iss 2011: for countrymir
to countrymir
from your secret santa
title the story of the boy who can seduce any man
pairing howon x dongwoo
rating r - for minor sexual scenes
word count 8410 words
summary lee howon is the boy who can seduce any man. or so the rumors say.
the story of the boy who can seduce any man.
이것은 그의 이야기
∞
It is the noisiest of days when Howon decides to go to his lectures like a good student, but it's not the din that makes him regret his decision to turn up for his lectures, it is the stares, looks and murmurs the other students give him. He speeds up his walk down the hallway and by fate he bumps into his best friend, headfirst. It is the small frame of Sungjong that makes Howon feel bad about even touching him at all. “Sorry, Sungjong. You alright?” He helps him up gently, Sungjong still rubbing his head, now throbbing from the sudden collision, 'Hyung! For the love of God, your muscles are like replicas of diamonds!”
Howon wonders if he's supposed to laugh at the fact that his muscles are being compared to diamonds, but he doesn't and Sungjong only gives him a light punch, “Come on! Let's go to class,” he offers. They walk further down the hallway, ignoring the judgmental fingers and double takes. Howon shifts a few steps away from Sungjong, guilty that the frail-looking, rather feminine boy is being targeted because of someone like him. Sungjong doesn't miss this and grabs his muscular arms, “Oh no, you don't.” Howon only gives him a crooked smile as they enter the lecture hall without further ado.
They occupy the front seats, just because Howon dislikes sitting with other students. It is exactly 30 minutes after the lecture starts that the door bursts open and Howon sees a flash of the brightest smile someone could ever have, along with the most cheerful 'Sorry I'm late, Professor!' that doesn't sound the slightest bit sorry at all. Somehow though, Howon smiles a little at the bright aura the boy radiates and he notices how he gets along with everyone else. He admits, he's a little jealous.
∞
Woohyun looks out the window as the breeze welcomes itself into the laboratory, bringing along unnecessary pieces of leaves and dust. Fixing a few documents and his laboratory apparatus, the door to the laboratory slides open, “You called for me, professor?” a voice asks. Woohyun straightens himself up after fixing his documents by the table. “No, obviously the eagles called you,” the professor replies with a roll of his eyes. Howon lets a small chuckle escape his dry lips.
The professor walks towards Howon, the heels of his Massimo Dutti shoes echoing throughout the almost-empty laboratory. He pulls the student by his purple tie, slides the door close with a loud bang, bringing his lips an inch away from Howon’s dry ones and he whispers, his warm breath bouncing off the other’s lips, “My house tonight.”
Howon raises an eyebrow, indifferent towards the close distance between their lips, “You do realize this is exactly why those bastards talk about me all the time, right?”
Woohyun leans back, drawing the distance between them and he smiles sheepishly, “Those bastards? That’s not a very nice thing to call your fellow student friends, Howon.”
Howon gives a quick glare and leaves the laboratory while Woohyun only leans comfortably against the tables, arms crossing in front of his chest.
∞
“Myungsoo, hurry up!” Dongwoo waves a hand at the boy (who looked more like a sculpture, if the perfection of his face is anything to go by), jumping in excitement. Myungsoo groans between huffs and puffs for air, “Where are we going, hyung? We’ve been running for hours!” Myungsoo half-whines. Dongwoo grins, his smile as bright as ever. He grabs Myungsoo by the wrist, pulling him along as they run down the streets, accidentally bumping into a few shoulders. Myungsoo can’t seem to find the energy to ask Dongwoo where they're headed; he can’t seem to even find the time to breathe properly until Dongwoo finally stops.
“We’re here!” He says, loud enough for even strangers to flash him a surprised stare, but Myungsoo can’t seem to find the energy to feel embarrassed by his hyung’s childishness. “What is this place?” Myungsoo finally asks after catching his breath.
“A new ice-cream store came by two days ago!” Dongwoo’s grin doesn’t leave his face, his eyes crinkling into sparkling crescents. Myungsoo sighs, “And you almost killed me because you wanted to eat ice-cream.” The older boy pouts and lets his head drop; Myungsoo instantly feels guilty. Sighing, the younger boy takes him by the arm, “Come on. Since we’re here, let’s go.”
They walk into a store with a huge pink sign that read ‘Woolim’. Myungsoo feels the embarrassment of walking into a store that seems like it was made for kids and girls and oh my god, the line is so fucking long. “Hyung, please don’t tell me we’re going to line up for an hour just to get fucking ice-cream," he almost begs. Dongwoo frowns, “Of course not!”
Myungsoo raises an eyebrow, tempted to ask Well then, how are you going to get your fucking ice-cream? but he bites his lips as he watches his stupid hyung wave a hand at a girl. It is only a matter of seconds that Dongwoo gets his ice-cream. “Seriously, chocolate mousse?” Myungsoo stares at his best friend, expecting more of an expensive, extraordinary and unique ice-cream flavor, somewhere along the lines of wasabi ice-cream.
Dongwoo’s eyes grow big, as if offended by his statement, “This store is most famous for its chocolate mousse!”
The younger takes Dongwoo’s wrist and take a bite of the cold food, “I guess it isn’t that bad.”
Dongwoo’s eyes brighten up, just like a six year-old boy given a new toy. They walk out of the store, ignoring eyes that judge them for getting the ice-cream without being in line. The best friends walk around town, in their own world of sharing ice-cream and window shopping. “Hey, isn’t that Howon?” Dongwoo points.
Myungsoo looks up from another bite of the ice-cream cone, “With our music professor.”
“I never knew Howon isn’t straight.”
“Well, he is The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man,” Myungsoo muses as he licks off the excess ice-cream around his lips.
“He’s homosexual?”
Myungsoo decides to leave the topic because he knows Dongwoo wouldn’t understand shit despite his age anyway.
∞
When the door to Woohyun’s apartment clicks open, Howon kicks off his shoes without hesitation and enters the place with the professor behind him, shutting the door close with another click. “I’m heading to shower,” Howon announces, as if he owns the place and Woohyun doesn’t reply as he prepares coffee for two. Shrugging his blazer off and loosening his tie, Woohyun lets out a slight chuckle.
Howon looks over his shoulder at the sound of the professor’s sigh, but ignores it because it is not his place to ask and it’s not like he cares anyway. Pulling his sweater off, he shivers at the contact of the cold air on his skin. Howon’s shower does not take long because he knows he needs another shower after a few hours. “Coffee?” Woohyun places a mug in front of him, Howon grabs him by the wrist, “Just get on with it already.”
“You’re sexually frustrated, aren’t you?” Woohyun traces the shape of Howon’s lips.
“It’s not like I’m practicing abstinence.”
Woohyun dives in for a hungry kiss, arms sliding around his neck and settling on Howon's thigh. “You’re sexually frustrated yourself,” Howon growls as their tongues spar for dominance (Woohyun's reply comes in the form of a god-awful smirk). They fumble with their belts and pants, hands everywhere, searching and wanting. “Stop grinding against my thigh,” Howon hisses and Woohyun can only let out a muffled sound of protest.
Their minds are a blank when Howon pins Woohyun under him, the couch a little bit too small for Woohyun’s frame but Howon doesn’t prepare Woohyun when he thrusts into him, because he knows Woohyun likes it rough even though it feels like his back is being ripped into pieces the next day. There are no feelings between them, but Howon clings onto this sexual relationship because he feels wanted, he feels needed when Woohyun digs his nails into his firm back, screaming his name when they come together.
He feels the warmth when he wakes up the next morning to a warm bed, a warm blanket and a warm body.
But he knows Woohyun is not the one.
Howon leaves for home the next morning after breakfast prepared by a limping Woohyun. The professor sends him off at the door with a smile; Howon leaves without looking back. He leaves for home, where he is unneeded, unwanted and lost.
∞
Dongwoo wakes up in a daze when his butler shakes him awake. “What time ees eet?” he mumbles groggily, rubbing his dry eyes and scratching his blonde head. The butler smiles at his young master’s morning face, “It is eleven in the morning, young master.” Dongwoo flops back into his bed, “Give me another five minutes.....” The butler frowns, “Young master, you have music class in thirty minutes, I’m sure you don’t want to be late.”
At the mention of ‘music class’, Dongwoo bolts up in alarm because the thought of being late to Professor Nam’s class. It doesn’t take long for Dongwoo to wash up and head to university because it’s fucking music class with Professor Nam. The boy runs down the university hallways, mumbling ‘oh my god’ over fifty times and he turns at a sharp corner.
He bumps into someone, hard enough to send him flying backwards and he apologizes in the loudest voice he can ever muster. His books are all over the floor and a deep ‘it’s fine’ comes into his ears. When he looks up, he notices it’s Howon from economics class. “Oh, thank you!” Dongwoo only mutters dumbly when Howon picks up his books. “If you’re heading towards music class, you’ve passed it.” Howon mumbles, it’s soft but Dongwoo picks up his deep voice.
Howon avoids Dongwoo’s gaze and walks away.
Everyone stares and he heads to music class.
When Dongwoo settles beside Myungsoo in a daze, the boy raises an eyebrow, “What’s up?” Dongwoo takes a moment to catch his breath, before replying with the most dazzling smile ever, “I bumped into Howon just now!” Myungsoo drops the pen in his grip, almost falling off his chair, “W-What? Did you get affected by his pheromones? Are you okay?” Dongwoo frowns, “He’s a nice guy, Myungsoo,” and the younger boy decides to shut up when someone waltzes into the lecture hall and announces that Professor Nam is on leave today. Dongwoo sinks into his seat, “What? And I was so worried about being late!” Myungsoo chuckles and gives his best friend a pat on the shoulder.
“Dongwoo, are you attending the Halloween party?” Myungsoo asks when they leave for lunch.
“Halloween party?”
“You know, the annual Halloween party the Student Council hold every year?”
“Hmm. Maybe, if I know what to wear.”
It's only when Dongwoo and Myungsoo step past the college gates that they see Howon waiting for them. Howon hands a piece of sheet music to Dongwoo, “You forgot this earlier.” Myungsoo takes a step back naturally while he watches Dongwoo take the sheet of paper with a hint of pink fluttering across his cheeks. “A-ah! Thank you so much!” he replies enthusiastically.
Howon smiles a little; Dongwoo’s brain is a pool of swoon.
Myungsoo knows that Howon’s pheromones affect easy guys like Dongwoo; he growls a little and pulls Dongwoo away by the arm in alarm, avoiding The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man. The rumors are true, he’s dangerous, Myungsoo concludes. Dongwoo takes the chance to wave Howon a goodbye when Myungsoo isn’t looking.
Dongwoo waves goodbye; Howon’s smile grows a little wider.
This isn’t some shoujo manga love story, get your shit together, Howon tells himself when he walks away.
