Archive of Our Own ^beta

1.

There's a new guy in town.

Not much is known about him so far, other than his out-of-the-world visuals. Hearsay he appeared out of thin air one day, emerging from the thick winter snow in beautifully layered winter clothing and slicked back blonde hair, settling into one of Grandma Kim's cozy (and dirt cheap) rental houses at the heart of Yuseong. He's been sighted in the morning markets buying fruits and freshly baked goods, in the local library, and walking around the neighbourhood. In just a few days, locals have started singing praises about the newcomer, swooning over his dashing good looks and friendly, mature demeanour.

The nosy, gossiping old aunties, especially, have been drooling all over the newcomer when he arrived in the small coastal town of Yuseong. Honey blonde hair perfectly slicked back with a few strands framing a face rivalling that of Adonis. His most memorable outfit consists of a black puffer jacket layered over a grey quarter zip, with the zip down to reveal a black and white striped shirt, completed with washed out black jeans and black shoes.

His face is one sculpted by the greek gods, with naturally long eyelashes, aegyosal, thin and defined nose bridge, just the right amount of blush on his cheeks from the cold. And most importantly of all, according to the gushing ahjummas, red and luscious lips, with the top lip forming the prettiest cupid's bow.

"I ran into him the other day and he's just as hot as everyone says he is. Do you guys think he's a famous model or actor in Seoul? His face does look familiar…" Gyuvin grins as he jumps up from where he sits, "Taerae-hyung quick! Grab all the magazines on the shelves, it's time for an investigation!"

"We are not doing that. Do you not remember old man Lee making you deep clean the whole store when you used your employee discount for all 3 of us? If he finds out that we meddled with his magazines…" Taerae sends an unconvinced look at Gyuvin who shudders at the memory. "Anyways, he helped me pick up my books the other day when I dropped them. My bet is on him being an idol, no one's this nice otherwise. And it all makes sense for his storyline."

"His what?" Gyuvin interjects, emphasising the what in English.

"Enjoy stardom, burn out, run to a small town in the middle of nowhere for character development, and then return to the city with renewed vigour—"

"Dude, you've been watching too much anime." Gyuvin snorts, earning himself a loud smack on the back.

Zhang Hao sighs dramatically into his half-eaten durian chips, the one he specifically bought with Gyuvin's employee discount so the noisy duo in front of him won't steal his food. They're currently situated in the convenience store that Gyuvin works in, where they usually gossip about whatever news the boring town has for them at the dining area when there's no customers. Old people drama, the occasional film companies that choose to shoot their latest coming-of-age movies at Yuseong's scenic beach.

This time, it's the mysterious stranger that has appeared and become the talk of their town.

And Zhang Hao pouts throughout the conversation, listening intently to Taerae and Gyuvin drop more information about this supposedly drop-dead gorgeous guy while internally sighing because how am I the only person who hasn't run into him?

Okay, maybe he's being a little unfair here.

To be frank, this is probably the first time in about two weeks he's stepped foot outside his home. He's been too preoccupied with his work for the university since a project he's part of is reaching its last stretch and he's excited to finally be done with it. Very unfortunately for him, his social life was the price for academic greatness and he's been forced to be a shut-in until his eyebags became prominent and cans of redbull lined his desk.

It doesn't help that all he's heard about the new person in town is how big of a green flag he is, plus the good looks. Zhang Hao is absolutely not jealous of the fact that he has yet to meet this mystery stranger and get to know him better, just like everyone in this town seems to have done already.

"Can you get another kimbap for me Gyuvinnie? Use that employee discount of yours." Gyuvin frowns at the older. "You are literally the one who said we shouldn't exploit my employee discount! Old man Lee is going to kill me…"

"I didn't say that. And I'm not the one doing the cleaning anyways…"

The world must be oh so cruel, to deny Zhang Hao the chance to have a meet-cute with this beautiful stranger. How has he not accidentally bumped into the broad stature of this unknown person, almost falling before being caught in his arms and gazing into shiny eyes as they both fall in love at first sight?

Yeah, maybe Zhang Hao needs to read less BL manga.

But sue him for being a delusional romantic, he's desperate for a cute love story here and this man seems to be the embodiment of his dreams, if everyone's description of him is accurate. Also, it's not like he has a love life in this small town, everyone here is basically family!

"Hao-hyung? Hao-hyunggggg…"

Taerae scoffs at Gyuvin's whines, "Ignore him, he's probably conjuring a love story between the town's newest addition and himself like a loser."

"I am not!" Hao gasps at the accusation, knowing that he most definitely was daydreaming about having a love life.

"Anyways," Gyuvin says as he rings up the kimbap by the counter, clearly charging him full price for it, "He's kind of your type, Hao-hyung. Mysteriously charming, so handsome that he gets discounts at the markets just for existing, and most importantly he seems like he'd make a caring partner."

He walks back to the table with Taerae, who's grumbling about having to pay 3,000 won for his kimbap. Gyuvin just rolls his eyes at his hyung's complaints, used to it by now.

"Don't feed into my delusions like that Gyuvinnie…" Groaning and crunching into another durian chip, Hao returns to his land of dreams where he's now walking by the shore with this beautiful man whose name he doesn't even know.

I wonder what his name is.

The convenience store opens its doors with its signature jingle playing to signal the entrance of a new customer. Zhang Hao doesn't bother looking up, still engrossed in his own reverie and the durian chips in his hand when he hears a short gasp coming from Gyuvin. It's followed by a soft "oh" from Taerae before the two quiet all prior conversation and stare at Zhang Hao.

Contrary to popular belief, Zhang Hao is not so lost in thought that he doesn't notice the two pairs of eyes digging into him, waiting for him to respond. He looks up at his two friends. Taerae and Gyuvin are grinning at him in that mischievous way, the way they do before they ruin Zhang Hao's day with some stupid idea.

"What."

"Well, you can finally have your cheesy romcom moment now." Taerae whispers, side-eyeing the new presence in the store.

Gyuvin follows Taerae's gaze with excitement, "Hao-hyung! That's him, that's the new guy!"

What.

He can't believe his ears. Zhang Hao is one turn away from the very person the town has been cooing over, and he has never been as unprepared for anything as he is now.

Zhang Hao, in the span of ten measly minutes, has imagined many scenarios of how he could oh so coincidentally run into this stranger; the morning markets where Zhang Hao is wearing his cute glasses and holding onto a decorated basket (he doesn't even own a basket) for his baked goods; in the library where Zhang Hao is donned in an oversized, cuddle-worthy outfit for the new boy to fall in love with; or even just on the snowy street where Zhang Hao is very much dressed appropriately to fall in love.

And of course, fate has decided to toy with him.

He's literally wearing his high school music club shirt which has a tteokbokki sauce stain on it, a pair of sweatpants that has definitely seen better days, and his hair looks like a literal bird's nest. He has zero makeup on so his eyebags are extra prominent from the lack of sleep, and his hunched posture from all the studying has not been fixed.

In other words, if this was an otome game, Zhang Hao would get a bad ending instantly.

He gains a little courage to turn around and catch a glimpse of the stranger, despite every neuron in his head warning him not to do so. And unluckily for him, the man is already glancing in their direction.

Like fate in cheesy romance dramas, Zhang Hao meets the brown eyes of the stranger, already gazing right at him. His first thought is his eyes look soft. And they do, looking at him with gentle curiosity despite their lack of familiarity with each other. Even if they were mere passersby, Zhang Hao thinks, he'd find himself lost in those pretty eyes.

His second thought is, oh fuck.

He turns back around quickly, too fast for it to be natural, and feels a raging blush already gathering at his cheeks. The guy looks just as handsome as people described him to be. No, maybe even more good-looking, for simple words cannot truly describe his perfectly sculpted beauty. Even just from a single glance, Zhang Hao can tell that he looks good.

"Someone likes what he sees," Taerae grins cheekily, already satisfied with Zhang Hao looking like an apple.

He can't even retort, only muttering a quiet "shut up" before whining and stuffing the last of his durian chips into his mouth.

This is so not how he wanted to leave a first impression on their new neighbour in town. He can only hope he's not perceived again tonight and make sure that he's adequately dressed every time he's dragged out of his house from now on. Zhang Hao curls in on himself as Gyuvin and Taerae remain oblivious to his inner turmoil, discussing (not) discreetly about the new customer in the store.

"You should run your employee discount for him, that's how you become the male lead's best friend."

"For the last time, please stop talking about my employee discount."

Gyuvin glances at a quiet, sullen Zhang Hao and whispers to Taerae, "Do you think Hao-hyung is sulking about looking like a mess in front of the new guy?"

"Oh definitely." Taerae groans, "He's dramatic like that. But that's how the male lead falls in love with the main character, because our dear Zhang Hao is not like other girls."

"I can hear you two whispering about me." Zhang Hao pouts at the duo, who don't even try to look guilty.

"Don't be too worried hyung, for all we know he might not even notice you." Gyuvin tries to reassure. And Zhang Hao doesn't know what's worse, the guy noticing him in his disheveled state, or him looking so ragged that he doesn't even warrant any attention at all.

Speak of the devil, the man arrives at the counter with a basket full of items.

Gyuvin runs off to do his actual job while Zhang Hao takes the time to inspect (ogle at) the guy once again. He subtly glances at the guy and tries not to choke on his spit. Up close, he looks even better.

His blonde hair is indeed styled nicely, with no strand sticking out of place. His eyelashes are way longer upon close inspection, to the point where Zhang Hao wonders if they're actually natural. Each of his facial features feels carefully curated in order to create his dashing good looks, making him look mature and put-together. And his outfit, while simple and completed with the black puffer jacket, makes him look like a polished gentleman.

Elegant, Zhang Hao thinks. This man looks elegant and totally out of place in this small, drab convenience store.

The final nail in the coffin is the way the edge of his lips curl up slightly to form a small, polite smile at Gyuvin; the way his eyes soften to enhance the gentle maturity that his presence seems to constantly exhibit.

Badum. Badum.

In the most cliché manner possible, Zhang Hao feels his heart thump clumsily in his chest, skipping a few beats. The red returns to his ears, and he finds himself already enchanted by the guy's presence.

"That's a lot of unusual flavours you've gotten, Hanbin-ssi." Gyuvin jokes, scanning the various items that the man – Hanbin, apparently – has purchased.

"It's nice to try new things." Oh, his voice is beautiful too. Calm and soothing, with a soft and deep timbre to it. It's no wonder the ahjummas have fallen in love with him.

Gyuvin, sweet mischievous Gyuvin, spots something in the basket of items and immediately brightens. "Oh, durian chips! Hao-hyung likes those!"

Zhang Hao jolts at the mention of his name, his head whipping to Gyuvin to give him an incredulous look. The cashier doesn't look at all fazed, looking at him with shiny eyes like he's proud of himself for playing wingman. If he was a puppy, his tail would be wagging enthusiastically now.

Across him, Taerae is holding his cackles in, sitting back and clearly enjoying the show. As much as he loves his friends, Zhang Hao really wants to smack them right now.

Before he can do anything, however, the man at the counter turns his head slowly to recognise the presence sitting at the table, making direct eye contact with Zhang Hao. Well, so much for staying inconspicuous.

And like any romcom, time must seemingly come to a stop when their eyes meet again, fate letting them know that their pinkies are linked by a red string and a strong, powerful love surging between them. The snow outside must stop falling and linger in the air, waiting for them to find warmth and light in each other's eyes before they continue to fall gently onto the pavement. Finally, the rest of the world must fade into the background, turning into a monotonous black and white as the two of them remain in the foreground, finding colour only in the other.

Well, it doesn't actually work like that.

Zhang Hao can still distantly hear Taerae's distinct laughter, and the convenience store is still as brightly lit as ever with its artificial lights. The faint beeps from the cashier's scanners are still going as Gyuvin rings the items, glancing at the two people lost in each other's eyes.

But the way gentle brown eyes are staring at his own, slightly widened with shock and mirth, and the way the small smile on the stranger's face seems to grow a little, it makes Zhang Hao feel like time has at least slowed a little for them after all.

The moment breaks with Gyuvin packing all the items neatly into a bag, grinning at the clearly distracted customer. "Cash or card?"

The guy looks away with a jump, startled by Gyuvin. There's a sheepish smile on his face that he immediately tampers down, returning to his perfect neutrality as he taps his card on the terminal. Zhang Hao can see him taking small steps on the spot, waiting for the payment to go through.

Occasionally, he sneaks glances at Zhang Hao, looking away as soon as their eyes meet. He observes red growing at the tip of the stranger's ears.

It's weird to declare this two seconds into meeting this stranger, but Zhang Hao thinks that maybe he's not as picture perfect as he appears to be. Somehow, that makes him like the man more.

When said man is done paying, he picks up his stuff and thanks Gyuvin, who replies with a "see you around!" Zhang Hao assumes he's going to leave, and returns to his– ah, right. He already finished his durian chips. Time to buy another snack, he guesses.

However, he assumes wrong when a figure appears at his table, holding onto a bag full of snacks. The handsome guy stands before Zhang Hao in his full glory, lips parted like he's looking for the right words to say. Zhang Hao only has a moment to fully panic before the guy speaks.

"We haven't met, have we? My name is Sung Hanbin, I just moved here about a week ago." Hanbin greets with his melodious voice.

Hanbin extends his hand in greeting, and everyone watches as the bag of snacks in that very hand plops sadly onto the ground.

Ah.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I'm not usually this clumsy." Hanbin chuckles nervously, bending down to pick the bag up. It just so happens that Zhang Hao, an altruistic soul, reaches out to grab the dropped bag and their fingers graze ever so slightly.

He pulls back instantly with his heart beating louder than before, and Hanbin stands back up with the bag of snacks now in his hand again. He stretches his hand out for a second time, still wanting to shake hands with Zhang Hao after his cute mistake. "Thank you, may I know your name?"

"Zh–Zhang Hao." He stutters out, reaching out and shaking hands with Hanbin. Warmth seeps into his cold hand, and Zhang Hao fails to hide his blushing cheeks.

"That's a pretty name."

Zhang Hao's brain officially malfunctions at the compliment, blood rushing through his entire body so fast he's sure he doesn't need the layers to protect him from the cold anymore.

He's still reeling from Hanbin's words when the other greets Taerae with a familiarity that makes him slightly jealous, making small talk with him. The only consolation is that Hanbin still refers to him as "Taerae-ssi", for now.

"I heard that you like these durian chips," Hanbin turns back to Zhang Hao, pulling out the familiar packaging from his bag, "I have yet to give these a try, should we share these? I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it on my own if I find myself not liking it. Durian is… an acquired taste, after all."

"O–Oh, sure. Durian chips are my favourite." Zhang Hao pulls the chair next to him out, silently inviting Hanbin to sit down. Gyuvin skips back to the table, returning to his seat next to Taerae to indulge in Zhang Hao's bashfulness.

Hanbin sits down, opening the bag of durian chips and pulling out another bag of chips, truffle oil flavoured, for everyone to share. What a nice guy.

"So, Hanbin-ssi." Taerae says, "What brings you to the town of Yuseong? It's not everyday that someone as handsome as you shows up out of nowhere."

"You jest, but I appreciate the compliment. I'm no one special though," Hanbin smiles, "I moved here from Seoul for a fresh start, and I'm starting out as a teaching assistant at the university. It was actually my first day today."

"Oh! Hao-hyung works there too!" Gyuvin says, almost making Zhang Hao choke on his own spit.

Hanbin turns to look at Zhang Hao again, with his lips parted to form an O and eyes bright, "You do?"

Zhang Hao coughs, "I'm a teaching assistant in the music department, and I help out with the department's studies sometimes."

"Don't let him downplay his achievements. Hao-hyung here is getting his Master's in Music Education and is always busy with his research stuff. He's also first violin in our local orchestra!" Leave it to Gyuvin to pull out Hao's entire resume and play matchmaker.

Hanbin's eyes seem to twinkle even more, and the weight of his gaze is so intense that it makes Zhang Hao feel small, even though he guesses that they're likely similar in height. If he were bolder, he'd think that Hanbin is looking at him with interest.

