I am so so sorry for not updating, I was busy the past weeks and I promised to myself I need to finish a chapter by today because I won’t have time again if I missed this Sunday. That’s why I think this is a boring chapter. I’m sorry about this too T.T OTL

Now, 29 years old.

Yoseob rolled his stiff neck and massaged the back of his head as he sat down in his small office in the hospital. The morning light filtered in through the slits of the office blinds, casting soft shadowy lights into the quiet room. He finished his night shift three hours ago but decided to stay a little bit more to help out the medical staff and escape his empty apartment. It would be much easier for him to get home exhausted so he could just sleep everything off without thinking of anything else.

Since he had started meeting Doojoon, he had also started feeling lonely sometimes… just sometimes, because other times he would be too busy working or too busy messing around with Yoon Doojoon. He sighed, he was getting too attached to Doojoon and that was bad. Really bad, and he kind of needed to do something to distance himself emotionally from the charming and absolutely perfect Yoon Doojoon. Doojoon had not been contacting him for two days, and Yoseob wondered what was going on. Yoseob slouched in his seat, could not be bothered about the warning of scoliosis he had always preached to his patients, as he opened the drawer and took out his phone. He shook his head to clear his mind off Doojoon.

There were five missed calls, all from the same unfamiliar number – it was not Doojoon. Yoseob frowned, the caller was rather determined so maybe this was quite important. He was about to tap on the call button on his screen when his phone started flashing. The unfamiliar number called again.

“Hello.” Yoseob answered.

There was a quiet shuffling on the other side before the person replied, “Is this Yang Yoseob-sshi?”

“Yes, speaking.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Yoseob could almost hear the relief from the other side. “Who’s calling?”

“My apologies. This is Yong Junhyung. I am Yoon Doojoon’s colleague.” Junhyung said. Yoseob noticed a little slurring from the other man.

“Ah… How can I help you, Junhyung-sshi? Sorry I missed all of your calls before. I was on duty so I couldn’t bring my phone with me.”

Junhyung was silent for a while before he replied, “I need a favour from you. It’s about Doojoon. He is not feeling well, so he is not in the office right now.”

“Okay.”

“Yes.”

Yoseob went silent for a bit, expecting some longer explanations of the favour instead of just a ‘yes’ from Junhyung. But the other line was quiet too. The clock in Yoseob’s room was ticking and none of them said anything, Yoseob wondered if both of them were waiting for the other one to speak first. So he decided he should be brave enough to continue.

“If you don’t mind, can I ask how did you get my number?” Yoseob frowned. He did not remember meeting any of Doojoon’s friend, especially one named Yong Junhyung. So how on earth –

“You are the emergency contact for Doojoon outside of the office contact.” Junhyung said matter-of-factly.

“I am the what?” Yoseob almost shrieked, almost, but because he was tired and sleepy (he had not slept during the whole night shift and the morning that he extended his shift) he sounded whiny instead. He closed his eyes and massaged the space in between his eyebrows, his head had started a low pound. “I’m sorry, Junhyung-sshi, I’m sure there is something wrong with your data information. I have no idea where Doojoon is. I’m not even in constant contact with him.”

“Oh, alright then.” Junhyung said, “Sorry to bother you so early in the morning. Have a good day ahead.”

Yoseob had always believed his curiosity was one of his strengths, his desire to know more, his desire to try new things, his desire to achieve things. Curiosity killed the cat? Not for Yoseob. Never for Yoseob.

Until this moment in which he opened his stupid mouth and asked, “Do you know what happened to Doojoon? Did he go missing or…?”

There was a low and light chuckle on the other side, “No, of course not. We all know he was sick since two days ago but today we lost all contact with him. His mobile is off, his phone home is not answered. We are quite worried, especially since we are having an important presentation in three days and we need to prepare. So I just wanted to check if you know of Doojoon’s whereabouts. But since you are also uninformed, it’s okay, I can go down to his house and check on him. Thank you for your help.”

Junhyung was about to hang up the call when Yoseob quickly interrupted, “No – no, wait wait… I can… I think… I think I can help you with that.”

“Help me with what?”

