Observing the countless people that pass him by in the busy streets of Seoul has always been one of Jonghyun's favourite things to do.

Although he's not particularly sure why, there's something about the way each person tells a different story, how he can steal a quick glance into the lives of complete strangers in the brief moment they pass him by, that he finds, and has always found to be rather captivating. The few people who actually catch him staring seem to find his presence somewhat unsettling, but he would never considered it intruding; as far as Jonghyun is concerned, it's merely a way for him to explore the many different lifestyles of his hometown. To him, every conversation, every outfit, every aspect of every person just seems to scream for attention, and he has always been interested in giving it, ever since he was a young boy. It's odd -- and he knows it too -- but in all honesty, he sees no point in trying to change the way he is. Jonghyun is now far beyond the point of caring what others think of him, and despite what other people might claim is best for him, he does not intend to stop doing what he enjoys most.
That is, coming up short behind singing and playing his guitar, of course.

So, naturally, he often decides to kill three birds with one stone and do all three at once.

He sits at the corner of a tall, dingy apartment building in one of the city's less polished neighbourhoods, plucking the strings of his guitar to create a pleasant melody. It's his favourite place to sit and perform, or at least, the place he visits most often. He loves the old buildings, how most of their walls are masked with graffiti, the way they have an air of melancholy surrounding them on most days when the sun doesn't quite reach the hidden corners and alleyways concealed around them. He loves the noise, of passing cars, strangers, and the occasional pigeon or stray cat. But most of all, Jonghyun loves the people, who are just as strangely unique as their bustling neighbourhood. By now, they have all grown used to seeing the boy slouched against a wall or curled up in a corner with his trusty guitar, letting his gaze wander dreamily about the area, and on occasion, a few of them will stop to listen to him perform.

And it's all he wants, really. To take time out of his day in order to situate himself in the middle of a busy street, play a few songs, and hopefully brighten a few people's day. The only thing that could possibly make it any better, would be if Jonghyun had someone all to himself, someone to watch carefully on a daily basis, to play the guitar and sing for, to treasure as much as he treasures moments like this. It's nothing complicated, really. It doesn't even have to be love -- not at first, anyways. He's just a little lonely, that's all.

Jonghyun leans his head casually against the brick wall behind him, and begins to sing as he watches oblivious passersby go about their business.

She fills my bed with gasoline, you think I would've noticed
her mind's made up, the love is gone
I think someone's trying to show us a sign that even if we thought it would last,
the moment would pass
my bones will break and my mind will give,
oh, it hurts to laugh

It's one of the few English songs he knows the lyrics to, and it's quite depressing, but it's the first thing that comes to mind so he decides to run with it.

A woman passes by hurriedly with a small child in tow. The little girl turns her head to look at Jonghyun, slipping her hand out of her mother's grasp and padding towards him with a bright smile. Jonghyun returns the smile with one of his own as he continues to sing, before the women strides over to yank her daughter forcefully in the opposite direction, while muttering something about bothering strangers. She wasn't bothering me, He thought. She's the reason I'm here.

And I remember the day when you left for Santa Monica,
you left me to remain, with all your excuses for everything

An elderly couple hears the music, and stands to listen for a moment. The corners of the woman's eyes crinkle when she smiles at the young man in front of her through a pair of crescent-moon glasses, and the man leans down to give him a lighthearted pat on the shoulder. Jonghyun nods in appreciation, and watches them disappear around the corner, still strumming chords on his guitar.

And I remember the time when you left for Santa Monica,
I remember the day you told me it's over

And then he sees someone sprint around the corner of the building, nearly tripping on one of Jonghyun's outstretched legs. He stops playing reflexively, and pulls his foot away for good measure. It's another boy that looks to be around his age, dressed in a suit and tie with a briefcase grasped tightly in hand. His hair is a reddish-blonde -- artificial, obviously -- and it falls just above his dark eyes in perfect, wavy strands. Jonghyun's first thought is that the outfit doesn't suit him at all; the man is young and attractive, and far too much so to be dressed in such boring, professional clothing.

