The Glitch (Box #1)

3

~When broken, a record needed to be discarded.

This thought had crossed Lee Chanhee's mind.
However, he had decided to ignore it.
He was better off without it.
After all, he had enough issues to deal with already.
Such as the cook conveniently heading out for a smoke when half of the bustling restaurant still wasn't served.
Such as his damned beer being stale from the moment the waitress had set it on the table.
Such as his best friend relentlessly yapping away despite the crowd surrounding them.
Truth be told, Lee Chanhee was astounded by this.
He had been certain that Niel's voice would have been subdued by this whole chaos but it only seemed to be going crescendo.
Right on par with his antics.
No words could explain the looks of astonishment on his friends' faces as he slammed his hand down on the table.
"Dear friends, we are honored and grateful to be present here today to witness the sacred vows between Lee Chanhee and his job." Niel paused before placing his hand right above his heart. "This is truly an occasion for joy and celebration but let us remember that a contract is not to be entered into lightly or in jest and only after much consideration!"
Ahn Daniel had only had a sip of beer ever since they'd sat down.
A sip.
Therefore Lee Chanhee could only see one explanation to this speech.
Biting on his lower lip, he could only turn to face his boyfriend.
"Why do I strongly feel insulted?"
Before he could be given any answer, a hand wrapped around his head.
Lee Chanhee could only expect the worst as his head was mechanically turned around.
Only to be tilted upwards to look right into his best friend's eyes.
"Dear best friend of mine."
Ahn Daniel and Lee Chanhee had known each other for over 15 years.
The need for him to specify the nature of their friendship only meant one thing:
He was about to shit all over Lee Chanhee's parade.
"I most definitely did insult you."
Strike 1.
"Because you are the inferior being."
"Can't you just outright call me an 'idiot'?" Chanhee sighed only to be flicked on the forehead.
Strike 2.
"Because you are the inferior being that put 'sleeper' as your occupation for the past three years..."
"I was trying to find myself." Chanhee innocently blinked only to be hit once more.
"For the past three fucking years on your résumé!"
Strike 3.
Lee Chanhee knew for a fact that he had been struck out.
He had a throbbing forehead as damned proof!
He also knew that he was treading extremely dangerous ground.
Still he wasn't about to sit there and let his best friend trample all over him.
After all, he was still the oldest: He had one full year of knowledge ahead of him!
"I was a very qualified sleeper."
Or so he liked to believe.
"My ass you were qualified!" Niel clucked his tongue as he grabbed a handful of Chanhee's hair. "There is a difference between sleeping and sleeping."
Lee Chanhee let out a loud yelp as Niel gave his hair a good yank.
However, Ahn Daniel was way past the point of caring about any details regarding his best friend's welfare.
"You, my dear friend, were not sitting on the good side of the term." He finished as he plopped back down next to him.
"You've made your point." Chanhee clucked his tongue. "Now let go!"
"I quite like this position." Niel innocently blinked as he playfully gave another yank.
He seemed to be having the time of his life.
Until a strong hand fell down on his.
Pursing his lips, he looked up at the owner of the hand.
Only to meet a familiar glare.
"Sit still for once, Daniel." Bang Minsoo ordered before flicking his hand off of Chanhee's head.
Or should Ahn Daniel say punch?
No words could explain the pained gasp that escaped his lips as he clutched his hand.
"Did I hurt you?"
Hold up.
"You care?"
"No." Minsoo deadpanned before wrapping an arm around Chanhee's shoulders. "I was just making sure that I hadn't lost my touch yet."
"Your touch?" Niel darkly chuckled to himself before abruptly stopping. "You sort of did. Want me to teach you all over again?"
There they were.
Still going strong after 15 very long years.
The two idiots that Lee Chanhee knew and loved despite his better judgment.
"Spare me." Chanhee sighed as he lightly shook Minsoo's arm off of him.
"You weren't included." Niel reminded him as he desperately tried reaching for Minsoo.
"I'm sitting between the two of you." Chanhee shook his finger at him. "I am included."
"Are not." Niel clucked his tongue as he failed to punch Minsoo.
Yet his hand did reach a certain target.
Lee Chanhee's poor cheek.
"Are too." Chanhee groaned as he grabbed his wrist.
However Ahn Daniel had two of those, didn't he?
"Are not." Niel reassured him as he tried reaching Minsoo with his other.
"Are too!" Chanhee groaned as he received another fist on his cheek.
"Are not."
"Stop."
A bucket of cold water seemed to have been poured over the two of them as they turned to face Minsoo.
The latter's trademark glare drilling into Niel.
"It's been 15 years." He sighed as he reached for his beer. "You shouldn't toy with him like that anymore, Daniel." All before focusing on Chanhee, the whisper of a smile spreading on his lips. "And I am the only one that should be pulling your hair."
