Sohyun stared at his angry eyes, realizing that Jaemin might have had feelings for him. A hint of hope sparked in his heart.

He then averted his gaze and responded, "Why do you wanna know?"

"Huh?! I need to know who's messing with you!... I will—"

Sohyun cut off Jaemin's words and said impulsively, "I was the one who asked him to do it!"

Jaemin's eyes widened in response. "Why... would you... do that?"

"Because I wanted to..." Sohyun smirked bitterly.

Jaemin furrowed his eyebrows and tightened his grip on Sohyun's jaw unconsciously. "Are you that desperate? Can't you just—"

Sohyun shoved Jaemin's hand away. "What's wrong with being desperate? You can't give me what I want, so I'm gonna take it from someone who does this voluntarily..."

He then walked back to the kitchen, steering the porridge as Jaemin stared blankly at the floor.

I didn't want to play dirty, but if I let things go the way it is now, we won't get anywhere...

I feel he rejected me for some dumb reasons instead of not liking me...

I need to provoke him and get Jaemin out of his comfort zone before the red-haired fox wins this battle...

If he really likes me, then he'll definitely try to stop me...

...

While Sohyun was deep in thought, Jaemin walked towards him and plopped his head on Sohyun's shoulder from behind. "Are you trying to rebel against me?"

Sohyun's heart jumped out of his chest for a second, and it retreated back. "Gaaagh! You scared me!!!"

"Answer me. Is that why you're fooling around with someone else?" Jaemin said strictly.

Sohyun nervously continued steering the porridge as he gulped down his saliva.
"I'm t-trying to move on... You think that I'll always... be in l-love with you when you don't want me?"

Jaemin's heart throbbed in pain; he then wrapped his arms around Sohyun's body.
"It's better for us to stay as we've always been. And you will get hurt if you act irrationally. Not all people are genuine with no ill intentions."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. Also, I'm not a child; I know what I'm doing." Sohyun replied with sadness trapped in his voice.

"Then you can leave and do whatever you want. Don't bother yourself with taking care of me either..." Jaemin stepped back as he got frustrated and went back to his bed, tucking himself under the blanket, thinking.

What's gotten into him seriously?!...

Fooling around the day after he confessed to me!...

Was that guy who follows him everywhere nowadays?...

He gives a weird vibe...

He should've brainwashed Sohyun...

I was away for only a day, and someone got to kiss him!...

...

~

Sohyun let out a sigh and turned off the stove. He then poured the porridge into a bowl and placed it on a tray with a spoon.

Leaving the tray on the table, he said, "I will leave after you finish this."

"I'm not hungry." Jaemin muttered stubbornly.

Since Sohyun was incredibly annoyed by his attitude, he dashed towards the bed and smacked Jaemin's back. "AAAAIIISH! GET UP AND EAT OR I WILL BEAT YOU TO DEATH!"

Jaemin sprang up and growled in pain. "Ack!!! Who in the world would beat someone who's sick?!!!"

Sohyun clutched Jaemin's collar and pulled him to the table, forcing him to sit. "You deserved it! Now pick that spoon before I shove it into your mouth by force!"

Jaemin stared at Sohyun in disbelief as he grabbed his spoon. "Are you even sure that you like me?"

"I must have been crazy, right?!" Sohyun scoffed as he took his backpack.

He then walked towards the front door and said, irritated.
"Bye, Mr. Pig-headed!"

Jaemin let out a sigh, staring at his food. He then mumbled after he grabbed a bite, "It's delicious..."

~

Tomorrow morning, Sohyun rushed to Hanna's classroom as soon as he arrived at school. Then he found Minam leaning against the window frame, watching outside. "Hey, we need to talk!"

As Minam turned his head to Sohyun, a big smile appeared on his face. "What's up, angry bird!?"

Sohyun grabbed Minam's hand and pulled him out of the class. "Let's talk somewhere quiet."

While they were walking together in the hallway, Hanna noticed them as she was approaching class. She then asked, "Where have you been, Sohyun? Why are you with this guy again?!"

Sohyun paused for a moment and said, "Em... Things have become complicated... I'll explain later!" He then glanced at Minam. "Let's go."

Hanna stood there, dumbfounded.

"I don't feel good about this..." She mumbled as she watched them from behind.

Minam followed him to the rooftop obediently. He was kind of excited since it was the first time that Sohyun reached out to him.

As they got there, Minam asked brightly, "What's going on? You wanna accept my offer, right?!"

Sohyun arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "How can you read my mind every time?!"

Minam poked Sohyun's forehead with his index finger and grinned. "It's all written here."

Sohyun shrugged his hand away and sighed. "Look, I thought that it was bullshit at first, but now I think your plan will actually work... So, I want us to pretend that we're a couple from now on..."

He fell for it... Minam thought as he stared at Sohyun with his enthusiastic eyes and cupped his face. "No... No... We don't pretend! We need to be real so that others believe in it!"

Sohyun furrowed his eyebrows. "Huh? I'm not actually interested in dating you..."

