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Park Mingi knew the apocalypse was among them. How could he not come to that conclusion when he actually sighed in relief upon hearing the ting of that infuriating bell from Dumpty’s Diner? Answer: Ryan Freaking Akagi.
Only Ryan would make him love this restaurant more than he usually did. Which is not that much.
“Hey Min~~~” Ryan drawled, sitting in his usual place at the restaurant booth. It was officially November which pushed Mingi’s parents to dress him like a doll with winter outfits as much as possible. (No surprise there but the dark blue coat he wore on top of the sweater itched like hell and he swore his rising perspiration rate might trigger his acne.)
“What the freak are you wearing?” Mingi couldn’t refrain himself from exclaiming the substandard term. His best friend was, of course, dressed inappropriately for this month. A simple Chicken Choice Judy shirt and ripped shorts (shorts?!) was what Ryan thought was fitting for this evening.
Ryan’s reply, a mere shrug, makes Mingi sigh in resignation. Well, it could be worse. There was always Ryan during summer and- he shuddered just thinking about it.
“Only for the price of fashion,” Ryan finally mentioned, releasing a wink. Mingi rolled his eyes.
“We’re not going to talk about you being a fashion disaster right now,” Mingi started. Ryan pushed his glasses up his nose and flashed two peace signs as a form of agreement.
“You set up a date and time, a whole freaking itinerary, today man,” Mingi exclaimed. “And of course you end up being late to your own schedule-” Ryan let out a ceremonial snort at that. What else is to expect from a guy who was always tardy for class. “-what gives, dude?” Mingi leaned in a bit closer.
Whenever they were sitting and conversing in a Dumpty’s booth, he felt like the world only encompassed him and Ryan. How could he not feel that when this run down diner held almost all memories fragmented with their dreams, and music?
Some customers disagreed by silencing them with a fair share of colorful words on the evening they were losing their minds after they successfully finished writing Train to Nowhere. (Mingi wasn’t surprised by the wet blanket behavior but it was still jarring to know that a crowd of people can actually go to Dumpty’s. What were the odds?)
“Well...” Ryan scratched the nape of his neck, the small bun placed atop of his head bounced in return. “Jean may or may not have-- UGHHHH” Ryan leaned his head back but decided to just abruptly cross his arms on top of the table and place his head on top of it.
“Jean?” Mingi placed a finger to his temple, trying to recall the person.
“Jean is my girlfriend,” Ryan replied, matter-of-factly. His breath hitched while leaning his head atop one of his arms.. “Well… was.”
Mingi was accustomed to Ryan's unrequited crushes & failed courting attempts (because for pete’s sake, he was always getting involved in his business) but him approaching Mingi about a failed relationship was absolutely new territory.
“Wait. How?” Mingi exclaimed, thoughtlessly. He never mentioned a new girlfriend for months… (Months of serenity are officially over, alas.)
Ryan squinted an eye, in confusion. “She told me it couldn’t work out, because “oh Ryan you kinda have some bros before- ”
“No not that,” Mingi waved the air, already feeling his face flush in embarrassment. “-when did you two start dating? I don’t know who Jean is.”
Ryan’s jaw slacked. “Wha-what?” If this was any other situation, Mingi would have laughed at the look of his face but instead he slipped on an awkward grin. “Uh… yeah… Sorry.”
He did recall Ryan mentioning a few ex girlfriends he had while on his musical tour around Canada but that was that. Ryan dropped the subject immediately and it was never brought up again because of Mingi’s complementary disinterest in the subject. He never knew that Ry had another girlfriend-
Mingi felt a fresh stab of unnamed emotion hit his chest. The itch he felt from his coat was making him itch even more. He really needs to speak with his bumonim.
Ryan was currently losing his mind over there. “You mean to tell me you didn’t know who the brunette bassist I was bringing over to your house?” He began making circular motions on both sides of his temple with the tips of his hands.
Was Ryan that… affected about this? That unfamiliar feeling intensified.
“First off, you gotta stop letting random people in my house. Eomma and Appa don’t like it.”
Ryan’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Mi… Min?” He stuttered.
“That’s me!”
Ryan placed a palm on top of his forehead. “I can’t believe this.” He truly looked tired at that moment. He rubbed his hands over the short sleeves of his shirt. He’d appreciate the coat.
An awkward silence engulfed their little booth. He felt the cool Canadian breeze lightly hit him as a new customer entered the threshold. The sound of the restaurant and people’s own muffled chatter entered his ears for the first time since his conversation with Ryan.
“You seriously don’t know who my girlfriend is?” Ryan said, incredulously pouting. “Was???” It was such a cute sight Mingi had to pinch himself to remember how dire the situation was.
“I was probably erm… studying when you guys were hijacking my place,” Mingi replied, indignant. No brunette or bassist was coming to mind. Mingi admits he feels apologetic for forgetting a person that is- was- important to his best friend but… Ryan rubbing it in his face was making him shift in discomfort in his seat.
“Dude.” Ryan looked to be far from letting the matter go. Mingi mentally prepared himself for his informal comments but all Ryan did was let out a breath laced with compliance. Ryan straightened himself and waved a hand over his face. “I’m over it.”
