“The night is beautiful” Hakyeon had been told by his assistant, “Sir you must go out to events again” he heard him insist even though he was rolling his eyes and was completely uninterested in the invitation he had in front of his desk. Hakyeon isn’t in the mood for events and hasn’t been in a long while, he loathed the thought of going out again because his mind would just make him feel miserable.

Not only his mind, Jung Taekwoon was the reason he felt miserable. He had his heart broken by the man he loved some time ago-no he didn’t break up with him, he didn’t cheat on him, Taekwoon just happened to leave the heir of the Cha group alone, abandoned him without a single word, not even a proper goodbye. His vanishing act even made Hakyeon avoid things he had come to enjoy thanks to him. These events were particularly one of them -and as Hakyeon walks around this place where people whose passion is art gather, he just feels like he doesn’t belong here. Sure, he is the heir of one of Korea’s leading groups and in between his properties he holds one of the most enchanting art galleries in the city-but he truly isn’t interested in being in a place that certainly reminds him of Taekwoon, his now ex and former curator.

Hakyeon doesn’t want to behave rudely or seem disinterested, but he just wants to leave as soon as possible, “You will have fun” his assistant said.

‘Oh I am having the time of my life’, Hakyeon thinks as he starts to feel done with it all and he won’t even consider staying a single more minute because--wait did he just see one of Taekwoon’s favourite painters? Wait--was that one of Taekwoon’s favourite musicians as well? Everything reminds him of Taekwoon, and Hakyeon can’t stand it any longer. So he decides to take his leave and rapidly escape from this place that is doing him more wrong than good.

As he walks towards the grand hall so he can leave something catches his attention--he doesn’t see who has just walked past him but, was that Taekwoon? He smelled like Taekwoon, he is not crazy, he still remembers the fragrance of his ex.

Hakyeon rapidly stops walking, completely taken by surprise and thinking that he must have lost it. That seriously couldn’t have been Taekwoon, he literally vanished from his life-so why is his mind fooling him and making him think that Taekwoon has just walked past him?

When he turns around, the sight that meets him is one he wasn’t expecting. He sees a young man in a dark blue suit and a black dress shirt, he looks really ethereal as he is sitting at the bar area the ones who are holding this event have prepared, visibly focused on checking something on his phone. He is definitely attractive and has a calm aura to him that is certainly alluring--but he has just smiled at the person who has taken his order and Hakyeon swears he hasn’t ever seen something so radiant before. That is definitely not Taekwoon, Hakyeon would recognize Taekwoon from whatever distance-but for some reason it really felt like he had seen his past love walking past him.

“Excuse me…” he slowly says as he approaches the man that has taken his attention and sparked his curiosity, “Is it okay if I sit here?” Alright, now the man will believe he is trying to hit on him. Hakyeon curses himself in his mind but still doesn’t take those words back.  The young man looks at him quite startled, as though he was wondering if Hakyeon was really talking to him, he even looks at the sides to check there is no one else and when he seems to have made sure Hakyeon was actually directing his words to him, the reply he gives him is a nod.

“Thank you and sorry to disturb” Hakyeon says as he happily sits down next to the young man,  “You just happened to remind me of someone” he mentions, though hoping it doesn’t come off as an insult.

“I kind of get that a lot” the attractive stranger answers, “Don’t worry though, it is fine”

“Are you by any chance a painter? This event has gathered a lot of people interested in art and artists” Hakyeon states, hoping he is not being rude and nosy. He doesn’t even know why he is here and why his assistant accepted this invitation even when he had clearly said that he didn’t want anything to do with art anymore. Even if he has one of the most important galleries as a property of his--but he didn’t want to be near anything art related, memories rushed and that was a big no to him. However, now that he was talking to someone he found interesting, Hakyeon was glad he had attended.

“I am just…” Hakyeon hears the alluring tone of this man’s voice and he swears he hasn’t ever been drawn to a voice that much in a long time, it is even scary to him just how much he feels he is being drawn to this stranger next to him, “I am just someone that is attracted to all that is beautiful”

Hakyeon is brought a cup of wine by the waiter, even though he hasn’t asked for it at all but still smiles in reply-he assumes that is because he is well known after all, “Are you by any chance a collector of some sort? Probably a curator?” Hakyeon asks curiously and completely intrigued as he sees the young man continuously tugging on the chain that is tied to his coat. He reasons that the only logical explanation for this man to have that same aura about him as Jung Taekwoon must be that he probably has the same job as him. He most likely sounds looney right now, but the man in front of him doesn’t look bothered by his assumption.

