Chapter 3: The poem's title is his name

The poem's title is his name

✿

Drowning in orange leaves, engulfed with the Autumn breeze, the city is still loud and busy as it always is. The morning sky was beautifully painted in blue, white clouds complimenting the pastel color around it. Noises from cars and buses, muffled chatterings, and loud footsteps from outside the café could be heard. The café was not so packed today, perhaps because it's already lunch time and it's usually just crowded during breakfast.

It's 12:05 in the afternoon, since it's not that filled with people inside, the owners' Lia and Soobin can relax and just sit down on a table together with Yeonjun who visited them. Soobin and Lia were talking, giggling and teasing each other like they always do. And Yeonjun, who really just wanted to stop by and eat in peace, would glance at them from time to time.

Lia stared at her ring, "Two years from now," she mumbled with a smile. Soobin loved the sight, Lia has always been so beautiful that he would lose track of time and end up staring at her with those loving eyes that hold so much adoration and sparkles for Lia.

Soobin gently held her hand and brushed his finger against the ring, "Two years from now, we'll get married," the boy smiled and Lia couldn't help but lean her head on Soobin's shoulder. "Yeah, but right now, I'm just so happy to be with you." Lia heaved a sigh of relief, she played with Soobin's finger while the boy just rested his cheek on top of Lia's head.

Yeonjun couldn't help but coo at the sight, he took a sip from his glass of water and grinned at them. "And I'm surprised that the both of you actually lasted this long," Yeonjun grabbed a piece of chocolate bread, "You two are always bickering and you always look like you're ready to pull each other's hair but I guess..." Yeonjun chuckled and ate his chocolate bread, "... that's your love language."

Soobin laughed at this and Lia sat up while giggling, "It's just fun to tease her, you know," Soobin pinched Lia's cheeks and the girl slapped his hand away with her eyebrows furrowed. Soobin cooed at the sight, "See," he pointed at Lia's face while looking at Yeonjun with the widest smile ever.

The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes, "You're unbelievable."

"Anyways," Yeonjun shook his head with a titter, "I'm happy for you, though," the elder said while smiling at Soobin. "I'm glad you're happy too," Yeonjun sounded like he was babying Soobin, the younger male chuckled at his words and nodded, "Thanks, Hyung."

Yeonjun would always baby his younger brother, Soobin. They always had each other's back even when they were still kids, they're pretty much best friends now, too. And seeing his only brother happy in the arms of someone who treats him right and with care, he can never ask for anything else. He may not always say it, but Soobin's happiness is his happiness as well.

"You're sounding so cheesy right now," Soobin teased him with his lips pouting, Yeonjun frowned, "Hey, I don't always say things like this so be happy that I'm still shameless around you."

Soobin laughed while nodding, "Yeah, yeah."

Then their laughs toned down a bit, the sounds of plates, spoons, and forks hitting each other echoed around the place. They continued eating, sharing smiles and chuckles in between. Until Soobin spoke once again, "Ah, right. By the way, Hyung."

Yeonjun looks at him, "What is it?"

"You told me that you asked he-who-shall-not-be-named for a closure," Soobin said while looking at the elder.

Yeonjun's eyes widened, "Hey, stop with that he-who-shall-not-be-named thing now," he pouted, this caused the younger male to laugh.

"What? You told us to never mention his name when you're around or you'll cry," Soobin teased again with a raised brow and a snicker escaping his lips.

"It's fine now, just stop calling him like that," Yeonjun rolled his eyes with a frown.

Lia chuckled and asked, "You talked to him?"

Yeonjun looked at her and nodded with a shrug, "I mean, I've been meaning to ask for it already, and since he was there, I just thought screw it and let's get this over with," he chuckled as he shook his head. He looked down on his half-empty plate.

He was a little drunk that night, but he could still remember everything-it was all so vivid, so true. He could still recall that yellow and black striped shirt that Beomgyu wore, how he looked so fluffy in his gray hoodie too. He could still remember the sight of Beomgyu's wide eyes and cheeks flushed red when they were talking to each other.

