Anxiety

Chapter 9

"San, do you like Wooyoung?" Hongjoong asked.

"What do you mean? He's my friend! Of course I like him!"

Wooyoung passing by outside stopped when he heard his name. He was about to go in but what he heard next stopped him.

"Do you like him as a lover?" Hongjoong restated the question.

"No! I'm not gay!"

Wooyoung ran off down the hall, the tears already starting to flow. Seonghwa, walking the opposite way, saw him and followed after him.

Back in Hongjoongs office, Hongjoong continued to question San.

"Be honest with yourself San. do you like him as a friend?"

"I like him as more than a friend. I don't know what it is though."

Hongjoong mentally face palmed at the oblivious boy in front of him.

"San, when someone likes someone as more than a friend, it's romantically."

San's face looked troubled. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You said you liked Wooyoung as more than a friend, correct?"

San nodded. "Then you like him as a lover," Hongjoong stated.

He watched as the confusion slowly cleared from San's face. "You're right," San said, realizing it was true.

Just then Seonghwa burst into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he started, "but Wooyoung is down the hall crying. He won't tell me what's wrong and I can't calm him down."

San stood up and ran down the hall straight towards Wooyoung. When he reached him he hugged him and Wooyoung snuggled into his embrace, still crying. "What's wrong?" San asked but Wooyoung wouldn't tell him. He eventually calmed down but in the following days he sank into a state of depression.

San tried his best to lift Wooyoung's spirits, but to no avail. Wooyoung wouldn't be consoled. Hongjoong also tried to bring Wooyoung out of the depression and also failed. Not even the mention of Atiny could make him happier. No one knew what to do.