Chapter Text
Baby shifted foot to foot, he was making an appearance at Idol Central a couple days later after the disastrous interview. Idol Central often features members from several different groups, and Baby always looked forward to seeing some of his friends. Sora and Emily, and Seo-joon.
He stood next to them, adjusting the soft tan beret he put on for the show. Min-ho had described it once, like it “made him look like a French painter from the 60s,” and every time Baby wore it he got that warm feeling at the memory.
He spotted Sora and Emily from FLOWER chatting near the refreshment table. Both were dressed in their group’s signature dreamy pastel tones, hair perfectly curled, Sora’s bright pink and Emily’s a jet black. They stood with the kind of ease only true music nerds had, they were two of the few girl group members who produced their own tracks, and had always treated Baby like a peer. He was surprised at how quickly the girls became his friends once in a while getting boba and talking about music production. They met at an award show, Baby complimented their work and it was history.
“Hey, you survived your first comeback cycle!” Sora greeted as soon as he walked up.
“Barely,” Baby replied, lips twitching into a smile. “Emily, please tell me you’re not still editing vocals at three in the morning.”
“No promises,” Emily said, reaching for a strawberry milk. “I live in Pro Tools now.”
He laughed, and it felt real . The kind that came from shared sleep deprivation and keyboard-induced shoulder pain.
Then a voice called from behind. “Youngho!”
Seo-joon from Blue Sky jogged over, already waving. Tall, friendly, with the kind of face that always landed him in rom-com variety segments. He clapped Baby on the shoulder like they were longtime classmates.
“Dude, I’ve been trying to text you, ” Seo-joon said, a little breathless. “You okay?”
Baby blinked, surprised. “Yeah. Sorry. I just, kind of shut everything off for a while.”
“We figured,” Sora said gently, sipping her milk. “After everything. The interview.”
Baby shrugged, “Yeah, it's okay. I’m better now.”
“Seriously though, we missed you.”
Baby smiled, “Thanks guys. I just hope today will be better.”
“Yeah I’m sure it will!” Seo-joon exclaimed, his smile growing. The group moved toward the stage where more idols waited, chatting.
Baby could count about twelve of them, and he wondered what was the theme of the day’s show.
The producer clapped once and called, “Mic check, everyone! We’re live in three!”
Immediately, the energy shifted. Chatter faded. Idols straightened up. Stylists did one last swipe of powder and hairspray. Baby adjusted his mic pack, Sora tugged Emily’s collar into place, and Seo-joon shook out his arms like he was about to run a relay.
The countdown began. Three, two, one…
The host beamed into the camera, voice exploding with energy, “Annyeonghaseyo! Welcome back to Idol Central , your one-stop show for chaos, charm, and to spend time with your favorite idols!”
All the idols did some kind of hello gesture, Baby included as he listened.
“Today’s theme is : Fake Date Escape, Idol Love Variety Special!"
The live audience cheered as clapped, bright colorful lights swirled on the stage, as Baby felt like ice gripped his heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sora and Emily give him concerned looks, Seo-joon’s patted Baby on the back.
Before he could process further what that meant, a staff member appeared beside him with a bright smile and a clipboard.,“You’re up in Round 1, Baby-ssi! Good luck! You’re gonna kill it!”
Kill what?! Romance? Myself?! Baby thought to himself frantically, but automatically moving to take his mark, letting his idol training take over. He nodded to his friends, just to let them know he was good with it. He was.
The floor buzzed with excitement, some of the female idols were giggling, cameras sweeping, the host in a pink tuxedo yelling things like, “ Give us drama! Give us tension!”
He spotted Ji-ah across the stage, the main vocalist for Dreamcrush, a twelve member group that Baby always thought had impressive stages.
Ji-ah flicked her long blonde hair back and waved at him with a bright smile.
A loud jingle played, obnoxiously chipper.
“Let’s meet our first couple of the day!” the host shouted. “Please welcome, Baby from the Saja Boys and Ji-ah from Dreamcrush!”
The audience cheered again, spotlights shone on both Baby and Ji-ah, the heat of them making Baby sweat.
He walked stiffly to center stage, muttering under his breath, “I swear, I will haunt the producers when I die.”
Then the giant LED screen behind them lit up in glowing pastel font with their improv prompt: Exes accidentally reunited on their first date…set up by their moms!
Ji-ah leaned to whisper, “This is going to be so much fun!”
