Myungsoo didn’t have many interests, and he had a lot of things that he disliked. But most things that he disliked, he hated because it conflicted with those few things that he relished in. Mornings, he hated most because he loved sleep. He didn’t like colorful clothing because he felt more comfortable in black. It wasn’t because he was a ‘dark soul’ whose mind thought of twisted things. He wasn’t a spy either. He was just a normal guy, and when he wore black, he could blend into a crowd, be overlooked. The dark clothes reminded him of being under the warm covers of his bed, asleep. To him, black was warm, not cold.

There was also another thing he hated, and he hated it with a passion of a thousand suns: his current apartment.

Why did he hate it? The ceiling leaked when it rained. The air conditioning always broke down (Myungsoo’s mind had a low melting point. The heat drove him crazy), and whenever he tried to fix it on his own, he’d hurt himself and end up with sore thumbs, fried nerves, and strings of expletives on his tongue. He was pretty sure that there was mold in the bathroom and a mouse in his walls. He was frustrated because he signed a year-long lease in this hell-hole, but most of all, Myungsoo hated his apartment because it kept him from what he wanted most: a cat.

The land lady was one of those pleasant old women who would give Myungsoo food and pat him on his head, treated him like he was her own grandson, but when it came to apartment policy, she was shrewd and saw Myungsoo as a tenant only. Whenever he brought up the pet issue, she would refer him to clause 13 in section 3 of their contract: No pets of any sort allowed.

But that was all going to change. Thirty days from now, his lease was up. Thirty days from now, he was going to move into his new apartment with a working air-con and without leaks. Thirty days from now, he was going to be a cat owner.

Myungsoo could barely contain his excitement. He would often just look at the red circle on his calendar and grin like a fool. In thirty days, his life was going to change…in more than one way.

D-30

Myungsoo decided to prepare himself fully for the responsibility of being a cat parent, and so he started volunteering at an animal shelter. He wanted to get a taste of what it would be like to own a cat…however instead of just a little taste, Myungsoo took a large bite and swallowed it down hard.

The shelter was terribly understaffed and overflowing with animals. They recently experienced several cutbacks and decrease in volunteers. And so when Myungsoo showed up excited to help, the staff immediately put him to work…for more hours than Myungsoo had originally intended to stay.

He cleaned the litter boxes, swept the floor of tufts of hair as large as rabbits, filled the food dishes with several cats clawing to get to the food, and sweated so much that his faded black shirt returned to it’s original dark color. Or it would’ve looked like the original color if it wasn’t covered in cat fur.

But he also got to play and cuddle with these lovable creatures, and pitiful. The more time Myungsoo spent with them, the more he wondered How? How could somebody abandon them? How could somebody not love them? Especially that large, grey, slightly-crossed eyed cat which looked goofy, like it belonged in a Harry Potter book and not in a shelter in Seoul.

“So,” Myungsoo began awkwardly as he approached the main desk of the shelter. “Is anyone going to adopt that cat over there?”

“You?” Mijoo guessed as she gathered papers together.

“Yes, I am.”

And that’s how Myungsoo ended up with his first cat. He named him Dumbledore, after his favorite character from the Harry Potter series. And he’ll take the old cat home at the end of the month.

However his day didn’t end there, while riding the bus home, Myungsoo was tired. All of his limbs were sapped of strength. Small shallow scratches decorated his forearms, and bangs were plastered against his forehead, still wet with sweat. He looked like he’d been through Hell, but he didn’t care. He was tired and hungry. He’ll care again after food and a long nap. And his nap was going to begin right here, on the bus, with his head resting against the window.

“Woah!”

The bus came to a sudden stop, causing Myungsoo to jolt forward in his seat and out of his nap. And if his mood wasn’t sour enough, he was now soaking wet.

“Uh…sorry.”

Myungsoo slowly looked up at the man standing next to him, holding onto the bus strap in one hand and a now empty water bottle in the other. “I just wanted to drink,” the man continued to apologize. “But then the bus…” He dropped his voice and shifted his gaze over to the bus driver, narrowing his eyes.

Myungsoo pulled his hood over his head and zipped up his sweatshirt. “It’s fine,” he said, closing his eyes and resting his head against the window again. He still had a couple of stops to go until the bus reached his. He still had enough time to take a nap, if the bus wouldn’t stop suddenly again…or if the man would stop talking to him.

“You don’t look fine,” the man continued in a light tone. “You looked like you’ve been through Hell.” Myungsoo turned towards him, blinking and wondering what the other had meant. But then he noticed the man’s eyes were fixed on his forearms, his horribly scratched forearms. Growing hot, Myungsoo quickly pulled down the sleeves of his hoodie. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Myungsoo insisted more forcefully. He didn’t mean to be rude, but he was tired, wet, and embarrassed. Was he supposed to admit that he looks like he’s been through a warzone after volunteering at an animal shelter? No, he wouldn’t, not to this guy, a complete stranger. He’d be embarrassed to admit it even to his best friend, mostly because Sungyeol would relentlessly for it. No, the cats literally had his tongue now. He wouldn’t say a word about it.

“Damn cats,” he muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me?” the stranger asked, leaning forward in order to hear Myungsoo better.

“It’s nothing,” Myungsoo spoke like a curse. His tired mind wasn’t entirely in control of his own body, especially his tongue. So the less he spoke, the better. “Nothing.”

“Okay,” the man responded. He sounded skeptical and his eyes lingered on the other. Myungsoo turned his own gaze towards the window and gripped the edges of his sleeves tightly in his fists. He ignored the sounds of the man rummaging through his bag, probably putting away the water bottle. Myungsoo just kept his eyes on the buildings passing by. Just three more stops. He could ignore the other for that long. He was good at zoning out, clearing his mind and becoming oblivious to the world around him. And right now, he was grateful for that talent.

But it’s hard to zone someone out when they manage to squeeze through your filters, even at Myungsoo’s caliber. “Wear this.” Myungsoo slowly turned to face the man next to him. The stranger was holding out a white t-shirt. The shirt had a slight sheen to it and was made out of a heavy but breathable fabric. In short, it was of too good of quality to be given away so freely. Myungsoo met the other’s eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Don’t worry. I have plenty of these. I get them all the time for free,” the stranger insisted. “Take it,” he urged, ing it under Myungsoo’s nose.

Well, it didn’t smell good. Maybe that’s why the other was giving it away. Myungsoo took it anyways to be polite and placed it in his lap. “Thanks,” he muttered. He glanced over at the other, who was watching him expectantly like he was waiting for Myungsoo to do something. Myungsoo’s eyes fell down to the shirt in his lap. The stranger couldn’t have expected him to change into the shirt right now, in public, did he? Myungsoo wasn’t going to do that. So he just brought the shirt up to his face and dabbed away the water and the sweat. He cringed. The shirt smelled almost as bad as he probably did. Myungsoo did his best to hold back his reaction, especially restraining himself from glaring at the man. Why would he give him such a sweaty shirt? This apology literally stunk.

A hearty chuckle made him look over at the man again. A wide grin spread across the stranger’s face, making Myungsoo even more confused by their encounter. “Well this is my stop,” he announced. “Bye!”

Myungsoo mumbled a ‘goodbye’ as he watched the man disembark off the bus with a spring in his step. “Weird,” he concluded about, well, everything. His attention then returned to the shirt in his hands. In spite of the smell, the shirt was still soft. If he could wash it, Myungsoo would probably keep it.

He unraveled the shirt as he searched for the tag for washing instructions. “Oh!” There was a familiar red stripe cutting down the middle of the white shirt. His fingers traveled down the short sleeves and gripped the red cuff. “Woah…” Myungsoo couldn’t believe as his eyes drifted down and read the FC Seoul blazoned across the chest. “No way,” he muttered in disbelief. It was an official soccer jersey. A stranger just plopped an official jersey in his lap. Maybe his luck wasn’t that bad today.

Excited, Myungsoo flipped around the jersey to see what player’s name was on the back. “Nam Woohyun. Number 9…” Myungsoo slowly placed the shirt back down in his lap, blinking furiously as his mind whirred.

“…who’s that?”

D-29

“Nam Woohyun?” Myungsoo repeated.

“Yes, he’s the new striker for FC Seoul,” his boss explained. “They say that he might take Rookie of the Year this season.”

“Oh,” Myungsoo muttered in realization. That person yesterday must’ve been a die-hard fan, already anticipating this rookie’s inaugural season. But wait…die-hard fans don’t give away…Myungsoo redirected his thoughts. What happened yesterday wasn’t important now. Today he was at work. Today he just received an assignment that he had no aptitude for. “Sorry, I’m more of a Bluewings fan,” Myungsoo joked before easing his boss into his complaint. “But, sir, I’m not a sports photographer. I’m sure someone else could do a better job.”

It wasn’t that Myungsoo wasn’t a good photographer. He was a great photographer. But he took pictures for ‘fluff’ pieces, like local festivals, the interview with a woman who turned 105, and even a dog show or two. He wasn’t a sports photographer. He could anticipate a smile forming on someone’s face or a tender look shared between a couple. He’d be able to snap that photo easily. He didn’t think he could anticipate a slide tackle or a shot on goal and be able to capture it on film. The timing was different. The subject was different. Myungsoo didn’t think that he was the best for the job.

“That’s the thing though,” his boss objected, leaning back in his desk chair. “It’s not just a sports piece. It’s a human one too.” Myungsoo cocked his head, looking confused, so his boss explained further. “Who is Nam Woohyun? That’s what we want to figure out. We already know he’s a player, but as a person…who is he?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Myungsoo replied.

His boss smiled at his employee answering a rhetorical question. “Well, you’re about to find out.”

Within the hour, Myungsoo found himself smack dab in the middle of the grass pitch of the soccer stadium. He fumbled with the lens of his camera. He felt out of place, not in his element. He was nervous, especially since the entire team was about to come out onto the pitch in a manner of minutes. And he only knew a handful of the team’s star players…and Nam Woohyun. Number 9. He was somewhat grateful for his encounter with the stranger yesterday so that he had that information. Myungsoo could also feign interest in the rookie by saying that he now owned his jersey. That should be enough to bring a smile to the player’s face. Snap! He’d take a picture of a happy soccer player with a bright future ahead of him. And Myungsoo could call it a day and go visit Dumbledore at the shelter.

A growing murmur approached him. The players were coming onto the field for their practice. The reporter’s dark suit stood out among the white practice jerseys. It looked like he was still talking to his subject. And that meant the rookie was coming into range. Myungsoo immediately brought the camera to his eye, ready to click.

“Huh?” Myungsoo lowered the camera.

“Hey! It’s you!”

“Uh, yea,” Myungsoo replied as the stranger from yesterday jogged up to him.

“I almost didn’t recognize you because you’re dry,” the man joked. He then stretched out his hand. “I’m Nam Woohyun.”

“Kim Myungsoo.” They exchanged names and handshakes.

“So,” Woohyun began, looking the other up and down slowly. “You look better today.”

“That’s because no one spilled water on me,” Myungsoo remarked.

“Sorry,” Woohyun quickly apologized. He then began jogging in place and stretching his limbs, warming up his body for the upcoming practice. “But that’s not what I meant. You looked…tired,” he carefully worded.

“Oh, about yesterday,” Myungsoo spoke as he looked back down at the camera in his hands, adjusting the lens once again. “I had just finished volunteering.”

