Will we meet again?,
SHINee, pg, romance, fluff, jongkey. (jonghyun/key, junghee/key, junghee/gwiboon.) hinted taeyeon/eunsook.
a/n: when i thought about this, it made sense, i swear. it started prettily, but then i had no idea how to develop the story so i started typing senselessly :( lmao i hope you guys get the idea? ;___; it has all of the pairings mentioned above, in the same story. another note, i didn't use the song of daesung because of the incident that happened okay. i really like that song and i couldn't find any other that fit the story. :I um what else. oh yeah; enjoy!
a/n2: didn't proof read. tupos are for free today.
It was during one of those merciless winters that happened, with the wind running by, burning his skin. The sun was setting down, like a secret lover, silently hiding behind some dark clouds without being noticed. It happened so abruptly, so out of nowhere, he barely had time to blink and think about his life, his untouched goals, his friends, his family.
He didn't have time, but at least the pain was invisible, it was kind and subtle, embracing his whole body. He could feel some warmth crawl up his torso, and soon he realized it was blood. blood smeared on the floor, on his shirt, on his body. There was no pain, no suffering, and soon he didn't really feel anything- like he was set free, without nothing to worry about, nothing else to do. There was nothing else, was it?
It was all white around him, when he started breathing again. A loud gasp, and he opened his eyes automatically. He closed his eyes again, just to get a hold of himself, and the world was spinning above him, colors and lights melting together to form a shapeless mass of something, of everything. Barely hearable sounds were there, too, and Kibum wondered what was going on. He looked at his hands, just as pale and soft as ever, and he slightly moved his fingers, just to feel his blood run under the skin. Didn't he die before?
Before he noticed, he was in a room, with beige walls and old furniture, a humble night lamp lighting the small room. it smelled like cinnamon and coffee, and he enyojed it.
He walked down the stairs, almost tripping with his own feet, his legs were weak and insecure and he felt his body a lot heavier than it used to be. It was the unknown voices that made him realize that he, indeed, wasn't at home. The walls were smoothly decorated with flower patterns, green and beige colors matching almost perfectly. Everything looked so old, he noticed, and he bit his lip when he saw one of those old and forgotten phones with huge speakers and heavy wires.
"It's getting late." a voice announced from where he supposed was the kitchen, and he stumbled his way until the door frame. He froze, and was welcomed by a warm smile, and a stronger smell of coffee and strawberries.
"Kibum, aren't you hungry?" the woman said, tugging at her apron. "you look so pale." she said, and he silently scoffed.
He didn't know where he was sitting at, he didn't know whose house was that, he didn't know who that brown haired woman was and he was hungry.
He calmly had breakfast, trying to ignore the suffocating feeling growing in his stomach. "Kibum?" someone called, and he almost dropped the fork when he saw a familiar face standing in front of him. He stood up, kicking the chair and wrapped his long arms around the chocolate haired boy. He got a weird stare in response, followed by a clumsy smile.
Oddly enough, before he talked to Jinki and tried his best not to cry, he noticed his clothing was just as old and colorless as everyone else's. He checked the drawers in his room, supposing it was actually his room and sighed in disappointment when he found nothing else but brown pants and weird socks, with ugly shirts of something that looked like cheap silk. He frowned.
"We're late for school." Jinki announced, peeking his head from the door, when he was sitting on the not so comfortable matress.
They walked on the sidewalks, with a few stores and some cars driving on the streets, the warm sunlight touching their cheeks with its kind fingers, making Kibum enjoy the sensation. He closed his eyes and inhaled, and the air smelled like something he had forgotten a long ago, it smelled like warmth and joy and bliss, and he filled his lungs with it.
When he felt his muscles tightening rather violently, and his ass hitting the floor, he looked up and saw an almond eyed boy rubbing his lower back with a sheepish smile hanging on his lips. Kibum was startled, staring at him like he was some sort of dead celebrity, with big eyes and pink lips, perfect skin and a heartwarming smile.
"I'm so sorry." the boy said, grabbing Kibum's arm to lift him up. Jinki was laughing, and Kibum decided to ignore him. "I wasn't paying attention at all- I, really-" and then his words were tripping, crashing onto the air and slipping down the sun light. "I'm Jonghyun." and that's how he met him.
The years passed by, carelessly, the cold winters, the warm springs, the fresh summers, they all ran by, and he fell in love with the boy he walked into that morning. His eyes grew tired, his skin wasn't peachy, he wasn't young anymore. He spent his life thinking of someone he couldn't be with, but still, his love was reciprocated. He had a happy life, even if he was sure it wasn't the same life he was meant to have. He managed to live, he had fun, he made friends, he finished his studies and he grew older, his sharp eyes had wrinkles and his bones were tired, weak.
He closed his eyelids, feeling a warm hand grabbing his own, and he smiled for the last time. He died, with Jonghyun holding his hand tightly, perhaps attempting to make him stay, perhaps promising something that couldn't be heard. We'll meet again.
