HEARTSTRINGS

    “Someone once told me that the world actually isn’t all that bad despite every little hardship and challenge, and that good things come to those who are patient and worthy of praise whether they see it coming or not. I definitely didn’t see it coming; In fact, I never realized that such good fortune could have been brought upon me until I stopped at the edge of old, counted down from ten as time reversed and stood there with gleaming eyes as my heart pounded against my chest, and when I reached the number one, the train doors opened before me and I saw a new chapter in life.

It was fate, really.”

It starts on Valentines day in the first grade, when the class is gathered around the middle table for a group activity, and it just so happens to involve a bunch of paper cut into hearts, and a big ball of vibrant red string. It’s placed in a shallow container near the corner of the table, glowing and luring, and Kyungsoo won’t stop staring at it no matter how hard he tries. He’s just that interested today, because he learned before that it was tradition to give sweets to your friends and family, but this wasn’t explained at all.

    It turns out that this thin string is unbreakable, and it connects to whoever you’re destined to meet, but the teacher doesn’t explain love or marriage yet because this generation is much too young and immature to understand it. Instead, she describes it as a legend that came from China that said that two people connected by the red string of fate are meant to meet each other. From there, they become important to each other and they help each other.

    This small group activity progresses, and now everyone has a string tied around not their ankles, but their wrists for safety precautions. They all stand in a circle, and Kyungsoo anxiously stares at the jumble of red in the middle as each student has their left wrist tied by the string.

There is a weird jolt that Kyungsoo feels when the knot is tied firmly.

Eventually, everyone is finished and they're given the instructions to untangle by moving around. Kyungsoo weaves through other complaining students, wedging between bodies and accepting the minor hits in his face by arms and elbows. They start to untangle, and some seem glad about their pairs, but Kyungsoo still hasn't gotten untangled.

In the end, he's left with the class staring at the yarn that pulls between him and another peer- him and another boy. Someone laughs and points,

"Haha! Kyungsoo got paired with Jongin!"

"They're both boys. Ewww!"

One of the teachers look puzzled, as if getting paired with another boy wasn't correct and that they did something wrong. Kyungsoo looks up to find Jongin looking around, sleepy and embarrassed, and he starts tugging on the string in hopes that it would break. In the end, he finds a small pair of scissors and snaps it in half.

Kyungsoo is a bit sad, but fate is already set in place and there's no use changing it.

           Click.

           The train doors close right behind Kyungsoo’s heel, and his relief comes out as a shaky breath, head connecting the metal wall with a thud. The vehicle advances forward before he can even grab ahold of one of the safety rails. He struggles to catch his suitcase and just barely snatches the handle, eyes darting around nervously in case anyone was looking, but he then realizes that he wasn’t in any of the passenger cars but instead in the entrance compartment. Sweaty palms clutch both his luggage and the safety bar tightly, and he tries to concentrate on what he’s accomplished so far that day.

           It wasn’t much. It was his first time traveling alone by such expensive matters, and he wasn’t used to it at all. He was utterly confused back at the station, and the amount of questions he'd asked angered one of the guards, and although he was yelled at, he was still able to hop on the train and that’s all that mattered.

           Thirty minutes later, the scenery changes from an adequate amount of vegetation to numerous business buildings. The pavement replaces the fresh green grass, the gravel the moist dirt, the telephone poles the cedar trees, and the modernized apartment complexes the small country houses that seemed to be one with the nature. The sudden transition even appeared to depress him on a weird level that he had no idea how to deal with, so he holds on tighter to the steel bar.

           Kyungsoo would have never guessed that he would be heading off to live alone at the age of eighteen nearing nineteen, but that’s mostly to blame the intense personality of his parents who share the same belief of “getting out there to learn about being like other people through literal firsthand experience.” He wouldn’t exactly call them responsible, but they did know how to deal with things, that’s for sure. Kyungsoo was absolutely sure that he’d be taken care of by them until he turned at least twenty-one.

He knows where he's going, even if he's never been there because he'd been in contact with a long time friend for a while. He asks every question he could possibly think of: was it better than the country? Is it crowded? How good is korean take-out there? He's never gotten a legit answer, but is usually instead replied with "Come out here and see for yourself, knucklehead."

In reality, Kyungsoo hadn't seen Baekhyun and Chanyeol for seven years. He's about to be in his first year of college, dorming alone until he's able to find someone to room share with him (he doesn't want to bother Baekhyun and Chanyeol's privacy all that much.) He was nervous, but also very excited and overjoyed that he would be seeing his two best friends again.

           He carefully lets go of his luggage and checks the time on his cellphone. The time is now nearing eleven in the morning, the birds are singing, and the sun is officially shining above the highest building viewable from the small train door window. Though most of the nature was gone, the city bustles with life as well- with people this time.