∞
Howon shoves his hands into his pockets with a grumble when he decides to take the long route home, grumbling even more when he meets Woohyun from the grocery store. “You’re not well enough to teach, but well enough to grocery shop,” Howon mocks, in which Woohyun only gives a snicker, “A certain someone decided to be rough last night, so I obviously can’t turn up for a lecture which could potentially ruin my reputation as a lecturer.” Howon smirks a litte, “You liked it anyway.”
Woohyun walks off, “It’s your fucking pheromones.”
Howon looks at Woohyun’s retreating back over his shoulder before continuing his walk back home, taking it as slow as possible. However, much to his dismay, he reaches home in a mere five minutes. Walking through the threshold, into a home that doesn't quite feel like a home, he realizes that Sungjong’s shoes are at the doorstep. He walks straight into his room, ignoring the sound of water running in the kitchen and the sounds of his younger stepbrothers in the living room. He ignores them all; it is an easy task.
“Sungjong?” he calls out softly.
“Here,” comes a soft, muffled voice from the general direction of his bed.
Sungjong stirs a little in Howon’s bed before propping himself up on a thin elbow. “Sorry, borrowed your bed for a bit,” he says between yawns, and sits up. “You’re late,” he adds, after a minute of what seemed like a staring competition. Howon shrugs and dumps his bag at the foot of his bed, “You should’ve told me you’re going to be home early.” Sungjong digs through his bag in search of an envelope, “Here, the Council President wanted me to pass this to you.” Howon takes the fancy envelope silently, opening the seal.
Howon sighs and throws it aside, “Not interested.”
Sungjong frowns, “You should go, it’s your last year at college.”
“I’ll... think about it.”
Sungjong doesn’t push the topic any further and they end up playing video games all night, forgetting about their assignments temporarily. When Howon notices Sungjong’s soft and stable breathing on his shoulders, he gently reaches out for the envelope on the floor, careful enough not to wake the sleeping beauty next to him. “Halloween, huh?” Howon says, to no one in particular and closes his eyes, waiting for sleep to come to him, dreams to wake him and another boring day.
∞
Howon remembers that incident twelve years ago, before they were a broken family. “Hurry up, Howon!” a six year old Sungjong shouts from the other side of the gate at the nine year old Howon. “Slow down, Sungjong! You’re going to fall!” Howon warns Sungjong, approaching him with a basket of fruits in hand. “Aren’t you excited! It’s our first picnic at a beach!” Sungjong jumps in glee before running towards the car. Howon smiles a little a Sungjong’s excitement, before carrying the basket into the boot of the car, his father giving him a pat on the head and a ‘good job’.
“Howon-ah! Could you come and help umma carry these boxes?”
Howon brightens up a little bit more and runs back into the house, to help his mother. He likes it most when he’s useful to his parents. He likes it most when they pat him on the head and praise him. He likes moments like these. When Howon climbs back into the car, he sees a sleeping Sungjong and he wonders how could someone look so fragile. He pulls a blanket over the frail figure and smiles in satisfaction.
“Oh, thank you for always taking care of our reckless Sungjong, Howon!” Sungjong’s mother gives Howon a pat on the head and Howon's never felt more proud.
Howon doesn’t fall asleep throughout the two hour journey, he keeps an eye on Sungjong, making sure the blanket doesn’t fall, or making sure he’s comfortable on his shoulders, or making sure that he sleeps peacefully. He looks out the window at the green trees, the blue skies and he thinks trips like these are the best.
That is, until some fucked up car crashes into theirs like rockets taking off into space.
Howon loses his father and brother in seconds, Sungjong loses his family in minutes, but they don’t shed tears at the funeral. They don’t cry even when they see tears streaming down the cheeks of strangers. They hold each other’s hands firmly, they don’t speak, they only watch. “You can cry, you know?” Howon says, tightening his grip. Sungjong looks up, “I won’t. Because Howon won’t cry. So I won’t too.” The funeral ends, they don’t shed a tear.
Howon wakes up at three in the morning to muffled sobs; he turns towards his right.
He reaches out to caress Sungjong’s wet cheeks and wipes away the warm, salty tears. Climbing out of bed, he dresses himself. Making sure no one is around, he sneaks out the house. He lets his feet lead him, he lets his eyes flood and burn his face, he lets his emotions go. “Why are you crying?” someone says. Howon looks up, wiping the tears that blur his vision, “Appa and hyung aren’t here anymore.” The little boy looks down at him, and Howon notices that he’s crying too.
“Why are you crying?” Howon asks.
The little boy smiles, despite the teartracks on his face, “I don’t know the way home.”
Howon reaches out to touch the little boy’s face and wipes his tears away with the back of his hand. “That tickles!” the little boy giggles, Howon wonders how anyone could laugh while crying. “Why are you laughing?” Howon asks; the little boy stares at him and then grins again. “Daddy said, I should always smile no matter what! A smile brightens someone’s day, he said!” Howon finds himself smiling at him.
“Shall we find your house?” he suggests.
“Eh? You can?”
“Do you know your address?”
“Um. I don’t know... oh! But I know that there is a green coloured convenient store nearby and a playground. I’ve been trying to find it,” the little boy attempts large gestures with his small hands.
Howon offers a hand, and the little boy blinks a little, confused, but he takes it nevertheless.
It's two roads down and after a right turn that the little boy exclaims happily, “I know the way now! My house is the third one from that road! Thank you so much!” He lets go of Howon’s hand, and Howon feels a little disappointed but he waves the stranger boy goodbye and watches his small back run towards the end road.
“Ah! What’s your name?” the little boy turns around and asks in a high voice.
“Howon. Lee Howon.”
The little boy giggles and Howon thinks that there’s a beautiful melody in his laughter.
∞
Howon scans the crowd awkwardly, an empty glass of champagne in his hands. “No one’s going to seduce you if you just stand there looking scornful,” Woohyun appears beside him, face beet read; obviously from drinking too much. “I’m surprised you haven’t done anything to Professor Sunggyu,” Howon retorts, mocking the lecturer with a small smirk. Woohyun shrugs, “I’ll put some sedatives in his drink, if I have to.”
“You don’t have the balls to do that.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I didn’t have sex with you for no reason.”
Howon walks away, realizing that people are eavesdropping on their conversation. He walks around the ballroom, looking at the guys dressed in suits, some masquerade-themed, some in costumes, and the girls dressed in their skimpy dresses. He reaches the balcony and walks out, but stops when he sees a girl. He turns around, not willing to share his ‘private space’. Maybe it’s the Massimo Dutti shoes, but the girl turns around in shock.
Howon's always had an eye for detail, always picking out the most minor of points. Even now, when his head is swimming from rehearsed greetings, when the back of his neck is itching from the crisply ironed collar of his new suit, he knows she's beautiful (far too beautiful, and Howon tries to ignore the erratic change in his heartbeat). He still can't see the girl's face too clearly; it's only slightly illuminated by the dim moonlight. It's only a nagging gut feeling of sorts, but Howon feels that he's seen her before, that sharp jawline, that refined nose, those deep eyes - they're all too familiar, and he has to have seen her somewhere before.
Howon ignores the continuous chants of stupidstupidstupidgetyourshittogether in his head, instead approaches the girl in slow, steady steps. He takes one forward, she takes one back, and there's subtle tension in the air when her back touches the marble railing and she can move no more. Howon holds his breath, goes closer and closer and clo-
"Dongwoo-ssi?" he blurts out, almost incredulously, when he gets close enough to properly make out all the features. It really isn't any wonder that the girl felt almost too familiar now; everything was so distinctly… Dongwoo. "W-What… what's with the dress? And the wig and all?"
Dongwoo brushes a stray strand of perfectly coiffed dark brown hair out of his face, eyes fixated on the grayish-pink lines of the marble flooring. His gaze doesn't meet Howon's even as he stutters, "U-Um, I can explain this! Um, I mean… Myungsoo and I made a bet and um, I lost, a-and uh, he forced me into this! I-I mean, he made me attend this party… a-as a girl."
Howon thinks he sees the entire spectrum of red skim across Dongwoo's face, before it settles for a bright crimson, hot against his cheeks. It matches the scarlet cheongsam he was wearing; Howon's eyes flit across the detailed floral embroidery on the fabric, the golden trimming on the edges, the high slit all the way up to Dongwoo's waist-
Howon tries to avert his eyes, to look anywhere, everywhere, but the long cut in Dongwoo's fucking cheongsam, to no avail. His gaze trails up the expanse of Dongwoo's leg, inches upon inches of skin, the burning desire to touch it, the adrenaline coursing through his veins-
Howon's always had control of himself, the master of restraint that he was, but he isn't too sure what he's doing anymore, when he lunges forward and grabs Dongwoo by the wrist, engulfs his mouth in a messy kiss. It's wet and not exactly romantic, noses bumping and teeth clashing; it isn't long before Dongwoo's alarmed protests die down to become restrained moans, fisting Howon's collar and pulling at his tie. Howon's hands slide under the fabric, roaming across the smooth skin of Dongwoo's thigh, and Dongwoo's breath hitches.
But he's done enough and he pulls away, just enough, presses his lips against Dongwoo's ear, caressing the shape of the other's jawline. "This is playing with fire," he whispers, tongue gliding across his earlobe, "I'm The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man." If Dongwoo's heard him, he makes no indication of it, instead pulls at Howon's suit again, lips meeting in another fiery kiss. Howon doesn't let it last as long, pushes him away before they go too far, "Stop. We're in public," he murmurs, but lets Dongwoo's fingers thread through his hair anyway.
Dongwoo looks like he's going to protest, eyes clouded with lust, but his reverie is broken by a sharp call, "Dongwoo!" and Howon realizes it's his friend, Myungsoo. Dongwoo seems to snap out of it and hurriedly moves around Howon, running hastily towards the doorway. Howon expects him to turn the corner and out of sight, but he stops, turns around and shoots Howon a grin before disappearing out of his line of sight.
His smile roots Howon to the spot. (Everything about Dongwoo seemed familiar.) That smile… I've seen it before. He looks so much like that boy. The one whose house I helped find.
I never asked for his name.
∞
It is a week later when Howon talks the long route home that he bumps into Dongwoo. “Oh. Hi,” Howon greets awkwardly. He notices that Dongwoo’s ears turn red, cheeks turning a shade brighter and he bows ninety degrees in response, “Ahnyeonghasaeyo, Howon-ssi.” Howon is taken aback by the sudden politeness, “U-Uh. What are you doing here?” Dongwoo straightens himself up, avoiding his gaze, “Just dropping by to visit my old home.”
Howon doesn’t pry further and excuses himself. Dongwoo feels disappointed but he musters up his courage, “H-Howon-ssi!" he calls. Howon turns around at the mention of his name, alarmed, raising an eyebrow in question. Dongwoo’s cheeks are decorated with a darker shade of pink, “D-Do you remember me?” Howon sighs and scratches his head, trying to find an answer that will not break the poor boy’s heart, “How could I forget an event that happened just a week ago?”
