Work Text:
After I met you
I’ve been happy with small changes
It was a gloomy day in Seoul, the sun was hiding behind the clouds, low rumbling of thunders can be heard, a sign of an oncoming rain washing down the earth. Kun was walking slowly towards his dorm, face visibly tired from all the classes he had to attend the day earlier, he just wanted to take a long deep sleep, especially after finishing the composition that they were assigned for finals.
As he was mindlessly walking pass by the studio he works part-time at, he bumps into someone who was walking quickly, art supplies in their hands. “I’m so sorry, I’m in a rush,” the stranger muttered apologetically, bowing, and continued to run towards the Art Faculty building.
In the dazzling morning
I open my eyes by thinking of you
Kun hadn’t really think much about what he’s going to do after college, he thinks it would be reasonable for him to be a composer/ songwriter as it aligns with his major of Music Composition. But he still can’t simply throw away his dream of opening a cafe, a small cozy cafe, filled with the things he love, and a place for people to relax and let go of the things they had in mind.
He had brought up his dreams several times to his friends, Johnny, Taeil, Sicheng, Xuxi and Xiaojun. In which he received an immense amount of support every time.
So when they heard Kun was going out on a limb and decided to rent a space near their college to open his dream cafe, all of them joined hand in hand to either support financially or physically.
It was a month since their opening, and many of their friends had came by to support the business, most of them being friends they had acquired either being in the same class, or the same dorm.
It is then that Kun had recognized a face he can’t forget, the same face that carried art supplies and apologized for bumping into him months ago. The same face he can’t forget for nearly months now, as he tries to close his eyes. The same face with sharp features, and a beautiful smile.
“Hey Kun, this is my friend Yangyang, we’re in the same class, and these are his friends,” Xiaojun introduced him.
“Hi, I’m Yangyang, and these are Taeyong, Ten and Hendery,” Yangyang introduced himself, that Kun replied with “Hi, I’m Kun, the owner of this cafe.” But Kun still can’t take his mind off of the said Ten, the one he’s currently unknowingly looking. “Hi I’m Ten,” the boy said with a smile. “Yup he’s beautiful,” Kun thought to himself while returning with a handshake.
I sit face to face with you at the table
I ask about your day
Or my day was pretty good
I want to answer with smile
It was months after they graduated from college, and everyone busy with their own work. Kun currently working on a song he have to compose for Doyoung, a friend of theirs from college, and a rising ballad singer. Ten sitting right in front of him in the dining room, right after he got home from teaching dance lessons.
“How was your day?” Kun asked while patting the other person’s head who is currently flopping on the table. “Hell,” Ten muttered, “The kids just won’t stop running around, I get that it’s the last day of school before summer break, but please be calm for my sake,” he added with a sigh. Kun responded with a little chuckle, “It’s okay, they’re all still kids, at least now you’ll have a break before all those little devils come back for classes.”
Ten answered with a faint “Yeah,” then proceeded to ask Kun “How was your day?”
“It was okay, the cafe was just as busy as usual, the kids can handle most of the work, so I decided to continue Doyoung’s song while I’m at it,” Kun answered while still ruffling Ten’s hair. “It’s good then,” Ten responded while bringing himself to sit back up, then proceeded to smile.
“It was pretty good, yeah,” Kun answered with a smile.
When we understand each other about little things
I was surprised with the fact that we got used to each other
I love you
“Coffee?” Kun offered the smaller while he brew himself some oolong tea. “Yes please,” Ten answered. It was always like that, just the two of them starting their day domestically.
They continued their day by brushing their teeth and shaving each other’s face. “Do you ever think of having kids?” Ten suddenly intercepted. “Hm, I always wanted to have kids, but I don’t know,” Kun answered “You?” he asked. “I’ve been watching how my students interact with their parents, especially the smaller ones, sometimes I think to myself that I really want that kind of relationship ” Ten answered with a genuine smile. “I do want it too,” Kun replied.
“You know that I love you right?” Kun said while hugging the other. “Love you too,” he answered, “Always.”
Just like now when it’s peaceful
I want to be with you forever
I thought that as I was looking at you
The cafe was expectedly quite, as it is the middle of the day in December, most of the college students had went back to their family to celebrate Christmas and enjoy winter break. Most of the customers present are those who wanted to buy holiday cookies, or holiday drinks.
It is in times like these that Kun is grateful for everything that life has given to him. A cafe of his dream, a great composing job, and a wonderful life companion.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of bell, signifying people coming in his cafe. “Good afternoon love,” Kun greeted his boyfriend cheerfully. “Good afternoon,” Ten answered, then he went on to flop himself onto the full body sofa the cafe had.
It is in times like these that Kun is content, just by looking at the face of someone he treasures dearly, nothing interrupting the moment, just a faint song playing in the background of the cafe.
“I was so happy after meeting you
I was able to love you so much
Because you embraced and understood
My young and immature mind warmly
When we hurt each other with nonchalant tones
I can’t bear our distant relationship
So I’m sorry
Even now when I’m anxious
I want to be with you forever
I thought that as I was looking at you
I was so happy after meeting you
I was able to love you so much
Because you embraced and understood
My young and immature mind warmly”
Kun had many regrets, it was human nature, and one of those was not telling Ten about his feelings earlier. Sure, everything is great now and their relationship couldn’t have been better, it wasn’t really a regret per se, but there’s just always this question lingering in the back of Kun’s brain. “What if I told him back then when we were hanging out in the park, just the two of us? will the ferris wheel incident not happen?”
