Some call him a loner—a loner who likes to be alone and has a few friends, or maybe a hermit who he chooses to spend most of his time alone, and some also may label him as a ‘shrinking violet’ who is very a shy person. But in Myungsoo’s defends, he chooses to be alone because it’s comforting, and truth been told, he is not a loner. He doesn’t need a group of friends that just want to stay with him for his face, nor his desirable personalities, he is fine by just having one or two friends as long as they stick with him in any certain circumstances. Myungsoo is indeed has a best friend, and his name is Lee Sungyeol. He also has a nice and sweet neighbor, Grandma Lyn that Myungsoo loves spending time with. And not to forget, Nam Woohyun, Grandma’s Lyn most annoying grandson that Myungsoo has a hard time liking him and in fact, everything he does would always annoy Myungsoo to no end. And for that, Myungsoo hates him. 

Woohyun is so much different than his grandma, and even Myungsoo finds it hard to believe that they are blood-related. Myungsoo loves Grandma Lyn and always spend most of his time, at her place either playing with her cats, or having tea on a beautiful evening despite the change of weather. It can be during a sunny day, a rainy day, or even during the storm. As long as they are safe under the roof, each weather will always be good weather for a tea.  Myungsoo also loves her just because she welcomes him like her own grandson. Myungsoo is her companion and it goes the same way for Myungsoo too, who already treats her like his own grandma. The cats are really just a bonus.

As for Woohyun, he’s rarely staying. Whenever Myungsoo comes around, it’s either Woohyun was about to go out, or already had gone out with his friends and sometimes he even stayed outside, making his grandma worried sick. And in the end, Myungsoo has to find all the alternative ways to find Woohyun and makes sure he’s safe and sound. There’s one time, he found Woohyun, drunk somewhere in a bar nearby, and Myungsoo has to put all his effort to him back to his apartment. And along the way, Woohyun’s hands kept traveling along Myungsoo’s face, touching his lips, pinching his cheeks, pulling his ears, making Myungsoo less comfortable. “You’re cute! And I love your dimples! I want to see your dimples!” He remembers Woohyun said, and how can he forget. Woohyun kept poking his cheeks that night, and the redness and pain took quite a while to heal. But despite hating Woohyun for causing lots of trouble, Myungsoo still manages to bear and goes around it. He doesn’t want to lose this chance of having a real family. The feeling of having someone who he can calls “family” is too overwhelming and Myungsoo doesn’t want it to stop. Woohyun can be the annoying grandson and Myungsoo will be the other caring and thoughtful grandson who loves their grandma and makes a vow to take care of her till the end. As long as he’s happy with his life, and Grandma Lyn‘s too, nothing can go wrong.

And two weeks later, Myungsoo learns to never put a high hope in life.

“I can’t believe you’re going away from me,” He says and the eyes that are staring at him, blinks. “Promise me, you will be nice, don’t fight with the others, and take care of Grandma Lyn for me” He adds and the cat tears his eyes away from him, and instead goes to purrs to his leg. Myungsoo smiles and picks up the cat before he says, “I’m gonna miss you, Dobby, be nice” He warns him again, playfully tapping his finger on the little one’s nose.  While Dobby was trying to reach out for the finger to bite it, it, or anything that cat usually does to be playful, another one comes, purring to Myungsoo feet, and then comes another, and another, asking for affections too from their beloved “second-owner” and Myungsoo, can only laugh at the cats’ cuteness.

“The cats are going to miss you too, it seems” Myungsoo turns, catching the smile on Grandma Lyn’s face. But after seeing what she was holding, Myungsoo frowns, and quickly places the dangling Dobby down, heading towards her. Carefully taking away the tray with two cups of tea and a flowery pot, next to a plate full of different cookies and biscuits from her hand, they head deeper to the living room. “I’m not that old and weak to carry that tray, you know,” She says, only to sound teasing with the laugh that follows afterward. “But thank you” She adds, only this time her voice sounds so pure and sincere, like how all the grandmas usually speak in such tone in the movies or dramas.  Myungsoo just smiles, not knowing what to say, and that was enough for her because she knows him, knows Myungsoo like her own grandson, so it’s either he was too shy to say anything or it was just him, being himself, a guy with a limited word to speak, only when needed.  