“Where?” Woohyun asked as he hopped around, stretching his quad.

Myungsoo took in a deep breath before releasing it and the answer along with it, “At an animal shelter. Helping out with the cats.”

“Pbft!” Woohyun snorted and then burst into laughter. “Cats? Cats did that to you?”

And this is why Myungsoo didn’t want to tell anybody. Laughter would’ve been the natural reaction. That would have been his reaction, if the shoe was on the other foot. But the shoe was on his foot and it was tight and uncomfortable.

He tightened his grip on the camera and sighed. Might as well make the best out of bad situation. Woohyun was laughing, genuinely. It wasn’t forced, and it accentuated his ‘youthful’ charm, which would suit the fresh face of soccer. Click! Myungsoo frowned. Woohyun’s face had fallen right as he took the photo. He had been a little too late from having the perfect shot.

“I’m glad. I thought it was something more serious,” Woohyun admitted. He bent down to tighten his shoelaces.

Myungsoo put down his camera. “Serious? Like what?”

Woohyun straightened up. The look on his face was so grave that it was hard to believe that he’d been jovially laughing only moments before. “Like you having bad thoughts,” and that was why.

Myungsoo was well aware of the impression he gives off at a first glance. At heart, he was a bright and happy guy. But it was hard to see his shine when he wore a thick layer of black that obscured it. And then there was his gaze. It was intense. He’d been told that all of his life. But he couldn’t change it. They were his eyes! Behind his ‘killer’ glare was a mind thinking about what to eat for dinner or other mundane things. Bad and dark thoughts were seldom visitors in his mind.

“Oh, uh. I don’t think like that,” Myungsoo responded haphazardly.

“Good,” Woohyun chirped right back. He then began jogging in place again. “I’m gonna practice. Take nice pictures. I wanna look good,” he said with a wink before darting off to join his teammates. Myungsoo chuckled at the other’s challenge and bravado. “Hey!” Myungsoo lifted up his head and saw Woohyun calling out to him as he jogged backwards. “This is my good side,” he shouted as he showed off the right side of his face.

“Got it!” Myungsoo yelled back, holding up his camera.

But he didn’t have it. Nearing the end of practice, he didn’t have a satisfying picture of Woohyun. Sure, he took pictures of Woohyun’s ‘good’ side. He also took pictures of his ‘bad’ side and his back side and his front, but none of them worked. As Myungsoo was leaning against the railing of the stands and flipping through the pictures on his camera, he wondered if it was his timing, if he was a second too early or too late. Because something about every photo just seemed off, even the ones of him smiling smugly after juking one of his teammates. Myungsoo sighed and leaned against the railing. One of these would have to suffice for the article, even if it didn’t for Myungsoo.

But when he looked up from the camera, he saw it. A lone player on the sidelines, shoes already untied, socks pulled down and shin guards tossed to the side. Woohyun was sitting down on the ground, with one leg crossed over the other, his head tossed back, soaking in the warm rays of the sun. His day in the sun. Myungsoo brought his camera back up and began snapping away. And when Woohyun brought his head back down, hanging it with a sigh that Myungsoo could practically hear from the other side of the field, Myungsoo’s finger hit the button more fervently. This is it. His day in the sun, and he’s afraid of getting burned.

“Hey!” Woohyun’s gaze met Myungsoo’s through the camera’s lens. Myungsoo put his camera back down, nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t done anything. “Why are you taking pictures now?” Woohyun barked. “Wasn’t what I was doing before more interesting?”

“I guess…it depends on what you mean by interesting,” Myungsoo’s voice began at a shout but it lowered as he stepped down from the stands and stepped closer to the rookie. “I’m interested more in this.”

Woohyun pulled his feet in closer as he looked up at the photographer. “What’s ‘this’?”

“You,” Myungsoo replied as he followed his instincts and took a picture from this angle. “Not the soccer player, but Nam Woohyun,” Myungsoo clarified. He juggled with his camera bag as he placed his camera back inside. He had his shot. “I like… taking candid photos. I’m good at that. The timing. I think it’s because I’m good at observing people or things. And I notice things that other people don’t.” The words halted in his throat as he realized that he had been rambling. He cast a quick glance at the player for his reaction. Woohyun was now standing up and appeared to be listening. So Myungsoo wrapped his rambling up as he straightened out the bag’s strap on his shoulder, “Or something like that.”

“So what did you see?” Woohyun asked. Myungsoo must’ve looked as confused as he felt because Woohyun added, “In that picture you just took, what did you see?” Myungsoo shrugged. The other would see soon enough when the article was released. But for now, Myungsoo played coy. He liked building up anticipation. But Woohyun apparently did not like anticipation. He stepped closer to the photographer and stretched out his hand, grabbing for the camera bag. “Come on. Is it bad? Let me look. If it’s bad, I’m going to delete it,” he threatened.

Myungsoo spun away from the other and put a hand between Woohyun and his bag. “Nervous,” he answered. “You look nervous.” Woohyun stopped grabbing for the bag and looked up at the other. Myungsoo continued, “You acted confidently earlier, but now…” He drifted off, not sure how to put his thoughts into words.

“I am though,” Woohyun agreed. “I’m nervous. I’m really really nervous.” Even the chuckles that ripped through his throat afterwards had an edge to them.

“You’ll do fine,” Myungsoo tried to assured him.

Woohyun grinned. “I hope so.”

D-28

Myungsoo had few interests, but those things that he liked, he liked a lot. Too much at times. His interests easily turned into small obsessions. One year, he had eaten nothing but kimchi jjigae. But now, since exercise and health were his new passions, he hadn’t touched the stew in one year. It was like a constant cycle of few but intense interests.

However, in spite of that constant cycle, there were also constants in his life. Things that extended beyond like into love. Myungsoo loved photography and sight-seeing. He loved his friends and his family. He loved playing on his guitar. He loved lazy mornings and warm cups of coffee. And he loved cats.

He adopted another one on this day.

Also Woohyun was on his bus again. He didn’t spill anything on Myungsoo this time. Myungsoo was happy and dry.

D-27

Volunteering had gone more easily. Mijoo had someone else man the desk and answer phone calls, so she was able to help Myungsoo clean the kennels. They’d gotten everything done in half the time, which gave Myungsoo more opportunity to bond with his cats. He couldn’t wait until he could bring them home.

But he went home alone today, sort of. Woohyun rode with him again. This time the soccer player sat behind him and picked off the cat hair off of Myungsoo’s hoodie as they talked. Woohyun wanted to see if he could build his own kitten out of all of the hair. Myungsoo helped.

D-26

Myungsoo didn’t volunteer on this day. He didn’t get to see his cats. Instead, he had to drop off some more personal information at his new apartment and to inform them of his new pet situation. He signed the papers with a great grin on his face. Only twenty-six days left now. And the days were ticking by quickly.

He was walking out of the building, folding his copy of the papers and stuffing them into his pocket, when he almost ran into someone. “Oh, excuse me. Sorry,” Myungsoo murmured, quickly apologizing and bowing as he narrowly dodged the other.

“Myungsoo-ssi, are you a stalker?”

Myungsoo raised his head. “Oh, Woohyun-ssi, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I live here,” Woohyun answered. “What about you? Do you live here, or are you stalking me?” The look on his face seemed a little too pleased to have a stalker following him around. Maybe he was happy at the prospect of having his first sasaeng fan.

But he wouldn’t find one in Myungsoo. “Neither,” he replied. “I’m moving in at the end of the month. I just finalized my lease.”

“So we’re going to be neighbors?” Woohyun asked. Myungsoo nodded. “Cool! Call me when you’re going to move-in. I’ll help.”

“Ah, thank you,” Myungsoo. “I will.” He then stepped aside and waved to the other. “Well, I’m going. Bye.” He began to walk away.

“Wait!” Myungsoo stopped and turned around. Woohyun walked up to him with something in his hand. It was his phone. He extended it to the other. “It’ll be hard for me to call you without your number.”

“Oh right,” Myungsoo agreed as he took the phone into his hands. He entered his number into Woohyun’s phone and had it call his. “Now I have yours too,” Myungsoo spoke with a smile as he handed the cell phone back the owner. Woohyun’s phone was still calling his, and Myungsoo could feel his own phone vibrating in his pocket.

Myungsoo had expected the other to hang up, but he had a hard time predicting the rookie’s next move. Woohyun put the phone to his ear. “You’re not answering,” he whined. A pout quickly formed on his lips. “Why aren’t you picking up?”

Myungsoo chuckled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered the phone. “Hello? Who is this?” he asked, trying hard to fight back and keep a serious tone.

“Wh­—“ Woohyun sputtered, speechless, but a smile was slowly forming on his face. “What do you mean? Don’t you know who I am? I’m the rising star of FC Seoul. They’re already writing articles about me, and the season hasn’t even started yet,” he bragged ‘passionately’ with a hand over his heart.

“Sorry. I’m really more of a Bluewings fan,” Myungsoo retorted and hung up the phone with a smug grin. He had tripped up Woohyun twice, rendering him speechless, and from what Myungsoo could tell of the other, that didn’t happen often. Woohyun always had something to say.

But now it took him a moment or two to concoct a response. “But you live in Seoul, not Suwon. You should be a fan of my team,” Woohyun argued. “Besides, we’re friends. You should support me.”

“If you want me to support you, then move to Suwon,” Myungsoo shot back. He chuckled. And that made three times. “Bye, Woohyun-ssi!”

D-25

“You seem different.”

“Hm?” Myungsoo hummed, looking up from the pot of stew between them. It had been a while since he met with Sungyeol. A long while. But not long enough for Myungsoo to change that much (or so he thought).

Sungyeol stirred his spoon in the pot as he studied his friend. “You seem…happier?” he struggled to find the right word. Or he didn’t want to admit that Myungsoo hadn’t been entirely happy recently.

And Myungsoo didn’t want to admit that either. “What do you mean?”

“Lately, you’ve been down,” Sungyeol finally did. He then sighed, “Probably because lately, I’ve been neglecting you.”

Myungsoo waved his spoon in the air as he denied, “Eh, that’s not true.” But it was. Things had become different ever since she had come into the picture, and they grew apart. It was natural, Myungsoo supposed. It had to happen, but it didn’t mean that Myungsoo didn’t long for the times years ago when it was just him and Sungyeol. They were still best friends, but however the definition had changed. He was now Sungyeol’s best male friend…or maybe that will change soon too.

“Soo,” Sungyeol spoke in a soft voice. He reached over to place his hand over Myungsoo’s. “You’re like my first born son. Even though I have another baby now, you should know…I still love you,” he said the last line in an unusually grave tone. He meant it.

Myungsoo pulled his hand away and scoffed, “Shut up. And eat. You have to go soon.”

Sungyeol shut his eyes tightly. “Ah! That’s right!” he whined. “She’ll kill me if I’m late.”

“It’d be a pity, if you die,” Myungsoo joked. “I’d miss you.”

“Me too, buddy.”

D-24

Myungsoo walked out of the shelter with the newspaper tucked under his arm. The article was out. He was sure that the soccer player had already seen it. The newspapers were delivered in the morning, and it was already six at night. But that didn’t really matter to Myungsoo. He still wanted to show Woohyun and get the rookie’s opinion on his work (and perhaps some praise because Myungsoo felt like he’d done a great job).

