Orange: the color of social communication, optimism.

On Monday, Sunggyu was almost happy to go back to work. Even though a lot of people seemed to think that his office work was boring, he found it oddly reassuring. The well-known peaceful feeling engulfed him when he got out of the elevator and the scent of coffee and paper filled his nose. He made his way to his desk, sat down and switched his computer on. He opened the report from last Friday. He was starting to read what he had already written when a voice made him jump in his chair.

“How was your week-end Sunggyu?” Said man turned around to see Sungyeol, a huge smile on his face.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to scare me like that?!”

“Sorry, it’s just too funny! But you know, it’s really weird how you read your reports while smiling. Nobody likes reports and the boss isn’t here right now, so you don’t have to pretend!” Sunggyu rolled his eyes.

“Do you find it that strange that I might actually like my work? Why are you even working here if you don’t like it?” He paused and grinned. “Or maybe it’s because of said boss?” A content feeling filled him when he saw the other man’s cheeks become a darker tone of gray. “And you’re calling him boss again? Does that mean that other people aren’t aware of anything?” His voice became intentionally a little bit louder on the last bit and Sungyeol opened his eyes wide, trying to block Sunggyu’s mouth with his hands.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop scaring you! Happy?” Sunggyu laughed. “Yes, that’s better.”

Sungyeol looked at him with a weird look on his face for a fraction of second, but that impression left as fast as it had come, so Sunggyu just shrugged it off.

The rest of the day flowed nicely, without any incident of some sort. Just like Sunggyu liked it. However, just as he shut off his computer, his phone rang. He read the name on the screen. Dongwoo. He rolled his eyes. His friend was probably going to make a scene about him not answering to his text message the other day. He sighed and picked up. The loud voice of his annoying friend made him move his phone a little farer from his ear.

“Sunggyu, you heartless person! How could you ignore me for the whole week-end?!” Sunggyu sighed. There were some days when he wondered how old his friend was on the inside.

“Look Dongwoo, I’m sorry, okay? Something kind of came up on Friday and after that I forgot to answer you.”

Silence. When Dongwoo spoke again, his voice was serious, which was really unusual. “Are you… okay?”

Sunggyu cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, why?”

“Well, I don’t know. Nothing ever comes up in your life, so I thought it must’ve been something serious…”

Sunggyu massaged his temples. “Dongwoo, the fact that I have a quiet life doesn’t mean that nothing ever happens.”

“Good! Then how about dinner with me tonight?” His voice was joyful once again. Really, this person could be quite unstable sometimes. “You’ll tell me all about your something that came up, okay?” Sunggyu sighed and almost said he just wanted to go home tonight, but Dongwoo must have read his mind, because he beat him to it. “And don’t you dare give me that ‘not tonight’ like you always do, because I’m still mad about last Friday!” Sunggyu could tell his friend was trying really hard to sound angry, but it didn’t work at all. He kind of felt sorry for him though. Plus, dinner wouldn’t kill him, right?

“Okay, I’m going out right now.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, Sunggyu met his friend in front of the school he was working at. He still couldn’t understand how a man who was actually a child in his head could teach other children. Or maybe that was the key of it? As soon as Dongwoo saw Sunggyu, he ran to him and hugged him. Really, he felt like a mom who had come to get his child home.

“Where are we going to eat? Mmm? Sunggyu, where are we going?” Said man turned to his excited friend and cocked an eyebrow.

“You’re the one who invited me, didn’t you think of a place to go?”

In the end, they went to Dongwoo’s favorite restaurant. Again. Sometimes, Sunggyu wondered if it was the only restaurant his friend knew. He wouldn’t complain though, because the food there was very good. The place wasn’t too loud – except from his noisy friend – and he kind of liked it here. The room was divided in small compartments, so that each table would have a little bit of privacy, the music was calm and soothing. Sometimes, Sunggyu’s mind would wander off while he was looking at the little grey fishes swimming in the tank behind his friend. They talked about everything and nothing for quite some time, and Dongwoo couldn’t stop talking about Hoya, just like always. Not that Sunggyu minded though. He knew Dongwoo loved his boyfriend a lot and he was glad to see him happy. At some point though, Dongwoo suddenly stopped talking, as he seemed to remember something.

“Sunggyu! You have something to tell me! That something that came up, what was it?” Dongwoo saw the look on Sunggyu’s face, that kind of it’s-none-of-your-business look, and he continued before the other could say something, trying to look as angry as possible. “You still owe me an explanation for ignoring me!”

Sunggyu knew that if he didn’t tell his story to his friend, said friend would most probably make a huge scene about it and he would end up telling him eventually. He might as well tell him now.

