Yibo sat with Youn in the cafeteria and looked grumpily out the window. It was still early in the morning, yet his mood was already at a low point. "Hey, I'm talking to you! What's going on?" Youn asked, confused.

"Nothing!" Replied Yibo grumpily, pushing the tray with his breakfast a little further away from him.

"I just don't believe you. Come on, tell me what's going on."

"Not here. I have no interest in being overheard by others."

"Fine. Then come outside with me." Suggested Youn. Yibo nodded and went outside with Youn. They walked to the old oak tree by the gateway and Youn asked Yibo, "Okay, we're alone here. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know where to start."

"I would say at the beginning."

"It's not that easy."

"Why not? You know, I don't understand what's going on with you. You're supposed to be happy, right?"

"Should I be?"

"Sure. We've been in our second year at the university for a month now. Things are going well for you and everyone is praising you. And you have your boyfriend here, and you get to share a room and a bed with him."

"My boyfriend? I guess right now I can only describe what Zhan and I have as a secret affair. And yes it's great to share the room and bed with him. I mean, when he's around!"

"Well, I don't think you're just a secret affair for Zhan. But anyway. I'm more interested in what you mean by "when he's around"."

"I mean it the way I say it. I'm just a fling to him! Every day he's with Alessia. They're together from morning till night, even walking around here hand in hand. She hugs him all the time. And who knows what goes on between them when they're alone somewhere."

"I thought you trusted him? And that still doesn't explain what you mean about when he's around then."

"I also thought I trusted him. But when I see them both, and I have for a month, I don't know if I can trust him anymore. And besides, he hasn't slept in our room for several nights already. And when I ask him where he's been, he just says he was out with friends, it got too late, and he stayed at a friend's house."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm sure that happens once or twice a week. And last weekend he'd been away, too. When I wanted to know where he was, he said he was at home with his parents. But Cheng told me earlier that he was home for the weekend and Zhan wasn't there. And you know who else wasn't here at the dorm this weekend?"

"Alessia?"

"Exactly!"

"And now you think Zhan was with Alessia?"

"Where else would he have been? And isn't it strange that he always stays away from the dorm at the same time as Alessia?"

"That's really strange. It really sounds like there's something more going on between them. But somehow I don't believe that. Zhan does love you. Even if he doesn't show it publicly, I can see the way he always looks at you. Besides, he always gets jealous when you're with Emily."

"I think that's just faked jealousy. I don't know what he's trying to get at. I certainly don't believe him anymore!"

"Okay."

"Earlier after Cheng told me that Zhan wasn't home for the weekend, I asked Zhan about where he was. And you know what? He got angry."

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust him."

"Well, how are you supposed to trust him when he's acting so weird and is always gone when Alessia is gone too?"

"That's what I said. And he then said that it doesn't automatically mean that he spends nights with Alessia. And then he came at me again with the same crap. He told me to be patient, that he couldn't tell me anything yet, and that I should trust him. But I can't do that anymore. He keeps lying to me and I'm really sick of it!"

"So you guys have been fighting."

"Yeah sure we had a fight. I told him in plain terms that I finally wanted answers and I wouldn't put up with it much longer. He then said that he would love to tell me everything but couldn't. I then accused him of not trusting me either and that's why he doesn't tell me anything. He denied that."

"Honestly, I think like you. If he trusts you, then surely he can tell you what he always does when he spends the night somewhere else and why he's so attached to Alessia."

"Yes exactly. But he doesn't tell me anything and just keeps putting me off. But this time I'm not giving in. No matter how much I love him!"

"Do you really think you can resist him and his advances?"

"I don't know. I'm sure it's hard for me. But this time I just can't give in. I'm tired of all this secrecy. I thought I could be patient until he could talk to me about everything. But I can't take it anymore. It's just too much for me."

"I can understand that. Hey, how about we try to find out what he's really up to when he's not with you?"

"You mean spy on him?"

"Yes Yibo. You and me. Cheng we'd better not say anything because he might tell on us. After all, he and Zhan are brothers. And I'll keep Seoki out of it. He'd just try to talk us out of it anyway."

"Maybe you're right about Cheng. Earlier when he told me that Zhan wasn't home for the weekend, I said that Zhan had told me exactly that, though, and Cheng looked startled, like he'd said something wrong. Maybe he knows exactly what Zhan is up to."

"Mn. Do you know what Seoki said to me a few days ago?"

"No, what?"

"That Zhan and Cheng are weird. They fight almost every day at least once because of Alessia. But right after that, everything's fine again. Like nothing ever happened."

"Mhhh, that's right. Now that you mention it, I notice it too."

"And he also said that it's weird that they always walk away from us to argue and then seem to talk quietly."

"So he thinks they're making a show of it in front of us?"

"Exactly."

"Maybe your Wooseok is right about that. Maybe I just didn't notice it before because I'm too close to it because of Zhan."

"Yeah, that could be true."

"Now I also remember what Emily said to me the other day. She said she saw Zhan and Cheng leave the campus together and drive off in a black SUV. Zhan was said to have been driving. But according to Zhan, he doesn't have a car and neither does Cheng. At first I thought maybe she was mistaken and so I didn't think about it further. But now I think she was right."

"I think we should both look into it and try to find out the truth. Zhan won't tell you anything. And I doubt Cheng will say anything."

"That's what we'll do Youn. We just have to make sure we don't get caught or give ourselves away."

"No problem. We can handle that, right?"

"Absolutely."

"So where do we start?"

"I'd say we'll secretly follow Zhan from now on when he leaves campus again."

"Okay."

