ISS 2012: for beefballs
Title: Burn The Sky Tonight
Pairing/Focus: Woohyun/Sungyeol
Rating: PG
Word count: 5,295
Summary: It’s only at the stroke of midnight that Woohyun gets the chance to see streaks of gold, enchanting music, and a beautiful being who dances amongst them.
To: beefballs
From: Your Secret Santa
“Alright, that’s a wrap!”
The director’s voice fills the air as he signals the crew on a job well done before calling up everyone to clean up the set. Once he does, he then strides toward the star of the show, the up and coming young model, Nam Woohyun. Despite being on several magazines, this happens to be Woohyun’s first time shooting for a cover spread- something the director has never expected for him to do at such a short period into the career. Because of this, he has high hopes for the kid. With a satisfied grin on his face, he gives the young male a firm pat on the shoulder. “A fine job, Woohyun. It’ll be no time at all before you reach the big league.”
Woohyun, who has been observing the bustling crew members surrounding them, gives an appreciative smile in return, followed by a short incline of the head in acknowledgement. “Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. You’re done for the day so you may leave as you wish.” The director gives him another pat on the shoulder before heading off to check up the status of the crew, leaving Woohyun to his own devices.
Eying the other male as he takes his leave, the young model decides to take up the suggestion and heads off back to his dressing room to prepare himself, smiling to some of the people who want to congratulate him before he heads home. He thanks every one of them with a smile and a bow.
Ah, if only they knew how fake those smiles are.
--
As he enters his dressing room, he sees no one in sight and that’s when he let his mask drop. He had been holding it up the entire day and it only tires him out. But hey, that’s what a model does, don’t they? Like singers and actors, models are idols. They are to give the audience the best show they can offer, to give them an image that can be well-received and adored.
He should be happy that he’s able to be doing one of the things he had so wished to do. From a child filled with dreams and expectations of himself until now, he had chosen on a long jagged path towards becoming a model.
Woohyun heaves a tired sigh as he cleans off the make up from his face and dresses into more casual clothing before leaving the premise from the back of the complex to avoid meeting with people.
--
Once home, Woohyun precariously tosses his duffel bag onto the couch, along with his jacket and keys before immediately making a beeline to the kitchen, where he begins to make himself a cup of hot jasmine green tea. Tea has a calming effect on him so he drinks it as much as he can to reduce stress. A shot of wine helps out as well but not as much as tea can. Watching as the water boils slowly, he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the counter on the opposite side of the stove. Today wasn’t bad, he concludes with a nod to himself. He had experienced far worse than this so he can say that it’s a good day.
Sipping his tea in a slow, leisure manner a few minutes later, Woohyun slowly strides toward the balcony- the one place where he feels most relaxed in. It’s also the one place where he can see the entire city. It’s simply one of the perks of living in the topmost floor of the apartment. Shifting the glass door open, he can immediately feel the cool breeze caressing his face as he glances over to find the city glowing and sparkling with gold lights.
He hums in content, taking another sip of tea and propping his elbows against the fence line of the balcony. As much as he likes the scenery, there’s also something missing about it. He knows what it is though- there’s no one to share this beautiful scenery with.
A wry chuckle slips pass his lips as he glances down into the deep abyss of the spacious yard surrounding the complex with a solemn smile. He knows this kind of living is meant to be perfect but no matter how perfect it is, he needs just one more thing to make him happy- and that is a person to love. He has always been a romantic and the thought of loving someone, as well as receiving love in return is something he’s always dreamed of having. His parents- they were never around when he was younger; they were always busy with their own lives to care for that of their son. And thus, he grew up, forcing a mask on his face and pretending that everything was fine and dandy.
If only his mask isn’t so attached to his face right now, maybe he would have the chance to live his life a little better. And maybe his emotional scars would heal a little more.
He shakes the thought off from his mind, knowing that if he resumes reminiscing about the past, he would be having a hard time concentrating the next day. Finishing up his now lukewarm tea, he retreats back into the room. Shower is calling him, one that he definitely needs at the moment.
--
It’s half past eleven, the time for Woohyun to step out of the house to get some fresh air. He does this on occasion, whether it’s to reduce stress or to relieve boredom. Right now, it’s leaning more towards the borders of ‘boredom’.
A stroll in the park would be nice at the moment. And that’s what he decides to do. Picking out warm clothes to wear- it’s mid-Autumn, after all, he then takes hold of his keys, wallet, and phone before leaving the premise.
The bells in the distance chimes through the cool night air as he strides through the empty area with hands deep into his pockets and eyes lingering above into the starry sky. This is probably one of the most peaceful moments he’s had in months- considering his busy schedule and all.
Just when he’s about to pull his hand out to check the time, something shoots past his line of sight, catching him off guard. He blinks quickly and checks around to see what it is. At first, he thinks he’s seeing things since there’s nothing around him but when he tilt his eyes to his right, he spots a gold dot swiveling around nearby. His eyes narrow in concentration.
That’s a firefly, right?
He blinks again when the tiny bug flies toward him, as if coming forward to greet him, and this time, he’s sure it’s one. “Oh wow…”
Observing as the firefly swerves around him for a moment until it decides to travel back toward where ever it came from, Woohyun can’t help but to follow with child-like curiosity. Fireflies were rare in these parts of the city so it simply fascinate him when they appear so suddenly. He trails after the tiny gold light until he reaches upon a clearing- somewhere he’s never seen before. It’s then that he caught sight of the rest of its members, dancing in the night. It reminds him of Christmas lights in a way.
And it’s also then that he sees a vague outline of a figure twisting around amongst them. He’s caught by surprise. Where does this person come from?
But watching as the figure sways gracefully around the area and dancing without a care in the world just grabs at him and the question that’s been prodding at him ebbs away in a second. He feels the urge to come and join along.
Just as he unconsciously takes a step forward, the figure halts in their steps, the grass beneath their feet crunches loudly. A gasp of surprise then escapes the person’s lips and immediately, they takes something off the grass before retreating deep into the dark abyss before Woohyun can utter a single word.
For a few minutes, he stands there and when the fireflies disperse, that’s when he returns to his apartment, disappointment pinching at him.
He doesn’t sleep.