Whenever Lee Chanhee would look at his boyfriend, he would give himself a well-earned pat on the back.
No one but Niel was as better placed as him to say that Bang Minsoo seemed to be aging like fine wine.
Chanhee could still remember the times when that warm gaze of his had been paired with crooked teeth and a buzz cut. He had somewhat been cute but Chanhee had been sold from the moment that he had developed muscles and facial hair.
Truth be told, he hadn't been the only one.
From the corner of his eye, he had long taken note of several women throwing Minsoo brief glances.
Their attention focused on his peculiar hair.
Indeed, with his snapback lying on the table before him, his unkempt blonde hair was revealed.
Chanhee couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he remembered the look of mortification on Minsoo's sister's face. Her brother should have been livid after her prank, yet he had never received a better make-over.
"My ears." Niel made faces as he reached for his beer.
"No one should be pulling my hair." Chanhee rolled his eyes as he also reached for his beer.
"Surely he does."
He hadn't uttered a word ever since they'd sat down.
He had seemed much too preoccupied with his phone.
Yet.
There he was.
Suddenly talking.
Suddenly acknowledging Chanhee's mere existence.
"You're curious?" Minsoo cocked his head to the side as a smirk slowly spread to his lips. "Should we tell him?"
The words had been whispered right into Chanhee's ear.
Still he hadn't registered them.
He was only focused on the infectious smile in front of him.
Aimed at everyone but him.
"No." Niel groaned before passing a hand across his face. "It's already bad enough that my best friends have been dating for eons. I don't need the details to boot."
"How prude of you." He chuckled before taking a swig of his beer.
"You'll have to forgive him, he's still 14."
The words had mechanically left Chanhee's lips, causing laughter across the table.
Yet he still felt like the odd one out.
"If I'm 14, then Minsoo's in his forties." Niel childishly shot back.
"He'd be a good-looking forty year old man." He nodded as he sat back.
"Damn right." Minsoo agreed as he smiled at Chanhee.
"Your head just doubled in size, did you notice?" Niel rolled his eyes back at him.
"Is your dick jealous?"
He cutely spluttered on his drink.
Obviously, even after a year and a half with Niel and Minsoo, their squabbles were hard to handle. Even Chanhee had felt like digging himself a grave the moment those words had left Minsoo's lips. Therefore his frustration was more than evident as they both turned towards him.
"Chanhee, tell him who's best." Minsoo tittered as he leaned forward.
"You've showered with us both." Niel countered as he also leaned in. "You be the judge."
"Over my dead body." Chanhee clucked his tongue as he pushed both of their faces away from him.
One rolled his eyes.
The other pouted like the child that he was.
Still, their end reaction was the same.
"Let's go check."
This should have been the part where Lee Chanhee fell into his trademark state of indifference regarding their stupidity.
This should have been the part where he simply sipped on his beer.
Had he not been more than fully aware of the situation.
"That's my cue to leave."
The whisper of a smile spread on his lips as Chanhee slowly got to his feet.
Much too slowly.
Thus leaving more than enough time for his best friends to fall into his trap.
"The hell are you saying?" Minsoo raised an eyebrow as he caught Chanhee's wrist.
"You're still sober." Niel added as he cupped Chanhee's cheeks in his hands.
No words could explain the weight that had been lifted from Lee Chanhee's shoulders as his best friends plopped him back down in his seat. Still, he couldn't help but wonder for how long he would escape being alone with him.
It had been six months since they'd last seen each other.
Six very long months.
                                        "Don't look at me as though I were being heartless.
                                                              You're not going to leave him.
                                                                      I know that you won't.
                                                         But you can leave me, can't you?"
Absent-mindedly, Lee Chanhee found himself slowly shaking his head once more.
All before catching himself.
That was all in the past.
He needed to focus on the present.
Though it mainly consisted of Niel playfully squishing his cheeks.
"I'm planning on staying that way." Chanhee groaned as he shooed his hands away. "I have work tomorrow!"
Indeed.
Lee Chanhee had work tomorrow.
Something his best friends had been yearning to hear for much too long.
So much so that they couldn't hide the wide grins that spread on their lips.
"Look at you using big words." Minsoo lightly chuckled as he pulled on Chanhee's wrist.
Thus pulling him into a bear hug that Niel didn't hesitate to join.
Much to Chanhee's dismay.
The latter could only groan as he evaded their arms.
Put more precisely, as he purely and utterly failed escaping their arms.
He could only throw his head back as they both gave him a big squeeze.
Followed by a smooch from both of them on his cheeks.
All under a camera's flash.
"No pictures!" Chanhee cried out despite himself.
"Why not?" Niel cocked his head to the side as he squeezed him once more.
