ISS 2011: FOR K-POPSICLE
To: k_popsicle
From: Your Secret Santa
Title: Stalker
Pairing/Focus: Dongwoo/Hoya
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4071
Summary: Ever since he started college he has been single and available. Well not entirely available because he wasn’t thinking about it that much. But that was ‘till the other day at the train station. He didn’t like to admit that ever since that day he has turned into a stalker.
Ok, this wasn’t really Howon’s way of doing things. No. He wasn’t a stalker really. He was just a new person in town that took the train every day to get to work. But it wasn’t much more than that. Well… actually there was more but… whatever.
Howon moved out of his parent’s house just three months ago. He left the rural zone to start working and begin his life as an adult in the big city.
For him, making it in the big city was like his dream come true. Reason why he studied hard in college to get that job he had landed. He got a nice apartment with a nice book store nearby and a pleasant job as an engineer in one of the branches of Big Five Technologies corporations. He still didn’t have friends but that was the last thing in his mind. He liked to be alone and had no problem with that.
That also applied when it came to relationships. Ever since he started college he has been single and available. Well not entirely available because he wasn’t thinking about it that much. But that was ‘till the other day at the train station.
He didn’t like to admit that ever since that day he has turned into a stalker.
~~~~~~
It all started the first day he took the train to work. He arrived an hour earlier to the station because he always thought it was better be safe than sorry.
He arrived at the station, took out his book and iPod then sat down on one of the few benches available while waiting for his train to arrive. He started reading his book while listening to Usher’s new album. About five minutes later he became bored of his book and started looking around the station. On the opposite side of the platform he spotted a group of guys dancing.
That caught his eye instantly since he used to dance in his old college back home. But then after graduating he left dancing behind to work hard and become a successful engineer. He suddenly decided he wanted to watch this group so he closed his book and got closer so he could see clearly.
He counted six guys and they were doing some kind of cover dance. He was amazed with their dancing skills. It was so uniform and consistent; he loved what he was seeing. He watched every movement as if trying to memorize it in one try. His eyes were moving along with the bodies in front of him. And it wasn’t much time later, when the guys started to do solo breaks, that he noticed he was focused only in one of them.
The way his body moved so naturally and soft yet at the same time so strong and confident; every movement that was made got Howon almost drooling from the perfection in front of his eyes. He was so lost in the dance that he almost lost his train. Thankfully he was brought out of his musing on time and ran to his train. As he jumped inside he turned to see the guys, now done with their routine, simply laughing and chatting with each other.
Howon made it to his work that day but the only thing that was in his mind was the way that body moved to the music.
~~~~~~
The next day Howon made sure to get early to the station again. But this time instead of seating at the other side with his book he sat near to were the guys had been dancing the previous day. As if waiting for him they were there, just talking at the moment. Howon was good at surreptitiousness, or so he thought. He took out his book and started reading… no, not exactly, he started his stalking on that one extremely good dancer.
The same routine continued for several days afterwards until one day Howon realized something. He had the hots for this dancer. He couldn’t stop thinking, visualizing and getting dazed by the way that boy danced, it was driving him crazy.
It was so crazy to the point where his surreptitiousness was getting obvious. He wasn’t exactly noticed by the dancer he had developed feelings for but by the other dancers. They were starting to give him looks of curiosity. Seeing as he always did the same routine, just to see them dance, they started noticing his presence.
After almost two months of doing his stalking Howon had pretty much committed their whole routine to memory. He even tried it once at home. He learned all the special dancer parts and was deep down wishing to dance with him.
One particular day, for some reason unknown to Howon, the guys weren’t practicing their dance routine. They were all seated down on the floor and by the looks of it, they were making jokes and laughing to no end. It was then when Howon discovered some other things. One was that this guy had the most beautiful smile he has ever seen. It was blinding, addicting and Howon found himself questioning how someone could fall in love like this; for someone he doesn’t even know. His second, and most important, discovery was the guy’s name, Dongwoo.
Dongwoo.
That day he missed his train and was late to work.
~~~~~~
The stalking routine continued like that for a couple more weeks without anything big happening. Except for the times he got those hazed eyes looking back at him curiously. He moved his eyes away obviously but that didn’t stop his heart from going twice its normal speed. He didn’t give those looks a big thought though because the guy could be looking at anyone.
Another morning, as Howon walked onto the platform, he discovered there were two guys missing and as he approached the group he realized one of them was Dongwoo. He looked around hoping to see him somewhere along the station but his plan failed. He dropped his head and sat down in one bench not putting attention to the dance any longer.
Suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder and someone sat beside him.
“Disappointed your favorite dancer isn’t here today?” The guy asked and Howon realized he was the other guy that wasn’t dancing that day.
“What?” Howon said dumbfounded.