"That's impressive." Hanbin replies genuinely, "Compared to me, you two should be more impressed with Hao-ssi over here."

"Ah," Zhang Hao squeaks, "You're probably more well-accomplished than I am, Hanbin-ssi."

"I assure you that's not true. But regardless, it's nice to meet someone as pretty and talented as you, Hao-ssi. I hope we can get to know each other better." Zhang Hao nearly combusts into flames on the spot with Hanbin's smooth talk. Is this guy a people pleaser or something? "Speaking of, should we drop the formalities? I was born in 2001, what about you all?"

Wait.

Hanbin's younger than him?

Zhang Hao had assumed that Hanbin was older, with how put-together and mature he seemed, as well as how everyone described him to be. Even with the moment of clumsiness earlier, Zhang Hao hadn't actually expected him to be younger than himself.

Suddenly, he's a little more self-conscious of his own appearance.

"I'm '02, Gyuvin's '04, and Hao-hyung's '00." Taerae explains, "Guess you're still the elderly in the room, Hao-hyung, better hope Jiwoong-hyung joins our gathering next time."

Before Zhang Hao can bully Taerae for bringing Jiwoong into the conversation, Hanbin's voice cuts in, "Ah, I see. May I call you Hao-hyung, then?"

Zhang Hao chooses to ignore the loud thumping of his heart when Hanbin calls him that.

He doesn't like it that much. He really doesn't!

"Y–yeah."

He also promptly chooses to ignore the snickering in the background, smiling hesitantly at Hanbin.

Surprisingly, the rest of their conversation passes by easily. Taerae and Gyuvin carry most of the conversation as they try to learn more about their new friend, and often act as comedic relief with their bickering too. Hanbin answers their questions willingly, though sometimes Zhang Hao feels like Hanbin doesn't elaborate enough for them to learn a lot about him, giving just enough information to quell their surface-level curiosities.

Hanbin is also much easier to talk to than he expected. He learns that Hanbin is originally from Cheonan, and that he has one younger sister who's a speed climber. He doesn't elaborate on his life in Seoul, just mentions that he lived there for university before moving to Yuseong. He dances a lot, and he misses it very much since Yuseong's dance scene is not as vibrant as Seoul's. Hanbin mentions that his friends are also moving to Yuseong after they clear some admin matters, and that they will introduce themselves when they arrive.

Zhang Hao asks if they'll be staying together, and Hanbin grimaces at the thought. The pure disgust on his face is so unlike his stoic demeanour it makes the trio cackle. "I refuse to be a third wheel in my own home." is all he says.

Hanbin's mature front doesn't take away his ability to joke around with the group, and he weaves through their conversation like they've been friends forever. Zhang Hao finds himself laughing along at times and appreciating the way Hanbin's smile widens when he does so.

Usually, Taerae and Gyuvin talk a lot while Zhang Hao listens more, unable to fully keep up with their endless energy. However, Hanbin easily finds a middle ground, matching their enthusiasm while including Zhang Hao in the conversation. He often turns to Zhang Hao after answering a question, seeking to learn more about him. It makes his heart flutter, gaining the attention of the handsome guy who's apparently younger than him.

He also tries to convince himself that Hanbin's focused interest is just a way to get to know him better, considering this is their first meeting. Taerae and Gyuvin don't seem to agree though, if their exasperated looks and wiggling eyebrows are any indication. Zhang Hao simply tunes them out.

Going back to the reason Hanbin sat down in the first place, the man finally tries a durian chip, and promptly cringes at the taste. As expected. Zhang Hao nearly bursts into laughter when he sees the composed face contort into a wince. Not even Hanbin can handle the unique taste of durian, huh?

"It's… interesting."

"That's putting it lightly." Gyuvin says, "Just say it doesn't taste good. Only Hao-hyung can stand that abomination."

"No, no. It's just… not to my taste. But I could get used to it…" Hanbin replies, and Zhang Hao wonders if he's just being overly polite in fear of offending him, or if Hanbin's just really nice like that.

He giggles at the way Hanbin tries to hide his expression, even hesitantly reaching out for another durian chip. Whether it's to confirm its taste or to prove his word to the room, Zhang Hao's not sure.

"You don't have to convince yourself you like it, y'know?" He takes the entire pack before Hanbin can get to it, "Just eat the truffle oil chips, I'll pay you back for these."

"Hyung, I–"

"I'm not offended if you don't like durian. Everyone has their own preferences." He seems to have read Hanbin's mind correctly, as the younger clears his throat and takes a chip from the other bag instead. Zhang Hao wonders why Hanbin cares so much about his opinions though, maybe it's to make a good impression?

"In that case, you can have the durian chips for free." Zhang Hao wants to protest, but Hanbin smiles, "Take it as a… welcome gift."

"Aren't we supposed to be the ones giving you a welcome gift?"

"La la la," Hanbin says in the most monotonous, adult-sounding tone, "I can't hear you." For someone appearing so mature, Hanbin can be a little childish, Zhang Hao thinks. He doesn't seem like he'd budge though, so Zhang Hao accepts it with thanks.

The night comes to an end too quickly, and soon enough it's time to head home when Gyuvin's shift comes to an end. Not like he was doing his job much in the first place since it's a quiet night. Once the night shift part-timer clocks in, Gyuvin and Taerae happily take their leave, wishing Hanbin and Zhang Hao good night. Taerae makes sure to send a cheeky wink in Zhang Hao's direction before laughing at the scowl he receives in return, leaving the scene like an anime villain.

Zhang Hao walks with Hanbin until they reach the intersection that splits their paths home. They talk about everything and nothing, learning new facts about each other like how Hanbin wants to have three daughters one day, and the fact that they both prefer dogs over cats. The mood is light, and they talk as if they've been friends for a long time despite it being their first meeting.

It's easy to lose track of time when talking to Hanbin, Zhang Hao realises, and they've already reached the point where they depart from each other before he knows it.

"Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye." Zhang Hao says.

Hanbin smiles, "I don't really like saying goodbye, it feels too final. How about… see you soon?"

Getting philosophical with goodbyes, how sentimental of him. It makes Zhang Hao's heart flutter even more.

"Okay. See you soon, Hanbin." Hanbin's eyes light up, and he waves at Zhang Hao replying, "See you soon, Hao-hyung."

It's been a long day for him, but when Zhang Hao reaches home and gets ready for bed, his mind is no longer filled with worries and his heart is as light as a feather. He goes through his night routine with ease, thinking about the next time he'll meet Hanbin again.

Maybe this is the start of something Zhang Hao's been waiting for.

❄️

2.

Zhang Hao and Hanbin have been hanging out a lot recently. It's honestly a mix of coincidences and eagerness on their parts that brings them together more often than not these past few weeks.

Their faculty buildings happen to be right next to each other so it's easy to meet up for lunch and to commute back home together after work. It also helps that they coincidentally have decently matching schedules. Speaking of commuting, they live only a few streets away from each other so it's even easier to travel together on days that they both have to head to the university.

Hanbin also assimilates into the convenience store friend group easily, often going to the store to get snacks and food himself because he's "not gifted in the art of cooking", which is a nice way of saying he's a walking hazard in the kitchen. Just like Zhang Hao. So they often gather in the convenience store, robbing Gyuvin of his employee discounts and feasting on foods that are, frankly, a little unhealthy.

Then, there are the "dates".

It starts off unassuming, with Hanbin asking Zhang Hao to grab dinner with him at a gopchang restaurant he's been wanting to try, unaware that it's one of Zhang Hao's regular spots. They, unsurprisingly, have a blast while eating together, basking in each other's company like its second nature. And the owner, all-too-familiar with Zhang Hao and very fond of playing cupid, gives them extra servings and drinks on the house, grinning at the duo as they thank her and take their leave with full bellies.

That one "date" turns into a routine, where they would try out different places for dinner whenever their schedules aligned. Which is to say, they eat dinner together almost every day. And weekends are no exception, with Zhang Hao continuing to introduce Hanbin to local food spots.

Honestly, there's not a lot of places to visit. Zhang Hao knows he's just using Hanbin's newcomer status as an excuse to spend time with him.

It's weird. Zhang Hao has always been more introverted. That's not to say that he doesn't mesh well with people, it's just that he tends to retreat to himself after a while to recharge his social battery. But with Hanbin, it's completely different. He never feels drained after spending time with Hanbin, enjoying every single moment and somehow feeling more energetic after.

It's like Hanbin has become a constant in his life in just a few weeks. The thought both intrigues and scares him.

When he tells this to Ricky on the phone, the younger has the audacity to just sigh loudly at him.

"Ge, he's fallen in love with you."

Zhang Hao sputters, "Wh–What're you talking about?! He just needs someone to show him around town, that's all."

"You just said that you got lost while trying to bring him to Uncle Kim's tteokbokki stand. Hanbin had to take you there." Ricky actually snorts and Zhang Hao laments the old, baby Ricky who never would've snorted at his hyung, "Are you sure you're not the new guy in town?"

"These roads get confusing." He doesn't actually have a good rebuttal.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, my point is Hanbin doesn't really need a tour guide around Yuseong. At this point, he's just coming up with excuses to spend time together."

Ricky… kind of has a point.

It's not like Hanbin has ever frantically reached out to Zhang Hao for being lost. After Zhang Hao gave Hanbin a proper tour guide around the city, the younger seemed to know his way around their small town pretty well.

Most of their hangouts were, however, still initiated by Hanbin with the reason being, "I'm sure hyung knows some hidden gems, could you show me around?"

Zhang Hao would rather curl up and die before admitting that Ricky's right though, knowing that this baby cat would never pass up the opportunity to tease Zhang Hao. He also wishes Ricky would at least pretend to act surprised when Zhang Hao yaps about his hangouts with Hanbin.

Hm, Hangouts with Hanbin. That has a nice ring to it, he thinks.

Because that's what this is, friends hanging out together and getting to know each other better. It doesn't matter if Zhang Hao's heart starts racing when Hanbin is around, all gentle smiles and so mature for his age it makes Zhang Hao feel like the younger one in their friendship. It doesn't matter if Hanbin is always there to look out for him, holding the door open and making sure he doesn't slip on the wet pavement. It absolutely doesn't matter when Hanbin tells him after every "date" that he can't wait to meet Zhang Hao again with sparkles in his eyes.

"You've gone quiet, I assume you're daydreaming about Hanbin again?" Ricky says on the other end of the line, and Zhang Hao can hear the amusement in his voice.

Zhang Hao sighs, "You've got it all wrong. Anyways, Hanbin aside, will you be coming back for Christmas this year?"

It's a few weeks to Christmas and Yuseong likes to hold their own celebration with a lively Christmas market and a large tree in the heart of town. Zhang Hao's friends usually gather in Jiwoong's house for a small party since it has the most space and Yujin likes to decorate the place for their cozy Christmas party. Ricky's usually a part of it but ever since he moved to Seoul for university, he's been busier and even missed last year's Christmas party.

Gyuvin cried non-stop that year, and Ricky immediately came to Yuseong to spend the New Year's with his boyfriend when he found out. It's cheesy, it was a gross display of public affection when Zhang Hao found them making out on his couch. Zhang Hao wonders if he and Hanbin would be the same.

"Yeah, I will. I think Gyuvin will actually go to Seoul himself if I don't." A groan is heard on the other side, but Zhang Hao knows that the exasperation is accompanied by affection. "I want to meet this Hanbin too. Say, what's his full name, if you don't mind sharing? I might know him from my university."

"It's Sung Hanbin."

"Oh. Interesting." There's a short pause on the other line. "Well, I gotta go now, my break's over. Check out some magazines sometime, ge, and tell Gyuvin I'm not getting him another Christmas mug." Ricky says, and Zhang Hao only has time to mutter a confused "bye?" before he hangs up.

Magazines?

They're on another "date" again.

It's a lively Sunday, with most families out on outings with their children playing with the snow. The temperature isn't too low today, and the snow is perfect for people to have snowball fights and build snowmen.

They decide to head to the shopping street today. Hanbin had mentioned wanting another piece of winterwear and wanted Zhang Hao's advice on it. Of course, Zhang Hao was more than willing to accompany him, but he can't help but play Ricky's comment in his head.

He's just coming up with excuses to spend more time together. Maybe Ricky's right, but the comment possibly being true just makes Zhang Hao's heart flutter in a way that reminds him of those blushing shoujo manga protagonists.

Maybe he should read less manga with Taerae.

"Hyung, does this look good?"

Zhang Hao snaps out of his reverie, tilting his head up to be graced with a jaw-droppingly handsome Hanbin donned in a black leather coat, patiently waiting for his feedback. His gaze is more intense than usual, brown orbs burning into Zhang Hao in a way that makes him lose his breath.

God, Hanbin looks… ravishing.

Zhang Hao wonders what that gaze of his would look like if they're at home together instead of the clothing store, with no one else to disturb them. He wonders what would be swirling in Hanbin's eyes if Zhang Hao told him that he could stay over and didn't have work the next day. He wonders what Hanbin would do if Zhang Hao invited him to sleep on the same bed—

Shut up, horny brain!

He mentally slaps himself back into reality, horrified at where his mind drifted to just from seeing Hanbin. He shouldn't defile Hanbin in such a crude manner, even if it's just in his daydreams!

"You look good!" His voice wavers slightly, which Hanbin notices right away even though Zhang Hao tries to hide it. Hanbin walks over to where he's standing at and places the back of his palm to Zhang Hao's forehead.

The contact makes his ears burn. "You don't seem to have a fever. Are you feeling alright?"

"I–I'm fine! It's nothing, you look good, Hanbin-ah." He smiles, "Are you gonna get it?"

Hanbin looks at him, still unconvinced, but he relents. "It's a little thin, I might look at the other options available."

Zhang Hao doesn't complain. Seeing Hanbin in different types of winterwear is a feast for his eyes, and he's happy to give his opinions on the different pieces that Hanbin tries on. He even convinces Hanbin to wear an emerald green wool outerwear at one point, laughing when he first sees the lemon print at the back. It's meant to be a joke, but when Hanbin walks out with it with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, Zhang Hao tries not to choke on his own spit.

How the hell does he look good with that on?

Hanbin ends up buying a long, beige-coloured coat that reaches just above his ankle. It's perfect for him, complementing his height and being a nice, neutral colour to layer with. When Hanbin walked out of the fitting room with a serene, satisfied expression on his face, Zhang Hao knew it was the one.

While Hanbin pays, Zhang Hao heads to the store's restroom. The reflection in the mirror is exactly what he fears, all blushy and smiling like a silly fool in love. He smacks himself on the cheeks a few times, composing himself.

Get your act together, Zhang Hao! This is just a friendly hangout between friends… right?

Even his reflection doesn't seem to believe him, if the pout on his own face says anything.

When he finally regains his sanity and comes back out, Hanbin is already done with his purchase, waiting for him with two paper bags in his hand. Did he buy something else while Zhang Hao was gone?

Surprisingly, he passes one of the bags to Zhang Hao.

"This is for you." Zhang Hao looks into the bag to see a knitted snow-white scarf, fluffy and thick to keep him warm. What he doesn't see is the price tag of the scarf, supposedly cut when Hanbin had bought it. "I noticed that you never wear a scarf whenever we go out, and you tend to run cold. So, I hope you can accept this as a gift."

Well, all thoughts of this being a friendly date just went out the window.

There's butterflies in his stomach at the kind gesture, and even as his rational mind tries to tell him that this is just an act of friendliness, the racing of his heart believes otherwise. How the younger is so caring and thoughtful towards Zhang Hao, even noticing that he doesn't have a scarf and buying one for him, he doesn't understand.

"I… Hanbin, how much did this cost?" Zhang Hao doesn't really want Hanbin to splurge on him, no matter how nice this gift is. If he could pay Hanbin back…

"There's no need for you to worry about it." Hanbin smiles, reaching out to hold Zhang Hao's hand in his, "I promise, it's well within my means. And seeing you warm and happy makes it all worth it."

