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#1
The pain is excruciating and the wounded skin is relentlessly burning, but the seven-year-old Wonwoo is concerned more about sobbing-Mingyu than his bruised knuckles.
‘Mingyu...’
At the call of his name, fat teardrops roll down the chubby cheeks of the six-year-old boy, a litany of “wah hic wah hic” tumbling out of his lips.
‘Mingyu, why are you crying?’ Wonwoo asks with gritted teeth, trying not to focus on the reddening skin of his knuckles. He really can’t tell his mother about the injury, for he disobeyed her by going out to play in the park with Mingyu.
The slide is relatively safer equipment to play with, but a bad landing had caused Wonwoo to crash down and hurt his knuckles very badly.
Thankfully, he is not bleeding much.
‘You got hurt!!!’ Mingyu wails after forcing the words out of his mouth, the intensity of bawling amplifying after every time he takes a peek at the wound.
‘So?!’ Wonwoo asks, incredulously.
‘You are hurt!!’ Mingyu says in an affirming stance, gawping at Wonwoo with a look of what is so difficult about comprehending that?
Wonwoo feels bad, the moment after openly chuckling at the ridiculousness of this whole issue.
‘I am hurt! Not you!’
Mingyu sniffs angrily at that. ‘Don’t laugh at me! I’m sad that you are hurt!’
The glassy orbs are focused on Wonwoo with unused tears and the elder just doesn’t know how to placate the boy. Maybe he should wrap gauze around his knuckles just so that Mingyu won’t see the bruise anymore, even if that means he has to hear an earful from his mother.
‘It will heal quickly, Mingyu...If I treat this wound, it will not pain me anymore.’ Wonwoo says, mustering up a look of conviction.
The facade is not that good, but Mingyu falls for it easily.
‘Really?’
Wonwoo nods.
Then, Mingyu just tugs his hand out and sloppily places a wet kiss on the wound, and Wonwoo jumps from the broken bench at their hideout, nearly yelling at the burn that fires his nerve ends.
‘Mom said if someone kisses the boo-boo it will heal quickly!’ Mingyu says with an accomplished grin, toothy and innocent. ‘Yours will also go away soon!’
Now, Wonwoo has a number of reasons to be mad at Mingyu. The kiss to his knuckles had flared up the subsiding pain and the mouth to his wound could result in infection.
But, aside from all of that, Wonwoo couldn’t help but grow fond of the round eyes peering at him with unadulterated kindness.
So, the hand that he rose to swat Mingyu, resorts to simply pat his head, affectionately.
#2
Ha Shin Woo is a God to every kid below the age of ten.
Not for Jeon Wonwoo, because, despite being a ten year old he knows none of these actors who play as action heroes are actually heroes, and are mere humans who cannot defy gravity and throw a power punch at nonexistent villains.
But Mingyu is still stuck in the fantasy and is devoted to the actor and his character in the movie for stopping a moving bus with a single hand.
‘His voice is the same as what we heard in the film. He looks more handsome in person, though.’ Wonwoo recounts as he gauges Mingyu’s envious reaction.
Wonwoo really is exaggerating the whole meet up.
His family went to one of his relatives’ party and Ha Shin Woo happened to be there. Wonwoo was one among the mass of kids who shook hands with him which did not last for more than two seconds.
He adds the detail to rile up Mingyu more.
Under the orange sunset sky, Mingyu’s tan face gains a golden gleam and the displeased frown in the center of his eyebrows is as amusing as his slouched form on the porch swing.
‘You really shook hands with him?’ Mingyu asks in a small voice.
Wonwoo lazily nods, trying to sway the swing set by leveraging with his feet.
When Mingyu remains silent- a tad too silent which is uncharacteristic of him, Wonwoo begins to worry, wondering if he went a little too far with his goal of making Mingyu jealous.
‘But don’t worry, I told him that my friend Mingyu likes him very much.’
It was a big lie.
He didn’t say any other word to the actor except for a meek “Hi”, which went unresponded
Mingyu doesn’t have to know that. Especially if the lie can make the boy brighten up in happiness like fairy lights in the night.
