Chapter Text
“Okay, I think she’s got everything she needs!” Gyuvin sighs, hands on his waist, scanning his house to double check in case he’s forgotten anything before leaving his sweetheart with his best friend. “Just call me whenever you need, I have written ev—”
“Everything Eumppappa needs on the notes you put on the fridge door. Yeah, you’ve said that like ten times already. I got it, you’re leaving her for only a week Gyuvin!” Gunwook cuts Gyuvin’s words, which indeed, he has repeated multiple times. “Off you go, your parents are waiting!” Gunwook pushes Gyuvin out of his house.
“Okay, okay! Bye babyyy see you… next year?” Gyuvin waves one last time at Eumppappa, who’s lounging on her bed, unaware that she’ll be spending the rest of the year alone with Gunwook. Gyuvin finally heads down to the car, where his parents and siblings are waiting.
On the last step, Gyuvin comes to a sudden halt before turning around to face Gunwook again. “OH! One last thing, my mom said there’s not much food in the fridge but you can take whatever’s there. If it’s not enough just order DoorDash or something. My mom will cover your food expenses later!”
Gunwook shakes his head at Gyuvin’s scattered mind state. But he understands, knowing that Gyuvin didn’t get any sleep last night. He’d been complaining about an essay for his finals that was due this morning. Which of course, he only started it the night before. It was his final assignment before officially starting the winter holiday. Well, Gunwook doesn’t have the right to judge Gyuvin’s time management, after all, he’s also a university student whose situation isn’t much different.
“Alright, thanks. Now go get that warm sun!” Gunwook waves him goodbye, not sure how many times he has done so, but hopefully the last one. He sends a smile and a polite nod at Gyuvin’s parents who are inside the car.
Off he goes with his family to the Bahamas to spend Christmas and New Year’s. Meanwhile, Gunwook remains alone in the cold winter of Massachusetts, pet-sitting Gyuvin’s dog, Eumppappa.
Gunwook looks at Eumppappa, who is still lying in her bed, head empty, most likely having no idea that her owners had left. He walks towards the refrigerator to check on the food. It’s already around 5 PM, dinner time is approaching. It’s not only Eumppappa who needs to eat, his stomach starts to grumble too.
Inside, there isn’t much, just a little bit of this and that. Gyuvin's mother most likely cleared out the refrigerator before leaving, to avoid coming home to some smelly spoiled food. Gunwook opens the cupboard on top and finds some Korean instant noodles. He could whip up a quick ramen with eggs, maybe spice it up with kimchi too… but honestly, he got sick of ramen since he ate them way too often during the finals season. On the other hand, Gunwook knows that ordering food online for every meal is going to cost a fortune. Even though Gyuvin’s parents cover his food expenses, it still feels wrong to spend that much just for a meal.
Until he remembers that not far from Gyuvin’s house, there’s a medium-sized supermarket within walking distance.
❄️
With two paper bags in hand, Gunwook walks carefully along a barely plowed sidewalk, avoiding the frozen puddles. Snow can be beautiful, but sometimes he finds it annoying. Especially after it piles up for a while, it turns brown and wet, then becomes a slip hazard once it freezes again.
Drrt, drrt, drrrt, drrt, drrtt.
He feels some buzz from his phone in his pocket, but his hands are full right now. Only a block left, so Gunwook decides to check his phone later once he arrives. Better to check later, than to slip up and spill his groceries everywhere.
Gyuvin lives in a nice, densely packed neighborhood, in a suburb just outside of Cambridge where their university is located. Most of the lights in the houses start to light up one by one. Through the window, Gunwook can see each of their decorated Christmas trees. Upon the quietness, he hears the faint sound of carolers in the distance. The weather is cold, but the Christmas season makes it slightly better. Gunwook might not be religious, but he loves festivities, mainly because of the company. He used to decorate Christmas trees and have a feast and cakes on Christmas Eve as well, with his family back in Korea.
