Inspo: A Friend of Mine by Odette Quesada

Ship: Jongyu | Jongho

"Lee Jinki come back here!"

Jonghyun shouted at the top of his lungs and stopped running in the middle of the shore to catch up his breath. He watches Jinki run away from him like a child that was able to break free from a parent's clutch. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth in annoyance when he saw him stop running, sporting his smile, and taunted him.

"Why did you stop?!" Jinki shouted gleefully. "Giving up already?!"

"Just you wait! I'll skin you alive!"

All of his determination to catch up with Jinki and choke him to death ignited when the flashes of humiliation came into her mind. "Oh, Jinki you would be dead meat." He mumbles to himself and runs with all his might at full speed.

Jinki on the other hand, can't help but chuckle upon seeing Jonghyun's annoyed face. Jonghyun's face was so angelic that it became his daily routine to until his face is no longer the angelic one he always sees. There's no special reason why he likes to . It just amuses him how fast his expression can change from relaxed to annoyed one. Earlier both of them had attended their college reunion party at the beach where they are now. As mischievous as he can be, he sort of "humiliated" Jonghyun in front of their former schoolmates. Unfortunately for Jonghyun, his long-time crush, Kim Kibum, was there to witness his misfortune.

Feeling curious as to what Jonghyun would do to him this time, he purposely slowed down his running. The last time he teases him, he received a black eye on his right eye. Because of that, he was forced to wear concealer for almost a week to hide the ugly bruise.

He looked back to check on Jonghyun and was surprised when suddenly he was thrown into the soft sandy ground. Jonghyun pinned him on the ground, wrapping his average muscular arms around his neck and performing a headlock on him, slightly choking him.

"Aha! I finally can murder you." Jonghyun laughed evilly while Jinki struggled to get away from his grasp.

"Ahh!" Jinki screamed between his muffled gasp. "Have mercy." He pleaded.

But Jonghyun had choked him even more. Satisfied with the suffering he inflicted, he let go of Jinki's head. But this time, he attacked him with tickles, making him laugh so loudly and squirm his body violently. Causing the two people seated on the bartender's table a few meters away to snap their heads at where the noises were coming from.

Minho shakes his head in amusement while watching the two grown adults on the sand trying to tackle each other. He sips the vodka from the glass he's holding while talking to Jessica.

"Are you sure the two of them are just friends?" Jessica suddenly asked. Her expression was the total opposite of Minho's. Her brows were furrowed, glaring at the two people in the middle of the shore. "They are pretty close to being just best of friends."

That's right, Kim Jonghyun and Lee Jinki were best of friends. Since they were a child, their friendship is so inseparable that at first glance you would think they are brothers or twins. Both of their families were friends, and being the same age, they got along really well. Growing up, nothing can separate them. They attend the same primary school, middle school, high school, and university. They were practically roommates at their university dorms. The two of them were together through thick and thin. They also share the same circle of friends, and Minho was included in those circles.

The only time the two friends got separated was when they have to face the reality of the world, and when Jinki started dating Jessica. The two of them had ventured into two different career paths. Jonghyun is an author, while Jinki is a singer.

Since the flourishing of their chosen career, they got pretty busy with their own lives and spend less time with each other. Despite that, their friendship was still intact. And a lot of teasing happens whenever they got the chance to meet up after their busy schedules. And one of those free times was their college reunion.

"Of course they are pretty close," Minho answered. "They were best friends right?"

"But..." Jessica hesitated for a moment. before speaking about what's on her mind. "Jonghyun is gay right?"

Jonghyun's uality was never a secret. He was gay and proud of it. He came out of the closet when he was in the middle of the peak of his career of being a successful author. And the public didn't take it too lightly. It was a huge scandal at that time. Who would thought a manly man would turn out differently?

From then, Jonghyun's world started to deteriorate. Some of his relatives had disowned him. Some of their friends had cut ties with him, disgusted with what he became. Some of his readers or fans had stopped supporting his works. Although they were a few loyal fans who stayed open-minded and keep their support for the young writer, it wasn't enough to keep him sane. He pushed away those people he cared about, especially Jinki, for the reason he was afraid that his career would receive damaged because of his scandal. Their friendship was not a secret after all.

Minho, Jinki, his sister So-dam, and his parents were the only ones who didn't turn their backs on him. They made sure that Jonghyun would feel accepted and valid. That there's nothing wrong with being gay. That he should be proud of it. After a few months of sacrificing to help Jonghyun, their efforts finally paid off. Jonghyun had finally come back to his real self, a happy-go-lucky man, a cheerful person, and most of all, kind.

This caused Minho to be protective of his friend. And anyone who would dare to judge Jonghyun without knowing him fully is his "enemy."

