STAR: PERPETUAL DISPAIR
It felt as if time had slowed since the news of DK's disappearance, and Satine had been spending as much time away from home as possible, drowning herself in Jeonghan' company just for some sense of normality. Spending more than an hour with Mingyu left her exhausted; it was like talking to a brick wall. He was practically unresponsive and would barely eat, sleep or even talk to her unless it was absolutely necessary.
He just couldn't understand why his best friend would leave so abruptly. It was almost like he'd lost a part of himself, a vital part that left him half a man and half a musician.
Eventually, much to Satine's distaste, Mingyu started to drink. It was inevitable, but she certainly didn't expect to be dragged along to different bars to witness his drunken shenanigans.
The only time he even remotely calmed down was when he was reminded Diana hadn't come home from the office that night - and that was the hardest part for Satine.
She had lost so much already, and it felt as if Mingyu was slipping through her fingers like sand through an hourglass.
***
19:01
Dotty: I'm working late again tonight. I've got half a book to read by tomorrow. Don't wait up.
19:02
Dotty: Scrap my last message. I forgot you'll all be at the bar till sunrise, I'll see you later.
Sighing, Satine threw her Nokia into her bag, actively avoiding Mingyu's side-eye. Though she didn't care to admit it, a part of her knew he was waiting on Diana's arrival. The brunette had been in and out all week, working till the early hours of the morning, and it's safe to say Mingyu noticed her absence.
Surprisingly it became a type of relief for Satine, seeing the slightest glimmer of emotion in his eyes when Diana didn't walk into the loft each evening. She supposed his and Diana's affair had a silver lining - she was able to wake him up inside and make him feel something when Satine couldn't.
The only thing helping her through the relentless heartache was the fact that Mingyu still clung to her at night and used her body in ways no other man could or would. She was sure he still loved her, and that gave her so much hope.
It may sound ridiculous to most people, but Satine wasn't interested in losing. She never had been. When she looked at Mingyu, she saw something raw and real that she had no desire to give up. It broke her that he was conversing in such a brutal affair, but she was smart and knew how to play the long game.
Mingyu would eventually see that she was devoted to him in every aspect. All he ever wanted was security, someone constant, even if he was too proud to admit it.
In Satine's opinion, there was no stronger act of loyalty than somebody willing to forgive one of the worst forms of betrayal. She had let him mould her into this new being and wasn't interested in letting everything she worked for go to waste.
She was all in, whether he liked it or not.
"Why so serious?" Hoshi asked her, mixing his drink with his finger and letting the drop of tequila fall onto his tongue.
Satine just chuckled softly, trying to wipe the frown from her face. "Missing my best friend, that's all."
She did miss her. It had always been the two of them until Diana found a handsome man to wrap her red talons around. Satine thought she was somewhat admirable, being the only other person who could snatch up a man like she could. Though, it was slightly disheartening when that man was hers.
A part of Satine wished they could go back to their teenage years when they used to have fun - real fun that kept them alive even at the darkest of times.
"Tell me about it," Hoshi laughed, checking his watch. "I wonder what Woo's up to. I bet his mum's forcing a casserole down his throat as we speak."
"I bet she's not even letting him have a drop of alcohol. The withdrawals are going to be ruthless." Satine's smile faltered, remembering back to the last time she saw him. "He was so drunk after the whole DK situation. I hope he's okay, he didn't seem himself."
The image flashed through her mind - the way Wonwoo glared at Diana that night; it was far from friendly. Before Satine could even intervene, he had stumbled out of the bar and now nobody could reach him, not even Hoshi. He left a note stating he was staying with his mum in the city for a bit, which seemed suspicious in itself, but there wasn't much anyone could do.
Mingyu heavily nudged Sating, cutting them off with his slurred words. "He'll be fine, Red. Do you know how many times I've peeled him off the sidewalk? The guy lives for alcohol poisoning. I'm sure Wonwoo can handle some withdrawals; he loves a good challenge."
Hoshi nodded whilst clinking his glass with Mingyu's. They were all a close-knit group of guys that knew everything about each other - not that they'd ever acknowledge it.
