The little bell above the door jingled, signaling his entrance to the late-night café. A server came up to him and he kindly told her he was already meeting with someone and didn’t need a table. He scanned the café, searching until his eyes landed on his companions for the evening. They waved at him and he waved back, making his way in between tables to get to them.

“Hi, sorry, I’m late,” he said, taking off his jacket and placing it on the back of the chair before sitting down. “Traffic was hectic and I had to close up the restaurant tonight.”

“It’s fine, Hyun-ah,” said Chungha with a wave of her hand. “I ordered your usual.”

He flashed her a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

Then, he turned to Kyungmi. “So, how have you two been?”

The woman beamed at him. “We’re good. You seem busy these days.”

Woohyun huffed. “Tell me about it. Not that I’m complaining since business is booming and all. But, I think I really need to hire more help.”

“I can put an ad in our flower shop for part-time work, if you want,” Chungha offered.

“That sounds great, thanks.”

“Of course, Woohyun-ah. You know I’d do anything for you.”

Woohyun knew and he was grateful.

He turned to Kyungmi again, this time, with a ready question that had been bothering him for weeks.

“Have you heard from him?” he asked, softly.

He didn’t have to say a name. Kyungmi knew who he was asking about.

The woman sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Woohyun.”

Beside him, Chungha placed a comforting hand on his arm. “He’ll get in touch with you soon, I’m sure of it.”

Despite her reassurance, Woohyun’s mood was still damp. “I just wish I knew why he stopped.”

It had been a year already since Sunggyu left for Japan. A full year. He told Woohyun he was going to be gone for 6 months but, as it turned out, his company needed him there for much longer. They kept in touch – e-mail, text messages, and even the occasional phone call and video chat.

Meanwhile, a month after he and Chungha divorced and she was getting ready to move out, he finally met Kyungmi when she came to pick up the younger woman to help her with her things. It took some time, but eventually, he had formed a friendship with the woman who was now officially dating his ex-wife. He never really thought he would get along with her since Chungha did cheat on him with her. But, the older woman was friendly and even offered him an apology for what she and Chungha did. She was pleasant to be around and she really did make Chungha happy. It was endearing watching the two of them interact, now that his personal grudges were off the table.

They occasionally met up for dinner and drinks and Kyungmi would update him on Sunggyu.

Although they had parted amicably, Sunggyu and Kyungmi’s own friendship had become strained. Nonetheless, Sunggyu had also kept in touch with her.

However, in the last month or so, no one had heard from Sunggyu and it was making Woohyun worried. What if something had happened to Sunggyu in Japan? He had scoured various Japanese news outlets for an entire week, fearing the worst.

And, now, a part of him wondered if Sunggyu had just lost interest in him. He wondered if the older’s feelings had changed and he didn’t like Woohyun anymore.

Chungha and Kyungmi had both tried to reassure him and lift his spirits, but Woohyun wondered if he had waited too long.

He wondered if he had lost his chance with Sunggyu when he decided not to reveal his feelings for him a year ago.

He hoped that Sunggyu would get in touch soon so he could tell him.

He hoped he wasn’t too late.

“So, I heard you two are almost done moving?” he asked, steering the conversation away to a more neutral topic.

The two women perked up and began talking about their new apartment, the neighborhood, and how they hoped Woohyun would be able to come by for dinner sometime.

He listened, politely, nodding in all the right places and responding sincerely.

He was happy to see them happy, but he also wished that he had that one person he really wanted to be with sitting right beside him.

The doorbell rang and echoed throughout the brand new condo. Wading through the pile of boxes – some unopened and some with their contents spilling on the floor – Sunggyu headed for the front door to answer it. He briefly looked through the peephole before turning the knob.

On the other side, his ex-wife stood with a bag of takeout: his dinner.

“The Chef’s Special from INSPIRIT, as you requested,” she said, entering past him.

Kyungmi hesitated at the door before deciding not to leave her shoes there since Sunggyu hadn’t unpacked any slippers for her to borrow.

Sunggyu followed her into the kitchen where she was placing the bag of food on the counter while looking around in judgment at the mess in his apartment.

“Seriously, you’ve been back in Korea for two weeks now and you've barely unpacked?” she asked as she took the food out for him.

Sunggyu blushed a little in embarrassment. “I’ve been busy. I’m still tying up some loose ends with the Japan branch.”

They had wanted him to stay for three more months, but Sunggyu had had enough and decided to appoint someone else in his stead. He had been away from home for too long, much longer than he initially anticipated. He had been away from Woohyun for too long.

Kyungmi flashed him a pointed look. “While you’re at it, can you please get in touch with your boyfriend? He’s worried sick.”

“He’s not my boyfriend…yet.” The thought of seeing the younger again made his lips quirk into a smile. “I’ll see him soon, I just need to get the business stuff out of the way.”

“You can at least send him a text or an e-mail.”

“I want to surprise him.”

“Well, hurry up. He thinks you don’t like him anymore.”

