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Soobin had a plan: stay awake until 3 am, go to the balcony, and see the stars.
He was in the end of the semester when he made the plan. He was going on a summer vacation with is parents this year, having already booked a hotel near the beach.
Don’t get him wrong, he likes going to the beach. Reading books and occasionally playing cards games with his parents sounds like a great time. However, no matter where he went, the place would be crowded, and he wasn’t particularly fond of crowds. He had suggested going on a more nature focused vacation, or even a place where it would be colder, but his mom insisted that the crowded oven – the nickname he so proudly gave to the beach – was better.
Not to mention that he had just dyed his hair blue, and the salty sea air would for sure dry what he so carefully brought back to life after killing it with bleach.
He was currently in his bedroom on the hotel, in his light purple with little cartoon style racoons pyjamas – definitely a precious found. It was 3 am, and it was time to put his plan into action.
He moved out of the bed, careful to not make any noise that would wake up his parents. When he went to open door to the outside, he was faced with a problem: said door was actually a window, the type that opens to the side and makes a lot of loud squeaky noises.
He knew he would make noise if he opened it, but he tried anyway, determined to see the stars that night and feel the fresh air in his lungs.
Surprisingly, he managed to open most of it without any type of noise, but just as he was opening the last few inches necessary for him to go through, squeak.
"Oh no… I was doing so well why now?" He whispered. Soobin sulked slightly, his mouth forming a pout without him even noticing. He tried to go through the space he opened and…
squeak.
“Oh you gotta be kidding me. If my parents wake up I’m dead.”
He finally managed to push is 6'1'' body through the space of the window, finally feeling the fresh air fill his lungs.
Since he was little he liked being awake at night, most of the time looking out of the window in his room. It gave him a sense of calmness and peace that the daytime couldn’t. When everyone is asleep, it’s like times stops: there are no worries, no problems for you to deal with. You can even hear all the little sounds natures does. It was truly peaceful to Soobin.
Since the hotel was close to the beach, he could hear the waves crashing in the distance, making him excited to finally just grab a plastic chair and gaze at the stars.
However, the universe seemed to have other plans for him that night.
There was already someone in the neighbouring balcony. With the person’s back turned to Soobin, he couldn’t really grasp anything about their looks, but he guessed that they were close in age, if the combination of their height and the cute dog pyjamas was anything to go by.
The balconies of the hotel were all connected, the only thing separating them being a low wall that reached as high as Soobin’s hips, and that means the other person could easily see him if he gave one more step forward. Not wanting to risk being seen and end up in an awkward situation, he started to make his way inside.
It was only when he was turning to go back inside that something caught his eye: bubblegum pink hair. That made him stop in his tracks. He has always thought people who dyed their hair were the best kind of people. Funny, out-going, loud – even though he himself had blue hair and landed more on the quiet and shy side – and so goes on the list of characteristics Soobin attached to dyed hair.
But he wasn’t thinking the mystery’s person personality when he spotted the pink hair. He had a weird sense of déjà vu, not of a specific situation, but of that hair. He already saw that hair somewhere, he just didn’t know where.
He stayed still for a bit, searching in his mind for the moment he remembered that hair from. But it was late, and his brain barely worked, so he decided to call it a day – or a night – and headed back to his room.
He was a little annoyed that he didn’t get to stargaze as he had intended to do. It was okay though, he still had one more week in the hotel, so he’ll try again tomorrow.
————————————
The universe must have something against him these days.
He went to the balcony again on the next night to try to see the stars and catch a breeze but, once again, the same guy was there: pink, bubblegum hair.
He could start feeling deep inside him the heat of a still calm and controlled anger. He knew he had no right to be like that, but he's been wanting to do to this for so long, to feel the peace he knew the night brought him, that he couldn’t help to be a little upset at the guy for messing up his plans two nights in a row.
He noticed that this time he didn’t had his back completely turned to him, being able to see his face in the dim light of the night. When he focused on his face, his anger quickly dissipated.
The now confirmed young man was… crying? It looked like it at least. Soobin wondered what had made the boy cry. It broke his heart a little. The boy had a soft expression, but it was possible to see the hurt in his eyes. Something in him told him to speak up and soothe him, but he was too anxious for that. He didn’t know the guy – even though that hair was strangely familiar – and, as far as he knows, he could just make the situation worse.
He ultimately decided to leave the boy alone, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. While dozing off to sleep that night, he wished that whatever was on that boy’s mind, it would pass quickly, groggily thinking he was too pretty to cry.
————————————
This time Soobin when a little earlier than the past two nights, hoping to be found alone on the balcony.
And when he came out for the third time that week, it seemed like the gods of stargazing finally listened to him: the boy he encountered in the previous days was nowhere to be found.
