[FIC] Smile, It's Catching
Title: Smile, It's Catching
Author: jung_hyeri
Genre: Angsty...something. Not quite fluff?
Summary: After a nasty breakup, Sungmin meets someone who changes his life with a simple letter.
A/N: Based on true events that happened to me a long time ago, tho I never did find the young man who gave me the letter. (and my ex-bf never got punched, tho he soooooooooo deserved it *sulks*) I do still have the note in question, just in case anyone's wondering.... *smiles*
Sungmin couldn't contain his excitement. His boyfriend of a few months was going to call in a few minutes as was his usual after work. Hanging around the house phone and glaring off anyone who dared approach, Sungmin paced back and forth, growing more and more nervous as the minutes ticked closer and closer.
Finally the phone rang and he sprang to answer it with a cheerful tone.
"Kyuhyun?"
"Hey Sungmin. How was your day? I'm sorry I couldn't meet you the other day but I had to work unexpectedly...."
Kyuhyun's voice sounded differently for some reason but Sungmin brushed it off as fatigue from work. His boyfriend worked long hours for his father's apartment management company and was occasionally called away to do random things as the renters needed. Sungmin sometimes visited him at work, chatting to help while away the long, boring hours until Kyuhyun could leave and they could go out and have dinner or watch a movie.
Brushing it off, Sungmin smiled into the phone.
"That's ok. I know you're busy...Are we still on for tomorrow?" he asked, his heart giving a little jump every time Kyuhyun spoke.
Sungmin could never get enough of hearing his boyfriend's voice and it gave him a little thrill to know that Kyuhyun was his. Having not had very good luck with boyfriends previous to Kyuhyun, it made him feel happy that finally he had someone who loved him for who he was and not for his body.
His reverie was interrupted by Kyuhyun's voice.
"I'll be a little bit late, but yeah, I'll be there. My dad's got me doing some other things for this one lady. You know, the one who's apartment I painted last week? Anyway, are you sure you're doing ok? You sound a bit weird....you're not still thinking about....you know..?" Kyuhyun asked quietly, obviously trying his best not to be obvious about some unfortunate events that had happened to Sungmin which left him crying at random times, and clingy at others.
Surprised, Sungmin shook his head, then remembered they were on the phone and Kyuhyun couldn't see him.
"No, I'm fine, though you sound a bit strange too. Are you sure you're ok to meet up tomorrow? You're not too tired?"
Suddenly anxious, Sungmin couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with Kyuhyun. He didn't sound like himself at all. Kyuhyun's chuckle allayed his fears and their conversation turned to other things before ending after an hour with the usual declarations of love that left Sungmin smiling over an hour after the call was finished.
"You look like a dork," Sungmin's friend Eunhyuk teased as they passed on their way to class the next day, noticing the smile that hadn't left Sungmin's face since the day before. He was always like this whenever Kyuhyun was about to visit their university apartment and Eunhyuk thought it was cute. That didn't stop him from teasing his friend unmercifully until they went their separate ways, Sungmin giving him an affectionate swat to the shoulder as he entered the classroom.
Just one more class and then he was free to wait for Kyuhyun, who was due at any time but who normally waited for Sungmin to finish before walking him home. Despite the occasion, time went by quickly and he snapped his books shut eagerly and thrust them into his bag, running hastily to the university courtyard where Kyuhyun was waiting for him.
--------------------------------
As was usual, the courtyard was filled with other students, some studying for class, others socialising in the warm late spring sunlight. Sungmin saw Kyuhyun before the other man saw him and smiled even wider as he put his hands over Kyuhyun's eyes and whispered into his ear.
"Guess who?"
Kyuhyun chuckled and pretended to guess.
"Zhou Mi?"
Who was Zhou Mi, Sungmin wondered. He'd never heard that person's name before and it sounded foreign. Was it someone from work?
"No, try again..."
"Ryeowook?"
"Nice try. Yesung would kill you...Guess again..."
"I know who this is. It's......Sungmin!"
Even as Kyuhyun turned around and gave him a hug, Sungmin couldn't help but notice that Kyuhyun's smile didn't reach his eyes. Was something wrong? Had he somehow said something wrong during the conversation of the night before? As if Kyuhyun noticed his sudden detachment, he stepped back from Sungmin with a weird expression on his face that made Sungmin's heart plummet.