"I'll send it to you guys." He chuckled as he shook his phone back at them.
"Let me see." Niel nodded as he peeled himself off of Chanhee.
Lee Chanhee couldn't help but heave out a relieved sigh as he managed to breathe again.
All before taking in the arms still locked around his waist.
"People are looking." He whispered as he tried pulling away from Minsoo.
"I don't feel like letting you go." Minsoo whispered right back as he rested his chin on his shoulder.
"I don't feel like answering unnecessary questions." Chanhee puffed his cheeks as he lightly shook him.
"If they ask, say that you were about to faint."
Now.
Bang Minsoo always made himself out to be the smartest out of the three of them.
However what was Lee Chanhee to make out of this?
"I've been in the process of fainting for the past 10 minutes?" Chanhee teased as he slightly cocked his head to the side.
"Ssh." Minsoo smiled as he nestled himself closer to him. "Don't fuss over the details."
"Are we shooting some sort of drama?" Chanhee chuckled as he lightly shook his shoulder.
"Stop that." Minsoo slightly whined before cocking his head to the side. "But yes. I am the rich, charismatic, brooding and handsome..."
"Niel is right." Chanhee mock gasped as he knocked his forehead against his. "Your head is swelling."
Chanhee couldn't help but laugh as Minsoo slightly made a face.
All before giving his waist a gentle squeeze as he brought him closer.
Only to steal a kiss from his lips.
All under a camera's flash.
"What is it with you guys and pictures today?" Minsoo's easy laughter wrapped around them.
Just as his arm as it still lingered around Chanhee's waist.
Much to the latter's discomfort.
Quite sincerely, Lee Chanhee could have shaken him off.
He could have refused his boyfriend's gentle touch.
However, this was the least he could do.
After all, he had already denied Minsoo of a kiss.
Though the camera's angle could have said otherwise.
"Where's Byunghun?" Minsoo asked as he reached for Chanhee's beer bottle.
To say Lee Chanhee had been surprised would have been an understatement.
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he allowed his gaze to meet Niel's.
Niel's and only Niel's.
"He went out for a call or something." Niel absent-mindedly answered before placing his phone back on the table. "Leaving me, the resident third wheel, alone with you guys."
How long had he been gone for?
The question lay on the tip of Chanhee's tongue.
However as Minsoo gently hooked his fingers through the hem of his shirt, the words never left his lips.
"You could do something about it." Minsoo proposed as he drank Chanhee's beer.
"I am doing something." Niel deadpanned before raising his beer at the two of them. "I am complaining."
"Sitting on your ass will get you nowhere." Minsoo shook his finger him before reaching for his snapback. "I'm going out for a smoke." He called as he turned around to grab his jacket. "Call me when the food's ready."
"You said that you had stopped." Chanhee raised an eyebrow as Minsoo pulled out his lighter.
"Do kiss me once in a while and see through that lie, Lee Chanhee."
Bang Minsoo had lain no finger whatsoever on him
Quite on the contrary.
Still Chanhee felt as though he'd been slapped right there and then.
"That right there is why I don't want to date." Niel sighed as he sat back in his chair.
Bang Minsoo had long left the table.
"What?"
Still, Lee Chanhee's gaze remained rooted to his chair.
"Chanhee." Niel softly called.
So much so that he hardly noticed as a single tear slid down his cheek.
"Chanhee." Niel called more earnestly.
Clearing his throat, Chanhee passed a hand across his face before looking back at Niel.
"What?" He blinked after clearing his throat once more.
"Lately."
Chanhee slightly cocked his head to the side as Niel paused.
Somehow, he seemed to be hesitating about something.
So much so that Chanhee couldn't help but purse his lips.
Niel always seemed perfectly sure of his words.
This slight pause was worrying.
"Lately, watching you and Minsoo interact is like watching two dead fish trying to procreate."
Despite his worries, nothing could have prepared Lee Chanhee for this second verbal slap in less than 5 minutes.
"Well, fuck you too."
The scoff left Lee Chanhee's lips before he could even stop himself.
Hence his face palm as he earned himself a reply true to Niel's nature.
"Thanks for the offer but you'd better give it to Minsoo."
Violence was key in situations like these but Chanhee knew better.
He knew damn better.
"You're so insightful today." He grumbled under his breath.
Though it would have more than pleased him to have his best friend's head.
Served on a silver platter to boot.
"Have you perhaps truly started dating again?"
"Don't try changing the subject." Niel shook his finger at him.
Regardless of the warning, Lee Chanhee pushed on.
"Is that ever going to happen or is that ever going to happen?"
"What needs to happen is you shutting your mouth."
The small snort that escaped Chanhee's lips perfectly matched the frown on Niel's face.
After all, he had fallen head first into Lee Chanhee's trap.
