« tonight in seoul » ☆ hyunseung/kikwang
title tonight in seoul
author sungyeol
pairing hyunseung/kikwang
rating pg
author's notes i don't even know lol. too long, drags on forever, etc. song translations from outsider's acquaintance!
i’m breathing simply out of life
my body feels okay, it’s nothing special
my heart is closed almost completely
i put a lock on it, but the lock rusted away
from an ethereal loneliness
Hyunseung was one of those people who preferred privacy and solitude and decided to alienate themselves from others. It wasn’t that he disliked people-on the contrary, he very much enjoyed the occasional verbal exchange and being in the company of others; he thought building relationships was an imperative thing of life-he was simply more reserved, favoured observing over taking part in things. If his input was needed, he would give it voluntarily-but most of the time and to most, he was dispensable, expendable.
It was difficult to gain his trust, and it was difficult to make him open up; it was as if his heart was locked away in a strong metal box deep his chest; it was unreachable, unattainable, like a diamond, beautiful yet sturdy, hidden in a dark mine away from others and away from his own self.
Many weren’t quite sure how to describe Hyunseung. When asked, some of the typical answers resembled, “Hyunseung? He’s pretty quiet. I don’t notice him much,” or “He’s pretty weird. You’d think he lived in a whole different universe,” or “Hyunseung’s a good dancer and he likes dancing. That’s the extent of my knowledge of him.”
And in fact, he did love to dance; it was a keen passion of his, so immense and so important it was virtually inextinguishable. No one quite knew where, how or when the flame had ignited within him, not even Hyunseung himself, but everyone knew he had quite a gift for it.
His fervour for dancing allowed him to join a dance crew, meet a great number of people, some less interesting than others, but overall pretty good people. However, one of these individuals stood out to him more than the others. He was also a dancer, powerful and charismatic (although his moves were somewhat always the same, it was a divine repetition, a marvel he would never get tired of). He had a charming smile, bright and welcoming, and when his lips curved upwards so did his chocolate eyes.
His name was Kikwang. He was younger than Hyunseung, but he was still more or less as talented. He was shorter, simple-minded (but not in the negative naïve way, it was more like the endearing innocent one), rarely seen with a frown on his face. Kikwang resembled an angel when the sun was shining outside and he was wearing his white t-shirt and cardigan. Hyunseung felt nervous when they were in close proximity-his heart would suddenly quicken in pace, his hands would get moist, butterflies would fly around in his stomach-and couldn’t help but stare at his back when Kikwang was walking away from him.
It was a ritual for everyone to exchange cell phone numbers with the newcomer. Everyone precipitated themselves onto Hyunseung excitedly, shook his hand as he greeted everyone awkwardly. They slipped their phones into his hand as they took Hyunseung’s out of his pocket and passed it around. When finally he finished registering his number into a dozen cell phones he didn’t know belonged to whom, he looked up and around for his own. Hyunseung turned around after getting tapped on the shoulder, meeting Kikwang’s cheerful expression. With his signature eye-smile, he handed Hyunseung’s phone carefully.
“Don’t hesitate to text me!”
And that’s when they formally became friends (Kikwang was friends with everyone though). Hyunseung liked to think they were maybe somewhat closer, just maybe, especially now after exchanging numbers, after insinuating “if you need me, give me a call”, “if you want to open up your heart, open up your phone”.
picking up the phone that never rings
i wait for your call all night
i need your interest, i need your conversation
i need your hand, i need even a small token of love
please light the fuse that’s fading away
Fingers wrapped tightly around his cell phone, Hyunseung laid in bed waiting for a call, a text-anything. He flipped his phone open and closed, open and closed, again and again, in hopes something would appear on the small screen a few moments later. For several minutes he did so, turning onto his side every now and then, humming under his breath, looking through the various pictures on his phone. After repeating these steps over and over again, from frustration and disappointment, finally Hyunseung decided to give up on waiting. As he was about to throw his phone onto the floor, the small device rang and vibrated against his palm. Hyunseung’s arm came to a halt, phone securely gripped in his hand. He sat up and rested his back against his bed’s headboard comfortably, flipping open his phone as he did. Hyunseung choked on his saliva when he read the sender’s name on the screen, coughing and hitting harshly his chest with his clenched fist, eyes all the while still glued firmly to his cell phone.
