Oh Great
A New Kind of LoveIsn't my life just the greatest?
Everything was fine for me when I came back to Korea. I reconnected with my parents, my friends and home town. Yet even when I'm back home, I am repeatedly reminded of why I was forced to leave in the first place.
I ordered a Bloody Mary. I'd laid off the alcohol ever since that time I got so drunk I had a one-night-stand with some elderly chainsmoking woman. Long story short: not my best experience.
I just wanted to chill at a bar by myself and relieve my stress and exhaustion. And with my own luck, I ended up seeing the person I least expected, who would only cause me more stress.
Good old Choi Minho. I sat two seats from him at the counter.
He reached for a soju bottle to pour himself another shot, but I seized it before he could. "Don't you know you're not supposed to pour yourself a drink?" I filled his shotglass myself.
He grabbed my wrist and forced me to face him. "What are you doing here? Will you just leave already?" He complained, apparently annoyed at me. I froze, because for the first time in years, I looked directly into his eyes. And like the wimp I am, I fell in love with him all over again. The very next second, however, I sighed. Albeit big and full of life, it was clear from his eyes that he was wasted to the max. His drinking habits haven't changed. I figured with his new girlfriend or wife or whatever he'd at least try to tone them down.
I forcefully pulled my wrist out of his grasp. "Nice to see you too." I replied sarcastically.
He slammed his fist against the counter. "Didn't you hear me!? I said leave!" He demanded angrily.
I sighed in frustration. I couldn't even drink in peace without him bothering me. "Sorry to bug you." I replied indifferently.
I stood up to sit somewhere else, figuring that he should be left alone. The last thing I wanted to do is get between him and his partner. However, just as I stood up, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.
Once again, I traveled deep into the depths of those worldly eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna push you away."
I didn't reply. Instead, after a moment I slowly and gently removed his hands from my arm. More silence followed. I took a sip of my mary while he continued to chug down alcohol.
The sight was driving me nuts. The dude was gonna kill his liver. I slapped his hand before he could pour another glass.
"Yahh!! What are you doing!"
"You've had enough to drink for one night."
Rather than argue, he looked down at the counter and sprawled his arms out on the table. He rested his forehead in his palms and closed his eyes.
He looked torn. "What's the matter?" I asked quietly.
He groaned.
"Am I bothering you? Do you want me to leave?"
"No. Please don't." He opened his eyes. "I don't know what to do."
I leaned closer to him. "What's wrong?"
He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "I'm conflicted. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Especially at a time like this. NOW of all times and not years earlier. I-I-I have a wife now. A-And kids! Two of them!" He raised his head and directed his focus toward me. "I'm not supposed to have a wife and kids, I'm supposed to be with you! We're supposed to have a future together! B-but... we don't!"
Listening to this brought a tear to my eye. I couldn't bring myself to respond. All I could do now was listen to what he had to say.
"I-I feel like I let you down, Kibum. After you left and we lost touch I had to get used to a life without you. And I made myself move on and start a family because I didn't think you'd return or accept me after all that happened between us! And now you're here and everything's just... I don't know. I feel like I have to choose or something. I can't leave my family, and I don't know if I can handle losing you again." His lips quivered and he covered his face again.
I sat in silence to process everything he just said. My heart warmed knowing that he still thought about me and possibly loved me. But both he and I knew that that wouldn't be right.
I inched closer to him and rubbed his back soothingly. I whispered to him comfortingly, "You didn't let me down, Choi Minho. You did all you could for us. Unfortunately, we don't always get to choose what happens in our lives."
I cupped his warm face and made him look at me. Looking back, it still bewilders me that I took the initiative and touched him myself. Oh how I missed the feel of that soft skin and those plump cheeks. "You love your family don't you?"
He seemed to hesitate before answering. "I do love my kids. And my wife's a good parent. But Kibum-"
I shushed him. "Don't try to defend yourself, Minho. You have a family and you love them. And that's absolutely okay. I have no intention of barging in if you do not want me to."