"I have to talk to you," Kyuhyun said bluntly, ignoring the stares of the surrounding students, curious as to what was going on. "I don't have much time either, so I'd rather just get it over with."
"Ok," Sungmin replied, trying his best to keep a smile on his face, though he fidgeted in place. "What..."
"I don't want to see you any more. You're annoying, clingy, and talk too much. I don't like it when you come to see me at work; it's too distracting," Kyuhyun said, causing Sungmin to gasp with widened eyes.
Ignoring Sungmin's reaction, he went on.
"I'd prefer if you didn't come around or call me or have anything to do with me at all. I don't want anything to do with you."
"Hey, that's not very nice," Eunhyuk spoke up, much to Sungmin's dismay. He hadn't been aware of his friend coming up behind them until it was too late. "Sungmin does his best to make you happy and you just throw him away like this in front of everyone? Don't you even care?"
Kyuhyun snorted. "Not really, no. And for the record, that phone call last night? Wasn't from me..."
Sungmin looked at his now-ex-boyfriend in stunned confusion. "What? It was you. You....even said so..." he stuttered, trying to make sense of it all. Why would Kyuhyun deny calling him, especially since they'd talked about personal things as well as more mundane issues.
Laughing with cold amusement, Kyuhyun began to walk away.
"That was my cousin. I got him to call you as a joke. I'd say it worked pretty well actually. You believed he was me. You're so stupid and gullible, Sungmin," he threw over his shoulder with contempt as he passed Eunhyuk, the dance major's hands clenching into fists as he was forced to listen to this person insult one of his best friends. "That's why I don't like you and really, I'm not even sure what I saw in you in the first place..."
A whoosh of air was all Sungmin heard when he saw Kyuhyun double up, his hands going to his stomach as Eunhyuk grabbed Sungmin and pulled him away with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"He never saw that one coming," Eunhyuk said smugly as Sungmin glanced at him with a pained look. "I punched him," he finished by way of explanation, Sungmin's mouth going into a round O of surprise.
"Was that really necessary?" Sungmin replied weakly as they walked together to the front of the music building where the parking lot was and stood at one of the bus stops that wove around the university campus.
Eunhyuk shrugged. "I don't really think he'll get much sympathy for what he did to you, especially since so many people witnessed it," he pointed out while fishing in his pockets for his car keys. "My advice would be to just move on and forget about him. You don't need a jerk like that in your life. Not with everything that's happened to you already..."
Trailing off as he saw Sungmin's downcast expression, he patted his friend's shoulder.
"I have to go but if you need to talk later, just call me, ok?" Eunhyuk said sympathetically then walked off towards his car, leaving Sungmin behind at the bus stop where he sat down on the curbside with his head in his hands, feeling sorry for himself.
--------------------------------
Sungmin had no idea how long he'd been sitting there before an old, beat-up car stopped in front of him and a slender, good-looking man with dark brown hair and kind eyes got out and walked towards him with a folded sheet of paper in his hands. Kneeling beside him, the stranger smiled gently and held out the piece of paper.
"Here," he said quietly, his voice smooth and gentle, making Sungmin stare at him. "You look like you need this."
Without even introducing himself, the strange young man smiled again and patted his shoulder, then got back into his car and drove off with Sungmin staring after him in confusion. Who was that strange guy anyway, Sungmin wondered thoughtfully before turning his attention to the paper the young man had handed him.
Don't read this until I've gone it read in neat handwriting, much to Sungmin's amusement. Well, he was certainly gone now, so Sungmin unfolded the paper carefully and read the contents, a rush of warmth entering his body and healing his wounded heart.
On the page was a crudely drawn smiley face with a few words underneath it that said 'You look like you needed a smile so here's one for you. I hope this brightens you up and makes you feel happier'. With no clues on the paper as to who'd written it, or why (other than the obvious), Sungmin couldn't help but feel touched by the stranger's thoughtfulness and he wanted to know who this young man was so he could thank him for his kindness.
