ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ || ᴊ.ᴡʏ + ᴄ.ꜱ

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟎

"Oh look, Wooyoung's here," Seonghwa nodded behind San, the two sitting across from each other in the lunch room, finally getting to see each other face to face on one of the few visiting days they had bi-weekly.

It seemed San's head might have twisted right off his body had he twisted himself around any quicker, but his expression was unamused as he turned back around, smizing bitterly at Hwa, who, unlike San, was amused enough for the both of them.

The others sitting at their table watched San with interest as well, the others consisting of Hongjoong, Yeonjun, Taehyun, Mingi, Yeosang, and Jongho.

"I might react that way if Wooyoung was behind me and hated me the way he hates San too though," Yeosang mused with a minor laugh, but it was evident on his face that he wasn't joking.

"Nice point." Yeonjun raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look of disapproval with Taehyun, both of them convinced Wooyoung was nothing short of a prick. Nothing they'd witnessed proved otherwise.

"Would you guys give him a break.., he's not even that bad."

If the attention hadn't been on him before, the whole table turned their attention to San with their jaws open a degree.

San opened up his mouth and mimicked them all before scooping a heaping spoonful of Yeonjun's rice into his mouth with an ornery grin, subsequently breaking all of their stares and turning their mouths into a healthy mixture of scoffs and grins.

Appearing simultaneously terrorized and amused, Yeonjun whined, "Hyung," as San chewed with his cheeks full, his shoulders shaking as he let out quiet laughs, his smile appearing broad once his mouth was empty.

"Seriously though, hyung, when did you become so pro-Jung," Jongho said with some sizeable distaste, and, before San could even attempt to answer, Mingi leaned forward with his elbows slightly banging on the table and questioned with a minimal mouthful of the military hamburger that they'd been served, "Is being pro Wooyoung a sin or something?"

"Yes!" They were all quick to respond, minus San, who only looked away with a subtle roll of his eyes. They could never know and would likely never meet the Wooyoung he'd had the chance to experience.

Their loss.

The conversation veered off after that, the seven focusing more on catching up, Seonghwa and Hongjoong especially. The two of them casually held hands underneath the table, squeezed together tightly while still nonchalantly, deep in what might be seen as a honeymoon phase.

San watched them and began pondering about what Taehyung had suggested, almost openly snorting at the idea alone of them in that same position. He couldn't even begin to imagine the two of them sitting and clinging to one another like that, whether it be publicly or privately, but, for all he knew, Taehyung could've just been suggesting exclusive access in the form of pretty words since he seemed so ridiculously convinced that he might run off with Wooyoung or something.

With all of his friends chatting around him, San shook his head quietly to himself. It was all ridiculous.

Even though Wooyoung and Taehyung despised one another, to San, neither had any business being in a relationship with anyone, considering how poorly they both dealt with their emotions and, more importantly, their human interactions.

Mingi kicked San's foot underneath the table and San, almost startled, looked up.

When he looked over to where the other sat, Mingi closed his eyes and nodded his head as if he were silently telling San not to listen to the others, as if they were both in on the secret that there was a lot more to Wooyoung that the others wouldn't understand. San smirked before looking back to his tray, unsure how else to respond, and shoved another spoonful of rice in his mouth.