CHAPTER 04

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Taeyong woke up the same afternoon with his phone buzzing near his ear, making him nearly jump out of his bed with shock and fear. He grumbles, glaring at his phone, and then unlocks it. The clock reads 6 pm, and there are flashes of alerts coming up, telling him the group chat is going off. One of these days he’s going to leave the conversation and block all his friends so they leave him the alone because Jesus Christ.

The moment he was inside his home, Taeyong had run up the stairs, not caring if his mom heard him and ran straight to him room, diving into his bed. He was overwhelmed with emotions again, the same emotions he felt every time he saw the video of his kiss with Jaehyun. He had laid face down in his bad for God knows how many minutes, how many hours, before pulling up Jaehyun’s contact, just staring. He couldn’t believe he got Jaehyun’s number. Everything was still so surreal to him. He had been in bed the same day contemplating if he should go to the park, and now he’s back but with Jaehyun’s number saved in his phone. Life is full of surprises.

He was feeling exhausted by everything happening so suddenly; Jaehyun actually turning up, kissing him, the comfort hug he received, and the last smile Jaehyun flashed him. Oh gosh, that smile... Taeyong could already feel his cheeks burning up at the thought of it. He was the one who caused Jaehyun to smile like that. He wanted to dive in Jaehyun’s dimples and just disappear. He was in disbelief. Angels are amongst human beings, after all.

He didn’t know when his eyes closed and he fell asleep, as he had returned home at about 11 am, but he was someone who loved sleeping in all the time, so falling back asleep wasn’t that hard. He was still in the clothes he had dressed himself in, and the pants were uncomfortably tight around his legs. So instead of taking them off and changing in his pajamas, he just endured it.

Taeyong wanted to ask why his mom didn’t wake him up for lunch. He was asleep for about 7 whole hours, till now all of his friend’s must think he’s dead since he hadn’t replied to their messages. Taeyong was too lazy to reply, as there were always messages in the group chat and then individual messages as well, and just looking at them made him feel exhausted. Yuta had always for having an ‘actor disease’ but Taeyong just called it ‘having some space for myself’.

Wanting to know the reason his friends woke him up from his beauty sleep; he unlocks his phone, and undoubtedly sees there are already about 40 messages in their group chat. Great.

Group chat >> Karaoke 2night??????

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

So????? What do u guys say???

>>From: Yu-think

About what

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

About going to karaoke, you walnut

Taeyong sits up, reading through the previous group chat messages. Doyoung had been messaging from 3 pm that he wanted to go out tonight, as their days of going to college were nearing, and they wanted to hang out together one last time. Taeyong was confused because they had just been hanging out over at Taeyong’s yesterday, but his friends were social and loved going out.

He groans, head falling back on the pillows. He doesn’t want to go to the karaoke. Every time they do, it’s a mess because most of them drink, and then they go on the stage and embarrass themselves. Since the bartender is Hansol’s good friend, he gives them a lot of stage time and the boys take full advantage of it. There had been countless times where Taeyong had literally dragged his drunkard friends off of the stage and from further scarring poor Mark.

Well, not scarring Mark, because Mark loved going there and said that his favorite thing about the karaoke was his friends singing their hearts out. Especially Yuta and Hansol, these both were the recipe for disaster. They both had a mouth they loved to run, and when they were drunk, it just got worse. They would do unexplainable things, like dancing crazy in front of the public present in the karaoke bar, confessing love to the old ladies sitting in the corner minding their business, or telling (read: shouting) people to “stan this group, they deserve recognition”.

Taeyong was the only one who hated drinking. He wasn’t against it, but he didn’t condone it either. Seeing the result of drinking alcohol presented by his own close friends was clear enough for him to not drink himself. He didn’t know what he would do or say if he was intoxicated. Everyone in their group except for Mark was legal and could drink, but Taeyong still didn’t want to present a bad example in front of Mark. He remembers that he once wrote a song for his stage play and instead of ‘champagne’, he changed the lyrics to ‘caffeine’ so Mark wouldn’t think it’s cool to drink.

They’re super cautious when it comes to Mark, even when they’re drunk, pampering and showering Mark with extra love when they’re out of it. They never hang out without Mark, thinking that they’d do something they’d regret if there isn’t a “child” among them. They say Mark is a reflection of their future kids and they want to be good dads… or something like that. Those were Doyoung’s words that he uttered whilst being drunk and nearly tearing up.

Taeyong answers everyone’s texts, most of them mainly asking if he’s alive, which he answers with a “not after them group messages rip” and gets bombarded with more messages but just ignores them, throwing his phone on the table and walking to the bathroom. He hates his life. He wants to tattoo it on his forehead so his friends realize it too. He hates his life, he does.

The first thing he does after freshening up is going to his parents’ room to check if they’re home. Sometimes when Taeyong would be napping, his parents would go out without telling him because they don’t want to disturb his sleep, or that Taeyong doesn’t ask to come with them so they would spend some time together without their only child.

Whatever, not like he wants to hang out with his parents anyway. His parents are always so lovey-dovey, it makes him cringe. Even the littlest things makes them realize their love for each other, it seems. Like his mom giving his dad a pastry as dessert and his dad going, “Oh darling! I love you so much!” and his mom going, “I love you more!”

There were a lot of times when Taeyong had left the dinner table because his parents’ romance was making him want to throw up. Can’t they do this kind of stuff when they were alone?

