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“You are not joining the auction!” Himchan can feel the exclamation mark sliding into place as his hysteria grows because frankly this situation is beyond ridiculous.
“Why not?” Junhong fires back, licking closed another invitation envelope.
“You- you’re not a bachelor?”
“I am. Totally single, that’s me. Sexy, free and single.”
Lord have mercy, this kid has the actual audacity to wink at Himchan.
“Oh my god. Just. No, Junhong, I’m not getting arrested for child endangerment while trying to do some good in the world. Just no. You’re like, twelve.”
“Hyung, I’m nineteen.”
Himchan makes a wailing noise of frustration into the crook of his elbow as he collapses onto the couch in utter despair.
Surprise, Surprise. The girls go wild for Junhong, and he catches the second highest bid of the whole auction.
“Hyung, I would like you to know that if we are caught doing this, I will die of embarrassment and then I’ll come back and haunt you for the rest of your life.” Youngjae pouts behind his shades, delicately spearing fruit from his fruit cup.
“Don’t be so dramatic.” Himchan scoffs.
“I’m the dramatic one here? You are literally considering stalking Junhong, on his date.”
“That girl, she seems really…” Himchan trails off, making a circular hand gesture.
“Nice? Happy? Totally puppy crushing on our Junhong?”
“I was going to say suspiciously devious.” Himchan sniffs, “and too eager to spend a lot of money to spend time with a pretty face.”
Youngjae’s face hardens, the corners of his lips immediately point downwards unflatteringly. “That’s unfair and you know it.”
Himchan is about the reply when a slap on the back of his head ends with his face in his drink. He turns, spluttering indignantly to face Hana massaging her hand.
“That was so rude!” She exclaims as she pulls up a chair, adding eavesdropping to Himchan’s growing list of ‘why Jung Ha Na cannot be trusted no matter how cute she is’ “You don’t even know the girl!”
Jieun appears magically beside Hana and slips into the only remaining seat at their table. She smiles. Himchan immediately swallows the very cutting words he has for Youngjae and Hana and concentrates on how not to be too taken by Song Jieun’s presence. He can feel the tips of his ears growing uncomfortably warm, but then, red is dusting the ears of Youngjae and Hana and the old man sitting one table over and pretending to read, so Himchan feels that he’s excused for not having the superhuman ability to remain unaffected by Jieun's beauty.
“Why are you two here?” he asks instead.
“I texted noonas, after I figured out you might actually consider breaking the law.” Younjae says, apparently content to continue winding Himchan’s mental stability towards breaking point.
“I am- what? I am not-?”
“Stalking is a criminal offense, hyung.” Youngjae smirks at him over his drink, “as a dutiful dongsaeng, I am staging an intervention.”
“Oh fuck you.”
Hana tries to flag down a waitress while Jieun peers at Himchan with concern. “You’re really upset about this. Channie, what wrong?”
“Nothing.” He says, automatically, and a defeated sigh escapes him when all three give him their best disbelieving stare. “Okay, maybe I’m just fed up with being ‘fair’. Maybe I just want to think unfair thoughts without being judged.” He pauses, “or hit.” He adds as an afterthought with a nod to Hana.
“You deserved it.” She laughs, landing another pseudo punch masquerading as a friendly nudge on his shoulder.
Himchan winces exaggeratedly for the gratification of seeing a flash of guilt cross Hana’s sunny countenance. But Youngjae is removing his sunglasses with the expression that indicates he’s going to be unnecessarily wise at Himchan.
“Hyung-“
“No, I don’t want to hear it.” Himchan snaps before Youngjae can launch into a speech on the downfalls of human nature or whatever else that goes on behind those deviously adorable eyes, “The world isn’t fair. I don’t see why I have to be all the time.”
Jieun places a hand on his elbow while Youngjae pouts at being interrupted. “But, it’s important to be moral, especially when the society isn’t.” She tells him from under her lashes.
“You got that line off Yongguk.” Himchan accuses. Jieun giggles, and give his arm a pat before letting him go.
“Yeah.” She admits, “And he’s worth listening to. You shouldn’t be so mean to the girl that won Junhong, just because she did.”
“Oh? why? She didn’t win him fairly.” He spits the word like a curse.
“What are you talking about?” Hana spears up one of Youngjae’s fruits with unnecessary force. ”She won the auction! If she broke any of the auction rules Hyosung would have kicked her out before she even opened her mouth.”
Himchan sniffs disapprovingly. “Oh? And that’s fair is it? Guys can’t even bid on guys and girls can’t bid on girls – “
Jieun says with a frown “But the university won’t let Hyosung host the event unless it’s like that-” the same moment as Hana gasps exaggeratedly: “Oh my god, did you want to bid on Junhong or something?”
“What? No!” Himchan says, face heating up yet again. “I’m just saying, that there’s nothing fair about it in the first place. The whole thing is just to raise money for the forest project, it’s not fair for Junhong to go on his first ever date for a fundraiser.”
Their table is silent for a few moments. The waitress comes by with Jieun and Hana’s orders.
“You know,” Jieun starts, eyes distant. “it’s true. Injustices aren’t unjust until they foul the things close to you.”
“Did you get that from Yongguk too?” Himchan asks suspiciously.
“Maybe.” Jieun laughs, “but are you going to deny it?”
“Yeah,” Youngjae leans forward, smirking. “Would you have even cared about this if Junhong wasn’t in this? Or would you be counting up the money and writing thank-you letters right now like a good event co-host?”
Himchan places his head down onto the table groans into his elbow. He seems to be doing a lot of this lately. “Can you three not make me feel guilty about being worried for Junhong on top of being worried for Junhong?”
Hana slaps him on the back, probably bruising his spine in the process. “Cheer up, Chan! Maybe you should have a little more faith in other people’s decisions. Junhong volunteered.”
“Because he’s a mini Yongguk! And –“
“Yongguk hyung wasn’t in the auction?” Youngjae interrupts.
“Ok, yeah. But-“ Himchan stops. He can’t even remember exactly why he’s so upset anymore, somehow that doesn’t stop him from being even more irritated.
Youngjae pats him companionably on the bruises Hana left. “Maybe we should do something about the unfairness instead of ruining a girl’s hard earned date with the cutest freshman on campus.”
Himchan sighs. But it’s a defeated sigh. Youngjae is right. Jieun is right, and Hana is right. The thing is, it doesn’t mean Himchan’s wrong, either. Moral discussions are complicated, messy things that tend to seem like good sense even when they are plain wrong, and sounds like nonsense when they are not. After all, righteousness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
“All right - but you’re paying for my drink. Your intervention, your treat.”
To Himchan’s surprise, Youngjae just laughs, and pays of his drink.