San stared down at his physics textbook, the words becoming a jumble on the page that couldn't be read no matter how hard he tried.

The previous day he had fallen asleep on the couch with Wooyoung, woken up around 4am, and hadn't been able to go back to sleep afterwards. Therefore the boy found himself a bit drowsy, at the moment, although he was kept slightly awake by looking across the classroom at a certain dark haired boy, who occasionally would wave, do a hand sign, or something else of the sort.

Physics class, to San, simply had become a way to see Wooyoung. Yet now, things has quite obviously changed between them, and San found physics to merely be an annoyance. If he had been seated next to the younger it would have improved the class twentyfold.

In the dull silence of the room, the only sound heard was the scratching of pens and pencils against paper. San had no idea what everyone else was even writing; if that didn't show how much he kept up with the class, then nothing did.

The buzz of the intercom suddenly rang, the one normally used for announcements and dismissals.

"Jung Wooyoung, could you please report to the office?" the monotone voice said.

San immediately glanced up, seeing the other boy do the same. It wasn't a strange thing for students to be called down to the office; this none of the others in class paid much mind to this.

The physics teacher gave him a look and pointed for him to go. Wooyoung quickly stood up and walked over to the door, sharing a confused glance with San as he exited.
The door softly shut, and thus class returned to normal.

San didn't know why something in the air suddenly felt wrong. He tried his best to distract himself by doodling on a sheet of paper.

About fifteen minutes went by before the sound of the intercom went off again.

"Would Choi San report to the office as well?"

San instantly felt alarmed. The teacher made eye contact with the boy, her expression unreadable. She now gestured for San to leave as well. Thus San stood up, making his way over to the door.

The walk over to the office felt, to San, more like a death march. Going to the office in and of itself didn't scare him; the convenient calling of him and Wooyoung at the same time did. A million possibilities as to what the reason could be ran through his head.

Eventually San found himself at the door of the office. He mentally braced himself to enter.

The door pushed open quite easily, and thus San found himself taking in the scene.
Wooyoung sat in a desk chair, and a school staff which San believed to be akin to a counselor sat across from him at her desk.

Also present in the room was a familiar tall older woman. San immediately felt a nervousness form in the pit of his stomach upon seeing Wooyoung's mother.

"Yeah, that's him," San heard quietly spoken from the woman to the staff. If he wasn't nervous before, he certainly was now.

"San," said the counselor, giving him a kind smile. "Come in," she offered, seeing the boy lingering at the door. San obeyed, letting the door softly close and padding over. He took a seat next to Wooyoung, who was currently giving him a somewhat apologetic look.

"So, Mrs. Jung, what did you say the problem was again?" the counselor asked, closing a file she had open on her desk as if to signal she was fully focused on the conversation.

The mother took a harsh breath, as if preparing to rant.
"This one," she started, pointing to San, "has been... coercing my son!" she started, as if trying to put her anger into words.

San stayed silent, wondering just what the hell the lady was on about. Wooyoung gave a sarcastic laugh. "Coercing me into what?" he commented. His mother immediately snapped at him to be quiet.

The counselor raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow, ma'am. Could you further explain the problem?" she said, her tone suggesting she was trying to be cautious in accusing their students.

"Just... I want this to stop. He's clearly worsening my son's... issues, I demand that this ends!" she rambled, glancing between the two startled teenagers and the staff.

The counselor waved her hand, as if telling the mother to calm herself. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to discuss these 'issues' in private?" she inquired, not so subtly glancing at San, the outsider in the situation.

"Listen. This isn't a matter of privacy. He has the exact same problems," the woman said, making it all the more obvious just who they were talking about.

San, distracted by the two adults who were pointedly glancing at him, almost didn't notice Wooyoung place his hand over San's, giving him a light squeeze.

San fought a smile coming onto his face at the gesture, moving his hand as to lace his fingers with the younger's. This somehow put both students into a lighter mood, a bit less nervous at the situation.

It felt as it had become habit to do things of the such when stressed; not that either were complaining about it.

The counselor took a pen out of a cup on her desk, followed by a slip of paper. She clicked the pen, seemingly preparing to jot something down.

"Unless you explain the problem to me now ma'am, I'm afraid we'll have to schedule another appointment."

Wooyoung's mom now seemed a bit hesitant, glancing between the two boys and the therapist.

She then noticed the two hand in hand, both staring towards her with an air of calmness neither had possessed before.
She clenched her jaw at the sight.

"This. This is what the damn problem is," she said, pointing at the two with her thumb.

The counselor scanned over the pair, taking a moment or two to comprehend what the mother was implying. An expression of realization washed over her.

"Your problem is that your son is in a relationship with him?" she asked, her face blank in waiting for a response.

The taller woman scoffed. "I wouldn't call it a relationship. This is sickness," she spat, emphasizing the last word as to prove her point.

"Hey—" San began, Wooyoung quickly beckoning him to not speak. San obeyed, staying silent.

The counselor pursed her lips. "Ma'am, not to be rude, but why would you bring this to the school office?"

"He hasn't been home in two days!" the mom explained, as if exasperated at the lady's stupidity. "I just know he's been with that one," she glared at San.

"You're not wrong..." Wooyoung muttered, San stifling a laugh.

The counselor, as if deciding she'd heard enough, simply put the pen and paper away, crossing her arms.

"His school attendance has been perfect in those days as well. I'm sorry, but if you don't have a real problem I'll have to ask you to take your leave."

Wooyoung's mom furrowed her brows, as if not believing what had been said to her. "Excuse me? A real problem? What do you think this..."

"Teenagers date all the time. Nothing to be worried about," she interrupted, standing up and looking at her watch.

"This isn't just teenagers dating! Can't you see this is wrong?!" the mother tried, increasingly shocked at the response she was receiving.

"Boys, you're free to go back to class. Sorry for wasting your time," the counselor smiled warmly at the two, blatantly ignoring the increasingly enraged woman across from her.

San and Wooyoung shared a surprised look, before awkwardly standing up and shuffling over to the door.

Wooyoung sensed his mom about to speak, and promptly dashed out the door, San in hand.

The two practically stumbled into the hallway, shutting the door behind them harshly.
A silence ensued, both shaken by the experience of being in there.

"Holy fuck what was that?" San was the first one to break the silence.

"My god, she's crazy!" Wooyoung lamented, freeing his hand in order to push his hair back. The two began walking quickly down the hallway as to get farther away from the office.

Both shared a partly shocked, partly relieved laugh as they realized they had gotten out of the situation that easily. Suddenly they had lots of respect for their school counselor.

"Damn, why did I expect her to be homophobic?" San commented Wooyoung avidly nodding in agreement.

"What will our physics teacher think..." Wooyoung mused, San responding only with a groan.

"When we get home tonight we're definitely having cake or something to celebrate our survival," San joked, Wooyoung laughing at the idea.

Wooyoung simply cling onto San's arm as they walked, a small gesture of closeness to the other.

Both were, in all honesty, quite lucky to have breezed through that situation.
Yet somehow to both it was beginning to feel like they could get through anything with the other.

Or at least they would try.