"Why are you dragging me away from my food and friends?" Kibum asked as Yesung took him by the wrist, irritated.
"Why aren't you sitting with Ryeowook?"
"Because we're not friends anymore." Kibum answered bluntly.
"What? What happened?" Yesung asked, concerned, he knew how much Kibum and Ryeowook loved each other.
"Nothing happened. I was the one who broke it off when I saw how Wookie loves Kyuhyun more than me."
"Kibum-aa," Yesung said softly, he was going through the same thing as Kibum, maybe they could help each other to get back up on their feet again, "Ryeowook needs you."
"No, he doesn't. You saw him just now, He's perfectly fine without me."
"It's all that Cho Kyuhyun's fault ... " Yesung said gloomily, releasing Kibum's wrist.
"Isn't it?" Kibum agreed with a sigh.
***
Ryeowook watched curiously as Kibum and Yesung walked out of the cafeteria together. What were they up to now?
Ryeowook missed his best friend. But Kibum kept his distance, and with Kyuhyun around him all the time, Ryeowook hadn't yet found time to go to Kibum.
He wanted his best friend back.
He missed their sleep overs, their giggles and pillow fights and the teasing.
Not that Kyuhyun wasn't good, no one else had ever made Ryeowook's heart flutter like Kyuhyun had, but everyone needs a best friend, and Ryeowook was no exception. He had never had such a good friend as Kibum before. He thought back on his friendship with Yoona and Hyoyeon back at his old school, it wasn't that he didn't love them anymore, but it was much more convenient having a friend the same gender and at the same school.
No one could replace Kibum.
"Wookie, did you hear me? I said the bell rang! Baby, are you listening?" Kyuhyun complained.
"Mm? Yes, Kyunnie, let's go."
"We don't have the same class anymore." Kyuhyun pouted, "Do you think the teachers wiuld notice if I joined your class instead?"
"You're a bad, bad boy." Ryeowook scolded, "You go to your class."
"Alright baby." It sounded so good to his ears, Ryeowook baby, "See you soon." he caressed Ryeowook's face before giving him another wet kiss, "Mmm."
But the moment they parted and Ryeowook was out of sight, Kyuhyun was bombarded with questions.
"Oppa! Oppa why are you being like this?"
"Are you really gay now?"
"Oppa what about me? We had so many good times together - "
"Leave him alone."
A strong, surly voice parted the crowd to make way for the owner of the voice. And Jaejoong walked through. "Have none of you seen gay people before? Leave him alone."
No one moved.
"I said go!"
Everyone scrambled away in fear until only Jaejoong and Kyuhyun were left. "Thanks man." Kyuhyun reached his hand out to touch Jaejoong's shoulder, but Jaejoong quickly moved away, "Don't expect me to help you again." His loud footsteps echoed in the hallway as he ran away from Kyuhyun, leaving his old friend to walk himself to class.
***
The whispers stopped the moment Kyuhyun stepped foot in his classroom. His classmates stared at him curiously, wanting to know the full story about what had happened and what would happen and how he got together with Ryeowook.
"What? Haven't any of you seen boys in a relationship with each other before? Is it that new?" Kyuhyun snapped, opening his book.
No one answered.
The class went at a very slow pace, Kyuhyun couldn't stop checking his watch every 2 minutes, willing the rest of the school day to end so he could see Ryeowook again.
Finally, once school had ended and Kyuhyun had been reunited with Ryeowook. They started off for Yunho's restaurant for another day of work.
Unlike that morning, there was a sad atmosphere around them, and a sad silence. It was the first time Ryeowook was going to his job without Kibum, and it didn't feel right. It was breaking Ryeowook's little heart.
"Do you wanna use my phone to call Kibum and ask him to join us?" Kyuhyun suggested awkwardly, hoping that if Kibum was there Ryeowook would cheer up.
"I already asked him." Ryeowook's voice cracked, "Before you came. He said no thanks." he quickly turned his face away, pretending to look the other way as the tears began to leak silently out of his eyes.
Instinctively, Kyuhyun protectively put an arm around Ryeowook's narrow shoulders, "Everything between you and Kibum will turn out right. I promise."
Ryeowook sniffed, "He hated me now."
"I'll talk to him, okay? So we can clear things up."
"Thank you, Kyukyu."
They arrived at Yunho's restaurant and stood outside, hand in hand, for a moment. Ryeowook was obviously hoping Kibum would turn up at the last minute so they could go in together.
But that didn't happen.
And they were forced to go on in without Kibum.
"Hey Wookie," Yunho smiled timidly at Ryeowook, "Take it easy today, okay?"
"I can take the whole shift today." Kyuhyun offered good naturedly, "Wookie needs a rest today."
Ryeowook began to protest loudly.
Yunho laughed, lightening up the mood, "Tell you what, if you're both so eager to work, I'll get you and extra uniform and you can work together."
Kyuhyun began protesting against this too.
In the end, Kyuhyun won, and while he changed from his school uniform into the waiters outfit, Ryeowook was forced to settle down at their usual table with his homework.
Kyuhyun came over with a wide smile and a tray with a glass of cold water and a chocolate latte, "For my princess Wook."
"Prince!"
"Princess." Kyuhyun kissed Ryeowook's bangs affectionately and set down the tray and a menu, "What do you want to eat baby? Don't argue with me about money - I know Yunho lets you eat as much as you like for free."
Turning a deep scarlet, Ryeowook opened the menu and chose beef steak.
"Be right back, love." Kyuhyun planted another kiss on Ryeowook's head and walked away to get him his beef steak.
On the way home that night, Ryeowook suddenly asked shyly, breaking the peaceful silence, "Kyuhyun?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Today I learned about something ... that makes babies."
Kyuhyun nearly laughed aloud at Ryeowook's tone and expression.
"But can boys do it together too?"
That was the question.
"Of course we can."
"But it's icky and disgusting."
"It's actually very good if you're doing it with your loved one." Kyuhyun cheekily squeezed Ryeowook's butt, "Don't tell me you didn't know what sex was before this?"
"I did but I never payed attention to it before." Ryeowook mumbled, embarrassed. "How many times have you done it before?"
So that was the real question. "Wookie," Kyuhyun said gently.
"I know you did it a lot. You were addicted." Ryeowook looked mad.
"Wookie." Kyuhyun spun Ryeowook around to face him, "What I did was terrible, and if you're thinking I did it because I loved those people ... well, it wasn't. I never loved a single one of them. And now that I've found you, I've never done it again."
"If you didn't love them then why did you do it?" Ryeowook sniffed.
How was he supposed to explain this to someone with such a pure, innocent mind like Ryeowook? And if those bothersome, meddling hyungs found out about this conversation ... then he could just kiss his relationship with Ryeowook good bye. But he couldn't avoid the question. "For pleasure."
"But how can it be pleasure if you don't love them?" Ryeowook asked, confused.
"Because back then, I hadn't found you yet." Kyuhyun said softly.
"It's icky." Ryeowook pouted, continuing to walk.
This time, Kyuhyun couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You'll change your mind someday."
That night, he stayed with Ryeowook again.