Spindle

     The potter's fingers danced gracefully along the clay, spinning the spindle and shaping it as he pleased. It was peaceful—the work day had been slow. Leisurely, he began to mold more pottery as a pastime, waiting for people to come in and ask to make their own or buy their own. 

     The bell on the door rang, letting the man know that someone had come. He ran to the sink to wash his hands and walked toward the front of the store, where he was greeted by three men, fairly his age. 

     "Hello, how may I help you?" He smiled genuinely—the presence of people that enjoyed pottery or aspired to be a potter always overjoyed him. 

     "Uh..." A man with pink hair contemplated.      "When are the next pottery lessons?"

     "I teach whenever. Today's not busy so I can teach you now, but further dates may have to be scheduled."

     "Oh, really? That's great!" The tallest said, looking excitedly at his friends. "Hyung, that sounds good, right?"

     "How much would it cost for today's lesson?" The guy with smaller eyes asked.

     "About 39,000 won. (37 USD)"

     "Hyung! Hyung! It's not that bad, please hyung!"

     The potter chuckled at the taller one—he was childish and it entertained him. 

     "We'll do it then." 

     "So what should we do first, Mr..." The pink haired one trailed off.

     "Just call me Hoya. And you are?"

     "Wait, w-why?"

     "I like to know the names of my students, that's all. I'll do no harm." Hoya replied.

     "I'm Dongwoo, and the tall one is Sungyeol, and that squishy hyung over there is Sunggyu." 

Next thing Hoya knew it, Dongwoo was getting smacked at the back of the head by Sunggyu.

     "There's sinks all around the room, go ahead and wash your hands before we start."

   

     Hoya taught the three of them how to work the spindle, how to mold it into the shape that you please—everything that it took to be at least a decent potter.

     "You guys did well." Hoya smiled at the three. "I hope I see you guys again some time. You really have the potential to become great potters." 

     The three washed their hands and while Sunggyu was paying, Sungyeol and Dongwoo admired all of Hoya's pots, ogling at the shape and the beauty of the pots.

     "Do you paint these yourself, too?" 

     "Yeah, they're all the work of me. The molding, the drying, the painting. It's a good pastime, designing it as well."

     "This one's really beautiful." Dongwoo said, picking one up off the shelf.

     "Yeah, that's one of my favorites." Hoya replied with a smile on his face—until he heard a shattering noise.

     "Oh my..." Sunggyu shut his eyes tight and turned around, opening them slowly, only to be greeted by a shocked (and not to mention teary) Dongwoo, crouched over the broken creation, Hoya's favorite at that.

     "I'm so sorry.. I'll pay you, I'll work here, I'll do anything to make up for it."

     "Dongwoo, just let me pay." Sunggyu sighed and turned toward Hoya, who had a face that Sunggyu was not sure he could decipher on. "I'm so sorry. He's really clumsy.. How much would that be?"

     "No, hyung, I'll pay for it. Don't do it, it was my mistake, and I don't want you to pay any more than you already have."

     "Dongwoo-ya.. You know you're not in the right condition to pay right now, you just lost your job.."

     "It's okay.." Dongwoo looked at Hoya with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry.. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

     "What is there he can do?"

     Hoya was clearly infuriated, but he tried not to show it—he was still at work. "You just lost your job, right?" Dongwoo nodded slowly, "you can work here to pay off your debt. Do things like working the cash register, helping my students, bringing out the clay, cleaning the spindle. If you were to pay for the damage it wouldn't have been that much anyway. I'm not that bad of a guy. So working off the debt is the least I can offer." 

     "Yes, I'll work off the debt.. Again... I'm really sorry for breaking it.. especially since it was your favorite.."

     Hoya smiled slightly at how sincere Dongwoo was (though he was still infuriated), and patted his shoulder lightly. "It's okay. You start tomorrow though." 

     "I'll be here when doors open then."

     "10AM?"

     "Yes, sir." 

     "It's Hoya." 

   

     Dongwoo kept his promise and showed up even before Hoya arrived.

     "Good morning!" Dongwoo waved at the potter. "I got you coffee... If you like coffee." He said as Hoya unlocked the shop door, opening the door and letting Dongwoo in first.

     Hoya smiled. "Thanks. I needed it. I was kept up all night by my niece that I had to babysit. She only knocked out by 5am. What an energetic girl."

     "Who's watching her now?" 

