Archive of Our Own ^beta

“That’s… him? Coach?” Seongwu mumbles to the circular device he held in his grip, his hands idle at his either side. It’s a low whisper that would have been unheard from such a distance, but everything he says is heard anyway— his silent undertones, even his deepest thoughts— recorded and well taken note of.

“Identity will be confirmed upon Introduction.” comes the response from Coach, his dictator who hid in a robotic woman’s voice.

The hub is full of people as it was the last time he visited. The place is made entirely of couples, lingering on every corner of the hub. In his first visit, Seongwu had found it odd how there were only couples in the place, until he figured that here is where everyone’s match meet-ups occur, a place set by the System only for this purpose.

He hesitates in his spot in the middle of the hub, scratching the side of his neck out of habit. He proceeds to walk towards the booth where a guy with ash hair and broad shoulders is sitting nervously, scanning his eyes around the room with his mouth slightly opened, probably assessing who his match could be. Their gazes meet once Seongwu steps right in front of the booth, and a smile easily spreads in the guy’s face.

“I’m Seongwu.”  He introduces in a heartbeat, a practiced ceremony, “Ong Seongwu— not Hong, Eung, or Gong. But Ong. Just in case you didn’t hear it right.”

The first thing Seongwu notices is how cute his droopy eyes are, accented with the presence of a pretty mole right under his right eye, and how he grins so incredibly wide as he stands to greet Seongwu. “Kang Daniel.”

The device lying on the table, one identical to Seongwu’s own, lights into a neon blue color just as Seongwu’s does the same. “Identity confirmed.” their Coaches affirm at the same time, and Seongwu erupts into a laugh of disbelief.

“I didn’t expect this.” He utters, reaching to shake Daniel’s hand.

Daniel accepts his hand shake and takes his seat, gesturing for Seongwu to do the same, to which the latter easily complies. “I didn’t expect this either. “ He confesses, and before Seongwu could open his mouth to say something that will potentially kill the mood, Daniel adds, “I didn’t think they’d pair me up with someone so good-looking from the get-go.”

Seongwu’s mouth turn into an ‘o’ before he shuts his lips tight and gives a little nod. What he didn’t expect is for the System to pair him up with a male, his previous matches all being females with curvy bodies he likes to trace with his lips, definitely not broad shoulders and buff arms that looked like it can knock him out in one swing. There’s no known rule that the System only pair people of the opposite sex, but same gender matches is just a territory Seongwu’s curiosity hasn’t roamed to yet. He thinks there might be a bug, but shoves that thought down his throat when he spots two or three pairs of same sex couples inside the hub. 

But Seongwu wouldn’t say that to Daniel, so he settles for a witty remark. “Oh please, I’ve heard that one too many times.” He quirks confidently.

Daniel flinches and there is a flash of disappointment he couldn’t hide in his expression. “I’m not your first then?”

Seongwu’s smile is a practiced one. “I would have turned back in time for you to be.”

That gets Daniel flustered, hiding the little blush that appeared in his cheeks with a hand as he elicits a giggle and Seongwu feels proud. Three rounds and he’s gotten this good at his game.

Game, well. That’s what it is, isn’t it?

The System is all but a fucking game, Seongwu had long since concluded.

It claims (keyword: claims) to find everybody’s perfect match, the one who they’d spend their lifetime with. The System assists (dictates) each individual through the use of a circular device which they call Coach.

A match is determined through information gathered about each individual— their physical preferences, their food tastes, personality, et cetera. They are compelled to live together for a predetermined span of time, assigned in a cabin, and separate once their Expiration is reached. The System then assesses their reactions with each match and once found perfectly compatible, two people can meet again as each other’s final partner, their ultimate match.

Or maybe not. Some had a final partner they’ve never even met before. And to  Seongwu’s surprise, not all perfect matches are perfect after all. They said the System has a 99.8% success rate. Seongwu wondered if he just happened to witness the 0.2% that failed. He started to ponder about how the System works. Maybe there’s a complicated algorithm that analyzes them as Coach claimed it to be. Or maybe everyone has their picture taped into a wall and those who get pinned by the same colored dart become a match. 

Seongwu doesn’t really know. This System is shit.

He found it convenient at first, because how does one even find their match on their own? How did ancient people even do the relationship thingy? But three matches down— three, good heavens, not even more than the number of fingers in one of his hands— and Seongwu already finds it boring, tiring, repetitive.

Perhaps the System has detected his sentiment, that’s why they gave him something different.

Daniel’s giggles and Seongwu’s thoughts are interrupted when food is placed in their table, two separate plates, creamy white pasta for the former and steak for the latter. Daniel peers at the food and scans around the hub in curiosity as the waiter bows and takes his leave.

“We didn’t even order yet!” He says as soon as the waiter is out of sight.

Seongwu didn’t plan to let out a small laugh, but he does. Daniel is clueless and he finds it amusing. “We didn’t.” He affirms, grabbing his fork. He puts down his fork again upon noticing that Daniel is still looking so confused. “They determine our meal preferences by analyzing our taste buds, or something.”

Daniel nods with his mouth still agape in awe. “I was craving for ramen, though.”

A grin makes it into Seongwu’s face. “This System is shit, isn’t it?” Any opportunity to corrupt an innocent mind like Daniel’s is welcomed by him. It was a total disaster with Doyeon, his previous match, who was pretty much worshipping the idea of the System. “I was very vocal about wanting to eat rice during match meet-ups, yet they still don’t give me any. Their information gathering is bullshit.”

Daniel’s mouth fall open even more that he has to cover it with his palm. “Are we allowed to say that?” He questions in hushed whispers.

Seongwu shrugs his shoulders, purposely turning the sides of his mouth downward into an exaggerated frown. “No, but fuck it.”

It takes a few seconds of silence, before Daniel erupts into laughter, droopy eyes turning into crescents, nose crinkling with his mirth. Seongwu watches him for a while before he allows himself to join his laughter, but his chuckles die earlier than Daniel’s does. He wonders if what he said was that funny or Daniel just really likes to laugh.

“How cool are you?” comes Daniel’s remark after his laugh dies down. Seongwu just shrugs his shoulders with a confident smirk and Daniel chuckles again.

Seongwu figures he should take the lead as the one who has experience. He wasn’t so eager before, so his first meetings for his previous matches were mostly him being pulled than being the one do the pushing. He prompts for them to check their Expiration. Daniel nods and tells him he almost forgot. The guy fumbles with his device, obviously inexperienced, while Seongwu knowledgeably guides him on which buttons to click. One more click, one they had to do at the same time in their respective devices, reveals their Expiration: 12 hours.

Again, another thing Seongwu didn’t expect. That’s the shortest he’s ever had.

Not that it’s a bad thing.

Daniel is frowning at his device, not even trying to hide his disappointment this time. Seongwu observes him amusedly— the boy is basically an open book.  “That’s too short, isn’t it?” He mumbles lowly.

Seongwu’s not sure if Daniel is talking to him or to himself, but he answers anyway. “That sounded like you want to spend more time with me. You barely know me.” He grabs his fork and knife and starts cutting his steak, prompting Daniel to grab his fork too.

Daniel starts to twirl his pasta lazily in his fork. “Because you’re cool.” He compliments with yet another giggle, and Seongwu temporarily places his fork down his plate again to be able to offer a fist bump to Daniel. Daniel drops his too, complying easily, even going as far as adding his own sound effects and Seongwu is pleased because he fist bumped with the air when Yoojung failed to appreciate his sentiments. They share a laugh before grabbing their utensils once again and actually start eating.

A small smile forms at the side of his lips, one that he hides as he chews his food.

Daniel is comfortable.

Seongwu likes comfortable.

They have small yet easy talks as they eat dinner. The conversation flows so smoothly, always starting with Seongwu saying something and ends with Daniel laughing. Daniel definitely gets his sense of humor, and Seongwu likes that. He likes that he doesn’t talk to the air when he tries to explain a joke, likes that he barely has to explain a joke (just two, so far), likes how he can cause those cute crinkles to appear in Daniel’s eyes and nose.

At one point into the dinner Seongwu finds Daniel staring at his steak a little too long. He offers him a bite, extending his hand that holds the fork towards Daniel. He expects a refusal, a– in Doyeon’s voice—‘we’re only allowed to eat the food they gave, Seongwu.’ but Daniel bounces excitedly and actually bites into the offer, taking the whole chunk of meat in the fork into his mouth. He mumbles an almost inedible ‘fuck it, right?’ as he chews, and that brings the widest smile in Seongwu’s face.

Oh, what an innocent mind he had corrupted.

They earn a few odd stares and low whispers from the people around them, particularly from the System Prefect clad in his black uniform quietly observing from the one corner of the pub. Aside from that, nothing else too severe, thankfully, so that’s the end of that.

After finishing his food, Daniel wipes his lips with a tissue and stares at Seongwu. “How many matches have you had before, S-Seongwu?”

Seongwu raises an eyebrow at the stuttering, yet he can’t ignore how much he liked hearing his name coming from Daniel’s lips. How come he hated it when Inha says his name? “Three.” He answers, before he gets lost in the flash backs of a disastrous match up, swallowing his last piece of meat. “It was all brief, relatively. The longest one is three weeks. Still better than ours, though.”

Daniel chuckles, peering at Seongwu through his bangs. “You’re my hyung, then.”

Seongwu raises an eyebrow. “Hyung?”

“It’s someone you call those who has more experience to you, I think.” Daniel explains, shrugging as he cocks his head to the side. “I don’t know where it originated from, though. But I think it fits you just right.” He leans forward, gazing at Seongwu in the eye. “I want to call you hyung, hyung.”

What was that word and where did Daniel get that, Seongwu has no idea. He doesn’t remember reading it as a term of endearment ancient people once used. Something that sounds like baby or honey might be in the list, but definitely not a hyung. Calling people things that aren’t their names doesn’t fit in the thirty-first century anymore, and if anything it only proves that Daniel is old-school, something Seongwu keeps at the back of his mind to maybe tease him about later.

Yet he couldn’t care less, really. Call signs are not his biggest concern.

He gives Daniel a little nod.

Seongwu’s gaze lies far, far away, past the infinite streets of cabins, beyond the wide grove of trees, to the tall walls that loom over the city. It is already dark and the moon lights up the ground, all the way from the sky, yet some places aren’t lit as the walls cast a wide shadow, keeping them in the dark. Coach once told him that the walls are for their protection— from what, he doesn’t know— yet Seongwu felt that it was just a barrier, a boundary that, like it does to the numerous cabins near its perimeter, keep them in the shadows.

His chest tightens.

He is pulled out of his thoughts when Daniel nudges him softly with his elbow, gesturing for them to ride the vehicle which will bring them to their assigned cabin. He gives a small smile before climbing it up.

Seongwu tries not to chuckle as Daniel clings at him when the vehicle starts to move on its own, without a driver, mumbling soft whispers of hyung, it moved on its own, hyung! which Seongwu found endearing.

They arrive at a cabin a few minutes away from the hub, at the center of the city, miles away from the walls which seem to suffocate Seongwu. He climbs off the vehicle and knowledgeably opens the gate with the print of his palm while Daniel is still shaking his head in awe with the vehicle that had just left on its own. The guy doesn’t look away from the vehicle until Seongwu actually calls for him.

