Conceal

22. Visitor

Jooheon pressed the doorbell. He was holding Wonho's jacket, which, by now, felt familiar in his hands.

He knew this day was going to come sooner or later. Returning what was Wonho wasn't important, but facing the reality and making sense of it was. And right now, Jooheon needed to know what was happening outside of his world. Thinking back to the events yesterday night and what he heard in front of the very building he was in right now, he knew he needed an explanation to end this once and for all.

Jooheon squeezed the jacket unconsciously when he heard no footsteps behind the door, and suppressed the urge to knock the door. Instead he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had no right to be impatient, and it wasn't only because he was the one who started all of this. He was acting impulsively, doing the first thing that came to mind that seemed feasible enough for him, without thinking through all the implications of his actions or what he would do in the future. He wasn't even sure if what he did was going to help. All he knew was that he had to try everything before...well, before he ran out of things to try.

So if Wonho wasn't home, he would have no where to go.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. Wonho opened the door, and his expression turned blank once he caught sight of the visitor. Jooheon thought Wonho was going to shut the door in his face, but when Wonho saw the jacket he looked like he was going to cry all of a sudden.

"Oh, hi." Wonho said. He fixed his gaze on his jacket and opened his mouth, but closed his shortly afterwards, as if remembering something. "Sorry it took me so long to open the door. I had my hands full and it took me a while to tidy up." He was looking at Jooheon now, but he still avoided eye contact. Jooheon had the same problem - he felt like their eyes were magnets of the same poles that might never meet properly ever again. It would probably be the same with Kihyun, but that thought saddened Jooheon and he didn't have the resources to deal with that kind of emotion right then.

"It's okay." Jooheon replied automatically. He was about to state the purpose of his visit when Wonho beat him to it, as if he wouldn't allow one second of silence between them.

"You came here to give me back my jacket right?"

"Yea." And to ask you some questions. But Jooheon didn't say more, and handed the jacket over.

"Thanks."

"Sorry I couldn't give this back ea-"

"It's fine." Wonho interrupted. "I totally understand. Don't worry about it."

After the short conversation the two men fell into silence. Wonho was busy avoiding direct contact, while Jooheon tried his best to do what he came to do. But before he could ask about what he saw and heard last night, Wonho spoke up first.

"Do you have something else to say?" Wonho asked, a bit embarrassed to continue the conversation at the doorway instead of inviting his visitor in. "Because I'm quite busy at the moment. Sorry."

Jooheon realised for the first time since he came how exhausted Wonho must be. Even though it was just glimpses, Jooheon could tell how messy Wonho's living room must be with stacks of folders and papers scattered everywhere. He could also imagine a laptop buried deep in the pile with three empty coffee mugs stood around it. Wonho was still wearing his office clothes.

"Well...you do look busy." Jooheon replied. He almost slapped himself for being such a coward. He couldn't even bring himself to ask his friend a single question. "I don't want to bother you. I wish I could help you lessen the workload, but I know nothing about engineering." As soon as he said it, he realised it was true. How could he bring up such a troubling matter when Wonho was already going through this much?