“I want a refund on my day,” Baby muttered, mostly to himself. Ji-ah just smiled at him.
And just like that, the music swelled, the camera zoomed in, and the scene began. The crowd clapped and yelled with anticipation. Baby felt he was going to implode on national television.
The host clapped and the music faded into a dramatic violin sting.
“And…action!”
Ji-ah immediately threw herself into the role, eyes wide with pretend betrayal. “You ?! No. No no no, this is not happening. My mom swore he was ‘stable and emotionally available!’”
The crowd roared with laughter.
Baby blinked. Then cleared his throat, “I… like flowers?”
Laughter again, but now it edged with fondness, the crowd could see he was trying.
Ji-ah gasped, hand to her chest. “You haven’t changed a bit. Still awkward. Still charming in that weird way of yours!”
Baby deadpanned, “That feels like an insult and a compliment and a cry for help all at once.”
More cheers. The host was cackling. Ji-ah was thriving, flipping her hair, stepping closer, fully committing to the fake romantic tension.
Baby tried to follow her lead, stepping closer, but it felt stiff, he wondered if everyone could see. See through him, “I told my mom blind dates were a trap.”
“And yet here you are,” Ji-ah whispered, their fake-romantic tension now barely a breath apart. Baby wondered how much she was actually like this was real. For him, he wanted nothing else than for it to be over.
His eyes flicked toward the audience. So many people. All watching. All screaming.
He forced a smile, “Guess I never learn.”
They hit the punchline, and the music cued the end of the scene.
Everyone clapped. The host made a huge heart shape over their head.
“Wooooow , that was full of chemistry! Did anyone else feel that unresolved tension?”
Baby bowed politely. Ji-ah waved to the crowd. Inside, Baby felt hollow.
He hadn’t done bad , technically. The crowd laughed. The host was happy. He did better this time, he didn't storm off, or insult anyone. He did his best. He always did. But the smile on his face felt too tight. And he didn’t know how much longer he could wear it.
Ji-ah leaned in as they stepped offstage. “You did great, by the way. Really cute improv. Like, actually.”
“Thanks,” Baby said quietly, adjusting his sleeves. But it didn’t feel like enough. He didn’t feel like enough, and he couldn't help but wonder, when would he ever feel ike enough.
As the next idol pairing took the stage, two main vocalists already pretending to argue over a forgotten anniversary, Baby slipped off to the side. No one stopped him. The cameras had moved on, the crowd’s attention fully on the next round of chaos. It gave him just enough of a window to duck behind the set curtain and into a quiet hallway lined with racks of prop costumes and extra lighting stands.
He found an unused folding chair and sank into it. The quiet hit him harder than expected. It wasn’t that he hated it. Not the show. Not the people. Not even Ji-ah, who had been generous and funny and more patient than he’d expected.
It was just…
He didn’t fit. Not in this role. Not in this kind of performance. He could do a thousand things, produce a layered harmony out of two vocal lines that didn’t match, write lyrics until sunrise, rap over a half-finished beat like he was built from rhythm itself. He could go to dance practice, and train with the others. But this, he was tired of pretending he could.
His chest felt tight. Like there was no room to be himself in the image they wanted from him. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands pressed together, trying to ground himself in the pressure of his own palms. Trying to remember how to breathe.
_____
The Huntrix penthouse was already loud when Baby walked in. Not from music or the group talking or laughing. Baby could hear shouting…
Was that Bobby?
“You were supposed to be on a safe variety show!” Bobby was yelling, actually yelling in the kitchen. “No more questions on your dating life- or anything related to that! Did nobody actually read my information brief?!”
Jelly was leaning on the island counter, holding his phone, that furrow between his eyes showing he was also mad, “Honestly, if I had ten thousand won for every time someone tried to ambush Baby about his love life for ‘entertainment,’ we could fund our next album independently…”
“We’re suing, we’re suing this time!” Bobby was still yelling and now Baby could see Rumi and Jinu walking into the kitchen, the rest of the group already in the living room, watching the TV.
The theme music playing indicated to Baby they were watching his appearance on Idol Central. Abby’s face was serious, and Romance looked like he was plotting the host’s demise. Mystery’s face was unreadable but had a slight frown, matching Zoey’s very concerned face. Mira, next to Romance and Zoey, sat still, her eyes locked on the screen. Her expression is unreadable, unblinking.
Baby set his bag down slowly, shoulders slumping now that he was home, “It wasn’t… that bad.”
