Yes....two updates at once.

This is more ricsyung focus...though...sorry. ;;;;;;

BBUT! There is jealous Jinnie and some Woodong(ish) too!!!

Chapter 14

Eric stepped out of his new room and saw the other residents of the house sitting on a couch. Hyesung was crying and around him were Dongwan and Junjin, frowning sadly, while Minwoo and Andy were shaking their heads at Eric.

The oldest man did not know what to do, but he stepped forward and kneelt down in front of the ex-boyfriend. Hyesung looked at him, and the furrowing forehead as his arms went around the neck and Eric’s got onto the waist. The other residents joined the hug too and it was this moment of silence all of a sudden. Then Eric pulled off and withdrew.

“What happened?” He asked.

“My aunt died.” Hyesung responded.

“I’m sorry.” Eric whispered. “I…I hope everything turns out well.”

With a bow – that usually did not happen in the friends lives – Eric advanced the door and exited the apartment. Hyesung had noticed the tedious eyes and the face that seemed older than it was. But he had something much more important to think now. Especially since Chil Hyun – his sort of a boyfriend – was constantly calling him and asking whether he was fine.

“Give him time,” Dongwan murmured while cuddling to Hyesung’s body. “It is not easy for him to be able to touch you but not call you his love.” He added.

Hyesung nodded and chuckled. “I have Chil Hyun now.”

                ***

Minwoo was in his thoughts while helping an old woman choosing a gown for tonight. She had been talking for a while now, not noticing how her stylist wasn’t even listening. Minwoo was zipping the back part of the dress when he finally realised that he hadn’t heard a word she had just said. The ahjumma looked at him with a grin and Minwoo was getting nervous as the question hadn’t entered his ears.

“Does it fit?” She interrogated – thank God – again.

“Ah! Yes! Yes! It is perfect.” Minwoo grinned and looked at her through the mirror. “Though…” he pouted slightly.

“What?” She questioned.

“I don’t think that the colour flatters you.” Minwoo said, lifting his hand under his chin. “It’s too drab.”

The old woman gasped and tried to see what the stylist saw. She had to admit that the colour did not bring out her eye colour or the natural brownness of her skin. She turned towards the short man and looked at him from head to toe.

“What do you suggest Mr. Lee?” She asked.

“Please…say Mr. Kim.” Minwoo grinned and blushed slightly as he had for a week now tried out the change of the surname. He wasn’t married – yet – but as soon as he and Dongwan had the money, he would. “And…umm…I suggest very hot red.”

The ahjumma blinked her eyes and pondered on the new shade of a colour she had never tried in her entire life. The stylist leaned in. “It’s y and men will look at you the whole night.” Minwoo whispered. “I recommend it.”

She turned her back at him and told him to the gown as she stepped down from the small stair and went into the changing room.

“Bring me the dress.” She commanded.

                ***

Dongwan sighed as he was pressing the numbers on the calculator. There was no way they could afford to rent some other mansion for their wedding. There wasn’t money to spend. It seemed like Minwoo and him had to acquiesce in getting married at a church and have the party in their own apartment. Dongwan exhaled again and covered his face with his hands.

A knock on his door startled him.

“Can I come in?” Eric mumbled.

“Yes, you can. What’s up?” Dongwan questioned.

The older man seemed uneasy, as he looked around and then abruptly dug out something. Dongwan was wide-eyed when an envelope full of money landed in front of him and Eric was about to leave. But the witty guy – as the residents called the man – stopped him.

“What is this!?” He almost exclaimed.

“Money.” Eric responded bluntly.

Dongwan rolled his eyes. “Yes,” he sighed. “But why!?”

“I had some…and I felt like…I didn’t need it…after all.” The tall guy smiled somewhat broken and tapped the shoulder of his best friend, who was scowling rather doubtfully. “Hey. Just keep it all. It was for something, but as I said…I don’t need it after all.” Eric smiled again and wrapped Dongwan’s hand around the envelope. “You’re much more important than money. I want you to get married…seriously. Keep it.” He assured.

The younger guy gulped, but gave a brief nod and let Eric walk out of the room without saying more. He could not comprehend. But he had also never been so thankful in his life. For Eric’s sake, Dongwan wished that God would be generous.

                ***

Junjin was devastated. He was trying to look for a gift – as it was soon January 21^st – and something special for his gorgeous little maknae. He was about to enter a shop, when his eyes saw something that made his insides burn from anger. It was nothing really. But that annoying face made him recall all the moments he had been neglected by Andy.

“Young Jae.” Junjin snarled.

He decided to forget the shopping for a while as he proceeded to the guy – practising his perfect fake smile – and waved his hand when Young Jae noticed him. Ah, so our hatred is mutual, Junjin thought when he noticed the disgust on the man’s face.

