“Mom ! Mom ! Can we go play outside ? Please !” Kibum asked, tugging at his mother’s sleeve.

 

“Please mom !” Taemin begged, standing beside him.

 

Their grandparents had come to have dinner with them for Christmas but it was boring. They all kept talking about grown-up stuff and Kibum and his brother wanted nothing more than to go out and play. It was snowing outside and Taemin wanted to build a snowman.

 

Their mother stared at them, biting her lip as she thought it over. Her children were looking up at her with puppy eyes and a pout on their lips. They both knew she couldn’t resist them when they did that and they both used it every time they wanted something. After a while, she sighed.

 

“Alright, but not for long ! It’s dark outside.”

 

Taemin jumped happily, a huge smile on his face, and his older brother hugged his mother’s waist to thank her. Taemin ran to the front door and Kibum followed him.

 

“Kibum !” Their mother called. Kibum turned around and looked up at her.

 

“You keep an eye on your little brother, okay ?”

 

“Yes mom !”

 

She smiled and they quickly put their coats and scarves on before rushing outside. It was still snowing and the whole ground was covered in snow, so much that they couldn’t see where the pavement ended and the road started. The whole street looked like it was covered by a big white rug and Kibum couldn’t help but think it was pretty, in contrast with the dark sky.

 

“Kibum-hyung ! Kibum-hyung ! Look, we can see the stars !” Taemin said, gasping and pointing the sky with his finger. “Do you think we can make a wish ?”

 

“You can’t make a wish with regular stars, dummy. You need shooting stars !” Kibum chuckled, tapping Taemin’s head. The younger pouted and rubbed his head with his little hand.

 

“Oh… Then do you think we’ll see shooting stars ?” He asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

 

“I don’t know, maybe.” Taemin smiled happily. “Come on, let’s make a snowman.”

 

“Yes !”

 

They both grabbed a bit of snow and started making a ball. However, the process of making a snowman quickly ended up in a snowball fight and the giggles of the two happy brothers filled the cold empty streets. They spent some time playing, but they wouldn’t come back home without having made a snowman. They grabbed the big snow ball they had already started to make and made another one. Kibum grabbed the smaller one to put it on top of the bigger one, shaping the snowman’s body.

 

“Kibum-hyung…” Taemin said, looking at his cold hands and wincing. “It’s cold.”

 

“Taemin-ah, why didn’t you bring your gloves ? Your hands are all red now !” Kibum said. He wanted to lecture his brother more but he refrained to do so when he saw the sad look in the younger’s eyes. “Wait here, Taemin-ah, I’ll go get your gloves. Don’t move, okay ?”

 

Taemin nodded and his brother smiled, ruffling his hair before running to the house. He opened the front door and started looking for his brother’s gloves. When he couldn’t find them, he went to his mom.

 

“Mom, do you know where Taemin’s gloves are ? I can’t find them.”

 

“Where’s Taemin ? Is he still outside ?” She asked with a worried look in his eyes.

 

“He’s waiting for me, I came to get his gloves, he-”

 

“You left him alone outside ?” His mother asked in a high-pitched voice.

 

He didn’t understand why she was so upset, he had only come to get Taemin’s gloves anyway, it wouldn’t take long. They suddenly heard a loud noise coming from outside, and the whole room went silent. Their mother ran to the door and their father followed. Kibum frowned, following them to see what had happened. Kibum took a glance outside and caught sight of a big black car disappearing at the end of the street.

 

“Taemin !” Their mother screamed, running to the body of Kibum’s brother lying on the ground.

 

Kibum’s eyes widened and he ran. He ran as fast as he could to his brother and tears started running down his cheeks. He came closer and noticed that the snow had turned red under his brother’s body and all around him. He stayed still, standing a few feet from his brother. He was terrified to come closer. Taemin looked up at him, a small smile on his lips.

 

“Hyung… There w-was a shooting star… Kibum-hyu…ng...”

 

Kibum stayed frozen, staring at his brother’s lifeless body as an endless flow of tears ran down his cheeks and fell in the snow. The only thing he could remember after was his father grabbing him to get him away from Taemin’s body.

 

 

*

 

 

“There you go.” The man said, giving Jinki the keys. “You’ll be very happy here, I’m sure of it.”

 

The man left with a huge smile, like he just had made the best deal of his life. Jinki had been forced to move out of his hometown for his new job as a schoolteacher, and he had struggled to find a nice place to live in. There were not many apartments in the small town and he didn’t see the point in renting a big house. It was just him, after all. He had looked for some place quiet - he had lived in a small apartment with noisy neighbours before and he had hated every second of it, especially when he was working - and he had found a small house located in a residential area. To his surprise, the owners were selling the house for a very small price. He had been a bit reluctant at first, seeing that he hadn’t thought of buying a house, but the very low price had made him change his mind. He wouldn’t be moving out anytime soon anyway, and he was over thirty years old, it was probably the best time to buy a house and if he didn’t do it now, when would he ?

