Chapter Text
The restaurant felt different now. Maybe it was because Sunghoon’s laughter had become a part of it — echoing softly between the clang of utensils and the smell of tomatoes and chicken. Or maybe it was because Jake hadn’t felt this light in a long time. It was freedom, actually. It wasn't as if Jake had found joy simply by being with someone, no. Jake was with someone because that person had made him see the joy in life again, a whole different scenario.
It had been two months since their first kiss. Since then, they had fallen into an easy rhythm — mornings filled with texts, late-night calls when Sunghoon couldn’t sleep, and quiet moments at the restaurant where Jake cooked while Sunghoon sketched by the counter.
Jake had started smiling more without realizing it. He whistled while chopping vegetables, hummed quietly when cleaning the counters, and laughed easily at Jungwon’s terrible jokes. When customers complimented the food, he made a point of meeting them in person to thank them, so that he could truly feel loved back in the profession he had chosen to love, shining with pride.
Sometimes he’d catch himself wiping the fog from the kitchen window just to look outside, watching the street lights blink through the glass as he waited for closing time, wondering how his little date with his lover would turn out later. It wasn’t the same restless waiting as before, the urge to get home already; it was something gentler, a soft anticipation that made his chest feel warm. Even on the most tiring days, when the orders piled up and his hands ached from cooking, Jake still found himself thinking, I’m happy.
Dayeon pretended not to notice the way Jake’s gaze lingered a little too long or how Sunghoon’s sketches kept featuring someone suspiciously familiar — brown hair, tired eyes, a little scar near his wrist from a kitchen knife. But Sunoo wasn’t as subtle.
“You’re glowing,” he said one morning, handing Jake a tray. “You should bottle it and sell it.”
Jake only rolled his eyes, though he could feel the warmth creeping up his neck.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Oh my god, hyung, you’re so in love it’s drowning us on it.”
“Ugh, I hate this.”
“Do you, really?”
“No, not like that. I’m just not used to being vulnerable again, and you guys are reading into it too much.”
“Oh. Are we upsetting you?”
“No!” Jake almost dropped a whole potato, startling Sunoo with how loud he was. “I love you guys, please, never change. It’s me, I’m the weird one. "If you guys hadn't been helping me all this time, I would be feeling down and embarrassed every day. I just get so ashamed."
"Don't be!" Sunoo patted Jake lightly on the back with a clipboard; the young man had been tending to the stock before going to talk to the cook. "We love you too, so feel comfortable being vulnerable with us."
"I know, I know. Thank you, Sunoo."
His friends were great. Jungwon never missed a chance to point out how much brighter Jake seemed lately, always tossing out soft, teasing compliments that made him laugh. Dayeon, on the other hand, would burst into loud cackles whenever Jake blushed over one of Sunghoon’s handwritten notes, absolutely delighted by his embarrassment. For once, everything felt easy — grounded, like he belonged on planet earth.
Especially now that he’d caught on to Dayeon’s own little secret: she was dating her dance teacher, and Jake made sure to return every bit of teasing she’d ever given him.
They would hang out often too, the whole crew, which was something Jake missed without realizing.
Jake hadn't even noticed he was beginning a burnout, or that he was already so immersed in one that he thought he didn't have time for it, and now that he realized how important it was to acknowledge his own destructive desires, everything made a little more sense. There were no fireworks, it wasn't like a light at the end of the tunnel, or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The process was much more like a wound that heals slowly—the more Jake tried to speed up the process or ignored his needs, the more painful it would be.
Sunghoon made him feel so safe, like he didn’t have to overthink, like it was okay to be seen. Some nights, when Sunghoon stayed late helping him close, Jake found himself watching him and thinking that maybe this was what the process of healing looked like. The concept of reparation is grounded in love and respect for your other half, and requires facing loss and damage. It is a way out of despair.
The new webtoon Sunghoon was working on came out on a regular Tuesday. Jake was scrolling absentmindedly before bed when he saw the title:
“De fraises et de lettres.”
The art was gorgeous, as always. It started with two men in a small kitchen, one leaning on the counter while the other cooked. There were little details only Jake would recognize: the cracked mug Sunghoon always used, the apron Jake wore all the time, and the quirky artwork that Riki had bought for the apartment's living room, which Sunghoon was completely obsessed with and could spend hours gazing at.
Jake felt strange.
As he scrolled through the panels, Jake’s heart thudded quietly in his chest, he felt warm and loved, he thought that Sunghoon was such a fool.
