Rekindling Flame

July 2015

Every time I see you, I have this strange sensation stirring inside me. It sends shivers all over my body.

It’s as if a flower resides in my heart, trying to bloom. And so is our love.

There was definitely something. Something that led Myungsoo towards the aquarium. Some voice inside his head, telling him that something good was going to happen if he went there. And so, Myungsoo followed his instincts.

Stepping foot inside the aquarium, he was instantly taken a trip down memory lane. This was the place he watched Howon take Sungjong away. This was the place Sungjong confessed. This was the place he left him behind.

Myungsoo pressed his forehead against the glass, watching the school of fish swim by. If only I could turn back time, he thought. If only he could turn back time, he wouldn’t have taken Sungyeol’s call. If only he could turn back time, he would’nt have caused Sungjong so much pain. Then he could’ve held tighthly onto the boy he loved before he slipped out of his reach.

Myungsoo caught sight of a stingray swimming towards his direction and watched it in awe. It was much bigger than the rest that laid dormant on the sand in the tank, its white belly covering Myungsoo’s view.

Myungsoo lightly traced his fingers along the stingray’s smiling lips. A tingling sensation shot up his arm when a hand unexpectedly brushed against his.

“I’m sorry! I-” the stranger stopped, seemingly lost in his thoughts as he studied Myungsoo.

Myungsoo turned when he felt the stranger’s eyes on him to find out that this was no stranger at all. He knew this young man. He recognized his soft brown hair, his large doe eyes, his pale skin, his scent.

The young man who had disappeared from Myungsoo’s life finally returned.

“It’s been awhile, Sungjong.” he said, his eyes softening upon recognizing him.

“Myungsoo…” Sungjong was not prepared to meet Myungsoo this soon and definitely not this way. “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

Seeing each other for the first time since so long, neither one knew what to say, only exchanging awkward smiles. Just when Sungjong thought he would be swallowed up by the silence, Myungsoo cleared his throat and smiled.

“If you have time right now, would you like to get coffee with me?”

They sat on opposite sides of the square table, facing each other. Myungsoo picked up the small tongs and dropped two small cubes of sugar into one of the mugs before pushing it towards Sungjong.

“Did I remember it wrong?” Myungsoo asked upon noticing the way Sungjong glanced back and forth between him and the mug.

“Oh, no. I do take two cubes of sugar. Thanks.” Sungjong replied, amazed at the fact that Myungsoo actually remembered such a small detail of him.

“So…four years, huh.” Myungsoo said, scanning the young man’s features.

Now that Myungsoo was able to sit down and really take a good look at the young man before him, Sungjong appeared even more beautiful since the years he was away; Myungsoo felt his heart skip a beat.

“Four years.” Sungjong confirmed as he stole glances at the photographer smiling at him. Myungsoo was as handsome as Sungjong remembered; his looks had become finer with age. “I’ve seen your pictorials featured in Empire magazine.”

Myungsoo nodded his head in affirmation, amused at the fact that he and Sungjong both had their works published in the same magazine. It’s funny how life works. They cross paths even in the most unexpected ways.

Sungjong glanced at his wristwatch and stood up. “It was nice seeing you again, Myungsoo. Let’s find a chance to meet some other time.”

“Wait.” Myungsoo abruptly stood up and grabbed Sungjong’s wrist. The small table screeched against the floor as Myungsoo leaned forward. “How about tomorrow? I thought I could show you around since you haven’t come back for so long.”

“I’m busy tomorrow…Sorry.” Myungsoo released his grip, his eyes downcast. Sungjong bit his lip, stabbed with guilt upon noticing the man’s dejected appearance, and sighed. “I’m free on Sunday though. If that’s okay wi-“

“Thank you, Jongie!” Myungsoo exclaimed, envelopping Sungjong in his embrace.

Sungjong could literally feel the elation emanating from Myungsoo; without realizing it, the corner of his lips curled into a smile.

--

“This is a little too red. This makes me look huge. This one doesn’t even fit me anymore…” Sungjong muttered as he flung pieces of clothing across the room as he  rummaged through his closet. Defeated, he fell back onto the bed, his arms spread open, staring at the ceiling.

“A designer without anything decent to wear. Oh, the irony.” He sulked. He was observing the state of his room when he suddenly sat up, his cheeks turning pink. “Why am I getting so worked up over this? I’m not going on a date or anything. We’re just catching up. Yeah, that’s it.”

Sungjong laid back down on the bed but shot up shortly after he caught a glimpse of the time from the clock on his bedside table and cursed. He threw on a set of clothing and ran to the mirror, grimacing at his reflection before slipping out of the clothes. Sungjong ran back and forth in a total of four times when he was finally satisfied at his appearance.

“We’re just catching up.” Sungjong reconfirmed to himself as he smoothed out the wrinkles of his collar. “Just catching up.”