 

He opened the front door and put his suitcase down. It was a weird feeling, to look at an old empty house, in a new town, and know that it was his home now. He walked around the house, imagining where he would put the furniture and how he would redecorate it. After a while, he walked down the stairs and saw a little boy standing next to his suitcase. He frowned, and walked closer. The boy was wearing a big puffy jacket, a scarf and a beanie. It was a bit weird, considering they were still in september.

 

“Hello ?” He said, looking down at the boy with a small smile. “What are you doing here ?”

 

The boy looked up and frowned.

 

“I live here.”

 

Jinki frowned, crouching down to be on the boy’s level. He shivered when he felt a cold wind brush against his skin. Maybe the coat and the scarf weren’t such a bad idea, after all. The winters seemed to be rougher in this town, he made a mental note to turn the heating system on later.

 

“What do you mean you live here ?”

 

He had heard that the previous owners had moved out of the country, so it couldn’t be their son. The little boy shrugged.

 

“I live here, it’s my house.”

 

“You must be mistaken, this is my house. I bought it yesterday.” The little boy frowned and Jinki went to the front door, only to find it locked. If he had locked it behind him then how did the boy get in ? He opened the door and turned around, only to find that the boy had disappeared. “What the… Where did he go ?”

 

He walked around the house, checking every room to see if the boy was there, but he was nowhere to be found. After a while, Jinki thought the boy must have gone home. He brushed the thought off and went to sleep.

 

 

*

 

 

When he saw the little boy again, he was in the middle of moving all of his stuff out of the moving van and in the house. He put a big brown box on the ground next to his bed and jumped when he saw the little boy sitting on it. He was staring at Jinki with a curious expression, balancing his tiny legs one side of the bed.

 

“How did you get in here ?” Jinki asked, frowning.

 

“The other room is bigger.”

 

“What ?”

 

He was used to working with children, so he wasn’t that surprised when the little boy ignored him and suddenly changed the subject.

 

“The other room is bigger, it was mom and dad’s.”

 

“I like this room better.” He didn’t know why he had to justify himself to a little boy but he did it anyway.

 

“It’s my room. I mean, Kibum-hyung and I, we lived here. It was our room. But it’s just me now.” The little boy looked down at his lap, but Jinki still caught sight of the sad look in his brown eyes.

 

“Listen.” Jinki said, sitting on the bed beside him. “You can’t come in here anymore. I know this was your home once but you can’t be here anymore, alright ? Your parents should be worried. Do you want me to call them ?”

 

One of the movers came in, frowning a bit.

 

“What was that ? You said something, Mr Lee ?”

 

“Oh, I was just talking to-” He turned his head only to see that the little boy had vanished. The mover raised an eyebrow and Jinki frowned. “...Nevermind.”

 

 

*

 

 

The third time he saw the little boy was a week after that. Jinki was sitting at his desk, looking at his pupil's’ work. He stopped and took off his spectacles, rubbing his tired eyes after staring at papers for too long. When he looked up, the little boy was there, standing in the doorway and staring at Jinki with an apprehensive look. The older froze for a moment, shocked to see that the little boy was there. He was certain all of the doors and windows were locked, how could the little boy get inside his house ?

 

“Hello.” The little boy said shyly.

 

“Hello.” Jinki answered, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Can I tell you something ?” The little boy said, hesitating.

 

“What is it ?” Jinki asked softly.

 

The little boy played with his fingers nervously, staring at the floor.

 

“If I tell you, do you promise not to be scared ?”

 

Jinki smiled softly.

 

“Why would I be scared ?”

 

“Because the others, they were. That’s why they left.” The little boy mumbled, looking up and pouting. “They’re always scared, even though I’m nice with them.”

 

He didn’t know to whom the little boy was referring to when he said ‘they’ but he figured it would be better to just go with the flow.

 

“Why were they scared ?” Jinki asked, frowning.

 

“Because I’m-” The little boy started, before stopping. “I’m-”

 

He pouted, a small frown on his face as if he was mad at himself because he couldn’t bring himself to say what he wanted to say.

 

“You promise, right ? You promise not to be scared ?”

 

Jinki stood up and walked to the little boy, crouching before him.

 

“I won’t be scared. I promise.” He declared with a reassuring smile.

 

“I’m… a ghost.”

 

The little boy looked up to check on Jinki’s reaction while the other remained emotionless. Was… Was he being serious ? Was it some kind of joke ?

