Archive of Our Own

Zhang Hao did not know if he would get through this day unscathed.

Now, one would wonder: What could have been this disconcerting enough to displace Zhang Hao, a man voted 'Most Likely to Succeed' in some silly university graduation survey (though he did admit that just the idea of him succeeding that title alone was enough to boost his ego), now esteemed high school teacher (which tended to be quite a thankless job, thank you very much), technically insurmountable mountain, almost fearless, who willingly took on challenges?

The answer became increasingly more obvious—though Hao would argue that it had always been evident if people paid more attention to him—when the school's bus had rolled to a stop at where Hao believed was his final resting spot.

Buramsan Butterfly Garden.

Oh, Zhang Hao was going to be in for the longest day of his life, ever. Why did he choose to be a high school teacher after all? Why couldn't he be normal, and just pursue further studies and be a university professor instead? At least then, he'd be teaching sciences that did not involve moving creatures. Bugs. Insects. Yeah, whatever. Fine, he'd admit it.

He, Zhang Hao, was afraid—no, deathly afraid of bugs.

This day couldn't end any sooner.

Although he'd been entirely unsure if it was any sort of consolation for himself, at least the group of high school students that he was with was nice. A rowdy, rambunctious bunch with too many ideals and energy in their heads, but the spirit of the youths were something quite admirable—at times, when he woke up with a lower back that ached far too much and caused him to stagger to work with a hand supporting his back, he would admire their boundless energy. One of his favourite students—even if he was not supposed to have them—Yujin, had come up to him once they had disembarked from the large vehicle to show his concern for Hao. With happiness that swelled in his chest that presented itself as a physical warmth in the subtly chilly days of mid-Spring, Hao had waved off his concerns even if he was the one who could not believe his ruse the most.

"I'm fine," Hao mumbled, nose scrunching up. "It's just the butterfly garden. It's just insects. It's just… educational! And you know how pumped up I get about education right?"

Yujin stared at him with as much faith as he had towards a five year old being left alone with cake, but did not pursue the issue any further. He shrugged as if he was telling Hao: "Fine, suit yourself" and returned back to the crowd of students, joining his friends. Hao would definitely suit himself… not.

Everyone that knew him would know that if he 'suited himself', he would have been back in the bus and refusing to leave the safety of the vehicle. There was also another part of Hao that he prided himself in being—someone who did not back down, and definitely someone who was not going to shirk away from responsibility just because of a silly (but very real) fear of his. Insects—they never failed to make his skin crawl on end, shivers inevitably wracking through his body, though the mere mention of them still reminded him of something—someone—else. Something more… fond. Something that he shouldn't be distracted with, considering he was now responsible for so many high school students.

Which was why, with his really strong sense of responsibility vested in him, Hao had decided to continue being the dependable high school teacher that he always was, swallowing down the dread that formed at the back of his throat before he steeled himself, walking to the front of the crowd and gesturing for all the students to come gather in front of him.

"Everyone, we've arrived at Buramsan Butterfly Garden! I hope that no one has lost their activity booklets for today, but if you do, please come forward after the briefing to get a copy from me," Hao spoke, holding up the stack of paper he held. High school students tended to be somewhat careless, so Hao always made sure to come prepared, "And remember to always stick in your groups of five. We'll meet at the cafeteria at noon for an hour of lunch, and then we'll have an hour long guided tour before you all will be dismissed from here for the rest of the day. As for myself, I will be walking around the place too, so if you all ever need help or have any burning questions, find me and I'll be more than happy to answer if I can, okay?"

By 'walking around', Hao meant he would find the safest place to hide in this garden and then hopefully not show how afraid he was to a group of teenagers. They were nice to Hao for now, after all. Who knew what teenagers would do to someone if they found out their weaknesses? Hao shuddered just to think of the repercussions.

When he had gotten an acceptable level of response from the students, Hao had made sure that they were all gathered in their proper groups of five, handing out a few booklets to the students that had approached him in the interim, and soon, sent them all on their way to explore the place themselves.

Hao wished he could appreciate the place. He really wished he could, especially when the bright pinks—his favourite colour!—of the azalea blossoms were everywhere in the garden. It was such a beautiful sight, but who knew what spring brought with them along with the warming weather? He's been on enough Xiaohongshu posts about this butterfly garden to know that this place was teeming with butterflies (though he supposed he could know that with the name alone) and worse, other insects too. The mountains that were visible after the sea of pink and vibrant green was a welcome sight, too. Hao just wished he would be able to actually appreciate the beauty around him. He would try, of course, but if his efforts were to fall short… then it was hardly his fault.

"You can do it, Zhang Hao. You're the unbeatable Zhang Hao. The teacher that these students are looking up to. You can do it. You must do it."

Hao did not admit that it felt as if he had been walking straight into a lion's den when he crossed the entrance.

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"So far so good," was what Hao wanted to be able to say.

So far, all he's done was let out a few surprised yelps when a butterfly flew too close to him. The gardens were a treacherous minefield with danger lurking at every corner. Hao was not even sure if he was seeing things anymore, but curling up all 180.5 centimetres of himself did not seem to work too well at all—some butterflies flew high and the others, low. Some in pairs, some alone, but either way, scary as fuck. Hao's unsure how he had made his way down the path without being reduced to tears, nor was he exactly sure how no one had pulled him aside and was like: "Hey, you're kind of really embarrassing. Please pipe it down, you're scaring the children." So, was he lucky in his isolation, or unlucky because he had no sacrifice to push forward if the butterflies were actually secretly vampires wanting to suck his body dry of his blood? … Okay, fine. He was exaggerating. And he was a man of science. Whatever his plentiful imagination cooked up earlier on had not been what a man of science would even think of.