Myungsoo knocked on the door thrice, shuffling his feet while he waited. He didn’t have to wait long, however, as Sungjong came to answer the door a few minutes later. He was dressed in a grey shirt with a simple design and paired with light ripped jeans. His usual straight bangs were styled to the side, giving the young man a more mature look. It wasn’t anything fancy but Myungsoo thought him to be beautiful nonetheless.

Sungjong caught Myungsoo staring and panicked. I hope I don’t look too sloppy. I didn’t want to be too over-dressed for this. Sungjong noticed Myungsoo had only one arm at his side while the other was bent behind his back.

“What’s that you got there?”

Shaking his head to get his thoughts back together, Myungsoo shoved the object he was hiding towards Sungjong’s face.

“It’s for you.” Myungsoo said, grinning.

It was a rose. Sungjong tried not to dwell too much on the fact that he just received a rose from Myungsoo and shyly accepted it. Holding it near his nose, he took a whiff of its sweet scent and smiled.

“Thank you but you didn’t have to.” Sungjong said, feeling his cheeks start to heat up.

“I didn’t think it was nice to come here empty-handed.” Myungsoo replied, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly.

Sungjong invited Myungsoo into his home for a cup of tea. Myungsoo looked around the place while Sungjong searched for a vase. The house looked slightly different with some of the furniture renewed or moved to a different location but it had the same feeling of nostalgia of Myungsoo’s younger days which he spent frequently in this house.

That was until they drifted apart.

Regretting realizing his feelings so late and breaking Sungjong’s heart, Myungsoo didn’t know how but he was going to make it up to Sungjong.

Myungsoo led Sungjong to his car that was parked outside his home, opening the door for him to get in. After making sure that Sungjong was sitting comfortably in his seat, Myungsoo got into the driver’s seat. He was about to start the car when he noticed Sungjong tugging on the seatbelt which appeared to be stuck at the top.

Without a second thought, Myungsoo leaned over to help, almost pressing Sungjong completely into his seat. Sungjong suddenly became aware of how close they were as he became rigid against Myungsoo’s chest.

“Got it.” Myungsoo said, buckling Sungjong’s seatbelt for him.

Myungsoo turned his attention back to the front as he started the engine, oblivious to Sungjong who became as red as a tomato. Sungjong finally released his breath, thankful for Myungsoo’s denseness for once. It was true; he was still attracted to Myungsoo as much as he did in his teenage years but he was not going to reveal his feelings just yet.

Not until Myungsoo showed him he was genuine in his love for him.

Myungsoo swallowed hard, at a loss on what to do as he regarded the young man who had fallen asleep next to him. The car ride had been long; there were no chit-chats between them, only ballad songs from the radio, which probably lulled Sungjong to sleep, accompanying their ride.

His face inched closer to Sungjong, studying his long lashes, his pale skin and plump lips. To Myungsoo, Sungjong was the very definition of innocence; a trait that spurred Myungsoo’s overprotectiveness of him. Perhaps, that was the cause of his confusion back then, unsure whether he worried constantly about Sungjong because he was a little brother or something more.

Myungsoo was now certain that Sungjong was the one for him and kept his feelings loyal to the young man. Yet, four years have passed, he wondered if Sungjong still felt the same for him.

At the sight of Sungjong beginning to stir, Myungsoo flew back into his spot, staring nervously towards the front.

“Have we arrived?” Sungjong asked, yawning slightly as he rubbed his eyes from sleep. “Where are we?”

“Namsan Tower”.

Sungjong’s eyes widened, suddenly wide awake as he scanned his surroundings. Sure enough, the familiar white tower, one of Seoul’s most popular tourist sites, stretched high into the sky, standing tall over them.

You can’t be serious.

“What are we doing here?” Sungjong asked, looking incredulously at Myungsoo.

“I thought it would be a great place to re-introduce Korea to you. There’s a nice museum and everything.” Myungsoo answered, beaming at Sungjong as if he was waiting to be praised for his ingenious idea.

Not to mention, a place swarming with couples. Sungjong internally face-palmed at Myungsoo’s failed attempt at hiding his real intentions. “Myungsoo…I’ve only been away for four years, not a lifetime. I’m sure everything we learnt in history class is still embedded in my brain somewhere.”

“Of course you do, Jongie. But I don’t!” Having said that, Myungsoo exited the car, sprinting towards the direction of the tower. He stopped in his tracks when he realized Sungjong wasn’t following him and looked back to see the said young man, still in disbelief, frozen in his seat. “Well, are you coming or what?”

Sungjong groaned but got out of the car anyway, dragging his feet begrudgingly after Myungsoo, knowing fully well that he could never say ‘no’ to him.

--

Myungsoo stared uninterestedly at the teddy bears clad in small costumes worn during the Joseon Dynasty. He was a never a fan of dolls; no manly man like him had his heart moved by a doll. Looking straight into the beady eyes of a fluffy teddy bear, Myungsoo shook his head. Might as well get a poodle.