 

“Listen, kid…” Jinki started, sighing. “I don’t know why you keep coming here or why you say things like that but you should stop. It’s not funny.”

 

The little frowned, obviously offended.

 

“Of course, it isn’t !” He said louder, a frown on his little face. “Do you think it’s funny to die ? I’m always alone, and nobody wants to talk to me or play with me, and mom and dad and Kibum-hyung they were all sad and I tried to tell them that it was okay, that I was there but they couldn’t see me !”

 

The little boy started crying then, and Jinki frowned. Was he still joking ? But he looked so hurt, so sad and so… lonely. But he had to be joking. There were no such things as ghosts… right ?

 

“Y-you’re not scared of me, then ?” The little boy said, surprised. “You won’t leave like the others did ?”

 

Jinki sighed, looking down and rubbing his face with his hands before looking up. That kid had a big imagination.

 

“Look, kid-” He said, reaching out his hands to tap the little boy’s shoulder gently. Instead of tapping his shoulder, however, his hand came right through the little boy’s body. Jinki completely froze, and his eyes widened. The little boy sighed.

 

“See ? I told you I’m a ghost !”

 

Jinki suddenly jumped back in fright, staring at the little boy with wide eyes. He couldn’t… It wasn’t… It couldn’t be real !

 

“You promise you wouldn’t be scared…” The little boy said, on the brink of tears.

 

Jinki stayed silent, staring at the little boy - or should he say, the ghost - who looked like he was about to cry only a few feet from him. What is even possible ? Was he dreaming ? Did he fall asleep on his desk while working ? Did ghosts really exist ?

 

“I-I…” JInki started, his voice still shaking from the shock. “A-are you really a…”

 

“A ghost ?” The little boy added and Jinki nodded. “Yes ! That’s what I’ve been telling you !”

 

“H-how is it e-even possible ?”

 

“Well… I don’t know, I just know I died, and then I was here.”

 

He wasn’t dreaming… It was real. It had to be ! He had felt it, that cold feeling when his hand passed right through him. It all made sense : why the little boy always seemed to appear out of nowhere even though he had locked the doors, why he said he lived here…

 

Jinki looked at the little boy sadly. He was very young, way too young to die. Nobody deserved to die at such a young age. He knew things like that happened sometimes, but he had only ever heard of it in the newspapers or on TV. He felt even sadder when things like that happened to children. He had dedicated his whole life to teaching, and he spent all day with children that were the same age as this little boy. He felt his heart sink at the thought that one of his pupils may suffer the same fate.

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to you, but I know that it shouldn’t have happened.”

 

He was so young, he had still so many things to learn, so many things to live.

 

It was so unfair.

 

The little boy shrugged.

 

“It’s okay… It was my fault, I wasn’t careful. I was watching the shooting star and I didn’t see the car.” Before Jinki even had the time to say something, the little boy spoke again. “I’m Taemin.”

 

“I’m Jinki.”

 

“Jinki-hyung, you’ll be my friend, right ?”

 

Jinki smiled softly at the little boy. If there was anything he could do, he would.

 

“Sure. I’ll be your friend.”

 

A huge happy smile appeared on the boy’s face and Jinki couldn’t help but smile as well. Taemin was just too cute.

 

“Great ! Because I need you to do something for me.”

 

“Oh ?” Jinki asked, standing up and raising an eyebrow. “What is it ?”

 

“I can’t do it myself and I tried to find someone who could do it for me but you’re the only one who isn’t scared of me… You seem like a good person, so I thought you could do it…”

 

“Do what, Taemin ?”

 

“Go and see my brother.”

 

 

*

 

 

A week later, Jinki was busy brushing his teeth in the bathroom when Taemin appeared again, his arms crossed and a small frown on his face. Jinki didn’t see him at first, it was only when he spat in the sink and looked up in the mirror that he noticed the little boy standing behind him. He jumped.

 

“Taemin ! What are you doing here ? You scared the hell out of me !” Jinki said, turning around to face the little boy and holding a hand on his chest to try and calm his fast beating heart. “What did I say about the bathroom ? You don’t come in here.”

 

“I’ll stop if you go speak to my brother.”

 

Jinki heaved a deep sigh. Taemin had been talking about it non-stop since he had told Jinki he was a ghost. Taemin wanted him to go and say something to his brother but Jinki didn’t think it was a good idea. He wanted to help, but go and see a perfect stranger to tell him that he had a message from the ghost of his dead brother was out of the question.

 

“I told you, Taemin-ah. It’s not that easy.”

 

“It is !” The little boy stubbornly said. “You go to him and say that I love him and that it’s not his fault I died !”

