all that counts
(is here and now.)
super junior | g | yesung/ryeowook
"yah, you're late again!" the shuffles of a soon-to-be squabble is quickly cut out as the buzz and high of the club around them drowns out any anger that waits to be snarled. "weren't you the one who said that they would do anything to be here? why are you late? My customers are ansty!"
he, with his short of breath and the spiky hair that falls over his slanted eyes, pants out, "i did do everything to get here. it wasn't my fault that the train broke down on the way here."
by the way that the man stares at him, jongwoon knows that somehow the manager does blame it on him.
"well, whatever," the man grumbles, his sweaty forehead gleaming under the lantern-lit walls. "everyone's been kept under control because of that new waiter of ours, so you just go up there and sing. I'll get your pay ready." the manager eyes him. "and you better not refuse it this time, either, boy."
despite the way he talks to jongwoon-rough, ugly, condescending-he knows that it's the man's way of caring. jongwoon turns his head, uninterested, as he stares at a beautiful (he can't be called pretty, or handsome, he's honest-to-god beautiful) man who has this bored look on his face, and jongwoon knows that by his haunted eyes he can't be helped more. so he walks away, toward the stage, with his beat-up guitar and pierced ears and thinking of his middle income.
and then, when eyes flicker to him just basely, he closes his eyes and strums, and he opens his mouth and there's song.
he's always loved this place, this dingy little restaurant that holds so much. the darkened red walls and the smooth, brown wood of the tables, the soft candles glowing in little foggy pots that are on linen white tableclothes. loves it from its' smell of food and wine, loves it from the top of it's dim chandeliers and to the bottom of it's shined hardwood floors.
when he's done singing, he opens his eyes again, strumming the last few chords, wondering if he's left the heat on at his apartment-it would cost more, he dearly hoped that he hadn't.
and then he notices that there's barely no one, that he's been singing and singing for hours now. he stares down at his hands, small as they are, and wondered why he wasn't tired, and he wondered if he made the bed before he left.
Tthen a clap disrupts him, and he looks up to see a red-haired-boy? Man? he has thin, delicate features that makes it hard to tell.
but then he beams a brilliant smile, and his nametag flashes in jongwoon's eyes; "that was great! i love your voice."
"thank you," he says, his words hoarse. he's overused it today. "thank you."
the redhaired one keeps on smiling, and despite himself, jongwoon smiles back.
.
his name is ryeowook, and he has a bright smile and bird-like voice. he works in the restaurant too, but more solid, and he likes chocolate ice-cream and sunny days and for some reason, jongwoon. he doesn't know why.
jongwoon only sees ryeowook very sparsely. ryeowook works at the restaurant full-time but his hours depend on the needs of the manager's time. jongwoon comes and leaves as he pleases, sitting there to make money on some days and on other days, he sits there and just sips a coffee, staring at the waiters and hoping that there's a redhead amongst them.
ryeowook likes talking. jongwoon's not that much of a fan, but ryeowook can go on forever and ever and ever. he talks about the most mundane things while jongwoon just sits on his table and smiles to himself once in a while, his mind always on other things. but when ryeowook leaves, his head follows the movement and jongwoon finds himself missing the guy, even though he talks too much and he's so bright and he's possibly perfect.
jongwoon doesn't visit the restaurant for a few days when he realizes this. instead, he plays on the streetsides, though he doesn't have to, but because suddenly it's not about music anymore, it's about ryeowook, and he can't lose music. he can't lose what's so important to him to something - someone - else.
one time he stops by the han river, sets down his bare guitar and leans on the railing, his eyes distant, covered by his spiky hair. and then, amist all of the chattering and uselss talk, he hears someone sing.
jongwoon turns, and he sees a dark-haired boy, with full cheeks and bright eyes, standing on top of a marble slab of seat. he doesn't look at the crowd, though to crowd looks at him, but he's looking at another boy that sits at the foot of the seat, his legs crossed, his expression adoring.
when the crowd disperses, jongwoon watches with the lingering trails of happiness in his ears, as the boy sits down next to the other boy, his guitar on his lap now, and the brunette one kisses the dark-haired one on the lips chastely. both beam like rays of sun on a dark day, and jongwoon feels like they're too bright to look at. like ryeowook.
but still, he walks over and takes out a bill. kneeling down, he gives it to the boy, who he now realizes has shaggy clothes but looks clean.
