Chapter. 1 

A New Beginning 

Mino dropped the last box onto the floor. Thinking to himself that the next time he moves he will hire movers. He felt clever that he had organized and labeled every box according to the room they belonged, but he still dreaded the unpacking. 

    "Not happening tonight" he mumbled to himself. It was already late afternoon, he was hungry and the only food he got was a mars bar that he sat on all the way into the city. 

He had bought the flat several months ago, but it was brand new and only finished the previous week. Moving into his own place that he had bought with his own money had been a goal of his for years. Now it had finally become true. 

The elevator took forever to reach his floor and when it opened movers came out carrying a huge leather sofa. Everyone was moving in now that the building was complete and so the chaos continued outside and down the block. He was lucky to have arrived early it seemed. 

Unfamiliar with the neighborhood he brought up his phone to check out were the nearest decent size grocery store was. Soon he was on his way, mentally composing a shopping list in his mind as he went. 

An hour later he was struggling along the street leading home. He was regretting having bought so much now that he had to carry it all the way back. His pride stopped him from getting a taxi, but he probably should have. 

He was taking a break, leaning on a brick stairway when a tall man with dark maroon colored hair walked passed him. He too was carrying a shopping bag from the same grocery store, but on the contrary from him weren’t he struggling to carry his shopping home. 

Watching the stranger pass he couldn’t help but to note how handsome he was. The way he carried himself really appeal to him. He had just picked up his shoppingbags again when the stranger turned. 

    "Do you need help with those? It seems we are going in the same direction" he said motioning to the bags in his hands. It was a bit of a blow to his ego, but on the other hand would he really like to get back home at a decent time. 

    "Sure" he replied handing over a bag with some of the more heavy stuff in it. A piece of him questioned if it was naive of him to just hand over his stuff to a stranger like that, but then again, if mr. handsome wanted to steal his beer, milk and dishwasher soap then he could handle that loss.

They kept a frisk pace and the long legged stranger seemed completely unburdened by both the summer heat and carrying some extra weight. He didn’t want to seem like a weakling, which he weren't really, but after carrying all his moving boxes earlier in the day his arms were sore. 

    "So where to exactly?" the stranger asked. He told him the address and the guy smiled before replying "how convenient, thats where I’m heading too. I moved in yesterday" 

Wait a minute, yesterday? He was told he was one of the first to get to move in, first moving date and all. Shaking off his disgruntlement with the real estate firm he stopped, the stranger stopped too looking at him with a curious expression on his face. 

    "Song Mino" he said simply while reaching out his hand. It would be rude not to introduce himself since they were neighbors.      

    "Kang Seungyoon" the guy said taking his hand, shaking it firmly. "Nice to meet you neighbor. What floor do you live on?" he asked. He was surprised by the strength of the slender hand shaking his own, but replied right away:

    "On the 7th floor facing the river" A hint of pride swelling in his chest just like every other time he had explained about his new apartment. 

    "That’s nice. The views are great on that side isn’t it?" Seungyoon said as they began walking again. He wanted to ask Seungyoon the same question, but in that moment one of his shopping bags ripped open, leaving his shopping in a pile on the sidewalk. 

Seungyoon had helped him redistribute his shopping into the remaining bags before they returned to walking briskly again. Seungyoon had pointed to a coffee shop just by their building explaining that they got real decent coffee and great bread. He had thanked him for the tips, suddenly wishing that he too got a tip to give in return. 

The movers were still all over the place when they arrived at the building, but they had managed to squeeze in with a few arm chairs and an old lady with a small fluffy dog. There was a pleasant smell in the elevator despite the plastic wrapped chairs, dusty dog and the old lady. Using the method of elimination he concluded that Seungyoon had to be the source. 

He didn’t have the habit of sniffing people, but the pleasant wiff that went past him as Seungyoon helped the old lady get her dog detangled from running around the chairs got him smiling in an odd way. 

When they said their goodbyes as he hopped of the elevator his heart sank a little. He never felt lonely when he was alone, but locking himself into his still boxed up apartment he did feel a twinge of loneliness. 

