“Taekwoonie~” Hakyeon calls from down the hall. Slender arms wrap around Taekwoon’s broad shoulders, and before he knows it he’s tugged back against the other’s chest. “Why’re you so glum?"

Taekwoon shrugs Hakyeon off and continues walking. Hakyeon, of course, persists. “You haven’t come to the art building in weeks and somehow you’re even quieter in class-- if that’s even possible.” He folds his arms across his chest and hums disapprovingly, stepping quickly to stop Taekwoon’s long strides in their tracks.

Taekwoon opens his mouth to protest but Hakyeon cuts him off, “And, I haven’t seen a new cover video from you in, like, months!” His hands wave in front of his face for emphasis and he shakes his head. “It’s not like you. So what’s going on?”

Balled fists threaten to burst through the lining of his pockets as Taekwoon suppresses the desire to push through Hakyeon and continue on his way. Taekwoon’s temper is quick and powerful if he doesn’t catch it quickly-- but even if he realizes he shouldn’t be angry, he can’t entirely quell the itch in him to solve his problems with brute force. He knows he’s been distant. He knows he hasn’t uploaded more videos. He knows everything Hakyeon’s telling him is true so he doesn’t need to hear it. How can he upload videos when he sounds the same in every single one? Improvement was the goal, but everything has become a cookie cutter copy-- same sharp voice, just layered over different words. He’s sick of it. What’s the point in continuing like this? What good would it do?

The thoughts ricochet off the walls of his brain but his throat remains too tight to say any of them. “I’ve just been busy,” he manages finally, releasing the tension in his knuckles.

“Too busy to sing?” Hakyeon presses further. “I can’t believe you’re too busy to--” A hand finally falls on Hakyeon’s chest, cutting his words. Taekwoon could throw him against the wall but opts for a gentle push to the side.

“I have somewhere to be. I’ll talk to you later.”

Instead of recording his own videos, Taekwoon’s found solace in watching and re-watching ones of Lee Jaehwan, his favorite soloist. Jaehwan has the vocal balance of Taekwoon’s dreams and he carries notes effortlessly, as if the gods themselves have blessed him with the voice of an angel. He can watch Jaehwan for hours-- actually, he has taken to watching Jaehwan from the moment he reaches home until he falls asleep at his computer each night.

Jaehwan is not as famous as Taekwoon thinks he should be. He’s made a handful of appearances on talent competition shows and after his videos went viral there were rumors of him signing a contract with a large company. Taekwoon will be the first in line for every CD release, every fan meet, every concert; he already has it planned out.

Yet... somehow he isn’t aware of Jaehwan’s appearance performing dinner theater at a local restaurant. Hongbin waves the tickets in his face and smiles brightly. “How could you not have known?” He jokingly chastises, jerking them out of Taekwoon’s open hands and keeping them just out of reach. It doesn’t take long for the taller to snatch them back. “How did you…?” Taekwoon asks in shock, staring at the black print reading “featuring Lee Jaehwan” over and over again.

“He posted it on his twitter,” Hakyeon hums, a pleased little grin on his lips.

“For all the open tabs you had of his stuff I can’t believe you didn’t look at his twitter!” Hongbin chimes in, noticing his friend’s interest when he went to retrieve his camera. “It’s a pretty small show. The restaurant is kind of expensive, but I figured it could be a nice treat for us.”

“Dinner and a show sounds so classy,” Hakyeon laughs, rubbing his hands together in excitement. He’s always been a er for high society-like events.

Taekwoon looks between the two of them, still bewildered by the tickets in his hands. His friends were talking casually but he was going to see Lee Jaehwan in person. He was going to hear him sing in person. It was more than enough to pry one of those rare smiles from his lips.

-----

Before he knows it, Taekwoon is standing in front of the mirror, grimacing at the shirt he’s chosen to wear. He s it quickly, tossing it onto the pile of rejected tops, and pulls out a neat, black, long sleeved shirt. Black shirt and black jeans. It’s basic and Taekwoon worries he’s far too underdressed for the restaurant. Glancing at the silver watch on his wrist, however, tells him that he’s out of time to change.

Hakyeon can’t help but comment on his exposed collarbone as the trio meet outside the restaurant, “Are you trying to seduce him or something?” The jab of his elbow is only slightly sharper than the jab from his words.

Jaehwan can take to any stage with ease. Taekwoon’s known this for a long time. Whether it’s a television show, his bedroom, or the small platform in the middle of five-star restaurant, Jaehwan commands it as if he’s performing a sold out tour.

The sound of his voice is different, though. Taekwoon notices Jaehwan adding more playful embellishments on his notes as he acts the part of blundering hero in the romantic comedy put on before them. It only increases his admiration for the man. He can’t take his eyes off of him.

