~3 weeks later~

“Are you sure you can work?” SungGyu leaned against the doorpost of the kitchen and observed how MyungSoo tied the apron around his middle.

“I wouldn’t come here if couldn’t.” MyungSoo replied and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and went to the sink to wash his hands.

“Does SungYeol know?” SungGyu asked and took a step in to the kitchen.

MyungSoo turned his head toward SungGyu for a moment. His face read that SungYeol most definitely didn’t know.

“Don’t you think that he will freak out, when he comes home from receiving the results of university entrance exam?” SungGyu crossed his arms on his chest.

“I left a note at home and texted him.” MyungSoo replied and started to cut carrots that were placed on the counter in front of him.

“He will still freak out. You heal fast and the stitches were taken out pretty quickly, but you still should have rested some more.” SungGyu said with a sigh and placed a bowl for cut carrots next to MyungSoo.

“I have never rested so much in my life. I already read almost everything in the first floor book-store during those weeks, so I need to do something else.” MyungSoo said and SungGyu’s eyes locked on how fast the knife in MyungSoo’s hand was moving, how smooth and precise each movement was. No mechanical device could cut with accuracy like that, SungGyu was sure of that. The realization of from where this amazing skill came from made SungGyu shiver a little, but he snapped out of it pretty fast. He had made a promise not only to SungYeol, WooHyun and everyone else to forgive, forget and accept, but also to himself. He was the one in their little group of friends, who had no right to judge and blame MyungSoo for anything, as he understood why he had made the choices he made. He once had pretty similar choices to make.

“SungGyu.” MyungSoo spoke louder than usual and SungGyu finally draw his gaze away from MyungSoo’s hands that looked like they stopped the action of cutting already for a while and looked at MyungSoo’s face. “I called you already for the third time.” MyungSoo said calmly, as if understanding where to SungGyu’s mind had wondered off.

“Ouh.” SungGyu said, not hiding his surprise.

“Pass me the cabbages, please.” MyungSoo asked casually and that calmed SungGyu down. One thing he definitely liked about MyungSoo was that he did not ask questions in any kind of awkward situation. He just let things go their flow and SungGyu had to admit – he wanted to learn that.

Without any further words, he did what he was asked to, and soon the precise movements of the knife started again. This time SungGyu decided not to fall in the strange stage of trance and thoughts as before, so he left the kitchen, just to meet and angry SungYeol standing at the counter and quite guilty looking WooHyun behind him.

“Where is he?” SungYeol asked. He looked like he was ready to punch SungGyu in the face, though it was not his fault for sure.

“First of all, I am older than you, so you have no right to talk to me in a tone like that.” SungGyu said to SungYeol and turned to WooHyun. “We can handle this. Customers are waiting.” WooHyun nodded and left.

“Listen…” SungYeol started, but was immediately cut off by SungGyu.

“He came here because he wanted to. I did not call him and ask him to come, I even offered him to go home, but he refused. We are not letting him to carry the trays around. He is just cooking in the kitchen and that’s it.” SungGyu said while SungYeol’s mouth was still hanging open. “Now, go and talk to him yourself and give the order sheet WooHyun will bring over now to him as well.”

“I will not give him the order sheet, because I am taking him home.” SungYeol said and reached the door to the kitchen in few big steps.

“Good luck with that.” SungGyu sighed.

“What do you think you are doing?” SungYeol asked as soon as he stepped in to the kitchen, where MyungSoo was currently preparing everything for serving stew or something of that sort.

“I…am…cooking?” He rather asked than stated and placed the spoon he was rising to his lips before on to the counter.

“You should be at home and resting.” SungYeol said, trying his best to stay calm, as a true panic hit him when he returned home, as he had forgotten his papers and phone, and he found no one there – as in MyungSoo was gone, leaving only a small note that said ‘Don’t worry. I went to work. –M”. Almost the same was said in the message that was sent to him.

At that moment every thought about university left SungYeol’s mind and he had rushed straight to the diner, where, as soon as WooHyun saw him and guilt appeared on his face, he understood that MyungSoo is there.

The fear washed away a little, but he was still worried.

He knew how fast and almost miraculously MyungSoo can heal, but that did not mean that he was ready to walk around with heavy trays of food and rush from kitchen to hall and back when ever needed.

The urge to punch WooHyun and then SungGyu was great, but somehow a small voice at the back of his head, that used to talk to SungYeol when he was on the streets in Japan and kept him from doing ridiculous things, came back to life and talked him out of hurting the two previously mentioned ones in front of their customers. Beside, knowing MyungSoo, it was not their fault at all.