Ah, Hanbin's being bold.

A warm feeling settles in his chest when he looks at the scarf, internally cooing at the thought of Hanbin looking at the scarf in the store and associating Zhang Hao with it. His easily swooning heart wins over his mind this time. Since Hanbin has put much thought into this gift, who is Zhang Hao to reject it?

He pulls out the scarf from the bag, wrapping it around his own neck and silently appreciating the way it complements the rest of his neutral-coloured outfit. Whether intentional or not on Hanbin's part, it makes Zhang Hao smile.

"Thank you for the gift," He looks at Hanbin, who's looking at him with something akin to awe, "I'll wear it well."

Hanbin seems to have to shake himself out of his stupor with much effort, before replying with poorly-masked enthusiasm, "You're welcome, hyung."

After that, they head to the different stores along the shopping street, stopping whenever either of them finds something interesting. Hanbin seems to like snow globes, stopping at a particular store and gazing fondly at the glass creations before him. The owners, a lovely old couple, smile knowingly at them as Zhang Hao feels his cheeks heat up.

They stop to get lunch at a cafe, coincidentally running into Jiwoong and Yujin. Eagerly, Zhang Hao takes the opportunity to introduce Hanbin to the duo. It's a simple introduction, Jiwoong being Zhang Hao's first friend when he moved to Yuseong; Yujin being Jiwoong's adoptive brother whom Zhang Hao tutors during examination periods.

It's a short and friendly conversation, one that ends quickly with Yujin needing to go home to finish his homework, on Jiwoong's insistence. Hanbin remains cordial throughout, appearing friendly and approachable to any untrained eye.

But Zhang Hao is close enough to Hanbin to notice the guarded look and tense shoulders Hanbin had when he first introduced Jiwoong, eyes darkening like he's met a foe.

The expression confused him, but a few blinks later and Hanbin's face was back to its usual neutrality. If he were a little more observant, he'd notice that the look only softened when Jiwoong looked at Zhang Hao's hand holding onto Hanbin's arm, and said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "What a nice couple you two make." But he was too busy sputtering and blushing to pay attention to Hanbin.

The day ends with a stroll in the nearby park.

The two agree that the shopping street is getting too noisy for their liking, and the park ends up being a nice change of pace with its quiet and calm atmosphere. They walk along the path by the river in a comfortable silence, basking in the sounds of the rushing water and birds in the trees.

It's a wonder how some birds are still this lively in the winter, Zhang Hao thinks, and realises that it's been a while since he's been on a walk as simple as this.

For how slow-paced Yuseong is, Zhang Hao has been living like he's on adrenaline. With a packed schedule and many projects to work on, he hasn't really had the time to pause and unwind like this. And when he does have pockets of time, it's spent planning his next classes, making progress on the work piling up on his desk, or practicing the violin.

It's been so long since he's just been on a walk like this, letting his mind be at ease and enjoying the nature that surrounds Yuseong without any worries. Of course, this calmness and ease is the reason he moved to this town in the first place, Zhang Hao recalls. It's a shame how he's forgotten about it until today.

Maybe it has to do with Hanbin as well.

Since spending time with Hanbin, Zhang Hao has basically been forced to slow down from his fast-paced life. From rushing from class to home to complete his work to going on dinners and late night walks with Hanbin; from practicing the violin rigorously at every break he has to watching the snow fall from the library with Hanbin. It's clear that the presence of Hanbin in his life has led to Zhang Hao learning to live second-by-second instead of rushing through his days.

Despite this unprecedented change, Zhang Hao has come to love the calming of his heart this winter, and the sweet lovely boy that accompanies it.

His thoughts are interrupted by a gust of wind blowing in their direction, causing him to shiver slightly. He's bundled up in layers and the scarf Hanbin bought him adds to the warmth. But Zhang Hao runs cold after all, it's no surprise that he's still shivering in this weather.

"Do you need another layer?" Hanbin asks, eyes full of concern. It's sweet of him, but he's all puffed up in layers as it is. Another layer would just add to the heaviness. "I'm okay, Hanbin-ah. Thank you."

Hanbin continues to look at him with a frown on his face. Well, it's still a neutral expression to anyone else, but the slight furrow of his eyebrows and the ever-so-small downturn of his lips is enough for Zhang Hao to tell that he's worried.

Zhang Hao gives himself a pat on the back for being a Hanbin expert. "I'm really okay. But if you're worried, we can head back early."

It takes a moment of silence for the gears in Hanbin's head to turn, and Zhang Hao can see the thought bubbles forming above his pretty head. Then, Hanbin gently grabs Zhang Hao's hand, interlacing their fingers before tucking them into the pocket of his puffer jacket.

The action is paired with a furious blush on Hanbin's ears and the younger looking straight ahead at the path before them. There's about a quarter of the trail left before they reach the end of the park.

"Is this… okay with you?" Hanbin asks, too shy to look at Zhang Hao.

Is he afraid of my reaction…? Ah, how cute.

Hanbin's composed nature really hides his cute side well. Maybe too well. Passersby would probably think that he's cool, maybe slightly aloof, for casually holding onto Zhang Hao's hand to warm him up without so much of a change in expression on his face.

Zhang Hao watches as he averts his eyes and the blush spreads to his cheeks, and thinks that they couldn't be more wrong about Hanbin's nature. This boy is definitely more expressive than he likes to think he is, and Zhang Hao often finds himself wanting to coo at him.

For some reason, the thought of being the only one who can read Hanbin makes his heart sing in satisfaction.

"Thank you, Hanbin-ah. What would I do without you?" The 'you' in question turns to Zhang Hao with his lips parted, before clearing his throat and looking away and muttering to himself. Zhang Hao doesn't catch what he says, but giggles when Hanbin's blush grows even more.

"Let's keep walking hyung, we're almost at the end."

It takes a while to complete their walk, but neither of them are in a rush. They stop a few times for Hanbin to snap pictures and for Zhang Hao to play with the snow. Hanbin always warms up his hands after.

They reach the end of the park just in time for the sun to set beyond the horizon, the bright sky slowly disappearing along with the ball of light. The sky turns from baby blue to a hazy mix of orange and pink to follow the sun in its departure.

It's a beautiful sight, and Zhang Hao's glad that he's sharing this view with Hanbin.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" He says, still staring in amazement at the sight before him.

Hanbin replies after a moment, "It is."

When Zhang Hao turns to look at Hanbin, the latter is already facing him with a smile and wonder in his eyes.

"I had a lot of fun today." Zhang Hao says, the organ in his chest the calmest it's ever been, "Thank you for spending so many days with me, Hanbin. I hope we can spend more days just like this."

"It's always fun being with you, hyung. I hope for the same." Hanbin returns his confession with equal sincerity, the both of them wearing comfortable smiles directed only to each other.

They snap a picture of themselves with the sunset in the background before Hanbin walks him back home and they bid farewell. It's only temporary, the both of them being well aware that they'll see each other the next day. It doesn't stop Zhang Hao's heart from sinking in disappointment at having to be away from Hanbin.

Maybe he's even more down bad than he thinks he is.

That night, Zhang Hao looks at the picture Hanbin took of them. And just as a picture can never fully capture the ephemeral beauty of sunsets, Zhang Hao thinks that he would much rather continue to stay by Hanbin's side to appreciate his ethereal beauty in person.

But the picture makes for a cute memory nonetheless.

Zhang Hao most definitely does not stare at the picture and giggle and kick his feet when the thought of being with Hanbin forever comes to mind.

❄️

3.

"If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that you stalked me all the way to Seoul." Zhang Hao jokes.

Across him sits the one and only Sung Hanbin. He chuckles along with Zhang Hao, but the look in his eyes says that even if Hanbin didn't have other reasons for being in Seoul, he'd still be here with Zhang Hao. For Zhang Hao.

Hanbin looks wholly different from usual. No longer is the pristine, mature image of his present here.

Instead, his blonde hair is intentionally tousled, with bangs falling over his eyes and making him look more like his age. He has a flannel button-up as his innermost layer as insulation, followed by a white sweater with a blue background in the middle to emphasise the brand's bold, capitalised lettering. Finally, a black and white varsity jacket with cute printed doodles and images at the back along with his name printed out in a whimsical font. The look is completed with a pair of gray cargo pants with… an unnecessary number of pockets.

The vibe is the complete opposite of his more winter-ready, formal outfits in Yuseong. Here, Hanbin looks like a boy fresh out of university, his casual and easy-going look ready to make anyone (including Zhang Hao) swoon like a maiden in love.

He guesses that Seoul's slightly warmer than Yuseong, enough for him to dress up with thinner layers. No more puffer jackets in sight for now.

That's not to say Zhang Hao doesn't love the look. Oh no no, he absolutely loves Hanbin looking like this, casual and laid back. He wonders if the younger looked like this in university, and then regrets the train of thought because of the audacity of other people to see this Hanbin before me.

"Would you have minded if I did?" Hanbin responds, clearly looking to tease Zhang Hao. Although, the thought doesn't make Zhang Hao's gut churn like it's supposed to.

Hanbin takes a sip of his iced americano, the ones that citygoers get hooked on because caffeine flavoured water is slightly more exciting than… tasteless, boring water. Zhang Hao never fully understood the hype, but he'd drunk it many times himself in the past with the hopes of being like the city dwellers around him.

He takes a bite of his strawberry and mango bingsu. Not bad, no wonder Ricky'd recommended this place.

"I would've brought you with me." Zhang Hao fires back, eager to see Hanbin all flustered and caught off-guard.

The latter whispers an "oh", taking another sip of his iced americano with practiced nonchalance. Unfortunately for him, Zhang Hao fully sees through his ruse. It's easy to spot the familiar red blush painting his earlobes and the attempt to look away, pretending to admire the city's scenery.

Hanbin is really cute, Zhang Hao thinks.

His impression of Hanbin has always been a weird mix.

On one hand, Hanbin feels so mature and perfect it makes Zhang Hao feel like a kid standing next to him. The former is the textbook definition of a guy who has his life put together, always prim and proper in his dressing that even with Zhang Hao's best efforts, he feels a little underdressed when he's with Hanbin. It doesn't help that he's so kind and cordial to everyone, never really bursting into emotions and always keeping himself in check. He's also extra careful and thoughtful around Zhang Hao, taking care of him in all the little ways and always being mindful of Zhang Hao's mood. A gentleman, that's what this side of Hanbin is.

On the other hand, Hanbin is so extremely clumsy and cute it makes his heart soar.

One time, they'd decided to do a cartoon guessing game after seeing an influencer basically throw the game. There's no way they couldn't get everything right, Zhang Hao had thought. But halfway into the game Zhang Hao had realised that Hanbin basically could not remember cartoon characters' names for the life of him. It was so adorable watching Hanbin trying his very best to name the characters, only to call My Melody Marshmelody, Rapunzel Lavender (how did that even come about?), and even Minnie Mouse as Mimi Mouse.

Hanbin is also very accident-prone himself and the only reason more people don't know about this is because of his god-given ability to feign nonchalance with his cute stoic face and pretend nothing happened. If Zhang Hao took a shot every time Hanbin tripped over himself and kept talking and walking as if nothing had happened, he'd be dead by now and Hanbin would trip over himself while giving his eulogy. Hanbin also misplaces his stuff quite often and Zhang Hao has to help him out, enjoying the soft way Hanbin expresses his thanks and the evidence of embarrassment on his cheeks.

Another example is… right now. Hanbin's lips are wrapped around the straw (a little too seductively) and he shifts the straw upwards while moving the cup down so that he can drink the coldest part of his americano. However, he shifts the straw up too high that it ends up leaving the straw hole, completely detaching itself from the cup and letting drips of americano land on the table. Hanbin stares at the straw for two whole seconds, before cleaning up and re-inserting the straw into the cup, drinking like absolute chaos did not just happen.

It takes everything in Zhang Hao to not burst out laughing at the sight of Hanbin nonchalantly sipping his iced americano like he did not just lose infinite aura in front of him.

Just as he said, his impression of Sung Hanbin is a weird mix. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"You didn't see anything." Hanbin says with so much confidence it makes Zhang Hao want to convince himself that he, in fact, saw nothing. "Back to the topic at hand, unfortunately Matthew will not let me go until I've helped him and Gunwook pack everything for Yuseong. It's a wonder how they've managed to fit mountains of belongings into their apartment thus far."

"Good luck with that. I'm excited to meet your friends, I'm sure they're really sweet." At that, Hanbin looks at him dead in the eyes and says, "They're demons."

They share a loud laugh at that, attracting the attention from the other patrons in the cafe. Zhang Hao can't find it in himself to care.

They spend the time talking again, because there's just so much for them to learn about each other. Simple and mundane things, like the weather and how fast-paced Seoul is compared to Yuseong, turn into long discussions that soothe the weird urban overload that always threatens to consume Zhang Hao when he's alone in the big city. Time passes by in a flash when he talks to Hanbin, he really feels like they could talk forever.

Soon enough, it's time for Zhang Hao to head back to rehearsals.

The Yuseong Philharmonic Orchestra is set to perform for a joint concert in three days, in collaboration with other orchestras across South Korea. It's a great opportunity to not only showcase the orchestra, but also a networking and promoting strategy for the town itself as a possible tourist destination. And of course, it's always nice when Zhang Hao gets to perform on a grand stage.

Speaking of which.

"Hanbin-ah," Zhang Hao digs out what he's looking for in his bag, passing the strips of smooth paper to Hanbin when he finds them. "Uhm… These are tickets to the concert that I'll be performing in, if you'll accept them. I know you'll be busy and there's no obligation for you to come at all, really. It's totally okay if you can't make it and I won't hold it against you–"

"I'll make time for it." Hanbin cuts his rambling off, accepting the tickets with a grateful smile on his face. "I promise."

The idea of Hanbin being so busy with helping his friends move, yet dropping everything specifically so that he can watch Zhang Hao perform on the stage; it makes butterflies flutter in his stomach and sends his heart racing with euphoria.

Zhang Hao, now, finds himself even more determined to put on a show-stopping performance.

The sound of the orchestra rings loudly in the concert hall, each instrument playing its part to bring the piece to life without missing a single note.

Zhang Hao is no exception, having rehearsed the pieces countless times, to the point where he's basically memorised every note on the endless music sheets sitting before him. He plays each note clearly and with absolute precision, ensuring that the orchestra is playing in sync and following the conductor's tempo while they progress through the piece.

It's a riveting performance, he can already tell that this is their best run yet. Everyone is giving their all, playing with a kind of practiced expertise that can only be honed through rigorous training. It's times like these, surrounded by all the instruments coming together to create one harmonious sound, that Zhang Hao feels an undying love for music bursting in his heart.

When it reaches his solo part, Zhang Hao plays like it's the last time he'll ever play a note on the violin, giving it his very all into every arco. The concert hall remains silent, only allowing the sounds to bounce off the walls and envelop the room with its song.

If one were to walk into the hall at this very moment, they'd soon realise that only the clear, beautiful sounds of the violin are present in the room; it's almost like no one else, not even the violin's player, is allowed to make a peep, or the magic of the violin's song will be disrupted. Even near-soundless footsteps or the soft creaks of the entrance doors are a blasphemous source of contamination that no one dares to make, too absorbed in the solo before them.

Needless to say, the violin's angelic melody leaves the audience enraptured.

When the symphony ends, a few seconds of silence pass before one clap sounds in the room, followed by two. The claps grow and grow as more people are granted permission to break the silence, turning into a loud applause for the orchestra on the stage.

The orchestra takes a bow before everyone gathers their music sheets and instruments to leave the stage. Zhang Hao is no exception, making sure that he didn't miss anything before taking the chance to scan the audience for any familiar faces. Well, specifically one familiar face.

It's unfortunate that he doesn't find what he's looking for in the brief moments that he's allowed to look. But surprisingly, he doesn't find himself disappointed. His heart tells him that the one he's looking for is definitely in that audience, watching him with fondness in his eyes.

Back in the dressing room, everyone is praising one another with giddy faces and pride in their steps. The conductor takes the time to congratulate the orchestra for the spectacular performance before reminding everyone when to return to the stage for the concert's finale.

