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Who: park "mother of three" heung soo

unathletic, park "cougar magnet" sooha

confind, go "*breathing against the window*" nam soon

unpresidential, kang "what do you mean not invited" mireu

breakin.
When: 11/26, during the day.
Where: Sooha's apartment.
What: Sooha has agreed to cook for Oona, doesn't trust himself not to make her throw up. Calls Heung Soo for backup, accidentally triggers Nam Soon into happening, and Mireu shows up to make everything better.
Rating/Warning: None.

[ Sooha doesn't trust his own tastebuds. You can only taste, adjust, taste, adjust, taste, adjust so many times before you can't taste anything anymore, and Sooha hit that roadblock far too long ago to know if this soup tastes like gym socks or if he's just been doing this for too long.

He's ashamed about the amount of effort he's putting into this pre-dinner dinner, but Oona asked him to cook for her, and he knows her tastes are picky and her stomach is sensitive. Which is why a "practice dinner" ahead of an actual dinner seemed like a great idea when he started cooking an hour or so ago.

For those above reasons he didn't choose an overly complicated recipe: a clear soup with white fish and a few vegetables thrown in to balance it out, but all the tiny adjustments of the recipe along the way has made it impossible to know if he's turned it awful or not. Is it really terrible, and he's just tasted it so many times he's used to it? Who knows, he sure doesn't.

Which is where the backup comes in.

"The backup" meaning Heung Soo, because he's Sooha's closest friend over the mental age of 5, and he trusts him to tell him if it's god awful and needs to be dumped straight down the nearest toilet.

For now it's still toilet water free and stays in the kitchen, which is where Sooha ushers in Heung Soo for a friendship crowding around of his stovetop. ]

There it is.

[ Ace Detective Park Sooha. ]

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[ That's something similar, then.. not that Nam Soon was technically living alone, but his father was so little around after his mother's death that it was technically the same thing.

He's about to accept the bowl from Sooha though instead of saying that out loud, but then he's totally distracted by the sounds coming from outside of the apartment. He'd recognize that voice anywhere just because of how loud and theatrical it is, and even without the second - even more familiar - voice, it would be easy to tell who he's talking to. Sooha is right here in the kitchen, after all, and there's only one person people could mistake for him in this place.

Heung Soo holds up a hand towards Sooha, as if he's saying either hold on for a moment re: the bowl, or I'll take care of it re: the people outside the door. It's a little of both, apparently, since he's already moving to open the door, only to see..

.. well, this spectacle.

Why has his life turned into this. Why is that bastard with his face touching his bastard, even if Nam Soon is breaking away. This is a total mess, and Heung Soo's expression indicates he's already done with this three seconds in. ]

Nam Soon-ah.

[ Not even going to acknowledge Mireu's existence since.. Mireu... Just, Mireu. Mireu touching his bastard, don't do that?? That's not okay?? ]

[ Go Nam Soon, graceful and quiet like a rhino in a china store. Kang Mireu, subtle like a punch to the face. It doesn't take a detective to figure out who's snooping outside Sooha's apartment, and he leaves the bowl on the counter to "investigate", aka go find out what he already knows despite Heung Soo's clear iron grip on the situation.

And hey, would you look at that! It's something he already knows; Nam Soon and Mireu skulking about outside his door. Totally not suspicious and totally not subtle at all. Mireu is someone he almost half expects to always be somewhere outside his door by now, but... ]

Kang Mireu.

[ why tho sameface too... ]

... Go Nam Soon, why are you here?

[ Notice the complete lack of interrogation towards Mireu. Mireu is always somewhere. It isn't even a surprise anymore. ]

[ To be fair to Mireu, he didn't actually show up with the intention of being subtle. When he barges into people's houses, he usually wants to be known. There are exceptions, like when he's actually breaking into a place, and crawling around their ventilation system. He can be catlike subtle then. But not now.

Right now he's taking this all in, trying to put the puzzle together for himself, despite not having all the pieces. He's got a big shit eating grin on his face though, as he does manage to work something out. ]

Yaaaah, were you not invited?

[ A big, exaggerated sigh as he shakes his head at Nam Soon. ]

Sneaking around someone else's house while wearing his face? What's wrong with you?

[ Speaking of uninvited, Mireu's taking a few steps towards the door, despite the fact that it's currently blocked. Looking over at Sooha, clearly still amused, and not remotely serious here. ]

And are you replacing me too? So cruel, and after I took some big problems off your hands too.

