Aprox. Word Count: 10,111

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“Photos” wasn’t exactly one of Kim Minseok’s favorite words. Cameras were his arch enemies and photographers were his devils. To stand before one of those metal or plastic or whatever darned material they were made of displeased Minseok to the point where he felt he was standing in the pits of hell. It may sound like an over exaggeration, a hyperbole at its finest, but if you took a look into Kim Minseok’s apartment you would see that no amount of grossly exaggerated descriptions could come close to showcasing Minseok’s pure contempt for photos.

Of course, he could tolerate them if he wasn’t involved. He could look at other people’s pictures or pictures of other people, but when it came to him posing for the camera he’d grow queasy. His stomach churned for reasons unknown. Ever since he was a child and had become aware enough to understand what a camera was, he had protested to never have a photo taken of him. He had even gone so far as to throw all his baby photos into the trash. This had constituted a week of grounding and no desserts for a month but it was all worth it to six year old Kim Minseok. No more pictures of him and he was satisfied.

His parents weren’t too delighted by this fact so they took Minseok to a psychologist to see if it was a mental problem. It wasn’t. Not even a professional had any idea why Minseok detested having pictures taken of him. Minseok already knew that but he left it to the adults to speculate. There wasn’t a logical reason, he just hated it. Did he have to have a reason?

Throughout his high school years, Minseok stayed out of the picture (no pun intended). He kept his amount of friends to a minimum and avoided hanging out with those camera-crazy, selca-loving teenagers. His one and only friend who happened to be his best friend as well was a timid, forgetful Chinese exchange student by the name of Zhang Yixing. Minseok carefully chose Yixing to be his friend because of the Chinese boy’s gentle nature and his calmness. He wasn’t one of those guys who took selcas of themselves in the bathroom without a shirt on just to show off their abs. No, Zhang Yixing was safely photo-free. In fact, he wasn’t one for photos either albeit he was not as photo-phobic as Minseok. He could handle one or two pictures but more than that was too much.

But, how exactly did Kim Minseok get through life without taking any school photos? Easy. He didn’t show up those days. And when he was told he had to make it up, he didn’t show up then either. Minseok avoided school events where there was a chance that someone could sneak up with a camera and snap a photo. He didn’t join any clubs and went through his high school life like a shadow that no one noticed. It was just the way he wanted it to go.

Yixing had told Minseok one day that maybe he was being too extreme. “What’s the harm of one measly picture? It’s not gonna hurt you,” Yixing had said in his soft voice with only a tiny hint of an accent. Minseok had sighed with a slight shake of the head, thinking in his mind that no one could understand him.

“Don’t you know what a phobia is? Just think of it as me having a phobia for people taking pictures of me,” Minseok had replied. Yixing had nodded, not saying anything more because he knew Minseok would have grown angered if he pursued the topic any further.

Jumping a few years into the future, Minseok was now a strictly out-of-the-spotlight assistant manager at an online catalog business firm. He was the one that everyone went to when his lazy boss didn’t want to be bothered. No one really knew his name and referred to him as the “sub” which was short for “substitute manager”. This was basically Minseok’s role in the company. He stepped in when their bum of a manager Byun Baekhyun was in his office taking a nap on the polished wood desk.

“Hey, sub. What should I do about these extra copies?” asked Park Chanyeol, the new employee who was more like an errand boy than anything else. He was supposed to be doing work as a secretary or something; Minseok couldn’t really wrap his mind around what exactly the tall, lanky boy’s job was at the moment.

“What the hell are you doing with ‘extra copies’? This is an online shopping catalogue Chanyeol,” Minseok stated.

“Oh, really? Whoops. Umm, I think the printer needs more paper…and ink,” Chanyeol mumbled.

“Just go out and buy some then!” Minseok snapped at the boy who happened to be taller than him. Despite the height difference, Chanyeol still flinched when Minseok glared daggers at him. He apologized before running off to buy the supplies, his long limbs smacking into desks and knocking things to the floor along the way. Sighing, Minseok continued down the hall to check up on his boss.

“Yah, Byun Baekhyun! What the hell are you doing right now?” Minseok barked as soon as he barged into the young executive’s office. Baekhyun, who was a small man, yelped and hid underneath his desk. Apparently, he thought that Minseok hadn’t just seen him dive for cover and considered himself properly hidden from the older man’s eyes. “Do you honestly think I didn’t see or hear you?”

There was no response and Minseok sighed, exasperated. He hadn’t become an assistant manager just so he could babysit his boss. “I know you’re there,” he drawled quickly growing bored of Baekhyun’s daily antics.

“Baekhyun is not here at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep…beep.”

“That might have worked if I had called you,” Minseok stated. Eventually, Baekhyun groaned and crawled out from his hiding space. He stretched, his muscles cramped after crouching into a tight space for so long.

“Ugh, fine. What is it?” Baekhyun whined.

“Remind me again how you got this job?” remarked Minseok with an air of sarcasm. Yet, Baekhyun immediately grabbed the chance to rant about how his annoying father thought it would be best for him to start delving into the family business by working at one of the smaller company buildings. Byun Online Shopping Catalog was a huge corporation that shipped products worldwide. Baekhyun’s father happened to be the CEO.

“He thinks I’m too lazy and irresponsible to work in the main building so he sent me to this dingy place instead,” Baekhyun huffed. His light brown hair became mussed as he tangled his fingers in it from frustration. “I’m not irresponsible. I mean, look at how well things are going here.”

“They’re only going well because I’ve been doing the you’re too lazy to do,” Minseok retorted. “The only time you actually work is when your dad comes by for the monthly check-ups.”

Baekhyun grinned before running over and throwing his arms around Minseok in a tight embrace. “That’s why I love you! Because you’re a hard worker and you won’t rat me out.”

Minseok resisted the urge to smack Baekhyun in the back of his head. Instead, he pried the younger man’s arms off him and stepped towards the desk. The pile of papers on Baekhyun’s desk had grown since he last checked on him.

“I see that your work load is growing,” he said. Baekhyun tilted his head and smiled charmingly.

“Will you help me? It’s too much work for a small guy like me.”

