Contract Marriage With A Grumpy Idol

2: Drink The Pain Away

2 days ago from the present...

[ “Ah, hello? Nathan? Oh my goodness, Nate. Thank God you picked it right away. Where are you?” ]

“No. Where are YOU?!” Rion wanted to ask her back because it was already half an hour past nine in the morning, yet, Afaela has not shown even her shadow in the place they agreed to meet at exactly thirty minutes ago.

Pathetic, he was starting to seem like one step away from getting ditched by his date, from getting ghosted by the girl he was supposed to meet. And, yes, he was. What a shame.

“I'm already in—” he stopped.

Should he be honest and tell her that he has been waiting for too long already? Or should he attend to his hunch that something wrong has come, and he needed to lie in order to protect something in him— also protect the girl's conscience if she did learn that he was currently alone?

The latter. Rion chose the latter, “Why? I am still here, at Macko's. I am waiting for your confirmation before I go and leave this guy alone to ruin the house. Did something perhaps come up?”

[ “Oh, thank God. That's great, then. I thought you left already. Can we... uh, change the plan? I am sorry if it is on the last minute, but I received an urgent notice about one important meeting to attend to this morning. I just got a little minute to call you and ask. Will night time do, though?” ]

See?

Just like what he initially expected, so all he felt was disappointment, but not surprise. It's not like this was the first time Afaela ever called off their agreement in the last seconds, though...

“That would be just fine,” he replied with a forceful jolly tone he always used in situations where being pretentious was a necessity to lift himself up the trenches, and at least delude himself into thinking it was actually all right and he should not feel bad.

Without further ado, he dropped the call and did not attempt to say a nice goodbye to his fiancé. Let her be. And leave her thinking what she did wrong.

After promising that her schedule for that day was clear and she was sure that nothing would interrupt their vowed time to spend together after a the consecutive busy weeks in their respective fields of work, Afaela once again broke it.

It would be understandable, really, if only she did not keep on giving false hopes and making Rion look like a fool, waiting for nothing, going to waste his efforts and time, only to let him down the next time again after an apology.

“I, uh, I would like to cancel the reservation at table eleven and pay for the already prepared food,” he announced as he walked towards the nearest waiter, who was currently attending to yet another customer.

Nicely, he was dismissed and he left the place with his shoulders pointing down, still displeased and feeling horrible.

Nonetheless, he chose to understand. And he promised to choose the same option again and again, to understand and give Afaela another chance as long as he could manage and as much as he could take.

Yet, that day has not brought him the most terrible set of bad news. Getting declined after long minutes of waiting was not the worst he has gotten.

Not even a few steps away from the restaurant's exit, Rion felt his phone vibrating inside his pocket once more.

For a while, his face lit up in hopes that it was Afaela, who would suddenly tell him that she could make it that morning, and that they did not have to reschedule the plan. The shift of mood has only lasted for a while, though, because when he picked it up and read the person's name saved on his contacts, it was not his fiancé, but their Senior Officer.

The other moment, he was once again smiling like an i***t. Then, the other, he was frowning like the most miserable motherf*cker on Earth, as he swiped the screen to answer the call

[ “Hello? Maestra?” ]

“Yes, Boss?”

[ “I just called tell you that... the budgets are kind of lacking these past weeks due to the company's one failed deal last month, so we need to...” ]

Oh?

Now, what should he do with that information? Go back through time and get the money the broken deal has made perish? Should he secure another huge deal and pull possible investors to make up with the company's current problem? Did he suddenly become the maintenance support so he had to deal with it and make sure it does not affect the wholeness when it successfully spreads in the vast to cause mass destruction?

“Now, what?” He forced an awkward chuckle, not wanting to admit the possibility why their Senior first off contacted him to say just that... “What do you want me to do with that, Boss?”

