Zelo’s P.O.V.

     ”Come on! Why are you so slow?” Daehyun had a firm grip around my wrist, almost dragging me through the town.

     “I’m so fuuull, Daehyunnie, I can’t move!” I pouted back at him, trying to make him walk slower so I wouldn’t get a side stitch.

     “Then I bet you can roll!” He let go of my hand, ran behind me and tried to push me forward. “And stop. Calling me. Daehyunnie!” He struggled to push me forward and eventually stopped trying. He sighed and appeared beside me, linking his arm around mine. “Besides… I ate more than you did. You should train, you know!” He pinched my upper arm.

     I looked down at him with a puzzled look on my face. “So you’re telling me that if I exercise and lift weights, with other words training my arms… Then I will get better at eating a lot? Dude, really?” I raised an eyebrow. He stopped for a moment with a look on his face as if he philosophised. He finally pulled a childish smile and nodded whereupon he dragged  meforwards again.

     As we got closer and closer to the park where we were supposed to meet, Daehyun got more and more anxious and excited and snuck his hand down my arm and finally squeezing it tight like a little girl. The park was surrounded by trees like a football field – in general it looked a lot like those in the American movies; benches, parents playing with their children, people jogging around and dogs running wild.

     Daehyun flew in front of me, stopping me abruptly. “Please wait here!” He pleaded, half absent-minded while looking around. “I will come and get you!” He disappeared behind some bushes and trees, leaving me behind… For a very long time… really long time!

     “JunHong-aaah! You can come noooow!” He came running out with arms flying everywhere and almost got smacked down by several branches and little children playing football – but he survived! “Come, come, come! … Come on!!” He dragged me through the mini-forest, bowed under the branches and… left me hanging up high – in between the branches.

     What I noticed was a quite tall figure, still lower than me, dressed in black jeans and a white tee. He had his back turned to us. So, today, ladies and gentlemen, we are in a dramatic reality show! I couldn’t help but smile at Daehyun almost making wheel tracks from desperation.

     “Himchannie! Himchannie!!” The casual figure spun around (in slow motion in my head) with a little smile on the face. As we got eye contact, both of us froze and the smiles on both our faced disappeared.

     “Y-y… You! I have seen you before!” I pointed at him reproachfully. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and Daehyun looked first at me, then at him, and then back at me with a derp face.

     “You guys know each other?” Daehyun squeezed his eyes together.

     I partly ignored Daehyun’s question. “Himchan! You kidnapped me and left my walkie-talkie out there in the wide world!”

     Himchan’s jaw dropped in disbelief, opened and closed a couple of times. “DID NOT! You spied on my friend!”

     “You did what?” Daehyun turned to look at me.

     “Don’t pretend you’re innocent, Daehyunnie! You suggested it! ” A goofy yet manly giggle came out of Himchan. I crossed my arms. “I can’t believe you are blaming me for this. Hmpfh! Ya! Himchan! Stop laughing!”

     “Daehyunnie? Really?” A deep laughter blurted out of him. “You guys are really having a bromance, huh?”

     Daehyun pouted and gave me a sad look. “I did NOT ask him to call me that!” He walked over to Himchan, padded his arm and put his head to his chest. “Only you should call me that.” Himchan put an awkward arm around Daehyun before he turned to me.

     “Well… I guess it is nice to meet you under different circumstances? Anyway, we decided to tell you as the first one – Daehyun insisted.” Daehyun moved his head away from Himchan’s chest for a second to nod.

     “What about…” I gulped by the thought, “Bang Yong Guk?”

     Daehyun jumped, bowed down in his knees while waving dramatically with his hands in front of me. “Do. Not. Tell him! I repeat: Do. Not-“ He moved his hand across his throat to show me that it would be the death of all of us if I told him.

     I rolled my eyes. “I got it, I got it. I won’t tell! It’s not like we talk anymore, anyway.”

     Himchan looked at me with a raised eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something, but just then his phone rang. 

Bang Yong Guk’s P.O.V.

Time had been moving incredibly slow before my eyes, the reflection in the mirror turning into something that I recognized but didn’t necessarily wanted back. I was free, back to my ‘normal’ self – alone and proud. Or that was at least what my face said, my insides decaying in a gloomy, depressing color, soon turning into solid and ice-cold stone. I was moving towards an edge I couldn’t avoid, actually happy about the fact that I was currently moving through the seconds, minutes, hours and days in slow-motion – for some reason given more time to experience what life on earth was really about. But, in my case I only experienced the dark side of it, my own failures being the reason for the bright side to slip through my fingers. In some twisted and ignorant way I’d had him for a short while, that glorious part of my life apparently what I was destined to get – nothing more.

