Hyukjae would like to think that he isn’t boring. His life revolves around writing entertainment reviews for a local newspaper. Most of his friends envy him for that, getting to meet the most popular celebrities as part of his job but Hyukjae doesn’t think much of it.

 

“Kyuhyun… I’m not boring, right?” Hyukjae says, swirling his glass of red wine as the two of them sit in front of Kyuhyun’s Xbox. As Kyuhyun wrestles with the game controller, Hyukjae reads the entertainment review section of all the competing newspapers. It’s always good to know your enemies inside out, Hyukjae rationalises.

 

“Are you seriously asking me that?” Kyuhyun mutters, struggling to wrestle his character out of the opponent’s grip.

 

“What?” Hyukjae says, almost offended.

 

“Ah, I’m dead.” Kyuhyun sighs, placing the controller onto the ground, taking a sip from his glass of red wine.

 

“You’re the most bori-” Kyuhyun pauses at the look Hyukjae is shooting him. “Well, I guess you’re quite predictable, Hyukjae.”

 

“What-”

 

“When was the last time you did anything other than work? Excluding today, you know how much energy I spent dragging you out from your house to my car.”

 

Hyukjae winces at the thought of Kyuhyun painfully dragging him out of his chair earlier on.

 

“It’s the weekend. Go relax, go have a date or whatever. When was the last time you even dated someone?”

 

“I don’t need a date, Kyuhyun. It’s never going to work out anyway.”

 

“Hyukjae, it was just once. Not everyone is like him-”

 

“Where are you going?” Before Kyuhyun has finished his sentence, Hyukjae has already placed down the empty glass, putting on his coat.

 

“I’ll see you soon, Kyuhyun.”

 

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Kyuhyun says softly, placing a hand on Hyukjae’s shoulder but Hyukjae smiles, shrugging.

 

“I’m fine, Kyuhyun.” He laughs, but Kyuhyun can see past the expression Hyukjae always puts on.

 

“All right.” Kyuhyun sighs, defeated. “Call me if you need to talk, okay?”

 

Hyukjae nods, and he steps out of the apartment. He flags down a taxi, replacing the whirlwind of thoughts in his head with the latest instructions for the next review from his editor.

 

-

 

A day in the life of Lee Hyukjae often goes like this - heading to work at The Korea Times, stomping over to his seat before being thrown a handful of instructions by his editor to get the day’s stories out. On good days, he only has to get two stories done but on the bad days, he has to deal with his editor screaming down his neck while churning out five stories.

 

The stress that comes from being a beat reporter for entertainment has gotten to his head over the years, and every day, as he gets his last copy to the editor, he feels like he’s about to crumble apart.

 

He remembers the days where he was once passionate about journalism, having freshly graduated from South Korea’s renowned journalism school as the top student of his cohort. He recalls how he quickly earned a spot at The Korea Times, one of the top newspapers in the country. Within a year, he was the company’s most prized journalist, winning multiple awards for his works.

 

He remembers how he was known in the industry for going all out for the scoop, digging his nose into every possible piece of newsworthy gossip.

 

But today, Lee Hyukjae is no longer who he once was.

 

The fire in him has died and he walks into the office, slumping into his chair - only to be greeted by a scream down his right ear.

 

“Kim Ryeowook.” Hyukjae groans in frustration, slapping a hand over his face at the tiny man who is screaming orders at him. One should never underestimate Kim Ryeowook - the fiercest editor in the company despite his petite size.

 

Ryeowook crosses his arms, frowning at said man who has his head burrowed into his table, muttering complaints and clamping his hands over his ears.

 

“Yah!” The editor yells, heading over to yank the worn-out journalist by the collar. “Are you done with your copies from yesterday?”

 

Hyukjae rolls his eyes, closing his eyes and slouching back down again. “Of course they’re done, Ryeowook. I’m not the company’s top entertainment reviewer for no reason.”

 

Ryeowook frowns, his eyes narrowing at the journalist who has tuned him out again. He misses the days where Hyukjae used to be on the ball, churning out stories and heading out for interviews without requiring any prodding - or yelling.

 

Kim Ryeowook vows that he will return Hyukjae to his former state - not the mess in the chair he is right now.

 

-

 

“I don’t want to!” Hyukjae hollers, and this time, it is Ryeowook’s turn to cover his ears.

 

“Why not, Hyukjae? He’s one of the hottest rising stars as the lead singer of The Rockers, with a million fangirls swooning over him.” Hyukjae visibly cringes at that name, wondering how anyone could ever come up with such a ty excuse of a name for an up and coming punk band, the most talked about in the entertainment industry these days.

 

“Anyone but Lee Donghae.” Hyukjae growls, his frown so deep it might leave a permanent mark on his face. “I hate those punk wannabes - think they’re cool and .”

 

Everyone in the company knew that Hyukjae hated Lee Donghae, but no one knew how it had started. Rumours said that it was after the man had interviewed the singer months ago when he had just begun his stint as the lead singer, and Hyukjae had to write a story about the freshest faces in the music industry. Rumours also said that the feud had begun when Lee Donghae accidentally blasted the song from the amplifier so loud Hyukjae had to rest at home for two weeks after the incident.

 

But Ryeowook was determined to return Hyukjae to his former glory, to the days where he was not lying like a dead fish in his chair.

 

“Now, Hyukjae.” The said man looks up at the scarily dark tone, feeling himself shrink further into his chair. “I am your editor, and you will do as I say.”

