Listen Before I Go × Jeongcheol

Listen Before I Go

Seungcheol wished he could turn back time.

He counted how many times he had lost his chance to confess just because he was a coward. A simple i love you should be enough, but Seungcheol still could not do it.

If only he could be more cautious.

If only he was braver.

Maybe he would know how Jeonghan felt and how the sparkles on his eyes faded as time went by. Maybe he would have treated Jeonghan better and would not feel that much regret.

He knew Jeonghan had been trying to tell him something, but he, who was afraid of changes, ran away from it – pretending he was clueless all the time.

And now that Jeonghan was someone else's for real, there was nothing he could do.

Except saying goodbye with a smile on his face,

And a torn heart inside his chest.

2019

It was four in the afternoon when Jeonghan's name showed up on Seungcheol's phone. His favourite ringtone rang throughout the room and Seungcheol picked it up right away. It was Jeonghan, and Seungchel knew best he hated to wait long. They had been friends since forever, after all. Seungcheol knew him best and so was Jeonghan towards him.

"Hey," Jeonghan said with a honey-like voice. "Where are you?"

"Home," Seungcheol replied shortly.

"Meet me at the usual cafe in fifteen mins, can you?"

"What," Seungcheol frowned even though he knew Jeonghan couldn't see it. "For real?"

"I know you can do it, Seungcheol-ah! See you in fifteen!" Jeonghan said cheerfully and cut off the phone call without hearing the latter's protest.

It had always been like that. A carefree Jeonghan who always tried to get whatever he wanted. It was not like Seungcheol hated it though.

"You're five minutes late," Jeonghan said at the moment Seungcheol arrived in front of him.

"Christ," Seungcheol replied, panting. "I ran here."

Jeonghan pouted before bursting into laughter seeing the other guy's pink cheeks – he really did run here. "I was joking, actually. You're five minutes early."

"You better fix that attitude of yours, Hannie." Seungcheol rolled his eyes as he sat down across the latter. "So, what is it this time?"

"My boyfriend's birthday is next week. Help me think of a present."

"What– which boyfriend? You haven't told me anything." Seungcheol frowned while pointing his finger at Jeonghan.

There he goes again.

"You don't know him, he's someone I met from a dating app."

"How about Dokyeom? Aren't you dating him now?"

"No, we broke up last month."

Seungcheol blinked a few times. "I didn't even know that. For real?"

"Of course." Jeonghan nodded. "It's just, whenever we met we mostly talked about work, games, or went shopping together so I thought there's no need to tell you about it."

"Well you're right..." Seungcheol muttered, one hand on his nape. "Then, you tell me about your boyfriend this time because you need my help choosing his birthday gift?"

Jeonghan nodded. "He's rich so I don't think anything I give him will make him happy. He already has everything."

He really does. He has you.