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Seungcheol glances at his watch; he has enough time. He taps his fingers on his thigh as he waits his turn in line for security. He’s in Amsterdam Schipol, catching a flight home to Incheon after spending two weeks exploring a few cities in Western Europe. His last stop was the Netherlands, where he was able to catch the 7 million tulips in full bloom.
After getting his bag situated and making it through security, he makes it to his boarding gate with plenty of time to spare. He’s pulling up his KakaoTalk to send his brother an update when the screen goes black. Dead.
That’s okay, no worries, he thinks. His boarding gate has a few available sockets so he rummages around his mini duffel bag for his charger. Hmm… It’s not in the pocket he thinks he left it in. Other pocket? Nope. Maybe at the bottom of the bag? Still nothing.
Okay now he’s panicking. Kinda. He either dropped the charger somewhere, or even left it at the hotel (he can’t even remember if he just made up the memory of packing it into his bag). Well, he’ll get to Korea in one piece – he has his boarding pass printed, he can still hail a normal taxi when he arrives, pay with cash, et cetera, et cetera – but the thought of sitting idle is killing him. Sure, the plane would have in-flight entertainment, but that’s an hour-ish away. What’s he supposed to do now? People-watch?
He curses to himself in Korean, uselessly tapping on his dead phone’s screen, like it’ll magically come to life if he wills it hard enough. He’s about to mumble another curse, when a hand holding a power bank comes into his view.
He looks up to the person handing him the powerbank and he has to consciously stop himself from openly gaping.
That is the most goddamn beautiful person he has ever laid his eyes on.
Goddamn Beautiful Person has hair to his shoulders, curling slightly around small, cute ears. His eyes are wide and the corners are slightly crinkled from the small smile they’re directing at him. Seungcheol wants to think Goddamn Beautiful Person’s eyes are sparkling, but he knows it’s just the stupid airport lights. (They’re sparkling. That’s it. )
The hand nudges the powerbank again, signalling for him to take it.
He takes it in a daze, mumbling, “Kamsa– thank you. I mean, thank you so much.”
Goddamn Beautiful Person waves a hand. To Seungcheol’s surprise, he starts speaking in Korean. “I heard you earlier. Figured you needed it, and it’s always nice to run into people from home when you’re far away.” He directs another smile at Seungcheol, making a small salute with two fingers.
That’s a hit straight to Seungcheol’s poor heart.
“Jeonghan,” Goddamn Beautiful Person says, extending a hand. Seungcheol bows slightly as he grasps the hand (oh my god oh my god oh my god he gets to hold his hand ). “Seungcheol,” he says, hoping his voice doesn’t sound weird. “Nice to meet you, and thanks, really, for this.”
Jeonghan chuckles (even his little giggling is cute oh my god ). “It’s really nothing. So, what’re you here for? Were you just visiting, or are you from around here…?”
“Just visiting. Spent two weeks sightseeing alone, and Holland was my last stop before home. You?”
“Same, but I was visiting friends in Paris. Just also making a stop here before heading back home to the real world… and work.” He rolls his eyes good-naturedly.
Seungcheol thinks of Paris, of Jeonghan under the lights of the Eiffel Tower at night, of Jeonghan standing under a bakery’s awning to buy fresh pastries, of Jeonghan in front of Impression, Sunrise in Musée Marmottan Monet, of Jeonghan –
He snaps out of it. He’s losing his grip.
“Oh, Paris! That was my first stop on this trip. Was it your first time visiting?”
“No, I’ve been a few times. Each time is different though.”
Seungcheol nods. All the cities he visited were their own type of charming, and he could imagine himself coming back to each of them and having a completely new experience still. He wants to hear more from Jeonghan, so he scrambles for something else to ask.
“What did you come to the Netherlands for, if you don’t mind me asking?” Seungcheol says, turning in his seat to face Jeonghan.
At the question, Jeonghan lights up. “It’s… Well, it’s not everyone’s first thought when they come here.” He bites his lip, suddenly shy. “Ah, it’s a bit embarrassing actually.”
“Not the Red Light District, then?” Seungcheol jokes.
Jeonghan laughs (score! ). “No, not that. I told you it’s a place that’s not everyone’s first thought,” Jeonghan says, joking right back.
“Well, let’s hear it then! I doubt it could be anything bad.”
Jeonghan pauses, then caves. “Miffy.”
Seungcheol tilts his head, confused. “What about Miffy?”
“Exactly what I said. I came here for Miffy.”
“Miffy… in the Netherlands? What..? or – huh ?” Seungcheol is so confused. He has a vague memory of a white bunny, and this whole time he’s assumed the bunny was from Japan. Like Hello Kitty. And what about this bunny?
