[Seung Hoon POV]

“Hyung, can I have your share of the kimbab? Really? Thanks!”

I was slow to realize that Minho has been talking to me and that he was talking about my food. When I finally came to my senses, all my food was gone. It was already inside his nasty mouth, too late to be salvaged.

“Song Minho!” He raised both his arms in mock surrender.

“You didn’t look hungry,” he reasoned while chewing my food.

“I was…” What exactly have I been doing that I just let my pig of a friend snatch away the remains of my lunch?

“…daydreaming.” Taehyun finished for me in a nonchalant tone.

“I was?” They all nodded.

“You know you can stop daydreaming and just go see her, right?” Seungyoon suggested.

It was a sound suggestion, of course. But there was only one problem, I couldn’t – at least, not for this week. Eli was having her major exams and although I am dying to see her, I know I shouldn’t because I would only become a distraction. She always told me how important it was for her to get at least B’s in all her subjects to maintain her scholarship. I knew nothing about her chosen course but one thing she made clear was that getting even a D was already too much of a struggle so I gave her the space she needed this week. At first, she protested, she said she still wanted to see me even though she’d be busy studying all week but I was resolute in making her concentrate on what’s important at the moment. She didn’t have a choice but to agree. Also, it might have helped convince her when I promised her an awesome date by the end of the week. I haven’t thought of any ideas yet, however. I hope today I can think of something.

I suddenly remember that I didn’t give Seungyoon an answer yet. “She’s having her exams.”

“And so?” he replied, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll only distract her.”

“You can at least go cheer for her. Say… Send her lunch or something…Or even bring her coffee.”

I didn’t think of that. Maybe I should.

“Huh. Thanks for that. I might just drop off sweets and coffee later today.” Seungyoon nodded his head, satisfied that his suggestion was well received.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Jinwoo hyung staring at nowhere in particular. He was sitting next to me and I was quick to notice the creases forming on his forehead, a clear sign that something was very much bothering him. He never said a word during lunch. He looked confused and distracted the entire time, the entire time I was not lost in my thoughts about Eli, at least. I playfully punched his arm. He blinked and looked at me in question.

“Everything alright, hyung?” He nodded.

I narrowed my eyes, not buying his lie. “Come on, what is it? Tell us the problem, hyung. We’ll help you,” I prodded. He sighed. There was silence while he debated whether to say something or not and then he nodded and said, “It’s Seulbi.”

“Seulbi?” the four of us chorused.

“She’s coming to Seoul next month and she sent me a text asking if I wanted to take her around the city.”

“And?” I asked, grinning.

“I told her I was busy. In case you boys forgot, our comeback is next month.”

“What?!” Taehyun and I shrieked in disbelief. “Hyung!” the other two cried.

“You’re just making our comeback as an excuse not to see her because you wouldn’t know what to do once you’re alone with her,” Taehyun said matter-of-factly whilst wrinkling his nose in disapproval.

Hyung’s eyes momentarily widened and then he assumed his previous deadpan expression. Our poor hyung really thinks that he can fool us with this act. We know him well enough to able to see right through his pretense. He was nervous around Seulbi and he was afraid of making a fool out of himself. This hyung tends to get clumsy every time he is with Seulbi, that hasn’t changed even after so many years. He has gained more self-confidence as WINNER became more successful but it’s like every time he sees Seulbi or talks about Seulbi, he just goes back to his old unconfident self.

“We’ll help you with her,” I promised.

He breathed in defeat. “And how exactly are you going to do that? By tagging along all day?”

“What are you so afraid of, hyung?” Seungyoon asked.

Jinwoo hyung audibly sighed. He looked at the floor while he answered Seungyoon’s question, “I promised myself years ago that I was going to tell Seulbi how I really felt about her once I’ve made a name for myself. I was going to do it after we debuted but I chickened out. I want to tell her so bad,” he looked at each one of us. “But I don’t know how and I’m not sure if I have enough guts to even pull it off. I can barely form one coherent sentence whenever she’s around.” He finished his admission with a facepalm.

I scooted closer to hyung and s my arm around his shoulder. “Don’t worry, hyung. You’re forgetting that your friends are good at this stuff. You’ll be ready by next month. You’ll get the girl.”

“How exactly are you going to get rid of my nerves? My stuttering? My clumsiness?”

“Hmmmmm….” I thought about it with everyone else. This hyung has a lot of issues.

