Chapter Text
Give a little, get a lot
That's just how you are with love.
“Power & Control” — Marina
1.
Myungsoo had never considered himself lucky.
Ever since he was young, he had often been told that his face was a blessing, but he had often thought of it as a curse. Because of that, he had often felt like his peers didn’t take him seriously, and when he talked about the future, there were always the jokes about modelling or acting, when his passion had been art all along. His parents had entertained his ideas somewhat, but made it clear they would not sponsor anything that strayed from the path they had chosen for him for too long, and he’d eventually have to return to the real world. The closest compromise he could manage had been photography, and while he wanted to think it was skills that brought him to work on big-name publications, deep down he was still insecure that his face, his connections, had taken him to where he was.
It was during one of those prestigious shootings for a fashion magazine that he met Jiyeon, which, in Myungsoo's opinion, had cemented his curse.
At first it was a dream that a high-profile actress lauded by her work on international films, awarded for a wide range of work in independent shows and well-loved because of her charity work, would want to be with him, going so far as to marry him within a few months of knowing each other. Although they didn’t quite love each other, she made him feel important, like someone truly understood his need for an appreciation of his work beyond his face.
Unfortunately, as the public appearances grew, and with them, the constant attention towards what the media considered the It Couple of the year, the relationship quickly soured. As Myungsoo spent more and more time in front of the camera lenses instead of behind them, he grew to miss the privacy of his work. Jiyeon, too, grew distrustful, accusing him of using her for attention. While the initial spark between them had been quick, so was the blowout, and soon enough, the divorce papers were served.
The main issue, though, had been the settlement.
Sungyeol had been his savior then. With depleted funds, tired of the public eye, and willing to do anything to get away from the whole thing, Myungsoo had reconnected with his old friend and former roommate during university, and asked for help. Even if he hadn’t always been able to understand Myungsoo on a personal level, and even when their opinions clashed, or they couldn’t compromise—even their majors in arts and business were too different—Sungyeol had always been there for him.
They had both come from well-off families, yes, but while Myungsoo’s parents had tolerated his whimsical endeavors in the arts, they were not so willing to lend a helping hand after the scandal of his divorce.
Sungyeol and his family, on the other hand, had accrued so much generational wealth, that matters like these were insignificant, so they had had no problem with their son letting his bum of a friend weather the storm by figuratively crashing on the couch after getting in some trouble with a loan company. After all, as part of the handful of families who recovered the quickest from the financial crisis of ‘97, they also had the funds to live in Seongbuk-Dong, nestled in the foothills of the mountains overlooking Seoul, where Myungsoo could seclude himself and brood to his heart’s content.
Sungyeol had no problem letting him stick around, and even exclaimed often that Myungsoo’s company was the best thing that could happen to his boring life. In those moments, Myungsoo felt akin to Aga, the 7-year-old Caniche that was often the subject of Myungsoo’s bored attempts to produce a photo collage and who thoroughly despised the man. But it wasn’t like that. He knew Sungyeol truly cared for him, and appreciated it too.
They were almost something, but that scarcely mattered. And anyway, Sungyeol was…
“Marrying Kim Sunggyu,” Sungyeol said from his weight bench, lifting a twin set of dumbbells. “I think that would make perfect sense, business-wise. Plus, he’s not bad on the eyes.” He lifted his eyebrows for added effect. “I want to bring it up at the New Year’s Eve party his family is hosting tonight.”
On the treadmill next to him, panting lightly, Myungsoo looked at him, considering his response. “I won’t deny that it would be beneficial to you both,” he settled on as he tapped the touch screen to slow down to a stop. “Joining your family with the Kims— those Kims, at least—would lead to an increase in your joined capital. There’s just one issue, though.” “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Anticipating what Myungsoo was going to tell him, Sungyeol said, continuing his set. “Kim Sunggyu is already engaged to Nam Woohyun.” Eventually, he put down his dumbbells. Doubtful of his friend’s point, but wanting to see where he was going, Myungsoo tentatively started jogging again. “Everyone knows that, but let’s be honest, that engagement has been going on for years without any of the parties making a move to consummate it. Plus, the Nams have always had… some sort of reputation.”
That, Myungsoo had to agree on. “I heard about it at some point, the construction business being a front for something else, right?” He’d been familiar with the rumors. High-society liked to pride themselves on looking down on things of that nature. They found them gaudy, somewhat akin to new money, even though it was more common to have their own set of unsavory businesses than everyone wanted to admit. The key was to keep it in private.