“Checking Doojoon for you,” Yoseob rolled his eyes, not to Junhyung but to himself because he just ing volunteered to go to Doojoon’s house and check on the older man. He almost taped his mouth together so they will not throw another stupid idea out, especially ideas related to Doojoon. “And I’m a doctor so I can try to give him something to make him feel better.”

“That would be great!” Junhyung exclaimed. “You are a life saver! Should I give you the address? Please let me know how he is doing after you have visited him. This is so great, thank you very much. I will send you the address and the map.”

“You are welcome. I will let you know at the soonest.” Yoseob said calmly.

Immediately after he hung up the call, he threw his head back and panted heavily. It felt like he just ran a marathon with that one call from Yong Junhyung. Adrenaline rushed through his body at the thoughts of going to Doojoon’s home. When his phone beeped, signaling he received the address and the map, he could not hold in the smile that bloomed on his face.

=&=

The bell shrieked loud and clear when Yoseob pressed the buzzer on the intercom in front of Doojoon’s apartment. Yoseob waited one minute for a response, when he got none, he pressed the buzzer again, and there was another loud shriek at the other side of the door. This time, Yoseob could hear faint footfalls coming closer and a few loud coughs.

“Yoseob?” Doojoon’s voice cracked over the intercom, he was obviously super sick. “What are you doing here?”

Yoseob waved to the small camera attached to the intercom and showed the plastic bag he had with him to the camera. The door quickly clicked open and a disheveled Doojoon stood surprised in the doorway. The older man was only in his pajamas – white shirt and cotton boxers, his hair was a total mess, sticking in all random directions – the messy blonde-brown hair Yoseob loved to grab whenever they had , face pale but flushed at the same time, and the pair of tired droopy eyes that broke Yoseob’s heart into pieces.

“Oh my God,” Yoseob started, unable to hold his stupid mouth back, “you look like .”

Doojoon frowned, and then pouted like a little boy, “I’m too tired to play mock with you. I’d rather sleep.”

Yoseob shrugged nonchalantly at the biting remark and welcomed himself into Doojoon’s apartment, he pushed the older man aside and walked towards the kitchen. He set the plastic bag on the kitchen counter and started opening cabinets to find some bowl and spoon.

With an amused chuckle, Doojoon followed the younger man to the kitchen and leaned against the wall. He coughed once, twice, and then took in a long breath.

“Are you ‘kay? Have you seen a doctor?” Yoseob stared at Doojoon and winced when he heard a slight wheeze. “You are wheezing, do you know that?”

“What are you doing here? How did you get here?”

Yoseob went back to opening cabinets, now looking for a cup after successfully finding a cute yellow polka-dotted bowl and a spoon, “Junhyung called me this morning because you were uncontactable. Since I am your emergency contact in your office data, according to Junhyung that is,” Yoseob could hear a series of low-voiced profanities coming out from Doojoon towards Junhyung, “so I am here to check on you and make sure you are ready for your important presentation in three-day time. Junhyung gave me your address, he was worried about you.”

“Cup is on the second cabinet from the right, second shelf. I have the matching one with the bowl.” Doojoon quipped.

Yoseob looked at Doojoon and raised his eyebrow in amusement, there was a smirk on the younger man’s face. Slowly, his hand moved to open the second cabinet from the right and checked the second shelf for a matching yellow polka-dotted cup.

“You didn’t tell me I was your emergency contact.” Yoseob said as he rinsed out the newly found cup, bowl and spoon.

Doojoon sighed, sitting down in the nearby dining chair, he was just so tired and weak and all he wanted to do was sleep. “I’m sorry, I should have told you about this. I will change the emergency contact information once I am back to the office.”

Pouring the warm porridge into the clean bowl, Yoseob replied, “I didn’t say I minded. I just said that you didn’t tell me I was your emergency contact.”

Doojoon silently stared at Yoseob who silently prepared some kind of a liquid meal for sick person. The older man coughed a few times more, this time accompanied by a runny nose. Yoseob freaked out for a bit because he could hear the wheezing clearer this time and he quickly ushered Doojoon back to the bedroom, under the covers. “I’ll be back with your porridge in a bit, don’t sleep just yet.” Doojoon nodded but his eyes felt so heavy, he felt so weak and all he wanted to do was to close his eyes and sleep for a little bit.

