Chapter 62: Talk Love 2

Daehyun went to Ego to see Youngjae, on his way, he found Minjae outside Himchan's studio, crying.

    “Are you all right?” he asked, worried.

    “Dae-Daehyun” she startled and rubbed her eyes “I was reading malicious comments” she showed him her cellphone “Angel581 said; Minjae's fat, she's a pig, she should be in the butcher's instead of Ego. LastMission said; she’s a call girl, it's clear that she slept with that editor to land the job. Pink97 said...”

    “Stop reading those” Daehyun cut her off “Like you said, they're malicious comments”

    “Well, I didn't get this job because I'm pretty, Youngjae asked me to...”

    “Did he take advantage of you?” Daehyun’s lips trembled before he asked and his face went pale while he waited for the answer.

    “No!” she exclaimed in shock “It’s just ill-intentioned gossip!”

    “Sorry” Daehyun shook his head “Then what did he ask you to do?”

    “He told me to take you to our date and make up something to leave you alone with him, he wanted to be with you without Jongup breathing down your neck every minute”

    “Why did he do that?”

    “Didn't you talk to him at the photography exhibit?”

    “He was going to say something, but Jongup showed up”

    “It's none my business” she said “I have a dress rehearsal for tomorrow's photo shoot” she pocketed her phone and came into the studio.

    Daehyun thought about following her, but decided to continue on his way and went to Youngjae's office, Jooe was at her desk, playing with Ganji. The bichon saw his appa and ran to him “I missed you too” Daehyun took him in his arms and his ears.

    “You're Dasom’s brother” Jooe said, it was the first time she met him.

    “Yes, uh... I came to see Youngjae”

    Jooe pressed a button on the phone “Sir, Dasom's brother is here and wants to see you”

    “Daehyun?” Youngjae said with joy in his voice “Tell him to come in”

    “You heard him” she said and the other entered the office.

“I didn't know you're back” Youngjae said from his desk.

    “I came back yesterday” Daehyun said as Ganji wiggled in his arms, he let him go and the dog ran to the aquarium “You brought him to work”

    “I can't let him alone at the apartment”

    “Did I interrupt you?” The elder asked as he saw dozens of folders on the desk, Youngjae seemed pretty busy.

    “It's not important” Youngjae said, nothing was compared to the photographer, he thought.

    “Sunhwa said you showed her my pics and insisted for her to hire me”

    “I didn’t bribe her or threaten her, she really liked your pics”

    “I know, she told me” Daehyun said and pursed his lips “Why did you do that though?”

    “She needed a photographer and I knew a good one” he shrugged.

    “There's a store in Jeju that sells the most delicious chocolates I’ve tried in my life” Daehyun said “I bought a box for you as a thank you”

    “It’ll go perfectly with tea, I’ll tell Jooe to make some”

    “Don’t bother her over that, I’ll make it”

    “Sure, the kitchen is…” The office was like a loft with kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, etc. Daehyun knew where the kitchen was since he had been at the office many times as Dasom.

Youngjae waited for Daehyun in the living room, he had missed him a lot when he was at Jeju, more than once he thought about taking a flight to see him, however, he knew how important that photo shoot was to him and didn’t want to get in his way.

    “Here’s the tea” Daehyun said, holding a tray with a teapot and two tea cups. Youngjae smiled and scooted over for him to sit by his side.  

    “How did you know where to find the kitchen?” Youngjae asked, curious, since it was Daehyun's first time at the office.

    “There’s no walls here… I saw the kitchen clearly” Daehyun lied and sat down next to him before taking his backpack off. He took out a heart-shaped box of chocolate “There were only heart-shaped boxes left… I’m not trying to say I like you or whatsoever” the blond laughed nervously. The last time he said he liked Youngjae, the dark-haired man freaked out, he didn’t want to freak him out again.   

   Youngjae didn’t say anything, he just opened the box “You didn’t eat the chocolates”

    “Why would I do that?” Daehyun punched him on the arm. Youngjae laughed and examined the chocolates, each one had a different shape, he finally decided on a cupcake-shape chocolate and ate it.

    “It's good” he said, savoring the strawberry flavored chocolate while looking at Daehyun “Aren’t you going to eat?”

    “I bought it for you”

    “I can see you drooling” Youngjae pointed at him and laughed. Daehyun hissed and looked at the chocolates, they were good-looking and delicious “Take the white one with little red hearts”

    “This one?” Daehyun took the one Youngjae said, he was about to eat it, but stopped as he noticed that the younger was looking intently at him “Why are you gazing at me?”  

    “Was I…?” Youngjae averted his eyes and rubbed his nape nervously.

