Chapter 4

IX. Kiss No. 9 – Exploration Half a year has passed since his break-up and Jeonghan laughs as he look back at all the crazy adventures that he’s had with different guys from different walks of life. He suddenly recalls a memory from two days ago, when he met a b-boy street dancer while strolling around the Gangnam district… As part of his research paper, Jeonghan went off to interview people about their perspectives on love. He’s gotten some interesting and cliche answers but one answer that stood out to him the most was by a guy, Myungho, if he remembers correctly. “What I think about love? I don’t know, I haven’t been in love but they say you’ll find out after you get a kiss.” The last word sparked Jeonghan’s interest and suddenly he feels like he became a better person. He politely took Minghao to a quiet corner away from the busy street, saying that he will be performing a quick experiment. “If I give you a chance to find out if I’m your soulmate or not, would you accept the offer?” “Of course. I’ll even thank your generosity.” The younger’s doe eyes sparkled as he manages to spur out his Korean in an endearing way, causing Jeonghan’s insides to churn at the cute aura. Surely he wouldn’t pass up the chance to have a taste, and so they locked lips for a while, probably adding a bit of tongue for a few seconds, only to pull back to gasp for air. “Well? Are you in love?” Jeonghan asks, still a bit dazed from the lip lock. The younger just replied with a shake of the head. The response somehow gave Jeonghan a sense of relief, for he too didn’t harbor any feelings for the other during and after the kiss. They parted ways after that, in hopes that they come across each other once more with a better setting. Jeonghan still passes by the spot where they met, and he sees the same familiar faces, especially a doe-eyed boy with a cat-like smile, but no sign of Myungho. And until today, Jeonghan still hopes to encounter that Myungho guy once again. X. Kiss No. 10 – Accident One of the things Jeonghan loves to do is to come across friends whom he has not spoken to in a long time. And today was quite eventful when he came across his childhood friend, Lee Seokmin. They met one time when they were five, when they pretended to be adults who were pen pals. They have, however, drifted apart once they started school, not leaving behind any form of contact to keep in touch. It was on a burger joint just somewhere near the university and they agreed to stay and chat for a while to catch up on the lives they missed. They were happily munching on their burgers when the topic was about relationships. Seokmin saw the change of Jeonghan’s gaze as he shares the experience about his ex girlfriend. Of course, Jeonghan had to leave out the part of him kissing random guys to avoid any misunderstanding but their eyes met and suddenly it was a heavy kind of tension filling the room. Before they knew it, their faces closed the distance and Seokmin has his lips on Jeonghan, who was too stunned to move or respond. The kiss lasted for about three seconds and the air turned awkward for both of them. “I like you Jeonghan. Since we were children, you’ve had my heart.” “Seokmin, you’re a nice guy and all but--” Jeonghan was about to respond when his phone alarm rang, an indication that his next class was coming up. “I’m sorry I’ll be late I have to go, bye!” On the way outside, Jeonghan bumped into someone, causing his things to scatter on the floor. After he hurriedly dusted himself and collected his belongings, with the help of the brunette he just crashed with, he dashed off while mumbling a quick apology. Little did he know that he didn’t take something important from the confused brunette’s hands. XI. Kiss No. 11 – Sympathy Club activities just finished and when Jeonghan was about to exit the hallways, he hears a faint sniffle and hiccup on an empty classroom just nearby. The curiosity got the best of him as he checks on it and finds a boy, eyes as puffy as his cheeks, crying his heart out while having a little sad background music from his phone. When the older entered the room, Jeonghan didn’t know what to expect, and it certainly was not a pair of arms flung around him, the cloth on his shoulder immediately drenched by the boy’s tear-stained face. “What’s wrong, little boy? Did someone hurt you?” A smooth palm ran through the crying boy’s messed-up locks, causing the other to wail even more. The words that came out were incoherent except for “Seokmin”, “broke with”, and “why”. “You know Seok-?! I mean, did your boyfriend just break up with you?” The scene in front of him broke his heart, as Jeonghan knows how it’s like to have your heart broken by the one you entrusted it to. “Would a kiss make it feel better?” He blurted out of the blue, and the boy whose eyes now disappeared just nodded, though Jeonghan doubts he’s understood what he just said. Without any more words, Jeonghan pressed his lips on the other’s damp pair. The kiss was short and chaste, yet enough to ease the other from crying too much. When things got calmer, the boy spoke in a hushed voice. “Thanks for being here. I’m Soonyoung, by the way.” “Nice to meet you Soonyoung. It’s getting late. Let’s wash up your face and walk home.” -- When he arrived home, Jeonghan’s head buzzed with a lot of thoughts. Of Seokmin’s relationship with the boy, of the kisses, and when he’ll finally get to find the one. And in his dreams he kisses a blurred figure. This time, he’s in love.