Jelly’s head whipped to face him, “You literally flinched when the crowd screamed and they announced the theme.”
Bobby pointed a spoon at him dramatically, “I rewatched the clip, you looked like you were being held hostage on national television.”
Baby scratched the back of his head, “I thought I hid it better than that.”
Before Bobby could launch into another rant about contractual boundaries and the emotional well-being of their family or Jelly could mutter a threat about sending the show’s producers to the demon realm, Jinu spoke up, placing a hand on Bobby’s shoulder.
“Okay, okay, everyone, thank you for showing your concern. I know you both will fix it,” he said cheerfully. “And I know we're clearly all mad, but Youngho is clearly exhausted, and I’ve been craving hot pot for three days.”
Rumi followed behind him, appearing unbothered, scrolling through her phone, ““Let’s go out. There's that one place nearby that lets us book a private room.”
That got Mira up, “Yeah let’s go.”
Baby blinked at Jinu, “You’re..not mad?”
“Oh, I’m furious, but for now, there’s nothing we can do, except let Jelly and Bobby work. We can emotionally process while eating some fish cakes in boiling hot broth.”
“I second that, if we’re not burning our mouths on beef, what are we doing?” Zoey asked, and Baby could tell she was trying to lighten his mood.
He smiled at her, trailing after the group, heading to the hot pot place. Baby didn’t say much as they all bundled out into the elevator, but something in his chest loosened.
The hot pot place was tucked into a quiet side street, and the staff were discrete in showing them to the private room in the back, closing the sliding door behind them with a soft thud.
Outside, the city buzzed. Inside, it was just them.
Baby sat quietly as the others worked, a waiter filling the pots with a spicy and pork bone broth. Plates of thinly sliced beef, fish balls, tofu, mushrooms, noodles, and vegetables were laid out. Mystery quietly asked Jinu to order more beef and Zoey happily filled the boiling pots full.
Rumi handed Baby a bowl of dipping sauce, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and extra chili sauce, “Just sit and eat. We’ll worry about all of this tomorrow.”
Baby gave her a grateful smile, as Abby and Jinu took over serving the others. Abby placed several pieces from the spicy broth, beef, pork, vegetables. Baby ate it all, letting the warmth form the food, and his family fill him.
Romance was teasing Mystery about only eating form the non spicy broth, who gave him a glare, half seen under his hair, “But you’re also only eating the pork bone broth!”
Baby laughed quietly to himself. Zoey was eating quickly, matching Mira’s pace of eating as much beef as possible. Feeling eyes on him, Baby pulled his attention away, looking to Jinu and finding himself staring right in his eyes.
“You doing okay?” Jinu asked, the concern low in his voice.
Baby nodded, and realized that he did feel okay, finally. “Yeah, thank you Jinu.”
“Of course. You know we’d do anything for you, right?”
“That’s right, we got your back Youngho,” Rumi echoed
Baby felt the sting behind his eyes again, but this time it wasn’t from frustration or exhaustion. It was from being held, even without arms around him. From being seen.
He blinked quickly, looking down at the table, voice a little hoarse, “You guys are gonna make me cry into my soup.”
Next to him, Mira gave him a nudge, “Hey, emotional hot pot is still hot pot.”
Baby laughed, exhaling deeply, letting the moment fill his lungs, “Okay, lets keep eating. I dont want Zoey to finish all of the spicy beef.”
“Hey!”
Laughter filled the table, light and real. The weight on his shoulders lifted. He never had to worry if he was enough for his family.
______
Later that night, Baby sat on the penthouse balcony, watching the city below. Baby’s arms rested on the railing, the city lights glittering below him. The steam and laughter from the hot pot still lingered somewhere in the corners of his mind, but now it was quiet. Still. Here he could take a deep breath, fill his lungs, and finally release the last bit of stress from the day.
Behind him, he heard the sliding glass door open and close, and he turned to see Min-ho, dressed comfortably in a t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair still slightly damp from what Baby assumed was a shower after his day in the studio.
Min-ho’s art showcase was coming up fast, and he was spending more time in the studio, getting ready. The sketch of himself was in the back of Baby’s mind. He wondered what the final product would look like.
“Hey, Mira told me about today,” Min-ho said, coming up next to Baby, leaning back agasnt the balcony railing.
Baby grimaced, “Did you watch it?”
“No, I didn’t want you to feel any more exposed than you already did. I don’t need to watch it to know that it hurts you.”