Jeonghan sighs, but it’s fond. “See, I told you. It’s not everyone’s first thought because people don’t even know she’s from here. Miffy is originally Dutch!” he exclaims happily. Jeonghan pulls up Miffy’s Wikipedia page and begins to explain her history, and how there’s a city south of Amsterdam where there’s a whole museum dedicated to the bunny. He tells Seungcheol about the massive Miffy statue in front of the Miffy museum, and shows him the Miffy in a milkmaid outfit keychain he got from the gift shop at the Rijksmuseum.
Jeonghan’s so seriously into it, and now Seungcheol is so seriously enamored.
Seungcheol doesn’t realize it, but he and Jeonghan talk long enough that he hears the airline staff finally call for their boarding.
He didn’t even need his phone, after all.
ᯓ★
They’re quiet as they gather their things and start to head to the gate. The process of getting their boarding passes checked goes by so fast, and while Seungcheol still scrambles for something else to talk about with Jeonghan, they make it to the plane doors.
He’s a bit pouty thinking about the 12-hour flight where he’ll have to sit next to a stranger when the most Goddamn Beautiful (and Interesting) Person is on the same flight as him. He shuffles along on the aisle behind Jeonghan, thinking about ways to ask for a contact detail somehow, when Jeonghan stops at his own row and lifts his bag into the overhead cabin.
Seungcheol blinks. It’s his row, too.
Jeonghan’s settling in his seat by the window when he notices Seungcheol placing his bag in the exact same cabin. He looks pleasantly surprised ( Seungcheol is relieved at this reaction ) and gestures at the row as if to say, you too ? Seungcheol nods back excitedly.
Seungcheol double-checks his boarding pass and deflates when he notices he has the aisle seat. He sighs inwardly as he sits down, but luckily the middle seat isn’t occupied yet.
Jeonghan leans across the middle seat to whisper to Seungcheol. “What are the odds, huh.”
Seungcheol knows he’s blushing. He hopes the cabin lights are dim enough to mask it. “I know. It’s a large plane, too.” (Seungcheol wants to facepalm himself. It’s a large plane, too?! That’s the best he could do?! )
Jeonghan starts to fidget, pulling out all the booklets in the seat pocket in front of him, sometimes pointing out to Seungcheol things he found funny. Seungcheol doesn’t quite get what’s so funny about the cartoon person jumping onto the inflatable emergency slide with their arms crossed on their chest, but he laughs too, because he loves hearing the happy chuckles from Jeonghan.
Eventually Jeonghan settles, twisting the complimentary barf paperbag into a knot. He’s looking out the window and lowly humming a tune. Seungcheol thinks it’s a jingle from an ad, but he can’t be sure. (Even this is enamoring.)
They have a sunset flight, and as the plane ascends, Jeonghan is still looking out the window. From where Seungcheol’s sitting, Jeonghan’s silhouetted against pinks, purples, and gold.
Seungcheol recalls the European museums he visited that housed works of many masters, old and new, but thinks about how this might have been the most beautiful picture he saw his entire trip.
(The middle seat stayed empty.)
ᯓ★
Turns out, not only did he not need his phone, but Seungcheol didn’t need the in-flight entertainment as well. Both his and Jeonghan’s screens stayed on the flight map, and at some point in the flight, they lifted both arm rests so there weren’t so many barriers between them. Jeonghan had his legs folded under him on the seat, complementary blanket spread over them, and Seungcheol had one leg folded up on the middle seat so he could face Jeonghan.
They talked about their lives, their jobs, their hobbies. Seungcheol told Jeonghan about his full-time job as an associate at a market research agency and all the overtime he’s forced to do, but how he used to be a varsity baseball player, so he coaches some kids in his neighborhood on the weekends when he can. Jeonghan smiles at the latter bit, telling Seungcheol about how he also works with kids; he’s a teacher to first graders. He works at this elementary school that he told Seungcheol he chose to apply to specifically because it was in between a butterfly garden and an ice cream shop. Jeonghan is talking about this like it’s the most rational explanation for choosing a full-time adult job, and Seungcheol is inclined to just agree.
Seungcheol tells him about the different flavors of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars he was bringing home for his friends, and how he struggled with choosing good ones because there were just so many options. Jeonghan tells Seungcheol about how he brought a large suitcase on this trip, but only because he knew he was going to bring home fifteen different small plushies of Miffy and her friends.
