slow down ➳ 이희승

𖥻 chapter twenty four

he starts walking around the place, going left to right and scratching his head as if deep in thought. some door in the distance opens and he jerks his head up, meeting jake's worried eyes.

"are you okay? alex told me you look sick & you're going home." heeseung questioningly raises a brow. "i never said that." he trails and jake breathes a laugh. "well you know alex, always making a big deal out of things."

"jokes aside, you don't look that great either." he hiccups. heeseung cocks a brow, taking a few steps closer to the blond ─ with surprise he realizes that he's drunk, maybe a little too much.

with how much he's been drinking lately, it's as if his system has grown immune to the alcoholic beverage ─ but this doesn't apply to his friend & his low tolerance in alcohol. judging from the glossy eyes & silly smile, he most probably had wine.

dumbass. you can't handle wine.

"you dipshit." heeseung breathes and snatches his arm that's waving up and down, as if trying to catch something. he wraps it around his neck and hugs him by the waist, turning around to go find his car in the parking lot.

jake whispers incoherent stuff as they limb their way out, sometimes singing random lyrics from his favorite justin bieber songs ─ "is it too late now to say soooorrryyyy~" "for my ears? yes!" ─ and heeseung can't help it but slam a hand over his mouth.

he finally spots his mazda somewhere in the faraway corner, searching for the key in his pocket while struggling to keep jake standing. the blond takes a deep breath and coughs, turning his body around in a swift motion, just in time.

heeseung grimaces in horror as he watches him dumping his guts out in the middle of the lot ─ and lucky for them, it's too dark to be seen. "God..." jake mutters once he's done, looking back at heeseung with a lopsided grin. "much better."

"you're disgusting. take this." he coos and hands him a napkin, opening the passenger's door for him. "get in." he flicks his wrist & points inside, as the blond briefly nods with a hiccup and throws himself in. "oii~ smells s' good. what's it?"

"my fart." the raven whispers & slams the door shut, getting in & starting the car in a matter of seconds. the drive to their apartment is eerily quiet, with only jake's mumbling breaking it.

"ya know... ava is reaaallyy sad."

jake suddenly blurts, causing the raven's grip on the wheel to tighten. "what?" he exclaims, head snapping to the left as he glares at him. "what do you mean? how do you know?"

"she's my frrrrriend you fuckin' idiot." jake snurls, leaning his head back on the headrest and bumping his fist on his forehead. "dammit! headache."

"and why's she sad?" heeseung asks, his gaze alternating between jake and the road. "because..." a yawn. "cause─ you fucked katana. after you left."

"i triiiied to convince her that it's not true but girl's a hard head. she didn't listen to me. i don't get why she's sad & maaad though..." he trails, pouting his lips as he scratches his thumbnail.

"i mean, she fucked jay."

she... what?

"was it revenge? a coping mechanism?"

revenge?

"girls are so confusing man─"

"what the FUCK!"

heeseung steps on the brake with all his power ─ and luck seems to be on their side, cause no car happens to be behind them. his whole body turns to jake, eyes spitting fire ─ and though wasted, jake is terrified.

"you're telling me..." he starts, trying to stay calm ─ yet failing. "that ava... ava yoon! fucked some random... jay dude!? because katana was my hook up? a jay dude?"

"not just some jay dude. it's park jay, the swimmer─" "i don't give a flying fuck about what he does for a living! ava fucked someone after i left?! all because i used to ─ fucking used to ─ fuck katana?"

jake shrinks on his seat. "well... she's mad at that time and wanted to blow off some steam, as she told me. i don't think it has to do with katana though."

"it has to do with you."

him. 'course it's him.

a sound between a cry and a scream goes past heeseung's lips, bumping his fist on the wheel & falling back on his seat. "fuck! fuck! fuck!" he screams in between hits, jake staring at him with fear. "heeseu─" "shut up!"

"you knew about this!" he points at the crouched man. "you fucking knew about this! and you didn't mind telling me! your own friend, jake! your own! fucking! friend! the one you've known for the past ten years!"

"you betrayed me for some damn girl you've known for months." heeseung throws his hands up in surrender, his orbs glossy from the tears. "i can't... i can't believe you."

"says you!" jake fires back, poking his chest in a harsh manner, as his finger slips and pokes his arm instead. "you ruined my first date with her! you let your anger and jealousy for her blind you and you hurt me heeseung! you! hurt! me!"

he emphasizes with each poke, and heeseung notices that his cheeks are wet from the tears streaming down them. "you're not the only one who was hurt! i was hurt too! you hurt me so much that day but instead of being sorry, you caused more trouble!"

"and the problem is not ava! ava's too kind for her own fucking good! you're the problem here heeseung! you are the damn problem!"

"you... you hurt us."