Archive of Our Own

It was the first day of a new school year but for Seonghwa it was different. New school, new friends, new environment, new everything. He was about to start high school and he could've felt his nerves were as high as the N Seoul Tower.

Middle school had been fine for him. He didn't have any close friends but his classmates had been nice to be around with. Now though, he had to get used to new people, new faces that he had never seen before. The worst thing was that, most likely, everybody knew his name.

His father had a great reputation in his neighborhood, as he owned most of the restaurants in the city. Thankfully, kids in middle school wouldn't mind it, but who knew about his future classmates. What if they were going to judge him or avoid him, before he could've even tried to let them get to really know him past his name.

He huffed as he stared up at the large building across from him. There it was, the school he was going to attend every single day for the next three years. He clutched his backpack strings tightly as he made his way inside the building.

Both the entrance and hallways where flooding with students. He could've instantly told who was new and who had just started his last year. He felt incredibly small as he passed beside the third year students and he decided to keep his head low, not wanting to catch any attention.

He was searching for his class, checking every few seconds if he got the right number, 'first year class 3' . He felt like he had walked around the whole school ten times, it seemed as if his class was hiding itself.

He stopped in his tracks to calm himself down, he could do this, he had just needed to find a classroom, how hard could've that been? He took a deep breath, then. "Hey! are you lost?" a boy asked, jumping in front of him.

Seonghwa startled as he stepped back.
He looked at the boy for a moment, immediately noticing his unique features. He had a pointy nose, sharp eyes, prominent cheeks, and his hair was...blue?the color had already started to fade.

He recomposed himself, but was too embarrassed to admit he couldn't find his class, so he lied. "Uh, no...I was just heading to class." he said. The boy hadn't looked convinced but still, he nodded. "Alright! what's your class?" he smiled.

Seonghwa was confused, why was he so interested? had he already recognized him and was trying to get something from him? he couldn't be sure though, so he tried to be polite. "First year, class three." he simply said.

The boy's eyes lit up at the information. "Really?! mine too! come on, we could walk together?" he exclaimed. Seonghwa's eyes narrowed slightly but still nodded, without adding anything else, he started walking.

The boy didn't though, which made Seonghwa turn around just to find him sneering with his hands on his hips. Seonghwa's face could've definitely told how confused he had been, since the boy said. "Wrong way buddy, come on, follow me!" he turned around and started walking the other way, without glancing back, as if he already knew that Seonghwa would've followed and, in fact, he did.

He followed the boy to their class and he immediately went to the furthest seat at the end of the last row, that thankfully had been left free. The other boy had looked slightly disappointed, since the last row was already all occupied so he opted for one at the center of the third row.

After that Seonghwa had seemed like he had finally calmed down. So far no one had recognized him and he had been thankfull for that, but as soon as the teacher stepped into class, nervousness had already started to grow inside him again. The teacher would've called his name, and his peace would've been shattered in no time.

He took a deep breath and waited for his name to be called, hoping that somehow the teacher would've skipped it. He hadn't even minded to hear his classmates' names, so he had missed the introduction of the boy that had led him to class, not that he had any interest into knowing him, but he had been a little bit curious.

"Park Seonghwa?" his name was called. Seonghwa exhaled and stood. "Here." he said. The teacher and the whole class were now looking at him, some with widened eyes, some with unreadable faces. As for the boy from earlier, he was looking at him as if he was waiting for something else.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" the teacher continued. Of course, he had to present himself to his new classmates, how could've he had forgotten? he cursed himself mentally, then straightened up and inhaled. "Yes, uhm, I'm Park Seonghwa, I'm 16 and my birthday is on April 3rd. I used to go to Seongji middle school and I'm looking forward into knowing all of you." he glanced around, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"That's nice Seonghwa, would you like to add anything else?" she added. Seonghwa only shook his head, his hands were fidgeting with his rings so much he was sure they had carved into his skin. At his silence the teacher finally moved on to the next student.

Seonghwa instantly sat down with a big exhale but he was glad that the worst part of the day was over, now he just had to follow lessons and wait for the school day to be over.

Even if the teacher had moved on, the boy from earlier kept glancing back at him. Seonghwa hadn't understood why back then, was it because of his name, or just pure curiosity? he had really hoped that the boy hadn't recognized him, he wouldn't have minded a friend who didn't know who he was.

As for his classmates he could've already heard his name being whispered between a few, others looked at him while talking, some girls were even giggling, but he just tucked down his head and tried to ignore all of them.

The rest of the lessons went by mostly alright. He had to reintroduce himself again to the new teachers but every time he kept repeating the exact same thing.

During the second time he had even managed to catch that boy's introduction.

"I'm Kim Hongjoong! I'm still 15 'cause my birthday is on November 7th. I used to go to the middle school at the end of the road, since I live around here. I love any type of art but mostly photography and fashion design!"

Kim Hongjoong. He would've remembered that name.

The bell, that announced everyone that lunch break had started, rang. His classmates were already spilling out of class but he decided to take his time. As he stood up and looked down at his desk, he could feel a presence in front of him, so, he looked up, just to find Hongjoong staring at him with a grin.

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, waiting for Hongjoong to speak.
"Are you going to get lunch?" he finally asked.

Seonghwa looked at him confused but still nodded. Hongjoong's smile only widened. "Great! come, I suppose you don't know where the cafeteria is? you can follow me!" he exclaimed.

Seonghwa couldn't understand why that boy kept approaching him, but he couldn't deny that his presence wasn't an unpleasant one.

Hongjoong had already started walking out of class, so Seonghwa hurried behind him. It didn't take long for Hongjoong to start talking again though. "I know this school like the back of my hand. My older brother used to let me sneak in to hang out with him and his friends. That's why I know many people and where everything is." he explained with a shrug.

Seonghwa only hummed, why would Hongjoong tell him that? he didn't want to seem rude but he had just met the boy, he couldn't imagine giving such confidence to a stranger.

That didn't look like it'd stop Hongjoong though, since he kept talking all the way to the cafeteria and even as they were sitting to eat their lunch. Many people stopped by to speak to Hongjoong - most of them older than them - making Seonghwa understand how known the other was in school.

He hadn't minded though, as long as the attention wasn't on him. But as he had predicted that morning, his peace was soon interrupted by two of their classmates walking towards their table.

"Are you that Park Seonghwa? the son of Park Hwaming?" the girl asked with a grin. Seonghwa sighed internally, there went his tranquility. He only nodded, not bothering to give the other an answer.

The girl had seemed disappointed but tried to hide it. She asked a few other things, simple questions to start a conversation, but as she noticed the coldness in Seonghwa she gave up and left with her friend following behind.

As soon as they were gone Seonghwa exhaled. He hadn't wanted to seem rude, but he hated when someone would approach him only because of his status.

He put the chopsticks down, his appetite far gone, then he looked up at Hongjoong whose eyes were slightly widened and his mouth agape. Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, why was he looking at him like that? then, a realization struck him, now Kim Hongjoong knew who he was.

He fought himself not to frown, he knew this would've happened, but he had still hoped he could've found a friend who didn't care about his last name, only about Seonghwa.

"What is it?" he asked and Hongjoong cleared his throat as he came back on earth. "Uh, what? nothing, sorry I just spaced out." he spluttered and Seonghwa only nodded.

Hongjoong hadn't said another word afterwards. As soon as the bell rang he told Seonghwa to go back to class and, after that, he didn't hear anything else from the boy again. Not on their way back to class, not the next day, nor in the following weeks.

Seonghwa hadn't thought too much about it at first, but as the days passed, he couldn't help but wonder why. Usually when someone learned about his name, they would've tried anything to get close to him, but why didn't Hongjoong? Hongjoong did the exact opposite, he distanced himself completely.

They had barely talked that first day but Seonghwa had already started to like the boy. He was an unusual individual but he was nice to be with. He hadn't spoken much during their conversation, but that had been for a purpose. He had wanted to check if Hongjoong wanted something from him, or just wanted to genuinely be his friend.

Apparently, even if in a different way, his name had ruined another possible friendship he could've built.

He huffed loudly as he ate his lunch. He was sitting on his own in a corner of the cafeteria. Other students had tried to approach him but they all did in the same way. 'Are you Park Seonghwa? it must be so great to have a father like yours.'   always the exact same phrase, as if they all had agreed to tell him that every time.

He looked up from his tray and his eyes traveled around the cafeteria. He didn't do it on purpose, but every time they would find Hongjoong, and each time he caught him already looking. That made Seonghwa get confused, what did he want from him?

What confused him even more was that Hongjoong looked like he had countless of friends. He sat with different people almost every day, students from every year and class. He had even managed to spot his older brother, they had looked incredibly alike.

Maybe that was the reason why he wasn't interested in knowing Seonghwa anymore, he had enough friends already, why bother to talk to the son of a rich man, who wouldn't even try to make an effort to keep the conversation going?