 

“Even if I did that, he wouldn’t believe me.”

 

He knew he wouldn’t, if someone ever told him that.

 

“Then make him believe you ! You have to try !”

 

“He’ll think I’m crazy !” Jinki said, sighing. “Why don’t you go speak to him himself ? You said you could leave the house.”

 

“I already tried that, but he can’t see me.” Taemin explained, frowning and looking down. “I think he’s blocking me, somehow… It was the same for mom and dad. I tried talking to them but they couldn’t hear me.”

 

“Taemin, I can’t go and speak to someone I’ve never met about the ghost of their little brother. He wouldn’t believe me, and besides, it’s a small town. Imagine if he spread the word, the whole town would think I’m crazy. People wouldn’t let me teach their kids.”

 

He had just moved here and was trying his best to blend in. People talking about him and telling everyone that he believed in ghosts was the last thing he wanted. Even if, well, he did believe in ghosts now.

 

“Kibum-hyung isn’t like that, he’s nice !”

 

Jinki threw him an apologetic look.

 

“I’m sorry, Taemin. Really. If there is anything else I can do, I will, but this is too risky.”

 

Taemin looked up at him with teary eyes and an angry look on his face. He was clenching his little fists.

 

“Is your work that important to you ? All these years I tried to tell him, because he thinks it’s all his fault ! Isn’t his happiness worth the risk ?”

 

“Taemin-”

 

“No !” The little boy shouted, sniffing. “I’m not going anywhere ! I’ll stay here and ask you to speak with him until you do it !”

 

Jinki sighed and Taemin disappeared, leaving him with a guilty feeling in his stomach.

 

 

*

 

 

“Tell him.”

 

“No.”

 

“Tell him.”

 

“No.” Jinki said in the authoritative voice he used with his pupils when they were too noisy or misbehaving. It didn’t seem to make a difference, however. Taemin was particularly stubborn.

 

“Tell him.”

 

“Taemin-”

 

“I told you, I’ll keep asking until you do it.” Taemin said, a determined look on his face. “And I won’t get bored, I’ve been here for years and I have all the time in the world.”

 

Jinki sighed, taking off his spectacles and putting them down on his desk next to his papers. He rubbed his face and took a deep breath. Taemin had been bothering him non-stop and even if he had tried to stay away from him, it was very difficult to avoid a determined ghost who was living in his house.

 

“We discussed this. I won’t tell him.”

 

“Fine.” Taemin said simply.

 

Jinki thought this was the end of it and got back to his work. After a few minutes of silence though, Taemin spoke again.

 

“Tell him.”

 

Jinki groaned.

 

 

*

 

 

It was a few weeks later, when Jinki saw Taemin standing in front of his classroom that he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. The little boy had been repeating the same words over and over and over again and it was driving Jinki crazy. He couldn’t even sleep at night, because Taemin was always standing next to his bed, telling him to go see his brother. All of his colleagues had noticed how tired he was and the director had even suggested that Jinki took a few days off to rest. But his patience finally reached its limit when he saw Taemin follow him at work. Some of his pupils saw him and Jinki felt bad for lying every time they asked if he had seen him too.

 

“Tell him.”

 

“Fine !” Jinki shouted in the - thankfully - empty corridor. “Fine, I’ll go see him !”

 

“Really ?” Taemin asked with a big hopeful smile.

 

“Yes. I’ll try and speak with him but you have to promise me that you won’t be mad at me if he doesn’t believe me.”

 

“Yes ! Yes, I promise !” Taemin said, jumping excitedly. “I promise ! Thank you, Jinki-hyung !”

 

“Now go back home before anyone sees you.” Jinki said, heaving a sigh.

 

“Alright !” Taemin said with a huge smile before running out of the corridor.

 

“Ah, this kid…” Jinki said, with still a fond smile on his lips before going back to class.

 

 

*

 

 

Taemin told him the address of his brother’s house and instructions on how to get there, in case he got lost. The little boy was ecstatic. He kept speaking about what he would say to his brother - or what Jinki would say, since his brother couldn’t see Taemin - and hadn’t stopped smiling. Jinki couldn’t help but worry a little. He knew Taemin’s brother wouldn’t react the way Taemin wanted him to. It was very unlikely that his brother believed Jinki.

 

“You’ll see ! He’s very nice ! He’s the coolest brother ever !” Taemin said with a big smile, before giggling. “Even though he’s old. He has weird hair too, they’re all white now.”

 

Jinki had forgotten that Taemin had died many years ago… Until now, he hadn’t realize the little boy’s brother might have been very old. He wondered how long Taemin had been haunting his house… He felt his heart sink a bit at the thought of the little boy’s spirit being trapped there for decades.