There it was again. Baekhyun acted cute and helpless so that someone else could do his work for him, and that someone was always Minseok. He cursed himself every time he said yes because that meant that not only had Baekhyun gotten off the hook but Minseok had fallen for his charms all over again.

“Please hyung? Please help me!” Baekhyun begged. Minseok wondered if Baekhyun had just decided to throw out all his dignity a long time ago. After staring at him throwing a tantrum for a minute, Minseok guessed he was right.

“Alright, fine! Just stop,” Minseok conceded defeat. It only took Baekhyun half a second to get back on his feet with a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Thanks hyung! You’re the best,” Baekhyun cheered. It seemed to Minseok that Baekhyun only called him “hyung” when he wanted something. But, it didn’t stop his heart from fluttering at how the word sounded coming from Baekhyun. With one last blindingly bright smile, Baekhyun began to back out of the room to leave Minseok on his own but the assistant manager wouldn’t have any of that.

Grabbing Baekhyun by the collar, Minseok yanked the small boy back. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“I was just gonna go get us some coffee, you know? We need caffeine to get us through all this work, right?” Baekhyun said uncertainly as Minseok glared him down. Without a word, Minseok plopped Baekhyun into his extremely expensive looking chair while taking a seat on a short stool beside the desk. Baekhyun reluctantly started grabbing some of the papers on his desk and looking them over, signing what needed to be signed and glossing over the many reports.

Minseok was there to explain things Baekhyun didn’t understand or to skim through files making sure Baekhyun didn’t miss anything important. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing at the young executive from time to time, taking in his delicate features, his smooth skin, and his cute eyes. Minseok cursed his weak resolve. He had given in to Baekhyun too easily. He had let his heart decide what his brain needed to. Besides, why did Minseok even like Baekhyun in the first place? The younger man had a girlfriend, despite his father’s wishes, so Minseok never had a chance.

“Hey, hyung? Are you in there?” Baekhyun gently tapped Minseok on the head and laughed when the older man came to his senses, blinking in confusion.

“W-what? Uh, sorry. I was spacing out,” Minseok replied sheepishly.

“What were you thinking about? A girl you like?” the younger man teased. “What’s she like? I bet she’s really pretty because you were spacing out pretty badly.”

Baekhyun chuckled and pinched Minseok’s cheek which Minseok responded to by slapping his hand away. It didn’t bother Baekhyun. He didn’t know. And it killed Minseok inside. Baekhyun was blissfully unaware that everything he did drove Minseok crazy. Minseok swore that he knew the back of Baekhyun’s hands better than Baekhyun himself because Minseok was always staring at them, tracing over every line, every muscle, and every beautiful long finger in his mind. He loved to count the number of times that Baekhyun would smile at him or kept track of how long he laughed at one of Minseok’s lame jokes. And Minseok hated Baekhyun for not knowing. And yet he loved him all the same.

“I should go. The rest should be easy for you to finish on your own,” Minseok said briskly. It was getting too hard to choke down his feelings, to hide everything behind a complacent smile. Baekhyun protested but Minseok was already out the door before more than two words left the younger man’s mouth.

Get a hold of yourself, Kim Minseok. You almost lost it today.

Minseok rushed down the hall barely registering Chanyeol who was struggling with a large box filled with paper and ink cartridges. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and almost cried with relief when he saw the hands on the 12. Lunch would be his perfect excuse when Baekhyun was questioning why he left so quickly later on.

It didn’t take long for Minseok to arrive at his favorite restaurant. The sign that hung out front was old and decrepit. In fact, the name read “EXO” but Minseok had learned from the owner that the name should have been “EXOTIC”. Despite the deceptive name, there really was nothing “exotic” about this particular restaurant. It was quite the opposite.

When Minseok took his first step inside the tiny restaurants walls, he was hit with the smell of handmade wooden chairs, aging books, burnt stoves, and the aroma of freshly made food. He never understood why he enjoyed this odd concoction of scents but to him they seemed to fit together. The whole restaurant just screamed of warm and cozy in a way that people felt in their hearts rather than comprehended in their minds. Chairs of all sizes sat around tables with gum stuck underneath them. Pictures of the restaurant’s regular customers lined one of the walls, with the exception of Minseok. He was a regular customer, but the workers knew him well enough to never attempt to take a picture of him.

On the other walls were shelves upon shelves of books that the owner loved to collect. He was an avid reader yet also an antique lover so what better way to combine the two than to collect antique books? He had even acquired a page of an ancient book written on papyrus paper. It was in another language but that didn’t matter to the man. Minseok had known the man, whose name was Kim Junmyeon, for a few years and never did learn exactly how he had gotten that interesting piece.

Minseok sat in his usual spot, close to the window in a secluded corner of the room. He was seated on a chair with uneven legs so there was a tennis ball stuck on one of them in order to balance it. There was already a menu laid out of the table for him, although Minseok knew what he wanted before he had even set foot in the restaurant.

“Hyung, what can I get for you today? The usual?”

Minseok looked up and smiled at the familiar waiter. “Sehun, how’s it going?”

“Eh, same old,” replied Sehun. Minseok felt bad for the boy, he should have been in school but due to family issues he had to work full time instead. The story was a long one, consisting of lots of violence, tears, and in the end; breakup. Sehun lived with his mother, helping her through everything and working to keep them both alive. He didn’t talk much about her and Minseok knew better than to delve too deep into his life.

“Same here,” Minseok chuckled. Sehun wrote down Minseok’s order since he already knew, asking was just a formality.

“Baekhyun’s still a whiny ?” Sehun asked.

“No-he’s-I…” Minseok sighed because he couldn’t really say anything without sounding like he was praising Baekhyun.

“And you still like him,” said the younger in more of a statement rather than a question. “Look hyung, I’m not expert on love but I think you should just forget that prick. He’s not even gay!”

“I know that, okay. I’ve tried everything and I just can’t get him out of my mind,” Minseok responded, growing frustrated. He was used to Sehun’s less than sensitive words, the boy didn’t really have a sympathetic side to him but he got straight to the point and sometimes that was the best thing.

“Well, I’m gonna go put this order in. You can sit there and think things through or whatever,” Sehun replied in what was supposed to be a compassionate tone. He patted Minseok on the shoulder before walking away.

