Chapter One:

Jihoon clicked save on the song project he had been working on, letting out a resigned sigh as he turned off his computer. He had been working on the same song for hours and no matter what changes he made; speed up the melody, switch chords or change the progression, he just couldn’t figure out what was missing. Leaning back in his chair and stretching his stiff muscles, Jihoon could hear birds chirping outside and there was sunlight filtering through the blinds in his window. Yawning into his sleeve, he glanced at the clock and did a double take at the time. His heart sank.

. It was five in the morning. He had stayed up through the whole night.

Groaning aloud, Jihoon flung himself face forward onto his bed. He released a frustrated scream into his pillow before deflating into the sheets. His mom was going to kill him. She wanted him at work in the market by eight.

Jihoon let himself wallow in his misery for a few more moments before dragging himself to his dresser. There was no point in sleeping now. Casting a forlorn glance at his computer (no way was he going to work on that stupid thing), he changed into a sweater, jacket and jeans before deciding to spend his free time with his best friend, the ocean. He grabbed his phone and keys and left a note for his mother in the kitchen.

Exiting their small house, Jihoon slipped on his headphones and walked leisurely toward the beach. He was glad he grabbed his jacket because even though it was the summer there was a chill in the air and it didn’t help that the sun hadn’t even risen yet. His house was a five minute walk to the beach, ten minutes to the market, and just a bus ride away from the bigger shopping districts so it didn’t take him long to arrive.

Jihoon spread his arms when he reached the beach, deeply inhaling the fresh sea water air. Since it was so early, the beach was completely empty, void of just him and the seagulls. Ignoring the docks in favor of the sand, he took off his shoes and walked barefoot toward the shoreline. He stopped a few feet shy of the water, plopping to the ground and relaxing into the sand. Jihoon hummed to his music, closing his eyes and letting the tension in his shoulders slip away. The beach always made him feel better. “Best friend I could ever have,” Jihoon mumbled to himself. His previous anxieties and frustration over his music disappeared from his mind replaced by warm sea air and water lapping at his toes.

He was half asleep and lost in his music that it took him a few moments to realize something big and hairy was tickling his leg before a large weight jumped onto his chest.

Jihoon screamed so loud a flock of seagulls that had been wading nearby leapt into the air. His eyes shot open to see a huge ball of white fluff crushing him, a big slobbery pink tongue attacking his face. Jihoon held out his hands, trying to hold back the beast, but only got his hands caught in his earphones and ended up smacking himself in the face.

“Whoa, careful there!” A bright and cheery voice chirped from above him before someone plucked his earphones off his head. “Younghee, get off of him!”

Suddenly the white ball of fluff was gone and Jihoon sat up, wiping at the slobbery mess on his face. It turned out that the vicious beast was actually a very large white dog. She was currently staring at him with wide puppy dog eyes, tongue lolling out of the side of looking anything but scary. Jihoon resisted the urge to melt, dogs were his weakness.

“Younghee says she’s sorry!” A mop of bright blonde hair dropped into his vision, the brightest smile Jihoon had ever seen upon his face. The stranger knelt down and took his dog’s paw into his hand and waved, Younghee letting out a bark in response, tail wagging and throwing sand everywhere.

“Uh-” Jihoon could only stutter out a response. Jihoon had trouble talking to people in general, but a cute stranger this early in the morning completely fried his brain. The stranger was lean, dressed in complete running attire with obnoxiously colored sneakers and a neon headband to match. He had a mess of pale blonde hair with eyes curved into crescent moons and a smile as bright as the rising sun.

Damn he was cute.

The stranger straightened up, holding out his hand with a grin on his face. Jihoon found himself smiling reflexively back, grasping his hand and being pulled to his feet. However before he could formulate a coherent sentence, Younghee let out a bark and jumped to try to attack his face again. It didn’t help that he was vertically challenged and the dog standing up was nearly his height. Jihoon would’ve fallen onto his again if the stranger hadn’t surged forward and caught his arm. Jihoon was tugged forward and nearly collided with the stranger’s chest. The blonde laughed, the sound like ringing bells, and Jihoon could feel the vibrations in his chest.

“Sorry about that, are you alright?”

