It was morning and it was prety hazy. Minhyuk's head was pounding painfully when he set his foot on the swimming club's locker room. It was empty, that much he could expect. Nobody was meticulous enough to go for a practice this early in the chilly morning. Not when a competition was not about to set until next semester, since they just finished one just about two weeks ago.

It seemed that it was not the case for a certain person that had win the first prize in the said competition. The same person who also held the club's leader's position, was the reason why Minhyuk was here, a little bit freezing from the cold, and suffered a terrible headache.

Minhyuk promised his boyfriend company while the latter exercizing his usual routine on the campus's swimming pool. No, he would not swim, because as it may sound like irony, he actually could not swim. Yes, you got it right when he mentioned his boyfriend is the swimming competition first winner, and the swimming club's team leader. But yeah... some people just was not born with certain agility with water activities.

Hyunwoo had made his locker key a copy just so Minhyuk could put his belonging while he was there accompanying him on a practice. And that's what he was about to do, putting his belonging and carrying stuff that he will need to the swimming pool. If only there was not a flash of body covering his way to Hyunwoo's locker.

He did not see this person. When did he enter?

"Whoa... another meticulous swimming here. I never realize to meet another one." That person looked at him curiously, all with a bright smile on his face. Minhyuk had to process for a while before uttering an answer.

"No, I am not for swimming."

"Me too! But what are you here for?" He leaned closer to Minhyuk. Minhyuk saw that the other person was quite tall. Hyunwoo was tall, and this person could be in the same height. He had to look up when answering. He would category this person as 'handsome' were his head was working just fine. But then it was not.

"I promise Hyunwoo company for practice this morning."

"Your friend?"

"Boyfriend actually." That respond got the other a scrunch on his face. He stepped back from Minhyuk's personal space.

"Why the cute ones are always taken?" He sighed. And after dramatic seconds, he offered his hand. "Shin Hoseok. You are?"

Minhyuk accepted the hand. He shook it. "Lee Minhyuk."

"Well, Lee Minhyuk, nice to meet you... even if you look terrible. I mean, you are good looking but you dont look well. Are you okay?"

It felt like Minhyuk's head responded to this question with another wave of headache, which made him scrunched his face, almost got him doubled too but no... "I am fine. I need to see Hyunwoo, if you excuse me." Minhyuk pointed to Hyunwoo's locker.

"Oh sure." Hoseok made a way for him, still looking at him with concern.

"Well, if you insist on meeting him I wont hold you. Just... I think you need to get that checked or something." he said again. "See you again then, Lee Minhyuk-ssi."

Minhyuk thanked him and returned the courtesy. He looked for another second before continued his bussiness to put away his belonging. He walked out of the room, another seconds later with a smaller drawing supply bag in a hand.

***

Minhyuk likes this view from the bench he was sitting on. His drawing supplies all forgotten on his side when he enjoyed watching Hyunwoo walking to him all ripped and drenched. He might be blushed and Hyunwoo must have seen it since he smiled sweetly to him, sheepishly, like he had not had his body for years already. Minhyuk threw him a towel which he caught perfectly.

Hyunwoo sat beside him while drying his hair (and glorious body!), and looked closer to his beautiful boyfriend. He looks concerned.

"Are you okay? You look so white." Hyunwoo asked.

He had already done his lap this morning, and about to go for shower, but only after he had intimate talking time with his boyfriend. Not that they did not talk intimately all the time. It was just in the morning, he had his head clearer after laps and Minhyuk was not fully awake yet to put his cheery bright facade. Minhyuk in his eyes was much more serene in the morning, if not grumpy sometimes, and that was another side of Minhyuk that Hyunwoo loves to see.

"I am white." Minhyuk winched with his boyfriend's choice of word. He smiled weakly. "I guess I had to stop playing game so late in the night. I only got two hours sleep before heading here." He complained. His head was still pounding the same but then he was willing to put that aside so that would not make Hyunwoo worried.

"You dont have to come here if you need more sleep." Hyunwoo put his palm on Minhyuk forehead to check, but the latter yelped and moved his head away. "Dont do that! You know that your body is freezing. I dont have a fever."

"I promised, remember? That's the least I could do for you. I come be with you when your competition is going, and that had been a regret. You must looked amazing there."

