A Matter of the Heart
Chapter One
(Jinyoung’s POV)
As time went by, Jinyoung began to see that leaving his cheating boyfriend was the best thing he could have done. He was happier, once he got over the initial heartache that came with the breakup. He found a place with a friend of his, Gongchan. He was younger than Jinyoung by two years, but they were very close. He always seemed to know what to say without prying, so was the perfect choice for a roommate...next to Dongwoo, who would have been his first choice. Dongwoo already had enough roommates. Jinyoung didn't want to be a pain and ask him, so he was moving in with Gongchan.
Two months after leaving his cheating boyfriend, Jinyoung saw Gongchan in the living room. He had just hung up his phone and looked very excited. "What's up?" he asked tentatively.
Gongchan's dark eyes were very bright. "There's going to be a pool party at a friend's house and I was wondering if you wanted to go. Of course you can invite Dongwoo," Gongchan grinned at him, showing his scary aegyo. It had never been his strong point.
Jinyoung sighed. He really didn't want to go to a party, but he would for Gongchan's sake. "Okay," he answered quietly. "I'll invite Dongwoo."
Gongchan bounded off the couch, full of energy. "Cool! I can't wait! It'll be this weekend."
Jinyoung watched the younger man rush off to his room like a kid going to an amusement park. There was never a dull moment around him. That was for sure. Glancing at his phone, he decided he had better warn Dongwoo about the party so he could have time to drag his friend out of the house. He wasn't a social person.
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When they got to the party, Jinyoung saw Dongwoo sitting at the bar with two other guys. Dongwoo smiled at them and waved them over. One of the guys grinned at them, looking like he was already a bit buzzed. He was kind of cute, with his dyed red hair and round, dark eyes. He also looked familiar, for some reason.
Dongwoo smiled at them. “Hey, guys. These two are Baro,” he motioned to the quiet guy on his right. “And this hyper guy is Sandeul.” He grinned at his red haired friend, who had just taken a large drink of alcohol. He motioned at them with his glass.
Gongchan extended his hand to Baro immediately, and Jinyoung could see that he was blushing. “Hi. I’m Chansik Gong…but I go by Gongchan,” he grinned shyly.
Baro smiled at him quietly. “Baro. Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah,” Gongchan took a beer out of the cooler. “Yeah, nice to meet you. Um…do you want to go out to the pool? It’s kind of hot in here.”
Baro grinned at him. “Sure.” They left to go…swim. Or whatever.
Dongwoo smirked. “Well, they obviously hit it off. I’ve been trying to set Baro up with someone for a while now. I hadn’t realized that all I had to do was call you and tell you to bring Gongchan over. That was easy.”
Jinyoung grinned back at him. “Don’t get your hopes up yet. Channie’s obviously interested, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get along. We’ll see.” He glanced over where Sandeul had been, but he had slipped into the crowd of people that was growing bigger by the minute. There were a lot of people here. “So, whose party is this, anyway?” He had been trying to figure out where he knew Sandeul from, and he just remembered. He had been a friend of his ex’s. Jinyoung just hoped they hadn’t been more than friends. He seriously doubted it, since Dongwoo was still friends with him.
Dongwoo smiled. “I’m not sure. Some friend of Sandeul’s. Gongchan knows the guy. You could ask him later, if you really want to know.” He shrugged, changing the subject. “Have you dated at all since we spoke? I know it’s been a few months.”
Jinyoung shook his head, looking slightly interested. “No. there’s not anyone I’m interested in right now. Besides that, I don’t feel like getting screwed over again.”
Dongwoo took a long drink of his beer. “Yeah, I don’t blame you. You’re lucky I didn’t kill your ex. It’s a good thing he disappeared when he did. Otherwise, he would’ve REALLY disappeared…and I would’ve gone to prison.”
Jinyoung stared at his friend for a long moment, then smiled. “Well, I am grateful to you for getting me out of that situation. You’re a good friend.” He glanced at Sandeul, who hadn’t moved from his spot at the bar. He didn’t seem to be enjoying himself very much.
Dongwoo flashed him a smile. “You’re my best friend. I had to get you somewhere safe. You’re safe now, as long as Gongchan doesn’t go to prison for raping Baro.” He grinned. “If that happened, you may be out of a place to live…in which case you would come crawling back to my place.”