    "Kang Seungyoon" he whispered to himself while putting away his shopping "I’ll remember that name" 

He was happy that he got the week off from work to get properly settled inn to his new place. He had made it a habit to have his breakfast at the cafe that Seungyoon had recommended, but they had yet to run into each other there. 

The only time they had met was one late night when he was returning home after a dinner, turned drinking party with some old school friends. He had locked himself in the main entrance and was waiting for the elevator when someone had walked up behind him. 

Oddly enough despite his drunken state had he felt him there before he had heard him. Like some odd sixth drunken sense. 

    "You are up late" Seungyoon had said standing next to him watching the number above the elevator change rapidly. 

    "Spontaneous high school reunion" he thought he had replied, could have been "Spores from heaven right above" as well, he couldn’t remember anymore. What he did remember was that Seungyoon had pushed the number 18 in the elevator, which was the penthouse suite at the top.

Seungyoon had also pushed the button for his floor, and gave him a small smile as he waved a bit too happily at him as he had exited out onto his landing. 

That was it. The only time they had met. He returned to work after his week off feeling a bit disappointed. If they had met he would have suggested they would grab coffee together or something. 

He worked as a curator at a gallery in the city although he was actually an art school educated painter. As his career at the gallery had picked up his art had been left on the back burner. Now that he got more space at home he hoped to get back into painting again. 

He already got a motif in mind for his first piece. 

Seungyoon. 

Picking up paint and a few larger canvases at an art supply shop not far from work he hopped onto the first bus taking him in the direction of home. It was his first completely free weekend since moving and he looked forward to spending it painting, reading and sleeping in.   

When he arrived at the building he found that there was some kind of commotion going on outside. At first he wondered if there had been an accident, but there were no emergency vehicles there. As he got up close he saw that there were reporters, a few even with cameras filming the building. 

He excused himself and pushed through the crowd. He tried to listen for clues as to why they were there, but couldn’t really pick up much. In the end he asked a woman close to the entrance about it. She explained that they were doing a big reveal on someone who was currently in the building and thus didn’t want to say, unless he would let her in. 

Annoyed he refused her offer. If that was the case he would find out soon enough. It was probably some girlfriend of some celebrity living here and.. His mind trailed off. It couldn’t be something about Seungyoon? Apparently he lived in the fanciest apartment of the building. 

A couple of residents were standing in the hall as he entered. They looked annoyed too, but he picked up their conversation as he waited for the elevator and it appeared they were angry because their taxi was late. 

He spent his evening painting just like he had planned. He then ate a very late dinner before showering and going to bed. Opening his bedroom window to let in the evening breeze from the river he could hear the faint clicking sounds of cameras down below. 

Telling himself he didn’t care he jumped into bed, but a small part of him regretted that decision. If it really was related to Seungyoon then he would have liked to know. 

Usually he would fall asleep right away, but now he couldn’t.

His mind was racing. Most of the time he managed to suppress any thought of his past and he was content with moving to the city. No one knew him here and if he just kept everyone at a distance things would be fine. His career was going well, he was back to doing art. Yet something, or more accurately, someone was throwing him off balance. 

It was Seungyoon, he knew that. The random act of kindness. His small honest smiles and hearty laughs. There was something else too, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, but when they were close he felt a different kind of calm. 

He envisioned Seungyoon’s face clearly in his mind, on its own it wasn’t all that calming. A tiny and slightly mad part of him wanted to go ring on his doorbell right now, even if he was rejected he would.. he stopped mid thought. His room smelled singed. He jumped out of bed trying not to swear. 

    "Please tell me the building is on fire" he groaned lifting the sheets of his bed. The building weren’t on fire, but his bed wasn’t far from it. Handmarks on the white sheets were still smoking. It had been years since he had lost control like that. 

This was not good. He had become so good at suppressing it, so good that he almost forgot he could do it. Memories from his past came flooding back to him fast now and it was making him anxious. Memories of buildings on fire, and it was his fault. 

He needed to get out, out into the open, he needed open space around him.

Looking out the window he saw the dark river running down bellow. He pulled on his pants again and picked up the slightly paint covered t-shirt from the laundry pile. It would do. 