Wonwoo continues, adding on more to elate Mingyu. ‘He said he likes you a lot.’
Mingyu leaps up and grins so brightly, picking up Wonwoo’s right hand to smack his lips against the center of his palm.
Wonwoo grimaces at the feel of wetness on his skin, which is undoubtedly Mingyu’s saliva.
‘Ew Mingyu, what was that for?!’ He gently hits the boy’s arm and Mingyu just supplies him with a happy smile.
‘You said you shook hands with Ha Shin Woo, right? So I technically kissed his hands, not yours.’
Wonwoo for a good measure kicks Mingyu and the younger scurries off to the elder’s house, calling Mrs.Jeon to tame her son.
#3
Thirteen-year-old Mingyu is into drawing so much that he lounges in Wonwoo’s house for the sake of endless art supplies.
It is not that the Kim household is not providing him any, but his parents won’t allow him to draw all day, and fortunately, Wonwoo happened to grant access to his own untouched art supplies since he is not into drawing, unlike Mingyu.
The two of them are in Wonwoo’s room, the elder lying down with a book in his one hand and the other extended out for Mingyu who is scribbling/drawing something on his skin.
At first, Wonwoo did not acquiesce to the soulful eyes of the younger who wanted to draw a “beautiful pattern” on his skin because, “It looks pretty, Hyung!”
But Mingyu being the brat he is sneakily drew whatever he wanted when the elder fell asleep for a short while.
Wonwoo initially, did not like the idea of serving his skin as a canvas since the smell of chemicals and the trace of color remained even after washing with detergent soap.
However, the patterns were actually beautiful-just like what Mingyu said- and he began to not mind those wonderful artworks on his skin anymore.
His conscience however mocks him for actually relenting to the idea because of the happy look on Mingyu’s face and not the artwork itself, and Wonwoo casually dumps the thought without processing further.
Surprisingly, the feel of pens gliding on his skin is relaxing, but he will never tell Mingyu that.
The April afternoon is unforgiving temperature-wise, but every sigh of a breeze through the window grants him a relief, as he scans the small font of unpopular fictional work.
Wonwoo was slipping into the hole of bliss when he feels gentle pressure of something moist against his wrist.
Alarmed, he sits up with his glasses askew, the heavyweight of his book falling on to his chest with a thud. It is painful but he has more pressing matters at hand to deal with.
‘Mingyu?’
The boy looks at him with a gentle smile.
Everything seems to be okay until Wonwoo finds the shape of lips in green color under the small doodle of a house on his wrist, and Mingyu’s mouth tinted with the same shade.
Concerned, Wonwoo inches closer to inspect Mingyu’s face and lands him a heavy smack to his head, who winces from the blow and has the gall to ask “why did you hit me, Hyung?”
Wonwoo furiously drags the boy to the en suite bathroom, scrubbing Mingyu’s lips with wet tissue and soap.
‘Who in their right mind would color their lips green with sketch pen?! Stupid boy!’
Mingyu whines at the castigation, pouting extra hard.
‘But the doodle of the house and green lip mark is pretty, Hyung!’
‘Nope, it is ugly like your ugly green mouth!’
Mingyu whimpers every time Wonwoo roughly treats his lips, but he tries not to irritate Wonwoo further by letting out the noise of complaints.
They settle down after relatively wiping off the color, Wonwoo now looking at the work Mingyu did on his wrist.
‘You know you could have drawn lips and colored it green if you desperately wanted to do it, right?’
Mingyu’s cheeks redden at that.
‘Well, it is not perfect that way...’
Chuckling at the lame reason, Wonwoo ruffles the boy’s hair with a fond smile.
#4
Wonwoo had decided that he won’t be attending the prom, a long time ago.
He told himself that these social gatherings are arranged for the sake of formality and one night of euphoric experience will amount to nothing but empty wallets and deflated spirits.
Except, Wonwoo now is crossing out all of his beliefs and is sulking at the imagination of his friends going out with their friends and partners.
