It has become a habit for Sungyeol to scrutinize Myungsoo these days. He knew, well obviously everyone (including Patricia) knew that he likes her.

Genuinely, Sungyeol has already accepted the fact that Myungsoo likes his ex-girlfriend, but one thing he can't calm down about is the fact that he knew that any time, the rest of INFINITE including the both of them, can fight once more because of the same reason and same girl again.

Sungyeol was already walking home when he had all of those thoughts gathered in his mind. Finally arriving at his house’s doorstep, he knocked on the door and got greeted by his brother, Lee Daeyeol.

“Oh. Hyung, you're back.” Daeyeol forced a bow.

Now, Sungyeol was about to pat his younger brother's shoulder. But again, like the usual, Daeyeol slapped Sungyeol’s hand away and left. Sungyeol sighed.

It was another of his concerns. You see, he used to have a really great relationship with his brother, but that all faltered when one time, Daeyeol just arrived home from school and raced to his bedroom and slammed his bedroom door shut.

Finally, when Sungyeol had enough of all this, he grabbed his brother's shoulder.

“Ya,” he said in a firm tone. “Let's talk. We have to talk.”

“No we don't. We don't have to, what's there to talk about?!”

“Ya! Don't be like this alright??! You not talking to me should not even be a problem of mine! In fact I shouldn’t even have a problem with you!”

“Tch!” Daeyeol snorted. ”I never asked you to list me into your problems. I never asked you to care.”

“Well, it's your loss. I care. Why? Because you're my brother!”

“That's the point. It is my loss! You just had to be my brother!”

“Ya! What exactly is wrong, eh?! What happened that day? What happened in school?! Just tell me!” Sungyeol snapped. “Ever since that day, we just grew apart! But why?! Tell me!”

“Tch! Why should I tell you?! I'm not talking to you about anything hyung! So why don’t you just give it all up cause it's no use doing this. Just leave me alone because I really don’t want anything to do with you.”

Before Sungyeol knew it, his grip on his brother's shoulder loosened.

After Daeyeol ran up to his room and slammed his door shut, Sungyeol leaned against his brother’s bedroom door. “Dongseang-ah…” he knocked.

“Leave. Me. Alone.” Daeyeol yelled in frustration.

“I just… wanted you to know that whatever it is that made you angry at me… I’m sorry.” Sungyeol sighed and warily walked away.

Without  replying to his hyung’s apology, Daeyeol buried his face into his pillow and reminisced about what had happened:

DAEYEOL’S FLASHBACK:

 It was another empty day for Daeyeol to wake up in ever since you rejected him.

In school, the both of you barely ran into each other, but if ever you guys did, the both of you just end up ignoring each other. Though he resorts in to ignoring you, he still liked you enough to secretly check up on you.

One time in school, he knew that the high school students were already out of their classrooms and eating their lunch. Bringing up an excuse, Daeyeol was clever enough to leave the classroom with a pass to enter the HS Cafeteria.

Warily, he walked in. He spotted you and Nana sitting on your usual place immediately. Though he didn’t recognize the other faces you were with, he knew you and his neighbor, Nana.

The moment his brother Lee Sungyeol walked in with his friends, he decided to hide. He was probably unfortunate because the only decent hiding place to resort to is the bush beside your table, and in that spot, basically everything you and your friends say will echo around and be heard.

Cleverly, Daeyeol slyly hid behind the bush ninja-style. While he was hiding, he saw his brother pause. He was frightened for a while as he thought that he was caught, but to his dismay, he found it worse than that: He saw you and Sungyeol lock eyes.

‘W-why are they—~~~~~~~ knows my hyung?! I never even mentioned him!!’ Daeyeol

gawked at the sight.

 “You know him?”  He heard Nana ask you.

“N-no!” you said. “Oh wait! I mean, yeah. Or… no! Well, I… don’t know.”

“But who’s he? You’re new love interest?”

“N-no!” you blurted.

“Then? Who is he?”

“…The guy I saw in the clinic,” you said softly as Daeyeol saw your cheeks flush rosy pink.

“Ohh,” four voices chorused.

 “…But didn’t you say that Daeyeol just confessed to you?” Nana asked.

Daeyeol’s eyes widened. ‘Ugh! How utterly embarrassing! Even Nana knows!’  He

mentally face-palmed himself.

“Hmm… yeah. Why?” you shot Nana a puzzled look.

“Nothing… I was just asking…” she said.

“Oh,” you blinked. “Okay.”

“But are you crushing on Sungyeol?” He heard your friend inquire.

‘D-don’t tell me he rejected me b-because he liked Sungyeol-hyung…’ Daeyeol eyes

rounded in dismay.

“Hello? ~~~~~~~??”

“Oh, sorry. What again?”

“Are you crushing on Sungyeol?” Nana asked you eagerly and unfortunately, Daeyeol saw you nod shyly.

 “I see what you did there. Yiee~”

“Wow, you just rejected a friend and end up crushing on some kingka. Tsk tsk tsk!”

‘Not just any kingka… but my hyung.’  Daeyeol’s eyes fumed in resentment for his brother.  [A/N: If you guys didn’t notice, Daeyeol was there  when you were eating lunch in the cafeteria with your friends in chapter 3.]

As he couldn’t take the conversations you had with your friends anymore, he sneakily walked away. Lucky for him, you nor your friends didn’t notice him as all of you were still preoccupied with your conversations.

END OF DAEYEOL’S FLASHBACK

**