Wow, it's finally the end. I honestly never thought I would finish this story, but here we are. I can't say I'm 100% happy with how this whole thing turned out, but I did mostly enjoy writing this chapter and I'm pretty satisfied with the ending. Thank you to everyone who has followed this story from the beginning and I hope you enjoy this last chapter ^_^

Myungsoo didn't think he could feel any worse than he did after his last date with Sungyeol, but it didn't take long for him to see just how wrong he was. It's days later and he is still thinking about that night. Whenever he closes his eyes he sees the way the drummer looked at him, like he was some stranger, his voice devoid of its usual cheerfulness. There is no way Sungyeol doesn't hate him now.

The best friend that he is, Hoya notices the boy's turmoil the moment he sees him, but he waits for him to bring it up first. Except, he never does. After nearly a week of watching his friend mope around looking like a lost puppy, Hoya finally gets tired of waiting.

"Hey," he starts, cornering the younger boy by the pastry case. "I didn't want to say anything until you did, but I'm starting to get really worried. What's up with you?"

Myungsoo doesn't seem at all surprised by the older boy's sudden interrogation, his expression impassive as he turns to his friend, but he still refuses to tell him what's going on. "Nothing; I'm just tired, I guess."

Although that may be true, Hoya knows there is more to it and he won't leave Myungsoo alone until he tells him everything. Or at least until a customer shows up. Crossing his arms, the older barista puts on his best serious yet sensitive face, which he may or may not have been practicing earlier for this exact moment. "I already told you, you can tell me anything and I won't judge you. This obviously has to do with your date with Sungyeol and I'm guessing it didn't go well."

At the sound of the drummer's name Myungsoo's stoic facade seems to crack ever-so-slightly; it's almost imperceptible, but since Hoya is already staring him down he notices it right away. His protective instincts kick in just then and he starts firing off questions. "Did you headbutt him again? Or was it a punch? A kick? Is he mad at you? Is that why you've been looking so sad?" A terrible thought suddenly occurs to him and he gasps, his imagination going wild. "Wait— did he do something to you? I swear to god, I'll kick his ."

"You're not kicking anyone's ," the young barista chides, the tiniest of smiles gracing his face. But before Hoya can celebrate cheering his friend up the smile disappears, blown away by a sigh as the lost puppy makes its return. "Actually, if anyone deserves an -kicking, it would be me."

"I'm not gonna beat you up." Hoya is seriously worried now, but he's also starting to get impatient. "Well, I might if you don't tell me what happened already."

Somehow, that seems to do the trick. The younger boy lets out one last sigh before delving into the details of the night he was supposed to have a date with Sungyeol. He starts with meeting up with Woohyun and their discussion about the barista's lack of experience; it is just as embarrassing to talk about now as it was then, but Myungsoo is much too focused on getting it all out to care. Continuing with his story, he moves onto the date doctor's ill-timed lesson, his expression turning darker as he gets closer to the worst part of it all.

"Nothing actually happened, but Woohyun and I were practically all over each other— and then Sungyeol showed up..." Hanging his head, Myungsoo leans against the counter, a humorless laugh ghosting past his lips. "You can probably guess what happened next."

Hoya can't say he has ever seen his best friend looking so defeated; he would hug him, but he's afraid that might make the boy cry. His sympathizing skills being a bit rusty, he settles for an awkward pat on the shoulder instead. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"I tried that night, but he didn't really believe anything I said and I don't blame him."

"Well, I think you should try again."

"No way." Myungsoo punctuates his refusal with a firm shake of his head. "You didn't see the way he looked at me; I'm pretty sure he hates me now."

Hoya may not have had a firsthand view of what happened, but he knows things aren't over between Myungsoo and Sungyeol. He truly believes they can still work it out. "There's no way Sungyeol hates you— he was just shocked. But now that he's had some time to calm down I'm sure he would be willing to at least listen to what you have to say."

"How do you know?" The younger boy counters, not yet convinced. Despite his skeptical tone, there is still a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Because I do," the older boy answers, an amused smile spreading on his face. He can tell the other boy is feeling a lot better and that's truly all he really wanted. But he isn't completely satisfied with their conversation; there is still one thing he needs to confirm. "You have to talk to Sungyeol. At least think about it, okay?"

