“Who’s up for round two?” yelled Ji Soo as she placed an arm around Jong In. “Ah, I’m feeling good. I think I can go for another round.” She turned to face him and placed a loud kiss on his cheek. “Our Jong In is the cutest in the world.”
Like clockwork, Hwan appeared, having paid the tab and came out just in time to witness the tipsy Ji Soo’s show of affection.
“I’ll take her home,” he said, no hint of amusement in his voice as he pulled her arm off of Jong In and without another word, began walking away from the group.
Ye Jun could hear Ji Soo ask why they were not going for another round as their footsteps faded into the distance.
“It’s late and the subway should already have stopped” said Si Woo as he looked at Jong In, who too was slightly tipsy as evidenced by his slowly closing eyelids. “My apartment is not far from here,” he continued, looking at Ye Jun who had wrapped his arm around Jong In’s waist. “How about we grab a few more drinks at the convenience store and you two stay over for the night.”
Ye Ju, upon seeing just how far gone Jong In was, hesitantly agreed.
After purchasing some beer and snacks, they settled down in Si Woo’s spacious living room in a large, two bedroom apartment in an affluent part of the city.
“So, do you let anyone kiss you when you’re drunk?” Si Woo asked Jong In jokingly as he opened a can of beer and set it before him.
Jong In, who had yet to sober up from the night’s event, took a tentative sip and set it back down on the table. His eyelids lowered slightly and a small smile appeared on his face. “Hmm,” he said, “If they are good looking, yes.”
Si Woo let out a surprised laugh.
“Then what about me?” he asked, leaning closer toward him with a smile. “Am I good looking enough?”
“Hmm?” Jong In who had been staring at the opening of his beer can looked up and seemed to peruse the sunbae’s face in serious thought. “Yes, you have soft but manly features.” He nodded as though affirming his own conclusions all the while he peered back down at his now half empty can. “You are good looking.”
Si Woo chuckled as he set down his own beer and shuffled toward the empty spot in front of Jong In’s seat. “Then that means that I can kiss you, right?”
Ye Jun, who had just come out of the bathroom to hear the tailend of Jong In’s words and Si Woo’s reply, frowned as he moved toward them. The two were yet unaware of Ye Jun’s arrival and he took that opportunity to observe them.
Si Woo had been noticeably attentive to Jong In throughout the night. He had made sure that his plate was always full, that he did not overindulge in alcohol, and Si Woo had listened to every word Jong In had said as though they were the most interesting words he had ever heard. It was evidence that Si Woo might actually be a good fit for Jong In if his actions were any indication as to the kind of lover he would be. But for some reason, it had put Ye Jun into a semi-foul mood at some point in the night.
He frowned, he should have wholeheartedly been able to support their relationship but… he could not and it was all because of this ugly emotion that had once again reared its head.
The most distressing part was that he now understood what the emotion was. He could now put a name to it.
Jealousy.
And the worst part was that it was jealousy of Jong In and not the sunbae.
He finally had a taste of that elusive emotion but it was to a man that he would have never allowed himself to develop any interest for and it was leading him into a whirlwind of confusion, desire, and possessiveness.
Damn. He couldn’t believe that he was even entertaining the idea. Could he really mess this up for Jong In?
No, he had to fight it. It was why he had agreed to come to the sunbae’s house in the first place, he wanted to convince himself once and for all that Jong In and Si Woo belonged together and with that proof, he would distance himself as much as possible until the feelings passed.
And that had been the plan at least, until that very moment when he witnessed Si Woo draw down Jong In’s face toward his in a brief yet suggestive kiss.
Ye Jun’s body went cold as he felt the ugliness surge within him and suddenly he found himself standing in front of them. They both turned to stare up at him in surprise. He grabbed Jong In’s arms and pulled him off the seat, dragging him to the opposite side of the table.
Si Woo watched with a slight smile on his face.
Ye Jun then sat them down and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure who he was angry with, all he knew was that he did not want them near each other.
“Ye Jun.”
Ye Jun turned to see Jong In looking at him. His cheeks were tinged with a pretty pink from the alcohol and he was watching him with the same pair of hooded eyes he had used to gaze at Si Woo earlier.
“You’re good looking too,” Jong In said with a silly look and he reached over and grasped Ye Jun’s face between his hands.
Ye Jun’s eyes widened as Jong In brought his face closer but before he could place a kiss, Ye Jun covered Jong In’s mouth with his hand.
“Jong In, you’re drunk.”
“No, I’m certain I’m not,” he replied with the same silly smile then added, “Ye Jun-ah, should we go out and feed the cats?”
He then turned toward Si Woo, who was still watching them but now with open amusement. “Oh, Si Woo sunbae, when did you get here? Wow,” he tried to open his eyes wide. “Si Woo sunbae, you are really good looking.”
