a/n below~ /leaves free boxes with tissues here

On the next Wednesday, Woohyun arrives at the small café exactly 1:59 pm with a red rose in his right hand - and this time very dry. He’s clothed in the best items he could find that don’t look overly expensive and show-offish. Sunggyu laughs when he takes out the rose. Woohyun pushes it into his hands with a wink. “I’ll give you one for every date we go on.”

“So, you start counting today?” The black-haired man asks with a cheeky smile.

“I thought last time was a date?” Woohyun replies with the same cheekiness.

Sunggyu hums. “Shouldn’t it be two roses then?”

“First, we will have to see if this can really be called a date.” He bows and offers his hand to Sunggyu, who slaps it away playfully.

They laugh. “Let’s go. What are we doing today?”

“I thought we could do the typical first date stuff like seeing a movie.” Sunggyu’s smile proves that he’s made the right choice.

“What are we watching?”

Woohyun grins at him and starts walking off. “Wait and see.”



They watch a horror movie, despite it still being as bright as day outside. He pays for everything, even if his wallet is a little tight right now. He’s sure that Sunggyu is worth every cent. Woohyun chose the movie for a reason and it seems like he was right with his predictions. Sunggyu is scared throughout the whole movie, jerking at every jump scare and clinging to Woohyun’s arm. The younger man does his best to hide how very unaffected he is from the horror movie - it’s quite boring and he’s probably staring more at his date then the screen. Near the end, their hands touch and their fingers intertwine. Woohyun’s gives the hand a comforting squeeze when another gruesome scene appears. It’s definitely all worth it when the black-haired hides his face against Woohyun’s neck.

Sunggyu seems more than relieved when they finally leave the theater again. Their hands are still connected, but neither pulls away. Woohyun wishes he could hold the soft hand all day. It feels like magic when they touch like this. It makes him believe in Sunggyu’s “Happiness doesn’t come from money” slogan, but in the back of his mind, there is still this fear of losing said happiness again any minute. This kind of happiness seems fleeting and vulnerable. If you buy happiness, it’s more stable – it’s yours – and as long as you have money, no one can take it from you.

“This was…great.” Sunggyu’s words snapped him from his thoughts.

Woohyun laughed. “You were scared the whole time. You should’ve said that horror is not your genre when we picked the movie.”

“Oh god, no. We would’ve had to see the sappy romance movie instead then. It was okay, really, better than drowning in grease. I’m not really the type for romance movies, but I’m guessing you like horror? I thought for sure you’d choose the other movie.”

“I figured you’re not the type for romance. Besides, doesn’t give a horror movie two persons the perfect chance to get closer?” Woohyun asks and swings their connected hands to prove his point.

The black-haired man glances at their hands. Sunggyu smiles. “So you had a hidden agenda all along?”

“Maybe~ it was quite cute when you clung to me.”

Sunggyu narrows his eyes at him, but the sparkle in them shows he isn’t really mad. “Now I see what kind of man you really are.”

Woohyun pouts cutely. “Will you forgive me if I buy you ice cream?”

“Probably depends on the flavor. If you choose wrong, I’m going to dump you.”

Good thing he still remembers Sunggyu’s favorite flavor from their middle school time. The older man is pleasantly surprised that he guesses right the first time and when Woohyun asks him if they really would’ve broken up because of that, Sunggyu shakes his head.

“We are not even dating yet.”

“We are going on dates.”

“And that makes you my boyfriend?”

“No, but it’s only a matter of time.”

And time it surely takes.



Although they are very obviously attracted to each other, they don’t become a couple quickly. Sunggyu wants to know him better, good enough, before they can talk about a relationship. They go on dates whenever time allows it – especially Woohyun’s tight schedule, although he tends to skip work at Honeytree or classes when there is no other way. The weekends are not spent in the clubs anymore, at least not as often as before. He still enjoys the crowd and the feeling of control, but Woohyun’s money has another purpose now. He invests it into taking Sunggyu to amusement parks, doing trips to the beach with him or simply buying him ice cream. The older man pays from time to time as well. They take turns – to the relief of Woohyun’s pocket – because Sunggyu doesn’t want Woohyun to buy him things all the time just because he’s rich – which he’s not.

