Arrange Devotion | SS

Chapter 5. Haunting Memories

"So? And why exactly should I care?" Jeonghan's tone was sharp, his patience wearing thin as he glanced at Joshua, who was lounging on the couch like he owned the place. Well technically did because they were at his apartment.

Jeonghan his best friend had come over to spend time with his Joshua, but as much as he adored Jeonghan-he could be a handful, especially when he didn't know when to let things go.

"Hannie, he's your husband-"

"Husband, Joshua, not my master," Jeonghan interrupted with a dismissive wave, his voice dripping with sass. Joshua rolled his eyes, already bracing for what was coming next.

"Can you even imagine? He put Jun, my bodyguard, on babysitting duty like I'm some kind of flight risk. I swear, I'll wring his neck..." Jeonghan downed his drink in one go, the fiery look in his eyes making Joshua stifle a chuckle.

"It's for your protection, Hannie," Joshua quipped, though he knew it wouldn't land.

"Protection? Please, it's all about control," Jeonghan retorted with a sharp glare.

"He thinks he can play puppet master and I'll just dance to his tune. Well, he's in for a rude awakening." Joshua just shook his head, unable to hide his grin as Jeonghan's biting words cut through the tension in the room.

"And we're out of snacks," Jeonghan added, popping the last piece of popcorn into his mouth before sinking deeper into the couch.

Joshua sighed, pushing himself up from his seat. "I'll go grab us some more," he said, heading toward the kitchen.

Once inside, Joshua placed the empty bowl on the counter and pulled out a jumbo packet of popcorn, tossing it into the microwave.

As he waited for it to pop, his gaze drifted to the bouquet of roses sitting on the table. He had been trying to ignore them, but the sheer volume of flowers was impossible to overlook.

Joshua slowly approached the bouquet, his fingers brushing against the soft petals of one of the roses. "Who keeps sending these?" he murmured to himself, fidgeting with the delicate flower.

Every day, a fresh bunch of three hundred roses was delivered to his door, and each day, he was left more bewildered than before. He felt a strange mix of anxiety and confusion as he stared at the vibrant red blooms.

His first thought had been that there was some mistake, that they were meant for someone else, but when he tried to return them, he discovered there was no name or address attached.

The bouquet, much like Joshua, seemed lost and out of place, leaving him unsettled and searching for answers.

The microwave beeped, breaking Joshua out of his thoughts. He turned away from the roses, shaking off the uneasy feeling as he retrieved the freshly popped popcorn.

But as he poured it into the bowl, his mind kept drifting back to the flowers-those countless roses that arrived like clockwork, with no sender, no message, just a silent mystery.

Joshua carried the bowl back to the living room, his steps slowing as a subtle unease settled in. The usual carefree air he carried felt heavy, tension threading through the quiet of the room.

As he entered, his eyes fell on Seungcheol, who was glaring daggers at Jeonghan. The latter, in typical fashion, lounged on the couch, flipping through a magazine with a bored expression. When did he even get here?

"Hi, Seungcheol..." Joshua greeted, his voice tinged with reluctance. He wasn't upset about Seungcheol's arrival, but there was no warmth in his tone either. Seungcheol didn't bother responding, his attention was fixed on Jeonghan.