Only You (YeonGyu)

Chapter 32: His Return

Six Years Later

The cafe was quiet this time of day, the golden hour sunlight spilling through the windows and casting long shadows across the polished wooden floors. The warm aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread lingered in the air, curling around the worn corners of the cozy space. It was a peaceful little place on the edge of the city — tucked away from the noise, just the way Soobin liked it.

Yeonjun sat by the window, his fingers curled around a warm mug of cinnamon coffee. His hair was shorter now, tinged with silver at the temples, and the bags beneath his eyes hadn’t faded over the years — they’d simply become part of him. He stared out through the glass, watching passersby blur by in gentle streaks.

He didn’t come here for the coffee.

He came because the silence here felt less lonely.

And because this was the only place where the past didn’t drown him... just gently whispered to him instead.

Beomgyu.

Even after six years, the name still held weight. Still lingered in the corners of his mind, in the spaces of songs he once played, in every birthday that passed.

Not a single message.

Not a single sign.

Yeonjun often wondered if Beomgyu was happy now — if he had new friends, new memories, someone else to love. He hoped so. But selfishly, a part of him ached for one last chance. Just one.

A soft clink of ceramic and a chair sliding across the floor broke his thoughts.

Soobin sat across from him, wearing a beige apron lightly dusted with flour and powdered sugar. He placed his own drink down and leaned back with a sigh.

“You always come at this hour,” Soobin said gently. “Almost like clockwork.”

Yeonjun didn’t look away from the window. “It’s quiet.”

Soobin studied him for a moment. “Or maybe it’s because this place is the only one left that still connects you to him.”

Yeonjun let out a slow exhale. “Am I that obvious?”

“Only to those who know you,” Soobin said, his voice soft. “And unfortunately, that includes me.”

Yeonjun gave a weak smile, finally turning to meet his eyes. “I still think about him.”

“I know,” Soobin replied. “I think we all do.”

Across the cafe, Huening Kai was serving drinks to a young couple in the corner, his smile easy and bright, like the years had never stolen any of his light. He caught Soobin’s eye and gave a small wave before returning to work.

“You built something beautiful here,” Yeonjun said, glancing around the cafe. “You and Kai… it suits you both.”

Soobin smiled faintly. “It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it. After losing everything, I needed something to believe in again.”

A quiet moment passed.

Yeonjun swirled the coffee in his cup absently. “Do you think… if I’d made a different choice that day… I would’ve still lost him?”

Soobin leaned forward slightly, his expression kind but firm. “I think you lost him the moment you chose fear over love. Not because he stopped loving you… but because he realized you loved something else more.”

Yeonjun didn’t speak. The weight of those words settled in his chest like a stone.

Soobin added, more gently this time, “We all made mistakes, Yeonjun. But guilt won’t change the past. You’re still here. That means you still have time to make something of it.”