The boy stops to pant an incoherent apology, bowing awkwardly and flashing a slightly embarrassed (yet stunning nonetheless) smile, then proceeds to sprint inside the door to Jonghyun's immediate right. The other boy sits in awestruck silence for a moment afterwards, somehow unable to think properly. It suddenly occurs to him that the person he had encountered only a few seconds ago could very well have been the single most breathtaking human being he had ever had the pleasure of running into.
Then, before he has time to run things over in his mind, Jonghyun is springing to his feet, slinging his guitar over his shoulder and taking off after the boy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kibum swings open the door to his apartment building in a rush, bounding through the entranceway and speed walking over to the elevators at the end of the hall. He jabs the button a bit harder than he intended to, and cringes a bit at the sudden contact to his poor, unsuspecting finger. Glancing at his wristwatch, he swears under his breath and attacks the elevator button impatiently, tapping his foot against the hard floor. He's going to be late, he can feel it, and being late could very possibly mean losing his job for good. And that would be the end of the world for Kibum.

When the elevator dings and opens it's doors agonizingly slow, Kibum literally throws himself inside of it and stabs the button for the sixth floor, praying against all hope that he will make it up to his apartment in time to grab his paperwork and get to work without any issue. Just as the doors are about to shut behind him, someone slips into the elevator beside him. Kibum looks over to boy next to him, silently hoping he's headed for a floor higher than the sixth. "Going up...?" He asks politely, as he is the one standing closest to the buttons.

The boy stares blankly at him for a second, before furrowing his brow and looking around in thought. "Uh..." He hesitates, and obscenities scream in Kibum's head as he waits for an answer.

I really don't need this. Why today, of all days? After what feels like ages to Kibum, the boy finally comes up with a reply. "I guess... If you're going up, then so am I." He says, with an unreadable flash of perfect white teeth.

Kibum tilts his head to the side in confusion, but decides not to ask, considering the fact that he's already running out of time. "So, sixth floor then?"

"Yeah, why not?"

By then, the elevator had already begun to move upwards. Kibum stands right at the door, like he's ready to pounce the moment they open to let him out, which he is. Not before sneaking a quick peek at the boy across from him, however, and he soon realizes that it's the guitar player from outside that he nearly ran over, the one that often plays in the area. He's leaning casually against the handrail, but staring awkwardly at his feet, coffee brown fringe half messily strewn over his eyes. If he wasn't in such a hurry, Kibum might have noticed his sharp jawline, or his perfectly pointed nose, his plump pout, or even better yet, the big puppy eyes that hadn't yet been directed towards him due to embarrassment. Sadly, given the situation at hand, all of those wonderful aspects had been overlooked entirely.

All of a sudden, a loud bang erupts though the small room, followed by a painfull screech, and soon the elevator has slowed to a complete stop. Kibum's eyes widen in disbelief. "We're not moving. Why aren't we moving?" He asks frantically, hammering the button for the sixth floor repeatedly with no luck.

The guitar player perks up at the sudden commotion, watching Kibum fret with a blank expression before shrugging. "I don't know. I think we're stuck," he observes.

"No no no, this can't be happening!" Kibum tries in vain to pry the doors open with his fingers, making a scene of pounding on the silver metal before throwing his hands in the air and sinking to the ground in defeat.

He looks like he's about to cry, and he certainly feels that way too. Running both hands through his bright hair to mess it up, he squeezes his eyes shut and listens to the guitar player investigating the area. "Hah! Look at that," he snorts in amusement, and Kibum opens one eye to stare at the display he's pointing at. "Fourth floor."

Kibum can't quite seem to grasp exactly what is so entertaining about their current situation. He considers ignoring the boy completely, and just pouting on the floor, thinking about how his life is now officially over. But his conscience insists that being a prick will get him absolutely nowhere, so he gathers his thoughts and (reluctantly) hums in agreement. "Yeah. Weird," he says, as the guitar player turns to smile at him. "That is, if you believe in that sort of thing. Do you normally go for that superstitious stuff?" He asks as a side thought, and not because he actually wants to hear the answer.

The guitar player shrugs, setting his guitar down and sliding down the wall of the elevator into a sitting position opposite Kibum. Their feet bump together several times in the process and now lazily lean against each other, but neither one of them seems in any hurry to move away. "I suppose," the guitar player lets out a puff of air. "I'm a firm believer of the notion that everything happens for a reason."

Kibum nods politely. "How about now? Do you think there's a reason behind this...?" Kibum has no clue where his michevious tone came from, and quickly clears his throat to be rid of it.

It's only now that he realizes everything about the guitar player he had overlooked earlier. He gives the boy a quick once-over, and gives a slight, mental nod of approvement. "Oh, absolutely," the guitar player replies, and Kibum realizes he's a little put-out when the other boy doesn't elaborate.