Picking himself up, Sungmin began his quest, asking some students who'd been sitting nearby if they'd seen or heard of this young man before and getting blank stares in return. Undaunted, he asked everyone he came in contact with until he'd exhausted his options, coming no further to finding out the identity of the mysterious young man than he had when he started.
Sighing, he pocketed the note and went home, ignoring the nosy comments of his room-mates as to what had happened with Kyuhyun. Word sure got around fast, he thought in annoyance but Eunhyuk had been right. He was well rid of Kyuhyun. His mind was filled instead with thoughts of the young man who'd given him such a thoughtful yet simple gift, a gift that had lifted his spirits with it's simple message that someone cared about him even though they didn't know him at all.
--------------------------------
A couple of weeks passed and Sungmin accepted Eunhyuk's offer of attending one of the university's functions, a dance competition held by the Fine Arts students in the Dance department. Having been left standing near the door while Eunhyuk went to get ready for his part of the competition, Sungmin was surprised by a tall young Chinese man coming towards him. He had no idea who this person was or what he wanted with him but listened politely nonetheless.
"You're Sungmin, right?" the young man stuttered, not sounding very confident with his Korean. When Sungmin stared blankly at him, he smiled nervously and introduced himself. "I'm Zhou Mi."
"Oh, right..." Sungmin replied. Finally he knew who Zhou Mi was. But why was Zhou Mi approaching him now, of all times and places?
"I...I just wanted to let you know that I'm....seeing Kyuhyun now. And I'm sorry for how...he broke up with you."
Sungmin's heart clenched again at the mention of his former boyfriend but he managed to keep himself together enough to give the Chinese man a faint smile.
"I see. Well...I guess...I wish you the best, then," he said quietly, trying not to cry as Zhou Mi broke into a huge smile, thanking him and shaking his hand before going over to the other side of the room where an annoyed-looking Kyuhyun stood, ignoring Sungmin's presence.
"Is that why you looked so unhappy the other day?" a gentle voice said from behind him, Sungmin's head turning towards the newcomer in surprise. He knew that voice!
"It's you!" Sungmin exclaimed, clapping a hand over his mouth as he realised what he'd said. The other man just looked at him with a smile on his face, chuckling gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I've been trying to find you," he explained as the smile on the other man's face grew wider.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day."
"Did it help you?" the young man inquired curiously, his expression kind. "I hope it did...it was meant to..."
"Yes, it did. Thank you. I don't know how you knew, but..." Sungmin's voice drifted off, unsure of what to say now that he'd found the mysterious young man he'd been searching for.
The young man shrugged, his eyes suddenly sad for a moment. "I've been there...so I know what it's like..." he said quietly before brightening. "I'm Han Geng....though you might find my Korean name easier to say - Hankyung..."
"I'm Lee Sungmin. Thank you and it's a pleasure to finally meet you...."
Sungmin held out his hand, pleased when Hankyung shook it warmly with a firm grip.
"Oh, I have to go..." Hankyung said suddenly, looking at the clock on the wall behind Sungmin. "I'm performing..."
"Really? My friend Eunhyuk is too!" Sungmin was excited to see both friends on stage, a bright smile on his face for the first time all week.
Hankyung's smile grew even brighter, if that was even possible, Sungmin thought fondly.
"I know Eunhyuk. I'm performing with him for one part of the program tonight. Then I have a solo...but I'm kind of nervous. It's the first time I've performed alone here..." he admitted shyly before remembering he had to go. "I'll see you after the show...I'm glad my note helped. Please take care of yourself."
With that, Hankyung disappeared through a door beside the stage and Sungmin found himself a seat in the packed hall, enthralled once the program began. The dance department had really outdone themselves and everyone was given an enthusiastic response. For once Sungmin was glad he'd been dragged somewhere outside his usual places to go, even if it meant he saw Kyuhyun and his new boyfriend, who looked like a really nice guy. It meant he'd finally met the young man who'd had such an impact on him when he needed someone the most.
Life was going to be fine without Kyuhyun, Sungmin realised and that realisation filled him with an unexpected sense of relief as well as a sense that the future was something to look forward to, not dreaded. And it was all thanks to one young man and a moment of kindness he'd never forget as long as he lived.
~OWARI~
Last, but certainly not least, please read the challenge entries and vote here. Voting ends on Thursday morning my time...