Myungsoo places the tray on the coffee table, and carefully pours a generous amount of tea to the two empty cups. Grandma Lyn was already in her chair, taking a moment to rest. She was old, but still fit as a fiddle, only at a certain time, she will have a short of breath and tired from moving around too much or moving heavy things from places to places.  And that may be the main reason why she has to move. Her daughter, Woohyun’s mom, who lives quite a distance from the city, wants her to move in so that she can take a better care of her. The routine of going back and forth from her house to the city was taking too much time and cost, and besides, she is more than happy having her mom staying with her. 

“Here’s your tea. And be careful, it’s hot” Myungsoo says handling the tea carefully to her reach. She smiles and accepts the tea to take a little bit of a sip. Myungsoo also takes a seat next to her and they spend the leisure time by just talking, talks about Myungsoo’s life, how the cats keep on being naughty and protesting about moving away, and even talk about whether, the dark cloud that seems to pour down any minutes.  And that is how the time flies by, with Myungsoo pouring out everything about his day, not missing a single one, and Grandma Lyn lending him her ears, listening to every word he says, and giving advice here and there, and not forgetting the cats who curls up into a ball in either Myungsoo’s lap, or curls up on the floor next to Grandma Lyn’s feet. 

And after hours pass, the knock on the door was heard and there is only one thing that pops out in Myungsoo’s mind. That, it is time to say goodbye. 

Three weeks fly faster than Myungsoo could imagine and surprisingly everything went well. Sure, he does miss Grandma Lyn a lot, but what the use of technology if he can’t use it wisely. So, he makes sure to call her for at least two times per week. Grandma Lyn seems happy living there when she keeps talking about how peaceful living in the outskirt of the city. “You should come here and visit me,” She says. “Dobby misses you, a lot”, she adds and Myungsoo smiles at that. Out of all the cats that Granma Lyn has, he misses Dobby the most, maybe because Dobby loves him too and always waits for him in the doorway, waiting for Myungsoo to pick him up, and he always nuzzles his little pink nose to Myungsoo chest whenever Myungsoo carries him on his arms. 

“I miss him too,” Myungsoo says, pouring hot coffee into an empty cup. He then shuffles his feet to the couch. He hears Grandma Lyn’s voice that keeps complaining about how Dobby never listen to her and may give him to Myungsoo soon, and Myungsoo can only respond it with either a giggle or a hum. He takes the remote from the coffee table nearby and clicks on a channel that is now showing a documentary about a lion and a tiger living in the Amazon rainforest. 

“How’s Woohyun?” Grandma Lyn asks, out of the blue. 

“Woohyun? Ahhh Woohyun…..” Myungsoo trails off, biting his lips in a nervous was like he usually does. Truthfully, after Grandma Lyn had moved, he and Woohyun never talked to each other, and acted like complete strangers. Every time they accidently met either in the hallway, or at the lift, Woohyun will always look down on his feet, looking all nervous and ready to bolt out. Myungsoo sighs. He can’t lie to her about his current condition with Woohyun, so Myungsoo asks her instead, “Why didn’t he move in with you?” It’s weird, Myungsoo almost says, but luckily didn’t. 

“I’m not sure, Woohyun didn’t give a valid reason, he just mentioned that he wants to stay there because he feels comfortable” She answers. And to be honest, even Grandma Lyn herself confused when Woohyun said that he wanted to stay there. He never showed any interest towards that place and when suddenly her mom wants him to move back with her, Woohyun refused. “He’s acting weird” She adds, and Myungsoo hums, agree with the fact that Woohyun is really weird. There was a silence on the line for a moment and then he hears her chuckles, “Maybe Woohyun likes someone and doesn’t want to separate with that person… And I think I know who” Her voice sounds like a whisper, and Myungsoo is no expect in deciphers the meaning, but he can feel the happiness in her voice. 