 

“It’s there !” Taemin screamed when they passed by the house. “Stop !”

 

Jinki parked his car a few feet away and Taemin jumped out of the car, passing through the door as he did so. I am never going to get used to this, Jinki thought. Taemin ran to the house and gestured for Jinki to come with big hand motions. Jinki couldn’t help but smile at the little boy’s cuteness.

 

When he got to the front door, he took a deep breath. He looked down at the little boy standing beside him and opened his mouth to tell him to go before anyone could see him before remembering that his brother couldn’t see him. The streets were empty and it was very unlikely for someone to see Taemin. He raised his hand to the doorbell, hesitating. Come on, Jinki. You’re doing this for Taemin. He rang the doorbell and waited, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. What can I possibly tell him anyway ? ‘Oh hello there Mr Kim, we don’t know each other but the ghost of your dead brother asked me to give you a message. I promise I’m not crazy !’... As if it was even possible for someone to believe that...

 

Taemin passed his head through the front door and came back, a happy smile on his face.

 

“He’s coming !”

 

A few seconds later the door opened, and Jinki froze. In front of him was standing a man around his age with soft blond hair. Jinki wondered for a moment if he really was the person he was looking for, but the light brown color of the man’s eyes was unmistakably the same as Taemin’s. The shape was different, though, and it reminded Jinki of a cat’s eyes. He had a smooth, milky white skin and pink bow-shaped lips. Pretty bow-shaped lips that stretched into a smile when he noticed Jinki’s staring.

 

“Can I help you ?”

 

The man’s voice was actually deeper than he had expected and Jinki was left speechless.

 

“I… Er…”

 

“Go on,” Taemin said, looking at him expectantly. “Tell him !”

 

“I w-was… Erm...”

 

The man raised an eyebrow, an amused expression on his face as Jinki struggled to find his words.

 

“Do you happen to have some bread, by any chance ?” Jinki said in one breath.

 

Taemin made a face and his brother looked at him as if he were a crazy person. He probably looked like one, seeing how he acted.

 

“Bread ?” The man asked, frowning. “Are you a neighbour ?”

 

“Well…”

 

“What are you doing ?” Taemin asked, frowning. Jinki glanced at him and couldn’t help but notice the two brothers had the same expression. “Tell him about me !”

 

“Well ?” The man asked, obviously expecting an answer.

 

“Y-yes !” Jinki answered, perhaps being a little too loud.

 

The man looked at him funny but he still had a small smile on his lips.

 

“Alright, stay here, I’ll be right back.”

 

“W-Why ?” Jinki asked, frowning.

 

“The bread.” The man answered, chuckling.

 

“Oh ! Right !” Jinki said, laughing awkwardly. “Of course !”

 

The man looked him up and down before leaving, smiling softly. When he was out of sight, Taemin turned to him.

 

“What was that ?”

 

“You told me your brother was an old man !” Jinki said in a hushed voice.

 

“Well yeah, he is.” Taemin said, obviously not understanding where the problem was.

 

“He must barely be older than me ! If not younger !”

 

“You’re old too.” Taemin giggled.

 

Jinki heaved a sigh, shaking his head. Of course adults would seem old to Taemin.

 

“Is that why you looked surprised ?” The little boy asked, curious.

 

“Well, that and…”

 

“And what ?” Taemin asked, frowning.

 

“Here’s your bread.” The man said, returning with a small bread and giving it to Jinki.

 

“Ah ! Thank you.” Jinki said, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed.

 

“You’re welcome.” The man said, smiling. “Are you new in town ? I’ve never seen you before.”

 

“Y-yes, I moved in a few weeks ago. I teach at the school, my name’s Jinki.”

 

“I’m Kibum.” The man answered, reaching out to shake Jinki’s hand. Jinki couldn’t help but notice how soft and pretty his hand was. “Welcome to the neighbourhood, Jinki-sshi.”

 

“T-thank you.”

 

“If you need anything else, just ask. We’re all very friendly here, and I know how tiring moving in can be.”

 

“O-okay. I will.” Jinki said, smiling. “I should go now.”

 

“See you around, Jinki-sshi.” Kibum said with a smile.

 

“Y-yes. See you.” Jinki said, waving as Kibum closed the front door. He heard Taemin heave a sigh beside him. Jinki turned to him with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Taemin-ah. I couldn’t-”

 

“What did you want to say ?” The little boy asked. “‘And...’ what ? What did you want to say ?”

 

“Oh.” Jinki said, walking away from the house and to his car. “I just… didn’t expect him to be so…”

 

“So what ?” Taemin asked, obviously annoyed at Jinki’s incomplete sentences.

