"i told you i hated places like this."

"you can't hate places you don't go to,"

"i know enough about these places to hate them."

 

it's one of those nights, sungjae is being dragged around the city by his friends. they know how he hates greeting the crowds and being out at midnight, but they do it anyways. sungjae has always been the kind to favor a good book with a calming playlist, topped with a cup of his all-time-favorite tea, seated by the warm fireplace. there's nothing else that says a good night better than comfort and peace for him.

now he's being pulled along to a club, forced to have a few drinks, socialize and dance to booming music, the exact opposite of what sungjae wants.

he sighs as he steps into the imagined hell, grabbing a drink and separating from his friends in no time. all he does is take a few sips from time to time and roll his eyes, as he watches his other friends go wild. mindless, he thinks to himself.

with no plans to get drunk or to dance, he can't wait for it to end so he can just go home.

out of nowhere, his eyes catch sight of someone. a dude. he is dancing and sungjae is struggling to keep track of him. he moves in and out of the crowds, seemingly drunk. sungjae squints, he feels a sense of familiarity. he sees the boy's face, definitely a stranger. but for some odd reason, sungjae feels like he knows this boy. he feels like he has seen him somewhere. he ponders so deeply that he barely realizes that the boy is staring back.

and he stumbles out of the crowds, towards sungjae, a drink in his hand, smiling.

"do you need a closer look, pretty boy?" the boy sits across sungjae, tipsy and smiling sheepishly.

sungjae's cheeks flush, they've never done that before. instinctively, his hands reach up to cover them, he's still wide-eyed at the bold statement.

"tonight's been the same until i caught you staring, must be fate or something, don't you think?" the boy raises his glass and smirks, eyes half closed.

sungjae is given no time to respond when the boy passes out, face flat on the table.

 

nearest motel it is, this boy is knocked out.

 

sungjae lays the boy on the bed. his flannel sits off-shoulder, he stays motionless. sungjae can't help but have his eyes scanning the boy again.

there's something about him that gets sungjae thinking.

whether is it the tattoo across his collarbones, peeking from underneath his tank top; or the constellation of moles that rest upon his cheek, fighting to be noticed; or the corners of his lips that curve upwards, ever so naturally, while he drifts away into sleep.

sungjae can't pinpoint, but he feels like he's seen them all, knows them all, everything about this boy was striking to him.

he is knocked out of his daydream when the boy shifts his body. sungjae's arm is still under his weight. he tries his best not to wake the boy up. with the slightest movements he can manage, he moves his arm away. he's just about to get up when a hand grabs him by the arm.

 

"you can kiss me if you want to."

his eyes blink open, a hand on sungjae's arm, the boy fixes his gaze on him. sungjae's eyes widen and he tries not to show that he's shocked— from how this stranger had practically sang out his thoughts, and also from the blatantly straightforward offer.

 

"you're drunk." sungjae convinces himself enough to look away from the pair of hazel brown eyes that stared back at him.

"but you were flirting first, staring at me and all."

sungjae gulps.

 

he gathers enough courage to string all the words together, "you looked like someone i knew. that's it. i was staring for a long while and realized i was wrong, but you already out by then. sleep here for tonight, i'll pay for your stay, then you can head home tomorrow morning."

"so, you're just going to leave?" the boy responds, almost immediately.

sungjae gets up, looking away. "rest up."

 

he regrets it almost too soon, that moment he stepped foot out of those doors.

 

the train doors open, i get on. i look around and easily spot him, just like the previous afternoon. he waves to me, i wave back and approach him.

"i see we meet again, the timing's right." he looks at me, his eyes are smiling.

"i know, what a coincidence." i pull off my most natural facial expression and smile back.

he giggles. "today's been the same until i bumped into you again, must be fate or something, don't you think?"

 

"i'll be out tonight, catch up next time."

"woah, you'll be out? isn't saturday your stay home day?"

"i've got stuff to do, don't ask."

 

sungjae takes a sip of earl grey. he decides to find the boy. he's had images of him in almost every dream he's had for the past week, so he's pretty sure it's saying something. but whether it's that he wants the boy? he's not sure.

he puts on his watch, throws on a jacket, grabs his phone, and he's out of the house. for once, on a saturday.

he spots the boy again, this time he's sober, seated at the bar counter. it doesn't take him long to recognize sungjae. the boy approaches him.

 

"it's you again," the familiarity strikes sungjae again. he stares at the boy.

"so what excuse do you have today, you have a condition that involves staring? something outrageous like that?" the boy says sarcastically, then proceeds to take a sip from his glass.

"what's your name?" as if he hasn't already put himself out to lack social skill, sungjae asks abruptly.

"you could've just said you were interested from the start... i'm ilhoon, nice to meet you."

 

his eyes glimmer in the soft sunlight. the corners of his mouth curve upwards whenever he smiles. his cheeks are marked with moles arranged like a constellation. he is beautiful. he is even more beautiful when he speaks.

"i'm ilhoon, nice to meet you." his words seem to bounce off in my mind like i just heard it yesterday.

 

he's beautiful, i love him.