❤️Giving❤️

Chapter 2

As he approached the bottom of the stairs, he heard the murmur of voices coming from the living room. The sound of Hwang's voice reached him first, light and unconcerned. His pulse quickened, a mix of dread and anxiety making his movements jerky and hesitant. He tried to slip back up the stairs, hoping to avoid whatever confrontation was unfolding downstairs.

But just as he was about to retreat, he heard a sudden clatter followed by a sharp, angry shout from Lee. The sound of metal slicing through the air made him flinch. A fork whizzed past him, missing him by mere inches and embedding itself into the wall with a loud thud. The narrow escape left him pale and trembling.

With a deep breath, Du gathered his courage and made his way back down the stairs, his footsteps echoing loudly in the silence that followed the fork's flight. His gaze was drawn to the scene in the living room, and his heart sank as he took in the sight.

Jun Kubo knelt on the floor, his posture calm yet resigned, while Lee sat on the couch, his legs crossed tightly in an expression of simmering anger. Hwang stood nearby, a bemused smile playing on his lips, his arms casually gesturing for Du to join them.

Du hesitated at the edge of the room, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The tension in the room was palpable, and he could feel the unease swirling around him like a thick fog.

With a deep breath, Du walked over to where Jun was kneeling.

"Didn't we discuss going to the club alone? Who do you two think you are?"

"It was an invite from some colleagues. Jun only agreed to come because I said I would go." Lee's eyes narrowed and both of them gulped and averted their gaze as another fork swizzed past them and wedged itself onto the wooden floor between them.

He knew things were tense, but he didn't think they'd need to start dodging cutlery. There are some CIA agents that really need an arm like his.

"In the future," his steely eyes beamed down on them hard, "please don't go to such places without the rest of us - scratch that - don't go at all."

"Got it." they affirmed in unison. Lee's eyes glinted in curiosity. He expected more of a fight than that but they seemed unbothered by the request.

Du glanced at Jun for a moment, mulling over something before he spoke up.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself amidst the tension. His gaze lingered on Jun for a moment before he turned to Lee, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"Lee," Du began, his tone carefully measured, "you know, for all this talk about trust and honesty, how about a little demonstration? Why don't you kiss Jun?"

The request hung in the air, an unexpected ripple in the already tense atmosphere. Jun's eyes widened in shock, while Lee's face turned a shade of crimson that matched his earlier anger. The room fell silent, with Hwang's bemused smile fading into a more curious expression.

Lee stared at Du, then at Jun, and finally at Hwang. "Are you serious? Why would I do that?" His voice was a mix of confusion and frustration.

Hwang raised an eyebrow, his tone light but probing. "Why not? It's not like Jun's been intimate with anyone outside of Du. Seems like a reasonable request if we're talking about transparency and trust."

Jun shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between Lee and Hwang. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it, clearly caught off guard.

Lee's expression tightened further, but he didn't answer immediately. The implication of Hwa

ng's comment was clear: there was something unresolved in their relationships that was surfacing now.

Hwang raised an eyebrow, his mischievous grin returning. "You're all tangled up in this relationship—don't you think it's fair to see if there's something deeper between you two?"

Jun and Lee exchanged a glance, the question seeming to linger in the space between them. Jun's face flushed slightly, and he seemed at a loss for words.

"Well," Hwang continued with a twinkle in his eye, "since everyone seems so interested, let's set a date. One week from now, we'll revisit this little proposal. Jun will participate if he's up for it..."

The room fell into an awkward silence, each person lost in their thoughts. Hwang, ever the provocateur, clapped his hands together and broke the tension with a playful chuckle. "Well, then! I look forward to seeing how this unfolds! For now, we're late for work."

As Hwang's playful chuckle faded and the room began to clear, Jun's mind was already miles away. Jun boarded the train with the rhythmic clatter of wheels on tracks providing a temporary distraction from the chaos of his thoughts.

The night had left him unsettled, and he couldn't shake the feeling that his personal life was becoming more entangled than ever before. The playful banter had done little to ease the strain between him and Lee, and now a week-long waiting game seemed to stretch out before him like a never-ending tunnel.

He found a seat by the window, the glass reflecting his troubled expression as the cityscape blurred past. He stared absently at the passing scenery, his mind replaying the evening's events on an endless loop.

As the train rumbled along its tracks, Jun leaned against the window, his gaze unfocused as the cityscape sped by. The rhythmic clatter of the wheels beneath him did little to quell the turmoil roiling within. Memories from his past began to surface, unbidden but relentless.

He remembered a different time, many years ago. The scene was etched vividly in his mind: a sunny, golden evening where the light seemed to stretch forever, casting a warm glow over everything. Jun had been peering out from behind the curtains of his room, his heart sinking as he watched Du, Lee, and Hwang laughing together on the street below. Their cheerful camaraderie was a sharp contrast to the grim reality of his own home.

Inside, his world was confined by walls that echoed with harsh voices and biting words. The cruel irony of that picturesque sunset; a stark reminder of how far removed he was from the happiness he observed outside.

The pain of the thing they called love was his cage for a long time; it locked him out of their joy. Perhaps making love was too far even now. In a way, It felt good to know Du loved them and wanted them to love each other so much... Still It never even occurred to him.