“Exactly!” Sungyeol sat up, wiping the sweat off his brows. “Plus, no one has seen Nam Woohyun in years. I’ve heard some say he’s in hiding. Who knows from what?”
“Or who,” Myungsoo added. “So… You want to use that to your advantage tonight?”
A grin spread through Sungyeol’s face. Myungsoo had seen that smile multiple times in his life. Before, when they were roommates and worn by his childish-looking friend, it usually led to some wild, fun prank. Now that Sungyeol was older, but not necessarily more mature, Myungsoo felt it spelled deeper trouble.
“I have a few ideas in mind. Let me tell you about them while we get breakfast. There’s a long day of planning ahead of us,” Sungyeol replied, trying to suppress such a smile as he stepped on the treadmill next to Myungsoo’s for his cool-down.
Speaking of breakfast, “Sungjong did say he wanted to try a new place today.”
He could feel Sungyeol’s eye roll as the other man started the machine. “My brother always does, and then we end up eating somewhere subpar. What is it this time?”
“I don’t know, he said it was a quiet little French cafe somewhere in Hannam-Dong,” Myungsoo shrugged, trying to pretend he didn’t hang on to the youngest Lee’s words every time he spoke. “Apparently, the owner was a friend of his during his time in Lyon.”
“Ugh, I remember now. He was insufferable when he came back.” Sungyeol started jogging, cringing to himself at the memory. “I know I’m going to hate the place already.”
Myungsoo wanted to say something in defense of Sungjong, but he knew the younger man’s tastes veered towards the eccentric sometimes. They were so different, the Lee brothers. Both strange in their own way, but secretly, Myungsoo had always felt a pull towards both of them.
“I’m going to take a shower,” is what he decided on, “but I’m dying to hear your plans. Let me know when it’s time to go.”
—
2.
Woohyun had always prided himself on his romantic nature and free-spirited lifestyle.
As his brother would inherit the construction business, Woohyun had, from a young age, dedicated himself to strengthening the other side, all while pursuing his own hedonistic endeavors. And while that had gotten him in trouble more than once, there was nothing his boyish smile couldn’t fix. Even if, underneath it all, he was a bit of an awkward guy; he tried hard, often, and that yielded excellent results for him—whether it was business or pleasure.
He hadn’t even been in hiding, as the rumors said, but it was true that his parents considered that locking him up at an international school in Singapore until he became of age had been the best course of action during his troublesome youth. After that, it was Europe, then the US, and eventually it was all over the world. He had grown fond of not being tied to a place for long, and so his travelling continued, always alongside the caretaker who sometimes needed even more attention than him, Jang Dongwoo.
Of course, sometimes his somewhat impulsive nature had led to more than one mistake, and he had three very worthy examples. The intricate tattoo of a tiger climbing over his shoulder was one, and he had realized that six hours into a session that had lasted the whole day, but what was done was done. Plus, his brother had commented that it looked nice, despite their parents nearly disowning him. Gave him more credibility in the family business, and had helped him secure a pretty good deal with their associates in Japan.
The second time was during that one party in Lyon, but he had vowed to himself to never think about that situation again.
And then there was the whole Sunggyu thing.
As far as he could remember, he had been engaged to a man named Kim Sunggyu. Both the youngest sons of their respective families, their options in line for the businesses in construction and real estate were limited, but given that their fathers had been close friends from polo club in university, they had quickly found them useful to tie their families together. In spite of that, Woohyun and Sunggyu had never quite met each other. They had gravitated in different circles, despite the elites in Seoul being a closely-knit group, in part because of Woohyun’s constant world-travelling, and in part because of Sunggyu (as far as Woohyun knew) devoting himself to his studies and then work, both keeping themselves out of the public spotlight.
And despite neither of them truly attempting to meet each other, Woohyun had grown to romanticize the idea of their future being tied together—of knowing that despite all his endeavors, in business or otherwise, there was someone in the world that he could end up with, at the end.
There was just one problem: He wanted to meet Sunggyu, to see if he liked the man enough to spend the rest of their lives together, but he didn’t want Sunggyu to meet him. He didn’t want their first encounter to be tainted by the knowledge of what each of them represented to the other, by the background of their families, as opposed to the individuals.
His plan had been simple. He would observe Sunggyu from afar, unknown to the man, and then quietly retreat and decide how to proceed. It was a long shot, but his parents could allow him to call off the engagement or request the wedding arrangements to start at last.
Enter Wooseok .
