“Are you ready?”

It was the day. The first step that will get them closer to their escape will be under Woohyun’s care. To say that he wasn't nervous would be a big fat lie. But Sunggyu had briefed him multiple times on what to say and do. He was ready. 

“Yes.” Woohyun stands up from the edge of his bed after tying his shoelaces. He looks at Sunggyu, who was staring at him with worried eyes, and sends him a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Woohyun walks himself over to the door, ready to leave, when he hears Sunggyu say, “Wait.” He turns around, surprised that his senior was suddenly standing behind him. 

Before Woohyun could say anything further, Sunggyu suddenly wraps his arms around the younger boy and embraces him for a few seconds. 

When Sunggyu pulls back, Woohyun is sure that both of their faces are as red as a tomato.

“Uh…” Sunggyu looks away, obviously embarrassed. “Come back safe, ok?”

“I will.” 

They look at each other one last time before Woohyun is out the door on his way to the General’s office. 

+

“Sunggyu asked me to join the Elude, sir.” 

This was the first thing Woohyun says when the General orders him to speak. The older man pauses for a few moments, registering into his mind what he had just heard. And then he starts to smile, which would definitely creep Woohyun out if the General didn't look so much like Sunggyu when he smiled.

“So it’s confirmed.” The General takes a sniff of his wine before he takes a sip. He offers it to Woohyun, who politely refuses. “They really are planning to leave again?”

“Yes.” Woohyun remembers what Sunggyu has repeatedly told him. “They’re gathering up as many people as they could to join them. I don't know the numbers, but my estimate is around 50 men.”

There was a moment of silence in the room as the General leans back on his leather chair, eyes fixated on his glass of wine. Woohyun watches the older man attentively, hoping that his acting is believable. 

“When do they plan to escape?”

“Unfortunately, I am now aware of when they plan to leave.” This, however, was not a lie. Woohyun genuinely didn't know when Sunggyu was planning to escape. He makes a mental note to ask him about it later. 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

The trainee gulps nervously as he realizes that the General was eyeing him suspiciously.

“I am loyal to my country.” Woohyun internally scoffs. Yeah, right. “I would never plan to escape and be a traitor to my nation.” 

The old man laughs at this. Woohyun wonders if he said something wrong. 

“Well, you're one of a kind.”

Woohyun laughs with him as he bows his head out of respect. “Thank you, sir.”

“Keep an eye out for them and come back to me as soon as possible when you find out when they plan to leave.”

Woohyun salutes to the General before he leaves the office. He tries to hide the accomplished grin forming on his face as he was exiting the area, but once he was at least a few meters away, he couldn't help but finally smile in success. He doesn't know if the General was just plain stupid for believing the lies he sprouted; Woohyun is just glad that he was able to successfully finish the first task assigned to him as an official member of the Elude. 

After a few minutes of walking, Woohyun finally reaches the field his team was training at for the day. There were several wooden boards with target circles on each of them. Woohyun walks in just in time to see his fellow trainees try their best to throw the knives at the centermost part of the target. 

Sunggyu was reprimanding a trainee for accidentally cutting himself when he sees Woohyun approaching from the side. He leaves the trainee alone to bleed by himself and hurriedly walks over to the black-haired boy. 

“Hi.” Woohyun greets once they were close enough to each other. He watches Sunggyu scan his body for any scars or injuries, and his heart warms at the sight of the other caring for him. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” 

“Yes.”

Sunggyu finally smiles, relieved. “Ok. Tell me everything.”

Woohyun pauses as he takes a look around. They were surrounded by trainees and seniors who were busy throwing knives all over the place. Sunggyu senses the other’s dilemma and pulls on Woohyun’s arm to take him to the small shed by the southmost corner of the field. The leader hastily pushes Woohyun inside and instantly regrets it when he realizes that the shed was too small for the both of them. And now, they were standing too close to each other, face to face. 

Sunggyu’s mind suddenly brings him back to when they were both in the small bathroom, making out. And from the look on Woohyun’s face, it wasn't too hard to figure out that he was thinking of the same thing as well. 

After clearing his throat to ease out the tension in the small, cramped shed, Sunggyu finally decides to speak. “Tell me what happened.”

