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The music was loud. It was good. But also loud to the point of Ten getting tired of it. Or maybe he was so drunk that the music started to sound annoying?
Ten refocused his eyes on the bartender, smiling sweetly as the man gave him the new set of drinks for him and his friends. He carefully manoeuvred his way through the crowds and towards their table.
It was a night to celebrate Kun and Taeyong’s engagement. And what’s better than partying at a hotel bar that is co-owned by Taeyong’s parents? It definitely worked in Ten’s favour, since he needed to get to Seoul all the way from Bangkok. Ten was grateful for the suite room he got. He tried to make a mental note in order to say thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Lee before leaving.
And it just made sense that since the hotel partly belonged to Taeyong’s family, the party would be at its bar. Their group had reserved the floor below the main area as it was fenced off with an openwork curtain so they would have some privacy. It was also for them to not bother the guests, although it wasn’t like a piece of thin material muted all their laughter and conversation.
The whole bar was big, dominated by red and black colours. The couches were all plush red, one of the softest materials Ten ever had contact with. Furnishing had to cost millions. And despite knowing his friends could afford it, Ten really hoped Johnny wouldn’t spill his drink all over the sofa he was sitting on. Ten’s parents had their own hotel branch, it was how he and Taeyong met as children.
Now almost 20 years later, there they were, celebrating Taeyong’s new step in his life.
And while Ten loved luxury, he also would kill for a night in, just with his friends. But then again, there would be a lot of chances, and he got to stay for two more days. He knew there would be options to meet again. And he was pretty sure none of the boys were keen on drinking two nights in a row, so he hoped for some pizza and movies in a hotel room soon after.
Ten sat down on the red cushion watching his friends, Taeyong and Yuta, have a heated discussion about the newest collection of some brand Ten didn’t catch the name of. Johnny and Kun conversed about aviation; Ten listened for a while, but his mind quickly drifted away. His head moved towards Taeil and Haechan. They both smiled at him before Haechan remembered something and focused fully on Taeil–Taeil of course focused right back on his boyfriend.
Ten sighed, taking a sip of his drink. He felt a stinging pain as the realization hit. In the time he was away, his friends’ lives were still moving forward And even with group chat as well as staying in touch as much as possible, he still felt isolated and out of the loop. Ten sighed, finishing the remains of his drink, the alcohol burning in his throat. The sensation, however, was welcomed.
It had been a while since he moved, but busy schedules and distance didn’t allow for meeting often. And each time he got to see them, Ten realised how much he missed them while being away. But despite that, he still chose to stay in Thailand– it was where he felt truly at home.
Ten listened for a few more minutes, engaging in the conversation, and trying to catch up as much as possible. After emptying yet another glass, he once again drifted towards the bar, dancing along the way to the music blasting through the speakers. The music was not so annoying anymore, although he still kept thinking about leaving for even a few minutes. But he wasn’t sure he really wanted to go on his own, so he decided to remain inside.
Ten moved towards an empty space that was two seats away from everyone else, simply wanting time alone. He just wanted to look around, though he wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for.
At that point, he was just on his usual people watching session. Ten wasn’t a frequent participant of parties, especially after moving back to Thailand. His party buddies were always mainly Yuta and Johnny. Once that was gone, so was Ten’s need for going out to bars filled with people. He owned a dance studio– he knew where to go when he wanted to dance.
He was facing the dance floor, leaning gently against the bar and minding his own business. He could see Johnny and Yuta back on the dance floor, although Ten would call it goofing around more than dancing. Ten was happy his friends were having fun, it was nice to watch them like that. It felt like he was back in the past—
“Hi there,” a voice said suddenly from the side. Ten turned his way and he saw a boy: he was smiling lazily, his eyes sparkling. He had blonde hair and a black tee peeking from underneath the red leather jacket.
The variety of jewellery on his body definitely added to his whole look.
He was handsome, Ten thought.
“Are you lost?” Ten asked, still smiling. He didn’t necessarily feel like flirting with strangers that night, but he also wouldn’t refuse a small talk with someone that good-looking.
