seven
A Worth Obsessing Over
An economically driven society preyed upon everything and anything that could be considered a profit, an investment and a means to financially secure the hedgehogs of international conglomerations throughout the world. They exploited people’s insecurities and took advantage of their weaknesses without remorse and the hesitation that came with it.
So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that businesses would start focusing on the hearts that were as fragile as the men and women that surrounded them. “I don’t understand what happened Daehyun.” The empathetic look on Daehyun’s face allowed him and his co-workers to make a living off of the broken hearts they attempted to put back together again. 75% of their customers were crying out their frustration and their confusion much like the woman who sat across the table in front of him. “He said we were going to get married. He said we’d travel the world together and see places that we were going to call our own. But he left me. He dumped me and the promises he made me…I can’t forget them.”
Daehyun took her hands into his gentle grasp and brushed his thumb across fingers that trembled profusely. “And you shouldn’t forget them.”
The woman rose her head and met his gaze in confusion. “Shouldn’t you say I should forget about him and everything he’s done? It‘s the best thing I could do, right?” She questioned between sobs.
“Sure, it’s easier to forget what shattered a glass-encased heart. People think its better to heal that way…to just look forward and never look back.” The warm and comforting gaze that never dared to stray away from dew sensitive eyes was what made Daehyun so popular in his line of work. “Love is really complicating. It has its twist and turns, it’s ups and downs, and even its dead-ends but, when it comes right down to it, every fork in the road, every decision that is made and the memories that are shared should never be forgotten.“
Daehyun had such a way with words when he was actually calm and collected that it was hard not to take his advice and his insights to heart. It was past circumstances that shaped him to be the kind of man that knew what to say to comfort even the most damaged souls. He ws one himself after all. In a way, he could understand how difficult it was to fix what laid dormant within his chest.
“Because the past is what makes you the beautiful woman that you are today who will learn from her mistakes but will never let such lapse in judgment define her or her future.” He lifted a hand to her cheek and wiped her tears away, his smile widening ever so slightly in hopes the curve of upturned lips would stop another tear from ebbing at the corner of her eyes. “I know I sound really corny right now but I just believe when you learn from your mistakes you become a better person and achieve so much more than you ever thought was possible. You change for the better.”
Finally the woman smiled. “It’s not corny. It’s what I needed to hear. Thank you Daehyun.”
It was about time for her to leave for work and after a few sips of her tea and a short conversation unrelated to her scumbag of an ex-fiance, the woman, who was no older than he was, left the busy establishment that pride themselves on repairing hearts that were once deemed irreparable.
The heartbreak café catered to men and women alike who, as the name implies, had their hearts broken by ex-lovers, cheating snakes, bastards, es and those few one-night-stands that left many regretting what they could never undo. With being a waiter and a ‘love doctor’ all at the same time, the pay was good, the people he worked with were as entertaining as the stories customers spoke of and, most importantly of all, he got free food. However, what made him endure the extensive interview or a position many failed to qualify for, were the secrets that came from those he recognized from school.
However, all was calm now.
Nothing was going on and he was left with becoming a barista to those who were currently tending to customers.
“Slow day?” To his surprise, Youngjae came walking through the front door and sat himself in front of him with a smile.
“Aren’t you supposed to be ing your sorry excuse of a man right about now?” Daehyun questioned in a hushed tone.
“Don’t you dare start that again?”
“Fine, I won’t start that. But what I will start off with is Hyosung…as you can see, she’s not here.”
Much like Myungsoo and the journalism club, Daehyun became the obsessive compulsive type who fretted over people who didn’t show up in a timely manner. “I said she might come. I didn’t say she would absolute, positively stop by to talk to you.”
In the middle of preparing Youngjae a drink, Daehyun sighed. “Okay, fine, I’ll let you slide on that one.”
“So, shouldn’t we be talking about the invite?”
“And the fact that your so called ‘boyfriend’ was invited but failed to tell you a thing about it?” He decided to add in with a condescending tone in his voice. “Yes, let’s talk about that.”
“The rules states you can’t tell anyone about the invite unless their invited.”
“And again, if I was dating you I wouldn’t keep secrets even if a stupid email told me to.”
Youngjae groaned out in agony. “Just shut up about my boyfriend already. Let’s just talk about what we’re going to do.”