Myungsoo was about to ask who, when suddenly there’s a knock on his door, follows by “pizza delivery” on the other side. “Oh, I have to go,” He says, as he fetches some cash from his wallet and heads to the door. “I will call you later, okay,” He says, and his heart warm when he hears the small meowing voice in the background. 

“Right in time, the cats are calling me” She chuckles, and now Myungsoo now how much he misses them so much. “Goodbye Myungsoo and take care of yourself”, she says again, and Myungsoo also clearly hears the last few words at the end, “please take care of Woohyun too for me”. 

Myungsoo can never say no to her so, “Okay, I will. And I promise” 

“Thank you for the pizza” Myungsoo smiles, after giving the delivery guy the money. He takes the box and walks back to his couch, to drop the pizza down on the table. He sighs when suddenly Woohyun appears in his mind. He doesn’t want to meet Woohyun but somehow, his conscious keeps telling him to go and see how he’s doing. Maybe Woohyun is feeling lonely, and needs a friend to help him out. Myungsoo glances over to the coffee table, and stares at his untouched pizza. Myungsoo, again lets out a long sigh and tells himself, “I will regret this”. and takes the box, heads towards the door. 

He stands by the door and waits until the sound of the door clicks. “Oh...” Myungsoo catches the shock on Woohyun’s face and he knows why, because he feels the same. “What are you doing here? You need anything?” He shutters and Myungsoo doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. He can’t possibly tell him that his conscious wants him to be here, that would be weird. He bites his lower lips because this is truly awkward.  He didn’t even plan for this, and now he can’t even mutter a single word. 

Eventually, he does. “I… urmm bought pizza, it’s a pepperoni pizza… And… well, I’m not sure you will like it but…. I want to share it.. with you” He manages to blurt out the words. 

Woohyun an eyebrow. “Why?”

Myungsoo was debating with himself whether he should just go and forget that this ever happens, or stay and try again to approach him. He decides to do the latter. So, gathering his breath, he says “Look, I just want to be nice here, okay. Grandma Lyn is worrying sick about you. I want to talk to you, to be friends or something but you keep avoiding me like I did something wrong and it makes me feel so guilty” Myungsoo mutters, pouring all the things he wants to say to him. But Woohyun doesn’t say a word, so maybe, just maybe the former choice is better. With a long sigh, Myungsoo says “never mind, I will just go and—“

“No” Woohyun stops him. “I’m sorry, don’t go. I would love to have pizza with you” He adds and opens the door wider, “Come on in” And for the first time ever, Woohyun gives him a smile. Sure Myungsoo won’t admit it, but Woohyun’s smile is breathtakingly beautiful, and the cute visible dimple on his right cheek is the most adorable. But of course, he will never admit it. 

Their friendship blooms from time to time of knowing each other. Myungsoo now casually hangs out at Woohyun’s place whenever he’s bored and same goes to Woohyun too. But what he hates about Woohyun’s place is that all the clothes shatter on the floor and when Myungsoo asks him, Woohyun lazily replies,  “I don’t have time to fold them, so why not throwing them on the floor. It will be easier for me to find them anyway” which as a result, Myungsoo nags him about life management and Woohyun just shrugs, uninterested with the topic. 

They share secrets, problems about life with each other, and one day, Myungsoo tells Woohyun about Changmin, the guy he’s currently dating and how a big mess his relationship turns out to be. He keeps telling him that he won’t be surprised if Changmin actually dumps him because he has a feeling that he might. 

And soon, turns out, Myungsoo was right. 