“I saw you with your friends, and then when you walked over here– so I thought I would come and say hello,” the stranger smiled. Ten didn’t say anything, only raising an eyebrow.
“Sounded too weird?”
“A little bit stalkerish, if I’m being honest, but it’s okay,” Ten said, not minding the attention. Perhaps his cheetah print top and pearls worked their magic after all.
“I’m not good at hitting on people, to be honest,” the man said, and Ten scoffed.
“You? Looking like that? I don’t think you need to do much?”
“So my charm does work on you?”
“Never said it does,” Ten teased with a shrug, smirking at the way the boy’s eyes seemed to scan him.
“I’m Jaemin by the way,” he–Jaemin said. His eyes were searching Ten’s face for something, Ten couldn’t really guess what.
“I’m Ten,” Ten finally gave his answer, and the boy in front of him smiled wildly.
Ten couldn’t shake off the feeling that he knew him from somewhere, but decided to ignore it.
******
At some point, the noise had become too much. Ten and Jaemin’s conversation ended up as screams over the music, so they decided to go outside instead. Ten of course informed his friends on that. After some reassurance from Kun and Taeyong that of course he could go and have fun, Ten left. Part of him was sure that both men would put him on the spotlight the next day for some questioning. But he hoped that maybe they were so drunk they wouldn't remember that particular part.
The air was crisp, refreshing, and made Ten think more clearly. And he couldn't shake off the feeling that he definitely recognized Jaemin. Especially now that he had his name. But from where?
It wasn’t until Jaemin was showing something to him when his brain suddenly brought back memories.
“Oh my god, you’re Na Jaemin.”
“Took you a second.”
“Oh my god,” Ten covered his mouth, now seeing the resemblance to that small kid that used to run after Ten and Taeyong when they were going to their dance lessons.
Jaemin’s parents sent him to study abroad when he was 14, meanwhile Ten and Taeyong finished college in Seoul. He was only two years younger than them. Back then, it was enough to completely lose contact with each other. And before Jaemin came back there, Ten had already moved back to Bangkok to take care of the family business and hotels. It was also where Ten opened his dance studio. Twelve years had passed, and it was easy to forget faces.
Jaemin was the son of the CEO that owned the same hotel brand that Taeyong’s parents shared.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re the small kid from back then,” Ten glanced at him as Jaemin made his way towards him, still surprised at just how much he had changed over the years.
“I’m taller than you,” Jaemin grinned while Ten huffed, rolling his eyes (but still a smile showed on his face).
They began walking in a direction that was unfamiliar to Ten. Normally, Ten wouldn’t go wandering around with a complete stranger in the middle of the night. But it was Jaemin. He should have been okay, right? It wasn’t a complete stranger if Ten knew him as a kid.
“When did you come back?”
“About two years ago”
“Two- and Taeyong didn’t say anything?” Ten said in disbelief, wanting to turn around and scold his friend. Jaemin giggled.
“To be fair, it was a surprise for everyone. And maybe Taeyong thought you wouldn’t care enough to tell you.”
“Of course I’d care, we were friends! No matter how much time has passed,” Ten assured, but perhaps he understood Taeyong a little. They were all busy, trying to fit in their parents’ shoes. At some point they had to focus on work, not old friendships. Besides, if Taeyong thought Ten wouldn’t recognize Jaemin, didn’t he prove him right, when they were at the bar?
As they walked deeper into the streets of still the pretty and lively Seoul, Ten found himself immersed in the conversation. He realised that perhaps his old friend was back.
******
The magic of Seoul was that you didn’t feel how much you walked, despite the growing distance. Ten couldn’t feel the exhaustion, or perhaps it was the alcohol still running through his veins. He only really thought about how much they walked once they reached the riverside. And Ten was sure it was far away from the hotel. He was almost certain you couldn’t even see that part of Han River from the window in his hotel room.It was the middle of the night, and the area was practically empty. The shore that looked like a small beach didn't look too inviting, but when Jaemin stepped closer and sat on the sand, Ten followed with a sigh
The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t awkward. It made him think of himself and Taeyong, being together yet doing their own things back in school. It was nice. There was something that felt so normal about it. And in a way, it was. But it was only normal for the past Ten, for the little boy who tried to show his parents that he could study and chase his dreams of becoming a dancer. That one day he would be able to help his father run his business and own a dance studio. It was that Ten — who when overwhelmed and filled with feelings of insecurity would run off to the beach in order to clear his head. Taeyong and Jaemin were always quick to follow.