Yeah, the ferris wheel incident. It was back when their group of friends just started to merge. Ten was really struggling to keep up with his studies, with many problems happening in his personal life, financial issues, and overall just bad situations after bad situations happening in his life. He was always on the verge of tears every time they would’ve met, and Kun is obviously concerned.
He always had a soft spot for the Ten, and that Ten knew. But it just wasn’t easy to tell someone else’s feelings, especially when you’re just in your early adulthood, having other major problems to deal with. Especially when the other was just as nice to every one of your friends, not just to yourself.
It was at the park, just the two of them having casual conversations, when Ten just suddenly broke down and told his worries to Kun. His every problems, his every thoughts, his every feelings. No, he didn’t tell Kun about his feelings towards Kun, he told him what had been bothering him for the last weeks, and coming in vulnerable for Kun to see.
It was right then and there that Kun had promised to himself that he would protect Ten no matter what. The thought of telling Ten his true feelings had crossed his mind, but he decided against it. There were already too much things happening in the younger’s life that it wouldn’t have been fair to add things for Ten to worry about.
It was months after them talking in the park when the group decided to go to a theme park, to have fun. The day was coming to an end when Kun heard ruckus coming from the ferris wheel area. “I don’t wanna leave if Kun don’t come in here,” he heard Ten sobbing. So he rushed to where the sound is coming from and comforted Ten, “Hey, I’m here, what’s going on?” he asked worriedly.
Ten then started a full on rant session on how Kun was dumb to not realize Ten’a feelings for him, how he will never see Ten as something other than a friend, and that he was going to push Kun out of the ferris wheel, right at the very top. Ten wasn’t really going to push Kun, it was just the constant strain on his mental and physical health that had made him a little bit out of his mind.
Kun then hugged him, a hug he always wanted to give the smaller, a hug that can make every problem in the world dissolve, a hug very comforting, that made the younger once again broke down.
Kun had thought, what if he just told Ten how he always feel, what if then at the park he had confessed? Would Ten be able to have less stress and burden to carry? Would Ten be able to share his feelings with him, not carrying it alone on his shoulders? Would Ten be able to finally feel okay?
Regardless, he didn’t want to erase that memory, it was far too precious for him to let go. Even if he didn’t confessed earlier, he had confessed then, and it was all that mattered.
After the hot summer
With the sound of rain that I’ll miss
When I blush as I get shy
I’ll kiss your eyes as you’ll have a lot in your mind
Let’s walk forward together
Are you happy after meeting me, too?
The day was hard for Ten, Kun knows that. He can see the other’s exhausted face walking towards the bed he’s currently on. “Do you need some hot tea?” Kun said softly, signs of worry evident in his voice. “It’s okay, I just need rest,” Ten answered in the same manner, not to worry the elder.
Kun sometimes think to himself, what did he do in the past life to receive such blessings in this life. They are now 25, Kun had been recruited to an entertainment company as a song producer thanks to the songs he produced making it big in the market, and Ten had been recruited to the same entertainment company as a choreographer. The cafe still busy as ever, even busier with Kun buying the space he had previously rented, and also buying the space next to it, expanding the cafe to be larger, and recruiting more staffs to work there.
He knows that lately Ten has been busy preparing choreography for the company’s boy group comeback. He sometimes worries for the younger, as he sometimes worked himself to the limit, not caring about his own well-being until his body just give up, or until Kun forced him to take a rest and eat.
He kissed Ten, who is now deep in his slumber. “Let’s walk forward together,” a promise they had made to each other earlier in their relationship, ringing in his head.
I’m sorry that I have more that I couldn’t give you
I’m selfish and unstable
But I wanted to treat you well
Ten walked in to a suspiciously empty cafe, with no one to greet him, and no lights turned on. “Hello?” he said, expecting anyone to answer. It is seconds later that the lights finally turn on, it suddenly displays the cafe filled with scattered flowers in the floor, and balloons in the walls, forming the sentence, “Will you marry me?”
He still can’t process what is happening when Kun went in front of him, then proceeded to get on one knee, “Chittapon Leechaiyapornkul, will you marry me?” Kun asked, eyes filled with love. “Yes! Of course, a thousand fucking yes!” Ten answered while his eyes filling up with tears.
They then hugged like as if one pulled away, the world will suddenly crumble to pieces and they would lose each other in seconds.
All of their friends that had helped Kun arranged this occasion congratulated them, some of them even shedding tears of happiness.
I think I found a perfect love
That I’ve waiting for a long time
“Do you take Chittapon Leechaiyapornkul as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you take Qian Kun as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"
“Yes, I do.”
“This ring is my sacred gift to you, A symbol of my Love, A sign that from this day forward and always, My Love will surround you, With this ring I thee wed,” they both said.
“Allow me to present Mr. and Mr. Qian-Leechaiyapornkul."
“You may kiss the groom.”
Claps can be heard from all around the room.
Because you held me and gave me energy
Because you hugged me by being considerate lovingly
It was a sunny day in Seoul, Kun opened his eyes to a sudden tickling of his feet. “Baba, wake up, we need to go to uncle Johnny’s place,” a voice said to him. “Okay Chenle, Baba’s waking up, now let’s go brush our teeth,” he heard Ten’s voice saying to the child. “Okay Dada,” Chenle answered.
He immediately wakes up to brew a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, and prepare milk for Chenle, following by cooking a simple fried rice for the breakfast of three.
“Good morning love,” he kissed Ten and Chenle good morning. “Good morning baby,” Ten answered. “Good morning Baba!” Chenle kissed him back.
After I met you