Listen to this

Ring, ring, ri- “Hello, where are you?” You looked around you and tried to see if you could see him.

            “I just left the hotel. Where are you?”

            “Outside.”

            “What are you doing?”

            You cracked a grin. He was playing your old game. “Waiting for you. Where are you?”

            “Some random street in London.”

            “What are you doing?” you asked him, unable to hide the smile from your face.

            “Walking to you.”

            You sighed and lifted your eyes to the sky, wondering if Jongup was doing okay. Ever since the two of you broke up, you had been unsure if that was the right decision. It was something that had happened, almost out of the blue, and you knew that neither of you were happy with the decision. A year after it happened, you flew back to London, to the place where the two of you had spent so many happy days and then the final unhappy one together.

            You walked down the streets that you had walked with him, hand in hand. The shops were still the same and it almost felt as if nothing had changed. It was the beautiful spring and the sun was shining and the flowers were blooming and you could almost hear Jongup’s adorable sneezes next to you as the pollen tickled his nose.

            You breathed in deeply as you watched the other couples walk by you, looking at one another the same way you had looked at Jongup before. You wondered if this time next year any of them would be doing what you were doing: reminiscing instead of living the memories.

            There was a café the two of you frequented and you walked in. It was still the same atmosphere, with better lighting and the chairs were now a sparkling mahogany rather than the dusty brown it had been. The girl at the counter was new. The other one had memorized your orders and always had fun flirting with Jongup.

            “How may I help you?”

            You looked at the menu and decided that rather than the green tea and lemon cake you got, you were going to get the chocolate float and bagel that Jongup always bought. You sat there and felt the loneliness hit you in the small café.

            You sat across from the table where you two had sat and almost as if hallucinating, you saw your outlines. Jongup was laughing and doing an impression of an animal and you looked so happy. You sighed, blowing the apparitions away and wondered if Jongup was doing well.

            Your phone sat next to your cup. You picked it up and scrolled through your contacts until you reached “Moon Jongup.” Your finger hesitated and you wanted to call him.

            “Where are you? What are you doing? Are you doing well?”

            Jongup got up and stretched. He had just landed in London and the nostalgia was hitting him. He breathed in and sneezed. The pollen did still bother him. He looked out the window and wondered where you were, and wondered what you were doing.

            He started down the streets, the same way the two of you had whenever you wanted to go out and explore the city. It was a small path that led from the hotel to the outside world. People nodded at him as he passed and he sighed.

            He thought about last night’s dream and how vividly you appeared in it. You were in London in that dream and the two of you had just finished calling each other. A happy couple walked down the road and he saw their arms linked and felt oddly empty. It was a feeling he’s had to battle with for nearly a year.

            It was awkward being by himself in London. The two of you had came together to conquer the city and you had for a brief ten days and by day eleven, you had left on different planes, heading toward lives that no longer included each other.

            Jongup saw the café ahead of him and changed his steps to head in. It was still the same, except with different furniture and he went to order. His first desire was his chocolate float and bagel but instead, “May I have a green tea and lemon cake?”

            After getting his food, he sat down and looked over at the table the two of you had occupied before. His eyes widened and he saw someone looking his way before turning around again. His heart slammed in his chest and he looked at his phone.

            He went through his contacts until he got to the name that had been the one that he always scrolled to but never had the courage to click “call.” Jongup took a deep breath and pressed the phone icon and waited.

            He saw the girl pick up her phone and hold it to her ear with hesitation and Jongup smiled. Speaking softly into the phone, he said, “Where are you? What are you doing? Are you well? I hope my heart can reach you.”

this is for vortex234

I hope you like it~