Hearing

Zitao nodded to the departing cleaning lady and made his way down a hall of empty practice rooms early in the morning, planning to get some actual work done for his rhythm and beat class before the fight for rooms started. This meant going to bed early and getting up a good two to three hours before any sane person, but it was worth it. There was something very calming in the thick silence that naturally let his thoughts flow in just the right direction he needed. In his favorite room, he could sit and write lyrics to his heart's content, study diligently, picking everything up with ease, and let the words just fly off the tip of his tongue, unbroken in a stream of rap verses without a single care for anyone who could be listening.

Because he was alone in this perfect little room of his.

This was Tao's routine. It had been this way for a year and a half now, after he discovered how difficult it was to successfully get a room alone in his first year here. Usually he couldn't hear anything or anyone as he walked this hallway, unlike how it was in the middle of the day when instruments and voices clashed against each other even through the thick soundproofing walls. Whenever there was an exception, sometimes he would stop and listen just a moment before continuing on to his favorite room.

Today, there was an exception. A beautiful voice rose and fell, muffled by the walls, but much louder and clearer than Tao had ever heard in his early morning practice sessions. This voice reached incredible heights and left these high notes hanging in the air for seemingly impossible stretches of time.

A power vocal.

Tao really loved listening to the students here sing, and this voice was another he wanted to add to his collection of nice surprises he'd found along these halls. As he had with all the others, Zitao pressed an ear to the door and closed his eyes as the music washed over him.

Unlike the other times, he stayed until the song ended.

Suddenly remembering that this was his practice time too, Tao left the door with a sigh and made his way to the waiting practice room.

Once there, Zitao brought out his writing tools and tried to work on his composition, but found all his inspiration was being blocked by a melody that wound it's way through his head again and again with incredible, lung-crushing high notes. Replacing his blank papers for his notes, he thought to study instead, but nothing he read would stick. Getting a little frustrated, Tao opened his mouth to at least work on his rapping skills when he found his voice slowly trying to mold the words and rhythms he knew so well into the melody playing in his head. Giving up on shooing away the intrusive voice, Tao accepted this compromise and remixed his entire practice routine to fit this beautiful voice in his head.

***

Sight

This voice would not leave Tao alone. It followed him into his classes, lulling him into daydreams where he found the owner and stood on stage with him. Sometimes Tao even daydreamed that he was the owner of this voice, belting out fantastic scores of music in front of a huge audience of awed concert-goers. He found himself singing in the shower more and humming as he walked about the school.

It prickled at his curiosity to think about what kind of a person created this sound. Zitao was almost certain they'd be big and strong like their voice; they might even be taller than him. Again, this kind of curiosity had happened before, where he itched to see who owned the voice he'd heard, just never as strong this.

He almost forgot to greet the student he met in the halls as he headed to practice, ready to let his daydreams and fading memory of the voice take over his thoughts again.

With his hand settled on the doorknob, Tao heard it. The voice, the power vocal from before, was singing a quiet tune that was harshly cut off by the heavy door as it's owner disappeared into the room. But Tao only had a quick glimpse of the student he'd greeted. It wasn't enough. He hadn't truly paid attention and the figure he saw didn't make sense to him. He-

He wanted another look.

Letting his hand fall from the doorknob, Tao placed himself in front of another one, much more intimidating than the last. What was he supposed to say? The truth sounded weird in his head and probably wouldn't sound much better out his mouth.

In a spurt of courage (or was it stupidity?), Tao opened the door.

The mystery singer of his daydreams looked up at him with surprise through round glasses before returning Tao's short bow. With soft brown curls and a slightly smaller build, this wasn't who Tao had imagined at all. This person didn't seem nearly as bold and strong. He imagined someone with a larger ribcage at least, to make room for incredible lungs.

But no, this was the person whose voice had stolen every available space in his head he had reserved for studies and actual work.

“Can I help you?” This student asked when Tao had yet to say something.

A blush was creeping into Tao's cheeks as he fought for a good lie. “The cleaning lady... Uhm, she asked that I remind you to grab everything of yours before you leave. Some kid forgot a jacket or something...”

“Oh, okay.” said the student, clapping his hands to his side awkwardly. “Was there anything else?” he asked, because Tao still hadn't left.