It was all so agonizingly vivid and he longed to see it again.

"I've been meaning to ask too," Soobin's voice broke his train of thoughts, Yeonjun looks up, "Ask what?" He raised a brow.

"Why did you ask for a closure?"

Yeonjun pursed his lips as he tilted his head, he breathed in deep while looking for an answer. Why did he ask for a closure? Because we needed it. Yes, generally, because they needed it. But there must be another reason, I wanted us to treat each other comfortably again and push back the past.

"Because..." he shifted into a more comfortable position, "I wanted to," Yeonjun smiled.

"I want us to act comfortable around each other again, I want to just push away the past as long as we've learned from it," Yeonjun held his glass of water and stared at it, "I don't want him to be caged inside the past forever."

Silence. A comforting one. The kind of peace and quiet that one would crave for when everything gets overwhelming. Away from the world's neverending noise. The kind of silence that's there at two in the morning.

"Do you still... you know?" Soobin randomly asked, the question caught Yeonjun off guard.

Yeonjun chuckled, "I thought we were over with this topic?" he shook his head.

Lia smacked Soobin's arm causing the boy to frown and rub the part that Lia hit. "What was that for?" Soobin whispered with furrowed brows, "Just shut up," Lia whispered back and glared at him.

"And I told myself that... for a little longer, within a few more years," Yeonjun leaned against his seat and sighed, "it'll all be about him. Himself. Just about him." Yeonjun smiled.

"The poem's title is his name."

✿

Nighttime.

The sky was drowning in darkness, no stars were to be seen, the moon was hiding behind the clouds, but the city lights were the substitute for the stars' absence tonight.

Beomgyu sighed and buried his slightly shivering hands inside his gray jacket's pockets. He was quietly walking on the hospital's empty hallways, there would be some patients passing by him-there would be doctors and nurses crossing paths with him as well.

With a few more steps, he finally reached the exit. The doors automatically slid open and he walked out. A gust of cold wind came greeting him, his bangs being pushed back a little as he shivered a bit.

Small steps.

Beomgyu was walking by the side that had a lineup of orange trees, their leaves shuddering as well with the wind passing by them. There were also benches but most of them were empty, many of them were occupied by the dead leaves that had lost their grips on the branches.

All except for one bench.

"Huening Kai?"

The called boy perks up, he was pulling his coat closer to him to feel more warmth. His hair was a bit messy, probably because of the wind, and there was a cup of caramel frappuccino beside him.

"Beomgyu Hyung?" Huening Kai squinted his eyes, "It's been a while..." he said before smiling.

They were now sitting beside each other on one bench, numerous cars and buses passing by them at such a late evening night. It was cold as well, it made them shiver a bit. But the scenery, the orange leaves, the tall trees-they were all so beautiful that it made the cold night worth it.

"Why were you at the hospital?" Asked Huening Kai while fidgeting with his pretty fingers.

Beomgyu leaned against the seat, "My friends told me to have a check up because they thought I was sick from all the working I did, they're overreacting," he shook his head with a smile, "I guess it's because I skip my meals often to work and I sometimes have trouble falling asleep that's why I always wake up late."

A sigh.

Huening Kai rubbed his back, "You shouldn't be overworking yourself, you know. Your health still comes first."

Beomgyu smiled at him, everyone seemed to be saying the same thing. He's already memorized every word. It was the same reminder all the time but he doesn't know why he can't apply it to himself. He always forgets.

"All of you are saying the same thing," Beomgyu chuckles.

Huening Kai laughs as well, "Maybe because you need a constant reminder."

Beomgyu nodded while looking down, "I guess. I always forget about that."

"See," the younger male sighed and pats his back, "If there's anyone you shouldn't forget, it's yourself."

Then there was silence again. A sudden wave of tranquility amidst a conversation full of heavy hearts and deep sighs.