Resting her head on Mingyu's shoulder, Satine sighed out of relief. Her crow had finally used more than seven words - things were going to be okay.
Hours went by and slowly the once full booth they had inhabited for so long, didn't seem so empty. The drinks got stronger, the music louder and soon they were all chattering away, not even realising that there were still only three of them.
"Would you rather down three bottles of JD in a minute or get fucked in the ass with a strap on?"
Hoshi was squawking like a crazy person at the idea. It was particularly weak of Satine to give such a pitiful question, but it seemed to get a great response. She would have made more of an effort if she wasn't the only sober one and wasn't preoccupied with checking her phone.
"Easy, whiskey any day."
"Are you sure?" Mingyu teased, elongating his words at the end, something he often did when he was drunk. "Some straight men like it up the butt, right Red?" He was joking. He'd tried a lot over the years but never quite understood the whole ass-play thing.
He was trying to make the redhead laugh; overcompensating for the fact that he was crippled with guilt - an effect alcohol often had on him. His brain was currently overanalysing his past, DK's leave, and everything he'd done with Diana.
Satine had been acting sort of distant over the last few days and a part of Mingyu worried that she'd found out about his affair. But surely a woman like Satine would never stay if she had, so he was almost positive that it wasn't that.
"Hello? Earth to Satine?" He waved his hand in front of her face to grab her attention.
"Oh, sorry!" She shoved her phone back into her bag. "I'm just waiting on a reply from Dotty. She should have been back by now."
As soon as she said it, she regretted it instantly. The look on Mingyu's face changed from soft and silly to something way more serious. He was worried.
"What do you mean? Where is she? I thought she was staying at the office? There's that huge couch there that she sleeps on..."
Furrowing her brows at Mingyu who just stared back, waiting for an explanation, Satine didn't even have time to question how he would know that before the telephone behind the bar rung. It startled them all, even Hoshi who looked too far gone to even keep his head up properly.
"Guys?" Dan the bartender called over to their booth. "It's for you."
No one budged. Mingyu was busy failing to conceal his concern for Diana, and Satine was too concerned with wondering how he could be so blatant.
Rolling his eyes at them from across the table, Hoshi jumped up and took the phone. He was pretty sure it was just Wonwoo finally vent calling from his parents' house, but on the off chance that it was Diana, he made sure to focus.
But in a second, his whole world was flipped upside down.
Satine glanced over her shoulder curiously after watching Mingyu's face drop. Standing next to the phone hanging by its cable, as white as a sheet, was Hoshi. His knees were shaking, ready to buckle any second, his hand still up to his ear where the phone used to be, and he had a look on his face that was truly terrifying.
"What is it?" Mingyu slurred, gulping away the lump forming in his throat.
"Hoshi?" Satine called out, trying to break him from his daze.
"Oi... What is it? What's wrong?" Mingyu wasn't getting an answer and he could only assume the worst as his friend's expression spoke a thousand words.
"Hoshi?" Satine already had her suspicions. "Hoshi? Please don't tell me Dot-"
"Answer us for fucks sake!" Mingyu was past the point of subtlety. The most disgusting feeling resided in his stomach as images of Diana's mutilated body flooded his brain.
Without warning, an almighty mournful wail escaped their friend as he fell to his knees with a crack. It was enough to have Mingyu and Satine fly from their seats to reach him.
Satine had never heard such a bloodcurdling cry before, especially not from a man. It was awful to watch. She wrapped her arms around Hoshi's body, which was fighting with everything in him to find a suitable release for his pain. His breathy roars of agony rippled through her, wiping every thought from her brain.
She just stared at Mingyu, begging for him to do something, but he was just as frightened.
He would never have been ready for the person on the other end of the line to tell him that this number was in the wallet of a body found washed up on Newtown Creek.
He also wouldn't have been ready for the bar's doorbell to ring as Diana strolled in at the exact same moment.
A weight was lifted from his and Satine's shoulders once they saw her cheeky little smile. She was blissfully unaware of what she'd walked in on, but once she acknowledged Hoshi wailing on the floor, her face dropped.
The load flattened them as they realised there were only two possible people it could be.
And their reactions were very much warranted.
***
A/N
Off topic but how stinkin cute?