If the latter was required to keep quiet, there was no need whatsoever for him to stick to their first topic.
Therefore Niel could only grumble as Chanhee threw him a content smile.
"Seriously though." Chanhee continued as he reached for his bottle. "Have you started dating again?"
"Dating?"
From the way Niel had uttered the word, it could have very well been an unidentified entity in itself.
"Yes." Chanhee rolled his eyes as he tried taking a swig of his beer. "That thing that people start doing after their break-up, three years ago."
Only to purely and utterly fail.
Minsoo had finished his beer all the way down to the last drop!
Scoffing, he almost paid no attention to Niel's answer.
"I've taken a dump, yes."
Almost.
"Well, what?" Niel laughed as he took in Chanhee's seemingly threatening glare. "People do, do that after break-ups."
"Asshole."
Rather than being wounded by the term, Niel mock-gasped.
"I cannot believe that they accepted to produce your play." He tittered as he raised a hand to his lips. "You have such poor vocabulary."
Correction.
Lee Chanhee's vocabulary took a nosedive whenever he hung out with his best friends.
After all, their fields of predilection lay in the sciences.
Their vocabulary was limited to getting their points across.
Point done.
If a fruit was a banana, so be it.
Whereas to Lee Chanhee, if a fruit were a banana:
It could either be a yellow phallic shaped fruit or a yellow crescent shaped fruit.
After all, he was the literature major and play writer.
Therefore if his best friend wanted him to show off his extensive vocabulary, he would more than comply.
"You may strategically place your wonderful lips upon my posterior..."
However Niel tended to have more under his sleeve than the stereotypical pragmatic scientist.
"And kiss it repeatedly." Niel easily finished.
Much to Lee Chanhee's dismay.
Slightly shaking his head, Niel made a face at his best friend.
"You plagiarize to sound smart too. I am embarrassed for you. I truly am."
Enough was enough.
Lee Chanhee's ego could only take so many jabs in so little time.
"What have I done to you?" He pouted, seemingly wounded.
"What have I done to you?" Niel scoffed right back at him.
"You're damn beautiful and you're sitting here like some old heifer. That's what you've done to me."
Never had Lee Chanhee ever felt so satisfied at shutting up his best friend.
Blinking his fringe out of his almond shaped eyes, Niel slightly bit on his full lower lip as he looked back at Chanhee. He looked like nothing more than a wounded puppy as his dark hair curled in all of the right places around his small face.
Still Lee Chanhee knew better than to fall victim to this.
Ahn Daniel was drop dead gorgeous and he knew it damn well.
Hell, he was more than aware of the looks that he received from here and there.
If not, he wouldn't have slightly cocked his head to the side.
Thus allowing the girl sitting right behind Chanhee to look right into his eyes.
All before falling victim to his sweet smile.
"People are not going to magically waltz into your arms if you just keep staring at them like that."
"It could work, you know." Niel chuckled as he sat upright once more.
"Right."
Raising his hand, Chanhee tried motioning the waitress over. However, she didn't even bother glancing towards him as she busied herself through the crowd of other complaining customers. Frowning, Chanhee dropped his hand just in time to catch the gleam growing in his best friend's eyes.
"Do not speak if you completely adhere to your thoughts." Chanhee warned as he raised a hand once more towards the waitress.
"We could have been going about this flirting thing the wrong way."
Ahn Daniel had completely disregarded his warning. Still, Lee Chanhee would not give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Stop trying to give yourself the pat on the back that I've been denying you all these years." Chanhee deadpanned as the waitress finally noticed him. "You do not deserve it."
"I hate you."
The waitress raised an eyebrow as she looked over at a pouting Niel.
However, she soon disregarded him as other customers called.
Thankfully Chanhee had managed to order more beers before she ran off.
"Said the best friend." Chanhee sang as casually leaned back. "Yet he remembered that he had professed his undying love 10 years ago and reaffirmed it during New Year's..."
Niel could have denied all of this.
Had Lee Chanhee not recorded him drunkenly making this confession.
As though on cue, the two best friends looked at Chanhee's phone on the table.
Niel could have leaned over and deleted the damned evidence.
However he also knew that Chanhee would not hesitate to chew his head off if he so much as dared touch his phone.
"I love you okay." Niel groaned as he rested his chin on his hand. "I love you till the ends of this earth."
"I love you more." Chanhee winked as Niel flipped him the finger.
"I'll gag myself by the end of this."
The waitress always seemed to appear during Niel's worst moments.
She could only raise an eyebrow at the handsome young man as she handed him his beer. All before turning to a chuckling Lee Chanhee. He thanked her for the drinks, more than surprised that they had appeared in the blink of an eye compared to their food. However the thought disappeared as quickly as it had crossed his mind.
Thus letting him enjoy a long swig of his beer.