Well, Wonwoo could have easily asked Junhui or Dokyeom because these people do not know to say “no”, but that doesn’t mean that Wonwoo can misuse their kindness. He is aware that his friends had wanted to partner up with someone else, and him being the sore loser he is, didn’t actively seek out a company for prom.
It is just that he had always dreamed of waltzing with someone in a suit and not ball gowns. It is ridiculous even to dream of something like that. Sure, people do not mind homosexual couples, but then again no one caught his eyes whom he would actually want to dance with, and he simply didn’t want to be with someone for the sake of it.
His phone bell goes off and Wonwoo reaches out to pick it up, hoping that it is not his friends asking why he hasn’t made it to the hall yet.
‘Hyung, come to the park quickly!”
It is Mingyu.
‘Why?’
‘Don’t question me, just come!’ Mingyu hangs up in the speed of light and Wonwoo really thinks he should teach the kid some manners.
Announcing to his mother, Wonwoo rushes out with a jacket in his hand, the cold temperature freezing his bones but in a matter of minutes, the inconvenience gets all forgotten when he finds Mingyu in a formal white button-up and slacks at the entrance of the park.
This Mingyu...he really doesn’t look like his usual Mingyu at all.
‘Hey!’ Mingyu waves excitedly and for some reason, Wonwoo just stands there, as something new and delightful breaks inside of him.
Is this what they call epiphany?
‘What- what, I mean why are you dressed up like that?’
Mingyu simply drags him to their hideout which is far deep into the park, bounded by empty lands on one side. Now the park itself has become an abandoned place, owing to the repaired playsets and improper maintenance.
When they walk further, Wonwoo spots the glow from afar and he eyes Mingyu questioningly.
‘Don’t tell me you are going to bury me alive for a demonic ritual. You have not made any stupid devil deals, have you?’
Mingyu cackles at that. ‘Even if I wanted something from the devil, there would be no point in doing the sermon if it requires you to be buried alive.’
‘Huh-’
Mingyu hushes him, as they reach their spot.
And to say that Wonwoo is dumbstruck by the beautifully lit fairy lights around the place with soft music playing in the background from Bluetooth speaker is an understatement.
It is not something extravagant, for sure, but nothing can beat this in terms of beauty.
Especially, if it is arranged by his favorite boy Mingyu!
The yellow light makes foliage gleam aesthetically and the full moon shines at the sky like it wants to be there with Wonwoo to experience and enjoy this gesture as well.
‘Hyung, come sit here.’ Mingyu directs the elder to the huge rock, the same one where they would perch upon and talk for hours.
Climbing up and sitting atop, Wonwoo nervously watches Mingyu bowing down to him with a small smile and extend his hand out.
‘May I have this dance with lovely Jeon Wonwoo?’
Wonwoo chuckles and laughs loudly to conceal the uncharacteristic flutter of his heart.
‘Okay...Okay, I will.’ He jumps down into Mingyu’s arms, and the younger quickly guides him to the center, hands on his waist as he urges Wonwoo to put his own pair around his shoulders.
And for Wonwoo...he just, can’t believe this is happening.
It strangely feels nice, too nice even and he...likes it a lot?
‘Since when have you grown taller than me, Mingyu?’ Wonwoo asks in a mellow voice, like it is something private to them, and Mingyu levels him a fond look.
‘It is you who can’t see me, Hyung.’
Wonwoo frowns at the incomprehensibility of the words and when he is about to prod for more, Mingyu twirls him around quickly, eliciting a surprised squeal from his throat.
They dance slowly like that until Wonwoo feels like he is in need of withdrawal from the contact because...something stupid is going on inside his head.
Mingyu, like the best person he is, keeps up with the charade and bows down to gently take Wonwoo’s hand, kissing the tip of his fingers gently.
The kiss is much different from the innocent ones he had received from Mingyu so far. This...This one...he does not know what to make of a well dressed Mingyu coming to give the time of his life.
