HAPPY (LATE) VALENTINE'S DAY!! here's something i wrote REAL quick. i just suddenly wanted to write about someone who feels alone in a foreign land, who's struggling a little bit, and what a bit of kindness can lead to. might write more of this au in the future (maybe a few months from now)!!!!!!'

12 February.

Kyungsoo awakens before his alarm rings and drags his heavy body out of bed. He heads straight for the door while rubbing his bleary eyes, hoping this time he won’t be too late. The room is shrouded in a soft veil of light—pastel shades slowly melting into the sky outside, a beautiful morning slowly seizing its throne.

When he gets to the door, he stills. His fingers curl around the door handle and his heart makes a particularly forceful thump. This has been going on for about a month now. At first, he thought it was just a prank, but its consistency has led him to believe otherwise. He never really thought about what he would say if he were to come face-to-face with whoever is behind this, but he really does want to find out who it is, and thank him.

The door swings open and Kyungsoo’s gaze lands on a familiar sight. A paper bag sitting before his door, a silent morning greeting that feels especially intimate in this peaceful quietness. His heart sinks slightly at once again missing whoever has been leaving breakfast at his door.

Kyungsoo bends low, reaching for the paper bag. He picks it up and examines the content inside. The first time it happened was on a day he decided to sleep in, and the food had long turned cold when he got to it. Now—the chocolate croissant is still warm—whoever left this for him can’t possibly be too far away.

The corridor is empty as far as Kyungsoo’s gaze can reach. Maybe they missed each other by a few minutes, or even seconds. Maybe Kyungsoo should try to chase after him, even though he has no idea who he’s supposed to be looking for.

He yawns while being submerged in these thoughts, and realizes that more than anything, he just wants to go back to bed with his warm breakfast right now. He does exactly that, though not before looking down the empty corridor again.

As Kyungsoo crawls into bed with chocolate croissant and fresh milk, he gets the briefest feeling of being home again, and temporarily forgets about how he’s all alone in this foreign land miles and miles away from home.

-

13 February.

Kyungsoo misses the mysterious breakfast sender again. He’s more disappointed than he thought he would be, and while staring at the paper bag that contains hot pancakes and fresh milk, decides this can’t go on.

He grabs a paper and marker and scribbles a short message. I want to meet you. He pastes it against the door firmly, and satisfied, shuts it.

The food is still so warm and as it fills Kyungsoo’s belly, he hopes that they won’t miss each other by a few seconds once more.

-

14 February.

A sudden gust of cold wind makes Kyungsoo shiver. He grimaces, shoves his hands into his pockets and hurries on. His hair is a literal bird-nest and the red mark on his cheek from having slept with the side of his face pressed into the hard table has yet to dissipate.

It’s Valentine’s day. He remembers that only when he passes at least two guys holding bouquets and heart-shape balloons. It’s Valentine’s day and he had spent the eve of it rushing through his assignment, falling asleep in the library.

The route home has never felt so long AND lonely. Kyungsoo scoffs at himself, disappointed that he feels this way at all. Valentine’s day is stupid and overrated. Back home, it didn’t really get to him that much because he had friends to spend it together with, but here, where he already feels lonely, such an occasion is even more worth loathing.

When the familiar building of his dormitory floods his eyesight, he exhales a long sigh of relief. In the lift, he glances at his watch and jabs the close button. It’s 5 minutes earlier than the time he awoke yesterday morning. He thinks about the note he left at his door yesterday, wondering if the magic of Valentine’s would weave its way into this small matter as well.

The elevator doors open, slowly. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath, takes a step out. His expectant heart doesn’t believe what he’s finally seeing.

A figure standing before his door.

Kyungsoo takes another step closer and double-checks if it’s his door for real. It is. The paper bag in the guy’s hands confirms it for him.

“You.” Kyungsoo calls out as he quickens his pace, closing the distance between him and the mysterious stranger who has been bringing him breakfast every single day without fail, between him and the mysterious stranger he has been longing to meet.

