black coffee | soonhoon

Thirty Four

The room is in an uproar.

Not long after Soonyoung had fallen asleep, Jihoon's head still resting on his shoulder, the two were woken abruptly by loud bangs on the door.

When they'd finally worked up the energy through the grogginess and slumber to trudge to the front of the house and open the door, they weren't nearly awake enough for the five rowdy creatures that pounced on them, bringing grins and shouts.

Now, Jihoon rubs his head, trying to clear his head enough to process the scene in front of him.

Somewhere along the line, their friends had managed to find out where they both were ("You left your snap maps on!"); buy pounds upon pounds of food; and make it to Jihoon's house despite the raging snow storm that has stirred up in the last hour.

Mingyu, Chan, Jun, and Jeonghan all talk at once, and Jihoon and Soonyoung's still spaced out heads can't even distinguish a single word amongst the excited chatter.

Bang!

Everyone shuts up. Soonyoung winces at the loud noise and Jihoon whirls around to see Seokmin, standing in the kitchen door with a frying pan in each hand. He doesn't say anything, but he nods, satisfied, when no one speaks. He then looks at Jihoon with a smile.

Jihoon smiles back, "Why... why are you all here?"

Immediately four fingers point to one person and four voices chorus together.

"It was Mingyu's idea!!"

Said person takes a step back, "Hey hey hey! Come on guys! I was not the one who planned this!"

Chan points an accusing spoon at him, "You came up with the idea in the first place," he says through a mouthful of ice cream, "We just developed it."

Mingyu stares at the youngest, feeling betrayed and defeated.

Jihoon sighs, "Nevermind. You brought food and my fridge is pitiful right now." He walks forward and picks up another tub of ice cream. He also offers an second spoon to Soonyoung.

Jeonghan quickly glances at Mingyu and the both of them share a knowing glance while Jihoon and Soonyoung obliviously work their way through the chocolate cookie dough desert.

When the light fades in the early afternoon and the stars twinkle brightly beside a shining crescent moon, the group of boys lose track of time, lost in their own world in a flurry of bright drunkenness. It flies in a whirl of colour like a kaleidoscope filled with fragments of memories.

And by the end of it, Soonyoung and Jun are the two that end up actually drunk. After a game of ruthless truth or dare, they were the only two to step out of their turns, resulting in their own giddiness.

Eventually, Jeonghan claps loudly and calls it time to leave. The boys leave Jihoon's house and return to their homes, trudging through the thick snow that has settled.

Now, the only two left are Jihoon and Soonyoung.

When Soonyoung receives the text from Nayoung saying she won't be home till morning, Jihoon immediately offers his sofa and runs around to get a fluffy blanket and a pillow.

He slowly clears up the left over food bags that Seokmin had missed, rubbing his aching eyes with the back of his hand and letting out a yawn.

"Jihoonie?" Soonyoung's small voice comes from the living room as he re-enters. The boy is already curled up on the sofa with his pillow and the patchwork duvet; if it isn't for him having just spoken, Jihoon would've been sure he's asleep.

"Yeah?"

"You know... I wish I'd never met you," the words are slightly slurred and Soonyoung tumbles over himself to get them out.