Doojoon pushed open the entrance door to a nice little hotel in Mokpo. A medium-sized luggage in one hand, a small black velvet box in another, shoved into his pocket. He walked across the small lobby, immediately greeted by a warm smile from the man behind the receptionist counter.



“Good morning, Sir. How may I help you today?” His eyes were small but sharp, with high cheekbones and a perfect set of white teeth. Doojoon read ‘Jung Byung Hee’ on his name tag. “I’m here with a reservation,” Doojoon handed him a credit card for verification while looking around the hotel. It was extremely different from the hotel that he owned in Seoul, this was much smaller, much simpler, much more down-to-earth, much warmer, much safer for Yoseob.




“Would you need any special attention from our room service department, Sir?” Doojoon frowned at the question, “I’m sorry? I don’t get it.”




Byung Hee smiled warmly, “Ah, my apologies. Since we are close to Mokpo Medical Center, some of our guests are also patients who will need special care from our service department and so we are able to cater to special requests from our guests. ”




There was a brief silence before finally Doojoon nodded, “Yes,” he answered, “I am with a heart problem.” Byung Hee started filling in the form, scribbling little notes under the ‘special attention’ column. 




“I am heartbroken and I am here to heal myself.”



Byung Hee looked up for a brief moment. When he did not see an amused smile on Doojoon’s face, he nodded and continued writing down notes on the form. 






Yoseob carefully placed the sinful chocolate truffle cake into the sparklingly clean glass display. It was early, too early to have a pair of jeans-clad legs in front of the glass display, but Yoseob did not mind. He smiled and looked up to greet the customer, just like how he usually did. But it was different today, instead his eyes widened in shock and his smile froze into a thin straight line at the sight in front of him.



“Yoseobah.” 



It was the voice that Yoseob ran away from, the affectionate tone that Yoseob walked away from, the eyes that Yoseob turned his back on, the man that Yoseob betrayed, the love that Yoseob left behind. It was Yoon Doojoon, and it was always different with him. 



“Yang Yoseob, do you still remember me?” Yoseob wanted so badly to run into those warm and dependable arms that were shoved into pockets, to rub those eye bags under the tired eyes, to kiss the sunken cheeks, to wrap his arms around that strong neck. He wanted so badly to go back to Doojoon. 



“Hi, Doojoonie,” But no, he could not destroy Doojoon too, “Any cake or drinks for you today?” Yoseob found back his smile, he found back his voice, he found back the twinkle in his eyes, but he lost his soul on the day he disappeared. 



Doojoon’s eyes softened, a slight smile on his lips, a slight sparkle on his eyes, “Yeah,” it was a soft reply, “I would really love that.” It was a really soft reply, but who needed words when Yoseob could understand Doojoon’s heart like an open book.



It was silence after that. Doojoon sat on a sofa at the corner of the small café while Yoseob prepared his orders: muffin, chocolate cake (Yoseob’s favourite), espresso, and caramel latte (Yoseob’s favourite). When they were all ready, Yoseob brought them to Doojoon’s table and placed them all together in front of Doojoon, only for the elder to push the chocolate cake and caramel latte to the side of the table across him, “Yoseobah, have a seat when you have time. Get a bite, you are too skinny,” Doojoon smiled softly. Yoseob was quiet for a while before nodding, “Yeah, I’ll try to.”



But he did not. 



Yoseob did not come to sit with Doojoon for the rest of the day, although it was not a busy day, instead he hung around the counter area, cleaning tables, refilling jars of milk and sugar and chocolate sauce and straws and spoons. Doojoon did not budge from his seat for the whole day, nor did he call Yoseob to sit with him. 



He just watched Yoseob quietly, moving about the café, interacting with other hotel guests that came to the café for a small bite, getting bored because it was a slow day, arranging and rearranging the cakes on the display. When Yoseob finished his shift, he walked to Doojoon’s table, “Doojoonie, I have finished my shift for today. I will be going back.” He bowed politely to Doojoon and asked, “Do you stay here, at the hotel?”



Doojoon nodded, “I will see you again tomorrow?”



Yoseob smiled, “I think so.”



“Don’t run away from me again.”



Yoseob grinned, “I hope not.”



Chocolate cake and caramel latte were left cold and untouched on the table. 






Doojoon waited in front of the closed café with plastic bags on his hand. The hotel’s small lobby was quiet, apart from the receptionist (it was not Byung Hee this time) and a concierge. It was way too early for anyone to be in the lobby, but Doojoon could not get some sleep. He was restless, anxious, so he went out and bought some food for Yoseob. When he got back the café was still closed, it was too early, but Doojoon waited, waiting for Yoseob, and he would wait once again. 



Doojoon almost grinned when he saw a familiar figure running in from the glass entrance. The blonde hair was jet black now, a shock when Doojoon saw Yoseob for the first time after he disappeared, but it was still the face that he loved, the person that he loved. And that would never change.



Yoseob’s face was flushed as he ran towards the café, “, I’m late.” And when his vision fell onto Doojoon, he greeted him, “Hi Doojoonie, you are here. Good morning,” He grinned to Doojoon as he frantically fished out the keys from his backpack and unlocked the glass door to the small café. He rushed inside and disappeared behind the counter to turn on all the lights and get the café going. 



Doojoon strolled behind him, “Have you had breakfast?”



Yoseob shot him an incredulous look, “Doojoonah, I was late.”



Doojoon chuckled, “Here,” he handed out the plastic bags to Yoseob, “I bought you chicken feet, corn soup, rice and some kimchi.” 



Yoseob was silent as he eyes the plastic bags, “Why?” Yoseob frowned at Doojoon, eyes questioning.



Doojoon shrugged, “Cos you are late, I guess. And you are too skinny. Have you been eating right?”



Yoseob’s eyes were still questioning as he answered, “Yeah, I’m eating just fine.” 



Doojoon nodded, “Good,” and he leaned down on the cashier, “Yoseobah, I’ll get muffin, espresso, chocolate cake, and caramel latte.” 



Yoseob wanted to scream at Doojoon, to slap him, to hit him, to hug him, to kiss him, to cry and tell him to go home, to ask him to leave Yoseob alone, to run away again to get the pain out of his chest, to beg him to let Yoseob back into his life once again, to let Yoseob love him once again, to get him to love Yoseob all over again.  



“Okay. I’ll bring them to you later.”



“Seobie, have a seat with me when you have time today,” Doojoon smiled softly and took his seat on the sofa at the corner of the small café. 



Yoseob nodded.



But he did not come to sit with Doojoon.



Chocolate cake and caramel latte were left untouched on Doojoon’s table while the chicken feet, corn soup, rice and kimchi were left cold at the corner of the counter, still neatly wrapped inside the plastic bags.