“Let me ask you,” Taehyun said in a serious tone. “Can you picture any other girl in your future except Seulbi noona?” Hyung shook his head. “Then man up! If you don’t do it now, you might lose your chance forever. You do know that Seulbi noona is very pretty, right? There are a lot of guys in this world, hyung, lots of guys who can snatch her away from you while you’re idling. Do you want that to happen?” Hyung looked horrified as he shook his head.

“Discussion over. You will accompany her next month. You will have a perfect little date. You will tell her how you feel and you will live happily ever after.”

I chuckled. Taehyun said his plan in such a bored expression that you couldn’t really tell if he even cared about the whole situation. But he cared, of course. We all knew that.

Jinwoo hyung exhaled beside me and nodded his head multiple times. “Well, I guess it’s about time I man up and tell her.” It was a whisper but we all heard it and we each punched him lightly to show our support.

***

“Going to see Eli?” I shift my backpack in my right shoulder and looked back at Jinwoo hyung who was still sprawled at the practice room floor, resting.

“Yeah,” I answered back. He gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. I think I knew what was going on inside his mind.

“Don’t worry hyung, by this time next month, you’ll be able to see Seulbi whenever you want,” He nodded and waved me goodbye.

I got inside my car and when I peeked at my watch to check the time, it was already past nine in the evening. I wasn’t sure if Eli was still up but I do want to see her even for ten seconds. I start the engine and decided to buy her coffee and maybe some other sweets first before going to her apartment. It took only about twenty minutes.

I knocked at their door and waited for someone to open it. It was Min Ah who opened the door. Her brain seem to have lagged since she was looking at me without any expression on her face at all and then a few seconds later, her eyes widened and she blinked.

“Lee Seunghoon, what brings you here at…” she glanced at the clock. “Ten in the evening?”

“I wanted to see Eli for a bit,” I admitted, scratching the back of my head.

She grinned and told me to come in. “She’s already passed out,” she said as I was following her. She pointed at the sofa in their living room and there I saw my Eli, asleep with a book covering half her face and surrounded by so many papers and other books I never bothered to read the titles.

“Wait, I’ll wake her up for you– ” she took one step before I told her to wait. She looked back, waiting for an explanation.

“She needs rest. It’s fine. All I wanted was to see her, it doesn’t matter whether she’s awake or asleep.”

She gave me a smile. “You really are a good guy aren’t you? She was right.”

“I am, aren’t I?” I replied with a grin. She shook her head. “Ah, she was also right about the conceited part.”

“Hey!” I protested.

“I’m joking,” she said with a laugh. “Anyway, you brought coffee and all, it would be a waste if she didn’t wake up.”

“She can reheat it later or something. I’ll take her to her room so she could sleep comfortably. Where is her room?” she pointed at a door at the end of the hall and crossed their living room. I carefully took her book away from Eli. I then positioned myself so that I could carry her. I hear Min Ah laugh behind me. I asked her what’s so funny.

“Good luck carrying her. She weighs a lot.”

“Eeyy. She can’t possibly– ” she was right. Eli was already in my arms but her weight was a bit too much to bear. How can someone so little weigh this much? I guess all the food she eats aren’t really wasted after all. I smile despite of myself.

I can’t lose face in front of her best friend so I took a deep breath and lifted her, lifting my chin high and smiling at Min Ah. She dramatically clapped at my effort.

When I was about to kick the door open, Min Ah suddenly stood in front of me. “What are you doing?” I wanted her to move because Eli was getting heavier by the second. “Please move.”

“Take her to my room,” she said and pointed at a door a few steps from Eli’s.

Ugh. Fine. I nodded. But when she opened the door, books were sprawled everywhere especially her bed and it would take a lot of time to clear all that up. I groaned and I think she took pity on me so she sighed and told me to go back to Eli’s room.

I got inside Eli’s room and carefully laid her down her own bed. I pulled the covers up to her chin and I sat at the edge of her bed. I gazed at her for a long while and because I couldn’t stop myself, I brought my hands to her face, slowly caressing it.

“I missed you,” I whispered. She stirred in her sleep and I bring my hands back to my lap.

I was about to stand up when she murmured something, it was too soft a sound that I didn’t even catch it. I leaned closer and when I did, she murmured it again and it’s like all the stress of today vanished with those words.  

I stood up smiling. Seunghoon, I miss you… She had whispered.

“See you very soon,” I said and spun around towards the exit

I saw Min Ah at the doorway, one arm at her hip. “Yes?” Before she could answer my question, something else caught my attention and I quickly turned my head to that direction.

What I saw was… myself. Well, a cardboard version of myself.

“She bought a standee of me?” I asked, looking at Min Ah. She sighed and nodded.

