Crave You Forever
Chapter 76: Can’t you wait

Chapter 76: Can’t you wait

As Hanuel’s cold figure disappeared, Yeongsoo sat there, his hands trembling with pent-up frustration. The conversation had left him feeling stripped down, raw, and stinging with resentment that he hadn’t fully confronted in years. Without thinking, he slammed his fist onto the table, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet bar. A few heads turned his way, but he didn’t care. Everything about that encounter — the judgment, the reminders of his father’s unyielding control — grated at him.

"Give me a cigarette," he muttered to the bartender, who quickly slid a pack across the counter. Yeongsoo lit one, taking a sharp drag as he tried to ground himself. The smoke filled his lungs, offering a brief distraction, but his mind wouldn’t settle. Hanuel’s words kept circling, igniting every bit of anger and frustration that had built up over the years.

He was mid-drag when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen and saw Haeun’s name. Part of him wanted to ignore it — he didn’t want Haeun to hear him like this, in this state. But he answered anyway, needing a voice that might bring some sense of calm.

"Yeongsoo?" Haeun’s voice came through, soft but concerned. "Are you okay? I just wanted to—"

"What?" Yeongsoo snapped, the irritation spilling over before he could rein it in. "I’m busy right now. Can’t you wait?"

"I’m sorry..." Haeun barely voiced.

A brief silence filled the line, and he realized immediately how harsh he’d sounded. But it was too late. There was a faint, almost imperceptible intake of breath on the other end, then the line went dead. Haeun had hung up.

For a moment, the anger drained out of him, replaced by a pang of guilt. He stared at his phone, the reality settling uncomfortably in his chest. He’d taken his father’s bitterness, his own unresolved frustrations, and let them seep into the one person he wanted to protect from all of it.

Yeongsoo cursed under his breath, his frustration now compounded by guilt. He tried calling Haeun back, his heart pounding with each ring, but there was no answer. Haeun’s silence hung heavy, twisting in his chest.

He crushed out his cigarette, tossed some bills onto the counter, and left without another word. The cold night air did little to cool his nerves as he hurried to his car. His mind raced with everything he wanted to say, every apology, every explanation. The drive home felt agonizingly long, and he gripped the wheel tighter, willing himself not to let his mind spin out of control.

—

At home, Haeun sat on the edge of their bed, staring blankly at the screen of his phone. His conversation with Yeongsoo replayed in his head, the sharpness in Yeongsoo’s voice leaving a lingering sting. It wasn’t like him to snap like that, especially not at Haeun.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he dropped the phone onto the bed beside him. He tried to convince himself that it was probably nothing serious — maybe Yeongsoo was just stressed or caught off guard. But a small voice inside him couldn’t let go of the hurt.

Haeun looked up, startled out of his thoughts, as Suho stood beside him with a worried expression, his small hand lightly tapping Haeun’s shoulder.

"Haeun-Hyung, are you okay? Is it... the baby?" Suho’s eyes were wide with concern, his voice barely a whisper.

Haeun managed a soft smile, resting his hand over Suho’s reassuringly. "I’m okay, Suho. The baby’s okay, too," he murmured, trying to push the tension from his voice. But he could see that Suho wasn’t entirely convinced, his gaze lingering on Haeun’s face.

Suho bit his lip, shifting awkwardly. "Did... Did Yeongsoo-Hyung say something bad? You look sad..."

Haeun took a deep breath, brushing a hand over his face before meeting Suho’s concerned gaze. "Yeongsoo’s just dealing with a lot right now. Grown-up stuff. But it’ll be fine, I promise."

Suho looked down, his expression thoughtful and hesitant, as if searching for the right words. "If you’re sad, it makes me feel... sad too," he admitted quietly.

Haeun felt his heart ache at Suho’s sincerity, and he pulled him into a gentle hug. "Thank you, Suho. I’m really lucky to have you looking out for me." He gave Suho’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And I’ll make sure everything’s okay. You just focus on getting settled here."

Just then, the sound of the front door opening broke through the silence. Haeun tensed, recognizing Yeongsoo’s hurried footsteps approaching.

As the door swung open, Yeongsoo stepped in, looking worn but determined, his gaze immediately locking onto Haeun. He noticed the slight red tint in Haeun’s eyes, the evidence of earlier frustration or perhaps... disappointment. Yeongsoo’s stomach twisted. He had messed up.

Suho glanced between the two, sensing the tension in the air. "Haeun-Hyung, should I... maybe go to my room?"

Haeun managed a small smile, nodding. "That sounds good, Suho. Thanks." He watched as Suho reluctantly left, looking back once to make sure things were okay.

Once they were alone, Yeongsoo took a step closer, his hand already reaching out to Haeun as he spoke, his tone gentler now. "I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to snap like that... I was just..." He trailed off, unable to fully explain the turmoil he’d felt after seeing his father.

Haeun stayed silent for a beat, his expression unreadable as he looked at him. "You didn’t have to take it out on me, Yeongsoo. Whatever happened, I was just trying to check in on you."

"I know," Yeongsoo murmured, his voice laced with regret. He closed the gap between them, his head lightly touching Haeun’s chest. "It’s just... my father was there, and things got heated. He said some things that made me feel—" He shook his head, struggling to put it all into words. "I don’t want to drag you into that mess, Haeun."

Haeun’s expression softened slightly, though the hurt lingered in his eyes. "Yeongsoo, I’m already in it. You don’t have to push me away when things get hard."