Jinyoung smiled quietly. His friend was becoming more talkative by every drink of beer. He noticed there seemed to be something not quite right about Dongwoo, but he couldn’t place it.“So, what’s with your friend? He seems to be enjoying the alcohol more than the party itself, no offense.” He paused. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Dongwoo looked surprised. “Who, me?” He waved a hand at Jinyoung in dismissal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. It’s nice to unwind with friends and drinks, don’t you agree? And don’t worry about Sandeul. He’s okay. Do you want his number? He’s a cutie!”
Jinyoung smirked. “Dongwoo was obviously getting a little drunk now. “Yeah, I agree. And sure, I’ll take his number. He seems like he could use more friends than you and a bottle.” He spoke quietly. “Want to go spy on Gongchan and Baro? Since they’re drinking, we may catch something interesting.” He laughed. “Hopefully not too X rated…” He grinned.
“No kidding,” Dongwoo smiled. He had ignored the comment Sandeul’s attitude. They walked out on the deck and noticed that Gongchan and Baro were simply sitting and talking. Nothing X rated…yet.
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(Sandeul’s POV)
Sandeul sat watching them talk, and noticed that Dongwoo and Jinyoung got along great. It was also painfully obvious that Dongwoo liked Jinyoung, as he had suspected. He always seemed to be the loyal friend that was overlooked. He could blend in and have fun, and that’s all he would be seen as. The friend who liked to have fun and drink and you could go to if you needed to find out if someone else liked you. He was the go-to guy that wasn’t a good enough friend to be considered a best friend. Just a ‘convenient friend’ who would listen to Dongwoo’s problems with every boyfriend or girlfriend he had. The last girl had broken his heart, and he hadn’t really gained it back…until now. It clearly belonged to Jinyoung.
After he watched them walk out, taking another drink of his beer. He didn’t even know why he had come to this party. It wasn’t worth seeing the man he loved with someone else that was just going to hurt him in the end. They needed to remain just friends, since Jinyoung obviously didn’t want anything. He CERTAINLY didn’t want anything from Sandeul. Sighing, he took another drink. He might try to push Jinyoung on Dongwoo, since that’s where he wanted to be. Taking another drink of his beer, he called a cab. He sent a text to Dongwoo, telling him he wasn’t feeling well and was going home. He didn’t wait for a reply, and when he got home, he grabbed a half empty bottle of wine. He would have his own party…wallowing in his own sadness. His fucking sad life.
As time went by, Jinyoung began to see that leaving his cheating boyfriend was the best thing he could have done. He was happier, once he got over the initial heartache that came with the breakup. He found a place with a friend of his, Gongchan. He was younger than Jinyoung by two years, but they were very close. He always seemed to know what to say without prying, so was the perfect choice for a roommate...next to Dongwoo, who would have been his first choice. Dongwoo already had enough roommates. Jinyoung didn't want to be a pain and ask him, so he was moving in with Gongchan.
Two months after leaving his cheating boyfriend, Jinyoung saw Gongchan in the living room. He had just hung up his phone and looked very excited. "What's up?" he asked tentatively.
Gongchan's dark eyes were very bright. "There's going to be a pool party at a friend's house and I was wondering if you wanted to go. Of course you can invite Dongwoo," Gongchan grinned at him, showing his scary aegyo. It had never been his strong point.
Jinyoung sighed. He really didn't want to go to a party, but he would for Gongchan's sake. "Okay," he answered quietly. "I'll invite Dongwoo."
Gongchan bounded off the couch, full of energy. "Cool! I can't wait! It'll be this weekend."
Jinyoung watched the younger man rush off to his room like a kid going to an amusement park. There was never a dull moment around him. That was for sure. Glancing at his phone, he decided he had better warn Dongwoo about the party so he could have time to drag his friend out of the house. He wasn't a social person.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When they got to the party, Jinyoung saw Dongwoo sitting at the bar with two other guys. Dongwoo smiled at them and waved them over. One of the guys grinned at them, looking like he was already a bit buzzed. He was kind of cute, with his dyed red hair and round, dark eyes. He also looked familiar, for some reason.
Dongwoo smiled at them. “Hey, guys. These two are Baro,” he motioned to the quiet guy on his right. “And this hyper guy is Sandeul.” He grinned at his red haired friend, who had just taken a large drink of alcohol. He motioned at them with his glass.
Gongchan extended his hand to Baro immediately, and Jinyoung could see that he was blushing. “Hi. I’m Chansik Gong…but I go by Gongchan,” he grinned shyly.
