[CHAPTER 6]

“ Table for Two “

Winter vacation was finally over and everything returned to where it was supposed to be. A new semester and a new class. Every new year made Hakyeon quite nervous and excited at the same time. He’s already been busy with lesson plans and learning all of his students’ faces on top of their names. He has to admit though; it took him quite awhile to remember them all. He even made sure to know what types of background and interests each of his students came from because he wanted to make sure that he does his best for each and every single one of them.

After a long day of work, Hakyeon was highly anticipating to go home. He still remembers that there was a stack of books he had left unread so he wanted to go home immediately to finish them. But just as he was about to grab his keys and open his doors, his neighbor interrupted him.

“Aren’t you dying to go home already?” Hongbin said. “You like home that much?”

“None of your business and I’m tired,” Hakyeon replied.

Can’t he speak in a nicer tone for once? What a waste of a good face. He sighed.

“Did you read all the books that I gave you already?” Hongbin asked.

“No. I didn’t have the time but I’ll make sure I finish them soon and return it to you.”

“What’s the rush? Take your time and enjoy them.”

The younger had a point.

“So, what’s for dinner? Hongbin suddenly asked.

“Huh? Why do you care?” Hakyeon was confused.

“It’s been months since I moved next door, can’t you at least have a welcoming party for your super nice neighbor here?” the younger exaggerated.

“Uh, I… I have nothing at home to offer you.”

“Then, we can get something from the supermarket down the street,” Hongbin suggested.

“No, I…” Hakyeon stuttered.

I barely even have enough money to feed myself nonetheless feeding another person… Hakyeon thought.

“I’ll pay for the grocery and you cook, how about it?” Hongbin said in a cheeky tone.

“No! I can’t let someone younger than me pay for the meal. Just… give me some time.”

“But I don’t have that much time,” Hongbin mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Even though Hakyeon saw Hongbin often at the bookstore, the two never really converse with one another since Hakyeon always hid around the corner to read. Hongbin was also minding his own business and didn’t seem to care much about the older’s preferences. So, to see each other as next-door neighbors, still made Hakyeon feel awkward. Though there are times in which Hongbin could be a bit pushy into Hakyeon’s personal life as if he wanted to know all there was to know about Hakyeon. However, the older kept his defenses up as much as he could.

Hakyeon really thought he was able to avoid eating dinner with the younger until one night as Hakyeon was returning home again after work; he was pulled into Hongbin’s apartment.

“Wah!” Hakyeon was surprised when his arms were grabbed and shoved inside a stranger’s place. “What are you doing?!”

“Dinner,” Hongbin said.

Hakyeon sighed at the younger’s persistence.

“I told you, I don’t have the money for it now so just wait would you? It’s not like I’m going to go anywhere.”

But I might… Hongbin looked at the older and wished he could tell him but he knew he couldn’t.

“Don’t worry about it. I have enough ingredients at my place for both of us to have dinner. You just have to make it.”

“Why are you insisting that we should even have dinner together? It’s not like we’re friends anyways, just acquaintances,” Hakyeon was rather annoyed.

“Then, let’s be friends,” Hongbin smiled.

“No way.” Hakyeon rejected him. “I’m going home.”

Just as Hakyeon was about to make his escape, Hongbin slammed the door closed again.

“If you don’t want to have dinner at my place, then let’s go to yours instead,” he said with a serious expression as if he really meant it.

“No! You can’t!” Hakyeon jolt in surprised. No one has ever been to his apartment, not even his friends.

“I don’t get you. I just want us to get closer yet you keep shoving me to the side. Do you really hate me this much?” Hongbin asked Hakyeon in a dejected expression, which made Hakyeon feel rather guilty. He didn’t mean to hurt the younger’s feelings.

Hakyeon sighed and gave in.

“Fine.”

“Yes!” Hongbin couldn’t help but pump his fists to victory.

*  *  *  *  *  *

As Hakyeon was diligently making dinner for two, Hongbin stood by his side to assist the older.

“You’re not a great cook are you?” Hongbin teased as he watched Hakyeon sloppily chopping up the vegetables.