But this year marks the third year he has missed Christmas and New Year’s celebrations with his family. Studying abroad by himself in the USA definitely has its perks, but when it’s the holiday, homesickness tends to creep in.
But he’s fine… It’s his third year after all.
He used to spend the holidays with his fellow foreign student dorm mates, who were under the same circumstances as him—alone, far away from their family. But sometimes too, he spends the holiday with Gyuvin’s family. Unlike him, Gyuvin has residency, he lives here with his family.
Gyuvin’s family adores Gunwook. For Thanksgiving this year, they invited him to join their dinner. But for Christmas, they decided to go on a holiday to the Bahamas until January 1st. So, Gunwook offers himself to pet-sit Eumppappa. He doesn’t have any other plans anyway, plus he could earn some extra pocket money. And that’s how Gunwook ended up here, in front of Gyuvin’s house trying to unlock the door.
Gyuvin’s house uses a smart lock. The key is a card, and he just needs to tap it to open the door. But for some reason, it’s not working.
Uneasiness starts to grow inside him. Gunwook sets his paper bags on the floor and quickly grabs his phone to contact Gyuvin. He remembers everything Gyuvin had told him, plus the notes on frigde, but nothing about the door lock. Opening his phone, there are already a lot of text messages from Gyuvin.
[Bro]
[good thing I remember before the flight takes off]
[I forgot to tell you about the door]
[Sometimes it gets fussy during the winter]
[idk maybe because of the cold]
[the card sometimes doesn’t work]
[but no worries]
[you just have to enter the code]
The text ends there.
He says to enter the code.
But there’s no code. Gyuvin didn’t send the code.
“Shit. I swear he needs to stop sending text messages in short bubbles!” Gunwook grumbles to himself. If the flight already took off, he could be out here for hours, waiting until Gyuvin lands. He realizes now that he’s only wearing a hoodie. He thought he wouldn’t be out for too long, so he didn’t bother with his padded jacket. Though it’s a thicker hoodie, the night falls quickly and the East Coast winter is unforgiving. It’s freezing cold, he’s hungry, and Eumppappa must be too, her dinner time is coming.
Gunwook’s imagination going wild. His mind working hard, running through several different scenarios and checking all the possibilities and choices that could go wrong.
There is an emergency keyhole, but he has no idea how to pick a lock. Try out some codes he can think of? Definitely not. What if he makes a mistake and triggers the alarm? The police could come. That’s really bad. But what if something happens to Eumppappa? Oh that’s worse, Gyuvin might kill him. So, does this count as an emergency? Sounds crazy to call 911 just because he got locked out. His brain spirals, sending him to an even worse conclusion. He doesn’t want to get arrested in another country. He still needs to finish his final year and graduate!
Gunwook looks back at Gyuvin chat messages, hoping a code will suddenly appear. Sadly nothing, but his eyes stops at Gyuvin’s previous text.
idk maybe because of the cold
Gunwook shoves his phone back into his pocket and quickly puts his hands over the door lock. Maybe, just maybe, the lock will start to work properly again if it’s warm. Gunwook isn’t sure if this is helping at all since he can’t even feel any warmth in his hands. Combined with the fact that he hasn’t eaten, his body feels colder than usual.
He’s fully committed to this though, he can’t think of any other way. He gets down on his knees and continues to warm up the door lock by blowing his warm breath over it with all his might. He soon realizes that his position right now isn’t exactly normal. Nobody puts their face in front of a door lock like this, it’s highly suspicious from afar. Gunwook knows he can’t keep doing this for much longer, or else he might get reported by the neighbors, or… oh, the carolers! He can hear their voices getting closer, seems like they will pass by anytime soon.
Gunwook tries tapping the card again, but still, nothing changes. His heart races, sweating bullets inside his hoodie despite the cold. Gunwook keeps trying, and trying, but the card still doesn’t work. Panicking inside as he hears the carolers coming even closer.