The interior of the cabin is nothing different to those cabins he was assigned before. In fact they are perfectly the same, one design manufactured into a million copies. The color scheme is a mix of brown and green, dark sophisticated shades and dim lighting. Daniel’s mouth is once again wide open in amazement as he scans the room, the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom and Seongwu allows himself to smile at the sight of a naïve first-timer.

“The bathroom looks so beautiful, hyung!” Daniel sticks his head from the bathroom door, beaming excitedly. “I’m going to take a bath!”

Seongwu takes a shower right after Daniel. As water hits his face, he wonders how he can live up to his responsibility of taking the lead, when in fact he’s just as inexperienced as Daniel in this. He is his first male match and Seongwu is absolutely clueless. Does he fuck of Daniel? Does he let Daniel fuck him? Will it even feel good? He leaves the bathroom with no answers and a pair of pyjamas.

“Y-you’re not cold, hyung?” Daniel mutters as soon as he notices Seongwu standing at the end of the bed, chest exposed as he dries his hair with a towel.

Seongwu raises an eyebrow, still not looking at Daniel. “It’s not cold, Daniel.” In fact, it’s hot. Seongwu wonders if the heater was set too high. He feels Daniel standing from where he’s seated at the bed as the bed shifts and one moment later a cloth is hang on bare shoulders,  Daniel’s warm fingertips brushing with his skin for a brief moment. Seongwu catches it in his grip and realizes it’s a white t-shirt.

“Wear it, hyung. Cold.” Daniel mumbles lowly, and before Seongwu can look up to see his gaze, he’s already walking back to the bed and sitting down, facing the headboard.

All that Seongwu catches is how red his ears are.

Cute.

It’s definitely not cold, but Seongwu wears the t-shirt anyway. He lies next to Daniel, who has also laid down prior to Seongwu. They lie side by side, a few good inches between them, and Seongwu can feel Daniel fidgeting his fingers. It’s a few minutes of tensioned silence before Seongwu finally decides that fuck, alright, he’ll take the lead.

Before he can move though, Daniel suddenly blurts out, “I want to cuddle, hyung.” He turns his head to the side, facing Seongwu, ears red once more. “That’s okay?”

If Seongwu is surprised, he’s sure his face doesn’t show otherwise, for Daniel’s face fall and he scratches his neck as he forces a small laugh. “Ah, I wanted to do it so bad. Just lying on a bed, hugging and talking.” He looks away, then looks at Seongwu again. “I guess it was too much to ask? Let’s just do the talking then, no hugging.” He says, and he lifts his pinky finger in the air as a sign of a promise to keep.

Daniel is definitely misunderstanding Seongwu’s surprise— he was ready to do more than just cuddles— but Seongwu just laughs it off loudy, a little too loud that Daniel stares at him oddly like he’s insane.

“I can never underestimate the power of experience, or lack thereof.” Seongwu says after he’s done laughing, and Daniel stares even more oddly at him. “But okay, talking it is.”

So talk is what they do, as they lie down beside each other, keeping their two foot distance. Daniel talks about what he does when he’s bored, which, he says, is frequent. He says he likes to hang out at the side of the lake near the hub, watching the ripples of the water or just gazing at the sky. Seongwu tells him that there are a whole lot of recreational facilities they can use just near the Plaza; he could swim or read books or play however long he wants to. Daniel, as expected, didn’t know about these.

As the one with more experience, Seongwu is asked to talk about his past matches. He tells Daniel the basic things, their names and Expirations— Yoojung for three weeks, Inha for forty-eight hours and Doyeon for nine days. He describes their physical appearance, their height and the length of their hair. Seongwu realizes that he doesn’t actually know them beyond fancy dinners and good sex when he can’t provide more information than that. 

He’s wondering where to divert the conversation so he doesn’t end up talking about how each lady differs in bed when he feels Daniel suddenly reaching out for his hand, gripping it tightly, turning sideways to face him once again.

Seongwu’s heart had never jumped in such a simple, physical contact.

“I want to hug you after all, hyung.”  Daniel whispers.

Hyung. What did the word mean again? He doesn’t remember. But he is aware of the fact that along with the term comes another sudden skip of his heart and a shift some place inside of him, a foreign, strange, uncharted territory.

Seongwu doesn’t know how his face looks like right now, but Daniel bursts into small snickers and he brings up his free hand to his face, his other hand squeezing Seongwu’s involuntarily.

He doesn’t like how his heart skips along with each squeeze of his hand. (How many skips is that now? Why does his heart even do that? Is he dying?) He doesn’t like the electricity he’s feeling where their skins touch. He doesn’t like that he looks baffled, surprised at the thought of cuddling— good heavens, he banged a woman to sleep— and that Daniel is laughing as if he’s not the first-timer in the room.

So without a word, he closes the distance and wraps his arms around Daniel’s waist, resting his head on his chest. Daniel becomes stiff for two seconds, before he eases down and rests his hands on Seongwu’s back, albeit hesitantly.  “That was fast.” He mumbles into Seongwu’s hair.

“Excuse me, Kang Daniel. I am no amateur.” Seongwu scoffs. It’s easy to get lost in the feeling of warmth that Daniel’s body is radiating . Daniel smells like vanilla and it makes him want to sleep, but he can’t get his pride be stepped on wrongly more than once. Naïve Daniel needs to know what he needs to.  “I know what’s running in your head right now but sorry to break it to you, for your information, I’m no virgin. I’m a sex god, actually.”

It seems that Daniel doesn’t buy it, because Seongwu can feel his chest vibrate with each of his laughs. “Ey, you looked surprised at the thought of a cuddle.” He accuses, and Seongwu looks up to see another grin on his face. He takes note of two more moles he didn’t notice earlier, one in his cheeks and one in his chin. A constellation.

“Of course I was! I was ready to fuck you— or be fucked by you— whatever it is, just a few minutes before that. But then you what— you asked me to cuddle! You’re a freaking amateur.” Seongwu exclaims, eyes directly on Daniel’s, smirk on his face and mischief in his voice.

He doesn’t miss how Daniel’s ears become red and his body stiffens once again. “You’re serious?” Daniel asks.

“What do you think it is that I do with my partners for days and weeks? Stare at each other? Talk?”

Daniel frowns a little. “Yeah, talk. What’s wrong with that?” He answers, hands moving at Seongwu’s hips. “Get to know each other? Three weeks is a short time, hyung, moreso two days.”

Seongwu would say that even twelve hours is long enough, but his tongue stays still as if his mind wouldn’t let him say it. So he licks his lips just to move his tongue, and thinks something else to say instead, “That’s what most people expect you to do on your first night, Daniel. Now you learned a thing from me. Don’t let your next match find out you’re such an amateur.” He pulls his gaze away from Daniel and finally rests his head in his chest, cuddling closer.

“Really? Right away?”

“Inha asked we skip dinner so we can get to it right away. Some people’s sexual preferences just matter more than their stomach.” Seongwu shrugs.

It’s a few moments of silence before Daniel’s speaks again. “How was it?”

“I fuck good, apparently, because we did nothing else for our whole two days together.”

Daniel snorts. “No way.”

“I’ll give you a taste if we get matched up again next time.”

Daniel’s chest vibrates once again with his laughs as he pulls Seongwu closer and buries his head on his hair. “Shut up.” Seongwu adjusts himself with him, finding their new position more comfortable. It’s amazing how well their bodies fit into each other, how his arms seem so at peace against Daniel’s chest and how Daniel’s hands land perfectly on Seongwu’s waist. Seongwu thinks he can spend his whole life cuddling with Daniel.

But of course, for now, he only has six hours.

They talk even more as the night deepens, limbs wrapped around each other. Seongwu discovers about Daniel more than he ever did to his past three matches, such as his sleeping habits that he warned Seongwu about if he ever fell asleep, or how there’s actually a big mole on his hip, a vital information to Seongwu, and one more mole beneath his right eye, a smaller one, his fourth star in his constellation of moles.

Daniel also confesses that he doesn’t eat shrimp, and is relieved when he sees none of it in their dinner earlier. He hopes next time they’d fulfil his craving for Ramen, because evidently he’s not a Pasta guy. Seongwu takes this opportunity to talk about his theory on Acquired Tastes— how people’s so-called preferences seemed to be not genuinely theirs but something molded into them by Coach. Daniel listens to the absurdity of his idea, carefully so, that Seongwu soon shifts the topic into something lighter such as a variety of creatures called animals that he’s read were once co-existing with humans and not only served in hot plates.

“Eight legs!” Daniel exclaims, feeling a chill through his body. “That’s got to be a myth, how can anything have eight legs?”

Seongwu chuckles at the terrified look in Daniel’s face and proceeds to torture him more with descriptions of a creature with a hundred legs. Daniel whines in his arms and blocks the imagery by telling Seongwu his own stories instead.

In the comfort of Daniel’s warmth and his low voice telling stories right to his ears, sleep eventually catches Seongwu.

Five minutes before their Expiration, Daniel and Seongwu stand together right in front of their cabin, a little closer to each other than when they arrived at this place. Daniel is smiling from ear to ear as if he’s had a good night’s sleep, glancing at Seongwu every now and then with that smile never falling out of his lips, while Seongwu is just looking at Coach’s countdown, wishing seconds didn’t pass as fast as this.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but Daniel is good company.

Daniel is comfortable, and Seongwu likes comfortable.

That’s all there is to it.

Daniel grabs Seongwu by the shoulders so that they are face to face, beaming so brightly at him. “We can’t spend our last minutes like this.”

Seongwu gives him an incredulous look. “Well, we’ve got five minutes.” He glances down at Coach, displaying the countdown that is going down steadily. “Four, apparently. Want to play rock-paper-scissors or something?”

Daniel shakes his head. “I got a better idea.” He smiles, and before Seongwu could ask what the brilliant idea is, he is being pulled into a tight, bone-crushing warm hug. “I had a good time with you, hyung. Reaaaaaally good time. I wish it was longer. I wanted to know more about you. I wanted to hear your stories. You’re really cool, hyung.” Daniel utters each sentence so fluidly, naturally, as if he’s reciting his favorite poem. “And do you know that it’s probably our brain nerves that gets analysed to get our food preferences? It’s not our taste buds. I just kind of wanted to clarify.” He says, chuckling and Seongwu tries to pull away to protest that no, it’s definitely our taste buds, but Daniel holds him in place to keep their hug.

After a minute of comfortable silence, Daniels pulls away with an expectant smile. “So?”

Seongwu raises an eyebrow. “So?”

“Your turn!” Daniel nudges.

“What am I supposed to do?” Seongwu asks, baffled.

Daniel shrugs his shoulders. “Any parting words?”

Seongwu would have protested and ended it right there— he has never done something so cheesy in his life, but Daniel’s smile is bright and hopeful and he doesn’t want to erase that from his beautiful face.

He crosses his arms and clears his throat. “Alright then. Kang Daniel, I feel honoured to be your first match. Really, don’t show others how much of an amateur you are or you’d be taken advantage of.” He starts off lazily, and then, more fondly, “I like your smile and the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even though it wasn’t even all that funny. It boosts my ego. It kind of sucks that we’re only good for twelve hours. Sucks we didn’t have sex, too. Your dick seems big.” Seongwu is more or less just babbling whatever comes into his mind right now; it hits him too late how fucking embarrassing the words that left his lips are.