[ “Look, Maestra. I know that you are in desperate need to save money for your Father's maintenance, but we are very sorry to inform you that we need to work wiser until we are back to normal, that includes getting rid of some employees who would not be needed so crucially—” ]

“Why? I am a diligent worker, aren't I? Can you at least give me a better reason—"

[ “I'm sorry, really sorry, Maestra. The things from your locker are already packed and locked, complete, I assure you. I am very sorry. If... if there will be a vacancy as soon as possible, though, I will make sure to call you first. That's a promise—” ]

Although the man has not finished speaking yet, Rion harshly clicked his phone to end the call.

And then, subconsciously, he broke down and fell on his knees, hopeless, with his father's face flashing before his mind currently in a middle of turmoil.

Promise that he would call him first the moment a slot was vacanf? Dead ass. Rion knew better, and he was aware that his Senior has said that same line to everybody else, but he would never do it, would never contact them again. What an ungrateful company...

Well, wasn't he f*cked to the pits of hell at this point?

How unfortunate...

What a very unlucky day.

~

Afaela would surely tell him comforting words, would tap his back and let him cry on her shoulders when everything gets too heavy to carry, then encourage him to do better and prove people wrong, all while supporting him from behind and pushing him forth.

This was not the end of the world for him yet, and he had a whole lot of his remaining lifetime left to spend— however, it was not the same with his father, who needed to go through a surgery as soon as possible, if they wanted him to live for a few more years.

As if the day has not brought him enough stress to break down and lose his mind, what came next officially drawn his absolute personal limit before he lost his sanity.

It was already eight in the evening, and the rain outside kept on pouring, as if it did not have a plan to stop anytime soon, alongside the cold wind making him shiver in the dark space.

Nonetheless, he stayed standing in the almost empty parking lot, leaning his back in a random car, as he waited for Afaela to arrive, still not losing hope to see just a sight of his fiancé, although they planned to meet at seven, and it was an hour after it.

God d*mn it.

He did not know whether to feel upset that, once more, Afaela ditched him for the second moment that day, or whether he should be scared that the girl would scold him if she did see him getting damp in raindrops like it was a simple shower at home.

Why did everything feel like crumbling before his eyes, and he could never do any resolve at all, despite being present? He felt hopeless...

And then, like the light has suddenly appeared when he reached the tunnel's end, Afaela was suddenly there.

The rain continued to wet his body, but he could not care less as he watched Afaela in his front, under a pink umbrella— her favorite one, gifted by him.

“Afaela," for the first time since that morning, Rion was able to flash a genuine smile upon seeing his fiacé waving at him, as the latter stepped down a car Rion could not recognize, nor has he seen before. “I thought you are not coming...”

“I almost didn't,” said the girl with a straight face that looked... bored and uninterested? Like she was clearly just forced to attend to a meeting she never wanted to be in?

Her demeanor has left confusion in Rion. Usually, she would be running towards him, greeting him with an excited tight hug that would leave him suffocating, yet contented and gleeful.

However, now, “What? Come again? You almost...?”

“I almost did not think to come here and meet you, I thought what I said is clear. But as a pinch of guilt has snapped me by the nape, I am here, with you. Nathan, I have to tell you something...”

For a moment, Rion felt like covering his ears in order not to hear whatever Afaela was about to add. That something she was talking about... definitely... would be either good or bad, most likely, the latter.

“Ah, can we... at least, find another place to settle tha—”

“No, this will do, Nathan. It would not take too long, and it is understandable enough in a simple manner. You know, Nathan, I have been wanting you tell you this for so long, eh,” Afaela muttered with a frown. “Let us stop this crap as early as now, and before it breaks you even more. You have always known how my family does not want you, has never given us their blessings, despite us being engaged for months now...”

The last statement rang in Rion's ears and echoed in his mind that turned seemingly apprehensive, malfunctioning, and in denial of what Afaela was implying.

Now, what?!

“But— but you didn't care about them before? Right?”