Author: jung_hyeri
Genre: Angsty...something. Not quite fluff?
Summary: After a nasty breakup, Sungmin meets someone who changes his life with a simple letter.
A/N: Based on true events that happened to me a long time ago, tho I never did find the young man who gave me the letter. (and my ex-bf never got punched, tho he soooooooooo deserved it *sulks*) I do still have the note in question, just in case anyone's wondering.... *smiles*
Sungmin couldn't contain his excitement. His boyfriend of a few months was going to call in a few minutes as was his usual after work. Hanging around the house phone and glaring off anyone who dared approach, Sungmin paced back and forth, growing more and more nervous as the minutes ticked closer and closer.
Finally the phone rang and he sprang to answer it with a cheerful tone.
"Kyuhyun?"
"Hey Sungmin. How was your day? I'm sorry I couldn't meet you the other day but I had to work unexpectedly...."
Kyuhyun's voice sounded differently for some reason but Sungmin brushed it off as fatigue from work. His boyfriend worked long hours for his father's apartment management company and was occasionally called away to do random things as the renters needed. Sungmin sometimes visited him at work, chatting to help while away the long, boring hours until Kyuhyun could leave and they could go out and have dinner or watch a movie.
Brushing it off, Sungmin smiled into the phone.
"That's ok. I know you're busy...Are we still on for tomorrow?" he asked, his heart giving a little jump every time Kyuhyun spoke.
Sungmin could never get enough of hearing his boyfriend's voice and it gave him a little thrill to know that Kyuhyun was his. Having not had very good luck with boyfriends previous to Kyuhyun, it made him feel happy that finally he had someone who loved him for who he was and not for his body.
His reverie was interrupted by Kyuhyun's voice.
"I'll be a little bit late, but yeah, I'll be there. My dad's got me doing some other things for this one lady. You know, the one who's apartment I painted last week? Anyway, are you sure you're doing ok? You sound a bit weird....you're not still thinking about....you know..?" Kyuhyun asked quietly, obviously trying his best not to be obvious about some unfortunate events that had happened to Sungmin which left him crying at random times, and clingy at others.
Surprised, Sungmin shook his head, then remembered they were on the phone and Kyuhyun couldn't see him.
"No, I'm fine, though you sound a bit strange too. Are you sure you're ok to meet up tomorrow? You're not too tired?"
Suddenly anxious, Sungmin couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with Kyuhyun. He didn't sound like himself at all. Kyuhyun's chuckle allayed his fears and their conversation turned to other things before ending after an hour with the usual declarations of love that left Sungmin smiling over an hour after the call was finished.
"You look like a dork," Sungmin's friend Eunhyuk teased as they passed on their way to class the next day, noticing the smile that hadn't left Sungmin's face since the day before. He was always like this whenever Kyuhyun was about to visit their university apartment and Eunhyuk thought it was cute. That didn't stop him from teasing his friend unmercifully until they went their separate ways, Sungmin giving him an affectionate swat to the shoulder as he entered the classroom.
Just one more class and then he was free to wait for Kyuhyun, who was due at any time but who normally waited for Sungmin to finish before walking him home. Despite the occasion, time went by quickly and he snapped his books shut eagerly and thrust them into his bag, running hastily to the university courtyard where Kyuhyun was waiting for him.
--------------------------------
As was usual, the courtyard was filled with other students, some studying for class, others socialising in the warm late spring sunlight. Sungmin saw Kyuhyun before the other man saw him and smiled even wider as he put his hands over Kyuhyun's eyes and whispered into his ear.
"Guess who?"
Kyuhyun chuckled and pretended to guess.
"Zhou Mi?"
Who was Zhou Mi, Sungmin wondered. He'd never heard that person's name before and it sounded foreign. Was it someone from work?
"No, try again..."
"Ryeowook?"
"Nice try. Yesung would kill you...Guess again..."
"I know who this is. It's......Sungmin!"
Even as Kyuhyun turned around and gave him a hug, Sungmin couldn't help but notice that Kyuhyun's smile didn't reach his eyes. Was something wrong? Had he somehow said something wrong during the conversation of the night before? As if Kyuhyun noticed his sudden detachment, he stepped back from Sungmin with a weird expression on his face that made Sungmin's heart plummet.
