XVII - hangover
Surprise! I hope you enjoy the update.
Bel, xx
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Jinyoung wakes up because someone decides to play being dinosaurs in the house, stomping everywhere and making his headache so much more horrible. Surely it must be his sister, torturing him with loud noises just to make him roll in agony and get revenge.
Hangovers are the worst invention and he doesn't like them, at all. It seems it's true they only get worse as you get older. Jinyoung hasn't got drunk since high school and he doesn't remember ever waking up and feeling so miserable.
One out of ten, he would not recommend.
In complete suffering, Jinyoung opens his eyes but the sun is a bitch and is shining brighter than ever, and he did not close the blinds when he got home te day before. He could try to stand up and close them, but he's entangled in a jacket so that's the first problem he needs to deal with.
When he unwraps it and separates himself from the blanket that got in between as well, he recognizes the item does not belong to him and remembers Jaebeom wearing it when he came to see him. He then remembers how he got drunk, but whatever happened after the first sip of bear is blurry to him. Some images cross his mind, like a movie trailer, which is definitely not enough to put the pieces together.
The effort to remember is making his headache worse, that's for sure.
The young man grabs his phone that fell off the bed. When he unlocks it, it launches on the Kakao app and his conversation with Jaebeom. It's just goodnight texts, and he doesn't even remember when he sent them or what he was doing while he was at it.
Getting drunk and forgetting what you did, plus getting a hangover is completely unbecoming.
He sends a new text hoping he can get some recollection from Jaebeom.
Good morning, how did you sleep? – Jinyoung
The reply doesn't come immediately, and in that time the young man manages to get out of bed, go to the bathroom for a shower that helps with the fog in his mind and to feel more like a human again. On the way he learns that his sister is not at home and the T-Rex like footsteps he heard was just his mother cleaning the living room, in her usual fluffy slippers.
By the time Jinyoung feels like a presentable human being, Jaebeom has replied.
Morning. I slept well, how about you? How's the hangover? – Jaebeom
Instead of typing, Jinyoung calls as that requires less energy and concentration on a screen. Jaebeom answers quickly and it's very soothing to hear his voice.
"Horrible, I thought a dinosaur had eaten my mother and was walking around the house because it was so loud. Never let me get drunk again," Jinyoung continues right where the conversation would've followed over Kakao.
"But how else would I see you dancing?" Jaebeom asks, his voice amused.
Jinyoung groans as he lays down on the bed, forearm over his eyes and the phone on his ear.
"Did I dance in front of you?" he asks, feeling mortified. "What other horrendous and humiliating thing did I do?"
Jaebeom chuckles, and Jinyoung has to admit he loves that sound. "Nothing, it was just cute and endearing. You're very affectionate when you're drunk."
"I can be affectionate when I'm sober too, and it won't get me a headache," he refutes.
"I know," comes Jaebeom replies. "But would you teach me how to do a triple spin while being sober? I don't think so."
He only groans, hating he doesn't remember what he did and in what ways he humiliated himself.
"Who are you talking to? Why are you smiling like that? Hyung!" Jinyoung hears in the background, some noise and then the voice sounds closer. "Is that your boyfriend? Invite him over! I want to meet him!"
"Jackson, shhh, not now!" Jaebeom hushes, and Jinyoung can hear struggling.
"Whyyyyy? I wanna meet him. Please, hyung, invite him over!" the other boy, Jackson apparently, keeps begging.
"Is that your friend?" Jinyoung asks, a smile creeping on his lips as he hears more struggling on the other end of the call. "I don't mind going, if you don't mind either."
"Wait, what? Really?" Jaebeom asks, clearly surprised. Jinyoung hums his answer. "Oh, wow... okay I um... I'll text you the address."
"YAY!" Jinyoung hears the other man screaming and he can't help his own chuckling.
"Do I have to wear something special or bring something?"
"No, nothing special. We just came to have lunch."
"Great," he replies. "I'll finish getting ready and head there. Is it too far?"
"Not at all, it's in Hongdae. We'll wait for you then," Jaebeom promises, Jinyoung can picture the smile on his face.
They hang up and as he said, Jaebeom texts him the address. Jinyoung tries to finish getting ready as fast as he can, taking two tablets of medicine for his headache and grabbing one water bottle with him. He tells his mother he's going out with friends and leaves before he can hear whatever she has to say.
Outside, he wraps his favourite scarf securely around his neck. Jinyoung doesn't remember when he got it, but it's his favourite and the softest he owns. He also makes sure to take Jaebeom's jacket with him so he can return it, but it's when he's walking to Hongdae that he realizes he should've washed it beforehand, especially considering he slept in it. Should he go back home? Or just drop it at some dry cleaning service? The second option seems the most reasonable, that way he won't ruin it.
With that decision made, Jinyoung chooses to walk to the restaurant as it's just two stations away, and he keeps an eye on the stores to find the closest dry cleaners. He founds one almost getting to the Hongdae station. The insane amount of people getting out and inside the station makes it hard to walk the intersection but he manages with a great effort and enters the store. It's small and cozy, playing the soundtrack of the popular drama of the moment. It's a ballad, which goes better with his headache compared with the chaos of outside. He truly wishes today was the day all those salespeople decided to drop the megaphone and stay inside the store.
