A/N:- Rewritten~

~~~~~~~~~



~Knock~knock~



“Hyukjae? Wake up Sweetie you’re going to be late for your classes.”

A beautiful brunet stirred in his sleep as his eyes opened. Waking up after hearing his mother call him, he sat up on bed and stretched as he glanced towards the clock by the bedside table. It was already 7AM. Time to get up for college. Yawning, he removed the covers and lowered his legs down from the bed.

“Are you up yet?” He heard his mother call from outside his room.

“I’m up!” He answered before getting off his bed and walking to his bathroom. He did his morning routine before getting ready and walking out his room and down to the kitchen. Hyukjae walked in finding his mother washing the dishes while his father was sitting down on the table reading this morning’s newspaper while sipping his coffee.

“Morning Mom, Dad.” He greeted before sitting down beside his father and taking a bite of the already laid out breakfast.

“Morning.” His father greeted back taking another sip from his coffee. He glanced at his son for a brief second before clearing his throat and placing down his cup as he turned to face his son.

“How are you feeling today?” He asked, striking up a conversation with a smile which Hyukjae quickly returned.

“Good.” He answered. His father nodded still smiling before clearing his throat.

“You know, Siwon came to my office yesterday. He said that you weren’t picking up his calls.” His father then brought up, looking at Hyukjae with a hint of accusation. Hearing that, Hyukjae frowned, his smile long gone.

“And I won’t pick them up.” He stated firmly causing his father to sigh.

“I just don’t understand why you hate him so much. He’s a good guy and I know for a fact that he can take good care of you.” His father said and it was Hyukjae's turn to sigh this time as he placed down his fork, looking at his father.

“I really can’t stand that guy dad! I don’t understand how you’re forcing me to be with someone that I don’t even feel attracted to!” Hyukjae exclaimed angrily, standing up and taking his backpack, wanting to get out of there before he has another fight with his father. This has been going around for months now. Siwon was his father's friend's son who his father was trying to set him up with. Apparently, the guy liked Hyukjae and this made his father ecstatic because you see, Siwon's father owned one of the biggest companies in Korea. So having them dating with marriage in mind would mean for them to eventually merge both businesses together which would benefit Hyukjae's father's growing company greatly. But this all didn't sit well with Hyukjae. The thought that he's being used with zero regards to his feelings frustrated him beyond words. That's why he refuses this with his whole entire being. He'll never get together with Siwon. Never. That's why he turned around ready to leave but as expected, his father held his hand preventing him from going. He turned and looked at his father who was now looking at him with a frown; obviously getting mad.

“I invited him and his parents today for dinner.” His father stated and Hyukjae just shook his head.

“I’m not coming. I promised my friends to go out with them today.” Hyukjae tried to come up with an excuse but that only caused him to earn a glare from his father.

“I expect you back here by 8. Do not be late.” His father stated firmly and let go of Hyukjae’s hand. Hyukjae pursed his lips in irritation before walking away and out of the house without saying anything - knowing that it was useless arguing with his father.

“Don’t you think that you’re being a little too harsh? You can’t force such things you know.” Hyukjae’s mother pointed out to her husband who just sighed before sitting back down.


“He’s young and careless. He doesn’t know what’s best for him yet.” He said taking his newspaper to continue reading. His wife just sighed, shaking her head before taking away the plates.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“Morning Hyukkie!” Hyukjae was making his way inside the lecture halls building when he heard a familiar voice call his name from behind. He turned around to find his grinning best friend walking towards him.

“Morning Sungmin.” He greeted back with a small smile and continued walking with his friend beside him.

“Why the long face?” Sungmin asked and Hyukjae just sighed at that. He could never hide anything from his friend.

“My Dad. He’s still pressuring me with the ‘Siwon’ issue” Hyukjae replied with a frown. Sungmin looked at his obviously bothered friend wondering how he could cheer the other up. He knew that Hyukjae’s father had been bothering him with getting together with Siiwon -Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing since Siwon had everything anyone could ever wish for. He was rich, a gentleman and probably one of the most handsome people in the country; if not in the world. But Hyukjae, even though he gave him a chance before just to please his father at the very start, he couldn’t fall for him. And Hyukjae was the type who wanted a fairy tale kind of love. You know when you're so captivated by your partner that the whole world feels like it's just filled with colors and rainbows when you're with them and butterflies go rampant in your stomach? Yeah that type of love. Which is one of the reasons why being forced to be with someone he didn’t like was so irritating that he started to hate the other instead of love. Sungmin thought for awhile trying to find a way to cheer Hyukjae up before grinning when he finally came up with an idea.

“Well, I know exactly what will cheer you up!” He said excitedly causing Hyukjae to chuckle.

“And What’s that?” Hyukjae asked, smiling with an eyebrow raised.

“There’s a new carnival opening in town today. How about we go after we’re finished with our lectures today? And I’ll invite the rest of the gang to come with us too!” Sungmin said excitedly but Hyukjae just sighed hearing that before shaking his head.

“I can’t. My dad invited Siwon and his parents over for dinner today. I have to be back by 8.” Hyukjae said with a frown not looking forward to what he has to deal with when he returns home. Sungmin stopped and thought for a while trying to come up with a solution since he hated how bothered his friend looked.

“Well, We’re going to finish classes at 5 right? Let’s go directly after and return by 7:30. Like that you’ll be home exactly at 8, right?” Sungmin suggested. Hyukjae thought for a second before smiling and nodded.

“I guess that’s okay.”

“Great! Let’s go tell the rest!” Sungmin said before taking Hyukjae’s hand and pulling him into the lecture hall.




~~~~~~~~




“All here?” Sungmin asked looking at all their friends standing before him. There were 10 people in total including Sungmin and Hyukjae.

“Yes sir!” A black haired guy answered with a salute making the group chuckle from his little act. Sungmin grinned at him before clasping his hand.

“Great! Let’s get going then!” He said excitedly before they walked and divided themselves into 3 cars. They drove for half an hour before arriving in font of the carnival gates. The sun had just set so the carnival lights were b in the darkness while the gates were crowded with people coming from different parts of town. Everywhere couples were coming for dates, families taking their children out for some fun family time and groups of friends coming to hang out, just like Hyukjae and his friends.

