"Go ahead and cry little boy
You know that your daddy did too
You know what your mama went through
I love that you got daddy issues"
-THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, DADDY ISSUES

“Jihoon, are you listening to me?” Jihoon slightly jumps from his swiveling chair, forgetting that he was talking to Wonwoo on the other line. In the past he would be wondering why the taller would confide in him for these things but having heard of how Jun would only gush sweet glaze over Wonwoo’s stories, he figured it was better this way. It’s nice having someone to listen to.

Jihoon smiles and looks down on his phone on speaker mode. “Yes, yes, I was just caught up editing the album jacket contents.” He hums. “You’re in the part where you just sat down on your chair.”

A sigh was heard from the phone. “Yes, so that’s how it goes…. I’m assigned to interview Mingyu for a magazine our company has newly partnered up with.”

“And you’re troubled because you think it would be awkward?” Jihoon asks in a way as if he was stating a matter of fact. Wonwoo is somewhat a predictable person. “Come to think of it, remembering what happened back at the party– did you manage to find Mingyu?”

There’s hesitation on the other line before he could hear a sharp intake of breath. “Yes… we uh, we had .”

Jihoon was glad he wasn’t drinking anything or else he would be ruining his precious white Mac for life. “Okay, I was not expecting that. I was expecting you’d drunk confess to him and all that sappy stuff– not that.” He had predicted that Wonwoo spills things about his current feelings toward his ex-husband, but hearing such thing from Wonwoo had him shocked. “But did you spill though?”

“I might have ranted about how he loves women’s s and hates men’s ?”

Jihoon smiles slightly and quirks his brow. “You’re unsure?”

“Okay, I ranted to him and bombarded him with a lot of ‘why’s regarding that matter.”

He should’ve put into mind how much Wonwoo blabbers nonsense when he’s drunk. He fights off a chuckle that’s threatening to escape his smiling shut lips before he could open them to ask another question. “And then?”

“He had his up in me, I can’t remember anything else besides that.”

“Woah, woah, woah– that’s too much information right there, Jeon.” Jihoon wanted to end the call right then and there because he felt his ears turning red and hot. How could he not imagine something that’s literally described to him?

“I hit him with a pillow first thing in the morning when I woke up and then I accused him of assaulting me– clearly I forced myself on him, but I don’t–“

“You don’t want to admit that because in the first place before all of these things happened, you were the victim, his victim. Right?” Jihoon had hit a nerve and he could hear Wonwoo shuffling in his desk, probably uncomfortable having to be reminded and told the truth.

“What should I do?”

Jihoon knows that’s a confirmation. He was about to speak once more when he heard a ring in his door. “Look Won, there’s someone ringing home and I’ll text you stuff in a bit, okay?” He assures his friend and end the calls after exchanging goodbyes.

The small man opens his door to a Wooseung, looking like a wreck in with his bruised jaw, disheveled hair and busted lip. His eyes were red but he isn’t crying. He pulls the boy inside his unit and checks up on his body to find scratches and bruises all over. He kneels down doing so and looks up at the boy– his son with the utmost worry in his face. “Is there anymore?” Wooseung shakes his head. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He didn’t comment in on how come there was a small smile in the boy’s face when he leads him carefully to the bathroom, preparing warm water and essential oils in the tub.

Wooseung strips down all of his clothing, revealing the newly inflicted bruises and red scratches on his skin. He sits down inside the bathtub, soaking himself in the fragrant water. “I got mauled by a dog.” He informs the worried man who’s sitting down beside the tub, looking at him with a small frown. “Mom will dismember my limbs and quote–unquote ‘protect me from the world’ by grounding me. He would cry if he sees me like this.” He pouts. “Then I remembered you. You care for me because I’m your best friend’s son and you won’t give me punishments.” Wooseung snickered.

“Silly kid.” Jihoon snorts and ruffles Wooseung’s hair with a shampoo coated hand. “Lay your head on the edge, I’ll wash your hair.” He hums and tugs on Wooseung’s hair not too harshly. “Who said I won’t give you any punishments? How can you cover up that busted lip?”

“I’ll tell him I’m a man now and I made out with someone.”

Jihoon tugs on the young boy’s hear again, making him yelp. “That would make your mom worry more.” It doesn’t hurt Jihoon to say such a thing. After all, he was the one who insisted on not being included in their bunch. It doesn’t hurt but he feels the longing in his chest. It would be nice to have his son close, but with his current job that provides him no rest, he is sure he wouldn’t be the best mother there is for his child. He only wants the best for his son and Jeonghan’s the best mother for him right now, seeing as how the kid was raised right– manners, humor, talent and all.

“Oh no, I haven’t talked about the birds and the bees with my son yet and now he kisses someone like this? Oh my god, I’m going to die of a heart attack– my prec