"So what if he's gay?" Minho snapped. He didn't mean to sound angry. He feels sorry for Jessica when she flinches.

"Hey, don't be mad," Jessica said defensively. "I am just confirming it. If Jonghyun is gay there's a possibility that he liked Jinki, right?"

As reasonable as it may seem, Minho knows that it is impossible. Although Jinki and Jonghyun were best of friends and had a lot of similarities, Jinki was the most heteroual person he knew. The last time he checked, Jinki wasn't Jonghyun's type, and if he indeed has feelings for Jinki, he didn't stand a chance.

"That's impossible." Minho disagrees. "Jinki wasn't Jonghyun type. They were just friends." He averted his gaze to the diamond ring on her left ring finger. "You and Jinki are already engaged and set to marry next month. You have nothing to worry about."

Jessica didn't press further. She realized that she was just being ridiculous. After all, she was engaged to Jinki, and they would hold the wedding the next month. Nothing can come in the way. She tried to talk about another topic which Minho gladly apprehend, it would only mean that Jessica's doubt about the two is now off the radar.

After a few moments of wrestling in the sand, Jonghyun's and Jinki's energy depletes. They decided to stop and go back to the bartender's table where Minho and Jessica were seated. The two took the empty seats. Jonghyun grabs the drink above the table. Minho, as caring as he can be, wiped the sweat off Jonghyun's forehead using a clean napkin which made Jonghyun smile brightly. Jessica did the same to his fiancee and Jinki wrap his strong muscular arms around her waist. Jonghyun caught the action, a sad smile crept on his face, which was left unnoticed by Minho.

"Hey," Jinki announced. "Jessica and I will go back to our hotel room."

"Sure. Jonghyun and I will stay here for now." Minho answered.

The couple walked away after saying their goodbyes and disappeared into the view. Minho looked over to Jonghyun, and he instantly pulled the latter into a comforting hug.

"It's okay Jonghyun," Minho said.

"It hurts Minho." Jonghyun was sobbing. It was like a knife had stabbed his heart every time he sees his best friend happily around Jessica. It may be selfish of him, but he wishes that he was the one who does those things for his best friend. He was the one who made him happy. And he was the one who was wearing the engagement ring instead of her. He didn't know when his feelings towards Jinki started, it was when one night during their time at the university, he sees Jinki in a different light. He knew that he wouldn't have a chance because Jinki was straight and would not likely go bent. And now, he was engaged to his long-time girlfriend.

Minho sighed, he felt powerless and don't know what to do for him. He was aware of Jonghyun's feelings towards Jinki. He took notice of how he looked at Jinki every time with fondness. He noticed how his expression changed whenever Jinki mentioned Jessica during those hangouts. He took notice of how he deeply cared for his best friend, and he knew that Jonghyun sees Jinki as more than just a friend. However, he told Jessica that it was impossible for Jonghyun to like Jinki because he was already in love with Jinki. And Minho vows to himself that he will help Jonghyun to move on...

Months have passed. Jonghyun witnessed Jinki and Jessica's first kiss as husband and wife. He clapped along with the guests that were seated inside the church. Minho looked at him with concern, but he assured him that he was okay and genuinely happy for Jinki. His best friend's happiness was more important than his unrequited love, after all. And tonight, hopefully, he would be able to let go of the love that wasn't meant to be there in the first place.

After the ceremony, the reception follows. Jonghyun requested if he could talk to Jinki in private, which the latter obliged, he couldn't say no to his best man. They settled themselves outside the reception area, a distance away from the guest and out of earshot. Jinki noticed how restless Jonghyun is, he was constantly fidgeting on the seat and unconsciously massaging his hand.

"Hey," Jinki said while putting his hand above Jonghyun's to help him relax. "What's wrong? You seem restless?"

Jonghyun flinched when the hand of Jinki landed on his. He tried to relax and gave his best friend a reassuring smile. He looked at Jinki for the longest time, trying to remember every part of his face. Remembering how his smile does wonder to his heart. How clumsy he was, earning him the nickname "tofu." How warm his hugs are, and how he smells. He wanted to remember all of it, and it made him teared up a bit which Jinki noticed.

Jinki cupped Jonghyun's face and wiped the tears that were coming out from his right eye using his thumb. "Why are you crying? Did something happen?"

Jonghyun let a low laugh and realized how pathetic he must look right now. He removed Jinki's hands from his face and sighed, realizing he shouldn't get around the bush and go straight to the point. The sooner he'll leaves this place, the better.

"I'm okay," Jonghyun said. "Jinki, I have something to tell you."