Moments later, the owner himself walked out just to talk to Minseok. They had long past the customer-employee relationship and now seemed more like close friends. Junmyeon had a smile on his face as he strode through the maze of tables and chairs.

“Minseok hyung! Back again like always,” he greeted cheerfully. Minseok always thought Junmyeon had a way of cheering people up just by smiling and talking.

“Yeah, I couldn’t miss going to my favorite restaurant.”

“Good, because I didn’t want to miss my favorite customer,” Junmyeon replied. “Don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Minseok laughed when Junmyeon winked and he nodded. “Sure thing. Is Sehun being nice to you lately?”

“You know that brat,” Junmyeon said.

“Well, I just didn’t know if he treated his boyfriend any differently than his friends,” replied Minseok with a slight grin tugging at his lips. Junmyeon blushed at this, having no other response than to fiddle with his fingers.

“Hey, don’t pick on my man,” said Sehun as he returned with Minseok’s order in hand.

“My order’s finished already?”

“Yeah, the chef knows you enough and already had this made when I walked back there.”

Minseok smiled and inhaled the juicy aroma of a perfectly cooked burger. Lunch just so happened to be his favorite meal of the day all because of this delicacy in front of him. He heard Sehun snickering at the side and glanced at him.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it just looked like you were in love with that burger,” stated the waiter.

“He’s right, Minseok hyung. I even thought you were gonna start kissing it or something,” Junmyeon piped up.

“Whatever. Why don’t you two go and do whatever couples do. Or how about working? A customer just walked in,” Minseok replied, gesturing towards the door. He was certain that Sehun dove in for a kiss with Junmyeon just to piss him off. His self-satisfied smirk confirmed it.

“Maybe you wouldn’t be so bitter if you just found someone new hyung. Forget Baekhyun and go meet some guy who’s actually interested,” Sehun remarked before sauntering towards the new customer with chestnut brown hair. Minseok noticed the camera slung around his neck and grimaced, hoping Sehun would seat that customer as far away from him as possible.

“I-I guess I’ll go now too. Enjoy your meal,” said a flustered Junmyeon as he scurried away.

Minseok heaved a sigh of relief, finally left alone to his own thoughts. He’d have to talk with Yixing on Skype later that night. His best friend would have something to say to help Minseok finally move on from Baekhyun.

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It turned out that Yixing did have something to say and it wasn’t any different from what Sehun had said except that it was put in a nicer way. Minseok sat in his apartment the next morning going over Yixing’s words.

“I think that Sehun is right. It’d be best for you to go out and meet a new guy. Liking Baekhyun is not doing any good to you right now. Maybe you should take a week off of work so you don’t have to see him as much,” Yixing had said. He was back at his home in China for the time being getting a break from his life as a backup dancer for some famous singer whose name Minseok always forgot. Yixing never said it out loud but Minseok knew he was glad to be home.

“I can’t do that. If I don’t go to work then I’ll probably go crazy. There’s nothing else I do in life other than work,” he had replied.

“Then go out at night after work. Go to a club or something. Byun Baekhyun is not the only man in the world. I know that your perfect guy is out there somewhere waiting for you to find him.”

“Thanks Yixing. Enjoy your time at home.” The conversation had ended like that as Minseok reluctantly waved to the screen and bid his friend goodbye.

Minseok took a sip of the coffee he had made, drowning it in sugar and cream as always. He couldn’t stand black coffee unless he needed a serious pick-me-up. The bitter taste could wake him faster than a bucket of cold water. He spent the next five minutes just staring out his apartment window at the bland wall of the building next door. He knew his brain was wandering (and perhaps going off the deep end) when he started to see Baekhyun’s face in the flecks of dirt scattered on the wall.

Pinching his cheek, Minseok placed his mug into the sink before grabbing his bag and leaving. He walked down the street, passing a street vendor selling magazines and newspapers. He didn’t really pay attention to them though, merely skimming over the headlines and blurring the pictures in his mind. He was lucky enough to live approximately five minutes away from his workplace, saving money on transportation.

He entered the building and was greeted by the other workers, sitting at desks with computers in front of them probably thinking about when their next break was or why they even worked at an online shopping catalogue firm. Chanyeol was walking by pushing a cart filled with various products but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Minseok.

“Oh, hey sub! I thought you didn’t like having your photo taken,” Chanyeol immediately chirped in that ridiculously deep voice of his.

“I don’t,” Minseok answered, thoroughly confused. Chanyeol let go of the cart and reached behind him to pull a magazine out of his back pocket. He leafed through the pages until he got to a certain one and stopped. Just as he was about to show Minseok what was on the page, they heard rapid footsteps approaching them down the hall.

“Hyung! You gotta take me to this restaurant someday! It’s where you go for lunch all the time, isn’t it? You’ve gotta treat me,” Baekhyun hollered as he approached the two. He also held a magazine in his hand, the same one that Chanyeol was holding.

“Wait, what the hell are you talking about?” Minseok finally exploded.

“This,” both Chanyeol and Baekhyun said as they flipped their magazines around to show Minseok something he hoped he’d never have to see again. There, right smack dab on the left page, blown up to fit the whole page was a picture of Minseok sitting at his usual place in EXO. It didn’t show his face, merely a side profile of him, but it was still easy to tell who it was.

Minseok ripped the magazine from Chanyeol’s hands, his eyes growing to the size of saucers. “W-what? How come there’s a picture of me in here?” Minseok yelled in disbelief, the volume of his voice rising and garnering the attention of everyone at the office. “What the is this?”

“Hyung, calm down. It’s just a picture,” Baekhyun said in an attempt to placate the man.

“I think I’ll use one of my sick days today,” Minseok muttered. Baekhyun stared at him, his eyes wide in confusion. “I’m taking off work today.”

“Uh, okay…”

“Can I borrow this?” Minseok asked Chanyeol. The tall boy nodded, not sure how to respond to Minseok’s sudden outburst. Every worker watched the man storm out of the office with the magazine in hand. No one had ever seen Minseok so infuriated before.

Minseok knew that Baekhyun had every right to fire him for walking out like that but it didn’t really matter to him at the moment. It had been years since he had last seen a photo of himself. He had made sure of it. He was an adult now but he still couldn’t get over his photo-phobic tendencies. He truly began to think of it as a phobia nowadays, although it wasn’t exactly a fear of having his photo taken but more of contempt.

