The next morning came crashing down like the Niagara falls. Minwoo cursed Eric for not stopping him from drinking, then himself for asking Eric to not stop him. He lifted his heavy head, opened his swollen eyes and was greeted by a wooden table leg.

Oh.

He didn't quite remember falling asleep on the floor. Dust rushed into his nose when he took a deep breath, causing a violent cough attack. He also didn't remember his floor being this dirty but then again he usually slept on the bed.

'I need a break' he muttered as he put the foot that felt more stable on the ground and hoisted himself up. The table was a great help in his time of need, giving him good support.

A loud sound tore through the room making Minwoo's head explode internally. His knees went weak from the pain and whatever he'd eaten yesterday was coming up.

It better not end up on the rug Minwoo thought as he grabbed his ringing mobile and stumbled into the bathroom. There he proceeded to empty his stomach on the floor right beside the toilet. 

'What is it?' He croaked into the receiver, the taste in his mouth making him feel like vomiting again.

'Just making sure you're alive' Eric's happy voice also made him feel like vomiting. At this point everything made him feel sick.

'Are you coming to work today?'

'Are you ing kidding me?'

He flung his phone across the room and emptied his insides in the toilet bowl this time.

'I guess not' Eric shrugged when the phone went silent. He had managed to get his friend to his apartment yesterday where he had fallen and moved no more. He'd left him there on the floor, taking pity on his bedroom furniture. Minwoo would never make it to the bathroom in the morning.

Eric carelessly scrolled through the contacts in his phone, making a few turns in his chair until he realized he had stopped at the name Hyesung. 

'Should I call you?' he wondered, tapping his feet against the desk. Hyesung had nagged about the cold all evening despite it being his own idea of sitting outside. He was so senseless and so annoying that he should probably take him out to a real date next time. 

'What the hell' Eric grumbled, slamming the phone down. He couldn’t call Hyesung even if he wanted. His phone was still with him. He'd gotten it repaired but how could he return it? 

'I spend too much time thinking about this stuff. I should work more. We’re going to bankrupt if nobody works around here' he sighed, spilling himself on the table.

Minwoo wasn’t the only one with a problem. He seriously liked Hyesung. 

'Why would I really? Why him? He’s so so annoying and his face looks stupid when he’s angry'

Eric put a hand on some of the papers on his table, slowly dragging them close. Why would he, really? 

'I’m going mad' he decided, reaching further and grabbing his mobile again 'I’ll just call Dongwan instead'.

Having decided on his plan of action, Eric dialed the desired number.

---

'For you' the short man shoved his phone in the other's face, stealing his sandwich and stuffing it in his mouth before Hyesung could even think of protesting. 

'Give it back' Hyesung hissed before answering with a kind 'yes?' to whoever was calling. Dongwan found it fascinating how bipolar the other acted when speaking on the phone. 

'Sorry but I already swallowed it‘ Dongwan said with his mouth full, some of the bread falling out and hitting the floor.

'Then choke it out' Hyesung hit the other’s arm before returning to the conversation.

'Hey, Eric. I’m sorry my phone is still missing but - Oh, you want to meet up?'

Dongwan could tell the other was annoyed although his voce betrayed nothing. Hyesung hated people like Eric, people who were clingy and cared too much. They tired him out and didn’t let him wail in his own misery.

Hyesung bit his lip, not sure how should he proceed from here on. He'd never though his plan would work out so well. He barely even had a plan yet there was Eric, asking to be scammed like the idiot that he was. He'd never quite met someone so stupid and intelligent at the same time and this one truly confused him. He was overtaken by the feeling that he should be cautious and avoid him despite that being exactly the opposite he should be aiming for.

'Where do you want to meet?' Hyesung asked as he pushed Dongwan’s face away, annoyed that the other was loud chewing beside his ear. He listened carefully at the CEO’s words, his expression growing darker with every passing second.

'Fine. I'll be there' he said after a long period of silence and jammed the end button with much more force than necessary. Then he shoved the device hard in its owner’s chest.

 
'What?' Dongwan looked at his phone carefully, not enjoying Hyesung’s mistreatment of the device 'Just because you lost yours doesn't mean you get to destroy mine' he huffed, although, when looking at his phone, Dongwan was convinced it was held together only by good faith and a little bit of magic.

Hyesung didn't answer him, instead getting up and leaving for their bedroom. Two hushed voiced soon followed, indicating that he was complaining about something to Junjin. There were days when Dongwan wondered why he even bothered.

'Leaving' he yelled to no one in particular as he went out of the door. He had a day shift at the shop which was great as he could go home early and sleep a few extra hours afterwards. Besides, he would get to meet the regulars he had grown to like and hadn’t met for a while. The moment he stepped outside the cool air hit him and he shuddered. He felt feverish.

---

When he came back everything was silent so he assumed that Junjin was sleeping and Hyesung was out. He felt sick and tired after his long shift and all he wanted to do was to drop dead and sleep for a couple of hours.  

He shuffled over to the kitchen table, dropping his bag beside him in the empty chair and looked up at the dirty ceiling. He was still running a high fever and his entire body felt like it was being wrecked from the inside.

His phone rand and, when he looked at who it was, his face broke into a tired smile.

‘Hey Minwoo. How are you?’ he felt foolishly giddy about hearing the other’s voice ‘I’m so so sorry I had to cancel the yesterday’s -’ he hesitated at the word until he uttered ‘date’ quietly. That was exactly what he had cancelled. A date. Not a meeting between two friends because Minwoo had made it painfully obvious that he wanted them to be more than that.