“Don’t worry, I know your secret.” The guy said. “I’m Sungjong, nice to meet you, stalker.”
“Wh-oh-wha-what are you talking about?”
“Do you seriously think a guy that sits every day in front of us just to watch us dance, I mean, watch one of us dance, could be that unobvious?” this Sungjong guy said. “I have been observing you just the same. Do you realize the way you look at him is kinda creepy? I can recommend you to change strategy, because, I mean, being a stalker, like that you aren’t going to the get him anytime soon.”
Howon nodded without knowing “Waa-how-who-wait! What?!”
“GOD! You are so slow!” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “We, all the others, know you have the hots for our Dongwoo. It’s just obvious. It’s written all over your face. By the way, that’s so creepy. But don’t worry, luckily… or unlucky for you Dongwoo is as clueless as ever. If you are really interested in him you need to draw him a map.” He said and got up while Howon just remained there confused, embarrassed and dumb.
The guy walked and turned to him “Think about it, I’ll talk to you later. Oh and I think you missed your train again. Bye.”
Howon’s eyes went big as saucers and then he slapped his forehead. “Oh great.”
He was late again to work that day.
~~~~~~
Those following days he was too embarrassed to go to the station so he took the bus to his work. It took a bit longer but he didn’t want to confront those guys that discovered his apparently no so well hidden secret.
The weekend after that he couldn’t really sleep. The Sungjong’s words were running in his mind. How all that happened when he had everything under control, he didn’t know. But what he knew was that he was in love and the guy’s friends knew it and gosh! He was acting like a stupid high school girl.
It was Saturday morning and he needed a bit of air. So he got in his jogging clothes and walked out his apartment. He started jogging to the closest park in town and since it was a bit early in the morning the place was pretty deserted. He jogged the entire place stopping later in a side of the lake to take catch breath. Jogging was a stress reliever for him, it really took his mind of his thoughts it made him feel relaxed and calm. He looked once more to the lake and when he was about to walk away and start his jogging again someone collided with him.
“Hyung!!”
Before Howon could process what had happened, the guy got up and started bowing apologizing. It wasn’t until he recuperated from the shock that he saw the hand being held out towards him.
“I’m so sorry! Are you ok? Oh my god! Let me help you!” The guy said and when Howon finally looked up he was greeted by a pair of familiarly cute eyes. It was Dongwoo. Instantly he became petrified.
“Oh god! Are you ok?! Did something happen to you?! Talk to me! Do I need to call an ambulance?” Dongwoo said all nervous and scared. “Tell me something! Did I damage your brain or something?!”
“Hyung!!” another guy shouted again as he ran closer. And the other two guys just looked towards him. “I told you to stop running like a ten year old child! Why is this always happening to you?!” Howon couldn’t really get his eyes away from the guy that minutes before collided with him.
He got up slowly not moving his eyes from Dongwoo.
“Sungjong! Help me! I think I caused some brain damage to this guy!” Dongwoo shouted all cute, in Howon’s opinion.
Sungjong turned to him and there was surprise in his eyes. “Oh, it’s you.” He smiled.
“You know him? Is he mute?” Dongwoo asked getting a bit annoyed on how Howon wasn’t responding to him, just staring like a crazy boy, creepy.
“No hyung, no to both questions. I just ran into him last week at the train station.” Sungjong said simply while smiling as if he knew something the other two didn’t, maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t.
“Are you ok?” this time asked Sungjong and Howon got out of his own world of Dongwoos and rainbows.
“Yeah.” He answered and turned then to Dongwoo. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.”
Dongwoo smiled as if everything was resolved and Howon wondered how old this guy was actually. “No, no! I must be the one saying sorry.”
“Yeah, you should.” said Sungjong disapprovingly. “I told you to stop running but as always you didn’t listen to me.”
“I’m sorry.” He said, this time to both of them, with a pout in his face.
“Don’t worry, things like this happen all the time.” Howon tried to comfort him and Dongwoo just nodded.
There was an awkward silence till Dongwoo started bouncing in excitement. “Hey! I got an idea! Why don’t I treat you to breakfast to repay you for this?” he said all excited and Sungjong smiled while Howon blushed lightly.
“Seriously there’s no need. I’m fine.” Howon tried to protest.
“Actually I think it could be a great idea.” Sungjong spoke up and Dongwoo jumped again. Could this guy be any cuter? Howon suddenly wanted him all for himself.
He tried to protest again but between the two guys he had to surrender. Deep down, it wasn’t like he was going to resist this offer either.
“My name is Jang Dongwoo, by the way, I’m sorry again.” Dongwoo said while walking with them. “And you probably already know him, he’s Sungjong.”
“I’m Howon, I mean, Lee Howon. Nice to meet you.” Love to meet you.
There was an awkward silence again while they walked towards a small coffee shop around the corner, really near to Howon’s house.
