1 January 2014

Cho Kyuhyun had been a young fool once upon a time. He still kind of was. In fact, there were a lot of things he deeply regretted about 2013 and most all of them were his fault. Of the incidences though, he was currently ruminating on the hellhole that was November.

Across from him, appearing even more pristine than the first time, was her. Of all the ways stars can line themselves, why had they chosen this particular formation? Like most young people, Kyuhyun had spent the previous evening and early hours after midnight celebrating the New Year. He wondered if this was an omen. Or a punishment? Should he have rang in the New Year with Eunhyuk? Ryeowook? Perhaps Henry? He wasn’t sure what the right answer was.

Would Ryeowook have even gone out with him if he asked? Displeasure rolled over him. It was a pipe dream for the time being. Ryeowook would most certainly be spending the New Year with Hyungsik. Why would you do anything other than be with your beloved on such an important night?

Kyuhyun internalized a sigh. He had no right to be throwing a fit—silently or otherwise. They were only friends. Perhaps, musical soul mates…but nothing more than that. He shouldn’t even be hinting at possessive behavior. Besides, he and Ryeowook had been spending quite a bit of time together in the past week. Dinner together alone on the 26^th had been incredible. Kyuhyun couldn’t remember the last time he spent so many hours just chatting with someone. The restaurant even had to evict them when 11:30pm came around so they could close properly. On the 28^th, they met for coffee and conversation in the afternoon, and were once again separated due to circumstances (Kyuhyun had to fulfill a dinner date with his family). The following day, Ryeowook invited Kyuhyun to catch a movie with Eunhyuk and Kibum as well. Which, although it was a group setting, Kyuhyun couldn’t deny it when Eunhyuk noted that he and Ryeowook were once again caught up in their own little world. What could he say?

A smile crept onto his face at the memories. It was a beautiful, little world to share.

“You’re oddly happy. Did Sungmin take you back after all?” She smiled slowly, rosy red lips and bright eyes unnervingly alert for the early hour.

Kyuhyun immediately dropped the smile. “No. It’s over and it’s better this way. Why did you call me out?”

“Still, that’s too bad. And I just wanted to catch up after seeing you at the party last night. It’s been a while. Don’t you want to catch up, too?” She cocked her head, keeping up a calm façade.

He grimaced. “I don’t know what you’re expecting to get out of this, but I have no intention of playing these types of games with you. I hurt a good person last time, and I don’t plan to do anything else like that.”

She mock-pouted. “You’re not even seeing anyone right now, are you? What’s the matter with a little flirting?” Her thin fingertips brushed the back of his hand and he quickly pulled back. “…Where’s the confident man I met just two months ago? You’re being so jumpy.”

“I’m just not interested,” Kyuhyun responded flatly. That was one of the worst months of his life and he had no desire to recall even a facet of it.

“What’s not interesting about me?” she grinned, clearly amused.

He sighed, realizing quickly now that they were getting nowhere. She was being persistent and that meant nothing could come happen. At the same time, she made fair points about there being nothing to stop them from having another fling. It could be casual without any repercussions, unlike the first time. But, Kyuhyun felt even queasier this time at the thought of sharing anything with this woman. He had…well, he had no one, but he did have someone of importance in his life. Someone he wanted to keep his eye on.

Perhaps someone he hoped to be with one day when they were both ready.

Now was not the time, but it was a period of foundation building. His reputation was already horrible. Ryeowook had to know about his past behaviors too, therefore Kyuhyun had a lot to make up for now. If they had even an inkling of…something more, he wanted to make sure he got rid of as many obstacles as possible for now.

Kyuhyun rubbed his forehead, tiredly. “I don’t think we should ever meet again. I’m not interested in anything having to do with you anymore.” As the words rolled out, even he wondered if they were too harsh. When the woman across from him remained silently, he peeked up at her, seeing the stunned expression on her face.

Unsure how to proceed anymore, Kyuhyun fished out his wallet, placing down enough money for both meals. “Goodbye.”

As he turned around, he pulled out his phone, hoping to look busier than he was. Before he got very far though, the feeling of lukewarm liquid burst across the back of his head. Halting, Kyuhyun turned around, see her standing up, the now empty ceramic mug of coffee still in her hand. Small, light brown droplets trickled down from the lip. “You’re a ing cold hearted, you know that?” she snapped. “You were a bad too.”

Kyuhyun stared.

She picked up her bag, walking up to him and shoving a hand against his chest. “Don’t even think you can look down on me.” Her words were low and hissed, cheeks bright with anger. “You are the scum. I didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants when you saw me.”

Kyuhyun gritted his teeth, the trickling of the cooling coffee down his neck and face spurring him on. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he growled. “I would never have touched a filthy person like you if I had known how ugly you were on the inside.”

He braced himself as he watched her hand swing up, but before it even had a chance to come near his face, another hand clamped down on her wrist. Both whipped around, eyes wide at the intruder.

