Lines Crossed (SanSang)

22

In the afternoon, San was hanging out with Wooyoung at their usual spot on campus. They sat on a bench near the quad, sipping iced coffee, but San was unusually quiet. Normally, San would be the one keeping the conversation going, but today he seemed distant, his mind elsewhere.

Wooyoung glanced over at him, noticing the furrow in his brow and the way San kept fiddling with the strap of his bag. After a few minutes of silence, Wooyoung finally asked, "Okay, what's up with you? You've been off all day."

San blinked, snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh... it's nothing."

"San," Wooyoung said, giving him a look. "You've been zoning out since we got here. Something's clearly bothering you."

San hesitated, glancing down at his drink before speaking. "It's just... Jongho."

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Jongho?"

"Yeah," San muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "He ran into Yeosang earlier today, and they were talking like... well, like they were really close."

Wooyoung leaned back, crossing his arms as he processed what San was saying. "Huh. I didn't know Jongho was here either."

San looked up at him, curiosity getting the better of him. "You know him?"

Wooyoung nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "Yeah, Jongho used to be a really, really close friend of ours in high school. Him and Yeosang were tight. Practically inseparable."

San frowned, feeling something churn in his stomach. "Really? What happened?"

Wooyoung shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly. They drifted apart after a while. But I do know one thing—Jongho had a fat crush on Yeosang back then. Like, it was pretty obvious."

San's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. "What?"

Wooyoung chuckled, clearly amused by San's reaction. "Yeah, it was kind of a big deal at the time. Jongho was head over heels for him. He even confessed to Yeosang at one point."

San felt something strange flicker inside him—something he hadn't expected. "What did Yeosang do?"

"Rejected him," Wooyoung said with a shrug, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "It was awkward for a bit, but they stayed friends until they drifted apart. Nothing dramatic."

San breathed out in relief, but as the tension left his body, he realized just how odd his own reaction was. Why was he relieved? What did it matter to him that Jongho had a crush on Yeosang? Or that Yeosang had rejected him?

Wooyoung, always quick to notice these things, didn't miss a beat. He smirked, watching San with an amused glint in his eye. "Why do you look so relieved, huh? Got something you want to share?"

San's face flushed, and he quickly shook his head. "No, I just... I was curious. That's all."

"Sure," Wooyoung teased, grinning. "You're just curious about Jongho and Yeosang's history, huh?"

San rolled his eyes, trying to play it off. "It's not like that. I just didn't know they were that close."

"Uh-huh," Wooyoung said, clearly unconvinced but letting it slide for now. "Well, if you ask me, it's kinda cute that you're so interested."

San shot him a look, but Wooyoung just laughed, taking another sip of his drink as if nothing had happened. Despite Wooyoung's teasing, San couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest. The thought of Jongho and Yeosang being that close... it didn't sit right with him.

But he didn't understand why it bothered him so much.

After a stretch of silence, San finally spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. "Why did Yeosang reject Jongho?"

Wooyoung shot him a sideways glance, surprised by the question. "Oh, that? Yeosang just didn't see Jongho that way. Even though, to be honest, I thought they'd be adorable together. I kind of shipped them for a bit," he added with a sly grin.

San frowned, the thought of Yeosang and Jongho together making something uncomfortable stir inside him. "You did?" he asked, his tone tighter than he intended.

Wooyoung chuckled, amused by San's reaction. "Yeah, but I guess Jongho just wasn't Yeosang's type. He's, uh... had plenty of confessions before anyway. And dated so many."

San blinked, his eyes widening. "Wait, Yeosang dated before?"

Wooyoung glanced at him, raising an eyebrow as if gauging his reaction. "Yeah, dude. He's had quite a few in the past. I mean, we don't talk about it much, but yeah." He said it so casually, as if it were common knowledge.

San felt a strange, heavy sensation sink into his chest. He tried to hide his reaction, but Wooyoung noticed the brief flicker of surprise, maybe even disappointment, in his eyes. Trying to play it off, San chuckled awkwardly. "Oh... right. I didn't know."

Wooyoung leaned in, studying San more closely, his tone turning teasing again. "Why? Were you hoping he wasn't?" His smirk widened, but he was genuinely curious about San's response.

San's heart stuttered, and he quickly shook his head. "No, I was just surprised. He never really mentioned it, that's all."

"Ah," Wooyoung nodded slowly, though his sharp gaze lingered on San a bit longer than necessary. "Yeah, I guess it just never came up. Not like he's been dating anyone recently."

San shifted uncomfortably, not sure why this whole conversation felt so strange. "So, he's had a lot of girlfriends?" he asked, his voice barely hiding the tension in it.

"Yeah," Wooyoung lied smoothly, watching San's reaction like a hawk. "He's been with a few before. But, you know, he's kind of focused on other things now. No big deal."

San let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, forcing a nod. "Got it." But something about that information... it didn't sit right. He tried to hide the uneasy feeling gnawing at him, but it was there, lingering.

"Uh-huh," Wooyoung muttered, clearly unconvinced, but he let the conversation drop. "Good to know, though. We wouldn't want things getting weird, right?"

San nodded, his mind buzzing with questions he wasn't ready to confront. "Yeah... right."