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━━━ " 📂 " ..⃗. ༉
𝙍 𝙊 𝙈 𝘼 𝙉 𝘾 𝙄 𝙉 𝙂
! chapter one hundred
& thirty six ─── ʚĭɞ
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Several plates were placed under their noses, the three best friends sitting around a table following Seojun's various performances up on the small public stage. "Here's your pizza." The waitress placed it down on the wooden table to a chorus of 'thank you's from Seojun and Miyeon.
The two were leaning forward to pull slices off of thhe pizza instantly, but sitting across from them and leaning back in his chair, Suho was yet to move, instead watching them with a sort of bemused look. Which dissolved into disgust when he saw Seojun shovelling the food in.
Finally, Suho moved forward and took a piece and placing it down on his plate as he moved his sleeves out of the way, raising it to his lips and taking a bite.
"I'm never making a bet with you again." Seojun proclaimed, his words causing Miyeon's eyebrows to dart upwards in confusion. It seemed that Seojun had really enjoyed being up on stage, but perhaps she was wrong.
"Were you hungry?" Suho caught the change in expression on the Hwang girl's face. "Did you forget to take her to lunch?" He accused suddenly, in his usual calm manner.
"I did Jiu-Jitsu and sang, of course I'm hungry." Seojun narrowed his eyes, nodding towards Miyeon. "I'm surprised she is, the amount of those stupid drinks she had me make for her on my shift."
"Hey - I like them." Miyeon protested, the Han boy only shrugging at her. "Suho, you like them as well, don't you?"
"Don't get me involved in this thing." Suho shook his head. "Besides, I find it better not to criticise her eating habits." He looked pointedly at Seojun, who only chewed quicker and swallowed his mouthful.
"I'm not criticising her, I'm merely making a comment. You know that right?" Despite his confidence in front of Suho, when Seojun looked towards Miyeon she saw threads of panic through his expression.
She nodded hurriedly. "Of course I do." The Hwang girl reassured him, tapping his shoulder gently before turning her gaze over to Suho. "What were you saying before?"
"Me?" Suho paused, not being able to remember what had been on his mind. "Oh.. by the way, your vocal skills aren't as good as before."
"Not helping." Miyeon muttered under her breath, reaching for another slice of her pizza. Beside her, Seojun had put down the slice in his hand and stared over at Suho.
"What are you talking about?" He began, speaking whilst he chewed. "I have a more deep and manly voice"
"Exactly. So why don't you use that deep and manly voice to sing." Suho asked.
The Han boy looked thoughtful for a minute, but little less offended than he had done so before. "It's too late." He eventually answered.
"It's not too late." Suho spoke, both of the former trainees' gazes flicker up towards him, wondering if what they had thought he was insinuating was correct. "For either of you."
"I'm not interested." Seojun spoke up first, avoiding Suho's gaze by taking a sip of drink.
"Me neither." Miyeon added quietly, having given it a little more thought as she nibbled on the end of the slice. "I'm not interested." She confirmed, a little louder.
"I want you both to sing again." The Lee boy's words were filled with his usual air of confidence and well-intentioned arrogance. "I'm sure Seyeon would want the same." At the mention of Seyeon, their actions faltered. "For you both to keep singing, and Miyeon to continue with her songwriting."
"I have been.. with the songwriting." The Hwang girl confirmed. "I'm working through my old notebook."
"Fine, then for the both of you to keep singing." Suho righted his previous words. He had abandoned his food as he watched his two friends remain quiet as they ate. "What would you have asked for if you had won?" He changed the subject after taking a sip of his drink.
Miyeon missed the momentary waver in Seojun's confidence as he glanced over to her and back at Suho, taking a deep breath. "Do you want to know? Really?"
This intrigued both Suho and Miyeon. "Lets hear it." Suho nodded as he puut down his glass, attention returning to the Han boy.
"I was going to ask you if I could tell Im Jugyeong how I feel." Seojun avoided Suho's sudden glare, and ignored how Miyeon stilled beside him, realising exactly what he was saying by that. He was trying to take Juyoung's advice, or at least she hoped that.
