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“You guys ready to go?” says Dokja as he puts his coat on. “You ready to see Sooyoung-ssi’s and Sangah-ssi’s new apartment?”
Dokja sees how Shin Yoosung’s and Lee Gilyoung’s eyes start to sparkle and can’t help but smile to himself. It’s been a while since they’ve all spent time together, and a housewarming party for Yoo Sangah’s and Han Sooyoung’s new apartment was a great way to catch up with everyone. The brisk evening air bites at the three of them as they walk to the bus stop closest to their apartment. Dokja makes sure to check that Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung are fully covered up to keep warm.
Shin Yoosung walks with a skip in her step as she fights with Lee Gilyoung to get Dokja’s attention. It’s a peaceful bus ride to the stop nearest Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah’s new apartment. Dokja checks his texts and sees that Yoo Joonghyuk says he’s unable to come to the housewarming party due to his work schedule. Dokja informs Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung that Yoo Mia can’t come because Yoo Joonghyuk is busy with work.
“What do you mean that sooty bastard is busy? All he does is sit in front of a computer and play video games for work” Lee Gilyoung says with an annoyed tone.
Dokja doesn’t give Lee Gilyoung an answer because he enjoys the dig at Yoo Joonghyuk (plus he has no clue what esports coaching entails). He does wonder if Yoo Joonghyuk being an esports coach means he gets to boss people around as much as he wants. Dokja disregards that thought; he has no desire to think about Joonghyuk full well knowing that he’ll just remember their break up. The few flights of stairs they have to walk up to get to Yoo Sangah and Han Sooyoungie’s apartment is enough to tire Dokja out. It gets Dokja into thinking that maybe it’s time to go to the gym and get into shape.
+
The housewarming party starts off with Yoo Sangah’s tour of the new apartment. Lots of oohs and ahs are heard from Lee Hyunsung, Jung Heewon, Dokja, and Shin Yoosung. Despite Lee Gilyoung’s uninterested attitude, it’s clear he’s also enjoying Yoo Sangah’s apartment tour.
Dokja asks, “Lee Jihye isn’t here yet? I thought she’d be here already considering how close she lives to your new apartment.”
“Lee Jihye’s coming now. She texted me that she was running late from trying to look for a housewarming gift for us while she was shopping with Na Bori,” responds Han Sooyoung.
“Ahh, I see… so how do you like the new apartment? I do think the few flights of stairs you have to walk up are a little excessive,” Kim Dokja remarks.
“Dokja, there’s nothing wrong with being a little out of shape, now is there? The three flights of stairs aren’t too bad considering the rent for this place was a little cheaper than the other places Yoo Sangah and I checked out. A little exercise never hurt anybody anyways,” Han Sooyoung says with a smug little grin.
Dokja shoots Han Sooyoung a death glare. Just as he is about to respond, the doorbell rings.
Yoo Sangah pops out of the bedroom and goes, “Oh, that must be Jihye-yah! I’ll go get the door!”
Yoo Sangah unlocks the door to find a red-nosed Lee Jihye. Lee Jihye quickly walks in and takes her shoes off as Yoo Sangah closes the door behind her.
“God is it cold and windy outside. Hello Sangah noona! Hello Sooyoung noona! Hello everyone!” Lee Jihye says.
Lee Jihye gives Yoo Sangah the housewarming gift she bought and Yoo Sangah hugs her gratefully. Smaller footsteps are heard running from the bedroom as Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung run and tackle Lee Jihye into a hug.
“Jihye noona I missed you!” exclaims Lee Gilyoung.
“Well I missed you even more Jihye unnie! I missed you a whollllleeeeee lot Jihye noona!!” remarks Shin Yoosung.
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung start to bicker over who misses Lee Jihye more and Lee Jihye can’t help but smile widely at the two younger kids. Lee Jihye looks up from the two and eyes the apartment around as if she’s looking for someone.
“Where are Yoo Joonghyuk oppa and Yoo Mia?” Lee Jihye asks.
