[for junjour] I Am Only One (And That Is One Too Few) [2/2]

[eonians]

The trip to Flims excites Luhan quite a bit. The clouds clear almost as soon as they’re out of Belgium, and as they head through Germany into Switzerland, the sun is shining bright. Minseok is chattering about historical facts about Europe the entire way there, and Luhan is happy that Minseok is finally opening up a little bit.

They get off the train in Zurich and take a bus to Flims, a small town in the Alps. The mountains are snow-capped, even in the autumn, and it’s like they’re living in a postcard. It’s beautiful and the scenery reflecting in Minseok’s eyes has brightened Luhan’s day, too.

The other hotels they’ve stayed in have been quite unremarkable, but the one in Flims is lovely. It looks like a chalet on a postcard with flowers blooming in planters in the front. They go in, and once again, Luhan is thankful that Minseok has to use English in his job because otherwise their trip would be much more difficult.

“Wow,” Minseok says when they get inside the room, “this is beautiful.” He heads straight for the window while Luhan picks up the letter. He reads it out loud:

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

Hopefully your stay in Bruges wasn’t too rainy, and I definitely hope you enjoyed the train ride. Europe is fun even if you’re just training through.

In any case, welcome to Flims. You’ll have two days here this time. This hotel is said to have a great spa, and the hiking in this area is supposed to host breathtaking views. Your clue for this stop is just a reminder of the yearly ski trips we used to take so long ago. It’s a pity you can’t go skiing in the autumn, but maybe just seeing the snow on the very tops of the mountains will help you reminisce.

Your next stop is Igls, Austria, a town similar to this one but with its own charms.

This is Letter #5.

“I could see myself living here,” Minseok sighs, still looking out the window. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Do you want to go explore the hotel, see what the spa is really like?” Luhan suggests, and Minseok nods.

“I hope they have a sauna,” he grins.

They do have a sauna, and Minseok convinces Luhan to go inside with him. Luhan is thrilled, if he’s being honest. Minseok used to be lean and pale, and now he’s slightly less lean, still pale, and Luhan would love to press his fingers into Minseok’s soft skin, kissing his collarbones and leaving angry red marks on Minseok’s white neck.

“So warm,” Minseok chuckles, wiping sweat off of his brow. The way his skin is turning pinkish against the white towel he’s wrapped in is just too much for Luhan. “Luhan? Are you okay? You look dazed...should we cool off?”

“No,” Luhan replies quickly, focusing his eyes on something other than Minseok’s body, “I’m fine. This is pretty nice, right?”

“Yeah,” Minseok replies, still smiling but looking at Luhan suspiciously. “It’s like all my worries are melting away.” He leans on the wooden-planked wall and closes his eyes, which allows Luhan a little more time to stare.

“You’re worried?” he asks. “I thought we left that behind a while ago.”

“Mm,” Minseok hums, “but I’m worried about other things. Like what the heck am I supposed to have for dinner tonight?”

Luhan laughs, scooting a little closer to Minseok. “I wouldn’t say no to fondue.”

“Oh, that sounds amazing,” Minseok says, opening his eyes and looking at Luhan. “Yes to fondue.”

They go to the hotel’s restaurant that night for dinner, and as they’re ordering fondue, Minseok points out something of interest on the menu.

“Luhan, that’s schnitzel,” he says. “Do you remember how-”

“Baekhyun,” Luhan breathes. The school reunion. Maybe that’s why Luhan and Minseok are doing this; because someone at the reunion felt bad for him. And now there’s another, unintentioned clue. “You think it could be him?”

“I think it could be,” Minseok says, looking up as he thinks. “I mean, he does owe you something, right? But me...I’m not sure. Baekhyun...he did go on the ski trips with us...”

And suddenly, Luhan thinks that maybe he’s not sure he wants to know who’s sending them on this trip. It’s more fun not knowing, just seeing where they’ll end up next. It’s fun living a mystery adventure with Minseok. “Hey,” he says, “I mean, this could just be a coincidence.”

Minseok shrugs. “Yeah, I guess so. It doesn’t seem like the person who wrote the letter has ever been here, so maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

Luhan nods. It’s just a coincidence. They’ll wait to find out, they’ll just hang out until the end of the vacation and hopefully Luhan and Minseok will be in love by then. It’s wishful thinking, Luhan knows, and yet he can’t help but hope.

Minseok’s eyes brighten when the fondue comes out. “Wah, Luhan, it’s like Swiss hotpot!” he cries, excitedly dipping meats into the hot broth.

“Looks good, Minseokkie,” Luhan says, and that’s when Minseok looks up, eyes wide.

“I haven’t heard you say that in a while,” he points out, meat still on a long fork in the broth. Luhan wants to take it back, suddenly. It’s a little too familiar, it was what he called Minseok when they still had promise and cuteness in them. Now they’re adults and it sounds weird.

