The Underground - 3RACHA

23

The bright lights in the diner were not helping Jisung's headache whatsoever. "This is awful, I'm never drinking again," he mumbled, leaning his head on his folded arms and closing his eyes. Chan and Yena had gone to order food at the counter but Jisung and Changbin remained in the booth, sitting opposite each other. Chan had been sitting next to Jisung, opposite Yena who was beside Changbin. Changbin was glad that she seemed to have taken a liking to him so far and Jisung too.

"That's what everyone says," Changbin mused, tracing a pattern on the back of Jisung's hand that lay upon the table. Jisung pulled his hand away, hiding it under his other arm. The corners of Changbin's mouth turned up as Chan walked back to the table, Yena bouncing up and down beside him. The booth was too high for her to climb onto herself and Chan had to lift her up.

"Guess what we're getting!" She beamed at Changbin and Jisung who looked over at her. Despite Jisung's headache, he couldn't help but smile at her, she had the kind of smile that was contagious and she always seemed so cheerful. "We're getting ice-cream!"

"Only because it's already past lunchtime," Chan explained to Yena who was too busy bouncing up and down in her seat to listen. Jisung chuckled as he dropped his head back into his arms, wishing the persistent headache would fade.

"What's your favourite ice-cream flavour?" Changbin asked her. She suddenly stopped bouncing to think about the question, a concentrated look on her face.

"I think the candyfloss one," she decided, making Changbin chuckle.

"I like coffee flavour."

"Oh, my daddy likes the coffee one too," Yena said, pointing at her dad as if Changbin didn't know who he was, "it's gross though!"

"I told you not to point at people, Yena," Chan said, but he was chuckling as he lowered her hand down onto the table. She didn't seem to take his words on board as she lifted her hand and started bouncing up and down again in her chair. Chan didn't know where she got all of her energy.

"Oh, birds!" Yena said, pointing out of the window to where there were some pigeons resting on a tree branch.

"Well...I guess you're not pointing at a person," Chan mumbled to himself, giving up on trying to get her to stop pointing for the day. Changbin chuckled at his failed efforts and childishly, Chan stuck his tongue out at him.

"Daddy, it's rude to stick your tongue out at people," Yena said, causing Changbin to burst out in a fit of laughter.

"You're right, sweetheart. I'm very sorry," Chan nodded but he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked at Changbin who was looking back at him in the same way.

-

The last thing Jisung wanted once he'd gotten home that afternoon was for someone to knock on his front door. He'd collapsed onto his bed hardly five minutes ago and was now forced up again as the knocking was persistent and he was the only one left in the house to open it. His aunt, uncle and cousins had gone out for the day without him, like they usually did on a Saturday.

"Hyunjin," Jisung mumbled when he saw who was standing outside, "wh-what are you doing here?"

Hyunjin smiled. As usual, he was oblivious to the discomfort Jisung was feeling, or maybe he was just used to it. "What do you mean?" Hyunjin asked, pushing past Jisung before he was invited inside. Jisung felt the need to take precautions when Hyunjin was in his house and made sure he didn't lock the door when he closed it. He might need a quick escape. "I'm your best friend. I come here all the time."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me..." Jisung trailed off. Where he was heading would lead to an argument and that was the last thing he wanted.

"You look like shit!" Hyunjin exclaimed, ignoring Jisung's mumbling as he placed a hand under Jisung's chin and raised it so he could properly see his eyes. "Are you hungover?" He frowned.