--
“Stop, stop, stop!” The photographer’s voice rings out sharply, bringing Woohyun out of his stupor. He blinks several times to find the older man frowning at him in disappointment, one hand on his hip and the other holding the large camera in a firm grip. “Woohyun, you’re supposed to be looking sexy, not daydreaming. That’s not part of today’s theme!”
“Oh…I’m sorry.” He mumbles apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck and inclining his head. He feels bad about not focusing on his shoot but seeing as he’s preoccupied by other things, he isn’t sure if his mind will stay attentive.
The photographer, who happens to be one of his high school friends- Kim Sunggyu, rubs his temple for a few seconds before heading over to the distracted model and dragging him off to the corner, away from the other staff. “What’s wrong with you today? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Woohyun shrugs his shoulders in response. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, I guess.”
Sunggyu observes him through narrowed eyes and crossed arms. The short male really does look like he hasn’t been sleeping much, which is pretty odd because Woohyun knows how to take care of himself well enough to not show any signs of weakness in public. “Maybe…we should re-schedule this. You are obviously not fit enough to be working.” He ends up saying in resignation.
Jerking his head up and blinking wide eyes at the photographer, Woohyun shakes his head vigorously. “No! We should keep going with this. I can handle it. Really, Sunggyu!”
“And cause more trouble for yourself?”
Woohyun grits his teeth at that. He doesn’t want the older male to look down on him as if he’s incompetent. “I will do better.” He grounds out resolutely.
Sunggyu observes him again and this time, he gives in. “Alright. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
--
Work was tiring overall but Woohyun managed to do a decent job, despite what Sunggyu had said. As he heads straight for home, he keeps himself busy until the clock’s hitting ten to midnight. He assumes that the person will show up around the same time as last night so, it’s a good chance as any. If he’s wrong, then he’s not sure what to do at that point.
Three minutes to midnight, Woohyun arrives to the same area where he had seen the enchanting person who enraptured him, causing him to recall the occurrence of the night before. He wants to meet them, to get to know them, to see and view the world through that person’s eyes.
Much to his disappointment, he’s met with an empty clearing. Not even the fireflies came out to play.
The bell chimes, striking midnight.
--
He should be lucky on the third night. After all, there is a saying for this: a third time’s a charm.
So when he returns to the clearing in the park for the third time, elation washes over him when he finds a familiar being dancing to a pretty melody on a full moon. The fireflies are there as well and they seem to appear more radiant than the last time he had seen them.
The person freezes in their steps again and before they can make a run for it, Woohyun springs into action.
“Wait!” he shouts out without warning, hoping that the person stops. The figure does and a soft sigh of relief escapes his lips. He continues, his voice hesitant yet firm, “I just…I just want to meet you. I mean no harm or anything. So please stay?”
There’s a long moment of silence. It’s deafening and he doesn’t like it so when he decides to speak up again in hopes of persuading them once more, the figure speaks up. “Fine. I’ll stay this time.”
Judging by the voice, Woohyun realizes it’s a male and it makes him wonder how can someone like that have the ability to dance so beautifully. “Uh…thanks.” He answers in an awkward manner and offers a strange lop-sided smile. “Maybe I join you?”
There’s a shift of movement and the figure sits down. “Knock yourself out.”
Woohyun takes that as a ‘yes’ and so he heads over and sits by him. That’s when he’s able to catch a bit of the male’s facial features. It’s still pretty dark but thanks to the fireflies, he’s able to capture a set of thick lips, plump cheeks, and hair that falls over a pair of dark eyes. And it may be his imagination, but he already feels comfortable being with a stranger like him.
“Stop looking at me.” The male speaks up suddenly and Woohyun ends up blinking down, cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Caught red-handed. “…You noticed?”
“It’s not that hard to feel laser beams coming at me.” The other male laughs and pushes his shoulder in such a playful manner that he’s caught off guard. “So, since you’ve decide to intrude on my private paradise, you should tell me your name.”
Woohyun pauses for a moment, wondering whether he should give an alias instead of his real name because really, who doesn’t know the model Nam Woohyun? What if this person’s a fan of his or something?
However…there’s just something about him that Woohyun really likes. And it’s due to that sole reason that he ends up giving his real name away after a moment’s hesitation. “It’s Woohyun.”
He waits for the male’s reaction and when it comes, it’s not what he expects.
“Hmm…okay. I shall call you Woohyun ah.” The male nods a couple of times and Woohyun can’t help but to snort in incredulity. Are they in close terms already? “Name’s Sungyeol, by the way. What brings you out here, all alone?” he inclines his head and arches both his eyebrows up in curiosity. It isn’t until a few seconds later that a teasing smirk spread across his lips. “Did you know that this time around, there be molesters and rapists lurking behind every dark corner? They won’t hesitate to attack you.”
An expression of disbelief flashes across Woohyun’s face. “You’re not expecting me to believe that, right? Unless you’re the molester.” He places a loose fist beneath his chin when he takes in the other male’s form once again. He’s pretty thin too, Woohyun realizes.
“What if I am?” Sungyeol challenges and the glint in his eyes spark amusement. Due to that, Woohyun is assured that the other male would not cause him any harm. Not that he believes it in the first place, no. With that kind of appearance, Sungyeol looks to be more a high school student sneaking out for some fun.
He crosses his arms over his chest and plays along, leaning forward enough to get a closer look at Sungyeol. “You look rather young to be fulfilling that kind of role.”
“Hey, I resent that! I’m old enough!” Sungyeol counters indignantly as he too crosses his arms and turns away with a childish huff.
Woohyun chuckles. “So how old are you then?”
“Eighteen!”
“And not of age to be a molester, young grasshopper.” Shaking his head and patting the young male’s head, Woohyun tsk-ed playfully in imitation of an old, wise man. Sungyeol swats his hand away. “How old are you, old man?”
“Old? I still happened to be quite handsome.” Woohyun grins at him before he eventually responds to his question, “Nineteen.”
Sungyeol arches an eyebrow at him, giving him a look. “You’re still old.”
The older male snorts. “Watch your mouth. I’ll have you arrested for insult.”
“You take it too seriously.”
“Only because you don’t think I’m handsome.”
Tilting his head, Sungyeol makes a face for a moment before he shakes his head in response. “I don’t.”