“Ah, yeah. Sorry, just slipped out,” he explains, but Minseok shrugs, resuming his eating.

“It’s fine; I don’t mind. Remember when you used to make me call you Lu-ge?” he smiles as he pops a cheese-covered piece of bread into his mouth. Luhan nearly chokes, and it’s not because he’s eating. Minseok is only a bit older than Luhan but Luhan had always loved the feeling of being the one Minseok could count on, the one Minseok could come home to, the one Minseok could find comfort in. The gege. (And Luhan won’t even mention that the name turned him on just a little bit.) But now...it’s different. He wishes it wasn’t, of course. But it is.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Maybe we should not use that one for now,” he laughs nervously, but Minseok doesn’t seem to notice any problems, so Luhan sighs with relief. For now, he’ll eat his fondue and admire Minseok from afar.

“So,” Minseok says, “what do you want to do tomorrow?”

“Hiking? We can go see the valleys, maybe,” he suggests, and Minseok nods enthusiastically. At the very least, they’ve made a bit of progress.

They go up the mountain on a ski lift the next day, much to Luhan’s despair. Despite the obvious plus of Minseok’s soothing voice drifting into his ear, Luhan is happy to have his feet firmly planted on the ground when they reach the top.

Minseok can’t stop telling Luhan how beautiful it is, and Luhan realizes that Minseok’s been saying that quite a lot. He wonders if Minseok really thinks it’s all beautiful, or if it’s his way of telling Luhan that he’s having a good time, being with him. Luhan desperately hopes it’s the latter.

They have a picnic atop the mountain and Luhan’s dying to kiss Minseok, but of course that won’t happen because Luhan does have at least a little propriety.

They’ve been sitting on the mountaintop, watching the valley for a while when Minseok turns to Luhan. “You know,” he says, “I didn’t think it was possible, but with every stop, I’m enjoying myself more and more. I’m kind of glad whoever is crazy enough to send you on this trip had the idea for me to come with you.”

“I’m glad too,” Luhan says. “I’m really glad.” Minseok smiles at him, and it’s the first time since high school Luhan has seen that smile. It’s the one he had always thought was full of adoration and respect. He wonders what it means, now.

They take an afternoon train to Austria, and Minseok makes a point of humming all the Sound of Music songs on the way there. It’s adorable.

“I’m so excited,” Minseok admits to Luhan as they get off the train in Innsbruck and head towards the bus that will take them up the mountain to Igls. “It’s going to be as fun-more fun-than Switzerland, right?”

“Probably,” Luhan smiles. “Let’s make sure it is, huh?”

“Yeah,” Minseok laughs, getting into the bus. They ride up the mountain into another small town, though this one at least has a grocery store. The hotel is just down the street, a beautiful chalet-like building with pink flowers blooming on the balconies of the rooms.

It’s evening when they finally check in, and once again, Minseok runs to the window. “Luhan, Luhan, come here,” he says, “you have to see this.” They step onto the balcony and it’s absolutely breathtaking. The church of the town stands out, quite close to them with a tall red spire. The rays of the setting sun are shining on it just right so that it looks like something out of a storybook. In the background, the mountains are snowcapped and soft on the horizon.

“Wow,” Luhan breathes, and this time, he’s the one telling Minseok just how beautiful it is.

“I know, stupid,” Minseok teases.

They relax in the hotel that night, having a leisurely dinner of soup and a bit of flan for dessert (Minseok and Luhan are both in heaven), and they watch a movie before bed. The movie’s entirely in German, but that makes it more fun, because they can invent their own plot.

It’s only after the movie finishes that they remember the letter. Minseok laughs at Luhan for forgetting about it, and Luhan retorts that Minseok forgot too. He opens the letter carefully and Minseok reads it out loud.

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

I hope you had a great time in Flims! And I hope you didn’t pick any of the edelweiss in the front because apparently that’s not allowed. Speaking of edelweiss, that’s your clue for this stop. Hopefully you remember Minseok’s obsession with the Sound of Music. I wonder if he’s still a fan.

This is Igls, and as you probably realize, it’s also a mountain town. The ski lift goes to the top of the mountain, and I expect it’ll be cold enough that you’ll have to wear coats. If you’re not feeling that, Innsbruck is only a bit away and you can see lots of things there. So much to do!

You’ll have a two days here before your next stop, which is Venice, in sunny Italy.

This is Letter #6.

“First, I’m going to say no to the ski lift right off the bat,” Luhan says, and Minseok laughs.

“So down to Innsbruck it is, then? It should be fun,” Minseok yawns.

“Yes, sleepyhead,” Luhan nudges Minseok, who laughs as he flops into his own bed. “Goodnight, Minseokkie.”

Minseok chuckles again. “You too, Lu-ge.”

