first snowfall | sunki

19: a second choice

"I can't believe we also have to attend our event!" Sunoo whined as soon as he entered the art exhibit with Jungwon. "We were just about to eat with Riki until we got a call from Hee."

"We can't complain about it. It is required to come. Who will explain our artworks to the audience without the artist?" Jungwon remarked as he fixed his hair. "We can eat together later. I'm sure Riki's required to attend his event too."

Sunoo sighed while crossing his arms. "It feels like I'm waiting for a century without Riki. We're always together that it feels empty when he's gone."

"Really?" As soon as he heard those, Jungwon stopped brushing his hair as he sat next to Sunoo. "Didn't you tell me you were going to end things with him? I did what you asked me to do."

"Oh, I didn't say I was going to end things with him! I said I'll just hang out with you more often. Riki and I will remain as friends." Sunoo added with an assertive tone. "How can we be enemies again after all the fun we had?"

Jungwon snickered as he turned his head away from Sunoo. "I'm pretty sure that's what you told me yesterday. Anyways, you need to end your fake relationship before things take a turn for the worse."

"I'll tell him later when we eat together." Sunoo smiled, holding Jungwon's face so he can look at him. "Why are you avoiding my gaze, hmm? You're also being overprotective."

Are you sure you still don't know or are you just acting blind? Kim Sunoo, I've been here with you this whole time.

"W-what do you mean?" Jungwon blinked several times, pushing Sunoo's hand away. "We'll talk again later. Let's just go to the exhibit first."

Sunoo stood up with an energetic aura, following Jungwon to the main hall. "I haven't looked closely at your artwork! Let me be the first person you'll present it to!"

"You have to attend to your audience. They won't understand what you made if you don't illustrate it to them." Jungwon smiled, sitting on the desk provided to them.

"They don't need an explanation! Art describes itself depending on how you perceive it." Sunoo sat on his desk as he pulled Jungwon's art closer to him. "But I need your explanation for this one. I've never seen you paint with a dark palette."

"Ah, fine," Jungwon muttered as he took a deep breath, preparing to explain. "I didn't paint this on my own. Remember when I said when someone helped me?"

Sunoo nodded, completely mesmerized by Jungwon's art. "Yeah! Why did you guys paint three people under the rain? Look! The first person has an umbrella but he's giving it to the second person. But why is that when the second person is already in one umbrella with the third one? He'll just get wet."

"Sunoo, this is..."

"Jungwon, this is unrequited love! It's what you and I feel towards the people we love." Jay exclaimed with a huge smile as soon as he removed the cover. "We painted this together and you don't know the message behind it?"

Jungwon raised an eyebrow, still not getting it. "What? How dare you call my love for Sunoo like that? You're the only one who's experiencing unrequited love. I'm never gonna say yes to you if you tell me things like this!"

"You know it very well that this is how you feel. Just accept it! Your chances of being with Sunoo is very low." Jay smirked, leaning towards Jungwon. "So, why don't you say yes to me instead?"

"Ah, whatever! You're annoying me so much." Jungwon took the painting while shrugging his shoulders off, leaving the classroom.

Sunoo clasped his hands together, finally understanding it. "I get it now! I also remember the time you told me you had a crush on someone who doesn't look back at you. Gosh! That person must be so blind, ah! How can they not notice you?"

"Funny, right?" Jungwon scornfully laughed. "I might not even get the chance to confess if things will continue like this."

"Hey, tell me who that person is!" Sunoo exclaimed angrily. "I'm going to teach them a lesson! You're such an awesome guy, I don't think there's anyone else in this world who can be better than you!"

Jungwon just watched Sunoo act dumb in front of him. From the way he acts for Sunoo, shouldn't it be obvious by now? "Do you want to know? As in right now?"

"Of course! Why do you think I asked, huh?" Sunoo moved closer towards Jungwon, prepared to punch the shit out of that person. "I'll do anything just for them to love you back."

"The person I had a crush on since my childhood is..." Jungwon glanced at Sunoo, taking a deep breath. "Sunoo, I like y—"

"Oh my gosh! It's snowing outside! Let's take pictures before it's gone~!"

Sunoo and Jungwon turned their heads in the audience's direction. Everyone from the hall left just so they can take pictures under the snowfall.

Jungwon looked back at Sunoo to continue what he was saying but Sunoo was already starting to pack his things. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Won! Let's talk about this later. I have to meet Riki right now so we can play under the snowfall for the last time as fake boyfriends." Sunoo awkwardly laughed, patting Jungwon's head after seeing his puppy eyes. "I'll come back! Things will end between us anyway."

"Okay, go ahead." Jungwon then watched Sunoo leave the hall without even waving him goodbye. "Being a second choice is fun anyway."

—

"Sunoo!" Ni-ki waved his hands up in the air as soon as he saw Sunoo from the other side. "You came running for me too?"

Sunoo laughed, running faster so he can meet Ni-ki face-to-face. "Yeah! Whenever there's a snowfall, all I could think about was playing with you. How about you? Why did you come running for me?"

"Because I thought you'd kill me if I didn't come." Ni-ki chuckled, earning a hard kick on his butt. "Are we starting to play now?"

"We've been playing since the beginning!" Sunoo exclaimed with a bright smile as he made a snowball. "Come here, Riki!"

They then started chasing each other around the school's empty lot. There were a lot of people around but they acted like it was just both of them.

"By the way, I won the dance competition!" Ni-ki stopped running with Sunoo, lying down on the ground. "I won against Park Sunghoon! Isn't it cool?"

"Yes, it's cool! You deserved it anyway." Sunoo lay down next to Ni-ki while giving him a snowball right on his neck. "I can't believe we're running under the snowfall before dusk. It's our fourth snowfall~!"

Ni-ki smiled brightly as if all his worries never existed. "You know what, I don't know why we even began as enemies. Being with you is fun~!"

"You began it by teasing me," Sunoo remarked, turning his head to look at Ni-ki closely. "I guess we won't be enemies anymore after all of this ends."

"You're right. Let's be friends from now on, okay?" Ni-ki sat up, mesmerizingly looking down at Sunoo. They could stare at each other's faces for a decade. "You're looking at me as if we're dating for real."

Sunoo laughed as he stood up from the ground, jumping up and down from glee. "Just because I looked at you like that means I already like you! Maybe you're the one who likes me—"

"Oh, hold on. I think someone just messaged me." Ni-ki stood next to Sunoo as he pulled his phone out. "I wonder who texted me! It better not be a spam message— Oh my gosh."

"Why?" Sunoo looked at Ni-ki with worry after seeing the younger's face turn lonely. "Who is it?"

"It's my mom," Ni-ki replied with a panicked tone. "A-and she wants me to see her at the school office."

—⛄—
i'm crying for won, please don't hate me for making his character suffer like that huhu he'll get justice in the next chapter anyway ^0^