Hongbin ends up happily picking at the meal Taekwoon neglects.

Hakyeon and Hongbin are chatting about the deliciousness of the meal and how hot the lead female was as they make their way from the restaurant. “So what’d you think?” Hongbin asks, placing his hand on Taekwoon’s shoulder to get his attention. “Was he just as good as you’d imagined?”

Taekwoon is still starstruck. He hardly acknowledges the touch or the words but opens his mouth to reply when-- Oof.

The force of their collision wasn’t much, but the man Taekwoon ran into still hisses a high pitched “Ooooohh….” as he rubs his nose.

“Sorry,” Taekwoon whispers, turning to take care of the man. He freezes, hands hovering over the shoulders of Lee Jaehwan himself. Jaehwan smiles a smile brighter than any video can properly portray and shakes his head. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He pauses for a moment then asks, “Did you like the show?”

Taekwoon stays silent for a little too long and Jaehwan shifts awkwardly under his sharp gaze. “It was great,” Taekwoon finally manages, “Thank you for coming here to perform.”

Jaehwan beams back. “Good! I’m so glad!” He takes Taekwoon’s hand in both of his own and shakes it excitedly. “I’m always happy when other people like my work.”

A deep voice calls his name a little ways away and Jaehwan finally frees Taekwoon from his hold. “Thank you again, hope I can see you at the next one!” And like that Jaehwan is gone.

Hakyeon is practically smacking Taekwoon on his back repeatedly while Hongbin exclaims, “That happened! I can’t believe that happened!” to the overwhelmed and shellshocked Taekwoon. “If this doesn’t get you back into the singing mood, I don’t know what will,” Hakyeon hums as they make their way back home.

But Taekwoon isn’t thinking about his own singing. He can only focus on how Jaehwan’s voice still lingers in his ears and how warm his hands were. He feels the tingling on his skin until he falls asleep-- as if Jaehwan is there the whole time.

-----

He wakes up the next morning to a knock that rattles through his bedroom. Jerking awake, Taekwoon struggles to find his footing as he makes his way towards the door. Hongbin and Hakyeon never come over this early. Tugging on the handle, Taekwoon’s eyes go wide as they fall on Lee Jaehwan before him. At first he’s startled-- how does he know where Taekwoon lives?-- but then he’s embarrassed. He’d fallen asleep in the same outfit he’d warn to Jaehwan’s performance, which somehow got dirty overnight. A faint blush creeps on his cheek as he welcomes the man standing in the doorway.

Jaehwan’s eyes gaze around the room, settling on the mic resting on Taekwoon’s desk. Taekwoon’s cheeks flush and he looks away from his idol. “Ah...yeah. I sing a little too.” Jaehwan looks at him with encouragement and after a while Taekwoon finally gives him a sample of his own singing ability. He glances over at his guest tentatively, finding comfort in the way it seems Jaehwan sways his body to the rhythm of his words-- Maybe he’s not so bad after all.

Much to Taekwoon’s delight Jaehwan stays all the way through dinner. He hasn’t cooked in a while, but Taekwoon wants to give all that he can to a guest like Jaehwan. Taking an old, leatherbound book from his kitchen cabinet and blowing off the dust that’s caked its cover, Taekwoon opens up to an old favorite recipe-- his mother’s rose water pasta. Jaehwan doesn’t eat much once it’s ready, but from the look on his face he enjoys every bite. It even seems like there are tears in his eyes!

Their time draws to an end swiftly and before Taekwoon knows it he’s shut the door, ending their day together. He presses his back to the wood and sighs. Did that really happen? Taekwoon replays the day over and over again in his head. He even pinches his arm for good measure, just to make sure it hasn’t all been some really long dream.

-----

A soft groan escapes his lips as the sun stirs him from his sleep. Taekwoon rolls over. Flashes of the previous day are still rolling through his head, tempting a smile at his lips. It makes him want to take to his mic again and record months worth of cover videos. He sits up, grabbing his phone to request Hongbin’s camera when there’s a knock against his door. He blinks and checks the time on his phone. 10:30AM.  He hasn’t even sent his text to Hongbin so it’s not him, and Hakyeon’s never awake this early if he doesn’t have to be.

It’s Jaehwan again. Taekwoon can’t believe his eyes, but Jaehwan’s returned again. He ushers him inside excitedly, leading him towards the couch. “Why are you here?” Taekwoon asks but the answer hardly matters to him. He’s so elated to see Jaehwan at his house for the second time that he can’t really focus on anything else other than his idol’s face and how he stays seated in front of him. He lets the time pass between, working up his courage to ask for the one thing he’s always wanted from Lee Jaehwan-- “Will you teach me to sing?”