“Are you guys from this neighborhood?” Howon asked out of curiosity.
“Yeah, well no. I mean I live two streets down and Sungjong here stays at his university dorm at the other side of the park there. What about you? Do you usually come to exercise around here?”
“I live really near, down this same street. And no, not exactly, I just like to jog sometimes.”
“Wow, how come I haven’t seen you before?”
“I just moved in town a couple of months ago.”
“Cool, so where are you from?”
“Woah, why are you interrogating him?” Sungjong asked amused.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not! And besides I’m the one here trying to make some conversation.” Dongwoo pouted.
Why was he so cute! Howon couldn’t bear with this. He just walked there listening to those two guys fighting over nothing. He watched amused at how cute Dongwoo acted. It was totally different from the feeling he gave out while dancing. Howon got lost in his thoughts again and didn’t notice how the other two just finished talking. That was till he got a hand on his arm and a blushing Dongwoo in front of him. What did he miss?
“Stop staring like that, I told you, it’s creepy and look, he’s noticing.” said Sungjong getting near him.
Oh god. He was being so obvious. What was he going to do?
They all made their way into the café and took a small booth by a window. They ordered simple food and relaxed into their seats. Later their food arrived and they ate calmly while small conversations about everything and nothing came and went. Until Sungjong smiled creepily and excused himself that he had to meet some guy named Myungsoo for tutoring or something like that.
Howon wanted to disappear. What was he going to do now, alone, all awkward and weird with Dongwoo. He needed to get away too but no excuse came to his mind. So he opted for seeing how this all could end. He couldn’t be that bad at getting to know someone.
“Um, this is so awkward. We should talk about something.” Dongwoo tried first.
Howon nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Are you always like this all silent and such?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On how nervous I feel or the type of people I am surrounded by.”
“Are you nervous right now? It is because of me?”
“What?” Howon was at a loss of words. Did he just get discovered?
“You know, I’m not that weird. I don’t understand why you look at me like I’m some kind of alien.” Dongwoo said and bit his lower lip. Howon couldn’t stop staring. He just couldn’t. Those lips were just so kissable. Oh god. What was happening to him? This never happened to him before.
“….What?” he blushed. “Oh. No, no. I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable, it wasn’t my intention. And no, I don’t think you are weird. I just seem to space out from time to time.”
Dongwoo smiled again. He should stop that if he wanted Howon to stay conscious. “I thought you were finding me weird or something.” He said feeling reliever.
They talked a lot more after that. For two strangers that just met up after an accident they both got along really well. And Howon discovered that they had lots of things in common. They liked the same things, the same music, love for dancing and some others.
That breakfast turned into a whole afternoon of talking and Howon couldn’t be happier.
Their long winded chat ended when Dongwoo got a call from someone and he needed to get going.
They went their different ways but not before deciding on meeting again to chat and Howon getting invited to a dance practice.
Howon arrived at his apartment and collapsed in his sofa with a full blown grin on his face. That day he came to two conclusions. One, he liked Dongwoo a bit too much and second, he wanted him for himself. How he was going to get that he didn’t know.
~~~~~~
The next working day Howon walked into the train station earlier than usual. During their chat he didn’t mention to Dongwoo that he had been seeing him dancing there. So he decided to try and get to talk to him there making it sound like a total coincidence. But he was stopped midway by Sungjong. “I see you made some progress on your date last time.”
“That wasn’t a date.” Howon said blushing bright red.
“Ah, so it wasn’t? How come Dongwoo can’t stop talking about you now?”
He couldn’t help and smile. “Really?”
“So you aren’t denying that it was a date.”
“It wasn’t. But come on, tell me, how did he mention me? What did he say? Tell me” High school girl mode was back full force.
“Woah, control yourself.” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “He did mention you. But don’t think too much of it. Hyung can be like that sometimes, he just likes everyone.”
Howon’s face drooped.
Sungjong noticed this and said “But don’t lose hope, he talks about you a little bit more than he does about everyone else he likes. So that’s something.” He finished and took his hand and pushed him towards the group.
“Yah! What are you doing?!” Howon yelled but got ignored.
“Hyung!~ Look who I found around here.” Sungjong said happily and Howon just wanted to hide in a hole.
All the other guys got curious as they approached.
“Howon!! What a surprise! You’re around here? How come?” Dongwoo asked all excited for some unknown reason.
“I always come here every day to get to work.” I have been watching you since then.
“Oh really! That’s awesome. I’m here with my crew, we always come here to do public practices.” Dongwoo couldn’t hide his excitement. That wasn’t news for Howon but he tried to look surprised.
“Come, come, and let me introduce you to everyone.” He took his hand and Howon felt like flying, this couldn’t be real. “Guys this is Howon, Howon this is Infinite. That’s Sungyeol, Sunggyu, Woohyun, Myungsoo and obviously you already know Sungjong.”