Anxiety level rising by the second he almost sprinted to the main exit when the elevator door opened. The reporters where gone thankfully. Did they get what they came for? He wondered as he walked along the side of the building taking a sharp turn by the corner leading him to the river. 

He longed for sea air and wide open beaches, but the squeaks of a lone seagull and the sloshing sounds of the lazy river would have to do. He pulled himself up on the barricades and sat down. 

Looking down onto his hands he sighed. Back when he was in school he thought his powers was the coolest thing about himself. That was until something went terribly wrong. 

He had been showing off, when the dry summer grass had caught fire. Soon the entire school building was up in flames. No one had died, but it was thanks to pure luck alone. Just knowing that someone had to live their lives with burn scars because of him was enough to make him feel sick.

    "It’s dangerous to sit up there on your own at night" he heard someone call from down bellow him. Startled he turned around to see Seungyoon standing down on the ground. 

    "It’s dangerous to yell at someone sitting in deep thought close to water too you know" he replied and got up. He took one last look down at the river before jumping down to Seungyoon. 

Seungyoon was wearing a black suit today with a west underneath it. He didn’t make any movement even thought he had jumped down right beside him. 

    "I just got home and saw a shadow far up there. I was worried someone had been drinking and fallen asleep up there" Seungyoon explained. He turned towards him and gave him a concerned look. "Is that blood on your shirt?" he asked. 

Slightly startled by the question he pulled on the shirt to look at the stain only to laugh a little when he saw it. 

    "No, it’s paint" he explained suddenly remembering he had pulled on his old shirt from the laundry basket before going out. "I spent the evening painting and needed some fresh air before sleeping" he explained. It was a partial truth at least. 

Seungyoon looked to be thinking for a moment before replying: 

    "Thats a bold color to paint your walls with" he noted pointing towards the stain. 

He laughed again, wondering how much he should reveal about himself and his life. He figured the more he shared, the more Seungyoon might share too, and he was so incredibly curious. 

    "I’m not painting my flat, it’s from a picture I’m working on. I’m actually an artist.." he explained matter of factly watching another seagull land next to the one nestled upon the barricade. 

    "Ah I see" Seungyoon replied, finally smiling that smile he was longing to see. "What have you been painting today then?" he asked curiously. He had not seen this question coming, but decided right away to lie: 

    "The sunset view of the river" he lied, trying to keep a straight face. He was a terrible liar and he knew it, but since his actual motif was standing right before him, but he couldn’t tell the truth. It would be too strange, even a bit creepy probably. 

Seungyoon turned towards their building and started slowly walking. He followed without thinking. It was only when Seungyoon walked away he felt a change in the air around him. It slowly went back to being filled with the nervous electric vibe that had cloaked him all evening. 

As soon as they were walking side by side again he felt more at ease. 

    "I’d love to see your interpretation of our shared view one day" Seungyoon said as they walked. His voice low, staring up ahead. 

    "I’ll show you once its finished" he replied. Half of him jumping with joy because they had a reason to meet in the future. The other feeling the pressure of having to paint a picture he felt was good enough for Seungyoon’s eyes to see. 

As they walked up to the entrance of the building he noticed a black car standing on the road up front. Suddenly remembering the commotion from earlier he decided to ask: 

    "Do you know who the reporters were here for earlier?" 

Seungyoon gave him a slightly strange look before giving a small sigh. 

    "My friend probably. Lee Seunghoon. You know him?" 

Everyone knew Seunghoon. He had saved the city a few years back when a tsunami had threaten to flood the streets. He was one of the few known heroes of the country, no wonder there were reporters around. They were probably everywhere he went. 

     "Yeah, I read the news every once in a while" he said lightly. "How come you know him?" he asked before realizing it might be rude to ask. 

      "We grew up in the same city, went to the same high school. We try to catch up every year although we are busy" Seungyoon explained simply. 

Superhero friends must be nice he thought. Once he had dreamed of becoming one himself. But what kind of saving could one possibly do with fire. He felt his mood sink as his thoughts went back into the same dark place as they had dwelled earlier that evening. 