    It’s a strange phenomenon, the string on his wrist, and it is only uncomfortable at times when it is not comforting. It doesn’t really bother him too much. In fact, he’s never actually brought it up before, though there are stories about these strands that say they can go on for miles and miles with a glow that pops out the most. However, it is only visible to a victim’s eye- a victim and their partner. No one else can see it, and it is indestructible.

    Kyungsoo’s string isn’t very vividly red at the moment, but he can still see it despite the fact that it disappears with a transparent gradient a couple of inches away. It seems to droop down and point towards the closed doors, as if in between the cracks and leading him outside.

           Then, everything slows down and Kyungsoo’s grip gets even tighter as the sun is blocked out by concrete walls. His teeth are clenched with nervousness about this new city he’s deemed to live in from now on. Standing before the doors, he starts counting down from ten. Nine. Eight.

           People start to stand behind him as well.

           Seven. Six. Five.

           The train has now completely reached a stop, and the citizens outside stand up from the benches and hold onto their belongings.

           Four. Three. Two, and with a deep breath, the doors open at one, and something promising tugs at his wrist.

“Are you a parking ticket?”

Kyungsoo stumbles to a stop, looking up with wide eyes and confusion spread upon his face. "What?"

There's a boy fairly taller than him who leans against one of the walls with his forearm, looking at Kyungsoo with some good confidence. He clears his throat, smirking a little, and Kyungsoo feels the second hand embarrassment kick in. "Are you a parking ticket?" He asks. "Because...Because..."

The confidence is gone as quick as it came. It's replaced with uneasiness, unsure and shaky. "Because, you..."

    Kyungsoo opens his mouth, but doesn't say anything and lets it close again. The other presses his lips together, a bit too much in thought before he quickly turns on his heels.

"Damnit, Jongin, you did it again..." He mutters, taking a sharp turn a little further down the walkway and towards the bathrooms with a red face. Kyungsoo doesn't quite catch what he says, but decides to let it go when he feels people start to push him, grunting at him to continue walking and to get off the path. He scurries out the opening and starts to walk down the street.

He feels very intimidated, because there was a big gap between the country and the city. These city people seem high class and uptight, so Kyungsoo makes sure to keep out of their way again.

It is extremely hard to get a cab, but when he’s eventually sitting in the back of one of the silver cars, he knows that most of the hard part is over. All that’s left to do is settle down into a dorm, relax a little, and wait until the first day of class.

Kyungsoo, although initially anxious about seeing Baekhyun and Chanyeol again for the first time, manages fairly well for the first week. He’s got his books taken care of, learned about where to go and where to not go, and even has the route to the nearest convenience store burned into the back of his head, courtesy of Park Chanyeol.

It is now the end of the second day of classes, and Kyungsoo has his chin perched up on the palm of his hand in one of the side cafes around the corner.

“So?”

Kyungsoo moves his gaze to Baekhyun, who has his chin lifted in the exact same position. Giving a small smirk, he nods over to him.

“So, what?”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, arms dropping to the table and leaning a little more forward. “So, How’s college going so far?”

A taller figure slips into the booth, tapping his fingers on the wooden table with a smile on his lips. He leans in as well, adjusting his green apron with his other hand.

Kyungsoo takes his time to respond. Though, in all honesty, he doesn’t have an exact answer. It’s definitely better than expected, but that’s mostly because nobody bothered to really talk to him.

He stares out the large windows, sills lined with diagonal chopped bamboo and grass that sticks out from underneath the long pots. Picking up his coffee, he swirls it with his wrist.

“It’s okay,” he says, a little unsure of himself, though it’s not a lie. “I don’t need to carry much textbooks, so that’s good…”

Kyungsoo finds himself lucky to have friends older than himself. That way, he’s sure not to make the same mistakes as they did before. Unfortunately, it also means that their schedules are bound to have differences. Kyungsoo has more morning classes whereas Baekhyun and Chanyeol have chosen afternoon classes. Somewhat luckily but also not, the latest class goes until five in the evening for Baekhyun. Yet, he somehow gets by with only three days of class per week as he endures his job in between.

Baekhyun is an amateur photographer who specializes in motion and message. Recently, however, he’s gotten family requests who ask for professional photos for special occasions. He notices that he gets paid more when asked to shoot for weddings. Sometimes, he comes crawling back annoyedly with a pout on his face, complaining that he didn’t make enough that day. Others, he’s so happy that he treats all three of them to dinner. It’s different every day, but Kyungsoo learns to accept the rambles and new stories he’s told.

Other than that, Kyungsoo is lucky, but also a little lonely. Time with Baekhyun and Chanyeol is getting more and more limited as the days pass, and it’s a little disappointing. He truly thought that moving here would give him more of a chance to be with the two, but the only way to really hang out was if Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were to visit Chanyeol at work. Much like today.