Luhan can’t fall asleep because he’s far too happy and excited. This trip is the greatest thing that ever happened to him.

They head into Innsbruck the next morning and all Minseok wants to do is go shopping. Of course, Luhan can’t complain, because he wants to shop too. They first go to a produce market, and it’s far more crowded than Luhan expected it to be.

And that’s where it happens.

Luhan loses Minseok in the crowd, and he’s looking around for a head of red hair when someone grabs his hand.

“Don’t get lost,” Minseok says, tugging Luhan along. Luhan’s heart is about to burst. Once they make it to a produce stall, away from the crowd, Minseok lets go of Luhan’s hand, but Luhan is already on cloud nine.

“I won’t,” Luhan assures him.

“Good,” Minseok says, and Luhan just can’t stop smiling.

It happens again the next day when they go hiking. They’re going up the hill and Luhan is going too slow for Minseok’s tastes, so he grabs Luhan’s hand and runs up the hill. “It’s just like the Sound of Music!” he cries, letting go of Luhan’s hand at the top and spinning around.

He’s looking at the mountains but Luhan is looking at him. This could really happen.

“Minseok!” he cries as the wind picks up, and Minseok turns to him, red hair flying about.

“What?” Minseok yells back.

“I’m still in love with you,” Luhan says, definitely not loud enough for Minseok to hear.

“What? I can’t hear you!” Minseok cups his hand around his mouth to amplify his voice. Luhan loses his nerve right away, probably never having had it to begin with. Even after the positive signs, he’s still scared of being rejected.

“I said,” Luhan yells instead, “I’m happy we came here!”

“Oh!” Minseok cries back, grinning. “Me too!”

And Luhan supposes he’ll have to be happy with that, because it’s more than he could have hoped for in the beginning.

As they head off for Italy, Minseok is wistful to leave the mountains behind.

“But Minseok, haven’t you always wanted to go to Italy?” Luhan asks. “You used to fantasize about going to Venice, riding in a gondola…”

“Having my first kiss in a gondola on a Venetian canal, yeah,” Minseok laughs, “but it’s too late for that now, isn’t it? I prefer the Alps now. I’ve become a mountain person.”

“Mountain people are good too,” Luhan says. “I can respect that.” Minseok punches him playfully in the arm.

“Ah, respect from Luhan, something I’ve always craved,” Minseok jokes, but Luhan’s not sure what is funny about it.

“I’ve always respected you,” he says seriously, but Minseok doesn’t seem to hear his sincerity.

“Thanks,” he says with a note of sarcasm in his voice, but it’s not obvious enough for Luhan to point it out. He’s wondering if maybe he went wrong somewhere in the past. Maybe now that’s where the problems are stemming from.

As much as Luhan wants to believe that they have something here, now, it still feels awkward and a little acted, the way they’re so casual and cute with each other. It doesn’t feel like it did in high school. But he still has a while to get it to that point. Maybe Italy could be the place.

Their hotel in Venice is plain compared to the ones in Switzerland and Austria, but it is on the waterfront, which thrills Minseok despite having said he was no longer enamored with Venice.

Minseok picks up the letter this time, not quite as interested in the view out the window as he had been at the previous locations, and he reads it to Luhan.

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

I’m sure the hills in Austria were alive with the sound of music, and I’m sure you two had a great time there.

This, however, is Venice, and it’s probably the greatest city you will ever visit. Still as beautiful as it was in the 1400s, you’ll never run out of things to visit here. I suggest the Palazzo Ducale, the Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge...take a gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs, maybe at sunset. You’ll have three days to do all this.

Your clue for this place is a reminder that you two are now going on that post-graduation trip we planned but never actually went on.

Your next stop is Ragusa, in Sicily.

This is Letter #7.

“These hints are not helping at all,” Minseok says, looking at Luhan in obvious annoyance at the letter. “If anything, they’re making it more vague. Like, we were all supposed to go on that trip to Venice. That doesn’t narrow anything down.”

“Well, I mean, Baekhyun was spearheading the planning, right? So maybe it’s him?”

“I mean, I guess,” Minseok shrugs. “Most of the signs have been pointing to him so far, so. Could be.”

“I kind of don’t want to know,” Luhan admits. “Wouldn’t it make the rest of the trip kind of boring if we knew who it was before we finished?” Minseok gives Luhan a half smile.

“I guess you’re right,” he says. “You want to stop guessing until we have all the clues?”

“Yeah,” Luhan nods, stretching as he lets out a yawn. “So, Palazzo Ducale tomorrow?”

“Sure, and then we can do Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge the next day, and we can save the gondola rides for last.” Minseok climbs into the bed he’s claimed as his own and wishes Luhan goodnight, and Luhan responds in kind.