“We’re going to join. That’s what we’re going to do.” It was a simple as that.
But why get into a game they couldn’t win. By the look of the roster alone, Youngjae could already tell the players weren’t something to joke about. “Whatever this challenge is we have no chance in winning. We know the location and we know at least half of the people in it, which means we don’t need to join and we can simply follow…that’s it.”
“No, that’s not it. That’s just boring.” And Youngjae knew better than to think Daehyun would take the easier way out of a game that was practically screaming his name. “ I want to win that 600,000 won and the prizes that I can pawn for cash. C’mon Youngjae, we have to join”
“I just have a really bad feeling about all this.” And that was only because Yongguk’s name was a slot away from his own. “I feel like we’re way in over our heads with this one.”
“You worry too much.” He pointed out for what felt like the millionth time that day. “You should take that little invitation to heart.” After setting Youngjae’s drink in front of him, Daehyun pulled out his phone to recite what might as well be the mantra of his life. “Don’t let fear take a hold of you. Do yourself a favor and make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.”
Youngjae felt not an ounce of comfort in those words, especially with that feral grin pulling at the corners of his lips. “I hate this Daehyun. I really hate this.” But his smile. His damnable smile always had a way of pulling him into every idiotic plan his best friend had a way of conjuring up.
It was hard to say no.
“C’mon Jaejae. Please take out your phone and highlight your name so I can do the same.” With a clear display of reluctance, Youngjae fished out his phone and Daehyun smiled at the other’s compliance to his pleas.
“I’ll only highlight my name if you promise you don’t unnecessarily mess with Yongguk on that night in any way shape or form.” Myu Na was their target. She was the one they were gunning for to take up yet another page in their book. It wasn’t Yongguk. It wasn’t Jiho. Their subject of interest was Myu Na and no other.
“Fine, I promise.”
A part of him couldn’t believe the oath that came out without the complaints and the retorts Daehyun was known for. He agreed far too easily for his liking, but it wasn’t as if Youngjae could question it. Because before he knew it, Daehyun snatched his phone right out of his hands and went about signing his soul to the devil himself.
Daehyun closed up shop, the chilly night air causing the boy to shiver once he made his way outside to begin his stroll back home. It was still raining, the radiance of the full moon cast in shadow as streetlights became the only source of illumination that lined the sidewalk he prepared to take. He locked the doors and turned around, his feet oddly rooted in place when a red umbrella came to view and tipped back to reveal the last person he wanted to see.
“What are you doing here?”
Yongguk was casually leaned back upon the red viper that parked along side the curb, his baleful glare preventing Daehyun from taking a step away from the café he wanted to escape into. “Get in the car.”
Daehyun laughed at the audacity of his demand. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Does it look like I’m kidding? Get in the car.”
The gay must’ve really messed with his head because Daehyun was 99.99% sure Yongguk had just lost his mind. There was no way he’d ever get into his car. Yongguk was crazy! He was a lunatic! For all he knew, Yongguk was more than capable of kidnapping him and burying him alive in a ditch somewhere. So arms folded over his chest in defiance, Daehyun standing his ground with a glare that was equally as threatening as the one that attempted to burn a hole right through him.
Daehyun had every intention to stand there all night if he had to, but when Yongguk packed his umbrella into the car and took a step toward him, there was a pinch of fear that unintentionally caused Daehyun to take a step back. “I’m warning you right now.” He lifted an index finger and surprisingly, the single digit stopped Yongguk in his tracks. “I’m going to go all Wushu on your if you lay a hand on me.” Tao was his teacher all those years ago after all. He was the definition of ‘badassary’ who had taken him under his wing to prepare him for situations such as these. In a way, Daehyun was more than capable of holding his own ...or so he thought.
“You sound like a woman.”
Spurred by wishful thinking, he was hoping Yongguk would turn around, walk off and leave him alone. Bu Yongguk advanced toward him instead, and when he came in arm’s reach from the man who prepared himself for a brawl, Daehyun threw a pathetic excuse of a punch that was easily caught in the large hands of the other’s grasp.
‘Crap.’ Daehyun was spun around and shoved, chest first, into the glass doors that shook upon impact. His arm was twisted behind his back, a sharp pain gritting the younger’s teeth that suppress the yelp that threatened to escape him. “L-Let go you son of a bitc-.” The man that towered so dominately behind him pressed him further into the door and ceased his struggles by taming the unnecessary thrashing that got Daehyun nowhere.
