Chapter 19: I Am (Not) Sick

“So… it has come to this.”

There was a tense feeling. The stench of the day wafted through the badly lit room, and Himchan tensed at the sound. He still wonders just how desperate he had become to resort to things like this. He never wanted to admit it, but the man, kid, little monster, was seriously threatening.

The ulzzang had been ‘in the game’ for quite time, engaged in places that he could only bury down the road if only to spare Yongguk. But never had he encountered anyone as vicious and as aggressive as Zico. If he would be more honest, he would admit that the man would be on par with him on so many levels.

Tapping fingers on the table, touching non-existent mustache, Himchan felt the aura of the other person on the table. He was getting ‘the vibe’, at least, until his bad vein popped out.

“CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY?”

And she bursts out laughing.

“I knew it would come to this, I kneeeeew iiiiiiit!” she throws a knowing finger unto him, still laughing at how desperate the man would be.

“You kept denying, I swear it was killing me!”

Jieun was his special gal pal. He could take all the teasing, but this was something he regarded to be quite serious.

“Come on, Ji,”

“Ah, I told you to do something, you were just so confident,”

“I didn’t want to say this but,”

“But what?”

“You ed us up!” he just had to say it. Truth be told, he was pretty happy with the small bubble that he had made with the man. He was quite content with whatever it was that they had. Happy conversations, a couple of drinks at night, great dinners, and if he’s lucky – more time spent with a hot cup of coffee or maybe even breakfast. But he had to come along and ruin it. Stealing the small moments Himchan already claimed as their own. And these days, he saw himself wrestling once more, for the attention that he had already won a couple of months ago.

“What?!”

“If you didn’t drag him to that stupid date, I wouldn’t have this problem,”

And there was a pause.

Because really, she was to blame, too. Jieun was aware of it too, but she just didn’t want to admit it at first. But then again, there were some positive moments, but it was just quite overshadowed by the pestering presence she had brought upon them.

“Uh, okay, that was a bit on me, but if he hadn’t shown up, you wouldn’t be admitting it in the first place,”

“I really have no time for—”

“Come on, Himchan, you’ve been idling around since forever, and I’m solely to blame?”

He wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that.

- - -

“You… don’t like him much, do you?” was the sudden question.

That would probably among the greatest understatements of the century.

Yongguk was toying with the question for quite a while now. The younger man was a pretty nice guy, he had known him for quite a while. And these days, he has become quite a huge presence. He was pretty cheerful, and fun loving. He was so sure Jiho and Himchan would get along well. In many ways, the two reflected one another, but it is quite undeniable that the two had grown irate of one another in just the few days they had known each other.

“What, your new charm bracelet? Meh.” Was all he could say if only to keep him off the topic.

“He’s… a cool guy,” he continues, stirring his already lukewarm juice.

“I heard,”

Ah. Himchan could only sigh. Cool. That’s a quaint way to describe the spawn of the devil in the person of Woo Jiho. He was having too much of him this week, maybe even more so than the week before, and any more he knows he will explode. Jieun had a funny, crazy suggestion about making himself be missed. She thinks he’s too available for Yongguk. Heck, these days, it feels like he’s never around. Zico was the huge sunblock to Himchan’s sunshine, and the guy just kept raining down on his parade. It wouldn’t help his case any if he just made a disappearing act.

“Seriously though, I think you will get along,”

“I durn wurn tur gerarlong witim,”

I don’t want to get along with him, minus the straw.

“What was that?”

“I said—” A ring.

“Oh, hold on, I have to take this call,”

- - -

Yongguk seemed busier and busier by the day. Calls here and there, performances here and there, and even more requests for lyrics. He seemed like he’s got everything going on and in the midst of it all, Himchan finds himself getting lost in the puddle.

These days, Yongguk is getting more bugged by the agency to finally get into training. He would almost always decline. And for a man who only has music in his mind, Himchan still wonders why he declines constantly. Then again, Himchan thinks he should worry about himself too. What was in store for him exactly? He loved the traditional arts, but it was not exactly the kind of industry fit for a man of his… uh… interests. Sometimes he wishes that he could have things figured out too, the way Yongguk had figured out his life since day one.

“What do you think, huh, Jepp? Would being your lawfully wedded husband make up for a great occupation?” he says nonchalantly, rolling to the side of his bed, as he stares at Yongguk’s poster on the wall.

It had been a long day.

Himchan was pretty much unsure what else was in store for him. He realized he had done nothing the past year but chase Yongguk all over town. It was fast becoming a fruitless endeavor, and had Zico not come along, he would not have thought of it at all. What was to come of it? A kid in a university, who was yet to figure his life out. It was the best description for him during these times. There was that realization that he wasn’t exactly the kind of person Yongguk deserved. He needed someone just as sorted out as himself, and someone who had ambition. Sure, he had them too, it’s just that the road for him was pretty bleak. Unlike the rapper… and that devil, whose mix tape was seriously something else, he had to think of his own dreams too.

He was too much into his thoughts only to have it broken by his phone ringing. The man groaned, too lazy to do anything, too lazy to even move an inch. He rummages through his blankets and finds the discarded device, flips it, and takes the call.

“MAYDAY!”

“W—wah? Ji?”

“I’M SORRY OKAY”

“What—why what did you do?”

“I-told-him-you-were-sick, pretend-you’re-sick, think-bad-thoughts, mental-image-of-Zico-kissing-Yongguk, I’m-sure-you’ll-get-really-sick, good-luck!”

“I don’t—”

And there goes the doorbell.

- - -

Note: How long have I been gone? : (