Baby gave a deep sigh, and couldn’t help himself, leaning now slightly closer to Min-ho. The warmth of Min-ho grounded him, and it always made him feel safe.
Baby looked down, his fingers curling slightly around the metal railing. “I didn’t know it was going to be… that kind of show. I thought it was a panel thing. Variety games, talking. I could’ve handled that.”
Min-ho tilted his head slightly. “But fake dating on live TV, with all eyes on how you react to someone coming onto you…it must have been hard. I’m so sorry, Youngho.”
Min-ho’s hand came up to rest on top of Baby’s. He gently tugged, and guided Baby to sit on one of the nearby couches, sitting next to him, keeping his warmth near.
“Yeah,” Baby whispered. “That’s where I cracked.”
Baby wanted to say more, to explain, why it felt so awful, so wrong, but he didn’t have the words for it. He scrubbed at his eyes, and Min-ho made a soft sound that almost made the tears Baby feel forming fall. He took in a trembling breath as Min-ho arms came around Baby, holding him tightly.
The way Min-ho held him, as he leaned closer into Min-ho’s embrace, it gave Baby the sense Min-ho wasn’t trying to fix him, or get him to explain. It was just to hold him. In his arms, Baby could feel Min-ho saying, I got you, even if you need to break apart right now.
“It's not just the show,” Baby could hear himself saying, barely a whisper.
Min-ho waited, his breathing even, steady.
“It’s the way people look at me. Like, I’m something, wrong, weird, like I'm incomplete if I don’t want what they want. But I don’t want it, I think I never wanted it. And I know how it should be, like I’ve seen the movies, listened to the songs, I’ve even written some of my own. But…I know now, how wrong it feels to pretend. And I’m done pretending.”
Min-ho’s arms tightened around Baby.
“So when they push it on me,” Baby continued slowly, “it feels like they’re trying to overwrite me. Like my ‘no’ doesn’t matter. Like I’m less . ”
Baby wiped his face again, but the gesture as if he was hiding anymore, if anything, it was like an exhale, a breath releasing his emotions, his anger of being shoved into a box he didn’t want. He was almost scared to look at Min-ho, but he did, and the only thing he saw in Min-ho’s eyes, was understanding,
Min-ho finally spoke, voice low and firm. “You're not less. Not even close,” Min-ho reached up, brushing a thumb under Baby’s cheekbone, careful and gentle, “You’re not less. Not for what you feel, or don’t feel. You’re not less for being real about it, being true to you are.”
Baby leaned into the way Min-ho’s fingers traced his cheek, leaning into his words, the way they brought a warm, golden sunshine into his soul.
“I think I was scared no one would ever get it,” he admitted. “That people would keep expecting me to perform, not just on stage, but in life, in love. To be someone I’m not.”
““You don’t have to perform with me,” Min-ho said simply, and his words cracked something in Baby’s chest, but soothed at the same time.
“And…I do understand what you’re saying too. I’ve never been in many relationships, I was too busy with working for my parents, but I found that I never really have fallen in love, either,” Min-ho’s words were hesitant, but Baby nodded.
“After I get to know someone, maybe I’d like them, but, I’ve never dated them,” Min-ho said, now one arm around Baby, looking out to the city.
Baby blinks, taking in Min-ho’s words, there was something about Min-ho understanding him, never pushing more than what Baby said to, it never felt too much.
“I don’t know why, but I never feel like I have to be someone I’m not when I’m with you,” Baby says, quietly, the two of them sitting on the couch for a while. Baby found himself not wanting to leave, he can feel Min-ho’s gaze on him.
“Me too, I’m always so scared of doing something wrong, like I’ll mess everything up, all the time, but I don’t feel that worry when I’m with you,” Min-ho says, Baby hums quietly.
“Guess your lessons really paid off, huh?” Min-ho now jokes, Baby laughs, remembering the ‘not caring lessons’ Baby started with Min-ho when he first arrived.
That Min-ho was scared, eyes darting around the entire group all of the time, shrinking into himself to not be noticed, always afraid of disappointing them. The Min-ho that sits with Baby now is confident, not only in how he changed in his appearance, but the way he speaks isn’t forced anymore, it’s real, deep. He doesn’t fear speaking up for himself, or doing what he loved.
Baby found himself liking this Min-ho a lot more.
“I never did say thanks,” Min-ho finishes, “You did help me. Show me that sometimes things aren’t as serious as they seem. My parents taught me that everything was a challenge, and you had to constantly prove yourself to prove your worth.” His arm around Baby tightened.