Zhang Hao looks around, taking in every familiar face surrounding him.

Everyone around him is in a different stage of their lives, part of different families and working different jobs. Some are students refusing to let music simply fade out in their lives as they choose to chase different career paths, some are musicians insisting that this is the dream they want and will live out, some are working adults re-introducing music as a hobby, and then a passion back into their lives, some are retirees seeking music as a source of joy as they go through day by day. And yet today, they've come together as one orchestra, breathing life into the very instruments they play to create one sound.

It's a tear-jerking realisation, and Zhang Hao himself is nothing if not a sentimental dramatic. So obviously, he finds his vision already blurry, tears gathering in his eyes as pride bubbles up in his chest. The other members start to coo, getting tissues for him and laughing while recalling similar incidents in the past. It seems that they're used to Zhang Hao's emotional antics, regarding him with fond exasperation as they wipe his tears away.

Ah, I really love this, he thinks.

The rest of the concert passes by in a flash, and after their final bow, Zhang Hao is free to wander around and network with others, having some time before the orchestra heads off for a celebratory dinner. Naturally, he heads off to find those who came to watch. Namely, the people whom he gave tickets to.

The first person he finds is Ricky, the easiest to spot with his strawberry-red hair and sophisticated, all-black attire. The younger breaks out of his cool, effortlessly intimidating demeanour into a wide, toothy grin when he spots Zhang Hao heading his way.

"Amazing as always, ge. I've missed hearing you play." Ricky says in lieu of a greeting, and Zhang Hao waves him off in response. "You're getting better at this flattery thing, Ricky-ya. Thank you though, I appreciate you coming to watch."

"Like I'd miss it." Ricky presents him with a small bouquet made out of several snacks, and the sight of it makes Zhang Hao giggle. He'd always chided Ricky whenever he'd bought flowers for Zhang Hao after his performances, arguing that flowers were too expensive and wilted quickly. Clearly, Ricky has opted for a practical gift this time.

"Here, a bouquet of not flowers this time." Ricky smirks at the incredulous look Zhang Hao gives him as the latter accepts the gift, before looking behind Zhang Hao with a knowing, cheeky look in his eyes. "Oh, this is interesting. You have someone looking for you, ge."

Zhang Hao turns around to find Hanbin staring right at him, heading in his direction with hurried footsteps.

Instantly, he feels the pounding of his heart in his ears, loud enough to drown out the surrounding noise. Unlike when they met at the convenience store, the scene takes on a cliché note as time comes to a standstill and the rest of the world fades into mere background as Hanbin makes his way to where Zhang Hao is, holding onto a bouquet of real, living flowers in his hands.

It takes another blink for the world to stir back into life, the crowds of people moving again but seemingly creating a perfect path for Hanbin to finally reach where Zhang Hao is.

"Hanbin-ah." His voice comes out breathy, awe and happiness mixed into it.

"Hao-hyung." Hanbin echoes his sentiments, voicing his name with veneration. "Matthew and Gunwook send their regards, they still had much to pack and had to miss the concert."

Zhang Hao nods, shifting his gaze onto the flowers in Hanbin's hands. "Are these…"

"For you." Zhang Hao tucks the bouquet Ricky gave him under his arm as he accepts the pretty arrangement of flowers Hanbin has prepared for him. It's a beautiful mix of flowers. Camellias, moonflowers, primroses, daisies and baby's breath are among the few that Zhang Hao recognises. They come together to make a nice bouquet filled with pinks, purples and whites, blooming with life in his hands.

Zhang Hao's never been one to love receiving flowers. He never liked the idea of plucking flowers to turn them into part of an artificial mini-garden when they could thrive and live longer in their natural conditions. It was always a bittersweet thing, receiving pretty flowers yet having to watch them slowly but eventually wilt into shadows of their former self.

He would never fail to chide anyone who gave him flowers after his performances, telling them to spend their money elsewhere and that their presence, their time, was a wonderful enough gift to him. Even Ricky, who persistently bought flowers for him, eventually relented.

Now, holding the bouquet in his hands, seeing the proud, wide smile that brings out Hanbin's cute whisker dimples, and the twinkle in Hanbin's eyes that speaks of nothing but pure reverence simply because he's in the same room as Zhang Hao; he can't find it in himself to protest.

His eyes crinkle as the edges of his lips grow into a bright smile, blush travelling to his cheeks. The thought of Hanbin purchasing a bouquet of flowers while thinking of the colours that Zhang Hao likes makes him giddy with joy. How lucky I am, to have someone like Hanbin in my life.

"Thank you, Hanbin-ah. The flowers are lovely." Zhang Hao says, and he means every word of his gratitude. 

He thanks not just the flowers, but for taking the time to watch the concert even though he's supposed to be helping his friends, for sitting through the entirety of it just to watch Zhang Hao play the violin on that stage. For being here, for being present in this chapter of Zhang Hao's life. And for many chapters to come, he selfishly hopes.

"I'm glad you liked them, hyung." Hanbin replies, and though there's no change in his expression, Zhang Hao can sense his relief all the same. "You did really well tonight. I… I was starstruck by your performance."

The compliment, coming from anyone else, would simply remind him that he's met expectations. But every word from Hanbin, filled with sincerity, replays in his head non-stop as they fill his heart with delicate sunbeams.

He's never been happier, knowing that his music has reached Hanbin's heart.

"Is this the Hanbin you've been talking about, ge?"

Zhang Hao jolts at the sudden interruption. I completely forgot about Ricky, he realises with embarrassment.

Zhang Hao looks at the red-haired man now standing by his side, looking at Hanbin with poorly-concealed mirth. Somehow, there's not a single bit of apprehension and unfamiliarity in Ricky's stance.

"Ah! Let me introduce you two. Hanbin, this is Ricky, a close friend of mine and Gyuvin's boyfriend. He's currently studying Fashion Design at Korea University. Ricky, this is Hanbin, a… friend who moved to Yuseong recently." Zhang Hao says, waiting for them to start their introductory talks.

Instead, Hanbin goes, "Ricky? It's been a while."

Huh?

"You two know each other?"

Ricky chuckles in response. "We've been acquainted." Hanbin says, nodding his head sheepishly and clearly looking like he doesn't really want to elaborate further on it. Well this, Zhang Hao has to know more.

Thankfully, Ricky is here to save the day.

"I told you to look at magazines, didn't I?" Ricky says, "Hanbin and I did a few modelling gigs together a while ago. He was quite sought after for a while, you know? His tattoos were surprisingly a hit, and combined with his good looks, he was in magazine after magazine."

Hold the fuck up.

Modelling? Sought after?

Tattoos?!

"You flatter too much, Ricky-ya. I wasn't that popular, really." Hanbin tries to deflect Ricky's praise, shoulders a little more stiff and ears tinted with its signature red. "Hyung–"

"You… have tattoos?" Somehow, that's the detail that Zhang Hao chooses to zoom in on, brain officially malfunctioning at the image of ink of unknown shapes decorating Hanbin's skin.

Ricky just grins like the little demon he is, "Well, that's my cue to leave. It was a great show, ge. I'll see you two around!" He says, skipping away into the crowd before Zhang Hao can even gather his bearings.

Standing in front of him, Hanbin looks just as flustered, speechless at what just transpired in the last five seconds, and probably Ricky's audacity to pull a stunt like this. He clears his throat, looking back at Zhang Hao who's now eyeing him with obvious expectation.

"Uhm… One on my arm and the other… in the middle of my collarbones." Hanbin is fully red now, all stoicism and composure lost to the wind. "I… It's winter so…"

Wow, Zhang Hao has never hated winter this much. To think that he already found Hanbin absolutely dashing with all the layers, not knowing that beneath them lies not one, but two tattoos?

Unbelievable.

"You have to show me sometime, please!" Zhang Hao begs, using that whiny tone of his knowing that Hanbin's always weak to his pleading.

And of course, Hanbin folds easily. "Of course, hyung. Anything you want."

Ah. His heart skips a beat at those words.

Will Hanbin really give him anything?

"I'll hold you to that." Zhang Hao responds, trying to remain unfazed. "And you better tell me about the modelling thing too someday. With photo evidence."

"Okay." Hanbin promises.

Zhang Hao looks at the bouquet in his hands again, and the feeling of fondness returns to him in a rush. All thoughts of the conversation they've just had with Ricky fly out the window, and all that's left is the gratitude he has for Hanbin for being here.

Hanbin senses the change in Zhang Hao's mood, recovering from his embarrassment and smiling at him again. God, Zhang Hao hopes that Hanbin will never lose that smile of his. It reminds him too much of the sun.

"I've said this already but I want you to know again that I was truly enamoured by your performance tonight." Hanbin praises, tone leaving no room for Zhang Hao to argue. He's not in the mood to do so either, humility making way for the overwhelming affection he feels. "I'm… I'm proud of you, Hao-hyung."

And Zhang Hao sees that pride, loud and clear.

"Thank you, Hanbin-ah."

He doesn't need to explain for the both of them to know what he's thankful for. One look into each other's eyes and his message is clear.

Thank you for coming into my life.

❄️

4.

"So you're the one and only Zhang Hao our Hanbin has been talking about." Matthew grins at him from the entrance to his newly-rented house.

A few days ago, Hanbin had mentioned needing to help Matthew and Gunwook unpack in their new home with much trepidation, recalling the mountains of stuff that they'd brought over. At that, Zhang Hao, the benevolent and altruistic soul he is, offered to help out with the work. He even suggested bringing Taerae and Gyuvin over, knowing that they'd never pass up the opportunity to make new friends (read: get the latest scoop about the town's newest arrivals before the nosy ahjummas).

And so here they are, at a nice two-storey house that Grandma Kim had rented out to Hanbin's friends to stay at. Hearsay Grandma Kim is thrilled at the idea of having so many long-term tenants, possibly even new owners of her properties.

"That's me. This is Taerae," Zhang Hao points to Taerae on his right, all smiley with his cute dimples visible, "And Gyuvin." He points to the other boy on his left, tall and lanky but far from intimidating with his golden retriever vibes.

"Come on in! We got lots of work to do, Gunwookie and Hanbin-hyung have already started on the furniture, you guys can work on the other boxes in the living room! Is water fine with you guys? It's all we have for now." Matthew beams as he lets them into the surprisingly unfurnished house.

The place has some furniture here and there, but it's mostly boxes. That's weird, Grandma Kim usually prides herself on having "ready-to-live-in places with affordable rent for anyone", in her own words. So the place only having the bare minimum is unlike her.

"Didn't Grandma Kim provide furniture?" Gyuvin voices Zhang Hao's question. Looks like it's not only him who's confused.

Matthew laughs, "Gunwookie and I prefer our own furniture. He gets all antsy without familiar stuff around, like the bed and our lounge chairs."

"And you're getting those furniture shipped from Seoul?" Taerae chimes in.

They reach Matthew's supposed living room, only to find a bunch of full, massive boxes strewn around, a random unfixed wood fixture, and most importantly Hanbin and Gunwook sat on the ground. They're… analysing a manual?

"Well, as you can see." Matthew rubs the back of his head sheepishly, "This is why we need extra pairs of hands."

It seems that the manual is for the fixture in front of them, meant to eventually become one of the many lounge chairs in the house. And if this is what Zhang Hao thinks it is…

"You got all your furniture from IKEA and dismantled them in Seoul… so you can rebuild them here…?" Matthew's face brightens up like he's ecstatic for Zhang Hao's eureka moment. This is, undoubtedly, Zhang Hao's worst fears come to life.

"Why didn't you guys just get movers for all the furniture?!" he asked calmly.

At this, Gunwook and Hanbin raise their heads to look at the three additional people in the room. Zhang Hao tries not to blush when Hanbin makes eye contact with him and smiles sweetly. He also notices the reading glasses perched on his head. Interesting.

Back to topic.

Gunwook answers him, "Well, we did. We just forgot that they could… move the furniture whole?"

The trio, having met Gunwook for the first time, promptly let their jaws drop in shock at the statement. Taerae is the first to recover into loud, barking laughter as Gunwook drops his head in shame. Gyuvin swiftly follows, trying to contain his giggles and unsurprisingly failing.

"Hear me out!" Matthew yelps, "If Hanbin-hyung, the smartest out of all of us, was the one to suggest this, then how is it our fault?"

"What the fuck." The profanity leaves Zhang Hao's mouth in a deadpan tone before his brain even filters it out. In his defence, he didn't think Hanbin was capable of a mistake like this. How did it not even occur to him that movers could, you know, move your furniture for you? That is literally their job!

Zhang Hao cannot, for the life of him, believe that this is the reason Hanbin was so occupied back in Seoul.

Hanbin tries to defend himself, but before he can gather himself after being absolutely betrayed by his friends, Matthew cuts in. "Well! It is what it is, my friends. Let's do our best in setting up our humble abode, shall we?"

Matthew quickly introduces the trio to Gunwook and vice versa, and then assigns them to one of the boxes filled with different parts for another lounge chair. Zhang Hao sighs, already feeling the boundless exhaustion that can only be attained by assembling IKEA products.

It goes like this.

Taerae is in charge of overseeing the process, explaining the steps from the manual while Zhang Hao locates the parts from the box and hands them to Gyuvin, who will assemble the final product.

It's a flawless plan, and it's executed well. The three of them make a good team, seamlessly going through the different steps and adapting well too, helping each other out when they're struggling. Zhang Hao helps Taerae figure out what the manual is saying when he takes too long to decipher the image. Gyuvin goes through the messy stack of parts with Zhang Hao when he can't seem to find something, especially smaller parts like screws. And Taerae assists Gyuvin when needed, usually with holding parts while Gyuvin screws the fixture in place.

With their teamwork, they actually manage to assemble the lounge chair in less than an hour.

Finally, one piece of furniture out of many done.

Zhang Hao looks up, and finds the other trio… not making as much progress, putting it lightly.

Their assembled product has barely evolved from what it was when Zhang Hao and his friends came in, still looking more like a prototype and less like a lounge chair. The three of them are huddled up, whispering amongst themselves and seemingly trying to decipher the ways of the IKEA manual.

Hanbin's brows are furrowed, the younger's stoic face now very slightly morphed into one of intense concentration. If Zhang Hao looks closer, he can even see Hanbin's lower lip jutting out into a pout.

It's an adorable sight, honestly. But unlucky for them, beauty is insufficient in defeating the horrors that is IKEA furniture.

"Can you guys find another box to start on? I'll go help them out for a bit." Zhang Hao turns to his friends, who are already smirking at him like they know all his secrets.

Taerae says, "Of course, go help your lover boy Hao."

"He's not–!"

"To-may-to to-mah-to, go on!" Gyuvin pushes him to the other side of the room, snickering with Taerae as Zhang Hao sends them a glare. Trust them to find every opportunity to tease him.

He walks over to the struggling trio, looking at their very much unfinished product and where it needs help at. "What's the problem?"

Gunwook looks up, "Oh! Hao-ssi, nothing much. We just… can't fully understand this part?"

"Just hyung is fine, and let me see." He scans the manual and then the product, quickly figuring out the problem. He points at where the arrow on the paper is pointing at, "This piece is supposed to be connected to the whole fixture over here, but you've used it as part of the base instead."

He points back at the fixture and indeed, the boys have mistaken two similar parts for each other, which is why the part currently in their hands doesn't fit right. Which also means they have to dismantle and restart the whole thing.

The three of them collectively sigh, gaining a small chuckle out of Zhang Hao. What a funny trio. Hopefully the IKEA gods are kinder to them in their next attempt.

Hanbin looks at Zhang Hao with a mix of gratitude and fondness, and thanks him on behalf of their group. "You're really smart, hyung. What would we do without you? Thank you for the help and sorry for the trouble."

The compliment leaves Zhang Hao stuttering, taken aback by the lack of teasing and the raw sincerity in Hanbin's voice.

"I–It's nothing, all the best guys." He quickly says before going back to where Taerae and Gyuvin are already watching, ready to tease him to death.

