Part 1

It is the first warm day of the year.

Not too hot, summer is a long time in coming.

Well... maybe not that long but long enough for some people.

But at least, a jacket isn't necessary anymore and the always frozen Nam Woohyun decides after a long time of thinking ( on look at the paper files piling up on his office desk) that he will spend at least one or two hours outside in the sun, before urgent business matters have to be tend to again.

It isn't like he hates his job as a banker. He had always handled numbers well, and as the sheltered oldest son of a business tycoon and his wife there wasn't really any possible way to get out of that.

Let's just say it is okay.

He leaves the office building without getting caught ( his secretary is a hawk instructed by his father to not let him go) and manages to escape into the next alley. Now he has around 30 minutes left until she will start to call him and maybe 40 more before she will inform his father. Enough time to get the ice cream he has been craving for all morning long.

Woohyun feels the sun on his pale nose and remembers why he loves summer that much.

In all of his swooning and in the brilliance of his heroic act of running away from business he doesn't realize how dead the streets are.

Only when he walks into another alley where normally students of the nearby university get their lunch at this time of the day he realizes it a bit puzzled. The noise of his steps startle a cat. Sunken in thoughts he follows the retreating animal with his gaze.

Did he forget about a holiday?

No...

His co- workers surely wouldn't have showed up today.

With a shrug, Woohyun decides not to care about it any longer. His thoughts wander back to the ice cream he wants to buy at his favourite store close to the park.

" Young man." someone calls.

He looks up to the windows above, noticing an older woman slightly leaning out of the window. She points into the direction he just wanted to walk to. " You shouldn't go there."

" Why not?" he calls back.

" People are demonstrating close to the Blue House. They just said it is getting a bit heated over there in the news."

Woohyun looks down the alley.

Of course, he also heard about it in the news. Many aren't too happy about the way the new president is handling things, and it lead to demonstrations all over the country, slowly turning more violent with time.

But to be honest: Woohyun is by far not ignorant, but on the other hand isn't too much into politics. Their problems just don't affect the heir of a lot of money that much. He can't really indentify with them and that is not because he is any kind of bad.

Just... not affected.

Maybe he should listen to her and go back... The Blue House isn't too far away and the older lady really seems to be worried.

Of course, curiosity wins and so he says good bye to the lady that once more tries to stop him and walks further down the alley.

He pricks up his ears, pays attention to the smallest noises.

There... at the next corner he can hear something and a street further he can make out voices.

There is something else.

Scattered screams. He slowly realizes it might have been a bad idea to walk further and when he hears the loud shattering of windows he knows he is 100 percent ed.

But that moment it is already too late.

Still... not the awaited apocalypse is breaking out.

" Hey!", someone shoves him from behind. " What are you still doing here?? The fun is over there!"

" I..."

" What time is it?"

Woohyun pulls his mobile slowly out of his pants but before he can take a look the stranger takes it away from him.

He furrows his brows. " I'm late..."

" Can I have it back?"

" Oh !"

" Hey! My phon-- what are you doing?!"

His protests don't work.

The man, seemingly around his age, long ago grabbed him by his wrist and pulls him down the street. " Your choice of clothing is interesting. Not that comfortable for a demonstration."

" Actually I wasn't intending to..."

" Come on! The demo dissolved already!"

" Why do you still want to go th--"

The enthusiastic one just won't shut up and let him talk for once. " My friend called me. The police injured some of the demonstrators. He isn't amused."

" He?" Woohyun asks in confusion.

The man eyes him with a lifted eyebrow. As if he can't believe Woohyuns ignorance. But he seems to accept it pretty fast, his attention long back on other things.

His steps grow a bit faster and Woohyun only keeps stumbling helplessly after him. What could he even do?

Two powers act upon him.

The stronger other male and his own damn curiosity that will soon bring him into his own grave.

" There we are!" the other one says in relief and Woohyun regrets once again. They arrived on an open tourist space, today kind of a mo-mans- land between police and demonstrators, Woohyun right in the middle.

For the first time today, Woohyun feels cold.

He looks to his left and down there sees the serious faces of what seems like hundreds of people, a few banners above their hands and when he squints his eyes a bit he can see a baseball bat here and there.

A turn to his ride.

Twenty metres away police men in full gear.

Great...

Deathly silence.

" Let's go back..." he pokes the other ones shoulder, but to no avail. With sparkling eyes the stranger leaves him alone and runs down to the rows of demonstrators.