“It’s no big deal. In short, I just happened to have my phone mixed up with someone else’s phone. I realized it when I got home, so I called him and went to the bar where he works to get my phone back. We talked a lot, I drank a little too much and…” He hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted his friend to know about his humiliation. He looked at Dongwoo, who was listening to his story like a child, with his eyes wide open in expectation. Well, it was just Dongwoo anyway. “And maybe I drank more than a little too much, because he had to drag me in a taxi and even open the door of my own apartment for me.”

He wasn’t sure he had ever seen Dongwoo’s eyes this big. However, he still didn’t have any reaction. “Humm… Dongwoo? You’re still in there?”

“What, that’s the end of the story?!” Sunggyu looked at him, confused.

“Well… yes? What did you expect?” The look on his friend’s face was now a little… disappointed?

“Well, you know, he took you home, so I thought the interesting part of the story would start at that point, see?”

Sunggyu blinked, once.

Twice.

Then realization struck him and he felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. “Dongwoo! How- W-what- I’m not-”

His friend laughed out loud at the view of Sunggyu struggling so much with his words. It wasn’t every day that he could see his friend in that flustered state. “You’re not what? Gay?” He chuckled. “We all know very well that you are!”

“N-no, not that! I mean, I’m… notalikeyou.” The last part was mumbled in a way that Dongwoo found very hard to decipher. But Dongwoo wouldn’t be Dongwoo if he couldn’t understand his friend. When he understood the sentence, he laughed really loud again, making the waitress look at him with a strange look.

“Come on Sunggyu! We’re not kids anymore, don’t try to play the innocent card!”

His friend’s sentence surprised Sunggyu, because he had actually never thought about the possibility of Woohyun taking advantage of the situation in his apartment. Of course, at the time, he was too drunk to think anything, but even in his sober state, never once had he thought that the night could have ended that way. Maybe he had been single for too long after all. His friend cut his train of thoughts.

“So, who’s that man that managed to get you out of your apartment and get you drunk? Is he cute? Have you two talked since Friday? When are you seeing him again?” The child-listening-to-a-story look was back on Dongwoo’s face and Sunggyu sighed.

“His name is Woohyun and-” He paused. He hesitated to say what was on his mind once again, because it would only encourage his friend to be more indiscreet. “Yes, he’s really cute. And he sent me a text to know if I was okay on Saturday morning and to say ‘see you next Friday’, but I didn’t answer and I don’t think I’m going.”

“WHAT?!” Okay, Dongwoo really needed to work on his decibel level before they got kicked out of the restaurant.

“Keep it down, idiot!” He sighed and tried his best to explain to his friend calmly. “Look, we don’t have anything in common, ok? I like my quiet, simple routine and my hobby is reading a book on my own, while sipping a cup of tea. I like to be alone in my cozy apartment.” Dongwoo was nodding at everything Sunggyu was saying. “He’s… the opposite of me. He works in a bar. Like a loud, crowded bar with a rock band. His job is basically to make people drunk! He’s like, really easy-going and sociable and nice, and he laughs all the time.”

Dongwoo chuckled and put a finger on his chin, thinking. “Well, he seems way more interesting than you… You should introduce him to me, I could go to the restaurant more often!” He burst into laughter when Sunggyu grumbled and punched his arm.

“You know Sunggyu, going to that bar again won’t kill you. Maybe it’s time for you to change a few things in your life, don’t you think?” Dongwoo had now a serious yet warm smile on his face.

“I like my life just as it is.” Sunggyu pouted, but more for the sake of it. He was a stubborn person after all. However, he thought that maybe – just maybe – his friend might be right.

* * *

When he arrived in front of Woohyun’s bar that Friday night, he immediately regretted his decision. He wanted to turn around and go home, but Dongwoo’s hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing it. He looked at Dongwoo then at Hoya. He could see no trace of hesitation on their faces, but he tried anyway.

“Look guys, this was a bad idea. He probably won’t even remember me anyway. Let’s just go home and-”

He felt the death glare of Hoya on his skin, so he decided to turn to Dongwoo instead, with pleading eyes. The latter patted his shoulder with a reassuring look on his face. “Sorry Sunggyu, but you really need a social life and that guy actually managed to turn you into an almost social creature for one night. It’s something!” Sunggyu sighed and followed his friends, since he basically didn’t have a choice. Why had he told the story to Dongwoo again?

When they entered the crowded bar, Sunggyu immediately noticed that the band that was playing tonight wasn’t the same as last week. He couldn’t help but think that it was too bad, since last week’s band was really good. They made their way to the bar, Sunggyu being almost dragged by his two friends. They spotted three stools that were miraculously free and sat there. When they saw the look on Sunggyu’s face, Hoya and Dongwoo looked in the direction their friend was looking and what they saw surprised them.

