Chapter 007

✥ [Three months later in Incheon]

The running footsteps of Sungyeol could be heard echoing through the red carpeted halls. However, what woke Kyujong from his slumber was the slamming of his office door. Kyujong rose immediately from his chair to see who was responsible for disturbing his sleep. “President! What are you doing? Weren’t you supposed to pick  Youngsaeng up an hour ago?!”

Kyujong stretched comfortably in his seat before taking his time to stand and grab his jacket from around his chair. “I’m leaving, make sure you have the room I’ve asked ready,”

“Sure thing,” Sungyeol answered as he watched Kyujong leave in no hurry. The lad cocked his head to the side in confusion before mumbling, “What’s with him? Did he stay up working again?” Sungyeol looked over to the desk where he noticed the scattering of papers and trashes. The lad let out a sharp sigh once Kyujong was out of his sight, “Seriously, what was he thinking, I’m still not used to him overworking,” Sungyeol soon took his own leave to tend to whatever he was doing before barging in.

Meanwhile, Kyujong got into his car and drove to the airport. As he merged into traffic he heard a soft beep coming from his pocket, so he reached into his pocket to fish out his hand phone. He noticed the ten missed calls from Sungyeol and six messages from Hyungjun.

“We’ve just landed in Incheon”, “Where are you, are you here?”, “Hey Kyujong where are you? Don’t forget I need to leave soon I have an appointment in Busan”, “Get back to me the second you see these messages,”, “We’re waiting for you at the airport, hurry, if I miss my next flight you’re going to be responsible for it”, “Hey, we’re still at the airport”.

Without the need to reply, Kyujong dropped his phone into the cup holder by his manual. He felt calm though it would have been three months since he last saw Youngsaeng. But to know that Youngsaeng’s memory hasn’t changed much in the last three months, it kept Kyujong calm and easy. During his travel,  he recalled the day he had to leave Seoul, how Youngsaeng couldn’t understand what he meant by a hotel. As far as Youngsaeng could remember, they were still high school students. It took the whole night for Kyujong, Junghwa, and Hyungjun to convince Youngsaeng that he should recover and learn of the 2016 Kyujong, Junghwa, and Hyungjun before anything else.

Once Kyujong pulled into the carpool lane at the airport, he spotted Youngsaeng and Hyungjun right away. The two was standing by the curb, talking about something Kyujong couldn’t make out. To his relief Youngsaeng looked well. The lad looked bright, happy, and most of all himself. Kyujong watched for a brief moment before pulling up beside them, catching their attention altogether. He quickly got out and opened the trunk of his car.

“Oh you’re finally here,” Hyungjun began.

Kyujong continued to stand behind the car as he made eye contact with them, “Youngsaeng your stuff,”

“O-oh,” Youngsaeng said as he walked over, pulling the luggage after him.

“Hey, aren’t you going to apologize for being late?” Hyungjun asked meanwhile Youngsaeng came beside Kyujong and was ready to pick up his luggage. Kyujong took the chance to grabbed the object and placed it in the back of his car without a word and surprising Youngsaeng. Hyungjun hurried toward them right before Kyujong shut the back to his car. “Kyujong,”

“I thought you were in a hurry? I’ll take care of Youngsaeng from now on, go do whatever you have to do,” Kyujong said, pocketing his hands. Hyungjun scoffed at Kyujong’s sudden determination to get rid of him.

“Hey, we haven’t seen one another for three months, why are you suddenly acting like this toward me? Not to mention I should be the one upset here,”

“That’s why, you should leave now before you run late for your next appointment.” Though Kyujong didn’t sound too annoyed, there were no traces of cheeriness in his tone.

The smiles on Hyungjun and Youngsaeng’s face faded eventually as Kyujong continued to stand with no expression on his face. “Fine I’ll get going you rascal. Youngsaeng!”

“H-hm?”