Kikwang had sent him a text message, a short and simple ‘hello ^-^~ ㅋㅋㅋ’ Hyunseung stared blankly at the message, mouth gaping stupidly; he could not hide his pure disbelief, every feature of his face emanating surprise (and if you looked closely, his eyes were shining like opals, symbol of happiness, hope, innocence, and tender love). His fingers swiftly and quickly glided on top of the phone’s qwerty keyboard. After typing up a plain ‘what’s up?’ as a reply to Kikwang, he pressed the ‘send’ button and waited (yet again).
About ten minutes later, Hyunseung finally received a response.
‘sorry i take a long time to reply~~ ㅠㅠ it’s the first time i’m sending text messages!! i didn’t know how to before^-^~~~ ㅎㅎㅎ but i asked doojoon hyung and now I do^-^~~!!’
An inconspicuous smile crept onto Hyunseung’s lips as he read the text on the screen. A strange feeling then suddenly appeared in the pit of his stomach; it was warm, tingly, and started travelling from his stomach to his heart that started to gradually quicken in rate. It was an especially particular kind of feeling he wouldn’t mind feeling more often. He typed up a quick reply, asking Kikwang if he was in the mood to hang out with Hyunseung sometime, and sent it.
‘it’s a date~~~~ ♥-♥ ㅎㅎ’
will the moon understand my loneliness?
i wonder if the stars understand my scars
buried in affliction i sing this song
graved in loneliness i call out your name
following the wind and the clouds, i wander the world
They set the so-called “date” at Namsan Tower, at the heart of the city of Seoul. “Meet me on the third floor-at nine o’ clock sharp!” Kikwang had told him with as much precision as he could (which was hardly specific, considering the observation floor was fairly immense and always jammed pack with people (couples especially) but to Hyunseung, it was more than enough).
Hyunseung had woken up relatively late that day, for some odd reason whatsoever, seeing as he couldn’t contain his excitement for tonight the night before. He rolled out of bed lazily and slowly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. His parents were already up, his father sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee while skimming through the newspaper. His mother was busy making lunch (it smelled like pork cutlets). Hyunseung greeted his parents, took a glass off the table and poured himself a bit of orange juice before scurrying back upstairs into his room.
Knocking came on the door of his bedroom door. Hyunseung blurted out a “come in” and the door creaked open faintly, his mother’s head popping in. She frowned and asked him why the lights weren’t on, nagged about how Hyunseung would ruin his eyes with this darkness as she entered the room, a clean towel pressed against her chest.
He didn’t like to turn on the lights in his room, but instead preferred opening the curtains. His mother’s complained about it before, but then she got used to it. She said it wouldn’t be long until Hyunseung had to leave the house to pursue his career, continue on with his life, and that he would have to live on his own. She laughed and made fun of him when Hyunseung told her he wouldn't like to live alone in Seoul, then she smacked his shoulder and told him that everything would be alright and she had faith in the possibility that her son would be enough of a man to live on his own, and that sooner or later he’d find someone to share a home with anyway. She placed the towel onto his bed and quietly left his room. Hyunseung took the towel from off his bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
A few minutes later, he was back in his room, the towel on top of his head of wet hair. He opened up his closet to look for an appropriate outfit, but was having difficulty choosing.
"Hyunseung-ah, I've eaten already. If you're hungry come downstairs, there are leftovers from last night in the oven. I also left you some sweet potato pie in the fridge." Hyunseung’s mother opened the door slightly. He only saw her shadow as he was rummaging through his drawers for a decent outfit. When he turned his head to say 'yes', she had already disappeared, leaving only the sound of footsteps going down stairs.