He blinks at the boy across from him, and decides to ask instead. "Okay... Then what is the reason for this, if you don't mind me asking."

The corners of the boy's mouth tug up into a small smile. "It's a secret," is all he says, and despite the undeniable urge to know what he's referring to, Kibum doesn't pry any further.

A silence falls between the two of them, not quite comfortable but not awkward either. After a couple seconds, the guitar player pipes up again. "What's your name?" He asks curiously.

Kibum raises an eyebrow at the question. He's about to make a sarcastic comment about asking total strangers for their name, when his mouth speaks of it's own accord. "Kim Kibum. And you are...?"

This time, the guitar player's smile is genuine. "My name's Jonghyun. Pleasure to meet you," he says, and leans forward to extend a hand.

Kibum's eyes flick up to meet the brown, puppy dog eyes across from him, before pulling his lips into a smile of his own and closing the gap to shake the outstretched hand.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Are you not in a rush?" Jonghyun asks the blonde boy across from him.

The boy -- Kibum -- his head to one side slightly, and Jonghyun can't help but think that it's rather adorable. "Not anymore," he sighs. "I was about to be late anyways. I doubt I could redeem myself anymore, even if I left right now. Why do you ask?"

Jonghyun drums his fingers against the floor absentmindedly. "I dunno. I guess you just seemed really flustered earlier, and now it looks like you've given up on life. I mean, you haven't even bothered to press the emergency call button yet."
Kibum jolts up at the mention of that idea, before supposedly remembering that he has no hope of getting to wherever it is he was headed. 

Jonghyun watches him slump back against the wall with an expression of pure hopelessness. It makes him a little sad. "Ah, what's the use," he groans miserably. "I'm as good as fired now anyways. What about you; Don't you have somewhere to be? I haven't seen you press any buttons either..." His tone was the tiniest bit annoyed.

Jonghyun shrugs indifferently. "Not really. Up until just recently, I had been playing this thing in the streets," he pats his guitar.

Kibum narrows his eyes, and Jonghyun resists the urge to grin. "The why did you suddenly decide to take the elevator?"

Jonghyun simply continues to stare at the attractive young man. "Because you were taking the elevator."

Maybe it's the way Kibum seems so down to earth, or the way he's acting like like he already knows the answer to that question, but Jonghyun no longer sees a point to hiding the way he feels. 
Said feeling, as it just so happens, is completely foreign to him. He has been interested in observing people for as long as he can remember, and yet he can't recall ever being this genuinely determined to know so much about one person, just because he thinks they deserve to be appreciated.

Kibum looks the tiniest bit shocked, and if what Jonghyun suspects is correct, a little embarrassed as well. He blinks once, regaining his composure, and this time the hint of a smile is playing on his lips. "Are you hitting on me?" He asks playfully.

He's not expecting a serious answer, and Jonghyun doesn't intend to give him one (yet). "That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're the one that almost tripped over me on the street earlier." Jonghyun says. "That person was absolutely stunning."

Kibum laughs airily, and the sound makes Jonghyun's heart flutter a little. "And this one isn't?" He gestures to himself.

Jonghyun pretends to ponder the question for a moment. "Not necessarily. The person I met before, well... He stopped to smile at me, and it was like that one, brilliant gesture was reason enough for me to go after him," he explains, loving the way Kibum's face flushes a soft shade of pink. "This person, on the other hand, looks like he'd rather die than be in my presence right now."

The other man looks like he is about to smile, but then begins chewing his bottom lip instead. "Well, the person you ran into on the street still had a hope of keeping his job," the bashfulness suddenly slips from his face, and it returns to the miserable expression he had been sporting before. "This one's life has practically come to an end."

"Sounds like you've had a rough day. Care to talk about it?" He tries hopefully.

Kibum snorts. "Not particularly."

"It was worth a shot," Jonghyun shrugs. "Where do you work?"

"I'm an editorial assistant," Kibum responds, then suddenly elaborates. "I've been on thin ice with my boss for a while now, ever since I flubbed a chance to liaise with one of our most important clients. I'm pretty sure that was my last warning."

Jonghyun couldn't imagine having the stress of living up to people's expectations weighing him down. Being a freelancer has its ups and downs at the best of times, but he wouldn't even dream of trading his music for anything else. "Do you enjoy what you do?" He asks curiously.

Kibum takes a deep breath and holds it in, pressing his pink lips into a thin line. When he breaths out, he blows a mess of blonde curls from his eyes. "You know, I've only been working for around half a year. Everyone I know would claim that it's too soon for me to be sure of anything but... Yeah. I really do enjoy it."

