Fun fact: My favourit french word is Tranquillité. I am also going to france in one week and I speak some french! :D I've never been to Marseille tho and I am not going there now xD, 

Anyway; sorry for not updating in three months O.o I am a horrible person- I will try to become better <3

Enjoy and comment what you think abotu this part! ^^

Ps: I need help. I am sorta thinking that this story should be M-rated for sadness and triggerwarnings...I need to fix that, how bad does it need to be to have triggerwarnings/ be M-rated? :P

It’s electrifying.

The air around him sparkles as he walks the streets, the sunset is setting over the city (Marsein? Marshain? Marshmallow? He still can’t remember the name) and it's bringing in the cold. At this time of the year the tourist season should be over but the city still flares to life around the harbour as the darkness falls; people is sitting at cafés and restaurants smoking and drinking and eating. Maybe it’s a Saturday? Jongup isn’t sure, he doesn’t really bother with caring either. Not even Saturdays are worth pondering about when you've lived for as long as Jongup has.

He takes his time. He always has, the concept of time has never really been understandable or worth of understanding for him. Walking through the city with sparks at his heals and in his eyes with a slow pace is how he feels content. His long sleep on the hill has charged him again and he’s full off life.

Not to talk about excited.

He can feel them. There are five auras around the city. The fluffy, moist feeling he remembers as the domineering but kind cloud voice, the well-known feeling of rain, a cold, frosty kind of feeling and a warm one balancing it out. All around them swarms the fifth aura- breezy, constantly shifting and slinking through his fingers. It feels exactly like when he was lying on the hill but then it had felt more compact, like the person was right next to him and not everywhere like now. It had woken him up but now he’s not sure he could find the person again.

What he can find though is the rain man.

Maybe also the cloud man but he has always found it hard to find the clouds. They just randomly show up and invite him to dance. He gladly does it every time, if he’s charged enough and then when the rain falls he swears that it is singing for him.

He's very excited to meet the rain man, to hear the voice from a human.

Some street painters are standing further down, paintings with the ocean as the main motive. They’re beautiful but Jongup knows that he’ll find the same paintings in another Mediterranean city or maybe just some blocks further down. It sometimes makes him wonder if they’re really painting the paintings themselves or if it’s a copy paste process.

It makes him sad, that so many people are using their artistry in the same way. Then again that's normally what people do. He believes it’s called style.

Jongup continues past the painters without looking too much at them or the paintings and pass through several human statues coloured in golden or white. He follows the aura of the rain man, sneaking between the humans all around the harbour until he ends up in front of a little restaurant. Without hesitation and without looking at the menu he pushes the door open.

The air is thick with presence. Jongup takes a deep breath before he lets his eyes search the room. The restaurant is pretty full but Jongup’s eyes are immediately drawn to a table to the left. His eyes meet pretty brown orbs and recognition instantly flashes.

Jongup didn’t imagine the rain man to look so sad. He had imagined smiles and song, not emptiness tinted with despair.

A waiter comes forward to Jongup but he dismisses him with a wave and tells him that he’s with “Les hommes là-bas” before making his way over to the table. By now they’re all looking at him with various degrees of surprise and curiosity.

“Bonjour” Jongup says as he sits down by the table, trying to remember some of his French. “Je m’appelle Jongup, quel est votre nom?” He continues and hopes that they’ll understand.

“We don’t speak French” The sun man says and his eyes glitter as he leans forward. “But I think I understood most of it. My name is Youngguk.”

“I’m Daehyun, I am an adventurer, I am a dreamer, an inventor, a singer. I am the love of your life and your worst enemy.” The frosty guy says and Jongup blinks in surprise.

“He expects you to introduce yourself the same way” The rain man says with a snort. “My name is Youngjae and I’m not saying that stupid introduction again.” Beside Youngjae Daehyun pouts cutely at him.

“And I’m Himchan” The cloud man says with a smile and gives Daehyun a pointed look as he doesn't continue and the other frowns even more.

“Uh, well” Jongup starts. “I’m Jongup. I'm a dancer, I like to sleep and I easily get excited over small things. Some call me slow minded but I don't see anything wrong with not rushing through life, I have very seldom met happy people in a rush." He says after some thought and Daehyun seems happy with the introduction because he smiles brightly at Jongup. Jongup's heart accelerates and he smiles back.

"Sorry to irrupt but are you ready to order?" Comes a soft voice with a distinct French accent and a slight waver from Jongup's left and he turns his head to look at their waiter.