" Hey! My mobile!" Wooyhun calls out and follows him further to the crowd on his left.

A big mistake.

He only realizes when he finds himself in a impenetrable crowd of mostly covered up people and all of sudden he realizes that this has nothing to do with a demo anymore.

Nevertheless, without his mobile he is lost. And that is why he moves further down the crowd, even though he long ago lost sight of the mobile thief.

He doesn't notice how a murmur goes through the crowd and there are people lining up right in front of him.

" Excuse me please... I'm sorry...... Could I go through please.... Sorr--" The person in front of him moves to the side unexpectedly and Woohyun, that was just about to touch them by the shoulder, not so softly falls to the ground. He lands on his hands, and scrapes them like his knees.

He stays on his knees, almost pouting when he looks at his bleeding hand palms.

He should have stayed in the office...

" Are you okay?" someone asks him.

When Woohyun turns to find the voice he finds himself eye to ... eye with some black trousers.

A gaze down.

Black boots.

One up.

A black face mask.

Must be the reason for the slight muttering.

Light brown hair under a black cap.

Another gaze.

Those eyes...

Kind, beautiful eyes...

The surrounding noises grow quieter, slowly blank out fully.

Those eyes...

Woohyun doesn't believe something like love at first sight exist and it isn't happening to him at the moment. But he knows, when he spends only one day with this person, one day of talking and spending time together and he won't be able to find his way back. He... won't want to find his way back.

The stranger crouches down in front of him, his face so close Woohyun could easily touch it.

" You have to go. You don't look like you belong here."

Woohyun needs a moment to let his words sink in.

Slowly, his frozen body starts to work again. He gazes around, realizes that he is sitting in between many people who give them a bit of space, the stranger the only once close to him.

His gaze wanders back to the kind eyes.

Everything else doesn't matter.

He seems to smile behind his mask.

" Please go now. It could become dangerous soon."

" Why?" Woohyuns voice is so quiet that only he can hear it.

" The police men provoke the people."

He takes Woohyun by the hand and pulls him up together with him.

" Let him through." he calls to the bystanders and slowly they make way for him. A wide enough line for Woohyun to leave.

" If it gets dangerous... I want you to leave, too."

Woohyun hears his own voice, but he doesn't understand what he is saying or why.

How can he talk like this?

To a stranger, in between strangers.

But he doesn't feel ashamed. Because at the moment he doesn't want anything more than for him to be safe.

Another smile behind the mask and a hand on his back that softly pushes him forward.

" Go. It will be okay."

And even though the voice is soft, Woohyun notices the emphasis on every word.

So he walks away, two steps backwards, because he doesn't want to look away.

Then, he turns his back to him, because he knows it is pointless.

And while he hastily walks through the crowd Woohyun feels his gaze on him.

ooo

It is the evening of the same day

Woohyun managed to get back to office and survived his fathers outburst.

Wordless.

Something totally unnatural for him, that always has to have the last word. But his thoughts are still outside with.. whoever he is.

That is why he ended up at his friend Hoyas bar.

Actually he visits Hoya almost every evening.

His friend rented the popular bar a few weeks ago.

The inside is comfortably twilit and around this time still mostly empty.

Woohyun makes a beeline for the counter and falls down onto one of the bar stools.

" A double whiskey." The only thing he gets out before he - completely exhausted - puts his forehead on the counter.

Hoya, standing behind the counter while cleaning glasses, looks at the back of his head for a while before he joins the until that moment one- sided conversation. " You want to tell me what makes you order a double one on a Thursday evening?"

Woohyun lifts himself up slowly and rests his chin in his hand-

" I kind of crashed into the demo close to Blue House."

Hoya puts another glass onto the shelf behind him and takes the next one. " How did you do that? They said not to go there in the news."

" Someone stole my phone and.... well... it doesn't matter. It isn't what I want to tell you about."

He motions for Hoya to come closer. As if the lonely business man on his far right and the couple on the left would be interested in his stories.

" I met someone."

" You're flirting with people on demos?"

" No! I fell! He was there all of sudden! And then I fell again for him! Hoya!" In a moment of desperation he grabs Hoyas collar and halfway pulls him over the counter. " He is it! The one!"

" I can't breath!"

" Oh God......"

" Air!"

" What?"

" Air!!" Hoya desperately flails about until Woohyun realizes he is one the verge of being responsible for his friends early brain death.

