Treasure: The Present || Ateez WooSanHwa

Chapter 19: Pinky Promise

After Woo bandaged Hwa's injuries, they both went to Hwa's place.

"Thank you." Hwa said almost a whisper.

"No need to thank me. I'm always here for you." Woo smiled looking at Hwa who hung his head low. "You can just spit it out, hwa." Woo said knowing Hwa wanted to say something but was too scared.

"Do you hate San?"

Woo was silent for a minute, "I don't hate him, but I don't agree on the way he's trying to fix things. The only good thing that came out of it was I found you again. This can be our road to recovery."

"Yeah, yeah you're right." Hwa still seemed like he was in deep thoughts.

"What made you fall for San?" Woo asked, genuinely curious. "I won't get mad, I promise."

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. I never told you during our senior year, but we met before. He was the first person that helped me during high school. Yeah he was flirty and cheeky but he felt genuine. I mean I didn't like him because I had you. I just felt he wasn't afraid of people knowing he was gay. He was just being himself."

Woo nodded, "So when you met him again, the same feeling of him being genuine made you feel nice and safe?"

"Yeah, he was the first person I knew before who didn't make me feel absolutely like shit. He didn't remember me or see me as someone who did horrible things during graduation."

Woo chuckles, making Hwa turn to him. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's funny because that was the same thing that happened to me. When I met San, I was trying to end my sorrow...to end myself. He was the only one who saw me as me and not the person who was in the middle of a celebrity controversy. He sat there and listened to me. That's how I fell in love with him."

"He wasn't fooling us, was he?"

"No. I think everything he did was real even though he's an asshole sometimes. That's the thing I wish and I hope the readers can see." Woo said while Hwa nodded. "Yeah I hope they see that too."

"But I don't know how to feel about him now. I just need some time to think." Woo sighed remembering what had happened.

"Would you be mad if I still hung out with San?" Hwa asked.

"No, I can't blame you for wanting San's comfort. I understand, I really do. So I'm not mad." Woo smiled, rubbing Hwa's back.

"Do you still like him? Hwa looked over at Woo while his smile slowly faded. "I don't know. Maybe."

[ Next Morning ]

The next morning Hwa had insisted on taking Woo to his photoshoot even though Woo told him to rest.

When they arrived at the photoshoot destination, they both immediately saw San. But only Hwa noticed that it seemed like San was waiting for them?

"I'll see you after the shoot, ok?" Woo smiled warmly before heading off leaving Hwa and San standing there alone.

"Well I gotta go back to my shop now so please excuse me." Hwa quickly wanted to excuse himself but San caught up with him.

Reaching to hold Hwa's hand but he winces. "Holy fuck, what happened to your hand?" San stopped upon seeing Hwa's hand wrapped in bandages. "You need to change those bandages. Staff -" San was about to call but Hwa quickly stopped him.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'll change it by myself later." Trying to pull this hand away.

"No, let me help you. You have to change it everyday twice a day otherwise you'll get an infection. Come on, let's go." Guiding him behind the shoot area where the first aid corner was.

"Ow that hurts." Pulling his arm back as soon as the rubbing alcohol touches his skin.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more gentle. Hold my arm as tight as you want, it'll help with the pain." Placing Hwa's uninjured hand on his forearm. This time more gently, San finished cleaning and dressing without much complaint from Hwa.

Although the arm Hwa squeezed hurt a bit, it was fine with San as long as Hwa didn't feel the pain as much.

"Aww you did great." Pinching Hwa's cheek, laughing.

Just as San was about to ask Hwa how his hand got injured, his manager called from behind the curtain saying it was time for the photoshoot. Leaving Hwa going to work as well.

After the shoot:

In the waiting room without anyone inside, Woo and San sat in awkward silence until Woo spoke up. "I get why Hwa likes you so much."

San shuts his eyes, "Please, you don't have to bring this up."

"Will you listen to me before assuming I'm going to yell at you?" Woo twisted his body in order to face San.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Woo sighs while playing with his fingers to help steady his voice. "Hwa and I talked last night. We understand each other, we're on the same page...mostly. I'm not mad at Hwa for finding comfort in you. I now understand why you approached Woo, I mean at least for one of the reasons. You approached Hwa like you did with me. I think we both found comfort in you in similar ways."

"But?" San urged Woo along.

"But we both agreed it wasn't the best method you could have thought of. You cheated on me for Hwa but at the same time it brought me and Hwa closer again. I still strongly dislike you right now but Hwa still likes you. I don't blame him."

"How do you feel about Hwa?"

"I just want him to be happy. I think I need to have some time to think. You both mean so much to me. So I don't know what to do right now. I just hope we can all forgive each other and we all just take a break from this mess." Woo gets up from the chair at the opposite side of the room, walking towards San. "Let's promise not to interfere with Hwa's happiness. We will let life take us wherever we will be in the future. No competition, no hatred towards each other. Deal?"

San stared at Woo's offered pinky but in a heartbeat, he wrapped his own pinky with Woo, sealing a promise.