Flipping to the front of the magazine, Minseok read the name and searched for the address where he could find the photographer who dared to take a picture of him without his consent. “Seoul’s Soul” was the name but he couldn’t find the address on the front. Minseok thanked whatever man invented smart phones and pulled out his own, accessing the internet and going to the magazine’s website. It took all of thirty seconds for Minseok to get the address. It was probably a fifteen minute walk from where he was which surprised and pleased Minseok.

When he got to the building he was greeted by a lazy looking secretary. He couldn’t help but notice the man’s tan skin and the fact that he must have been around Sehun’s age. The man tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at Minseok as if waiting for him to say something.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a monotonous tone.

“I was wondering if you knew who took this picture,” Minseok said as he held out the magazine. The man’s eyes slowly scanned the page before he pointed to a door behind him.

“How the hell should I know? Talk to the manager.”

“Thanks.” Minseok bowed his head a little, cursing the man in his head. He walked towards the door and gently knocked on it.

“Come in,” a voice called from within.

Minseok slowly entered the room and was greeted by a tall man with a charming smile and blond hair. His features were striking and Minseok was intimidated by this man’s good looks. He felt inferior as the guy towered over him.

“Oh, I thought you were Jongdae. That damn Jongin, sending strangers into my office. Who are you?” the man asked, raising one perfect eyebrow.

“I-I uh, my name’s Minseok.”

“I see. Well, I’m Kris. What can I do for you Minseok?”

“I was just looking for the person who took this photo,” Minseok stammered nervously. Kris observed the photo for a while, muttering names under his breath. It took him a minute before he snapped his fingers and smirked.

“Aha! I remember who took that. His name is Luhan. I think he has the day off of work today so I have no idea where he is at the moment,” Kris said.

“Can you give me his address?”

“Sorry, I can’t hand out my employees’ personal information.”

Minseok resisted the urge to shake Kris by the shoulders and demand the man’s address and instead settled for an apology. “Sorry for bothering you.”

Just as Minseok turned towards the door, Kris called his name. “Hang on. I think you should ask my secretary where Luhan might be. Those two are close friends and I’m sure Luhan told Jongin what he’s doing on his day off.”

“Thanks for your help,” Minseok responded. Kris nodded and gave a slight wave as Minseok left his office.

He gathered up the courage to talk to the man at the counter again. “Umm, you’re Jongin right?” he asked when he walked over. Jongin scrutinized Minseok for what seemed like forever before the man nodded ever so slightly. “You’re friends with Luhan?” Another curt nod.

“Do you know where he is?” asked Minseok.

“Maybe,” replied Jongin.

“Look, if you know where he is can you just spit it out and tell me? I need to talk to him,” Minseok demanded. He decided that being nice to the man wasn’t getting him anywhere. Jongin seemed taken aback for a second, obviously not used to total strangers snapping at him in such a way.

“Alright, I’ll tell you. No need to get your in a bunch,” scoffed Jongin. “He’s probably at that restaurant.” Jongin pointed to the picture of Minseok in the magazine.

Without thanking Jongin, Minseok ran out of the building. He had to catch this Luhan guy and make him delete that photo of him, and also give him a piece of his mind, before the guy left the restaurant. Minseok wanted to make this conversation quick because he was not a fan of photographers.

Sehun was surprised to see Minseok when he walked through the doors of the restaurant that morning. “You’re early. Lunch isn’t for another three hours.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’m looking for someone,” Minseok answered briskly. He ignored Sehun after that and let his eyes roam over the shockingly filled restaurant. Not many people knew of EXO and Minseok liked to think of it as his private haven. The fact that so many people were there today not only made it harder to find the mystery photographer, but also gave him a sense of intrusion on his own personal bubble.

“If you’re looking for the guy who took your picture yesterday, he’s over there,” Sehun said while pointing to a corner of the room. Minseok’s corner. Sehun watched, amused by the fury growing on Minseok’s face. This photographer had already crossed the line when he took that photo of him, now he also took Minseok’s spot in his favorite restaurant? Minseok would have none of that.

He stepped up to the table, plastering a glare and a scowl on his face. His shadow was casted over the young photographer with the chestnut brown hair and he looked up. When their eyes met, Minseok forgot why he was standing there for a second. Innocent doe eyes, a cute nose, and soft lips formed into an “o” sat before Minseok and literally stole his breath away.

“H-hello. Is there something you need?” Minseok wanted to block out the beautiful voice that drifted into his ears. This man before him was absolutely gorgeous and all his anger had dissipated into nothing now.

“I-I-I…”

“Oh! That’s the magazine that I work for,” the photographer exclaimed, gesturing towards the magazine Minseok still gripped in his fist. “Did you see my picture? I think you have a really nice side profile. You looked really serene too which made the photo perfect!”

At the mention of the picture, Minseok remembered what he was there for and also salvaged the remnants of anger still brewing in him. His scowl returned, albeit not as fierce as before, and he held the magazine up. “I need to talk to you about this picture.”

“Please, sit down. I’m Luhan by the way. What’s your name?” asked Luhan gently. Minseok had no choice but to take the empty seat across from the man, automatically shifting uncomfortably at the camera sitting on the table.

“My name is Minseok,” he replied curtly.

“Hmm, that’s a nice name. Anyways, what did you want to talk about?”

“I want you to delete this photo from your camera,” Minseok demanded.

“Excuse me?” Luhan asked, his pretty eyes widening.

“I never gave you consent to take my photo so I want you to delete it,” he reiterated. Luhan reached for his camera but didn’t turn it on, instead choosing to bring it close to him as if he was protecting it.

“Why? I mean, it’s a great picture of you! It’s perfect!” Luhan tried to justify his photo. It could have been declared the best picture ever taken and Minseok still would have wanted him to delete it.

“I don’t like having my photo taken so please delete this picture while I’m asking nicely,” Minseok said slowly, driving his point to the photographer.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt so strongly about it. I’ll delete it right now.” Minseok watched carefully as Luhan turned the camera on and proceeded to trash the photo. He felt a sense of relief and happiness but he was still somewhat bitter that the picture had been printed. There was no way he could find all of the magazines and get rid of that picture completely.