“Both actually” he sees the young male smile at him, and the moment he does he can feel his neck heat up and his cheeks on fire. Hakyeon gulps, he hadn’t ever seen someone so breathtaking in his life. Surely his past love was up until that point the most breathtaking sight he had seen, but this guy--this guy right here could be considered a walking masterpiece. Hakyeon's eyes dart and fall on the untouched cup of wine he has been holding.

“You must have great taste” Hakyeon rapidly takes his wallet out of the inside pocket of his coat, “I have a personal gallery that my family runs, we need to have another exhibition set up soon” Hakyeon opens his wallets and quickly takes out a presentation card and puts it on the table, “If you would like to, you can drop by and I would love to count with your services”

He really hopes he is not making a fool of himself in front of this stranger, but he hasn’t really paid any attention to his art gallery ever since Taekwoon decided to go ghost on him. He has left the work to his assistant but now, he is interested in setting up a new exhibition, in preparing it himself alongside someone who has the knowledge to do this. The stranger looks at him curiously, his mouth slightly agape and this makes Hakyeon worry immensely--he doesn’t want to be seen as an eager idiot in this random meeting.

He probably is not seeing this attractive unknown man to him ever again, but he doesn’t want for this to be case. However, a feeling of relief takes over his body as he sees the man taking the card in his hands and reading it, “Cha Hakyeon” he reads, “Nice to meet you, Cha Hakyeon-ssi”

“I apologize! I didn’t introduce myself at first--and here I am the one who just randomly sat next to you in this place, excuse my bad manners” for being the heir of one of Seoul’s leading groups, he at times does forget to introduce himself under the belief that everyone knows him.

“Lee Hongbin” the young man says as he places Hakyeon’s presentation card on his own wallet, giving him a soft smile that Hakyeon swears is making his heart flutter. He really doesn’t believe at all in “love at first sight”, but there is something about this Lee Hongbin, something he can’t quite pinpoint that has him a bit short of breath. Something that draws him in and that he doesn’t know how to stop.

Hakyeon coughs so he can compose himself and he stretches out his hand, “Nice to meet you, Lee Hongbin-ssi--I truly hope we can probably have a nice business relationship if you would like to”

Hakyeon feels  Hongbin’s hand on his and the warmth it emanates makes him feel as though he was in some sort of foreign trance, he shakes hands with Hongbin and gives him a sweet smile, “I truly hope you are interested, you really seem to have great taste”

“I would like to believe so--I am really attracted to everything that is beautiful”

‘Because you are beautiful’, Hakyeon wants to say right now, badly. He really doesn’t know what has gotten into him--How can this man walk around so calmly and without thousands of girls following his every step? How can he walk around every day after seeing himself in the mirror and how does he manage to not fall for his very reflection like that guy from that myth?

He is lost in his thoughts for some seconds, in admiring Hongbin’s enchanting charm, he is pleasant to look at, he is someone whom he wouldn’t dare take his eyes off of because it would be an offense to do so. Hakyeon is so distracted by Hongbin’s features that he fails to notice Hongbin is also handing him his own presentation card, “Hakyeon-ssi?”

“Oh-y-yes?”

“My card, so you can call me at any moment you would like to” he sees Hongbin standing up and bowing respectfully, “Looking forward to working with you if possible” Hongbin tells him with a smile that shoots an arrow right through Hakyeon’s heart. He is so done for and he doesn’t understand the reason why his heart is doing this to him so fast. Why when he has been sulking since Taekwoon left him--then why? Why is his heart beating like crazy right now? Why is his heart hitting against his chest like it would when he saw Taekwoon?

Hakyeon answers with a smile as well and a small nod as he holds Hongbin’s card with both hands, “I look forward to that as well, nice meeting you” he tries to play it cool and he prays to God that he is the only one who can hear his own beating heart hammering against his chest. And Hongbin smiles again before turning around on his heels and leaving the place in a rush, only stopping for some seconds at the door to gaze at the flowers that decorate the entrance and as he finally leaves the place, Hakyeon stays there, a mess of emotions and thoughts. In awe.

The next day, he decides to invite Hongbin over to the gallery he owns so he can see the current exhibition and be able to give him an unbiased opinion regarding its contents, distribution and the like. Hongbin answers the phone quite surprised, Hakyeon can truly tell but he cannot pass this chance up--Lee Hongbin hasn’t left his thoughts.