 

-

 

“Stupid Kim Ryeowook.” Hyukjae grouses. He stomps across the street, flipping someone off as he nearly gets hit by a car. As if the day couldn’t get any worse, now he was about to conduct his first interview with Lee Donghae.

 

He turns back for a second, wanting to stomp back to the office, but his editor’s words suddenly ring in his ears.

 

“If you still want your job, you had better get the story done before The Herald gets to it. I pride my reporters for getting stories out faster than anyone else can.” Ryeowook had concluded, with a smirk on his face.

 

And so, he was stuck with the job of interviewing Lee Donghae once a week for the next few months, churning out reviews of The Rockers, the most talked about punk band in South Korea, in the days leading up to their comeback album. Hyukjae shudders again. As much as he hated his job and Lee Donghae, he still needed it to keep the roof over his head.

 

He sighs, admitting defeat as he continues stomping to the address that Ryeowook had keyed into his phone’s GPS.

 

-

 

Hyukjae shrieks as a cobweb falls onto his head and he thinks he hears a rat scurrying across the basement of the rundown studio he’s currently in.

 

He holds himself back from shrieking again, as he nearly slips on a puddle of murky looking substance on the floor. It would be unmanly to do so, he thinks, as he attempts to regain whatever pride he has left.

 

He realises the attempt failed, however, when he hears a chuckle from the corner of the room.

 

“What are you doing here, Mr Smartypants?”

 

Hyukjae turns to find the singer staring right at him, arms crossed and leaning against one of the rusty shelves in the corner. The singer looks quite different from the last time Hyukjae had seen him, sporting a new hairstyle - long blonde hair and a fringe that covers half of his face. Strangely, Hyukjae finds himself gulping at the sight.

 

The singer chortles, and Hyukjae hates the smirk that is currently on the man’s face, wanting to punch it off himself. He doesn’t realise he’s said everything out loud, until the smirk on the singer’s face grows bigger.

 

“Woah, calm down now.” The singer says, taking out his electric guitar and begins to strum loudly. “I’m sure you don’t want to hurt your pretty little hands.”

 

“My hands aren’t pretty!” Hyukjae screams, but the singer has already begun belting his newest song into the microphone. Hyukjae feels a sense of déjà vu when the sounds nearly bust his eardrums out.

 

-

 

“So, Donghae.” Hyukjae grits his teeth, as he scribbles a few notes into his notebook. “What are the upcoming plans for The Rockers?”

 

Donghae smirks, leaning back confidently into his seat. Hyukjae feels his insides burning, wanting to just wipe that hot smirk - wait, hot?

 

“Mr Lee?” Hyukjae blinks when Donghae waves his hand furiously in front of his face. “Are you all right?”

 

“Ah yes, you were saying?” Hyukjae places a fake smile on his face, attempting to regain his composure as he continues scribbling down whatever the singer is saying, not that he cares anyway. The only thing he cares about is getting the copy to Ryeowook by the evening and getting out of this dusty, stinky studio as soon as he can.

 

He nods at that thought, determined to get the job done, only to find Donghae staring blankly at him again. He can’t deny, the man is hot. And it is no wonder that he has thousands of fangirls following him around, every day. Wait… did he admit that Lee Donghae was hot again? Hyukjae shakes his head, slapping his face lightly.

 

Get a grip of yourself, Lee Hyukjae. He mutters to himself, looking up from his notebook only to find the punk singer staring amusedly at him.

 

-

 

Hyukjae cringes at the sight of the four men in front of him, including Lee Donghae himself. It had been a week since the first interview and he was back for the next story. He sighs. Today, Donghae was going to introduce him to his other band members.

 

“Um, hi.” Hyukjae says, silently observing the other three men who seem to be as loud and obnoxious as the lead singer himself.

 

“This is Siwon, the lead guitarist.” The tall man smirks, raising a hand at Hyukjae, which Hyukjae doesn’t bother to acknowledge. “Ooh, we’ve got a feisty one here, haven’t we, Donghae?” Hyukjae opens his mouth to retort but Donghae beats him to it.

 

“Quit it, Siwon. You wouldn’t want to mess with him.” Donghae shudders, as if recalling all the times Hyukjae had shrieked down his ear. Before Hyukjae can speak up, Donghae has pushed a shorter but pretty looking male forward.

 

“This is Heechul, the bassist.”

 

“Yo man. Good to see you.” Heechul says, and Hyukjae cringes at the loud voice that reverberates through his ears.

 

“Our boy here always looks forward to the weekly inter-” Donghae pushes him away, and pulls another man in front of Hyukjae.

 

“This is Jungsoo. He plays the keyboard.” The man seems rather soft spoken, Hyukjae notes as the man offers him a simple handshake. Perhaps there is finally someone normal in this place, he thinks to himself.

 

“So, will I be interviewing all four of you today?” Hyukjae asks, beginning to set up his materials.

 

“No way,” Heechul interjects. “I have plans, gotta go party tonight.” He smirks, slinging an arm around Jungsoo.

 

“You’re coming, right?” He asks the man who he has in a headlock. Jungsoo merely nods and Heechul whistles. “See you soon, pretty boy.” He waves to Hyukjae with his free hand and drags Jungsoo away.

 

“What about-”

 

“It was nice meeting you, Hyukjae.” Siwon cuts in abruptly. “But I have to go to church today.” He grins, flashing another smile at Hyukjae and swiftly walks away before Hyukjae can even respond.

 

“I guess it’s you and me again, pretty boy.” Donghae smirks, casually resting his arm on Hyukjae’s shoulder.