He shivers from the cold wind that blows through the window. Myungsoo forgot to close the window last night, and the breeze manages to enter his room and kisses his skin. The trace of tears from last night feels cold when the wind hits them. But the winds is not the reason why he woke up, it was the knock on his door. Myungsoo doesn’t want to get up, feeling his heart still swells from the last night argument with his boyfriend—ex-boyfriend to be correct. And Myungsoo grunts before forcing himself to get up. “I’m coming,” He says and even Myungsoo, himself is surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded. He really doesn’t want to see anyone, and he hopefully wishes that the guy knocking on his door is not Changmin. He opens it and lets out a sigh of relief after seeing who it was,  it’s Woohyun.

“Hi!” Woohyun says, quite cheerfully at first, but when he sees Myungsoo current state, his voice turns to concern. “What’s wrong?” He places a hand on Myungsoo’s cheeks and asks again, “What happened?” 

And without any warning, Myungsoo crashes into Woohyun’s arms. The tear doesn’t stop from flowing and Woohyun just hugs him closer and rubs circle on his back, saying soothing words like “hey, don’t cry, just tell me what’s wrong” and “I’m here for you Myungsoo. Always here” 

Myungsoo just replies by hugging him tighter. 

They end up on the floor, back facing the couch. Woohyun is holding Myungsoo’s hand throughout the story, how Changmin left him for someone else. And every time Myungsoo was about to tear up again, he pulls him closer, and let Myungsoo rests his head on his shoulder. “I knew he was cheating behind my back, but it’s my fault for keep trusting him whenever he makes those dumb excuses. And it’s also my fault for being stupid”

“Stop saying that” Woohyun sighs. “He’s the stupid one for leaving you”

Myungsoo rubs his tears with the back of his hands. “Or maybe, I wasn’t good enough for him” Myungsoo mutters in his tiny voice. Myungsoo never feels good enough about himself. Maybe that’s why Changmin left him. But before he can let out a sob again, he feels a hand on his chin, and his face being lifted to face Woohyun.

“Listen,” Woohyun says, in a serious tone. “You are a great guy, the sweetest, adorable guy I’ve ever met. Your love is pure and sincere, and he’s blind to dump you. You care for others, and even strangers you don’t even know. Take me for instance, you care for me when my family moved, and even when I ignored you, you still reach out to me, and I’m thankful that” He ends with a smile. 

“Thank you,” Myungsoo says and his hands hold Woohyun’s. “Thank you for being here with me”

Woohyun smiles. “Anytime you need me, just comes for me, I will always be there for you,” He says, and free his hand just to rub the tears on Myungsoo cheeks. “I will always be there for you.”

Several weeks after the breakup, Myungsoo is now finally doing well, with the help from Woohyun. Woohyun never once leave his side, always taking care of him like he’s the most precious thing in this world. Woohyun even spends the night at his apartment instead of his own, to cook homemade meals for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. He wants Myungsoo to be fit again, and not looking like the living dead. 

One night, they get themselves a little bit drunk and out of the nowhere, Woohyun brings out the topic of ‘love’. It’s not the topic Myungsoo was looking forward to, maybe Woohyun is having a hard time about his love life. Woohyun never mentions anything about love before, so Myungsoo is curious to know. He won’t be surprised though if Woohyun suddenly tells him that he’s dating. Woohyun is a great guy, sweet and caring,  and knows how to take care of people’s feeling. And Myungsoo would be lying if he says he didn’t fall for him, not even for one bit.  

“So, Changmin is your first love?  And you’ve never date anyone before him? Not even once?” Woohyun asks, as he jugs down his soju for the 4th times that night. Woohyun has already felt a little bit tipsy due to the amount of alcohol but still, he’s trying to keep up with the conversation and stays focus—it’s hard to do so when you have a hot looking neighbor, who lips are pink and look as if they are ready to be kissed. Woohyun shakes his head. Focus. 