I his cheek with my thumb before deciding I've said enough. "I should get going-"
"No!" His hands went straight to mine, which were still on his cheeks. "Please don't go." I tensed up at the touch of his hands on mine. He pressed them against his cheeks and closed his eyes. His voice gradually diminished into a whisper. "Please don't leave me again..." And within a few seconds, he was passed out. I acted fast to prevent him from hitting his head against the hard counter.
The bartender came over. "He asleep?"
I nodded. "Seems like it."
"Are you taking him home?"
I froze. It never crossed my mind that Minho would either have driven back or taken a cab home. But he was passed out now and could do neither of those things.
"Uhh... Yea I'll take him home."
The bartender went to another customer, leaving me to think about what I was about to do. I could have called Nicole or Jonghyun or even my parents to come. But they didn't know where he lived, and neither did I. And who knows what they'd think if they saw me with Minho again after all these years?
I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring him to my apartment. There was no way I was gonna leave him there.
So it was set. I wrapped his arm around my neck and one of mine around his back and carried him to the car. Fortunately, all that time I spent at the gym seemed to pay off, since I didn't struggle as much to carry someone as heavy as Minho to the car. I chuckled, recalling that time Minho got drunk with his teammates and even with Nicole's help he was still too heavy for me.
I drove back to my apartment and carried him in. It wasn't until now when I realized how tired I was, because even though Minho wasn't as heavy for me as he was before, I almost collapsed because I was so exhausted. It was pretty late at night too, which only made me more sleepy.
Luckily, I managed to carry him to the couch without damage. I released him, and he plopped onto the couch on his back. I sat next to him, heavily fatigued. My eyes fell on him in his serene slumber. I couldn't help but smile at how peaceful he looked when he was asleep. It seemed as if all of his worries disappeared completely.
I slowly cleared his luscious hair from his face, relishing at the familiar touch. I went to my closet and came back with a blanket. I opened it and wrapped it warmly around him. I brought his sprawled out arms closer to him and rested them on his chest, but not before catching a glimpse of his brawny hands. Just then, something caught my attention. Something that I didn't notice earlier at the bar.
His ring. Not the wedding ring on his left hand, but the other ring. Our ring. The same one with half of a heart. It was on his right middle finger.
I quickly tucked him in before turning off the lights and getting dressed for bed. I sat on my bed in thought, impulsively looping my finger in the thin chain around my neck which bore the other ring. The one Minho gave me when he "proposed". I slipped my index finger in the ring itself. In Paris, I never wore my ring on my finger. I had worn it on a chain and hidden it under my shirt to evade any questions from curious coworkers.
These past few years I thought Minho was avoiding me, but he still had that ring. If it really was his dad behind all this, I figured that he'd try to get rid of the ring. But Minho still had the ring. In spite of his marriage and kids and headstrong father, he still wore it. He didn't hide it like I did. How the Hell has he been able to keep it for this long? Or more importantly, why did he still have it? He's got a whole family. He's got a wife! Why?
I asked myself repeatedly as I eventually dozed off in my sea of thoughts.
The next morning.
***MINHO***
I woke up with a painful headache. Why on earth do I drink so much?
I quickly sat up and raised a hand to my aching forehead. I rubbed my eyes and gradually realized that this blanket was unfamiliar. It was not mine.
This wasn't my bed either. It was a sofa. I looked around. I was in some living room, not one that I'd been in before. Where the Hell was I?
I looked at the table next to the sofa. There was a post-it note with writing stuck to the surface. I picked it up. It read: "You got super drunk and passed out and I didn't know where u lived so I brought u to my place."
Another post-it read: "I have directions to the bar where u got drunk. Use that as your guide to go home. I'm at work now. You should be gone by the time I come back."
A third one read "I got u clothes. They're on the other sofa."
I looked up. Sure enough, there was another sofa across the table with a fresh set of clothes. The note continued, "I made u food too in case you're hungry. Check the fridge. Food's on the left side."
Ohhh...kay? Something about this was strange.
I made my way to the kitchen fridge and opened the fridge. Well, I thought it was the fridge. Looked more like a freezer.
Another note lay there. I picked it up. "I said the left side you idiot."
How did he...? Whatever. In the fridge lay multiple containers labeled 'Minho'. This guy knew my name too?