He’s not sure if Minseok knows this, but the letter’s reference to a gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs is unmistakably romantic. Luhan remembers Zitao going on and on about how if a pair of lovers kissed in that exact situation, they’ll be granted an eternal blissful romance. He knows that was not put in the letter by mistake, and whoever sent them on this trip is obviously trying to play Cupid.

And for the first time ever, Luhan is kind of happy that someone is trying to interfere with his life.

“Wow,” Minseok says, staring up at the Palazzo Ducale the next day, “this is enormous. Can you imagine what it must have been like in its glory days?”

“You mean corruption back in the 1400s?”

“Corruption?” Minseok asks, and Luhan grins.

“Haven’t you ever played Assassin’s Creed? I’ve had Ezio kill so many people near this palace…” Luhan says, and Minseok elbows him.

“Luhan, this is history, not a video game,” he says, but he’s laughing anyway.

They head inside (the line to get in is long but finally they do get in), and they take the English tour. Luhan is absolutely useless at English, which he’s kind of happy for now that Minseok is whispering into his ear every few seconds. Each time Minseok leans in, Luhan feels a thrill run down his spine. He daringly puts a hand around Minseok’s waist one of the times Minseok leans in, and it just seems like he’s trying to hear better. Whatever the reason, Minseok doesn’t protest, and Luhan counts it as a small victory.

The next day at the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, Luhan makes some more Assassin’s Creed references and Minseok continually has to remind him that this is history and culture and video games do not count. They stop for gelato in the evening, and as Luhan hears the bells of the Campanile toll, he’s reminded of the gondola ride they’re going to take tomorrow.

“Luhan,” Minseok says suddenly, “I was thinking, why don’t we go to Murano tomorrow? I kind of want to see it. Something off the beaten path. We could take a water bus.”

“Sure,” Luhan says. It’s the first time Minseok has really taken initiative and Luhan’s happy for that.

They visit the Duomo di Murano Santi Maria e Donato, which Luhan finds unfortunately boring but Minseok is in awe over the architecture, but then as they’re taking the water bus back, they see a sign on the wall.

‘Something Strange Happened Here’, it says.

“Minseok, look,” Luhan points out, and Minseok oohs.

“I wonder what happened,” he says. “We’ll have to make up our own story, huh? The mystery of Venice. Something strange happened in Venice, or maybe something strange will happen to us. Wouldn’t that be a story to tell when we get back?” Minseok grins. “Let’s make sure something worth telling happens before we leave.”

Luhan has something in mind.

The timing literally could not be any better. The sun is setting, bright orange against the water. It’s a lovely early autumn evening, the air warm and sweet. Minseok’s hair has that auburn tint to it and his cheeks are just a bit rosy and he looks beautiful in this light. The bells of the Campanile begin to toll, and the gondola continues down the canal.

“Luhan, look, it’s the Bridge of Sighs,” Minseok says. He’s smiling that smile as they head under it, and Luhan’s blood has turned to adrenaline. It’s now or never.

He takes Minseok’s hand, and Minseok cocks his head to the side, looking slightly confused.

“This has been a great trip so far,” Luhan says, and it sounds cheesy as soon as he says it, but Minseok just smiles.

“It has,” he replies.

And then Luhan kisses him. Just a peck on those soft lips, something he’s been dying to do for ages. He pulls back, smiling at Minseok.

But Minseok isn’t smiling. “Luhan,” he says quietly, sounding as if he’s been betrayed.

“I-was that not okay?” Luhan asks shakily. Did he misread the signs yet again? Is Luhan really just an idiot?

“No,” Minseok replies quietly, but in a tone as if to say to Luhan that it’s obvious it’s not okay.

“I’m sorry, then,” Luhan says quickly. “Really, just forget it ever happened. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Minseok nods, but he’s mostly quiet for the rest of the gondola ride and the taxi ride back to the hotel. Luhan’s left wondering, as he goes to bed that night, what could possibly have gone wrong. Ever since Bruges, or maybe Flims if he’s being conservative, it’s felt like they had something. It has felt like maybe they just needed a little push. But Luhan was wrong. He wants to know if maybe this is leftover from high school, maybe he should have talked it out with Minseok back then. He wishes that Minseok would tell him what he’s thinking now, so that maybe they could work something out.

But who is he kidding? He’s been rejected by Minseok twice now, and he’s not willing to see if third time’s the charm. He feels like now is the time to give up.

They take a train to Naples the next day, and from there they take a plane to Sicily. From the airport, they take a bus to the resort just outside of Ragusa, and Minseok’s nearly silent the whole time, only talking when there’s something to be arranged. It’s extremely depressing. Minseok has obviously not forgotten about the kiss.

They get to the hotel, and this time Luhan picks up the letter first thing.

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

Here’s hoping Venice was fantastic. Ragusa is very different. You get two days here, and while Ragusa has some great history, I’m sure you’ll be wanting to spend most of your time at the beach. I can’t blame you. I hope the weather is nice.

