Monday                                         

It was atypical. Sungmin was standing by the gates of their school staring quite warily at two girls that were mumbling to each other, for the looks of it one was trying to encourage the other of doing whatever she was willing to do. And that seemed to be asking Kim Youngwoon to be her boyfriend. Sungmin scoffed, even more annoyed at the girls.

He never understood why one Monday morning Youngwoon simply accepted to date the first girl that had confessed to him that day. Youngwoon was a popular guy, and he had always politely declined every girl that had tried to make a move on him, so it was overly strange when he accepted that confession, dated the girl for a week and on the next Sunday broke up with her saying “I’m sorry you are not the one for me.” Only by the following Monday accept the next girl that came to him.

He’s been doing that for about three months and it was starting to really bother Sungmin, because the previous week he had accepted to date one of Sungmin’s classmates: Wonder boy Lee Donghae. That had been the cherry on the topping for Sungmin.

“Sungmin?” Youngwoon called as he arrived at school, surprised to see his friend there, completely lost in his own thoughts.

The younger male jerked and stared with determination at his older friend. He glanced at the girls that were evidently waiting for the two friends to finish talking so she could confess and get to be the lucky girl of the week. When Sungmin looked back at Youngwoon he was overly determined to convey his feelings. “Go out with me.” he said directly to the point.

“What?” Youngwoon blurted, the moment the younger’s words registered, completely dumbfounded, the two girls watching them were also dumbfounded.

“You dated Donghae last week, so if gender doesn’t matter to you, I want to date you for the week.” Sungmin stated with a shrug.

even though Sungmin was trying to put a brave front, he felt wary as he saw reluctance in Youngwoon’s expression, a reluctance that made Sungmin lose some ground, but he would not take that back. He had been crushing on Youngwoon long enough to kick everything out of the window, he couldn’t take anymore to just be Youngwoon’s friend, he would make Youngwoon fall in love with him in seven days.

Youngwoon shook his head with a sigh and that had seemed to give the girl some courage, she stepped towards them and shyly asked if she could have a moment with Youngwoon. Sungmin was ready to snarl at her and ask for her to get away, but Youngwoon beat him to it. “I’m sorry, my boyfriend is running late for his first class.” He told her and in the next second, he held Sungmin’s hand and pulled him into the school as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“Hyung?” Sungmin called holding Youngwoon’s hand back, tightly. He didn’t know how to interpret what had happened back at the gates. Why had Youngwoon shook his head? Why had that been his first reaction if he had accepted Sungmin’s advance? Why wasn’t the older male’s hold a firm one? Why did he seem tense and annoyed?

“Sungmin, how long do we know each other?” Youngwoon asked as they reached Sungmin’s classroom.

“Are we really starting on this again, hyung? I told you we know each other for five years! Why you still don’t believe me?” Sungmin asked back. They had befriended each other in junior high, but because Youngwoon was one year ahead of him they spent a year without meeting. When Sungmin enrolled in the same high school he was overjoyed to see Youngwoon again, but as he approached and greeted the older male happily, Youngwoon cut him off saying he didn’t know who Sungmin was.

It had been annoying at first. Sungmin thought that Youngwoon was just playing a joke on him, but it was truly not the case, and the two of them had to start all over again. Youngwoon was now in his last year of high school, Sungmin on the second, and every time people asked for how long they had been friends they always had a different reply, to Youngwoon it was almost two years of friendship, for Sungmin almost five long years of unrequited love.

“Are you confident you can make me fall in love with you?” Youngwoon asked ignoring Sungmin’s question. That had once again taken the younger by surprise. At Sungmin’s flabbergasted silence Youngwoon sighed. “If you can’t make me fall in love with you in seven days, I will lose you Sungmin. I won’t have the confidence to keep being your friend.” Somehow Sungmin had expected that, those words.

That possibility kept revolving around Sungmin’s head every damn time he saw Donghae trying to be lovey dovey with Youngwoon the past week, every time he saw Youngwoon trying to return Donghae’s feelings. It was a prospect that had scared Sungmin less, he didn’t want to imagine his life without a grumpy Youngwoon on Mondays, or the overly sweet Youngwoon on Wednesdays, or the always strangely sad Youngwoon on Fridays.

“I definitely will.” Sungmin retorted with an aching heart. He had made his choice knowing the consequences, he wouldn’t be a coward, he would fight with all he had for Youngwoon.

“Where will we have lunch today?” Youngwoon questioned with  a small smile as if willing to change the subject. Sungmin was once again startled but quickly replied, “At the canteen with our friends, obviously. Don’t know if you have noticed how much you’ve been neglecting us since you started this weekly craziness of yours.” The younger tried to scold but his words only made Youngwoon grin.