“We’re finally here! I’ll go buy us tickets and you guys wait for us by the gates. Hyukkie, come with me!” Sungmin said before taking his friend’s hand and running to stand in line for the tickets. After 10 minutes of waiting, it was finally their turn. They stood in front of the tickets booth while Sungmin bought the tickets. The whole time Hyukjae was looking around through the gates at all the different rides and the countless booths inside the carnival. Some were of food and some of games. Everyone looked so happy inside and it appeared to be extremely fun; Hyukjae honestly couldn’t wait to go inside. He was grateful to Sungmin that he suggested them coming here else he would have been locked inside his room until Siwon arrived. And that honestly was just unpleasant to even think about.

While looking around, suddenly there was the faint sound of music. Hmm? Hyukjae looked around inside; he didn't notice any speakers around. Where is this coming from? Hyukjae could barely make out the sound but he guessed that it was an accordion being played however Hyukjae didn't see anyone around playing it. No matter how loud the accordion could be, the person playing it should be near for Hyukjae to hear it among all the loud noises around him.

The music was soft and yet it was very clear. It sounded very eerie but strangely captivating. He looked around at the inside still wondering where it came from. Hyukjae felt like he wanted to go see who was playing it. No, he needed to go see.

He almost forgot that he was standing in line when he felt his friend nudging him.

“Hyukjaeie, let’s go. I’ve got the tickets already.” Sungmin said waking Hyukjae from his trance.

“Huh? Oh, do you hear that?” Hyukjae asked still looking around but Sungmin just looked confusedly at him.

“Hear what?” He asked and Hyukjae just looked at him before shaking his head.

“Never mind, let’s go back.” he said before walking away with Sungmin.

“We’ve got the tickets! Let’s go!” Sungmin said grinning at his friends before they all finally made their way into the carnival.

“What do you guys wanna do first? I heard that there’ll be a freak show playing after awhile!” Sungmin said excitedly once they entered and they all agreed to go watch it after getting something to eat. Hyukjae however wasn’t paying full attention to them. The music he had heard before at the gates is back and for some reason catching all his attention. It wasn’t loud. But it wasn’t quiet either. He felt an urge for him to search for it, like it was calling for him, pulling him towards it. He looked at his right feeling like the sound was coming from somewhere over there.

At that moment, he didn’t know why or how but his legs started moving on its own, almost like it was being pulled by a magnet. He started walking, following the sound, forgetting all about his friends in his trance. The only thing in his mind now was to find the source of the strange music. He looked around and heard how the sound started to grow louder by the minute.

He kept walking and walking hearing how the music grew louder and louder; drowning every outside sound - engulfing him completely inside it. By now he didn’t hear anything else other than this music being played around him. No people talking, no children laughing, no people screaming from rides. Nothing. It was completely silent except for the sound of the accordion being played, urging him to get closer to it. As if it's calling his name with the sweetest voice.

He was getting closer to it by the minute. He started walking faster. He walked faster and faster, almost running so that he could find the source.

Finally, after searching the whole carnival, he arrived in front of a brightly lit carousel. The music was coming from somewhere there, but where? He looked around anxiously. Feeling how he grew impatient by the second. Where was it coming from? He kept turning around trying to figure out its source, glancing in every direction, searching almost frantically. His strong need to find the source eating away at him.

Until he finally found it.

There, standing beside the carousel, was a tall extremely handsome man, pale skinned, dark sapphire blue eyes and a single blue tear tattoo under his right eye. He was wearing a black and blue magician suit with a white dress shirt and black dress pants. Resting lazily on his head was a black top hat with a blue ribbon wrapped around it and a little rag Lolita doll sitting by the edge. He was the one playing the accordion and he was now staring at Hyukjae silently as his hands moved expertly with the accordion.

Hyukjae was staring back at him, almost hypnotized by the tones he’s playing. He kept looking at the man and he felt how his breath was almost taken away. The man was, beautiful to say the least - almost exotic and he couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He couldn’t see anything else other than him and he couldn’t hear anything other than the tones he’s playing. It was almost as if he was putting him under his spell.

Something inside Hyukjae was screaming for him to get away – to run as far as he could away from this man. But he just couldn’t. He didn’t want to. He felt something attracting him to the other. Pulling him towards him. The same urge he had to find the accordion is now coming back urging him to get closer to the man.

Hyukjae opened his mouth, wanting to say something but nothing came out. He closed his lips, eyes never leaving the man as he started moving closer but he stopped in his tracks when suddenly, the man smiled. Or was it a smirk? As he stopped playing and tipped his hat to Hyukjae who stared at him in complete confusion.

At the same moment, Hyukjae felt how someone pushed him from behind almost causing him to fall down. That seemed to have pulled him out of his trance as the noisy sound of the carnival came back and the crowded place appeared again. Hyukjae looked behind him at the person who pushed him to find Sungmin looking at him with a frown.

“Why the hell did you wander off alone like that? You worried us!” Sungmin scolded his friend who just looked at him in confusion still not over his trance. He widened his eyes before looking back quickly only to find that the man wasn’t standing there anymore.

“What?” he whispered before turning and looking everywhere around him trying to find the man only to be disappointed when he couldn’t find any trace of him.

“Oh now you’re ignoring me?” Sungmin said clearly annoyed by his friend’s behavior.

“Oh, what? Oh. I’m sorry I was just searching fo-“ Hyukjae said before stopping and looking back one more time hoping to find him only to sigh in disappointment when he wasn’t there.

“What are you searching for?” Sungmin asked looking confusedly at his friend who just sighed before shaking his head.

“Nothing. I’m sorry for making you worried. Let’s go back.” Hyukjae said and smiled at his friend who looked at him suspiciously before smiling and shrugging.

“Oh well. Anyway, it’s time for the freak show to start now. Let’s go.” Sungmin said before pulling his friend towards the big tent in the middle of the carnival where the freak show will be held.

