---
"that friend group of your's..." the woman started.
"what about them?" heeseung asked impatiently.
"i don't think they are a great influence on you. you should distance yourself from them."
---
niki placed a bottle of electrolyte water on heeseung's desk.
"thanks," heeseung replied shortly.
he closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he felt the headache returning. he knew he followed jake the other night. but that was all he could recall.
he gasped when niki told him that jake brought him home, and he cursed his low alcohol tolerance for making him forget everything.
he had to talk to jake.
he grabbed some files and went towards jake's office. he entered without knocking.
jake was sitting at his desk, speaking on the phone. he seemed stressed and annoyed, his forehead creased and his voice tense. he glanced at heeseung and gestured for him to wait. after a few minutes, he hung up and sighed.
he told heeseung to sit down and so the latter did that.
jake looked at him with a piercing gaze, making heeseung's heart skip a beat.
"do you have any questions regarding the report?" jake asked, breaking the silence.
heeseung was thinking of a good lie. "uhm... yes, i was wondering if you could explain the... the methodology section again. i'm not sure i understood it correctly."
jake frowned. "go ask niki. i already explained it to him. any other question? "
heeseung sighed. he had to jump straight to the subject.
"thank you for bringing me home last night." he blurted out.
jake nodded, his expression softening.
"why did you even do that?" heeseung asked.
"you were my responsibility, heeseung." jake replied nonchalantly.
"how's your hangover?" he asked.
"horrible," heeseung answered, looking into jake's eyes.
"you can work at my desk today if you want more silence." jake offered, making heeseung's heart do a flip. heeseung nodded, grateful for the offer. he could already feel the dull ache in his head turning into a pounding headache.
jake got up from his seat to make room for heeseung. he was about to go to the couch but stopped as the pain in his foot intensified.
he grimaced and heeseung noticed something was wrong.
"are you hurt?"
"i stepped on some glass. i'm worried i still have some shards left in my foot." jake replied, trying to brush it off but failing as another wave of pain shot through his foot.
