[FIC] On The Sidewalks ; 1/5 ?
On The Sidewalks
Summary: Sunggyu has let the love of his life go and he’s okay, or so he thinks. But maybe he’s not that far away over him, maybe he’s just waiting on the sidewalks.
i.
The big-black eyed barista smiles at him as soon as he sits in the chair in front of the round bar-table. ”Same coffee as usual, hyung?” his voice smooth and silky as usual.
“Not even a hello today?” Sunggyu asks him back playfully. He opens his long coat and get rid of his books, putting them in a chair right beside him. Not that everyone mind, in this hour not too many customers come over to this café.
“I said that to you too many times in early weeks you started came here, hyung. I think we have past the whole waiter-customer relationship,” he answers back. He taps his hands on the front side of his green apron, try to dry his fingers so he can prepare a good nice hot-cup of coffee for Sunggyu, “is there anything else you want, side dishes maybe?”
Sunggyu face lightened when his cold palms touched with the hot cup of his macchiato. “Don’t really feel like eating at this moment, but thanks for asking Myungsoo-ah,” he sips at his coffee, “how’s your college?”
He stares at Sunggyu disbelievingly, “You’re my senior, 2 years above me, you have passed the sophomore period I’m going thru right now, of course you already knew how does it feel.”
“Well, back then, I was not a sophomore with awesomely handsome face, I was not a sophomore with awesome grades at high school with tons of scholarship offer that press me to keep up my score, and I was not an awesome sophomore who can keep up a pace between college and….what, 2 to 3 side jobs at time?” Myungsoo make a face at Sunggyu’s description, “It’s clear that I was not you, and I’m not you….still, your life sounds fun, tell me.”
“Nothing fun happen, hyung, It’s all tasks, tasks, and papers, papers, and papers. Most of them are worthless, you see, I better work somewhere to gain more money, ” when Sunggyu open his mouth, Myungsoo cuts him, “I’m planning to join the photography club by the end of this month. That’s the only new things, if you want something new to know about me.”
Sunggyu sips his coffee once more, making an “hmm”-ed sound. He knows Myungsoo like to do photography, even his photos are used in this café’s promotional pamphlet by the owner. He loves art and beautiful things in general, well anyone can see that by how he works really hard for money to buy all the good artsy stuff.
“Now tell me yours, hyung,” Myungsoo lays his arm on the table, there are not so many customer and none of them are asking for service now, so Myungsoo drags one chair to sit comfortably, “Finally find a perfect date?”
Sunggyu almost chokes on his hot machiatto.
Sunggyu looks at Myungsoo’s face, his face is a thick façade if he doesn’t know him better Sunggyu will think Myungsoo is a stoic person. “There is no one, Myungsoo-ah.”
Look disinterested and disappointed in the same time, Myungsoo pull himself away from the table, looking under the shelf for forks and spoons to be cleaned, “Ah, hyung, how could your love life turned to be so dull? Even my black-white photos are livelier than your love life.”
Sunggyu can only smiile at Myungsoo’s harsh analogy. They have shared many stories in the past and Myungsoo knows how Sunggyu prefers a guy than a girl, and he’s okay with it, but he’s not okay with Sunggyu’s dull love life. Despite his age, Sunggyu is more innocent then Myungsoo himself. Heck, even in this love-relationship case, Sunggyu gets more naivety than 3 virgin junior high school’s girls combine.
“I’m still searching, Myungsoo-ah, you know, for the right ones.”
“…or you’re still waiting for the old ones,” Myungsoo pitch black eyes bore deep into Sunggyu’s eyes, “What’s his name again? Soohyun… Sooyeon…”
“Woohyun, Myungsoo-ah, his name is Nam Woohyun.”
Myungsoo doesn’t miss the bitter tone in Sunggyu’s voice, “It’s been long since the last time you say his name.”
To be honest, Sunggyu doesn’t even want to say his name anymore. It’s enough to have his name automatically plastered 24/7 to Sunggyu’s brain -to Sunggyu’s heart, even when the said person has leave him for more than a year , no need to say it out loud or hear his name being said because its echo more salt to his wound. To his undeclared love.
“How’s he doing in America? Is he okay? I see at the TV how snow storm can be really worst there.”
“He stays in California, Myungsoo-ah. It’s always sunny in California,” Sunggyu look at the black liquid inside his coffee, somehow he hopes he can see his own reflection at it.
Myungsoo shrugs, “I tend to forget that, hyung. But I don’t hear you talk about his emails for weeks…..wait, you don’t want to tell me, do you?” Myungsoo eyed him again suspiciously.
“It’s not like that, of course not…” Sunggyu tries to look up but instead looking at Myungsoo, Sunggyu end up staring at the window behind Myungsoo’s back, misty from the rain just before, “He, he just don’t send me email anymore.”
Myungsoo stops his cleaning job at once and showing that he’s fully listening to Sunggyu, it makes the older uneasy.
“I, I just… I don’t know, Myungsoo-ah. It’s been 3 weeks and 4 days since his last email,” Sunggyu gulps, he doesn’t want to look like a maniac counting over how many hours and days has passed, “I don’t know if something happen to him, I sent him emails but he didn’t respond, I even call him but he didn’t pick up.”
