Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.

—Oscar Wilde, A Picture Of Dorian Gray.

That night, all Jongin have was himself

***

‘Beginning to get cold’ were the flawless words to describe the weather during their first meeting as snow was starting to fall from the sky that night, signifying the start of winter, thus ending the comfortable autumn.  

Shivering and hugging his own body, Kim Jongin dragged himself outside his campus building, desperately searching for his newly bought MP3 player while wondering why today, of all the days, he became so jinxed. Had forgotten that it’s already January, he didn’t bring any jacket nor coat, instead wore a thin white shirt. After being nagged by his professor due to his frequent lateness on submitting his assignment for the last three months, Jongin went out to calm himself down whilst listening to his MP3 player who never fails to cheer him up during his ‘down’ times lately. Much to Jongin’s regret, he forgot to bring his MP3 player back inside.

“Yours?” a voice asked. Jongin’s head turned to find a petite man with a pair of sleepy yet probing eyes, mouth twitching a little, one hand holding the stuff he’s been searching for the past thirty minutes. “Ah, thank you!” Jongin’s face brightens.

“Wow, your clothes really does fit the weather, doesn’t it?” the petite comments sarcastically when handing his player. “Forgot what season it is?” he added. “What are you, a mentalist?” Jongin’s mouth twitched. “Well maybe i am,” the stranger replied. The petite suddenly took of his black scarf and threw it toward Jongin, who spontaneusly catches it. “You need it more than i do,” the stranger gave a little smile before walking away.

Jongin had thought of saying thank you, but by the time the thought crossed his mind, the stranger was too far away.

Jongin had only noticed the white emboidery on the scarf as he arrived at his apartment. Next to his room, his roomate, Kyungsoo, had already fallen asleep. Turning on the lights, he finally got to see what was emboidered—a name: Byun Baekhyun. He knew he was supposed to  work on his already late assignment, but hell, he was curious. Opening the university’s website, he typed “Byun Baekhyun” on the search tab; nil. Wondering why his data didn’t came out at the website’s student archives, he searched on Naver but instead of getting the info he wanted, what came out was news about some events he has never heard of.

Deciding to give up, he took a copy of Wilde’s A Picture of Dorian Gray from his backpack and started to write a 10 pages review on it.

**

Jongin woke up to the sound of Kyungsoo’s alarm and drags himself to his roomate’s room with the intention of turning his awfully annoying alarm off and then going back to bed. As usual; he didn’t end up in bed. It’s been like this for the past three months, waking up to the sound of Kyungsoo’s annoying alarm, turning it off, and ended up already dressed of the day, cooking breakfast for two.

Well, actually there aren’t much differences between his current routine and the routine he had six or nine months ago, but maybe,just maybe the only difference there is— is the state of mind of Jongin himself.

**

It wasn’t until lunch time Jongin is reminded about the person he had met earlier last night. The backview the person in front of him was awfully familiar to him. Curiousity is one of the traits Jongin have ever since he was little.  Jongin just couldn’t resist the temptation to find out more about the unknown petite. And now, there’s a possibility that the person who’s standing before him is that person.

 Just now, he realized that he’s been wearing the given black scarf. 

For a moment, Jongin had forgotten that the person in front of him may not be that person but then, a rush of adrenaline and excitement were gushing through his veins. And maybe that was the one factor that had covered Jongin’s brain from thinking of the probability of embarassment by greeting the wrong person.

“Yours?” Jongin asked, one hand patting the shoulder of the person in front, one hand holding the black scarf.

The person turn his head back, and a small, witty smile forming on his face.

Bright brown hair, innocent eyes, along with his tiny lips.

 And how Jongin thought the stranger was so petite even though now Jongin realized that he was not much taller than the person.

And only now had Jongin realized how beautiful—how fragile looking the petite’s face features was.

“What are you, a mentalist?” the stranger said. “Thank you for the scarf,” the corner of Jongin’s mouth curved a bit. “Byun Baekhyun, right?” he asked. “Why- oh, you mean because of this? Actually this scarf belongs to a best friend of mine, i’m just borrowing it,” the shorter responded while pointing at the emboidery.

