What do the lonely do at Christmas?-Chapter 2
Fandom: Oneus
Genre: Non Idol AU, slice of life, angst, hurt/comfort
Pairing/Characters: Keonhee & Hwanwoong
Warning: swearing, there might be some grammatical errors, even tho I proof read it multiple times
Note: this is a multichapter fic I decided to write for @oneusficevents We reached the second chapter already. I had the story in my mind but, of course, I needed to make the build up to this. The biggest struggle I got here is choosing the song for this one, since there are two songs in particular who helped me in writing it. At the end i choosed this song. It's an Italian one but there are a couple of lines who helped me with the inspiration for this chapter. The lines in questions are "As a lamp over the city/I saw you on a corner/alone in the traffic/but maybe it wasn't even you". I suggest to listen to Hwanwoong's night dancer cover too, since our man manage to sing it here.
You can read the first chapter here
Summary: Hwanwoong meets Keonhee for a second time. It's time to know something more about him and his Christmas plan.
Hwanwoong tied his shoes a second time. “Last thing I want is falling while I’m with Keonhee. Good impressions are important.” He thought while checking his clothes one last time. Finding a shirt and a couple of jeans that weren’t too old or ragged took most of his time. «New Year’s resolution: buying some new clothes.» He said while huffing. He went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His hair was still messy. The curls were still coming out of place. He ruffled them a little and took a breath. «I don’t understand why i’m so nervous, I’m just meeting Keonhee.» He whined. But that was the problem: he was meeting Keonhee. He was meeting someone after three years. “Oh come on, it’s not a big deal. I must be calm, it’s just a meeting.” He was repaeting at himself. He took the little bottle of cologne he kept for special occasions. The bootle was looking new, since he never used it. He wore his old, grey windbreaker and his black winter hat. He adjusted the brim a little, making sure to cover his sight. “I don’t understand why he wants me to be the less recognisable. Did he become a secret agent or something during these years?” He thought.
He made sure to have everything in his pouch and that his mask was well placed on his mouth. He exited the apartment, making sure none of his neighbours was passing by or watching him. Hwanwoong rarely exited his apartment, unless it was for work or for his weekly grocery shopping. Going out was something absurd for him, it was a special occasion indeed; all his neighbours knew that.
He went down the stairs. “Look at the bright side, Hwanwoong, you’ll spend this first day of vacation with something to do instead of laying on your bed and doing nothing.”
He exited the condominium. The wind hit his face, helping him wake up completely. He rubbed his eyes a little, letting them adapt to the light. He took a breath. «Alright, let’s go.» He softly said.
Going to the place Keonhee told so was easy for him, the indications were all simple to follow: exit the district, go forward until you reach the third crossroad and turn left, go forward until you reach the second crossroad and wait at the sidewalk, near a flickering post. Hwanwoong chuckled a little. That last indication was looking dumb to him. “Maybe he forgot that we’re meeting in the morning. How can I find a flickering light pole in the morning? Oh well, I’ll call him later about it.” A big smile came on his covered face. Keonhee’s number. A friend’s number was saved on his phone after years. He was incredibly excited about it. He was feeling the urge to call him and just say “Good morning” to him. He still couldn’t believe that a friend of his came yesterday. He felt the urge to skip on the street, the urge to laugh with joy and scream at everyone that he was meeting a friend. It was the most trivial thing ever existed for the others but not for him. It was special.
Hwanwoong looked at the sky. The grey clouds were clumping together. Maybe it would have snow that day. If it would have been another occasion, Hwanwoong would have been worried about it. But this time he was getting excited. “Ah, if it will snow, I’ll end up on a Christmas movie for real! Seems everything is set for the perfect meeting today.” Hwanwoong thought. He looked around. The city itself was embracing the Christmas spirit. The shop windows were glowing with lights. Red, green and white were the main colours of the decorations. The people around him were entering the shops in the hope of finding some Christmas gift at the last minute. Other people were carrying gifts that were already wrapped. The kids were asking their parents if they would have received some presents under the tree. Those scenes would have given sad nostalgia to Hwanwoong three years ago. But now it was different. He was part of that big Christmas picture in the city, he was finally feeling some Christmas spirit.
