Alone Together [RIIZE]

17. Things Change

"It's homecoming night! Where's Anton and Eunseok? And Shotaro?" Wonbin threw his phone in frustration down onto the sofa.

The group had decided to meet at Sungchan's place, considering that it was the closest to the bus stop and between everyone else's houses. However, only some people showed up and the rest had been running late, including Sungchan himself -which meant getting themselves ready in Sungchan's apartment.

Wonbin huffed and stood against the kitchen wall, leaning on it as Sungchan changed into his outfit in his own room and Sohee changed down the hall. Seunghan sat down on the sofa he'd thrown his phone on, scrolling on his own.

"Eunseok's setting up with the DJ and announcement booth, he'll meet us there. And Shotaro's with the dance team, remember?" Seunghan replied as he watched as Sungchan tossed a pair of socks into the hallway, complaining while he looked for his dress shirt.

Seunghan held up Wonbin's phone again, raising an eyebrow in warning -silently telling him not to throw the phone again, pretty please.

"Why do you suddenly care?" Sohee peeked her head out of the bathroom and quirked up an eyebrow. She scoffed and turned back to the mirror, glazing her lips with purple, buttery gloss. "You don't like even Anton!"

Wonbin bit his nails and sat back, reaching for a cigarette. "Doesn't mean I'm not worried." He argued, still denying any feelings he might still have for Anton. But deep down, he did like Anton! He was actually really worried for the boy -missing his cynical remarks and sarcastic laughter.

Sungchan glanced at Wonbin knowingly, walking out of his room and down the narrow hallway. He wasn't just worried about Anton too -he was worried about both Sohee and Wonbin as well. All three of them had his heart jumping in anticipation and fear of what might happen next.

Not to mention the increase in nightmares lately, always ending with the tip of a white rifle and a man in a white suit.

Seunghan placed his phone down gently next to his flute case and patted Wonbin's shoulder. "It's okay to be worried. I am too! He hasn't spoken to me since... that."

Wonbin lit the cigarette in the living room, only to be scolded for it by Johnny.

"No smoking in here, little dudes." Johnny walked past the couch and plucked the cigarette out of Wonbin's hands, only to smoke it himself. Sungchan could only stare at the deep eyebags and sad expression on Johnny's face (when did that get there? Johnny was so full of life before the incident)."I'm the only one who can light up in here."

Wonbin bowed his head politely, switching to Korean now to sound more genuine; "Ah! Sorry, hyung! Force of habit!"

Seunghan giggled, covering his mouth with a gloved hand as he did so. "Since when are you so polite?" He asked, watching Johnny walk into a different room, adjacent to the bathroom.

Wonbin pulled his hair back with a neon green hair-tie and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Since I realized that I keep being an asshole and it keeps hurting people, that's when." He muttered with a slight edge to his voice, making Sohee double back and close her lipstick tube, stuffing it in his purse pocket and walking into the living room.

"Ah." Was all that she said, before sitting on the arm of the chair and leaning against the older boy. "Should we get going and meet them there?"

"The others?" Sungchan tapped something on his phone with a scowl. "I can't get a hold of Anton. I think he blocked me." He furrowed his eyebrows at the screen. "I don't even know if he's going."

"Then we do the show without him." Wonbin decided, grabbing his guitar case from against the wall and tugging at his ripped jeans. "It's just one song and he knows where we'll be if he changes his mind."