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SONG OF THE DAY :
light a flame - seventeen

. . . . . .

when he finally arrived to the venue after minutes of insufferable traffic, youngho parked his toyota beside beside jaehyun's rubicon jeep. to his surprise, the man himself was lying down above the roof of the vehicle, spacing out while his eyes belonged to the stars at that point in time.

"dude, get down from there."

he sat up hearing the familiar voice get out of his driver's seat, waving.

"never get drunk without me again. let alone do that. what if you fell head first? that's such a dumb way to be hospitalized."

his words' tinge of seriousness was ignored. "you sound like my dad. i miss dad."

he laughed airily like drunk uncles in karaoke bars afterwards, jumping down, then stumbling with a grunt once his feet reached the grunt. on his lips took over a cheeky grin, his entire face red after too much alcohol. the harsh blow of the wind outside caused him to be more drunk than expected from the amount of liquids he took in.

he continued, "i hate it alone inside. so many people are trying to hit on me and you're not there to flirt back for me until they get disgusted and leave the party. yes, i'm hot, but i will not."

youngho laughed. "don't be so full of yourself, jae. maybe they're just being friendly."

"friendly?" he stared at the taller guy in judgement. "if 'do you wanna come with me to the bathroom?' is friendly, i'd rather be degraded. we haven't even made eye contact. why are they asking me that? creepy as fuck."

"where's haneul anyway?"

"shooting for her new movie."

"ten and mark?"

"you know, john, i did this all for you yet you were so fucking late and now you're asking about people that aren't even me. unbelievable."

he was shocked to see his best friend with a completely different, in a way that he's rougher and gigglies than usual, while under a heavy influence of alcohol, especially when he usually was the one to get drunk first whenever they took shots together. it was a funny sight, to say the least.

"thanks a lot, but i don't even know why you did this in the first place. i only went back from my hometown. i do it on a regular basis. it's nothing to celebrate."

"well that's because this actually isn't just for you, but for me too. coincidentally, the day you go back home from the states is exactly the day before i . . . "

the younger man paused and shifted his gaze to the cobblestone floor, hesitating.

"go on."

"i'm proposing tomorrow."

it didn't come as a surprise that jaehyun was ready for possible lifetime commitment to his long-time girlfriend, who's also a well-known actress, yoon haneul,  judging from how consistent their relationship starting from high school has been. the thought of how he'd do it, considering how he was based a boy that is oh-so creative and romantic, did fuel his curiosity.

"that's great!" he exclaimed, looking more excited than the one planning it himself. "stop getting wasted then. it'll be a big day."

"i'll be fine! i took aspirin before drinking."

"you're at risk for internal bleeding."

"at least no hangover," jaehyun said, followed by an idiotic laugh due to his satisfaction over a hack he discovered during parties in college. the other only stood in disappointment.

he then put his hand on youngho's back, lightly patting it for a few times for no particular reason, still prolonging their idle conversation. 

"i'm gonna forgive you for being late only if you tell me the reason was because you seduced seed lady."

"seduce isn't the word."

"but? still because of her?"

"i just helped out with something, okay?"

jaehyun let out one of his common weird noises that came off as insulting, the idiotic smile etched on his face not dying down even one bit.

"by the way, one thing : if you're still single or still on hookup stage with someone by the time i plan my marriage, you're not gonna be my best man anymore. so get her. immediately."

"is that a threat?"

"yes."

"i—" he couldn't anymore find a proper response to jaehyun's drunken words. "let's just go inside."

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"why are you listening to sex music?"

"this is sex music?"

"have you seen the lyrics?"

"i don't pay attention to lyrics."

the moment he entered chia's apartment, already with so much to say, jace took off his sneakers, observing the messy yet unsurprising surroundings within her apartment which came like a set with the smell reeking of febreze, smoke, cologne, and wood all in one.

she had called him at 1:30am, saying she needed some company. since the both of them were nocturnal as fuck and still had so much energy, he didn't back down on the wish.

"we have shifts later."

"i know," she replied. "so we'll be drinking gatorade instead of getting drunk."

she held up two fluorescent-colored plastic bottles, one with blue liquid and one with green (it being her favorite), for him to see.

"no grape for me?"

"i ran out of it because you drink them all whenever you visit here and the last time i hoarded bottles, the store had none."

jace accepted his fate, not caring to pointlessly argue. he then plopped down beside her on her sofa bed, snatching his gatorade bottle from her hands and opening it just as quickly, eager for what she was about to spill at a time like that. "so?"

"i hate him so much, i can't explain it through text."

"him?" jace furrowed his eyebrows before realizing. "ah! him."

"why give me that look?"

"that's why you're listening to sex music?"

"shut up!"

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as dusk was reigning in its last few hours, chia managed to tell jace all about the booked uber incident and how extra he was at that part, the unusual awkward tension between her and youngho in the elevator, and her subtly saying he looks sexy as fuck, but also denying it when jace rephrases the idea straightforwardly, both their beverages already empty.

"maybe he's the sugar daddy you've been manifesting."

"first of all, i don't think he's much older than me—"

"sugar son?"

she blinked twice, concerned.

". . . . the fuck."

"did you get his number though?"

"i didn't."

jace was infuriated. "dumbass! what if he doesn't show up for weeks again, huh? you're gonna mope around looking so sad on your rooftop without knowing where he is while yelling how much of an a-hole he is! you confuse me, bestie, you really do."

"look. him not showing up this time may be helpful. to me, at least."

"helpful?"

"yes, helpful. because," chia sighed before continuing, "starting the day after tomorrow, i need to distance myself from the rooftop as much as possible. from smokers too. trust me on this, i'll be serious now."

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