Sunrise [Yungi FF]

7. Not Being Himself

"Where are you going?" San emerged from the hallway, his hands on his hips.

Mingi, fully dressed, turned around to face his flatmate. "Out." The keys in his hand jangled softly.

"But I thought we were eating takeout together," San said, walking towards the front door.

Mingi spread his arms apart. "We can eat takeout any time." There was a loud thump when his arms fell by his sides.

Knowing Mingi needed some persuading, San pouted and flashed his puppy eyes. "You promised not to leave me alone at nights when we rented this place. I'm paying sixty percent of it, remember?"

The trick never got old, no matter how many times San used it. Mingi sighed, feeling bad for his residency doctor friend. Being the busy person he was, San didn't have many friends and all he wanted was a companion on the rare occasions that he got a short day.

"I know, but it's just one night. I'll be back before midnight," said Mingi.

San crossed his arms. "You know why I can't let you go unless you bring me with you. What are you going to do about your blackouts?"

Mingi cringed at that word. The edges of the keys were digging into the flesh of his tightly squeezed fist. "I haven't had an episode in a long time. I'll be fine without the medication for half a day. I'm sick of the side effects anyway."

A black shadow hovered over San's face as he uncrossed his arms. "Are you crazy? The medications are the reason you don't have the episodes!" His voice resounded in the spacious living room.

Upset at the raised voice, Mingi retorted, "Just because you're a doctor doesn't mean I have to listen to you. I can make my own decisions."

San stiffened at the hurtful words, which called out Mingi's guilty conscience.

"Look, I just want to enjoy myself tonight," said Mingi, softening his voice. "My life is finally getting more interesting."

The internal struggle between his heart and mind was written on San's scrunched up facial features. After a long moment of hesitation, he sighed heavily.

"Try to take your medication and don't do anything too exciting, okay?"

Mingi felt the shape of a small plastic bottle inside his coat pocket. "Okay."

With that, he turned around and left the apartment.

The sun had sunk below the horizon and the sky had turned dark. The restaurant was bustling with life and energy with the peak hour having just begun.

Mingi and Yunho had finished their bowls of stew and was having a few drinks now.

Letting out a long, satisfying sigh, Mingi placed down his shot glass with a thud. Yunho downed his last shot as well, the beverage burning his insides in a pleasant way.

He held down Mingi's arm before any waiter could see them and bring more soju over. They had finished a whole bottle already and they both had work tomorrow.

"We should go home and rest," said Yunho. He looked at Mingi's pink cheeks and couldn't help but find the other man adorable in his struggle to fight the alcohol.

"You're right," Mingi mumbled, holding his head. "I'm going to the washroom."

Yunho watched Mingi go, wondering for the umpteenth time in the past hour what the purpose behind this dinner was. It was clear to Yunho that Mingi was trying to help him - taking the video of him helping the waiter was more than enough proof.