At that, Sunggyu felt a stab of guilt. He had been so busy getting ready to come home that he didn’t get to talk to Woohyun at all. And now that he was back, he still hadn’t gotten in touch with the younger. But, once things with the company settled, it would all be worth it. He was planning on taking some much-needed time off and it would all be worth it. He was finally going to officially ask Woohyun to be his boyfriend.

Kyungmi, bless her heart, had kept his secret and would indulge his requests to bring him food from INSPIRIT. He had missed Woohyun’s cooking while he was in Japan. He couldn’t wait until it was the younger himself who would cook for him. He missed him so much. No amount of time or distance had changed his feelings. He was still so in love with the younger man.

Just a little longer, Woohyun, he thought to himself as he indulged himself in Woohyun’s cooking. I’ll see you soon. Wait for me.
 

The tables were wiped down and clean. The dishes and pots and pans were all washed and put away. The last of his staff waved goodbye as they exited the door, one-by-one.

Woohyun turned the “Close” sign and locked the door before heading up to his office. A stack of cash and piles of coins in paper coin holders littered his desk.

Sighing, he got to work with counting and calculating their earnings for the day. It took him an hour to count, calculate, and record everything and by the time he was done, he was ready to pack up and go home to his empty apartment. Safely locking the money in the safe, the chef grabbed his things and headed back down to the restaurant.

Just as he was about to turn off all the lights, a lone figure outside caught his eye.

His first instinct was to be wary. He was all alone at the restaurant and it if it was a robber, he would have to protect himself and call the police.

Slowly, he walked towards the door and peeked outside.

His eyes widened and he yanked the door open.

The figure outside jumped, startled at the sudden noise.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other in silence. Woohyun’s eyes ran over the figure, wondering if he was dreaming or his delusions had somehow made its way to real life.

Finally, the figure spoke. “Hi, Woohyun.”

The chef swallowed as he tried to maintain his composure and stop himself from jumping at the figure.

“Hi, Sunggyu-hyung,” he greeted back, feeling too many emotions at once.

He was happy because the older was back! But, he was also angry because he hadn’t spoken to Woohyun in a month. Then, he felt relieved because Sunggyu was safe and not lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Then, elated because he was finally back! But, then, he grew worried because what if Sunggyu was there to end things between them?

“Um… I was hoping to make it to your dinner rush but I got held up at the office so I guess I was too late,” Sunggyu said, sheepishly.

“No,” Woohyun replied, too quickly and he blushed a bit. “You’re not too late. Um… come on in. I’ll cook for you.”

At the offer, Sunggyu perked up. “Really? Is that okay? You guys closed an hour and a half ago, didn’t you?”

He looked so worried and shy that Woohyun couldn’t stop himself from smiling. How he missed him.

Sunggyu, himself, seemed like he couldn’t take his eyes off of Woohyun and it made the latter preen a little.

Stepping aside, he let Sunggyu enter before closing the door and locking it again.

“Um, sit anywhere you like. I’ll be right back.”

“Can I help with anything?”

“It’s fine, just sit. I’ll be right back.”

Not giving the other man another chance to talk, Woohyun escaped to the kitchen. His emotions were swirling and he was in a daze as he took ingredients out of the fridge and grabbed his cooking utensils. He didn’t even ask Sunggyu what he wanted but he instinctively just knew.

He made kimchi fried rice and seaweed soup and took out some pickled radish and spicy cucumber salad from their stock in the fridge. When the food was ready, he placed everything on a tray and brought it out to the waiting CEO outside.

He served the food and quickly ran back to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and a can of Sprite since he wasn’t sure which one Sunggyu would prefer.

When he returned with the drinks, Sunggyu was already digging in. Sitting across from him, Woohyun just watched, his eyes drinking in the sight of the older.

They had been apart for a year but Sunggyu looked the same, albeit with a shorter haircut, but still very much the same.

Woohyu himself had remained pretty much the same aside from a light brown dye job. He wondered what Sunggyu thought of it.

“I missed your cooking,” said the older, startling Woohyun from his thoughts. “Japan didn’t have your food. I kept trying to re-create it but I’m no good at cooking like you.”

The younger smiled, slightly. “How long have you been back?”

He saw Sunggyu’s chopsticks slow as the other answered softly, “Two and a half weeks.”

Woohyun felt irritation creep up. “You didn’t call. Or text,” he said, coldly.

Sunggyu looked up at him with a look of guilt and a pout in his lips. “I’m sorry. I wanted to finish all my work before seeing you. I wanted to surprise you.” He smiled, sweetly. “I have three weeks off. I can spend all that time with you to make up for me being away…if you want to, that is.”

Woohyun felt his chest warm and his cheeks redden. He wanted to stay angry and petty, but Sunggyu had a way of making him the exact opposite. Just seeing that smile that he missed was enough to make him lay the anger aside for now.

“That would be…nice,” he answered, looking away briefly to hide his blush.

Chuckling, Sunggyu returned to his food, mumbling praises about it in between bites. His words deepened Woohyun’s blush in the process.

When the older had cleaned out his plates and said his thanks for the food, the chef took everything on a tray again and headed back to the kitchen to wash them.