He smiled, walking towards the end of the balcony and inhaling the cold, salty air, already feeling the tranquility of the night seeping through him.
He didn’t plan to stay there all night. He had to wake up early due to the unholy breakfast schedule of the hotel. Still, he decided that that was a problem to future Soobin, and allowed himself to indulge and be there as long as he wanted.
But really, the universe must not be is friend.
He was chilling, the wind softly blowing his hair, and for some minutes it was very peaceful, healing even.
But then he started feeling uneasy. He felt like he was being watched.
So, following his instincts, he turned to the balcony in his left. And there it was the same cotton candy hair. Now Soobin had a face to match the hair.
And said face was very, extremely, attractive. The boy had sharp feline eyes and plump rosy lips, the soft light of the moon only highlighting more the beauty of the man right in from of him. The neighbour was already facing Soobin when he first noticed him. Neither of them broke eye contact for what seemed like hours, Soobin being too lost in the boy’s face to even move.
Suddenly, the boy looked down, and Soobin could swear that he saw his ears red. Maybe it was just an illusion caused by the moonlight.
“Sorry! I’m assuming you’re seeing the stars of something so I’ll be going,” he quickly turned back, heading inside.
“Wait!” Normally Soobin would much rather be alone, so the boy leaving was good for him. But then his brain kindly supplied the images of the boy crying the night before, the downcast look in his face, and he decided otherwise. The boy, who was almost completely inside his room, looked at him “You can stay I don’t mind.”
The boy hesitated for a few moments, eventually accepting Soobin’s indirect invite and slowly approaching him.
"Sorry, you must think I’m a creep or something, lurking in the night like that," the pink haired boy chuckled, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "It’s just that I saw someone leaving that balcony last night and was trying to figure out if it was the same person."
"Oh, yes it was me," Soobin thought back to the tears in the other face again. "Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you. I can leave if you want to be alone," He was already taking a step back when the other stopped him hurriedly.
"No no! You can stay, you were here first anyway and… I could use some company," If it wasn’t for the quiet of the night, Soobin wouldn’t have heard the very last part.
A moment of silence passed.
Soobin wasn’t really a talker, but he did have a really big, soft heart. Even if he barely knew the boy, he just couldn't let him alone knowing that he could possibly be hurting. He knows how that one person who stays can make a difference, even if they are a complete stranger.
So, he decided he would talk.
————————————
And talk they did. Soobin learned that they were actually attending the same university. It was weird that they didn’t remember each other from there. Soobin studied psychology while the pink haired boy was enrolled in a dance major. The buildings of their respective courses were not that far away from each other, surprisingly.
"I can’t believe we haven't actually crossed paths yet," The boy hided his open mouth behind his hand, laughing lightly in disbelief. "I mean, I would remember you for sure, with a hair like that."
Soobin mock gasped, entertaining the boys playful teasing. "It’s not like yours is any better," He pretended to be annoyed, but the show of dimples didn’t fool anyone. "Seriously though, why pink?"
Soobin had been curious. It’s not every day that he comes across a guy with pink, bubblegum coloured hair. Even if the same could be said to him, since he doesn’t sport at all a normal colour.
"It’s a funny story actually."
"Tell away, we have all night," Soobin repositioned himself on the balcony railing, turning his back to the view. His attention was now solely on the boy in front of him.
It was a little windy, his hair being constantly tossed around. But it was a nice night. The moon and the stars painted a breathtaking picture.
For some reason, the boy took a few seconds to start recounting the story.
————————————
"So let me get this straight," He started. "This guy, who you call best friend, confused black dye, the darkest shade one can have, with pink dye, probably the total opposite of your original plan?!" If possible, his brows would be in the sky right now, for how much he was raising them.
Soobin couldn't phantom how one does this. He was clumsy and a little forgetful himself, but completely mistaking pink for black? That he didn’t get.
And while Soobin was having the hardest time trying to decipher how something like that simply happened, the other boy was laughing for seemingly having shattered his reality with the stupidity of his friend.
"Beomgyu tends to get distracted easily, so I wasn’t that surprised," He tried to defend his friend, although it was a difficult task considering the mishap at hand. "I actually like it so it wasn’t a problem."
"You certainly look good with it," Soobin closed his mouth shut the moment the words escape it.
He was just thinking it. And it was supposed to have stayed in his brain only.
But the damage was done. The blood was quickly rushing to his face, colouring his cheeks.
"Oh… thank you," The other boy wasn’t much different. The reddening of his cheeks could be seen even in the weak light the moon provided.
Both turned to the view of the beach, avoiding making eye contact.
They were silent for a few minutes.
Then the boy decides to break it.
"If in a world without the usual life’s stresses, you had the opportunity to be immortal, would you take it?"
Where did that come from?
That thought was probably very evident on his face, since the boy quickly resumed speaking.