 

Donghae can barely take shelter before the thick notebook is flung at his head.

 

-

 

“Who do you sing for?”

 

Hyukjae asks, finishing up the sentence from the previous question as he continues asking the next. Donghae is wincing, gently thumbing the bump that has formed from the hit to his head earlier on.

 

Donghae raises an eyebrow at the question, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair.

 

“Well, I sing for my fans. They’re my greatest inspiration and I’m always thankful for them.” Hyukjae mildly snorts at the typical answer but notes it down anyway, unaware of the curious gaze that is constantly fixated on him whenever he looks down at his notebook.

 

Hyukjae bites the end of his pen, eyebrows furrowing as he thinks of further interesting questions he can ask. He can almost hear Ryeowook shrieking into his ear at the lack of content gathered.

 

“What do you like to do in your free time? Besides singing, of course.”

 

“Why do you want to know? Do you want to go out with me during my free time?” Donghae smirks, and he wants to laugh at the exasperated expression on Hyukjae’s face. It’s cute, he thinks.

 

“I’m sure your fans would love to know about your hobbies.” Hyukjae says while gritting his teeth, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“I like to read. Oh, and I like watching movies as well.” Hyukjae scribbles down this quickly and he chuckles to himself. Even celebrities did lead normal lives as well, in their free time. Donghae was beginning to seem more like a normal guy rather than the celebrity with millions of fans swooning over him.

 

He stops himself from thinking further. No, Donghae was one of the most arrogant celebrities he had ever met, he reasons to himself.

 

He flips his notebook to a new blank page, ready for the next question.

 

“What made you begin singing?” The moment these words leave his mouth, he sees Donghae’s expression change into one that he’s never seen before. It’s not arrogance, nor confidence. Hyukjae can’t put a finger on it at the moment, but when silence continues for the next few seconds, he realises that its a vulnerable expression in the other man’s eyes. Strangely, he finds himself unwilling to look at that expression any longer. Perhaps, it wasn’t in his place to probe too deeply afterall. He was a journalist, but he had his own limits.

 

“Thanks for the interview today.” Hyukjae stands up, placing his notebook and pen back into his bag. “I’ll see you again next week. It was nice meeting your band members.”

 

Donghae looks surprised as Hyukjae ends the interview abruptly, and he quickly follows Hyukjae as the journalist walks in brisk strides to the door.

 

“Hey,” Donghae says, placing a hand on Hyukjae’s shoulder but he pauses as Hyukjae flinches, causing his hand to fall limply back to its original position.

 

“See you.” Hyukjae says, hastily walking away from the lead singer when he realises the both of them are now standing outside the door of the studio. As he walks away, Donghae continues to stare at the fading back.

 

“You’re so strange, Hyukjae.” Donghae mumbles to himself, watching as the man’s back fades into nothing but a blurry figure from afar.

 

-

 

Weeks pass and Hyukjae finds himself slowly getting used to Donghae’s presence in his life. He finds himself strangely anticipating the weekly interviews even though he insists to himself that he hates the singer. It’s just that… He found the singer intriguing in a way. He never revealed too much about himself, and Hyukjae found himself wanting to find out more. But it was for the sake of his stories, he reasoned.

 

And today, another interview had ended. The sky had already darkened and Hyukjae stands up, preparing to leave the studio.

 

“Here,” Donghae says, handing him a glass of wine, opening the door of the studio and motioning for Hyukjae to follow him.

 

“Wha-” Hyukjae opens his mouth to protest but he is quickly dragged along by the singer. He finds himself heading up a flight of stairs, and soon they are at the highest floor of the building.

 

“Wow.” Hyukjae murmurs, gazing at the sky that’s glimmering with stars, clearly visible from the open area, unblocked by surrounding buildings.

 

He regains his composure soon enough though, and attempts to hand the glass of wine back to Donghae.

 

“I have to go, I have to finish up my stories-”

 

Before he can finish the sentence, Donghae places a finger on his lips to shush him, forcing him to sit on the bench at the corner.

 

“Relax. You’re too stressed.” Donghae says, taking a seat beside Hyukjae.

 

“I always like to come up here.” The singer continues, and Hyukjae listens as he takes a sip of the wine. “It’s relaxing.”

 

Hyukjae finds himself nodding in agreement. “Hmm.”

 

Donghae laughs. “You don’t talk much for a journalist.”

 

Hyukjae looks up from the glass of wine at that comment and he lightly laughs. Donghae pauses at that. He’s never seen the man smile before and he finds himself tensing at the tender expression on the other’s face.

 

“Sometimes you just have to take it slow.” Donghae mumbles, looking into the night sky. “There are simply too many things to worry about. You can’t think about them all at once, you know.”

 

Hyukjae looks to the singer who is facing the opposite direction, and he finds his gaze fixed onto him.

 

You’re strange, Lee Donghae.

 

Hyukjae looks away, and what’s left is the sound of the trees swaying to the wind in the faint distance.

 

-

 

Hyukjae sighs, standing up from his seat, shuffling the papers in his hand. Yet another day at work, and it was just as tiring and stressful as always.

 

He rubs at his eyes, feeling a headache beginning to rise and he massages the sides of his forehead gently.

 

“You all right?” He looks up to see Ryeowook staring at him and he manages a small smile, picking up the papers again.

 

“I’m fine.” He mumbles, slinging his bag onto his shoulder.

 

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’re doing great so far, especially the weekly stories for The Rockers.”