He woke up again, his temples sweating and his skin burning, his body struggling with the lack of oxygen and the unbearable heat in the room. He clutched the sheets under him, his knuckles turning white after a few seconds.
The walls were staring at him, expectantly, and he felt uneasy. They were brown, with gold patterns adorning the corners, with a red carpet underneath the queen sized bed, with pearl sheets and big, soft pillows and cushions. He stood up, unsteady, and he felt a cold breeze run around him. There was a mirror next to the white night table, and he looked at it, and he saw someone he didn't know.
But it was him, with blond strands of hair dancing on his forehead, high cheekbones and bow lips, sharp eyes and jawline. He was young again.
"Young master?" a voice called, and his heart fell to his knees as soon as he saw a familiar round face. "It's still early." the calm voice announced, sounding amused.
"Taemin?" he asked, and the red haired boy arched a brow. Kibum felt his tears pooling behind his eyelids, threatening to run down his skin, and he shuddered, tons of images flooding in his mind like an unexpected storm. Kibum knew him, he used to be his friend when he was a rebel, when he was young and he didn't care about his parents, and also he used to be his friend. But this time it was a different scenery, he realized, and he was glad Taemin was still with him.
There was a hole in his heart, he felt something was missing. Something important, something that he needed to feel peaceful and get rid of the knots clinging to his dry throat.
He put on some clothes, with puffy long sleeves and a silk vest, accompained with black pants that had gold buttons, and Taemin gave him a pair of dark brown boots. Everything was different from what he supposed had been his past life, but he still felt comfortable. Except for the annoying feeling in his chest, when the cold air filled his longs and glanced up to see the hollow space within his heart.
They walked down the crowded streets, the air clogged with tired breaths and the smell of food and fruits dancing above their heads. Kibum struggled once he was riding his horse, which was awfully beautiful, and Taemin shyly laughed at him, soon he got used to the small pain he felt whenever the horse walked faster than necessary. The small houses were common, he noticed, with small doors of humid wood and thick walls, and the streets were old, the sidewalks were smaller than usual.
"Where are we going, Young master?" Taemin asked, glancing up to him from his own horse, and Kibum shrugged.
"Stop calling me young master." Taemin was shocked, his plush lips parted, ready to protest. "I'm older than you." and Kibum chuckled.
"But I must call you-"
"Nope. You must not."
He grew attached to his rich lifestyle soon. Expensive clothing, cinnamon clandles all over the place, huge lamps with golden strings dancing above him. He saw many people during the day, people that faked smiles and greeted him politely just because he was a prince, people that complimented every single thing he did or wore, merely because he had royal blood running in his veins.
His house -castle, whatever-, was big enough to let the whole town live inside it, too. Taemin was there whenever Kibum called him, and even when he didn't, so everything was okay.
But he still felt a missing piece. Five years went by faster than he expected them to, and soon the prince was 25 years old. He had to marry a princess from the nearby town, and Taemin encouraged him not to run away every night, he told him not to escape from his responsabilities. Kibum scoffed, louder than usual, and one of his friends, Minho, calmly smiled. Kibum wanted to punch him.
"Have you found love yet, Kibum?" the taller boy asked, crossing his arms on his chest. The prince rolled his eyes, and shook his head. He wanted to convince himself it was alright, but something kicking on his ribcage told him maybe it wasn't. He was afraid.
Even if the years passed, ever since that morning that he opened his eyes and he was in a new place, with red courtains and white walls, he still had hope that perhaps someday, in a new town, in the corner of the street, wherever, he could find his missing piece. He still had hope that he could fill the gap within his heart.
They met a couple of weeks later. She had long wavy hair swinging on her shoulders, it was as black as the shadows that covered the city whenever the moon was asleep, and her lips were pink and plump, bright colored cheeks and round almond eyes. She was gorgeous. She was wearing a beige dress, with elegant patterns and short sleeves, and the dress was tight on her waist, her slim body looking perfect. A brown haired guy, her servant, Kibum assumed, tripped with the carpet when they crossed the main door and she started laughing, half covering her mouth, half trying not to be loud. And it was such an ethereal sound, making Kibum's heart clench and bounce up and down.
And Kibum fell in love. Her name was Junghee, and she liked music and winters, she had a warm smile and her voice was like an angel's. Kibum felt like he knew her, her features, her smile, Kibum felt like she was what he needed to feel complete, to feel alive. The prince, soon to be king, had found the love of his life right before marrying her, and he couldn't believe it. Not that he was complaining.
But it was odd, because whenever he heard her voice, whenever he looked into her deep, precious eyes, he felt at home.
He once had a dream, about two boys holding hands and whispering something that couldn't be heard, that shouldn't be said.