He reached the third crossroad. He should have crossed the road by turning to the left side. Hwanwoong puffed: he hated waiting for the green light. He looked at the cars running on the streets. He always hated them since he was a biker but this time it was different. “I wonder if Keonhee ever got a driver's license during these three years.” The image of a fancy car appeared in his mind. It was a white car with some metallic decorations in it and the driver was Keonhee. He rolled down the window. He was wearing a fancy suit and a pair of sunglasses, looking at Hwanwoong with a flirty sight. «May I accompany Mr. Yeo Hwanwoong over here?» he said while showing a stupid smile.
Hwanwoong laughed. It was the funniest thing he ever thought. He crossed the street. “I should ask Keonhee if he owns a car, though.” His mind came back in time, during the times he was coming back from work and seeing the cars stuck in the traffic. Hwanwoong never paid too much attention to the drivers, he was too much busy coming back home as fast as possible. But the thought of Keonhee owning a driver's license was bugging his mind. “What if he saw me when he was driving home or somewhere else? That would explain why he wanted to find me. But when did he see me? It’s more plausible that I saw him one day. His face is even recognizable.” He shook his head. “No way, I would have noticed him. Maybe I saw someone who looks like him maybe.” He looked at the street once again. He tried to imagine if Keonhee could have ever seen him. But nothing came to his mind. If Hwanwoong could have seen someone who looked like him, so could Keonhee.
He finally reached the second crossroad. Hwanwoong squeezed his eyes, trying to find the flickering post. “So, there are, three light poles here and they look all off. I don’t see any flickering here.” He turned left and right, made some steps forward and tried to look into the first district. “Maybe this flickering post is on a district and not on the street. It must be somewhere.” He huffed. "There are more than ten light poles for the district here, how am I supposed to find the flickering one?"
"Alright, finding it all alone will not solve anything. It's better to call him."
He took his phone and opened his contacts. But he stopped. Something clicked on his mind. “Wait a second, let me check his messages first.”
He opened Kakao and went on his chat with Keonhee. See you at the flickering post, this is what the last message from him was saying so. Hwanwoong raised a brow. “Why didn’t he just write light pole instead? Did he forgot how to write…wait.” He came back at the crossroad. He looked at the message again. “Flickering post… I already saw something like that at the crossroad.”
He turned left and right and squeezed his eyes. “Where is it? Where is it? I remember it was somewhere…” He looked on the street in front of him. A big smile appeared under his mask.
He found it. It wasn't an actual post. It was a store. A book store called The Flicker Post. Hwanwoong chuckled. "Keonhee wanted to play with me today." He reached the book store and stood near it. He looked at the clock on his right wrist: Keonhee should have come in a few minutes. But those minutes immediately turned into hours for Hwanwoong. He wanted his friend with him now.
He huffed. “What am I supposed to do now except freezing?” He looked around. He noticed that he was in a different zone of the city. The streets were cleaner, the buildings weren’t shabby and the few people he saw around looked like they were from a different city. “Did I end up on the healthy and rich side of the city?” He thought. Hwanwoong never left his district. The restaurant was in the same zone as his apartment. The rich and healthy part of the city was a burning memory for him. Three years ago, he would have been one of those people walking on the streets, wearing some pretty, new clothes. He looked at himself. Since he started living in that apartment he barely bought new clothes. The ones he brought with him when he left his parents' house were old now. Hwanwoong even learnt how to sew just to keep them and save money. He thought about Keonhee and how he was dressed. “The people around us will wonder why someone like me is with him.” He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. Better not to think about the people's thoughts.
The waiting was becoming pure torture for Hwanwoong. He huffed again. Keonhee was late and he was starting to seriously freeze on that street. “Well, I guess I’ll do my “exercise”, then. It’s better than just waiting.” He whistled, trying to catch up with a melody that he heard at the restaurant once. It was a song one of his co-workers shared after ending one of his shifts. «My daughter is obsessed with this song. I honestly don’t understand why, she doesn’t even know half of the lyrics.» he said that time. Hwanwoong tried to learn that song since then, it was doable for his voice. He snapped his fingers, catching the song's rhythm. He whistled again, finally getting the melody. He kept whistling while trying to remember the lyrics. He looked around. There weren’t any people at that moment, except one or two passing by. No one would have heard him if he had done the unthinkable. He started to mumble and the mumble turned into a song. He was soft singing, making sure that not many people would have listened to him.
