Chapter 12

Eric put his arm around Minwoo and drew him closer. They were watching some random movie that came from the foreign channel. It wasn’t romantic, but it did not bother Minwoo, since he was with the man he had wanted since the beginning. After week of dating, he was finally quite happy that he had won the fight with Hyesung.

Though he hadn’t seen Hyesung since the day he and Eric got together. In fact, he had not even seen Dongwan. He wanted to know where the younger man had gone, but he should not have even cared. He did not love him. He was in love with Eric. Minwoo wasn’t a person who’d fall in love easily after one kiss. God no. He was not in love with the hateful man.

He just wanted to see that he was fine.

“Are you ok?” Minwoo startled from his thoughts and looked at the older guy. “You have been biting your nail for five minutes already.” Eric laughed.

Minwoo looked at the thumb that was between his lips and quickly pulled it out and placed the hand to his lap. He let out a chuckle and turned his head at the boyfriend and kissed him. The movie was at its most exciting part, but the kiss was much more important now. Eric cupped the face and withdrew, staring deeply into the short guy’s eyes.

“Have you heard about Dongwan?” He suddenly questioned.

If Minwoo hadn’t been so shocked by the blunt question, his pupils would not have shrunken all of a sudden and his face would not have turned so white. He would not have actually cared about his reaction if Eric had not been there. But because the dark brown eyes kept glaring at him, almost drilling inside, the reaction was much much much more intense than usually.

“W…why do you ask me?” Minwoo asked heart thudding.

“Oh, no reason. I just wanted to ask since he talked about you a lot last time I saw him.” Eric responded, finally removing the hands from the cheeks.

“He…he did?” The younger man stuttered.

The tall man nodded, eyes glued to the action part of the movie, as his hand got lost inside the popcorn bowl. The other hand grabbed a hold on Minwoo’s and squeezed it sternly like he was scared or something. It was the younger man’s turn to look at Eric.

“I haven’t seen him…” Minwoo whispered.

“If you do,” Eric began. “Tell him that I love him.”

Minwoo cringed, feeling the discomfort in him, as he bit his cheeks and wanted to throw up. What was this abruptly? Why were they talking about Dongwan on their date? And why was he so bothered by it that it seemed like Eric did not even care where his best friend was? Well, the most irritating thing was that Minwoo wanted to call Dongwan and ask him if he was ok. But then he would have caused more pain to that poor man.

“Don’t worry. Dongwan will be back. Goguma is still here.” Eric commented. “He could not live without Goguma…and us.”

                ***

When Minwoo left hours later, Eric walked into his bedroom. He knew exactly where Dongwan was since he had told him. He was at his mother’s place, wishing to be released from his utter pain by not seeing anyone in a while. Eric had totally accepted that, since he knew what it meant to have pain over people. He had been cheated on before and that had hurt.

“Aish…” the CEO scoffed when he sat down to his bed.

He brought his hands onto his face and rubbed them, the bracelet on his wrist rustling his face. He pulled the said hand off and examined it with one eye. He should not have worn it. He definitely didn’t deserve to wear it. But he still had to. Or, he wanted to, because it had been a gift. And it sort of meant so many things even if he had done a douchy thing before receiving it.

“Oh, Pil Kyo…” Eric said.

Pil Kyo had given it to him. He had given it to him right after he had been dumped and let go of the company. He had just passed it to the CEO and had left. When Eric had exited the room, the desk of his secretary had been empty. That time the reality had hit him. Gosh, he had dumped a person who he had liked enormously lot. Pil Kyo had not even done anything wrong. He had just been in between him and Minwoo.

The CEO lied down to the bed and raised the arm up, eyeing the beautiful bracelet. He should not have kept it. He should have sent it back to Pil Kyo because he had not earned it. Therefore Eric had made a promise to himself. He will give it back to Jung Pil Kyo when they encounter again.

                ***

Hyesung was pissed. If anyone had never seen people sipping coffee angrily, they would have seen it now. He lifted the cup up, sipped it whilst glaring, and then put it back down to the small plate. He then took a bite of his small bun and chewed infuriated. Why was he so angry, you ask? Well…

He had just been dumped and he was still trying to get over the fact that his best friend had won and he had lost his job because of him. He was still healing after the heartbreaking breakup. It would have been perfect, the things he had planned to get over Eric Mun, if his clingy – fresh – couple hadn’t been all over each other all the effing time.

It was cute.

It was good.

And it had been expected for a long time.

But when someone had heartache – and had eaten three buns in 15 minutes -, they did not want to see others happy. There was a one teeny tiny thing though. Hyesung could not prevent his two friends from making out or talking cutesy stuff, or just hugging and and embracing and flirting and being in love, because Andy was currently his boss. Yes, he had gotten a job from Andy’s café.

“I will get back to the kitchen.” Hyesung sighed, cleaned the table and walked off.

Andy and Junjin stopped kissing and looked at the receding back bewildered. Then they turned to look one another, the other one’s hand in the other one, fingers entwined. Andy’s legs were over Junjin’s lap and they were sitting on the sofa side of the table booth. They shrugged and leaned in again, when they heard utensils hitting floor.

They hurried to the kitchen and saw the little prince, hair messy, breathing frantically. He looked like a zombie, and Junjin knew he wasn’t the zombie. Andy softly stepped closer and crouched down to collect all the utensils, while Junjin was trying to calm the mommy bird down. Honestly, Hyesung had been fine outside, and he had managed to keep his cool. But something had exploded in him just now and he had just thrown a small tantrum.