“Over here guys!” Their friend said once they entered the tent. All their friends were seated already on the second row in front of the stage. They had saved two seats for Sungmin and Hyukjae which they took once they reached there.

Soon after the two were seated, the lights in the tent went out garnering everyone’s attention to the stage where a single spot light was lit on a tall bulky man standing in the middle of the stage with his back to the audience. A microphone started to ascend from the top of the stage towards the man while soft drumming sounds started to echo all throughout the tent.

The man took hold of the microphone before swinging around to face the crowd, the people in the audience gasped seeing the unnatural wide grin of the man before them. His face looked like it was almost breaking from how far the edges of his mouth were pulled back in that smile. But that didn’t seem to be bothering him much from how amused he seemed by the crowd’s reaction. He looked down at the amazed audience before opening his mouth and starting the show.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the show of shows! The stage of your dreams! We’ll make you smile, and we’ll make you laugh! Your every wish is our command! Prepare to be amazed from the smallest bean,” A small guy barely 3ft tall rolled onto the stage wearing a green outfit before swirling around and posing with a wide smile. The audience chuckled finding the small guy adorable before he walked off the stage and the presenter continued his opening speech.

“To the tallest steam,” A 10ft tall man walked onto the stage earning surprised gasps from the audience at his unusual tall height. He bowed down before he too walked off the stage.

“Tonight prepare for a show that you’ve never seen before! The show of all shows! The Freak show!” The presenter ended with his arms opened wide, almost as wide as his grin. The audience cheered feeling excited for the show to begin.

“This looks like it’s going to be bizarre.” Sungmin leaned onto Hyukjae and whispered. Hyukjae nodded agreeing. It already looked pretty weird. He still didn’t understand how the presenter smiled that wide.

Soon the show started, Hyukjae and his friends enjoyed the show. There have been a lot of weird acts, from a lady with a beard, to a dancing and singing conjoined twins. It was bizarre, yeah, but it was amusing. I mean, it’s not everyday that you see a magician literally making a person disappear right before their eyes without any tricks. Soon however, it was time for the last show. Hyukjae felt sleepy by now and he wanted it to end so that he could finally just go home and rest. He thought about just up and leaving but he thought that one last show wouldn’t hurt anyone. He just decided to close his eyes and rest for a second until the last show starts.

“Now ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the last show of the night! This one is for you ladies! Please welcome, our Sapphire puppeteer! “ Suddenly, the music in the tent changed. Hyukjae heard how a familiar accordion sound started to echo throughout the tent causing him to snap his eyes open, leaning forward in his seat as he stared up at the stage. Don't tell me. And just as he thought, there standing in the middle of the stage was none other than the handsome guy from before. He had his head bowed down as a greeting to the audience before he slowly lifted his head, a small smirk painted on his face. His perfect sapphire blue eyes caught Hyukjae in the audience. He locked eyes with him and Hyukjae once more lost sense of time. The only sound he could hear was the accordion playing in the background, the only thing he could see was the beautiful brunet standing on stage. His mouth was moving. He seemed like he was speaking but Hyukjae couldn’t hear anything. He was once again trapped in a world where no one but the two of them existed and it seemed like the accordion once again, drowned every other sound.

Suddenly, the brunet winked at him catching him by surprised. Hyukjae widened his eyes, feeling how his heart started to beat in an incredible speed. Hyukjae lifted his hand and placed it on his chest in a vain attempt at making his heart slow down a little. He was still staring at the puppeteer who looked like he was saying something else when Hyukjae felt how someone shoved him once again waking him up from his trance. He looked angrily at Sungmin who was just looking at him in disbelief.

“What was that?” Sungmin exclaimed causing Hyukjae to look confusedly at him.

“What?” he asked.

“A hot guy just asked you to come on stage with him and you just ignored him! What the hell is wrong with you?” Sungmin said obviously not believing what just happened.

“What hot guy? What do you mean?” Hyukjae asked completely confused now.

“The Puppeteer! He asked for you to join him on the stage! Why didn’t you go?”

“He did?” Hyukjae asked before looking back at the stage only to see that the show had ended already. Huh? Didn't it just start?

“YES! I can’t believe you!” Sungmin said shaking his head at his friend.

“I didn’t hear…” Hyukjae looked down confused by everything that’s happening. Sungmin snickered.

“And you literally almost dug a hole in the poor guy’s head from how much you were gawking at him. That’s probably why he asked for you to join him on stage.” Hyukjae felt how his face turned red in embarrassment hearing his friend’s accusations.

“What?! I wasn't gawking at him!” Hyukjae said trying to defend himself only to earn a scoff from his friend.

“Sure and I'm Paris Hilton. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to go back home now? It’s 8:30 already.” Sungmin stated and Hyukjae’s eyes widened hearing that.

“! My dad’s gonna kill me!” Hyukjae panicked before taking his phone out of his pockets to see that there were almost 30 missed calls from his mom.

“I’m dead. I’m literally dead now.” Hyukjae hopelessly said as he slumped in his seat. Sungmin laughed as he took his hand and lead him out of the tent.

