EN-DRAMA - Enhypen Shortstories

Parchment - Heehoon

"What?" mumbled Heeseung as he read the parchment.
"Is everything alright?" asked the familiar and comforting voice behind the counter.

Heeseung looked up and instantly, his eyes met Jungwon's. The innkeeper had a worried frown on his face. The tavern wasn't as busy as usual tonight, which meant Jungwon could spend some time chatting with him.
And Heeseung was glad he had brought the mysterious parchment he had received earlier to read it there. This way he would be able to share all the mixed up emotions he was feeling right now with his friend.

"I'm just..." Heeseung started, without ever finishing his sentence.

Jungwon's eyes looked down at what his friend was holding and back up at his face.

"May I?" he asked.

Heeseung gave him the roll, still shocked by what he had just read. It only took a minute for Jungwon to read everything as well.

"But WHAT?" he asked, involuntarily repeating what Heeseung had said before. "Who does he think he is?"

Heeseung shook his head. Some parts of him wanted to laugh at the irony, or scream of rage.
But somehow he was just in shock. Nothing else.

"It's the same Sunghoon, right?" asked Jungwon.

Heeseung nodded.

"I'd recognize the handwriting anywhere. It's him" confirmed Heeseung.
"The nerve of some people" mumbled Jungwon. "Be right back."

Heeseung didn't even look. He knew Jungwon was attending other customers and he would be back as soon as it would be done.

That gave him time to read the message once more.

There was no mistake. Sunghoon had indeed asked him for help.

Help.

After everything they had been through.
After all the fighting they had had.
After having sworn never to cross paths again.

Heeseung chuckled. This treasure had to be extremely precious and difficult to steal for Sunghoon to ask him for help.

"So, are you gonna do it?" asked Jungwon, as he poured ale into a glass.
"I don't know yet" answered Heeseung.

~

The thief still hadn't decided if he wanted to partner up with Sunghoon, but he was nonetheless heading for their old meeting point, just to see how Sunghoon would act.

And a little bit to see how he would feel facing Sunghoon again after all this time.

See, Sunghoon and him used to love going on adventures together, some more missions being more legal than others. What mattered was that they shared the thrills of danger, the riches and well, the hot sex afterwards too.
But all of that had changed when Sunghoon had started thinking about quitting the game. He had said he wanted to lay low, and to settle somewhere. That had repulsed Heeseung, who loved being on the road.

Parting there would have been easier and cleaner that what happened. However, Heeseung didn't want to accept that his partner changed his mind.  He felt so betrayed.
Sunghoon wanted to abandon him.

Sunghoon, who had promised him they'd always be together, was actually leaving him.
And for what? The "security" of settling?

No, that wasn't for Heeseung. He didn't want a leash on his neck. He needed to be free on the road forever.

They fought about it so nastily that in the end they had sworn never to see each other again.

Back then, Heeseung had punched Sunghoon really hard on his pretty face. However, right now, he was more curious than angry.

He wanted to see for himself how desperate Sunghoon was.

The night had just fallen when Heeseung reached the old mill. Nothing had changed there since he last visited. Only he had.

"Hey"

Heeseung turned around. He hadn't dreamed it.
Sunghoon was there.

He simply nodded to greet the other. 

"Thank you for coming" added Sunghoon. "I wasn't sure you would."
"Me neither" replied Heeseung with a chuckle. "I was curious."

Heeseung wasn't sure, but it seemed to him that Sunghoon was blushing slightly"

"About this treasure" he added instantly, not wanting to be any confusions.
"Oh right" replied Sunghoon. "As I wrote on the parchment, I need help for this mission."

Heeseung waited for more, but Sunghoon had decided to stop talking.

"And?" he asked.
"And there's only one person I think is skilled enough to actually do it right" said Sunghoon.
"Me?" asked Heeseung as if it wasn't obvious. "What about "never wanting to see me again"?"

Sunghoon didn't reply right away.

"If you help me, you'll be rewarded with 5000 gold pieces" he finally said. "Are you in or out?"

Heeseung blinked twice. He hadn't expected Sunghoon to speak like that.

He must really need me on this one.

Heeseung walked closer to his ex and raised his hand. Sunghoon took it and they shook on it.
The deal was sealed.