Thankfully, they shift their focus back to assembling the assortment of furniture afterwards. Hanbin's group also overcomes their problem, successfully setting up their first lounge chair and cheering in victory. Though, it takes them double the time compared to Zhang Hao's group, who already assembled the coffee table as well.

As they move to unpack more items and build even more furniture (Zhang Hao wonders when his suffering will end), Hanbin occasionally shoots glances in Zhang Hao's direction in the most unsubtle way possible. He cranes his head as Matthew and Gunwook continue to bicker over their living room arrangement, looking over at Zhang Hao.

Sometimes, when Zhang Hao flicks his head up to look at Hanbin, the latter has already shifted his focus back to whatever he can find, pretending that he's doing work instead of gawking at Zhang Hao. When this happens, Zhang Hao realises that he makes small mistakes in an attempt to cover up his staring. He knocks a piece over, drops a screw on the ground and has to frantically search for it, hits his funny bone against the newly-built coffee table, and so on.

Hanbin is so clumsy like this, it makes Zhang Hao's heart swell with infinite adoration.

Other times, however, when Hanbin tries to sneak a glance at Zhang Hao, the latter moves his eyes fast enough such that they're staring at each other, catching Hanbin red-handed.

When that happens, Zhang Hao is treated to the lovely sight of Hanbin freezing for a moment, before darting his eyes away as quickly as possible with a nonchalant expression, redness on his ears fully visible and giving away his embarrassment.

And when he's especially lucky, he gets to catch a glimpse of the flush travelling down Hanbin's neck, all the way to where his beautiful tattoo rests. The sun, moon and stars. God, if it were just the two of them in the room, Zhang Hao would've done many indecent things by now.

"Hyung, could you get that hammer for me?" Hanbin nods and gets up at Matthew's request.

But before he can even take his first step towards the toolbox, he unceremoniously trips over his own feet, falling onto the ground with a loud, high-pitched yelp. Everyone turns around in shock to watch Hanbin facepalm onto the ground with a loud thud, body completely flopping and giving up on him.

Oh.

If he wasn't so shocked and worried at the sight of Hanbin becoming a pancake in two seconds, he would've thought that his yelp was kind of cute.

"A–Are you okay?!" Zhang Hao rushes over to a flattened Hanbin, lying on the ground in a position befitting of a crime scene body outline.

The man in question groans as he recovers from his fall, getting up and wincing at the aftermath of his clumsiness. His nose is so red that it reminds Zhang Hao of a certain red-nosed reindeer, and his limbs are also red, not bleeding but slightly swollen. The sight fills Zhang Hao with concern, hoping that Hanbin didn't break or twist anything.

He hears someone rushing off to get a first aid kit while the others hover to make sure Hanbin's okay.

Hanbin is about to say something, most likely to reassure Zhang Hao that he's fine and play it cool, but red starts to flow from his nose as soon as he opens his mouth.

Zhang Hao shrieks, grabbing the nearest tissue box and shoving tissues onto Hanbin's philtrum. The younger is as shocked as he is, stunned frozen when he feels the blood dripping from his nose and only un-stunning himself to grab the tissues.

"Tilt your head down, pinch your nose like this," Zhang Hao grabs Hanbin's thumb and forefinger, putting it at his nose to pinch, "Is there ice in this house?!"

"I'll get some." Gunwook says before rushing off.

It's with Zhang Hao's instructions and fussing over Hanbin that the nosebleed finally comes to a stop, only using up a quarter of the tissue box and some ice. All in a day's work of preventing Hanbin from certain death via blood loss.

Okay, maybe he's being a little dramatic. But still!

Taerae and Gyuvin have gone back to unpacking after making sure Zhang Hao has the situation under control while Matthew checks for any other injuries on Hanbin. Fortunately there's none, and Zhang Hao can breathe a sigh of relief.

"Dude, you just lost so much aura." Matthew says, breaking the silence and earning himself a weak punch from Hanbin.

"Are you feeling okay, Hanbin-ah?" Zhang Hao appreciates Matthew's attempt to light up the mood, but he's still a little worried. Sue him for being a caring person towards someone he totally isn't in love with.

Hanbin smiles at him like he didn't just fall over himself and get a nosebleed in the last five minutes, still maintaining his aura of absolute calmness. Zhang Hao supposes this is his way of hiding his humiliation.

"I'm fine, Hao-hyung. I'm so sorry for startling you." Hanbin responds, holding Zhang Hao's hand in his, "You must've been worried, but the fall looked more intense than it actually was. I'm okay."

"That's good to hear." He's still concerned, but it doesn't look like Hanbin has any major injuries. And he can talk and move normally, which is a plus in Zhang Hao's books. "Just make sure to sound out if you're not feeling well, okay?"

"I will, thank you."

"Ew, lovebirds." Matthew cringes at them before walking back to where Gunwook is to receive affection from his own boyfriend.

His comment makes the both of them blush, speechlessly avoiding eye contact from each other.

Taerae, seeing this as a golden opportunity, speaks up and plays wingman. "Hao-hyung, how about you work on the bedroom with Hanbin-hyung instead? The two of us are handling things well here, and Matthew and Gunwook seem to be doing fine on their own too."

What.

"Yeap, we got this hyung! We can cover more ground this way too, and you can prevent Hanbin-hyung from getting into any more accidents." Gyuvin adds on, the both of them turning to the other pair at the end of the living room.

Matthew shrugs, clearly catching on to the duo's plan and agreeing. "Yes please! Gunwookie and I need the bed to sleep on tonight! You'd be doing us a huge favour." And with Gunwook's approval, Zhang Hao is left with no escape.

Part of him genuinely wonders how no one thought to start building the bed first.

Hanbin seems to be as flustered, yet says nothing in protest. Judging from the fidgeting of his hands and the small smile on his face, Zhang Hao infers that Hanbin is probably secretly happy about this development.

Well, that makes two of them then.

They head to the bedroom, readying themselves for the ultimate boss fight among all boss fights. One that requires expertly honed skill, knowledge of ancient IKEA texts, and great physique.

An IKEA bed.

"Of all things, did you guys really have to dismantle this?" Zhang Hao gives Hanbin an unimpressed look, and this time the younger at least has the conscience to look guilty about it.

"Sorry…" Hanbin gives Zhang Hao his best attempt at sad puppy eyes and slumps his shoulders in defeat. The sight actually makes Zhang Hao coo at him, pinching his cheeks while Hanbin makes no attempt to push him away.

He turns back to the plethora of furniture parts before them, sighing and cracking his knuckles. "Well, no point crying over spilled milk. Let's get this done and then we can have dinner."

It takes several rotations of their roles before Zhang Hao decides that it's better that they both do the reading and heavy lifting together.

For one, Zhang Hao is great at deciphering the manual, figuring out what needs to be connected together and the materials needed. However, Hanbin is absolutely horrendous at finding the parts needed, either grabbing the wrong item or struggling to organise the different parts well. He drops smaller parts pretty frequently too, and Zhang Hao's convinced that Hanbin's spent more time trying to find things than actually fixing them.

To his credit, he's really good at fixing the parts together, if not a little clumsy. And Zhang Hao can't find it in him to scold Hanbin. He's a little too endeared by Hanbin's silly little mistakes.

On the other hand, Zhang Hao is absolutely terrible at fixing the bed. It's not that he doesn't know what parts to put together, or how to fix them properly. Theoretically, he has enough knowledge to assemble this bed perfectly. Practically… he is as strong as Hanbin's pinky finger. Scratch that, he's probably weaker.

And in the rare chance that he can lift up something without struggling for his life, he gets distracted by the sight of Hanbin in his reading glasses. The first time Hanbin caught him staring, he'd mentioned that he's far-sighted and needed reading glasses for the manual. His eyes had felt too dry for contacts today, so he'd opted for glasses.

But Zhang Hao can't tear his eyes away from the rectangular glasses perched on Hanbin's nose bridge perfectly, making him look so hot that Zhang Hao's convinced he'll burst into flames from all the blushing. Combine that with Hanbin's black tank top exposing both his tattoos…

Oh god.

They decide that it's best for them to just work together after Zhang Hao drops a plank on his own feet, whining in pain. He will never admit that his carelessness had stemmed from him ogling at Hanbin's tantalising look.

Once they get their act together, they finally make good progress with the bed, assembling the parts together like clockwork. Hanbin still makes some clumsy mistakes here and there, but Zhang Hao is more than happy to correct them, cooing when Hanbin apologises with a small pout on his face. At one point, Hanbin even tries to find his glasses to read the manual again, only for Zhang Hao to point out that it's been resting on his head the whole time, giggling when Hanbin fumbles for it.

It's way past dinnertime when they are finally done with the bed, the sun no longer shining into the room when they deem the bed complete.

"We did it…" Zhang Hao looks at the actual bed standing steadily before them, pride welling up in his chest. Through thick and thin, they've done it, they've defeated the mighty IKEA bed and its horrible pictorial manual.

Hanbin turns to him, stoic face replaced with whisker dimples and a wide smile, "We did."

Gunwook peeks into the room to see the completed bed and gasps in awe. He cheers loudly for the whole house to hear, "We have a bed to sleep in tonight! Thank you so much hyungs!"

Zhang Hao and Hanbin are suddenly engulfed in the younger's tight hug, Gunwook profusely thanking them for their help in setting up the bed. "All I need in compensation is a good dinner, and for you to never dismantle furniture ever again, please." Zhang Hao chokes out while being squished in Gunwook's bear-like hug.

When he's about to lose all air in his lungs, Gunwook pulls back and says, "Matthew-hyung's gone to get yangnyeom chicken, he'll be back soon. For now, get some rest and thank you again!"

And then he's gone.

Zhang Hao lets his knees give out, sinking onto the floor and using the bedframe as his backrest. The floor is comfortably cool, easing the sweat gathering on his forehead and cooling his body down efficiently. It's only when Hanbin moves to sit next to him that Zhang Hao realises his most likely disheveled appearance. He's sweaty and gross, his hair is all messy and oily now, and he probably stinks.

He's only slightly envious of Hanbin for looking so good when he's all sweaty, wondering if this is how he looks when– nope, not going there.

"Sorry, I look like a mess right now. I probably stink too." Zhang Hao mumbles, shifting away and choosing to focus on the full moon shining right outside the bedroom window. He doesn't know how he'll react if Hanbin agrees and finds him unattractive.

"You don't, hyung." Hanbin grabs his arm, preventing him from moving away any further. Zhang Hao flinches, then relaxes in his hold, facing Hanbin's intense gaze set on him. The tension in the air is so thick that he struggles to take air in, too absorbed in the man sitting before him.

Hanbin gulps, looking like he has a million thoughts in his head at once. Then, he exhales. "You… You always look beautiful to me, Hao-hyung."

Oh.

For the millionth time since he's met Hanbin, Zhang Hao feels his whole body heating up from Hanbin's words, the cold floor now doing nothing to ease his rising body temperature. The blonde boy beside him is always so smooth and straightforward with his words, it never fails to catch Zhang Hao off guard.

Zhang Hao had always run cold as a child, needing warmth from extra layers of clothing or the soft blankets in his home. He never particularly enjoyed the cold winter brought, constantly shivering and begging for warmth.

Right now, Zhang Hao's convinced, as heat spreads through every part of his body and ends at his fingertips, the warmth is overheating him.

The tension in the room is fully palpable, waiting for one of them to break it with either more words or, the preferable option in romance dramas, by surging forward and pulling the other into a heated kiss.

This isn't a drama though, and neither of them have the courage to do such a bold thing right now. The timing isn't right too, Zhang Hao thinks, he hasn't confessed his undying love for Hanbin under the falling snow yet. They still haven't had their dramatic chase sequence and Hanbin hasn't held his hands in his, promising to stay by his side forever.

Sue him for wanting a slow burn romance.

Zhang Hao settles for a, "T–Thank you, Hanbin-ah. I could say the same, you always look handsome to me."

Instead of accepting the compliment, however, Hanbin quietly sighs next to him, fidgeting his hands again and staring straight ahead like the wall has personally offended him. For a second, Zhang Hao wonders if he said the wrong thing, if Hanbin had wanted a romantic kiss scene after all.

His doubts are quickly quelled, however, when Hanbin mentions the real reason for his sulky behaviour.

"I…" Hanbin pouts, "I don't think I was particularly handsome today."

Zhang Hao waits, silently prompting him to elaborate.

"I was extremely clumsy, and I made many mistakes that caused hyung trouble. You could've finished this much earlier if you had worked with anyone else, but I made the process even more difficult for you. I even fell down and had a nosebleed, and made you worry about me. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you with my incapability and unawareness of my surroundings, Hao-hyung."

The edges of his lips are downturned, pout even more obvious now as Hanbin stares daggers at the floor. Zhang Hao even spots the beginnings of tears gathering in Hanbin's eyes. It leaves him shocked.

He didn't know Hanbin felt this way about today's events. To be honest, Zhang Hao had found Hanbin's clumsiness to be really cute. It displayed more of that other side of Hanbin that Zhang Hao was always curious about, the part of him that was less… curated.

It's not like he wants Hanbin to get himself into more trouble, but the sight of him pouting when he couldn't follow the instructions, or when he had a big smile on his face after completing part of the bedframe, those moments felt like Hanbin was comfortable enough to be more like… himself. And that part of him is also a side of him that Zhang Hao loves with all his heart.

Besides, it felt really good to have Hanbin rely on him for once. Every time Hanbin had turned to him for help, a nice, floaty feeling settled in his chest and he couldn't help but smile to himself.

And yes, Zhang Hao was worried when Hanbin fell down, but it wasn't out of obligation or a friendly kind of worry. It had been a strong tug at his chest, one that brought him immense pain to see Hanbin hurt, even if he'd been fine afterwards. It had been fear gripping his lungs, stealing his breath away when he saw Hanbin fall in slow motion. It had been the immediate sinking of his shoulders when Hanbin turned out to be fine, relief flooding through his veins.

It was the kind of worry that made Zhang Hao certain that even if his friends were the ones to reach Hanbin first, he wouldn't have simply left Hanbin's side.

He would've stayed and worried nonetheless.

So no, his worry hadn't been out of obligation. There's no way it was.

Because the thought that ran through his head as he gave Hanbin more tissues and pressed ice to his forehead was, I want to worry for you for the rest of my life.

Slowly, Zhang Hao takes Hanbin's hands in his own, stopping the endless fidgeting by squeezing the boy's hands. "Hanbin-ah, you might find me weird for this, but I love this clumsy side of you."

The younger frowns, looking at him in confusion.

Zhang Hao giggles at Hanbin's silent question. "It was so adorable and endearing when you made those mistakes, not to say that it's something that you should keep doing if it's going to hurt you one day. But I got to see the imperfect side of you, the side that struggles with tasks in your daily life as much as I do. I got to see the Hanbinnie that's so human, just like me. And I love it."

"I don't want you hating your clumsy, more child-like side, and I don't want you thinking that you always have to be perfect around others, around me. So don't beat yourself up over it, we all make mistakes, okay?" Hanbin stares at him in what seems to be a mix of disbelief and awe, and it's only with Zhang Hao's prompting that the younger finally nods.

"Thank you for the encouragement, hyung." Hanbin chokes out, probably still processing his words. It's nice to be someone Hanbin can rely on, since it's Hanbin who's been taking care of him all this time.

He smiles, "Good. And just so you know, you were so cute in my eyes today I couldn't help cooing every time you did something. Who knew my Hanbinnie was this adorable!" He squishes Hanbin's cheeks, laughing when the blonde struggles in his hold and whines out a muffled "hyungggg".

"Ahem, if you're done flirting with each other, dinner's here." Taerae announces, making the both of them jump and separate immediately before he leaves with a smirk.

The two of them exchange glances, before bashfully looking away and heading to the living room for food. Neither of them deny Taerae's accusations.

The food is a welcome reprieve from all the grueling work they've done throughout the day, and everyone digs in mercilessly like they've been starved for days. Matthew and Gunwook take the time to profusely thank everyone for their hard work and tell them that since all the heavy work is done (aka the Great IKEA Furniture War), they'll do the rest of the unpacking on their own.