There was a gentle nudge on Doojoon’s arm and it woke the older man up. “I told you not to sleep.” Yoseob chastised the older man softly.

“I know,” Doojoon coughed again, “but I’m just so tired, I want to close my eyes for a bit.” Doojoon sighed as Yoseob piled up a few pillows behind him so he was half sitting down half lying on the bed.

“Have you been to the doctor?” Yoseob asked as he fed Doojoon a spoonful of porridge.

Doojoon shook his head, “I meant to go today with Junhyung, but I feel so tired. Maybe I’ll go later in the afternoon.”

“That’s why Junhyung kept calling you in the morning but you did not pick up any of his calls.” Yoseob said as he fed another spoonful to Doojoon. “You know, I can bring you to the doctor. If you ask me to, I can accompany you.”

Doojoon was silent as he received another spoonful of porridge, the best porridge he had ever eaten in his entire life. No kidding, the porridge was heavenly, and he could just eat it forever.

Yoseob continued, “I am your emergency contact after all.”

“I’m tired.” Doojoon whined. “Can I sleep now?”

Yoseob put away the half-finished porridge bowl and gave Doojoon a cup of warm Yujacha and two cold pills. “Here, you have to finish this and then you can sleep.”

Doojoon popped both pills together and drank the citrus tea quickly, his throat was so dry. After finishing the whole cup, Yoseob helped to rearrange his pillows and Doojoon settled comfortably into his bed, ready to sleep again.

Yoseob stuck a cooling strip on Doojoon’s forehead and sat on the stool next to the bed. His hand gently Doojoon’s messy hair, a gesture he had itched to do for so long. “Shhh… sleep now.”

Doojoon coughed again, and stared seriously at Yoseob, “Yoseob, you are my emergency contact in my office data.”

Yoseob’s hand stilled for a moment before he smiled softly at Doojoon. “Okay. Sleep now…”

Slowly, Doojoon closed his heavy eyes and with the intoxicating motion of Yoseob’s hand his hair, Doojoon was fast asleep. One part of Yoseob wanted to explore Doojoon’s home and see what Doojoon was about in his personal life. But the rest of him wanted to just stay there and accompany a sleeping Doojoon.  

Yoseob observed the sleeping Doojoon, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the slight wheeze because of the cold, the way Doojoon slightly turned towards Yoseob in his sleep. The younger man’s hand caressed Doojoon’s face, his sharp nose, his closed tired eyes, the high cheekbones, the strong and absolutely y jawline (the spot Yoseob loved to on), the now dry lips.

He bent down a little and left a chaste kiss on Doojoon’s dry lips before he continued Doojoon’s soft blonde-brown hair in between his fingers.

=&=

Senior High School, 18 Years Old.

Yoseob loved watching soccer practice.

He was always sitting there, on one of the shaded bleachers next to the soccer field, watching sweaty boys running up and down chasing after one ball. This time, through a miracle from the higher ups, Dongwoon was also running up and down the field with his other team mates. Yoseob thought that Dongwoon was never cut out for sport, especially soccer, but he tried quite hard for this, so he would show his support to his dongsaeng by watching soccer practice, if he had the time.

But there was something more to soccer practice which kept Yoseob excited. Of course, Yoseob could not come to watch too much but when he had the chance to watch, he would be watching Dongwoon and Yoon Doojoon.

There he was again, wearing his soccer jersey and a bright orange vest over it, running and shouting and laughing with his team mates. He had this inexplicable aura that made people get attracted to him, like bees to honey. He was not the smartest, but he got by all right, he was not stupid like the other jocks. He was polite, kind, and fun to hang out with, guys respected him, girls loved him, teachers adored him. And Yoseob was one of them.

Doojoon scored a goal and he celebrated with his team mates. Yoseob could never understand how being bumped and crashed into roughly was ever a celebration, people might get injuries from celebrating goals instead of the game itself. Doojoon jogged back to his area in the field, flicking his sweaty fringe to the side, away from his face. Yoseob smiled at this, his fingers itched to run in between those soft-looking strands.