Chanyeol takes Baekhyun’s hand and intertwines their fingers, and Kyungsoo stares a little.

“You really need to mingle around more,” Baekhyun says, smiling a little to the touch. “You seriously didn’t move out here just to hang out with us, did you? Why don’t you get a man?”

The ice in his glass melts and clanks, and Kyungsoo feels his eyebrow do a little twitch. He shifts in his seat as if uncomfortable, but it’s mostly an act. “How do you know I like boys?”

“Trick question,” he squints, leaning forward. “It’s obvious. Your interaction with women is almost non-existent. I’d like to see you even look at one.”

Chanyeol nods. “I remember seeing you drool over some new students on your first day. I have to admit, though… Freshmen this year have really nice-”

“Speaking of mingling and freshmen…”

Waving a hand, Baekhyun urges someone to come over. Kyungsoo has to turn in his seat, but by the time he can even get a good view, there’s already someone sitting next to him with a slouch.

“Baekhyun,” a blonde greets, reaching forward to slap Baekhyun’s hand and shake it with a short sloppy handshake. At the same time, another with messy brown hair slips in next to Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo can’t help but stare.

“You grew up so much,” Baekhyun coos, reaching out to pinch the blonde’s cheek. Said boy grimaces and manages to push the hand away.

“It’s been a year.”

“People change in a year. You dyed your hair...”

Chanyeol smiles. “It’s been a while, Sehun. Jongin.” Kyungsoo furrows his brow at the name. There’s a long pause before Kyungsoo goes, “Do I know you?”

The boy with the brown hair- Jongin- looks up fully this time, rubbing his eye and squinting at Kyungsoo before he stops altogether. His face flushes red and he groans as he puts his head back onto the table.

“I’ve seen you before… wait. You’re that one guy. The one who asked if I was a parking ticket, right?”

Sehun gives a long look at the two before he bursts out laughing. “Him?” he asks, slapping Jongin’s head. “Him? This is the guy you tried to pick up?”

Kyungsoo begins to vaguely remember bits of red string, though it is not enough to speak about. What catches his mind a bit is the way Jongin rubs his hands on his face, possibly hoping to smooth the burn of embarrassment.

Curiously, Kyungsoo tries to take in the details to guess their study. The way Sehun's posture hangs a little with ease, and Jongin, although still hunched over, has his body turned so that his muscles flex a bit around the biceps.

"This guy," Baekhyun nods to Kyungsoo, "Is tough as a rock. Not physically, really- it's just hard to get closer than friends with him, to be honest."

Chanyeol nods at this. "Trust me," he says. "I tried three years ago before I moved on."

He was around sixteen years old when Chanyeol began his mission to woo him. Even though he was obviously in a strong relationship with Baekhyun already, he insists that it was merely a "Do Kyungsoo Social Experiment," one that Baekhyun thought of. In the end, Kyungsoo gets a little angry, and they stop the experiment abruptly all together. There's a short half a month of no contact before Baekhyun and Chanyeol finally decide to apologize.

Still, Kyungsoo tongues at the inside of his cheek as Jongin's name still lingers on his mind. He actually wonders why he hadn't forgotten it yet, as he is the type to miss certain details when he starts thinking. Part of him feels attracted as well, but it's only one of those "what if" thoughts at first.

"I'm sorry," Jongin says, and his hands finally slip down from his face after a whole minute, cheeks less blushy and more cooled. "I didn't realize who you were at first... I think I feel a bit better knowing that you're my soul mate, though."

There's a long silence again, and Kyungsoo is starting to think that he actually knows this boy from somewhere. Not just from the station, either. His words prove his assumptions, but it looks as though Sehun, Baekhyun and Chanyeol all have no idea what Jongin's talking about.

"... Was that supposed to be another pickup line?" Chanyeol asks, and Jongin aggressively shakes his head, blushing again.

"No! No, no, he..." He frowns. "Don't you remember...?"

Kyungsoo has his brows furrowed, and he wonders why he's feeling a little shy and nervous at his flirting, which he says isn't flirting, and is actual fact. He tilts his head, humming as he starts to shake his head. He shifts in his seat a little.

"You know... First grade... With the red string of fate. I learned about what it really meant a little later... But before I could confront you about it, you had moved out of town." Jongin laughs. "At the station, I thought it was you at first, but when you didn't recognize me I got a little discouraged...and..." Kyungsoo's eyes keep on Jongin's as he talks, and something stirs within him- as if he can feel the warmth in his eyes from how his pupils dilate, and how his gaze does not waver.

Someone kicks his foot that makes him stop and he can tell it's Baekhyun by how he stares at him weirdly, but everyone else is staring weirdly as well- except Jongin. His eyes wander a bit towards him on their own, or so he thinks, and he doesn't realize that he's hunched over as well with his hand reached across the table. Making his way up his arm, he stops at his fingers and finds them unconsciously intertwined with Jongin's with a light hold, but it is affectionate. What really freaks him inside is that he is slow to release the hold when he is usually quick and stirred up.