Hyunseung plopped down onto his bed, and from under the pillows took out his cell phone. He flipped it open and started typing up a text message to his friend, Junhyung. He was part of the dance crew too-he was the one who introduced Hyunseung to everyone in the first place-but their friendship dated from way back when. Every time Hyunseung was in a jam, Junhyung would always help him get out of it, and vice versa. When one of them needed advice, the first opinion they would seek was the other’s. They were close, with an unconditional relationship.
Once a good five minutes had passed, Hyunseung still didn’t receive an answer from Junhyung. He wondered as to why this was so, and decided to call him-it was already two in the afternoon, normally his friend was up at this time. After five rings, finally Junhyung picked up. Hyunseung only heard grumbling and another voice in the background on the other line. When Hyunseung said “hello” following a period of relative silence, Junhyung muttered an irritated “what”. Hyunseung explained the situation and how he wasn’t quite sure what to wear for the occasion. Junhyung groaned.
“Did you really call me just for that?”
“Yes...”
“Did you shower?”
“Yes.”
“Do you smell good?”
“... I don’t know?”
“Then go ask your mom to smell you or something. Then throw on whatever the fuck you want to wear. Be natural and relaxed and you’ll be your best, got it? Hanging up now, bye.”
And with that, Hyunseung was left to figure things out by himself again.
He threw on a black t-shirt with a “V” neckline that scooped suspiciously low and a pair of washed out jeans that were a tad too big on him and hung on his butt, so he was forced to wear a belt to keep them up. Hyunseung picked a hat from his collection and put it on gently, fixing his bangs afterwards, seeing as his mother had advised him it was relatively chilly outside.
He was concerned he might not be punctual, hence the reason why Hyunseung ventured out of the house a good hour and a half early. It was a typical evening of early September; seeing as it was the end of spring, the wind was caressing his cheeks-they were slowly becoming redder and redder, but he was unsure if it was from the coldness of the breeze, or from thinking of Kikwang- and the few last signs of sunlight succumbing to the dark of night. A smile crept onto his lips as he looked up at the dimming sky. Hyunseung took out his iPod and put on his headphones, and started to walk his way to the subway.
After a long ride on the subway and a fifteen minute walk, he arrived in front of the cable car station that brought people up to the tower. Hyunseung rubbed his hands together and blew on them in an attempt to warm them up. He took his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time-he was still half an hour early-and pocketed it as soon as he saw the flashing digits on his screen. After staying in front of the station waiting, looking around for any sign of the dark-haired boy he was anticipating meeting again, but seeing no signs of him, paid his fee for the cable car and ventured upwards to the tower alone.
Arriving a few moments later, a few minutes past nine o’ clock, Hyunseung made his way to the observation deck and walked around, alert and watchful. He took out his phone and sent Kikwang a text message, asking where he was.
Thirty minutes later, Hyunseung was yet to receive a reply from him.
An hour later, still nothing.
By the time the clock reached eleven o’ clock, the observation deck was starting to empty out. Hyunseung continued waiting some more-maybe Kikwang encountered a problem on his way, maybe the cable cars weren’t working, maybe-. He felt hollow. Like a depression at the surface of the ground. Like a skeleton with meagre pieces of meat dangling on white hard bone. Like someone who had just been stood up. Hyunseung could not hide his dissatisfaction; he walked towards the elevator thinking maybe it was all a delusion (as if Kikwang would really go out with me-what was I thinking?), a frown plastered on his now overcast face. But as the elevator doors started opening, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.
‘meet me at the han river, asap!!! banpo bridge’
when my shadow is covered by the moon,
i draw you in my heart
i recite your name to myself.
i want to see you, touch you, feel you
but i can only say these words
The view was always most beautiful at night. Seoul became surely more than glamorous with the lights twinkling in the night like the stars in the sky. The city showcased its metropolitan aspect at nighttime more exceptionally: the landscape of Seoul was Seoul itself. The speedy moving cars racing on the Banpo Bridge and the calm, scenic Han River made beautiful harmony with each other despite their evident contrasting natures. Seoul was an eyeful, a metropolis of beauty indeed.