Taerae and Gyuvin wave them off, citing that the yummy food is enough of a compensation and it's nice to make new friends. His friends may be smart-mouthed and playful, but Zhang Hao knows that in times of need, they can always be counted on. Besides, now they can brag to the nosy ahjummas that they became friends with the newcomers first.

They chat about the town and its specialties, Gyuvin introducing places for the duo to visit and local events that are taking place with Christmas around the corner. Matthew and Gunwook listen intently, eyes lighting up especially when they talk about the Christmas market.

The group collectively frowns and bursts into lighthearted teasing when they spot the couple-not-couple stuck in their own world. They even fake gag as Hanbin wipes some sauce away from the end of Zhang Hao's lips and feeds him more pieces of chicken. Zhang Hao tries to tune them back into the conversation, but Hanbin seems unbothered by his friends, focused more on caring for Zhang Hao.

A part of him can't help but think of how nice it'll be to be Hanbin's boyfriend.

In exchange for learning more about Yuseong, the two guys explain their sudden move from Seoul. They learn that Matthew and Gunwook are dance studio owners, and that they moved to Yuseong as part of an initiative to open up dance opportunities in other parts of South Korea. Supposedly, it'll provide aspiring dancers with more training and the chance to pursue their dreams without having to start from zero in Seoul, whether as idols or any other related careers in the industry.

They've already worked with studios in other parts of Korea, but had learned that Yuseong might be a good place to open a dance studio. It's a town that generated seasoned dancers and idols in Seoul's entertainment industry, Gunwook mentions as a reason which Zhang Hao and his friends can attest to. The successful entertainers are one of Yuseong's pride and joy, after all, and the townspeople never fail to brag about their achievements. Yet, it is also a town small enough that they wouldn't face much competition with other studios since, well, there aren't any other dance studios.

Hanbin's apparently a stakeholder in this as well, Zhang Hao learns with mild surprise. He'd known that Hanbin was somewhat involved in the dance scene, but this seems like a huge thing. "Hanbin-hyung was the one who suggested Yuseong actually. Said that he knew some people in the industry who were from here, and they'd mentioned that it'd be nice if the younger generation got to start building their foundation in their hometown."

Hanbin just shrugs, "People were interested in learning, why not give them the chance to do so?"

A noble cause, and one that Yujin and his friends will most certainly be interested in. Zhang Hao smiles at the thought of Yujin finally being able to cultivate his dance skills through actual classes instead of hours of playing Just Dance.

There's suddenly a small, bitter part of him that realises how much he doesn't know about Hanbin.

Who were you before you moved to Yuseong?

He shakes the thought away.

"That sounds amazing guys!" Gyuvin cheers, and Taerae nods while munching on a piece of chicken. "Invite us to your dance classes, we'd love to support you!"

The duo grins in thanks, promising to give them discounts. Taerae, in turn, offers Gyuvin's convenience store employee discount, and earns a smack from the younger.

"By the way, we have a Christmas party coming up soon, on the 25th at Jiwoong-hyung's house. You guys should come, we can introduce you guys to the rest of the group." Taerae says, extending their invite to the trio of newcomers in the room.

"We'll be there!" Gunwook replies instantly with glee in his voice, and Matthew laughs at his excited reaction, nodding as well.

Zhang Hao turns to Hanbin, who's already looking at him like he hung the stars and moon in the sky. It makes him uncharacteristically shy, heart beating more abnormally than usual as he clears his throat.

"Will you be there too?" He asks, voice quieter and meek.

He internally slaps himself for acting like a shy, bashful princess. But Hanbin seems to pay it no mind, simply smiling at him like he sees right through Zhang Hao, understanding his intentions.

"I will be, if you're there."

Zhang Hao doesn't stop the muscles that curve his lips upwards, clearly showing his satisfaction at the answer. It's clear to Zhang Hao by now, that he's growing addicted to Hanbin's comforting presence. And obviously, he makes no move to curb the aching thirst in his throat, finding himself gravitating towards that irresistible charm of Hanbin's.

That's what love does to you, after all.

❄️

5.

If you'd told Zhang Hao a few months ago that he'd spend his Christmas Eve sitting on a random, freezing curb and eating ice cream with the person who's turning into the love of his life, he'd scoff at you and go back to playing the violin.

When he was a kid, his Christmas Eve would be spent lazing around in bed, only coming out to help his mother prepare for their family feast the next day. His family didn't really celebrate Christmas that much, simply choosing to have a nice, homemade dinner with their relatives. So every year, Zhang Hao saw the eve as a day for him to take a break from his studies, either by playing games like QQ Tang in his room or simply staring at the ceiling.

That boring tradition turned into nothing when he moved to Seoul. He'd only spent a single Christmas in the city, but it was definitely his loneliest. There was no smell of his mom's cooking wafting into his room, no chatter of his relatives in the house, only him and his small bed and unlit shoebox apartment.

He never really fit into that city.

In Yuseong, he simply spent his eve at home as well, either practicing the violin or cooped up in his bed watching the latest episodes of Transit Love and Single's Inferno. Otherwise, he'd be roaming around trying to get last minute Christmas gifts for his friends.

So to be sitting in the middle of nowhere, bundled up in layers while battling the cold with ice cream of all things, and with Hanbin by his side; well, it's a little different from what he's used to.

Not that he doesn't enjoy this form of simplicity, he in fact loves it very much.

He bites down on his durian ice cream, enjoying the bittersweet and rich taste melting in his mouth. He doesn't miss the way Hanbin looks over at his ice cream with the slightest bit of judgement on his face, choosing to stick to his (boring) chocolate ice cream.

No man is perfect, Zhang Hao supposes. Though one day he will convert Hanbin into a durian lover, he's sure of it.

Hanbin is wearing a couple layers himself, donning a white puffer jacket he'd apparently bought on impulse the other day and a black hoodie underneath, with a pair of black pants that are most certainly not wet after sitting on the snowy curb, the man himself insists. Zhang Hao laughs, but it's not like he can say much with his own pants suffering the same fate. Maybe they should shop for waterproof pants next time.

But that's not the point.

The point is that Hanbin looks very handsome, like he's been carefully sculpted by none other than Pygmalion himself, even when dressed casually. His brown eyes are soft even as he stares at Zhang Hao's durian ice cream with slight, hidden displeasure. His lips are plump, painted a glossy peach shade in the most perfect way. His cheeks are rosy, so flushed in the cold and adding a cute touch to his Adonis-like visuals.

The point is that Zhang Hao easily finds himself lost in Hanbin's beauty, and doesn't hear what Hanbin's saying until the younger gathers a snowball in his hand, throwing it at Zhang Hao's already wet pants.

"Hey!" Hanbin giggles when Zhang Hao yelps, pouting at him. "Sorry, you weren't listening."

Who knew that this playful side of Hanbin exists too.

"What were you saying?"

Hanbin finishes the last of his ice cream, "Just asking how Christmas was like for you back in Seoul."

Well, like Zhang Hao has mentioned in his personal monologue, it was lonely.

"Nothing much, I just spent the whole day at home."

Was it really home, though, if it possessed none of the warmth that he feels now, sitting in the cold and eating ice cream with Hanbin? Was Seoul truly home, if all it did was make him feel isolated and separated from the rest of the world whenever he stepped into his dull, undecorated room?

"Hanbin-ah," Hanbin hums, "If we'd met in Seoul, do you think we would've spent Christmas together too?"

"Yes, we would've." The instant response takes him by surprise. Hanbin doesn't even hesitate to agree, absolute certainty present in his answer.

"I don't believe in fate much. I believe that we make our own choices, and shape our own lives with every step we take." Hanbin's eyes shine with so much determination it makes his heart stir to life. "And I know that no matter where or when we meet, I would've chosen you."

There's so much conviction in his tone, like he's been waiting for this very moment to say those very words to Zhang Hao. It doesn't take much for Zhang Hao to believe in what Hanbin says, but… "I think fate had a part to play in letting us meet in Yuseong though. I'm much more grateful for us meeting here, in a quiet town like this, than the noisy streets of Seoul."

Hanbin shifts his gaze to the heaps of snow and the empty paths before them. There's a serene smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm thankful that we met here too."

Speaking of Seoul, Zhang Hao can't help his curiosity. It's a question, or rather a sentiment, that has been bothering him for a while now. One that he can't seem to find the right to voice out, but wants to learn anyways.

"Hanbin, if you don't mind me asking…"

"I don't mind. You can ask me anything, and I'll answer truthfully." Hanbin laughs at Zhang Hao stumbling over his words, not expecting that heartfelt response from the former.

"W–Well, I'm just curious I guess. About what your life was like before you moved here, and why you moved here in the first place?" Hanbin stays silent, letting Zhang Hao finish his thoughts. "I assumed that you moved here to help Matthew and Gunwook, and to work as a teaching assistant. But no one just moves to a small town like this, you know? Not someone as young as you. And your past is… kind of vague, if I'm putting it lightly. You seem to know a lot of people in the entertainment industry, you even modelled with Ricky. But you studied psychology? I just…"

"Want to connect the dots?" Hanbin finishes for him, and Zhang Hao nods, "Exactly."

Hanbin just smiles, getting up and dusting away the remnants of snow on his pants. Zhang Hao looks up in confusion, wondering what the blonde is doing.

"Wait here, I'm going to get another ice cream. Would you like anything?" Zhang Hao shakes his head, still confused.

"I'll explain when I'm back, just give me a moment."

True to his word, Hanbin comes back almost immediately. It's not like the store is far away, but it's clear that Hanbin ran there and back if his panting and the flush on his face wasn't obvious enough.

He's holding onto a ssang ssang bar, the kind of ice cream that splits into two for them to share, a bottle of barley tea and… a magazine?

Zhang Hao's confusion only increases when Hanbin sits back down, taking his ice cream wrapper from him and splitting the ssang ssang bar in half for them to share. Well, tries to, as he splits it unevenly and that earns him a laugh from Zhang Hao. Hanbin gives the bigger piece to Zhang Hao, biting on his own before the older can even complain and try to switch their ice cream.

Then, he talks.

"Sung Hanbin, 21-year-old born in Cheonan, is an aspiring k-pop idol under CUBE Entertainment and a fresh face in the modelling world. He is currently pursuing higher education in the Department of K-pop Performance in Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts, and is set to debut in CUBE's upcoming boy group, Zerobase. Today, he models with another new face in the modelling industry, Ricky Shen, who makes waves with his sharp features and princely appearance."

"Huh?" Zhang Hao lets out a squawk at the sudden description, wondering if Hanbin's referring to some wikipedia page or starting to go insane.

Hanbin picks up the magazine, showing Zhang Hao the page he's pointing at. It's a wall of text that accompanies the image of Hanbin and Ricky, donning expensive, branded clothes as they sit in an alluring pose and stare into Zhang Hao's soul. He tries his best to focus on the text that explains Hanbin's appearance in the magazine, but he's way too distracted by the fact that the Hanbin in the magazine basically looks like his wet dream.

Curse his horny brain. This is a serious moment!

Sensing his confusion (and hopefully not his horniness), Hanbin explains. "I was set to debut in a k-pop group, that's why I moved to Seoul and enrolled in Dong-Ah in the first place. The company also had me model to popularise our upcoming debut even more, and Ricky was someone who paired well with me in terms of looks, apparently."

"Well, you two do look really good together." Zhang Hao agrees, taking in the duo's visuals. They certainly pair well, with Ricky's platinum blonde hair and sharp features being complemented by Hanbin's then-black hair and softer looks. It makes a part of Zhang Hao tingle with envy.

Would I fit well with Hanbin like this?

"I look best with you, Hao-hyung."

Ah, what a smooth talker. Zhang Hao playfully smacks Hanbin, but there's a small smile on his face, comforted by Hanbin's words.

"Okay, continue with your story. Why did you end up here?"

Hanbin sighs, "Funny story," He says, but Zhang Hao has a feeling that it's less funny and more tragic, "Gunwook and Matthew got caught kissing in some alleyway."

What.

"We were going to debut in the same group but since they got caught, they stirred up a whole controversy. Since our group only had five members, there was no way the company could kick both of them out and still have the rest of us debut." Hanbin explains with an exasperated sigh, and Zhang Hao can tell he's more frustrated with the company's decision than the couple actually getting caught.

"Firstly, those two were absolute idiots for that. Zero media training." Hanbin groans, but Zhang Hao can hear the smile in it. "But I was more upset with the company at that time for disbanding the group over this, since we worked so hard to debut, only to have our dreams crushed because people decided to be homophobic. I guess looking back, I guess it makes sense from a company's standpoint, even if their reasoning was selfish. In their eyes, we wouldn't have done well if we debuted, whether we dispelled the rumours or not. And not being able to play into the female fans' ideal image of a boyfriend means less fans, less fans means less profits. That was probably why they decided for us to disband."

"That's horrible. That was unfair of them, taking away your dreams." Hanbin simply shrugs and takes another bite of his ice cream. "In hindsight, it brought about good things too. Our other members got out of it relatively unscathed and debuted in other groups. Matthew and Gunwook got quite the attention and they used it well, advocating for needed change in the entertainment industry. And look where that got them, eventually working with a senior of ours to open a dance studio and starting all these initiatives."

"And you?" Zhang Hao is most curious about Hanbin, how he got back up after a setback like that. How he disappeared from the eye of the media and ended up in Yuseong as a psychology teaching assistant, of all things.

"I did modelling for a while, but switched over to hand modelling after I got too much attention on the streets. I didn't really like the way people looked at me just because I expressed my support for Matthew and Gunwook… it really got to me. I dropped out of Dong-Ah and took up a psychology degree instead, graduated, and then realised that Seoul was getting too… loud for me."

Zhang Hao can relate to that. The bustling streets of Seoul are far from ideal, constantly buzzing your head with noise. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of people in the city, always pushing and always rushing for the next big thing in their lives.

Even worse, being someone who got recognised in public, Hanbin must've had almost no privacy wherever he went. Being publicly in support of a queer couple in South Korea too, it must've stirred up some nasty comments towards himself. 

Zhang Hao himself never really got to sit and truly breathe in Seoul, and he suspects it was the same, if not worse, for Hanbin.

There's no checkpoint, no rest stop to make sure everything in your life is in order before moving on. It's just day after day of non-stop working, less of living and more of surviving. Maybe Zhang Hao, in another world, would've been able to make the most out of it. But the Zhang Hao in this life, after a few months, yearned for peaceful sunsets and quiet neighbourhoods.

"I suggested Yuseong to Matthew and Gunwook partly because of the reasons they mentioned, but also because I needed some peace and change in my life." Hanbin says, "And I don't regret it. Yuseong is everything I dreamed of and more, and I got to meet someone very special to me."

Hanbin takes both their ice cream sticks away, putting them aside as he reaches out for Zhang Hao's hands. He's always pleasantly surprised at how warm Hanbin is, heat seeping into his own cold fingertips even during the strongest snowstorms. It's no different this time, Hanbin's hands the temperature of a cozy fireplace and bringing Zhang Hao the warmth he's always needed.

Zhang Hao doesn't regret moving to Yuseong either, he thinks, because his Christmas Eve is no longer spent alone.

"Zhang Hao, you're beautiful, but you're so much more than that. You're very whiny," Zhang Hao whines in mock offence, which Hanbin laughs delightfully at. "You pout a lot when things don't go your way, you hate the cold because it makes your teeth chatter, and you also love the cold because you get to hold my hand with the excuse of warming yourself up."

Zhang Hao blushes furiously at that, because his hands are indeed currently being held in Hanbin's getting warmed up in the way he so desires. At least it wasn't initiated by him this time.

Hanbin continues, "You're so kind, always looking out for me and making sure I never had to feel out of place in this town. You're also wise beyond your years, and you've taught me so much about myself. Ever since I met you, I learned that I can be very clumsy when I have someone to rely on, and that I can make silly expressions without being aware of it. I learned that I'm more emotional than I like to be, and that instead of a life of chasing perfection, I want to live a life where I can enjoy even the most mundane of days."

