Chapter 47

“And that’s called?”

Zelo looked up thoughtfully and tapped his index finger on his chin.

“Irregular verb?” –He finally answered a bit rusty on his English pronunciation.

“Exactly! You’re finally getting it!” –You beamed after finally Zelo to fall on the same page as you. Today was finally a good tutoring session and you were glad that he had finally managed to get on track with his studying.

“That was easy noona! But it’s all because of you!” –As the many times he did, he ushered you into a hug and you patted his back.

“It’s all because of your effort Zelo. If you keep paying attention like you did today, you’ll pass your tests and the audition will be as good as yours. Right Youngjae?”

You escaped Zelo’s arms and turned to Youngjae whose expression had suddenly changed. He was acting strangely that afternoon and you worried that he’d feel left out when you were paying so much attention to Zelo. But what you didn’t realize was that every time the young one had the time he’d tease and provoke Youngjae behind your back, and his patience was soon to be over.

“Yeah…” –He simply replied and you turned forward letting out a small sigh because of his attitude.

The alarm sounded loudly indicating that the lesson was already over and it was time to pick everything up.

“That’s all for today Zelo.”

“Aww… I was hoping we’d have some extra time today.” –He pouted, it wasn’t really a strange thing for him to do, since he was usually like that, but Youngjae hated whenever he’d act like that with you.

“We can’t stay any longer Zelo; we have things to do too.” –Youngjae interfered sternly.

Zelo put his arm around your shoulder and looked down to you. “If you want you can leave, but I can stay over with noona a bit longer, can I?”

“No!” –The older one almost shouted taking you both by surprise.

“Jae… There’s no need to shout.”

“But he’s insisting and…”

“Let me handle this, alright? Just calm down.” –You finished up and turned to Zelo. –“I have a ton of homework and I still haven’t studied for my classes Zelo. If next time we’re not that loaded, then maybe we can stay longer. Alright?”

Junhong sighed deeply and replied. “Alright noona. But promise me I can stay longer another time.”

“If…”

“If you’re not that busy with school.” –He finished the sentence.

You ruffled his hair, and Youngjae couldn’t do anything else but to watch you two in silence. Needless it is to say that he felt his mood fall every minute that ticked by.

“Alright, now pick up all of your stuff before anyone else thinks you disappeared again.”

Zelo chuckled at your comment and begun to put his books and notebooks away, and so did Youngjae, watching you and Junhong closely.

“I’ll see you tomorrow noona!” –Zelo bid his goodbye and left the room, with a rushed Youngjae behind.

“Leaving so soon too?” –You asked strangely, usually the lad would take any spare time he’d have to be alone with you, and today he was acting so weirdly.

“I-uh have a lot of homework too…” –He cleared and walked backwards towards the door. –“Goodnight ___-ah. See you tomorrow.”

Without any hesitation, he quickly left following Zelo’s trail. And after seeing him act that way, you wondered if you had done anything to cause him to be like that.

--

Youngjae rushed as he searched for Zelo, it hadn’t passed more than five minutes since the boy had walked away, so he couldn’t be far. Finally he spotted the hard to miss young boy on the skateboard in the little light that shone from the streetlights.

“Yah! Wait up!” –The older one shouted getting Zelo’s attention.

Junhong smirked as he saw Youngjae rush to him and casually he put his hands on his pocket and one of his foot stepping on the skate.

“May I help you?”

“Yes you may. We need to have a talk.”

Zelo glanced at Youngjae knowingly, the boy had become so easy to read. After all this time, he was already expecting him to react.

“I’m running late, can’t it be another day?” –Zelo pretended to look at his invisible watch, and Youngjae shook his head.

“No. It can’t.”

Zelo dared smirk at Youngjae which only caused Youngjae’s patience to drop quicker.

“Do I amuse you Junhong?”

The boy smirked more and put his hands on his pockets casually with a shrug.

“You actually do.”

Youngjae was by now throwing daggers at Junhong’s infuriating attitude.

“It’s so obvious why you came to find me considering that your route is the other way.” –Zelo cocked his eyebrow and added. –“You’re here to talk to be about noona. You don’t like one bit that she likes me more than you, now do you?”

Youngjae stared at Zelo who had a grin on his lips in disbelief.

“W-wha… She doesn’t… D-don’t tell me you like her…”

The other boy again cocked his eyebrow in a challenging way. “What if… I do?”

Youngjae stuttered at the sudden statement, this wasn’t how he expected his guy to guy conversation to go like.

“Y-You can’t.” –Youngjae’s hands dropped, he felt defenceless at Zelo who was now smiling in satisfaction as if it were a joke to him. –“You just can’t…”

Zelo sighed and put his hands out of his pockets. “Oh hyung…” –He sarcastically said ‘hyung.’ –“You’re just so easy.”

By now, Youngjae was in a loss of words.

“You know what Youngjae?” –Zelo stood by him and put his arm around Youngjae’s shoulder. –“I like you, and I think noona deserves a guy like you.”

Zelo winked at Youngjae who just glared trying to figure out Junhong’s intentions.

“Now…” –He added. –“Whether noona prefers me over you or not… You should ask her yourself. Got it?”

The young one confidently patted Youngjae’s shoulder and stepped on his skateboard leaving the other baffled on his spot. He couldn’t do more than clench his fist as he saw Zelo’s figure disappear. His last words clearly and loudly playing on his mind. You should ask her yourself.

--

Youngjae’s heart pounded even loudly as he stepped to her balcony. He breathed in and out slowly and just stared at her door. He only wanted to walk away and make his move later, but Zelo’s words sounded loudly on hi