She did not— no, she used to dismiss her family whenever they would talk sh*t about her fiancé, but never did she tell him that she never really cared about their opinions and stands regarding her relationship with Rion.

“I do! Okay? Nathan, I do care about what they think of me, of you, of us! I don't... want to disappoint them even furthermore, don't want to disappoint myself, too, and make the worst decision I could ever execute. In addition, after all the months we have barely met, I... fell out of love. Nathan, I fell out...”

‘I fell out of love.’

What a cliché line. It has been said over and over, probably once — or more times — everyday in Earth. Too usual. A reason too popular that Rion felt an urge to laugh it off, and so, he did.

“What the hell are you saying? That's... kind of cringe,” he forced out a choked chuckle, but he failed to exert it the way it should have been, instead, it sounded hurting, bitter and in disbelief.

“No, Nathan. I am... calling the engagement off. Now.”

“No—!”

“Sorry, Nate.”

“Are you...” he gulped the lump in his throat. It was then or never. And in a second, he spat the question that has been bugging his mind ever since the spark in Afaela's eyes started to disappear whenever their orbs would meet, “Say, Afaela, did you... meet someone else—?”

“Do you want me to be absolutely honest with you? Or do you prefer sugarcoated words for peace of mind?”

“D*mn it, just be f*cking honest already!”

“I did!”

It broke him. To hell. To the darkest and deepest pits of hell. Nonetheless, he could not seem to express how painful it felt and his face remained stoic, stunned, stilled.

“And he is better than you in every possible way! Are you happy now? Huh? Are all your questions cleared now? Speak, Nate!”

Enough.

Enough of the truth, or he would burst, he would explode.

Enough. Before he lost it, just stop already.

Enough.

“I am... with him now. Please, do not do something dumb, Nathan—”

Enough so he could compose himself still and not embarrass the hell out of his already crumbling self? Hell, no would do!

“Afaela,” his knees fell on the ground, as if to beg, and grabbed the girl's free hand, “No... please? Let us fix this. I... I can be better, I can do so much better than this! Let me... let me prove myself to your family, and to you. Just... don't do this, don't, please? I will... crumble like a sandcastle on the shore, I...”

“Rion, it's already done! Give it up!”

Without waiting for yet another response from the wreckage which was Rion, Afaela shook her hand off the boy's grasp until she was free. And then, with the reason unbeknownst to Rion, tears started to fall on both her cheeks, tainting her initially dry face. The umbrella in her palm fell off, and the next thing Rion knew, they were both soaking and crying ugly and uncontrollably like newborns.

The girl then lowered herself to align her face with the boy's breaking state, and then, with a hurt expression, she raised both her hands in between their shaking bodies and forcefully and unwillfuly took off the ring from her fourth finger.

“Really sorry,” Afaela mumbled once more, as if those words would alleviate the pain that was slowly creeping in Rion's chest, making it harder for him to breathe and function the way he used to.

Rion, however, seemed unresponsive and could not process what the f*ck was happening. When Afaela grabbed his left hand, that sent electricity to his body, it did not feel the same as before where he would blush and giggle like a little schoolboy. Because this time, the ring he used to promise forever to Afaela, was handed back to him and placed above his wide hand.

Well, how unfortunate of him...

~

24 hours ago from the present...

The morning already felt gloomy, and although the sun has just gone up, Rion felt like waking up in a monochromatic environment, inside his initially colorful room on Macko's place.

Could we blame him for feeling dead as soon as his eyes fluttered open and the realization that he just lost the love of his life hit him, though? Who would be fine after he witnessed Afaela's confession and heard the painful reality that his girl fell out of love? If one would be all right the day after one traumatic incident, it would be a miracle, or most probably Alzheimer's that made them forget.

Instead of pushing himself up the quilt to once again feel the peace he used to live in during the past days he was single, Rion found himself rather annoyed at the loud music blasting from outside the room he was in. Too early in the morning, and there was nothing good to wake up to.