They learn about their shared interest in both football and billiards, and Jeonghan teasingly brags that he could beat Seungcheol in either sport. (Seungcheol disagrees — he’s a competitive athlete, come on — but he’s not about to say that out loud. For now. )
There’s something so easy about spilling your guts out to a stranger, and it’s what the both of them do. Jeonghan tells Seungcheol about his constant worries that he’s not doing his job right and that he’s inadvertently screwing up the futures of his young students. Seungcheol admits it eats him alive that he doesn’t quite know what he’s doing with his life and that he feels like he’s wasting time with a career that isn’t worth it. They find out they both went on the Europe trip for a break from Life™️, and they offer each other assurance and advice ( that they should probably each take themselves, but don’t we all listen better to other people than to ourselves? ).
Seungcheol tells Jeonghan about Kkuma, the coton de tuléar he’s raising, and shows him pictures of his little princess. Jeonghan coos at her, and then proceeds to show Seungcheol his pet, who Jeonghan declares is “probably more well-behaved than Kkuma”. Seungcheol is incredulous and turns a deadpan stare at Jeonghan’s face as he introduces, in a completely serious manner, Doljjongie — his pet rock who is decked out in a hat .
Part of Seungcheol is indignant at the comparison of his baby to a rock — is this guy for real — but a larger part of him wants to burst at the seams because he is overflowing with affection at this Goddamn Beautiful, Interesting, and Strange Person.
ᯓ★
The speaker crackles, and the flight attendant is announcing that they will begin descent soon. The two of them pause mid-conversation to fix their armrests, fasten their seatbelts, and fold their blankets. Once they’re settled again, Jeonghan continues his story about the unfolding drama in his classroom of six year-olds. (Apparently one of the girls has a crush on one of the boys. She’s constantly proposing marriage to him and the boy hates it because marriage is for adults, Teacher Han, why does she keep saying that?! )
At this point they’ve basically told each other their entire life stories — they clicked together so fast it’s like they’ve known each other 12 years, not 12 hours. Throughout deplaning, Jeonghan and Seungcheol continue to talk, bickering over which player on the South Korea Men’s National Football Team is objectively the hottest, and whether how well they play should factor into the hotness scale.
When they get to immigration, it’s crowded; several flights had landed one after the other. They somehow get separated into different lines, Seungcheol’s moving faster than Jeonghan’s. Seungcheol panics internally, worried about not getting to see Jeonghan again, but figures they’ll see each other by the baggage claim conveyor belts. He looks back to Jeonghan, who gives him that two-finger salute again, a small smile on his face.
It’s still crowded when he gets to baggage claim, and he can’t spot Jeonghan yet. He finally looks at his phone to see a dozen missed calls from his manager, and a bunch of texts detailing a sort of emergency with the logistics of a fieldwork session happening that day. Seungcheol is still technically on leave, but his manager was trying to reach him because he knew Seungcheol would be back from his trip already, and the emergency would make or break this client contract.
Seungcheol curses out loud. The universe can’t be serious right now. His phone is ringing again and he picks up on impulse, and his manager, bless his kind and similarly overworked soul, sounds two seconds away from a breakdown.
He still can’t spot Jeonghan.
And because Seungcheol is who he is — loyal to a fault, to his benefit or not — he grips his luggage and half sprints to the nearest exit, hurrying to the taxi stand.
He’s running on a state of adrenaline-fueled sleeplessness, and so he doesn’t quite register the massive heartbreak brewing in the middle of his chest.
ᯓ★
It’s been a week since the airport.
“I really need you to look less like a kicked puppy before we head into this meeting with the client,” Wonwoo says to Seungcheol, who has indeed spent the past week moping and pouting. Wonwoo is his colleague, and one of his closest friends. (He took two bars of the Tony’s Chocolonely chocolates Seungcheol brought home, and said the extra one was payment for having to be the one to suffer through heartbroken Seungcheol’s non-stop moping the most.)
Seungcheol drags a hand over his face. Yesterday he thought he was beginning to incrementally move past the fact that he’s never gonna see The Greatest Love Of His Life ever again (“You are being so damn dramatic, Seungcheol. You literally knew him for all of just 12 hours.” “You’re not listening to me, Wonwoo. It was magic. It was fate.” ). And he really was making the effort to move on, except this morning’s client happened to be the exact same one he rushed to meet that day from the airport.
He fixes his face enough that it’s passable for strangers, but Wonwoo rolls his eyes because he knows better. The meeting drags on and on, and by the time it ends, it’s lunch. Seungcheol thinks about sitting in his cubicle the rest of the day where he knows he’ll get zero work done because he’s so distracted, so he makes a quick decision.
He’s grabbing his coat from the back of his desk chair and putting it on when Wonwoo arrives at his own desk next to Seungcheol’s.
