member (jung wooyoung)

chapter one

"wake up already. you've been asleep too long." heiran pouted as she plopped herself on top of her sleeping friend, wooyoung. 

the male let out a groggy mewl, shifting under her and turning around. he laid on his side, wrapping his arm around her loosely. he paid no attention to her and sniffled nonchalantly, nuzzling his face against the crook of her neck. she sighed, rolling her eyes at her somnolent friend.

"wake up," she whispered, giving him a gentle pat on his back. she felt him scrunch his nose against her skin and he rolled over on his back as before, shifting a little as he held her close. "you've napped long enough, i think it's time you rise from your deep slumber." she continued to grouse, shoving him lightly.

"i've been asleep for like ten minutes, heiran." he gave her a sleepy smile, his voice quiet and raspy. she smiled, slipping away from his grip to sit up. he frowned slightly, fluttering his eyes open at the absence of his warm friend. "i was comfy." he complained, causing her to chuckle.

"let's go eat, i'm hungry."

"what a surprise," he scoffed at her, stretching his arms and legs. "where do you wanna go?" he asked drowsily, sitting up slowly and ruffling his hair in an attempt to fix it, but only making it messier than it was.

"i don't really care as long as it's food. you should ask your parents if they want anything!" she suggested happily. he nodded in apprehension and looked around for his phone, finally finding it under his pillow. he unlocked it and began texting his parents, yawning in the middle of typing his message.

there's a comfortable silence as he types, the sound effects of the keyboard of his phone filling the room. heiran sighed with a small pout, walking up to his mirror to fix a few strands of hair. he looked up at her, smiling fondly. he found her the most endearing when she didn't acknowledge him.

"alright, let's go get food." he stood up abruptly, stretching his arms again. "my parents already planned dinner, but i told them you and i were planning on getting something else." he smiled kindly, heiran's heart filling with warmth at his gentle smile. 

"this is why you're my favorite." she teased, walking up to him. "wait don't tell san i said that, he'll be so mad." she laughed at her own comment, eyes widened as she imagines his frown. wooyoung reached for his hoodie with a chuckle and slipped it on, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked out of his home.

"so, where to?" he asked once they were outside, greeting his neighbor with a bright smile. he brought his attention back to heiran, waiting for a response.

"spicy rice cake sounds really good right now, then we can go to that dessert shop we said we'd go to." she gaped in excitement, causing him to smile down at his small friend. "it's not a long walk, right? either ways, food is on me tonight!" she beamed, skipping ahead with a glistening smile. she stopped, waiting for him to catch up.

"how many times do i have to tell you that you don't have to pay me for anything?" he sighed, finally walking beside her. "i'd do anything for you. besides, how long have we been friends for?" he turned to her, lifting an eyebrow and tilting his head to the side. heiran sulked and turned away from him, blinking at his question. "yeah, that's right. since we were six." he poked fun at her, bumping into her playfully. "that's over ten years." he added, hands stuffed inside his hoodie pocket.

"fine, you win." she gave in, shoving him back just as playfully.

"as always," he shrugged and she rolled her eyes at his current arrogance. "you're honestly ridiculous most of the time. i can't believe i tolerate you." his sudden teasing caused her to gasp in a light-hearted manner, earning an abrupt laugh from him. "that goes for san too."

"that's very funny of you to say. i realize so many things that you don't even know i know, but i keep quiet because unlike you, i care for your feelings." she fired back, taking the strings of his hoodie and pulling on them rather harshly. 

"that's bullshit," he laughed again, fixing his hoodie. "you always make fun of me and you make sure you let me know how stupid i am for whatever it is i'm doing or saying." he argued back playfully, tugging on her hair mildly. she huffed at his response and crossed her arms, not fighting back anymore. "got you, huh?" he teased, ruffling her hair.

heiran nodded her head and did her best to make him believe she was genuinely upset at their quarrel. wooyoung wrapped his arms around her and placed a quick kiss on her temple, causing her to let out a playful "blegh."

"whatever, i'm never good at being mad at you anyways. even if it's pretend." she exasperated, skipping over to a pot of magnolias. she smiled brightly at her finding and took out her phone, snapping a quick picture; she found elegance and beauty in nature. 

"i'm just irresistible."

"try again," she looked back at him after putting her phone away, yawning silently. "anyways, we should walk faster because i am starving." she groaned, kicking a small rock as her arms swung loosely.

"you're so impatient," he mumbled, walking ahead and turning to give her a reassuring smile to indicate the playfulness in his comment. although both of them are always playfully taunting each other, he'd hate upsetting her, so he always made sure to demonstrate his merriment. "i'm glad we're actually going out to eat together. i have to talk to you about something important." he added tensely, nibbling on the inside of his cheek.

heiran tilted her head and furrowed her brows, studying his sudden change in body language. "is everything okay?"

"yes," he replied immediately. "really good, actually."

"are you sure?" she asked pensively, clear worry rushing to her face. he gave her a small grin to ease her evident unsettledness, following with a nod. "yes, i'm sure." he assured her, wrapping his arm around her. she remained silent the rest of the walk, her mind flooding with relentless fret.

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"we're here," he mumbled. "let's come in." he smiled and took her hand, leading her inside. the both of them bowed and greeted the kind lady that was cleaning up a table. they sat at an unoccupied table, giving each other a timid smile once they've sat.

the atmosphere between them changed after he said he had something important to talk to him about. endless agonizing thoughts and scenarios consumed her mind; she was unable to read him and it was unsettling. he's gotten too good at hiding himself.

"is that it for you two?" the lady asked once she's taken both their orders. they nodded and gave each other an apprehensive look. heiran, unable to initiate a conversation, gets out her phone instead to look at the picture she took earlier.

wooyoung's fingertips touch the top of her phone and he lowers it slowly, giving her a sympathetic look.  he tilted his head and let the tip of his tongue rest on the inside of his cheek, inhaling sharply. "can you let me talk?" he asked rather impatiently, yet gloomily. he could tell she was avoiding the conversation since he did a poor job at hiding the fact that it could cause her harm. she gulped, a heaviness settling on her shoulders at his tone.

"what's going on?"

wooyoung felt air escape from his lungs, fiddling with his fingers underneath the table. the words get caught in the back of his throat, almost asphyxiating him. he was unable to sit still, coiling with the strings of his hoodie and doing his best to gulp down the words that were about to divulge. 

"im leaving."