Your destination is on the right , the navigation system said. Woohyun quickly pulled into a parking spot and switched off the engine of the electric BMW. He exited the driver’s side to open the door to the back seat and help his passenger off the vehicle. As Sunggyu stepped out of the car, Woohyun reminded himself to put a smile on, and forget about his musings for a second.
He followed the other man into the shopping center. Immediately, a swarm of salespeople offering their fragrances approached them, but Sunggyu shook them off with a quick wave of his hand as they made their way to the elevator.
Woohyun didn’t even need instructions to press the button to the last floor. They rode in silence until the bell indicated the opening of the doors that followed. Once they both stepped in, they were welcomed by the staff onsite.
“Mr. Kim, thank you for coming in! Your suit is ready. This way, please,” the tailor’s assistant said, guiding them through the store. Woohyun remembered seeing him the first couple of times they visited the store, before they had informed him of an issue with Sunggyu’s measurements and they had to return for another fitting, and now for the last quality check and pickup.
They followed the man all the way to the back, shaking their heads at the mimosas offered on a tray (to Sunggyu, not Woohyun), until they stepped into a room with velvet and golden details on the walls, art déco style. Woohyun took his place next to the entrance to the lush changing room, as another member brought in a tuxedo, along with a matching tie, bowtie, and shoes.
“Please,” the attendant once again said, guiding Sunggyu into the fitting room further in the back. The other person put all the items together in the room as well.
“You can leave us,” Sunggyu said to the employees who had taken their place next to Woohyun, expecting to assist with the suit. The way he spoke was deceptively kind, but Woohyun heard the order behind it. The staff understood as well and scurried away with a bow.
Woohyun waited, but not too long, before Sunggyu came back out. He had put on a silk shirt, black trousers and shoes. The only thing out of place was his bowtie, hanging from his neck. Likewise, he held a pleated cummerbund and standard jacket towards Woohyun, who understood the order and moved to assist him with putting it on.
“I think it looks nice,” he said as he fastened the sash around Sunggyu’s waist.
Sunggyu grunted in response. This had been the third time they had been to the store, so he could understand Sunggyu’s annoyance. While it was custom made, that did not warrant the delay that had occurred, going so far as to having it ready until the morning of the event. Sunggyu’s family was throwing a big end-of-year celebration, unlike any other that the elites of Seoul had seen, and the youngest soon was required to look his best.
“What’s on your mind?” Woohyun asked as he turned around and started working on Sunggyu’s bowtie, even though he had a feeling the older man was already thinking of the party ahead. It was also supposed to be a sort of masquerade. According to Sunggyu, his sister had described it as Gatsby-Meets-Venice. Woohyun wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded like a whole ordeal, despite them having the planners and staff working on everything a good couple of months in advance.
So focused he was on tying the silky fabric in his fingers that he did not realize how close they were until he looked up and saw Sunggyu’s soft, pouting lips.
“This whole thing is stressing me out,” Sunggyu said in a soft voice, just like Woohyun predicted. What he did not predict, but should’ve seen coming, was the way Sunggyu sneaked an arm around his waist and pulled him close. “Can’t we just run away to Bali like we had discussed?”
“We had discussed it, yes,” Woohyun said once he finished tying the bow around Sunggyu’s neck, trying not to make it too obvious he was staring at the other man’s mouth. “But do you think you could’ve really left and miss the opportunity to oversee the organization for this party?”
He disentangled himself from Sunggyu’s (weak, almost playful) grip, turning around to grab the tuxedo jacket and help the other man put it on. Sunggyu sighed.
“I hate that you know me so well,” he mumbled while fixing his cuff links. “ Seok -ah, can’t I marry you instead?”
Woohyun tensed.
Wooseok, nicknamed Seok-ah , was Woohyun’s secret identity. It had been easy and fun at first; all he had to do was grab a name from a popular actor and ask a friend of a friend for a favor to get a whole new identity and a set of qualifications to work at the Kim household. He had also sent his own employee, Dongwoo, to work at a house nearby when the other man didn’t pass the strict head of staff’s hiring process. But Woohyun had been stellar at it, and while he had started work as a gardener, he had made himself useful here and there and ended up as a somewhat assistant of the place.
Too useful, in fact, that despite wanting to keep out of the spotlight to investigate what his fiancé was like, he had caught Sunggyu’s eye. And while Sunggyu was intimidating upon first meeting, witty and sharp in business, he had also been the youngest of the family for a long time before his niece and nephew came along, and that meant he (much like Woohyun) had been taught from a young age that nothing—no one—was truly unreachable. The other side in the coin of his ambition was his displeasure when things didn’t go his way, and he hadn’t rested until he had seduced who he thought was a mere employee from his household, and kept him as a chauffeur and somewhat bodyguard. But mainly, kept him as his secret lover.
