'I like...pink grapefruit...pink rice cakes...and pink champagne.'

DaeSung had a fondness for the holidays, of course he did. He was still young enough that it meant something but old enough to indulge in the better fare the season had to offer. The only difference to most other young men his age was that he was prone to get slightly nostalgic when the ice started to form.

He'd been living with his grandmother in her shop since forever, the loss of his parents long ago enough now that it didn't sting but still memorable enough that he wouldn't forget them. It wasn't that he wanted to mourn for them because they couldn't be with him, he just wanted to watch some of the good times and smile about it.

“Grandma, I can't find the home videos.” The store room was lined with boxes and there were more out the front where his grandmother sat watching the portable television. It was like she hadn't been exactly sure of just what she wanted to sell and had hedged her bets by deciding on 'all of it'. Long life groceries, ice-cream bars, children's toys, she would even accept odds and ends from their neighbors that they didn't want anymore and see if there was anything salvageable, it didn't help that she was near deaf either, DaeSung finding that, more often than not, he was left barking into the wind when asking for her help, “Grandma.” He'd come out from the backroom to see that she hadn't even looked up, as expected. Heaving out a sigh without much weight behind it, he set about squatting down next to some of the errant containers that may have contained what he was after. There were lights in this box, another reminder that he was meant to be setting the place up to look festive as he pushed it aside with a mental note to get back to it later that evening. A couple of wigs, they looked expensive too, he'd have to look up on the internet how to get them back to their original glory and then they'd be ready for the shelf behind the counter. Old soda bottles, some of them from before he was even born he bet, memorabilia from concerts that might be worth something to the right collector, it wasn't much to assume that he was looking in the wrong place. One last box being dragged over from behind the shelving before he went back to search the living room and, once he'd pulled the flaps open enough to see, DaeSung smiled with recognition. VHS tapes, what were they doing out here?, “Thanks, grandma.”

He'd gotten himself a beer and some snacks, settled into the comfortable armchair with the remote at the ready and his feet up on the ottoman his grandmother tried to insist wasn't for that. Seeing his parents again made him smile, more so than the photographs on the mantelpiece, these images were moving and alive. Some tapes only went for a few minutes, others could near the total capacity of 120 but DaeSung didn't have any complaints. His only problem was having to get up again once they were done and forfeit the warm spot he'd managed to nestle into in order to pick something new. It was no wonder his grandmother had never upgraded to a DVD player, they still had the same problem of making you move when you didn't want to. There were a few tapes inside the box he'd carried back that didn't fit. Cartoons and four episodes of American TV shows that must have just been slipped inside because it looked like the right place to put them at the time, he was avoiding these easily but when he came across a completely blank tape, no label with which to give him benefit of the doubt, he became intrigued. It was wound to almost halfway through, DaeSung sticking it in the VCR and pressing rewind as he made his way back to his seat in hopes he could get snug again before it started. He'd aimed the radiator at where he was occupying and had a blanket in order to keep out any of the lingering cold his grandmother never seemed to feel, all rugged up again as the tape reached the beginning and he picked up the remote to activate the play function.

When the screen came to life it was obvious this wasn't one of his family movies, a soft pink backdropped room flashing onto the screen with a chair sitting in view with nobody on it. It looked like an audition tape.

“Just state your name to start with and then we'll hold up a few questions for you.” It couldn't hurt to watch, under the circumstances. He'd found a supremely comfortable groove and there was every possibility this was going to be either hilarious or awe inspiring, maybe he would even see one of today's top stars before their big break? When the man in question walked on the screen DaeSung shifted slightly in his seat. Surely he would recognize if he'd seen someone like this before...

