On Monday night, Mino flies to Jeju-do on a chartered private jet with Secretary Park, an introverted but competent young man. He has been preparing the whole day for his business dinner with Yang Hyun Suk, the person in charge for the construction of the cafe-art gallery extension of S Resort at Jeju. Mino notes amusedly that Mr. Yang is a project manager in Kim-Nam Group, and he is thinking about texting Jinwoo about this project after the meeting. 

Upon landing in a private hangar, a chauffeur picks up Mino and his secretary in a hotel limousine and head straight to the resort. What Mino does not expect is seeing Jinwoo seated side by side with a much older man in the fine dining Italian restaurant where his business meeting is supposedly held. Mino approaches the table cautiously. “Uhh, Jinwoo-hyung?”

“Oh, hey, Mino.”

The older man beside Jinwoo quickly stands up. “Good evening, Song Mino-sshi. I’m Secretary Ahn, Mr. Kim’s personal assistant for the cafe project. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Ah, yes, welcome to S Resort.” The hotel heir momentarily pauses before asking, “Wait, hyung, so you’re on this project too? I thought the project manager is Mr. Yang Hyun Suk?”

Secretary Ahn explains, “Our company just decided the switch a few days ago. There are still administrative matters to be settled, so Mr. Yang is still named as the manager in our outgoing communications, but for all practical purposes, Mr. Kim is the person in charge now.” He bows once again, “Apologies for not explaining this from the outset.”

“No, don’t worry.” Mino says. “Then, hyung, if you knew that you’re gonna meet me, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Jinwoo only lets out a faint smile and takes another sip of his dry white wine. The secretaries take their leave and the two men are left with their iPads and documents.

After ordering their food, Mino asks, “When did you land, hyung?”

“This morning. I already went for a site visit.”

“What do you think of the location?”

“It’s good. Close enough to see the sea and the land is structurally sound. Have you seen it?”

Mino shakes his head and takes a piece of warm garlic bread from the bread basket. “I’m newly assigned to this too. It’s not a big project, so it is something that I can learn to manage slowly.”

“Ah, by the way, has Seunghoon recovered?”

“Not yet.” Mino looks downcast. “His flu escalated into a fever this morning, so he’s on bed rest for the entire week.”

“Oh, poor Seunghoon. And you won’t be there to take care of him.”

Mino only bites his lips awkwardly and takes in a mouthful of bread. Afterwards, they carry on talking about their companies, and just before dessert is served, Jinwoo insists that they should move to the al fresco table with a clear view of the garden. And that is how they spend their first night in Jeju-do, enjoying the autumn breeze and finishing a bottle of expensive dessert wine that Jinwoo just ordered from Portugal days ago.

***

The next few days are full of meetings with a team of architects who flew in from Sweden, engineers from Jinwoo’s company and art curators from up-and-coming contemporary art galleries in New York and London. At first Mino appears to be hesitant to give his own input on the design, but Jinwoo is slowly pushing him to open up, stating bluntly that this is the perfect chance for Mino to prove the value of his artistic inclinations. Praises start flowing in when Mino gains the confidence to suggest a few fresh ideas, and he cannot help but be eternally grateful to Jinwoo.

Eyes b with admiration, Mino stares at the man across the table who is sitting elegantly with his back straight. “Oh, hyung, by the way, how are you and Seungyoonie?”

They just finished their dinner at the patio of Mino’s villa, which is linked by a private beach to the back gardens of S Resort. For the past few days, having their three meals together have become some sort of their daily rituals, as Mino is the only person on the island that Jinwoo is familiar with. Their secretaries have already learned to leave the two alone in their free time, seemingly aware that Jinwoo feels uncomfortable around too many strangers. 

“What do you mean?”

"Uhh," Mino pauses for a moment, acutely aware of the sudden tension in the other's voice. "Is your relationship progressing well?"

Opening a bottle of Macallan 30, Jinwoo shrugs. "I don't know. He's fun to hang out with, but so far I don't have any romantic feelings towards him."

"Oh." Mino accepts the glass of whisky and reaches for the bucket of ice cubes, feeling a mixture of concern for his friend and a strange sensation of relief.