But then a thought flew through his mind as he stepped on the bus. What if Woohyun doesn’t come? Myungsoo had run into the other on the bus everyday recently, but wasn’t that just a coincidence. Hopefully, fate was on his side again. The photographer side as he slid into his seat.

Myungsoo might’ve taken fate for granted; however, Woohyun still got onto the bus at the next stop. And he also had a newspaper tucked under his arm. It looked like someone else came prepared to brag and receive praise. Myungsoo smirked as he watched the player sit in front of him and turned around.

“Did you see it?” Woohyun asked, flashing his full page spread. “Front page!”

Myungsoo rolled his eyes. “In the sports section,” he added. He tried hard to bite back his smile because that was exactly what he had wanted to brag about. This was the largest article that he ever took a picture for. He was just as proud as the subject of the article. And Nam Woohyun was beaming as bright as the sun, so Myungsoo could only imagine what he himself looked like now.

“The photos are good,” Woohyun praised. Myungsoo leaned forward, gripping onto the back of Woohyun’s seat. His smile broadened. “I look good.”

“Of course,” Myungsoo responded. “It’s my job to make you look good.”

“You’re job must’ve been easy then because I always look good,” the player’s voice cracked at the end as he tried to fight down the chuckles bouncing in his throat.

Myungsoo scoffed as he looked over the photos again. His chest swelled. “Actually, this was a challenge for me,” he blurted out.

The grin dropped from Woohyun’s face, and the newspaper fell unto his lap. “Huh?”

“Ah, I mean,” Myungsoo began but then immediately paused right afterwards. He already inadvertently offended the other, and so he had to choose his words carefully. “I’m not a sports photographer,” plain and simple was the best explanation.

The smile returned. “You fooled me,” Woohyun said. He then hooked his chin over the top of the chair. Myungsoo tilted his head and watched the other curiously. And in return, Woohyun stared at him carefully with his dark eyes. “Hey,” he finally broke the silent staring contest between them. “Do you wanna come to my game tomorrow?”

D-23

Myungsoo was a Bluewings fan. His family had cheered on that team for years and years, even back when FC Seoul were the Anyang Cheetahs. The rivalry between the two teams was historic, infamous, and at times bloody. Maybe that’s why Myungsoo’s skin felt so hot and itchy under the jersey. He was wearing the wrong colors. Correct for the match, but wrong for him. His blood ran as blue as the sky. Not this gaudy red. Thankfully the red was contained to a single stripe down the middle of his chest. Still, his father would be disappointed to see him right now in Nam Woohyun’s jersey, sitting in his seat as he waited for the FC Seoul’s opening match to begin. He was disappointed in himself.

But the tickets were too good to pass up. He had perfect vision of the field and of the players. Too bad he was wearing his cap so low that it blocked some of his vision. But he didn’t want to be caught on camera and televised nationally as an FC Seoul fan…or worse as a Nam Woohyun fan.

He was wearing the jersey as a thank you. Also because Woohyun didn’t leave him with a choice in the matter. The tickets came at a price, and Woohyun wanted to make sure that he had one fan in the stadium, even if he had to bribe that one fan to go. Nam Woohyun was strange, but he got what he wanted: a fan in the stands and for Myungsoo to betray his Bluewings way.

Like that’s going to happen, Myungsoo thought with a smirk. He was a stubborn person. He had all intents and purposes to go through this whole match without a single word passing through his lips. He’d be a silent fan, just watching and soaking in the game, glaring at Nam Woohyun who’d probably start out the season like most rookies, on the bench.

But at the start of the game, Woohyun wasn’t on the bench. He was on the field. And somehow just that derailed all of Myungsoo’s plans. It was different, watching someone play that you knew personally versus someone that you were a fan of. Myungsoo automatically felt more invested into the game, more on edge. He wanted Woohyun to do well. And if that meant that FC Seoul had to do well too, then so be it.

And with that came the yelling, and the screaming, and the hollering at the refs for poor calls. Myungsoo had just gotten swept up in the excitement of it all. His cap was now turned backwards on his head so that he’d have a better view of the game. He complained with the fans around him. He even got up out of his seat when an opposing player was clearly aiming for Woohyun instead of the ball in a slide tackle.

“Ref! Are you blind? Blow your whistle! Blow!” Myungsoo yelled and then huffed, falling back down into his seat. But not before he made eye contact with Woohyun, the player had found his fan in the stands and chuckled as he got up from the grass, shaking the pain off from his shin before darting after the ball again.

Myungsoo turned behind him to see if something funny looking was behind him. Other than a bunch of other fans screaming their heads off, there was nothing. Myungsoo cocked his head. He couldn’t have been looking at me, right?

Woohyun: Meet me after the game outside the gates.

Well, Woohyun had at least noticed that Myungsoo had come to the game, judging by that text. The photographer leaned against the wall of the stadium, about to text the other if he was really going to come or if he was at the right place. Then a voice called out.

“It’s really easy to pick out your voice from the crowd.” Myungsoo turned his neck to see Woohyun walking out of the gate, dressed in his warm-ups. Several of the other players filtered around the two of them as they got into their own cars to go home. Woohyun grinned cheekily. “Did you know that? You sound like a character from an anime.”

“I do not,” Myungsoo retorted. He felt the frown deepening on his face.

“Eung,” Woohyun argued. “You do! It’s like this…” He brought both of his hands to the side as he crouched down lower. “Kamehameha!” he exclaimed, bringing both of his hands to Myungsoo’s chest, hitting him with his ‘energy blast.’

Myungsoo didn’t quite know how to react to that. So he just laughed. He had been made fun of for because of his voice or his over-enthusiasm, but this time, the teasing seemed fun, good-natured. He didn’t mind it so much. He didn’t even mind it when Woohyun tried out that move on him again. Myungsoo did it right back afterwards.

“KamehameHA!” he yelled with a smile on this face as he ‘hit’ the other.

And Woohyun, being the ham of an actor he was, pretended to be actually hurt and collapsed onto the ground dramatically. But before he fell completely onto the ground, he wheezed these out as his ‘final’ words, “See, just like an anime character.”

D-22

Lately, Myungsoo’s mind has been circling around this one matter. It might be because of Sungyeol. It might be because he saw the cutest kitten at the shelter today. But his heart was swelling, overflowing. He had so much affection stored inside of him that he was ready to burst. He wanted to fawn over something. He had to. But, he couldn’t. The shelter was closed, and he was alone. What he needed now was an outlet.

And when it came to requiring outlets of the romantic nature, Kim Myungsoo had an unusual solution. He was never the type for a ‘hook-up’ at the club or even a night of flirting with a random stranger. He grew easily attached to things. And so a night like that could only end up in disaster and heartache for him. But, there was one thing he could do. There was a type of person that he could get attached to without any repercussions: fictional ones.

Yes, when Myungsoo was in between relationships or needed a quick romantic fix, he dove into the world of manhwa and lived out his fantasies there. After finishing a volume or a series, his heart would be at ease again. And all was right with the world.

And so Myungsoo snuggled into a corner table at the manhwabang with a warm coffee in his one hand and a couple of volumes of sunjung manhwa in the other. With a small smile of anticipation, he opened up the worn pages of the comic, ready to embark on his new journey.

“I thought that was for girls.”

Myungsoo slowly looked up from the pages. Woohyun was standing right in front of him, with a hoodie drawn over his head so that his non-existent (or yet to exist) fans wouldn’t recognize him. Myungsoo put down the book and hid the other volumes behind his arm. He felt embarrassed, caught doing something that he shouldn’t have. “It’s not,” he argued. “Anyone can read it.” That’s right. Anyone can. He had no reason to feel ashamed. The heat in his cheeks died down. He felt more at ease. He nodded over to the books in Woohyun’s hand. “What did you get?”

Woohyun proudly brandished the cover of his own manhwa, emblazoned with a soccer player striking a ball with superhuman force. “For inspiration,” he explained.

Myungsoo sniggered. “Because you can kick a soccer ball like this?” He made a ‘shoom’ sound as he mimicked the cover of the book from his sitting position.

“I can try.” Woohyun took up the challenge and began kicking the air too. The both of them continued to do that for awhile, until something caught Woohyun’s eye. “Oh!” he gasped and walked over to the bookshelf. He pulled out a pink book from the shelf and handed it over to the photographer. “You should get this one though,” he suggested with a chuckle lacing his voice. “It’s a cat,” he announced, pointing at the cover featuring a ‘magic’ girl in cat ears.

Myungsoo snorted and placed the book to the side. “I don’t like this kind,” he admitted. Tokyo Mew Mew wasn’t exactly the romance that he was looking for.

“Why not? She’s cute,” Woohyun combatted as he pulled out the chair across from Myungsoo and sat down.

“Erm,” Myungsoo thought for a bit and then shook he head. “I don’t like it. I like ones like these better,” he said, gesturing at the small stack next to him with his elbow.

Woohyun quickly grabbed for one of the volumes before Myungsoo could even react. The player then began flipping through the pages, his eyes furiously skimming through the story. As he did so, the grin on his face grew larger and larger. “You’re a romantic,” he spoke in a low but pleased tone. Woohyun liked it. He liked thinking of Myungsoo that way. But judging by the cheeky grin on the player’s face, Myungsoo concluded it could only be for teasing purposes.

“No,” the photographer sputtered. “It’s just…these are cute…and they make me happy. And I already read all of Naruto and One Piece so…” His gaze drifted off to the bookshelf as he voice dropped off. Maybe I should just reread…

“Let’s switch,” Woohyun broke into his thoughts. Myungsoo snapped his head back to see Woohyun sliding over the volumes to his side of the table and pushing his towards the other. “I read this and you read this.”

“But…” Myungsoo began to objected as he picked up the soccer comic. He frowned. This wouldn’t do. I don’t wanna.

“You’ll like it,” Woohyun insisted. “So,” his voice suddenly dropped, unsure. “Can I join you?”

Myungsoo snorted. “Didn’t you already?”

“Yea, just making sure,” Woohyun responded. He hopped up from his seat. “I’m going to get some coffee. You want anything?”

“I’m good,” Myungsoo brushed off the offer with a shake of his head. Although his coffee was getting less and less warm as time passed. He could feel the mug become cold in his hand. But regardless he felt warm now. He always grew warm easily. He waved as the soccer player left to go order his coffee. As soon as Woohyun was out of sight, the smile dropped from Myungsoo’s face. He pulled the manhwa closer to him and flipped to the first page. “Let’s see how bad this is.”

But it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad at all. Myungsoo actually kind of enjoyed it. And it seemed like Woohyun was enjoying his manhwa too (although he might’ve been laughing at it other than because of it, but did it really matter if it still brought a smile to his face?). After an hour, Woohyun suggested that they’d take the next bus out, much to Myungsoo’s chagrin. He’d gotten to an intense part of the story. They were about to play the rival team, and the main character was about to fall into a trap set by the other team to break his leg. He had to know what happened next.

So after getting off the bus, he went to the bookshop by his apartment and picked up the rest of the series.

D-21

Myungsoo read and read and read until the wee hours of the morning. He had no idea how late it was until he saw the yellow light peaking through his bedroom curtains. He should’ve figured it was late/early. He was already on the last volume of the series.

