I feel like I have been abandoning this series along the way OTL. Just want to let everybody know that I love all the comments <333333 lots of hearts for everyone but sadly I cannot reply at the moment because I am even squeezing out time for an update, i will reply when i have mroe time. Really sorry for not replying guys I love you aaaaaalllllll. FOREVAAAHHHHHHHH <33333333333333333

Yoseob sighed in gratitude as he stepped into the air-conditioned café. He could hear the slight sound of the air conditioners – a sign that they were working in full blast to fight off the heat outside. It was a hot summer, really hot and Yoseob was starting to sweat although he was properly dressed for the summer: black knee-length pants, thin dark green/white plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves, a pair of sneakers and a beige cap since he did not wear sunglasses. He looked absolutely idiotic when he wore one, so he gave up hope and decided not to wear any unless it was fatally necessary.

A small bell twinkled when Yoseob pushed open the door and immediately greetings were heard from the baristas. He scanned the small café and spotted a young lady waving excitedly at him with a sweet smile. Yoseob waved back once at her in acknowledgement and made his way through the tables and chairs.

“Hello.” She greeted with a big smile on her plump and shiny lips, one hand outstretched for a handshake. “I’m Ailee.”

Yoseob nodded politely and took her offered hand, “Hi, I’m Yoseob.”

“Please have a seat.” Ailee chirped, eyes forming two beautiful crescent moons as her smile widened, displaying an impressively neat and white row of teeth.

Yoseob pulled out a chair and sat down, turning his cap around so that the visor was now at the back of his head. He looked around and was quite impressed with the café, it was small and isolated, tucked away in the back of a quiet alley in Gangnam – even Yoseob was having a hard time finding this place – but almost all the tables were full with customers. Yoseob reminded himself that he needed to socialize more, go out more, instead of being cooped up with his job.

The walls were all bricks and glass, except for a few sides that were cemented and decorated with hanging plants. Old American advertisements were framed up and hung on the brick walls, there were black and white pictures and English quotes that Yoseob could only read bits and pieces of. All the tables and chairs were made of metal and spray painted in rainbow colours, a contrast to the monotone walls, strangely adding up to the whole quaint and vintage feel of the café.

Ailee cleared and it snapped Yoseob back into reality. She asked, “Do you want anything to drink?”

“Um…” Yoseob hesitated, “…yes?”

She laughed and her eyes twinkled, “They have really good bubble tea, should I get that for you?”

Yoseob nodded and smiled. Her laughter was truly contagious. “Yes, please. Bubble tea would be perfect.”

She raised her hand to one of the waiters and read her order for Yoseob. She seemed to know the place quite well.

“Thank you for coming.” Ailee said, “Honestly, I was a little worried that you would not show up but I’m glad you are here now.”

Yoseob frowned a little, albeit politely, “How did you get my number, anyway? I was quite shocked when you called.”

“Dongwoon.” Ailee answered as she sipped on her caramel latte with skim milk. “Of course I would not ask Doojoon oppa.”

Doojoon oppa, Yoseob mused, that sounded really cute coming from her. “Ah, you know Dongwoon, too?”

Ailee nodded, her perfect brown curls bounced with every soft nod, “We were kind of in a circle in London, so we know each other. Friends’ friends. Because Doojoon oppa knows Dongwoon, that’s how I got to know Dongwoon and Kikwang.”

“The circle… so do you know Junhyung and Junsu and the others, too?”

“Yeap, but I’m not too close to them,” Ailee added, “when you have been away in a country that is not your own hometown, you will be forced to make friends, to know people, to acquire the people skill. I guess I’m used to it now, so I tend to make connections with people and I don’t really get awkward anymore with strangers.”

“Is that why you wanted to meet me today? – oh, thank you.” Yoseob thanked the waiter when his bubble tea arrived. He took a sip and it was heavenly.

Ailee leaned forward and asked, excited to see Yoseob’s reaction, “Is it good?”

“Oh, wow,” Yoseob sighed in contentment as he chewed on the bubble, “this is really good.”

“I know right,” she leaned back and crossed her really-long-and-never-ending legs which were barely covered by her shorts, seeming to be satisfied with her choice of drinks for Yoseob, “I know you will like this drink.”

“… I’m sorry?”

“I have wanted to meet you for a long time, now.”

Yoseob frowned, “I’m sorry but what?”

“I have always wanted to have a chat with you, a talk. I’m sure it will be really fun, that’s why I called you up to meet.” Ailee smiled again, her rosy cheekbones lifted with obvious enthusiasm.

“I don’t think we have met before.” Yoseob said.

Ailee shook her head and her pretty brown curls moved, revealing the perfectly cut diamond earrings, “Nope, we have not met before but I’ve seen you from pictures. Lots of them, actually.”

Yoseob’s frown went deeper, “You are losing me here. I don’t even know what you are talking about.”

