HakYeon didn’t see TaekWoon again until about a month later.

“He’s been working,” SeJung informed him, sourly.

HakYeon hadn’t even asked a question. Because he was too afraid to ask? Well, maybe.

“Have you texted him at all?”

“No, I don’t have his number.”

SeJung gasped, her face stretching to a mirror image of The Scream. “What do you mean you don’t have his number?!”

“Don’t you remember? Both times I met him, he ran away.”

“Oh, deity. That kid. Here, I’ll give you his number.”

“Ah, no.” HakYeon held up his hands just as SeJung eagerly brandished her cell phone. “That’s okay. I’ll get it on my own terms.”

“… So do you want me to give him your number?”

“No! Noona, I really appreciate it, but we can work it out.”

He said. But he had no idea how to go about it. TaekWoon never came back to the shop where HakYeon worked, and the other coffee shop where HakYeon deduced he had “met” TaekWoon the very first time was a no-go as well. They may be in the same city, but Seoul is big.

“What are you doing?”

HakYeon jumped and looked up from his drawing pad. A figure clad in dark was staring down at him, but HakYeon couldn’t see very well since he stood between where HakYeon sat and the sun. HakYeon squinted at the silhouette before his eyes went round.

“Oh, TaekWoon!”

He was donned in his uniform, so that’s why HakYeon didn’t recognize him at first. He didn’t have all of the typical brass and gear that HakYeon would’ve expected of an officer of his branch, so he assumed TaekWoon was off work and headed home. When he realized HakYeon was squinting from the blast of sunshine, he stepped sideways, his expression blank. HakYeon continued to look at him, a bit confused that TaekWoon was still standing there and not running away, until he saw TaekWoon’s eyes glance back down at the drawing pad in his lap and realized the dark figure had asked him a question first.

“This! Oh! I’m drawing. I’m off from work today, and I didn’t feel like going to the studio.” He felt like he was babbling.

TaekWoon took a carefully measured step toward HakYeon to see what his drawing looked like, close enough to analyze but far enough to maintain his personal-space bubble. “Charcoal?”

“Ah… Yeah… I’m still not very used to working with colors, so…”

The lug didn’t reply. He just straightened up, face still impassive. HakYeon didn’t know what to say, awkwardly looking up at TaekWoon.

“… Well, bye.”

TaekWoon turned and strode off, HakYeon following after him with his eyes. Men in uniform definitely look better. Especially with shoulders like his. HakYeon shook his head wildly.

A couple of hours later, HakYeon pushed open the door to the bake shop where he worked.

“What a loser!” SangHyuk exclaimed. “Coming in on your day off!”

“Shut up, brat,” HakYeon replied, grinning. “I’m here for my paycheck.”

The child gestured with the top of his head. “SunHo-nim left them on the desk, like always.”

It took only a second of greetings and teasing jeers from various other coworkers for HakYeon to pop in and out of the back office, grabbing the envelope with his name on it. He was in the process of stuffing the envelope in his back pocket when SangHyuk called out to him again.

“Oh, hyung. You know that guy who came in before, and you had a meltdown? He came in again, and he left this.”

In SangHyuk’s hand was a business card. Nothing else was written on it. Just the office where – HakYeon assumed – TaekWoon worked, “정 택 운” imprinted in bold in the top corner, and three phone numbers in the bottom corner. Office, fax, and cell.

“When was he here?” HakYeon asked, flipping the card around and around to be sure there wasn’t any other secret message on it.

“Just earlier. Came to get coffee. I didn’t even see him leave this behind.”

A smile crept onto HakYeon’s face. “I see…”

A/N: ㅠㅠ Plz don't be mad at TaekWoon... He's just a difficult person... in general...

/slapped

Okay. Another short update, but I can't give you any extra ㅠㅠ There's only one part I have ready after this. I haven't been able to write for the last two weeks because life is agonizing and busy and ugh. But the next few parts should come along easily, so hopefully I won't have to go too long in between updates. Not to mention I don't think this story will be too long, either.