Chapter 3: Suspicious

I didn’t put much thought on how much pain I was causing Jiyong. The fact was Jiyong was suspicious about Seung Hyun and I. I was just too stupid to realize it. 

----

I sat on the long gray couch, looking over the photographs I had taken couple hours ago on my camera. Some of the photographs I did not like, others were almost good. I felt Gaho’s paws scratching on my blue jeans; I placed the camera to the side and grabbed the pup.

“Baby is tired. Do you want to go home? Oppa is mean isn’t he?”

“Aniyo!” Jiyong said defensively.

Gaho and I looked at Jiyong at the same time, Gaho cried in frustration. We have been in the recording studio for about six hours, keeping Jiyong company while he was recording and writing lyrics. The pup felt uneasy in my arms, he was tired of being here in these four walls. I smiled at Jiyong and looked at Gaho again.

“Oppa, maybe I should go home and feed him and take him for a walk.”  I said and looked up at Jiyong.

“Aish Oppa is almost done. Gaho wait for Oppa.” He ordered.

I laughed, and looked to the person that was recording in the small room. It was Seung Hyun he was always the last one to do the recordings; he once told it made him feel less stressed and more confident. I felt a cheerier hearing is deep voice and I smiled. In the corner of my eye I saw Jiyong frown. I shouldn’t have smiled like that. I took a deep breath and held Gaho against my chest, his golden fur.

“Baby?” Jiyong whispered and walked to sit by me.

“Hmm?”

I felt his head rest on my thin shoulder, and Jiyong began to pet Gaho’s fur as well.

“I want to ask you about something.”

“You can ask me, anything you know. I am your best friend.”

“Not here, let’s go out tonight just you and me. Like old times.”

I nodded and looked at him, his eyes were gloomy and they made my heart pound. I had the feeling he knew something that I did not want to answer him with the truth. I smiled and he gently placed his cold hand on my cheek, making me look at his lips. He moved a little closer to me, and placed a kiss on my nose. In that moment I knew I was going to lie to him. Seung Hyun opened the door from the small recording room and entered the medium size studio, staring at us on how close Jiyong was to me. He shut the door loudly so Jiyong could hear him.

“Jiyong! Let’s call it a day.” He babbled, removing his jacket.

“Ne hyung, you can go home now.”

I didn’t dare look at Seung Hyun; I knew he was a little upset seeing me too close to Jiyong. My boyfriend was a jealous type, not that it bothered me. I was a jealous type too. My attention was still on Gaho, the pup had finally fallen asleep in my arms, and his small breaths tickled my chest. Jiyong stood up from the couch and went to save the recording of Seung Hyun, while I felt Seung Hyun sank next to me on the couch and taking Gaho gently out of my hands. I looked at him then, he only wanted an excuse to touch me. It was already a week that we couldn’t see each other privately and touch each other. It was killing him and me.  I than grabbed my camera and took a picture of him holding Gaho. I looked at the picture Seung Hyun looked benevolently. I laughed.

“Can I see?” He questioned, moving closer to me and placing his hand on top of mine, moving the camera to his view. He was warm, and it always felt nice when he touched my cold hands. His face was less than two centimeters away from mine. I didn’t know how I managed to control myself and not kiss him right than in front of Jiyong, exposing our relationship. I knew Seung Hyun was doing it on purpose too. I bit my bottom lip and moved away from him a little, that’s when I saw Jiyong staring at me annoyed.

“Cute.” Seung Hyun whispered, and grinned. It was the grin that always weakens my knees. It was getting harder to avoid Seung Hyun now. One more action from him and I was completely under his spell.   Jiyong than groaned shutting the computer off and walking to grab Gaho out of Seung Hyun’s hands.

“Are you ready?” Jiyong asked me, opening the door. I nodded and turned my camera off. I knew I should have been more careful. I stood up and Seung Hyun’s expression changed, he knew Jiyong was in a pissed off mood so he didn’t bother to say anything to his hyung. I waved bye to my boyfriend and he grinned at me. At least he wasn’t mad at me. 

