The cafe was close enough to walk to. After parking the car and arriving at the store, the two of them hesitated as they looked at the displayed cakes. Well, it was more accurate to say that Wooyeon hesitated alone.
“….”
From chocolate, strawberry, and cheese to a dazzling cake with unknown ingredients, Wooyeon’s sparkling eyes scanned the whole display. Although he felt uneasy about this unverified store, but the sight was so rare that he couldn’t help but be captivated.
“Just one…”
“You can choose whatever you want to eat.”
Even with the words that sounded like a savior, Wooyeon couldn’t bring himself to be happy. For some reason, his round head seemed a bit sulky.
“If I eat them all, I’ll gain weight.”
During middle school, the culprit behind him joining the ranks of obesity was none other than these damn desserts. At that age, he couldn’t drink alcohol or smoke, so the only way to relieve stress was through ‘sweet food.’ Naturally, the outcome of that was gaining weight. His gradually increasing weight reached its peak when he turned sixteen.
“Weight?”
Dohyun looked at Wooyeon with a puzzled expression. Although he had a face that seemed to hear everything, Wooyeon, who was absorbed in the cake, actually didn’t hear it. His face, small enough to be covered with one hand, looked more serious than ever before.
“Then choose three. We can share them.”
At Dohyun’s casual suggestion, Wooyeon’s face lit up. He had been thinking that two cakes were too much, but if the two of them ate three, it would be 1.5 each. That seemed like a reasonably conscientious amount.
“Can I choose any three?”
Wooyeon stared at Dohyun without realizing how desperate he looked. Dohyun, who heard everything without showing it on his face, burst into laughter at the sight of Wooyeon, who was earnestly looking at the cakes.
“You can even eat four if you want.”
His slightly curved eyes were gentle. The way he held his hand and covered his mouth felt embarrassingly ticklish. Wooyeon widened his eyes and pointed at the display, gesturing toward this one and that one. Even with that ambiguous order of “that one, that one, and that one,” Dohyun understood it perfectly as if it were his second nature.
The cafe had a structure where you chose cakes on the first floor and went up to the second floor for eating. They waited for the drinks and cakes to be served and then found a corner on the second floor. The spacious windows on all sides made even the corner feel not too cramped.
“Bon appétit.”
Wooyeon cheerfully attacked the cake with a small fork. He hesitated for a moment when touching the strawberry atop the whipped cream, but when Dohyun didn’t say anything, Wooyeon readily picked it up and ate it. Dohyun also offered Wooyeon the decorated chocolates and cherries of other cakes without saying a word.
“You eat these better than a meal.”
His voice expressed genuine amazement. Dohyun, with the tip of the straw in his mouth, pushed the cakes toward Wooyeon. The cheesecake with cookie crumbs and the rich chocolate crepe looked so sweet that just looking at them could make your tongue melt.
“Not too sweet?”
“It’s sweet.”
Wooyeon replied with a bright smile and brought the drink for a sip. For someone who claimed it was sweet, the drink he bought was a sweetened lemonade. He explained that he likes to drink sweet things with a skillfully rolled-up sweet crepe.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I am eating.”
It was a lie. Looking closely, he had just taken a tiny bite and had immediately put the fork down. Despite observing him carefully, it was clear that he had only been drinking coffee (without syrup) since earlier.
“Should I buy another one?”
“No, this is enough.”
“What about chocolate?”
“….”
Wooyeon blinked reflexively. Wasn’t chocolate the highest peak of sweet for him? Even though he was currently indulging in sweet cakes and treats, the thought of another sweet (chocolate) crossed his mind. It hadn’t been even 30 minutes since he mentioned not wanting to gain weight, yet his willpower wavered like a fluttering ribbon.
“They sell handmade chocolates here. A guy like you, who doesn’t eat cheap stuff, will surely enjoy them.”
“That was a joke.”
“I’ll pretend that it was.”
Dohyun, who replied lightly, stood up from his seat. He rummaged through his coat, took out his wallet, and then went downstairs after telling Wooyeon to keep eating. Watching Dohyun move away, Wooyeon lowered his fork slightly.
“…Why are you being so nice to me?”
Come to think of it, Dohyun had bought him chocolates before. It was around the time of final exams. When he bragged about his improved English grades, Dohyun bought chocolates, promising to buy more if he did well on the next exam.
‘But that was the end of it.’
It was a very short period. The season had only changed once, and it hadn’t rained for ten days. In less than half a year, Wooyeon had fallen deeply for him. The strange feeling of spending a day with the teacher now felt oddly unrealistic.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Dohyun returned to the second floor not long after. Looking at the untouched cake, he seemed puzzled as he sat across from Wooyeon and offered him the chocolates. Wooyeon felt like crying as soon as he saw the chocolates Dohyun handed over.
“Take it and eat it.”
It was wrapped in a white ribbon. Inside the small plastic bag were several round chocolates, and in the middle, there was a sticker with the cafe’s name. Without asking, he knew who the ‘kid who doesn’t eat cheap stuff’ was.
“I thought… we were going to buy them individually.”