"Why are you out here, anyway? It's cold, you'll get sick," Beomgyu suddenly tells him with a raised brow while staring at him. Kai just brushed it off and shrugged, "I'm always here. I'm waiting for Taehyun."

"Taehyun? Why? Where is he?" Beomgyu looked around, where could Taehyun possibly be that Kai has to wait for him this late?

"He's been busy. You know, typical doctors. Well, soon to be," Kai chuckled and heaved a sigh. He leaned against the bench too as he looked up at the empty sky.

"Oh," Beomgyu nodded, Taehyun's going to be a doctor. He almost forgot about that. It's been so long.

"But aren't you tired of waiting here? It's cold," Beomgyu asked again, his face creased with worry.

Kai smiled while looking down at the piles of orange and dried leaves on the street, "It's okay. I'm willing to wait for him. This coldness will fade once he's here," he chuckled at his own words.

"Didn't you say to choose yourself...?" Beomgyu was confused, Kai looked at him-he stared at the elder for a while before breathing in, "But I am."

Beomgyu tilted his head, "What?"

Kai shook his head while laughing, "You'll understand once you're there."

What? Beomgyu blinked, he just sighed and leaned back on the bench again. He watched the cars as they passed by on the busy road.

"So..." Kai trailed off, Beomgyu faced him and tilted his head, "So... what?"

"If it's okay to ask," Kai releases a snicker, "How's it going between you and Yeonjun Hyung?"

Beomgyu stares at him, his lips slightly parted, and his heart skipping a beat at the mention of that familiar name.

The little one shrugged and sighed, "We're okay. We have... closure? Yeah," he chuckled and bit his lip.

The younger titled his head with a raised a brow, he looked at Beomgyu, "Why don't you sound happy?"

Beomgyu's eyes widened, "What? I am," he straightened his back as he breathed, "How can you even say that..."

"I don't know," Kai leaned forward and rested his hands on his thighs, "I can just feel it. You're a really bad liar."

"No," Beomgyu pouted as he looked at Kai, "I am happy."

"Yeah and there's a pink crow," Kai rolled his eyes with a snicker.

"I think the cold has gotten to you," Beomgyu huffs and pulls his hoodie over his head.

"Oh, come on," Kai laughs out loud, Beomgyu suddenly realizes that it's been a while since he last heard Kai's loud laugh. It caused him to laugh too.

"This is what happens when you stay under this cold weather," Beomgyu slightly pushes his hoodie back to look at Kai who was still trying to hold his laughter in.

"Nah," Kai shakes his hands, "if it's for the person you love, then why not? You're willing to do almost everything for them, it's what love is and I'm okay with it," he smiles, "because love is Taehyun."

Beomgyu tried to sink what the younger had said in, everything? Isn't that scary? Doing everything for the person you love. Even the most painful thing, you're willing to do that. Isn't that scary?

"That's..." Beomgyu looks at him with a small smile, "That's actually quite scary... doing everything for them. You'll never know what you'd do for them... it can be anything. Aren't you scared of that?" he asked with genuineness.

Kai sighs, "The fear will never leave, but Taehyun is all the assurance I'll ever need. If it's worth lasting, then it will be."

"Set the fears aside, you'll never feel the love if you keep worrying about those what ifs. Just love," Kai patted Beomgyu's back with a smile. Huening Kai just filled him with words he never knew were there.

Those words were trying to snap him out of his chains. The chains that had him tied so tightly for a long time. And Beomgyu breathes out with a smile.

Beomgyu stood up and grabbed Kai's hand, he was cold and this worried Beomgyu. So, he placed a hot compress on his cold hand with a smile. "At least keep yourself warm," Beomgyu chuckled, "Say hi to Taehyun for me, it was nice talking to you again," he smiled and walked away.

Huening Kai watched him walk away, he looked down at the hot compress in his hand and slowly placed it on his cheek-it was warm, the stark opposite of this weather.

And Beomgyu just continued walking away without looking back.

Just love.

❀ Bloom Again ❀