 

Hyukjae visibly tenses at the name, and he nods. “I’ll get going now, Ryeowook. I told Donghae I would meet him at six thirty today.”

 

Ryeowook nods and he smiles to himself as he watches Hyukjae head out of the office. There was certainly something different about Hyukjae these days.

 

“Yah, can you tell them to tone down with the ruckus for today?” Hyukjae groans, burrowing his head into his hands as the other members practice for the upcoming album, the loud strums of the guitar splitting his already pounding head apart.

 

He lets himself rest in that position for a while more, but he stiffens when he feels hands gently placed onto his shoulder.

 

“Hey, you okay?” He looks up and he finds himself unable to reply when he sees the look on Donghae’s face. Was it concern? No, he thinks. The arrogant bastard would never-

 

But Donghae continues to stare worriedly at him and Hyukjae gulps, forcing himself to look away.

 

“I’m fine.” He mutters. “Can we carry on with the interview?”

 

“Yeah, sure. I’ll tell them to keep it down for a bit.” Hyukjae nods, and he stands up, hoping that an ice cold drink from Donghae’s basement refrigerator would make him feel better.

 

He stops when he feels the world spinning around him, and he gasps, leaning against the chair for support.

 

He feels his legs losing strength and he would have collapsed to the ground if not for the strong pair of arms around his waist. The same hands lead him gently to the couch, and he leans his head against the wall behind him, letting himself calm down for a moment. He sighs in relief when a bottle of cold water is pressed against his lips and he lets the cooling liquid run down his throat.

 

He opens his eyes, feeling much better. The dizziness has passed and he finds himself staring into Donghae’s eyes once again.

 

“I’m fine.” He breaks the silence first, trying to get rid of that strange feeling bubbling in his chest when he sees the gaze Donghae has on him. “It always gets like this when the stress hits.”

 

“Have you eaten?” Hyukjae looks up, surprised at the question.

 

“No,” Hyukjae replies, running his fingers through his slightly messy hair. “I rushed here from work so I didn’t get a chance to eat.”

 

“But it’s fine,” He continues, seeing the concerned expression on the lead singer’s face. “I’ll grab a bite after the interview is done.”

 

“Let’s go,” Donghae says firmly, grabbing Hyukjae’s wrist and the latter flinches at the warm touch. He pulls back and Donghae turns to stare at him.

 

“Where?” Hyukjae utters and Donghae sighs, rolling his eyes.

 

“To get food. You’re obviously not feeling well enough to continue the interview.” Donghae says, and the tone of his voice makes Hyukjae’s chest tighten.

 

“I’m fine-”

 

“No you’re not,” Donghae replies angrily. “You need to take care of yourself better, Hyukjae.” The singer chides and Hyukjae finds himself getting slightly annoyed.

 

“Why do you care? It’s none of your business.” Hyukjae retorts, and he regrets the words when he sees the expression on Donghae’s face falter.

 

“Yeah,” Donghae mutters. “It’s not.”

 

He releases the grip on the journalist’s hand, and Hyukjae fails to stop himself from calling out the singer’s name.

 

Donghae turns around, confused when he sees Hyukjae staring at his feet awkwardly.

 

“I don’t want to go outside with you okay? Who knows what people will say once people see the two of us eating dinner together. I don’t want to suffer the wrath of your fangirls.” Hyukjae blabbers, feeling a strange heat pooling at his cheeks as he mutters all sorts of excuses.

 

Donghae looks back at him, confused. But he grabs his wrist once again, pulling him to the couch.

 

“Sit here,” Donghae heads to the makeshift kitchen and Hyukjae quietly sits, staring at the man who is now staring at the instructions on the back of some packaging, frowning as he squints to see the tiny font. Hyukjae finds himself laughing softly, but the strange feeling in his chest is back when he sees the way the singer’s blonde fringe brushes past his eyes, as he continues his attempt at reading the words.

 

“Here.” Donghae places a bowl of steaming hot porridge onto the table. “I’m sorry it’s instant porridge, but it’s the best thing we have here.”

 

Hyukjae doesn’t know what to say for a moment, but he quickly regains his composure, picking up the bowl and smiling at Donghae.

 

“Thanks,” He mutters, blowing at the piping hot porridge as he takes his first mouthful.

 

“Wow,” He says, raising his eyebrows at the surprisingly delicious meal. Donghae chuckles, watching as Hyukjae wolfs down the rest of the bowl. As he finishes his last bites, he occasionally looks up at Donghae to find him staring back at him with an odd expression.

 

“Stop staring at me like that.” Hyukjae mumbles, and he is taken aback when a red tinge forms on the tip of the lead singer’s ears.

 

Donghae finds himself rather surprised as well. It was just that… Hyukjae looked so cute like that, chewing with his mouth full. But he wouldn’t ever tell the man that.

 

“Why are you being like this?” Donghae frowns. “Huh?”

 

“Why are you being nice to me?” Hyukjae says. “Especially when you know that I hate you.”

 

“Oh, do you?” Donghae says, a smirk forming on his face once again.

 

“Stop with your games, Donghae. I’m not falling for it.” Hyukjae says and Donghae’s expression slightly hardens at that.

 

Hyukjae waits for an explanation from Donghae but the man doesn’t say another word, only taking the empty bowl from Hyukjae’s hands, walking away from him.

 

I don’t understand you, Donghae. Hyukjae stares at the man who has an unreadable expression on his face once again.

 

-

 

Kyuhyun:

Hey, wanna watch a movie at my house? I’m bored.

