It's only half five in the afternoon and the night has already fallen upon him. Because he had to stay for a bit discussing tactics with the basketball club's captain, he got out of the highschool after everyone else, walking alone home. It doesn't bother him ; he is and has always been quite the silent type, not needing much company. He's walking head in the clouds when he spots a young boy waiting for the bus, alone too. He isn't much warmly dressed, and seems like he is freezing. He has already seen the boy, from the classroom next to his ; they cross paths sometimes, and he recognises him everytime because of his beautiful yet unusual tanned skin and  unfaltering smile. He crosses the road to go sit with him.

 

The boy seems to recognise him. He greets him with a shy wave and tiny smile ; "hey". He nods to show him he acknowledged his greeting.

 

"I'm Hakyeon.", the boy says.

 

"Taekwoon.", he replies.

 

Hakyeon doesn't seem to know what to say next. 

 

He removes his scarf to give it to him wordlessly, wrapping him in. Hakyeon seems genuinely surprised, and more importantly, happy.

 

"Thank you...", he mutters.

 

He only nods in response.

 

They stay like that, without saying a word, for fifteen minutes before the bus come. As it stops in front of them, Hakyeon stands up, but not him ; he's living in the neighborhood after all. Hakyeon eyes him curiously before entering the bus:

 

"Uh, you're not coming in?"

 

"I live five minutes from here.", he replies, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to wait for a bus he wouldn't take.

 

It makes Hakyeon blush. "I- I'll give your scarf back then!"

 

He shakes his head. "Tomorrow."

 

He leaves right after, leaving no room to complain. The last thing he sees is Hakyeon's confused face.

 

He walks a few steps before falling into a black hole.

 

Taekwoon wakes up abruptly, startling. Hakyeon is no longer resting on him ; he can hear clearly the sound of the water running in the next room. Outside, the sun is disappearing behind the buildings. He sits down in the bed, running a hand through his hair. It has been a while since he last dreamt of his and Hakyeon's encounter. 

 

He checks the hour ; seven pm. It's time for him to come home to cook himself some dinner, however he wonders if it will be alright to let Hakyeon like this, plagued by sadness -also maybe, deep down, he wants to stay a bit longer with him. Water stops running and mere minutes after, Hakyeon gets out of the bathroom, hair still wet, only wearing his boxers and his printed 'N' tee-shirt.

 

He beams, seeing him awake. "Oh? I was about to wake you up."

 

Taekwoon motions him to come sit by his side.

 

"Are you alright?", he asks once Hakyeon is next to him.

 

"I guess so... I don't really know. You know, deep down... I kinda want to call him."

 

Hakyeon is fumbling with his hands, eyes fixed on the floor. He's probably ashamed to think so when his ex is the one dumping him ; Taekwoon knows he's probably blaming himself for his break up and feels weak for wanting to come back even though he shouldn't. He drapes an arm around his friend's shoulder, as if to say: "it's okay". Hakyeon sighs.

 

"Are you staying over tonight?", he asks hopefully ; and in front of his cute face, Taekwoon can't say no, so he nods.

 

It seems to make the other happy ; that's all Taekwoon could ask for.

 

"Should we cook together?"

 

Taekwoon knows how weird Hakyeon's meals can taste sometimes but he complies obediently, ruffling lightly his hair. There aren't much things in Hakyeon's fridge, though, aside from kimchi and ramen ; they settle on going to the convenience store to get some meat as well.

 

"Let your phone home.", Taekwoon says to Hakyeon as he is about to come back in his room to retrieve the device.

 

"What if Minhyuk calls?.."

 

He feels his heart tug in his chest, but doesn't let it appear. "He won't."

 

"You're right... Let's go."

 

Taekwoon wants to embrace him, to comfort him.

 

Their hands brush together as they walk side by side, but never get a hold on each other ; he always wonder if Hakyeon sometimes wants to intertwine their fingers as bad at he does, everytime he feels the soft skin against his. But the furthest Hakyeon ever goes is simply linking their pinkies together, like children. It doesn't bother him, as long as he can get a hold on the one he loves, as little as it could be.

 

Coming out of the store, Jaehwan walks past them, on the other side of the road. He's sipping on a strawberry milk, a children's drink he's used to have whenever he's feeling blue. He sees Taekwoon and Hakyeon linked by the pinkie, and he wonders ; will he one day be able to walk side by side with someone, holding hands? It seems to him that love isn't on his side, hasn't been since the past twenty years. Sure, he knew some people, for maybe an evening or two, flirting and kissing at some parties, but never before has he felt his heart loop and flutter under someone's touch, neither has he ever been in a relationship.