“Hyung,” Junjin said. “I know it hurts. I know you are trying to heal and get over him, but it’s just been a week.” He explained. “It is going to take more time. And I know it is frustrating to hear this, but that’s just how it is. You always said to me that I need to be patient. That, I should wait. But I did not know what I was waiting for.” He placed his hands onto the shoulders of the older man who was panting. “But then I did what Minwoo hyung told me to do and made the first move. I was not in love with Andy, but when we kissed, I realised that I had always loved him.”

The cute guy blushed dark red.

“What are you trying to say?” Hyesung mumbled. His voice was shivering.

“I am trying to say that I always waited for him, I just didn’t know it.” The younger one answered. “You will get over him. You will find someone else. And you will become happy. Someone will change your life downside up, and will make you feel like you’ve never felt before.” He stated.

When Andy had collected all the utensils, he back hugged the tall man and nuzzled his face onto the shoulder blade. The one that had the absolutely amazing tattoo on it. Hyesung leered at his baby bird and finally the angry glare was gone. The two younger guys were about to heave relieved sighs, when the tears started rolling down the hyung’s face.

“Yah, hyung!” Junjin and Andy said in unison. “Don’t cry!”

“I can’t stop.” The slender one sobbed. “Because all I just imagined while your perfect speech was Eric.”

The tallest man exhaled exasperated and shifted his head at the maknae and whispered, “This Eric guy better be as amazing as you say or else I will crack his mother ing neck.”

“Oh Jinnie…” Andy’s cheeks got even darker red. “…I have five minutes before shift starts.”

“Sorry hyung, we need to get something from the pantry.” Junjin said incoherently, seized the barista’s hand and exited the room with him.

Hyesung growled annoyed.

                ***

Dongwan entered the apartment. Lights were off which meant that Eric was gone, and that was all he needed. He just wanted to see Goguma and Gomdori. He had been with his mother, but nothing could remove his thoughts of Lee Minwoo. Even his mother noticed that he had been in his thoughts since the day he arrived there. Dongwan hadn’t been able to tell her what had happened.

“Goguma!” He shouted with a smile and extended his arms so the dog could run in them. He squished the pet furiously. “Appa missed you.” He said.

The dog barked and shortly Gomdori was there. The both pets just wagged their tails like they had been left for weeks. But that kind of an attention made Dongwan kinda happy. He had been expected by someone or something. And that made him slightly happier. He even forgot Minwoo.

“Appa will just grab something and then he will go again.” Dongwan explained already sad.

He went to his bedroom, grabbed several clothes and then walked across the living room to get to the kitchen. But in the middle, he stopped. There was a whole section in the bookshelf for Minwoo and Eric’s couple photos. Kissing, hugging, cuddling and any kind of picture they could take.  Dongwan could have just let it slip, but he needed to study the photos much longer.

He didn’t mind that his eyes were getting teary.

He didn’t care that he wanted to beat the out of his best friend.

And he didn’t care that the two were obviously in love.

Only thing that mattered was the bracelet on Minwoo’s left wrist. He still wore it although it was a present originally from Dongwan. He still wore it, and it was in every single photo.

“Wannie?”

Dongwan startled.

“Wannie? You are home?” Eric could not hide the delight in his voice.

“I…” Dongwan turned around. “I will leave again soon.” He replied.

The grin on the CEO’s face disappeared as it became serious. Dongwan ogled at him, hand sternly around the strap of his precious bag, and when Eric commenced advancing him, he stood still until they were facing one another. Eric had been home after all. He had been sleeping or something, since his hair was just messy and pointing in ways. That’s why the apartment had been dark.

“Why don’t you come back?” The tall man interrogated.

“I am not ready.” Dongwan muttered.

“You must be! I want you back here. I miss you.” Eric babbled. Dongwan looked at him, clenching. “The dogs miss you! I want you back here! With me! I cannot live alone! I don’t wanna live alone! I miss you so much! Minwoo misses you!” the short man gritted his teeth. “Why can’t you just come back?! I know you love Minwoo, but I love you too! I know it’s hard to look at us and hear us and sense our presence, but I—“ Eric gasped and lifted his hands onto the nose that was bleeding.

Dongwan’s fist was up and he was enraged, but not for long.

“Now we’re even.” He mumbled and walked off, shaking his hand to reduce pain.

When the door closed, Eric removed the hands and just chuckled.

                ***

“I can’t believe this.” the tall man said happily. “I will actually see where you live?!” he gasped amazed, following Minwoo.

“Yes.” The younger one spoke, fishing out his keys, hoping that there was no one home.

Well, Hyesung had left for work early, and therefore he should not have been home, which was splendid. He didn’t have to fear that there was someone present to shock either him or Eric. Or both. The CEO held his hand now and smiled at him constantly, as they finally halted in front of a door and the shorter one began to unlock the thing.

The door opened.

“This is where I live.” Minwoo introduced and entered the foyer. “Sorry, it’s a bit messy.” He apologised, blushing adorably.

Eric just laughed it off and walked around the apartment. It was small and cozy, just like Minwoo had once pictured it and it was indeed a nice place to live in. Even the rich CEO loved it. His boyfriend followed him and picked up things from the floor, cleaning it gradually. Then he proceeded to the kitchen where the older man had disappeared.

“Eric?” he called the man when he dropped the magazine he had been carrying and froze.

The slender man and the CEO were staring at one another, when the tallest one turned at Minwoo and asked, “Why is Pil Kyo here?”