CHAPTER 2

Day 24 (Friday)

Two weeks later, the Venice evening finds Hyukjae heading home, tired but feeling successful after another day working overtime.

He's gotten used to the amount of work by now, and Sungmin is happy since having Hyukjae stay late means the restaurant can stay open past its normal closing time. They're able to get a bit more late-evening business for a minimal amount of investment (Hyukjae is being paid, but St. J's is certainly making a profit compared to his salary). Hyukjae is sure this is a step in the right direction.

He's in an especially good mood this evening, not just because of the café’s changing fortunes but because he got his paycheck today. The paycheck, the amount that finally gives him just enough extra funds to afford the gondola ride that he's been working so hard for.

That good mood is what rejuvenated Hyukjae's work ethic for the evening, which is why he stayed later than usual. The rapidly setting sun as he left almost seemed to laugh at his foolishness, but he can't be bothered by the darkness or the slight chill. Not when he knows that he's about to experience the brightest part of the city again in...well, maybe he'll go tomorrow? Or maybe he should save it as a treat for in a few days. But hasn't he waited long enough?

Hyukjae is so busy thinking about the possibilities that his attention wavers from the road in front of him. He only snaps back to reality when a man steps in front of him, aggressively moving closer.

“Smettere di camminare, germoglio!” the man says in gruff Italian. Hyukjae takes wary steps back as the man takes another step forward.

“Please, I don't want any trouble,” Hyukjae insists. It's in English, which he's not sure the man will even understand, but the Italian for “Leave me alone!” isn't a phrase he'd thought to learn.

The plea goes entirely disregarded. If anything, the man starts walking even faster with even more aggressive foreign sentences thrown Hyukjae's way. Wariness starts to morph into fear, and Hyukjae doesn't think twice before turning to run the opposite way, but his progress is halted. There's another man. Another man that's been sneaking up on him all this time, one who tackles Hyukjae and pins him to the ground before he can register the pain of his back hitting the cobblestone.

Hyukjae opens his mouth to yell for help, but something glints in his line of vision, and he goes immediately silent and rigid. A knife. There's a knife held in his direction. He feels his wallet being yanked from his pocket, but he doesn't dare do anything more than curl up to protect himself and pray to every deity imaginable under his breath.

The thugs don't stay long. Hyukjae hears the sound of their retreating footsteps on the pavement, but it takes him a few more moments of shaking on the ground before he musters the courage to get back up. His wallet is lying spread on the ground next to him, and he shoves it back into his pocket before he all but sprints back to his apartment.

The door slams shut behind him, followed by the sound of Hyukjae fumbling to engage all three locks. Chest still heaving, he gingerly opens his wallet to assess the damage...and sees that every single bill he's worked so hard to earn this week is now gone.

Shock grips him tight for a long moment, to the point that he can hardly breathe. And then he breaks down.

It’s not at all like the episode he had at St. J’s all those days ago; those tears were ones of shame and disappointment. The sobs that grip Hyukjae now are born from fear at how close he came to death yet again, from the gaping emptiness he feels at having his success ripped away from him at the moment of victory.

Hyukjae isn’t upset because of the money itself. No, as unfair as it was for someone to steal the fruits of his labor, that’s not the reason he feels like everything has fallen apart.

It's because he won't get to see Donghae again.

~*~

Day 27 (Monday)

When Hyukjae goes into St. J's the next Monday, the enthusiasm that he had before is nowhere to be found. Instead of finding the hard work rewarding, marveling at how far his abilities have come along, he finds himself utterly emotionally drained.

He must be even more off his game than he thinks, because it's not long after the beginning of his shift when Sungmin comes into the kitchen, giving Siwon a short break after they exchange a few whispered words.

“So,” Sungmin asks him, straight to the point. “What's bothering you? Anything you want to talk about?”

“No, there's nothing like that,” Hyukjae lies. “I'm just...tired. Didn't get enough sleep last night.”

Sungmin is having none of it. “Hyukjae, I'm serious. Just because you work under me doesn't mean I don't care about what's happening with you. You can tell me if something's wrong.”

Things have certainly changed around here, haven't they?

Touched, Hyukjae can't help but open up.

“Okay, this might sound crazy, but hear me out,” he says. “After my first day in Venice that turned out to be all kinds of horrible, there was this gondolier who literally saved my life. I won't get into what happened because it's embarrassing, but he –Donghae– and I got close, and I used the rest of my extra funds to pay for a gondola ride. It seems stupid, but that ride meant everything to me. I had two things back that I haven't had in a long time: my inspiration, as well as a friend. I was determined to work as hard as I could to save up enough money to do it again.”

Hyukjae halts in the middle of the story, thinking that he's revealed too much, but the intent expression on the other man's face encourages him to continue.

“Friday night when I was walking home, just after saving enough, I wasn't paying enough attention. I got cornered by two thugs who robbed me blind and who I thought for sure were going to finish me off. All that hard work just...gone.”

“If they took everything...” Sungmin is immediately more concerned. “I'm not trying to pry, but are you still able to pay your rent? If they threaten to evict you, maybe I can try to convince Kyuhyun to let you take the extra room in his apartment.”

