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"Yuchan! You know parties aren't my thing," Junhee groaned. Yuchan ignored him, pulling on Junhee's arm harder. "My arm is going to pop out of my socket if you keep this up.""You need to take a break from everything," Yuchan said, pulling on the elder's arm one more time, finally getting Junhee out of the apartment. "Jun, you look so stressed, the party will be fun!""Forcing me to go to a party won't lower my stress levels.""It's at Donghun's place. You like Donghun!""Yeah, but Donghun doesn't like me" Junhee deadpanned."It's his way of showing love." Yuchan dismissed. "If you really don't like it, you can leave."Junhee sighed in defeat. "Fine, you win. You owe me chicken and beer though.""Deal!" Yuchan chirped. "You need to get some action anyways Jun!""Kang Yuchan!" "No."Donghun rolled his eyes at Sehyoon. "Yoon, you need to get out of this damn apartment."Sehyoon sulked further into his couch, watching his clock's little hand go to the next number. "I know you are still upset, I get it. But, it's been two years." Two years..it feels like yesterday. Sehyoon could've flown out to Byeongkwan and done the break-up properly. Not with shitty camera quality and broken-up audio. "Byeongkwan wouldn't have wanted you to isolate yourself like this.""But we don't know that do we?" Sehyoon snapped. "Because he isn't here.""He cares about you," Donghun replied, eyes narrowing. "I don't think we would approve of how thin you've gotten""Or the fact that you only go out to work.""What do you want me to do?" Sehyoon asked, sitting up. "I want you to come to my party, eat some proper food and talk to someone that isn't me," Donghun answered. "I'm a very simple man.""Take me out for hamburgers next Saturday then.""Deal." Sehyoon regretted his decision 10 minutes into the party. There was a lot of people. It was loud in every single room and Sehyoon wanted to melt into the floor beneath him. Donghun had disappeared too, walking beside a taller and much more energetic stranger into the kitchen. So it wasn't like Sehyoon could've clung to him the entire time.A group of people next to him burst into laughter, red cups filled with beer. Sehyoon curled into himself slightly, inching to the edge of the couch. His phone was dead, a horror he realized much too late.He didn't dislike parties. Small little groups of 2-4 are nice but there was much more than 10 here. Sehyoon didn't know any of them. Shockingly, Donghun had a social life besides him. There was a snack table. Sehyoon gratefully set his sights on it and made a bee-line for the table. It was filled with chips, candies, and sodas. If Sehyoon didn't know any better, he could've thought this was a college party. Fewer bottles of vodka though.He filled his paper plate with a tower of Durian. Sehyoon stood next to the table and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. Donghun spotted him and excused himself from his conversation. "Talk to someone, we had a deal, remember?" Donghun scolded. "I don't know anyone and I hate small talk!" Sehyoon grumbled, stuffing two more candies into his mouth."You'll find someone, we don't have a shortage," Donghun laughed. "Pizza is on its way. Eat a few slices, you need it."Sehyoon pushed himself further against a wall once Donghun left. It was weird knowing other people could just start a conversation. Byeongkwan was like that and to this day it still amazed Sehyoon.If he ever tried to do that, he would end up explaining some weird childhood trauma.In the middle of re-filling his plate, someone bumped into him. Effectively splattering a bunch of chips onto the ground. Sehyoon let out a silent breath of relief when he realized no one else was around them. "Oh god! I'm so sorry!" The person behind him squeaked. It wasn't a terrible crime or anything. Sehyoon felt worse for the person who bumped into him. "I'll clean it up, sorry again..""It's fine." Sehyoon shrugged, turning around. The durian was all over the floor. Thankfully, Donghun didn't have carpet or it would've been an entirely different situation. "Durian, huh? You have good taste." The boy joked, finally facing Sehyoon after picking up the chips from the floor.Crap.He was really cute."I'm really sorry about all of this." The boy apologized again, a faint blush on his cheeks. "I told Yuchan something like this would happen." he continued, voice lower."Don't worry, I've done more embarrassing things," Sehyoon admitted. "No one was around so your shame won't be long-lasting.""Except you. Do I need to pay you for your silence?""Perhaps."The boy laughed. Sehyoon was keeping up his part of the deal with Donghun and hey, the boy was decent to talk with. "I'm Junhee by the way.""Sehyoon, were you forced to come to this party or am I the only one?" Sehyoon asked before popping in another candy. "I was forced and he left me the second we came here." Junhee sighed. Parties had too much stimulation. There were too many people talking all at once and the music too loud. "I guess it was worth it though."Sehyoon was slightly taken aback by that. "I-I don't-I mean...You seem cool and I enjoy talking to you." Junhee rushed, hands frantically waving in front of him. "Please don't take it the wrong way.""Don't worry about it." Talking to Junhee was relaxing. It seemed natural. Small talk was painful so they ended up talking about Junhee's dogs. A husky and a Korean Jindo. Sehyoon ate pizza while Jun gushed about them. "Anyways, I love them both to death but they are a handful." Junhee laughed. His laugh was really cute.A lot of the people had left, leaving behind maybe 12, counting Jun and him. A part of Sehyoon still had slight resentment toward Donghun for forcing him out of his apartment but this could've ended up much worse. Like awkwardly standing by the snack table for