The story was simple and domestic, almost tender — but every line seemed to hum with familiarity of the past few months. The two lovers cooked together, laughed about burnt toast — which was 100% Sunghoon’s fault, by the way, for not accepting Jake’s culinary tips — shared quiet mornings wrapped in soft blankets and softer words.
There was no drama, no heartbreak, just love. In one panel, the shorter man was holding a whisk, his face turned toward the other with that same fond smile Jake saw in the mirror sometimes when Sunghoon was around. It was stupid, really. He was in love and Sunghoon was finding new ways every day to make that very clear.
The couple in the webtoon were a long-distance couple, seeing each other only occasionally, but they created a strong bond through love letters and shared sweets they baked for each other when they could be together. Sunghoon was a clever man when he wanted to do something more subtle, but his intentions would never go unnoticed in something that was so obvious to Jake. time when Sunghoon avidly searched for his muse, whom he had seen for the first time on public transport.
While watching with a smile on his face the duo on his cell phone screen sharing strawberries, Jake wanted to call Sunghoon.
He really wanted to say that he was silly, crazy, in love, just like him. He wanted to give him all the love confessions in the world, because he was no longer afraid to do so, especially after reading that story made with so much affection.
Near the end, the tone shifted.
“I used to think happiness was something that slipped off my fingers too often,” the caption read. “But then I met you and I learned that real happiness is not temporary, but a very deep connection and internal satisfaction. It’s something you come home to, when you embrace all of your good parts and the bad ones too.” Jake’s throat tightens.
Sunghoon had drawn a piece of their life, carefully, lovingly — a quiet confession.
Just when Jake thought the message had ended, after the characters shared one last kiss, there were a few more panels, all with a black background and just one message written on them.
To the one who made me believe again:
You always say I’m good with words, but the truth is — I only found them because of you.
Everything you do it's like an act of love. The way you look, the way you laugh, the way you cook. When I first saw you I was reminded that I was not as empty as I thought, and as time went on, I realized I wasn’t empty at all. Comfort can be just as exciting as chaos.
If someday the world figures out who this story is about, I don’t mind. You taught me not to hide from what makes life sweet.
Jake had to bury his face in his pillow, but after feeling a buzzing numbness on the tip of his fingers, he texted him immediately:
Jake: you could’ve warned me 😭
Sunghoon: oh, you read it already?
Jake: of course, i have your notifications on!!
you’ve been teasing this for so long
hoon, it was beautiful
i feel like such a fool because i can’t say nice things like that to you
Sunghoon: you say those things all the time?
Jake: do i?
Sunghoon: yes, love. you love me every day.
you love me through actions more than words
so i don’t mind if you’re still shy to say the words
Jake: i love you =)
Sunghoon: oh, that was fast
i love you too <3
Jake was still red when he finished reading the text. He stared at the glowing screen, his thumb hovering over the message as if he could somehow pull the words back — but he really didn’t want to. Not this time. The three words sat there, simple and small, but they carried the weight of everything he had been too afraid to say for years. Healing. His chest felt tight, like his heart was expanding faster than his ribs could hold it. He let out a shaky laugh, one hand pressing to his sternum as if to calm the wild thudding there.
It had been so long since he’d said I love you and actually meant it — not as a reflex, but as truth. The fear that used to creep in every time someone got too close had been replaced by something gentler, something solid. Sunghoon had made loving feel safe again.
The next day Sunghoon showed up right after closing, smiling as if the man he loved said those words back.
“You made me a comic character,” Jake said, voice half-scolding, half-laughing.
“I made everyone aware that I’m taken and in love,” Sunghoon corrected softly. “Is that okay?”
Jake didn’t answer right away. He just reached out, tugged at the front of Sunghoon’s hoodie, and kissed him — right there between the mixing scents of the kitchen, strong freshly brewed coffee overtaking their senses.
“Yeah,” he whispered when they pulled apart. “That’s more than okay.”
The bell above the door chimed when Riki came in and caught them, gasping dramatically. Dayeon’s laugh echoed from the kitchen, and Jake groaned, hiding his face in Sunghoon’s shoulder as everyone burst into laughter.
Sunghoon’s hand found his, steady and warm.
“Guess the secret’s out,” he murmured.
“Oh my God! Hyung! You’re dating him?”
“Riki, calm down, Christ.” Jake rolled his eyes and stared at his roommate, who was carrying a simple and cute flower bouquet.
“And what the hell is that for?”
Riki blinked, hugging the bouquet to his chest like he’d been caught stealing it.
“Oh. These?” he said innocently. “They’re for Sunoo.”
Jake’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“Excuse me? For who?”
