A/N: (Recommended Song - Paradise by NCT 127) Play the song. It'll help set the mood.
Sunwoo stretched out his arms, yawning. He blinked at the sunlight filtering through his curtains. Sitting on his bed idly, he shut his alarm clock on his bedside table.
Sunwoo stared at the painting he had hung up on the wall directly opposite him. He had put it up where he would see Chanhee first thing in the morning. He glanced at his alarm clock.
10:32 am
Sunwoo shrugged and pulled the duvet blanket over him. He was about to happily go back to sleep when another alarm woke him up.
"YAH KIM SUNWOO! I TOLD YOU TO GET UP AT 8 0'CLOCK! WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR ASS IN BED!"
Sunwoo snuggled into his blanket more, trying to block out the yells. But he felt his blanket getting tugged and eventually slipping off his body. Hissing at the cool air, he curled into a roll.
"Just a few more minutes, Hyunjae..."
"Nope. Get up right now. And why do you keep changing up my name backwards! Remember my name. IT'S LEE JAEHYUN!" Jaehyun slapped Sunwoo's butt.
Sunwoo shot up at that, rubbing his butt and glaring at Jaehyun. He stuck out his tongue like a child, making Jaehyun roll his eyes.
"Go wash up. You said you're gonna meet up with Eric before the gallery opening."
"Fine." Sunwoo grumbled.
"Why do I have to do all these when I'm your business partner." Jaehyun complained.
Sunwoo grinned at him and left for the bathroom. He started brushing his teeth, staring at the mirror.
After more than a thousand years, he was still alive and living. Just a few decades ago, Sunwoo started a wine business because that's what he was good at. It was a bit difficult to cover his identity but he pulled it off anyway.
Money was all that mattered... even after all this time.
Then, he met Hyunjae, or rather Jaehyun. He was amused by the fact that the name was backwards even for his reincarnation. It has been around three years since he partnered up with Jaehyun's hotel business.
And naturally, Sunwoo had kept his identity a secret from Jaehyun. At least for now.
After showering and dressing up, he went to the kitchen where he saw Jaehyun munching on an apple. He attempted to snatch it away but Jaehyun stood up avoiding him.
"You don't get breakfast cause you woke up late. Let's go."
Sunwoo pouted as he toddled after Jaehyun, closing his apartment door behind him. They went down to the underground car parking, each to his own car. Sunwoo clicked on his car key and got on his blue Rolls Royce Dawn.
Turning on the engine, he steered his car out of the garage. Jaehyun followed from behind him. Sunwoo hummed along to the song he randomly opened. He smiled because of the lyrics. It reminded him of something, or rather someone.
Hug me so I won't be alone. Hold me so I won't fall
When I look at you, I forget how hard it was
Even if I'm apart, I'll remember, even if I'm far away, always be there for you
Thinking of you on a hard day gives me a lot of comfort
I'll find you anywhere I've never forgotten any day
Glancing at the song name. He chuckled, "Finding you - Kwon Sunil. How ironic."
He let out a soft sigh. Sunwoo missed him so much.
After a while of driving, he pulled up in front of a building. Sunwoo and Jaehyun went into the place, climbing up the steps then, arriving at the dance studio.
Youngjae immediately greeted the two as they stepped into the studio. He pulled Jaehyun into a bro handshake then turned to Sunwoo but got slapped away. Youngjae glared at Sunwoo though the latter ignored him.
"Oh, you guys are here already?"
The three turned to Younghoon who came out of the locker room. Sunwoo greeted him and sat down on the chair beside the wall.
"So when's the showdown?" Jaehyun asked, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"They are gonna be here in a few minutes." Younghoon said.
Eric and Younghoon opened up a dance studio. They took in a few students, mostly kids. They also had their own Youtube channel where they posted dance tutorials and sometimes, Eric's daily vlogs, which were mostly him complaining how things never went his way.
Lately, they had discovered that another Youtube channel was competing with them. Most of their viewers flocked to their channel so Eric wasn't satisfied. Without Younghoon knowing, Eric challenged the rival channel to a showdown.
Younghoon and Sunwoo sighed and shook their heads at that. It didn't matter whether it was the 7th century or 21st century, Youngjae was Youngjae.
"What did you say their names were?" Sunwoo asked, whipping out his phone to check out their channel.
"They didn't tell me their real names. But their nicknames were Bucket Hat guy and-"
The glass door opened at that moment and in came two people.
"... Kyu." Eric finished.
He became speechless. Sunwoo and Younghoon also stared at the two who entered the studio. The one with the bucket hat looked around and once he spotted the studio name, he nudged the other. The other guy grinned and turned to them.
