“God, that hurts.”

“Faster, faster!”

“Do you want me to spill it?” he hissed lowly.

“Obviously not,” the other snapped back. “otherwise we’ll have a mess on the carpet.”

Once Sunggyu set the coffee pot down on the hot plate he smacked Myungsoo on the neck. “Impatient, rude, coffee deprived boy.” he muttered like a bitter old man, shaking his head as he delicately spooned the sugar in two ceramic cups. “Next time, don’t lean over my shoulder when I’m doing this. I almost got burned!”

The younger one crossed his arms in defiance, however retained a slight pout due to his neck stinging.  “You were too slow.” he argued.

“Because you were breathing down my neck!” Sunggyu retorted. Their glaring contest continued for a couple more seconds after, but was mostly (entirely) one-sided due to the fact that Myungsoo was fully engrossed while Sunggyu patiently sipped his beverage. “Stop looking at me like that. You got your coffee, deal with it.”

Myungsoo took a heavy gulp out of his own cup, letting it slide down his throat without any inclination that it was still bubbling with heat. “It’s too bland.” he announced blankly, the cup dropping to the table with a sharp ‘thud’.

Sunggyu rolled his eyes and took another sip. He sighed in content. Oh yes, Myungsoo knew his coffee was amazing, he was just too proud to admit it. A small, red button on the telephone alerted him, a button Myungsoo often ignored. “Call.”

The dark-haired boy pressed the button immediately before he had any second doubts. “Yes?” he answered from the intercom.

“An affiliate of your father’s partners would like to see you.” the voice replied.

“Let them in.”

As if he didn’t have a choice. Of course he wanted his father to see him act responsibly and show hospitality in their building. “Of course,” the voice said, “Mr. Nam will be on his way.”

“Thank you, wait, Nam?” Myungsoo’s eyes immediately darted to Sunggyu’s, both wearing the same expression.

“Yes sir, Nam Woohyun.”

“No, tell him we’re busy!” It was Sunggyu who vocalized, his hands flat on the cherry wood. Myungsoo waved his hands around despite no secretary around to express to, a hiss escaped his lips after he realized he was too late.

“He’s already left.”

It was only a matter of seconds until, “Hey guys!”

The young man aforementioned swung his arms around  the two, locking their necks under two sleeves of a pale ivory dress shirt. Nam Woohyun was a mess. He showed up however he pleased, and left nothing but havoc in his tow. Myungsoo was thoroughly aggravated by Woohyun since his childhood, but he was like the chickenpox, an uncomfortable feeling that never left his skin. Sunggyu soon reveled in that feeling.

Woohyun let go, and they were finally able to breathe.

“What are you doing here?” Sunggyu coughed out.

“Father and I returned from our business trip just this morning, and I missed my friends.” he sighed refreshingly, taking a seat in Myungsoo’s chair. “We should go get lunch.”

“We already hate.” Myungsoo said thinly.

“We already ate.” Sunggyu corrected.

Woohyun blinked. “I don’t get the problem. You and Myungsoo can eat for ten. C’mon, I’m paying. You can’t reject a free meal from me!” he dangled his car keys by his first finger, twirling it enticingly. “You must feel so stuffy having to work here on your free time, I know I do. Let’s go!”

And that’s how the trio ended up on campus, sitting outside a fancy restaurant that Myungsoo and Sunggyu had never bothered to step in. From the looks of it, Woohyun was a regular no matter how little he was in town, and were seated immediately under a champagne umbrella.

“This braised steak with mushroom sauce looks good,” Woohyun murmured, pointing to a highly edited picture on the menu.

With glazed eyes, arm perched on the table and chin cradled in his palm, Myungsoo shook his head in reply. There was always time in the day for steak, however it was only early lunch and his companion was asking for more than he could finish, as usual. Woohyun was never one for frugality, and it couldn’t be blamed when he was constantly surrounded by elite and trained mercilessly by strict private instructors. Which is why Myungsoo held it in and complied to Woohyun most of the time, it was probably the first time he saw people his age since a couple weeks ago. The ebony-haired young man nibbled on a slice of buttered bread as Sunggyu and Woohyun bickered about the food and whatever else they trifled over,  looking aside to tune them out, only to find another image which disturbed him.

Myungsoo literally ripped the bread roll from his mouth, crumbs spraying across the table. Woohyun paused to hand him another slice, he laughed goodnaturedly, “Don’t play with your mouth full.”

