Wooyoung crawled out of bed, trying to contemplate for the umpteenth time if he was going to be absent this afternoon. It has been a week or so since that incident at the emergency ward at the hospital. He had been receiving texts and calls from San, to the point that even MATZ were asking what was happening as San was visiting the café during his free time. San refused to say something and would just smile, as texted by Seonghwa. He even missed the Lunar New Year celebrations as he was cooped up on his apartment and just watched variety shows.
"Dammit…"
He never liked skipping classes, so here he was.
He slumped on his chair. His classmates were planning to have a getaway trip going to Jeju during the weekend.
"Oi, Wooyoung-shii, you wanna come?"
"Jeju," Wooyoung shook his head, as he grab his lecture notes, "I'll think about it."
"Oh, come on, it's just a one time big time thing from my parents."
"Like I said," Wooyoung smiled, "I'll think about it. Call me tomorrow."
While the others are still insisting him, San makes his way to the door.
He scanned the room and his eyes fell immediately to the person he was looking for. He looked at him with such intensity that Wooyoung flinched.
"Mr. Jung, can you distribute these materials for the class?"
It was the first time San had talked to him formally inside the classroom. Normally, he would ask one of the girls to these things as they were so inclined to do it without thinking twice. Everyone settled down as Wooyoung stood from his seat, distributing the materials.
He went back to his seat, and San started his lecture.
"Now, everybody's here, let's move on to our next lesson. Today we will talk about how to excuse yourself. There are many ways how to excuse yourself. The most popular is saying 'Excuse Me'. Alright, repeat after me, Excuse…Me…right, good. You use it when you need to pass someone or go in between two people talking. You can also use this when you need to excuse yourself and be alone, like in a lunch out with friends, someone called your phone. Instead of just standing up and leaving the table, you say 'Excuse Me' first."
Wooyoung was getting déjà vu as obviously, this has happened that day.
"When you don't understand someone, instead of saying 'Excuse Me', you use 'Pardon?' so that the person you are talking to can repeat what they had said."
The lecture went on, and Wooyoung, even though listening intently, was too distracted on the situations San was giving as examples. It was uncomfortable as they were bringing back things that he didn't want to remember.
That is why, when the bell rang, Wooyoung immediately dashed to the door, leaving San on the podium, arranging his things.
-0-
"I'm telling you," Hongjoong said, "There's really something wrong with that professor."
Jongho just took a sip from his hot Americano, while Yeosang still tried to think on how to refute Hongjoong's statement.
The thunder and lightning was giving a gloomy ambience on the café and Seonghwa had suggested to close it for the day, as the rain was definitely not encouraging customers. They were polishing the washed plates and mugs when the bell from the door rang. Hongjoong was about to say that they were closed, but as soon as he saw who was it, his mouth hang open.
"Have you seen Wooyoung?"
Yeosang and Jongho looked at their back and saw San standing, huffing, and puffing. He was drenched from the sweat and the rain.
"Professor Choi," Yeosang, who was defending him awhile ago, stood and offered him a seat, "Wooyoung's not here."
"I'm gonna make you a hot chocolate," Seonghwa said as he started making one. Jongho on the other hand was looking at San from head to toe.
"You think after what happened at the emergency ward, Wooyoung wants to talk to you?"
At that point, the other three stopped on what they were doing, and looked at Jongho, signaling him to drop the conversation quickly.
"What do you mean, Jongho?"
"Well, if you put it this way," Jongho said as he finished his drink, "You rushed to the hospital. Wooyoung helped you, accompanied you even, only to find that you were already taken. You do know that Wooyoung has feelings for you, right? Why are playing with him?"
San then grabbed Jongho by the collar. Yeosang tried to stop him, but his face was turning red, and his muscles weren't relaxing at all.
"Say that again?"
"You're taken right?" Jongho, unhinged, calmly asked, "If you're taken, why should you play with another person's feelings?"
"I am not taken," San replied through his teeth, still gripping Jongho's collar. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were also trying to pull the two of them away from each other. Hongjoong then grabbed San's arm.
"Not in my café, San," he said.
San then loosen his grip on Jongho and repeated what he said, "I am not taken."
"Then who was the girl at the hospital?" Yeosang asked.
"My sister, Lia. She just came from the California, and wanted to surprise me. But then a car collided on her motorcycle. The driver of the car was drunk and he even crashed through a lamp post on the sidewalk. Lia was the only one to survive from the incident."