That had made him regret not speaking up more when Hongjoong had approached him, had his behavior been annoying? that could've been another reason why Hongjoong hadn't tried to talk to him again, and now Seonghwa found himself spiraling over something he would've never received answers about. He just sighed it out as he stood and left the cafeteria.

~~

Two weeks had passed and Seonghwa had really tried to get Hongjoong out of his mind, but how could've he? the boy was in the same class as him, everyone in school knew him and somehow he was always lingering around, it had been impossible for him to not think about him.

Eventually, he had given up, he stopped pretending he didn't care anymore so he started observing. He noticed how Hongjoong was so friendly with everyone, how he talked to anybody that came in his way, but why not Seonghwa?

Had Seonghwa been that terrible that he had to be the only exception in the whole school? he had tried to ignore that thought but he couldn't help to always go back to it.

He was feeling almost jealous, he had grown an interest into that boy and was yearning to get to know him more, to be his friend, or - he had found himself to realize - be something more. He had never felt like this about anyone before.

He had always known that he liked men but he had never wanted to be close to a boy as bad as he did with Hongjoong. But of course life had decided that the he had to fall for the only boy who had no interest in him.

Seonghwa had been asked out multiple times in the past weeks but he had rejected them all politely, mostly. A few even kept insisting so he had found himself almost snapping, but for the sake of his name he decided not to.

He was in class, barely listening to what the teacher was saying. His mind and eyes were always drifting to Hongjoong. He had caught the other already staring multiple times and that kept bothering him. What was up with that boy? why did he despise him so much? had his father's restaurants disappointed him, or maybe he was disappointed into finding out that his son had looked like, well, like Seonghwa.

He found himself huffing and sighing so much that his classmates even glared at him from time to time, but he couldn't help it. Not when he was so bothered about something he couldn't find an answer to, not if he didn't ask the person himself, but he could've never brought himself to do that.

Yes, he could've just approached him and asked like a normal person, but every time he had tried, he felt his throat burn and heart race so much he couldn't even step in front of the other before freaking out and leave.

He had grown a big interest in Hongjoong but he couldn't dare to try and be friends with him. They were way too different for that. Hongjoong was easygoing, knew the whole school and could've befriended or dated whoever he wanted, as for Seonghwa he barely knew his classmates and wasn't even trying to get to know them more.

People stopped approaching him after a few weeks, as they noticed that he wasn't willing to befriend those who only talked to him because of his name and he was glad about that. Still, it didn't help with the loneliness he constantly felt.

~~

"You're being so stupid Joong." Hongjoong's older brother, Beomjoong, scolded Hongjoong during their lunch break. Hongjoong rolled his eyes and ignored him, but Beomjoong kept pushing.

"Just because he's Park Seonghwa it doesn't mean you can't talk to him. You're also being rude, I saw you acting all friendly on the first day, then you just stopped and you can clearly see how it upset Seonghwa." he continued with his eyebrows knotted, glancing at Seonghwa who was sitting at his usual corner.

Hongjoong scoffed. "Beom he's way too outside of my league. He's too much for me. He's one of the most handsome guys I've ever seen, he's a straight As student and he's cute too." he whined as he put his face in his hands. "I couldn't approach him now. Not after finding out who he is."

Beomjoong sighed. "Are you serious right now Joong? You've never backed up when it came to meeting new people. All your friends are different from you but you still talk to them. This isn't about him being rich. Jungwoo could literally buy the whole school if he wanted to and yet, you two are close friends. You're not fooling anyone." he tried to reason with his little brother.

Hongjoong stayed silent at that, eyes lowered on the table as he chewed at his bottom lip. He breathed. "I- I'm not sure. It felt so easy on the first day but as soon as I found out, I couldn't even look at him. And seeing him now makes me feel even more guilty." he admitted.

Beomjoong's expression softened as he began to understand Hongjoong's feelings and apparently his brother was being to blind to comprehend them himself. "Then do something about it. If you feel so bad go talk to him, explain why you disappeared." he shrugged.

Hongjoong shook his head quickly. "I told you I can't do that! I get so nervous just by glancing his way, I couldn't confess something like that." he cried out.

Beomjoong sighed loudly as he shook his head and massaged his temples. "You're so stubborn my head is starting to hurt." he groaned. Hongjoong just rolled his eyes and ignored him as he stood. "Whatever, I have to go, I need to apply to my club." he said as he was already making is way out of the cafeteria.

That same afternoon, Seonghwa found himself applying for the cooking club. "Oh! You're Park Seonghwa aren't you? I'm glad you chose our club." the club president exclaimed.

Of course he would've been recognized, joining a cooking club hadn't definitely been the smartest option, but he had no idea what else he could've done.

He sighed mentally as he stretched out a small smile, he wasn't going to be cold or rude, he didn't want the same thing that happened with Hongjoong to happen again, and the president seemed nice. "Yeah, that's me." he shrugged.

The president beamed as she stuck his application form on the desk. "Nice to meet you! I'm Pyo Haneul, the president of the club. You can consider yourself a member already! Sorry, I happened to see some articles about how good you are at cooking so..." she looked away with a shy smile.

Seonghwa held the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't even join a club like any other student. "I could still do the audition. It wouldn't be fair to the others." he insisted but Haneul waved him off. "Don't worry about it! Now, I'll add you to our group chat, you'll find all the info there. We meet weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Will I see you next week?" she said enthusiastically. Seonghwa nodded as he took her phone and added his number on it, then, with a polite bow and a thank you, he left.

~~

In the following months both the boys settled a rhythm with their respective clubs. Seonghwa had been scared to be treated differently because of his status but thankfully it hadn't happened. Everyone would do their assigned task and all of them had the same amount and hours.

He had to admit, he definitely was one of most skilled among them, if not the best. The president herself had said it, 'Those articles weren't lying Seonghwa, you're really good. We'll sell so much during the school festival.' and Seonghwa had been thrilled about that.

Thinking about showing off during the school festival scared him and excited him at the same time. He was afraid of disappointing the club by fucking it up, by getting the recipe wrong or by being awkward with the other students who were interested into buying their goods. But he was excited of finally letting other people see his talent.

He wanted the students to go past his name and actually know him for something else. 'The best cook in the club' was a pretty good title he was already yearning to have, and he was confident of achieving it soon.

As for Hongjoong, he instantly loved his club and its members. Only four students had joined it that year so most the members were older than him, but he was used to that. He had been shooting for years so he had been in advantage too.

The president was already praising him and he had promised to give him an important role during the school festival, and he had felt enthusiastic about it.

Every year the photography club would've worked with the journaling club to get the paper done with everything that had happened during the festival. They would've taken videos and pictures, while the journaling club members would've asked questions to add to the paper.

Usually they would've picked one member of each club and assign them to another club to work on. And today they were going to announce who was going to work with who and for which club.

The two club had gathered together in a classroom. Hongjoong had walked there with his friend Kim Jungwoo who was a member of the journaling club.

"Okay, now that everyone's here I'll announce the pairings. Don't worry, we've paired you fairly, we know who's friends with who." the president of his club chuckled as he began.

Hongjoong knew most members of both clubs, so he hadn't been worried about that. He was more worried about which of the other clubs would've been assigned to him.

The journaling club president cleared her throat. "Okay, listen clearly." then she started announcing every pair, and until then, she hadn't mentioned the cooking club, which made Hongjoong nervous.

"Next, Kim Hongjoong from the photography club will work with Kim Jungwoo from our club, and you two will interview the cooking club." she stated.

Hongjoong's eyes widened. Exactly what he had been dreading had happened.

Jungwoo nodded for the both of them and then turned to look at Hongjoong who was still in trance. "Hey, you okay?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he nudged his shoulder.

Hongjoong blinked as if he had just came back to earth as he shook his head. "Of course, I just had to be so lucky." he murmured with a low groan, making Jungwoo grow confused even further, but his friend decided not to push and ask later.

A few rooms away, in the kitchen of the cooking club, the exact same thing was happening. The president had gathered them all before starting their session to inform them about the festival. She had explained how they would've worked and where they were going to be stationed.

As she was about to finish, she added one last detail. "And, oh! for the new members, every year the photography and journaling club goes around recording and interviewing the other clubs, usually they pick two people that will focus on one stand. I don't know which members have been assigned to us but I asked the presidents to give us the best ones since we have Seonghwa with us." she chuckled.

"Sorry Seonghwa, but I fear we need to brag to get more attention. Anyway, try to be as professional as you can but also be yourselves, I don't want people to think we're machines or something, okay? Now go do your work." she finished as she shooed them away and was already walking to her station.

Seonghwa was left frozen in place.

Photography club.

Kim Hongjoong was in the photography club.

The best ones.

Kim Hongjoong was definitely one of the best.

