diamonds | jaywon, sunsun

19

"Riki, can't you tell him to meet you somewhere else?"
"No."

Jake impatiently clicks his tongue. "No? You guys study in the same university."
"Still, no. I've been waiting every day for the past four months. Today I'll get my reply, finally."

To speak of which, they had been waiting for Taki to meet them at Incheon airport — Riki stopping them on the spot after they said goodbye to Winter and Karina. The author says that they're moving abroad soon after this honeymoon.

Spending a whole day wasn't in their lists. The only person enthusiastic about this was Riki himself — Jay and Jungwon were asleep, leaning on each other. Heeseung and Jake were in their own world, with Jake occasionally nagging Riki.

Sunghoon is zoned out, but like, it's a relieved zoning out because Sunoo managed to escape Yejoong with his limbs intact, after confirming his criminal history from the police. The boyfriend needed a bit of convincing, and then he suspiciously left Sunoo alone. The said convincing wasn't done in the calm kind manner that you'd expect a human to opt, though.

The convincing involved him raising his voice at Sunoo, attempts at  manipulating and playing victim, then reducing to harassment and only leaving with a harsh "you're fat and ugly, no one wants to date you, anyway. People would only want you for sex, because that's what you look like, a stripper." Taehyun had to take legal action but Yejoong already fled before he could collect an evidence, and the CCTV footage wasn't enough so he let it go.

Sunoo sulked for days (the other six were always there to comfort him, even Sunghoon went out of his way to help) cursing Yejoong and saying he always knew the other was a piece of shit. It also gave a more solid evidence of what Sunghoon had said, and so the two of Sunghoon and Sunoo didn't bicker as much anymore. Teasing, yes, but the bitter argument wasn't there anymore. If anything, Sunoo was grateful and Sunghoon was relieved.

Sunghoon knows that the responsibility of Sunoo's safety lies faintly on his shoulder now — if anything happens to Sunoo, he'd consider himself responsible. Still, it would be less dangerous if Sunoo, or anyone, stayed as far away as possible from people like Yejoong.

It didn't take long for Sunoo to realize that among everyone else, he is the only one who knows the entire thing blow-by-blow. Heeseung and Jake know the most of it, but Sunghoon really made an effort to tell everything to Sunoo — even if it meant ripping his heart out to a stranger.

All that just so Sunoo wouldn't go through what Sunghoon had to. The gesture warmed his heart all over, and still does, every time he looks at the man with the unexpressive face, knowing that there exists a much loving, much kinder sweetheart full of life and joy.

That's what he's been doing for the past two minutes. Looking at Sunghoon and wondering how he got so lucky. If Sunghoon hadn't made the effort, Sunoo would be in something much worse than mere mortal danger.

Sunoo knows he misjudged Sunghoon from the start. He wasn't lifeless, he was actually full of life. He has always been shining bright, he only had horrid experiences that dulled down his glow.

Sunoo can't repay Sunghoon. But there would be efforts. Small ones. And Sunghoon doesn't have to like them. He doesn't have to like Sunoo either. He has every right to be annoyed, if it comes to that. But Sunoo will make small efforts. His and Sunghoon's friendship has so much potential, and Sunoo, being the natural people pleaser extrovert that he is, is determined to bring a little life inside the older's eyes.