Hyunseung strolled along the walkway in Banpo Hangang Park. It was nearing midnight; he had wasted a day, he thought to himself. He continued until he reached the riverbank. He sat down on the grass and waited yet again, not as expectant as he was before, but still somewhat secretly anticipating. His cell phone vibrated and rang in his pocket-it must have been the alarm announcing midnight. The Han River looked mesmerizingly still, almost as if time had stopped its natural flow to let Hyunseung admire the splendor of it. Other than the wind’s whispers and the usual busy metropolitan noise, silence surrounded the area. He felt a lot better than before.
“You know,” a voice suddenly appeared. “Socrates once said... that a kiss can steal your heart, but it’s also the strongest and greatest poison.”
Hyunseung spun his head back. Kikwang waved at him excitedly, the former simply making a head movement to greet him back, and proceeded to take a seat next to him.
“Pretty romantic,” Hyunseung replied monotonously as he continued staring at the water.
Kikwang let out an awkward laugh. He apologized quietly, sincerity apparent in his voice, and gently placed his hand atop the other boy’s shoulder. Hyunseung turned his head and-
Their lips crashed together roughly, Hyunseung able to taste Kikwang’s impatience and rashness over the tang of bubble gum. Impetuous-in this situation, he couldn’t possibly describe Kikwang any other way. It wasn’t a bad thing though; the boy’s lips were soft and pulpy, the slight friction between their mouths sent shivers down his spine, his heart was beating so quickly he was certain it would leap out of his chest and into Kikwang’s hands. The nozzles along the entirety of the Banpo Bridge opened and the infamous Banpo Bridge Fountain show started; the water was sent up into the air and back down, painting the sky like a brush on a canvas. It danced and twirled, the totality resembling a willow tree swaying in the wind. The sprays of water started to light up, the bridge soon providing the view of a beautiful rainbow.
They parted moments later, slight swelling from the harsh collision, but smiles grounded into their faces.
“So,” Kikwang started as he interlaced his fingers with Hyunseung’s.
“Did I steal your heart, or poison your lips?”
author sungyeol
pairing hyunseung/kikwang
rating pg
author's notes i don't even know lol. too long, drags on forever, etc. song translations from outsider's acquaintance!
i’m breathing simply out of life
my body feels okay, it’s nothing special
my heart is closed almost completely
i put a lock on it, but the lock rusted away
from an ethereal loneliness
Hyunseung was one of those people who preferred privacy and solitude and decided to alienate themselves from others. It wasn’t that he disliked people-on the contrary, he very much enjoyed the occasional verbal exchange and being in the company of others; he thought building relationships was an imperative thing of life-he was simply more reserved, favoured observing over taking part in things. If his input was needed, he would give it voluntarily-but most of the time and to most, he was dispensable, expendable.
It was difficult to gain his trust, and it was difficult to make him open up; it was as if his heart was locked away in a strong metal box deep his chest; it was unreachable, unattainable, like a diamond, beautiful yet sturdy, hidden in a dark mine away from others and away from his own self.
Many weren’t quite sure how to describe Hyunseung. When asked, some of the typical answers resembled, “Hyunseung? He’s pretty quiet. I don’t notice him much,” or “He’s pretty weird. You’d think he lived in a whole different universe,” or “Hyunseung’s a good dancer and he likes dancing. That’s the extent of my knowledge of him.”
And in fact, he did love to dance; it was a keen passion of his, so immense and so important it was virtually inextinguishable. No one quite knew where, how or when the flame had ignited within him, not even Hyunseung himself, but everyone knew he had quite a gift for it.
His fervour for dancing allowed him to join a dance crew, meet a great number of people, some less interesting than others, but overall pretty good people. However, one of these individuals stood out to him more than the others. He was also a dancer, powerful and charismatic (although his moves were somewhat always the same, it was a divine repetition, a marvel he would never get tired of). He had a charming smile, bright and welcoming, and when his lips curved upwards so did his chocolate eyes.