Complete with a satisfied burp.
All under Niel's careful smile.
"I really am proud of you."
Truth be told, it was ironic for Niel to congratulate Chanhee.
Not only was he a year younger but he had graduated by the skin of his teeth.
Whereas Chanhee had always been a stellar student.
He had been the promising student of his year.
Yet.
Three years into the industry, none of his plays had ever been produced.
Put more precisely, he had failed to write any play whatsoever upon graduation.
"It really feels as though you're getting back on your feet."
It had seemed as though his body had gone into shutdown mode after all of those years of hard work.
Hardworking and successful Lee Chanhee had, for the very first time in his life, embraced laziness.
He had embraced it in such a way that it had been scary.
"Had I lost my footing?" Chanhee wondered as he peeked at the time on his phone.
Now.
Niel knew all the ins and outs of laziness.
Hell, he could have founded them.
Still, Chanhee had made him reticent to ever letting himself go again.
"You had writer's block for three years."
Though Chanhee had been smiling over the past few years, he had been a walking lifeless vessel.
"I think it's safe to say that you had slid and plastered your ass all over the floor."
Though Chanhee had been proud when he and Minsoo had gotten their first jobs, his bright smile had never quite reached his eyes.
"You had lost your footing."
All until he had walked into their lives.
"Then that happened."
Lee Chanhee should have been the one to blush in embarrassment.
However it was Niel's cheeks that slightly grew ablaze.
The memory of Lee Byunghun opening his front door in nothing but an oversized shirt still fresh in his mind. Down to the very detail of the drops of water sliding down his skin. All because he had run out of his shower.
Where Lee Chanhee's singing had still been more than clear.
"And it ended." Chanhee softly countered.
Lee Chanhee had never been much of a singer.
Yet his voice had been filled with such joy that Niel had almost bypassed how tone deaf he'd been.
"Stop looking at me like that."
Niel slowly blinked out of his thoughts.
His attention falling back onto his best friend.
His gentle features pulled back into a sad smile.
Just as it'd been on that day six months ago.
"You've dated Minsoo for over six years now."
Just as it'd been on that picture that Niel had taken some minutes ago.
"No shit." Chanhee deadpanned as he sat back in his chair.
"You can't blame me for wondering what exactly had possessed you to cheat on him!"
The word had never left Niel's lips.
At least not in front of Chanhee.
Even though they were best friends.
Even though they knew that they were the only ones that could push each other's buttons and still love each other.
Niel had always stopped himself because he'd known that Chanhee had already pushed himself to his limit.
"I haven't called him nor texted him." Chanhee started.
He'd known that he would be the cause behind that tear in the corner of Chanhee's eyes.
"This is the first time that I'm seeing him in over six months."
He'd known that, maybe just this once, they might not still love each other.
"Not that it bothered you enough to give me a heads up about this."
He had known it all.
However he couldn't stay quiet after that picture.
He just couldn't.
"Minsoo wanted to surprise you." Niel softly replied.
It was an undeniable fact.
Lee Chanhee was handsome.
Even downright pretty to most.
Still there was something off in his features as he snorted back at Niel.
"Well, he succeeded."
After all, no one remained handsome as they bordered tears.
"You and I both know that Byunghun has every right to sit at this table as your friend." Niel paused before lightly biting on his lower lip. "Because he's just as proud of you as Minsoo and I are."
A tear slid down Lee Chanhee's cheek but he hurriedly wiped it away.
Regardless, Niel had seen it.
"Minsoo had known that you guys had had some sort of falling out."
Chanhee couldn't help but scoff at the term.
If only it could have been that simple.
"He couldn't understand how the two of you, who'd become such good friends, who'd become so attuned to one another, had just stopped talking to each other. So he invited him, regardless of the situation."
"Dear best friend of mine, you could have pitched in and said otherwise."
That single word of endearment seemed to embody all of the profanities that Lee Chanhee couldn't say because it would scar more than a few innocent ears around them. Still, Niel pushed on.
"I agreed with him."
Third verbal slap of the day.
Lee Chanhee couldn't help but gape at his best friend.
He did what?
"I still agree with him."
"Are you in your right mind?"
Translation.
Lee Chanhee was livid and Niel was treading extremely dangerous water.
"You've changed registry." Niel started and Chanhee scoffed.
"I am aware of that, Ahn Daniel."
"You do that when you're angry."
"I'm sorry." Chanhee snorted before pointing a finger at Niel. "Should I be shitting daisies right about now?"
"You're beyond scared of mere polynomial equations."
"How is this relevant?"
"Yet it wouldn't bother you to look into European history. Then imagining your characters living there, one of them dying from the bubonic plague of all things."
Lee Chanhee wanted to have his head.
He truly did.
However he couldn't exactly go at it when he was making no sense whatsoever.