 

Hyukjae:

Get a job, Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun:

Hey, I’m trying. So? Wanna come?

 

Hyukjae:

Nah, I can’t. Got to interview Lee Donghae today.

 

Kyuhyun stares at his phone, his eyes nearly bulging out of its sockets.

 

Lee Donghae? The singer Hyukjae fervently hated ever since that interview years ago?

 

This was starting to get interesting… Kyuhyun smirks, exiting the messaging application and resuming his video game.

 

Hyukjae stumbles into the lead singer’s basement studio, drenched from the pouring rain outside. He sneezes, cursing at his plight that’s partly due to the singer himself.

 

“Stupid Donghae.” He grumbles, trying to shake the droplets of water off.

 

Ryeowook had sent him for the second interview for the week, due to the comeback that was happening in two weeks. The editor had said it was a “special interview” just for the comeback, and Hyukjae had to get the copy out by the end of the week. And hence, the journalist was heading to Donghae’s house for the second time that week when it had started pouring.

 

“I hear my name-” The lead singer stops short when he sees the soaked man in front of him.

 

“Wow, it must have been raining pretty heavily.”

 

“Don’t state the obvious, you bastard-” Hyukjae says before he sneezes mid-sentence.

 

The lead singer disappears, and Hyukjae is about to curse again at the unsympathetic reaction when the man reappears in front of him.

 

Before he knows it, he feels the hands of the singer running through his hair, as he uses the towel to dry him off. He’s unable to utter a single word, but when he regains his senses, he immediately shoves the surprisingly warm hands off him. That warm touch… It had ignited a strange feeling in Hyukjae that made him shudder.

 

“Here, change into this.”

 

Hyukjae takes a look at what is in the singer’s hands.

 

“I refuse to wear anything that belongs to you.” He replies, but the other man only pushes the clothes into his hands again.

 

“We can’t have you catching a cold halfway into the interview, can we?”

 

Yeah. Hyukjae suddenly remembers the main purpose of his visit, and why the singer was suddenly treating him so nicely. It was all for work, he tells himself.

 

He dries himself off, changing into the singer’s slightly baggy clothes, and the interview begins. Hyukjae somehow feels a strong gaze fixated on him whenever he looks down to scribble some notes, but he tells himself that it’s his imagination.

 

-

 

The next day sees Hyukjae coming down with a terrible cold, and he’s buried deep under his covers, shivering although his forehead is burning.

 

He was supposed to visit The Rocker’s basement studio again for some follow up questions after yesterday’s interview - Ryeowook’s orders.

 

But he can’t even get out of bed at this moment. He picks up his phone, dialing Ryeowook’s number.

 

“Where are you?” Hyukjae flinches at the sharp voice echoing more loudly in his head than usual. “The meeting’s starting soon.”

 

“Ryeowook ah…” Hyukjae whines, and Ryeowook cringes at the other end of the line. Lee Hyukjae only whines when he’s sick.

 

“Ah, Hyukjae. Rest at home for today, okay? I’m hanging up now.”

 

Before Hyukjae can even respond, Ryeowook has hung up.

 

“Bastard…” Hyukjae groans, before burying himself under the covers again.

 

 

Two hours later, he groans at the sound of pounding on the door, and he winces at the piercing headache that hasn’t subsided.

 

He gets out from bed, staggering to the door.

 

“Wha-” Hyukjae stares with his mouth gaping open at the singer who was standing in front of him. “Didn’t I tell you the interview’s cancelled today?”

 

Donghae takes a look at the pale and shivering man in front of him, and he pushes his way in, closing the door behind him.

 

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

 

“What are you doing here? And how did you even know where I live?” Hyukjae asks, flabbergasted.

 

“Ryeowook told me.” Donghae replies simply, and Hyukjae sighs. Of course it was Ryeowook.

 

Before he knows it, he is being pulled by the arm, and he finds himself blushing at the firm grip that is around his waist.

 

Donghae takes him to his room, tucking him under the blanket.

 

Hyukjae’s eyes are drooping close again, the medicine from earlier on kicking in. Donghae seems to notice and he smiles, patting Hyukjae on the shoulder gently.

 

“Have the porridge I brought for you after you wake up, okay?”

 

Hyukjae merely hums in response, feeling darkness take over soon enough. Donghae smiles, closing the door gently behind him.

 

-

 

Hyukjae wakes up later that evening, snugly tucked into his bedsheet. He suddenly remembers the encounter earlier that morning and he feels that strange feeling pooling in his chest again. What was the singer up to?

 

I’m supposed to hate him. Hyukjae thinks firmly, walking over to the kitchen to heat up the porridge Donghae had brought. He was already feeling much better, he realised.

 

Yes, I hate him. Hyukjae repeats in his mind, blowing on the spoonful of porridge and taking a small bite. But as the familiar taste from two weeks ago hits him, he shivers as certain memories flash through his mind. He remembers the warm hands of the singer as he towelled his wet hair from the rain, the firm grip around his waist more than once, the cocky smirk that he hated so much.

 

Hyukjae finds himself smiling unknowingly and he quickly stops himself.

 

God, no…

 

I like him.

 

Hyukjae’s grip on the spoon tightens at this realisation.

 

Stupid bastard.

 

-

 

The Rockers’ comeback stage had generated a large amount of buzz and everyone was scrambling to get an interview spot with them, to the point that Donghae had to postpone this week’s interview session.

 

Hyukjae mutters curses under his breath, he had already come all the way here only to receive a text message from Donghae, telling him that he was caught up in the previous interview and would be late, so he had suggested the interview to be postponed to another day.