“I’m hurt!” Woohyun places a hand over his heart and pretends to faint in a dramatic manner. This causes Sungyeol to fall over in a fit of laughter. Eying him, Woohyun eventually joins along- only he can’t help himself and laughter is addicting when there’s someone doing it, really. And who wouldn’t laugh when they see someone rolling back and forth against the grass and laughing themselves off? When their laughter dies down, silence soon follows it and the older male doesn’t know what else to say so he ends up staring at the fireflies.
“Hey.”
Glancing over to Sungyeol, Woohyun frowns immediately. He can practically see the wheels turn in Sungyeol’s head when the other male grins at him. He doesn’t like that look. “What?”
The grin on the younger male’s face brightens. “Come on. I’ll take you some place fun.”
--
That fun place happens to be a club, brightly decorated with neon lights, booming music that reverberates beneath his feet, and a crowd of people lining up for entrance. He’s never been to one before, seeing as clubs are of no interest to him. That and he hear things about them. Rumors. Like this one time, where he was accidentally eavesdropping to a pair of staff workers, whom were setting up the lights as he was about to get a drink. The male was groaning out that he had a terrible hangover from partying out all night and also…something about dancing on the table and stripping while drunk? Yeah. He’s afraid he’s going to do something stupid and that rash act might tarnish his career as a model.
When he’s about to decline and say, ‘No, I hate clubs. Please don’t drag me to my doom.’, Sungyeol grabs him by the wrist and heads by the long line up to the bouncer, who he gives a quick wave to and sneaks into the club without warning. Woohyun’s surprised that the bouncer doesn’t do anything but gazes upon them with a quirk of the lips. Maybe those two know each other?
He soon disregards that detail into the back of his mind, focusing more on the interior of the club and the people dancing exuberantly with the music. The place is bigger than he imagines, considering how small it is on the outside.
Sungyeol pulls him all the way to the end of the room, where the bar is located and from there, he greets the bartender as if he knows him his whole life. Maybe he does, Woohyun thinks, as he’s pushed onto one of the tall stools situation in front of the person behind the bar. He observes as the tall male order two drinks- Long Island Iced Tea, he hears, and he’s immensely relieved it’s not an alcohol beverage because really, as much as he would say he need it on a regular day (or night, depending on where he is), tonight’s not one of them.
Eventually, a tall glass of tea is given to him and he nods in thanks before taking a tentative sip. He doesn’t get why he feels so nerve-wrecked for.
“So! What do you do for a living?” Sungyeol speaks up all of a sudden and the question catches him off guard. Now he knows why he’s so worried. If he tells Sungyeol that he’s an actual named model, how will he react? Most of what he’s been thinking if he had told the other male all directed to a negative route. In other words, it’s no good.
“…Nothing exciting, if that’s what you’re wondering.” He replies slowly, peering over to the younger male and gauging his reaction.
Sungyeol blinks in surprise. “Nothing much? Really?”
Fingering the perspiration forming on the cool glass, Woohyun takes another moment to respond, “I work in the fashion industry.” Technically, it’s true.
“Ah! I see. Must be fun, huh? Playing with clothes and stuff.” The younger male nods a few times in understanding. Woohyun wants to say otherwise but he bites his lips and refrains himself from replying. “And what do you do in your spare time?”
“Usually, I just stay home and relax. I prefer my peace, really.” The older male shrugs his shoulders.
“I swear, you need to get out more. What’s the point of staying cooped up inside your home when there are places to explore and new things to try out!” Huffing loudly and dragging himself off his seat, Sungyeol flings his arms into the air and twirls around in front of Woohyun, not caring if there are people passing by him and giving him strange looks. “You could try dancing in the middle of streets!”
“And take the possibility of getting hit by a car in the process? No thanks.” Woohyun declines with a shake of his head and a twitch of the lips. Though, he soon lets out a snort of laughter at the thought of Sungyeol doing it, since the other male’s so out of the ordinary. But even if Sungyeol does try it, he’ll pull him back; after all, the kid needs someone to look after him.
“It might be fun.”
“No.”
Sungyeol gives up and takes a sip of tea, licking his lips when he pulls away. Woohyun observes him as he does it and he doesn’t know what kind of feeling he is sporting at the moment. Infatuation? Friendship? Or is it something more?
“Hey. Have you ever had the thought of liking someone when there’s a possibility of that person not liking you back?” Woohyun speaks up all of a sudden, his eyes growing wide with realization that he had spoken up without thought.
Sungyeol doesn’t take notice of it and responds with a shrug of the shoulders. “Of course I have. I’ve fallen in love many times and most of those were unrequited. Others…well, just one. I had one person confessing to me on my first year of high school but I had no interest in her.” He trailed off, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. There’s an underlying hint that Sungyeol wants to say more but he seems to be holding himself off.
“And then?” Woohyun presses gently, curiosity crossing his face.
“I…” For the first time, he sees Sungyeol blushing amongst the dim light of the bar. He finds it absolutely cute and endearing. “I might have a tiny, little, insignificant crush on someone at the moment.”
The older male blinks blankly as he tries to process the words carefully into his mind. So in general, Sungyeol likes someone? Who? When he thinks that the other male may be in love with someone that’s not him, he feels his heart throb in pain. He laughs bitterly in his mind. That must be it. Still, he asks, “Anyone I know?”
Sungyeol tilts his eyes up and nods. “You do.”
“Girl?”
“Guy.”
Woohyun quirks up an eyebrow. “A guy.”
“That’s right.” Sungyeol nods with a grin as he takes another sip of his tea. He doesn’t seem to be as affected as before anymore.
“Is he…is he good-looking?” the older male questions with uncertainty. He’s not sure whether he should press on or not, but his hopes shoot up and he can’t help himself.
“Very good looking.”
“Is he…me?”
Sungyeol laughs and pokes him on the nose, causing Woohyun to scrunch his face up. “That, you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”
For some reason, even though the younger male doesn’t directly respond to his question, it has him grinning brightly and without a thought, he places a hand behind Sungyeol’s neck and pulls him forward, close enough for their noses to touch. “At least you’re not subtle about this.”
The younger male laughs again and makes the move to kiss Woohyun’s lips.
--
By the time they reach Woohyun’s apartment, the older male pushes Sungyeol all the way to his bedroom where he simply tosses him onto the mattress and attacks him with kisses.