 

“So beautiful.” Jinki whispered with a small sigh, getting in the car.

 

“What ?” Taemin said with wide eyes, getting in the car as well.

 

 

*

 

 

“You should try again !” Taemin said, following Jinki in the small supermarket much like a puppy would follow its mother.

 

Only a few days had passed after he had gone to Taemin’s brother, but the little boy was very persistent. He wouldn’t stop talking about his brother, and for once, Jinki was actually listening. He knew he probably wouldn’t tell his brother about Taemin anyway if he met him again, but it didn’t hurt to listen to what Taemin had to say about him. The little boy loved talking about his brother, even a blind man could have seen the way his eyes sparkled when he mentioned him, how proud he looked when he talked about him. Jinki couldn’t help but find it adorable, and a little sad. Because no matter how proud Taemin was of his brother, the latter would probably never know. Maybe that’s why Jinki couldn’t bring himself to tell Taemin he didn’t want to attempt to speak to his brother again.

 

“You know him now !”

 

“We’ve talked once, Taemin-ah.” Jinki said, grabbing a box of cereals from the shelf and throwing it in his shopping cart. “And it was far from a long conversation. Look, I don’t think I can tell-”

 

Taemin gasped, his eyes widening as he pointed a finger towards the produce section. Jinki frowned, looking up to see Taemin’s brother standing in front of a pile of apples. He was dressed in a long black coat with what seemed to be a fluffy pink sweater underneath. Jinki unconsciously pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose to look at him more closely.

 

“Why are you looking at him like that ?” Taemin asked, a bit curious.

 

“Like what ?” Jinki asked, glancing at the little boy for a second before eyeing the man again.

 

“You know… Like that.” Taemin explained, a small happy smile appearing on his lips. “Is it because you think he’s beautiful ?”

 

“Taemin-ah-” Jinki started, sighing and looking down at his shopping cart. “I don’t- I…”

 

“I heard Mrs Park say we were beautiful once... She’s the neighbour, I mean, she was the neighbour. She’s gone now. She always gave us candy but she always pinched my cheeks. I didn’t like it but she gave us candy so I thought it was worth it, you know.” The little boy said, a small pout on his mouth. Jinki couldn’t help but find it cute. “And I was mad at her, because I thought boys couldn’t be beautiful because it’s a girl’s thing, but then dad said boys can be beautiful too.”

 

Jinki didn’t really know why Taemin was telling him all this, but he had grown used to the little boy randomly telling stories. He liked to talk to Jinki about whatever crossed his mind, and the older let him. It had probably spent a lot of time alone, and he figured Taemin just needed to have someone to talk to.

 

“Dad always said mom was beautiful too, but it’s not the same.” Taemin said, frowning a bit with a thoughtful expression. “I don’t think it’s the same kind of beautiful. He always had that look in his eyes when he said it to mom. I think when you say ‘beautiful’, you mean the second kind of beautiful.”

 

“Taemin-ah, I don’t thi-”

 

“Go talk to him !” The little boy said, completely ignoring Jinki.

 

“No.” Jinki said, shaking his head. “I won’t talk to him again. You saw what happened last time.”

 

“But you only tried talking to him once !” Taemin protested. “You don’t have to tell him about me now, if that’s what you’re afraid of. You can become friends first, it’ll be easier ! You’ll tell him later !”

 

“I don’t know, Taemin, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

“Are you afraid to go see him ? Because I’m sure I can try to make him come to you !”

 

Before Jinki even had a chance to say anything, Taemin vanished. The older man looked around him, searching for him and his eyes fell on his brother standing by the fruit section. He was looking down at a bunch of oranges. Come on, Taemin, where are you ? Oh God, please don’t do anything stupid. He moved closer to the produce section, trying to look for Taemin without looking too suspicious. The little boy was nowhere to be seen. He felt suddenly something hit his foot and when he looked down, he saw an onion rolling on the floor. Jinki frowned. There was a noise, and when he looked up, he saw an entire crate of onions shaking violently a few meters from him. There were onions falling on the floor in every direction and he had to take a step back. Everyone was staring at the crate with wide eyes, including Jinki. It suddenly stopped though, and everyone was still eyeing the crate suspiciously. After a few minutes of the crate not moving, people went back to their grocery shopping like nothing had happened. Jinki looked up from the now empty onion crate and his eyes fell on Taemin’s brother. The man was looking right back at him, and when his eyes met Jinki’s, he smiled and waved at him. Jinki could only wave back awkwardly.

 

“He saw you.” Taemin said, back at Jinki’s side. The older jumped at the sudden apparition. “He’s coming ! Now when he gets here, you talk to him.”

