Work Text:
It had been a long school year for everyone in DER High School.
Kim Soleum, now in his second year, was almost going to be a senior and taking his college entrance exams next year.
This also meant that it would be his last month to see Ryu Jaekwan, his third-year senior whom he attended the gardening club with for the past two years.
The last month to confess his feelings to Jaekwan.
Before the end of this school year turns bittersweet.
School just ended and he saw Jaekwan loosening the bicycle chain, getting ready to leave home.
His bicycle was very recognisable as it was a government issued bicycle with identification numbers on it.
You see Jaekwan is an orphan but that didn’t make him any different to Soleum.
“Hi, Hyung.”
“Oh. Grapes. See you tomorrow after school.”
“Yeah. See you.”
With that, Jaekwan cycled away.
Soleum still stood there, blushing very hard like an idiot.
No matter how many times he had seen Jaekwan, he could never get over how cool and nonchalant he appears. Many had commented on how he looked cold and unapproachable, and Soleum begged to differ. The blue in Jaekwan wasn’t the blue of the winter frost on an unforgiving night. It was the blue of the calm ocean waves that greets you under the afternoon sun. It was the blue of the dark serene night sky.
Jaekwan is a very kind person. After club activities, he always stay in school for a little while to tidy up the greenhouse as well as the supplies. He cleared the trash cans and replaced the bags. He cleaned the board of the club room. Jaekwan might not know this but Soleum always took a peek.
And the nickname Grapes.
Oh how he loved that nickname.
It was a silly nickname that came from Soleum being overly excited from drinking grape ade for the first time. It happened at a volunteering event for helping the local elderly homes. The staff provided grape ade for them to drink. Soleum being the homebody he was, had not tried it. The reaction to his first sip seemed exaggerated. His eyes widened and kept glancing back at the drink and the rest of the club members, exclaimed “This is the best drink I ever had!”
It was a funny moment often brought up alot within the club.
Jaekwan teased him by calling him Grapes afterwards.
He hated it at first. But soon, he loved it as this was a nickname given to him by Jaekwan.
The next day after school was when his plan to confess started.
He waited for everyone to leave the clubroom.
Now there was just him and Jaekwan.
“Um. Hyung…” His eyes kept darting all around Jaekwan.
“If you keep that up, you might need new glasses. Grapes.” Jaekwan replied.
Soleum couldn’t bring himself to look at Jaekwan. Instead he held out two tickets in his hands, holding them in front of Jaekwan.
“I have spare movie tickets for XXX. I was wondering if you would be free this weekend.” The words came out like a bullet train with some stutters.
“Yeah, I’m free.” Jaekwan took a ticket from his hands and used his hand to tilt Soleum’s head such that he’s facing him.
He then smiled.
“See you then.”
The day came finally.
Soleum was waiting outside the cinema. He was there half an hour earlier than the agreed time. He kept checking his phone and reread the text messages to make sure he didn’t made any mistake.
That was when he received a new message from Jaekwan asking him to get some stuff from a nearby Soup store.
He couldn’t tell if it was a store that sold soup or a store named Soup.
But he didn’t want to look incompetent over such a small matter in front of his Hyung.
There was a store named Soup near the cinema so it must have been that.
Ryu Jaekwan arrived at the meetup location just on time, but Kim Soleum was nowhere to be seen.
He did ask him to get some things but it shouldn’t take that long.
And so he continued waiting.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
15 minutes.
30 minutes.
And finally, it reached an hour.
What was Grapes doing?
He couldn’t have been kidnapped, right?
He quickly called him.
It took a few calls to reach Soleum.
“GRAPES. ARE YOU OK? YOU’RE FINE, RIGHT?”
Soleum was quiet for a while before answering. “Yes, I’m still at the Soup store.”
“???”
“Why would you take such a long time in there?”
“You said you wanted containers but all I’m seeing are cans and clothes.”
“Clothes at a soup store?”
“Yeah. Clothes.”
“Why would there be clothes at a soup store?”
“I don’t know…”
“You know what. Grapes. It’s fine. I can get them later. But the movie had already started.”
“Wait what. I was so sure that there was still ten more- Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t believe I messed up such an easy task given by Hyung…”
“No. Don’t cry. I will go there and find you. Ok?”
“Ok.”
Soleum then sent a picture of the store he’s in. Jaekwan saw it and there was a store called Soup store…
He should have specified, he guess.
Soleum saw Jaekwan walking towards him.
He wanted to run up to him and also to run away. Especially right after failing such a simple task.
“You’re ok?” Jaekwan asked immediately as their eyes met.
“Yeah…”
Soleum started tearing up.
“Wait- Hold on. Don’t cry.”
“No. It’s really all my fault. I wanted today to go perfectly. We would go to a movie, then have dinner together. I would confess to you on the way home under the night sky. It was supposed to be perfect and I ruined it.”
“Did you say confess?”
“Yeah, but obviously that’s not go- Oh…”
Jaekwan held the side of his face and proceeded to kiss a tear away.
“I feel the same too. But I’m just not ready yet.”
“Why?” Soleum held the hand that was on his face with both hands.
“I chose to complete my National Service next year. And you’re in your third-year soon. I don’t want to affect your studies.”
“Then tell me where you’re applying to. At least we can still be together in college. I can complete-”
“Don’t you get it?”
“I don’t want you to throw your life away just for me…”
“…”
“Then what? You’re just going to let us go just like that.”
“Yeah. Almost.”
“But if fate really permits it, we will meet again. I’m sure, Grapes.”
That night, Kim Soleum cried himself to sleep.