“Let’s go I’ll drive you home.”

~~~~~~~~

Soon, they arrived in front of Hyukjae’s house. There was a blue colored car parked in front of it and it looked like Siwon and his parents had already arrived. Hyukjae sighed getting out of his friend’s car, bracing himself for what he’s about to encounter inside.

“Call me if they kick you out. I’ll let you stay for the night.” Sungmin joked earning the finger from Hyukjae which he just returned with a stick of a tongue before driving away.

Hyukjae took a deep breath before walking towards his house. He unlocked the door before stepping inside and immediately he could hear laughter coming from the dining room before hearing his father say something about him finally deciding to show up.

He stopped before entering the dining room, taking another deep breath. It’s okay Hyukjae. You can do it. He encouraged himself, putting on his best fake smile before entering the dining room.

“Hyukjae.” Siwon was the first to notice his entrance, standing up with a wide smile. The rest of the occupants of the room glanced his way and Hyukjae could feel all their eyes locked on him.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late, I have an assignment due tomorrow that I had to stay back to finish.” Hyukjae tried to come up with an excuse looking apologetically at his guests.

“It’s okay we just got here not too long ago anyway. Come sit down.” Siwon offered the seat next to him for Hyukjae to take. Hyukjae stopped himself from sighing and walked towards his seat and sat down.

“Thanks.” He said with a small smile which Siwon returned with a wide grin.

“Don’t mention it.” Hyukjae looked up finally at his father who was smiling but Hyukjae couldn’t miss the angry glint in his eyes. He cleared his throat before taking some rice from the plate in front of him to avoid his father’s eyes. I can already hear his scolding.

“So Hyukjae, How’s university going?” Hyukjae heard Siwon’s father ask. He looked up from his plate with a smile.

“It’s going good. Kind of stressful though since my mid-terms are nearing.” He answered earning a nod.

“If you need help with anything I’m sure Siwon would be more than happy to help.” He said motioning at Siwon who grinned at the recommendation.

“Yeah you can call me anytime.” Siwon added. Hyukjae just smiled at them and busied himself with the food to avoid anymore unwanted conversations. Soon, the dinner ended and they moved over to the living room. Hyukjae’s parents were busy speaking with Siwon and his parents and he just sat in a corner counting the minutes until they would finally leave. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was almost 10:40 already. God, are they planning to stay the night or something? He sighed, fidgeting with his fingers already tired and wanting to go to sleep.

“Hyukjae?” Hyukjae blinked and looked up surprised to hear his name.

“huh?” He asked confused earning a little glare from his father.

“I said why don’t you show Siwon around the flower garden?” His father repeated what Hyukjae failed to hear before. Hyukjae blinked again in confusion. Why would he show Siwon  the flower garden? It’s dark and he already saw it before anyway.

“But why?” Hyukjae asked still confused earning a chuckle from Siwon and a frustrated sigh from his father. Sensing that his father would probably get angry if he didn’t do it, he quickly stood up and motioned lazily for Siwon to follow him who did with a look of amusement.

Once they were out in the backyard. Hyukjae motioned towards the flowers with as little enthusiasm as he could.

“Ta-Da. Now let’s go back.” Hyukjae said sarcastically before turning and walking towards the door wanting to go inside. Hyukjae hated being alone with Siwon. The man would appear as the perfect gentleman at first. Handsome, tall, rich. But in truth, he was the perfect psychopath. Okay, not a literate psychopath. But he’s on thin ice.

Hyukjae opened the door to the house and was about to walk through it when it was quickly closed shut. He blinked looking at the closed door in front of him before slowly turning to see Siwon looking at him with annoyed eyes. A complete 180 degree change from before. Oh boy, here we go. Hyukjae sighed already knowing what was coming next.

“Planning to leave already?” Siwon asked annoyed.

“What do you want Siwon?”Hyukjae asked already used to this.

“Are you seriously asking me that? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Hyukjae sighed for the nth time that night and massaged his temples in a failed attempt to stop the upcoming headache.

“I told you a million times already Siwon. I don’t want anything to do with you. So no matter how many times you call, I’ll NEVER answer. So just leave me alone already!” Hyukjae stated firmly but Siwon just shook his head and glared at Hyukjae.

“When are you going to stop being so stubborn? You’re mine Hyukjae! MINE! Stop being so childish! You’re wasting my and your father’s energy on this all” Siwon exclaimed as he grabbed Hyukjae’s arm, holding it a little too tightly. Hyukjae slapped Siwon's hand and glared back at him.

“Just off already! I told you, even if we’re the last two people on earth, I still will never be with you! So save your precious rich- energy and kindly get the away from my face!” Hyukjae pushed Siwon away. He was about to open the door to go inside when it was shut close again. Hyukjae sighed before turning to glare at Siwon who was glaring back.

“You’re testing my patience now Hyukjae. I’m starting to get angry. And believe me, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” Siwon threatened with a deep voice while he towered over Hyukjae. Hyukjae snickered before shoving Siwon away once again.

“Trust me, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry either.” Hyukjae stated before turning around to open the door and walking quickly inside, almost running to the living room. ing Psycho. He made his way to his parents’ and the guests’ place. Once he arrived he cleared his throats to catch their attention.

“I had a great time today but I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself for the day since I have an exam tomorrow morning.” Hyukjae said with a smile before bowing and leaving to his room quickly not waiting for anyone to reply. Once he was inside his room, he locked the door already knowing that his father would come later to argue but he really was not in the mood. Hyukjae sighed before changing his clothes and throwing himself on the bed. He laid down, staring up at his room’s ceiling.

He remembered what happened in the carnival, how he was dazed, how he walked around as if he was in a trance behind the music. The music, it felt like it was leading him, pulling him towards its source. The source which was the puppeteer, the most beautiful human being Hyukjae has ever seen. He doesn’t know what had gotten over him at that time but it felt like it was destiny, like he was supposed to go to the carnival that day at that time, to hear the music and follow it, to meet this puppeteer. It was destiny. Hyukjae knows it. A small part of his mind tells him that there is something wrong here. That was not normal. That has never happened to him before. But Hyukjae didn’t care. Things happen for a reason; and this here is one of the things.

Hyukjae sighed, turning around in his bed, deciding to go to sleep and talk about this with Sungmin the next day.

~~~~~

Hmmm hmmm hmmm~

Hyukjae opened his eyes slowly and looked sleeply at the clock. It was 3AM. Still too early. He sighed turning around on the bed to fall back asleep.

Hmmm hmmm hmmm~

He heard it again. He thought he was dreaming before. What’s that sound? He wondered; opening his eyes and looking around the room. It was dark so he didn’t see clearly around him but there was nothing out of the ordinary. He frowned. Was he imagining it? He was about to shrug it off and go back to sleep when he noticed him. someone was sitting on his old toy leather chest at the corner of his room. The person had one leg up to his chest while the other was swinging back and forth. He was staring at Hyukjae while humming slowly. His eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of the room. Hyukjae’s eyes widened and he was about to open his mouth to shout when the man smirked bringing one hand infront of his mouth.