Hoya looked at him. “Is that him?” Sunggyu nodded shyly. Dongwoo was about to scream something, but Hoya quickly put a hand on his mouth before he could make a sound and attract everyone’s attention. He got closer to Sunggyu and said: “Did you actually say he was cute?” Sunggyu nodded, confused. “That man is ing y as hell!” Dongwoo was nodding furiously, still silenced by his boyfriend’s hand. Hoya looked back at him and frowned. “You are not allowed to think he’s y!” Dongwoo froze and smiled stupidly behind the hand.

However, their ‘conversation’ was cut off when Woohyun saw Sunggyu and came over to him with a huge smile.

“Sunggyu, you came!” He looked at the strange scene in front of his eyes: there was a man smiling obviously really stupidly behind the hand of another man, who was at the same time whispering something in Sunggyu’s ear. Woohyun cocked an eyebrow. “Your friends?”

Sunggyu smiled a little, unsure of what to do or say. “Yeah. They don’t always look that weird, I promise.” Hoya sent him a glare before sitting down like a normal person, while Dongwoo was still smiling stupidly. However, Sunggyu couldn’t care less, because he had that peaceful feeling again.

Woohyun laughed at the comment. “Don’t worry, as a barman, I’ve seen way worse!” Sunggyu had thought about apologizing for never answering his text, but he knew it was okay when he saw the barman smiling warmly at him. Before he could think about what he was saying, the words came out of his mouth.

“So, what color are you making me taste tonight?” Woohyun smiled widely at the question.

“Wait up, I’ll make three!” And before Hoya could protest that he didn’t want to drink a suspicious unknown drink, Woohyun was already at the other end of the counter, grabbing bottles, ice cubes and shakers. Dongwoo finally sat down between Hoya and Sunggyu and whispered to the latter – who didn’t know his friend could actually whisper: “He’s like really handsome! Good catch Sunggyu!” He quickly put his hand on Hoya’s knee, before he could say anything like ‘don’t look at other men or I’ll kill them’. “And you were right: he does seem really different from you! But it’s not necessarily something bad. Look at me and Hoya-”

“Dongwoo. Stop it. I already told you I didn’t want to go out with him! You wanted me to socialize and here I am, now stop bothering me.”

Hoya intervened this time. “Sunggyu, you won’t be able to make us believe that, not when we saw you smile like that when you saw him.” Sunggyu was about to retort something when he saw the barman come back to where they were, with three glasses in his hands.

He announced with his bright smile: “Tonight’s color is orange! The color of social communication and optimism.” Sunggyu threw a glance in direction of his two friends when they started to laugh really loud. Woohyun looked at them, confused and unsure of what to say.

Sunggyu sighed. “Don’t worry, they’re always like that.” But obviously, his stupid friends couldn’t just leave it at that. Between two giggles, Dongwoo managed to say something that resembled “Social communication? Optimism? Sunggyu, are you going to be ok if you drink that?! Isn’t it like antimatter for you?” Sunggyu was surprised Dongwoo actually knew the word antimatter.

Then Hoya added: “Or maybe you should drink a lot of this, maybe it will make you more sociable!” The two of them were laughing so much that tears were starting to flow down their cheeks. Woohyun looked lost though. “Mmm… Isn’t Sunggyu already sociable?” The two lovers stopped laughing in an instant, looked at the barman then, when they saw he was obviously serious, laughed even harder. Sunggyu was hiding his face in his hands, his elbows resting on the bar. Why did he come here? And with his friends on top of that? Just… why?

He heard the barman chuckle and dared to look up. Woohyun mouthed ‘It’s ok, don’t worry’ and winked at him, before going away to serve his thirsty customers. It took his friends almost five whole minutes to stop laughing like the crazy persons they were. Sunggyu pouted. “You’re done laughing at me now?” Dongwoo giggled one last time.

“Yeah, I don’t think my body can take it anymore!”

“Did you really have to make a fool out of me in front of Woohyun?”

Hoya raised an eyebrow. “So now you admit you’re interested in what he thinks of you?” Sunggyu just ignored the question and the blush that he felt creeping onto his cheeks and took a first sip of his drink instead. I was sweet and fruity. He could taste some tropical fruits and something that resembled vodka. However, there were a lot of ingredients that he couldn’t point out and the mixture of unknown tastes tickled his tongue and made a shiver run through his spine. His eyes automatically searched for the barman as he took another sip.

“Sunggyu… you do know you’re smiling stupidly again, right?” He turned to Hoya and he didn’t even try to suppress his smile. On the other side of the man, Dongwoo was already tasting the cocktail. He looked surprised and grabbed his boyfriend’s arm. “Hoya, it’s really good! Taste it! Taste it!”

The man did as said, not before smelling suspiciously the unknown drink. He then turned to Sunggyu. “Not only is that man able to drag you out of your apartment, but he’s y and he makes awesome cocktails. My verdict: you should consider marrying him Sunggyu.” The latter would definitely have thrown his glass at his friend’s head if it wasn’t for the cocktail inside. Instead, he just glared at him with an angry look – that was seriously comprised by the smile that was still on his face.

