This Friend | Yeonbin

31

Soobin P.O.V

Whoever recommended this place to Cassidy was right. The dumplings are amazing.

The restaurant is getting hyped up online, so it’s crowded. We even needed to wait for ten minutes, which Cassidy assured me is the sign that a place is worth our time. She said she tries to not eat anywhere she can just walk into.

I lift one of the pork-and-chives dumplings, dip it in soy sauce, and take a bite. It’s so damn good. I could live off these.

“It’s official: I love this place,” says Cassidy.

“Me too,” I say, my mouth full. I swallow, and wish I’d taken the two seconds to do that before I spoke. That would’ve been way cooler.

She takes another. “So what are you doing after? I have no plans. Pathetic, I know.”

“Story of my life.”

She laughs, which makes me smile. I’m glad she thinks that I was joking.

“Um,” I say. “I’m going to my friend Beomgyu place. We’re just going to be huge nerds and play games all night.”

She scoffs. “And here I was, thinking you were cool.”

“I’m surprised you thought that for even a second.”

She laughs. “I’m just messing with you. I like games, too.” She sighs. “But okay, I guess I’ll let you two have your nerdy guys’ night.” Her eyes light up.

“Wait, are you and Beomgyu, like…” She makes a pretty obscene gesture with her fingers.

I laugh.

“God no,” I say. “We’re just friends. He’s straight.”

“You’re friends with a straight guy? In this economy?”

“I know, right?” I guess I’m out to her. I actually love this.

“Do you have pictures of him?” she asks.

“Yeah, I do,” I say. I take out my phone, and show her Beomgyu Facebook. At least we actually are Facebook friends.

I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d said I was hanging out with someone else.

She swipes through his photos.

“Oh wow, he’s cute. Nerds with muscles are such a weak spot of mine.” She narrows her eyes. “Are you sure this is a just-friends thing for you? Straight guys are off-limits, in case nobody has told you that. I’ve seen too many of my gay friends get crushed by them. I don’t want to see that happen to you, too.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s not my type, anyway.”

That’s not true. He totally is, at least physically, but I want to change the subject.

“And what is?” she asks.

I’ve never talked about this. With anyone.

I glance across at a waiter. He’s got black hair, cut neatly, and has scruff on his cheeks. I noticed him, like, the second I walked in here.

There’s also a tattoo poking out from under his shirt, running down his beefy forearm. I tilt my head toward him.

She grins. “Oh, honey. You, me, and the rest of the male-loving world like that. Trust me, they’re a bad idea. Fun, for sure, but definitely a bad idea.”

“Noted.”

We have a few more dumplings.

“Hey,” I say. “Can I ask you something?”

She nods. The restaurant is so loud, I figure we can talk, as long as I keep my voice down.

“What do you think of the Friend Scheme?”

“The plan of the Chois’, you mean?”

I nod.

“I guess i dunno. A part of me thinks it’s risky, but also it’s kind of genius? Even now that it’s been found out. Like, I have this theory that the whole point of it might’ve been to freak us out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, ever since we found out about it, everyone has been super paranoid. And your dad has closed ranks, Mum told me. Some of the big meetings have changed to be Chois only, and Mum’s been left out of some stuff. She says she gets it, but I can tell she’s pretty upset. If you look at it that way, it’s genius.”

Ever since he was shot, meetings have been taking place in Dad’s hospital room instead of at Jimmy’s. It’s not ideal, but Dad paid the hospital a lot of money in order to ensure privacy. I haven’t been invited to these meetings, but Taehyun been to a few.

“Right.”

That actually does make sense.

If we’re fractured, not as strong as we used to be. Maybe that was a big part of their plan, and we played right into it?

I should talk to Dad about this as soon as possible.

But after I’ve watched Yeonjun play baseball. I’m not going to miss that for anything.

“What are you thinking?” she asks.

“Just that you might be sort of brilliant.”

“Sort of? I’m offended.”

“Okay, you’re totally brilliant.”

“Thanks,” she says, and she grabs another dumpling with her chopsticks.

“I know.”