Myungsoo only nods in response as he pushes himself away from the counter, giving his friend a grateful pat on the arm on his way to the back room. He is clearly still shaken up by everything that happened and will probably need more time to get his head straight. Hoya just hopes he doesn't take too long or he might miss his chance to make things right with Sungyeol.

~*~

Myungsoo spends the rest of his shift thinking about his conversation with Hoya and weighing the pros and cons of talking to Sungyeol. Although he really wants to clear up this misunderstanding, he isn't so sure the drummer will even want to hear anything he has to say. And while he is glad to have found a reason to see Sungyeol again, he's also scared that the older boy will give him that same look from that night. But despite his doubts, Hoya's words have planted a seed of hope in his heart; he is starting to believe he might actually be able to fix everything.

Hours later, Myungsoo steps out of the cafe, his mood noticeably brighter and the beginnings of a plan formulating in his mind. He's only taken a few steps when he spots Sungjong walking toward him with an intimidating amount of determination and he feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up as his feet stumble to a halt. It was only a matter of time before one of Sungyeol's friends came looking for him.

Sungjong seems happy to see him, though, a familiar smile on his face once he reaches him. Myungsoo can't tell if the other boy is very good at hiding his emotions or if he really doesn't know what happened. Either way, the barista feels he should proceed with caution.

"Uh, hi."

"Hey, Myungsoo. I'm glad I ran into you." It looks like he really means it too, much to the older boy's never-ending confusion. Sungjong's cheerful expression turns a bit anxious as he asks, "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure, ok." Stopping himself before he can find another way to agree, Myungsoo leads the younger boy back into the cafe. Thankfully, Hoya already left so he doesn't have to worry about any questions regarding his sudden return— although it would've been nice to have some support. He quickly takes a seat by the door, with Sungjong following suit, before urging him to speak.

"You probably already know why I'm here," the younger boy begins, a faint smile on his lips. "But it's about Sungyeol— he hasn't really been acting like himself lately. He's quiet and moody and every time we ask him what's wrong he just shuts down. I know you guys have been hanging out a lot so I thought you might know if anything happened."

Myungsoo is kind of starting to wish he hadn't agreed to talk to Sungjong; just hearing how messed up Sungyeol is over what he did is enough to make him want to run out of the cafe and never look back. But he can't. He's been avoiding this all week and now it's finally time he owned up to everything. Taking a deep breath, the barista boldly confesses, "This is all my fault."

The puzzled look on the other boy's face is proof enough that he isn't pretending he doesn't know. He seems genuinely oblivious which only makes Myungsoo feel guiltier.

"Did you two have a fight or something?"

"Well, not exactly..." There really is no delicate way to say it, but that doesn't mean he can't try. "It was more like he saw me kissing someone else."

Myungsoo can practically hear his heart pounding in the silence that follows as he watches Sungjong's reaction to that revelation. The boy is clearly stunned, his jaw nearly hitting the table and his already big eyes becoming even larger. Luckily, he doesn't seem angry, just baffled. "Okay, I'm gonna need an explanation because last time I checked the two of you were crazy about each other."

Although he is dying to know more about the last part of that statement, Myungsoo forces himself to focus on the explanation part; he can always circle back around to it once he's cleared everything up. Getting back to the subject at hand, the barista decides to just dive right into it. "Well, I guess you already know, but I've had a thing for Sungyeol for a pretty long time, but I was too scared to do anything about it." Myungsoo is finding it surprisingly easy to talk, his nerves no longer on edge now that he knows Sungjong isn't mad at him— well, not yet anyway. "So, my friend Hoya convinced me to talk to this guy— a date doctor— who said he could help me ask Sungyeol out. And he did. He's actually been helping me a lot, giving me advice and encouraging me."

"So how did you end up kissing him?"

"Yeah, about that..." Myungsoo can't help grimacing at the memory, his gaze sinking down to the table. He has been embarrassingly honest up until now, but this feels different; if he isn't careful he can say goodbye to any chance of talking to Sungyeol. Hoping his sincerity comes through, he insists, "We never kissed, I swear. He was giving me a few tips and Sungyeol just showed up at the wrong time. I would never hurt him on purpose."