“Great…?” Mingi muttered, weakly.
Ryan repeated the same gesture he did a few seconds ago. “Totally.”
“You’re going to repeat that to annoy me aren’t you?”
“You owe me an explanation, Min!”
“I really don’t remember her, alright?!” Mingi threw up his hands in defeat.
“Can you keep it down over there?” A voice called out from a few seats from theirs. “Sorry,” Mingi replied, meekly. Ryan threw out his tongue as his version of an apology.
“But how can you just-” Ryan chewed on his lip, completely nonplussed. Mingi was astonished at Ryan’s reaction in this whole conversation. Although he knew he was the one completely at fault here.
“Hey Ryan?” Mingi got up from his seat and motioned to the spot beside him. Ryan moved to the left and let Mingi sit adjacent to him. Ryan would only act this way because...
“Did my response remind you of how you may have acted?” Mingi uttered, quietly. Heart to heart conversations weren’t his best friend’s forte. But if Ryan ever tried to run, at least it’s clear that he’s stuck at a dead end. Because if they don’t talk about this now then they’d probably never talk about it ever. Their communication skills suck too much! The entire world is doomed!
Ryan hummed a yes. “Yeah,” he said, so quietly that Mingi had to lean closer to hear his answer. “That’s why we broke up. It was clear that… I wasn’t. Um-” Ryan coughed. “-the person for her.”
Ryan explained it so factually. How could he explain it so factually? Mingi placed (what he hoped was) a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay if you want to… cry about it.” Ryan doesn’t always approach Mingi about sensitive stuff like this but it’s evident that Ryan must not be taking it well.
“I felt the break up coming,” he replied, curtly. “Is it bad that when she finally said the “let’s break up!” I was somewhat relieved? I felt like we were just wasting each other’s time too.”
Was this what Ryan felt mingling with all those people during his tour? Mingi felt the inevitable feeling of being left behind when he went around dating all of those girls. Not because he wanted to date them too, per say... It’s just… he can’t fully explain but he never knew the full extent of what Ryan truly felt after each break up.
“Even if you felt that way… you still deserved to be loved you know?”
Why am I saying this AAAAAAAAAAAAA??!!! Mingi internally screamed.
Ryan raised an eyebrow as if to say, “really dude?” Mingi tapped the left side of his temple. “I kind of remembered a time where you were smiling wildly while jamming and she was in the same room-”
Ryan snorted. “Now you’re just making that up.”
“Hey hey! A memory is coming back!” Mingi imitated jazz hands which caused Ryan to giggle.
“I totally do not remember that one.”
“Now you’re just being mean.”
They both pause but end up chuckling because they couldn’t help it. At each other or at their own stupid retorts? It’s hard to tell but Mingi felt a light feeling that replaced the heavy former he felt moments ago. Whenever he was with Ryan, he felt all sorts of unspeakable and juxtaposed things but this light emotion was one of his favourites.
“ “You deserved to be loved you know” is a good lyric to a new hit, aint it?” Ryan’s eyes were sparkling. This was Ryan Akagi, free spirited musician, he was speaking too again, not-the-worst-boyfriend-in-history anymore. Mingi felt the beginnings of a blush paint his cheeks. “Too sentimental for everybody’s taste.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Sure thing, casanova.” Mingi released air through his nostrils in retaliation. “I meant everything that I said, Ry.”
Ryan blinked up at him. Crap, did I say something wrong? AGAIN?!
Ryan lowered his head and Mingi could have sworn his cheeks were flushing too. “You’re an idiot,” Ryan softly said before engulfing Mingi with a hug.
Why do we always have to hug each other during awkward moments? Mingi felt that fluttery feeling hug all of his insides. It was so so gross but he kinda maybe digged it too.
At last, Ryan pulled away. Min-gi caught a wisp of his perfume and shampoo. It was all mint but it mixed well with the crisp winter scent. It smelled so nice...? Why did he smell so nice? Is that even allowed? Was it creepy for him to notice that?
“I’m sorry if I keep placing you in an uncomfortable position,” Ryan asserted. “I actually broke up with someone the day we got kidnapped by that magical train...”
Min-gi knows he should be hurt but it felt like someone flicked a light bulb in front of him. Could it be that…?
“I came to you since I got nowhere and no one else to go to,” Ryan covered his blushing cheeks. “That’s unfair for me to do, I know.” Min-gi was flabbergasted.
They were still sitting in the same seat. Their pressed legs suddenly called for his attention. Min-gi was close enough to know what type of color Ryan’s eyes were (they were so dark that anybody could easily mistaken them for black but the lighting of the room illuminated those warm brown eyes) and how dirty his glasses were. He can even notice the bits of tangled hair that were left astray from his friend’s bun. He suppressed the instinct to re-tie Ryan’s hair, himself.
“Ah… no it isn’t,” Min-gi affirmed. “Break ups suck, dude. You spent so much time with this one person and then suddenly they decide that you shouldn’t stay by their side anymore. I wouldn’t blame you if you came to me.”
