Hoya did not get his umbrella back that day. The rain had stopped and the skies had cleared when he ended his shift, and he felt embarrassed to be standing by the door waiting for someone, just thinking of the action made him feel like he was waiting to be picked up on a date. Furthermore, he was not sure Woohyun would appear at all. 

When he did see his umbrella again, it was leaning against the door as he walked into the store for his shift two afternoons later. 

My saviour Lee Howon-shii, thank you for the umbrella. You weren’t at the store when I came by again, so I’m leaving it here. I’ll be meeting you a lot more often I believe. See you again and I owe you a treat! Here’s one in advance. Nam Woohyun =.=

The letter had been attached clumsily onto the umbrella, and when he bent down to retrieve it, a box of peppermint candy slipped onto the palm of his hand. 

You didn’t say when you’d be back. How was I supposed to wait for you then. Hoya sighed. 

Within the next few weeks, Hoya truly comprehended what ‘a person brighter than the sun’ meant. He met Woohyun, not once or twice, but so many times he knew the exact moment to bring his gaze up and meet Woohyun’s, who would be entering the store bearing that greasiest grin. 

With Woohyun, there always seemed to be a source of heat and glow radiating from his entire being, and everytime he stepped into the store, he would call Hoya’s full name in a sing-song manner, undisturbed by the bizarre glances he would attract from other patrons. 

Of course it was awkward at first, Hoya having never met a person as confident as Woohyun was, but as their encounters became more frequent, Hoya would find himself looking forward to the appearance of his only friend in Seoul. 

Woohyun would often settle his meals at the convenience store, his options ranging from the never-ending choices of ramyeon, to the microwavable selections of frozen food and to refrigerated kimbap. 

And when Woohyun ate, his mouth never stopped talking either. 

Howon-shii, did you watch last night’s episode of Reply 1997? Your satoori dialect is all in the rage right now! Plus you kinda look like that Joonhee guy in the show. Cute heh~

…

Howon, this brand of jajangmyeon is seriously good, take a bite quick or I’ll be finishing it!

…

Howon-ah, I’m having a sore throat. My job as vocal instructor has got to be the most horrible job in the world. I’m losing my beautiful voice teaching students who are tone deaf!

…

Hoya Hoya! My school’s having a ceremony for the graduating batch next Tuesday night and I’ve been asked to sing some songs for it. Didn’t you always say that I don’t seem to have that melodious voice that I insist I do? You should come, and be my date or something! 

Their friendship had progressed so rapidly within the months that Woohyun no longer called him in a formal manner, and he too returned the favour by displaying his secretly sassy personality in front of the ‘namgrease’. 

Hoya was sure Woohyun was joking when he mentioned the date, but for some reason he became afraid. Hoya felt like he didn’t deserve to be given another chance at love again, and he was happy in his little corner of emptiness, filling it up with memories of his past. 

To Hoya, his happiness was fragile like bubbles floating in the air, pretty and colourful and light while it lasted, but would break as soon as he touched it. So he retreated the attempt to stretch out his hand and touch it, he gave up trying to obtain happiness. 

And so he avoided that eager gaze Woohyun had casted on him, choosing to ignore the question completely. Yet he didn’t fail to capture that awkward twitch in Woohyun’s smile as he bided him goodbye that evening. 

Was he really anticipating me to be there?

---

Days passed and Hoya found himself staring at the calendar on his phone more frequently. Woohyun had snatched his phone away from him that evening and noted the date and time in his calendar, inclusive of cheesy notes and annoying alarms at the weirdest hours to remind him of the event.

---

Hoya prided himself as being a systematic man; he abided the rules, he followed through with plans in his life. He wasn't into contradictory things, and he liked to anticipate whatever would happen before the day had even started, striving to achieve the goals he had set for himself.

So why was he currently pacing around his room, feeling jittery throughout his entire being, undecided on what he should wear to Nam Woohyun's school ceremony when he had so resolutely been convincing himself daily that he wouldn't attend? 

How formal did he have to be? Woohyun never mentioned anything about the dress code... And was he obligated to bring a gift? Woohyun was going to perform and Hoya's parents had always educated him on basic courtesy, but they never got to the specifics of what he should do if he was invited by a male friend (date?) to a school ceremony?!?! What should be bring then? Flowers? 

Howonnie! I'm going on stage in an hour's time! I know you never promised me anything, but I really hope you'd come and listen to me sing. 

Woohyun's message flashed across Hoya's phone screen as he groaned internally and threw yet another shirt onto the makeshift mountain of clothes piled precariously on his all too small single sized bed. 

This won't do... this won't do at all...

---

Exactly one hour later, Hoya sat stiffly at the back of Woohyun's school hall, his collar sticking uncomfortably against his neckline, his white shirt pressed straight and tucked neatly into his black trousers, a lone sunflower surviving well in his grip.

He felt like a mascot in a big bear costume, overdressed and overwhelmed by the crowd around him, swooning over his handsome features, glancing at his overly prepared outfit, and side eyeing the sunflower he was holding. 

And when Woohyun walked up the stage, flashing that million dollar smile of his, Hoya was the only one who stood up and clapped for him, earning straight up stares from students and parents around him. He wanted to blend in, but he had successfully allowed himself to stand out instead. 