At that point, Jongho, Hongjoong, and Seonghwa changed their facial expression with a sigh of relief. Yeosang was the only one not surprised, as he saw something good between San and Wooyoung. He even screamed, "I KNEW IT!"
"So," Seonghwa cleared his throat, "Did you manage to tell that to Wooyoung?"
"No," San shook his head, now with eyes swelling, "I tried calling him, texting him. I thought it's better to talk to him about it in person, that's why I never said anything on the texts. Just for him to meet me up."
"Well, that sucks," Jongho said, "You should have told him at school, then."
"He dashed to the door earlier, and could not catch up to him. So, now, I am asking again, where is Wooyoung?"
-0-
Yeosang suggested to San to wait for him by his apartment. He might be drinking with some of his classmates, and it would be weirder once again if San went there and grabbed Wooyoung out.
San, had finished his fifth cigarette stick, and checked the time. It was already 11 in the evening.
"Dammit…"
Just as he was pacing himself, he hear footsteps. He went towards the stairs and there he was.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you…"
"Yeah sure, whatever," Wooyoung smirked and went downstairs. San was faster and blocked his way, "Get out! I don't wanna see you!"
"Not until you hear my explanation."
"No! I don't need your explanation! You're just like Yeonjun! You don't need me! You just used me!"
San then grabbed Wooyoung by his waist, and lifted him. Wooyoung slapped his nape over and over, until they were at the door.
"What's your passcode?"
"Fuck you!"
"Wooyoung, seriously, what's your passcode?"
"Not gonna tell ya, you jerk!"
San then sighed and pressed the passcode anyway. 112699, Wooyoung's birthday.
"Who-"
"Yeosang and Jongho, they were worried about you."
"Shut up," Wooyoung then tried to get up, but then he rushed towards the toilet bowl. San helped him as Wooyoung took his time there.
San scanned Wooyoung's room. It was small, a studio type. A bed, a small cabinet, a table with a laptop, and a kitchen.
He grabbed a change of clothes from the small cabinet, and saw a bath towel by the bathroom door.
San began to undress Wooyoung, while the latter was struggling to get him off of him.
"I am not going to do what you are thinking," San said calmly, as he pushed Wooyoung's pants down.
He then too off his own shirt, and helped the drunk man onto the shower. He switched it into warm and grabbed the shampoo.
"San, I don't need you."
"I know…"
"Get out…fuck you."
"Yeah, after this, I'm going."
Wooyoung's eyes were in tears. He kept on mumbling Yeonjun's name every now and then, while San tried to keep a straight face as he scrubbed Wooyoung's body with soap. He then rinsed him, Wooyoung looked at him, while San avoided at all cost to do something wrong.
"Pervert…"
San smiled, but shook his head, "No, I am just worried. You have to clean up before going to bed."
"Stalker…"
"Wrong again," San shook his head, still avoiding looking at Wooyoung, "I had waited for you last time, remember? For dinner?"
"You made me think you liked me…"
San then kept mum. He doesn't want to say anything yet, as it was too early, and Wooyoung was drunk.
"See, you can't even answer me. You just made me think that you like me, and then left me. You're just like Yeonjun."
Wooyong then stumbled towards his bed. He was still wet. San then managed to dry him up with the bath towel, and put on his clothes.
"San," Wooyoung was already half-asleep, "I love you, but you don't want me."
"No…"
Wooyoung then looked again at him, and San trying to dry his hair with the towel.
"User…"
San then glared at him. It was the same look he gave Wooyoung earlier at class, which made the latter flinch yet again. He then turned around and closed his eyes.
Once he heard him snoring, San stood. He then left a note by the bedside table, and put Wooyoung's phone over it.
"I love you…just…wait for me…"
The next day, Wooyoung woke and looked around.
"I'm home?"
He looked at his body and he saw that there was a change of clothes. His clothes from yesterday night was already hang, as if someone did the laundry. He looked around and saw that the bathroom was also cleaned.
"Wow…spotless…"
He then went to his kitchen to grab a coffee, when he heard his phone ring.
"Hello? Yes, Jeju, absolutely, I would love to go…"
He then saw the folded paper. He then opened it and read it. His eyes widened at each sentence.
"Wait, I am not available this weekend, something came up."
He then hang up the call, and finished the note.
"Shit…"