"Don't worry, I won't play around with him. When I'm completely sure this is going nowhere, I will let Seungyoon know."

Mino quickly clarifies, "No, no, I'm not saying you're not that kind of person."

Jinwoo nods lightly. They continue sipping their drink, until Jinwoo breaks the silence by heaving a deep sigh. “I don’t wanna go for another blind date. Do you have any other good friend from your circle to introduce to me? Other than Seunghoon, obviously, I can’t be with someone who loves dogs too much..."

Shocked at the sudden question, Mino flinches, hitting the table and causing the ice bucket and their half full Macallan 30 bottle slides off the table and falls on Jinwoo's lap. The hotel heir's eyes widen dramatically, jaws instantly dropping with the weight of a silent scream.

Jinwoo stares at the pool of liquid staining his shirt and lifts the glass bottle from his lap, drinking the little bit of liquid left inside. “What a waste of good whisky,” He remarks nonchalantly, as if nothing extraordinary has just transpired.

“Hyung, I’m really sorry!” Mino stands up and appraises the damage. Whisky is still dripping to the granite patio floor from the table, but Jinwoo bears the brunt of the catastrophe. The front of his made-to-measure Prada shirt is completely soaked, and Mino notes with horror that a chunks of ice has also landed on Jinwoo. “Let’s go inside and change into my clothes. This is super disastrous!”

“Okay.”

Both of them take off their stained shirts once they step inside the dimly lit villa. Mino fishes out a handkerchief from his pocket, passing it to Jinwoo. “You can clean up first, I’ll go inside and get some t-shirts - oh, hang on - “ He notices a trail of whisky slowly trickling down past Jinwoo’s bellybutton, and he starts wiping the droplets gently. The brown liquid is glistening under the half moon which shines through the tall windows, and his hand is still cleaning up Jinwoo’s lower abs when he looks up and their eyes meet.

Everything else seems to be frozen in a frame.

They are engulfed in a wave of tense silence, and Jinwoo slowly raises his hand, tracing the outline of Mino’s face, feeling his smooth skin and angular bone structure. He remembers the moment two years ago, crackles of fireworks in the background, the brilliant ending of the Disney parade song. He closes his eyes and starts the lower lip of the man in front of him languidly with the tip his tongue. When the other’s mouth parts, Jinwoo slides his tongue in and their lips are locking in a passionate kiss, savouring each other's taste and hips locked in a grind. Strong arms envelop his waist, and Jinwoo relishes in the embrace, moving even closer until he can feel the stickiness of partially dried whisky on the other’s torso.

The oaky scent of the drink causes his head to spin lightly. Jinwoo grabs the other’s hair and bites his lower lip slightly, eliciting a deep moan, and out of a sudden Jinwoo stops and pulls away.

That’s not his voice.

“Oh my goodness, what have I done - “ Jinwoo touches his own swollen lips and slowly backs away towards the direction of the front door.

Mino stands without moving an inch, craving for more. He opens his mouth and says, "Hyung, I - ", but at that moment Jinwoo scrambles out of the villa, leaving all his belongings. Mino mumbles, "," and runs out.

***

The wind is strong and the night is icy cold, but Jinwoo hardly feel anything. He runs and runs ahead across the private beach, when a thick layer of cashmere is wrapped around him and someone hugs him from behind. "Get off me," Jinwoo says, struggling with all his might, but the arms around him refuse to budge.

"No, you might get sick. You're wearing no shirt, no shoes, and your card key is in your wallet, which is with me now."

Jinwoo tries to get away for a while before slumping, running out of breath and energy. Mino lowers his body gently until Jinwoo is seated on the beach, and he slowly puts on Jinwoo's shoes and ties the laces tightly. He places Jinwoo's belongings on the older's lap as well. Jinwoo only stares blankly at his knees. 

"Hyung." Mino opens his mouth and closes it again, not knowing what to say. Jinwoo's touch is still hot on his own skin, his lips yearning to touch the other's with a burning desire, but Jinwoo seems so pale, so fragile out of a sudden, that Mino does not dare to do anything that might break him.