Amidst the focus on him though, at least the one set of eyes that mattered was currently locking gazes with him, and Hoya unknowingly touched his neck and grinned before gliding back down into his seat. Woohyun looked perfect on that stage, with the stagelights illuminating his features, accentuating his good looks as he descended in front of the grand piano, his fingers easily finding the keys as he started playing. 

Hoya wondered if he too, looked that good on stage back in his dancing days, if he too charmed the crowd the way Woohyun was presently achieving, if he too belonged up there as much as Woohyun clearly did...

"...Barely gettin' mad, I'm so glad I found you.
I love bein' around you.
You make it easy, it's as easy as 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4

There's only one thing to do,
Three words for you I love you..."

-

Hoya-ah, is the sunflower for me? Oh, Hoya hated how Woohyun, with his annoyingly huge beam spreading across his face skipping a little too excitedly towards him, was clearly asking the obvious, yet he was too embarrassed to provide a snarky rebutt as he unglamourously shoved the sunflower onto Woohyun's chest when he came a little too close. 

You were great up there. I'm impresse- woah Nam what are you doing? was what Hoya managed to spurt out before being enveloped in a big warm embrace against Woohyun's broad chest, the sunflower petals squashed between their necks, and Hoya could no longer be sure if the tingles he felt running through his body was from the tickles of the petals or from the shock he was experiencing with Woohyun's arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Come, let me show you something!

Woohyun's left hand grabbed hold of Hoya's right hand, fingers intertwining as they half jogged out of the school hall, along rows and rows of corridors, swerving around hordes of of teachers, parents and students scattered across before reaching a door at the end of the aisle. With his free hand, Woohyun pushed through the door and pulled Hoya in. 

A room filled with mirrors greeted him, and a sense of familiarity immediately washed through him.

It was a dance studio. The studio was spotlessly clean, the mirrors were shiny, it smelt nice and the floorings were obviously made of good wood, and it felt so smooth when he sat his foot on it unlike the dingy ones that creaked in his practice room back in Busan. Hoya had seen studios like this in the hip hop dance videos he and Dongwoo-hyung used to watch while they slouched against the sweat soaked mirrors of their practice room, littering the floorboard munching on chips. He had imagined himself stepping into one of these studios, heck he even dreamt about dancing in one of it. 

Dance for me Hoya. Woohyun's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to create an echo through the room.

How did you...? I... I can't... He took a step back when Woohyun played his favourite dance track on the stereo.

When I sang before, I was singing to you. And I hope that you'll dance again, for me. Dance for me Hoya. And Hoya needn't be told thrice. 

---

Days spent with Woohyun had got to be his favourite. Sweet, charming Woohyun with his overprotective nature even though he was only a month older, his eyes consistently casting affectionate glances at him, his sharp nose always nestled against his neck, smelling and sniffling into him, his mouth saying all those cheesy lines Hoya secretly enjoyed, his lips working wonders against his own; pecking it, it, it, biting it, slightly bruising it - loving him. 

Woohyun had not only taught him how he could fall in love again, but also how he could and should continue chasing after his dreams. A month after he danced in front of Woohyun, together with his constant encouragement, Hoya plucked up his courage and switched his course to take up performing arts with a major in dance. 

All in all, everything was great. He started making new friends, friends who shared his passion and enthusiasm in dance (which made Woohyun playfully sulky and slightly jealous), he also entered school competitions and even won some (which made Woohyun 'boastfully' proud), and most importantly whatever he did Woohyun was there, supporting him, cheering on him, making him feel whole again. 

But perfect days and Lee Howon did not sit well together, and soon enough Hoya's happiness was tainted by a phone call that rang deafeningly through his dorm room on a late Thursday night, piercing straight through his heart. 

Howon-ah, your father... he's really sick. He wants you home Howon, you haven't been back since you left a year and a half ago...And he knows... about you dancing again... he knows... 

The quavering in his mother's voice was enough to ignite the filialness in him. And once again, Hoya packed his bags and dropped everything he held dear towards, including Nam Woohyun... He thought things had changed, but yet nothing remains. It was just like before, it was always the same. 

I'm sorry Woohyun, I cannot stay. There was so much Hoya wanted to tell him, but his thoughts and emotions couldn't conjure into words; his hands could only hover around the keypad, unable to type a single letter more.

------

Present

Hoya thought deeply. If he were to die now and gone up to heaven, who would it have been most difficult for him to leave behind. 

Hoya knew he had slept for a long while, his back starting to hurt from the lack of movement… As he opened his droopy eyes, it was met with an intense gaze of fear and concern embedded in the person’s irises. Hoya manages to crack a tired smile as he sees the other doing the same, all these while maintaining eye contact with him. 

Hoya knew just then that he didn’t have to die in order to experience heaven. Because he could see his heaven gazing deeply into his eyes. 

Hoya you’re awake. You’re finally awake. 

His lover said.

---------------------------------

Author's Note: First things first, I know I haven't updated in almost a year but I'm back now (I never really left, I just stopped writing)!! I'm worried though, do people even remember this story? 

I apologise for my lack of updates. It's just that with work getting so intense and Tumblr and Twitter eating away all my other time, I just couldn't continue with the story! But the boys are on their World Tour now, which means loads of fancams and unexpected moments between the members, it just ignited that fire in me to continue writing. This fancam (x) especially was what contributed to the 2,000+ words of Wooya trash I just wrote. 

Don't worry, I didn't kill Hoya's character off. I couldn't bear to do it anyway. So he's awake now, who might his lover be! Any guesses? :)