Chapter Text
It was 5 in the morning. Around this time, Jihoon would always wake himself up with his alarms. Putting a smile on his face to start another day with positivity that he can attract in the shop he's in so he won't need to shut people all the time when they're looking for antics, and vintage shits he know nothing about because he never studied for shit. Around this time, he's probably humming his favorite song entitled Sokkenai with his speakers on, dancing around the kitchen with mellow music about confused love like it was an everyday scene inside his apartment.
And around this time, he wouldn't be freaking out with the sudden scream from his room when he's about to take a sip on his morning coffee, making him run towards his white-painted door ever so fast that he almost tripped, only for him to be greeted with a small guy freaking out with the change of place where he was yesterday. It's comfy... and the scent of mint plays with the boy's nose—but for all he care, he's gonna scream until he's muted.
“What?! What do you want?! Don't fucking scream, it iritates me!”
“Where the fuck am I?!”
“In my apartment. You fainted so I took you here, and what a way to be grateful? Screaming your lungs out at freaking 5 am in the morning?!” Jihoon looks at him with his amused expression how high that note the guy hit despite having a small body. Maybe, he's a demon.
“I need to get the hell out of here.” Without even a simple 'thank you' or a morning greeting, the small guy with unkempt hair ran out the room as if he's running for his life. Jihoon rolled his eyes before following the stomping noises outside.
“At least say 'thank you' you know,” the taller guy guard the apartment's door as he crossed his arms. “It won't hurt unless you're just an ungrateful kid.”
Jihoon saw how the guy's eyeballs just rolled at him in perfect 360°. “Look, I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not even supposed to be outside! So, fucking please, let me get the fuck out of here or I'll broke down to your windows and escape.”
Nice plan, but Jihoon just stood still as he tilted his head as he's trying the guy and getting on his nerves sounds good for him. Jihoon loves pissing people off, that's why he got his 32nd job because he either not hired or he got fired because of how he provoke the customers out of boredness.
“Shame on you, I don't have any windows. See?” He folded his arms as he smirked. Jihoon blinked jokingly as he gestures his hand as if he's shocked. “Oh, I forgot. You can't see shit because of that height, ungrateful ass.”
“You know what? Fuck off. And thank you, can I go now?” Pissed, the smaller man looked like he's ready to charge Jihoon and take his escape, if and only if, Jihoon's not twice his height. (He's exaggerating, he's just small.)
Jihoon pretended to think, caressing his chin with a visible pout on his lips as he shifted his gaze on the smaller. And then, he flashed his million dollar smile that any organism that talks can make him fall for him in seconds. The mentioned guy knew he's about to win the guy's heart, bad thing, the smaller guy hates people.
Hand on his chin, cocked brows and a smirk as he says, “I locked the main gate, you're not going anywhere until you eat the breakfast I prepared.”
“What?! No!”
“Yes.”
The smaller guy groaned, and God knows how many sighs he let out that morning while he's in front of an annoying man he'll probably wish he won't see again after this encounter. He doesn't even know why did he end up inside his apartment, and why did the guy pick him knowing that he's a total stranger?
Jihoon turned his body to go to the kitchen when he forgot to ask something.
“And hey,” the taller man rock his head on the side, raising a row. “What's your name?”
He stomped his way towards the kitchen, glaring at the taller man as he passed him by before answering.
“Hyunsuk.”
Jihoon smiled at his back, following him to the kitchen where the breakfast he prepared were set since minutes ago. Hyunsuk. Nice name.
“You're not trying to poison me, aren't you?” Before even stepping beside the counter, he heard Hyunsuk suspiciously looking at him. Jihoon rolled his eyes at him, sitting at the stool of his kitchen counter and gripping on his coffee.
“And what am I gonna get by poisoning you?”
“I don't know, you look like a psychopath. What's stopping you from doing so?” Blazing in cockiness, Hyunsuk's eyes looked straight at Jihoon's as he grinned at him. He expected Jihoon to get provoked, but what Jihoon did next freaked him out that he was stuck on his seat.
Jihoon closed the gap between them fastly, lips almost touching with a smirk playing on his mouth. And please, Hyunsuk wants to punch him in the face, but can't bring himself to take the risk because if he does, he knows he'll regret it. One on one at the counter with their breakfast, Jihoon stood up as he gazes to the guy's features.
“You're pretty, I wouldn't kill someone as pretty as you if I'm a psychopath, Sukkie.”
“B-Back off!” Hyunsuk panicked. He pushed Jihoon away from him as he clenched on the counter with furious eyes. He watched Jihoon laughed loudly, clapping all over the place as he remembers how Hyunsuk's face flushed in shock.
“You should've seen yourself. You were like—” Another set of claps, and high pitched laughs filled the kitchen that annoys Hyunsuk through his bones.
“Bastard. Shut the fuck up. I'm close to punching you if I don't owe you something.” He raised his spoon, attempting to hit Jihoon to shut him up.
Jihoon teased him, grinning. “Aggressive. I love it.”
“Can you just shut the hell up for a few minutes so I can eat and get of out here?” Hyunsuk groaned, tightening his grip on his spoon.
“Of course, Sukkie.”
“And stop calling me that before I even stab you with this fork to shut you completely, lifeless.”
