HEAVEN

SIX

DAY EIGHT: ???.

"Hyung!"

Donghyuck turned his head, and saw Jisung walking towards him, still sweaty and tired from their practice earlier.

"Oh, Jisung? What is it?"

"Areum's picking me up for lunch, wanna come?" Jisung asked, and Donghyuck knew he had to say no.

One, because Jisung is whipped for Areum and he'll do anything to be with her, even for just a minute (Donghyuck wanted the two to be together already, it was tiring seeing them struggle). Two, because Jiha is picking him up for a new date.

There's an unspoken rule between the two of them now. No one is allowed to remind each other of the following two weeks. Jiha's departure. After the day at the forest, they seemed to grow distant. the last text Donghyuck's received from Jiha was from last night — information about his date the following day and the needed clothes — but no more kaomojis, no more hearts, nothing.

It's still hurting Donghyuck, yes, but he thinks that it's for the best. If he got too attached to her, he'll fucking burn. He doesn't want that. He wants to fall in love with the girls the matchmaker introduces to him, not with the matchmaker herself.

"Oh, no thanks," Donghyuck declines coolly. "Jiha's picking me up and I need to get ready in five minutes."

"New date?" asked Jisung, tilting his head.

"Yeah."

Jisung looked at the older, confused. "You don't look very excited."

"You see, Jisung," the older boy sighed, rubbing his hands together. "I don't know how I feel about this entire matchmaking thing anymore — it's all starting to look pointless."

Silence for a minute, then—

"YOU LIKE JIHA NOONA, DON'T YOU?"

"Yah, Park Jisung!"

Donghyuck immediately slapped a hand on Jisung's mouth, afraid that his voice would echo and Jaemin would hear, who was playing something on his phone with his earphones plugged in, and snitch on him. "Keep your voice down. Keep this between us, okay? I don't mind you knowing but don't let anyone else know."

"I won't!" Jisung responded, voice still muffled by his hyung's hand. Donghyuck removed his hand once he was entirely convinced that Jisung wouldn't shout.

"I don't trust you completely but..."

"Well, it was only a question," the younger shrugged and grabbed his bag next to Mark's.

"That you fucking shouted," Donghyuck remarked, rolling his eyes and turning away from Jisung.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious," Jisung laughed. "From the way you look at her, I don't even have to ask."

"Yah!"

"Don't be mad!" Jisung laughed even louder, quieting down a little when he saw that his hyung was looking rather unamused. "Well — does she like you back?"

"Shut up," Donghyuck was beyond annoyed at this point. He was so close to strangling him.

"So she doesn't like you then."

Another similar silence that encompassed them earlier settled again, and Donghyuck took a long breath before exhaling. Exhaling so long that his chest hurt afterwards.

"NOT ALL OF US GET WHAT WE WANT, JISUNG."