2013.04.05, 10:24

They say springtime in Seoul is the best season for recreation and tour. The weather is perfect for visiting the park and the famous tower atop the mountain ranges of Namsan. The way the flowers bloom in it's mightiest is a blissful scenery hard to miss on the river banks of the infamous Han River in the northern part of Apgujeong. The mixture of warmth and coolness in the air is perfect for taking a stroll on cultural heritage sites like the Gyeongbokgung Palace or the traditional art galleries and tea houses in Insa. And the bustling city lights view of the whole metropolis under a slow moving cable car suspended in the air is breathtaking at this specific time of the year.

Seoul seems to bloom at it's finest during springtime, and Baekhyun took the season as an opportunity to clear his mind and orient his current life plans.

He is sitting himself on a cafe in the streets of Garosugil in Shinsa, enjoying a cup of cappuccino and a slice of strawberry cheesecake while looking through his map of the city. The strong yet sweet aroma of his coffee blends well with the fresh flowers that decorates the entire Bloom and Goute Cafe, calming his mind as he enjoys the serenity of the mornings in the sides of the ginkgo tree-lined high streets.

He took a sip of his delightful cappuccino then squinted his eyes to look closer at his map. He is currently situated at one of the most luxurious and picturesque streets in all of Seoul. He took out a small, red pen from his pockets and circled the areas he plans on visiting later, leaving out the more expensive destinations and just settling to more convenient and budget-friendly places. He reminded himself that he isn't as rich and wealthy like all the people who frequently goes here, and he can't afford to spend the rest of his pocket money here in Gangnam district.

He then brought out his iPod Touch from his pockets and changed the currently playing music. He settled with listening to Goodbye Summer instead after he deemed the song soothing and relaxing, as if complimenting the current mood in his atmosphere. He placed the device just by the side of his drink, then continued on scanning the map for more places to visit.

The small yet cozy cafe was currently packed with people going in and out, Baekhyun noticed as he averts his gaze from his map to observe his surroundings. People from all sorts of ages crowds the whole area, all talking and having their own business while enjoying their own morning delights.

He continuously scans the area around him when his eyes suddenly landed on a tall and lean figure standing awkwardly at the middle of the place, looking adorably frantic and panicky while holding a cup of espresso in his hands. He looks about the same age as Baekhyun, but insanely taller than him or anybody else in the whole cafe, for that matter.

It seems the guy can't find a seat after ordering his coffee, and Baekhyun finds it funny how the guy's confused and panicky expression can be seen in his obviously unfocused face. Baekhyun controlled himself from letting out a small laugh.

But when the guy's eyes surprisingly averted to his direction, their eyes met for the briefest of seconds and Baekhyun quickly removed his gaze from the other. Baekhyun's quite sure the other saw his silly smiling face looking directly at him like he's making fun of the tall guy. Embarrassment took a hold of him and he stared cautiously to his map again.

But while it is true that the boy kept his eyes nailed on his map, he can also still see in his peripheral side vision that the tall guy is currently making his way to his direction. He maintained his calm posture though and dashingly removed some of his ash blonde hair away from his eyes.

And as expected, the tall stranger eventually reached Baekhyun's table and stood exactly opposite to him where a chair was vacant. He slowly shifted his gaze from the map he holds in his hands to the guy standing awkwardly at his front.

"Uhmm... Excuse me...?"

Baekhyun quickly unplugged his  earphones to hear the other out. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't catch that. What was it again?"

"Uhmm... I was just wondering if I can sit here?" the tall and seemingly polite guy said in a sheepish manner, scratching the back of his head awkwardly while holding a cup of coffee in his other hand.

"Oh, yeah, sure." he assured the guy while doing a small gesture in his hand that implies for the other to take the seat.

"Thanks!" the tall guy beamed at him with a wide grin, then placed his drink on the table and pulled out the chair for him to sit on.

Baekhyun remained quiet as the stranger takes his time sitting on his seat. He was looking very giddy and excited now as he settles on the chair, compared to how confused and lost he look like while standing in the middle of the place just a while ago.

The tall guy sipped on his espresso and gazed at the ash blonde boy in front of him, looking intently at the boy from head to toe. Then his eyes settled on the map the other was holding and curiously asked, "Oh, are you a tourist?"

Baekhyun looked up to the guy closely and was a bit surprised; the voice that talked to him has a deep, baritone sound to it but the guy in front of him has adorably childish looks. He has soft, black hair that slightly covers his forehead and a pair of pointy ears charmingly protrudes from his sides. "Oh. Uhmm... Not exactly. Just on a week-long vacation."

The other let out an amazed gasping sound that made his boyish looks even more charming, then said, "That's nice!"

Baekhyun, on the other hand, brushed off all amazement he was feeling about the other's contrasting yet charming characteristics then flashed him a smile in return. "I guess so..."

The stranger, seemingly engulfed by intense curiosity, continued to ask him with more questions while enjoying his cup of espresso. "So you're not from Seoul?"

"Uhmm... Yeah. I'm from Bucheon, actually. Gyeonggi province." Baekhyun replied a little awkwardly and suspiciously before giving the other a tiny smile and resuming on checking out his map again.

The taller guy let out another one of those amazed gasps then stared at the sprawled out map the other was holding and being busy to, noticing the red circles and little notes in it. He cleared his throat a little to catch the other's attention and spoke. "Uhmm... I'm Park Chanyeol, by the way." he said in a less awkward tone than before while extending an arm across their table.