“Hey!”
His body jolts, someone called him. His brain instantly sends himself to jail, getting locked up behind bars, only a couple of days before Christmas.
“Excuse me…”
The person calls again, this time in Korean, a familiarity he appreciates. Relieving his anxiety slightly, Gunwook hopes that maybe sharing the same root would make the person go easy on him. As he turns his body towards the source of the voice, he sees someone standing on the porch of the right side neighbor, staring back at him.
“Uh, y-yes?” Gunwook responds nervously.
“Are you—”
“I’M SORRY! I’m Kim Gyuvin’s friend! I’m pet-sitting his dog right now. He’s on a holiday with his family. A-and I’m definitely not suspicious! I have a key to the house, though it’s not working right now, but I am supposed to live here until they come back. So don’t report me please, I would call Gyuvin right now to give you proof, but he’s on his flight right now and I can’t contact him. I can show you some pictures of me and Gyuvin… o-or some text messages about this pet-sitting arrangement… yes! I can show you that! Hold on a moment… I will try to find it in my phone….” Gunwook blurts out everything that passes his brain. His hand scrambles to unlock his phone to find something that can prove his innocence.
But before he could come up with anything, he hears the neighbor guy burst out laughing. Gunwook hands froze mid-scroll, and he glances up at him, blinking in confusion. The guy steps forward, moving out of the shadow and into the pool of light from a nearby streetlamp. Gunwook doesn’t know if it’s the delicate snow fluttering from above, or the warm glow from the street lamp illuminating the guy’s face just right, but he almost let out a gasp once he sees the guy’s face clearly.
A very cute guy. Gyuvin never mentions that he has such a cute neighbor.
“Don’t worry, you’re fine. I know you are Gyuvin’s friend. I’ve seen you around, you’ve been here several times, right?” says the guy, smiling widely, showing off the dimple on his left cheek caving deep.
Still half dazed, Gunwook nods.
“I was going to ask if you need any help. You said the key doesn’t work?”
And Gunwook only nods again.
The cute neighbor guy chuckles, “Let me see if I can help.”
As the guy walks across the yard, Gunwook realizes he needs to calm down and keep his composure. A cute guy is coming towards him, and he for sure, doesn’t want his first impression to be the nerdy awkward Gunwook. He needs to be the cool Gunwook now—though he isn’t exactly sure how to be one.
But the plan to be the cool Gunwook is soon forgotten once he sees the guy up close—he’s even cuter. He thought the distance made him look small, but he is actually small in person. Shorter than Gunwook, slimmer than him too.
"So what's wrong with it?" the guy asks.
“Uh, they use a smart lock with a key card...” Gunwook replies, holding up the card. “But it isn’t working for some reason right now, and I can’t contact Gyuvin until he lands—”
"And you didn't bring the emergency key right?"
Gunwook shakes his head, "They didn't say anything about it. They left in a rush."
The guy hums as he looks around, trying to find an alternate way.
“Is that window open?”
Gunwoook eyes follow where the guy is pointing. A glimmer of hope appears once he sees a slightly open window. Immediately, Gunwook tries to insert his fingers into the gap, praying inside that this particular window isn’t stuck. His cold fingers feel numb but the movement and the sound of the window frame creaking open got his hopes soaring high. Gunwook gasps as the window smoothly slides up, wider and wider.
Unfortunately, his happiness is cut short when the window suddenly stops moving about two-thirds of the way open.
“Oh no…” Gunwook grits his teeth, pushing, pulling, grunting, smacking the window to slide up higher, but it still won’t budge any further.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay…” The guy places his hand on Gunwook’s wrist, prompting him to stop. “Should be wide enough for me, I’m pretty flexible actually… Here, hold on to this.”
Gunwook watches as the guy takes off his padded jacket, revealing his rather petite frame compared to Gunwook. He then removes his shoes as well before stepping into the house, starting with his right leg. But to lift his other leg, he needs something to hold on to, yet nothing around him is stable enough for him to grab. He looks elsewhere, only to land his gaze on Gunwook.