“This is why I shouldn’t have let you in.”

“But why?”

“Don’t you think it’s weird? A bit stalkerish? Because I think so.”

I laughed softly, careful not to wake my sleeping Eli.

“See, you’re laughing at her!” she accused.

“Yes, I am laughing but not for the reasons I think you have in mind.”

She arched an eyebrow. “I think it’s adorable.” She only narrowed her eyes at me in response.

I fished out my phone from my pocket and told her to come closer. “What?”

“Take a picture of me with it,” I said, grinning.

“What?” she repeated. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Just do me this favor please.”

She shrugged then and took my phone. I posed beside the standee and looked at it in wonder while Min Ah took a series of photos.

“I think I’ve captured enough photos already.”

I took back my phone and thanked her.

“What are you gonna do with all those photos anyway? You’re just gonna embarrass Eli once she finds out that you saw it.”

“Oh I’m sure she’ll find out but don’t tell her yourself. Let me do it my way.”

She rolled her eyes. “Wasn’t planning on it. I don’t look forward to a sermon about being a bad friend for showing you’re her embarrassing stash of all things Lee Seunghoon.”

Still smiling, I checked the time. It was nearly midnight now. “Oh, it’s getting really late. I have to go. Tell Eli I dropped by and that there’s coffee and sweets. There’s enough for the both of you.”

“Oh? You bought coffee for me as well?”

“Of course. I have to be in the best friend’s good graces, don’t I?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she lightly punched me on the side as she laughed.

“Congrats, you’ve succeeded.” She admitted while I was about to turn the knob at the front door.

I stepped outside and before walking off, I looked back and winked at her. She shook her head, grinning.

I decided to send one last text to Eli before driving.

Hello there, sleepy head. Here is your boyfriend wishing you A’s for your exams. Fighting! I hope the coffee and sweets help in studying. I miss you very very very much and see you soon! <3

***

[Eli POV]

“Oh, you’re awake already? Go sleep some more, it’s only been two hours,” Min Ah told me without looking up from her laptop. I saw the coffee she had in hand and asked her if she bought me one.

“There’s one for you but I didn’t buy it,” she pointed at the table where my coffee was and I walked towards it.

“You didn’t? Who did?”

“Your boyfriend stopped by.” Only then did she look up with a sly smile across her face.

I almost dropped the coffee. “He what?! Why didn’t you wake me up? He refused to see me when I asked him yesterday and he visited while I was asleep? Not fair.”

“I was going to wake you up but he stopped me saying that you needed the rest. He’s a very thoughtful boy, I have to admit.”

I smiled. It’s fine. I’ll see him soon enough. “Looks like he’s got my best friend’s approval.”

“He sure did.”

“What did he have to do?”

“Be his sometimes weird but always charming self. He is sweet. He bought both of us coffees and there are donuts and chocolates there too. I was so shocked when someone knocked at the door at ten in the evening. He was so thoughtful to even have bothered to bring us these,” she raised her coffee cup. “I mean, I really believed that thoughtful guys like that were long extinct. Tonight, he has proven me wrong.”

“That’s quite a speech there, Min Ah.” I told her while I sat across from her.

“Well… All I’m saying is you’re lucky to have someone like him. But he’s luckier to have you.”

“Right you are, my friend. Right you are.” I jokingly replied.

“Anyways, go back to study! Shoo!”

“Yes, eomma.” And I walk to the living room where all my study materials are.

Twenty minutes later, my alarm went off. I chose a really loud and disturbing alarm tone and my heart almost jumped out of my chest. I struggled to dig through all the papers and books to find my phone.

“Yaaaa! Shut that thing off!” Min Ah yelled from the kitchen.

“Yes, yes. I got it, I’m sorry.” I finally found it under the pillows and turned it off instantly.

Somebody had sent me a text so I clicked it to see from whom. There were two text messages, one from my mother and the other from Seunghoon. I opened the one from my mother first even though I was more excited to read the one from Seunghoon. Don’t judge me, I’m only a girl in love.

The text message from my mother was very short and utterly confusing. It only said,

Eli-ya, me and

That was all that there was to the message. She probably didn’t plan to send the message in the first place but accidentally pressed send. My mother isn’t exactly very well acquainted with the latest technologies. She only ever agreed to buy a mobile phone because I told her that I could get lost in Seoul and totally helpless and a mobile phone would be the only way for me to call her for help. Until now, she struggles to send text messages. Aigoo. My poor mother who is stuck in the stone age.

