1. the app

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"Yey." A hand landed softly on his shoulder, then fingers started to dance a few moves meant especially to wave Dongheon's anger and anxiety off. "I'm really sorry."

He knows the other boy really means it: years of friendship taught him what even every move or sight of Minchan means, so he can read him better than himself. And now, his full expression was showing off the same message: he's truly sorry for making Dongheon look for him again through all the city while being busy enough.

"I know."

It's nearly 4PM, Dongheon should have been by this time at his job preparing another delivery; but short before putting the keys into the ignition of the motorbike he received a short call from an unknown number so this guy, who's now trying to shield off all this stress from him by massaging his shoulders, could beg him to come to bla bla district and pick him up because his phone was long dead battery and his wallet well used in a span of three hours of playing video games.

If only it was first time when Minchan acts so; but it's not, Dongheon could only count on his fingers how many times Minchan called him during a single week: this boy cries out he has no other friends except Dongheon, that's why poor guy was sighting loudly in the streets everytime his phone sings the melody of a new call.

Now Dongheon was busy installing in Minchan's phone (and his phone too) an app for following each other, so Minchan (and Dongheon clearly explained him for he forgot how many times in these 16 minutes) should NOT call him to pick him up when Heon's location shows "at job".

Ok, for nothing in this world Dongheon would install an app to let someone follow him everytime and everywhere. But - Minchan. His existence was draining all his energy off as hours are passing thus making Dongheon be purely mad at him when this boy looks for his attention at regular intervals of time. He just wants. to. have. a day when he can just work normally like every other korean man at his job without having his attention thrown in another dimension because of a guy who pretty usually forgets everything (even himself).

"But -" the voice wakes Dongheon up from his thoughts, raising his head to look at the younger, "isn't this an app for couples?"

"So what?"

He knows, it is; and now he would make everything to throw out the idea of having a love app in his phone to let a boy know about his location. But... and Dongheon quietly celebrates in his head with lemon confetti at the idea... he would know exactly where to search Minchan in case this calls him in the middle of the night to pick him up from a drinking party.

"No it's just... strange." Minchan sniffs his nose before taking his phone back from the other's hands and hiding it in the pocket. "But... if some one-night girl notices this app, how I'm gonna justify myself?"

To be nice and honest, Dongheon cares pretty nothing about potential romantic relationships of Minchan. "Say your dad is looking up on you." He fastly wakes up from the little sofa in the cafe and takes his leather jacket to put it on.

"Or daddy." He says this with half voice, poker face, sure this one guy will ignore these two words like a professional.

Dongheon feels a gulp coming up from his neck, making him forget how to take breaths for a moment. But he calms himself down quickly enough to not let Minchan notice his reaction, and still leaves the place, saying no words and leaving Minchan to finish his drinks and (maybe, please) reflect on his dumbfounded actions.

Minchan remains here, following through his phone Dongheon's location, sipping slowly from the glass, until the red point in the app stops at the place Minchan knows Dongheon is working. Immediately the words "at job" appear on the screen, and Minchan thinks it's time to leave; Dongheon won't reply at his messages tonight even if he would fly outta the country by mistake.

Minchan knows his problematic personality, and truly blames himself for doing exactly nothing to change it. He can go for a walk in the streets he barely know and forget how to return back, he can get into some troubles with unknown men without understanding what the - could he do that, he could crash again into a video games hall and stuck himself there for at least 8 hours and then (guess) forget where he is again. He associates himself with the world "troublemaker" and the only one who is still here for him to bring him back for this troublemaker mess he's going is Dongheon. Who probably would never understand why is Minchan behaving like this.

Late in the evening, when his work shift ends and Dongheon is ready to go home, he takes a look at his phone and (wow, new app is gonna save his nerves a bit) sees Minchan is in a safe place: his home. Even more, if to trust both the phones, the younger is most probably sleeping. "Just let me sleep too tonight."

"You're crazy."

Hoyoung throws the phone back on the table and continues to eat the tteokbokki Dongheon ordered for him.

Dongheon spends again some minutes to explain him the reason of having a love app. But stops in the moment he understands Hoyoung is no gonna believe his reasons for real, taking all this situation as a whole new level joke and continuing to eat. Ah yes, the blonde is here just to eat, no more. Dongheon wants to slap the chopsticks on the table, loud enough to waste off all the thoughts of Hoyoung and at least for a minute, make him try to focus on him and his walking problem called Minchan.

"Sorry bro, but... I'm a boy, and me too I think having a love app to follow a boy is really a naughty thing. And how do you think is gonna react his future girlfriend at this? how a girl can react to this?"

Dongheon hides his hands under the table, trying to hide in his clothes as he quite understands now what little problem he made to Minchan. By the time, Hoyoung decides to ask a girl who was walking by how she thinks of this situation, and here huge grimace and face expression per total, as her quite leaving without replying to Hoyoung made Dongheon sigh and push away the air from his cheeks in a span of no shorter than 15 seconds.

"Look," Hoyoung puts aside the empty plate and crosses the fingers of his hands together, playing like he's gotta say now some words likable for a whole speech at university, "can I say something?"

Dongheon nods, avoiding the full eye contact with him. "I think Minchan may be onto something: see, he knows your phone number as his two hands since he could call you last time from an unknown number; and now remember how many times you changed your number because of him."

Three times this year, and it's only April. Yes, Dongheon tried to escape a few times from Minchan by changing his phone number, but his conscience started to wash him off at the thought of not helping his only close friend, so he ended up by calling Minchan by himself after three days of not hearing his voice and his full of sadness "I'm sorry for disturbing you", asking to come to him again and pick him up.

"My suggestion is -" continues Hoyoung, "to have a honest conversation where you could figure out what problem Minchan actually has. It may not be his clumsiness at all; maybe he just needs a someone to be by his side and that's why you may be his poor target."

Hoyoung is in his first year of uni, and already tries to practice his future profession of psychologist on everyone he can. And yes, he is the only who knows the most about this Minchan guy from Dongheon's short stories filled with anger and stress, since Dongheon surely looks for him and his advice everytime the younger crosses the line - like now. "And please, think again about this app, it's really not a good option especially if you don't have someone who has your heart."

Dongheon takes a deep breath, promising to himself (Hoyoung could read this from the expression of his face) to call Minchan later and have a honest conversation about every... this.

Can't U see ME ㅤㅤ/ VERIVERY /Where stories live. Discover now