Hongseok lets out an exhausted sigh as he watches the level numbers go up inside the elevator. He was making the painful trip back to the office all the way from the damn car park because he realised he had left his phone on his desk a bit too late. There was no way he was going to go home without his phone so here he was, back hunched over and watching the numbers before the elevator finally reached the office floor. The floor is pitch black but having lived and breathed the place for so long now, Hongseok easily navigates his way to his desk without even bumping into anything. He pats his table down and is relieved when his fingers are met with his phone. Not that he thought someone would have taken it. Well, maybe Hyojong. That guy would probably hold it hostage for free coffee or something.

On his way out, Hongseok wish he didn’t notice the lights that were still on in one of the meetings room down the corridor but it was in his nature to pick up things like that. Which idiot left the light on…? Hongseok shoves his phone into the pocket of his jacket and grumpily makes his way towards the room without thinking that maybe it was occupied. It’s way past office hours anyway and no one could possibly still be working. He suddenly hears the faint sound of voices coming from the room and immediately stops dead in his track, hoping he was as stealthy as he imagined himself to be. Fun fact - he legitimately wanted to be a ninja when he was a kid and that obviously worked out very well for him.

“You seem a bit distracted Hyunggu.”
             
That’s Wooseok’s voice...

Hongseok pushes himself up against the wall like a magnet and shuffles in closer to eavesdrop on the conversation between Wooseok and Hyunggu. He’s still unsure as to why he’s hiding but he doesn’t question his instincts. There is a lull in the conversation and Hongseok decides it’s an absolutely wise idea to discreetly peer through the gap of the frosted windows of the room. He really shouldn’t have because he was just in time to witness Wooseok pull Hyunggu in by the tie for a long and messy pash. Wooseok’s advances are met with pretty much no resistance from Hyunggu which indicates this was a long time coming. Hongseok’s eyes are glued to the drama unravelling right in front of him but he forces himself to look away and make his escape as quietly as possible.

It’s a lot to digest and Hongseok can’t shake off the feeling of being deeply disturbed by what he just saw. It wasn’t Kang Hyunggu that bothered Hongseok. No, they had very little to do with each other even within the office. The only opinion Hongseok really held of Hyunggu was that the guy came across as being a bit of a try-hard. But Jung Wooseok? Hongseok definitely had a problem with him. For one thing, he should definitely not be kissing another person other than his ing boyfriend, Shinwon.

=====

Hongseok likes to think he’s fortunate in many aspects of this life. He had a loving family and a close circle of friends. His dedication to studying in high school paid off when he got into a good college and he landed his dream job right after graduating. Many of his friends worked in the same business district and most importantly, he was working alongside his best friend and roommate from college, Shinwon. So it’s mostly true. Hongseok was fortunate in many aspects of his life. Except one - his love life. When Shinwon first confided in him during college that he liked guys, Hongseok’s insides were tied up in a nervous knot from both joy and fear. The joy came from the fact that, after having harboured a crush on Shinwon from pretty much the first day they met, he now genuinely had a chance. The fear came from the likelihood of Hongseok jumping the gun to confess his feelings, only to be rejected by Shinwon because he didn’t feel the same way towards Hongseok.

And so Hongseok gave in to his fears and kept his feelings to himself. They were roommates at the college dorm at that time after all and he didn’t want to breach that boundary and makes things uncomfortable for Shinwon. All throughout their college years, Shinwon casually saw some people, had friends with benefits as well as one night stands and Hongseok just played his role as the loyal and supportive best friend and roommate. Why? Because he didn’t want to do anything that would ruin the relationship he already had with Shinwon even if