 

“What do I even say to him ?” Jinki whispered, staring at the man walking towards him.

 

“I don’t know.” Taemin said, shrugging. “Just talk to him.”

 

Great.

 

“Hey.” Taemin’s brother said when he was close enough. Jinki smiled.

 

“H-hi.” He stuttered, desperately trying to find something to say to the other man. He could feel both Taemin and his brother eyeing him. “So… You’re grocery shopping ?”

 

The man chuckled and Jinki couldn’t help but smile. Two little dimples appeared on his cheeks whenever the man smiled, and Jinki wondered if he had ever seen something that beautiful.

 

“Yes. I have to, someone came by a few days ago and took all of my bread.”

 

“That’s a shame.” He said with a smile. He stared at him for a second, trying to look away but failing miserably. “Listen I… I’m sorry I took all your bread. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

 

“Well, you could make it up to me by having dinner with me.”

 

Jinki’s eyes widened and he shakingly pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. It was a quirk he had. Taemin’s brother was straightforward to say the least. He hadn’t expected the other to say something like that, and it left him speechless. He could feel himself blushing slightly as he stared at the other, opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. The other man was biting his lower lip and looking at Jinki expectantly.

 

“W-well, I suppose I could do that...”

 

“Great ! I should get going now, I was just buying a few things before going back to work… Saturday then ? Eight o’clock ? You already know where I live.”

 

Jinki chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

 

“Yeah...” He was smiling widely now, already feeling a bit more confident. “I’ll bring the bread.”

 

The man chuckled and took a step back, waving.

 

“See you Saturday, Jinki-sshi.”

 

“See you.” He replied, waving back.

 

“Why are you smiling like that ?”

 

Jinki jumped at Taemin’s voice. He had been so engrossed in the moment that he had forgotten the little boy was there.

 

“Well I’m just… happy your plan worked. We talked.” Taemin was squinting at Jinki, apparently not sure if the older man was telling the truth or not. “You should be happy too, you know. I’ll be seeing him again.”

 

“I am happy !” Taemin said, rolling his eyes. A big smile appeared on his little face and he started skipping excitedly. “He invited you to his house ! It means he wants to be friends with you ! You two will become great friends and you’ll tell him all about me then !”

 

Even though Jinki doubted it was a good thing. If he had no intention of telling his brother about Taemin before, he certainly had even less intention of telling him now. He was not sure how this invitation qualified as, but he had enough experience in life to tell that it looked very much like the beginning of something more than just friendship.

 

 

*

 

 

A few days later, Jinki found himself standing in front of Kibum’s door, holding bread in one hand and a small black bag containing a bottle of wine in the other. Taemin was standing beside him with a huge smile, and Jinki sighed. He had tried to convince him to stay home, but the little boy was more stubborn than anyone he had ever met, and he had decided to go with Jinki whether the older man liked it or not.

 

“I still don’t think it was necessary for you to come with me.” He told Taemin, still trying to get him to leave even if he knew it was a lost cause. “I won’t tell him about you today.”

 

“I want to stay.” Taemin said simply, staring at the door in front of him.

 

Jinki sighed and knocked on Kibum’s door. He knew trying to convince Taemin to go home was useless, but he couldn’t help from trying.

 

The door opened and Jinki felt his knees go weak when he saw the person standing before him. Kibum was even more beautiful than before - if it was even possible -, with his blond hair neatly parted to the sides, his delicate features highlighted by a bit of makeup, and piercing feline eyes that seemed to be looking right through Jinki’s soul. He was wearing a white button-up shirt half tucked in a pair of chic black pants. He had a very fashionable look and Jinki felt bad for not having dressed a little better. He was not that interested in clothes, but right now he thought he could have put a little more effort in his outfit.

 

“Is there something wrong ?” Kibum asked with a small frown when he noticed Jinki staring at his clothes.

 

“No, no it’s just… You look… Great. You look great.” It brought a small smile to Kibum’s lips and Jinki smiled as well. “I should have dressed better.”

 

“Nah,” The other man said, eyeing his clothes. “you look cute like that.”

 

Jinki blushed at the other man’s comment and the other’s smile widened.

 

“Come on, don’t stay there all night. Come in.” He said, gesturing for him to come in.

 

Jinki followed him and so did Taemin, who had been silently watching the interactions between the two adults with a small smile.

 

“You brought something ?” Kibum asked, looking at what he was holding.

 

“Oh, yes ! I bought some bread and a bottle of wine.” He explained, handing it all to Kibum who put everything on the table. He took the bottle of wine from the bag and gasped a little. “What is it ? You don’t like it ?”