And because Woohyun was a weak man, easy to fall in love with and a bit of a flirt, he hadn’t been able to stop what unfurled between them. A part of him didn’t want to, either, and that was his fatal mistake.
Woohyun fixed the lapels of the jacket and stepped away, putting some distance between them. “Will you leave your fiancé for me?”
That was the other thing. Too worried the same thing would happen with Sunggyu and whoever came along to replace him once he was good, he had been too cowardly to come clean with the truth.
Sunggyu rolled his eyes, adjusting his jacket in front of the mirror. “That is a question I can’t answer right at this moment.”
“Then why did you even bring it up?” Feeling they were heading towards dangerous territories, Woohyun rubbed his eyes. “It’s too early for this conversation.”
“I agree,” Sunggyu said, looking at him. The fond look in his eyes was still there, but this time tinted with something else.
At the same time, a shrill voice echoed from around the corner. “How is it, Mr. Kim? Does everything fit nicely? If so, I’ll get it packed up and delivered to your address right away.”
“Let’s talk about this later,” Sunggyu added, already turning away from him, “and can we get some coffee on the way home? It’s going to be a long day.”
—
3.
Sungjong had always felt somewhat inadequate next to his brother.
It was hard not to. Sungyeol had the confidence, the looks, and the body. But that wasn’t it, because Sungjong recognized it had taken him years to build that, to grow into the man that he now was. It was just difficult to acknowledge that Sungyeol had the determination to make it happen. Something Sungjong didn’t, or at least, always felt he lacked.
He also had access to someone Sungjong coveted dearly, and that was Kim Myungsoo.
Ever since Sungjong had met Myungsoo, back when he and Sungyeol had been his seniors in college, he had wanted the man’s attention. He knew it from the moment he had laid eyes on someone as beautiful as him, but he also knew that although Myungsoo was kind enough to humor him, his attention had always focused on Sungyeol. Then they all moved on. Myungsoo got married, Sungyeol started being more hands-on with the family business, and Sungjong completed his education and then went abroad for a few years.
He planned to stay there for an indefinite amount of time, too heartbroken to return to Seoul. He had always thought if Myungsoo wasn’t for him, he would at least be his brother’s, but Myungsoo had gone and married someone else. It was almost like betrayal, although they had never been something.
But then, that person had the audacity to break things off and saddle Myungsoo with that ridiculous debt. While some might consider that a tragedy if it were to happen to one’s friend, Sungjong saw an opportunity, so he came back to Seoul, begged Sungyeol to reconnect with his friend, and begged his parents to take Myungsoo in while he recovered mentally and financially.
Although now Myungsoo was closer than ever, Sungjong still felt it wasn’t enough. Sungyeol was back to hogging most of their time together, and he knew Myungsoo indulged him because he was indebted to him and thought the idea to shelter him had come from Sungyeol’s heart.
But Sungjong knew there were moments, few and far between, that Myungsoo stared at him like how one stared at a painting in a gallery. He hadn’t thought that because he was conceited, but because he had seen Myungsoo at work more than once. There was no mistaking it; those glances could only mean a sharp, repressed passion.
He sat in the coffee shop, pondering about this, when he saw Myungsoo and Sungyeol enter the quiet, French-style cafe, and make their way towards him.
“I get it now,” Myungsoo said to the other man sarcastically as they approached Sungjong’s table, “It’s a terrible idea. Hi, Jongie.”
“All geniuses are told the same. It’ll work, I promise,” Sungyeol replied, ruffling Sungjong’s hair before he sat down. Sungjong smacked his hand away and carefully combed the strands back into style. “Ah, this place is nicer than I thought. How did your ex come up with the idea?”
“What will work?” Sungjong replied to Sungyeol with a question of his own. Then, with a smile, “Hi, Myungsoo- hyung .”
Myungsoo smiled at him, sitting next to Sungyeol. Internally, Sungjong swooned. However, looking at his brother’s face shook him off his thoughts.
“I’m planning to propose to Kim Sunggyu at their New Year’s Eve party tonight,” Sungyeol replied.
“Oh, so hyung is right. That is a terrible idea,” Sungjong said, almost letting out a laugh. “You do know he’s already engaged, right?”
