Eight Lovers, One House
*I'm not dead. Just tired.
CHAPTER 7: ☆Give it a rest☆ word count: 5.2k
Wooyoung wasn't sure why he thought that college would be any better than high school. It was practically the same. Only now he was stuck living with his ex, a traitor, a hot guy, two titans, a lesbian and Jongho. How fun.
As he tapped his pen on the wood table, he began to space out. He had only been in class for about thirty minutes and he was already over it. The room was filled with students looking to change the world with their clothing designs, while Wooyoung was only here because he was forced to be. Fashion was nice and all but he never saw himself pursuing it in the future.
"Ah well, I suppose that's what you get when you're the heir to a clothing empire."
"Spacing out already, Mr Jung?" The teacher's strict voice brought Wooyoung back to reality, his head snapping up to see nearly everyone in the class looking at him. Yet why would he have the decency to be embarrassed?
Instead, Wooyoung leaned onto his right hand, tracing the table with his left and smirked. "Please, Mr Jung is my father. Call me Wooyoung."
Out of the corner of his eye, it was clear that some students were rather captivated by his courage while others grumbled about how arrogant he seemed. It wasn't a reaction Wooyoung was unfamiliar with. In fact, it was a good way for him to gauge the crowd he was surrounding himself with and what he found was that they were too easy.
"Listen here young man, just because your father is head of such a large industry, doesn't mean you can come in here and impose your reputation on-"
Wooyoung put his hand up, shushing his instructor's rambles. "Well pardon me, sir," he said with a light scoff. "But I did no such thing. After all, you're the one who brought up my family's status. As far as I'm concerned, all I did was breathe. Now, I can give you a real reason to despise but for now, we haven't reached that point. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get back to relaxing."
The teacher, and the majority of students for that matter, were stunned. Their silence made Wooyoung smirk. "Carry on." He flicked his wrist, insinuating that the teacher get on with his lesson. Before he could comment, the professor was blocked out by Wooyoung's headphones.
Mission: make an impression - complete. Wooyoung, you have done it again. Constantly raising the bar.
Wooyoung had quite a few connections at this school. His mother and father both attended KQ, going on to be million-dollar entrepreneurs, along with his two cousins, Taemin and Jimin two of the biggest stars around right now. It was safe to say that expectations for him were high.
Though if he was being honest, he would rather gain a reputation his way and not through family links. It seemed rather cheap to him. The best way to do that? Well by doing exactly what he did today.
By the time the lesson was over, nearly everyone was whispering Wooyoung's name and it brought a self-satisfied smirk to his lips. What more could he want?
He needed to leave before that pesky teacher could give him a headache with his dreaded voice. However, someone tapped him on the shoulder just as he was about to make his escape, keeping Wooyoung where he was. Though he cursed, he wasn't mean enough to run out and turned to see who it was.
Yet to his pleasant surprise, he was quite pleased with who he saw. "Yeonjun?" he exclaimed, eliciting a giggle from the bluenette in front of him. Yeonjun was a friend he had met online a year or so ago. It was a happy accident but one he couldn't have been more grateful for. They planned to meet once they both learned they would be attending the same school but neither expected it to happen this soon.
"I had no idea you would be in this class!" The older of the two said.
"Same! If I did, then maybe I would have kept my mouth shut..."
Yeonjun scoffed. "Don't even lie, no you wouldn't." They both chuckled as Wooyoung admitted that he was right. "I'm surprised you decided on fashion and design. What happened to your dream of owning a restaurant?"
"Trust me, it's still there. Dear old dad just didn't agree with it." He still remembered the day he confessed this dream to his father. The boy was met with a harsh look of scrutiny. What followed was a long and gut-wrenching speech from the older man. "No son of mine will follow such a useless path." That is what he was told. After all, he stood in front of the CEO of one of the leading clothing brands in the region. How could he allow his son to pursue cooking?
Wooyoung's fist clenched at the memory. The way his dad so fervently crushed his ambitions, sentencing him to four yours of a major he was bound to despise.
"Sorry to hear that, Woo..." The younger only shrugged, mumbling that it was what it was. There wasn't much he could do about it now."But hey! Since you're here, why don't we go grab a coffee? I know a few places I think would be good!"