"If I see another butterfly, I'm going to do very drastic things," Hao grumbled to himself, gaze shifting furtively around his surroundings as he curled into himself more, lower lip worried between his teeth.

"What drastic things?"

"AH! OH MY GOD!"

Hao was not sure what even happened. One moment, he was still walking, and the next, he was crouched down, curled into a ball with his hands cupped over his nape after being shocked right out of his skin. What the hell?! When did butterflies know how to speak?!

"Oh—uh. Um… Hao. Are you okay?"

… Hao? Was he okay? Was anyone ever okay? Not only did this butterfly know how to speak, but also knew his name? What next? Would this butterfly somehow take a human form? Hao had groaned, looking up from where he was squatting, turning around just in time to see, as he dreaded, a human (technically Hao could only see their knees from where he was). Hao effectively collapsed on the floor, right on his arse, because he really lacked any sort of sense of balance. Especially not when he was shaking like a leaf, trying to come to terms with the fact that there was someone there, witnessing his embarrassing state.

"I'm about as okay as someone who embarrassed themselves to hell and back," Hao replied, almost whining—except he still had a bit of decorum and a little bit of his damaged pride to cling on to. It was quite mystical just how active one's imagination could get when they were afraid of everything surrounding them, but Hao supposed he now had firsthand experience with that now. With an awkward clear of his throat, he tried to gather himself up well enough to at least get off the ground for now, hands reaching behind to sweep away at the dirt that might have amassed on his dark denim jeans when he had collapsed to the ground earlier on. When Hao's head finally lifted, about to ask the definitely-not-butterfly-and-actually-a-human how, or why, he knew him, his blood had run cold as soon as their eyes met.

Oh. Oh.

"Jiwoong hyung," Hao rasped out, eyes subtly widening for a fraction of a second, "You… wow, you're here. Long time no see…?"

A smile had quickly graced Jiwoong's face then, all whilst his lips subtly parted to emit the softest bout of laughter before he nodded his head.

"Long time no see, Hao. I'm glad to see that you still remember me."

Jiwoong. How was someone even supposed to forget someone like him? Even if Hao hit his head a thousand times over, he believed it to be entirely impossible—after all, Jiwoong was someone who left quite the impression, even back in university. If Hao had been honest, even the way they eventually got to meet one another was kind of some messy whirlwind—someone knew someone else who knew someone else who was friends with this person's someone else and… then, boom. With the power of mutual connections and too-many-extroverted friends, Hao had somehow found himself hanging out with a certain group of students, all from different majors, all different ages. When he looked back on it, he definitely enjoyed himself. It was a shining time of his life he tended to look back on and reflected dearly upon. Jiwoong also happened to be a part of this friend group, a mutual friend of friend of friend, and the oldest of them all. Admittedly, though, when Hao had first seen Jiwoong, he could not believe someone that good looking could exist (even if Hao very much existed in this world too) and had leaned close to whisper to Matthew to ask if Jiwoong was a theatre major and an aspiring actor—a common path many people as good-looking as Jiwoong seemed to take. Instead of an answer from Matthew, Hao became an unwilling participant of an intricate humiliation ritual where Matthew loudly proclaimed to their group that Hao found Jiwoong 'handsome as hell', earning laughter all around.

So no, in terms of how embarrassed he felt on the day they first met, and the fact that Jiwoong was indeed handsome as hell, Hao definitely still remembered Jiwoong.

"Of course I do, hyung. You're kind of hard to forget, you know," Hao stated as a matter-of-fact. "Did you think otherwise?"

A brief pause.

"Not really, but there's a certain happiness that you remember me. Now, I'm curious," Jiwoong spoke, fingers rubbing at his chin for a brief moment in a thoughtful motion, "Why am I kind of hard to forget?"

Hao almost choked on air.

"Um! Ahem. Well. What are you doing here?" he asked, trying desperately to change the topic. Jiwoong hardly looked convinced, if Hao had been truthful, but thankfully he was very much delusional enough for the both of them and believed that Jiwoong had taken the bait and would flow along with the abruptly changing topic. Jiwoong did not seem to show otherwise, either way.

"Oh, well. I work here now. Have been, actually, ever since graduation."

Now that was… awkward. Hao had failed to keep in touch with people that much after his own graduation—being a high school teacher had caused him to lose contact with his friends, and if he was honest, he wasn't that close to Jiwoong. Friends, yes, but not the kind that one would stay in contact with actively when the common denominator—that was, the university—was gone. It meant that the two of them had woefully lost contact after they had both left university.

"That's been a long time," Hao tried, lamely. He cleared his throat then, before offering a sheepish smile. "Time flies, huh? Oh god. Time flies. Like butterflies… how are you not afraid of them?"

