Chapter 2: 2011 (2)

After talking that night, Youngjae and Daehyun kept talking and found out they had a lot in common, like their families were pretty well off until the IMF occurred and Daehyun loved singing since forever and always hung out with his friends at karaoke in middle school and then he began receiving official music lessons and once got to perform A Goose’s Dream in front of his parents, his mom cried and so did he, that experience made him want to sing more and more.

    And as for Youngjae, he discovered his passion for music in his second year of junior high when his class went on a trip and he participated in a talent show where he sang a song from SG Wannabe with his friends and the cheers and claps from his peers made him feel good and think the stage is a nice place.

    Now six months later, Youngjae and Daehyun were inseparable, they even went to the bathroom together.

One of those days, after dance practice, a female trainee showed up at the studio, screaming “Youngjae-ah!!! Youngjae-ah!!!” The said guy turned to face her, she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him away from Daehyun who was wiping the sweat off with a towel.

    The elder couldn’t help being curious, it was the first time that he saw his friend with such a pretty girl. They talked and laughed and she gave him a letter before running off, and a little jealousy came over Daehyun (He thought he was jealous of Youngjae back then, now he knew well that he was jealous of her)

    “I didn't know that you're so popular with the ladies” Daehyun said as Youngjae joined him again.

    “I'm not”

    “She gave you a letter, didn't she?” Daehyun said with jealousy as he stared at the letter in Youngjae’s hand.

    “It's for you” Youngjae gave him the letter.

    “For me?” Daehyun exclaimed with fake surprise, he knew how popular he was with girls.

    “Of course it’s for you, all the girls are crazy about you. You’re cool, charismatic, cheerful, bright, handsome...”

    “Handsome?”

    Youngjae blushed and said:

    “I didn't say that!!! The girls did!!”

    “So you don’t think I'm handsome” Daehyun pouted.

    “I'm a guy, guys don’t think other guys are handsome” Youngjae blushed harder as Daehyun chuckled and read the letter.

    “Oh, she gave me her phone number”

    “We don't even have cellphones, how are you going to call her?”

    “I’m not calling her”

    “She's pretty and popular, you HAVE to call her, I would”

    “You call her” Daehyun gave him the number.

    “She's interested in you”

    “She calls you Youngjae-ah!!! Youngjae-ah!!!” Daehyun imitated her voice “You two seem close”

    “All the girls call me Youngjae-ah!!! Youngjae-ah!!!”

    “So you're popular, too”

    “Not at all” Youngjae said, kind of sad “They don’t see me as a man, I'm only their chubby friend. They think I'm cute because I'm fat and like to pinch my cheeks”

    Suddenly Daehyun pinched Youngjae’s cheek and said:

    “They're right, your cheeks are pinchable”

    “Don't do that!” Youngjae slapped his hand away.

    “And you're so cute” Daehyun chuckled and Youngjae's face turned red, half-mad and half-embarrassed.

Later that night, everybody was in the dorms. Jongup, Youngjae and Daehyun were in the kitchen. Jongup had to watch the soup and the others had to set the table, however, Youngjae abandoned the kitchen without a word.

    “Hyung, where are you going?” Jongup popped his head round the door and saw Youngjae putting on a windbreaker and heading to the exit “You have to take the plates to the dining or you won’t get to eat”

    “I don't care” Youngjae said and opened the door, then Daehyun left the kitchen too.

    “Hyung, where are you going?” This time Jongup asked Daehyun while Youngjae walked out the apartment.

    “I have a date” Daehyun said and followed Youngjae outside before shutting the door.

    “Do you have a date?” Youngjae asked as they walked down the hallway.

    “I used Yongguk's phone to call the girl from early and we agreed to meet at the convenience store by the park” Daehyun said.

    “You said you weren’t going to call”

    “You said I should”

    “So if I tell you to jump out the highest-floor window, you will”

    “I don’t like you that much” Daehyun said “And you? Where are you going?”

    “I'm going to the park to run” Youngjae said “I want to have a girlfriend who sees me as I am instead of the fat kid that follows popular and good-looking kids around”

    “I see you as you are”

    “You can't be my girlfriend”

    “If a girl doesn't accept you as you are, she doesn't deserve you”

    “It’s easy for you to say, you don't have problems with girls, they’re head over heels for you” Youngjae said and started running his way to the park.

Youngjae ran in the park for an hour, he didn’t feel skinnier, but hungrier. He regretted missing dinner, maybe it was time to return to the dorms and see if there was food left, so he could have some. He was about to leave the park when he saw Daehyun running to him.

    “What are you doing here? Your girlfriend stood you up?” Youngjae asked.

    “Ha, ha, you're so funny” Daehyun said “We had some noodles and she talked about how much she wants to be a singer. I told her we're too young and should focus on our dreams instead of dating. She cried a little, but in the end we decided to be friends and maybe have something in the future, but not now”

    “So you came here to rub in my face about how you rejected the most beautiful girl ever”

    “I came here to bring you dinner, you ” Daehyun took a sandwich out of his jacket pocket.

    “I'm not going to eat that” Youngjae said, seeing the mushed sandwich.

    “You have to, you haven’t eaten since lunch”

    “I'm a pig, I won't die if I miss a few meals”

    “You aren't a pig... You're... a little overweight, but not eating won't make you thin, you have to eat and work out properly”

    “For you it's easy to say”

    “You think I was born this way?”

    “Yes”

    “Aaaaah, you're so frustrating!!!” Daehyun yelled and jumped on Youngjae “Eat!!! Eat!!!” Daehyun screamed, shoving the sandwich into Youngjae’s mouth.

    “No, I don't want to, I'm sick of being the chubby friend” Youngjae said, on the verge of tears “I know you try to help, but you don’t understand, you're slim, handsome and cool, all the girls love you, even guys love you”

    “I love you, isn't enough?” Daehyun asked, upset.  

    “You say that because you're my friend”

    “The hell I am and they aren't, so who cares what they think? You're beautiful”

    “You know we're both guys”

    “Who cares? I'll keep saying how beautiful you are until you believe it because it's true”

    “Thank you” Youngjae wiped off his tears with the back of his hand.

    “You’re welcome” Daehyun smiled “Now let’s eat”

    “Still not going to eat that” Youngjae said, looking at the sandwich.

    “Why? I spent my money on this, nobody's touched it, it's clean”

    “It's all mushed”

    “Tsk, you really care too much about looks” Daehyun said, unwrapping the sandwich, if Youngjae didn’t want it, he did, he was still hungry even if he had noodles with that girl before.

    “Maybe a bite” Youngjae said as he saw Daehyun biting off the sandwich.

    “Forget it, it's mine”

    “You said you bought it for me”

    “You said you didn’t want it”

    “I want it now”

    “Too late”

    “Hand it over!!!”