end of the day | seongjoong

chapter fifty six

"guys, we really should be doing our project right now!" yeosang shouted, interrupting hongjoong and wooyoung's conversation about an old spongebob episode that they had playing on the television.

"sangie, spongebob is so much more interesting than our stupid art project!" wooyoung cried out with a pout on his face.

"i know this might be boring, but my mommy told me the only reason you guys were allowed over on a monday was because we have a project to do. if she comes up and sees we're not doing any work, she'll get mad!" yeosang explained and both hongjoong and wooyoung let out loud huffs, finally sitting down on yeosang's floor to help the boy with their work.

"well before we officially start, we have to talk about the formal! yeosang, you have to go!" wooyoung exclaimed, pulling on yeosang's arm in the process.

"no way! i'm not going to the formal." yeosang pushed wooyoung off of him and crossed his arms, shaking his head as he spoke.

"yeosang, what do you mean you're not going? you have to go! you're a junior, so that means you're invited. why would you pass up the opportunity?" hongjoong asked and yeosang sat silent.

"i know why he doesn't want to go." wooyoung said with a smug smile on his face.

"why?" hongjoong turned to his friend and asked, looking a bit confused.

"it's because jongho will be there!" wooyoung screamed out and pointed at yeosang while laughing.

"you're so mean wooyoungie!" yeosang cried out, wiping a lone tear that started running down his cheek.

as soon as wooyoung saw the tear fall down his cheek, he ran over to yeosang's side to give him a hug. he didn't mean to hurt the boy, he was simply joking around.

"sangie, i'm so so so sorry! please don't cry, i didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" wooyoung apologized, sounding a bit shaky as he spoke.

"it's ok wooyoung, but you're right. it is because of jongho. i really, really like him. i... i can't even explain how much i like him." yeosang cried harder in wooyoung's arms, "and if i go, i'll be all alone and he'll be with ryujin."

"but yeosang, you can't let jongie control you like that! who cares if ryujin is there? it's not like she'll bother you." hongjoong tried to explain, but yeosang immediately shook his head.

"no, she will bother me. she's so mean to me, and i have no idea why! the other day at lunch, she made fun of me right in front of me... she even flicked me in the back of the head because i was 'taking' jongho from her." yeosang mumbled out, emphasizes the word 'taking' as he spoke.

"what the heck! that's so mean!" wooyoung screamed out and furrowed his eyebrows, seeming extremely annoyed at yeosang's situation.

"yeah, she did. jongho made her leave, but still. i don't want to be all alone at the formal." yeosang shook his head.

"there's really no way you'd go? not even if you took hongjoongie?" wooyoung asked, "i already know i can't go. sannie asked me to go with him, but my mommy said it would be too much for my anxiety. i was sad, but sannie said he'd take me for ice cream beforehand!" wooyoung spoke with a huge smile on his face.

"that's really sweet, wooyoung. but no... i love you hongjoong, but i don't want to take you. don't take that the wrong way, but the only way i'd go would be if i went with jongho." yeosang spoke with his head hanging low, tears spilling out of his eyes.

"really? you wouldn't even go with me?" hongjoong asked, trying his best to lift his friend's mood.

"wait, i just remembered... shouldn't you be going with seonghwa?" wooyoung questioned hongjoong before yeosang could respond to what he asked.

"oh, about that..." hongjoong trailed off, "i asked him about it, but sadly he has to go to a family party that he can't miss that night. it's his auntie's fiftieth birthday. he said he tried to get out of it, but he couldn't." hongjoong frowned slightly but wooyoung poked his cheek for the older to smile.

"awe, i'm sorry joongie. hopefully he'll make up for it like sannie is with me. but back to yeosang, you'll really only go with jongho?" wooyoung asked.

"i mean it, the only way i'd go to the formal would be if jongho took me... and that'll never happen. he has ryujin, a beautiful girl any guy would die for. why would he leave her to take his brother's weird, mute friend?" yeosang spit out his words with inflection, sounding disgusted with himself as he spoke.

"yeosang, i never want to hear you say that ever again!" hongjoong stood up quickly and walked to yeosang's side, "first off, never say never. you don't know what can happen in this world. second, do not refer to yourself with those mean words. you are so much more than your disability. we all have them, right? all three of us... but we're so much better than those labels,  so much more than those labels, and i don't want to hear you beating yourself up over it."

"and by the way, ryujin isn't even that pretty! if i liked girls, she'd be the absolute lastest person i'd ever ever go for!" wooyoung screamed out, brightening the mood in the room. yeosang laughed out loud for the first time during the whole conversation, making hongjoong and wooyoung smile.

"thank you... i know i should look past it, but it's sort of impossible. how would i even catch jongho's attention if i can't speak to him? i try so hard, but every time i open my mouth, nothing comes out. it's so annoying!" yeosang screamed out, tugging hard on his hair in frustration.

"sangie, please don't get frustrated over this. one day you'll warm up to him enough to be able to speak, i know it! just give it time. and let me add, jongho and ryujin have been having a lot of problems recently... this might be your time to shine!" hongjoong exclaimed, grabbing onto yeosang's body and shaking him vigorously in his seat.

"i'm not going to lie and say that doesn't make me happy..." yeosang giggled.

"it makes me happy too. i want you to be with jongie!" wooyoung cried out, stomping his foot hard on yeosang's wood floor.

"just for clarification, if jongho asked you to the formal, you would go?" hongjoong questioned yeosang.

"one hundred percent." yeosang answered without having to think.

"good! and if they happen to break up, i'll make sure you're the first person i tell!" hongjoong flashed yeosang a bright smile, leaning down and hugging the boy extra tight.

"i better be." yeosang smiled, hugging hongjoong back with equally as much force. wooyoung jumped on top of the two, joining them in a big group hug.

"wooyoung, get up! you're gonna break my leg!" yeosang cried out in pain, making his two friends laugh in response.

"sangie, don't be such a baby!"

today is my graduation party so that means i have to interact with people... please help.

-vic