He's tall, very tall with blond hair and brown eyes. He’s dressed like all the other waiters at the restaurant but Jongup swears that the outfit seems specially fitted for him. He's blinking quite a lot and Jongup isn't sure if it's because he's nervous or just that the hair is hanging in his eyes. There is something off about him, like he's not really there although he's clearly standing right in front of them.

He’s also gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

"Yes please" Youngguk answers for them and proceed to order for everyone around the table. Jongup doesn't even question how he knows what they all want, it feels natural to just go with it and let Youngguk decide. Like the man already knows what food Jongup will enjoy just from looking at him. Thinking about it Jongup already knows which food belong to who so maybe it's not that weird.

The cute waitress nods quickly and Jongup watches him as he disappears, following the way his hair catches the dimmed light in the restaurant and glows with a subtle glow that makes Jongup want to reach out and touch it.

“Is it just me or does that waiter look weird somehow?” Himchan comments behind Jongup and Daehyun makes an agreeing noise. “Like not bad, something is just weird about him.”

“Maybe it’s the blinking” Youngjae suggests quietly and Jongup turns towards him.

“You should be smiling more” He states before Himchan can answer and Youngjae raises his eyebrow in surprise. “You look sad.”

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asks with a frown and a certain tension seems to set over the table. “Just because I am not all sunshine doesn’t mean I’m unhappy.”

“No but you’re no sunshine” Jongup answers with a frown. “You’re like just rain.”

“Touché” Daehyun mutters with a snort and winks at Jongup. Youngjae rolls his eyes and turn away to look out over the restaurant. Jongup frowns as he tries to find the words to explain that it’s not what he meant but he’s irrupted by Youngguk.

“Anyway, I’m guessing you found us by following our auras and maybe you just want to have a friendly chat but I have a preposition for you.” He starts, going straight to the point and meeting Jongup’s eyes with a friendly smile. “We’re going on a journey, a quest, a mission and I want you to join.”

“Sure” Jongup says with a nod and Youngguk seems momently taken back.

“You…are you willing to follow already? But you don’t even know what it is about.” He says slowly and beside him Himchan snorts.

“As if the rest of us does” He mutters and Daehyun snickers. Youngguk doesn’t pay them any attention and keep his eyes on Jongup.

For Jongup it’s not even a hard choice. He’s found people with presence and he likes them. He doesn’t know them but he has never had a problem with that, most people are nice and that’s all there is. Besides, Youngguk is safe. He’s secure; he knows what he’s doing. Jongup is already dragged in; he sees the strength of the sun in those eyes and the warmth of it is already sipping through the whole restaurant. Youngguk is strong. He’ll make the right choice on whatever mission they’re going on.

“Of course” He answers and smiles at Youngguk. “It sounds good and you all seem nice.”

Youngguk smiles at him and the others looks slightly disbelieving.

“Great.” Youngguk answers, leaning back in his chair as Himchan leans forward to take over the conversation. They balance each other out and it makes Jongup happy. He likes balanced beings.

Their waiter comes back with a tray of glasses as Himchan is questioning Jongup about dancing.

“Here are your drinks.” He starts and the tray is shaking in his grip. It only takes a shift of Youngguk’s shoulder to turn it over. It’s like in slow-motion. First the tray is falling. Then it’s not.

Then Youngguk is sitting there with a triumphant smile and the waiter turns even paler, looking down at the tray now steadily hanging some centimeters over his still hand. And there is a second when they’re all absorbing the information. A completely still moment in an otherwise moving universe. A second when even New York City stills and the ocean takes a break.

And then the tray falls to the floor, the waiter disappearing in a flow of air. Youngguk is gone the second after, a string of sunlight clinging on to the flow of air. The rest sits there for some other seconds, quietly absorbing, thinking and understanding. Then their off, four streams of something mixing in the air before the restaurant turns normal again. The people at the table to the left complains about a sudden chill and a waiter runs forward and hopes that no one noticed how he dropped the tray with the glasses on the floor.

The earth moves on without that second, not knowing that it was lost to complete tranquillité.

Junhong falls down in a ruffy alley, far away from the restaurant. He stumbles against the wall, seeking support. His vision is blurry and he does his best to blink away the tears and with it the fright. He knows that he didn't manage to shake them off. He can feel sunshine right behind him and the others not far away.

"I don't want anything to do with you guys. Nothing. I am doing fine on my own, go away!" He's screaming the last part to the wall, not daring to turn around because he can feel the strength behind him. If he turns around he will cave.

