Chapter 3

Kim Taeil looked anxiously at the monitor at the top of the room that called patients. They were at the medical center and were waiting to see JaeHwa's appear right there.

"Want some juice?" JaeHwa asked holding up a long green glass. "It's lemon, orange, kale and apple."

"I don't think so." Taeil made a slight face at that. "It's your thing, isn't it?" He looked at Hayoon who shrugged.

"It's very good for the body." he responded.

"Of course, you're going to pee green."

JaeHwa laughed in denial.

"That can't even happen. At best, the poo would come out green, but that would be really weird."

"Will you please stop talking about these atrocities?" YoonHa spoke right behind, crossing her arms as she rested her body better on the comfortable chair." You disgusting.

"Shut up." JaeHwa asked. "Do you want some Hayoonie?" offered to Hayoon.

The other smiled and nodded. He shared the straw with the biggest one, while the other two just raised their eyebrows and stared at each other.

"Hayoonie?" Taeil laughed breathlessly." How intimate.

"Only Jae can call me that, I'm warning you right away." Hayoon pointed out, "This nickname makes me look even smaller, but it makes me look cute."

"Jae... hm." YoonHa laughed along with Taeil.

Hayoon rolled her eyes but saw JaeHwa offer her some more juice. They were so stuck together that to anyone who saw them from afar, they looked like a couple of lovers extremely in love and at that stage where they make cute voices for each other.

It took a while for JaeHwa's name to appear on the screen. Taeil went with him, while Hayoon watched them anxiously. They wouldn't do anything else. Jaehwa had already drawn blood at that point and had even been forbidden to eat or drink anything, which is why he was so delighted with the green juice that Hayoon had prepared.

He would now see a doctor who would check his body, his marks, and if possible, he would pass some more tests, to see the extent of it.

And it was this part that made Hayoon anxious. I feared that JaeHwa was more hurt than he looked.

"Hey." He heard YoonHa's voice pull him out of his thoughts and faced him. "What's up with you?" asked with no dots on the line. Hayoon frowned.

"Like this?

"'Are you really liking JaeHwa?" Hayoon looked away, not answering right away. "I asked you a question, oh!"

"Are you liking Minsun?" Hayoon returned, seeing how YoonHa's eyes widened immediately. That made him laugh.

"Nothing to do, just answer me."

"Answer me then. Because if you don't like it, I think it's better to clarify. I've never seen my friend so inconsistent about something, he wants to push you away, but he can't."

YoonHa bit her lower lip. It wasn't like he wanted Minsun to stay with him in such a way. He had even said, looking into the other's eyes, that they didn't work together.

But what happened right after, was that YoonHa contradicted her own words. Seeing Minsun and Taeil sitting on her bed, just to share the place for a night's sleep, him couldn't resist when him took the impulse to kiss them. It was confusing, it made him messy.

But her mind asked for distance, while her heart just focused on how Minsun's lips tasted and how Taeil's voice sounded, calling them together. It was overwhelming, wanting to push them away when your own body begged to have them.

"I like Minsun, just like I like Taeil. But it's different, 'you know? I can't be with them. It would only get in the way."

"Oh yeah? And why?"

"Because I'm not good for that. I don't know how to show feelings, I don't know how to be subtle or remember important dates, for example. I don't know how to return a feeling in the same quantity or quality that I receive. Having Minsun or Tae means intensity, and I'm not intense."

"But those who like it don't always expect to have all the intensity they transmit back. I mean, it's obvious that if we like a person, we want them to also like us in return. But, for example, if you bring coffee in the morning of the person you like in bed, you're not expecting them to bring you lunch, right? We do it just because it makes us happy too."

"You talk some really crazy stuff, god forbid."

"I'm serious, you idiot! I've known Minsun for a long time, he never wanted something serious with anyone, but I realize that he has something different for you and for Taeil, and in the same intensity, which sounds incredible. I don't I had no idea that the heart could nurture identical feelings for two people at the same time. But look, it can! So, if they give you intensity, it's because you, somehow, made them comfortable for such a thing. But if you don't, just be objective. I don't want to see my best friend or Taeil hurt because of you. I swear I'll spank your ass if that happens."

"Your threat is middling, but I'll tell you the same. I don't want you to hurt JaeHwa. He's my brother, y'know?"

"And I won't, don't worry." Hayoon said simple." I really like him. And I won't let it be seen in an opaque way. I have colors, brightness, I like to demonstrate. You should too. Why waste time, if we know we can Be happy?"

"But for how long? There's no way to be sure about that, Hayoon."

