The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 2

325 🩺 Broken Hearts & broken Dreams

Putting himself on a bus, and getting himself to the café was possibly one of the hardest, and most nerve wracking things Yeosang had done in a long time.

With his heart at stake, he felt incredibly underprepared for whatever he was about to face.

And the moment he opened the door to the small café and spotted the boy that had broken his heart from across the room, he suddenly regretted coming by himself - not to have Hongjoong with him, but for afterwards, when he had a feeling he would be left broken with his heart shattered.

Jongho looked so incredibly homely, dressed smartly yet casually, with his hands in his pockets as he leant against the wall.

He looked like comfort and safety...

But he also looked like pain and heartache.

Swallowing back the lump in his throat, he reminded himself that he could do this. He wanted to give the boy an opportunity to fess up... He wanted to put his faith in him, and make the sickening texts he had received that morning, not hurt as badly...

But he also didn't want to show just how much he hurt. Call it a weakness, or even a poor choice, but he wasn't feeling particularly forthcoming with trusting him with his heart, and the finer emotions that coursed through it.

Walking over to him, as Jongho glanced up and his eyes fell upon him, they filled instantly with affection. His lips pulled into a magnificent smile, and his whole aura lightened...

It pushed Yeosang to the verge of tears.

Jongho immediately swept forward and pulled him into a tight hug, but as he went to peck him on the lips, Yeosang couldn't stomach it and turned his head slightly, letting his lips plant down on his cheek instead.

Not that Jongho seemed to notice.

'Sang-ah, baby. I've missed you so much,' he breathed, reaching up and trailing the backs of his fingers down his temple. 'I'm so sorry,' he breathed.

Yeosang's heart suddenly filled with hope. Those were the words he was praying for... The words that would make everything okay again...

'... I have been so busy and I've been helping mom with the business and time is just flying.'

His heart had risen, only to be left to fall, shattering into a thousand more pieces than before.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he moved away from his touch, stepping out of his arms. 'Wow... So you really are just going to ignore it.'

He watched in utter pain as Jongho's brows pulled together in confusion. 'Ignore what?'

Feeling his eyes prickle, Yeosang pressed his finger into the tip of his own nose - a trick he'd learned years ago from Wooyoung to stop yourself from sneezing, or more appropriately, crying.

He dropped his hand.

'Jong-ah, I go days without hearing from you, weeks without seeing you... and that's fine - I get that,' he said, keeping his voice steady. 'I get that, because I've been doing nights, and you're studying and have classes, and I have catch up classes, and we have our own lives and families... We're busy.'

Yeosang noticed the café staff glancing at them, and bit into his lip solemnly. 'Can we maybe sit... For a moment?' he asked one softly.

Something about the look the young waitress gave him, said that she suspected what was going on. She nodded, giving him a small encouraging smile, and as Yeosang thanked her and took Jongho's wrist, leading him to a table where no one would interrupt them, only then did the boy's face register concern...