A short one today ^^ I've got some irl stuff to deal with this week, so I'm not sure when the 28th and 29th will get posted. I'll try to have them up by the end of the week though. Btw, I've been going back and forth on the right way to end this fic, but the current plan has it finishing up on the 31st. 

To Sunggyu's dismay, he wakes up at the same time he would for work. As much as he tries to get back to sleep and curses the sunlight, he has to give in in the end. He spends most of the day in his pyjamas, playing Nell CDs and trying to get through to his insurance company. 

In the evening, he pulls on 'outside' clothes and heads down to Auntie Cho's for some manduguk. Of course, that place and the comforting food has him thinking about Woohyun - which is something Sunggyu does a lot lately, but only because Woohyun is weird. Sunggyu thinks about how sometimes he believes he can read Woohyun like an open book. Those times are, generally, followed by the chef doing or saying something which makes Sunggyu feel like all he's seeing is a fleeting glimpse of a shadow. And Sunggyu so wants to know what he's missing. He thinks about Woohyun's various smiles and frowns. How he looked at Sunggyu the night they ate in this tiny restaurant with its greasy tables. When they ride together, the warmth of his back and his scent that invades Sunggyu's head while he's getting nervous of the other vehicles. Last night and how his arm felt around Sunggyu's shoulders. His breath on Sunggyu's ear. Singing words neither of them understood. 

Sunggyu gulps down the remains of his ice-tea. He quickly pays Auntie Cho and marches off to catch a train. He's decided to go to Dongdaemun to find something decent to wear to the gig tomorrow. He wants to be somewhere bright and crowded. (And away). He wants to lose himself for a little while. 

When he's on the train, he gets a message from Junhyun in reply to the one Sunggyu sent late last night. A lightness bubbles up in him. For the first time, Sunggyu allows himself to hope that it is a date. Junhyung was cute and handsome, funny and interesting. If it is a date, maybe he can actually kiss the man back this time, instead of standing there like a fool. 

If. 

~.~

Sunggyu doesn't bother checking his phone as he's window shopping, not when he's simply strolling around, enjoying the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Seoul on a Saturday night. Most buildings still have multi-coloured fairy lights strung up in their windows and more than one college student dressed as Santa or Mrs.Clause s leaflets at him for various businesses and club nights. Much later, he's sitting on a stool at a tteokbokki stall, new clothes purchases keeping his lap warm. Pulling out his phone is, primarily, and excuse not to talk to the business man beside him, who speaks Korean with a heavy Chinese accent and who keeps working himself into a fury over politics that Sunggyu cares little about. 

There's a message from Woohyun. 

Ill see you on Monday? Save a dance for me, My Prince =‿= ♡  

Sunggyu stares at the message for too long - as if his eyes were trying to extract some essence from the characters. Meaningless characters. Words that Sunggyu doesn't need to dwell on at all. At all.

The noise of the pop songs blaring from nearby shops and the Chinese man blathering beside him blurs into nothing, white noise. The thought flutters through Sunggyu's mind that he really can't stand Woohyun. Blinking himself back to reality, Sunggyu resolutely orders an ice-cold beer. The waitress looks at him like he's mad. As the winter air pinches at his exposed face and fingers, Sunggyu thinks he might be.