Jihoon jumped backward, hoping it was still dim enough outside that the stranger couldn’t see the pink tinging his cheeks. He was definitely not blushing this early in the morning. Trying to come up with something that sounded reasonably like Korean, he reached down to pet the dog to hide his embarrassment. Younghee wagged her tail, seeming milder now that she was getting attention. “I’m fine,” Jihoon said shyly. A coherent sentence, good job Jihoon.

The stranger grinned at him, tipping his head to the side to scratch his neck. “I’m sorry about her… Younghee’s usually not like this! She’s actually very well trained.” He leaned down to pet his dog as well, a smile on his face. “She doesn’t usually like strangers, but she seems to really like you.”

Jihoon chuckled and scratched the dog behind her ear. “I like her too,” he said and Younghee, seeming to understand him, let out a bark of approval.

When Jihoon glanced back up, the stranger was scratching his neck again and avoiding his eyes. Jihoon wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn he was blushing. “How about I buy you coffee to make up for being attacked by my big scary dog?”

Jihoon laughed, trying to ignore how red his ears must be. Alright, so maybe he wasn’t the only one blushing. It wasn’t every day that Jihoon got hit on by a cute stranger (very slim actually) so it was nice to realize he wasn’t the only one embarrassed. “I’d like that,” Jihoon said, feeling a bit more confident. The other boy broke into a bright grin, “But I think it’s a bit early.” At that he pointed toward the boardwalk which was unsurprisingly empty, and the stranger’s face fell at the realization that it was currently six in the morning and regular people were asleep.

“Ah, right…” The stranger bit his lip, fixing his hair and Jihoon found the small habits endearing. “I forgot,” he laughed, “I’m usually up before anyone else.”

“Early riser?” Jihoon questioned. He didn’t mention that the only reason he was awake was because he hadn’t slept.

“Habit,” the boy admitted.

Jihoon straightened, brushing sand off his clothes. He felt a sudden surge of confidence and he grabbed onto it before he could chicken out. “You can make it up to me though,” he said, trying to appear nonchalant. “How about your name?”

The stranger brightened, easily falling into Jihoon’s teasing and matching with his own. “I can give you more that,” he said, sliding up to his side and giving him a cheesy wink.

Jihoon burst out laughing. Cute and funny. He carefully took a few steps to the side because he was sure if they got any closer all of Jihoon’s newly found confidence would fly out the window. “I think just your name is fine.”

The stranger winked again before sticking out his hand. “Call me Hoshi.” Jihoon grinned and took his hand. A mischievous smile worked onto Hoshi’s face before he tightened his grip, pulling him closer. Jihoon stumbled, blinking in surprise when he realized there were only a few inches in between their faces. “And what can I call you?”

Jihoon snickered, reaching up to shove the other’s face away. Hoshi pouted, letting go. “Hey, you’re the one who owes me,” Jihoon said, deciding to tease the other a bit. Jihoon didn’t have relationship experience, but this flirting did seem fun. He might as well do it while he had the chance.

“My offer still stands,” the boy said hopefully.

Jihoon just smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “No coffee, no name.”

Hoshi groaned, dropping to the sand dramatically. Younghee barked and trotted over to him, plopping her fluffy self onto his lap. “I can’t just keep calling you ‘pretty pink fairy’ forever!”

Jihoon stuttered, his face blushing bright red. He reached a hand up to tug self-consciously at his pink hair. “Fairy?” He exclaimed, trying to look insulted though he probably looked more like a tomato.

“And pretty,” Hoshi added. He smoothed a bit of sand out beside him before patting it. “Well, since you’re playing hard to get, we’re just going to have to wait until the coffee shops open.” Jihoon was blushing, but he sat down anyway. His morning had definitely gotten much more interesting.

He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but somehow Jihoon ended up spending the whole morning talking with Hoshi without realizing it. As much of a flirt as he was, he was surprisingly good company. Hoshi shined as bright as the sun; he seemed to never run out of interesting stories to tell, and his enthusiasm definitely didn’t waver, and he was surprisingly equally interested in Jihoon, even though the other boy considered himself quite plain in comparison.