“...Hello...i-is that good...?” He was looking for approval off camera, nodding his head like he was giving agreeance to whomever had done it first before turning his face back to the front. He was gorgeous, “Hi, my name is Choi SeungHyun,” He had dyed brown hair with a slightly messy fringe that came down to a curled point between his wide, open eyes. A curved nose, much smaller than DaeSung's own, and bowed lips that seemed to settle the line that invisibly ran down the middle of his features, “...It's nice to meet you.” DaeSung couldn't agree more. This must have been one of those dating agency tapes, he was all dressed up in a pretty collared white shirt with a microphone stuck to the lapel and it looked like he might have been wearing pancake. DaeSung had done some theater around high school time and it looked the same consistency, “I'm about five foot eleven and...I'm just over a hundred and ten pounds, but I eat right. I'm in my early twenties...is that enough?” More than enough for DaeSung, he was rapt. Why would someone like this think they needed to resort to an agency? Maybe it was en vogue these days, or it was one of those elite places for beautiful people where you needed a six figure income, US, just to apply, “What do I like? Oh...well, I like...pink grapefruit,” DaeSung loved grapefruit, even if it was a little bitter sometimes it went great in a fruit salad, “...pink rice cakes,” Soft, sticky rice cakes were the best, “...and pink champagne.” It was like drinking the stars, where had he heard that from before? He would have to look that up too because he didn't want to be left hanging if it was his best line when they first met, “It's my favorite color-oh, but I'm allergic to peach skin.”

It seemed so crazy, DaeSung wasn't looking for a relationship, he was only twenty-one! Even if there had been a contact number for this SeungHyun at the close of the tape, he didn't really know him. But, looking down once he'd gotten up to retrieve it once this brief video encounter was over, looking into the box of VHSs of his time spent with his parents when he was young, DaeSung remembered all too well the concept of missed opportunities. The tape going right back in and being paused on the pink screen so he could locate his cell phone and maybe see if he stood a chance. It was an answering machine that picked up once he finally got through, DaeSung relieved of this fact since he wasn't sure how to address the situation voice to voice and even more so when he realized it was a private line and not just for the purposes of agency dating.

“This is Choi SeungHyun, I'll be more than happy to get right back to you, have a great day.” He sounded a little more sure of himself in this recording, DaeSung wondering briefly if he was making a mistake before deciding to throw caution to the wind. He'd sounded like he was maybe interested in male companionship on the video tape, even if he hadn't directly addressed it, but what harm could it do to ask?

“Oh, uh, hi. I'm Kang DaeSung, we don't know each other but-...” A hurried and suspicious glance through the kitchen doorway proved to DaeSung that he was still alone, not that his deaf grandmother could really eavesdrop anymore but it was still personal business he was conducting here, “I saw your video and I'd really like to meet up, maybe just to get coffee and talk things over, i-if that's okay. I'll be in town tomorrow if you're not busy-I know that isn't much time but if you can make it I'll be outside the big Starbuck's at around eleven thirty. I'll wear something yellow so you know it's me...Bye.” Taking the phone from his ear in order to the end the call DaeSung felt his lips form into a frown of dissatisfaction. What was he thinking? He didn't own anything yellow to wear.

He'd had to borrow his grandmother's parka, it just fortunate that they wore the same size as he looked around at the crowds of people and wondered if he was going to be stood up. He didn't blame SeungHyun if he ignored the message altogether, it really wasn't much time to organize a date but DaeSung could still make use of the day even if he was delivered a disappointment like this.

“Excuse me,” Turning from his position he couldn't help but smile to being wrong, maybe Christmas miracles really were a thing after all, “I'm looking for someone and he's supposed to be wearing yellow, are you Kang DaeSung?” In person he looked even better than he had on the tape. His hair was different now, short cut and black, and he was wearing thick-rimmed glasses to frame his deeply lashed eyes.

“Yes, hi.”

“Hello, Choi SeungHyun.” He'd barely extended his arm before his fingers were being gripped from both sides by the other man's own gloved hands, without the make-up he looked a little more distinguished and real, “Did you want to go inside?”

“Sure.” Obviously he'd caught him in a good mood, he hadn't even had to suggest they do this himself and that was sitting just fine with the younger man.

“What do you want? I'll grab it for you and you can find us a table.”
“Oh, thank you,” He'd had his hand already on the wallet in his stiff-shouldered coat, he must have been thinking of going Dutch but DaeSung was much more chivalrous than expected for someone of his age, “I'll have...oh, um...” Even just deliberating like this SeungHyun sounded wonderful, DaeSung feeling himself flushing slightly to watching those eyes glancing towards the ceiling as he thought before a light of recognition seemed to come on, “An iced white-chocolate mocha, and please tell them to hold the cream.” After only a nod the other man seemed to regard the rest of the café's decorum before settling on a place by the far window, perfect to get to know each other, things were already going so well.

