"but mom, i don't want to go!" hongjoong screamed from inside his bedroom, refusing to open the door for his mother.

"joongie, you can't stay locked up in your room all day and night! wooyoung's mom texted me and asked for you to go over because you refuse to text wooyoung and yeosang back. they just want to help you, please!" hongjoong's mom yelled back, trying to convince her son that hanging out with his friends is something he needs to do right now.

"no, i don't w-want to!" hongjoong fired back, choking on his words as he spoke.

"fine, then i'll just tell them to come here and you'll have to hang out with them." she answered back, stomping her feet in place to give hongjoong the idea that she was walking away from the door.

"wait!" hongjoong screamed, rushing towards the door and opening it. his mother turned around and smiled, thankful her little plan worked, "fine, i'll go to youngie's. but i'm not staying too late!"

"that's fine, baby. but i definitely think you should go, talking to them could help get your mind off of everything." she pulled hongjoong in for a hug, rubbing circles on his back. hongjoong hugged her back and then backed away to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"i guess you're right. should we leave now?" hongjoong asked and his mother nodded her head yes.

"let's go now. get your shoes on." she instructed and began walking down the stairs, waiting by the front door for hongjoong to finish getting ready.

——

"yay, he came! sangie, joongie came!" wooyoung jumped up and down after opening the front door for his best friend. yeosang heard wooyoung's screams and ran down the staircase, engulfing his hurting friend in a huge hug.

"hey guys." hongjoong greeted weakly, waving without putting a smile on his face.

"come on, let's take him upstairs." yeosang said, grabbing onto hongjoong's hand and walking with him up to wooyoung's room. wooyoung shut the front door and followed the two, closing his bedroom door behind the three of them as they made their way into the bedroom.

"so, how have you been?" wooyoung asked, sounding calm for the first time in his entire life as he took a seat next to his friends on his big bed.

"i've definitely been better." hongjoong chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he spoke.

"i'm still really sorry for hurting you, joongie. i hope you're not mad at me." yeosang looked down into his lap as he let a single tear fall down his cheek.

"absolutely not!" hongjoong said, facing his friend and giving him a hug, "i should be thanking you, if anything. i know that was hard to tell me because you didn't want to hurt me, but in the end, i would've eventually found out. it's better you told me as soon as it happened rather than letting me live in a lie."

"yeah," wooyoung agreed, "hongjoong is right. you did the right thing, sangie. but has seonghwa tried talking to you? has anything else happened?"

hongjoong nodded his head and took out his phone, opening it for the two boys to look through all the messages that seonghwa has sent to him since the night before.

seongie 🧚🏼‍♀️
please hongjoong, i never meant for any of this to happen. i'm so sorry
read 8:07 pm

hongjoong, please answer me
read 9:23 pm

i'm an idiot
read 9:45 pm

you mean the world to me
read 10:04 pm

honestly, i deserve the silent treatment
read 10:22 pm

i broke us
read 10:38 pm

you don't have to answer me, but i'm going to keep trying to text you
read 11:12 pm

i hope you don't think i'm trying to guilt trip you because i'm not, but i just can't stop texting you. i miss you
read 11:44 pm

goodnight. you might already be asleep, i'm not sure
read 12:02 am

you read my message, so i assume you're still awake then
read 12:03 am

i'm so fucking sorry hongjoong
read 12:43 am

go to sleep, you don't need to answer me... but please go to sleep, it's very late. stop reading my texts
read 12:43 am

i can't sleep
read 3:26 am

oh you're still awake
read 3:27 am

i'll stop texting now. i want you to sleep. goodnight again
read 3:31 am

good morning
read 11:23 am

you're awake already
read 11:23 am

i'm not going to lie, i didn't sleep at all last night
read 12:21 pm

i'm pathetic
read 2:15 pm

i let other people get in between my feelings for you and that is my biggest regret in my entire life
read 3:50 pm

maybe you'll answer me soon, but i understand if you don't
read 4:11 pm

i messed up. i'm so sorry. i just want you to know that
read 6:47 pm

"wow, he sent you a lot of messages." wooyoung said, pointing out the obvious after he finished reading them through with yeosang.

"yeah, but i'm not answering him. he doesn't deserve it." hongjoong shook his head as he spoke, taking his phone back from wooyoung's hands.

"exactly, he doesn't deserve it. you have every right to ignore him for as long as you please." yeosang smiled widely, making hongjoong smile back at him.

"i just don't wanna see his face ever again." hongjoong spoke quietly, allowing for a few tears to fall down his cheeks.

"i'm so so so sorry joongie. you don't deserve this." wooyoung began crying along with hongjoong, moving from his seat next to yeosang to sit on the other side of hongjoong. he side hugged hongjoong, allowing the boy to cry on his shoulder. yeosang hugged the boy from his other side.

the three of them sitting in silence, only the sound of sobs being heard.

"i don't k-know i-i-if i can go to s-school next week, if i'm b-be-being honest. i think it'll h-h-hurt too much." hongjoong composed himself enough to speak somewhat coherently, trying his best to hold back the tears as he spoke.

"if you can't go to school, it's ok. take some time away from everything. i'm sure your mommy will understand that it's what's best for you." yeosang said to hongjoong, rubbing his thigh as he spoke.

"yeah, i t-think she w-will." hongjoong sniffed.

"ok, come on. let's have some fun now! no more tears, no more boys, just fun!" wooyoung shot up, holding a hand out for hongjoong to grab, "my mommy made your favorite dessert, strawberry shortcake!"

hongjoong's once tear filled eyes changed to one's of happiness, "really, she made that?"

"yep, she made it just for you! now come on, we don't want the cake to go stale!" wooyoung cheered. hongjoong grabbed onto wooyoung's hand and ran with the boy down the stairs, yeosang's little legs following quickly behind the two.

ok so a lot of y'all wanted a double update and since i was so mean i felt you deserved it. and btw, i just graduated high school! i was third in my class🗿should've🔪the girl who beat me for salutatorian by .02 points. nah i love her we're besties LOL🥰

-vic