Dongwoo tries to say something but Howon beats him to it, “And that’s a really bad pick-up line. Don’t use it when you’re trying to pick up someone, it doesn’t work.”
He walks away, leaving Dongwoo dumbfounded, embarrassed and disappointed.
Howon is not the brightest kid when it comes to things like these.
∞
Woohyun flinches when the doorbell rings, lets out a puff of smoke and crushes the cigarette butt into the ashtray. He leaves it at the end of the table, precariously teetering, before walking towards the door. He doesn’t need to peek to know it’s Howon. He opens the door a little, “Hello there.” Howon raises an eyebrow, “Someone’s looking a little happy today,” and he welcomes himself into the house, but stops at the living room.
“I told you to stop smoking, didn’t I?” Howon growls in a deep voice.
Woohyun shrugs, “It didn’t work out.”
Howon keeps quiet, knowing what and who he’s referring to.
He rests his head on Howon’s firm back, closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. Howon turns around slowly before pinning him against the wall, diving in for a hungry kiss, hands all over and Howon whispers into Woohyun’s lips in a low growl, “I’m not going all the way today.” Woohyun doesn’t ask - he doesn’t have the time to ask when his head is a mess due to Howon’s magical hands around his body, the lower half of his body giving way; Howon catches him in his sculptured arms.
Woohyun holds onto his biceps as he comes into Howon’s hands.
“That was... fast,” Howon comments.
Woohyun smirks, “Shut up, you fucker.”
Howon leaves, not sure why he even came in the first place if he wasn’t going to go all the way. He presses the ‘down’ button and waits for the elevator with the tapping of his feet. When the door opens, Howon’s not sure how to react when he sees Dongwoo and Myungsoo in the elevator. He doesn’t move even when the elevator doors start to close; Dongwoo scrambles to press the open button to keep the door open. Myungsoo scratches his head, somewhat annoyed, and steps out of the elevator.
“Oops, my bad,” he says innocently when he pushes Howon into the elevator when the elevator door starts to close.
Dongwoo fidgets with his feet while muttering ‘stupid Myungsoo’ under his breath over and over again. “I’m going down....” Howon comments, Dongwoo realizes that the elevator is going to the top floor. “O-Oh! Sorry!” The older stutters, Howon sighs and frowns, “You don’t have to be so scared of me, you know? I’m not going to eat you or anything.” Dongwoo bolts up, realizing that his actions offend Howon, “N-No! It’s just... it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I’m not sure what should we talk about...”
Howon frowns, “It was only a kiss. You shouldn’t think so much about it.”
Dongwoo continues fidgeting with his fingers, eyes fixated on the hem of Howon's shirt. “Did you just come from Professor Nam’s place?” Howon looks at him in alarm, frowning slightly as he asks, “How did you know he stays here?”. Dongwoo avoids his gaze, “Myungsoo stays here. And uh, that stain on your shirt...” Howon looks down at his shirt, realizing the white stain he pulls out a handkerchief in his pocket and wipes it away. A loud ‘ding’ snaps Dongwoo out of his daze, “Oh! U-Um. Goodbye then.”
“Bye.”
Dongwoo steps out of the elevator; Myungsoo is already waiting.
“U-Um!”
Howon looks up.
“Do you remember the little kid that was lost in the streets twelve years ago?”
Howon blinks.
“That was m-”
The door closes.
∞
When Howon returns home, the presence of an extra pair of shoes at the doorstep makes him frown. “Howon?” Someone walks out of the living room, greeting the boy who has just returned home. “Yeah,” he replies glumly at his stepfather. “Dinner is ready, why don’t you go clean yourself up first?” The older man is smiling gently, but Howon’s frown doesn’t leave his face, “No, I’m not having dinner. I ate at a friend’s place,” he lies without hesitation. His stepfather responds with a soft ‘oh’ before Howon walks straight up to his room, burying his face in his pillow. “Howon?” Sungjong peeks into his room when he realizes Howon is home.
“Knock before you actually open the door,” Howon says from under the blankets.
Sungjong smiles, “Why don’t you have dinner with your stepfather? He’s not a bad person.”
“I know.”
Sungjong closes the door behind him, “Why do you reject him? He’s your new family, you know?”
Howon doesn’t reply for a minute, Sungjong sighs, giving up and opens the door.
“I ruin the picture.”
“Huh?”
I ruin the picture of a happy family. I’m just someone who has no blood relation to my stepfather.”
Sungjong doesn’t reply, and leaves without a word. Howon buries himself in his bed (in depression), and wishes he could sink into the fabric. He rolls over, stares into the ceiling. He doesn’t think about his stepfather; his mind too distracted by Dongwoo’s words from earlier. He wonders if Dongwoo is the same little boy back then. He wonders if he should believe him. “I’m stupid,” Howon says, after realizing he’s talking to himself and forces himself to sleep.
∞
Howon goes to find Dongwoo the next day, and Myungsoo almost falls off from his chair in surprise. The library rises into loud whispers and murmuring, but Dongwoo doesn’t see any of that. He smiles, his pearly white teeth almost blinding Howon. They walk out of the library together, Dongwoo asks, “Do you remember me?” Howon sighs, “To be quite honest, I don’t remember your name, but I do remember a certain boy getting lost in the streets.” Dongwoo chuckles, “I’ve always wanted to thank you, but I moved a week after that incident, I never got to thank you properly.”
“Yeah, I heard. You moved to Canada, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?” Dongwoo asks in surprise.
“I went to find you a week after that, the landlady told me that you moved.”
Howon smiles at him, “It’s nice meeting you again.”
Dongwoo giggles, “I knew it was you at first glance though, it was quite a shock you didn’t recognize me. I was always thinking how to bring up the topic.” Howon feels a little sorry when Dongwoo pouts, but musters up the courage to ask him out for dinner nevertheless. When Dongwoo agrees instantly, Howon’s head is a mess.
∞
Howon wonders if it is normal to fuss on how you dress for a dinner with a guy. Sungjong snickers silently; Howon catches him and throws him out of his bedroom. After two different dress shirts (both of which were purple, merely different shades), he decides on a long sleeved dress shirt and a pair of black jeans. He folds up his sleeves, finally making a firm decision on his outfit just as the clock strikes seven. Sungjong sees him off with a smug smile, and Howon resists the urge to crush his small face with his knuckles.
Dongwoo, on the other hand, spends two hours on his clothes, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he had to turn to his maids for fashion advice instead of his butler. After a green sleeveless shirt, green dress shirt, green t-shirt, green jeans, green shoes and a green dress, Dongwoo finally decides on a white sleeveless shirt with a green hoodie. His maids greet him off with the biggest smile Dongwoo's ever seen them muster in their many years of work for the Jang household; he runs off from his house with a deep shade of red decorating his cheeks.
When Howon forgets about their dinner reservations, Dongwoo giggles at his embarrassed face. “Should we just walk around?” Dongwoo suggests, and Howon only agrees to avoid further embarrassment. Maybe it's because Halloween was around the corner, but the two see mascots, pumpkins, orange and black decorating the streets. The dinner ends up with them forgetting about dinner in all and Howon helping Dongwoo take pictures of mascots (Howon agrees that they're cute), pumpkins (Howon does not understand just what is so good about pumpkins) and girls (Howon decides to stay quiet on this topic).
“I'm hungry,” Dongwoo announces at eleven, and Howon nods awkwardly.
“Shall we get something from the convenience store?” Howon asks, then regrets after realizing that he was the one who asked him out for dinner and he ends up suggesting food from a convenience store.
However, Dongwoo's eyes lit up, much to Howon's confusion, “Really?! We can have convenience store food?”
“If you're alright with it....” Howon mumbles in confusion.
“Let's go! Let's go! I've never had convenience store foods in years! Myungsoo never let me eat them because he said they were unhealthy,” Dongwoo pouts. (Howon doesn't tell him that he'd buy the entire convenience store if Dongwoo asked for it.) They do buy convenience store food in the end, on the condition that Howon would cook for Dongwoo because he felt sorry that Dongwoo had to eat instant noodles when he was the one who asked him out for dinner.
When Howon steps into Dongwoo's place, he is momentarily stunned at how fucking huge the place is. Dongwoo leads him into the kitchen, his chefs giggling at their young master's pink face when he tells them politely to leave them just for an hour or two. Howon cooks up a simple meal: spam, rice, eggs and some green vegetables, but Dongwoo is more than happy to eat it. It is Howon's first time to have seen someone eat his meal so happily.
“Thank you so much for the meal!” Dongwoo shouts happily while watching Howon wash the dishes, a green apron around his waist.
“It's a simple meal, don't worry about it,” Howon smiles back politely.
“No, of course not! You made it for me!”
When Howon leaves, Dongwoo waves a little sadly. Howon can't help but give the older boy who acted like a seven-year-old kid a pat on the head, “It's not like it's the last day I'll see you. I'll see you around on campus, alright?” Dongwoo thinks that it's probably the best goodnight he'd ever get.
∞
Myungsoo really falls off his chair this time, when Dongwoo tells him that Howon'd invited him over to his house last night. Dongwoo expects a 'what did you guys do?' or a 'did you have a good time?' but then again, Myungsoo has never been a person who'd answer him normally. Instead, Myungsoo replies with eyes wide and it is Dongwoo's turn to almost fall off his chair, “Did you guys do it?”
“Myungsoo!” he shouts in annoyance.
“What?!”
Myungsoo shrugs, “He is The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man.”
Dongwoo frowns, “He's just a normal boy, Myungsoo. He didn't do anything last night.”
There is a short pause, a few silent breaths and Myungsoo asks, “Did you want him to?”
Dongwoo's face turns into a deeper shade of red and Myungsoo can only scratch his head. They decide to leave the library, knowing that Dongwoo can’t study with his mind distracted and heart misplaced. They walk down the corridor, Myungsoo not talking because he knows even if he brought up the topic, Dongwoo would either nod or smile. That’s how the boy is, when he’s distracted.
“Can I stay over your place tonight?” comes a voice from the chemistry laboratory that causes Dongwoo’s heart to skip a beat.
Dongwoo stops; Myungsoo advices that eavesdropping is not a good habit.
When Dongwoo asks Howon about it later, he tells Dongwoo that eavesdropping isn’t a good habit (Dongwoo drops a small laugh) and that it’s a bad case of ‘family problems’. Dongwoo smiles though, giving him the expression that he’s willing to listen and Howon can only give in to the boy’s invisible questions. “It’s my mother and stepfather’s anniversary.”
Dongwoo raises an eyebrow.
“I have two younger stepbrothers, we don’t get along.”
A nod.
“I don’t get along with my stepfather too.”
Another nod.
“I ruin the picture of a perfect family.”
A chuckle.