“That’s exactly what I said,” Myungsoo added, turning to a server who had practically materialized to hand them their respective menus, rattling off the specials of the day. He sent in another of those dangerous smiles to Sungjong. “Glad we’re on the same wavelength.”
He ordered himself a regular Americano for the time being. Sungjong ordered the same for himself, although he would’ve wanted something sweeter. Always the odd one out, Sungyeol ordered a stronger variety, and once the server stepped away with their drink orders to give them time to look at the menu, he added, “I haven’t gotten to tell you how I’m going to accomplish this, anyway.”
Already sensing this was yet another of Sungyeol’s outlandish plans, which in business tended to work fifty percent of the time, Sungjong started regretting asking. “Well, I’m listening.”
His eyes glinted above the menu. “The theme is masquerade, right? Which means we’ll all be required to wear masks.”
“You don’t have to explain what a masquerade is. We’ve all been to Venice.” Sungjong rolled his eyes as he scanned the menu. Their outfits, including said masks as part of their accessories, had been ordered by Sungjong a while back.
“I’m getting to the good part.”
Next to him, Myungsoo supplied, “There's no good part.”
“Hear this out. We’ve been to their parties before. We know they like to go all-out. Some would even say Sunggyu has, I don’t know, a bit of a drinking problem,”—Sungjong interrupted him to say that gossiping like that wasn’t appropriate, but Sungyeol steamrolled ahead— “so we’re going to wait until later on in the party, and then I’m going to have our actor buddy here pretend to be Nam Woohyun and come in to break their engagement.”
There was a bit of silence between the three of them once Sungyeol finished his speech, during which their server materialized again. Sungjong had the composure to order his Oeuf Meurette with a quick smile, and so did the other two with their respective orders. The composure lasted about 3 seconds after the server turned away, and then Sungjong grabbed his fork and pointed at Sungyeol.
“You are so stupid that it amazes me we are the same family,” he hissed in a half-whisper. “What are you even thinking? If you go through with this, you’re going to embarrass the whole family.”
Sungyeol glared at him, crossing his arms over his puffed-out chest. Sungjong had known him all his life, and knew deep down the words had cut him.
Nonetheless, Sungjong continued. “One, are you expecting Kim Sunggyu to be wasted and take advantage of him? I’m sorry, but have you actually met the man? I’ve seen him at events and he’s nothing like that.” He brandished his fork like a sword. “Two, how are you going to convince them that Myungsoo is actually Woohyun? Yes, the mask is one thing, but what about his voice, his mannerisms? They’ll know right away.”
“That’s the thing,” Sungyeol jumped up at the opportunity to interrupt. “No one has seen the man in years. Nothing on socials. Traditional media has nothing on him either.” He glanced at both Sungjong and Myungsoo like he had stumbled upon a great bit of information. “Rumors say he came back a few years ago to complete his service, but he’s been mainly overseas, and there’s also some nasty gossip about his family getting into dangerous businesses. Even if their parents were friends long ago, do you think the Kims would like to be associated now?” That, out of all the nonsense Sungyeol had spouted, was the only thing that sounded mildly true. “I’m giving them an out. We can take advantage of the situation, present an opportunity for the Kims, and show them I’m the better option.”
Sungjong sipped on his coffee without saying a word. He let the silence hang around them as Sungyeol squirmed in his seat. Finally, after enough time passed, he found his voice. “Hyung was right, you’ve finally lost it.”
Sungyeol huffed, arms still crossed over his chest. Myungsoo kept glancing between both brothers, unsure of what to add. Eventually, as the server brought their food and Sungyeol had to put his arms down, he broke the silence again.
“Can’t you just go along for once?” he asked with a whine. “Just this once, please?”
“No. We always go along with your plans. Sungyeol, they’re going to laugh at us,” Sungjong said, dropping any sort of honorific, as he thought the other man didn’t deserve it. Didn’t his brother know what kind of social suicide this was?
“I’m not going to propose right there. All I’m asking for is one chance to court him. Once Kim Sunggyu starts knowing me better—which again, would more than him knowing his current fiancé—he’ll realize what a catch I am.”
“For what it’s worth, if you manage to convince him,” after keeping silent for so long, Myungsoo finally added, “I think he’d be very lucky to have you.”
The thing that Sungjong hated the most is how sincere he sounded. That made a flare of jealousy spark in his stomach. He narrowed his eyes, cleaning his mouth delicately with the silky fabric napkin.
“I’m going to the restroom. I need a break from this nonsense.”
