Healing

XXXVII - results

Sorry for missing the update last week; work has been so hectic. I just want to retire. 

Bel, xx

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Without noticing it, the weeks fly by, and suddenly, they are in May. The results of the contest came out at noon but Jinyoung had purposely avoided checking his email or the website. He promised Jaebeom that on the day the results were out, he'd wait to see them with him. Now Jinyoung regrets that promise as he works his shift at the café, his mind constantly wondering if he magically made it to the finalists at the very least. His most logical side tells him that it's impossible he'd get anything on his first try, but with Jaebeom's constant praise, Jinyoung dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, he could've struck some prize.

The hours drag on the whole afternoon until he can finally clock out. This time, it is Jinyoung the one heading to Jaebeom's workplace. Photographer Go has her studio in a four-storey building in Apgunjeong Rodeo, so it takes about twenty minutes for Jinyoung to make it there. He makes sure to buy an iced Americano for himself and an iced latte for Jaebeom before he texts his boyfriend that he's outside. The older man messaged him while Jinyoung was on his way, saying he was just finishing a few last things and he'll be free. Doing the maths, he should be done by now.

Almost immediately, Jaebeom replies:

Okay! 5 minutes and I'll be out

Jinyoung only sends him a sticker with an evident OK and he just waits there watching the people walking by and drinking his coffee with small sips. With May close to be over, the temperatures have increased constantly and the humidity often becomes a bit suffocating. Thankfully, today the humidity is low and in the evening the temperatures have dropped to a nice degree. Jinyoung looks at the sky as he thinks that in no time showers will be a constant problem and that he should start carrying an umbrella.

He's so into his thoughts that he doesn't notice the moment Jaebeom comes out of the building until the older man is in front of him.

"Hi there," Jaebeom grins. "Is that one for me?" he asks, pointing to the iced latte in his left hand.

Jinyoung smiles and nods, handing him the cup.

"Thank you," he says as he grabs the cup, but with his other hand, he takes Jinyoung by the back of his neck and pulls him in until he can kiss him. "Much better."

Jinyoung only scrunches up his nose at him as he pulls back, taking another sip of his own drink. He doesn't want to say out loud how he loves that Jaebeom is always like that, never caring that people might see them or other things that sometimes rile Jinyoung with anxiety.

"You haven't checked the website yet, right?" Jaebeom asks him next, holding his free hand and starting to walk towards the station.

"I promised we'd do it together," Jinyoung sighs, faking annoyance.

"Good boy."

Jinyoung laughs and bumps his shoulder as they walk, just making Jaebeom also laugh with him.

"Don't be patronising," Jinyoung complains, but honestly, he doesn't really mind. "You're barely like eight months older, only."

"A whole lifetime," the older man dramatises and Jinyoung gives up, only shaking his head.

The younger man doesn't need to ask where they are heading; it's obvious that it's to his home. One day, when he was at Jaebeom's place, they were talking about the contest when his mother heard them and asked about it, getting really interested in the matter. That was the day Jinyoung promised to only check the results with Jaebeom, at his place so they could all have dinner together and celebrate in the best case. If that wasn't the case, then they'd be together. It's perfectly okay with Jinyoung; he truly loves spending time at his boyfriend's house, his mother almost acting like his own mother, too, caring about him, wishing him a good day the next morning on those nights he says over (which happens more often than he'd like to admit).