Jesus. God. Lord. The apostols. Angels. Heavens. And all the saints he could probably name. Why did he has to wake up to something that loud that he could feel the screeching volume about to break his eardrums? Oh, have mercy!

He did not have to think twice to realize that it was Macko's entire fault once more, playing the songs of his favorite pop band in the maximum volume he could manage.

Rion had to scrunch his nose in dismay and just plop himself back on his bed. He wanted to badly rush out of the room, yell, smack Macko's head, and scold the latter for being too loud, but that was before he remembered how that man — alongside Onew, the youngest in their little peer circle — fetched his heartbroken ass from the streets of misery last night.

Now that he was on his right mind, not clouded by the dumb urge to keep the memories and the person, Rion clasped his head and chuckled at his own stupid stunts.

During the situation's rush, last night made him feel like nothing else mattered more than the relationship they have struggled to build and fight for in the long years they were together. So, could we really blame him for acting like that? Hell, no!

But now that he was finally starting to realize how idi*tic he probably sounded and looked under the rain, on his knees, begging like it was his last resort and he might lose it if Afaela would truly leave, he almost wanted to just actually lose it and audibly scold himself for doing just that.

“IF IT SEEMS TO LAST FOREVER, PLEASE LET ME BE YOUR LOVER!”

No one, he repeated to himself, no one would ever last with Macko and the way he jams with his favorite band, and his favorite song from Zero Degree, ForeLover, or whatever the title was, Rion could not seem to mind correcting it.

Personally, and because of the algorithm of the app he uses to listen to music, it was reasonable for him to accidentally hear some song by Zero Degree, that being said , it would also impossible not to like some and start to be a casual listener of the group— all despite not liking any of their five members. In Rion's defense, they all looked like conceited jerks on the television, seemed like spoiled rich brats in every variety show and clips he has seen before.

“I GIVE MY PRESENT OF FOREVER, FOR YOU I'M A SORE LOSER!”

That was it.

“F*cking Macko...” Rion could only curse internally, then under his breath, while trying to cover his ears the best he could in hopes of muffling the loudness— as if that could help when the frequency was still making its waves in the soft cushion.

Thankfully, though, like the gods and goddesses have agreed to let him have peace and tranquility, the speakers suddenly stopped blasting and his surroundings became quiet.

Later on, Macko's reason for dropping his music trip, finally hit Rion when the boy knocked on his door, “Rion, you up?!”

Rion heard the door opening without his response. And then, Macko invaded the room, jumping on the bed where Rion still lies and bouncing like an excited kid who wants to wake his parents up for his birthday party's preparation.

Only if Rion wasn't already awake when Macko ran in, he will definitely lose the will to sleep again the moment he felt the wild up and down movements of the bed.

“Yes, I am,” Rion yawned, exhausted. He then untangled himself from the fabric covering his body. He slowly sat up, his body still aching, then added, “Will you please get off my bed, Mack?”

“Yeah, yeah. Calm your rod, man. I'm not crushing you,” Macko hopped off Rion's quilt, making a thud when the soles of his feet met the tiled floor. “And that's not your bed. Technically, it's mine. You're in my house.”

“If you say so. Don't hurt me, buff guy,” Rion kicked off the sheets. He then jumped off, similarly to how Macko just did. “Ah, my head hurts.”

“If I'm as dumb as you, my head will surely hurt just too.”

“Yeah?” Rion frowned. “If I got an ugly blazing red hair as you, my head will be too empty to even ache and hurt just too.”

“You're so mean, man,” Macko sulked, “At least be grateful? It's not as if we hadn't seen you so lost after you watched your fiancé walk out and call your engagement off?”

“Shut up,” Rion threw the red-haired guy a sharp and knowing glare.

Later on, he sighed, defeated. Then, he raised both of his hands to surrender and back out. He doesn't have enough energy to argue with anyone — even with the charmer and happy-go-lucky, buff Macko.

