At the sound of Jaehyun’s apology, Bash quickly shook his head, offering the other a smile as he says, “ Nah, haven’t been here too long so you’re good,” studying the other’s features for minute and figuring out what was missing about him. “ Sure, counters get crowded quick anyway, ” he added, watching as Jaehyun ordered straight for something strong — and would have been the drink he had in hand to, if not for the fact that he had to drive himself home sober after. He grabs his non-alcoholic drink and got on his feet to follow Jae’s lead to a booth on one corner of the establishment, far from everyone else. As they settled on their seats, Bash finally figures out what was missing: Jaehyun’s usual energy, the kind that brought that big, boxy smile on his face, which he also noted to be missing, and replaced by what seemed like uncertain smiles towards him. Bash suddenly felt worried — what is this about?
But before he could dwell on it, Jaehyun’s question interrupts his thoughts, and with a nod, he acknowledges the facts the other just stated. “ Oh, yeah. She definitely did; got a bit cranky near the end, but you know kids — one moment, they’re bursting with energy, then they’re throwing tantrums the next, ” he chuckled softly, always soft when it came to his kid, but the smile that his chuckle brought disappears when he finds Jaehyun’s features once more, watching as he took a sip from his drink. Maybe it was just him, or the place itself, but he could feel the tension hanging in the air around them. Finally, Bash asks, “ What do you want to talk about, Jae? ” going straight for the big question, not wanting to drag the tension further. “ Is it about tats, or something else? ” he jested, an attempt to break the heavy air that seemed to enclose around them as seconds ticked by; well aware that the answer would not be the first option he gave — as to what exactly it’s about, well, he’s about to find that out soon enough.
Jaehyun was aware of the tension building around them, and while he didn’t want to make Bash worry or get anxious, he also wasn’t sure how to act around him at the moment. He still considered the tattoo artist a friend, of course. But with everything going on, Jae just had a lot on his mind,which was keeping him from enjoying their conversation as he usually would. “I’m glad everything went well.” He replied, distractedly. When Bash asked what he wanted to talk about, the student figured he should just let it out. “Alright so, there’s another reason why I brought up the carnival. I saw Bree and we had a talk where she told me she was there with you and now I’m just wondering if you knew about our past together.” Jaehyun finally explained, biting down on his bottom lip nervously before he looked up at Bash again, his expression unredable. “It’s not that I have a problem with it, we broke up a while ago and I’m kinda seeing someone as well. I just wanna know if you knew.” He said, drinking more from his glass and finishing it. “Cause you know, you became one of my closest friends quickly and that’s something I think a friend would’ve told me.”