Every time Hwanwoong forgot a lyric, he restarted the song again. He wanted to make that song a part of him. The melody, the rhythm, everything. He felt the urge to start dancing too. The people around him were disappearing from his mind. Dancing always made him free from everything. Even when he was with his parents, he always found a refuge in dancing. One of his feet was stepping on the ground, trying to catch the rhythm.
A giant shadow covered him. Hwanwoong stopped singing and turned on the shadow’s direction. Keonhee was looking at him. His face was covered by the mask. He was wearing the same jacket and the same beanie from yesterday. He was carrying a big, brown pouch with him this time. Judging from his eyes, he was probably smiling. «I didn’t know you were able to sing, you seem even better than me.» He said. Hwanwoong laughed nervously.
«Come on, I’m not that great. I didn’t take any singing lessons or something.»
«That means you’re a talented singer, Woong. Maybe if I have my old singing teacher’s number…»
«Oh no, please, not that grumpy man. If he should be my teacher then I’ll stop singing completely.»
Keonhee laughed. «You’re just dramatic.»
«I’m not dramatic, I remember the exercises you’ve gone through. They were pure hell.»
«They were not so bad, come on.»
«You’re still denying your suffering.»
Keonhee’s laugh became louder. Hwanwoong just looked at him. Seeing him happy was reviving some memories. Keonhee’s happiness was always connected with good memories for Hwanwoong, his smile or his laugh was the sign that the day would have turned into a good day. “I’m gonna have a great day.” He thought.
Keonhee caught his breath. Hwanwoong looked at his face. The skin exposed to the wind was turning a little red because of the cold. Hwanwoong knew that he had that. But today, Keonhee was looking dazzling with that red. So delicate and yet so beautiful.
«Keonhee, can I ask why you took all this time to come here?» Hwanwoong asked shyly. Talking with him was still difficult, even if Keonhee had already shown how he was patient with him.
«Sorry, I was a little busy at work.»
«Rough day?»
«Not too much, I just argued a little with my superiors before coming here. It's something I can handle.»
The two became silent for a moment. «Well, now that we’re here, can you tell me where are we going?» Hwanwoong asked.
«Oh, right. We’ll go to a nice cafè I discovered some weeks ago. It’s near from where we are right now.»
«A cafè, that’s grea-Wait…»
Keonhee raised a brow. «Is there a problem with it? We can change the place if you want.»
«Oh, no, no, that’s not a problem. It’s just, you know…»
«Wait, you were thinking about the payment?»
«Well…yeah, I was thinking about that.»
«You shouldn’t be worried about it. I’ll pay everything.»
«What?! No, Keonhee, please, if you should pay everything for me then don’t do that.»
«Why shouldn’t I pay for you? You’re my friend. And my friends don’t have any debts with me.»
Hwanwoong looked at his feet. He didn’t understand why Keonhee could do something like that. Maybe it was an act of pity from him since he knows his condition? Or he was really that sweet and kind since he met him for the first time? Keonhee put one of his hands on Hwanwoong’s shoulder, catching his attention. He turned at him, he was still smiling. «Woong, I just want to spend a nice day with you. Don’t worry about the money, really.» Hwawoong looked at his face. It was just a gut feeling, but the tall boy was looking sincere. He felt his eyes becoming teary. He immediately rubbed them.
«Ok, Keonhee, I trust you.» He said. The boy nodded.
«Before we go, I have a last thing to tell you,» Keonhee said. «Oh, ok, tell me what is it.»
«Don’t look behind you while we go. No matter what. Even if you have the sensation to be followed by someone, just don’t look behind. Don’t turn for whatever reason.» Hwanwoong raised his eyebrows this time. «Uh? What does that mean?»
«I’ll tell you when we arrive at the cafè.»
