Chapter 18 : leashes
Raiven felt a smile tugging at his lips as he watched Ha-ru's retreating figure in the rearview mirror. As soon as he rejoined the morning traffic, his phone erupted. He hit the loudspeaker, and a high-pitched, mischievous voice filled the car.
"Heeeeeey...!"
"If I don't call, you won't?" Hae-rin's voice crackled through the speakers, feigning deep hurt.
"I was asleep," Raiven replied simply.
"You usually don't sleep this late, even with a hangover," Hae-rin noted, though she sounded preoccupied on her end.
"I had a friend over."
"A friend? You have other friends?" Her voice moved closer to the receiver, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes."
"Are you cheating on me with the guy from yesterday?" she teased. She always knew exactly how to push his buttons, but Raiven didn't mind. He actually enjoyed her relentless energy; it was one of the few things that felt real.
"How did you know?" he asked, swerving into the next lane.
"Although my girlfriend forbade my presence at the club, I am always watching."
"She really has you on a leash, doesn't she?"
"Well," Hae-rin giggled, "I like leashes."
"I don't want to know about your sex life," Raiven groaned.
"Oh, please don't be a prude!" she laughed.
"Besides... I heard he had you on a leash. Word is you followed him out of the room like a lost dog."
"I did not."
"Plus, you puked on him!" She burst into laughter.
"Who is your spy?" Raiven muttered.
"I told you, I have eyes and ears everywhere! So, who is this friend haven't heard of?"
Raiven hesitated. He didn't know how to explain to her without it giving away any details .
"Don't be stingy. I want to meet him," she insisted. "I want to meet the person who's making you so kinky!"
"I am not kinky!" Raiven exclaimed.
"You just haven't met the right person!" she huffed. "Anyway, about the restaurant... is this Friday good?"
Raiven's expression softened. "Yes. Friday works."
Hae-rin squealed. "Yes! I'll tell her. She'll be so happy."
A second call started buzzing _Manager Kim. "I have to go. I'll call you later."
The next three days were a blur of grueling practice. The trainers had arrived, and the "Re-draft: Final Chapter" tour was no longer a distant plan; it was a looming reality. Practice went smoothly despite the underlying tension between members. Ash was a meticulous leader, and though Raiven only truly got along with Suho and Grey, he kept his head down and followed instructions. He didn't need to add more fuel to the fire.
They ate meals in a daze, watching practice videos to correct their formations. Grey asked Raiven for help with a specific move, and Raiven obliged, his years of training making the complex footwork look like second nature.
It was late on the third night when Raiven finally made it back to his car, bone-tired. He checked his phone, scrolling through dozens of group chat notifications until one caught his eye.
[7:00 PM] Ha-ru: Do you want chicken?
A small smile touched his lips. He hit the call button.
"Hello?" Ha-ru answered on the first ring.
"Hey. I just saw the message."
"I sent that at seven!"
"I was still in practice," Raiven said, leaning his head back against the headrest.
"Oh. That long?"
"Yeah. It's the beginning stages, so everything is tight."
"Have you eaten?" Ha-ru asked. Raiven heard someone shouting a name in the background, followed by Ha-ru's muffled "Yes!"
"Not yet," Raiven admitted.
"Come over. I'll treat you to some chicken."
"I can just order it," Raiven said, his tired brain failing to catch the hint.
"Okay. You must be tired, you should go rest."
Raiven paused. "Are you at work?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"At a chicken restaurant."
Raiven almost hit his forehead against the steering wheel. "Oh. Just pin your location. I'll be there for a bit."
By the time Raiven's sleek black car pulled up, Ha-ru had finished cleaning his station. He grabbed his bag and a fresh box of chicken, knocking on the passenger window. Raiven was busy signing documents on his phone with an e-pen, looking exhausted.
As soon as the door clicked open, Ha-ru tossed the box of chicken onto Raiven's lap with a heavy sigh.
"Who knew manual labor was so exhausting?" Ha-ru said, sliding into the seat. He cracked open a bottle of Coke he'd brought along and took a long, desperate gulp. "Do you want some?" he asked, offering the bottle.
Raiven declined, watching him with a mix of fascination and bewilderment.
"You can drop me at the nearest bus station," Ha-ru said, clicking his seatbelt into place as if he owned the car.
Raiven sat stunned for a moment. "I am not your chauffeur."
"You said you were going to order, but instead you came to pick it up. It's like you wanted it," Ha-ru countered easily. "Plus, it's freezing outside."
Raiven looked at him and realized Ha-ru wasn't wearing a coat, just a thin t-shirt.
"Why don't you have a sweater?"
"You don't know the trouble you've put me in," Ha-ru said, sliding down into the leather seat and getting comfortable.
"Why? What did I do?"
"Se-hee thinks I've started dating someone." Actually, worse _she think's I've become a 'sugar baby,' as she phrased it.
Raiven quirked an eyebrow. "Are you not?"
"Not right now," Ha-ru said, his voice dropping an octave. A trace of old, lingering hurt colored his tone. "But... there is someone I still love."
The sudden weight of the comment hung in the air. Raiven didn't know how to respond, so he reached into the back seat and grabbed a thick, designer hoodie. He shoved it toward Ha-ru.
"Use mine."
"Won't you need it?"
"I can just buy another one," Raiven said dismissively.
Ha-ru scoffed at the wealth, but he pulled the hoodie on. It smelled like Raiven_expensive and clean. He insisted on being dropped at the bus station rather than his front door, and Raiven finally gave in.
As the car pulled away, Ha-ru stood in the cold night air, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of the borrowed hoodie. He watched the taillights disappear and found himself smiling.
Why him? Ha-ru wondered. Out of all the people in this new century, why was he being drawn into the orbit of this lonely star.
Maybe it was because of that look in Raiven's eyes - the void that felt all too familiar. If he could help fill that void, maybe his own presence in 2026 would finally start to make sense.