Chapter 03

Never have I ever...

“We are just going to Hyun Woo’s house, no one from media will see you there.” Nam Soon said, getting some soju bottles from the fridge and putting them inside his backpack.

“I don't care if we're going to the ing supermarket, I'm not leaving this house without a mask anymore.” He said, finishing up with a black cap. Unrecognizable - but actually not.

“Okay,” Nam Soon rolled his eyes, “shall we keep going?”

It was the first time in months that Heung Soo would actually hang out with Nam Soon’s friends - even if it was just at Hyun Woo’s house to have some drinks.

Nam Soon invited him out of courtesy, since he was still feeling kinda ty ever since he argued with his girlfriend - he never thought he would really accept it.

“No. What's the miracle?” Nam Soon wasn't the only one surprised, apparently, since that was Won Geun’s first comment as soon as they arrived.

“Don't even ask,” Heung Soo took off his mask - but only after closing the door - and headed to the living room behind Nam Soon.

Hyun Woo emerged from the kitchen with two boxes of beer, and Nam Hyuk was sitting between the couches in front of the TV - on which a random kpop show played on - staring at both of them without speaking a word.

Right. Nam Soon had forgotten that he hadn't met Heung Soo in person - he was the most recent friend they had made, so they only had been hanging out together for six months.

“This is Nam Joo-hyuk. He's a bit of a fan,” Nam Soon said as they sat side by side in front of the couch. He had a smile on his lips, thinking it was quite funny to see him with that face as if he had seen a ghost.

“Wow,” he was speechless. Nam Soon laughed.

“Be careful, he's gonna ask for pictures,” Hyun Woo was the last one to sit down, placing exactly three boxes of beer and the glasses to serve the soju on the coffee table.

“Shut up,” his cheeks were starting to get red. Kinda cute if it wasn't so funny. “I mean I knew you were his friend but I wasn't expecting to meet you.”

Heung Soo just nodded, “soccer fan?” coming from Nam Soon’s friends, he just hoped his nerves were for this reason and not because of those stupid commercials.

“Totally.”

Great.

“I mean, yes. I'm their friend but I do like soccer.”

“I also like soccer.” Nam Soon said, as he twisted the loose ends of the soju cap to start one of the games. “It's an stupid stereotype to think that just because I'm gay I would never like soccer.”

“I didn't mean this...”

“Common, flick it,” but Nam Soon was no longer paying attention, and handed him the cap.

“But really... How did you end up being friends with Nam Soon, from all people?”

Nam Soon smiled. Heung Soo laughed, flicking the cap and handing it to Nam Soon. “I've been stuck with this bastard for twenty years now.”

“Are you complaining? You should be thankful that you have the bless of my beautiful presence every day”.

“Wait, twenty years???” Hyun Woo exclaimed. He even broke the loose end because he was freaking out about it.

“I didn't know it was this long either,” Won Geun shrugged. He opened the first box and got the first beer - they would be so wasted when they finished drinking all of that.

“I thought you two had met in the last school year or something. Twenty years is too long.”

“So you tell us about it. What was he as a kid?” Somehow Won Geun couldn't picture Nam Soon being any different then he was right now. Although he was probably wrong - gay kids at their ages didn't have a normal nice childhood, unfortunately.

“Wait, you don't talk at all??” Heung Soo stared at Nam Soon and Won Geun, though Hyun Woo also seemed as curious as him.

"Not about these things ... that kind of subject is very annoying," Nam Soon shrugged, opening a new soju bottle. He didn't know what had happened with the last one, but somehow it was already over.

“I wonder if you ever pretended to be straight,” said Nam Hyuk, more as a question than a random comment.

“Nam Soon was a bully, actually.”

“What?” Won Geun stopped drinking his beer to stare at him, but Nam Soon interrupted everything else that he was just about to say:

“Yah. I only hit other bullies.”

“Are you proud of yourself?”

“Actually, yeah.”

Of course he was proud. He had helped many shy people back in school. He was not that bad. In fact - they were not that bad.

“So...” Hyun Woo grinned. Not a normal smile though. Definitely, Nam Soon could almost swear he knew what he was about to say. “How about a never have I ever game?”

He knew it was something of the kind.

“Is that an excuse to drink more?”

“Kinda, yeah. So. If you have done what we say, you have to drink a shot of soju.” Nam Soon already knew the game, so he was already serving all the shots before Hyun Woo even started to explain the rules - not that it had that many. Or any at all other then not lying.

“Never have I ever...” Hyun Woo stared at Nam Soon and Won Geun, with a smile on his lips “had in a public space.”

No one drank. Nam Soon stared at his glass. “Does oral counts?”

“Of course it counts.”