Sunggyu stirs his macchiato though there is not too many left inside the cup. “Maybe he’s just, you know, forget about me.”
Myungsoo sighs at Sunggyu’s word. “It cant be, hyung. You guys got 10 years history since childhood, how can he forget you?”
“There are possibilities, Myungsoo-ah. He can choose to stay there for forever, if he wants, and cut all the ties with his past in this Seoul. No one can really stop him, you see. You do remember what I told you that he get that charm in him, he gets what he wants, don’t you?” Sunggyu smiles bitterly at his coffee and Myungsoo cant help but nod once as an acknowledgment.
“He has only me in here,” Sunggyu says quietly. His parents and Woohyun’s are longtime bestfriend and they already travelled somewhere else across the contingent together for long time ago, taking Sunggyu’s younger brother and Woohyun’s sisters with them. Practically they’re leaving these two boys at each other hand since their young age, of course with all the money and living-requirement always being prepared from far away.”I don’t think it’s really hard to cut ties with one person, especially if he’s just a simple living-mate as an exchange for a family.”
“How about his boyfriend since high school? They haven’t break up yet, have they? Then he cant just flee like that..”
Sunggyu still stirring his coffee , refuse to look up. “He got his boyfriend beside him, Myungsoo-ah.”
Myungsoo blinks, “In California? That Hoya guy move there too?”
“Since 4 months ago.. or maybe 5? Kind of forget,” Sunggyu chuckles dryly, “seems like I forget to tell you, too.”
“Yeah, it’s all Woohyun you talked about, hyung,” Myungsoo cant help but think that Sunggyu’s too nice and pathetic in the same time. And maybe that Woohyun guy is too much of a narcissist, he cant even see how deep his best friend -or whatever term Sunggyu hyung want to use on himself, has fall for him, and now even easily made his boyfriend came to US to live with him. He knows this Hoya guy is filthy rich, the whole Seoul knows it, he’s a guy whose family owned the most respectable market-chain all over the country. But move to US just because his boyfriend rolled on an University in the US is a bit too much in Myungsoo opinion.
“Hyung, really you should find one too. Boyfriend, find one for your own.” Myungsoo says after a short pause.
Sunggyu’s head lift up in all of a sudden, this kid is really getting on his nerve. “I’m searching, Myungsoo-ah, I’m trying.”
Myungsoo doesn’t stop, he says daringly, “What’s the point of searching if you never make one to become your target?”
He can help but smiles when he sees Sunggyu’s dumbstruck face. “Rather than just observing from far far away, wont it be better if you know them closer? Like really ask them for dates, maybe you can find someone you can consider to build a relationship with…”
“But, Myungsoo-ah, I don’t think about relation…”
“Maybe a person like that ‘Sungjong’ kid? You had him here with you few times before, right?” Myungsoo smiles devilishly, “He’s quite pretty, hyung. If you didn’t introduce him to me I’d think that he’s a girl. He could pass as one, his pouty lips, his skin, his eyes, he gets pretty delicate finger -I heard once he told you how SKILLFUL his fingers are for baking cake, his tiny waist -I remember I saw you hold onto his waist once, ah, and he smells good too, hyung, don’t tell me you don’t like the fragrance he used…”
“Myungsoo-ah!” Sunggyu can hear the hard sound of his palm slapping the table, his face is now pinkish red.
“Oh, what is it hyung?” Myungsoo still smiling innocently. It’s THAT easy to make his hyung flushed.
“…just don’t get too carried on with your description, about Sungjong…”
“Oh, what did he say about me?”
It gets silence for awhile, before Sunggyu can register who’s voice talking just before and how familiar the sweet-and-sultry fragrance to his nose. Sungjong. And he’s already leaning from behind Sunggyu’s back, his soft straw blond hair brushing Sunggyu’s face.
“Oh, hi Sungjong! Didn’t see you coming,” by the look on Myungsoo’s face, Sunggyu can tell how the boy is lying. He must be did it on purpose, all that detail description being said out loud so Sunggyu’s face is now flushed right when Sungjong’s coming to his seat.
The beautiful young man pouts a bit at Myungsoo, “Ah, I wave my hand so many times from the door, didn’t you guys see it?”
“Ah, of course I saw you,” his gaze flicker a bit at Sunggyu, “just too carried on discussing some important matters with Sunggyu hyung, sorry then.” He smiles politely to Sungjong once more before promise him that he will be back with the shorter’s usual shakes.
“Oh really?” Sungjong takes a seat next to Sunggyu, his movement are all so cat-like, swift yet cute and pretty. He leans his head to Sunggyu’s side innocently, smiling while saying, “what are you guys talking about then? It must be something interesting, mind to tell me?”
At that moment, Sunggyu wish he can tell him all, without any awkwardness or guilty feeling. Sunggyu wish he can treat Sungjong as sweet as the younger treat him. Sunggyu desperately wish he could stop imagining -no, wishing that it is Woohyun who’s right in front of him.
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TBC
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a/n : I'm in the middle of writing the 3rd part, hope i can update soon^^ Comments and constructive criticism are loved!