Howon eyes Dongwoo carefully, when he smiles and apologizes with a giggle and a flash of his pearly white teeth. “That’s just your assumption, isn’t it?” Dongwoo points at him, the smile never fading away. Howon blinks, clearly not understand what he’s saying.
“I’m sure all your stepfather wanted was you to call him ‘dad’.”
Howon blinks, “I doubt so.”
“You should try.”
Dongwoo smiles, Howon doesn’t know whether he should trust that smile, “I’ve tried that before, when I was in Canada. Dad remarried and I thought I ruined the perfect family when my stepsister was born. But you know, when I called my stepmother ‘mom’, guess what happened?”
Howon stares, Dongwoo’s smile grows a little wider, “She cried. She hugged me, her face stained with tears and she told me she was so happy because I called her ‘mom’, for the first time. You should try opening up to your family too.” Howon sighs, “Are you my personal counsellor now?” Dongwoo grins, “Just helping out. Shall we go? The gates are going to close.”
They leave the library, the new place for their talks because the cafeteria seems a little bit too public for Howon’s comfort. When Howon steps out of the gate, “Dongwoo,” he calls after the retreating back of a green dinosaur hoodie. Dongwoo turns around, raising an eyebrow. “If this works out, I’ll treat you to dinner,” Howon states, trying to hide the anticipation almost dripping off his every word and watches Dongwoo’s eyes light up like fireworks as he nods and skips off down the streets.
Howon thinks the walk back home seems less heavy than before.
And shorter too.
“Welcome home, Howon,” his mother greets tenderly.
Howon musters up his courage and smiles, “I’m home,” he says softly.
His mother stops for a while, momentarily stunned at the reply, but she smiles back and asks if he would like dinner. Howon nods; she smiles a little wider and he thinks, maybe this is what you call family. Sungjong smiles a little when Howon occupies the chair that’s been vacant for years, his two younger stepbrothers fidget around in awkwardness and his stepfather stares in awe, but he smiles and says, “Let’s eat.”
Howon asks for seconds and Sungjong swallows down his giggles.
“The omelet was cooked by your dad,” his mother comments over rice and soup.
Howon hesitates, but he replies with the sweetest smile his family has ever seen since his mother’s remarriage.
“It’s delicious, dad.”
Sungjong gives Howon a smile and he doesn’t ask what happened, but he smiles because that’s all Howon needs right now. A family to accept him. Dongwoo’s an amazing person, Howon thinks but he adds on mischievously, Captain Korea. Somewhere else in Seoul, nestled in his warm home, Dongwoo sneezes into his dinner plate, earning himself a rapt reprimanding from his mother.
∞
When Dongwoo stumbles upon a certain Professor Nam sitting on a certain Lee Howon’s lap, it certainly is a disturbing sight. However, it isn’t the sight that disturbs him, it is the fact that the two are floating too deeply in their own world to notice Dongwoo's presence. Dongwoo takes a step back as quietly as possible, leaves as quietly as possible. His chest tightens, his eyebrow furrows. “I think I’m getting a fever,” Dongwoo comments.
When Woohyun climbs into Howon’s lap, the student raises an eyebrow, “Sunggyu and I did it.” Howon doesn’t twitch or move though, “So what is this? You’re telling me you got your man, but you’re trying to get it on with another man.” Woohyun grins, “I’m feeling good.” Howon rolls his eyes, “You selfish prick.” Woohyun dives in for a steamy kiss before licking his lips and replying with a curt 'thank you'.
Howon feels a little bit more worn out than usual when he goes for lunch with Sungjong. “You should stop playing around with Professor Nam,” the younger boy advises. Howon doesn’t ask why, he only looks away. His eyes rest upon a certain blonde by the name of Dongwoo, and raises his hand to wave but it comes as a shock when Dongwoo looks away, pretending that he didn’t see him.
Did he?
“Did he just, blow me off?” Howon mumbles.
Sungjong sighs, “Karma got you, Howon.”
“What did I do?”
Sungjong turns and snorts, before walking off to get food, leaving Howon confused.
∞
Dongwoo slumps into his table, and Myungsoo rolls his eyes, already understanding the situation, even without any answers. Myungsoo taps his pen on the table, “So what did Prince Charming do this time?” Dongwoo pouts, about to ask how he found out, but Myungsoo’s always been a bright kid, “I caught him and Professor Nam together. They were...” Dongwoo trails off, and Myungsoo sighs, “I did warn you about him.”
Dongwoo slumps into his seat a little bit more.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you dislike seeing Professor Nam and him together?”
“W-Why... I mean we’re...” Dongwoo pauses. It’s not like they are an item, it’s not like Howon had sworn to him that he won’t touch another person. Dongwoo buries his face in his crossed arms, Myungsoo thinks that Dongwoo’s actually more stupid that he actually looks, “Why don’t you go talk to him?” The idea catches Dongwoo’s attention, his mind reels and he asks with teary eyes, “What should I talk about?”
“Are you stupid? Just tell him you don’t like his relationship with Professor Nam.”
“Oh right! Myungsoo, you are so smart!” Dongwoo chirps and runs off. Myungsoo shakes his head at his best friend’s denseness, and wonders if Dongwoo actually understood what he was trying to say. He goes back to his assignments, leaving Dongwoo’s problems at the back of his head. Dongwoo runs down the hallway, slightly out of breath when he realizes Howon might have left campus already.
“Dongwoo?”
Dongwoo jumps at the mention of his name, unceremoniously slips and falls. Howon blinks in surprise at the exaggerated reaction, but he helps him up. Dongwoo grabs his arm immediately and he says, “Can we talk, um, in private?” Howon looks at him and sighs, “How do you expect me to refuse with such an erotic look on your face?” Dongwoo leads the way to the rooftop when Howon doesn’t ask any questions. “Um,” Dongwoo starts off, “What relationship do you have with Professor Nam?”
“Wow, that is straightforward.”
“I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t find any other way to say it.”
Howon looks up into the sky, as if trying to find the answer for Dongwoo’s question. He watches the clouds float and the birds soar; there is a moment of silence before he drops the bomb, “Sex buddies, I guess.” Dongwoo flinches at the words, “But he-”
“Don’t worry. We broke it off about 10 minutes ago.”
“Huh?”
“Woohyun said he found his perfect man. That’s where I get out of the picture I guess.”
Howon turns to look at Dongwoo and breaks into a smile, “What is this, you jealous?” Dongwoo frowns and denies, “No.” Howon chuckles a little; Dongwoo's smile matches his. They skip their lectures and watch the clouds float together. It isn’t bad skipping lectures once in a while. “Hey, Dongwoo.”
Dongwoo turns.
“Did you dislike seeing Woohyun and I together?”
Dongwoo nods.
“Why’s that?”
There is no answer.
∞
“Howon,” Sungjong calls from the other side of the room.
Howon looks up from his books, raises a questioning eyebrow.
“Do you know where I placed my assignment instruction sheet?”
“Did you leave them at campus?”
Sungjong looks through his bed of files and papers in worry, “I need it for the presentation tomorrow.”
Howon scratches his head, “I can go over to Woohyun’s if you need it urgently.”
Sungjong’s head shoots up, eyes sparkling and Howon can tell he’s secretly begging him to, pleasepleasepleaseplease spelt out in his dark brown orbs. Howon puts his book aside and grins, “You owe me one.” Sungjong gives him a thumbs up as Howon slips on a sweater before leaving the house. He doesn’t forget to give his stepbrothers a pat on the head before leaving. They send him off with a smile.
When the door to Woohyun’s apartment opens, Howon isn’t surprised when he sees Professor Kim Sunggyu sitting on the couch. Woohyun’s face turns pale, but Howon calms him down immediately, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Professor Nam. I’m here because Sungjong misplaced the assignment instruction sheet for tomorrow’s presentation. I was wondering if you have any extras.” The color of Woohyun’s face turns back to normal, while he replies a ‘yes I do have one, let me go find it’ clumsily. Woohyun passes the papers to Howon, and mouths ‘don’t ever come back here’ before slamming the door close.
Howon lets out a chuckle.
He walks away from the door to Woohyun’s apartment and towards the elevator. When the elevator opens, Dongwoo stares. “Um,” the boy in the elevator starts, “Hi.”
Howon nods and enters the elevator.
“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asks, even though he probably knows the answer.
“Looking for Woohyun.”
There is a silence, even after the elevator doors open, they remain still. “Um, Howon?” Dongwoo says when the elevator door closes. Howon turns to look, Dongwoo looks down, face flushed for some unknown reason,
“I don’t like it....” Howon adjusts a strand of hair and slides his hand into his pocket, “What do you not like?” Dongwoo’s face turns another shade darker, “I don’t like it when you meet Professor Nam!”
Howon is about to open his mouth to speak when he notices Dongwoo’s wet cheeks.
“I don’t like it when you meet him. I don’t like how you avoid it when I try to talk about that night during the Halloween ball. You’re so unfair, Howon.” The tears continue to flow, and Howon is at a loss of words.
Dongwoo lets his knees buckle, burying his face in his knees as he slips down to the floor; the elevator remains unmoved.
“Dongwoo,” Howon bends down to meet Dongwoo’s eye-level, “Look at me.”
“No.”
“Dongwoo.”
Dongwoo wipes his tears violently before looking at Howon straight in the eye, but his tears continue to flow, burning his pink cheeks and he looks at Howon’s soft smile when he asks, “Why do you dislike it when I do those things?” Dongwoo sniffles and rubs away the tears blurring his vision, “I don’t know.” Howon smiles and cups Dongwoo’s tear-stained face in his warm hands. He leans in and pecks him on the lips; Dongwoo’s eyes widen and Howon smiles a little wider. “Why do you dislike it, Dongwoo?” There is a sniff, a short silence but Dongwoo replies in his nasally voice.
“I like you, damn it.”
Howon chuckles.
“I like you too.”
He leans in for another kiss; this time, a longer one with romance in the air, fingers interlaced and Howon thinks he's found his happy ending.
the truth behind the boy who can seduce any man.
“Howon,” Dongwoo asks one day when they’re out on a date. Howon gives Dongwoo’s fingers a light squeeze before giving a response. “Why were you called The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man?” He asks over his glass of orange juice. Howon plays with Dongwoo’s slender fingers before he finds a proper reply.
“I guess it was during the time when I was still sex buddies with Woohyun.”
Dongwoo raises a questioning eyebrow.
“A guy walked in on us, and I guess he fell for me at first sight.”
Dongwoo lets out a chuckle, “So he went around spreading the rumor to avoid falling even more in love?”
Howon shakes his head, “No, he confessed to me the very next day after that incident. Someone overheard it, I think, and that’s probably where it all started. Though I think those rumors were half-true.” He looks at Dongwoo with a small smirk, Dongwoo smiles and leans in for a slight peck.
“Too bad I was seduced by The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man.”
Howon raises an eyebrow, “Too bad?”
Dongwoo grins, and leans in for a long kiss.
