The Project 'Buddy'

~30~

"Why isn't he answering my calls?" Jungwon grumbled, looking down at his phone screen with Jay's name.

Call declined.

"Maybe he really needs time? I mean, he has not been attending school recently," Sunoo suggested, taking a bite of him mint chocolate ice cream that Jungwon bought him.

"That's why I'm worried! He hasn't said anything to me," Jungwon pouted, trying to call Jay again, but got no answer.

Sunoo looked over at Jungwon, studying him carefully. "You really love him do you?"

Jungwon nodded slowly, his heart aching when Jay didn't answer his third attempt to call him. He sighed and gave up, slipping his phone into his pocket and stuffed his hands into them.

"Damn...must be nice," Sunoo mumbled, and Jungwon heard that.

"Um, what?"

"N-nothing! Yeah...it's nothing," Sunoo stuttered, his face turning red.

Jungwon decided to let it slide this time, and they headed back to their dorm in silence. Jungwon thinking about Jay while Sunoo...thinking about whatever he was thinking about. They eventually reached their dorm and found Jake and Niki inside, watching a movie.

"Ooh! Can I join?" Jungwon asked, wanting to clear his mind from worrying too much.

Jake patted the space next to him. "Yes please do. This kid wants someone to watch with him but I gotta cook dinner saurrrr," Jake trailed off and Jungwon bounced onto the sofa.

"Come on, Sunoo, let's-eh?" Jungwon frowned when Sunoo quickly left to his room.

"What's up with him?" Jake asked, standing up from the sofa.

Jungwon shrugged and glanced over at Niki, who hadn't bat an eye at Sunoo or him.

But he usually greeted Sunoo every time he came home from somewhere...

What the hell was happening.

He didn't say anything though, and watched the action movie with Niki. The youngest honestly didn't seem interested, and kept looking at his phone. Did he really really want to watch the movie?

"Niki? Are you watching?" Jungwon asked, surprising the latter.

"What? Oh yeah, yeah..." he trailed off and kept his phone, looking back at the big screen. But his expression didn't change as he watched it, staying blank and slightly...sad?

Catching Niki off guard, Jungwon paused the movie and faced his whole body towards him. Niki raised his eyebrows and looked over at the older.
Jungwon fought back and raised his own eyebrow.
Niki sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What happened?" Jungwon asked.

Niki glanced at him and gave him a 'do I really have to?' look. Jungwon glared right into his eyes and Niki took in a deep breath.

"I...confessed to Sunoo," he admitted, and Jungwon gasped.

"Well-that's good! Why are you so upset then?"

Niki breathed in and replied, "but...he rejected me. He told me that..he still had feelings for Sunghoon, and only saw me as a little brother," Niki started sniffing and Jungwon noticed tears pooling in his eyes.

"What-oh gosh, Niki! I'm sure Sunoo didn't mean that! He's probably just confused and..just doesn't know what to feel," Jungwon assured, hugging Niki and patting his back.

He allowed the latter to cry onto his shoulder, and cooed soft reassuring words to calm him down. It took a while but Niki finally managed to talk again.
He pulled away and sniffed. "Maybe not," he said, "maybe I'm really am just a little brother to him. Maybe I'm not worthy enough to be his lover. Maybe.... all the moments we spend time together, everything meant nothing. Just a botherly interaction."