Sun & Moon

FIFTY

"Taeyong invited me out."

Doyoung is in his kitchen, stirring a pot of boiling water. There's nothing in it, yet. He just feels like stirring will help him ease his mind. Jiyeon sits on a barstool at the island, her chin resting in her palm and her elbow digging into the glamorous marble.

"Will you go?" she asks. Her voice is delicate and careful, but there is still a tinge of bitterness to it.

Doyoung sighs and rests the wooden spoon next to the stove. He sits down on a stool across from Jiyeon and rests his arms on the island. "I don't know." He shakes his head, not quite sure what to say regarding the matter. He thinks he's okay. But thinking is different from knowing. He's sitting in the middle of a gentle river, the currents soft and inviting. Yet he knows that not too far ahead, there is a waterfall, crashing and thunderous. If he isn't careful, those sweet currents could take him closer to the edge than he'd think.

"What did your dad say about the article?" Jiyeon's voice is yielding as it is desperate.

Doyoung can't seem to answer, but he knows his silence will only hurt Jiyeon more. "He doesn't really care. He doesn't think it's worth spending time on." He glances at Jiyeon's eyes, and they're simply tired. Doyoung wants to say anything he can to make up for it, but deep down, he knows nothing can change the matter.

"It's fine, I get it. Public opinion isn't important for a contracting company." She sighs in defeat. "I can't believe the nerve of those reporters." She crosses her arms on the table and rests the side of her face on them. "I called them, you know. I was super angry and everything, but all they said was that the article never said we were in a relationship. So it's not like it's wrong." She jerks up as if a sudden swarm of anger straightens her back. "So I told my parents, that they'd only publish a response from an 'official' source. But they won't do anything! They don't even care that it isn't true, they're ecstatic about the publicity!"

Jiyeon's rant makes Doyoung's chest feel heavy. He feels terrible that the whole event has taken everything away from Jiyeon. "I'll tell Taeyong I can't go today," he finally breathes out. He stands up from the barstool and grabs a swirl of fresh pasta from the fridge. After half-hazardly chucking it in the boiling water, he leans back against the counter next to the stove and lets out a slow exhale. "We could use a little off day. And... I told Taeyong I liked him."

"You what?" Jiyeon's eyes go wide. "When? What happened?"

Doyoung recounts the story and watches Jiyeon's expression change from excited to hopeful to disappointed and, finally, to angry.

"Rejection wasn't as bad as I thought," Doyoung says, half a smile painting his face. "Glad I took your advice."

"That absolute loser! How could he reject you?" Jiyeon frowns. "Are you sure you're okay?"

A small laugh escapes Doyoung's mouth. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm still grateful to know him. He's helped me a lot. I owe him."

Jiyeon shakes her head. "No, Doyoung. It's true that he helped you open up a lot and that I also gave you advice, but make sure you don't owe your success to him. You did everything yourself, Doyoung. They're your decisions and your actions. Be thankful to yourself more than anyone else."

Doyoung blinks in response. "I was just saying-"

"I know. But I just wanted you to know. I was making sure. Be proud of yourself. You don't need someone else to fix you. Just make sure that your happiness is for you, okay?" A small, encouraging smile appears on Jiyeon's face, and she nods heartwarmingly to him.

Jiyeon's words were not anything that Doyoung had expected to hear. It seemingly came out of nowhere. But after digesting it, he is thankful that he's heard it, and his shoulders feel just a bit lighter. It is a gentle reminder, to him, that things are not bad as it seems, and perhaps he should be more grateful to how comfortable everything really is.

"Thank you, Jiyeon," Doyoung says softly. "I truly mean it."

"Yeah, yeah, don't make it too sweet." She waves her hand dismissively, but Doyoung does not miss the grin on her face. "And also, I'll be fine. Go out with him. My pasta and I will be in peace. Make him regret rejecting you."

The statement makes the two of them laugh.

Things will be alright.