∞
from your secret santa
title the story of the boy who can seduce any man
pairing howon x dongwoo
rating r - for minor sexual scenes
word count 8410 words
summary lee howon is the boy who can seduce any man. or so the rumors say.
the story of the boy who can seduce any man.
이것은 그의 이야기
∞
It is the noisiest of days when Howon decides to go to his lectures like a good student, but it's not the din that makes him regret his decision to turn up for his lectures, it is the stares, looks and murmurs the other students give him. He speeds up his walk down the hallway and by fate he bumps into his best friend, headfirst. It is the small frame of Sungjong that makes Howon feel bad about even touching him at all. “Sorry, Sungjong. You alright?” He helps him up gently, Sungjong still rubbing his head, now throbbing from the sudden collision, 'Hyung! For the love of God, your muscles are like replicas of diamonds!”
Howon wonders if he's supposed to laugh at the fact that his muscles are being compared to diamonds, but he doesn't and Sungjong only gives him a light punch, “Come on! Let's go to class,” he offers. They walk further down the hallway, ignoring the judgmental fingers and double takes. Howon shifts a few steps away from Sungjong, guilty that the frail-looking, rather feminine boy is being targeted because of someone like him. Sungjong doesn't miss this and grabs his muscular arms, “Oh no, you don't.” Howon only gives him a crooked smile as they enter the lecture hall without further ado.
They occupy the front seats, just because Howon dislikes sitting with other students. It is exactly 30 minutes after the lecture starts that the door bursts open and Howon sees a flash of the brightest smile someone could ever have, along with the most cheerful 'Sorry I'm late, Professor!' that doesn't sound the slightest bit sorry at all. Somehow though, Howon smiles a little at the bright aura the boy radiates and he notices how he gets along with everyone else. He admits, he's a little jealous.
∞
Woohyun looks out the window as the breeze welcomes itself into the laboratory, bringing along unnecessary pieces of leaves and dust. Fixing a few documents and his laboratory apparatus, the door to the laboratory slides open, “You called for me, professor?” a voice asks. Woohyun straightens himself up after fixing his documents by the table. “No, obviously the eagles called you,” the professor replies with a roll of his eyes. Howon lets a small chuckle escape his dry lips.
The professor walks towards Howon, the heels of his Massimo Dutti shoes echoing throughout the almost-empty laboratory. He pulls the student by his purple tie, slides the door close with a loud bang, bringing his lips an inch away from Howon’s dry ones and he whispers, his warm breath bouncing off the other’s lips, “My house tonight.”
Howon raises an eyebrow, indifferent towards the close distance between their lips, “You do realize this is exactly why those bastards talk about me all the time, right?”
Woohyun leans back, drawing the distance between them and he smiles sheepishly, “Those bastards? That’s not a very nice thing to call your fellow student friends, Howon.”
Howon gives a quick glare and leaves the laboratory while Woohyun only leans comfortably against the tables, arms crossing in front of his chest.
∞
“Myungsoo, hurry up!” Dongwoo waves a hand at the boy (who looked more like a sculpture, if the perfection of his face is anything to go by), jumping in excitement. Myungsoo groans between huffs and puffs for air, “Where are we going, hyung? We’ve been running for hours!” Myungsoo half-whines. Dongwoo grins, his smile as bright as ever. He grabs Myungsoo by the wrist, pulling him along as they run down the streets, accidentally bumping into a few shoulders. Myungsoo can’t seem to find the energy to ask Dongwoo where they're headed; he can’t seem to even find the time to breathe properly until Dongwoo finally stops.
“We’re here!” He says, loud enough for even strangers to flash him a surprised stare, but Myungsoo can’t seem to find the energy to feel embarrassed by his hyung’s childishness. “What is this place?” Myungsoo finally asks after catching his breath.
“A new ice-cream store came by two days ago!” Dongwoo’s grin doesn’t leave his face, his eyes crinkling into sparkling crescents. Myungsoo sighs, “And you almost killed me because you wanted to eat ice-cream.” The older boy pouts and lets his head drop; Myungsoo instantly feels guilty. Sighing, the younger boy takes him by the arm, “Come on. Since we’re here, let’s go.”
They walk into a store with a huge pink sign that read ‘Woolim’. Myungsoo feels the embarrassment of walking into a store that seems like it was made for kids and girls and oh my god, the line is so fucking long. “Hyung, please don’t tell me we’re going to line up for an hour just to get fucking ice-cream," he almost begs. Dongwoo frowns, “Of course not!”
Myungsoo raises an eyebrow, tempted to ask Well then, how are you going to get your fucking ice-cream? but he bites his lips as he watches his stupid hyung wave a hand at a girl. It is only a matter of seconds that Dongwoo gets his ice-cream. “Seriously, chocolate mousse?” Myungsoo stares at his best friend, expecting more of an expensive, extraordinary and unique ice-cream flavor, somewhere along the lines of wasabi ice-cream.
Dongwoo’s eyes grow big, as if offended by his statement, “This store is most famous for its chocolate mousse!”
The younger takes Dongwoo’s wrist and take a bite of the cold food, “I guess it isn’t that bad.”
Dongwoo’s eyes brighten up, just like a six year-old boy given a new toy. They walk out of the store, ignoring eyes that judge them for getting the ice-cream without being in line. The best friends walk around town, in their own world of sharing ice-cream and window shopping. “Hey, isn’t that Howon?” Dongwoo points.
Myungsoo looks up from another bite of the ice-cream cone, “With our music professor.”
“I never knew Howon isn’t straight.”
“Well, he is The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man,” Myungsoo muses as he licks off the excess ice-cream around his lips.
“He’s homosexual?”
Myungsoo decides to leave the topic because he knows Dongwoo wouldn’t understand shit despite his age anyway.
∞
When the door to Woohyun’s apartment clicks open, Howon kicks off his shoes without hesitation and enters the place with the professor behind him, shutting the door close with another click. “I’m heading to shower,” Howon announces, as if he owns the place and Woohyun doesn’t reply as he prepares coffee for two. Shrugging his blazer off and loosening his tie, Woohyun lets out a slight chuckle.
Howon looks over his shoulder at the sound of the professor’s sigh, but ignores it because it is not his place to ask and it’s not like he cares anyway. Pulling his sweater off, he shivers at the contact of the cold air on his skin. Howon’s shower does not take long because he knows he needs another shower after a few hours. “Coffee?” Woohyun places a mug in front of him, Howon grabs him by the wrist, “Just get on with it already.”
“You’re sexually frustrated, aren’t you?” Woohyun traces the shape of Howon’s lips.
“It’s not like I’m practicing abstinence.”
Woohyun dives in for a hungry kiss, arms sliding around his neck and settling on Howon's thigh. “You’re sexually frustrated yourself,” Howon growls as their tongues spar for dominance (Woohyun's reply comes in the form of a god-awful smirk). They fumble with their belts and pants, hands everywhere, searching and wanting. “Stop grinding against my thigh,” Howon hisses and Woohyun can only let out a muffled sound of protest.
Their minds are a blank when Howon pins Woohyun under him, the couch a little bit too small for Woohyun’s frame but Howon doesn’t prepare Woohyun when he thrusts into him, because he knows Woohyun likes it rough even though it feels like his back is being ripped into pieces the next day. There are no feelings between them, but Howon clings onto this sexual relationship because he feels wanted, he feels needed when Woohyun digs his nails into his firm back, screaming his name when they come together.
He feels the warmth when he wakes up the next morning to a warm bed, a warm blanket and a warm body.
But he knows Woohyun is not the one.
Howon leaves for home the next morning after breakfast prepared by a limping Woohyun. The professor sends him off at the door with a smile; Howon leaves without looking back. He leaves for home, where he is unneeded, unwanted and lost.
∞
Dongwoo wakes up in a daze when his butler shakes him awake. “What time ees eet?” he mumbles groggily, rubbing his dry eyes and scratching his blonde head. The butler smiles at his young master’s morning face, “It is eleven in the morning, young master.” Dongwoo flops back into his bed, “Give me another five minutes.....” The butler frowns, “Young master, you have music class in thirty minutes, I’m sure you don’t want to be late.”
At the mention of ‘music class’, Dongwoo bolts up in alarm because the thought of being late to Professor Nam’s class. It doesn’t take long for Dongwoo to wash up and head to university because it’s fucking music class with Professor Nam. The boy runs down the university hallways, mumbling ‘oh my god’ over fifty times and he turns at a sharp corner.
He bumps into someone, hard enough to send him flying backwards and he apologizes in the loudest voice he can ever muster. His books are all over the floor and a deep ‘it’s fine’ comes into his ears. When he looks up, he notices it’s Howon from economics class. “Oh, thank you!” Dongwoo only mutters dumbly when Howon picks up his books. “If you’re heading towards music class, you’ve passed it.” Howon mumbles, it’s soft but Dongwoo picks up his deep voice.
Howon avoids Dongwoo’s gaze and walks away.
Everyone stares and he heads to music class.
When Dongwoo settles beside Myungsoo in a daze, the boy raises an eyebrow, “What’s up?” Dongwoo takes a moment to catch his breath, before replying with the most dazzling smile ever, “I bumped into Howon just now!” Myungsoo drops the pen in his grip, almost falling off his chair, “W-What? Did you get affected by his pheromones? Are you okay?” Dongwoo frowns, “He’s a nice guy, Myungsoo,” and the younger boy decides to shut up when someone waltzes into the lecture hall and announces that Professor Nam is on leave today. Dongwoo sinks into his seat, “What? And I was so worried about being late!” Myungsoo chuckles and gives his best friend a pat on the shoulder.
“Dongwoo, are you attending the Halloween party?” Myungsoo asks when they leave for lunch.
“Halloween party?”
“You know, the annual Halloween party the Student Council hold every year?”
“Hmm. Maybe, if I know what to wear.”
It's only when Dongwoo and Myungsoo step past the college gates that they see Howon waiting for them. Howon hands a piece of sheet music to Dongwoo, “You forgot this earlier.” Myungsoo takes a step back naturally while he watches Dongwoo take the sheet of paper with a hint of pink fluttering across his cheeks. “A-ah! Thank you so much!” he replies enthusiastically.
Howon smiles a little; Dongwoo’s brain is a pool of swoon.
Myungsoo knows that Howon’s pheromones affect easy guys like Dongwoo; he growls a little and pulls Dongwoo away by the arm in alarm, avoiding The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man. The rumors are true, he’s dangerous, Myungsoo concludes. Dongwoo takes the chance to wave Howon a goodbye when Myungsoo isn’t looking.
Dongwoo waves goodbye; Howon’s smile grows a little wider.
This isn’t some shoujo manga love story, get your shit together, Howon tells himself when he walks away.