Jaehwan’s voice now is higher than Taekwoon remembers it from his many YouTube videos, or even the stage performance two nights back. It’s consistent and less varied in tone and pitch. But Taekwoon learns more from there few hours together than he ever did from professional vocal lessons and personal training, and for that he’s grateful.

He makes Jaehwan dinner again that night; reheating leftovers and sauteeing up some sausage for the two of them to share. The air is much more intimate now, and when Jaehwan insists he’s full Taekwoon finds the will to feed him a few extra bites.

He doesn’t want to say goodbye again. Forehead falling to the closed door he sighs to no one in his apartment. The more Jaehwan stays the more he never wants him to leave. He sulks back to his bed. The dream-like disbelief from the first visit is gone and now Taekwoon just feels lonely. He’s sure he’s just been lucky. Twice in a row is more than any fan could hope to have. But he wants him back nonetheless…

Another knock rings through the room that next morning.

-----

It was Hakyeon who finds them. He’s grown worried since Taekwoon stopped showing up to university, unaware of the missing person reports filed for Lee Jaehwan after his loved ones realize his absence is more than just the rising idol wanting a break. Two weeks worth of unanswered calls and texts finally spurs him and Hongbin to investigate. Taekwoon is quiet, but he is never this quiet.

A frantic call to the police from Hongbin and Hakyeon ends up with a small crew of officers prying Taekwoon’s door open. They find the two reportedly missing persons on the floor together. Jaehwan’s arms were secured behind his back and the rope around his legs ran all the way from his ankles to mid-thigh. Food, dirt, and sweat cover his performance outfit from his dinner theater show from so many weeks back. He stares at the group wide-eyed, fighting from Taekwoon’s hold and crawling towards them frantically. Tears stream down his cheeks and he mumbles something incoherent over the cloth binding his mouth.

The knocks had been Jaehwan kicking-- trapped in Taekwoon’s closet after the older male followed him home, chloroformed him, and dragged him back to the apartment. Every day he was pulled around the house, thrown at the mic and the kitchen table, forced to eat until Taekwoon was finished for the night and returned him to the dark, cramped closet.

The singing lessons had been Jaehwan screaming for help. The one time his lips were allowed to be free Jaehwan screamed and screamed, desperate for a neighbor or a passerby to hear him. Taekwoon’s voice may have drowned him out, but it was the only plan he could think to try.

The police wretch Jaehwan away from Taekwoon and hurry him from the room. “W-wait!” Taekwoon gasps, hands outstretched after his idol, “Will I see you again tomorrow?” Hakyeon and Hongbin glance between each other. It’s Hakyeon who approaches first. “Taekwoonie…” He starts gently, stepping towards him. “You can’t... What did you do to him?” Taekwoon shoves Hakyeon aside, scrambling to his feet and after the officers. “Wait, I need to know-- Let go of me!” Hongbin’s arms have wrapped around him and he uses all the force in his body to restrain Taekwoon before any of the officers resort to weaponry. “Stop! Taekwoon you have to stop!”

Taekwoon finally goes limp in Hongbin’s hold, save for the small shudders that ran through his body with each sob. “But… but he was helping me get better… He came over every day and I was finally getting better…”

----

Dark eyes are glued to the small television screen in the communal lounge. It’s been a few months since Taekwoon last saw Jaehwan, and the singer looks different. But Taekwoon would recognize that sharp nose and beautiful voice anywhere. The Jaehwan on TV talks about the incident--his weeks held captive and how they inspired his first full album as a solo artist--calmly though seriously. It’s the most serious Taekwoon has ever seen him and he frowns in response.

“I think he misses me,” He says quietly, looking to the man next to him wearing the same silver cuffs and orange jumpsuit. “Look at how unhappy he is. He never looked like that when he came over.”

The inmate an eyebrow and scoots a few inches away from Taekwoon.

“Don’t you think he misses me?” Taekwoon presses further, closing the space again.

“S-sure?” The man replies with a grunt. Taekwoon’s gaze bears into him in a way that makes him squirm. He can’t read what’s going on in Taekwoon’s head. He scratches his large nose-- a nervous habit.

“...”

“...”

“You came back.” Taekwoon says finally, lips curling into a small smile. “You came back, you missed me!”

He throws himself onto the inmate who shrieks so loudly it resonates through the adjacent hallways. Taekwoon repeats, “Jaehwan. Wait Jaehwan!” as the guards pry him off the other, large nose, dark haired male. “Jaehwan please!”

-----

The room they place Taekwoon in is dark but cozy. He settles into the corner and closes his eyes. Now he sees Jaehwan everywhere and that makes him happy.

And at night sometimes he sings and Jaehwan sings with him-- the duet he’s always dreamed of.