Opening the bedroom door after knocking, he discovers it vacant. Hmph, weird… Going down stairs, he finds his parents at the dinner table, having some tea.

“Yo, pops, mom,” He nods at them, before grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. His mom looks up from her phone, surprised to see her son.

“Taeyong, honey, you’re awake?” His dad looks up from his newspaper, glasses on the edge of his nose. Taeyong gives his parents a look.

“Yeah… Why didn’t you wake me up for lunch?”

“Oh, are you hungry right now?” His mom makes a move to get up but Taeyong stops her, shaking his head.

“I saw your text from early morning and I thought you wanted to catch some sleep after coming back so I let you.”

Nodding, he drinks the water before looking into the fridge for some snacks. He wasn’t that hungry yet, and knowing that he just had to go to the karaoke bar, or else his friends would drag him to it, he settles for something lighter. He’d get to eat plenty there because his friends are there with bags of food. Hansol had actually made it mandatory for them to bring food no matter why they’re hanging out. If it’s because of a school project, or they’re just trying to catch up on each other’s lives, there’s always food present, only one of the reasons why Taeyong likes hanging out with his friends.

Noticing a bar of chocolate at the end inside the fridge, he grabs it before making a run to his room upstairs. He wants to get there and reply to his friends before they start calling him, and if he still doesn’t answer, then calling his parents, which is never good, because most of the time its Hansol calling his mom, and his dad finds the conversations between him and his mom amusing, but Taeyong just finds them uncomfortable and cringe-y to listen to. Hansol is one weird guy.

The group chat is filled with some words that are supposed to suffice for the ban of curse words policy they have, and then it goes silent, so Taeyong takes the cue to ask about the timing and the address.

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

:O Tae, you’re coming??? Wow I’m shock

>>From: Yu-think

It’s ‘shocked’, you idiot

>>From: Hansoul

That’s what your mom was last night when I visited her

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

HANSOL YOU BETTER SHUT THE HELL UP BOI OR IM FINNA WHOOP THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>From: Yu-think

Last time you said you’d whoop Trump’s if he ever said something stupid. Now look at him talking about building up walls and you still haven’t done a thing

>>From: Hansoul

Lmao Yuta getting emotional over a government he isn’t even a part of

>>From: Yu-think

At least I think about this mature stuff, unlike you, who’s obsessed with moms. Yuck !

>>From: TY TRACK

Can you guys answer my question please it has been 15 minutes

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

Oh yeah, we’re going out at about 9 pm so be there until 9:30??? Until then we’ll all be there

>>From: TY TRACK

Sheesh, how long did it take for you to say that? You guys talked about everything happening in this damn world but no one replied to my message

Hansol changed the group name to: Getting Emotional Club ™

>>From: Mark :D

Getting emotional, TY Track, TY Track

>>From: DoYOUNG MONEY

Omg lmaoooooooo good job son

>> From: TY TRACK

I hate all of you so much!!!!  I hope you all die from alcohol poisoning so me and Mark can live in peace

>>From: Yu-think

Say that to my face. I own the precious camera we have that ~~footage~~ in ;) ;)

>>From: TY TRACK

Ugh, bugger off

Throwing his phone on the bed once again, he decides to take the two hours to shower and choose an outfit for the karaoke night. He figures he’s going to beat all his friends’ and add extra lemon in their drinks so they cough all night and then have a sore throat the next morning. He knows he’s being petty, but he’s proud to be this way. He can be a lot worse, like Hansol. Ugh, he’s okay the way he is.

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When Taeyong enters the karaoke bar, it’s relatively empty. Maybe because it’s a Tuesday night and the bar is usually crowded when it’s the weekend, but there are still huge groups of people there. He goes to the front table, standing near the corner and not at the front so the worker doesn’t assume he’s making the payment now. He has yet to notice his friends.

The karaoke bar is split in rooms, most of them able to fit more than six people, and Taeyong is glad, wanting to book a room instead of the public stage set up they have at the back of the karaoke. The stage is always filled with people, most of them in their mid-thirties, with a drink and enjoying the artists playing that night’s song. The stage gets weird the moment the clock hits midnight, because the people drunk their off come out of their rooms and cause a hassle there, so the staff send them at the back so they don’t bust into the other rooms and disturb other guests. Taeyong is ashamed to admit his friends to this little run at the back stage set up all the time.

He’s bought out of his reverie when someone taps him on the shoulder. Turning around, all his friends are there, Doyoung making deals with the cashier. Taeyong quickly pushes the money in front of Doyoung before greeting him and going back to the other friends.

“You guys are late.” He says, scowling as he looks at the time on his phone. It’s already 9:50 now, and they had made plans to hang out this late. Taeyong’s mom was really worried about this, him coming home late after a night at the karaoke, but she knew Taeyong doesn’t drink so she her worry didn’t last long and he convinced her to drop him off here.

“Yeah. Hansol here had to fix his hair again at the last minute.” Yuta says, his thumb pointing at Hansol who still looked a little insecure of his hairstyle, smoothing down his sideburns as he looks at his reflecting on his phone. “You look fine,” Taeyong throw him a side smile. Hansol smirks back.

“When do I not?” His words are the opposite of what he looks, but the phrase still makes Taeyong roll his eyes. He scowls when Hansol laughs at his sore expre