Donghae once thought of summer vacations as enjoyable, relaxing, and stress-free: beaches, staying under the sun, the calming sound of waves splashing on the sand, mojitos, and all that jazz. He expected so much from this break a.k.a healing time his elder sister suggested for him as he had to put up on so much before the second semester ended.

What he didn't expect were the furious winds, the harsh trickle of raindrops, and a gloomy sky that welcomed him right after he landed in Jeju.

It's a good thing he managed to get a cab fast enough for him to not get soaked by the rain. Of all the things he could forget, umbrella. Had he known about this weather, he should have brought a gigantic one.

At least his clothes are safe in Jessica’s hands—who got in Jeju a day earlier than him—or else he's going out tomorrow while his clothes are hanged to dry. Donghae thanks his puppy eyes for always being effective in pushing someone do something they don't want to.

He tells the driver the address of the place he's supposed to stay at. Jessica told him that it's the typical traditional house in Jeju, perhaps to attract tourists, enough to fit two people live in it. He hopes it's going to be a better day tomorrow as it would be a shame to miss such beautiful sight.

A couple of minutes and turns here and there, Donghae arrives at the house completely identical to the other houses in that street, with the number #0718. He takes the paper out of his jeans’ pocket, in it is a scribbled number similar to one hanging in the house’s front gate. He's pretty sure this is it.

He pays the taxi driver and gets out of the cab, cursing as he feels the harsh winds and rain falling down on him, Donghae opens the gate, running through the small garden as fast as he can and he heaves a sigh of relief when he finally faces the door. Still, he got drenched in the rain, and Donghae feels like crying knowing that the phone in his pockets must be wet too.

“Jessica noona,” He shouts while knocking on the door frantically, eager to get inside already and probably get some hot shower. “Jessica noona, open the door this instant, please.”

A couple of seconds later, the door opens, revealing a face that is so not like his elder sister.

Donghae cries.

The man with that stern expression—as Donghae had observed—is nice enough to take him in as he grumbles about the rain making Donghae sick.

Half an hour later, Donghae is reduced to a few sobs and sniffles, dry tears on his cheeks, and swollen eyes. He feels embarrassed, to be honest, for letting all his frustrations out on a stranger. He must have looked like an absolute idiot now.

The man, who apparently isn't as mean as Donghae thought he would be, stands up from the couch and goes to another room. He comes back with a towel in hand and a set of clothes in the other. “Go, have some shower first, and maybe you can tell me who you are after.”

Donghae nods and thanks him in a small voice. He takes the towel and clothes from the man and makes his way to the bathroom—which isn't hard to find as the place is a little bit on the small side.

The brunet comes out of the bathroom, completely refreshed, and feeling better than ever. He assumes that the guy is cooking, judging from the smell of food all over the place. Going towards the kitchen, he calls for the man’s attention and asks, “Where should I hang the towel?”

The guy turns off the stove and clumsily picks up a bowl for the soup he cooked as he answers, “Let me take care of it.”

He carries the bowl to the table, saying, “I hope this warms you up.”

Donghae thanks him again while he gives the guy the towel. He sits on the chair and takes a sip of the treat. The surge of comfortable warmth in his body makes him moan. He hadn't felt this alive for months.

The man returns after a minute and makes himself comfy on the chair opposite to him. “What's your name?”

Donghae doesn't know if he should trust him or not with it, but he guesses that this dude took him in, made him borrow his clothes and fed him soup, he's at least worthy to know his name. “I'm Donghae. You?”

“Hyukjae.” The stranger smiles just a little bit. “Uh...so...” He starts off awkwardly and gazes at Donghae with a nervous expression.

He thinks this guy is probably just awkward with himself while the pictures of his stern face is long gone in Donghae’s mind.

“I'm really really sorry for earlier! I-I didn't—“ He bursts to try and at least make himself look less pathetic in the stranger’s eyes, which doesn't work really well.

“It's fine.” This Hyukjae guy assures him. “Uhm, life has been hard on you, I guess?”

“Well, my boyfriend cheated on me, my thesis group mates are s, I’m not sure if I can make it to pass this subject, my relatives have too much expectations on me, I'm supposed to have a vacation here but the weather is ing great, and now my sister is nowhere in sight. Yes, I guess life has been hard.”