“So you’re the famous Howon.” Said the one called Sunggyu, he shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
All the others did the same after but Sungyeol added “Hey, but, wait. Aren’t you the guy--”
“Shut up Sungyeol.” Said Sunggyu and winked at him.
After that moment Howon turned in almost one of them. And also as he arrived earlier to the station he got to work earlier from then on.
Howon and Dongwoo turned into the best of friends. Well, almost, because that wasn’t exactly what Howon wanted.
~~~~~~
One night after work he got a text from Dongwoo. “Hey want to come to practice with me? The others just ditched me. :(”
So he went that night with Dongwoo, just to watch him dance, which was all glory for him.
“Hey it’s not fail. Come on, dance with me!” Dongwoo protested cutely and Howon having that soft spot for the other, simply surrendered.
“Let’s see what you can do.” Dongwoo challenged him. Wrong move.
Howon lost his mind in the song and started moving along with it. It had been a long time since he did it but since he loved dancing the steps came from the heart. The song had barely ended when the other was clapping in full happiness.
“Wow! That was great! How come you ended up being an engineer? Your movements say that you were born to dance! Omg! At least you should join our group.”
Howon saw the happiness in the other’s eyes and smiled wide but shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, it was a safe choice, I guess.” He said and began walking away towards where he had been sitting.
“Hey where are you going?”
To watch you dance, he wanted to say.
“That was just a demonstration.” Howon actually said, turning once more towards his previous sitting location.
“Aish! Let’s practice together.” Dongwoo took his arm, tugging much harder than necessary, and before he could do anything about it they both collapsed on the floor, one on top of the other.
“Oops, I’m sorry.” Dongwoo said but somehow it seemed he forgot how to get up.
But Howon didn’t mind, he was in cloud nine and he didn’t bother to push the other off of him at all. They looked at each other and something snapped between them. Their faces were getting closer and closer and…
“Oh my god! I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Dongwoo jumped up and he felt cold all of the sudden.
“Dongwoo.”
“I’m sorry, I’m always so clumsy.” Dongwoo was rambling without looking at him.
“Dongwoo.” Still no response. “Dongwoo! Stop it!” He exclaimed a little more forcefully.
Dongwoo stopped but didn’t look at him directly. “What are you apologizing for?” the guy seemed out of it. “Dongwoo.” God damn it, he was biting those lips again.
“Dong--” What happened next, he wasn’t expecting it but he didn’t mind it one bit. Those lips were on his and that was all that mattered.
“I’m sorry.” Dongwoo said one last time before running away. But Howon didn’t process everything until much more later. Those lips touched his and he couldn’t just get over it.
“Dongwoo!! Wait!!” What did just happen?
Dongwoo refused to talk to him after that. He wasn’t answering his calls or text. He guessed he needed to wait for the next day at the train station. But the next day Dongwoo wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“I think you got him hard hyung.” Sungjong said.
“Oh please shut up! I’m confused already.”
“There’s nothing to be confused about. Don’t you get it?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I swear sometimes I don’t know who’s more clueless if Dongwoo or you.” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “It’s pretty obvious hyung. He kissed you. It means he likes you. And if he likes you and you like him back, you just need to get together don’t you think? Do I need to draw you a clear map?”
“Oh.” Howon was processing everything. “Oh!”
Sungjong face palmed, stupid hyungs he has.
“What do I do now?!” Howon exclaimed.
“If you are willing to be absent from work today I can tell you where he lives.”
“Ok. Say it.”
~~~~~~
Howon prepared everything. He was going to confess. If Dongwoo liked him back it couldn’t be so hard, could it? He hasn’t been in a relationship for a long time and he really didn’t know what to do but he just went for the standard, flowers. Then he walked down to Dongwoo’s apartment in his work suit and everything.
A nock in the door was made but there was no answer. A second one and Howon thought that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. The third one never happened since the door was opened just when he was about to do it.
“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asked in a bit of a poisonous mood.
“We need to talk.”
“Look if you just want to say that you hate me and such, there’s no need I already know. So please leave me alone.” He was about to close the door when Howon stopped it with the flowers.
“How could I hate you?” He smiled at Dongwoo’s shocked expression. “How could I?” and walked closer to Dongwoo until he was close enough to give him a peck on the lips. “How could I if I really like you.”
The only response Howon received was a bright smile and wet kiss. Many more followed that one and the door was closed behind them. Who knows what was going to happen behind it.
There was a certain someone who had an idea as to what that would be though. Unnoticed by the new couple was Sungjong, standing just outside the apartment, grinning like an evil child. “My work as match maker succeeded!! Now let’s call Sunggyu to see how my next couple is advancing. I swear WooGyu is taking forever to get together. But I’m not a quitter.”