"But then that means we can't let him out of our sight. Because he always leaves without telling me first. One moment he's still with Alessia. And the next moment he's gone and left campus."

"We could ask Emily to support us. Six eyes see more than four, and she's on campus a lot and may see when Zhan leaves campus sooner than we do."

"Right. I'll ask Emily later. I have two training sessions with her later. I'll ask her then."

"Good, and I'll keep an eye on Zhan. I'll see him in acting class later."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Shit, we've got to get back. Coach Deal's workout is about to start. If we're late, he'll lecture us again about punctuality and make us run 20 miles again."

"Right. Come on, we better hurry." Said Yibo. The two ran as fast as they could to still be on time. They made it a few seconds before the bell rang.

When the lunch break started, Yibo went to the cafeteria and was completely lost in his thoughts. That's why he didn't notice when someone approached him. He really flinched when the person suddenly spoke to him. "Are you still mad at me baby?"

"Oh fuck Zhan! Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" Yibo asked angrily as he tried to calm his hammering heart.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"What do you want?"

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes." Lied Yibo. Although he had long since calmed down, he wanted to let Zhan struggle a little longer. After all, this time he didn't want to give in right away again.

"I'm sorry baby."

"Good for you Zhan. But that still doesn't explain where you really spent the weekend. Or should I say with whom, rather?"

"I told you that I would never cheat on you. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"Oh yeah? Don't you realize that your lies and your secrets hurt me the most? How can I trust you if you don't trust me and lie to me?"

"Yibo, I can trust you..."

"Yes, yes I know. You can't tell me yet. You know what Zhan? I can't listen to it anymore. I'm really tired of it. I'm actually a calm patient person. But at some point, even I reach the point where I can't stay calm and wait anymore."

"What do you want me to do? What can I do to make you trust me again?"

"You know the answer! Stop lying to me and tell me what's going on already."

"I can't."

"Then I have nothing else to say. Go to your Alessia. I'm sure she's already eagerly waiting for her dearest Zhan. I'm sure she'll be all frustrated because you guys didn't go to the cafeteria holding hands. And surely she'll get mad again as soon as she sees us together. So go! She's more important to you than me anyway!"

Zhan grabbed Yibo by the forearm and dragged him with him to the dorm and to their room. He literally pushed Yibo into the room and glared at him angrily. "What was that? She's more important to me than you?" Zhan asked in anger.

"That's the truth!"

"How could you even think such a thing?"

"How could I not? By day and night, all you care about is Alessia!"

"That's not true baby."

"It isn't? You're only ever with her and I don't believe you spent the nights you were away with friends. Because purely by chance Alessia wasn't here those nights either! So stop lying to me! You definitely have something going on with her! And I'm just someone you're playing with."

"This is bullshit Yibo! I love you. More than you can probably imagine. Do you think I enjoy spending time with Alessia? No, definitely not! If it were up to me, I would love to just be by your side day and night. But I can't. Not yet!"

"Well, I'm afraid I can't believe you anymore. And I think until you're clear about what you really want, her or me, we shouldn't continue this with us. I don't want to be your secret affair anymore. I want to be with you. But I can't stand seeing you and Alessia together so intimately all the time. And even less can I stand your lies."

"But I don't want to end it with us."

"But I do want to end it. I can't go on like this. And I don't want to either. From now on, we're just roommates and nothing more. And now I'm going to eat. You can do whatever you want. Go to your Alessia. Sleep with her. I don't care." Yibo had no idea why he had said that. He didn't even want to end it with Zhan. It just slipped out. He regretted it as soon as he said it.

"I won't let you go Yibo. Never!"

"That's not your decision Zhan."

"And I told you I will not let you go." Replied Zhan. He grabbed Yibo and kissed him. Yibo resisted strongly, but only for three or four seconds before he became like wax in Zhan's arms and began to return the kiss. "I will never let you go. I know that everything looks like I'm cheating on you and having something with Alessia. But I swear to you, it's all for show. I love only you. And very soon I will tell you everything. Please give me some time. You'll see, everything will work out."

"But how can I still trust you Zhan?"

"Trust in my love for you. Try to trust in that."

"But..."

"Baby I swear to you, everything I do is for a good reason. I just can't explain it to you yet, unfortunately. And it's not because I don't trust you. I do. But as far as Alessia is concerned, I can't let you in on it yet."

"Okay." Yibo didn't know what else to say to that.

Zhan kissed Yibo again, and Yibo was annoyed that he couldn't resist Zhan once again. But at the same time, he was glad that Zhan didn't let him go. Because actually he didn't want to part with Zhan anyway. And this way, at least he didn't have to admit that those words had just slipped out in his anger. "Let's leave the campus together and go eat outside. Okay?"

"I don't think we have that much time Zhan. Let's go to the cafeteria instead. I'm sure Alessia is already waiting for you."

"Baby, I want to go out to eat with you now."

"But we can't do that in time."

"Yes, we can. We could go eat a hot dog down the street."

"That's against my diet."

"Please baby."

"Fine." Replied Yibo. Zhan kissed him again and then they both left their room and went to the hot dog stand at the end of the street together. They each ate two hot dogs.

When they were back on campus, Zhan turned to Yibo again. "Even though I have to go back to Alessia now, I want you to know that my thoughts are always with you. I ask you again to trust me and be patient a little longer. I love you my baby."

"I love you too Zhan. Now go. Before she goes crazy again."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Said Yibo, watching Zhan leave to go to Alessia. And again, Yibo felt he could trust Zhan. Still, the doubts were there and his plan to try to find out the truth together with Youn still stood and would remain. But now he had to go to training first. After all, he is still a student and his studies should come first.