Chapter Text
The trip officially ends in the morning. All of the students are packing their stuff and heading to the bus. Yuvin and Yohan's gang grouping up to determine seatmates.
"I think I'll be sitting with Kookheon on the bus." Hangyul said. Sihoon nodded, then dodged his elbow to Yohan.
"Yohan, you're going to sit beside me, right?" He asked.
"Uuh actually...Sihoon-ie…" he said, then gently holding Yuvin's hand. "I'll be sitting beside Yuvin."
Byungchan chuckles. "Yohan-ah, the prom ended yesterday. No need to be that clingy to Vin-ie like that, except…"
"Are you two officially... ?" Kookheon asked.
Yuvin nodded. "Yeah. We're...boyfriends."
Before his friends could even react, Midam already calls them to enter the bus.
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Their bus stopped at a certain rest area. Yuvin excused himself to go to the toilet. Once Yuvin’s figure is completely gone to the toilet area, Sihoon - who's sitting in front of the newly couple's seats - asked Yohan.
“You guys are really…?”
Yohan nodded. “Yeah.”
“How was it?” This time, the curious Byungchan appears beside Sihoon.
Yohan was shocked. “How was what?”
“Duh, the confession, Yohan-ie.”
Yohan thought for a while about last night. His mind went through the time when Yuvin held his hands to get out from the crowd. And when the older male confessed sincerely. But his mind went a bit too far that he thought about kisses that he shared three times in one night. Yohan automatically went red.
“Kim Yohan, your ears are reddening.” Sihoon said.
Byungchan chuckled and teased. “Of course it would. Something bigger happened last night.”
Yohan panicked. “We just kissed three times! Nothing else!” he yelled, then quickly covered his mouth. Thankfully the bus is only filled with three of those teenagers at that time.
“Ooooh, I see how it is.” Byungchan said. Sihoon was shocked, but then rolled his eyes.
“That was important TMI, but that’s not what I want to hear!” he said, then continued.
"Yohan-ie, who confessed first?"
Yohan was confused. "Why so curious...?"
Sihoon lifted his shoulders. "Just wondering."
Yohan just pouted lightly. "Yuvin-ie."
“Yuvin confessed first?!” Byungchan got shocked. Yohan nodded.
“Yeah…? What’s up with that?”
Sihoon dragged Byungchan back to their seats. “Our talk is done here, Yohan-ie. Thank you for the info!”
"You and Hangyul owe me and Kookheon 5 bucks each." Sihoon said.
Byungchan can’t do anything but sigh. "Guess it’s not my lucky week after all.."
"You guys are betting?"
Yuvin — who just came back from the toilet — caught them red-handed.
The teenagers face their reality once again, which is none other than CSAT preparation. Since both Yohan and Yuvin, also other 3rd year students, had officially left their school clubs activity, they had more time to meet up than just Thursday. And their meeting place is not only limited to that specific place in the library.
Yohan would visited Yuvin's house on weekend, and Yuvin sometimes paying a visit to Yohan's dorm. Their study sessions didn't make much difference despite their status. They're still being productive like usual, but one of them will get clingy until hugs and kisses are shared.
The gang would sometimes meet up in a study room that they rent, and their university friends — it's mostly Seungwoo and Sejin — joining them to leave some snacks and vitamins that boost their immune and energy to pull the lighter all night.
As for their family, Yohan told his brother first. And his brother thank Yuvin for staying beside Yohan while he's gone and undependable on certain days. Meanwhile Yuvin almost scared to tell his parents, yet the reactions is unexpected. His mom insist Yuvin to invite Yohan for a dinner, and when it happens, his dad's taste accidentally match Yohan's knowledges and interest that they talked for a long time.
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Time goes by, it's finally a week before CSAT. Yuvin and Yohan found themself sitting on a certain bench in Naksan Park, one of the place that they'd visited on their first date, before they became official.
"It's next week, huh."
"Yeah." Yuvin answering.
"I'm not usually this nervous." Yohan commented. "But I often wonder if I'm able to do well next week."