∞
Howon shoves his hands into his pockets with a grumble when he decides to take the long route home, grumbling even more when he meets Woohyun from the grocery store. “You’re not well enough to teach, but well enough to grocery shop,” Howon mocks, in which Woohyun only gives a snicker, “A certain someone decided to be rough last night, so I obviously can’t turn up for a lecture which could potentially ruin my reputation as a lecturer.” Howon smirks a litte, “You liked it anyway.”
Woohyun walks off, “It’s your fucking pheromones.”
Howon looks at Woohyun’s retreating back over his shoulder before continuing his walk back home, taking it as slow as possible. However, much to his dismay, he reaches home in a mere five minutes. Walking through the threshold, into a home that doesn't quite feel like a home, he realizes that Sungjong’s shoes are at the doorstep. He walks straight into his room, ignoring the sound of water running in the kitchen and the sounds of his younger stepbrothers in the living room. He ignores them all; it is an easy task.
“Sungjong?” he calls out softly.
“Here,” comes a soft, muffled voice from the general direction of his bed.
Sungjong stirs a little in Howon’s bed before propping himself up on a thin elbow. “Sorry, borrowed your bed for a bit,” he says between yawns, and sits up. “You’re late,” he adds, after a minute of what seemed like a staring competition. Howon shrugs and dumps his bag at the foot of his bed, “You should’ve told me you’re going to be home early.” Sungjong digs through his bag in search of an envelope, “Here, the Council President wanted me to pass this to you.” Howon takes the fancy envelope silently, opening the seal.
Howon sighs and throws it aside, “Not interested.”
Sungjong frowns, “You should go, it’s your last year at college.”
“I’ll... think about it.”
Sungjong doesn’t push the topic any further and they end up playing video games all night, forgetting about their assignments temporarily. When Howon notices Sungjong’s soft and stable breathing on his shoulders, he gently reaches out for the envelope on the floor, careful enough not to wake the sleeping beauty next to him. “Halloween, huh?” Howon says, to no one in particular and closes his eyes, waiting for sleep to come to him, dreams to wake him and another boring day.
∞
Howon remembers that incident twelve years ago, before they were a broken family. “Hurry up, Howon!” a six year old Sungjong shouts from the other side of the gate at the nine year old Howon. “Slow down, Sungjong! You’re going to fall!” Howon warns Sungjong, approaching him with a basket of fruits in hand. “Aren’t you excited! It’s our first picnic at a beach!” Sungjong jumps in glee before running towards the car. Howon smiles a little a Sungjong’s excitement, before carrying the basket into the boot of the car, his father giving him a pat on the head and a ‘good job’.
“Howon-ah! Could you come and help umma carry these boxes?”
Howon brightens up a little bit more and runs back into the house, to help his mother. He likes it most when he’s useful to his parents. He likes it most when they pat him on the head and praise him. He likes moments like these. When Howon climbs back into the car, he sees a sleeping Sungjong and he wonders how could someone look so fragile. He pulls a blanket over the frail figure and smiles in satisfaction.
“Oh, thank you for always taking care of our reckless Sungjong, Howon!” Sungjong’s mother gives Howon a pat on the head and Howon's never felt more proud.
Howon doesn’t fall asleep throughout the two hour journey, he keeps an eye on Sungjong, making sure the blanket doesn’t fall, or making sure he’s comfortable on his shoulders, or making sure that he sleeps peacefully. He looks out the window at the green trees, the blue skies and he thinks trips like these are the best.
That is, until some fucked up car crashes into theirs like rockets taking off into space.
Howon loses his father and brother in seconds, Sungjong loses his family in minutes, but they don’t shed tears at the funeral. They don’t cry even when they see tears streaming down the cheeks of strangers. They hold each other’s hands firmly, they don’t speak, they only watch. “You can cry, you know?” Howon says, tightening his grip. Sungjong looks up, “I won’t. Because Howon won’t cry. So I won’t too.” The funeral ends, they don’t shed a tear.
Howon wakes up at three in the morning to muffled sobs; he turns towards his right.
He reaches out to caress Sungjong’s wet cheeks and wipes away the warm, salty tears. Climbing out of bed, he dresses himself. Making sure no one is around, he sneaks out the house. He lets his feet lead him, he lets his eyes flood and burn his face, he lets his emotions go. “Why are you crying?” someone says. Howon looks up, wiping the tears that blur his vision, “Appa and hyung aren’t here anymore.” The little boy looks down at him, and Howon notices that he’s crying too.
“Why are you crying?” Howon asks.
The little boy smiles, despite the teartracks on his face, “I don’t know the way home.”
Howon reaches out to touch the little boy’s face and wipes his tears away with the back of his hand. “That tickles!” the little boy giggles, Howon wonders how anyone could laugh while crying. “Why are you laughing?” Howon asks; the little boy stares at him and then grins again. “Daddy said, I should always smile no matter what! A smile brightens someone’s day, he said!” Howon finds himself smiling at him.
“Shall we find your house?” he suggests.
“Eh? You can?”
“Do you know your address?”
“Um. I don’t know... oh! But I know that there is a green coloured convenient store nearby and a playground. I’ve been trying to find it,” the little boy attempts large gestures with his small hands.
Howon offers a hand, and the little boy blinks a little, confused, but he takes it nevertheless.
It's two roads down and after a right turn that the little boy exclaims happily, “I know the way now! My house is the third one from that road! Thank you so much!” He lets go of Howon’s hand, and Howon feels a little disappointed but he waves the stranger boy goodbye and watches his small back run towards the end road.
“Ah! What’s your name?” the little boy turns around and asks in a high voice.
“Howon. Lee Howon.”
The little boy giggles and Howon thinks that there’s a beautiful melody in his laughter.
∞
Howon scans the crowd awkwardly, an empty glass of champagne in his hands. “No one’s going to seduce you if you just stand there looking scornful,” Woohyun appears beside him, face beet read; obviously from drinking too much. “I’m surprised you haven’t done anything to Professor Sunggyu,” Howon retorts, mocking the lecturer with a small smirk. Woohyun shrugs, “I’ll put some sedatives in his drink, if I have to.”
“You don’t have the balls to do that.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I didn’t have sex with you for no reason.”
Howon walks away, realizing that people are eavesdropping on their conversation. He walks around the ballroom, looking at the guys dressed in suits, some masquerade-themed, some in costumes, and the girls dressed in their skimpy dresses. He reaches the balcony and walks out, but stops when he sees a girl. He turns around, not willing to share his ‘private space’. Maybe it’s the Massimo Dutti shoes, but the girl turns around in shock.
Howon's always had an eye for detail, always picking out the most minor of points. Even now, when his head is swimming from rehearsed greetings, when the back of his neck is itching from the crisply ironed collar of his new suit, he knows she's beautiful (far too beautiful, and Howon tries to ignore the erratic change in his heartbeat). He still can't see the girl's face too clearly; it's only slightly illuminated by the dim moonlight. It's only a nagging gut feeling of sorts, but Howon feels that he's seen her before, that sharp jawline, that refined nose, those deep eyes - they're all too familiar, and he has to have seen her somewhere before.
Howon ignores the continuous chants of stupidstupidstupidgetyourshittogether in his head, instead approaches the girl in slow, steady steps. He takes one forward, she takes one back, and there's subtle tension in the air when her back touches the marble railing and she can move no more. Howon holds his breath, goes closer and closer and clo-
"Dongwoo-ssi?" he blurts out, almost incredulously, when he gets close enough to properly make out all the features. It really isn't any wonder that the girl felt almost too familiar now; everything was so distinctly… Dongwoo. "W-What… what's with the dress? And the wig and all?"
Dongwoo brushes a stray strand of perfectly coiffed dark brown hair out of his face, eyes fixated on the grayish-pink lines of the marble flooring. His gaze doesn't meet Howon's even as he stutters, "U-Um, I can explain this! Um, I mean… Myungsoo and I made a bet and um, I lost, a-and uh, he forced me into this! I-I mean, he made me attend this party… a-as a girl."
Howon thinks he sees the entire spectrum of red skim across Dongwoo's face, before it settles for a bright crimson, hot against his cheeks. It matches the scarlet cheongsam he was wearing; Howon's eyes flit across the detailed floral embroidery on the fabric, the golden trimming on the edges, the high slit all the way up to Dongwoo's waist-
Howon tries to avert his eyes, to look anywhere, everywhere, but the long cut in Dongwoo's fucking cheongsam, to no avail. His gaze trails up the expanse of Dongwoo's leg, inches upon inches of skin, the burning desire to touch it, the adrenaline coursing through his veins-
Howon's always had control of himself, the master of restraint that he was, but he isn't too sure what he's doing anymore, when he lunges forward and grabs Dongwoo by the wrist, engulfs his mouth in a messy kiss. It's wet and not exactly romantic, noses bumping and teeth clashing; it isn't long before Dongwoo's alarmed protests die down to become restrained moans, fisting Howon's collar and pulling at his tie. Howon's hands slide under the fabric, roaming across the smooth skin of Dongwoo's thigh, and Dongwoo's breath hitches.
But he's done enough and he pulls away, just enough, presses his lips against Dongwoo's ear, caressing the shape of the other's jawline. "This is playing with fire," he whispers, tongue gliding across his earlobe, "I'm The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man." If Dongwoo's heard him, he makes no indication of it, instead pulls at Howon's suit again, lips meeting in another fiery kiss. Howon doesn't let it last as long, pushes him away before they go too far, "Stop. We're in public," he murmurs, but lets Dongwoo's fingers thread through his hair anyway.
Dongwoo looks like he's going to protest, eyes clouded with lust, but his reverie is broken by a sharp call, "Dongwoo!" and Howon realizes it's his friend, Myungsoo. Dongwoo seems to snap out of it and hurriedly moves around Howon, running hastily towards the doorway. Howon expects him to turn the corner and out of sight, but he stops, turns around and shoots Howon a grin before disappearing out of his line of sight.
His smile roots Howon to the spot. (Everything about Dongwoo seemed familiar.) That smile… I've seen it before. He looks so much like that boy. The one whose house I helped find.
I never asked for his name.
∞
It is a week later when Howon talks the long route home that he bumps into Dongwoo. “Oh. Hi,” Howon greets awkwardly. He notices that Dongwoo’s ears turn red, cheeks turning a shade brighter and he bows ninety degrees in response, “Ahnyeonghasaeyo, Howon-ssi.” Howon is taken aback by the sudden politeness, “U-Uh. What are you doing here?” Dongwoo straightens himself up, avoiding his gaze, “Just dropping by to visit my old home.”
Howon doesn’t pry further and excuses himself. Dongwoo feels disappointed but he musters up his courage, “H-Howon-ssi!" he calls. Howon turns around at the mention of his name, alarmed, raising an eyebrow in question. Dongwoo’s cheeks are decorated with a darker shade of pink, “D-Do you remember me?” Howon sighs and scratches his head, trying to find an answer that will not break the poor boy’s heart, “How could I forget an event that happened just a week ago?”
