[FANFIC] RavEn - A Study Before Pink
A STUDY BEFORE PINK
PG
[VIXX] RAVI/KEN
SHERLOCK!AU, GEN, PRE-SLASH
4200~W
a/n: this was really an excuse to write a Sherlock fic because I really wanted to but I couldn't get any good ideas. Warning: some of the deductions might feel like they don't make much sense... I tried, I really, really tried, but well... yeah orz
a/n #2: warning(?): it's Sherlock!AU but not really Sherlock!AU... ummm. you'll see.
*
Ravi took a double look at the name card in his hands. He glanced back at the door before him, painted a dark shade of green and adorned with an antique designed handle that Ravi wouldn't have thought still existed in the age where there's cameras and electric bells to notify residents of the presence of awaiting guests. Numbers and letters by the color of golden rested neatly above the handle and Ravi checked once again to ensure they were the exact combination written on the name card: 245A. Jinju-dong.
The man pocketed the name card and decided to fix his clothes a bit, just to make sure he looked decent enough. He wasn't sure if his usual choice of a bomber jacket and chinos would make him seem like a good potential tenant, but he thought he was quite decent-looking. His pants got a bit dirty from his little heroic action earlier, and Ravi patted the dirt off, later grumbling when an obvious stain persistently remained. But then he thought back to the wailing puppy he had helped escape death before and recalled the extreme look of relief of the owner, and well, maybe, a little extra work of laundry wouldn’t hurt.
Taking a deep breath, Ravi climbed the steps then grabbed the handle and knocked several times. Jaebum had recommended this place for him, claiming it to be cozy and welcoming, with a dash of fun. He didn't know why the younger boy felt it was necessary to add a wink as he said 'fun', but Ravi had been struggling to find a new flat and he couldn't be bothered to think about Jaebum's weird and pointless gestures.
The door opened, revealing a tanned-skin man, probably in his late thirties or early forties, his hair an oddly bright shade of red, but his smile was kind and hospitable that Ravi found himself automatically smiling back.
"Oh, hello. May I help you?" The redhead greeted, as warm and friendly as his smile was. Ravi dug in his pocket to fetch the name card before showing it to the older man.
"Um. I'm looking for a flat and I got this address from a friend--" He cleared his throat just to avoid feeling awkward, despite how he already was. The older man's eyes lit up in some sense of understanding. "Is it still available?" Ravi asked timidly.
The red-haired man beamed. "Yes, yes, it is!" He clasped his hands, looking ecstatic, before quickly inviting Ravi in. "Come in, come in!"
The newcomer bowed politely and decided to wipe off the mud on his shoes with the door mat before entering. The other man was closing the door behind him, and Ravi took the moment to observe the interior of his possible future flat. The outside looked nothing special, just another one of those plain, white-painted buildings with seemingly endless rows of windows and balcony. But inside, inside was a different story. The walls were tall, with lime colored wallpapers wrapped all over it, followed by patterns in the shapes of leaves and flowers in every inch. Two doors were side by side on his right, one was slightly ajar and Ravi could catch a glimpse of an unfinished breakfast left on a dining table, so he guessed it must have been the redhead's. The stairs were actually the first thing that he saw when he went in, as it was right in front of the door, a mere couple of meters apart. Ravi craned his neck to take a peek of what was upstairs, but he couldn't see anything much.
"Ah, how foolish I am." The redhead mumbled, catching Ravi's attention. The man whirled around and looked at the other, confused.
"Hm?"
"I haven't introduced myself." He explained, before extending his hand. "I'm Cha Hackyeon, but please call me N. I’m the landlord. But don't worry so much about the rent, it's negotiable." He shrugged, carefree, as carefree as the grin he hasn't stopped giving.
Ravi took the handshake and smiled too. "Kim Wonshik. Preferred to be called Ravi. Nice to meet you--N...sshi." His got a little tongue-tied in trying to address the other man. He has never met anyone with a single letter as a name and he wasn't sure if he had done it correctly. N's smile still hadn't falter though, so it could mean a good sign.
"Come, the empty room's upstairs." The older man motioned for him to follow, so Ravi did. The steps creaked a little as he walked on, and he sent a wary glance at N, but the other man didn't look like he noticed, probably used to it already. He gave a rather hard, experimental stomp to the wooden step, checking its safety.
