Chanyeol kicked the grass with one of his golf shoes, wishing he had slept in instead. His father was out on the green, participating in a bragging contest with an old classmate of his, whose son was the same age as Chanyeol.

He and Junmyeon didn’t go to the same high school. However, they bumped into each other whenever their families had social gatherings like this, which had been going on for years. Thankfully, Junmyeon wasn’t as insufferable as his own father.

“Uri Junmyeonie just received the highest honors in his college, having a 3.90 point average in the last grading period,” Chanyeol could hear Professor Kim boast with the golf ball on the putt, as CEO Park distinctively scowled.

But then, it could be the glare of the sun was directly hitting him on the face that was causing that frown. 

“How about Chanyeollie?” Professor Kim asked, a slight smirk on his lips as the ball successfully rolled straight into the 7th hole.

CEO Park cleared his throat, planting his feet steadily to get ready to putt. “He’s taking a gap year.”

Junmyeon cringed, awkwardly patting Chanyeol on the back, as the Park heir suddenly burst into coughing fits.

“Meanwhile, uri Yoora is doing exceptionally well as ATV’s announcer...”

“Ya... you want to get something to drink?” Junmyeon invited, gesturing over to the country club’s restaurant.

Chanyeol nodded, glaring at his father and the professor, before following Junmyeon uphill.

The taller one dropped his massive golf bag on an empty chair as a server handed the two chaebols’ sons the menu. They were even addressed by their surnames—that was how exclusive the country club was.

“I’ll take a kale and avocado smoothie, please,” Junmyeon told the service politely, which earned him dagger looks from Chanyeol.

Of course, Junmyeon would choose to ingest something organic and healthy. And it showed in his lean, proportionally muscular body that he worked out regularly, even if Chanyeol towered over him by a few inches.

For all the years Chanyeol had known him, Junmyeon was the epitome of a model student, son and citizen. He was above-average handsome, incredibly intelligent, impeccably well-mannered, and he was the type that mothers would love for their daughters to marry someday.

Which was precisely why Chanyeol loathed and liked him at the same time.

Junmyeon turned expectantly at Chanyeol, who only rolled his eyes and muttered that he wanted a gin tonic.

Junmyeon didn’t even bat an eye at the taller boy’s drink of choice, nevermind that it was a little too early for alcohol.

The server nodded and proceeded to prepare their order.

“How’s L.A., Chanyeol-rah?” Junmyeon asked casually, not really letting himself get affected by Chanyeol’s dark cloud of gloom.

“Sunny,” the taller one retorted, his eyes trained on the direction of the two ahjussis still lowkey trying to one-up each other on the golf course.

“I’m glad you’re back in Seoul,” Junmyeon went on, without any hint of malice or underhanded agenda in his tone, but Chanyeol was acutely listening if there was and he was only mishearing it. “I haven’t seen you since...”

Then the usually composed Junmyeon’s eyes grew wide for a second, catching himself. “I mean...”

Chanyeol huffed, gripping the sides of the table. “You haven’t seen me in almost three years, Junmyeon-ah, because I was in school, and doing music, and had no ing idea...”

Now he was the one who halted and restrained himself, as a few patrons of the country club turned to their direction when he cursed and was about to lunge at the ever-perfect Kim heir.

“She didn’t tell anyone she was sick, Chanyeol-rah,” Junmyeon hissed, his kind eyes now glazing with something like indignation. “You knew how Jiwon was.  She kept it a secret because she didn’t want anyone to worry about her.”

There were several things that Chanyeol resented, like the fact that Jiwon and Junmyeon had grown up together, their families partnering in multiple businesses, and that Jiwon had known Junmyeon since they were in diapers, whereas he had only entered the picture at the beginning of their teenage years.

“And yet you knew,” Chanyeol accused. “You had some time to be with her before she...”

But the biggest one that hit him the most was learning that Junmyeon had been able to visit Jiwon at least TWICE in the hospital before she passed away—a privilege that Chanyeol had been robbed of.

And he was Jiwon’s ING boyfriend.

He hadn’t even been able to make it to her funeral last year.

“I found out by accident,” Junmyeon replied in defense, now that they were getting things out in the open. “I overheard our mothers talking and...”

“Well, wasn’t that convenient? Still, you didn’t let me know, or even thought to reach out to me?” Chanyeol blamed. “Wouldn’t informing me that she had Stage 4 leukemia be a good enough reason to drop me a message?”

“Did you think she didn’t try to drive me away when I came to see her? I respected her wishes when she said she wanted to be the one to tell you... and everyone else for that matter, but she didn’t and that was entirely up to her,” Junmyeon replied, with a tremor of control in his voice. “She was communicating with you regularly, was she not?”

At the last few months of Jiwon’s life, she had refused to show her face through video calls with Chanyeol, incessantly insisting on the excuse that she had just woken up or that she had a huge pimple or that she was ugly—which Chanyeol thought was IMPOSSIBLE—and she had whined about not letting him see her without make-up...

And there were a few occasions when Chanyeol had ignored her calls, or promised to call her back when he was stressed and pressured about his studies and Jiwon simply waited for him.

Until... she couldn’t anymore.

“How lucky that you’ve always been there for her,” Chanyeol spat out tastelessly, as if Jiwon’s passing was entirely Junmyeon’s fault. “I bet you still wish you were the one she fell in love with.”

“But she chose you.” Junmyeon closed his eyes, sighing heavily. He wasn’t going to fight him about this. It was ancient history, and Park Chanyeol had won by a mammoth landslide. “She had always chosen you.”

The waiter then served them drinks, glancing at the two young men nervously, the tension on the table palpable.

Junmyeon still had the sense to thank the poor hyung, even giving him an assuring nod.

The waiter then bowed to them and left.

“Chanyeol-rah... you’re not the only one who lost her,” Junmyeon resumed gently. “I did, too.”

Chanyeol tried to hold back the angry tears b in his eyes, couldn’t believe he was going to unravel in a public place with the last person he wanted to break down in front of. He downed his gin tonic at one gulp, attempting to contain the mess he had become and failing miserably at it.

“Ya...”

Chanyeol looked up, with his eyes still glistening, and he met Junmyeon’s empathetic gaze.

“If... you need to talk, you know... I’m just around...” Junmyeon told him sincerely. “I remember there was a time that we got along well, after all.”

They did, especially when they found out they had a liking for computer games. But that was before Chanyeol started dating Jiwon... and Junmyeon started to distance himself from them altogether. Not in a spiteful manner, but rather gave them space and was always civil towards Chanyeol, anyway.

“Uh... thanks,” he replied to the shorter guy gratefully, but he hadn’t been able to say anything more when their fathers joined them, now retiring from their ridiculous golf game for lunch.

Chanyeol composed himself and straightened up in h