"There's no certainty about anything in the world, YoonHa. It's just feelings, it shouldn't be so hard."

"We are different."

"But we have hearts. Don't complicate things. It's easy. If you want it, say it and insist. If not, just say it more vehemently. They are still waiting for you."

YoonHa sighed, her mind was already starting to be filled with voices that confused her even more. For now, her heart begged. He shouted: Go after them, take them back, don't lose them! But her mind held her, asked, implored: Don't make them unhappy, you're incapable, have you forgotten?

How much mess...

They remained quiet, not saying anything more, until JaeHwa returned with Taeil.

A smile filled JaeHwa and Hayoon stood up, looking at him anxiously.

"He's passed some tests, but for now, he says there's apparently nothing hurt other than the obvious."

"He asked some questions, but JaeHwa refused to answer." Taeil spoke angrily.

"What kind of question?" Hayoon asked.

"About who did this to me, how it happened, stuff like that... Of course, I know I should talk to the police, but it won't do any good. It could be even worse. Since I'm here, well, I can move on. .

"You are not well." Taeil spoke through gritted teeth, clenching his jaw.

"You understood me, Tae." Jae Hwa sighed. He guided his eyes to Hayoon and smiled again. "I can only do the exams tomorrow, is it ok if we go to lunch?"

"It's eleven in the morning." YoonHa replied.

"There's no right time to eat." JaeHwa rolled his eyes.

"Sure we can." Hayoon answered and reached for the older man's hand, joining it with hers. "Let's go."

Obviously, he glared at YoonHa. It was as if to say: See? Attitude, man!

JaeHwa didn't refuse or feel awkward about the touch. It was common with Hayoon. He headed outside, still walking slowly, and left the other two behind.

YoonHa glared at Taeil. Her mind was still screaming. But he bit his bottom lip, he wanted to hold his ex's hand too.

However, Taeil came out ahead. He followed the other two and left him, only looking back when he noticed he was still standing.

"Do not come?" he asked, frowning.

YoonHa laughed, short, lowering her gaze and stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets.

Taeil still held the door for the smallest to pass and smiled when he heard the low thanks he gave him.

He saw Hayoon get JaeHwa's car key and unlocked it. He was careful with the other and showed it when he helped him into the passenger side.

"Want me to drive?" Taeil offered, but Hayoon declined. "Okay." shrugged, getting into the backseat and watching YoonHa do the same.

They went to the center. There were a few restaurants around, so it wouldn't be that difficult to find one that would satisfy your hunger at that moment.

And JaeHwa perked up as he stared at a large sign on one that showed the dish of the day. Bulgogi.

"Bulgogi?" Hayoon looked at him and saw him nod, like a happy child. "Alright then." he smiled, tightening the other's fingers to his.

He didn't care for the few looks they brought his way. Perhaps because it was two men walking that way, or because they were quite handsome, that's what made everyone look in that direction.

Hayoon believed in the second option, of course.

They ordered and Taeil and YoonHa were amused at how silly both of them were. They seemed to live in a bubble. Which I'm sure could make your stomach turn, it sounded so sweet.

They were almost at the end of the meal when Hayoon's cell phone rang. His eyes weren't able to keep from rolling when he noticed the word "Father" there.

JaeHwa swallowed a piece of meat and glared at him.

"Aren't you going to answer?"

"I'm not in the mood." replied simple.

"It's your father, you should answer."

Hayoon sighed. He swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth and finally answered.

"Hi..." he replied full of annoyance.

"I need you to come to my office."

"I'm busy."

"It wasn't a request, Hayoon. It was an order. Come on, I'm waiting for you."

"But Dad, I…"

"You have twenty minutes."

The man ended the call. His timbre was definitely annoyance, which left Hayoon confused.

"But what...?" He stared at the dark cell phone screen.

"What it was?" Taeil asked curiously.

"My father. He asked me to come to his office."

"It's Park's, isn't it?" JaeHwa asked almost right. Hayoon nodded. "We'll leave you there, just finish eating first, I don't want you to feel hungry."

Hayoon nodded again. He was still thoughtful. As independent as it sounded to everyone, it was his father who kept part of his luxury, his own earnings, was coming now, just with the internship.

He couldn't help but feel an absurd strangeness inside himself, and looked for his cell phone, noticing that his father had already deposited his allowance for that month. The account was intact, all the values, from months in accumulation, were kept there, in favor of the realization of a future dream.

Park really couldn't say then, what was the reason for his own father's upset.

He ate all the rest of the food, trying somehow to understand what had happened. However, nothing came to mind.