"Which is extremely weird in my opinion." Niel slightly nodded to himself.
"Your point being?" Chanhee shot back as he got to his feet.
"That we're nothing alike but we've always fit."
Niel had been 9 at the time.
Chanhee, 10.
Minsoo, 11.
One thing had been more than clear on that hot summer day as they'd stood outside their neighborhood mart.
That sole Magnum staring back at the three of them had been a declaration of war.
All before it had fallen to the floor.
"We've known each other for so long that we just make our differences click, you know?"
Their laughter still rung through Niel's mind as he remembered how fast they'd run away from the screaming shopkeeper. Once they'd found a good hiding spot, Minsoo had been the first to scream at the two of them for arguing like idiots over that single ice-cream. Only for Niel to shout back that he had been just as loud as them.
Then Chanhee's warm smile had put an end to their useless screaming.
His toothy smile infectious as he had cutely pointed out that he'd managed to start eating the ice-cream.
To this, the other two had only laughed, claiming that he had only licked the ice around the ice-cream's wrapping.
"Yet two years ago, for the first time, I sometimes felt like an intruder around you."
Niel lightly chuckled to himself as he recalled the hostility he'd felt towards Lee Byunghun when they had first met.
"Even though you're dating Minsoo, I still feel like it's the three of us against the world."
In a way, it had been childish.
Still, how had Niel been supposed to react?
"The only time I ever truly felt like a third-wheel was when I was alone with you and Byunghun."
They had in no way ignored him.
Hell, Niel would have preferred that they ignore him.
At least then, he wouldn't have felt bad.
He wouldn't have felt as though he were robbing them of something.
Something incredibly beautiful and precious.
"Even before it all started, you only had eyes for him."
Lee Chanhee would have been lying if he said that his best friend's words had left him indifferent.
Quite on the contrary, they had deeply hurt him.
So much so that he didn't even know what hurt.
He didn't know where it hurt.
Still he knew why it hurt.
Lee Chanhee knew and therefore wanted this conversation to end.
He wanted to rid himself of this hurt building within him.
It had taken him six full and tiring months to overcome it.
He didn't want to fall victim to it again.
He didn't want to and he wouldn't.
Point done.
"They've finally started serving the food again."
Lee Chanhee would not linger on this any further.
"Your relationship with Minsoo." Niel tried but he was soon cut off.
Lee Chanhee would not.
"Do you think we'll be served first?"
However this was his stubborn best friend that he was dealing with.
"Rather than love, is it not sympathy?"
Lee Chanhee's hand had slipped.
His fingers had grazed his bottle of beer but never quite gotten around to grabbing it.
He simply found himself gaping back at Niel.
Sympathy?
"Minsoo and I probably had crushes on you from the moment we noticed how sly you were."
Indeed.
The ice-cream that had fallen to the floor had been half-eaten.
Not that Minsoo and Niel had noticed at the time.
Through their mindless name throwing, Chanhee had simply started eating the ice-cream.
All traces of his crime forgotten once they'd left the shop.
Or so he'd thought.
He had never looked cuter as he'd smiled.
His lips covered with chocolate.
"It took him long but when Minsoo asked you out, you didn't even say yes."
In their crowded high school canteen, Minsoo had finally bitten the bullet and asked Chanhee out to see a movie.
Not their usual outings with Niel but a real date.
Just the two of them as an official couple.
"I always knew that I would end up with one of you." Chanhee started as his fingers fiddled with his beer bottle.
At the time, no words had left Chanhee's lips.
He had only smiled as he'd looked back at Minsoo.
His smile just as warm as Minsoo's fingers as they had laced with his.
"It was natural for me."
That small gesture had done it all.
Nothing more, nothing less.
It had been simple.
"I love you guys."
Had that not been enough?
"So you're saying it would have been the same if I had asked you out?" Niel whispered.
Niel and Minsoo had always been the only people Lee Chanhee had considered worthy of spending his life with.
He hadn't even bothered wondering about his sexual preferences as he grew up.
He was attracted to Niel and Minsoo.
Point done.
He hadn't even bothered doubting in his appearance as he grew up.
He had charmed Niel and Minsoo from Day 1.
Point done.
There had been no doubts whatsoever in his mind.
He'd already been more than aware of how everything would end up.
The three of them would always be together.
Yet.
Lee Chanhee could perfectly see the incredulous look on Niel's face if he dared truthfully answer.
So he evaded the question.
"But you wouldn't have asked me out." Chanhee teasingly winked back at him.
To say Ahn Daniel had nearly chocked on his drink would have been an understatement.
Repeatedly hitting his chest, he gaped at Chanhee as the latter sent him a knowing smile.
When he'd said that Niel was 14 years old, he hadn't simply been day dreaming.
