this chapter contains rapid switches in POVs and scenes
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Chapter 26
'ACTION' Arc
EP: TWO ‹pt.2›
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Eyes wide open and staring up at the ceiling in an anemic daze, my hand brought itself to the moistened cloth laying on my forehead. The coolness of the fabric contrasting with the heat flushing from head to toe of my body felt too real to be a dream. But for obvious reasons, my mind was like the untainted sheet on my desktop when my artist's block strikes.
Out of all turbulences, this one by far was a full-blown wrecker. The cause of the fever could very well be due to not being able to sleep a wink, or the headache following the dramatic flow of waterworks, or the after-breakdown fatigue in general catching up with me. Perhaps it was everything, all at once.
Luckily, even though my sanity came and went like a lightbulb on voltage fluctuations, I wasn't too out of it not to know that my eye was unprotected. Which was why earlier, I couldn't give that girl a proper dirty look; not because I didn't have the heart to.
The humid weather wasn't getting any better even past midday, and I knew at this rate my hoodie would soon turn into a death trap of unevaporated sweat.
Languid, I removed the towel and sat up to heed the girl's advice as well as take a fresh eye patch from my dresser.
After all, my dramatic ass couldn't be bothered to lock the door in the first place so who else was to blame for this situation? And commotions are my least favourite things. Arguably, it seemed that reckless chick had made a sensible decision - for once - by not taking me to the hospital.
All the better if Aunt Lim didn't know about this. She would give my pathetic ass a whooping if she heard how I became as weak as leaning on someone else for my recovery.
To look on the bright side, though, at least the girl proved herself to be a decent human being. Not many would be concerned about the wellbeing of the person who had recently cussed them out, let alone take care of them after finding out they're sick.
.ꔛ♡
Upon returning, Hyewoon witnessed slight developments. A plain, gray tee with a tiny Nike logo now loosely clung to the icicle's lean physique to pool at his waist and crossed legs. The suffocating, black hoodie prior was now dumped in one corner of the bed.
Some of his disheveled dark hair, though pushed back with a careless run of fingers through it, still hung above his forehead. From underneath the ungroomed strands stood out the goddamn medical eye patch that raised more questions each time than the other.
"Here. Have some of this."
From the entrance, Hyewoon threw half a wholewheat loaf wrapped in plastic at the icicle, maybe a tad rudely due to the effect of the eye patch.
While the other person regarded the food questionably, she went to the bedside to sort all the medications she brought since she didn't know which would be the best.
A trip downstairs to the kitchen really aided to get her senses back. Not only did she realize her spontaneity was just the carer instincts from home kicking in - given she was mostly the one to take care of Yeosang when he's not well - she even started to take note of the puffiness under the icicle's exposed eye.
Did he like cry all night or something? Hyewoon hoped she was wrong because if not, then she would be a horrible person who had violated someone to the point of having them wail bitterly.
Unaware of the accurate predictions, her housemate looked back and forth between her and the food package, full of uncertainty.
"Do you want me to like, prove that it's not poisoned?" Hyewoon nodded her chin at the food unironically.
"...It's fine."
"Good. Oh and in case you worry about hygiene, I halved it properly and without directly touching the loaf before I had my share. It's safe."
A barely intelligible mumble of gratitude belatedly followed the initial awkward silence. Hyewoon returned a benign smile before putting the towel she used on his forehead back into the bowl. Unsure whether to refill the water anew or discard it, she pressed the back of her hand onto the unwell person's face to determine his condition.
The action had Eunyeong nearly choke on his first bite of food. For the first time in life, the taciturn felt conscious of his fashion choices that happened to be the worst offender for sweat stains. He also hoped the other person wasn't as bothered by his burning exhales as he was.
"Looks like the cooling helped." Satisfied, Hyewoon retracted her hand to shuffle it around in the pile of drugs, finding a certain antipyretic.
"But the fever's still there so... I guess some paracetamol should do you right. Take a dose after you're done stuffing." She tossed the blue container that read 'Panadol' onto the unwell's lap.
"Did you.. not have any classes today?"
Doubting her ears, Hyewoon's steps to the sink halted midway as if with a brake's sreech, causing the water she was carrying to slosh about in the bowl.
