Work Text:
"What's wrong with him?" Lee Soo-hyuk asked Choi Jung-soo. The former was just arrived at the film major's booth–which Jung-soo and Rok-su attended. Soo-hyuk pointed at Kim Rok-su who stared blankly at the stand in front of him, a pencil in in his hand was in the verge of breaking. Jung-soo shrugged and angled himself in to whisper on Soo-hyuk's ear.
"Remember his online boyfriend who he's never met?"
"His boyfriend from The Birth of Hero game? The swordmaster?"
"Well yeah, they were supposed to meet this last day of festival. But his boyfriend cancelled last meeting. Work stuff, he said." Soo-hyuk blinked at what Jung-soo said. "No wonder he looks so pissed off." He commented.
They could hear a snap. Jung-soo and Soo-hyuk turned to Rok-su.
"I can hear you both. And I've met him several times before." Rok-su said nonchalantly, but there's a hint of displease somewhere in his voice. For outsider, Rok-so looked like his usual self, stoic and calm, but for Jung-soo and Soo-hyuk who has known Rok-su since middle school, it clear as day that their friend was upset.
"Uh. Yeah. I don't know since you insisted on keeping things private." Jung-soo gestured a quotation mark at the word 'private'. He pouted. "We are bff. You said you've been dating for eight months now. when will you introduce him to us?"
Rok-su only glanced at Jung-soo before he threw up his already broken pencil. "Today. But that punk cancelled, so." The pencil stabbed at the trash can with a loud clank.
"Aw. Don't sulk." Jung-soo leaned to Rok-su and gave the man a hug. Soo-hyuk joined and patted Rok-su's head. The said man apparently really, really pissed off, because he did nothing to shoo them off.
"Let us give you some hug and kisses because you really need some." Jung-soo tightened his hand around Rok-su. Now annoyed by the gesture, Rok-su pushed him away.
"I don't want any of your hug or kiss."
"You're so petty. Just because you had boyfriend you forget your bff. And you only want to be touched by h–"
This time, Soo-hyuk moved to cover Jung-soo's babbling mouth.
"Alright. Alright." Soo-hyuk pushed Rok-su's shoulder softly. "How about you go to my major's booth? We sell some mask for tonight final agenda. And you can watch our play if you want."
Jung-soo, still in Soo-hyuk's hand confinement, nodded excitedly. "Our shift are going to end in fifteen minutes. Soo-hyuk hyung will accompany me here, right? We'll cacth up to you when we're done." Jung-soo said after he succeded in moving Soo-hyuk's hand. Rok-su stared at them for a while, contemplating. It didn't sound like a bad idea. He needed some fresh air anyway.
"Fine. See you later."
The acting major's booth located a bit far from their major's (film). Rok-su passed many booths which sell some interesting things—if only he was in a better mood. Snacks, mocktails, matching bracelet, fortune telling service, even voodoo dolls. Rok-su finally stepped into acting department territory and found the booth beside their play ticket stand.
DEAR SOULMATE
A human sized poster behind the ticket stand said. It showed a man and a woman, back to back, with a red thread connecting their pinky finger. It's a love story about two person who were connected by the red strings of fate, but they found themselves in unfair situations and they couldn't be together.
Rok-su sneered. This wasn't his thing at all.
"One ticket please." He said to the person behind the ticket stand. The boy recognized him, "Oh, are you Kim Rok-su sunbae-nim from film major?" He asked, to which Rok-su nodded.
"Hey Kim Min Ah! Gimme the mask Soo-hyuk sunbae told us before!" The man shouted to the girl standing for the mask stand. "Hello. Soo-hyuk sunbae-nim asked me to give you this." The energetic girl popped out beside Rok-su. She handed a red mask .
Huh, isn't this..
Rok-su frowned at the mask with familiar pattern. It was a design for his avatar in the game he used to play, The Birth of Hero. "Soo-hyuk sunbae said you don't need to pay for it. Please use it and enjoy the show!" The boy pushed him to the entrance. Rok-su got a hunch that he was being played.
He still opened the mask and use it anyway. It fit perfectly to his face, and it's quite comfortable with soft fabric sewed into the inner part of the mask. Rok-su glanced across the room and found almost everyone in the theater used mask. So much for a mere campus festival..