“At the canteen it is then. You have club activities today right?” the older boy asked adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. Sungmin nodded happily, club activities were the bliss of his school life. “Then I’ll pick you up when it’s over, I actually have a tutoring session on math with Kyuhyun today.”

At hearing those words Sungmin frowned. “Since when are you failing math so badly?” his question made Youngwoon chuckle, “Kyuhyun is preparing for the next math Olympiad and I promised to help him up so I am teaching him advanced math.”

Sungmin’s frown became deeper because Kyuhyun had told him he had started to prepare for that two month ago. He was about to question about it when Youngwoon cut him. “Well it had been one of the dating conditions, Monday and Friday afternoons are for Kyuhyun.”

“Are there any other conditions I am not aware of?” Sungmin questioned then crossing his arms in front of his chest with a pout. Youngwoon smiled looking down at him. “Just one more: no kissing.” Those two words made Sungmin blush at the same time he felt himself growing cold. He had wondered if Youngwoon had kissed his previous dates and he had wondered if he could be that intimate with the older male now that it was his turn, but those two words had made some of his composure slip.

“What? Were you planning on kissing me everyday?” Youngwoon asked in a tease, because of the blush and it made Sungmin blush even more and pout again. “Well yeah, you know, I was envisioning you taking me home everyday and we kissing goodbye, you are such a party pooper.” Sungmin retorted with a shrug trying to take the conversation to a more jokingly level, though he had been dreaming with a kiss, a kiss initiated by Youngwoon himself. “You know I am failing math? so I guess I could skip club activities to have some tutoring?” Sungmin tried to change the topic at hand.

Youngwoon chuckled. “Of course you are. See you at the canteen for lunch then.” The older boy retorted messing up Sungmin’s hair, before walking away to get to his own class. Sungmin watched him till Youngwoon rounded the corner before he entered in his own classroom. With heavy sad steps he marched to his table where he sat down and sighed loudly. Three times.

“What? Don’t tell me… Did he reject you?” Kyuhyun questioned not looking up from the math book he was reading.

“He didn’t. But I hate you.” Sungmin retorted and at that Kyuhyun turned his head to look at his classmate. Sungmin had somewhat sad eyes as he stared back at the younger of the two.

“Too bad, because I love you. Now why would you hate me, of all people?” Kyuhyun asked worried with what could have made Sungmin that sad, if Youngwoon had accepted to go out with him he should have been jumping at the ceiling with happiness.

Sungmin closed his eyes before retorting. “Since he started this weekly dating thing he never had time to hang out with us and today I find out that you had been having full afternoons with him twice a week while I could barely speak with him for more than five minutes. I am so jealous of you, Kyuhyun.”

The younger boy frowned. “There is absolutely no reason for you to feel jealous of me, hyung.” Kyuhyun countered. At those words Sungmin abruptly raised his head and dead serious he retorted. “I am failing math, can I take tutoring along?”

Kyuhyun widened his eyes for a split second before he grinned playfully. “Of course you are. You have the second best grades in math of our class, hyung.” Kyuhyun mocked, yet his reply had not the effect he was expecting, because Sungmin banged his head on his table professing his undying hate towards Kyuhyun.

The younger boy was Youngwoon’s childhood friend, the two of them knew each other since kindergarten and even though they had spent three years apart because Kyuhyun had studied middle school aboard, Youngwoon had not forgotten about him as he had forgotten about Sungmin. Youngwoon had Kyuhyun in a very special spotlight and truth be told, the reason why Sungmin had befriend Kyuhyun in the beginning was so he could find a new common ground to start everything again with Youngwoon. The last year and a half had been no walk in the park for Sungmin.

The classes that day had passed in a blur and when time for lunch break arrived, Sungmin basically pulled Kyuhyun with him to the canteen. And there Youngwoon was, waiting by the door for Sungmin to come. He smiled at seeing them and Sungmin wondered if that smile was truly meant for him or if it was because he was dragging Kyuhyun along.

“Hey, boyfriend, can I pay for your lunch today?” Youngwoon asked immediately reaching and holding Sungmin’s hand. Yet before the younger could retort Heechul, another of their friends, spoke with a bored tone. “So it’s true? You really accepted to go out with him? I thought friends were out of the eligible dating material.”

“Well, it’s first come, first serve. But what I told you before remains, I am not dating you even if you ask.” Youngwoon retorted opening the door and becoming his week’s boyfriend, Kyuhyun and Jongwoon, the last member of their small group of friends, into the canteen for a deserved lunch.

“I would never want to date you. Unlike others I am more sensible to the feelings of those around me.” Heechul retorted picking up a tray and distancing himself. Sungmin frowned but didn’t think much about what that conversation was about.

