Work Text:
Wonwoo slips his hand into his pocket as it vibrates against his thigh. The bright screen lights up the darkness of the back of the taxi as he pulls it out of his pocket.
Jun
On your way?
It just started
The driver slows to a stop at a red light and Wonwoo feels the way the force of inertia pushes him forward for a moment before he slumps back against the seat.
Wonwoo
Yes, I’m almost there.
Jun
Okay
A few minutes more and the taxi pulls up to the curb; a brightly lit gallery spills out into the street to Wonwoo’s right. He pays the driver and steps out of the car, a voice immediately calling out his name. It’s Jihoon, exiting a taxi of his own, a dark coat wrapped tight around his frame.
“Good timing,” Wonwoo says as Jihoon approaches him.
Jihoon grunts in response, jerking his head towards the gallery. Jihoon relaxes once they enter through the doors, warmth chasing the cool night air away. The gallery is quite full and Wonwoo raises his head, trying to use his height to spot Jun in the crowd of people.
“I don’t see him,” Wonwoo mutters.
Jihoon shrugs in response.
“Let’s just walk around a little then, he’ll find us eventually.”
Jihoon is right; as soon as they reach the far side of the hall where some of the exhibit’s paintings are on display Wonwoo spots Jun. He’s dressed in a nice suit and gesturing with his hands as he talks to an older couple looking at a painting. He turns and Wonwoo waves one hand. Jun’s face lights up and he quickly says something to the couple before hurrying over to Wonwoo and Jihoon.
“Hey guys, glad you could make it.”
“It’s your first big show since you got this job, of course we came.” Wonwoo smiles and pats him gently on the shoulder. “And it looks like it came out well, I mean look at all the people that came.”
Jun laughs, “I think that’s because of the artist, not me.”
“Oh right, isn’t it some big up and coming guy?” Jihoon asks.
“Yeah, he was only discovered last year but all of his works go for such high prices now, it’s wild.”
Jihoon hums and nods.
“That’s cool, by the way where’s the food table?”
“Thanks for the overwhelming support Jihoon-ah. It’s in the far corner over there.”
Jihoon huffs and crosses his arms.
“You obviously pulled this off really well, no matter what you say about the artist, and as your roommate who watched you study art for five years I have complete confidence in your abilities.”
Jun blinks in shock, Jihoon turning round and walking towards the food table.
“He’s alway so blunt when he’s hungry,” Wonwoo says.
A pleased grin appears on Jun’s face as he stares after Jihoon.
“As usual,” he says. “Well, I have to get back to work, go get some food or look at the paintings, I’ll be around.”
Wonwoo nods and Jun slips away. He decides to follow Jun’a advice and slowly makes his way through the crowd until he reaches a wall hung with paintings. This wall has a set of three blue paintings. The one directly in front of him is all different shades of blue, the artist using shadows and highlights to create the illusion that the viewer is looking towards a dark horizon in the distance. He feels drawn inwards by the sense of depth. He supposes it’s probably considered a pretty good painting, but it’s not like he has a whole lot of art expertise to fall back on.
Wonwoo turns to the right to glance up the other painting, but a flash of light catches his attention instead. It’s coming from a wine glass held in the hands of a man standing at the end of the row of paintings. He has pale brown hair, and a long, dark coat that flows down from his shoulders. What’s peculiar about this man is that unlike the people around him, pressed shoulder to shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of the paintings, he’s turned entirely away from them, looking out into the crowd instead. His searching gaze eventually lands on Wonwoo and they stare at each other for a moment, really just a passing glance. A bump against his side distracts Wonwoo and he looks down in annoyance to find Jihoon who holds a wine glass and plate full of Hors d'oeuvre in his hands. Wonwoo looks up again but the man has disappeared.
“Here,” he says, handing the wine glass to Wonwoo. Considering the other boy’s general distaste for intense liquor Wonwoo assumes it’s for him and takes a small sip.
“Thank you,” he murmurs.
