CHAPTER ONE | 장

❝COMMUNICATION
IS THE KEY.❞

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Shuffling the card, an unhappy Goo distributed it on the table as the person across him held a stoic but victorious face. Too sly for his liking.

"I don't get it." The blonde started. "I always lose despite having a good hand. . ."

Unknown to him, his cards were reflected against his tinted glasses.

"Winning prize this time is 12 billion won." Of course, despite Gun's say about the ridiculous amount of money— it was just another penny in their pockets. It was incomparable to what they earn monthly.

"Hey, have you had any love problems?" Goo started as he shuffled the cards once more. Gun arched a brow at his question, it was out of character of the blonde to ask him something such as love.

From what he knows, Goo was a total player who doesn't get serious. Like, at all.

"Love problems?" Gun repeated before scoffing. "I'm not that pathetic."

"You're just single because no one wants to be with you." The blonde stuck his tongue out childishly, taunting the composed male across him.

"What's wrong with you anyway? Is it another girl you picked on the street?"

"I'm not like that!" Goo interjected before sitting back. "And no, it's not a girl and I, for sure, didn't pick him on the street."

"A guy. . ." Gun trailed off. "I knew it, you've always been gay. And yet, you still insist on me being a creep."

"You still are! Who gets aroused from fighting? Fucking weirdo."

"What about your love-life, then? Did the guy leave you because you're too overbearing? I'm not surprised." Gun arranges his deck of cards, seeing his hold first.

Goo gritted his teeth, completely annoyed with Gun that he was this close to picking up the table and smash his face with it. It was a bad idea to ask Gun for an advice, maybe he should have gone to DG instead. . . No, still a bad idea. Maybe Crystal? Fuck no, she'll give sappy love advices.

"There's this boy, his name is M/n. It's been 3 months now since we met and our relationship was progressed on. But the things is, he has strict parents, like you know the kind?" Goo started explaining, Gun nodded, deciding to hear him out for once.

"That kind?"

"That kind."

Gun nodded, motioning for him to continue. It was not everyday that Goo talks about his significant other who he seems to be serious about for the first time.

"They're basically controlling his life and I want him to leave that place and live with me instead. But the thing is, he said he won't because he doesn't know if I'm serious and we don't even have a label yet!"

"You're an idiot." Gun sighed.

"What should I do?" Goo asked as they paused on their card game.

Gun thought about it. "Well, for starters, you can beat his parents up and then cover the traces and take that boy away with you."

"You're even worse than I am!"

"But that would be too risky incase they point a finger at you and it will all trace back to the Chairman." The dark haired male thought about it.

"Exactly." Goo nodded.

"Well, you can always murder them instead."

The blonde stood up, sighing in frustration. Gun was the wrong person to ask. "Forget it!"

"Or, logically thinking— you should properly ask him out if you really like him. Genuinely. This way, you can prove that you're serious that you want to establish a relationship with him and that you're not just playing around."

Goo was dumbfounded.

"You fucker, you could have said that earlier!"

"It's more amusing to see your ugly face stretched out."

He's really gonna kill this cutting board one day.

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After days of thinking about it, M/n decided that it was really idiotic of him to say that to Goo.

Now, the blonde probably took it differently. And no matter how he tries to hide it, M/n was actually conflicted.

What if Goo loss interest?

Shutting his textbook close, it attracted the rest of the class' attention due to how loud he was. The teacher arched a brow as soon as she saw who was behind the noise.

"L/n? Is there a problem?"

M/n realized his situation immediately and shook his head firmly.

"There was a bug on my book. I apologize." He bowed his head slightly before the class continued with their discussion.

He should know better than to think about this during class. But it was the effect that Goo has on him by the mere though of him— he managed to forget about his surroundings for a moment and moved subconsciously.

Though it was common for most high-schoolers, it most definitely was a first for M/n.

Raising his hand, he excused himself to the bathroom to get his mind off of things. He already studied advance for the lesson anyway, it wasn't anything he didn't know.

On his way to the bathroom, he caught sight of a familiar mop of hair.

"Oh, M/n!" Zoe greeted abruptly, politely waving her hand as they passed by the hall. "Going to the cafeteria as well?" She asked, having a friendly vibe around her that made it easier for M/n to acknowledge her existence.

"Hmm? No. I'm heading for a bathroom break."

Zoe nodded, glancing at him at the corner of her eyes discreetly. Right, she never got to ask about that picture she caught glimpse of the other week. Probably 3 weeks ago. But she can't let M/n know that she knows, or else it would be awkward.

She has to somehow subtly imply about it indirectly.

"So. . . How's your relationship?" She wiggled her brows to loosen the tension between them.

M/n raised a brow at her odd question.

"It's complicated."

"How so?" She asked, trying to convince him to open up to her.

"Well, we hold hands, hangout, and all that. But I can't call him my lover." He was surprisingly easy to get information from. Maybe he simply just trusts her, they've been around since middle school, after all.

"Hold hands?" She whistled. "That's progress." So, it's a he! Mary is out then, then that leaves Jay! She quickly turned to him.

Odd pair. Hell, she doesn't know if they even interact or know that each other exists. Maybe it was someone not from school. But. . .

"I like to think so." He nodded. "I'm honestly confused about us right now but it's not like I'm gonna tell you about all the details. This isn't tea."

Damn, straightforward and blunt. Too blunt! Zoe quickly shook her head.

"No, no, it's not like that. I was just curious."

"Well, this is the way to the Bathroom." He pointed at the turn to the corner as he proceeded on his way.

M/n really didn't change. He was still the same boy from middle school who doesn't like interacting much and was always busy. But perhaps that was a good thing, that way, at least Zoe knows him a little bit.

Though he has changed a little. He has became a little more expressive, it was a good thing too.