章 17: Like Teenagers

Choi Haneul frowned at the constant, persistent doorbell. He vowed to himself to discard that stupid thing and put a sign outside stating the visitors would never be allowed.

He knew if it were his friends, they would have walked in easily. After all, the passcode was the date he confessed to his first love and got rejected. It holds significant meaning for him, and his first love now owns this apartment. None of his friends would pass on the opportunity to tease him based on that.

With a mind to yell at the persistent pest for ringing the bell, Choi Haneul opened the door forcefully. But his anger melted away when he noticed it was one of his favourite seniors' standings before looking lost. He knew the other knew the password but wondered why to create a commotion by pressing that stupid bell constantly.

Choi Haneul became concerned. But before he could ask anything, he was pulled into a tight hug.

"What the fuck happened now, Hyung?" Haneul patted his senior's head soothingly.

He knew apart from Lee's family, and no one could make Lee Whan like this. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his senior's stupidity for trusting his family, Choi Haneul tried to take his phone out of his pocket.

But as a man who was always bad at multitasking, Choi Haneul could not balance Lee Whan's weight and take the phone out of his pocket to text their friends simultaneously.

Haneul knew he had lost his balance but did not fall disgracefully. In a blink of an eye, he noticed he was on the floor, seated and his beloved senior crying on his shoulder, as Lee Whan was seated almost on his lap.

At least it was not a horribly embarrassing fall. But Haneul did not know how to soothe a crying man.

"Fine! Whatever it is, I got you, Hyung! I got you… but you have to lose the hold on me. Or else I can't move you inside." Choi Haneul tried to pull the stubborn man and tried to keep the ordeal inside the closed doors. But there was no luck.

He slowly took the phone out and sent out two messages to the group.

'SOS: Lee Whan is crying in front of my apartment.'

'He looks physically unharmed, though. But I could use some help with the waterworks.'

He hoped he would get some help as soon as possible and placed the phone on the floor next to him.

Haneul was awkward and did not know what to say. So he ended up blabbering as he looked around. "Okay! You are having a breakdown in my apartment corridor. Good thing I don't have any neighbours. Or else it would be a spectacular site and lead to many rumours. It was not that I mind being caught in the rumour with you. It was just I had a horrible experience with it. You remember everything that happened in the past, right?"

Lee Whan knew his caring junior was awkward and had no idea how to soothe him. So he was blabbering about whatever he could see and saying whatever came to his mind without thinking.

Knowing that at least a few things did not change, Lee Whan felt a small comfort. He spoke between his tears, not minding he sounded like a teenager trying to sound like an adult. "Your first love owns all the four apartments on this floor."

Choi Haneul was baffled by this new information and frowned. "His boyfriend should put a leash on him and stop this excess spending. What is wrong with him?"

"His boyfriend did not want anyone from CraZe even near the memories you have here. Your first love's boyfriend insisted on buying this whole place for you." Lee Whan smiled, thinking about the weirdly sweet couple he ever came across.

"Did not know his boyfriend liked me that much! Wow!!!" Choi Haneul rolled his eyes, remembering the few instances where he met his first love's boyfriend.

Haneul and Little Moon were not enemies, but at the same time, they were not best friends either. Both of them agreed on the unspoken pact that they would care for each other as long as the man who was important to them kept smiling.

Lee Whan made himself comfortable on his junior's shoulders. He stopped crying without even realising it and started teasing his junior fondly. "Little Moon considers you a friend even though you would never accept your first love's boyfriend as a friend."

"Like how you would never accept my first love as your friend, even though he is your best friend's little brother." Choi Haneul sassed his senior only to receive a smack in the head.

"He is an annoying puppy who followed his brother everywhere and became friends with us. But I will never forgive him completely for rejecting you!" Lee Whan tried to let go of the grudge, but even after years, he could not let it go.

"I have been over the rejection for years. I am sure I will find the love of my life sometime before I die. Now get up! My ass is cold from sitting on the stupid floor!" Choi Haneul wiggled violently to get away from the floor. He wanted the comfort of his sofa and the warmth inside his flat as soon as possible.

The pair of junior and senior bantered on the corridor like teenagers who did not care about the world and did not have any responsibility weighing down on their shoulders.

Lee Whan agreed and stood up. He slowly walked behind his junior into his junior's house, knowing very well that this would be his sanctuary for the next few days.

As they walked inside the flat, Choi Haneul checked his phone only to stop in his tracks. One message he received in the group made him stop functioning physically and cognitively. Everything stilled for him.

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The chapter is dedicated to Funmilola_85. Thank you for the review <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

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The next chapter will be updated tomorrow.

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