"… Hao. I studied entomology in university. Do you think I'd have survived if I was afraid of the butterflies?" Jiwoong asked, amusement colouring his every word, the lilt of his voice indicating to Hao that he was very much amused by Hao's words—much to the younger man's dismay. Horror seemed to rise up from the pits of his stomach once again, seizing him for just a brief moment. A part of Hao was apologetic, insanely so. Every word he uttered seemed to only suggest that he had effectively forgotten everything about Jiwoong—was this a gross indication that he was a horrible friend?

"Sorry," he mumbled, a little groan leaving his parted lips, "I swear I remember that, I just. My mind is so muddled from… all this." Hao gestured around them right after. It was really unfortunate when the place was so beautiful—Hao wished so sorely that he could just admire the world around him rather than be afraid of the things within it, but really, who could blame him for being so afraid of insects? And if Hao was really honest, there was no way he could have forgotten Jiwoong did major in entomology—after Matthew had stopped laughing all those years ago, he had corrected Hao's misconception towards Jiwoong's major shortly after: "No, Hao hyung, I swear he studies insects, and isn't poring over scripts for his next theatre final."

A handsome nerd. They actually existed. What the hell.

"It's okay, Hao. I remember you being the complete opposite of myself. So, what brings you here? I thought you'd have avoided places like this like the plague," Jiwoong replied, offering a smile as he looked around for a brief moment. Hao's brows arched subtly, wondering what was floating around in Jiwoong's mind. If Hao was honest, the elder tended to be quite the enigma: His face and caring personality was deceptive and hid a huge chunk of his incomprehensible yet oddly endearing inner workings of his brain. So, what was on it today? He watched as Jiwoong stepped to the side, gesturing forward, further down the path, deeper into the garden. Hao gulped and looked at Jiwoong, large eyes rounded and hopefully, pathetic enough to resemble that of a kicked puppy's, in hopes that Jiwoong would not force him down this path of no return.

"Want to walk with me?"

Well. Hao supposed his tactic had failed him miserably. Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to reject Jiwoong. Not when it had been so long, and not when…

Hao shook his head subtly to try to rid himself of his thoughts, before catching himself in the middle of the action. Wait, Jiwoong was asking a question. Hao ended up gasping loudly, eyes growing comically wide before he nodded his head so hard he swore he almost gave himself whiplash.

"Oh, gods, sorry hyung! My mind was elsewhere for a bit. Of course I'll walk with you! Let's walk."

Jiwoong was always so nice, too. That niceness shone right through when all he did was laugh and nod to tell Hao that it was quite alright, before he began to walk. In a bid to stop embarrassing himself, Hao quickly fell in step right beside him. Hao hadn't been too sure when was the last time he had walked with Jiwoong like this—had they ever done so in university, too? Maybe once, when they were the first two people to arrive for one of their scheduled hangouts with the rest of the boys. Instead of standing in place, maybe they walked around, too. The past was somewhat blurry to him, but he supposed it did not matter, too.

"So, Hao. What brings you here? You didn’t answer earlier on," Jiwoong spoke, his voice soft, possessing a comforting lilt that sounded so pleasant on Hao's ears. He could not help but hum faintly, lips pursing together into a thin line as he looked around once more. This time, his surroundings were less scary, more entertaining, and definitely prettier—though whether or not Jiwoong had contributed to this change was Hao's secret to keep. From a distance away, there was loud laughter, cutting through the tranquility of the air around them. Not off-putting, but definitely just a little bit startling—Hao turned to look towards the direction of the noise, soft laughter slipping past his lips as he's filled with an odd sense of affection. There a group of his students were, laughing and playing around amongst themselves, painting such a wholesome picture of youth. Oddly nostalgic, if he was honest.

"Well, there's your answer," Hao muttered, pointing towards the group with a small grin, "I'm here on a field trip. There was supposed to be another teacher, but she fell ill, so I'm alone today. We have a guided tour later on, but for now, they're just exploring the place as they deem fit. They seem to be having more fun than I am, though."

Hao's not sure why he had started pouting, but he could not help himself. Jiwoong acknowledged his words with a hum—when Hao turned, he met the elder's gaze easily, too.

"You don't have to be scared, Hao. I have a bit of free time, so you know, I can be here to protect you from…" Jiwoong trailed off, gaze drifting elsewhere. Hao's gaze had drifted too, much to his own chagrin, especially because his eyes had caught sight of a butterfly fluttering in the air, moving closer to him. Hao let out a yelp, eyes widening before he ducked once more, stepping closer to Jiwoong with a loud whine, hands grabbing onto Jiwoong's arm without a second thought.

"You didn't warn me that it was this close!" Hao complained, lifting his head to look at Jiwoong with a pout.

"Sorry, sorry," Jiwoong replied, laughing faintly as he patted Hao's back. Was it out of sympathy? Hao supposed it might have been. "I got distracted. Anyways, I said I can protect you from butterflies. Stay close, okay?"

Hao did not hesitate to cling.

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Jiwoong was right. To a certain degree, either way. He protected Hao well enough by giving him ample warning ahead of time, but even he could not stop the insects from fluttering on their normal paths. Hao knew that they were the ones invading—nature always had its way of functioning and humans tended to be quite obstructive of it. As they continued to traverse down the path, Hao had kept watch himself just in case, looking around the garden past the elder's shoulder, clinging tighter whenever a butterfly flew close, jumping whenever he spotted another sort of insect roaming on the pavements rogue, and whining whenever a stray wind rustled at the grass and shrubs too much. In the middle of all this, at the very least, Hao was relieved to at least find that Jiwoong was plentifully amused by Hao's antics if his laughter was anything to go by. It made his experience a little less painful, though Hao would have much preferred to just be in a cocoon of safety, far away from the butterflies. But fine, he supposed this would suffice for now.

