Blaze

Donghae's Second Face

~_____~

Tao was ecstatic when he found Namjoo standing in the doorway. He had least expected her appearance that he was left dumbfounded as she stood there awkwardly.

"I was told you were having dinner. Can I join?" Namjoo started.

His lips pried themselves apart before he let her in. When he turned around Namjoo was already walking naturally into the kitchen to peer into the pot on the stove.

"It looks good," she commented.

"I didn't make it," he immediately told before realizing she probably wasn't referring to that.

"Donghae's special; it's his hangover soup," Namjoo clarified when she turned to look at him, "he's been drinking?"

Thinking back to the past few days, Tao guessed Donghae did seem a little strung over something. Donghae hadn't really loitered around the house nor had Tao seen him as much. Sometimes Donghae disappeared for hours on end and Tao had no idea where he went. Now that Namjoo asked, Tao realized Donghae could have been indulging in worries he had no idea about.

Did it make him bad for not looking out for someone Namjoo cared about?

"Yes," Tao slightly nodded his head halfway, "I guess he has. Sometimes I barely see him."

He took note of how her eyes seemed to roll to the side and toward the ground as if calculating out some thoughts. And he wondered if this had to do with work. Why did they all seem so hung over it when they were supposed to be on break? Honestly, he just wanted some time without work becoming an issue. Some time alone with Namjoo without the mention of work or anyone else sounded like heaven.

"Where did you come from?" Tao asked moving for the cupboard to grab some bowls.

Namjoo turned to switch the stove off before turning to him, "Tao, were you with Donghae when we were in Daegu?"

His fingers pressed themselves against the cold ceramic, "Yea."

Why the mention of Daegu? He didn't think Namjoo wanted to talk about that place for it would remind her of the incident back there. Tao skimmed his eyes over her somewhat curiously.

"Do you remember if anything happened to Donghae back there?" Her eyes searched him so expectantly he felt his nerves twist up.

Unable to let her down he ransacked his memory at the speed of light to recall anything that he could. It felt like he was searching through heaps of clothes that had accumulated into a thick pile. Shirts, polos, jeans, shorts, and all the like went sprawling through the air flimsily.

"Sorry," he apologized with a disappointed sigh, "everything was so chaotic it's hard to recall. I only remember him telling to go back to the hotel."

As expected, disappointment drained her face.

"Never mind," Namjoo said with a small smile, "lets just eat."

They spent majority of the time eating in silence; his eyes drifting up every now and then to look at her. There was a lot he wanted to say, but he didn't know where to start or what to talk to her about. His mind endlessly wandered back and forth. He'd never experienced this before.

"How's your ankle?" He finally questioned. "Did you drive here?"

"It's fine," Namjoo replied stirring her bowl of soup tastelessly.

The conversation ended there and even when Namjoo washed the dishes he stared at her back from where he sat. There was so much running through his mind; to talk with her, spend some time with her, watch her smile at him, and just get to know her so that he could become someone close. So that she might open up to him like she did to Suho.