 

Hyukjae had responded with a slew of curses, and then switched his phone off.

 

He had exchanged contacts with the singer the previous week, the other insisting that it was so that he could contact Hyukjae more easily rather than through Ryeowook.

 

And for the entire week the singer had been sending countless messages, from the moment Hyukjae woke up. But Hyukjae secretly liked it, even though he insisted that it was annoying. Just yesterday, he had exchanged messages with Donghae until the wee hours of the morning, causing him to almost be late for work.

 

Hyukjae sighs, pushing the door of the basement studio open. He was here uninvited but he couldn’t care less. It was the singer’s fault anyway, for cancelling last minute.

 

He flops onto the couch, unlocking his phone. The internet portals were full of reviews about the band’s comeback stage.

 

Wah, Donghae is so handsome! I love his blonde hair so much!! ;~;

 

Ahhh those vocals, I wish he was my boyfriend~

 

Hyukjae huffs while reading the comments. “That will never happen, ugh how could you even think of that-”

 

“Think of what?” Hyukjae jerks up from the sofa, phone sliding off his hands to the floor. The blonde singer walks towards him, chuckling while picking the phone up, squinting while reading from the screen.

 

“What’s wrong with this?” Donghae asks curiously, frowning as he can’t figure out what was making Hyukjae so upset.

 

“N-Nothing,” Hyukjae stammers. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you were held up earlier on.”

 

“Yeah, I was. But I managed to sneak away,” Donghae says. “On the other hand-” Donghae inches nearer to Hyukjae who is still on the couch, so close that Hyukjae can feel the singer’s breath hitting his face.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Well, it’s your fault for cancelling last minute and I was already outside your door-” Hyukjae replies defiantly, placing his hands onto Donghae’s firm chest.

 

“Yeah, it’s my fault.” Donghae replies, moving even closer such that their noses are touching. “How do you want me to make it up to you?”

 

Hyukjae gasps, pushing the man away. “I need to go,” He mutters breathlessly. “See you next week.”

 

He stands up, pushing past Donghae, grabbing his bag and closing the door with a slam.

 

Donghae merely stares at him, and smiles softly to himself.

 

“You’re making it harder for me to resist you, Hyukjae.”

 

-

 

“So, now that the promotion period for the new song is almost over, what plans do you have for the future?” Hyukjae asks. Surprisingly, weeks have flown by and it’s almost time for the last interview, which will happen in two weeks.

 

“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure we’ll be back with a new song very soon. I hope the fans will wait for us.” Donghae ends off, and Hyukjae shuts off the voice recorder.

 

He sighs. He had gotten used to interviewing Donghae weekly and getting annoyed at him. But all things had to come to an end eventually…

 

“What’s wrong?” Donghae asks, lightly placing his hand on his own. Donghae had gotten so good at reading his expression, and Hyukjae realised that he had gotten used to the other’s touch. He still refused to admit that he liked him though. After all, after the last interview, he doubted that he would be seeing Donghae anymore.

 

“Nothing.” Hyukjae replies, looking away from

the burning gaze.

 

“I know when you’re lying, Hyukjae.” Donghae says, staring right into his eyes. Those eyes that were so warm, it was no wonder that he had so many fans swooning over him. Hyukjae gulps, pulling his hands away.

 

“I’ll see you next week, Donghae. We’ll be wrapping up the series of interviews in two weeks.” Donghae nods, standing up along with Hyukjae.

 

As Hyukjae turns to leave, Donghae grabs his wrist lightly. Hyukjae turns, curious at why Donghae has stopped him.

 

“Do you want to grab dinner tonight?” Hyukjae is stunned for a moment and he doesn’t know what to say. It’s the first time Donghae has initiated a private meeting outside their usual interview sessions. “I-” Hyukjae looks at the hopeful expression on the singer’s face.

 

“I’m sorry,” He says, and he sees the singer’s expression fall. “I think it’s best if we keep it at a professional relationship.”

 

Donghae pulls away. “I understand.”

 

As Hyukjae walks out of the basement studio, he sighs. Had it been the right choice?

 

-

 

“Kyuhyun ah,” Hyukjae whines, burrowing his head into his friend’s chest. “What should I do?”

 

“Yes, I know. What to do about your feelings about Donghae that your cowardly self refuses to admit? You’ve been going on about it for the past few hours, Hyukjae.”

 

Hyukjae is absolutely drunk by now, leaning against Kyuhyun, swinging the glass of beer around.

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to admit it, you know.” Hyukjae mumbles, and Kyuhyun stares at him worriedly when he sees Hyukjae’s expression darken.

 

“Give your heart a chance to love somebody again, Hyukjae.” Kyuhyun whispers. “He won’t be like him, I promise.”

 

Hyukjae only whines in response, leaning against Kyuhyun’s shoulder while murmuring incoherently. At that moment, Hyukjae’s phone lights up and Kyuhyun takes it, a smile forming at the corner of his lips when he sees the message on the screen.

 

Perhaps this time, it will be the right one, Kyuhyun thinks.

 

With that in mind, he unlocks the phone and dials the most recent contact.

 

-

 

Twenty minutes later, Donghae arrives at the bar, shocked to see Hyukjae’s state.

 

“Hi, you are…?”

 

“I’m his best friend, Kyuhyun.”

 

“Ah,” Donghae says, taking Hyukjae’s arm and slinging it over his shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Kyuhyun.”