His name was Kikwang. He was younger than Hyunseung, but he was still more or less as talented. He was shorter, simple-minded (but not in the negative naïve way, it was more like the endearing innocent one), rarely seen with a frown on his face. Kikwang resembled an angel when the sun was shining outside and he was wearing his white t-shirt and cardigan. Hyunseung felt nervous when they were in close proximity-his heart would suddenly quicken in pace, his hands would get moist, butterflies would fly around in his stomach-and couldn’t help but stare at his back when Kikwang was walking away from him.
It was a ritual for everyone to exchange cell phone numbers with the newcomer. Everyone precipitated themselves onto Hyunseung excitedly, shook his hand as he greeted everyone awkwardly. They slipped their phones into his hand as they took Hyunseung’s out of his pocket and passed it around. When finally he finished registering his number into a dozen cell phones he didn’t know belonged to whom, he looked up and around for his own. Hyunseung turned around after getting tapped on the shoulder, meeting Kikwang’s cheerful expression. With his signature eye-smile, he handed Hyunseung’s phone carefully.
“Don’t hesitate to text me!”
And that’s when they formally became friends (Kikwang was friends with everyone though). Hyunseung liked to think they were maybe somewhat closer, just maybe, especially now after exchanging numbers, after insinuating “if you need me, give me a call”, “if you want to open up your heart, open up your phone”.
picking up the phone that never rings
i wait for your call all night
i need your interest, i need your conversation
i need your hand, i need even a small token of love
please light the fuse that’s fading away
Fingers wrapped tightly around his cell phone, Hyunseung laid in bed waiting for a call, a text-anything. He flipped his phone open and closed, open and closed, again and again, in hopes something would appear on the small screen a few moments later. For several minutes he did so, turning onto his side every now and then, humming under his breath, looking through the various pictures on his phone. After repeating these steps over and over again, from frustration and disappointment, finally Hyunseung decided to give up on waiting. As he was about to throw his phone onto the floor, the small device rang and vibrated against his palm. Hyunseung’s arm came to a halt, phone securely gripped in his hand. He sat up and rested his back against his bed’s headboard comfortably, flipping open his phone as he did. Hyunseung choked on his saliva when he read the sender’s name on the screen, coughing and hitting harshly his chest with his clenched fist, eyes all the while still glued firmly to his cell phone.
Kikwang had sent him a text message, a short and simple ‘hello ^-^~ ㅋㅋㅋ’ Hyunseung stared blankly at the message, mouth gaping stupidly; he could not hide his pure disbelief, every feature of his face emanating surprise (and if you looked closely, his eyes were shining like opals, symbol of happiness, hope, innocence, and tender love). His fingers swiftly and quickly glided on top of the phone’s qwerty keyboard. After typing up a plain ‘what’s up?’ as a reply to Kikwang, he pressed the ‘send’ button and waited (yet again).
About ten minutes later, Hyunseung finally received a response.
‘sorry i take a long time to reply~~ ㅠㅠ it’s the first time i’m sending text messages!! i didn’t know how to before^-^~~~ ㅎㅎㅎ but i asked doojoon hyung and now I do^-^~~!!’
An inconspicuous smile crept onto Hyunseung’s lips as he read the text on the screen. A strange feeling then suddenly appeared in the pit of his stomach; it was warm, tingly, and started travelling from his stomach to his heart that started to gradually quicken in rate. It was an especially particular kind of feeling he wouldn’t mind feeling more often. He typed up a quick reply, asking Kikwang if he was in the mood to hang out with Hyunseung sometime, and sent it.
‘it’s a date~~~~ ♥-♥ ㅎㅎ’
will the moon understand my loneliness?
i wonder if the stars understand my scars
buried in affliction i sing this song
graved in loneliness i call out your name
following the wind and the clouds, i wander the world
They set the so-called “date” at Namsan Tower, at the heart of the city of Seoul. “Meet me on the third floor-at nine o’ clock sharp!” Kikwang had told him with as much precision as he could (which was hardly specific, considering the observation floor was fairly immense and always jammed pack with people (couples especially) but to Hyunseung, it was more than enough).