" Sorry."

He lets go and Hoya falters for a second before he can calm down and rubs his throat while heavily breathing.

The lonely business man glances at them for a second and turns back to the content of his glass.

" He was... a revelation.", Woohyun looks at nothing with glimmering eyes. " Those eyes..."

" You said the same thing about that fitness trainer two years ago."

" That was different."

" I remember you telling me about his breathtaking lips."

" I said it is different!"

Woohyun tries to grab his collar once again but this time Hoya is prepared. He flinches and runs straight into the shelf behind. One cup almost crashes but the last second he manages to catch it and to save it from a certain death.

Woohyun has long gone back to lalaland at the moment. He sighs deeply, long forgotten that he actually ordered a double whiskey.

Hoya won't remind him. He knows how Woohyun reacts to alcohol.

" I... looked into his eyes... and it was all over that second. I can't even explain well."

Hoya leaves him for a second to refill the couples drinks and is back at Woohyuns side.

" So. What's the name of the guy that doesn't let you sleep at night. Or... won't let you sleep from tonight onwards since you've known him for about 7 hours."

Woohyun pouts slightly. " I don't know."

" You have his number?"

" No."

" He has yours?"

" Hmm..."

" He knows your name?"

Woohyuns gaze darkens by the second and after Hoyas last question he is done. With a desperate cry he slumps down in his chair.

" Oh my god.......... I will never see him again!!"

Hoya, already used to Woohyuns occasional outbursts, rolls his eyes to the business man and shrugs when the latter looks at them in obvious confusion.

" Woohyun. Life goes on."

" Not today!"

" Then tomorrow."

" Not tomorrow!"

" Come on. Everything's fine.", Hoya half-heartedly pats Woohyuns black shock of hair. " If it is meant to be you will meet him again."

Woohyun slowly lifts his head, his eyes suspiciously wet. " You really think so?"

" Of course. It will all work out in the end."

That moment, Hoya doesn't know yet how fast fate will get to them.

For a second, the background noise distracts Woohyun. His gaze wanders to the plasma TV that Hoya applied to the wall for guests. The sound is hardly noticeable and on normal days Woohyun wouldn't care about it but today the pictures flickering over the screen surprise him enough to make him jump from the bar stool that falls to the ground with a loud thud.

" Woohyun..."

" Sorry! But can you please turn the television louder?!"

" Why?"

" Please!"

Hoya does as he was told. He turns the noise of the currently shown news a bit louder.

,, ... peaceful demonstrations ended in conflicts with the police. 23 people were slightly injured..."

" That's him!" Woohyun calls out.

Hoya scans the bar. " Where?"

" There!"

Woohyun grabs his chin and forces him to look at the TV. " There! Do you see him?? On the car!"

That is him.

Woohyun would recognize him everywhere. He is standing of the car deck, a megaphone in his hand. The picture changes and shows a police man they carry into an ambulance.

" Did you see him?"

Hoya sighs deeply. " Oh, Woohyun. When was the last time you watched the news."

" Why?"

" The whole country knows him. They call him the Masked."

Woohyun hangs on his every words. " And?"

" He was on the front page of literally every newspaper. They call him the leader of the demonstrators. Those whole riots. They hold him responsible for it.", he pats Woohyuns shoulder. " You have a crush on Koreas biggest bad boy and I can just advice you to forget about him as fast as you can. And now I think you really need a whiskey."

ooo

Woohyun lies in his dark bedroom, staring at the white ceiling.

He should have been asleep long ago, but he didn't even manage to change into his sleeping attire.

After Hoyas explanation he first forced his friend to give him a tablet.

And Hoya was right.

All over the internet there are articles about the masked guy, no one knows his real name, where he comes from.

Woohyun can't and doesn't want to believe it. Because on the pictures he can see his eyes, but they are so cold, nothing compared to the warm gaze he saw this morning.

No.

He won't believe the words of the press.

He turns to his side, just to stare at the alarm clock instead of the ceiling.

1:23 am.

Still he isn't tired. His thoughts just won't settle down.

Woohyun, you idiot, he thinks and hits his pillow with his head. He knows he gets fixated on people far too fast. In the beginning it is always so easy, but finding his way out in the end when things didn't work is always the hardest.

His doorbell.

Woohyun winces, another look at his watch.

1:25.

He wasn't wrong.