“Oh Lee Jihye-ssi, didn’t you see in the group chat? Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi said his work schedule conflicted with the party so he couldn’t make it,” Hyunsung responds.
“Oh, I figured he told one of you but I guess not. Yoo Joonghyuk oppa freed up his schedule. He’s on his way now with Yoo Mia,” Lee Jihye says blankly.
The doorbell rings once again and everyone’s heads turn to the door and then to Dokja.
Dokja thinks to himself, “God this is gonna be a long night won’t it?”
+
No one utters a single word when Yoo Joonghyuk and Yoo Mia enter the apartment. The only thing that can be heard are Yoo Joonghyuk’s and Yoo Mia’s shoes coming off. Yoo Sangah’s worried stare practically bores into Dokja’s head. Dokja sighs and walks up to greet Yoo Joonghyuk and Yoo Mia. He knows that the entire night will be intensely awkward if he doesn’t take the brave step of being amicable with Yoo Joonghyuk.
“Hello Yoo Joonghyuk,” says Dokja as he tries his best to mask the discomfort in his voice.
“Kim Dokja,” responds Yoo Joonghyuk in a stern and quiet tone.
The two don’t say another word to each other and it takes Yoo Mia to break the silence with her greeting.
“Hello ahjussi,” Yoo Mia says as she walks past Dokja and her older brother.
Yoo Mia walks past Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk to both greet the rest of the group and get away from the enormous amount of tension between the two.
Dokja is the first to walk away from the apartment’s entrance. He picks up his drink and sits next to Yoo Sangah on her sofa. She gives him another worried look but Dokja smiles at her to reassure her that he’ll be okay. Yoo Joonghyuk slowly follows to find a place to sit and realizes the last empty space is by Dokja. Yoo Mia has taken the spot between Han Sooyoung and Lee Jihye. Yoo Joonghyuk lets out a sigh and reluctantly sits down next to Dokja.
He ignores Dokja in between him and Yoo Sangah and gives the housewarming gift Yoo Mia helped him pick out.
“Mia helped me pick out the color of the hand towels. Here Yoo Sangah,” says Yoo Joonghyuk.
“…Thank you Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi! I’ll go put these in the bathroom right away,” Yoo Sangah replies before getting up to do just that.
Dokja pulls out his phone hoping to find something to distract him from his ex sitting right next to him. Unfortunately for Dokja, there isn’t a single notification for him to attend to. He feels Yoo Joonghyuk shift and get closer to him and moves away quickly. Yoo Joonghyuk looks at Dokja as he puts some murim dumplings on a paper plate he picked up. Dokja looks down at his drink in some desperate attempt to get Yoo Joonghyuk to stop staring at him.
As Yoo Joonghyuk takes a bite out of his first murim dumpling, Dokja finishes the remaining soju left in his glass. The alcohol goes smoothly down his throat. Dokja would be drinking harder alcohol, if not for the fact that it was a weeknight and he was with Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung. He ignores Yoo Joonghyuk’s bewildered and concerned stare and gets up to get another drink.
Yoo Sangah returns to her seat next to Han Sooyoung she asks her, “Dokja-ssi will be okay…right?”
Han Sooyoung pulls the lemon lollipop out of her mouth and responds, “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a resilient bastard plus he knows he has to take the kids home”.
The two of them stare at Dokja as he grabs a cold drink from their fridge.
+
Dokja grabs some water as well as another glass of cold soju. He walks back into the room where everyone is. Dokja looks at Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung and smiles fondly. The two of them are happily chatting away with everyone else. Dokja still has days where he misses Yoo Joonghyuk and days where he obsessively analyzes what things could have been if he were more forthcoming with his emotions. However, Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung have made the process of getting over the break up immeasurably easier.
He sits back down in his between Yoo Sangah and Yoo Joonghyuk and prays this night goes by fast. The party continues on fairly smoothly and Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon even announce that they plan on looking for apartments to move in with each other. Dokja goes through another drink and a half which causes his cheeks to become very flushed. He gets up from his spot on his couch and walks to the apartment balcony. Han Sooyoung gets up to check on Dokja until Yoo Joonghyuk stops her.
