Lovefool /Hyunchan/

3 - Date

The next morning Chan and Hyunjin get ready for the day and enter a living room to face others. They are asking them question after question. Everyone was affected by the event.

Two of them get a week off, to recover, especially to heal Chan's forehead and Hyunjin's back. Hyunjin ends up staying with his parents, and Chan goes to visit his friends.

During that week, Chan starts thinking that maybe he was selfish, wanting Hyunjin for himself. A scandal about Hyunjin being gay would ruin everything he had accomplished and worked hard for. He would get so much hate from public, and who knows how badly his family would react.

In his internal discussions, Chan never thinks about himself, he thinks only about negative effects this would have on Hyunjin. After all, as his hyung he should protect him, not create problems for him.
So, in his irrational reasoning, he concludes that he's the one to blame for everything, for letting his guard down and starting with Hyunjin something he can't give him. He reasons it was just wrong to kiss him.

Worst of all, he can't speak with anyone about this, so he bottles it up all inside. It's all securely saved at the bottom of his heart together with many other worries he casually carries along.

When they return to their brutal schedule of practice, recording, interviews, photoshoots, travel... they have to catch up for missed days, and there's no time for emotions or to talk about stupid things like feelings.

Hyunjin doesn't quite understand Chan's change of heart. He keeps looking at Chan, hoping that something will change, but he remains all distant, cold.
Each time Chan avoids looking at him, it feels like a sharp little cut. After a while, he is covered in hundred invisible little cuts, all sad and disheartened.

And then, one evening, Hyunjin appears in a living room, all dressed up, looking gorgeous, and puts on his winter coat.

- Going out? - Jisung looks at his style, and gives him a look of approval.

- Yeah, I have a date.

- Good luck. - Chan responds quickly.

To Chan, this is just a good ending of a little accident that happened weeks ago.
That night was a one time thing and clearly won't happen again. A moment of weakness for both of them. It was just caused by a trauma they experienced, nothing more.
A sentence "I have a date." was a closure. Now they can both move on and live normal lives, like before.

- Thanks. - is all that Hyunjin says in response. There is nothing more to say.
"Good luck." from Chan is all that needed to be said, so now he can move on. After all, he's been ignoring obvious signals from this girl for weeks. He isn't able to delay it any more. It's either a date, or stopping any further contact with her.

Both Hyunjin and Chan conclude in their heads that this is for the best.
A clean cut, no drama, no need for awkward conversations. That's why they function so well as a group, they just understand each other.
And so life continues like before.
Everything is good.
Or, so it seems.

....

After a few dates, Hyunjin's outings start getting on Chan's nerves. All other members could go on dates too, but they chose to stay at home together, watch a movie or cook. Most of a time they joke around and make fun of each other. It's a good bonding. And Hyunjin is completely out of it.

Eventually they ask him is he getting serious with this girl, and what's going on.

- I don't know. Maybe... - he says looking shy and proud at the same time.

- Do we get to meet her? - Jeogin asks what everyone wanted to know.

- She's now filming a new season of the show, so she's busy for the next two months. This season she has one of the main roles.

- Are you jealous when she kisses other guy?

- No, it's her job. I'm not a jealous person. I just fast-forward the scene when there is a something romantic. Plus, there is a rumor about him anyway.

- Ohh... do tell!

- It's a rumor, maybe it's not true anyway.

- He's gay?? - the most obvious guess comes from I.N.

- I don't know, ok? It's a rumor.

- Imagine that, you kiss beautiful girls for work, and get paid to do it, but you actually don't care about girls. Life can be so sarcastic sometimes. - I.N continues, showing a big disappointment for waste of beautiful girl's kisses on someone who doesn't care.

Chan doesn't like this conversation, so he scolds both of his kids:

- Maybe some jealous person spreads lies about him, maybe he's not gay at all. We don't share rumors.

Chan is clearly right, but Hyunjin doesn't appreciate a condescending tone. It bothers him.

Little annoying things start building up on both sides.
Like invisible specks of dust, Chan is bothered by Hyunjins' absence, and Hyunjin is bothered by Chan's preaching.

Things start getting tense.
For no clear reason whatsoever.

*****

Thank you for your votes,
my dear readers!
Also, here is an interesting new story to check out, by a new author vespertilium88 - "Lost".

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