They take turns deciding what to do on dates too. Sunggyu still hasn’t given up on showing him that money is not important. They give out food at a shelter once and Sunggyu also makes him buy normal clothes. He doesn’t exactly force Woohyun. He goes shopping with him and they try on different things. Woohyun ends up buying most things Sunggyu picks, especially those that got a ‘It suits you’ or ‘Very handsome’ comment from the other. So he doesn’t really make Woohyun buy anything directly. It’s more like Woohyun makes himself buy them, because he wants to wear the clothes Sunggyu picked for him.

His wallet is crying constantly, but Woohyun doesn’t care. He skips a meal here and there to save money and goes out without Sunggyu even less. The weirdest thing is probably that Sungjong is starting to act friendlier to him. Whenever he fetches Sunggyu at the café, he bumps into the waiter. But somewhere along the line, Sungjong stops glaring at him and gives him a somewhat approving look instead.



Woohyun goes to Honeytree on Friday. He feels a bit bad for leaving the owner alone so often, but he knows she is more likely to forgive him his escapades than the boss of the restaurant. That guy already dislikes him enough. Woohyun gives her excuses like he is sick or an exam is in his way, and she never doubts his words. At least it seems that way. He knows that she has the extraordinary gift to look a little deeper than most people. Maybe she knows there was something – someone – else keeping him busy, but Soyou never said anything.

“Woohyun-ah, good morning!” She greets him with a smile.

He returns the smile, honestly happy at the moment. “Good morning, Soyou-ssi.”

The old woman steps closer and Woohyun shifts under her gaze. “W-What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It just seems like you’re glowing with happiness today. I noticed that you’ve changed over the past few weeks and with that I don’t mean your absence. You seem happier. You finally have some color on your face, you are wearing new clothes and you don’t run around like a party corpse anymore. Are you finally getting your life together?”

Woohyun smiles shyly. He’s secretly happy about her words of course. He is trying to change – or rather Sunggyu changes him with his compassionate behavior. “I guess…”

The owner laughs. “Did you meet someone?”

He fights a blush that wants to form on his cheeks. Woohyun is about to say no, but then he thinks his life doesn’t needs another lie. Why not admit it to her? “Kind of.”

She gives him a sudden hug and Woohyun’s eyes widen in surprise. Her small hands rub his back affectionately. Woohyun just stands still in her arms. “I’m glad you’ve met someone, Woohyun. You need to have fun, but more like a regular person. Finish your studies and get a better job than this. You can’t hang around this place all your life. You are still young. Do something with your life. This old woman will be fine without you.”

Soyou breaks the hug, but her hands still linger on his upper arms. “Sorry if I’m bothering you. You’re like a son to me, Woohyun.”

Woohyun tears up at her words and then his carefully built walls crumble. He hugs the old woman and buries his face in her shoulder, a few tears slipping from his eyes in silence. Soyou is like a mother to him. She’s warm and caring – he actually feels much closer to her than he did to his own mother. He’s so happy to have her, because even if his tower of lies falls someday, she will still be there. She knows – somehow she always knows. The owner is a safe haven that he can return to, always welcoming and understanding. Woohyun really feels like she is his mother. Who else would understand him this well and forgive him for everything?

The smaller woman wraps her arms around him again, her hands patting his slightly trembling back. “You’re a big boy, aren’t you? Don’t cry. Is it that awful to imagine me as your mom?”

She laughs, but Woohyun can hear her voice shaking a bit, as if she is trying to hold her own tears in. He can’t find the words to tell her about his feelings – how she means more to him than his birth mother –, so he just shakes his head slowly and mumbles a “no” into her shoulder.

“Aigoo, we need to work, Woohyun. If you don’t stop crying, the buns will taste salty later.”

Woohyun breaks the hug with a quiet chuckle, his hands wiping the tears away. “I’m sorry.”

Soyou smacks his arm. “Stop apologizing all the time, boy. You can use my shoulder any time you need and you can talk to me any time, you know that, right?”

He nods slowly and manages to smile at her. “Thank you, Soyou-ssi.”

Another smack. “Call me Soyou, Woohyun-ah. We are not strangers. I’ll go prepare things in the front, so gather yourself and then bake something - or our customers won’t have anything to buy later.”

Woohyun nods and does as told. His shift is over in the blink of an eye. Someone once said that time passes by quicker if you are happy and for once, Woohyun can’t help but agree. He is happy and there is no money involved. His castle of lies is still standing, but currently some windows are open to let in fresh air. He’s still too afraid to actually leave his castle, but the locks on the doors are starting to rust. Woohyun wishes he could just continue like this, but he knows that the way things were going right now, he would reach the end of the road soon. The only escape is confessing - either losing or winning it all.