“If it makes you better, uh, I've never been in a relationship? And I did my thesis alone in college because no one wants to have me as their group mate? And I barely talk to my relatives?”

Donghae believes that Hyukjae’s way of consoling someone is really unique.

“Do you mind if I call my sister?” He asks while they're sitting on the couch.

Hyukjae doesn't even look away from the laptop screen, replying, “Why would I? It's not like—oh never mind, go ahead.”

Donghae shrugs at his odd answer and picks his already dry phone from the small table in front of the sofa. He quickly searches for his sister’s number in his contacts and presses call.
It doesn't even have to take a second before he hears the operator’s voice, saying that the number couldn't be reached. Donghae inhales deeply, trying to stop himself from breaking down again and presses call for the second time.

It goes on until the fifth time that his body starts to feel weak and hopeless.

Apparently, the storm’s that harsh that his calls barely get to Jessica’s, and he doubts there's any internet connection either to give her a message to at least battle all the odds and fetch him. He wouldn't dare to go out in this rain alone.

Besides, who knows if this Hyukjae beside him, looking all innocent typing some kind of essay in his laptop, could actually be a serial killer? It may be mean to say, but it's hard to trust anyone in this time, especially if the one his boyfriend cheated him with is his best friend.

Perhaps Hyukjae can also be the good guy he pictured to be. Someone who takes in strangers and gives food and could have been trusting him a lot by now. What if he, Donghae, could actually be a serial killer? And the least he can do is to not bother him more than he did already.

He doesn't even know anymore and he feels the ache in his head starting to spread as confusion rises. What should he do? Adding to the fact that he's stressed as before he went here?

“Excuse me but...”

“Hmm?” Hyukjae takes his laptop away from his lap to the mini-table and shuts his strained eyes.

“Will you mind if I cry again?”

“No? I-I meant, go ahead?”

Hyukjae doesn't know when he got too comfortable with Donghae. Was it when Donghae cried his heart out at him, telling him his stories about how he found his dearest boyfriend in bed with his best ever ing friend and how he caused so much drama and practically tried to rip that girl’s hair off that caused his other friends in his circle to leave him? Hyukjae told him that the girl was lucky she didn't get killed, and Donghae laughed at him with some snot running out of his nose while Hyukjae had this serious face because its wasn't a joke.

Or was it when Donghae told him, with his broken words and gasps, of how much of a failure he is because he had a feeling that he wouldn't pass that subject they did a thesis—that he thinks he screwed up very much during the defense? Hyukjae said Donghae should be proud of himself because he did their thesis alone when his dickhead of group mates are supposed to help him and that his relatives better stop being busybodies just to insult him. Hyukjae also spoke about how he had the same situation with his relatives even until now, that is the reason why he would rather avoid and not talk to them than getting his self-esteem go down at their words.

Or was it when Donghae spotted his packs of chocolates beneath the small table and finished two in a minute without even asking if he can eat those?

“What are you doing anyway? You've been typing for straight three hours and all I can see is,” Donghae tries to get closer to Hyukjae as he takes a look at the laptop. “a blank page.”

“Weren't you dramatic just a while ago?” Hyukjae sighs. “And stop peeking.”

“Not until you tell me what you're doing.” Donghae doesn't budge on his place and keeps on looking at Hyukjae’s laptop which makes said man close it as he places it on the table in front.

Hyukjae stretches his back. Sitting and typing can be tiring as hell too. “I'm a writer. I don't go by my real name though so don't even think you’ll know the books I've written.”

“Wow!” Donghae stares at him in shock. “For real? What genre do you write?” He asks and tries to be calm but the tone in his voice gives the fact that he's very excited away.

“Hm, I wrote a couple of mystery novels. I'm trying to shift away from that genre though and try romance, which is why you've found that the only page I had is blank.”

“Wow,” The brunet says, still with the amusement in his tone. “I love books and mysteries! And I bet I've read one of yours already.”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm still not giving you my author name anyway.” Hyukjae teases.

“Hmp, I'm sure I'll find out soon.” Donghae exclaims, determined. “You know, if I wasn't so heartbroken about my boyfriend, I'd probably date you. I bet it would be cool to date a mysterious author.”

“I hope you wouldn't be too bad of a first experience.” He chuckles.

“What do you mean ‘first’? You never dated?”

“Yes.” Hyukjae touches his nape awkwardly.

“What the hell?” Donghae’s eyes widen in surprise. “How old are you?”