Sweat had already started to form in the back of his neck, now he could've only hoped that Hongjoong wouldn't be assigned to them.

As his thoughts were taking the best of him, he barely heard his club member, Jeon Soyeon, calling him. "Seonghwa? Earth to Seonghwa!" she jumped in front of him, making Seonghwa startle and step back. "W-what? You scared me." he said as his hand flew to his racing heart.

She chuckled. "Sorry, you looked weird though, are you okay?" she asked, now more serious. A small frown formed on Seonghwa as he realized how much that information had gotten to him. "Sorry, I...got lost in my thoughts." he apologized but Soyeon was quick to wave him off.

"Don't worry. But seriously, are you okay? is it about the festival?" she continued with a worried expression. Seonghwa huffed softly as he looked up at her, contemplating if to finally speak his feelings to someone or to just shut his mouth.

He had wanted a friend to talk to for so long, maybe that could've been his chance, so he decided to open up, just a little. He walked to his station as he didn't want to talk about it in the middle of the room, and Soyeon followed. "Kind of." he suddenly said, taking Soyeon aback, but she soon caught up. She looked at him and nodded her head, signing him to go on.

He bit his lip. "I just-" he sighed as he lowered his gaze. "There's someone...in one of those clubs that I don't really want to see." he admitted. "You see, it's complicated. We're not even friends, never been, but there's something about him that only by thinking about him makes me nervous." he continued.

Soyeon's eyebrows furrowed as a weird glint in her eyes formed. "Do you...perhaps, like him?" she smirked. Seonghwa instantly jerked back with wide eyes. "No! I mean, I don't know, okay?! it's not that I don't trust you but there's more in this, I'll tell you one day, i suppose..." he finished.

Yes, he had wanted to tell somebody and get rid of some of his worries off his chest, but he couldn't just pour everything on Soyeon out of nowhere, they weren't even friends.

Soyeon only smiled. "Okay okay, I don't demand anything from you don't worry. I'm glad you chose me to talk to though, I know that's not easy." she reassured, gaining a smile from the other.

~~

The school festival was going to be the day before winter break. Every club was staying in school for extra hours as they were getting the preparations done. There was only one week left. Seonghwa had been trying new recipes out and most had been a success.

While Hongjoong had kept practicing with his friend Jungwoo, since they were going to work together they needed to practice and understand how each other worked.

It was a Monday morning, the last Monday before the break. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were in class, both in their seats as they listened to their teacher.

The last lesson before lunch break was about to finish, but before the bell could've rung, the teacher announced that she was going to assign a project that they would have to get done during winter break.

"This project will be done in pairs, assigned by me of course. I noted all of the clubs you all have joined and decided to give you a different task based on them, so I don't want to hear any complaints about these pairings, understood?" she started and Seonghwa had already grown tense. She couldn't possibly have combined the cooking and photography club, right? he couldn't be that unlucky.

He had been so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the other pairings, he only snapped out of it when he heard his name being called. "Okay...next, Park Seonghwa with...Kim Hongjoong. Here, take your sheet, everything you'll have to do will be in it." she explained as she held the paper out.

Both the boys were agape, none of them moving, only Hongjoong stood after a moment as the teacher tilted her head to them to take the sheet. Hongjoong took it with a small nod as Seonghwa was cursing fate in his head.

Of course he was paired with Kim Hongjoong. Not only he had to worry about who from the photography club was going to shoot for them, now he had to stress about this project too. He was really hoping that at least the universe was going to be kind to him on the festival day.

It hadn't been.

It was Friday afternoon, the day before winter break. Seonghwa was fixing a few last things at his stand with Soyeon when their presidents approached them. "Hello! these are the boys who will work with us today. Please be kind and do your best!" she exclaimed as she was already sprinting away, too busy to linger there any longer.

Seonghwa sucked a shaky breath as he slowly looked up, hoping with all himself and praying to whoever was listening, that it wasn't going to be Kim Hongjoong.

It had been Kim Hongjoong.

His eyes shook as his hands had already began to tremble. He straightened up as he tried not to look away. Soyeon had immediately understood and thankfully she decided to break that unbearable silence.

"Hello! I'm Jeon Soyeon and this is Park Seonghwa. I hope we'll be able to get along." she introduced. The boy next to Hongjoong smiled. "I'm Kim Jungwoo and this is Kim Hongjoong and I'm sure we'll do just fine." he beamed. Apparently Soyeon and Jungwoo were going to be their interlocutor.

Soyeon nodded eagerly as Jungwoo started talking on what their clubs had assigned them to do and Soyeon did the same. "We'll only shoot and ask a few questions we've prepared. You'll only need to act as you always do. But, Seonghwa, we've been asked to record you specifically. I hope you will be okay with it, you're probably the star of your club, if not of the whole school." Jungwoo explained with a light chuckle as he scratched his neck.

Seonghwa had prepared himself for that. Their club president had already told him what he had to do. He was assigned to show the club's rooms, especially the kitchen and show how to make the main dish they were selling.

Being recorded while cooking wasn't going to be anything new, the only problem was that Hongjoong was the one filming.

He nodded in acknowledgement and Jungwoo continued. "Perfect! I'll stay here with Soyeon and ask her a few questions to write down on the article. While Seonghwa and Hongjoong will work on what our presidents said." he stated.

Seonghwa froze. He had hoped that they were going to work together but of course his hopes had been crashed once again. Soyeon gave him an apologetic look before turning to Jungwoo and gesturing him to follow.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa were left alone.

Hongjoong couldn't bring himself to look at the other, while Seonghwa was silently pleading for Hongjoong to spare him just a glance.

They stayed in silence for a long minute, but Seonghwa had had enough. He cleared his throat and Hongjoong finally looked up. "Let's get this over with." he coldly said as he was already walking towards the building.

Hongjoong soon trailed behind him and they made their way to the club's rooms. In the first one there were just lockers with the members' belongings. Thankfully, for just this room, Hongjoong had to only take pictures and then add a description later.

Hongjoong didn't take long and soon the much dreaded moment arrived. They entered the kitchen and Seonghwa glanced around, just to avoid looking at the other, while Hongjoong pretended to check on his pictures.

Seonghwa sighed as he massaged his temples. "You do know what we have to do, right?" he asked, he was starting to get annoyed.

Hongjoong nodded. "Yeah."

Seonghwa held the urge to roll his eyes. "Listen. This isn't easy for neither of us, so please let's start so I can focus on something else." he could've said much more, he could've demanded explanations, he had the right to, but he didn't, always for the sake of his name.

He was well aware that Hongjoong didn't want to work with him but being cold and giving one word answers wasn't going to take them anywhere.

Hongjoong looked away and forced to let out an answer instead of only a nod. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get started." he managed to say.

Seonghwa had every right to yell at him and Hongjoong had been surprised that he didn't. This was all his fault and guilt was eating him alive, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Hongjoong fixed his camera settings before bringing it up and focusing it on Seonghwa. As soon as he did, his breath hitched, and he knew he was fucked.

Seonghwa was definitely the most dead drop gorgeous person he had ever captured. Oh, how he wished he could've done it more often.

Seonghwa had already started talking, explaining how they worked in the kitchen and what dish he was about to cook, but Hongjoong wasn't listening, at all.

"Hongjoong?" he called once and at the absent answer, he called again. "Hongjoong!" his patience was running out.

"You should be an actor." Hongjoong spluttered out without thinking.

"What?" Seonghwa said, mouth agape, his eyebrows drew together.

As Hongjoong realized what he had said he immediately panicked. He had been so mesmerized by Seonghwa's beauty that he had completely spaced out.

"S-sorry, let's start over." he recomposed.

Seonghwa sighed heavily as he brought back his facade. He smiled widely for the camera and repeated his lines once again, and Hongjoong had to fight the urge not to lose himself into the other's brightness.

Soon Seonghwa passed on to making the pastry he and his club prepared for the festival. Bungeo-ppang, a crispy waffle-like filled with hot, sweet red bean paste and shaped like a fish.

He just had to explain and show how to make it, and then reveal the result by showing the ones on display at their stand.

The filming went pretty smoothly. Hongjoong recorded silently, he just gave Seonghwa a few instructions here and there, but for the rest they didn't share a word.

"And...cut!" Hongjoong said as Seonghwa finished.

Seonghwa let out a sigh of relief, they were almost done, the only thing left was showing the result.

"I need to clean this up, you can go back to the others meanwhile." he suggested as he had already started to put the ingredients away, hoping that Hongjoong would've listened and left him alone for a moment.

Of course, he didn't.

Hongjoong shook his head. "I can help. I can wash the dishes, since i wouldn't know where to put the rest..."

Seonghwa wanted to roll his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time but still opted to be somewhat nice to the other. He looked at Hongjoong with a raised eyebrow and decided that there was no reason to fight it. "Okay." he just nodded, then continued with his task.