Another round of silence passes as Sungjong mulls over his story, an unreadable expression plastered on his face. It isn't long before a warm smile takes its place and he says, “The two of you are such idiots.”

“Yeah, I know. If I had just told Sungyeol how I felt, none of this would’ve happened.” Myungsoo couldn’t agree more; his behavior has been nothing short of idiotic lately and he can’t blame anyone but himself. All of Sungjong’s words suddenly hit him and he forgets his humiliation for just a moment. “Wait— what do you mean ‘the two of you’?”

The younger boy barely tries to hide his snickering behind his hand, apparently finding a lot of humor in his confusion. “I mean, you’re both idiots because you like each other, but you refuse to actually do anything about it.” Realizing he may have come off a bit harshly, he softens his tone and continues, "Look, Myungsoo, I know you really care about Sungyeol and he cares about you too; I think that's why he's so upset right now. But I think that's also why you should talk to him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Although he's glad the other boy believes him, the barista can't say he feels the same about his suggestion.

Sungjong, on the other hand, is showing nothing but confidence in his words, nodding vigorously as his grin widens. "Of course. I know you guys can work it out." He leans forward just then, his eyes alight with an idea. "Alright, why don't you come down to the studio tomorrow? The guys and I will make sure Sungyeol is there and that he won't run away, so you can apologize and explain everything. Okay?"

Despite his doubts, Myungsoo finds himself agreeing. It can't be a coincidence that this is the second time he's gotten the same advice today; he wants to believe that this is a good sign of how things will go. And if what Sungjong said is true, then he really doesn't have anything to worry about.

~*~

After a day full of revelations, Myungsoo certainly has a lot to think about when he goes home that night. The most pressing issue being Sungyeol's feelings for him— or, more accurately, Hoya and Sungjong's insistence of said feelings. He figured Hoya was just saying it to cheer him up and perhaps motivate him enough to talk to Sungyeol. But hearing the same thing from Sungjong, one of the drummer's closest friends, has convinced him that there is still a chance for redemption.

Myungsoo is fairly confident in that chance when he sets off for the studio the next day. As hopeful as he is, though, his nerves still kick in once the building comes into view, his steps becoming less determined as he ventures closer. He reaches the door to the studio before he knows it, but he can't seem to make himself go inside.

"Myungsoo?"

A familiar voice speaks up just then, distracting him from his standoff with the door and the barista turns to find the last person he expected to see. "Woohyun? Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought I'd talk to Sungyeol— you know, try to clear up this whole mess," the date doctor replies with a shrug. He seems as cheerful as always despite the situation they've both fallen into.

It's that same situation that has Myungsoo a bit worried for the older man. Although he appreciates the effort, he is almost certain Sungyeol won't feel the same way; he doubts the drummer will even listen to anything Woohyun might say. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Probably not." Woohyun can only shrug again, fully aware of the futility of the task. "But this is all my fault, so I should try to fix it. I mean, you guys were doing great and then I just had to come in and mess it up. I'm so sorry, Myungsoo."

The date doctor seems to be taking it extremely personally, but Myungsoo can't, in good conscience, let him take all the blame. "Hey, this is just as much my fault as it is yours. If I wasn't such a coward I would've kissed Sungyeol a long time ago and we wouldn't be in this mess. I should be the one apologizing to you for being such a lousy student."

Scoffing at the younger boy's last words, Woohyun pulls him into a crushing hug before stepping back, the hands on the boy's shoulders keeping him at arms' length. "Don't say that— you were a great student. But I forgive you anyway."

"Thanks." Myungsoo can barely meet the older man's eyes now; he is suddenly realizing he missed Woohyun a lot more than he thought. Still, he manages to maintain eye contact long enough to say, "I forgive you too."

Woohyun is clearly pleased with their amicable resolution, a wide grin quickly spreading on his face as he slings an arm across the barista's shoulders and turns him to face the long-forgotten door. "Okay. Are you ready?"

