Found in Translation Chapter 2, Part 2
The lessons became clockwork-like routine for the boys. Wednesday lessons slowly became Wednesday and Thursday lessons and somehow (after coercion) Wooyoung agreed to Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday lessons. The café became lived in. They brought food to last hours and while Wooyoung taught Nichkhun Korean they learned about each other. Wooyoung found out that Nichkhun was his elder and that he had two younger sisters back home. Nichkhun learned that Wooyoung wasn’t uptight…just focused and had a really weird obsession with the caramel designs that the baristas eloquently drew on the coffee.
Wooyoung willingly admitted that he enjoyed spending time with Nichkhun, at first he attributed his happiness to the environment and the wonderful smell of the coffee but after laughing so hard one day during a conversation with Nichkhun he realized that his interest was genuine.
Some days were good:
There was one evening when Nichkhun was able to understand a full passage of Korean from a book and he high-fived Wooyoung. He interlocked their fingers without thinking, their fingers slid against each other. Wooyoung was proud of him, Nichkhun…his friend, and looked at him as he smiled and separated their hands. Wooyoung was beaming and he couldn’t seem to get the look off his face. He looked to the side and even looked down. What he failed to realize was that Nichkhun could tell he was happy from the brightness in his eyes. More than being happy for his own achievement, he was happy that he could make Wooyoung proud. His plan for a distraction slowly diminished as he sat next to Wooyoung in the dim lighted café. His plan slowly became making Wooyoung happy. Nichkhun liked how his cheeks puffed up and his eyes disappeared in his smile more than having someone next to him every moment of the day.
Some days weren’t so good:
Wooyoung seemed busy. He stacked papers, pushed his hair back, chugged coffee. Nichkhun sat next to him working on his Korean, every now and then he would try and start another conversation but Wooyoung was preoccupied, he was stressed. Nichkhun missed the undivided attention that he got but respected Wooyoung’s time and space. He listened to him sigh and crumble papers in frustration. He felt bad that there was absolutely nothing that he could do. The time would tick bye and it got late, Nichkhun had to catch the last bus. He was hesitant to leave Wooyoung in the café alone. Not because he was afraid anything would happen to him (Wooyoung was a grown man) but because studying late at night in a café by himself didn’t exactly seem like an ideal situation. He said “I’m going to go now,” about 6 times before Wooyoung finally looked up at him and in annoyance said “OK! See you tomorrow!” It was everything but what Nichkhun wanted to hear, “No, please stay.”
Some days were terrible:
Nichkhun didn’t show up for lessons today. He didn’t show up for class either. Wooyoung held his phone in his hand during the class, drowning out the sounds of chattering girls and his professor’s baritone voice, waiting for the text message that wouldn’t come. He was so worried that he didn’t know what to do with himself, really. Nichkhun being absent was something new for Wooyoung. It was then he realized that it wasn’t the lessons he was used to anymore…it was Nichkhun. He wanted to bust out of the classroom and run to where ever it was that Nichkhun lived, bang on his door and demand why he hadn’t been there. It wasn’t any of his business but Wooyoung didn’t like unreliability. Instead of waiting to tell Nichkhun that he missed him that day, which was obvious by the way he looked at his seat and his dejected face at the café that evening, he ignored him for the rest of the week.
Ephemeral - noun 1. Lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory; 2. The real amount that Wooyoung lasted staying angry at Nichkhun, before forgiving him because Nichkhun apologized so sincerely.
After a month and a half of lessons, Nichkhun’s Korean had seen a significant improvement and Wooyoung could safely say that he and Nichkhun were friends. Today was a Saturday and Wooyoung was making his way to the shopping district. Though he didn’t care at all for fashion, it seemed that the washing machine had decided it wanted to shrink all of his pants, the woes of being single and not living with your mother.
Nichkhun and Wooyoung didn’t usually meet outside of school, just how usually, they didn’t text each other unless it involved lessons. Nichkhun woke up feeling adventurous though and so he decided to wake up a tad earlier than he usually did just to text Wooyoung before he made any plans.
Wooyoung locked the door behind him and zipped up his jacket, now that fall was here the breeze helped cool the body, but Wooyoung was never a person who really enjoyed feeling cold either. Reaching into his pockets, his phone vibrated, startling him. When he took it out and saw Nichkhun’s name on the alert screen, he stopped walking and focused his eyes again. Yes, still Nichkhun. He fumbled with the phone before sliding it open.
What are you doing today? -Khunnie
Going into the city. Have to buy some stuff. Why?
Do you want to meet up or something? I have nothing to do. Besides…you’re like the only person I know in Korea. Haha. -Khunnie
So you only want to hang out with me because I’m the only person you know? -_- Well then I don’t know…
Oh, come on! Please, I was kidding. I want to spend the day with you. -Khunnie.
“Fuck.” Nichkhun wished it was possible to take back texts. Freudian slip.
Wooyoung read the text about 400 times before he had the ability to move his fingers across his worn out key pad.