Chanyeol leans back with his eyebrows arched. "Woah," he says. "This guy's good..."

The interaction is definitely something new. The feeling is new as well, and he finds himself not only flustered, but there's something else as well.

The table rumbles, and Baekhyun now has his hands slammed onto the table with intense eyes on Kyungsoo. The latter catches his gaze for a long moment, lips pinched together, and he's a little glad that the number of people in the shop diminishes before anything else could really happen.

His voice is a bit frantic. Confident in tone, as if absolutely sure.

"Date him." he says. “Go on a date with him. Don’t let something like this go to waste.”

His heart is beating a little faster than normal, and he’s not sure if it’s because of the pressure being pushed onto him, or the way his face and chest feels warm when he sees Jongin’s face again, hopeful yet also prepared.

He blinks, staring down at his wrist as something digs softly into the bend and encircles the circumference. It’s faint, but string is there, even if nobody has taken note of it yet-

Until there’s another tug, and it brightens red as Jongin slips the string between his fingers with a warm smile and an open heart.

    The date is scheduled for Saturday at eleven in the morning, and they are required to meet in front of the performing arts building where Kyungsoo has his vocal lessons. It’s a quick agreement settled between Baekhyun and Sehun though, because both Jongin and Kyungsoo seemed to have forgotten that a form of communication was needed. Baekhyun insists that Sehun give Jongin’s number to him for Kyungsoo to write down, but Sehun becomes quiet and apologizes for some reason. At first, Baekhyun is confused, but he opens his mouth lightly a bit afterwards and says that it’s okay. When he tells Kyungsoo that he’s going to have to ask Jongin for it himself, he’s a bit confused as well but shrugs it off as a way to get closer.

    Kyungsoo’s clothes are specifically picked out by Baekhyun as well. He was hesitant to begin with because Baekhyun is the type to take fashion a little more seriously than the norm, but the way he’s dressed now makes him think that it’s for the better- he actually looks good. Casual for a spring day out, but also good.

    He takes mental note of the style as Baekhyun proudly explains each piece- dark cargo shorts up to the knee along with a fairly contrasting baseball tee, and he makes sure to slap on some high top chucks and ruffle his hair so that it doesn’t look like he tried too much. Kyungsoo repeats his words twice- “Simple, but good. Simple, but good.” Then, it’s time to go.

    Kyungsoo ends up complaining about how bright it is, because his shirt is mostly white and it reflects into his eyes. Baekhyun tightens his lips.

    “Good,” he grumbles. “Squint. Your eyes are massive, anyways.”

    He ends up waiting outside the building because he was a little too eager and arrived half an hour early. He shoos Baekhyun away too, because he thinks he can get by easily without the supervision of someone with “romantical and charismatic experience.”

    Not too long later, someone bursts through the front doors taking deep huffs as they skid to a stop. They look around a bit before Kyungsoo realizes that it is Jongin, wearing a black muscle tee that seemed to be self-cut, as well as joggers and a regular pair of white sneakers with a maroon beanie that covers most of his chestnut brown hair, save the fringe that hangs just above his eyes. A light gleam of sweat covers his neck in addition to this, but it isn’t a lot, and spring time in the city was always known to be humid anyways. Kyungsoo thinks it feels more gross than the countryside.

    Jongin opens his mouth a little, but he smiles before he can actually speak. “You actually came,” he says, calming down a bit and straightening up. “...Early, too.”

    Kyungsoo presses his lips in a line, but it is also followed my a smile. “Did you not expect me to come?”

    “No, I… Normally, people don’t actually show up.” He admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. “And you kind of left the other day without an official okay, so I was a bit worried…”

    With his golden skin and well-toned muscles, Kyungsoo can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t show up for a date with this guy. “Normally?” he asks, and he begins to follow Jongin as he leads the way. “Had you already been here waiting? You came out from the building, so I assumed…”

    There’s uncertainty in his voice and Jongin furrows his brows, and Kyungsoo catches the way he thinks his words over. “Yeah. When high school ended and I started meeting people, no one really gave me chances. I guess you can say this is the first time someone actually wanted to go on a date with me.”

    Kyungsoo wants to ask why, but he stops himself just incase the question is offensive. “Well, if it makes you feel better…” he says, fingers locked behind his back. “This is the first time I let anyone date me.” Jongin smiles at this.

    They arrive at the park after a short walk, picking up some fifty-cent ice cream along the way until they stop at the fountain. Jongin is first to sit on the ledge, already nipping at the vanilla cone as he pats the spot next to him. Kyungsoo sits down slowly, careful to not be too close.

