eden’s theatrics are enough to draw a chuckle out of him, though these acts of disrespect are nothing new in their friendship that is slowly evolving into something forbidden. his heart keeps sinking from the mention of his best friend and the guilt that comes with whatever this entails. he knows everything that’s happened in the pair’s volatile relationship, from the beginning to the end and it is a strange feeling, to be more and more acquainted with all the reasons that made mj fall for eden in the first place. to be drawn by the saccharine laughter, the shine in those bright eyes, the mischief that mirrors his own all too well.
what is the right thing to do? if he had been more honest, he would have said that them not meeting ever again like this would be the first move. “you already said everything that needs to be said.” he answers, trying to be as objective as possible despite the selfishness that swells within him. an anxious lick of his lips before he continues. “dragging it on isn’t going to help anybody.” as shattered as mj might be, he is still holding on that last shred of hope while eden is clearly not on the same page.
shaking the heavier thoughts off his mind, he brings himself to the kitchenette to give his hands a quick wash as he regards eden with disbelief. “the best chef i know? you’ve got quite an ego, don’t you?” as if he isn’t all too aware of it already. “you made crème brûlée and you’re not going to share?” a pout appears on his rosy lips as he gives eden the puppy eyes that always help get what he wants. “i thought we’re friends, eden — you’re breaking my heart.”
he knows the fault to be his, for his relationship’s failure. objectively, mj and he had too little in common to last longterm. he knew as much from the beginning, but feelings bloomed and he ignored those incompatibilities — which resulted in countless ugly fights, between the pair — for long months. always envisioning himself settled down in his early twenties, and believing in soulmates, he gave it a fair try. even fooled himself into believing they’d beat the odds stacked against them. he was wrong, all along. if he opened his eyes sooner, he would’ve noticed there was someone he was compatible with, all along, and with whom he shared an undeniable chemistry that could neither be feigned, nor forced between two individuals. hard to resist such organic connection, and fight it with rationality, when none of what’s happening between them is rational.
cutting ties with mj means a huge boundary between kyungsoo and eden evaporating, and pushing him one step closer to biting the forbidden fruit. eden can’t be more selfish than he’s already been, however. keeping mj around for the sake of not acting on feelings and thus, betraying him in the worst way possible, is plain cruel. “you’re right, and i don’t want to keep on hurting him by being a presence in his life. he deserves to move on.” eden already has, clearly. he heaves loudly, shoulders slumping. the situation is taxing to say the least. as is fighting himself whenever the other is around. he’s doomed, but he has no other choice than keep on doing so. “you’ll be there for him, won’t you?”
adding the last touches to the dish is a welcome distraction from the heaviness of the discussion, and he easily slips back into bantering. something the two have done, from the day they met. “is it having an ego when it’s the truth, though?” words are as cheeky as the smile that breaks over his face. “i could be a good FRIEND, and share the crème brûlée with you ... but where would be the fun in that? watching you suffer is so much more enjoyable.” cheeky smile melts into a full blown smirk at the sight of the pout appearing on the other’s lips. “this doesn’t work on me, kyung, but brownie points for trying.” friends. friends. friends. he hates the reminder, that they are indeed friends only, as much as he welcomes it. “make it up to me, and i’ll consider changing my mind.”
snowghoul
titsay
jbbartram-illu
blakekathryn
ellievsbear