The latter didn’t accept the bread, and looked to Sunggyu. “We need to go, or move to another table, preferably inside.” he said urgently.

Sunggyu raised an eyebrow, as if to ask “Why?” and when Myungsoo crazily jerked his head to the left, he lazily glanced in the implied direction.

He laughed shamelessly, and quite loudly. “What, you’re scared of her?”

“Shut up.” Myungsoo bobbed his head between his shoulders, sinking deeper and deeper. “Can we go eat somewhere else.”

“What a child.”

“You’re scared of,” Woohyun looked ahead once more to affirm his speculations. “a girl?”

“A scary girl.”  

“A pretty girl.” Woohyun gazed in appreciation. “What’s her name?”

Across their table, which was thankfully surrounded by three empty tables, at the very least, was the current bane of Myungsoo’s daily life. Her hair was tied today, bed-head tangles shamelessly rolled away into a skilless bun. However, today she decided to balance the messiness off with a long, cotton green skirt and a fitted t-shirt. She was surveying whatever papers sprawled across the table with an older man, taking small sips of her lemonade in between.

“Suji.” Sunggyu answered. “She goes to school with us.”

“Who’s that?” Woohyun’s female fixations were incessant. “With her boyfriend?”

“Gross, that’s probably her professor. They’re probably doing work.” Sunggyu supplied, looking over his younger half. “Myungsoo, you’re embarrassing yourself. She’s not going to notice you.” Myungsoo firmly shook his head, and bit the inside of his knuckle. Sunggyu sighed. “Seriously, do you look this pathetic in front of her?”

A mix between a groan and a sigh escaped Myungsoo’s lips. “I told her.”

Surprise did not latch onto Sunggyu’s expression. “And how did she react?”

“Lightly, too casual.”

“Told her what?” Woohyun interjected, “Did you confess?”

“Mr. Nam,” Sunggyu said crisply, his prettily poised fingers tapping his chin. “My friend here has finally asked for help on his ghost situation.”

“Oh,” Woohyun nodded, mouth slightly cupped open. “The circus fire thing?”

“You told him?” Myungsoo snapped accusingly, bearing his teeth like a feral cat.

“A couple years ago.” Sunggyu replied.

“Years! And why do I know this now?”

“Well he’s been asking for many years before that, it was annoying.” Sunggyu shrugged, despite Woohyun hearing the entire ordeal. “Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t know everything else that’s going on in your life. And you know he wouldn’t have stopped asking until he knew what we were talking about. We talk about it right in front of him, like now. We’re kind of rude.”

The brunette nodded, wordlessly accepting the second batch of warm bread  the waiter delivered to his side. But he didn’t bother poking at it, no matter how ravenous he described himself moments before. “Seriously, Myungsoo. You’re still having these dreams?”

Guilt pinched Myungsoo in the gut, no matter how infuriated he was at Sunggyu for waving around his secret like a free invitation. Woohyun often used the low, rough voice to seduce people into his bidding, however he took it to his advantage, disappointed. There must have been some underlying betrayal, after somewhat friends for ten plus years has he tried so hard to keep his downfalls as low as possible, Woohyun was out to dig under them.

“It’s not my fault. She’s getting to me.” Myungsoo confessed. For some reason he felt a few pounds disappear from his shoulders.

Woohyun scrunched his eyebrows together. “You’re personifying your problem.”  

“Can’t personify what isn’t already.” Myungsoo said stubbornly.

The eldest blew at his bangs exasperatedly, tossing away his napkin to the edge of the table. “Alright, this is something I don’t want to get into right now.” he kicked Woohyun’s chair unceremoniously, “C’mon, I’ll get you some real food.”

“Real food?” the brunette gestured to the bread. “Right here.”

“No, I mean food poor college students eat.”  Sunggyu corrected, careful to stand in front of Myungsoo who seemed especially eager to leave. “That’s real food. Let’s hit the streets.”

The latter muttered something under his breath, something about street food being subpar to what he had planned to eat before. At the same time, he was highly interested by the fact that Sunggyu would choose cheap, unhealthy foods rather than what the chic restaurant here served. He managed an apologetic smile to the oncoming waitress, before trailing along his two friends. Whatever pleased them was fine with Woohyun, as long as he had somebody to eat with.

The waitress shook her head, watching the three young men quickly leave the restaurant, inside the building and out the door. “Rich kids.” she chastised lightly, placing a condensation painted glass of lemonade to another table. “Here’s your refill.”