"that was a beautiful song," he says as the dark-haired boy accepts the money with a smile. he pretends not to notice the brunette interlink his fingers through the dark-haired one's. "it's definitely deserving of so much more."
at this, the brunette beams at him. "he is, isn't he?" he laughs, and the dark-haired one flushes, but the brunette one just laughs.
the dark-haired one spies his guitar slung on his back and he smiles to himself, and jongwoon is rather bewildered when he suddenly stands up - he murmurs something quick to the brunette - and says to him in such a low voice that he's sure that no one else can hear, "you sound like that when you fall in love."
jongwoon blinks, baffled. "why're you telling me this?"
the dark-haired boy smiles again, wider, as the brunette stands up with him and hugs him from behind. "because i can see that you're on your way there."
.
jongwoon returns to the restaurant, but he sits down on one of the tables with his guitar next to him, the manager nodding to him once after they passed by. jongwoon sits at his table, his fingers drumming on the table cloth, and he wonders if he's paid this week's rent.
a waiter, the beautiful one - whose name is apparently heechul - stops by and taps his pad. "what'll you have?"
jongwoon looks up at him, his eyes flashing quickly before settling on the table again, slightly disappointed that it's not him. "a coffee, please."
the waiter notes it down and hums a happy tune, one that's almost familiar. "milk, sugar, cream?"
"half-milk. no sugar. no cream."
the waiter snorts. "someone's bitter, aren't they?" jongwoon shoots him a glare, but the waiter isn't affected. instead he just keeps on humming his tune, that happy skippy tune that worms its' way into jongwoon's head and won't leave. just as he's about to leave, he calls back, "wait! what song is that?"
the waiter turns around, his eyes glancing to jongwoon's guitar, and he half-smiles. "it's a song you hear when you fall in love." and he turns around, walking into the kitchen, the doors flapping behind him as a redheaded guy comes through them, smiling lively. jongwoon hears a note, like the tail end of a forgotten song.
ryeowook notices him and perks up immediately, walking over with his pad. "what'll you have?" he asks, but his words resonate like a bird's trill.
jongwoon stares at his eyes as he says, "i think i'll have the recommended appetizer."
.
he meets ryeowook at a grocery store, while he's choosing over the proper ramen to buy (as in, if he should get the cheaper one or the better tasting one) when there's a startled gasp behind him and an excited voice.
"you're that guy that sings all the time at our restaurant!" jongwoon hears, and he turns around, surprised. he meets face to face with brown eyes and red hair. ryeowook claps. "i never learned your name, you know. it's nice to see you here!"
"jongwoon," he replies, nodding his head even though his heart is pounding. "um. nice to to see you."
ryeowook follows him out the door, even as he pays for his food and carries the bags over his shoulder, ryeowook only has one teensy bag in his hands. "you're quiet, aren't you? but you're so much fun to talk to! i'm sorry if i've bothered you for the past few weeks while i talked, i tend to do that a lot. but talking is so much fun, you know? it's amazing how you can just talk to someone else and they can just reply. amazing."
"hn," jongwoon says, although he's holding on to every word.
"and there's also singing!" ryeowook jumps in joy, practically. "i've heard you sing, and you're so good! i mean, one can almost fall in love with your voice, it's so soothing." he nods his head, unknowing of the tune that starts weaving it's way through jongwoon's head.
"you sing too?" he finally asks, and ryeowook seems elated that he's replying.
"i...did," he says, and jongwoon can hear his voice falter, his smile break slightly, and he wants to hit himself for being the cause of that. "i just...haven't been able to connect with music in a while. i guess that's why i love your songs so much; i feel like i did before."
and then he hums a familiar, skippy tune.
jongwoon stops short, and ryeowook does too, staring at him in confusion and innocence. jongwoon just stares at him, stepping forward as ryeowook steps back. he takes another step forward and ryeowook doesn't do anything, still in his face. jongwoon takes a finger and points at his heart, which he can feel beating waywardly under his skin.
"music is always right here," he says softly. "you can never not connect to it. music is a part of you, and it's there whenever you are happy, sad, or angry."
they're suspended in a moment in time, just for a second, as the trees around them blow lightly and leaves rustle, no sound but the sound of their breathing and hearts beating.
"love," ryeowook says, his voice not higher than a murmur as he takes jongwoon's hand in both of his, "it's there for love too, right?"
jongwoon thinks of hands strumming guitars, of bright smiles, and of love at first sight. "it's practically an orchestra by then."
and when ryeowook presses a kiss against the corner of his mouth, it feels like the whole world is singing for them.
omg, this is so bad. my first yewook. ;-; excuse the horribleness. (oh, and there are references to like ships in the night and i'm a sunflower, see if you can spot them :x)