the entire two hours. Or making small talk with a complete stranger with long periods of silence in between. "I've talked for this entire haven't I?" Junhee muttered. "Sorry about that, I just love dogs.""If you didn't, it would be really quiet," Sehyoon said."Not much a talker?""Not really.""As hypocritical as it sounds, neither am I," Junhee joked. "You're just comfortable to talk to. If that makes any sense?""Glad we are on the same page about that then." Sehyoon smiled.Sadly, the friendly banter could only continue on for so long. "I knew you would find someone to talk to." Donghun teased, walking over to the both of them. "Oh, hey Junhee, you too.""You two know each other?" Sehyoon inquired, giving a questioning look to Donghun. "He is Yuchan's friend, Yuchan, by the way, is totally wasted," Donghun informed. "I had a feeling you were already the designated driver so I didn't stop him."Sehyoon held back a smile. "I should probably get him home."Junhee stood up, brushing off some crumbs from his lap. He bit his lip before turning to face Sehyoon. "Can I have your number? Maybe we can hang out in the future? You don't have too, of course, I just...""No, I want to hang out soon," Sehyoon assured. "Just give me your phone." "I didn't know you had a thing for Junhee." Donghun grinned. They had to clean up after the party. Guests didn't leave it a total wreck but all the chip bags, plastic cups, and plates had to be cleaned up by someone. Sehyoon wanted to leave it for Donghun to clean it all up by himself but he wasn't that mean. "What does that mean?" Sehyoon retorted. "Dude, he was totally checking you out." Donghun beamed. "He was just being friendly." Sehyoon defended. Donghun let out a scoff. "He is a good guy, a bit awkward and stiff but a really good guy."Sehyoon tuned him out. To say he and Junhee hung out a lot would be a lie. They preferred texting in between their hours of work. Junhee ended up having to give his dogs to his parents because he was too busy to properly take care of them. Sehyoon came over with ice cream. It was kind of funny. It was like comforting someone over a break-up. Junhee was..strange. He went through periods of talking a lot and then not talking at all. He smiled a lot and clapped his hands when he laughed. Junhee was too shy to ask for a hug but was clearly touch-starved when he doesn't get one for more than a day. Donghun seemed relieved that he was finally interacting with another human being. "You have a lot going for you, maybe you should start dating again."Sehyoon threw a hamburger wrapper at the elder. He didn't want to date anyone. "Move on Sehyoon, it isn't healthy.""Byeongkwan wouldn't want this." Sehyoon ignored the comment and buried his face into a pillow. He didn't want anyone but Byeongkwan. They were perfect. Showing Junhee a horror movie was both the worst and best mistake of his life. Junhee is holding an entire bowl of popcorn, just to set the scene. Horror movies usually rely on jump-scares. Personally, Sehyoon doesn't get scared that easily. The same, however, can't be said for Jun. It's a predictable jump-scare. A zombie lurches at the protagonist and lets out a guttural groan. Sehyoon's heart rate picks up a bit, but that was the only effect it had on him.Junhee lets out a scream that would probably wake up the dead and. In the motion trying to defend himself, Junhee raises his arms up. He forgot about the bowl of popcorn in his hands. This action then causes the bowl to release an insane amount of popcorn onto the couch, Junhee himself and all over the floor. Sehyoon stares at him for a second, trying to hold back laughter. A lot of popcorn managed to get into Jun's brown hair. Combine that with his eyes wide of terror and you have a laughing fest. Junhee ends up staying behind to help him clean up. His voice cracks when he apologizes and his cheeks go bright red. "I want to go out with you," Junhee confesses. Sehyoon blinks at the sudden confession. Junhee had asked to hang out after work. Sehyoon really thought nothing of it and said yes. The weather was nice. Not to cold or hot. Junhee invited him to a cafe. It was a cactus themed cafe. Sehyoon knew Junhee owned one and treated it like it was his own child.Junhee looked alarmed at the lack of a reaction. He stammers his next words. "Y-You don't have to..If-if you don't want to that's f-fine! I don't want this to c-change anything because I really like hanging-g out with you.""Why me though?" Sehyoon forces out. "You have this magnetic personality. You talk about things with such a deep intuition and I always love our conversations." Junhee's hands were clasped tightly around a mug. "Your drawings are amazing even though you don't say they are. I feel like I can tell you anything.""You're incredibly handsome. You had to sculpted by Michaelangelo or something," Junhee stared at the wooden table before continuing. "I just really like you Sehyoon, a-and I'm sorry if I ruined our friendship by doing so."And now Sehyoon was just conflicted. He was attracted to Junhee. Personality and appearance wise. But..he still wasn't over Byeongkwan. Despite it being so many years, it was the first real relationship he had."Junhee.." Sehyoon trailed off. Donghun will murder him if he turns down Junhee's confession. "I like you too.""You do?" Oh god, Junhee sound so happy."Yeah, I do" Sehyoon faltered. "But, I don't think you want to date me." Junhee makes a confused sound and fuck, it's really cute.He owes Junhee an apology though. He tries his best to give a shortened version of the entire ordeal. Explaining about Byeongkwan and his moving away. How Sehyoon hasn't been able to get over him fully yet despite the time he had been given. "Are you still sure you want to date me?"Junhee has a determined look in his eyes and a bright smile on his lips. "Yes."