The two worked in complete silence, the only noise around them was the cluttering of dishes and utensils or cabinets being opened and closed. When Seonghwa put the last dry spoon away he barely glanced at Hongjoong before he was making his way outside. "We're done, let's get the last shoot done."

They walked back to the stands and Seonghwa had never been more grateful of seeing Soyeon. He jogged to her while she was talking with Jungwoo, and Hongjoong trailed a few paces behind.

"Oh? you're done?" Jungwoo asked as he noticed them. Seonghwa simply nodded, while Hongjoong showed what they filmed to Jungwoo, and Seonghwa took the chance to steal Soyeon for a moment.

"How are you hanging on?" Soyeon asked with worry. Seonghwa groaned as he shut his eyes. He exhaled. "I just want to get this done, as soon as possible." he crossed his arms.

Soyeon shook her head. "You're almost done, then you can help me with the stand and they'll be gone. Jungwoo has to ask some questions to the president and Hongjoong has to record." she shrugged.

"Seonghwa? Should we film the last part?" Hongjoong reluctantly asked, as if he couldn't bring himself to talk to the other. Whenever he had to though, he tried to shrink in himself as much as possible, his body always flooding with guilt.

Seonghwa gave a firm nod. "Yes, follow me." he said as he made his way behind the stand, while Hongjoong stood in front of it, camera ready in his hands.

As soon as Hongjoong started filming, Seonghwa put his mask on instantly, letting out that brightest smile as he started talking animatedly, and Hongjoong was sure that he could've gotten blinded by it.

Seonghwa tried to be as fast as possible, without lingering on anything for longer than a minute and when he was done, he finally could've felt more relaxed.

Hongjoong lowered the camera and thanked him. "Thank you for your hard work Seonghwa." and in response he only received an hum.

Soyeon and Jungwoo were standing a few steps away and as they noticed that the other two were done they walked over. "All done? can we go to the president now?" Jungwoo asked. Hongjoong nodded. "Yeah let's go." and with a wave of their hands, they were gone.

As soon as they were out of sight Seonghwa cried out dramatically as he plopped down on the chair. "This is so annoying." he groaned loudly, putting his face in his hands.

Soyeon stood in front him with her hands on her hips. "Seonghwa, you know I love you, but if you don't tell me more I fear I won't be able to understand you, nor try to help." she sighed.

Seonghwa looked up at her and he knew she was right. He had complained about Hongjoong here and there but he had never had the chance to fully tell Soyeon the story, which wasn't even long.

He exhaled as he leaned back in his chair. "You're right. Okay, listen up..." and then he began and rented about everything he was feeling. He started by his first day of school and how welcomed he had felt thanks to Hongjoong, which led to Soyeon getting confused. Seonghwa continued and added the small detail about when he and Hongjoong had had lunch together and the other had found out who Seonghwa really was, making his friend finally understand Seonghwa's frustration.

She crossed her arms. "I get it now...it's so weird though. Can I be honest?" she asked.

Seonghwa nodded his head once, inviting her to go on. "Today, Hongjoong, to me, he looked so nervous. What he did is definitely pressing down on him and he is probably feeling guilty, but for some reason he's chasing to stay silent rather than facing you." she observed.

Seonghwa looked away as he nibbled at his lip. He couldn't feel bad for Hongjoong, not when it led him to feel like this. He could totally understand the other, there must've been a reason for all of his behaviors, but still, Hongjoong could've told him. He would've much preferred for Hongjoong to tell him he hated him straight in his face than such an unbearable silence.

Soyeon, then, continued. "I say you talk to him. You can't even think about him without freaking out. If you two talk, then your doubts will have answers and you'll feel better." she shrugged.

And Seonghwa didn't know what to say at that. He couldn't bring himself to talk to the other, he knew he wouldn’t be able to remain composed, he couldn't. So he just shook his head and stood. "Let's close the stand, the festival it's over." he only said as he moved to start putting everything away.

It had taken longer than one hour for them to finish, but as soon as they did, Seonghwa walked as fast as he could to the main gate, where his rider was waiting.

He took barely a second to spot the car, but before he started walking towards it, he spotted a figure jogging his way. It was Hongjoong. His eyebrows furrowed as his mind had already started racing. What did he want now? he hoped he was just leaving school but his direction didn't change as he grew closer.

He stopped in his tracks two meters away from Seonghwa. He inhaled. "Can you-" he exhaled. "Could you give me your number? we have that project to do during break..." he looked away.

Of course, he had completely forgotten about the project. That made his day even worse. He sighed with a nod as he fished his phone from his pocket and handed it to Hongjoong, and Hongjoong did the same.

They exchanged contacts and when they were done Seonghwa just bowed him goodbye and made his way to his car. He couldn't wait to get home.

~~

It was the Thursday after winter break and Hongjoong hadn't texted Seonghwa once, and Seonghwa had to pretend he wasn't affected by it, he wasn't supposed to be.

He would've preferred to get an F than texting first and Hongjoong had the sheet their teacher gave them too.

Seonghwa had just finished dinner and was, now, sitting up on his bed against the headboard, phone in his hands. As much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn't help but check Hongjoong's empty chat multiple times.

He didn't even know anything about the project and he hoped that Hongjoong wasn't texting him because there still was time. He huffed as he closed his messaging app and was about to open another one to watch some videos, when he received a much unexpected text.

It was Hongjoong. He had sent Seonghwa a picture.

Seonghwa hadn't been able to stop himself and instantly clicked on it. The picture was just the sheet with the things they'd have to do for the project. Seonghwa sighed, what else did he expect to see?

The list of tasks wasn't long, only four, so one per week. The problem were the tasks themselves, all of them required Seonghwa to be filmed while doing something food related.

He thought about typing out an answer, then Hongjoong sent a text.

'This is what we have to do. Read it and tell me what you'd like to do first, I'm fine with any.'

Seonghwa scrolled up and read everything in the sheet once again. He was already dreading to do anything on that list. He groaned as he sunk in his pillows. He couldn't do this.

His thumbs hovered on the keyboard as he huffed, he didn't like any of those tasks, so, he went with the most logical option.

'Let's just follow the list's order.'

The reply came instantly. 'Okay, should we meet tomorrow for the first one? maybe at a quieter café.' Hongjoong suggested.

'Sure. I know one, I'll send you the address. Should we meet at 10?' and he got a thumbs up in response.

He put the phone down as the conversation was over. He curled up in himself, he was already feeling uneasy about tomorrow. He felt like the universe kept playing tricks on him.

The next morning he woke up tired. He hadn't been able to sleep at all. He slipped out of bed with no care in the world and walked to the bathroom to try and make himself presentable for the camera.

That morning they would've had to buy something to eat and review it. And Seonghwa wondered how their teacher was going to grade them based off that.

He was already upset about being forced to see Hongjoong and work with him once again, and their teacher assigning such senseless projects made it even worse.

He took longer than usual to get ready, but soon he was walking outside. The agonizing silent drive there made him feel even more nervous, he didn't want to do this.

Unfortunately, the place they had picked wasn't far, so in barely fifteen minutes he was already standing in front of the café waiting for Hongjoong, that arrived soon enough.

"Good morning." Hongjoong said with a wave as he walked towards him. Seonghwa nodded his head once, expressionless. "Morning." he only replied as he was already making his way into the café.

He had chosen one that he had always loved. It was quiet and calm, everyone would've just minded their business and respected the others' silence.

He walked to the counter and the barista recognized him. "Hi Seonghwa! how are you doing? you'd like the usual?" she cheerfully asked. Seonghwa smiled back. "Hello, I'm doing good, but not today, I would like to try something new. What would you suggest?"

The barista nodded and then moved her gaze to Hongjoong. "And what about you?" she said. Hongjoong shrugged. "Any pastry will do, but I'd like a coffee with it."

She took their orders and Seonghwa added they needed them to-go. The barista offered for them to sit but by Seonghwa's glare she immediately understood that that wasn't the case.

Seonghwa and the barista shared a few words while she worked, while Hongjoong was focused on his camera. As she was done, Seonghwa paid and took the bags, without even giving the chance to Hongjoong to take his wallet. And with a thank you and goodbye they left.

"How much was it? I'll pay you back." Hongjoong said as they walked outside. Seonghwa shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Now, follow me. There's a park near here and I know a quiet spot." he said without glancing at the other.

Seonghwa led him to said spot that wasn't much far from the cafè. It was at the back of the park and there was a small wooden table with two benches around it.

Hongjoong nodded in approval. "I like this place. The light is perfect, the background too." he commented as he glanced around before sitting down. Seonghwa only hummed as he followed suit, sitting across from him.

"I still struggle to understand why we have to do this..." Seonghwa mumbled to himself with a sigh as he took the food out of the bags. Hongjoong only looked at him, sparing him any answer.