“You” A peck on the lips. “are driving” Another peck. “me crazy.” He leaves two more before staring down and meeting Sungyeol’s eyes. They spark with mischievousness and playfulness. “What are you doing to me?” he whispers out, the tip of his lips touching the other male’s once more.
Sungyeol seems to be unaffected by Woohyun’s reaction; if anything, he’s rather amused by the whole ordeal and what comes after this is what he really anticipates. “Who knows.” He responds off-handedly, as if he doesn’t care that he’s trapped beneath the older male, hands pinned against the mattress and a knee pressing between his legs.
A chuckle escapes Woohyun’s lips as he turns away from the other male for a short second, unable to believe that this moment is real. Surely, this will last, right? “Neh, Sungyeollie?” he speaks up lightly, his free hand trailing down the wrinkles of Sungyeol’s shirt toward the metal silver square that’s keeping his belt in place.
“Hm?”
“Let me love you.”
Just like that, the air feels a little tense. Sungyeol doesn’t say a word; instead, he brings Woohyun down for a passionate kiss and every coherent thing in Woohyun’s mind disappears at that moment.
--
“You realize” Sungyeol begins softly roughly an hour later, murmuring against the older male’s lips and meeting the sharp, concerned gaze with his own solemn ones. They are lying beside each other, arms and legs tangled and Sungyeol’s head on Woohyun’s naked chest. “that this…won’t last, right?”
Woohyun’s brows furrow together into a mild frown. He’s realizes it in a way, yes, but he’s determined to prove the younger male wrong. He has all sorts of idea running through his mind at the moment and he wants this to be something more. That, and he would definitely hate it if turns out to be a mere one night stand. If it was, he wouldn’t have done it in the first place. “I’ll make it last.”
He can feel a smile stretch across Sungyeol’s lip, his eyes narrowing with affection. But even though he’s giving him an expression of love, Woohyun can’t help but to sense this foreboding feeling running down his spine. “Sungyeol-“
His words die the moment a pair of thin arms wraps themselves around his neck and a warm body pressing closer against his own.
“I hate you.”
Woohyun freezes in place when he hears those words and it pierces his heart like knife. Sungyeol hates him. He hates him. He hates me. his mind rings repeatedly and just when he’s about to pull away and roll over to the other side of the bed to brood, he hears Sungyeol speak up once more, clarifying as if he knows the effect of his previous words. He obviously does.
“I hate you for making me love you like you’re the only one for me, you idiot.” The younger male whispers softly. Woohyun’s heart jumps in response and then, it beats rapidly against his ribcage. He’s pretty sure Sungyeol can feel it- hell, he can definitely feel the tall male’s heart beat a hundred miles a second, much like his.
“Sungyeol…”
“Just…go to sleep. Okay?”
A few second of silence and he eventually complies, instead opting to wrap loose arms around Sungyeol’s waist and bringing the other male close to him. “I love you too.” He whispers and he feels Sungyeol’s hand clench over his abdomen.
As the two drifts off to sleep, a lone firefly gracefully finds its way through the balcony, the door slightly ajar. It circles around the room until it lands on the back of Sungyeol’s shoulder, its wings waving slowly and the bulb it carries gleaming a gold green hue.
--
Woohyun shifts drowsily the next morning comes around. The warm rays of sunlight seeps into the room and the muted chirps of birds sitting nearby greet his ear. A soft groan slips from his lips as he shifts again to lie on his back before raising a hand to rub his eyelids. Thank god, today’s a free day, meaning he can stay home and not think about modeling.
When he reaches to the other side of his bed, all he can feel is the cold, smooth, and slightly wrinkled sheets beneath his fingers. He blinks over to where his hand is located.
Sungyeol isn’t there.
And what’s even more odd is that the other side of the bed doesn’t even looked like it’s been used. Woohyun sits up and gazes around the room, trying to find something in related to the other male but he ends up finding nothing. There are no extra strewn clothes on the floor aside his own. No note. Nothing.
It’s as if Sungyeol had never been here in the first place.
The thought of it breaks Woohyun’s heart.
--
“What’s up with you? You look dead, Woohyun.” Sunggyu says first thing the moment his eyes catches sight of Woohyun’s disheveled appearance when he drops by to visit the male. Being his long time friend meant a lot of at home visits so if Woohyun ever decides to ditch work, he comes by to kick his ass and drags him, whether he likes it or not. This is not the case though. He knows it’s the younger male’s off day but he just doesn’t understand how can a person change so much in over a single night.
Woohyun simply shakes his head, his eyes casting down. Despite the fact that it’s lunch hour, he’s still sitting on the bed, with arms propped over bent knees but at least he has the decency to dress up before Sunggyu comes around.
Sunggyu arches an eyebrow up; he had witnessed this sort of behavior from the other male before and he doesn’t take a moment longer to inquire slowly, “Relationship problem?”
“Hyung.”
The older male blinks in surprise. It’s rare that the younger calls him that, considering how much he wanted to be close knit friends. “Yeah?”
“Have you…” Woohyun’s voice cracks for a second. “Have you ever felt terribly in love with someone over a single night? That you felt you’ve found that special person because your heart told you so?”
Sunggyu stares at him, uncertain of how to respond to that. He wants to say that that kind of love doesn’t exist. There may have been people who think such a love exists but he’s pretty sure it doesn’t last forever. “No.” he ends up saying. “Have you?”
Woohyun nods, his arms tightening around his legs a little more securely. It reminds Sunggyu of what the younger male told him before- of his past. How he lived without love. “I have. And I don’t want to believe last night’s a dream.”
--
The next night, he comes to visit the park once again.
Woohyun stands before the clearing once more; this time, the area is void of the flitting fireflies scattered across the field, of the enchanting music lingering through the air, and more importantly, it’s void of a certain being who loves to dance beneath the moonlight.
A stray tear glides down his cheek without him noticing as he takes jerky steps forward until he stops in front of the tree where they first met. As he does, a single firefly flitters pass him. He’s caught by surprise and by instinct, he turns around and tries reaching for it. It swivels around his hand and flies high into the midnight sky, disappearing amongst the twinkling stars.
Slowly, his hands retreats and he blinks up to the sky as memories begin to cloud his mind. All those wonderful memories he had made with Sungyeol…that’s the only thing he can cling onto. And that’s the piece of happiness that he won’t be able to relive.