Wooyeon muttered while fiddling with the plastic bag. Occasionally, traces of the past and an indescribable feeling would surface during their encounters. It felt welcoming, bitter, sad, and empty. Even the rustling sensation of the plastic felt oddly alien.
“They don’t sell them individually.”
He thought he could forget. He believed everything would be fine and decided to be satisfied with this casual relationship. But it seemed like all his desires were ultimately just arrogant.
I should say thank you. It felt like there was a lump of stones in his throat. Wooyeon controlled his choked-up emotions, swallowed a few more times, and managed to smile.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
***
The two spent quite a long time at the cafe. They exchanged trivial conversations and he received advice about university life and even learned about clubs. Despite having two hours left before the lecture, they moved to an arcade for entertainment.
“Having a break is really great.”
During this time, Wooyeon tried his best not to emit pheromones. He opened the window before Dohyun, while sitting in the passenger seat and didn’t even glance at the driver’s seat. Despite his noticeably bristled reaction, Dohyun, seemingly oblivious, initiated a conversation nonchalantly.
“How do you plan to handle it?”
Indeed, how could he handle it? How could he rekindle emotions that had been rejected once?
“Just… I’ll try to explain it to the professors as much as possible.”
Just with one chocolate, he felt like he had gone back in time. The emotions he felt at that time resurfaced vividly in his chest. Wooyeon liked the teacher, fell for these gestures, received comfort, and was hurt as much as he received comfort. Yet, here they were, sitting side by side in the same car.
“Since there are classes on Monday, maybe I should look for them then. If it doesn’t work out…”
“Drop out?”
“I want to.”
Wooyeon sighed sadly. As he buried his face in his hands and slouched his shoulders, he felt a gaze on himself. If he had known, he would have just studied in the United States, following Daniel’s advice. Now, he was regretting that he didn’t listen to Daniel’s words.
“Um…”
Dohyun spoke thinly and pulled over the car in front of an intersection. The traffic light soon turned red with a beeping sound. Dohyun turned his head slightly, resting his wrist on the steering wheel.
“I can help you a bit.”
“How?”
Wooyeon asked without much expectation. He didn’t think that a mere third-year student, not even a teaching assistant, could be of help. However, as he changed gears, Dohyun casually said,
“I’m friends with some professors.”
Certainly, that teaching assistant had said something alike. Dohyun, being at the top of his grade, would be helpful in exams. Remembering this fact, Wooyeon widened his eyes and turned to look at Dohyun.
“Even if I can’t directly help, I can at least join you in asking.”
“….”
“Well… but I can’t guarantee it will be effective.”
His lips curled up slightly. His double eyelids flickered. Instead of an immediate response, Wooyeon, with an unsettled voice, confirmed,
“Are you doing this because of what happened earlier?”
“What happened?”
“In the club room.”
“Ah…..”, Dohyun replied with a calm tone.
“That’s something that Moon Garam will handle, not me.”
It was a firm answer. Wooyeon, who briefly lost his words, raised the topic he had initially intended to discuss.
“I thought you were trying to help her.”
“Why would I?”
He felt a bit relieved. If Dohyun had mentioned the earlier incident, he would have felt more uncomfortable. It was fortunate that he didn’t have to be reminded once again that Dohyun was also an Alpha.
“…Can you help me adjust my schedule?”
With a feeling of grasping at straws, Wooyeon made the request. Setting aside the discomfort, he needed to find a way to attend University somehow. To achieve what Wooyeon wanted, he had to complete four years successfully.
“I’ll buy you a meal. …Not something cheap.”
“Not something cheap?”
Dohyun laughed carelessly and turned the steering wheel. In the distance, their destination, the school gate, came into view.
“Come to the club room after your classes on Monday. I’ll be there in the morning, so if you have morning class, just skip it and come.”
Wooyeon, nodding, took out his phone. The time was 4:40 PM. Thanks to Dohyun, the vast break between classes passed in the blink of an eye.
“When…is your next class, senior?”
Only now did Wooyeon worry about Dohyun’s other lecture. It had been five hours since the morning class ended, and Dohyun had never mentioned going to another lecture.
“Me?”
Could this class also overlap? Dohyun softly smiled at Wooyeon, who was entertaining the thought without any hope.
“It’s on Wednesday at 11.”
“Really?”
The car passed through the main gate and headed towards the Humanities building. Without asking where to drop him off, Dohyun headed towards the building Wooyeon needed to go.
“I got some free time in the afternoon. I tried to have a two-day break by scheduling everything on Tuesday and Thursday, but I only have one online class on Tuesday.”
The car came to a silent stop. Wooyeon looked at Dohyun with a foolish expression. With a thud, Dohyun opened the car door and even unbuckled Wooyeon’s seatbelt.
“See you on Monday.”
Wooyeon stepped out of the car without uttering a word. The car, departing without any trace of lingering sentiments, gradually faded from his view. It was a slow departure, reminiscent of late winter departing with a gentle pace.
Oh that’s so cute, our Wooyeon’s getting fed well <3
Now I wanna go walk to a crêpe stand 😩
Also, I really hope there’s a POV from the ML’s perspective
+1 to both!
I think maybe Dohyun has fond memories of him as a little chubby 🤭