"I was just thinking about it a couple days ago," he explained, slightly embarrassed. "Like if living in this world didn’t make us worry about so many things, if I was willing to be here forever."
After a couple of seconds Soobin speaks up.
"I don’t think I would take it."
"Really? Why not? You would have all the time in the world to do whatever you wanted and without worries, wouldn’t that be nice?"
"I mean, yes but… isn’t it time that makes life valuable?"
The boy looks at him, a confused expression across his face, waiting for him to continue.
"If time wasn’t a thing, and nothing really ended, things would just lose its value. One day I read that the most precious currency we will ever have is time," Soobin was deep in thought, his brows slightly furrowed and lips forming an unconscious pout.
The question might have been out of nowhere, but it was precisely in these type of philosophical questions – the ones that made you think about life – that he thrived on.
"Imagine this. You can spend time on anyone, doing anything and for any reason. Time can be spent, it can be wasted, sometimes even taken away, unfortunately. But it can never really be refunded or earned back. You can’t simply gain more time."
Soobin now turned to look at the boy, only to find those pretty fox eyes already fixated on him.
"We only have so much time and we never know just how much. And for me that’s one of the things that gives life it’s meaning. If you were to have infinite time, then choosing to spend the night away talking to a stranger wouldn't really mean anything, would it?"
He was looking at the boy, hoping that he could understand what he was trying to say.
Soobin turned to the view again. "So no, I wouldn’t take the opportunity."
After a few seconds of the other being unresponsive, Soobin started to worry.
Did I break him? Was that too much?, Soobin thought to himself.
The other boy was mesmerised by the words that had come out of the sheepish boy. His pulse began quickening, heart beating in a way it hadn't in quite some time. Who would think the shy boy with a soft face and irresistible cute dimples could say such profound things?
With no answer from the other, Soobin grew self-conscious.
"What?" He said quietly, hoping the boy would finally react.
"Nothing, sorry. That was unexpectedly profound. You really are a psychology student," Soobin let out a relieved snort at that.
"Sometimes psychology really gets in your head, at this point I just can’t escape thinking things like this."
"I thought it was beautiful though. I don’t think I would take the opportunity also, after hearing you."
They were silent for some minutes after that. But it wasn’t the kind of silence that makes you run through your mind looking for things to say. It was rather comfortable, like the peace of the quiet night had infected both of them, making their presence pleasant to each other despite being their first time talking.
That rather shocked Soobin. Normally he takes some time until he fully adjusts to the presence of a new person. That rule didn’t seem to apply to the person he met just a few hours ago.
But in that moment of silence, Soobin couldn’t help but think back to the previous day. The moment he tried to go outside at night but found the same boy he was talking to crying silently. He couldn’t help but feel just a tiny bit bad for not comforting the boy. But again, he didn’t know him, he could've made things worse.
And it’s not like he knows him now… but he has a sense of his personality at least.
"Hey, can I ask u something?" Soobin started warily, as if he was walking on eggshells.
"Yeah sure. What is it?"
Soobin hesitated a little. “Yesterday, I tried to come here to see the stars, like today. But you were here."
The other drops his smile when he realized what the blue haired boy was going to ask, his expression of concern giving it away immediately.
"A-are you okay? You don’t need to talk if you don’t want to, I totally understand that. I just brought it up because letting it out can help sometimes. I’m a random person though… Sorry you don’t need to—"
"Hey hey calm down, it’s okay. Maybe you're right. I just need to let it out," He quickly soothed the other's nerves, seeing that he was starting to get in his head. "And honestly, it’s better that you are a random person rather than a longtime friend for this."
"I just don’t want to pressure you. Feel free to stop whenever you want, okay? You also don’t need to tell the whole thing if you don’t want to."
“Thanks blueberry,” Despite only knowing the blue haired boy for some hours, he felt like he could trust him. “So… I don’t know where to start this…”
“Hum… well, what was the cause of it? It’s something you can identify or is just a feeling seemingly without reason?” Soobin was finally putting his psychology degree to work, hoping to somehow help the other.
“It’s, hmm… well the feeling was quite unexpected but I think I know the motive. My parents.”
“Okay, and what about them made you feel like that?” Soobin was afraid to step on any of the boy’s boundaries, but he seemed to need a little push to start.
"They're actually great. They have always supported me and encouraged me to follow my dreams, but…" his voice trailed off.
The boy seemed sheepish, a small smile gracing is features. But in Soobin’s eyes the smile almost looked sad.
He sighed, and resumed speaking.
"They just work a lot. Which is fine, obviously. But that means they sometimes end up missing things that are very important for me…"
Soobin felt like he still had more to say, so he remained silent, giving the boy an attentive look.
"…and I guess I get lonely at times. I mean I do have friends, I’m on a trip with them. But it’s not really what I need sometimes, I think."