The bell chimes in the distance.
End.
Pairing/Focus: Woohyun/Sungyeol
Rating: PG
Word count: 5,295
Summary: It’s only at the stroke of midnight that Woohyun gets the chance to see streaks of gold, enchanting music, and a beautiful being who dances amongst them.
To: beefballs
From: Your Secret Santa
“Alright, that’s a wrap!”
The director’s voice fills the air as he signals the crew on a job well done before calling up everyone to clean up the set. Once he does, he then strides toward the star of the show, the up and coming young model, Nam Woohyun. Despite being on several magazines, this happens to be Woohyun’s first time shooting for a cover spread- something the director has never expected for him to do at such a short period into the career. Because of this, he has high hopes for the kid. With a satisfied grin on his face, he gives the young male a firm pat on the shoulder. “A fine job, Woohyun. It’ll be no time at all before you reach the big league.”
Woohyun, who has been observing the bustling crew members surrounding them, gives an appreciative smile in return, followed by a short incline of the head in acknowledgement. “Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. You’re done for the day so you may leave as you wish.” The director gives him another pat on the shoulder before heading off to check up the status of the crew, leaving Woohyun to his own devices.
Eying the other male as he takes his leave, the young model decides to take up the suggestion and heads off back to his dressing room to prepare himself, smiling to some of the people who want to congratulate him before he heads home. He thanks every one of them with a smile and a bow.
Ah, if only they knew how fake those smiles are.
--
As he enters his dressing room, he sees no one in sight and that’s when he let his mask drop. He had been holding it up the entire day and it only tires him out. But hey, that’s what a model does, don’t they? Like singers and actors, models are idols. They are to give the audience the best show they can offer, to give them an image that can be well-received and adored.
He should be happy that he’s able to be doing one of the things he had so wished to do. From a child filled with dreams and expectations of himself until now, he had chosen on a long jagged path towards becoming a model.
Woohyun heaves a tired sigh as he cleans off the make up from his face and dresses into more casual clothing before leaving the premise from the back of the complex to avoid meeting with people.
--
Once home, Woohyun precariously tosses his duffel bag onto the couch, along with his jacket and keys before immediately making a beeline to the kitchen, where he begins to make himself a cup of hot jasmine green tea. Tea has a calming effect on him so he drinks it as much as he can to reduce stress. A shot of wine helps out as well but not as much as tea can. Watching as the water boils slowly, he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the counter on the opposite side of the stove. Today wasn’t bad, he concludes with a nod to himself. He had experienced far worse than this so he can say that it’s a good day.
Sipping his tea in a slow, leisure manner a few minutes later, Woohyun slowly strides toward the balcony- the one place where he feels most relaxed in. It’s also the one place where he can see the entire city. It’s simply one of the perks of living in the topmost floor of the apartment. Shifting the glass door open, he can immediately feel the cool breeze caressing his face as he glances over to find the city glowing and sparkling with gold lights.
He hums in content, taking another sip of tea and propping his elbows against the fence line of the balcony. As much as he likes the scenery, there’s also something missing about it. He knows what it is though- there’s no one to share this beautiful scenery with.
A wry chuckle slips pass his lips as he glances down into the deep abyss of the spacious yard surrounding the complex with a solemn smile. He knows this kind of living is meant to be perfect but no matter how perfect it is, he needs just one more thing to make him happy- and that is a person to love. He has always been a romantic and the thought of loving someone, as well as receiving love in return is something he’s always dreamed of having. His parents- they were never around when he was younger; they were always busy with their own lives to care for that of their son. And thus, he grew up, forcing a mask on his face and pretending that everything was fine and dandy.
If only his mask isn’t so attached to his face right now, maybe he would have the chance to live his life a little better. And maybe his emotional scars would heal a little more.
He shakes the thought off from his mind, knowing that if he resumes reminiscing about the past, he would be having a hard time concentrating the next day. Finishing up his now lukewarm tea, he retreats back into the room. Shower is calling him, one that he definitely needs at the moment.
--
It’s half past eleven, the time for Woohyun to step out of the house to get some fresh air. He does this on occasion, whether it’s to reduce stress or to relieve boredom. Right now, it’s leaning more towards the borders of ‘boredom’.
A stroll in the park would be nice at the moment. And that’s what he decides to do. Picking out warm clothes to wear- it’s mid-Autumn, after all, he then takes hold of his keys, wallet, and phone before leaving the premise.
The bells in the distance chimes through the cool night air as he strides through the empty area with hands deep into his pockets and eyes lingering above into the starry sky. This is probably one of the most peaceful moments he’s had in months- considering his busy schedule and all.
Just when he’s about to pull his hand out to check the time, something shoots past his line of sight, catching him off guard. He blinks quickly and checks around to see what it is. At first, he thinks he’s seeing things since there’s nothing around him but when he tilt his eyes to his right, he spots a gold dot swiveling around nearby. His eyes narrow in concentration.
That’s a firefly, right?
He blinks again when the tiny bug flies toward him, as if coming forward to greet him, and this time, he’s sure it’s one. “Oh wow…”
Observing as the firefly swerves around him for a moment until it decides to travel back toward where ever it came from, Woohyun can’t help but to follow with child-like curiosity. Fireflies were rare in these parts of the city so it simply fascinate him when they appear so suddenly. He trails after the tiny gold light until he reaches upon a clearing- somewhere he’s never seen before. It’s then that he caught sight of the rest of its members, dancing in the night. It reminds him of Christmas lights in a way.
And it’s also then that he sees a vague outline of a figure twisting around amongst them. He’s caught by surprise. Where does this person come from?
But watching as the figure sways gracefully around the area and dancing without a care in the world just grabs at him and the question that’s been prodding at him ebbs away in a second. He feels the urge to come and join along.
Just as he unconsciously takes a step forward, the figure halts in their steps, the grass beneath their feet crunches loudly. A gasp of surprise then escapes the person’s lips and immediately, they takes something off the grass before retreating deep into the dark abyss before Woohyun can utter a single word.
For a few minutes, he stands there and when the fireflies disperse, that’s when he returns to his apartment, disappointment pinching at him.
He doesn’t sleep.