“Are you getting in the car or am I forcing you in it?”
“Okay, okay.” A barrage of curses joined in the struggle that literally wedged Daehyun between a rock and a hard place, the profanities caught in a strangled breath that fanned over the door. “I’ll get in your ing car, just let me go.” Yongguk released him and Daehyun immediately cradled his wrist protectively against his chest, glaring at the bastard the second he his heels to face him.
A part of him insisted that he make a run for it, that he hightail it out of there and never look back. But by the slight height difference between them and the determination flickering dangerously in Yongguk’s eyes, something told him he’d only make matters worse.
“This is called kidnapping.” Daehyun stated as he was forced to lisp along side the brute who kept a close eye on him.
“Fits you perfectly since you act like a kid.”
“Me? A kid? You’re the one who thinks using brute force is an alternative when daddy's money doesn’t get you want you want.”
Yongguk chose not to reply to him.
He was angry, livid and all kinds of frustrated, which was understandable since, rumor has it, Yongguk threw his computer out of the three-story window; not like Daehyun gave a damn of course. “Oh how nice, you’re opening the door for me. You’re such a gentleman.” Before he could get another snarky remark out, Yongguk clamped his hand around his upper arm and practically threw him into his seat as if he weighed no more than a canary.
Way to bruise his ego.
“You’re an ...a lint- .” Daehyun coldly remarked as soon as Yongguk sat himself behind the steering-wheel of the car that soon came to life. The engine roared, the gear shift highlighting the mechanisms in the dashboard that made it possible for Yongguk to pull away from the curb.
In all honesty, Yongguk had no clue where he was taking him. But it really didn’t matter at that point because as a shadow of a smile reached his lips and tightened his hold on the wheel of his precious car, the opportunity to play ‘hardball’ was clearly in his favor. He could feel it in the marrow of his bones and once Daehyun turned to him with nothing but a questioning look on his face, Yongguk met his gaze just so he could flash the smile that made an inquisitive brow furrow in distress.
“Tell me the truth?” Yongguk started, his attention focused solely upon the road in front of him.
“What truth?”
“You messed with my computer.”
Daehyun smirked, his smile transferring in the voice that rose slightly in amusement. “I didn’t mess with your computer.” And that was somewhat of the truth since it was Lay who configured his hard drive with a Trojan virus that elicited those B-rated moans that ruffled Yongguk’s feathers.
“You’re a liar.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You are lying.”
“I’m not -” The once subtle hum of the engine fluctuated as Yongguk stepped on the accelerator. The passing scenery blurred every which way he looked, Daehyun's adrenaline peaking to the zenith point of no return once he glanced over at the speedometer that climbed in increments of 10.
“Screw the computer…tell me a secret Daehyun.”
“W-What?” He could hardly hear him over the engine that seem to rattle his soul “Slow down Yongguk.”
“What was that? Did you just say speed up?” He needed something to work with. For once, he needed and demanded for the other to 'confine' his secrets to him, and to do that he required the help of the only emotion that could get him what he wanted: Fear. With that in mind, Yongguk watched the arrow of the speedometer climb as he pressed his foot further upon the accelerator. The passing scenery was all but a mess of things that couldn’t be distinguished at this point, Yongguk refusing to slow down.
“You’re ing crazy! Slow down! We’re going to crash if you don’t slow the down!” His nails dug into the rich upholstery of the armrest he held onto for dear life. It was raining, the roads were slick and who knew when they were going to hit an intersection of some sort that would decide whether they lived or died.
“You owe me a truthful little secret, don’t you think Daehyun?”
No! He owed him jack ! If anything, the only thing that was way overdue was the punch to the face Yongguk deserved for locking him up in his guest room. “ you.” He couldn’t shut up! Daehyun couldn’t restrain himself from escalating the situation on a whole other level that made him shrink as far back against the backrest that kept his spine erect.
Yongguk was 8 digits away from hitting the 90 marker that had all the potential in the entire universe to send Daehyun way over the edge. He was already holding his breath at that point and, as much as he hated it, he felt himself caving into the tormet that gave him what Yongguk desired the most. “W-What the hell do you want to know?”
“Anything that’s worth a 900,000 won computer.” And a psychology paper to boot, but who was really paying attention to the little details.