"And I am looking amazing the same." Hyunwoo smiled cockily, almost jokingly, that Minhyuk had to jab his rib. "And you got art competition going too. We both took first prize so that should worth it, right?"

Minhyuk smiled. Hyunwoo was right. As much as he regretted about being absence in Hyunwoo's competition, he was quite proud with the result of his own competition. So he cupped Hyunwoo's face and kissed him sweetly.

"So what are we fighting for just a while ago?" he asked.

"No idea. Couldn't remember it over my boyfriend's beautiful face."

Minhyuk laughed. And they said Lee Hyunwoo was so stoic and he would break his heart since he did not know how to cherish somebody as cheery!

"I can only say the same for the most handsome swimming club's team leader."

They laughed together for the good minute, before settled down, feeling content with each other. "I will go shower first. After that let's have breakfast."

"Okay!"

***

This apartment clearly, was just being moved in. There was not much of furniture, or anything that makes that place looks habited. Only scattering drawing supplies on the kitchen table that implied recently the place had held contact with human. A nearby notebook showed an incoming call, that was soon ended, marking another unanswered calls recorded on the notebook. After that ,another notification popped out, showing the arrival of audio message.

"Oppa, I called you a couple times already. Why didnt you pick up my phone? Did you find another muse already?"

The owner of the notebook closed the fridge door with a soft thud. He looked at his notebook. There is another audio message coming.

“Anyway. I don’t care if you ignore my call. I will just tell you.” There was a pause there, he heard static noise for a while, and then when he believed the audio message was about to end, the message continued. “Biennale Winter Art Exhibit. It is white, okay? I’ll just send you a the detail. And Oppa, I really want you to be okay. So please take care.”

Hoseok bit his apple absentmindedly. Leaning on the kitchen island, he looked beyond the lined glass wall that decorate his dining room, looking out at the night view that could be seen from his apartment building. Eyes empty. He did not say a thing.

***

“So, the new guy? Who is he again?”

“That designer you mean?”

“Yeah, that one. Heard that he is pretty famous out there.”

“Right. The Shin Hoseok. Wondering what he is doing here. Could it be that?”

“What that?”

“You did not know? Muse… muse! Artist’s inspiration of course. I wonder if he would find a muse here. I wouldnt be surprised though.”

“Why wouldnt you? Wait… if he is looking for muse, then your sister could be it! She is really really cute you know?”

“Dont talk about my sister like that! I wont have to worry though, since from I heard… all of his previous muse are all beautiful. Don’t mean that my sister is not pretty… it is just the different of the league.”

“So, whoever it is just have to be beautiful? Then who do you think it could be?”

***

Hyunwoo did not mean to eavesdrop, but there is not much private space in the shower room other than thin frosty plastic curtain between the stalls to begin with. So he had his justification for his unintentional interested ears. There was something that bothers him, listening to those two which he could not explain. So he choosed to ignore it.

***

“These are not too bad.”

“Actually, this is pretty good.”

Hyungwon waited the teacher to finished her assessment on his pieces. He had prepared those pieces really well. He wished they would pass the standard so that he would get recommendation from the school.

“So from what I’ve seen, you got something going here. What are you gonna do with these?” The teacher finally returned his sketch book with a satisfactory smile. She eyed him curiously.

“I want to start doing this seriously. That’s why I ask for your opinion. And thank you, it means a lot.”

“You want to start designing?”

“Yes.”

“What about you modelling career? I heard you’ve booked yourself quite gigs right now?”

“For now, I can do that. I know I just cant model forever.” He smiled. “Gotta think for the Plan B.”

His teacher seemed quite amazed with his answer. “That’s very thoughtful. I am glad. There are so many people that want to model for a lifetime. You are not one of them.”

“Well, I will let you know if there is something interesting. Just keep practicing on that.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

Hyungwon put his sketchbook back on his daypack. He checked his phone. There are texts that kept beeping angrily. Perhaps those are from the one and only Kihyun. That Diva wouldnt stop ing if anything did not meet his standard.

Yah turtle-ssi! Did you forget our barbeque? Hyunwoo almost eat the whole set. You better come now.

Hyungwon chuckled and replied.

Coming.