Three
Before All The Longings
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"Hyung!"
Joonmyeon looks up from his book to see his junior jogging towards him. He scooches a little to the side as Chanyeol takes a seat beside him, trying to catch his breath. He pulls out his water bottle from his bag and offers it ot the younger, only to get a headshake instead.
"So, how was the presentation?" Chanyeol looks at the older with interest, fully knowing how important the presentation was to Joonmyeon. "You skipped our outing so many times for that. You better pass it or I am going to feel so unfair."
"The result is out next week but we got a pat on our back after that. I guess we pass."
His hand lands on the older's shoulder and he nods, satisfied. "Then, let's celebrate! Your friend's club, tonight?"
"Tomorrow is Tuesday. I have classes. 'You' have classes."
"Ah, hyung. Just until like, one or two. Then I swear we go."
"Twelve." Joonmyeon stares straight into the other's eyes. "Take it or leave it." The younger is biting his lower lip with eyelids fluttering unsure. "Well?"
"Twelve-thirty!"
His gaze still doesn't move from the other's face as he lets out a deep sigh. "Fine. But my watch. It strikes six and I'm pulling you out of there." Joonmyeon gets a tight hug from his junior before he returns back to his book, only to notice something seconds later. "Where is Baekhyun? He's not going for lunch?"
Chanyeol shrugs.
Joonmyeon recognizes the face the younger is making. "Let's go find him then we eat."
"I'm no hungry."
He sighs at the younger that is looking away from him. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have been friends since the moment he knew them. The pair has similar personalities, being the reason for both why they clicked so much and why small arguments would become so big. They were fine last Friday. "What is it?"
Chanyeol gets up but his wrist that Joonmyeon managed to catch prevent him to move any further. "Hyung, let go."
"Stop being so stubborn and tell me what happened between you two."
He faces the older that is calmly looking at him. "Why don't you ask him instead? He started it!"
The wrist gets yanked from his grip and Joonmyeon can only watch the younger walking away from him before he turns at a corner and out of his sight. He has lost count how many times the fight between them had occured but he knows if he doesn't meddle into it, they might never talk to each other ever again.
He fishes out his phone from his jeans pocket and searches for Baekhyun's number, his finger almost tapped on it to dial when an incoming call from the person himself changes the screen. He slides the greed icon and puts the device against his ear. "Hey, I was about to call you. Where are..." He frowns at the answer coming from the other side of the phone and he looks around the place before spotting Baekhyun coming out form the corner on his left, the opposite direction where Chanyeol had disappeared to, and walks toward him.
Baekhyun smiles weakly when his eyes meet with the older's concern ones. He watches Joonmyeon packing his things before standing up, leading the way towards the cafeteria. "What did Chanyeol tell you?"
He stops, letting Baekhyung to catch up with him before continues to walk, side by side with the younger. "That it's all your fault." He turns to his junior that has his gaze fixed on the cemented floor. "Was it all your fault?"
"Maybe, if I know what I did wrong."
Joonmyeon frowns. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Baekhyun walks toward one of the empty tables and takes a seat a the long chair, facing upfront at the older that is sitting across of him. "He has been avoiding me since we went out last Saturday. He wouldn't answer my calls or reply my texts. I don't know what I did wrong."
"Where did you guys go last Saturday?"
"We just hung out at the mall." Baekhyun tells what they did that day. Movies, lunch, bowling, accompanied Chanyeol shopping for sneakers, arguing over a place for dinner. "We didn't go to dinner."
Joonmyeon knows that argument was full with whines and pouts and wasn't the reason for the cancelled dinner nor the fight they are having.
"Chanyeol was upset after coming from the waffle place. He declined every time I offered a bite and... he said he need to go."
The waffle place always has a long queue and it is always the taller what would buy the snack for them; by his own will but most of the time by force, to which he and Baekhyun would get a long pout but never a cold shoulder. How did Baekhyun manage to upset Chanyeol from afar?
Baekhyun purses his lips. There was a sale at a nearby store and the waffle place become too crowded with other people. The queue became so long that he changed his mind and kept walking but Chanyeol already had a few other people behind him when he noticed the taller isn't beside him.
"Where did you wait? Did he think he lost you?"