“You’ve been to Japan?” Jihoon asked, looking impressed. He had always wanted to visit Japan, but the farthest he had ever really been was Seoul. It hadn’t surprised him when he found out Hoshi was just on vacation, because he definitely wasn’t a Busan kid.

“Oh yeah, a bunch of times my fairy,” Hoshi said, throwing a tennis ball he had conjured somehow and Younghee jumped to her feet, racing after the toy. At the nickname Jihoon threw some sand at him, trying to hide the blush on his face. “It’s how I got my name. It means star.”

“Well, should I call you star if you’re so determined to call me fairy?” Jihoon teased, trying to use his own game against him.

Hoshi turned to him and winked. “Only if you call me your star.”

Jihoon groaned and chucked more sand at him. Hoshi was acquiring quite a pile all over his jogging shorts. The other boy didn’t seem to mind. “Oh my god you’re so gross.”

Hoshi grinned, shooting him a peace sign. “Only for you!”

Before Jihoon could completely bury him in the sand, Younghee trotted up to them, dropping the slobbery ball right into Jihoon’s lap, which elicited a groan of Hoshi who claimed she loved him more than him. Jihoon grinned vindictively before throwing the tennis ball again. The beach was gathering a bit more people as the morning went on and a couple of other dogs barked when the tennis ball flew by.

“So have you visited anywhere?” Hoshi asked.

Jihoon just shrugged. He was used to be on the receiving end of conversations, listening rather than talking, so he was continuously surprised at how interested Hoshi seemed in him. The other always made sure to invite him into the conversation, coaxing him to answer and genuinely paying attention to him. Jihoon felt himself falling more comfortable with the other, he could probably talk to the other for the whole day. “Nah,” he replied. “Born and lived my whole life right in this small town.”

He expected another joke, people usually made fun of him, but instead Hoshi smiled softly, like he found it endearing. “I’m actually jealous,” he admitted. Jihoon looked up at him, surprised. He looked wistful, a vulnerable look in his eyes. “My family travels a lot so I don’t really have a place I can call home.”

Jihoon’s mouth went dry. It was a well-known fact he was not good with people, especially not in the emotions department, so he didn’t know what to say. Jihoon had always been a loner, the type to have more books than friends and stay at home and study rather than hang out with others. It never really bothered Jihoon, that was just who he was, but at times all he could do was realize how lonely he was. Honestly he was surprised he had been able to have such a long conversation with someone he didn’t know, but spending time with Hoshi was like talking to an old friend. However, seeing the other sitting in the sand so vulnerable and open left him at a loss.

Thankfully Younghee chose that moment to interrupt, barreling into Jihoon and dropping the ball on his chest, half sitting on him with her tail wagging proudly. Hoshi burst into laughter, clutching his chest as Jihoon struggled under the onslaught of a giant dog his face.

Once he had successfully escaped, Jihoon chuckled the ball at Hoshi. It hit him in the stomach and sent Younghee flying at him, shoving him into the sand and sending Jihoon into his own fit of laughter.

After Hoshi had finally calmed down Younghee, the dog now sitting pleasantly between them, Jihoon tried catching his breath, chest heaving and tears pricking the side of his eyes. School and music left little time for fun, so it had been a long time since he had laughed like that.

“I almost suffocated and you just sat there and laughed!” Hoshi accused, petting his dog who looked quite pleased with herself.

Jihoon snickered, covering his face with his sleeves. “I think you deserved that,” he teased.

“Hey!” Hoshi reached forward and caught Jihoon’s arm, surprising him. The boy stared up at him with wide eyed before Hoshi gently lowered his hand from his face. “Don’t cover up that cute smile of yours.”

Jihoon blushed bright red and reflexively moved to punch him. However Hoshi dodged out of his reach, jumping to his feet and sprinting in the other direction. “Younghee, protect me!” He screamed dramatically. Jihoon jumped to his feet as well, giving chase with laughter bubbling in his chest. Younghee ran in between them, barking happily and more of a hazard than protection. Hoshi went near the water and Jihoon jumped into the ocean, kicking up a spray of water in his direction.

Hoshi glared playfully. “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?” He kicked some water back. Jihoon laughed, covering his face. Before he could retaliate, suddenly the taller boy surged forward and grabbed him around the waist.

