Bar

When Leo’s senior asked him out for a drink, he could not refuse her invitation.

The waiter lays two shot glasses amidst Leo and Elly. They each pick one up and drain the cups clean. The hard liquor burns his inside. For a second, he forgets why he’s here. He perched on the wide black leather seat in the shadowed lighting that indicates that this is a place for the refined practice of relaxation and sophistication. Leo is so used to this kind of environment that he barely awares that someone else less privileged might find this place a prison.

Leo drinks another shot.

Elly doesn't reach for the second. She brushes her long bang that is as black as crow away from her eyes that are drawn like the Sphinx's. “You’re getting drunk tonight? You are so not Leo.”

Leo nods. “Taekwoon is the one who’s going to pass out.”

Elly’s eyes light up. Leo has opened up a small crack about who he is underneath by referring to his birthname. Suddenly, they are comrades. “Something’s wrong, but you don't want to tell me.” She leans closer, as if expecting her guess was wrong.

Leo gurgles a laugh. “You are smart enough to guess what’s wrong.”

It is an open invitation that Elly will not pass. “It got something to do with N.” She states matter-of-fact.

Another shot enters his system. “I feel sorry for him.”

“Very unlike you to be sentimental.”

Leo can only stare back at her dumbly. He was expecting consulting words from a mother of two young children, not his senior Elly fighting off enemies at the broadcast station. As the saying go, a mother lioness had more to lose, so she was fierce.

“It looks like N moved on anyway. Isn’t he in the military right now? Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” She took a long sip, taking her time to gauge Leo to answer the question correctly on his own.

Leo leans in nearer until his knees bump into the hardwood table. He sort of suspect that Elly’s next words will not remind him that N was his lover and that he desperately needed N. She will have a fresh insight, a new side that Leo has never thought of.

“You don’t want to end up like N.”

Leo’s short, staccato laugh sounds like wind chime. “You can read minds.” He hates himself for not being able to deny the truth. At this moment, he cannot be the noble man that he is suppose to be. Leo is suppose to be better than a petty sore loser. It was uncharacteristic of him to be daunted by a scandal that can potentially ruin his career. He is suppose to be the equal of N who bears the consequence of his rash action and survives the harsh life of being in an army. He is suppose to hold his head up under water like N, struggling to breathe.

But Leo doesn’t want to be like N.

“You don’t have to be like him.” Elly’s voice that is like a lullaby continues to sing him a song of fantasy. “Do you know Park Sojin, the daughter of Park Hyun Won? You should know him---he’s on the board of directors.”

The twinkle in her eyes give away the entirety of her proposal. “You want me to seduce her? I’m gay.”

Elly and Leo laugh at the funniest joke of the night. “It’s not so funny if someone else got the benefits. Mr. Park is looking for a son-in-law and I think you have what it takes to make her yours.”

“This is ridiculous.” Leo throws another shot in his dry mouth. His world spins in illusion and non-reasons.

“You might not be richest guy in Seoul, but you are talented, hardworking, and respectable. Mr. Park can trust you with his legacy.” Elly’s words are sweet like honey. “You are the perfect groom. You deserve success too.”

What about me? a tiny voice in the back of his head asks. Leo stares back at her with misty eyes.

Elly finally shows her Cheshire Cat smile. Leo can listen to her forever.

This is about me, he answers his own question. Leo needs to start thinking about himself, not anyone else.

Apartment

The neon green hats are the most ridiculous choice that can happen to Hyuk.

“It’s called camouflage,” Ken says on the tree top. “And we finally match for once.”

“It’s hard not to match when you have forty-eight of these. What other junks do you collect?”

“Sssh. He might hear us.”

Hyuk shifts his uncomfortably on the thick rough branch. He rather not breathes if he can help it. Perhaps the world is playing some twisted trick on him but he thinks that each breath he exhales will ruffle the leaves around them and that will alert the resident living below about their presence. Hongbin should not hear them.

Ken puts up his binocular in front of his face. “Hmm… Nice body.” He zooms in on his defined abs that fit together like buttons on a calculator.

Hyuk shuts his eyes immediately.

“Awe. Are you shy?” Ken elbows him.

Hyuk yelps as his arms flail around to keep his place on the tree without plummeting to his death. . He probably heard us now. He panics.

“It’s just another guy’s body.” Ken keeps teasing him. “Are you one of his smittened fans? I will print out a life-size poster of his pic and hang it on your wall.”

“What? No. I’m not interested. Why would I be interested in guys?” Hyuk fans himself. “Wait? What? You have what pictures?”

