Juntae knocked on the door hiding food behind his back. Junggeun opened the door then closed it just as fast.
"Wait, Geun! It's not what you think!" Juntae shouted.
The door opened again and soon he was face to face with a sleep deprived Junggeun. His bags were visible under his eyes and around them looked slightly swollen. He looked paler than usual.
"I brought over some food. I figured you'd want a change in what you were consuming." said Juntae, hoping he could slip inside.
"Is that all?" asked Junggeun in a small voice.
Junggeun had lost his voice too. This worried Juntae, so he ended up pulling the door open more and forcing himself inside. Junggeun grimaced as now he had to entertain a guest.
"You haven't been taking care of yourself have you? God, this place is a mess. Ugh, what's that smell?" said Juntae as he traveled towards the kitchen. "Is that a dead mouse!? Geun!"
Junggeun was already making his way upstairs towards his bedroom. Juntae caught up to him and held him tightly. Junggeun immediately gave up as he wasn't strong enough at the moment to fight back.
"First we're going clean this place then get you cleaned up and rested." said Juntae as he carried him downstairs.
"Why are you doing this?" Junggeun asked tiredly.
"You're a good friend of mine. I'd hate to see you spiral down too much and end up suffering mental illnesses..." replied Juntae as he placed a sponge and cleaning product in his hands. "Now clean that stove top. I'll deal with the trash and... dead mouse."
ㅁ ㅁ ㅁ
Juntae collapsed onto the couch as most of the dirty areas had been cleaned. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he arrived, but he was happy to at least be getting Junggeun back on track.
"Tae..." a small voice called out.
He sat up and saw Junggeun approaching him with a cup of tea. He gratefully took it then sighed in content.
"How do you feel now after seeing your place all nice and clean?" asked Juntae.
"Okay I guess..." replied Junggeun as he sipped on water. "Thanks..."
"It's what friends do..." said Juntae, each word tasting bitter in his mouth.
Juntae glanced at Junggeun then nearly spit out his tea. Why was he taking off his clothes all of a sudden? He kept his eyes focused on his tea then felt arms wrap around his neck.
"I'm ready to get cleaned up." said Junggeun quietly.
"A-Ah. So that's what you were doing. Ahaha, yeah. Go upstairs first. Gotta throw these into the laundry." said Juntae before scurrying away.
ㅁ ㅁ ㅁ
Junggeun quietly sat in the tub as Juntae scrubbed his back. He couldn't help but admire how beautiful Junggeun's skin actually was. It was like porcelain.
"I'm sorry... for what I said back at the hotel." mumbled Junggeun
"It's okay. I didn't take it to heart." lied Juntae as he rinsed off his back. "There. All clean. Make sure you wash your hair good."
"Could you do it for me..." Junggeun asked in a small voice.
"Are you sure?" Juntae asked curiously.
Junggeun nodded. He would've thought Junggeun would've wanted him to leave after helping clean the place, but here they were in the bathroom, Junggeun fully naked at that.
Juntae quietly massaged his scalp as soapy bubbles started to show. He wanted to say something to him, anything, but he wasn't sure if he was up for talking.
"You're probably laughing at me, aren't you? For rejecting you and pursing an already taken guy..." Junggeun said.
"Not really. I should've known my place. You already cared for someone else, so I was simply in the way. Though, it's sad that you couldn't be with him." answered Juntae.
"I guess I had it coming..." muttered Junggeun before lowering his head to rinse out the shampoo.
ㅁ ㅁ ㅁ
Chanhee hovered by the front door and wondered if he was willing to talk. He rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And waited. He moved to ring it again then noticed the door was opening.
"Geun! You're okay!" Chanhee exclaimed as he hugged him tight. "You smell good. Did you just wash your hair?"
"Yeah..." replied Junggeun.
Chanhee entered and looked around in awe. The place looked clean contrary to how he imagined it'd look like.
"So you're feeling better? That's good. Don't waste time on what if's." said Chanhee before opening the fridge. "Oh? You went out to buy food?"
Junggeun then remembered the bag Juntae had brought in. He never fully stopped to appreciate the small things Juntae had been doing for him. He felt awful.
"You have a dreamy look in your eye. Did someone agree to a one night stand?" Chanhee asked.
"No... I'm just realizing how much I've been missing..." replied Junggeun as he opened the container that held the food Juntae brought.