"Kibum?" Junghee called his name, in their shared bed, under the thin covers, and he opened his eyes, because he obviously wasn't sleeping. "Are you… are you doing all of this because you have to?" her voice cracked, her weak murmur sounding like an echo in his ears.
"No. I'm doing this because we were meant to be together, Junghee." he said, holding her delicate hand. she closed her eyes, a tiny smile adorning her strawberry lips.
"I'm glad we met again." Kibum murmured.
They shared many kisses, they encountared many fights, yet they always found peace at some point. Taemin was still with him, taking care of most of the things in the castle, and even though Minho had moved to another town, he still visited him whenever he had time to. Junghee was a mature woman, her hair was longer and her eyes were kinder, but she was just as beautiful as the first day they met each other.
She got sick before turning 43, and when Kibum was tightly holding her weak hand, with traslucid skin and thin fingers, she closed her eyes. "Will we meet again, Kibum?" it was barely audible, yet he managed to understand every word with ease. He smiled, with hopeful tears making their way down his cheeks, landing on the pink sheets and her hand. It hurt, he felt how something was being ripped off within him, slowly, painfully, something inside of him was tearing apart and he could do nothing but hold her hand and listen carefully to her voice, as sweet as an angel's.
"We will meet again, my love." he said, kissing her cold hand. she smiled, the corner of her plump lips turning upwards, with her eyes still closed. "we will."
The king was alone, but he managed to make it through the years with the thought of her smile, with the scent of her skin, because they would meet again, in another life, and they'd hold hands again, they'd laugh again, just like they were meant to be.
The years were heavy on his shoulders, the time being noticeable on his skin, and he died at the age of 82, with his hands on his chest and a peaceful expression adorning his face. He was happy, and he still remembered the first time he heard that boy saying a promise between sobs, a promise he wanted to last forever.
The light was mockingly filling the room, walking through the courtains, and she tried to shut her eyes harder, to prevent the light to hush her sleep away. But she couldn't avoid it, not when the sun light was warmly brushing her skin and the sheets covering her body were warmer than the should be.
She woke up, then, cracking her eyes open, yawning and stretching her long, slender arms. "Eunsook?" she said, standing up from the couch she had been sleeping on. It was late in the afternoon, she could tell because the orange sun rays were soft and tender. She called her roommate, a black haired girl with a huge smile, and a beautiful personality.
The living room had white walls and the furniture was black, made of leather and expensive materials that she said were necessary to make everything look perfect.
She remembered her dream, that seemed to be impossibly long, and a shiver ran down her spine.
She knew she had to find someone.
"Oh, you're already awake." a girl said, standing in the hallway, with a blue ribbon adorning her dark strands of hair, with symmetric bangs cutely covering her forehead. Gwiboon nodded, and she heard her stomach grunt lightly. "And hungry." the taller girl stated, avoiding a flying cushion that the brown haired girl had thrown at her, with pink, flushed cheeks.
"How many hours did I sleep?" she asked, looking for something to wear in her drawers. "three." she got in response, and she frowned deeply, partly because she didn't know what to wear, and because she might have been turning into a bear.
They went down town to a café they both frequented, the small bell ringing when they opened the door. The city was starting to wake up, too, with the colorful lights and the soft music, people walking casually on the sidewalks, talking and drinking hot coffee, and Gwiboon realized it was december. Her cheeks were burning, and she regretted not bringing the thick brown jacket she had bought, only because it didn't match her outfit, and now that the cold was brushing her bones how she wished she had it with her.
"Taeyeon~" Eunsook said over the counter, propping her face up with her elbows, and the auburn haired girl smiled widely at her. There weren't many free tables, because it was friday and most of the people wanted to relax a bit in a quiet place like that café. Eunsook took a seat first, while Gwiboon was staring at the unoccupied stage in the middle of the place.
Taeyeon brought their coffees, and put her hands in the pockets of her tight jeans.
"Who is playing tonight?" Gwiboon asked, the scent of the coffee in front of her reaching to her reddened nose, calling for attention.
"You don't know her," the girl with the short haircut said, her tiny frame making her look younger than she actually was. Gwiboon noticed that Eunsook was hopelessly staring at her and she hid her smile as best as she could. "she's new in this city. You're gonna love her, in my opinion." and she left, with her tiny hips lightly swaying.
Their coffees were almost over when someone stepped on the wooden stage and the micophone starting making weird noises. Gwiboon saw a girl, with raven hair tied in a loose ponytail, and long bangs cover half of her face. She was wearing a black ramones shirt, and black jeans with laces in the front, and Gwiboon noticed she wasn't that femenine.
"She has a nice guitar." Eunsook said, sipping the remaining coffee in her cup. Gwiboon only nodded, while playing with her honey hair, staring deeply at the new girl.
"Aw, Gwiboon, are you attracted to her?" tease was written all over the syllabes, and Gwiboon rolled her eyes. Eunsook was grinning, her eyes nearly disappearing.
