The next few days are uneventful. Donghae has to go to Busan to oversee a set being installed, so he doesn’t manage to take any more frappuccinos to Hyukjae or ask him if he knows Siwon. He doesn’t manage to do anything, actually, other than stress about the installation, and when he finally gets back to Seoul it’s already Saturday.

So Donghae spends it the way he usually spends his weekends.

He goes to the gym, he does his laundry, he prepares some simple meals and eats by himself (right off the oven pan because there’s nobody there to judge him for it), he lies on the sofa to watch a movie on his laptop and..

That’s about it really.

It’s not lonely exactly, but Donghae notices more keenly than usual that beyond the chatter of the TV, it’s quiet. That he only has to wash his own coffee cup. He checks his phone idly but there’s nobody in particular to message.

Perhaps it’s because the previous weekends have been so filled with activity and laughter, mindless fun with Siwon and his friends, that Donghae feels slightly flat today. It’s only mid-afternoon, but he wonders if he ought to go out clubbing or something that night, to see if there’s anyone pretty and interested enough for him to bring home.

He hasn’t dated anyone seriously in a long time. He’s in his thirties now, even though he doesn’t look it. He thought he’d be married, settled with a wife, a few kids, a dog and a mortgage by this age. But…

He hasn’t met that special someone yet.

None of the girls he has gone out with have felt right.

Nobody ever fits.

There are plenty who are a nice fit for one night though.

Never more than that.

Donghae always goes for the sort of girl who wants what he does; a good time with someone who definitely plans to leave before breakfast.

Donghae sighs and rolls onto his back, pushing his laptop aside. Thinking about it is making him feel kind of restless. He considers going back to the gym but then decides he will go for a ride instead.

Donghae’s motorbike is kind of old and kind of loud. Neither of these in the classic, expensive way, but he loves it anyway. He’d bought it impulsively, but then why not? He’s a single man with an adequate income and nobody to spend it on but himself. He’s a careful man too, despite looking the opposite, and he’d taken it slow until he felt confident (which took a while, especially in Seoul traffic). He’d envisioned that movie sort of moment when he’d pick up a special someone for a date, but so far the only person who he’s taken for a ride is the apprentice Henry.

Henry is definitely special, but not quite in the way Donghae has daydreamed about.

It’s nice to get out of the apartment and on the road though. Donghae rides with no particular destination in mind, just enjoying the feeling of freedom, of being distracted from his thoughts as he gets out onto the highway.

Unfortunately, riding a motorbike in winter is ing cold.

When he starts to lose feeling in his fingers even with thick gloves on, Donghae heads back into the city. His apartment isn’t in the best neighbourhood, but it’s conveniently close to work if he uses public transport. He usually does, because even on a motorbike it takes twice the time during rush hour. Today though, it’s not so busy. Out of habit he takes the familiar route that leads past the coffee shop he’s been frequenting lately.

He slows.

It’d be nice to thaw out with a hot coffee. He’s not really ready to go back to the quiet of his small apartment anyway.

‘Hello,’ the staff call out to him, smiling as he comes in. He thinks he recognizes one girl from during the week, but the others are different. They are all eyeing him though, and Donghae struts with practiced carelessness to the counter, motorbike helmet casually under his arm.

The girl at the cash register leans over the counter, clearly excited.

‘He’s already here,’ she whispers to him, pointing towards the seated area of the café.

‘Huh?’

‘Yes, he’s been waiting a while,’ another girl,