Chapter 5
The café was louder than usual that afternoon.
Milk frother hissing, the low hum of conversation, someone’s laughter cutting through the music. Dohyun barely heard any of it.
He smiled automatically as he handed a latte to a regular, bowing slightly when she thanked him – but it was muscle memory. His mind wasn’t there.
It was three blocks away, in a too-big apartment, with a guy who probably hadn’t eaten anything that wasn’t instant food since the last time he visited.
One week. He hadn’t gone back in a week.
He told himself he was busy. That Jaerim didn’t really need him – the man could obviously survive without him. Probably.
But every time he caught himself thinking about the quiet sound of Jaerim’s voice saying “thanks for taking care of me” something twisted in his chest.
He’d gone home that night and couldn’t sleep. The words wouldn’t leave him.
He’d wanted to take care of his mom. He was supposed to. But all he did was run late – late to her calls, late to the hospital, late to saying goodbye.
And now here he was, trying to make up for it with a man who could barely bother to stand up for a glass of water.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Get it together, Dohyun,” he muttered to himself, before forcing another smile at the next customer.
By the time he took a break, he was exhausted – not from work, but from thinking too much.
He untied his apron and was about to head to the back room when someone cleared their throat in front of the counter.
“Hey.”
He froze.
There, leaning lazily against the counter, mask pulled low and a hoodie half-zipped despite the warm weather, was Jaerim.
Dohyun blinked. “…What are you doing here?”
“Running errands” Jaerim said flatly.
“…That sounds fake.”
Jaerim shrugged. “You didn’t answer my texts.”
“I- wait… you texted me?”
“I wrote ‘hungry’ twice.”
Dohyun stared at him. “That’s it?”
“That’s communication.”
Dohyun rubbed his face, trying not to laugh. “…You’re unbelievable.”
“I get that a lot.”
Still, something in Jaerim’s tone, underneath the sarcasm, made Dohyun’s chest tighten. The guy looked out of place here. His hood half-fallen, hair still a bit messy, eyes sharp but tired.
And maybe a little hurt, though Jaerim would rather die than say it out loud.
“Let me guess,” Dohyun said, pulling his apron back down, “you didn’t eat lunch, did you?”
“I had donuts.”
“That’s not lunch.”
Jaerim tilted his head, faint smirk returning. “Then feed me, Mr. Caretaker.”
Dohyun groaned but couldn’t help smiling.
They ended up in the alley behind the café, sitting on a short bench with two take-out sandwiches between them. Jaerim was peeling off the crust like a bored kid, while Dohyun sipped his own coffee in silence.
“So,” Jaerim said after a while, “you ghosted me for a week.”
Dohyun frowned. “Ghosted? You make it sound like we’re dating.”
“Didn’t say that,” Jaerim muttered, tearing the sandwich bread into pieces. “Just saying… you show up, cook, nag me, then disappear. Kinda feels like false advertising.”
Dohyun let out a small laugh, more out of surprise than amusement. “You’re kinda funny, you know that?” he said, lips curling into an easy grin.
But inside, he felt something tighten – because for a second, Jaerim wasn’t wrong.
The words hit heavier than they should’ve.
“I just… needed time…” Dohyun said quietly. “I thought maybe I was overstepping.”
“By making sure I eat?”
“By acting like…” He stopped himself, shaking his head. “Never mind.”
Jaerim studied him for a moment. “You’re weird, you know that?”
Dohyun gave a humorless laugh. “You’re just realizing that now?”
“No, I mean…” Jaerim leaned back against the bench, eyes flicking up toward the sky. “You take care of people like it’s a job. Like you’ll fall apart if you stop.”
That made Dohyun look up. “What’s… that supposed to mean?”
Jaerim shrugged. “It’s an observation.”
Dohyun’s grip on his cup tightened. “…Maybe it’s because I couldn’t do it when it mattered.”
Jaerim glanced at him, brow furrowing slightly. “What do you mean?”
Dohyun hesitated.
The sound of passing cars filled the pause, and for a second, he thought about brushing it off. Pretending it was nothing.
But the words came out anyway, low and uneven.
“There was someone I should’ve taken care of,” he said quietly. “I didn’t. Not when it counted.”
Jaerim didn’t say anything, just kept looking at him, not prying, but not looking away either.
Dohyun forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s not really a fun story.”
Jaerim leaned back against the bench, voice gentler than usual. “Didn’t ask for fun. Just… sounded like it hurt.”
That simple comment disarmed him completely.
The air between them settled into silence. Not awkward, just heavy enough to make breathing feel careful.
Jaerim shifted, his voice quieter now. “You know… I get that. The whole not being there thing.”
Dohyun glanced at him.
“I used to work hard,” Jaerim said, eyes unfocused, “back when I thought effort actually changed things. But it’s funny, no matter how much you do, someone always calls it not enough. After a while, you just… stop trying.” He smirked, “guess that’s why I ended up like this.”
Dohyun watched him – the tilt of his head, the small crack in his voice, the vulnerability trying so hard to hide under sarcasm.
“…You don’t seem useless to me,” he said softly.
Jaerim looked at him then, surprised. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re just tired.”
Jaerim’s lips twitched, not quite a smile, but close. “You really are bad at minding your own business.”
“Maybe,” Dohyun said, laughing quietly.
They sat there until the sky turned orange, neither of them rushing to fill the silence.
When Dohyun finally stood to throw their wrappers away, Jaerim stayed seated, staring down at his hands.
“Hey,” Jaerim called out.
Dohyun turned.
Jaerim looked up, eyes steady now – his voice quieter but cutting through the air like something intentional.
“Then take care of me properly.”
Dohyun froze, the words sinking in slow.
There was no teasing in Jaerim’s tone this time. No sarcasm, no lazy smirk, just quiet honesty, raw and unguarded.
And for the first time, Dohyun couldn’t tell if the ache in his chest was guilt, relief…
Or something else entirely.