Hwanwoong didn’t say more. The two boys just started to walk. Hwanwoong’s mind was full of questions. “Why he doesn’t want me to turn behind? Is it something connected to his work? Is it because maybe he’s a celebrity?” He shook his head. “Nah, now I’m projecting too much. Keonhee being famous? This Keonhee? The same one who’s accompanying at a cafè all chill and cool? Impossible. Maybe he’s just a little paranoid-”
«Are you ok, Woong?» Keonhee asked. Hwanwoong came up with reality. «Uh? Sure, I’m ok. Why are you asking that?»
«Well, because you were looking at me with your eyes wide open. Do I have something in my face?»
Hwanwoong was stunned for a moment. «Oh, did I?! Well, I didn’t mean to I was just, uhm…» His scalp was itching, he really wanted to scratch it at that moment. «Admiring you.» He said. Keonhee stopped walking. He looked at him with a confused sight. «Admiring me?» Hwanwoong put his hands on his head. «Ah, no, I didn’t mean that! I meant-» Keonhee arched a brow. «I wanted to say that I’m proud that you stopped scratching your face when you’re outside with this cold. I remember that you always scratched it and that hurts your skin.»
«Oh, that thing.» Keonhee smiled. «I can’t believe that you even remember that habit of mine. But yeah, I stopped doing that. I’m just not thinking about it.»
Hwanwoong made a nervous laugh. The two started walking again. Hwanwoong sighed. “I’ve not messed up this time.”
Hwanwoong was getting nervous. He wasn’t understanding why he shouldn’t have turned behind. The sensation of being followed was getting stronger and stronger. He looked at him. Keonhee was calm. “He’s used to it. I wonder how many times he has been followed by someone…”
He noticed another thing though. Keonhee was walking slower than him. He was taking more time for each step, making sure to be by his side. Hwanwoong felt some warmth coming from his chest. If there was something Hwanwoong got used to, it was him being always behind the others. Whether it was because he was sleepy or clumsy, whether it was because he was short and he needed to run or walk faster, Hwanwoong always stayed behind. This time it was different. Keonhee could have left him behind and yet he was walking with him. He slowed his pace for him.
«Thank you…» Hwanwoong mumbled.
«Uh? For what?» Keonhee said.
«You listened to me?!»
Keonhee chuckled. «I have good ears.»
«Jeez, I should remember it if I want to talk with myself, then.»
Keonhee laughed. «I promise I will not share your secret. Why were you thanking me?»
Hwanwoong adjusted his hat a little. «Well, I…I like that you’re walking by my side. I’ve noticed that you’re slowing down just for staying with me. I appreciate it.» Keonhee wrapped his arm around his shoulders. «I don’t want to leave you behind, Woong. Even for something simple like going to a cafè. I’ll always be by your side now.»
In that moment Hwanwoong thanked his mask covering his face. He was blushing. The warmth on his chest was getting bigger. The sense of comfort he felt yesterday was coming back. His eyes were becoming teary again. Keonhee was so nice to him, it seemed unfair. “How will I repay all of your kindness, Keonhee?” He thought. He held his hand. Keonhee was wearing the same fingerless gloves he wore yesterday. His fingers were smooth and warm compared to his. He held them tight. “I don’t want you to leave me, my friend.”
«Holy shit, Woong, you’re freezing!» Keonhee said, waking him from his thoughts. Keonhee wrapped his entire hand in his. «Oh my, you weren’t kidding when you said to me that you were freezing while waiting for me.»
Hwanwoong looked away from him. He was feeling ashamed. “Not even buying a pair of gloves. Good job, Hwanwoong. Now Keonhee has more reasons for pitying you.” He thought. Keonhee wrapped his arm around his. «Uh? Keonhee what are you…?»
«We must hurry, Woong. Hang on my arm now.»
«Wait what-»
Keonhee started running. Hwanwoong just got dragged by him. For the first time, he felt the difference between him and himself. Keonhee was incredibly strong in that moment, he wasn’t expecting this strength from him.
«Why are we running now?!»
«Didn’t you notice, Woong? You’re freezing! We can’t slow down! We’ll reach the cafè as far as possible.» Keonhee said almost out of breath.
«What? But we’ll fall by running like this!»