Hyunseung had woken up relatively late that day, for some odd reason whatsoever, seeing as he couldn’t contain his excitement for tonight the night before. He rolled out of bed lazily and slowly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. His parents were already up, his father sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee while skimming through the newspaper. His mother was busy making lunch (it smelled like pork cutlets). Hyunseung greeted his parents, took a glass off the table and poured himself a bit of orange juice before scurrying back upstairs into his room.
Knocking came on the door of his bedroom door. Hyunseung blurted out a “come in” and the door creaked open faintly, his mother’s head popping in. She frowned and asked him why the lights weren’t on, nagged about how Hyunseung would ruin his eyes with this darkness as she entered the room, a clean towel pressed against her chest.
He didn’t like to turn on the lights in his room, but instead preferred opening the curtains. His mother’s complained about it before, but then she got used to it. She said it wouldn’t be long until Hyunseung had to leave the house to pursue his career, continue on with his life, and that he would have to live on his own. She laughed and made fun of him when Hyunseung told her he wouldn't like to live alone in Seoul, then she smacked his shoulder and told him that everything would be alright and she had faith in the possibility that her son would be enough of a man to live on his own, and that sooner or later he’d find someone to share a home with anyway. She placed the towel onto his bed and quietly left his room. Hyunseung took the towel from off his bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
A few minutes later, he was back in his room, the towel on top of his head of wet hair. He opened up his closet to look for an appropriate outfit, but was having difficulty choosing.
"Hyunseung-ah, I've eaten already. If you're hungry come downstairs, there are leftovers from last night in the oven. I also left you some sweet potato pie in the fridge." Hyunseung’s mother opened the door slightly. He only saw her shadow as he was rummaging through his drawers for a decent outfit. When he turned his head to say 'yes', she had already disappeared, leaving only the sound of footsteps going down stairs.
Hyunseung plopped down onto his bed, and from under the pillows took out his cell phone. He flipped it open and started typing up a text message to his friend, Junhyung. He was part of the dance crew too-he was the one who introduced Hyunseung to everyone in the first place-but their friendship dated from way back when. Every time Hyunseung was in a jam, Junhyung would always help him get out of it, and vice versa. When one of them needed advice, the first opinion they would seek was the other’s. They were close, with an unconditional relationship.
Once a good five minutes had passed, Hyunseung still didn’t receive an answer from Junhyung. He wondered as to why this was so, and decided to call him-it was already two in the afternoon, normally his friend was up at this time. After five rings, finally Junhyung picked up. Hyunseung only heard grumbling and another voice in the background on the other line. When Hyunseung said “hello” following a period of relative silence, Junhyung muttered an irritated “what”. Hyunseung explained the situation and how he wasn’t quite sure what to wear for the occasion. Junhyung groaned.
“Did you really call me just for that?”
“Yes...”
“Did you shower?”
“Yes.”
“Do you smell good?”
“... I don’t know?”
“Then go ask your mom to smell you or something. Then throw on whatever the fuck you want to wear. Be natural and relaxed and you’ll be your best, got it? Hanging up now, bye.”
And with that, Hyunseung was left to figure things out by himself again.
He threw on a black t-shirt with a “V” neckline that scooped suspiciously low and a pair of washed out jeans that were a tad too big on him and hung on his butt, so he was forced to wear a belt to keep them up. Hyunseung picked a hat from his collection and put it on gently, fixing his bangs afterwards, seeing as his mother had advised him it was relatively chilly outside.
He was concerned he might not be punctual, hence the reason why Hyunseung ventured out of the house a good hour and a half early. It was a typical evening of early September; seeing as it was the end of spring, the wind was caressing his cheeks-they were slowly becoming redder and redder, but he was unsure if it was from the coldness of the breeze, or from thinking of Kikwang- and the few last signs of sunlight succumbing to the dark of night. A smile crept onto his lips as he looked up at the dimming sky. Hyunseung took out his iPod and put on his headphones, and started to walk his way to the subway.
