Hongjoong knew his life was in ruins when he had a literal breakdown in a grocery store.

He had counted, he was certain he had counted, to make sure he had enough money for everything. Yet here he stood in the fruit aisle of a grocery store with tears running down his cheeks as he realized he couldn't, in fact, afford it all. 

It wasn't so much that he'd have to cut down what he bought- no, it was the humiliation of having such a short grocery list and yet not enough money to buy it all. What, he questioned, would Jongho say when he heard? He would be so disappointed. Hongjoong cried harder. 

"Are you okay?" 

He heard someone running, then just before he could sink into a shelf and knock the whole thing over, a pair of arms were around him, holding him up. He heard that voice again, low and gentle, repeating the question: "Can you hear me? Are you okay?" 

Mortifying. 

"I'm fine," Hongjoong said with as much dignity as he coukd manage. "Just fine. Nothing's wrong at all, thank you." He collapsed against the stranger again, waiting for them to worry and humiliate him worse. 

Instead, the unknown young man giggled. "Um. Wow, okay, I feel really stupid. I literally don't know what to do." 

"Let me stand up?" Hongjoong suggested in a rather annoyed tone. 

The young man let go, and Hongjoong promptly fell back into his arms again. 

"Or not," he grumbled. 

"Uh- can you walk if I help you? I'll pay for your stuff," his annoying saviour said awkwardly. 

"How do I know you won't steal it?" 

"I would've done it already, if i was going to." 

"Okay." Too tired to protest, Hongjoong leaned back and sighed. "I'm K- Kim Seungmin. Yeah. That's my name." 

Kim Seungmin was an acquaintance of Hongjoong's. He hoped it was ok to use his name. 

"I'm Park Seonghwa!" Hongjoong finally turned to see the stranger's face and gasped. 

He looked straight into a pair of dark, intense eyes, which stood out even more due to the man's heavy eyebrows. He had sharp features, perfect skin that seemed to be almost glowing, and a soft half-smile on his lips. Dark hair fell like a black silk curtain over his forehead. 

He was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. No, beautiful didn't do justice to a face like that; he was glorious, ethereal, otherwordly. He was perfect. 

Too perfect, maybe, for Hongjoong's liking. 

But damn. 

"I- I'm not Kim Seungmin," Hongjoong announced. "I lied. I'm Hongjoong. Still a Kim." He gave a vague laugh. 

"Okay," Seonghwa giggled, looking confused and slightly amused. Hongjoong wanted to slap him. At least then he'd have an excuse to touch that flawless skin- no, Hongjoong, don't think like that. He pulled away and stood shakily. "I'm okay now. I can buy my own stuff." 

"All right!" Seonghwa said sweetly, and he vanished off down another aisle. Hongjoong shook his head. Some people were just a lot to handle. 

Most people weren't that beautiful, though.