“You know as well as I do, that I have rested enough.” MyungSoo said and took a different spoon to stir what he was cooking. He then took one of the trays, that were piled up next to the door and several other items, SungYeol had seen in diners and placed them on the tray, along with the freshly cooked stew.

Without much effort, MyungSoo passed SungYeol and called out for WooHyun the number of order that was ready and the bespoken one came almost right away and took the tray.

“I was worried…” SungYeol said quietly. His panic had washed away along with his anger and now he was even a little ashamed. How could he know how well MyungSoo was feeling? He had known his condition better than any doctor before, so why was this time different?

“I’m sorry.” MyungSoo said with a small sigh and took few steps closer to SungYeol, so that there was almost no distance between them. “You would have had a surprise dinner cooked by me here after you’d return from university with results, but now the surprise is pretty much ruined, as you didn’t go anywhere, but, I guess that is my fault.” He said and cupped SungYeol’s face in his hands. “I’m sorry. Really.” He said and pecked SungYeol’s lips.

“I was so worried.” SungYeol pouted. “You really think this will make up for it?”

MyungSoo pressed his lips against SungYeol’s again, this time giving SungYeol enough time to respond and a peck to turn in to a decent kiss, but as soon as that happened a loud sound of dishes crashing on the floor and few shrieks came from the hall.

“What was that?” SungYeol gasped the very moment the kiss was over and MyungSoo was already rushing out of the kitchen.

The customers seemed shocked and a bit frightened and at first it wasn’t clear what had happened, until MyungSoo saw SungGyu helping WooHyun to get back on his feet.

The later had obviously fallen, taking the tray with empty dishes along, scattering them on the floor.

“What happened?” MyungSoo came closer to help clean the mess and SungYeol soon followed him.

“I saw him.” WooHyun turned to MyungSoo, his face full of shock and terror.

“Saw who?” MyungSoo asked, not being completely sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“The foreign giant. The one we… He… He was standing behind the window and looking inside.” WooHyun said, his gaze focusing on MyungSoo, as if emphasizing that what he just said was true.

“Are you sure?” MyungSoo asked and received a nod as a reply.

Without thinking much he rushed out of the diner and looked around the empty street.

A shadow moved in a side-way across the main street and MyungSoo already launched forward to run to that alley, when someone grabbed him by his hand.

“Do you have to do that?” SungGyu asked – his grip strong enough to keep someone like MyungSoo in place.

“If it’s really him WooHyun saw then, yes, I have to.” MyungSoo said. “I need to check at least and right now he, who ever it might be, has time to get away.”

“I am going with you then, or the two of them” SungGyu nodded toward the diner, obviously speaking about SungYeol and WooHyun “will rip me to pieces.”

“I am not willing to allow this, but I can’t waste time.” MyungSoo said and SungGyu let go of his wrist, letting him to finally move across the street, other following close behind.

The alley was located in such way that it would be hard for a simple passer-by to notice anything there, if he or she wasn’t paying extra attention.

It was a pretty classical type of place between two buildings where garbage containers were placed.

At first look it seemed empty, but then a figure stepped out of the shadow and MyungSoo froze, making SungGyu to almost run in to him.

That really was the chaser. His posture was a bit crooked – not as stiff and straight as before; he seemed to limp with one leg and his right hand looked like one after a wrongly healed brake – misplaced and misshaped. His neck, which at first looked like it was covered in thick black scarf, was actually locked in some sort of device that reminded more of a futuristic wonder from Star Wars, than something real medicine would use, but then again the chaser was not from those who used the services of hospitals and real doctors.

The chaser moved and MyungSoo took a careful step back, pushing SungGyu along.

Even a kitchen knife would have came in handy now, but right now MyungSoo was unarmed and even though the foreigner didn’t look as one that could fight at the moment, it was still a bad thing.

The foreigner reached inside of his long black coat and pulled out his blade – the same MyungSoo once felt on his back and spun it once in his well hand.

SungGyu obviously tensed between MyungSoo’s back and MyungSoo took the needed position to launch at foreigner as soon as a chance occurred. He had no other strategy and he hoped this one would work.

The giant spun the blade once more and drove the blade in to the ground next to his feet.

“NWO is pleased with your performance, but not pleased with your behavior.” The foreigner spoke, his voice sounding like something close to Darth Vader’s. The cut in his throat, left there by MyungSoo on their first meeting, had probably cut the vocal cords or rather destroyed them.

“I have nothing to do with them anymore, so I don’t care what they think.” MyungSoo replied, still remaining ready to attack.

“You might not have anything to with them now, but there will be a day, when they will come after you.” The chaser said. “As for now, you’ve won.” He said and stepped back from his blade.

“Won?” MyungSoo asked and straightened out from his half bend attack position.