The task doesn't take more than ten minutes and during that time Jinyoung makes sure to hydrate himself before venturing outside again and towards the restaurant. It's one block from where he is, in front of one of those popular spot for aspiring artists singing or dancing, hoping to go viral and make it in the industry. Right in front of the restaurant there's a group of five school boys dancing to EXO's latest hit, their movements synced to perfection and completely immersed in their parts. Jinyoung can't help staying there, watching them for a few seconds until he realizes he's expected inside of the restaurant.
It's a regular restaurant that offers mostly large pans with different kind of stirred chicken. It's not too big, the tables are close and all of them have a mini stove on the center. As he enters, he scans the place and quickly finds Jaebeom with other two young men. It's the one he knows who is facing the door and who immediately meets his eyes, a smile creeping to his lips and raising his hand in a little wave. The other two men have their backs to Jinyoung so they don't notice him until Jaebeom reacts, only then they turn around and it's the moment they recognize each other.
They are the couple that invited him to play bowling the other day.
Mark and Jackson... and they are Jaebeom's friends?
Jinyoung is so surprised he doesn't move, just staring and wondering how is it possible that the two random people he met just happen to be Jaebeom's friends? How? Is the world really that small?
Jaebeom waves more enthusiastically, at the same time Jackson stands up and waves both hands, motioning him to come over, only then Jaebeom realizes his friends recognize Jinyoung. Mark turns to tell him something and even from the entrance Jinyoung can see how Jaebeom's eyes widen in surprise before he turns to look at him completely flabbergasted.
Same, he thinks before he finally steps forwards.
Jaebeom's lost his smile, he actually looks tense and nervous. Jinyoung still takes the seat by his side, facing a very smiley couple.
"Long time no see, Hyung," he says once he's sitting, Jaebeom turns to meet his gaze but his smile is tense.
"I can't believe Jinyoung is your boyfriend! This is so great!"
Jaebeom chokes, blushing completely and turning to glare at Jackson. "He's not my boyfriend!"
"Yet," Mark whispers, chuckling to himself and Jaebeom is turning even redder. It's so sickly cute Jinyoung just want to add to it.
"And he's trying very hard to make it happen soon," he comments, leaning a bit forward as if sharing a secret. The loud gasp from Jaebeom is the best reward.
"Jinyoungie!" The older boy gasps, looking at Jinyoung as if he betrayed him. "Don't fuel them."
"Are you saying it's not true?" Jinyoung fakes hurt, his expression morphing to distress as he watches how Jaebeom panics. "I thought your intentions were sincere... after all that's happened between us."
"No, I don't meant that," Jaebeom's hand grabs his, leaning forward and looking alarmed. "I'm sincere and I do want us together. It's just that Mark and Jackson are only teasing me and trying to embarrass me!"
Jinyoung can't hold his smile anymore, chuckling softly.
"I can't blame them, you look so cute when you're flustered." His hand raises to cup Jaebeom's cheek, it's very intimate and endearing, so much that Jackson shrieks.
"Okay, that's enough. Too much!" Mark begs, pushing forward the restaurant's complimentary cabbage salad.
Jinyoung laughs, but concedes and drops his hand to sit properly, grabbing his chopsticks to take a bite of the cabbage salad.
"I do have to say, I'm really surprised to see you here, Jinyoung."
"I'm the surprised one! How do you even known each other?" Jaebeom jumps in, leaning forward and recovering from the embarrassing moment before.
"We just bumped into each other one day. Jinyoung looked like he needed a friend and distraction, so we invited him to play bowling with us. That time you didn't want to join us," Jackson rolls his eyes, evidently still bitter about that, but then he gives him a meaningful side look, letting him know that he purposely kept to himself the part about Jinyoung having a panic attack when they met.
"Funny how things work, uh? It seems we were all meant to meet," Mark comments offhandedly, pouring water to Jinyoung's cup.
"It's fate!" Jackson supports and to be honest, for a second, Jinyoung is inclined to believe it.
"So how was your fateful first encounter?" Mark asks. "Jaebeomie has been so secretive about it, so now that you're here we can finally know the details."
"We met on a bridge over the Hangan," Jinyoung replies. "Apparently he thought I was going to jump and that's why he approached me. So whether he wanted to be a hero or he has a thing for suicidal people, I haven't figured it out yet."
"It's not that," Jaebeom whispers. "The sight of you there was so... captivating. And it cut right through all my thoughts and I could only see you."
It's Jinyoung's turn to blush, looking away and refusing to meet Jaebeom's eyes. Hearing him speak like that makes him feel so vulnerable for some reason he doesn't quite comprehend.
"It's fate. It's been decided," Jackson announces this time, completely serious while taking a bite of salad as well.
Jinyoung looks at Jaebeom from the corner of his eyes, feeling his chest tight. It does feel like fate for how easily it's been to be with him, for how complete he feels when Jaebeom is around, for how alive the older man makes him feel. But above everything, considering how it feels like they've known each other from before, it's tempting to believe it's actually destiny pulling them together.
It's not like Jinyoung believes in all those stuff but it's very, very tempting to do so this time.
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