"They're strong, trust me." N exclaimed as he flashed him a smile. Ravi jolted, startled. He rubbed the back of his neck as he let out an awkward chuckle, not expecting to be caught. He quickly jumped over the steps, catching up to the other.
There was a room on the second floor, the door closed tight. Ravi paused and stared at it. There was something about it, about this door, something that drew him to it, and Ravi found himself walking towards the door. He was close enough to reach the knob and push the door open, but a hand pulled him backwards. "It's another level up, dear." N told him as he gestured to another set of stairs. Ravi nodded, and tailed the former upstairs.
The room was quite simple, but cozy and welcoming indeed, as Jaebum informed him. A plain single bed by the wall, a tall closet by one side, and a desk next to it in the size that was perfect for Ravi to work on. The walls were a faded kind of blue, but it wasn't that bad. Ravi could do a little paint job here, add a bit of his own touch to live the room up. That was, if N allowed him, of course.
"What do you think?" N asked. Ravi approached the bed and sat on it, before lightly bouncing on it. He shimmied out of his jacket, trying to familiarize and picture himself in this room. It felt comfortable. He gave the older man a small smile.
"It's nice." He said. "I'll take it."
N looked absolutely pleased. "Great!" He clapped a couple of times as if he was an excited audience at some concert. "I'll be around if you need help unpacking and stuff. When are you moving your things in?"
"Tomorrow, I think." Ravi replied, before standing up and tying the jacket around his hips. "You don't have to. I don't have much stuff anyway."
The landlord gave him a reassuring pat. "It's okay, don't worry about troubling me. As long as you don't tell me to do your laundry and cleaning, because remember, I'm your landlord, not your housekeeper--"
A loud boom resonated in the building, followed by a gush of smoke that rapidly filled the room. Ravi coughed as he dashed out, before looking below to see where the noise and smoke had originated. He caught sight of the room on the second floor, smoke seeping out of the gaps between the door and the walls. "It's from that room…" He muttered and covered his mouth, later running down the stairs to go to the main source. N wasn't far behind, coughing vehemently as he let out a deep sigh.
"Oh dear..."
Ravi kicked the door open, causing more smoke to bombard him. He waved them away as he squinted, wanting to find whatever happened in this room that had caused such ruckus. He stumbled into a couch, coughing out the smoke involuntarily entering his lungs, before a handkerchief was suddenly placed above his mouth and nose. Ravi fumbled to hold the makeshift mask and allowed himself to breathe properly. His eyes caught a silhouette of a person in front of him but it quickly vanished, and the smoke was pretty much clouding his vision so he couldn't get a better look at whoever it was.
"Kennieeeee! I told you no flammable experiments! Do you ever listen to me?! You--"
The rest of N's nagging was buried as an enormously loud and strong fan was abruptly turned on, effectively blowing all the smoke away, out through the windows. Ravi coughed several times before deeply inhaling the now clean air into his struggling lungs and setting the handkerchief aside. By the time he was fully aware of his surroundings, Ravi felt his breath hitch.
Before him, maybe ten to fifteen footsteps apart, stood a man. He had golden bronze hair, the bangs swept across his forehead in a rather messy manner, the slight wrinkling above the sideburns showing that this man would have curly locks if he'd ever thought of growing his hair longer. His ears were slightly pointy by the top (and Ravi took notice of this only because he's gawking staring at the man's side profile), although they were definitely no comparison to his definedly tall nose. His lips were plump, thick, and currently parted; whereas his eyes, dark in the depths of brown, looking almost bored at the moment. The man sighed dramatically as he switched the fan off, before setting it aside. His gaze flickered on Ravi for a brief moment, later turning around, his long coat swaying in air as he does, and for someone so odd-looking and odd-acting, the first word that came to Ravi's mind to describe this man was cute.
"It's not flammable, N-hyung, it only has the potential to create smoke. Those two, are in fact, two very different qualities." This man spoke, his words flowing with eloquence even though his back was the one facing the two other parties.
N put one hand on his hips as his expression turned into one a mother would wear when she was scolding her son. "I don't see any difference if they both create a disaster in my building. We've had this discussion, young man, don’t make me go over it with you again!" N chided, exactly like how a mother would scold her son, but the man looked unaffected.