However, as he made his way through the tables, he thought about it. In the crazy, off-hand case in which Sungyeol’s plan worked, he would be marrying the Kim Sunggyu. Which meant his buddy Myungsoo would either have to find another place to crash, return to reality, or…
For a second, Sungjong thought this moment of clarity made him stumble to the floor. That wasn’t the main reason, though. Before his mind was quick enough to process what happened, he found himself face-to-face with a man—a splash of hot, ouch ouch ouch , coffee staining his beige knitwear.
“I’m so sorry!” the man exclaimed, helping him up. He glanced around, putting away a brown bag that was now soaking and dropping into the floor with slight panic. “I’m really sorry, didn’t see you when I was picking up my order.”
Sungjong felt like saying something mean, but forced himself to smile when an employee came to their aid. “It’s nothing,” he said, trying to peel off his cardigan. “I was already on my way to the restroom, anyway.”
“Ah, let me help you,” the man exclaimed. Then he turned to the employee and flashed her a guilty smile. “I’m terribly sorry. Would it be possible to re-do my order? Two Americanos and whatever pastry you have. Maybe just a plain croissant.”
“Of course,” the woman said as she took the soaking bag from him. It was weird, the way his gestures almost felt like was doing her a favor.
Sungjong groaned and stepped into the restroom as he shrugged off his cardigan. He could always get another, but this was his favorite of the season.
“Do you think the stain will come out? I can pay for the dry-cleaners otherwise,” the man said, following him. Sungjong hadn’t noticed, but the man’s black shoes and slacks were stained as well.
“It’s fine,” Sungjong mumbled, washing his hands. “I might just throw this away, anyway.”
“Again, I’m so sorry,” the man said, wiping his shoes with a paper towel. He stood up again and smiled at Sungjong before his eyes widened and he looked away. “You can have my jacket in the meantime, if you’d like?”
Sungjong scoffed. Maybe he could convince his brother (or better yet, Myungsoo!) to let him use theirs, or perhaps take a quick shopping trip. He glanced at the man to refuse the jacket he was already shrugging off politely, but it did look a little more high-quality than he was expecting.
He frowned, staring at the man’s face, although the other kept his eyes trained on the floor. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“Eh?” the man said, clearly avoiding his gaze. “No, I don’t think so.”
That was too quick of a refusal. Sungjong pressed further, approaching the man to take a better look. “No, I’m pretty sure. School? Ah, but you’re older than me. At work, maybe?”
He was a producer and co-owner of an online gossip outlet, which had helped him keep tabs on Myungsoo’s work as a photographer (and, unknown to the man, had provided an assist with the divorce scandal.) The other man didn’t seem to be from those circles, though. Plus, it didn’t feel like their meeting had been recent.
“I doubt it, but I do travel often for work,” the man said, subtly stepping back and handing Sungjong his jacket.
The word travel made Sungjong’s eyes widen. “That’s it! You were at one of Niel’s parties in Lyon, right? Oh, is that why you’re at his cafe?”
“I really think you have the wrong person,” the man stepped further away, putting his jacket back on at Sungjong’s refusal. Sungjong continued encroaching on his space. “I don’t—I’ve never—”
The door to the restroom opened, and Myungsoo stepped in. “Ah, Jongie, is everything okay? You’ve been here a while and…”
He stopped in his tracks, mouth shutting at the sight of Sungjong nearly pressing the other man against the sink. Sungjong jumped back, as if shocked by lightning. At the same time, the man’s phone started ringing.
“Ah, what?” he mumbled to himself, nervously patting around until he found his phone. He answered, “Yes, hyung? I’m coming, I’m just helping a friend with a little something. Wait, I’ll tell you about it in the car.”
He pushed through Sungjong and Myungsoo, eyes downcast, bowing repeatedly, and quickly disappeared behind the restroom door.
“Don’t look at me like that, hyung. It was an accident,” Sungjong said, cheeks burning in shame, but also, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity with the other man. He grabbed his ruined sweater to wave it in front of Myungsoo, and also stepped back into the restaurant.
He explained the situation as they made their way back to the table, including the part when he felt he had recognized the man who caused the commotion. Sungjong huffed, upset at the ruined clothes. He stared through the window while the other two finished their meals and continued discussing Sungyeol’s plans for the evening, jealous, again, of the closeness between them.
It all became more confusing, however, when Sungjon saw that very same man from the restroom get into a car with none other than Kim Sunggyu, who rolled down the car window to nag at him with a displeased expression.