“Mom, I’ll be fine. Yes, I have a map and my passport is in my bag. Okay… okay. Tell dad I say hi. Love you too, mom!”

“Bye sweetheart – don’t get lost!”

With a laugh, Lee Sungyeol placed his cellphone back into his pocket. Only his mother would know the exact time he would get off of his flight. Though her constant nagging could get annoying, it was times like this when it felt sweet. He was feeling jetlagged but after the call from his mother, he did feel a bit more rejuvenated.

But getting off his flight alone and taking in the smell of a new country was already more than exciting. The undeniable scent of adventure was tempting him to just run with his luggage to explore this beautiful city full of history and architecture. As an architectural student, this city was his dream. He had planned this trip even before he had been accepted into his university. This program to spend a semester abroad was all that he had been looking forward to for years. And who wouldn’t be excited to spend their entire spring semester in a city as beautiful as the one he chose?

He had chosen Rome.

Lugging his suitcases behind him, he anxiously made his way through customs and other security checks easily. He was so excited that he could barely stand still.

“Hey! You must be Sungyeol!”

Sungyeol nodded eagerly as the person he assumed was his designated driver waved him over. This person was another student who had been studying abroad from Korea for a few years. He would be dorming with Sungyeol for this semester and was to be his guide.

“That’s me,” Sungyeol replied with a grin. “And you’re Jang Dongwoo, right?”

“Right.” His grin was bright and brilliant as he guided Sungyeol out of the bustling airport and to where he had his car parked. “Buongiorno, welcome to Italy.”

Sungyeol replied, “Thank you. I’ve always wanted to spend a few months in here. I’ve been so excited for this trip.” He piled his luggage into the trunk of Dongwoo’s car unceremoniously. “How long have you been studying here?” he asked as he entered the car.

“Two years,” Dongwoo said with a laugh, sliding into the driver’s seat. “You can tell by my tan that I’ve been here a little too long. Luckily my Korean hasn’t withered away yet despite my Italian getting better. Did you take Italian classes?”

“I took some conversational Italian courses back at my university. I’m still not good enough to be considered fluent but I think I should be able to get by.”

“That’s good. I know it’s not easy learning Italian, especially with Korean being your native language. Believe me,” he laughed, “I know firsthand.”

Sungyeol decided that he liked Dongwoo. He was very friendly and easy to talk to. It was a nice way to transition into his new semester here in Italy. They kept the conversation lighthearted as Dongwoo drove them to the dormitory of the university at which Sungyeol would be staying.

“You excited?” Dongwoo asked, glancing at Sungyeol.

Sungyeol replied, “Yeah, I really am. I’m very happy to be here, you wouldn’t believe it.”

“That’s good, that’s good – what are you majoring in?” 

“Architecture.” Sungyeol said with a grin. His eyes stayed trained on the sights whizzing by his eyes. The open window let the fresh scent of air into the car and allowed the wind to play around in Sungyeol’s red hair. “And what better place to study architecture than Italy itself?”

“Can’t argue with that,” Dongwoo replied with a smile. “You should tell me your class schedule so that I can find time to take you around Rome. I think you’d love exploring the city.”

“That sounds amazing,” Sungyeol said earnestly with an almost dreamy sigh. “The city is beautiful.”

Dongwoo smiled to himself. “If you like the things you see outside your window, you’ll love seeing it all up close.”

“That sounds great,” Sungyeol agreed. “I’m hoping to be able to explore the area a little bit today after I unpack.” He laughed to himself. “If I can get to the dorms. Traffic is already intense.”

Dongwoo laughed loudly as their car came to a stop behind a long line of cars. “If you think traffic is bad here, you should try it somewhere else – like Naples. It’s much nicer walking around Rome than taking the bus or driving a car. More scenery also.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sungyeol grinned. “I’m just hoping to get the most out of this experience.”

“You will, believe me. Rome is a place you’ll never be able to forget.”

Sungyeol smiled to himself and whispered. “I really hope so.”

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After checking into the main office with Dongwoo’s help, Sungyeol was able to settle down in his dorm room. He was sharing a room with Dongwoo this semester and was excited to do so. The view from their room was impeccable despite only being a dorm room. Their view of the city was abundant with colored buildings but with architecture that seemed aged. The mix was interesting and beautiful all at once.

He opened the windows next to his bed to let in the fresh air and the sounds of the city. He almost wanted to yell at Dongwoo to pinch him – to make sure that it wasn’t some sort of convoluted dream. But after taking in a deep breath, he realized that it wasn’t a dream. This was a reality and really, it was a dream come true.

“If you want to unpack, I can take you around the area after.” Sungyeol turned around at the sound of Dongwoo’s offer. Dongwoo’s smile was genuine as he continued, “I figure I should show you the main spots to get food.”

“That sounds great.” Sungyeol grinned. “I’ll start putting my clothes into the dressers then.”