Yoseob looked down and fiddled with his long fingers, imagining how in the world they could have a chance of feeling Doojoon’s hair. He was so into his own thoughts, he did not realize Dongwoon was already beside him.

“Hyung!” Dongwoon called excitedly, sitting haphazardly on the spot next to him. Yoseob almost fell down from his seat due to the shock. Dongwoon was sweaty from head to toe, out of breath, but the happy grin on his face was enough for Yoseob to not get mad at the younger boy for surprising him before.

Yoseob smiled, his silver braces glistened under the sun, “You did well, Dongwoonah.”

Dongwoon beamed, “Doojoon Hyung included me in the practice play today. I still lacked so much but he was just so nice.”

“He is nice to everybody.” Yoseob agreed, “he even talked to me during chemistry practical. He wanted me to teach him stuff.”

“Ahh…” Dongwon nodded, “I told him you were tutoring me for Biology so maybe he wanted you to tutor him, too?”

Yoseob shrugged, “Oh well, Yoona took over though, so I’m sure they got to learn stuff together. If you know what I mean.”

Dongwoon laughed. “Oh look!” He pointed to the field, “Hi, Doojoon Hyung!” he waved excitedly to the man he adored while Yoseob sat frozen in his seat. He did not know Yoon Doojoon that well and it would be really awkward if he started waving at him like what Dongwoon was doing. So he stayed put, but he smiled instead, flashing his silver braces to the soccer captain.

Doojoon waved twice then flashed them a grin before jogging back to the field with his team mates. Dongwoon gulped his water down and sighed in admiration, “Oh, he is just so nice, isn’t he?”

Yoseob nodded to agree.

=&=

Yoseob did not want to, but he pouted anyway because the vending machine ran out of chocolate milk. It had been a ty day and the only salvation Yoseob was looking forward was the small carton of chocolate milk and the white straw that Yoseob always loved to chew during recess.

But no, fate decided that Yoseob would not get any chocolate milk today during recess. And so he just stood in front of the vending machine, looking at the empty slot where the chocolate milk with the white straw was supposed to be. He rolled the coins in his hand like heavy metal and pouted.

“Oh man, it ran out of chocolate milk.” Dongwoon sighed, knowing how Yoseob would feel the whole day, given the ty start of his morning. “Sorry, Hyung, but you gotta settle for juice then.”

Yoseob shook his head adamantly, still staring at the vending machine, willing a carton of chocolate milk to magically appear. “Come on, Hyung, let’s go. We’ll be late for class.”

“Oh hi.” Another familiar voice chimed in.

Dongwoon grinned, “Hi, Doojoon Hyung.”

Doojoon looked at a visibly annoyed Yoseob and asked, “Are you okay? You look really angry. I hope it’s not me.”

“No.” Dongwoon waved his hand dismissively, “Yoseob Hyung wanted chocolate milk but the vending machine ran out of it so he was quite irritated.”

“Chocolate milk, huh?” Doojoon asked, still looking at the quiet and absolutely adorable, pouting Yang Yoseob. He smiled and ruffled Yoseob’s hair, “You gotta settle for juice then.”

“That’s what I told him earlier.” Dongwoon chimed in.

Yoseob’s heart started beating really fast, and he could feel warmth spreading from his neck to his face. He was sure he would look like a steamed crab at this moment, but he smiled nonetheless at the dashing and charming and perfect Yoon Doojoon. “We need to get back to class or we’ll be late. Sorry I did not intend to make you feel uncomfortable.” Yoseob said.

Doojoon grinned, showing his perfectly crooked teeth, “Not at all. It’s perfectly normal to be upset about not getting something we really want.”

Yoseob nodded and so he settled for juice for that day. It was not too bad, but chocolate milk would be ideal, but beggars could not be choosers so he would drink whatever he could get for now. He was to bring his own chocolate milk tomorrow in case the vending machine was not refilled yet.

And so Yoseob was thoroughly surprised when he saw a chocolate milk carton with white straw sitting pretty on his desk at the end of second recess. He hurried to his table and found a note with really neat writing, maybe even neater than his own.

I have extra ;)

Doojoon.

Yoseob was so screwed because he finally knew which group of Doojoon’s admirers he belonged to. He was one of those girls who loved Yoon Doojoon.