The dark streets of Seoul were a comfort for Kim Jongdae. With no place to go, he calls it a convenient home. He's used to people ignoring him and considering him a scum of the society. All he had for now was himself, the drizzle, and his cigarette.

 

For Kim Minseok, the world is a battleground, and whatever happens would be in his responsibility. He's cautious with his every move and word, earning him good relationships and a satisfactory life despite not having a family. Tonight, his instincts take him to a dark corner in the streets.

 

Even he himself doesn't know what led him there, all he knows is that his feet was in control that time. The drizzle slowly turned to rain and he's a few meters from home, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. He has to find something, or someone for that matter.

 

He was stopped on his tracks to see a rugged man sitting on a dark corner, emitting a few small clouds of smoke. "Excuse me, aren't you cold?" He mustered to ask, crouching down to meet his eye level. "And what brings you to this dangerous part of Seoul, young man?" Jongdae retaliated with a question, his eyes examining the other's young features.

 

Minseok's eyebrows furrowed, pondering on what to answer to the older's question. "I.. don't know exactly. What I know is that my feet brought me here. I'm Minseok by the way." The latter's mouth twitched into a smile like that of a Cheshire cat's. "Have we, by chance, encountered each other before?" The former only shook his head, earning a low chuckle from Jongdae.

 

"How come a well-off man such as yourself would come to find someone as worthless and pathetic as me?" The younger mumbled with bitterness in his voice. "As of now, I don't really have an idea but... there's got to be some reason why." Minseok replied, holding out a hand to Jongdae. "So, please come live with me. I'm sure you deserve a roof under your head."

 

Jongdae was taken aback. It's the first time someone showed him kindness without involving money. "How can you trust someone who hasn't given out his name yet? I might just leech off of you and steal all your possessions once I gain your trust." He replied. "Apparently, thieves would be more than happy to accept the offer immediately." With that being said, Jongdae had to take his hand and gave it a light shake. "I'm Jongdae by the way. And don't say I didn't warn you."

 

---

 

"First thing's first, you need to take a shower. You can borrow some of my clothes. I'll prepare something warm to eat." Minseok scurried off to the kitchen while Jongdae cleaned himself. It was then that the older had time to think about what to do and the work he has.

 

"Need a help there?" A voice pried behind him. He looked back and it was the first time he got a good look at the stranger. He had damp messy hair, eyes filled with mischief and mystery, a mouth that reminded him of a cat, and the very detail he couldn't miss: his tantalizing jawline. It took a while for the older to realize that he had been staring for too long. "Are you just gonna gape at me for the rest of the night or what?" Jongdae said with a smirk. "I-it's fine, It's almost ready." Minseok scurried off to the kitchen to ready the ramyun he prepared. 'How can someone as attractive as him live on the streets?' He thought.

 

"I'm sorry. I know ramyun's not that classy and all, but it's best for a cold weather like tonight." Minseok scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, this is already more than enough, thank you very much." Jongdae replied with a grateful smile.

 

It was quiet except for a few slurps and the sound of the pouring rain. It was broken when Minseok cleared his throat. "If... if you don't mind, would you tell me your story?" He asked, not making eye contact with the younger, who was narrating afterwards.

 

"You see, when I was young, I loved to sing. My mom and dad were very supportive, everything was fine. I don't know what happened. Suddenly my father started to beat up my mom. I could've stopped him, but it was too late. Mom died. I was too scared that I ran away from home. I had nowhere else to stay, so I hid on the dark corners of Seoul. I never thought someone like you would find me." Jongdae's eyes grew dark as he looked down.

 

"I... I'm sorry, I made you recall the incident. I'm so sorry." Minseok said, averting his gaze out the window. He wasn't so sure what made him want to be close to the younger man, but he knows that he has to if they have to live under one roof.

 

"It's okay, whatever happens happens. That's life. No matter how much I try to escape from the reality, it'd only come back to haunt me. It's best if I face it." the younger replied. "What about your side of the story? Not that I'm forcing you to spill it out, though."