"You taught me all of these things, brought so much happiness in my life in such a short time." Hanbin's thumb rubs at the back of his palm gently, treating his cold hands with utmost care. "Because of you, I learned how to live like a normal person again, and most importantly…"

"I learned how to fall in love with you."

A short gasp leaves Zhang Hao as he processes the words, brain turning into mush. Each syllable takes root in his heart, making it skip a beat while his mouth goes dry at Hanbin's sincere confession.

He's at a loss for words, eyes probably bulging out from his skull as he fails to move a muscle, effectively stunned by the man in front of him.

He'd be lying if he said that he didn't think Hanbin would like him. Zhang Hao isn't oblivious to Hanbin's coyness whenever they shared sweet moments together, and he's noticed how Hanbin's acts of kindness and constant care are mainly reserved for him.

Hanbin's also much more vulnerable and genuine around him. He expresses his worries and doubts openly around Zhang Hao and seeks his advice, allows himself to rely on Zhang Hao more, and is less afraid of not being accommodating all the time.

He'd even told Zhang Hao once that he felt the most comfortable around him, even though they've only known each other for a short while.

And if that isn't enough, practically everyone he knows had placed bets on when they'd get together. Yeah, he knows. Gyuvin isn't exactly a quiet person.

But love?

Love is something that's buried deep in your heart, an emotion that you don't just hand to another person without caution. Love is the strong whirlwind you feel when the other simply looks at you, easily turning your whole world upside down; yet it is the calm, gentle winds that promise to accompany every change in season, staying with you now and forever.

Love is a consequence of fate, stringing two people together to meet in the middle, their pinkies decorated with red; And love is a choice, it is the step you take to commit yourself wholeheartedly to the person standing before you, to promise them your forever.

So who can blame Zhang Hao for the tears in his eyes, when Hanbin has just entrusted his forever into Zhang Hao's hands?

He can't even wipe his tears with his hands still encased in Hanbin's, feeling the dampness of his own cheeks and hot tears rolling down and falling onto the pavement below. He hears his own sobs leaving his mouth as he chokes, mind too overwhelmed by the confession to even remind himself to breathe.

Hanbin seems to panic a little, wanting to let go and wipe his tears away. But Zhang Hao holds onto him, shaking his head.

"I'm–" He hiccups, "I'm okay–! I'm just…"

It takes a little while longer for him to regain his composure, despite the tears still flowing down his cheeks. He's sure he looks messy like this, cheeks all red and wet, eyes swollen after literally bawling his eyes out like a baby, hair frizzy and messed up by the cold winds.

But through it all, Hanbin still looks at him like he's the most beautiful person in the world.

Is that what love means to him?

When Zhang Hao finally finds the strength to speak, any brain-to-mouth filter he once had is now gone. "I thought you'd confess to me at somewhere more grand… we're literally in the middle of nowhere!"

His voice comes out as more of a whine, and there's enough of a breathy, cheerful tone to it that makes Hanbin understand that this is just a lighthearted joke on Zhang Hao's part. It's his way of loving Hanbin.

"We just had dinner," Hanbin points at the ice cream sticks, "We had a lovely conversation getting to know one another, or "unlocking my tragic backstory", as you'd like to call it," He lifts up the magazine in his lap, "And I sincerely confessed my love to you. I think the scene is more than appropriate, but if you'd like something grander, I'll take you to a fancy restaurant or bring you to watch the sunset at the shore in the future–"

Zhang Hao pulls Hanbin into a tight hug, eager to feel the younger's comforting warmth spread through his body, merging them into one. The latter seems to understand, reciprocating with arms wrapped around his torso and pulling him close. Hanbin finds solace in the space between Zhang Hao's shoulder and neck, taking in the smell of his lavender-scented shampoo. And Zhang Hao does the same, tucking his head and enjoying the feeling of his heart finally feeling satiated.

"You haven't said it back." Hanbin whispers into his shoulder.

"And if I don't?" Zhang Hao can't help but tease.

Hanbin just scoffs, "Then I'd know with the way you're clinging onto me like a cute little koala."

A pout forms on Zhang Hao's face, but he supposes his actions speak louder to Hanbin than words. Still, he can't help but hope for Hanbin to fight a little harder for him, can't help but hope to gain an upper hand in this sickeningly sweet confession scene.

"So you don't need me to say it." He whines.

Hanbin pulls back enough to lock eyes with Zhang Hao, grip still tight around his waist. The intensity and sheer want in his eyes would be enough to make Zhang Hao's knees buckle if he were standing. He knows he'll have the privilege of falling ungraciously into the younger's arms if his body gives out.

"I love you, Zhang Hao."

Say it back.

Say the words that you've been meaning to say since the very start.

Say the three words that'll make him yours, and you his.

Zhang Hao smiles, with his eyes forming crescent moons, and confesses, "I love you too, Sung Hanbin."

They're walking back to the convenience store, Hanbin's arm unabashedly wrapped around Zhang Hao's waist and guiding him like the older will fall the moment his arm moves away. Zhang Hao can already imagine how cheesy they'll be as a couple, and delights at the image of Taerae and Ricky's disgusted faces.

"I can't believe I agreed not to kiss you until you've found the 'perfect moment'." Hanbin pouts, gripping onto Zhang Hao tighter to prevent any accidental slips. With such overprotectiveness, you'd never expect Hanbin to be the clumsier of the two.

"It's how dramas work! The kiss happens off-screen and the audience is left speculating and anticipating if they'll actually get a kiss scene. And then, the kiss happens at the very moment no one expects it to, taking everyone by surprise!" Zhang Hao exclaims, baffled by Hanbin's apparent lack of understanding of a build-up and climax.

His boyfriend (hehe my boyfriend, Zhang Hao internally swoons) just sighs in defeat, though without one more attempt at a rebuttal.

"The couple usually kiss after the confession though…"

"Too cliché!" Zhang Hao fires back with full confidence. In his head, he's on one of those podiums in Ace Attorney, brilliantly spotting weaknesses in Hanbin's argument and having "Objection!" pop up in bright red letters on the screen. "It's okay, Hanbinnie. I won't make you wait too long! When the time comes, you'll know."

Hanbin chuckles, conceding defeat and nodding along.

"Besides, you confessed to me on Christmas Eve! Anyone knows that if you want to make an anniversary extra special, you confess on the day of a special occasion." Zhang Hao complains, more of a joke than anything. He's plenty happy with being confessed to in the first place.

To his surprise, though, Hanbin says, "The Christmas party is always held on the 25th though, I didn't want you to have to choose between spending the day ourselves or with our friends. And you've said before that Yujin loves to celebrate Christmas on the day itself, not the night before, because it makes it even more special to have his friends and family all together on Christmas Day."

Oh.

Oh.

Oh shit, Zhang Hao thinks as he feels his heart swell with affection for his lover. God, how can Hanbin be so perfect?

"And besides, we won't have to share our anniversary with a holiday. We'll have the whole day to ourselves, and perhaps the night too…" Zhang Hao can practically hear the smugness in Hanbin's voice.

"Yah!" Zhang Hao smacks Hanbin with zero strength, face as red as a tomato. "How indecent of you, Sung Hanbin!"

The younger just laughs, rubbing his back in silent apology and reassurance. Zhang Hao doesn't know what's waiting for him in the future, and try as he might to pretend he's not looking forward to it, his heart is already trembling with anticipation.

They have all the time in the world.

"How do you have that magazine anyway? It's from a few years ago, I doubt they'd still be selling it."

"Ricky's in this magazine."

"And?"

"Gyuvin's working at the convenience store right now."

"Ah, that makes sense… So what other magazines were you featured in?"

❄️

+1

Sung Hanbin stirs awake with the knowledge that he is irrevocably in love with Zhang Hao.

Christmas, to him, has always been a day full of festive lights and joy manufactured from human hands. The holiday was made special only with his mother's cooking, the Christmas tree they decorated the week before, and the neatly wrapped gifts lying beneath. In Seoul, the sentiment stayed true, with the holiday only finding meaning in his eyes through the shared pizzas and cheap gifts. And of course, the brief respite from his schoolwork.

But no, Hanbin has never woken up on Christmas Day thinking that it's a particularly special day. Because his room would still look the same, the bed would still feel comfortably warm as always, and when he opens his eyes, nothing would've changed from the day before.

That is not the case today.

Today, Hanbin wakes up and immediately finds his heart floating and beating wildly within his ribcage. His eyes open to find that everything has changed, and that the scene before him is something he can compare to a Christmas miracle.

Zhang Hao's head is resting on his arm, the one with his tattoo that says "don't regret what you do", with his body pressed snugly against Hanbin's. His snores are, objectively, far from soft and gentle like the female leads he loves to compare himself to, but Hanbin relishes in it all the same.

The anchoring weight of Zhang Hao's body to his is nothing short of comforting. And even though he's sure that the numbness in his arm will turn into pins and needles as soon as Zhang Hao lifts his head, the feeling of the older being so close to him brings a warm solace in this wintry morning.

It'd been late into the night when their conversation finally drifted towards its end, the two of them opting to head to Hanbin's house halfway through to escape from the cold. Zhang Hao's eyelids were drooping and threatening to close, and Hanbin couldn't simply send him back home on his own without worrying himself to death. And so, despite Zhang Hao's half-baked protest of "bringing me to bed three hours into our relationship, Hanbin-ah? How scandalous…" Hanbin had princess-carried his hyung to his bed, trying his best not to let his impulsive thoughts take over when Zhang Hao had let out a half-frightened, half-excited squeal.

He was trying to live up to his reputation of being a courteous gentleman too, about to leave and sleep on his couch when Zhang Hao had sleepily tugged at his shirt, whining for him to stay.

Well, Hanbin is a gentleman, but he is also just a man.

So here he is, waking up to the awfully domestic sight before him. And a part of him wonders, with a sliver of hope, whether this will become a sight that he can indulge in every morning. For now, he smiles at the snoring prince by his side and lightly traces his hand across his lover's jaw, reaching the messy bird's nest of hair and pushing his bangs to the side.

The action causes Zhang Hao to stir, burrowing his face into Hanbin's side as he groans. Watching him trying to escape from the sunlight shining into Hanbin's room is both a hilarious and endearing sight. Hanbin can't help the cooing sound that comes out of his mouth.

"Five more minutes…" Zhang Hao whimpers, and Hanbin has to stop himself from lifting the older by his torso and kissing him silly. He's just too cute like this, still mostly asleep and drowsy.

He places a kiss on the crown of Zhang Hao's head, numb arm tugging him impossibly closer. "Okay. Merry Christmas, Hao-hyung."

Zhang Hao sluggishly shifts from where he rests, head tilting up to look at Hanbin for the first time this morning. His eyes are almost screwed shut, still adjusting to the morning light, and his lower lip juts out slightly in a natural pout. He's the most beautiful sight Hanbin's seen.

"Merry Christmas…" Zhang Hao mumbles with a dopey grin on his face before falling back into Hanbin's embrace, huddling to steal warmth from the natural heater Hanbin is.

The view outside his window still looks the same, unchanging from the day before, but Hanbin knows that today will definitely be a special day.

Barely a few seconds later, the passing thought that today is Christmas seems to fully materialise in Zhang Hao's head. He shoots up in shock, effectively startling Hanbin and drawing a high-pitched yelp from him.

"It's Christmas!" His lover grabs his phone to check the time, before promptly freaking out. "It's already 10! I need to get ready for the party tonight!"

Before Hanbin can ponder about why Zhang Hao would ever need to start preparing at 10am for a party that starts at 7pm, the older is already grabbing his belongings and turns around to a sleepy and disoriented Hanbin. Hanbin sees the gears turning in his head for a second before he feels his hand being lifted, Zhang Hao's lips pressing against the back of his palm. The kiss is chaste, gone as quickly as it came.

"I'll see you tonight?" Zhang Hao smiles at him with his unkempt hair and bare face. He's the prettiest person Hanbin's met.

"See you, hyung."

And then Zhang Hao's gone.

Ah, Hanbin's stares fondly at his hand, I really love him.

Hanbin is, on all accounts, enjoying himself at the Christmas party.

He arrives pretty early by the group's standards, which is half an hour late, wearing a snowman costume that is made even more realistic with actual snow falling on him on his way. The living room only has three familiar faces when he walks in. Jiwoong and Yujin, who literally cannot be late considering that this is their house, and Taerae, dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater and green sweatpants. Hanbin doesn't say anything when he realises Taerae is matching with Jiwoong.

Yujin is, unsurprisingly, dressed as Santa Claus.

The rest of the people are, presumably, family. They warmly welcome him into the house, immediately providing him with a plate of food and a steaming mug of hot chocolate, encouraging him to help himself to seconds and thirds.

He has a pleasant conversation with the people present, and by that he means teaming up with Yujin to tease the couple-not-couple (it's complicated, Zhang Hao had once said) in their matching sweaters and watching Taerae's ears burn while Jiwoong takes it in stride. He's not spared from the teasing as well, with Jiwoong casually mentioning the time he ran into Hanbin and Zhang Hao at the cafe and the other two immediately latching onto that piece of information like starving hyenas.

Gyuvin and Ricky arrive next. The former is dressed as a reindeer with a shiny red nose while the latter wears a Santa-inspired dress that would've put him on the naughty list if it weren't for a pair of black tights covering his butt. Classic Ricky, Hanbin thinks as he watches Gyuvin glancing downwards at least ten times in the span of a minute.

"Mistletoe!"

Yujin shouts with an evil grin on his face, and Hanbin turns to look at where Gyuvin and Ricky are. As expected, a mistletoe hangs above their heads, waiting for them to partake in its romantic tradition.

Ricky rolls his eyes while Gyuvin's face turns crimson. The rest of them seem to enjoy this turn of events, egging the two on.

Gyuvin is the one to take the plunge, pressing a soft kiss onto Ricky's cheek as the crowd cheers. Hanbin swears he hears Taerae mutter "coward". And Ricky seems to agree, levelling Gyuvin with an unimpressed look before grabbing his boyfriend's face and kissing him smack on the lips.

The cheers grow louder, even turning into hollers. It seems that the Christmas spirit has brought about a playful side to everyone.

Fortunately for Hanbin, Ricky is the one humbly chosen by the group to be subjected to endless interrogation about his time in Seoul. It's been a while since Ricky's been back in Yuseong, so it's no surprise that everyone's interested in his endeavours, which he delightfully shares. Similar to Hanbin, Ricky himself has a rather stoic, handsome face that can be misinterpreted easily as him being vexed by the rather… enthusiastic questioning. But looking at the shine in his eyes and the lack of tension in his body, Hanbin can tell that Ricky's really happy to be back, surrounded by new and old friends.

Hanbin hears Matthew and Gunwook before they arrive, the duo's loud banter reaching the living room first. The two show up dressed as elves, putting their gifts under the Christmas tree before heading over and making themselves at home. They don't even freeze when Yujin shouts "mistletoe!" again, pulling each other in for a loud kiss that leaves Taerae gagging, Jiwoong laughing by his side.

Somehow, the two had managed to befriend almost everyone in town with their friendly and extroverted personalities. Even Ricky and Yujin, who are typically more wary of strangers, have warmed up to them in the span of a few meetings. As such, they blend into the conversation almost instantly with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands, yapping along and spreading their infectious energy.

Time flies when the eight of them are together, chatting away at whatever topics come to mind. Everyone is somehow included in the conversation, from the group throwing questions at the new Yuseong tenants, to relentlessly teasing almost every couple in the room, to every hyung praising and cooing at Yujin for doing well in his recent examinations. Hanbin finds himself enjoying this cozy Christmas party, the pleasant company allowing for a warm solace to settle in his bones.

There's no expectation for him to be anything else but himself, and he's not spending his time curating an acceptable answer about what life goal he's set to achieve next. No one pushes him to talk when he doesn't wish to, content to have him be a listening ear in the group's easy back-and-forth discussions. Christmas here is so different from the noisy streets of Seoul, and Hanbin finds his heart full and satiated.

