’t you know how perfect you are?” Woohyun whispers, leaning close. Sunggyu glances down at Woohyun’s lips that are slowly inching towards his.

 

            And when Woohyun’s lips touch his, he feels like he’s exploding with this feeling he’s never felt before – as cheesy as it sounds. He thinks that life really couldn’t get better right now because even after all the confusing they’ve been through in the past month, it doesn’t really matter.

 

            Woohyun likes him. 

 

LET'S MAKE THIS STORY AS CLICHED AS POSSIBLE!

This might be the most cliched thing I've ever written. 

Yeah, you go, Sunggyu! Finally the truth is revealed! 

ALERT: YOU SHALL DROWN IN FLUFFINESS IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.

Not proofread. Sue me.

(When do I ever proofread?)