One would welcome a surge of gratitude at gestures as these but...he knows what that is unraveling can’t be simply marked with "Thanks".
Wonwoo feels like he will never be the same after this.
#5
Wonwoo is not sure if it is a good idea to travel all the way from Seoul to Changwon for this.
By this, he means attending Mingyu’s prom with him.
The younger jokingly had told over the phone that he would go to prom if Wonwoo is the one who asks him out, and with their insufferable flirting back and forth, Wonwoo is not sure after the explicit move from his side would still place them in the platonic scale of relationship.
Sure, friends and close acquaintances go together for prom. It is a high school business after all, nothing is serious.
But these days, away from Mingyu and the conversation he had with him through the phone and messages...everything feels a tad too serious now.
His heart is now definitely treading down the path he discovered on the day Mingyu danced with him and he is about to do the same for the boy, except now, this gesture will mean something more to him and Mingyu.
Quickly visiting his parents and getting dressed up in a suit, he stealthily evades his family’s curious glances and walks across the street to ring Mingyu’s doorbell with bated breath.
Thankfully, Mingyu himself opens the door and-
‘Wow’
Wonwoo awkwardly smiles.
He rubs his hands together, a habit when his nervousness hits the roof and he prays to every being up there that he does not faint on Mingyu.
‘I...I came?’ Wonwoo fidgets a little, taking in the sight of Mingyu casually dressed in a tee and knee-length shorts. ‘I’ll take you to prom, only if...no one is accompanying you?’
Mingyu grins hard and Wonwoo’s mind struggles to unwind from the thought of how the baby fats of the younger’s cheeks are now replaced with defined muscles.
He still looks like a cute baby, however.
Mingyu gently takes hold of Wonwoo’s wrist, tugging him towards the familiar path of his room, the place where Wonwoo had been to several times that he cannot count with his hands and feet combined.
‘Switch on the light, Mingyu...’ Wonwoo calls out, when the younger shuts the door with a soft click without flicking on the lamps.
The gleam from the streetlights pours through the window, enough to cast their shadows on the walls but not enough to color the baby blue linens and veneered shelves stacked with untouched books.
‘This is nice, Hyung.’
The audibility of the sound and warmth helps Wonwoo predict that the boy isn’t far away from him.
‘I came to take you to the prom.’ Wonwoo breathes and he hears the sound of shuffling footsteps.
‘To dance with me?’
Wonwoo chuckles at the doubtful question.
‘No, to serve drinks at the hall.’
Mingyu entertains his sarcasm with an amused huff, as he moves closer until their chests are pressed together.
Wonwoo now feels very thankful that the lights are off. He is not sure if he could be able to face Mingyu’s penetrative gaze- the imagination alone setting the nerve ends on fire.
‘Shouldn’t we switch on the lights? My impaired vision can take only so much...’
When Wonwoo snakes his way around to the switchboard, Mingyu tugs him back to his previous position. The only difference now is that, the personal space is inexistent.
‘Mingyu?’
When the said boy encloses his hands around him lightly and sways left and right to a silent melody, Wonwoo couldn’t help but cooperate, his bare feet gliding on the carpeted floor.
‘What are you doing?’
‘What do you think?’ Comes a sharp reply.
‘If this is you rehearsing for the prom, then sorry, you have a long way to go.’ Wonwoo says in a hushed tone, like he is afraid his loud voice can break whatever that is building in the air.
‘We are not going anywhere.’ Mingyu replies casually, twirling around with Wonwoo, just like how he did a year ago at the park.
Wonwoo forces the boy to halt on his steps.
‘Why not?’
Mingyu shrugs. ‘This is perfect, don’t you think?’
Wonwoo audibly scoffs at that. ‘You want to spend your prom night with a college student, dancing like a novice in the darkness of your bedroom?’
‘Hyung, you didn’t even plan to go to your prom!’
‘At least I got to dance with you in the park with a relatively brighter background.’
‘I prefer this much better...’ Mingyu resumes his sway with Wonwoo. ‘...like this.’