Ryeowook gripped her arm firmly, eyes confused, and lips pressed into a thin, humorless line. “Both of you are making a huge scene. Please calm down. If my friend here,” his eyes cut to Kyuhyun, “did something to offend you, let’s just talk about it.”

Wordlessly, the woman swung her other hand up, striking Ryeowook’s cheek hard. He staggered, releasing her as she stormed past both of them and out the door. Holding his cheek, the man worked his jaw carefully, wondering how strong of a punch she would have. Ryeowook glanced around the café, and quickly grabbed Kyuhyun, ushering him quickly out of the restaurant.

They were barely down the block before Kyuhyun stopped them with a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, why did you barge in? And where did you even come from?” His eyes lingered on the red welt on Ryeowook’s cheek, but hoped that the cool air would help with the swelling.

“I was just running some errands for my brother,” he explained, holding up a convenience store bag. “I glanced inside the café through the window and recognized you.” Ryeowook flushed. “Uhm…and I saw her throw her drink on you. I thought maybe something was going on, so I just wanted to check if things were okay. I guess I was being nosy. Sorry.”

“No. That’s not it.”

Ryeowook blinked, looking at Kyuhyun curiously.

The latter cracked a smile. “I was only thinking that you’re like a hero. You always show up when I need you most.”

“How romantic,” Ryeowook laughed, rubbing his cheek. “Honestly, though, if heroes have to get hit all the time, I don’t think I want to be anyone’s hero. That slap was like a bucket of cold water.” He glanced at the drying coffee in Kyuhyun’s hair and suppressed another laugh. “Do you want to come over? I know you live a little farther away. My place is just a few minutes down the block and you can clean up.”

Kyuhyun nodded. “Thanks. Really.” He hardly wanted to come into his house right now looking like a mess. His mother would throw a fit and ask too many questions about what kinds of people he’s been hanging out with. It was a conversation he had no desire to deal with.

***

To be expected, Ryeowook was polite enough to wait until Kyuhyun had finished showering and changing into a borrowed set of clothes before asking him what happened. They were in Ryeowook’s bedroom—a first time for Kyuhyun—with snacks and drinks on the desk. It seemed to be a product of his friend’s concern for him, and that itself was enough to make Kyuhyun feel warm.

“So…girl troubles?” Ryeowook cocked a brow, sitting in his desk chair and offering Kyuhyun a seat on his bed.

Rolling his eyes, he flopped back on the soft bed, rubbing his face. “That’s an understatement. She was provoking me this morning. I’m not sure why though. Maybe she was bored?”

“What happened?” Ryeowook frowned. “It seems pretty crazy for someone to just throw a drink in public for no reason.”

“She was hitting on me. I rejected her and tried to leave. She didn’t take it well.” Kyuhyun glanced over at Ryeowook, noting that his friend wasn’t buying it. Frowning uncomfortably, Kyuhyun rolled onto his side to face the other man. “I haven’t spoken about this with…anyone, really.” He flushed, looking down. “I…made a mistake. I know it’s not an excuse, but it’s what happened and I can’t take it back.”

“What was it?” Ryeowook leaned forward in his chair, tossing Kyuhyun a pack of cookies. “If you get crumbs on my bed, I’ll hit you.”

Kyuhyun snorted, but kept the warning in mind. “In November, I broke up with my boyfriend…because I…uh, I slept with that woman and she sent photos of us together…to him.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and he wondered when he had last felt so ashamed. “I mean, I don’t regret the break up. We weren’t good for each other anymore. But he didn’t deserve that treatment.” He sighed, squeezing the pack of cookies. “…I shouldn’t have treated him like that. I regret it a lot.”

Ryeowook nodded slowly, reaching the short distance separating them to pry Kyuhyun’s hands off the snack. “Did you apologize to him?”

“I did. Several times,” Kyuhyun confirmed, heart jumping slightly at the way their hands fit together. “He didn’t wanna hear it. I mean, you can’t really end on good terms in that situation. I promised to stay away from him and I’ve done so. Either way, I had no intention of trying to be friends after the break up. There’s too much there. I…I’m mostly the issue. I made a lot of mistakes with him.”

“Even if you were 99% of the problem,” Ryeowook began, taking the cooking bag and opening it before returning to Kyuuhyun, “a relationship ends because both sides have done something wrong. It could be just giving up on trying. But you shouldn’t place your ex on a pedestal, just because you know most of the blame falls on you for failing to reconcile.”

Kyuhyun nibbled on one of the bite size cookies. “You’re the first person to hear about this incident and not try to punch me in the face.” He glanced up, seeing Ryeowook’s amused expression. “What?”

“You’re not usually this awkward with your words. It’s refreshing.”

He made a disapproving noise before shoving a cookie into Ryeowook’s mouth, his fingers accidentally brushing against the latter’s lips. Kyuhyun internally hit himself for feeling unnerved by that simple contact. It wasn’t as if he was a blushing . “Shut up,” he managed to mutter.

Ryeowook chewed, shoulders shaking with laughter. After a moment, he asked, “So you ran into this woman again today?”