Your clue for this is, of course, The Godfather. Luhan’s favorite movie (maybe it’s not anymore?) is of course, a perfect clue for Sicily.

Your next stop is Gordes, France.

This is Letter #8.

“Short letter,” Luhan says conversationally, and Minseok just shrugs. “I’m gonna go to the beach. Are you going to come?”

“No thanks,” Minseok says. “I’m going to catch up with work.”

“Suit yourself. If you change your mind, I’ll be out there.” He changes clothes and heads for the beach, which isn’t far from their room on the resort. He knows Minseok is a mountain person, but nobody would miss a day on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s his fault.

He falls asleep on the beach (under an umbrella, thankfully), since he’d barely slept the night before. It’s almost evening when he finally wakes up. He assumes Minseok never came out. He heads back to the resort, hoping maybe Minseok has cooled off enough to get some dinner.

But when he gets back in the room, Minseok is not there. He would have guessed that Minseok went alone to get something to eat, but none of Minseok’s belongings are there either. Luhan’s been abandoned.

There’s a letter next to the old one on Luhan’s bed. His hands are shaking as he opens it.

Dear Luhan,

I’m sorry. I ran away. This vacation has felt like a dream and I’ve never been good at separating dreams from reality, but sometimes it has to be done. So I booked a flight early yesterday morning back to Korea without you knowing. I’m really sorry. I’m a coward; I know that. I hope one day you can forgive me. Please finish the trip and find out who was sending us on such a crazy journey.

-Minseok

“You idiot,” Luhan says, and he can’t decide if he’s talking to Minseok or to himself. He wants to cry, but the tears just aren’t coming out. This is all his fault; he should have known it was all too good to be true. It’s impossible to ignite a flame that has nothing to burn on.

He spends the next day in bed, watching The Godfather over and over again on the hotel’s pay-per-view. He feels bad abusing whoever’s money is funding this adventure, but he can’t help wallowing. He’s all alone in a foreign country, having just been abandoned for a second time by the man he loves.

He flies to Lyon alone the next day, and he takes a bus to Gordes. He recognizes the town immediately. He remembers how he, Minseok, and Jongdae discovered a framed painting on the ground in the back of the locker room, and they’d enlisted the help of all their friends to find out what the city on the painting was, only to be disappointed that it was a tiny little town in the middle of France.

Now that Luhan’s here, he can’t imagine why they were ever disappointed. He can almost imagine Minseok looking out the window of the bus, telling Luhan that Gordes is said to be one of the most beautiful places in France.

But Minseok is gone.

He gets into the hotel and has to check in for the first time, struggling without Minseok to use English.

“Um, Anna...Kim, please,” he says, and the receptionist looks down.

“Ah, two people?” she asks, looking around Luhan as if to search for the second person.

“Just one,” he replies, not knowing how to elaborate. She smiles and hands him the key card anyway, telling him to enjoy his stay. He’ll try.

He takes a walk around the street, realizing how beautiful the landscape really is. You can see for miles from the top of the city, farms and fields and distant hills. Minseok would love this place. The cobbled streets are homey and romantic and Luhan thinks it’s kind of a cruel joke that he’s here alone in the place that Minseok would probably enjoy the most.

Luhan returns to the hotel and flops down on one of the beds, ignoring the letter for the time being.

A knock comes on the door and for a wild second he thinks it’s Minseok, and he jumps up to open it.

It’s the housekeeper. She says something in English (he thinks it’s English) that he doesn’t understand, and she leaves after seeing his confused look.

He sighs, finally resigning himself to reading the letter.

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

I hope Ragusa was a blast. The beaches there are like nowhere else in the world.

Here, I hope you remember that disappointing painting we found in the locker room…

Luhan stops reading. He just glances at the bottom of the letter to know that he’s going to a place called Riquewihr in France in two days.

He feels like he’s wasting his time. Every single knock he hears on the door, he has the crazy delusion that it might be Minseok. It’s so pitiful.

He doesn’t make the most of his time in Gordes. He wishes he could be active and happy without Minseok, but he can’t help thinking he’s missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Either option would be just as depressing to him.

Honestly, he can’t see himself with anyone but Minseok. But Minseok doesn’t see the same way, and for that, Luhan is sad.

He gets to Riquewihr two days later and it’s another beautiful and inspiring town. He is inspired, too. He hooks his previously-off phone up to the hotel’s wifi after much confusion with English and he books a flight back to Korea. If this is a chance, he’s not going to let it go. He’s going to talk to Minseok, and if Minseok clearly has reasons as to why he doesn’t want this, then he’ll give up. He wants to be respectful of Minseok, but at the same time, he wants to know once and for all if this will happen.

Except he never gets to go back, because the first knock on his door this time is Minseok.

“Thank God you’re still here,” Minseok smiles nervously. Luhan’s in shock.

