Sun & Moon

SEVENTY ONE

"Jiyeon, there's no way you'll manage making this every day. You're a commoner now," Heiran says, crumbs of cake falling out her mouth. "I mean, lavender honey is nice and all, but it's going to be hard for you on your own."

"Honestly, she's right," Doyoung says, glancing at the table distastefully. He had been hoping Jiyeon's cafe would consist of more typical food. Instead, an assortment of anything with sugar sits in front of him, just begging to be chucked aside. He pushes the small slice of cake away from him with his fork. "This is too extravagant."

Jiyeon crosses her arms, casting a deadly stare towards the menu. The three are sitting together at a dark, scratched-up wood table. Orange sunlight drifts through the window beside them as Jiyeon forces her friends to taste-test some menu items she has devised.

Doyoung watches his friend bite her fingernails. He had initially thought that someone like Jiyeon would easily adapt to her new lifestyle. But some of her tastes still linger, judging from the green leather chair she leans back in and her Valentino heels scratching against the exotic rug on the floor. Although Doyoung had suggested buying second-hand furniture, Jiyeon inherently leaned more towards items that were blatantly not meant for a cafe.

"It's alright," Jiyeon had said. "I'll just sell one of my cars if I need to. As long as I don't reach the point where I have to get rid of my bags. Or shoes."

But then Doyoung and Heiran had entered the cafe, seeing an assortment of menu items more suitable for tea with the British queen. "This one is Italian lemon with homemade lemon curd and limoncello buttercream," Jiyeon had said giddily.

"So just lemon?" Heiran asked quizzically.

"I still like vanilla," Doyoung murmured.

Now, Heiran daintily wipes her mouth with a napkin, after letting out a massive burp. "I think this is delicious, Jiyeon," she says pleasantly, pulling a plate of macarons towards her. "But you're not even hiring anyone yet. You can't prepare this every day. Maybe start with sandwiches."

"Yes," Doyoung says. "Not cake."

Doyoung feels extremely calm. Not necessarily better, but there is an inexpressible feeling of stability. He takes a sip of the coffee Jiyeon had made for him and stares at the table in disgust.

Jiyeon continues to look intently towards the food as if it will give her the answers she needs. "But sandwiches are so boring," she slowly drawls out. "Anyone can make that."

"Which is why it's a good place for you to start," Heiran gently replies.

Doyoung was not surprised when he found out that Jiyeon and Heiran had become close friends. They're quite similar: both are obnoxiously annoying. But they have their differences too. Jiyeon is like an art piece, elegant and chic. She had been raised that way from birth, and those traits will never leave even after she separates from her family. Heiran is more like the beauty you find in nature, something more familiar yet equally appreciated. Both her parents were the first to go to college and then became successful, giving their daughter a more comfortable life. Heiran's rise to wealth only continues as she and her fiance resume that legacy.

As he watches the two converse with one another, he finds his heart settling. It initially happens without him even realizing it, but then he knows it as it gets stronger. It's like being dipped in cool water after a hot summer's day, maybe even with an ice cream bar in hand. There's only contentment at the very pit of his stomach, and he comes to a realization so painfully obvious, he thinks himself quite stupid for not thinking it before.

"Doyoung?" Jiyeon asks, a slightly worried expression on her face.

"Falling asleep? Hello, it's gal pal time, why aren't you participating?" Heiran continues, waving a hand in front of his face.

Doyoung blinks in response before narrowing his eyes at the latter speaker. "Very funny," he remarks.

Heiran shakes her head disapprovingly, making a "tsk tsk" noise with her tongue as she does so. "We were talking about when Jiyeon should open. Aren't you going to Jeju soon? I was saying she should have the grand opening after you come back."

"You don't need to wait for me."

"Of course I do," Jiyeon says, her tone strict yet playful. "After all you've done for me? I plan on baking a gargantuan cake with your face on it."

Doyoung grimaces, but the familiar feeling of peace and comfort washes over him again. He recognizes how lucky he is, to have these people care for him. He had been so out of it, replaying the betrayal from his youth and now, over and over again in his head. But he has reunited with his mother now and has friends who truly want the best for him.

Maybe it's time for him to show as much effort as they have.

"Okay," Doyoung gradually replies. "As long as it's vanilla."

He thinks a bit more about what Taeyong had told him.

You're not the first person I've liked, so it only makes sense that you're not the last either.

Doyoung thinks that maybe the same should apply to himself. Maybe Taeyong shouldn't be the last person he's ever loved. Maybe he should redirect it towards those who have been loving him all this time: his friends and family. He sighs a bit, mentally scolding himself for having the emotional intelligence of a pubescent teenager.

Moving on is hard. Doyoung doesn't think he can just stop loving Taeyong. After all, he's tried it before, and it didn't work. But he knows that he doesn't necessarily need to stop loving others. He smiles to himself a bit, thinking that Jiyeon's life lessons have really been rubbing off on him.

"Oh my God, did you see that?" Heiran suddenly squeals.

Doyoung's eyes snap up in confusion. He looks at the two girls, bewildered.

"I did, I did!" Jiyeon replies with similar enthusiasm. "I can't believe it, do you think we should have gotten a picture?"

"What in the world are you two talking about?" Doyoung asks, already feeling drained.

"You smiled," Heiran says, a bright grin glued to her face. "It's been forever since you did that."

Doyoung blinks in hesitancy before apologetically casting his eyes back down. He had not known the extent to which his friends worried over him. He realizes they had been paying very close attention to him, keeping an eye out on his every action.

"Sorry," he says, "for troubling you. I'm alright, so you don't need to worry anymore."

Jiyeon smiles, one corner of her mouth raised slightly higher than the other. "That's good to know. But don't apologize. Worrying over you is our job. What type of people would we be if we didn't do that?"

As that familiar feeling of warmth envelopes him, Doyoung thinks that moving on won't be too difficult after all.