Baby looks up at Min-ho taking him in, “You don’t have to say thanks, being here with you is enough.”
Min-ho smiles, looking up at the sky, Baby looks up as well, the peace at being at his side, it’s enough for tonight, Baby can feel his emotions, the anger, the sadness, the annoyance slowly slipping away from him. Here, everything was calm. With Min-ho, he was calm.
______
Min-ho sighs, trying once again to calm his crazy hair as he stares at himself in the mirror, smoothing his light blue shirt down his chest, feeling his heart beating like crazy. Tonight was finally the night, the night that his art show would take place.
He remembers staying up late last night finishing the final piece, Min-ho couldn’t stop the nerves that were growing inside of him, what if everyone hated it and trashed his work, and all of his emotions that he’s poured into this collection would be for nothing.
“You know, when you’re stressed, you get this line on your forehead, you really shouldn’t do that you’ll get wrinkles,” Mira’s teasing voice breaks Min-ho out of his thoughts, looking at the door and seeing his sister standing at the entrance.
Min-ho tries to reply but his words catch in his throat, he watches as Mira looks at him worriedly, she crosses her arms as he turns around to face her. He doesn’t want to be this nervous, growing up, Min-ho always was nervous, if he was doing everything right, if he was bringing honor to his parents.
“What’s wrong?” Mira asks, Min-ho sighs, running a hand through his hair again, Mira reaches to stop him, beginning to fix his hair.
“What if they hate it?” He says quietly, Mira hums at his words, he knows that Mira would never sugarcoat her words, she was the most honest person that he’s ever met.
“If who hates it?” She counters, seemingly satisfied with his hair now, Min-ho pauses, his mind racing as he thinks about everyone that’s going to be in attendance tonight.
His manager, Tae, he invited other artists, gallery owners, collectors, art critics, as well as a general public list that RSVPed to the event, his family, who he was most excited about, but specifically his final piece that he felt both entirely scared but excited to reveal at the same time.
“Everyone, the journalists, you guys,” Min-ho trails off, Mira lets out a soft snort, nudging him with her shoulder.
“Everyone is going to love it, because you do, and if the journalists say anything bad about it, then we’ll just sic Bobby and Jelly on them,” Mira says, Min-ho laughs knowing how even though they weren’t his managers, how much they protected the entire family.
“Youngho will like it too,” Mira adds after a pause, Min-ho stiffens, glancing at her, his heart racing in his chest as he takes in her words.
“I’m not… I don’t,” Min-ho sputters, Mira just shakes her head.
“Relax, I know what you mean, you know I would never lie to you right?” Mira asks and Min-ho nods immediately.
“Yeah, I know that,” Min-ho watches as Mira stands up fully after leaning on the desk that he was standing at when she came in.
“Then trust me when I say that tonight is going to be amazing,” Mira says, Min-ho looks down at the ground, he worked hard on his pieces, and he loved them, each piece felt like a piece of his soul was embedded in it, his mind painted on the canvases.
A knock on the door rings into the room, the voice of Tae behind the door, “Everyone is going to start arriving soon Min-ho, let’s have a great showcase!”
Min-ho stands up, offering his arm to Mira, a smile on his face as he calms down, she takes his arm, looping hers through his. Mira always knew how to calm his racing mind, to settle his nerves. Tonight was going to be amazing.
Heading into the gallery, Min-ho lets out a deep breath as he takes in his work hanging on the walls, each piece having a small description note. He smiles seeing the different objects behind the painted glass, the crystal roses, the chandelier, the long staircase, the pirate ship, each one unique in the color choices but together, they each stood out behind the glass.
“You’re going to crush this,” Mira says, standing at his side, Min-ho looks at her smiling.
“Thank you, for everything,” He says, Mira waves her hand, waving off his thanks as the doors open.
Min-ho recognizes several of the other artists, coming in, each of them greeting him, Min-ho accepts the compliments and raves about his work, more collectors and journalists arrive, the gallery full of life as Min-ho watches taking in all of it.
Soon he hears his family, Romance and Abby entering first, both wearing suits, Romance’s a bright orange with a dramatic flair in the design, Abby wearing a traditional suit with an orange tie.
“Min-ho! These look amazing, the entire collection works so well together,” Romance gushes, hugging Min-ho.