“I don’t know…I don’t know what to -” Daehyun dipped his head forward and closed his eyes. He couldn’t look at their impending demise anymore - couldn’t bring himself to endure the passing lights of the streetlamps that literally messed with his head. He had to think of something. Jung Daehyun had to tell him something before they ended up on the morning news. “I…I am…I’m-” It had to be a secret that was convincing, yet way off base from the kind of truth Yongguk so desperately sought out for.
“You what?”
“I’m…” His mind was racing as fast as the heart pounding against his chest, and before he could think about the possibilities that ran wildly in his head, Daehyun blurted out the first lie that came to mind. “I’m in love with my best friend.” But it wasn’t enough. He felt inclined to go into a panic spiel that made him as convincing as ever. “I’m in love with Youngjae okay! I love him! I adore him and his stupid smile so much that I can‘t stand myself sometimes whenever he‘s around.”
The car came screeching to a stop, the sudden jerk enough to throw his body through the front window if wasn’t for his seatbelt. “You what?”
“I said I’m in love with my best friend.” He repeated between heavy breaths that soon recovered with the neural cells that made him realize how far up creek he really was. But he had to play along with it. For god knows why, Daehyun thought it was easier for him to go with the flow of things rather than face the death defying stunt only someone as crazy as Yongguk would pull. “Are you ing happy now? Is that worth 900,000 won you damn psychopath?” He would’ve furiously burst out of the car and went on his merry way, if Yongguk hadn’t flipped on the child-safety lock that kept him imprisoned by a man who fell silent.
The lack of a verbal reaction made Daehyun a tad-bit worried. Yongguk was staring out at the empty street without a single word at the tip of his tongue. He just sat there with an indifferent look on his face as the silence washed over them both.
Soon enough though, Yongguk turned off the engine of the car, pulled his key out of the ignition and unexpectedly got out of the car. Daehyun watched him walk to his door and open it with a thumb harshly jabbing at the outside world. “Get out.”
“What?!”
“You either get out while you still can, or I’m going to take you to my house and lock you in the guest room again.” Daehyun would’ve called his bluff, even push the envelope a little bit by defiantly staying in the car, but seeing as he had enough of the ‘scare tactic’ for one night, he stepped out with pleasure, taking Yongguk’s red umbrella with him.
“Yeah I’m taking this. It’s the least you could do for putting my life at risk.” Yongguk merely shrugged off the lost fo a cheap umbrella and returned back to his place in the driver seat without saying a single thing. He just sped off into the night, leaving Daehyunn to fend for himself against the rain.
Yongguk honestly didn’t know what to think. His psychology classes prepared him enough to determine the varying personalities that people were known to have. It was easy to categorize Daehyun as the impulsive type who did whatever he wanted and said whatever he damn well please no matter what the consequences may be. He pegged him as the kind of guy who allowed his ego to drive every action, reaction and response that came with the usual combative retorts he expected.
But he strayed.
Daehyun took him by surprise and strayed off course by telling him a secret he wasn’t entirely sure it was something to believe in. “But who in their right mind would confess something like that unless it’s true.” Fear became a factor after all. When faced with emotions that couldn’t be tamed, it was easy to lose track of the logic that usually prevented people from saying things they would otherwise regret later on down the road.
Yongguk leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh, his mind still unable to determine what was the truth and what belonged in the pages of a fiction novel. “Well…I guess it really doesn't matter if it was a lie.” Because the ’golden ticket’ that will soon put Yongguk on the top of the pedestal Daehyun rightly proclaimed as his and his alone before the game even began was now in the palm of his hand. He dug into his front pocket and fished out his phone that displayed a timer that had currently stopped just minutes ago. It was the smoking gun that a forefinger precariously hovered upon until gravity finally took over and pressed play
"I’m in love with my best friend. I’m in love with Youngjae okay! I love him! I adore him and his stupid smile so much that I can‘t stand myself sometimes whenever he‘s around"
Yongguk saved the recording and smiled down at the file that made waiting in the rain worth his while. “And that’s how you win a no-holds-barred game.”
a/n: lulz, the heartbreak cafe, where hot guys and gals help you with your problems xD
so nostalgic...always reminds me of a roleplay that was short-lived /sniffles/ Anyways, hope
y'all enjoyed this :3
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