The next day, rain came, painting the sky grey. The waves crashed with new fervor, fueled by the storm. Vernon knew it was a bad idea to venture out, so he spent the day lazing around his hotel room. Late in the afternoon, while watching a movie, he received a call. 

    "Hello?" he answered.

    "Hello, Mr. Chwe. I'm very sorry to interrupt your vacation time, but this couldn't wait," replied the voice of his secretary. "We have a problem with an investor. Them having stock in our business could really bring our value as a company up significantly, but they're being difficult."

    Vernon inwardly sighed, hearing those words. He then spent the next half hour trying to sort out the problem, putting him in an irritated mood. Deciding he needed to blow off some steam, he grabbed an umbrella and set out to find a place to eat.

    He ended up choosing a small restaurant near his hotel, not wanting to go too far away because of the rain. Vernon stepped inside and smiled at the warm, homely atmosphere. The lighting was low and each table had a small candle in a holder, along with comfy cushions on the seats. Already, it made Vernon feel a little better. There was a small bar area in the back, and since Vernon was alone, he made his way over there.

    He sat down next to an elderly man who gave him a small smile. "It's good to see some young people coming in here! We need a little more youthful spirit around here sometimes."

    Vernon chuckled softly at the comment. "I'll see what I can do about that, sir." 

    Answering with a laugh of his own, the old man launched into a story about how long the restaurant had been around and how long he'd been coming there. Vernon listened patiently, actually interested in what the man had to say.

    "It's been through a lot of staff over the years.  Never can seem to keep the same people working, but there's a young man working here right now that's around your age. He's quite a charming kid," said the man.

    "I thought I heard you talking about me!" a new voice interjected suddenly. 

    Vernon turned to face the new person and was surprised to see Seungkwan, in a waiter's uniform. How many jobs did he work?

    "Seungkwan?" Vernon said, questioning.  

    Seungkwan swiveled his head, finally noticing him. "Oh! Vernon, what are you doing here?"

    "Well, I came to eat. Do you work here too?"

    "Yeah. This is my second job, in addition to the park. Can I get you something? We can talk more once I put in your order; there aren't a lot of customers tonight because of the storm, so I can spare a few minutes," Seungkwan replied with a smile.

    "Okay," Vernon replied, rambling off a menu item that sounded good to eat.

    Seungkwan nodded once he was finished. "I'll be back," he called over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.

    Vernon sat quietly for a few minutes, looking around the restaurant. Seungkwan eventually reappeared, carrying a small glass of water.

    "Thought I'd bring you something to drink," he explained. "Let's go sit down for a minute." He gestured to a small table in the corner.

    Once they relocated, Seungkwan spoke once again, "Well, as you can see, this is my other place of work. It's not amazing, but I'm happy here. I get to see lots of interesting people every day. How about you, Vernon? I don't think you've told me what you do."

    "Um...I work at a company. I'm just a businessman. It's not incredibly exciting," Vernon sighed, staring into his glass.

    "Still, it's pretty amazing that you work for an actual company!" 

    Vernon lowered his head, embarassed at the praise. 

    "If you don't mind me asking, you're not from here are you? Are you here on a business trip?"

    "You're right. I'm from Seoul. I'm actually here on a personal vacation, though," Vernon replied.

    "Oh really? Well the-----." Seungkwan was suddenly interrupted by the elderly man from earlier yelling across the room.

    "Seungkwan! It's Friday night karaoke time; come up to the stage and give us a treat!"

    Seungkwan went red at the words, glancing at Vernon who just motioned for him to go to the stage. Seungkwan glanced back and forth a few times and then practically skipped to the stage, finding sudden confidence.

    Climbing the steps, he grabbed a microphone laying on the side of the stage. A small gathering of elderly men had formed at the bottom of the small stage. They cheered loudly as Seungkwan held the mic up to his lips.

    The song was faster than those Vernon had normally heard him sing, but it still suited his voice extremely well. As he perfectly executed most of the high notes, Seungkwan began to get excited and started to dance around on the stage. This just made the elderly men cheer even louder. It was strange to see, at least eight old men cheering and jumping up and down to the beat of a song.