Dongwoo tries to say something but Howon beats him to it, “And that’s a really bad pick-up line. Don’t use it when you’re trying to pick up someone, it doesn’t work.”
He walks away, leaving Dongwoo dumbfounded, embarrassed and disappointed.
Howon is not the brightest kid when it comes to things like these.
∞
Woohyun flinches when the doorbell rings, lets out a puff of smoke and crushes the cigarette butt into the ashtray. He leaves it at the end of the table, precariously teetering, before walking towards the door. He doesn’t need to peek to know it’s Howon. He opens the door a little, “Hello there.” Howon raises an eyebrow, “Someone’s looking a little happy today,” and he welcomes himself into the house, but stops at the living room.
“I told you to stop smoking, didn’t I?” Howon growls in a deep voice.
Woohyun shrugs, “It didn’t work out.”
Howon keeps quiet, knowing what and who he’s referring to.
He rests his head on Howon’s firm back, closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. Howon turns around slowly before pinning him against the wall, diving in for a hungry kiss, hands all over and Howon whispers into Woohyun’s lips in a low growl, “I’m not going all the way today.” Woohyun doesn’t ask - he doesn’t have the time to ask when his head is a mess due to Howon’s magical hands around his body, the lower half of his body giving way; Howon catches him in his sculptured arms.
Woohyun holds onto his biceps as he comes into Howon’s hands.
“That was... fast,” Howon comments.
Woohyun smirks, “Shut up, you fucker.”
Howon leaves, not sure why he even came in the first place if he wasn’t going to go all the way. He presses the ‘down’ button and waits for the elevator with the tapping of his feet. When the door opens, Howon’s not sure how to react when he sees Dongwoo and Myungsoo in the elevator. He doesn’t move even when the elevator doors start to close; Dongwoo scrambles to press the open button to keep the door open. Myungsoo scratches his head, somewhat annoyed, and steps out of the elevator.
“Oops, my bad,” he says innocently when he pushes Howon into the elevator when the elevator door starts to close.
Dongwoo fidgets with his feet while muttering ‘stupid Myungsoo’ under his breath over and over again. “I’m going down....” Howon comments, Dongwoo realizes that the elevator is going to the top floor. “O-Oh! Sorry!” The older stutters, Howon sighs and frowns, “You don’t have to be so scared of me, you know? I’m not going to eat you or anything.” Dongwoo bolts up, realizing that his actions offend Howon, “N-No! It’s just... it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I’m not sure what should we talk about...”
Howon frowns, “It was only a kiss. You shouldn’t think so much about it.”
Dongwoo continues fidgeting with his fingers, eyes fixated on the hem of Howon's shirt. “Did you just come from Professor Nam’s place?” Howon looks at him in alarm, frowning slightly as he asks, “How did you know he stays here?”. Dongwoo avoids his gaze, “Myungsoo stays here. And uh, that stain on your shirt...” Howon looks down at his shirt, realizing the white stain he pulls out a handkerchief in his pocket and wipes it away. A loud ‘ding’ snaps Dongwoo out of his daze, “Oh! U-Um. Goodbye then.”
“Bye.”
Dongwoo steps out of the elevator; Myungsoo is already waiting.
“U-Um!”
Howon looks up.
“Do you remember the little kid that was lost in the streets twelve years ago?”
Howon blinks.
“That was m-”
The door closes.
∞
When Howon returns home, the presence of an extra pair of shoes at the doorstep makes him frown. “Howon?” Someone walks out of the living room, greeting the boy who has just returned home. “Yeah,” he replies glumly at his stepfather. “Dinner is ready, why don’t you go clean yourself up first?” The older man is smiling gently, but Howon’s frown doesn’t leave his face, “No, I’m not having dinner. I ate at a friend’s place,” he lies without hesitation. His stepfather responds with a soft ‘oh’ before Howon walks straight up to his room, burying his face in his pillow. “Howon?” Sungjong peeks into his room when he realizes Howon is home.
“Knock before you actually open the door,” Howon says from under the blankets.
Sungjong smiles, “Why don’t you have dinner with your stepfather? He’s not a bad person.”
“I know.”
Sungjong closes the door behind him, “Why do you reject him? He’s your new family, you know?”
Howon doesn’t reply for a minute, Sungjong sighs, giving up and opens the door.
“I ruin the picture.”
“Huh?”
I ruin the picture of a happy family. I’m just someone who has no blood relation to my stepfather.”
Sungjong doesn’t reply, and leaves without a word. Howon buries himself in his bed (in depression), and wishes he could sink into the fabric. He rolls over, stares into the ceiling. He doesn’t think about his stepfather; his mind too distracted by Dongwoo’s words from earlier. He wonders if Dongwoo is the same little boy back then. He wonders if he should believe him. “I’m stupid,” Howon says, after realizing he’s talking to himself and forces himself to sleep.
∞
Howon goes to find Dongwoo the next day, and Myungsoo almost falls off from his chair in surprise. The library rises into loud whispers and murmuring, but Dongwoo doesn’t see any of that. He smiles, his pearly white teeth almost blinding Howon. They walk out of the library together, Dongwoo asks, “Do you remember me?” Howon sighs, “To be quite honest, I don’t remember your name, but I do remember a certain boy getting lost in the streets.” Dongwoo chuckles, “I’ve always wanted to thank you, but I moved a week after that incident, I never got to thank you properly.”
“Yeah, I heard. You moved to Canada, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?” Dongwoo asks in surprise.
“I went to find you a week after that, the landlady told me that you moved.”
Howon smiles at him, “It’s nice meeting you again.”
Dongwoo giggles, “I knew it was you at first glance though, it was quite a shock you didn’t recognize me. I was always thinking how to bring up the topic.” Howon feels a little sorry when Dongwoo pouts, but musters up the courage to ask him out for dinner nevertheless. When Dongwoo agrees instantly, Howon’s head is a mess.
∞
Howon wonders if it is normal to fuss on how you dress for a dinner with a guy. Sungjong snickers silently; Howon catches him and throws him out of his bedroom. After two different dress shirts (both of which were purple, merely different shades), he decides on a long sleeved dress shirt and a pair of black jeans. He folds up his sleeves, finally making a firm decision on his outfit just as the clock strikes seven. Sungjong sees him off with a smug smile, and Howon resists the urge to crush his small face with his knuckles.
Dongwoo, on the other hand, spends two hours on his clothes, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he had to turn to his maids for fashion advice instead of his butler. After a green sleeveless shirt, green dress shirt, green t-shirt, green jeans, green shoes and a green dress, Dongwoo finally decides on a white sleeveless shirt with a green hoodie. His maids greet him off with the biggest smile Dongwoo's ever seen them muster in their many years of work for the Jang household; he runs off from his house with a deep shade of red decorating his cheeks.
When Howon forgets about their dinner reservations, Dongwoo giggles at his embarrassed face. “Should we just walk around?” Dongwoo suggests, and Howon only agrees to avoid further embarrassment. Maybe it's because Halloween was around the corner, but the two see mascots, pumpkins, orange and black decorating the streets. The dinner ends up with them forgetting about dinner in all and Howon helping Dongwoo take pictures of mascots (Howon agrees that they're cute), pumpkins (Howon does not understand just what is so good about pumpkins) and girls (Howon decides to stay quiet on this topic).
“I'm hungry,” Dongwoo announces at eleven, and Howon nods awkwardly.
“Shall we get something from the convenience store?” Howon asks, then regrets after realizing that he was the one who asked him out for dinner and he ends up suggesting food from a convenience store.
However, Dongwoo's eyes lit up, much to Howon's confusion, “Really?! We can have convenience store food?”
“If you're alright with it....” Howon mumbles in confusion.
“Let's go! Let's go! I've never had convenience store foods in years! Myungsoo never let me eat them because he said they were unhealthy,” Dongwoo pouts. (Howon doesn't tell him that he'd buy the entire convenience store if Dongwoo asked for it.) They do buy convenience store food in the end, on the condition that Howon would cook for Dongwoo because he felt sorry that Dongwoo had to eat instant noodles when he was the one who asked him out for dinner.
When Howon steps into Dongwoo's place, he is momentarily stunned at how fucking huge the place is. Dongwoo leads him into the kitchen, his chefs giggling at their young master's pink face when he tells them politely to leave them just for an hour or two. Howon cooks up a simple meal: spam, rice, eggs and some green vegetables, but Dongwoo is more than happy to eat it. It is Howon's first time to have seen someone eat his meal so happily.
“Thank you so much for the meal!” Dongwoo shouts happily while watching Howon wash the dishes, a green apron around his waist.
“It's a simple meal, don't worry about it,” Howon smiles back politely.
“No, of course not! You made it for me!”
When Howon leaves, Dongwoo waves a little sadly. Howon can't help but give the older boy who acted like a seven-year-old kid a pat on the head, “It's not like it's the last day I'll see you. I'll see you around on campus, alright?” Dongwoo thinks that it's probably the best goodnight he'd ever get.
∞
Myungsoo really falls off his chair this time, when Dongwoo tells him that Howon'd invited him over to his house last night. Dongwoo expects a 'what did you guys do?' or a 'did you have a good time?' but then again, Myungsoo has never been a person who'd answer him normally. Instead, Myungsoo replies with eyes wide and it is Dongwoo's turn to almost fall off his chair, “Did you guys do it?”
“Myungsoo!” he shouts in annoyance.
“What?!”
Myungsoo shrugs, “He is The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man.”
Dongwoo frowns, “He's just a normal boy, Myungsoo. He didn't do anything last night.”
There is a short pause, a few silent breaths and Myungsoo asks, “Did you want him to?”
Dongwoo's face turns into a deeper shade of red and Myungsoo can only scratch his head. They decide to leave the library, knowing that Dongwoo can’t study with his mind distracted and heart misplaced. They walk down the corridor, Myungsoo not talking because he knows even if he brought up the topic, Dongwoo would either nod or smile. That’s how the boy is, when he’s distracted.
“Can I stay over your place tonight?” comes a voice from the chemistry laboratory that causes Dongwoo’s heart to skip a beat.
Dongwoo stops; Myungsoo advices that eavesdropping is not a good habit.
When Dongwoo asks Howon about it later, he tells Dongwoo that eavesdropping isn’t a good habit (Dongwoo drops a small laugh) and that it’s a bad case of ‘family problems’. Dongwoo smiles though, giving him the expression that he’s willing to listen and Howon can only give in to the boy’s invisible questions. “It’s my mother and stepfather’s anniversary.”
Dongwoo raises an eyebrow.
“I have two younger stepbrothers, we don’t get along.”
A nod.
“I don’t get along with my stepfather too.”
Another nod.
“I ruin the picture of a perfect family.”
A chuckle.
Howon eyes Dongwoo carefully, when he smiles and apologizes with a giggle and a flash of his pearly white teeth. “That’s just your assumption, isn’t it?” Dongwoo points at him, the smile never fading away. Howon blinks, clearly not understand what he’s saying.
