↱ECHO↲ ⇾seongjoong⇽

第十

"Park Seong Hwa. What did I tell you about trying to make this work?"

Seonghwa grimaces at his friend's voice blaring through the phone.

He has to hold the device away from his ear just save his poor eardrums.

Wooyoung doesn't even wait for a reply before he launches into a full on tirade.

"I told you to try and make this work because I really needed someone I could depend on to take care of you because you're literally my platonic soulmate and I worry about your stubborn ass every waking moment of my day and I fucking love you to death and you repay me by nearly dying because you're afraid of getting naked for a medical professional?"

"Wow," Seonghwa breathes out, placing the phone back to his ear. "I think that was the longest sentence ever."

Wooyoung scoffs and lets out this little affronted growl he does sometimes when Seonghwa's pushed him particularly too far.

"Too long? That's what you got out of that? I swear, if I was there right now, I would smack you upside the head for being such a dumbass."

"Hey, don't be such a brat," Seonghwa chides.

He couldn't go back to sleep after this morning's shitshow with his father, so he's just been sitting in his studio fucking around.

Nothing is coming easy to him today and he thinks it's because he hasn't gone through his usual morning routine.

He managed to piss this morning but that's about the extent of productivity— that is, until Wooyoung called.

There's a shuffling on the line and Seonghwa can hear one of Wooyoung's brothers say hello along with the high-pitched laughter of Mr. Jung.

He remembers those voices, had many a dinner with Wooyoung's family growing up.

"Sorry, we were out getting breakfast when I listened to Hongjoong's voicemail," Wooyoung explains.

"We're home now though. Going to try to spend the day with my mom as much as possible."

Fiddling with the worn black notebook on his desk, Seonghwa sighs.

He feels bad that his best friend is trying to focus on the short amount of time he has left with his mother while Seonghwa is fucking up what should be such a simple professional arrangement.

"How is she doing?" he asks, genuinely curious.

Normally, it would be rude to inquire about such things, but their friendship is extremely transparent and Mrs. Jung had been like a second mother to him at one point.

"Well, it's not good," Wooyoung admits with a sigh.

"The doctors said that they're surprised she's held on this long. They think she's pushing herself because she knew I was coming to visit."

"Shit, I'm sorry Wooyoung. I'm really fucking sorry." Seonghwa feels a deep sorrow for his friend, for this woman who is nearing the end of her life.