[5]

The penthouse of the exclusive condominium was much better as it gives the view of the Han river, with all the other magnificent and amazing places around Seoul. The morning breeze and the slight ray of sunshine peeked behind the curtains. The alarm clock on the headboard began to ring endlessly, and the owner slapped some sense into it to keep quiet.

It's a Saturday.

The broad and bared shoulders of Choi San blocked the ray of sunshine. He grabbed his boxers by the side of the bed, as he sleeps without anything on. He looked over the side of the bed, and smiled as soon as he saw what he wanted to see.

"Good morning, Byeol," he kissed his cat, as it purred away to take a longer nap than its owner.

San then went towards the kitchen, and started making a hearty and healthy breakfast. He checked his mails that were dropped on the mailbox. He looked at each and, while eating breakfast, paid his bills using his phone. He checked his work email account, then saw some messages from the admins about a new protocol, and some messages from his students. He took a sip of his apple juice and bit a large portion of his own take of BLT.

He then called his siblings as they were still jet-lagged from their trip to California. The doctors did everything they could, and had asked the family to be prepared for anything that can happen to their grandfather. Even so, when San saw him, he looked strong and fierce, just as how he remembered him. He looked lively as opposed to what he was expecting.

As San said to himself, "He looked at peace…"

As he was scrolling on his phone, he noticed an advertisement for a 50% off in all their coffee-based products.

"Oh, this is that café," San muttered. He looked at the time and it was just around 10 in the morning. He then went to MATZ café, with some things from school to secure a cubicle, as instructed by Wooyoung. What he didn't expect is that, he was there, sitting around the counter-top bar of the café. He also noticed that his friends, Yeosang and Jongho, were also there.

"Oi, Wooyoung," Hongjoong whispered, "That customer is looking at you."

Wooyoung turned around and looked, and as he saw him, he almost dropped his drink.

"Professor Choi," Wooyoung exclaimed. The statement made Hongjoong and Seonghwa turn and pause to finally see who Wooyoung has been telling them for weeks now.

San looked buff and fit, according to Seonghwa. He was wearing a white, ironed, long-sleeve button shirt, and jeans. He looked casual yet chic, and he was neat-looking.

"You didn't tell us he looked that good," Seonghwa whispered to Wooyoung, which made the latter blush with excitement.

"Welcome to MATZ café," Hongjoong then approached San, "We have a 50% off on our coffee-based drinks as a promo for the Lunar New Year. My name is Hongjoong, may I take your order?"

"Oh, um," San smiled and scratched the back of his head, "I just…well, can you recommend me the best seller, then?"

As Hongjoong was talking to San, Seonghwa was pushing Wooyoung to go to San.

"But, I don't know what to say?" Wooyoung kept whispering at Seonghwa while being pushed.

"Shut up, you know what to do in that situation!" Seonghwa whispered back.

Wooyoung then walked towards San and the two just stared at each other for what seemed like a century. They broke eye contact and giggled on their own.

"Oh come on, are you gonna order or not?" Hongjoong said in frustration.

"Hongjoong, honey, maybe we can invite Mr. Choi to have lunch with us? After all, Wooyoung, Yeosang, and Jongho are also here." Seonghwa put an arm on Hongjoong's shoulder and rubbed it to calm him down.

-0-

Hongjoong closed the store for lunchtime. They went to the third floor, where he and Seonghwa lives. The others were preparing the table, arranging the plates, and the like. What Hongjoong noticed was that, San was helping, and told Wooyoung to sit back and relax on the couch.

"Some egg rolls, bibimbap, oh, the ramyun, don't forget the ramyun," Seonghwa said, as he commanded where to put what. The whole scene was different than what anybody had expected, since the guest was the one doing the courtesy of helping out the owners of the house.

"Guys, let's eat!"

Since the only available seat was beside San, Wooyoung didn't have any much choice but to agree. They then started eating. Seonghwa was feeding Hongjoong as the latter was continuously chatting away with Yeosang and Jongho about the next branch of MATZ café will be built. Everyone was having a good time, until Seonghwa slightly looked at the couple on the other end of the table.

Wooyoung and San were feeding each other, were looking at each other, and were giggling at each other. It was as if they were in their own world, without caring what was happening in front of them.

It began to click on Seonghwa's point of view.

"You really look good together."

Seonghwa's intrusive thoughts won, and he blurted out what seemed to be the most shocking thing that everyone heard. Yeosang choke on his chicken wing, Jongho's eyes widened as he looked at Wooyoung and San, and lastly, Hongjoong tried his best not to spit his drink on his partner. The two who were commented on, did not say anything, just smiled and cleared their throats Wooyoung drank the glass of water, and San just ate a piece of bibimbap without looking up at Seonghwa.

"Sorry, it's just that-"

"Ah, seriously, jagiya, come here," Hongjoong said as he covered Seonghwa's mouth with his hands, "Please keep quiet."

They ate the food away, when suddenly San's phone began ringing. Thinking it was school, he brushed it off. However, it rang again, and saw an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Choi San?"

"Yes, what is it?"

San excused himself and went outside on the balcony.

"Wooyoung, stop staring so hard…" Yeosang exclaimed as he threw a crumpled tissue paper on his face.

"Stop that," Wooyoung laughed, and crumpled a piece of tissue, when suddenly, San opened the sliding door a bit too hard.

"San?"

"I have to go… um, hospital… need to go to the hospital…"

The faces of everybody just dropped, and Wooyoung stood.

"Do you want me to go, and accompany you?"

"Um, wait," San looked at everything that he has carried from earlier on, "Yeah, sure. Please stay with me, Wooyoung."

-0-

A weird feeling shook Wooyoung's core, as San was mumbling himself. He didn't want to ask why he needed to go to the hospital, and San's actions were making him nervous.

Once they had parked, San, waited for Wooyoung to come out of the car, before rushing towards the elevator door. They arrived at the ground floor, and rushed to the emergency wards.

San was right on time, as he heard someone calling his name.

"Lia!"

San rushed towards the girl who was on the hospital bed. Her face was bloodied as the cuts and wounds were deep. Her right arm was bandaged, then her left hand was full of glass shards. What's much more scary to look at were her legs. It was very clear to see as she was wearing white pants. The nurses were applying pressure on it.

The problem is, Wooyoung did not see any of it.

What he saw was San being relieved that she was alive and well, San telling the doctors and nurses to hurry her up for operation, and that San kissed the girl's forehead.

He was stunned and the supposedly sinking black hole that was suppressed from what happened with Yeonjun, began to burst. He grabbed his chest and tried to keep standing.

"Sir are you alright?"

A nurse went near him and grabbed his arm for support, but Wooyoung let go, and went towards the exit.

When Lia was inside the operating room, San turned around and called for Wooyoung.

Yet, he wasn't there.

He looked at the people sitting, around the reception area, and outside.

He then tried to call Wooyoung's phone, but the call ended.

"Wooyoung?