“Shhh~” The man shushed him with a smile. Hyukjae gulped. Is he still sleeping? What’s going on? Hyukjae brought his hands up to his eyes wiping the sleepiness away. Was he imagining this? Did someone break into his house? He opened his eyes slowly, bracing himself for what’ll happen next only for his heart to skip a beat.

There’s no one here... His eyes widened and he shot out of the bed to turn on the light. He looked around frantically but the room was completely empty. The window and door were both closed shut. Am I going crazy? No I definitely saw him! He walked slowly towards the chest the man was on. He didn’t see his face clearly from the dark but his eyes stuck out. Those blue eyes. He knows them. The puppeteer…. Did he come here for me? Or do I want to see him so much that I imagined him here? He looked around the chest seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary. He was going to go back to his bed when he felt his leg hit something. He looked down to see what it was and he felt how his heart raced. There was a small Rag Lolita doll on the floor.

This definitely wasn’t his… he bent down to pick it up.

Hmmm hmmm hmmm~

That sound again…

“Where are you?” Hyukjae whispered, looking around, suddenly a blinding light flashed causing Hyukjae to shut his eyes tightly but in a second it was gone. Hyukjae opened his eyes slowly, blinking, he looked around. He gasped.

Where am I? He was in a spacious room. Its walls were black with red edges. White shelves were placed all along its walls abd these shelves were filled with rag dolls and puppets.

Hyukjae looked around before turning around. he jumped alittle in surprise when he saw the puppeteer standing a few feet behind him. He was smiling at him before taking off his hat and giving him a bow. Hyukjae tilted his head, looking at him in confusion.

“What’s going on...?” He asked in a whisper. The puppeteer smiled before walking towards him. Hyukjae took a step back feeling how his heart raced faster. Seeing his reaction, the puppeteer grinned before leaning towards him.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Suddenly, the same blinding light from before flashed, forcing Hyukjae to close his eyes. He opened them when the brightness was gone and he blinked in surprise when he found himself laying on his bed.

“Huh?” He got up in confusion.

“How did i…?” He looked around. No one’s there. He sighed. Something is not right. And I’ll make sure I’ll know what’s going on tomorrow.

~~~~~~

“So? How did your dinner date go?” Sungmin asked once he saw Hyukjae walking towards him the next morning, they were both making their way to their first lecture. Hyukjae groaned.

“Terrible.” Hyukjae said simply as they entered the lecture hall.

“Did he bother you too much?” Sungmin asked concerned.

“Yeah. He’s getting more aggressive now too.” Hyukjae said as they sat down.

“He has always been aggressive though.” Sungmin replied. Hyukjae nodded at that while he took out his book.

“Yeah but I mean he’s getting more hand-y now.” He cleared. Sungmin gasped and covered his mouth as if he just heard the biggest scandal.

“Don’t tell me he hit you! I swear if he as much as hurts single hair on you I’ll be sure to cut off his teeny tiny useless !” Sungmin said angrily punching their desk. Hyukjae laughed at his friend’s reaction.

“No I’d never stay quiet if he did. He just kept pulling me back whenever I tried to leave. Was quite annoying to be honest.” He clarified. Sungmin made an ‘O’ shape with his mouth and nodded.

“Well, if he did anything to you be sure to tell me. I’ll go deal with it for you.” Sungmin said smirking. Which Hyukjae thought did not look as intimidating as the other had intended it to be. He smiled however, feeling grateful for his friend's care.

"Will do."

They then turned around to face the front as the professor made his way into the room.

~~~~~~~~

"So? What did you want to tell me?" Sungmin asked as they took their seat in a café outside their university. After the lecture, Hyukjae had dragged his friend away to this café telling him that he needed to discuss something with him. Thus where they were right now.

"Remember yesterday in the carnival? When I wandered away from you for a bit?" Hyukjae started.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"At that time I was trying to follow some music."

"Music?" Hyukjae nodded.

"I heard it since we were getting the tickets outside the gates. You know that accordion music that kept playing." Sungmin raised an eyebrow at that.

"What accordion? There wasn't any music playing. The whole place was just noisy from the crowd." Hyukjae shook his head.

"No there was definitely music playing. You probably didn't hear it since it was too soft. But anyway, I followed it until I reached its source – "

"Why though?" Sungmin asked curiously.

"I don't know. I just had this sudden urge to go see who was playing." Hyukjae explained earning a weird look from his friend.

"What do you mean urge?"

"I don’t know! I just… I felt like something was pulling me to it. I was just listening and before I knew it was already running all around trying to find where it came from. At some point I couldn't hear anything else but it." Sungmin looked at his friend worriedly.

"Hyukjae I love you. But you sound crazy right now."

"That's not even the crazy part."

"Oh there's more?" Sungmin breathed out a chuckle. Hyukjae nodded before he continued.

"When I reached the place the sound was coming from, I found the puppeteer we saw in the freak show playing the accordion by the carousel. He was just staring at me while playing before he just smirked and tipped his hat at me. I looked away for 1 second when you came and when I turned back to look for him he was gone."

"So? He probably just left to prepare for the freak show since he had an act." Hyukjae blinked at that. He didn't think about it. Seeing his friend's dumbfounded look, Sungmin sighed.

"Did you seriously just drag me here to tell me that you followed some random song like a crazy person and freaked out when the person playing it left to do his job? Are you for real right now?" He said slightly irritated by his friend. Hyukjae frowned a little as he looked down at his cup of coffee. Okay, saying this out loud definitely made him sound crazy. But he knows that something wasn't right there. He just couldn't explain it.

"He was in my room." He mumbled slowly.

"Huh? What did you say?" Sungmin asked with a raised eyebrow. Hyukjae looked up at his friend before repeating.

"He was in my room."

"Excuse me?! Are you serious?! And you're telling me this now?! Why didn't you call the cops!" Sungmin said frantically as he tried to get up from his seat but Hyukjae held his hand preventing him.

"He was gone before I knew it."

"What? He ran away?"

"No. he just disappeared." Sungmin stared at Hyukjae for a second, trying to register what he just heard.

"Hyukjae. I'm getting worried man. I think you should go see a doctor."

"Sungmin I'm not joking!"