"It doesn't create any disasters, N-hyung, the building wouldn't still be standing if it does." He replied lightly. The man sauntered towards Ravi and held out his palm. Ravi swiftly handed him the handkerchief as he muttered a small ‘thanks’, but the man put the piece of cloth away and kept his palm stretched out, causing the latter to stare at him in confusion.
"Your phone, please. I'd like to borrow it." He said, ending it with a very slight quirk of lips. Ravi blinked dumbly, before rummaging his jacket pocket. A glomp of tissues came out first, poorly concealing the two pieces of leftover bread from his own breakfast and he placed it on the nearest table before continuing his search. Soon, he fished out his smartphone, later handing it to the man. He flashed a grateful smile, before turning around on his heels to the other side of the room.
Ravi took the chance to observe the apartment room. There were piles of boxes by the windows, crowding around a desk that was equally crowded by opened documents and masses of papers cluttering all over it. A canvas stood right next to it, white and blank at the moment, but the scattered pencils and paint tubes around it told him there were times the blank canvas would not stay blank. The bookshelves across of him were filled to the brim, up to the point that several stacks of books were formed to make up for the lack of space. The fireplace in between the shelves looked like it had been dead for ages and there was a skull perched atop of it. It didn't quite seem like a human skull and more like some sort of ancient dinosaur but Ravi chose not to comment out loud upon the man's bizarre choice of decoration. Ravi watched the man plop down on an armchair by the fireplace, he was facing his way but not paying much attention to neither his nor N's presence.
N let out an audible sigh. "It'll be lovely if you'd at least give a little warning, my dear." He complained, still in that angry mother tone, though his features have visibly softened. The landlord motioned for Ravi to take a seat on the long couch right nearby and he did with a polite nod. "Oh, and this is Ravi, he's the--"
"Tenant of the room upstairs. I know." The man continued, his eyes still glued to the phone.
Ravi gave N a glance. "Oh, you've told him?"
N looked like he was about to reply when he got cut off.
"Not possible. But no need. I can tell." The man said confidently as he returned the phone back to its owner. There was a mysteriously poised aura about this man, and as he spun around to return to his seat across the room, Ravi had a strong temptation to challenge him.
So he did. "How, exactly?"
"Easy~!" The man exclaimed. "You came running into my room, coughing badly from the smoke, indicating that you've been exposed to it even before you entered. The smoke came from my non-flammable experiment in which I was in the middle of heating, therefore the smoke had a higher temperature than the current weather which is 28 degrees according to my room thermometer. Air, or in this case the smoke, being hotter than its surrounding, obviously goes upwards, so for you to be exposed to it longer means you were upstairs. The only reason why a stranger, you so obviously shown by how you scrutinized the room even when it has the same structure as N-hyung's downstairs, not N-hyung's relative then. So for someone who has never step foot in the building to go to the third floor, would be to check on the empty room there, so you, no doubt, are the new tenant of that room."
Ravi blinked, taking in all the information at once, his head slightly spinning from the overload of words and information and the speed of how this man talked was simply overwhelmingly fast. Ravi sucked in a deep breath, his chest feeling oddly tight from hearing that one long spurt of words. He figured he should utter some sort of response but his mind was blank. He was shocked. Speechless. All he could seem to do was mouth a low 'wow'.
N shook his head at his second floor tenant. "There he goes again..." The landlord mumbled, exasperated. He glanced at his new tenant, before letting a soft, sympathizing smile appear on his face. He's known this man would have such an effect on people he just met. He's always been full of surprises.
N caressed the astonished man's head lightly, before heading to kitchen. "You must be tired, dear Ravi. I'll make you tea."
"I don't think that'd be necessary, N-hyung. Our 'dear Ravi' probably had just over a couple cups of tea already." The man remarked, all the while scribbling something on a notebook on the coffee table right beside of him.
Ravi gazed at him intensely, a little dumbfounded but tremendously curious. "How--How on Earth did you know that?"
