Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Hello?"
"Yun Ho-ahh~"
Yun Ho's face frowned as he turned to look at his phone screen.
"Hong Joong hyung?"
"Oh~ Yun Ho, can you come pick me up *hiccup*?"
"Come pick you up? Where are you now, by the way?"
"I'm at the bar~"
"Hong Joong hyung? Are you drunk?"
"Uhm.. just a little drunk."
"Urgh, which bar are you at?"
"The bar.. where me and *sniff*.. him.. *sniff* the first time *sniff* we kissed.."
Yun Ho sighed, palming his face.
"You're really useless when it comes to your own romance, hyung. Alright. I'll come get you. Wait for me there and don't do anything stupid, okay?"
Yun Ho hung up the phone call.
"Is Hong Joong hyung all right?"
Min Gi asked who appeared from the kitchen with two glasses of juice in his hand.
"It sounds like no. Jong Ho, can you accompany me? I need someone to drive Hong Joong hyung's car home."
Jong Ho nodded.
Yun Ho reached for his car keys in the key holder before walking out with Jong Ho behind him.
"I feel sorry for Hong Joong hyung."
Min Gi said, giving the juice reserved for Yun Ho to Yeo Sang who happily accepted it.
"And I feel sorry for Seong Hwa hyung too. All of this would have happened the other way around if Hong Joong hyung didn't give in to his brother. At the end of the road, Seong Hwa hyung was just stuck between the eldest and youngest."
Min Gi nodded, took the television remote and pressed each of the channels.
"I hope everything will be fine between them."
✨🫶🏻✨
"Yun Ho.."
"Yes, hyung?"
"I look pathetic, don't I?"
Yun Ho's eyes, which were focused on the increasingly deserted road, briefly shifted to Hong Joong before looking back at the road ahead.
"Do you want me to tell the truth or do you want me to give you an answer that will comfort you?"
Hong Joong whose eyes were fixed on the side window said,
"Just be honest, Yun. I don't want a soothing answer from you."
His eyes seemed to shine under the street lights.
"Uhm, yes. You look so pathetic."
"Too harsh."
"Hyung.."
"Uhm uhm, I'm okay."
Hong Joong was silent for a moment before calling the man who was driving next to him again.
"Yun Ho.."
"Yes, hyung."
"Do I still have the right to be friends with him?"
"The eight of us have been friends for almost 20 years. Doesn't it sound ridiculous that just because he is engaged to someone else, you suddenly want to end your friendship with him?"
Hong Joong wanted to cry listening to that, shrinking in his seat and hugging himself.
"I love him."
"You can keep loving him."
"He belongs to my brother."
"And he is yours as a best friend. Didn't you promise to protect him? So, continue to protect him as a best friend, hyung. At least, you can keep that promise to him, right?"
Hong Joong nodded.
"Hong Joong hyung, Seong Hwa hyung are my best friends. You are also my best friend. The thing I don't want to happen the most is to see my friends drift away from each other. We've been together for 20 years, Hong Joong hyung. I may not understand the feelings between the both of you, but all this can still be fixed. You two have six of us behind you. I promise. Whatever the two of you want to do, the six of us will be very supportive and that includes the relationship between the two of you. I'm sure, Seong Hwa hyung doesn't want to lose this friend and younger brother that he loves the most, hyung. So, please. Talk to him later. Find a solution to the relationship between the two of you. Urgh, I don't even know why I gave you such a long lecture, when you won't necessarily remember all of this the next day."
Hong Joong snickered.
"Of course I will remember, Yun Ho. I'm not that drunk."
The journey of the two of them continued in silence for a while before finally the penthouse belonging to the eight of them came into view.
"Hey, Yun Ho."
"Yes, hyung?"
Yun Ho replied shortly, busy parking his car.
"Thank you."
Pulling the handbrake of the car, Yun Ho patted Hong Joong on the shoulder.
"Anything for my friends. Now, come on. I still have a long way to go to get you to your room."
Hong Joong chuckled listening to that but in the far corner of his heart, he was truly grateful to Yun Ho.