When they twirl again, the white light from the streets cast a partial glow on Mingyu’s face, the familiar smile of accomplishment and pleased arch of his eyebrows knocking the breath out of Wonwoo’s chest.
‘If you had told before, I wouldn’t have dressed in a suit.’
‘Why, you look very good, Hyung...’
‘Thanks...’ Wonwoo breathes against the younger’s shoulder.
In the middle, Wonwoo carelessly steps on Mingyu’s toes and when he hears a mild hiss, the elder laughs with no inhibition.
‘You are still bad at dancing, Hyung...’
‘Mingyu, we are dancing with no music playing in the background, how normal is that.’
Ignoring the snark, the younger distances himself from Wonwoo suddenly, capturing his hands to press a gentle kiss near the knuckles.
A small smile tugs at the corner of Wonwoo’s lips but it broadens when Mingyu inches closer to encase his waist in his arms, and Wonwoo slings his own pair around Mingyu’s neck, in response.
The distance between their faces reduces drastically and their breaths mingle before the brush of lips happens.
Wonwoo does not know who leaned first, or who pressed firmly or what had them go crazily after each other’s lips, but with his eyes closed, he could see the images of their younger selves in a summer afternoon, chasing around one another with perspiration trickling down his temple.
#6
‘Mingyu, you have something on your face.’
Wonwoo points out a black grease like something smeared at the apple of Mingyu’s cheeks and he doesn’t even know from where the boy had acquired it.
‘Oh, where?’
‘On your left cheek.’
‘Here?’ Mingyu rubs fervently on the right side.
The elder sighs a little, setting down the bag of groceries on the pavement outside the shop. He is little annoyed by the fact that he took the cold weather of October in Seoul lightly and underdressed himself, now facing repercussions in the form of freezing bones and numb fingertips.
‘I said left, Mingyu ah...’
The clueless boy goes on to rub all the places except the particular spot and Wonwoo thinks he has had enough.
‘Lean down a little.’
When Mingyu obeys him without making a funny comment on their obvious height difference, Wonwoo slightly wets the tip of his thumb by flicking his tongue against it and proceeds to rub the grease off, the oily substance slowly but surely vanishing from the treatment it receives.
Wonwoo gets startled by the smack of lips against the heel of his palm which is working to remove the remaining slight smudge of grease present there.
Mingyu delivers a boyish grin, probably proud of himself at how he managed to fluster Wonwoo with the slightest of the action.
Wonwoo, with a burning face, picks up the bags to toss it towards Mingyu, deeming it as the punishment for pulling up such a stunt in public.
The younger didn’t appear to be sorry at all.
#7
It is a known fact that Wonwoo is not fond of strenuous activities, for he is unable to keep up his stamina and falls tired even from mild exertion.
So it is not really a surprise when Wonwoo feels like his bones had gone jello from his...well, “night work out” with Mingyu.
The sun has risen a while ago and the birds are chirping actively, telling him in their own way that “You will be late for your classes if you do not get your ass off the bed, now” but his lower back hurts a lot and his whole body feels like he ran 400m relay race without a break in the middle.
‘Hyung...’
Mingyu whispers in his ear, shaking his shoulders a little, and Wonwoo reckons that his boyfriend wants him up to start his day.
‘Five more minutes, Gyu.’
‘Please Hyung, I really need to ask something important...’
Wonwoo grits his teeth as he levels a glare, the best he could muster up in that kind of position.
‘It can wait!’
‘No!’ Mingyu turns him over with a tug and Wonwoo groans tiredly, wondering what this boy ate to become this strong.
‘What is it...?’ Wonwoo asks, muffling his yawn.
That lopsided grin on Mingyu’s face is never a good sign for Wonwoo’s heart.
‘Hyung, you know we did it last night...’
‘Yes, Mingyu. I was there if you didn’t notice.’
Mingyu chuckles at that. ‘Well, on a scale of 1 to 10, what is the rating of my performance?’
Wonwoo scowls, looking around for a pillow to smack Mingyu’s face with but then he deems the back of his hand will perfectly deliver a painful hit.
