Seungcheol had enjoyed his last week in Busan. Even when his email inbox was flooded with messages and Jeonghan kept asking about the party advertisement plan, he had time to go around the city with his grandmother and to meet her neighbors to whom she proudly introduced him as her grandchild. Just Seungcheol, not Mr. Choi or the heir of Choi Company, just him.  Just Seungcheol in a t-shirt, shorts and sandals. With the sea breeze around him and an ice cream cone in his hand. He felt more alive than in any part of Seoul.

He had eaten lunch with his grandmother and then walked all the way to the beach festival. Unlike the last time he had visited, a DJ was playing electronic music, the small food stands had turned into restaurants and many foreigners were taking pictures.  But the festival had kept his spirit and the never ending sea was the main character.

He had watched kids playing beach volleyball and swimming in the sea and that brought him happy memories. He had been trying to keep his thoughts positive after he confessed to his grandmother all the pain that brought him staying at her house and have mourned once again the death of his mother.

Seungcheol wanted to enjoy these new memories and even when he had to return to Seoul early the next day, this time he wanted to stay for the fireworks. The sun was starting to set and the sky showed a mix of colors that he wanted to keep in his memory or at least in a picture in his cellphone.

Seungcheol was trying to take a better shot by walking a bit closer to the seashore when he saw him. It had been more than a decade, but he knew he wasn’t mistaken. He would never forget that angelic face. The other had just turned around after taking pictures with his camera and when he noticed Seungcheol, his neutral face changed into one of surprise.  Seungcheol was sure the other had recognized him too, so he couldn’t help but grin when he saw the other’s shy smile.

Seungcheol wasn’t sure what the feeling inside his chest was, but he started chuckling making the other react in the same way. It was kind of silly seeing two adults acting that way without approaching each other, so this time he took the first step.

The other probably wasn’t expecting that as he took a step back a smile no longer on his face.

“Jihoon-ssi?” He asked carefully just to make sure of the name he had heard so long ago.

The other just looked up at him and gave him a nod without saying anything further.

The music kept playing in the background and Seungcheol couldn’t help but notice how just like the first time the sun made Jihoon’s skin glow and the wind caressed his hair softly.

“You are blond now.” He said, and suddenly felt like the teenager that used to make a fool of himself when he was in this kind of situations.

The other snorted, proving Seungcheol just how out of the game he was.

He cleared his throat trying to sound more confident. “I am Seung-“

“Seungcheol. I heard it last time.”

Seungcheol. Just Seungcheol. That thought made him grin again.

The festival was so alive with people, food and music, but they just stared at each other in silence.

It was like they were trying to memorize each other or maybe trying to remember how they were the first time they saw each other.

There were not exchanged words that time, but this time Seungcheol didn’t want to leave it like that.

“Can I ask you something?”

His question was answered with a small nod.

“Why did you kiss me?”

************************************************************************************************************

“So I lost my first kiss because of a dare?”

Jihoon was amused at all of this. What were the chances of meeting Seungcheol after all these years and explaining that he had kissed him because Soonyoung dared him to fulfill the list. And just to find out that he also stole Seungcheol’s first kiss.

But maybe it was that anecdote that made them keep talking as they walked through the festival. He had even let the other use his camera to take some pictures of the beach and had ran away laughing when the other tried to push him into the water. They have talked about what they were doing in Busan, work and vacations, there was not deep information shared and Jihoon liked it that way. After all, he knew he would be going to Seoul in two days and this would be just like the first time and probably wouldn’t be seeing the other in years.

Jihoon played with that idea as he saw the other’s puppy eyes light up at the mention of ice cream and when they started dancing to the music without caring about the rest of the world. They swayed together with the music, laughing at their bad dancing skills. He tried not to get affected at their brushing hands or when Seungcheol moved strands of his hair out of his face. The sun had set completely and all Jihoon could see was Seungcheol’s face under the lights of the festival. His big smile and shinning eyes, Seungcheol looking mature but just as handsome as the first time he saw him.

And Jihoon wanted to stop that thought, but the sudden idea of kissing the other appeared in his mind. It was a magnetic feeling, because he hadn’t noticed when they had gotten that close. But their locked gazes stayed that way and this time Jihoon was the one surprised when he felt the other’s plump lips touching his. He wished it had ended like that, for him to give a closure to that teenage memory with another anecdote they could laugh about and move on with their lives. But they kept kissing, and at first Jihoon thought he was listening to his racing heart, but then he noticed the fireworks were exploding in the sky.  Jihoon felt the kiss in his lips, in his skin and in his heart. The kiss felt unique, explosive and never ending.

But it ended, and Jihoon opened his eyes, that he hadn’t noticed he had closed, and looked at the other. Seungcheol looked back at him with a serene expression, before his face changed into a shocked one. He removed his arms from around Jihoon’s waist and Jihoon followed putting his arms down from the other’s neck.

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I wasn’t even supposed to happen. He shouldn’t have met Seungcheol again, but it had happened. It had been like they weren’t thinking, just feeling.

“Jihoon, I…” The other couldn’t continue and just bit his lip.

“I…” Jihoon tried to start, but his thoughts were messed up.

He didn’t know how Seungcheol’s real life was, but as they stayed there in silence, Jihoon could guess the other hadn’t planned their encounter or at least for it to end this way. The other probably was dating someone else or could have a family and Jihoon had just appeared like a teenage dream.

“It was nice meeting you again.” Seungcheol said when the silence became unbearable.

“Yeah…” Jihoon said and sighed looking down.

In the background there was an MC thanking and saying his goodbyes to the people that visited the festival. And when the people started walking towards the exit and pushed them slowly on their way, Seungcheol got even closer and whispered.

“Goodnight Jihoon.”

“Goodnight Seungcheol.” Jihoon said softly and his eyes fluttered closed when he felt Seungcheol kissing his cheek.

And then he was gone, brushing softly by his side; but Jihoon felt like a part of him was also gone.

Goodbye Seungcheol.