    In all honesty, he doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore. This feeling in his chest won’t pass either, and he’s seriously starting to believe that the whole red string of fate thing was real. He isn’t supposed to like anyone because deep inside, Kyungsoo was still upset about that incident in the first grade, even if he knows that Jongin didn’t mean it. He also knows that kids don’t really know better, so he forgets about the teasing he had been put through up until he finally moved away.

    He can’t find the heart to blame Jongin, because Jongin didn’t know any better, either. There isn’t much Kyungsoo can remember of him, though. Jongin merely slept all class whenever he wasn’t playing with his friends.

    Looking a little more carefully at the thread, there’s a difference. Now, there is no transparency. Now, the connection is a lot more obvious, and just looking at it makes Kyungsoo’s cheeks bloom and heart flutter. He looks up at Jongin again who’s eyes wander off elsewhere, and Kyungsoo thinks he looks absolutely stunning. His skin glows a golden glow, eyes hazel and swirly in the sun, and he thinks that his heart's about to burst more and more each minute because he isn't used to it. The string glows more vibrant at his new reaction. He can’t help but stare for a long time.

    The moment is ruined when Kyungsoo feels something cold on his foot until he realizes that the ice cream had started melting long ago. He decides to give this love a chance.

The second meeting isn't planned. It's late at night, and his instructor bids him farewell on his way out the door. Kyungsoo waves a small wave until he hears the hinge click in place, and then he's alone.

He figures he should make the best of his time there. Walking down the halls, he's almost entirely sure that everyone had already left for the night, and he gets some peace and quiet for a while. It is lit up for the most part, but that is mostly due to the moonlight that shines through the windows, casting a white glow.

This time, he has nothing to think about except for Jongin. He can feel the warmth again in his hands and cheeks, and it's a very soothing feeling, he thinks. Nonetheless, he feels eager,because it turns out that Jongin does not have a phone so he can't talk to Kyungsoo that much aside from texting or calling through Baekhyun and Sehun. Eventually, Sehun's number is given to Kyungsoo to keep, because Jongin likes to call him at night when Baekhyun is too crabby to answer and Sehun is asleep.

The calls go on until a week and a half passes, and now he's here wondering when he will call again. He will call sometime soon, he thinks.

Though, it turns out that no calls are needed, because he bumps into a figure at a turn and he nearly faints at the sight.

Jongin looks startled as well, but Kyungsoo is even more mortified because Jongin doesn't exactly have clothes on. Simply, a towel hangs on his hips, and water drips down the creases of his toned stomach and biceps. Kyungsoo has to look around to find the shower room sign just to make sure that he isn't crazy for seeing things, and that Jongin isn't crazy for walking around half .

The words come out of his mouth in stutters. "K-Kyungsoo," he manages, taking small steps back and grasping his towel with a hard grip. "...You're here late..."

The other nods, mouth hanging somewhat ajar because he’s still in shock. The last time he checked, it had been nine, and he’s almost positive that no one showers in the school washrooms this late at night. He’s apparently wrong when Jongin’s appearance screams otherwise. He even feels shameful for staring too long.

“And you’re still here too, so I guess we’re even…” he mumbles, averting his eyes. “...Did I mention, ‘half-’?”

He’s looking enough to see Jongin nod his head slowly, then with more understanding once more as he motioned with his arm, turning around and beginning to walk. “I can explain,” he says. “Follow me.”

Likewise, Kyungsoo isn’t too quick to follow him, but he’s not completely against it, either. He’s also a little cautious. It doesn’t take long at all, and they have to pass through one more hall before Jongin opens the doors to a room that looks a bit smaller than the average studio. Jongin slips the light on as he passes it with ease, familiar with the structure of the room and striding to the door on the other side. He fumbles with the clothes in his arms until something clangs together lightly in his hands, and he unlocks the door.

Kyungsoo does not expect to see what he sees.

Inside, the storage room is actually pretty big, possibly the same size as the individual vocal warm-up rooms. Unlike an actual storage room, though, it is organized and furnished with a futon bed spread across the floor, and shelves drilled into the walls hold up various everyday items. There’s even a fridge in one of the corners, along with a laptop on top of the blankets and a folded low table that rests against the wall. The room curves into an L shape, there’s splotches of different hues of white on the walls with a few decorations and pinned pictures, and the one dangling light isn’t enough to light everything up. Kyungsoo opens his mouth again in small awe when Jongin flips the switch for the extension cord near his feet, and decorative lights vine up the walls wildly- those kinds of lights that people usually only see during Christmas.

    “Sorry,” Jongin says, snapping him out of his trance. “I kind of have to change into something real quick, do you mind…?”

    Kyungsoo quickly shakes his head then and takes a step back. Then, Jongin closes the door, but not fully. He is quick to change into clothes, and when Kyungsoo is able to come back into the room, Jongin has his towel hanging off his shoulders and against the back of his neck instead of from his hips.