Si Woo’s grin widened. “Am I? And that’s important, is it?”
“Hmm?” Jong In looked as though he was seriously pondering the question then he shook his head, his pink cheeks and drowsy expression making him look almost like a child. “No, it’s not important. You’re a good person, I think that’s more important. You having a pretty face will likely help you in life though. Like this punk here.” He then slapped Ye Jun on the back. “He’s a good looking guy too but like you, sunbae, he’s also a good guy.” Jong In then leaned back suddenly, “Aren’t I lucky – surrounded by good looking good guys?”
Ye Jun watched in a mixture of surprise, exasperation, and amusement as Jong In closed his eyes and a moment later emitted a soft snore, all the while he continued to hold his now empty beer can.
Ye Jun sighed. “I thought I’ve seen every side of him.”
Si Woo laughed softly as he pulled himself up onto Jong In’s previous seat. “It’s impossible to know everything about someone,” he said as he handed Ye Jun an unopened beer.
“I’ve known him nearly all my life but I guess we’ve only drunk together a handful of times and it was never really to this point, he usually just blacked out. I wouldn’t have guessed that he would be such a flirt.”
Si Woo smiled again as he took a sip of his beer. “You’d be surprised by the things people keep hidden, sometimes it’s things the individual himself is not aware of.”
Ye Jun peered at him thoughtfully. While the words were full of meaning, there seemed to be something beneath them, something private to his own life and Ye Jun found himself curious as to what it was. It was odd, he was rarely ever curious as to the lives of others minus a handful of individuals.
They both sat quietly for a moment, each pondering their own private thoughts.
Then the atmosphere seemed to change in the quiet night of the room. Jong In’s soft snores had ceased into deep, peaceful breaths and the cold beers were warming in their hands. Ye Jun felt an unfamiliar agitation fill him along with the realization that he was now alone with the man who had been invading his dreams for the past few weeks.
“Sunbae,” he said without thinking.
Si Woo who had been lost in his own thoughts looked up and paused. There was something unusual in Ye Jun’s tone. “What is it?” he asked, raising his knee and perching the arm that held the beer atop it.
However, Ye Jun didn’t respond immediately. Si Woo looked at him closely. He looked uncertain, hesitant as though he was on some kind of precipice.
After a moment, Si Woo decided to change the topic. “So when am I going to get your help?”
“My help?” Ye Jun repeated, knotting his brown in question. Perhaps he too had had too much to drink earlier.
“You said you’d help me win over that one there.” He then pointed to the only sleeping form in the room. Ye Jun also turned to look. For a moment, he had forgotten that Jong In slept like the dead, unmoving from the position he fell asleep in.
“What you have been doing seems to be effective.”
“It doesn’t seem like there has been any progress,” replied Si Woo.
Ye Jun shook his head. For some reason he was growing a bit irritated. “No, there has been. He actually listens to you. Jong In doesn’t handle socializing well so when he is forced into it, he is often too focused on the awkwardness to hear what the other person is saying. The fact that he listens and remembers what you talk about means that he doesn’t see you as a stranger and that you are already someone to him.” Something clenched in his chest and Ye Jun felt a little bit of anxiety rise within him. Why was it that he kept feeling this way when the sunbae was around?
“If I have to give you any advice at all,” Ye Jun continued, turning from Si Woo to look at the sleeping form next to him, “is that you see only him because when he does fall in love with you, he won’t do so in half-measures.”
Si Woo watched as Ye Jun brushed aside a stray strand of hair from Jong In’s face. The sudden retracting of fingers convinced him that Ye Jun had been acting without realizing it.
“Hmm, that seems a bit burdensome for simple dating,” Si Woo said.
Ye Jun turned back to him, his brows slightly lowered as though he was about to glare at him or perhaps he was simply assessing him. “I don’t know if he can change.”
Si Woo took another sip of his beer. “Perhaps,” he said slowly, looking away at some random, seemingly unimportant point in the room. “No, you’re right. It would be hard to change for most people, I can imagine that it’d be near impossible for someone like Jong In.”
“Does this mean that you are rethinking all this?”
Surprised, Si Woo lowered his beer. “No,” he said as he shook his head, “Perhaps a burdensome love is something I am looking for right now.” He paused and his expression seemed to shutter then return to its previous state.
He looked up to see Ye Jun watching him intensely. He was slightly taken aback. “What is it?” he asked, taking another sip to clear his throat. It had been a long time since he had been looked at like that. “Regardless, I don’t think Jong In will reciprocate my interest any time soon.”
“Then what about me?”
A heavy silence followed his words and Si Woo raised his eyes to meet Ye Jun’s in surprise. “What?”
“I’m saying,” said Ye Jun as he lifted himself off his chair and closed the distance between them, all the while maintaining that strangely intense gaze. “If you think it’s impossible with Jong In, then why don’t you give me a shot.”
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