But it looked like Woohyun was thinking about something else as he refused to look at Sunggyu in the eyes. Sunggyu could've sworn he saw Woohyun blushing. He clears his throat again. It was suddenly getting hot inside the shed, but he didn't really want to leave just yet. 

“That can wait.” Woohyun says softly, his eyes still on his feet. It takes him a few seconds before he finally lifts his gaze up and to look at Sunggyu longingly.

Sunggyu knew what the other was thinking. He was sure of it because he was thinking of the same thing as well. It has been a few days ever since they kissed, but the thought of doing it again has never once left his mind. 

“Woohyun…” Sunggyu puts his hand on the other’s chest, placing a barrier between them. “This isn't the time.” Lies. 

If only Woohyun knew how much Sunggyu had wanted to pin him to the wall and kiss him hard. 

Hurt and embarrassment flashes across the younger boy’s face. He pauses for a moment before he takes a step back and shoves Sunggyu’s hand away. Woohyun doesn't say anything else as he turns to exit from the small shed, but Sunggyu pulls him back inside, gently pushing the shorter boy to the wall behind his back. 

“What?” Woohyun refused to look at him. “It went fine, it that’s what you wanted to hear. Now let me out.” He tries to reach for the door again, but Sunggyu was quick enough to put him back into place. 

“Wait—“

“You’re playing with my heart, Sunggyu.”

Sunggyu blinks at the sudden accusation. “What do you mean? I would never do that.”

“Then what is this?” Woohyun brings his head up to look at Sunggyu with teary eyes. He gestures to the small space between them, asking, “You get to kiss me and play with my feelings, but I can’t?”

“I didn't say you can’t. I just said this wasn't the time.”

“Was that all? You just wanted someone to release your pent-up ual frustrations to?” 

“…What?” Sunggyu couldn't believe what Woohyun was saying. But it wasn't his fault he was thought of that way. “You’re not…That’s not what I wanted to portray.”

“It’s been days, but you never talked to me about it.” 

He hears Woohyun sniffle. Then suddenly, a tear rolls down the younger boy’s cheek and drops to the wooden floor of the shed. 

“I didn't talk to you about it because I’m not good at expressing my feelings.” 

Sighing, Sunggyu shifts in his place as he feels his heart thump wildly across his chest. His heart has never been this way before, and it hurt him to see how much Woohyun was hurting because of him. 

“You’re very special to me.” Sunggyu places his hand on the side of Woohyun’s cheek and gently raises the face to make the boy look at him. “I’m sorry for not talking to you about it. I’m just… It’s hard for me to talk about these things.”

“I understand.” Woohyun nods solemnly as he uses the back of his hands to rub the tears away from his cheeks. Once he was done, he turns to the door again and slightly pushes it open when a pair of arms pulls him back and slams him to the wall again. Before he could protest, Sunggyu’s lips were on his. 

Woohyun melts at the sudden connection. This is what he’s been longing for to happen again. And from the way Sunggyu is kissing him right now, it’s obvious that the older male had been wanting for this to happen too. 

His heart is beating wildly, and Woohyun is suddenly weak in his knees. He leans into the taller male, who places both of his palms on the either side of Woohyun’s face to keep him steady. His hand is on the back of Sunggyu’s neck, pushing the other to kiss him deeper with his tongue. 

After a few minutes, Woohyun has to put his hands on Sunggyu’s chest to tell him to stop for a while. He needed to breathe. They were both panting as they separate from the kiss, staring at each other with longing eyes. It was evident that Sunggyu had wanted to do than just kiss, but they have already spent enough time in the shed to raise suspicions - especially because the leader suddenly disappeared in the middle of training. 

“We need to go.” Sunggyu says, and Woohyun agrees. He leans in to give Woohyun one last kiss before they head out of the shed. 

Just as they exit, Sungyeol and Myungsoo happened to walk by. 

Woohyun and Sunggyu both look like deers caught in headlights.

“Where the hell were you?” Sungyeol asks with an irritated tone. He was about to say something else when he pauses to take in the appearance of his two friends who had just emerged from the small wooden room. 

Woohyun and Sunggyu exchange nervous glances and realize that they bot