“Chae Hyungwon!” Kihyun’s voice echoes throughout the apartment, earning an exasperated roll of the eyes from the young man in question. Kihyun suddenly bursts into his bedroom, Changkyun at his heel.

“Were you burning sage again? You know how our landlady feels about that.”

“He was just doing it to help you, hyung,” Changkyun quickly intervenes, earning a confused glance from Kihyun. “He’s noticed how stressed you’ve been lately, and he was trying to expel any negative energies to make home a more calming environment for you.”

Kihyun visibly hesitates for a moment, sighing deeply. Hyungwon watches silently, not feeling the need to speak. Changkyun had explained everything, after all.

“I appreciate the thought,” Kihyun says tiredly, “but I don’t need to get into another fight with that woman. Please, at least warn me before you do that again, so I can have an excuse prepared.”

“Sure, hyung,” Hyungwon says at last, giving the older a small nod. Kihyun nods himself, pouting slightly as he turns away to decide what to cook for dinner. Changkyun offers Hyungwon a smile before hurrying after his boyfriend, already preparing to aid in preparation of the meal. Hyungwon chuckles to himself at the typical behavior, mindlessly fiddling with the crystal hanging at his neck.

He looks down at it surprisedly, dropping it against his chest as he goes back to his notes. He had forgotten he began wearing it again, after his mother passed away in the past month. She had made him promise to put himself out there more, giving him this crystal as a parting gift. It’d always been her fear, he knows, that he would die without experiencing true love, and had gifted him the green jade he now wears to prepare him for the true love she had always known him to be destined for.

Hyungwon, on the other hand, couldn’t care less one way or the other. He didn’t mind the notion of dying alone, just so long as he had friends by his side he’d be okay. Of course, he couldn’t very well tell his mother that. So, he had promised to wear the jade, even though he hadn’t planned to wear it forever. He had only meant to wear it for a couple weeks after her funeral. However, he had grown so accustomed to it by now that it feels odd to take it off even while taking a shower.

He sighs, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. However, it doesn't help. He rakes his fingers through his hair, and gets up, only pausing at his bookshelf to find his tea collection of tea recipes before leaving the room. He has exams soon, and needs to focus. Perhaps a minty tea would help him…

He gets to the kitchen, doing his best to avoid the lovey-dovey couple, and begins to go through the cabinet designated for his personal collection of different herbs and blends. He sighs heavily, noting the lack of peppermint, and shakes his head at himself.

“I'm going to the store,” he announces, and then leaves the room to get his wallet, keys, and coat without even waiting for a response.

Hoseok sighs, straightening up from his sitting position on the floor. He's just finished putting away the latest shipment of occult books. His gaze lingers on a spine declaring “THE TRUTH OF WITCHES AND WICCA,” but he merely huffs out another breath, shaking his head as he walks away.

His grandmother had always warned him about that kind of stuff, claiming it'd lead him down a road of misery if he ever went near it. He himself isn't that superstitious, but that doesn't mean he's willing to delve into anything. Sure, college is for experimenting, but honestly that kind of experimenting freaks him out too much to even consider.

“Is my shift over, already?” Hoseok asks, sighting a familiar red-head standing at the register. Minhyuk beams over at him, nodding.

“Don't forget, there's a party tomorrow night that you've already said you'd go to,” the younger tells him. He holds up an accusatory finger as he adds, “So there's no getting out of it, hyung!”

“Yah!” Hoseok protests, biting back a chuckle at his friend’s smirk. “I haven't been that much of a flake lately…”

“Please,” Minhyuk says rolling his eyes, “you've been flakier than dandruff. But, if you even think of trying to get out of tomorrow, I will seriously drop-kick you harder than I have anyone else in my entire life.” Hoseok laughs wholehearted at the threat, which obviously isn't the reaction the younger had been hoping for judging by his pout.

“First off,” Hoseok says, clearing his thirst as the laughter subsides, “you're obviously spending way too much time with Jooheon and Changkyun if you're coming up with lame jokes like that one the spot. Secondly, no worries, I will definitely be there. I promised you I'd go, so I'm going.”

“Aish, hyung,” Minhyuk chuckles, “there's no such thing as spending too much time with those two. But, I'm glad, it's about time you I went somewhere other than work, home, and classes.” Hoseok shares a bright smile with the younger, and then turns to clock out before leaving.

On his way home, he drops by the store. He remembers how bare the fridge at his apartment had been, and he knows that Hyunwoo, his roommate, couldn't go more than two hours without eating, so it's either go shopping or let his dear friend and roommate die. Luckily, he doesn't come across many people as he wanders through the aisles. He doesn't typically come to this store in particular, but it seems to be the only one open so late at night…

They have a lot of different herbs and stuff here, Hoseok notes with interest. The owner must get a lot of tea drinkers here, or something. He shrugs, thinking it neat to see these cool-sounding herbs in person, and goes about his business. As he turns to go down the next aisle, he suddenly runs into someone, and yelps in surprise.

“S-S-Sorry!” Hoseok apologizes quickly, bowing lowly. He straightens up, hoping to apologize again, but is struck silent by the unearthly beauty standing before him seeming only slightly surprised.

“It's alright,” the strange man tells him, slowly bowing his head. “I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going…”

The two stand there awkwardly for a moment, neither sure of what to do. They shift on their feet simultaneously, and share a chuckle at noticing.

“Well,” the stranger says, “I better be going. Have a nice night,” he offers, and then disappears down an aisle.

Hoseok can only hum in acknowledgment, still too dumbfounded by the gorgeous man to say much. He shakes his head, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, and turns down the noodle aisle, stuffing his basket full of ramyeons.