Baro smiled at him quietly. “Baro. Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah,” Gongchan took a beer out of the cooler. “Yeah, nice to meet you. Um…do you want to go out to the pool? It’s kind of hot in here.”
Baro grinned at him. “Sure.” They left to go…swim. Or whatever.
Dongwoo smirked. “Well, they obviously hit it off. I’ve been trying to set Baro up with someone for a while now. I hadn’t realized that all I had to do was call you and tell you to bring Gongchan over. That was easy.”
Jinyoung grinned back at him. “Don’t get your hopes up yet. Channie’s obviously interested, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get along. We’ll see.” He glanced over where Sandeul had been, but he had slipped into the crowd of people that was growing bigger by the minute. There were a lot of people here. “So, whose party is this, anyway?” He had been trying to figure out where he knew Sandeul from, and he just remembered. He had been a friend of his ex’s. Jinyoung just hoped they hadn’t been more than friends. He seriously doubted it, since Dongwoo was still friends with him.
Dongwoo smiled. “I’m not sure. Some friend of Sandeul’s. Gongchan knows the guy. You could ask him later, if you really want to know.” He shrugged, changing the subject. “Have you dated at all since we spoke? I know it’s been a few months.”
Jinyoung shook his head, looking slightly interested. “No. there’s not anyone I’m interested in right now. Besides that, I don’t feel like getting screwed over again.”
Dongwoo took a long drink of his beer. “Yeah, I don’t blame you. You’re lucky I didn’t kill your ex. It’s a good thing he disappeared when he did. Otherwise, he would’ve REALLY disappeared…and I would’ve gone to prison.”
Jinyoung stared at his friend for a long moment, then smiled. “Well, I am grateful to you for getting me out of that situation. You’re a good friend.” He glanced at Sandeul, who hadn’t moved from his spot at the bar. He didn’t seem to be enjoying himself very much.
Dongwoo flashed him a smile. “You’re my best friend. I had to get you somewhere safe. You’re safe now, as long as Gongchan doesn’t go to prison for raping Baro.” He grinned. “If that happened, you may be out of a place to live…in which case you would come crawling back to my place.”
Jinyoung smiled quietly. His friend was becoming more talkative by every drink of beer. He noticed there seemed to be something not quite right about Dongwoo, but he couldn’t place it.“So, what’s with your friend? He seems to be enjoying the alcohol more than the party itself, no offense.” He paused. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Dongwoo looked surprised. “Who, me?” He waved a hand at Jinyoung in dismissal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. It’s nice to unwind with friends and drinks, don’t you agree? And don’t worry about Sandeul. He’s okay. Do you want his number? He’s a cutie!”
Jinyoung smirked. “Dongwoo was obviously getting a little drunk now. “Yeah, I agree. And sure, I’ll take his number. He seems like he could use more friends than you and a bottle.” He spoke quietly. “Want to go spy on Gongchan and Baro? Since they’re drinking, we may catch something interesting.” He laughed. “Hopefully not too X rated…” He grinned.
“No kidding,” Dongwoo smiled. He had ignored the comment Sandeul’s attitude. They walked out on the deck and noticed that Gongchan and Baro were simply sitting and talking. Nothing X rated…yet.
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(Sandeul’s POV)
Sandeul sat watching them talk, and noticed that Dongwoo and Jinyoung got along great. It was also painfully obvious that Dongwoo liked Jinyoung, as he had suspected. He always seemed to be the loyal friend that was overlooked. He could blend in and have fun, and that’s all he would be seen as. The friend who liked to have fun and drink and you could go to if you needed to find out if someone else liked you. He was the go-to guy that wasn’t a good enough friend to be considered a best friend. Just a ‘convenient friend’ who would listen to Dongwoo’s problems with every boyfriend or girlfriend he had. The last girl had broken his heart, and he hadn’t really gained it back…until now. It clearly belonged to Jinyoung.
After he watched them walk out, taking another drink of his beer. He didn’t even know why he had come to this party. It wasn’t worth seeing the man he loved with someone else that was just going to hurt him in the end. They needed to remain just friends, since Jinyoung obviously didn’t want anything. He CERTAINLY didn’t want anything from Sandeul. Sighing, he took another drink. He might try to push Jinyoung on Dongwoo, since that’s where he wanted to be. Taking another drink of his beer, he called a cab. He sent a text to Dongwoo, telling him he wasn’t feeling well and was going home. He didn’t wait for a reply, and when he got home, he grabbed a half empty bottle of wine. He would have his own party…wallowing in his own sadness. His fucking sad life.
