Pandora's Hope

Best Friends

"Hey, Riri," Hoseok says sitting at his usual seat at the Drunken Whale, the bar he always goes to where his best friend Nari started working a year ago.

"The Hoseok special?" Nari asks preparing a drink for him.

"You know it."

Nari, Riri as he likes to call her, has been Hoseok's best friend for about 3 years. They met when he sent for a rideshare car to pick him up and take him across town to his now ex-girlfriend's place. They talked about a lot during the ride and somehow became fast friends.

He's not much of a drinker, a lot of times he can't handle more than one or two beers, but he comes to see her at the bar quite often. More now since he and his girlfriend broke up. Every once in a while he'll have a whiskey, but most of the time he'll drink an iced tea or soda.

The Hoseok special, as Nari calls it, is just a nonalcoholic mixed drink she makes specially for him when he decides to not have an alcoholic drink. Since it's Thursday she knows that's what he wants.

"So," she says placing the drink down in front of him. "It's been 3 months since you two broke up, are you ready for me to set you up with one of my lovely eligible bar patrons yet?"

"Eh," Hoseok says with a shrug. "Show me what you got and I'll think about it."

"What exactly are you looking for?" She chuckles.

"To get my dick wet."

"Geez," she laughs. "Is this why your relationships don't last?"

"They last! Hyemin and I were together a while."

"Breaking up, dating a new chick every few weeks, then getting back together a year later doesn't count as a lasting relationship."

"Are you the relationship expert now?" He sasses raising his brow.

"Don't start," she frowns turning her back to him and assisting another guy who just sat down at the other end of the bar.

Riri has been dating the same guy for as long as he's known her, but don't remind her. Hoseok has only seen the guy a few times but he knows he's no good for her. He's no good for anyone. He's controlling and manipulative and Hoseok worries for her sometimes. He's abusive, though only verbally according to her, but he never allows her much freedom. Hoseok tries to help and protect her like a big brother, but he can only do so much.

She claims she loves him but Hoseok doesn't know if she's trying to convince him or herself. Either way they've gone through the same cycle for years. They fight over something minuscule. She says this is it and she's going to finally leave him. They "talk it out" and make up. If she's lucky she may get a month before the cycle repeats. Yet she's always concerned about Hoseok and his relationships.

"If you just want someone to fuck," Nari says returning to him as if the last part of the conversation didn't happen. "I can find a pimp to hook you up," she laughs.

"You know pimps?" He asks amused.

"I work in a bar, I know a lot of people. I know some nice girls that come in here too, but if you're not looking for anything serious then I'm not going to set them up with you."

"Then find me one that doesn't want anything serious."

"You are unbelievable," she laughs shaking her head.

It's not that he doesn't want a serious relationship, he'd prefer that over nothing, but things get so complicated he feels it's just easier to stay single. For now at least.

Hoseok's relationship with Hyemin was complicated enough for a lifetime. He spent half the time gradually falling out of love with her but found it hard to let go. She gave him familiarity, but also bored and irritated him to death. All of their compatibility went out the window and after nearly 9 months he finally broke it off with her and went on to date a few other girls.