Niel's POV

"Do you get any present from Hayi?", I asked Jonghyun as I jumped in to the cab after finished put all my baggage in.
"Christmas present? we'll have a dinner tonight, with our family", Jonghyun grinned as he checked his mobile again. Seriously, during our visit to Paris I felt like an invisible man.
"Good morning, where's your destination?", asked the cab driver.
"Ah, it's..."
"Took me to Hongdae first than my friend to Ansan...", Jonghyun took a glance on me.
"No. After Hongdae just go straight to Green Park", I instructed.
"Uh? you won't see your Byunghun-hyung?", asked Jonghyun.
"He asked me to go to our apartment first", I said.

Jonghyun just looked at me, observing my face.
"He said he had a surprise for me", I continued.
"Really? what is it? last night was snowing here I guess?", Jonghyun looked around the snowy road.
"Yeah it was", our cab driver answered us.
I bit my lips. I hope Byunghun-hyung was alright...

I walked toward my room with wobbly steps. This baggage is too heavy. I regret my decision to bring so much clothes. I didn't know since when this apartment corridor filled with nostalgic colors. I never noticed the small blue cracked paints on its wood panels. I never noticed that it smelled like mint in the winter. Was it the snow though? Byunghun-hyung really craved for a mint tea one day, he asked me to look for it but I couldn't find it anywhere. Was that you hyung? you made a mint tea for both of us?

I hadn't see him, but I just knew that he was there beyond the door. And I knocked. I didn't know why, I had my key but I knocked anyway.
"Hyung~!", I unknowingly called him.
"Hyung... open...", I whispered slowly, the mint scent became stronger. It lived up all my senses. Like I was awake in a different world.
"Nielie?", a husky but cute voice welcomed me, those little eyes peeping from behind the door.
"Hyung~! you're really here!", I exclaimed and let myself in.
"Un! Ta daaaa~! I'm your surprise!", he cheerfully presented himself.

I just looked at him with a straight face. And he blushed, giggling awkwardly; "You should show some excitement!", he then stomped his feet to the ground. Ah, this chicken hyung...
"Tsk, come here Honey-ya", I pulled his head and kissed him on the forehead. He rounded his arms on my waist because it was the highest point that he could reach and he hugged me tight; "Dani-ya I miss youuuuuu", he whined with his aegyo. Not that he's the best aegyo do-er out there, he always did it with that weird tone between determination to look cute and embarrassment at the same time. That's what make it special, though?. I chuckled.

"Honey-ya didn't runaway, right?", I looked at his begging eyes. He shook his head.
"Your condition is better now? Lee Sunho-seonsaengnim allowed you to come home?", I asked again. I lift his body a bit to weigh him. I know if he didn't wear these layers of clothes he would be as light as a feather.
"I begged Seonsaengnim to go home for a bit. It's Christmas anyway~! Nielie, it's lonely to spend Christmas without you!", he hit my chest lightly.
"You're the one who ask me to go to Paris~!", I opened my mouth in disbelieve.
"Um yeah", he looked to the ground.
"Don't show me that miserable face~!", I giggled and guided him to the couch. Our big couch. I missed it. I missed the beige suede, the book shelves beside it, our wooden window and our bricked wall that framed it beautifully.

"I heard it was snowing last night?", I played his hair as he leaned his head on my shoulder.
"Un", he nodded.
"Are you alright?", I rubbed his shoulder. He still wore that same white chunky cardigan in the day I went to Paris.
"It was cold but it wasn't my body, it was because you were not here beside me", he smiled down.
"Honey-ya is getting greasier... I just left you for two days", I ruffled his hair.
"Sorry, I should prepare more words for you. I just don't have much time", he chuckled.
"Aren't you a writer? I guess you're better than this", I looked to his eyes.
He just smiled and snuggled closer.
"You're a better writer than me though, how about Honey and Dani? Niel you should really work on it", he raised his head to meet my eyes.
I chuckled; "Mwo yaa... hmm will it be a children story tho?"

"Yes~! let it be a fairy tale that parents would tell their children before their bed time", he said passionately.
"It's kind of gloomy though...", I tilted my head.
"As long as it has a happy ending, it would be okay", he smiled.
"Really?", I chuckled.
"Un. Niel write a happy ending for Honey and Dani. I'd look out for it", he said.
"What kind of happy ending do you want, hyung? didn't I already conclude that Dani will give his human soul to Honey so Honey could live?", I asked just to dig his mind.
"Nooo~ no no, Dani should live as human. Honey... Well... Honey would be cured of course!. Um.... or Honey would drown himself to the river then he turned into a fish too?", he wondered to the ceilings.
"Yah! that's too gloomy", I laughed.
"Ng... if Dani became a fish and returned to the river again... he would look out for Honey from distance..."
"Yeah~ I think it's a good ending for both of them, not that Dani died. They just don't live together anymore, but somehow they will look out for each other from distance", I said.
"B-but how if Honey really missed Dani... like... so bad? he couldn't touch him, he couldn't talk to him", he said as he repositioned himself, facing me passionately.
I just looked into his eyes. Were his eyes always this clear? the light reflection sparkled like stars in the night. So beautiful yet so far. And its depth bothered me, below those starry surface lied a dark sea that I was hesitant to visit. Twirling in cold current, I felt a weird calming sense of stillness in them.

"We could meet every time we want. Distance is just an idea, hyung. Tangible things don't always satisfy. It's the idea that make it meaningful", I stared at him, he was still looking at me with his marble eyes.
He then smiled. That eye smile. I really like it. He reached out for my hand and held it tight.
"I really like it when you hold me like this though... it's really a tangible experience... Nielie... do you know that before we had this relationship, even calling your name already makes my day better? it was like a mantra, every time I went through hard time, or was I battling with my own mind, your name always came. 'Daniel' - just like that I whispered it in my heart. And everything was pure again", he let out a sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Seriously, hyung?", I chuckled.
"Un~! Your name is really pretty don't you know that?", he asked.
"I know", I smirked.

"Yah!", he hit my face with one couch pillow.
"My parents gave me that name! I thought it would be troublesome at first... I don't know that you're gonna love it that much... Lee Byunghun", I kept teasing him.
"Mwoooo~!", he whined.
"Hehehe... Honey-ya... Honey is a cute name too", I ruffled his hair and put his head on my shoulder.
"That's not my name...", he pouted while playing with my hand.
"What are you talking about... your name is Honey...", I said mischievously as he stared at me.

"Hyung" really doesn't fit him in any way. I was curious for how long he will put that annoyed face... yet he was still clinging on my shoulder, rubbing his cold fingers with mine.
"Idea, huh... for 5 years I was holding onto that idea, sending you flowers for your birthday. I had this stupid idea that you would find me somehow... or...", he excitedly straightened his back. "... I um, I accidentally meet you somewhere, and I