Color Me Rainbow || MEANIE ✔

-11 || wonwoo-

"See," Wonwoo mumbled, "love never lasts."

He closed the book he had just finished. The main characters fell in love, became soulmates, then decided that they really weren't that compatible. Their love lasted less than a week. Love always ends, whether it's through death, disagreement, or cheating.

It's why the soulmate system was faulty. Wonwoo hated it. People say your other half is your perfect match, but what nobody gets is that's not always true. Everyday, couples are separated because they aren't happy or death separates them. Then when they try to find someone new, the unstated law says that love with anyone who isn't your soulmate is a betrayal, and on top of that, it's frowned upon. So what was the point? Wonwoo didn't know. He didn't want his new status of being someone's soulmate.

He put the book into his bag. He was surrounded by couples. The teenage years were where everyone was finding a soulmate. The concept of true love is fresh on their brains, and it makes them giddy. Wonwoo wasn't going to judge them. They can make their own choices, and he was content with making his own. It was only a matter of time before they realized the truth.

Seokmin and Hoshi sat across from him, talking about the people they'd been paired up with for their most recent project. They were going to go on a double date Saturday. Their eyes were like solar lights. Without the sun, the light would remain unpowered. If Seokmin didn't have Hoshi, his eyes would never light up ever again.

Anyone who saw them would believe that true love was sweet and worth finding your soulmate for. But they wouldn't know that this was the couple's third try at love. Wonwoo rooted for them as he always did, but he couldn't help thinking that they wouldn't last.

Wonwoo sensed someone slide into the seat beside him. Expecting Jun, he looked over to greet him, only to stop short when he saw Mingyu. He held back a scowl as he hissed, "What are you doing over here?"

Mingyu held up his hands in surrender. "I promise I'm not here to kill anybody."

Wonwoo saw both of his friends, out of the corner of his eye, stop talking and their gazes settled on the newcomer. "Are you two . . . ?" Hoshi asked.

"No," Wonwoo said. "What do you want?" he asked Mingyu.

"Even though that didn't sound the least bit aggressive, I could /feel/ the aggression," Seokmin said. Wonwoo shot him a look.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out on Saturday," Mingyu said. "As friends. And before you deny, you said yourself that we're friends."

Wonwoo sighed. He had indirectly said that. "Where?" he asked wearily.

"That's a surprise." Mingyu grinned. "Yes?"

"I don't know. I'll think about it." He wanted to say no. "Is it for the article?"

Mingyu shook his head. "Nah. Just wanted to hang out as friends is all."

"We'll see," Wonwoo said.

The turqoise-haired male turned to Seokmin and Hoshi. "You guys can come to, if you want."

"No, that's okay," Seokmin said.

"We have a double date on Saturday," Hoshi added.

"We plan to be there for a while." Mingyu glanced at Wonwoo.

"Our date lasts all day, so we're good. Really," Hoshi said.

Mingyu didn't question them, but Wonwoo cursed them inside. "All day," his ass.

Mingyu stood up and gave a toothy smile. "I'll wait for an answer then," he said cooly before walking away.

"That damn jerk," Wonwoo muttered. Just when he was getting out of everyone's gossip radars, Mingyu had yo drag him right back into the middle of it.

Junhui gave a low whistle as he occupied the space Mingyu had just left. "That boy could smile at me all day, and I'd never get sick of it."

"I'm gonna tell Minghao you said that," Wonwoo said.

"But Minghao's smile is the reason I still exist," Junhui quickly added.

Wonwoo would never admit that he felt the same way about Mingyu's smile. Liking someone's smile that much wasn't bad. In Wonwoo's case, it was a bad signal. He's never really liked anyone's smile in particular. The fact that Mingyu's smile was affecting him at all said something Wonwoo never wanted to hear.

"He basically just asked you on a date," Hoshi said. "You shouldn't turn him down."

"I'm gonna turn him down," Wonwoo said.

"I haven't seen you with anybody since I've known you," Junhui mentioned. "You may not believe in love, but you know you like the physical contact." Of course, he had to add the eyebrow wiggle.

Wonwoo knew he was joking, but he had hit spot on. He did like the feel of Mingyu's lips against his, but kissing was a sign of affection. Wonwoo didn't want that part of the deal.

"I'm not gonna go on a 'date' with him just to sleep with him," Wonwoo stated, irritation clear in his tone.

Hoshi held up his hands in surrender. "You said it, not us."

Wonwoo pursed his lips then let out a deep breath. He stood up and gathered his stuff. "I'll see you guys later," he told them before leaving the cafeteria altogether.

The dark-haired male needed to clear his head. He went to the school's library to return the finished book then scanned the shelves for a new book but quickly came to the conclusion that he'd read all of the interesting ones. Instead, he pulled up a reading app on his phone. A book was bound to distract him.

One minute he had some thriller on the screen, the next he was typing one word to Mingyu.
Fine.

--------------------