Jihoon let out a scream of surprise as Hoshi picked him up and practically threw him over his shoulder. “Oh my god, let me down!” He yelled, struggling in his grip.

“As you wish, my fairy!” Hoshi said and before Jihoon could comprehend what was going on, he was thrown unceremoniously into the water.

Jihoon surfaced, gaping dramatically at Hoshi who was clutching his stomach and in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “You look like a wet kitten,” he said, wheezing in between breaths.

Jihoon just stared at him, mouth half open in disbelief. Hoshi paused, finally catching onto the look on his face. Panic crossed his face. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” He reached forward to pull Jihoon up but before he could Jihoon got a grip on his upper arm and yanked him downward, sending Hoshi crashing into the water.

It was Jihoon’s turn to laugh, wishing he could take a photo as Hoshi surfaced spluttering with his blonde hair sticking to his face. Younghee was trotting around at the shoreline, honestly the only smart one between them. “You look like a wet dog,” Jihoon teased, grinning as he brushed his wet bangs away from his face.

An evil looked passed in Hoshi’s gaze and before Jihoon could escape, Hoshi was on his feet, throwing water in his direction. Jihoon screamed lightly, jumping to his feet as he tried to escape the other boy’s wrath. The two ended up having a full on water fight until Jihoon was soaking wet from head to toe, gasping for breath. He was just glad his phone was in his coat pocket on the beach.

Dragging himself onto the beach, Jihoon collapsed near his coat. He was panting to catch his bright, but even though he was tired his heart felt lighter. He hadn’t had pure innocent fun like that since he was a child. It had been a long time since he had just thrown away his serious demeanor and done something silly and reckless. It had been a long time since he had had someone to do that with.

Hoshi dropped to the sand beside him, peeling off his socks which were now completely soaked. Younghee dutifully padded around them, barking happily and wagging her tail.

“Now you looked like a drowned cat,” Hoshi teased and Jihoon stuck out his tongue at him.

Jihoon glanced at his clothes before letting out a long groan. “These are my only clothes for the day.” His mother was definitely going to kill him.

Hoshi ran a hand through his wet hair. “How about you come back to my place? I can let you borrow something.” He spoke nonchalantly but Jihoon felt himself blushing. Really, the other boy was just being nice, why did Jihoon have to be embarrassed at everything he did? “It’s not far. I make some mean coffee too,” Hoshi grinned.

However Jihoon just smiled, letting out a small sigh. “I can’t.” He saw Hoshi’s face fall and he quickly waved his hands, looking embarrassed. “It’s not that I don’t want to!” He then paused, his face now definitely red again. “I mean, I’m not saying that I DO want to. It’s just that I promised my mom that I was going to help her today so I couldn’t even if I wanted to… Which I don’t.”

Hoshi sighed dramatically, leaning closer to him. “Well, you can make it up to me-”

Jihoon’s phone dinged. He glanced at the screen and realized his mother had texted him asking where he was. He checked the time. It was 8:30! He was late!

“Oh my god, my mother is going to murder me,” Jihoon whispered, gaping at the time. He was on his feet in seconds, struggling to put his shoes on at the same time as he put on his jacket. “She’s going to skin me alive and have my head on a spike.”

Hoshi laughed before getting his feet as well. “Wait right there!” He said, grabbing his coat. He then paused as if rethinking something and glared threateningly at Jihoon. “Don’t you dare leave yet!” He said before he sprinted toward the boardwalk.

Jihoon glanced after him as he continued to get his shoes on. Once he was done he paused, fidgeting in place. He really needed to go but he couldn’t just leave…

The blonde came jogging back with Younghee nipping at his feet. He was still soaking wet but there was a proud smile on his face. “Coffee for a name,” he declared, sticking out his hand which did indeed contain a cup of hot steaming coffee.

Jihoon couldn’t help the smile that graced his face. “Fair enough,” he said with a genuine smile. “Lee Jihoon.”

Hoshi let out a yelp of excitement, pumping his fists in the air. Jihoon blushed, hiding his face behind the cup. Once the blonde calmed down, he smiled almost gently in his directly before making shooing motions with his hands. “You better get going so your mother doesn’t kill you. You’re too cute for that.” He then leaned forward and pushed Jihoon’s hands down away from his face. “And remember, stop hiding that pretty smile of yours.”