“I’m sure all your stepfather wanted was you to call him ‘dad’.”
Howon blinks, “I doubt so.”
“You should try.”
Dongwoo smiles, Howon doesn’t know whether he should trust that smile, “I’ve tried that before, when I was in Canada. Dad remarried and I thought I ruined the perfect family when my stepsister was born. But you know, when I called my stepmother ‘mom’, guess what happened?”
Howon stares, Dongwoo’s smile grows a little wider, “She cried. She hugged me, her face stained with tears and she told me she was so happy because I called her ‘mom’, for the first time. You should try opening up to your family too.” Howon sighs, “Are you my personal counsellor now?” Dongwoo grins, “Just helping out. Shall we go? The gates are going to close.”
They leave the library, the new place for their talks because the cafeteria seems a little bit too public for Howon’s comfort. When Howon steps out of the gate, “Dongwoo,” he calls after the retreating back of a green dinosaur hoodie. Dongwoo turns around, raising an eyebrow. “If this works out, I’ll treat you to dinner,” Howon states, trying to hide the anticipation almost dripping off his every word and watches Dongwoo’s eyes light up like fireworks as he nods and skips off down the streets.
Howon thinks the walk back home seems less heavy than before.
And shorter too.
“Welcome home, Howon,” his mother greets tenderly.
Howon musters up his courage and smiles, “I’m home,” he says softly.
His mother stops for a while, momentarily stunned at the reply, but she smiles back and asks if he would like dinner. Howon nods; she smiles a little wider and he thinks, maybe this is what you call family. Sungjong smiles a little when Howon occupies the chair that’s been vacant for years, his two younger stepbrothers fidget around in awkwardness and his stepfather stares in awe, but he smiles and says, “Let’s eat.”
Howon asks for seconds and Sungjong swallows down his giggles.
“The omelet was cooked by your dad,” his mother comments over rice and soup.
Howon hesitates, but he replies with the sweetest smile his family has ever seen since his mother’s remarriage.
“It’s delicious, dad.”
Sungjong gives Howon a smile and he doesn’t ask what happened, but he smiles because that’s all Howon needs right now. A family to accept him. Dongwoo’s an amazing person, Howon thinks but he adds on mischievously, Captain Korea. Somewhere else in Seoul, nestled in his warm home, Dongwoo sneezes into his dinner plate, earning himself a rapt reprimanding from his mother.
∞
When Dongwoo stumbles upon a certain Professor Nam sitting on a certain Lee Howon’s lap, it certainly is a disturbing sight. However, it isn’t the sight that disturbs him, it is the fact that the two are floating too deeply in their own world to notice Dongwoo's presence. Dongwoo takes a step back as quietly as possible, leaves as quietly as possible. His chest tightens, his eyebrow furrows. “I think I’m getting a fever,” Dongwoo comments.
When Woohyun climbs into Howon’s lap, the student raises an eyebrow, “Sunggyu and I did it.” Howon doesn’t twitch or move though, “So what is this? You’re telling me you got your man, but you’re trying to get it on with another man.” Woohyun grins, “I’m feeling good.” Howon rolls his eyes, “You selfish prick.” Woohyun dives in for a steamy kiss before licking his lips and replying with a curt 'thank you'.
Howon feels a little bit more worn out than usual when he goes for lunch with Sungjong. “You should stop playing around with Professor Nam,” the younger boy advises. Howon doesn’t ask why, he only looks away. His eyes rest upon a certain blonde by the name of Dongwoo, and raises his hand to wave but it comes as a shock when Dongwoo looks away, pretending that he didn’t see him.
Did he?
“Did he just, blow me off?” Howon mumbles.
Sungjong sighs, “Karma got you, Howon.”
“What did I do?”
Sungjong turns and snorts, before walking off to get food, leaving Howon confused.
∞
Dongwoo slumps into his table, and Myungsoo rolls his eyes, already understanding the situation, even without any answers. Myungsoo taps his pen on the table, “So what did Prince Charming do this time?” Dongwoo pouts, about to ask how he found out, but Myungsoo’s always been a bright kid, “I caught him and Professor Nam together. They were...” Dongwoo trails off, and Myungsoo sighs, “I did warn you about him.”
Dongwoo slumps into his seat a little bit more.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you dislike seeing Professor Nam and him together?”
“W-Why... I mean we’re...” Dongwoo pauses. It’s not like they are an item, it’s not like Howon had sworn to him that he won’t touch another person. Dongwoo buries his face in his crossed arms, Myungsoo thinks that Dongwoo’s actually more stupid that he actually looks, “Why don’t you go talk to him?” The idea catches Dongwoo’s attention, his mind reels and he asks with teary eyes, “What should I talk about?”
“Are you stupid? Just tell him you don’t like his relationship with Professor Nam.”
“Oh right! Myungsoo, you are so smart!” Dongwoo chirps and runs off. Myungsoo shakes his head at his best friend’s denseness, and wonders if Dongwoo actually understood what he was trying to say. He goes back to his assignments, leaving Dongwoo’s problems at the back of his head. Dongwoo runs down the hallway, slightly out of breath when he realizes Howon might have left campus already.
“Dongwoo?”
Dongwoo jumps at the mention of his name, unceremoniously slips and falls. Howon blinks in surprise at the exaggerated reaction, but he helps him up. Dongwoo grabs his arm immediately and he says, “Can we talk, um, in private?” Howon looks at him and sighs, “How do you expect me to refuse with such an erotic look on your face?” Dongwoo leads the way to the rooftop when Howon doesn’t ask any questions. “Um,” Dongwoo starts off, “What relationship do you have with Professor Nam?”
“Wow, that is straightforward.”
“I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t find any other way to say it.”
Howon looks up into the sky, as if trying to find the answer for Dongwoo’s question. He watches the clouds float and the birds soar; there is a moment of silence before he drops the bomb, “Sex buddies, I guess.” Dongwoo flinches at the words, “But he-”
“Don’t worry. We broke it off about 10 minutes ago.”
“Huh?”
“Woohyun said he found his perfect man. That’s where I get out of the picture I guess.”
Howon turns to look at Dongwoo and breaks into a smile, “What is this, you jealous?” Dongwoo frowns and denies, “No.” Howon chuckles a little; Dongwoo's smile matches his. They skip their lectures and watch the clouds float together. It isn’t bad skipping lectures once in a while. “Hey, Dongwoo.”
Dongwoo turns.
“Did you dislike seeing Woohyun and I together?”
Dongwoo nods.
“Why’s that?”
There is no answer.
∞
“Howon,” Sungjong calls from the other side of the room.
Howon looks up from his books, raises a questioning eyebrow.
“Do you know where I placed my assignment instruction sheet?”
“Did you leave them at campus?”
Sungjong looks through his bed of files and papers in worry, “I need it for the presentation tomorrow.”
Howon scratches his head, “I can go over to Woohyun’s if you need it urgently.”
Sungjong’s head shoots up, eyes sparkling and Howon can tell he’s secretly begging him to, pleasepleasepleaseplease spelt out in his dark brown orbs. Howon puts his book aside and grins, “You owe me one.” Sungjong gives him a thumbs up as Howon slips on a sweater before leaving the house. He doesn’t forget to give his stepbrothers a pat on the head before leaving. They send him off with a smile.
When the door to Woohyun’s apartment opens, Howon isn’t surprised when he sees Professor Kim Sunggyu sitting on the couch. Woohyun’s face turns pale, but Howon calms him down immediately, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Professor Nam. I’m here because Sungjong misplaced the assignment instruction sheet for tomorrow’s presentation. I was wondering if you have any extras.” The color of Woohyun’s face turns back to normal, while he replies a ‘yes I do have one, let me go find it’ clumsily. Woohyun passes the papers to Howon, and mouths ‘don’t ever come back here’ before slamming the door close.
Howon lets out a chuckle.
He walks away from the door to Woohyun’s apartment and towards the elevator. When the elevator opens, Dongwoo stares. “Um,” the boy in the elevator starts, “Hi.”
Howon nods and enters the elevator.
“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asks, even though he probably knows the answer.
“Looking for Woohyun.”
There is a silence, even after the elevator doors open, they remain still. “Um, Howon?” Dongwoo says when the elevator door closes. Howon turns to look, Dongwoo looks down, face flushed for some unknown reason,
“I don’t like it....” Howon adjusts a strand of hair and slides his hand into his pocket, “What do you not like?” Dongwoo’s face turns another shade darker, “I don’t like it when you meet Professor Nam!”
Howon is about to open his mouth to speak when he notices Dongwoo’s wet cheeks.
“I don’t like it when you meet him. I don’t like how you avoid it when I try to talk about that night during the Halloween ball. You’re so unfair, Howon.” The tears continue to flow, and Howon is at a loss of words.
Dongwoo lets his knees buckle, burying his face in his knees as he slips down to the floor; the elevator remains unmoved.
“Dongwoo,” Howon bends down to meet Dongwoo’s eye-level, “Look at me.”
“No.”
“Dongwoo.”
Dongwoo wipes his tears violently before looking at Howon straight in the eye, but his tears continue to flow, burning his pink cheeks and he looks at Howon’s soft smile when he asks, “Why do you dislike it when I do those things?” Dongwoo sniffles and rubs away the tears blurring his vision, “I don’t know.” Howon smiles and cups Dongwoo’s tear-stained face in his warm hands. He leans in and pecks him on the lips; Dongwoo’s eyes widen and Howon smiles a little wider. “Why do you dislike it, Dongwoo?” There is a sniff, a short silence but Dongwoo replies in his nasally voice.
“I like you, damn it.”
Howon chuckles.
“I like you too.”
He leans in for another kiss; this time, a longer one with romance in the air, fingers interlaced and Howon thinks he's found his happy ending.
the truth behind the boy who can seduce any man.
“Howon,” Dongwoo asks one day when they’re out on a date. Howon gives Dongwoo’s fingers a light squeeze before giving a response. “Why were you called The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man?” He asks over his glass of orange juice. Howon plays with Dongwoo’s slender fingers before he finds a proper reply.
“I guess it was during the time when I was still sex buddies with Woohyun.”
Dongwoo raises a questioning eyebrow.
“A guy walked in on us, and I guess he fell for me at first sight.”
Dongwoo lets out a chuckle, “So he went around spreading the rumor to avoid falling even more in love?”
Howon shakes his head, “No, he confessed to me the very next day after that incident. Someone overheard it, I think, and that’s probably where it all started. Though I think those rumors were half-true.” He looks at Dongwoo with a small smirk, Dongwoo smiles and leans in for a slight peck.
“Too bad I was seduced by The Boy Who Can Seduce Any Man.”
Howon raises an eyebrow, “Too bad?”
Dongwoo grins, and leans in for a long kiss.
∞