"I had a few. All wrapped up early."
Unable to hide her astonishment, her reply went off-key. She cleared her throat and sped off to the bathroom.
A vacuous stare went back and forth between the pills and the bread and at that moment, realisation appalled me to the point where uneasy knots formed in my stomach. When my saliva thickened and the measly amount of food I just ate seemed to crawl back up my throat, I swung my bare feet to the hardwood in haste. The gyration of vision making me sicker than ever, my wobbly legs made their way to the bathroom.
"Out of the way!"
I almost shoved the girl if she didn't move aside quickly. Moisture seeped into the fabric where my knees made contact with the cold tiles while my head hovered above the toilet bowl.
Long at last after the overnight accumulation, my stomach couldn't bear them anymore. The anguish of inner conflict.
All five senses of mine whirled in a blur too painful to name each of the simultaneous sensations except for the pats on my back.
When only my conscious caught up with the happenings had my bottom met the floor in a slump.
"I should've brought you something easy for the stomach instead. My bad," said the girl, giving my back soothing pats.
When no more came out, I wiped my mouth and got up, like a miserable jello, to wash my hands.
After rinsing his mouth, the young landlord teetered out of the bathroom.
"Careful!" Hyewoon held him by the arm when he almost swerved sidewards.
Neither did he shrug her hand off or complain when she assisted him to the bed. Heck, he even let half his weight fall on her support.
"Wait here. Don't take the meds yet." She set him down on the mattress and draped the duvet over, sweeping away the fringes from his eyes without much thought.
Again, he didn't object her actions.
"I'll go make some soup. Haven't cooked much these days, so there might still be the ingredients we need."
Either her housemate didn't have the energy to be against her conduct, or was restraining it to show respect to his situational nurse. Nonetheless, the seeming shift in attitude brought a little grin to her face as she skipped down the path to the kitchen in triumph, humming a random melody.
❥•°❀°•༢
Blue Hour Brewhouse
Gangnam
Despite 5 p.m. being a little early, the bars downtown always welcomed their customers the same with their dim, sensual atmosphere and their fancy craft beverages.
By the bar counter, two men sat side by side on the elevated stools. One with the hair of the sky's hue rubbed pensive circles along the rim of his Scotch on the Rocks. The other with the hair resembling fairy floss secured between two fingers a cigarette, which would've gotten him kicked out if there weren't fewer people in the bar and the bartender wasn't one of his mates.
"About last night..." The bluerette broke the nicotine-laced silence first. "Is it really a one-time thing?"
His longing gaze lingered on one of God's marvelous creations - the soft, luscious lips tinted in coral gloss. He wished to experience their addictive strawberry taste once more.
"I didn't say it was." The exquisite lips curled upwards in a deadly manner as the pink-haired man stared at the burning end of his cigarette. "Think of it as a free trial. I'm a bit pricey, you see, even for a rendezvous."
When the bluerette set into the expression of a kicked puppy, he took it as a signal to proceed his plans.
"Imma be honest, you were the most fun out of the people I've been with. But unfortunately, I have set some rules for myself and my sex life, and they're not meant to bend for anyone."
"I don't mind having rules!" The bluerette rushed to insist. "I'm good at following them. Even my coworkers say I'm too by the book."
Yeonjun's brow arched at the poor guy who cluelessly set foot into the web of lies he had spun. He hasn't even exerted much effort yet; Choi Soobin was just simply, awfully, pure... To the point that Yeonjun almost felt bad tricking him.
Another day, another prey.
"Ah, that reminds me. You told me that you work at the HYBE Group, right?"
At the taller's firm nod, Yeonjun put on a musing face. "I have a junior working there as an intern, said he's in Marketing Team 1."
"Do you mean Taehyun?"
Yeonjun's poised fingers pointed his cigarette at the blurette in faked surprise. "Do you know him?"
"We happen to be on the same team." The ice cubes made a soft clink when in contact with the glass as Soobin took a sip.
In Yeonjun's mind, he sincerely apologized Taehyun for using him as bait.