Sunggyu finished his glass in no time. Of course, he had barely put it down on the table that Woohyun was already in front of him, asking him if he wanted another. Sunggyu agreed with a smile. His friends looked at him. “Sunggyu, you know it’s alcohol, right? Maybe you should drink it more… moderately? You’re not exactly known for holding you liquor very well.” But a full glass was already in front of him, and his only answer was to stick his tongue out and start to drink once more. Woohyun just chuckled and went away again, but it was so out of character for Sunggyu that Hoya and Dongwoo started at him as if they had seen a ghost.

The three of them talked about various things. Or more like, Dongwoo and Sunggyu were talking, while Hoya was busy throwing death glares at every single person whose eyes would land on his boyfriend. Maybe Hoya was a bit possessive. After an hour or so, Woohyun, who had fewer customers, went to meet them. He chatted with Sunggyu and his friends for a few minutes, before Hoya said he wanted to go look at that rock band from closer. Dongwoo who, as always, didn’t get the hint protested that Hoya didn’t even like rock, but he was dragged away anyway.

“Your friends seem very… lively.”

Sunggyu sighed, but the smile that had made its way to his face at the beginning of the evening didn’t disappear. “I know… and they really have no filter. They’re still really nice though. If it weren’t for them, I would spend all my time locked up in my apartment.”

Woohyun sat on the stool that Dongwoo had just left and chuckled. “That explains the jokes about you being asocial.” At this distance and with Woohyun leaning a bit towards him, Sunggyu realized how much skin the barman’s v-neck t-shirt exposed and he gulped. As he was staring at the handsome features of the man before him – his smiling eyes, his perfect nose, his plump lips, his jaw line, his Adam apple, his collarbones… – he suddenly remembered what Dongwoo had suggested the other day at the restaurant. He felt his cheeks warm up once again and he looked away and gulped the rest of his drink in one go to hide his shyness. He heard the recognizable voice of the barman asking him if he wanted another. He considered it and almost said yes. However, he was already feeling the effects of the alcohol, and he didn’t want to end up in the same state as last week. So he just shook his head. As he was trying to find another subject of conversation, he said the first thing that went to his mind.

“What color was the drink you made me last week?” Now that the words had passed his lips, he felt like he really wanted to know. No, more than that. He needed to know. Of course, this week’s orange drink was really good, enough to get him really tipsy, but he still couldn’t forget the taste of the light grey drink from last Friday. Woohyun shot him a mysterious smile. “You want to know?”

Sunggyu’s ‘yes!’ was probably too quick and must have sounded a bit desperate, because Woohyun laughed. “You really want to know?” Sunggyu just nodded this time. The barman stayed silent for a few seconds, scanning Sunggyu’s face.

“Then I will only tell you when I’m done making you taste the other colors.” Sunggyu pouted. “Like that, if you really want to know, you’ll have to come back again. Maybe you’ll even answer my texts next time!” The barman got up, winked at him and went behind the counter again to serve a customer.

Hoya and Dongwoo went back to the counter, only to find a really red Sunggyu, half-pouting, half-smiling, with his gaze lost somewhere in a world only himself could see.

* * *

When he woke up the next day, Sunggyu’s first thought was that his head hopefully didn’t hurt as much as the week before. He grabbed his phone on the nightstand and turned it on. Two texts.

From: Dongwoo

Sunggyu, are you ok? Doesn’t your head hurt too much? I bet you made beautiful dreams filled with a certain handsome barman~! >w< (don’t tell Hoya I said that!) Anyway, you’re not too disappointed that we were the ones to take you home last night? ;)

Sunggyu quickly replied something about him being an idiot and a ert then he looked at the second message and smiled.

From: Woohyun

I hope you went home just fine. Your friends didn’t look that sober either last night… I’ll see you next Friday, right? :)

Sunggyu hesitated then pressed the reply button.

To: Woohyun

I got home fine. I was in a better state than last week anyway… And yes, see you next Friday.

Send.

As promised, here is the second chapter! :D I was really looking forward to being Saturday, because I'm sooo excited to finally post this! >w< I hope you like it! :D

Also, the chapters are longer every time. ^^ I'm still writing quite a lot, so if I happen to finish the whole story earlier than expected, maybe I'll upload two chapters a week. Until then, you'll have to wait until next Saturday, sorry! ><'

Thank you so much for your nice comments, you make my days! :'D

And I have a question for you all: does it say that the story has 4 chapters? :o Because for me it says 4 chapters, but it's because chapters 3 and 4 are already there, but they're still hidden... So if it says 4... well, sorry, but there's only 2 for now. ^^"

Anyways, see you next Saturday! <3