"Not as much as you towards Taeyeon." she said, loud enough for the younger of them to hear, because Gwiboon knew that said girl was just two tables next to their own. Eunsook started coughing, her cheeks turning into so many different shades of red. Gwiboon smiled victoriously, while Eunsook struggled to breathe normally again.
The girl spoke, finally, and Gwiboon felt a pair of knots vanishing inside of her, because her voice sounded so familiar, so welcoming.
"… and this song is called Baby don't cry." the café was silent, waiting for the strings of the guitar to make a sound. And so it started, softly, calmly, and Gwiboon stopped curling her hair around her finger.
The girl got closer to the microphone and so her voice echoed in the small place, her lips brushing the cold material as she sang every word with so much emotion, so many feelings poured into her words.
"That's such a cheesy song." Gwiboon whispered, and Eunsook just smiled, noticing every word that the younger girl hadn't said but obviously meant. Her brows were furrowed, and her pouty lips were pressed into a thin line, incredibly focused on how the girl on the stage closed her eyes and held a long note in the air. Every word, Gwiboon noticed, every word embraced her tiny body and made her feel warmer, the cold air of the winter buried under the meaningful sounds she was trapped with.
They left the café, with Eunsook smiling dumbly at the girl behind the counter and stumbling her way towards the exit. Gwiboon waved at her and smiled, slightly bowing before turning on her heels and leaving. The voice of that girl was still lingering on her ears, on her mind, and she was replaying the song in her head, every high note and soft humm perfectly echoing inside her head.
Two weeks after busy schedules, homework filled evenings and sleepless nights, Eunsook dragged her to the same café. It was a friday again, and Gwiboon didn't really feel like sleeping the whole day, so she agreed. Almost, of course, because being the proud person she was she still had to say no, even if she wanted to go too. She wasn't letting Eunsook feel accomplished by such things.
"Do you think she's going to sing there again?" Gwiboon randomly asked while walking on the sidewalk, while busy people with huge shopping bags kept walking by her and her roommate, who was absent mindedly staring at the high buildings surrounding them.
"Who?" Eunsook asked, frowing and glancinp up at her.
"The girl of the nice guitar." she got a humm in response, and a few seconds later Eunsook shrugged. "I don't know."
Two blocks away from the café, Eunsook grinned widely again and Gwiboon could hear what she was going to say.
"Do you want to see her again?" the older teased, softly elbowing the girl's arm.
And Gwiboon thought that maybe she was right, she wanted to see her again, she wanted to hear her voice again because it was what she needed to feel her heart beat in peace, what she needed for her lungs to function properly. she thought that maybe, she was what she needed to feel alive. Her face was familiar, and she briefly thought of that dream she had one night, about a boy that was exactly like her, with the high cheek bones and the bow lips, smiling and whispering sweet things to another boy. we will meet again, the boy said over and over, and she wanted to believe that they would. she wondered if they ever did.
"Stop being a bitch, Lee Eunsook, or I swear I'll-"
"Shh.."
"-kick your ass." when she finished her sentence, with Eunsook staring towards the café's entrance door where someone else was standing, Gwiboon turned her head and saw a familiar girl chuckling. She froze, her mouth gaping and her eyes round in shock.
She was there, standing with half of her body inside of the café, half of it on the sidewalk, just a few steps away from her. Her face was gorgeous, Gwiboon thought, her lips were plump and pink, glossy and she wondered if her lipgloss was cherry flavored. She was wearing eyeliner, and a bit of mascara that made her eyes look deeper and Gwiboon thought she was going to sink into them, and their endless chocolate spirals.
"Wow," she said, with a grin plastered on her face. "Hello."
That evening they had a long conversation, when Eunsook ran towards the counter and started talking to Taeyeon like a little 6 year old girl. Junghee was her name, and she was 19, she had just moved to the city. She had a puppy, she loved composing and her guitar was ten years old. Gwiboon listened to every word that escaped her perfect lips and the conversation seemed to have no end.
She felt something in his ribcage gaining weight, she felt completed, and she vaguely felt relieved.
Junghee's eyes were sparkling along with the christmas lights outside the place, and Gwiboon noticed she had a strange and cute habit of licking her lips ever so often. "Can we meet again?" she asked, when Taeyeon started turning some lights off and the streets were surprisingly empty. Eunsook was helping the younger of them to clean the place, and blushed heavily when she and Taeyeon bumped in between the tables.
"What?" Gwiboon said, the words bouncing in her head, aimlessly. She remembered the voice of her dream, the one that said they'd meet again and she felt a breathtaking shiver hugging her waist. Junghee smiled, showing her white tooth and closing her eyes, her long hair dancing on her shoulders.
"Can we meet again? Hang out? how do you people call it here?" and Gwiboon lightly smacked her arm, laughing carelessly, her scarf loosening around her neck.