"I'm not either man! Do you even hear yourself speaking right now!" Hyukjae sighed.

"Can you calm down for a second? I'll tell you what happened." Hyukjae then proceeded to tell his friend the events of last night. Sungmin just quietly listened to his story until he was done. He stared at Hyukjae for a second before nodding to himself.

"You were just dreaming. Man, you got me worried over nothing." Sungmin let out a breathe as he leaned back in his seat.

"Dreaming? But I'm sure I was awake." Hyukjae tried to reason but Sungmin just shook his head.

"You were obviously dreaming. Stop thinking about it. It's nothing you probably just have crush on this guy or something that's why you're so infatuated with him." Hyukjae thought for a bit. He knows what he saw. He knows that he wasn't sleeping. But Sungmin didn't seem like he'll listen to him anytime soon so he just decided to nod in agreement with his friend. Agreeing with himself that he'll go to the carnival tonight and seek answers from the very person occupying his thoughts right now.

Seeing Hyukjae agreeing with him. Sungmin nodded before he stood up from his seat.

"Well, I'm glad we're done with this. Now if you'll excuse me, I got a date with Kyuhyun. Ciao!" Sungmin waved goodbye to Hyukjae which he returned before he also got up from his seat and heading out from the café with one destination in mind.

~~~~~~~~

"Okay… Here we go…" Hyukjae took a deep breath as he looked up at the carnival's gates. He didn't want to postpone coming here any longer. He needed answers and he had a strong feeling that he'll find them with the puppeteer.

Exhaling slowly, his legs moved as he made his way past the gates.

Now what? He wondered as he looked around at the crowded place. The place was even more crowded than when he came before. It felt like it'd be impossible to find the guy amongst all these people. Maybe if I follow the sound again it can lead me back to him? He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the sounds around him in an attempt to allocate it but there was nothing. He couldn't hear anything other than people's chatter around him. Sighing in frustration, he opened his eyes and glanced at the many faces surrounding him. He's no where to be seen. Hyukjae let out a breathe - nodding his head determinedly, he started walking around the carnival deciding to search for the man anywhere he could go. He went to the carousel where he saw him the very first time but he once again, was nowhere to be seen.

Hyukjae searched everywhere. Looked at all the different booths around, searched beside the other rides, went to the big tent where the show will be held at later. But he still couldn't find him anywhere. He really thought he'd be able to find him if he looked. Hyukjae didn't know what made him so sure but he was.

Sighing in disappointment, Hyukjae slumped down on a bench, leaning his head back as he stared up at the sky. Even though the lights all around were brightly lit, he could still see the stars decorating the night sky.

"Where are you?" He whispered, eyes scanning the stars above him.

"Searching for someone?" Hyukjae blinked as he suddenly heard a deep yet soothing voice say from beside him. Turning his head confusedly at the speaker, his eyes widened as his mouth hung open when the very person he's been looking for, was standing behind his bench, leaning on a black cane as he stared straight in Hyukjae's eyes with a wide smile.

Hyukjae opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He couldn't make a sound so he just closed his mouth and looked at the other in bewilderment.

"I've been waiting for you." The man then spoke with a small chuckle as he made his way to sit beside Hyukjae. Hyukjae blinked.

"Y-You were waiting for me?" He asked dumbly earning another chuckle from the man.

"Of course. Didn't I already tell you before?"

"You did?" Hyukjae asked confusedly with slightly furrowed brows. The man grinned and Hyukjae felt how his heart skipped a beat seeing that wide smile. How could someone look so beautiful? He saw how the man's mouth was moving. He was asking him something but he couldn't hear anything. Hyukjae was once again too mesmerized by the guy before him.

"H-Huh? Did you say something?" He then asked as the guy waved his hand in front of his face, breaking him out of his trance.

"I was asking for your name?" The man then asked with the softest smile Hyukjae had ever seen. Gulping nervously as a slight blush made its way across his cheeks. Damn I need to get a hold on myself. I'm acting like some school girl right now.

"O-Oh. I-I'm Hyukjae. Lee Hyukjae." He answered, mentally face-palming at the stuttering. However, the guy didn't seem bothered by it since it earned him another grin from the guy.

"Hyukjae! What a cute name! Well, nice to meet you Hyukjae! Name's Donghae." Donghae said as he reached out his hand for Hyukjae to shake which he did slowly.

"N-Nice to meet you too."

"Say, are you here alone or are you with your friends?" Donghae then asked, looking expectedly at Hyukjae.

"Oh I'm here alone." Donghae's grin widened hearing that, turning his eyes into small crescents and Hyukjae could've swore his heart did a flip seeing that.

"That's great! Then… Wanna go have some fun around the carnival with me? To be honest I've been stuck doing nothing but the shows and preparations since we got here and I could really use some play time~" Donghae asked, eyes shining with expectation as he stared at Hyukjae. Who in return, gulped nervously at the fact that a very gorgeous man wanted him to spend the night with him. Well, it's just to play around in the rides and booths here but you get his point.

"S-Sure." He finally answered. How could he even refuse when Donghae's eyes were practically sparkling while waiting for his answer?

"Awesome! Let's go try out the booths first!" Donghae said excitedly as he stood up from his seat, offering his hand with a smile for Hyukjae to hold. Hyukjae blushed as he took the older's hand in his, standing up.

"Let's try winning some of the prizes at the shooting booth." Donghae said as he pointed at one of the booths a little further on the right from where they were. Hyukjae glanced at it before nodding slowly. Donghae grinned before walking away towards it, all the while spinning his cane in his hand. Hyukjae took this chance to study the other as they made their way there. Donghae was wearing a dark blue suit this time with a blue top hat and a black ribbon tied around it. The same Lolita doll he saw before was sitting at the edge of his hat. Hyukjae really wondered how it wasn't falling down.

Even thought his outfit was weird, Donghae didn't look the slightest bit bad. On the contrary, Hyukjae thinks he actually looked dashing in that suit. Its color complimented his skin and it just made him look all the more handsome. If that was even possible because Hyukjae was pretty sure that the latter had reached peak level already with his looks.