Minam leaned his face closer to Sohyun; his lips were an inch away from his. "Well, this is my term for helping you. What should we do? The choice is yours..."

Sohyun covered Minam's mouth with his palm and said nervously, "Fine, but there will be no kiss on lips!..."

I think it doesn't make any difference anyway...
Sohyun wondered as he averted his gaze.

"Deal!" Minam then pulled Sohyun's hand down by gripping his wrist and then gave him a peck on his cheek. "Then I can kiss other places as long as it's not on your lips!"

Sohyun's face blushed out of embarrassment. "Come to my class when lunchtime arrives!"

Without waiting for Minam to reply, he rushed downstairs, wondering if his choice had been wrong.

Ugh... I don't know anymore!...
I'm going nuts because of this mess!

Minam stared at Sohyun as he left and smirked in satisfaction.
"You'll be mine in the end."

~

When lunchtime came, Minam rushed to Sohyun's class right away. He said loudly as he walked into class. "Honeyyyy! Let's have lunch together!!!"

Jaemin's attention fell on Minam while Sohyun walked past Jaemin's desk and jumped into Minam's embrace, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Babe..."

Minam slipped his arms around Sohyun's body. He then stared at Jaemin with his prideful eyes and a malice smile. "Aw... Did you miss me that much, honey?"

Jaemin scowled his face and glared at Minam as he clenched his fist. What the hell?!...

Sohyun flinched at Minam's cheesy attitude and muttered in a low tone. "This is cringe as hell..."

Minam chuckled and then led Sohyun to the canteen. "Let's go, Honey!"

~

As those two left, Yohan asked in confusion, "What's going on between them?"

Jeamin was sitting still in his seat, his head low. "I don't know either..."

Yohan sat up and approached Jaemin, "How's your body, Hyung?"

"I'm fine," Jaemin replied as he got up and walked outside.

Yohan said as he followed Jaemin, "I'm sorry that I left you alone. I had to go home..."

"It's alright." Jaemin replied half-heartedly and continued on his way.

Yohan sighed in disappointment as he knew how much bothered Jaemin was when he saw them together earlier.

He really likes Sohyun...

I thought I could win his heart, but I guess I'm just making a fool of myself...

...

Upon arriving at the canteen and getting their food, Jaemin and Yohan sat near Sohyun and Minam's table. He watched them stuff food into each other's mouths while acting lovey-dovey.

Hanna placed her tray on the table and sat down next to Jaemin. "Are you two going to act like this?!"

Jaemin glanced at Hanna and asked, "Like what?"

Hanna's mouth was wide open in disbelief. "Acting like two kindergarten kids! Why are you pushing Sohyun away?!"

"I thought you didn't want me to be with him..." Jaemin scoffed.

Hanna groaned irritatedly. "That was for when I was his girlfriend! I'd rather see him be with you than be with that dude!"

Jaemin placed his spoon on his tray, frustrated. "Why is everyone blaming me? I have my own reasons! He's the one throwing a tantrum over it!"

"Fuck your stupid reasons! If you like him, get him now before you completely lose him when it's too late for you to regret." Hanna grumbled and walked away after.

Yohan didn't want to say anything, but he was also frustrated by Jaemin. "She's right, Hyung. I don't like telling you this since I like you, but you really need to stop being passive."

In order to give Jaemin time to think alone, Yohan got up from his seat and let him be. I lost my appetite...

Jaemin stared at Sohyun while Minam was whipping Sohyun's lips with a tissue and mumbled, "I hate to see this..."

Jaemin felt a deep void in his heart as he thought about losing Sohyun completely. He knew how accurate Hanna's words were...

I thought we would go back to what we were if I had stayed the same...

However, Sohyun has changed...

Our relationship has changed...

We can't go back now...

We can't...

Although I knew he was trying to irritate me by doing these weird things, I still fell into his trap...

I'm indeed irritated...

I hate to see that guy around him...

I don't want Sohyun to date him...

Or even anyone else...

I want him...

I want him to the point that I feel like pushing everything aside and taking him away...

Right here...

Right now...

...

Jaemin sprang up from his seat and approached Sohyun as he furrowed his eyebrows. He then grasped Sohyun's wrist and pulled him towards himself, making him get up. "If you're done eating, come with me."

Minam gripped Sohyun's other wrist as he stood straight, preventing him from being taken away. "Let go of him! He's with me now."

Jaemin was on the verge of losing his temper. He glared at Minam and shoved him away, annoyed. "Who the fuck are you to meddle in our business every fuckin time?!"

Minam let out a chuckle and said, "I'm his boyfriend. So I won't let another guy take him away..."

"I know you two aren't dating for real." Jaemin scoffed.

Minam pulled Sohyun closer to himself and smirked. "You can ask Sohyun himself whether we're real or not."

He then whispered into Sohyun's ears and said, "Don't forget our deal."

Sohyun got goosebumps all over his body, kinda frightened by how the atmosphere was tense.
He muttered nervously, "He's... r-right..."

Jaemin stared at Sohyun in disbelief.

I'm about to lose my shit...
.
.
.