Results Of A Decade Attraction • Moon Taeil

35

ONE MONTH LATER

Taeil looks at the shot glass placed in front of him.

This evening, he had his uninvited guests - Doyoung, Jaehyun and Si Cheng - come over to his parents' house. His parents were out of town to introduce a new project to the branch in Shanghai, leaving Taeil alone for the next few days.

His friends knew how he had been feeling low because Y/N had not been around, apparently. Although it was dumb and unmanly to miss a female, the guys didn't voice that out to Taeil; instead they brought his old time favorite beers. They felt the need to drown their friend in alcoholic beverages again because what Y/N was doing to him was dangerously leaving him as dramatic as a loser, and that was a humongous no.

Taeil watches the bubbles in his shot slowly die, forming sizzling sounds. He wants to drink it, despite resisting it for the past weeks that they offered him a drink. The alcohol is calling his name and he is a second away from answering.

"Don't think." Doyoung, who is already half a bottle drunk, places his hands on both of Taeil's shoulders from where he stands behind the couch. "Just go with the flow." He encourages, indolently shaking Taeil. Taeil opens his mouth in a small 'o' shape, pressing his tongue against his cheek as he looks at Si Cheng dancing clumsily to his ringtone. He turns his head in Jaehyun's direction, looking at how the guy pours more of the beer in the multiple shot glasses they placed on the table.

'I can drink, just one shot'. Taeil bobs his head at his thoughts. His mind becomes quite manipulative, especially when his heart would remind him of Y/N and how she is in Taeyong and Johnny's care in America. He always hated when he would overthink it. She is in the care of Taeyong, his trusted friend who hung up on him a month ago. At the time, he just wanted to know why Y/N was crying. He was just curious however the common manner in which Taeyong answered his call was a bit stretched. And because he knows Taeyong well, something was suspicious about it. They haven't been in touch since then, reason being that Taeil wanted some alone time to maintain himself.

Maintaining himself was and still is not easy, especially when he has the solution to clear his crowded head just by taking one sip.

"Bro," Jaehyun stands up, picking up two shot glasses. He hands one to Doyoung and holds the other one in front of Taeil. Even though they want to drown Taeil in alcohol, they want him to do it out of his own will and consent. He patiently waits until Taeil drops his head, holding out his hand for Jaehyun to pass the drink.

Y/N does not like alcoholics, in fact, she dislikes anything or anyone associated with drinking. Taeil reminds himself constantly as he gently rounds the glass in his hand, watching how it swirls around through his long tawny bangs that Y/N dyed months ago. What if she is taking out her stress on Taeyong, not by shouting or talking, but by sexual intercourses? What if at this very moment... she is losing her purity to someone as corrupt as Taeyong.

What if...

A second before Jaehyun can make a toast, Taeil is quick as he hurriedly quaffs the toxic beverage down his throat. The familiar taste lingers, exploring his mouth. He breathes out; contemplating for a quick moment if he seriously just did that or if he should chug another one. He closes his eyes, rolling his head around to a full 360 degree. "Oh god," he heaps out. He leans his head near his left shoulder with his eyes closed. And for a moment, he wonders if this is the best decision.

Without looking at Doyoung or Jaehyun, who have already drunk their shots, he stretches his arm out, grabbing another shot. He tells himself that he is not insane, and in that exact moment, he chugs it down. Shamelessly going for another shot, his mind smooth talks him into believing that this is his first shot, even after he has taken his sixth shot. He can faintly hear Doyoung, Si Cheng and Jaehyun cheering him on the way they used to back in the day. However, as he takes another glass, his vision that had been blurring out a little seems to blur three times more. Catching him off guard, his mind that desperately craved the beer began envisioning what was placed first on his mind.