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Daniel fiddled with his thumbs as he sat on the passenger seat of Seongwoo's car. Waiting for him. Humming a tuneless melody, he opened the side window, looking for any movement on the entrance to Seongwoo's apartment in the parking space or any kind of sign that he is finally going out. It is morning yet it doesn't show in the windowless area. Daniel finds it a pity that he couldn't see the sun right now, shining its brilliance over every surface it finds. But he must wait. And he does, looking like a puppy waiting for his owner to come home.
The door automatically opens and Daniel couldn't hide his excitement as he peered towards it. Seeing that it was indeed his friend, he quickly rolled the side window up and tried to hide his massive body by laying his seat down. It had always been his routine every time he sneaks into Seongwoo's car and try to surprise him by being there.
Gently chuckling to himself, he readies by pulling up his hoodie over his head - masquerading into a dementor that Daniel knows Seongwoo finds creepy after seeing the films with him. It had not been easy persuading him to watch the whole series in one sitting but Seongwoo finally yielded and granted the younger man's request. Like he always does.
"Boo," he boomed out, trying his best not to laugh as Seongwoo opened the door to the driver's seat. To his great amusement, Seongwoo leaped like he'd seen a ghost and fell to the cement. This time, Daniel laughed out loud and scrambled to his friend's supposed seat.
"Sorry, Hyung. You kept me waiting for a long time," he said between laughs and held out his hand to Seongwoo on the floor. Seongwoo only stared at his outstretched hand.
"Why are you here?" Seongwoo murmured, looking very pale and was trembling from head-to-toe.
Daniel only rolled his eyes but kept his hand out.
"Duh. Isn't it obvious? I need a ride!" whined Daniel, pouting for greater effect. It always work in his favor, especially with Seongwoo. Until now.
"How?" Seongwoo asked dubiously, his eyes bugging out.
"I got a duplicate of your key so I can go in and out of your car whenever I can. Don't you remember?" Daniel answered, playing with the said key on his other hand. "I've always done this since you gave me the key."
Seongwoo only stared at him for a full three minutes until he finally seems to understand the situation. With a dazed smile, he held Daniel's arm and heaved himself upwards - looking quite surprised while doing so.
"Ugh. What just happened to you, Hyung?" Daniel asked his friend, gaze sliding all over his features as if looking for signs to answer his question. "I've always done this before and you've never been this unsettled or what."
Seongwoo took a minute to reply, staring at his friend's face with something unknown. He sighed.
"Yes, it had always been like this," he replied and smiled once again. A smile full of uncertainty and something else.
The next day, Seongwoo drove Daniel to his favorite coffee shop. Before Daniel could take off his seat belt, Seongwoo held out his hand to stop him.
"No. Stay," he said firmly. "I'm buying you your coffee today."
"Why?" Daniel asked with interest. He always had to whine his way into making Seongwoo buy him anything. Him volunteering to serve Daniel is so rare that he can't help but feel suspicious.
"Is it so wrong to buy my friend something once in a while?" Seongwoo answered while rolling his eyes.
Daniel grinned and waggled his finger. "It's not but you should do it more often. I am starved of your love and affection."
Seongwoo laughed, to Daniel's surprise, and held his younger friend's face affectionately. "Then, I will give you all my love and affection."
Daniel tried to fight off his blush and forced out a laugh.
"Ew, Hyung. Get your love and affection away from me. You already gave me enough today." And he cleared his throat then said, "Now, off you go to the shop and serve me my coffee."
Seongwoo grinned and withdrew his hand to make a salute.
"Sir, yes sir!" answered Seongwoo and heaved himself out of the car. And he turned his head back to look at Daniel.
"Stay, alright?" he asked, almost pleadingly. Daniel raised his eyebrow, folding his arms to his chest.
"Of course I will," he replied incredulously, shocked at his senior. Seongwoo looked somehow relieved and then left him.
"I love the sun," Daniel tells Seongwoo as he tries to look at the sun through the windshield. A few days have passed since Seongwoo bought the younger man coffee from his favorite store. It's a sunny afternoon and the small part of the horizon is uncommonly clear of the high buildings of the city.
"You've told me before," nodded Seongwoo and smiled despite being somewhat blinded by the sun.
Daniel beams at him in return and hums a tune from the past. Seongwoo sings along, feeling quite happy. He had not been happy for a long, long time.
