Fifth Floor - JooHyuk

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(Please keep in mind that I don't play video games and have little knowledge about them. I simply chose a game I know about, watched a video on YouTube, and called it good enough so I could write. If I have anything wrong please let me know. Hope you still enjoy!)

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October 26

After finishing my conversation with Minhyuk, I turned off my phone and set it on the round coffee table. Changkyun had set up the game while I was showering and was currently playing by himself. Watching the characters run across the screen, I became engrossed in the game. Sitting at the edge of my seat, hands on my knees as I leaned forward. When Changkyun made the last move and won the game, both of us were on our feet in excitement.

"I want to play!" I said eagerly to which the younger quickly agreed. It didn't take long before we were playing against each other making a commotion of cheers followed by grunts of disappointment.

The first game ended with Changkyun beating me terribly as I had zero points. It was nice, though. Not because I had lost but because the invisible wall keeping the both of us awkward had disappeared during the game. However, neither of us noticed this when it shot up again as soon as the sound of Changkyun's phone going off brought us back to full reality.

"You're coming with us to get a cat?" There was joy in his deep voice as he asked, still staring at his phone, apparently reading whatever other messages he had gotten.

"Y-yeah, I guess so." I was still worried that Minhyuk's friends would rather spend that time among themselves rather than have a random neighbor tag along. Changkyun didn't show that. He seemed more glad that I would be there.

"Do you know what breed you want?" The black-haired male looked up from his phone with an intrigued look in his eyes.

"Not really. All cats are beautiful, so just whichever I feel a connection with?"

"Very wise," Changkyun nodded in agreement as he spoke, but his face lit up with the next question, "have you ever seen a Russian blue cat?"

"They're gray, right?"

"Mhm, they have short gray fur and green or yellow eyes. They're stunning," the younger's fascination with this breed of cat was coming out all over his look. The smile was extremely contagious as I gained courage from it and spoke.

"You should send me a picture." It's a simple request, but in this situation, it built a relationship between us. More than awkward hugs or the nervous feeling before speaking. Changkyun looked at me so happy as he nodded and searched for photos to send me. That was when our invisible wall ceased to exist. Funny how such a simple thing as cats can bring two people together.

While Changkyun was scrolling through his phone for cat pictures, I asked him a question, "Do you have a cat?"

"No," a pout formed on the man's face that made me want to poke his cheek out of endearment. "Kihyun won't let me get one because he says I'm enough for him to handle."

With the lack of the invisible wall, I said, "then I guess you'll have to come to see mine—once we get him or her obviously."

"Really?" Changkyun exclaimed with bright eyes.

"Yes, but in return, we play this game until I win at least once—no cheating and throwing the game."

"Deal! Just let me—oh, here they are. Let me send these and we can start playing again. No cheating, promise." The Changkyun I saw then was so adorable. A wide smile, a glimmer in his eyes, and a voice filled with excitement.

Hearing the countless buzzes from my cell phone's receiving end of cat pictures, I picked it up to look at them and instantly understood why Changkyun loved Russian blue cats. "Woah, you're right. They are stunning."

After another ten minutes of discussing the four-legged lovable furballs, we finally started Minhyuk's game again. However, no cheers of happiness came from me, except one time that quickly fell away when I still lost that whole round. We were like teenage boys only leaving our spots in front of the t.v. and letting go of the controllers for food or bathroom breaks. That was until we had been playing so long that Minhyuk knocked on the door hours later.

I ran to the door when I heard Minhyuk. Checking the time on my watch as I opened the door, I realized Changkyun and I had been playing the same thing for at least five hours. "Hey," I said shamefully from my realization. But it quickly went away as Changkyun called.

"Jooheon-ssi, you're about to lose!" Forgetting the hours, and Minhyuk standing at the open door, I ran back to my spot next to the younger and picked up the controller to try to save myself. For nothing.

"Damn it! How do you keep winning?" I yelled as I fell back onto the floor with my arms limp beside me.

"Hyung!" Changkyun smiled as he turned to Minhyuk, who was wearing a confused gaze while walking over to the couch. "He hasn't won a single time and we've been playing for hours."

"Five and a half to be exact," I interjected with my hand raised straight up to make sure there was an emphasis on how tragic my position was.

"You must not be very good at this game, Jooheon," Minhyuk laughed, "I beat Changkyun every time."

"What? No way!" How I didn't get a complaint from neighbors about yelling that day was a mystery. "I've been losing to a loser all day?" This made Minhyuk's laughter louder and Changkyun gasp beside me.

"I am not that bad. Minhyuk hyung just wants to brag." Changkyun defended himself.

"No, I don't. You're just a sore loser," the look on Changkyun's face was priceless and he so clearly wanted to respond to that, but Minhyuk quickly changed the subject, "Anyways! Kihyun and Hyunwoo hyung are going to be here soon with food...Chunghyeop said he'd be over too."

"Is there enough time for another round?" I asked.

"Does that matter?" Changkyun looked offended.

"Well the CEO, your husband, is coming here."

"And?"

"Just play the damn game," Minhyuk finally spoke, making me shut up and do as he said.

It was nice. The moment we had just had was refreshing. For the past year, I hadn't really socially interacted with other people. Especially not people I wanted to consider my friends. So, to say this moment was nice was an understatement. I forgot the things making me feel useless with them right then. I felt free, hopeful, okay, happy.

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Word count: 1076