"So this is YoungYoung Studio? Hi, I'm Kyu."
Sunwoo and Eric turned to Younghoon who seemed to have lost his words. Kyu initiated a handshake but Younghoon was frozen in spot.
Kyu didn't know whether to keep his hands there or retract it back. But fortunately, Younghoon came back to his sense after a kick to the shin by Sunwoo.
"Oh, yeah. This is YoungYoung Studio. So happy to see you, I mean, yeah." Younghoon stumbled over his words.
Kyu giggled and shook his hands cheerfully. It took everything for Younghoon to hold back himself back from engulfing him into a hug.
Sunwoo looked at them with a smile on his face then his gaze went to the second guy, the bucket hat guy. His jaw dropped. Now what were the odds that Juyeon and Changmin met each other already?
"Bucket Hat guy?" Eric said hesitantly.
"Yeah, that's me. The name's Joel, Joel Lee." (That's Juyeon's actual English name XD)
"Oh, umm... I'm Eric." Joel grinned and shook Eric's hands.
"So, you're the one who challenged us." Joel wriggled his brows at him.
Eric chuckled wryly. He smiled back at him, fiddling with his fingers shyly. Sunwoo laughed to himself at how flustered the two brothers were.
"I don't think they'll win this time." He said.
"Hey, have a little faith in your friends." Jaehyun nudged him.
"No. I just know they won't. Maybe later on but not now."
Cause they aren't in their right mind for now, Sunwoo thought to himself. He smiled to himself and patted Jaehyun's shoulder.
"I'll get going now." He said.
"Already? The gallery opening isn't until 2."
"I think I'll stop by Sunflower café on the way."
"Ok then. You didn't forget the invitation card, right?"
"Nope." Sunwoo patted his inner pocket and grinned.
Jaehyun waved him away and focused back on the others. Sunwoo walked away and was about to open the door when someone held him back. He turned around to see Eric.
"You'll meet him soon."
Sunwoo simple smiled and nodded. He removed Eric's hand on his shoulder and punched him in the chest, grinning.
"Mind your own business. Don't let Juyeon get away this time." He teased and left the studio.
Sunwoo jogged down the steps and got onto his car. Slumping back into his seat, he stared at the studio window.
"Guess what's meant to be will be." He said to no one.
The smile from before slipping away, he drove off. The silence made the voices in his head loud again.
"Sunwoo."
"....Hmm."
"You know that I love you?"
"Imm... I love you too."
"Sunwoo."
"...Yeah?"
"I trust you."
Sunwoo's breathing got faster. His fingers twitched on the steering wheel. He quickly turned on the radio to fill up the void inside his head.
"Still, I don't want to stay alone..."
"You won't be alone. I'll always be beside you."
"Sunwoo? Look at me."
"We'll meet again in a thousand years. Promise me you'll stay alive until then."
"..... I promise."
Sunwoo skidded up by the platform, jolting forward from the force. He leant onto the steering wheel, covering up his face. His breath was heavy and eyes, moist. Even after more than a thousand years, Chanhee still had the same effect on him.
A knock sounded on his car. He looked up to see Joonyoung smiling and waving at him. Sunwoo smiled back.
"Hey, Jacob." He greeted, getting off his car.
"Hey. You alright?" Jacob asked.
Sunwoo nodded. Then the two walked into Sunflower café owned by Jacob. It was a small shop hidden away behind the alleyway. But that was what made it popular.
It was quaint, quiet and a nice place to hang out alone with your thoughts. Jacob made sure of that. It was their gathering spot for most of the time. The rest of the time being Sunwoo's apartment since he was the richest out of them all.
The bell chimed as they entered the door. A waiter emerged from behind the counter and smiled brightly.
"Your usual, Sunwoo?"
"Yes please, Kevin."
Kevin nodded and went to prepare Sunwoo's usual order. He had been working part-time at the shop for quite a while now.
Sunwoo stood by the counter as Jacob went inside the staff room. He looked around the shop, registering the few customers. Kevin finished Sunwoo's order and the bell chimed again.
"Welcome to Sunflower!" Kevin greeted.
Sunwoo took a sip of his coffee, then paused. A look of recognition formed on his face puzzling Kevin. Sunwoo bowed his head a little as a greeting.
"You know him, Taeyong hyung?"
"He's... an old friend, Dongyoungie."
Dongyoung nodded and smiled at Sunwoo. Then he proceeded to place his order. At that moment Jacob came out of the staff room and was putting on his apron. His eyes widened in recognition.