[ He's not being entirely subtle here, but at least he's not outright admitting Sooha is the one that paid him to run off with a giant inflatable penis that one time. ]

[well, this is officially The Worst, as far as nam soon sees it.

he's now a combination of jealous over heung soo being in there alone with sooha (not that he'd admit it), annoyed with mireu for even existing, and embarrassed that this is becoming a major display in the hallway.

for the time being, he's completely electing to not reply to what mireu has to say—that guy is nothing but a hassle to nam soon anyway, and he doesn't even feel like it dignifies a response. his jaw is clenched as he shoots a glare in heung soo's direction, and it's one that says exactly what he's thinking. 'What the hell is this?'

there's no doubt that it's something sooha can pick up on. mireu's implication that nam soon was purposely left out of this is now on the forefront of his mind; even if he wouldn't have been interested in being there with those guys for any other reason than to hang out with heung soo and keep an eye on things. this... this? it's a little too much. when it's like this, nam soon can't really understand what heung soo is thinking, or why he's been left out so completely. there's no way to make himself look any better now, either. he's been caught snooping around because he didn't know what was going on—he was never invited to begin with.

so in typical nam soon fashion, rather than actually try to explain himself and maybe diffuse the situation a bit, he sighs and clicks his tongue as he shoves his hands into the pocket of his coat. his head shakes slightly before he turns and begins to walk away. he's some strange blend of furious, hurt and jealous now, and he'd much rather remain silent and leave heung soo to his fun with these new replacement bastards than try to justify his own actions. he knows he's a pretty worthless guy, but this sinks him pretty low on the charts.]

[ This situation is plummetting more quickly than a bird after it's being shot out of the sky, that's for sure. Because Heung Soo realises exactly what is going through Nam Soon's head even if he doesn't bother to explain himself. He realises Mireu and Sooha wouldn't pick up on it as easily, but he'll find some way to get control of the situation - he doesn't exactly want to run out on Sooha now since the other guy did more or less invite him over and is not a complete fucking idiot like certain people here, but he doesn't want to let Nam Soon leave like this either. The other guy is just going to go back home alone to their apartment and lie there listlessly on his bed or something. Especially after Mireu acting like Nam Soon was purposefully left out of all this.. god.

With the most annoyed expression he can muster up Heung Soo moves away from the door opening and after the guy turning around. This is only a wristgrab away from being the worst of makjang being played out here, but instead of doing that (now that would be embarrassing as all hell) Heung Soo drapes his arm over Nam Soon's shoulders, pulling him back.

He squeezes a little, like he's trying to reassure him without words. It's not like he can use those in front of these two, but he figures it's ought to help something. It shows Nam Soon that it's not like Heung Soo was excluding him to begin with and that he shouldn't jump to these bastard conclusions. As if he'd really replace him with some guy with the same face..

Pointedly ignoring Mireu, he glances back towards Sooha. ]

There's an extra serving, right?

[ ONLY ONE. NOT TWO. Mireu isn't going to get some soup here. ]

I'm not replacing you.

[ Please don't bring up giant inflatable penises into this conversation Mireu, Sooha is not above socking you in the jaw.

In Sooha's defence, it isn't that Nam Soon wasn't invited, it's that nobody was invited except for Heung Soo, and everyone went and showed up anyway for the hell of it.

Oh well. Heung Soo is wrong in thinking that Sooha wouldn't pick up on something like this (but he doesn't blame him for thinking that way. you don't just go automatically assuming that your best friend's facetwin can read your mind), and he's not about to go turning Nam Soon away to make an awkward situation even more awkward...er.

He steps out of the doorway and holds it open, wide enough for them--all three of them--to enter. ]

There's more than enough.

[ Sorry, Mireu is going to get some too. Partners in crime. ]

[ This is friendship right here. Sooha is a real pal, even if Mireu isn't.

He hadn't actually expected to make the situation this bad though, and he looks over at Sooha with a raised eyebrow. Aren't these two supposed to be best of friends, what's the deal with this? Shouldn't their friendship be strong enough they're not going to get upset with a little something like them having other friends.

He's aware of the face similarities, of course, he did just mistake Nam Soon for Sooha, but he doesn't see why that should be an issue. The similarities stop completely at the face.

