Chapter 1
The club was loud, filled with intoxicated people as the lights flashed brightly.
Changkyun slid into one of the many tall stool chairs that surrounded the bar. His eyes landed on the female bartender, who was mixing a cocktail. He waited until she had finished what she was doing and caught her attention.
“Could I get a strawberry vodka lemonade and a glass of water?” he asked, with a small smile on his lips. His ebony locks fell over his eyes as he brushed his hair back. The bartender nodded and set to work. Changkyun watched the young woman focus as she mixed liquors here and there.
“You look like a professional,” he complimented.
“I haven’t been here long,” she admitted, setting the drinks before him.
It was to her surprise when Changkyun pushed the vodka back towards her.
“A sweet drink for a sweet girl,” he said, his tone playful but sincere.
Blush flooded through the bartender’s cheeks.
“You still have work, so you can drink this afterwards.” Changkyun gestured to the glass of water.
“Thank you...” she said shyly.
Before Changkyun could speak again, he felt a strong hand wrap around his wrist.
“Changkyun, how are you already drunk?”
“I’m just a bit tipsy, Hyunwoo hyung,” the younger said giddily, wrapping his arms around the older’s neck.
Changkyun noted the way Hyunwoo’s muscles were tensed, how his eyes were narrowed as he seemed to glare at the bartender.
“I think it’s time for us to get home.”
Changkyun winked at the woman one last time before his boyfriend gently pulled him out the door. Hyunwoo led him to the back parking lot and sat in their car. Changkyun sat down in the passenger seat beside him.
“What were you doing?
“Just being a gentleman,” the younger answered cheekily. “You know I’d never cheat on you, love.”
The car was silent.
“Hyung... where were you earlier?” Changkyun asked, no longer playful. He had noticed the way Hyunwoo had disappeared rather quickly when they had entered the club. As if he didn’t want to be anywhere near Changkyun.
“I met up with... Yuna.”
Changkyun’s head snapped up.
“You met up with her?”
Changkyun was Hyunwoo’s second love. His first love, who had been him for over four years, had cheated on him several times before Hyunwoo had finally been able to break away from her toxicity.
“I wasn’t thinking. I thought...” Hyunwoo trailed off. “She asked if I wanted to be in a relationship with her again.”
"Are you going to get back with her?” Changkyun asked.
A burst of envy and anger raced through his veins. His heart pumped loudly as he waited for Hyunwoo’s response.
“I’m not sure...” the older admitted.
“What do you mean by that?” Changkyun demanded. “She broke your fucking heart!”
“Why the hell are you overreacting?” Hyunwoo shot back.
Changkyun scoffed, rolling his eyes. ”Overreacting? How long have we been together, Hyunwoo? How the fuck do you think I feel about you wanting to go back to Yuna, out of all people?”
“I never said I wanted to go back to her-” Hyunwoo defended.
“But did you reject her?”
Hyunwoo didn’t respond. Changkyun turned his head away from the older, struggling to blink the tears out of his eyes. He refused to cry in front of this man, who possibly wanted to throw him away for a girl who had cheated on him.
“Why? Why would you want to hurt yourself like that again?”
“Changkyunie-”
Changkyun looked directly into Hyunwoo’s eyes.
“I’m not going to fight about this. You’re the one that’s going to have to make the choice, Hyunwoo. If you choose me, you can meet me at the park tomorrow night.”
He opened the car door and got out. As he walked away, he felt a sharp pain stab his heart. He was hurt by the fact that Hyunwoo hadn’t even tried to stop him from leaving. Tears stung his eyes as they slid down his cheeks. He and Hyunwoo had been together for four years. Did all that time mean nothing to him? He walked faster, his thoughts swirling in his mind like a tornado. He stopped in front of an apartment complex, finding it difficult to walk further as both mental and physical exhaustion overcame him. Fumbling to grab his phone out of his pocket, his fingers hovering over Hyunwoo’s name for a moment before he chose a different contact and pressed the call button. He wiped the tears from his face as he listened to his phone dial, waiting for the person on the other line to answer.
The line suddenly clicked.
“Hello?”
