Prompt: “What if I don’t see it?”  

(pairing: jae/youngk. Genre: au, comedy, fluff. Rating: pg. Words: 709) 

“What if I don’t see it?” Jae laughs on the other end of the line. “You’ll see it, Brian. Trust me on this.” He really wants to ask Jae how he knows that, and how he’s so sure – Brian's never been that good with surprises, which Jae does know perfectly well, but apparently has chosen to ignore. As a matter of fact it’s kind of impressive how much the older guy actually knows about him – or, no, not so much that he knows, it’s really that he remembers. They've been pen pals for ages, even though ‘email and SoMe-pals' would probably be a more accurate description, what with the 21st century and it’s love relation to any means of communication that doesn’t actually involve personal contact and/or actual penmanship. Which is terrific, because Brian’s handwriting .  

“Okay,” Brian says, when he’s reached the part of the park Jae’s instructed him to go to. How he knows anything about landscaping in Seoul is a mystery, because Jae lives and works in Los Angeles, has done so since he got out of college, and as far as Brian’s informed, he’s not really tied to the nation in the south as much as Brian thinks he himself is. “I think I'm here. What do I do now?” Jae chuckles. “You stand still for a minute, and you enjoy the view. It's pretty, isn’t it?” He has to give him that. It's summer, so the night is warm and humid, but below him are beds and more beds of flowers, neatly arranged in intricate patterns and beautiful scenery, artfully crafted with attention to detail and aesthetics. It's, well... Very nice. As if he’s capable of reading his mind, Jae speaks up again. “Well?” Brian can’t do much other than nod, mesmerized by the look that’s unfolding before him. Even in the dark he sees the contrasting colors clearly. “It’s amazing. How did you find this place?” 

“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood. I came here for inspiration and thought you’d appreciate it. But Brian?”  

“Yes, Jae?” 

“Actually -” He’s sounding hesitant, like there’s something he’s itching to tell him, but can’t quite formulate. “This wasn’t even the surprise. It's a decoy.” A decoy? Brian furrows his brows – there's more? “How do you mean? Are you pranking me?” Jae laughs. “Not exactly. Turn around.”  

He does. And there – he can hardly believe it, but it’s true – stands Jae, with his phone pressed to his ear, and a -eating grin on his face. “Hey, man,” he says, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Mind if I join you?”  

“When did you- what? Since when are you in Seoul?” Jae shrugs. “I figured I had to see what all the fuzz was about with you and this place, so I thought ‘why not?’ and booked myself a flight. The rest, as they say, is history.” Even when he’s ended the call and put his phone away, Brian’s just standing there dumbly with his phone against his ear. It's a surreal experience hearing his friend’s voice coming from something other than a screen or a phone or a snapchat video.  

“You didn’t tell me,” he says dumbfoundedly. Jae raises his brow, so it disappears up into his bangs. “No, that would ruin the surprise. I'm not stupid.” And then he joins him, and they stand there for a while – Brian, too preoccupied with trying to wrap his head around the fact that Jae first of all tricked him, and second of all is actually in Korea. In Seoul. For his sake. That’s a pretty wild concept, and honestly, he doesn’t really know how to take it. He doesn’t even know how to feel, other than being happy about it, but for some reason, he can’t make himself say it out loud. Jae’s just standing next to him, mindlessly surveying the area, like he’s a tourist.  

“So...” Brian says after a long period in silence, to which Jae hums in reply. “When’s your flight back?” And then he grins again. “Not until you’ve shown me what’s so great about that restaurant you kept blabbing on about, that’s for sure. And after that... Who knows? Maybe I'll find a reason for staying while I’m here.”