--
“Stop, stop, stop!” The photographer’s voice rings out sharply, bringing Woohyun out of his stupor. He blinks several times to find the older man frowning at him in disappointment, one hand on his hip and the other holding the large camera in a firm grip. “Woohyun, you’re supposed to be looking sexy, not daydreaming. That’s not part of today’s theme!”
“Oh…I’m sorry.” He mumbles apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck and inclining his head. He feels bad about not focusing on his shoot but seeing as he’s preoccupied by other things, he isn’t sure if his mind will stay attentive.
The photographer, who happens to be one of his high school friends- Kim Sunggyu, rubs his temple for a few seconds before heading over to the distracted model and dragging him off to the corner, away from the other staff. “What’s wrong with you today? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Woohyun shrugs his shoulders in response. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, I guess.”
Sunggyu observes him through narrowed eyes and crossed arms. The short male really does look like he hasn’t been sleeping much, which is pretty odd because Woohyun knows how to take care of himself well enough to not show any signs of weakness in public. “Maybe…we should re-schedule this. You are obviously not fit enough to be working.” He ends up saying in resignation.
Jerking his head up and blinking wide eyes at the photographer, Woohyun shakes his head vigorously. “No! We should keep going with this. I can handle it. Really, Sunggyu!”
“And cause more trouble for yourself?”
Woohyun grits his teeth at that. He doesn’t want the older male to look down on him as if he’s incompetent. “I will do better.” He grounds out resolutely.
Sunggyu observes him again and this time, he gives in. “Alright. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
--
Work was tiring overall but Woohyun managed to do a decent job, despite what Sunggyu had said. As he heads straight for home, he keeps himself busy until the clock’s hitting ten to midnight. He assumes that the person will show up around the same time as last night so, it’s a good chance as any. If he’s wrong, then he’s not sure what to do at that point.
Three minutes to midnight, Woohyun arrives to the same area where he had seen the enchanting person who enraptured him, causing him to recall the occurrence of the night before. He wants to meet them, to get to know them, to see and view the world through that person’s eyes.
Much to his disappointment, he’s met with an empty clearing. Not even the fireflies came out to play.
The bell chimes, striking midnight.
--
He should be lucky on the third night. After all, there is a saying for this: a third time’s a charm.
So when he returns to the clearing in the park for the third time, elation washes over him when he finds a familiar being dancing to a pretty melody on a full moon. The fireflies are there as well and they seem to appear more radiant than the last time he had seen them.
The person freezes in their steps again and before they can make a run for it, Woohyun springs into action.
“Wait!” he shouts out without warning, hoping that the person stops. The figure does and a soft sigh of relief escapes his lips. He continues, his voice hesitant yet firm, “I just…I just want to meet you. I mean no harm or anything. So please stay?”
There’s a long moment of silence. It’s deafening and he doesn’t like it so when he decides to speak up again in hopes of persuading them once more, the figure speaks up. “Fine. I’ll stay this time.”
Judging by the voice, Woohyun realizes it’s a male and it makes him wonder how can someone like that have the ability to dance so beautifully. “Uh…thanks.” He answers in an awkward manner and offers a strange lop-sided smile. “Maybe I join you?”
There’s a shift of movement and the figure sits down. “Knock yourself out.”
Woohyun takes that as a ‘yes’ and so he heads over and sits by him. That’s when he’s able to catch a bit of the male’s facial features. It’s still pretty dark but thanks to the fireflies, he’s able to capture a set of thick lips, plump cheeks, and hair that falls over a pair of dark eyes. And it may be his imagination, but he already feels comfortable being with a stranger like him.
“Stop looking at me.” The male speaks up suddenly and Woohyun ends up blinking down, cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Caught red-handed. “…You noticed?”
“It’s not that hard to feel laser beams coming at me.” The other male laughs and pushes his shoulder in such a playful manner that he’s caught off guard. “So, since you’ve decide to intrude on my private paradise, you should tell me your name.”
Woohyun pauses for a moment, wondering whether he should give an alias instead of his real name because really, who doesn’t know the model Nam Woohyun? What if this person’s a fan of his or something?
However…there’s just something about him that Woohyun really likes. And it’s due to that sole reason that he ends up giving his real name away after a moment’s hesitation. “It’s Woohyun.”
He waits for the male’s reaction and when it comes, it’s not what he expects.
“Hmm…okay. I shall call you Woohyun ah.” The male nods a couple of times and Woohyun can’t help but to snort in incredulity. Are they in close terms already? “Name’s Sungyeol, by the way. What brings you out here, all alone?” he inclines his head and arches both his eyebrows up in curiosity. It isn’t until a few seconds later that a teasing smirk spread across his lips. “Did you know that this time around, there be molesters and rapists lurking behind every dark corner? They won’t hesitate to attack you.”
An expression of disbelief flashes across Woohyun’s face. “You’re not expecting me to believe that, right? Unless you’re the molester.” He places a loose fist beneath his chin when he takes in the other male’s form once again. He’s pretty thin too, Woohyun realizes.
“What if I am?” Sungyeol challenges and the glint in his eyes spark amusement. Due to that, Woohyun is assured that the other male would not cause him any harm. Not that he believes it in the first place, no. With that kind of appearance, Sungyeol looks to be more a high school student sneaking out for some fun.
He crosses his arms over his chest and plays along, leaning forward enough to get a closer look at Sungyeol. “You look rather young to be fulfilling that kind of role.”
“Hey, I resent that! I’m old enough!” Sungyeol counters indignantly as he too crosses his arms and turns away with a childish huff.
Woohyun chuckles. “So how old are you then?”
“Eighteen!”
“And not of age to be a molester, young grasshopper.” Shaking his head and patting the young male’s head, Woohyun tsk-ed playfully in imitation of an old, wise man. Sungyeol swats his hand away. “How old are you, old man?”
“Old? I still happened to be quite handsome.” Woohyun grins at him before he eventually responds to his question, “Nineteen.”
Sungyeol arches an eyebrow at him, giving him a look. “You’re still old.”
The older male snorts. “Watch your mouth. I’ll have you arrested for insult.”
“You take it too seriously.”
“Only because you don’t think I’m handsome.”
Tilting his head, Sungyeol makes a face for a moment before he shakes his head in response. “I don’t.”