This art gallery thing is something Hakyeon hasn’t really worried about that much, he hasn’t given much thought to this property before. When he ponders about it he notices that he always has loved beautiful things as well--he himself has always wanted to look astonishing. But he’d rather visit the theatre and become enchanted by the dance presentations there rather than only by some pictures or paintings.

The only reason why Hakyeon liked his gallery was because Taekwoon liked it and liked working on it, because he met him there, but after he left him- Hakyeon decided not to set foot again on it and not be in charge of it. However, he is here, standing at the entrance while waiting for Hongbin to show up.

Once his guest shows up, Hakyeon suddenly feels that strange sensation of familiarity upon seeing him. His body becomes warmer and his pupils dilate the moment his eyes fall on Hongbin--the reason why he is reacting this way escapes him, he doesn’t find the logic behind it. He has only seen Hongbin for the first time yesterday, but it is crazy how infatuated he feels when he sees him. How ‘close’ Hongbin feels in a way, deep inside, Hakyeon feels like he has known him for longer than just a few hours.

“Did I arrive late? Made you wait?” and he behaves like a prince even. He is smitten by him. And even the way he tugs on those chains and rings attached to his clothes is enchanting. What a prince, Hakyeon would sigh right now if he wasn’t afraid of looking like he has sudden developed the biggest crush in the span of some hours, if he wasn’t afraid of looking lame.

“Don’t worry--Let’s go inside”

As Hakyeon guides him in a small tour through the halls of the gallery, he sees how Hongbin starts taking notes and even making drawings on a small notebook he has taken out of his long coat. The young man seems really interested in the exhibition that is taking place right now and he happens to stop at a particular painting. One from a Korean painter called Lee Jaehwan, “Do you like this one?” Hakyeon asks as he sees Hongbin staring at it fondly for some odd reason, carefully tracing the canvas as if recalling a distant memory. It is a painting of some breathtaking blue hydrangeas resting on a marble staircase that leads the way to an enchanting garden.

“It reminds me of a breathtaking sight I saw once” Hongbin states with a nod and a smile.

“We currently don’t know where the painter is, but this is one of his most beautiful works from what I recall” Hakyeon casually states, Lee Jaehwan was a promising painter he knew and whose works used to grace his gallery but it has been months since he doesn’t answer the phone. Since there haven’t been any more works coming from him, the only reasonable thing to believe is that he left the country-but Hakyeon isn’t sure that is the truth, those are some of the things he has heard people murmuring the moment they pass by his painting.

They both continue their tour and Hakyeon keeps asking for opinions, names of artists he should get in contact with, suggestions on how to make things more interesting for visitors and the like. He tries to keep the talk business related only, or else he is going to be asking stuff like, “Why is your smile so beautiful?”, “What’s your Zodiac sign? I am a Cancer, are we compatible?” “Do you want to go to the theatre?” and more silly stuff that will make him look like a schoolgirl trying to impress her crush.

‘Crush’, Hakyeon wants to giggle. He knows for a fact he is probably infatuated and not crushing-or is he? He can’t tell anymore. It has been hours since he has been walking around this gallery with Hongbin, he had forgotten how big this building was.

“I think we can come in contact with this promising kid from this art school..what was his name..” Hongbin tries to remember the identity of someone he wants to recommend to Hakyeon and he crosses his arms over his chest. Hakyeon just looks at him, like there is nowhere else to gaze at until he sees that Hongbin has finally remembered, “Han Sanghyuk, he is really talented--I think it would be a nice idea to include new talents in your gallery, Hakyeon-ssi”

Hakyeon nods in acceptance, “I trust your good taste, I also believe it is important to make new artists known”

Hongbin takes out his phone and shows it to Hakyeon, the older male looks at it and he is impressed at what he sees, an amazing painting of the cherry blossoms decorating Gangwon-do. Hakyeon gasps, the artist Hongbin was talking about surely was talented, “You really do have amazing taste” he really was right when he decided to trust Hongbin with this.

“I love beauty” Hongbin replies as he places his phone back in his pocket, “and I particularly love art”

“You are beauty and art” Hakyeon says under his breath but he was loud enough for Hongbin to hear, his eyes have opened wide in surprise and now Hakyeon just wants to vanish on the spot. There he goes again, talking too much and being really expressive of what he wants to say, “I’m sorry--I know we have just met, and this may sound out of nowhere but, I feel like I know you from somewhere”

Hongbin just lets out a little laugh, the way he smiles makes his dimples show and that makes Hakyeon’s heart skip a beat. Right at the moment when he wanted to apologize Hongbin just had to smile, “Thank you” he hears Hongbin say. Hakyeon is quite impressed that he hasn’t snapped-anyone in his right mind would, but Lee Hongbin has accepted his compliment and he doesn’t know how to react to this.