“I’ll go check on Kim Dokja,” says Yoo Joonghyuk.
“…Go easy on him, Yoo Joonghyuk,” replies Han Sooyoung.
The cold night air that bit at Dokja’s face is now welcoming to him. Yoo Joonghyuk’s footsteps are heard before he speaks to Dokja.
“Kim Dokja--” says Yoo Joonghyuk before he gets interrupted by Dokja.
“Oh if it isn’t the once pro gamer now turned esports coach Yoo Joonghyuk. Did they make you move to coaching because you weren’t winning anymore?”
“You’re inebriated, Kim Dokja.”
“Well, we both know that’s obvious. Also, are you not going to answer my question?”
“…I asked for the change because it would mean I would have more normal working hours. I also don’t have to worry about constantly communicating with my team during a game……How is literary editing going…”
“Well. It’s going well. But Han Sooyoung loves to put up a fight when I give her suggestions or writing advice.”
Dokja goes to finish his drink but Yoo Joonghyuk takes away his cup.
“You shouldn’t drink too much. How are you going to get home w--” Yoo Joonghyuk says before he gets interrupted yet again.
“Well can’t you do it? I know that luxury vehicle of yours can fit three more people in it,” replies Dokja.
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t reply and looks up to the slowly darkening night sky, lightly sprinkled with the faint light of far away stars. It’s the first peaceful and non-awkward moment they’ve had with each other since the break up.
Just as he looks at Dokja to say something again, Dokja says, “You know Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung miss you right?”
Yoo Joonghyuk gives him a look and says, “You don’t have to lie, Kim Dokja”
“They do miss you but they’d never admit to it…I just miss you as well”.
“It’s been 4 months.”
“4 months, 12 days, and 5 hours…but hey who’s counting?”
“You were the one that broke it off when I proposed to you--”
“And I still think it was the right decision. But it doesn’t mean I can still miss you -- does it, Yoo Joonghyuk?”
Yoo Joonghyuk is speechless again and he feels an almost unbearable pang in his heart. He’d never admit to it but he misses Dokja a lot. Yoo Joonghyuk sometimes also racks his brain as to what went wrong. Sure they’d have issues and the occasional disagreement, but they were doing well. Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung, and Yoo Mia loved spending time with each other as well. He sighs again and checks the time on his phone, 8:37PM.
“I’ll take the three of you home. I’m sure Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung have schoolwork and exams to worry about like Mia. We all need a good night’s rest as well since tomorrow is a weekday,” says Yoo Joonghyuk.
Dokja beams at Yoo Joonghyuk and says, “Thank you Yoo Joonghyuk. I’m sure Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung would appreciate not having to sit on a bus this late at night”.
The two of them walk back into the apartment just as everyone has started packing up and cleaning up the apartment.
“Lee Jihye, I’ll drive you home. No way I’m letting you go home alone this late at night…and Lee Hyunsung, are we still on for lunch tomorrow?” says Jung Heewon.
Lee Hyunsung smiles immediately and says, “Yes! Of course!”
Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah say goodbye and thank everyone for coming and it’s back to quietness in their once lively apartment.
+
Yoo Joonghyuk’s car stops in front of Kim Dokja’s apartment complex entryway. The two of them look at the kids all soundly asleep in the back of the car. Dokja takes a moment to smile at the sight before gently rustling Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung awake. Dokja gives his house keys to the two little groggy children and tells them to go up first. Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk get out of the car. Yoo Joonghyuk stares at Dokja. A million different thoughts fly through his head, but he’s unable to utter a single word.
Dokja says, “Thank you for the ride Yoo Joonghyuk……You should come visit…or we’ll come visit you. I’m sure Yoo Mia would love to spend time with Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung. Good night Yoo Joonghyuk.”
Dokja leaves Yoo Joonghyuk with a complicated expression. His smile is warm but the look in Dokja’s eyes leaves Yoo Joonghyuk with the same pain in his heart he felt on the balcony earlier in the night.