“Seriously?” Daniel is laughing though, seemingly taking everything as a joke. “Those are your parting words?”

Seongwu shrugs his shoulders and decides to just go with the flow. “Right. My ass is precious too. I promise next time you’d get it.” Woah, when did he decide who fucks and gets fucked? But that’s alright, it’s a joke, really.

“Hyung!” Daniel laughs harder, hitting Seongwu’s shoulder lightly. “You’re so funny!” His eyes have turned into crescents and his nose is crinkled as he laughs (which Seongwu just admitted to liking just now, and oh, he realizes too late). Seongwu can’t help but laugh along.

Their moment is interrupted when Coach announces “You have reached your expiration.”

Seongwu’s laughs die down and so does Daniel’s. Seongwu shrugs his shoulders and they give each other one parting smile, before they turn in their heels.

“Hyung, wait!” Daniel calls, and as Seongwu turns around, he’s met with a sloppy kiss in his cheeks, right above his triangular set of moles.

Daniel grins. “I hope you don’t mind! If we had a longer time together I swear I’d take things slower.”

Seongwu is about to reply that well, they were already slow at it is, but only lets out a breath, still too overwhelmed with such an innocent act. Daniel holds his hand and says, ”Thank you for being my first match.”

“You have reached your expiration. Failure to comply with the System will result in banishment.” Coach emphasizes, and usually the word ‘banishment’ alone can make Seongwu see black, yet no fear strikes within him as Daniel holds his hand.

“Gotta go, see you around hyung!” Daniel beams, and finally, lets go.

Seongwu manages to pull himself and say, “S-see you around!”

The timer that have reached zero disappears as Seongwu turns on his heels, his shoulders slumping.

A sigh escapes his lips.

“Why did you give us a mere 12 hours, Coach? How does that even help me find my perfect match?” Seongwu can’t help but to ask, already expecting Coach to answer in a perfectly programmed answer of assessing compatibilities and emotional reactions but all he gets is a:

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Seongwu just snorts. He glances one last time at Daniel’s retreating back before he walks the opposite way.

Seongwu to the East.

Daniel to the West.

Seongwu’s next match is given just after two days of him being idle, while he’s reading a book he’s fished out from the farthest corner of the Central library.

He’s reading a dusty fiction on how a man once landed on the moon (huh, how impossible) when Coach alerts him of a new match and Seongwu groans in irritation because he hasn’t had enough time to find factual knowledge on the world before the System. Daniel had looked interested with the topic, and Seogwu wanted to tell him more and appear more knowledgeable if they ever cross paths again.

He sighs and packs his things up.

He meets Kim Jaehwan in the same hub in the same booth where he met Daniel, where he met any other matches he’s ever had and Seongwu is baffled because it’s the longest Expiration he has to deal with.

One year.

Yet Jaehwan is smiling at him brightly, although not as bright as Daniel’s, and Seongwu thinks it wouldn’t hurt to try to dive into a longer match up. Jaehwan laughs loudly, really loudly he draws attention to their booth. Seongwu promptly remembers how Daniel’s giggles also gained them an eye or two, though Jaehwan’s laughs are definitely more attention grabbing. He’s also naturally funny— the type of funny Seongwu wishes he could be— and conversations with him flow easily as it does with Daniel. He also likes jazz, and boy does Seongwu likes jazz, too.

Does Daniel like jazz? Does he even listen to music? He hasn’t talked about it. Seongwu’s got to ask the next time they meet.

“If they’re going to give me shrimp they could have at least skinned it for me.” Jaehwan complains, poking his food with his fork. “I don’t hate it, but it’s too much of a pain to skin.”

“Daniel hates shrimp.” Seongwu laughs, offering a spoonful of his food to his match, which was hesitantly declined. Jaehwan tries hard to skin the shrimp with his knife and fork and not resort into using his bare hands.

“Daniel?” Jaehwans asks a minute after, stopping momentarily from further murdering the shrimp.

The smile on Seongwu’s face suddenly falls. “Oh,” He exclaims, scratching his eyebrows. “My previous match. I just suddenly remembered— b-because shrimp. He’s nothing, really.” Seongwu gives a nonchalant shrug yet he is very much aware of how he is stuttering for reasons he doesn’t even know. He’s also aware that he answered more than what is being asked, if there is anything being asked at all.

A smile begins to form in Jaehwan’s lips, and it’s the first smile of his that Seongwu will come to hate.

He’s got to stop thinking about Daniel.

Jaehwan and Seongwu don’t get intimate even after their fourth month together.

Their physical interactions are nothing more than arms wrapped around shoulders and head leaning against Seongwu’s lap. Jaehwan hasn’t initiated anything more than friendly interactions between them, and Seongwu, as he did with his previous matches except for the amateur that is Daniel, is just going with the flow.

Jaehwan doesn’t keep a two-foot distance from Seongwu though; he leans very close, actually, despite the huge space their bed and couch provides.

There’s a distance between them that both does not dare to bridge, but still, Seongwu finds comfort in Jaehwan. He likes the laughs shared, the lame jokes, the songs they hummed in harmony, likes that Jaehwan leans his head against his shoulder when they just laze around in their cabin, likes that he links his arms with him while he hops like an excited bunny as they roam around the plaza, likes that Jaehwan tries hard to tidy his things, because although Seongwu is far from a neat freak, he definitely can’t stomach the level of mess Jaehwan makes.

Seongwu likes the relationship Jaehwan has established between them, whatever it is.

Jaehwan is comfortable.  Seongwu likes comfortable.

They’re lounging around the living area of their humble cabin, Seongwu seated on the floor with his back against their sofa, his legs stretched, while Jaehwan lies with his back on the floor, head resting on Seongwu’s lap. Jaehwan is humming a song Seongwu hasn’t heard before, while Seongwu runs his fingers through his Jaehwan’s hair, a request his match asks him to do every now and then. Seongwu attempts to hum along to Jaehwan’s song, yet is failing miserably for the melody is foreign to him. He thinks it’s alright, but Jaehwan sends him a subtle glare.

“Don’t ruin my song.” Jaehwan accuses, shifting in his position so he’s facing Seongwu a little more.

“I haven’t heard it anywhere.” Seongwu’s brows furrow, curious.

Jaehwan rolls his eyes, “Surprise! You don’t know all the songs in the world.”

Seongwu frowns, deep in thought. Maybe he really doesn’t know all the songs in the world, but it’s hard for him to miss such a beautiful melody.

“Alright, it’s from me.”  Jaehwan cackles, head vibrating against Seongwu’s lap. “I made it up.”

“You do?” Seongwu asks, amazed. “You can?”

Jaehwan sits up abruptly, momentarily startling Seongwu, and stares right into his eyes. “Don’t you think we’re capable of doing our own music? I mean, where did they even come from? Someone’s gotta be creating them, and it’s people like us.” Seongwu only stares at Jaehwan, muted, so Jaehwan continues, “It’s got to be a thing to add words into music, Seongwu. Sometimes they run into my mind, the words, the melody, and I know songs could be more than just instruments.”

Jaehwan gives him an amused grin.

“We probably have more capabilities than the System likes us to believe.”

Seongwu’s eyebrows furrow deeper into his forehead, staring into Jaehwan’s eyes, looking for something, but only finding amusement and curiosity.

“Your brain thought of all that?” Seongwu gestures his hand in the air, eyebrows still knitted together.

Jaehwan should have been offended, but he isn’t. He elicits a small laugh instead. “Not really, just told someone my thoughts about adding words into music. Said someone kinda did the whole analogy for me.” There’s a sudden fondness in his expression that Seongwu can’t miss, and can’t help but to pry deeper.

“Someone must be smart.”

Jaehwan chuckles, “Yeah. He is.” Seongwu’s mouth turn into an exaggerated ‘o’ at the pronouns used, and Jaehwan stops chuckling once he notices the look on Seongwu’s face. He clears his throat. “So how’s Daniel?” He asks, suddenly.

“D-Daniel?” Seongwu parrots, obviously stunned. Of course Jaehwan wouldn’t want him to pry further, but Seongwu didn’t expect he’d bring this up, much less remember a name he just once carelessly spilled.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him. Obviously, I’m always with you.” He tries to answer nonchalantly, eyes directed on the floor. He decides to divert Jaehwan’s attention by asking about his life before they met.

They somehow end up talking more than they have ever done before—more than the casual conversations that are expected from matches. Jaehwan talks about the moments when he comes up with words he thinks he can put to songs, and how we would want to dedicate Seongwu a song if he does end up doing so. Seongwu talks about this fictional thing called ocean he has read about during his idle time just before getting with Jaehwan, and seeing how Jaehwan is so interested, he makes a mental note to share this to Daniel if they chance with each other again.

Their conversations jump from one topic to another, and Seongwu wishes they have some alcohol to accompany them through the night, but knows those are only ever present during match meet-ups. Jaehwan is lying on the floor again, head on Seongwu’s lap, while Seongwu runs his fingers through his hair as he listens to Jaehwan’s story about his disaster of a first match.  Jaehwan’s hair is soft and smooth, clean too. Seongwu’s thankful his match atleast cares for hygiene despite his untidy personality.

“He always does this for me.” Jaehwan suddenly blurts out, which prompts Seongwu’s movements to stop. “He runs his fingers through my hair, like this. Always.”

They haven’t had any alcohol, yet Jaehwan looks so vulnerable in Seongwu’s gaze, lying on his lap, face contoured under the lights. He looks like a book just waiting to be opened by someone, pages waiting for the words to be spilled. And as Seongwu sees his own reflection in Jaehwan’s eyes, he thinks he’s being allowed to be that person.

“Who?” he asks, carefully.

“That person.” Jaehwan answers. “I wash my hair everyday just because I know he’ll run his hands through it.”

Seongwu tries not to laugh. “Disgusting reason.”

Jaehwan shrugs his shoulders. “Atleast I had my motivation.”

“So tell me about him.” comes Seongwu’s invitation to uncover the lid of Jaehwan’s book, and Jaehwan easily smiles his acceptance.

“If you tell me about him too.”

The conversation drifts to people not present in their life right now— people that they shouldn’t be focusing on now that they are matched up with each other. Seongwu is too tired to try for anonymity and Jaehwan knows Daniel’s name anyway, (it’s not like he’s going to talk about Inha, or Doyeon) but Jaehwan is careful not to slip the identity of the person he talks about. Seongwu only talks about little details, like Daniel liking cuddles and not liking shrimp. There really isn’t much to talk about; he doesn’t really know Daniel. The guy isn’t as special to him as Jaehwan suggests him to be. On the other hand, Seongwu learns that they weren’t matches, Jaehwan and someone, but just two people who chances bumping into each other on their idle time, before they are given matches, and somehow just knew each other a lot more than they should. Jaehwan doesn’t say it, but Seongwu knows the person in subject is special. He can see it in the way his eyes soften when he talks about him.

As their conversation deepens, Seongwu acknowledges that Daniel was right. There’s nothing wrong with having a good talk with your match, he prefers this than sex, actually.

Their storytelling is interrupted with the sound of their doorbell and Coach telling them to receive a letter. Jaehwan stands up to attend to the door, while Seongwu waits for Jaehwan to come back so they could continue their conversation.

Jaehwan doesn’t come back, though.