“You came back?” Luhan asks, his mouth agape. “Why?”

“Well, one, because I regretted it, and two because I found this in my pile of mail when I got home,” he says, handing Luhan an envelope. “I called Anna as soon as I found this and she told me where you were supposed to be.”

A Love Song by William Carlos Williams

What have I to say to you
When we shall meet?
Yet-
I lie here thinking of you.

The stain of love
Is upon the world.
Yellow, yellow, yellow,
It eats into the leaves,
Smears with saffron
The horned branches that lean
Heavily
Against a smooth purple sky.

There is no light-
Only a honey-thick stain
That drips from leaf to leaf
And limb to limb
Spoiling the colours
Of the whole world.

I am alone.
The weight of love
Has buoyed me up
Till my head Knocks against the sky.

See me!
My hair is dripping with nectar-
Starlings carry it
On their black wings.
See, at last
My arms and my hands
Are lying idle.

How can I tell
If I shall ever love you again
As I do now?

“Is this supposed to be about me?” Luhan asks, and Minseok shrugs, dropping his bag inside Luhan’s room.

“It convinced me to come back,” he replies. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”

“Yeah,” Luhan says, and they both sit down on the bed. Minseok takes a deep breath, and pauses before turning to Luhan.

“This is going to be a long story,” he warns.

“I need to hear it,” Luhan replies, so Minseok starts.

“So, it started in high school, I guess. There was me, tiny little Kim Minseok, with the chubby cheeks and strange smile. I wasn’t really good at anything, but there you were, star of the track team and the crush of everyone at the school. You were friends with me, and I could never figure out why.”

“Minseok-”

“Just...let me finish,” he says. “You were so sweet to me and I just couldn’t understand it. I thought maybe it was pity or something...I didn’t really have other friends. I wasn’t close to the other guys like you were. I mean, we all hung out together, but I would never spend time with them if you weren’t there. And then you asked me out and I honestly thought it was a joke. Or if it wasn’t a joke, it was out of pity alone.

“I said no, because I thought that you were like a dream and that I had to separate that from reality. And maybe because I thought I had a little pride. I don’t know. And then...then you stopped talking to me. I thought you’d given up on your pity Minseok crusade. I didn’t know whether to hate you or miss you. I tried to forget about you during college, I really did.

“And then you came back into my life and at first I honestly thought it was some ridiculous way to make fun of me, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case. You seemed to truly care about me and it scared me, kind of, because that meant that maybe I’d misinterpreted everything in high school too. I didn’t want to have that little faith in myself, so I kind of...ran away. I separated ‘reality’ from ‘dreams’ again but this time I guess...the dream kind of was reality.” He sighs, smiling nervously at Luhan.

“Oh, God, Minseok,” Luhan says. “Did I come off that way all that time? As a horrible person?”

“No!” Minseok cries. “You were too good to be true, that’s why I didn’t think it was real.”

“I’ve had a massive crush on you for ages, and I still do, now,” Luhan says, gripping Minseok’s hands tight. “God, I’m crazy about you.”

Minseok starts crying, and Luhan can’t help crying either, because this is what he’s been waiting for for years. Minseok, he’s sure, feels the same.

Crying turns to laughing and then hugging and then kissing, and pressing into Minseok’s lips over and over again feels so much better than that peck under the bridge.

That night, they fall asleep in the same bed, embracing quietly and enjoying each other’s company. It’s all either of them can ask for after the whirlwind that was the last few days.

Luhan wakes up to Minseok’s sleeping face not distant from him, but facing him. It wasn’t a dream, it was all real. He’s so happy. He kisses Minseok’s nose and climbs out of bed, stretching. He feels refreshed and renewed, ready to take on more of Europe and then real life back home. With Minseok, this time.

“Luhan,” Minseok says sleepily, and Luhan turns around to smile at Minseok. “The letter is unopened. You’ve been here how long?”

“Sorry,” Luhan says. He picks the letter up and reads it out loud to Minseok.

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

I hope Gordes wasn’t nearly as boring as the city in the painting supposedly was. I bet it’s a million times better in person.

Welcome to Riquewihr, possibly the most picturesque town in the whole world. Maybe. It’s certainly picturesque, that’s for sure. They’re famous for their Riesling, which may or may not still be Minseok’s favorite wine. I remember it well for being the first wine any of us had gotten drunk off of. Don’t drink too much of it while you’re here, but sampling a bit doesn’t hurt.

Your clue for this location is obviously Riesling, maybe of the 1994 variety. Yum.

Anyway, your next location is your last, I’m sorry to say. You’re off to Berlin after a leisurely four days in Riquewihr.

This is Letter #10.

“Well if this isn’t an obvious reference to either Sehun or Jongin,” Luhan says. “And I’m guessing it’s Sehun because it sounds so sarcastic. Though both of them were there that time we all got drunk off of that Riesling so...”