"Oh, you-"
"Welcome!" Kevin's voice cut him off, "Jacob, can you get those new customers orders? I need to prepare theirs." Kevin pointed at Taeyong and Dongyoung.
Jacob nodded absentmindedly as the two new customers walked up to the counter. They carried a selfie stick and was talking animatedly to it.
"So the next shop on our dream list is~~~~~"
"Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum!"
"Sunflower Café! This shop is hidden away so it's a gem! We're so excited to be here, aren't we, Leo?"
"Yes, Brian. Now let's ask the waiters what their recommendation is, shall we?"
Sunwoo and Jacob stared blankly as 'Haknyeon' and 'Hwall' turned to them with twinkling eyes. Sunwoo let out a chuckle and turned to Jacob who had the same amused expression.
"Hello! I'm Brian and this is Leo. We run a blog and introduce hidden treasure spots like these on our channel!"
Haknyeon spoke brightly, gesturing towards himself and Hwall. Kevin ran to them, eyes twinkling in excitement.
"Does that mean I'm on camera?" He asked, eyes darting towards the camera and back at them, waving his hands.
"Sure!" Hwall said.
"So, you're Brian." Jacob pointed at Haknyeon, "And you're Leo?" then at Hwall.
The two nodded, smiling wide. Sunwoo sipped on his coffee as Dongyoung approach the two with an unsure look.
"Hi.... you run the MakNinez blog, right? I'm a fan." He said shyly.
"Ohhh, hey guys! We met a fan here. Please greet the viewers!" Hwall showed the camera to Dongyoung. His eyes widened comically but waved his hands anyway.
"Wait, is this thing live?"
"Yeah!"
"Wait, what!" Dongyoung and Kevin screamed in unison and quickly hid their faces.
The rest of them burst out laughing at their embarrassment. Then, Sunwoo and Taeyong made eye contact.
"Dongyoung, how about you go sit and talk with them? I gotta catch up with my friend." Taeyong said.
"oh, sure!" Dongyung replied and walked away.
Taeyong turned back to Sunwoo and Jacob with a small smile.
"So how have you been?" Jacob started.
"As you can see." Taeyong shrugged.
"You're sure this time?" Sunwoo asked.
Taeyong gave him a meaningful look, then looked over to Doyoung who was talking excitedly. Sunwoo followed his gaze, looking at Haknyeon and Hwall.
"At least I can try. He still thinks of me as his work senior." Taeyong chuckled.
"Hey, it'll happen eventually." Jacob comforted.
"I hope so. But if it's not my fate to be beside him, then I guess I can't help it."
Sunwoo's eyes shifted at Taeyong's words. Was he the same?
Were Chanhee and him not meant to be together? Is that why he hasn't found him till now?
They talked for a while before Sunwoo realized he had an event to be at. He waved goodbye and left the shop.
Taeyong went ahead to Doyoung and Jacob started on the counter again. Kevin sat down, resting his elbows on the side.
"Hey, you see that guy over there?" Jacob looked at where Kevin pointed.
"What about him?"
"He had been here for over two hours now. I think he got stood up." Kevin snickered but stopped when Jacob shot him a look.
"Don't talk about our customers like that."
"Oh, come on. It's not everyday I get to see drama here! This is such a boring life." Kevin muttered.
Jacob looked at him in amusement. Oh, if only he knew.
"But there's another reason why I brought him up." Kevin said, his eyes glinting in the mischief Jacob was all too familiar with.
"What?"
"I haven't seen you with a guy since I started working here. So...."
"No."
"Why not! I promise he isn't bad-looking. Trust my relationship experiences."
"You don't even know him. And your experiences? You came to me crying after you broke up with Joel or something. For a whole month!"
"That's not valid." Kevin grumbled, "Come on. Just go talk to him. Like you're worried about a customer or something. Wait... don't tell me... you still haven't......."
Kevin glanced down at Jacob's crotch then back up. He quirked a brow with a teasing grin. Jacob followed Kevin's gaze then back at him. He took in a deep breath and put on a tight smile.
"Kevin-"
"Oh, there's the delivery truck!"
No more words needed to be said, Kevin sprinted out of the shop. Jacob sighed. He had half a mind to fire him. He looked back at the customer Kevin pointed out.
Empty cup, fidgeting hands, shaking legs, slouch shoulders. Not gonna lie, he seemed miserable.
Jacob grabbed a cupcake and hesitantly walked towards him. His back view seemed.... familiar.
"Hi? I wanted to provide our free cupcake." Jacob's smile slipped off once the man lifted up his head.
"Oh, thanks. I'm sorry I've been sitting here for a long time now, haven't I?"