    "Good night then" Seungyoon said watching as he stepped out of the elevator. "Take care now. Dont go balancing up on the barricades at night" he continued with a honest concerned look on his face. 

Feeling slightly embarrassed suddenly he scratched his neck and looked down. 

    "I wont" was all he managed to say before the elevator door closed between them and he was left alone in the hallway. 

Entering his apartment he felt the same singed smell seep into his nostrils. It made his stomach turn and he rushed to open every window as well as turning on the kitchen fan. 

He was too on edge to sleep and so he pulled up another canvas and began painting the sunset from earlier that day. Seungyoon seemed to show up in his life in unpredictable ways and so he didn’t want to be caught lying.

Waking the next morning he couldn’t understand why his flat was so cold. It was only when he entered the kitchen and saw all the windows still open he remembered the happenings from the day before. 

The finished painting stood there gleaming in colors of yellow, orange and pink. It had turned out well, despite the fact that he had painted it all from memory in the darkness of the previous night. 

He took a long shower and gulped down some water straight from the kitchen tap before heading out. 

It was a lovely Sunday morning. Hardly any cars in the street and people walking around talking at a slow pace. A nice breeze hit his face as he took the first turn on the street, making his way towards the cafe he had already become somewhat of a regular at. 

Once he got there he ordered his usual and opted for a spot outside in the sun. Usually the place was a lot more crowded, but he had arrived at the perfect time. Too late for most peoples breakfast and too early for lunch. 

Sipping his coffee he took out his phone. A few work emails had ticked in but those could wait until Monday. He then checked the news. Absorbed in his morning routine he had forgotten all about the reporters from the day before, but seeing the news it all came back to him. 

The top article was a picture of Seunghoon, walking out of his and Seungyoon's home building. The headline said "First appearance in six months, he didn’t abandon us after all. Or did he?" He skimmed through the article quickly, which went on to accuse Seunghoon of giving up on his duty as city defender. As far as he knew had nothing major happened in the last year, and the article only listed petty crimes. 

    "It’s not like he is the friendly neighborhood spider-man either now is he" he said to himself before putting down his phone to finish his breakfast. 

He looked up only to see Seungyoon standing by his table. Coffee in hand, newspaper in the other. 

    "Not as if Spider-Man only deals with petty crimes you know. Last time i checked he helped save the world" he mused down at him almost teasingly. "Mind if I joined you?" he then asked, motioning towards the chair next to him. 

    "Go ahead" he replied pulling out the chair as Seungyoon put down his coffee on the table. 

They talked about the news for a bit and the how good the coffee was. Seungyoon then went ahead recommending his favorite food choices after slightly judging him for eating a dry croissant when there were so many other options. 

Seungyoon then continued flopping through the newspaper like some old man while he himself looked at his phone for a bit. He still got so many questions, but no one liked a nagging idiot in the morning and so he kept silent. 

It was only when he got back from fetching his second cup of coffee he noticed someone else familiar on the pages of the newspaper. 

    "Hey thats you" he said pointing towards a small picture on the last page next to the weather and the daily chess puzzle. Squinting he read out loud: "New national billiards champion" he had to look at the picture again just to be sure, but there was no mistaking it. Seungyoon was even wearing the outfit from yesterday, just without the suit jacket. 

    "Congrats" he said leaning back in the chair, hoping Seungyoon would tell him about this piece of news. Instead Seungyoon laughed and put down the paper. Mino looked at him as he took a sip of his coffee. 

    "Thanks. Funny how Seunghoon is on the front page, visiting my home. While this is me" he pointed to the thumbnail size picture, laughing a bit more. 

    "Not the most popular sport I guess" he said. Mirroring Seungyoon, taking a sip of his coffee as well. 

    "Thank you for calling it a sport" Seungyoon hummed. He then went on to explain how it had been a hobby of his from young age and that now he liked to compete when he got the time. 

They finished eating and started on their walk home together. Seungyoon was humming some unfamiliar tune, but he found it very soothing to listen to, like a lullaby almost. 

