If someone asked Hyukjae to give a definition to the word ‘unfortunate’… he’d definitely say, “Donghae.”

Seriously, sometimes it seemed like the poor guy took all the misfortunes this world only could offer and suffered because of that. All the unrealistic – sometimes comical and funny, sometimes scary and dangerous – misfortunes happened to him.

If it’s about him baking something, he’d burn the food. Reading the book? He’d cut his finger with pages. Feeding a doggy? He’d get bitten. Trying to make an impression on someone he happened to like? He’d fall on the ground, getting tangled in his own legs.

That’s how he tried to make an impression on Hyukjae, after all.

That’s how he won the guy’s heart.

Hyukjae still remembered that day so clearly. They were so young and hopeful when they met, still the students in different universities that met accidentally on some sort of festival for students from all educational institutions in the city, except for the littlest ones. Hyukjae was no one but an attendee, not interested in those organizational works, too lazy to do extra things and waste his time on that. Donghae was some sort of promoter – he was distributing flyers with information about what his university prepared for this festival.

According to Donghae, he fell at first sight. Hyukjae laughed when he heard it and called him a hopeless romantic, too embarrassed to admit he did, too.

Donghae, wearing an extremely weird hat with something that looked either like mouse or teddy bear ears (but he loved weird and fluffy hats) and an oversized sweater that made him appear quite soft, spotted the guy laughing not so far from him. The teddy bear was supposed to give his flyers to the girls who were passing by, yet he completely forgot about the need to do it as he was mesmerized with that gummy smile, so wide and bright, with the wrinkles around the guy’s eyes that appeared whenever he was laughing. With the laughter that was nothing special actually, but to him, it sounded like the world’s best melody. Unlike him, the guy wasn’t wearing that weird hat or something; he was dressed up in a cool way as if he was going to meet his date on the festival. Way luckier choice of clothes than his one. Donghae loved his style, but could admit that today wasn’t the best look of his for a romantic approach.

Yet, he still tried to approach the guy.

Without understanding what he was about to do, Donghae moved towards him, seeing no one and nothing apart from that gummy smile. Apparently, he had to pay less attention to that smile and had to look at his own legs because the moment that handsome stranger turned towards the one approaching him and his friend who he was laughing with – Donghae literally didn’t even see there was another person with him, he was that captivated by the guy – and looked at him, Donghae just… fell.

He fell on the ground, letting out an ‘Ooff!’ that was full of pain, his flyers falling and wind carrying them somewhere far, far away… all while the guy he liked so much at first sight was watching that act of his clumsiness.

Instead of approaching gracefully, confidently… he fell awkwardly, embarrassingly.

Donghae’s eyes became teary immediately once he realized his position – stretched out on the ground, looking at the handsome stranger’s shoes – and if someone asked about the reason of that he’d probably not be able to reply whether it was because of the pain that pierced his knees, elbows and chin or because of the fact he simply wanted to approach that guy with a gummy smile, to wish him a good festival, to… to make a good impression on him, to…

A sob escaped from his mouth.

Hyukjae remembered how his own eyes widened when he saw that literal ball of fluff falling in front of him with a rather not fluffy and loud sound. The hit looked quite painful and the moment that guy with weird ears on his hat let out a sob and lifted his head, so Hyukjae saw tears on his eyes, he crouched down beside him in a rush, immediately asking, “Hey… Hey, are you okay? Can you get up?”

Donghae looked at him in disbelief as if he didn’t really expect the guy would want to approach him, now all dirty and miserable, appearing rather unsightly with those tears and all, and wanted to say something like it didn’t hurt at all, but…

But then he looked at that beautiful face so close to his, expression full of worry, and, once realizing that he himself looked like the dumbest creature on Earth, he…

He started crying, making Hyukjae feel lost.

“I’m…” Donghae tried to say, feeling even dumber than before. He lifted his palm and tried to dry his tears with it, yet, without realizing it but acting out of pure instinct, Hyukjae grabbed his wrist to prevent the teddy bear touching his eyes with dirty hands. Donghae stared at that grip in some sort of surprise and mumbled, “I’m… Fine…”

A sob followed and, with Hyukjae helping him to get up by making him sit gently (a poor attempt to justify why he grabbed the teddy bear’s wrist), he let out another one while repeating, “I’m fine, I’m fine…”

“You don’t look fine though,” Hyukjae spoke, scanning his body with his attentive eyes and noticing a few really nasty wounds that were literally bleeding now. “Should we find a doctor?”

“What a crybaby, it’s just a scratch…” they heard someone commenting, but by now that their memories faded, they didn’t remember whether it was a guy or a girl even.

They both remembered how Donghae froze at that comment though and… the tears streamed down his cheeks even harder.

Yes, he was a crybaby. Very, very emotional one. Just like he looked the happiest when good things happened, he looked the saddest when something didn’t go his way. He was easy to cry, so easy to cry it annoyed even him, but his parents kept telling him he shouldn’t be ashamed of that. And he wasn’t.