“Thank you Namhae, I love your suit,” Min-ho says, Abby chuckles as he stands on the other side of him, giving Min-ho a nod.
“He got it specifically for this, he said he wanted to show his support,” Abby chuckles, Romance scowls at him before turning back to Min-ho pinching his cheeks.
“I had to show everyone who my favorite artist is,” Romance says, Min-ho laughs, Mira shakes her head pushing his hands away from Min-ho’s face, she moves to stand by their sides.
“Okay drama prince let’s go, the others are waiting,” Mira says, sending Min-ho a wink, Zoey and Mystery come in next, Zoey wearing a sparkly green dress, Mystery nodding to Min-ho.
“Oh my god Min-ho, these look amazing! I can't wait to see them and inspect each and every one!” Zoey says excitedly.
“Thanks guys, I hope you like them,” Min-ho says, waving as Zoey holds Mystery’s hand, pulling him to the pieces, Mystery has a soft smile on his face as he follows her easily.
Jinu and Rumi come up to Min-ho, both of them wearing matching deep purple outfits, Rumi hugs Min-ho tightly, Min-ho smiles as he returns the hug. He can feel the love from each of them, he was so worried about what others would say that he forgot that his family would always support him.
“We’re so proud of you Min-ho all of your artwork holds so much emotion,” Rumi says quietly, Min-ho can’t stop the prick of tears in the corner of his eye but he holds back as he pulls back seeing Jinu watching him with a smile.
“You should be proud of yourself, Min-ho,” Jinu says, Min-ho feels warmth spread through him as he smiles at them.
“Thank you, it came out just how I wanted it to,” Min-ho says, Rumi squeezes his shoulder as her eyes glance to the final piece, it’s covered, Min-ho wanted to reveal the final piece, the one that would tie it all together.
Jinu and Rumi move into the gallery, a few journalists come up, asking questions about his inspiration, Min-ho feels at peace discussing his work, how he created them, the materials he used.
When they finish and move on, Min-ho lets out a breath, looking around the room, seeing everyone in attendance, his family, even Zoey’s parents came to support, before his eyes move to the entrance, his breath catches in his throat as he sees Baby.
Wearing a suit with simple pink threading stitching designs along the fabric, his blue hair tamed for once. Min-ho feels himself take a deep breath, Baby meets his eyes, a soft smile forming on his face, as he walks over to him.
“Hi,” Min-ho manages to say, his voice soft as Baby stands in front of him, his hands in his pockets.
“Hey, it looks great in here, even better than when it was in the studio,” Baby says, Min-ho smiles at his words, unable to help himself, looking around the gallery at his work, before his eyes drift back to Baby.
“Thanks, I had a lot of help, and inspiration,” Min-ho watches as Baby laughs lightly at his words, Min-ho feels that familiar peace, calmness that comes whenever he is around Baby.
Baby opens his mouth to respond before Tae appears at Min-ho’s side, “Okay Min-ho we’re ready for the final showcase reveal.”
Min-ho nods at his words, looking back at Baby who has a look in his eyes that Min-ho can’t quite decipher but Baby gives him a smile.
“Go on clementine, you don’t want to keep your fans waiting,” Baby says, Min-ho laughs, heading over to his final piece, Tae gathers everyone’s attention, standing in front of the crowd, Min-ho takes a deep breath.
Looking through the crowd, Min-ho sees Mira giving him a nod, Zoey with thumbs up, seeing his family all watching him, supporting him, it’s more than Min-ho ever thought he would get in his life. His eyes land on Baby, Min-ho feels his heart skip a beat before Min-ho addresses the crowd.
“I would just like to say thank you to everyone for coming out, taking the time out of your evening,” Min-ho lets out a breath, looking at his covered up final piece, “This collection has been my favorite project that I’ve done, each piece represents something that I have experienced and my emotions, I am so grateful to show you all this.”
Min-ho turns to the final piece, holding on to the fabric, he closes his eyes for a moment before pulling it down. The piece revealed is a kaleidoscope of colors like the other pieces, but this one is centered around a loose figure. Outlined in sunshine, dipped in golden light, blue hair blending into the background, a loose, almost blurry view of Baby, kneeling down, his hand outstretched like that day in the studio, holding an orange.
This piece, the glass is broken around the edges, but they aren’t sharp, more like a window, seeing the image of what’s behind it. The gallery erupts in applause, Min-ho stares at the work before turning to the crowd, bowing slightly, a smile on his face.