“Bye! I’ll stop by to later to see how you’re doing. Remember what the doctor said, even if you can’t remember certain things don’t try too hard or you’ll hurt yourself,” Hyungjun said with a smile before turning his attention to Kyujong and keeping his tone serious, “Junghwa said during the summer break she’ll come up here, she couldn’t because school is still in session. Anyway, I’ll come by again later on,” Without another word Hyungjun waved to Youngsaeng and quickly returned to the building.

Youngsaeng turned to Kyujong and tried to lighten the atmosphere, “Kyujong,” he said playfully smacking the lad, “I’m happy to see you,”

The moment Kyujong saw Youngsaeng’s warm smile, he couldn’t help but return a small one. “Yeah,”

To comfort the newcomer and starving Youngsaeng, Kyujong decided to treat him to a nearby restaurant. In the small building with a warm and comfortable air around it, Youngsaeng was sipping away the noodle soup carefully. Meanwhile, all in Kyujong’s possession was a cup of coffee. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Youngsaeng finally asked.

Kyujong who was viewing the outdoors turned to the questioner, “No, I’m not hungry,”

Youngsaeng sip the soup once more after chewing down on the golden noodles, “Doesn’t this remind you of when we’d sneak out of school and eat ramyun during lunch?”

The small memories that Kyujong could hardly recalled came running into his mind and visualize the moment Youngsaeng brought it up. “Why are you suddenly talking about that?”

“Well, to me it’s a vivid memory? Like it just happened yesterday. I’m still not used to it being 2016, Kyujong,” Youngsaeng reminded Kyujong that he was living in their high school days. Of course the little memories back then were clear and meant more to Youngsaeng than the time between 2009 and 2016 Kyujong thought.

“Is there anything you want to ask me like what kind of person are you later on? Or who you met and so on?” Kyujong asked out of curiosity.

Youngsaeng shook his head, “Well I won’t even be able to imagine who I am or how I am, also it’s not like I can understand what you’re saying. Just like Junghwa. When I was around her, I keep thinking to myself that she’s my wife, but I don’t feel anything towards her. I don’t even know how our relationship was. It’s confusing and it’s not worth knowing since all I can do is think about it, but not understand it,”

Kyujong clicked his tongue, “I see,” was all he said before Youngsaeng surprise him.

“Kyujong, say ah,”

“What?” He turned to look at Youngsaeng and saw how the man was holding up his chopsticks, with noodles clipped between.

“Why? We would always help each other finish his meals,” Youngsaeng stated with a playful voice.

Kyujong scanned the room for anyone watching then shiftly turned to Youngsaeng, “E-eat it,”

Youngsaeng blinked, “Why? Are you embarrassed?”

Kyujong reached over and pushed his friend’s hand away, “Seriously stop it, we’re not immature teenagers anymore,” he whispered, flustered. But Youngsaeng kept the chopsticks pointed at Kyujong's eye-level.

“Ah really why are you acting shy? You would always eat my share shamelessly. Come on my hand hurt,” Youngsaeng said under a soft tone.

With a heavy heart, Kyujong reached over once more and pressed the lad’s hand toward his bowl, “I said stop it Youngsaeng. We’re not in high school anymore, things are different now. If people see you feeding me they’ll think—,”

“What will people think of us Kyujong?” Youngsaeng interrupted before uttering a disbelief scoff, “Why? Is things so different now that you’re even embarrassed to eat from a friend’s hand? Since when do you care about what other people think?” Youngsaeng set the chopsticks down on the table and took a deep breath, “I’m going to the restroom,”

Instead of stopping Youngsaeng, Kyujong ran a hand over his face then through his hair. “I’m not embarrassed idiot. I just….” instead of finishing his whisper to himself, he got up and went out to his car.

It took a while but soon Youngsaeng came out and got into the backseat. Kyujong looked into the rear view mirror and saw that the look on Youngsaeng wasn’t pleasant. He was wearing the expression Kyujong was used to seeing when he wouldn’t do what Youngsaeng had wanted. It was Youngsaeng sulking. Kyujong sighed aloud before starting the car and headed toward his hotel.

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