“Do you want to cook it instead then?” Hakyeon glared at the younger who kept hindering him.

“No thanks. I’m even worst at it than you are.”

“We should’ve went out to eat instead,” Hakyeon sighed. He regrets having to display his novice cooking skills in front of Hongbin. Cooking was something he could not brag about since he wasn’t great at it.

Hakyeon has lived alone for years now and he often had to cook at home. But cooking for someone else was different from cooking for himself. He had to worry about the younger’s preferences rather than just his own.

“But it’ll be expensive on your wallet right? I’m being considerate here,” Hongbin told him.

“Thanks,” Hakyeon said in a sarcastic tone since he knew that the younger was just teasing him. “Anyways, move out of my way and start setting up the table would you?”

“Got it.”

As dinner was set on the table, Hakyeon and Hongbin sat down together to have their awkward first meal. The atmosphere was quiet and neither knew what to say to one another. Maybe it was the age difference or maybe it was their interests that made it hard for them to initiate any conversation with one another.

This feels so weird… why am I even here? Hakyeon kept wondering to himself as he stuffed his mouth with side dishes and rice.

He kept glancing at the younger to see whether or not Hongbin liked the food but the younger just ate quietly instead of making any comments. Not yet, at least.

But Hakyeon was rather surprised as he glanced at around the room. It was a smaller unit compared to Hakyeon’s – a single living room, a bedroom and the kitchen was merged together. The only separate room was the bathroom, which didn’t have much space in it either. Hakyeon was rather surprised that the younger was all right with such confined spaces; he thought Hongbin would be the type to live in a rich penthouse or luxurious home instead. At least, that would be the perfect match for Hongbin’s visuals is what he thought.

He also noticed that the younger barely had much in his apartment aside from the basic furnishings. There was nothing like photo albums, picture frames, or anything of interest except for the bookshelves inside of the younger’s room. It surprised Hakyeon that Hongbin didn’t seem to have a need for such things unlike all the younger people nowadays. His room just felt so empty and not much of a story to tell.

“How is it?” Hakyeon decided to ask the younger finally.

“Hmm?” Hongbin’s mind seems to be thinking of something.

“The food.”

“It’s okay. At least I won’t need to go to the hospital.”

“Ya!”

“Heh. It’s good, don’t worry about it.”

Hakyeon sighed. He really can’t tell whether Hongbin is serious or joking at times.

“How was work?” Hongbin decided to ask the questions this time.

“It’s okay.” Hakyeon really didn’t have anything interesting to say.

“You’re a literatures teacher right?”

Hakyeon nodded.

“Why? Because you’re a bookworm?” Hongbin said.

“No… well, that might be a part of the reason but that’s not why. It’s just, reading calms me down and I feel like I’m able to learn about our world through reading.”

“Calms you down, huh?”

“I don’t know, it just does. It’s hard to explain but I just enjoy it. So I thought since reading and literature has such a calming effect on me, I wanted to become a teacher to spread my experience to other people.”

“Hmm…” Hongbin suddenly grew quiet, which made Hakyeon feel a bit awkward. Was he being too serious about his story that made the younger look at him strangely?

“What?” Hakyeon wanted to know.

“Nothing. That’s nice though. You accomplished your dream then?”

“I guess?” Hakyeon wasn’t really sure whether you would call his position as an accomplishment, at least not when he feels like there’s still so much he needs to improve on. “What about you? Don’t you have a dream?”

“Not really. I don’t know. Never thought about it.”

“Don’t you have anything that you like to do or want to do?”

“Nope.”

“Nothing at all?” Hakyeon was in disbelief.

“Hmm, well maybe just one thing.”

“What is it?” Hakyeon was intrigued to know.

“To know everything there is about you.”

“W-what?” Hakyeon was completely flustered by the younger’s boldness that he didn’t know what to say at all but his heart was beating so loud that he hope no one else could hear it.

“Pfft. I’m just teasing you. Let’s finish dinner and clean up,” Hongbin laughed.