Sun shining down on them both he felt calmer and happier than he had done in days. He made a promise to himself to not schedule too much work on his weekends from then on, because it had obviously been too much for him. Why else would he almost set his bed on fire after not having any incidents for years. 

They heard the commotion before seeing it, and when they both took the last turn around the block revealing their home completely crowded by cars, and people he heard Seungyoon sigh beside him. 

    "Not again" Seungyoon mumbled and sped up. "He could at least let me know he was coming!" 

He followed as best he could as they made their way though the crowd completely filling the sidewalk. 

Inside the first thing he noticed was the drops of blood on the floor, but his eyes were soon drawn to the handsome man waiting by the elevator. He was facing towards them and began speaking as soon as they were within earshot.

    "I tried to call ahead, but my phone appears to have been crushed" he excused, holding up his phone for them to see. The screen was completely cracked and there was blood on it. 

    "It’s fine" Seungyoon mumbled, pushing the button on the elevator twice.   

     "You joining us Mino? I’m Jinwoo by the way" the man said, holding out the other hand towards him. The one without blood on it. 

Seungyoon gave Jinwoo a disapproving look, but didn’t say anything. When they got into the elevator Seungyoon didn’t push the number for his floor so he figured he could tag along. 

The elevator gave the usual beeping sound signaling that they were at the top floor. He was curious to see what Seungyoon’s apartment looked like, but immediately he was distracted by the amount of blood that was on the landing before them. 

They followed the bloody footprints into the living room. A man was laying on the couch, he looked pretty badly beat up and he couldn’t help but to ask: 

    "Shouldn’t he be at the hospital?" 

Seungyoon had already walked up to the badly injured man. Jinwoo sighed before replying: 

    "Yeah, I tried to take him, but he refused. Asked me to take him here"

He looked from Jinwoo, to the injured man and to Seungyoon. Slowly he pieced together who the man was. Based on the media outside, the severe injuries and the simple fact that he weren’t dead yet.

    "Seunghoon. I know I said yesterday you could count on me anytime, but this soon?" Seungyoon said and gave a low sigh before he took Seunghoon’s hand in his. 

What happened next blew his mind on so many levels he weren’t sure of how to describe it. Seungyoon had begun glowing faintly with blue light and the light had slowly extended to Seunghoon. He could see that Seunghoon's pained expression faded as soon as it reached him, although bloody, his posture changed from almost corpselike to resting. 

When Seungyoon got to his feet he staggered a little and he looked pale, but smiling. 

    "How are you feeling?" he asked reaching out a hand to Seunghoon. 

    "Like new" he replied grabbing Seungyoon’s hand, getting to his feet. "Can I borrow some clothes and your shower?" he asked. 

Seungyoon had signaled for Seunghoon to follow him and they walked out of the room. He saw Seungyoon swaying slightly as they took the turn around doorway. 

Still struggling to comprehend what he had seen he sat down on one of the chairs. 

    "That was something" he said to Jinwoo who was leaning against the wall looking a bit pale himself. 

    "Yeah. I’ve heard about his powers, but never seen it. We have been laying low for a while.. Seunghoon was right to reach out to Seungyoon yesterday" Jinwoo’s voice trailed of as his bloody, broken phone sprung to life in his hand. 

Jinwoo pointed to the phone and stepped into the hall. 

He sat in silence, thinking hard. Jinwoo had known his name without them having ever met before. A small part of him hoped it was Seungyoon who had told him about him, but how could that be the case if they only just met. 

His next question was if they knew about him. He had a strong feeling they did, because why else would they include him into all this. 

Third question was who had Seunghoon been up against to end up like that. Now that was a question he was slightly terrified to find out the answer to. He could only hope that Seunghoon had ended whoever that was, before turning into the mess he had just witnessed on the couch. His train of thought was interupted by someone speaking behind him:

    "I’m sure you have a lot of questions" Seungyoon said, walking back into the room. 

Author's notes: So that was the first chapter. Did you like it? I really hope so :) Make sure to subscribe if you did because there are more chapters coming! I'm aiming to update at least once a week, but if I finish the next one sooner then I'll probably post it ^^