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“Thank you. Come again.” Baekhyun smiles, handing the change to the customer.
Shortly after the customer leaves, another one comes in.
“Good afternoon– Kyungsoo? What are you doing here? Isn’t your flight to Japan today?” Baekhyun looks startled seeing Kyungsoo, especially because the actor was only wearing a mask, it’s not an enough disguise.
“I wanna ask why you disappeared this morning,” Kyungsoo says, almost in a whisper, looking sullen as he remembers how cold and lonely he felt when he woke up without Baekhyun by his side.
“I had errands to do? I mean, of course, my errands is this? Managing the bookstore?” Baekhyun panics, so he avoids Kyungsoo’s gaze, pretending he’s sorting the cash register.
“You could’ve woken me up and told me you’re leaving. I felt so… lost when I woke up alone in my bed.” Baekhyun unknowingly makes eye contact with Kyungsoo and he wishes he didn’t because Kyungsoo looks so pitiful.
Baekhyun didn’t think Kyungsoo would meet him before his flight so he had planned on ignoring Kyungsoo and never talking to him again after leaving him alone yesterday. Baekhyun thought maybe it was easier to not tell Kyungsoo he’s breaking up with him. Ghosting was a thing, right?
And after ghosting him, he’d close the bookstore and move back to his hometown and help his parents sell their farm’s crops. In that way, he’d never cross paths with Kyungsoo ever again.
“I’m sorry.” Baekhyun looks at the wall clock, avoiding Kyungsoo’s gaze again. “Your flight’s in an hour, Kyungsoo. You have to get going now.”
“Let me ask one more thing before I leave,” Kyungsoo pauses, looking at Baekhyun expectantly. Kyungsoo smiles, looking hopeful, then he says, “here I am standing in front of the love of my life asking him to marry me.”
They’ve been dating for less than a year. Why is he in a rush?
“I’m sorry. I’m gonna say no,” Baekhyun replies, without any hesitation.
“Why?”
“It’s just that… you’re so busy that we could barely spend time together without getting interrupted” Kyungsoo would be away for 3 months, so, yesterday, he told his manager he’s not taking any calls from anyone so he could spend the whole day with Baekhyun before flying to Greece to shoot for his film.
Baekhyun breathes deeply before continuing, “and you live in a ten-million-dollar villa, while I share an apartment with my brother. Everyone in the world knows who you are, while my mother has trouble remembering my name. Everyone’s eyes are on you all the time, so I always pretend and even hide when we’re out in public. It’s tiring. I don’t want to be part of your chaotic life.” It was painful for Baekhyun to admit it but he needed to. Letting go of Kyungsoo is as painful as staying with him.
“We live in two opposite worlds. It’d be harder for us, especially for me, an ordinary person, to continue this.”
Baekhyun thinks he’d be much happier and at peace if he’s not with Kyungsoo.
“You’re also breaking up with me?”
“I–” Baekhyun couldn’t look at Kyungsoo’s eyes directly. He kind of felt bad. Not only did he reject Kyungsoo’s marriage proposal, but he’s also breaking up with him. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I totally didn’t expect this. I thought what we had was something to last a lifetime, oh, wow, I thought you actually loved me,” Kyungsoo snickers, running a hand through his hair.
“I do love you, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun grabs Kyungsoo’s hand and intertwines it with his. “But love isn’t the only thing that could make our relationship last a lifetime.”
They love each other but they don’t even get along with a lot of things, and they have a lot of unspoken and unresolved issues with each other. Love surely isn’t enough.
Kyungsoo nods, as if he’s agreeing with Baekyun.
Baekhyun lets go of Kyungsoo’s hand, saying, “good bye, Kyungsoo. For a short time, we’ve made some good memories. Thank you. I don’t regret knowing you, being with you, and loving you at all.”