"Do you find it really funny, hyung?' Hao asked shortly after he heard Jiwoong's laughter fill the air around him once more. This time, Hao had practically half-jumped into Jiwoong's arms as they came up to cradle and support him at his waist and shoulders, when a particularly large butterfly decided to fly closer to them for just a smidgen of a moment before it fluttered away after knocking ten years off of Hao's life expectancy, "You've been laughing an awful amount ever since we started walking together. Is there something you should be feeling guilty for?"

A brief but definitely apparent narrowing of Hao's eyes—it was all done on purpose, in actuality, but he could see Jiwoong reacting to it all too quickly. There's panic that appeared in the elder's eyes, shaking his head subtly before he waved a hand in dismissal, "I wasn't laughing at you, I promise!"

"You're not entirely laughing with me either," Hao lamented, pout only growing on his features, "So if not at me, or with me, then what is it?"

Jiwoong's lips parted briefly, pausing for a short moment, before he closed his mouth once more, reaching a hand to gently pat at Hao's shoulders. It felt oddly preformative—was this just comfort out of pity? Hao wondered, briefly, but was distracted enough by Jiwoong soon thereafter.

"I just think you're sort of adorable. Like a butterfly, actually. I think you're sort of like this one butterfly. Limenitis arthemis. Have you heard of it before?" Jiwoong asked, head tilted subtly to the side afterwards. If he believed he could get an answer out of Hao by doing that, then… the elder was completely wrong. Hao could not help but frown subtly.

"A… what?"

"Oh, sorry. I meant the red-spotted purple," Jiwoong explained, except he really did not explain anything at all. Hao simply continued staring, prompting Jiwoong to frown subtly and continue, "The white admiral?"

"Hyung. If you think I know anything you said earlier on, I implore you to please think again," Hao replied, desperation subtle in his speech, "Do I look like anyone who knows anything about butterflies beyond how scary they are?"

"Hm. True. You're right… well, you just have to believe me that it's not a bad thing. They're skittish, yes, but," Jiwoong paused, grinning as he ruffled at Hao's hair, messing it right up. Hao's pout only deepened, but it seemed Jiwoong did not hesitate to continue, "… they're also really beautiful. I had the pleasure of seeing them up close when I went to…"

By that time, Hao had more or less tuned Jiwoong out. Not because he was trying to be rude, no, but rather, this whole thing had sounded so… ridiculous. Hao was, frankly, a little appalled that he was compared to a butterfly. Of all things, a butterfly? Although he had been unsure if it was a compliment or not, Hao still could not understand it. Not even as Jiwoong droned on and on, talking about the colours of the butterfly, its mannerisms—skittish behaviour likening to Hao's own—and the fact that it was one of Jiwoong's favourites… wait.

"What?" Hao vocalised, blinking rapidly. Oh, of course it was a compliment. Although it was oddly placed, Jiwoong liked insects way too much that it should have been considered a compliment of the highest degree—Hao was just too fixated on the fact that he had been likened to an insect to put Jiwoong's words into a proper context.

And when he did, Hao's cheeks could not help but come ablaze.

"Hyung," he whined out softly, squinting a little at Jiwoong shortly after. How could Jiwoong rave on about a butterfly like this, so casually, and sing that certain species so many praises whilst comparing it to Hao? Although a good load of it had still been incomprehensible to Hao, what he had gotten out of the quick exchange had been enough. Jiwoong was unbelievable.

"Hmm? Oh, I must have been going off on a tangent. Sorry," Jiwoong replied quickly, offering a sheepish bout of laughter as he gently patted Hao's back. Well, great. At least one of them was still taking this lightly and acting normal. Hao knew that he was abnormal, though, so he supposed that just left Jiwoong.

"No, it's fine, but it's just…" Hao trailed off shortly thereafter, nose scrunching up, "I just wish I could understand you more. You've always shown so much love for butterflies but I never knew how to respond. Even back in university… even right now, I don't even know which butterfly you're talking about."

Drat! What was Zhang Hao even going on about?! It sounded almost as if he was…

"Oh, are you interested in seeing?"

Well. He fucked up, didn't he?

Hao grimaced just subtly. What the hell, man. He promised that he wouldn't do stupid things for stupidly handsome people, but here he was… going against his morals once again. What happened to self control?

"I.. I guess?" he replied, completely closing the last door of escape that was left open all by himself.

"Oh! I'd love to show you. We have them in our butterfly conservatory! I could bring you there," Jiwoong replied, all bright smiles and even brighter demeanour. Hao wilted at that—how could he even say no if saying 'yes' made Jiwoong this happy? He's all perked up, excitement seeming to bounce off of the elder in waves that Hao was glad he had agreed to look at this… butterfly. That was supposed to be him, in Jiwoong's eyes. He wasn't even sure if he could get over this fear of his, but hey, anything for Jiwoong to continue wearing happiness on his face and his body, right?

"Sure, when?"

Jiwoong's grin only grew wider. "Now?"

