To Accentuate + jicheol

To Accentuate

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"So what are you actually suggesting, huh?"

Jihoon asks in a whisper; his gaze flew past the window pane into the streets outside where a meowing cat sits by a trashbin. The cafe had been awfully quiet and his thoughts couldn't shut itself up.

The meowing cat suddenly sees a man passing by and it goes to tail him. When the man notices the cat, he carefully approaches the cat and pets it. When the cat asks for more of petting, the man suddenly kicks the poor cat, making it land a few meters away from him, its hair standing on its back.

The act makes Jihoon flinch.

It is as if resembling a chunk of his memory—a Lee Jihoon getting love for quite some time then he suddenly gets desperate and ends up getting hurt.

"Hey, are you even listening?"

Jihoon faces his companion. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

"God, just this once, could you please listen attentively? Your coffee's getting cold too."

Jihoon mutters an apology and looks down. There were still a few scratches on his knuckles after a getting on a big fight with his pretentious boyfriend, acting like a 4 year-old kid. The guy pinned him down when they were arguing, so Jihoon had no choice but to knock him down. He is seriously getting on his nerves.

"So I was saying, why don't you two stay away from each other? Like you know, you should focus on your own lives first. I admit Seungcheol is kind of really hard to take care of. He's worse than a kid! You should have some peace of mind Jihoon and casually, you'll find missing each other's presence."

Jihoon sipped his coffee and gently placed it back on the table. "I don't think that'll work. You know how affectionate we get, right? We could totally make out in the public when we feel like it."

Joshua nodded his head. "But you were just saying that these days, it didn't feel like you're both in love now. The silence in your room is not in any way comforting— as if, like what you said, he just kind of drifted away yet still possibly aches of you. It's just as if he wants to be with you yet he chose not to. I don't know what's stopping him, though. From what I know of Seungcheol, he's not the type to do something like this. He's quite spontaneous."

Jihoon agreed. It felt empty some times. It felt empty even when the two of them were on their room, watching movies, eating popcorn, passing each other's drinks. It felt empty even when the other side of the bed feels warm. It felt empty even when the room's blasting with the rap music Seungcheol loves listening to.

"What are you gonna do now?" Joshua asked again. "Are you going to talk it down between you two?"

Jihoon shrugged, fished out his phone and started typing a message.

Hey. I won't be home for a few months. I'm going to stay at my parents' place. Please take care of yourself. Just order something when you're hungry. Don't you even try cooking. I love you. XO, Jihoonie.

Funny it is how Jihoon had even called their little apartment as home. If your lover and all the nicest and warmest feelings reside in it, isn't it still called home?

Jihoon allows himself a tight smile.

• •

"What are you suggesting, Choi Seungcheol?"

Jihoon asked in a whisper. His eyes landed on fringes falling on his forehead. The ends were obviously cut, to possibly prevent them from getting in Seungcheol's eyes. Ah, some things have changed.