Jinwoo finally looks up, avoiding Mino's gaze, his own eyes laced with pain and regret. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to you, and Seunghoon."

"Why - why Seunghoon-hyung?"

"I shouldn't have - " Jinwoo pauses, thinking of an appropriate phrase, "breached his territory."

Fearing that Jinwoo feels guilty because of a relationship that does not actually exist, Mino decides to correct the misunderstanding. “Actually, I have to confess something to you. Seunghoon-hyung and I are not together. The other day in the amusement park, we were there as Seungyoon's support system and when we accidentally bumped into each other, Seunghoon-hyung just gave that stupid excuse." Jinwoo stays still with the same blank look on his face, and Mino continues. "So you don't have to blame yourself. I'm not - I mean - you didn't drag me into an affair or anything." 

The wind is getting stronger, blowing Jinwoo's hair in all directions. He seems unfazed, his fingers only fiddling nervously with the edge of his wallet. "I still owe you an apology. I didn't intend to - I wasn't - I mean, I thought - " Jinwoo hit the ground in frustration. 

Mino shivers and stands up, "Hyung, can we talk inside? Please? If we stay here, both of us will get sick tomorrow. Your room or mine, either is fine as long as we go somewhere with a heater."

Jinwoo gets up slowly and gestures at Mino to follow him inside the hotel building. The older makes a beeline for the lift and walks swiftly until he is in the comfort of his own Junior Suite. Jinwoo stands facing the open window. "Song Mino, I'm going to tell you something, but you cannot tell anyone else, not even your two best friends."

The sticky feeling of the whisky on his body comes back in the warm room, but Mino ignores it and leans on the pillar right beside Jinwoo. "I promise."

"When I was in America, I became close friends with the son of the Kwon family. His name is Jiyong." Jinwoo his lips that are getting drier by the second. "We always went to the same schools and stuff, and in the end we got together. It lasted for a few years before he dumped me in a limo cab in Paris. That effing piece of ."

Mino shivers at the harsh words flowing out of Jinwoo's pretty mouth. "Wh - why would he do that?"

"He told me he fell for another guy. Some tall Korean dude who lived in a ghetto in Brooklyn. He said they had been seeing each other for a few months before he finally decided to break it to me that he's leaving." Jinwoo tightens his fist into a ball. "I felt so betrayed. When I was with him, I never even looked at anyone else. But that bloody son of a - " 

Mino tentatively reaches out to touch Jinwoo's fist before the other does something crazy. Like punching the window or the wall. Jinwoo does not pull away, and Mino sighs in relief. "Does your cousin know?"

"Not the full story. Taehyun only knew we broke up and I wanted to move back to Korea to start on clean slate, but he didn't know that Jiyong had an affair. Tae would've mutilated him into tiny pieces if he knew." Jinwoo closes his eyes. “But you - you look very similar to Jiyong."

"Ah, is this why you asked me about being related to the Kwon family?" Mino starts to see the connection between the pieces of the puzzle. Why Jinwoo tries so hard to avoid cabs, why his voice trembled when he asked Mino such a simple question, why Jinwoo ended up kissing him fervently just moments ago. 

Jinwoo nods. "I lost my mind earlier in the villa. Which is why - the thing - happened. I - " He continues with great difficulty. "I used you, Song Mino. I used you to bring back the feelings I had in the past, just because you and him look alike. I was selfish and I owe you all the apologies in the world." 

A drop of tear slowly falls on Jinwoo's cheek. There are so many things Mino wants to say. That it was his first kiss and he wanted it to be with someone who genuinely cared. That he didn't feel upset nonetheless, because he had been itching to touch Jinwoo for days, it's just that he didn't have the courage to actually do it. But the other man is not in the state of mind to receive more shocks, so Mino puts his feelings at the back of his mind for the time being.

He wipes Jinwoo's tears with a gentle flick of his thumb. Jinwoo turns to look at Mino and exclaims in surprise, “You're bleeding!" He grabs a cube of ice from the bucket of complimentary champagne on the dining table and applies it gently on Mino's lower lip, all the while reciting a litany of, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault - "

Mino pulls Jinwoo into a suffocating hug and the latter calms himself down after a view minutes. He can still feel the strong thumps of Jinwoo's heartbeats against his chest and his intermittent sobs.