“So, is that all?”

Minseok hadn’t realized he’d been spacing out and staring straight at Luhan until the man waved a hand in front of his face. His cheeks burned in embarrassment and he nodded. “Yes. Thanks. Umm, I guess I’ll leave you alone now.”

Luhan’s hand shot out and grabbed a hold of Minseok’s wrist before he could even move two inches. Minseok ignored the tingling sensation that their skin contact gave him and turned to Luhan with a small smile on his face.

“Wait, is it alright if I ask why you don’t like having your picture taken?” The question was a standard response that Minseok got whenever he told people of his “phobia”. His answer would always be the same.

“It’s just something about me. It’s like a phobia,” he replied. Minseok waited for the initial look of understanding and then the “oh I see” response.

“Hmm, I guess everyone has their phobias and their pet peeves. To be quite honest, I’d rather be the one taking a photo instead of being in it myself,” Luhan said. Minseok was astonished by his answer. The man didn’t seem to be judging Minseok or freaked out by him in any way. He didn’t fake sympathy or understanding. He truly did understand why Minseok hated having his picture taken. It was a wonderful feeling to finally have someone who understands his “phobia”. It wasn’t the standard odd look he’d get with the awkward smile.

“I’d love to talk to you more but I have an appointment to get to. It was nice meeting you Minseok!” Luhan said as he stood up. “And I’m really sorry about the photo. It won’t happen again!”

Minseok stared at Luhan’s back as the photographer left with his camera hanging around his neck again and a backpack on his back. Something fell from the man’s backpack and Minseok reached down to pick it up, gaining yet another shock. In his hands was a Polaroid of himself most likely taken by the photographer. He crushed the Polaroid in his hand and felt stupid for even feeling anything at all for Luhan.

He took a second picture of me and didn’t even bother to tell me? Is this guy a stalker or something? The next time I see him, I won’t go easy on him no matter how gorgeous he is, thought Minseok as he stuffed the Polaroid carelessly into the pocket of his pants. He’d have to track down Luhan tomorrow; knowing that by now the photographer was long gone and would most likely not show up at his workplace.

So, instead of scouring the city just to find a man who was possibly his stalker/worst enemy, Minseok found it better to just go home. No need to waste time on some photographer he had just met today, even if that photographer just so happened to be extremely attractive. Besides, he was a photographer and Minseok never got along with photographers. Bidding goodbye to Sehun and Junmyeon on his way out, Minseok left EXO to return to his apartment.

There wasn’t much to do at home and Minseok couldn’t go back to work after stampeding out like that this morning. It’d be too embarrassing for him. Instead of doing something productive, Minseok flipped open his laptop and turned it on. He logged on to Skype and was pleasantly surprised to find Yixing online. He thanked a random deity in his mind for giving him his best friend to talk to in dire moments of need like this one. Clicking on Yixing’s name, he started the video chat while adjusting his laptop. Five seconds later, Yixing answered and his face popped up on Minseok’s screen.

“Well, isn’t this a wonderful surprise. What are you doing at home instead of working?” Yixing greeted. There was something comforting in hearing Yixing’s playful banter that brought a smile to Minseok’s face.

“Decided to take the day off. And what are you doing?” Minseok shrugged.

“I’m talking to you,” Yixing replied with a tiny smile playing on his lips. “So, did you take the day off to avoid Baekhyun?”

“It’s not entirely the case. There was something else that kept me from work as well.”

“Oh really? Do tell.”

“Some photographer took a picture of me while I was at a restaurant and that photo was published in a magazine without me knowing. So, I went to the office to take care of it and I talked to the photographer and told him to delete the photo,” said Minseok.

“That’s it? You didn’t yell at him or threaten to punch him? Tell me about this mystery photographer who managed to survive after taking a picture of Kim Minseok,” Yixing responded incredulously, his eyebrows arching up.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do I seem like a violent person to you?” Minseok scoffed.

Yixing didn’t respond but merely smiled coyly. It irked Minseok slightly, the way Yixing was always so calm and spoke in such a way that he could’ve insulted someone and they’d never know. He was the kind of person you couldn’t get angry with no matter what though. At times, he exuded innocence especially during his forgetful moments. Yixing made a gesture with his hands, circling them in front of his body motioning for Minseok to continue.

“So? What’s this photographer look like? Is he attractive?”

“Yes, extremely,” the words flew out of Minseok’s mouth before he could stop himself. He slapped a hand over his mouth and his eyes grew wide in shock. He hadn’t meant to let that slip out but now he had to deal with the satisfied smile spread across Yixing’s face.

“Wow, this guy must look like a god if Kim Minseok thinks he’s extremely attractive,” teased Yixing. “What’s his name?”

“Luhan.”

There was a pause, a break of silence, and Minseok sat in his chair wondering if Yixing had just forgotten to respond to him or not. It was hard to believe, but it actually happened before. Minseok’s eyes flickered towards the Polaroid that he’d ungraciously dumped onto his desk, and then went back to Yixing. The dancer was staring intently at Minseok’s face and he looked older than Minseok for a moment, he looked wiser.

“You like him, don’t you? Not as much as Baekhyun yet, but you’re attracted to him. Am I right?” Yixing spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Now, it was Minseok’s turn to fall silent, except he was at a loss for words.

“…I-no. I don’t know, I’m confused,” Minseok replied, resting his head in his hands. Quite honestly, it was true. When he thought of the photographer Luhan who had secretly taken a photo of him, he boiled with anger. When he thought of Luhan in general, he saw pretty eyelashes, doe eyes, and a perfect smile. He thought of an angel with the power to quell his anger with just one look.

 “You should meet him again. Maybe that’ll help you clarify your feelings,” Yixing suggested.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Who knows? Maybe he’s your soul mate.” Yixing chuckled. “That’d be ironic, wouldn’t it?”

Minseok didn’t find the situation nearly as amusing as Yixing did. He changed the subject, bringing up random memories from the past so that Yixing would forget about Luhan momentarily or he at least hoped that he would forget about the photographer. His plan worked and Minseok was lost in his walk down memory lane with his best friend, conversing about old habits and their favorite places to go after school until the sun was starting to set and Yixing had to pack because he was coming back to Seoul in a few days.