“Won freedom and time.” The foreigner said. “I respect you and accept my own defeat, but I am not the only one and it will only take time till next one appears.” He said and took few more steps back.

“How much time do I have?” MyungSoo asked.

“A month, two, maybe a year or more. No one can tell, but they will hunt for you, that I can say for sure.” The foreigner said and took few more steps back, before disappearing in the shadow, just like he appeared.

“That means…” SungGyu, who seemed almost inexistent before, spoke.

“That means eventually someone will come after me.” MyungSoo finished others sentence and took few steps closer to the blade.

“And we can’t know when, right?” SungGyu asked and followed.

“Like he said.” MyungSoo replied and took of the apron he was wearing, to wrap it around the blade – first around the handle to pull it out of the ground, and then around the blade itself.

“That means we should always be ready.” SungGyu said, but not with expected anger – rather with determination in his voice.

“I’ve brought life of never ending tension to everyone.” MyungSoo said, looking at the wrapped in blade he held.

“None of us is an angel, so we would eventually bring it upon ourselves anyway.” SungGyu said and placed his hand on MyungSoo’s shoulder. “Let’s go back. I’ll put that thing away.”

“Shouldn’t I do that?” MyungSoo turned to other.

“No. You already have a weapon at your house and one of these is more than enough.” Other said and took the blade from MyungSoo. “Let’s go, before WooHyun and SungYeol go insane.” He said with a small smile and led the way back across the street, where the mentioned two were already waiting outside of the diner.

“Was it him?” WooHyun asked. It sounded like he wanted to receive a negative answer.

“Yes.” MyungSoo said with a nod. “But he is not and will not be a problem.”

“We’ll talk about it later.” SungGyu spoke. “Right now we will continue to do what we had to do.” He said and received three nods in reply.

All of them returned back to the diner and soon SungYeol left to university, just to come back later together with DongWoo, Hoya and SungJong.

“So, they will come back…” Hoya said with a sigh and leaned back in his seat. “Those are not pleasing news.”

“Even more of the fact that we don’t know when...” WooHyun said.

“And who they will be.” DongWoo added.

“We will just have to wait and see.” SungGyu said and poured everyone apart from SungJong and MyungSoo a round of soju, as one was too young, but other just didn’t drink.

“We don’t have many other choices.” Hoya nodded and drank his shot of the alcoholic drink.

“There’s always the possibility to find them first.” MyungSoo said, attracting everyone’s attention and making SungYeol next to him to tense. “But that is not an option and, no, I am not going to do that.” He said and looked at SungYeol during the last part.

“Then… we just wait?” SungJong asked, looking at his hyungs.

“Yes. We wait and live as normal as it’s possible for us and that is it.” SungGyu said and emptied his glass.

“It’s not said, that they will ever come, though.” WooHyun said and looked at SungGyu. “Threatening to come and coming are two different things. You know that.”

“Coming right now and after some time are two different things as well.” SungGyu replied.

“Again secrets I don’t understand.” DongWoo frowned.

“Not only you.” SungYeol said. “Care to explain?”

“Not right now.” SungGyu said and poured some more of the drink for himself. “A complicated story that will be told some other time.”

“You know, that after telling it, some might be angry about your attitude, right?” WooHyun asked.

“I am pretty much aware of that.” SungGyu said with a bit of sad smile and emptied his glass again.

“The I guess we will wait till some other time.” MyungSoo said and SungGyu nodded with a smile.

He could see a similarity between himself and MyungSoo and at the same time major difference.

On one hand it was great – when SungGyu asked too many questions and sometimes rushed with conclusions, MyungSoo didn’t ask and waited for things to reveal them selves slowly – that was the great, but pleasant difference.

On other hand, he felt this dark similarity that was hopefully not ready to reveal it too soon, as that could endanger their merry company of seven as much as MyungSoo’s past.

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Hello!

This is the pre-final chapter, which is a bit shorter than the ones I usually write, as the last one will be much longer than an average chapter in this. It will be really romantic and include some (like a lot) and the title will finally make sense ;] .
Also, this is like a teaser fro WooGyu side story, which will include a bit of SungGyu’s ‘dark secret’. So don’t forget to subscribe to ‘Another Me’ – a WooGyu side story – now.
The subscribing for Christmas special will be open, when I will make the idea of it clearer for me and I will be able to finalize the description.
If you want to follow my inspirational/creative process, you can always follow me on Twitter and say ‘hi’  or something. ;]

OUH, and please VOTE for SungGyu on EatYourKimchi for a review by clicking here.
AND vote for him as well on M!Countdown HERE.

I will leave you with some MyungGyu,as they were the mains in this chapter.