"Which one do you want?" Hyukjae was brought back from his thoughts when he heard Donghae say beside him. Looking confusedly at the other, he then noticed that they had arrived at the booth. Making an 'o' shape with his mouth, Hyukjae randomly pointed at one of the plushies which ended up being a white rabbit in a dress.

"Cute." He felt himself blush when he heard Donghae chuckle from beside him.

"Hey Mark, Get me three tries." Donghae then said to the guy working at the booth.

"Aye boss." Mark said as he gave the small toy gun to Donghae so he can try his luck with the game.

"Boss?" Hyukjae asked with a raised eyebrow. The nickname intriguing him.

"Oh it's a joke I got stuck with. long story." Donghae explained, smiling as he turned towards the cups he needs to knock down. He started trying to shoot them but he failed each time. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he looked at Mark with a frown.

"Give me that rabbit." He simply pointed at the plushie Hyukjae wanted like a little kid sulking. Hyukjae couldn't help but chuckle seeing how Mark instantly gave Donghae the rabbit and how Donghae's frown disappeared and was replaced by a wide smile instantly.

"Here you go!" Donghae then happily gave Hyukjae the plushie.

"Wow. It's really an advantage having someone working here with me. I can just get the prized without actually winning." Hyukjae laughed and Donghae just shrugged at that.

"Working here has its perks I guess." He smiled before pointing towards one of the rides which was a small rollercoaster.

"Want to ride this one next?" He asked Hyukjae who nodded furiously.

"Let's go!" Hyukjae exclaimed excitedly as he took Donghae's hand in his and practically dragged the other towards the waiting line.

"You know I can just get us in we don't have to wait." Donghae then said as he saw how slowly the line was moving.

"No way. People were here before us. It's their right to ride first." Hyukjae said, nodding to himself. Donghae smiled hearing that as he slowly raised his hand, brushing away a strand of hair for Hyukjae, tucking it behind his ear. The small gesture causing Hyukjae to instantly blush all the way to his neck.

"W-What are you doing?" He asked in a stutter.

"It was blocking your eyes from my view." Donghae answered nonchalantly.

"My eyes?" Hyukjae asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. I just want to look at them forever if I could." And that was the final straw. Hyukjae had to cover his face with his hands as he groaned in embarrassment. This is dangerous, I just met this guy and he's already making my heart do acrobats.

"I should be the one saying that." He mumbled in a low voice, hoping that the other wouldn’t hear him but the small chuckle he heard proved otherwise.

"Let's go. It's our turn." Donghae said as he gently lowered Hyukjae hands from his face. Hyukjae looked up at him with his eyes slightly wide and lips ajar. He saw how Donghae's eyes lowered to his lips before they came up to his eyes again as he smiled and pulled him towards their seats in the rollercoaster.

Once everyone was seated, the ride started to move. It was making it's way towards the top of the slop slowly. It was higher than Hyukjae thought.

"You know," Hyukjae was bracing himself for the fall when he heard Donghae say from beside him.

"Hmm?" Hyukjae turned to look at Donghae who was looking back at him with the same soft smile.

"You're really cute when you blush." Hyukjae eyes widened and before he could react, they were already making their way down the slop. Fast.

"What the !!!" He screamed as the rollercoaster started doing multiple flips. Only thing he could hear was his screams and Donghae's laughter from beside him.


"Damn. I didn't know you were a screamer." Donghae teased once they were down from the ride earning an embarrassed groan from the other.

"Ugh shut up." Hyukjae blushed looking away with a frown trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Let's go ride this one next!" Donghae pointed towards the drop tower ride. Seeing it, Hyukjae forgot all about his shyness as he nodded excitedly like a kid before walking hurriedly to stand in line for the game.

They kept playing at the different rides for a couple of hours, taking some snack breaks in between. One of the breaks included Hyukjae's face getting completely sticky with cotton candy because a kid decided it'd be funny to throw his water at him while he had his face all up in it while eating. Needless to say, Hyukjae was pouting the whole walk to and fro the toilet while Donghae was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"It wasn't even that funny." Hyukjae said sulkily as they sat down on a bench, crossing his arms around his chest while his pout didn't look like it'll go anywhere anytime soon.

"It kinda was. But it was cute." Donghae pointed out with a grin trying to cheer the other up and he didn't miss the blush that instantly took over Hyukjae's face when he said the word 'Cute'. Though the other tried to hide it with his frown.

"Hmph." Hyukjae turned away, looking the other way away from Donghae. Seeing that, Donghae sighed as he thought of a way to cheer Hyukjae up. He grinned as a thought came to mind.

Hyukjae was still looking away trying to hide his reddened face from the other when he felt something tug gently at his shirt. Looking down confusedly, he saw Donghae's little Lolita doll looking up at him.

"What the…" He whispered as he saw how the doll made its way up his shirt and to his shoulder before tip toeing towards his cheek and leaving a what Hyukjae guessed was a peck. Seeing that, Hyukjae couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips as he took the doll in hand.

"How did you do that?" Hyukjae asked as he looked admiringly at Donghae who held his head up high proudly.

"A Puppeteer never reveals his secrets." Hyukjae raised an eyebrow at that .

"Wasn't that saying for magicians though?"

"Oh it was?" Donghae chuckled, rubbing his nape with a slight blush. He can be cute too… Be still my heart. Be still.

"Thank you. It was really cool to see." Hyukjae said with a grin as he gave back the Lolita to Donghae who placed it gently on his hat again.

"Anything for you."

"Donghae?" They heard a small voice say catching their attention. Looking at the owner, Hyukjae noticed that it was the little guy they saw in the start of the freak show before. The guy motioned for Donghae to lean towards him before he whispered something to him. Donghae nodded before motioning for him to leave.

"Is there something wrong?" Hyukjae asked as he saw how for a second, Donghae's expression turned serious.

"Not really. But I need to leave soon. Want to ride one last ride?" Donghae asked smiling at Hyukjae but somehow this smile was different from before. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah sure. What do you want to ride?"

"Let's ride the ride we first met at." Hyukjae furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion before it finally hit him.

"Oh! The carousel! How did I forget about it!" Hyukjae clapped his hand in realization.