     And I was happy. He didn’t come back, just like I’d predicted and hoped for. My cruel, harsh and unbearable action had been successful and granting me my dearest wish. I was a child and a fool – all I wanted for him was to be happy and enjoy the dazzling part of life I wasn’t destined to. And for that to happen, I had to be cruel to him and punch him, make him believe I didn’t have a single care for him.

      I’d followed that girl home that night, ignoring her pleading as I’d told her goodnight and made my way home. I wasn’t surprised if she’d heading out again, looking for another fool to attack. Since then I hadn’t really been outside the apartment much – returning to that awful state where I was alone. All the time. Sure, I’d returned to the person I was before I’d met him, but the world around me hadn’t been able to follow up. It seemed as if it didn’t want to, Himchan still being completely absent and Young Jae still being married. And there I was, still being the I’d always been, Junhong being the latest person to witness it.

     The only thing that wasn’t like it used to be (well, leaving out the fact that sleeping with random girls wasn’t really that interesting anymore) was I having a job. A real job – a job I liked. I’d been discussing my up-coming show at a new club down town, the place’s manager rather interested in my work, offering me several gigs at the place. I’d accepted, the place a bit more fancy and classy than I was used to, but I figured that a white dress shirt and some plain jeans would do the job of making me fit in just a little – even though the guy had assured me that my audience would appreciate my kind of music, the boss of the place just having a thing for modern, black furniture and light being thrown through streams of water coming out of the walls.

     “Oh, sorry,” I casually bowed at a young woman, my occupying, worrying thoughts having me gazing down at my walking feet, not noticing the woman until I bumped into her. She smiled at me, bowing and grabbed her stuff before walking away from there, obviously busy. I sighed and dug my hands down my pockets of my jacket, the fingertips of my right hand discovering my cellphone.

     Seconds later I’d pulled it up, dialed Himchan’s number and patiently waiting for him to pick up, continuing down the street. Himchan would be happy if he knew about my gig at that fancy club, wouldn’t he? Maybe, I can convince him to get his over to my place some time soon too. It would be–

     “H-hello?”

     “Ya! Where are you?” I faked an angry voice, smiling to myself. “Are you seeing your girlfriend? Yaaaa, what about me, huh? You can’t just leave your best friend hanging,” I continued, enjoying teasing him.

     “Y-ya…” He sounded nervous, as if he was sweating bullets.

     “What?” I blinked a few times, giving up on the teasing and act. “Is something wrong?”

     “Who is it?” A faint voice asked in the background, and I frowned.

     “Ya, who’s there with you?” I asked, probably stressing him out like hell.

     “Uuuhm, I don’t– uhm…” He cleared his throat. “It’s Yong Guk,” he then whispered, but loud enough for me to hear.

     “Ya! Answer!” I yelled, kinda pissed off.

     “Gosh, Yong Guk, man…” he started, but I cut him off.

     “Why are you always so busy? Where are you, huh? Answer me,” I ordered, sounding more like a mother or a girlfriend than a friend. “Himchan, I–“ I looked up as I made a corner, relieved that my apartment wasn’t that far away – all I had to do was to walk two more blocks, passing the district’s park. And there he was, his confused face clear in the wilderness. What the hell is he doing there? The park? What the– “Ya, what are you doing?”

     “Huh?” He scratched the back of his head, his eyes wandering around in confusion.

     “Ten o’clock,” I exhaled, watching as he turned in my direction, his eyes widening.

     “Y-y-yong Guk!” He exclaimed, staring right at me – the sweat sliding down his temples visible to me, even though I was standing on the other side of the street.

     “Having a picnic?” I asked, crossing the street and hanging up the phone. He stood for a while before noticing my action, putting his phone back in his pocket while his eyes followed me. In a smooth rather awesome motion I jumped over the low fence, pushed some branches aside and walked up to him.

     “W-what–“

     “Yaaaa, so this is where you’ve been hiding,” I laughed, walking closer but then stopped. A figure stepped out from behind him, holding on to his sleeve. I stared down at the boy, recognizing his face but not remembering his name. “W-who’s this?” I asked, Himchan gulping and sweating as if he’d just completed the marathon of his life. “Huh?” I exhaled, trying to make contact.

     “I-I-I-I-I–“

     “Hello,” the boy stepped further out of Himchan’s shadow, bowing at me. “Nice to meet you, Bang Yong Guk.”

     I flinched, blinking several times. “H-huh?” How does he know my name? Who the hell is he?

