“Are you sure this is the place?”

“Well, based on the text, yes.” Seungkwan check his phone again.

“What about you call him?” Joshua feels uneasy with a building in front of them. They are standing in front of tattoo parlor painted in black with a rusty board sign written in white ‘Coups Tattoo’. Seungkwan is pretty sure this tattoo parlor is the place based on the text Vernon sent him yesterday. Is that just messing around with him? Is it because they have unfinished business between them? So unprofessional! Seungkwan is in the middle of contemplating whether he should call that jerk or not. One thing for sure, he doesn’t want to hear Vernon’s voice through the phone right now. Just thinking about that already makes him feeling overwhelmed.

Seungkwan’s finger is hovering above the call button when a guy walking out of the tattoo parlor. The guy has a red hair and several piercing in his right ear. He wears a black tank top which shows tattoos covering all over his left muscular arm. Both of the teachers look at the guy and feel their body tense up. Joshua feels a shiver crawling down his spine intimidated by the guy’s aura while Seungkwan feels like crying thinking about worst scenarios which one of them is where they are kidnapped and being a victim of human trafficking. The guy seems notice two guys wearing coat and dress pants along with neatly styled hair, kinds of people who will not use his service in the tattoo parlor.

“May I help you?” the scary guy walks closer to them making Seungkwan hiding slightly behind Joshua while Joshua wants to protect Seungkwan but at the same time frightened by the guy in front of them.

“No, we just want to…a-a language course….place? Do you know….perhaps?” Joshua fails to gather his voice ending up stuttered mess. The tattoo guy frown his brows showing a piercing on his left brow. Joshua is in the middle of gathering his remaining voice to apologize for whatever he just said and for offending him when the seemingly scary guy smiles showing them a big gummy smile. Both Seungkwan and Joshua are completely taken aback by the sudden change because the scary guy who has tattoo all over his left arm suddenly looking like an innocent 10 years old boy who just get his first A in a class.

“Ah, you mean Vernon’s course? The building is right beside this place.” The innocent-looking-when-he-smiles guy points on a yellow building besides them. Those two building have a completely different aura standing beside each other. Seungkwan notices a big board painted in pink ‘Diamond Language Community’. Seungkwan raises his brows reading the board.

“Hansol-ah, do you know the prettiest stone in the world?” Seungkwan and Hansol were lying down in the grass. They were in a park near Hangang River after doing their jogging routine every Sunday morning. Hansol stirred his attention to Seungkwan who was looking at the blue sky above him. Hansol starred at the beauty beside him forgetting the question from the other boy. Seungkwan looked absolutely stunning in his eyes, his black hair was damp sticking to his forehead, his pink lips slightly opened catching breath because they were running five minutes ago, a droplet of sweat sliding from his forehead to his jaw and his skin was shining beneath the ray of the sun.

“Hansol?” Seungkwan looked at Hansol feeling a little bit annoyed.

“Ah, what was that?” Hansol snapped from his starring looking at Seungkwan’s doe eyes.

“Do you know the prettiest stone in the world?” Seungkwan repeated his question.

“A stone can’t be pretty.” He scoffed rolling on his side so he faced Seungkwan.

“Well, there is one. It’s called a diamond.” Seungkwan beamed happily. He just read an article about diamond from one of his sister magazines. Hansol only hummed as a respond.

“But, what about gold then?”

“Well, gold is expensive we all know that. But a diamond is hella prettier than gold. I mean, gold only has yellow color but have you seen the colors in diamond?”

“I thought gold has gold color.”

“Whatever. My point is that a diamond is the prettiest stone in the world and I want you to agree with me.” Seungkwan pouted. Hansol only smiled fondly looking at the pretty boy beside him.

“Yeah, I agree with you, Boo.” But for Hansol, Boo Seungkwan is way prettier than a diamond.

“Come on, let me walk you guys there.” The not-so-scary guy starts to walk to the next building. Joshua and Seungkwan look at each other and end up walking behind the actually-friendly guy. They arrive in the second floor and stop behind a door with a piece of paper sticks on ‘Staff Room. Do not enter unless you’re a staff.” The smiley guy opens the door and shouts unnecessarily loud. “Hey, we have guests! Where’s Vernon?” The teachers get in the room following him.

The room is quiet big with five tables on every sides of the room. There are three cupboards full with books even there are more books piled up beside the cupboard. Seungkwan sees Seokmin sitting on one of the table which seems to be his table judging by a paper written ‘Lee Seokmin’ on the front side of the table. Seungkwan glances and finds Vernon’s table besides a table which belongs to Kim Mingyu. The table is an absolute mess making Seungkwan scrunches his nose in disgust. His hands are tickling wanting to clean the mess out of Vernon’s table.

“Hey, you guys are on time!” Seokmin is already standing in front of them with his bright smile.

“Yeah, we were a little bit lost actually.” Joshua says while Seungkwan’s attention is still occupied on the messy table.

“They were wandering around in front of my place like for 10 minutes before I decided to ask them.” The guy now is looking at the piles of book taking one and sitting on the table near him.

“Ah, that’s why you are here with Seungcheol hyung.” Both of them nod. Seungkwan says a quick thanks to the guy who finally has a name. Seungcheol smiles back at him.

