---

There were days where Myungsoo would think about Sungyeol a little bit too much for the whole day and it’s all just because he had dreamt about the latter the night before. These dreams came to Myungsoo in many different shape, most of it were only a flashback of their eight years of friendship. But there are some that actually showed him a made up scenarios of how he’ll meet Sungyeol again. He’s not really sure whether it was really a preview of what’s going to happen, or it’s just his mind playing tricks on him by infusing his wish of meeting Sungyeol again. Either way, those dreams really did make Myungsoo miss Sungyeol ever more.

And today is definitely one of those days. Myungsoo sat on one of the table on his cafe while looking through the windows and letting his mind wandered on its own, thinking about Sungyeol. Talking about cafe, it technically was his father’s but since both of his parents left to Japan to set up yet another cafe in there, this whole cafe is inherited to a twenty four years-old Myungsoo and his brother, twenty years-old Moonso to be managed. And Moonsoo still being a student means that Myungsoo had to managed the cafe all by himself without any proper help from other people. He did consider to just closed it down and look for another career-oriented job, but remembering how this cafe has been their family’s for seven years or so, he then decided to give his all in managing this cafe. After all, to be able to manage this cafe was the main reason his father pushed him to take business management as his major in college even though he’s wholeheartedly hated it.

Myungsoo was still staring through the window half an hour later, when suddenly he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“Hyung? Myungsoo hyung? OI HYUNG!” Myungsoo startled by the loud voice being screamed directly into his eardrums.

“What the hell Sungjong?!”

“I’ve called you many times but you just continue to spaced out like that.”

“Sorry, I was just-”

“I know, Sungyeol hyung again, isn’t it?” Sungjong gave Myungsoo a sad smile, and then patted the older’s back. “If you two are fated to be together, he’ll come to you, hyung. Or maybe you’ll come to him. Either way, you two will be together.”

“I’m okay, really. It’s just that I’ve been missing him too much these days. Ten years, and I’m still being like this.” Myungsoo laughed, not a humorless laugh or a bitter laugh, but a laugh laugh. He’s mostly laughing at himself, because he did find his current situation, where he’s still hopelessly in love with Sungyeol, is rather funny.

It is funny, at least for Myungsoo, because after Sungyeol left and Myungsoo not being able to say anything about his feelings, and then they lost their contact months later, Myungsoo didn’t feel hurt, didn’t bawl his eyes out, didn’t shut himself up, didn’t become depressed and he’s certainly didn’t breakdown whatsoever. He’s just continue to live his life normally while remembering Sungyeol and loving the said boy, without ever met and heard anything about him. It is not funny however, for the people around him that knew about his situation. It is not funny because he’s supposed to breakdown, since it’s the only way that will allow him to really move on and forget about Sungyeol.. which Myungsoo didn’t.

“Hyung..”

“Hey, what’s with the face? I said I’m fine, Jongie. What brings you here by the way? My worker hasn’t even showed up, yet you’re here. Don’t you have to go to work or something?” Myungsoo glanced at his wristwatch. 7:24AM. He still got around one and a half hour until he supposed to open his cafe.

“I actually have a meeting with someone here, today. You remember Junghwan hyung? Ah, he went by the name Sandeul back then in high school, right? I’m supposed to meet him here today.”

“Sandeul?” Myungsoo paused to think. “The funny guy who insisted in calling me hyung even though he’s only a week younger than me?”

“Yep. That one. He’s also the one who kept pestering you to teach him how to take a proper picture with DSLR, right? He even joined photography club because you’re in it!” Sungjong laughed remembering all those memories from back then when they were in high school.

“Ah right, I remember him. He’s one memorable guy.” Myungsoo laughed along, but then suddenly stopped and gave Sungjong a curious face. “But why are you meeting him? Don’t tell me, you two have something’s going on? What about Hwayoung?!”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down! Hwayoung and I are fine. Junghwan hyung is hired by my office as the photographer for this month’s issue pictorial. As the youngest and newest editor in the office, my boss, Sunggyu hyung, asked me to meet up with him. So I think, why not bring him here to meet you? He admired you anyway.”