“Come closer.”
Gunwook’s mind goes blank for a moment. The guy’s deep yet hushed tone makes his body feel like it moves on its own following his order. Gunwook is grateful that right now, the sun already fully set and Gyuvin’s porch lamp isn’t that bright. Otherwise, the neighbor guy might notice how rosy Gunwook’s ears and cheeks have turned.
Gunwook stands at what he thinks is a good enough distance, but the cute neighbor guy doesn’t think so. Once the guy puts both of his hands on Gunwook’s shoulders, gripping them tightly, he pulls Gunwook closer. It catches Gunwook by surprise, realizing just how close they are right now. So close that he starts to worry if the guy could hear his heartbeat. Even Gunwook could feel the warmth of the guy’s breath brushing against his cold cheek. A soft exhale easily makes his body turn stone rigid. Gunwook tries his best to avert his gaze away from the guy’s endearing nose and soft lips, just inches from his own.
He finally remembers how to breathe once the guy slips away, successfully entering the house through the narrow window.
For a fleeting moment, Gunwook’s mind drifts in a haze, still feeling the ghost of his hands, gripping his shoulders. Until the sharp click of the door unlocking snaps him back to reality.
“Oh my god, thank you so much!” Ecstatic, Gunwook thanked the guy once he managed to open the door from inside.
The cute neighbor guy meets Gunwook's gaze, a spark of amusement in his eyes, before letting out a soft chuckle. “Not you panicking and freezing outside, meanwhile Eumppappa is still in her warm, comfy bed, having a sweet dream.”
Gunwook sighs in relief. “She has no idea her dinner could’ve been delayed for hours. You saved both of us.”
“Well, just be careful not to get locked out again.” The guy smiles politely, then takes his jacket from Gunwook’s hands before walking away. Leaving Gunwook wishing that he could stay longer, even just for a bit.
God knows what possesses him in that split second, but before the guy reaches the stairs, Gunwook calls out. The guy’s steps halt abruptly, his face turning back at Gunwook. Under his confused gaze, Gunwook suddenly feels hesitant, but he knows it’s too late to take it back. So he tries to swallow his nervousness instead.
“Can I... have your number? Please?”
The guy stands frozen, no reaction, no rejection, but it makes Gunwook feel like he said the wrong thing. “Uhh, just in case… I got locked out again?” So he adds, knowing fully well that it sounds like a dumb excuse.
The guy looks like he’s thinking about it for a bit, before finally nodding.
“Sure.”
Gunwook quickly grabs his phone from his back pocket, unlocks it, then passes it over to him. Who knew he’d get a cute guy’s number while pet-sitting Gyuvin’s dog? This Christmas might not be that bad after all.
“Here you go, I should head back now,” he says as he hands the phone back to Gunwook. “I hope you and Eumppappa have a good dinner!”
Gunwook waves him goodbye, watching as he leaves until he safely enters his house. The soft thud of the door closing echoes until it reaches Gunwook’s ear. Standing alone on Gyuvin’s porch, Gunwook comes back to reality. He’s back in the familiar hush of winter, alone again.
So he, too, enters the house, bringing the grocery bags inside. Once he sets down everything on the kitchen island, Gunwook takes his phone out again, breaking into a smile as he sees the newly added contact number.
[Kim Taerae]
That's what he put on the contact name.
“Kim Taerae…” Gunwook repeats quietly. It feels right, as though it was always meant to be said aloud. His thumb hovers over the message button for a couple of second, until he gathers enough courage to send him a message.
[Hi, this is Gunwook. Gyuvin's friend, the one who got locked out. I’m not locked out again, just want to say thank you and sorry for the trouble.]
Sent.
[PS. I think you’re very cute.]
Sent.