The provocative man shrugged before taking a sip of his hot drink and pointed at him. “You should do something about your anger management, Sukkie. You don't go around telling people to shut up or you'll stab them with a fork.”
Hyunsuk finally shoved a spoonful of a vibrant looking sunny-side up egg as he rolled his eyes for a hundred time. “Guess what? You're an exemption.”
“Aw, that's cute. Thank you.” Hyunsuk swear to the high heavens that he's close to sticking his fork to the man's tongue if he'd say something annoying again.
“And you should stop going around picking up unconscious people from a dark alley because it guilts you.” The smaller guy snapped, frustratedly looking at the other man that rose his brow at Hyunsuk.
“Who told you that I helped you because of my conscience?”
“Then what?”
“I take time and effort to the ones I find pretty,” for the first time, Hyunsuk found Jihoon's gaze lingers to him with softness. His heart-shaped mole perks up when his smile appears, and it confuses Hyunsuk.
“And I find you pretty.”
Jihoon remembered what happened last night. He read it before from one the books inside their remoted library, that the constellations only appears at night in your partner's eyes. Jihoon's appeared, but Hyunsuk's didn't. And that left him in confusion, curiosity, and there's just something in Hyunsuk that lures him.
“I think you're pretty too.”
Hyunsuk broke the silence, standing up from the stool as he leaning onto Jihoon that surprised the younger with the sudden action.
“Pretty annoying. Pretty ugly. Pretty talkative. Pretty shitty for a man. Now shut the hell up and let me finish eating so I won't ever see you and your annoying ass again.”
Jihoon found himself gets sulky when he didn't feel the guy's plump lips on his, pouting in front of Hyunsuk, he glared at him. Hyunsuk ignored him and continued eating ever so eager to get out of Jihoon's place.
“Nice try, but you'll never get me out of your life now, you know. You and me are now,” Jihoon took his hand and intertwined their fingers that shocked Hyunsuk. “Emotionally, mentally connected. Souls are now attached with invisible strings and there's no turning back, Sukkie.”
“What?” Hyunsuk's brows drawn together.
“Shocking, right? You got youself a handsome man as your soulmate. A blessing in dis—”
“What do you mean 'soulmate'?” The guy interrupted him. Forehead furrowed in confusion, Hyunsuk shifted his eyes to Jihoon's when he remembered something from last night.
He remembered how Jihoon's eyes shimmers and glows before him.
But he wonders, what's that?
“You... don't know what a soulmate is?”
“I wouldn't be asking you if I know, dumbass.” Hyunsuk gulps the water beside his plate, still curious with what's Jihoon trying to say—unaware with their intertwined fingers as it conveys warmth.
Jihoon was speechless. He doesn't know what to say, because never encountered a person who know nothing about those when people are all crazy about that idea. Your soul getting attached to someone else's you don't know, being meant to collide like the stars, both of your eyes shines at night as you look at each other. People are all the same for Jihoon, but he never encountered someone like Hyunsuk.
Perhaps, because Hyunsuk is different.
Maybe that's why even if it's 5 in the morning, his eyes glows once again, making Hyunsuk widen his eyes and stood up from the stool.
“H-Hey—your... your eyes...”
“What?”
“They're glowing again! Are you some kind of an alien or what?” Hyunsuk was freaked out. It's his first time seeing weird things since he got out on the streets yesterday. And Jihoon's strange eyes that he met yesterday at the intersection will haunt him tonight. They're pretty. It complements his features, and his heart-shaped mole.
“And yours don't...” Jihoon whispered, his orbs reflecting the stars aligned in the stars with a sign of Aquarius, he can't seem to find the reflection of any signs in Hyunsuk's orbs. That's what confuses him more.
Why aren't Hyunsuk's sign appearing when his' does? Are they a false soulmates? Is there's something wrong about Jihoon? Or maybe, Hyunsuk? Questions clouded Jihoon's mind when he realized that no sign of constellation met his' through Hyunsuk's orbs.
The reflection of his sign disappeared, Hyunsuk sighed in relief while Jihoon stood still.
“What's that?”
“You really don't have an idea?”
“About what?”
“Soulmates! Destiny and all!” Jihoon raises his palm, only to get a no as a response.
“I don't care anyway.” Hyunsuk quench his thirst before attempting to step outside the kitchen area when he felt an arm around his waist that made him jump. “What the fuc—you little shi—”
“Can I see you again?”
“What?” Hyunsuk asked, cannot believe what he just heard from a stranger that he doesn't even know the name.
“At the intersection. Later, same time like last night.”
“What if I don't show up?” He tilted his head, eyes blazes in suspicion.
But Hyunsuk only witnessed how softly Jihoon looks at him as if he's a fragile ice sculpture that he adores. The arms wrapped around Hyunsuk's waist tightened when an unforgettable smirk is now visible on Jihoon's lips, before raising his wrist and said;
“It's okay. Destiny will do the work and bring you back to me until you realize how powerful invisible strings are,” Jihoon pats his head and touches his unkempt hair slowly before smiling that melts Hyunsuk for the third time.
“You can't escape from me, Hyunsuk.”
At the end of the scene, Hyunsuk took his leave, still not knowing the man's name.
•••
That night, Hyunsuk didn't show up.