They set everything up, Hongjoong with his camera already pointed at Seonghwa and Seonghwa with the pastry in his plate and fork in his hand. "You ready?" Hongjoong asked, and Seonghwa could've only nodded.

Seonghwa tried as much as he could to keep a bright smile from beginning to the end but that turned out to be harder than usual. He wasn't feeling like himself at all that day, and he was afraid he was going to break soon.

Hongjoong just remained focused on the camera but Seonghwa knew he had noticed how his professional self was leaking that morning, which made Seonghwa feel even worse. Hongjoong couldn’t see him like that.

He was about to take the first bite, after introducing everything they bought, but he felt as if his throat had been closed shut and his stomach torn open. He couldn't bring himself to swallow.

He still tried though, he cut a small piece with the fork and with a shaky hand he brought it to his lips, but as he opened his mouth he felt like gagging.

He put the fork back on the plate as took a deep breath to steady himself, then set his gaze on Hongjoong who had a small frown on his face. "What did I do for you to despise me so much?" Seonghwa dropped the bomb.

Hongjoong put the camera away quickly as his eyebrows furrowed. "What? I don’t despise you." he defended, but Seonghwa wouldn't buy it. "Then why did you stop talking to me?" he asked, voice shaky and eyes wet.

Hongjoong's mouth closed shut, he hadn't been prepared for such conversation. He had never imagined that Seonghwa would've talked to him about that.

"I can't do this." Seonghwa murmured as a tear slipped out. He took his bag and turned around to leave as fast as possible.

Hongjoong instantly ran after him and grabbed the other's wrist. "Seonghwa wait!" he said. Seonghwa harshly pulled his hand away from his grip and looked down at Hongjoong. His face was strained with tears. Seonghwa tried to wipe them away but new ones kept spilling out.

"Leave me alone Hongjoong." he pleaded. "This is so stupid. This project doesn't make sense. This pair doesn't make sense and if I stay with you a moment longer I might break completely. Which is so childish." Seonghwa snorted.

He had wanted to shut his mouth and walk away but his mind preferred to pour everything he was feeling out on Hongjoong.

"I shouldn't feel like this, but seeing you totally cut me out after finding out who i was hurt so bad. Everyone I've ever met has only ever wanted to be friends with me because of my name but not you. And I don’t understand why you reacted like that after you found out." he was almost sobbing.

Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong in hope that the other would've said something, anything to make this whole situation better, but the other stayed silent. Hongjoong only stared at him with such a pitiful expression it made Seonghwa scowl.

And that was all it took for Seonghwa to turn around and leave. And Hongjoong didn't do anything about it.

As soon as Seonghwa was gone Hongjoong cursed himself for being so inconsiderate. He groaned as he ran a hand down his face. He knew he had to fix this, but he didn't know how.

He walked back to the table to gather everything they had left: his camera and the delicious untouched food. He couldn't throw it away, so he put it back in the bag and decided to give it to his brother, his appetite had been long gone anyway.

He rode the bus home and the ride didn't ease his mind at all. He tried to keep his tears in but as soon as he stepped inside his house, he crushed. Every emotion came down on him at once.

He slid down the door as his breath came out in harsh gasps. His chest had never hurt so bad, he could've felt his heart clenching. What made everything worse, was being aware that this had all been his fault. If he had listened to Beomjoong anything like this wouldn't have happened.

Heavy tears kept pouring down his face to the floor as guilt took the best of him. He had been so caught up in his mind that he didn't hear, nor notice, his brother that had crunched down in front of him.

"Hongjoong? Hey Hongjoong!" his brother yelled as he tried to get his attention by shaking him by his shoulders.

Hongjoong's face snapped up as if he had been snatched from his own world and dropped back on heart. He blinked and only then had he realized how bad his panic attack had gotten.

His breathing had evened and his body at almost stopped shaking but his tears didn't. He kept crying with loud sobs, while his brother held him and caressed his head.

When Beomjoong noticed that Hongjoong's tears had slowed down to a few sniffs, he pulled slightly back. "Hey...that was pretty bad. What happened?" he asked, incredibly worried.

Hongjoong shook his head rapidly. "You're going to hate me if I tell you." he said, voice trembling. Beomjoong frowned but by seeing his brother's state, he decided not to push. "Okay...let's pull yourself together first. Get up and wash your face, I'll get you some water."

Hongjoong dragged himself to the bathroom to do as he was told. He splashed cold water in his face, then dried it with a towel. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and scowled at the sight.

His eyes were red rimmed and his cheeks were flushed from all the crying. He looked and felt like shit. But he didn't have any right to, not when he had made Seonghwa feel ten times worse.

He made his way back to the kitchen where Beomjoong was waiting with a glass of cold water. Hongjoong sat down at the island as his brother passed him the glass. "Can you tell me what happened now? As long as you didn't murder anybody, I'm sure I won't hate you." he tried to joke but Hongjoong wasn't having it.

He could've already felt the tears forming in his eyes again and his throat tightening. His gaze was unfocused on the table, he didn't want to say what he had done out loud. He knew he would've gotten scolded.

Still, he knew he deserved it. So, with a shaky breath, he started. "I made him cry..." he murmured as he bit his lip to keep himself grounded, he wasn't going to cry again.

"What?" Beomjoong asked with a raised eyebrow. Hongjoong put the glass down and brought his face in his hands. "I made him fucking cry Beomjoong." he admitted as his shoulders had already started to shake again.

"I thought that if I just avoided him and acted as if nothing happened, everything would've been fine. But no, we got assigned a project to do together and as we were doing it, he randomly stopped and started crying, saying that he couldn't do it. He assumed that I hate him and despise him too." and he was crying again.

Beomjoong massaged his temples as he sighed. "What did I tell you?" he shook his head. "You are going to fix this. Take your phone and text him to meet up, right now." he stated as he tried not to get more disappointed. He couldn't believe that his beloved little brother had done something so awful.

Hongjoong froze as he looked up at him with wide eyes. "What?! are you insane? I'm definitely the last person he would want to see right now." he cried out, but Beomjoong wasn't going to let him win this time.

"I don't care. You are going to text him, ask him to meet up, whenever he wants and wherever he wants. And you are going to apologize, explain everything and hope he's going to at least forgive you. Because this is not how you treat people Kim Hongjoong." he scolded him with a stern face.

And by Beomjoong's tone, Hongjoong had understood how bad he'd faked it up. He even disappointed his brother. Another sob escaped his throat as tears started running again. He nodded quickly. "I will. I'll text him now." he stuttered.

Beomjoong exhaled with a nod, he was done with his scolding, so, he reached out and pulled Hongjoong into a hug. "Good. Calm down now, we all make mistakes, and it's our job to fix them." he tried to reassure and Hongjoong nodded, but he wasn't sure he could've been able to fix this one.

On the other side of town, Seonghwa was laying in his bed curled up on himself. He had long ran out of tears, his cheeks were strained and wet, and his eyes were red. He hated feeling like this. Hated crying so much over a boy he had never had anything with in the first place.

But even if he started crying because of Hongjoong, every time, he ended up crying over the curse of his name. If he hadn't been called Park, then his life would've been much better. He would've had real friends and Hongjoong would've never started to avoid him.

He bit his lip so hard he almost thought he would've drawn blood from it. He wasn't going to cry again, he refused to. It was still early afternoon, he couldn't waste away his day like that.

He sat up and took a deep breath to calm himself down, before standing up. He was about to head to the bathroom, when he heard his phone vibrate on his bed. He glanced at it, by instinct, and when he saw Hongjoong's name pop up his jaw clenched. The audacity.

He decided to ignore the notification for now, he couldn't deal with him at the moment. So, he just took everything he needed for a long and much deserved shower.

Taking long showers had always made him feel better. They made him sort his thoughts out. As soon as he was done he felt completely new. He even wore his most comfortable clothes and he almost felt content, but it soon disappeared as he remembered about Hongjoong's unread text.

He sighed heavily as he sat on his bed and stared at his phone. He had wanted to ignore him, but curiosity took the best of him. He reached out, grabbed his phone and unlocked it. He opened the chat and braced himself for whatever Hongjoong had sent.

'I'm sorry for today. I'd want to apologize properly and explain everything to you. Could we meet up and talk?'

Seonghwa's eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. After making him feel like that, he just wanted to apologize out of nowhere?

He had to be honest, he did want to know what Hongjoong had to say, but not today.

'Okay, but not today. Let's meet at lunch tomorrow, I know a place.' He stated. He wasn't willing to hear anything else from the other for the rest of the day, so as soon as he read Hongjoong's agreement, he locked his phone and chose to cook something.

~~

The next morning Seonghwa was almost regretting ever accepting to meet up. He wasn't feeling any better and he already knew that whatever Hongjoong was going to say would've made him cry, no matter what it was going to be.