«Don’t worry, I have good running legs.»
«I don’t think so!» Hwanwoong whined.
The fear of falling down or tripping by clashing on Keonhee’s legs was becoming huge. “We’ll fall, we’ll fall, we’ll fall, we’ll fall!” was the only thought on Hwanwoong’s mind.
He felt his ankles and his arm hurting. He really wanted to tell, no, shout at Keonhee to stop, that he was used to the cold, that they could have reached the cafè normally without any problems. “You don’t need to do all of this for me, Keonhee, you don’t need to.”
But another thought came at him. Keonhee was doing all of this because he was his friend, his best friend.
«I care about you, Woong, I really do.» Those words came back to his memory. He looked at Keonhee again. He was losing breath. It was clear that the boy wasn’t used to straining like that and so out of the sudden. “Oh please, I hope this cafè is near. I don’t want to see you like that, Keonhee.” Hwanwoong hoped.
And Keonhee stopped. Hwanwoong would have fallen to the ground if he didn’t hold his arm.
The two boys spent two minutes catching their breaths for the long run. Hwanwoong felt his lungs burning. “Oh my god, the shifts at the restaurant were less tiring.” He looked at Keonhee. The boy was breathing deeply, a little whine was coming from his mouth occasionally. His face was turning completely red. «Don’t you dare to do something similar ever again!» Hwanwoong said while still out of breath. «Well, now we’re here.» Keonhee said while breathing heavily.
Hwanwoong raised his head. A decorated little door was in front of him. A sign was over it. Bunny Cafè were the words written in it. They were written with elegant calligraphy and a simple bunny drawing was at the end. The place was in a little district, if Keonhee didn’t immediately turn on the left, they would have probably missed it. There were no people around them. “Did he bring me to a cafè stuck in the middle of nowhere?! What…”
Hwanwoong turned at Keonhee. The boy was still catching breath.
«Let me guess, you still don’t like the gym, right?” Hwanwoong asked.
«How did you notice that?» Keonhee whined.
«You’re still out of breath.»
«I prefer losing my breath everytime I run than going in that place.» Hwanwoong chuckled. Keonhee was still the same on some things.
The tall boy breathed a little more and stretched himself. He looked at Hwanwoong. «Let me introduce this little place I found.» He said while opening the door.
A little bell rang, catching the two costumers and the staff’s attention.
«Good morning.» Keonhee said while taking off his mask, showing a bright smile. Hwanwoong followed him behind, looking away from the people in the cafè. Since he met Keonhee, everything was possible, even meeting other friends from the past.
«Look what we have here, our number one customer!» The barista said. He was a tall boy, probably around Keonhee and Hwanwoong’s age. Some of his long, pink hair was tied in a little ponytail. He was wearing a classic barista uniform but his sleeves were rolled up. A little tattoo was appearing on his right wrist, showing three stars on it.
Keonhee scratched the beanie's fabric. «That’s not true, I’m not the number one.»
«Don’t act all humble, you’ve been with us since the first day. I saw you. You were there at the inauguration.»
Keonhee blushed. The barista looked at Hwanwoong. «And what about you, little on-»
«He’s my friend! I wanted to show the cafè to him. He liked the entrance so far.» Keonhee said, interrupting him.
«Oh really? Thart means I should give the best place to you two.»
The boy pointed at a little corner on the cafè’s right. «There, that’s perfect for both of you. No one will bother you and you’ll be not noticed, if you know what I mean.» He said while winking at Keonhee. The boy wasn’t noticing that Hwanwoong was looking at him with a truce look, his fists clenching. He never liked being called “little one”, even from the people close to him. He wanted to punch his face in that moment.
«Thank you so much. Let’s go, Hwanwoong.» Keonhee said while looking at him. Hwanwoong just followed him. He kept the truce sight until he sat on the chair. He looked at Keonhee again. The boy was adjusting himself on the chair, trying to put his big pouch in a hidden place. He then took off his beanie and adjusted his hair. His skin was still a little red, whether it was for the cold or for the blush. Hwanwoong looked away from him. He was so pretty, looking fancy and rich. He felt ashamed once again. He was with a guy like him, it was unbelievable.