After saying goodnight to his friend, Minseok shut his laptop finally feeling his eyes grow heavy. He hadn’t realized how exhausted he was. Luckily for him, tomorrow was Sunday which meant he didn’t have work. Too tired - and quite frankly too lazy - to make dinner for himself, Minseok trudged into bed. He settled himself under the covers without changing out of his work clothes and stared at the Polaroid in his hand.

He scrutinized his own side profile and picked out every flaw there was. His cheeks were too round, his hair looked odd from that angle, his jaw line just didn’t seem right. He couldn’t understand what Luhan had thought was so perfect about this photo. From the photo, his mind wandered to images of Luhan. He’d only known the man for, at most, five minutes and he had his face etched into his mind. His brain conjured up perfect recounts of every little movement Luhan had made back at the restaurant and Minseok was going crazy because of it. To counter this – despite knowing it was wrong – Minseok drowned himself in thoughts of Baekhyun and the young executive’s sunbeam smile and soft hands. By the end of the night, Minseok was burnt out from the war in his mind. Lingering feelings for Baekhyun gave way to the flood of mysterious attraction that Minseok felt for Luhan. In the end, he fell asleep clutching the Polaroid in his hand dreaming of the man who had taken the photo.

---

The next morning, Minseok found the task of cooking breakfast for himself too bothersome. So instead, he showered and got dressed in a casual outfit – which consisted of loose-fitting jeans and a black t-shirt – before leaving his apartment. He had shoved his wallet into his back pocket and stopped by his night stand, staring at the crumpled Polaroid for a moment. It was an impulse for him to reach out and stuff it into his pocket.

Not in the mood for a simple coffee complimented with some breakfast pastry, Minseok headed towards his favorite restaurant. When he got there he didn’t expect to see the tall errand boy and his boss sitting at a table in the middle of the room with no other customers around. He was already inside and it was too late to turn around and leave because Chanyeol had spotted him, grinning widely and waving overenthusiastically.

“Sub! Come sit with us!” he hollered. Minseok grimaced at his deep, booming voice and was glad there weren’t any other customers around. He reluctantly walked over and took a seat beside Chanyeol who was sitting across from Baekhyun. The tall boy slung an arm around Minseok’s shoulder in an almost too friendly way. “After seeing that article with your picture, Baekhyun and I just had to come and check out this restaurant.”

“Oh, is that so?” Minseok replied.

“Yup, it’s pretty cool! We haven’t gotten our food yet but I bet it’s delicious,” Chanyeol babbled on.

Minseok nodded, feeling a pair of eyes searing a hole in his skull so he turned his head to look at Baekhyun. The young executive had a glare on his face accompanied by a cute pout. Minseok expected his heart to pound in his chest but was astonished when he found it easy to breathe normally.

“How could you?” Baekhyun blurted out. Minseok was taken aback by the sudden question.

“How could I what?” he responded meekly.

“How could you never take me to this awesome restaurant before? I thought we were friends!” Baekhyun whined and Minseok nearly sighed with relief. He had been worried that Baekhyun was angered over his absence yesterday but then he remembered that it was Baekhyun and the man would never get angry over something like that.

“I didn’t think it was that important,” Minseok answered honestly. How should he have known that his boss would enjoy going to a shabby restaurant like this? He always thought of Baekhyun as the type who went out to five-star restaurants and high-end clubs.

“It’s not exactly the most…sanitary place but it gives off a nice feeling,” Baekhyun drawled, spacing out a bit.

Minseok gazed at Baekhyun, confused as to where the fluttering feeling in his chest had gone. Before, he’d grow flustered just from being so close to Baekhyun. Now, the feeling was barely there. It was like a bird with a broken wing, attempting to fly but failing. What had caused this drastic change, Minseok wondered. It was merely two days ago when he had been head-over-heels for Baekhyun. What had changed?

Minseok saw his answer walk through the door and come towards him, a light smile on his face while his camera gently swayed around his neck. Luhan introduced himself to Chanyeol and Baekhyun, asking if he could sit and the two readily accepted the angelic stranger. Luhan proffered a hand to Minseok, his lips twitched up into a smile that hid something behind it and he winked as if sharing a secret with Minseok.

“My name is Luhan. Pleasure to meet you,” he greeted. Minseok couldn’t understand what the reason for Luhan introducing himself a second time could possibly be, so he responded accordingly.

“Kim Minseok. Nice to meet you too,” he said slowly. He ignored the sizzling feeling on his skin that remained even when Luhan let go of his hand.

Luhan merged into the group quite easily, starting an easy conversation with Baekhyun about some of the most famous attractions in Seoul saying how he took pictures of them for “Seoul’s Soul”. Chanyeol seemed in awe at the idea of Luhan being a photographer and he stared at the man’s camera so intensely Minseok thought he was trying to bore a hole in it.

“So, all you do is take pictures? That’s your job?” Chanyeol asked with complete seriousness and Minseok stopped himself from slapping his hand on his forehead in second-hand embarrassment.

“Yeah. It’s really fun but that might just be because I love to take pictures,” Luhan replied, not fazed by Chanyeol’s less-than-normal questions.  Chanyeol opened his mouth to say more but Baekhyun interrupted with a loud cheer as their food came out.

Sehun raised a brow at Minseok, obviously questioning when he got so many friends, as he placed the dishes on the table. He didn’t say much and left to go into the kitchen, most likely going to find his boyfriend. Minseok hadn’t ordered any food but Sehun had brought out a plate of fluffy waffles for him anyways, giving the same to Luhan. He smiled gratefully and began to eat as Baekhyun and Chanyeol had wasted no time in diving into the delicious-looking food.

It took the two youngest no time at all to devour their meals. They both sighed in content when they were finished. Baekhyun stood up abruptly, Chanyeol following suit. There was something in the sly smile on Baekhyun’s face that made Minseok uneasy.

“That was an amazing meal. Thanks for paying hyung!” Baekhyun shouted while he grabbed Chanyeol and ran out the restaurant with him. Minseok’s jaw hung open and he could do nothing but laugh bitterly. He expected that much from Baekhyun. He forgot Luhan was across from him until the photographer chuckled softly. Minseok gazed at him, his heartbeat picking up its pace as he drank in Luhan’s delicate features.