 

He has had plenty of crushes, though, since highschool ; however none of them actually turned out to become his boyfriend. Maybe there was something wrong with him, he often wondered, maybe he wasn't obvious enough, maybe he simply wasn't good enough. Those thoughts hurt, more than it should. But thinking about the Amaryllis standing in his bedroom, with the little sticky note, warms his heart. 

 

Thinking that maybe out there, someone is willing to court him makes his heart flutter. That's also creepy, he guesses, but he had his fair trade of creepiness himself, back in highschool. He recalls with a small smile that year when he got into every single one of his crush's club, just to get to see him more often. Maybe he would've avoided seeing him kissing his girlfriend after a training if he didn't do it, back then, but it doesn't matter anymore. At least he got a little more built up thanks to basketball. 

 

He stops in the park near his building, wanting to enjoy the last bits of sun. Finally, he had not done anything of his day, aside from pacing around without a purpose. It doesn't matter. Hongbin wouldn't notice anything anyway, because Hongbin never notice anything anyway. Sometimes he wonders why the hell he fell for someone so dense. Maybe, it's because of the way Hongbin smiles, that makes him feel interesting whenever he talks ; maybe it's because of his habit of taking care of him and tidying up the flat without saying a thing ; maybe it's just because Hongbin is the most precious thing he ever laid eyes on.

 

Something that is someone else's already.

 

After finishing his strawberry milk, and as night starts to fall, he gets up to go home. Part of him hopes Hongbin wouldn't be there, so that he could continue being blue in his corner ; he kind of likes it, to be sad some days. It allows him to be always cheerful the rest of the time.

 

When he enters the flat, there isn't anyone in sight. He's both relieved and maybe a bit disappointed. Even if he wants to stay sad, looking at Hongbin's pretty face wouldn't do any harm. The doorbell ringing makes him startle.

 

"Hello?"

 

Outside is standing his next door neighbor, the one he crossed paths with earlier in the street.

 

"Hello", he says curtly, and when Jaehwan looks down he can see a flower pots in his hands. "Someone left this for you."

 

"Thank you very much... If it bothers you to bring it to me, say to that person to actually come at my door, you know..."

 

The neighbor chuckles, waving it off. "It's nothing, but I'll say it to him."

 

"Do you by any chance... Know him?"

 

"No. I guess he should be from the building? Or maybe from the neighborhood. It's kinda easy to enter without knowing the code, with all those people coming in and coming out."

 

"You're right...", Jaehwan takes the bouquet in his hands. "Well, could you please perhaps tell me a bit more about how he looks?.. Oh wait, that's a bit rude of me, come in, I'll make some tea. My name's Jaehwan by the way."

 

"I'm Hakyeon. I'd gladly come in to talk with you but dinner's ready and I have someone who waits for me... However I can tell you that the person leaving those flowers for you is tall, with blonde hair. Hard to miss."

 

"Oh... Okay. Thank you very much. Come by some other day to have some tea!"

 

Hakyeon smiles, even if it's somehow tainted with a bit of sadness ; Jaehwan guesses that he must be in the same state as himself.

 

"Sure. I must be going now, or dinner will be cold! See you later!"

 

"Have a good meal! See you!"

 

Door is closed no longer after and Jaehwan finds himself grinning at the little flower pot. It's Amaryllis again.

 

 

What's with the stupid riddles?, Jaehwan chuckles, but at least it makes him feel a bit better. He places the pot near the other one. Tomorrow he'll search who that weird unknown person is.

 

Next door, Hakyeon is back to Taekwoon's side, munching on his kimchi.

 

"Love is in the air!..", he giggles, sitting in front of his friend.

 

Taekwoon raises an eyebrow, meaning "How so?"

 

"Remember that guy who moved in in front? He asked us to give the neighbor next door flowers last time. Well, this time when I rang he was here and he seemed to quite like it. He even asked how he looked."

 

Taekwoon nods, giving him a bowl without a word. Hakyeon sighs. "I want to be in love again too."

 

"Soon enough.", his friend replies, ruffling lightly his hair. "Eat first."

 

On the balcony, begonias are blossoming.

 

Begonia - promises of sweetness and something rare.

 

 

 

---

You know what's bugging me about this chap? Its not satisfying. I'm sorry guys. Also, Im not on my laptop so its ugly. Ill come back to fix it later.