There is really someone trying to see him at 1:25 in the morning.

For a moment he is afraid, remembering all the movies where police men come to the house to tell people about the loss of family and friends.

Did something happen...

He leaves his room in a rush and hastily runs to the door just to pull it open with a bit too much force, expecting a police officer.

No.

It isn't the police.

Slowly he lets go off the door handle.

It is him.

" Hey."

His voice sounds to sweet to be true for Woohyusn ears, and it might would have been so much prettier if half of his face wasn't covered by his black mask.

" Hey..." Is the only thing Woohyun is able to bring out.

" I'm so sorry for disturbing you this late. But I had important things to do and only found out pretty late that my friend took something from you."

Woohyun thinks everything is pretty fine.

His friend stole something from him, the stranger in front of him took his heart.

Everything perfectly fine.

Equivalent trade.

Those eyes...

He has to shake his head to find back to reality.

" What do you mean?"

The man in the hallways his hat.

He seems... nervous, Woohyun realizes that moment. Not a patch on his earlier behaviour.

" My friend took your mobile.", he pulls the device out of his pocket. " I saw your address on the display and actually I just wanted to send it to you but..."

He falters and holds out the phone to Woohyun without another word.

" But?" Woohyun asks and takes the mobile and for a short, delightful moment their fingers touch.

The stranger pulls his hand back a bit too fast for Woohyungs liking.

" I...", he smiles behind his mask but this time it doesn't really reach his eyes. They turn into sad crescents.

" The background picture. You with your family. I recognized you. And...", he turns away for a second, before he takes a deep breath and searches for Woohyuns gaze. " I wanted to see you again. Even though this might sound crazy and creepy. I... wanted to see if you're fine and... actually I wanted to see you again the second I left you. I tried to forget about it but then my friend gave me the mobile... and I... kind of believe in the fate stuff..."

He seems to bite his lip.

" But... I knew from the beginning that you don't want to see me because of the news and my reputation. You surely know about the things they say. But you don't have to be scared.", he lifts his hand, defensive. " I'm sorry."

An unsure laugh.

" I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'm so sorry."

He flinches, further into the dark of the hallway and Woohyun can't react.

He can't react because his words totally through him out of place. And there is his pounding heart and the urge to pull him into the apartment....

He simply can't react.

Until the sound of retreating steps pulls him out of his trance.

He runs out of the door, grasps the door frame before he falls directly onto his nose.

" Wait!"

It doesn't matter if he wakes up the annoying neighbours from across and gets to listen to a lecture in the morning.

If he doesn't act now fate won't help him again.

But the stranger doesn't stop and disappears before Woohyun can get to him.

ooo

Woohyun is in love.

With a stranger.

He realizes it the second he disappears into the dark, without another word and when his heart all of sudden is in so much pain.

He follows him on the street but he is gone.

Being able to do nothing is agony to Woohyun and so his search for information almost turns into an obsession. He reads every newspaper, watches every television show, surfs the internet all night long, but no one knows his name. There is no picture without mask, no clue who he could be and slowly Wooyhun grows desperate.

The only thing he gets is the assurance that he is not criminal he should be scared of. At the most someone who got lost on the way a little.

Woohyun can live with the fact that he got sued for damage of property and that people got hurt at the demonstrations that turned into riots, which he seemingly is the leader of.

Woohyun can live with it.

He could live with it.

Because if everything is true or not he eventually has to and wants to hear form him.

ooo

A pile of paper lands on his desk and pulls Woohyun out of his daydreams.

Sungjong is waiting in front of his desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, according to his face deeply pissed off.

" How can I help you?"

The younger props up against the desk, an angry glint in his eyes. " You would help me a ing lot if you would finally do your work and stop daydreaming!"

" I don't daydream!"

" You went to take a piss yesterday and forgot to flush the toilet! Just imagine you would have left me a bigger present!"
Sungjong breaths out heavily, wipes a strand of hair out of his forehead and falls onto the free chair, that is meant for guests.

" Seriously. When did you get laid the last time?"

Wooyhun feels how the tip of his nose turns red. " Sungjong! I'm your boss!"

It doesn't matter. They have known each other too long to give a about their statuses when they are alone.
Sungjong rolls his eyes. Sometimes Woohyun is scared they will get stuck.

" So you don't even work on it yourself?"

" Sungjong!"