I eagerly clicked the message from Seunghoon. I giggled reading his message. Having a boyfriend – having Seunghoon as a boyfriend – was turning me into the kind of lovestruck girl I once laughed at. I sent him a short reply as I stood up intending to get more food from the kitchen.

Hello there, thoughtful boyfriend. Thank you for the coffee and sweets! I’ll work hard on my exams and you work hard on practicing for your comeback too. I cannot wait to see you. <3

“Ugh.” I look up at Min Ah only to see her face contorted in distaste.

“What?”

“You remember the girl who laughed at the heroines in dramas and movies who act so goofily in love? You’ve turned into one,” she dramatically shuddered and I rolled my eyes.

“Just wait until you meet the right boy and realize that we girls are all the same. At some point, we all turn into those types.”

“I’d rather jump off a cliff than become one of you.”

“You make it sound like being in love is a bad thing. Just you wait, my friend. I can’t wait to say ‘I told you so.’”

“Save it. You forgot that I’ve decided to remain single for the rest of my life. I’ve had enough heartaches to last me a lifetime.”

“Life is full of surprises, Min Ah. Just look at Seunghoon and me. Who would have thought? Who knows, you might end up marrying one of the other members in the future.”

We both laughed at that statement. “Weeeeell, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. I’d ditch single life for any of those good looking boys.” I rolled my eyes as I took a bite of the donut.

“Oh, by the way. I don’t remember going inside my room…” I paused. “Did… Did Seunghoon carry me over there? Did he see all the posters and pictures and… and the standee?”

Min Ah looked serious when she answered, “Most probably not. He was only looking at you and then left shortly after. And the room was dimly lit for him to notice.” Something is telling me that she was lying but I didn’t push the topic further when I caught a glimpse of the mess that is my study materials and remembered that I had very little time left to review.

I resumed reviewing and found myself lost in the words and numbers that I was reading. Before I knew it, it was already morning and I had only three hours left before I had to go leave for school. A text tore my attention away from my books and I reached for my phone.

Good morning! Did you sleep well? Have you studied everything you needed to? Fighting on your exams! I know you and Min Ah are too busy studying and most likely won’t bother to eat breakfast so I had something delivered for you both. Your brain must be full of information now. It’s time for you to fill your stomachs with food. Eat well before going to school. ^^

The doorbell rang after I read the message and I walked to the door to open it. A teenage boy wearing a red cap held two containers, one in each hand and smiled brightly at me. I bowed and said good morning. He did the same.

“Delivery for Yang Elizabeth,” he said.

I took the containers from him and my eyes widened at the weight. What were in these? I thanked him for the delivery but before I could close the door, he handed me a note. I thanked him again and took it from him. I brought the containers to the kitchen and read the note.

I really wish you find the time in your busy week to eat all of these. But knowing my girlfriend well, I’m sure you’ll make time. Enjoy. ;)

Inside the containers were so many different dishes. I laughed shaking my head in astonishment. Just looking at all the food made my mouth water so I dug in instantly.

Min Ah emerged from the bathroom and seeing how busy I was eating, went to the kitchen instead of straight to her room.

“Why is there so many food? Did your mother bring this? Is it your birthday today? Did I forget it again this year? Oh My God. I –”

I stuffed with kimbap when she showed no signs of stopping with all her questions. I chuckled at her horrified expression. She must really think that it’s my birthday.

“To answer your questions... There’s a lot of food because my boyfriend knows I love to eat. No, my mother didn’t bring this. Like I said, Seunghoon did. It isn’t my birthday today, what wrong with you? It’s next month. Why do you always forget?”

“Oh,” was all she said as she stuffed more kimbap into .

“Your boyfriend is a little over the top, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is.” I laughed. “But he’s the best boyfriend, don’t you think? He feeds me well.”

She shook her head at me. “That is your idea of the best boyfriend? Here, eat some more kimbap!” and she forcefully jammed one into my mouth just like I did with her earlier. We ended up emptying one container and decided to leave the other for later tonight.

I checked the time and cursed. I had one hour left before my first class so I rushed to my room to get ready. Thanks to Seunghoon, though, I had so much energy for today. I’m sure I will ace all my exams. Even when he isn’t with my physically, he still finds a way to take care of me. I wasn’t wrong about what I told Min Ah, I really do have the best boyfriend, he’s heaven sent. I couldn’t ask for more.    

wattpad

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A/N: HAPPY DEBUT TO WINNER! FINALLY!! T____T Have you watched the MVs and listened to the songs yet?? <3

Watch Empty & Color Ring ! ^^