“So.. actually, it’s Luhan, i’m from the arts faculty”

“Judging from how you look, it’s almost impossible that you come from the arts... so i’m guessing maybe... literature?” Luhan guessed, his eyes squinting, scanning Jongin’s look from head to toe. “Are you really a mentalist?” Jongin joked. “Mine’s Jongin, and you are surprisingly right,” he added. “I told you maybe i am,” Luhan smiled a little.

Jongin’s eyes scanned Luhan’s overall look; black leather jacket,  white t-shirt with a B&W portrait of some band Jongin doesn’t recognizes, navy blue colored skinny jeans, along with  a worn black converse. Whereas Luhan is dressed so casual, Jongin’s wearing a black loose cotton pants, a white shirt with a black tie, complete with a long blue winter coat and leather shoes. Anyone who sees them standing side by side must notice the contrast look between the two.

Much to Jongin’s dismay, their conversation was cut short by the small amount of time provided for lunch. They both part ways as Luhan got to catch his Culture 101, and Jongin who had to hand in his review papers.

**

“I love that book,” a voice commented. Jongin looked right to  Luhan who has been sitting next to him for the past thirty minutes.

“Maybe I would have loved it if he didn’t tore my review of it in front of my face,” Jongin threw his head back. His professor had literally tore Jongin’s ten pages review in front of his face, accompanied by the long monologue of “This review made you sound like you were half-drunk when writing it”. So now, the poor man had to write another one.

“Besides, what do you know about literature? I thought you were all things about art, and these,Lu, had nothing to do with art,” Jongin pointed at the stack of books on the library table.

“I’m honestly appalled about how the hands of a writer can write such beautiful, such unique words no one before had the mind to compose, yet the lips can talk so narrow mindedly, so average—so dull,” Luhan bluntly commented.

“I think this whole life is made of art,” Luhan looked to Jongin, as if looking for a response. But Jongin doesn’t say a word, and instead, expecting Luhan to continue. So he does.

“Once, there was an idea; so pure, untainted, a clean slate.  And when something— anything manipulate and fabricate something out of such a simple element, whether it is to stain , pollute, turning it into something dreadful, or the opposite; to flourish the idea toward something exquisite.. that is art”

“It doesn’t matter which direction you drove the idea into, besides, what’s ‘good’ and what’s ‘bad’ doesn’t have an exact definition anyways, our judgement on those two sides of a coin were affected by what our most influential people told us during childhood. Art is art, there is no beautiful or ugly ones, no good nor bad ones. And every inch, every aspect of this life -  are made of art,” Luhan voiced.

Maybe meeting Luhan was one of the most life changing moments for Jongin. Well, not life changing like in those fantasy nor action movies teenagers loves to watch, but for Jongin, it’s like having a brand new eyes. Having a whole new perspective from the old, rusty corners he used to look from. From his point of standing, every little words of opinion that came out from Lu’s tiny lips was gold.

**

“Have you ever done those things?” Jongin asked curiously after his first time watching an episode of a  young-adult TV series. “What things?” Luhan replied. “Going to bars, being drunk, one night stand and all those things..” Jongin explained like he wasn’t sure what he’s talking about. Luhan chuckled and gave a witty smile, “Yeah, several times”. Jongin remembered how his high school friends used to go to bars and drank alcohol for the first time, and the high school gossip of some delinquent students having one night stand. But he had never done any of those things himself. “But I’m guessing you haven’t,” Luhan said, a response to Jongin’s silence.

Twenty minutes were the time it took Luhan to reach  their college students’ regular bar. Meanwhile, a second as he got out from the car was the amount time Jongin needed to realize that during those twenty minutes of Luhan driving, Luhan did not have the intention to bring Jongin to a 24/7 Starbucks near his apartment.

“Why-“

 “You wouldn’t say yes if i asked,” Luhan cuts off.

“You don-“

“Please, don’t try to deny it. Mentalist, remember?”  Luhan cuts off again, one hand on Jongin’s shoulder.