Soobin could understand the feeling. He fortunately had siblings to keep him company, but since they started working and making a life for themselves, he started seeing them less and less in the house, eventually becoming only him and his parents.
Which got him thinking.
"You're an only child then?"
"Yeah, it has its benefits, I have all the food for myself," the conners of the pink haired boy mouth moved to form a very cheeky grin.
Soobin's own smile grew a little bigger. "Pretty big advantage I would say."
"It really wasn’t something super dramatic," He lightly chuckled. "I guess the night just makes me think. It's all very quiet at this time, very peaceful. it’s easy to be vulnerable," The boy chanced a glance at the blue haired boy. He was staring at the night sky. Without the usual light pollution, the stars were shining brighter as ever. He looked very serene. Perhaps he shares the same thought about the nighttime. He is beautiful, he admitted to himself.
There was a beat of silence.
Suddenly, Soobin hears the boys voice again.
"We’ve been talking for almost 3 hours and I still don’t know your name, blueberry."
"You're right… I’m Soobin. Choi Soobin."
Noticing the dimples on Soobin’s cheek, the boys smile becomes wider. Soobin really was adorable.
"Choi Yeonjun." Yeonjun was kind of lost in Soobin’s dimples, not realising that he didn’t say anything after that and was just staring at him.
At the same time, Soobin was analysing Yeonjun’s face, who now adorned a soft smile.
The next few words just escaped him almost involuntarily.
"I could call you cotton candy though, I bet you’re as sweet as it," he looked away, voice trailing until it was almost inaudible.
Well that was embarrassing, why would you say that, he thought to himself.
He had startled himself with his words, not daring to look at the now named Yeonjun. When the boy didn’t say anything for a while, Soobin looked at him out of the conner of his eye. He didn’t know if is vision was tricking him, but he swore he could see his cheeks showing shades of pink.
After a couple beats Yeonjun finally spoke.
"Hum… t-tomorrow, are you doing something?" Yeonjun mentally cursed himself for stuttering on such a simple question, but unfortunately there wasn’t a reverse button on life, so he just accepted that fact.
Soobin found it weird that the so seemingly confident boy was suddenly nervous, but choose to push that aside.
"Oh, you know, vacation things. Go to the beach and stay there for an unnecessary large amount of time. I’ll probably sleep through most of it. Why?"
"I was just thinking… if you want to, we can meet up sometime tomorrow? Only if you want," Yeonjun, for some reason, was very self-conscious at that moment. Normally he asks people out in a blink of an eye, hardly getting nervous about the persons answer. But maybe he cared more about Soobin’s answer than he thought.
Soobin was caught by surprise at the suggestion, not expecting that question from the boy in front of him. He appeared calm to Yeonjun, but on the inside, he was a complete and utter flustered mess. He stayed quiet for a while to make sure that all that nervous energy stayed inside. He really didn’t want to make a complete fool out of himself in front of the, may he say now, quite charming cotton candy haired boy.
Upon seeing the slight panic that was growing on Yeonjun’s eyes, he forced himself to wake up.
"Y-yeah that would be nice," he could see the relief his Yeonjun’s eyes after he answered, although he deep down didn’t understand how someone could say no to him.
"Okay, great! I’ll be here tomorrow morning. Well, maybe not so morning because it’s kinda late," he giggled, a rush of glee going through his body. "Are you already home around 5pm?"
"Yes, I think I’ll be."
"Perfect! I’ll meet you here at 5pm then! Now I think both of us should get some sleep tonig—"
Yeonjun looked to the view in front of them. Soobin, who was still focused on Yeonjun, followed his eyes in the direction he was looking. The sun was already rising. They kept looking at the yellow and blue shades that were painting a beautiful scene in the sky, both stunned that the time had passed so quickly.
"Yeah maybe we won’t get that much sleep tonight," Soobin laughed softly and looked to his side. The morning sunlight was embracing Yeonjun’s features perfectly, casting soft shadows all over his face.
"Yeah I guess so," Yeonjun mimicked Soobin’s soft laugh, now turning to look at him. "Well, it was very pleasant to have this late night talk with you, Soobin. I’ll go in now. Most of my friends will be sleeping until lunch probably, but we do have one early bird."
"My parents will certainly think that I woke up already."
"Oh I could never, this is way too early to be awake."
"Yeah say that to this hotel's breakfast time," Soobin rolled his eyes. "I swear they always choose the most disrespectful hours for breakfast service," he uttered under his breath, pinching his nose.
They laughed for the last time that night – even if it wasn’t night anymore – and went inside their little summer houses, butterflies on their stomachs and beat skipping hearts, eager for 5pm of the next day.
Or the current day.
But for them, time didn't really matter as long as they got to spend more of it together.