𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲;;;;;; jakehoon

sugarcane.

"THIS is all your fault," Jay nearly growled once he spotted the jet-black flock of hair in the middle of the hockey team, "you actual son of a bitch."

The blonde glared at a confused Sunghoon, the taller looking down at the male with a disoriented raise of the eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"That-" Jay pointed towards the physics team, who had been standing outside the motel, slightly huddled up in hopes of providing each other with some sort of heat. Sunghoon turned his gaze towards them, trying to pinpoint what exactly had the other was talking about, "right there, nearly falling over his feet whilst getting shouted by Jiheon!"

His gaze fixed upon a very drowsy-looking Jake, half on his feet, half leaning on a tree whilst the underclassmen shouted his ear off, making the raven raise another questioning eyebrow at the blonde, "How is Jiheon shouting at Jakey my fault?"

"Jakey?" Jay gawked, looking mildly mortified by the disgustingly sweet nickname, "You are already on a nickname basis? Wha- Nevermind that," Jay sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, his glasses slightly fogging up whilst he tilted them, looking at Sunghoon with a glare yet again, "you got him home at fuck knows what time and the dumbass went to bed even later, he's a walking soul vessel with a dog toy for a brain right now, you don't even know the hell Jiheon and I had to go through just to get him up."

Sunghoon chuckled, looking back at Jake with a stupidly admiring smile, not being able to look away from the clearly-tired Jake with his oversized hoodie eating him alive. The male's brown hair was soft and curly, eyes a little red as he kept rubbing them with his hoodie-covered hands, making one adorable of a sight for Sunghoon at 7 AM.

"Stop making googly eyes at him and feel bad for once in your life!" Jay hissed, shoving Sunghoon a little, "He's going to be blacked out for most of the ride now."

The raven only rolled his eyes and walked alongside Jay towards Jiheon and Jake, his heart fluttering once he neared the duo.

"Good morning," he greeted the two, cutting Jiheon off from her previous ramble to a half-asleep Jake.

The underclassmen merely glared at the raven, leaving the trio alone, clearly done giving Jake a piece of her mind.

"Woah there," Jay mumbled, watching Jake nearly tumble over, catching the younger's arms in his, successfully preventing his butt from meeting the ground.

"I told you not to stay out too late," the brunette only nodded at the blonde's nagging, rubbing his eyes once more once he got back on his feet, balance making its presence in Jake's body.

"Morning, Jakey," Sunghoon greeted again, smiling once more, only to receive a small mumble and tiny wave in return. Wow, he really was out of it.

"I still don't see how this is my fault," Sunghoon deadpanned, finally lifting his gaze to Jay, who only held up a threatening fist, fake punching the air as a warning, making the taller roll his eyes.

The trio stood waiting for the bus again, much like the previous day, freezing in the chilly morning air.

"Hand this to Jake once he wakes up, Mr. Kwon made me hand it to him, but it looks like he's not with us right now," one of the physic's team members, one which Sunghoon did not recognise, handed Jay a small slip of paper, not bothering to linger around as he walked back to the huddled up group.

"What is it?" Sunghoon asked curiously, glancing over a bit whilst holding onto Jake's arm, holding him still so he doesn't tumble over.

"Oh," Was all Jay said, looking down at the paper with an unreadable expression, piquing Sunghoon's curiosity even more.

"Lemme see," he grabbed the slip of paper from Jay's hands, looking down at the fine print with a focused gaze, Jake still leaning his tired body on him, head nearly resting on his shoulder.

Congratulations, Sim Jaeyun
For winning 1st place in the Individual Annual Physics Tournament.
(Phase One)

....

The raven didn't bother reading the rest of the script, looking back at Jake with an excited smile, "Holy shit, that's so cool!"

Jay nodded, pursing his lips with a sour expression as he took the paper back, "Sure is..."

"What's with the sudden mood ruiner, why aren't you happy for him?" Sunghoon asked, moving slightly to let Jake lean his sleeping body more on him, holding his waist and shoulders, maneuvering the brunette's head into the crook of his shoulder, nearly cradling him like a little baby.

"He doesn't like winning," Jay repeated the same words he said to Sunghoon yesterday, making the raven groan internally, frustrating the male to the bone from the pure riddle-like phrase.

"And this means that he has to participate in a 1v1 again in the next tournament," Jay sighed, glancing at his deadbeat tired friend, eyes softening as he observed his sleeping face.

Sunghoon's lips formed an "O" shape, making him glance down to take a peek at the shorter's peaceful state, as if savoring the moment.

"I know I may seem overbearing and too protective of him, but," The blonde rubbed the brunette's back in comfort, "he's a really fragile kid, he feels so much emotionally and worries about so much already, I hate seeing him get more and more pressure piled up his shoulders."

Sunghoon's heart clenched at the older's caring words, holding onto Jake a little bit tighter, "You're an amazing friend to him, I hope you know that."

Jay chuckled, folding the paper and slipping it into his jean jacket, "I don't think so, I think I'm just average, but I try my hardest to help him out, he goes through enough shit already to have shitty friends."

Sunghoon nodded, fully understanding the blonde's urge to protect the brunette from any harm. The raven sighed and rubbed the boy's arm in comfort, feeling himself slowly fall deeper and deeper into the hole that is Sim Jaeyun.