The guy startles visibly and Kyungsoo’s gaze trails lower to see the note he had written pinched between the stranger’s fingers. He looks up again, taking in the sight of a face he doesn’t think he’s seeing for the first time.

“I know you!” Kyungsoo reveals. His eyebrows furrow. “I met you at the gathering for exchange students, didn’t I?” Now they’re close enough and Kyungsoo doesn’t have to raise his voice.

“Do you remember my name?” The guy sounds slightly nervous. His eyes, however, are bright and full of life, and the longer Kyungsoo looks into them, the more prominent the memories floating around in his mind become.

“Jongin, isn’t it?”

He doesn’t have to wait for Jongin’s acknowledgement to know he’s right. The way Jongin’s lips spread into a wide smile is enough answer.

“Yeah. I’m glad you remember me.” Jongin touches the back of his head and his gaze falls for a moment. Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the fleeting uncertainty in his eyes. “I read your note. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve been doing this.”

The paper bag is still in his hands. Kyungsoo looks down at today’s breakfast and feels his heart grow tender with gratitude. He reaches for the paper bag and Jongin hands it over without hesitation.

“Why would I mind? I’m so thankful. I wanted to meet you and thank you properly, though I have no idea why you started doing this at all. We only briefly talked to each other at the gathering.”

Jongin gives a small, nervous laugh. “Yeah, I mean, I thought you might find it kind of creepy that I knew where you lived and all. But you did mention it when we talked and it wasn’t hard to find out which unit you were in.”

Then silence took over as they both took their time registering their current situation, both at a loss of what to do. But the circumstances aren’t unpleasant in nature and Kyungsoo can’t look away from Jongin, who is almost half a head taller than him and yet looks so small in front of him right now, so lost and unsure.

It’s Valentine’s day. Kyungsoo hates to admit it but he’s been feeling so incredibly homesick lately.

It’s Valentine’s day. Jongin has been delivering breakfast to him for a month.

“Come on in,” Kyungsoo eventually extends an invitation. “Unless you have anything on now?”

Jongin mulls over it for a moment. “I have training, but I can stay for another five minutes.”

I was hoping you would, Kyungsoo thinks, and realizes with a horrified gasp that he said it aloud only when he hears Jongin’s laughter. He doesn’t mind, though, not when he looks back at Jongin and Jongin’s smile is the most sincere thing he has seen for a while now.

“You seemed lonely,” Jongin explains when they’re sitting side by side on the small couch Kyungsoo had managed to find for an unbelievably low price. “I didn’t want you to feel alone. I know how hard it is to be away from home.”

“Don’t we both?” Kyungsoo asks.

“I’m here on exchange for a year. I’ve been here longer than you have, and I’ve really gotten used to it. You’ve been here for only three months, yeah?”

Kyungsoo does a quick mental calculation and nods. “About three months.”

“I thought I’d just send you breakfast everyday, make you know that you’re not alone, that someone’s looking out for you here too.”

At that moment, Kyungsoo really doesn’t know how to describe the electrifying sensation coursing through his entire body, making his toes tingle and his face flush. Something fills his chest and he feels like a glass of water about to tip over. He can only stare dumbly at Jongin.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Kyungsoo. I really want to be your friend, you know.”

Jongin’s face disappears, replaced by darkness as Kyungsoo shuts his eyes. The tears flow out anyway, warm tears rolling down his cheeks. But when the world fills his vision again, Jongin is still looking at him with the same gentle eyes and smile and Kyungsoo knows he has found something he never thought he would here.

He gets the briefest feeling of being home again, and temporarily forgets about how he’s all alone in this foreign land miles and miles away from home.

“I bought you hot milk tea today since it’s Valentine’s,” Jongin says and Kyungsoo knows right away that the feeling is mutual, and that perhaps Jongin had seen something in him right from the start.