The last yell costs Woohyun all of his energy and he sinks back into his seat. Why does the world hate him that much again?
" If you want you can tell me over dinner what's on your mind.", he smiles his brightest smile and Woohyun feels a cold shiver down his spine. " You pay."

Woohyuns heart cries when he thinks about all the money that soon will be gone.

ooo

The evening with Sungjong wasn't as bad as Woohyun expected it would be. Expensive food and expensive soju, yes, but his younger friend really tried to be a nice listener and only sometimes kicked his shin under the table when Woohyun grew a tiny bit too whiny for Sungjongs liking.
Altogether a successful evening.

Sadly, no stranger in front of his door, but Woohyun kind of accepted it the last days.

He stumbles into his apartment, the soju long ago made him dizzy. Woohyun just wants to take his laptop out to stalk a bit more when his mobile goes off. With jittery movements he pulls it out of his pockets and slurs a greeting.

" Woohyun?"

He has to lean against the wall in order not to have a painful dispute with the ground.

That voice... he is back.

" Woohyun? Are you okay? Woohyun? Hello?"

" I'm drunk... because of you!" Woohyun says and tries to move over to the couch.

" Because of me?"

Woohyun notices the confusion in his voice.

" Yes! Because of you! Where did you get my number? And how do you know my name?"

" I... brought over your mobile. Your information was written there... it was... inevitable to know your name and number."

" Why are you calling me?"

Silence.

He hasn't ended the call yet. Full of fear, Woohyun waits for it but nothing happens.

" I... wrote down your number... so..."

" That is not an explanation."

Woohyun hears clanking.

Bottles.

A quiet curse.

" Are you also drunk?" Woohyun asks.

" I wouldn't have called if I wasn't."

" Thank god you did."

Another moment of silence before the other talks again. " If you were sober you wouldn't say that... and I'm sorry..."

" For what?"

" That I contacted you again."

Woohyun feels so close to him.

So close already.

He can't help but to smile at the ceiling in all of his drunkness.

" Is this a dream? I almost lost hope."

" Lost hope?" the beautiful voice asks in confusion.

" I didn't know where I could find you.", Woohyun giggles like a little girl. " I stalked you through the media."

" Why?"

" Maybe... because out of the same reason you are calling me at the moment?"

" If it is the same reason...", Woohyun almost feels the smile through the device. " Then I'm a lucky guy. That means... I can call you again?"

" You have to."

ooo

From that moment on they call each other on a daily basis.

After two days Woohyun knows his first name and he doesn't need more to almost float away.

Sunggyu...

He catches himself whispering the name occasionally throughout the day.

Sungjong already starts to look at him strangely.

Day 3

,, Are the stories they tell about you true?"

" I'm... against the president. I know about the things he is doing. I think the people should go out on the street and make use of their right to demonstrate. I'm not a pacifist. Still, that doesn't mean I think violence is a solution. But the police seems to think that way and we can't let them happen."

" I see..."

" Are you... scared of me? Do you think I'm a bad person?"

" No. You just told me what I wanted to hear."

Day 5

" How did you end up as the leader?"

A small chuckle. " I'm... not.... it just happened that I saved someone from an especially cruel policeman. All of sudden I was their hero. I had to get used to being the... lets call it flagship. I guess it is kind of a good think they listen to me. I can stop them from doing bad things."

Day 8

"Woohyun?"

" Yes?"

" You must have realized now that I'm not... the cool guy you saw on the demonstration. I'm a bit clumsy... sometimes I don't know what to say. The person I show outside... that is not me and I'm kind of sorry for that."

" You're just they way I got to know you. All the articles... the pictures. They're all lies and I knew from the beginning."

Day 11

" Sunggyu?"

" Hmm?"

" You trust me?"

" Yes."

" Then come visit me."

ooo

Sunggyu didn't call the next day.

Woohyun knows that he most probably took him by surprise. He knows about Sunggyus fears and insecurities, his dread to show himself to somebody and get told on.

Even though it hurts Woohyun not to be able to get closer to him, he can't help but feel relieved when Sunggyu calls again the following evening and talks as if nothing happened.

But two days later he decides it is still not okay and he comes up with a plan.

Sunggyu calls everyday around the same time.

Half past ten.

And he might hasn't noticed it but Woohyun often hears the loudspeaker announcement of a Subway station in the background. A station around half an hour away.

And so he doesn't think a lot and leaves his apartment one evening to nervously make his way over there.