“No, I've got it covered,” Hyukjae tells him with a sad shrug of his shoulders. “I'm using the money I've saved up so far for the gondola to cover rent and groceries for this week. I'll just have to start over again with saving, but that's why I'm grateful that you let me work overtime for extra pay. I'll make it up.”

Sungmin is silent for a long moment, seemingly unsure of what to say. “I'm sorry for what happened, and I hope things turn around for you,” he finally says, and then he leaves Hyukjae to continue miserably stirring his cream sauce.

When it gets to the end of his regular shift, Hyukjae goes to ask Sungmin for the keys so that he can lock up. He says that he'll start working his extra time, as usual, but then his normal routine suddenly goes off the rails.

“You can't work anymore tonight,” Sungmin tells him.

The betrayal hits Hyukjae like a punch to the gut. After all the personal things he'd shared with Sungmin, after the trust he'd placed in him...this?

“I thought you understood why–” Hyukjae starts to protest, but the other man cuts him off with a firm hand on his shoulder.

“You can't work anymore tonight,” Sungmin repeats, “because I believe you have a ticket for a gondola ride.”

Before Hyukjae can ask what the hell he's talking about, Sungmin presses a rubber-banded wad of bills into his hands. Hyukjae accepts it even before the full weight of the money hits him, hardly believing it's real. He stares at it like it will disappear at any moment.

“Siwon and I put together some money so that you can go see your favorite gondolier. Think of it as our way of saying thank you for your hard work, as well as a way to get you back to normal so you can do St. J's justice. We can't have our beam of optimism turning into a storm cloud now, can we?”

Hyukjae nearly gets down on his knees to bow, but stops himself just in time with the thought that it would probably be embarrassing for both of them. Still, it doesn't change just how eternally grateful he is. He inclines his head with a sincere “Thank you so much,” before adding, “I'll go right after work tomorrow.”

So you can emotionally prepare yourself, huh? his thoughts mock him, but he pushes them aside.

Sungmin shakes his head, immediately shutting Hyukjae down. “Not a chance. You're going tonight so that you can't chicken out.”

“But, Sungmin–”

“I mean it. From what I know about you, Hyukjae, if you push it off once, you'll want to keep pushing it off until you think you deserve it. You've earned this; tonight's just as good as any other night.”

Hyukjae can't argue with that logic.

“Fine,” he relents before he can change his mind. “I'll go tonight, but only as a favor to you.”

And so his fate is sealed. Hyukjae leaves with one last 'thank you' to Sungmin, nervous for reasons he can't place, and begins the route down the cobblestone pathways that he's beginning to know by heart.

~*~

The docks look exactly like Hyukjae remembers. Even just the familiar surroundings stir something deep in his gut, and a peaceful feeling settles over his body. This is where he's meant to be.

He heads toward the spot that he knows is Donghae's, eyebrows furrowing when he finds the familiar boat floating there but short of its owner. Just as he begins to second-guess his memory, a voice behind him gets his attention.

“Hyukjae!”

He turns around to see Donghae walking his way, a surprised smile on his face. That smile immediately makes Hyukjae's world feel a little brighter, and he tells himself to stop being ridiculous when his heart picks up, getting ahead of itself at the thought of the excitement that awaits him.

It's been far too long.

“I wasn't sure if I'd get to see you again,” Donghae admits. “After a few weeks went by, I figured you weren't coming back because you'd gotten sick of me.”

“Sick of you? Never,” Hyukjae teases him before he can stop himself, reveling in the victory of the toothy grin he gets in return.

The second Hyukjae sets foot on the gondola, everything feels like it's fallen into place again.

When they're far enough out, Donghae lets them drift, setting his oar across the gondola and squatting down to Hyukjae's level. “So,” Donghae asks, “I've been curious for a while, but now I have to ask: why did someone who can hardly speak Italian come to live in Italy?”

“To be honest? Escape,” Hyukjae admits. For whatever reason, he feels safe here revealing his heart. “I'd learned to live without my parents' acceptance of me becoming an author. But I couldn't live with the repeated cycle of failure and ridicule; it wore me down to the point that I sometimes got close to giving up entirely, bowing to my parents' dreams instead of mine. And that was before the breaking point.”

Hyukjae almost ends it there, but when he sees Donghae looking at him with concern, asking quietly, “What happened?” he gathers his courage and continues.

“There was...a girl. I thought I loved her. We were together for nearly two years until I learned that she didn't feel the same way. She'd been using me, biding her time before turning everything around and making me look like a monster while she came out looking like a saint. I suppose I should have seen it coming, considering I knew from the start that she was out of my league, but...the lies she spread about me? All my friends turning their backs when I needed them the most? Not even I could have seen that. I needed a fresh start, and that's what I came to Venice for: starting over.”

Donghae doesn't judge him, not once. “And have things turned around?”

“That's a matter of perspective, I guess.” Hyukjae manages a half-smile. “My first day here was a series of disasters that ended up dumping me into the Grand Canal –which I can never thank you enough for saving me from, I should add– but things seemed like they were getting better...except for Friday night when I got mugged and lost my last paycheck. It could have been worse; I'm still alive, and my coworkers pooled money for me to be able to come here tonight. So maybe my luck really has turned around.”