Also there was a small, tenuous love line that only lasted a few ‘episodes’ in the story. But it was enough to sate him.

But what Myungsoo didn’t have enough of was sleep. And near the end of the day, it all came down on him at once. He fell asleep, deeply on the bus. Woohyun had to wake him up or else he would’ve missed his stop.

It wasn’t until he reached his apartment when he realized that Woohyun must’ve sat next to him while he was sleeping. Also that Woohyun had missed his own stop.

D-20

“Do you believe in destiny?”

“What?” Myungsoo asked. Woohyun had suddenly plopped down in the seat in front of him, turned around, and sputtered out that question. It caught the photographer off guard. “That’s random. Why did you ask that?” He shook his head as he laughed lightly. “It’s weird.”

“Because I do,” Woohyun replied bluntly. There was not a drop of laughter nor cheer about him. He was serious. “We meet on this bus every day. And look,” he demanded, lifting up his watch to show the other the time. He tapped his finger against the watch’s face. “It’s an hour later than usual, but you’re still here.”

Myungsoo stared at the watch with his jaw unhinged. He then lifted up his gaze to meet the other’s. “That is weird,” he admitted.

“No, that’s fate,” Woohyun corrected. He smiled as he pointed down to the floor of the bus. “We’re meant to meet right here.”

“Why?” Myungsoo challenged. It was strange. To be frankly honest, he had never really thought about it. But now the more he thought about it, the stranger it was. Everyday, nearly everyday since he met the soccer player, Myungsoo had seen him. Why? Why is it like this? Woohyun could only shrug as an answer. But Myungsoo offered another, “Maybe it means you’re following me.” He narrowed his eyes on the player, growing cautious.

“Please,” Woohyun retorted with a scoff. “Which one of us is famous?”

“Going to be famous,” Myungsoo corrected him and crossed his arms over his chest. He saw Woohyun’s grin falter at that. “You’re not yet. Besides…” The photographer paused as he leaned forward. “I’m pretty well known too, and…I’m handsome.” He shyly added the last bit (but it needed to be said).

“Wah!” Woohyun exclaimed with a clap of his hands. “Really? You’re really going to go there?” Myungsoo nodded proudly. Woohyun scoffed. “People call me conceited.”

“Just stating the facts,” Myunsoo replied coolly.

“Let me add to that then,” Woohyun offered. Now he leaned in closer to the other, and Myungsoo tried his best to stand his ground. Woohyun grinned as he dropped his voice lower, “We’re meant to be something.”

“What? Like friends?” Myungsoo guessed.

Woohyun moved back to his seat. He shrugged. “If you want.”

“Sure,” Myungsoo answered with a nodded.

“Okay,” Woohyun replied happily. He then stretched up to pull on the chord, asking the bus to stop. Myungsoo cocked his head in curiosity. This was still a couple of stops before the one that the player usually got off on. But Woohyun resolved it soon enough: “Wanna eat?”

“Sure.”

They ended up a noodle shop where they both have been before, just not together. Yet that one change made it a completely different experience. Myungsoo even ordered something different. He was, for once, trying something different on the menu (he had a tendency to order the same things at places from his coffee to his stew to his patbingsoo). He already made one change, what was another?

However there was one thing that didn’t change: the conversation. “You never answered my question,” Woohyun stated with a frown on his face. “Do you believe in destiny?”

“Hm,” Myungsoo hummed in thought and leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head.  “Maybe not destiny…but fateful encounters. Like when two people meet. Especially lovers. Like someone running underneath your umbrella on a rainy day. Reaching for the same book on the shelf. Getting our suitcases switched by accident.” He felt a smile rip through his face. He was growing more excited the more he spoke. “I want to have a meeting like that,” he confessed. “That’s memorable. One that I could look back at fondly.”

“The way we met was pretty memorable,” Woohyun interjected before he took a long drink from his glass.

Myungsoo shook his head emphatically. “Not in a good way,” he pointed out. “You got me wet. And you thought I was a…” he stopped it at that. He didn’t like that impression in the slightest. “I’m not.”

“Of course not,” at least Woohyun didn’t think that anymore in the slightest. The idea to him sounded silly now. “But you got a jersey out of it,” Woohyun found a silver lining in their meeting. “You could sell it for hundreds of dollars later.”

“If I’m not going to make thousands on it, it’s not worth it,” the photographer teased. “So you better play well.”

“Jerk,” Woohyun’s tone didn’t sound nearly as harsh as he probably intended. “I will,” he responded in full confidence. “I’ll be the best one out there. I’m going to be the Michael Jordan of soccer.“

“I know,” Myungsoo tried to wrap the matter up. Their meals were arriving at the table. With the meals came a silence as the two men began devouring, slurping, and enjoying their noodles. It was a comfortable silence, mostly because the two were occupied with eating. But slowly, something began to eat at Myungsoo. He raised his gaze from his dish, watching the man across from before finally saying, “Can I ask you a question?”

Woohyun watched the other, still chewing with pursed lips. After he swallowed, he replied, “Sure.”

“Are you from here? Seoul?”

“Born and raised,” Woohyun responded, putting down his spoon. “Why?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Myungsoo waved his hand in the air as he tried to do some damage control, just in case this question went awry. “But, um, you seem to be alone a lot. So I thought you were new in town.”

“Oh that,” Woohyun murmured. He picked up his spoon again and poked around at his dish, releasing a heavy sigh from his lips. “I guess this is what happens when all of your closest friends are in serious relationships, and you’re not,” he answered. “And then when they talk about doing something…” He paused to bring his hand to his ear and mouth in the shape of a phone. He mimicked the enthusiasm of his friends, “’Oh, you must be busy, right? Professional soccer players don’t have much free time.’” He then returned to his own low voice, “‘Oh, yea that’s true.’” After that short reply, he adopted the chipper tone of his ‘friend,’ “‘Sorry! Maybe next time! Call me when you’re free!’ And when I do, ‘Oh Woohyun-ah! I’m at a work dinner.’ ‘I’m on a date.’” He then hung up the ‘phone.’ The soccer player sighed once more. “And I thought I was the one who was supposed to have no free time…So I guess this is me, pretending to be busy and really important.”

Myungsoo smirked and leaned in closer. “Hanging out with me makes you seem important?” he remarked on the last part of Woohyun’s tirade because the rest of it had hit too close to home. And he’d rather not commiserate over noodles. They can do that later when more alcohol is involved.

But Woohyun didn’t seem to mind the direction that this conversation was heading. “You’re a famous photographer, right? Important people hang out with each other,” he boasted about the both of them with such ease.

And it brought a small smile to the photographer’s face. “Is that so?”

The smile grew wider at the end of the meal, when the two of them were walking out of the place. Woohyun slung his arm around the other, giving him a half-hug (but full-hearted). “Myungsoo-yah…thank you,” Woohyun murmured.

Myungsoo turned that half-hug into a full but quick one. “Any time, hyung.”

D-19

Apparently, Woohyun took the ‘any time’ seriously. When they met on the bus again, even before he sat down, he asked Myungsoo, “You hungry?”

“Eung.”

D-18

This time, Woohyun waited until they were almost at his stop. “You hungry?”

“Sure, I could eat.”

D-17

Woohyun was quiet on this day. It was obvious. It wasn’t just written on his face, but it was also in the sad wake of his every step and in the moroseness of his sighs. The soccer player had a bad day. His eyes looked lost as his mind was trapped in his own thoughts. Woohyun had barely even cast a glance at Myungsoo when he got onto the bus. Only enough for a short nod of acknowledgement, nothing more.

This isn’t good, Myungsoo thought as he studied the other. He has a game tomorrow. Woohyun couldn’t afford to wallow tonight. He needed a distraction.

They were almost at the rookie’s stop when Myungsoo had gathered up the courage, tapped Woohyun on the back, and asked, “Are you hungry?”

His eyes focused again, and the corner of his mouth quirked up quickly. “Eung.”

D-16

Somehow, in the course of the night before, Myungsoo had ended promising the other that he’d show up to the game again. This time not only in Woohyun’s jersey but also with FC Seoul’s brash red painted all over his face. The rookie seemed set on making his own fan (or making Myungsoo’s his fan). And when Myungsoo tried to argue, Woohyun explained himself, “It’s because I can pick your voice out in the crowd. I know that I have someone on my side then. So don’t blame me. Blame your voice.”

My voice, my damn anime voice, Myungsoo grumbled in his mind. He had made up his mind. This time he wouldn’t make a peep the entire game. He was dead-set on it. He grit his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched kick-off from his seat in the stands. I’m not going to say a thing.

Myungsoo was better at keeping his promises to Woohyun than he was at keeping promises to himself. Today he yelled until his voice grew hoarse.

At least Woohyun knew that he kept his promise. The soccer player looked over to his seat in the stands a few times and sent him a text to wait for him after the game.

Myungsoo hoped that it wouldn’t be to pay for a meal to celebrate their victory. Weren’t team dinners for that? The answer would be yes, because Woohyun ran up to him saying that he had only a few minutes to talk before running off to the dinner. “I’m thinking about getting a pet,” he revealed. “Know of any good places to get one?”

Myungsoo nodded. “Eung. Come with me to the shelter tomorrow.”

D-15

Myungsoo waited for Woohyun outside of the shelter. He had thought all night about what cat to recommend for the soccer player. Over the last two weeks, he had gotten to know them all pretty well. He had a few in mind that weren’t fussy and wouldn’t mind being left alone. But when Woohyun showed up, he threw Myungsoo a curve ball that he didn’t really expect: “I want a dog.”

“Oh, of course,” Myungsoo mumbled. Of course the soccer player would want a dog. Dogs gave out affection more readily, and Woohyun seemed to gobble affection up greedily. Not only that, but the rookie even seem to resemble a mutt at times, with his sad eyes, excitability, and even the way his hair moved while he ran like two flopping ears. Of course, Woohyun would want a dog.

It wasn’t that Myungsoo didn’t like dogs. That would be farther from the truth. He loved them. But sometimes, Myungsoo wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. Like he was right now, he didn’t know what to do with Woohyun. He figured that he’d hand the soccer player over to Mijoo, and she could show him around, leaving Myungsoo with his cats.

However, today must’ve been one of those days where nothing went according to plan, even those made on the fly, because Mijoo had assumed that Woohyun was there to help Myungsoo. She pushed them both towards the cat area without listening their objections. In fact, she kept talking over them, about how happy she was that her oppa finally brought a friend to help and a good-looking one at that. She probably would’ve continued talking at them, but the phone at the desk rang, and she ran off to go answer it.

“She seems nice,” Woohyun remarked when Mijoo had left the room. “I didn’t think I’d meet someone who talks more than I do.”

“Hyung, that’s what you sound like to other people,” Myungsoo teased as he turned around to grab brooms and dustpans.

When he spun back around, Woohyun was still silently mulling over what Myungsoo had just said. To snap him out of it, the photographer put a broom in his hand. That seemed to work. A grin broke out on the player’s face. “But it’s cute when I do it, right?”

“Sure,” Myungsoo replied. “I bet you’re even cuter when you clean.”

“You bet I am,” Woohyun retorted, gripping onto the broom and dustpan, ready to clean up a storm.