"Now? Uh, yeah, sure. Like, right now—" A sudden sharp trill of a device's alarm ringtone had filled the air, cutting through the usual tranquillity of the garden that Hao had admittedly gotten used to—that was, if he wasn't already shouting in fear to begin with. He jumped at the sound, as he always did, no matter how familiar that ringtone had been. It was his own, after all. He apologised to Jiwoong first, before reaching into his pocket to grab the very culprit, squinting at the screen before he let out a soft gasp.

"Oh no, hyung. I'm sorry, but I have to get to the cafeteria now to prepare for the kids' lunch," Hao explained, flashing a quick apologetic smile—that only grew worse when he noted the subtle downturn of Jiwoong's lips. Oh, he's disappointed the man…

"But, but, hyung, I promise I'll take you up on the offer the moment I can. Is that okay?" For some reason, Hao was a little worried about Jiwoong's response. Would the elder eventually give up? Or take back his offer? Thankfully, it had been neither.

"Sure thing, Hao. When… will you be free?"

Hao quickly shut the alarm off, pocketing his phone afterwards before he offered a smile. "In two hours time, hyung. After lunch and a guided tour for the students. Are you…" Hao began, voice trailing off for a brief moment. "Will you be the one doing the guided tour?"

There was an answer Hao wished would leave Jiwoong.

"Oh, I wouldn't be. I'm not on duty today for that," Jiwoong replied, much to Hao's own disappointment. There was a slight huff that left his parted lips, but he supposed there was a part of him that was also relieved that Jiwooong hadn't been in charge. For some reason, Hao hadn't wanted his students to look at Jiwoong at all. Teengers were also oddly scary around very good-looking people, and Jiwoong had most definitely made the cut. Was he oddly gate-keeping his friend from his students? Yeah, sure. Whatever. Sue him.

"That's unfortunate," Hao replied either way, subtly pouting, "I thought I'd be able to see you at work. But that's fine. I'll see you in two hours, then? At the entrance?"

Jiwoong nodded then.

"That would be the best, Hao. I coincidentally get off work then, too, so, although I'm not on duty today, I can most definitely bring you on a guided tour when you're free. Consider it a special Jiwoong tour?"

"I'll hold you up for that then. Now… Can you lead me to the cafeteria? And protect me on the way there?"

Jiwoong's laughter filled the air once more, with Hao's sheepish soft giggles following shortly after.

"As you wish, prince Hao," Jiwoong replied, making a rather exaggerated gesture forward—yet gracious all the same—to begin guiding Hao towards the cafeteria.

If Hao's quickening heartbeat was audible, then neither of them commented on it whatsoever. Thank heavens for that, anyways. Hao wasn't sure how he'd even begin to explain that without turning so red he'd be likened to a tomato.

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Time seemed to pass by in an odd blur after Jiwoong and Hao had parted ways at the cafeteria. Hao had quickly ensured that all of the students were able to get their food on time, slipping away from the noise of the room to a quieter corner to have his own lunch. It was not ideal, if he had been honest—Hao wished that Jiwoong could have joined him, but the poor man was working and had no time for lunch either way. Hao could not mask his disappointment—or at least, not until he reminded himself that he was meeting Jiwoong again soon.

That easily put a smile on his face.

The rest of the time left? Uneventful. Hao made sure to fulfil his duties of a dependable adult figure through the entirety of lunch and the guided tour, though it was a little more difficult when he had to enter the conservatory with the rest of the students. Hao still tried his best, though, only letting out a few startled shouts throughout the short (long. Incredulously long) time they spent there, and eventually, the incubation centre. At least the butterflies (and bugs) were behind thick glass and not right in front of his face.

"Zhang-ssaem, it's over? That's so short! I wish it was longer," a female voice sounded, prompting Hao to quickly turn towards the source. He pouted a little, brows knitting together as if to indicate his disappointment—which, don't get him wrong, he did feel some bits of it. Just not enough for him to want to drag this on any further, even with all the soft chorus of students that seemed to echo their classmate's sentiments.

"Sorry, Jimin-ah! It really is the end of our trip," he replied. "If you're interested, you can always come back here again! It's free and I'm sure the staff here would be happy to bring you around again. I'm glad to hear that you all are so interested."

That seemed to satisfy the students well enough. Hao let out a soft sigh in relief and patted at his chest—he succeeded in doing well, at the very least, and soon guided the students back to the entrance once everyone had been accounted for. When he had said goodbye to the last person, Hao had begun to look around, eyes darting about to try to—

"Looking for me, Hao?"

Jiwoong.

"Hyung!" Hao called out with a smile, turning to face Jiwoong as soon as he spotted the man from his peripheral vision. Such impeccable timing, really. Jiwoong had been right on time, and surprisingly, stayed right under the radar until the last student had left.

"Hey, Hao. Did you wait for long?"

Well. Hao had shook his head subtly, nose scrunching up, "I didn't even wait at all. You appeared the moment I started looking for you. Are you magical?"

Jiwoong breathed a soft laugh at that, head shaking subtly as he replied, "No, I'm not magical. I just wanted to make sure I didn't keep you waiting, Hao."

Hao stifled a soft hiccup at that, the tips of his ears now warm, definitely tinged with colour. He had cleared his throat briefly, teeth sinking down briefly onto his lower lip as he tried his best to hold back from smiling—except he really could not. Hao smiled, helplessly, cheeks aching with how wide he smiled. Jiwoong truly was someone so considerate, back then, and even more so now. In his littlest ways, he always looked out for Hao, who admittedly avoided Jiwoong because he was afraid of the probability of insects following the man everywhere he went. It was misinformed, sure, considering that had never been the case, but still…

"Thank you for looking out for me, hyung."