He shakes his head. Often he would wait by the many benches not too far from the stall but he stayed close to ease himself from the guilt of having his friend queuing that long for him. Wished he had queued up with him. "When he came to me, he looked angry and just walked away. I couldn't even say goodbye to the guy that waited with me."
Joonmyeon's ears perk at the younger's last words. "You waited with someone?"
Baekhyun nods. "His sister was queuing not far from Chanyeol. We waited together almost from the beginning."
Joonmyeon lets out a deep breath as everything has fallen into place. They might be in different majors but they have been together since their orientation days and as far as he knows, both haven't been dating anyone for all those years. It is either Chanyeol not realizing what he was feeling or he didn't know what he was feeling. He looks straight at the younger. "I'm going to pick you up at nine tonight. You both need to talk."
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"You are not seriously going to live with her, right?"
Yifan scoops another spoonful of rice into his mouth, eyes fixed at the older as his mouth chews.
"Just stay at your house. What's wrong with your house?"
He swallows. "Mom already put the house on sale. She wants to move with dad."
Grace's eyes widen at the new information. "I talked to her yesterday. She didn't mention any of this!" She gets a shrug and sinks deeper into her chair. "Then, where did you sleep last night?"
"At the house. She knew about me returning home and was going to fly back with me but..." He stares into his cousin's eyes. "I think I'm going to follow her."
She purses her lips. Her plan was to ask Yifan to handle one of her shops and by provoking Bella with that, they would slowly break apart and she doesn't have to see that woman again. Bella deciding to fly here just to be with Yifan didn't cross her mind and now she has to choose between the two living here together or they living apart over there. Such rotten choices.
Yifan empties his glass of water and fixes himself in his seat. "I'm thinking this Friday." He gets a pair of eyes zeroed at him and ignores it. "I'll check everything before telling her tonight. Bella can stay here with you and you guys can fight your little fights without me."
"But, Yifan!"
He pushes the chair back and stands up, walking towards the cashier as he leaves Grace with her thoughts. With his mother moving to Canada, he has no reason to come back here. Maybe visiting Luhan and Minseok once in a while but flying them there instead is a great idea too.
He fishes his ringing phone from his pockeg as he pushes the glass door open, exiting the restaurant and heading towards the stairs for the subways, the phone against his ears. "Hey, yeah, I'm on my way. The third car? Yeah, okay."
He hangs up and looks around the platform, calculating where the third car of the train will be stopping and hurries when the sound of the train approaching fills the underground train stop. The door opens and his eyes immediately spot Minseok among the other passengers.
Minseok smiles as Yifan making an effort going through the crowded space to get to him and he manages to catch the taller from bumping his head with someone's shoulder. "You know you can just wait over there."
Yifan shrugs as his hand takes over the overhead handle his friend was holding on to and lets Minseok finding balance with his arm instead.
"It's been so long since we ride together."
"3 years."
Minseok nods. Yifan was so kind to accompany him to the mall and markets looking for stuff for his art class. The taller didn't think much when he asked to borrow his car but as soon as Yifan knew his destination and purpose, he suggested the subway instead. 'Unless you are buying a ton of woods, I don't mind going with you.' "The train is cheaper anyway."
"So, what is it this time?"
"A statue made out of wires and steel."
"Interesting." Yifan gets a giggle that he hasn't heard for a long time as no matter how many times Minseok explain his art project to him, he just wouldn't get it. "So, when will the honeymoon be?"
Minseok looks up and smiles. "When are you leaving?"
"Hm? Probably Friday."
"Then, Canada sounds nice."
"Minseok."
He fists the taller's shirt as more passenger coming in and he being forced to move from beside Yifan to his front, getting his face planted on to his friend's chest even with the slightest movement. "Luhan said he is so busy and told me to go alone." The taller's suprised eyes turn into an annoyed ones and he smiles. "Of course I wouldn't do that. He said the earliest he can get is next month. I don't mind. We see each other at home anyway."
Yifan's arm instinctively wraps around his smaller friend's waist when the subway train suddenly halt before moving smoothly again. He gets a pinch on his cheek and ignores the judging stares coming from the nobodies. He kisses Minseok's hair and lets himself being led unboarding the car before a sigh reaches his ears. "What?"
