"Where are you going?" San emerged from the hallway, his hands on his hips.
Mingi, fully dressed, turned around to face his flatmate. "Out." The keys in his hand jangled softly.
"But I thought we were eating takeout together," San said, walking towards the front door.
Mingi spread his arms apart. "We can eat takeout any time." There was a loud thump when his arms fell by his sides.
Knowing Mingi needed some persuading, San pouted and flashed his puppy eyes. "You promised not to leave me alone at nights when we rented this place. I'm paying sixty percent of it, remember?"
The trick never got old, no matter how many times San used it. Mingi sighed, feeling bad for his residency doctor friend. Being the busy person he was, San didn't have many friends and all he wanted was a companion on the rare occasions that he got a short day.
"I know, but it's just one night. I'll be back before midnight," said Mingi.
San crossed his arms. "You know why I can't let you go unless you bring me with you. What are you going to do about your blackouts?"
Mingi cringed at that word. The edges of the keys were digging into the flesh of his tightly squeezed fist. "I haven't had an episode in a long time. I'll be fine without the medication for half a day. I'm sick of the side effects anyway."
A black shadow hovered over San's face as he uncrossed his arms. "Are you crazy? The medications are the reason you don't have the episodes!" His voice resounded in the spacious living room.
Upset at the raised voice, Mingi retorted, "Just because you're a doctor doesn't mean I have to listen to you. I can make my own decisions."
San stiffened at the hurtful words, which called out Mingi's guilty conscience.
"Look, I just want to enjoy myself tonight," said Mingi, softening his voice. "My life is finally getting more interesting."
The internal struggle between his heart and mind was written on San's scrunched up facial features. After a long moment of hesitation, he sighed heavily.
"Try to take your medication and don't do anything too exciting, okay?"
Mingi felt the shape of a small plastic bottle inside his coat pocket. "Okay."
With that, he turned around and left the apartment.
The sun had sunk below the horizon and the sky had turned dark. The restaurant was bustling with life and energy with the peak hour having just begun.
Mingi and Yunho had finished their bowls of stew and was having a few drinks now.
Letting out a long, satisfying sigh, Mingi placed down his shot glass with a thud. Yunho downed his last shot as well, the beverage burning his insides in a pleasant way.
He held down Mingi's arm before any waiter could see them and bring more soju over. They had finished a whole bottle already and they both had work tomorrow.
"We should go home and rest," said Yunho. He looked at Mingi's pink cheeks and couldn't help but find the other man adorable in his struggle to fight the alcohol.
"You're right," Mingi mumbled, holding his head. "I'm going to the washroom."
Yunho watched Mingi go, wondering for the umpteenth time in the past hour what the purpose behind this dinner was. It was clear to Yunho that Mingi was trying to help him - taking the video of him helping the waiter was more than enough proof.
What he really wanted to know was why. He never questioned Mingi's intentions, which was why he was doing it right now; before he let himself be fooled. He tried to tell himself that he shouldn't trust everyone who was nice to him, but his heart wouldn't buy it.
Perhaps it was the alcohol getting to him, or maybe it was simply his emotions numbing his reasoning. Either way, he gave up and decided to be content with this new addition into his life: a person he liked, who might like him back too.
A thunderous crash pulled Yunho out of his thoughts. He twisted his upper body in his chair towards the commotion, where he saw a chaotic scene unfold in front of his eyes.
The noise had come from shattered plates and cups, which were laying on the floor in a million tiny pieces. No one bent down to clean up. Instead, the nearby customers were muttering in hushed voices that seemed to grow more anxious by the second.
They were all pointing subtle fingers towards something, and when Yunho found the source he widened his eyes and immediately stood up, nerves buzzing in alarm.
Mingi was there, standing at the mouth of the hallway leading to the washroom. And he was staring down at a cowering waiter with a furious look on his face.
"Are you blind? Watch where you are going!" Mingi stepped forward, looming threateningly over the shorter man, who shrunk back with a mixture of shock and terror on his face.
Yunho flinched at Mingi's shouts, taking a moment to compose himself before rushing over to stand between Mingi and the waiter. He only slowed down to navigate across the battlefield of shattered glass.
"I'm sorry, he's a bit drunk," he said, bowing his head apologetically at the shaken waiters and the annoyed customers.
He turned his attention to Mingi before he could meet any of the customers' judgemental gazes or hear any of their complaints. "You have to calm down. Let me bring you-"
"Shut up!" Mingi swung his arm, nearly striking Yunho in the process. "I'm not drunk!"
