IMB/IBB 2014: Delicious (No other temptation can be sweeter or stronger than you)
Title: Delicious (No other temptation can be sweeter or stronger than you)
Pairing/Focus: Woohyun/Myungsoo, slight!woogyu
Length: 5,779 words
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After all, LKIM was just a harmless little food blog, and even if it changed Woohyun’s eating habits here and there it wouldn’t actually make much of a difference in his life. It was just a blog, right?
Note: I cannot write summaries as you can see. This whole thing wouldn't be completed without the help of Y. You are the bestest and thank you for missing sleep to finish beta-ing this <3
BEFORE:
{Woohyun}
Woohyun didn’t want much in life. He didn’t have big dreams. He didn’t want to change the world.
He was as normal as any typical honor student- study expenses for the first year of college was funded by a prestigious scholarship that he got by luck and his pretty impressive grades. With the scholarship and the high probability of receiving one yearly, he would get a degree in engineering without burning too big a hole in his bank account.
Bless those sponsors. Anyway, Woohyun was terribly upset. Why, you ask?
Engineering.
It wasn’t what he expected, and after almost one year of it? He realised he didn’t really like the subject. It was fine at first- though he wasn’t particularly fond of the subject, it was fond of him. In other words, he did pretty well as long as he paid enough attention to review the notes once in a while.
He didn’t consider himself a genius, but he had always fared well in his academics. It was no different now. But for once, something piqued his interest. Finally, he felt compelled to do something. Or at the very least, the motivation was intrinsic. It wasn’t anything big, this compulsion- just that, food used to be something he ate to get by. But now, food seemed so fascinating.
Don’t get him wrong- it wasn’t as if food became his life, or was the only thing on his mind, but somehow he became pickier with it. Not just how it tasted, but also the way it was presented. Poor presentation of food got on his nerves way more than it should have. The same could be said the other way round; a good meal always managed to bring his spirits up. Eating a fantastic-smelling batch of cookies or delicious-looking pastries would make his day.
In short, there was nothing that could cheer him up more than food. And food was what LKIM gave him.
“You’re doing it again.” A voice filled his room, causing Woohyun, who was sitting on his bed, to jump in fright.
“Oh my god! Can you learn to knock before you enter?” Woohyun snapped angrily, heart still racing at the sudden appearance of his roommate.
Said roommate had known Woohyun for only about a year or so, but Woohyun felt as if they had been friends as soon as he set foot into the dorm. Initially, Woohyun had frowned at seeing the name Kim Ki Bum, second year right beside his, afraid that seniors would be bitchy to juniors. As a junior himself, he did not want to get into such a situation. Thankfully, his fears were unfounded and Kibum was mean, but not a bully. His snarky disposition yet easy ways put Woohyun at ease, and living together was pretty smooth sailing. He loved Kibum- the man was hilarious and clumsy, and his feminine features made him look like a prissy lady whenever he got mad or ruffled by Woohyun ninety percent of the time, making him less than intimidating. To Woohyun at least. The other students seem to stay as far away as possible. However, Kibum was annoying as well, and always insisted on acting like a brat and an insufferable know-it-all. Woohyun resisted rolling his eyes when the other started to speak from his position at the door- the latter’s face told Woohyun that he was going to hear something ridiculous from the older man.
“Why? To give you a few precious seconds to close all the porn sites you were surfing?”
Despite himself, Woohyun couldn’t stop his indignant response.
“No!” He snapped again, face colouring slightly at the lewd suggestion.
“Totally! You were totally watching porn.”
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
At this point, Woohyun just gave up.
“Ugh, you’re unbelievable!” At Woohyun’s demonstration of defeat, Kibum smirked, strutting in and sitting on his own bed. He didn’t seem bent on letting the topic drop though, and steamrolled ahead, as always.
“Says the one who’s doing it again.” Woohyun frowned. Doing what?
Apparently he voiced the thought aloud, because his roommate replied him airily.
“On LKIM.”
There was a brief silence, by which Woohyun broke by asking.
“What’s wrong with being on LKIM?” Another pause, in which Woohyun refused to acknowledge the judging stare Kibum graced him with. Kibum pouted, before replying, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Nothing, unless you’re on it 24/7.” He paused and shivered at his own words, appearing to consider something. “That’s actually scarier than watching porn.”
Woohyun actually rolled his eyes at that. “What, LKIM?”
Kibum looked affronted. “Not LKIM, you dumbass, stalking! Stalking is a highly disapproved activity, though eighty percent of teenagers engage in it on a weekly basis.”
“I don’t stalk LKIM.” Woohyun muttered, looking away from the annoying bug that was Kim Kibum. They had had this conversation for about the hundredth time, ever since Woohyun mentioned LKIM in passing, about a few weeks back. Kibum’s eyes had narrowed and he had asked: “The blog? When were you ever into blogs?”
That question led to a pregnant pause, awkward fidgeting and assessing stares on Woohyun’s part and Kibum’s part respectively. It ended around fifteen minutes later, and it was then that the teasing started. Well, Woohyun wouldn’t call it teasing, he called it-
“‘One of Kibum’s assumptions again’?” Kibum cut in, in what was supposed to be an imitation of Woohyun’s voice. A poor imitation of Woohyun’s voice, for that matter. Woohyun gritted his teeth at Kibum’s mocking. Just because he was used to it didn’t mean he liked it.
“Yes, one of your assumptions again.” Woohyun said in retaliation, because he wouldn’t let that slide.
The other boy let out a long-suffering sigh, as if he was the one dealing with a prick with too much time on his hands. Woohyun wanted to punch him in the face just for that, but the urge faded at Kibum’s look of concern.
“Woohyun, I just… don’t you think you’re a little obsessed with this LKIM?” Hearing the gentle tone, Woohyun’s ire disappeared completely. Because Kibum was an ass, he couldn’t express concern in a normal way. Of course he had to act all-knowing and superior. Woohyun knew that, so his response was neither angry nor frustrated.
“It’s just a food blog, okay? No harm done.”
Kibum still had a worried look on his face, so Woohyun laughed and continued in an assuring manner.
“It’s not as if it would change my life, right?” He asked, looking at Kibum, who shook his head and laughed along at the absurd notion. How could a food blog change his life? He let out a breath of relief when Kibum finally relaxed his expression.
“Right.”
And that was that, or so Woohyun thought as he commented on the latest review.
First again! Woohyun grinned smugly as he typed away.
After all, LKIM was just a harmless little food blog, and even if it changed
Woohyun’s eating habits here and there it wouldn’t actually make much of a difference in his life. It was just a blog, right?
5 YEARS LATER;
{Myungsoo}
Myungsoo sighed as he leaned back on his recliner. Another day went by with him staring at the computer screen, remembering figures and charts, and having endless meetings with faceless people. To be perfectly honest, he was tired of his daily routine - Wake up, wash up, grab a coffee, sit in his office, switch on the computer, and be bombarded by document after document, praying for the clock to reach 6PM.
Every. Single. Day.
Tick. Tock. Tick.
5PM, the clock read. One more hour to go.
He let his head hit the comfy recliner, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out the point in which everything around him became mundane. It was as if everything in life was a chore now; he glanced at the files he had to go through still, and felt an oncoming headache. Sighing heavily, he remembered that he hadn’t had his lunch that day, and yet he wasn’t hungry. He briefly wondered which was more alarming; the fact that he didn’t bother to eat, or that his job was affecting every part of his life.
It was suffocating, to say the least, having to face the corners of his office all day, and to go home crashing into his bed. He needed to break free from the routine, which was once effective, but now draining the life out of him.
And the easiest way to break this routine was to go out for lunch- dinner. Instead of his usual takeout lunch/dinner, Myungsoo was going to explore and scour around for a change. He grabbed his jacket, tugging it on before heading out of the door, headed for eateries near his neighborhood.
