𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑳𝑬 𝑲𝑰𝑺𝑺𝑬𝑺 | WOOSAN ✔️

Chapter Seven

SAN

•••

Chapter Seven:

"Wooyoung...you've always been my home...one that I couldn't bear to be away from any longer..."

As much as I didn't want to admit it, it was the truth. Ever since we were children, I felt a sense of comfort and completeness around him. It almost as if we were magnets to one another, unable to stay apart for long until we would be right back next to each other. It didn't help that both of our parents were neighbors and good friends, allowing us nothing but time to get closer and closer. Leaving to go abroad at first was an impulsive decision, and I learned quickly how much that decision affected me.

There were nights where I couldn't sleep, tempted to try and reach out to him for even the simplest of conversation. I knew it would be futile, but it was painfully obvious how much Wooyoung had grown on me, almost becoming a fiber of my entire being. Whether it was friendship or something more, I couldn't tell at the time, but I knew that he was someone I needed to have back in my life no matter what.

Wooyoung stared at me for a moment before rolling his eyes and laughing loudly. "Wow, did you learn how to smooth talk while overseas or something?"

"Maybe...is it working?" I innocently teased.

"Not at all..." He muttered, his cheeks betraying his words as he looked down at his fingers.

Seeing him like this was endearing, a side of him I hadn't seen before. Back in high-school, there were times when I would catch him blushing or staring at me occasionally, but I never paid too much attention to it. Out of all of our friends, we were considered to be more affectionate towards each other to the point it was normal to us. However, now knowing how he used to feel about me, it only made those fleeting moments mean more. It was something I would want to see again and again, nothing but pure happiness radiating off him when he's around me.

Everything about him was nothing but pure beauty, from his outer appearance to his inner personality...all of it.

"San...did you hear me?"

Blinking my eyes, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. With a nervous laugh, I internally hoped he didn't catch me staring at him for too long. "Sorry...I missed your question. What did you say?"

Wooyoung sighed dramatically before asking again. "I was asking you more about your grandparents and this company you agreed to take over...do you know anything about it?"

"Well...I know that they apparently run one of the major financial companies here in Seoul..." I paused. "However, before my parents died, I really didn't know anything about them. They kept their distance from us, but I know that they are on my father's side of family."

"Hmm, alright."

A smile grew on my face as I leaned against the table, resting my head on my folded hands. "I think we diverted enough already Wooyoung...ask me what you really want to know."

On cue, the blush returned to his cheeks as he bit his lip nervously. "Okay...I guess I want to know...why didn't you reach out to me then...? If you felt this way about me, why didn't you try and tell me?"

"I heard you had a boyfriend and I didn't want to impose..." I answered quietly.

Wooyoung's eyes grew wide. "How did you know I had a boyfriend?"

"That was all because of Jongho. I have no reason to lie to you."

"Of course he would tell you that..."He muttered, "...stupid Choi's..."

"Don't blame him," I smiled. "I was the one who asked about you, and once I heard that, I decided to leave you alone."

Wooyoung nodded slowly, his face slowly growing slightly somber. "Well, that's old news now. I no longer have anyone..."

Seeing the switch in moods brought me back to when I heard him crying in the shower earlier, my heart breaking at the sound of it. With tentative care, I cleared my throat. "...did something happen tonight?"

He stared at the bowl silently for a minute before nodding slowly. "I ended things with him..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want-"

"His name was Minjun, and he was abusive and toxic. Cheated on me all the time and degraded me as if it was nothing, but I ignored it for a while and dealt with it because I love him." He stopped for second before correcting himself, "I loved him...but that ended the moment I walked out his door."

I could see tears dropping from his eyes onto his hoodie sleeves and instantly felt anger. "Where is his place...?"

Wooyoung's head snapped up at me, hesitation evident in his eyes. "W-What?"

With a rough push of a chair back, I stood up from my seat casually and made my way over to kitchen table for my car keys. "His place, Wooyoung. Where is his place?"

Wooyoung instantly stood up from his own chair and rushed over to me, quickly wrapping his arms around my waist. "San, please no! I don't want you doing anything, it's not worth it!"

"Bullshit. I just want to have a little chat with him. He hurt you." I said angrily, ignoring the warmth filling my chest as I felt his arms hold tighter while walking toward the door.

"P-Please...don't..."

I paused in my tracks, hearing his voice sound broken and fragile. Realizing how much he was hurting, I took a deep breath before pulling him away from me. His face was full of tears, and my heart broke even more at the sight of him in such pain.

Gently wiping his face with my thumb, I pressed a kiss to his forehead before pulling him back into my embrace, which he genuinely reciprocated. "It's alright Woo...you can let it out...I'm here okay?"

"It's Woonie..."

My breath hitched in my throat, and with a slight pull away from him just enough to see his face, I looked at him with slight confusion. "W-What did you just say...?"

Through the tears, he smiled and repeated the words again in a hushed yet gentle voice. "It's Woonie...you can call me that again Sannie... You earned it..."

"Are you sure...? I don't want you to rush anything, as I still need to do more to get that back..."

Without answering, he pulled me back into a hug and held me close, burying his face into my neck while letting out a small giggle. "Don't make me take it back..."

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I pressed another kiss on his forehead. "Never..."