Chapter Text
the cafe bell rung, signalling another customer coming in or out from the humble cafe in the corner of myeongdong. jaebeom was just cleaning around, he always liked his surrounding clean, and working in a cafe meant he had to clean constantly while serving customers.
he was grateful to get a job here, despite the low starting pay and long working hours, but he would’ve taken whatever to survive. 5 years back, he got into an accident, lost his memory, and had been trying to regain them since. he had no one, well, no one claimed him , he wouldn’t even know his name if not for the wallet he had with him when he was struck by the car. he figured his parents had died, or were estranged and since his phone was long gone, he didn’t remember who his other family and friends were. his emergency contact was unreachable too, so it was only him and his small one-room apartment at the outskirts of seoul. he didn't remember the apartment he last stayed prior to the accident, and the records reverted him back to his childhood home, which was no longer there.
despite that, his manager, seungyoon, pitied him enough to give him a job and a temporary shelter. he was related to the nurse that had took pity on him, hence, having a roof over his head for a while. he didn’t even know how to make coffee, but the other workers there - mark and youngjae, who were also boyfriends - helped him through it all.
you'd think in 5 years he'd regain a memory or two back, but he hadn't. it wasn't rare, of course, but everyday seems like a challenge for jaebeom, despite already getting used to it. he wanted to know how he ended up the way he did, but he’d figured he was very idiotic not to update his details before he got hurt.
it was just another day of brewing coffee, prepping pastries for the cafe when the bell rang, signalling a customer.
“good morning, welcome to modé cafe. what would you like to have today?” jaebeom greeted without looking at the customer at first.
“jaebeom?” the customer called.
the barista looked down at his nametag, and up again at the customer. now that he's taken a look, he immediately realises how extremely beautiful the man in front of him is, but also had a little familiar twinge to him.
“yes?”
“jaebeom. it's me.”
“i-i… sorry. i have no recollection of you…” jaebeom rushed out, not knowing how to react to this.
“jaebeom hyung. it's me, jinyoung.”
jinyoung… sounds familiar.
“i'm sorry… i have had amnesia for five years… you must be someone i know before. but sorry, i don’t remember you now…”
“oh. five years? that’s when…” the other man's eyes were starting to glisten, which meant he was seconds away from tearing or worse, crying.
“yo! can we order here?!” the man behind the beautiful one right in front of him complained. the latter apologised, before quickly muttering out, “one americano to go please.” and left after he got his drink, never to be seen again.
it bugged jaebeom. a lot. it didn't help that this jinyoung person felt eerily familiar, and his parting statement was… suspicious to say the least. he hoped the other would come back soon, he needed to know his past.
soon meant a month later. it was a rainy day and jaebeom observes people running in the pouring rain to get to their destination as fast as possible. days like this are a little slow, youngjae was on his break, and since it was not the peak period, jaebeom was manning the counter alone, so he was admittedly bored.
he was stoning and staring into space when the bell rang. cue jaebeom’s usual greeting:
“good afternoon, welcome to modé cafe. what would you like to have today?”
“hyung.” jaebeom looked at the customer and there he was - the man that had recently been constantly in his mind.
“hello.” he tries his best to not correct his formality.
“what time do you finish?”
“uh, in 4 hours… why?”
“how about your break?”
“it was just over.” where is the other going with this?
“okay... can we talk… after you’re done? if that’s alright.”
“not to sound rude but… who are you to me?” well, this part of jaebeom hasn’t changed - still extremely straightforward.
“i was your boyfriend… and you just disappeared and i couldn’t find you and i-” he was about to breakdown, jaebeom sees, and he goes to interrupt him before anything gets worse.
“wait, we’ll just talk wholly after i’m done.” that was that, jaebeom had just agreed to find out more on his past.
“we were boyfriends… for like 4 years. we stayed together in uh - one apartment, and we fought, we fought the night you went missing… 5 years back. you threatened that you weren’t coming home, you left… and you really didn't come home. i was so sure you were done with me… that you didn’t want to be with me, although it eventually didn’t make any sense since all your things were at… home. but after the 3rd week, i gave up hope. i started accepting that… we were over. i... i didn’t…” jinyoung started to hyperventilate, and the older had to rub his back, trying to calm him down. they were currently having dinner at a small korean restaurant and jinyoung barely waited after they sat down to verbal-vomit.
“i didn’t report you missing… i thought you were ignoring my calls… when i went to your workplace, i thought your colleagues were covering up for you… i just didn’t think… wait i did… think if anything bad had happened… i couldn’t think then, and i can’t think now… i’m sorry, hyung. and i knew you were going to propose... i found the ring... i... i should have looked for you and…”
“jinyoung-ssi, calm down. breathe with me, in... and out…” jaebeom was honestly overwhelmed; more so about this stranger-not-stranger hyperventilating right beside him in public than the information about him he’s getting.
“hyung…” jinyoung looked over at the older, “i’m with chanyeol now…” that hurt jaebeom, although he had no fucking clue who chanyeol was (maybe he should?). he felt hurt, but he didn't know why.
he doesn’t even know if jinyoung’s telling the truth. he doesn’t even know who he really is. jinyoung needed to hit the brakes and explain a to z to jaebeom.