---
Maybe it was because he hadn’t taken a walk around his neighborhood in a long while, but the evening air seemed to rejuvenate him; the chattering and murmuring of people who were living their own lives surrounded him like a musical backdrop. He rounded a corner, and a signboard above what seemed like a small café caught his eye immediately.
He snorted at the “help wanted” sign posted.
Who would work here? Coupled with the cheesy café name - seriously “Delicious”?- and a signboard lined with outrageous colours of neon yellow and red, Myungsoo didn’t see the place as a sane working environment.
For all his criticism, Myungsoo couldn’t deny that the smell from the café won him over, and he found himself walking towards the entrance of the café, stomach growling. He came to a stop at the door, unsure of his decision.
Before he could contemplate further, a waiter with candy pink streaks in his hair rushed to the door, holding it open for him. Said waiter ushered him inside, a wide grin on his face as he started rattling off to Myungsoo, who followed him in hesitantly.
“Hi! Is this your first time here? It must be your first time here, since I’ve never seen you before. Since you haven’t been here, you wouldn’t know what to try, would you? As your waiter, I would really recommend the pasta, specifically the baked cheese pasta. Not many people know this, but it’s actually really flavourful and appetizing. The chef balances the taste of the cheese really well, so it isn’t too heavy on your stomach. Also, the desserts here are really good, if I do say so myself. Do you prefer sweet or savoury desserts? Well, in any case, I do recommend the chocolate cheesecake.” He didn’t even pause to let Myungsoo answer any of his questions (or a breath- doesn’t the guy need to breathe?), an unfaltering grin on his face as he led Myungsoo to an empty table.
Myungsoo wanted to laugh at the over-bubbly waiter’s energy, not used to such bubbly behavior from people in general. He couldn’t remember the last time someone spoke so enthusiastically or with so much energy. When was the last time someone talked to him about something other than work? At the thought, Myungsoo’s spirits were lifted slightly.
He smiled back at the waiter, who was now wringing his hands as he looked at Myungsoo, smile turning uncertain.
Probably realised his blabbering.
“I’m sorry, I tend to be over-enthusiastic to new customers. But take your time with the menu, I’ll come over when you’re ready to order.” He explained, laughing slightly once he saw Myungsoo nod in understanding.
As the waiter turned and left, Myungsoo glanced around the café and was surprised to see the cozy and welcoming interior. It was worlds apart from his initial impression of the café.
The walls were painted brick red, with actual bricks used at one part of the café. The seats were a soft cream colour, cushioned and comfortable. The whole area seemed to be very cozy indeed. In fact, it made a pretty good place to chill.
He liked the overall vibe of the café, and allowed a metaphorical self-congratulatory pat on his back for actually getting out of his office and into a different space. He picked up the menu, beautiful in its simplicity, and scanned the dishes available. Maybe he would try the cheese pasta.
He caught the waiter’s eyes as he looked up, and at once, the waiter walked to his table. He ordered the cheese pasta, which was what Dongwoo, as the nametag suggested, had recommended, earning him a delighted beam from the waiter, who bounced away to relay the order.
If only I loved my job that much. Myungsoo mused sadly to himself, watching the crowd in the café as he waited for his food.
Fortunately, it didn’t take very long for the food to arrive, and Myungsoo was impressed by the taste. It’s been a long while since he had a proper meal after all. Everything was going well and he was beginning to relax, something he hadn’t had a chance to do in a long while.
Sadly, his life hardly stayed relaxed.
Dongwoo watched in horror as the soup on his tray spilled out of the bowl and into Myungsoo’s lap. Annoyance and shock flashed across the latter’s face. Talk about a relaxing day.
“I am so terribly sorry about this, I swear it wasn’t on purpose. I’m really sorry!”
After Dongwoo’s litany of apologies and endless remorse-sounding babble- to which Myungsoo kept reassuring that “it was okay”, having given up on trying to salvage the stain on his shirt- Dongwoo left for the kitchen, only to appear a few moments later with a young man at his side. The man didn’t have a nametag, but held an air of authority. Myungsoo figured that the man was the manager of ‘Delicious’. A good-looking one at that.
The man approached Myungsoo, apologetic smile on his handsome face.
“Sir, I am Nam Woohyun, the owner of ‘Delicious’. I deeply apologize for my staff’s clumsiness.” He bowed 90 degrees, keeping the position until Myungsoo reassured him that he wasn’t upset anymore, and no compensation would be needed. With a relieved grin, Woohyun straightened and declared that dessert would be on the house for Myungsoo. Hearing that, Myungsoo shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
“No I couldn’t, I mean, you don’t have to.” Myungsoo started awkwardly, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle when he saw the determination in the other man’s eyes. As expected, Woohyun was quick to reply.
“No no, I insist, it’s on the house.”
Myungsoo nodded then, sighing as the owner flashed a mega-watt smile before bowing again, hurrying away with Dongwoo. Myungsoo could faintly make out Woohyun’s voice, telling Dongwoo to “Get him a slice of the black forest cake, I’ll just bake another one for Kibum.”
Myungsoo smiled; somehow he could imagine Woohyun baking a cake, deft fingers kneading the dough, flour smudged on his face and in that silky raven hair-
“Your dessert, sir! On the house.”
Myungsoo almost jumped at Dongwoo’s voice but managed to compose himself, nodding at the dessert and pretending that he wasn’t thinking of the person who baked the dessert.
“Cake, yum.” Myungsoo commented in an attempt to get Dongwoo talking about the baker himself. Dongwoo didn’t disappoint.
“Yes! It’s black forest, and my boss made it specially for-” He froze, seeming to consider his words. After a short silence he continued rapidly.
“We don’t usually sell black forest you see, and this wasn’t for the café but it’s completely fresh and new!” Myungsoo smiled genially- nothing he hadn’t overheard anyway. As Dongwoo opened his mouth to speak, a hand clasped his shoulder from behind. Woohyun smiled deviously as he spun Dongwoo around to face him.
“Yah, don’t only serve the hot ones!” Woohyun chided, laughing as the other blushed and took off to serve another customer. He turned to Myungsoo, tone cheery and polite, grinning widely.
“Well, enjoy the cake! I hope this incident wouldn’t stop you from coming by again.”
Myungsoo couldn’t help but grin back at the owner, “You kidding? It’s a rather nice café, and the food is pretty awesome.”
Woohyun seemed delighted at the response, wide-eyed as he asked enthusiastically, albeit a little bashfully, if Myungsoo was serious.
Myungsoo smiled at the child-like expression on the other’s face.
“Of course. Trust me, your cheese-baked pasta was pretty good.”
At this point, Woohyun was beaming.
“Are you a chef yourself?” He inquired politely. Myungsoo thought of all the take-out he consumed on a regular basis and shook his head.
“Nah, I just happen to know my stuff.”
“Oh really?” Woohyun raised an eyebrow in casual interest.
“You don’t know how much my opinion is valued.” Myungsoo said smugly.
“Maybe you’re just trying to get into my good graces.” Woohyun joked.
Myungsoo smiled coyly. ”You got me there.”
Woohyun’s expression changed- it was if a light bulb lit up in his head.
“You know, you could just ask me for an interview.” Woohyun said, laughing now.
Myungsoo blinked at the leap in conversation; an interview?
His mind flashbacked to the “help wanted” sign hanging outside, and suddenly it all made sense; Woohyun thought that he wanted to apply for the job. He laughed awkwardly, trying to gather his racing thoughts.
A job here? With great ambience and food and people.
Myungsoo recalled how all he ever wanted was to work with food, and now he found himself the CEO of one of the largest food chains in Korea, jaded and unhappy. He missed seeing food, being really involved, and he knew he needed a break from all that paperwork.
