black cat | woosan ✔

19

Wooyoung sat on the couch, arms crossed and leg up. The silence of the apartment almost suffocating after the explosion of anger that had erupted earlier. He stared blankly at the wall, his mind racing with thoughts that echoed louder than the shouts from earlier. The memory of the argument still stung, and his heart felt heavy with guilt.

Mingi was in the living room, strolling back and forth in front of Wooyoung like a caged animal. His brows were furrowed, and his usually bright demeanor was clouded with an expression of pure frustration. Mingi stopped abruptly and turned his head sharply towards Wooyoung, his eyes blazing with annoyance.

"What is the matter with you?" Mingi demanded, his voice thick with exasperation.

Wooyoung remained silent, a neutral expression masking the turmoil inside him. He had expected Mingi to be upset, but he hadn't anticipated this level of anger.

Mingi ran a hand through his hair, groaning in disbelief. "That was so bad for your reputation! For both of your reputations! Do you even realize what you just did? You're a great student, and so is San. But this? This could potentially ruin EVERYTHING!"

He paced again, each step fueled by irritation. "And I'm related to you! That means I have to participate in this mess somehow, even though I wasn't even involved! This is so not good for me!"

Wooyoung shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of Mingi's words crash down on him. His stomach twisted in knots as he processed the implications of the argument. The way they had screamed at each other in front of the entire class, the way they had lost control...it was all too much.

"S-sorry, Mingi..." Wooyoung finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mingi stopped dead in his tracks, disbelief washing over his features. "Sorry? What the fuck do you mean 'sorry'?" he shouted, his tone incredulous. "You think that's gonna fix anything? You can't just say sorry and expect everything to be okay! You need to think about the fucking consequences of that stunt you pulled!"

Mingi then paused to catch his breath. Glancing one last time at Wooyoung, he just blankly said "I'm sorry, I need a moment."

Without waiting for a reply, Mingi turned on his heel and stormed into their room, slamming the door shut behind him. The sound echoed through the apartment, leaving Wooyoung alone with the deafening silence that followed.

Wooyoung stared at the closed door, his heart racing as reality set in. What the fuck had he just done? The weight of his actions pressed heavily on his chest, a sickening mix of regret and anxiety flooding his veins. He thought about Mingi's words and how their impulsive fight had spiraled out of control.

He hadn't just embarrassed himself—he had embarrassed Mingi, too. What would people think of them now? Would they be seen as reckless? Would they lose respect from their classmates?

With his head in his hands, Wooyoung let the gravity of the situation crash over him. The anger he had felt towards San seemed trivial now, reduced to nothing in the face of what he had done. He hadn't just ruined a friendship; he had put a strain on the bond he cherished with Mingi.

As he sat there, the silence filled with his racing thoughts, Wooyoung realized that he needed to make this right. Somehow. But the question remained—how? How could he possibly undo the damage he had caused?

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Yunho paced the small space of his bedroom, his heart racing with frustration. The remnants of the earlier chaos still buzzed in his mind, a symphony of raised voices and harsh words. He stopped suddenly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm the tempest within. He had to talk to San.

He turned and found San sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling with an expression that blended annoyance and guilt. Yunho's voice burst forth, sharp and accusatory. "What the hell was that back there, San? Seriously? How could you let it escalate like that?"

San lifted his head, surprise flickering in his eyes. "I—"

"You should've known better!" Yunho interrupted, pacing again, his frustration pouring out. "Wooyoung can be intense, and you of all people should know how he is in arguments. At least he has a reason for being fired up. You know how important your reputation is, especially with grades like ours! This isn't just about the two of you; this affects all of us!"

San sat up, rubbing his temples. "I didn't mean for it to go that far! It just...happened!"

"Happened? You're both top students! You should have controlled yourselves!" Yunho's voice rose with every word. "I mean, how are you going to anyone normally after that? Do you even care how this impacts your image? You just made everything worse!"

San felt a mix of anger and shame swell in his chest. "I get it, okay? I messed up. But yelling at me isn't going to fix anything, Yunho!"

"Someone has to hold you accountable!" Yunho shot back, his tone relentless. "I thought you were better than this. I can't believe you'd risk everything over a stupid argument with Wooyoung!"

The weight of Yunho's words hung heavily in the air, and San felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I didn't mean for it to turn into a public spectacle. I just—"

"Just what? Wanted to prove a point?" Yunho snapped, his frustration boiling over. "This isn't about proving anything. It's about being responsible!"

Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. San's anger began to fade, replaced by a sense of dread over the consequences of their actions. "I know I messed up," he admitted, his voice quiet now. "But it doesn't mean you can just shout at me like that."

"Maybe I have to," Yunho shot back, his own anger still simmering beneath the surface. "Maybe you need someone to remind you how ridiculous this all is! You know how much I care about you, San. I just can't watch you throw everything away over something so stupid."

"I don't need you to be my parent, Yunho!" San retorted, his voice rising again, but immediately covering his mouth. He did not just shout at Yunho after all these years. Yunho just looked at him disappointed, but not surprised.

San stood, fists clenched, but deep down, he knew Yunho was right. "I'm trying to fix this. I just need time."

"We don't have time." Yunho replied, his tone dangerously much calmer. He ran a hand through his hair in the past exasperation. "We need to figure this out before it spirals even further out of control. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, San." He stated dryly.

As the silence enveloped them once more, both friends felt the weight of their words, understanding that their friendship was on shaky ground. The earlier chaos had brought about a rift neither of them wanted but couldn't ignore.

They both had screwed up badly, and it was not going to fix itself anytime soon.