"Give me!" Jungwon growled at Jay, snatching the pocky right out of Jay's hand as the older smiled and pat his head.

Niki looked around the room, but Sunoo was nowhere of sight.

"Uh, Where's Sunoo hyung?"

"Bathroom." 

"So is Heeseung hyung." 

Niki raised an eyebrow, what was taking Sunoo so long?

Why is Heeseung also taking so long?

"Why? Do you miss him that much?" Sunghoon nudged Niki's shoulder as Niki shook his head to deny it.

"No it's just, who takes so long in the bathroom?"

"Jay hyung."

"I DO NOT!"

- 

Heeseung sighed, patting Sunoo's head as the younger cried on his arms. They were at the garden behind the school, and luckily no one was there and so Sunoo was free to tell his problems. Heeseung was the best at keeping secrets between all seven of them and Sunoo knew he could trust the eldest.

"You have to tell Niki someday."

"I-I don't want to, it'll break his heart. I don't know if I love him, I thought that my problems would go away everytime he's around but ever since we started dating, my problems just grew bigger."

"Is that why you think..you shouldn't have said yes to his confession?" Sunoo sniffled and looked up at Heeseung.

"Does that make me a bad person?"

"I..I don't know Sunoo."

Sunoo rubbed his eyes, laying his head on Heeseung's shoulder.

"All I know is that you're a good guy for being honest. You know, not everyone has the guts to say these things aloud. It's okay to not be ready for a relationship. Just know that if that person really loves you, they will wait for you to be ready. And Niki's a great guy. I noticed his attitude has changed ever since you came. You made him a better person, Sunoo."

Sunoo's tears started falling out again.

The fact that he knows Niki loves him so much but he's not sure he can return the same amount of love hurts him. He really does treasure Niki, so he can't bare to tell these things to him because it'll break the boy's heart.

He's ashamed that he feels shame for liking Niki. Why can't he just like the person he likes without worrying about what everyone thinks?

He grew up being judged so much that he's afraid another mistake he does can ruin his reputation and in which, it's already ruined.

It's not that liking Niki was a mistake..

But he can't bare the reality of hearing other people talk badly about him.

With his father not loving him, and now his whole school hates him, it brings him sadness that even the one he loves the most, he feels like he's getting judged.

"Let's get back, hm?"

Sunoo nods as Heeseung stood up first and lent his hand for Sunoo to grab on. Sunoo wiped his tears and nose to make it less obvious that he sobbed, walking back to where the boys were with Heeseung patting Sunoo's head for comfort.

"There they are!" 

Niki jolted his head up, a serious face on when he saw Heeseung's arm around Sunoo's shoulder and caressing his hair. The door opened as Jungwon gasped.

"Hyung, did you cry?"

"Hm? A-ah no, my eyes were just red and Heeseung took me to the clinic."

Niki's eye furrowed. Going somewhere else with Heeseung? That didn't please the youngest.

"Niki bought you pocky!" Jake tried handing it to Sunoo but Niki stood up and grabbed the box, opening it. 

"I thought you bought that for Sunoo?"

"Not anymore." Niki bit a piece as Sunoo was confused. Why was he acting like that?

The bell rang, as the 5 other boys got ready to leave the room.

"Why do I always have math for last period? Jakey, can you help me?" 

"I'm not your calculator." Jake huffed at Sunghoon, mad at him for teasing the whole day as Sunghoon smiled and placed his shoulder around Jake.

"You coming?" Jay asked as Jungwon smiled at Sunoo and Niki.

"Let's go, c'mon." Heeseung pushed the two out of the classroom, hoping leaving Sunoo and Niki together would do something good.

"Niki-ah.."

Sunoo grabbed a chair and sat down beside Niki as Niki looked at the window.

"The weather today is nice." 

Sunoo sighed as Niki ignored him.

"I..want to tell you something."

"That you'll break up with me for Heeseung hyung? No need to tell me, I already know." 

Sunoo raised his eyebrows, a small laugh of relief leaving his mouth. Sunoo smiled and placed his hands on top of Niki's.

"Heeseung hyung just came with me to the clinic. Stop being a baby." Sunoo ruffled Niki's hair with a cheeky smile as Niki turned his head to him.

"I don't like it anymore."

"What do you mean?" Sunoo asked, fixing strands of Niki's hair.

"I want to tell them we're dating, I don't care if they're our friends, they need to know what's mine." Niki pouted as Sunoo stood there, blank minded.

How was he gonna tell Niki that he told Heeseung about their relationship and not just that but more..

"L-Let's wait for the right time, hm? I'm still not comfortable with it yet." Sunoo smiled, grabbing his bag and standing up.

Niki smiled softly, intertwining their hands and walking tp the door, but Sunoo shook his hand away out of Niki's grip.

"A-Another time." Sunoo spoke before leaving the room as Niki was confused.

He let Heeseung touch him, how come Niki can't?

He knows Sunoo doesn't want anyone to know yet but,,

Something about Sunoo denying affection from him seems a bit hurtful.

-

"Do you even know how to play dodgeball?" 

Sunghoon asks Sunoo as Sunoo strecthed his legs and arms.