Yet, his face broke into a soft smile as soon as his eyes landed on Sungjong who was snapping selfies at lightning speed, taking every opportunity to get a shot of himself with the stuffed dolls.

Well, at least he’s enjoying himself. Myungsoo thought. He decided to stand in a corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, finding it much more interesting to observe the young man. Myungsoo did not stay in his comfortable position for long as Sungjong skipped over to him and latched onto his arm.

“There’s a really neat photo zone over there! Let’s go!” Sungjong exclaimed, tugging at Myungsoo’s arm but the man refused to budge.

“Nuh uh. I’m not taking pictures with a stuffed animal.”

“Come on. Everyone else is doing it! Please, Myungsoo~” Sungjong begged, blinking cutely at him.

How can anyone refuse those eyes…Myungsoo sighed and reluctantly nodded before he was led away by the excited young man.

They posed in front of numerous exhibits like a young couple on a date. Myungsoo, who was exhausted at this point, stopped and started dragging Sungjong towards the exit.

“I think that’s enough selfies for today, Lee Sungjong.”

“Just one last one. Please~” Sungjong pleaded, pouting at the taller man.

Myungsoo chuckled, ruffling Sungjong’s hair. He can never win against Sungjong, especially with an aegyo attack like that. But he was glad that he took him here after all. Earlier in the day, Myungsoo seemed like the only one who was excited to come here but now, Sungjong seemed to be having more fun than he did.

They reached the roof terrace where couples attached their love locks to the fence. Myungsoo and Sungjong stood awkwardly by the fence, watching the couples around them. They certainly had feelings for each other, yet, their relationship was never confirmed nor had they once referred to each other as ‘boyfriend’ or ‘honey’.

They weren’t even sure what they were at this point.

Seeing as the love locks were not applicable for them, Myungsoo suggested writing notes to each other instead. Myungsoo glanced repeatedly at Sungjong, trying to peek at the content of his note but failed as they were standing at opposite ends of the long table.

“No peeking.” Sungjong said when he caught Myungsoo looking over his shoulder while he tried to find a hidden space for him to stick his note on the wall.

“We’re supposed to read the notes.” Myungsoo argued, his curiosity eating away at him.

“You will. Eventually.” Sungjong said, smoothing his hand over the note to ensure it was stuck in place before turning to the man. “The next time we come here.”

Next time? Myungsoo was hopeful at the thought of having a second and possibly third date with Sungjong. Since he mentioned ‘next time’, it must mean he wanted to be with him too?

They returned to the third level, deciding to take a short break and cool off with some ice-cream. While Myungsoo was standing in line at the snack counter, he overheard some girls behind him whispering about Sungjong.

“Isn’t that Lee Sungjong, the designer who made it big in Paris?”

“You’re right! I wonder who he’s with…maybe he’s on a date!”

When Myungsoo turned around, Sungjong was, as he predicted, recognized by several others who were slowly crowding around him. Sungjong was noticeably uncomfortable with the attention as he avoided eye contact with the people. Myungsoo squeezed through the crowd and snatched his wrist.

“Let’s go.”

Myungsoo pulled him out of the crowd and ran towards the staircase, his hand still holding Sungjong’s tightly in his grip. They ran all the way down to the first level though they stopped as soon as they reached the entrance. The sky was pouring and they did not have an umbrella with them. The people were catching up to them. Without thinking twice, Myungsoo removed his jacket and placed it over Sungjong’s head before taking his hand in his once more and led him out of the tower.

They managed to escape, seeking shelter at an abandoned bus stop.

“They won’t be able to find us here.” Myungsoo said, shaking the rain out of his hair and fanning his clothes dry.

Sungjong nodded, combing his fingers through his damp hair. He noticed Myungsoo’s straight hair curling at the ends from the rain and bursted out in laughter at the sight.

“What are you laughing at? Look at yourself!”

Sungjong tried to shield himself from the rain drops flying towards his face as Myungsoo shook his head wildly at him. Myungsoo, then, sat back, just watching Sungjong laugh next to him.

How much he had missed that smile.

Sungjong’s laughter died down when Myungsoo tucked a stray strand of hair behind Sungjong’s ear. His fingers slid to the back of his neck, tangling them into his dark locks.

“You’re beautiful, Jongie.”

With a light push, Sungjong’s lips were captured in a fiery kiss, their rapid heartbeats drowning out the sounds of the rain.






A/N: Hello, dear readers! Long time no see! I'm sorry for not uploading for so long..I've been caught up with schoolwork and unfortunately, I will have busier days from now. As an apology, I present to you a full Myungjong chapter! Please forgive me...:'((

P.S. The teddy bear museum is the same one shown in Goong. As for the love locks, it's quite famous! I'm sure most of you have heard of it! :)