It didn’t take more than half an hour to get most of his clothing out and into the empty dressers. He even took the time to take out some belongings and decorate his side of the room with them. The touches from home were nice to look at – they would help stifle the homesickness that would eventually settle into his stomach. He had even taken his bedspreads from home so that he could feel more comfortable. He felt that it might have been a bit childish, but he could really care less.

Dongwoo had been sitting on his bed the entire time, asking him questions about Korea and just doing some work on his laptop. He tapped away at his keyboard diligently as he listened to Sungyeol ramble on about how Korea was still probably the same as it had ever been.

“I miss it there,” Dongwoo admitted. “I visit usually during the summer and the holidays but I definitely miss living there. But at the same time, I wouldn’t want to trade my experience in Rome for anything.”

“Do you ever plan on moving back? Or do you plan on finding a job here in Rome?”

“Don’t know.” Dongwoo shrugged. “I’m actually hoping to move back to Korea since my boyfriend lives there. But we’ll just have to see how it all plays out.”

Sungyeol sat up on his bed, his legs crisscrossed as he listened intently. He nodded in agreement and said, “I’ll be returning to Korea to finish up my degree but I really hope I find reasons to come back to Rome.”

“There are always reasons to come back,” Dongwoo replied with a wink. “I’m sure you can find a couple good reasons to return.”

There suddenly came a knock at their door and Dongwoo walked over to open in, a confused look on his face. He muttered about not expecting anyone as he turned the handle to the brown door. Sungyeol couldn’t see much, but he heard a conversation taking place. His Italian was on the more basic side, so he wasn’t able to hear much of the dialogue but he was very impressed with how fluent Dongwoo’s Italian was. Although his accent wasn’t nearly as perfect as the person he was talking to, it was still quite impressive.

It didn’t take long before Dongwoo turned around with a sorry look in his eyes. “It looks like I can’t take you around the neighborhood. I’m so sorry – I’m needed for some last minute tutoring. Do you think I could be your tour guide tomorrow instead…?”

Sungyeol waved his hand. “Oh no, don’t worry about it. I think I can discover this little neighborhood on my own. The larger part of the city might require you as a tour guide though.”

With a laugh, Dongwoo agreed. “Okay, I guess I’ll have to take a rain check then. You sure you want to explore on your own? The alleys can get confusing sometimes if you don’t have a map.”

“I’ll be okay,” Sungyeol reassured. “I should figure it out on my own anyways.”

Maybe he didn’t know his way around Rome but that was the charm of it. He grabbed his phone, a small backpack and a water bottle. With a small giddy breath intake of excitement, he headed out the dorms and into the cobblestoned lined streets of Rome.

✕
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“I’ve goofed. I messed up. Oh great, and I forgot to ask for Dongwoo’s number. I’m so brilliant, I just deserve an award, don’t I?” Sungyeol muttered to himself aggressively as he trudged down another alleyway. They alley was beautiful, the clusters of green plants hanging from the walls, but he did not appreciate being so lost. The first half hour was a fun experience of being lost, discovering the city, but once the sun had started going down, and being lost wasn’t so fun. Maybe he would not have been so mad at himself if he brought the map that he had forgotten so conveniently on his bed.

As he exited the alleyway, the faint sound of guitar strumming danced to his ears. Maybe someone could give him directions back to his dormitories. He found himself standing next to a bistro, bustling with people. Warm lights lit the bistro’s interior while waiters moved in and out to accommodate the diners outside as well. There was a guitarist strumming in the corner, close to Sungyeol.

Maybe he could ask him for directions.

“Um… scusi,” he said unsurely. He might have gotten good grades in his basic Italian class, but when it came to speaking in real life, he kind of froze up.

The guitarist looked up at him, sparkling, dark eyes gazing at his own. He smiled at him, his eyes curving up into a crescent. “Sì?”

Sungyeol couldn’t think of the right words to say. Between his unsureness and this guitarist’s smoldering eyes, he felt more stiff than he should have been. The guitarist stopped strumming and stood up to level with his gaze. He didn’t look Italian. His skin was tanned and his Italian was fluent but he looked distinctly... Korean. 

The guitarist’s eyes looked at him appreciatively as he whispered out, “Sei bellisimo...” Sungyeol could have sworn he saw the guitarist  his lips briefly as he swung his guitar onto his back. Then louder the dark haired guitarist said, “Hai degli occhi bellissimi.” 

Sungyeol stood in shock. The guitarist had just said he had beautiful eyes. Was the guitarist... flirting with him?

“I-I’m sorry?” He broke out into his Korean. 

The other’s eyes lit up and to Sungyeol’s surprise, began speaking in Korean as well. “Ah! You’re Korean!” His accent was a little subpar, considering the slight Italian accent he spoke with. His Korean was fairly natural though. It put Sungyeol at ease. “In that case, my name is Myungsoo. And you?”

Sungyeol raised an eyebrow. “...Sungyeol. My name is Sungyeol.” 

“Oh good.” Myungsoo grinned at him, stepping closer. “I knew a pretty person would have a pretty name.” 