‘It’s ok, babe' Minwoo chirped in a tone way too cheerful for the other's sanity, 'I understand that you’re a busy person and beside I also have things to do and I had a nice evening with my friend Eric and we really hit it off and-’ there was silence on the other end and Dongwan wondered what had stopped the sudden rambling when Minwoo’s voice returned but this time it sounded different.

‘Actually, it’s not ok’ he admitted ‘I got drunk silly yesterday because I’m an idiot but also because I realized some things about myself and I just wanted to ask-’ another long break of silence ‘Is there any chance for me and you as a, you know, couple? Together? Because I need to know if you feel something for me before I plummet even deeper into this endless abyss of feelings I didn’t know existed before’

Dongwan feels his heartbeat quickening and then slowing down and then rushing again and then dropping low. He doesn’t know what to do with this information because Minwoo is basically confessing his feeling for him right here right now and it feels like they both are falling apart.

‘So what is it, Dongwan?’

Minwoo didn’t call him baby or honey or sugar or- he must be serious. Dongwan bit his lip, knowing that he should end it now and tell him that he has no feelings for the other ...but he couldn’t. Maybe it was the long day and maybe it was the fever that was affecting him but he wanted Minwoo close to him, wanted to feel that he also had someone that would take care of him when he needed it.

‘I – I know that I like you’ he confessed, a smile spreading on his face. Saying those words to someone who wanted to hear them actually felt nice ‘and I think I really would like if the two of us could-’ his eyes fell on the bedroom door and grew wide. Hyesung was standing there, arms crossed and an expression of pure disgust on his face.

The phone fell out of Dongwan’s hands and he continued to stare at the other, not sure what he should say or do now. He was caught.

Minwoo’s voice was still saying something in the receiver when Hyesung went over to pick it and pushed the end button. He then proceeded to sit in front of him and put the phone back into his hands.

‘You will not meet him again’ The authority in his voice made Dongwan shiver, reminding him of the coldness he had forgotten the other possessed. He hadn’t always been that way though.

‘I just don’t get you’ or maybe he didn’t get himself ‘Minwoo’s actually a nice-’

‘Stop’

Hyesung was looking at him with a coldness that could freeze a volcano. That was an order and Dongwan knew it. Deep in his heart he understood why the other was acting this way and he had to let himself fall. He had mixed the job with feelings which was the biggest taboo to break. He had let his heart waver.

‘Promise me’

His heart squeezed tightly in his chest when he heard those words. He knew they were coming but how could he defend himself against them once they were spoken out loud?

‘I-’

‘Promise me, Dongwan’

Hyesung put his palms on the sides of his face and tilted his head. There was determination but there was also kindness.

‘Please’ he whispered.

Defeated, Dongwan nodded.

‘I promise’

And he felt his heart break.

This was the worst. He was the worst.

Hyesung pulled him close in a long embrace - so real he couldn’t remember having one in years - and they sat there in silence for a long time. Hyesung was the first to break when he yawned.

‘It really is late. Let’s go to sleep and talk about this tomorrow in the morning’

‘Yeah sure just-’ and Dongwan motioned to the bathroom awkwardly ‘toilet first. Got to take a dump’

Hearing that statement made Hyesung grimace and he hit the other on the head lightly, complaining about sharing too much information. Lucky for Dongwan it was too late for a full lecture so the nagging soon stopped and the taller descended back to the bedroom.

‘Don’t take too long’ he said before disappearing in the dark.

‘I won’t’

With a sigh Dongwan opened the bathroom door and sat down on the floor, looking through the now several unanswered calls from Minwoo. His phone lit up once again, buzzing in the otherwise silent room. He had to pick it up. Had to do the right thing. He just needed a moment to close off his heart. A moment.

‘Yes?’

‘Dongwan! Finally! What happened? You cut our conversation short and then just don’t answer me anymore and baby you cannot do this to me after what you said because I thought I would die!’

Minwoo’s tone was more playful than serious and that might as well be because Minwoo seemed to be constantly drunk. Or maybe that’s the only time Dongwan had seen him. He wondered if a sober Minwoo would act differently.

Ah. But that didn’t matter anymore.

‘Sorry’

But I cannot talk to you anymore.

‘Sorry? What are you sorry for? Wait. Never mind. Don’t be sorry because I know you sure had your reasons to drop that call. It doesn’t matter now. So what about a date tomorrow? I cannot wait to see your beautiful face again’

I cannot go. I don’t even like you. Don’t call me, don’t even bother. I won’t answer anymore.

He should be saying all of that. It was clear as a day that nothing could really work between them. He had made a promise and there was no way he would break it. He had never broken a promise he had made with Hyesung.

‘I-’ but even Junjin was growing up and becoming more independent now. They could not stay like this forever. Did he really believe that something good could come of what they were doing?

‘I-' he wanted to force those cold words of rejection out of himself but he couldn't '– ok. Let’s meet tomorrow’

Dongwan said instead, feeling sad at how easily he'd broken his promise. 

a/n: Yay! Finally the right chapter. Two days ago I finally updated the story but I updated it with the wrong chapter. That wrong chapter was actually the next one. Anyway... hmm... I have no excuses for abandoning this but considering that I have all the next chapters finished, I promise to post them one after another diligently.