"I have to talk to you," Kyuhyun said bluntly, ignoring the stares of the surrounding students, curious as to what was going on. "I don't have much time either, so I'd rather just get it over with."
"Ok," Sungmin replied, trying his best to keep a smile on his face, though he fidgeted in place. "What..."
"I don't want to see you any more. You're annoying, clingy, and talk too much. I don't like it when you come to see me at work; it's too distracting," Kyuhyun said, causing Sungmin to gasp with widened eyes.
Ignoring Sungmin's reaction, he went on.
"I'd prefer if you didn't come around or call me or have anything to do with me at all. I don't want anything to do with you."
"Hey, that's not very nice," Eunhyuk spoke up, much to Sungmin's dismay. He hadn't been aware of his friend coming up behind them until it was too late. "Sungmin does his best to make you happy and you just throw him away like this in front of everyone? Don't you even care?"
Kyuhyun snorted. "Not really, no. And for the record, that phone call last night? Wasn't from me..."
Sungmin looked at his now-ex-boyfriend in stunned confusion. "What? It was you. You....even said so..." he stuttered, trying to make sense of it all. Why would Kyuhyun deny calling him, especially since they'd talked about personal things as well as more mundane issues.
Laughing with cold amusement, Kyuhyun began to walk away.
"That was my cousin. I got him to call you as a joke. I'd say it worked pretty well actually. You believed he was me. You're so stupid and gullible, Sungmin," he threw over his shoulder with contempt as he passed Eunhyuk, the dance major's hands clenching into fists as he was forced to listen to this person insult one of his best friends. "That's why I don't like you and really, I'm not even sure what I saw in you in the first place..."
A whoosh of air was all Sungmin heard when he saw Kyuhyun double up, his hands going to his stomach as Eunhyuk grabbed Sungmin and pulled him away with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"He never saw that one coming," Eunhyuk said smugly as Sungmin glanced at him with a pained look. "I punched him," he finished by way of explanation, Sungmin's mouth going into a round O of surprise.
"Was that really necessary?" Sungmin replied weakly as they walked together to the front of the music building where the parking lot was and stood at one of the bus stops that wove around the university campus.
Eunhyuk shrugged. "I don't really think he'll get much sympathy for what he did to you, especially since so many people witnessed it," he pointed out while fishing in his pockets for his car keys. "My advice would be to just move on and forget about him. You don't need a jerk like that in your life. Not with everything that's happened to you already..."
Trailing off as he saw Sungmin's downcast expression, he patted his friend's shoulder.
"I have to go but if you need to talk later, just call me, ok?" Eunhyuk said sympathetically then walked off towards his car, leaving Sungmin behind at the bus stop where he sat down on the curbside with his head in his hands, feeling sorry for himself.
--------------------------------
Sungmin had no idea how long he'd been sitting there before an old, beat-up car stopped in front of him and a slender, good-looking man with dark brown hair and kind eyes got out and walked towards him with a folded sheet of paper in his hands. Kneeling beside him, the stranger smiled gently and held out the piece of paper.
"Here," he said quietly, his voice smooth and gentle, making Sungmin stare at him. "You look like you need this."
Without even introducing himself, the strange young man smiled again and patted his shoulder, then got back into his car and drove off with Sungmin staring after him in confusion. Who was that strange guy anyway, Sungmin wondered thoughtfully before turning his attention to the paper the young man had handed him.
Don't read this until I've gone it read in neat handwriting, much to Sungmin's amusement. Well, he was certainly gone now, so Sungmin unfolded the paper carefully and read the contents, a rush of warmth entering his body and healing his wounded heart.
On the page was a crudely drawn smiley face with a few words underneath it that said 'You look like you needed a smile so here's one for you. I hope this brightens you up and makes you feel happier'. With no clues on the paper as to who'd written it, or why (other than the obvious), Sungmin couldn't help but feel touched by the stranger's thoughtfulness and he wanted to know who this young man was so he could thank him for his kindness.