If only this was a normal day, he would have pulled the buff man into a tight lock in his neck and wrestle him until the couch in the living room.

It will take them a while before they stay still and make up while panting and laughing at how childish can they become,

“What's your plan for today, Mr. Brokenhearted? Should you take me and Onew somewhere?”

“What else do I do than get myself a living? I'll go find a job to survive and pay for Dad's being, he needs to be checked and operated as soon as possible. You know about his condition. Might want to join my hunt?”

“Thought you were planning to have a bit of fun. You know, alcohol and any?” Macko shook his head in disprove. “You are such a bore, man. No wonder Afaela found a better man.”

“I don't have time to stress myself over unimportant matters such as having fun, Mack. I am currently jobless and a wreck. I got fired and got myself dumped, and it all happened yesterday, now, I don't even have a source of penny. I will starve to death and my father won't recover if I don't move on and let myself succumb to the heartbreak,” Rion breathed out.

“Those being said, do you think I'll have the time to chase over pretty girls and find myself a woman especially after my first love story ended up miserably? Ain't nobody will choose to date someone poor, unless those girls are dumb to choose looks and d*ck over a stably earning man.”

“What's wrong in choosing a full package? You can work with money, man, but not the appendage. Rion, you got the looks and the—”

“Don't you dare say it, Mack.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Macko rolled his eyes, giggling.

Unbeknownst to them, one boy has entered the room, rubbing his still closed eyes.

“Morning, Mack. Morning, Rion,” the still sleepy boy, Onew, stood a meter away from Macko and Rion. “What's going?”

“Morning, Onew,” Macko greeted him, “Up for a night?”

“Oh? I'm up for whatever, Mack,” Onew grinned, “You have plans?”

Rion could only close his eyes tightly while anticipating Macko's response, already feeling the headache caused by his best friends— probably even worse than the current pain in his chest.

With his friends being the definition of unhinged and deranged, all awake when the heavens decided to pour insanity, one could tell that Rion could never expect any safe option in their heads.

“Of course, let us go to a bar. Might enjoy stuffs, the party and women, then get wasted? I bet Rion would love to drink the pain away, too, aye?” Macko declared.

Just as he expected…

~

Rion was— and is still hesitant to drink even one glass of liquor. He knew himself too well and he's aware how low his alcohol tolerance was.

He usually just watches his friends as they drink, like a guardian angel who could only shake his head whenever the person he's guarding gets borderline intoxicated.

But because the breakup he's experiencing was the sole reason they are now in that loud bar, he ended up drinking a bit more than his usual. He ended up letting go of any cautiousness. He ended up getting high to forget the pain he was trying to hide.

So, there he was. Now out of his mind, nearly screaming the lyrics of the whole song playing in their background— which he recognized as Zero Degree's song.

“How much did you let him drink, Mack?” Onew asked lowly while watching Rion with a disappointed look in his face. “It will only take him an hour, and he'll definitely doze off.”

“I just gave him a single a glass of Tequila, man,” the red-haired Macko replied, shrugging.

“MACKO! ONEW!”

“Hmm?” the two answered as quick as they turn to look at Rion who is already crying while mumbling nonsense.

“I loved Afaela so dearly! She is my first love, did I ever tell you?” Macko and Onew knew where that was going. They buckled up and just nodded at Rion's question.

They are aware, since the beginning. They have also kept on telling him that Afaela wouldn't do him any good, he didn't listen anyway. Now, he's heartbroken.

“I thought she will also be my last. Guess what? I'm wrong!”

“Know what, Rion Nathan?” Macko frowned, he already had enough of Rion's complaints, “Scream this all you want while we sway on the dance floor! F*ck women!”

“Yes?”

“Yes! I promise you are going to feel a lot better. Afaela can f*ck herself. She was sick in the head for abandoning you for such an ugly dude!”

“You have never seen the guy, neither did I?”

“It is a hunch, man. Hot people's guts are always right!”