It was winter. The snowflakes covered the whole garden and froze the pond in their house. Joonyoung let Sangyeon's head rest on his shoulders as they cuddled into each other for warmth.
Years have passed since the Hwarang incident. Sangyeon had fulfilled his duty and Joonyoung had been beside him the whole time. But eventually, happy stories come to an end.
"You must be tired of me now." Sangyeon spoke.
His voice was all rough and cracked with all those years. His hair was grey with age, wrinkles formed on his handsome face. Joonyoung shook his head.
"Why would I be?" He replied.
Joonyoung was the same. Still young and strong, still in love with the man beside him.
"Thank you... for staying by my side until the end. I love you."
"I love you."
Sangyeon's hand in Joonyoung's slowly slid away. His head felt heavier. Tears trickled down A single snow flake dropped on Joonyoung's cheek, sending chills.
"Our story hasn't ended."
It was spring. Outside the café windowsill, a snowdrop emerged out from the melting snow. Jacob stared at Sangyeon, the cupcake still in his hands. Sangyeon looked at him in confusion but put on a polite smile. Jacob smiled back.
"It's fine."
Sunwoo grinned when Jaehyun sent him yet another message to remind him of the gallery opening. Well, he did tend to runaway for these events.
It was boring.
He went into the gallery with not much expectation. After going around and talking with a couple of businessman he didn't care about, he finally escaped to a secluded part. The silence was what he needed.
He stopped in front of a display. It had five pictures showing the process of the sketching by the artist. The final work was a sketch of a small forest clearing under a crescent moon.
Sunwoo paused in front of the picture. It looked familiar and.... close to heart. Not realizing his tears falling until he felt wetness of his cheek, he wiped it away embarrassedly. He squinted at the artist's name at the corner of the picture.
"Choi...."
"I see you have found my masterpiece!"
Sunwoo whipped around to the voice, eyes widening in surprise. The boy crossed his arms smugly.
"You made this?" Sunwoo asked.
"Of course. As I said, it's my treasure masterpiece."
"How did you draw it?"
"Huh? Well, you know. Pencil and lots of imagination."
"Did you-"
"YAH! CHOI SAN! I told you not to mess around!" A voice yelled out. San broke into a mischievous grin and waved at Sunwoo.
"Well, that's my cue, bye!" He ran off, giggling.
Sunwoo gazed after him in confusion. Then another boy came stomping into the room, stopping himself when he saw Sunwoo in the room.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for the noise and San. That boy always jokes around."
Sunwoo didn't hear anything. Time stopped for him. The boy didn't seem to notice though. He walked to him and glanced at the picture.
"I drew that. That's me." He grinned.
Sunwoo slowly looked at the sign then back at the boy. Barely getting his voice out,
"You are..."
"Choi Nyu! Thanks for coming here. Not many people like my art since I'm not famous and all."
"Nyu...."
Sunwoo could hardly believe his own eyes. Chanhee was standing in front of him all pretty and nice.
He had found him.
"You are Kim Sunwoo-shi, right? I've heard lots about you. You're one of the VIPs the gallery invited."
Chanhee continued to gush about how Sunwoo was successful despite his young age and how happy he was that someone was here to see his art. He kept apologizing about his twin brother, San.
"Nyu?"
"Yes?"
Chanhee's eyes twinkled as he stared at him. Sunwoo had to stop himself from kissing him at this instant.
"You drew this?"
"Yep! It's nice, isn't it? It's not a really special scenery. I just kept dreaming about this place so I had to get it off my mind. But it came out great! You see, it took me days! That moon-"
Sunwoo couldn't hold himself back any longer. He pulled Chanhee into his embrace, hugging him tight. He finally let that tear of happiness fall down. He backed up and stared into Chanhee's eyes.
His eyes were filled with confusion and innocence. Sunwoo could feel his heartbeat becoming full of life again.
Chanhee was just like how Sunwoo remembered him.
"Beautiful." He breathed out.
Chanhee seemed taken aback but somehow, he didn't feel weirded out. It was strange.
"Thank you."
Finally, after a long time, Sunwoo let out a genuine smile. He had reunited with his reason to live.
They met after a thousand years, under the crescent moon. And that was the beginning of their story.
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So, this marks the true end of this book!
Thank you to each and everyone who have been with this book from the start to the end. Your encouragements really helped me a lot.
I didn't expect much when I started this book. I had given up in the middle when I had writer blocks and also when I didn't have time. But thanks for baring with me!
I added some scenes from dramas and MVs and references to actual happenings in real life. Points to those who noticed.
Hope you'll support my other books and will always try to improve more. Once again, thank you and always sending you lots of love!!!