Min-gi was sure this was the night of regrets. He knows how condescending he was but he really levelled up to sentimental condescending.
“You always know what to say for a single guy,” Ryan quipped (which totally made Min feel better).“Do you think we should change that?” His bright brown eyes still held that indistinguishable sparkle.
Min-gi cleared his throat. “Please no and speaking of being single… I’m sorry if I--” he let out a cough. “-said anything offensive Ry it’s just-” Mingi wiped sweat that formed on his forehead. “-you know i’m a `single guy` so I’m not always the right person to go to for” Min-gi felt himself flush despite himself. “-dating advice.”
Ryan let out an uncivilized laugh but it was the type of laugh that served as a vacuum for every nerve that Min-gi felt. It made him feel lighter in his seat and subsided the itch he felt from his coat.
“Oh Min.” The corners of Ryan’s eyes crinkled and his mouth lifted with a smile at the same time. It illuminated his face in more ways than none. “You can stop apologizing. It’s alright.”
“Buttt I just feel that-”
Ryan abruptly placed an index finger on top of Min-gi’s lips. “I’ll call you Sorry Park if you say it one more time.”
Min-gi smacked Ryan’s palm away from him. “Just don’t ever do that again.” He rubbed his lips religiously and on cue Ryan released another whole hearty laugh.
“You’re always the type of dude that I.. I...” Ryan stuttered “.. can trust will be there. I don’t expect you to stay but… ” Ryan ran both of his hands through his face. “You’re still here listening to me say stupid things about my ex lovers all day...” Ryan bit his bottom lip.
“Of course I am.” Mingi wrapped an arm around Ryan’s shoulders, ignoring his thundering heart. “Only a single person would know what to tell a man of experience.”
Ryan made a face that still failed at hiding the light pink coloring his cheeks. “Hmph.”
He’s so adorable when he did that. Oh, Ryan… what am I going to do with you?
“Awww he’s a simple AND a humble family man too!”
“Yeah yeah,” Ryan replied. “But we should leave while we still can.” Ryan made a show of lifting Min-gi’s arm and standing with his sneakers still on at his seat. Min-gi was taken aback by the lack of Ryan’s arm around him.
“Stay down.” He hissed.
“Make me! Space invader!”
Min-gi threw up his arms in defeat and scooted off from the seat. “Wait? Leave?”
Ryan jumped to the floor and pointed to a Dumpty’s Diner employee who was cleaning the counter. Only now did Min-gi realize how quiet the restaurant was. They were the only remaining customers here.
“Your conversations were cute and all,” the employee mustered with the tone of a sloth. “But we’re closing soon.”
“So we were here all…..”
“Yep.”
Ryan patted his shoulder. “Now let’s go, Sorry Park!” He rushed out of the place at the speed of light.
Min-gi lived in Canada for half of his life but nothing can prepare him for the gust of the cool wind that his home is capable of spewing out. It’s so cold he can feel some of his blood cells freezing over.
The awful weather compensated with a beautiful night. The stars winked at him from above making him feel special for a guy standing in the middle of the empty parking lot.
They must have been talking to each other for that long. Time wasn’t tangible when he was with him.
“Ho ho ho,” Ryan sneezed while shivering and rubbing his arms. Min-gi sighed. He knew Ryan’s fashion escapades were just heading towards hypothermia. “Here.” Min-gi started to peel off his coat but Ryan stopped him with a hand. “N-no! You-you might freeze.. Over…”
Min-gi rolled his eyes and continued removing his coat anyways. Ryan wearing it made him look smaller. He could have pulled off a mysterious detective look if anyone could take a guy, who was clad in a winter outfit that reached the floor, seriously. “Get on with it.” Ryan pouted, waving an arm- only emphasizing how long the sleeve is, which didn’t help his case. At all.
Min-gi burst out laughing. “You look like… like a little….” Any intelligible sentence was lost to heaps of laughter. He felt the cold stick to his skin but seeing Ryan in his coat was priceless.
Ryan remained stone faced. “Whatever, Min.” He dramatically turned away from him, making the coat flap.
“It’s on you for being such a shortstack!” Min-gi yelled. His voice echoed all over the bare parking lot. Ryan continued walking away.
Min-gi shook his head at his immature yet amusing behavior and tried to catch up to him.
Who would have known they were talking about break-ups just a few minutes ago?
“Hey hey,” Min-gi was a few steps away from him but dang.. He was out of breath. “Slow down.”
“Nah,” came Ryan’s curt reply.
Min-gi let a smirk materialize in his face. “What if I tell you that I got Eomma and Appa to buy me a Y.M.O album?”
He let that phrase sink in for a moment. Ryan remained unimpressionable and continued walking until...
“I’m gonna head to your place to see it now, see youuu!”
Min-gi raised a fist in the air out of victory. “Gotcha!” Once he caught up with Ryan, he curled another arm around his shoulders. This time, Ryan didn’t take it off. They proceeded to walk in silence. The silences that filled the gaps of the space between them grew slowly and inevitably as they grew older.
But this silence along with his arm around Ryan who was wearing the most ridiculous coat, warmed Min-gi’s heart despite the cool weather.