“But the other letters didn’t sound nearly this snarky, did they?” Minseok asks, flipping over onto his back and looking up at the ceiling. “Although, Luhan, we did say we wouldn’t guess, right?”

“Right, right. Anyway, Riesling.”

“Riesling,” Minseok says, a grin blooming on his face. “I know what we’re doing today.”

They go wine tasting later that day (after breakfast in bed interrupted with many kisses). Minseok’s translating for Luhan again, and though he’s no closer to Luhan’s face than he was back in Venice, it feels so much nicer knowing that he could be a lot closer.

Luhan’s shocked, though, when Minseok buys a bottle of wine and whispers into Luhan’s ear “this is for tonight.”

He’s riled up for the rest of the afternoon into the evening and it’s maddening because Minseok knows he’s riled up. He has this smirk on his face that Luhan is so incredibly attracted to.

Between the two of them, they finish the entire bottle that night and though Luhan’s always been a sleepy drunk, there’s no way he’s falling asleep before Minseok gets out of the shower.

They wake up on their second to last day in Riquewihr skin against skin, and it feels amazing. Minseok’s already awake with his hand lazily draped across Luhan’s waist. “Morning,” he says softly.

“Morning,” Luhan replies. He can’t help but admire Minseok’s face. He’s so beautiful, and he’s all Luhan’s.

“So, what do you want to do today?” Minseok asks.

“We could do the same thing we did last night…” Luhan suggests, remembering just how amazing Minseok had felt.

“Yah,” Minseok says, hitting Luhan lightly. “We’ll have plenty of time to do that back home. We have touring to do.”

“Fine,” Luhan pouts, and Minseok kisses his pout sweetly before climbing out of bed adorably and running into the shower. Luhan contemplates joining him, but he figures last night was a triumph in its own right and from now on he’ll take smaller steps.

They visit the Vieille Ville, the Old Town, that day. It’s beautiful and charming and Minseok can’t stop taking pictures. He also takes quite a few more selcas with Luhan, even going so far as to kiss him on the cheek in a few of them. Luhan’s floating with happiness.

They stop at a cafe in the afternoon and Minseok buys croissants and two cafe au laits for the both of them.

“Coffee makes me feel free,” Luhan says, and Minseok nods eagerly.

“Yes it does,” he agrees. He reaches across the table to take Luhan’s hand, and Luhan grips back right away, looking up. “Luhan...we’re dating now, right?”

“Of course!” Luhan says quickly. “Of course of course of course. I haven’t waited this long only for us to be a one-night stand.”

Minseok smiles, looking relieved, and Luhan hopes he wasn’t too worried all that time. “I’m so happy,” Minseok mumbles, looking down.

He’s just too adorable. He’s so cute and Luhan wishes he could just grab him right here in the cafe and kiss him endlessly. But he’ll have time for that, which is the greatest feeling in the world.

On the last day in Riquewihr they venture out into the countryside of Alsace, bringing a picnic with them. It’s just bread, meat and cheese from the convenience store, but in the beautiful outdoors of eastern France, it tastes like a gourmet meal.

Once they finish, they lie down on the blanket, just looking up at the bright clouds through squinting eyes.

“I think whoever sent us out here was trying to set us up together,” Luhan says.

“Oh, you think?” Minseok laughs. “I got a poem called ‘A Love Song.’”

“Even before that, though,” Luhan says. “In Venice...they suggested that we go under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset. You do remember Zitao telling us how if you kissed in that situation, you’d get eternal blissful romance, right?”

Minseok turns to Luhan. “Is that why you kissed me there?”

“I...I was planning to do it in Venice but that seemed like a really good place…”

“Well,” Minseok chuckles, “look where we are now. It’s pretty...blissful, I would say.”

Luhan smiles at Minseok, puckering his lips out for a kiss, but instead, Minseok climbs on top of Luhan, straddling his hips. Luhan’s thrilled. He reaches up for Minseok’s face and Minseok leans down to meet him, kissing him sweetly and innocently.

With Minseok, the sex is fantastic. But this is fantastic too, almost more so, because he feels like he’s being cherished just as much as he wants to cherish Minseok.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” Minseok whispers.

“It was worth it,” Luhan replies.

They reach Berlin by lunch time, and they have a meal before they check into the hotel.

The letter is sitting on the bedside table, and Luhan picks it up gingerly. “This could be the last one, you know. I kind of don’t want the adventure to end.”

“Trust me, when you’re around, the adventure will never end,” Minseok says, elbowing Luhan in the ribs. “Open it.”

Dear Luhan and Minseok,

THE FINAL DESTINATION! I hope you got a good rest in Riquewihr because you’re going to be busy for these two days.

