path to dazzling lights // ateez high school au {on hold}

1.10 void of calm

"Woo!"

"Now look what you've done?!"

"Why do you always blame me when something happens?"

"I don't know, why don't you question whose fault it was in the first place?"

The two continued arguing. It looked like an endless one.

San took matters into his own hands. He ran over to Wooyoung, who had already started to stir.

"How long was I out?"

"Less than a minute, and you should be grateful it wasn't more. Come on, let's get you to the med bay."

"Hehe, I've never heard anyone use the term med bay before."

"Fine, nurse's office. Now, stop laughing at me. Let's go."

He helped Wooyoung up to his feet and supported him to walk just in case he would faint again.

*A few minutes after they left*

"Hey, where'd those shorties go?" *ooof*

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In that present moment, when the two taller registered their disappearance, Wooyoung was so desperately trying to convince the nurse that 1. He was fine, 2. He wasn't injured and 3. He was absolutely fine.

"Are you really certain you haven't hit your head or something?"

"Yes, Nurse Joy." (yes, I am a Pokemon fan if you couldn't tell by my pfp)

"What was that?"

"Nothing." San, who was standing behind the nurse, was desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

"Well, since you're absolutely certain you're fine, let me just go get you some headache pills just in case. You should carry them around with you, just in case you ever feel dizzy again. I don't want you fainting again. Alright, Mr Jung?"

"Yes...."

"Good." and with that, the nurse left to get her pills from the cabinet in the next room.

It was at this moment that San could no longer hold in his close to boiling laughter.

"Pfft- bahahahah what the hell was that, Woo?"

"What? Its an appropriate comparison. You don't feel like all nurses are similar to some extent? Maybe you got lucky."

"Maybe I did."

At that moment, the nurse came back, and San immediately stepped backwards, his expression reverting back to one of seriousness, almost expressionless. It was almost as if someone had flipped a switch within his mind.

It was kinda creepy.

The nurse handed Wooyoung one layer (?) of pills (sachet? hope you understand what i mean, i can't think of the word right now).

"Take these with water if you ever feel nauseous or dizzy. I don't look forward to seeing you here again, Mr Jung. Especially since you just started here!"

"Okay, thank you Nurse Kim. Bye!" Wooyoung waved rather vigorously while San only gave her a curt nod before they both turned and left. "I'll be seeing you tonight, right, San?"

Wooyoung sharply turned around and looked at the nurse, who was staring rather intently at the other, before staring at San incredulously, the latter taking his time to look around and giving a slight, albeit hesitant nod before turning back and leaving the room silently. 

The lone boy left in the room bowed once to the nurse before hurrying out the door after San.

He caught the other in the hallway outside the office, walking rather stiffly. When Wooyoung came closer, however, he realized that his classmate was also muttering, or rather grumbling, words under his breath. "Of course she had to mention it right there, when someone else is present so I don't disagree... You've missed too many sessions for your own good... Hah, no. I haven't."

Wooyoung, being a rather cowardly soul, somehow decided it would be safer if he went to lunch by himself. He tried to slip past the other, but lo and behold, he failed. Again.

"Oh hey Woo! You ready to head to lunch?" And in that split second, San's expression took another turn. Where he had been gloomy a moment ago, there came a burst of sunshine. His eyes curved into crescents, a wide grin appearing, holding no hints of what had been there an instant ago.

Internally, Wooyoung shuddered, but still his brain told him not to think about it too much. "Yep! Let's go!"

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By the time the two reach the lunch hall, it was already packed with people. Of course. They were late. Instead of waiting in line, however, Wooyoung was already sat at the table with Hongjoong, Seonghwa and Yunho. San had offered to get the lunch for him, quoting that he didn't want him to risk fainting again, which had caused a hullabaloo of worry among the elder two. 

It was appropriate. They were worried.

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright? You know, if you hit your head you might have a concussion, even though you don't feel it now. Or are you not drinking enough water? Your body is made up of 80% water, if you don't drink enough, obviously you're going to faint..."

"For goodness sake, Hwa! You sound like my mum! Please stop! 그만해!" (flashbacks to thanxx behind the scenes... PARK SEONGHWA PABO!!!!)

"Hehe, now you know how I felt for that whole year before y'all came... Not a great feeling, is it?"

"Weellll, if I didn't do that, who knows what trouble you would have gotten into, Joong. Don't think I don't know about your insomniac habits, you look like a panda every single day."

"How dare you expose me like that?!" *mock horror*

"Okay fine, raccoon."

"That's not any better..."

"At least it was funny."

"Nobody laughed."

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

"You bicker like a married couple."

San had finally returned with their food.

"Who says they aren't a married couple?" That was the first statement Yunho had said in the last 5 minutes. Clearly, he was still upset after that encounter with Mingi. But now, when Wooyoung looked at him, most of the rage appeared to have cleared up.

"Because we really aren't?!" Hongjoong retorted, although he tried to hide it, a slight hint of red had made its way onto his cheeks, turning them pink. Anger or embarrassment? Wooyoung would never know.

"Here you go. Eat. It's also entirely possible that you fainted due to lack of food."

"Thanks, San."

The meal continued in silence, which was very uncharacteristic for them. You see, before Wooyoung arrived, there would never ever be a breach in their conversations over lunch.  However, it could also be the fact that one of them was unhappy, and that overwhelming feeling enveloped all of them.

A couple more minutes passed, the silence started to grow uncomfortable.

Wooyoung felt uncomfortable.

Somehow, he felt like it was all his fault. Entirely his fault that they weren't talking. That discomfort quickly transitioned into sadness.

He quickly finished up his lunch, left his tray on the rack, exited the room, and headed straight for the rooftop, where he knew he would find solace.