As Plawan was about to turn and walk away, Chef Oab's voice pierced through the heavy air, stopping him in his tracks.
"That's the word I was waiting to hear from you."
Plawan froze, his heart racing. Slowly, he turned to see the alpha now facing him, his intense gaze fixed on him. "W-what?" Plawan stammered, his heart flipping inside his chest at the sight of Chef Oab's face, a face that held so many memories and emotions.
"'Sorry.' I've been waiting to hear that since then," Chef Oab continued, his voice quieter but no less firm. "Even when I placed an order in your restaurant, all you ever said was, 'Here's your order,' as if none of it mattered."
Plawan was speechless, the weight of Chef Oab's words crashing down on him. His throat tightened as he realized how much the alpha had been holding in all this time. "I-I didn't know... I thought you hated me," Plawan whispered, his voice shaking with emotion.
Chef Oab sighed deeply, the stern look on his face softening just a fraction. "I'll give you one last chance," he said slowly, stepping closer to Plawan. "One last chance to taste granita made by me. But mind you, this is the last, Plawan. If you betray—"
Before Oab could finish, Plawan interrupted, his words tumbling out in a rush, his voice filled with desperation. "I'm sorry, Chef! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Please, believe me, all of it was real. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Chef!" His voice cracked as he choked back more tears, his entire body trembling.
When Chef Oab heard Plawan's apologies, something deep inside him shifted, as if a long-buried pain had finally been unearthed. His hands trembled slightly, though he kept them steady as he listened to the omega's frantic words. He had waited so long to hear that one word—"sorry"—and now that it was out, it felt both liberating and suffocating.
But then, when Plawan stammered out that he had never loved anyone as much as him, everything inside Oab came crashing down.
At first, his mind screamed at him to stop, to think. Plawan already has someone. Kluea's face flashed in his mind, clear as day, and with it, the image of little Buea, the innocent baby who had already wormed his way into Oab's heart with his wide eyes and innocent curiosity. They're a family now. He's moved on. That was the logical truth, the reality Oab had been trying to accept.
But as Plawan's confession echoed in his ears, all of that began to fade. The resentment, the jealousy, the anger he had carried—those emotions dulled under the weight of the words "You were the only one."
His mind wavered. The wall he had carefully built around himself to keep Plawan out was crumbling. A part of him wanted to hold on to that bitterness, to remind himself that Plawan had chosen someone else, that he wasn't needed anymore. But hearing the omega's soft, desperate confession brought back all those memories they shared—the love, the warmth, the connection that had once been so strong.
Could it really have all been a lie? Could he really move on from this, knowing that deep down, Plawan still loved him?
As he stood there, staring at Plawan's tear-streaked face, Oab felt the weight of his next words pressing down on him. He was at a crossroads. He could push Plawan away and walk back into the life he'd convinced himself was better, safer. But as much as he tried to force that thought into his mind, it didn't feel right. Not anymore.
Plawan's voice trembled, his words full of sincerity and pain. Oab's defenses shattered.
You were the only one.
In that moment, something snapped. The logic, the rationality, the walls he had built to protect himself—they all crumbled. All he could see now was Plawan, standing there, vulnerable and full of remorse. All Oab could feel was the love he had tried so hard to bury, surging back with a force that left him breathless.