"What a coincidence! You see, the other day, that boy told me he's been doing fine." The pinkette hissed and tilted his head in question. "But lately, he seemed like he's having some problems with his boss. He wouldn't tell me even though I'm worried sick for him as his senior. Is he okay?"
Only Yeonjun knew that every word, except that he liked Soobin best as his bed buddy, was the farthest from the truth. The most recent he had heard from Taehyun was when the younger got the job - He had his ways of keeping himself updated.
The corporate worker hummed. "Well, I'm not sure... He does have a - how do I say it, like a feud(?) going on with Beomgyu, I meant his supervisor and our team's leader. Other stress factors might be the mess some saboteurs stirred up in the office this morning."
The certain glint in Yeonjun's eyes upon hearing the keywords was veiled by the wisps of smoke he blew out.
Time for the three-steps magic.
Yeonjun stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray and wore the hunter's smirk dressed as a beguiling gesture.
1. Butterflies.
"Soobin-ah." The name rolled off his tongue as if it were the sweetest tune to exist. "Normally, I'd charge my partners with other valuables. But for you..."
His forefinger hooked on the dangling fine sliver around the man's neck to give it a playful tug.
2. The blissful illusion of 'special treatment'.
"...I might be able to make an exclusive offer, darling."
A nibble on the ear and a feathery peck on the jawline were all it took to light the sparks that will soon blind all senses of judgment.
In an spellbound motion, the warmth of Soobin's palms slithered up to Yeonjun's curves. The fusion of nicotine and the sugary scent of Yeonjun's lip gloss were like a devil's compelling promise to take him to heaven.
And he was already the sinner who fell into the arms of the temptation called Choi Yeonjun despite knowing there was no return.
"What do I do? Spell it out."
And finally...
3. Ensnare.
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The next day
8:11 a.m.
Holding the brown envelope in which he poured all his bitterness, Taehyun was marching his way up to the eleventh floor where the end of his nightmare awaits until-
"Taehyun-ssi, do you have a minute?"
-and there he was, on the said floor but in the smiley Team Leader Jung's office.
"I heard what happened yesterday." The senior began with an empathetic smile. "On behalf of our Choi teamjang, I'd like to apologize for the misunderstanding. It seems he didn't explain as accurately as he was supposed to."
Oh, what bullshit now?
Discerning the apprehensive look on the brunet, Hoseok understood that recruiting this one would take longer as compared to Beomgyu. Without further delay, he started the procedure with a placating tone and a warm cup of tea.
"Please help yourself with this chamomile, and welcome my information as however you please."
In a tea's cooling time, Hoseok introduced the younger to the dark side of their workplace and its scary choreography of eliminating its adversaries and miring and harming the innocents. But of course, he could only scratch the surface just enough for the intern to get an idea of what reality looked like behind HYBE's splendor.
"I'm afraid, as what Choi teamjang have told you, leaving in the middle of matters is but an apparent solution to untangle oneself from it," emphasized Hoseok. "And perhaps you're turning a blind eye to it because of your conflict with him, but as the third person, I can see your team leader is also trying his best to solve this to prove your innocence."
He ignored the little scoff from the intern and concluded his explanation. "It would help not only him but also us if you're willing to cooperate by staying, at least until we can ascertain that you're in the clear."
Upon giving full attention to the superior's smooth-talking, Taehyun managed to narrow it down to the gist, and was impressed by how well the latter's eloquency packed it.
If only Choi Beomgyu had half of this skill, he wouldn't have punched that bastard.
"I still have a few questions."
"Feel free to ask away."
"Why isn't my alibi enough?" Taehyun regarded the older man who settled into a thoughtful expression before providing a compact answer.
"Well, to put it simply, we want the troublemakers to think we're unable to do anything - much less to even figure out how they made you their scapegoat - that's why we didn't publicly announce the findings from the investigation."
"And how do I contribute to your plans?"
"I wouldn't force you to; it's completely free to your will. You can take as much time as you want to consider everything. However, I must tell you to be wise with where you stand since it's going to affect you the most."
The subtle art of marketing was easy to recognize but hard to execute, and Jung Hoseok was one of the handful that had mastered it down to every nuance. Taehyun couldn't help but be a little envious of the man.