“You…” he slowly says, “Do you want us to work together by the way?”

“I would love to” Hongbin replies and that does it. That makes Hakyeon’s days all the better and he hasn’t felt this alive since him and Jung Taekwoon were a thing. His favourite place is now this art exhibition, his favourite dinners are the ones he has with Hongbin whenever they stay working until late on his flat. Hakyeon learns that Hongbin is really responsible and does his job pretty well, he also familiarizes with the way Hongbin is always searching for new artworks, and photographs, how he apparently is curating paintings even for his personal collection.

And Hakyeon becomes quickly accustomed to Hongbin and learns that he really doesn’t get drunk that fast whenever they visit a bar to have business related meetings, that his dimples really show whenever he cracks a joke that makes Hongbin laugh, that he relaxes and tends to find many things hilarious. That his business persona was a total facade compared to the beauty that his personality is.

Surely, he is at times blunt in the things he says,  almost two months have passed and it seems to be enough so that he has become target of teasing from Hongbin even. But he wouldn’t have it any other way, and he is falling now, Hakyeon is sure that after having worked next to Hongbin on some projects already, after having got to know him, he is sure that Lee Hongbin is special. He felt familiarity with him before, but now he can assure that what he is feeling is love. At least, that is what Hakyeon wants to believe.

“When are you letting me see your personal collection, Hongbin? I want to see your amazing taste in the form of your own collection” Hakyeon casually says as he sips a cup of coffee at a café him and Hongbin frequent after work. A very luxurious one at that.

“I am not sure if you would be able to understand the taste I have” is the reply he gets from the talented curator and lover of beauty.

“I want to know you more” Hakyeon flat out states as the younger man blinks a few times.

“You can be really persistent at times” he hears Hongbin reply with a chuckle.

“Tell me when can I see your collection, or else I’ll fire you” Hakyeon jokingly threatens.

“Cha Hakyeon-ssi? you know I only do this job because of my passion for beauty, right? I have as much money as you do, whether you fire me or not wouldn’t make so much difference” Hongbin explains and that makes Hakyeon pout at his honest reply. He had come to know that Hongbin actually was the only heir of a corporate group, but he was like an heir in the shadows because he never really paid much attention to his group nor did he show up to its headquarters.

Hongbin was a mystery, and Hakyeon really was eager to find out the different shades that Hongbin’s soul had. He was like a flower he wanted to see in full bloom, to be able to stare at all the beauty his soul possessed.

////////

“Why do you like flowers so much?” Hakyeon casually asks one day as they both are heading back to the art gallery so they can wait for some sculptures Hongbin has carefully picked up for a weekend exhibition. A lot of the paintings the young curator seems to like involve flowers and he had noticed how the youth had stopped by a flower shop just to place an order for blue hydrangeas for himself--this had made Hakyeon curious.   

“They are the most beautiful sight in the world” he hears Hongbin reply as he is checking the time on his mobile.

“Apart from you?” Hakyeon states with a smile that makes all of him to look really bright and dazzling, he hopes that his sudden compliments don’t make Hongbin mad but he can’t avoid to at times voice his thoughts, “Sorry, I can’t help it” he says as he bites his bottom lip and coyly looks up.

“I am nowhere near being a beautiful sight” Hongbin replies as they both step inside the building and into the elevator, “I am the definition of average, I blend well in the crowds-I don’t believe I stand out in any particular way”

“You stand out, trust me, you do” Hakyeon states as the door from the lift closes itself, he reaches for the number of the floor they are heading to but his hand bumps with Hongbin’s. When Hakyeon looks to the side, he can see the art lover next to him, standing very close and his eyes are gazing into his intensely. Hakyeon’s eyes widen in surprise because in all this time, he hasn’t been close to Hongbin this way, and it is making his heart do its thing where it skips beats when seeing the young curator next to him.

“Musk, sandalwood, pine tree…?” Hongbin begins to mentions the very fragrance that Hakyeon is wearing right now and that takes him by total surprise, he had managed to guess that particular woody scent that he has been fond of lately.  Lee Hongbin is seriously truly impressive.