Nam Soon and Won Geun took a shot. They stared at Nam Hyuk and Heung Soo. Are straight people really that boring?

He shrugged. “Honestly, I went out to drink and it became breaking news, and you really think I would have anywhere public?

Fair enough. Nam Hyuk doesn't give any excuse, but Nam Soon wasn't surprised. He was kinda shy - took him one and a half year to make friends at college after all.

“So.” Nam Soon held his glass. It was hard to think of something he hadn't done. “Never have I ever...” He stared at Heung Soo, and a good idea suddenly came up, “... had my first kiss stolen behind the school walls by an older women who turned out to be a guy that thought I was gay - because in my case I definitely was.“

Won Geun stared at him for a few seconds, as no one said a thing,

“That's really specific.”

“I'm so gonna kill you...” Heung Soo complained, placing his empty glass on the ground really brusquely.

“Spit the history out,” Hyung Woo stared attentively to both of them. Heung Soo shook his head.

“You just had to tell that to everyone, didn't you?”

“To funny not to tell,” he crossed his legs and stared back at them, “basically, when we were around fifteen years old, Heung Soo here saw this lady after one of his trainings and I kinda dared him to ask her for a kiss.”

“I have a feeling that this was your fault,” Nam Hyuk nodded in agreement as Won Geun got back to drink his glass of beer before it got too warm.

“Well he got interested in him first.”

“He looked like a girl!” Heung Soo was shaking his head, but he clearly was laughing about it.

“Sorry Heung Soo, the first person you ever kissed was a guy and you have to live with that.”

“Yeah, because someone won't stop talking about it even ten years later.”

Nam Soon shrugged.

“I'm never gonna stop talking about it.”

“So... Listen here,” Hyun Woo had a smile on his lips, “are we really playing to be specific?” Nam Soon knew that face. He knew he would be the target - and he knew he was getting wasted because of it. “Never had I ever kissed everyone in this room.”

Or maybe not.

No one drank, and they were all staring at Nam Soon. First waiting for him to drink, and when he clearly wasn't going to drink, they shifted their stare at Heung Soo, all with an incredulous look on their faces.

“Ok. Please explain.”

Nam Soon rolled his eyes, while Heung So didn’t seem to understand what was really going on.

“We never kissed.” He wonder why were they all surprised - or perhaps they did have a reason to be surprised.

“Right.” Won Geun was laughing. Like he couldn't believe them or something like it. “You know each other for twenty years, and you want me to believe that you - he stared at Nam Soon, and then turned to Heung Soo, that seemed to finally understand what was going on - never kissed him.”

“So...?” Nam Soon was rolling his eyes again. And then he sighed. That was too much.

“So, you kiss everyone, but him, never, neither a peck?”

“Why do I have the impression that you are insinuating here that I kiss people by force?” he stared at all of them, hoping for some kind of support that he of course wasn't gonna get. “It's not my fault that I'm so handsome that everyone wanna make out with me.”

“I don't.” Heung Soo laughed, but Nam Soon just rolled his eyes and went back to drink his soju. Honestly, he was not too proud of himself for this.

He understood their surprise. He totally did, but restrained himself to keep drinking. Not really a topic he was much excited to get into.

“Why are you all so surprised? Have you kissed him?” Heung Soo, though, didn't get the reason for all the surprise at all. Actually, he was kinda slow.

Nam Soon couldn't keep himself from laughing. Actually, both Won Geun and Hyung Woo had a smile on their lips as they waited for Nam Soon to reply.

it. Actually he was rather proud of himself.

“Not just kissed... You know.”

Heung Soo got quiet for some time, and then stared at them - specially Nam Hyuk.

“... All of you?”

“Not me!” Nam Hyuk was kinda blushed. Cute.

“Yes, we just kissed.” He was ready to make his ten minutes joke again, but the opportunity didn't come.

“Nam Soon you're such a . ” How was Heung Soo still surprised about it, he had not the slightest idea. Well, maybe it was kind of a shock that he had actually kissed a straight man - he got it. It was shocking for him too.

“I don't regret any of it. What's the purpose of being this beautiful if I can't use my body for good stuff?”

“Yes, he is, and that's why I still can't believe you two never kissed. Even once,” even Nam Hyuk was surprised. Well, he should be.

“Yeah that's crazy. I was sure they had and I didn't even know you knew each other for that long.” Hyun Woo was shaking his head. They were starting to make such a big deal out of it that it was becoming annoying. “How can you call yourself Nam Soon’s friend if you never kissed him? Common’, you have to give each other at least a peck.”

“You do know I'm straight right?”

“So what? Nam Soon kisses everyone.” Nam Hyuk was totally talking about himself. Nam Soon was ready to use his ten minutes joke, but somehow he didn't want to interrupt where this was going. “Really.”