"Yes." she said, biting her lip unconciously. "Yes, we will meet again."
a/n: when i thought about this, it made sense, i swear. it started prettily, but then i had no idea how to develop the story so i started typing senselessly :( lmao i hope you guys get the idea? ;___; it has all of the pairings mentioned above, in the same story. another note, i didn't use the song of daesung because of the incident that happened okay. i really like that song and i couldn't find any other that fit the story. :I um what else. oh yeah; enjoy!
a/n2: didn't proof read. tupos are for free today.
It was during one of those merciless winters that happened, with the wind running by, burning his skin. The sun was setting down, like a secret lover, silently hiding behind some dark clouds without being noticed. It happened so abruptly, so out of nowhere, he barely had time to blink and think about his life, his untouched goals, his friends, his family.
He didn't have time, but at least the pain was invisible, it was kind and subtle, embracing his whole body. He could feel some warmth crawl up his torso, and soon he realized it was blood. blood smeared on the floor, on his shirt, on his body. There was no pain, no suffering, and soon he didn't really feel anything- like he was set free, without nothing to worry about, nothing else to do. There was nothing else, was it?
It was all white around him, when he started breathing again. A loud gasp, and he opened his eyes automatically. He closed his eyes again, just to get a hold of himself, and the world was spinning above him, colors and lights melting together to form a shapeless mass of something, of everything. Barely hearable sounds were there, too, and Kibum wondered what was going on. He looked at his hands, just as pale and soft as ever, and he slightly moved his fingers, just to feel his blood run under the skin. Didn't he die before?
Before he noticed, he was in a room, with beige walls and old furniture, a humble night lamp lighting the small room. it smelled like cinnamon and coffee, and he enyojed it.
He walked down the stairs, almost tripping with his own feet, his legs were weak and insecure and he felt his body a lot heavier than it used to be. It was the unknown voices that made him realize that he, indeed, wasn't at home. The walls were smoothly decorated with flower patterns, green and beige colors matching almost perfectly. Everything looked so old, he noticed, and he bit his lip when he saw one of those old and forgotten phones with huge speakers and heavy wires.
"It's getting late." a voice announced from where he supposed was the kitchen, and he stumbled his way until the door frame. He froze, and was welcomed by a warm smile, and a stronger smell of coffee and strawberries.
"Kibum, aren't you hungry?" the woman said, tugging at her apron. "you look so pale." she said, and he silently scoffed.
He didn't know where he was sitting at, he didn't know whose house was that, he didn't know who that brown haired woman was and he was hungry.
He calmly had breakfast, trying to ignore the suffocating feeling growing in his stomach. "Kibum?" someone called, and he almost dropped the fork when he saw a familiar face standing in front of him. He stood up, kicking the chair and wrapped his long arms around the chocolate haired boy. He got a weird stare in response, followed by a clumsy smile.
Oddly enough, before he talked to Jinki and tried his best not to cry, he noticed his clothing was just as old and colorless as everyone else's. He checked the drawers in his room, supposing it was actually his room and sighed in disappointment when he found nothing else but brown pants and weird socks, with ugly shirts of something that looked like cheap silk. He frowned.
"We're late for school." Jinki announced, peeking his head from the door, when he was sitting on the not so comfortable matress.
They walked on the sidewalks, with a few stores and some cars driving on the streets, the warm sunlight touching their cheeks with its kind fingers, making Kibum enjoy the sensation. He closed his eyes and inhaled, and the air smelled like something he had forgotten a long ago, it smelled like warmth and joy and bliss, and he filled his lungs with it.
When he felt his muscles tightening rather violently, and his ass hitting the floor, he looked up and saw an almond eyed boy rubbing his lower back with a sheepish smile hanging on his lips. Kibum was startled, staring at him like he was some sort of dead celebrity, with big eyes and pink lips, perfect skin and a heartwarming smile.
"I'm so sorry." the boy said, grabbing Kibum's arm to lift him up. Jinki was laughing, and Kibum decided to ignore him. "I wasn't paying attention at all- I, really-" and then his words were tripping, crashing onto the air and slipping down the sun light. "I'm Jonghyun." and that's how he met him.
The years passed by, carelessly, the cold winters, the warm springs, the fresh summers, they all ran by, and he fell in love with the boy he walked into that morning. His eyes grew tired, his skin wasn't peachy, he wasn't young anymore. He spent his life thinking of someone he couldn't be with, but still, his love was reciprocated. He had a happy life, even if he was sure it wasn't the same life he was meant to have. He managed to live, he had fun, he made friends, he finished his studies and he grew older, his sharp eyes had wrinkles and his bones were tired, weak.
He closed his eyelids, feeling a warm hand grabbing his own, and he smiled for the last time. He died, with Jonghyun holding his hand tightly, perhaps attempting to make him stay, perhaps promising something that couldn't be heard. We'll meet again.