After they all had chosen what to eat and they were sat on their usual table, Sungmin took a first bite of his meal with a happy manner. It was the first time Youngwoon had bought him food since they met again in high school, he tried not to think of all the times Youngwoon had bought him chocolate bread in middle school though, since it was a memory the older boy seemed to no longer have. “Food tastes so much better today.” Sungmin mused looking affectionately at Youngwoon.

“Please you won’t start feeding each other in front of me.” Heechul suddenly said with a bitter tone, breaking the happy atmosphere. “Yah Kyuhyun-ah! Why are you so slow? If first come, first serve, then next Monday make sure to be the first to ask Youngwoon out and end this lifelong unrequited love you have for him.”

Sungmin had expected teasing, he had looked forward to it because in his mind he could use the teasing to his advantage, but that had been completely unexpected. The moment those words left Heechul’s mouth Kyuhyun spit the juice he was having all over Jongwoon’s food, blushing furiously, Sungmin was rendered speechless as he watched Youngwoon quickly picking up a napkin and trying to help their youngest friend. “Hyung, stop speaking bull!” Youngwoon retorted quite angry.

Completely embarrassed Kyuhyun stood up and proclaimed he had forgotten some papers at the student council and hastily left their table. Sungmin stared at his food completely lost on what to do, while Youngwoon and Jongwoon glared at Heechul, who unfazed continued eating his food. “What? I ship kangkyu.” Heechul proclaimed as the atmosphere continued heavy.

“Don’t listen to Heechul hyung, Sungmin. I ship Kangmin. You two are adorable together. Really.” Jongwoon countered because he saw the effort Sungmin was making to not run away from the table as well. Under the table Youngwoon reached for Sungmin’s hand and squeezed it. The younger looked at his ‘boyfriend’ and then smiled slightly at Jongwoon. “Thanks, hyung.” He mumbled before he took the last bits of his meal, that suddenly tasted so sour.

After lunch break was over Youngwoon took Sungmin back to his class. The silence between them was awkward. “Hyung.” Sungmin called softly, mustering his courage to look up at the older male. As they looked into each other’s eyes Sungmin continued. “Tomorrow I’ll cook lunch for us, so let’s eat alone, just the two of us.”

“Okay.” Youngwoon retorted softly. “For the rest of the week it will be just the two of us.” Sungmin smiled despite the eerie feeling growing inside of him. Once again Sungmin watched Youngwoon leave, once again he entered his classroom with heavy steps and silently sat on his table noticing that Kyuhyun was already there seated beside his desk.

“Hyung…” the younger called but Sungmin hid his face in his arms as he replied curtly. “Don’t talk to me, Kyuhyun. Not now.”

For the rest of the day everybody felt it strange that the two of them were not talking and later Sungmin was distracted during club activities. Youngwoon and Kyuhyun tried to continue their tutoring as if nothing had happened earlier, but they were both worried with Sungmin, especially when Youngwoon received a message that Sungmin was in the infirmary because he had twisted his ankle while practicing.

“It’s nothing serious.” Sungmin assured with a smile as both Kyuhyun and Youngwoon rushed into the infirmary looking for him. “Coach was just a little bit overreacting to bring me here.” He added, standing up and taking a few steps to prove his point. The nurse affirmed he was right, but that he should try not to put too much pressure on his foot just yet.

Kyuhyun parted ways from the gate with a much lighter atmosphere between him and Sungmin, but the awkward silence remained as Youngwoon took Sungmin back home. At Sungmin’s porch the younger smiled happily. “Thank you for walking me home, hyung, but it won’t be necessary. I am no girl after all. Get back home safely and tomorrow, since you have club activities, can I go watch?”

“You usually go without my approval, so what’s the difference?” Youngwoon teased not liking one bit the forced smile Sungmin gave him at his words. “Of course you can go.” He tried to amend with a soft voice.

Sungmin nodded and turned around to get in, but Youngwoon held him back and landed a small kiss on Sungmin’s cheeks. “Don’t let what Heechul hyung said bring you down, Min. He thinks he knows everything, but he doesn’t. Kyuhyun is like family, that’s how we love each other.”

Sungmin was surprised with the kiss, but the words didn’t get to him. Not fully. He smiled though. “Thank you, I’ll cook delicious food for you, so don’t eat too much on breakfast.” And saying that Sungmin skidded to the door and entered his house giving a last wave to Youngwoon.

A whole day had passed and at reading Youngwoon’s good night message he concluded there was no progress at all. If only, it felt like Youngwoon actually pitied him. He tried not to feel discouraged though, there were still six days to go.