    There is not much Kyungsoo can think of now, because he’s very confused. But then, he slowly pieced things together, though it’s merely a suspicion at first. How Jongin does not have a cell phone, and why he’s showering at the school late at night, and why he has led him here in the first place. He voices his assumptions with more uncertainty.

    “Jongin, are you, perhaps…” He shrugs, frowning all the while with his guess. “... Homeless?”

    Jongin looks guilty. He pulls his lips into a straight line and shifts his weight continuously. “No...“ He says. “...But… yes?”

    Deeply inhaling, Kyungsoo takes it in and shakes his head. “Jongin…” He whimpers, moving around with disbelief. He feels awful. “Jongin, why didn’t you tell me?” He asks, whining now.

    Jongin shrugs. “We just met! And, whenever I tell people that I don’t have the money to rent a dorm, they always end up ditching me before I can even have a chance. But I was kind of hoping that with you, it would be different. That by keeping it a secret, you wouldn’t ditch me or anything.”

    “Of course it’s different!” Kyungsoo exclaims, stepping forward now. “For the past week, I’ve been asking Baekhyun and Sehun why you don’t have a phone, and why you don’t just get one, but now…Now I feel horrible!”
    Jongin takes Kyungsoo’s pout a little seriously, hands reaching up to clench his arms and pull him in a little. “Don’t pity me,” he says, hands moving up to caress his cheeks. Kyungsoo sniffs. “Don’t pity me. It’s not bad at all. I’m living just fine here!”

    Nonetheless, Kyungsoo does not hesitate to hug Jongin. “Really?” he asks. "It's not bad at all?"

Jongin makes a few expressions, and Kyungsoo guesses that he’s contemplating whether or not to tell the truth. "No, not at all! I mean, I live off of cup noodle and dollar menu foods, but it's not as bad as you think." He laughs, though it is hollow.

It seems that he is telling the truth, because a half-finished cup of cup noodle sits on one of the shelves. Kyungsoo is still upset.

"Hey," Jongin starts, pulling away and looking Kyungsoo in the eyes. "At least I'm not a street bum, right? I'm lucky to even have water, even if it's cold at night."

Kyungsoo frowns. "Why not get a job?" He asks, and the other crinkles his nose.

"I'm... Bad at working." He says with a sigh. "Plus, no one will accept me. I have zero volunteer experience, and every job I did have ended up with either me quitting because of the weird coworkers, or getting fired."

Head under Jongin's chin now, Kyungsoo squints, though it is not seen by the other. "Fired for what, exactly?" He asks, because Jongin sounded as if he had tried to hold it in, teeth clenching around the last few words. By now, he sounds more like a concerned soon-to-be-angry mother, rather than a ‘still-in-the-dating-stage, pre-boyfriend’. Jongin lets out a shaky laugh.

"Oh, you know..." He says, as if it weren't much of a deal. "Being too slow... Arriving late..." He pauses. "...selling a fire axe to a thirteen year old."

There's a strong pause, even if they weren't moving in the first place, but it’s quiet when Kyungsoo's eyes go wide and he drops his jaw, stupefied, but not in a good way. "You what?!" He screeches, pulling away. Jongin scrunches his nose again, moving his head around and keeping his gaze elsewhere.

"It was a one-time thing, all right?!" He groans, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “I woke up late and was completely out of it the whole time. The kid said his parents asked him to pay for it, how the hell was I supposed to know otherwise?”

    Kyungsoo shakes his head and an astonished laugh comes out, sounding like a scoff. “Who the hell sells an axe to a thirteen year old?” He teases, making Jongin roll his eyes.

    “Me, apparently…” He mutters, turning away now. They end up leaving it at that.

    Before they know it, it’s already midnight, and Jongin somehow persuades Kyungsoo to stay for the night. He reluctantly says yes to his offer, but only after Jongin takes up a few minutes of begging and using a few old pirated DVD’s of American indie horror films as lures, something small and unlikely they both actually had an interest in. There’s enough space for the two of them to sit next to each other without having to be cramped up as well, and though the closet was small, it wasn’t too small. Kyungsoo secretly thinks that it’s actually comfy.

    Mid cup noodle, Kyungsoo looks up and mulls over Jongin’s situation carefully. In reality, it wasn’t that bad. The only thing bothering Kyungsoo by this point is the fact that his emotions have took a major turn from normal. All he’s ever felt was normal- Baekyun calls it boring- but now…

    He pities Jongin and maybe more, though it’s only been a week since their first official meeting, and sitting this close to someone should not make him feel tingly all over. His hands feel a bit clammy, and his chest pumps a quicker pace than before, because Jongin’s fingers lightly graze over his knuckles between the gap that barely separates their thighs.