And he can’t cave in, he can’t. He’s supposed to be alone, needs to be alone. He can’t handle people, especially not people like Youngguk.

“Let’s go for a walk”

“Non.”

“Just along the water. We don’t need to talk. Just go for a walk, listen to the ocean and then I will leave you alone if you don’t want to have anything to do with us anymore. It will just be you and me”

And Junhong is considering it. He’s imagining it. Walking along the port, seeing the boats and listen to the water in a comfortable silence, not having to talk and not feeling the need to. Being secure.

“Just one walk.”

“One walk.”

“The two of us?”

“No one else”

Junhong does the mistake of turning around, looking into the sunshine and getting momently blinded, momently dragged in.

“Okay” The word is out before the thought is fully formed in his head. His heart fly up in his throat when he realized what he just said and he opens his mouth to take it back.

But Youngguk is smiling, a comforting smile and it throws Junhong off guard long enough for the scenery to change. They’re by the port and the rest has stopped. Somewhere Himchan is telling the others to calm down. He’s telling Daehyun and Youngjae to slow down and he’s convincing Jongup to calm down and follow them to their hotel to the north.

And Junhong said okay. He can’t change his mind now, he doesn't know how.

And it could be calm. It could be nice to walk with someone without talking.

“Let’s walk” Youngguk says and motions for Junhong to follow along as he walks down the port. Junhong follows.

And it’s not nice. It maybe could be. If Junhong were someone else, someone other than Junhong. If he was that sort of person that could be around other people and smile and walk comfortably along a port. But he’s not and he wishes that Youngguk could hurry up, that they could just get this over with.

"It is something very sad" Youngguk speaks up. "When someone is afraid of hope."

“I’m not afraid of hope.” Junhong answers and he sounds pathetic, especially with his stupid accent.

“Then what are you afraid of?” Youngguk asks. “Life?”

“Non” Junhong answers and it’s in french. “Je…je n’aime pas…” He starts and tries to find the words but he can’t. He blushes, ashamed that he can’t even speak in his own language.

Youngguk doesn’t seem to mind. He simply smiles and keeps walking. Taking slow steps as he comments on the scenery.

“That café looks nice, maybe we should visit it tomorrow.” “I must say that I am not too fond of this ocean scenery in the art. I prefer more modern art or art with meaning.” “Oh, that man looks slightly too intoxicated. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so willing to throw away their life when they have so little of it.”

He doesn’t ask too much, doesn’t force Junhong to participate and Junhong is amazed by how he doesn’t seem to mind the awkward silences. For Junhong it’s torture, walking like this with long pauses in teh conversations. His mind is supplying him with a thousand things to say but they’re deemed as stupid before they’re out of his mouth.

And he can’t do this. He wants to be alone. He wants to go to his artistic, half-rotten apartment and lie on the sofa until it’s gone years- staring up at the celling until someone comes in and he has to hide. Then they will sell the apartment, believing that it belongs to no one and he’ll move to a new place and it will be a new time and that will be okay. He will be alone and it will be all there is to it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

It will be as it always has been.

“I have an idea about the ocean. That it is the perfect metaphor.” Youngguk says as he stops. They have reached the end of their walk and Youngguk motions for Junhong to look out over the black water. “You see the ocean is never going anywhere. It’s always here, a constant reminder that even as time moves on some things stay. But still the ocean is not still. It’s full of life- evolving and changing for each day. And that is calming. That it’s always the same but always changing. Humans are the same. We’re the same, we cannot completely change who we are, that would make us unhappy and sad, but we’re constantly evolving. We discover new things, we evolve, and we develop. There is always something new to learn and someone new to meet. We are constantly changing while staying the same. We’re formed by events in our life but they can never fully change the core of who we are. But you see if we decide to stop all the events in our life we stop our own evolvement. We stop changing. Our streams slow down and decrease. Our ocean turns sour.” Youngguk turns to look Junhong in the eyes with a look that is like liquid sunshine, calm but warm and still full of strength.

“Don’t kill your ocean just because you’re afraid, Junhong”

Youngguk keeps looking into Junhongs eyes. Marseille moves to their left and the ocean flows to their right. There’s sound of people partying in the distance and there’s the sound of the ocean streams up close. Youngguk smiles. Nods. And starts to walk away.

Junhong stands there for a while. Looking at the ocean. Looking at Marseille. Trying not to think.

And then he gives up.

And caves.

Done~! ^^ I need to beta read this later....oh well! I wanted to update as soon as possible for you guys so I did that now :3 Hope you still like it <3