But he also knew he couldn’t just up and leave his own job.
Myungsoo was at loss. The idea of working at ‘Delicious’ was alluring. As he thought through his response, he looked up at Woohyun.
Their gazes connected, and Myungsoo made his decision.
“Well, this seems like a really nice place to work at.” He stated casually, straightening his tie absently. Woohyun eyed him thoughtfully.
“Got any experience?”
Myungsoo grinned. “I used to work in a diner. Family business.”
“Resume?”
“Nope, but you could put me through a stimulation or trial period.”
After a brief contemplation, Woohyun nodded.
“When can you start work?”
And that was how Kim Myungsoo ended up working as a waiter in “Delicious”.
---
“Funny how you said you would never work there.” Myungsoo groaned at his best friend’s mocking tone. Sungjong was such a bitch. Lying on my bed and being a general pain in the ass…
“Anyway,” Sungjong continued, “The other day I…” Myungsoo tuned out his friend’s voice as soon as he realized the change in topic, unable to muster up enough energy to keep up with his friend’s bullet-paced speech. Working as a waiter was tough, especially with a boss as demanding as Woohyun. All day, everyday, Myungsoo ran about, taking down orders and serving left and right. It was better than office work though.
“Funny how I spend my vacation working,” Myungsoo blurted out, “and still enjoy it.”
His sentence was met with silence. Myungsoo cringed internally as he realised that he had cut Sungjong off mid-sentence.
“I’m sorry,” Myungsoo coughed out timidly. “You were saying..?”
Sungjong huffed and continued, apparently in the mood to let Myungsoo off easy. Myungsoo went back to thinking about his days at ‘Delicious.’
It wasn’t too bad- it was fun actually, to be actively around, smelling the food, serving the dishes, being so involved. Myungsoo never thought something so small could change his mood so much. Everything at ‘Delicious’ was awesome. Except for one thing.
The Mondays.
It wasn’t a case of Monday blues, no. it was just that every Monday, a certain customer would appear. A certain redhead named Kim Sunggyu, with eyes so small Myungsoo often wondered if the other just had an extreme case of myopia.
He was apparently a close friend of Woohyun’s, which was fine by Myungsoo. Of course Woohyun could have friends!
The thing that bugged Myungsoo was the fact that Kim Sunggyu would waltz into ‘Delicious’ like he owned the place. Myungsoo hated his arrogant face and that cocky swagger. He remembered that first day, when he had walked in for his shift and saw the bastard pulling at a laughing Woohyun, bodies in close proximity. Myungsoo had wanted to strangle the man with his bloody apron- heck, even his hands would do.
Just thinking about Kim Sunggyu was enough to get Myungsoo into a boiling rage. Oh how he despised that man.
As Myungsoo was raging internally, Sungjong had finally moved on from his previous topic and back to Myungsoo.
“Yah, what are you doing?” Sungjong asked, leaning towards Myungsoo.
The former’s question brought Myungsoo’s attention back onto the laptop sitting on his lap, forgotten in favour of cursing one Kim Sunggyu. His hands went back to the keyboard.
“Oh this? I’m writing again.” Myungsoo shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t abandoned the blog around three odd years ago, along with the myriad of followers he had gained. Sungjong glanced at the screen skeptically.
“This LKIM thing again? I thought you left it ‘for bigger things’, as you yourself said years ago.”
There was a short silence.
“Well, I’m starting it up again.” The steel in Myungsoo’s voice made Sungjong look at him in disbelief.
“What happened to having your own business, your real business? What’s with this regression, and stupid long-term vacation though you’ve never taken one in these three years?”
Sungjong sounded mad, but his face betrayed the confusion he felt at his friend’s behaviour. Myungsoo didn’t care to notice, glaring up at his friend.
“I’m not regressing.” He said in a clipped tone.
“Yeah, you’re just throwing away your entire life for a stupid guy.” Sungjong retaliated. Myungsoo’s glare intensified, shutting his laptop and standing up abruptly.
“You obviously don’t know anything, so why don’t you just shut up? I’m leaving.”
Myungsoo walked out of the room, grabbing a jacket before leaving the house, fists clenched in anger. What did Sungjong know about his life anyway?
With each step he took away from the house, the less angry he felt. Guilt settled in as he realised that Sungjong was arguing for Myungsoo’s benefit, and didn’t need to do so. He would apologize later, he decided quickly, choosing to take a stroll to cool down.
He walked into the grocery store in his neighbourhood, debating whether he should get drinks to make it up to Sungjong when he heard an oddly familiar voice. A voice that made Myungsoo want to punch and hit something, preferably the owner of the voice, because he couldn’t be that unlucky, could he?
He looked, and felt new rage fill him at the sight of Woohyun and Sunggyu together in the meat section. They were standing so fucking close to each other, laughing and smiling like a pair of saccharine newlyweds. Disgusting. Did he mention that the both of them were walking so closely their shoulders were bumping with every step?
He watched as Sunggyu clamped his hands on Woohyun’s shoulder, steering him into another food aisle. Myungsoo gritted his teeth in silent fury; he clearly remembered that Sunggyu “didn’t like to reciprocate physical contact.” The first day they met, Woohyun had introduced them to each other and Myungsoo had stuck his hand out for the latter to shake, like any polite person would have done, only to be rejected by the latter saying how “I’m sorry, I don’t like to reciprocate physical contact”.
And here he was being touchy with Woohyun. Pathetic.
Myungsoo trailed behind the both of them at a safe distance, wanting to glimpse more into whatever friendship or relationship the two shared, ignoring the pangs of jealousy he felt coursing through his body.
Of course, ignoring said feelings were easier said than done, for the both of them were being extremely touchy with each other.
Liar liar liar liar.
Myungsoo glared daggers at the back of Sunggyu’s neck, hoping he would lift his arm off Woohyun’s shoulder, or trip over something and fall flat on his face.
It wasn’t anything against Sunggyu, not really. Other than his annoying and extremely hateful personality, Myungsoo didn’t hate Sunggyu. He just liked Woohyun smiling only at his jokes, and not at whatever the small-eyed Sunggyu had to say. Maybe, he just liked Woohyun paying attention to him only instead of spending time with that arrogant jerk.
He paused as Woohyun’s phone rang with a notification, and observed how the latter’s face lit up as he checked his phone. Curiosity piqued, he shuffled closer to where Woohyun was standing, managing to catch his conversation with Sunggyu.
It was a wonder if Myungsoo could catch what Woohyun was saying at all, given the pace the other man was rattling off at. He managed to get the gist of it though.
“LKIM.. off hiatus!…remember…that awesome blog which...”
Woohyun thought LKIM was awesome? Wait, Woohyun followed LKIM?
Myungsoo couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, watching in amusement as Woohyun started to squeal over the reopening of LKIM- his blog, mind you-, hands gesturing wildly and eyes bright, as though it was the best day of his life. Myungsoo felt flattered- Woohyun was a fan?
As he was contemplating whether to reveal himself to Woohyun, his phone vibrated in his hand. Ducking behind the nearest aisle, he opened the notification to find a comment by ‘Namstar’ on his latest post about Delicious.
I remember you…always-
‘First! Thank you for reopening your blog ohmygod I can’t believe you reviewed this restaurant?! It’s one of my favourite places to eat too! ☺’
Myungsoo chuckled to himself, all the “first!” comments were made by this user, all the time. Talk about dedication.
He was about to reply to the comment when he heard laughter.
Woohyun and Sunggyu were walking closer to the aisle he was at and Myungsoo panicked, cursing himself for not being more careful and proceeded to flatten himself against the shelf as the duo walked past him.
“You have to agree with me hyung, he’s the best!”