“He’s a photographer now? Never thought that he takes his hobby in a rather serious way.”

“Yeah, apparently he’s a professional photography now, even though he’s mostly working on fine-art photography. This actually his first time working for a pictorial photo shoot, not to mention his first time working with a fashion magazine. That’s why Sunggyu hyung asked me to meet up with him, you know, explaining stuffs and such. He also mentioned that he’ll bring one his friend since that friend is a photographer specialized in magazine pictorial shoot.”

Myungsoo nodded, listening to his cousin’s explanation. Deep inside, he actually envied that guy Junghwan, or Sandeul, or whatever his name now. Photography is something that both he and Sungyeol were really interested in, even when they were still a kid. He remembered how Sungyeol gave him a camera as his 10th birthday gift (it was actually Sungyeol’s parents who bought him the present, as Sungyeol kept pleading to his parents to buy Myungsoo a camera), and then he promised to give Sungyeol the same present for his 11th birthday several months later but failed, so he ended up only gave Sungyeol a hand-made scrapbook full of pictures he took with the camera Sungyeol gave him. Myungsoo kept saying sorry to Sungyeol since he can’t keep his promise to give Sungyeol the same present as Sungyeol gave him, but Sungyeol liked the scrapbook anyway. Sungyeol said, and Myungsoo quoted, “This scrapbook is the most precious thing I ever got as a birthday present, I’ll keep it forever with me, Myung!” Fourteen years later after he received the camera, Myungsoo still keep it with him. Even though the old camera is no longer working, Myungsoo didn’t have the heart to throw it away. After all, it was his first camera, given by his first best friend, who happened to be his first love. The camera held too much precious memory for Myungsoo to throw or give it away.

Myungsoo wondered if Sungyeol still interested in photography. Or if Sungyeol even still remembered of how both of them share the same passion in this particular field. Because Myungsoo sure still does. He love photography with all of his heart. But apart from being active in photography club back then in high school and college, Myungsoo never really had a chance to take it more than as a hobby. Sure, he worked as a part-timer on a studio near his college several years back, but that’s it. As his father forced him to take up business management as his major, he really didn’t have the time nor opportunity to take photography seriously.

“Hyung...?”

Myungsoo heard Sungjong calling at him and he immediately snapped out of his daydreaming. “Yes?”

Sungjong sighed, ‘His mind is back to Sungyeol hyung again, isn’t it?’

“I said, he’s going to be here at around 9:30, you don’t mind to spare a little of your time meeting him, right?”

“Of course I don’t. This cafe will only be filled with people around lunch time anyway. Still, I don’t see of how I’ll be much help to him as he’s the professional photographer now, not me. And he’s also already brought his friend to help him.”

“As I said, he admired you. So I think he’ll he happy just to meet you again. And hyung, you might be not a professional, but believe me, you’re good. So good that Sunggyu hyung still talking about the favor you’ve done for the magazine last year. He even kept saying that he wanted you to be a professional photographer and then scouted you to work for him.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’m not really that interested to work for a magazine like that. Besides, having this cafe where people can take a picture and then hang their picture alongside with their wish or secret or comments is enough for me.” Myungsoo smiled and looked around, seeing at the photos hanged around on the walls of his cafe.

Sure, this is not a photo studio where he worked as a professional photographer and produced a high-fashion styled pictures, but instead, he produced a more meaningful pictures of people who visited his cafe, the people who’s having a good time, the people who’s having a bad time, the people who came with friends, the people who came with lovers, or even the people who came alone. And those meaningful messages written behind the pictures, to Myungsoo, it was a lot more meaningful than any other descriptive paragraph you can read on those high-end fashion magazine like the one Sungjong’s currently working in. And Myungsoo felt content by it.

Maintaining his smiling face, Myungsoo looked back at Sungjong and then continued, “Still, if your boss need anymore help, I’ll be more than glad to help him.”

---

9:43AM. Someone with orange-slash-brown hair entered the cafe and looked around. Sungjong saw that particular person and waved at him. “Junghwan hyung!”

“I’m sorry I’m late, but I got lost on the way here. It’s been only a month since I got back to Korea, I’m still not used with the current public transportation system.” Junghwan smiled apologetically at the younger one.

