Joy and Hope

17 just friends

It's now that you take in your surroundings. Sitting across from you is the hpa. He's at the bar. Smiling at you like a teen seeing their crush. This man and his beautiful smile. It's infectious. Before you know it, or can stop yourself, you're smiling too. The waiter is back with your second drink. That's when he comes over.

"Would it be okay?" He motions to the other side of the booth.

"Yes, of course."

Looks like the Times now.

He sits, then raises his glass. "Geon bae, (cheers)"

"Hoseok, can we talk?" You're really nervous.

"What's on your mind?" he asks.

"What do you want from me?" 'Fuck, what a way to open' "what I mean is, you have been kind and sweet and I'm only here for a few days. You really don't need to spend that much time and effort" taking a mouthful of your drink. "As you mentioned before my life is like a drama. It's crazy and messy and I don't know what will happen next. Well, I do. I will return to and try sort out the shit that fucker has stirred up. His poor family and his wife. Fuck, I wonder what she'll do! His father, his mother!" You down your drink. The waiter must be watching, he's back and offers you another drink. "Yeah keep'em coming but also bring another for my friend."

Hoseok listens to you. He doesn't interrupt or offer any solutions.

"What do you see happening here" pointing between the two of you, " coz me, I can't offer anything more than friendship and even at that I'm going to be MIA for a while"

There's a moment of quiet. "About all the shit your going through, I'm sorry, yeah I know I didn't cause any of it. As for the parents, you will feel some sort of responsibility but its all his fault, so don't stay in that feeling for too long. Me I'm always kind and caring and sweet" this is when he smiles at you. You return it but really it's just muscle movement as it doesn't meet your eyes. "What do I want from you? Well now! I like you, I'm not confessing or anything like that, but yeah your cool. When Nicole told me you were her friend and fun, I thought she's just trying to hype you up. Maybe you are fun, your a little sad right now so I don't expect you to be how Nicole remembers you. I have seen flashes of it though. When you forget what's going on in your life, you actually smile, a real smile not some fake ass shit that you just pulled". 'Fuck, he saw that' "I could go into detail about the things I want from you and what I want to do with you but your not ready for that. And I can wait!"

The alcohol is helping you forget. Your meal arrives. Hoseok must have orders at the bar because his arrives too. You both eat in companionable silence. Half way thru though you ask.

"What did you mean about 'what you want to do with me'?"

He swallows his food looks you right in the eyes and just smirks. Your cheeks feel like fire.

"That. That's what I wanna do. I wanna make you blush, smile, and laugh. You make it so easy, I don't know what the ex really did for you, but I can be your friend. I'm not gonna push any other agenda" he thinks 'not until your whole again'

"How about we do fortnightly check ins, you can update me on the latest episode and I will check into make sure you don't need bail money!" Your laughing and feeling happy and safe again. "Sounds like a plan, though I might need a really good lawyer co, if he so much as tries to play victim I'm gonna cut of his micro dick and feed it to him" he let's out a belly laugh. You add, "not that it's a chocking hazard"

>kitty, I bet I would gag on his. Tears trickling from my eyes.

>brain, hey he's just told us that friendship is what he wants.

>heart. I can do friends.

>kitty, I wanna do him.

Trying to wrangle in your inner voices. You look at him.

"To being friends" lifting your glass.

Cheers.

"OK, now that we are friends, can you tell me something?" He asks but he's seeming a little shy about it. "You have worked with the other members before, do you have a favourite? Wait are you even army?"

You laugh and smile, this time it's real.

Over the remainder of your dinner you talked about the members, you don't declare a favourite. But you tell him rap line is where your happiest. You tell him that when you first worked with them you weren't army. But since then you have paid your membership fees on time for 2 yrs.

"Jinjja (really) I don't believe you. That's when you dig out your battered purse and show him. He laughs so hard and is super happy. "Wow, army really are everywhere"

The conversation flows and you discussed many things, some of your favourite bts tracks, the choreography. You realise he is army too. It's cute. You let him know that your playlists feature the group and other K-pop artists. You don't tell him that some of these idols you've worked with.

You talk about your work and how at times you can be in one place for 2 weeks or 6months. Just depending on the contract. He seems really truthful when he says friends.

Before you know it, the times gone and it's almost 10pm.