Jaehwan forces him to dress up and drags him along to a Wedding, a celebration of two people finally finding (getting assigned) their perfect match. Seongwu didn’t read the invitation when it came, since Jaehwan took it to his room immediately as he claimed to be sleepy already, so he is genuinely surprised to see Doyeon standing in the stage, in the middle of an outdoor setup that looks like it was pulled straight from a magazine. Definitely Doyeon’s type. Her are arms linked with a tall man, clearly his perfect match and the more Seongwu looks at him, the more he realizes how good-looking he is— fair skin, tall nose, foxy eyes, and a laugh that can cure diseases. He looks like someone you could only read in books. Again, definitely Doyeon’s type.

They are talking about something that must be funny, because Doyeon laughs and so does Mr. Perfect Match. He’s laughing heartily, pointed eyes now soft crescents, until he scans the crowd and meets Seongwu’s eyes.

The smile on the man’s face fades then, jaws dropping slightly at the sight of Seongwu.

Or not.

Seongwu turns to his side to see Jaehwan staring into the stage, to the direction of Doyeon’s partner. He’s smiling at the man and only at him, as if Seongwu doesn’t exist, as if nobody else exists, and Seongwu glances back to the stage and sees the man doing just the same.

After a few moments, Jaehwan parts his lips and mouths something to the man, something that Seongwu later reads as: I’ve missed you.

Oh.

Something clicks in Seongwu’s head. He decides it’s best for him to step back and tells Jaehwan he’ll look around first, but Jaehwan doesn’t even hear him.

Seongwu finds himself in front of the buffet table, with the company of food he is now free to choose. There’s a tray full of nachos that he really likes, the food the System never really gave him. He grabs a spoonful of it and places it in his platter, then spreads a massive amount of mayo on top. Then some cheese, for good measure.

“That’s too much, hyung.”

Seongwu jolts at the laugh that sounded so familiar, a laugh he only heard for less than twelve hours yet lingered at the back of his head for the past four months. He turns to the side and finds Daniel beaming brightly at him.

Daniel steps closer. “Long time no see?”

Seongwu forgets to breathe for a few seconds, too surprised at the glorious sight of Kang Daniel in a black suit. When he comes into his senses, he also remembers to pretend he isn’t as affected as he is.

“We don’t always get to eat what we want.” He quips, acting nonchalant as he turns his attention back to the buffet table and pretends to mull over picking some chicken bites. He decides to take one just for good measure before turning back to Daniel, who doesn’t wear his default smile anymore. “Also, can you not like, pop out of nowhere and shock the life of me with that deep voice of yours? I almost dropped my plate of nachos I worked so hard on.”

The smile is back on his face again, and Seongwu feels relieved. “So that was it? I thought I was the only one happy to meet again.” He pouts, and Seongwu can’t help but smile.

He lets out a small scoff, putting a hand on his chest exaggeratedly. “So dramatic, Daniel.”

Daniel giggles, hiding behind the back of his palm, and Seongwu fights the urge to take his hand on his own just so he could prevent it from blocking his beautiful smile. He curls his toes to distract himself from doing so. He can’t help but think how Daniel is so beautiful in his suit.

Because he is.

Daniel is still as breath-taking as Seongwu first met him.

Daniel must have said something that Seongwu wasn’t able to catch, too busy trying not to stare too long and keep his hands to himself, because Daniel is now gazing at him with his lips a little parted, as if he’s waiting for an answer to a question that Seongwu didn’t know. He guesses it’s a basic greeting, a how have you been, but hope is a candle light in his heart, hoping to be ignited into a forest fire. Expectations of something different such as an I miss you flood his heart .

So ask he does.                                                 

Daniel giggles, again. “I said, how have you been?”

Seongwu tries not to show his disappointment on how predictable that was. “Jaehwan and I are doing fine.” He answers, not bothering to explain who Jaehwan is, because Daniel should know. “We’re both messy, both loud, both too naughty. We’re a mess together. It’s a wonder that we click, really.” Seongwu laughs, placing down his platter of nachos that he hasn’t really touched, just something that’s suddenly not interesting with Daniel standing in front of him. “Oh, and Jaehwan likes jazz music, which I do, too. Do you like jazz? What type of songs do you like, anyway? I have been wondering for a while since I wasn’t able to ask you.”

Now it’s Daniel’s time to put his palm on his chest exaggeratedly. “You think about me. I’m touched.” He laughs, before scooping reaching for the single chicken bite in Seongwu’s forgotten platter.

Seongwu rolls his eyes. “You’re not exactly hard to forget, Mr. cuddle-maniac. You’re literally my only match who left me wondering how they do on bed. So yeah, let’s just say you’re a special snowflake.”

Daniel laughs at that, seriously, what does he not laugh at. Seongwu feels like the funniest man around Daniel, and he likes that. Jaehwan is way funnier than he is, naturally moreso, that Seongwu soon gave up all his greed for gag around his match. His train of thought then leads him to Jaehwan, and he starts to wonder where he is right now. He hopes he’s not making a mess out of himself.

Seongwu is pondering if he should now look for Jaehwan when Daniel suddenly blurts out, “You’re special to me, too, hyung.” The words make him turn his head back to Daniel in a flash, a surprised look in his face. Daniel didn’t seem to mind, for he just chuckles and continues, “And I like upbeat music. Or I learned to like it. I don’t really know, but I figured Coach lets me listen only to upbeat types, ones with trumpets and all, never really heard other genres aside from when I’m in the pub.”

Daniel starts talking about how everything he likes seems to only be an Acquired Taste, a supporting realization to all that talk Seongwu made him listen to months ago. It’s a topic that is always Seongwu’s pleasure to be engaged in, and he would right now, had he been not so struck with the words that Daniel said so casually.

You’re special to me, too, hyung.

If he’s going to be honest to himself in this moment, Daniel is more than remarkable for him, fuck, he couldn’t get him out of his mind in the past four months he’s been with Jaehwan. Daniel is special, and hearing that for him, he is, too, has something inside him beating around like crazy. He’s special, and he doesn’t even mind if it’s an Acquired Taste kind of special.

“Are you listening, hyung?” Daniel breaks into his thought by placing a hand on his arm, an action that easily pulls him back to reality like a magnet.  “I want you to hear this. So I’ve been thinking that preferences are acquired tastes, but yo—“

The crowd that didn’t seem to be there earlier makes a sudden loud cheering, loud enough to penetrate into their own little bubble. Not knowing how to react, Seongwu gestures for them to pay attention to the stage and Daniel complies, facing the stage.

Doyeon is saying something about patience and trusting the System and some other shit Seongwu wish he isn’t hearing, before she kisses her match square on the lips, a little too suddenly, the man’s eyes getting wider in surprise. He leans back for a moment before he shyly kisses back. The man then scans his eyes on the crowd, and smiles when his eyes meet Seongwu’s.

Seongwu knows then, it’s time to find Jaehwan.

He excuses himself with a small goodbye to Daniel, whose face immediately falls and not even promises of seeing later can soothe the disappointment evident in his face. But worry over his own match start to wash over him as the crowd cheers with every kiss Doyeon shares with her ultimate match. He gives Daniel a small squeeze in the arm before he pushes through the crowd to the other side of the venue, expecting to find Jaehwan in some corner probably curled up like a kid just like he does when he is sulking.

Seongwu does find him in a corner, but instead of being curled up in a fetal position, he finds him sitting on the grass, back leaning straight against a tall plant box.  He has a bottle of beer in his hand, and he takes a sip when his eyes meet Seongwu’s.

Seongwu stops at the end of Jaehwan’s stretched feet, relief washing over him. At least he isn’t much of a mess like he thought he would be. “Are you allowed to drink that?”

Jaehwan scoffs. “You had all those nachos and flirted with another guy, Seongwu. It’s a Wedding, we can do whatever we want.”

Seongwu puts a dramatic hand on his chest, he didn’t actually get to eat a single nachos. “Oh? I thought you wouldn’t notice seeing how you’re so busy eye-fucking Doyeon’s match.”

Their banters have always ended with Jaehwan getting the last laugh, but right now all he does is open his mouth as if he’s about to speak, but no words come out of his lips. It’s a rare win for Seongwu, one he can’t really be happy about. Jaehwan looks away and slugs more of his beer. Seongwu crouches down beside his match to offer what he gives Jaehwan best.

He offers comfort— arms brushing against Jaehwan, a small reminder that he isn’t alone.

It’s a minute of silence, until Jaehwan leans his head on Seongwu’s shoulder.

“Do you believe in the System, Seongwu?”

The question is expected and doesn’t surprise Seongwu. He tilts his head a little to be able to look at his match’s face. Jaehwan’s eyes are looking straight ahead, eyebrows knitted together in his obvious concentration to prevent his feelings to spill, yet Seongwu can already catch a glistening tear at the corner of his eyes.  Seongwu pulls his shoulders away from Jaehwan, only to offer them again in the form of a hug, allowing his match to bury his face into his shoulders. The best he can do is to hide Jaehwan’s pain from the crowd.

His answer to the question comes much later, after minutes of rubbing soothing circles in Jaehwan’s back and ignoring Daniel from across the venue, gaze lingering on them a little too long.

“I never did.”

That night, he lets Jaehwan fuck him with another man’s name on his lips.  (Minhyun, Minhyun, Minhyun.)

And to be fair, Seongwu allows himself to think of Daniel and the way he smiles.

The eight remaining months with Jaehwan pass by without any mention of that night. They go back to their usual routine, to the lame jokes, long banters, meaningless challenges and adding their own words to songs and singing in their cabin at the top of their lungs. They go back to the comfortable relationship they shared, and Seongwu is nothing but thankful that it is Jaehwan he got to spend such a long time with.

When they reach their Expiration, Jaehwan gives Seongwu the tightest hug he’s ever managed to give. They whisper a few words to each other, before they climb their vehicles and move their different ways.

Jaehwan to the East.

Seongwu to the West.

Seongwu’s parting words to Jaehwan were: be happy, live well, and find love.

Jaehwan’s parting words to Seongwu were: I will, you too, and what’s love, Seongwu?

Seongwu is surprised to find Daniel standing right in front of his usual booth in the pub, two weeks after his second Expiration since Jaehwan. He’s wearing a very casual outfit— just a plaid shirt and shorts— so much unlike when he first met Seongwu. The tips of his hair are also growing dark from all the months Seongwu hasn’t met him. His skin doesn’t look as good, and the glow in his face that he usually carries hasn’t been with him anymore. It’s almost as if he had given up in trying to look good for whoever will be matched with him today.

Daniel must be just as surprised, for his mouth hang open and his eyes are wide, frozen in his spot instead of taking his seat.  He mumbles a small, “hyung.” that effectively snaps both him and Seongwu out of their trance.

Seongwu’s first reaction is to stand up, send a small smile and a measured, “Daniel, take your seat.”

But Daniel’s first reaction is to envelope Seongwu into his arms.

Seongwu steps back a little with Daniel’s sudden weight on him, but his arms instinctively hold Daniel in place.

“I missed you, hyung.” Daniel mutters under his breath and Seongwu wonders how long has it been since the last time his heart skipped a beat. Did anybody else made him feel such a sensation?

Daniel pulls away when he noticed that Seongwu hasn’t moved an inch, hasn’t breathed, hasn’t said a word. He flashes a sheepish smile as he lets go of Seongwu, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry. Too excited.”