The man's eyes shifted and stayed at Ravi. "You have red bean stains on your jeans, and they haven't dried so it must be new and it must be recent considering it's barely past 9, so you possibly ate it right before you came here. The place also shouldn't be too far, somewhere reachable by foot, considering you walked here judging by the mud around your shoes. The only nearby place with red bean breads that is open at this time would be Starlight café, and as of morning they only sell it in special packages with tea. Those are two red bean breads that you've taken out from your pocket, but they are both untouched. You could've thrown them away but you kept it instead, so you could be saving it or maybe you couldn't throw them away because it would seem impolite to the person who'd bought it for you. Two breads mean you'd had at least drank two cups of tea, and the fact you still have them stored means you've consumed a little bit too much, thus most likely you ordered more than two and drank more than two cups of tea. Am I right?"
Ravi's mouth hung agape, his eyes wide with both incredulity and awe. He was truly astounded. "Yes," He managed to breathe out. " Every single--yes. You're absolutely right." Each word had escaped his lips with overwhelming astonishment. Ravi couldn't hold back a highly amused chuckle.
"That. Was amazing."
The man faltered a little, and he gave Ravi a skeptical look. "What--what? That's not what people normally say."
"What do people normally say?"
"Piss off."
Ravi found himself unexpectedly laughing. The man's expression turned into a frown, his lips almost jutting out in a pout, and Ravi belatedly realized that he wasn't actually kidding. He cleared his throat. "I… didn't even think of saying that. I mean," He looked at the man and hoped his sincerity was visible enough for the other man to sense.
"That was. You were. Brilliant. Extraordinary. It was quite--extraordinary."
"Oh." The man blinked and stared at a far distance somewhere beyond Ravi. His mouth formed a small 'o' as he gaped, but his face quickly morphed into a thoughtful look while he crossed one leg over the other and settled more comfortably into his chair. "I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that." He said, his fingers stroking in uncertainty against the arm rest.
"A thank you would be very much appropriate." N chimed in as he placed a cup of steaming tea onto the table before Ravi. The younger man smiled politely as a silent thanks.
"No, a thank you is appropriately used when--" The man stopped when N turned to look at him. Ravi couldn't see what expression N was wearing but he could guess it wouldn't be too different from how a mother would glare at her son for not behaving in front of guests. Ravi realized a second later that he should really try to find other comparisons for the two rather than a maternal-filial kinship, no matter how fitting it was.
The man made a disgruntled noise before turning to Ravi with a tight-lipped, kinda forced, and poorly attempted polite smile. Disappointment, for whatever reason, was so obvious in his eyes. "Thank you." He said.
"...You're welcome." Ravi replied half-heartedly, and he took a sip of the tea served upon him, using it as an excuse to avoid the man's oddly scrutinizing gaze on him. To tell the truth, Ravi felt that the man now closely resembled a kicked puppy who was currently glaring at the person who took away its bone. If he was a child, Ravi might have cooed at how adorable he was and pull him into a consoling hug.
Several beeps that formed a strikingly similar melody to Beyonce's Single Ladies suddenly resounded in the room. It also sounded from somewhere very near to Ravi.
"Ah that must be Hyuk!" The man exclaimed as he abruptly leaped off his seat to waltz towards Ravi, almost catching the new tenant off-guard when he dug under the pillow right beside Ravi and fished out what suspiciously looked like a cellphone. He sat down, just a safe couple of inches from Ravi; his face lit up upon knowing the sender and his lips curved into a peculiarly wide grin full of glee. Ravi knew he shouldn’t be nosing into other people's business, but this man had done too many things that piqued his curiosity and he couldn't resist, so he craned his neck slightly and caught a glimpse of the text displayed on the screen.
Sanctuary Center. Twenty owls vanished. Coming?
-H
"Assaaa!" The man cried out in delight while he jumped up, causing Ravi to bounce back into his seat in shock. The man hardly noticed though, and he twirled around in the room while taking a scarf that he quickly put on. "Ahh ottokajiii, such a great case awaits!" He looked positively overjoyed, like he just won a billion won lottery, and Ravi felt himself more and more intrigued by this continuous display of eccentricity coming from this particular man. He hadn't realized he had been staring until the man paused in buttoning his (abnormally long) coat midway and returned the stare. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and tilted his head to the side, with a small, eloquent smirk gracing his lips.
"Would you like to join me, Ravi-sshi?"
The said man blinked rapidly. "What?" It took a couple of seconds for the offer to dawn to him. He hurriedly stammered out a reply, "No. I mean--No. I wouldn't go with--Why would I go with--" The man raised one eyebrow, and Ravi cleared his throat to overcome his embarrassing stuttering. "I mean. I can't go with you. We don't know a thing about each other. I don't even know your name."