Jihoon holds out the plate of food, popping a piece of gamjajeon into his mouth. They stare at the wall of blue paintings as they eat, moving to the side as more people approach their corner of the gallery. It isn’t long before he sees the brown-haired man again, again standing with his back to the paintings on the wall. Another man stands with him this time, all sharp edges in a tall suit, edges that are softened a little when he smiles and gestures to the crowd. The man Wonwoo had been observing says something in reply and they laugh. Happiness looks quite good on the brown-haired man if Wonwoo is being honest, he wonders what it would feel like to have the man smile and laugh because of him.
“What are you looking at Wonwoo-yah?” Jihoon asks.
“Nothing,” Wonwoo says quickly, but it’s too late, Jihoon has already spotted the two men. He smirks up at Wonwoo.
“Oh I see what’s going on. Which one is it then?”
Wonwoo sighs and looks down at his feet.
“Um, the one with the coat.”
“Well, why don’t you go talk to him?”
Wonwoo raises his head and stares incredulously at Jihoon.
“You want me to go talk to a stranger? No thanks. Besides, he’s already with someone.”
“You don’t know if he’s with someone though, it can’t hurt to try.”
“What can’t hurt?” asks a voice from behind Wonwoo.
It’s Jun, and he takes a meatball pierced through with a toothpick off of Jihoon’s plate while looking at them both questioningly. Jihoon grins, delighted to share Wonwoo’s predicament with the other boy.
“I’m trying to convince Wonwoo to go talk to a cute boy.”
“Ooo, you should definitely go talk to him.”
Wonwoo shifts back and forth on his feet.
“I don’t know if this is the right time, or place, and I don’t want to bother him and his friend…”
“Well there isn’t going to be a better time or place anytime soon,” Jun replies, stealing another meatball from Jihoon. “I mean you don’t have to be super forward, just go up to him and ask what he thinks of the paintings.”
Wonwoo doubts that plan will work seeing as the man hadn’t been all that interested in the paintings, but he still glances over at the man and his friend and wonders.
“Anyway I'm busy, so Jihoon can be your wingman!"
“What.”
"Aw please Jihoon, support Wonwoo's dreams of actually getting some this year."
Wonwoo sighs and Jun pouts at Jihoon.
“Alright alright I’ll do it, just stop looking at me like that, it’s weird.”
Jun takes the plate of food out of Jihoon’s hands and pushes him gently forward.
"Good, now go distract his friend so Wonwoo can talk to him!"
Jihoon takes a deep breath and looks up at Wonwoo.
“You so owe me for this.”
Then he marches forward towards the two men.
Jun wishes him luck, plucks the half-empty wine glass from his hand and disappears into the crowd again, leaving Wonwoo to nervously watch Jihoon’s approach. Wonwoo doesn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed when Jihoon’s interaction goes smoothly, the man’s friend seems interested in whatever Jihoon is saying and after a moment they walk off together. Now it’s Wonwoo’s turn and he hesitantly makes his way through the crowd until he’s only a foot or two away from the man. He looks forward at the painting hanging in front of him, it’s bright pink with splatters of yellow and green. The bold colors give him the burst of courage he needs to turn towards the man and speak.
“Lovely paintings aren’t they?” he says, and the man gives him a quick glance, eyes widening when he realizes the question is directed at him. “Though, I don’t think you were paying that much attention to them.”
“Observant, aren’t you?” The man turns to face him, tilting the wine glass towards the painting next to him. “What do you think of this painting? What is the artist trying to say?”
Wonwoo raises his eyebrows, but the man’s inquiring expression doesn’t change. So he turns, looking the painting up and down and trying to figure out what exactly to say about it. The painting is mostly yellow, with a horizontal section crossing the middle that’s black, and a lone flag rising up from the middle.
“I think… that it seems a little sad. Black usually isn’t associated with very good things and the flag is all alone. It could be representing loneliness then, or a last stand. Yet the yellow is so warm, so maybe it’s a sunrise, a far flung goal finally in sight, or a promise that something of you will be standing when the sun rises the next morning. It could be all of that and more I suppose.”