Jongin sighs, “You’re right, i wouldn’t say yes”

As they entered the place, Luhan was greeted by a lot of people Jongin sure he had seen around the university yet he didn’t know personally. The first five minutes were full of Luhan introducing Jongin to Minseok, Sehun, Junmyeon and loads of other people (which half of them Jongin already forgot in the five minute later).

Jongin exhales as he finally got out from the crowd and got himself a seat. Jongin looked around and realized Luhan wasn’t there. He was about to went into a state of panic before Luhan emerged, bringing two glass filled with semi-translucent liquid. “Two vodka martini, shaken not stirred,” Luhan said as he hand one glass to Jongin who hesitates before grabbing it. “I didn’t know you like Bond,” Jongin commented, staring at the glass he’s holding. “I don’t, but what? Are you expecting me to buy you some 95’ Don or something?” Luhan replied.

“I bet 5.000 won you’d enjoy it more than you thought you would,” Luhan smirked. 

“Deal”

“Then cheers, to your first of the best times!” Luhan said loudly.

Glass after glass they consume, and after the fifth mutter of, “This will be the last glass, okay?” everything in Jongin’s mind becomes a blur as he gave in to the intoxication.

Somehow between their noisy laughs and the drunken mumbles, Luhan ended up opening his eyes on the top of someone’s bed, alone, and thank God fully clothed, to a Pulp Fiction poster on a gray colored wall. His surrounding were a messily organized bedroom; there were pile of books on the floor here and there, some clothes on a table which was carelessly folded, and some left-over of snacks which has begun to rot, much to Luhan’s disgust. Luhan sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the bruise marks he didn’t remember getting. On the bedside desk, there’s a note: And Lu, for the hundreth time, you’re right. Under it,  there was money; 5.000 Won in total. Realizing he’s at Jongin’s bedroom, he smirked as he took the money and went out of the bedroom.

“Have you seen my camera’s memory card? I think I left it here, it isn’t at my apartment, so i thought...maybe I left it somewhere here?” Luhan asked while walking to the kitchen.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Luhan leaned on the kitchen’s doorframe, watching Jongin as he cook two omelette. “Where’s Kyungsoo?” Luhan asked. “One, you never ask and two, he’s staying at his parent’s house,” Jongin finally answered when putting the two plates of omelette on the table.

Sitting down, Luhan asked again, “For the last month, i have always wondered why could you two live under one roof yet still so distant”.

Turning of the stove, Jongin responded, “Why would you think that i’m not close to him?”

“Because...you didn’t tell me much about him,” Luhan answered.

“I always thought that it was inevitable to be close to someone, if your life is within six steps from them,” he explained.

 Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Luhan quickly joked, “Did you guys dated or something? oh my God, no wonder he breaks up with you, just look at how tidy your room is!”

Jongin laughed a little, “Nah, even if Kyungsoo had bribed me a million won, we are still going to be purely platonic. Besides, I think he’s straight as an arrow. We were pretty close though, at one point. But then, even a single change made to your life can be quite vital”

That morning, Luhan had a million questions, and for that morning he had asked  Jongin no question more.

**

It was almost midnight in the middle of April when both of Jongin’s hands were tangled up by the things he was struggling to carry. Half-running, Jongin checked his wriswatch; 23.28. The next day was Lu Han’s birthday, and Jongin wanted to surprise Lu Han at the latter’s apartment. He had never been to Lu Han’s apartment as Lu Han had always said that it was “too messy to live in” and rejects Jongin’s every suggestion to go there.

Jongin stands in front of the door with the number 27 beautifully carved on it. One hand holding a bottle, and the other holding a mini party popper with a big paper bag clinging on his arm.  He was about to knock when the door suddenly opens. 

“Happy birthday Lu!” Jongin smiled, popping the party popper.  

Luhan was a man with a tremendous vocabulary, but  the one word Luhan choses to use that night was the word Jongin had the least of expectation of him to use that night.

“Leave!”

Hello readernim, i finally posted the first chapter,I hope you enjoyed reading it !

It would really mean the world to me for you to click subscribe, upvote, or comment on this story :)

So so sorry if there's many flaws, fault in grammar, or typos :)

I'm open to all criticism and advices!

-YJ