That was when Wooyoung's smile fell. "Would love to but I'm meeting with another friend after this." Yet his grin quickly returned when he remembered who exactly he was seeing. Though Yeonjun pouted, he understood nonetheless and sent Wooyoung off.
They bid their farewells and Wooyoung made his journey to his next destination. It wasn't long before he got lost, however, and glanced around for some sense of direction. Glancing down at his phone, he was having a difficult time figuring out where to go next.
"Dumb maps..." He grumbled. How was he expected to read this stupid thing? "God, if you're real, please send some sort of angel to guide me to this sandwich shop."
Wish and you shall receive. Although, it wasn't an angel headed Wooyoung's way. Quite the opposite actually. "What are you doing out here, freshman?" The familiar voice made his head turn to the side. It was the soft and sultry tone of one Park Seonghwa, who furrowed his brow at the way the younger had been aimlessly wandering around.
Now, Wooyoung didn't get flustered easily. Trust him, he wasn't the type but there was just something about Seonghwa that made his cheeks grow warm. "Oh um...I-I was just trying to find a place..." And he stuttered? What kind of fuckery is this?!
Bemused, Seonghwa took a few steps forward and without Wooyoung asking, he moved behind him. The freshman's body froze at the warm feeling of Seonghwa's breath brushing against him. It sent shivers down his spine. "There," Said Seonghwa, pointing ahead after just a few seconds of looking at Woo's device. "It's just down the road."
"Ah...T-Thanks..."
As he moved away, it seemed like the older took a moment to size Wooyoung up. Eventually, he smirked. "No problem doll, remember, my door's always open if you're looking for a fun time." The suggestiveness of his offer didn't fly over Wooyoung's head and if he wasn't already sure of its intentions, the wink Seonghwa sent confirmed it.
"I'm going to sleep with Seonghwa." These were the first words to come out of his mouth when he sat down across from Jongho. Not a Hi, Hello or even a How are you. Safe to say, his friend's day was ruined by that sentence alone.
Figuring Jongho just didn't get what he was saying, Wooyoung decided to elaborate. "Listen, you need to understand-"
"I could genuinely care less..."
"That there's just something about him!" Realising he was going to be ignored for at least the next three minutes, Jongho slid his menu closer and began to look through for something to eat. Allowing Wooyoung the time to ramble. "He's different and I swear I've never felt this way about anyone else."
Jongho hummed with "intrigue" while "listening". "He practically invited me to have sex with him just now! I can't pass up an opportunity like that! He's the perfect rebound."
Taking a sip of the Sprite he had ordered prior to Wooyoung arriving, Jongho didn't hesitate to roll his eyes. "I just came here for a drink and a sandwich and now my mood has been completely ruined. Thank you." Wooyoung scoffed but it hardly phased the younger in the slightest. "Listen, I've known Seonghwa for like a week and I'll tell you right now, he's a piece of shit. The bastard ate the toast that I put in the toaster. He watched me put it in and took it! What kind of person does that? I'll tell you who: an asshole."
The waiter came by, asking the two what their orders were. Wooyoung cursed, realising he hadn't even glanced at the menu. Luckily, Jongho was spot on with what he would have wanted. "A grilled chicken sandwich for him and a roast beef sub for me, please."
"Nice! How did you know that was what I would want?" He questioned once the waiter had left. His answer was a light shrug.
"I pay attention. Now, as I was saying," and the mood was immediately soured. The lilac-haired couldn't help but jut his lip out into a pout at how his friend was acting. So prudish. "Woo, listen. Seonghwa seems like the type to play with people's feelings and leave them with nothing. If you slept with him, what do you think everyone else would say? I'm pretty sure he and Hongjoong hyung were a couple before and San would have a fit if he found out."
"Who cares if he finds out?"
"You care if he finds out. Don't kid yourself. I know you still value his opinion, no matter how much you try to deny it. A shitty hook up with a guy who won't even remember your name the next morning just isn't worth it." The worst part was, he was right.