Yunho tried to keep calm, but he could no longer ignore his pounding heart and sweating palms. Exasperated, he huffed, "Mingi, stop! Why did you even drink if you can't hold your alcohol?!"
Mingi didn't listen. He snorted and started to turn away, body swaying unsteadily.
Desperate times called for desperate actions, so Yunho reached out his hands to hold Mingi in case he lost his footing, and in an attempt to prevent him from hurting other people.
The moment Yunho touched Mingi, though, Mingi shrugged his shoulder harshly, causing Yunho to stumble back.
"Don't touch me! I told you I'm not drunk! Go mind your own business!" Mingi yelled, eyes wide and flashing with fury.
Yunho stood still, getting more and more frustrated by the person in front of him. He could see the red cheeks and slightly glazed eyes, but how could Mingi talk to him as if he was a stranger? And treat him like trash?
"What's wrong with you?" Instead of sounding angry, Yunho's question came out weak and shaky, revealing the resentment in his voice.
After staring at Yunho with a mixture of confusion and irritation, Mingi turned away again with a sort of nonchalance that infuriated Yunho.
Humiliated, Yunho began to feel the weight of the customer's stares on him and the pressure was squeezing tears out of him, so he tried to grab Mingi again, planning to bring this conversation outside.
He stepped forward and wrapped a hand around Mingi's arm, squeezing tight to get a firm grip.
As if burned, Mingi flung his arm away and spun around. Yunho didn't even have time to react before Mingi grabbed a handful of Yunho's blue sweater.
By the time Yunho saw the fist raised above Mingi's head, it was too late.
"I said stop touching me!" Mingi roared, his fist flying straight at Yunho's face.
Yunho squeezed his eyes shut right before the fist landed. He tensed, waiting for the impact. But it never came.
When he felt himself being released he opened his eyes and stepped back. The first thing he saw was Jongho. The second thing he saw was Jongho's hand, which was wrapped firmly around Mingi's wrist.
"What the f**k?!" Mingi shook his arm vigorously, but Jongho only tightened his grip.
The customers gasped. Some stood up, some covered their mouths with their hands.
Yunho just stood there, frozen with fear and bewilderment. He had no idea why Jongho was here, his heart was pounding, and he didn't know what to do.
"Who the hell are you? Let me go!"
Jongho ignored Mingi's vociferous cries and twisted his arm, eliciting a groan from the taller man.
"Yunho. Yunho, let's go."
After calling his name several times, Jongho finally broke Yunho out of his trance.
"He'll calm down eventually after we leave," said Jongho, putting a hand on Yunho's shoulder and guiding him to the exit.
Yunho gave one longing glance at Mingi before he stepped out of the restaurant. His blue hair was slightly frazzled, his cheeks and neck were tinted the same color as the stained glass windows, and he was rubbing his wrist while muttering indignantly.
Other than that, he looked no different than the person Yunho sat down and ate dinner with.
Once outside, Jongho dragged Yunho down the street and far away from the restaurant before he let go of Yunho's hand. They ended up in a small resting area.
Then he scoffed, dragged a hand roughly across his hair, and looked sideways out into the busy roads. "What the f**k was that?! He-he tried to hit you. I thought he was your friend! What's-"
Yunho touched Jongho's arm lightly. "Calm down. You're worked up. He's just drunk. Accidents happen. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Drunk?" Jongho turned back, looking incredulous. "Did you see how he moved around just now? He can't be that drunk!"
Yunho frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
They met eyes for a moment before Jongho wiped a hand across his face and averted his gaze towards the ground. "I'm sorry, I lost my temper. But...I don't know! He tried to hit you. That's messed up."
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Yunho said, "I told you he's drunk."
"I know...but he knows you! How could he-"
"Stop," Yunho interrupted. Something about what Jongho said stung, and he didn't want to listen anymore.
"Wait, just listen-"
"You don't know him." Yunho held Jongho's gaze intensely, surprising himself with his own stern tone. "He was trying to help me. He's generous. So he wasn't being himself. Alcohol does that to people."
Jongho opened his mouth but closed it again when nothing came out.
"You're right." He blinked as if confused about the whole situation. "I'm glad I passed by and saw you. Your face would've been ruined."
Yunho smiled without saying anything. He looked up at the starless nightsky, suddenly wishing for the night to be over and for a new day to begin.
-
Finally got some action going on 👀 Sorry it took so long...but get ready to go on an emotional rollercoaster from now on ;)