 

“You must be Donghae,” Kyuhyun says with a knowing smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” He adds, and Donghae raises an eyebrow at that.

 

“Thanks, Kyuhyun. I’ll take him home now.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, noticing how Hyukjae has snuggled comfortably into Donghae’s embrace.

 

“Take care of him,” He says, and Donghae nods.

 

“I will.”

 

-

 

Donghae takes a glance at Hyukjae who is murmuring to himself, leaning against the window.

 

“Donghae…”

 

“Donghae, I… I think I like you…”

 

Donghae steps on the brake so hard he almost hits the divider. He turns to look at the man who is still half conscious, murmuring his name repeatedly. He reaches over, gently brushing away the messy locks of hair from the sleeping man’s forehead.

 

“Silly.” He smiles, continuing the drive back home.

 

-

 

Donghae kicks open the door, carrying Hyukjae towards his room. Hyukjae snuggles deeper into his embrace and he chuckles at the adorable sight. He places the man gently onto his bed, lightly caressing his cheeks.

 

“Mhmm, Donghae…” Hyukjae murmurs, holding onto the hand that’s placed on his cheek.

 

“Hyukjae?” Donghae says, leaning closer. Their position is intimate, with Donghae sitting on top of Hyukjae’s lap, leaning so close their noses brush each other.

 

Hyukjae opens his eyes, staring right back into Donghae’s warm gaze.

 

“Donghae?” Hyukjae whispers, and Donghae can see the slightly confused expression in his eyes, visibly still slightly drunk.

 

“You’re at my house,” Donghae whispers, running his fingers through the soft locks of hair soothingly. “Kyuhyun called me from your phone.”

 

“Ah,” Hyukjae murmurs, closing his eyes, only to open them again.

 

“Donghae?” Hyukjae whispers, clearly still not fully sober. “Hmm?” The singer replies, staring at the adorable sight in front of him.

 

“Do you like me?”

 

Donghae chuckles at the straightforward question, typical of Hyukjae even when he was drunk.

 

He leans down such that their lips are lightly brushing.

 

“Why?” He replies teasingly, and Hyukjae flinches at the soft feeling against his lips.

 

“Because,” Hyukjae says, wrapping his arms around Donghae’s neck and pulling him down. “Because I like you. So you have to like me as well.” Hyukjae says, pouting.

 

Donghae laughs softly, gently pressing their lips together.

 

“Yes, Hyukjae.” He says, melding their lips together again. “I like you.”

 

Hyukjae stares back into Donghae’s firm gaze, and he pulls the singer down, letting Donghae’s tongue slip into his parted mouth. After a while, they pull apart, panting.

 

Hyukjae crashes their lips together, pulling up Donghae’s shirt slightly, only to whine when the latter doesn’t let him take it off.

 

He pulls away from the other’s lips, and Donghae places a gentle peck on his own once more.

 

“You’re drunk,” Donghae whispers, lightly pulling away. “Let’s talk properly tomorrow morning, okay?”

 

Hyukjae huffs, turning away from the singer. Donghae chuckles, but leans down to kiss Hyukjae’s nose. He continues to pepper light kisses down his face and to his neck, admiring the pale skin that his lips are gently pressed against. When he looks up, Hyukjae is already fast asleep.

 

He laughs, pulling away.

 

“Goodnight, Hyukjae.”

 

-

 

The next morning sees Hyukjae opening his eyes, only to find his cheeks pressed against a firm chest, with arms tightly wrapped around him.

 

He blinks, trying to remember what happened. He slowly turns, and he silently gasps when he sees the singer asleep, still firmly holding him in his embrace. The memories from the previous night come flooding in and he blushes recalling every single word that he had said.

 

As he attempts to slide out of the other’s arms, Donghae groans, stretching and squinting as the morning sun hits his eyes.

 

“Good morning.” He grins, leaning over to press a kiss against Hyukjae’s lips. Hyukjae pulls away immediately, and Donghae’s expression falls.

 

“Yesterday, I-” Hyukjae says, getting out of bed at the same time.

 

“Forget what I said yesterday, Donghae.”

 

“What?” Hyukjae sees the expression on the singer’s face and he feels a stinging pain in his chest.

 

“I-I’m sorry.” He mumbles, grabbing his belongings and dashing out of the room even before the singer can utter another word.

 

-

 

Three months later

 

 

Hyukjae stares at the sea, feeling the wind gently caress his cheeks. He sighs.

 

It had been three months since he last saw Donghae. He had ignored all his calls and messages. In fact, he hadn’t even interviewed Donghae for the last time. The morning after Donghae had picked him up from the bar, Hyukjae had headed to the office and told Ryeowook to find a replacement for the last interview. Usually, the editor wouldn’t have relented but seeing the distraught expression on Hyukjae’s face, he agreed.

 

Hyukjae knew that running away from his problems wouldn’t solve anything, but he was too afraid to open his heart once again. The hurt from his previous relationship had left a scar too deep, and he didn’t know whether he could ever trust someone fully again.

 

Had it been a mistake to run away?

 

187. sighs, heading back towards his car.

 

-

 

“Hyukjae ah.” Kyuhyun says, and Hyukjae sighs at the somewhat pleading tone.

 

“Don’t run away anymore, Hyukjae. It’s unfair for the both of you.”

 

Hyukjae only hums in response, and then ends the call.

 

 

He picks up the newspaper from The Korean Herald and he sees the all too familiar face on the cover page. He reads on.

