Third person's pov
Sunoo glanced over his shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time that day. His eyes darted around the library filled with students as he tried to focus on the textbook in front of him. But the prickling sense of being watched refused to leave him alone.
No matter where he went, he couldn't escape the paranoia that someone was tracking his every move, and reporting back to Sunghoon. Stalking him from the shadows. Spying on his art club activities before he finally gave up and quit going altogether. He quit joining the art club as soon as he remembered the warning.
Sunoo's hands trembled, making it impossible to turn the page. He shut the book and hugged his arms around himself.
Lately he has became distant, barely leaving his dorm room anymore. If only he could tell anyone. That he was terrified to step outside, interact with anyone, make eye contact.
Even here in this library, he didn't feel safe. He constantly glanced around, heart pounding, convinced that hidden eyes were watching him. Waiting for him to let his guard down and letting Sunghoon know his every move.
A week and a half dragged by, each day bleeding into the next. Sunoo returned to his dorm late each night, leaving again before dawn, doing everything he could to avoid crossing paths with Sunghoon. But it was never easy.
The distance between them cut deeply into Sunoo's heart, but he wore a mask of indifference, pretending nothing could hurt him. Though from inside, he was dying from the hurt of what had happened between him and Sunghoon.
Sunoo could never forget how Sunghoon had treated him. He thought they were starting something special, a lovely beginning where Sunoo could experience the thrill of being in love.
But Sunghoon never cared about love.
Avoiding Sunghoon had become Sunoo's normal activity, yet he still watched Sunghoon from afar, unable to let go completely. The pain was always there, just under the surface, threatening to spill over if Sunoo stopped pretending.
He watched from the shadows as Sunghoon laughed with his friends, seeming so carefree. Each giggle from the girls around him felt like a knife in Sunoo's heart.
Sunoo knew he didn't deserve this gnawing ache that consumed him as he watched Sunghoon chatting casually with the girls. He wished desperately that he could turn back time and make things right between them again.
Did Sunghoon even spare a thought for him anymore? Did he feel the same heart-wrenching pain that Sunoo felt every moment they were apart? Sunoo wondered if Sunghoon would take him back if he found the courage to reach out.
Maybe Sunghoon could love him this time, and things could go back to the way they used to be. The hope was faint, but it was all Sunoo had left to cling to.
"Sunoo-hyung, let's go and eat something. I'm hungry." Niki grabbed Sunoo's arm and pulled him towards the cafeteria, mumbling about his growling stomach.
Sunoo shuffled along without protest and Jungwon scolded Niki from behind for dragging Sunoo like he is not a human.
"Niki- stop walking so fast." said Jungwon trailing behind Sunoo and Niki.
The chatter of his friends faded into background noise for Sunoo. He appreciated these rare moments with his friends, where he can talk to someone, and feel carefree.
"Let's sit there." suggested Niki pointing his fingers towards the empty seat in the corner of cafeteria.
Sunoo trudged behind Niki and Jungwon, head down, as they made their way to an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria. He sat opposite them, placing his tray on the table with trembling hands.
"Sunoo- eat your food." Jungwon urged gently. Sunoo lifted his eyes and nodded, but a chill went through him as his gaze met a icy stare from across the room. He quickly dropped his eyes staring at his food again.
Sunghoon and his friends were sitting few meters away from his seat.
Sunoo's legs shook under the table as he forced himself to take a bite of his bibimbap. It's stuck in his throat, dry and tasteless, he washed it down with gulps of water unable to chew it for long.
"I'm sorry for taking this seat." Niki said noticing the presence of Sunghoon.
"It's okay." Sunoo mumbled through another difficult mouthful of bibimbap.
"We can't always avoid people." he shoved another bite in his mouth, forcing himself to chew. He just wanted this lunch to be over.
Sunoo had told his friends that he had broken up with Sunghoon, but he didn't told them why it happened and what was going between him and Sunghoon.
While eating the food Jungwon and Niki noticed someone approaching them and waved their hands towards that person.
Sunoo looked behind at the person they were waving at, his eyes widening at the person approaching them.
"Wonbin hyung." he mumbled, unable to process what to do.
"Don't let me see you talking to that Wonbin or any boy in campus." Sunoo's hands trembled as he recalled the menacing tone in Sunghoon's voice, his warning echoed in Sunoo's mind.
Wonbin sat beside him, smiling at him but Sunoo didn't returned back, he kept his head down, avoiding eye contact. He could feel Sunghoon's gaze at him.
"I need to get up and leave."
"I need to get up and leave."
Sunoo's heart pounded as he repeated the words in his head with trembling hands, he slowly rose from his seat but the food plate crashed down to the floor.
"Sunoo-" Wonbin quickly reached for his arms, and the deafening clatter had already drawn the attention of every student in the cafeteria, including Sunghoon and his friends.
Sunoo yanked himself from Wonbin's grasp, tears brimming in his eyes as he caught Sunghoon's icy stare, sitting with arms folded glaring straight through him.
"P-please." Sunoo stammered, barely above a whisper. "Stay away from me."
No one spoke as Sunoo stood on the verge of sobs. Jungwon and Niki noticed his sudden change in demeanor, the raw fear in his eyes as he looked back at Sunghoon.
"Sunoo, what happened?" Wonbin asked gently, stepping closer but Sunoo only backed away, shaking his head.
