Chapter Text
Seongje had gotten over Na Baekjin.
He had a stable job in the gaming industry—a progammer. Had an apartment he returned to every day after work. Had a nice car. Had friends that could give him shit as much as he did them. He wasn't dating anyone, preferred one night stands because he wasn't sure he was even capable of sustaining a relationship.
But, the point was: he had a good life.
And he'd meant to kept it that way until he turned old and cranky, that was until Na Baekjin walked back into his life and everything he hadn't planned for to happen happened.
It was a day like any other. Get off work, drive home, decide what he'll have for dinner, and if the anwer was take out, he'd either order when he'd get home or go to a restaurant.
Tonight, he settled on eating at a restaurant since he'd been eating home everyday.
There was a particular place he went to. Quiet. Not very known. Stashed away from the city inot a nook of its own, hidden.
He'd gotten close to the staff there, and they even gave him free food sometimes. He might or might not be returning for that. It was a place located right behind a river, overlooking the busy highway on the left. It was almost impossible to find the place if you didn't know your way around.
When he arrived and rolled his car to the very back to park it in the same spot he did each time, he discovered the space was already taken. A Kia Rio in the shade of white. Seongje reveresed his car and placed it in the next space available. He got out and eyed the car that was parked in his space before entering the small diner.
As usual, the place was peacefully dull, the only sound being the murmurs from the back of the kitchen and the few people scattered across the tables—townspeople. Seongje took a seat at the one in the back after waving a greeting a woman in her 40's on his way.
He ordered his usual and sat back, getting his phone out.
A man shouted out his full name, and he looked up, startled. A man in age range close to Seongje's with dyed hair falling over his eyes and a crooked grin on his face. Park Jisung, the restaurant owner's son. Seongje got up, clapping Jisung's shoulder as Jisung gave him a side hug. "I didn't know you were coming today." He said, sliding in the opposite seat to Seongje.
Seongje nodded. "I was just passing by and hungry. Thought I'd drop in for some free food." He smirked.
"Hey! You're paying this time." Jisung laughed, leaning forward with his arms crossed. "What have you been up to?"
"Work. I'm busy unlike some people I know." Seongje snorted, taunting.
Jisung reached across and gave a light shove to his shoulder with a shake to his head. "Still a cocky bastard, huh? I've been getting ready to open my own restaurant in the city."
"Where'd you get the money?" Seongje questioned.
"Loaned it. Borrowed some from family and friends. I also had some saved."
"When—" Seongje stopped talking when a figure came to place food on his table.
That smell. Vanilla with musk, missing the rusty roots of tobacco scent that often accompanied as the last companion. The memory of it was still there. His senses caught up to him just as quickly.
He looked up.
Na Baekjin stood there in white uniform with a black apron on top and looked just as caught off guard at seeing Seongje there if not more—a resounding of expression coloring his face unlike the stoic face Seongje was used to. The same Baekjin that was once the union leader. Dangerous and unbeatable now appeared so… ordinary. So out of place. He blend in with the rest of the crowd instead of standing out like a threat that he used to be—a walking caution sign. With his softened features and hair not sleeked back with gel, the strands was styled with one swoop that fell on the left side of his forehead.
Baekjin seemed to be just as surprised as him, but it showed less on his face. He was more confused, if anything.
Someone called out Baekjin's name from the back, and Baekjin reacted immediately and scurried away.
Seongje couldn't stop staring after him.
Jisung snapped his fingers in front of Seongje's face, and Seongje blinked, turning his gaze to him slowly. "What? You know him?"
Seongje's heart raced thumped inside his chest, so loud he could hear it in his ears. He shook his head. "What is he doing here?" He chuckled a little breathlessly, picking up his chopsticks to hold on to something, his hands slightly trembling.
Go after him, his heart supplied, but his brain knew better than to repeat old mistakes. Stupid mistakes that could've been avoided if he'd just bothered to think.
Jisung glanced behind him and then said, "He started working here a week ago. Mom says he's better than any college kid that's ever worked here. Have to say, the guy's work is spotless." He hummed, impressed.
Seongje bet it fucking was. Wait, a college kid? "He's in college?"
"Yeah, he's our age I think, but he's studying right now." Jisung shrugged.
Seongje nodded, the food in front of him long forgotten as his eyes strayed to the front to see if Baekjin was—
No, he needed to stop. Shouldn't seek him out. Shouldn't want to seek him out after all that had taken place.
Without waiting for his food, he stood up and left, Jisung calling after him.
—oo—
Seongje couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried to that night. His mind was an endless horror of sprinting thoughts. Was Baekjin that close to him all these time? Breathing the same air as him? Looking at the same city nights every day? Walking over the same streets and raods?
But even if he was, why should Seongje care? He was over him. The union happened, his little crush happened, it was all over now. They had their lives miles apart. It shouldn't bother him that he was in reachable distance again. It shouldn't matter if he was right there in front of him.
He had moved on.
Then why, why was the urge to meet him again persisting? Could it just be curiosity? It had to be. Anything else was implausible.
So what if Seongje was reminded of his existence again? So what if he happened to be working at one of Seongje's favorite restaurants? Fuck him, he could still go there.
For the food, of course.
The next day, he was agitated all day.
Why, he couldn't possibly guess. There was a reason, but he'd rather not look it in the eyes at the moment.
He was more prone to snapping at the interns for their mistakes that he usually ignored, cursing at the traffic, wanting to kill his boss who happened to be his mom, and the usual.
The carefully maintained control—or at least the pretense of it—was gone in an instant and left was frustration. Raw and endless. And he couldn't understand why.
It shouldn't be bothering him so much to be reminded of Baekjin's presence. He had no right to take up any more space in Seongje's head than he already had.
Seongje had moved on.