33 DAYS → MEANIE

JANUARY 10

JANUARY 10-
10:25

Mingyu went back to the University that morning. He was actually supposed to go back the day before, but he insisted that it was okay. Wonwoo didn't think that it was okay for him to be missing a day, but he listened to Mingyu because he trusted Mingyu.

Wonwoo woke up when Mingyu woke up to leave, but once Mingyu was gone, all of his energy felt drained. Wonwoo went back to bed and didn't wake up again until it was almost sunset. He didn't understand why he was so tired. Wonwoo kept telling himself it was probably the cold, but deep down inside, he knew it wasn't the cold; he just didn't know what it was.

The sun rose, and the sun fell. Wonwoo looked around the empty apartment at five in the evening. The sun set early that day, mainly because it was winter; the sun always set early in winter. He turned on the lights around the house and noticed the missing Christmas tree. Wonwoo thought the tree had been up until the previous day. Maybe Mingyu took down the tree last night when Wonwoo went to bed, or maybe he took it down in the morning when Wonwoo first woke up.

He sat down on the sofa in front of the television and stared at the blank screen. His body was aching, and he felt so sluggish as he moved around the house that day. Wonwoo felt himself lean to the side slowly and rest his head on the bottom of the sofa cushion. He laid down on the sofa limply, his eyes fluttering as he exhaled softly. His eyes gazed at the blank screen and focused on the reflection of the windowsill were the daisy sat.

Wonwoo still felt very tired, but the daisy gave him just a little bit of energy. It was enough energy for him to push himself off the sofa, walk over to the windowsill, and bend down too lock eyes with the peaceful daisy.

Its petals were as white as ever, the remaining four petals trembling as the wind outside shook the house. For the first time that day, Wonwoo realized the rainy weather outside, and frowned. Where was the winter? Where was the snow? Did it leave when Mingyu went back to Uni?

The daisy seemed to have the answers. Wonwoo looked helplessly at the daisy and suddenly smiled. The daisy was right; everything was fine. He just had to smile, and all would be good. Wonwoo just had to keep smiling.

Wonwoo didn't know how long he had been smiling at the daisy for. Mingyu entered the apartment in that time and caught the shorter boy just staring and smiling at the daisy with four measly petals. Mingyu cleared his throat, and Wonwoo turned to face him, the petal count on the daisy turning to three.

"You look exhausted," Mingyu pointed out quietly as Wonwoo stumbled over to him.

"I feel exhausted," Wonwoo nodded and hugged Mingyu.

"Are you okay? How long did you sleep today?"

"Um," Wonwoo mumbled. "Just several minutes ago."

Wonwoo looked up to see a slight frown on Mingyu's face. Wonwoo smiled at the taller boy, the frown immediately disappearing off Mingyu's face. Mingyu cupped Wonwoo's cheeks and planted a light kiss on his forehead, Wonwoo feeling the kiss through his bangs.

The two walked out of the living room and into the bedroom, Mingyu leaving his shoes, backpack, and jacket at the door. Both he and Wonwoo flopped onto the bed, exhaustion consuming their lungs and minds. Wonwoo and Mingyu both reached out for each other and hugged each other tightly and passionately. Mingyu pressed his nose into the crook of Wonwoo's neck, his light breathing tickling Wonwoo. Wonwoo shivered as Mingyu cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"Hey," Mingyu whispered throatily.

"Yeah?"

"Sing for me," Mingyu requested.

"What should I sing?" Wonwoo asked.

"Anything," Mingyu snuggled closer into Wonwoo's warmth.

Wonwoo cleared his throat. It had been a while since he had actually sung seriously. He hadn't warmed up his throat or anything, so he really had hoped that his voice wouldn't crack or sound flat. He took a small breath and hummed softly before he let his vocals resonate through the bedroom and the halls of the apartment. His honey voice drowned out the sound of the wind outside, and it consumed the two of them just as the exhaustion once had.

Wonwoo had sung the song of the violinist. He didn't realize that he had know the lyrics, but he somehow recollected them. He sang just as wonderfully, just as passionately as the violinist had that day. His vibrato faded out similarly to the final note the violinist played, and the same tears from that day rolled down Wonwoo's cheeks. He let the song end, and he pushed his face into Mingyu's hair, his breathing rugged and short.

Wonwoo caught his breath after a moment of air, and he wiped his tears away on the duvet underneath him and Mingyu. He took in another shaky breath, Mingyu exhaling into Wonwoo's neck again; Mingyu hadn't fallen asleep just yet although Wonwoo thought he had.

"Mingyu."

"Yes, darling."

"Thank you for the puppies yesterday," Wonwoo wanted to thank Mingyu in general, but his words changed last minute since his mind did as well.

"What puppies?"

Wonwoo paused. He clearly remembered holding the chocolate puppy the day before. He cleared his throat again and said, "The brown puppies from yesterday."

"There were no brown puppies, Wonwoo," Mingyu sighed and moved on the bed just a little bit as he shook his head. "It was probably another dream."

Wonwoo was confused. He thought back to the day before, but he also couldn't help but think that it was also a dream. Wonwoo had slept for so long that day that maybe the puppies were a dream; he could never have mustered the courage to pet a dog anyways.

"I guess you're right again," Wonwoo sighed.