This Friend | Yeonbin

58

Soobin P.O.V

After the reception, we all went to our place.

People are drinking, but nobody is having a good time. Obviously.

Barely anyone is even talking. What could we even talk about? Talking about anything else would be disrespectful, and I don’t think any of us need to vocalize just how awful this is.

Taehyun makes his way up to me.

He’s wobbling all over the place, and his eyes are red.

He collapses onto me. I’ve never seen him this drunk. He stinks like bourbon.

“So this girl- I know it’s not Cass,” he says. “Is she hot?”

His face is so dazed it’s like he isn’t even listening.

“Yeah,” I say. “She’s smoking.”

“Show me pics.”

“Dude, no.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

He leans in close. “What are you hiding?”

“I-”

“You think I don’t know,” he says. “But I do. I’ve known the whole time.”

“Known what?”

He closes his eyes, for like a few seconds. Then he finally opens them.

“What?” he asks. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re drunk.”

He raises a finger to his lip. Like this is a secret, not the most obvious thing on the planet. I do think, though: What does he think he knows?

Dad makes his way up to us.

“Can you two fetch a wineglass for everyone?” he asks. “We’re having a meeting.”

Taehyun does a very wonky salute. “Yes, sir!”

Dad turns to me. “How much has he had?”

“I’m guessing a lot.”

“I’m not drunk, you two are drunk.”

“Christ. Taehyun, go sleep this off. Soobin, set the table.”

Taehyun is now leaning most of his weight against me. He’s really heavy.

“Sure,” I say.

I help Taehyun to his room. Eddie trots after us.

“Sorry,” says Taehyun. “I’m such a mess.”

“Just don’t throw up on me.”

We reach his room. He takes off his jacket and throws it onto the floor. Then he walks around and collapses onto his bed.

“Would you say I’m a good brother?” he asks. “I try, you know.”

“The best. Now lie still.”

I grab his trash can, take the lid off it, and then put it beside his bed. Last, I fetch him a glass of water.

When I get back to his room, he’s passed out, with his arm around Eddie, who looks up at me, like: I’ve got this.

“Good boy,” I say.

I leave his room and then set about putting wineglasses on the table.

Dad’s got a few expensive bottles of white in the fridge, so I bring those out, too. When I’m done, people start taking their seats. It’s only the adults, though, along with Vince’s daughters, because nobody is going to tell them what they can and can’t do right now. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to join or not.

“Did you get one for yourself?” asks Dad.

I hadn’t.

I go back and fetch myself a wineglass.

And I join the table. I take a sip, and it’s actually nice. It’s rich and tastes decadent.

Maybe I can get used to this.

I do hate the Chois now.

And this is what my life is. There’s no escaping it. I may as well just get on board.

Vince wife is here, along with her two daughters. Vince’s usual seat, next to her, is empty. I guess everyone thinks sitting in it would be too weird. Becca, his oldest daughter, is holding his switchblade. I wonder if that means she’s taken up his mantle. That’s a goddamn terrifying thought.

“Now,” says Dad, and everyone falls silent. “Has everyone got a drink?”

I’m surprised Dad’s not making me pour wine for everyone. A bottle is passed around, and the few people who don’t have wine fill their glasses. Becca tries to pour herself one, but Sara shuts that down.

“Where’s Taehyun?” she asks as she passes the wine bottle down the table.

“He had a little too much.”

“A little,” says Tony. “The boy was staggering all over the place.”

Cruel laughter breaks out.

“Shut up,” I say.

Everyone turns to watch me.

“Don’t talk about my brother like that,” I say. “Have some respect.”

It’s so quiet. But then Dad smiles.

“Well, look at you,” says Tony. “Finally grown a pair, eh?”

“Bigger than yours.”

Tony’s eyes widen, but he, too, is smiling.

Everyone seems to be on board with this new version of me. If I ever wanted it, in this moment, I have that ever-elusive thing.

The respect of my family.

“Enough,” says Dad. “We have a lot to discuss. This war needs to stop. If we had done what I suggested, my brother would still be alive and our allies wouldn’t have been burned. That place has been in business since the thirties, and they took that from us, too.”

Oh no.

I have an idea about Dad’s plan.

Vince was one of the very few people who wanted to do it back when it was first brought up. But now Vince is dead.

Things are different.

The family will greenlight now. For him.

And if I know it, I’m sure Dad figured it out ages ago.

“I suggest we go through with my original plan,” says Dad.

No, I think. This can’t be happening.

I hate the Chois but this is mass murder.

“I suggest once again to call a peace meeting and then eliminate any Chois who shows up. All opposed, raise your hands now.”

I am opposed.

Obviously.

But nobody else is responding. Grandma is still, her expression hard to read. So I keep my hand down.

“Good,” says Dad. “All those in favor?”

Grandma raises her hand, then every single hand in the room but mine raises.

We can’t do this.

It’s evil.

Still, I know I have no choice, and I know it doesn’t really matter. It’s clearly going ahead no matter which way I vote.

So I raise my hand.

Dad’s lips twitch up into a small smile. “Good, it’s settled, then.”

I hope I find a way to forgive myself for this.