One of the labels read "I got many containers. You can take these home if you want."
This was all too strange. This guy took me me in and knows my name. Is he some criminal or something? It feels like I've been kidnapped or something, but I didn't feel threatened in the least bit.
Who the hell was this guy?! I decided to find out for myself by going to his room. Unsurprisingly, another note lay on the door. This guy really stretched himself huh?
It read, "You come in here and I'll kill you, you bastard."
Should I take the risk?
Forget it. Who knows what this guy's capable of.
I quickly ate and got dressed. At this point it didn't bewilder me that he knew my size. Before leaving through the door, I took one last glance at the place. It's not one that I've been to before - I know that for sure. I doubt I'll be coming here again.
It didn't take too long for me to walk to the bar. Luckily for me, my car wasn't towed or anything. I still kinda wished I knew who took me in, for whatever reason. But in hindsight, that handwriting did look oddly familiar.
Some time later.
***KEY***
I hadn't eaten all day, so it's not surprising that I ordered a lot of food from the café. Although I am extremely conscious about maintaining my figure, I love to eat. In times like these, I just say screw my weight.
After getting all my food, I walked over to the side to get napkins and utensils and all that. At that moment, I heard a bell ring (the bell at the entrance to the café). Then some calm footsteps. Then that fatal deep voice coming from the counter.
"I'll have an iced coffee with cream, please."
I froze completely, then slowly turned my head. Yep, it was Choi Minho. Is God trying to punish me or something by having my ex show up everywhere in my life?
I swiftly turned back to the napkin dispensers. I couldn't let him see me. I gotta get outta here. I tried to grab as much as I could and leave, but I plotted my escape too late...
***MINHO***
I know my wife doesn't like it when I get coffee - especially with loads of whipped cream. She constantly nags me about the health risks involved (then again that's what you get for marrying a yoga instructor). But today, a part of me just didn't care. It's one coffee! I'm gonna break my diet for one day. I've done it before. I'll probably get her a brownie or some munchies for her so she won't get mad.
"I'll have an iced coffee with cream, please."
"It'll be just a minute sir. Feel free to take a seat." the cashier replied.
He went over to the side to make the coffee, while I stepped aside to let the next customer order.
I casually walked over to the side table to get napkins and straws.
***KEY***
Oh crap! He's coming over! I could hear his footsteps coming closer. I could feel his presence approaching me.
I shifted myself to the left so I was now in front of the utensils, keeping my back to him. I finally picked up my bag of food to go but I was a second too late. Then again, perhaps I didn't really want to go.
***MINHO***
I picked up a couple of napkins and put then in my pocket. The other person seemed to be in a rush or something, because he clumsily rummaged through his bag and loudly stuffed loads of napkins and whatnot in there. I turned toward the cause of the ruckus and stopped in thought. At the sight of that figure and face, one name slowly and quietly slipped from my mouth.
"...Kibum?"
***KEY***
I froze. He just said my name. Now he knows I'm here. I felt his eyes gaze at me. Too late to flee now.
To be honest, I never thought that I'd ever meet him again after his dad practically exiled me to Paris. Even if I ever did come back to Korea, I thought it was impossible that we'd end up coincidentally at the same bar or café.
I know, I did meet him in the bar the other day, but he was drunk and probably didn't remember I was actually there. This time was different. Now he was fully sober, and approaching me on his own in this café. He was looking at me through those spirit-filled eyes. He now knew I was here in South Korea, and not just a pigment of his imagination.
I slowly turned and immediately beheld those beaufitul eyes that I could stare into for hours. I didn't respond and neither did he. We were both processing the other's presence in that moment. Memories of our precious past encompassed our minds. I know they did for me, and I could tell through those lively eyes that they did for him too.
I muttered a simple, almost inaudible "hi", still in shock that this near perfect being whom I haven't formally talked to in years was standing right in front of me.
"Hi." He replied, attempting to crack a small smile which quickly vanished. "Nice to see you, Kim Kibum."
"You too, Choi Minho."
wooooow i did not realize how long this chapter was lol i thought they would be too short if i split them up. as always hope u guys enjoyed this :)
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