But for the record, Woohyun wasn’t. The way he cleaned wasn’t cute. It was lazy. Myungsoo ended up following the soccer player wherever he went in the room, re-cleaning everything that Woohyun had just cleaned. Even when Woohyun poured food into the bowls, more of it ended up on the floor than in the actual bowls. And when he lightly reprimanded Woohyun for it, the player remarked that the cats would eat it anyways. He obviously didn’t know how picky some cats got. Indeed a dog would be a better fit for Woohyun’s personality.

Myungsoo, on the other hand, looked exactly right at home, among his own kind. Or at least he did to the soccer player. Woohyun leaned on one of the scratching posts as he watched Myungsoo crouched down in the corner of the room, trying to goad a small cat out of her hiding place. “You look like a cat,” Woohyun yelled from across the room.

“Huh?” Myungsoo muttered and whipped his head around. His sudden movement startled the shy cat and she ran to the other side of the room. “Crap.”

“You look like a cat,” Woohyun repeated, walking up to the other and crouched down next to him. “Is that why you come here all the time? Is it like visiting your relatives?”

“No!” Myungsoo adamantly objected. “That’s not why I come here. I come here because…”

“You have court-ordained community service?” Woohyun suggested.

Myungsoo screwed up his face in shock. “No. I just…”

“Wanna compare whiskers?” Woohyun asked, the other under the chin.

Myungsoo glared at him and pushed the rookie over. “Shut up! You’re a dog!” he screeched.

“What?” Woohyun huffed between chuckles as he lied on the floor. He really looked like a puppy then, rolling on his back with his ‘paws’ to his chest. “Am I?” he seemed intrigued by the idea. He even rolled over like it was a trick, expecting praise from the other. “How so?”

“It’s just…” Myungsoo began, but then fell into laughter. His eye had caught something. While he had been rolling, Woohyun’s wallet had fallen out of his pocket, and the shy, blue grey cat from earlier was now batting it around like a toy.

However, Woohyun didn’t know this and was entirely confused. “Huh?” He scooted in closer, watching the other carefully. “How so?”

“Hyung!” was all Myungsoo could manage to squeak out as he pointed to the cat behind his friend.

Woohyun slowly turned around and saw her. “Yah! That’s not yours,” Woohyun reprimanded as he reached for the wallet. However, the cat was far quicker. She bite at the edge of the wallet and ran away, taking the wallet with her. “YAH!” Woohyun yelled louder, getting to his feet. “Quick! Catch that cat! It stole my wallet!”

But Myungsoo could only watch the dog chase the cat around the room, barking at it the whole time. It was hilarious. He was laughing until his voice went sore and the palms of his hands were numb from clapping. He couldn’t remember the last time he was like this.

But once he came down from his high, a simple question nagging his mind sobered him right up: Can a cat and a dog ever truly get along?

D-14

Today, Myungsoo was in his element. The local cherry blossom festival was in full swing, and he was taking pictures of it for the newspaper and blog. He smiled with his lips pulled tight across his face as he pointed his camera on the backs of a couple walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. Yes, this is it. He then snapped a picture of a young girl placing petals on the head of an old dog. This was what he was good at.

And if he was truly a cat like Woohyun had said, Myungsoo was sure that his tail would be swishing back and forth from excitement (even though his face probably didn’t show how content he was). Satisfied hums on his lips were practically purrs. Even the way he stalked some of the festival-goers, ready to ‘pounce’ and take a picture, seemed cat-like. Myungsoo stiffened at that realization. He suddenly felt hyper-aware of everything he did. He dropped his camera to his side. It wasn’t obvious, was it? Did everyone see him that way?

“Did you hear who’s here?”

“No, who?”

“That new guy from FC Seoul and some others. I think they’re here for some promotional thing.”

Myungsoo craned his neck, fixing his ear to hear the girls’ conversation. It couldn’t be.

“Oh! I heard of him! Soohyun, or something. He’s handsome.”

“Right? I think he’s signing autographs over by the sellers. Let’s go!”

Myungsoo smirked as he watched the girls dart away. He might as well go too. This ‘Soohyun’ guy sounded interesting.

However, by the time Myungsoo had arrived to his table, the staff was already packing things up. Myungsoo silently cursed at himself. It would’ve been fun to catch the other off-guard at the fansign and see the surprised look on his face. But Myungsoo got easily distracted by opportunities for shots that he couldn’t pass up (like the old man tenderly putting a flower in his wife’s white hair, calling her crazy). Even the girls that he had ‘followed’ here were no longer in sight, and neither was Nam Woohyun.

Myungsoo scoffed. He had been accidentally running into the soccer player all over the place, but now when he intentionally tried to find the other, Woohyun was nowhere to be seen. Just his luck. He sighed, turned around, and had cursed his luck too soon.

Woohyun was sitting on the bench, with one leg crossed over the other. Another opportunity. Myungsoo lifted up his camera again, ready to strike, but as he peered through, he saw Woohyun staring straight at him, waving. Myungsoo immediately put down the camera, feeling like he’d just got caught doing something that he shouldn’t have, and walked up to the other.

“It’s hard to take candid pictures of you. You always seem to notice,” Myungsoo complained with a slight whine.

The rookie smirked. “I’m sensitive to these things, when people watch me,” he explained. He then let out a deep breath and stretched backwards. “But I suppose that I should get used to it. I’m a celebrity after all. And a handsome too. Everyone will be watching me naturally.”

“Naturally,” Myungsoo repeated with his voice laced with sarcasm.

“Of course!” Woohyun chirped back. He then slid down the bench and patted the spot next to him. “Sit.”

Even though Myungsoo was more of a cat than a dog, he still obeyed and sat down. He then beckoned at the other to move closer. “I took some good pictures today. You want to see?” he offered.

“Sure,” Woohyun agreed and scooted down closer to the other until their shoulders were up against each other. His eyes were fixed on the screen as Myungsoo flipped through the photos. “Wah!” Woohyun explained. “There are a lot of couples.”

“I think the setting calls for it,” Myungsoo remarked casually.

“Why is that?” Woohyun challenged. “What is it about flowers that brings couples out?”

“Um,” Myungsoo pursed his lips in thought. “Maybe it’s because…flowers are pretty and so is love.” It wasn’t until after those words left his mouth, Myungsoo had realized what he just said, how cheesy it was. He quickly glanced over at Woohyun who had been holding in his laughter until they’d made eye contact. Now it was spilling from his lips, uncontrollably. “Forget that I said that. Forget that I said anything.”

“I can’t! I can’t erase it from my mind. I won’t!” Woohyun objected. “Flowers are pretty and so is love…so cheesy!”

Soon laughter began to build up inside the photographer too. He didn’t quite know where it was from. Was he laughing at himself? Laughing at Woohyun who’d just fallen off the bench? Or was he just laughing at everything? To him, it didn’t really matter. He was laughing, slapping Woohyun in the side, telling him to stop. He was having fun.

Also the answer to the question the day before was ‘yes.’ Cats and dogs can get along, but only if the dog isn’t afraid to get scratched.

D-13

The day before appeared to be the pleasant calm before the storm that was this day. It was a storm in all sense of the word. Rain was pouring down heavily and all day long, giving Myungsoo not even a moment’s reprieve from the suffocating humidity that came with it.

It was a day that he also had to run several errands for work. And so by the time he showed up at the shelter, he was drenched, soaked through. He’d hoped that the volunteering would be a moment’s worth of sunshine on this bleak day, but it wasn’t. His favorite and first cat, Dumbledore, had bit him. Myungsoo didn’t know what he’d done wrong. And that worried him even more than the bite. Didn’t Dumbledore like him anymore?

To makes his mood even worse, Sungyeol had cancelled on Myungsoo again, this time through a text. Myungsoo sighed and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He should’ve expected that his dinner with Sungyeol would fall through. They have been recently, and that was just the way his day had been going.

But perhaps worse of all was the one thing that he knew that he was taking for granted. He knew that one day this would happen. And of course, that day had to be today.

Woohyun wasn’t on the bus.

D-12

“Where were you yesterday?” Myungsoo asked before Woohyun had even sat down.

Woohyun grinned as he returned the other’s question with some of his own, “Why? Did you miss me?”

Myungsoo shrugged, trying to play his curiosity off coolly. “Just wondering.”

It was quiet for a few seconds before Woohyun replied, “I finally met up with my friends again. We went to the club.” He added the last part as an afterthought.

“That’s nice,” Myungsoo tried to hide the dissatisfaction in his voice. While he was having the worst day yesterday, Woohyun was out playing, having fun. It wasn’t fair. And it definitely wasn’t fair that Woohyun was laughing at him now. “What?” Myungsoo snapped.

“Nothing,” the soccer player dismissed and tried hard to hold his chuckles in. He cleared his throat to end it. He then he put on a anxious smile and proposed, “You know, you should come with us next time. Everyone else brings their girlfriend anyways.”

“I’m not a girl,” Myungsoo retorted. And somehow that sent Woohyun into another peal of laughter. What was exactly was Myungsoo doing to make the other laugh like that? “I’m not a girl!” he raised his voice.

The other was still laughing as he reached over and patted Myungsoo’s shoulder. “I know. I know,” Woohyun wheezed.

Myungsoo sunk down in his seat and crossed his arms defiantly. “I’m not,” he grumbled.

D-11

Myungsoo decided to sit somewhere on the bus where Woohyun couldn’t sit next to him. That would be the elder’s punishment for teasing relentlessly these past few days. However, the bus wasn’t going to let him sit down either. It was crammed. All seats were already taken. Myungsoo had to stand, and Woohyun was able to squeeze in between Myungsoo and the man in front of him so that they could stand together. It was a tight squeeze though. It would be awkward if the two stood facing each other, and so Woohyun had twisted his body in a strange way so that they could still talk to each other without invading each other’s personal space.

At least Woohyun was being nicer today. He didn’t smell nice though. But neither did Myungsoo probably. As the photographer was wondering if he smelled more like a cat than a man, the bus slammed on its brakes causing all of the passengers to lurch forward and causing Woohyun to nearly stumble to the ground. Nearly. Myungsoo had caught him by his coat.

“Thank you,” Woohyun muttered under his breath, slightly embarrassed for losing his balance.

“No problem,” Myungsoo replied with a grin. He felt cool, like a hero, saving his friend from nearly getting trampled to death.

However that feeling passed a few stops later. “This is my stop,” Woohyun announced. Myungsoo nodded. He was well aware of it now. But then Woohyun glanced down. “So are you going to let go now, or am I going to have to drag you back home with me?”

Myungsoo looked down to see what the other was referring to. “Oh! Sorry!” He had apparently caught the other and had never let go. His fist was still clenched tightly, gripping Woohyun’s coat. Myungsoo immediately let go. “Good night, hyung,” he wished in a small voice, hoping to change the topic.

“Night, Soo. I’ll see you later.”

D-10

But Myungsoo didn’t see Woohyun on this day. Well, not really anyway. FC Seoul had their first away game today. Myungsoo had even skipped his volunteering so that he wouldn’t miss kick off.

He was at Sungyeol’s place who was grateful for his friend’s sudden shift in loyalty. Lee Sungyeol didn’t care much for FC Seoul, but he hated the Bluewings. So at least the two of them could watch a game that they both would enjoy, even mildly.

Myungsoo fell onto his friend’s couch, popping the tab to his beer can open. “Hm?” he hummed as he took a sip. His eyes darted around the room. And then he wiped his chin as he asked, “Where is she today?”