From: Your Secret Santa
Title: Stalker
Pairing/Focus: Dongwoo/Hoya
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4071
Summary: Ever since he started college he has been single and available. Well not entirely available because he wasn’t thinking about it that much. But that was ‘till the other day at the train station. He didn’t like to admit that ever since that day he has turned into a stalker.
Ok, this wasn’t really Howon’s way of doing things. No. He wasn’t a stalker really. He was just a new person in town that took the train every day to get to work. But it wasn’t much more than that. Well… actually there was more but… whatever.
Howon moved out of his parent’s house just three months ago. He left the rural zone to start working and begin his life as an adult in the big city.
For him, making it in the big city was like his dream come true. Reason why he studied hard in college to get that job he had landed. He got a nice apartment with a nice book store nearby and a pleasant job as an engineer in one of the branches of Big Five Technologies corporations. He still didn’t have friends but that was the last thing in his mind. He liked to be alone and had no problem with that.
That also applied when it came to relationships. Ever since he started college he has been single and available. Well not entirely available because he wasn’t thinking about it that much. But that was ‘till the other day at the train station.
He didn’t like to admit that ever since that day he has turned into a stalker.
~~~~~~
It all started the first day he took the train to work. He arrived an hour earlier to the station because he always thought it was better be safe than sorry.
He arrived at the station, took out his book and iPod then sat down on one of the few benches available while waiting for his train to arrive. He started reading his book while listening to Usher’s new album. About five minutes later he became bored of his book and started looking around the station. On the opposite side of the platform he spotted a group of guys dancing.
That caught his eye instantly since he used to dance in his old college back home. But then after graduating he left dancing behind to work hard and become a successful engineer. He suddenly decided he wanted to watch this group so he closed his book and got closer so he could see clearly.
He counted six guys and they were doing some kind of cover dance. He was amazed with their dancing skills. It was so uniform and consistent; he loved what he was seeing. He watched every movement as if trying to memorize it in one try. His eyes were moving along with the bodies in front of him. And it wasn’t much time later, when the guys started to do solo breaks, that he noticed he was focused only in one of them.
The way his body moved so naturally and soft yet at the same time so strong and confident; every movement that was made got Howon almost drooling from the perfection in front of his eyes. He was so lost in the dance that he almost lost his train. Thankfully he was brought out of his musing on time and ran to his train. As he jumped inside he turned to see the guys, now done with their routine, simply laughing and chatting with each other.
Howon made it to his work that day but the only thing that was in his mind was the way that body moved to the music.
~~~~~~
The next day Howon made sure to get early to the station again. But this time instead of seating at the other side with his book he sat near to were the guys had been dancing the previous day. As if waiting for him they were there, just talking at the moment. Howon was good at surreptitiousness, or so he thought. He took out his book and started reading… no, not exactly, he started his stalking on that one extremely good dancer.
The same routine continued for several days afterwards until one day Howon realized something. He had the hots for this dancer. He couldn’t stop thinking, visualizing and getting dazed by the way that boy danced, it was driving him crazy.
It was so crazy to the point where his surreptitiousness was getting obvious. He wasn’t exactly noticed by the dancer he had developed feelings for but by the other dancers. They were starting to give him looks of curiosity. Seeing as he always did the same routine, just to see them dance, they started noticing his presence.
After almost two months of doing his stalking Howon had pretty much committed their whole routine to memory. He even tried it once at home. He learned all the special dancer parts and was deep down wishing to dance with him.
One particular day, for some reason unknown to Howon, the guys weren’t practicing their dance routine. They were all seated down on the floor and by the looks of it, they were making jokes and laughing to no end. It was then when Howon discovered some other things. One was that this guy had the most beautiful smile he has ever seen. It was blinding, addicting and Howon found himself questioning how someone could fall in love like this; for someone he doesn’t even know. His second, and most important, discovery was the guy’s name, Dongwoo.
Dongwoo.
That day he missed his train and was late to work.
~~~~~~
The stalking routine continued like that for a couple more weeks without anything big happening. Except for the times he got those hazed eyes looking back at him curiously. He moved his eyes away obviously but that didn’t stop his heart from going twice its normal speed. He didn’t give those looks a big thought though because the guy could be looking at anyone.
Another morning, as Howon walked onto the platform, he discovered there were two guys missing and as he approached the group he realized one of them was Dongwoo. He looked around hoping to see him somewhere along the station but his plan failed. He dropped his head and sat down in one bench not putting attention to the dance any longer.
Suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder and someone sat beside him.
“Disappointed your favorite dancer isn’t here today?” The guy asked and Howon realized he was the other guy that wasn’t dancing that day.
“What?” Howon said dumbfounded.
“Don’t worry, I know your secret.” The guy said. “I’m Sungjong, nice to meet you, stalker.”