“Hyukjae, you...” For the first time since they've met, Donghae seems at a loss for words. “I don't know what to say. Don't take this the wrong way, but why go through so much to come back again?”'

“Oh. Umm, because I really love gondola rides. Being an aspiring author means I have to get inspiration, you know, and this is the best way I've found to do it.”

Because I wanted to see you again, Hyukjae's brain supplies in place of the flimsy excuse. The thought is quickly shooed away.

Donghae laughs, sounding amused enough that Hyukjae suspects he's been seen right through, but doesn't say anything more about it.

There's something special about today's ride. While it's just as beautiful and as peaceful as the previous ones, there's something about the circumstances that led to it that make the experience seem like the result of Fate – like Hyukjae is finally on the right path to whatever his destination is supposed to be. The breeze that makes ripples in the water whispers for him, the setting sun's beams shine across the water to light his way. He's never felt happier.

And maybe Hyukjae isn't the only one who feels it, because Donghae turns to him immediately after they dock, looking almost shy.

“You know, Hyukjae,” Donghae tells him, “you don't need to save up for so long if you want to hang out again. We can get together in the piazza a few blocks north of the dock. I don't have work on weekends, so maybe this Saturday?” A teasing grin makes its way onto his face. “Unless you actually were just here for the gondola ride, that is.”

I really am that transparent, aren't I?

Even before Hyukjae is done agreeing, he already can't wait until Saturday.

There's a certain thrill to the unexpected change of schedule, to the anticipation of it all. That feeling follows Hyukjae all the way back home, running up his spine and accumulating in the back of his head until he has to let it all out: the tangle of emotions twisted in his gut, the sheer beauty of the city encapsulated in that single gondola ride, and the hovering sense of Fate around it all.

Pages fly off the desk as Hyukjae writes and writes. Flashes of memory are translated into of graphite across paper, and he's in such a frenzy that the clock is the last thing on his mind. It's 3 in the morning by the time that Hyukjae practically collapses, half-sprawled across his desk and inspiration finally spent.

It's the best night's sleep he's had in years.

~*~

Day 28 (Tuesday)

When Hyukjae shows up for work the next day, he looks like a walking train wreck. The dangerous levels of caffeine keeping him conscious hadn't exactly prioritized his appearance that morning, which explains the messy excuse for a hairstyle on top of his head, the bloodshot eyes, and the hastily thrown-on clothes that almost-but-don't-quite match.

He goes directly through the front door to a mildly-alarmed Sungmin and Siwon, still clutching a few pages from his hurricane of inspiration the previous night, and tells them in an excited rush, “I know what we can do to save the restaurant!”

Sungmin's interest is visibly piqued, now more excited than worried for Hyukjae's mental state.

“Go on,” he prompts.

“Okay, hear me out on this, but I was hit with an idea yesterday: poetry night.” At the blank stares he receives, Hyukjae backpedals. “It sounds stupid, I know, but think: if we hosted it on certain days of the week, we could distinguish St. J's from other restaurants. Any of us or any customers who wanted to could read something out loud, as long as they checked in with us beforehand, and it would make us the place to be. It's worth a shot, isn't it?”

Sungmin and Siwon share a look, the latter shrugging his shoulders as if to say, 'I don't see why not'.

“We can do a trial run of it next Wednesday,” Sungmin agrees, much to Hyukjae's delight. “But, I do have to ask...what exactly has you so inspired all of a sudden? It wouldn't be your date, would it?” He's sporting a grin like the cat that caught the canary.

“Well that's just...no. No!” Hyukjae's face flames as he clutches the crumpled pages protectively to his chest. “I had an amazing time, but you're getting the wrong idea!”

“Of course we are,” Siwon tells him, barely containing his laughter. “But if you need a best man for your wedding, just let us–”

Hyukjae gives him a good-natured shove before the other man can finish, heading toward the back of the restaurant. When the mocking persists, he sticks his fingers in his ears and loudly rambles about “delusional bystanders who are entirely misconstruing the situation” before popping into the kitchen. As he ties the apron around his waist, Hyukjae can't help but shake his head at the thought of what Sungmin and Siwon are implying. But he still can't hide the excited smile on his face for an entirely different reason.

He's sure of it: next Wednesday is going to be the beginning of a new era at St. J's.

~*~

Day 33 (Saturday)

Saturday morning finds Hyukjae slowly waking up to start the day, dragging his feet as he shuffles through the motions.

As he lazily brushes his teeth, however, something bothers him. There's a feeling swimming somewhere in the back of his mind, some vague recollection of an obligation...

LEE HYUKJAE, YOU IDIOT.

Of course he has an obligation: he'd promised to spend the day with Donghae today, which means he needs to leave for the piazza by...

Hyukjae nearly chokes on his toothpaste when he sees the time, a frenzy of uncoordinated limbs as he finishes brushing and tries to pick out something decent to wear, while simultaneously doing his best to tame the tragic bedhead staring back at him in the mirror.