“Doojoon oppa’s pictures of you.” Ailee made a gesture like it was the most obvious things in the world, while Yoseob knew nothing about any pictures of him that Doojoon owned. “Oppa has lots of pictures of you in his apartment in London. Everything was organized neatly in photo albums and I kept asking him who that person was and it was you. His best friend since high school, Yang Yoseob! And I have always wanted to meet you because I mean you are a very special person to oppa and he doesn’t even have that many pictures of me, his fiancée.”

The world seemed to stop for a while before dropping off onto Yoseob in an instant. There was too much information in just one sentence, too much information with so little time to digest. Yoseob’s stomach fell to the grpund, the bubble tea he had swallowed was threating to come back out.

“You are his… fiancée?” Yoseob almost stammered.

Ailee nodded innocently with a smile and Yoseob wanted to murder himself because , he just ing ed around with an engaged man. He was the lowest than the lowest, he was more disgusting than a rat and here he was sitting with the really pretty fiancée, Mrs. Yoon Doojoon-to-be, laughing and drinking bubble tea.

He even hugged Doojoon in front of everybody during the birthday party, thinking that Doojoon liked him. Being nice did not mean liking, and Yoseob realized this when it was already too late. He should smile at her, congratulate her for being one of the luckiest girls – no, one of the luckiest wives – in the whole wide world. He should look happy for her, he should say nice things to her and then parted ways but of course, first, he should say nice things to her –

“I’m not his best friend since high school.” Yoseob blurted out, he gasped silently after the words slipped out of his mouth.

“Uh-huh…” Ailee sipped on her drink, “but oppa keeps telling everyone you are both best friends since high school. Dongwoon told me that Doojoon told him that both of you were best friends. He even helped Dongwoon when that dongsaeng first moved, saying that because Dongwoon was your best friend, that made him best friends with Dongwoon too.”

Yoseob shook his head, “That is not true. I just think you have to know the truth.”

“Are you sleeping with Doojoon oppa then?” Ailee asked and Yoseob’s eyes widened in surprise. She stayed calm, her voice did not even waver and there was no sign of her being infuriated at the slightest chance that her fiancée was sleeping with someone else, a man for that matter.

Yoseob was quiet as they stared at each other for a while. And then with a slight movement of Yoseob’s head, he nodded.

Slowly, slightly.                 And his head stayed low as Yoseob stared at Ailee’s black shiny patent heels.

“I knew it, he was lying to me.”

Yoseob knew this would happen somehow, some day, with Yoon Doojoon. How could the perfect Yoon Doojoon be his, but then he frowned because there was something so wrong – or so right – about Ailee’s reaction. He looked up and saw one of the most confusing expressions ever on the young woman’s face.

Ailee looked like she just understood the whole thing, like it was so obvious and finally she got it, whatever that she got, but it was finally within her grasp. She smiled at Yoseob and sipped on her drink again, “I knew it.”

“Why are you smiling? You are scaring me.” Yoseob asked, afraid that she would turn serial-killer on his once they were out of the café.

“Shouldn’t I be smiling?”

“Um, no?” Yoseob offered, “I just confessed that I slept with your fiancé. I had with him. We ed. Nothing? No water splashed to my face? No y slaps that I deserve? Nothing?”

Ailee shrugged nonchalantly, “Oh come on, even the blind can see Doojoon oppa is so gay for your . I mean no man would keep pictures of another man excessively like him if he was not gay for you.” She waved a dismissing hand, “This whole engagement is stupid. Just because we both have duties to our families, we need to get married to strengthen business relationships. Let me tell you that is one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard since a broadcasting company announced Yoona would be lead for Nodame Cantabile Korean remake. Come on, I did not study and live overseas to get married like this. Even if Doojoon oppa and I did not get married, I will still support him no matter he does.”

Yoseob was quite lost, actually because he did not understand the saying about Noda-something but he got the gist of it anyway, “…but every man wants a woman in the end.”

Ailee raised her perfectly arched eyebrow and leaned forward again to cover Yoseob’s hand in hers, “Not Yoon Doojoon. He only wants Yang Yoseob as far as I know.”

=&=

Yoseob sat in the dark in his apartment. The night had arrived, bringing darkness into the world, the dark clouds did not help either. It was almost pitch black inside Yoseob’s bedroom.

Always. Calling Dongwoon had always been a joy to Yoseob. He loved his dongsaeng very much and because he was overseas, every single contact Yoseob had with Dongwoon was always precious. Always.

He gripped the phone in his hand as he went over some of the conversations he had with Dongwoon earlier.

“Yah, Dongni-ah, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Hyung. What’s up?” Dongwoon laughed over the phone because of the silly question.

“Are you close with Doojoonie?” Yoseob asked while biting his lips.

Dongwoon laughed again, “Of course I am. He is your best friend and that was why he helped me settle down in London when I first moved. But I’m quite curious as to when did you guys start getting chummy with each other in high school. Did I miss anything during school or…?”

“Doojoon is a sweet guy.” Yoseob answered diplomatically and he could hear Dongwoon grinning from the other side.

