DAMIR
Two weeks.
Fourteen agonizing days of silence.
That's how long it had been since I walked out of that house Juseon's house, my best friend's house… Eli's home. My phone had lit up more times than I could count. Calls. Messages. Voicemails. All from one person.
Eli.
But I couldn't answer. I didn't trust myself.
I told myself it was just a mistake. A fleeting desire. A selfish impulse. But the memory of Eli's lips on mine, his soft body pressed against me, the look in his eyes…it haunted me.
I tried to bury myself in work, stay buried in contracts, schedules, investor meetings. But everything reminded me of him. The smell of lavender cologne on someone's coat. A playlist that accidentally shuffled to a K-pop song he once danced to in the kitchen. A boy with soft features crossing the street.
I was losing it.
So when Juseon called and casually mentioned he wanted to introduce me to someone, a woman he'd been talking to recently I didn't hesitate. Maybe distraction was what I needed. Something real. Adult. Normal.
"I'll swing by around 7," I told him.
He sounded pleased. "Perfect. Oh, by the way, Eli's out on a date too. Can you believe it?"
I froze.
"…a date?"
Juseon chuckled. "Yeah, finally. With one of the girls from the engineering team at the office. Russian. Pretty nice girl. I figured it was about time. He's 18 now. He needs to start seeing people. I know he's not into women like that, but socializing can't hurt."
He kept talking but I didn't hear anything else. All I heard was a dull roaring in my head.
Eli. On a date.
With someone else.
I drove faster than I should've. My fingers were clenched around the steering wheel the entire ride. When I pulled up outside the house, it felt like my chest was being carved open.
The house was glowing with warm light. I saw two silhouettes at the dining table through the window. Juseon. A woman…his date. Laughter. Wine glasses.
I stepped inside.
"Damir!" Juseon greeted, getting up to hug me. "Good to see you, man."
The woman smiled politely. "So you're the famous Damir. I've heard so much about you."
I gave a tight smile. "All good things, I hope."
We sat.
Small talk. Red wine. She talked about architecture. Juseon talked about the office. I nodded when needed. But my mind was somewhere else.
"Still thinking about work?" Juseon teased.
I tried to smile. "Yeah… that and the idea of Eli going on a date."
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
I swallowed. "You said earlier he's out with a girl."
"Oh, right." Juseon waved it off. "Not a big deal. She's a good kid. Just figured Eli could use some… balance. He's been stuck to you like glue lately. Almost like you're his…."
He laughed. I didn't.
"What?" he asked.
I stared at him. "He's 18, Juseon. You let him go out alone with some stranger?"
His brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'let him'? He's not a baby."
"You barely knows the girl."
"She's an intern at my company, Damir. I've known her for months."
"He could get hurt. Emotionally. Physically. You don't know her intentions."
Juseon blinked. "Why are you acting like this?"
I stood up. "Because you're not taking this seriously."
His date looked between us awkwardly. "Maybe I should…."
"No, please, stay," Juseon said, holding out a hand, then turning to me. "What the hell is going on with you?"
"He's vulnerable, Juseon. You don't know how sensitive he is."
"And you do?" Juseon snapped.
I stiffened.
Juseon rose to his feet. "Are you seriously jealous?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are! You're acting like he's your property or something. He's my son, Damir. My son. You've been acting… obsessed lately."
His words struck like knives.
"I care about him."
"You care a little too much, don't you?"
I clenched my jaw.
His date touched his arm. "Maybe we can continue this some other time…."
"No," Juseon said to her gently. "Stay." Then to me: "If you have something to say, say it. Stop circling around it."
I wanted to scream. To punch the wall. To confess. To explain. But nothing came out.
Instead, I turned away.
"I think I should go."
Juseon shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah. Maybe you should."
I walked toward the door, the weight of his disappointment burning in my back. My fingers brushed the doorknob.
"Damir," Juseon said behind me, voice lower. "Whatever you're doing, whatever's been going on between you and Eli… end it. Before it destroys everything."
I didn't answer.
I walked out.
And this time, I didn't look back.