“Is he alright?” Mingyu whispers to Wonwoo looking at Vernon who’s been quiet since morning. The course is not open on Sunday but they have weekly meeting and need to prepare the lesson for the next Monday. Seokmin sighs loudly getting Mingyu and Wonwoo’s attentions.

“Do you know something, Seokmin?” Mingyu yells whispers to Seokmin across the room.

“Leave him alone. He’ll be alright.” Seokmin goes back to his laptop.

Seokmin is not stupid. He knows what actually happened to Vernon. He already heard the story from him a month after they create the course place when they had a drink together. Vernon was too drunk and started to tell everything about him. He told Seokmin about his sister, a flower he picked yesterday morning, a stray dog which messed up his trash bag last week, everything happening on his life…including Seungkwan.

He was sobbing hard when he talked about Seungkwan and Seokmin never saw Vernon cried before, maybe it was the first and the last time he saw that. The next morning, Seokmin asked him again about Seungkwan. Vernon looked so broken in Seokmin’s eyes, devastated but he didn’t cry anymore.

Seokmin never imagined that that happened between him and Seungkwan. They looked fine on the outside. But something that Seokmin believes that both of them deserved to be happy, they deserved the world. Seungkwan is the most hardworking person he ever met and for Vernon, once Seokmin got to know him, actually has a kind heart and has a really good working ethic. They are nice people and Seokmin loves them.

And when Seokmin met Seungkwan yesterday, he was too happy to finally saw Seungkwan after a long time. He never heard any news from his junior for five years. He was sure that they are in the same town after graduated but somehow they never met until yesterday. He was too happy which making him forgot that he went to the bookstore with Vernon until he heard Vernon’s voice approaching them. At first, his first plan was to take Vernon away from Seungkwan. Seokmin knows that Vernon is afraid to meet Seungkwan again while Seungkwan doesn’t want to see Vernon anymore.

But when he heard Seungkwan called Vernon by his first name and Vernon called Seungkwan by his last name. The only privilege they gave to each other. Seokmin knows that he need to do something to both of them, at least gave them the opportunity to see each other a little bit longer. That was why, Seokmin suggested for them to have a lunch together.

Even though it didn’t go too well, at least there is a little change for both of them. Seokmin hopes that it’s for the better.   He is more than willing to bring back his junior together because the problem happened due to misunderstanding. That’s all. Right now, they are suffering because Seungkwan doesn’t want to listen while Vernon is too afraid to tell. But Seokmin is sure that actually Seungkwan does want to listen and Vernon does want to tell him. He just doesn’t know when will be the right time. Even if they need baby steps to reach their destination together, Seokmin will be there to give them all of the opportunity they deserved.

“Vernon, let’s grab some lunch. I’m starving.” Seokmin stands in front of Vernon’s table.

“I’m not hungry, hyung.”

“Well, you don’t have to eat, I want you to accompany me.” Seokmin closes Vernon’s laptop knowing very well that it’ll piss him off. But now, the other boy says nothing because he didn’t do anything on his laptop only staring at it for hours.

“Come on, or maybe I’ll text someone to have lunch with me…what do you think?” Seokmin unlocks his phone and looking through the contact list. It brings Vernon’s attention because he finally moves with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, hyung. I’m coming with you, just…put your phone off.” Seokmin smiles in winning and drags Vernon out of the staff room leaving Mingyu and Wonwoo.

“Just so you know, my ears are open so you can practically tell me everything.” They are in a family restaurant few blocks from the course waiting for their lunch to be ready.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Vernon takes off his phone and scrolling his Instragram.

“Okay, then.” Seokmin raises his hands giving up. His junior can be so stubborn sometimes. So Seokmin moves to the second plan.

“By the way, you still remember the school that we want to have collaboration with, right?” Vernon answers it with a hum not tearing his eyes from the phone. Honestly, Seokmin is a little bit irritated by Vernon’s attitude right now.

“Okay, whatever. I’m not going to mopping around the bushes again.” Vernon still not paying attention to him. “Seungkwan is the teacher in that school.” Now he gets Vernon’s attention. “And I’m sure that you don’t forget that we, as in you and me, will go to the school, meet and have a meeting with their language teachers about our project.”Vernon still in silent listening every word Seokmin just told him.

“Seungkwan is a Korean language teacher.” Seokmin is cut by the waiter with their food. “Oh, the food’s here. Thank you.” When Seokmin started to dig in his fried noodle, Vernon quickly takes the plate from him with panic in his eyes. “Wait…my food!” Seokmin tries to reach on but Vernon is faster.

“Hyung, what do you mean by that? You know I can’t meet him. Not after what happened yesterday. Heck! Not after what happened on everything between us! Can we like-”

“What? Canceled the project? Hell no! First of all, we’ve been creating the plan for almost a year, since the beginning of the community. Canceling it will only lose their trust to us, Vernon. We are a new language course and we must gain trust from a lot of parties if we want to make it big. Second of all, I’ll be there because I’m the leader and you! You will also be there because you are the leader of the project and the one who responsible for the project. Do you understand me, Mr. Chwe?”

“I…yeah. But,-”

“No but! We will talk about it later after I finished my lunch. Now, give me back my noodles.” Vernon hands over the plate and eats his own food slowly.

Seokmin finishes his lunch twenty minutes later while Vernon is not even finishing half of the food. Seokmin waits a little bit longer not wanting him chokes or throws up his food while talking.

“Do you believe in second change, Vernon?” His junior looks up from his finished food and smiles bitterly.

“Yeah, but not going to happen for me. That’s what I believe.” Vernon looks down at his hands.

“Can you forgive yourself? I mean, you also deserve to be happy, you know?” Seokmin’s voice is full of concern.

“He doesn’t forgive me. How can I forgive myself?”

“How do you know?”

“Huh?” Vernon looks up at Seokmin in confused.

“How do you know that he doesn’t forgive you? Have you asked him?”

Vernon lost of words, he sees the trees across the window restaurant, “I’ve…I haven’t. I can’t”

“No, you can. You just didn’t try.” Vernon closes his eyes trying not to spill some tears that threaten to be out of his eyes.

“Talk to him everything you wanted to say. Ask him everything you’ve been dying to ask. You have to make things clear. Then in the end, it’ll be the right time to make a decision whether you should fight it again or let him go and move on.”

“I don’t know, hyung.” Vernon rubs his face in frustration.

“I’ll help you, Vernon.” Seokmin holds Vernon’s shoulder transferring his concern to the younger boy.

“Okay, I’ll…I’ll try.” Vernon sighs.

“Good.”

“Ah, I told you I’ll give you his number when you already make up your mind right?” Seokmin opens the staff the door followed by Vernon

“Yes, hyung.” Vernon takes off his phone and gives it to Seokmin but he rejected it.

“Nope. You should ask him yourself. You know, more reason to talk to him.” Seokmin winks before runs out of the staff room leaving Vernon with dejected look.

________________

AN: I need a Seokmin in my life :’)