“Doesn’t matter. You know I love you more,” Sungyeol retorted.

Myungsoo snorted, “Lies.”

“True. I can’t deny my one true love.” Myungsoo looked over at him curiously, but then scoffed as he noticed Sungyeol caressing his beer can. “How long has it been, my love?” he addressed the can and then gave it a kiss. He then turned his attention back to his friend. “I think it’s been since the last game of last season. That was the last time I drank. It’s killing me, Soo. She’s killing with all of these rules. It’s not like he’s going to notice! He’s only…”

“Sh!” Myungsoo cut off his friend’s tirade. “The game’s starting.”

D-9

Woohyun: Meet me at the Social Club at 8

Woohyun: Dress nicely. Leave the hoodies at home.

Myungsoo sat up in his bed, staring at his phone. Those were interesting messages. He quickly typed in his reply.

Myungsoo: Why

Woohyun: Because I’m going to win tomorrow and we’re going out to celebrate.

Woohyun: It’s a nice place so no hoodies allowed.

The photographer sniggered at the other’s bravado. It looks like the last few games had inflated the player’s head. Sure, his team had won, and yes they were playing a charity match against a team from one of the less premiere league. However, it was still a good team, and Woohyun needed to deflate his ego a little.

Myungsoo: We’ll see about that.

Myungsoo: But I’ll see you then

Myungsoo: And I’m going to wear ALL of my hoodies.

He chuckled softly at his own joke and at the image of him waddling around in several layers of hoodies. He’d be comfortable at least. While he was lost in that thought, his phone buzzed again.

Woohyun: No plaid either.

Myungsoo looked up from his screen with his jaw slack. “But I have no other clothes.”

D-8

That was a lie. Myungsoo did have something else to wear, something nice. He couldn’t recall the last time that he’d worn a nice, crisp, black button-down and a sports coat, but it must’ve been for some awards ceremony or some work related event. Maybe it was for his gallery showing. Well, whatever the last occasion was, Myungsoo looked just as good as he did back then. Maybe even better.

The way he dressed did met Woohyun’s standards. He grinned as he found Myungsoo sitting at the bar, waiting for him. However, the smile fled his face after he sat down and ordered his drink. Myungsoo knew what was wrong. He had seen it. FC Seoul had won the match. Woohyun even had a hat-trick, clinching the game for them. But it wasn’t a pretty win. It was a high-scoring game of 4 to 5. The defense was sloppy on both sides, and FC Seoul had tenuous control over the whole game. Which meant that Woohyun had little control. Some of the goals that the other team had score resulted from turnovers that he had. An ill-timed tackle, a horrible pass. Myungsoo could practically hear Woohyun listing everything that he’d done wrong over and over again in his head. He didn’t like it.

The photographer patted the other on the back. “You guys won today. Congrats,” he praised, forcing the biggest smile on his face.

Woohyun, however, still looked bleak. “But it was against a poor team. That’s the only reason why I looked good, why I scored so much,” he ended with a heavy sigh and taking a large draught from his drink. “I wish I could do it when it’d actually matter.”

Myungsoo leaned closer to him, on him, encircling his arm around the other’s shoulders. “You will. You’re a great player. I have faith,” he tried to lift the other’s spirits.

And it was working. The corners of Woohyun’s mouth began to lift as the air between them grew lighter. Woohyun opened his mouth about to say something, but he was caught off by someone calling his name. It was a woman. She approached them, followed by another woman who was followed by a man who was accompanied by another man, and soon a small crowd had gathered around him. Nam Woohyun had his fans at last, and Myungsoo was starting to see his friend as the celebrity that he always said that he was. They were praising him, retelling all of Woohyun’s moves during the game. And Woohyun in turn smiled brightly and chatted with them. Myungsoo grinned. The soccer player had become a lot brighter, and so Myungsoo was going to step away to allow him to bask in his glory.

Myungsoo found a table to sit at in the corner of the place but still visible from the bar so that Woohyun could easily find him (and so that he could easily keep an eye on Woohyun). However, his eyes were trained on his phone. Sungyeol had been texting him a flurry of messages. His friend was in a somewhat unexpected situation and needed Myungsoo to do something for him. As Myungsoo was about to text a reply saying when he could come over, Woohyun loomed over him.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Sungyeol,” Myungsoo replied bluntly, putting his phone back in his pocket. He couldn’t help but to notice how bleak the soccer player looked again. “What’s wrong?”

Woohyun drug a seat up next to Myungsoo’s and sat down only inches away from him. Woohyun’s eyes were fixed on the other’s pocket. “Did you leave me to talk to him?” he asked.

“No, I left you so you could talk to your fans,” Myungsoo answered. He thought that he did the other a favor. Woohyun’s mood had been improving while talking to the fans. Why did it turn sour now? Did someone say something? “Speaking of which, where are they?” Myungsoo questioned as he searched past Woohyun, searching for the crowd that was at the bar only minutes prior.

“I didn’t really want to talk to them,” Woohyun grumbled. Myungsoo returned his gaze back on the other. He tilted his head. Something had gone wrong. He’d been waiting for his fans for so long. Why did he leave them now? Woohyun heaved another sigh and continued, “They kept talking about how well I played.”

“Because you did,” Myungsoo immediately retorted.

Woohyun shot him a warning look out of the corner of his eye. “But you know…I don’t feel like I did. So I don’t want to hear it,” he spoke darkly.

Myungsoo sighed as he watched the other drink. So that was it. Woohyun wasn’t finished sulking. He thought that he did poorly, and he wasn’t in the mood to hear otherwise. Later, Myungsoo thought. Later he’d lavish Woohyun with praise until his ego was over-inflated again. He never thought that he’d miss the bravado.

So if Woohyun didn’t want to hear praise now, Myungsoo was going to change the topic, “So where are they?”

“I told them that I was on a date,” the other answered.

Myungsoo blinked furiously, looking about them. “With who?”

“With you.”

“Really?” Myungsoo exclaimed as he burst into laughter. “And they bought it?”

Woohyun raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t they?” he mumbled. A weird smile appeared on his face as he joked, “Well, I guess I am out of your league. I’m a soccer superstar, and you play with cats.”

The giggles caught in Myungsoo’s throat. He frowned. “You know, I have a real job.”

“I know. I know,” Woohyun responded. The smile now was smaller but more natural. He leaned in closer and dropped his voice, “So if this was a date…”

“Oppa!” The two men turned their heads to see a woman apologetically approach them with her head bowed. She held up one finger as she cutely begged, “Can I have just one picture? You said that I could once I got my phone.”

“Sure,” Woohyun muttered as he shot a glance over to Myungsoo, probably wondering if he would mind (and why would he?). The soccer player then spun around in his chair and fixed a wide grin on his face. “Of course!” He had just gotten his beloved fans now and he wasn’t about to start breaking promises that he’d made to them. Woohyun took the phone from her and stood up from his seat. “Ready?” he asked. The girl nodded. He lifted up the phone, and the girl came closer until their cheeks were practically touching. “1, 2, kimchi! Woah!” Woohyun’s hand immediately flew to his cheek where the girl had just kissed him.

“Sorry,” the girl quickly apologized. She bowed her head so low that her long hair was covering her face. She gestured over to two girl giggling at the bar. “My friends. They dared me.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Woohyun responded in a light tone. He then pointed over to Myungsoo. “Apologize to my date,” he demanded. He then leaned closer to the girl, with his eyes still on the photographer as he loudly whispered, “I think you made him jealous.”

Myungsoo rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Did not.” He turned to the girl and assured her, “It’s fine.”

“Either way. Sorry!” she blurted out, her red face peeking through her curtain of hair. She lifted her head higher as she watched the soccer player return to his seat. “You guys look cute together,” she remarked.

Woohyun threw an arm around the other. “You think?” he asked. He then glanced over to Myungsoo and smile broadly. “I think so too.”

And with that, his fan left to retreat back to her friends. After Myungsoo saw her rejoin them, he faced Woohyun and said, “You can take your arm off. She’s gone.”

“Her friends are still looking. Besides,” Woohyun paused as he looked downwards. Myungsoo followed his gaze. The photographer’s hand was gripping at his waist. “I’ll remove mine if you remove yours.”

Myungsoo immediately let go and folded his hands together on the table. His gaze went over to the girl and her friends. Every so often, they would glance over at them. Myungsoo sighed. “They’ll probably be looking at us all night long,” he pointed out as he turned back to his friend.

He’d expected some boasting remark about Woohyun’s newfound and uncontrollably popularity, but the soccer player instead suggested, “You wanna go somewhere more private?” There was something about the lilt in his voice. It wasn’t normal, or at least what had become normal for them. It wasn’t teasing. It wasn’t cheeky. It wasn’t even moody. It was just strange.

“Like where?” Myungsoo probed further, wondering exactly where the other was heading.

“Like my place or yours. I haven’t been to your place yet.”

Myungsoo shook his head furiously. “You don’t want to come to mine. It’s…awful. It’s the absolute worse. That’s why I’m moving out,” he ranted slightly. He then took a sip from his drink (with everything going on. It was still nearly full), and inhaled sharply. “I haven’t been to your place either,” he stated.

“Then we should remedy that,” Woohyun spoke in that same strange tone. But then he winced and immediately shook his heads “Ah wait! It’s a complete mess right now.”

“I don’t mind,” Myungsoo insisted. He’d been lying if he said that he wasn’t curious about how the other lived. After all, they were going to be neighbors shortly.

“Yea but I do,” Woohyun shot him down. “I don’t want you to think I’m a slob.”

“I already do!” Myungsoo shot back. Woohyun stared at him with wide eyes, like he’d been accused unfairly. He then smirked as he explained, “I’ve seen you clean.” Woohyun pouted, which made Myungsoo chest swell with glee (so this is why Woohyun must so much. It’s a nice feeling). He grinned as he nudged the other. “So what now? People are still looking over here.”

“Do you want to leave?” Woohyun asked. It didn’t sound like he really wanted to go.

Which was just fine because Myungsoo didn’t want to leave either. “Not really. I haven’t finished my drink,” he found a reason to stay.

“I don’t either, so…” Woohyun puffed his cheeks and let it out before continuing, “I guess…we act like we are on a date.”

“How?” Woohyun only shrugged as an answer.

How? How did they do it? By acting naturally. The two men really did nothing different. They were just casually chatting and joking around. Sure there were some more instances of skinship, but they’d been slowly building upon that lately. That too was natural. It didn’t feel like acting, probably because they weren’t. At some point in time, Myungsoo wondered if this ploy was actually working and looked around. No one was paying any attention to them. The crowd had also thinned out at the night grew longer. Myungsoo smiled, happy not to be the center of attention again. He turned to Woohyun and cracked up over a joke that he’d just told. He laughed so hard that he collapsed onto the other. Woohyun didn’t mind. He was leaning against the other too, his laughing chest shaking against Myungsoo’s side. What happened next was an accident, a thoughtless accident. Myungsoo had just gotten too caught up in it all. And he rolled his head over on the other’s shoulder and sniffed.

Woohyun automatically stiffened. “Did…did you just sniff me?” He looked down at the other with a teasing smile on his face.

Myungsoo looked away. He could feel his cheeks grow warmer. He needed to cool down. He needed to play cool. So he sat up straight and tried to excuse himself, “I like your cologne. What is it? Where can I get it?”