He sprints through the city to Piazza San Marco, feet pounding to the steady rhythm of I'm late, I'm late, I'm so late. Which would have been effective, too, except he’s so focused on making it there that he forgets to pay attention to where he’s going. Just as he reaches the piazza, Hyukjae runs smack into some unlucky soul who chooses that moment to step in front of him.

He nearly falls over, but the stranger catches him just in time, and...no, 'stranger' is definitely not the right word. Hyukjae would recognize this face anywhere.

“Thanks for the rescue,” Hyukjae says, not missing the irony.

Donghae matches his grin, helping him regain his footing. “I feel like we’ve had this talk before, haven't we? Don't worry; today is going to be a significant step up from that night. Today I'm going to show you the fun side of Venice.” He motions to the backpack slung over his shoulders. “And even better, I came prepared. Let's go!”

He takes Hyukjae's hand before the other can even register the words, pulling him along deeper into the city. And so it begins.

Seeing Donghae's Venice is like seeing the city with entirely new eyes. Donghae makes sure to inject his own commentary into the list of sights they see, from the Basilica di San Marco (“The first stone for the basilica was put down in 800, and it's still the most beautiful place here.”), to the Doge’s Palace (“Trust me, we could spend the whole day here if we go inside. Best to see the Bridge of Sighs from here, instead.”), to the Rialto Market (“Don't touch any of the produce unless you want to be chased off the island.”). By the time the sun is directly overhead, Hyukjae feels like he knows a good part of the city like the back of his hand.

They're about to head to the next destination on the list when Hyukjae's stomach audibly grumbles, making Donghae laugh at the sudden sound.

“Come on, I'll take you to my favorite sandwich place,” he says once he has his amusement under control, and they're off again.

It's clear once they get there why this restaurant is Donghae's favorite. The window display alone draws Hyukjae in like a moth to a flame, and inside there are even more options set out across the counters. After a solid few minutes of narrowing down what he wants, he finally settles on a ham and Swiss cheese panini, but when he reaches for his wallet he sees Donghae already buying for both of them.

“You didn't have to pay for me, you know,” Hyukjae tells him as they wander down the narrow side road, but Donghae is having none of it.

“My idea, my treat. Don't worry about it. We just need to find...ah, here we are.”

Donghae makes a sharp left, and Hyukjae follows him, somewhat confused. But when he lays eyes on their destination, he nearly drops his sandwich.

They're in a tucked-away courtyard, small but beautiful. A metallic blue sculpture stands in the middle surrounded by stone benches, but most striking are the smaller sculptures on all four sides of the space, making it seem like some sort of secret oasis. And maybe it is: there's not another soul here to share the hidden beauty with them.

They sit and enjoy their sandwiches, along with the water that Donghae so cleverly packed in his backpack. Hyukjae admires the sculpture in front of him as he eats: a wireframe masterpiece depicting that iconic image of Abbey Road. It's like he's found the artistic center of Venice, and he absolutely loves it.

When the two of them finish eating, Hyukjae expects them to go, but Donghae pulls a camera out of his backpack and tells him that they need a photo-op to remember this day. Hyukjae copies him as he kneels by a colorful sculpture on the other side of the courtyard, one that has patterned, multicolored shapes twisted to spell out the word 'Love'. There's a click as Donghae's phone captures the moment, and Hyukjae's stomach does this weird flutter that he mostly ignores.

Content and satiated, they leave the courtyard soon after the picture. Donghae brings them back to Piazza San Marco, and though Hyukjae doesn't know what to expect when the other man pulls a rubber-banded bag of birdseed out of his backpack, he doesn't need to wait long to find out. With pure glee in his expression, Donghae cheerfully informs him that this is his number one method to getting rid of tourists who choose to be a nuisance for everyone else in the piazza; his plan becomes abundantly clear after he quietly drops a handful of the birdseed near a group of particularly rude visitors. Hyukjae can't help but join in on Donghae's infectious laughter as a flock of pigeons swarms the area and throws the group into a state of chaos.

They escape the scene of the crime soon after, picking out a spot to sit on the peripheral of the piazza. It's close enough that they can enjoy watching the hustle and bustle of the crowds, but still far from the insanity in San Marco’s heart. Donghae insists on buying each of them raspberry gelato from a nearby alleyway shop (“You know, how have I worked at an Italian restaurant for a month and never had gelato?” Hyukjae muses), and they sit and watch as tour groups gape at the architecture surrounding them, as a puppy chases its owner through a different flock of startled pigeons, as the city's heartbeat thrums with a deep, steady rhythm.

At the end of it all, when the sunlight starts to fade, Hyukjae turns to Donghae with mixed feelings, still riding the high of today's experience but not wanting it to end.

“Thank you,” he says quietly, “I mean it. This was amazing. Do you think...maybe we could do this again sometime? If you're not too busy, that is.”

Donghae lights up at the words. “Anytime, Hyukjae,” he says. “I had a great day, too. But I also like when I can take you out on the gondola, even though I know you can't do that as often.” He wrinkles his nose in thought for a moment before he continues. “If you'd like, I can give you a ride after my working hours. It's not technically allowed, but no one's ever noticed before.”