Picking himself up, Sungmin began his quest, asking some students who'd been sitting nearby if they'd seen or heard of this young man before and getting blank stares in return. Undaunted, he asked everyone he came in contact with until he'd exhausted his options, coming no further to finding out the identity of the mysterious young man than he had when he started.
Sighing, he pocketed the note and went home, ignoring the nosy comments of his room-mates as to what had happened with Kyuhyun. Word sure got around fast, he thought in annoyance but Eunhyuk had been right. He was well rid of Kyuhyun. His mind was filled instead with thoughts of the young man who'd given him such a thoughtful yet simple gift, a gift that had lifted his spirits with it's simple message that someone cared about him even though they didn't know him at all.
--------------------------------
A couple of weeks passed and Sungmin accepted Eunhyuk's offer of attending one of the university's functions, a dance competition held by the Fine Arts students in the Dance department. Having been left standing near the door while Eunhyuk went to get ready for his part of the competition, Sungmin was surprised by a tall young Chinese man coming towards him. He had no idea who this person was or what he wanted with him but listened politely nonetheless.
"You're Sungmin, right?" the young man stuttered, not sounding very confident with his Korean. When Sungmin stared blankly at him, he smiled nervously and introduced himself. "I'm Zhou Mi."
"Oh, right..." Sungmin replied. Finally he knew who Zhou Mi was. But why was Zhou Mi approaching him now, of all times and places?
"I...I just wanted to let you know that I'm....seeing Kyuhyun now. And I'm sorry for how...he broke up with you."
Sungmin's heart clenched again at the mention of his former boyfriend but he managed to keep himself together enough to give the Chinese man a faint smile.
"I see. Well...I guess...I wish you the best, then," he said quietly, trying not to cry as Zhou Mi broke into a huge smile, thanking him and shaking his hand before going over to the other side of the room where an annoyed-looking Kyuhyun stood, ignoring Sungmin's presence.
"Is that why you looked so unhappy the other day?" a gentle voice said from behind him, Sungmin's head turning towards the newcomer in surprise. He knew that voice!
"It's you!" Sungmin exclaimed, clapping a hand over his mouth as he realised what he'd said. The other man just looked at him with a smile on his face, chuckling gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I've been trying to find you," he explained as the smile on the other man's face grew wider.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day."
"Did it help you?" the young man inquired curiously, his expression kind. "I hope it did...it was meant to..."
"Yes, it did. Thank you. I don't know how you knew, but..." Sungmin's voice drifted off, unsure of what to say now that he'd found the mysterious young man he'd been searching for.
The young man shrugged, his eyes suddenly sad for a moment. "I've been there...so I know what it's like..." he said quietly before brightening. "I'm Han Geng....though you might find my Korean name easier to say - Hankyung..."
"I'm Lee Sungmin. Thank you and it's a pleasure to finally meet you...."
Sungmin held out his hand, pleased when Hankyung shook it warmly with a firm grip.
"Oh, I have to go..." Hankyung said suddenly, looking at the clock on the wall behind Sungmin. "I'm performing..."
"Really? My friend Eunhyuk is too!" Sungmin was excited to see both friends on stage, a bright smile on his face for the first time all week.
Hankyung's smile grew even brighter, if that was even possible, Sungmin thought fondly.
"I know Eunhyuk. I'm performing with him for one part of the program tonight. Then I have a solo...but I'm kind of nervous. It's the first time I've performed alone here..." he admitted shyly before remembering he had to go. "I'll see you after the show...I'm glad my note helped. Please take care of yourself."
With that, Hankyung disappeared through a door beside the stage and Sungmin found himself a seat in the packed hall, enthralled once the program began. The dance department had really outdone themselves and everyone was given an enthusiastic response. For once Sungmin was glad he'd been dragged somewhere outside his usual places to go, even if it meant he saw Kyuhyun and his new boyfriend, who looked like a really nice guy. It meant he'd finally met the young man who'd had such an impact on him when he needed someone the most.
Life was going to be fine without Kyuhyun, Sungmin realised and that realisation filled him with an unexpected sense of relief as well as a sense that the future was something to look forward to, not dreaded. And it was all thanks to one young man and a moment of kindness he'd never forget as long as he lived.
~OWARI~
Last, but certainly not least, please read the challenge entries and vote here. Voting ends on Thursday morning my time...