Rental Boyfriend ; Meanie

Chapter 11

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The door to Wonwoo’s bedroom is closed when Soonyoung returns from lacrosse practice. It’s that time of week again. Soonyoung smiles when he hears muted laughter from inside Wonwoo’s room, because he knows that there’s only one person who can make Wonwoo laugh that happily, besides himself. And then Wonwoo’s voice drops to a low, indistinct murmur before tapering away altogether.

Soonyoung hears a dreadful silence followed by quiet sniffles.

When Wonwoo emerges from his bedroom with damp eyes and a red, runny nose, the sight of him just about breaks Soonyoung’s heart.

Despite how lost and lonely as Wonwoo feels during the days when Mingyu doesn’t have time to talk to him, Mingyu always manages to make Wonwoo grin like an idiot even when they’re hundreds of miles apart. Talking to Mingyu just has a way of making Wonwoo forget about everything that makes him worried or sad. But as soon as Mingyu turns off the camera, Wonwoo breaks down crying because he misses him so much.

He doesn’t dare let Mingyu see his tears. He knows that Mingyu has infinitely more important things to worry about, such as his career. The last thing Wonwoo wants to be is a distraction to Mingyu in a time when his performance and reputation are on the line.

“How is he?” Soonyoung asks gently.

Dabbing the hem of his sleeves to his eyes, Wonwoo mumbles, “He’s fine. Busy with training.”

“I bet. Do you know if he’ll be able to come visit anytime soon?”

Wonwoo shrugs and plops onto the sofa. He covers his eyes with his arms folded over his face. “After training, he’ll start competing, so he’ll be even more busy travelling to matches and tournaments.”

Soonyoung nods. “I see.”

For once, Soonyoung is at a loss for words. He doesn’t know what to say that could possibly console Wonwoo. He knows how happy Mingyu makes Wonwoo when he gets a chance to see his face and how much it tears him apart every time they say goodbye at the end of their weekly video calls.

“You know,” Soonyoung finally says, “they always say that the first month is the hardest. When you’re still getting used to being apart.”

Wonwoo moves an arm away from his face to look at Soonyoung. “Who’s they?” he asks glumly.

“I don’t know, romance novels and shit.”

“Do you read a lot of those, Soonyoung?” Wonwoo asks, the edge of his mouth tilting up in amusement.

Soonyoung makes an indignant expression. “Contrary to popular belief, I actually do know how to read, and yes, I do enjoy a good romance novel now and then.”

Wonwoo chuckles and sits up when Soonyoung squeezes onto the cushion next to his.

“What would I do without you?” Wonwoo sighs, resting his head on Soonyoung’s shoulder.

To Wonwoo’s surprise, Mingyu sends him a text message asking to video chat before a day has even passed since their last call.

Good news , Mingyu’s text reads, and Wonwoo’s pulse quickens in anticipation. Call me when you can .

Mingyu is in his car when the call connects. He’s shielding his eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight, even though it’s already dark where Wonwoo is.

“Are you busy?” Mingyu asks, holding up his phone so that the front facing camera captures his face at a more flattering angle.

“No,” Wonwoo says. “I was just about to wash the dishes. What’s up?’