“Don't tell me...that's what you were up to the night that you pulled me out of the canal? I always wondered what you were doing out on the water so late.”

“You caught me.” A lopsided grin. “But I don't do this for all of my customers, if that's what you're thinking. Interested?”

“That would be amazing,” Hyukjae says earnestly. He's not sure why he has the sudden urge to hug Donghae goodbye, but before he can do something embarrassing, the other man is already waving his farewell. Is it ridiculous for Hyukjae to say that he already can't wait until the next time they meet? It's the first thought that pops into his head after they part ways.

He gets back to his house around sunset, and is immediately drawn to the hurricane of crinkled papers and half-scrawled ideas still strewn across his desk. The burst of inspiration that's been building up over the span of the day focuses his mind, moves his hand with purpose as he refines those ideas into a poem that pours his heart onto the page.

For a first draft, it exceeds all of Hyukjae's expectations. He smiles at the opening lines as he begins to re-read the poem in full.

“Then suddenly a lighthouse,” he murmurs under his breath, halfway down the page, “a morning star to chase away...all the doubt and all the demons, a new dawn on...”

Wait a second.

This isn't written about some abstract set of events. How is he just noticing it now, after he's written the whole piece out? This stanza –no, this entire poem– is about a person, not just an experience. And the imagery that he's chosen makes it sounds like...

When he's scanned over the rest, Hyukjae sits back in his chair, thoughts spinning so rapidly in his head that he feels dizzy. The pencil falls from his hand with a quiet clack!, and the sound coincides with a final moment of clarity, a moment when he realizes what he should have noticed for a long while now.

He's falling in love.

The things Hyukjae has accomplished –his renewed inspiration, a happiness he hasn't felt in years– haven't been because of the gondola rides themselves or the sights of the city. No, he sees now that it was childish to attribute the changes to something so simple. He's happy precisely because he's gone through this metamorphosis with Donghae, the one he's come to care so much for.

(And the racing in his chest? The sense of belonging? These things certainly haven’t just been a reaction to Venice.)

He sits there for a few more silent moments, staring blankly at the wall until he lets everything out in a single pronounced syllable to the empty room.

“Oh.”

~*~

Day 37 (Wednesday)

It's the trial run of Poetry Night at St. J's, and Hyukjae couldn't be any more nervous.

They've been posting flyers around town throughout the week in any place that someone has a chance of seeing them, which seems to have worked out well: a small crowd has showed up to see what all the fuss has been about. It's great, Hyukjae knows in his heart, and it's what he wanted to come of his idea, but...the crowd admittedly makes him nervous because this is really happening.

A makeshift stage has been set up in the back of the restaurant, with the tables arranged so that all places will have a clear view of whoever stands there. Right now, that view is of Sungmin, who steps onto the stage and taps the microphone that Siwon wired yesterday evening.

“Welcome to St. J's,” Sungmin says in accented English, before switching back to the Italian he's more comfortable in. “Thank you for coming; we're excited to see how many of you were interested in our event. I don't want to waste too much time on introductions, so without any more formalities, here's the first of our selected customers here to present her work.”

The woman –a tourist, Hyukjae guesses– steps on to the stage and starts reciting in English, and Hyukjae is pleasantly surprised that tonight’s 'amateur talent' is starting off on a good note. He's fully engaged in the words flowing from onstage when someone taps him on the shoulder and breaks his concentration.

“Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?” the man asks, and Hyukjae turns around to see Cho Kyuhyun smirking at him.

He'd really only met Kyuhyun earlier that evening. Sungmin and Siwon had both mentioned him before, of course, as a friend who worked part-time on the weekends, but he'd been called in tonight to take some of the pressure off the other multitasking employees. Sungmin had hoped it would be good luck, that having an extra worker on hand would mean they'd be busy enough to need extra help, and it seems to have worked. That being said, just because Hyukjae appreciates Kyuhyun's help doesn’t mean that he necessarily appreciates his sense of humor.

With a good-natured (but entirely sarcastic) roll of his eyes, Hyukjae heads back toward the kitchen to join Siwon in preparing the meals for tonight's event. But he doesn't get very far; the moment he steps through the door and meets the head cook’s eyes, Siwon starts to shoo him out.

“Go enjoy the night, Hyukjae,” Siwon tells him. “It was your idea, after all, so I think you deserve to take a break.”

“But I don't want you having to make–”

“That's an order. And I'm not making everything by myself; Kyuhyun's here to help, and Sungmin can help when he's not too busy. Besides, shouldn't you be practicing your own poem?”

Hyukjae feels a nervous flicker in his gut at the thought, which must not go unnoticed, because Siwon quickly changes his tone.

“Come on, don't be nervous,” he says sincerely. “I'm sure you'll do great. And I know English well enough to translate it for Sungmin so he can enjoy it, too, alright?”

“Thanks, Siwon.” Hyukjae can't help but crack a smile at the other man's words. Before he can second-guess himself, he steps back outside.

One Italian customer is just finishing, and Hyukjae catches the final stanza of his piece, along with the smattering of applause that follows. From where he takes up a spot leaning against the wall, Hyukjae watches as one more person presents in English, enjoying himself immensely. Siwon was right; this is good for him to experience, to see how his brainchild is materializing. The enjoyment on the faces of the audience members is more than enough of a reward.