One of these days, when he drops Sunggyu off to work and the black-haired man goes to the back to change his clothes, Sungjong pulls him to the side to have a talk with him. “Sorry. Maybe I misjudged you.”

“Pardon? I think I didn’t hear that. Can you repeat what you just said?” Woohyun asks with a smug expression.

The waiter gives him his signature glare. “I won’t repeat it. You heard me very well. I want to have a serious conversation with you, so if you could just try to be an adult for a minute?”

Woohyun looks at his watch. “Sure. One minute…starting now.”

Sungjong huffs. “You’re lucky Sunggyu-hyung likes you, seriously. He’s changing a lot recently and I think it’s because of you.”

He grins and the waiter gives him a light smack. “Listen properly. Yongguk has been trying to get him out of his shell for a while, but never quite got through. He’s a really nice and good-looking guy, but I guess hyung only sees him as a friend. Sunggyu-hyung used to spend most of his time just sitting at the window and staring out of it. He once told me that after his parents died and he didn’t really know where to go - he came to this place. Apparently, some dude in middle school wanted to confess to him here back then, but he never turned up. What an , right?”

Woohyun stares at Sungjong, trying hard to keep his face blank, although there is a huge tumult inside of him. It can’t be. That’s not possible… Surely he would have noticed if this was the café from back then. And why would Sunggyu even wait for him? He must have had other places to go, other people to turn to, after his parents died.

“-hoping for him to come back. I don’t know why he couldn’t just let go of it. Maybe his parents’ death made him wish, he could turn back time. Become a middle school student once more and avoid the present. He probably clung to the guy from the past to achieve this, maybe it made him feel like no time has passed. I don’t know…but that has probably long forgotten about him-“

I’ve never…not once…*

“-he’s stopped waiting now. I haven’t seen him sitting at the window for a long time and I guess it’s all thanks to you. Hyung is smiling more and you’re obviously what he needed to forget the past. So, thank you and please take care of him, okay? He really deserves to be happy.”

Sunggyu returns to the front again and Sungjong turns away from him quickly. Woohyun meets the black-haired man’s gaze and Sunggyu smiles widely at him. He feels his chest tighten. Woohyun walks out of the café without returning the smile or telling him goodbye. As he’s outside, he walks a few steps before looking back. And that’s when he notices it. The years have changed the street and the café looks different from before, but it’s the place. Woohyun can see the alley where the other boys pulled him to, the lamppost he leaned against - and there is Sunggyu behind the window, giving him a worried look.

Woohyun can feel himself crumbling under his gaze, crumbling under the guilt that is pressing down on him. How ironically that Sungjong thinks that Sunggyu has found a way to overcome his past thanks to Woohyun. He is the past Sunggyu couldn’t let go of. Woohyun the savior is a lie. He’s the boy that kept his love waiting, the that never turned up. He’s the coward that is always running without looking back.

Sunggyu has been waiting for him all this time – waiting for Woohyun to save him – but said man never noticed, because he never looked back. And now he is one stop close to destroying Sunggyu’s world again.

I’m an idiot.



A few days pass without a meeting with Sunggyu, since the black-haired man is out of town, giving him time to think. And he needs a lot of thinking. He tries to get his head around the fact that Sunggyu was waiting for him, right in the place where they were supposed to meet back then. Why him? They had never exchanged a lot of words. He thought he would just enjoy this while it lasts and then let go of Sunggyu without regrets when the time comes, but now he knows that he can’t. He can’t just walk away again and send Sunggyu back to waiting for a boy that was never going to come. The boy from back then was gone forever. He needs to free the older man from the past he is stuck in and lies are not going to achieve that. Sunggyu would just go back to his old habits if they separated without him knowing the truth.

He works both of his shifts every day of the week, but his mind is constantly on the older man. They exchange text messages every day, although Woohyun is sometimes hesitating with his replies. He’s suddenly unsure of what to say, how to act. Sunggyu notices that something is wrong, but Woohyun makes up some quick lies about a cold and how he’s feeling unwell. The lie works, although it pains him to use another one on Sunggyu.



Woohyun makes a decision a week later while looking at his closet full of brand items. He’s going to tell Sunggyu the truth.  The black-haired man needs to know