The sky got filled with clouds some time after. Daniel could almost feel the moist air from outside the vehicle. He shivers slightly, pulling his hoodie closer to his body.
"I don't like the rain," commented Daniel as the sky darkened from far away.
"You have good reason to."
Daniel stared at Seongwoo inquisitively. Why would he know why he doesn't like the rain? Something he is indifferent to before? Did he forget something?
"Why?"
"It hides out the sun," Seongwoo replied hastily and focuses on the road.
Daniel does not answer but he knows that his friend is hiding something.
"You know what I just realized?" Daniel asked to Seongwoo on his side as he drove towards his office. It was a cloudy morning. "You moved to another company."
"I did," Seongwoo nodded, not taking his eyes off the road.
"And you drive more carefully than before," Daniel pointed out.
"Better careful than not," Seongwoo replied, seemingly distant at that moment.
"Since when did you move company?" Daniel inquired, itching to know why his friend hadn't told him so. It stings a little.
"Just recently." Seongwoo's answer was clipped as though withholding something.
"And why did you? You loved it there," Daniel dogged, desperate to know more about his older friend's sudden decision - why he didn't tell Daniel of something that important. The sting from before greatened.
Seongwoo sighed, looking very uncomfortable. He finally settled on an answer. "Too many bad memories there."
"I didn't know something bad happened there," mumbled Daniel, looking pained. His friend hid something very important and it really hurts. He could have been there to comfort him. He frequently visited Seongwoo in his company before and enjoyed its amiable environment. Maybe it's not like what he thought.
Seongwoo saw his face and the emotion it displayed. He sighed once more, slowing down to the edge of the road and finally stopping.
"I didn't tell you because it was very personal."
"But we're friends, right? Shouldn't you have told me your problems?" Daniel said, irritated.
Seongwoo looked fearful at his friend's reply and tried to mask his emotion yet not knowing what to do.
"I should have..." he whispered and something more but Daniel didn't hear.
"You should have," Daniel agreed and Seongwoo resumed driving.
"This needs to stop."
"What?"
It was pouring outside the car. They had stopped outside the coffee shop but can't go out because of the heavy flow of rain. Daniel was excitedly chattering about the kitten he saw on the road the last time he walked to Seongwoo's apartment to get another ride. Just to drown out the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the car. The sound unnerves him.
Seongwoo hesitated then rested his head on his arms plastered on the steering wheel.
"Seongwoo hyung?" called out Daniel and placed his hand on Seongwoo's back, gently patting it. His friend seems very upset, that he knows, but why?
Seongwoo slowly raised his head and Daniel was horrified to see tears threatening to escape his eyes. The younger man panicked immediately.
"Hyung? Are you alright?" he asked nervously and was about to hold his friend's hand when Seongwoo suddenly slapped his hand away.
"Stop," he said - resolute. "This needs to stop."
"What needs to be stopped?" Daniel paled, feeling unnatural fear in his stomach. Wherever Seongwoo's getting at, it scares him. So, so much.
Seongwoo looked him in the eyes and smiled, a cold smile that makes Daniel shiver.
"You're not real."
Seongwoo just whispered the words and despite the loud rain, they filled the whole space - echoing in Daniel's brain.
"W-what? What do you mean?"
"You're not real," repeated Seongwoo as though steeling himself. Trying to believe his own words. "You're gone - forever. Since last year."
"You're joking," Daniel tried to laugh but there's a growing pit in his stomach. "Tell me you're joking."
Seongwoo gave out a harsh laugh and shook his head.
"I must have been so depressed, imagining you here with me all this time," he choked at the words.
Daniel felt like crying himself. He doesn't know why Seongwoo insists he's not real. That he's dead. If he's not really here, why can he feel the cold air blowing out of the aircon? Hear the loud pattering of the rain on car's roof? See Seongwoo's mournful face - oh, so close and eyes locking him into his gaze? How can he explain these roiling emotions inside his heart?
"But-"
"Go."
The words were cold, very very cold. A tear escaped Seongwoo's eyes yet his gaze did not falter from Daniel.
"But-"
"Go."
And as though the passenger seat was always empty, Daniel disappeared.
Seongwoo was left crying on his seat, the rain never relenting from its harsh pummels.
Alone.