After that, Yoseob refused to talk about Doojoon anymore as he steered the conversation back into updating each other on their daily lives, on Kikwang and how wonderful it was to finally get attached to someone Dongwoon really loved although Kikwang talked and sometimes hit Dongwoon on the face in his sleep. Yoseob laughed and told Dongwoon that he reconnected with Doojoon, to the younger man’s delight because Doojoon Hyung is soooo nice, I love him forever.

Everything started to fall into place now, for Yoseob, and his heart started beating loudly in his ribcage. His stomach lurched at the realization that he might like Doojoon back, maybe more than like, and he might want his heart to feel that it was okay to feel more than like for Doojoon. He wanted his brain to think the same way as his heart felt.

He changed into baggy sweatpants and black sleeveless tee shirt, put on his cap, socks and running shoes and went out of his apartment. He needed to be out, to breathe in the clean air. He needed to run just to clear his mind and calm down his heart a little.

=&=

Yoseob did not know how many miles he had covered during his run, he just kept running, he even forgot to get his phone and ipod with him, only having a minimum amount of money if he decided that he wanted to take a cab home.

The wind was warm against his sweaty face and neck, he could hear murmurs – bit and pieces – of other’s conversations when he passed by them. Yoseob just kept running, he would be so screwed when he fainted out of exhaustion because he did not have any money with him to go to the hospital now. Yet, he kept running.

Until he saw a familiar park. Bright with lights, couple holding hands, groups of friends hanging out, families enjoying themselves.

And Yoseob kept running.

Until he saw a familiar luxurious apartment building.

Then, Yoseob stopped running.

He stood in the pavement and started staring.  He craned his neck upwards, trying to see the 8^th floor where Doojoon’s apartment was. Yoseob dug into the pocket of his sweatpants, only to remember that he did not bring his phone with him. So he just kept staring.

Yoseob lost track of how long he had stayed there when the sky started to rumble and the first drop of rain fell onto his right shoulder. Another drop, another drop, and then it started raining cats and dogs. Yoseob wanted to go so badly but his feet refused to move, as if they were planted into the pavement.

Suddenly, there was a black umbrella over his head, providing him with shelter, even for just a bit.

“Yang Yoseob-sshi?” A man spoke behind Yoseob.

Yoseob turned around slowly and saw the usual doorman holding the umbrella for him, dressed in crisp black uniform, smiling warmly. There was a small, embossed gold-coloured name plate on the man’s left chest, it read Dongwoo.

“Are you here to see Yoon Doojoon-sshi?”  

“… I… I’m…” Yoseob stammered, because he did not have the answer to that question and because he was ing freezing.

Dongwoo smiled again, “I remember you. Let me you up to Doojoon-sshi’s apartment, if you don’t mind.”

It felt like forever before Yoseob finally nodded and walked with Dongwoo into the luxurious building.

=&=

It was a boring night for Doojoon as he flipped through the television channels. He wanted so badly to meet Yoseob but it was the weekend and usually Yoseob was always busy during the weekend in the hospital.

He sighed and rubbed his face, he was so ing in love with Yoseob and he did not know what to do. There were a few occasions it almost slipped out from him. Even the brief mention of Doojoon liking Yoseob scared the out of the younger man and he could very well imagine Yoseob running away as fast as he could when Doojoon would finally say he loved Yoseob. Why Yoseob was so opposed to love was another mystery for him, though. He needed to know.

The doorbell rang and Doojoon frowned as he got up from the couch to the door, wondering who might be visiting him, maybe a surprise visit from Junhyung.

Doojoon walked to the monitor next to the door and saw Dongwoo with his warm and polite smile. “Dongwoo-yah? I’ll open the door wait a bit.” Dongwoo nodded.

“Hey, what’s up?” Doojoon asked casually.

Instead of answering, Dongwoo moved to the side and softly pulled Yoseob to the door. Yoseob was drenched from head to toe, much like a rat in a gutter. His face was pale and his lips were slightly blue as he shivered slightly due to the rain and cold.

The younger man looked up, his face was wet from the rain but there was something in Yoseob’s eyes, they were confused, pleading, as if he was lost. Immediately, Doojoon hugged Yoseob, not even minding that the water from Yoseob was soaking into his own clothes. “Oh my God, Yoseobah what happened! Are you okay?” He looked at Dongwoo when Yoseob stayed silent, “What happened to him, is he okay?”

Dongwoo bowed, “I’m sorry but I don’t know. I saw him in front of the building in the rain and escorted him in to see you.”

Doojoon nodded while rubbing up and down Yoseob’s freezing bare arms, trying to share some of his heat with the younger man. “Thank you, Dongwoo.”

The doorman bowed again and left.

“Are you okay?” Doojoon whispered to Yoseob.

Yoseob buried his face into Doojoon’s strong chest, “Can I come in?”

Doojoon’s face fell as he heard the sadness in Yoseob’s voice. He bent down a little and scooped Yoseob up in his arms while Yoseob held onto Doojoon for dear life, burying his face on the curve of Doojoon’s neck.

Doojoon carried Yoseob in like a child and kicked the door shut.