Memories | Sanjoong

13. Not What They Seem

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Drinking doesn't make problems go away
Just because you can't remember them, doesn't mean they're not there.
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"Haven't you ever heard that it's rude to trespass on private property?" The man said.

Yeosang and Hongjoong looked at each other and then the stranger in front of them and, though it was dark, they instantly recognised him as the one they had been spying on a few seconds ago.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked. "I should call the police on you two for breaking and entering."

"Well technically we didn't break into the house yet," Hongjoong remarked with a lot of attitude in his voice.

"But you intended to, right?" Seonghwa asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes-"

"No!" Yeosang interrupted. Then he turned to Hongjoong and whisper-shouted, "Will you shut up and let me do the talking? You're going to get us into trouble Hongjoong!"

"So you're Kim Hongjoong?" Seonghwa asked, a smug smile now on his face as he realised what was going on here. "San has talked about you a few times."

"W-what did he say?" Hongjoong asked quietly.

"Oh nothing important," he replied airily. "Explain what you're doing here first. I have to get back upstairs before he realises that I've been gone for too long."

Hongjoong's head hurt just hearing those words come out of the stranger's mouth. "You should go back to him then. Don't keep him waiting," he spat, but the words sounded so strained.

"You don't want to come up and see him? I thought that was your aim."

"What are you trying to prove!? That you have him and I don't? I don't need a stupid boyfriend, especially not one who cheats! You can keep San you asshole, I don't need a fucking liar in my life." Hongjoong pushed past Seonghwa angrily, but before he left, he turned around and said, "I hope you're happy with stealing someone else's boyfriend Hongsik."

Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong in surprise and burst out laughing.

Hongjoong's eyes widened. How could he just laugh in his face like that? He was about to lunge forward and throw a punch, but Yeosang quickly jumped forwards and held him back.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked, his tone defiant.

"You've got it all wrong," Seonghwa said. "My name is Seonghwa and San is my cousin."

"C-cousin?" Hongjoong and Yeosang looked at each other, bewildered.

Seonghwa hummed in agreement.

After a moment of silence, Yeosang laughed sheepishly. "Well we've got to go." He tried to pull Hongjoong along, but he refused to move. Yeosang leaned in and whispered. "Come on Hongjoong, this is embarassing enough, let's leave already."

Finally, Yeosang managed to make the stunned boy move, and as they were leaving, Seonghwa spoke up.

"You should really talk to San, things aren't always what they seem."

-

For the next few days, San and Hongjoong had no contact. Neither knew how to approach the other and their friends (minus Wooyoung) seemed set on keeping San away from Hongjoong.

It was a painful break. Hongjoong was up all night thinking about San, making up so many different scenarios because he still hadn't gotten a full explanation. On the other hand, San was laying in bed for hours, wondering how he could even approach Hongjoong about this.