The Project 'Buddy'

~6~

          You were added to '📸 Team'

JaiKUE: what's this

~Heeseung: I made this group chat so it's easier for us to communicate

~Jong-caprio: and here I thought I was being text-napped.

                                                                                                                                       Won 🤺: Tf

~Jong-caprio: It's true 😔

~Nicolas: hey, what did we do

~Jong-caprio: you practically forced me to join our gc. How is that not abuse?

Sun: what in the

~Nicholas: Jay nonsense? Yeah, I know he's exaggerating

~Jong-caprio: STOP 💀

~Heeseung: hey hey don't fight

~Nicholas: what are you guys up to anyway

Sun: studying

JaiKUE: yeah

                                        
                                                              Won 🤺: same
~Nicholas: you guys are so 😭

~Jong-caprio: just admit it, Nic, you're failing school

~Nicholas: no mf, because I'll be manifesting my graduation 😝

              
                                                                Won 🤺:
How is that even possible?

Jong-caprio: True words spoken

Sun: Eyyy, look who's agreeing 👀

~Nicholas: omg, you know they were literally glaring at each other just now

JaiKUE: whoa whattttt

~Jong-caprio: Nic, mf, you better shut up

                           Won 🤺:
Sunoo you too 😒🥰     
                                                            

Sun: see! You guys are relating!

You left the group chat

          Sun added you to '📸 Team'

Sun: okayyy I'm sorry!

Seen

"Ugh, you all left me on read!" Sunoo whined, and Jungwon chuckled cheekily. They hit each other on the arm before Sunoo collapsed on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

"You should save their numbers," he suddenly suggested. Jungwon slowly turned to face him.

"And why would I?"

Sunoo turned to face him now. "Make your social circle bigger, make new friends...I don't know, get a boyfriend?" He giggled and Jungwon threatened to hit him with his shoe as he took it off and raised it above his head. "Okay, okay...I won't interfere into your love life. But...I don't know, Jay seems like a good guy?"

"Why, out of all people, are you mentioning him?" Jungwon asked, fluttering his eyelashes as his shoe began to rise again, and Sunoo protected himself by raising his hands in front of his face.

"I'm just saying! I mean, you've been avoiding relationships for so long! Why not fall in love once more before senior year ends? You'll never know, maybe he is the person for you!" Sunoo explained.

Jungwon sighed, lowering his arm. "First off, what makes you sure it's a guy? And secondly, I...can't. You know how the first one went, she cheated on me, right in front of my eyes. And my second one...after thinking I could do it again..." Jungwon looked down, fiddling with his sleeves.

"You mean, Niki?" Sunoo asked softly and Jungwon nodded.

Jungwon had actually liked Niki before. Not as a friend, as a crush. It was when he just entered the their University, as a freshman. Jungwon had known him before that, but he didn't expect the kid to grow so tall and handsome after a year of not seeing him since he went back to Japan. His small, kiddy face had grown more manly and he his body had become more muscular. Jungwon couldn't hide the fact that he was cute.

Over time, he grew feelings for Niki. Feelings he knew Niki would never return back, because....that's how it was. Niki only saw Jungwon as an older brother, nothing more. But even when he heard Niki say those exact things when he confessed that night, his heart still broke, thinking that maybe love wasn't on his side. He had already been cheated on, by the first girl he had been with for about a month.

He had thought that the she and him would last, until he saw her bring carried out of a bar by another guy and passionately kissing him. He had thought he was needed to fetch her, but when he saw the other guy, his heart just shattered. He eventually learned she had been seeing him ever since the third week of their relationship.

"Sorry, Won. But...you're just always so busy with your studies and never have time for me. Plus, you're always so cold to my friends, they're scared of you! I don't know why you act like that, but let's breakup"

The words affected Jungwon a ton. Was he really always so cold around people he didn't know? He knew it was only him being on guard in case shit happened, but was he being too paranoid? Maybe that's why every relationship he had didn't last....

"Hey..." he heard Sunoo's voice, "don't take it too seriously okay? I'm sure things will work out for you. And don't even think all of that was your fault," he assured Jungwon hugging his close. When they pulled away, Jungwon smiled at him.

"Thanks Hyung. You're the best."