It’s just that… he already fell in front of the guy he wanted to approach in a cool way and then started crying. Like a crybaby, yes.

Oh, he really was miserable.

Hyukjae noticed that the cries intensified and placed his palm on the guy’s shoulder, letting out a soft, “Hey…”

He didn’t know how to comfort him for they were just strangers, but only wanted to let Donghae know he didn’t mind.

The guy shook his head vigorously and spoke, “You may leave, I… It’s for long, I won’t stop crying anytime soon, it’s… It’s always like that. I… I am a crybaby, actually.”

Hyukjae could only smile reassuringly, finding it somewhat fascinating that the guy in front of him wasn’t afraid to admit this trait of his and didn’t look ashamed of it, although some would definitely call it his weakness. That was speaking about him quite loudly actually, for everyone had their weaknesses, yet only a few weren’t afraid to talk about them.

“Well, I think crybabies are quite cute,” he said, realizing he probably sounded really stupid. “And you’re very brave for admitting it like that, too.”

Donghae looked at Hyukjae with hope and, even though they didn’t know each other for 10 minutes even, the guy already could see it. The way Donghae’s eyes sparkled and he looked more or less cheered.

“Really?” he asked while fixing his hat. Miraculously, his tears seemed to be stopping, although that teddy bear still sniffed a few times.

“Really. And I see that you seem to calm down? Is there anything else I can do to make you feel a bit better?”

Donghae bit his lip, wincing in pain as his chin wasn’t okay actually. Hyukjae’s eyes widened in worry as he saw that and he already wanted to say something, but the other guy was faster, “There’re three things that could make me feel better.”

“Three things?”

“Yeah.”

In spite of everything, Hyukjae smiled and asked, “What are those things?”

Donghae sniffed again; he wasn’t crying already, yet had a runny nose still.

“First, I guess some bandages would be nice. I will give you money back for that, don’t worry! But I think it’d be nice to do something with,” he pointed at his chin, “this and maybe,” pointed at his knees and elbows, “this too. Is it… is it okay to ask you to buy them? I kind of…”

He didn’t even need to finish the sentence.

“Yeah, sure,” Hyukjae turned around to his friend who’s been silent this whole time as he didn’t know how to approach that crying guy himself. “Could you buy some bandages and water too maybe? We need to wash the wounds.”

“Ah,” the guy spoke. “Uh. Sure?”

“It’ll sting if we wash it,” Donghae commented, making Hyukjae face him.

“We still need to do it. It’d be no use to apply bandages without at least washing the wounds.”

“Then you definitely owe me the second thing for that.”

Hyukjae chuckled. Since when did they come to him actually owing that guy something? Wasn’t he the one helping him here?

Some would find it irritating, but… Maybe it was the way Donghae spoke or something else that made the guy just… laugh at that and find it cute. That teddy bear didn’t look like he was trying to use the stranger who decided to help him, more like… a pure soul who spoke everything that was on his mind without any words filter?

“And what is that?” he asked.

Donghae grinned, trying to ignore the pain in his chin, “A drink with me. My treat.”

Hyukjae’s eyes widened, “And the third one is?..”

The other guy his lips, “Your… number? Maybe?”

Hyukjae’s eyes widened even more, and Donghae suddenly felt really small because of that. It wasn’t his first time trying to flirt with a guy he liked, but let’s just say… not all the attempts went well.

All the attempts went unwell if he had to be honest. It was good when the guys he tried to flirt with were simply weirded out, yet there were a few who tried to punch him even. One of them succeeded. Only once he got a ‘Yes’ to his flirting attempts, yet that guy turned out to be a scammer who was using Donghae by making him pay for literally everything and demanding gifts that were becoming more and more expensive with every day.

Yeah, he was a very… unfortunate guy. When it came to relationships, too.

But Hyukjae seemed so nice that he decided to give it a try, although he wasn’t sure it’ll go well, not anymore.

“Did you just… flirt with me?” he asked, looking at Donghae with his eyes wide.

“Uhm… yes?” the teddy bear gulped and backed away a little. “Please, don’t hit me. I’m wounded already. Or if you decide to hit me, then don’t do it with full strength, I’m…”

“What is your name?”

“What?”

Donghae looked at Hyukjae with his eyes wide and noticed how the other guy, although still shocked, smiled at him while saying, “Mine’s Hyukjae. What’s yours? It’d be weird to share my number and go on a date with someone whose name I don’t even know.”

“A… d-date?” Donghae stammered.

Hyukjae’s smile turned into a grin, “You’re not the only one who knows how to flirt here.” He reached to the pocket of his jeans and, pulling the phone out of it, asked, “So… what’s your name to save your number under it?”

The teddy bear smiled and… and maybe Hyukjae imagined it, but somehow it looked like even the ears on his hat perked. As if they were real.

“Donghae!” he announced. “My name’s Donghae!”

And that’s how it all started.

***

Of course Donghae was late to their very first date (if we forget about the one when they were drinking together right after dealing with the guy’s injuries).

Which was a shame because he was preparing so hard for that date. He made sure to wear his best jeans (the ones that showed