    “You were” Daehyun put the chocolate back and frowned with the utmost seriousness “I ran into Minjae on the way here. She said you hired her in exchange for taking me to your date and leaving us alone, she said you wanted to be alone with me without Jongup”

    She’s so fired, Youngjae thought as he bit his nails and laughed nervously.

    “I've been thinking after Sunhwa told me about you” Daehyun pursed his lips “I try to understand why you talked to her, I guess you’re a good friend and want to support my dream… I don’t want to overthink your behavior… But there’s a lot to think about”

    “You shouldn’t think, it may hurt you, you’re dumb, dumb” Youngjae said nervously as he patted his head. 

    “Don’t joke” Daehyun pulled his hand away and scowled “Jongup took me to Sunmi’s live and you took me to BoA's, Jongup took me to the water park to play with dolphins and you took me to Seoul Grand Park to play with a panda. You're always asking about what I feel for Jongup, whether if I have feelings for him or not...”

    “If I didn't know you better I'd think you're jealous and you like me…” Daehyun said and then laughed to soften the awkward atmosphere.

    Youngjae kept his head down, biting his middle finger, pretending Daehyun wasn't there.

    “Youngjae” Daehyun shook him by the arm “Say I’m thinking too much, there’s no way you like me”

    “What if I like you?” Youngjae said with his head still down “No, I don't like you” he shook his head as he played with his hands “I love you”

    “It's one of your jokes?” Daehyun opened his eyes wide.

    “I'm serious” Youngjae said “I love you, it's what I tried to say before Jongup interrupted with his stupid face”

    “It's not funny” Daehyun backed hitting against the couch armrest.

    “I’m not joking, I mean it when I say I love you” Youngjae said, still not daring to look up.

    “Ok, I know what’s going on” Daehyun said, shaking his head “You lied when you said you don’t like Dasom anymore and now you’re mistaking me for her, that’s it”

    “No, you're wrong” Youngjae said “I admit that I loved her, I thought so… When I was with her I wanted to be with you, when I was with you I wanted to be with her”

    “So now you want to be with her”

    “No” he shook his head and finally lifted his head and looked the blond squarely in the eyes. “I started to like Dasom as I got to know her and then I met you... and started having feelings too... When you said you loved me and I said I loved her, I really thought I loved her, but then she left and I fell into depression, I thought I’d die without her, and then you showed up at my apartment, I realized I was depressed because of you”

    “I missed you so much, but didn't know how to approach you after I treated you bad” Youngjae spoke and lowered his head again, he was about to cry, didn’t want the elder to see how pathetic he was “Everytime I felt something for you I said it was because of Dasom, but it's always been you”

    “When we went to Lee Jeeyoung’s exhibit I couldn’t stop looking at you while you looked at the photographies, I'd tell myself it was because I loved Dasom, but it was you. When you got arrested I told Natalie how you felt, I told myself it was for your good, but I wanted her to reject you, so I could have you for myself...”

    “I wanted to tell you how I felt, but then you said you didn't like me anymore, and you started liking Jongup... I didn't want to be rejected, I didn't want to lose you, so I did all those things; the concert, the panda, Sunhwa, Minjae to make you fall in love with me again and then I’d tell you…” Youngjae trailed off and waited for the other’s reply, but Daehyun was so shocked, angry, confused, lost, etc. he didn’t know what to say, except to look at the editor in shock, anger, confusion, lose, etc.

    “Say something, please…”

    “What do you want me to say? I can’t even… Are you saying you love Dasom and me?”

    “No, I thought I loved Dasom, but the one I love is you” Daehyun didn’t know what to say, he took the cup filled with red tea and drank, everything was so confusing and unexpected he wanted to disappear.

    “I know you like Jongup, but do you love him? If you love him, I’ll stand back” Youngjae said “You said no matter who I’m with as long as I’m happy you’re happy, I feel the same, I don’t care if you’re with someone else as long as you’re happy I’m happy”

    “I like him…” 

    “Do you love him?”

    “I don’t know, I like him, he likes me, we’re friends… I don’t know” Daehyun started hyperventilating. His life was good before meeting Youngjae, he was hurt when he rejected him and rubbed how much he loved Dasom in his face. It took many weeks and tears to get over him, Jongup was there and made him happy and safe, and now Youngjae was in his life again as if nothing, confusing him with an abrupt and very, very baffling confession, making him feel like a trapped animal.

    “I know you need time to process” Youngjae put his hand on his knee, but pulled away quickly “I’ll wait…”

    “It’s almost night” Daehyun said “I’ll take Ganji with me”

    “Sure” the younger said, rubbing his nape.

jae gawking at his boyfriend while byg having his meal innocently