Of course, he is there way too early and even though you can go outside the house without a jacket throughout the day it is still a bit fresh later.

He walks up and down in front of the entrance.

A train comes, a few people pass by.

He takes a look at his watch.

9.57 pm.

Maybe he should leave.

The chance of meeting Sunggyu here is small.

And what happens if he shows up. What should he tell him? Sunggyu didn't say he doesn't want to see Woohyun, but his reaction was more than clear.

10.15 pm.

Wooohyun feels an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. In five minutes the next train should arrive.

If his speculations are true then it is the one Sunggyu uses.

Just to make sure Woohyun walks a bit farer away. Leaned against a tree he waits and soon after the train is there.

Not a lot of people are getting out.

A school girl that tips away on her mobile while it walks, two older ladies that talk animatedly.

And then - he had almost already turned away to go home - there is an lonely laggard coming outside.

Woohyun can't see his face from that far away, only the bright caramel hair in the light of the street lamps.

He walks slowly, then the screen of a mobile display brightens.

Woohyun holds his breath and indeed, a few seconds later there is an incoming call on his display.

Only slowly Woohyun pulls the device out of his pocket. He is totally fascinated of Sunggyu, who now takes a seat on a close by bench and stretches out his legs in a seemingly streak of exhaustion.

He is... so beautiful.

Not even in his dreams Woohyun had been able to imagine that kind of perfection and still, it is sitting right there, only a few metres away and if he has been in love before he is now totally and irrevocably lost.

" Hello?"

On Sunggyus exhausted face a happy smile appears that makes Woohyun almost run over.

" Hey. You're okay?"

" Yeah.", better than okay. " You?"

" I'm tired.", he rubs his eyes. " I'm so ing tired. I just want to sleep right here."

" Where are you?"

" Near the train station.", he tilts his head back and looks up at the starless sky. " It is cold today."

" Go home." Woohyun wants nothing more. The thought that Sunggyu is sitting outside, even though he is tired and cold... he can't live that well with that thought.

" Soon. First I wanted to talk to you."

" You can do that at home?"

" At home work is waiting for me but I want to be able to give you all of my attention."

Woohyun is so ing in love.

" Sunggyu?"

" Hmm?"

" You can trust me."

Woohyun sees how Sunggyu slowly straightens himself, the smile gone.

" What do you mean?"

" I won't force you to do anything. Never. And even though you will never want to show yourself to me because you're too scared.... it is fine. I just want to tell you, that you can trust me. And I hope that one day you'll stand in front of my door again. Without mask."

Wouldn't he see Sunggyu with his own eyes he would have never believed it, but he starts to cry. Not a loud, dramatic sobbing. He doesn't even slump down and he doesn't hide his face behind his hands. Not even his breathing grows faster. Still, his shoulders grow tense and lonely tears drop down his cheeks.

For a few horrible seconds Woohyun thinks he said something wrong. That he is guilty for making him cry.

His heart hammers in his chest.

Is everything over now? He is prepared for everything and for nothing. Will Sunggyu hang up now? Get up and leave? Will he tell him that he can never trust him and that it is better to stop things here? His biggest fear, loosing Sunggyu before things even started.... will it become real?

Such a devastating thought.

Because one thing is sure for Woohyun: he is so deep in this, there is no turning back.

He can't keep away anymore.

His legs act on their own, carry him out of his hiding, closer to the figure on the bench.

Sunggyu hears the steps soon, lifts his head and freezes.

Woohyun stops a few metres away and can just stare back.

Sunggyu really is perfection, and nothing less.

" I'm so sorry...", Woohyun slowly lifts his hands, mobile still tightly clutched. " I didn't want to scare you... but I wanted to see you."

" Woohyun..."

" Please. Don't be scared. I'm not here to bring you any kind of trouble."

Sunggyu is still speechless for the most part.

" Sunggyu please...", desperation grows in Woohyun. " I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Just... you always called the same time, I heard the loudspeaker. Please. Don't be scared of me. I will go. I just... saw you crying and couldn't just leave."

Woohyun turns away, his heart heavy because he knows that now he destroyed everything. Oh god... how should he live with this... his stupid stupid ideas...

" I'm not scared."

Woohyun stops in his tracks, slowly turns back to him.

Those beautiful eyes, now slightly red, now look at him. " I'm not scared. Really.. Maybe I should be. Like you. But I'm not."

" Then why are you crying?"