“Yeah yeah whatever you say, Namstar.”
“HYUNG! I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT IN PUBLIC!” Woohyun was beet red, looking around surreptitiously.
“Chill man, it’s not like he’s lurking around here.” Sunggyu slung an arm around Woohyun, ruffling the latter’s hair as they walked on.
The irony wasn’t lost on Myungsoo, and as he watched the two of them walk to the cashier, only one thought clouded his mind.
How was he going to tell Woohyun?
---
Myungsoo wasn’t the kind to make a fuss when there was no need to, and he didn’t want to risk losing his job (friendship with Woohyun), so he went to work the next day pretending that nothing was different. Woohyun was in a jubilant mood, and a few days passed uneventfully. Myungsoo was glad, but he knew the peace was a shaky one, and might be broken at any given time.
He just didn’t expect it to be so soon.
---
It was an hour before the café opened for the day. Myungsoo was at work, writing the day’s specials on the chalkboard. He made to pass by the kitchen to wash his hands, but stopped when he spotted a frantic Woohyun.
The owner was rushing here and there, putting the finishing touches on the absolutely sick chocolate lava cake. Myungsoo stopped and stared at it longingly. They didn’t have lava cake on the menu, and it smelt so heavenly that Myungsoo couldn’t resist asking who it was for. Must be a lucky guy.
“Is that for a VIP?”
Woohyun looked up at Myungsoo, frowning distractedly before turning back to the cake.
“Nah, It’s just -“
The door swung open suddenly, and a flamboyantly dressed man breezed into the café, eyes sharp and calculating. His hair was a golden blonde, and he seemed to command everyone’s attention with just his presence. Myungsoo gaped at him unconsciously as he hurried out to the front to the man. Woohyun didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m sorry sir,” Myungsoo began in a polite voice, “but opening hours are from-”
“Where is that bastard? How could he not tell me? And where is my cake?” The man was firing words rapidly, already managing to give Myungsoo a headache.
“I’m sorry sir,” Myungsoo tried again, “but opening hours…” He trailed off as he got a closer look at the man.
He knew this guy.
Myungsoo’s mind reeled with the particularly bad memories of that same voice screaming threats and vulgarities through his phone speakers at ungodly hours of mornings, and he remembered how he absolutely hated the shrillness of it.
Key. His previous editor for LKIM.
Key swept his eyes over the restaurant, eyes landing on Myungsoo, who was standing very still, shock and horror written over his face. He glanced at Key, then at Woohyun, then at Key again.
“You.” Key’s eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to Myungsoo. Myungsoo backed away.
“Why didn’t you tell me you reopened your blog?” Oh, well…
“I-I… It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Myungsoo replied, stiff as a board.
Key smirked at his behaviour. “Yah, how could you post something without me editing it first? You’re horrible at grammar.”
Myungsoo relaxed at Key’s voice- the other man was trying to make him feel more comfortable. Although they were just acquaintances in the past, Key had done a really good job editing his reviews before he posted them on LKIM. With Key, he’d never had to worry about his grammar. Myungsoo smiled at the other man fondly.
“Why are you here anyway?” There was an awkward pause as the two men realised they blurted out the same thing, then broken by the two as they dissolved into fits of laughter.
“I’m here for a friend- he’s the owner of this café.” Key explained as he composed himself. “What about you?”
Myungsoo swallowed at the realization that Key and Woohyun knew each other, and then told Key the truth; that he was working here.
Woohyun chose that time to rush of the kitchen with a box in his hands. He smiled when he saw Key.
“Is that my cake?” Key said airily, eyeing the box as if he could assess its quality that way.
“It certainly is, Kibum.” Woohyun replied cheerily, unaffected by his friend’s - Kibum’s? - behaviour.
“Anyway, you can’t just walk in and demand for your dessert!” Woohyun narrowed his eyes as the other man just waved a hand dismissively.
“I don’t care about that. What I care about is how you’ve hurt my feelings. How could you not tell me about LKIM?”
Woohyun grimaced. “I’ve been busy these days, and LKIM isn’t such a big deal.”
Key was already rolling his eyes at the half-assed excuse. He huffed.
“There was time to tell Sunggyu but not me?” Key raised an eyebrow at Woohyun’s guilty expression.
“And also,” Key continued, “you didn’t tell me that you’ve already snagged the man! No wonder he’s back from hiatus. Nothing like the love for his number one fan.”
Woohyun looked up then, confused, and Myungsoo really wanted to crawl into a hole to die. Of all the ways of Woohyun finding out, this was probably the most unprecedented and worst.
“I didn’t “snag the man”! I don’t even know the man!” Woohyun was obviously embarrassed and confused, and Myungsoo squirmed uncomfortably.
Key looked from one man to the other. Understanding dawned his features and he shot a sly smile at Myungsoo, which made Myungsoo want to slap the ex-editor.
“So you know?” Key asked, looking at Myungsoo directly. At Myungsoo’s nod, Key smiled again.
“Well I’ll leave you two to it then.” He grabbed the box from Woohyun and promptly left the restaurant.
The two men stood, one bewildered and the other anxious.
“What the heck was he talking about?” Woohyun asked, turning to gaze at Myungsoo uncertainly. Myungsoo sighed.
Might as well play it for all it’s worth.
“Namstar,” The word that came from Myungsoo seemed to have frozen Woohyun, who was turning a bright shade of red yet again.
“What?” Woohyun choked out, blanching slightly. “How do you even know about that? Was it Kibum-?”
“I’m LKIM.” Myungsoo interjected smoothly, and Woohyun seemed to blanch even more, backing away slowly.
Well done, Kim Myungsoo. You have managed to destroy your one and only chance at true love.
---
{Woohyun}
“Ar-are you really LKIM?” Woohyun whispered, voice trembling and hands shaking. At Myungsoo’s nod, Woohyun collapsed into a chair, taking deep calming breaths.
“J-just, give me a moment to absorb this.” Woohyun stuttered out, looking at the ground. Myungsoo merely nodded again, shifting further from Woohyun.
Woohyun couldn’t believe his ears. Everything just felt so surreal. Thoughts raced in his head as he tried to figure this out. Strangely, his mind flashbacked to his first encounter with Myungsoo- who is actually LKIM- and suddenly it all made sense;
“You don’t know how much my opinion is valued.” Myungsoo said smugly.
The memory burned with the knowledge of Myungsoo being LKIM in Woohyun’s brain. God he was so dumb!
After a minute or so, Woohyun made eye-contact with Myungsoo. LKIM. Whatever.
“You- I… Oh. My. God.” Woohyun ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. He had no idea what to say.
“Aren’t you angry?” Myungsoo said in a soft voice, and Woohyun looked up to see the other avoiding his gaze. Still a little shell-shocked, Woohyun blurted out an honest answer.
“More embarrassed than angry. Kinda glad too… I will be extremely glad when all of this actually sinks in.” Myungsoo must think I’m a dork. Why can’t I just play it cool in front of him?
Unexpectedly, Myungsoo grinned.
“You’re embarrassed?” He asked in a slightly gleeful tone, which Woohyun chose to ignore in favour of keeping silent. He could tell that the other was trying not to smile.
Idiot. I’m not talking to you.
As Woohyun maintained his silence, Myungsoo sighed, seemingly decided on something. He grasped Woohyun by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.
“I like you very much Woohyun, and I know for a fact that ‘Namstar’ adores LKIM, aka me. So I’m thinking that we should date.”
That shocked Woohyun from his shock-induced daze, and he narrowed his eyes at the blogger, the feeling of being cheated finally catching up to him.
Oh, using ‘Namstar’ to tease me huh? And thinking I would just fall to my knees for you? Not a chance.