Seongwu finally breathes. He gives Daniel another smile.

They both take their seats. Seongwu is at lost in words, definitely caught off guard, and Daniel is just wordlessly smiling across his seat, looking at him.

Seongwu clears his throat. “First things first, our Expiration.” He pulls out Coach from the pocket of his coat, placing it down the table.

Daniel’s face fall. “L-Let’s check it later, hyung.”He requests and Seongwu gapes, confused.  “I mean, if it’s okay with you. It can’t be shorter than twelve hours, right? Let’s check it tomorrow.” Daniel looks tired as he scratches the back of his ears, and Seongwu kind of figures out why.

 “Alright.” He agrees, complying easily enough.

They leave the pub without finishing their meals since Daniel is too tired of eating pasta, and Seongwu isn’t particularly craving for steak. They’re walking the dim lit streets towards their newly assigned cabin, because Daniel insists he doesn’t want to ride the freaky vehicle anymore. Seongwu doesn’t know if they’re allowed to this, but they’re not being called out, and Coach is guiding them anyway.

“164 meters. North East.” Both their Coach’es echo, but none of them bothers to check their direction.

The air is cold at this hour of the day. Seongwu tucks his hands into the pockets of his trench coat, walking a good two foot away from his match. Daniel doesn’t even appear to be cold even though he’s wearing nothing but shorts.

Silence has been their company since dinner. Easy talk is what he always remembers Daniel for, but conversations don’t seem to flow as smoothly as it did in their first meeting. Only a few small talks about their arrangement and nothing more. “Are you okay? Not cold?” Seongwu asks, deciding to break the silence.

Daniel jumps a little even though Seongwu’s voice isn’t loud at all, startled. He turns at Seongwu, a hand on his chest. “Not at all.” He replies anyway.

Seongwu chuckles, stopping in his tracks. “You’re so tensed. What’s wrong?”

His chuckles seem to put Daniel at ease, for his shoulders tense down a little and he smiles at Seongwu. “I’m not, hyung.”

“Really.” Seongwu side eyes him. “Did you even ask how I was? Did we even talk aside from you requesting to leave the pub walking?”

Daniel frowns. “You didn’t ask about me either.”

“Daniel, you’ve had— how many?— matches already. You’re supposed to show me how much you’ve grown since I’ve last seen the amateur you and lead the way.”

“What kind of reasoning is that?” Daniel chuckles, looking at Seongwu as if he’d something so incredulous. The chuckle turns into a full-blown laugh when Seongwu frowns exaggeratedly and shrugs his shoulders, an expression he remembers Daniel liking from their first meeting a year ago. Daniel’s shoulder appears less tense, finally easing up. “Anyway,” He resumes when he manages to collect himself, “ I know about you. I’ve been matched with Jaehwan just before this, so we kind of,” He scratches the back of his ears. “talked about you.”

“Oh.” Seongwu dumbly gapes, taking that information in, picturing Jaehwan and Daniel together. He’s curious how it went. How long did they last? Did they have sex? But he pushes those questions at the back of his throat. He can’t appear prying. He starts walking again and Daniel follows suit. “So how have you been, then?” He asks instead.

The laugh Daniel gives this time is dry; his face darkens. “I’ve been fine. There’s not much to talk about really. Nothing interesting. I’m just jumping from person to person.” There’s a hint of emotion in his words that Seongwu catches yet can’t figure out. He turns to his side to face Daniel, studying the guy walking next to him. His face is down, eyes on the road, and his eyes have turned serious, expression sour.

Seongwu tries hard not to reach his hands out to cup his face. What happened to you?

Suddenly, Daniel lifts his head up, facing Seongwu, the dark shadows in his face disappearing. Finding Seongwu’s gaze on him surprises him for a moment, so he scratches the back of his ears again. “Does your offer still stand true?” He asks, yet Seongwu has no idea what he’s talking about. “That you’re going to let me— uh, y’know.” He gestures his free hand in a wild manner, depicting some strange thing with it.

Seongwu stops in his tracks once again, eyebrows furrowed. He stares and studies Daniel in his search of an answer, and he spots the guy’s ears unbelievably redder than before, a tint of pink coloring his cheek prettily. A spark of realization hits him then. “Woah there, Kang Daniel. Can’t believe you hang on my promise of a fuck. For how long? A year?”

Daniel chuckles, hiding his smile with his hand once again. His habits never changed. “You can’t blame me, hyung. You weren’t the only one who left wondering about sex capabilities.”

Seongwu plays surprised, hand on his chest. “Goodness. What ever happened to the innocent, cuddle-maniac man named Kang Daniel?”

“Gone with the wind.” Daniel smirks.

Seongwu huffs, amused where the conversation has led them. “Well, it’s a win-win. I get to see your dick.”

It’s Daniel turn to be dramatic. “Woah there, Ong Seongwu. Can’t believe you hang on your curiosity for my dick. For how long? A year?”

“You can’t blame me. Feel like you got a good one there.”

Daniel’s eyes have turned into crescents, laughing exaggeratedly. “Goodness. What ever happened to the passive, cuddle-compliant man named Ong Seongwu?”

Seongwu smirks, one mirroring Daniel’s. “Gone with the wind.”

They reach their cabin in a matter of minutes. Seongwu lets Daniel open the gate, and Daniel does so knowledgeably this time, making Seongwu smile proudly. Daniel remarks that Seongwu’s parental instincts are ridiculous and laughs it off.

“I’m gonna see your dick~” Seongwu singsongs as soon as they enter their bedroom.

“What the fuck, hyung.” Daniel laughs, but he’s already removing his outer plaid shirt.

Seongwu removes his coat and throws in on the sofa. “I’m gonna see your dick~” he sings once again. He thinks he could boast to Jaehwan that he manages to put words into a song, but his song isn’t something meaningful enough he could be proud of it. “I’m gonna see your dick~”

“Hyung, stop.” Daniel chuckles, low, impatient. He’s fumbling on his belt and is struggling on unbuckling it. The more he’s desperate, the more his belt fights him back.

“Your dick~ Your dick~” Seongwu faces him. Oh, how much he delights on being a tease. “I’m gonna see your—“

His genius of a song is cut when Daniel suddenly tugs him, pulling him closer and crashing their lips together. Any trace of makeshift melody is thrown at the back of his head as he feels Daniel’s lips against his, one of his match’s hand crawling his back and the other resting in his waist.

He kisses back just as eagerly, as passionately, his hands at the back of Daniel’s neck.

No words are exchanged. Just tongues dancing together in a heated choreography. Daniel is pulling on Seongwu and Seongwu is pulling on Daniel, closing off any possible distance between them. Daniel’s hands are roaming all over Seongwu’s body, under his shirt, itching to touch every inch of him.

“I want,” Daniel gasps, breathe hot against Seongwu’s skin, “hyung.”

There’s a palpable hint of desire in his eyes, a trace of impatience in his movements. Daniel’s hold in Seongwu’s hips is strong, his grip on his skin a little too tight, he’s basically manhandling Seongwu’s body against his own, rubbing their clothed erection together, inching for more contact.

Seongwu can’t help but smile as he steadies Daniel’s hips away from his in order to remove his belt. He’ll be too impatient to do it on his own anyway.

Like an animal freed from his chains, Daniel pounces on Seongwu once his belt is unbuckled, the sudden weight making them stumble down the bed. He manages to hold Seongwu’s back and support himself with his knees, lips too busy kissing Seongwu.

Clothes are removed one by one, Seongwu doing most of the job because Daniel’s hands are fumbling too much. The guy is no good at most things, really, except for kissing.

The first thrust is pure heaven and Seongwu moans, taking in Daniel’s big cock inside him. He almost runs out of breath with how sudden Daniel inserts himself on Seongwu, and how damn good it all feels. He has no time to savour that feeling when Daniel thrusts himself in and out repeatedly, moving fast.

They’re moving in Daniel’s fast pace and Seongwu’s face scrunches from both the pain and the pleasure. He holds on Daniel’s back pushing his hips forward in his futile attempt to meet Daniel halfway.

Then Daniel slows down, catching for more air.

“Patience.” Seongwu chuckles, reaching to cup Daniel’s face into his hands and staring at his hooded eyes. “We have all the time in the world.” It’s a lie and both of them know it, yet Daniel gives a small smile at the statement. “Let’s slow down and enjoy each moment, hm?”

Daniel pauses to look at him, then nods.

The obvious lie seem to have an effect after all, for Daniel does slow down with his movements and gives Seongwu a chance to move on his own. The thrusts have become a lot slower, gentler, allowing the both of them to meet halfway, until they find their own rhythm.

“Daniel—“ Seongwu moans. He never had it like this before. All are either rushed, impatient sex ruined by time limits, the feeling of just wanting to get over it, or ones with desire for someone else. He’s glad Daniel has calmed down and complied with his request. He wants to treasure this moment.

“Eight.” Daniel whispers, gasping as he thrusts himself deeper into Seongwu. He stops when he’s buried deep down to momentarily face his match, searching for Seongwu’s gaze. Their eyes find each other easily. “I’ve gone through eight matches since you, hyung.”

Seongwu’s not good with conversations during sex, so he doesn’t speak. Not one of his matches ever tried it. There’s also the feeling of Daniel buried deep inside him, which feels, well, ecstatic. Seongwu knits his eyebrows to concentrate on Daniel’s words.

“Did it have to be that lonely? Was this whole matching thing really supposed to make me feel that empty?” Daniel asks, tone serious, eyes searching Seongwu’s. “It was sickening, hyung. I felt sick of all of it. None of the sex felt anything. And I always missed you. I always think of where you could be. I don’t know if it was because you were my first, but I never felt the same things I felt when I was with you. It always hurt—“ He clutches his bare chest with his free hand, “here, knowing that you were with someone else.”

Seongwu momentarily forgets his own pleasure, mind now totally focused at Daniel who’s turned his head down, bringing his forearm back against the mattress to support his weight. He seems to be shaking a little with this sudden outburst.

“When I saw you at the wedding,” Daniel continues, lifting his head again. “That’s when I knew I didn’t just like you. I want you, hyung. I want to be with you. And it sucks that we’re in a system where we can’t choose the things that we want.”

“I’ve been miserable since then, at the thought that I wouldn’t cross paths with you again. It didn’t help that I had so many matches, and none of them made me feel anything, even though I tried. I really tried. I felt so helpless, hyung.”

“Does it make sense? To feel this much when we’ve only been together for twelve hours? Am I allowed to feel this way?” Daniel searches his eyes once again, desperate. “Is it alright to want to be with you?”

Seongwu doesn’t answer. He doesn’t know.

“Did you want to be with me too?”

Words are stuck in Seongwu’s throat. He shows his answer by cupping Daniel’s face once again into his hands and making him stare at his eyes, before he leans forward for a kiss. He does want to be with Daniel, fuck, so bad. But until when are they even going to last? Six hours? Tomorrow? He’s not brave enough to cast such words with the knowledge of a time limit, and he envies Daniel for it.

Seongwu slides his tongue inside Daniel’s mouth, deepening the kiss. Daniel’s right hand crawl back to Seongwu’s hip and he starts thrusting once again, picking up his same, slow pace where they left as they explore each other’s mouth. Seongwu’s walls are tight around his cock, making Daniel grunt in each thrust.