Jihoon aimed a kick at him but the other boy dodged out of his way, already jogging away. “Even though I know you’re name, you’re still my fairy to me!” He sang. Jihoon smiled after Hoshi’s departing figure, butterflies in his chest. “Bye,” he whispered.

“Lee Jihoon, where have you been?” His mother immediately scolded him when he arrived. She had looked worried, but once she had seen he was alright she had immediately begun berating him. “And why are you soaking wet?”

Jihoon could only smile, trying to hide the large grin that threatened to break through. “Nothing, sorry I’m late mom,” he said before kissing her on the cheek.

She blushed, flustered at the unexpected action before pointing towards an apron. “Just because you’re late doesn’t mean you don’t have to work.”

Jihoon just smiled before going to throw away the empty cup of coffee. However before he did he noticed there was writing on the cup colder.

I hope you have a day as bright as your smile~

On the side there was a cute drawing of a fairy with a star next to it.

On the bottom a phone number.

Jihoon could be seen with a grin the rest of his day and no one had to know that he kept the cup holder in his pocket the whole time.

The rest of the day at the market was hectic. It was a Saturday morning so everyone and their mothers were out, restocking on the fresh foods and seafood that Busan had to offer. It was late summer so there were plenty of tourists around, vacationing before they had to go back to school and their jobs. Jihoon was sweating by the end of the day but the busy day helped keep his mind from wandering. However every once and awhile Jihoon found his mind stray to the cute stranger he met at the beach and he would be found staring into space, a faint smile on his face.

“Alright Jihoon, it looks like we’re done.” Jihoon grinned at his mother before he started to help her pack up the stall. She owned a small restaurant closer to the city, but every weekend they came down to the market to sell fresh food. It was exhausting but Jihoon enjoyed being close to home and seeing some of his neighbors. It was better than serving tables honestly.

After they had packed everything up and were on their way home, his mother slid up to his side with a knowing look in her eyes. Sometimes Jihoon really hated how she seemed to know everything about him, he had never once been able to keep a secret from her. “Alright, spill it sweetie. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Me?” Jihoon asked, faking innocence. “I’m always in a good mood.”

His mother chuckled, to which Jihoon shot her a frown in response. “Of course you are sweetie,” she said with a comforting pat on his arm. “But what’s got you in a super special good mood?”

Jihoon tried to fake nonchalance. “Oh nothing…” However at his mother’s probing he decided he would tell her just because he knew she wouldn’t let him sleep until he did. “Nothing, really! I just met some guy this morning at the beach and we chatted for a while.”

“My son met a boy?” His mother gasped, interlocking their arms and practically dragging him down the street. There was a bright twinkle in her eye. “Was he cute?”

“He had a dog that was very cute,” Jihoon said, avoiding her eyes.

He jumped when his mother gently smacked him on the arm. “Yes, yes, I’m quite sure you were very excited about the dog.” Jihoon could feel his face flushing. “However I don’t think it was the dog that had you in a day dream the whole day.”

“It was a very, very cute dog,” Jihoon attempted.

His mother just sighed, leaning into him with a dreamy look on her face. “My son… All grown up, chasing after boys like a lovesick puppy.”

“Mother!” Jihoon groaned, escaping from her grip and jogging ahead. He could feel his face heating up. “I do not chase. And anyway, I barely even know him.”

But his mother just grinned, speeding up until they were walking side by side again. “Then he must be pretty special for you to be acting so smitten so early.”

Jihoon just buried his face into his hands while his mother laughed. The two walked the rest of the way home in a comfortable silence, the cold sea air cooling his burning face. They reached their house and Jihoon helped his mother put away their remaining supplies before deciding he would retire for the night.

“Jihoon,” his mother called out before he could disappear into his room for the night. “I’m glad you met someone who could make you smile like that.”

Blushing (again), Jihoon stammered out a good night before he escaped into his bedroom. Taking a look at the clock he decided it was still early to go to sleep so to get his mind off the embarrassing things his mother said, he went to his computer to finish the song he had been working on.