Woohyun paused for a moment, mouth turning up at the corners as he stared back at Myungsoo.
“I’ll think about it.”
END
Pairing/Focus: Woohyun/Myungsoo, slight!woogyu
Length: 5,779 words
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After all, LKIM was just a harmless little food blog, and even if it changed Woohyun’s eating habits here and there it wouldn’t actually make much of a difference in his life. It was just a blog, right?
Note: I cannot write summaries as you can see. This whole thing wouldn't be completed without the help of Y. You are the bestest and thank you for missing sleep to finish beta-ing this <3
BEFORE:
{Woohyun}
Woohyun didn’t want much in life. He didn’t have big dreams. He didn’t want to change the world.
He was as normal as any typical honor student- study expenses for the first year of college was funded by a prestigious scholarship that he got by luck and his pretty impressive grades. With the scholarship and the high probability of receiving one yearly, he would get a degree in engineering without burning too big a hole in his bank account.
Bless those sponsors. Anyway, Woohyun was terribly upset. Why, you ask?
Engineering.
It wasn’t what he expected, and after almost one year of it? He realised he didn’t really like the subject. It was fine at first- though he wasn’t particularly fond of the subject, it was fond of him. In other words, he did pretty well as long as he paid enough attention to review the notes once in a while.
He didn’t consider himself a genius, but he had always fared well in his academics. It was no different now. But for once, something piqued his interest. Finally, he felt compelled to do something. Or at the very least, the motivation was intrinsic. It wasn’t anything big, this compulsion- just that, food used to be something he ate to get by. But now, food seemed so fascinating.
Don’t get him wrong- it wasn’t as if food became his life, or was the only thing on his mind, but somehow he became pickier with it. Not just how it tasted, but also the way it was presented. Poor presentation of food got on his nerves way more than it should have. The same could be said the other way round; a good meal always managed to bring his spirits up. Eating a fantastic-smelling batch of cookies or delicious-looking pastries would make his day.
In short, there was nothing that could cheer him up more than food. And food was what LKIM gave him.
“You’re doing it again.” A voice filled his room, causing Woohyun, who was sitting on his bed, to jump in fright.
“Oh my god! Can you learn to knock before you enter?” Woohyun snapped angrily, heart still racing at the sudden appearance of his roommate.
Said roommate had known Woohyun for only about a year or so, but Woohyun felt as if they had been friends as soon as he set foot into the dorm. Initially, Woohyun had frowned at seeing the name Kim Ki Bum, second year right beside his, afraid that seniors would be bitchy to juniors. As a junior himself, he did not want to get into such a situation. Thankfully, his fears were unfounded and Kibum was mean, but not a bully. His snarky disposition yet easy ways put Woohyun at ease, and living together was pretty smooth sailing. He loved Kibum- the man was hilarious and clumsy, and his feminine features made him look like a prissy lady whenever he got mad or ruffled by Woohyun ninety percent of the time, making him less than intimidating. To Woohyun at least. The other students seem to stay as far away as possible. However, Kibum was annoying as well, and always insisted on acting like a brat and an insufferable know-it-all. Woohyun resisted rolling his eyes when the other started to speak from his position at the door- the latter’s face told Woohyun that he was going to hear something ridiculous from the older man.
“Why? To give you a few precious seconds to close all the porn sites you were surfing?”
Despite himself, Woohyun couldn’t stop his indignant response.
“No!” He snapped again, face colouring slightly at the lewd suggestion.
“Totally! You were totally watching porn.”
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
At this point, Woohyun just gave up.
“Ugh, you’re unbelievable!” At Woohyun’s demonstration of defeat, Kibum smirked, strutting in and sitting on his own bed. He didn’t seem bent on letting the topic drop though, and steamrolled ahead, as always.
“Says the one who’s doing it again.” Woohyun frowned. Doing what?
Apparently he voiced the thought aloud, because his roommate replied him airily.
“On LKIM.”
There was a brief silence, by which Woohyun broke by asking.
“What’s wrong with being on LKIM?” Another pause, in which Woohyun refused to acknowledge the judging stare Kibum graced him with. Kibum pouted, before replying, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Nothing, unless you’re on it 24/7.” He paused and shivered at his own words, appearing to consider something. “That’s actually scarier than watching porn.”
Woohyun actually rolled his eyes at that. “What, LKIM?”
Kibum looked affronted. “Not LKIM, you dumbass, stalking! Stalking is a highly disapproved activity, though eighty percent of teenagers engage in it on a weekly basis.”
“I don’t stalk LKIM.” Woohyun muttered, looking away from the annoying bug that was Kim Kibum. They had had this conversation for about the hundredth time, ever since Woohyun mentioned LKIM in passing, about a few weeks back. Kibum’s eyes had narrowed and he had asked: “The blog? When were you ever into blogs?”
That question led to a pregnant pause, awkward fidgeting and assessing stares on Woohyun’s part and Kibum’s part respectively. It ended around fifteen minutes later, and it was then that the teasing started. Well, Woohyun wouldn’t call it teasing, he called it-
“‘One of Kibum’s assumptions again’?” Kibum cut in, in what was supposed to be an imitation of Woohyun’s voice. A poor imitation of Woohyun’s voice, for that matter. Woohyun gritted his teeth at Kibum’s mocking. Just because he was used to it didn’t mean he liked it.
“Yes, one of your assumptions again.” Woohyun said in retaliation, because he wouldn’t let that slide.
The other boy let out a long-suffering sigh, as if he was the one dealing with a prick with too much time on his hands. Woohyun wanted to punch him in the face just for that, but the urge faded at Kibum’s look of concern.
“Woohyun, I just… don’t you think you’re a little obsessed with this LKIM?” Hearing the gentle tone, Woohyun’s ire disappeared completely. Because Kibum was an ass, he couldn’t express concern in a normal way. Of course he had to act all-knowing and superior. Woohyun knew that, so his response was neither angry nor frustrated.
“It’s just a food blog, okay? No harm done.”
Kibum still had a worried look on his face, so Woohyun laughed and continued in an assuring manner.
“It’s not as if it would change my life, right?” He asked, looking at Kibum, who shook his head and laughed along at the absurd notion. How could a food blog change his life? He let out a breath of relief when Kibum finally relaxed his expression.
“Right.”
And that was that, or so Woohyun thought as he commented on the latest review.
First again! Woohyun grinned smugly as he typed away.
After all, LKIM was just a harmless little food blog, and even if it changed
Woohyun’s eating habits here and there it wouldn’t actually make much of a difference in his life. It was just a blog, right?
5 YEARS LATER;
{Myungsoo}
Myungsoo sighed as he leaned back on his recliner. Another day went by with him staring at the computer screen, remembering figures and charts, and having endless meetings with faceless people. To be perfectly honest, he was tired of his daily routine - Wake up, wash up, grab a coffee, sit in his office, switch on the computer, and be bombarded by document after document, praying for the clock to reach 6PM.
Every. Single. Day.
Tick. Tock. Tick.
5PM, the clock read. One more hour to go.
He let his head hit the comfy recliner, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out the point in which everything around him became mundane. It was as if everything in life was a chore now; he glanced at the files he had to go through still, and felt an oncoming headache. Sighing heavily, he remembered that he hadn’t had his lunch that day, and yet he wasn’t hungry. He briefly wondered which was more alarming; the fact that he didn’t bother to eat, or that his job was affecting every part of his life.
It was suffocating, to say the least, having to face the corners of his office all day, and to go home crashing into his bed. He needed to break free from the routine, which was once effective, but now draining the life out of him.
And the easiest way to break this routine was to go out for lunch- dinner. Instead of his usual takeout lunch/dinner, Myungsoo was going to explore and scour around for a change. He grabbed his jacket, tugging it on before heading out of the door, headed for eateries near his neighborhood.
