beg • woosan (book 2)

9

Wooyoung surrenders to the familiarity of San's embrace, allowing the older man to anchor him in place. With one hand tenderly cradling San's face and the other gripping his collar, Wooyoung holds on as if to memorize the feeling, aware that these precious moments are fleeting.

Their kisses are brief interludes in time, stolen until the unexpected bark from  kitten interrupts them, pulling San away. Their eyes meet, a silent conversation held in the space between them. Reluctantly releasing San's collar, Wooyoung acknowledges the inevitable, "I'm leaving," San declares, his voice a soft exhalation. Wooyoung nods, his understanding laced with an unspoken yearning to remain in the embrace. He steps back, his heart heavy with the desire for one more kiss.

San retrieves the wine bottle, miraculously unscathed, and hands it to Wooyoung as a final gesture before disappearing into the elevator.

Left alone, Wooyoung is enveloped by a breathless wonder, scarcely believing the depth of the connection they've just rekindled.

Overwhelmed, Wooyoung knocks on Mingi's door, a storm of emotions brewing within him. Mingi opens it to find Wooyoung bursting in, the words tumbling out before he can even settle: "I just kissed San!"

Mingi exhales a weary sigh, "Oh dear, here we go again." Aware of their complex history, he almost regrets ever having brought the star-crossed lovers together. "How? Why?"

Wooyoung's words cascade in a frenzied stream. "It just happened, out in the hallway. He brought me wine, said he wouldn't beg, and then... poof! We kissed, and I loved it." He inhales sharply, realization dawning, "Fuck! I'm stupid."

Puzzled by Wooyoung's sudden shift, Mingi probes, "What? Why?"

"I kissed him, and... Mina's Mom, Winter! Aren't they together? Maybe even married?" Wooyoung is gripped by panic at the thought of being the other man, not wanting to be the reason San strays. He groans, swamped by guilt.

Mingi watches his friend, choosing not to correct Wooyoung's mistake. Perhaps it's better for Wooyoung to think of himself as a homewrecker, to deter him from pursuing San further, especially considering San's responsibilities as a single father. In Mingi's eyes, it's a protective measure—for both friends—to spare them from the potential heartache of a love that could not be.

"Look, don't be too hard on yourself, Wooyoung. It was just a moment, and it can't happen again," Mingi advises, his tone a blend of firmness and sympathy.

Wooyoung nods, a shadow of shame passing over his face. "I guess my loneliness got the better of me," he confesses, the weight of his self-improvement journey pressing down on him. Despite his efforts, he still longed for the comfort of San's touch.

"It happens to the best of us. You just have to continue working on yourself, okay, Woo?" Mingi offers, wrapping his friend in a reassuring hug. Wooyoung nods in silent agreement.

Resolved yet regretful, Wooyoung understands that the kiss with San was a misstep—one that shouldn't be repeated.

-

To avoid stirring dormant feelings, Wooyoung opted for a quieter existence on weekends. deliberately avoiding the paths that might lead him past San's block when it was time to walk Kitten. He wasn't looking to kindle an impossible flame, especially since San had chosen Winter over him in their last breakup . The least Wooyoung could do was to stay out of San's way.

However, distance was a luxury he couldn't afford. Wooyoung worked at the art school San's daughter, Mina, attended—a girl who had taken a special liking to him.

The situation grew more poignant on Monday when Mina, along with her classmates, presented him with Valentine's candy before scampering off to their kindergarten class. Their innocent affection brought a genuine smile to his face, a reminder that joy could be found in the simplest of interactions.

But the precarious balance of his emotions was disrupted the moment he encountered San. Their eyes met, a silent exchange fraught with unspoken words, before San turned away. In that brief connection, Wooyoung sensed San's regret over their recent, impulsive intimacy—a regret that mirrored his own.

Seated among his coworkers, the lively chatter of the bar a backdrop to their own conversations, Wooyoung's attention is snagged by a familiar topic. "There's this new dad in Elisabeth's class named San—he's so handsome," a coworker muses aloud.

Wooyoung glances at Mingi, who pointedly avoids his gaze, choosing silence over engagement. They both listen as the coworker elaborates on San's charm and the striking impression he leaves in his suits.

Speculation rises as another adds, "I think he's single. I heard Mina's mom has a boyfriend." At this juncture, Mingi sees an opportunity to divert the conversation, declaring enthusiastically, "Everyone, it's shot time!"

And so, on a Monday night, amidst the hum of voices and the clinking of glasses, the teachers partake in an unspoken rituals: get drunk on a monday night.

Mingi, once a notorious party enthusiast, decided it was his mission to ensure Wooyoung indulged just enough to let loose. Shot after shot flowed freely, but the plan backfired as a tipsy Wooyoung leaned over and whispered to Mingi about his desire to make an announcement to the table.

Wooyoung's mind, hazed by alcohol, toyed with the idea of boasting about a false marital status with San and the possibility of their rekindled romance—none of which bore any resemblance to reality. Recognizing the potential for disaster, Mingi intervened, taking responsibility for the inebriated Wooyoung and escorting him home.

"You fall into peer pressure too easily," Mingi chided gently as Wooyoung rested his head on his shoulder in the back of the Uber.

"I know what they say about me, I'm an easy person," Wooyoung replied, his words laced with self-deprecating humor as he laughed at his own expense.

Upon arriving at their apartment, Mingi carefully assisted Wooyoung out of the car. But as they approached the building, a burst of activity caught Wooyoung's eye—a figure approaching. Despite Mingi's attempt to hurry him inside, Wooyoung slurred a greeting, "Hi, hot topic."

San, out for a run and with earbuds in, stopped and removed one to look at Wooyoung. Mingi tried to play it off, "He's drunk, San, don't mind him."

But Wooyoung, slipping from Mingi's grasp, stumbled down the stairs and into San's arms, accusingly noting San's laughter, "You're fucking laughing."

"Yeah, I am. Have a good night," San responded, setting Wooyoung back on his feet, intending to resume his run. Yet Wooyoung, in a moment of boldness—or folly—caught San's hand. "I'm not good at running, but I'll chase you."

San, taken aback, asked simply, "Why?" He hadn't anticipated the kiss igniting such turmoil. He hoped Wooyoung wouldn't read too much into it, that it wouldn't reopen old wounds.

"I think I love you," Wooyoung confessed.

"You think? Wooyoung, please leave before I call the police," San replied, his patience wearing thin, and his tolerance low for what he saw as drunken antics rather than a heartfelt declaration.

"That's enough, let's go, Wooyoung," Mingi said firmly, pulling his friend away from the awkward confrontation.

But Wooyoung wasn't done yet. In a last-ditch effort, his voice, loud and slurred, carried across the night air, "San, I can love you, let me love you!"

"Shut up!" Mingi pleaded with him, desperate to contain the situation as they retreated into the building, the door closing behind them with a thud that seemed to echo Wooyoung's embarrassment. He then guided Wooyoung toward the elevator, wishing to put an end to the night's drama.

Inside the elevator, the silence was filled with a palpable tension. Wooyoung, searching for hope, asked Mingi, "He's gonna give me a chance, right?"

Mingi shook his head, the weight of the truth heavy on his shoulders. "I don't think so," he admitted, his voice laced with concern.

"Third time isn't the charm?" Wooyoung asked, his voice tinged with a sadness that went beyond the effects of alcohol.

Mingi sighed. He wanted nothing more than for Wooyoung to find happiness and peace, but this tangled web with San seemed only to promise more heartache. As Wooyoung continued to babble, Mingi listened patiently, understanding that the words of a drunken man often reveal the deepest stirrings of a sober heart.