the treasure bus and the secret keeper
It was a quiet day at the house after Minyu left for Africa. The meals were eerily silent, with Taekyung moodier than usual with the absence of his partner. Even Jeremy's spunk was gone, and the three had dinner in silence before Taekyung finally left, leaving Shinwoo and Jeremy.
The depressing aura worsened, and Shinwoo reached for his tea-cup, sipping and sipping and trying to just stop remembering - not that it worked. The green pumps, the flower baskets, his hand ruffling her soft hair...
He stewed in his own memories, eyes probing deeper into the depths of his black tea.
When Heyi had exposed his gifts to Minyu in front of everyone like that, was it supposed to hurt that much? To see a glimpse of his own fantasy in real life, a plastic fantasy he had built in his own head and had never had the guts to chase after.
Soon enough, it was torn down, along with his heart.
It's not as if Taekyung wasn't being a nice guy about it, after all... on the contrary, he has whisked Heyi out and promptly yelled at her and kicked her out of the house. They were close friends, but not even Taekyung could offer condolences for the pain Shinwoo was in.
Sorry I'm with the girl you love even though I'm your best friend?
Shinwoo repressed a laugh, downing the last of the bitter tea without a grimace.
Jeremy sat across from him, immersed in the same memories of the girl who seemed to haunt all three of the band members.
He himself stared at the glass of cranberry juice in front of him - he never liked it. It was bitter, and well... he didn't like bitter. He liked sweet, even though the only thing he could taste on his tongue was bitter.
The words he had told Minyu were still fresh on the tip of his tongue, oh so bitter.
And he knew - no matter how much he tried to pretend things were okay, they weren't. He was dejected, left alone in the dust. His treasure - not the bus, but the most precious treasure to his heart - had been taken away in front of his eyes by their very own bandmate and best friend.
He wasn't okay.
He never would be - how could he? He loved Minyu so much he was ready to accept his own questioning sexuality - he didn't care if she was a girl or not. It wasn't enough, though.
His treasure bus wasn't enough, his Jolie wasn't enough, his love wasn't enough.
He downed the juice on one shot, and without a grimace.
"Shinwoo, I'm sorry."
Shinwoo looked up, into darkened eyes that mirrored his own. "Why?"
"I'm sorry about Minyu."
He chuckled slightly. Jeremy always had a big heart that reached out too far, and he knew it. "I am, too."
Jeremy sighed, catching onto the other man's double meaning. "I don't know whether to be happy or mad at him."
"I don't either, Jeremy."
The frustration in him bubbled and bubbled. "I loved her so much that I just - I don't know where I went wrong!"
Shinwoo contemplated the statement, then said, "I would say I knew she was a woman from the beginning, but you loved her even as a man, right? We loved her all along while Taekyung only warmed up to her in the end."
Jeremy only nodded, sighing once more before lying down on the table. "I just wish things could have turned out differently."
"Things only occur the way they're supposed to be, Jeremy. Keep that in mind, and the fact Taekyung may have needed her more than both of us." Shinwoo said the words with disdain, torn between pettiness and being the better man.
"Shinwoo, but it hurts." Jeremy frowned, and brought a hand to his heart. "Like something that was here is gone, and left a scar behind."
"I know."
They sat together in the moonless night, ignoring the promises left in the air and just breathing, taking solace in the other's presence, all the while nursing the wounds in their hearts one woman left behind.
Maybe they would be alright someday, but that wouldn't be now, not when they were so empty they were out of tears and only left behind with a hollow shell that somehow managed to still echo a dull pain throughout.
Not tonight.
stars never failed to bring tears to their eyes.