He groaned as he put his shoes on and walked outside to the car waiting for him.
He had chosen a quiet, small and cozy restaurant, so they could've had a little of privacy and he could've cried without bothering too many people.

He stepped out of the car and thanked the driver before walking to the entrance. He opened the door and immediately noticed Hongjoong sitting at a far table in a corner.

He walked up to him and sat down on the seat across from him. They shared a look. Hongjoong's expression made him almost break his facade. He wanted to look as stern as possible. While Hongjoong looked like a bus had ran over him repeatedly. His eyes were bloodshot as if he had cried for multiple hours, he almost felt bad.

They didn't share any greeting. Seonghwa made it sure that he was there only to listen Hongjoong out, and Hongjoong had to be okay with it.

Seonghwa hadn't said a word, he just stared at the other waiting, but he wasn't sure how long he could've lasted.

Their silence was momentarily interrupted by the waiter coming up to them and asking what they would like to order. Seonghwa said any plate of pasta would've been fine, while Hongjoong opted for a slice of meat. And as soon as the waiter was gone, the stiffness came back.

Seonghwa glared at Hongjoong. His patience was about to run out. Hongjoong looked away as if he couldn't bear to hold his gaze, but eventually, he sighed. His shoulders dropped as he tried to look up at Seonghwa again.

He took a breath. "I'm so sorry." he started, catching Seonghwa's full attention. "I- I don't even know why I acted so foolishly. I have no good reason to explain why I've done that."

"Talking to you felt so easy the first day. I was really hoping we could've become good friends, but as soon as I heard who you are, I...I got scared. I was afraid I wasn't in the place to talk to you. You- You are definitely one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. You're so handsome, kind and sweet, and...well you're Park Seonghwa and I'm just...me." he stopped for a moment, making Seonghwa think he was done, but then, he took another breath and continued.

"I know that's not a good reason for not talking to you. But my mind was convinced that we were too different to even try to be friends, so I thought that avoiding you was the easiest way to forget about you and move on, which is so stupid because we barely knew each other." he finished as he put his face in his hands to hide a groan.

Seonghwa stayed silent for a long moment, trying to process everything the other had said, and deep down Seonghwa knew he had had the same thoughts. He sighed softly as his set his gaze on him.
"Hongjoong..." he called out.

Hongjoong reluctantly looked up, his eyes wet, and Seonghwa continued. "What you did...it did hurt me, badly. My whole life has been influenced by my name. I've never had close friends because of it, because I can't bring myself to trust anybody. But the day you talked to me...I brought my hopes too high, thinking that I had finally found someone who didn't care about my name, but I was soon proved wrong. And of course the only time I've ever been truly interested in someone, my name ruins everything for me once again."

"I'll be honest, I could've just talked to you and asked but I've had the same thoughts as you. I was convinced we were too different to be friends, so I didn't even try. You know everyone in school, you're always so cheerful and around people that loves you, so I was sure that you didn't need the lonely rich kid who can't keep a conversation going to save himself." he finally said, pouring his long locked up feelings out.

They both stared down at the table as they took each other's words in. A waiter had arrived with their food too, but they barely registered it, only murmuring a small thank you. Seonghwa wanted to say something, he hoped that such conversation wasn't going to end everything completely. But Hongjoong beat him to it.

Hongjoong shook his head. "I shouldn't have started avoiding you out of the blue. This is all my fault. I'm incredibly sorry Seonghwa and I'll totally understand if you won't accept my apologies. But I still needed to let you know." he finished.

Seonghwa chuckled softly, as if he was almost mocking him. Hongjoong's eyebrow rose. "What's funny?" he asked confused. Seonghwa covered his giggle with the back of his hand and recomposed. "You're so dramatic. I don't hold that many grudges, you're fine. Your apologies are accepted." he finished with a small smile.

Hongjoong's tragic expression finally shifted and a content smile grew on his face. "Thank you. Could we...start again? let's be friends." he offered as he glanced up.

Seonghwa's expression softened as he gave a small nod. "Yeah, just...don't make me regret it." he accepted and Hongjoong made sure that Seonghwa understood that he really meant those words.

~~

Hongjoong was on his way back, and he was feeling the exact opposite of the day before. He returned home with such a bright smile that Beomjoong made fun of him for it. "I suppose it went well?" he said as Hongjoong took off his shoes.

Hongjoong hummed eagerly. "Yes! he accepted my apology and to start over." he said with a smile.

Beomjoong gave a satisfied nod as a smirk formed on his lips. "Perfect then. Now, the next step is confessing." he crossed his arms.

Hongjoong's eyes shot from their orbs at his brother's statement. "What?!" he exclaimed and Beomjoong chuckled. "Seriously? You think you're slick with it? it's obvious Joong." he shook his head as he laughed.

Hongjoong groaned as he made his way past his brother, not wanting to deal with his teasing. "Come on! I'm sure he likes you back!" was the last thing he heard before he locked himself in his bedroom.

He hadn't wanted to think about what his brother had said, but he couldn't help but always wander back to it. Of course he liked Seonghwa, he was well aware of that, but Seonghwa liking him back? He couldn't tell anything about it.

Yes, Seonghwa had hinted about being interested in him, but that could've been in a friends way. He couldn't let his delusional mind take the best of him.

He huffed as he ruffled his hair and pulled out his phone. He had a few texts from Jungwoo and other friends who he didn't mind replying to. He answered a few of Jungwoo's text, then his eyes fell on Seonghwa's chat. He was already missing the other.

He thought about texting him but they had parted ways barely two hours before. They had never texted each other if it wasn't about school, and texting him out of nowhere would've felt weird.

He sighed as he pondered if to text Seonghwa or not, then an idea came to his mind. Yes, he had apologized and Seonghwa had been sweet enough to accept it. But his guilt didn't just disappear.

So he made up his mind. He was going to ask Seonghwa out on a date and make up for his mistake.

'Hey Seonghwa, I know we'll meet for the project on the next weekend but...I was wondering if you wanted to hang out before that.'

He hit send and instantly locked his phone as if he had just confessed his feelings through text. He threw the phone on the other side of his bed, not sure if he wanted to see the other's response.

Then a realization struck him. If Seonghwa ever accepted, where was he going to take him? he didn't know Seonghwa good enough to know where he would've preferred to go, and that definitely didn't help to ease his nervousness.

He was already spiraling about it and Seonghwa hadn't even replied yet. But that soon changed as his heard his phone ting. He snatched it up and unlocked it at lightning speed.

Seonghwa had replied, and Seonghwa had accepted.

'I was actually thinking the same thing.'

Hongjoong's eyes widened at that, he had almost thought that Seonghwa would've declined. That even if they had cleared things up, he still might've wanted to keep his distance, but he was proved wrong.

He replied to Seonghwa in an instant. Asking if what he had thought they could've done was okay for the other. And when Seonghwa accepted to his plans he let out a small shriek as he noted to himself that he was never going to make Seonghwa feel bad again. Not even for the slightest thing.

~~

They had agreed to meet on a Wednesday afternoon. Hongjoong told him he wanted for it to be a surprise and even though Seonghwa agreed, the other insisted he would've drove them there.

Hongjoong was almost bouncing on his feet as he waited for Seonghwa to arrive. He was so excited he thought he could've exploded because of all the adrenaline he felt rushing through his body.

Beomjoong hadn't even been there that day so he had no one to stress to about it, expect poor Jungwoo but the boy was already busy with someone else and couldn't care less about Hongjoong's freak outs at the moment.

Hongjoong's thoughts were interrupted harshly by a loud honk coming from outside. His heart almost jumped out of his chest and his hand flew to it. He recomposed, then walked outside.

He had expected to see Seonghwa with a small car of his own, but no. Outside was a large black, and definitely more expensive than his own house, black car. At the wheel sat a driver while Seonghwa was picking his head out of the window from the backseat.

Seonghwa smiled at him. "Come on, get in." he said as he gestured to Hongjoong to step inside. Hongjoong was still shocked by the sight but still complied and got into the car.

He settled in the back next to Seonghwa with a murmured good morning. He had never realized how rich Seonghwa was until now. That thought made him want to shrink into the seat, he was feeling incredibly out of place.

Seonghwa asked Hongjoong about where they were going to and Hongjoong gave the address to the driver, not wanting to spoil the surprise, and only then, did Seonghwa notice his uneasiness.

"You okay?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Hongjoong nodded. "Yes, of course. I was just thinking that...this is a very nice car..." he trailed off as he glanced around it and Seonghwa only chuckled as he shook his head.

The ride took barely twenty minutes. They spent it in silence most of the time, and even if Hongjoong was feeling embarrassed about it, Seonghwa wasn't troubled by it at all.

When they arrived to the destination, Hongjoong was the first one to hop off the car, not without thanking the driver first. Seonghwa stepped out after and his eyes widened as he realized where Hongjoong had taken him.