Except Mingyu grabs his hand halfway and places a wet kiss on it, scurrying off to the washroom, before poking his tongue out at him in a childish manner.
Unable to chase him after, thanks to his painful back, Wonwoo plops on to the bed with a huff, internally plotting that he should pull a Sheldon Cooper on Mingyu and say they are having sex only on birthdays.
#8
Mingyu is a good cook, no doubt about that.
Wonwoo can’t cook to save a life, no doubt about that either.
But with Mingyu’s final year exams coming up, Wonwoo could not force the boy to cook for them. Take out is a good option, but then spending money on it daily is not.
Also, Mingyu despises the idea of ordering out and prefers buying fresh produce, so that they can keep up their health.
With Wonwoo graduating and wheeling with his induction period at a large conglomerate, things are quite stressful for him but he sure can relate to Mingyu’s situation, having to cross that tough time himself.
So he tries his hand at cooking for Mingyu, especially something he likes.
It is not much, honestly.
His mom had questioned him as to why he is making a big deal out of this.
“It is a simple rice soup, Wonwoo.”
Well, not all are good at everything. To Wonwoo, calculations are easier than measuring a cup of rice and dropping it into a pot of boiling water.
So when he proudly calls Mingyu out for dinner, the younger scans him up and down with a concerned expression.
‘Hyung, you look like you fought with someone else.’
Wonwoo chuckles at that. ‘Not someone, it is something. Come take a look.’
Mingyu moves past him to the modest dining hall of their apartment and stands there stunned, looking at the steaming pot.
‘You made this?!’ Mingyu incredulously asks.
Wonwoo narrows his eyes at that.
‘What do you think?’
‘You didn’t buy this?’
‘Kim Mingyu.’
‘Don’t get mad, Hyung.’ Mingyu nervously chuckles at the darkening expression. ‘I have never seen you making a decent dish, before.’
Wonwoo is really about to fight someone now.
‘Look, I’ll tell you how I made the dish. First, you will boil water, add cinnamon, cut pieces of chicken, measure rice based on the proportion, and- Mingyu what?
Wonwoo was so absorbed in explaining how he made the dish that he didn’t notice Mingyu picking up his hand to reverently kiss the tip of his nimble fingers.
‘It is delicious, Hyung.’
‘Fool, you didn’t even taste the food.’ Wonwoo checks himself from saying those three words at the sincere fond look Mingyu levels him with.
‘You know I love everything you do.’
Well, Wonwoo has no better reply than leaning forward to kiss the boy.
#9
If someone had told Wonwoo that the boy who cried for his wound would put a ring on his finger, some fifteen years later, he would have laughed at their face.
Wonwoo admires the single stone ring on his finger, raising his hand high so he can enjoy the view of the white crystal reflecting sunlight.
Mingyu is sitting by his side, next to the window of their bedroom, and for a second, Wonwoo’s mind diverts itself from the ring to its presenter.
‘It is not much, really...I wanted to buy you a bigger one...but-’
‘I love this, Gyu...’ Wonwoo interrupts, eyes on the beautiful ring. ‘Even if you had given me a can lid opener for a ring, I would have accepted it.’
The smile that Mingyu emits outshines the sun.
‘You are stepping into the adult world and I do not want anyone to approach you thinking that you are single.’
Wonwoo chuckles at that before jumping to tease his, well, fiancé now.
‘What if I didn’t accept your ring?’ He raises his eyebrows in a challenging manner.
Mingyu walks to him and Wonwoo readily accepts the tall man, as he slouches against his side, on the bed.
‘Honestly...I never thought about that.’ Mingyu admits sheepishly and they both burst out in laughter, finding the alternative turn of events funny.
Amidst that, Wonwoo lifts Mingyu’s hand and gently kisses where a wedding ring would sit, evoking a look of surprise and utter fondness from the younger.
He shouldn’t be the only one with a ring in a relationship.
So, Wonwoo plans on buying something gold and round for his boy.
Gold would really fit Mingyu’s exquisite skin tone.