Chapter 6:

It was a Christmas party day at the kindergarten and everyone was invited; the caretakers, parents and even their kids – but the kids had their own room for watching Disney movies and eating candy. The parents got to have freedom for couple of hours; some even had couple of drinks.

Hyesung felt deep hatred towards these work parties; yeah, he got to drink and eat for free, but he preferred staying home and watching television.

“Oh my, these lights!” Chilhyun looked around in awe, finding everything damn pretty. “Oh! Look at the Christmas tree!” he pointed.

Hyesung also despised the fact that he had to introduce his husband to everyone who had never seen him and tell the story of how they met and what their wedding was like. That was the subject he hated the most in the world. Chilhyun really wasn’t the ideal wife type.

Jihoon had exceeded himself; he had obviously used more money than last year, as he had far more decorations and booze; somehow Hyesung had the idea that his boss had used their salary to get all of these things. Honestly, no one would be surprised if they received nothing on their payday. Everyone loved these parties. Well, apart from Hyesung.

“Oh, Pilkyo! Chilhyun!” The man with thick lips extended his arms and hugged both of the men.

Chilhyun seemed more reserved as he brought his arms on top of his chest protectively until he realized that the man wanted to hug him and not attack him. Hyesung glared at his husband annoyed, and ashamed, as he himself curled his arms around Jihoon and complemented the party.

“Go and have a drink! It is on me!” Jihoon joked.

Hyesung snorted.

Chilhyun laughed.

“Let’s go,” the younger guy grabbed the wrist and pulled his husband to the bar.

                Eric was in charge of the bar and wherever Eric was, was also his clingy, way younger, y, boyfriend Minwoo. He caught people’s attention by dancing and whenever he lifted his shirt up and revealed some skin, girls screamed and threw money at him. Hyesung found that disgusting, but then again, he hated that guy to death. He hated him.

Hyesung hated how Eric looked at him.

“Good job, honey,” Eric leaned in to kiss his boyfriend and the guests squealed. “Here are your drinks,” the handsome man put the glasses on the table and a sweet couple took them carefully and gave room to Hyesung and his husband. “Oh, Pilkyo ya…” Eric said quietly. “What do you want?”

Hyesung glared at him, and nodded at Chilhyun, who lifted his gaze up to read the menu. “I…I want…is Mun Special…special?” he interrogated shyly, to which Eric laughed huskily.

“It is what it says it is,” the bartender replied. “You want one?”

Chilhyun nodded and sat down to the stool, glancing at Hyesung who was not enjoying the party. Minwoo was dancing and the people around the bar were clapping loudly to the beat. Chilhyun shortly joined everyone and Hyesung just decided to ditch him.

He needed some fresh air.

                Couple of deep inhales from the cigarette could relax Hyesung thoroughly. He knew it was poison he was putting in his body, but he couldn’t care less. It just made him calm down – and he had a lot of things to calm down for. Minwoo was at the party, Eric was irritatingly charming, and Chilhyun was becoming more and more liked among his workmates. Annoying.

“Would you mind giving me a puff?”

Hyesung turned toward the figure, and recognized him immediately. He was the father of Bungjae. It was not like Hyesung wanted to have connection with the parents of his kids, but when they looked as good as Mr. Henney, Hyesung couldn’t stop using his flirtatious acts and be liked – desired.

“Sure,” Hyesung smirked and gave him the stick. “It’s all yours,” he commented and stepped closer to the man.

Mr. Henney snickered, inhaled the stick, and pushed smoke out through his handsome nostrils. Hyesung stared at him, waiting to get his cigarette back; Mr. Henney’s gaze went up and down on him, and Hyesung felt warmth. He knew Mr. Henney was married – not happily – but he had held one little secret from his wife who had given him one annoying child. Mr. Henney was very into the kindergarten teacher, Jung Pilkyo.

“Thanks,” Mr. Henney gave it back to Hyesung, who slid the cigarette between his lips. “You know…” he leaned closer to the teacher, who held the ciggy with two of his slimmest fingers. “…we are practically kissing.” The sleazy, handsome American guy murmured so close to the younger man that Hyesung could feel the smoke-tainted breath against his face.

Hyesung took the cigarette out of his mouth, curled up the other corner of the mouth, and put the free hand to his hip. “It doesn’t have to be ‘practically kissing’,” he mumbled, leaning his face closer, when heels clasped to the curb and Hyesung pulled off.

Mr. Henney rolled his eyes seeing his wife standing at the main exit and entrance, lips pursed into an angry pout. He wiped his chapped lips quickly, and advanced her, sharing a hot kiss with her while glancing over at Hyesung. She pushed him away and entered the building again, muttering about getting their son and getting the out of this place.

“You know…” Hyesung startled. “…if you have a relationship with any of the parents…” he turned around and saw Eric coming from the car – when had he gone to the car? “…I have to report you to Jihoon.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Hyesung chuckled.

“Why wouldn’t I? You are breaking rules.” The older man spoke, carrying a big wooden box. “It is against our policies and I don’t think you want to be known as the , right?” Hyesung felt ridiculed by how Eric was talking down to him – who did he think he was? “Besides, don’t you even care that Chilhyun might see you?”

Hyesung didn’t know what to answer, because everything he was thinking of saying would have made the situation even worse. He didn’t care about his job at all, but hearing that he would be let go made him realise that he wouldn’t have had another job – unless Andy had something in his café. Eric put the box down, and started digging out something from his pocket.

Hyesung gasped.

“Don’t worry,” the handsome man said. “I won’t report you now. We are at a party.” He chortled, making the younger man even more frightened. “Here,” Eric passed the pretty guy a brand new cigarette and took the old one and damped it under his foot furiously. “It’s better if it is a new one. Don’t have to taste such a douchy guy on the tip of your tongue,” he mumbled and walked away once he had taken the box.

Hyesung watched the receding back, sensing how the warmth overtook his cheeks and made them burning hot. It was a chilly evening but he felt randomly comfortable.

                ***

Chilhyun was singing a boring ballad once the karaoke had begun. No one else wanted to sing but him, and people were yawning and not focusing at all. Hyesung felt even more ashamed of what he had married, as he pretended not to know the man on the podium. Eric and Minwoo kept slow dancing to the ballad, sometimes sharing moist and deep kisses – which Hyesung didn’t find cute at all – before Minwoo stepped to the podium with Chilhyun and started harmonizing.

People found the show interesting all of a sudden, saying that the two were amazing singers, especially complimenting Minwoo, who forgot the singing and started dancing behind Chilhyun. Eric seemed so damn proud of his lover that Hyesung wanted to vomit.

“You should be careful,” Hyesung talked suddenly. “Sometimes it is too much to be brave like that,” he nodded toward Minwoo.

“What do you mean?” Eric scowled. “He is just dancing. Tell your husband that he is making this party very boring,” he added and sipped the girly looking drink. “Thanks to Minwoo, he brought up the atmosphere.”

Hyesung glared at the taller man, and he had a sudden urge to throw all that liquid right to that smug and irritating face. Eric’s eyes sparkled every time he watched Minwoo doing a wave or moving his arms or making people gasp out of amaze. Hyesung bit his cheeks in anger and was about to agree to disagree, when Jihoon exited the toilet and laughed loudly once he saw the two.

“Hey! Finally someone from my staff is under the mistletoe!”

Eric looked at Hyesung.

Hyesung looked at Eric.

And suddenly the arguments were forgotten and the two were against one another, kissing like their life depended on it.