Seongwu breaks the kiss after a little while, the pleasure too overwhelming that he moans, fingers gripping at Daniel’s hair as he feels himself coming so close.

They come together at once. Daniel spills himself inside Seongwu, and Seongwu is too high with all the heat gathered inside him. Daniel wipes them clean with a towel, before tucking the both of them under the blanket.

Unsaid words linger in Seongwu’s tongue.

I want to be with you, too.

“Let’s not check it.” Seongwu declares, placing down Coach into the coffee table. “Let’s just, not.”

Daniel’s face lightens up for a second, before a frown follows. “Is that alright? What if we pass through it? Won’t we get punished or something?”

Seongwu gives the device a doubtful look. “I’m sure Coach will tell us once it’s over.”

Daniel nods in agreement, seeming to like the idea even more as each second passes. “Alright, let’s enjoy each moment, right? Fuck Expiration and all.” He chuckles and with each low sound, each crinkle of his nose, Seongwu’s worries are thrown at the back of his mind.

Daniel pulls him down the couch for a cuddle.

Daniel and Seongwu’s days usually go like this:

Daniel wakes up earlier than Seongwu and stares at him from his side of the bed, head resting on his palm, elbows propped at the mattress. Seongwu has a constellation in his face and Daniel likes to trace it with his fingers, lightly, gently, so he doesn’t wake his match up. Seongwu’s eyelashes flatter a little and his nose scrunches unconsciously with each of his feathery touch, and Daniel tries not to giggle at how cute the whole scene is.

(At rare times Seongwu does wake up earlier than Daniel, he does the same, for Daniel also has a constellation in his face, just as, if not more, beautiful as Seongwu’s.)

Bath time is spent together, to save water, and Daniel insists, time. Their bath tub is the same size as all of other ones he’s been in, exactly for two people. But Daniel is larger than average, so they find themselves a lot closer together as they try to fit themselves into the tub. Sometimes they rub each other’s back, other times they rub each other’s dick.

Meals are spent wondering if where all the food came from, where the System pulls the meals they send to each cabin right on the clock, every meal time, and how. Jaehwan’s voice ring into his head sometimes, someone’s got to be creating them, Seongwu, and it’s people like us, as Seongwu forcibly eats the steak he has grown acutely tired of.

Afternoons are spent lazing around their cabin, cuddling on the sofa, Daniel still being the cuddle maniac that he is when Seongwu first met him. They opt to stay indoors most of the time because Daniel found out that Seongwu is a little clumsy when it comes to outdoor activities. Daniel isn’t into reading, so Seongwu would read books for him to hear— fictional books about the moon and the sun and this thing called ocean— books he hasn’t dared to read out loud before, too afraid the System will catch on what these are dong to his brain, but for Daniel, eyes closed and mumbling how he liked Seongwu’s voice so much, Seongwu courageously does so.

Some afternoons, they roam around the plaza, or watch the clouds near the lake.

Nights are spent entangled in each other’s embrace, a second cuddling session of the day, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears. Seongwu also likes to tell stories of the ancient world, although he learned very little with the limited resources that there is.

On other nights, Seongwu finds Daniel in the space between his legs, his plump lips stretched wide as he takes Seongwu’s cock into his mouth. His hands are pulling on Daniel’s hair, his hips bucking up to get more of that wet, heated sensation given by Daniel’s skilful tongue. “More,” Seongwu gasps, and Daniel smirks, much less like the innocent Daniel Seongwu had first met, before he bobs his head quicker, tongue twirling faster.

Some other nights they just share sweet, innocent kisses.

They always find things to busy themselves with, somehow. Seongwu had always had the thought that he could do so much more, maybe be the one who creates songs, maybe the one who creates all those good dishes, but he’s more than fine the way things are right now. He can waste an hour just looking at the way Daniel’s eyes crinkle when he smiles.

He could spend his whole life like this.

“What if it’s all a simulation?” Seongwu says, out of nowhere, in one of their lazy afternoons, lying down the grass near the lake, watching the clouds go by.

Daniel lies on his side and turns at him. “What do you mean?”

Seongwu licks his lips. “It’s a crazy idea. What if this is all a test?”

“A test.” Daniel parrots. He still has a puzzled look in his face, but the way he reaches out and squeezes Seongwu’s hand is indicating that he’s listening, that whatever his crazy idea is, he’s considering.

“You know people before used to do relationships, right? And they have this thing called jobs. They earn for a living, for their selves. Not everything is handed to them by a system.” Seongwu is heavily aware that Coach can hear his every word, yet something inside of him prompts him to be brave and talk. “I have a feeling that we could be something more— that we could do something more than jumping from people to people to find our ultimate match. That there is a whole world outside there, beyond those walls, vast as the sky.”

Daniel is still, quietly thinking.

“You’re saying, what exactly?”

Seongwu sighs. “I don’t know, Daniel. I don’t know.” Seongwu shifts in his position to lay sideward, so he’s facing Daniel. “But do you remember where you were or what you were doing before you get assigned your first match up? Before you’re suddenly aware of the existence of a System?”

Daniel’s eyebrows crunch in his forehead as he thinks deeply. After a few minutes, he opens his mouth in surprise as he finds an answer.

“Hyung, there’s… none.”

Seongwu sighs, patting a bewildered Daniel on the shoulder. It had hit him on his idle time just before Daniel, seated at the farthest booth at the Central library with a dusty fiction on ancient living, how he didn’t know where he came from, how, apart from his own name, he didn’t knew who he was, how it felt like he suddenly popped in existence and got thrown into a number of match up’s. Seongwu was anything but baffled.

“This is what I’m saying, Daniel. This is what I’m saying.”

There’s a buzz going around the plaza when Daniel and Seongwu visit. People are gathered at the center, whispers going past through their ears, frowns mirrored in each faces. Seongwu grimaces at the whole scene, he had a hunch he wasn’t going to like what this is all about.

Daniel stops a couple with one hand, his other hand intertwined with Seongwu’s.

“What’s happening?”

The couple stops in their tracks and scowl at him, but the guy answers anyway. “Two people were banished. Some guy ran away with another’s permanent match.”

Seongwu’s ears prick at the information and he feels his blood go cold. He’s never encountered it actually happening before. “They were captured right here?” He inquires further, his grip on Daniel tightening.

“No.” The girl answers this time. “An announcement was just been posted, just in case anyone was wondering where they are, probably their ultimate match.”

Seongwu nods, taking that information in. He’s about to tug Daniel to leave when he hears the girl whisper:

“Hwang Minhyun of all people. I can’t believe it.”

His head whips back so fast at the mention of a familiar name, a name he’s only heard three times in one particular night, about a year ago. “What?”

The girl raises an eyebrow, looking at him oddly. “You heard it. One of them is Hwang Minhyun. I feel sad for Doyeon, she doesn’t deserve this.”

“W-who was the guy who ran away with him?” Seongwu has a vague idea who it could be. He swallows a lump in his throat, hoping for his dear life that his hunch is wrong.

The guy clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Some no-name. Go look at the announcement yourself.” He tugs his match closer to him and starts to walk away.

Seongwu releases his grip on Daniel and hurriedly runs to the center of the plaza, past the crowd of people, to get near the projected screen and see the announcement himself.

He stops in shock as soon as he has a view of the screen.

There in big letters, right below Minhyun’s name, is a name of someone he knew too well.

Kim Jaehwan.

Daniel’s kisses tonight are soft, his thrusts gentle, his hold on Seongwu light as if Seongwu is a fragile porcelain that can be so easily broken. Seongwu is silent all throughout the night, only a few moans of pleasure going past his lips, and if Daniel notices, he doesn’t say anything.

Seongwu doesn’t even know if Daniel came just as he did, or if he took care of himself when he went to the bathroom after that. It’s cruel and selfish, but Seongwu’s thoughts are just running around like a mad man; he doesn’t even know where he’s heading.

“Do you still think about him?” Daniel asks when he comes back, lying sidewards the bed so he can face his match, covering his lower body with sheets. “Kim Jaehwan?” He adds, hesitant.

Seongwu glances at Daniel through the corner of his eyes, then stares back at the ceiling. “yeah.”

There’s a long stretch of silence that Seongwu doesn’t keep track of, too lost in his own thoughts as he stares at the ceiling, until Daniel speaks once again, “Do you wish to be with him?” his voice cracks, and that alone is enough for Seongwu to turn his head to Daniel in a flash. He sees a hint of pain his eyes, his wide shoulders appearing so much smaller.

“No!” Seongwu exclaims, sitting up suddenly to lean closer to Daniel. “What is running in your mind?” He asks, cupping Daniel’s face and leaning down a little to be able to look in his eyes.

“I’ve always wondered if you want to be with me just as much as I want to be with you.” Daniel mumbles, low.

Seongwu feels a punch in the gut with how small and insecure Daniel looks right now. He feels like a dick for letting Daniel feel this way because of his cowardice, because he can’t say the words he wants to say, too afraid of the consequences, because Daniel had bared himself the first night they got back together and Seongwu hasn’t even shown an inch of his. “I— I’m worried about Jaehwan, is all.” That’s the best he could say for now, hoping that it’s enough. It should be; Daniel’s face lightens up a little.

“We became friends. I cared for him.” Seongwu guarantees, even though he himself is not quite sure.  Does he even really care for Jaehwan? How terrible of an ex-match is he that more than Jaehwan, his thoughts are mostly for himself?

The truth is, Seongwu is terrified.

Jaehwan’s strong feelings for Minhyun are what caused their end, and Seongwu is scared because he knows it himself— that his feelings are only getting stronger and stronger with each day, each smile, each kiss he shares with Daniel. Seongwu could almost tell that he wouldn’t want to let go.

Daniel squeezes his hands and it tugs at all the right places in Seongwu and he just aches because fuck, how will he let this go? The sex, the wild making out? The soft kisses and the warm hugs? The hand that holds him down in place so he wouldn’t go afloat, wandering into a realm that’s long dead and gone? The eyes that always looked at him so softly Seongwu thinks he could overthrow the world for him?

Daniel?

How is he supposed to let go of Daniel?

Seongwu doesn’t notice a tear escape his eyes until Daniel reaches out a hand and wipes it away with his thumb, the pain in his expression now replaced with worry. Daniel places a peck on his temple, and Seongwu leans closer to seek comfort in Daniel’s warmth.

As they share another round of passionate kisses, Seongwu shoves the words he wants to say so badly at the back of his throat:

I don’t want to ever part with you.

Seongwu slips out from Daniel’s embrace in the middle of the night, mind too busy running for sleep to catch him. He grabs Coach as he wraps himself in a robe, gripping at it tightly in his hands. He slides himself into the veranda, where he has a clear view of the tall walls that loom over the city.

“Coach,” Seongwu calls, and the device lighten up in response. “I need to know.”

“What do you need to know?” the device answers in a robotic woman’s voice.

“The Expiration.”

There’s a pause, before Coach answers again. “It must be viewed by both parties at the same time.”

“But I need to know!” Seongwu screeches angrily, anxiety getting the best of him. Yes, things with Daniel are going smooth right now, but until when? It’s been ninety-two days since they have been matched up— yes, Seongwu is keeping count— and as each day passes, the more the anxiety builds up in him. He can’t live his life fully knowing that a deadline will bite him in the ass without any warning.

A notification appears on Coach’s screen, bold letters saying ‘Tap to reveal.’