"What it is?" Jinki asked curiously. He can't deny it, but Jonghyun's sudden tears made him scared. It was unlikely that Jonghyun to cry unless he had a serious problem, and one thing he hates is to see Jonghyun hurt.

"I'm leaving Jinki," Jonghyun said with a sad smile. Jinki gaped in shock. "I will be flying to New York tomorrow and would stay there for good."

Jinki was stunned. It was too sudden that it left him speechless, and on top of that, he only found it out when Jonghyun would be leaving tomorrow. His brows were furrowed. He wanted to be angry at Jonghyun for this. He was his best friend, yet Jonghyun didn't tell him a few days prior.

"What are you talking about?" Jinki asked. He didn't even bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

Jonghyun wasn't surprised by Jinki's reaction. He purposely didn't tell him about it sooner because he didn't want to spoil his happiness the day before the wedding.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Jonghyun apologized. "I just don't want to ruin your happiness before your wedding day with Jessica."

Jinki scoffed in disbelief. Although he knew his best friend meant well, it didn't make him feel better.

"How gallant of you?" Jinki said in annoyance. "Either way, it would make me unhappy. What's the reason behind your sudden decision to leave?"

"Jinki, it's not a sudden decision," Jonghyun said. It wasn't a sudden decision. He deliberated about it a million times before he was finally ready to leave for New York. "It was the hardest decision I made. But, I have to do this for myself and you. I have to do this for me to move on..."

All of this sudden leaving had everything to do with Jonghyun's feelings for Jinki. Originally he hadn't a plan to run away and settle himself far away from the people he cared for, but Minho had talked to him that he needed to do it for him to move on. He needed to confess his feelings to Jinki no matter what it took so that he wouldn't have any regrets about leaving what he felt unspoken. At first, he was against the idea, afraid that it would ruin their friendship, but the realization had hit him that he wouldn't be able to break free from the labyrinth of his feeling unless he did so.

"What do you mean?" Jinki asked in bewilderment. He didn't understand why Jonghyun had to move on, why he had to leave for himself.

"Jinki, are you that dense?" Jonghyun joked bitterly. During all these years of his feelings for Jinki, he didn't have a single clue about what he truly felt. This made him mad, shattered, and broken. Maybe he was dense. But what hurts him more is the thought that Jinki has a slight idea that he is in love with him, but he chooses to turn a blind eye. He looked over to Jinki and realized that he was indeed clueless. "I'm in love with you for God's sake!"

Jinki didn't know how to react. He knew that his best friend was gay. Sometimes he is close to thinking that Jonghyun is being flirty with him with how he acts. Sometimes he notices the jealous look Jonghyun whenever he and Jessica are together. But he shoved that thought because they were friends, and being close to each other was normal for them. And this revelation made him speechless.

Jonghyun sighed when he took notice of the dumbfounded face of Jinki. He sort of expected this, so the pain is bearable, at least. "I am in love with you." He repeated more calmly.

"Since when?" After a long time of silence, Jinki finally managed to speak. "And how long?"

"I don't remember exactly, but it was one of those nights in our university dorms when I was watching you and listening to your stories, I felt different," Jonghyun explained. "I tried very hard to stop myself from falling in love with you because from the start I knew I don't have a chance. And you proved it more when you and Jessica started dating. All these years, I tried to hide my feelings and silently cried at night because the person I am in love with is in love with somebody else and now married." Jonghyun smiled bitterly while his gaze landed on the silver wedding ring on Jinki's right ring finger. "I countlessly tried to confess my feelings but I can't bring myself in doing so, because I was afraid that it would toll our friendship. But I guess, I have to confess so I can let go of my love."

"You don't have to say anything about my feelings. You don't have to feel guilty or feel bad about it. I just finally confessed because every day whenever I wake up in the morning, it feels like my existence is killing me. Now, I finally can move on and start anew." Jonghyun stands up and faces Jinki one last time. "So, I guess this a goodbye?"

Jinki looked up to Jonghyun, and without warning, he pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Jonghyun couldn't take it anymore and started sobbing on Jinki's shoulder. He let Jinki comfort him for the last time. He let himself be fragile in front of his best friend. And he chooses to treasure this stolen moment because sooner or later, Jinki will be back to his wife.

Jonghyun broke the hug and wiped his tears. Smiling brightly to Jinki, who until now is too shocked to say anything. "I will be going now. You should go back inside. I bet the guests are looking for you." He took two steps back. "Goodbye, Jinki. Until we met again."

Jonghyun turned around and walked away without giving Jinki a chance to say goodbye. He firmly said to himself not to look back and leave this place as soon as possible. He feared that his determination to leave would vanish when he looked back. He reached the parking lot and strode towards the car while Minho waited. He slid inside and silently cried in Minho's arms.

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