Work the next day is a sea of hangovers. The smell of coffee hangs thick in the air. While Sunggyu had stretched his stomach lining last night, he'd kept himself pretty well in check regarding alcohol. Additionally, something happened between Dongwoo and Bora. Whilst Sunggyu doesn't especially care about the details, he's enjoying how easy it is to deflect their curiousity about what he got up to by embarrassing them about whatever they got up to. All in all, Sunggyu considers it to be a pleasantly quiet winter morning at work. 

At lunchtime, he ventures outside to pick up the temporary replacement car that his insurance company owe him. It's a rather ugly, boxy kia, but the feeling of having his hands on a steering wheel again sends tingles of pleasure through him. As he's wondering what he ought to message Woohyun, he motices a missed call and a text from Junhyung. 

Hi, Sunggyu (*・ｪ･*)ﾉ Do u have plans 4 2moro night?? If not, my guys have a Countdown gig on in Sinchon. It's a nice bar (they serve Ayinger!) Ill b working most of the night, tbh. U cud feel free 2 bring whoever along. Let me kno if ur intersted + Ill txt the details ~JH

The tone is different. Sunggyu pulls into the office carpark and glowers at the message while chewing discontentedly on a steamed mandu. He's been drifting through this day in a happy haze, fueled by memories of dark eyes and soft lips, sweet kisses and how Woohyun hugged him tight, breathing him in before whispering, 'Good night, Gyu-hyung,' in his ear. 

But perhaps Sunggyu needs to step out of that haze for a little. He's not about to take back what happened between Woohyun and him as if it were unimportant. Yet he does genuinely like Junhyung an awful lot. (And he's not 100% sure what exactly did happen between Woohyun and him. What are they now?). Sunggyu wants to keep Junhyung as a friend. He's wishing he can. 

~.~

Come the evening, Sunggyu finds himself sitting alone in a cafe, nursing a coffee. He told Woohyun about picking up the car and claimed he needed to meet his hometown friend, so there was no need for Woohyun to rush out of work just for him. Considering Woohyun knows that's the same excuse Sunggyu used to leave his office Christmas party early, Sunggyu suspects Woohyun could see straight through him. He twists a serviette around and around his fingers. He really hopes he hasn't buggered up before things have even started. 

"Hey."

Sunggyu looks up at a familiar childish face, now framed with silver hair. A warm smile spreads across his face. 

"Something about you is different," Sunggyu teases. Junhyung scoffs. 

"So you noticed it. I'm trying a different moisturiser," he quips. The song-writer sets his messanger bag down with an apology for running late then hops away to order a drink. When he comes back, something very tall and very frothy in hand, he throws himself down in the wooden chair. 

"I've been getting 'harabeoji' all day, so you feel free to do your worst."

Sunggyu chuckles.

"I kind of like it. It suits you - with the piercings it does."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Sunggyu confirms. Junhyung flicks his tongue, a motion playing with his tongue piercing. Sunggyu grins because the man looks like a pleased cat.

"Well, don't get used to it," Junhyung grunts after a moment, "It's a transitory thing. I lost a bet, so I have to go green for a while." Sunggyu doesn't think green sounds terribly bad - not when you've already been lavender - but Junhyung looks so put-out by the notion that he refrains from commenting.

They only briefly manage small talk before Junhyung blurts out,

"You got my message? About the Countdown gig?"

Sunggyu peers at the dregs of his coffee and takes a breath before answering.

"Yeah, I did. I want to go."

"I meant that, about bringing whoever you like," Junhyung adds, playing with the creamy froth floating on his coffee, "I'll be busy, so I won't be the best company."

Sunggyu chews his lip. The serviette he'd had is scattered on the table in tattered shreds at this stage and his hands hover for a moment, debating whether it'd be weird to grab another serviette just for meticulously-tearing-it-to-shreds purposes. After a moment, he folds his hands in his lap, thinking his goal to be reasonable and mature has to succeed at some point.

"There is someone I thought to bring, but it seems like he's working tomorrow night."

Junhyung gazes at him. Sunggyu imagines the man's pulling a Woohyun with how intensely he's examining Sunggyu's features. What do you people even see? Why can't I see it?

"Should I... Should I give up?"

Sunggyu freezes. Digging his nails into his palms below the table, he's able to find his voice.

"I'm sorry."

With a deep sigh, Junhyung leans back in the uncomfortable cafe chair.

"That's OK. Better to get it straight now than have false hope. Or something. I'm not heartbroken here."

"I think I strung you along," Sunggyu admits - because he's realised that he does. He didn't mean to. He didn't think that's what he was doing. But isn't it the same in the end? He knew there was a spark between him and Woohyun, as much as he didn't want to ackowledge it. Yet he still went to that gig with Junhyung as a date. He still climbed into his lap and kissed his neck. And he let Woohyun know about the date, stubbornly refusing to accept that any aspect of his life was changing. He's only just moved to Seoul and he's clearly not coping exceptionally with the changes that have already taken place... 

Junhyung's low chuckle pulls Sunggyu back from his self-pitying reverie. 

"Don't worry. I had fun. Can we still be friends?" 

"I'd really like that," Sunggyu blabs with relief. 

They talk a bit about tomorrow's gig and the venue and what had Junhyung running so late. (A rapper he's been working with is going off the rails and Junhyung' struggling to find a suitable, last-minute replacement). It's awkward, but it's still OK. Junhyung's still nice and interesting and extremely easy to talk to. Sunggyu also still sort of wants to kiss him. He notices his eyes tracing lines between Junhyung's lip and tongue piercings and forces himself to concentrate on the man's words, shoving that quagmire of feelings and urges far to the back of his skull. Sunggyu hopes this 'being friends' thing works out. When he gets home, he sends Woohyun a photo of his ugly, peach-coloured temporary car. 

 Are u jealous of my sweet ride, Namu? （￣＾￣） I know u said u finish rly late tomorrow, but msg me when ur done, yeah? i want 2 meet u... !!”(*>∀<)o(酒)” 

He grimaces as he presses send, sure that the message sounds even more bungling than he thinks it does. Having only just acquired (probably acquired) a boyfriend, Sunggyu's keen not to scare him off straight away. 

XXX

Time for a heads up! I had almost finished the 31st when I decided I hated what I'd written and scrapped it all :x;;  I started rewriting it and I think this version is OK. But just, since I haven't finished writing it up (I'm about two thirds of the way), I don't know that I'm going to have it typed and posted this weekend (I write everything freehand before typing it). Maybe have it posted midweek, not sure. 

Anyway, preeeeetty much cleared things up with the JunGyu, right? I wanted to leave things a bit open because I can't stand endings where every thing's wrapped up neatly. (And besides, it'd be really weird for SG to just abandon the first close friend he's made in Seoul just because of a guy he met barely two weeks ago. Like, I know some of you guys don't like the JunGyu, but it wouldn't make any sense at all for Gyu to suddenly feel nothing for JH just because WH gathered his balls and confessed xD; )