𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠 | 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 ✓

𝟒 | 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that this is a fictional story. None of the behavior depicted should be extrapolated to real life.

____________🦋_____________

Hongjoong opened his eyes.
It took him a few seconds to realise where he was. With a sore throat and numb legs, he got up from the bed.

The last evening felt like hell to him. After Seonghwa left, Wooyoung and he had to work non-stop, without any break. Hongjoong really hoped that work would become less horrible when Seonghwa started working, even if he could only work on weekends.

And again, Hongjoong's thoughts were on the grey-haired man. This was happening a lot lately, and every time Hongjoong told himself it was nothing, he felt the opposite.

He knew Seonghwa had a boyfriend. He knew that he knew nothing about this man, and yet he was intrigued. He was never interested in anyone. Maybe it was because he rarely met new people or because he had been mired in self-pity for the past few years, but Seonghwa awakened something in him that he didn't even know existed.

It wasn't love, more like curiosity or interest in this man in general, but Hongjoong had to pull himself together if he didn't want to get into trouble, and he knew it.

He would try to work with Seonghwa normally, and he hoped they would soon be friends. Although Seonghwa called him a friend in front of Joshua last time, Hongjoong was sure he was just saying it and didn't mean it. After all, they didn't even know each other yet.

...

Hongjoong made himself a coffee and stared out the window. He couldn't remember the last day he had a normal day of life. He always woke up at noon, and when others were sleeping, he was working.

He knew he had chosen this for himself, but if it wasn't so exhausting, he wouldn't feel so dissatisfied with his life. The fact that Wooyoung was the only person he had trusted for years also worried him more and more every day.

People like Seonghwa had a boyfriend. People like Seonghwa studied medicine. Would everything have been better if he had also studied medicine?

Slowly, feelings of regret filled Hongjoong's heart and memories of his parents' disappointed faces came back to him. He swallowed and tried to suppress the feeling he had ignored for months. And then suddenly it hit him and guilt flooded his body.

Without realising it, he began to cry. He didn't even know why he suddenly felt this way. Maybe it was the realisation of how miserable his life was, or maybe it was the exhaustion that was his daily companion.

Hongjoong fell back into his bed and buried his face into his pillow. When would it finally stop, he asked himself, exhaling between his sobs.

....

A few hours later, Hongjoong entered the nightclub smiling.

It was as if nothing had happened and Hongjoong knew he was the best one when it came to pretending to be fine. He knew Wooyoung was struggling with his own demons and he just wanted to show him his happy side.

...

Hongjoong walked through the entrance of the bar as he did every day. He knew this way by heart and it felt the same every time.

As Hongjoong slowly approached the bar, he did not expect Seonghwa to be sitting at the bar. Immediately his mood changed and he was excited.

Seonghwa just sat there looking like he was lost in thought, but he still managed to stun Hongjoong.
He was wearing a normal white T-shirt and black trousers. His hair was parted in the middle as usual and the light grey colour matched his dark eyes. His jewels and eyes sparkled in the light.