“His -” says Ken on the top of his lungs.

It all happens at once. One second Hyuk is clamping his hyung’s mouth shut. The next Ken’s pupils are blown and he tips backward. His fingernails scratch Hyuk’s forearms before he drags him down through the night air.

They are flying.

Hongbin peers out of his window when he thinks he heard something crashed outside.

“Ow. Hyukkie, did you eat gopchang everyday? I told you to cut the portion down. You’re so heavy.” Ken squirms underneath his giant body.

Hyuk groans and gets off him. He lies flat on the soft earth, squashing some budding green leafs in the process. He smells like salad now. However, thanks to Ken’s bony body that caught his fall, Hyuk did not break any of his bones. “Are you hurt anywhere, Ken hyung?”

“You try falling off of a tree with an elephant on top of you, then I’ll ask you if you’re hurt.”

“Seriously, hyung. Are you okay?” His dark pupils enlarge like goldfish’s when they gasp above the water surface.

Ken sits up. Besides his heavy head and few bruises, nothing is broken. “Ow. My ankle. You have to carry me back to our car.” He pouts at him. Tears are welling in his eyes.

Hyuk turns his head to another side to hide his grin. Liar. You were twisting your feet a second ago.

Hyuk gets up anyway. He hooks his arms under Ken’s knees and back. He grunts. He lifts Ken up. He smiles triumphantly and Ken squeals in pure delight before Hyuk’s legs crumble beneath him and they crash for a second time. They burst out in mirthful laughs, forgetting that their target is merely few feet away and can probably hear and see them through his window.

“This is stupid.” Hyuk throws his hands up in the air. “Hongbin’s soulmate probably won’t show up tonight anyway. Can we leave now?”

Ken flicks his forehead. “You’d never know. My instinct told me that his lover will attend his opening night.”

It kind of makes sense to Hyuk. What kind of person will skip their loved one’s the first night when they show their own flesh and blood for other people to criticize? Whoever his soulmate is have to show up. Soulmates are supposed to provide moral support to each other, right? What else are soulmates good for?

“Hyung, do you think he and that soulmate will marry?” Hyuk suddenly asks. “They have to be in a serious relationship for him to call his love a soulmate.”

Ken considers it. “If I call you my soulmate, will you marry me?”

“Ew. No.” He gags.

Ken slaps his arm. “You’re rude. It’s just an example.” Even if that’s what he said, he still look displeased. “Just because Hongbin calls that person is his soulmate, doesn’t mean they will marry. They can just exist in each other’s presence. Besides, they might not be in love in the first place. Or he doesn’t think that Hongbin is his soulmate.”

Hyuk leans his head back to gaze at the cloudy sky. “That’s weird. I thought soulmates like each other, like they belong to each other. What are soulmates?”

Ken shrugs. “Who knows. They are probably something the romantics make up.”

“Why would they make that up? What’s the point?”

“Maybe labelling something make us feel better? Like everything will be simple and perfect and ruled by unicorns if we make our lives easier with labels.”

“Maybe.”

Ken watches Hyuk who are still searching for any sign of stars above. “Maybe you will know why when you meet your soulmate,” says Ken.

“Maybe I’ve met my soulmate already; I’ll never know.” Hyuk gazes at the sparkling stars. “Aren’t we going to his art exhibition anyway? Why are we stalking him?”

“I had nothing better to do.”

Hyuk leaps on his feet and swears he will skin Ken alive when he catches him.

Art Exhibition

The couple of idiots wearing silly green hats step into the wonderful land of color explosion of desires and answered dreams. They can smell the sweat of the young people running towards the end of the dark tunnels. Hyuk would have laughed along with the youths in the paintings if he is not acquainted with the creator behind the perfect pictures.

“Don't be silly. They are just smells of dried paints.”

Hyuk ignores Ken’s unromantic remark. How is he going to present Hongbin’s exhibition authentically if dried paints are all he can feel?

“Let's just get this over with.” Ken yanks on Hyuk’s wrist to pull him towards the most dreadful person in the room called Lee Hongbin.

Hongbin in a simple low-cut gray shirt underneath a white suit glows. He is more sparkling than the firework that sprouts under his of brush.

The words he shoot to the reporters and admirers are also part of a brilliant artistic technique. As a skilled painter, he leaves an impression that can be interpretive without being purposeless. Hongbin is a true artist who knows his charm and how to use it.

Hyuk shivers in front of the skilled craftsman.

