‘So are you officially in?’ Min Ho

 

‘So are you officially in?’ Min Ho asked, taking a sip from his beer bottle. He held up his billiard stick and leaned a little, focusing on his opponent’s next move. He was down by two balls.

Woo Bin easily pocketed ball number six. Min Ho scrunched up his nose. Down by three. ‘Yeah. It will probably be announced next week once everything has been signed,’ Woo Bin replied. He walked to the opposite end of the table and bent down as he eyed ball number seven. 'I'm really excited. I've always wanted to do a heist movie.'

‘Chukae,’ Min Ho smiled. ‘You’re so busy you don’t even have time to call me anymore.’

Woo Bin was about to make a shot when he suddenly stood up straight and looked at Min Ho. ‘Hyung, I’ve been texting you a lot but you barely reply. You’re so much busier than I am!’

‘I’m the sunbae, jashik-ah! Of course I have to play hard to get. You haven’t even treated me to a beer,’ Min Ho pointed his bottle at Woo Bin teasingly.

‘Even if I did, you’ll just decline because of your schedule,’ Woo Bin replied, gripping his billiard stick and bending down. He squinted his eyes in concentration and hit the cue ball. His eyes followed as it expertly nudged the maroon ball into the side pocket. He smirked. ‘I didn’t want to get heartbroken. If you want to see me so much, you should have made the first move,’ Woo Bin lifted up his glass and drank til the last drop. He turned to Min Ho, his puckered lips pointing to the eight ball only a few inches away from a corner pocket. ‘Last ball,’ he said.

Min Ho shook his head. ‘You’re too good at this.’

Just as Woo Bin positioned himself to hit ball number eight, Min Ho heard the door open and saw Jong Suk enter the room.

In that split second, Min Ho heard raucous laughter outside. People were probably busy getting drunk and partying. He and Woo Bin, both feeling exhausted, decided to stay away from the crowd and hide out in Lee Jong Suk’s empty play room. Once in a while, people would open the door; but as soon as they see Min Ho and Woo Bin looking back at them, they apologize and close the door right away. It made Min Ho guilty that they were hogging what was probably the coolest room in Jong Suk’s house, but he was thankful for the privacy.

‘Who’s winning?’ Jong Suk approached the pool table and crossed his arms.

‘Me,’ Woo Bin replied as he struck, keeping his eyes on the ball. In. Min Ho let out an audible sigh. Woo Bin grinned. ‘Oops, I just won.’ He shot Min Ho a cocky look. ‘I knew we should have bet on this game.’

Min Ho chuckled. ‘Oh yeah? What would you have bet?’

‘Hmm… a romantic date with me?’ Woo Bin playfully did Jo Myung Soo’s tehet pose.

Min Ho almost choked on the beer he was currently chugging. He suddenly remembered the image of Woo Bin that he had to conjure to keep his raging hormones in check inside Shin Hye’s van earlier. He wiped his lips with his sleeve and turned to him. ‘Dwaesseo! I’ll just lose to you gladly.’

Woo Bin clutched his chest, pretending to be hurt. ‘Do you know how many people want to date me?’

The three guys laughed, and Woo Bin collected the balls again for another round. Just then, Min Ho saw a pretty girl peer through a half-opened door. Oh. It’s my girlfriend. They locked eyes immediately and he instinctively gave her a warm smile. Jong Suk, who was standing across Min Ho from the pool table, noticed and turned around.

‘Shin Hye!’ He greeted brightly as soon as he saw her. ‘You really came!’

Shin Hye smiled radiantly and walked to them. She stopped a couple of feet from Jong Suk and leaned her hands on the edge of the table. Facing him, she smiled. ‘I told you I’d come, remember?’ She then turned to Min Ho and waved awkwardly. ‘Anyeong, oppa. Long time, no see.’

Before Min Ho could respond, Woo Bin dashed to Shin Hye’s side and threw his arm around her shoulders. ‘Cha Eun Sang! Where have you been? I missed you!’ Shin Hye was almost in a headlock as Woo Bin friskily wound his arm around her neck.