    “At least…” he starts, leaning into his shoulder, but also aware that it has only been a week. “At least let me teach you… How to work, I mean.”

    Jongin is surprised at this, but he looks excited. “You could teach me?” he asks, obviously eager. “You really can?”

Kyungsoo nods his head, and Jongin beams a ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’ at him.

    Let’s just say that their first kiss was not all all expected, and it’s all because Jongin, for once, feels like he has a chance.        

    It’s easy after that.

    To Kyungsoo, it’s weird. It’s weird being visited near the end of his classes. It’s weird randomly being gifted flowers. It’s weird holding someone’s hand, and it’s weird staring at someone’s face when going to sleep at night. Despite the feeling, Kyungsoo accepts it not because he feels like he should for once, but because Jongin is oddly irresistible, and he likes that.

    Jongin is clumsy and unintentionally careless, but Kyungsoo laughs at his mistakes. Baekhyun praises Jongin one day for making Kyungsoo laugh, because he’s always known Kyungsoo as someone who’s too uptight and lonely, even if Baekhyun and Chanyeol forced him to be their friend. He explains that whenever Kyungsoo would talk about school through phone calls back home, he would get bored because all he ever did was read, study, and watch movies alone.

    Sehun describes Jongin as someone who likes to have fun, and Kyungsoo eventually learns this himself also. Jongin likes to be active, but he’s too shy go out there himself, so he’s usually recognized as an introvert, too. However, this gives them more time together than what is considered ordinary, even if they are dating.

    They don’t call themselves boyfriends yet because this is the first time Kyungsoo has ever experienced something like this. A month passes, and Baekhyun eventually grows irritated by their slow pace and tenth dates.

    “Ten pre-boyfriend, getting-to-know-each-other dates is really too much,” Baekhyun says, lounging on Kyungsoo’s bed and skimming his class notes. The latter looks up from his notebook, sitting at his desk. “How many have you gone on so far this month? Thirty?”

    Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “Twenty one.”

    Baekhyun scoffs. “Twenty one!” he exclaims. “I started having make-out sessions with Chanyeol by the third date. By the sixth date, we started-”

    Kyungsoo makes a noise before he can say any more, looking back to his notes and thinking. “We kissed…,” he mutters, but the other doesn’t quite catch his words.

    “I just don’t know what to say to him,” Kyungsoo frowns, pushing away his work all together. “I’ve never done this before. It’s weird. I feel…” He motions up and outward with the twist of his wrists. “...Overwhelmed. But it’s good.”

    The bed creaks when Baekhyun shows sudden interest, leaning forward and eyeing Kyungsoo carefully. “Define ‘overwhelmed’...,” he says, and Kyungsoo ends up shrugging his shoulders.

    “It’s like my chest feels like it’s going to burst,” he mutters, obviously embarrassed at how he described it. “Sometimes, my throat feels clogged… It’s like I’m taking a lot in, but I don’t know what it is. I think Jongin changed me. But, I don’t know…” His words fade out, and for a little while, the only thing that could be heard was the tapping of Kyungsoo’s pencil. He panics after he confesses because Baekhyun takes a long, long time to reply.

    “Can you see it?” Baekhyun asks, just when Kyungsoo thinks he’s about to change the subject. He furrows his brows at his question, but Baekhyun rephrases. “You can see it, can’t you?”

    Another pause. Kyungsoo seems lost.

    “The string, I mean. The thread.”

    Now, Kyungsoo looks down at his wrist. He had nearly forgotten it existed. Now that he takes a better look at it, it’s a lot, lot more vibrant. The red glows, even in the sunlight that peers in through his shades. “This?” He asks, holding up his wrist, and Baekhyun laughs at this.

    “Yes. I can’t see yours, but you can. You can see Jongin’s too, right?” Kyungsoo nods. “See? It’s not really talked about I guess, but I think everyone gets one eventually, whether it be because of finding their soulmate, or someone of great importance to them… I have one, too. It’s always been here. It’s still bright.” He admits, rubbing his wrist.

    “Is it…”

   A snort. “Chanyeol, yes, that …” Baekhyun mumbles, the corner of his lips tugging into a small smile. “I don’t think you know it yet, Kyungsoo, but I think when it’s red like this- this red- it means something more. Do you know what that is?”

    Kyungsoo gulps, aware of what he might say, already starting to contemplate.

    “You’re probably in love. It’s your first time so it may not feel like right, but trust me.”

    When Baekhyun leaves later that night, Kyungsoo finds it difficult to sleep, for his heart is still bursting and he grows nervous thinking about their next meet.

    “I signed up for a job today,” Jongin confesses the next time they meet. “At the cafe Chanyeol works at. That’s a good first start, right?”

    Kyungsoo bites his lip when he nods. “Of course,” He says. “Just make sure you know what to say. You remember what I told you, right?”