“Wh-oh-wha-what are you talking about?”
“Do you seriously think a guy that sits every day in front of us just to watch us dance, I mean, watch one of us dance, could be that unobvious?” this Sungjong guy said. “I have been observing you just the same. Do you realize the way you look at him is kinda creepy? I can recommend you to change strategy, because, I mean, being a stalker, like that you aren’t going to the get him anytime soon.”
Howon nodded without knowing “Waa-how-who-wait! What?!”
“GOD! You are so slow!” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “We, all the others, know you have the hots for our Dongwoo. It’s just obvious. It’s written all over your face. By the way, that’s so creepy. But don’t worry, luckily… or unlucky for you Dongwoo is as clueless as ever. If you are really interested in him you need to draw him a map.” He said and got up while Howon just remained there confused, embarrassed and dumb.
The guy walked and turned to him “Think about it, I’ll talk to you later. Oh and I think you missed your train again. Bye.”
Howon’s eyes went big as saucers and then he slapped his forehead. “Oh great.”
He was late again to work that day.
~~~~~~
Those following days he was too embarrassed to go to the station so he took the bus to his work. It took a bit longer but he didn’t want to confront those guys that discovered his apparently no so well hidden secret.
The weekend after that he couldn’t really sleep. The Sungjong’s words were running in his mind. How all that happened when he had everything under control, he didn’t know. But what he knew was that he was in love and the guy’s friends knew it and gosh! He was acting like a stupid high school girl.
It was Saturday morning and he needed a bit of air. So he got in his jogging clothes and walked out his apartment. He started jogging to the closest park in town and since it was a bit early in the morning the place was pretty deserted. He jogged the entire place stopping later in a side of the lake to take catch breath. Jogging was a stress reliever for him, it really took his mind of his thoughts it made him feel relaxed and calm. He looked once more to the lake and when he was about to walk away and start his jogging again someone collided with him.
“Hyung!!”
Before Howon could process what had happened, the guy got up and started bowing apologizing. It wasn’t until he recuperated from the shock that he saw the hand being held out towards him.
“I’m so sorry! Are you ok? Oh my god! Let me help you!” The guy said and when Howon finally looked up he was greeted by a pair of familiarly cute eyes. It was Dongwoo. Instantly he became petrified.
“Oh god! Are you ok?! Did something happen to you?! Talk to me! Do I need to call an ambulance?” Dongwoo said all nervous and scared. “Tell me something! Did I damage your brain or something?!”
“Hyung!!” another guy shouted again as he ran closer. And the other two guys just looked towards him. “I told you to stop running like a ten year old child! Why is this always happening to you?!” Howon couldn’t really get his eyes away from the guy that minutes before collided with him.
He got up slowly not moving his eyes from Dongwoo.
“Sungjong! Help me! I think I caused some brain damage to this guy!” Dongwoo shouted all cute, in Howon’s opinion.
Sungjong turned to him and there was surprise in his eyes. “Oh, it’s you.” He smiled.
“You know him? Is he mute?” Dongwoo asked getting a bit annoyed on how Howon wasn’t responding to him, just staring like a crazy boy, creepy.
“No hyung, no to both questions. I just ran into him last week at the train station.” Sungjong said simply while smiling as if he knew something the other two didn’t, maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t.
“Are you ok?” this time asked Sungjong and Howon got out of his own world of Dongwoos and rainbows.
“Yeah.” He answered and turned then to Dongwoo. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.”
Dongwoo smiled as if everything was resolved and Howon wondered how old this guy was actually. “No, no! I must be the one saying sorry.”
“Yeah, you should.” said Sungjong disapprovingly. “I told you to stop running but as always you didn’t listen to me.”
“I’m sorry.” He said, this time to both of them, with a pout in his face.
“Don’t worry, things like this happen all the time.” Howon tried to comfort him and Dongwoo just nodded.
There was an awkward silence till Dongwoo started bouncing in excitement. “Hey! I got an idea! Why don’t I treat you to breakfast to repay you for this?” he said all excited and Sungjong smiled while Howon blushed lightly.
“Seriously there’s no need. I’m fine.” Howon tried to protest.
“Actually I think it could be a great idea.” Sungjong spoke up and Dongwoo jumped again. Could this guy be any cuter? Howon suddenly wanted him all for himself.
He tried to protest again but between the two guys he had to surrender. Deep down, it wasn’t like he was going to resist this offer either.
“My name is Jang Dongwoo, by the way, I’m sorry again.” Dongwoo said while walking with them. “And you probably already know him, he’s Sungjong.”
“I’m Howon, I mean, Lee Howon. Nice to meet you.” Love to meet you.
There was an awkward silence again while they walked towards a small coffee shop around the corner, really near to Howon’s house.