Yuvin glance at his boyfriend. "That doesn't sounds like you."
Yohan nodded. "I know right? It's just weird. This feeling just came...all of the sudden…"
The atmosphere became so thrilling as they both went silent.
"Yohan-ah, look at me." Yuvin said.
And Yohan did. When he face the older, Yuvin sit himself closer, and their orbs met.
"You can see my eyes, right?" He asked again, and Yohan nodded.
"Yeah…, very clearly." The younger one flustered.
"Everytime you feel doubt, look into these eyes. The orbs that are sharply facing you. To remind you that, I have no doubt, not even a single bit, about your effort. You've worked hard enough and you've tried a lot. So you'll be reminded that, there's at least someone who believes in you. So you should also believe in yourself, and stir away those doubts in you."
Yohan is stunned, then he sighs gladly. "Of course. You're right."
He then throws himself into Yuvin's embrace.
"Thank you, Yuvin-ie. For believing in me."
"I should be the one who thank you, Yohan-ie."
Yohan pulls himself from the embrace.
"Really? Why?"
Yuvin smiled. "Thank you for walking into that corridor that day. That you're not giving up to get closer to me, that fate brought us together, to this day."
"Everyday I feel thankful about how we met that Thursday, that I could meet someone wonderful. That makes me fall in love each time I look at his smile." Yuvin said, cupping one of Yohan's cheeks with his hand. Yohan could only tremble lightly by the touch, and later he laughed. Yohan then placed his hand on Yuvin's neck.
"Honored to hear that." And so they kissed, for the nth time ever since their first one on the homecoming night in Ulsan. Their current kiss expresses gratefulness, and happiness for each other's company. Yohan pulled apart lightly.
"Thank you, Yuvin-ie, for all these times." He said.
Yuvin pressed his forehead. "Always...and forever."
- EPILOGUE -
"Okay, how many patients left, Nurse Lee?"
"That's your last patient for today, Doctor Song. You're free to go home."
"Glad to hear that. Now, Nurse Lee, Nurse Yoo, if you excuse me."
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Yuvin leaves his examination room quietly. He's glad that most of his patients didn't complain about further pain inside their body after either surgery, medical examination, or after taking meds that he recommended. Perhaps today is a good day to go home early as he has already created a plan for today since months ago.
He walks slowly to the pulmonary surgeon corridor, and opens a door of a certain room that belongs to another doctor. Yuvin was greeted with a doctor around his age having kimbap and ramen while looking at the monitor screen in front of him.
"Late lunch again?" Yuvin asked, while freely landing his hip on the couch in the supposedly break area of the room.
"Yeah, I just finished a surgery this morning and the report took pretty long to finish. I mean, I'm nearly done now." The doctor said, as he slurped the ramen's broth with eyes focusing on the hard copy documents. No words were spoken for a minute.
"...Want me to wait?" Yuvin asked.
The other doctor shook his head. His hands stopped typing, a satisfied expression painted on his face.
"I've finished now! Please give me time to finish this lunch and we're good. Say, why don't you just change your outfit now? I'll be in your room when you're ready."
Yuvin smiled and lifted his body to stand, and walk toward the door.
"Alright then. I'll see you in 10 minutes,
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Yohan-ie."
The other doctor waved his hand, smiling in return.
"Always...and forever."
Yuvin's words that day, a week before CSAT, seems like an unintended vow. Song Yuvin and Kim Yohan, two students who graduated from the medical faculty from one of the most prestigious universities in Seoul, tied their knot after they received their specialist degree. Song Yuvin in cardiovascular surgery and Kim Yohan in pulmonary surgery. Both doctors have their own up and down moments as a couple, but people around them weren't surprised that both of them managed to go through it all that they came up with such a commitment.
Yohan, who's currently standing in front of the hospital's entrance, finally spots Yuvin's car heading closer and slower toward him. When it stops, he enters the car. And it drives away, further from the hospital where both of them work.
"I hope we're not too late." Yohan said.
"If there's no traffic jam, we can even arrive 5 minutes earlier." Yuvin said. Yohan chuckled.