And then, much to Hyukjae's surprise, Kyuhyun steps onto the stage.

The poem he presents is much less of a shock. In theatric Italian, Kyuhyun begins to recite an angst-ridden, 'everyone is going to die' piece that Hyukjae thinks both suits him and is incredibly too melodramatic. Still, the audience swoons over it, and he's happy that his fellow employee was willing and able to participate. He claps along with the rest of the crowd with genuine praise.

Kyuhyun bows to the applause he receives, passing Sungmin on his way back off the stage with an accomplished high-five.

“And now,” Sungmin introduces, “for our final participant. This next person is the one who made all of tonight possible. It's my pleasure to introduce St. J's very own Hyukjae Lee.”

Already? Hyukjae pales the moment his name is announced. He was so busy enjoying the night that he forgot to mentally prepare himself, leaving him frozen in place with nerves. Sungmin meets his eyes from the stage, giving him a concerned look, but Hyukjae can't make his legs move until hands shove him forward and snap him out of it. Hyukjae catches a glance of Siwon when he looks over his shoulder, the other man apparently having come out of the kitchen to watch.

No pressure or anything, huh?

Hyukjae adjusts the microphone, clears his throat, takes a deep breath. And he starts to read.

“A scared, hopeless runaway

searching for a home.

Who craves a place to start again,

but ends up more alone.

Expressions closed like doors,

and words like sharpened swords.

A bent and broken castaway

washed up on hostile shores.

Then suddenly a lighthouse,

a morning star to chase away

All the doubt and all the demons,

a new dawn on a new day.

Now the weeks don't feel so long,

every hour precious time.

Fate may have leant a helping hand,

but it was you who made me shine.”

Even as he's stepping away from the microphone with a sincere “thank you,” the assembled crowd breaks into a round of raucous applause. It pulls Hyukjae back to reality from the poetic trance he'd been under, and he has to take it in for a few moments before he believes it: acceptance. Encouragement.

They...they really liked it. They're clapping for me.

Hyukjae blinks back the happiness that threatens to overflow from his body, simply allowing the cheers to fill his body as he takes a bow.

It's a moment he never allows himself to forget.

~*~

That night, Hyukjae goes to see Donghae again for his second unauthorized ride, practically skipping down the familiar path. It's hard not to, with the memories of this evening's resounding success. Not only had today been one of St. J's most successful nights to date, but Sungmin had agreed to make Wednesday Poetry Nights the new tradition. Hyukjae is already running through lists of ideas and lines for his poem next week.

When he shows up to the dock, however, Donghae isn't alone.

Hyukjae's first thought is that they've been found out, that Donghae has finally been caught for breaking the rules. Hoping he can somehow salvage the gondolier’s reputation, he turns to go, but Donghae calls him over before he can leave.

“Hyukjae, this is Matteo,” Donghae introduces, motioning to the vaguely familiar gondolier standing beside him. “I know you've seen each other before, but you've never officially met. It just so happens that with a little convincing, Matteo volunteered to row for both of us tonight so I can finally give my arms a rest. That sound alright with you?”

Hyukjae can't say he's entirely on board with the idea, especially after the blank stare he receives from Matteo, but he trusts Donghae's judgement.

“If you think it's a good idea, sure.”

“Le cose che facciamo per amore...” Matteo mutters, but Donghae cheerfully elbows him in the gut and they get into the boat.

It's different with Donghae sitting across from him in the seats rather than rowing on the back of the boat, but Hyukjae likes it. It's more personal this way, despite the third person involved in their ritual. Though, now that he thinks about it, Hyukjae can't help but feel self-conscious about talking when Matteo is right within earshot. He stays quiet until Donghae notices something's off and eases his concerns.

“Trust me, Matteo knows literally zero Korean; he never thought it was useful enough to learn. You can talk about anything you want and I'll be the only one to understand you.”

The tension leaves Hyukjae's muscles at once. “Well, in that case,” he says, much more comfortable, “There is something I wanted to tell you about. I haven't entirely broken out of my creative slump, but I did get to read my poetry for a lot of people tonight. The response was...wow, I still can't believe that they liked it that much. It was nice to finally get that positive reinforcement, you know? Makes it seem like I'm doing the right thing after all.”

Makes it seem like my life was meant to turn around from the moment I met you.

“That's amazing, Hyukjae!” The smile Donghae gives him practically glows. “It's about time that people start realizing what they've been missing out on the whole time you've been here in Venice. Just don't forget about me when you're rich and famous, alright?”

Before Hyukjae can insist how that's one thing Donghae never has to worry about, the other man suddenly sits up in his seat. “You know what we need? Something special to celebrate your success. I say we pull out all the stops and treat you to a classic gondola serenade.” He turns around to Matteo, asking, “Possiamo avere una canzone?”

Matteo looks unimpressed. “Devi pagare me più a cantare.”

“Veramente? Per me?”

This time, the other man snorts before he starts to sing in a deep, ringing tenor, and Donghae turns back to Hyukjae with a satisfied smile on his face.