‘Ya, she’ll get hurt,’ Min Ho snapped at Woo Bin.

‘Hyung, Shin Hye is made of steel,’ Woo Bin let her go and ruffled her hair slightly. ‘Where have you been all this time, huh? How come you don’t answer my texts? You and Min Ho hyung are just the same.’

Shin Hye and Min Ho held each other’s gaze for barely a second before looking away again. She scowled at Woo Bin and pushed him away playfully. ‘Stop touching my hair,’ she exclaimed as she tried to fix it with her hands. Min Ho saw Jong Suk take a few steps to where Shin Hye was standing and use his fingers to comb the back of Shin Hye’s hair.

Min Ho frowned and tightened his grip on the pool stick.What the hell does he think he’s doing?

Shin Hye turned around instantly and came face to face with a smiling Jong Suk. Startled by how close they were, she took a step back and gave Min Ho a sideway glance. Min Ho didn’t know how his face looked but it must have been evident that he wasn’t amused in the slightest.

‘Ya… hajima,’ Shin Hye told Jong Suk, her eyebrows creased.

‘Kure, we can’t keep touching a hallyu star’s hair, Jong Suk-ah. Shin Hye’s a goddess now,’ Woo Bin laughed. ‘Shin Hye, you want beer? I’ll get you one. I need a refill, too,’ he didn’t even wait for her to answer and casually walked out the door.

‘Sorry,’ Jong Suk said to Shin Hye, a smile still plastered on his face. ‘How did you know we were in here? Did you come alone?’

‘Oh? I saw Bo Young outside and she told me you were playing billiards in this room. Yeah, I came alone. I drove here since it’s just near the apartment anyway,’ Shin Hye replied timidly.

Jong Suk furrowed his brows. ‘You shouldn’t be drinking then,’ he said affectionately.

Min Ho was surprised he hasn’t broken the stick by now, considering the amount of force he was exerting trying to control himself. The way Jong Suk was looking at his girlfriend – being extra-caring and sweet – was enough to drive him over the edge. The guy was oblivious to his death glares, being so preoccupied with Shin Hye. It took so much restraint not to grab Shin Hye by the wrist and haul her away from him.

‘Lee Jong Suk,’ Min Ho called out to him, his voice gruff.

The two turned to look at him, Jong Suk with a curious expression and Shin Hye with a worried one.

Min Ho curled one side of his lip. ‘Let’s play.’

Jong Suk grinned, looking like he was just invited to join the cool clique at school. ‘Aren’t you playing another round with Woo Bin?’

‘We can play,’ Min Ho said as he walked to the corner of the room where Jong Suk’s billiard sticks were hanging on a rack on the wall. He picked one and walked back to the table, handing Jong Suk the stick. Jong Suk took it, but slowly walked back to the rack. Min Ho observed him curiously.What is he doing?

After placing the stick in its original position, he squatted down to open a wooden crate just below it. Min Ho saw that there was a long black box inside. He watched as Jong Suk open the box and saw an expensive-looking billiard stick nestled in black velvet. Jong Suk took it out and turned to them. ‘I’ll use my lucky stick.’

Tsss. Show-off.

‘Oh, why are you taking that out?’ Woo Bin asked as soon as he walked back into the room. He handed Shin Hye her beer and stood beside Min Ho. ‘Are you two playing? What about me?’

‘Should we make it two-against-two? You and Min Ho hyung in one team. Shin Hye and I can be in another team,’ Jong Suk said, looking at Shin Hye. Her eyes widened in surprise at his suggestion.

Min Ho clenched his jaw, itching to say something when Woo Bin beat him to it. ‘Ya, ima! Are you belittling my skills? Hyung’s, too?’

‘Ani,’ Jong Suk replied, smiling. He took the stick Min Ho gave him and handed it to Shin Hye. ‘Haven’t you seen Shin Hye play? She’s a beast. I want to be on her team so we can definitely beat you. She beat me the last time we played.’

‘Are you sure you didn’t just let her win on purpose?’ Woo Bin replied, grinning mischievously.

‘Ya!’ Shin Hye barked at Woo Bin. ‘Are you belittling myskills?’