He woke up again, his temples sweating and his skin burning, his body struggling with the lack of oxygen and the unbearable heat in the room. He clutched the sheets under him, his knuckles turning white after a few seconds.
The walls were staring at him, expectantly, and he felt uneasy. They were brown, with gold patterns adorning the corners, with a red carpet underneath the queen sized bed, with pearl sheets and big, soft pillows and cushions. He stood up, unsteady, and he felt a cold breeze run around him. There was a mirror next to the white night table, and he looked at it, and he saw someone he didn't know.
But it was him, with blond strands of hair dancing on his forehead, high cheekbones and bow lips, sharp eyes and jawline. He was young again.
"Young master?" a voice called, and his heart fell to his knees as soon as he saw a familiar round face. "It's still early." the calm voice announced, sounding amused.
"Taemin?" he asked, and the red haired boy arched a brow. Kibum felt his tears pooling behind his eyelids, threatening to run down his skin, and he shuddered, tons of images flooding in his mind like an unexpected storm. Kibum knew him, he used to be his friend when he was a rebel, when he was young and he didn't care about his parents, and also he used to be his friend. But this time it was a different scenery, he realized, and he was glad Taemin was still with him.
There was a hole in his heart, he felt something was missing. Something important, something that he needed to feel peaceful and get rid of the knots clinging to his dry throat.
He put on some clothes, with puffy long sleeves and a silk vest, accompained with black pants that had gold buttons, and Taemin gave him a pair of dark brown boots. Everything was different from what he supposed had been his past life, but he still felt comfortable. Except for the annoying feeling in his chest, when the cold air filled his longs and glanced up to see the hollow space within his heart.
They walked down the crowded streets, the air clogged with tired breaths and the smell of food and fruits dancing above their heads. Kibum struggled once he was riding his horse, which was awfully beautiful, and Taemin shyly laughed at him, soon he got used to the small pain he felt whenever the horse walked faster than necessary. The small houses were common, he noticed, with small doors of humid wood and thick walls, and the streets were old, the sidewalks were smaller than usual.
"Where are we going, Young master?" Taemin asked, glancing up to him from his own horse, and Kibum shrugged.
"Stop calling me young master." Taemin was shocked, his plush lips parted, ready to protest. "I'm older than you." and Kibum chuckled.
"But I must call you-"
"Nope. You must not."
He grew attached to his rich lifestyle soon. Expensive clothing, cinnamon clandles all over the place, huge lamps with golden strings dancing above him. He saw many people during the day, people that faked smiles and greeted him politely just because he was a prince, people that complimented every single thing he did or wore, merely because he had royal blood running in his veins.
His house -castle, whatever-, was big enough to let the whole town live inside it, too. Taemin was there whenever Kibum called him, and even when he didn't, so everything was okay.
But he still felt a missing piece. Five years went by faster than he expected them to, and soon the prince was 25 years old. He had to marry a princess from the nearby town, and Taemin encouraged him not to run away every night, he told him not to escape from his responsabilities. Kibum scoffed, louder than usual, and one of his friends, Minho, calmly smiled. Kibum wanted to punch him.
"Have you found love yet, Kibum?" the taller boy asked, crossing his arms on his chest. The prince rolled his eyes, and shook his head. He wanted to convince himself it was alright, but something kicking on his ribcage told him maybe it wasn't. He was afraid.
Even if the years passed, ever since that morning that he opened his eyes and he was in a new place, with red courtains and white walls, he still had hope that perhaps someday, in a new town, in the corner of the street, wherever, he could find his missing piece. He still had hope that he could fill the gap within his heart.
They met a couple of weeks later. She had long wavy hair swinging on her shoulders, it was as black as the shadows that covered the city whenever the moon was asleep, and her lips were pink and plump, bright colored cheeks and round almond eyes. She was gorgeous. She was wearing a beige dress, with elegant patterns and short sleeves, and the dress was tight on her waist, her slim body looking perfect. A brown haired guy, her servant, Kibum assumed, tripped with the carpet when they crossed the main door and she started laughing, half covering her mouth, half trying not to be loud. And it was such an ethereal sound, making Kibum's heart clench and bounce up and down.
And Kibum fell in love. Her name was Junghee, and she liked music and winters, she had a warm smile and her voice was like an angel's. Kibum felt like he knew her, her features, her smile, Kibum felt like she was what he needed to feel complete, to feel alive. The prince, soon to be king, had found the love of his life right before marrying her, and he couldn't believe it. Not that he was complaining.
But it was odd, because whenever he heard her voice, whenever he looked into her deep, precious eyes, he felt at home.
He once had a dream, about two boys holding hands and whispering something that couldn't be heard, that shouldn't be said.
"Kibum?" Junghee called his name, in their shared bed, under the thin covers, and he opened his eyes, because he obviously wasn't sleeping. "Are you… are you doing all of this because you have to?" her voice cracked, her weak murmur sounding like an echo in his ears.