“Your friends are funny. I like them,” Luhan said.

The friendly manner that Luhan spoke with puzzled Minseok. Luhan was acting as if he had known Minseok for years, or at least longer than five minutes. He started to think that maybe his theory of Luhan being a stalker was true.

“Are you…” Minseok began but he couldn’t finish the sentence without sounding paranoid and frank.

“Am I, what?” Luhan asked with his lips curled into a hint of a smile. Instead of answering verbally, Minseok pulled the Polaroid out of his pocket and noticed how Luhan’s eyes enlarged in pure shock.

“What exactly is this?”

“Th-that’s, umm…” For the first time since Minseok met him, Luhan was at a loss for words. The photographer stared down into his lap and fiddled with his camera nervously, a sheen of sweat forming on his brow. “I-I-I”

Minseok gazed intently at Luhan, waiting for his answer. He wasn’t angry about the Polaroid anymore, he was curious. Why had he taken this picture of him? Was he indeed a stalker? Minseok was afraid to find out. Luhan finally lifted his chin to stare right into Minseok’s eyes and they remained that way for a while, gazes locked. Minseok felt his heart hammering in his chest, anticipating what Luhan’s next words would be. He saw Luhan’s eyes shift downwards slightly, lingering on Minseok’s lips. Anxiously, Minseok swiped his tongue over his lips and worried that there might have been something on his face.

Then, Luhan leaned across the table and gently pressed his lips against Minseok’s.

The kiss lasted less than a second because Luhan had pulled away shyly, cheeks painted a bright crimson. All coherent thought disappeared from Minseok’s mind and his body took over for his unresponsive brain, getting to his feet and running out of the restaurant without glancing back.

Minseok didn’t stop running until he was a couple blocks away. He finally collapsed on a metal bench, panting from the exertion. He had no idea what had come over him and why he ran. He couldn’t grasp the situation, wondering if what had just happened was actually a dream or a figment of his imagination. When he touched his lips with the tips of his fingers, he could still feel the softness of Luhan’s lips and he knew that it had been real.

Now, Minseok was left with a million more unanswered questions. Why had Luhan kissed him? He’d only known Minseok for an hour, so what feelings could he have harbored for him? Was the kiss just some cruel joke? Or was there true emotion behind it? And, how did Minseok himself feel about the kiss?

Just thinking about it caused his heart to skip several beats and his cheeks to flush with heat. Did that mean he did like the kiss? Did he like Luhan? Minseok reached into his pocket to pull out the Polaroid but realized it was missing. He must have left it back at the restaurant. He didn’t know when he had come to care so much about it, but he just couldn’t leave it there and he’d forgotten to pay the bill. So, Minseok ran back to the restaurant.

He entered the restaurant, his heart sinking when he didn’t see Luhan. Sehun came out of the kitchen and raised a brow when he saw him. “Hyung, that photographer guy told me to give this to you,” the waiter said, holding out something in his hand. Upon closer inspection, Minseok realized it was the Polaroid.

“Are you close with him or something? Because he paid the bill for you before he left,” Sehun stated but Minseok hadn’t registered anything he was saying. He held the Polaroid in his hand and flipped it to look at the back. A kind of sixth sense in him had made him do so, and he was pleased to find a note written on the back.

If you want to know why I kissed you, meet me.

-Luhan

There was no time frame stated for when Minseok should meet Luhan. Just the note and an address written below it that looked awfully familiar.

“Can I use your guys’ computer?” Minseok asked Sehun (he’d forgotten his phone at home), interrupting the younger who had been saying something about Minseok having odd friends. The waiter stopped and threw him a pointed look before rolling his eyes and leading the way into Junmyeon’s office. Junmyeon looked surprised when they entered but happily obliged, allowing Minseok to look up the directions to get to the address.

“What’s this about?” Junmyeon whispered to Sehun.

“I think it’s a guy,” the younger muttered back. Junmyeon gasped and smiled gleefully.

“Our hyung has finally found love!” he chirped. Sehun chuckled and snuck an arm around Junmyeon’s waist, pulling him closer. Junmyeon sighed and rested his head against Sehun’s shoulder.

“Thanks, I’ll see you guys later!” Minseok called as he snatched the Polaroid and ran out of the office. It turned out that the address Luhan had given him was the address to “Seoul’s Soul” headquarters. Minseok arrived, glad that the place was open even on a Sunday. Jongin greeted him with a scowl and pointed automatically to a door with Luhan’s name on it. Minseok thanked him before he walked up and stood in front of it.

His hand hovered in front of the door but he was too scared to knock. He would have hesitated and waited there for an hour if Jongin hadn’t snapped at him to just go inside. Minseok finally headed in and immediately saw Luhan resting with his chin on the giant desk, his eyes closed. Luhan’s eyes fluttered open when Minseok closed the door and a smile lit up his face.

“You’re here! I was worried that you wouldn’t come,” he said, rising to his feet. Luhan strode over to Minseok, stopping about ten inches in front of him. “So, you wanna know why I kissed you?” Luhan spoke so softly, Minseok leaned in to hear him. He nodded unconsciously.

Next, Luhan whipped out his camera and snapped a photo of Minseok before he could even react.

When Minseok finally understood what had just happened, his eyes narrowed in rage and he reached for the camera. “What the hell was that for? Didn’t I tell you never to take a picture of me again?” he yelled furiously. However, Luhan was quick and nimble, hopping out of the way and escaping with the camera still in his possession. Minseok chased after him, desperately grasping for the camera with the full intent of smashing it to pieces once he got a hold of it. The pair darted around the room, Luhan ran backwards for a moment snickering at Minseok until he tripped on his chair and fell onto his back. Minseok was caught off guard and he fell forward, catching himself before he crushed the photographer.

Luhan began to get up so Minseok backed away before their heads could bash together. He paused but soon realized that Luhan was moving closer to him so he continued to back away until he hit the wall. Luhan’s nose barely brushed against Minseok’s making Minseok forget all about the photo Luhan had taken.

