Madness for Two 🎬 yungi [▶]

14

Yunho took a deep breath, forced a smile, and took long strides to approach Doyle, the host, and the other guest.

"Etha Kim! Give a big round of applause!"

Yunho could see the invisible exclamation marks and smell the mockery in the host's words. He could see himself on camera and knew his legs had gone numb. He struggled to keep smiling.

Yeosang didn’t know. Yunho thought, this morning Yeosang was probably joking when he said he didn’t know who the other guest was and that Big Matthew arranged everything. But if Yeosang knew, he would have done everything he could to cancel Yunho’s appearance on this show.

Yeosang knew one taboo name that should never be in the same room as Yunho.

Yunho knew it was silly and childish.

But he couldn’t. He always avoided it. And so far, he had always managed to avoid dealing with this name. Yunho thought maybe in twenty years he would be ready. Maybe. At least ten more years.

Until Yunho was ready to face the innocent smile of Etha Farrell Kim or Kim Hongjoong.

His first love.

And the man who shattered Yunho’s life without remorse.

Doyle McDonald left them to explain the rules of the first game to a close-up camera. The man’s brown eyes met Yunho’s round ones. Yunho looked away and tried not to cry.

The same eyes, with the same sadness.

"Hi, Hunter."

Yunho forced a tight smile. Trying to ignore the feeling of being stabbed by Poseidon’s trident when that voice said his name again.

"Hi." Yunho knew he had to be professional. But he couldn’t say this man’s name.

Not after this man had ignored all the calls and voicemails full of tears Yunho had left, and the dozens of others Yunho had sent without tears because he was too exhausted to cry. Not after the thousands of emails and letters Yunho had sent. Yunho had apologized. Even though Yunho was smart enough to know he wasn’t at fault for what happened. But Yunho still apologized.

But Hongjoong continued to ignore him.

Yunho said he would disappear. And wanted to meet one last time.

But Hongjoong never showed up.

It wasn’t Yunho’s fault if they were caught on camera kissing behind a dirty bar in the corner of Manchester.

It wasn’t his fault that at the time he was a fifteen-year-old falling in love and wanted to fight for the person he loved, even if that person was an older man with a girlfriend.

It wasn’t his fault if he didn’t understand that at the time the public wasn’t ready for their teenage star to be the third party in the relationship of The cutest couple in London. Yunho liked Ariana Grace Park or Park Seonghwa. And it wasn’t his fault if he loved Hongjoong a little bit more back then.

It wasn’t his fault if he ignored his good-boy image and went to the bar with his lover even though he was underage. Going out to drink and getting drunk, feeling free even if just for one night.

It wasn’t his fault if he didn’t want to apologize to the public because he loved Hongjoong.

He apologized for not being a good role model when he should have been.

He apologized for ruining someone else’s relationship when he shouldn’t have.

But he would not apologize for his sexual orientation.

He would not apologize for fighting for the person he loved.

Yunho lost his show contracts. The film contract he was set to star in. His role in a Disney Channel drama was taken by someone else, and he only received a brief email notification.

The public berated him.

And Yunho only asked for one thing. He wanted Hongjoong to come and tell him, just him, that he didn’t need the world’s acknowledgment. He just wanted Hongjoong to come and say that those three nights in Manchester, the month of endearments every time he called Yunho while whispering or hiding in the bathroom.

Were real.

Not a mistake.

But Hongjoong made a statement, apologized to Seonghwa and the public. Apologized for getting carried away that night and that it wasn’t his fault for Yunho’s teasing. Saying it was just a one-night mistake. Apologizing as a more mature person who couldn’t control himself. That the incident was an embarrassing thing that shouldn’t have happened.

And the point was, Yunho didn’t matter at all.

Seonghwa forgave him. The public still loved Hongjoong too much to condemn him. He still had his career. His romantic relationships. His life.

Then the public turned to find someone to blame for all this chaos.

So who else could be the scapegoat but Yunho? He lost everything. His parents’ trust, the public’s affection, his career, and almost all of his friends.

And Yunho didn’t care. He still sent half of his letters and tried to fill up Hongjoong’s voicemail. He just needed a short sentence. And a proper goodbye.

So, please don’t blame Yunho if during the next sixty minutes of filming he won’t look at Hongjoong. He doesn’t care if this will be the episode with the lowest ratings because the two players can’t work together. Yunho doesn’t care.

Because Yunho might be nearly twenty-five now. But ten years without an apology, and now Hongjoong is flashing an innocent smile with a hint of guilt in the corner of his eyes.

Yunho doesn’t care.

Yunho will play this game. But he will act as if his partner doesn’t exist.

At least that seems fair.

"Alright! Are you excited enough, people?!"

The audience cheered too loudly. Yunho could sense the mocking tone in their cheers.

"Alright, gentlemen," he directed Yunho and Hongjoong to stand side by side with the other team. Two singers from a rising girl group, Yunho wasn’t quite sure of their names but they were quite sweet. Yunho wondered if he was brave enough to speak up and request a partner switch.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let the battle begin!" As he said this, the old host spun a large gambling wheel to determine which game they would play first.

Hongjoong whispered something amid the cheers, applause, and some enthusiastic whistles from the audience. Something resembling the word Sorry.

Yunho knew how much he hated this man.

There was always a special place in Yunho’s heart.

Yunho bit his tongue. He couldn’t respond. Not allowed.

At least Hongjoong should be grateful that Yunho remained professional and continued with the filming.

Somehow, but he would play with Hongjoong.

His Hongjoong.