The feeling of the gondola ride is different this time still. It's an unexpectedly perfect combination between the close proximity to Donghae and the practiced vocals in the background, and maybe just a little bit due to the fact that this is the first time Hyukjae has gone on one of these rides understanding the state that his heart is in. The feeling nearly overwhelms him, and Hyukjae thinks that if he fell out of the boat and drowned right this instant, he could die a happy man.

A perfect end to a perfect night.

~*~

Day 44 (Wednesday)

Hyukjae thought that the crowd at the opening Poetry Night was the most people St. J's would ever host at once, but the second Wednesday proves him wrong.

It feels like the whole of Venice is here in the restaurant with how crowded it is, to the point that Sungmin has to pull out the extra chairs that they've kept hidden in a storage closet for years. Where did all these people come from? How did they know about tonight's event? Hyukjae can't hide his surprise when each new group packs into the space.

“What exactly did you do for this many people to show up? Better advertising?” he asks Sungmin as he scans the crowd, but the question just brings a smile to the other man's face.

“You didn't know? St. J's is getting a little famous now, but it's not because of anything Siwon and I have been up to. These people are here because they want to see you.”

A warm feeling blossoms in Hyukjae's chest, going off like fireworks.

“Blow them away,” Sungmin tells him, and he heads toward the stage, leaving Hyukjae standing there somewhere between elated and shocked.

He watches almost as in a trance as a new lineup of customers recite their carefully crafted poems, doesn't even have the right state of mind to be amused by Kyuhyun's new nihilistic piece that the rest of the crowd fawns over. It's like he's trapped in a tunnel; his mind vaguely processes that things are happening around him, but all too quickly he's gone from having a comfortable amount of leeway for preparing himself to it suddenly being time for the final performance. For Hyukjae.

But the cheers that sound as he takes the stage immediately wash his nerves away. He feels at peace when he starts the spoken introduction to his newest poem, slipping back into English with ease.

“This was written after spending a lot of time with the person I've realized I'm in love with. There's no one I'm happier around, no one else who's been able to inspire me in the same way. I'm not sure when I'll be able to confess, or if this person even feels the same way, but...this is me getting my thoughts sorted out. Thank you.”

Just like we practiced, he tells himself. And he begins.

“When the whole world turned its back,

you alone reached out to me.

You were my port, my anchor

when I was lost at sea.

I've kept my feelings tempered,

denied myself so carelessly.

But I've found that by your side

is where I'm mean to be.”

He looks up from the paper in his hands for no longer than an instant, and he falters.

It's not because of any stage fright, any sudden stumble in his memory, any disapproving looks in the crowd. It's because there's someone standing there, looking up at him from the back of the room, that temporarily takes Hyukjae's breath away.

Donghae.

Just as quickly as the words die in his throat, Hyukjae feels himself freeze up. He wills his body to move, to get lost again in the flow of the words, but it's as if he's forgotten how to do something that's become as easy as breathing.

When he regains control of his limbs, Hyukjae's first instinct is to run off the stage, and he gets this close to turning tail...but that's when he catches Donghae's eye for the second time that evening. And the silent encouragement that the other man conveys to the stage with nothing more than a single nod.

I can do this. I believe in myself, and so does he. Relax, breathe, and...

“They say the city's sinking,

that's alright, I'm falling, too.

Before I didn't believe in love,

these two months changed my view.”

He doesn't glance once at the paper. No, he's rehearsed this confession enough times to have it memorized by heart. He looks straight into Donghae's eyes as he reads the final few stanzas.

“And if we should part ways,

Venezia fades into the Blue...

I hope these calm jade waters

will bring me back to you.”

A rousing round of applause follows the words, along with more than a few teary eyes in the audience. But Hyukjae still can't look away from Donghae and his soft, understanding smile until the crowd surges forward and breaks his gaze.

“Thank you,” they tell him in many languages. “Grazie. Nos encantó su poema. Serez-vous la semaine prochaine? わたしは、あなたを愛しています!” and Hyukjae thanks them in return the best that he can. The conversations go by in a rush, blurring together in a tangle of faces and colors, until at last the crowd files out of the restaurant and leaves no one behind aside from the group of satisfied employees. And, walking toward Hyukjae from the back of a suddenly quiet St. J's, Donghae.

Hyukjae wants nothing more than to spew out the words that are nearly bursting from his chest, but...

Kyuhyun is the first to catch his eye, something immediately clicking in his face before he turns to the others.

“Wow, would you look at how late it is? I say it's time for all of us to head out; Hyukjae can revel in his victory for a little while longer before he locks the place up.”

With a rather aggressive tug on the others' shirtsleeves, he leads them out, leaving Hyukjae and Donghae alone in the acute quiet of the restaurant.

“So...you know where I work?” Hyukjae asks before the silence can get any heavier, probably sounding more accusatory than he means to. Seeing Donghae here isn't an unpleasant surprise, despite his reaction earlier...but it also means Donghae had heard the words intended for him at a different moment, in a different circumstance. The situation has Hyukjae's world spinning off its axis.