“Not everyone. I have my standards.” Yes, as if.

“Sure.” Bad comment. Hyung Woo totally knew him. “And I know that he is totally your type.” He totally had to spit it out. The idiot.

“Well maybe he's not my type as you think he is” Nam Soon had a smile on his lips. Hyung Woo was shaking his head, obviously he didn't believe him. But Nam Soon knew his way, and he knew how to sound believable. He just wouldn't lose the chance to annoy Heung Soo about it.

“Yah. I'm not your type? How is that?” And that was it. Nam Soon smile got wider.

“You're straight, let's start with that.” He stared at him, and pulled his hair back. It's been a while he didn't stare right into Heung Soo’s eyes. He used to do it with any guy, but Heung Soo... Probably not. “And honestly Heung Soo... You look too straight.”

“Why does that sounds as an offense?”

“Well... If you think so,” Nam Soon did enjoy where this was going. He also enjoyed staring into his eyes - they were really dark. Quite nice. But maybe he shouldn't be enjoying this too much.

“So don’t you think I'm handsome?”

He shrugged. “You are handsome,” he had a you're ok tone in his voice that he made by purpose. 

“You just said that I'm not your type,” Heung Soo sounded quite annoyed. Was it that ego killer to have someone thinking you’re not attractive? It might be.

“Yeah , so?”

Heung Soo rolled his eyes, and everyone was suddenly so quiet that Nam Soon almost forgot it was not just him and Heung Soo having this conversation.

“They said you kiss everyone,” he suddenly stopped speaking and shook his head, but then kept on talking again. He didn't want him to get this the wrong way. But  it. “But you never tried to kiss me. Well maybe you think I'm ugly then?”

Nam Soon smiled. He didn't stop staring at him. Heung Soo’s lips were indeed nice. Actually, he also had a nice neck. And arms - but those he was really familiar with - but back at his lips:

“Do you wanna kiss me?”

And he totally got it the wrong way. Of course he did - it was Nam Soon he was talking about.

“I don't wanna kiss you.”

“Okay, that's enough,” and Nam Soon remembered again that his friends were around. Hyun Woo, specifically, looked quite annoyed. Won Geun and Nam Hyuk were just staring - Won Geun had even stopped drinking. “You can't call yourself friends if you haven't kissed, common’”

“Yes, a peck at least,” and he started drinking again. “You can't be friends with Nam soon and never kiss him. That's like a requirement.”

“So twenty years of friendship is not enough?” Heung Soo was laughing. And Nam Soon thought he would get all defensive with his I'm straight stuff.

Or maybe because a peck it's really not that much. It's like nothing, really.

“Exactly.”

“Well, clearly I'm too average for his refined taste.” He rolled his eyes. He was about to start talking again but shook his head, and then stared at Nam Soon - like he got suddenly reminded of something. “OK, don't come up with this you’re not my type bull. I saw you hooking up with average guys that I'm a hundred percent better than them.”

“We still didn't kiss and you're already jealous?”

Nam Soon could get so annoying. But why was he laughing? That was the worst part, he got irritated, but was actually laughing at his bulls. The bastard.

“I hate you so much.” He had no other words.

“Great, you won't fall for me after we kiss then.” He was staring at him again, but Heung Soo was back at drinking his soju. His friends were all quiet again. ‘So, shall we?”

He wouldn't let him change the subject of the conversation at this point.

But honestly, when Heung Soo looked back at him, he was quite surprised. This was strangely too easy.

“Don't make such a big deal out of a peck. I used to peck my sis until I was like ten.”

Nam Soon shrugged. He wasn't blushing, was he? It's definitely been a while since he last felt his cheeks getting hot for any reason other than having .

“Yeah, right.”

And he pulled him by the collar. And it was much better than he thought. Had he ever thought about it? He would be such a liar if he said he hadn't.

Heung Soo’s skin was smelling like soap. Smell like Dove.

As for his lips...

“YAH!”

That was fast.

“What kind of peck uses a tongue???”

Nam Soon heard his friends laughing, and he was reminded again that they weren’t alone. Heung Soo kept ranting, but Nam Soon was too busy biting his lips and staring blankly at him.

“20 years and you were so innocent to think that Nam Soon do pecks? Really, that's funny. I’ve known him for six months and I already know about it.” Nam Hyuk definitely knew about it. But Nam Soon was just looking at Heung Soo’s lips again - they were a bit wet now. He kinda wished they were a bit more reddish - that would mean that the kiss would have lasted longer.

Nam Soon smiled - he just remembered that he could drink his never have I ever shot.

Green apple flavour. Tasted exactly like Heung Soo's tongue.

He smiled again.