"No," the younger boy answers honestly. He had been ready five minutes ago, but after running into the date doctor he completely forgot his original mission and his earlier confidence had also slipped away.

Woohyun's smile shrinks almost immediately, apparently not liking the other boy's response one bit. He jostles the barista's shoulder, as if trying to shake the negativity out if him, insisting, "It'll be fine, alright? Just tell him the truth. You can do this."

Whether it's the words or the man-handling, Myungsoo isn't sure, but somehow he feels less doubtful about this than he did before. He's already come this far and he doesn't think Woohyun will let him walk in any direction that isn't straight into the studio. Shooting the date doctor one last reassuring smile, he steps forward and opens the door. For a brief moment he considers asking Woohyun to come with him, but then thinks better of it; he wants Sungyeol to forgive him not punch him in the face.

The short journey through the lobby to the elevator feels more like an aimless trek across a scalding desert. He's already started sweating despite the cool air and his throat is beyond dry. Once he gets in the elevator he takes the few seconds he has to calm his racing nerves. Squeezing his eyes shut, he takes a few deep breaths; the air isn't the freshest, but his hands aren't shaking quite as much and his heart doesn't feel like it's about to burst out of his chest. This might be the closest Myungsoo has felt to being ready since he stepped into the building.

And then the doors open and his recently-stabilized heart drops into his stomach because standing in front of him is the boy he came to see. The pair are equally shocked, obviously not expecting to run into each other in an elevator of all places. They stand there for the longest time just staring at each other until the doors start to close and Sungyeol, brought back to reality, turns around and starts walking away.

Without a second thought, Myungsoo chases after him, barely catching up to him before he gets to the door of the studio. "Sungyeol, wait. Can we talk?"

"There's nothing left to talk about," the drummer says, his voice distant and his back still turned.

The younger boy expected that cold reaction, but it still stings and he feels even guiltier about what he did. He resists the urge to run away, as tempting as it is, and continues pleading his case. "I know you're probably still mad at me and I don't blame you, but I really want to explain everything. Even if it doesn't change how you feel, I just want you to know the truth."

Although Sungyeol doesn't say anything or even turn around, he doesn't walk away either. Myungsoo takes that as his cue to go on.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Now that he has finally said those words, Myungsoo feels like a huge weight has fallen off his shoulders. He isn't completely free just yet, though, there are still a few more things he has to unload. "I should've said this a long time ago, but I like you."

That manages to catch the drummer's attention as he finally turns to face the younger boy. But he doesn't look as happy about the confession as Myungsoo hoped he would, only surprised and maybe a little curious.

Myungsoo won't let that stop him, though; he just wants Sungyeol to forgive him, even if that means revealing every embarrassing detail of his attempts to woo the older boy. Hoping he sounds sincere, the barista insists, "I really, really like you, but I was too much of a coward to actually tell you or even ask you out. So I asked this guy, Woohyun, to help me at least talk to you. And then I did ask you out and I started thinking you might actually like me back— especially when you tried to kiss me." Myungsoo can't help smiling at the memory of that night, despite its less-than-stellar ending. His reminiscing ultimately leads him to the following night and what little joy he had left is out of him taking his smile with it. "I thought you would fall for me for sure if I made the first move, but I just made things worse and I nearly broke your nose. After that I was worried I might never get to kiss you without something going wrong. So, I asked Woohyun for some advice and that was it— we never kissed. We're just friends, I don't have any feelings for him."

Having said all he needed to, Myungsoo sighs, both relieved that it's over and frustrated that it came this far. He isn't sure if Sungyeol will believe any of it, but he hopes the older boy can find some truth in what he said. However, judging by the look on the drummer's face, that doesn't seem very likely; he's had the same blank expression for the past few minutes, despite all the unbelievable things Myungsoo has said.

Myungsoo has never felt so hopeless. This was obviously a mistake. He now realizes he took too long to try to fix their damaged relationship and it would probably be best if he just left. "I-I should go. I'm sorry I bothered you. If you never want to see or talk to me again, I totally understand. I'm sorry."

He's only just turned around when he feels a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from moving further as Sungyeol finally speaks: "Wait."