He takes in everyone’s reactions, seeing the looks, Min-ho feels himself soaking in the feeling, he did this, he finally created something that was his and he loved it.
Heading down the steps after the reveal, even continuing, Min-ho accepts the praise from everyone, he smiles and responds to them, but he can’t stop his eyes from wandering. Eventually he makes his way to the balcony of the gallery, taking a breath, needing to get away from the crowd for a second.
“Hey clementine,” Baby’s voice breaks through the silence, but Min-ho doesn’t feel the peace break, it only gets more warm. Looking behind him, Min-ho sees Baby walking out, coming to stand by his side.
“I just needed a second, away from the crowd,” Min-ho says, he knows that Baby wouldn’t judge him for needing it, but he wanted to say it anyway.
For a moment, silence fills the space between, Min-ho lets himself relax fully, leaning against the balcony railing.
“Is that really how you see me?” Baby’s voice pulls Min-ho’s attention to him, Min-ho looks at Baby, seeing him staring out into the city.
From every moment that Min-ho has known him, Baby has always been a complex, vibrant individual, it’s what drew Min-ho to paint him, what made him want to continue to paint him. Baby lived his life to the fullest, loved his movies, his music, sharing food, getting boba. Min-ho had heard that in the past Baby used to be the opposite. He couldn’t even imagine him in that way.
“You are a constant cycle of colors and starlight that take up most of my thoughts,” Min-ho says the words quietly, and at first Baby didn’t react, taking in his words.
Now Min-ho could see Baby’s cheeks turn pink, the color soft, complimenting his hair, his suit.
“It was beautiful, I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself like that before,” Baby hesitates, “So full of life and alive.”
Min-ho pauses for a moment, reaching out slowly, intertwining his fingers with Baby’s. Min-ho was scared all of the time growing up, but here, he felt brave, brave enough to finally talk about it. The emotions that had been building inside of him, slowly overflowing.
“Its the way I see you. So full life. I like watching movies with you, I look forward to every Friday night because of it, I like when you mess with my painting supplies even though you know I like things to be in a certain order, I like your laugh when you prank Jinu or buy another stuffed animal to drive him crazy, I like listening to you write songs, hearing how your mind forms the lyrics that I would never be able to think of,” Min-ho says, his feelings slowly coming out of him, Baby stares at their entwined hands, squeezing gently.
Baby says nothing, Min-ho feels his chest ache for a second before he breathes out a breath.
“If you let me, I’ll love you however you need, because I want to love you how you want to be loved, not how anyone else says you should want to,” Min-ho lays his heart bare, his entire being feeling nervous but he meant every word.
“Even if it’s not normal?” Baby asks, Min-ho feels his heart soften, turning to face Baby fully, he reaches out taking his other hand in his.
“It is normal Youngho, for you, for me, there is nothing wrong with your normal just because it’s not someone else’s normal, neither of us is normal, but that’s what I love about it, we are just ourselves, we don’t need to be anything else,” Min-ho says softly, his voice unwavering as Baby meets his gaze, Min-ho feels his heart fluttering at the look in them, everything in Min-ho wants to be around Baby, doing mundane things, living life together.
“I like when you’re sketching and you’re so concentrated on what you’re doing that you only hum even though you’re not listening,” Baby breaks the silence, Min-ho feels his chest lighten as he listens to him, smiling as Baby’s cheek turns pink again.
“I like doing things that I’ve never done with you, I want to keep doing them,” Baby says, Min-ho nods, Baby looks back at their hands, their bodies close together, a soft look on his face.
“We can do that, whatever you want,” Min-ho whispers, he never thought that he would feel anything like this in his life, resigned to live his life how his parents wanted, but now he wants more, he wants to keep that feeling, to keep learning and growing.
“Then you’re stuck with me clementine,” Baby says teasingly, Min-ho snorts at his words, as if he would protest.
“I like when you call me clementine,” Min-ho says, he never had a nickname growing up, they were childish and immature, but when Baby calls him that, he wants him to never stop.
They stand on the balcony, looking out to the city, Baby leans against Min-ho slightly, resting his head on his shoulder. Softly, Baby’s voice fills the silence, between the quiet city sounds, his deep voice sings.
“Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling clementine,” Min-ho looks down at Baby, he can feel his cheeks heat up at the song, he had never heard it before, but Baby’s voice was soothing.
With Baby at his side, Min-ho feels calm, the wind softly blowing, completely at peace.