Chapter 2. I Miss You (2)

JunKoo is always busy with his coffee shops in Seoul and the one he's about to open here in Busan.

I kept myself occupied, too, but with random things. Sometimes painting, but nothing too professional or that had a purpose, or sometimes spending time with my new nephews, which was becoming my favorite thing to do.

I also learned some secrets.

Not really secrets, but Sky told me about her little crush on a boy who is her neighbor, and that led to some conversations.

First of all, I asked her how she was sure that she was really in love with the boy, and the answer came quickly:

JunKoo.

She told me that JunKoo talked to her about the ten or so symptoms of love.

Where did he learn that? I don't know, but he passed on the symptoms to his niece, and now she's sure that she's in love with her neighbor.

My only advice to her was that she needs to tell her dad. There wouldn't be a chance for her or the boy who also heard about the symptoms and claimed to have a little crush to go any further without Junghyun knowing.

She panicked a little, but it was a mild panic, and she promised me that she would think of a good and calm way to tell him everything.

Anyway, the days are passing, and the longing is growing.

JunKoo is getting a bit better with his friend as well. I saw how much he genuinely cared, and from the bottom of my heart, I advised him to make contact.

It wasn't much, but I saw him recite a really nice text over the phone to his friend, and it was beautiful to see because his smile was always present, conveying each of the words.

JunKoo is slowly getting things sorted out, and it's beautiful to see that things are falling into place in his own way.

But then, night comes, and I'm in my room—the guest room—and JunKoo is in ours.

It's been over two weeks since we slept apart, and indeed, it's becoming tiresome for my heart that aches with longing.

"Jae?" I hear his voice, followed by a knock on the door. "Are you awake?"

I jump out of bed and grab my robe from beside the bed to put it on. I'm only wearing shorts and a shirt.

"Hey..." I open the door and see his eyes. JunKoo smiles, and I almost melt. It's incredible how he affects me with so little.

"Can you help me with something?" he asks, already walking away without waiting for my response. I follow behind him and see some sheets of paper on our coffee table. "I need to create the menu for Lee's, but I can't decide which one."

I sit next to him and see that there are some pre-made menus. JunKoo is putting so much dedication into all of this, and it's amazing how he does it without getting tired.

I pick up a few sheets and sit on the couch. JunKoo, still standing, grabs a bottle of wine he was drinking alone and raises it to me.

"Care for a glass?"

I look at him, then at the bottle. JunKoo is smart and very articulate, but maybe it's just an invitation without any ulterior motives. I nod, because wine is something normal for us and it suits the evening.

He walks to the kitchen, grabs a glass, and sits next to me, filling the glass.

"Thank you," I say as I take it. I take a sip and return my gaze to the menus. "Why don't you use one of the pre-made menus?"

"But those are already the menus from other Lee's. Every place always has a few variations, you know, but the basics and essentials are the same in all of them."

"And what problem are you having?"

Actually, I don't even know," he laughs, taking a sip of his own wine. I watch his throat swallow the liquid and sigh, almost captivated. "I just feel like something is missing."

"I see that Love Mochi is basic and essential then, huh?" I point to the paper and see him smile shyly.

"No doubt about it, love."

I get lost in his adorable smile. My JunKoo is beautiful, but he's so much more than just physical beauty. He's all beautiful. And I love this man with every cell of my body.

I watch how he explains every little detail on the papers, but I can barely hear what is being said. All I can focus on are his lips moving and how much I miss feeling them.

JunKoo pauses for a moment, his gaze still on the sheets, and I continue to look at him. He looks at me, chuckles, appearing shy but not looking away.

I could avert my gaze and pretend I wasn't mesmerized by his beautiful face, but I don't want to. I keep looking at him and even smile in response. He shrugs and smiles even more, making me feel silly with his prominent teeth on display.

"What is it?" he asks, biting his lower lip.

"I'm just looking at your beautiful face," I respond.

He looks down and lets out a soft laugh.

"You're smiling like a fool..."

"But I am a fool... a fool in love with you."

It's obvious, I'm being obvious, but I don't even want to hide it. It has never been a secret to anyone, especially not to JunKoo. I love him, and I love him deeply.

I leave the papers I had in my hands on the table and raise just one.

"Use this one, it seems good to me."

JunKoo takes the paper from my hand, but doesn't even look at it. His eyes remain fixed on mine.

"Alright."

"Was that all?" I ask, noticing his hesitation to nod. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, but..." he interrupts his own response, choosing to stay silent.

"But?" I encourage him to continue, feeling myself starting to warm up.

And maybe it could be attributed to the weak sip of wine, I could completely blame it for my body temperature rising, but I knew it was solely because of JunKoo.

Deep down, I really wanted JunKoo to say that his true intention was to take me out of that room, to drink wine together and then get intimate on that very couch.

But then silence comes between us, and it's strange because he just looks at me as if he wants to say something but is too afraid to speak it out.

I wait, and I wait for a long time. But nothing comes.

So I stand up, understanding that nothing I really want will happen, and it hurts because now I'm afraid to make any decision, as it might not be what he wants in that moment.

I take a few steps towards the bedroom, but then I decide to stop.

I remember JunKoo's trick with the coat. And I know that it was a cheap and cliché trick he used to get my attention. And I can also get his attention, I can show him not to be afraid and that my body, just like I suspect his body does, yearns for us.