"Don't mention it, Hao. It's my pleasure."

Hao had to work really hard to deflect the statement shortly after. Without putting too much meaning into it, too, because it would have been odd to think too deeply into it, especially when it was just in Jiwoong's nature to be nice to everyone around him. Never mind that.

"Should we start the tour then, hyung? I made sure not to listen to the previous tour guide well at all, so you have to do a good job at touring me around!"

"… Hao, what kind of example are you setting for your students, huh?"

Hao pouted, gently smacking Jiwoong's arm in retaliation. Jiwoong could only laugh, even more so now, before he soon guided Hao down the path once more. Hao had taken it on himself to stick close, as much as possible. The surroundings were still plenty dangerous, after all. Who knew when a rogue butterfly would come near him again… Nothing more than just that reason…

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The tour was nice. Nice, because Jiwoong was right next to him—not so much everything else, if Hao had been honest. It was a little bit of a struggle, especially inside the conservatory where the number of butterflies grew in volume and was everywhere Hao looked. Overwhelming in its own right and downright terrifying in another, Hao found that the easiest way to get through was to focus on the lilt of Jiwoong's voice as he explained the different butterflies that flew past them—if Hao was lucky, then he'd be able to catch the faint iridescent of most butterflies as they flitted past, though half the time, his face was definitely turned away, eyes squeezing shut until Jiwoong had told him it was safe to look. Safety did not last longer than a few seconds, but Hao supposed he did see enough.

"Hao?" Jiwoong voiced out softly. Hao's head lifted easily, turning to look at the elder with a faint grimace.

"Yes, hyung?"

Instead of responding verbally, Jiwoong had held a finger to his lips, a smile seemingly permanently fixated on his features as he used the very finger to point towards a certain direction. Hao, ever the good listener, had kept quiet, and turned to where Jiwoong had pointed towards. Just a short distance away, there had been a rather large butterfly peacefully perched on a leaf—the calmest butterfly he's seen thus far, if he'd been honest. On its open wings, there were spots of warm orange that stood out from the smooth blue of the rest of the wings, blended into an obsidian black. Hao's lips parted gently, mostly in awe, as he finally managed to witness the sheer beauty of a butterfly, up close, in-person. All previous attempts of viewing the myriad of butterflies he'd come across in hopes of curbing his own fear through his computer screen paled too much in comparison to how vividly the colours presented themselves in real life. Unreal in all its beauty and breathtaking all at the very same time, Hao found that words failed to escape past his lips.

"That's the butterfly I was talking to you about, Hao," Jiwoong spoke, his voice a soothing whisper. "Limenitis arthemis. The one that I said reminded me of you."

Limenitis arthemis. The red-spotted purple. The white admiral. Hao thanked his own memory retention skills in moments like this, though the fact that it had stemmed from Jiwoong had made it much easier, too.

Hao had continued staring at the butterfly, gently nodding along to Jiwoong's words. An urge grew inside of Hao—first a gentle itch, and then a call he had to answer. It was difficult to find the courage in himself to actually part from Jiwoong, but he did so, taking gentle, careful steps forward in hopes of seeing the butterfly even closer. The wind that rustled at the leaves seemed to not faze the butterfly for now—Hao had not wanted to take his chances and continued to approach with bated breath. He focused entirely on the butterfly so much so that it felt as if the world around him had blurred into nothingness. Hao was only just a few more steps away until disaster struck in the form of another butterfly, in the midst of his own shock, flew so close to him that he not only screamed, but stumbled backwards, unstable on his two feet.

"Hao!" Jiwoong called out, shock evident in the single call of his name. It was all too late—Hao's ankle had rolled due to one uneven brick jutting out of the pavement, collapsing to the ground before he could even gather his own balance, wincing underneath his breath as his palms stretched forward to break his fall, surely scuffed as they rubbed against the rough surface of the brick path. The adrenaline made him forget most of the pain, though, as he quickly moved to try to get up—only to have Jiwoong faster than him, hands gently grabbing onto Hao's arms to hoist him up. He's thankful for the gesture, moving to stand on his two feet before a sharp pain shot through his right ankle, causing him to wince once again as he all but toppled into Jiwoong's arms, groaning. How horribly embarrassing.

"You're injured," Jiwoong murmured softly, "Which ankle?"

Hao wished he could dig a hole right through the brick and cement to die in it. With cheeks blazing hot, and palms not much better, he pointed towards his right ankle, biting down onto his lower lip.

"I must've sprained it a little on the way down," came his soft explanation, watching as Jiwoong fussed over him, scanning his body as if trying to see if there had been any other parts of Hao that was injured. 'Mortified' would not even cut it for how Hao was feeling right now, though… he supposed this amount of attention from Jiwoong was also nice. Warm, just like his whole body as he continued to feel the aftereffects of embarrassment that seemed to seep deep into his bones.