He didn't quite know why, but his feet refused to budge. “No.” Tao said lamely.

“Well, uh...” The student stuck out a hand for Tao to shake. “Then I'm Kim Jongdae, but call me Chen.”

“Huang Zitao. Call me Tao. Uhm,” Tao blinked a few times, not taking the hand offered. “I should go.” With a strangled “Good luck with practice”, he left the singer alone, feeling foolish.

***

Scent

Nearly every day Zitao got up at his super early time to practice, he'd run into Chen in the halls. They'd greet each other and part ways, never really talking to the other. What could Tao even say to him? He had no idea how to start a conversation at all or even why he wanted to start one in the first place.

It must be the voice, he reasoned. I want to become friends with him because I like his voice so much. As a friend, he'd let me listen to him sing from inside the practice room, right?

Inside the practice room. He couldn't help but wonder how much greater the beautiful voice would sound strikingly clear and un-muffled by that heavy door.

Tao gave up trying to figure out how to start a conversation without being awkward and instead came to the halls at a slightly later time when Chen was already at work so he could hear the boy's singing first thing in the morning. His new daily routine now held these moments outside Chen's practice room door, listening with eyes closed and head slowly bobbing along.

Chen never failed to amaze him with his singing.

One day as he listened, the music abruptly stopped and he barely thought to stand up and away from the door when the singer opened it and rushed out.

Bumping into him with a surprised “oh”, Chen asked Tao to watch after his things while he ran out to grab his forgotten music sheets.

In that breathless moment, Tao could smell the soft scent of spiced cologne struck through with a sharp citrus. That fleeting scent warmed him deep in his chest and stayed there.

Tao felt restless waiting for him to return. He wanted to ask where Chen got his cologne, but when the singer came back, the words stuck themselves in his throat and he let the boy past him without a word, breathing in slow and deep as he walked by.

***

Touch

Zitao was starting to feel like a creep. He didn't mean to stare after Chen so much or sneak in a little closer after waiting for the right moment to walk with him side by side down the practice room halls early in the morning, all just to catch a little more of that scent.

The singer was so interesting to him. Every little thing he learned about Chen was a new thing to distract him from his classes and studies. Tao's favorite practice room was no longer blissfully silent and empty, but filled with muffled melodies, soft brown curls, and spiced cologne with a hint of citrus. He couldn't help but feel the need to learn even more about this student even as he saw his grades slipping. It was like he would never feel satisfied until he'd found something specific, yet he had no idea what it was he needed to know that shook him up so badly.

They only made small talk about classes, never delving into anything serious or trying for a deeper relationship than that which they had of greeting and walking side by side.

Stepping away from his hiding spot behind the wall a moment after Chen passed by, Tao caught up to him yet again with a smile.

“Tao, nice to see you again.” said Chen politely, unsurprised at this coincidental meeting. “Ms. Smith giving you a hard time again?”

Nodding, Tao replied, “I just don't have time to learn English. Music is my life and I need to use every second practicing to make sure it can stay that way, you know?”

The singer hummed in agreement. “I understand. English is really tough.” Outside of his usual room now, Chen lay a hand on Tao's arm in a show of comfort before leaving him with a quick, “See you later.”

It had been a very warm touch. Tao had expected this much from his first contact with the boy, but he hadn't expected to still feel it hours later, a ghost of the feeling left behind.

All along, Zitao had thought he wanted to be friends with this Kim Jongdae, but now he realized this wasn't what he wanted at all.

***

Taste

Tao found out that the reason that Chen smelled of citrus was the orange he ate with dinner nearly every night that stained his fingernails with it's juices, the smell sticking around even after showering and washing his hands. He found this out when he went out for a late dinner, missing dinner time at the college's cafeteria to finish up his English homework. In a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant nearby, with dim lighting and chipped white-painted walls, he found the singer peeling an orange bit by bit in the corner, the rest of his food already eaten.

“Hey, Tao!” he called, looking up. “What are you doing here?”

“Ahh... food.” the boy responded, mind going blank.

“Don't you normally eat at the school?”

A bit stunned that Chen knew this about him, Zitao nodded dumbly.

