end of the day | seongjoong

chapter seventeen

hongjoong walked into school the next morning, frowning a bit as he dragged his body through the doors. his friends automatically picked up the sudden change of emotions, not used to seeing hongjoong so down, and ran over to the small boy.

"joongie, are you ok? what's wrong? tell me!" wooyoung hollered, taking hongjoong by surprise.

"youngie, i'm ok. don't worry guys!" hongjoong faked a smile and yeosang shook his head.

"i refuse to believe that. you always run into the room smiling every morning, but today you were frowning. what's on your mind?" the boy whispered out and hongjoong sighed, not seeing a point to keeping his feelings hidden from his friends.

"well, you know how i always tell you guys that i fall for people really quickly? and how it never goes right?" the two boys shook their heads vigorously, "well, i think i like someone, and i definitely don't think it'll go well."

"who? who who who! who is it? tell us tell us!" wooyoung shook the older boys arm and hongjoong giggled at the younger's eagerness.

"of course i'll tell you! it, uh-- it might be seonghwa..." hongjoong whispered the last part, making his two friends furrow their eyebrows and look at each other.

"who? i couldn't hear what you said." wooyoung asked again.

"i said, um... s-seonghwa..." hongjoong stuttered out at a volume once again too low for either boy to hear.

"i'm sorry, am i going deaf or something?" wooyoung asked, "what did you sa--"

"seonghwa! i said, um... yeah. i said seonghwa. jongho's friend, the one who babysits me." hongjoong exclaimed, covering his face as wooyoung and yeosang began jumping up and down.

"joongie, that's so good! i know seonghwa has dated boys before, i remember he was with chanhee last year. i don't know why they broke up, but who cares! you have a good chance!" wooyoung smiled at hongjoong.

he wasn't going to lie, hongjoong didn't actually know seonghwa liked boys. he never knew about him and chanhee, which made the boy smile... but it quickly turned into a frown once again.

"ok, he might like boys. but he doesn't like me, and i know it!" hongjoong exclaimed.

"how do you know that?" yeosang questioned, furrowing his eyebrows at his friend.

"you guys aren't there when he watches me. he's such a meanie! there's no way he could like me. also, he's jongie's friend! i don't know how he'd feel about it." hongjoong cried out and began pouting.

"you'll never know unless you tell him! is it a big crush?" wooyoung shouted a bit too loud and hongjoong shushed the boy.

"don't let the whole room know! but i don't know if it's a big crush just yet. you guys know me, one day i don't even know the person, and the next they're all i can think about. and then... the next day i don't care about them anymore! i confuse myself sometimes, i swear!" hongjoong threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"well maybe you should tell him anyways. what if he's mean to you because he likes you back?" yeosang asked and hongjoong shook his head.

"no way! i know he doesn't like me back, it's impossible." hongjoong answered.

"but you've never been afraid to tell your crush you liked them. think about it, wonho, sunwoo, you told them right away!" wooyoung said.

"yeah, and they both hated me afterwards!" hongjoong crossed his arms, "i don't want seonghwa to hate me. he was finally being nicer to me yesterday, i want to keep it that way! i mean, he was still mean, but we actually had a conversation!"

"this isn't the joongie i've grown to love. you're never scared!" wooyoung shook his head in disbelief, seeming disappointed with his friends behavior.

"this time is different, wooyoung! when wonho and sunwoo hated me, it didn't bother me too much. after they left me, i never had to speak to them again. i still saw them, but i could avoid them if i wanted to. seonghwa is still connected to me, one because he babysits next and two because of jongie. i'll never get over the embarrassment!" hongjoong explained.

"i know it might be embarrassing, but i still think you should do it. maybe not yet, though. give it some time. think the situation through and see if you truly like the boy or not." yeosang told hongjoong as he put a hand on his shoulder and hongjoong nodded in agreement.

"yes! perfect idea. this is why you're the smart friend, sangie!" wooyoung ran towards yeosang and attacked him with a hug, hongjoong giggling at the cute action.

hongjoong liked yeosang's idea a lot. he figured if he still liked seonghwa as the days went on, he had to let the boy know. he was never good at hiding his emotions, and he knew it would eventually come out one day, whether he meant for it to happen or not.

"ok, fine. i'm sure he'll be watching me sometime soon. i'll continue thinking about it and maybe i'll tell him." hongjoong agreed and his friends began cheering.

"that's more like it, joongie!" wooyoung smiled, "but if you get a boyfriend, you need to find me one too!"

"me too. specifically your brother, though." yeosang giggled into his hands and frowned slightly to himself, remembering ryujin still existed.

"sangie, i promise if jongho ever ends up liking boys, i'll make sure he wife's you up!" hongjoong ran over to yeosang and engulfed him in a huge hug, feeling horrible about the boy's hopeless love.

"you're too good to me, joong." yeosang smiled at the boy, hugging him back tightly.

"it's just what you deserve, you're the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for!" wooyoung cheered and hongjoong nodded his head rapidly, agreeing.

as the bell rang, the boys found their seats, eager to learn from their favorite teacher.

ok don't think i've ever mentioned my ateez biases SOOOO let's do that!

my ult bias out of alllll my biases isss... *drum roll pls*

JUNG WOOYOUNG!!!! lol yes it's woo!!!! ateez is my ult group as well, idk if i ever said that.

but i also bias.... *another drum roll pls*

SEONGHWA AND HONGJOONG!!! yes, i'm a triple bias. call me a whore!!! idc, i'll continue biasing seongjoongyoung🤪🥵

-vic