"No. I'm doing this because we were meant to be together, Junghee." he said, holding her delicate hand. she closed her eyes, a tiny smile adorning her strawberry lips.
"I'm glad we met again." Kibum murmured.
They shared many kisses, they encountared many fights, yet they always found peace at some point. Taemin was still with him, taking care of most of the things in the castle, and even though Minho had moved to another town, he still visited him whenever he had time to. Junghee was a mature woman, her hair was longer and her eyes were kinder, but she was just as beautiful as the first day they met each other.
She got sick before turning 43, and when Kibum was tightly holding her weak hand, with traslucid skin and thin fingers, she closed her eyes. "Will we meet again, Kibum?" it was barely audible, yet he managed to understand every word with ease. He smiled, with hopeful tears making their way down his cheeks, landing on the pink sheets and her hand. It hurt, he felt how something was being ripped off within him, slowly, painfully, something inside of him was tearing apart and he could do nothing but hold her hand and listen carefully to her voice, as sweet as an angel's.
"We will meet again, my love." he said, kissing her cold hand. she smiled, the corner of her plump lips turning upwards, with her eyes still closed. "we will."
The king was alone, but he managed to make it through the years with the thought of her smile, with the scent of her skin, because they would meet again, in another life, and they'd hold hands again, they'd laugh again, just like they were meant to be.
The years were heavy on his shoulders, the time being noticeable on his skin, and he died at the age of 82, with his hands on his chest and a peaceful expression adorning his face. He was happy, and he still remembered the first time he heard that boy saying a promise between sobs, a promise he wanted to last forever.
The light was mockingly filling the room, walking through the courtains, and she tried to shut her eyes harder, to prevent the light to hush her sleep away. But she couldn't avoid it, not when the sun light was warmly brushing her skin and the sheets covering her body were warmer than the should be.
She woke up, then, cracking her eyes open, yawning and stretching her long, slender arms. "Eunsook?" she said, standing up from the couch she had been sleeping on. It was late in the afternoon, she could tell because the orange sun rays were soft and tender. She called her roommate, a black haired girl with a huge smile, and a beautiful personality.
The living room had white walls and the furniture was black, made of leather and expensive materials that she said were necessary to make everything look perfect.
She remembered her dream, that seemed to be impossibly long, and a shiver ran down her spine.
She knew she had to find someone.
"Oh, you're already awake." a girl said, standing in the hallway, with a blue ribbon adorning her dark strands of hair, with symmetric bangs cutely covering her forehead. Gwiboon nodded, and she heard her stomach grunt lightly. "And hungry." the taller girl stated, avoiding a flying cushion that the brown haired girl had thrown at her, with pink, flushed cheeks.
"How many hours did I sleep?" she asked, looking for something to wear in her drawers. "three." she got in response, and she frowned deeply, partly because she didn't know what to wear, and because she might have been turning into a bear.
They went down town to a café they both frequented, the small bell ringing when they opened the door. The city was starting to wake up, too, with the colorful lights and the soft music, people walking casually on the sidewalks, talking and drinking hot coffee, and Gwiboon realized it was december. Her cheeks were burning, and she regretted not bringing the thick brown jacket she had bought, only because it didn't match her outfit, and now that the cold was brushing her bones how she wished she had it with her.
"Taeyeon~" Eunsook said over the counter, propping her face up with her elbows, and the auburn haired girl smiled widely at her. There weren't many free tables, because it was friday and most of the people wanted to relax a bit in a quiet place like that café. Eunsook took a seat first, while Gwiboon was staring at the unoccupied stage in the middle of the place.
Taeyeon brought their coffees, and put her hands in the pockets of her tight jeans.
"Who is playing tonight?" Gwiboon asked, the scent of the coffee in front of her reaching to her reddened nose, calling for attention.
"You don't know her," the girl with the short haircut said, her tiny frame making her look younger than she actually was. Gwiboon noticed that Eunsook was hopelessly staring at her and she hid her smile as best as she could. "she's new in this city. You're gonna love her, in my opinion." and she left, with her tiny hips lightly swaying.
Their coffees were almost over when someone stepped on the wooden stage and the micophone starting making weird noises. Gwiboon saw a girl, with raven hair tied in a loose ponytail, and long bangs cover half of her face. She was wearing a black ramones shirt, and black jeans with laces in the front, and Gwiboon noticed she wasn't that femenine.
"She has a nice guitar." Eunsook said, sipping the remaining coffee in her cup. Gwiboon only nodded, while playing with her honey hair, staring deeply at the new girl.
"Aw, Gwiboon, are you attracted to her?" tease was written all over the syllabes, and Gwiboon rolled her eyes. Eunsook was grinning, her eyes nearly disappearing.