Gunwook throws his phone onto the living room sofa, trying to not think about it, trying not to regret it and unsend the message like a coward. Shifting his attention elsewhere, he sees Eumppapa sitting politely next to her food bowl.
“After all that naps, you’re hungry now?”
Eumppappa barks, as if she’s agreeing to Gunwook.
“Yeah, me too.”
❄️
Closer to midnight, while Gunwook lies down on the sofa, binge-watching something on Netflix, he hears his phone ring. The sound is muffled like it’s tucked somewhere. Completely forgetting about his phone, Gunwook scrambles trying to find it. He digs through the pillows, his hands slipping between the cushions, until he finally grabs it.
[kimgyu🐶]
Gunwook accepts the call.
“WOOK-AH! DON’T TELL ME YOU ACTUALLY GOT LOCKED OUT?!”
Gunwook’s head jerks back. He should’ve known better than to put his ear directly on the speaker every time Gyuvin calls. The screaming happens way too often.
“Dude, I almost died freezing!”
“For real? Are you still outside now?! Is my baby okay?!!”
Gunwook rolls his eyes, “Your baby is fine, calm down. I’m the one who almost died! But I’m inside now, good thing your neighbor helped me!”
“Oh, okay, good.. Sorry, just realized the message didn’t send, I must have hit airplane mode too fast before it went through. Sorryyy…”
Gunwook can practically imagine a mischievous grin on Gyuvin’s face right now, trying to laugh his guilt off.
“Ugh, just send me the code right after this… by the way… how come you never told me that you have a really cute neighbor?”
“Huh?? What?”
“I said, your neighbor is really cute!”
Gyuvin hums, clearly puzzled. “Are you talking about Hana? Yeah, she’s really cute! But why do I have to tell you about her?”
“Hana? Who’s Hana? I’m talking about Taerae-ssi. He’s really cute! He helped me to get into the house.”
“The dad????”
“What?”
“Did you say Taerae-ssi???”
“Yeah? Why?”
“That’s Hana’s dad.”
…
…
The silence is deafening. Gunwook couldn’t believe what he just heard. He thought maybe it was just another one of those Gyuvin’s jokes.
“Funny one Vin, I almost believe you…”
“You think I’m joking? He has a five-year-old daughter!”
“He looks like he’s our age, and you want me to believe that he has a kid? Are you sure that’s not his sister or something?”
“Dude… I AM NOT JOKING! He’s like thirty something!”
“Fuck off, he can’t be thirty looking so tiny and cute like that?!”
“Oh my god… It’s okay Wook, you are in denial right now, there are four more stages... But here’s some info for you, he’s divorced. If you’re into dads with one kid, I say go for it.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah second stage… I’m hanging up, you deal with the rest of the stages yourself alright. Good niiiiight!”
Gunwook hears the line disconnect. Gyuvin actually hung up on him. He honestly still can’t believe it. More like he doesn’t want to believe it. The thing is, Gunwook doesn't even have that much experience in dating, even with people of his age. He's still a rookie when it comes to flirting. He doesn't even know how someone his age would react to that kind of message, let alone a much older guy with a child.
What would a guy like Taerae think of a university student with neither a stable income nor future, sending him a flirty text? Embarrassment washes over Gunwook as he imagines the possibilities of his response. What if Taerae laughs at him? Or worse, what if he feels disgusted at him? There's a chance he's not even into guys. With a frustrated grunt, Gunwook quickly checks the text he sent to Taerae. Maybe, if he hasn’t seen it yet, it’s not too late to unsend the message, though it’s been a couple of hours already.
Unfortunately, there’s already a reply. Gunwook can read it from the notification bar.
[No problem]
[Good night Gunwook]
Oh, Gunwook wishes the floor would swallow him whole right now, to bury himself alive, vanishing from the earth. But at least he didn't say anything bad. How is Gunwook supposed to face him tomorrow? There's no way he could avoid him until the new year, he lives next door after all.