    Jongin nods his head. "Just be honest. Be myself. Only bring up what is necessary." He repeats, and Kyungsoo smiles his same heart shaped smile. There are stars in Jongin’s eyes.

    It’s late at night again, and they sit on the rooftop of the performing arts building, watching the night clouds pass by. The moon pops up when the clouds disperse, and even then, the light is bright.

    He looks down at his wrist, fingers intertwined with Jongin’s, and he warms at the sight. There, the strings are now at a close enough range to be in tact, oozing like shiny polished rubies. Jongin squeezes his hand a little, and Kyungsoo lets into the touch.

    Tonight is the night. Tonight, Kyungsoo will pour his heart out to Jongin, and it’s still early, but he’s considering asking Jongin if he wants to move in together. He thinks it’ll be helpful. This way, he can somehow be closer to him, as if they weren’t already close before. This way, Jongin can relax, and even feel at ease throughout his job he’s bound to get. Kyungsoo feels happy and excited, but at the same time, very nervous.

    It turns out that Jongin is way ahead of him, because Kyungsoo does not expect to see him looking into his eyes when he turns his body, serious and tight-lipped. He takes his hands into his, looking uneasy all the while.

    “I got you something..." He mutters, pulling out a creamy envelope, all bent and creased. "I actually got it for you a while ago, but I guess I've just been too afraid about what you'd say."

Kyungsoo takes the envelope curiously, looking at it and back to Jongin. "I can open it?" He asks, fingers tracing the edges. The other says yes.

So, Kyungsoo dips his nail under the flap and pinches, lifting up until the packaging rips open. There, Kyungsoo takes out the card and is about to read the contents out loud before his heart skips a beat.

Inside, a red heart takes up most of the area, and inside the heart are three words sprawled out in white pen. It says 'I Love You' and Kyungsoo's eyes seriously water upon reading them.

"There's something else in the envelope, too." Jongin says, reaching out to take it. He turns it and shakes it, and out comes a blur of silver.

Jongin takes it between his fingers and holds up a chain with a ring connected to it. “See,” he mutters, staring at it before explaining. “I wanted to buy something that matches mine. There’s nothing really special about it, though…” he admits, untucking his own necklace from his sweater. “Just a regular old ring.”

The other takes it into his hands as Jongin wraps the chains around his neck, hooking the ends into place before it dangles on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Jongin holds the ring on his up, and likewise, Kyungsoo does the same.

“...Regular old ring,” Jongin repeats, but Kyungsoo shakes his head. He’s still flustered and happy, and if he were to start talking right now, he’d probably start crying. So, he waits a little longer before he mutters out a ‘thank you,’ looking away immediately.

He loves it. He loves Jongin. He’s never admitted or experienced it prior to moving to this city, but he somehow knows that this is what bliss is supposed to feel like. It’s supposed to make him feel excited, and dumb, and embarrassed all at the time time. With Jongin, he feels more outgoing.

“Move in with me!” Kyungsoo blurts out a little too soon, and he gets very flustered and red. “I mean, since you confessed, and now I’m trying to…” he stutters. “I mean... Cause I think I…. It’d be cool? Because, I think I’m in love with you, and- I mean- I’m not in love- but I really like you, but I also…” His words get jumbled up, and he wasn’t aware of how much he was able to screw something so important up. This is his confession. This is Kyungsoo, admitting to Jongin that he has fallen in love. For the first time, too.

On the other hand, Jongin beams shortly after some confusion masks his face, looking very astonished and excited. “I can move in?” he asks. “With you? Even though it’s only been a month… But, wait, you love me too? Do you really mean it?” Jongin leans towards Kyungsoo more, and in return, Kyungsoo sheepishly nods his head, cheeks flaming.

Once again, the excitement is too great, but the kiss is a bit more intimate this time.

Within one week, Jongin is settled in, and within two, he finally has been accepted into the cafe. For now, he simply cleans tables, but he’s so overjoyed that sometimes he stays a little later. From there, he earns money, and he tends to spend a lot of it on flower bouquets and foods and things that Kyungsoo just really happens to enjoy. Classes get a little harder around this time of the year as well, but despite that, Jongin still looks happy. He claims that he’s happy purely because of Kyungsoo.
And for once, Kyungsoo has fallen in love with sun-kissed skin and naturally-lightened brown hair. He falls in love with the smiles and the laughs, and the cheap food and the red string that doesn’t wear out.
Now, the string is completed, and if Kyungsoo had to describe what happened, he’d say “I don't know. It was fate, really.”

A/N:

Im so tired but I finally finished this! It’s fast paced but I guess I’m not really familiar with one-shots just yet.

Also...do I even call this fluff anymore //cries

Entered in Marshmallow: A Kaisoo/ Chansoo Writing Contest!

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