It’s not just my shirt that’s dirty
Gold digging Heart breaking Money makingA droplet from the cream on his spoon fell into the black liquid. The cup sitting in front of him had long stopped steaming, its content having turned cold and bitter. The sight outside of the coffee shop was dreary, the colorful autumn leaves drenched in the rain.
‘You’re here, Eric?’ the young man in front of him said, reaching over the table and touching his hand.
Eric smiled, nodding his head and patting the other’s hand which now was settled on his own. He barely felt it.
'It’s nothing, just a long night's work. A lot of work’
It was a sad, paperthin excuse. Every night was a long night of work for him. It had never been a reason to show such a gloomy face to Andy. Eric drowned the spoon in his coffee with lethargic enthusiasm. With every passing day he felt less and less excited about their little get-togethers. Maybe he had to speak openly? Pretending like everything was fine was exhausting. How did Minwoo manage this... Eric let the spoon fall in his coffee with a splash, droplets staining his white shirt.
It didn’t matter. He had nowhere to go this evening.
‘Actually’ he grunted and covered his face with his palms ‘it’s not about work at all’
He felt tired. So tired, so empty. He had to talk to Andy about this, had to tell him that he couldn’t do this anymore. His best friend was dying and he was not ok with that. How was he expected to be ok with that?
‘I’m sorry’ Andy muttered, patting the other’s hand before getting up ‘I shouldn’t have asked you to come here. I just thought that a change in the scenery would maybe-’ he let the sentence trail off as he busied himself with his oversized coat, putting it on sluggishly. Eric followed the younger's movements, watching how he wrapped a large knitted scarf around his neck.
Andy took good care of his health. It’s not like he wanted to die. He just couldn't help it.
At the back of Eric’s mind a voice was screaming for him to get up, to stop Andy, to grab him and apologize for being such a crappy selfish friend. But he couldn’t. Seeing Andy made him only see his own helplessness, his absolute impotence. All the money in the world but nothing could buy Andy a new heart. He had thought of resorting to illegal means but he knew his friends would never forgive him. Not that he was afraid of not being forgiven, he was afraid of making Andy suffer even more.
‘I’ll call you’ the younger smiled before leaving, the hurt only reflecting in his eyes.
Once left alone in the deserted cafe, Eric wondered if his life now was God's punishment for feeling relieved about his father's death.
I'm , Eric thought and looked at his coffee again. He pushed it away in disgust, not feeling like he could get anything down his throat right now. He’d hoped it would taste at least as bitter as his life was but rather it just tasted bland. So exactly like his life.
His phone rang and Eric took it out unwillingly, looking at the ID.
Minwoo.
If this wasn’t something urgent because of the company or if Minwoo himself was not on fire his friend had a serious talent for choosing the worst possible timing to call.
---
I should have never picked up that call, Eric thought bitterly as he sulked outside the club.
If not for him being so darn nice to his friend he wouldn't be reduced to loitering outside like the homeless man he'd been insulted as, on a wet cigarette and nursing his hurt pride.
Minwoo was a but Minwoo was also the only person looking for him after he had rushed outside without elaborating on anything and started chain-smoking like a chimney. He was on his third cigarette when he decided that looking up into the crying sky and contemplating the meaning of life was the thing to do. For the rest of the day.
‘Sorry?’ was the peacemaking words Minwoo offered as he found him, taking a cigarette out of his own pocket.
Eric didn’t say anything in return, both of them surrounded by the bleak weather. A new streak of smoke erupted when the shorter man lit up his cigarette and put it to his lips, inhaling deeply.
‘I had no ideas he would be so rude, honestly’ Minwoo said after letting the smoke come out of his mouth and some out of his nose, entwining him in their deceptive comfort. He was not a heavy smoker but times like these just called for it.
It had been funny at first to see Eric lose his cool about not being treated like the business-prince everyone hailed him to be but it had stopped being funny after he had lashed out, swinging at Minwoo for laughing. His fist had barely missed his face and one thing Minwoo was not looking forward to was having a black eye by the end of the evening. That would leave a bad impression of his masculinity, especially in front of his date.
Eric kept looking in the distance without saying anything and promptly ignoring everything. It was not typical for Eric to hold grudges and when Minwoo thought about it, it wasn’t typical for him to make scenes either. Something was seriously wrong.
‘By the way Andy called’ Minwoo settled on a different approach as he threw his half-burnt cigarette to the ground ‘and he said you were in a really bad mood'
A given.