Meet me at the café in 20 minutes. If you’re not there then I’m going on the bus without you.
Why would you take the bus when I have a car? -Khunnie.
30 minutes later, Wooyoung sat in the passenger seat of Nichkhun’s car. He wanted to roll down the windows because he felt suffocated but because it wasn’t his car he just sat patiently. He wanted to listen to music but since Nichkhun had it off to begin with, he just tapped his fingers against his knees…playing a silent sonata.
“Are you nervous or something?” Nichkhun spoke abruptly, knocking Wooyoung out of his daze.
“What?” Wooyoung asked, sitting up.
“I said…are you nervous?” Nichkhun drove the car stick shift but somehow still looked at Wooyoung when he spoke.
“Oh, no. It’s just quiet. Not used to it since you’re always so loud.” Wooyoung smiled at his success at coming up with something snarky.
Nichkhun smirked and Wooyoung swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
“Do you want me to put some music on?” Wooyoung wondered if that would really make the situation better and shrugged. “Okay, then I’ll play some.”
Nichkhun breathed heavily and lifted his hands. He placed his fingers lightly over Wooyoung’s hand on his lap and moved them delicately and almost painfully slow. He pretended Wooyoung’s fingers were piano keys and hummed an unfamiliar piece while looking straight ahead. Wooyoung didn’t say a word and just stared as Nichkhun played a song that Wooyoung would commit to memory, he’d swear it.
Fascination - noun 1. a fascinating quality; powerful attraction; charm; 2. Nichkhun’s feeling when Wooyoung didn’t move his hand from under his for their 45 minute drive.
Hours later Wooyoung and Nickhun stood in front of Wooyoung’s door as Wooyoung shuffled for keys in his book bag. OF COURSE, he forgot to fill his gas tank. OF COURSE, we have to come to my house. OF COURSE, he doesn’t have cash for the bus. OF COURSE. Wooyoung didn’t want Nichkhun to see the atrocity that was his apartment. Nichkhun though, stood behind him, swaying back and forth on his heels and smiling like if someone was about to give him a present. Rain was pelting outside of the complex, only the roof of the walkway sheltered them. The wind kept blowing the rain onto them and Wooyoung still couldn’t find the damn key. Nichkhun laughed at this and Wooyoung could only respond by laughing and saying “Shut the fuck up!”
Once inside Wooyoung kicked off his shoes and ran to his room to change since he was soaked and the wooden floors were getting wet. He yelled at Nichkhun from his room to take off his shoes as well and to make himself comfortable. Nichkhun stood at the doorway and waited for Wooyoung to come back out.
“I’m drenched; do you really want me to sit on your cute little couch like this?” Nichkhun was thrown some shorts and a t-shirt and Wooyoung mopped the floor, pissed that he didn’t think of that before Nichkhun had to bring it to his attention.
“What do you want to drink…eat?” Wooyoung called from his kitchen after cleaning up.
“Anything, I’m not picky.” Nichkhun sat on Wooyoung’s floor in the living room. He picked up the books and read the backs until he reached one that he recognized, “English for Korean Natives.” He smiled to himself. He remembered Wooyoung shoving it back in the bookshelf that one day at the café. He was basically ecstatic that Wooyoung cared to learn.
Wooyoung walked into the living room with bottles of soju, sat next to Nichkhun and slid one across the table to him. Noticing the book in his hand he momentarily panicked.
“I just thought that if I knew English then I could communicate with you better.” He took a swig of soju and immediately regretted it as the alcohol seeped into this throat.
“Why don’t you ever speak in English with me? I’m sure you’re not that bad.” Nichkhun placed the book down and looked him dead in the eye.
“…because I don’t want to…yet…” Wooyoung looked back. He squared his jaw.
“Hmm.” Nichkhun moved his mouth to the side and raised an eyebrow
“What now?” Nichkhun noticed the way his mouth opened all crooked and he looked upset. His hair was still wet and he looked as if he was so tired he’d pass out right here, right now. But despite wanting to tell him to sleep and leaving his house he felt hesitant again. His body was glued to Wooyoung’s wooden floor and the awkward silence between them felt comfortable.
Without thinking further he leaned in and kissed Wooyoung’s upper lip.
“What…what are you doing?” Wooyoung moved back a little and placed his hands on the floor.
Nichkhun ignored him and kissed him again, taking his lips completely into his mouth and closing his eyes, for the brief moment he could…he hoped…he wished that Wooyoung would be receptive.
When Wooyoung felt his chest tighten and his breath hitch he knew he liked Nichkhun. When his head hit the floor and Nichkhun clumsily apologized and put his hand behind Wooyoung’s head so it wouldn’t happen again, Wooyoung knew he liked Nichkhun. When Nichkhun placed his hand on Wooyoung’s lips and whispered “I like you,” in a beautiful American accent, Wooyoung knew he liked Nichkhun. And when Wooyoung grabbed Khun’s face and pulled it close to kiss him better, Nichkhun knew that Wooyoung liked him too.