“Hi!” Junjin greeted. “I did recognise you!” he raised his voice.

“Yeah…hi.” The older guy replied. “What are you doing in here?” He interrogated – as if Junjin wasn’t allowed to enter his “territory”.

Junjin cackled. “I am just shopping for my boyfriend Andy.” He answered.

Young Jae’s teeth obviously dug into the inner cheeks while the knuckles turned white around the plastic bag he was carrying. Junjin didn’t know if Andy had actually told the man they were together, but knowing his boyfriend – even that word made the grin on Junjin’s face wider – Andy must’ve been announcing it to everyone at work.

“Nice.” Young Jae commented.

“Yeah. I love him so damn much.” Junjin spilled out and made an adorable pout.

“Sweet.” The older man muttered.

Junjin was afraid that he might actually hit him with the plastic bag that seemed to be full off glass bottles. If he was hit, then his Andy would have taken care of him and snuggled with him.

“I am actually about to go and have a break with him in Iron Blade.” Junjin explained. “We will see there then. Bye hyung~” He sang and walked off, feeling the utmost satisfaction inside him as he could hear Young Jae gritting his teeth.

                ***

Eric could not forget the look on Hyesung’s face. It always pained him when he cried; especially since he knew how important that aunt was to him. He had been really down lately, and even his boss had noticed it, which had led him to give the P.E. teacher couple days off from school.

Eric stopped in front of a small flower shop and looked inside, seeing the most perfect bouquet there. He stepped in and advanced the set, immediately seeing the price. He sighed as it was too expensive and turned towards the cheaper bouquets.

“I guess it doesn’t matter how big they are as long as there is a meaning, right?” He spoke out loud and grabbed this small bouquet of various flowers.

When he had paid the overly expensive and small bouquet, he exited the shop. As soon as he was under the sky, it started raining. Excellent. Today was not Eric’s day. He had no money for a bus and he was starving. So he picked up his pace and began to walk promptly, hiding the bouquet so nothing would happen to it. He wasn’t concerned about himself. Not now. Not ever.

Couple of kilometres later – and drenched like he was ditched into rain – Eric finally saw the ugly apartment building. Strangely, he slowed his pace and tramped towards it as if wanting to be sad and stay under the rain even longer than he had desired.

The stairs felt like eternity.

Digging out the keys felt like eternity.

And opening the door felt like eternity.

Eric entered the foyer, half of the flowers drooped, and removed his shoes and the jacket. His half lidded eyes blinked prolonged as he heaved a sigh and stepped to the living room. But as soon as he lifted his head, the bouquet fell from his hands, and some of the pink, yellow and orange petals detached and decorated the wooden floor.

Chil Hyun was hugging Hyesung, and Hyesung was leaning onto his shoulder while crying. Eric’s chest was aching and he felt like crying. But he knew he had lost Hyesung long ago. He stepped onto his own bouquet after he saw the enormous one in front of the two, and walked past the couch, hair tripping from water and clothes soaked.

“Hi.” He greeted the two and without hearing them, entered the room.

                ***

“Hi.” Eric greeted.

Hyesung lifted his head from the shoulder and felt his heart racing as the tall man’s clothes were gluing onto his body and they were transpiring water. But the man just snickered before he walked to his room and let the door get closed after him.

“Poor guy.” Chil Hyun said. “I bet he walked in the rain.”

Hyesung nodded. “Maybe I should check up on him. You should go.” He then suggested and helped the man up from the sofa.

Then something disturbed Hyesung’s eyes and he turned to look at the thing behind the sofa. Chil Hyun had already disappeared to the foyer and was putting on his shoes as Hyesung kneelt down to the floor and grasped his hand around the wet paper stalk and lifted the bouquet onto his thighs. A card slipped out from the paper cover and Hyesung took it between his fingers. He chuckled while the warm tears crammed through the sides of his eyes.

‘Don’t cry…just please…don’t cry. That is the only thing I ask of you now…don’t cry.’ The card said.

Chil Hyun appeared next to him fully clothed and lifted the guy up by the arm as Hyesung cleared his throat and glanced at the door behind him.

“Just go…I will call you later…”

The slightly older man was leaning in, but Hyesung turned around extremely fast – embarrassing Chil Hyun fully – as he practically ran to the room that used to be Andy’s and opened the door. He heard Chil Hyun leaving as he advanced the bed slowly, sat down and fixed his eyes at the oldest guy. Eric blinked his eyes when Hyesung gripped the book, put it down, and crashed their lips together to a hungry kiss. 15 minutes from that kiss passed and Hyesung was under the blanket , in Eric’s embrace. Their clothes were around the room.

“I love you, Hyesung…don’t scare me…ever…ever…ever again ok!?” Eric crooned.

“I just want to see you smiling.” The younger guy murmured and angled his head to peck the thick lips again. “I love you too…always…”