“Okay, well... How about you join me?” offered Chen, already scooting his dishes to the side.

Unable to see any way out of this, the boy quickly ordered something and sat down on the opposite side of the table. It wasn't that Tao didn't want to be there. He was just scared he might say or do something stupid because he was mentally unprepared to face the object of his admiration.

From where he sat, he could smell Chen's cologne mixing in with the warm food smells. His mouth watered as he nervously kept his gaze anywhere but right in front of him.

On the worn wooden table they sat at, Tao found some graffiti of initials in a heart and imagined the couple who could have scratched it in. The thought almost made him smile. When his imagined couple suddenly turned into him and Chen however, his face flushed hot and red.

What was he going to do? He had no idea how to proceed with these feelings.

Tao looked up at the singer for inspiration and suddenly wondered why he hadn't noticed just how beautiful he was. From afar, Chen was good-looking. From up close, Kim Jongdae was simply gorgeous. The dark eyelashes that framed eyes etched with laugh lines, the jut of his cheekbones, the sharp jawline, the tongue that swiped orange juice off his curved lips. All of it tantalized Zitao until his heart felt fit to burst.

In one swift movement, Tao stood, letting his chair scrape across the floor, and leaned over the table to catch the taste of oranges that Chen's tongue had missed.

This was a mistake, thought Zitao as he froze, still leaning over the table and absolutely terrified that he'd done such a thing. He thinks I'm crazy or ty or something because people don't just kiss their acquaintances out of nowhere. We've barely even talked-

“Finally.”

Tao thought he heard the boy wrong, but the word confirmed itself strongly in his mind when he felt the press of Chen's lips over his own once again.

*****

***

*****

Hearing

Ever since Jongdae had heard the song he'd composed himself being hummed by a vaguely familiar student on his way to class, he knew that someone had listened in to his practice session.

Finding out that this student went to the practice rooms at the same time every day, Chen decided to investigate, becoming an early morning regular at those halls.

***

Sight

Chen hadn't expected the student to come bursting into his room the very first day he started this little mission of his. He viewed this student well for the first time and couldn't believe how flustered and shy he was when it was he who had chosen to rush into his room.

This was when Chen realized that he had someone crushing on him. It was cute and he wanted to see just how long it would take for this boy to make a move.

***

Smell

Nothing happened.

Each day, they would greet and they would part, nothing more. Tao had even started avoiding him by turning up late.

Chen was very surprised when he found his secret admirer just outside the door as he left for his music papers. Bumping into him had been a complete accident. So had catching a whiff of the boy's mint toothpaste.

***

Touch

Jongdae began to wonder what kind of answer he would give if Zitao confessed.

He liked listening to the boy speak with an eager edge as if he had a secret to tell. He liked seeing his smile each morning as he not-so-subtly arranged coincidental meetings in the hall. His face was a familiar and sweet wake up call in the early morning.

Figuring that he couldn't think of an answer if he was never given the question, Chen decided to drop a hint that he might be open to receiving his admirer's love by introducing a little skinship and leaving his hand on the other's arm before ducking away to practice.

That moment was meant to affect Zitao and encourage him forward, but it affected Jongdae more. For some reason, making that small move had his heart pumping wildly. Was it fear? Nervousness? Excitement?

***

Taste

Days passed and nothing had changed. Chen was getting frustrated because his heart didn't stop it's erratic new patterns whenever he and Tao were in close proximity. He was so close to breaking down and making the first move himself.

And then Tao showed up at that hole-in-the-wall restaurant his mom's friend owned and he thought that Tao must have fallen pretty deep by now to follow him out here.

He was still adorably shy. Tao wouldn't even look at Chen, eyes traveling around the restaurant. Jongdae noticed when his eyes stopped on the heart graffiti and the boy turned a pretty red color. With the scent of mint toothpaste reaching him even past the thick food smells, it was getting harder to keep himself back and Chen his lips in nervous anticipation.

Finally.

He wasn't sure if he said the word or thought it, but his whole body felt like it was screaming it when Tao jumped up to kiss him.

Ignoring his mom's friend yelling at them to stop smooching and let the boy eat his now ready dinner, he cupped his hands to Tao's face and kissed those minty-fresh lips for all they were worth.