And whilst Miyeon's stomach contracted with a jolt of confused hope, Suho finally understood what exactly was so complicated about their relationship. He had intially been confused, knowing that they had kissed and ultimately returned to being friends for all of a couple days, knowing that Miyeon's feelings were left sitting in her heart and Seojun feeling incredibly guilty and bewildered.
The Lee boy had, admittedly, forced himself to forget Seojun's feelings towards Jugyeong for a period of time. They were so happy, and whilst he couldn't stop the Han boy's attraction, he had hoped it had subsided. And it appeared they had, only to be merged into a confusing knot of feelings that had surfaced for his best friend.
"I wanted to ask for you permission." Seojun continued, seeing the change in expression.
"You did?"
"Yes." The Han boy nodded. "I want to have her reject me so that I can move on." That made a bit more sense for Suho, who had been confused by the gentleness that had appeared in Miyeon's eyes.
"Good. I was going to question how you could do that to her." Suho nodded towards Miyeon, Seojun leaning down to take a bite of his pizza. "Or yourself, after all this time."
Seojun promptly choked on his bite.
"What?" Miyeon asked, hand raising to pat Seojun on the back as he coughed, trying to lean forward and get a grasp of his expression. When the choking finally came to a stop, Seojun hazarded a glance over to Miyeon before staring determinedly down at the table, eyes graze over the grooves and indents in the wood. "Suho, what do you mean?"
"I... assumed that you already knew." The Lee boy swallowed, eyes flickering over to Seojun as he sat up, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as that learned confidence faltered. "Can I tell her?"
"You might as well." The Han boy muttered, carefully avoiding their gazes. "But neither of you can go on about it, okay?" In his peripheral vision he saw them nodding.
"If you're sure.." Suho turned to Miyeon, who was prodding at her pizza. "Seyeon wasn't the only one who liked you during your trainee years."
"What?" Miyeon repeated, looking confused for a little longer before realisation struck. "Oh.." Her heart fluttered awfully sweetly at the words, glancing over at the blushing boy beside her. "I see."
"Yes. If either of you ever bring it up again then.." Seojun trailed off, threat left unfinished. Suho and Miyeon nodded yet again, deciding to drop the topic as they continued onto other conversations.
Soon enough the food was gone, and the three of them slumped back in their seats, meal paid for and happy smiles sitting on their faces. Against the table, Seojun's phone vibrated and he glanced at it. "My mom wants me to come home." He sighed. "I'm guessing she wants all the details?"
"They know?" Suho questioned, looking between them. "I bet Mrs Lee is happy. She always wanted Miyeon to end up with one of us - I suppose you more than anything."
"She mentioned that." Miyeon nodded, looking towards Seojun who didn't seem entirely surprised at either of their words. "I'm expecting a call from Gowoon later as well about it."
"Come on then, it's late." Suho stood up, prompting the rest of them to do the same. "We're not too far from your apartment right?" He turned to Miyeon.
"I'm walking her home." Seojun spoke up, twisting a hand around the girl's arm after she had put her coat on, picking up the couple of bags from her shopping. Suho was about to reply when he spoke again. "I always walk her home."
"Fine, but there's no need to get jealous." Never to be flustered by the Han boy's words, Suho only shrugged. "I already have a girlfriend."
"Okay, let's not get into that here." Miyeon stopped Seojun before he could bite back with a response. "Suho, thank you for the offer but it seems that Seojun would like to walk me home. See, it's that easy." She turned to Seojun, who shook his head.
"Alright, lets go. Thanks for the food.. and the singing I suppose." Seojun turned to Suho as they walked out onto the street, turning in opposite directions.
"Think about the singing thing, alright?" Suho asked. "You're both talented and should persue it. I'll see you at school."
And with waves goodbye, Seojun pulled Miyeon with him as they began to walk back to her apartment, cold winter air biting at their cheeks and promises to the Lee boy to consider his words hanging between them.