“can we… uh, eat first? i'm starving…” jaebeom awkwardly asked. jinyoung nodded, wiping his tears away.
the dinner went by completely silent, jinyoung still sniffling every now and then and Jaebeom wishing a black hole will swallow him once and for all, just to get out of this awkward moment.
they decided to seek refuge at a cereal cafe after, jaebeom suddenly feeling obligated to pay for the younger - well, jinyoung was going to spill everything anyway, right?
“uh, where do i start?” jinyoung nervously chuckled.
“mm… about us? like how we got together n stuff…”
“okay… uh, we were in the same few classes, and we had mutual friends… then, our friends set us up on a blind date… and we hit it off? we only got together the year we graduated though… we were friends for 3 years… wait sorry, hold on, my mind is a little messy…”
“take your time jinyoung-ssi.” jinyoung looked up, he forgets that he isn't his ‘jinyoungie’ anymore.
“we got together, we really were in love… then you suggested we moved in together… with your 5 cats… uh, they're still alive by the way…”
“i had cats?”
“mhmm, kunta, odd, bear, cake… and your favourite, nora. they miss you everyday.” he chuckled again.
“wow. i didn't imagine myself a cat person…”
“you are. you'd give everything and anything to them. when you see stray cats on the street, you'd get them little tuna cans for them and feed them. well, kunta and odd were strays…” jaebeom, as cheesy as he sounds, could see how the other's eyes had sparkled when talking about the cats, he looked genuinely happy for once since they met, just talking about cats and jaebeom deddies he liked it.
“uh, the night we fought… it was about something really stupid. i don't even remember now… but i knew it was really petty. we were both tired, and we'd just been on the line for quite a while… and the night you disappeared… i thought it snapped for sure. like i said, i didn't think to look for you - i was convinced you didn't want to see me again… but hyung,” he looked up with that little sparkle again, “when i saw you a month ago… it felt like a burden lifted off my shoulder. i was so, so happy, i didn't think i'd see you again… i was so relieved to see you so well… and eventhough i realised you didn’t remember anything... still, i started to be happy again.”
“jinyoung… i'm sorry.” jaebeom saw how the smile on jinyoung's face slowly transitioned to a frown.
“do you have… pictures? i’m really sorry, i just can't remember anything,” jaebeom continued, he wanted to give the younger a chance.
“of course, hyung. i mean, jaebeom-ssi. uh, i brought photos we took of each other with our film cameras… oh we loved that too. we used to collect different film cameras and took pictures of everything.” jinyoung pulled out a box, opening it, revealing a large stack of photo films.
jaebeom was too scared to touch anything, so jinyoung picked up a few and slide them over to the other.
they were mostly all just pictures of the other, smiling, reading books, drinking… anything and everything under the sun. jaebeom felt a bit of nostalgia bubbling at the back of his mind, but none triggered a full memory of the other.
“uh, if you want pictures of us together,” jinyoung pulled out his phone, “here.” he scrolled through the many selcas of them both. still no recollection of anything whatsoever.
“d-do you want to come to our apartment? i mean mine, my apartment,” jinyoung asked, observing that the other had been quiet for a while.
“what?” jaebeom bewildered, that was a weird question.
“no no… not for any of… that. to see the kids - i mean, cats. yeah, cats.”
“uh... sure…”
jinyoung led jaebeom to their… old apartment. the latter contemplated his decision, but since he had nothing to lose anyway, he hoped for the best.
five pairs of eyes looked at him, and he looked back at all of them. he felt like he was in an intervention… with felines.
meow.
another one started hissuing.
jaebeom just stood near the door, rooted to the ground, too afraid to move.
the brown-white one moved towards him, and he backed up slowly. the cat went around his ankles, then rubbed itself against him.
“nora,” jaebeom breathed out. he crouches down and picks the cat up, who was now purring at him as he hugged the cat. the other cats seemed to take in the familiar human, and was now circling around jaebeom in hopes of getting his attention.
“ahh kunta, cake, bear, odd…” he recited them all correctly, squatting down and patting them.
against the kitchen counter, jinyoung was looking at the scene unfolding in front of him fondly. it was a long time since he had seen this, he still couldn’t believe jaebeom was here, let alone alive. he even remembered their names. his heart feels full again, seeing the cats and jaebeom again… this made him happy. he grabbed one of his cameras sitting on the counter.
click.
jaebeom looked up, a little surprised over the other taking a picture of them both.
“was i right? did i remember them all correctly?” jinyoung nodded, almost tearing up.
‘cute,’ he thinks. jaebeom was always cute to him, but it was especially to his cats.
the front door opens again, and in comes another man.
“oh, chanyeol hyung. hello.”
chanyeol? oh, the boyfriend.
“hey babe,” he greeted, looking at jinyoung questionably.
“this is jaebeom…” jinyoung informed. chanyeol’s eyes widened.
“ah, hello,” chanyeol awkwardly waved.
“hello,” jaebeom greeted back. he looks at jinyoung, “i should go.” he walked towards the door and opens it, before he was stopped.
“will i see you again?” jinyoung asks.
and all jaebeom could do is smile, walking away.
he barely made one block when he heard his name. turning around, he saw jinyoung running towards him.
the next thing he knew: his lips were pressed against his own.
it felt like he was finally coming home.