"Is this a Christmas market?" he gasped. Hongjoong nodded next to him. "Yeah, do you like them?" he asked, still unsure if he did the right thing.

Seonghwa beamed. "Yes! I love them but I can't go often." and his excitement showed that he was telling the truth. A triumphant smile grew on Hongjoong's face at his win. "Perfect, let's go then."

They entered the small village and it was full of vendors with their Christmas themed booths. There were mostly food ones but even some with traditional games.

They wandered in and Seonghwa immediately informed and stated that he was going to try every single thing in there, and Hongjoong could've only let him do.

The first stand was selling warm hottoek and Seonghwa couldn't resist but buy more than he needed, not without sharing them with Hongjoong though. The other had even insisted to pay but Seonghwa couldn't let him.

They stepped to look at pretty much every booth and Seonghwa had to fight the urge to buy something from each one of them.

Seonghwa stopped to look at a jewelry stand that, to his opinion, sold the cutest bracelets he had ever seen. The stand had a bracelet for every single profession he could've thought of, and that was when an idea came to his mind.

"Hey, Hongjoong." he called out.

Hongjoong looked up at him. "Mh?"

"Could you get in line at the ramen booth? I'll join you in a second." he asked.

Hongjoong was confused by his request but he almost instantly accepted without thinking too much about it.

Seonghwa watched him go, and as soon as he made sure he was out of his radar, he set his focus back on the bracelets. His goal was to find two perfect ones for him and Hongjoong, as a thank to the other for taking him out.

Yes, for Seonghwa that was a date, and he hoped that Hongjoong felt the same.

He scanned through the bracelets but when he couldn't find anything he asked the vendor. "Do you have anything photography and cooking related?" he said.

The vendor nodded eagerly with a kind smile. "If you're looking for something to give to someone special and they like photography...then I have the perfect thing for you." she exclaimed as she skimmed through her jewels.

"Here!" she beamed as she held up a necklace and a bracelet. She put them down on the table so Seonghwa could've seen them better.

The necklace was made with a simple black lace with a camera hanging from it, but what made it special was the star shaped form of the lens, making it seem like the camera was capturing one right in the moment. As for the bracelet, it was made from the same lace, with the exact same star hanging from it.

Seonghwa's eyes sparkled as if he had found the greatest treasure. He paid for them in no time and even asked the seller for a nice package. When he was done, he turned to look for Hongjoong who was still standing in line.

"You're done?" Hongjoong asked as he noticed Seonghwa approaching. "Yes, but I don't feel like having ramen anymore. I'm too full, we should get it later." he shrugged.

Hongjoong gave him a look but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. He only sighed as he stepped out of the line and walked a few steps before stopping in his way, making Seonghwa startle.

Seonghwa looked at him with confusion as Hongjoong tried with all his might to keep his gaze up but failed miserably. He coughed in his fist, then, "I...actually thought about something we could do..." he murmured.

That took Seonghwa's attention as his eyebrow raised. "Really? what is it?" he asked.

Hongjoong nibbled at his lip as he brought his gaze forward the road. "Come." he only said, then, as if per instinct, he took Seonghwa's hand and began walking to the thought destination.

Seonghwa's eyes widened so much they looked like they might pop out of his head. He glanced at their intercrossed hands as redness spread all over his cheeks to the back of his neck. His heart had started beating aggressively in his chest and only then, had he realized how fucked he was.

He really had fallen for this blindfolded, reckless boy.

Hongjoong came to a stop a few minutes later, and that was when he had finally realized where his hand had been. He took it back almost harshly as embarrassment crawled up his body.

He only looked away without saying anything, waiting for Seonghwa to notice where he had taken them, but Seonghwa just looked at him without taking his surroundings.

Hongjoong sighed. "Do you like to skate?" he asked as he finally looked up.

Seonghwa's eyes shined. Only then he looked around and noticed the big skating rink in front of them. He beamed. "Yes! I love to. But it's been a while since I last tried, so I might be a little rusty with my moves." he chuckled.

Hongjoong shook his head with a fond smile. "Don't worry about it, I'm just glad you like it. Wait here, I'll get the tickets and skates." he said as he walked to the booth.

Seonghwa glanced around once again, and he was feeling incredibly happy. He had never thought that the same boy who caused many nights of Seonghwa crying himself to sleep, would've been the same one that made him feel so excited and content.

Hongjoong, then, came back with their skates and led Seonghwa to sit. "You remember how to put them on?" asked as he sat down to put his own.

Seonghwa pursued his lips, then nodded. "I think I got this."

He didn't.

When Hongjoong was ready he stood and looked down at Seonghwa still struggling. He let out a chuckle as the other groaned. "Let me help." he laughed as he crouched down and helped him put the skates on.

As soon as everything was set, Seonghwa stood and buckled for a moment, but soon regained his balance. Hongjoong took his hand once again, this time by pure intent, and led Seonghwa inside the rink.

At first Seonghwa struggled a bit but it didn't take long for him to remember how to skate. They skated side to side the whole time. Hongjoong even managed to show him a trick or two and brag about his three years of skating he did when he was eight years old.

Hongjoong had booked the skates for forty minutes, so the time to leave had arrived.
Seonghwa whined as Hongjoong led him to the benches to take off the skates.

"I was having so much fun." he cried as he went to unstrap his skate. Hongjoong shook his head. "I know, but our time is up. We can come back another day." and that worked to shut Seonghwa up.

On their way back Hongjoong had asked Seonghwa if he wanted to get his ramen but the other refused as he was too full.

They walked around the village for a while longer, then Seonghwa suggested they went to a quieter corner to wait for their rider.

Hongjoong leaned against the wall as he let out a sigh. He really hoped that Seonghwa had enjoyed their little date, and he couldn't keep himself from asking.

"Did you enjoy it today?" he looked at Seonghwa who had a thoughtful expression, his knotted eyebrows giving it away. "Seonghwa?" he called out.

Seonghwa's head snapped up as he started fidgeting with his hands. "Uh- uhm yeah. Sorry. I really liked it today." he smiled. "Thanks for taking me out. I enjoy spending time with you." he continued as his face flushed.

Hongjoong beamed. "I'm glad! I had so much fun too." he smiled, gaining another one from Seonghwa.

Seonghwa though, still looked like he was pondering over something. "Are you okay?" Hongjoong asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

Seonghwa breathed in as he tried to set his gaze on the other. "Yeah, well, I got you something." he muttered.

Hongjoong only looked at him as Seonghwa fished a small package from his pocket and handed it to Hongjoong. "I saw it at the jewelry stand and it reminded me of you..."

The surprise in Hongjoong's face obvious. A shy smile grew on his face. "You didn't have to." he said as he grabbed the package.

He carefully opened it and as he took its interior out, he let out a silent gasp as his eyes shot up to Seonghwa. "Do you...like it?" Seonghwa asked uncertainly.

"Of course I do!" Hongjoong exclaimed. "This is really pretty, thank you Hwa." he smiled fondly. And Seonghwa tried not to react at the small nickname.

"I'm glad. Let me put it on for you." he said as he was already taking the necklace in his hands.

Hongjoong turned around with a nod and Seonghwa carefully passed the thread around his neck and secured the lock. He had just put on a necklace on the other, and for some reason Seonghwa had found it incredibly intimate. He tried not to give in in such thoughts though.

"All done." he said and Hongjoong turned back around to face him. "I really like it. The star makes it very unique." he commented as he caressed the small camera hanging from his neck.

Seonghwa looked away for a moment. "Actually..." he murmured and Hongjoong's eyebrow rose. "What is it?" he asked.

"I got this too. Can you help me put it on?" he asked as he bit his lip. He went for his pocket and pulled out the matching bracelet, his cheeks flushed red.

As soon as Hongjoong noticed the bracelet's pendant he couldn't help but blush too. He couldn't be sure, but it definitely was matched to his necklace. His mind though, decided not to dwell on it.

He only nodded as he took the bracelet in his hands and gestured to Seonghwa to raise his wrist. He secured it in less than two seconds and then he stepped back. "You've got good taste. It's really cute." he smiled at Seonghwa.

Seonghwa's face was fully red by then. "Thank you." he said softly as he looked away.

Right after, a car stopped in front of them and Hongjoong recognized it to be Seonghwa's. They quickly got in and spent most of the drive in pure awkward silence.

As they reached Hongjoong's home, Seonghwa was the first one to step out and walk around the car to meet Hongjoong as he hopped off.

"Thank you again. I had fun today and I would love to do it again." Seonghwa smiled as he jumped on his heels.

Hongjoong smiled back. "I'm happy about that. We can hang out any time. We're still up for the project on Saturday, right?" he asked.

Seonghwa nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll see you then!" he exclaimed as he opened the car's door and stepped in. And Hongjoong watched him leave with a wave of his hand.

