#solarade

they go along the lines of:

- hey, long time no talk (but who’s fault is that, really?) - have you been doing okay? a stupid question, better off unasked. - do you remember me? he’s almost impossible to forget, given the circumstances. next. - i hope life’s treating you well. but then again, does it ever? - it’s junha. let’s talk.

and of course, he goes ahead with the last.

jump to: 1:21PM.

he finds himself in a quaint cafe cozily tucked away in the corners of bustling seoul, the tap, tap, tap of his fingernails drumming against the mug in his hands.

this isn’t his scene. the fighting ring is—where he can convey feelings in the form of skin on skin instead of words that he’s never been good with in the first place. fighting? he can deal with. emotions? not so much. 

is this supposed to be an apology? somewhat. maybe.

junha’s never been one to apologise, though.

the seven years (give or take) of wear and tear on the both of them who’ve gone though god-knows-what were upheld with silence, and frankly, junha has no idea what to expect from their sudden reunion. the answer, oddly enough, is anti-climatic.

it takes a second for him to register the male that enters and sits across him as ryu taeho. the ryu taeho he supposedly used to know. (did you mean: a stranger?) 

most of all, junha doesn’t know how to feel. a mix of reliefguiltdreadpanic, perhaps.

so, he settles for a smile that barely conveys his feelings and stretches it thinly across his features—sticky and tight, a stark contrast to the thick unease that’s already settling between them. and god, he hopes he makes it out of this alive. words sit heavy on his tongue, a jumble of thoughts that never make it out into the open. it goes like, 

i’m sorry i’m sorry for leaving you when you needed me i’m sorry for not being there i’m sorry for not noticing i wish i could turn back time are you okay? i’m so glad you’re alive i’m so glad you’re here but what if what if what if, if we didn’t leave each other would any of this have happened?—

instead, he says, eyes dropping to his hands curled around the handle of the mug, “it’s been a while, taeho.”

i missed you. 

It’s quiet in the foyer, and Jongdae is up to his knees (literally) in soap suds while trying to clean out the last of the dog kennels. There’s a gentle thrumming on the roof, proof enough that it’s been drizzling on and off all day and explains the lack of influx today. It’s alright with Jongdae though, for he’s managed to get quite a lot done this morning and he feels oddly accomplished even though he sent a sick Minhye home earlier which left him to cover the morning alone. 

He finishes earlier than expected, and with a glance to the clock to find out that it was merely 1 in the afternoon, he grins to himself as he ushers a yipping Akita back into her kennel. “You’re such a good girl, aren’t you?” She responds with a happy yelp, nosing around his legs just before he lets himself out, stripping out of the yellow rubber gloves and wraps up the rest of his cleaning that he has left to do. 

The shelter is practically spotless by the time Jongdae finishes, and he tosses a used rag down behind the counter with a short sigh billowing past his lips. He’s tempted to take it easy for the rest of the day, as it appears as though no one has any thoughts of visiting an animal shelter when it’s raining--even if it is just drizzling--and frankly, he doesn’t blame them. 

So when the bell chimes ten minutes later and Jongdae is four seconds away from beating his highest score in Piano Tiles 2, he starts and nearly drops his phone in his rush to greet the new customer. He locks his phone and sets it under the counter before reaching up to fix his fringe, eyes bright (and guilty). 

we’re getting to know the mun! ➵ always accepting. 

┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴:  are you a people person or a loner?