Wooyoung knew everything Jongho told him was correct. Even if that were so, he would never admit it. After all, if he was discouraged, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't allow these feelings to fester and sit, causing him more anguish as the days passed.
Leaning into his hand, he began to wonder if, in the end, any of it was even worth it. To say his time with San was a waste would be a blatant lie. After all, he loved him. But clearly, that wasn't enough.
-ˋˏ *.·:·⟐..·:·.* ˎˊ-
Like wildfire, news of Choi San and Jung Wooyoung dating spread around the school quicker than anyone could've expected. After a mere month of knowing each other - San asked Wooyoung to be his boyfriend.
All it took was one person to catch them holding hands and suddenly everyone knew. Both of them expected this, of course, but neither cared. The infatuation they shared for one another was deeper than the Pacific. At first, it was all flirtatious banter. Winks, slaps on the ass but not much action. Wooyoung never expected to really fall for San.
That was until he watched his performance. For Wooyoung had grown increasingly more captivated by every one of his movements. While Yeosang and Jongho kept to themselves, holding hands and snuggling throughout the show, Wooyoung was leaning forward, eyes focussed on the intense dance ahead of him.
He would lose focus every time San wasn't on stage, zoning out and being just seconds from pulling out his phone to distract from the impending boredom, he was thankful these moments didn't last long. After all, San was the main dancer and you would have to be a downright fool to question why. In a full face of makeup and a costume to complement the demonic character he played, it was impossible to not be drawn to every step he took.
By the end of that night, Wooyoung was sure of one thing: He needed Choi San. He needed to figure him out. No one had ever made him feel the way this boy did. He was an anomaly and one he wanted near him at all times.
So when San brought him to the roof of his home one evening, the world lit only by the glowing full moon and stars, to hold his hands, Wooyoung was sure it was love. "Will you be my boyfriend?"
"Of course!" Not a single drop of hesitation in his voice.
"I really thought this would get drawn out," Yeosang remarked, his arm wrapped around Jongho's waist while they watched the new couple walk down the hall together. "I figured it would take at least half of the term."
"Term?" Scoffed Jongho. "I'd say the year. Have you seen the way they both play hard to get with other people? I wonder what made them speed up the process this time around."
Remarks like this were a rather common consensus, only instead of wondering why they got together so quickly, people began to question how long they would last. After all, this was Jung Wooyoung. Infamous for flirting with teachers to get his way and showing off the short end of his cheerleading skirt just to taunt people. Everyone knew he was a tease and many were determined to let San know it as well.
Eyes were always on them. Both a curse and a blessing during this time. It did wonders for Wooyoung's ego yet was one of the many factors that soured his relationship with San.
Control and jealously were two things they'd become very familiar with.
-ˋˏ *.·:·⟐..·:·.* ˎˊ-
He supposed that was where everything went wrong. Even as Wooyoung entered the house, that memory stayed in the back of his mind, annoying him with every passing second. "Just don't think about it." He would tell himself before proceeding to do exactly that.
Jongho had a class to go to and needed to meet with Yeosang to take some photos, the idea of the latter not sitting too well with Wooyoung for some reason. Nevertheless, it meant he was on his own for the remainder of the day. Meaning he was left with the glorious realm that was his mind. The same mind that was currently trying to send his entire body into overdrive.
"I just don't get him. Who would want to cheat on me? ME? I'm fucking gorgeous! Oh god, this is high school all over again." Indeed, this was the same thought process he went through after he caught San and Yeosang together. Only now, it was with the preface that he should be over it.
That didn't stop him from ranting though because anyone with a brain could see that he was most definitely not over it. Including Hongjoong. "You know there are other people in this house, right?" Wooyoung turned his attention to the smurf sitting at the edge of the couch, hoodie pulled over his head and several cups of decaf surrounding him as he typed away at the laptop resting on his knees. Looking like some sort of depressed college student hanging on by his last leg. Which wouldn't be too far off...
"No one that matters, you mean." Was Wooyoung's scornful retort, said as he slung his bag off his shoulder and made his way to his room.
"Well, you're not wrong. But I value my hearing, so keep all that in your head, okay?"
