𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 // Jihan

forty-two

Months passed. It was June again? How? Wasn't December just yesterday?... Who knows.

Not much had changed.

Jeonghan had completely moved on from Joshua and started a new life, prioritizing his career. Every day, he saved some money and discreetly stashed it away to keep it hidden from his dad.

Seungkwan was content with Hansol, despite occasional arguments, which were typical in relationships.

Seungcheol appeared happy too, thinking Joshua was less stressed.

However, that wasn't true.

Joshua was the only one who was truly unhappy. He missed Jeonghan more than anything. He longed for the old times when they used to spend time together. Every time he inquired about Jeonghan's whereabouts to Hansol, Hansol would just swiftly change the subject.

Funny, Joshua thought, how he wasn't even certain if Jeonghan was still alive.

He hadn't seen Jeonghan since that fateful day. Hansol also wore a somber expression when Joshua asked about Jeonghan. Seungkwan had plenty of free time on his hands as well. So what was going on?

Had Jeonghan really passed away?

You might have thought I forgot about Junhao, but I didn't.

In February, Jun once again confessed his feelings to Minghao, and this time, it was met with success. Minghao reciprocated his feelings, and they entered into a healthy relationship.

Joshua wasn't particularly thrilled about it. It seemed like everyone around him was happy except for him.

Maybe!

***

One evening, Joshua decided to take a walk and left the house without informing his parents.

Now what? What was he going to do? Just walk? Probably, but the answer was no.

After a few minutes, he arrived at a particular place. A special place. That park. How many times had he been there already?

It was 9 pm, and there would be nobody there except some strange elderly men. It was pure luck that Joshua had never encountered any problems with them.

He sat down on a bench and looked around. He missed Jeonghan terribly. Could he turn back time? Back to the days when they had fun together? What if he had never confessed his feelings? Everything would be fine now.

Everyone seemed happy except him. Why? Was it because of his actions? Had he been too harsh?

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard someone approaching.

Oh no! Was this a pervert trying to kidnap Joshua? What should he do? Why had he come here? It was too dangerous!

"You... jerk." Seungkwan insulted.

What? Seungkwan? What was he doing here? Wait... this was his chance to ask about Jeonghan! He couldn't miss this opportunity.

"Seungkwan? You scared me! I thought you were an elderly man..." Joshua tried to act frightened.

"Quit with the lies. I'm here to give you a piece of my mind!" Seungkwan declared.

What the heck? Who had put him up to this? Hansol? Jeonghan himself? Seungcheol?

"What do you mean?" Joshua looked at the younger boy, who was sitting right beside him.

"Do you miss your man, huh? You jerk. You only care about people when they're at their lowest." Seungkwan accused.

"Is Jeonghan still alive?" This was the most critical question for Joshua.

"Yes, he is! I'm relieved he's still with us. But because of you, he almost died! I can't stand you. You're the worst person ever!" Seungkwan declared.

Without any particular reason, Joshua found Seungkwan's way of insulting people amusing. But when he heard the truth, his entire life suddenly felt brighter than ever.

"He is?! Oh my god, I've been praying for months that he's alive! Nobody wanted to tell me anything! I'm so glad he's alive."

"You ruined his entire life, and you act as though everything's okay? You should be ashamed! Do you even know what he's been through? Of course not. You only trust that TRASHY friend Seungcheol!"

Wait, what? What did Seungkwan mean by 'trashy'?

"What do you mean?" Joshua asked, feeling guilty.

"Of course, you don't know! Have you ever wondered WHY THAT BASTARD ALWAYS TOLD YOU TO LEAVE JEONGHAN ALONE? It's because you're clueless. Seungcheol has a crush on you and won't stop talking about it!"

What?...

"How do you know?! You're not even friends with him!"

"But Hansol is my boyfriend, remember? He told me everything, and I'm telling you that You. Are. Clueless." Seungkwan playfully smacked Joshua's arm.

"Ouch! What are you saying, exactly?"

"Alright, since you're so naive, I'll explain. Jeonghan never used you! That's a fact. He was just confused about his feelings. Seungcheol has a crush on you, so every time you asked him for advice, he'd always say, 'He's using you!' And now? You like Jeonghan? Move on already, jerk. Your love is poisonous, and I don't want my brother to suffer."

Well, that was a bit aggressive- anyway.

"How do you know Seungcheol has a crush on me?" Joshua inquired, feeling even guiltier.

"Isn't it obvious? My brother is Jeonghan. I know him better than anyone. He'd never use someone! Initially, maybe he was afraid of his dad and stayed with you longer, but that doesn't mean he used you! After you rejected him... you wouldn't want to know how he was. He cried for days. I don't even want to remember how he was."

"But I asked about Seungcheol-"

"Do you care about Seungcheol more now? Isn't Jeonghan your current crush?"

"How do you know that-"

"Hansol. Is. My. Boyfriend." Seungkwan stated proudly, ignoring the fact that Joshua had just learned that Hansol had spilled all his secrets.

"I've had enough."

Joshua got up and ran away from Seungkwan. The younger boy had roasted him like it was nothing!

"This jerk. Maybe he's annoying, but he's given me an idea..."

***