Ten thought about the times when Taeyong would dance with him to de-stress, or times when Jaemin would bring him his favourite snacks during his study breaks. Or when he tried to learn a new choreo in a dance studio. Ten was sure his past self would feel pretty happy then. He had accomplished so many of his dreams.
“How is life in Thailand?” Ten took a step back from his brain and focused on the man next to him. Jaemin’s eyes seemed bright, or maybe it was the light reflecting from his eyes. But even without it, Ten was pretty sure his eyes still had the sparkly look.
“Well,” Ten cleared his throat, focusing back on the water in front of them, “Dad is still schooling me to become the next CEO and take after him. My dance studio is doing great too,” Ten smiled at the mention of the studio. It was his baby, one that he worked hard for. It held a special place in his heart, and Jaemin had to sense it — as he began smiling.
“You’re doing great then. You thought of opening another one in Bangkok this year, right?”
“Yes, actually! How did you-?”
“Um. Well. I think I read it somewhere,” Jaemin looked away, and Ten could swear his ears were becoming red. Was…as he embarrassed?
“Read? Where?”
“Ahh, somewhere on the internet. I’m not sure. I just saw your face on the cover and clicked it,” Jaemin had refused to look his way, and Ten watched as he swallowed loudly. Oh, he was definitely embarrassed.
How cute.
Ten couldn’t help the big grin on his face as he chuckled. That gained Jaemin’s attention back.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. You just— nothing,” Ten shook his head. But when another amused chuckle escaped his lips, Jaemin decided to fight back. He pushed himself off the ground to rest on his knees facing whileTen.Before Ten could even process what was happening, Jaemin started pinching his side. Ten tried to jump away but Jaemin attacked yet again. The burst of giggles filled the whole area. Ten was laughing too hard to fight back properly, and Jaemin was on the other side, happy to have the upper hand.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Ten yelled finally, completely out of breath. Jaemin stopped tickling him, a big grin still on his face. He sat right next to Ten as he was trying to catch his breath.
“And how are you?”
“I’m okay. I have the vision of Business Management, and I’m actually preparing to take over after my father. It was terrifying the first time I came back. But I think I finally adjusted.”
“That's good.”
“Yeah,” Jaemin nodded, “You know, I always admired you.”
“Me? Why?” Ten raised his eyebrow.
“You always had goals and dreams– and you would not rest until you reached them. And you actually did. And I’m just so— I don’t know. It’s fascinating watching you reach for stars like that.”
“You’re saying it like you can’t do that,” Ten huffed, trying to derail the conversation somewhere else as he felt embarrassed listening to Jaemin.
“Well, yeah. But I think I was admiring you for so long, I just had to say it to you now.”
Jaemin looked straight into his eyes. There was something deep in his gaze, as if he was trying to read through Ten’s soul. There was something magnetic in the way he looked at Ten.
“I— thank you.”
“Did I made it awkward?” Jaemin asked genuinely, and Ten couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s good, no worries.” Ten answered simply, ignoring how fast his heart was beating. “It’s getting cold, don’t you think?”
“Do you want to go back?” Jaemin asked, his expression dropping, and god, Ten was not ready.
“Can we go somewhere else? I don’t think I will be coming back to the bar. We can walk some more. I could sober up a bit more,” Ten assured, and it was worth it to see Jaemin smile again. They got up; and after brushing off the sand off their clothes, Jaemin began leading them to another place. And Ten just let him. The night was still young, and it had been a while since the last time Ten had fun like that.
******
“Are you sure we’re allowed to be here?”