The younger student scoffed at this and Wooyoung, ever the confrontationalist, glared at him and decided to speak up. "Listen up little lesbian, I've got a lot of shit going on in my head. Shit, you could never begin to understand. Not with the half functioning brain you've got. So keep quiet, will you?"
What he wasn't expecting was for Hongjoong to chuckle. The blunette slid his device off his lap and placed it on the cushion, pushing off his hoodie while he stood to his feet.
"Congratulations, you're suffering. Get in line sweetheart," he spat, as he made his way over to the freshman. "You've got it hard but so does every other person on this fucking planet. It's unfortunate, I know, you're not as important as you think you are, kid. I'm sure you were a real hotshot in high school, huh? Well, not here cause you're starting from the bottom and unless you learn to keep your mouth shut, that's where you'll stay."
Silence was the only response Wooyoung could muster. He had just expected Hongjoong to sit back and take it, not for him to rail onto him as hard as he did. He was only a centimetre or so shorter than Wooyoung but the balls on this man were enormous.
By now, Hongjoong was barely ten inches away from him, every word he said smacking Wooyoung dead in the face. The distance certainly made his jeers more intimidating. Though, from the outside looking in, it could look much different.
"Trying to get in his pants too?" Both men turned their attention to the door, where a familiar pinkette was standing, arms crossed and frowning.
"What are you on about now San?" Wooyoung groaned, finally moving away from his hyung who raised his brow at the ensuing confrontation.
"You think I haven't heard what people are saying?" San walked forward, each step making Wooyoung grow ever more nervous. "So it's true? You're really so desperate for a dick in you that you're with Yeonjun after just one day?"
The mention of his blueberry friend made Wooyoung scoff. "You're delusional, you know that. I literally told you we only flirt over text. Nothing else."
"Oh yeah? That's not what other people are saying. I assume it's the same with Jongho and Seonghwa too?" This caught Hongjoong's attention, his eyes now shifting between the two wearily.
"For the last time, nothing is going on with Jongho! And what happens between me and Seonghwa, stays between me and Seonghwa. It's not your business what I get up to." A glare sharper than steel shot Wooyoung's soul, searing his heart with an immense hurt. It was the kind of look he had never hoped to see from San again but there was just something about it that he loved so much. "Why not join us, San? I'm sure he could show you a thing or two in bed since you were never any good there to begin with."
"You-"
"SHUT UP! Both of you!" Both turned their gaze to Hongjoong, the eldest rubbing his temples in dismay. "Good God you're so fucking extra! Get over yourself San. What Wooyoung does seriously shouldn't concern you if you're not already involved in the situation."
San glanced away, keeping his arms crossed while Wooyoung didn't hesitate to laugh. "See what I mean? Take that you-"
"Shut the hell up Wooyoung," Growled Hongjoong, instantly zipping the younger's mouth. "Don't make me drag you again because I will not hesitate to rip your bratty ass a new one." With a huff, he turned back to San. "Well? Did you just come here to make a scene or do you actually need something?"
Hongjoong was barely phased by the glare San sent his way. He had seen scarier people in public restrooms. When the younger realised this, he could do nothing but storm right out the front door, slamming it on the way out and leaving Wooyoung to let out a furious breath of relief.
"Your ex is a piece of shit." The blunette said simply, returning to his previous seat to carry on with his work. His statement was one Wooyoung fully agreed with.
"Tell me about it-"
"And so are you. Match made in Hell." Wow he didn't let people breathe, did he? Wooyoung began to wonder if he was always this moody or if he had just had a bad day. After all, he didn't seem this mean when they first met. Damn did he miss those first few hours of silence.
Despite the risk of being yelled at yet again, he plopped himself on the other end of the couch. It wasn't like he had much else to do and Hongjoong seemed at least a little bit interesting. His presence didn't go unnoticed by him and unfortunately, Joong wasn't too keen on being in the same room as him any longer. "Don't you have homework to do or something?"
Most likely but it wasn't like Wooyoung cared to do it. "I'm sure I do." The response he gave was childish and to Hongjoong, nowhere near acceptable. His scornful glower of disapproval was hard to miss and was rather entertaining to the younger. "Hey, if you want to do it, be my guest. If you wanna waste your life messing with fabrics then I won't stop you."
