Conceal

27. Warning

21st Nov - one day before Kihyun's birthday

Wonho bobbed his head to the music as he walked leisurely on the streets. Wearing a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, he was planning to go for a jog. But when he stepped out of his apartment building and felt the breeze on his face, he felt like it was a better time for a stroll instead. The sky was so blue it looked fake at first glance, the birds were chirping cheerfully, and the streets were mostly empty since few woke up early on a Sunday.

Besides, he had been thinking way too much the past few days. It was time to let his brain rest, even if it was just for a few hours.

Unfortunately, life was too short to spare Wonho even 30 minutes.

Wonho was four songs into his playlist when he saw Kihyun at the distance, sitting at a table outside of a cafe with an iced drink in front of him. After taking off his earphones and squinting a few times to make sure he didn't get the wrong person, Wonho's first instinct was to turn around and go back the way he came.

This was the very scenario he had wanted to avoid the most by getting out of his suffocating apartment. Spotting his friend forced him to think about the many things Jooheon had told him a few days ago, as well as the mysterious information Jooheon seemed to be hiding from everyone else. That was why Wonho wanted to go back as soon as possible and try to pretend nothing had happened.

But it took him too long to turn around. Kihyun locked eyes with Wonho and gave the tiniest wave a human can manage.

As Wonho approached Kihyun, he realised that neither of them were looking at each other. Wonho was looking at the ground, and Kihyun was staring at his drink.

What Wonho said to Jooheon a few days ago was right — they should definitely start communicating properly.

"Why are you here?" Wonho asked as he sat down. It was a decent conversation starter, and he really did want to know why he would find his friend here — Kihyun didn't necessarily live nearby.

"Well, it's a Sunday, and the weather's nice, so I thought it'd be nice to walk around the city." Kihyun replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

Wonho wasn't entirely convinced by that explanation, but he let it go, knowing he should use this opportunity to tell Kihyun what Jooheon told him. He didn't have the courage to go find Kihyun the past few days, but Kihyun technically came to him. Wonho would be fooling himself if he didn't see this as an indication to warn Kihyun, despite knowing it would probably be in vain.

Wonho sighed and forced himself to look at his friend. "I know we haven't talked to each other for days now, and things are a bit awkward between us, but there's something important I have to tell you, and this is probably the best chance we'll ever get. We have to start telling each other things, or this will only worsen." He paused, gauging Kihyun's reaction. Even though Kihyun nodded and showed no signs of discomfort, Wonho still thought it would be favourable to take this one step at a time.

"Do you remember detective Chae Hyungwon?"

"Of course." Kihyun answered, his face expressionless. Wonho couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing.

After the almost frustrating conversation with Jooheon, Wonho knew being straightforward was the way to go. Here goes nothing. "He's trying to ruin your relationship with Shownu-hyung by making it look like he's cheating on you with me."

Kihyun's eyes widened, but he was much calmer than Wonho would've imagined. "How do you know?

"How I found out isn't important. What's important is he, and if he works with other people, they will ruin your date tomorrow, on your birthday. So please don't—" Wonho was so close to finishing the task given by Jooheon that he cringed when Kihyun interrupted him with a loud sigh.