“Absolutely,” Jaemin answered, as Ten pressed his lips together.
“-not. But! As long as we won’t demolish everything, we’re good,” Jaemin grinned as Ten huffed, rolling his eyes. He was still fully entertained as he blindly followed Jaemin.
The amusement park was empty, past closing hours. Ten wondered why it was so easy to sneak in for Jaemin– until he saw a large sign from one of the sponsors that belonged to no one else than Jaemin’s father. Ten sighed, but he had to admit to feeling relieved. He didn’t want to discover the punishment for trespassing. But in that case, he was pretty sure he would be safe.
Jaemin obviously had a plan of where to go, checking from time to time if Ten still followed him– and followed him he did. They reached the big carousel, and it was still lit up. The empty seats and colourful lights were surely welcoming.
The merry-go-round wasn’t moving, and Ten was sure they could turn it on. But it was okay. When Jaemin jumped on it, Ten couldn’t help but follow.
They were walking around the carousel and at some point chasing each other, laughing along the way. They were mostly quiet, apart from talking about some random topic Ten or Jaemin thought about. Ten felt like he was back to his teenage years, back when he had no real life worries and was free. It felt nice.
“Want to know a secret?” Jaemin suddenly asked as he stopped in front of a white-painted horse figure. Ten curiously stood on its other side, facing Jaemin.
“What?”
“I knew it was you when I approached you.”
“Oh.”
“And I kinda liked it when you didn’t recognize me at first.”
“Oh. Why?”
“Because,” Jaemin started leaning closer, so close, Ten could feel his breath on his face. He could see his eyes–Ten thought he was a bit nervous, the confidence wearing off.
“Because I wanted to flirt with you, and I thought you wouldn’t let me if you remembered me,” Jaemin whispered, but there wasn’t any fear in his voice. No embarrassment– it was just a statement. Maybe he didn’t fear the outcome — maybe there was nothing to fear. If Ten didn’t like what he heard, they could just go back to never speaking again. Or maybe they would remain as friends. Case closed.
And yet— Ten’s heart picked up a dangerous speed upon hearing him. Because yeah, it was nice flirting with him before he remembered who Jaemin was. And frankly, he didn’t feel awkward about it. They were both adults.
******
There wasn’t much to do at 2 am, even in a city like Seoul. The streets were emptying, the drunk people were swarming the streets going back home or resting by the nearby trees. And if Ten was being honest with himself, he was in need of a good sleep. Because apparently even a small time-difference (like two hours) could be exhausting. But he was pretty sure the added alcohol and lack of sleep had something to do with it, too.
And Jaemin… Jaemin was lovely company, one that Ten would like to keep for longer. But he also knew Jaemin was busy, and he didn’t want to completely disturb him. So, after getting water and some cheap snacks at the 24h convenience store, they made their way back to the hotel. Ten remembered to send Taeyong a quick message, assuring him they both were alive and heading back.
“Ten?”
“Yeah?”
“Would it be bad to want more? Like talking to you?”
“Of course not! I’d love to keep in touch!”
“Ten—”
“I know. And we can talk and see where it goes?”
“Mhm,” Jaemin nodded and smiled at him. Ten couldn’t help but to smile right back.
******
“I once saw your comment under Taeyong’s post. I kinda started looking at your socials from there. Including a post when you mentioned a new studio,” Jaemin looked away.
“Why did you never reach out?”
“I didn’t really think you would care about someone you knew back in high school.”
“That’s not true, I—” would I care, though?
“I’m sorry, Jaemin.”
“It’s okay,” Jaemin smiled, “Besides now we can catch up for all these years, right?”
“Yes, yes we can,” Ten agreed, not hiding his happiness as they continued their walk.
******
They walked down the streets of Itaewon, Jaemin wrapping his arm around Ten and pulling him closer. It made it easier to pass the hoards of people. When he let go, Ten tried to make a reasonable excuse for his heart to speed up at the gesture. There was a sad feeling that overtook him once Jaemin stopped holding him.