" I...", he turns away and wipes his eyes. " You asked me to come over and I really wanted to. But I was so worried that.... when you see me without my mask... that your expectations would be destroyed. That you maybe don't want to see me anymore. And I got so sad when I realized I would never be able to meet you like this."

His cheeks blush slightly when he feels Woohyuns gaze on his face. He awkwardly looks at his hands.

" I'm sorry... I was right I guess... I didn't fulfil your expectations, right?", he smiles sadly and brushes through his light hair. " Wow... that feels really strange."

He....

" Holy ... it feels worse than I thought..."

" I'm so ing in love with you..."

Woohyun slaps his hand on his mouth a second later but there it is out and he can't take it back. He stares at Sunggyu, his eyes wide open, the other no less shocked.

" Oh god...", Woohyuns knees get wobbly. " I didn't want to... I really didn't..."

" You like me?"

The question lingers in the air between them and for a second Woohyun thinks about taking it back and laughing at it like it was his worst joke ever but...

He can't.

Defeated, Woohyun hangs his head. " Well... since I already ed up big times... I was crazy about you the first second. No turning back after the first round...yay..."

" Woohyun..."

" Oh no...... I messed up everything.... I...", he hides his face in his hands, overwhelmed by awkwardness and embarrassment and regret. " I didn't want to press you into anything. But... Jesus... look at you. You have been perfect and now you got so even more. How could I feel differently..."

" Hey."

Warm hands touch his and slowly pull them away from his face.

Sunggyu is so close all of sudden and... he is smiling.

For the first time Woohyun can see it up close. He knew it would feel perfect. His heart skips a beat.

" No need to beat yourself up."

" Someone has to! Seriously!"

" Idiot.", Sunggyu pulls him down to sit next to him on the bench. " Everything is fine."

" Yeah... of course. I just lost all of my dignity and pride and chased you away because my ing mouth talks before my brain can think." Woohyun sighs, his head hanging low.

" Well...", Sunggyu presses the palms of his hand against each other, entangles his fingers and undoes them again. " Maybe it would be more awkward if I would reject you."

" Oh god... I forgot after the feelings talk there comes the rejection."

" Are you always that pessimistic?"

" My friends say I'm a drama queen."

" You are." Sunggyu hums with a smile.

A second later Woohyun finds himself face to face with Sunggyu.

" Woohyun... I don't really know how this is working since I'm not really the feeling talk specialist but... I didn't reject you."

" Yeah yeah... wait... WHAT?!"

" I didn't reject you." Sunggyu says once more, a bit startled by Woohyuns outburst.

" You didn't reject me?!", Woohyuns hands automatically find Sunggyus. " That means..."

" Well... I was the one showing up in front of your door and I was the one calling you. I don't know how easily you can make out subtle hints and those weren't even subtle... I kind of... no, that's wrong.", he looks down at their intertwined hands. " Not kind of. I really want to be with you."

Every kiss Woohyun ever shared with someone is meaningless after the moment he kisses Sunggyu for the first time. A careful, not pushing kiss, and there while so sweet that Woohyun forgets his own name for a second.

When they part Woohyun isn't able to talk for a second.

" You'll ... stay?", he finally asks with wide eyes, still not fully grasping what is happening even though he was the one initiating the kiss. " I didn't make you run away`?"

" How could you make me?"
" I might be able to."

" No.", Sunggyu chuckles, a slight blush on his cheeks. " Not that easily."

And for the first time this evening Woohyun genuinely smiles.

It seems to have some effect on Sunggyu, because before any of them knows Sunggyu bends forward once again, softly pressing his lips onto Woohyuns.

" You're really beautiful when you smile."

This time he is the one covering his mouth with his hand.

" That was... cheesy but nice." Woohyuns heart swells in his chest.

Sunggyu blushes again, this time a deeper shade.

" What am I talking about..." he slowly gets up, coughing slightly.

" Can you... oh god...." he turns more into a tomato by the second.

" What did I do? So embarrassing..."

" It is fine. You're cute!"

" Oh god..."

" Sunggyu... no need to get a ." Woohyun laughs.

" If anyone sees me like that..." Sunggyu slowly retreats into the dark, having an embarrassed conversation with himself.

" Yah! Gyu!"

" Oh god... nicknames..."

Woohyun follows the retreating figure, laughing because in a comic Sunggyus head would smoke right this instant, and because he knows he is finally allowed to follow him.