Dark Night [Sequel to 'White Night']

Chapter 13

“Okay, you guys, good training!” Wooseok shouted as the team began to get off the ice. He skated over to Jinwook. “Hey, you okay?” he asked. Jinwook smiled and nodded. “I’ve started feeling a little better...”, he said truthfully. Wooseok patted his back. “Alright, but if you change your mind about the game against the Steels you tell me, okay?” “Okay, captain”, Jinwook agreed jokingly.

Meanwhile, Dongyeol caught up to Hwanhee who was almost at the changing rooms. “Hey, I was thinking, maybe we should hang out today. I could stay at your place and we could watch some old ice hockey games from 1985”, he suggested. Hwanhee looked hesitant.

“Don’t you have plans with Wooseok?” he questioned. Dongyeol decided not to reply with a snarky comment and grinned. “I wouldn’t make plans with you if I had plans with Wooseok. So, what do you say?” he asked. Hwanhee gave in and even let a small smile creep onto his face. “Alright...”, he said.

~

“See, this is nice. Like old times”, Dongyeol said when he and Hwanhee sat on the younger’s bed, watching a low-quality rerun of an old game from the 1985 Ice Hockey Championships while eating popcorn. Hwanhee shrugged. “Old times...”, he repeated quietly.

When the game was finished Dongyeol sat up, looking at Hwanhee. “What was your deal with that Steel guy the other day?” he questioned. Hwanhee shut his laptop and sat cross-legged, not looking at his best friend. “I met him before. He’s something like a friend...”, Hwanhee said honestly. Dongyeol hummed.

“So...about what we talked about the other day...”, he trailed off. Hwanhee looked at him. “Not again!” he said since he wasn’t in the mood for Dongyeol to pry again. “I’m sorry, Hwanhee. I just feel like you’re hiding something from me...”, the younger insisted. “If I made you mad, you should tell me so I can fix it”, he said.

“You won’t be able to, even if you know”, Hwanhee said. “But I want to know”, Dongyeol replied. Hwanhee rolled his eyes. “Is that why you wanted to come over?” he asked. “Partly, but it’s also because we barely hang out anymore and that's not entirely my fault. We used to tell each other everything! And now you’re shutting me out. I don’t know if our friendship can continue like that!” the younger burst out.

He got up from the bed and stormed out of Hwanhee’s room. His best friend followed him. Dongyeol was putting on his shoes near the front door and Hwanhee considered just letting him storm off but he felt like if he did that, Dongyeol might end their friendship for good.

“I regret rejecting you three months ago and it makes me sick to see you with Wooseok”, he blurted out. Dongyeol stopped tying his shoe laces and looked at him. He stood up straight while processing the words his best friend had just thrown at him. “Excuse me?” he asked. He couldn’t have heard that right, could he? “You heard me”, Hwanhee said. He was tempted to break eye contact but he wanted Dongyeol to see that he was serious so he remained stubborn.

“Wait, wait, wait...recap...you drunk-kiss me, I confess to you, you reject me, we kiss again, you reject me once more, insisting that you’re straight, I start dating Wooseok and get over you and now, three months later you tell me that you like me after all? Is this a joke, Hwanhee?” “See, that’s why I didn’t want you to know!” Hwanhee exclaimed.

“Can you blame me for reacting like that? You weren’t exactly subtle about your resentment towards Wooseok!” Dongyeol pointed out. Hwanhee rolled his eyes. There he was again. Wooseok. “Well, how am I supposed to feel about you two being together?” he questioned. That earned him a huff from his best friend.

“Would you have chosen me over Wooseok if I hadn’t rejected you back then?” the older questioned, stepping closer so he was now standing right in front of his best friend. Dongyeol looked at him like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

“You cannot ask me that! It doesn’t matter anymore. You had your chances; two chances! And you didn’t take them. What matters is that Wooseok was there for me when you weren’t and I’m over you now! I don’t want this to jeopardize our friendship so it’s best we drop this now and instead you help me fix this”, he said, trying his best not to yell.

Hwanhee shook his head. “I can’t”, he said and leaned in. Dongyeol reacted before Hwanhee could kiss him by pushing him off. He looked at his best friend for a few seconds, heavily disappointed that he would be ready to betray Wooseok like that, before he turned around and left.

Needless to say that this was the last thing, Dongyeol had expected when he figured that his best friend was hiding something. He was completely okay with Hwanhee not being straight after all but...he couldn’t have feelings for him. Not now when Dongyeol was finally over him and in a more than happy relationship with Wooseok.

He felt angry at his best friend. How could he be so selfish? He had been so cold towards Wooseok even though the older had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had comforted Dongyeol after Hwanhee’s rejection without even making a move on him. Hwanhee had made Dongyeol realize his not-so-platonic feelings for Wooseok in the first place. More importantly, how could Dongyeol not have seen the connection? It was probably because Hwanhee’s and Wooseok’s relationship had been tense ever since Kogyeol’s accident but he never would have thought...

Dongyeol let out an frustrated groan as he reached his own home, slamming the front door shut behind him and taking his shoes off. He was ready to crawl into his bed and forget about this new problem. He stopped in his tracks when he passed the living room and saw someone sitting on the couch.

“Mother, father? What are you doing here?” he asked in disbelief. He hadn’t seen his parents in at least half a year. His mother smiled at him. “It’s good to see you, too, Dongyeol, my dear”, she said sarcastically. “We finished our trip.” Dongyeol sighed. “Are you going to tell me you’re getting a divorce again? Please, just do us all a favor and do it already. I’m sick of this”, he said before turning on his heel and practically sprinting upstairs, slamming the door to his room shut just like he had the front door.

Why were his parents here all of a sudden? Usually, they’d at least call to let him know they were in the same time zone as him. Dongyeol groaned in frustration again. This day had been way too stressful for him and he couldn’t wait to go to sleep and forget all about it.