‘Donghae!’ Hyukjae presses his phone to his ear so he can talk amongst the crowd outside the concert venue. ‘I just finished rehearsal, I’m so sorry I was late last night. Do you wanna come grab some lunch with me?’

He checks his watch. It’s only 9.00am.

‘Or breakfast? I’ve got another run through, but then I should have half an hour’s break.’

Donghae grumbles a bit on the other end of the line, and Hyukjae knows he’s probably only just woken up. He can picture him, sleepy and warm and still in bed, and Hyukjae aches to be there too. But he’s one of the main choreographers for a new idol group and their popularity has unexpectedly skyrocketed, and it’s amazing and terrifying and the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's so busy-

‘Hyukjae, they need you backstage!’

Hyukjae quickly gives Donghae the address of a nearby cafe and blows a kiss.

'See you soon!'

At home, Donghae stretches and slides out of bed. Home these days is quite a lot more impressive than their old apartment, thanks to Hyukjae’s rising reputation. The kitchen is spacious and has all the latest appliances, and lately Donghae has been experimenting with the blender. He has discovered he can make smoothies out of almost anything. Hyukjae bought him an espresso machine for his birthday too, but today Donghae doesn’t waste time; Hyukjae’s schedule is tight and Donghae can’t actually remember the last time they sat down to eat together.

He rummages through Hyukjae’s side of the wardrobe for something nice to wear. Hyukjae has some expensive items now, as he’s had to attend quite a few important events for work. Initially he felt guilty spending so much on himself and had bought matching pieces for Donghae; but Donghae had rejected them, unhappy that he could not reciprocate. His part-time job in a small photography studio doesn’t pay well enough for Gucci or Versace.

That doesn’t mean he can’t borrow from Hyukjae though.

And if Hyukjae sometimes complains these pants are too loose or these shoes don’t fit right, and those items coincidentally fit Donghae perfectly, Donghae pretends not to notice.

It’s overcast out, but Donghae takes his camera anyway. He has quite a lot of spare time these days, and spends it taking photographs and posting them online. Maybe today Hyukjae will have a little free time and they can walk together with the Han River as their backdrop. Donghae loves the contrast of the river with the urban landscape, sharp angles and shadow softened by the endlessly flowing water; but nothing pleases him so much as Hyukjae. In a way, he is the same; sharp angles and soft curves.

The café where they have arranged to meet is warm and bright, filled with the scent of pastries and coffee. Donghae chooses a table for two in a secluded corner and checks his watch. He’s a few minutes early, so he decides to order to save time, an Americano for himself and a hot chocolate (extra marshmallows) and Danish pastry for Hyukjae. Gazing out the window, he settles down to wait.

‘From the top!’

The stage director restarts the music and Hyukjae gestures quickly for the backup dancers to get back in position. Everyone is exhausted, but they’ve had technical issues and are now are dangerously behind schedule.

‘Again!’

Hyukjae jumps onstage to coach one of the younger dancers, sweating under the heat of the lights, the endless repetition of the same bars of music as they try to get the steps right. There's a quick set change and then Hyukjae has to do the same thing with the next batch of dancers, and then with the idols themselves. When the director finally says alright, take a break he barely makes it to his tiny shared dressing-room before collapsing. He grabs a bottle of water and then notices a coffee cup and a paper bag containing a pastry on his dresser.

‘What’s this?’

He picks up the cup. It’s completely cold. His manager Leeteuk (assigned to him by the company to keep his schedules organized) glances over.

‘Oh,’ he says. ‘Your boyfriend dropped those off.’

Hyukjae gasps and grabs for his phone. He was supposed to have met Donghae hours ago. There are five missed calls and one voicemail.

‘Hey Hyukkie,’ Donghae says in the recording. ‘I guess you got held up? Um, I waited but you’re probably busy. Anyway, I love you, call me when you can.’

Hyukjae rings and Donghae answers straight away.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Hyukjae says, pleadingly, ‘I totally forgot, this morning has been a disaster, I really wanted to see you, I’m sorry, Hae-’

‘It’s okay,’ Donghae says. ‘I know you’re busy. How about dinner instead?’

‘Yes.’ Hyukjae clings to his phone gratefully. ‘Yes, let’s do that. Message me where you want to go and we’ll meet later, okay?’

Someone knocks at the door and Leeteuk gestures at Hyukjae to hurry.

‘I’ve got some press photos with the rest of the crew,’ Hyukjae says. ‘I have to go. Love you, see you later!’

Only he doesn’t, because the venue for the upcoming show is cancelled. He and the other key members of the production team are called for an urgent meeting, then immediately set to work redesigning parts of the stage.

At home, Donghae eats his dinner alone.

‘Oh my god, Donghae is that you?’

It’s several weeks later, and Donghae has just finished a shift at the little photography studio. He looks up in surprise, and initially he does not recognize the woman in the entrance.

‘It’s me, Soo