“I’m not wearing any.”

“Oh,” Myungsoo didn’t expect that answer. That wasn’t anything that he could build of off. So he remained speechless.

And Woohyun took advantage of Myungsoo’s passive lips. The soccer player leaned forward and kissed him. Hard. At first, but he pulled away a bit, easing the pressure, kissing him softly and gently. And Myungsoo, he had lost his mind at the moment and was giving back as much as he was receiving. Or that was until he regained his sense of mind. “Hyung!” he objected, pushing the other softly away. His eyes were wide and scared (as if he’d been kissed and wasn’t just kissing).

And the soccer player looked the exact same. “Sorry. I must’ve gotten caught up...I didn’t mean to...It was an accident,” Woohyun stammered, his eyes everywhere but on Myungsoo.

Myungsoo wasn’t about to question if it truly was an accident or not (because the other seemed to kiss with intention). He was just going to accept it as one. “It’s okay. I’m fine. But…I have to go,” he stated. He got up from the table and began to put on his coat. “It’s getting late, and I promised Sungyeol something.”

“Right. Sungyeol.” Woohyun mumbled, not even flinching from his spot. “I hope you two have a good time.”

Myungsoo stared at the soccer player for one second, then two, three. “We’ll try,” he said before wishing goodbye and leaving his friend behind.

He wasn’t running away. Myungsoo definitely wasn’t running away. He was running an errand. Sungyeol needed diaper rash cream for his baby. He was nearly out of his own, and his child, Jaehwa, appeared to be flaring up again. And to make matters worse, his wife’s boss was an and was constantly making her work overtime after the leave. Sungyeol had to stay at home with the child, which left only Uncle Soo available to pick-up the cream.

It was a totally legitimate reason.

D-7

The days were ticking off quickly now. It was almost time to move. And in his excitement, Myungsoo adopted another cat.

He also took a cab home that day. He was feeling anti-social.

D-6

It was raining again, but not as hard or consistent as the last time. But somehow, it seemed gloomier. Myungsoo’s mood was feeling down because of it. He also couldn’t go to the shelter because he’d been assigned to take pictures of a memorial service, which did nothing to improve his mood. He could use a pick-me-up right now. A ray of hope on this dreary day.

So he waited and waited until it was the time that he’d usually get on the bus. He even went to the same stop that he always did.

But Myungsoo sat alone. He never came.

D-5

“Don’t you think you might be filling a gap in your life?”

Myungsoo looked up from the adoption papers that he was signing. “Huh?”

“It’s just an observation,” Mijoo declared from behind the desk. “You come here a lot. You adopt a lot,” she put extra emphasis on the last word and smiled extra big so that the other wouldn’t take offense.

“But I wanna make sure that they are okay because I can’t bring them home yet,” he reasoned. His adopted pets were all here for now. If he didn’t come to see them regularly, wouldn’t that make him a bad owner?

“Oppa, you know that you can’t bring them all home, right?” Mijoo teased as she accepted the adoption papers from Myungsoo. After the third time, this process had gone a lot more quickly for the both of them.

“I’m not,” Myungsoo argued as he capped his pen and placed it on the desk. “I’m just taking the cutest ones.”

Mijoo snorted, “You have some real lookers alright.”

Myungsoo glared at her for insulting his beloved pets. Sure, they weren’t all pretty, but they were his. And he loved them all the same. All, all was quite a lot, just as Mijoo had said. Maybe the girl had another point. “Mijoo, what did you mean by a ‘gap’?”

Mijoo tapped a pen against her smile. “Ah,” she uttered apprehensively. She then giggled and decided to throw all caution aside. “You have a lot of love to give. But no one to give it to.” She then leaned forward. “Why don’t you start dating?” she suggested. Myungsoo cocked an eyebrow, piqued. Mijoo giggled again and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m available after 5.”

Blinking, that was Myungsoo’s response for a while. Was everything that she had just said, was it all just set-up for asking Myungsoo out? Did he even have any gaps? Well, if he did, it shouldn’t be her concern. “Thanks, but no thanks. I can manage my own love life,” Myungsoo rejected her with a sly smiled on his face. “You take care of yours.”

“But I tried,” Mijoo retorted with a pout. “I got rejected.” She hung her head and whined, “For cats.”

“Not just for cats,” which was the truth. Myunsoo had quite a few reasons why he shouldn’t accept Mijoo’s offer. But this one was a lie, “Maybe I’ll get a dog too.”

“Oppa!”

D-4

Myungsoo: You haven’t been on the bus lately.

Woohyun: I got a car.

Myungsoo: When?

Myungsoo was shocked to read that. As far as he had known, Woohyun didn’t even know how to drive. Out of everything that they had talked about this subject had never come up. It put Myungsoo on an edge. He fell back down on his bed and slung an arm over his eyes.

He was nearly asleep when his phone vibrated next to him. Woohyun had texted back.

Woohyun: Two months ago

Myungsoo sputtered into a laugh. The other was silly.

Myungsoo: If you had a car, why did you ride the bus?

Myungsoo lied wondering if Nam Woohyun was too scared to take his precious ‘baby’ out lest it get scratched, or rained on, or even breathed on. Myungsoo was even in doubt if Woohyun would let him ride in it. The rookie seemed like he would be over-protective of things like that. And while his mind was racing with that fantasy, Woohyun texted back.

Woohyun: I had money left on my pass.

Myungsoo: K. Good luck at practice.

Woohyun didn’t respond back that night.

D-3

Nor was there a message in his inbox when Myungsoo woke up.

It was no matter because something spectacular that did happen this day. The blue-grey cat that had always avoided Myungsoo (and had stolen Woohyun’s wallet) had finally warmed up to him. The cat curled up in his lap, purring happily. Her eyes twinkled like the stars. So he named her Byul.

D-2

Myungsoo didn’t receive any messages the day before from Woohyun, but on this day, he got a phone call.

“Really quick. I’m about to get on the bus,” Woohyun spoke hurriedly into the phone. “Is Sungyeol really married?”

“Yea, he is,” Myungsoo replied slowly, not really understanding why the other had just asked that. “What difference does it make?”

“It makes all the difference. All the difference in the world!” Woohyun exclaimed. Myungsoo had to pull the device away from his head, the other was yelling so loudly. But he quickly put the receiver back to his ear once he noticed that Woohyun was speaking more calmly and quietly, “I have to go. I’m getting on the bus. Wish me luck!”

“Good luck, hyung,” Myungsoo parroted back. He still didn’t understand.

“Don’t forget to watch, okay?” Woohyun quickly added.

“Eung. I won’t,” Myungsoo assured the other.

“Good,” Woohyun responded and then signed off, “I’m hanging up now. Bye bye!”

“Bye bye,” Myungsoo repeated, although not as cutely as the other. His mind was elsewhere.

“What was that about?” he asked himself as he was dialing a number in his phone. The number belonged to a man that Myungsoo knew would have all of the answers (he normally did and if he didn’t he would make some up).

“Hey,” good, the other had picked up.

“Hey, did you talk to Woohyun-hyung?” Myungsoo asked.

“Eung,” Sungyeol grunted in response. He seemed distracted.

But that didn’t deter Myungsoo from his investigation. “Why?”

“Hold on,” Sungyeol begged. There was a clunk as he put down the phone. Then Myungsoo could hear his friend rummaging and fumbling through something, which all came crashing onto the floor in a manner of seconds. And that sent Sungyeol into a cursing rage. “! It’s a good thing you can’t speak yet, sport. Or your mom will kill me,” he heard Sungyeol mumble to his son. Myungsoo chuckled. Sungyeol might’ve been a father now, but some things hadn’t changed. After a few more moments, Sungyeol picked up the phone again, “Okay so…what were we talking about again?”

“Woohyun.”

“Ah right,” Sungyeol sputtered. “I met him.”

“Where where where?” This obviously shocked him. His mind was spinning.

“The supermarket,” Sungyeol answered, “I might have assaulted him.”

“Yeol!”

“Ah, ah. Not assault. Approached. I approached him,” the dad corrected himself. “Yah! You’re the one keeping your celebrity friends away from me,” he turned this matter on it’s head, pointing the finger at Myungsoo. Myungsoo rolled his eyes. Sungyeol may have asked once or twice to meet the soccer player, but Myungsoo declined because he had barely known Woohyun for a month. When was there time to introduce them to each other? “I should be offended. Why? Am I uncool? Is it because I have a kid? I knew it. All dads are lame.”

“I think you’re still cool,” Myungsoo tried to assuage his friend. It worked. Sungyeol murmured words of thanks. And now he’d calm down, Myungsoo attempted to pursue the issue once again, “So what did you talk about?”

“Nothing. I just said that I was your friend. And…yah!” he refrained from answering to yell at his friend again (the sleepless nights of parenthood had greatly shortened Sungyeol’s temper). “What exactly did you tell him about me? He looked at me weird when I told him my name.”

“Nothing,” Myungsoo insisted. “Just that you were my best friend.”

“He liked my baby though,” Sungyeol commented. “He kissed my baby. He’s not like diseased or anything, right?”

It was a joke. It was supposed to be a joke, but all Myungsoo could think was: I hope not. He had almost said that, but instead he responded, “No, I don’t think so.” If he becomes ill later, he’ll tell Sungyeol that he made out with the soccer player then. For the sake of baby Jaehwa only. But now wasn’t the time. He wasn’t about to confess his crimes just yet. So he finally drifted the conversation away from the player…and onto his team, “Hey, can I come over to watch the game with you?”

“Yea, sure.”

And so Myungsoo went over to his friend’s house and parked onto the couch. Sungyeol later placed Jaehwa on his lap as the dad was going to get them drinks. He returned with three bottles. Beers for the grown ups and formula for the babe. It was a funny image for sure as the three of them silently drank from their bottles as they were watching the game (however, whether Jaehwa was really watching is a different matter). But what was even funnier was the realization that had been slowly dawning on him ever since Sungyeol announced that his wife was pregnant.

The truth of the matter was: Myungsoo was upset with Sungyeol, but not because he had felt neglected, pushed aside for a wife and a kid. Myungsoo was jealous. He wanted three people on the couch like this (but not with Sungyeol. Definitely not with Sungyeol). He wanted a baby in his lap. He wanted a life-long companion tied to him by vows of everlasting love. He wanted a family.

But all he had now were cats. Myungsoo’s eyes lifted from the baby in his lap to the screen. And maybe a dog…

 “Soo…Soo…Myungsoo-yah!” Sungyeol called to him

“Huh?” Myungsoo responded, not tearing his eyes away from the screen.

“I thought you were a Bluewings fan,” Sungyeol remarked.

Myungsoo afforded him a glance. “I still am.”

“They’re playing right now, and you haven’t even checked the score for that game,” Sungyeol pointed out. Myungsoo huffed, picked up the remote, changed to the other station, read the score, and flipped the channel right back. Woohyun had possession of the ball now. “And why are you so tense?” Sungyeol complained.

“I don’t want to hurt the baby,” Myungsoo reasoned.

Sungyeol sighed and removed the baby from the other’s lap. “You’re hurting me,” he said under his breath. “My head hurts just looking at you.”

Myungsoo forced the other’s head to turn around and face the other way. “Then stop looking,” he suggested.

