Monday

The next morning at school, Jaehyun sat quietly at his usual spot, staring at his phone. The classroom was only half-full, with fifteen minutes still left before class began. His friends hadn't arrived yet. Woonhak wasn't there either.

Jaehyun scrolled through the messages he and Woonhak exchanged the previous evening:

Woonie🧸:
Hey Jaehyun, I'm alright, so don't worry, okay? I really just had some stuff to do

Jaehyun:
Heyy Woonie :) Okay but call me if anythings wrong yea?

He frowned, his thumb hovering over the screen. He could still remember the look on Woonhak's face when that message had come in during breakfast-the way his smile had faltered, the light in his eyes dimming. He knew Woonhak wasn't alright. Something was bothering him. Jaehyun sighed, he would wait until Woonhak was ready to open up, whenever that would be.

Woonie🧸:
I will, thank you, hyung

Woonie🧸:
I'm gonna sleep now. I'm quite exhausted..

Jaehyun:
Alright, sleep well Woonie✨

Jaehyun locked his phone and leaned back in his chair, his thoughts still tangled around his concern for Woonhak. The door creaked open, pulling him back to the present. He looked up to see Sanghyuk stroll in, his usual cheerful energy radiating from him.

"Yah, Myungjae!" Sanghyuk grinned as he came to long halt in front of Jaehyun's desk.

Jaehyun mustered a smile. "Hey, Sanghyuk."

Sanghyuk's grin faded slightly as he studied Jaehyun's face. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

Jaehyun hesitated, glancing at his phone again. "Oh, I was just thinking about Woonhak. He-"

Sanghyuk cut him off, eyes wide with disbelief. "Don't tell me you're still trying to figure out how to get his number!"

Jaehyun shook his head with a small chuckle. "Oh no, actually-"

The classroom door swung open again. Jaehyun peeked around Sanghyuk to see who it was, his breath catching slightly.

Woonhak.

The younger boy shuffled inside, his shoulders slightly hunched. The dark circles under his eyes were stark against his pale skin, making his exhaustion painfully clear. But when his gaze met Jaehyun's, a small spark of light returned to his eyes. He offered a soft smile, barely there but enough to make Jaehyun's heart lift.

Woonhak made his way over and quietly took his seat beside Jaehyun. "Good morning, Jaehyun," he whispered, his voice gentle and worn.

Jaehyun smiled back, concern etched into his features. "Morning, Woonie. You look really tired... Are you okay?"

Woonhak rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Oh, I'm fine. I just-"

A sudden gasp interrupted them. Both boys turned to see Sanghyuk, still standing there, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

"What did I miss, Myungjae?" Sanghyuk blurted out, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Last time I checked, you were losing your mind because you couldn't get his number. And now you're-?" He trailed off, speechless.

Jaehyun let out a laugh, the tension in his chest easing slightly. He turned to Woonhak, who looked up at him a bit confused, not kowing what to say. But he didn't seem uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat, Jaehyun gestured to his friend. "Woonhak, this is Sanghyuk. He's been my best friend since kindergarten."

Woonhak waved shyly at Sanghyuk, his fingers barely moving. "Hi."

Sanghyuk finally snapped out of his daze and grinned, giving a small wave back. "Nice to meet you! Wow, Jaehyun really wasn't kidding about you."

Woonhak blinked, confused. "About me?"

Jaehyun smiled and rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him." He turned to Sanghyuk. "Remember the day the pipe burst and I went looking for Woonhak? I actually found him that day-and now we're friends, " he told an extremely short version of the story.

Woonhak's eyes widened, his gaze softening. "You were looking for me that day?"

Jaehyun nodded, his cheeks tinting slightly pink. "Yeah. I wanted to ask for your number last Wednesday so we could work on the project together. And, well, I was wondering what you were always doing all alone during lunch..."

Woonhak's lips parted in surprise at the thought. Right, that had only been a few days ago... but it felt like a lifetime. So much had changed in such a short time. Jaehyun's warmth, his kindness, and his unwavering presence had made the days feel brighter.

A small smile tugged at Woonhak's lips, a glimmer of gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.

Jaehyun's heart skipped a beat, the sincerity in Woonhak's voice settling deep within him. He reached out and squeezed Woonhak's shoulder gently. "You don't have to thank me, Woonie. I'm glad we're friends."

Sanghyuk watched the exchange, his smile softening. He didn't need to understand everything to see that something special was happening here.

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Word count: 785