He was finished by midnight, which was honestly a record. The early hours of the morning had always been when he worked best. However this song had just flowed from his fingertips into his piano, all the uncertainties and frustrations about the song completely forgotten. As he listened to it once more before he went to bed, he realized it had changed from a slow ballad to something a bit more upbeat, a song that spoke of summer ocean rays and laughter.

Jihoon smiled to himself, yawning into his sleeve. It wasn’t late but considering he hadn’t slept the last night he was surprised he was still standing. A wave of exhaustion rode through him and Jihoon quickly changed into his pajamas, climbing into bed for the night. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, about to plug it in before he remembered the cup holder.

Digging it out of his hoodie from the ground, Jihoon carefully placed it onto the desk before hesitantly taking out his phone.

Feeling daring, Jihoon tapped out a text with shaky fingers and hit sent before the rational part of his mind could knock some sense into him. Afterwards he nearly threw his phone across the room before burrowing under the covers. It hadn’t been even a few minutes before he heard the ping of an incoming text.

Crawling from underneath his mound of blankets, Jihoon grabbed his phone and stared at the bright lit up screen.

To: Hoshi

Hey, this is Jihoon

From: Hoshi

Finally, pretty pink fairy has called me back! ^o^

Jihoon sunk his face into his pillow and tried to stop his cheeks from burning.

To: Hoshi

I thought you weren’t going to call me that since I gave you my name!!

From: Hoshi

You will always be my pretty pink fairy in my heart! ^.~

Besides~ That’s what you’re called in my phone. You will never escape!

What did you call me??

To: Hoshi

Just Hoshi. Because that’s your name!

From: Hoshi

ㅠㅠ But I thought I was your shining star??

I’m hurt Jihoonie

He used emoticons. Jihoon was going to punch himself in the face. Instead of giving himself a black eye, Jihoon just shoved his face into his pillow and half screamed half cried. Hoshi sure didn’t hold back. Jihoon wasn’t sure if he could survive the onslaught of flirting and cheesiness the other seemed to exude.

From: Hoshi

Breakfast tomorrow? What do fairies eat? :3

Jihoon froze, dropping his phone onto the bed in shock. He had never had any dating experience, but had Hoshi just asked him out? Like on a date? Panicking, Jihoon decided to just throw all caution to the wind (he had already ignored the rational side of his brain so why not), and just go for it. He had always been the type to think things through, but Hoshi was like a whirlwind of excitement and change and honestly, Jihoon liked it. Maybe he should just roll with it for once.

To: Hoshi

Berries and leaves, but I’ll make an exception for you

Jihoon had to place his phone down before he facepalmed himself. Very smooth.

From: Hoshi

Pancakes it is then! >w< Meet at the same spot at 7?

Pancakes sounded great. It was the 7am part that didn’t. Jihoon sighed before resigning himself to his fate. He had never been a morning person, but it seemed like Hoshi’s 5am stroll hadn’t been a onetime thing. He did have to help at the market again tomorrow so he guessed it would be a good head start to his day.

To: Hoshi

Sounds good, I’ll see you tomorrow

Jihoon then reluctantly added in a smiley face afterward before plugging his phone in and placing it on his dresser. He sighed, burrowing back into his bed. There was a warm feeling in his chest that radiated through his whole body and made him feel all weird and tingly inside. It felt… Nice, to actually be talking and spending time with someone that wasn’t a customer at his mother’s shop or the old ladies that lived nearby. Jihoon was so used to being alone, always sitting by himself in school or reading his textbooks, that to actually be with someone who enjoyed his company just as much as he enjoyed theirs was strange.

Strange, but nice.

Eyelids drooping, Jihoon was halfway to snooze land when his phone beeped.

From: Hoshi

Sweet dreams fairy! ★★~

Jihoon smiled before shutting his lights out. He slept peacefully that night, stars and fairies dancing through his dreams.

(A/N: And here is chapter one for you! Much fluff, very cringey. Hoshi is gross, Jihoon is awkward, nothing new. Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying this fic and thank you so much for reading! ^^ Subscribe and leave me a comment telling me what you think so far! Warning, the rest of this fic may not be as fluffy as this chapter...

Also thank you to everyone who subscribed already! >W<)