"Not as much as you towards Taeyeon." she said, loud enough for the younger of them to hear, because Gwiboon knew that said girl was just two tables next to their own. Eunsook started coughing, her cheeks turning into so many different shades of red. Gwiboon smiled victoriously, while Eunsook struggled to breathe normally again.
The girl spoke, finally, and Gwiboon felt a pair of knots vanishing inside of her, because her voice sounded so familiar, so welcoming.
"… and this song is called Baby don't cry." the café was silent, waiting for the strings of the guitar to make a sound. And so it started, softly, calmly, and Gwiboon stopped curling her hair around her finger.
The girl got closer to the microphone and so her voice echoed in the small place, her lips brushing the cold material as she sang every word with so much emotion, so many feelings poured into her words.
"That's such a cheesy song." Gwiboon whispered, and Eunsook just smiled, noticing every word that the younger girl hadn't said but obviously meant. Her brows were furrowed, and her pouty lips were pressed into a thin line, incredibly focused on how the girl on the stage closed her eyes and held a long note in the air. Every word, Gwiboon noticed, every word embraced her tiny body and made her feel warmer, the cold air of the winter buried under the meaningful sounds she was trapped with.
They left the café, with Eunsook smiling dumbly at the girl behind the counter and stumbling her way towards the exit. Gwiboon waved at her and smiled, slightly bowing before turning on her heels and leaving. The voice of that girl was still lingering on her ears, on her mind, and she was replaying the song in her head, every high note and soft humm perfectly echoing inside her head.
Two weeks after busy schedules, homework filled evenings and sleepless nights, Eunsook dragged her to the same café. It was a friday again, and Gwiboon didn't really feel like sleeping the whole day, so she agreed. Almost, of course, because being the proud person she was she still had to say no, even if she wanted to go too. She wasn't letting Eunsook feel accomplished by such things.
"Do you think she's going to sing there again?" Gwiboon randomly asked while walking on the sidewalk, while busy people with huge shopping bags kept walking by her and her roommate, who was absent mindedly staring at the high buildings surrounding them.
"Who?" Eunsook asked, frowing and glancinp up at her.
"The girl of the nice guitar." she got a humm in response, and a few seconds later Eunsook shrugged. "I don't know."
Two blocks away from the café, Eunsook grinned widely again and Gwiboon could hear what she was going to say.
"Do you want to see her again?" the older teased, softly elbowing the girl's arm.
And Gwiboon thought that maybe she was right, she wanted to see her again, she wanted to hear her voice again because it was what she needed to feel her heart beat in peace, what she needed for her lungs to function properly. she thought that maybe, she was what she needed to feel alive. Her face was familiar, and she briefly thought of that dream she had one night, about a boy that was exactly like her, with the high cheek bones and the bow lips, smiling and whispering sweet things to another boy. we will meet again, the boy said over and over, and she wanted to believe that they would. she wondered if they ever did.
"Stop being a bitch, Lee Eunsook, or I swear I'll-"
"Shh.."
"-kick your ass." when she finished her sentence, with Eunsook staring towards the café's entrance door where someone else was standing, Gwiboon turned her head and saw a familiar girl chuckling. She froze, her mouth gaping and her eyes round in shock.
She was there, standing with half of her body inside of the café, half of it on the sidewalk, just a few steps away from her. Her face was gorgeous, Gwiboon thought, her lips were plump and pink, glossy and she wondered if her lipgloss was cherry flavored. She was wearing eyeliner, and a bit of mascara that made her eyes look deeper and Gwiboon thought she was going to sink into them, and their endless chocolate spirals.
"Wow," she said, with a grin plastered on her face. "Hello."
That evening they had a long conversation, when Eunsook ran towards the counter and started talking to Taeyeon like a little 6 year old girl. Junghee was her name, and she was 19, she had just moved to the city. She had a puppy, she loved composing and her guitar was ten years old. Gwiboon listened to every word that escaped her perfect lips and the conversation seemed to have no end.
She felt something in his ribcage gaining weight, she felt completed, and she vaguely felt relieved.
Junghee's eyes were sparkling along with the christmas lights outside the place, and Gwiboon noticed she had a strange and cute habit of licking her lips ever so often. "Can we meet again?" she asked, when Taeyeon started turning some lights off and the streets were surprisingly empty. Eunsook was helping the younger of them to clean the place, and blushed heavily when she and Taeyeon bumped in between the tables.
"What?" Gwiboon said, the words bouncing in her head, aimlessly. She remembered the voice of her dream, the one that said they'd meet again and she felt a breathtaking shiver hugging her waist. Junghee smiled, showing her white tooth and closing her eyes, her long hair dancing on her shoulders.
"Can we meet again? Hang out? how do you people call it here?" and Gwiboon lightly smacked her arm, laughing carelessly, her scarf loosening around her neck.
"Yes." she said, biting her lip unconciously. "Yes, we will meet again."