The show already played halfway. The two main character were into the peak of the story. Their family was against their relationship and the only way they could meet was in the masquarade. The female lead, dressed in fancy gown with face covered in pretty mask, pushed the man away.
"There is an infinite amount of hope in the universe...but not for us." She said dramatically before run to the end of the stage.. and straight into the spectators. Everyone gasped. Rok-su, who was standing in the middle of the room where the actress run into, being pulled behind by someone. "Be careful." said the one behind him. A comforting voice.
"Uh.. thank you.." He said frantically as the stage moved to right in front of him. Out of the blue, the two main character started to dance. "Better move to the side." The man behind him whispered and dragged Rok-su to a less crowded space.
"You can let go of me now." Rok-su said when the man's hand were still on his waist. The man didn't budge. Instead, Rok-su felt the grip tightened. "Sorry—" Rok-su said again, in more annoyed tone. "—but I have a boyfriend. Please let go."
Rok-su turned around to push the man away. But what he got was him being pulled him into an embrace. "!!!"
"Excuse me!" Rok-su yelled at him, but the hands around him were too strong. Rok-su was going to jab at him with his elbow when he felt a familiarity. Judging by the height and the curl of the hair, Choi Jung-soo?
"Jung-soo, I said I don't want your hug—"
"Rok-su nim. You don't recognize me?" The man asked in a pitiful voice. He backed a little to stare at Rok-su. Rok-su froze. That puppy eyes and silly honorific (when Rok-su was clearly three years younger). The man wore a mask with The Birth of Hero design, a certain swordmaster Rok-su knew by heart.
"Choi.. Han hyung?"
The man—Choi Han—beamed like a puppy who got their favorite toy. "Rok-su nim!" He called and tightened his embrace.
"I miss you!" Rok-su almost felt like he saw a tail wagging out from Choi Han's, his boyfriend, back. "Stop. Stop. You choke me." Rok-su said after a while.
Choi Han backed off a little and grinning ear to ear. "Didn't you say something urgent came up at work?"
"Do you remember Jin-tae? He got into an accident. Fortunately it was nothing serious, just scratches here and there, so I can run here on time." Choi Han explained. Rok-su stared at him. His boyfriend's innocent and boyish face looked so excited. His pretty eyeshape and long lashes.. and those soft lips and cheeks. Rok-su missed this man so much. But like hell he would admit it.
".."
Choi Han stared at stoic Rok-su, the puppy smile still plestered on his face. "Can I hug you?" Choi Han asked. Rok-su answered by throwing himself into Choi Han and the man's warm arms moved to cage his body. The touch he was desperate to feel these past few weeks. They couldn't meet because Choi Han's job kept him busy running here and there all the time, and Rok-su was busy with school and festival preparation. They stayed like that for a while.
"Do you miss me, Rok-su nim?"
"Mm." so subtly, Rok-su nodded. Choi Han didn't miss it. "I miss you too!"
"Can I kiss you?" Choi Han asked. Rok-su went silent for a while. He then murmured.
"Pardon? Your voice is too small, Rok-su nim."
"..." Rok-su murmured again, this time while staring right into Choi Han's eyes. His boyfriend titled his head, clearly still didn't catch what Rok-su said.
Frustated and (he won't admit it but) shy, Rok-su leaned in and gave the man a peck on his lips. Flustered, he pulled away and turned his head away. Oh, to felt Choi Han's hands on him again, all Rok-su's anger and anxiousness melted away.
Choi Han, on the other hand, blushed furiously. "Rok-su nim.." he stuttered. It was their first kiss, and on top of that, Rok-su initiated it? Choi Han felt he could die happily now.
"Shut up and hug me again." Rok-su mumbled. Choi Han happily obliged. They spent the rest of the day having fun and visiting all the stand in the festival and watching the firework together.
Hand in hand and Rok-su never let go.
.
.
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Extra #1
LSH: "Choi Han hyung-nim asked me personally on these mask design."
KRS: "And you send me to your major's stand on purpose, right?"
LSH: "Yes."
KRS: "..."
LSH: "Your welcome."
KRS: "I didn't say anything."
LSH: "Sure. Your welcome."
Extra #2
CJS: "You are dating my uncle??!!!"
KRS: "He's only three years older."
CJS: "Yeah, but still.. MY UNCLE??!"
KRS: "Oh shut up."
LSH: "This is why he didn't want to tell you."
CJS: "You knew all this time? TRAITOR!"