Chapter Text
The first time Kim Leehan met Han Taesan it was an average spring day in Busan except for the fact that Leehan felt like his heart was breaking.
It had been a normal day. He'd gone to school, studiously ignored his peers who teased him for whatever dumb reason they could think of that day and when the bell had finally rung to dismiss them for the day he'd all but run home so that he could greet his beloved children as soon as possible. He sat in front of the tank and watched them all swim around, the calm visual settling his heart after a long day. But after a while he noticed a lack of one of his babies in particular: his corydoras. When he'd noticed the little fish hadn't been swimming around in the energetic manner it usually did he became concerned. He figured maybe it was hiding so he looked around more diligently until he finally found it lying in the back corner of the tank, unmoving. Devastation had struck him like a blow to the chest. That precious fish had been the last present his beloved grandma had given him before she passed away a few years ago. She was one of the few people who'd never spurned Leehan for his oddities, the only person aside from his parents or sister who he'd ever felt safe enough with to just be himself without fear of ridicule. So before he was even aware of moving, he'd rushed out of the house and he ran and ran until his legs practically gave out and his chest felt tight. He dragged himself onto a little log bench nearby and finally let it all out, curling into himself and crying into his knees.
After a while he heard the distinct sounds of footsteps nearby and suddenly a pair of black and white sneakers invaded his blurry vision. Leehan sniffled and desperately tried to wipe away his tears with trembling hands, to very little success. He felt pathetic enough as it was for having left his house in a rush without saying much of anything to his family and the feeling only got worse now that a complete stranger was seeing him like this. He heard the heavy sigh that huffed out of the person in front of him before the figure crouched down so that they were at eye level and suddenly Leehan was breathless for another reason aside from his sobbing.
The boy was hands down the most handsome person Leehan had ever seen in his life. At a guess, Leehan would say they might be around the same age and his youthful features were sharp and cool, almost model-like. He couldn't really tell since he was crouched down but Leehan figured he was quite tall as well. Dark hair surrounded his face but Leehan could see a hint of blond peaking out around his ears that— coupled with his silver earrings— leant a distinct contrast that only accentuated his attractiveness even more. Leehan's gaze was inexplicably drawn to the other's large hands where they rested over his bent knees. They were decorated with a few rings and looked strong– as did the rest of him, if the broad shoulders that were poorly hidden under his red windbreaker were anything to go by— but he imagined that they would be quite gentle. He didn't question the strange thought too much, it just seemed correct to assume that this person was warm and kind under the cold exterior he seemed to put out.
Hooded eyes watched him carefully and his expression was calm as he took in Leehan's pitiful state. The bland look could've been mistaken for indifference but for some reason Leehan just knew that he wasn't disinterested at all. An embarrassed blush rose to Leehan's cheeks but the stranger's gaze didn't feel judgemental or mean— Leehan was familiar enough with those kinds of looks from people at his school to know otherwise. Instead those dark eyes drifted over his flushed face, downwards until they stopped at his shaking hands. A frown twisted those strikingly handsome features and Leehan suddenly had the urge to push the corners of his lips back up, curious as to what it looked like when he smiled. It seemed impossible that a person could look any more attractive than the boy in front of him did right now but a part of Leehan still couldn't help but wonder. When their eyes locked again, Leehan noticed that something in that intense gaze had softened a bit and his heart skipped a beat.
"What's the matter? I passed by earlier and saw you sitting here but I wasn't gonna get involved. But I can't really ignore it if you're still crying like this hours later."
Oh… His voice was just as nice as the rest of him— it was low but not too deep and slightly raspy. The sound of it sent tingles down Leehan's spine and compelled him to answer, his own voice still trembling from his lingering tears.