“I got you a grandé.” He'd gotten the same for himself, but his was with soy and was regular chocolate instead of white, also it wasn't iced, but still, it was a happenstance that they'd wanted practically the same thing.

“Oh.” He must have been busying himself with his cell phone, SeungHyun standing up as DaeSung approached and taking the extra cup from him as he bowed slightly in gratitude, “Thank you.”

“They had some special flavors but I thought this one would be okay.”

“Yes, it is. I have a bit of a problem with strong flavors sometimes, especially ginger,” DaeSung ensured to make a note in his head to remember this, not wanting to slip up and make the wrong suggestion if their next date was going to be a dinner, “at this time of year it can get a little trying but I'm prone to gastrointestinal reflux and it's safer just to avoid it altogether.” He was much more open than DaeSung had been expecting, phone being slipped absently back into his shirt pocket as he moved back down to sit and was quickly followed by an eager DaeSung. If they were already getting into health concerns then maybe there was hope yet for something further?, “You said you saw my video?”

“Yes, I was sort of impressed if you couldn't tell by now.”

“You did seem eager. Which one was it?” He hadn't been expecting to be asked a question like this, how many had SeungHyun made?

“The one at...oh...” He'd already forgotten the name of the agency, the other man appearing to offer nothing in the way of assistance but not seeming like he was doing it out of any kind of malice, he was simply allowing DaeSung to reach his answer on his own as he sipped from the festive white straw with a patient expression on his lovely face, “...You were wearing white, you don't do that all the time, do you?” He responded with a chuckled laugh, lips curling into a smirk as his eyes shone back.

“No.”

“Well I can't remember the name of the agency, but you talked about your favorite movies for a while, oh, and your microphone came off in the middle, that probably doesn't happen a lot if you've used a few of them.”

“Oh, oh. Y-you don't mean-...”

When he covered his mouth DaeSung felt his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, was he laughing at him?

“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to know about my motivational speaking.” Motivational speaking? Was that what he did for a living, because he hadn't mentioned it before and it seemed odd to omit something like your career.

“You didn't say anything about that on the tape.”

“Of course I didn't, oh, when did I do that dating video...That was twenty years ago, didn't you notice when you met me that I'm forty three?”

“Well no.” If he hadn't been feeling the burn of his own embarrassed blush, DaeSung might have noticed the similar red-pink creeping up from SeungHyun's neck to the admission, “Wait, you still have the same phone number...!?”

“I-it's a good answering service...” He'd never felt so foolish in his life. Sure, it would probably fade by the time he got home, and he might even admit it to his grandmother in not so blatant terms, but it was a reminder for him to not be so hasty regardless of imagined loss. His cheeks feeling far too hot as he stood and began to make his excuses.

“Look...I-I'm sorry. I got a hold of that tape by mistake and I can return it to you if you want but I think I'm gonna go right now-”

“Oh, wait.”

Looking back over his shoulder at those long fingers buried into the arm of his grandmother's parka, DaeSung traversed along to see the look on SeungHyun's face that he'd missed before.

“...At least finish your drink.” In his hast and embarrassment he'd forgotten he had one, DaeSung turning again to sit back down as the other man now continued to stare at him like he had been, “...I'm the one that should be sorry...” He really was gorgeous, even with regret in those eyes as he reached up to remove his glasses and fix an errant hair that only he could perceive.

“Don't worry about it...twenty years ago? I must have still been a baby.” It reminded him again of his parents, that same warm feeling he got from watching their family movies welling up inside and bringing a genuine smile to his thick lips.

“...You really couldn't tell?”

“Huh?”

“That I'd aged, that I'm...that I'm older now.”

“Well you don't look it.” Actually maintaining eye-contact now, DaeSung could see how the words affected the other man. Maybe he still stood a chance?, “...It's not really short notice anymore since it was so long ago, so did you want to call this our first date?”

“No, I-...” He was biting his lip, bringing his iced-mocha close for another drink as the flush came across his cheeks in DaeSung's anticipation, “...we'll call it our first meeting...We can organize a first date for tonight...”