Chapter Text
The night is lively and full of joy. Everyone at the house party is having a great time. The weather is cool and pleasant, and the sky is filled with stars. It’s a beautiful Friday evening, perfect for celebration.
But Dunk doesn’t feel great. A dark cloud of gloom hangs over him. He came to the party to try and socialize again after his breakup, but it’s not helping. His ex dumped him months ago and has probably moved on, yet Dunk is still stuck, unable to let go. He feels pathetic, holding a glass of champagne and wishing he could get over heartbreak as easily as others seem to.
For Dunk, relationships are never casual. He gives his all, every time, and when they end, it takes him forever to pick up the pieces.
The excitement around him grows tiresome and a bit irritating, the laughter and clinking glasses grating on his nerves. Needing a break, Dunk slips away from the party and into the lovely estate gardens. The music fades into a distant hum as he walks along the stone path, the cool night air brushing against his skin. The gardens are serene, lit by soft, golden lanterns that cast long shadows across the manicured hedges.
Every now and then, he passes a couple giggling or stealing kisses in the shadows, but for the most part, he’s alone with his thoughts.
What he doesn’t expect is to stumble upon a heated conversation. Two men are standing by a stone bench, their voices sharp and tense, cutting through the quiet night. Dunk knows he should keep walking, mind his own business, but something about their intensity makes him stop. Call it curiosity or nosiness, but he can’t help himself.
“I gave you the freedom you wanted,” one of them says, his voice tight with frustration. “So why are you following me out here?”
“Losing you wasn’t what I wanted,” the other replies, his tone softer but no less intense. There’s a pause, heavy with unspoken words. “I miss you, Joong.”
“You don’t,” the one whose name is Joong snaps back, his voice trembling with hurt. “You don’t know what you want. You had me, and you threw it away. You cheated.”
Dunk’s breath catches. He shouldn’t be listening to this, but he can’t tear himself away. He takes a cautious step closer, peeking through the foliage. The two men are illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby lantern. Joong, the one who was cheated on, looks devastated, his shoulders slumped and his face pale. The other man, Ryu, stands with his arms crossed, his expression a combination of guilt and defiance.
“It still hurts that you trusted your friends over me,” Ryu says, his voice rising.
“What?” Joong’s laugh is bitter, almost disbelieving. “The guy you cheated with posted about it, Ryu. You were a fool if you thought I wouldn’t find out either way.”
“Whatever. It’s in the past. Let’s just start over.”
“Are you serious?” Joong’s voice cracks. “You’re asking me to just get over it? No apology, no nothing? Just move on?”
Ryu sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We have to get past this if we want to find happiness again.”
Joong shakes his head. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”
Dunk’s heart aches as he watches the scene unfold. He sees the pain on Joong’s face, the way his hands tremble at his sides. It’s a pain Dunk knows all too well, and before he can stop himself, he steps forward, breaking into the conversation.
“There you are,” Dunk says, his voice calm but commanding as he walks up to Joong. He takes Joong’s hand, surprising both men. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Joong blinks at him, confused, and eyes glistening with unshed tears. “What-”
“Who is this?” Ryu demands, his eyes narrowing as he steps closer. His hands are on his hips, his posture defensive.
Dunk doesn’t miss a beat. He keeps his gaze locked on Joong’s, his voice steady. “Please say goodbye to this person. He’s hurt you enough.”
Joong stares at the stranger, his mind racing. He doesn’t know this personr, but there’s something in their eyes, a kindness, a shared understanding that makes him pause. He looks down at their linked hands, tempted to pull away, but something stops him. Maybe it’s the way the guy’s grip is firm but gentle, or the way his words echo what Joong’s been too afraid to admit to himself.
Joong turns to Ryu, his voice quiet but resolute. “Enjoy the party. Don’t follow me out here again.”
“Wait!” Ryu steps forward, his voice rising. “You haven’t answered my question. Who is this guy, Joong?”
“It’s none of your business,” Dunk says firmly, still holding Joong’s hand. He looks back at Joong, his expression softening. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
***
Later, after they’ve put some distance between themselves and Ryu, Dunk and Joong find themselves back in the gardens. The tension from earlier has eased, replaced by an awkward but comfortable silence. Dunk breaks it first.
“I’m sorry for butting in,” he says, his voice gentle. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but… I couldn’t just stand there and watch.”
Joong looks at him, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he offers a small, tentative smile. “Don’t apologize. If you hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know if I would’ve had the courage to walk away. And… I needed to walk away clearly.”
A cool breeze sweeps through the garden, rustling the leaves and carrying the faint scent of jasmine. Dunk shoves his hands into his pockets, his gaze dropping to the ground. “I get it. I was out here sulking over my own breakup. Got dumped, can’t seem to move on. Saw you with your ex and… I don’t know. I guess I saw a bit of myself in you.”
Joong studies the stranger, taking in his disheveled hair, the way his blazer hangs slightly off his shoulders, the vulnerability in his eyes. There’s something about him, something raw and real that Joong finds himself drawn to. “Well… thanks. For whatever it was, it helped.”
Dunk looks up, meeting Joong’s gaze. “No one deserves to get cheated on. What he did to you was awful. I’m really sorry.”
Joong’s smile falters, but he nods. “Yeah. But don’t apologize on his behalf. He’s the one who should be saying sorry, not you.”
The silence between them stretches, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s the kind of silence that feels like a shared understanding, a quiet acknowledgment of the pain they’ve both been carrying.
“I’m Dunk, by the way,” Dunk says after a moment, breaking the silence.