“So, do you wanna know?” Luhan asked again. Minseok’s response was the same as before. Luhan’s lips quirked into a smile. “Because from the moment I saw you, all I wanted to do was kiss you. Yesterday, at the restaurant, it was love at first sight for me. When you came up and talked to me, the only thing I could think of was how your lips would feel like pressed against mine.”

Minseok couldn’t find any words to respond to such a shocking, heartfelt confession. He was still trying to grasp the situation.

“I’m not asking you to love me right away, but I’m asking for a chance. I want a chance to take you out on a date and serenade you under the moonlight. I want a chance to share a smile with you and to make you laugh. I want a chance to win your heart,” Luhan murmured as he gazed straight into Minseok’s eyes. Minseok got lost in the beauteous swirl of emotions hiding behind Luhan’s eyes. “I know you don’t like people taking your photo and I’m a photographer so I must be your worst nightmare, but I’ll do my best not to take any pictures of you. I can’t guarantee it, but I will try.”

Minseok always believed that love took time to happen. That love needed to grow to the extent that both parties meant the world to one another. He didn’t believe in things like love at first sight. How could you fall for someone in one fleeting second?

But after meeting Luhan, his opinion had changed. Love could happen at any place, at any moment. Sometimes, you could fall for someone in one second because one second meant a lot. One second could mean the difference between life and death.

Minseok thought back to when he first laid eyes on Luhan and he knew that from that moment, he had fallen so hard that he didn’t even know it until now.

“…I’ll give you a chance,” whispered Minseok.

Luhan smiled as if the world was in his arms before he pecked Minseok on the lips, leaving the poor man to flounder at the unexpected kiss. Luhan wrapped his arms around Minseok and rocked from side to side, absolutely overcome with joy. Minseok noticed the camera on the ground and remembered the photo Luhan had taken five minutes ago.

“You’re going to delete that picture you took, right?”

Luhan let go of Minseok and laughed out loud, tears of happiness b in his eyes while he nodded. Minseok blushed but laughed as well, enjoying the sound of Luhan’s perfect laughter.

---

From that day on, the pair only grew closer. EXO became their designated meeting spot and their favorite place to go for dinner. Junmyeon and Sehun congratulated the newly born couple by treating them to an elaborate dinner that the waiter and owner made themselves. Some days Luhan would stop by at Minseok’s office and bring him lunch that was haphazardly made but it was the thought that counted. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were surprised at first, but they accepted the couple wholeheartedly.

When Yixing came back from China, Minseok introduced him to Luhan and so began a friendship where Yixing would tell Luhan embarrassing secrets about Minseok behind his back. One day, Minseok had gone with Yixing to meet Luhan at “Seoul’s Soul” headquarters. Luhan decided to introduce Yixing to Kris, thinking they’d be a great match. Minseok was surprised when Yixing smiled shyly at Kris, his cheeks a rosy pink. Luhan’s matchmaking skills were better than Minseok thought them to be.

The months passed by and Minseok and Luhan became inseparable. It was a particularly cold day in winter and the pair was at Minseok’s apartment cuddled under a warm blanket. A movie was playing but they weren’t paying much attention to it. Instead, Luhan was more interested in running his fingers through Minseok’s hair while Minseok lay between Luhan’s legs with his head resting against his chest. Minseok barely noticed the ticklish feeling but savored it none the less.

He felt his eyelids grow heavy and they began to slowly close. His breathing steadied into a gently rhythm. He could feel Luhan’s heartbeat; it acted like a metronome pacing his own heart to match with it. The euphoric feeling of just laying there in his lover’s arms was overwhelming. It was peaceful for a while and Minseok almost fell asleep until he heard a click and the tinkling of Luhan’s laughter. His eyes flew open and he caught sight of Luhan’s phone in front of his face.

“What did you just do?” he asked immediately. Luhan responded by giggling. “Did you take a picture of me with your phone?”

“Yup,” replied Luhan. “I couldn’t resist! You’re too cute when you’re falling asleep.”

“You better delete that picture right now! Give me the phone damn it!” Minseok snapped as he tried to tug the phone out of Luhan’s grip. Minseok got up and turned around, sending an icy glare Luhan’s way. The chestnut haired boy stuck his tongue out before zipping away into Minseok’s bedroom. Wasting no time, Minseok sprinted after him determined to get that phone no matter what.

When Minseok bounded into his room, he didn’t see Luhan anywhere. Bewildered, he stepped up to the bed and glanced around the room. That was when Luhan attacked. He pounced on Minseok, knocking him off his feet and onto the bed. Luhan straddled the utterly shocked man with a too innocent smile adorning his face.

“W-where’s your phone?” Minseok demanded.

“That’s a secret. You can only find out if you say ‘please’,” Luhan teased, the smile never leaving his face.

“Please,” Minseok said bluntly.

“That wasn’t sincere at all,” Luhan tsked. He leaned down and captured Minseok’s lips in a light kiss that soon turned passionate. Minseok felt his body heat up and he suppressed the urge to moan when Luhan started kissing a trail from his jaw and down his neck.

He had no idea if Luhan had planned this from the start though, but those thoughts and any other thoughts didn’t mean a thing to him anymore. He got lost in desire, limbs tangling with Luhan’s, hips ing, fingers combing through hair, and ragged breaths echoing in the room. Skin met with skin and fire flared wherever Luhan’s lips touched him, electricity sizzled wherever Luhan’s fingers trailed.

They made love for the first time that night, becoming one body and one soul. They collapsed under the covers, bodies woven together in the perfect way. Minseok smiled as he gazed into Luhan’s eyes, interlacing his fingers with Luhan’s.

“I love you,” whispered Minseok.

“I love you more,” Luhan replied, grinning. “So, does this mean I can keep that picture of you on my phone?”

“Nope.”

“But why? It’s just one picture! Please,” whined Luhan. Minseok chuckled and pulled Luhan closer to him, touching their foreheads together.

“I guess I can make one exception,” he murmured. Luhan smiled and gently kissed Minseok on the lips before curling into him and closing his eyes. He breathed a soft “thank you” to which Minseok merely smiled, savoring the picture-perfect moment.

---

Okay, I am really sorry it took so long to finish this. I am really super duper sorry. T_T I hope you guys enjoyed it though! Thanks so much for reading! :)