This was definitely a little crush he was developing, he knew that much for sure.

Currently, he was blaming this on just how alluring the older was and how perfect he looked as he gazed around the room wide-eyed, but he was sure that was a flimsy excuse to use when he'd just met Kyungsoo so recently.

"I really like this," the other looked back down at the shell till he finally picked it up, "it's so beautiful ... did you go to the beach and get this yourself?"

Kai walked over and stood next to him, examining the shell that seemed to have filled the older's entire imagination, "Nahhh, I bought it from a little vendor right on the beach shore ... I don't think shells naturally come this colorful."

"They don't?" the shorter made a face and scrunched his eyebrows, "how do they look?"

"Usually they're just white ... the sea naturally bleaches them."

He continued staring at the thing intensely, "I've never actually been to the beach ... I always thought sea shells came in all these pretty, bright colors."

He was going to respond when he really took a minute to consider the older's words and then suddenly, he wasn't sure what to say. Kai barely knew Kyungsoo and already he was feeling sympathy for the boy standing next to him.

He'd never seen the beach. How had he never seen the beach? Korea is right next to the sea, Jeju is a popular vacation spot, and at least a quarter of the t.v. commercials were for sunscreen and beach wear. How on earth had he managed to never actually go?

The thought was rather heartbreaking for him, especially considering how many times he'd gone to hang out on the shore with his friends and resented it ... he hadn't even realized what a privilege that might be to do that much.

"That's yours now," it spilled off his tongue before he was able to mull himself out of it.

"Mine? You're giving it to me?" he looked up and his eyes were big and round.

Kai decided that he'd give anything to have Kyungsoo look at him some more like this, "absolutely ... I have those memories if I ever need them, but you've never been ... maybe this can make you feel better about that."

The shorter continued grinning, but placed the shell back down where Jongin had put it and walked into the kitchen, "I'd like it to stay there because I still want you to be able to see it."

It really wasn't that big a deal, he wasn't even sure why he'd kept that shell for so long -- maybe he’d been exaggerating the meaningfulness of the he’d brought, especially when his memories with that specific momento involved being laid up sick in Jeju for most of a week -- but he was so happy that it could bring Soo joy.

His rational side again questioned why he even cared about bringing this practical stranger any delight, but seeing the older's smile was successfully wiping his mind of these pesky assertions.

I've had this story finished and ready since like, May, but I've spent at least five months polishing and perfecting this. Now is the time I entrust my baby to you.

I'll start by saying, the piece I used to give everyone a taste is from the third chapter and it's one of my favorites, so that's I why I forwent my norm of using the first chapter. Of all my writing, this is the story with the most consistent flow and so I couldn't just cherry pick as easily as I have in the past.

While not as bombastic as my other stories, this one is very unique from all that I've done (and am doing) and so I hope everyone will go on this journey with me.

I put my all into this and it's something that frightens me just a little, as it's deeply personal in some ways, but that also makes me very proud of what I've created. It's so different and the way it's efficiency and building of characters is something that I hope I'll be able to retain in the future.

The artistic direction I took for the visual of this story is more metaphorical than literal, but I do hope you all enjoy my rendition of the Birth of Venus. Of course, I took my own artistic liberties and put my own post-modern sensibilities into it, but I think it still retains a lot of the beauty of the original. Hip-hip-hooray for Venus!Soo ^^

May all my wonderful readers love this as much as I do <3 Thank you so much for your constant support and love, you're truly the best <3