“Sunoo,” Riki repeated, grinning a little too brightly. “You know, short, loud, sassy, sometimes he has the urge to fight God for fun—?”
“I know who Sunoo is,” Jake interrupted, fidgeting with his hands and glaring. “When did this happen?”
“About… a month ago?” Riki winced, as if bracing for impact.
“A month? You’ve been dating for a month and didn’t say a word?” Jake’s voice pitched up, halfway between disbelief and betrayal.
From the kitchen, Dayeon gasped, instantly popping her head through the doorway.
“Wait—you two?!” she pointed between Riki and the bouquet, grinning. “Oh, this is rich, finally! Is that why Sunoo is less of a pain in the ass?”
Riki, cornered but unbothered, simply shrugged.
“Okay, but you didn’t tell me about you and… him either, hyung. So I don’t think you get to play the moral high ground here.”
Jake opened his mouth, then closed it, realizing he had absolutely no defense.
“That’s— that’s different! He is a big deal and I was not in the mood to deal with people being annoying and asking us questions.”
“Yeah, totally,” Riki said dryly. “You just made out in the middle of the restaurant like it was soft launch day.”
Dayeon nearly doubled over laughing, and even Sunghoon tried — and failed — to hold back a chuckle. Jake groaned, running a hand down his face.
“I hate all of you.”
“No, you don’t,” Riki sing-songed. “You love us. And him apparently.”
Jake shot him a glare, but his lips twitched despite himself. The absurdity of it all—the flowers, the laughter, the faint smell of basil still hanging in the air—made his heart feel light.
“Fine,” he muttered. “You win. But if you two ever start making out here, I’m quitting.”
“Fair,” Riki said. “Same goes for you and your webtoon boyfriend.”
Jake tugged Sunghoon’s wrist gently, leading him toward the door.
“We’re leaving before I disown them,” He said, shaking his head.
“Good idea,” Sunghoon murmured, his hand fitting easily into Jake’s again.
Sunghoon’s apartment was quiet, free of Dongmin’s clutter and energy. The place smelled faintly of paint and chamomile tea; Jake was learning to like that mix. Sunghoon lived a very different life from him — big fancy furniture with designer chairs decorating the place, two bathrooms and three bedrooms in a single apartment. He felt weird when he first came to the place, feeling a little inappropriate in such a fancy place.
However, Sunghoon made Jake feel home. He would make homemade meals that sometimes tasted too much like garlic, sometimes lacked salt and many times looked a little too messy. Jake didn’t really care. He was learning to love those little details too, because even if Sunghoon was on a learning curve, he was doing it out of a good heart and admiration for Jake’s craft.
The city outside was soft with twilight, too far away from the big window covering the wall as the apartment was on the tenth floor — and for a moment, it felt like the whole world had slowed down just for them.
Jake leaned against the counter, arms crossed, still smiling every time he remembers the scenes from earlier.
“So… Everyone knows now.”
“Guess so,” Sunghoon said, stepping closer. “Feels kind of nice, though.”
“Yeah?” Jake asked, voice low.
“Yeah,” Sunghoon said, stopping right in front of him. “After everything you’ve been through, isn’t it cool that we’re out in the wild like that?”
Jake chuckled, but before he could reply, Sunghoon cupped his face gently, thumb brushing his cheek. His eyes were so warm, so full of love that Jake didn’t even need words for.
“I told my siblings and my parents by the way.”
“Oh—”
“Is that a problem?”
Oh, Sunghoon, always so worried and considerate. Jake keened into his touch.
“Not at all. Thank you for doing that.”
“Dongmin really wants to meet you.”
“Uh, why did you tell him that I said those awful things?!” The smile that cracked Sunghoon seriousness was gorgeous, beaming under the soft lights over them.
“Because I like to tease both of you.”
“You really like me, don’t you?”
“I meant everything I wrote,” Sunghoon whispered. “Every word in that story. You’re it for me, Jake.”
Jake’s throat tightened again. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Sunghoon’s.
“I love you,” he said softly. “I know this is a lot about me and my own grief but you helped me through it. It’s not that I don't want to credit you, but honestly a lot of people tried before to make me open up and they couldn’t. So it’s like… A joint effort?”
Sunghoon’s answering smile was slow and luminous, the kind that made Jake forget how to breathe.
“Then I’ll keep reminding you why you shouldn’t be afraid to show your feelings. I’m proud of your growth and I’m happy to be part of it.”
And when they kissed again, tender, unhurried. As Sunghoon intertwined his fingers with Jake's, the cook felt the last ropes that bound him, preventing him from feeling whole and comfortable in a new relationship, finally breaking.