"My fish… died. He… He was a corydoras. Do you… do you know what a corydoras is? They're a genus of catfish native to South America. They're bottom feeders and they can grow to be only about 5 inches long. Mine was a Bronze species so he was a really pretty color and he was super energetic and…"
He trailed off and glanced up from under his lashes, expecting to see the other looking bored or annoyed as most people did when he rambled. Instead the stranger was still watching him steadily, a quiet intrigue in his eyes that Leehan was unused to seeing from people outside his family when he talked about his fish. He tried to fight down another blush, gazing back down at his lap as he continued, "My grandma gave him to me before she passed away and I always greeted him when I came home. But today…"
Tears welled up again helplessly, "I'd only had him for a few years. They're able to live for over 10 years though so now I can't help but wonder if I didn't take care of him well enough… Grandma trusted me to look after him and- and now…"
That was probably the worst part of it: his grandma had given him the fish because she trusted Leehan to raise it well and now a few years later he had lost both the person and fish that he'd loved most. He buried his face in his hands again, trying his best to muffle his sobs in the presence of this gorgeous stranger who was now probably regretting stopping to check on him. As he tried to pull himself together he felt another weight settle in next to him on the bench and to his shock, a strong arm wrapped itself hesitantly around his shaking shoulders. Leehan startled at the unexpected touch but it was by no means unwelcome, the warmth an instant comfort. He looked up and saw that the other boy wasn't looking at him but up at the stars. As if he felt Leehan's stare, he looked back down so that Leehan could see his face fully, something in his expression a bit embarrassed— like he was unused to comforting someone— but still earnest.
"Sounds like you've had a pretty shitty day. But if you want my opinion, I don't think you did anything wrong. I'm no expert or anything but it sounds like you know how to take care of fish properly otherwise— like you said— your grandma wouldn't have trusted you, right?"
Leehan nodded, feeling a bit awestruck, "Right…"
A grin lifted the boy's lips and Leehan felt his heart stutter again at gaining proof that this person did in fact look even more handsome than Leehan had imagined when he smiled, "See? C'mon, I'll walk you home. I bet you ran out of your house, all freaked out without even saying anything to your family, right?"
Leehan flushed a little, caught red-handed, and the other snickered at his wordless admittance. They walked back to Leehan's house in companionable silence, Leehan sneaking glances up at the other boy the whole way there. When they reached his front yard, the boy jerked his chin encouragingly for him to head in. Leehan walked up the front path, vaguely hearing his parents and sister's voices inside, but when he reached the door he quickly turned around again to catch another glimpse of his unexpected companion. To his surprise, the other boy was still waiting at the end of the lawn as though he wanted to make sure Leehan got in safely. The thought warmed him to his very core and couldn't help but call out to him.
"What's your name? How old are you? Do you live around here?"
His laugher filled the night air again, sending Leehan's heart into overdrive once more, "Ha! Man, you're full of questions all of a sudden."
There was a pause, those dark eyes gazing at him in that same steady, calming way they had been since they'd first locked gazes, "Han Taesan. I live in Hwajeong-do, Gwangju but I'll be moving to Seoul in the fall for my first year of university. I just came to Busan because I heard the mountains were nice to climb."
First of year of university, which meant they were the same age as Leehan had suspected… He startled out of his drifting thoughts, realizing that he hadn't told Taesan his own name nor had he thanked him for his kindness. He opened his mouth to do just that but found the street suddenly empty of the handsome boy. Disappointment was a heavy weight in his chest but a sudden thought quickly soothed the feeling.
Taesan had said he was going to university in Seoul in the fall. Maybe it was time for Leehan to revise his own plans for next year? Before he could delve into the thought further, the front door suddenly swung open behind him and he was being tugged into his sister's arms as she shouted at him for running off for so long without saying anything or bringing his phone with him. He spent the better part of the rest of the evening apologizing profusely to his parents and burying his beloved corydoras with a small apology to his grandma as he did so.
When Leehan settled into bed that night his head was full of thoughts of the handsome boy with warm hands and a kind heart who had made him feel so seen in such a short amount of time. The memory of that lopsided grin and the strong arm around his shoulders made a home in Leehan's dreams, lulling him to sleep with the hopes that one day he would be able to see Taesan again and show him just how much his kindness meant to him.