But he couldn’t. Sungyeol’s piercing gaze reto Myungsoo. The photographer could feel it burning through his skin. “Yah,” Sungyeol called out after staring at the other for a few (painful) seconds. “The other night when you gave me the cream…I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.”

Myungsoo waved the other off. “It wasn’t a date. I was with Woohyun,” he dismissed his friend’s apology.

“So…you’re not dating him?” Sungyeol asked slowly.

Myungsoo finally tore his eyes away from the screen. It was half-time now anyway. He met the other’s confused gaze and answered, “No…Not really.” Sungyeol quirked an eyebrow at that. Myungsoo cursed his loose lips and explained himself, “We pretended to so that the fans would give him some space. He didn’t feel like talking to them because he thought that he didn’t play well. But he played just fine. He needs to stop being so hard on himself.” He rambled on longer than he had intended. He quickly put the bottle to his lips, smothering whatever other nonsense wanted to slip out.

“You pretended?” Sungyeol repeated. Myungsoo nodded. “Did Woohyun ask you to?”

“No. But that’s okay,” Myungsoo insisted. “He just told his fans that I was his date and that he’d like some privacy. I didn’t mind. Besides, ever since I took that acting class in college, I haven’t…Ow!” he yelped in pain. Sungyeol had slapped him upside the head. “What? What was that for?”

“It was a date,” Sungyeol curtly responded.

“It wasn’t a date,” Myungsoo corrected him. Did fatherhood decrease your temper and make you hard of hearing too?

“It was a date,” Sungyeol spat back. “Dummy.”

“It…it was a date,” Myungsoo repeated. The events from the other night played in his mind like a film reel. Everything, every single detail from an outsider’s perspective made it look like a date. Woohyun even said it was one, multiple times. And why didn’t Myungsoo think it was a date? Because he was a big, giant dummy. “Aish!” Myungsoo swore as the reality of things came crashing down onto him. He buried his face into a pillow and screamed strings upon strings of curses.

Sungyeol sighed and clicked his tongue as he covered his son’s ears. “It’s better that you don’t hear this,” he remarked.

Then he winced when Myungsoo rolled off the couch with a thud and continued to through his tantrum on the floor. The pillow just barely muffled his screams.

D-1

Myungsoo had not slept well the night before. It might’ve been because his mind kept replaying all of the moments in which Kim Myungsoo was a prized idiot, or from excitement. Tomorrow was D-Day, and he was finally getting out of this hell-hole.

But first he had to pack. Pack his old life away into boxes so that he could resemble his new life in a new place. Hopefully the next Kim Myungsoo would be wiser.

Or maybe it wasn’t too late for the Myungsoo to wizen up. While packing, he’d come across Woohyun’s jersey. It had almost been a month since they’ve meet. And sure while Myungsoo regretted a lot of things, he never regretted that, meeting Woohyun and meeting Woohyun in that way. Myungsoo smirked as he folded up the jersey and tucked in neatly into the box. By golly, he had just remembered their first meeting fondly.

He quickly pulled the phone out of his pocket and called the other. Woohyun picked up within the first few rings. “Hey, you said that you’d help me move-in. Is that offer still on the table?” Myungsoo asked.

“Eung,” Woohyun replied. “But my price might’ve gone up.”

Myungsoo sniggered, “How much?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there,” the other answered, as coy as ever. “Just text me what time to come down.”

“Got it,” Myungsoo chirped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, hyung. I have to finish packing now.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

D-day

Myungsoo knew what Woohyun’s price probably was. He could afford it. He wanted to pay it. He wanted to give the other all the love that he had. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Anticipation. Both of them knew what was about to happen, where this road was leading. Woohyun might’ve sprinted off ahead of Myungsoo, unable to wait any longer, but he still had to wait and wait for Myungsoo to catch up to him. The photographer was always a slow walker, enjoying the journey, becoming easily distracted from his goal. He could almost hear Woohyun’s impatient foot, thumping against the ground and voicelessly asking Myungsoo to pick up his pace. But now the Myungsoo had almost caught up to him. He was almost there. And they could take the next part of their journey walking hand in hand.

But not yet. It wasn’t time. Now there was only anticipation as the two men came slowly together. Almost there.

Today was D-day.

Today Myungsoo was going to change his life for the better. And it was going to begin by moving into his new apartment.

He had taken the day off from work, and the movers came early that morning to move his things from the one apartment to the next. It was early afternoon by the time the move was finished. He had left his small, dingy, moldy apartment behind without even saying goodbye (however he did wish a heartfelt goodbye to the land lady, promising to visit her again).

That left him with a few hours before Woohyun’s practice concluded, and that should be enough time to bring home his precious pets. They could all move into the same place on the same day. And Myungsoo quite liked the thought of that.

Or rather he did before he brought them all home. And now he was wondering if Mijoo had been right. Was it too much? Was he overcompensating for something?

Ding-dong! And here came Nam Woohyun with his near perfect timing.

“Hey! I brought jjajangmyun,” he announced as he lifted up the plastic bag. “So can I see?” he asked cautiously as he realized that the other hadn’t immediately invited him in.

Myungsoo clung tightly onto the door. “Yea, but maybe not today,” he answered. “Let’s eat at your place instead.”

“What’s wrong?” Woohyun sputtered. He lowered the bag, and he tried to peek around the other to see inside. “I don’t care if it’s a mess.”

“I have a cat,” Myungsoo blurted out with his eyes closed.

“Is that all?” Woohyun chided with a chuckle. “I figured you would. And I have a dog. I love pets.” He then pressed his palm against the door and tried to push it wide open. “I’m sure I’ll like it,” he insisted.

But Myungsoo pushed back on the door, causing the other to recoil. Woohyun looked up at him with hurt eyes. “I may have…accidentally,” Myungsoo tried to explain, but it wasn’t coming out easily. It was too embarrassing. He sighed though and decided to push on through. He was already half-way done with his confession “…sort of…adopted five cats.”

“What? You’re kidding.”

No Myungsoo wasn’t, and he soon provided Woohyun with the proof. He sat the soccer player down on his couch, and the cats slowly appeared, one by one. From the kitchen, Myungsoo could hear Woohyun count them off as they approached. He grinned and returned to the living room with a drink in hand. He offered it to the other, who gladly accepted. “They like you, hyung,” Myungsoo commented.

Woohyun, however, didn’t seem as pleased as Myungsoo. On the contrary, he was petrified, engaging in a staring contest with the cat perched on the coffee table across from him. “Why is this one ?” Woohyun whispered. He then shifted his wide eyes to Myungsoo. “It keeps staring at me. I don’t like it.”

“Oh she does that,” Myungsoo replied, sitting himself on the armrest of the couch. “She’s shy…I think.”

“You think?” Woohyun raised his voice, which had shocked the bare-skinned cat, and it scattered off into another room. “Wah! It moved!” Woohyun yelped. He turned to Myungsoo for help. “What did I do wrong?” And right as Myungsoo was about to answer that question, he’d noticed a large cat walking along the backrest and deciding to make its bed on Woohyun’s head. The soccer player tensed. His eyes grew even larger, which Myungsoo didn’t think was possible. “It’s on my head,” he whispered again, careful not to move too much as he spoke lest he disturb it.

Myungsoo broke out into a peal of laughter as he the large cat on the head. “Ah no, that’s Dumbledore,” he replied. He really wished that he had his camera right now. This picture was priceless.

“Of course it is,” Woohyun grumbled. He tenderly grabbed at Dumbledore, removed it from his head, and set the cat down onto the floor. Woohyun wasn’t happy. No, he looked concerned.

Myungsoo stood up from the armrest. “This is weird, isn’t it?” he asked. “Too many, right?”

“Honestly?” Woohyun started tentatively, scratching nervously at his thigh. “Yes.”

“Oh,” Myungsoo muttered as he fell down onto the couch next to the other.

“But Myungsoo…” Woohyun spoke as he slid down closer to the other. He grabbed at the other’s forearm. “Myungsoo, it isn’t a bad thing. It just means that you’re a sweet, caring person…that can overdo things. But sweet nonetheless,” Woohyun tried to reassure him like Myungsoo had done for him many times prior. “These are all rescues, right?”

“They didn’t have a home. They looked so sad, hyung. I couldn’t just leave them there,” Myungsoo explained himself, hoping that the other would understand.

“And you didn’t. You brought them all here,” Woohyun teased.

“No. There’s a lot more there,” Myungsoo remarked. He didn’t want to be accused of bringing home all of the cats again, but… “And there’s this one cat that they might put down soon. She’s a little feral, but I think if I just…”

“No,” Woohyun objected quickly. “No more cats. No more volunteering at the shelter either.”

“Why? They need help,” Myungsoo argued.

“Alcoholics shouldn’t go to bars and crazy cat men shouldn’t go to shelters,” Woohyun stated. He then picked up Dumbledore again, who had remained waiting at his feet, tail swishing back and forth.

And Myungsoo looked at him in amazement. This is what Myungsoo always needed. Someone to say no, to curb his interests, and to keep him moderate. And even maybe to open his eyes every once in a while to new items on the menu that was life. Woohyun would make a perfect companion for him for this journey. After awhile he closed his jaw and smiled with tight lips. “You’re right. I should stop.”

Woohyun glanced up at the other, wondering why he’d given in so easily. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked with an unsure chuckle. “I thought you’d be angry.”

“I’m not,” Myungsoo denied. How can I be?

“You’re starting to look like Cat,” Woohyun joked. He then wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you want me to scare you off too?”

Myungsoo face the other and cocked his head. “Can you?” he challenged.

Woohyun quickly brought his face right next to the other. Their noses were brushing against each other. Hot breaths fanned each other’s faces. Myungsoo could count each one of the others eyelashes if he wanted to, but he was more fascinated by the confused look in his eyes. “This scared you off last time,” Woohyun whispered.

Myungsoo shook his head, his nose glancing against the other. “Doesn’t now.”

Woohyun answered in just a breath, “Why?”

Myungsoo filled in his last gap and kissed Woohyun, softly and quickly. “I like you,” he said after pulling away. “And…I want to give this a try. I want to give us a try,” he ended his statement with chuckles from embarrassment. He still meant every word that he said. He just didn’t want to say it out loud.

Woohyun chuckled softly along and planted a kiss on the other’s cheek. “Me too,” he replied, grinning brightly, happy that the other had finally caught up to him. And now their love could start.

Woohyun picked up the cat from his lap. “Let’s see if Dumbledore knows any magic tricks.”

A month later

Things had changed drastically in a month. Myungsoo, as promised, stopped volunteering at the shelter (so often), and he had far less cats. The first to go was Cat. Luckily, Sungyeol found the cat to be entertaining, and he took it to his own home. Then he gave a cat to his mother, who complained that Myungsoo wasn’t coming to visit enough. So he gave her a black cat to keep him company in the meantime. Myungsoo had even given a cat to Woohyun’s own mother, who’d been missing her own son. So that left him with two: Dumbledore and Byul.

With Kongddeok, Woohyun’s puppy, they were more than enough for the two men.

And now Myungsoo loved where he lived (he especially loved only being a floor down from his boyfriend, which made for short commutes during the late nights and early mornings).

But there was a new date circled in red on his calendar. A new countdown had already begun: a countdown to Woohyun’s break so that they could tour Europe together.

Cats excluded.