#keeping us mere clout chasers in business

[francisforever2014]

love when people merely like a post in its 5 notes era and then all of a sudden rb it when it’s being passed around the mutual circle at 57 notes …. came to your senses did you 😏

[bitacrytic]

2 days ago

A prequel to "30 Minutes Later"

"Are you dating?" Yohan heard Elijah ask enthusiastically.

"Elijah!" Gaon's voice sounded fed up, even from a thousand miles away.

"That's not an answer," Elijah pushed, ignoring his frustration.

"It's none of your business."

"Are you dating?"

A loud sigh sounded from the monitor in the sitting room as Yohan walked in to find Elijah on a video call with Gaon. He was in his apartment, a bigger one than that shack he called a home before. He was wearing a cream-colored sweater that looked very familiar and his hair was damn. Probably from a shower.

"No, we're not dating."

"But she was lying in your bed."

"I don't know if it's any of your business, but she's... a "he" and we're just friends."

A "he"?

Yohan turned away from the screen, fetching himself a bottle of scotch from the shelf as he listened to the conversation behind him.

Gaon was dating.

Gaon was dating men.

It wasn't very surprising but still, Yohan had thought he'd take a second to mourn his loss. Damn it, Soohyun hadn't even been gone for more than a month and he was already dating. Wasn't she supposed to be Gaon's world?

"If you're not dating this one, are there others?"

"My god, Elijah!"

"I'm going to keep asking till you answer."

"Fine, we're not completely dating. It's casual. It's nothing serious."

"So sex but no strings."

Yohan turned around sharply to rebuke Elijah for being so crude but Gaon was already doing it.

"Hey, hey. It's cool to talk to me about anything but you should be polite."

Elijah frowned, sulking a little as she fiddled with her teddy bear.

"Look," Gaon said. "Look at me. I'm not mad at you. I just... it's funny talking about this stuff with you."

"Because I'm a girl or because I'm sixteen?"

"Both?"

She smiled and shook her head

"You said I could talk to you about anything."

"You can, but it doesn't mean that there aren't exceptions."

"Like your sex life?"

Gaon sighed again, frowning at her in that manner that looked like he wanted to scold her but he was too fond to actually follow through.

"How's the new therapist?"

"She's okay." She smiled. "But don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"Are you eating well?"

"I don't know. Maybe if you'd come with us, you'd know that for sure."

"Now, don't be like that. There's stuff to do here and you-"

"I have stuff to do here, too. I understand."

"Don't worry, maybe when things calm down here I'll take a trip."

"That could be years, Gaon."

"Good thing we have video calls so that you can pop in unannounced and scare my dates away."

"So you agree he was a date?"

"I'm going to end the call now, Elijah."

She laughed at him as he reached up to the screen and the call ended.

Yohan was about to leave when Elijah turned to face him.

"He's dating now," she said, as if Yohan hadn't heard the entire conversation. "What are you going to about that?"

"What?" Yohan asked, hiding behind his glass of scotch. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Instead of answering, Elijah just shook her head, turning from him in full disappointment as she wheeled herself out of the sitting room.

What did she want him to do about it? Gaon was a grown man who could do whatever he wanted. He was also his own person. A mere month out of Yohan's shadow and Kim Gaon was already a beacon of light in the country. What did he need from Yohan that Yohan had to do anything about?

He's dating now, Elijah had said.

Yeah, okay, maybe Yohan didn't want Gaon to date. Especially not just anyone who was looking for clout or some fevered experience of being with a celebrity. Loath as he was to even think it, the only person worthy of Gaon was someone who'd known him and loved him before all this. Someone who didn't care for the glitz and glamour. Someone like Soohyun.

And given that Soohyun wasn't here anymore, the next best thing was still a strong connection and really, how many other people were there in Gaon's life who really connected with him? If Yohan was honest, the only person who would be worthy of dating Gaon was Yoh...

Yohan dropped his glass on the lower shelf he was leaning on.

He's dating now. What are you going to do about it?

Yohan downed the last of his drink as his mind raced. There was really only one thing to do.

♧♧♧♧♧

Tagging fellow angst-chasers: @yoonkangsstuff @sunsoothed @eremin0109 @fanfictionroxs

Two days later, Yohan's flight touched down in Incheon International Airport.

_