84: The Most Beautiful Man Alive

“So then, after she fucking kicked me out in the middle of this foreign city,” Inho threw back a small glass of soju and slammed the small cup on the table, “She ignored me the whole time, then broke up with me!”

“That’s horrific!” Junseo yelled, equally drunk, “I never trusted her you know! Kicking you out in the cold! Was it all snow there, too?”

“No, Canada isn’t all snow. That’s like a myth, it was pretty warm there.”

“But it’s still dangerous! Don’t they have bears?”

“Well yeah, but not in the city you idiot,” Inho laughed, and pulled out his phone, “Hang on I did see a bear one time, I’ll show you a pic.” He fumbled it on and struggled to unlock it.

“That bitch! She nearly got you killed by a bear!” Junseo shouted.

“I’m sure it was tough on her too, you guys were together for a long time,” Min said in a calming tone, gently pushing the bottles away from Inho and Junseo and closer to Hayoon, who had the decency to be a quiet drunk, “But Inho, you said that happened early fall, why did you stay in Canada so long?”

“Well, like I had some other stuff going on,” Inho stuck his phone back in his pocket, distracted by the question. Min was always too observant, Inho fumbled to keep from revealing more.

“SOME OTHER GIRL?!” Junseo demanded; he also knew Inho way too well. Inho clicked his tongue.

“I guess I… got involved with Jamie’s boss,” He stared hard into the bottom of his glass like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

“What?!” Junseo screeched, and somehow his excitement at the drama was a little satisfying. “You absolute savage! How could you?”

“It just sort of happened. I talked it over with Jamie later, it was… Well it wasn’t okay, but I talked it over,” he shrugged. “It didn’t work out anyway, we broke up two days ago.”

“Wait, wait,” Junseo covered his face with his hand as if he needed to sober up to process this story. Min and Ha-yoon were equally riveted. “So you went to see your beautiful Canadian lover, broke up and hooked up with her boss instead? An older lady? Inho, what the hell?! Was she hot?”

“Yeah,” Inho nodded with solemn regret, “Really hot.”

Junseo lunged over the table and gripped Inho’s face in both hands, “Is it his face?” He screamed at Ha-yoon. “He’s not even that tall!” He howled at Min, “How do you do it?” He shook Inho’s face in good-natured outrage, “How can one man be so beautiful?”

“I don’t think it was my face,” Inho took a moment to ponder back to when Stephen must have first been attracted to him, that moment when he’d walked in on Inho and Jamie. What had he liked so much that he’d immediately propositioned Inho? Love at first sight perhaps? He chuckled – how ridiculous.

“Look at him laugh at us single peasants, Min! It’s gotta be your face, it’s not like you’re some rich prince to make every woman fall in love with you.” Junseo stared critically, “He is pretty handsome, right Min?” Min choked on his beer, “So, this hot boss must have also been rich and smart to be Jamie’s superior. Jamie had a good job. What happened; why did you split?”

Inho ran a hand through his hair. It was loud enough in here now that Junseo’s yelling wasn’t even the loudest voice in the room. Hayoon seemed like he’d pass out soon, and Min looked extremely curious about the story. Inho supposed he didn’t have to tell them Stephen was a man. It felt weird to feed into the lie, but at least he could talk about the breakup with someone this way.

“Um, it was really amazing being together but then, the boss...got Jamie fired. Probably because of me, and hid it from me. Jamie told me right before I left, so like. It’s over.” He reached over Min and grabbed a soju bottle.

The others paused, taken aback by the revelation, “Wow, that’s awful. I’m so sorry to hear it,” Min commented into the void.

“Wait, so this boss, this hot, rich boss, that you had an ‘amazing’ relationship with, was so into you that she fired your shitty ex who treated you like shit, and… you’re mad about it?”

Inho gave Junseo a hard stare and Min automatically tried to defuse the situation, “I’m sure it was more complicated than that, relationships are complex and Inho–.”

“They lied to me,” Inho started.

“For real lied, or like didn’t bring it up?”

“Does it matter?” Inho couldn’t take questioning this now, if he revisited it he’d crumble.

“Hey, don’t be so pushy,” Min told Junseo, “I’m sure Inho talked it over with his ex and decided it didn’t work. Don’t make him question it all again, that’s going to feel horrible.”

“Yeah!” Inho agreed, then considered Min’s words and cringed. He hadn’t talked it over with Stephen at all. Was it possible there was an explanation after all?”

Hayoon was pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. He turned and looked Inho dead in the eye, “I wanted to see the photo of the bear,” he said, then passed out cold on the table.

“Ah shit, we’re going to have to take him home, we should go soon,” Junseo sighed.

Inho reached over and snagged a cigarette from the discarded pack, “Lemme go smoke first, then I’ll help get him in a cab.”

Min slid along the bench after him, “I’ll come with you.”

“Yeah? D’you smoke now?”

Min shrugged, “Try to wake him up while we’re gone,” he directed Junseo.

“Yes Team Lead,” Junseo started shaking Hayoon and the other two wove through the crowd to exit.