By Your Side

Chapter 9

Sungjae and Hyunsik were waiting for Changsub to come. They were very quiet. Hyunsik wanted to say something to Sungjae but the latter was just out of it. He seemed to be in very deep thought and he still was shaken to the core. This rarely happened. He and Changsub always were at each other's throats, fighting for the silliest possible reasons and endlessly bickering, trying their best to irritate and tease the other, especially when the other person was in a bad mood. Sungjae crossed the invisible line between them a few times, that was a common occurrence, but Changsub usually just glared at him or ignored him and Sungjae probably understood and he stopped doing whatever he was at. But Changsub never snapped at him like this before. So he didn't know what to do.

When Changsub arrived with his car, in front of the building where they were waiting, Sungjae looked at Hyunsik, silently asking him to sit in the front, to which he obliged, of course, he would. There was nothing much he could do in the situation anyway.

The whole ride back home was silent. No one uttered a single word.

Changsub had a lot going on in his mind. He was thinking about how he was gonna get that boy to speak and open up. It is a very difficult task. Ilhoon can be so stubborn if he wants and he would never do anything against his will, even if you force him. He was about to speak out today if he just waited for a few more minutes. If only Sungjae didn't come. If only he didn't lose his cool. Thinking about Sungjae, that was another problem to deal with. Changsub knew he committed a blunder today and he needs to rectify it ASAP. He needs to apologize to Sungjae, not that he would forgive him anytime soon. As if disappointing him yesterday was not enough, he had to shout at him today. Why can't he keep his temper in check? Why was he so stupid sometimes?

Changsub mentally scolded himself, sighed so many times while driving. Why was life so complicated? No, he makes it complicated. Hyunsik, who was sitting next to him, was silently observing him having an internal battle. At first, he was angry at Changsub. He thought Changsub would apologize to Sungjae as soon as they entered the car, but he was wrong. But seeing him now, he understood that he was rather feeling guilty and also he had this worried expression. So there was definitely something else going on in his mind. He seemed totally out of it since this morning. Or maybe from last night, when he got a call and ran away.

Changsub was pulled out of his train of thoughts when Hyunsik asked him "Hyung, are you alright?"

He looked at him and just sighed before saying "Yeah, I am fine"

"You seem like a lot is going on in your mind"

He shook his head no at this and just smiled at Hyunsik saying it's nothing and he is alright. He can involve others if he can't handle it alone, but it's better not to worry them for now.

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When they reached their shared apartment building, Sungjae was the first one to get off the car and he slammed the door( not as loudly as he wanted to, coz you know he still wasn't sure if Changsub is in good mood and it was his car after all ), and hurried inside their home and to his room and he locked the door. Not that he was expecting anyone to come looking for him. Nobody cared for him. Not even Hyunsik, whom he trusted. That traitor was more concerned about his Changsub hyung's wellbeing. He didn't even ask Sungjae how he was and yet he asked Changsub. He won't trust him ever again.

Sungjae was so angry that he wanted to call Eunkwang hyung and tell him everything and wanted him to scold Changsub, but he was not a kid, he knew Eunkwang was busy with his family. But he decided that he would never talk to that stupid Changsub ever again unless required officially of course.

It has been many hours since they were home and he was now feeling hungry. So he went outside his room, not before peeking through his door to check if anyone was there. He was trying to avoid a certain someone. But then he realized he was being so childish by doing so, and then went out thinking he doesn't care for anyone.