"It's not like I can't attend class anyways so of course I have to whether I know how to or not." Sunghoon rolls his eyes at Sunoo's statement, helping the teacher push and pull the cart of balls.

With Sunoo busy reclining his bones, Niki walked up to his boyfriend with a smile.

"Sunoo hyung."

Sunoo looked up at Niki, a wave of worry flushed through his body. Oh god, he can't stand taking anymore classes with Niki, it just makes him feel worse about how he feels.

"H-Hey..!" Sunoo smiled back as Niki handed him a ball since everyone in the room required one.

"O-Oh, you didn't need to get me one."

"You were stretching, thought I can get you one in advance."

Sunoo awkwardly chuckled, twirling the ball as the coach whistled.

"I don't want anyone hurt so please throw lightly, I already assigned you your teams before so please head to them."

Sunoo walked up to the left side as Sunghoon started teasing him leading to bickering as Niki watched them from the right side.

First Heeseung, now Sunghoon, why is it that when it comes to him, Sunoo becomes distant? Did he do something wrong?

Of course the boy didn't know what he did wrong and spent the few seconds thinking about what it was until the whistle was yet blowed on again, and the students started throwing the balls and hit each other.

"Are you even throwing?!" Sunghoon shouted at Sunoo.

"I'll throw when I want to!" Sunoo stuck his tongue out at the older when someone laughed.

"Too bad your little boyfriend isn't on your side. No one is there to protect you anymore." The girls he met earlier at the bathroom chuckled, before throwing a ball hard at Sunoo's direction when all of a sudden Sunghoon stood in front of the younger as the ball hit his stomach hard.

"SUNGHOON HYUNG!" Sunoo dropped the ball on his hand and kneeled down, as seeing a groaning Sunghoon broke his heart.

"Awh, how sweet of Sunghoon to protect you. How must Niki feel? Having two boyfriends at the same time, what's the secret, Sunoo? Tell us."

The girls chuckled as the got pushed by the coach.

"Can you stand up?" Sunghoon shook his head as Sunoo huffed.

"Sunoo, get an ice pack from the clinic." Sunoo nodded, caressing Sunghoon's hand one last time before heading out of the gym.

Niki side eyed and ran to follow the older, running behind him.

"Sunoo hyung!"

"Not right now Niki, Sunghoon hyung's in pain."

Niki waisted no time to grab Sunoo's wrist and turning him around.

"I JUST SAID SUNGHOON HYUNG'S IN PAI-"

"Are you dating Sunghoon hyung?"

Niki's question came out of the blue as Sunoo was shocked.

"What?"

"Are you cheating on me-"

"Look Niki, I don't know what goes on in your head but right now, Sunghoon hyung is in pain, we can talk about this later."

"Just answer the question!"

"NO! There, is that the answer you want?" Sunoo shook his wrist off and continued to run to the clinic to grab what he's suppose to.

Niki stood there on the hallways with a blank face. Yes of course he believes Sunoo and he knows Sunoo cares for Sunghoon, but the doubt was growing so much bigger than before.

It was like they weren't even dating anymore.

-

"Come in."

Sunoo gulped, hearing no emotion in Niki's voice.

School was over and they headed to Niki's apartment to finish the assignment.

Sunoo felt the tension and it was like Niki couldn't talk or even was mad.

"Sit, I'll get us orange juice." Niki offered his boyfriend a seat before heading to his kitchen.

Sunoo looked around and felt a sad atmosphere. Niki lived alone, and he was younger. It must be lonely, Sunoo thought.

"Don't you, feel lonely living alone?" Sunoo asked.

"I could ask the same to you." Niki said yet again with no emotion, sitting down in front of Sunoo whilst placing down the two glasses filled with orange juice.

"Where did we leave of.." Niki sighed, flipping through the pages of their stapled assignment and opening his laptop.

Sunoo huffed and drank his orange juice, chugging it quickly as Niki looked at him.

"S-sorry.." Sunoo wipes his mouth, as Niki fixed his face back on his laptop.

"Can I talk to you?"

"We're already talking."

Sunoo gulps, scooting a bit forward.

"I..didn't mean to shout at you earlier. I'm sorry." Sunoo apologized, making Niki avert his gaze to the older. Niki was glad but there was still something missing.

"I was just worried about Sunghoon hyung. He really isn't the type to protect me, so it was really shocking. He's still a good friend to me so of course I want to rush to get the ice pack."

"And?" Niki added.

"And..no, I'm really not cheating on you. I don't have any romantic relationships with our friends, believe me."

Niki sighed and looked down, playing with his pen.

"You just made me a better person. I don't want to lose you, you make my life so much easier and less troublesome. I don't want you to fade away like..Runa."

Sunoo smiled, forgetting whatever doubt of his feelings were. It wasn't the priority right now. The priority was making Niki feel better.

"I won't leave you. I promise."

That sounds like something someone who leaves would say..

-

ENHYPEN has recovered, their comeback is on october 12 with the album DIMENSION:DILEMMA! I personally love scylla ver, it sounds so pretty:) Hoping to receive the album for Christmas or my birthday! Also sorry for not uploading for 2 weeks school sucks lmfao, still be safe and healthy everyone^^ <3