In contrast, Ken’s delightful smile is chummy. He is so at ease being around other popular artists and colleagues that are specialized in writing about arts. Did he forget that they are just paparazzi? Those people reeks the perfume of education while they are stingy from digging trash. Now Hyuk smells like manure as he is covered by jealousy from head to toe. He wonders if they like what they are doing. Either they are really stellar actors or they genuinely enjoy their work. Hyuk almost walks away and sulks by himself in a corner if he doesn’t see what happens next---

Hyuk’s jaw goes slack when Ken initiates an embrace with Hongbin. And even more shocking, Hongbin hugs him back and squeezes his waist.

The two men are grinning from ear-to-ear. The spectators hold their breaths and anticipate their next move. Like those eager but subtle reporters, Hyuk takes mental notes for his next article.

“You’re late,” says Hongbin. He acts like his best bud walks into his party after his guest have already gotten drunk. “You owe me five thousand won.” He opens his empty palm.

Ken slaps his hand away. Hyuk hears a couple of muffled gasps. “You owe me fifty thousand won,” says Ken, putting emphasizes on “you” and “me”.

Hongbin quirks a neatly trimmed eyebrow. “Did you stalk me again?”

“Yup.” Radiant of triumph shines through him. “I got pictures of you. Wanna see?”

Audible gasps can be heard now. “I knew I heard someone outside my apartment…” Hongbin huddles against Ken to look over the gallery in his camera. “Oh.” Hongbin is astonished by the pictures taken by Ken. “I look so good. Print this one out and I’ll put it up the wall…” The artist scans around. “Right there.” He points at the bare white wall opposites from where they are standing. Hongbin and Ken cackle over his joke. Other people laugh too, but their sounds cannot quite reach them.

“So I stalked you and you didn’t notice. You gotta pay up.” Ken persists.

“Fine. I keep my wager.” Hongbin actually fishes his wallet out of his pants’ pocket and hands over fifty bucks to Ken. Ken looks smug. Hyuk wants to punch him out for stringing him along like brainless puppet. He can’t believe that he fell off a one-meter tree because of other people’s inside joke.

Hongbin finally returns his attention to his admirers, friends, and reporters. Hyuk senses the atmosphere has shifted after Ken joined the intimate circle. Sure, Hongbin still treats them cordially, but he acts different around them than with Ken. It is so distinguishable that in a short time, the group disbands. Except for Hongbin, Ken, and Hyuk, the rest wanders off to feast on Hongbin’s lively creations with their eyes.  

Hyuk bounces on one foot and then the other until Hongbin’s gaze lands on him curiously. “Hi.” Hyuk quickly bows. “I’m Han Sanghyuk---a junior journalist at Scandal News. I’ve always been  working with Ken hyung.”

“Han Sanghyuk…” Hongbin regards him thoughtfully. Hyuk gulps on his saliva. Please don’t remember. He silently prays.

An excruciating slow smile shows upon Hongbin. The wink he gives him is equally painful.

Hyuk immediately blows again. His head nearly touches the floor. “Excuse me. I think I will go and observe your art works now. You know, for research purposes.” He gets up so quick that he sees black. Hyuk marches away before either man can stop him.

Hongbin’s string of laugh echoes in the room. “Gosh. He’s still so adorable.”

Ken saw every single details of their interaction. “Did you know him?”

“Did I know him? He slept in my bed.” Hongbin laughs harder as he sees how horrified and disgusted Ken looks. Passerby will think that Ken is witnessing a green gooey monster crawling out from Hongbin’s gelled brown hair.

“Let’s walk around. I’ll tell you everything later.”

“Ew. I don’t ing want to know what you did with Hyukkie.”

“Are you sure? You look pale.” Hongbin hooks his arm around Ken’s and leads him down the lane decorated with beautiful flowers called youth despite his friend’s protest.

Blooming…---the art exhibition devoids of people after twelve a.m. As the father of his arts, Hongbin lingers longer in front of one specific portrait by himself. His eyes trail up and down the sea-blue-green lines of a young boy swinging his arms above his waist and one toned leg is taking off of the ground. His charcoal black pupils are a shade darker than deep brown, shone with determination. Another spectator of the race may conclude that there is no fire behind those black eyes---they are waveless water. Taekwoon is the docile sea lion navigates his habitat in leisure. There is no storms in his track. If there is, Taekwoon will weather through the most dense hails and snow. His broad back will shoulder all of Hongbin’s trouble. He will shield the cold rain with his arms. He will hold his hand and swim for the shore together to escape the worst of Hongbin.