******
And when the night turned from a black-ish dark blue, and grey, Ten tried to let go of the longing that reminded him how close they were to the hotel. It meant that the goodbye was near. Despite how busy Jaemin had to be, he still decided to walk Ten all the way back to his hotel. Jaemin never stopped asking questions– as if he wanted to know every bit of Ten, everything that happened over the years. In exchange, Ten asked many questions too, wanting to know more and more about his old friend.and even more so, wanting to know the current Jaemin.
******
Jaemin walked Ten to his door. And suddenly, the hotel hallway felt way too short–and his room came way too quickly for Ten’s liking. Despite feeling exhausted, he really wasn’t ready for the night to end.
“Can we meet again?”
“I— I leave in two days. Taeyong, Yuta, and Johnny had the idea to go to Jeju this time. God knows when I will see them again,” Ten huffed, trying to laugh– but it was difficult. Living in a different country away from his support system was hard, even if he knew his family loved and supported him from afar. Still, it was his friends he mostly leaned on.
And now there was also Jaemin. The boy with bright eyes, and a cheerful, calm smile that made Ten’s heart jump in his chest. And he really, really wanted to get to know him better. To spend more time with him. But—
“I get it. It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. You should hang out with your friends. You deserve to have some catching-up time with them.”
“You’re my friend, too. I still would like to talk to you. Can’t you join us? I’m sure the boys wouldn’t mind,” Ten promised, maybe a bit too earnestly. But screw pride, he wasn’t about to let that man go too far.
“I wish, but I have work in Seoul. Not enough free time to go to Jeju,” Jaemin sounded disappointed.
“I see,” Ten said shortly, while Jaemin smirked at him.
“Hm. Maybe I should visit Thailand soon, like next week?” Jaemin winked.
“It’s the middle of the rainy season. Not really time for holidays there.”
“A little bit of rain never killed anyone,” Jaemin smiled brightly, and Ten couldn’t help but to smile right back.
“Well, there was a plan to branch out in Bangkok. Maybe my father would send me there to take care of the hotel,” Jaemin smirked, leaning against the wall as he faced Ten.
“You’re really persistent.”
“Only when something is really important to me.”
Ten hoped Jaemin couldn’t hear how loud his heart was beating. Although he swore everyone in this hotel could hear it at that point.
“You can call me then.”
“And until then?”
“You can still call. Or message. Send an owl, I don’t know. Anything. I wouldn’t mind,” they both laughed, and then it turned to soft smiles as they quietly looked at each other.
“I will message you. I hope the number you gave me is real.”
“One way to find out,” Ten said cheekily.
Jaemin waited for Ten to unlock his door. And after saying their goodbyes, Ten closed the door behind him. He leaned against the wooden frame, smiling under his nose.The night was even more eventful than he had planned.
The sun was slowly rising, and he knew he would be exhausted most of the day. But no matter how he looked at it, he didn’t regret anything.
******
One month later
******
Ten [2:34pm]:
I can’t believe you’re doing this
Jaemin [2:35pm]:
I told you we are opening a hotel in Bangkok.
My father wanted me to go there.
Of course, I took the opportunity. 😜
Ten [2:37pm]:
🙄
You don’t know Thai.
Jaemin [2:37pm]:
Not my first time learning a language.
Besides, I will have you to teach me 😝
Ten [2:38pm]:
I’m not a teacher material.
Ten wanted to type more, but as soon as he started to, his phone began to ring. It took a few seconds for him to answer.
“Just to make sure, you are okay with me moving there, right?” Jaemin sounded a bit unsure, and Ten slightly smiled.
“Of course, I just want to make sure you move here because you want to. Not because of me or something. I’m just worried.”
There was a moment of silence before Jaemin’s amused voice echoed on the other side of the call.
“You’re not that special,”
“Oh really now?” Ten asked cheekily. He could hear Jaemin giggling.
“And by the way, I’m happy to see you. I hope you will like it here,” Ten smiled.
“I’m sure I will.”
I will make sure of that, Ten thought to himself. He was happy to not only have his old friend back, but happy that maybe — just maybe, the future would hold more than just a friend.