“That’s okay hyung.” Sungjong smiled back at him.

Junghwan’s attention switched to the person sat across Sungjong. “Myungsoo hyung?”

“Long time no see, Junghwan-ah. Still going on with the whole ‘hyung’ thingy, eh?” Myungsoo smiled and motioned Junghwan to sit anywhere on the table. Not that the table got that many seat available in the first place.

“Well, it’s awkward to just suddenly stop addressing you as my hyung. And you’re born a week faster than me, so you’re technically older.” Junghwan said, laughing lightly. Junghwan, or Sandeul, as he known back then, started calling Myungsoo as ‘hyung’ out of nowhere. He’s the same age as Myungsoo, and were in the same grade as Myungsoo. So up until now, Myungsoo still didn’t work out of why Junghwan call him as hyung in the first place. Everytime Myungsoo asked him, he'll only say that absurd reason of how Myungsoo is a week older than him so it's not really that wrong for him to call Myungsoo as hyung.

“Also still using the same reasoning, I see.” Myungsoo chuckled as noticing that this guy Junghwan didn’t change a bit from the way he acted back then in high school.

“So hyung,” Sungjong said to Junghwan, “Where’s your friend?”

“I don’t know. I’m still waiting for his call. He supposed to arrived here this morning.”

“Arrived?”

“Yes, from London.”

“London?” Myungsoo’s ears perked up hearing the word ‘London’. He always reacted that way when people mentioned anything related to the UK, since, you know, it might be related to Sungyeol somehow.

“Yeah. I met him when on college back in London. He’s the only Korean, except from myself, admitted to the photography major. Since then he’s been helping me in various project. He’s a good photographer. If I had Myungsoo hyung as my mentor back then in high school, then this friend is my mentor in college.”

Myungsoo only snickered at the word ‘mentor’, he didn’t think that he’s good enough to be called as a mentor. All he did is teaching Junghwan some tricks in taking photos using DSLR and that’s all. What’s really great about that?

“Whoa. Really? I can’t wait to meet him. What’s his name?” Sungjong asked excitedly. The opportunity to meet new people always made him excited.

“His name is Lee-” Junghwan’s sentence was cut off by the sound of his own phone ringing. “Sorry Sungjong, Myungsoo hyung, this is him, I have to take this.” He said while pointing at his phone and walking away from the table.

Several minutes later, Junghwan is back. “So he already arrived, and now is on his way here. He’ll arrived in ten minutes or so.”

“Ten minutes? I better start to prepare something then. After all you guys are all my customers.” Myungsoo said while retreated to the coffee bar.

“Customers?” Junghwan asked curiously.

“Yes hyung, this cafe is Myungsoo hyung’s.”

“Seriously?”

Myungsoo nodded while keeping his hands busy preparing drinks. “Technically, it's my father's, but yes. Is cappuccino okay?” Myungsoo asked to his two friends. The two nodded simultaneously. “How about your friend, Junghwan-ah?”

“Just make him a big cup of americano, hyung.”

“Okay then. Want something to eat? Woohyun hyung, our chef, is a really great cook. You can ask him to cook anything for you. It’s still slow hour anyway.”

“Thank you, but no, I already ate on my way here.” Junghwan answered.

“How about you, Jongie? Want something to eat?”

“No thanks, hyung. I’m not really hungry either. Maybe later.”

As Sungjong and Junghwan continue to chatted away while Myungsoo was still busy in making the drinks for his customers, another someone entered the cafe and immediately approached the table where Sungjong and Junghwan are currently sitting.

“Hey, Junghwan-ah.”

“Hyung, you've arrived!”

Junghwan immediately stood up and hugged his friend. Then he went to introduce his friend to Sungjong, who seems to be frozen in shock after seeing the face Junghwan’s friend.

“Sungjong, let me introduce you, this is my friend-”

“SUNGYEOL HYUNG?!”

---

I need a long time to update, I know.

And still no MyungYeol in this chapter, I know.

And this chapter is boring, I know.

And this whole story is boring, I know.

I don't even know what I write anymore.

Anyhow, thank you for anyone who subscribed and read this story! :)