    Vernon couldn't control his laughter as the song progressed. He felt free and loose the more he smiled at Seungkwan. The ending chorus began, and Seungkwan started dancing even more and jumping up and down. The old men, seeing this, yelled loudly and ran onto the stage. They began to dance around Seungkwan as he finished the song with a flourish.

    When it was over, Vernon was absolutely stunned. He had never seen anything like that in his life. They had all looked so happy and full of joy, and it made a part of Vernon feel somewhat small and sad in comparison. 

    "Glad I get to do this every Friday. This boy never disappoints!" yelled one man.

    "If you did this more than once a week, you'd break your back!" another answered.

    They all laughed at the comment, and Seungkwan chatted for a minute before making his way back to Vernon. 

    He smiled sheepishly as he moved closer. "Sorry about that. It's become a tradition. We do it every Friday. I bet you probably haven't seen anything like it before..."

    Vernon chuckled slightly. "I can't say I have, but it made me feel energized."

    "Glad it could help," Seungkwan said. Suddenly, a look of horror crossed his face. "Oh no! I forgot to go get your food; it's probably going to be really cold by now... I'll be back!"

    He ran to the restaurant's kitchen and came back out in the span of a few seconds, carrying a small plate of food. Setting it in front of Vernon, he took a seat across from him. Vernon ate quickly due to forgetting to make himself lunch earlier in the day. Seungkwan silently watched him as he chewed, resting his hand on cheek. 

    Vernon wondered if he was hungry as well. "Want some?"

    Seungkwan shook his head, "No thanks. I was just watching you enjoy the food. I'm glad you like it."

    Vernon did like it.

    Suddenly, a beeping noise began. Seungkwan stiffened. He frantically patted his pockets, eventually fishing out a ringing phone. 

    He looked across to Vernon. "Sorry, I have to take this."

    Vernon nodded in reply and Seungkwan answered the call. "Hello? Is everything okay?"

    Garbled noise could be heard in reply, but Seungkwan seemed to understand. 

    "So it's nothing serious, right?"

    More noise answered.

    "Okay good, you're coming home, right?" 

    Seungkwan paused. 

    "Be safe, okay? See you soon." 

    He ended the call and let out a sigh. Vernon was tempted to ask what had happened but knew it wasn't his business to know. So he just stayed quiet.
    Seungkwan eventually spoke, "I had fun tonight. Thank you for coming. I'm sorry, but I have to hurry home."

    "Um, if it's okay we could maybe walk together? I brought an umbrella and I know it's still raining," Vernon offered. He didn't know exactly why he suggested that.
    Seungkwan looked surprised, "Actually, that would be perfect. I forgot an umbrella."

    They gathered up their things, Seungkwan let his boss know he was leaving, and then they were out the door. 

    As they trudged up the sidewalk, Vernon could tell Seungkwan was acting differently than earlier. He hadn't tried to make conversation, just silently walked while staring ahead. His jaw was set tight.

    Vernon decided to say something. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I just want to let you know that it's okay to be angry or sad. Don't try to hold it in around me. I don't mind."

    Seungkwan turned his head and stared at Vernon. He didn't speak for a few minutes.

    "It's just... I'm worried for someone. They were sick and getting better, but they've had another scare, so I'm slightly concerned," Seungkwan finally admitted.

    "I just...kind of want to cry."

    "So cry," Vernon replied softly.

    And Seungkwan did. It wasn't pretty, but that didn't matter. Tears fell, dripping down his face. He whimpered quietly, trying and failing to wipe his eyes. Holding the umbrella steady with one hand, Vernon reached into his pocket for a tissue. Finding it, he gently gripped Seungkwan's chin, steadying him. He dabbed under his eyes as Seungkwan began to hiccup. Staring at the sad face of Seungkwan made him feel like he wanted to comfort him as much as possible. So, he reached his hands around Seungkwan's waist, pulling him into a hug.

    Seungkwan breathed heavily, eyes still watering.

    "It's okay. Don't worry. I'm sure everyting will be fine," Vernon whispered into Seungkwan's ear.

    Seungkwan nodded, burrowing into Vernon's chest. 

    And, standing there in the rain, Vernon thought there was no place he would rather be.