The scent of his cologne sent Sungyeol’s head spinning in some sort of cloud. His cologne smelled really nice. But he shook his head because Myungsoo was a little too close for comfort and he had just hit on him. “Okay,” he said. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I just need some directions. You wouldn’t know how to get back to the dormitories of the university near here, would you?”

Myungsoo smiled at him coyly. Sungyeol felt that he should have been put off by how comfortable and flirtatious Myungsoo was with him. “I might know the way. Depends on whether or not you have a phone number or not.” 

“Me?” 

“Yeah,” Myungsoo said. He sat up on an empty table of the bistro, swinging his legs slightly. “I don’t really remember where the dormitories are. But maybe your phone number might jog my memory.” 

“That... doesn’t make any sense?” Sungyeol furrowed his eyebrows. Either he had been out of the flirting game for too long or this kid just wasn’t making sense. “If you could just give me directions to the dormitories, that would just be fine.”

Myungsoo pulls a pout on his face. “That wouldn’t be fair if I gave you something without something in return, would it? Espeically for someone as adorable as you.” 

Sungyeol actually almost wanted to roll his eyes. “Just directions would be okay.” 

“How about instead of directions, I could walk you to your dorms.” Myungsoo’s grin is beautiful but Sungyeol doesn’t have time for it. He kind of wants to get home before the sun sets. “And then maybe at the end of it, you’d give me your number.” 

With a sigh, Sungyeol frowned. He would ask someone else but his Italian was so choppy. This lucky chance that he found another Korean speaker was too convenient to pass up. “I mean... you’ll leave after I let you walk me back, right?” 

The guitarist grinned even larger. “Sì. Prego.” He got up on his feet and fell into step with Sungyeol who immediately started walking. “I will always go out of my way to help a lost cucciolo.”

✕
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“Hey, how did you get home yesterday? You said you had gotten lost, right?” Dongwoo said.

It was the next day and Sungyeol was stepping out of the shower, his hair damp as he fluffed it with a towel. “Uh, a guy helped me out. He walked me home. You weren’t here when I arrived.” He headed back into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“Oh… that’s good I guess.” Dongwoo shrugged. “As long as you were safe. Bring a map with you next time, though.”

“I will!” Sungyeol promised from their shared bathroom.

Dongwoo smiled. Sungyeol seemed like a very good roommate. He was excited to be spending this semester with him. And he also couldn’t wait to be able to show him around Rome. Dongwoo was about to ask Sungyeol if he had any classes that day when the sound of music from under their window interrupted him. Confused, Dongwoo opened the window and peered down.

He guffawed.

“Sungyeol,” he called. “I think you might have a visitor.”

Sungyeol frowned as he stepped out of the bathroom, the sound of a guitar reaching his ears. “What?”

He peered out the window and nearly choked because on the ground below was Myungsoo, strumming his guitar and singing. He knew he shouldn’t have let Myungsoo walk him to his room. But Myungsoo had been so kind the night before, he couldn’t turn him down…

“Ciao, cucciolo!” Myungsoo yelled up at him upon seeing his face.

Sungyeol wanted to hide when he noticed all of the nearby students looking over. Dongwoo beside him laughed. “It looks like you’re Myungsoo’s new object of affections.”

“You know him?” Sungyeol exclaimed in surprise.

“Yeah, Myungsoo? He’s Korean born but he grew up here in Rome. He plays at his uncle’s bistro all the time. He’s kind of flirtatious.”

Sungyeol laughed breathily. “Kind of? He’s really flirtatious. He’s the guy who walked me home yesterday… but if he’s flirtatious he must move on quickly, right?”

Dongwoo stifled a chuckle with a cough. “Actually, when Myungsoo sets his eyes on something he doesn’t let it go. He’s… persistent. Let me tell you, if he’s after you, he’s not going to give up.”

Sungyeol winced as Myungsoo started singing loudly. He knew Myungsoo was flirtatious but they had just met and Myungsoo was serenading him. He needed it to stop before he got too embarrassed.

Dongwoo watched curiously as Sungyeol walked to the bathroom and the sink. Sungyeol came out a second afterwards and threw a sopping wet towel out the window and all they could hear was the sudden stop of music and the flop of a wet towel hitting Myungsoo in the face. With a huff, Sungyeol closed the window.

Dongwoo chuckled as he watched Sungyeol sit down on his bed and pull out a textbook and a couple of notebooks. After a few moments of silence, Sungyeol muttered out, “Dongwoo…? What does cucciolo mean? I never learned it.”

With a slight giggle, Dongwoo responded, “It means puppy.” 

a/n ; 

lol first chapter? i feel like this concept is weird but it'll get more romantic lmaOOO 
also soo comin over and serenading yeol? and tan soo?  so leave a comment tellin me
what you think :) this is just the beginning so it should get better from here. and remember
it'll be pretty short so it'll move pretty quickly lol 

thanks for reading!!

also 'sei bellisimo' basically means you're hot, attractive, good-looking etc yea lol 
but my italian is super rusty so if someone can help out, you'd be much appreciated <3 

-- quinnie -- 
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