The Ghost Of You

8

A few weeks went by and everything falls into a repetitive cycle. Minhyuk spends his day inside their house waiting for Jooheon, once and a while accompanying the other outside. Nothing change with Jooheon, Some days he's alright, some days he misses Minhyuk and cry himself to sleep.

"It's late, I wonder where Honey is.." Minhyuk muttered, finally able to comprehend time after Jooheon changed the batteries of the analog clock hanging on the living room wall.

A few moments after he said that, he heard noises coming from the entrance hall, indicating that Jooheon has arrived.

"Honeeey!" Minhyuk squealed, running to meet the other but halt when he saw two people stumbled inside.

" Yah, Jooheon-sshi wake up! You're on the floor " It was Changkyun, Minhyuk recognized. The younger man was carrying a drunk Jooheon on his back but both of them toppled over, his tired legs giving out.

Minhyuk watched as Changkyun gave out a harsh sigh before he grabbed Jooheon's jacket and pulled him, dragging him across the floor to the living room like a dead body. All whilst he mutter a bunch of complaints about Jooheon and how his parents never even made him do the dishes yet there he was, doing some heavy work. With a lot of struggle and little to no help from the drunk man, Changkyun managed to get Jooheon on the couch.

"That's the most exercise I had since gym class in high school" Changkyun loudly says with heavy breaths, flopping down on a nearby armchair to recharge some of his energy back.

"..don't go...Min..why.." Jooheon drunkenly muttered in his sleep, tossing and turning around on the couch, stuck in a painful dream.

"Yah! yah! You'll fall.." Changkyun instinctively stood up to prevent Jooheon from falling when the latter  turned on the other side. But stopped when the older fell with a thud on the carpeted floor.  " nevermind " Changkyun sighed with a roll of his eyes.

Changkyun let his eyes travel around the place, studying the clean and bare walls. The place is way too clean and empty, something he did not expect from Jooheon. From his personality from the encounters they shared since that night at Kihyun and Hyunwoo's wedding, Changkyun thought of Jooheon as warmly sentimental and easy going. He assumed the guy would have many trinkets laying around, maybe some pictures and posters. He guessed he had read him wrong.

"Min.."

Changkyun looked down hearing Jooheon call for that name again, he's been doing so since before they left the bar where they coincidentally saw the guy hunched over drunk out of his wits.

Snatching a circular pillow from a nearby chair, Changkyun squats down and carefully placed it under Jooheon's head. No longer trying to bring him back on the couch knowing that he'll fall all over again. Changkyun tilted his head to study the other. His hands reaching out to brush away his bangs that sticked to his forehead due to his sweat.

Jooheon, once again let out a whine, incoherent words mainly sounding like pleadings for someone to not leave him alone.

"He got you bad huh?" Changkyun muttered with a shake of his head. He didn't know who this Minhyuk, Jooheon talks about in his drunken state, but with how he'd been crying about him. He assumed he's someone who broke the other's heart. Changkyun thought it was stupid of him, over the few interactions he shared with Jooheon, it was evident to him that he's such a wonderful person. He can't understand who would leave someone like him.

"Whoever that guy is, he's stupid for leaving and hurting you"

"I never meant to though..." Minhyuk can't help but say, hearing Changkyun's words. "..and I never did, I'm still here"

He knew the other probably didn't know what happened, but Minhyuk can't help but feel hurt. Being reminded that he, in a way, broke Jooheon's heart in the most painful way possible. It had been unintentional, no one could've prevented it, but it didn't change the fact that Jooheon is now suffering because of it. Minhyuk can't help but blame himself, wishing that it never happened, wishing that he's the one taking care of Jooheon right now. It was no one's fault, but he felt guilty.

Changkyun didn't stay long inside the house. He left the moment he was satisfied Jooheon is all good. Minhyuk followed him out the door, watching as the younger tried several times to see if it was really locked to ensure the other is safe inside. Then outside the front porch, he lit up a cigarette before he made a phone call. Telling Hyunwoo that Jooheon is now home and thanking him for giving the latter's address as Jooheon had been too drunk to let him know.

"Thank you for taking Honey home"

Seeing as Changkyun seem to genuinely care and is trustworthy enough, Minhyuk thanked him too for taking Jooheon home. Also side commenting how he always have a cigarette every time he sees him. He circled his arms around him in a pretend hug, causing Changkyun to shuddered, goosebumps running down his arms.

He pulled his jacket closer to himself, trying to ignore the sudden chill and finally, he left.