“Thank you.” the customer said politely, temporarily alleviating her from all the paperwork sprawled across the table. She looked towards the other person, fretful. “I’ve been dying to eat here for ages and all I can do is order lemonade. What a waste.” however, she continued to delve into the tart beverage.

“They’re gone.” the person said.

She visibly relaxed, the grip on her drink loosened. “Good.”

“You could’ve ordered something, you know  I didn’t offer to do research here for the free air.” her professor added with a wry grin. “And I never thought you’d be into boys like Myungsoo. You don’t talk to many students.”

“I’m not!” she snapped hotly, plopping the glass onto the table. “He’s just, confusing.”

“His feelings?”

“Somehow, we had access to  the bronze room.” she finally said, biting her lip. She felt her professor’s eye’s on her open folders. “That’s the assignment I need help with.”

“That kid, always finds a way to do what he wants.” he laughed good naturedly, as if he were talking fondly of his spoiled son. “That’s probably why he’s in my class.”

“You’re a journalism teacher.” Suji was never one for stating the obvious unless it was heavily laced with sarcasm. However, she wanted to prevent this conversation to borderline awkward, especially concerning the just-as-awkward Kim Myungsoo. “And he’s studying his father’s practice.”

“He’s in my film critic class.”

“What?”

The professor nodded to himself, slightly impressed he could illicit the natural emotion out of Suji. In class, she hardly bothered to make any attention to herself, and if she did it was only a calculated remark, which seemed completely arrogant and snide by every other student in the room. And right before him, she was fully expressive, for a young man. “Yes, film class. He claims he often gets bored doing business study all the time, so I believe he convinced his father to take my class to keep him afloat. He does very well in my class.”

Suji swirled the straw of her drink, little translucent beads of water spraying onto her folders, forming a ring. She needed to stay collected, although she couldn’t deny she was interested in his studies, aside from the boring business stuff. Or maybe in a way, she was interested in him, the real him. “What else did he tell you?”

“Nothing.” he shrugged. “I just assumed, and it was interesting to see you care so I continued.”

“Professor!” she blushed.

In the midst of her emotional high, her professor smoothly passed a pearly silver keycard across the table. The sun haloed around it, reflecting boldly across her eyes.

She stopped, and her fingers lightly grazed the smooth plastic. “What is this?”

“Teachers offer help, so I’m entrusting you’ll take care of this. Whatever this is.” he gestured to the card. Suji wondered if the teacher was really assuming things, or that he knew more about Myungsoo than he led on. Either way, it confused her. “You know which room it leads to. Good luck.”

Suji nodded wordlessly. She needed to get back home. But for sure, her professor was the clearly her favorite teacher.

It was already evening by the time she returned, and all she could imagine was her comfy sheets and warm soup. The sky was tinted lavender, corresponding to the raging red and orange hues underneath. Her feet dragged against the pavement, barely making any sound as she made her way to her apartment. She remembered the white keycard resting in her bag, and she lightly touched the burlap to check that it was still there. After tonight, she would put that card to good use, she promised herself. If she found anything, she’ll tell Myungsoo.

It was her job, just a job. Myungsoo’s emotions were only a side reference to her work.

Usually as she neared the hill of the road, she could spot the floor of her apartment.

This time, not only could she spot her apartment, but she spotted two figures in brown. She froze in her spot, feeling all the hairs prick and rise from her skin. Their faces were covered in medical masks, and they were currently hauling away her stuff, but they weren’t the regular movers who kicked out your stuff to the curb when you didn’t pay rent. These were thieves, stealing from a roof house with barely any protection, she couldn’t blame them.

She tugged her backpack higher over her shoulder. It was incredibly heavy, but she made sure to pack as much as she could whenever she left. Just in case, something like this happened.

Suji frowned, and backed away so they wouldn’t see her.

Sweat beaded around her hairline when Sungjong didn’t answer. Either he was in the shower, or really busy (which always seemed to be the case.) She couldn’t wait the extra five minutes if they were coming this way. Maybe if she called her professor, but she couldn’t possibly take another favor from him.

Frustrated, she ruffled her hair in defeat. She jabbed her only option in the keypad of her phone.

“Myungsoo? It’s me, Suji.”

My updates are getting slow, and it's making me sad. Sorry guys. My first day of college starts tomorrow, and I'm terrified. Any advice? Sigh, hopefully I'll see you guys soon! And a big thanks to my friend busanstar who made this beautiful poster for me!