[ Architecture of a Heart ] - WooSan

Chapter 8

It was the last day before winter break, and, in the cold elevator getting him up to his home, Wooyoung was a bit depressed. The new project was off to a bad start, and he was going to sacrifice his holiday to make it in time. San had been supportive regarding his recent failure, but this time he had to make it. San... San was going back to his grandparents to spend Christmas with them. This meant no more walking together talking about nothing, no more busy sounds behind his back in the middle of the night. Just silence and loneliness, like before. And Wooyoung had been okay with that, it was the life he had led up to this point when he made his career choices, but now he wasn't sure he could go back to that.

And maybe it was a bit sad, that all it took to break his will was some walks in the mornings and a mechanical humming behind a wall, but that's where he was now, and he was feeling colder and colder.

He stepped in his hallway, San waiting in front of their doors, and suddenly he was reminded that those things would mean nothing if it wasn't him, with this smile.

"You're here !" he exclaimed, clearly satisfied.

"I'm here", smiled Wooyoung, fighting the tiredness he felt after that day's workload.

"You know that's my last night here before I go ?"

"That's what you said, yeah", he said, trying to hide his bitterness.

"So I thought it was the right time for me to pay you back !"

Wooyoung blinked.

"I'm sorry, what ?"

"I owe you dinner, remember ? I cleaned up my room and everything. So..."

He vaguely pointed to his door, a bit more unsure than usual.

"Maybe if you're not too busy..."

"I've got time", he almost screamed, fumbling to get the keys to his own apartment. "Just, let me get rid of my stuff-"

"Okay, I'll let the door open, just come in when you're ready."

Wooyoung never undressed so fast before. He wasn't even sure as to why he was so impatient, but that didn't stop him from throwing his bag on his bed to save time from walking there. With a quick trip to the bathroom and clean clothes, he was ready to go, and even though San said to come in, he knocked before inviting himself.

The last time he was there, there was nothing but the bare furniture, totally impersonal. Now there were colorful clothes suspended everywhere, huge rolls of fabric stacked on the wall, an extension to his workspace, and more importantly, plushies. Little and big balls of fur everywhere. Traditional, with buttons for eyes, and very modern ones, where owls could be a bright sparkly blue with glass ornaments.

Wooyoung thought back to the old doll store Yunho led him to the other day, and felt suddenly grateful. He really was the best to find gifts.

San was already pulling food out of his fridge, barely looking at him.

"You can make yourself at home", he said, weighing rice. "If you want to, you can sit on the bed. It's more comfy than the plastic chairs. Seriously, who decided to make it about as soft as the floor ?"

Following his advice, Wooyoung plopped down on the mattress. Pink sheets. Cute.

"Do you need any help ?"

"I've got everything under control."

"Just like you had the bacon under control ?"

"We do NOT talk about bacon in this house", he asserted.