"Then doesn't that make it worth fighting for?"

Kibum is silent. Eventually, he begins to nod his head slowly. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I just... Well, I always used to think that this was the only job for me. I mean, I loved reading as a child like nobody's business. But now that I'm actually in the midst of doing what I want, I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up," he looks utterly helpless, and it makes Jonghyun want nothing more than to cheer him up. "And I'm not even that good at it, to be frank. I try to be, but I just don't think it works that way. I think maybe it's time to start pursuing another career."

All of a sudden, Jonghyun springs to his feet. "You know what Kibum? I'll tell you want I'm going to do." He says, walking over to the buttons near the doors. "I'm going to press this button and call maintenance, because you my dear friend, are going to get whatever the hell it is that you need from your apartment, and march straight into your workplace so you can give it to your boss."

Kibum watches Jonghyun as he hits the little red button with a phone on it, and has a brief conversation with someone on the other end of the line, thanking the man as he tells the two of them to sit tight and wait for him to send someone up to fix the elevator. "Thanks, Jonghyun," the blonde says somewhat sadly. "But I doubt this will fix anything. My boss is going to be angry regardless of whether or not I turn up in the next five minutes."

Jonghyun whirls around on his heel, because at the moment, he doesn't care that doing this will mean spending less time with the person he has gone out of his way to speak with. He wants to help, because to him, Kibum is a genuinely good person that deserves far more than what he's ended up with. He doesn't even know why he feels so passionate all of a sudden -- he barely even knows the guy, for that matter -- but he does it, because maybe it will mean that for a while at least, this man that he is so deeply interested in, will remember Jonghyun as the person who brightened his day. "Did you not just say that you love what you do? That your job is worth fighting for?" He asks incredulously.

Kibum nodded.

"Then for God's sake man, you better prepare for war."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In spite of himself, Kibum soon finds it increasingly difficult not to start falling for the other boy in the elevator.

It's not like it's some big secret that Kibum has always had a knack for attracting all sorts of people; women, men, younger, older, people of all shapes and sizes. He tries not to let it get to his head. However, this particular person seems to be doing the exact same thing to Kibum, whilst falling for him at the exact same time. I suppose I can't really help it, he thinks, as he watches Jonghyun move back to his original spot, before changing his mind and sliding down to sit next to Kibum instead. As much as it bugs me, he is my type. There's nothing I can do about it, so I might as well get used to it.

"So, mister do-what-you-want-with-your-life. What exactly do you do for a living?" It sounds painfully flirty, but Kibum doesn't care.

Jonghyun's plump lips pull into a smile. If Jonghyun thinks his smiles are impressive, Kibum figures the other man must never look in the mirror. "I'm what you might call, an aspiring musician. A freelancer, really. I dislike being tethered to one company."

Kibum nods. "Which would explain why you were playing in the neighbourhood, I suppose."

"Uh-huh. But I don't just limit myself to street performing. I've got a gig in a local bar on Friday night."

He suddenly wants very much to attend that event. But he's also a bit too shy to ask. "Nice. What do you sing?"

Jonghyun shifts his position to shuffle through his pockets, pulling out his phone. He scoots a bit closer to Kibum, and the latter tries not to look overly glad. "I mostly do covers, but I've written a few of my own songs as well. Here's my website--" he turns his phone around for Kibum to see. "It just about sums up what I do."

Kibum bites his lower lip in thought. "...can I see it for a second?" He asks shyly.

"Of course," Jonghyun seems to think nothing of it, to Kibum's relief.

He hands over the phone, barely paying attention as Kibum taps around on it for a while before handing it back. He's a bit put-out when Jonghyun slips it back into his pocket without even looking at it. "So..." He begins hesitantly. "Would you mind giving me a quick demonstration...?"

Jonghyun grins. "I thought you'd never ask."

With that, he grabs his guitar and begins strumming away. It's a sad melody, but beautiful nonetheless.

It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see, but not for me
I sit and watch as tears go by

Kibum falls into awestruck silence the moment his singing begins. Of course, he's heard that voice many times before; after all, the musician appears in the neighbourhood to perform on a weekly basis, same spot, same time. Kibum's always appreciated the sound of his voice, but never as much as he does now. Now that he knows him better, it makes his soft, gentle tone all the more captivating.