«Do you want something in particular, Woong?» Keonhee asked.
«Uhm, I don’t know, Keonhee. I think I’ll take whatever you order, I don’t have any preferences.»
«Hey, you’re not upset about what happened, right? He didn’t know-»
«It’s not for that, I’m just thinking...»
Keonhee looked at him with a big smile. «Woong, remember what I said to you yesterday. You’re my friend, don’t feel upset or worry if you’re with me.»
Hwanwoong chuckled. He took off his hat and mask and ruffled his hair a little, making them curly and messy. He showed a shy smile at him. «You’re right. I just need to get used to all of this.» He adjusted himself on the chair.
«So, are you sure you want the same thing?» Keonhee asked again.»
«Sure, really.»
«Alright, we’ll take the Latte Paints then.»
«The what?»
«That’s how the Latte Art is called here. I can assure that it’s delicious.»
«Oh...I can’t wait to taste it then.»
Hwanwoong didn't talk any further. He just looked at Keonhee interacting with the waiters and the customers. He always has been very open and confident and speaking with others was probably one of his best qualities. But there was something more. His facial expressions, the gestures, it looked like he had the best moves to do with everyone. Showing courtesy and not oversharing.
Keonhee turned at him. «Our coffee will come in a few minutes.»
«Oh, great, that means that I can finally ask you questions.»
Keonhee laughed. «Are you a police officer in disguise?»
Hwanwoong snorted. «No, no, don’t worry Mr Lee Keonhee, I’ll just ask a few formal questions and that’s it, They will be useful for our investigation.» Keonhee suppressed another loud laugh. Hwanwoong smiled. Keonhee being happy was giving him joy. He didn’t remember if it already happened in the past when they were closer, but in that moment he was finally having some fun.
«Ok, officer, what questions should I ask?»
«Well, what about your work?»
«Oh right, I promised that I would have talked about it once we got here. Just promise me that you’ll not tell anyone.»
Hwanwoong raised a brow. «Uhm, ok, then, I’ll keep my mouth shut.» Keonhee reached one of his ears. «I’m working on becoming an actor.» He whispered.
«What?!» Keonhee got back at his seat. His face was turning red.
«That’s it? That’s the biggest secret?»
«It’s not just that.» Hwanwoong pointed at him. «Wait...You’re becoming an actor for those “movies” maybe?» Keonhee waved his hands. «No, no, it’s not what you think! It’s just my manager who’s paranoid and told me to not talk with anyone until I’ll not have an important role.»
«Uh? But why?»
«He thinks I might get in trouble because of what happened two years ago.»
Hwanwoong massaged his temples. «Your situatuion is more complicated than mine.»
«Ah, you’re right. I should tell you more. Just don’t tell anyone about this.»
Hwanwoong nodded.
«I don’t know how to tell it very shortly but I tried entering the entertainment industry. I made some auditions for different companies and, when I got accepted, I was supposed to debut in a group but...uhm, how can I say, a scandal happened.» He softly spoke.
Hwanwoong pointed at him. «Wait...You? In a scandal? How...»
«To be fair, I wasn’t directly involved. But my companion messed up so badly that we all got affected somehow. That’s why.»
Hwanwoong had a sigh of relief. «For a moment I really thought you did something terrible.»
Keonhee chuckled. «I’m still unable to do that.»
«So. Let me wrapping everything by myself. You were supposed to become an idol?»
«Yes.»
«And you were ready to debut?»
«Correct.»
«But then a big scandal happened and you are now trying to rebuild your carreer as an actor?»
«Exactly. Even though I would haver preferred becoming a singer. I worked so hard for that.» Keonhee whined.
Hwanwoong looked at Keonhee closely. “His manager is right. He has the perfect features. He might stand up in a drama.” He thought.
«And what about the entire following thing?»
«Oh, it’s just another thing made up by my manager. He thinks I might still be under the tabloids’ radars because of the scandal and he wants me to act as natural as possible. If I start being suspicious of journalists I might worsen my situation or something like that. Hence why I told you to be normal if you even had the feeling to be followed. I’m sorry, I should have told you before but we were on the street, anyone could have heard us.»
