Chapter 37

A blush immediately crept up on N's cheeks when he came out of his lifelong friend's room to find that there was a visitor sitting on the couch. He was just fresh out of the shower and was only wearing Leo's huge shirt and his spare boxers. It was embarrassing but Wonsik already caught sight of him and waved a hand at his direction. "Hello, N-hyung!" Wonsik greeted, a lopsided smile on his lips. "I see that you two even share shirts. Are you perhaps... dating?" He asked playfully, eyes now on Leo who was watching his lifelong friend intently.

"N-No! Of course not!" N denied instantly. He hid behind Leo's bedroom door, extremely flustered. "We're lifelong friends, Ravi-yah... I already told you so don't –"

"I was just joking~" Wonsik chuckled and returned his attention back to Leo who looked unpleased with the fact that he had a visitor. He and N had plans; Leo already organised how the day would go in his head. The time that he had left was too short and at some point, N might leave him again. Leo needed answers. He turned to Wonsik, still frowning, and he observed him. Leo remembered that Wonsik had not even spoken to him about N properly. Wonsik would just smile and sometimes lead the conversation somewhere else whenever the subject of the red strings or N was brought up – Or Leo may have just forgotten about the conversation...? 

"They're still drying," Leo told his lifelong friend, pertaining to the laundry. "I have clothes in my cabinet." He pointed back at his room in the hopes that N would catch on and leave so he could speak to Wonsik. His lifelong friend did after he excused himself and scampered to shut the door to Leo's bedroom close. Finally, Leo looked at Wonsik to speak to him properly, "What are you not telling me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, hyung," Wonsik responded at once, smiling innocently. "I am just visiting you like I usually would."

'Lies,' the voice in Leo's head hissed and it echoed. He was tired of hearing them. "Is he stringless or not?" Leo asked instead because it seemed like an easier question to answer.

"Does it matter if he is or isn't? The point is, whatever you have now isn't going to last. N-hyung would be just like the girls that you dated," Wonsik said, shrugging. "There's no point, hyung. Wouldn't it be the best to find who is at the end of your string and stick with them instead? It's better than to invest time on someone whom you won't even have a future with. I'm saving you the trouble so –"

"It's dangerous, you said," Leo intercepted, getting up from his armchair and picking up Milk to cradle in his arms. "Who was it, Ravi? Who was stringless?"

Wonsik stood up from the couch too, perturbed. He tried to find the right words to say but N was already coming back with his lifelong friend's clothes on; the huge t-shirt now tucked inside belted jeans. N's cheeks were still flushed but he let them know of his presence with a soft greeting. Leo nodded at him while Wonsik remained shaken from the former's question. Even if he were to attempt to laugh it off, Leo already saw his frightened face and denying it would be pointless. Wonsik nibbled on his bottom lip, biting down hard –

"Are you okay?" N's voice brought him back to pay attention,

"I-I'm okay," Wonsik stuttered, averting his gaze from him. "I'm okay..."

"I want to go see Hongbin," Wonsik told his father wistfully. It was as if life had already left him because she had to leave him. It hurt – Wonsik sincerely respected her and did everything that he could to make her happy. All of his efforts were in vain because no matter what, medicine and therapies were not able to save her. And just like that, Wonsik lost a friend; he lost a part of himself that he thought for sure he long lost after the divorc