Eric looked at Minwoo with murderous intent without breaking his silence, making Minwoo lose hope that they were making any kind of progress. So they were on glaring terms now. Eric looked away, taking another cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. By the speed Eric was burning through the pack it was obvious that his goal was to develope lung cancer before the end of the day.
‘You know' he grimaced, disappointment seeping in his voice 'even if you try, you’re not going to die before him’
‘Yeah whatever’
The sound of raindrops hitting the pavement rhythmically highlighted the deadlock in their conversation.
‘Will you at least come back in?’
On any given day Minwoo wouldn't care for Eric being miserable and lonely out here but he suspected that Dongwan was losing hair back inside the club from stressing too much. And stress lessened Minwoo's chances of getting laid which lead him back to being interested in Eric's problems. He also now honestly believed in Hyesung's ability to take Eric's mind off of things. Even if it was by making him sour and pissy. They seemed to function together just like a nuclear bomb which either meant they were a great blast or a complete disaster.
Minwoo waited for Eric to answer just a little while longer. He had to talk at one point. Eric was reasonable and sweet. He was the kindest soul Minwoo knew but Minwoo honestly didn't know too many nice poeple so maybe that was a bit of an overstatement.
The light drizzle coming from the sky started turning into heavy rain and the shorter shivered, scrunching up his nose and shaking his head in an attempt to get the drops falling on his face to leave. Eric was not going to answer.
'Do what you want' he sighed finally losing hope in reasoning with the older, deciding it for the best to leave the antisocial person alone and stop torturing himself over things he couldn't change.
Just before Minwoo turned to go back in he caught something that looked like a nod from his friend in the corner of his eye. Despite that he found himself too wet and too tired to care. With a half-hearted smile on his lips Minwoo ignored Eric and walked back in, already hearing Dongwan and Hyesung arguing in the distance. He couldn’t quite make out what they were saying but his cute chauffeur sure had been right in saying that his friend had quite the character. He could hear him yelling at Dongwan despite this entire fiasco being his own fault.
Minwoo stopped before the door, half curious if maybe he should stay there for a while longer and listen a bit more but deemed it being too time consuming and in no way helping his plans for tonight.
Instead, ‘I’m back!’ he announced as he threw the door open, wearing a somewhat fake yet convincing grin. Both men fell silent, obviously startled, followed by Dongwan blooming into an equally fake grin, his body turning towards Minwoo automatically.
Hyesung on the other hand turned away.
‘Maybe I should leave’ he said with his voice now eerily quiet.
The sudden change in character surprised Minwoo and he took into the man's now softened features, noticing how much sweeter and younger that made him look. Without the cold, unapproachable look from earlier the guy looked... harmless.
‘No need, Eric’s not mad just stupid’ he winked in return and pinched Hyesung's cheek. He did have a thing for cute guys and why not go for a if the opportunity appeared? Hyesung looked up from the ground in disbelief, the expression on his face best described as loathing.
‘Don't you have any shame at all?’ a voice accompanying the look Hyesung had given him reproved of Minwoo's actions, making all three of them to turn in the direction where Eric now stood in all his glory. He was dripping wet, the trail of water from his clothes forming a puddle at his feet.
‘You should be careful around him’ he continued, going over and grabbing Minwoo’s ear, ignoring the mess he left with his every step ‘I can see him thinking disgusting things in his head just by that smug look on his face’
Minwoo whinced from his ear being held hostage, it turning red from how hard his friend was tugging at it. Embarrased and looking pathetic he let out a small whine which sounded a bit like sorry and in return Eric took pity on him, letting go and turning to Hyesung instead.
‘Anyway, I’m Eric Mun’ he offered his hand in a friendly manner to the man that had caused his meltdown just moments ago ‘and I hate people apologizing to me’
‘Oh ok then. I’m Shin Hyesung’ the other accepted the handshake, smiling the sweetest poisonous smile Minwoo had ever seen on a person 'and I‘m so so sorry'
tbc
A/N: some 15 000 words later and Andy appears! *gets out party hats* Ah, but he’s probably going to die at the end or something so meh. *throws the hats away* Next chapter, however, Jindy.
Also, woah, I thought nobody would be interested in this story anymore because I disappeared for so long but I was wrong. Thank you. You're so sweet. I don't think I'm expressing it well but I'm super happy.
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