Seongwu hesitates for a few moments, walking back and forth in the confines of their veranda.

“You’re not going to talk me out of it, won’t you?”

“You can make your own decisions.” Coach answers.

“Alright.” Seongwu breathes, then taps the screen at once. Coach darkens for a few seconds, seconds which feel like eternity. Seongwu’s palms are sweating from the anxiety, wondering how much longer it is before they say their goodbyes. Then the screen lights up again, revealing their Expiration.

Seven years.

Seongwu breathes out, relief washing over him.

Seven years is good— the longest Expiration he ever had. Seven years means he still has enough time to figure himself out, to enjoy Daniel’s company, and hopefully enough time to find Daniel’s flaws, to detach himself, to save his own heart.

He prays it’s possible, even though he’s already seen how far from perfect Daniel and still liked every inch of him.

Then Coach vibrates all of a sudden, a circular figure moving around the screen, indicating that Coach is loading.

“Recalibrating.” The robotic voice suddenly utters and  Seongwu brings Coach closer, gripping at it tightly.

“Recalibrating.” It repeats, and suddenly the seven years on the screen has gone down to six, then five, then four. Seongwu feels his heart dropping along with the numbers.

“What’s happening!?” He demands, panicking.

“Unpermitted viewing of the Expiration has caused a bug in the System. Recalibrating”

Now it’s gone down to a year, then ten months, eight months… “No, no!’ Seongwu cries, heart beating erratically in his chest. Shit, no. He can’t afford to lose even one hour of being with Daniel. ‘Stop! Make it Stop!”

“Everything will return to normal once finished recalibration. Recalibirating.”

“Please just, stop.” Seongwu begs, he’s on his knees now. Yet the device keeps on what it was doing, breaking Seongwu apart with each passing second.

Seongwu doesn’t keep count of how much Coach repeated the word, but after a few while, the robotic voice stops, and Seongwu lifts up his head to check on the screen, only to be broken apart even more.

He ruined everything.

He’s got to leave Daniel in sixteen hours.

They spend the next day with Daniel pulling Seongwu alongside him to the Plaza. More than last night, it is more evident how Seongwu’s mind is in places Daniel could only wish he could reach. His gaze is afar, unfocused, and he only gives the smallest smiles to the things Daniel is sure that usually would have him laughing on the floor.

And yet Daniel is patient, has always been save for their first night as a match again when he lost over his desperation and longing and let it take over him, patient enough to get through to a number of match ups, half of it even enthusiastically so, waiting for the day he’d get paired again with the only person who made him realize the difference between liking someone’s company and wanting it.

He keeps his hold on Seongwu’s hands as they walk in the park near the lake, occasionally squeezing it as a reminder. He’s here, Seongwu’s got him.

Seongwu stops in his tracks and his gaze lands on Daniel’s already observing eyes, then travels on the tall walls that loom over the city. “Do you ever wonder what’s behind those walls?”

Daniel follows his gaze, eyes rolling to the western borders of the city. He looks at Seongwu, then back at the walls, eyebrows furrowed together. “I used to think that there’s nothing out there.” Daniel admits, “But now, yes, hyung, I do wonder. You made me do so.”

The first hint of emotion that crosses Seongwu’s face today is of surprise. “I did?”

Daniel chuckles, happy to have atleast pulled something out of Seongwu’s blank face. “Well, yeah.”

His mouth falls wide open. “Oh shit, it’s me. It’s my fault. It’s because I kept on corrupting you.” Seongwu rambles, feeling the dread sinking in his skin. Whatever resolve he had before to turn people he meets against the System is now gone and he wants nothing but Daniel to forget everything he has said, to be safe from banishment. “Daniel, there is no ocean I made it up—“

“No, not because of that.” Daniel waves a dismissive hand before resting his hands on Seongwu’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. “It’s because I like you so much, hyung. Because I think,” Daniel pauses, breathes. “I can defy the System for you.”

“Daniel—“ Seongwu’s heart swells at those words, yet he cannot deny the dangers of the statement. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” It’s easy to say that right now because Daniel doesn’t know yet, doesn’t know what Seongwu has done, doesn’t know that they only have six hours— he glances at his clock— probably five now. “You’ve seen it, you’ve seen what happened to Jaehwan and Minhyun.”

There is a minute of silence from both sides until Daniel speaks again, “We don’t have much time left, do we?”

Seongwu lifts his head again and gapes at Daniel, the shock on his face easily melting into concern as he studies the sad expression in his face. “Were you awake?”

“Hyung,” Daniel croaks out, voice low. “You could have asked me. I would have seen it with you.”

“Niel,” Seongwu whimpers, reaching his hands out to pull Daniel close to him, to which his match easily complies. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He really is. He doesn’t mean to be the shit that goes and shorten their Expiration, and waste their last hours acting like he’s already lost everything, even though he’s just about to lose it.

Daniel burries his face on Seongwu’s neck. “How many more days?” Seongwu stiffens. “Hours? Minutes?”

Something inside of him keeps on breaking. “Five hours, at most.”

Daniel’s hug on him tightens even more, leaving not an inch of space between their bodies. Seongwu hugs him back just as tight, just as desperate, just as unwilling to let go.

Then Daniel is pulling away, hands resting on Seongwu’s shoulder and looking at him straight in the eyes.

“Do you want to be with me, hyung?”

There is determination in his eyes that makes Seongwu shiver in his place. His thoughts run back to Jaehwan and Minhyun, sent to a world unknown, he remembers Daniel’s words, I can defy the system for you, remembers each smile, each kiss from Daniel and thinks he can live if he knows that smile atleast exists somewhere.

“Hyung,” Daniel’s voice is shaking, almost pleading. “Give me an answer. I know you want to be with me, but let me hear it from you.”

And yet no words form at the end of Seongwu’s tongue, such simple words Daniel wants to hear, words he’s deprived his match from for so long, because he can’t. Because he doesn’t think saying it will amount to anything good. Because it can only breed recklessness, disaster. Because they have to part, five hours from now.

“We don’t have a choice, Niel—”

Daniel removes his arms around him, hand sliding down his shoulders to hold Seongwu’s. There’s sadness in his expression that he attempts to hide, but the glistening tear at the corner of his eyes give his feelings away. “I understand, then.” He takes a step back, attempts to smile it away. “You’re the only person I want to be with, hyung. want. For the first time in this life I learned I was capable of not just accepting what the System gives me, but actually wanting something, someone on my own, and I want to thank you for making me realize that.”

His hold on Seongwu is loosening, and Seongwu can feel it, the impending end. Daniel is about to let go. And fuck Seongwu for wanting to hold on, when he’s the one who couldn’t give Daniel a reason to.

“Thank you.” He says, with a hint of finality.

There’s no parting kiss, or parting words, not even a parting smile. Daniel just releases his grip on Seongwu and turns around, walking away without taking any glance back. He didn’t even give Seongwu a chance to respond to him, or he did and Seongwu just couldn’t open his damn mouth.

Something inside of Seongwu is breaking and he couldn’t help the tears that are now streaming down his face. There goes Daniel, walking away from his grasp, and Seongwu can’t help but feel that Daniel took a part of him as he leaves, because something inside Seongwu feels empty, missing.

He continues to watch every step taken farther from him. Daniel walks to the East.

Seongwu stays frozen in his place, not knowing where to go.

Seongwu finds himself alone in their cabin, with half an hour left before his actual Expiration with Daniel. His tears have dried on his way home, but something inside him swells as soon as he steps inside their cabin, surrounded by things that are all Daniel.

“Shit.” He curses, slumping down the floor when he realizes his vision is blurry with tears once again.

For a few minutes, Seongwu is just crouching there, wallowing in his own thoughts, trying hard to breathe.

Coach glows its brilliant shade of blue, and Seongwu has never wanted to throw it away more than before. “Twenty-three minutes left before your Expiration. Please vacate this cabin once you reach it.”

“Shut up!” He’s angry, at Coach, at the System, and most of all at himself. He tries to think of a way out, maybe him and Daniel could be together after all, but everything ends with all but one thing—

“—banishment.” Coach finishes the sentence that Seongwu wasn’t able to catch, but probably t was along the lines of failure to comply with the System will result in banishment. Seongwu tightens his grip on the device, wanting to crush it, then soon gives up.

“Atleast, let me be angry, please.” He pleads in between hiccups. “Let me feel my own feelings.” He sobs, “Why the fuck did this have to happen,”

It wasn’t really a question. Seongwu doesn’t expect an answer but Coach gives him:

“Everything happens for a reason.”

“Fuck!” Seongwu curses, “fuck your reasons, fuck this System. Fuck you, too. You tricked me into checking it don’t you?”

“You have made your own choice.” Coach responds without any hint of emotion, and Seongwu’s anger would have flared up exceedingly, had it not been for the word that caught his attention.

“Choice?” He asks. Coach doesn’t respond. “Right. I made a choice.” Right. Contrary to his own belief, Seongwu is capable of making his own choices. He chose to read those books and allow his thoughts to dwell on a world without a system. He chose to offer that cut of steak to Daniel when they first met. He chose to keep his feelings to himself because he’s afraid of the time when he loses his choice. But the truth is that time will never come, because Seongwu had always had a choice.  He’s just too afraid to make one.

Daniel, too, has made own choice. He left a man who can’t make his own.

Seongwu could still change that.

“Shit.” He curses again, wiping his tears with his palm and standing up abruptly. “How many more minutes do we still have, Coach?”

“Eighteen minutes left—“

Seongwu leaps towards the door, leaving Coach on the floor. He’s still got time, eighteen minutes to find Daniel or he has the wait for the next Wedding as his opportunity to do so. He runs with all his might to all possible places he thinks Daniel could be at, the park, the plaza, by the lake. His last hope is the hub where he doesn’t think he will see Daniel, but when he opens the door, he is surprised with the sight of his match breathing heavily just as him, eyes swollen and red just as his. His hair is dishevelled and he is catching his breath, as if he was running around as well and a hope in Seongwu blossoms, that maybe, maybe Daniel is looking for him too.

“Daniel—“ Any words he’s about to say is thrown at the back of his throat as Daniel pulls him forward, crashing their lips together in a searing kiss.

Seongwu could laugh at how ironic it all is. They’re down to minutes, possibly no longer than five, yet the kiss they are sharing is the slowest they have ever had. Not one of them is aggravated and they do kiss like Seongwu had always encouraged them to, like they have all the time in the world. Seongwu feels Daniel’s warm fingers caressing the exposed skin on his hips and he allows himself to roam his palms around the expanse of Daniel’s broad back.

When they part, Daniel leans their foreheads together and Seongwu makes sure to say it this time.

“I want you.”

There are scandalous whispers that reach his ears, and Seongwu remembers that they are not alone, that people are witnessing them, and there’s a System Prefect loitering on the corner, eyeing them cautiously. Seongwu ignores everything else and focuses on Daniel.

Daniel takes a deep breath, then smiles, “I want you, hyung. I want to be with you.” There goes his heart again, swelling in his ribcage as Daniel happily cups his face with his hands and plants another peck on his lips, and Seongwu just thinks he’s made the right choice. If Daniel is with him and is just as willing to risk everything, then Seongwu will hold his hand and lead the way— to their end  or to their beginning—no one actually knows.