He fakes a cough and says, “I'm 28.”

“You're 28 and never dated? Come on, are you that heartless?”

“I'm not heartless!” Hyukjae pouts. “It's just that I'm a ‘big loser’ and no one even wants to be friends with me back in my school days, like remember when I told you that no one wanted to have me as their group mate in our thesis? And I’ve been occupying myself with work since I finished college.” He rants. “In fact, you're the first person I talked with like this aside from my family and my one friend ‘cause I'm unsociable like that.”

“Oh,” Donghae makes that kicked-puppy expression and Hyukjae feels a little regretful for his attitude when he sees that. “I'm sorry. Did they ever bully you?”

“Verbally, well, yes. But you know, you'll get used to it, and you should never let anyone’s words get to you in the first place. They can talk about you, but at the end of the day, it's your life, and it's your choice if you it up just because of worthless s.”

Donghae thinks, as he lays on the bed with Hyukjae peacefully snoring, that he admires him just a little bit. He easily trusts people and feeds them soup and listens to their problems, gives them advices and keeps them warm on a stormy night.

It's already the next morning. The sun is up, the birds are chirping, and the waves splashing on the nearby beach sounds calm.

They both are eating breakfast prepared by Hyukjae, with Donghae promising that he'll finish all of Hyukjae’s chocolates before he leaves and the other scolds him because those chocolates apparently inspires him to write. Donghae says he doesn't see it working last night and Hyukjae just groans in defeat.

“Where do you even study? I have to find you and make you pay for the chocolates you stole.”

“I study in Kyunghee, and I'll pay you back alright.” He snickers and sticks his tongue out at Hyukjae.

“You brat.”

Hyukjae doesn't know how Donghae already managed to take his breath away for a couple of times even though they just met yesterday; doesn't even understand how could he have trusted Donghae that fast. Is it because of the longing he had inside him that he let someone enter just like that?

But now that someone is leaving and the longing will surely start again.

“What do you think of love, Donghae?” Hyukjae asks him before Donghae turns the door knob and leave.

“Hmm, what’s with the question? Do you like me?” He jokes.

Hyukjae rolls his eyes at that, even though he feels just like saying yes. “Psh, just answer me.”

The brunet seems to think of an answer as he pauses in his movements. “Well, I think it's complicated? What I mean is that, it's confusing how someone can make you feel so lightheaded and at the same time make you feel like you've been stabbed in the heart for an infinite amount of times, you know?”

The other nods, understanding the explanation and proceeds to ask more, “Are you willing to give it a try again?”

“Love? Probably,” He shrugs. “but not with my ex. Trust is a different issue, sadly.”

Then, are you willing to give it a try with me?

“I see. Uhm...goodbye then.”

Donghae opens the door and he turns his back to face Hyukjae for the last time. "You know, I actually thought you're a mean guy who has a zero social life, turns out you do have a zero social life, but you're nice enough to lend someone lots of chocolates." He giggles.

“Yeah right, my dearest chocolates. I wouldn’t be able to work without them now.” Hyukjae laughs with him and his gums peek out and Donghae thinks that he has a nice laugh.

“Oh shut up, I've left you two packs.”

A few seconds and a couple of awkward stares later, Donghae says goodbye and Hyukjae waves at him until his figure disappears from his sight.

Hyukjae has been long looking for that certain inspiration that he needs to write his novel. The company he's in told him that he doesn't even need to do romance, but you know those things you just feel like doing without a concrete reason? That's what he felt.

And so two months before the deadline, he came to Jeju, in hopes of finding that. He doesn't know in what form that inspiration could be.

It seems that it came in the form of a guy drenched in the rain. He muses as he locks the gate of the house he rented with his luggage on hand as he stares at the number #0718 on the entrance.

He goes back to the city, with stories about a man searching for his love in his head.

“Oh thank goodness, noona! You answered!”

“Where have you been?! I was so worried about you, you !”

“Well, I'm sorry for being a but you wrote the wrong house number on the paper you gave me!”

“What the hell? It's #0715, Donghae, can't you even read?”

“...your penmanship .”

“What are you saying?!”

“I said don't write five as eight the next time!”

 A/N: hello! happy eunhae day everyone!!!!!! It's alr 12:11 am kst so yes i'm hella early lol comments? Hope u enjoyed it! ♡