There was a pause, a brief silence where the man looked at Ravi in a way that was almost as if telling him how unbelievably obtuse he was when everything had been so obvious. Ravi stared back, expecting an answer, but nothing had prepared him for what happened next.
The man stepped forward. "I know you do paint jobs, only started it recently even, and I know that you're not exactly one for hygiene. You probably only shower once a day, at night, before bed. You also have a sister, a younger sister, with a rather wide age gap, maybe 6 to 7 years. She looks up to you a lot, and you're probably closest to her in your family, but you haven't had contact with her in a while. Probably because you decided to live apart from your family, most likely you had a big argument with them that made you unable to stay with them anymore." He said in one breath and in the same nonchalance someone would use when narrating about their day. The man made a move to walk out of the room, before swiftly returning and stopping in front of Ravi. "The name's Lee Jaehwan, but please address me as Ken. I'm a consulting zoologist. Animal expert." He ended with a grin.
"There! Now we're no longer strangers, are we?" He clasped his hands together, a concluding gesture.
Ravi was once again at loss for words. "Such job exist…? I didn't know..."
"Yes, I'm the only one in the world. I invented the job." The man, Ken, as he had introduced himself before, went rummaging through the clutter on the table by the window before putting several things into his inner pocket. He walked in somewhat hurried steps, before halting before Ravi. "So. Would you like to join me, Ravi-sshi?" He repeated the question.
Ravi didn't remember when exactly did he stand up from his seat, but he was now on eye-level with the other man. He fidgeted under Ken's stubborn and somewhat impatient gaze at him, before he opted to scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… I'm not a big fan of animals." He answered lamely.
"Aww," Ken cooed--actually cooed, as he closed the short distance between him and Ravi, the narrow table the only thing separating their bodies. He looked right into Ravi's eyes with a penetrating gaze. Ken tilted his head to the side (a habit, possibly?) and jutted his lower lip into a small pout. "That ginger terrier you saved is gonna cry when she hears that." He muttered, those full lips tugging upwards into a smirk.
Ken flapped his coat dramatically as he stalked out of the doorway. "N-hyung, we'll be back late." He announced without sparing a glance to the landlord standing by the wall.
Ravi scrambled and stumbled rather pathetically from his spot, before trailing after the still so ever mysterious Ken. "We? Who do you mean by we? I'm not--I won't be coming with you."
"And yet you're following me to the door." Ken pointed out after he spun around to face Ravi and nearly got the other man crashing into him. He smiled, in the same all too knowing and arrogant way that got Ravi both fascinated and honestly irritated. Ken pursed his lips together, his face taking a pitying look. "It'll be a shame if you don't, Ravi-sshi. Considering your background as a former veterinarian, you surely could be of some assistance." He grinned before turning onto his heels and exiting the flat.
Ravi was dumbfounded for the umpteenth time that day. "How did you--" He paused, re-thinking about everything that had happened that day from his meeting with Ken. "Never mind." He mumbled to himself. He glanced back and saw N standing by the stairs, obviously had been watching their exchange, judging from his subtly amused smile.
Ravi slipped into his jacket and zipped it up. "N-sshi, I'm still taking that room! Don't give it to anyone else!" He yelled before running after Ken who by then had managed to hail a cab.
N waved offhandedly as he watched the cab run along the street.
"Be careful, boys! Take care!"
*
a/n: Sorry if it doesn't make much sense ._. Hope you enjoyed it still? Thanks for reading! ♥
PG
[VIXX] RAVI/KEN
SHERLOCK!AU, GEN, PRE-SLASH
4200~W
a/n: this was really an excuse to write a Sherlock fic because I really wanted to but I couldn't get any good ideas. Warning: some of the deductions might feel like they don't make much sense... I tried, I really, really tried, but well... yeah orz
a/n #2: warning(?): it's Sherlock!AU but not really Sherlock!AU... ummm. you'll see.
*
Ravi took a double look at the name card in his hands. He glanced back at the door before him, painted a dark shade of green and adorned with an antique designed handle that Ravi wouldn't have thought still existed in the age where there's cameras and electric bells to notify residents of the presence of awaiting guests. Numbers and letters by the color of golden rested neatly above the handle and Ravi checked once again to ensure they were the exact combination written on the name card: 245A. Jinju-dong.