“I’m hurt!” Woohyun places a hand over his heart and pretends to faint in a dramatic manner. This causes Sungyeol to fall over in a fit of laughter. Eying him, Woohyun eventually joins along- only he can’t help himself and laughter is addicting when there’s someone doing it, really. And who wouldn’t laugh when they see someone rolling back and forth against the grass and laughing themselves off? When their laughter dies down, silence soon follows it and the older male doesn’t know what else to say so he ends up staring at the fireflies.
“Hey.”
Glancing over to Sungyeol, Woohyun frowns immediately. He can practically see the wheels turn in Sungyeol’s head when the other male grins at him. He doesn’t like that look. “What?”
The grin on the younger male’s face brightens. “Come on. I’ll take you some place fun.”
--
That fun place happens to be a club, brightly decorated with neon lights, booming music that reverberates beneath his feet, and a crowd of people lining up for entrance. He’s never been to one before, seeing as clubs are of no interest to him. That and he hear things about them. Rumors. Like this one time, where he was accidentally eavesdropping to a pair of staff workers, whom were setting up the lights as he was about to get a drink. The male was groaning out that he had a terrible hangover from partying out all night and also…something about dancing on the table and stripping while drunk? Yeah. He’s afraid he’s going to do something stupid and that rash act might tarnish his career as a model.
When he’s about to decline and say, ‘No, I hate clubs. Please don’t drag me to my doom.’, Sungyeol grabs him by the wrist and heads by the long line up to the bouncer, who he gives a quick wave to and sneaks into the club without warning. Woohyun’s surprised that the bouncer doesn’t do anything but gazes upon them with a quirk of the lips. Maybe those two know each other?
He soon disregards that detail into the back of his mind, focusing more on the interior of the club and the people dancing exuberantly with the music. The place is bigger than he imagines, considering how small it is on the outside.
Sungyeol pulls him all the way to the end of the room, where the bar is located and from there, he greets the bartender as if he knows him his whole life. Maybe he does, Woohyun thinks, as he’s pushed onto one of the tall stools situation in front of the person behind the bar. He observes as the tall male order two drinks- Long Island Iced Tea, he hears, and he’s immensely relieved it’s not an alcohol beverage because really, as much as he would say he need it on a regular day (or night, depending on where he is), tonight’s not one of them.
Eventually, a tall glass of tea is given to him and he nods in thanks before taking a tentative sip. He doesn’t get why he feels so nerve-wrecked for.
“So! What do you do for a living?” Sungyeol speaks up all of a sudden and the question catches him off guard. Now he knows why he’s so worried. If he tells Sungyeol that he’s an actual named model, how will he react? Most of what he’s been thinking if he had told the other male all directed to a negative route. In other words, it’s no good.
“…Nothing exciting, if that’s what you’re wondering.” He replies slowly, peering over to the younger male and gauging his reaction.
Sungyeol blinks in surprise. “Nothing much? Really?”
Fingering the perspiration forming on the cool glass, Woohyun takes another moment to respond, “I work in the fashion industry.” Technically, it’s true.
“Ah! I see. Must be fun, huh? Playing with clothes and stuff.” The younger male nods a few times in understanding. Woohyun wants to say otherwise but he bites his lips and refrains himself from replying. “And what do you do in your spare time?”
“Usually, I just stay home and relax. I prefer my peace, really.” The older male shrugs his shoulders.
“I swear, you need to get out more. What’s the point of staying cooped up inside your home when there are places to explore and new things to try out!” Huffing loudly and dragging himself off his seat, Sungyeol flings his arms into the air and twirls around in front of Woohyun, not caring if there are people passing by him and giving him strange looks. “You could try dancing in the middle of streets!”
“And take the possibility of getting hit by a car in the process? No thanks.” Woohyun declines with a shake of his head and a twitch of the lips. Though, he soon lets out a snort of laughter at the thought of Sungyeol doing it, since the other male’s so out of the ordinary. But even if Sungyeol does try it, he’ll pull him back; after all, the kid needs someone to look after him.
“It might be fun.”
“No.”
Sungyeol gives up and takes a sip of tea, licking his lips when he pulls away. Woohyun observes him as he does it and he doesn’t know what kind of feeling he is sporting at the moment. Infatuation? Friendship? Or is it something more?
“Hey. Have you ever had the thought of liking someone when there’s a possibility of that person not liking you back?” Woohyun speaks up all of a sudden, his eyes growing wide with realization that he had spoken up without thought.
Sungyeol doesn’t take notice of it and responds with a shrug of the shoulders. “Of course I have. I’ve fallen in love many times and most of those were unrequited. Others…well, just one. I had one person confessing to me on my first year of high school but I had no interest in her.” He trailed off, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. There’s an underlying hint that Sungyeol wants to say more but he seems to be holding himself off.
“And then?” Woohyun presses gently, curiosity crossing his face.
“I…” For the first time, he sees Sungyeol blushing amongst the dim light of the bar. He finds it absolutely cute and endearing. “I might have a tiny, little, insignificant crush on someone at the moment.”
The older male blinks blankly as he tries to process the words carefully into his mind. So in general, Sungyeol likes someone? Who? When he thinks that the other male may be in love with someone that’s not him, he feels his heart throb in pain. He laughs bitterly in his mind. That must be it. Still, he asks, “Anyone I know?”
Sungyeol tilts his eyes up and nods. “You do.”
“Girl?”
“Guy.”
Woohyun quirks up an eyebrow. “A guy.”
“That’s right.” Sungyeol nods with a grin as he takes another sip of his tea. He doesn’t seem to be as affected as before anymore.
“Is he…is he good-looking?” the older male questions with uncertainty. He’s not sure whether he should press on or not, but his hopes shoot up and he can’t help himself.
“Very good looking.”
“Is he…me?”
Sungyeol laughs and pokes him on the nose, causing Woohyun to scrunch his face up. “That, you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”
For some reason, even though the younger male doesn’t directly respond to his question, it has him grinning brightly and without a thought, he places a hand behind Sungyeol’s neck and pulls him forward, close enough for their noses to touch. “At least you’re not subtle about this.”
The younger male laughs again and makes the move to kiss Woohyun’s lips.
--
By the time they reach Woohyun’s apartment, the older male pushes Sungyeol all the way to his bedroom where he simply tosses him onto the mattress and attacks him with kisses.