     "My roommate. My older brother's coming around 12 to pick her up anyway." 

     Dongwoo handed Hoya his coffee and then sipped some of his own. "So what do you want me to do?"

     "Well, there's no one coming until 10:30, that being my first lesson of the day, so you can just sit back for a while. Or maybe we can leisurely spin some pots."

     "Or, since we'll be working together, let's get to know each other!" Dongwoo smiled, but Hoya crinkled his nose sat the thought, since he never really had many friends except for his roommate Sungjong.

     "Er.. You first."

     "How old are you?" Dongwoo asked, taking another sip from his coffee as he leaned against the counter.

     "I was born in 1991."

     "You can just call me hyung then." Dongwoo chuckled.

     Hoya and Dongwoo got to know each other a lot more that day. And the next. And the next week. And the next month.

 

     "So tomorrow's your last day of working off the debt." Hoya said as they were cleaning up the shop—much disappointment in his voice. He expected Dongwoo to hiss a "yes" and be excited and happy, but that's not what he had gotten in response.

     "Oh.. really?" He tried to mask his disappointment. "It's nice here. I forgot I was working here in debt in the first place. I guess you and I got too carried away." 

     "We'll," Hoya paused, biting his lips in contemplation, "stay in touch.. right?"

     "Of course." Dongwoo smiled at Hoya. "You're.. like a best friend to me. I wouldn't want to let go just like that."

     "Better than Sunggyu hyung?" Hoya said, a twinkle in his eye.

     "Far better than Sunggyu hyung. Let's get dinner tomorrow.. Since it's my last day and all. My treat."

     "Sounds like a plan."

     Hoya and Dongwoo didn't want to part that night. 

 

     Dongwoo cleaned up the last of what he had in disappointment, letting out a deep sigh. "I'll stop by everyday." He ran his hand through his hair. "I.. I got another job.. your shop just happens to be on my way everyday. So I'll stop by once in a while to spin some pottery with you or something."

     "Really? What's your job?" Hoya said, leaning against the counter and wiping his hands on his apron.

     "I'm a dance instructor. Dancing is like your pottery to me."

     "Dancing?" Hoya smiled cheekily. "Maybe you can teach me sometime. You're probably much better than I am. And I thought I was good."

     "You dance?"

     "In high school I used to. But then things happened and I began to take interest in pottery. Pottery was kind of my escape." 

     "Seems like we're both teachers now, huh. You ready to go?"

     "Yeah." 

 

     They ate in comfortable silence until Hoya and Dongwoo spoke the same thing at the same time.

     "Can I tell you something?" The two of them laughed.

     "You first." 

     "Um.. How do I say this.." Hoya scratched the back of his neck. "I.. don't expect anything.. back.. but I think.." He trailed off and played with his food. "I think I might like you."

     Dongwoo was silent, and Hoya had taken it as a bad sign and just bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

     "Don't be. Because.. I actually.. Was going to tell you the same thing."

     And thus their love blossomed.

 

     Dongwoo visited every day when he got the chance, and Hoya dropped by on his off days for private lessons—it was pure, innocent love.

     They'd stay overnight at the pottery shop and just mold clay into all sorts of shapes—Dongwoo would sit down in front of the spindle and Hoya just loved the sight of it so much that he'd place Dongwoo on his laps and lace their fingers together while the clay spun.

     Their private lessons would always be at the latest hour the dance studio was open, and Dongwoo always made excuses of Hoya's arm being in the wrong place and hip facing the wrong way just to touch him and hug him.

     However, it wasn't until their first year anniversary that the two had kissed.

     They spent that night cleaning the shop like they had done on Dongwoo's last day at work there, and Dongwoo's first day as Hoya's boyfriend, they went to the same restaurant, but this time more romantic and less silence. They stood out by the Han River, Hoya's arms wrapped delicately around Dongwoo. "Dongwoo?"

     Dongwoo turned his head to look at Hoya, who had a glimmer in his eyes. "Yeah?"

     "I love you."

     "I love you too." And it was Dongwoo who took the initiative to kiss Hoya for the first time—in which everything seemed like it was just them and nothing could break them apart. And to think, that it all started with a broken piece of pottery.

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ladies and gentlemen my first yadong centric story ever!!!!!! This was a prompt my cousin had given to me and I wrote it, and I actually am really proud of this one. 1,622 words. I hope you enjoyed!