"Yeah, hopefully." He said. "I can't wait to meet them."
Yuvin nodded. "Yeah, me too."
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They had arrived at a certain building. Both of them got out of the car, and were welcomed by a woman, which is the person they've made an appointment with.
"Doctor Song and Doctor Kim. It's nice to meet you." She shaked both Yuvin's and Yohan's hair.
"This way, come with me."
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"As I've said in our phone call, both of you have completed the documents for the guardianship rights." The woman said while her feet kept leading the adult group to the front.
Yohan nodded. "Yeah, we're excited to meet them."
"You can meet them right away," the women stop walking, and grab a door knob belonging to a certain room.
"....Here."
Once the three adults entered the room, they were greeted by the presence of another human. A child, around 4 to 5 years old.
"Yulhee, this is Mr. Song Yuvin and Mr. Kim Yohan. Both of them will be adopting you, and becoming your guardian starting now."
Unlike other foster children who got shy, Yulhee walked closer to them, slowly. Then he spoke softly.
"I have two dads?" Both Yuvin and Yohan hesitated before, but they nodded slowly.
"Yes, we will be your dads. You can either of us appa, and another papa. Up to you." Yuvin answered, bending his legs to get his vision on the same level with Yulhee.
"Woaaa…... that's so cool!" Yulhee said, excitedly.
"You like them, Yulhwi-ya?" The woman asked.
"Yes, I love them. I love my appa and papa!" The child shouted, excitedly.
"If that's the case, Mr. Song, Mr. Kim, you may take him home." she said.
"Thank you so much." Yohan said, bowing to the child protection agent.
"Yulhee-ya, shall we go home?" Yuvin asked.
"Yes!"
Yulhee holds Yuvin and Yohan with both of his little arms, and the family of now three, walking their way home with a warm smile.
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Yulhee remains sleeping peacefully during their way home after his - now - parents take him everywhere he wants. The child had a big crush on the arcade center in Hongdae, and Yuvin promised to take him again next time.
“Look at him, Vin-ie.” Yohan said, glancing his vision to the passenger seat in the back.
“He’s beautiful.”
Yuvin nodded. “Yeah, like you.” And he got hit lightly by Yohan.
“You smooth-talker.”
Yohan then spontaneously says, “I’m thinking about assigning him to a taekwondo training house.”
Yuvin chuckled. “What if he’s interested in music more?”
“Then we can lead him to attend music lessons.”
Yuvin now glanced at him. “He could probably be interested in other things. Art, writing, baseball, science, the world is wide out there.”
“And no matter what he’s interested in, let’s support him the best way we can.” Yohan said. “We’re now his parents, right?”
Yuvin dazed. “Parents, huh.”
The car stops because of the red light.
“It was a bit unimaginable way back then. If I remember how myself act back then...,” then Yuvin glanced at Yohan. “...before I met you.”
Yohan could only smile. He held Yuvin’s hand with his own. “People change, not only you, even I changed. Becoming parents was also something unimaginable to me back then.”
“But I know this is not a job for one only, but two.” Yohan said, looking at his husband.
Before Yuvin could say anything, Yohan leaned closer toward him, and closed the distance with a kiss, a short one.
“I agree with you.” Yuvin said. “Let’s have each other, and build our family, Yohan-ah.”
Yohan chuckles, nodded, and stole another peck from Yuvin.
The light has turned yellow, and soon to blue. Yuvin runs back the engine and drives smoothly. The night for their way home feels longer than usual. The family arrive at their apartment savely, with Yuvin tucking Yulhee to the spare room that the spouse had prepared for him before. He cooked a late night ramyeon for both himself and Yohan after both of them cleaned themselves, then went to their living room, cuddling each other in a blanket in front of the wide tv screen.
A simple, yet endearing life that was unimaginable to both Yuvin and Yohan before summer days in their third year of highschool.
Yuvin and Yohan couldn't be more thankful, to find each other accidentally on that biology book section in the third floor of the central library, in the summer, 15 years ago.
-fin