"I'm a married man now. Hug is okay but no kissing. Won't Bella get jealous too?"
"No."
"Well, no kissing from now on."
Yifan rolls his eyes at the smaller that hooks his lean arm around his own big one as they walk towards the exit. "Which way?"
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"Are you sure it's fine leaving them just like that?"
Joonmyeon nods as he pushes Jirayu to walk. Chanyeol and Baekhyun need to settle their fight by themselves. If they still haven't patched things up by the time he came back, then he will think of something.
Jirayu opens the door to one of the private rooms and holds it for Joonmyeon to come in, telling the younger to sit wherever he wants before closing the door. He walks to the sofa and takes a seat beside Joonmyeon, smiling at the person in front of him. "Joonmyeon, this is Harit. Harit, this is Joonmyeon."
Joonmyeon leans over the table to accept the hand that being offered, smiling politely as his eyes examine Jirayu's friend. He has a cute forehead. "Joonmyeon. Nice to meet you."
"Harit. Nice to meet you too. Jirayu told me so much about you. He said you can do this in a month."
"I will try."
"See? See? Joonmyeon is like the most awesome programmer you will ever met."
Joonmyeon pushes the older with his houlder as Jirayu keeps poking his side with his fingers. "Hyung, stop it." He hears a small laugh coming from in front of him and he is slowly regretting his decision to accept the new project.
"About the payment, can I ask for a bit less? I know this is rushing but I have somewhere else that I need to use the money for..."
His eyebrows come together before he glances at his friend. "How much did you ask him?" The three fingers Jirayu hold up makes him let out a sigh before turning back to face Harit. "Please don't listen to him. You can pay me as much as Jirayu hyung pay me for the current project I am doing for him."
"But Joonmyeon, that is not enough! I gave you like, four months but you'll be dong this for half than that!" Jirayu looks at his friend. "It's already a good deal, Harit. Take it or leave it."
"Are you even my friend?"
Joonmyeon sighs as the two friends throwing nonsense back and forth and he pulls Jirayu's arm, stopping the bicker and gaining the older's attention. "Don't you have boss work to do? Some club owner paperwork to sign or something?"
"No. I completed all that this afternoon so I can sit and accompany you."
He takes a deep breath before standing up, pulling the older with him as he leads him towards the door. "Then, make me some drink or something. I am thirsty."
"Oh, right, right! Then I'll go tell the boys to make yesterday's fruit punch."
Joonmyeon nods, smiling as he opens the door for Jirayu before quickly closing it and returns to Harit that is looking confused at the situation. "Let's finish this before he comes back."
Harit smiles as he listens to Joonmyeon talking about the paperworks and the payment. "Are you sure?" He gets a raised eyebrow. "I don't know much about the coding but a month is really short. And you asked just a little."
"Ah, no. I'm already thankful that you chose me. I don't know what Jirayu hyung told you about me but I am serious with all the project I take. I hope you can trust me."
"I do." It earns him a small smile and Harit purses his lips, listening closely as the male continues talking about their project. He knows nothing about coding but the interface Joonmyeon is drawing is understandable. "It looks great."
"If you like, I can show you the past projects and I can adapt something from those and finish it sooner."
"Yeah, I would like that."
"Then..." Joonmyeon pats all the pockets he has before looking at Harit. "I left my phone with my friends." He pulls closer on of the papers that are full with drawings and instructions and writes his phone number, sliding it across the table. "I have classes until evening but free at night and the weekends. I hope you understand."
Harit nods as he stares at the row of numbers. "Being a final year student is no joke." He earns that small smile again.
"Then, if you would excuse me, I need to check on my friends." Joonmyeon exits the room after exchanging smiles with the male, ignoring Jirayu that tell him to stop as they pass by each other. His feet stop by themselves when he arrives at the main lounge,eyes seeing the table that is supposed to have two people sitting there being cleaned by the staff. He walks closer and taps the male, making him turn to him.
"Oh, Joonmyeon. I thought you already left and forgot your bag."
He smiles weakly as he takes his bag that being left by the chair. "Has my friends gone long?"
"I'm not sure about the smaller one but the tall one just left maybe, ten minutes ago?"
Joonmyeon thanks the older and purses his lips at the information. They didn't make up.
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