“It’s him. The guy you’re obsessed with,” Ken said aloud.

Hongbin threw him a side glance. “You believe that he exists, right?” Hongbin asked in a small voice. His eyes were lit with panic. “He’s not my figment of imagination. I knew him since I was in elementary school.”

Ken shrugged. “Does it matter that he exists? As long as you are satisfied with what you want to see, his real existence is not important. Is that what you want me to say?”

“No.”

Ken shook his head. His smirk was cynical. “If you meet Taekwoon in real life, what will you do?”

“I will be friends with him.”

The two friends gazed at the painted Taekwoon. “Then it’ll be better if you never meet him,” Ken said. He started laughing.

Hongbin kicked the back of his legs while Ken insulted his bad hair and messy studio. Who want to be friends with a freak who was obsessed with a guy living in a painting and gay dead artists, and cooked lasagna in a pot?

They laughed at the hilarious joke a few hours ago with people around them. Right now, alone in the dark, Hongbin cannot even squeeze a smile for the boy running.

The boy running in the portrait makes Hyuk stay at one spot. It is like the first day he met him. Taekwoon was always the silent type of kid who was lingering in the background. However, in the portrait, he takes the lead in the race. His expression is calm but he reeks vulnerability, like he is afraid of the contestants behind him will catch up to him. Behind those veiled eyes, Hyuk sees panic. He lifts his hand and touches the glass that traps the boy. He imagines holding Taekwoon’s big hand in his and tells him that everything will be okay. He will run away from N like he is a terrible plague that Taekwoon barely survives.

“Nice portrait, eh?”

Hyuk jumps out of his skin before he turns to see who’s speaking. He nods.

Hongbin’s laugh is phantom-like. “You’re so cute.”

Hyuk swallows something hard in his throat. He is the boastful rooster sticking out his chest. “Nice to see you again, Hongbin.”

His smile wanes. “I've always wanted to apologize for scaring you. I'm sorry.”

Hyuk is speechless for a few seconds. He searches his face for any sign of mockery. When he finds none, he loses his chance to push Hongbin to a corner. Why did he want Hyuk to stay with him? They were just strangers. Maybe that's why Leo hyung left him. He's crazy. Hyuk learned long ago to stay out of other people’s businesses equaled to keeping himself out of trouble. Hyuk turns to leave, but he stops in his track again. “You know Leo hyung too?” Hyuk points at the portrait. Then he stumbles away from Hongbin as if he sees Satan flashing before his eyes.

“You know him?” Hongbin takes a step forward, closing the gap between them.

Hyuk’s irrational part wants to yell “no”. It's stupid how his heart thumps faster in his chest upon seeing Hongbin’s hunger. Hyuk nods.

“Where is he?”

"I-I don't know. I haven't talked to him in awhile.”

“How did you know him?”

“We published our school’s newspapers at Seoul National. How did you know him?” Hyuk watches his expression like a chick watching the eagle’s every move.

“Ha. He actually got accepted to that school he wanted.”

If Hyuk sneaks away right now, Hongbin will not notice his absence. He looks like he is having a mental conversation with himself. Hyuk takes a step towards the exit.

“I've been looking for him.”

Hyuk turns back to him. “Why?” His face is neutral, trying to hide his genuine interest.

“Because he's perfect.” An elated smile gives life to Hongbin.

Hyuk bursts out laughing. Leo hyung? He's perfect? He swallows his laughter when Hongbin scowls. “Yeah. He's perfect.”

Hyuk and Hongbin come to an agreement that Jung Taekwoon was not human.

“Is he your soulmate that everyone talks about?” asks Hyuk.

Hongbin nods, still admiring his Taekwoon.

That’s weird. Leo hyung never mentioned Hongbin before. “How do you know?”

Hongbin runs his fingers over Taekwoon’s cheeks. “He was there for me during the hardest time. He has to be my soulmate.”

Hyuk shivers. He tears his eyes away from Hongbin’s determined gaze. He has no desire to know how Hongbin will make Leo hyung his soulmate.

A/N: FInally, all the VIXX characters are introduced properly. Hongbin is in for a surprise. :D Thanks for reading this. Last chapter raised some confusion and questions which I was glad to answer. And I also revised it a little too. Please continue to question why I'm doing things the way I do. 

One more thing: do you believe in soulmates? Or the "right one"? I think so but my bestfriend loves to argue with me. :/ anyhoo...

If you like the story, please subscribe and upvote! 

Thank you so much! <3

-suzyelf