What he doesn't expect is for Donghae to reach into his pocket before giving an answer, pulling out a folded-up piece of paper. He opens it up and smooths out the creases with careful hands, and that's when Hyukjae recognizes the bright blue printing that matches the wallpaper adorning St. J's walls. A flyer.

“You dropped hints occasionally during our time together, even if they were on accident. After you told me about your poetry, and after I saw these hanging around the city, I made the connection. But I couldn’t be sure if my hunch was right until I came to see for myself.”

By now, it shouldn't surprise him, but Hyukjae still finds himself touched by how intently Donghae had been paying attention to his words. It would have been nice enough to have found someone to listen to his rambling and ranting, but for someone to remember? For someone to be able to go back and connect the dots? He's even luckier than he thought. And on that note...

“Did you, um, like the poem?” Hyukjae asks him, even more nervous than he was before he stepped on stage.

“My English is a little rusty, so I might have to ask you to repeat some of it again...”

Hyukjae starts to wish the floor would swallow him up before Donghae steps forward, the teasing expression on the other man's face making him realize it was a joke.

“Of course I liked it,” Donghae tells him. “How could I not? My only note would be about your introduction; I don't see why the confusion was if I was interested in you. I thought it was fairly obvious that I've been dropping hints during our entire time together. Don't you remember our first meeting? What I told you before you left? Hai dei bellissimi occhi. You have–”

“Beautiful eyes,” Hyukjae finishes for him, the memory doing distressing things to his heart. But something occurs to him, and he can't help but point out, mock suspicious, “And that gondola ride where Matteo just happened to be there to row, that just happened to be more than a little romantic? I'm starting to think that was some sort of setup.”

Now it's Donghae's turn to be sheepish.

“I thought that...I just didn't want you to feel pressured or anything like that. I thought if I did something romantic then you might open up about being interested in me, or else it would give you a polite way to tell me you weren't. Maybe it was a stupid way to go about it.”

Hyukjae can't help the way his lips tug upward into a grin when he steps forward. “We're both a little ridiculous, aren't we?”

“Incredibly so,” Donghae agrees, matching his step.

Before he can think twice, Hyukjae takes the leap.

“You know what would also be ridiculous? If you kissed me in the middle of the café.”

Donghae's eyes turn into crescents when he smiles. “Now that wouldn't be ridiculous at all,” he says, and nothing in Venice –no picturesque vista, no glowing sunset, no peaceful gondola ride– could even come close to comparing to the moment when the distance between them closes.

Hyukjae has spent his entire life cursing Fate, but he'd go through all of it again if it meant being right here, where he knows he belongs.

~*~

From there, things only get better.

After the resounding success of adding Poetry Night to the weekly schedule, even the boss of St. J's is driven to come and see them, as well as congratulate them on a job well done.

It's the first time Hyukjae has ever seen the older man who'd hired Sungmin and Siwon so long ago, but it also turns out to be the last: soon after the meeting, Sungmin is given the title of owner and full control of the restaurant. It's something hard-earned and well-deserved. The other employees couldn't be more proud.

With the increased number of customers, however, there's one more change amongst their ranks. Kyuhyun gladly drops the other busywork he'd been doing on the side to work full-time at St. J's. After the switch, his poems even sound the slightest bit less full of angst, but that could just be Hyukjae imagining things. Either way, the restaurant is packed every Wednesday and always popular; it's the beginning of a new era.

And as for Hyukjae?

Even after the success he's had toward his original goal, throwing in his apron is out of the question. He's grown to love and care for St. J's far too much to quit. But that doesn't mean that he abandons his dream of writing: his poetry translates wonderfully into novel form, and the book takes off with the decent fanbase he's made for himself during Poetry Nights at the restaurant. It seems a little narcissistic to use the term 'breakout author' to talk about himself, but he wouldn't be wrong.

The money Hyukjae earns from the book won't go to waste, either. It's been months since he moved into Donghae's apartment after the other's insistence that he get as far away as he could from the sketchy area he was living in before. But Hyukjae doesn't plan on letting his kindness go unrewarded; he's going to surprise Donghae with a brand new place that they can both enjoy. It seems only fitting that his first splurge should be shared between the two of them. After all, ever since they met, haven't they always been in this together?

That's one thing that stays constant, no matter how many changes are going on around them. They're together. Each Wednesday night after they've both worked their shifts, they make it their set routine to meet up and go out in Donghae's gondola together, to dip back into the magic that first intertwined their lives. Still, even as time passes, Hyukjae thinks the sights of Venice's night pale in comparison to the image of Donghae illuminated by the moonlight.

Hyukjae knows nothing is set in stone. The city is slowly slipping away from all of them, even if they don't notice the change. The places they love could be underwater before they get to say goodbye. St. J's could just as easily fall back into obscurity as it backed away from the edge. There's no telling that any of this could last forever.

But the friendships that Hyukjae has made, the bonds of trust that he's formed? The love that he's been lucky enough to discover? These aren't temporary; they will last forever. So Hyukjae rests easy each night, relaxed in familiar arms and content with his newfound knowledge:

The most important things in life are the ones that never disappear.

Fin.