Jinwoo pulls himself away and looks up at Mino's face, asking tentatively, “Are you okay?"

“Only if you are.”

“Then I’m okay.” He exhales deeply and goes on, “I'm really extremely sorry for tonight. You can ask me for whatever you want and I will try my best to give it to you. I owe you that much."

Mino is so tempted to say, "You. I want you, Jinwoo-hyung." But he only smiles. "Okay. I'll think about it."

Jinwoo looks at the clock on the wall. It's almost 4AM in the morning. There's no way he can fall asleep and Taehyun is not here to hold his hand. Mino follows the other's gaze, trying to guess his thoughts. "Hyung, are you gonna go to sleep now? It’s late."

Jinwoo shakes his head. "I don't think I can sleep anymore. I'll just lie down on my bed and rest after washing up. Are you sleepy?"

"Not at all." Mino gathers his courage to ask, "Can I stay here so we can keep each other company? Just talking and stuff... I don't really wanna stay alone tonight."

Jinwoo searches the other's face, as if confirming that Mino is really okay. He gives a small nod. That's all Mino needs.

***

Jinwoo lets him borrow his loose t-shirt and sleeping pants after he takes a shower. When Mino comes out of the bathroom, Jinwoo is already lying down in the king size bed, playing with his phone.

"Done showering, hyung?"

"Yeah. I'm just checking my emails now." 

Changing into his sleeping attire, Mino notes that the older is back to his usual calm self, as if nothing has happened, and Mino starts to worry that Jinwoo has found his footing back and his presence here is no longer necessary. He stands awkwardly when Jinwoo puts down his phone and his mouth curves up in a tired smile. "Come here," Jinwoo says, making space for Mino on one side of the spacious bed. 

Mino switches off the light and closes the curtain, before climbing onto the bed and inside the warm duvet. He watches as the other stares at the ceiling and says, "Usually I will do this with Taehyun. We're really close after both our parents passed away in a plane crash. We will lie down together and he will hold my hand until we both fall asleep."

Mino hesitates for a while, but stretches his arm out and slowly clasp Jinwoo's cold hand. "Like this?"

"Yes, like this." Jinwoo gives Mino's hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Mino-yah."

Mino smiles widely and his swollen bottom lip subconsciously at the affectionate way in which Jinwoo calls his name. How he wish he can get closer to the other side of the bed and hug the other tightly, but he reminds himself that it is for another day. "Hyung," He starts off tentatively. "Can I ask something?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Do you still keep in touch with Kwon Jiyong?”

“He’s been trying to contact me.”

“Do you - do you still like him?"

Jinwoo closes his eyes. “It will be a lie if I say I don't have any feelings left. But for now, I don't have any thoughts of getting back together with him."

"Of course! You'll be better off with someone else." Like me, for instance, Mino thinks.

"I hope I can find someone too, but look at me now. It's so hard for me to even open up to anyone other than Taehyun."

But you are opening up to me.

***

Jinwoo realizes the same thing. He is telling Mino everything, even his inner conflicts about Kwon Jiyong that he finds difficult to express in words. And it is hard not to like the man beside him. Tall with a strong build and well proportions, Mino is physically perfect. His face, although having similar features to Jiyong's, exudes an aura of manly charisma that Jinwoo finds rather appealing. Mino is friendly, kind, funny and sometimes naive, a stark contrast to Jiyong's confidence and astuteness, which sometimes turn into arrogance towards others whom he deems unworthy of his concern. Mino is also from a good family, although not as prominent as the Kwons.

They are so similar yet so different, and Jinwoo cannot figure out his own feelings. Is he attracted to Mino because of who he is, or because of who he resembles? Jinwoo whispers in the dark. "Mino-yah?" 

There is no answer from the other side of the bed, only the sounds of soft consistent breathing. Jinwoo watches the side profile of the other man who is fast asleep, swimming in his own deep thoughts and blurry emotions of the past and present.