NIGHTS → KWON HYUK #Wattys2017

FIVE

KWON HYUK stares blankly ahead of him, feeling the numbest he's felt in years.

"How was that?" Jiho asks from inside the booth, the grin on his face disappearing when he takes in the blank look on his friend's face. The rapper sighs then, putting his headphones away before exiting the small recording booth. Hyuk is still staring off with the same blank expression, making Jiho shake his head before picking up a notebook and slamming it on the desk before him. Hyuk jumps slightly, startled seconds too late.

"Sorry" He mumbles, "Im just really out of it. That was fine-"

"If you were paying attention you'd know that I skipped the entire fourth verse because I wanted to see if you were paying attention." Jiho cuts in quickly, seating himself beside the older male with a concerned look, "Seriously, what's up with you?"

"Besides the fact that Jiyoon did that, nothing." Hyuk replies evenly, not quite ready to say the word "cheating", yet.

"But there's something else bothering you too- besides the fact that Jiyoon worships at the pink temple now." Jiho states, patiently waiting for his friend to spill about whatever is bothering him.

"The pink temple?" Hyuk repeats with an amused grin.

"You know, where all the pink matter is, aka puss-"

"Okay-" Hyuk cuts him off quickly, cheeks flushed at his friend's behavior, "About this song, we might have to call it a wrap for tonight. My mind is all over the place and I can't focus. Sorry for dragging you out here for no reason."

"It's cool man, it's not like I had anything better to do." Is Jiho's assuring reply as he shrugs before raising a brow in confusion when Hyuk begins to stand and pack his things up, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, there's... kind of somewhere I need to be at the moment." Hyuk replies vaguely, not quite meeting the other male's eyes as he shuffles nervously, but even in the dark studio the flushed set to his face is unmissable.

"Oh? Tell your new girlfriend I said hi." Jiho says simply before turning in his chair to face the keyboard and experiment with the beat, making Hyuk pause.

"What?" He asks to which Jiho rolls his eyes before repeating himself.

"I said tell your new girlfriend I said hi and if things don't work out between you two she can hit me up at-"

"Why do you think I found someone new?" Hyuk cuts in, adjusting the bag in his hands, "I could never get over Jiyoon that quickly. I love her-"

"You loving her doesn't mean you can't love someone else as well, if not more." Jiho says wisely, "Jiyoon proved that, remember?"

"I don't like her like that. This girl - and I'll never love her either. She's not like Jiyoon. She's... she-..." Hyuk hesitates, unsure of what to say, but he knows he can trust the other male and he hasn't really acknowledged it up until this point, "She's a prostitute, or a host, i'm not really sure what the difference is but-"

"She's a prostitute? So what? If she treats you nicely then she's better than Jiyoon already." Is Jiho's confident reply that makes Hyuk frown, "Jiyoon was a bitch, she still is a bitch, a selfish bitch who only ever cared about herself. And I hope she doesn't come back to you."

"Don't say that. She will come back." Hyuk says quickly, because she would come back. She had to. Right?

Jiho laughs at this, but it's bitter and fake as he whirls around in the computer chair with a disappointed look that Hyuk is tired of receiving.

"Don't you get it?" He says quietly, "That's not what everyone is afraid of. Your friends and your family - they're not afraid that she'll come back, but that you'll let her."