---
Maybe it was because he hadn’t taken a walk around his neighborhood in a long while, but the evening air seemed to rejuvenate him; the chattering and murmuring of people who were living their own lives surrounded him like a musical backdrop. He rounded a corner, and a signboard above what seemed like a small café caught his eye immediately.
He snorted at the “help wanted” sign posted.
Who would work here? Coupled with the cheesy café name - seriously “Delicious”?- and a signboard lined with outrageous colours of neon yellow and red, Myungsoo didn’t see the place as a sane working environment.
For all his criticism, Myungsoo couldn’t deny that the smell from the café won him over, and he found himself walking towards the entrance of the café, stomach growling. He came to a stop at the door, unsure of his decision.
Before he could contemplate further, a waiter with candy pink streaks in his hair rushed to the door, holding it open for him. Said waiter ushered him inside, a wide grin on his face as he started rattling off to Myungsoo, who followed him in hesitantly.
“Hi! Is this your first time here? It must be your first time here, since I’ve never seen you before. Since you haven’t been here, you wouldn’t know what to try, would you? As your waiter, I would really recommend the pasta, specifically the baked cheese pasta. Not many people know this, but it’s actually really flavourful and appetizing. The chef balances the taste of the cheese really well, so it isn’t too heavy on your stomach. Also, the desserts here are really good, if I do say so myself. Do you prefer sweet or savoury desserts? Well, in any case, I do recommend the chocolate cheesecake.” He didn’t even pause to let Myungsoo answer any of his questions (or a breath- doesn’t the guy need to breathe?), an unfaltering grin on his face as he led Myungsoo to an empty table.
Myungsoo wanted to laugh at the over-bubbly waiter’s energy, not used to such bubbly behavior from people in general. He couldn’t remember the last time someone spoke so enthusiastically or with so much energy. When was the last time someone talked to him about something other than work? At the thought, Myungsoo’s spirits were lifted slightly.
He smiled back at the waiter, who was now wringing his hands as he looked at Myungsoo, smile turning uncertain.
Probably realised his blabbering.
“I’m sorry, I tend to be over-enthusiastic to new customers. But take your time with the menu, I’ll come over when you’re ready to order.” He explained, laughing slightly once he saw Myungsoo nod in understanding.
As the waiter turned and left, Myungsoo glanced around the café and was surprised to see the cozy and welcoming interior. It was worlds apart from his initial impression of the café.
The walls were painted brick red, with actual bricks used at one part of the café. The seats were a soft cream colour, cushioned and comfortable. The whole area seemed to be very cozy indeed. In fact, it made a pretty good place to chill.
He liked the overall vibe of the café, and allowed a metaphorical self-congratulatory pat on his back for actually getting out of his office and into a different space. He picked up the menu, beautiful in its simplicity, and scanned the dishes available. Maybe he would try the cheese pasta.
He caught the waiter’s eyes as he looked up, and at once, the waiter walked to his table. He ordered the cheese pasta, which was what Dongwoo, as the nametag suggested, had recommended, earning him a delighted beam from the waiter, who bounced away to relay the order.
If only I loved my job that much. Myungsoo mused sadly to himself, watching the crowd in the café as he waited for his food.
Fortunately, it didn’t take very long for the food to arrive, and Myungsoo was impressed by the taste. It’s been a long while since he had a proper meal after all. Everything was going well and he was beginning to relax, something he hadn’t had a chance to do in a long while.
Sadly, his life hardly stayed relaxed.
Dongwoo watched in horror as the soup on his tray spilled out of the bowl and into Myungsoo’s lap. Annoyance and shock flashed across the latter’s face. Talk about a relaxing day.
“I am so terribly sorry about this, I swear it wasn’t on purpose. I’m really sorry!”
After Dongwoo’s litany of apologies and endless remorse-sounding babble- to which Myungsoo kept reassuring that “it was okay”, having given up on trying to salvage the stain on his shirt- Dongwoo left for the kitchen, only to appear a few moments later with a young man at his side. The man didn’t have a nametag, but held an air of authority. Myungsoo figured that the man was the manager of ‘Delicious’. A good-looking one at that.
The man approached Myungsoo, apologetic smile on his handsome face.
“Sir, I am Nam Woohyun, the owner of ‘Delicious’. I deeply apologize for my staff’s clumsiness.” He bowed 90 degrees, keeping the position until Myungsoo reassured him that he wasn’t upset anymore, and no compensation would be needed. With a relieved grin, Woohyun straightened and declared that dessert would be on the house for Myungsoo. Hearing that, Myungsoo shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
“No I couldn’t, I mean, you don’t have to.” Myungsoo started awkwardly, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle when he saw the determination in the other man’s eyes. As expected, Woohyun was quick to reply.
“No no, I insist, it’s on the house.”
Myungsoo nodded then, sighing as the owner flashed a mega-watt smile before bowing again, hurrying away with Dongwoo. Myungsoo could faintly make out Woohyun’s voice, telling Dongwoo to “Get him a slice of the black forest cake, I’ll just bake another one for Kibum.”
Myungsoo smiled; somehow he could imagine Woohyun baking a cake, deft fingers kneading the dough, flour smudged on his face and in that silky raven hair-
“Your dessert, sir! On the house.”
Myungsoo almost jumped at Dongwoo’s voice but managed to compose himself, nodding at the dessert and pretending that he wasn’t thinking of the person who baked the dessert.
“Cake, yum.” Myungsoo commented in an attempt to get Dongwoo talking about the baker himself. Dongwoo didn’t disappoint.
“Yes! It’s black forest, and my boss made it specially for-” He froze, seeming to consider his words. After a short silence he continued rapidly.
“We don’t usually sell black forest you see, and this wasn’t for the café but it’s completely fresh and new!” Myungsoo smiled genially- nothing he hadn’t overheard anyway. As Dongwoo opened his mouth to speak, a hand clasped his shoulder from behind. Woohyun smiled deviously as he spun Dongwoo around to face him.
“Yah, don’t only serve the hot ones!” Woohyun chided, laughing as the other blushed and took off to serve another customer. He turned to Myungsoo, tone cheery and polite, grinning widely.
“Well, enjoy the cake! I hope this incident wouldn’t stop you from coming by again.”
Myungsoo couldn’t help but grin back at the owner, “You kidding? It’s a rather nice café, and the food is pretty awesome.”
Woohyun seemed delighted at the response, wide-eyed as he asked enthusiastically, albeit a little bashfully, if Myungsoo was serious.
Myungsoo smiled at the child-like expression on the other’s face.
“Of course. Trust me, your cheese-baked pasta was pretty good.”
At this point, Woohyun was beaming.
“Are you a chef yourself?” He inquired politely. Myungsoo thought of all the take-out he consumed on a regular basis and shook his head.
“Nah, I just happen to know my stuff.”
“Oh really?” Woohyun raised an eyebrow in casual interest.
“You don’t know how much my opinion is valued.” Myungsoo said smugly.
“Maybe you’re just trying to get into my good graces.” Woohyun joked.
Myungsoo smiled coyly. ”You got me there.”
Woohyun’s expression changed- it was if a light bulb lit up in his head.
“You know, you could just ask me for an interview.” Woohyun said, laughing now.
Myungsoo blinked at the leap in conversation; an interview?
His mind flashbacked to the “help wanted” sign hanging outside, and suddenly it all made sense; Woohyun thought that he wanted to apply for the job. He laughed awkwardly, trying to gather his racing thoughts.
A job here? With great ambience and food and people.
Myungsoo recalled how all he ever wanted was to work with food, and now he found himself the CEO of one of the largest food chains in Korea, jaded and unhappy. He missed seeing food, being really involved, and he knew he needed a break from all that paperwork.