"It's definitely a must to ride it! Let's go!" Hyukjae grinned earning one back from Donghae. This time, it looked genuine. As they made their way to the carousel, Hyukjae sighed in content. This night had been the best one he had since a long time now. he doesn't know why but he felt happy and safe with Donghae. He helped him forget about all his life problems. All the things bothering him. College, his dad, SIWON. Nothing seemed to matter when he was with the older. Which is weird considering this was their first official meeting. What are the odds that someone you just met could make you feel such genuine happiness and joy from spending time with them as they make your heart beat faster with each smile. With every time their eyes met. It was strange and yet, it felt right.

Hyukjae wished it'd last forever.

"Do you want to ride one of the horses or the seats?" Donghae asked Hyukjae as they reached the carousel.

"Let's take the seat. I want to sit beside you." Hyukjae shyly answered with a small smile and Donghae couldn't help but ruffle Hyukjae's hair at that, finding him too cute and endearing at the moment.

"Hey! It was styled." Hyukjae pouted as he tried to fix his hair while Donghae just laughed.

"Sorry you were just being too cute. Let's go sit inside then." Donghae said as he gently held Hyukjae's hand in his, pulling him towards their seat.

Once they were seated, the ride started immediately, slowly turning around while a soft accordion music started to play around them. Hearing it, Hyukjae immediately perked up.

"Oh this song! It was the one you were playing right?" Donghae laughed as he saw how Hyukjae was looking expectedly at him.

"Yeah it is! Hearing it pretty much everyday I couldn't help but memorize it." Hyukjae smiled as he let out a breath, leaning back in his seat as he closed his eyes, listening to the sound.

"You know, when I first heard it I thought it was really creepy. Yet it intrigued me a lot that it felt like it was pulling me. I just followed it to the source, can you believe it? It makes me seem like a crazy person" Hyukjae let out a small laugh as he turned to look at Donghae who was looking at him with gentle eyes.

"No. you're not crazy. I'm glad that you followed it because it made us meet." Hyukjae stared at Donghae. He saw how a glint of fondness was shining in his eyes. The same one he was sure was also evident in his. Sighing, Hyukjae leaned his head on the back of the seat, still looking at Donghae. As strange as this might sound, the older really made Hyukjae's heart feel full. The way he was looking at Hyukjae made him feel special. Made him feel loved. Hyukjae didn't want to leave. He wanted to be with Donghae. He knows that it was way too soon to judge but he knows for a fact that he already likes the other. he doesn’t know how it's even possible but something about the other is just pulling him to him.

His heart was screaming for Donghae. It was like the other had him under his spell. Because that's what this moment felt like. This moment with Donghae. This night. It all felt magical and Hyukjae wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But he knows that it all would end eventually. He'll have to return home. He'll go back to arguing with his father. He'll go back to fighting with Siwon everyday. After he got a small taste of how colorful the world could be, he'll have to go back to the same dark, grey one that is his reality.

Sighing, Hyukjae unconsciously brought his hand up, caressing the older's cheek and by Donghae's wide eyes, Hyukjae knew that he was surprised but he didn't care. The night is about to end. So might as well make the most out of it.

"I wish I could stay with you forever." Hyukjae mumbled with a smile. Hearing that, Donghae's eyes widened even more as an excited glint sparkled in them.

"Do you mean that?" He asked softly, raising his hand to hold Hyukjae's which was on his cheek. He rubbed small circle's on his hand as he stared expectedly at Hyukjae who nodded with a sad smile.

"Yeah. I wish I could." Donghae chuckled as he moved his head slightly, leaving a peck on Hyukjae's hand causing the younger to blush for the nth time that day.

"Close your eyes for me Hyukjae." Donghae said gently as he made Hyukjae sit up straight in his seat.

"Why?" Hyukjae asked.

"Just do it for me. I want to show you one last thing before the night ends." Donghae explained earning a nod from Hyukjae before he closed his eyes obediently.

somehow, after closing his eyes, the noises around them seemed to have faded away and the motion of the carousel appeared to be going slightly faster than before. Frowning, Hyukjae was about to open his eyes when he felt Donghae's hand covering them.

"Shhh It's okay." He heard Donghae whisper and he felt how his breathe hit his face. Donghae was leaning closer to him. I-Is he going to kiss me? Hyukjae felt how his heart started to beat furiously at the thought as his lips opened slightly, anticipation running through his very core as he waited for the very desired contact to happen.

And as he thought, a second later he felt something soft on his lips. moving gently as it teeth tugged gently on his upper lip - asking for entrance which he immediately granted. He was sure at this point that his heart was just about ready to jump out of his chest while his stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies.

He really liked him.

Hyukjae let out a disappointed sigh as he felt how the lips left his. Letting his eyes finally open, he closed him instantly when the bright light of the carousel hit them. Blinking slowly, he opened his eyes again and glanced at Donghae before him.

Huh?

Why does his face look so big?

Hyukjae frowned as he tried to move his hand to touch the other but for some reason, he couldn't.

Widening his eyes in shock, he tried to move any of his fingers but once again, he couldn't. he couldn't move anything. Not his arms, not his legs, not even his head! It was as if his whole body was paralyzed.

What the is going on?! He tried to say out loud and he felt how panic started to take over him when it just came as a thought in his head.

"Haha!" He heard a low chuckle coming from the man before him causing Hyukjae to finally direct his attention back to him. He felt himself move up as if he was carried and placed at Donghae's eye level.

"Look how adorable you are! Just as I thought, your eyes really are the most beautiful!" Donghae exclaimed, his mouth spread in a wide grin as his eyes were looking almost manically at Hyukjae.

What is the meaning of this! Hyukjae tried to shout but again - nothing came out.

"You're the most prized one! My greatest creation!" Donghae laughed as he took off his top hat – flipping it over and holding Hyukjae over it. Hyukjae felt how his heart was beating fast in panic. He wanted to cry but no tears were coming out. He could see inside the hat a dark room filled with dolls. The one from my dream...

"My precious doll, we'll be together. Forever"

Drop