“Are you guys from this neighborhood?” Howon asked out of curiosity.
“Yeah, well no. I mean I live two streets down and Sungjong here stays at his university dorm at the other side of the park there. What about you? Do you usually come to exercise around here?”
“I live really near, down this same street. And no, not exactly, I just like to jog sometimes.”
“Wow, how come I haven’t seen you before?”
“I just moved in town a couple of months ago.”
“Cool, so where are you from?”
“Woah, why are you interrogating him?” Sungjong asked amused.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not! And besides I’m the one here trying to make some conversation.” Dongwoo pouted.
Why was he so cute! Howon couldn’t bear with this. He just walked there listening to those two guys fighting over nothing. He watched amused at how cute Dongwoo acted. It was totally different from the feeling he gave out while dancing. Howon got lost in his thoughts again and didn’t notice how the other two just finished talking. That was till he got a hand on his arm and a blushing Dongwoo in front of him. What did he miss?
“Stop staring like that, I told you, it’s creepy and look, he’s noticing.” said Sungjong getting near him.
Oh god. He was being so obvious. What was he going to do?
They all made their way into the café and took a small booth by a window. They ordered simple food and relaxed into their seats. Later their food arrived and they ate calmly while small conversations about everything and nothing came and went. Until Sungjong smiled creepily and excused himself that he had to meet some guy named Myungsoo for tutoring or something like that.
Howon wanted to disappear. What was he going to do now, alone, all awkward and weird with Dongwoo. He needed to get away too but no excuse came to his mind. So he opted for seeing how this all could end. He couldn’t be that bad at getting to know someone.
“Um, this is so awkward. We should talk about something.” Dongwoo tried first.
Howon nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Are you always like this all silent and such?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On how nervous I feel or the type of people I am surrounded by.”
“Are you nervous right now? It is because of me?”
“What?” Howon was at a loss of words. Did he just get discovered?
“You know, I’m not that weird. I don’t understand why you look at me like I’m some kind of alien.” Dongwoo said and bit his lower lip. Howon couldn’t stop staring. He just couldn’t. Those lips were just so kissable. Oh god. What was happening to him? This never happened to him before.
“….What?” he blushed. “Oh. No, no. I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable, it wasn’t my intention. And no, I don’t think you are weird. I just seem to space out from time to time.”
Dongwoo smiled again. He should stop that if he wanted Howon to stay conscious. “I thought you were finding me weird or something.” He said feeling reliever.
They talked a lot more after that. For two strangers that just met up after an accident they both got along really well. And Howon discovered that they had lots of things in common. They liked the same things, the same music, love for dancing and some others.
That breakfast turned into a whole afternoon of talking and Howon couldn’t be happier.
Their long winded chat ended when Dongwoo got a call from someone and he needed to get going.
They went their different ways but not before deciding on meeting again to chat and Howon getting invited to a dance practice.
Howon arrived at his apartment and collapsed in his sofa with a full blown grin on his face. That day he came to two conclusions. One, he liked Dongwoo a bit too much and second, he wanted him for himself. How he was going to get that he didn’t know.
~~~~~~
The next working day Howon walked into the train station earlier than usual. During their chat he didn’t mention to Dongwoo that he had been seeing him dancing there. So he decided to try and get to talk to him there making it sound like a total coincidence. But he was stopped midway by Sungjong. “I see you made some progress on your date last time.”
“That wasn’t a date.” Howon said blushing bright red.
“Ah, so it wasn’t? How come Dongwoo can’t stop talking about you now?”
He couldn’t help and smile. “Really?”
“So you aren’t denying that it was a date.”
“It wasn’t. But come on, tell me, how did he mention me? What did he say? Tell me” High school girl mode was back full force.
“Woah, control yourself.” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “He did mention you. But don’t think too much of it. Hyung can be like that sometimes, he just likes everyone.”
Howon’s face drooped.
Sungjong noticed this and said “But don’t lose hope, he talks about you a little bit more than he does about everyone else he likes. So that’s something.” He finished and took his hand and pushed him towards the group.
“Yah! What are you doing?!” Howon yelled but got ignored.
“Hyung!~ Look who I found around here.” Sungjong said happily and Howon just wanted to hide in a hole.
All the other guys got curious as they approached.
“Howon!! What a surprise! You’re around here? How come?” Dongwoo asked all excited for some unknown reason.
“I always come here every day to get to work.” I have been watching you since then.
“Oh really! That’s awesome. I’m here with my crew, we always come here to do public practices.” Dongwoo couldn’t hide his excitement. That wasn’t news for Howon but he tried to look surprised.
“Come, come, and let me introduce you to everyone.” He took his hand and Howon felt like flying, this couldn’t be real. “Guys this is Howon, Howon this is Infinite. That’s Sungyeol, Sunggyu, Woohyun, Myungsoo and obviously you already know Sungjong.”