 

 

The Rockers’ comeback album has been an absolute success in South Korea, and the rock band shared with us their plans to expand overseas someday.

 

The lead singer talked about the people who contributed to the immense success of their new album.

 

“This album’s success is due to the help of my members, and also someone special.” The 29-year-old singer said.

 

“He came into my life abruptly, and now he’s gone. I hope to see him again to thank him.” The singer added.

 

The rock band is now reaching their first anniversary and has plans to celebrate their recent success with a vacation overseas.

 

 

By now, Hyukjae has zoned out after that previous sentence.

 

“He didn’t give up on me,” Hyukjae murmurs, still holding the newspaper in his hands. “Oh, Donghae…”

 

 

-

 

“Who is this?” Hyukjae tries to speak calmly, but his voice betrays him.

 

“Why do you care?” The other man replies, smirking.

 

“Jungho-”

 

“Tell me, Hyukjae. Have you ever spared a single bit of your time for me?”

 

“Jungho, I told you to give me time, after this period is over, I’ll-”

 

“Save it, Hyukjae. Stop thinking you’re too good for everyone. I found someone better, so you can get out of my sight now.”

 

Hyukjae remains standing in the rain as the man drives off, leaving him alone.

 

“You told me you would never give up on me… You promised…” Hyukjae murmurs, sinking to the ground as the rain continues to drench him.

 

-

 

Somehow, Hyukjae finds himself driving to the familiar neighbourhood where he had been going weekly, and he stops right in front of the studio. He closes his eyes, recalling all the memories in that small, dusty place. He can’t help but smile, thinking of all the ridiculous moments they had shared.

 

He turns off the engine, stepping out of the car. He finds himself walking towards the door of the studio and he places a hand on the handle. He doesn’t hear any sounds, and he supposes that the band isn’t practising today.

 

What was I even planning to do, coming here?

 

He turns, ready to head back to his car, only to gasp when he sees the figure standing in front of him.

 

“Where are you going?” Donghae says, and he sounds so helpless, yet relieved, that Hyukjae finds tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

 

“I-” Hyukjae gasps when Donghae firmly pulls him into an embrace, pulling away to stare into his eyes before pressing their lips together. He melts into the kiss, tilting his head and running his hands through the singer’s hair.

They pull apart and Donghae gently wipes away the lone tear that has trickled down the corner of Hyukjae’s eyes.

 

“Don’t run away from me, Hyukjae. Please.” Donghae says pleadingly, and Hyukjae places his hand on the singer’s cheeks, brushing his thumb against the smooth skin.

 

“I’m sorry,” He whispers. Donghae holds his hand tightly, pulling him closer again.

 

“I missed you.” Donghae murmurs, gazing into Hyukjae’s teary eyes. Hyukjae leans his head against Donghae’s shoulder, before pulling away slightly. He feels Donghae tighten his hold around him.

 

“I missed you too.” He replies, and he sees the way Donghae’s eyes light up at those words. “I was wrong, Donghae. I-” Donghae pulls Hyukjae close, keeping a firm hold on the thin waist.

 

Donghae draws even closer and Hyukjae finds himself becoming breathless at the warm gaze fixated upon him.

 

“I meant what I said that night,” Hyukjae whispers, and finds himself smiling at the confused expression on Donghae’s face. “I like you, Donghae.”

 

He sees the way Donghae’s expression changes and how he seemingly doesn’t know how to respond. And so, he wraps his arms around Donghae’s neck, placing a light kiss on his neck. He wipes away the tears that have unknowingly trickled down Donghae’s cheeks.

 

He takes in the sight of the dazed singer for a moment and then leans in, gently kissing the singer’s chapped lips. Donghae pulls Hyukjae into the studio and shuts the door close, pushing Hyukjae against the wall, trapping him in his arms.

 

He kisses the adorable pout away, chuckling as the other wraps his arms around his neck possessively.

 

And they kiss gently and slowly, the world around them fading away, leaving only the two of them.

 

-

 

Donghae chuckles as Hyukjae scrolls furiously through the comment section of the news article, frowning as his reads every comment.

 

“Babe, stop looking at that.” Hyukjae cradles the phone possessively, pouting as he refreshes the screen and new comments flood in.

 

He smiles triumphantly, however, when he sees that there are more positive comments than negative ones.

 

They’re so cute, they deserve the best couple award!

 

Ah, my childhood idol is no longer mine, but Hyukjae is perfect for him ;;

 

Congratulations!! The best news I’ve heard all day!

 

Donghae chuckles at his lover’s expression, leaning over to kiss him. Hyukjae pulls away, placing a hand on the chest, forcing him to read the comments together with him.

 

“Don’t read them anymore,” He mumbles, gently caressing Hyukjae’s cheeks. “I don’t care what anyone says.”

 

Hyukjae looks away, blushing. The past few years, Donghae had given up a lot for him, sacrificing his reputation, being a rather new idol back then. However, Hyukjae was glad that the singer’s fans had stayed despite them getting together and had been so supportive. And Donghae had always been the one to comfort and reassure him whenever he heard someone say something bad about their relationship.

 

Hyukjae smiles. “Thanks, Hae.”

 

“For what?” The singer replies curiously.

 

Hyukjae only smiles gently, pulling Donghae towards him, letting his phone fall onto the couch.

 

Thank you for never giving up on me. For always being there.

 

The singer holds his hands tightly, and their matching silver bands fit perfectly against each other.

 

Lee Donghae, lead singer of The Rockers, announces his marriage to his long time lover, Lee Hyukjae.