“No, last night,” he shook his head. “We happened to be at the same New Year’s party. She insisted on getting breakfast together this morning. I agreed and as you saw, it was not a good decision.”

“She seems like a difficult type of person to handle,” Ryeowook remarked mildly, however, his expression was a dead giveaway.

Kyuhyun snorted. “Yeah. That’s putting it mildly. She’s got a lot of pride and confidence. It makes her interesting, but she’s not someone I want to be involved with ever again. That’s what I told her before she threw her drink at me.” He smiled bitterly. “And then we exchanged a couple insults before you intervened.”

Ryeowook sighed, fishing out another cookie and chomping down. “It was really an unfortunate situation. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the victim here,” he laughed, “no need to feel sorry for me.”

“You were hurt too,” Ryeowook corrected, “it doesn’t matter if other people were hurt more than you. It wasn’t painless for anyone and going through life pretending like no one needs to acknowledge your suffering is just as bad as ignoring other people’s suffering.”

Again, Kyuhyun wasn’t sure how to respond. He wondered then though if things would’ve gone better had Ryewook been there all along. Then again, perhaps he needed a lesson in pain that time. Heavens knew he deserved some heartache after all the he put Sungmin through.

Closing his eyes briefly, Kyuhyun nodded. “If you comfort me this much now, I’ll keep seeking you out in the future,” he smiled, meeting Ryeowook’s gaze.

The underlying current in those words seemed to reach Ryeowook who quickly looked away, a blush forming high on his cheekbones. Kyuhyun couldn’t help the fresh smile on his own face. At the very least, even if they weren’t quite on the road to being something, Ryeowook was conscious of him. For now, that was enough. Kyuhyun had never tried the long con—never tried this hard for anyone really—but it wasn’t so bad thus far.

“Have you given G-Dragon a response?” Kyuhyun prompted, noting how relieved his friend was for the change in topic.

Ryeowook frowned. “I wasn’t sure what I should say to him. Is it appropriate to contact him myself? He said we would talk more next time.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh my gosh, you have his business card. At least give his company a call and set up a time to meet. He’s interested in you and if you don’t strike now, what if he loses interest?” Kyuhyun knew he was merely bating the guy, but the sooner Ryeowook got on board with G-Dragon, the sooner he would start the trainee regime. Consequently, they could spend more time together.

It worked. Ryeowook’s expression froze. “You’re right. What if he’s already forgotten about me? Wait, what should I do? Is it okay to call the company? They won’t be confused?”

Without a word, Kyuhyun took out his own phone, dialing G-Dragon’s secretary. She picked up almost immediately and he turned it on speaker.

“Good morning, Kyuhyun. Are you looking for my boss?” Her cheery voice came through the receiver, sounding equal parts casual and warm.

Kyuhyun sat up straighter, saying, “Good morning. Sorry to bother you on the first day of the year, but I’m actually here with Kim Ryeowook—”

“—ah! Yes, he warned me that Kim Ryeowook would be calling soon. I didn’t know that you were friends. I’ve already prepared a few meeting times if Mr. Kim is interested in setting up one now?”

When Ryeowook didn’t speak up immediately, Kyuhyun kicked him in the shin. Swallowing a yelp, the man stumbled over himself, taking the phone and stuttering out a greeting. “H-Hello! Ryeowook is fine. No need to use honorifics. I’m free any day to meet.”

The secretary chuckled. “He’s chosen some very sweet boys for his new project. Alright, I’ve checked the semester schedule for St. Angela’s as well and it seems that you’ll be starting classes January 16. Would you like to meet January 5, 8, or 14?”

“The 8^th is good for me,” Ryeowook confirmed.

“Then I’ll pen you into the calendar for January 8, 2014 at 10am. Does that sound suitable for you, Ryeowook?”

He couldn’t stop the growing smile as he said, “Yes! Of course, of course that’s fine.”

“Perfect! He’s requested that you come to the studio for the meeting. Kyuhyun, would you be okay showing him how to get there?”

Kyuhyun took back the phone. “No problem. I’ll take him on the day. I have vocal lessons at the studio every afternoon starting tomorrow anyway.”

“Then we’ll see you both then. Have a happy new year!”

“You too!” Ryeowook called back, before ending the conversation and tossing the phone aside. He shook out his arms, looking both stunned and exhilarated. Turning to Kyuhyun, he couldn’t help but scoff at the knowing smirk on the other’s face. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Kyuhyun responded, letting out a surprised laugh as Ryeowook suddenly barreled into him. Slender arms wrapped tightly around Kyuhyun’s waist as a fluffy head of hair burrowed against his chest.

“You’re amazing,” Ryeowook spoke against the fabric of his shirt, fingers curling into the material.

“I know,” Kyuhyun chuckled, ignoring the soft smack he received in response. Returning the hug, he squeezed the smaller man closer, trying his best not to be too conscious of the way their legs tangled together, and their heartbeats synced. “This is just the beginning. You have so much more ahead of you.”

“We do.” Ryeowook looked up, expression bright with determination. “You and I are going places, yeah?”

“Yeah. We are.”