Just for some clarification, this chapter happens about three hours after chapter 7. Hongbin cooks dinner after talking to a sulking Wonshik, goes to work and gets a phone call from Hakyeon when he’s on break.

Chapter 8 – Lie After Lie

Year 2: Semester 2: Week 5

For the rest of his shift Hakyeon makes sure that he’s not put in a situation where he’s alone with only Taekwoon and Sanghyuk just so that Taekwoon can’t ask about where Wonshik went. He feels horrible for practically chasing Wonshik away. He feels horrible about a lot of things he’d said, especially the plaything comment because he really didn’t mean that. He just didn’t want Taekwoon to get hurt again.

In their first year at university Taekwoon’s unusual silence had drawn some attention. It wasn’t something new to them but what was new were the ways people tried to approach him to find out why he didn’t speak. Either they would flat out flirt with Taekwoon to get close with him that way, or they would become friends with Hakyeon and then try to get in with Taekwoon. Eventually they’d shut themselves off except for a few people who were really only friends with Hakyeon and tolerated Taekwoon’s presence.

Then one day a girl, Mai, casually had a chat with Taekwoon during a tutorial. It had been a normal chat about university and her subjects but she’d interacted with Taekwoon like his silence was nothing out of the ordinary. Hakyeon had eagerly encouraged Taekwoon to become friends with her, so he’d started using gestures with her to give her some idea as to what he was thinking during their one-sided conversations.

Eventually she’d gotten bored and admitted she just wanted to know why he was so quiet, and Hakyeon had convinced himself that Taekwoon had been extremely upset over it. So now, with Wonshik, Hakyeon was thinking that the same thing was going to happen. He just wanted to protect his friend, even if it meant being the bad guy a little.

When Taekwoon finally gets a chance to ask it’s on their way home.

“Where did Wonshik go earlier?”

After Wonshik had left Taekwoon had told Sanghyuk to go home and worked the rest of the night. He’d been a little hurt that Wonshik hadn’t even said goodbye, but maybe it had been important and Taekwoon could be understanding about that.

Hakyeon on the other hand had spent the whole night thinking of an excuse. So far he hadn’t come up with a good one.

“He got a phone call from Hongbinnie and had to go home.”

What’s a little lie on top of sabotaging their friendship, Hakyeon cries to himself as they walk.

“I thought Hongbin was in class at that time.”

“I don’t know, Wonshik didn’t tell me. He left pretty fast.”

That’s right, dig yourself a deeper hole.

Taekwoon frowns. “I hope they’re alright. Should we call?”’

Hakyeon forces a laugh. “I’m sure they’re fine. I’ll call Hongbinnie in the morning and see how they’re doing.”

You don’t deserve to be Taekwoon’s friend, you traitor.

By the time they get home Hakyeon hates himself a little, but that doesn’t stop him from calling Hongbin while Taekwoon showers.

“What’s up, Hakyeon?” Hongbin answers, sounding surprised.

“Are you at work?”

“Yep, I’m on my break though.”

“Which job?”

“McDonald’s, obviously. Did you need something?”

“I’m going to ask you to do something that you might not agree to.”

“Oh god, what have you done? You didn’t kill somebody, did you?”

Hakyeon doesn’t appreciate the attempt at humour. “If Taekwoon asks, you called Wonshik home at around three today.”

“I was in class at –”

“You skipped class and called Wonshik home,” Hakyeon interrupts.

“…Alright. Are you going to tell me why I’m agreeing to this?”

“Wonshik and I had a fight today and he left the shop when he was supposed to wait for Taekwoon.”

Hongbin had known Hakyeon for more than a year and a half now, he knew where this was going. “And you told him that I called Wonshik? Why didn’t you just admit that you fought?”

“I didn’t want him to think I was meddling.”

“Were you meddling?”

“…No.”

“God damn it, Hakyeon,” Hongbin cries. “Why can’t you just let him make his own choices and mistakes?!”

“Wonshik told Taekwoon to hit someone,” Hakyeon says suddenly, trying to justify his actions a little.

Hongbin knows what that means, being privy to Taekwoon’s past.

Hakyeon continues, “I told him that he didn’t know Taekwoon’s circumstances so he shouldn’t just tell Taekwoon how he should act.”

“Well you don’t know Wonshik’s circumstances so you should keep your mouth shut,” Hongbin snaps more harshly than he intended.

“What?”

“Did you have to mess up?” Hongbin groans, pretending he didn’t hear. “I won’t tell Taekwoon that you and Wonshik fought, but you should probably apologise to Wonshik.”

“I said some things to Wonshik that I didn’t mean, but I won’t forgive him for the hitting thing.”

“It isn’t like he knows, Hakyeon,” Hongbin grumbles, holding back a lot more words that aren’t very nice in defence of Wonshik.

Hakyeon doesn’t give an answer, distracted by the shower shutting off.

“I know Wonshik is your friend and you wouldn’t think anything bad of him, you wouldn’t even be friends if he wasn’t a good guy, but I’m just looking out for Taekwoon.”

Hongbin is annoyed but he doesn’t think it’s his place to try and resolve their fight. Nor is it his place to tell Hakyeon about Wonshik’s past. The fight was about Taekwoon so if Taekwoon asks then Hongbin will probably tell him.

“So you’re not going to apologise?”

“No,” Hakyeon answer simply. “Please tell Taekwoon that you called Wonshik home.”

“Fine.”

But if he asks directly I’ll tell him the truth.

“Taekwoon is done in the bathroom so I have to go. Talk to you later, Hongbinnie.”

“Okay then, bye, I guess.”

Hakyeon hangs up and turns to smile at Taekwoon.

“Who was that?” Taekwoon asks, drying his hair with the towel.

“Hongbinnie. He says they’re okay. Wonshik’s parents dropped over or something like that.”

You’re turning into a compulsive liar, stop it.

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Yeah…”

“I’ve got an assignment to do. Do you want something to eat?”

They rarely got to eat dinner at dinner time if they worked that night. Normally Taekwoon would cook something during the day and then just reheat it when they got home.

“Nah, I think I’ll just go to bed,” Hakyeon says, pulling himself off the couch.

“Okay then, ‘night.”