He's at least got the tact not to say anything to Heung Soo or Nam Soon right now, and instead just claps Sooha on the shoulder as he walks into the house. Leaning in a little towards him to talk in an almost hushed voice. ]

Aren't we supposed to give them time to sort out their problems?

[ Whatever the hell those may be. ]

[everything about this situation makes nam soon bristle a bit more. his shoulders tense noticeably tense at heung soo's touch (how often does that ever happen), and it only worsens when he hears sooha's words.

they hit a place that's a little too dangerously close to home; it's almost like having the guy right in his head, and that makes nam soon highly uncomfortable. they can't look alike and think along the same lines, because whether or not it's sooha's intent, it hits a sore spot. he's got enough hangups over how long this reconciliation with heung soo will last, and if going back to korea will mean that they'll go their separate ways when that bastards gets into university. it weighs heavily on nam soon constantly, and things like this just exacerbate the issue.

all the same, he's really trying to make it not seem so obvious how upset he is about it. of course, that's kind of a fruitless effort when heung soo knows him so well and sooha can hear the things he's thinking, but he's doing his best to steel himself. he just can't really understand or fathom why heung soo would go hanging out with his doppelganger alone, especially when he knows heung soo wouldn't take it well if he went off hanging with mireu so casually.]

Yah... [he mutters quietly, definitely more for heung soo than the other two. granted, he's not paying attention to the fact that mireu is kind of helping him out here by giving them a second to sort this out. but he shakes his shoulder a bit, as if to indicate his annoyance further. sooha inviting them in after the fact is a really awkward band-aid on the situation, isn't it? the only thing worse than being embarrassed for being caught is everyone there catching wind of his actually feelings here. he's usually enough of a stone wall to let it go, and he knows that's what he has to do right now.

so nam soon sucks in a breath, speaking up.] I'm not hungry. Thanks anyway.

[okay, so maybe he doesn't really expect heung soo to accept this, but he's gotta deflect this somehow. trying to do his own damage control is hard work.]

[ How did the situation have to turn into this. Sure, it's not like he doesn't understand what Nam Soon is thinking, or why he's acting the way he is even when Heung Soo tries to drag him inside. He's known Nam Soon for far too long to not get it.

But it doesn't mean it isn't just as difficult to deal with right now. It's not like he can really convey what he wants to say with Sooha and Mireu there.. even though they're walking inside already, it's not like they're completely out of earshot, and it's just going to look weird if he starts whispering a lot of stuff at the other guy. But on the other hand, the last thing he wants is for Nam Soon to have some sort of fit of his own over all this.. Leave it up to the world to have Mom Soo deal with all this at once, huh. ]

Just come. [ He says that on a normal tone, probably audible enough for the other two to still pick up on too even as they're going ahead. It's not until after that his tone drops a little bit, his voice becoming softer as he doesn't let go of Nam Soon even a single moment, not even when he can feel those shoulders getting so rigid under his touch (it stings a little, honestly, but that's just about the last thing he can afford to concern himself with right now.) ]

What crazy thoughts are you having? [ Definitely making sure this isn't audible enough for the other two to pick up on. It'd be the one surefire way to make this all worse. ] As if he could ever be you.

[ Sooha might be a long way more put together than Nam Soon is, sure, but should that matter? It's just this guy taking things way too far as usually in his head. ]

Just don't walk away now, you bastard. [ Because seeing the other's retreating back is the one thing he can't bear after that night at the hospital--

But he doesn't add that. Instead he just tries to tug Nam Soon along to follow him, hoping that it's enough so Sooha and Mireu won't have to wait some suspicious amount of time for them to follow. ]

[ It's a strangely intimate moment that Sooha feels like he's accidentally fallen ass backwards into, and the awkwardness is what sends him away more than anything. He has no idea what's going on between Nam Soon and Heung Soo or what Nam Soon is so upset about, but it feels like the kind of thing he doesn't really want to pry into.

Not that he can help it, and he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to unless he suddenly shoved sunglasses onto everyone's faces.

Oh well, he guesses he'll find out the full story later, unwilling or not.

For once, he actually agrees with Mireu, nodding vaguely and glancing over to make sure Heung Soo has things covered, then stepping in beside Mireu. He also keeps his voice down, out of awkwardness more than anything else. ]

What was that all about?