My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch as tears go by

"Can I ask you something?" Kibum feels a bit bad about interrupting, but something's been tugging at the back of his mind for quite a while.

Jonghyun stops playing, and stares intently at him. "Shoot," he says lightly.
"Why do you always sing sad songs? Don't get me wrong -- they're beautiful. And your voice is amazing. But you always seem a little melancholy when you sing."

Jonghyun flashes a sly grin. "So you watch me play often, then?" He asks mischievously.

Kibum blushes, but keeps a straight face. "That's beside the point."

Jonghyun laughs to himself, and it makes the other boy melt a little on the inside. "I guess I just get to thinking when I sing. It makes me a bit of a downer, despite the fact that I love doing it."

"What do you think about, if you don't mind me asking?"

Jonghyun shrugs, like it's no big deal. "Things I'm missing out on."

"Like what?"

"Like lots of things," Jonghyun raps his knuckles on the wooden part of his guitar. He averts his gaze. "Like you, for example."

Kibum is silenced for the millionth time since the beginning of their encounter. This time, the silence isn't awkward at all. This time, they both accept the fact that their feelings are mutual, and yet they don't feel the need to say anything out loud. After what must have been at least five minutes, Kibum speaks up again. "Sing me something else," he says. "Something happy."

Jonghyun obeys, plucking at the strings of his guitar in a noticeably brighter tune. When he opens his mouth to sing, his puppy eyes remain fixed to Kibum's for the longest period of time yet.

Want to, but I can't help it
I love the way it feels,
it's got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real
I need it when I want it,
I want it when I don't,
tell myself I'll stop it everyday
knowing that I won't

They way Jonghyun was staring at him, made Kibum suspect that he'd chosen this particular song for a reason. He continues to watch the other boy become so immersed in what he's singing, it's almost like he's singing it specially for Kibum.

I got a problem and I don't know what to do about it,
even if I did, I don't know if I would quit, but I doubt it
I'm taken by the thought of it, and I know this much is true
baby, you have become my addition, I'm so strung out on you
I can barely move, but I like it
and it's all because of you.

The two of them are brought back to reality rather unceremoniously, by a loud thud. Suddenly, the elevator begins to move upwards, and before they know it, the doors are opening on the sixth floor. Kibum can't help but feel a little disappointed as he gets to his feet, moving away from the boy and his guitar, and stopping before exiting the prison that held them both captive for the past half an hour. "I really hate to cut this short," he frowns apologetically. "But I think I'll do what you said before. There's no harm in trying, right?"

Jonghyun gets to his feet as well, shaking his head. "No problem at all," he assures the other boy, giving him an encouraging slap on the back. "You go for it. And please, just tell your boss what happened. If he has any decency left in him, he'll understand your situation."

Kibum nods gratefully, turning to leave, when Jonghyun shouts one last thing after him. "Oh, and Kibum. One more thing before you hit the road," he calls, and the hurried boy has to turn back to reply.

"Yeah?" He asks, figuring he owes it to the guitar player, especially after all the time they spent together.

"How about a smile?"

Kibum has to press his lips together to keep from obeying straight away. "I'll do it if you do it," he says.

At that, Jonghyun flashes the biggest, brightest smile Kibum has ever seen in all his years. In return, he gives the boy one of his own. 

As he speed walks down the hall to his apartment, Kibum secretly hopes that that image will remain vivid in his memory for the rest of the day.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It takes Jonghyun far longer than it should to realize that the elevator doors have closed behind him, and he is now sitting unmoving on the sixth floor.

He can't seem to stop smiling; the same grin he had worked up just for Kibum was still lighting up his features, and no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't leave. Every time he manages to settle down, he thinks of Kibum, and unconsciously begins grinning like an idiot all over again. As an attempt to distract himself, he pulls out his phone to check the time, only to discover that a new note had been created eight minutes ago. He furrows his brow in confusion, and clicks to open it.

Oddly enough, I seem to have grown rather fond of you. I guess you just tend to have that effect on people. If you ever want to chat, give me a call on the number below, and I'll be more than happy to oblige. I might have a few song requests up my sleeve for you, too.
I hope to hear from you soon,
Kibum xoxo

Another stubborn grin finds it's way onto his face. He must have typed the message instead of checking out his website. Jonghyun is about to hit the button for the first floor, when he changes his mind, and opens the doors instead. He doesn't mind taking the stairs.

As he makes his way back to his spot at the corner of the dingy apartment building, Jonghyun wonders how long he'll last before giving Kibum a call.