“How would you--?”

“Cha Hakyeon-ssi… you are a man of great tastes”

Hakyeon gulps at the words Hongbin is saying, he blinks in surprise and ends up rubbing the back of his neck, slightly taken aback. However, he coughs and composes himself. Though Hongbin is right, Hakyeon does have a great taste since what he really likes right now is the sight of the young ‘I love beautiful things’ collector, curator of everything that is grand and gorgeous, Lee Hongbin, “But as I was saying--You do stand out from the crowds, from your appearance, to your demeanor, and…”

“And…?”

It is happening again, an enticing scent yet somehow different from the one he had taken notice of the night he met Hongbin is surrounding him and is drawing him in like a moth to a flame, “And your… unbelievably alluring scent” Hakyeon says, his voice cracking a bit in the end. He feels slightly embarrassed to admit it, that he is attracted to Hongbin’s great taste in everything, having him so close is not helping either, however, when the numbers of the elevator blink at him he quickly straightens himself as the bell announcing they are about to arrive at the destined floor rings, “You have to take me to the department store where you got it, I think I may even suggest a partnership for.. .whatever reason”

“And why would you be interested in being surrounded by this particular fragrance? You have all the money in the world-why interested in this?” Hongbin asks as though he didn’t think that his perfume was that great of a deal and Hakyeon can’t understand that, because as far as he is concerned he hasn’t ever been drawn to an scent so much in his entire life.

“It feels like paradise” Hakyeon looks at the mirror on the ceiling of the lift and sighs. It truly feels like paradise, a paradise he could get drunk with any time, any day, eternally, “I could be lost on that all day”

Hakyeon keeps on looking at Hongbin’s reflection at the ceiling, to avoid his gaze in every possible way, “You love everything that is beautiful, don’t you?” he asks and closes his eyes, “I do as well, and I find that scent captivating for some reason and I want it-I have a soft spot for stuff like that and I want to share it with people who love enchanting things as well”

A soft smile appears on his face as he slowly gets lost in the atmosphere,“You understand, right Hongbin-ssi?”

The door opens and he hears the steps of the young talented man making its way out of the elevator, and he proceeds to do that as well, “I can find you something similar-I don’t believe we will find the exact one” Hongbin points out, it sounds like a nice offer--but Hakyeon would love it more if he had been offered that precise fragrance instead.

“Why would that be?” he asks as their steps take them to one of the empty rooms that will hold the sculptures they are waiting for.

“It has…” Hongbin slowly says as though he was pondering about the precise answer to give him, “been personalized for me. And one of the ingredients is ...a flower that is already extinct”

“You are talking as if there is no way to get it to grow or replicate”

“It was unique, one of the most captivating sights”

“Unique, huh?” Hakyeon tilts his head to the side with a questioning look on his face and thousands of inquiries filling his mind. He surely is no expert but he doesn’t think that getting a similar flower or even the same is that complicated.

“I collect beauty, remember?” is the answer he gets though. He should have expected that reply-it isn’t like it is easy to forget what Hongbin’s passion is.

“It is different from the fragrance you were wearing the night I met you”

“Oh”

“It is like...you could get drunk with it- dreamlike even” Hakyeon’s trail of thought drifts away as something in the air seems to enchant him in a way he can’t even describe, “I also really love the one from that night by the way”

“I can’t perceive them most of the time but if you say so” Hongbin states with a smile, though for Hakyeon that particular smile seems forced for a reason he can’t comprehend. But it doesn’t feel as genuine as the other times he has seen Hongbin smile.

However he doesn’t want to seem even more intrusive than he already appears to be, flirtier than he probably should be. So he scraps the idea of even asking why Hongbin doesn’t seem to perceive that mesmerizing scent that he is enchanted by.

////////

“You are still looking at that painting?” Hakyeon asks Hongbin as he seems to be lost in his own thoughts while looking at his phone as they are standing at the terrace of the art gallery, the cherry blossoms gracing the screen of his device as Hongbin’s gaze is unmoving, as though he was carefully studying every petal in the painting, “Why don’t you bring that one to the gallery? You have brought other paintings by Han Sanghyuk but not the cherry blossoms one”

“Don’t you think it is too beautiful to show to the world? Like a kind of beauty that only one wants to possess?” the art expert responds with a soft smile that just makes Hakyeon agree with his statement, a nod by the enamoured heir follows.

“I guess you have a point”

“Plus, I am admiring life and death in them” his favourite cu