No words are exchanged, conversations said through their eyes only. Seongwu fishes Daniel’s Coach out of his pocket, only to find it already counting down to their last sixty seconds. He looks at Daniel decisively before he throws it off the ground. The prefect finally takes a step forward, fury in his eyes, but he stops in his tracks when Seongwu intertwines his hands with Daniel’s.

Seongwu looks around. Everyone has stopped. The music, the chatters, the glass that should have fallen on the floor.

The world is in a halt.

.Seongwu doesn’t know what it could be, but he and Daniel are alright, they can move, and with a decisive look they shared to one another, off they run.

Hand in hand.

To the Northern border of the city.

Seongwu is panting as they run for their dear lives, yet he can’t help but elicit a small laugh. For the first time in his life, Seongwu has someone walking the same direction as him, even after their Expiration.

Fuck Expirations. Fuck the System.

There’s a steel ladder attached on wall when they reach it, going up, probably fifty meters high. Daniel lets Seongwu climb ahead of him, not wanting him to look back to the world that is slowly disappearing behind them, but Seongwu does, and he sees, how the world he’s known is slowly being eaten by an abyss of black, as if their rebellion has pushed a button and now there’s a bug that is ruining the System, turning everything into a pixels then into nothing. Seongwu hurries himself, limbs reaching faster for another step to the top of the wall.

When he reaches the top, only a small portion of the world remains, he reaches out for Daniel’s hand and pulls him up, before enveloping into a hug.

“Is the world ending for us?” Seongwu mumbles into the hug, yet there is no fear, just genuine curiosity, because if he couldn’t be with Daniel, he’s already willing to let it all end.

“Maybe.” Daniel chuckles. At such a crucial time, he still manages to chuckle.

Seongwu looks at Daniel, smiling so bright in contrast of the darkness surrounding them, and his soul screams all but one word: love.

Love.

A word that doesn’t exist. A word he hasn’t read in any books he has read, but a word that has always been lingering at the back of his mind. A word he mindlessly told Jaehwan, yet a word he couldn’t decipher the meaning when asked. Such a mystery, because just like hyung, it’s a word that doesn’t exist in the realm they’ve known and yet had slipped so easily past their lips.

“I love you.” Seongwu says in one breath, uncertain what it really meant, but allowed himself to say it because it feels so right, like it has to be the words he should utter at this very moment.

Daniel smiles at him fondly, looking at him in the eyes.  “I love you, too.” He replies, and unlike Seongwu, it looks like he knows what exactly it is that he’s saying.

As they stood there, almost in nothingness, Seongwu recalls Coach telling him that he has a choice, Jaehwan choosing to risk himself from banishment to be with Minhyun, Daniel and him choosing to do the same stupid thing.

Is this what love means? A choice?

Perhaps.

 Seongwu tightens his grip on Daniel and squeezes his eyes shut.

The world beneath them starts to crumble slowly.

( “Ong Seongwu and Kang Daniel have passed the test, sunbae.” An intern with a snaggle tooth hands over two staple of papers, big bold red ‘PASSED’ printed in front. He takes a small bow before giving it to the older System officer approaching him.

“Good,” The older officer says, squinting his already squinted eyes at the pictures of two boys in their documents. “I thought they were going to be idiots and be trapped in a simulation forever.”)

Seongwu starts his day with a text from Jisung.

Fr: Sung

                I got you a hot date for tonight *wink wink* dress well and meet him at our usual place! 6pm!

He groans as he stretches himself in the bed, still a not used with Jisung’s prying. The man had been assigned to as his life counsellor three months ago— their government established the notion for a Guided Life Path last year, implementing a new set of programs such as life counselling— yet Jisung, or all life counsellors, as he heard from his friends, are a little more assertive than a usual counsel should be. Meddling with his dating life certainly shouldn’t be on a counsellor’s job description, moreso setting up a Tinder account on his stead. Jisung is over the top a lot of times, it’s a miracle Seongwu considers him as a friend.

He sits up abruptly, letting his phone fall down from his grasp and hit the mattress. He feels the bone of his limbs crack with the slightest movements, and he wonders just how many hours of sleep he had and why does it feel like eternity.

He checks his phone again and find out it’s only been eight hours. Just the right amount of sleep for a healthy young adult.

Weird that he feels it’s been much longer.

He heads into the bathroom, dragging his feet that feel a little too heavy that they used to be. Really, his whole body seems a lot tired than usual, his bones limp, his eyes still heavy. He washes his face in the vanity as soon as he steps into the bathroom, hoping to shake his sleepy soul. He looks up to the mirror and finds his face dripping with water. There are a few hairs sticking at his jaw, and Seongwu frowns as he tilts his head to the side to look at how much they’ve grown.

Didn’t he just shave yesterday?

He shrugs and reaches for the shaving cream, leaning forward closer to the mirror to groom himself.

The usual place Jisung had mentioned in the text was a bar located in Gangneung, and, unlike Jisung made it look like, they have only been here before for a total of two times.

The bar is warm and cozy, yellow and orange lights setting a classy vibe. It’s a contrast to the usual bars in Gangnam or Myeongdong, wild and boisterous, which also happens to be Seongwu’s actual territory.  Yet Seongwu hums as he steps inside, roaming his eyes around. Calm and classy once in a while is good.

Seongwu’s eyes land on a handsome man sitting alone in a table near the mini stage in front of the bar, a glass of water on his table. He looks like a model, fair, lean and tall, and a little familiar, too. Seongwu would totally hit on him had it not been for the heart eyes the man has at the person singing on the stage. He isn’t as handsome as Mr. hottie down there but Seongwu finds his full cheeks cute and can fully understand how charming he is when he starts to belt out the sweetest of songs. Seongwu hums in unison, enjoying the familiarity of the voice, and as he stares longer on the stage, he realizes that oddly enough, he looks a little too familiar to Seongwu, too.

Seongwu stops and stares at the two, wondering why there is a sense of fondness and familiarity with the both of them.

Does he know them? Seongwu is a little forgetful of people, but the pair is nothing but unforgettable. Did he see them before? Perhaps.  They could be celebrities for all Seongwu knows, appearing on TV or in Youtube ads and billboards. It’s not impossible with the hot guy’s looks and the singer’s talent, after all.

Once the singer finishes his song, he climbs down the stage and kisses the other guy shyly on the cheeks. Seongwu smiles at the sight, of two people finding love, and turns on his heels while casting a quiet wish for the couple’s happiness.

He spots the booth where Jisung took him before, and, surprisingly enough, it’s empty. He takes the seat and roams his eyes around, wondering just who it could be that Jisung set him up with. He better be really hot, like that man across the room, broad shoulders and ash gray hair making him stand out, droopy eyes set on him.

Seongwu stops and straightens up on his seat when he realizes that the man he’s staring at is staring back at him.

Then, to his surprise, the man smiles.

He starts walking towards Seongwu’s direction, taking a brief glance at his phone in his hand, before looking back up again. Seongwu tries not to wiggle in his seat as anticipation builds up in his stomach. He lets out a slow whistle as he watches the man approach, appreciating his proportions, his body clad in a white shirt and ripped jeans.

Then the man stops right in front of his table. Seongwu mentally throws a fist in the air.

Thank heavens for Jisung.

“Hi!” The man grins, extending a hand to Seongwu. “Ong Seongwu, right? I’m Kang Daniel.”

“Yes. Not Hong. Not Eung. Not Gong.” Seongwu takes the offered hand. He’d want to flirt and hold into it a little more than necessary, but the familiarity of the warmth and touch makes him draw his hand back just after a second. He clears his throat and gestures for Daniel to seat. “You didn’t mess up my name, I’m glad.”

Daniel chuckles, settling down. “How could I? It’s written so clearly on your Tinder profile. Even the not-whatever-surname part.”

“Oh.” Seongwu gapes dumbly. Right, his tinder profile. He almost forgot that it’s how Jisung find him a date for tonight. Scratch that gratitude for Jisung, thank heavens for technology.

A waiter passes by and Seongwu asks for two light mixtures of cocktails. Usually he’d get the hardest drink he a place can offer, but tonight he’s just determined to have a good talk and not get shit-faced in front of a potential hook up. The waiter leaves as he takes note of his orders.

Daniel is just staring at Seongwu when Seongwu looks back at him, a stupid smile and a fond look on his face. “Have we met before? You seem familiar?” He asks.

That gets Seongwu taken aback, surprised because oddly enough, he feels the same way. “You’re the third familiar person I’ve seen today, actually.” He shrugged his shoulders, playing nonchalance. “Maybe we bumped into each other into one of my wild nights.”

Daniel shakes his head. “No, not just like that. I feel like we’ve met before. I feel like I know you.”

Seongwu can’t help but smirk. “Kang Daniel, is that how sweep girls off their feet?”

Daniel scoffs, broad shoulders moving accordingly. “And guys too,” He chuckles at his own joke, and Seongwu can’t help but laugh with him. There’s something about his smile that is contagious to Seongwu. “Kidding. Ignore it then, it’s probably just a déjà vu. Maybe we knew each other in our past life, or something.”

Seongwu hums. “I’m probably the great king and you’re probably the soldier who willingly died for me.”

“You’re probably the rebellious prince and I’m the wise eunich who keeps saving your clumsy ass.” Daniel humors him, and Seongwu mentally notes that down because he’s got to be with someone who gets his humor.

He is in the middle of laughing when he catches on to something. “Wait. How do you know I’m clumsy?”

Daniel shrugs, flashing a mischievous grin “I told you, I feel like I know you.”

Seongwu narrows his eyes playfully. “You better not be a stalker or something.”

Daniel laughs, again, wow, Seongwu is starting to feel like the funniest man in town around him. “Shut up, hyung.”

There’s a tug in his chest with how Daniel called him, a strange sea of emotions passing through him briefly. Seongwu clears his throat again. “Hyung?” He squints, trying to look accusing. “Now how do you know I’m the hyung, mr. not-stalker?”

“Your age is in your Tinder profile, hyung.” Daniel states matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes teasingly.

“Oh,” Seongwu responds not-so-intelligently, before clearing his throat again. “For the record, I wasn’t the one who made that account. My counsellor, Jisung made it for me, alright. Don’t believe everything written there right away, I don’t even have an access to it.” He explains. “I don’t even know how he managed to set this meet-up with you.”

Daniel’s smile is a bit blinding for Seongwu, yet he can’t move his eyes away. “Don’t worry hyung, your counsellor did explain it to me when we were chatting in the app.”

Seongwu nods in relief. “Good, because I’m going to let the ground eat me if it turned out we had sext without my knowledge.” He shakes his head. “Knowing Jisung, it’s not impossible. God, I can’t believe him sometimes.”

The drinks arrive just as Seongwu is complaining with how nosy Jisung can get. Seongwu wraps his fingers at the neck of the glass as he listens to Daniel’s college misadventures, the man narrating a story about his dance crew with exaggerated body motions. Seongwu also shares a part of him to Daniel, like the story of his embarrassing first crush, (his professor, of all people) which he hasn’t even told any of his friends.

As the night deepens, Seongwu can’t help but be amazed with how easy everything with Daniel is, like they really did know each other way before this, maybe in an alternate universe, maybe in their past lives.

Seongwu drinks from his glass as he hides the smile on his face.

Daniel is comfortable. Seongwu likes comfortable.

He likes Daniel already.