«Don’t worry. That entire following thing was weird to me but now at least I now why you said that. That’s ok.»
«Your Latte Paints are ready.» The waiter said while carrying two mugs on a tray. He put them on the table carefully, making sure the drawing wouldn’t have been ruined. Hwanwoong immediately looked at his mug: a blooming lily was drawn on it. It was a simple and cute drawing.
«What did you get, Keonhee?» Hwanwoong asked. The tall boy smiled at him.
«The bunny. They always give me the bunny.»
«Our boss thinks is his spirit animal. He thinks that he looks like one.» The waiter said. Keonhee blushed.
«That’s not true, I don’t think I was a bunny in my previous life.»
Hwanwoong looked at him. His ears’ shape, the big, round eyes, his teeth coming out from his lips from time to time. There was something from a bunny for sure in him.
The two boys didn’t immediately drink their coffee. They looked at the drawings for a while, trying to recollect their thoughts before starting to talk again.
Hwanwoong was feeling great, joyful even. He was in a cafè with one of his friends and he could have chosen whatever he wanted. After he sipped some of his coffee, he immediately called the waiter, asking for some sweets. In the roundtime of just five minutes, he was surrounded by three plates full of crépes.
He was eating each piece of them slowly, letting the taste of them fill his palate. It has been three years since he ate something good like crépes. He felt at home. He looked at Keonhee. The boy just spent his time sipping from his mug from time to time. He has been silent since he got his coffee. And when he wasn’t drinking, he was just looking at him.
«Hey, you should eat something too, they make good sweets.»
«I know this already, Woong, I come here every time I can.»
Keonhee rested his left cheek on his hand. Hwanwoong looked away from him for a moment. “Does he know that he’s casually acting flirty?”
«Oh, come on, Keonhee, you should eat something.» He said nervously.
«I don’t need to, really.»
«You’re on a diet or something?»
Keonhee chuckled. «Nah, I’ve just eaten something before coming to see you, that’s it, really.»
Hwanwoong came back to his crépes. “It seems he’s lying. Keonhee never refuses any occasion to eat. There’s something I don’t know.”
Keonhee ended up drinking his coffee. He snapped his fingers.
«Oh right, I was forgetting the most important thing to tell you! My Christmas Plan for you!» he said.
«Oh yeah, that thing.» Hwanwoong said with his mouth still full of crépes.
The Christmas Plan was a thing Keonhee barely mentioned to him before he went away from his house. Hwanwoong just agreed to follow it, even though he was a little unsure about what it actually was.
«First thing first, you should come to my apartment if we want the Christmas Plan going smoothly.»
Hwanwoong coughed. «Wait, what? Me coming to your home? But why…»
Keonhee smiled. «Because I need someone helping me with the decorations and preparing the invitations for the Christmas party. My roommate doesn’t want to help me this year so...»
«Wait, you live with a roommate? Doesn’t your company have, like, a dorm or something for you?»
«Oh yeah, sure, they have a dorm. But since I’m not debuting in a group anymore, my manager thinks that it’s better to live on my own while I’m preparing for my actor career. And now I live in an apartment with a roommate because rents are still expensive.»
Hwanwoong chewed another crépes’ piece.
«Oh, ok. Still, I don’t know how should I come to your house when there’s another person already.»
«We’ll figure it out. My roommate is pretty chill, he would love to have you there in our apartment.»
«If you say so...And then?»
«Well, you’ll celebrate Christmas with us and then you’ll come back to your apartment until New Year’s Eve.»
«That’s it? This is your Christmas Plan?» Keonhee nodded.
«Well, that’s the simplest plan I ever heard.»
«That’s why it will work. I’m a genius. I make the most simple, doable plans for reaching the biggest results.» Keonhee said while showing a proud smile.
Hwanwoong chuckled. «You truly are a genius, Keonhee.»
･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☾ . :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.･
Coming back home was melancholic for Hwanwoong. He really wanted that day to never end. He looked at Keonhee.
«Are you sure you want to accompany me? My district is not safe for you, there are pickpockets around.»
«Woong, it’s the fifth time already. I’m not scared to accompany you at home. And besides, this is another occasion for me to spend some time with you. Don’t be worried.» Keonhee said while smiling through the mask.