     “Yong Guk, I–“ Himchan tried, the boy shaking his head.

     He cleared his throat, nudging Himchan’s arm with his elbow. “I’m Daehyun, Himchan’s boyfriend.”

      I’m sorry, what? Boyfriend? Himchan’s? What is this? “What?” I laughed, looking at Himchan. “Is this some kind of prank, Himchan?”

     Himchan took a deep breath, lowering his head. “I’m sorry…”

     “Are you kidding me? Don’t with me, man,” I chuckled, making sure he knew that I wasn’t actually mad with him. Just… confused. What the hell? Himchan being gay? No way! I couldn’t stop chuckling, eyeing the kid still holding onto Himchan. Was he… shaking? “What was your name again, kid?” I laughed, my stomach hurting a little already. “Himchan’s boyfriend,” I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to hold back the urge to burst out in laughter. This is absolutely ridiculous! “Good one, man. How much did he pay you to make you say that?” I said, glancing down at the blank-faced boy.

     “Please, Yong Guk,” Himchan spoke in a low voice, but was able to catch my attention. “It’s… It’s true,” his gaze was wary as he raised his head, carefully peeking up at me. “Daehyun is my boyfriend. We’re… We’re dating, it’s true.”

     “Huh?” I looked down at the kid again, watching him move back behind Himchan… hiding? “D-daehyun?” I gulped, the name hitting a very vulnerable nerve. 

     “Ya, go home already,” I said, smiling at him.

     He shook his head, quickly grapping unto the pillow, hugging it tight. “Don’t worry. Daehyun-ah is covering for me,” he said, giggling.

     “What a friend you’ve got ya, huh?”

     “Yup, he’s one of a kind.”

     “Sure is.”     

     I gulped, pointing at the boy. “You… Junhong, you–“

      “Daehyun-ah…” A way too familiar voice said from the left, my head turning as my eyes almost popped out. “I better go now…” Junhong said, exhaling. My jaw dropped, the sight of him blowing all air out of me. Apparently standing on my left side all the time I’d been there, he’d been quietly listening, watching as his friend and my friend of some reason revealed their… relationship? What? How is this even possible? Himchan, I–

     “No! Please, don’t go, Junhong-ah,” the boy exclaimed, taking a step in Junhong’s direction. I saw him notice me in the corner of his eye, regretting his action and slowly disappearing behind Himchan again. Is he afraid of me?

     “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you sooner,” Himchan said, apparently addressing me.

     “Huh?” I gulped, forcing my eyes away from the boy with the blonde, curly hair who – well, I couldn’t deny it – I loved. As much as I’d been fascinated by him during nighttime, the darkness wrapping around his figure in such a graceful way that I’d almost been convinced that he must’ve been a creature of the night, watching him in daylight was even more captivating, the light caressing his beautiful being hitting me right in the chest. And considering the days I’d been without him, somehow convinced that I’d found my way back to what I used to be before him – and that I was absolutely fine without him, made the sight of him incredibly pleasant but also extremely painful.

      He’s not yours anymore. Well, if he ever really was, that is.

      “I… I have to go,” I made out, nodding to myself. “I’ll see you later, Himchan,” I looked at him but couldn’t help but frown a little, trying to comprehend what was going on in front of me. “Nice… Nice to meet you, Daehyun,” I mumbled, politely bowing my head at him before turning around, fleeing the same way I’d made my entrance just a few moments ago.    

     Jogging home had my stomach turning a couple of times, my head spinning and aching. The purple-ish spot on his cheekbone had cut right through me, the evidence of the cruelest act I’d ever committed staring right back at me, making my knees weak. I’m so sorry, so sorry! The imaginary picture of him crying because of me faded up behind my eyes, ripping through my chest, my throat tightening, making it almost impossible to breathe and move. Even so, I was home even before I noticed, digging for my keys in my pocket.

     “What the…” I breathed as the sound of my own low sobbing hit my ears, my hands shaking but fortunately able to let me in the apartment. It’d been years since I’d heard myself cry, the uncontrollable action surprisingly not embarrassing me, but still scaring the hell out of me while my chest was ripped apart, the reason for my unwillingly weeping roaming around my head and… heart. 

     “I can’t… do this… anymore,” I cried, stumbling further into the apartment.

     I’m such a fool. I need you so badly, I can’t let go of you, I’m sorry. Crying over you… I must love you way too much.

Hey, guys~
Is this drama enough for ya? (Lol, I’m really bad at that kind of stuff, but yeah, I tried~)
We’ll be updating with the next chapter the day after tomorrow. ‘Till then, byebye~