Myungsoo grabs his drink and finishes it in one shot, feeling awkward all of the sudden. “Yeah” He tries to go around the taste but the strong liquid is burning his throat, but he bears with it anyway. Myungsoo shakes his head, refusing to let the effect takes over his mind and body, and needless to say, it didn’t work. “Well, maybe back in college, but it didn’t work out, and it wasn’t actually the love I was searching for,” Myungsoo says, and he glances over to his side, and blushes away when he catches the stare Woohyun was giving him. He can’t decipher the meaning but something tells him it was due to the side effect of soju or maybe the weird atmosphere of the room; quiet, dark and two guys in the same drunk state. 

Miracle on his side, Myungsoo doesn’t have to worry too much when Woohyun suddenly speaks, low and husky. “Really? Why?” Woohyun shifts closer and now their shoulders are touch. Myungsoo turns his head a little and blinds by the dizziness and also got distracted when Woohyun’s face is getting closer and closer. He can smell fragrant from Woohyun’s shirt and a tad smell of alcohol from his mouth. And before he knows it, Woohyun’s lips are on his.

Myungsoo wakes up the next morning, facing a sight of a chest, and his body is covered with the thick blanket, hiding him and Woohyun from the cold. He moves a little and the weight of Woohyun arms around his shoulder is making him uncomfortable, so he shifts. He adjusts himself to a more comfortable position, and even the move doesn’t wake Woohyun up. He actually quiet surprise. Never know Woohyun could be a deep sleeper. Myungsoo traces small circles on Woohyun chest lightly tracing the super-fine abs done south. And only when Woohyun groans from the disturbance, Myungsoo retrieves himself from touching him.  Myungsoo looks down, feeling embarrassed for what he did, when suddenly he hears a chuckle. “You want another round?” 

Face turning red, Myungsoo playfully hit the elder chest, earning another chuckle from him. “I don’t think I could handle another round,” He says, facing Woohyun with that oh-so-innocent kitty smile. “I just want to rest” He adds, snuggling more to Woohyun’s side. He could do another round, if Woohyun wants too, but he doesn’t feel like doing it. Both were sober later that night, but they didn’t say anything or apologized for what had been done, and instead when they were laying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, Woohyun started to laugh, influencing Myungsoo to do the same. They stopped to ask why they are laughing, but both didn’t have the answer so they just continue laughing until it was time to stop. And after the silence that seemed to be too intrigued, Woohyun asked whether he wanted to do it again, and Myungsoo agreed. 

They are now lying down on the bed again, Myungsoo cheeks press to Woohyun’s chest. The scent of sweat and alcohol is still strong for Myungsoo’s liking but he endures it anyway. Woohyun is comfort and he likes the way Woohyun’s skin feels so hot and soft under his touch as he traces his finger gently against the skin. He can feel Woohyun shivers under every touch he made, but Woohyun didn’t complain or says anything, so Myungsoo assumes that he’s fine with it. There are a lot of questions floating on his mind right now and one of them is “What are we?” “Is it only for friends with benefit or something more”. Myungsoo wants to ask, but decides not to. Maybe it’s too early to talk about it and he doesn’t want to push Woohyun with the subject, they hardly know each other. But this can only remind Myungsoo of his first date. A date that didn’t work out for him, because they were just nothing but two best friends, wanted to try a different level. Myungsoo starts. “Last night, you asked me about why Sungyeol and I didn’t work out. Are you still curious?” He didn’t look up to see Woohyun and instead, he lays his hand flat on Woohyun’s tummy.

Myungsoo feels his hair being and it tickles him. “I am” He hears Woohyun says, hand brushing Myungsoo’s hair so soft and gentle, making Myungsoo wants to forget the talks and continue his sleep again. “Is it the love at first sight, or just trying?”

Myungsoo raises his head and look up at Woohyun, and see from curiosity and concern, written all over his face, and so Myungsoo lays his head back on Woohyun’s chest and continue. “Just trying” Myungsoo answers bluntly, before he starts again. “His name is Sungyeol. Lee Sungyeol, and he’s my best friend. And he still is” He says, voice most comes down as a whisper and by just remembering the name, makes Myungsoo feels uncomfortable again. He remembers the dejected face Sungyeol gave him when he refused to let Sungyeol kiss him.