But he also knew he couldn’t just up and leave his own job.
Myungsoo was at loss. The idea of working at ‘Delicious’ was alluring. As he thought through his response, he looked up at Woohyun.
Their gazes connected, and Myungsoo made his decision.
“Well, this seems like a really nice place to work at.” He stated casually, straightening his tie absently. Woohyun eyed him thoughtfully.
“Got any experience?”
Myungsoo grinned. “I used to work in a diner. Family business.”
“Resume?”
“Nope, but you could put me through a stimulation or trial period.”
After a brief contemplation, Woohyun nodded.
“When can you start work?”
And that was how Kim Myungsoo ended up working as a waiter in “Delicious”.
---
“Funny how you said you would never work there.” Myungsoo groaned at his best friend’s mocking tone. Sungjong was such a bitch. Lying on my bed and being a general pain in the ass…
“Anyway,” Sungjong continued, “The other day I…” Myungsoo tuned out his friend’s voice as soon as he realized the change in topic, unable to muster up enough energy to keep up with his friend’s bullet-paced speech. Working as a waiter was tough, especially with a boss as demanding as Woohyun. All day, everyday, Myungsoo ran about, taking down orders and serving left and right. It was better than office work though.
“Funny how I spend my vacation working,” Myungsoo blurted out, “and still enjoy it.”
His sentence was met with silence. Myungsoo cringed internally as he realised that he had cut Sungjong off mid-sentence.
“I’m sorry,” Myungsoo coughed out timidly. “You were saying..?”
Sungjong huffed and continued, apparently in the mood to let Myungsoo off easy. Myungsoo went back to thinking about his days at ‘Delicious.’
It wasn’t too bad- it was fun actually, to be actively around, smelling the food, serving the dishes, being so involved. Myungsoo never thought something so small could change his mood so much. Everything at ‘Delicious’ was awesome. Except for one thing.
The Mondays.
It wasn’t a case of Monday blues, no. it was just that every Monday, a certain customer would appear. A certain redhead named Kim Sunggyu, with eyes so small Myungsoo often wondered if the other just had an extreme case of myopia.
He was apparently a close friend of Woohyun’s, which was fine by Myungsoo. Of course Woohyun could have friends!
The thing that bugged Myungsoo was the fact that Kim Sunggyu would waltz into ‘Delicious’ like he owned the place. Myungsoo hated his arrogant face and that cocky swagger. He remembered that first day, when he had walked in for his shift and saw the bastard pulling at a laughing Woohyun, bodies in close proximity. Myungsoo had wanted to strangle the man with his bloody apron- heck, even his hands would do.
Just thinking about Kim Sunggyu was enough to get Myungsoo into a boiling rage. Oh how he despised that man.
As Myungsoo was raging internally, Sungjong had finally moved on from his previous topic and back to Myungsoo.
“Yah, what are you doing?” Sungjong asked, leaning towards Myungsoo.
The former’s question brought Myungsoo’s attention back onto the laptop sitting on his lap, forgotten in favour of cursing one Kim Sunggyu. His hands went back to the keyboard.
“Oh this? I’m writing again.” Myungsoo shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t abandoned the blog around three odd years ago, along with the myriad of followers he had gained. Sungjong glanced at the screen skeptically.
“This LKIM thing again? I thought you left it ‘for bigger things’, as you yourself said years ago.”
There was a short silence.
“Well, I’m starting it up again.” The steel in Myungsoo’s voice made Sungjong look at him in disbelief.
“What happened to having your own business, your real business? What’s with this regression, and stupid long-term vacation though you’ve never taken one in these three years?”
Sungjong sounded mad, but his face betrayed the confusion he felt at his friend’s behaviour. Myungsoo didn’t care to notice, glaring up at his friend.
“I’m not regressing.” He said in a clipped tone.
“Yeah, you’re just throwing away your entire life for a stupid guy.” Sungjong retaliated. Myungsoo’s glare intensified, shutting his laptop and standing up abruptly.
“You obviously don’t know anything, so why don’t you just shut up? I’m leaving.”
Myungsoo walked out of the room, grabbing a jacket before leaving the house, fists clenched in anger. What did Sungjong know about his life anyway?
With each step he took away from the house, the less angry he felt. Guilt settled in as he realised that Sungjong was arguing for Myungsoo’s benefit, and didn’t need to do so. He would apologize later, he decided quickly, choosing to take a stroll to cool down.
He walked into the grocery store in his neighbourhood, debating whether he should get drinks to make it up to Sungjong when he heard an oddly familiar voice. A voice that made Myungsoo want to punch and hit something, preferably the owner of the voice, because he couldn’t be that unlucky, could he?
He looked, and felt new rage fill him at the sight of Woohyun and Sunggyu together in the meat section. They were standing so fucking close to each other, laughing and smiling like a pair of saccharine newlyweds. Disgusting. Did he mention that the both of them were walking so closely their shoulders were bumping with every step?
He watched as Sunggyu clamped his hands on Woohyun’s shoulder, steering him into another food aisle. Myungsoo gritted his teeth in silent fury; he clearly remembered that Sunggyu “didn’t like to reciprocate physical contact.” The first day they met, Woohyun had introduced them to each other and Myungsoo had stuck his hand out for the latter to shake, like any polite person would have done, only to be rejected by the latter saying how “I’m sorry, I don’t like to reciprocate physical contact”.
And here he was being touchy with Woohyun. Pathetic.
Myungsoo trailed behind the both of them at a safe distance, wanting to glimpse more into whatever friendship or relationship the two shared, ignoring the pangs of jealousy he felt coursing through his body.
Of course, ignoring said feelings were easier said than done, for the both of them were being extremely touchy with each other.
Liar liar liar liar.
Myungsoo glared daggers at the back of Sunggyu’s neck, hoping he would lift his arm off Woohyun’s shoulder, or trip over something and fall flat on his face.
It wasn’t anything against Sunggyu, not really. Other than his annoying and extremely hateful personality, Myungsoo didn’t hate Sunggyu. He just liked Woohyun smiling only at his jokes, and not at whatever the small-eyed Sunggyu had to say. Maybe, he just liked Woohyun paying attention to him only instead of spending time with that arrogant jerk.
He paused as Woohyun’s phone rang with a notification, and observed how the latter’s face lit up as he checked his phone. Curiosity piqued, he shuffled closer to where Woohyun was standing, managing to catch his conversation with Sunggyu.
It was a wonder if Myungsoo could catch what Woohyun was saying at all, given the pace the other man was rattling off at. He managed to get the gist of it though.
“LKIM.. off hiatus!…remember…that awesome blog which...”
Woohyun thought LKIM was awesome? Wait, Woohyun followed LKIM?
Myungsoo couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, watching in amusement as Woohyun started to squeal over the reopening of LKIM- his blog, mind you-, hands gesturing wildly and eyes bright, as though it was the best day of his life. Myungsoo felt flattered- Woohyun was a fan?
As he was contemplating whether to reveal himself to Woohyun, his phone vibrated in his hand. Ducking behind the nearest aisle, he opened the notification to find a comment by ‘Namstar’ on his latest post about Delicious.
I remember you…always-
‘First! Thank you for reopening your blog ohmygod I can’t believe you reviewed this restaurant?! It’s one of my favourite places to eat too! ☺’
Myungsoo chuckled to himself, all the “first!” comments were made by this user, all the time. Talk about dedication.
He was about to reply to the comment when he heard laughter.
Woohyun and Sunggyu were walking closer to the aisle he was at and Myungsoo panicked, cursing himself for not being more careful and proceeded to flatten himself against the shelf as the duo walked past him.
“You have to agree with me hyung, he’s the best!”
“Yeah yeah whatever you say, Namstar.”