After a long ride on the subway and a fifteen minute walk, he arrived in front of the cable car station that brought people up to the tower. Hyunseung rubbed his hands together and blew on them in an attempt to warm them up. He took his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time-he was still half an hour early-and pocketed it as soon as he saw the flashing digits on his screen. After staying in front of the station waiting, looking around for any sign of the dark-haired boy he was anticipating meeting again, but seeing no signs of him, paid his fee for the cable car and ventured upwards to the tower alone.
Arriving a few moments later, a few minutes past nine o’ clock, Hyunseung made his way to the observation deck and walked around, alert and watchful. He took out his phone and sent Kikwang a text message, asking where he was.
Thirty minutes later, Hyunseung was yet to receive a reply from him.
An hour later, still nothing.
By the time the clock reached eleven o’ clock, the observation deck was starting to empty out. Hyunseung continued waiting some more-maybe Kikwang encountered a problem on his way, maybe the cable cars weren’t working, maybe-. He felt hollow. Like a depression at the surface of the ground. Like a skeleton with meagre pieces of meat dangling on white hard bone. Like someone who had just been stood up. Hyunseung could not hide his dissatisfaction; he walked towards the elevator thinking maybe it was all a delusion (as if Kikwang would really go out with me-what was I thinking?), a frown plastered on his now overcast face. But as the elevator doors started opening, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.
‘meet me at the han river, asap!!! banpo bridge’
when my shadow is covered by the moon,
i draw you in my heart
i recite your name to myself.
i want to see you, touch you, feel you
but i can only say these words
The view was always most beautiful at night. Seoul became surely more than glamorous with the lights twinkling in the night like the stars in the sky. The city showcased its metropolitan aspect at nighttime more exceptionally: the landscape of Seoul was Seoul itself. The speedy moving cars racing on the Banpo Bridge and the calm, scenic Han River made beautiful harmony with each other despite their evident contrasting natures. Seoul was an eyeful, a metropolis of beauty indeed.
Hyunseung strolled along the walkway in Banpo Hangang Park. It was nearing midnight; he had wasted a day, he thought to himself. He continued until he reached the riverbank. He sat down on the grass and waited yet again, not as expectant as he was before, but still somewhat secretly anticipating. His cell phone vibrated and rang in his pocket-it must have been the alarm announcing midnight. The Han River looked mesmerizingly still, almost as if time had stopped its natural flow to let Hyunseung admire the splendor of it. Other than the wind’s whispers and the usual busy metropolitan noise, silence surrounded the area. He felt a lot better than before.
“You know,” a voice suddenly appeared. “Socrates once said... that a kiss can steal your heart, but it’s also the strongest and greatest poison.”
Hyunseung spun his head back. Kikwang waved at him excitedly, the former simply making a head movement to greet him back, and proceeded to take a seat next to him.
“Pretty romantic,” Hyunseung replied monotonously as he continued staring at the water.
Kikwang let out an awkward laugh. He apologized quietly, sincerity apparent in his voice, and gently placed his hand atop the other boy’s shoulder. Hyunseung turned his head and-
Their lips crashed together roughly, Hyunseung able to taste Kikwang’s impatience and rashness over the tang of bubble gum. Impetuous-in this situation, he couldn’t possibly describe Kikwang any other way. It wasn’t a bad thing though; the boy’s lips were soft and pulpy, the slight friction between their mouths sent shivers down his spine, his heart was beating so quickly he was certain it would leap out of his chest and into Kikwang’s hands. The nozzles along the entirety of the Banpo Bridge opened and the infamous Banpo Bridge Fountain show started; the water was sent up into the air and back down, painting the sky like a brush on a canvas. It danced and twirled, the totality resembling a willow tree swaying in the wind. The sprays of water started to light up, the bridge soon providing the view of a beautiful rainbow.
They parted moments later, slight swelling from the harsh collision, but smiles grounded into their faces.
“So,” Kikwang started as he interlaced his fingers with Hyunseung’s.
“Did I steal your heart, or poison your lips?”