blood.

there's blood all over my hands.

i tried to wipe it off, but it didn't disappear. it's still there.

my breath hitched, and i started coughing blood. i panicked as i put my hand over my mouth to stop myself.

is this what death tastes like?

blood. i hate blood.

"—hyung! are you okay?"

sunoo's voice brought him back to reality. he breathed out as a sign of relief, his hands slightly shaking.

when will this end?

"yeah, i'm fine." he brushed the dirt off his pants and sat back up after trying to sleep for a few minutes. the gymnasium isn't really a great spot for sleeping.

seriously, when will i get a peaceful sleep?

sunoo blinks, still looking at him. "you didn't sleep at all, did you? you keep frowning and mumbling..."

he smiled at the younger. sometimes he doesn't like how sunoo is always observing him.

"nah, it's just too noisy here. i couldn't sleep anyway." he grabbed his backpack and stood up. "i should go. i still have a class at 3:30."

"sure hyung, i'm just gonna stay here and wait for riki. bye!" heeseung pats sunoo's shoulder before leaving.

right. they're together now. sucks to be you, lee heeseung.

he steps inside the computer science building, where he spends most of his time in front of his computer.

heeseung's daily routine only consists of studying, eating, and sleeping. that's it. and it's not like there's a lot of work to do— but there are days where it gets too tough to even get out of his bed.

i feel like i don't even know what i'm doing with my life.

when those days come, he can't help but wish that he also has someone with him.

+++++++

jake looks around before going back to the soccer field. he wanted to see heeseung before he goes to practice, but it seems like the older didn't go to the computer science building.

bummer, i should just text him instead. maybe we can eat dinner together. he smiled at the thought. he likes that heeseung is now more comfortable towards him.

i've come so far, i'm so proud of myself. he mentally hugs himself.

though half of the reason why they got close was also because of jongseong. he's mostly the one who makes a bridge between him and heeseung. my ever loving best friend, what would i do without that guy?

"you're thinking about some stupid stuff again, aren't you?"

speaking of the devil.

"haha, very funny." he playfully throws his face towel towards jay, but the latter catches it quickly.

"you can't lie to me. you have that stupid look on your face everytime you think about something dumb," jay replies while changing his shoes for the practice.

jake grinned at him and pointed at his own face. "this? dude, this is the look of beauty. this face is flawless."

jay gave him a blank stare before ignoring what he just said.

"hey," he proceeds to stand in front of him to get the guy's attention. "this face? this face will make heeseung fall in love with me."

well, not really true but what can i say? i'm confident like that.

he hears his friend sigh before facing him— now jay is also standing in front of him, their distance from each other got closer.

"mhm, you're confident?" jay asked, his eyes felt like it was piercing a whole through jake's face.

jake laughed awkwardly. "y-yeah? of course i am haha..." he blinks and looks down, as he feels intimidated by jay's stare.

he's looking at me like he's judging every part of my face.

"okay then, how about now?"

jay wipes his hand— the one that had touched the dirt from the ground earlier— on jake's face.

"what the fuck?" before jake could even react, jay has already run away from him. he's now waving his hands while laughing out loud.

"still flawless huh?" jay's voice echoed through the whole field.

jake wipes away the dirt from his face, grimacing when he felt the dirt sticking on his hand. i will kill that dirtbag. i am so definitely killing that moron.

+++++++++

busy 😪 @simjake tweeted.

don't you ever show yourself to me bc i will commit murder once i get my hands on you 🫵🫵 @cornjay ITS ON SIGHT BITCH

308 likes | 67 retweets

replies:

@yeonjuned when will the murder happen bc i want to watch 🍿🍿
↪@simjake sure, i'll give you the vip seat
@cornjay you ain't catching these hands 😴😴
↪@simjake i will make sure to burn you to bits when i see you 😇🫶

++++++++

jay park @cornjay tweeted.

"i will kill you 👹👹👹"
the murderer in question:

592 likes | 108 retweets

@sunscript aww jake's so cute here 🤏
↪@cornjay oh don't mind him babe, you're def cuter than him 😚🤏
↪@sunscript i didn't ask for your opinion so zip it
@simjake THIS WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL JFC I THOUGHT U DELETED THIS ONE YOU SHIT UR A TRAITOR
↪@cornjay listen here boo, trust no one in the house but yourself 🙏
@cyberlee this is cute haha
@nishi_rk *screenshots* this will be added to my collection of memes, thank you

+++++++++

"he saw that ugly pic," jake stares at his phone, looking horrified.

"on a side note, at least he said you're cute."

"shut up! you ruined my reputation," he gasped dramatically while his other hand was still grabbing on to jay's hair. he caught the asshole earlier while they were changing their clothes inside the locker room.

hopefully he'll be bald after i snatch all his hair.

"jake, i swear to you. you have no reputation in the first place— aw! okay, i'm sorry!" jay glares at him. "let go of my hair now, sim."

jake glares back at him. "pay for my skincare products first. you know how expensive those serums are and you put bacteria on my face? you ungrateful rat." he continued mumbling while slowly letting go of his best friend's poor hair.

jay sighed in relief as he felt his scalp breathe again. then, he grabbed his backpack and took out the sunscreen that they bought together last time. he's not fond of using these things, but jake insisted because he said he doesn't wanna look like an old hag when he gets older.

like, what does that even mean?

"come on, don't be upset now..." he tried coaxing jake to calm down.

jay put some of the cream on jake's cheek, and then spread it on his face evenly. jake scrunched up his nose when he smelled the cream on his face.

"this sunscreen doesn't smell good, you should change it. let's buy you one later."

jay smiled internally at jake's statement. he's not mad now, great.

"okay, whatever you want."

"then you can invite heeseung!" jake clapped his hands as if he just got a eureka moment. "though it's a bit embarrassing since he saw that ugly pic of mine that you just posted..."

the other rolled his eyes. "i told you, that wasn't an ugly photo. besides, does that really matter?"

he looked at jay with disbelief. "of course it matters! i like him, so i have to try my best. you won't get it because girls flock over you even if you don't do anything."

right. it's true, they do like me even if i just look at their way. but why do i feel pissed off?

"so text heeseung okay? tell him to join us for dinner too." jake giggled, getting excited at the thought of seeing heeseung.

jay fought the urge to say something that will make his friend angry again.

".....sure, will do."

+++++++++

[ bro who doesn't sleep 💤 ]

jay:
ayo
you awake or smth?

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
yeah
why?

jay:
join us for dinner
jake threatened to shave my hair if you won't come so u have to ok
👁️👁️

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
lmao
do i care about you getting bald tho

jay:
btch
you better show up later

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
sure sure
tell jake i'll be there
i just have to drop by sun's apartment later, i forgot my jacket there

jay:
ah the brown one?
yeah it's on the couch
and it's also my apartment u dumbass

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
oh sorry
i forgot
🤷🤷

jay:
dude
is sunoo the only one you treat as a decent human?
what am i then, a roach?

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
you said that yourself 🙁
also no lol
it's just that i got used to his presence haha

jay:
that you forget everyone else? yeah i get it
anw i'll see u later
don't say or do anything dumb in front of jake or else 🫵🫵🫵

bro who doesn't sleep 💤:
aight
see you

++++++++

hi! sorry, the first chapter took longer to update than expected ;-;

anyways, you can share your thoughts about this book on my cc/message board or just here 😁 i wanna know what you think of the second book ^^