“Joong,” the other man replies, offering a small smile.
“Yeah, I heard back there.” Dunk chuckles softly, the sound warm and genuine.
“Right.”
Silence.
“So… are you having fun at this party?” Dunk asks
Joong snorts, shaking his head. “Not really.”
“Same.” Dunk hesitates, then grins. “I have money to spend. Want me to wine and dine you?”
Joong raises an eyebrow, surprised but not offended. “What?”
“We’re both here, having a terrible time, moping about our exes. Let’s go somewhere and help each other forget them. They don’t deserve all this sulking we’re doing.”
Joong considers it for a moment. He’s tired of thinking, tired of feeling. Maybe a distraction is exactly what he needs. “Alright,” he says finally, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Let’s go.”
***
The rooftop bar they end up at is quiet and intimate, with soft lighting and a view of the city skyline. They start with wine, the conversation slow and awkward at first, but as the night goes on, they relax. The wine helps, loosening their inhibitions and easing the tension.
They talk about everything and nothing; favorite wines, places they’ve traveled, dreams they’ve put on hold. Dunk tells Joong about Hawaii and the Maldives, his eyes lighting up as he describes the crystal-clear waters and white sand beaches. Joong listens, captivated, and admits he’s never been but hopes to one day.
“Start small,” Dunk suggests, swirling his wine glass. “There are plenty of beautiful places close by. Don’t let your budget stop you from enjoying life.”
Joong nods, a small smile playing on his lips. “I like that. And this wine,” he adds, raising his glass.
Dunk nods in assent, “You have good taste, Joong.”
Joong grins. “Thanks. It’s required in my line of work.”
They share a plate of finger food, the conversation flowing more easily now. Joong mentions he’s a PA, while Dunk admits he’s between jobs, avoiding the topic of his family’s business.
The car Dunk drives, the clothes he’s wearing, his choice of rooftop restaurant, and his manner suggests that he’s rich, so ‘I’m in between jobs’ could mean ‘I don’t need to work for money’, and Joong is curious about that but he doesn’t probe.
There’s an unspoken understanding between them, a mutual agreement to keep things light for now.
But as the night deepens, the conversation turns more personal. They talk about their exes, the pain they’ve carried, the mistakes they’ve made. Joong’s voice trembles as he admits, “It still hurts, you know? Even though he’s a jerk, it still hurts to lose him.”
Once you’ve sat down with your friends, had a few drinks, and agreed over beers that your ex was a jerk, it’s almost expected that you’ll move on and stop brooding. But Joong isn’t there yet. He’s afraid his friends will scold him if he admits the truth, that he still lies awake at night, wondering what he did wrong with Ryu, that he still misses him despite the betrayal and hurt.
Tonight, though, Joong lets his guard down. With Dunk, this kind stranger, he feels safe enough to share his honest feelings, something he hasn’t dared to do with anyone else.
Joong continues, “I still wonder why I wasn’t enough, why I still miss him even though he crushed my heart.”
Dunk nods, his expression somber. “I get it. Sometimes these matters of the heart just don’t make sense. My ex… he started treating me badly out of nowhere. I could tell he was unhappy in our relationship. All the signs were there that he wanted out, that I was no longer loved in the relationship, but instead of walking away, I clung to him because I loved him. When he eventually dumped me, I was shocked and hurt. I got bitter when he started seeing someone else literally a week later.”
Joong looks at Dunk, his eyes soft with understanding. Dunk asks him, “Were you surprised? When he cheated?”
Joong hesitates, then whispers, “No. The signs were there, but… I didn’t want to see them.”
Dunk reaches out, his hand brushing against Joong’s. “We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it. In the future, let’s love ourselves enough to walk away when we’re not wanted.”
Joong’s eyes glisten with tears, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he leans into Dunk’s touch, the warmth of his hand a comforting anchor.
“May I give you a hug?” Dunk asks softly. “It looks like you need one.”
Joong laughs, a small, tearful sound. “You snatched me from the doors of pain back there with Ryu, brought me to this nice place that you’re paying me, listened to me languish about him….I think I’ve asked enough of you, Dunk.”
“You know that that makes zero sense, right? It’s like saying not to the last piece of a cake you’ve already been eating.” Dunk smiles softly and opens his arms.
Joong hesitates for only a moment before leaning into Dunk’s embrace. It’s warm and solid, and for the first time in what feels like forever, Joong feels safe. They stay like that for a while, the city lights twinkling around them, the night stretching on.
When they finally pull away, Dunk suggests, “Why don’t we keep doing this? Helping each other forget our exes. Until we’re ready to move on.”
Joong looks at him, a small smile tugging at his lips. “That’s this that we would be doing?”
Dunk nonchalantly shrugs a shoulder. “Sit under the moonlight, drink wine, talk, cry, laugh, silence. Whatever we can do as long as it’s a distraction.”
“Friends with benefits?”
Dunk grins. “Exactly.”
“Does this benefits package include any sexual activity?”
“If you want. Is that…is that the best distraction for you, Joong?”
“Not necessarily. I just wanted to know the parameters of the arrangement.”
“Is that a yes?”
Joong is all for properly starting the journey to getting over Ryu, and Dunk seems like a decent person, so, “Yeah. Let’s go for it.” He agrees
The night ends with a kiss, soft and tentative at first, then deeper, more passionate. When they pull away, both are breathless, their eyes wide with surprise.
“That was…” Dunk starts, his voice husky.
“Exceptional,” Joong finishes, his cheeks flushed. “Definitely a good distraction. Let’s do it again.”
And they do.