«Instead of worrying about me, make sure to have your hand in your pocket. I don’t want you to freeze again.»
Hwanwoong huffed. «Fine, I’ll make sure to keep it in my pocket.»
Keeping his left hand in his pants pocket wasn’t a big deal for him. The main problem was his right hand. Keonhee was holding it, making sure to warm it through his glove’s fabric. Hwanwoong’s face was blushing every time he looked at him. “Why is he doing this? It’s so embarrassing. Isn’t he aware of it or…?” He thought.
But another part of him really wanted Keonhee to never leave his hand. He didn’t understand what was exactly feeling. One moment Keonhee was like the big brother he never had, in another one, he was turning on his caring friend and sometimes he was even something more. Keonhee. His old friend. The most caring person he ever met in his life, someone who wasn’t even bothering about the others around him while he was holding his hand. Hwanwoong squeezed his hand from time to time. He wasn’t believing it. He didn’t want to leave him at any second until they didn’t reach his apartment. He wanted tomorrow to come immediately so he could have moved to Keonhee’s house.
Hwanwoong really wanted this moment to never end. But that moment stopped. Keonhee hit a man with his shoulder, almost risking falling onto the ground.
«Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt. Is everything ok?» Keonhee said.
The man turned at him. Hwanwoong looked at him with his eyes wide open. A grey turtle neck shirt was appearing from his blue trench coat. He seemed like someone who spent his days working out, his big arms were proving so. His narrow eyes and the scar tracing his left cheek gave him a menacing look. Hwanwoong put himself in front of Keonhee. An angry, serious look was appearing on his face.
«Woong, what are you…?»
«Keonhee step back, this man is dangerous.» Hwanwoong said. Keonhee looked at him with a confused look. «Woong, you’re exaggerating. I’ve just hit him. I think he just wants an apology and that’s it.»
«He doesn’t want just an apology.»
Keonhee laughed nervously. «Woong, come on, you’re being mean now. You don’t even know him-»
«I perfectly know him. He works with me.» Keonhee looked at him with his wide eyes open. A confused look appeared on his face. «He works with you?»
The man smirked. «Well, well, Hwanwoong, I wasn’t expecting to meet you while I’m taking my days off.» The man said. His voice was incredibly deep, something Keonhee never listened to before. The man looked at Keonhee. «And I wasn’t expecting to see you around with a friend of yours. A rich one of all people.»
«Don’t get all sorts of ideas, Geonhak, he’s a true friend of mine.» Hwanwoong said. The man chuckled. «As always, you make up things about every person who seems suspicious to you, Hwanwoong. When you get rid of this bad habit of yours?» He looked at both the boys. «I don’t want to hurt your friend or rob him as you think. I’m just surprised that you hang out with someone. You always looked like a lone wolf at work.» Keonhee looked at Hwanwoong. «Is that true, Woong?»
«It’s true. Your little friend over there doesn’t like working with the others. He’s too busy at suspecting of everyone.»
«I have my reasons.» Hwanwoong said. The man huffed. «Which ones? You barely talk to us.» The tension was rising. Keonhee looked around. Some people were stopping towards them, wondering if Hwanwoong and Geonhak would have started a fight. Something should have been done.
«Uhm, sorry to interrupt you but why are we discussing all of this here on the streets when we can talk about it somewhere else? Maybe with something warm to drink too?» Keonhee said. Geonhak looked at the tall boy with a surprised look. He smiled. «I would love to but I’m quite busy and Hwanwoong already made me lose some time. I could have reached my place if he hadn’t made an entire fuss over a simple apology.»
Hwanwoong clenched his fists. He wanted to punch Geonhak’s face hard, making his nose bleed and giving him a shiner. He hated him. He was ruining what was a wholesome moment between him and his friend. «See, I told you that he just wanted an apology.» Keonhee whispered to him. Geonhak just rubbed his hands.
«Well, since we didn’t start with the right step, maybe it’s better if I introduce myself properly before I go.»
He stirred a bow. «I’m Kim Geonhak. And, as Hwanwoong said previously, I’m one of his coworkers.»