"I know you like the back of my hand." Chanhee nodded.
Niel always picked on his crushes and he had picked on Bang Minsoo for 15 years straight.
Even when he was picking on Lee Chanhee, he was aiming for Bang Minsoo.
Something that Chanhee had always noticed, contrary to his dense boyfriend.
"That's how much I love you two."
Lee Chanhee's gaze was filled with adoration for his best friends.
Not that Ahn Daniel would care.
"'You two'."
Niel had never felt as heartbroken as the day Minsoo had asked Chanhee out.
Still.
He had consoled himself.
"'You guys'."
There had stood two of the people that he loved the most in this world.
He had always wished for nothing but their happiness, so why would he stop just because they'd started dating?
Because he was envious?
Jealous?
All because he hadn't had the balls to ask Minsoo out?
Would Ahn Daniel really abide to such bullshit?
Would he really fall victim to such petty thoughts?
The answer had been 'no'.
It had been a flat-out no.
All before he had noticed this pattern.
"Do you even consider us as individuals?"
Lee Chanhee didn't love Bang Minsoo.
Lee Chanhee loved Bang Minsoo and Ahn Daniel!
"Do you see us as nothing but a package deal?"
Lee Chanhee and Bang Minsoo were not meant to be.
Lee Chanhee, Bang Minsoo and Ahn Daniel were meant to be!
"Do not mistake our friendship for romance, Lee Chanhee!"
A slight gasp escaped Chanhee's lips as Niel slammed his hands down on the table.
"There is a difference between love and love!"
Niel shook his head as he slightly bit his lower lip.
"Let me tell you this instant that what you feel for Bang Minsoo is not love!"
Chanhee opened his mouth but Niel pointed his index at him.
"You!" Niel started before clenching his fist as he fought against the tears welling in his eyes. "You don't look it one bit but you've always been too smart for your own good."
"I don't look it?"
"You look like a damn village idiot." Niel deadpanned as Chanhee scoffed.
"Have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror?"
"I'm talking about you right now, Lee Chanhee!"
Indeed.
Ahn Daniel was talking about this thing staring back at him.
"You lovable yet detestable, sly little piece of shit."
Ahn Daniel was talking about this clever, yet aloof beyond repair, best friend of his.
"Yes, you, you asshole!"
Ahn Daniel was talking about one person.
Point done.
"I'm talking about you."
Therefore Lee Chanhee could very well shove his so-called attempt at diverting the conversation far up his ass because Ahn Daniel was more than done with this bullshit.
"The simple fact that you approached Lee Byunghun should have been your wake up call."
Frustrated beyond repair, Niel's whole body shook in anger.
All the way down to the tip of his index as he pointed it straight at Chanhee's forehead.
"You've never looked at anyone with interest." Niel clucked his tongue.
Over the years, even a wall couldn't have shown better indifference than Lee Chanhee.
"You've always agreed that someone was good-looking but you never cared."
Lee Chanhee had been the one to casually hand a box of tissues to Niel the first time they'd watched porn together.
Hell, he'd even made sure to ask Niel if everything had gone well when the latter had timidly walked back into his room!
At the time, Niel had been far too embarrassed to dwell on how odd it'd all been.
After all, that had been their first time watching porn.
It was a whole new thing to them.
Yet.
Lee Chanhee, a perfectly healthy teenage boy, had held the same wisdom as an old geezer ready to coil over.
The whole process had spurred no emotion whatsoever from him.
"The most beautiful, most lovable, oddest..." Niel rambled before groaning.
None.
None but a small smile.
He hadn't been supposed to be that calm and collected!
"Whatever you want!"
He hadn't been supposed to calmly chuckle as Minsoo had then filed out of the room.
Tissue box in tow.
"Girls and guys asked you out all through high school and you rejected them!"
He had been supposed to be just as embarrassed as his best friends.
He had been supposed to show some sign of discomfort.
Had a measly damn blush been too much to ask for?
"You rejected all of them but Minsoo!"
From Niel's tone, had one not been following the conversation, they could have thought him jealous of all things.
So much so that Lee Chanhee couldn't help but lightly tease him.
"Giving you more than enough opportunities to ask them out, dear best friend of..."
Now.
Much too preoccupied with taking an extra-long swig of his beer, Niel had long stopped looking at Chanhee.
However his aim had been more than perfect.
Indeed, a small scoff escaped Chanhee's lips as his eyes met the finger Niel had flipped him.
"The fact remains that they wanted you but you didn't give a damn."
A far from elegant burp left Niel's lips as he set his bottle back onto the table.
All before pointing his index at Chanhee once more.
"You simply sat on your ass." Niel deadpanned as he cocked his head to the side.
Or not.
No words could explain the pained yelp that escaped Niel's lips as Chanhee bent his finger backwards.