“HYUNG! I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT IN PUBLIC!” Woohyun was beet red, looking around surreptitiously.
“Chill man, it’s not like he’s lurking around here.” Sunggyu slung an arm around Woohyun, ruffling the latter’s hair as they walked on.
The irony wasn’t lost on Myungsoo, and as he watched the two of them walk to the cashier, only one thought clouded his mind.
How was he going to tell Woohyun?
---
Myungsoo wasn’t the kind to make a fuss when there was no need to, and he didn’t want to risk losing his job (friendship with Woohyun), so he went to work the next day pretending that nothing was different. Woohyun was in a jubilant mood, and a few days passed uneventfully. Myungsoo was glad, but he knew the peace was a shaky one, and might be broken at any given time.
He just didn’t expect it to be so soon.
---
It was an hour before the café opened for the day. Myungsoo was at work, writing the day’s specials on the chalkboard. He made to pass by the kitchen to wash his hands, but stopped when he spotted a frantic Woohyun.
The owner was rushing here and there, putting the finishing touches on the absolutely sick chocolate lava cake. Myungsoo stopped and stared at it longingly. They didn’t have lava cake on the menu, and it smelt so heavenly that Myungsoo couldn’t resist asking who it was for. Must be a lucky guy.
“Is that for a VIP?”
Woohyun looked up at Myungsoo, frowning distractedly before turning back to the cake.
“Nah, It’s just -“
The door swung open suddenly, and a flamboyantly dressed man breezed into the café, eyes sharp and calculating. His hair was a golden blonde, and he seemed to command everyone’s attention with just his presence. Myungsoo gaped at him unconsciously as he hurried out to the front to the man. Woohyun didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m sorry sir,” Myungsoo began in a polite voice, “but opening hours are from-”
“Where is that bastard? How could he not tell me? And where is my cake?” The man was firing words rapidly, already managing to give Myungsoo a headache.
“I’m sorry sir,” Myungsoo tried again, “but opening hours…” He trailed off as he got a closer look at the man.
He knew this guy.
Myungsoo’s mind reeled with the particularly bad memories of that same voice screaming threats and vulgarities through his phone speakers at ungodly hours of mornings, and he remembered how he absolutely hated the shrillness of it.
Key. His previous editor for LKIM.
Key swept his eyes over the restaurant, eyes landing on Myungsoo, who was standing very still, shock and horror written over his face. He glanced at Key, then at Woohyun, then at Key again.
“You.” Key’s eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to Myungsoo. Myungsoo backed away.
“Why didn’t you tell me you reopened your blog?” Oh, well…
“I-I… It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Myungsoo replied, stiff as a board.
Key smirked at his behaviour. “Yah, how could you post something without me editing it first? You’re horrible at grammar.”
Myungsoo relaxed at Key’s voice- the other man was trying to make him feel more comfortable. Although they were just acquaintances in the past, Key had done a really good job editing his reviews before he posted them on LKIM. With Key, he’d never had to worry about his grammar. Myungsoo smiled at the other man fondly.
“Why are you here anyway?” There was an awkward pause as the two men realised they blurted out the same thing, then broken by the two as they dissolved into fits of laughter.
“I’m here for a friend- he’s the owner of this café.” Key explained as he composed himself. “What about you?”
Myungsoo swallowed at the realization that Key and Woohyun knew each other, and then told Key the truth; that he was working here.
Woohyun chose that time to rush of the kitchen with a box in his hands. He smiled when he saw Key.
“Is that my cake?” Key said airily, eyeing the box as if he could assess its quality that way.
“It certainly is, Kibum.” Woohyun replied cheerily, unaffected by his friend’s - Kibum’s? - behaviour.
“Anyway, you can’t just walk in and demand for your dessert!” Woohyun narrowed his eyes as the other man just waved a hand dismissively.
“I don’t care about that. What I care about is how you’ve hurt my feelings. How could you not tell me about LKIM?”
Woohyun grimaced. “I’ve been busy these days, and LKIM isn’t such a big deal.”
Key was already rolling his eyes at the half-assed excuse. He huffed.
“There was time to tell Sunggyu but not me?” Key raised an eyebrow at Woohyun’s guilty expression.
“And also,” Key continued, “you didn’t tell me that you’ve already snagged the man! No wonder he’s back from hiatus. Nothing like the love for his number one fan.”
Woohyun looked up then, confused, and Myungsoo really wanted to crawl into a hole to die. Of all the ways of Woohyun finding out, this was probably the most unprecedented and worst.
“I didn’t “snag the man”! I don’t even know the man!” Woohyun was obviously embarrassed and confused, and Myungsoo squirmed uncomfortably.
Key looked from one man to the other. Understanding dawned his features and he shot a sly smile at Myungsoo, which made Myungsoo want to slap the ex-editor.
“So you know?” Key asked, looking at Myungsoo directly. At Myungsoo’s nod, Key smiled again.
“Well I’ll leave you two to it then.” He grabbed the box from Woohyun and promptly left the restaurant.
The two men stood, one bewildered and the other anxious.
“What the heck was he talking about?” Woohyun asked, turning to gaze at Myungsoo uncertainly. Myungsoo sighed.
Might as well play it for all it’s worth.
“Namstar,” The word that came from Myungsoo seemed to have frozen Woohyun, who was turning a bright shade of red yet again.
“What?” Woohyun choked out, blanching slightly. “How do you even know about that? Was it Kibum-?”
“I’m LKIM.” Myungsoo interjected smoothly, and Woohyun seemed to blanch even more, backing away slowly.
Well done, Kim Myungsoo. You have managed to destroy your one and only chance at true love.
---
{Woohyun}
“Ar-are you really LKIM?” Woohyun whispered, voice trembling and hands shaking. At Myungsoo’s nod, Woohyun collapsed into a chair, taking deep calming breaths.
“J-just, give me a moment to absorb this.” Woohyun stuttered out, looking at the ground. Myungsoo merely nodded again, shifting further from Woohyun.
Woohyun couldn’t believe his ears. Everything just felt so surreal. Thoughts raced in his head as he tried to figure this out. Strangely, his mind flashbacked to his first encounter with Myungsoo- who is actually LKIM- and suddenly it all made sense;
“You don’t know how much my opinion is valued.” Myungsoo said smugly.
The memory burned with the knowledge of Myungsoo being LKIM in Woohyun’s brain. God he was so dumb!
After a minute or so, Woohyun made eye-contact with Myungsoo. LKIM. Whatever.
“You- I… Oh. My. God.” Woohyun ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. He had no idea what to say.
“Aren’t you angry?” Myungsoo said in a soft voice, and Woohyun looked up to see the other avoiding his gaze. Still a little shell-shocked, Woohyun blurted out an honest answer.
“More embarrassed than angry. Kinda glad too… I will be extremely glad when all of this actually sinks in.” Myungsoo must think I’m a dork. Why can’t I just play it cool in front of him?
Unexpectedly, Myungsoo grinned.
“You’re embarrassed?” He asked in a slightly gleeful tone, which Woohyun chose to ignore in favour of keeping silent. He could tell that the other was trying not to smile.
Idiot. I’m not talking to you.
As Woohyun maintained his silence, Myungsoo sighed, seemingly decided on something. He grasped Woohyun by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.
“I like you very much Woohyun, and I know for a fact that ‘Namstar’ adores LKIM, aka me. So I’m thinking that we should date.”
That shocked Woohyun from his shock-induced daze, and he narrowed his eyes at the blogger, the feeling of being cheated finally catching up to him.
Oh, using ‘Namstar’ to tease me huh? And thinking I would just fall to my knees for you? Not a chance.
Woohyun paused for a moment, mouth turning up at the corners as he stared back at Myungsoo.
“I’ll think about it.”
END