Well, almost.

There's very obviously one person missing in all of this, one person Hanbin is specifically waiting for to show up, most likely in glitz and glamour. It's the same person he gave his heart to, that special someone who would light up Hanbin's day (well, night, he supposes) even if he were to show up in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants.

That's how Hanbin fell in love with him after all, many moons ago in a random convenience store he stumbled upon during his night walk.

So, as much as Hanbin is enjoying himself at this party, he also misses his Hao-hyung. Very fervently, he might add. Such is the life of a honeymoon phase that he hopes will never come to an end.

"Missing your lover boy?" Ricky asks, sliding into the empty seat next to Hanbin.

"He's…" Hanbin can't even deny it, he's technically dating Zhang Hao now, even though it seems so surreal to him. "Is he coming soon?" He settles on.

Ricky just snorts, the crude sound almost unbecoming of someone who looks like him, "The guy loves to make a grand entrance, I reckon he's late this time because he spent an hour doing and re-doing his eyeliner."

"Don't worry about Hao-hyung, he's gonna walk in in the next five minutes and then you'll understand why he's late." Taerae chimes in, rolling his eyes at the thought.

And speak of the devil (an angel in Hanbin's eyes).

The door opens and moments later, Hanbin's breath is taken away by the actual angel standing in front of him.

Zhang Hao's hair is freshly dyed, light pink strands framing his face instead of the usual black. His bangs are curled and parted slightly to the right, covering most of his forehead. The fresh pink hair gives him an innocent look, and Hanbin has half a mind to compare him to an innocent lamb.

His makeup complements the look perfectly. Freckles (it takes every bit of Hanbin's willpower to not stalk up to the man and kiss every star on his face) are expertly dotted on Zhang Hao's face, layered above soft pink blush spreading across his cheekbones and nose bridge. His eyes carry glitter eyeshadow and thin eyeliner, most of the makeup being focused on making his eyes bigger and his aegyosal more prominent yet gentle. And his lips, they're coloured a pale pink a few shades darker than his hair colour, accentuating its plumpness when he pouts.

His costume is… for the lack of a better word, stunning. When Zhang Hao takes off his outerwear, Hanbin can already hear the collective groans sounding behind him about how Zhang Hao is not wearing a silly costume like the rest of them. Instead of opting for a cheap costume at the store, he dons a long-sleeved, loose white blouse that flows nicely to his waist before being tucked into a pair of beige pants to accentuate his small, very grabbable waist. The blouse itself has a small slit at the center, revealing just the tiniest bit of skin. He's also wearing the white scarf that Hanbin had bought for him, but instead of draping it around his neck, he's wearing it like a boa, resting it on his elbows and letting the fabric wrap around his back.

Hanbin gulps at the sight, confident that his ears are crimson to expose his flustered state. He feels tongue-tied, unable to choke anything out because how can he string compliments together when no words can fully describe how innocently alluring Zhang Hao looks right now?

All he can internally say to himself is, holy shit.

"And what are you dressed as, Hao-hyung?" Yujin asks, not as impressed as Hanbin by the show of beauty before them.

Zhang Hao tilts his head and smiles coyly, a sight that Hanbin ingrains in his head. "A snowman."

A snowman.

That's what Hanbin is. And apparently Zhang Hao too.

His brain shuts down at the thought of them being matching snowmen.

Though, Zhang Hao is much more similar to a snow angel, beautiful and ethereal. The role of snowman will be taken on by Hanbin, watching over his lovely snow angel. But unlike the transient snow creations, Hanbin hopes to hold this snow angel in his arms forever.

"You're matching with Hanbin-hyung!" Gyuvin says, completely unaware of Hanbin's malfunctioning state beside him.

The rest of the room go back to conversation after handing Zhang Hao his drink and a plate of food. It seems that everyone else is used to Zhang Hao's Christmas party antics (or have their own lovers to gawk at), and Hanbin laments the fact that he's missed his boyfriend's previous looks. He's sure that they're just as jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Speaking of Zhang Hao, said boyfriend is now standing before him, food and drink placed aside as the older smiles at him.

"What does my fellow snowman think?" Zhang Hao shyly averts his gaze, and Hanbin would assume it as an act of coyness if it weren't for his boyfriend's flaming ears.

"I– Words can't describe how beautiful you look." Hanbin answers immediately and honestly, eyes still taking in Zhang Hao's full look. "You're not a snowman, hyung. You're a snow angel."

Seemingly satisfied, Zhang Hao does a twirl to show off even more, the smile on his face shifting from hesitant to genuine at Hanbin's praise. At Hanbin's sharp intake of breath, Zhang Hao's grin only grows brighter.

"Good, I dressed up for you after all."

Oh, how lucky of a man Hanbin is.

The party, more of a cozy hangout at this point, progresses through the night smoothly. The food, prepared by Jiwoong and Yujin's family, dwindles and finishes pretty quickly with how good every bite tastes. It helps that everyone came on an empty stomach. Hanbin gratefully drinks cup after cup of hot chocolate. He's convinced that by the end of the night, his body will be mostly hot chocolate instead of water.

They shift from small talk to games like truth or dare (with family friendly questions) and uno, but the games don't last long when Yujin challenges Gunwook to Mario Kart, after Gunwook teasingly taunts their youngest that he'll easily beat him at the game. The rest of them take bets on who'll win, Matthew, Gyuvin, Ricky and Hanbin taking Gunwook's side while the rest stick with Yujin.

"No one beats Yujin, you'll see." Zhang Hao whispers in Hanbin's ear, undoubtedly certain of the results.

Hanbin focuses less on the actual game and more of the shiver that passes through him when Zhang Hao's breath inches a little too close to his ear. Apologies to Gunwook and Yujin, but Hanbin is fighting with his own battle with how Zhang Hao's body is pressing so close to him that he's basically on his lap.

He slaps himself internally for the passing thought that yes, he most definitely would not mind being Zhang Hao's glorified chair.

In the time that Hanbin has an internal crisis over the pretty and breathtaking existence of a man that is Zhang Hao, Yujin beats Gunwook in Mario Kart, placing first while Gunwook lands himself in fifth place. It's not surprising when Gunwook demands a rematch, and the hyungs simply let the two duke it out. They add in two more players on the Nintendo for everyone else to take turns playing, even though they know Yujin will reign champion.

Ricky, Taerae and Zhang Hao are giggling, catching one another up on the latest gossip in Yuseong and Seoul. It's a wonder how Zhang Hao and Taerae are able to keep up with Ricky when he mentions ten different names in one sentence, but Hanbin supposes they're familiar enough with Ricky's life in Seoul and keep in contact often. He doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but with Zhang Hao barely a centimeter away from him, he's basically a spectator in their juicy gossip session.

Matthew and Gyuvin are Gunwook's biggest supporters, cheering him on when he manages to overtake Yujin. Jiwoong sits silently, enjoying his cup of hot tea and looking at the screen like he understands what's going on. A mere pretense, of course, for Hanbin had overheard Jiwoong asking what the goal of Mario Kart even was a few minutes ago.

It's incredibly easy for Hanbin to sit back and take in the sight of his friends, new and old, enjoying themselves freely in this moment and call them his family.

Yuseong is a lovely town, with locals welcoming him into their stores with no qualms for who he was before he arrived and colleagues eagerly spending time with him, getting to know him outside of whoever he was in Seoul. The scenery here, much different from Seoul, is filled with small shophouses and lived-in homes; Hanbin often finds himself walking through town with his thoughts undisturbed, the quiet a welcome reprieve. It's a rare thing after all, nowadays, to be able to look up and have the sky fill your vision.

But as much as Yuseong is a wonderful place, it's perfect because of the people before him whom he's had the privilege to call friends. And looking at the rowdy and jovial scene before him, Hanbin feels a serene warmth finding home in his heart.

"What are you thinking about?"

Zhang Hao's cute face pops in front of him, eyes all doe-like and filled with curiosity.

Herein lies the final reason for Hanbin's happiness.

When Hanbin had sat in an empty room in Seoul, contemplating whether he should continue working himself to death or drastically restart his life, he'd never imagined finding the love of his life in this small town. But he's grateful for the decision he made back then, because it allowed him to run into an adorable, weird (in the best ways) boy at a convenience store in Yuseong.

Hanbin wants to smile at Zhang Hao, but already finds himself smiling, content with his train of thought.

"Just how happy I am to be here, with all of you." He replies.

Zhang Hao intertwines his hand with Hanbin's, bringing it to his heart. "I'm happy too."

If Hanbin could kiss Zhang Hao right now, he would, even if his friends would fake gag and tease him. But his boyfriend did, unfortunately, say that he'd only allow it when the time is right. Patience is a virtue that Hanbin, thankfully, possesses, but even a gentleman like himself finds difficulty in resisting Zhang Hao's kissable lips.

Gift-giving comes next.

The group had decided to go with Secret Santa so that everyone gets a gift and no one has to spend too much money. Any other gifts, they were to give outside of their Secret Santa.

Hanbin receives a new pair of shoes from Matthew, the latter proudly pointing out that the soles of Hanbin's current dance shoes had already come off thrice, and that no more superglue will fix his dying shoes. He vehemently refuses to accept the death of his beloved shoes, but thanks Matthew for his lovely gift.

Matthew receives a booster box of Pokemon cards plus a card that he's been looking for from Ricky, the shorter man bursting with glee when he opens his gift. Ricky himself looks amused when he opens his gift to find a leopard print shirt paired with black sunglasses, thanking Gunwook for his immaculate fashion choice. Next, Gunwook is all smiles and hugs Taerae for the customised microphone, eager to use it for his next rap project.

Taerae is, hilariously, gifted a set consisting of a red sweater, red sweatpants, red shoes, and a red cap. It's very much on brand for him, who loves pairing bright colours together, but Gyuvin earns a smack from Taerae anyways. Gyuvin is gifted an actual luggage of snacks from different parts of Seoul. Jiwoong laughs when he's squished by Gyuvin's hug, clarifying that yes, the luggage is part of the gift. Their oldest sighs when Yujin grins at him with his gift, the gift that he did indeed buy with Jiwoong's money. He unwraps his gift to find new art supplies and chuckles, chiding Yujin for getting him something expensive with a smile on his face.

Zhang Hao is already waiting for Yujin to pull him into a hug after opening his gift. And their youngest does so, predictably, when he finds a new set of dance apparel and shoes waiting for him in the wrapped up gift box.

"You'll be Matthew and Gunwook's first customer when they open up their studio, won't you?" Zhang Hao asks, to which Yujin enthusiastically nods.

The last gift, Hanbin's, is presented to Zhang Hao with uncharacteristically shaky hands. Hanbin doesn't know why he's nervous. Maybe it's the fact that his gift is less of a Christmas gift and more of a romantic gesture; Or maybe it's the fact that his gift holds more sentimental value than anything, and if Zhang Hao doesn't like it, Hanbin wouldn't know what else to do other than throw it in the nearest bin available. Or maybe, it's the first gift Hanbin is giving to Zhang Hao as his boyfriend, and he doesn't want this to go wrong.

There's another gift in the box, which was a backup gift in case his confession the night before had gone wrong. It's much richer than his actual gift in terms of price and appearance, but it's easier to hide that gift as a friendly, if not slightly flirty, Secret Santa-worthy gesture. Zhang Hao gets to that first, staring in awe as he finds a silver necklace with a violin charm in the middle. He turns to Hanbin with gratitude written all across his face, smiling as he says, "Put it on for me?"

By now, the rest of the group is used to their relationship-like antics, merely groaning and pretending to hide their eyes from the affectionate sight. Distantly, Hanbin realises that just like how Hanbin has yet to tell his close friends about his relationship, Zhang Hao has kept his mouth zipped about it.

Interesting.

Once the necklace is on, Zhang Hao spots another gift in the box, still wrapped and safe from his confused eyes. Hanbin gestures for him to open it, the redness on his cheeks almost betraying his rapidly beating heart. Zhang Hao promptly unwraps the gift, and holds it up with twinkling eyes and a wondrous expression on his face.

It's a snow globe.

A customised snow globe of the street where Hanbin had confessed to Zhang Hao, with the convenience store where they first met in the corner. The details of the scene in the snow globe are immaculately done, thanks to the couple at the sculpture store who were more than willing to help him create the snow globe. He thinks it has to do with the fact that he mentioned wanting to gift it to someone he liked. They had knowing smiles when Zhang Hao and himself visited after all.

At the center of the beautifully designed scene stands two figurines. One is blonde and dressed in black while the other is raven-haired and wearing a white scarf, outfit similar to Zhang Hao's winter clothing.

"It's… us." Zhang Hao mutters, eyes fixed on the snow globe in his hands.

Hanbin finds himself struggling to decode Zhang Hao's reaction, despite the older usually being easy to read. He finds the need to say something. "It's us. We met in winter, so I thought this was fitting as a gift. As a reminder of our firsts."

If Hanbin had more to say, his words would be squished by the tight hug that Zhang Hao has encased him in. He's careful not to damage the snow globe, but wraps his arms around Hanbin like he's the most precious thing in Zhang Hao's life.

"I love it so much! Thank you, my Hanbin-ah." Zhang Hao whispers, reverence on his tongue. "I love you."

Hanbin whispers back, "I love you too."

It's then that Zhang Hao separates from him, putting the snow globe back down gently before rushing over to the entrance of the room. Everyone is confused for a second, but Hanbin registers the man grabbing the hanging mistletoe before rushing back to where Hanbin is still seated.

Zhang Hao holds the mistletoe above their heads, grinning at Hanbin. He hopes, with every bit of his heart, that Zhang Hao will continue smiling like this for the rest of their lives.

"This is the perfect moment, Hanbin-ah."

Without hesitation, Hanbin leans in and meets Zhang Hao's lips in the middle.

Zhang Hao's lips are sweeter than he's ever imagined. And maybe it has to do with the copious amounts of hot chocolate that his hyung had consumed earlier, but Hanbin would much rather attribute it to the sweet taste of love.

He faintly registers gasps and excited murmurs, but promptly ignores the sounds of his friends. The mistletoe now lightly scratches at his back, Zhang Hao lowering his arms to wrap around Hanbin's shoulders, but he pays it no mind. Instead, he focuses on the warm lips pressed against his, feeling Zhang Hao's satisfied smile as the rest of the world fades into noise.

It's by no means a heated kiss, much more gentle like the light snowflakes that dance in his palm, but it's intimate all the same. He can hear Zhang Hao sigh pleasantly into the kiss, enjoying the way Hanbin grabs his waist to pull him close and the faint pressure on his lips. Hanbin savours every moment, indulging in the warmth that courses through his body.

It's perfect, Hanbin thinks.

They pull back after a short while, Hanbin stopping himself from instinctively chasing after Zhang Hao's plush lips. They catch their breaths, giggling at each other as the world comes back into existence.

Belatedly, he hears his friends cheer and react dramatically to the hard launch in front of them.

"I knew it! You two were acting too weird last night!" Gyuvin shrieks.

"Wait, does that mean they got together before Christmas? I was betting on New Year's!" Taerae complains as Matthew jumps with joy, "Hah! Pay up guys, I won this bet fair and square."

"Technically, we were betting on Christmas or New Year's but they got together before that, right? So no one wins?" Gunwook defends, trying to save his dignity and wallet.

"You guys were betting on us?" Hanbin asks, mortified at his friends. How did Matthew and Gunwook get so close to the rest of them anyways?

"Of course." Ricky smirks, "What other way to bond with new friends?"

Zhang Hao just laughs, turning back to Hanbin as he pulls him back in for another chaste kiss. "Just ignore them, this moment is about us."

"Was this part of your plan? Is this your ideal k-drama ending after all?" Hanbin smiles as Zhang Hao peppers kisses all over his face.

"Of course not." Zhang Hao responds, giggling.

"This is just the beginning, Hanbin-ah."

Indeed, Hanbin agrees, this is the start of many more winters with you.