The man pocketed the name card and decided to fix his clothes a bit, just to make sure he looked decent enough. He wasn't sure if his usual choice of a bomber jacket and chinos would make him seem like a good potential tenant, but he thought he was quite decent-looking. His pants got a bit dirty from his little heroic action earlier, and Ravi patted the dirt off, later grumbling when an obvious stain persistently remained. But then he thought back to the wailing puppy he had helped escape death before and recalled the extreme look of relief of the owner, and well, maybe, a little extra work of laundry wouldn’t hurt.
Taking a deep breath, Ravi climbed the steps then grabbed the handle and knocked several times. Jaebum had recommended this place for him, claiming it to be cozy and welcoming, with a dash of fun. He didn't know why the younger boy felt it was necessary to add a wink as he said 'fun', but Ravi had been struggling to find a new flat and he couldn't be bothered to think about Jaebum's weird and pointless gestures.
The door opened, revealing a tanned-skin man, probably in his late thirties or early forties, his hair an oddly bright shade of red, but his smile was kind and hospitable that Ravi found himself automatically smiling back.
"Oh, hello. May I help you?" The redhead greeted, as warm and friendly as his smile was. Ravi dug in his pocket to fetch the name card before showing it to the older man.
"Um. I'm looking for a flat and I got this address from a friend--" He cleared his throat just to avoid feeling awkward, despite how he already was. The older man's eyes lit up in some sense of understanding. "Is it still available?" Ravi asked timidly.
The red-haired man beamed. "Yes, yes, it is!" He clasped his hands, looking ecstatic, before quickly inviting Ravi in. "Come in, come in!"
The newcomer bowed politely and decided to wipe off the mud on his shoes with the door mat before entering. The other man was closing the door behind him, and Ravi took the moment to observe the interior of his possible future flat. The outside looked nothing special, just another one of those plain, white-painted buildings with seemingly endless rows of windows and balcony. But inside, inside was a different story. The walls were tall, with lime colored wallpapers wrapped all over it, followed by patterns in the shapes of leaves and flowers in every inch. Two doors were side by side on his right, one was slightly ajar and Ravi could catch a glimpse of an unfinished breakfast left on a dining table, so he guessed it must have been the redhead's. The stairs were actually the first thing that he saw when he went in, as it was right in front of the door, a mere couple of meters apart. Ravi craned his neck to take a peek of what was upstairs, but he couldn't see anything much.
"Ah, how foolish I am." The redhead mumbled, catching Ravi's attention. The man whirled around and looked at the other, confused.
"Hm?"
"I haven't introduced myself." He explained, before extending his hand. "I'm Cha Hackyeon, but please call me N. I’m the landlord. But don't worry so much about the rent, it's negotiable." He shrugged, carefree, as carefree as the grin he hasn't stopped giving.
Ravi took the handshake and smiled too. "Kim Wonshik. Preferred to be called Ravi. Nice to meet you--N...sshi." His got a little tongue-tied in trying to address the other man. He has never met anyone with a single letter as a name and he wasn't sure if he had done it correctly. N's smile still hadn't falter though, so it could mean a good sign.
"Come, the empty room's upstairs." The older man motioned for him to follow, so Ravi did. The steps creaked a little as he walked on, and he sent a wary glance at N, but the other man didn't look like he noticed, probably used to it already. He gave a rather hard, experimental stomp to the wooden step, checking its safety.
"They're strong, trust me." N exclaimed as he flashed him a smile. Ravi jolted, startled. He rubbed the back of his neck as he let out an awkward chuckle, not expecting to be caught. He quickly jumped over the steps, catching up to the other.
There was a room on the second floor, the door closed tight. Ravi paused and stared at it. There was something about it, about this door, something that drew him to it, and Ravi found himself walking towards the door. He was close enough to reach the knob and push the door open, but a hand pulled him backwards. "It's another level up, dear." N told him as he gestured to another set of stairs. Ravi nodded, and tailed the former upstairs.
The room was quite simple, but cozy and welcoming indeed, as Jaebum informed him. A plain single bed by the wall, a tall closet by one side, and a desk next to it in the size that was perfect for Ravi to work on. The walls were a faded kind of blue, but it wasn't that bad. Ravi could do a little paint job here, add a bit of his own touch to live the room up. That was, if N allowed him, of course.
