Feel The Heartbeat | Yeonbin

Chapter 23 - Manila envelope

"Soobin..." was all Yeonjun could say. He was at a loss for words.

Cheating was one thing but... asking for a divorce?

"You know what else?" Soobin continued. "She didn't even talk about cheating on me. She even thanked me for being a good husband and apologized for not being a good wife."

Yeonjun swallowed. "Do... do you want a divorce, Soobin?"

Soobin turned to him now with a contemplative look on his face. "I don't know," he answered, quietly before grabbing his glass again and drinking it.

"She even had all the papers ready." He put the glass back on the table before pouring more bourbon. "It's like... she had planned it."

That caught Yeonjun's attention. "Wait... so if she already had the papers... Then, she already went to see a lawyer? So... does this mean... she and Yeji..." Fear gripped at Yeonjun's heart. "Does this mean... Yeji might ask for a divorce too? Did they both see a lawyer?"

His heart began to tighten and Yeonjun clutched at his chest, his breathing suddenly short.

Yeji was going to leave him, wasn't she? 

This affair wasn't a phase or on a whim. Their wives really wanted to leave them.

Soobin's voice was soothing in his ear as a comforting hand began to rub his back. Yeonjun's heartbeat relaxed and he turned his head to look at Soobin. He was looking at him with a look of concern, the first real emotion he had shown all night.

"Yeonjun, it's okay," Soobin said to him with a small reassuring smile. "We don't know that yet. Maybe... Maybe it's just Ryujin. Maybe she did grow tired of being with me. We don't know if Yeji feels the same as her."

"B-But... What if... what if Yeji asks for a divorce too? I... I c-can't..." His heart tightening again, he could feel himself hyperventilating at the mere thought of it.

How would their parents react? Their friends? 

Everyone thought they were okay and doing well. Everyone expected them to last forever and ever. What would they say if he and Yeji did divorce?

Yeonjun felt himself being pulled into strong arms and his nose pressing into the fabric of an expensive shirt. Soobin was hugging him, rubbing his back in a soothing manner. Yeonjun's heart stopped tightening and instead felt a sense of calm wash over him.

A soft chuckle interrupted his raging thoughts as Soobin released him from the hug. (Their first ever hug now that he thought about it.)

"I brought you here to comfort me and yet I end up trying to comfort you," Soobin jokes, the joyous tone back in his voice as he teased Yeonjun.

Realizing that, yes, he was supposed to be the one comforting his heartbroken friend, not the other way around, Yeonjun hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I'm not much help."

He heard Soobin sigh and turned to him. He was looking up at the ceiling again, his hand still resting on Yeonjun's back. It was warm and, Yeonjun had to admit, quite comforting.

"It's okay," Soobin said. "I don't think I would know what to say either if it was you who had called me out." He sighed again. "I don't want to go home tonight."

Taking his hand off of Yeonjun's back (Yeonjun resisted the urge to pout), he picked up the bottle of bourbon again and poured himself another glass as well as filling up Yeonjun's half-full one. He picked up both glasses and handed Yeonjun his before raising the glass.

"To us and our complicated love lives," he stated, voice now devoid of the little joy he had earlier.

With a sigh of his own, Yeonjun clinked glasses with him.

They ended up drinking well into the night and even moved into a Noraebang a couple of buildings away for some late-night jamming.

They sang all songs, boy group songs, girl group songs, classic trot songs, and even songs in English about heartbreak and relationships.

That night, they tried to forget that they had wives waiting for them at home, wives who broke their hearts and left them in the dust.

That night they sought a little joy in the drinks, food, songs, and each other to forget how their wives had fed them lies about love.

Not for the first and definitely not the last time, Yeonjun wished he and Soobin had met each other under different circumstances.

Maybe they would both be happier people instead of two heartbroken ones singing their hearts out in a Noraebang in the early hours of the morning.

It was 3AM when they both finally decided to call it quits and go home. Well, for Yeonjun, anyway.

Soobin still refused to go home.

"You sure you'll be okay, Soobin?" Yeonjun asked before getting into a taxi that would take him home.

Soobin smiled at him, a little sober now but still quite sad.

"I'll be fine. I'm sorry for keeping you out so late. And thank you, Yeonjun."

Yeonjun shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'm always here if you need me." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Soobin in a hug, giving him a short squeeze before letting him go. "I'll check on you in the morning."

Soobin nodded and watched as Yeonjun got into the taxi. Yeonjun waved goodbye at him until he could no longer see him.

Soobin was a grown man, yet, he couldn't help but worry if he was going to be okay that night.

It wasn't until he received a text shortly after he arrived home that Soobin was staying with his cousin that Yeonjun finally breathed in relief.

As he laid in bed next to Yeji and watched his slumbering wife, Yeonjun's worries made themselves known again and he stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep despite how tired he was.

At some point, Yeji had rolled over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling into his arm.

Some weeks ago, this would have thrilled Yeonjun.

Yet, at that moment, it brought him little comfort.

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