"You're studying design?" Queried the blueberry.
"Yep," Woo replied, putting extra emphasis on the 'p'. "Pretty stupid, right?"
He didn't expect Hongjoong to shake his head. "It was my alternative to music, actually. So no, I wouldn't say it's stupid." Based on his fruity attributes, the many accessories he often wore along with his interesting style, it wasn't hard to see. To Wooyoung, at least. "Daddy forced you to take it or something?"
Wooyoung recognised the sarcasm in his comment but being coy about it didn't serve him any good. So he exclaimed, "Ding ding ding! Correct answer!" Accompanying this with jazz hands and throwing off the previously salty tone of their conversation. "I've got better things to focus on than playing with dresses."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Unconsciously, Wooyoung's eyes travelled towards the door and, not being as subtle as he thought he was, Hongjoong managed to catch it. "No, don't tell me it's him?"
"Well..."
"Wooyoung ah, listen to me. Men are some of the biggest assholes you'll have the displeasure of meeting."
For a moment, Wooyoung sputtered, saying, "But aren't you a-" but was quickly cut off.
"It's called self-loathing. They'll say shit like "I hate seeing you cry" then proceed to make you cry! Assholes! Each and every one of them!" Wooyoung wasn't expecting him to be so intense but he supposed it could only be because Hongjoong was speaking from personal experience.
Realising how riled up he had become, the older student cleared. "All I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't get too hung up on him because that's what he wants. He wants you to chase him while he sits back and waits for you to crawl to him like the bastard he is!"
"Hyung..."
"Right, sorry. Just remember what I've said. Think about it this way: what's more important to you? Your education or San's feelings for you?" Once again, Wooyoung's gaze went towards the door and Hongjoong hastily tried to regain his attention. "Good god, you're hopeless. Just try not to focus on him. Think about things that actually matter."
-ˋˏ *.·:·⟐..·:·.* ˎˊ-
"How's therapy going?" Jongho glanced up from his paper when Wooyoung asked this, turning his attention back to his work a moment later. They were at his house this time since it was closer to school, attempting to get some studying done. Jongho was, at least. Wooyoung seemed more interested in pestering him about information in his personal life than any sort of math equations.
"Fine," the younger replied curtly, while Wooyoung pouted at his lacklustre response. He was hoping for at least a little bit of detail but it seemed Jongho would remain closed off. In terms of emotion, the younger was as expressive as a boulder. Wooyoung would rattle on and on about his trials and feelings yet Jongho refused to return the same sentiments. He was hoping that by now he would be at least a little more open...
He managed to find out the reason he was going to therapy through copious amounts of pestering and was just as shocked as Jongho, though he was begged not to tell Yeosang. But after that, he hadn't spoken about it again.
"And how's San?"
"Amazing!" There was a chipper to Wooyoung's tone, showing just how happy the mention of his boyfriend made him. "I'm going to see him later today at cheerleading. He's coming for support. Can you think of anything sweeter?"
Jongho groaned when the blonde suddenly rolled on top of him and quickly did his best to push him away with little success. It was safe to say he wasn't a fan of Wooyoung's lovey-dovey state. Realising he wouldn't be set free anytime soon, Jongho took out his phone to pass the time.
"That photo you posted of us has a lot of likes," he said with a bit of wonder. "The comments are pretty funny, not gonna lie. "Cute couple" "Nice treat Woo" "Can I have a bit of that?" What does that even mean?"
"And the one of San has even more likes. Actually, there are more photos of him on your account than you."
Jongho stuck his tongue out at how cheesy his captions sounded. "You're so whipped."
And in response, Wooyoung chuckled, saying, "Wouldn't you be?"
"Not with all the rumours, no." It was when Jongho said this that Wooyoung finally got off of him. He placed himself on the other end of the bed, a light sigh escaping his mouth.
You would have to be deaf not to hear the way people whispered about Wooyoung in the halls. Being a flirt was great and it definitely had its perks but the moment you settle down, no one expects you to stay loyal. "You don't believe any of that, do you Jongho? You don't really think I would cheat on my own boyfriend?"