“I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off. Figured I’m better off getting errands done than sitting here thinking about banging my head against the w–”
“Yup, okay, heard you the first ten times you said it. I did the whole comforting friend bit, and I did it the whole week. Now I’m gonna do the pouring-cold-water-over-you friend bit. Go and get out of here, and get your head on straight soon, because the world will keep spinning whether you have Goddamn Beautiful Person in your life or not, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Seungcheol shoves Wonwoo; Wonwoo doesn’t even look at Seungcheol as he flips him off in response.
As he’s heading down in the elevator, he gets a text from said friend that reads chimaek at ur place tonight if u need company. lmk.
Seungcheol smiles.
ᯓ★
He decides it’s time to take Kkuma out to be groomed; her hair is falling a little too long over her eyes, and he can’t have her navigating life at minimum visibility.
They go to their usual pet grooming shop, and he leaves her there, telling the staff he’ll be back after running a few errands. He pops into the nearby mart to grab a few ingredients missing from his kitchen for the stew he wants to try making, and he drops off some coats and trousers at the dry cleaners.
By the time he’s finished, Kkuma is also just about done. He’s taking the short walk back to her grooming shop when he almost bumps into the outdoor sign of an ice cream parlor because he was so lost in his thoughts. It’s the kind of place you know has been around the neighborhood forever, and there’s an ahjumma behind the counter, a wide smile on her face as she hands a cone over to a kid with his mom. He thinks about how he’s been having a really shit week, and about how maybe ice cream could help a bit.
Jeonghan was right, he thinks. I’d love to have this right outside the office. Seungcheol figures he’ll pick Kkuma up and get himself a cone, and maybe a cup of whipped cream for her if they have any.
He picks Kkuma up and the entire staff is cooing at her as she walks by with her cute little haircut, pink bow on top of her head. He thanks all of them as they leave, and as always, he comes out with a free pack of treats for Kkuma. Maybe they’re just thankful he’s stayed loyal to them all this time.
They arrive at the ice cream parlor, and he’s standing outside, looking at the outdoor menu he tripped over earlier. He’s trying to decide between getting just one flavor or going for a neapolitan, when he hears, “Seungcheol?”
He turns towards the voice and stops breathing.
No way.
It’s Jeonghan. It’s Goddamn Beautiful, Interesting, Strange Jeonghan, who is right in front of him.
“I– you– Jeong– what ?” Seungcheol splutters, in complete disbelief at how this has happened.
“And this must be Kkuma. Hi princess,” Jeonghan squats down to Kkuma’s height, and he’s holding out his knuckles for her to sniff. He’s cooing at Seungcheol’s dog, and Seungcheol is still stuck just speechless and bug-eyed at this man who seems to have manifested from his desperate yearning. (Did he manifest Jeonghan into being? Did he complain enough? Was he so pitiful that the heavens showed mercy? He doesn’t know and at this point doesn’t care.)
“How...? What?” Seungcheol so elaborately demands.
“I see you’ve found my little happy place. Any flavor is a sure hit, by the way, and you better go for a sugar cone,” Jeonghan says as he stands and looks at Seungcheol, eyes twinkling and the sweetest smile lighting up his whole face.
Seungcheol looks around. Kkuma’s pet grooming shop, a few doors down from this ice cream parlor. An elementary school across the street. A butterfly garden a few hundred meters down the block from the school.
Jeonghan, in front of him, still smiling and patiently waiting for Seungcheol to take it all in. Milkmaid Miffy hanging from the bag slung over his shoulder.
Next thing he knows, he’s kissing Jeonghan, his fingers are tangled in Jeonghan’s soft hair, and there are fireworks behind his eyelids, because – Jeonghan is kissing him back. And his heart is now just one massive pile of goo inside his chest.
“There you are, darling,” Jeonghan whispers against Seungcheol’s lips as they pull away. Jeonghan brushes the pads of his thumbs against Seungcheol’s cheeks. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Scanning every face I meet, just in case. Who knew the universe would deposit you right in my lap. Again.” He leaves one more kiss on one of Seungcheol’s dimples, and Seungcheol swears he could start flying.
He’s just so glad to have found Jeonghan again, and even more glad that it seems like the enchantment is mutual. He can’t stop grinning, and Jeonghan giggles as he pokes both dimples that are on display.
“God, I’m so sorry, but this entire week has been traumatizing so – can I get your number? Or your email? I’ll take whatever at this point,” Seungcheol begs, and it makes Jeonghan laugh so hard.
“I’ll give it to you, under one condition – dinner, my choice but your treat,” Jeonghan singsongs. ( Seungcheol never stood a chance. )
They’re standing outside the ice cream place still, Jeonghan holding his own cone, Seungcheol’s cone, and Kkuma’s little cup, while Seungcheol shoots Wonwoo a text.
busy tonight. chimaek tmrw. someone id like u to meet. :)