The man crosses his arms over his chest and looks at Wonwoo thoughtfully as he speaks, carefully considering his words.
“I like that,” he says once Wonwoo finishes. “There is no right answer when it comes to art, each viewer can have a different interpretation of a piece.”
He leans closer and Wonwoo finds himself subconsciously mirroring the movement.
“Between you and me though, your answer is more right than any others I’ve heard tonight.” Jun’s voice suddenly rings through the gallery and the man straightens up. “I’ve got to go, they’re calling for me.”
He gives Wonwoo a soft smile and brushes past him, Wonwoo turning to watch him walk away. He’s confused, until he sees the man step onto a podium right behind Jun.
“And now, the man of the evening, Xu Minghao!”
The man, Minghao, gives Jun a polite nod and steps up to take his place, leaning forward to speak into the mic.
Hello, nǐ hǎo, as Jun said my name is Xu Minghao and I had the honor of having my artworks displayed here tonight.”
The crowd applauds as Wonwoo registers Minghao’s words, color rushing to his face when he realizes that he had just explained what the painting had meant to the artist who had created it, and said artist had liked Wownoo’s interpretation. It definitely explains why Minghao hadn’t been paying attention to the exhibit, he had painted the artworks himself, he’s probably looked at them a million times. Minghao says something again but Wonwoo is too dazed to pay attention, barely noticing when the crowd applauds again and Minghao steps down from the podium. The crowd starts to thin out and Wonwoo looks back and forth, trying to spot Minghao. Finally he finds him standing near the food and drinks table and Wonwoo approaches him, his steps growing more hesitant the closer he draws to the other boy. Minghao turns around and spots him, a glass of champagne held in his hands. He lifts his glass in Wonwoo’s direction and that encourages Wonwoo to cross the remaining distance between them.
“Hello, Minghao.”
He likes that name, likes the way it sounds, likes the way his mouth forms around the syllables.
“I never got your name.”
“It’s Wonwoo, Jeon Wonwoo.”
“Nice to meet you then Wonwoo-ssi.”
“Why didn’t you mention you were the artist when you told me to describe your painting?”
Minghao shrugs.
“I wanted to see how the conversation would go, besides I would have told you eventually.”
Wonwoo cocks his head to the side.
“Does that mean you wanted to keep talking to me?”
“Maybe, I did say I liked your interpretation of my art.”
Wonwoo glances down at his feet, then back up at Minghao.
“Do you perhaps want to go somewhere and we can talk more about art, or other things? Though I can tell you right now I haven’t taken an art class since middle school.”
Minghao looks surprised for a moment but actually seems to be considering Wonwoo’s proposition.
“Well… I came here with a friend, I don’t want to just abandon them.”
Wonwoo scratches the back of his head sheepishly and pulls out his phone.
“Actually it was my friend who distracted your friend… let me just text him and ask where they are.”
“Wait, there he is. Hey! Seokmin-ah!”
Wonwoo looks to the left and sees Jihoon and Seokmin walking towards them. Jihoon has got his arm looped through Seokmin’s and although his ears are pink he’s smiling up at the other boy. Wonwoo can’t even remember the last time he saw Jihoon smiling like that.
“They look pretty friendly with each other,” Wonwoo muses aloud.
“Maybe they’d like to go out with us then.”
Wonwoo whips his head back around to look at Minghao.
“That’s a yes then?”
Minghao nods, still looking at their approaching friends, his mouth quirking upwards at the corners.
Jihoon detaches from Seokmin’s side and steps up to Wonwoo’s, eyes wide and bright.
“So...”
Wonwoo holds up a hand to cut him off before he can say anything more.
“Do you want to get out of here? With them?”
Wonwoo gestures to Minghao and Seokmin and Jihoon instantly turns to look at the latter. Seokmin looks a little hopeful and Jihoon immediately nods.
“Well, I didn’t have much else planned for after this.”
“It’s settled then,” Minghao says, spinning on his heel with a flourish of his coat and heading towards the door, Seokmin following after him. Wonwoo and Jihoon both look at each other and smile before hurrying to catch up to their dates.