“Seokmin hyung! What should I do? I think they are-” suddenly someone runs in the staff room looking bewildered.

“They are here, Vernon.” Seokmin chuckles pointing at the two teachers.

“Oh, hey…glad to see you gu-” Vernon cuts himself when Seungkwan point a finger right on his face angrily.

“You! You sent me the wrong address you !” Seungkwan walks closer making Vernon walks few steps behind.

“I did?” Vernon feels his heartbeat beating fast cause of the sudden closeness to Seungkwan.

“He did?” Seokmin titles his head questioning but actually amused by Seungkwan’s move. He can see Vernon is blushing right now.

“Apparently, he did.” Joshua takes off his coat.

“Well, this place in the ------- Street, 199.” Seungkwan glances at Seokmin and gets back glaring at Vernon.

“You texted me, 198, moron!” Seungkwan walks closer again while Vernon hits his back on the wall behind him, he can’t step back anymore.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” Vernon looking down blushing mess, he can’t really process anything when Seungkwan is so close to him.

“Well, he can be stupid sometimes, Seungkwan …or most of the times. We are sorry.” Seokmin stands between them trying hard to suppress his laughter. He is lowkey enjoying a flustered Vernon. “Anyway, let’s go to the meeting room. We can’t have a meeting in this messy room.” Seokmin leads them out.

“Well, the mess is only on one spot actually.” Seungkwan sass and straightens his coat referring to Vernon’s table. The table owner only smiles sheepishly scratching his head.

Mingyu, Wonwoo and Minghao are already in the meeting room preparing the necessities for the meeting. Minghao notices them and says, “Oh, hello. You must be Boo Seungkwan right? My name is Minghao, I teach Mandarin. The tall one is Mingyu, teaches English and the other one is Wonwoo, teaches Germany. And you are?” Minghao looks at Joshua.

“Joshua. I’m also a teacher with Seungkwan. English teacher.”

“Oh, you teach English? We get a new friend, Vernon!” Mingyu beams at them.

“Well, it’s getting late. Could we start the meeting now?” Seungkwan sits on one of chairs and takes off his coat.

“Sure. Mingyu hyung, please open the ppt slide.” Seokmin and the rest sit on the remaining chairs and start the meeting.

Seungkwan, Joshua and Vernon walk out of the building. The meeting spent about two hours and the further settlement is already arranged. They will do a need analysis tomorrow. Joshua shivers by the cold air hugging himself for warm when he suddenly find out something.

“Ah, I forgot my coat! Kwan, I’ll be back in a minute.” Joshua dashes back leaving Seungkwan and Vernon alone.

There is an uncomfortable silent between them. Seungkwan stares at the night sky above him while Vernon stares at Seungkwan. He knows that the other boy staring at him but doesn’t mind with that. Instead, he feels comfort being stared at. But the awkward silent is still there and Seungkwan hates awkwardness. So he finds something to talk about by reading the board displayed in front of the building.

“So, diamond huh?” Seungkwan turning his head looks at Vernon.

“Yeah, the prettiest stone in the world.” Vernon’s staring is not wavering even though Seungkwan stares back at him. But Seungkwan looks up again can’t stand looking at Vernon’s eyes which dims beautifully beneath the street light.

“What do you think?”

“Huh?” Seungkwan looks back at Vernon.

“Diamond. What do you think about diamond?”

Seungkwan looks down at his shoes, “I don’t know…I think they are…pretty?”

“Boo, I-”

“No! Don’t call me that!” Seungkwan glares at Vernon but the other boy is not affected with that.

“Boo…” Vernon calls him softly making Seungkwan soften. His eyes getting teary again, but he blinks rapidly preventing them from spilling.

“I want to talk to you….about everything. Since a long time actually, but I thought it would be unprofessional for me to put it between this project and I know you don’t want that.” Vernon steps closer to Seungkwan.

“Boo, please look at me.” Vernon pleads making Seungkwan looks at him with his teary eyes.

“I’m sorry for everything. I mean it. I know you don’t want to forgive me after what I did to you. I was stupid. I regret it till today and it breaks my heart every time I see you but I feel like I can’t breathe when I’m not thinking of you.”

Seungkwan loses his words staring at Vernon’s hazel eyes. Vernon smiles genuinely and says,

“But I promise I will not do the same mistake again and I hope you’re still waiting for me.” sincerity on his voice.

“I-”

“Seungkwan, sorry I took too long, that Mingyu guy kept asking me stupid questions.” Joshua walks with his coat on completely oblivious with the situation in front of him. “Come on, we have school tomorrow. See you tomorrow, Vernon.” Joshua drags Seungkwan from the building leaving Vernon who still staring at Seungkwan.

Seungkwan opens his apartment door and resting behind the door not bothering to take off his shoes. Tears spill from his eyes, the tears which he’s been trying to hold on since his conversation with Vernon. But he is not sobbing again. He is not trying to stop the tears again. He doesn’t feel something stuffed on his chest anymore. He is not sad anymore…like the last time. They are not sad tears, they are happy tears.

I’m still waiting for you.

_________________

AN: poor Joshua, thanks Mingyu

the real note tho, I have a doubt in this story...like, is it good? is it bad? too cliche?

I already made the plot of this story and in the middle of writing chapter 16...

but I'm afraid I won't able to make until the last chapter...

so, yeah..