~~

Hongjoong spent the rest of his week waiting for it to end. He couldn't wait to see Seonghwa and that made him come to peace with his mind about his feelings.

He had fallen hard for the boy, and he was now aware that it started the very first day they met. If only he hadn't been so foolish they could've had a much closer relationship by now.

It was finally Saturday morning and he and Seonghwa had agreed to meet at the other's house after lunch. Today they had to do almost the exact same thing they did at the school festival. Seonghwa had to cook, and Hongjoong had to film.

Hongjoong was feeling both excited and nervous at the same time. It wouldn't be the first time he'd have to record Seonghwa, but each time it had been under uncomfortable circumstances.

In school, both of them couldn’t wait to get it over with, while at the park they barely have had the chance to even start recording. So, Hongjoong wasn't sure how he was going to handle it, especially now that he was so aware of his feelings. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to focus.

Lunch time passed by rapidly, not without endless teasing from Beomjoong, and soon Hongjoong was on the bus, on his way to Seonghwa's.

The ride didn't last long, as he was already ringing the bell. A woman had answered the intercom and after he said his name, she let him in. He walked the small path from the gate to the big wooden porch, where Seonghwa was standing.

Seonghwa waved his hand eagerly. "Hello, I hope you didn't have any trouble getting here." he said with a smile. Hongjoong shook his head as he returned it. "Not at all."

Seonghwa then, led him inside and Hongjoong had to hold himself back from gasping. The house looked big from outside, but inside it looked even larger. The walls were incredibly tall, and everything was bright and made with marble.

Seonghwa spared him a tour, he just walked him to the huge kitchen he owned, which Hongjoong was sure was as big as his dining and living room combined.

Hongjoong put his bag on the big oval table as he looked around mesmerized. Not a single thing was out of place. Seonghwa chuckled awkwardly behind him. "Stop doing that face."

"What face?" Hongjoong said, not noticing how speechless he had become. Seonghwa shook his head. "Nothing, come on, let's get started." he said as he started looking through his cabinets for everything they would need.

Hongjoong had offered to help but Seonghwa denied him. Soon he had everything ready on the table and Hongjoong had already set the camera.

"This won't take long, I chose a dish fast to make. Yak gwa. I just need to mix the ingredients and split the dough in small parts. Do you think the teacher would be okay with that?" he said, but he was already getting the flour out, so Hongjoong's opinion didn't really matter.

Hongjoong shrugged. "Sure, as long as we get what she said done." he agreed as he focused his camera on Seonghwa.

"I'm all set. You can go." he instructed and Seonghwa immediately obligated and slipped into his professional self.

Hongjoong had wondered all week how he would've managed to film Seonghwa now, and as he had already predicted, he couldn't concentrate at all.

He tried with all he could to keep the camera on the other's hands, or wherever Seonghwa signed him to focus on. But he couldn't. It was like his camera had a mind of its own, and that it would've rather filmed Seonghwa's handsome face than whatever he was kneading.

Seonghwa had noticed his sloppines, of course he did, but instead of stopping the recording, he just glared at the other who immediately recomposed, even if it didn't last long.

The kneading part was over, so now Seonghwa had to move everything to make space for splitting the dough. Hongjoong had stopped momentarily the filming, to help the other clean the station.

And that should've been easy, something everyone did every single day. But of course, Hongjoong's had to fuck it up.

He reached for the flour pack and smartly decided to walk while closing it. So he slipped. On his own foot.

He managed to catch himself by grasping on to the counter, but that had led to his hands losing hold of the pack, which landed right in Seonghwa's face.

Hongjoong gasped as he watched Seonghwa stilling in place, his whole body covered in flour, from head to toe, turning his hair completely white. Hongjoong straightened up and walked to Seonghwa with worry. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry are you okay?" he asked frantically as he inspected the other.

Seonghwa chuckled. "I'm totally fine, but don't think I'll be the only one in this situation." he smirked as he walked closer to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong stepped back. "W-what do you m-?" he couldn't even finish his sentence. Seonghwa was already pulling him tight, his arms trapping him from going anywhere. He had to get flour on Hongjoong too, one way or another.

Hongjoong was taken aback by the action, as he was completely attached to the other's body, with no way of escaping, not that he wanted to, still, he had to pretend.

He whined against Seonghwa's shoulder. "Let me go! You're breaking my limbs." he exaggerated. Seonghwa only held him closer as he rubbed his dusty cheeks against the other's face. "Okay, okay! You got enough flour on me! We'll both turn into bread now." he fought. Eventually Seonghwa stepped back, but still kept his arms around the other. He had such a ridiculous smile on his face but Hongjoong couldn't help but find it incredibly adorable, which brought a wide smile on his face too. They stood there for a short moment, which to them seemed to last hours. When Hongjoong blurted out his thoughts. "You're so cute." Seonghwa blinked, his mouth falling open. Hongjoong almost stepped back, he was ready to laugh it off and pretend he hadn't said anything. But he had had enough. He sighed. "Seonghwa." Seonghwa looked down at him. "Yeah?" Hongjoong hesitated, he had no reason to do what he was about to, but his body and mind, and somewhere even his brother, were screaming at him to go on. He reached out and set his hands on Seonghwa's arms, that still hadn't let go of him. "I'm sorry but, I can't do this anymore." he looked away, that definitely hadn't been the best way to start the conversation. He had only realized it when he looked up again because of the other's silence. Seonghwa's face had grown a deep frown, as his eyes had already began to water and his lips to wobble. Hongjoong's eyes widened. "Wait! That's not what I mean. I-" he stopped again, unsure on how he should've phrased it. He had never confessed to anybody, he had never felt like this for anybody. Everything was so new to him, so he didn't know how to deal with it. "Hongjoong. What are you trying to say?" Seonghwa asked with his eyebrows knotted, as he stepped back just a little. Hongjoong immediately missed the closeness, and that was what he needed to get his courage back. He inhaled deeply and tried to set his gaze on Seonghwa. "Seonghwa..." he called out, voice trembling. "I've really tried to just be your friend, to get over these feelings but-" "We've talked about this Joong. We agreed on giving it a try, it hasn't even been two weeks." Seonghwa interrupted him, as he began to get annoyed by his friend's behavior. Hongjoong shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I can't be your friend, not because we are different but because..." he looked away for a second as he exhaled, then looked back at the other. "Because I like you, Seonghwa." Seonghwa's eyes widened as he gasped. A hand flew to his mouth as he could've already felt his heart beating faster than it normally should've. "It's okay if you don't feel the same, but I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I've liked you for so long, probably from the minute I noticed you in that hallway. You don't even have to say anything about it, I just needed to let you know." he had looked away then, too embarrassed to face the other, so he hadn't noticed the huge smile plastered on Seonghwa's face. "Oh, shut up." Seonghwa rolled his eyes playfully, then, he stepped closer, just a few centimeters away from Hongjoong's face. He cupped the other's cheeks. "Can I?" he asked with glint in his eyes. Hongjoong nodded, and that was all it took for Seonghwa to close the gap between them. Fireworks erupted in Hongjoong's stomach. Seonghwa's lips were so soft against his, he was feeling like he was being kissed by a cloud, or a loaf of bread, he could taste the flour that had fallen on the other's mouth. The kiss was sloppy at first, but soon they began to get used to each other's rhythm. Hongjoong's hands traveled down to Seonghwa's hips and held him as close as he could. He couldn't get enough. Seonghwa slowly guided the other, without interrupting their closeness. Hongjoong's back hit the table, and with a swift motion, Seonghwa helped him sit on it. They had to separate for a moment to catch their breaths, both smiling like idiots. "So, am I your boyfriend now, Kim Hongjoong?" Seonghwa asked breathlessly. Hongjoong grinned. "And I am yours, Park Seonghwa." but he barely got to finish, because Seonghwa had already his lips back on his again. Little did they know, that that kiss would've sealed their relationship forever. ~~ Years later, after graduating college, they both settled with good jobs. Seonghwa had taken over his father's restaurants, while Hongjoong had taken a great place as a photographer at his friend's, Choi Jongho, company, and he was mostly assigned to do shootings for his actor friends, Choi San and Jung Wooyoung. They had settled in Seoul, just like their whole friend group. They had even gotten married, not legally since the law still wouldn't allow it, but in their hearts they were husbands. The idea of adopting a child had settled into their minds, and even if it was going to be a rough adventure, they were going to try anyway. They were truly happy. Even if life threw obstacles their way, they would've found a way to throw them back. The biggest one had been when Seonghwa's parents had found out about them, and they hadn't been happy at all. But after months of arguments and infinite heavy talks, his parents had eventually warmed up to Hongjoong. Now, their only worry was whose turn it was to change diapers that day, or which kindergarten they should choose. And that was what made their life complete.