Don't Text Me | Taesan X Woonhak

25: SOS

Dongmin hadn’t left the house much; suspended, annoyed, and utterly drained. The professors were avoiding his emails, his so-called classmates either ghosted him or whispered behind his back.
Jihoon was suspiciously nice lately. That usually meant he was hiding something , probably a new crush or a failing test.

Most of Dongmin’s time was spent bouncing between his bed, the kitchen, and endlessly scrolling on his phone. He occasionally glared at his laptop like it owed him money.

He didn't really know why he kept texting Woonhak. He told himself it was just to vent , to yell at someone who wouldn't take it too seriously. But somehow, Woonhak always circled back to the same point.

Dongmin:
Hypothetically...
What would you do if someone close to you told you they did something stupid and now you're stuck covering for them?

Woonhak:
Ooooh, mystery! I like it. Spill the tea.
Who messed up? Was it your friend? Your cat?
Wait you don't have a cat—
Don't tell me YOU messed up, Mr. Perfect.

Dongmin:
Focus, idiot. It's a hypothetical situation.
Let's say someone made a dumb mistake, and now you have to bail them out. What would you do?

Woonhak:
Hmmm.
First, I'd dramatically sigh and tell them how disappointed I am.
Then, I'd make them owe me BIG time.
Like, I'd make them buy me snacks for a month. Or maybe...
Get them to do my homework for me. That's the move.

Dongmin:
Are you serious?
That's the best you've got?

Woonhak:
What? It's genius!
You get free food AND someone doing your boring assignments.
Win-win, right?

Dongmin:
I'm talking about an actual problem, not middle school-level blackmail.
Forget I asked.

Woonhak:
Wait, no! Don't go! I can help, I swear.
Is this "someone" in trouble with the law?
Did they accidentally join a cult?
Did they set something on fire? Because I can help with fires.
I may or may not have set something on fire before. Long story.

Dongmin:
I regret everything.
Why did I even think you'd have something useful to say?

Woonhak:
Hey, I can be useful!
I mean, I haven't been arrested yet, so I must be doing something right.
But seriously, if it's bad, just do what I do—run for the hills and act innocent.
Or! Better idea: blame it on someone else.
Works every time.

Dongmin:
...I can't believe I texted you first.
This is what I get for lowering my standards.

Woonhak:
Awww, does that mean you missed me?
Admit it, Taesan. You couldn't stay away for long.
I'm irresistible.

Dongmin:
I miss the peace and quiet of two days when you didn't text me last month.
Next time, I'll just solve my problems in silence.

Woonhak: So, YOU have problems!

Dongmin: ...bye

Woonhak:
Wait, Taesan, hear me out!
Don't ditch me just yet.
What's really going on? You asked for advice for a reason, right?

Dongmin:
Fine.
But don't expect anything profound from me.
It's just...
College stuff. Drama.
You wouldn't understand.

Woonhak:
Try me. I might surprise you.
What's the drama?

Dongmin:
I've got this idiot rival who's been flaming me all over campus.
He's spreading lies, making it look like I beat him up on the streets.
That's why I got suspended for three weeks
Now I have to prove I'm not the scum of the earth while everyone watches the show.
It's exhausting.
So yeah, that's my current nightmare.