“So you’re the famous Howon.” Said the one called Sunggyu, he shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
All the others did the same after but Sungyeol added “Hey, but, wait. Aren’t you the guy--”
“Shut up Sungyeol.” Said Sunggyu and winked at him.
After that moment Howon turned in almost one of them. And also as he arrived earlier to the station he got to work earlier from then on.
Howon and Dongwoo turned into the best of friends. Well, almost, because that wasn’t exactly what Howon wanted.
~~~~~~
One night after work he got a text from Dongwoo. “Hey want to come to practice with me? The others just ditched me. :(”
So he went that night with Dongwoo, just to watch him dance, which was all glory for him.
“Hey it’s not fail. Come on, dance with me!” Dongwoo protested cutely and Howon having that soft spot for the other, simply surrendered.
“Let’s see what you can do.” Dongwoo challenged him. Wrong move.
Howon lost his mind in the song and started moving along with it. It had been a long time since he did it but since he loved dancing the steps came from the heart. The song had barely ended when the other was clapping in full happiness.
“Wow! That was great! How come you ended up being an engineer? Your movements say that you were born to dance! Omg! At least you should join our group.”
Howon saw the happiness in the other’s eyes and smiled wide but shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, it was a safe choice, I guess.” He said and began walking away towards where he had been sitting.
“Hey where are you going?”
To watch you dance, he wanted to say.
“That was just a demonstration.” Howon actually said, turning once more towards his previous sitting location.
“Aish! Let’s practice together.” Dongwoo took his arm, tugging much harder than necessary, and before he could do anything about it they both collapsed on the floor, one on top of the other.
“Oops, I’m sorry.” Dongwoo said but somehow it seemed he forgot how to get up.
But Howon didn’t mind, he was in cloud nine and he didn’t bother to push the other off of him at all. They looked at each other and something snapped between them. Their faces were getting closer and closer and…
“Oh my god! I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Dongwoo jumped up and he felt cold all of the sudden.
“Dongwoo.”
“I’m sorry, I’m always so clumsy.” Dongwoo was rambling without looking at him.
“Dongwoo.” Still no response. “Dongwoo! Stop it!” He exclaimed a little more forcefully.
Dongwoo stopped but didn’t look at him directly. “What are you apologizing for?” the guy seemed out of it. “Dongwoo.” God damn it, he was biting those lips again.
“Dong--” What happened next, he wasn’t expecting it but he didn’t mind it one bit. Those lips were on his and that was all that mattered.
“I’m sorry.” Dongwoo said one last time before running away. But Howon didn’t process everything until much more later. Those lips touched his and he couldn’t just get over it.
“Dongwoo!! Wait!!” What did just happen?
Dongwoo refused to talk to him after that. He wasn’t answering his calls or text. He guessed he needed to wait for the next day at the train station. But the next day Dongwoo wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“I think you got him hard hyung.” Sungjong said.
“Oh please shut up! I’m confused already.”
“There’s nothing to be confused about. Don’t you get it?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I swear sometimes I don’t know who’s more clueless if Dongwoo or you.” Sungjong rolled his eyes. “It’s pretty obvious hyung. He kissed you. It means he likes you. And if he likes you and you like him back, you just need to get together don’t you think? Do I need to draw you a clear map?”
“Oh.” Howon was processing everything. “Oh!”
Sungjong face palmed, stupid hyungs he has.
“What do I do now?!” Howon exclaimed.
“If you are willing to be absent from work today I can tell you where he lives.”
“Ok. Say it.”
~~~~~~
Howon prepared everything. He was going to confess. If Dongwoo liked him back it couldn’t be so hard, could it? He hasn’t been in a relationship for a long time and he really didn’t know what to do but he just went for the standard, flowers. Then he walked down to Dongwoo’s apartment in his work suit and everything.
A nock in the door was made but there was no answer. A second one and Howon thought that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. The third one never happened since the door was opened just when he was about to do it.
“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asked in a bit of a poisonous mood.
“We need to talk.”
“Look if you just want to say that you hate me and such, there’s no need I already know. So please leave me alone.” He was about to close the door when Howon stopped it with the flowers.
“How could I hate you?” He smiled at Dongwoo’s shocked expression. “How could I?” and walked closer to Dongwoo until he was close enough to give him a peck on the lips. “How could I if I really like you.”
The only response Howon received was a bright smile and wet kiss. Many more followed that one and the door was closed behind them. Who knows what was going to happen behind it.
There was a certain someone who had an idea as to what that would be though. Unnoticed by the new couple was Sungjong, standing just outside the apartment, grinning like an evil child. “My work as match maker succeeded!! Now let’s call Sunggyu to see how my next couple is advancing. I swear WooGyu is taking forever to get together. But I’m not a quitter.”