"Was I supposed to sit on my head, Einstein?" Chanhee dryly asked.
"You simply sat on your fucking ass waiting on the day when Minsoo would ask you out!"
Niel's words were slurred as he angrily shook Chanhee's hand away from his.
"Now I know why you just smiled." He continued before plopping his chin down on his outstretched palms.
Lee Chanhee had the most beautiful smile Ahn Daniel had ever seen.
Yet.
At times, he found himself despising it.
"You had planned it all." Niel nodded to himself.
Lee Chanhee's smile always held a certain sense of malice.
He always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve.
"You had written that play out in your head and you'd just waited."
Therefore he was always confident.
He was always two steps ahead of everyone.
"You'd waited and as usual we fell into your trap." Niel softly whispered as a lone tear slid down his cheek.
"Have I gone from a piece of shit to a black widow?" Chanhee easily shot back as he brought his bottle to his lips.
Or at least attempted to.
Niel ripped the bottle from his hand before pursing his lips back at him.
"Throw one more fucking metaphor at me and I shall punch you!"
And Lee Chanhee would abide to this because?
"Do I also get compensation for the amount of 'fuck's I've received?"
"You deserve them." Niel spat back at him as he discarded the bottle on the table.
Lee Chanhee had long stopped counting the number of verbal slaps he'd received today.
After all, he was more than sure he had surpassed the hundreds by now and Ahn Daniel didn't seem to be done talking.
"You planned your whole life out." Niel nodded to himself as he looked down at his hands. "I get it. So did I. I'm not yet working at NASA but I'll get there."
His point being?
Lee Chanhee hadn't uttered the words but Niel had heard them loud and clear.
Clearing his throat, he passed a hand through his hair before continuing.
"I'll say this in a way that you'll understand."
In other words, Niel was about to put Lee Chanhee through a world of hurt.
Not that the brunette cared as he took in his best friend's ever deepening frown.
"Your life is a play, Lee Chanhee."
Folding his arms across his chest, Chanhee couldn't help but cock his head to the side.
"However no one wrote it beforehand: You started out with Niel and Minsoo but you don't have to end up with one of them."
Where on earth would this be heading?
"This is not a shoujo manga or some romantic comedy or drama. If you do not want to be romantically attached to Niel or Minsoo, no writer will force you."
Ah.
Up till then, Ahn Daniel had almost been convincing.
"There is no nonsensical force that will force you to stay with Minsoo."
Almost.
"It is not nonsensical." Chanhee calmly cut in.
It was a pull that Lee Chanhee had never fought against.
All because it was natural.
"For Minsoo it isn't." Niel corrected him as he sat straight.
It was comfortable.
"That idiot has always had eyes for you and only you."
It was everything one could ask for.
"That's why he asked you to marry him three years ago."
Lee Chanhee could have feigned indifference.
He could have.
"Yet you froze."
However his gaze could only focus on Niel's trembling lower lip.
"You froze in such a way that you lost all will to write."
"Minsoo had nothing to do with that."
The words had shot out of Chanhee before he could stop himself.
After all, there was only so much that he could do as painful memories wrapped around him.
"He did." Niel insisted as he reached for his beer bottle.
Lee Chanhee simply found himself trapped by the memory of Bang Minsoo's husky voice.
Slowly creeping to every corner of his being and rattling him to no end.
"He didn't." Chanhee softly whispered more to himself than anyone else.
Lee Chanhee simply found himself trapped by the memory of Bang Minsoo's slender fingers tiptoeing over his hand.
Gently wrapping around his ring finger, they had momentarily been Lee Chanhee's engagement ring.
His long awaited engagement ring.
"He did." Niel pushed on, discarding his beer bottle.
Lee Chanhee simply found himself trapped by the memory of Minsoo's shy smile.
Tugging at his heart strings and filling him with overwhelming joy.
Yet.
"He did not." Chanhee said with more certainty as his hands mechanically raised to the nape of his neck.
To this day, Lee Chanhee could still recall the invisible hand that had clasped around his throat.
Stopping him from uttering the words that would have sealed it all.
Stopping him from making the worst mistake of his life.
"He did!"
A mistake.
"Did not!"
Still.
"Did!"
How could the one thing that Lee Chanhee had always strived for be a mistake?
"Did not!" Chanhee snapped despite himself.
How could accepting Bang Minsoo's love be a mistake?
"I was the one that got lost!" Chanhee continued as he slowly began shaking his head.
How?
"Minsoo had nothing to do with it." Chanhee insisted as his hands cupped his own cheeks. "Right?"
A reassuring smile.
"He did."
A slight nod.
"Unlike your plans, you didn't simply smile and accept his proposal."
Anything would have been better than Niel's stern gaze.
"You actually said no to the so-called love of your life."