“You” A peck on the lips. “are driving” Another peck. “me crazy.” He leaves two more before staring down and meeting Sungyeol’s eyes. They spark with mischievousness and playfulness. “What are you doing to me?” he whispers out, the tip of his lips touching the other male’s once more.
Sungyeol seems to be unaffected by Woohyun’s reaction; if anything, he’s rather amused by the whole ordeal and what comes after this is what he really anticipates. “Who knows.” He responds off-handedly, as if he doesn’t care that he’s trapped beneath the older male, hands pinned against the mattress and a knee pressing between his legs.
A chuckle escapes Woohyun’s lips as he turns away from the other male for a short second, unable to believe that this moment is real. Surely, this will last, right? “Neh, Sungyeollie?” he speaks up lightly, his free hand trailing down the wrinkles of Sungyeol’s shirt toward the metal silver square that’s keeping his belt in place.
“Hm?”
“Let me love you.”
Just like that, the air feels a little tense. Sungyeol doesn’t say a word; instead, he brings Woohyun down for a passionate kiss and every coherent thing in Woohyun’s mind disappears at that moment.
--
“You realize” Sungyeol begins softly roughly an hour later, murmuring against the older male’s lips and meeting the sharp, concerned gaze with his own solemn ones. They are lying beside each other, arms and legs tangled and Sungyeol’s head on Woohyun’s naked chest. “that this…won’t last, right?”
Woohyun’s brows furrow together into a mild frown. He’s realizes it in a way, yes, but he’s determined to prove the younger male wrong. He has all sorts of idea running through his mind at the moment and he wants this to be something more. That, and he would definitely hate it if turns out to be a mere one night stand. If it was, he wouldn’t have done it in the first place. “I’ll make it last.”
He can feel a smile stretch across Sungyeol’s lip, his eyes narrowing with affection. But even though he’s giving him an expression of love, Woohyun can’t help but to sense this foreboding feeling running down his spine. “Sungyeol-“
His words die the moment a pair of thin arms wraps themselves around his neck and a warm body pressing closer against his own.
“I hate you.”
Woohyun freezes in place when he hears those words and it pierces his heart like knife. Sungyeol hates him. He hates him. He hates me. his mind rings repeatedly and just when he’s about to pull away and roll over to the other side of the bed to brood, he hears Sungyeol speak up once more, clarifying as if he knows the effect of his previous words. He obviously does.
“I hate you for making me love you like you’re the only one for me, you idiot.” The younger male whispers softly. Woohyun’s heart jumps in response and then, it beats rapidly against his ribcage. He’s pretty sure Sungyeol can feel it- hell, he can definitely feel the tall male’s heart beat a hundred miles a second, much like his.
“Sungyeol…”
“Just…go to sleep. Okay?”
A few second of silence and he eventually complies, instead opting to wrap loose arms around Sungyeol’s waist and bringing the other male close to him. “I love you too.” He whispers and he feels Sungyeol’s hand clench over his abdomen.
As the two drifts off to sleep, a lone firefly gracefully finds its way through the balcony, the door slightly ajar. It circles around the room until it lands on the back of Sungyeol’s shoulder, its wings waving slowly and the bulb it carries gleaming a gold green hue.
--
Woohyun shifts drowsily the next morning comes around. The warm rays of sunlight seeps into the room and the muted chirps of birds sitting nearby greet his ear. A soft groan slips from his lips as he shifts again to lie on his back before raising a hand to rub his eyelids. Thank god, today’s a free day, meaning he can stay home and not think about modeling.
When he reaches to the other side of his bed, all he can feel is the cold, smooth, and slightly wrinkled sheets beneath his fingers. He blinks over to where his hand is located.
Sungyeol isn’t there.
And what’s even more odd is that the other side of the bed doesn’t even looked like it’s been used. Woohyun sits up and gazes around the room, trying to find something in related to the other male but he ends up finding nothing. There are no extra strewn clothes on the floor aside his own. No note. Nothing.
It’s as if Sungyeol had never been here in the first place.
The thought of it breaks Woohyun’s heart.
--
“What’s up with you? You look dead, Woohyun.” Sunggyu says first thing the moment his eyes catches sight of Woohyun’s disheveled appearance when he drops by to visit the male. Being his long time friend meant a lot of at home visits so if Woohyun ever decides to ditch work, he comes by to kick his ass and drags him, whether he likes it or not. This is not the case though. He knows it’s the younger male’s off day but he just doesn’t understand how can a person change so much in over a single night.
Woohyun simply shakes his head, his eyes casting down. Despite the fact that it’s lunch hour, he’s still sitting on the bed, with arms propped over bent knees but at least he has the decency to dress up before Sunggyu comes around.
Sunggyu arches an eyebrow up; he had witnessed this sort of behavior from the other male before and he doesn’t take a moment longer to inquire slowly, “Relationship problem?”
“Hyung.”
The older male blinks in surprise. It’s rare that the younger calls him that, considering how much he wanted to be close knit friends. “Yeah?”
“Have you…” Woohyun’s voice cracks for a second. “Have you ever felt terribly in love with someone over a single night? That you felt you’ve found that special person because your heart told you so?”
Sunggyu stares at him, uncertain of how to respond to that. He wants to say that that kind of love doesn’t exist. There may have been people who think such a love exists but he’s pretty sure it doesn’t last forever. “No.” he ends up saying. “Have you?”
Woohyun nods, his arms tightening around his legs a little more securely. It reminds Sunggyu of what the younger male told him before- of his past. How he lived without love. “I have. And I don’t want to believe last night’s a dream.”
--
The next night, he comes to visit the park once again.
Woohyun stands before the clearing once more; this time, the area is void of the flitting fireflies scattered across the field, of the enchanting music lingering through the air, and more importantly, it’s void of a certain being who loves to dance beneath the moonlight.
A stray tear glides down his cheek without him noticing as he takes jerky steps forward until he stops in front of the tree where they first met. As he does, a single firefly flitters pass him. He’s caught by surprise and by instinct, he turns around and tries reaching for it. It swivels around his hand and flies high into the midnight sky, disappearing amongst the twinkling stars.
Slowly, his hands retreats and he blinks up to the sky as memories begin to cloud his mind. All those wonderful memories he had made with Sungyeol…that’s the only thing he can cling onto. And that’s the piece of happiness that he won’t be able to relive.
The bell chimes in the distance.
End.