"I don't think there's much left to think about." Taehyun shrugged his shoulders. "If it doesn't threaten my contract - that is, as long as I'm being paid to be here - then I'm fine with whatever you guys do. Though, I don't want to be too deeply involved in this mess, to be honest."
That was all Hoseok wanted to hear.
"Absolutely. I respect your decision. We'll try not to drag you in as much as we can. But one can never be too careful, Taehyun-ssi. Do inform us when any of the troublemakers have reached out to you."
After exchanging greeting nods, Taehyun headed back to his original destination, but he put the brown envelope into the depths of his backpack. Before leaving, the senior marketer shouted at him with a grin appearing starkly against his serious face a while ago.
"Hey, don't hate your boss too much! That guy tends to say a lot of things he doesn't mean."
Taehyun retorted on beat, sporting a mocking wince. "Guess I should look forward to the blue moon when he's being honest."
Meanwhile
"Achoo! The hell-"
Leaning loosely onto the edge of Soobin's desk, Beomgyu rubbed his nose, wondering if his immune system was slacking off these days.
"Bless you." Soobin said without looking up from his paperwork. "Bet someone out there is bitching about you."
"Oh, you think so?"
Beomgyu's eyes rolled knowing that comment was a timely retaliation for teasing the deputy for the conspicuous marks on the latter's neck.
"As I was saying, who in the world dared to hurt your million-dollar face? I want to congratulate them if they're still alive and well."
Beomgyu scanned the communal office. Wryness danced around his lips - which was still faintly swollen and bruised - when he didn't see platinum blonde in the blobs of heads at their respective workspaces.
Jung's long-winded speech must have come to an end by now.
He looked up from his wrist. "You'll get to see him soon."
"Dude, wait, for real?" Piqued, Soobin regarded him in disbelief.
Gaze glued to the entrance, Beomgyu bent down a little to reach the sitting blurette and lowered his voice.
"Just know that I'll delete you if you go around and tell everyone, you twat."
"Unbelievable." Soobin's nose scrunched in offense. "I never gossip; I only listen to them."
"Shush." Beomgyu put a finger over his friend.
Soobin, unaware of the nuance in the noirette's hawkish eyes, shushed himself on command.
The team leader sat up straight in the manner of a tiger that has sensed potential danger, his focus not shifting an inch away from the aubergine blob.
"Did you give him any tasks?" Beomgyu turned to his friend, nodding his chin at the section manager.
"...No? I mean, we just got our project robbed so everyone's idling, waiting for a command from either of us."
"Charming, aren't you all?"
Beomgyu detached himself from his friend's workspace to stride across the room towards the opposite table and have his path end at the far corner.
"Shouldn't the sunflower heads be brown and not orange?"
Haechan (Beomgyu got his name right this time!) yelped and almost fell off the chair when the superior looked over his shoulder. Alerted, he slammed the leather tablet cover onto the lit screen.
"You scared me, teamjang-nim!" The section manager pressed a palm onto his chest dramatically.
Beomgyu shrugged, not really concerned whether or not the other man had a near heart attack.
"If you have as much time in your hands as doodling on your iPad, why not help out the Design team's reprogramming? I'm sure they'll appreciate all the details you've jotted down in every meeting we do."
Haechan chuckled awkwardly as he snapped his fingers. "Right on, sir! I'll go give them my notes immediately."
Beomgyu observed Lee take a brown workbook from his desk and the iPad with him and scoot.
The man was impressively quick to switch the tabs on his screen before staging his reaction, but not as much as Beomgyu to notice the blue and white strings of text before they flew out from display.
Suspicion clouding the noirette's brows was wholly lifted off by sly amusement when his cherished assailant entered the room.
"Would you look at that~ Seems like someone couldn't escape their fate."
Taehyun, with his everyday salty frown, merely spared a sharp glare at his superior's direction out of courtesy.
Both falling into a brown study, neither of them noticed Soobin's scrupulous observation of their interactions.
-to be continued-
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as you can tell, i'm not used to writing spicy scenes, let alone a smut ಥ‿ಥ
yeonjun's role will be revealed a few eps later!