I began to walk with Jiyong beside him to the elevator; I didn’t bother to talk to him. I figured he would talk to me first.  But he didn’t, he was silent all the way until he got to the parking garage.

“Aish! I forgot my keys in the studio.” He said while he patted his gray sweat pants.

“I’ll go get them, if you want.”

He grimaced as he looked at Gaho, the pup was sleeping in his arms and he didn’t want to wake the pup.

“The keys are on top of the table, don’t take too long.” His tone was irritated and put his back to the car, watching me run back to the elevator.

I really hoped Seung Hyun had left the studio, but my body really hoped he didn’t. I took a deep breath before exiting the elevator. Nobody was around, it was midnight already. I turned the corner walked to the studio, as I stop I saw Seung Hyun laying on the couch with his eyes closed. My heart sunk, this man was something else. I smiled and pushed the door open, his eyes opened. He snickered at me.

“Babe.” He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to lie on top of him. I placed my hand on the edge of the corners of the couch to support my weight. He didn’t haste to kiss me this time, he then placed his warm hand under my shirt feeling my cold skin and making me shiver.

“You have no idea how much I miss you.” He murmured in between our lips.

“I miss you too; can we meet tomorrow in our apartment?”

He nodded and began to kiss my neck. I really wanted him under my skin. I moaned as he bites me on top of my chin. Then it hit me, Jiyong was close by and there was a chance he would manage his way inside the building and into the studio. Without wanting to leave where I was, I push myself to my feet. I walked to the desk and grabbed Jiyong’s keys. Seung Hyun groaned in annoyance, I heard him get up from the couch and I suddenly felt his arms wrapped around my waist.

“I hate this. I’m tired of hiding.” I whispered, and Seung Hyun kissed my cheek.

“I’m tired off it too.”

-----

I watched Jiyong eat, I was sitting next to him. We had left Gaho in our apartment an hour ago, poor pup he needed to eat and rest. Now here we were eating in a BBQ restaurant near our apartment. His depressed eyes made their way to mine, than back to the plate.

“You’re not hungry?” He questioned.

“I just want a couple shots of Soju really.”

I placed the half empty bottle to the side; I didn’t know how to start a conversation with him. Our distance was getting farther apart.  What was happening to our friendship? Why were we drifting away? I cleared my throat, and looked at Jiyong again.

“You told me back in the studio, you wanted to tell me something. What was it?” I asked.

He shrugged, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me, anything you have to say matters.”

He smiled and moved closer to me; maybe all he wanted was for me to comfort him. Like I use to when we were younger, but his body tensed.

“Couple people have been rumoring around that they have seen you leave with TOP after your shift, couple times.”

I rolled my eyes. He continued, “Is that true?”

“Funny, why didn’t they mention that Youngbae comes along with TOP and I.”

“So it is true then?”

I shrugged, “TOP is a good drinking buddy nothing else. Youngbae comes along too usually when our shifts are done. You haven’t noticed that the three of us get off at the same time?” I asked looking serious.

“Not really. You leave the apartment before me and you’re always there when I get there.”

I didn’t say anything. I was such a good liar.

“Baby?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you like Seung Hyun? Do you see him as a man?”

“Like I said TOP is a good drinking buddy. Nothing else.”

He took my hand into his, his slim fingers entwined onto mine. “I guess he has made you into a stronger drinker.” He said pointing to the almost empty Soju bottle. “I remember with two shot of Soju you were already drunk.”

I laughed and he smirked.

“TOP can drink seven soju bottles in one sitting. Did you know that?” I asked as I poured Soju into his shot glass.

He nodded and took the shot. “He doesn’t even get drunk. He is a heavy drinker.”

“You are too.” I murmured as I pulled his long blonde bangs out of his eyes. He looked calmer now. He dropped the chopsticks on the side and placed his cold hand on my pale cheek. Jiyong moved closer to my face, I dropped my eyes from his. What was happening to Jiyong? He never looked at me like this? I felt his hot breath on my neck. The fact was I just had lied to my best friend for the first time.