The Son of Zelos (VIXX Fanfiction)

The Edge of the Chasm

Hakyeon had become surprisingly less active.

Ever since that day when he returned to the cafe wearing a strange look on his face, the owner seemed to have had the life sucked out of him. While he smiled and greeted the customers as normal, there was something missing in his smile, a genuineness that couldn't be faked, a smile only he could give. 

Not to mention he stopped interacting happily with the patrons. While he did greet and take their orders, he would never miss an opportunity to chat with them and in some cases, play shrink to some of their problems. He loved people, he loved talking, and he loved listening. It was one of the things that had people coming back to his cafe.

Hongbin worried for his friend.

However, whenever he would approach the elder to talk about his problems, he would be brushed off with a simple "I don't want to talk about it."

Even though he wouldn't say it out loud, he suspected it had something to do with his new female friend he'd been seeing for the past few months.

Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he'd seen her.

Could that be the reason why Hakyeon seemed to always look out for someone, waiting patiently?

"It's been a week," Hakyeon murmured.

"Huh?" Hongbin asked, the elder's voice snapping him out of his thoughts.

Hakyeon didn't respond, instead keeping his eyes fixated on a particular table, currently empty but previously hosting a couple in their thirties and their son. 

Now that he thought about it, he remembered that table being the one she'd sit at every day...

Oh, now it all made sense.

"I-is your friend not coming anymore?" Hongbin bravely asked.

Hakyeon stayed silent, leaning against the counter and staring at the surface.

"I thought she liked you," he mused.

"She's engaged," Hakyeon said in a monotone voice. "To Taekwoon."

Hongbin froze hearing that. Well shit...

"So she's just not going to come anymore?" Hongbin blurted out. Well, at least he didn't say "Wow, so the girl you liked is going to get married to your cousin??"

"Wow, so the girl you liked is going to get married to your cousin??"  

Wait, that wasn't him.

The two turned around to find Jaehwan standing behind them, eyes open wide. At that moment, Hongbin had never felt like strangling someone so hard before. His mind filled with that particular thought as he put his head down in his hand.

Hakyeon simply turned back around, not answering.

"She hasn't shown up in a while, has she?" Jaehwan continued, obviously oblivious to everything and everyone around him. "Could it be that your cousin isn't allowing her to come over?" he suggested.

Hongbin went into a silent frenzy, battling between wanting to rip Jaehwan's big head off or tape his mouth shut and stuff him in the closet. Before he could speak up and ask Jaehwan to get back to baking another batch of the pastries or whatever (he just wanted him back in the kitchen and away from Hakyeon), Hakyeon decided to speak up.

"Why?" the eldest asked, in a voice quiet enough that Hongbin wondered whether he'd said anything.

Jaehwan shrugged. "It makes sense, doesn't it?" he rationalized. "Your cousin now knows that you and his fiancee have been meeting up privately, and doesn't want her to change her mind, so he probably told her not to come here anymore." He nodded. "Yeah, that seems like it could happen."