 

"Alright," Minseok sharply inhaled, "to be fair. You see, my parents, they weren't really in good terms. I was raised by my mother alone. She suddenly fell ill after I graduated from college. At that time, I wasn't able to find a job yet. A few weeks after I started work, she... she was gone." He narrated, trying not to sound to emotional.

 

"You know, I'm glad you found me back there." Jongdae broke the sad silence between them. "We might learn a lot from each other." Minseok could only nod at the stranger. It seemed as though his optimism was passed on to the guy whom he met with a look of despair.

 

--

 

It was dawn and Jongdae woke up to a rustling sound inside the room. "It got a little cold, so I turned the heater up. I'm sorry if I woke you." Minseok apologized in a hushed whisper. Jongdae could only give a nod and snuggled back in the covers. The older followed suit and drifted back to sleep.

 

Little did he know that Jongdae was now wide awake and in an ocean of thoughts. About why Minseok came to him and took him to his home; why he was deemed worthy of such a blessing; Why his heart raced the first time his gaze met the other's eyes... He simply brushed off the feeling as gratitude and nothing more.

 

--

 

Morning followed and the sunbeams slipped through the windows, enough to make anything touched by it radiate as if it's the most beautiful thing in the whole world. When Minseok woke up, the first thing he saw was the rays hitting the figure of the one sleeping beside him. His heart did a somersault and his lips twitched into a smile. For him, it was the most beautiful thing to see in the morning, and he doesn't know why.

 

Jongdae woke up shortly, feeling the beams of light seeping into the tiny gaps of his shut eyes. He wakes up to fizzing noises and a pleasing aroma that danced around his olfactory bulbs. It felt weird and new to him, but he thought he might eventually get used to it.

 

"Good morning, Jongdae. How was your sleep?" Minseok greeted with a wide smile. Fireworks were shot all throughout the insides of the younger as that smile formed what seemed like a mental image that would forever reside in his long term memory. "Never been better." He simply replied, reciprocating the smile.

 

Both of them sat at the dining table, opposite to each other, and ate breakfast. It was the usual silence that enveloped the four corners of their home until one of them began to speak. "Today, we'll be going to Hongdae." Minseok muttered loud enough for the younger to hear. "Have fun, and watch out for pickpockets, they're everywhere." He replied. "What? I was talking about you and me, you know, the two of us, WE." Oh how the statement sounded like honey to Jongdae's ears. The idea of them strolling outside Korea's most famous shopping district, hanging out and having fun, to the younger one, it basically sounded like a date.

 

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it, then." Jongdae replied with a sincere smile and a certain sparkle in his eyes. He doesn't know why, but the thought of them going out together caused his heart to do a somersault. As Minseok smiled and put the dishes on the sink, Jongdae realized that his face was heating up. Little did he know he was already blushing.

 

--

 

As usual, Hongdae was packed with lots of people. Minseok grabbed the younger's hand, pulling him closer. Jongdae threw him a confused look which the older replied with a smile. "So you won't get lost. Stick close to me, okay?" The latter could only nod as he was distracted by the sparks travelling from his fingertips to the pits of his stomach. Minseok also felt the same, but simply ignored the feeling.

 

They spent hours shopping for clothes that Jongdae could wear, trying out street food and browsing through some toy stores, in which Minseok ended up buying a Rillakuma plushie for Jongdae. They were now eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant. "Wow, these remind me of you." Jongdae absentmindedly blurted out while staring at the steamed buns in front of them. "White and round and fluffy..." He whispered.

 

Minseok choked on his noodles upon hearing those. "Of all the things, really, you compare me to a baozi?" He replied in between coughs with an arched eyebrow. "What? No animal would be as cute, white, round, and fluffy as a steamed bun." Minseok just shrugged off the comment and continued to eat his noodles. He stopped midway when he recalls a word somewhere in the previous sentence. 'Did he just mention cute?'

 

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A/N: PLEASE OH PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS, GUYS.. T.T i might let you down at some point.. >.<"