A hand patted his shoulder and, despite being the one suggesting the meeting here, Minwoo had arrived more than twenty minutes late.

'You may believe that I have all the time in the world but I actually have things to do. Tell me why I'm here and pray to the almighty in the heaven that it's a good reason enough'

He felt peculiarly cross from all the waiting so he motioned with his head for Minwoo to sit down without actually waiting for any explanations. The shorter gave him the usual grin, apparently not bothered by the comments and took his sweet time ordering a large frappuccino and a walnut cake. As if he hadn't just spoil another one of Eric's planned power-working-buried-in-documents all nighter. 

'Didn't you have a great time at the club?'

Alas! Eric hadn't.

'You mean, did I enjoy the moments when I wasn't being insulted or ignored? Sure, I love sitting around awkwardly not knowing what to do with a guy seemingly intent on making my live miserable. Sure, Minwoo. Good times, super enjoyable’

His coffee had gone completely cold and the sugar had only spoilt it. He pushed it away looking borderline desperate. He would never admit it loudly but despite all that nasty attitude he couldn't get the guy from yesterday out of his head. They had barely spoken. It seemed like they did not have anything in common. He hadn't even replied to his text he'd sent him asking if he had gotten home safe, and that was basic courtesy. Such behavior - it baffled Eric. The guy didn't seem uneducated and it was obvious that he was aware of his surroundings yet something, something was very off.

'Not like my chauffeur or my best friend were trying to help me out'

Minwoo also baffled him.

'Come on, Eric, stop calling him your chauffeur. He has a nice name- Dongwan'

Minwoo thanked the waitress, seemingly in an even more chipper mood than usual, when she brought him his order.

Eric raised an eyebrow. 'And I should remember that... because?' He couldn't quite recall Minwoo insisting on knowing the names of his previous affairs whatever they worked for the company or were random strangers picked off the dance floor, 'if I didn't know better I'd say you have a crush.'

He grinned when his friend choked on his cake. Minwoo was the last person Eric could imagine liking anyone but himself. He was a good guy but, going by his own words, it was a pity to devoid the world of the body that had mastered all the secrets of love making and give it up to one person. And by the world Minwoo meant young idols at best and employees within the company at worst. And yet, with all that, he had never insisted on Eric learning any of their names. He himself probably didn't remember most. 

'Or-' and he stealthily (or so he liked to believe) slid Minwoo's cup towards himself, taking a big sip out it of it, 'you actually care. You're taking your time with him aren't you? It's like you're stalling'

Minwoo scowled and saved his cup from Eric's clutches, taking some big gulps to flush down the food blocking his windpipe. 

'It's not me who's stalling', he explained when nothing seemed threatening to choke him anymore, 'he is'. Having deemed that to be a good enough explanation he took another big bite out of the cake, chewing dutifully.

Eric’s acknowledged him with an 'ah' but not without wondering why and if he really cared. So Dongwan was the one not putting out. Good for him. Bad for Minwoo. But what did it have to do with him?

‘Anyway-’, Minwoo looked at Eric as if he'd been reading his mind and suddenly the taller could feel a headache approaching. He hadn't slept too well last night but so hadn't he for a long time, too many thoughts parasiting his head, always worming their way into his brain. There were some issues those needed resolving and the shareholder meeting was close. He needed to find something relaxing to do in his free time.

'Want to hang out with Hyesung?'

'No. Did I somehow indicate that I wanted to? And what does that have to do with your failed love affair? Because I can feel that it's somehow connected'

Minwoo shooed him, shaking his head in mock disbelief before getting into a more comfortable position to explain one of his genius plans that Eric was never happy to hear. Sometimes Minwoo had plans. Not all of them were bad but most of them involved Eric suffering.

'You see' Minwoo started enthusiastically which deflated Eric's already suffering mood, 'you will hang out with Dongwan's friend, take him somewhere far away, like fishing or something equally boring you do. In the meantime I can call Dongwan and tell him there's a real inconvenience because Eric stood me up for the reservation at the restaurant that we made earlier-' 

'Because the two of us going to a restaurant together seems super plausible' 

'Details,' Minwoo clicked his tongue, ‘insignificant details, Eric, insignificant. Point is, I get Dongwan alone, I score, everyone's happy, the problem's solved. Foolproof'

Foolproo- wait. Eric shook his head. Now the weather outside was really matching his dreary mood. If it was going to rain he hadn’t taken an umbrella. 'I don't see how that's going to solve anyone’s problems. And you sound like a maniac. Are you going to ask my help to get rid of his body later on? And one more thing-' he lifted one finger, warning Minwoo to shut up and let him speak, '-what's there in for me?'

Eric shook his head before getting up to pay his bill. 'Get help, Minwoo. Professional help. I'm not into guys'

The shorter got up immediately, following Eric to the counter.

'Yeah, fine, but you don't mind them, right? You said that women are difficult and confusing'

Dongwan pressed the send button, putting Hyesung’s phone on the table where it rattled before stilling. The other was busy at the stove adding too much sesame oil to the food. Everything tasted the same in this house. Yawning, Dongwan let his head lull and rest on the back of the chair, looking up at the ceiling. Those needed some work done. There were big, ugly brown patches here and there and the cracks were getting out of control. Suspended ceiling would be nice but what was he even dreaming about now.

‘Why don’t you send your own text messages? By the way, you should have texted him yesterday. It’s like you don’t even care- ‘

Hyesung turned to look at Dongwan, with the saucepan in one hand and the spatula in the other and a scowl on his face, and that was not handsome at all.

'One more comment like that and you’re making this yourself’

Which Dongwan would if he didn’t have to work two part-time jobs and help out at the construction site whenever he could. Annoying Hyesung was annoying but he was his only entrainment before going to work. The phone on the table vibrated and lit up, signalizing a message.

'He wants to go fishing’ Dongwan looked at Hyesung with a certain skepticism, 'he's planning to drown you. I know I would with the way you treated him. What happened, by the way? You deliberately wanted to sabotage the plan or just gave up altogether?'

Hyesung avoided answering by letting the pan fall into the sink with an ear-shattering noise. He brought a plate full of undistinguishable things to the table, sliding it in front of Dongwan.

'Eat' and with that he took the phone away and jammed in a quick reply before sitting down beside Dongwan and waiting for his command to be obeyed.

'So- Eric?'

Hyesung just swatted at him like a tiresome fly. Not having the time for lengthy discussions, Dongwan tasted the omelet which this time was more spices than sesame, and had to admit that it wasn't half that bad. Hyesung kept staring at the wall and if Dongwan didn't know that this was his spaced out face he would have believed that he was thinking. 

'Sorry’ Hysung said unexpectedly when Dongwan had almost finished eating, 'I just- Because of Junjin I couldn't really think about much and there's just something about that guy- Honestly,' he took Dongwan's plate away despite it still having some food on it and brought it to the sink, throwing it in the sink together with the pan. No wonder all of their plates were cracked, Dongwan reminiscent with a certain sadness.

'I have this bad feeling we should just- back off. I don’t know why but the guy’s strange. And he bugs me, ok?' Hyesung sat back down with a huff, ' It wasn't even an act when I didn’t recognize him. He looked so refined in the pictures that I just- imagined something else. And then he just appeared there with a messy shirt looking like an underpaid fishing factory worker and I just- don't even know. I should talk to him and see if he’s interested but it’s like we don’t have a thing in common. I think I’m going crazy’

tbc