As he scrubbed at a plate, he felt a second presence in the kitchen with him. He paid it no mind, wanting to finish the chore quickly so he and Sunggyu could sit down and truly talk.

However, it appeared that the older was impatient.

Woohyun felt arms wrap around his waist and a head tuck itself on top of his shoulder.

“I missed you,” Sunggyu whispered into his ear.

Hands trembling, Woohyun briefly turned his head to smile at him. “I missed you too.”

For the next five minutes or so, they stayed like that. Woohyun continued to wash dishes with Sunggyu attached to him. The older said nothing and neither did he.

When Woohyun was done, he wiped his hands with a towel and finally turned around in Sunggyu’s arms to face him.

Sunggyu grinned. “Hi.”

Woohyun returned it. “Hi.”

For a moment, they stayed like that, just looking at each other.

Woohyun’s eyes were hungry for the sight of the older man in front of him. No number of great selfies with great lighting could compare to the real thing. He had dreamed of this day since a year ago, running conversations and things he would say to Sunggyu in his head. But, now that he was here, right in front of him, he had no idea what to say or where to start.

“Are you mad at me?” Sunggyu asked with a small pout.

Woohyun had to be honest. “A little.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

One of Sunggyu’s hands made its way to Woohyun’s own, intertwining with his fingers before bringing it up to the older’s lips.

Woohyun’s heart was beating fast in his chest as he watched Sunggyu close his eyes, savoring Woohyun’s touch. His fear that Sunggyu no longer felt the same for him evaporated like a puff of smoke.

Right there and then, he could tell… he could feel… Sunggyu still loved him.

“I’m still in love with you, you know,” Sunggyu stated, opening his eyes and meeting Woohyun’s own. “But, I’ll admit to you, I was afraid to come back and find that you don’t feel anything for me.”

Woohyun’s breath hitched. “Why do you think that?”

“When I left, you didn’t have an answer to my confession. But, I couldn’t blame you either. We were both hurt and we needed to heal, first.”

“I know that,” Woohyun replied. “And, you were right. I needed it too. It helped.”

Sunggyu’s other hand made its way to Woohyun’s cheek. “I didn’t want to jump into a relationship with you right away. I want to have the real thing with you, Woohyun.”

Filled to the brim with emotion, it took everything Woohyun had not to burst into tears right there and then.

He had a lot of time to think in their year apart. He took a lot of time to examine his own feelings. And, talking to Chungha, Kyungmi, and even Dongwoo had helped too. He would forever be grateful to them for listening to his long rants.

But, now, it was time for Sunggyu to hear what Woohyun should have told him a year ago.

“I’m sorry,” he began.

At Sunggyu’s confused face, Woohyun chuckled and wrapped his arms around the older’s waist, pulling him close.

“I’m sorry for taking so long,” he continued, not taking his eyes off Sunggyu’s face. “I’m sorry that I was stubborn and refused to acknowledge my feelings. I’m sorry that I made you wait and suffer, thinking that I don’t feel the same way, that I don’t want you. Because I do. Sunggyu-hyung, I’m so in love with you that I can’t sleep at night without thinking about you. When I wake up in the morning, you’re the first thing I think about. And it’s driving me nuts because I can’t remember the last time I was this crazy about anyone. I’m so crazy in love with you, you jerk.”

At that last bit, Sunggyu burst into laughter as he fought tears but Woohyun spotted a tear escape.

Pressing his forehead against Woohyun’s, Sunggyu’s eyes radiated joy.

“I’m so crazy in love with you too,” he said, making Woohyun’s heart flutter and his stomach fill with butterflies. “And I’m ready to start over with you. So, will you?”

Sniffling back his own tears, Woohyun nodded. “Yes. Let’s start over.”

“Can I kiss you now?”

Woohyun laughed before nodding again. “I’ve been waiting for you to do it.”

Without another word, Sunggyu moved his head forward, capturing Woohyun’s lips with his own.

And for the first time in his life, Woohyun felt like he was floating.

For the first time in his life, everything finally felt right. This was how it was supposed to be.

And it felt perfect.

A/N: And, that's a wrap! Happy ending! Yay!

I know it wasn't quite as long but I didn't want to delay them seeing each other again any longer. I mean, a year was so long, ya know? It can drive anyone nuts! But, it gave Woohyun enough time to really examine his feelings. 

And though I know it's unconventional for most couples, I figured that Woohyun wouldn't want to completely end his friendship with Chungha. She's his childhood friend and was present throughout his life. I think, in a way, even though they realized that their feelings have turned platonic, I don't think Woohyun could really imagine not having Chungha in his life, and thus, the trio friendship formed!

If you had read my other story WooGyu "Congratulations", then you might remember that Woohyun often believed that he and Eunseo could have been friends, if it wasn't for their circumstance. (If you hadn't read it, I'm not saying you should read it but... you should definitely check it out if you can!)

Also, I decided to post the Epilogue right after this one as well, since I know you guys have been waiting so long for it!

I'll see you guys in the Epilogue!