"This won't do… you shouldn't strain your ankle any further. We need to find a place to sit so we can ice it," Jiwoong explained, slowly letting go of Hao as if afraid that had he done it any faster, Hao would be toppling right down to the ground again (highly likely, actually), leaving the younger man a tad bit confused. He blinked a few times, head now tipped to the side. Jiwoong turning so his back faced Hao had not alleviated any of his confusion, too, until the elder bent down a little.

"Oh, hyung, I shouldn't—"

"It's okay, Hao. I'd rather this than you to continue straining. Hop on," Jiwoong urged.

Hao had to think. And fast. His eyes squeezed shut, trying to find another way to reject Jiwoong—not because he hated the idea of it, but rather, he did not wish to be a burden. Not more than he already had been.

"I can't! I'll only allow my boyfriend to piggyback me."

Surely that excuse was ridiculous enough. That ought to do the trick—

"Then I'll be your boyfriend."

Wait. "What?"

Jiwoong turned back to look at Hao then, blinking a few times as if he had not said something entirely groundbreaking. To Hao, though, it felt as if his entire world had screeched to a stop, where all he could think of was the fact that Jiwoong had said he'd be his boyfriend just to piggyback him. What was he to make of this? Was this even allowed? And why was his heart beating so rapidly, almost as if the time that they had spent apart after graduation had never existed to begin with? Hao's mind continued to race, but his heart was a valiant contender, catching up to his brain, far surpassing it. It beat so rapidly in his chest that Hao felt as if he would soon grow dizzy, gulping down the lump that seemed to form in his throat. Did Jiwoong even understand the gravity of his words?

"You said you'll only allow your boyfriend to piggyback you, Hao. And I'm saying I can be yours," Jiwoong repeated, before pausing for a moment. Then, his lips parted to speak once more, "I mean, unless you don't want me to be..?"

"Oh. Um. I see! Well. Of course not! I mean. I want you to be! I mean, what? Oh, gods. Fine, I'm getting on!" Hao whined. He wasn't even sure if his cheeks had ever cooled down ever since the fall. In a bid to rid himself of his own embarrassment, Hao was quick to seek Jiwoong again, funnily enough. Arms now slung over the elder's shoulders, he got onto Jiwoong, who had easily gripped onto his thighs and hoisted him upwards like Hao had weighed nothing. The younger breathed a soft squeak, but soon pressed closer onto his now-boyfriend (???), hands locked to hold onto Jiwoong tight.

"Hold on properly, Hao-yah. Make sure you don't end up falling again."

Hao huffed, gently whacking Jiwoong's arm as retaliation. It pulled melodious bouts of laughter from Jiwoong's lips once more, as it always seemed to do. Although his little whack had failed to keep Jiwoong's teasing comments at bay, Hao listened well and held on tight, thighs pressed around Jiwoong's waist, fingers interlaced. He really was not trying to add a head or spine injury to his list of embarrassing affairs today, after all.

"You don't need to tell me again," Hao mumbled.

They—or rather, Jiwoong—trudged on like this, maintaining a secure hold on Hao. Even though their tour was cut short, the rest of the journey out of the conservatory and towards the entrance was… calm, and relaxing, if not for the blush that did not seem to die down, though he supposed he had not been the only one suffering. Whenever Hao took glances towards Jiwoong, he could note the redness that tinged the elder's ears scarlet. Hao Hao could barely stifle his laughter then, affectionate and filled with adoration. Despite Jiwoong's bravado earlier on, he supposed the elder, too, was embarrassed… though Hao really believed he didn't need to be. Not when the idea of them being boyfriends had so easily put a smile on Hao's face, stretching it until his cheeks would ache.

When he was carried like that by Jiwoong, Hao found the insects less scary too. Although their journey back to the entrance was silent, Hao was comfortable, beyond the fact that he was still coming to terms with how spontaneously they had decided to get together. Did Jiwoong catch wind of his long-standing crush, then? He knew it existed even back in university, but could never take the first step himself. Jiwoong, on the other hand, had always been so nice to everyone that Hao did not think too deeply about it—nor did he allow himself to—and yet, here they were. Together. In a place surrounded by what Jiwoong loved. From here, he could catch the soft scent of laundry mixed with faint patchouli, though Jiwoong mostly smelled of the flowers. Pretty, and soft, much like the azalea blooms he could finally admire in full, pink, yet less pink than Hao's cheeks. They swayed in the background, following the gentle breeze, and yet, could not match up to the spring in Hao's heart.

He truly had been lucky, somehow. Perhaps spraining his ankle was the best choice he's ever made in his entire life.

"I'm going to set you down now, Hao-yah. Carefully, on the bench," Jiwoong's voice sounded, cutting through the tranquil silence. Hao blinked, looking around properly this time. Oh. When did they arrive back at the entrance? And why was the entrance so near? Hao had wanted the moment to last for longer. Though, for the sake of Jiwoong, he supposed it was for the better. Hao nodded in response, waiting to be slowly let down, settling onto the bench with only just a brief wince when he had forgotten his ankle had been injured and rested his leg down on the floor for the briefest of moments before it was pulled back just as quickly. Jiwoong's concern flashed in his eyes and presented itself fully as hands that supported Hao once more until he was finally settled onto the bench properly. Jiwoong knelt in front of Hao, making quick progress with helping Hao at least alleviate the pressure around his ankle, though there was not much that could be done at this moment.

"I'll send you home," Jiwoong spoke softly, lifting his gaze to meet Hao's before he offered a smile, "My car is just parked in the lot not far from here, so I'll drive it over, okay?"