He knew Jongho wouldn't lie to him and after he had just listened to a minute of gushing, he simply couldn't believe what people were saying. "No Wooyoung, I don't." That was enough for him.
Smiling brightly, Wooyoung jumped right back on top of the brunette, eliciting yet another whine of discomfort from him. This time, however, Jongho accepted defeat and didn't push him away. Wooyoung cheered from above him, giggling childishly.
"Wooyoung?" The door had opened, revealing an extremely confused Yeosang, who peered at the pair curiously. "What are you doing here?"
Wooyoung moved off of the other teen, if only to let him greet his boyfriend. "He was helping me with homework," he explained while Jongho made his way into his boyfriend's arms.
Yeosang glanced at him sceptically but the younger teen nodded at him, confirming what Wooyoung said to be true. "Well it was more like I was writing the answers and he was copying, but it's close enough."
Even with this, Yeosang still didn't look entirely convinced, his grip on Jongho's waist tightened and a light whimper escaped his lips. "Babe..." he whispered, attempting to get him to loosen his hold. Leaning down, he muttered something in Jongho's ear that made him grimace.
When he noticed the tension, Wooyoung decided it would be best to go. "I should leave, practice is going to start soon. Don't go too hard on him, Sangie, I don't think this boy can handle it rough."
Yeosang stuck his tongue out at his friend, earning a similar jeer from the blonde on the way out. "Yah! And don't let San break you."
"What makes you think I'm not into that? Oh! Before I go, I wanted to know if you were going to Changbin's party next week?"
Yeosang shrugged. "Thinking about it. Now get out of here, will you? Your coach is gonna tear you a new one if you're late."
Cheerleading was an interesting sport. Many found entertainment in the way the girls would flash the football team, offering "rewards" if they played well. Seeing pretty women toss one another in the air while wearing tight clothes was appealing to many. If the students could throw money, no doubt they would.
However, to Wooyoung, it was an adrenaline rush. There was so much excitement in seeing a routine they had spent hours perfecting finally come together, eliciting an outburst of cheers from his fellow peers at their complex choreography excited them. He loved feeling that rush as his teammates took him to the top of the tower, a bright beam on his face while he harked the acclamations from all around.
Flirtatious comments and romantic banter were thrown his way as the teen walked onto the field. Wooyoung was greeted with his usual warm reception from everyone at practice. Everyone, except San, that is. He found his boyfriend focusing on his phone, his steely eyes fixed on the screen instead of the teen in front of him. This went for about thirty seconds and it was hardly appreciated.
"Find something more interesting than me to look at?"
"Cute couple," He said suddenly. "Nice treat Woo. Can I have a bit of that? Location: My side chick's house! Sound familiar?" It took him a moment to recognise these quotes but when he did, Wooyoung giggled.
"Oh, those? They're just a few comments from a picture I took with Jongho. Funny, right?"
"So, you think you two would make a cute couple?" When San finally looked up at him, it was clear that he didn't find it nearly as humorous. In fact, he looked quite irritated by all of this. Frankly, Wooyoung couldn't see why he was so upset over all of this. After all, it was just a picture.
"San, I never said-"
"Wooyoung! Warm-up stretches, let's go!" He turned his head towards the direction of his coach, noticing that the rest of the team had already begun without him. Wooyoung's lips quivered downwards, only because he wanted to finish this conversation first. He hated leaving things unsolved and the last thing he wanted was for this to end in a fight.
Regardless of how he felt, it seemed their discussion would have to wait until later. "Right... San, can we-"
"We'll talk later," Without another word, San stood to his feet. Feeling dejected, Wooyoung figured he would walk off but thankfully, he felt a pair of lips press against his forehead and saw his boyfriend grinning down at him. "I'll call you." A smile didn't dither to dash across his face as Woo nodded at him. As long as San wasn't upset with him, he was happy.
The older teen hopped off the stands, hands buried in his pockets while he made his way off the grassy plain. With one last glance behind him, his jaw clenched at the close proximity between his boyfriend and the coach. Was a little distance too much to ask for? Wooyoung always spoke highly of his cheer instructor, a little too admirably for San's liking.