Berlin is probably the biggest city you’ve visited, after London. You’re probably wondering why I didn’t end you in Paris or Rome. To be honest, it was mostly because you’d spent a lot longer in Italy and France than anywhere else, but I think Berlin is actually the perfect city for you to finish this journey on. Berlin is full of history and has suffered lots of troubles and hardship, but it turned out to be quite prosperous. I hope you can see a similar (though hopefully less difficult) change in yourselves.

Your clue for this location is triumph. Do you remember your last track meet before you graduated? I do. You both won in your events, and it was the first time you both won your events during a single meet. The celebrations that day were epic. Have an epic celebration of your own, while you’re here. I suggest visiting Brandenburg Gate at night; it’s a symbol of both triumph and unity, which are two things this journey has hopefully brought about.

You have two days here, and then your next location is home sweet Seoul. Enjoy yourselves.

This is Letter #11.

“That was cheesy,” Minseok says.

“But kind of true,” Luhan points out, and Minseok has to agree.

They spend the entire day in museums and parks, making sure to stop and get sausage and take pictures in the black-and-white photo booths scattered around the city. (Lots of kisses happen and Luhan can’t be happier.)

That night, after dinner, they go to Brandenburg Gate. The sky is a dusky blue and Minseok pulls out his camera as soon as they arrive. It’s like a golden arch against a dark blue sky. “It’s perfect,” Minseok says. “Whoever is sending us on this trip chose the perfect place for us to finish up.” He commandeers Luhan for a selca, and he kisses him full on the lips with the Gate in the background.

“I love you,” Luhan says breathlessly, and Minseok grins that smile again.

“I love you too,” Minseok replies.

After a long and sleepy plane ride the next evening, they get back to Luhan’s apartment in the morning. They rush up the stairs (Luhan pointing out how disappointed he is that the elevator is still broken after a month) to get the last letter and the prize that’s apparently unimaginably valuable.

They throw open the door, and the letter is on the ground. Luhan glances at Minseok before bending down to pick up the letter, and he’s about to slip his finger under the seal when Minseok stops him.

“What do you think it is?” he asks, and Luhan pauses. He has no clue. “Maybe we shouldn’t open it,” Minseok says. “Luhan, think about what we’ve gained already. Someone paid for us to go to Europe for a month. That’s unimaginably expensive. And we even have things you can’t touch. You’re not lonely anymore. I’m not stuck in a day after day rut anymore. We have each other. What more could this person possibly give us?”

“A flight to Canada so we can get married?” Luhan asks jokingly, and Minseok turns scarlet as he punches Luhan lightly in the gut.

“Really, though,” Minseok says. “Letter number twelve. I don’t want to open it.”

“We might never find out who sent us on this journey,” Luhan says, but he’s willing to let the letter go.

“I think we have a pretty good idea as to who it is, don’t you?” Minseok asks as Luhan sets the letter on his bedside table. He circles his arms around Luhan’s waist and looks up at him with eyes full of anticipation.

“It’s the only logical explanation,” he shrugs, grinning at Minseok. “Alright, let’s give it up, then. I’m sure whoever it is will reveal themselves eventually.”

“Good,” Minseok says, leaning up to kiss Luhan sweetly. “Now our adventure never has to end.”

(“Why haven’t we heard anything from them yet?” Jongin asks, brewing a pot of coffee.

“I don’t know,” Chanyeol shrugs, looking absentmindedly at the newspaper. “They probably forgot about the letter entirely and are just spending their leftover days fucking.”

“Well, that was Junmyeon’s aim when he brought this whole plan up,” Jongin replies.

“That was Zitao’s aim. Junmyeon’s aim was to get them out of their boring lives and into some sort of adventure,” Chanyeol says. Jongin sets the coffee to boil and pulls the creamer powder from the cabinet.

“Baekhyun and Sehun made their letters too obvious that we were trying to get them together,” Jongin says. “Kyungsoo suggested that we go for subtlety, but no, they just had to go crazy.”

“Yours was not subtle either,” Chanyeol laughs, looking over at Jongin. “That metaphor was so cheesy.”

“You’re so cheesy,” Jongin retorts, pouting. Chanyeol reaches over to grab his hand, pulling his boyfriend over to him.

“I still can’t believe Yifan’s idea to have a letter waiting at Minseok’s place turned out to be a good idea,” Chanyeol says, leaning on Jongin’s abs as he goes back to reading the newspaper.

“Yeah, but it’s too bad Minseok missed the places that Jongdae and Yixing picked out. I don’t know about Ragusa, but I think Minseok would have really liked Gordes. I looked up pictures of it on the internet. It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Chanyeol says, beckoning Jongin for a kiss. “I just hope they kissed under the Bridge of Sighs like Baekhyun told us to do all those years ago. I hope they have a romance as blissful as ours.”

“They definitely will,” Jongin smiles.)

part 1 / part 2