 

“Not at all… It’s my favorite, actually.” Kibum said, staring at the bottle in his hands before looking up at Jinki. “How did you know ?”

 

Taemin told me.

 

“Well, er… It was just an intuition, I guess.”

 

Kibum’s smile widened and he then proceeded to take Jinki’s coat. They sat at a small dinner table and talked while dinner was cooking.

 

“So you’re a teacher at the school, right ? That’s what you said before.” Kibum said, pouring some wine in his and Jinki’s glass. “It must be tiring, teaching small kids.”

 

“Oh, a little I guess.” He said, chuckling. “But I love teaching, I’ve always loved teaching. And teenagers make me a bit uncomfortable and I didn’t see myself teaching at a university so… School it is.”

 

“I couldn’t do what you do. I don’t have the patience.” Kibum admitted, sitting down beside Jinki.

 

“What do you do, then ? You know I’m a teacher but I still don’t know what you do for a living.”

 

“I’m a physiotherapist.”

 

“And you say you don’t have the patience ?” Jinki teased, smiling. “I think helping adults while they’re recovering is harder than teaching young children. Some people are grumpy when they’re hurt, they must be hard to deal with.”

 

“They are sometimes.” Kibum chuckled. “But nobody better complain with me, or they’ll get their kicked.”

 

“That’s pretty harsh for a physio.” Jinki said jokingly. “I don’t think I’d like to be your patient.”

 

“That’s a shame, you know...” Kibum said, getting up to go check on the cooking meal. He walked past Jinki, stopping next to him and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. “I’m pretty good with my hands.”

 

Jinki could feel his face turn a bright shade of red at the innuendo and Kibum winked at him before leaving.

 

“I don’t get it.”

 

Jinki jumped at Taemin’s voice, and turned his head towards the puzzled little boy. He had completely forgotten Taemin was there.

 

“You’ll understand when you’re-”

 

Older.

 

No, he wouldn’t.

 

He will never get older.

 

His smile faded.

 

After a while, Taemin’s brother came back with the food and they ate peacefully. Jinki tried to push the negative thoughts in a corner of his mind and enjoy the moment, but he couldn’t help but think of Taemin. His constant presence when he spent time with his brother made him uncomfortable. He had told himself the only reason why was because he didn’t like to be watched at all times, but there actually was another reason. He couldn’t help but feel guilty. Guilty because Taemin’s brother had caught his eye the very moment they had met. Guilty because Taemin deserved closure, and his selfish desires kept him from telling Kibum. Guilty because he was being selfish by hiding the truth from Kibum, and he didn’t know if he ever would have the courage to tell him.

 

Taemin must have sensed the change in Jinki’s behaviour, because after a while he left the two of them alone without a word. Kibum must have noticed it too, but he didn’t comment on it, and Jinki was thankful for that. The blond just kept speaking to him, talking about this and that, and it greatly lifted Jinki’s mood. He quickly forgot about the guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach as he felt his heart being filled by a familiar feeling he hadn’t felt in years.

 

 

*

 

 

The first time Jinki kissed Kibum - or rather the first time Kibum kissed him -, he was standing by the footsteps of Kibum’s house, and he felt so happy he felt like his heart was about to burst. Kibum’s lips were as soft as they looked like, and tasted like the fruity wine they had drank earlier. His lips fitted just perfectly against his own, like they had been meant to kiss all along, and he just couldn’t get enough of it. He slid his arms around the man’s small waist and he felt Kibum’s slender fingers tangle in his hair. He held Kibum close, afraid that this amazing, peaceful moment would end soon. He had never felt more at home than in those moments, when he held Kibum in his arms. They parted - too soon for Jinki’s liking - and stared at each other for a few seconds. The moonlight illuminated Kibum’s face and it took Jinki’s breath away. He slowly raised his hand to caress his cheek.

 

“What ?” Kibum whispered, smiling softly.

 

He wondered at Kibum’s beauty. His milky white skin, his hypnotizing feline eyes, his cute button nose, his sharp jawline and cheekbones… Jinki looked down at his pink bow-shaped lips - still glistening from the kiss they exchanged - and he couldn’t stop himself from saying out loud what he kept repeating in his head every time he saw the younger man.

 

“You’re so beautiful.”

 

Kibum snorted then, a small smile stretching his lips.

 

“You’re such a cheesy old man.”

 

This time, it’s Jinki who leaned in to claim Kibum’s lips. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the sensation of their lips moving slowly against each other. The kiss was sweet and gentle, much like Jinki himself, and Kibum leaned in his warm embrace.

 

They were both too lost in the moment to notice the little boy standing a few feet away, whose eyes were sparkling with joy and whose lips were forming the happiest of smiles.