 Myungsoo almost got distracted with the memories, when Woohyun hands start to move from the hair, to his , tracing a small line in Myungsoo’s backbone. Myungsoo comes back to his sense and continues, “Right, back to the story... So Sungyeol thought that us being together is a great idea, since he’s single and I’m single but it didn’t work up to that way.  Every time we went out for “dates” I always feel like I’m going out with Lee Sungyeol, my best friend, and not my lover.” 

Woohyun tenses for a while, and Myungsoo can feel it. Woohyun’s hand stop on his hips, and just holding it there, no movement just silence. “So, it was a one-sided love?” Woohyun finally says. His voice sounds scared, uncertain but maybe it is Myungsoo, thinking too much. Myungsoo hums and he snuggles closer and Woohyun is at ease again. Woohyun’s other hand comes circling Myungsoo’s waist, and now Woohyun is giving him a side hug. He brings Myungsoo closer to him. “I want to tell you something, and it’s about my first love” Woohyun eventually says.

Myungsoo hums, telling him that he’s listening while his finger draws a shape of a heart Woohyun tummy, and kiss it. Woohyun chuckles, patting Myungsoo’s hair, and then continue, “I was in love with someone I just met not long ago,” He says. Myungsoo lifts his head and catches how since Woohyun’s smile is. He must really love that someone a lot when suddenly Woohyun got lost in the thought, and Myungsoo wonders, does Woohyun still loves that someone? And as if Woohyun can feel that Myungsoo is staring, he turns his head so that their eyes can meet. His smile grows wider, and his finger moves from the hair to trace the shape of Myungsoo’s lips. He leans and kisses him. 

“He’s the sweetest guy I have ever meet. He cares for the elderly and also animals, especially cat” Myungsoo wants to stop him to say “I care for elderly too! And also cats!” but he doesn’t. It’s better to hear the rest of the story and just let Woohyun continues. “But I was scared to approach him because every time I saw him, my cheeks will turn red and my words shuttered, so I avoided him” Woohyun chuckles remembering how he didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the guy he loves. “But soon, we got close, and I love the friendship we have. I love him more than a friend but I’m not sure whether he feels the same. But I got the answer, when he told me he’s dating someone”

Myungsoo knows the pain of losing someone. Changmin is a jerk, but Myungsoo can’t hide the fact that he did love him even when he knows he didn’t love him back. “I guess both of us failed in our first love, huh?” Myungsoo says, with a chuckle.  

“I don’t think so” Woohyun says, and Myungsoo turns to him, surprised. Woohyun doesn’t explain further, but just continue his narration. “The guy broke his heart and my heart swelled at the sight of him crying.  He was a mess that night, and luckily for him, I was there to help get through it. He laughed at my jokes, and he enjoyed my companions. I was so proud of myself at that time, because I managed to be the one who makes him smile again” Somehow, Woohyun’s story resembles his, when Changmin broke up with him. His mind keeps telling him something that he doesn’t want to believe, so Myungsoo prompts his elbow to the side and lifts his body side way to stare down at Woohyun in the eyes. “Who’s he?” 

Woohyun smiles before he cups both side of Myungsoo’s cheeks and draws them down for a kiss. It was passionate but not hard, just sweet and soft. He breaks it apart and the smile never left his face. He stares at Myungsoo right in the eyes and tells him, “It’s you”

And Myungsoo waste no further and crashes their lips together and captured him in a passionate kiss. He moves atop on him, and kiss Woohyun deeper, “I love you,” Woohyun breathes out when they break the kiss to catch their breath. “And I want you to give us a try, I promise I will take care of you and always love you,” He says again, only to pull Myungsoo closer.  Myungsoo replies with a nod, and before their lips meet again, he whispers “I love you too”.