"Please, stay away from me." he choked out, a tear escaping down his cheek.
He quickly turned around and ran out of the cafeteria leaving his friends behind, who glared right through Sunghoon.
Niki's blood boiled as he stormed over to Sunghoon, Jungwon close behind trying to hold him back.
"What had you done to Sunoo hyung?" Niki snarled, slamming his fist at their table.
"Nothing." Sunghoon replied dismissively picking up his chopsticks.
"Nothing?" Niki scoffed as he grabbed Sunghoon's collar, wrenching him up to meet his fiery gaze. The cafeteria went silent.
Jake jumped in to pull Niki off, but Niki shook him loose, teeth gritted in rage.
"If you did nothing, then why is he living in fear." said Niki with his gritted teeth and Jungwon pulling him back.
"If he did something to himself- just know one thing. You'll be at the fault." Niki seethed taking a step back, fists clenched white.
"No wonder why I always warned Sunoo to stay away from you." Jungwon's eyes bored into Sunghoon's impassive face.
"You deserve a knocking punch."
The tense silence hung heavy over the cafeteria, all eyes fixed on them.
Niki and Jungwon turned to go find Sunoo.
_______
"Sunghoon-ah. What had you done to Sunoo?" Jake asked calmly following Sunghoon out of the cafeteria with Heeseung pissed at Sunghoon, but he choosed to stay silent.
Sunghoon couldn't speak anything instead he walked silently, he sighed heavily taking a seat at one of the benches on the ground.
He stared at the ground, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Jake and Heeseung exchanged a worried glance as their friend let out yet another heavy sigh.
"You hurt him, didn't you?" Heeseung asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.
Sunghoon slowly nodded, not meeting their eyes.
"See- i told you. It would be his fault in this." Heeseung sighed, about to lash out more but Jake placed a calming hand on his arm since this wasn't the right time.
"What are you talking about?" Sunghoon asked with his cold firm tone.
"Nothing- "What did you do?" Jake prodded.
Sunghoon just shook his head again.
"I don't know." he whispered.
"I was just...angry. I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, putting his head in his hands.
Sunghoon stared at his feet, unable to meet his friends' eyes. There was no hiding the turmoil churning inside him, no matter how cool he tried to play it.
Thoughts of Sunoo consumed him- the boy he had hurt, the boy he missed.
Weeks had passed without so much, glimpse of Sunoo, though they still shared the same spaces. Sunghoon's mood grew darker by the day.
He sighed incessantly, raking his hands through his hair in frustration. Unable to resist, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, not caring if the other students saw and reported him.
"Just go talk to him." Jake said, snatching the cigarette away.
"And stop smoking. You're overdoing it."
Sunghoon didn't fight to get the cigarette back. He just kept staring at the ground, feeling lost. Unsure where he belonged or who he should talk to.
"Sunoo is who you should talk to." Heeseung said gently, as if reading Sunghoon's troubled mind.
"Did I do something really wrong to him?" Sunghoon asked, clenching his fists tightly, dreading the answer could be yes.
"You know what happened between you two." Jake replied.
"Like we said before, he seemed to have feelings for you. Even if it wasn't love, you should still talk to him. And maybe apologize."
Sunghoon took a deep breath, hoping his friends were right maybe, maybe he should talk.
_______
"Let's not think about that hyung." Niki said, watching his friend's red nose and flushed cheeks with concern.
Sunoo sighed, his eyes downcast and voice barely above a whisper.
"I wanna go for a drink tonight."
Jungwon and Niki exchanged a knowing look. They remembered the last time Sunoo drank and got a call - the angry curses hurled into the phone, still rang in their ears.
"You sure?" Jungwon asked gently, handing Sunoo a bottle of water that he gulped down in one go.
"God knows what you'll do this time."
"It was him that, I cursed that day." Sunoo said bitterly, and both friends knew exactly who he meant.
Niki clapped a hand on Sunoo's shoulder, his voice brimming with false cheer.
"Fine. Who cares, let's go after college." He stood up eagerly, Jungwon following suit as the three friends prepared to skip their next class and leave.
"You guys don't want to know what he did?" Sunoo asked plaintively.
Niki shook his head dismissively.
"Probably something unforgivable."
"You don't have to talk about him if you're not ready." Jungwon added kindly.
"For now let's just forget it."
Sunoo managed a small smile and took both their hands. The three friends walked slowly off campus, oblivious to Sunghoon watching them leave with concern.
"Are they bunking their classes?" Heeseung asked with a frown.
Sunghoon's eyes tracked Sunoo's retreating figure longingly before he sighed.
"What? You wanna follow him?" Jake teased.
"No - let him have his time. I'm sure he needs it." Sunghoon said heavily, guilt weighing on his voice. He never meant to hurt Sunoo, but his own damaged past had led him to make terrible assumptions.
He longed to turn back time and take back the careless words that slipped from his lips. If only he could show Sunoo how much he was on his mind, how he wished he could unsay those things that drove a wedge between them.
He had ruined the best thing in his life with thoughtless cruelty. Sunghoon would give anything to erase his mistakes, to see the light in Sunoo's eyes when he looked at him again. But some wounds cut too deep to heal.
" I'll talk to him."
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You all. Only two more exams left.
And then I'll be back on my old form.. uploading stories and chapters.
I know i took a very long break, but blame my exams not me.
Anyways here's a new story for my SUNSUN LOVER'S.