Though he said it in a joking tone, Hongbin was also serious about what he said. At this point of time, the only reason why he was willing to take the risk to breaking the laws of fate was because he wanted to know. He wanted to know about the fate of ‘Cha Hakyeon’.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Strangely enough, Hakyeon grew accustomed to making dinner at Hongbin’s place. It’s become a habit that the two of them would eat together even if they didn’t speak much together during dinner. Though the younger could be quite mean with what he says at times, Hakyeon felt rather relaxed whenever Hongbin was around. It could be that the younger had a straightforward personality that Hakyeon didn't feel like he has to hide who he was either or how he usually is at home. Eventually, he didn’t mind having to make dinner for two because it is something he hasn’t done in years and he actually misses it.

“You’re bad at cooking,” someone once told Hakyeon.

He knows he isn’t some iron chef but the fact that there was someone else who could sit with him while having dinner made his life a bit less ‘empty’.

“Your cooking hasn’t improved one bit,” Hongbin suddenly appeared behind him one night as Hakyeon was chopping the vegetables.

“Wah!” Hakyeon jolt and almost cut himself.

“Woah, watch it,” Hongbin stopped the older in time before the accident happened.

“Just sit back down and don’t scare me like that,” Hakyeon directed him.

“You shouldn’t be thinking useless things while holding a knife in yours hands, I don’t want to have blood all over my counters.”

“Then don’t scare me!”

“Anyways, what are you making tonight?” Hongbin peeked at what Hakyeon was possibly cooking that night.

“Kimchi stew. The landlady gave me some this morning so I thought I’d use some of it.”

“Oh? Then you better make the stew extra good tonight or else it’d be a waste.”

Hongbin turned away and finally sat obediently in the living room while he took a comic book out.

Hakyeon sighed deeply. Isn’t there a single day or minute where he can be nice to me?

“Can’t you cook for once?” Hakyeon asked.

“I can but you might end up in the hospital,” Hongbin warned him. He wasn’t lying since he knew how much of a horrid cook he really is. Even back home, his mother wouldn’t let him go anywhere near the kitchen.

“Why do we have to eat together everyday? Isn’t it weird? Don’t you have any friends?” Hakyeon asked.

“You think it’s weird?”

Hakyeon nodded in total agreement.

“Well, I don’t.” Hongbin told him, “Besides, I don’t have any friends.”

“Uhh…” Hakyeon almost felt sorry he asked.

“Don’t look like that. It’s not like I don’t really have any friends, I just don’t have friends here in Gwangju.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon was almost too relieved for a second. “Then are all your friends overseas?”

“Overs-…”

Right, I lied to him that I’m from abroad, Hongbin remembers.

“Right. I don’t have any friends here in South Korea,” Hongbin continued with his little lie.

“I see. What are they like? The friends you have,” Hakyeon was curious. After all, Hongbin despite his good looks has a rather sharp tongue and straightforward personality. Even Hakyeon felt uneasy around the younger at times but luckily, he was patient. Maybe the years of being a teacher finally paid off.

“One of the them is older than me by a year. He’s jumpy, noisy and likes aegyo too much. He’s a hyung that doesn’t know how to act his age. But at times, he can be very reliable and would do anything to help me.”

Hongbin didn’t realize it but Jaehwan has always been there to support and encourage him. Even coming to Earth, it was all because Jaehwan empathized with Hongbin and helped him despite the fact that they were breaking the rules. That’s why Hongbin knew he couldn’t stall his stay here, because that would mean getting Jaehwan in trouble.

“The other friend that I have…” Hongbin hesitated for a bit. “He’s the same age as me and we never saw things eye-to-eye. We argue and fight most of the time but I’ve known him since I was a kid. Our house is next to each other’s and our parents are friends. He came over often but we don’t really get along.”

“But, he’s still your friend right?”

“Yeah. Even though he always opposes my choices and even though I always get compared to him, he’s the only one who’s been able to put up with me all these years. If it wasn’t for him… I wouldn’t be here. No, if it wasn’t because of them both, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Hongbin felt guilty as he thought about both Jaehwan and Wonshik. It’s true though, even Hongbin knew it clearly what kind of person he is. Many have left him or ignored him since Hongbin never seemed to show any interest but Jaehwan and Wonshik was different. The two of them were willing to sacrifice their positions in Moirae’s Edge to help Hongbin take such a risk into playing fate.