[ Mireu's got his back turned on them now, which is funny because he's far more of a voyeur than Sooha has ever been. At the same time though, he's not particularly interested in Nam Soon and Heung Soo's fight. Their problems are their business, and despite sharing a face with one of them, Mireu doesn't think of himself as being involved with any of that.

Sooha isn't either as far as Mireu's aware, and he shrugs, far too nonchalant about a problem he helped make worse.

He does actually keep his voice in a real hushed tone this time. ]

Who knows? A lovers' spat?

[ He snorts at his own joke, which is less of a joke than he probably realizes. ]

They're friends though, right? They'll work it out.

[ Meaning it's not their business, and it's not particularly interesting so let's leave them be. ]

Or not.

[ A shrug, but he figures if they can't fix whatever their problem is here their friendship must have been pretty weak to begin with. ]

[he can hear sooha and mireu's whispers—or at least, the fact that they're whispering. he can't hear the words though, and honestly? he's not terribly interested in trying.

this situation has already spiraled way out of control, even if half of the people involved don't really know what the story is, or why anything like it would even happen. even nam soon himself can't understand it in full, and he knows it's pretty stupid. but his hangups and insecurities are something that lord over him a lot when it comes to heung soo, and it wouldn't be the first time he's thrown stuff away over that, either.

but as much as he wants to just walk away and try to escape his own embarrassment over this, nam soon can't really do that. he doesn't actually pull away when heung soo tries to keep him there, even if he remains tense. it's easy for him to get ideas in his head, but hearing what heung soo has to say? somehow, it changes things a little. "as if he could ever be you."

...okay, so maybe those words make nam soon want to shudder just a little, because it out-and-out sounds like it's ripped straight from some monday night makjang that's rife with all the cliches. but there's also a sincerity to it that nam soon can't deny, and while it's embarrassing, it's also reassuring in some way. maybe not enough to let heung soo off the hook without explaining this properly later, but enough to at least make him feel like he's not going to be abandoned. the tension in his shoulders eases a bit, and he feels a little defeated. it takes a lot of energy to get this worked up, and there is also that knowing that walking away is probably just going to raise more eyebrows and draw attention to their situation that they don't want.

since that's the last thing they need, even if there's absolutely not way that this is ending without sooha getting at least a small glimpse of the truth. so with his shoulders slumping a little and defeat obvious, he follows heung soo's lead and plays along, trying to push back all of the other feelings and letting his stoic neutrality take the reins again.]

[ He knows all of this isn't over yet. It's never that easy, and there's no way to properly reassure him anyway in this kind of situation. This in itself is already embarrassing enough when there's other people - and their facetwins, on top of it - present.

But he'll take it. What else is he supposed to do, linger back here so it's even going to seem more to Sooha and Mireu that something is up with the two of them? He'll talk about this more properly with Nam Soon later. But "later" is the keyword here, and after giving the other what he hopes to be a subtle squeeze he lets go with a light click of his tongue, these final words still hushed. ]

This bastard, making me say embarrassing things..

[ After that he lets out a breath though, turning to glance at the other two whispering over there and slowly taking a few steps in their direction. ]

.. The soup's getting cold.

[ CASUALLY DOWNPLAYING THE PROBLEM.

If by "casual" you mean about as casual as showing up at a pool party in a full suit. ]

[ Casual is pretty much the opposite of what this ended up turning into thanks to drama queen Nam Soon, and the awkwardness is thick in the air.

It's all weird now, thanks face twin.

Oh well. He guesses three mouths is better than one, and he claps Mireu on the back, directing him towards the table. ]

Yeah, it won't stay warm forever. Take a seat, you can all be my test dummies. I'm cooking for a girl with a picky stomach. If you all drop dead, tell me how the taste was first.

[ He's obviously kidding... if he was going to kill any of them, he wouldn't be using poison. Keep that in mind, you horrible bastards. ]

[ This is better. Well, not necessarily better, Nam Soon still made the entire thing awkward, but it's not as awkward as it was before. And of course Mireu is thinking about this like he was here the entire time and not an unwanted party crasher. All Nam Soon's fault, not his at all.

Sort of his fault, but he doesn't really blame himself for another guy getting worked up over a teasing compliment. If his skin is so thin that's his own problem.

He'll mostly ignore the bastards for now, just giving them a skeptical look before turning his attention to Sooha, very very slowly moving towards the table as he gives him a toothy grin. ]

A girl?

[ Sooha's gotta know what he's falsely assuming, right? ]

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