the story of us 》sungtaro

22

"Jeno, if you keep eating all the food in my house, my mother is going to personally strangle you."

"Yeah right." Jeno snickered, stuffing his face with whatever he had found in the fridge while clicking through options on the television with the remote. He paid the not-very-threatening Donghyuck no mind. "Your mom loves me."

No surprise to anyone, we were back at Donghyuck's, watching a quick movie because it was a school night and I was in no mood to get yelled at by my mom.

Collapsing on the couch next to me, Sungchan only laughed. "He's right, Hyuck. She might even love him more than she loves you."

Donghyuck just shook his head, muttering to himself about how he couldn't believe he was still friends with those two.

Finding a movie, I can still remember Jeno's wide smile. "Let's do a sad one. I'm in the mood to see Sungchan cry again."

"You wish." Sungchan got up, grabbing blankets and tossing one right at Jeno's head. "You're the real wimp."

With all the gentility that muscled giant could muster, he handed me a blanket,  reclaiming his spot at my side.

"Don't listen to them, Shotaro." Donghyuck whispered on my other side. Rolling his eyes, he smiled. "They're both babies."

I believed Donghyuck completely, but didn't want to see how Sungchan and Jeno would react to that fact. So instead I hid my smile, only allowing Donghyuck to see the turning of my lips.

"Are you guys going to the lake this weekend?" Sungchan asked, eyes wandering through the group. He had already asked me that privately before the party. Apparently there was a get together for our grade probably full of water games and dumb teenagers showing off for their friends, all under the mirage of fun.

"Jeno isn't." Donghyuck huffed, eyes piercing our ebony haired friend. "He's missing it for the first time in three years."

Jeno just shrugged, miraculously not even seeming to care. "I've got to study for a test that night."

"Glad to see you're finally taking this tutoring thing seriously." Sungchan nudged his buff friend, smiling all the while.

"You should have seen it, Sungchan." Donghyuck snickered, speaking up. "His tutor really smacked some sense into him."

Jung Sungchan already knew everything that had occurred that day in the library, I had told him the night before while we were in his room, music playing softly in the background while my head rested on his chest.

For obvious reasons, neither of us mentioned that.

"Alright enough of this, let's start the movie." Jeno shook his head, effectively shutting Donghyuck up.

Movie nights at Donghyuck's were always set up the same. Us four sat in the same order on the Lee's long sofa, each having our own blanket and snacks.

This time was no different, apart from one thing.

About ten minutes into the movie, my attention was torn away from the screen when a hand snuck under my blanket, tapping my own. My breath caught as Sungchan interlaced our fingers, giving my hand a light squeeze.

I subtly looked over to him, and that boy showed no reaction besides a slight twitch of his perfect lips. His eyes stayed on the screen despite my wide saucer-like gaze trained on his face.

Glancing over, Donghyuck and Jeno's attention stayed solid on the television. Seeing that they had not the slightest clue that Jung Sungchan was holding my hand right beside them, I couldn't help but smile at our secrecy, our espionage.

That was one of my favorite things about Sungchan back then, he always found ways for us to have time together despite the peering eyes around us.

So the night went just as that: me pretending to watch the movie, all the while focused on the sensation of Sungchan's thumb grazing against my skin.

It was perfect.