“They sound like great friends then,” Hakyeon was somehow relieved to hear that the younger did have friends and how Hongbin appreciated them a lot. He didn’t think that there was such an endearing side to the younger until he saw the expression on Hongbin’s face while he was talking.

“They are.”

“I wish I could have friends like yours.”

“Don’t you already have two-“

“Huh?”

“Nevermind. I’m sure you’ll find them one day,” Hongbin said, almost accidently revealing his knowledge about Hakyeon’s background even though the older haven’t told him anything aside from his occupation and interest in reading.

I need to watch what I say. I can’t reveal that I know everything about him, I need him to tell me in person, he thought.

Hongbin never thought he would tell anyone so much about himself especially to a stranger but as Hakyeon asked, he couldn’t help but reveal how he felt. It helped him reflect on his blessings and although Jaehwan and Wonshik could be annoying at times, Hongbin knew well that the two truly cares for him. Even his parents no longer questions his choices because who didn’t know that Lee Hongbin had no ambitions.

*  *  *  *  *  *

One way or another, Hakyeon ended up falling asleep reading a book after dinner while Hongbin was doing the dishes. Hakyeon made sure that the younger cleaned up while he did the cooking to make things fair. But dinner tonight was a bit different from the usual silence around the table. The two of them talked a lot more about themselves and even though it was obvious Hakyeon kept certain things hidden, it was also the same for Hongbin. There were slight pauses and hesitations along the way but it was the first time they’ve said so much to another.

Hongbin carefully walked towards Hakyeon and slipped the book out of the older’s hands. He grabbed a blanket from his bed and placed it over the older so he wouldn’t get cold while sleeping on the floor. Hongbin was debating on whether or not to carry the older onto his bed but he decided it was best not to. What if Hakyeon woke up while Hongbin was carrying him? Hongbin would be too embarrassed if he was caught in that situation.

He sat down next to Hakyeon and watched the older fast asleep. He knew that the other was tired and exhausted from his job but still came over every other night to prepare dinner for the two of them. Hongbin was thankful for that and to be honest, Hakyeon wasn’t that bad of a cook as Hongbin keeps telling him. But of course, Hongbin would rather die than to admit that he actually enjoyed all the meals the older have prepared for him.

As he watched Hakyeon sleeping peacefully by his side, Hongbin found himself unable to resist the urge to ruffle the older’s soft silky hair. Hakyeon didn’t look like someone older than him while he was sleeping but instead, Hakyeon just looked like a quiet child who was put to sleep after reading a bedtime story.

Hongbin held his laughter as he imagined it.

Just then, he heard Hakyeon mumble something in his sleep.

Hongbin leaned in closer to hear it out of curiosity.

“I…” Hakyeon’s tears fell through, “I miss you.”

In that instance, Hongbin was reminded of why Hakyeon came to Gwangju and left his hometown. He was reminded why the older thought he didn’t have any friends even though he clearly had both Minhyuk and Eunji by his side. And he was reminded why Hakyeon wouldn’t let anyone know about him or his past and why he wouldn’t let Hongbin or anyone else for that matter, inside of his apartment. Because inside of that small room was fragments of memories from Hakyeon’s past that he didn’t want anyone to find out. They were memories only for himself and his story.

But Hongbin knew about it all. He’s read the older’s story over and over so many times that he could probably rehearse it. He knew exactly what the older was trying to hide from everyone but the only thing he didn’t know was why only Hakyeon’s book of fate turned out the way it is.

A person without a known future… just exactly what could be the cause of it?

A/N: So... I was playing around with The Sims 4 and decided "Let's make the layout of Kong's boring room!"

It's actually supposed to be more inspired by the 1K (1Bedroom/Bathroom+Kitchen) Apartment style. It's actually supposed be smaller than what I made on The Sims tbh. Should I attempt to make Hakyeon's mysterious room too? It's supposed to be bigger than Kong's apartment. 

The reason for style is actually because I'll be moving to Tokyo in September, I hope I can get loads of this story and some of my oneshots done before I move. I'll do my best and hope you guys enjoy it :))