The ash blonde boy didn't expect the other to speak to him again as he shot him a surprised look. Baekhyun glanced at the stranger's face as if observing whether he has ill-intentions or not. He then settled with the latter observation and quickly grabbed the other's hand to shake it. "Byun Baekhyun. Nice to meet you."

"Are you all by yourself?" Chanyeol asked after flashing him another one of his wide grins. Now that they're properly introduced to each other, the taller guy feels no reservation about talking and asking questions anymore.

"Yeah, all alone." the other replied. Baekhyun was suddenly startled at the guy's capability to fire questions nonstop, but manners took a hold of him and he answered the question anyway.

Chanyeol just let out another amazed gasp as a reply before taking a sip of his coffee, then stared at the boy in front of him expectantly as if waiting for more words.

When Baekhyun realized that the other was waiting for him to speak and share more, he cleared his throat a little and spoke his seemingly scattered thoughts out. "I... Uhh... I'm supposed to come here with someone but... things happened and... yeah..."

"Oh... I see..." the black haired guy responded. He decided not to push the topic anymore after sensing the other's discomfort and hesitations. "Sorry for asking."

"No problem." the other replied with a little smile.

Baekhyun remained quiet for a while after that, and Chanyeol decided to be the one to cut off the awkward atmosphere enveloping them by quickly changing the topic. "So... Where are you planning to go after?"

"Hmm..." Baekhyun pursed his lips as he thinks of a next destination in his mind. "I don't know... Maybe grab a quick lunch somewhere. I'm quite a big eater, actually."

"Me too! I actually eat a lot!" Chanyeol almost yelled in excitement. He then flashed a big, excited smile as if the other just said something that caught his attention and made him happy.

Baekhyun laughed heartily in return. While it is true that he isn't the most friendly of people when it comes to strangers or to new people he just met, Baekhyun also admitted to himself that Chanyeol's seemingly simple and laid-back personality isn't really hard to feel comfortable and relaxed with. His talkativeness can't be classified as annoying, either; it's honestly more like energizing for Baekhyun.

Chanyeol, still keeping his silly grin on his face, continued on with his words. "Itaewon district is actually the best place if you're looking for good food, but there's this one restaurant here in Garosugil that we can settle in." he said then quickly added something like "I mean, if you wouldn't mind me accompanying you..." he finished off with a hint of anticipation in his face.

"I think that's a good idea," the other replied while nodding his head in agreement. "And no, I won't mind having someone along. I mean, I already toured for the past days alone and I can totally use some company today."

"Perfect!" the taller guy blurted out energetically. "It's almost just around the corner. Maybe a block or two away from here, actually."

Baekhyun hummed in agreement and took a sip of his drink before remembering his budget-related matters all of a sudden. He can't really afford to eat in expensive, luxurious restaurants or else he'll go bankrupt for the next day. But being on a vacation alone has been honestly very lonely for him and he knows he's in no position to pass up any opportunity on having a buddy along, so he shrugged off money related matters for the time being and looked up at Chanyeol's beaming face to ask him a question. "So what's the restaurant called?"

"Benessere," the other replied casually after drinking the remaining ounces of his coffee. "It's an authentic Italian restaurant. It's perfect for people like you on a vacation coz the cuisine's different; not your typical bibimbap or samgyeopsal."

"Oh... I-I see..." the shorter boy replied in almost a whisper. The name itself of the restaurant already doesn't sound too budget-friendly, and Baekhyun's starting to feel unsure already if he can still keep on brushing off his troubles about budget or not.

Chanyeol seemed to sense his hesitations though, and quickly said, "Uhmm but if you're not a fan of European cuisine, there's a Mapo Sutbul Galbi restaurant in Nonhyeong and--"

"No, it's okay!" Baekhyun hastily defended, almost bringing up his hand to wave frantically. "I do like Italian and French cuisine, actually."

The other shot him a slightly concerned face, then plainly blurted out a giddy "Okay!"

A smile escaped Baekhyun's thin lips in return. He then folded his map and kept it inside his pockets; he won't be needing it later anymore with Chanyeol around who seems to know his way around Gangnam district.

Chanyeol then flashed him a big, genuine smile as he proposed something to the other. "You know what? If you want I can be your one-day tour guide. I mean, I don't really have any plans for today and I can totally tour you around Gangnam if you want."

Baekhyun was a little surprised at the sudden offer but he didn't let the other notice it. Completely ignoring his internal dilemmas about spending too much money in this district, he beamed a smile of his own and said, "Okay. If it won't be too much of a bother for you then I guess it's okay. Thanks in advance."

"Alright!" the taller guy almost shouted in excitement as he brings up his right hand in the air to imply a high five.

The ash blonde boy was a little startled at the sudden, casual action but quickly got the gesture. He then brought out his own hand to high five the other while chuckling.

Seoul in springtime is the best season for vacation, and it is also the best season for meeting a new friend; in Baekhyun's case.
 

(NOTE: So first chapter's posted. Sigh. This story is supposed to be just 4 parts but when I wrote it it became a 10-chaptered fic. Wah. And I'm supposed to post this chapter this Friday but whatever, lol.
So yeah. This will have 10 chapters. Yay.
Comment your thoughts guys! I would love to hear from you!)