The younger boy doesn't know what to expect when he turns around, but it definitely isn't the drummer's hands on his face followed shortly by the other's lips on his. He is so shocked he barely has time to kiss him back before the older boy pulls away.

"What are you doing?" Myungsoo blurts, only vaguely aware of how rude he sounds. He didn't mean for it to come out like that, but he isn't really in his right mind right now.

Luckily, Sungyeol doesn't seem to be offended by his blunt question, that familiar dazzling smile finally finding its way to his face. If that wasn't enough to take the younger boy's breath away, the soft caress of Sungyeol's thumbs on his cheeks definitely does the job. The barista is sure he is moments away from asphyxiation as the older boy an eyebrow, replying almost questioningly, "Kissing you?"

"No, I know. I mean... Why?" Myungsoo manages to choke out. He's able to breathe a little easier when the drummer drops his hands back down to his sides, although he's also a tad disappointed at the loss of contact.

"Because I like you," Sungyeol simply states then, shrugging like it isn't actually a big deal. "And I believe you— even though I told myself I wouldn't, no matter what excuse you came up with."

Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Myungsoo studies the boy in front of him trying to figure out what exactly is going on. Five minutes ago he was sure Sungyeol hated him and now it looks like that was never the case at all; his oxygen-deprived brain is having a hard time coming to terms with that fact. It is that same skepticism that leads him to his next question. "So, you're not mad at me?"

Crossing his arms, the older boy leans his shoulder against the wall, his smile turning apologetic. "I was at first— well, not at you, mostly at myself. But I think, more than that, I was just disappointed. I mean, I met this really great guy and we were getting along really well. And then, just when I thought I could actually fall for him, I find him making out with some other guy. I felt like such an idiot."

"I'm sorry." Myungsoo doesn't know what else to say. He had felt pretty bad just imagining how Sungyeol felt, but now that he knows how much he hurt the older boy he's shocked he was even forgiven at all. He's too ashamed to even look him in the eye.

With his gaze focused on the ground, the barista is caught completely by surprise when Sungyeol reaches a hand out and grabs his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay; it was just a really big misunderstanding. But if it'll make you feel better I'm totally fine with letting you make it up to me."

Myungsoo drags his eyes away from their intertwined hands to find a teasing smirk on the other boy's face; he kind of expected it, but it's still ridiculously cute and brings a smile to his face nonetheless. Although it was said rather playfully, there is a hint of a challenge to the words and Myungsoo thinks he might be willing to accept it. Thinking back to his lesson with Woohyun, the barista takes a step closer as he places his free hand on Sungyeol's chest, right next to his heart. That gets a noticeable reaction from the drummer, his mouth falling open slightly as he straightens to his full height.

Normally, Myungsoo would be freaking out by now (actually, he is a little), but the added confidence of knowing they share the same feelings for each other has made him bolder than usual. He doesn't think twice about guiding his hand up the older boy's chest toward the back of his neck, slowly closing the space between them all the while. His plan doesn't quite work, however, as he only gets about fifty percent of the way there before Sungyeol surges the rest of the way and captures his lips in a kiss far more intense than the last one. But the younger boy isn't complaining. Now that he knows what it's like to kiss the other boy, he isn't sure if he will ever be able to stop. Feeling the drummer's arms wrap around his back, Myungsoo does the same with his free hand. A playful nip at his bottom lip has the barista grabbing a fistful of the boy's shirt and praying that his knees don't give out right then and there.

They finally part for air a moment later, but Myungsoo can't resist stealing a quick peck. It isn't his fault, though— Sungyeol has extremely kissable lips. It is just another reason why he is so enamored with the older boy and he figures now is a good time to tell him. Readjusting himself so his arms are hanging loosely around Sungyeol's neck, the younger boy presses their foreheads together, quietly confessing, "I like your lips."

The drummer's gives a soft chuckle, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down Myungsoo's spine. Pulling the boy closer, he breathes out a reply. "They seem to like you too."

Before Myungsoo can protest that cheesy line, Sungyeol's lips are on his again and suddenly he can't remember what he wanted to complain about. He's sure it wasn't that important, anyway.