Well. Hao wasn't really offered with much choice, considering he couldn't really walk. Jiwoong did not seem like he would take 'no' for an answer, and so he dumbly nodded his head and sat on the bench, waiting until the elder had returned. He got into the car with Jiwoong's help, too, and when he had finally gotten home, Jiwoong had asked to be invited up to help Hao fully.

Which was why they were both now in Hao's living room, his leg elevated on a chair situated in front of the sofa, with an ice pack gently pressed onto the swollen appendage.

"Hyung," Hao called out softly, his eyes trained onto Jiwoong, almost as if he could not believe that the elder was right there, in his living room, treating him with such tender care. Yet, there was a question that he still had to ask, no matter what. Hao waited until Jiwoong had turned to look at him, humming softly, as if prompting Hao to speak. And so he did.

"Are we really boyfriends?"

Jiwoong's easy expression seemed to falter for a small moment. Hao could not help the disappointment that he felt then—maybe it was him being too childish and then later too hopeful. Jiwoong must have said all that to coax Hao into allowing himself to be taken care of, though he would admit it really did not need much effort from the elder's end at all. Not one bit, if he was entirely honest.

Yet… why was he disappointed?

"Well, Hao-yah," Jiwoong began, gently resting the ice pack atop a towel placed over Hao's ankle. Jiwoong then joined Hao on the couch, expression serious. Hao could not help but feel a little nervous when the elder was up close once more, floral scent mixed with the soft lemon and coconut of Hao's apartment's fragrance, a nice oil blend diffused by reeds made of dried flowers on a shelf not far from where they both sat. Even then, it felt perfect. As it always did with Jiwoong.

"To be honest," Jiwoong began, which very much felt like Hao's end, if he was honest, "… I do want us to be. But if it's too sudden, I get it. We haven't seen each other in a while, and I was too rash in my approach, though… I wasn't even intending on asking you, or letting it be known today. It's been a while since we last talked, so I thought we had to get to know each other better again. To reconnect again. And then I'll finally let my feelings for you be known—"

"You don't have to wait, hyung. I have feelings for you, too," Hao replied, unable to help himself from cutting Jiwoong off, despite being rather apologetic about it. His eyes were round, earnest as he looked at Jiwoong, twisting at his waist so he could lean closer to the elder to convey his own feelings he had tucked away so deep inside and had thought he had forgotten about. Clearly not, because all these feelings came out the moment they met once again, even if Hao had spent a good half of the entire day just denying they ever existed. Jiwoong…

"I like you, hyung. I mean, of course, we should really reconnect and get to know each other even better than we already do, but we can do it while we're boyfriends, too," Hao added, sheepish, cheeks flushing the same pink as it did, "And besides… I'm also a little upset, you know? Our first date. It's in a place surrounded by so many things you like, and so many things I'm afraid of."

Jiwoong, once stunned into silence (Hao believed as such), had finally returned back to earth. Laughter followed his return, melodious and gentle even if they continued to make waves in Hao's heart, before he leaned in, cupping Hao's cheeks tenderly. Love seemed too intense a word, yet gentle enough to describe the way Jiwoong held onto his cheeks, smiling as their foreheads met in a gentle union. Hao's heart beat rapidly in his chest, but he had reasons to believe that Jiwoong's did, too. A synchronised beat, a gentle in-between.

"We can do what you like next time we're on a date then, my darling boyfriend. Until then, though, you need to rest and make sure your ankle heals well," Jiwoong replied, smiling. "Thankfully, it's not too bad of an injury. I'm relieved, Hao."

And Hao was over the moon. He smiled, wide, excitement thrumming in his veins, love present in every exhale.

"You can alleviate your worries by staying with me as I heal. And," Hao grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief as he tilted his head upwards just slightly, leaning in the slightest bit to press a gentle kiss right on the very tip of Jiwoong's nose, lips parted to emit soft giggles to accompany his later words, "You cannot go back on your promise. Next time we're on a date, we'll do what I like!"

"Yes, to both statements. I'll do whatever you say."

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Two weeks later (and no less in love with each other than they were two weeks before), Hao and Jiwoong had finally managed to go on their second date, all thanks to the fact that Hao had to recover first. Although Hao had asked Jiwoong to close his eyes to keep the location of their date a surprise, the smell of the place was admittedly hard to miss—wafting in the air, pronounced with each open of the door—considering Hao had led Jiwoong straight to a place he had tried (and failed) so hard to get people to go with him.

A cafe, and not just any cafe. A dessert cafe featuring nothing but his favourite fruit in the whole wide world—durian. Jiwoong's eyes had shot open the moment recognition registered in his head, turning to Hao with a soft gasp and widened eyes.

"Hao-yah… you… no wonder you told me I can't go back on my promise," Jiwoong uttered, frozen in place. Hao wasn't having that, though. He quite literally dragged Jiwoong in, the smile on his face wide.

"Too late! You promised and you said you'll do whatever I say. Unless, you want a sad boyfriend today?" Hao asked, pouting. Jiwoong's arms raised in surrender, stepping into the place with Hao. Good. At least the elder had recognised his inescapable fate.

"Today will be the best day ever!" Hao declared, laughing as he did so.

Whether or not that stood true for Jiwoong too, well… that would be up for debate, wouldn't it?