The day Joo Jaekyung realized he loved Kim Dan

SERIES FINALE, PART 2: The Emperor of the Ring, and the King of his Heart

As he ran and the rain poured down on him, he tried to call Dan on his phone, but they weren't going through. Dan must be in the apartment, he surely wasn't out in the middle of this rain, specially knowing how much he hated the feeling he always got from the cold water from the storms. Sure, he didn't mind a cold shower, but funny enough he always drew the line at rain. He needed to find him, confess everything, and find out if he felt the same. He already had the "no", even if he didn't wanted it, so what else was there to lose besides his sanity?

He ran. He was pushing people, pushing signs and he didn't care for the traffic: all he wanted was Dan. Inspired by Namwook's words, he practiced on the way, trying to find the perfect words to tell him, but he has never been good with them. 

"Dan, I like... I like... Fuck." He complained. Words were Daehyun's strength, not his. Should he tell him about what he thought when they met? What he felt? Well, sure, he had to tell him how he felt, but how? How to put into words something he can't explain at all? Dan made him feel a lot of things, and even if he had the need to share it, the idea of using the wrong words was killing him softly.

Once he reached the apartment complex, he groaned softly. Why did he had to live in the penthouse? He's a superstar, for sure, a champion and only deserved the best, but at that moment he was regretting it so much. He ran inside the building, ignoring the receptionist and security guard in the entrance when they called out to him: he had more important things to deal with than whatever they needed. The elevator ride lasted what it seemed was a century, tapping on the floor with his foot while he was trying to calm his anxiety down. It wasn't too late yet, right? Dan must be at home, he must be waiting for him as always, but what if he wasn't? Why wouldn't he pick up the phone? He kept on calling, over and over, but no one answered. He couldn't have blocked him, right? Or maybe he took it serious... No! He was at home, waiting for him... right?

"Dan!" He hollered as soon as he burst into the apartment. Quiet. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the rain hitting on the huge windows in his house. "Dan! Come here, I need to tell you something!" He screamed, running to the empty living room.

He obsessively checked the kitchen, pool, gym, the rooms, the closet, and the bathrooms: he was alone again in that apartment. No, no, no, no, no. He checked again on Dan's room, see at least if his things were there as he completely missed that small detail the first time he checked for being so focused in finding him there, or if he already left forever. Bursting again, he looked at the perfectly made bed; nothing weird, Dan always made his bed like that since he moved in. He opened the drawers violently, finding his clothes there; everything was still there, but that brought another question: Where is Dan? He called him again, waiting for an answer and soon enough he got it.

"Dan! Where are you?"

"I... was about to ask the same to you..."

"I'm at the apartment, we need to talk."

"We... we do." Dan sniffed. "It's just that I don't know where I am, sir..."

"What do you... what do you mean you don't know? You've lived here your whole life, Dan." He sighed. "What do you see around you?"

"It started raining and... I think I ended up in Banpo Bridge."

"Stay there, I'm on my way. And cover your head."

Jaekyung ran outside the apartment after hanging up the phone. Banpo Bridge. That wasn't that far, but in the complete opposite direction of where he went when he first left the apartment. The streets were cleared out from pedestrians as the rain got heavier, and he wasn't planning on leaving Dan in the rain any longer. He went as fast as possible to the garage of the building, feeling the anxiety running all over his body as he was reaching the door handle.