"What do you think?" N asked. Ravi approached the bed and sat on it, before lightly bouncing on it. He shimmied out of his jacket, trying to familiarize and picture himself in this room. It felt comfortable. He gave the older man a small smile.
"It's nice." He said. "I'll take it."
N looked absolutely pleased. "Great!" He clapped a couple of times as if he was an excited audience at some concert. "I'll be around if you need help unpacking and stuff. When are you moving your things in?"
"Tomorrow, I think." Ravi replied, before standing up and tying the jacket around his hips. "You don't have to. I don't have much stuff anyway."
The landlord gave him a reassuring pat. "It's okay, don't worry about troubling me. As long as you don't tell me to do your laundry and cleaning, because remember, I'm your landlord, not your housekeeper--"
A loud boom resonated in the building, followed by a gush of smoke that rapidly filled the room. Ravi coughed as he dashed out, before looking below to see where the noise and smoke had originated. He caught sight of the room on the second floor, smoke seeping out of the gaps between the door and the walls. "It's from that room…" He muttered and covered his mouth, later running down the stairs to go to the main source. N wasn't far behind, coughing vehemently as he let out a deep sigh.
"Oh dear..."
Ravi kicked the door open, causing more smoke to bombard him. He waved them away as he squinted, wanting to find whatever happened in this room that had caused such ruckus. He stumbled into a couch, coughing out the smoke involuntarily entering his lungs, before a handkerchief was suddenly placed above his mouth and nose. Ravi fumbled to hold the makeshift mask and allowed himself to breathe properly. His eyes caught a silhouette of a person in front of him but it quickly vanished, and the smoke was pretty much clouding his vision so he couldn't get a better look at whoever it was.
"Kennieeeee! I told you no flammable experiments! Do you ever listen to me?! You--"
The rest of N's nagging was buried as an enormously loud and strong fan was abruptly turned on, effectively blowing all the smoke away, out through the windows. Ravi coughed several times before deeply inhaling the now clean air into his struggling lungs and setting the handkerchief aside. By the time he was fully aware of his surroundings, Ravi felt his breath hitch.
Before him, maybe ten to fifteen footsteps apart, stood a man. He had golden bronze hair, the bangs swept across his forehead in a rather messy manner, the slight wrinkling above the sideburns showing that this man would have curly locks if he'd ever thought of growing his hair longer. His ears were slightly pointy by the top (and Ravi took notice of this only because he's gawking staring at the man's side profile), although they were definitely no comparison to his definedly tall nose. His lips were plump, thick, and currently parted; whereas his eyes, dark in the depths of brown, looking almost bored at the moment. The man sighed dramatically as he switched the fan off, before setting it aside. His gaze flickered on Ravi for a brief moment, later turning around, his long coat swaying in air as he does, and for someone so odd-looking and odd-acting, the first word that came to Ravi's mind to describe this man was cute.
"It's not flammable, N-hyung, it only has the potential to create smoke. Those two, are in fact, two very different qualities." This man spoke, his words flowing with eloquence even though his back was the one facing the two other parties.
N put one hand on his hips as his expression turned into one a mother would wear when she was scolding her son. "I don't see any difference if they both create a disaster in my building. We've had this discussion, young man, don’t make me go over it with you again!" N chided, exactly like how a mother would scold her son, but the man looked unaffected.
"It doesn't create any disasters, N-hyung, the building wouldn't still be standing if it does." He replied lightly. The man sauntered towards Ravi and held out his palm. Ravi swiftly handed him the handkerchief as he muttered a small ‘thanks’, but the man put the piece of cloth away and kept his palm stretched out, causing the latter to stare at him in confusion.
"Your phone, please. I'd like to borrow it." He said, ending it with a very slight quirk of lips. Ravi blinked dumbly, before rummaging his jacket pocket. A glomp of tissues came out first, poorly concealing the two pieces of leftover bread from his own breakfast and he placed it on the nearest table before continuing his search. Soon, he fished out his smartphone, later handing it to the man. He flashed a grateful smile, before turning around on his heels to the other side of the room.
Ravi took the chance to observe the apartment room. There were piles of boxes by the windows, crowding around a desk that was equally crowded by opened documents and masses of papers cluttering all over it. A canvas stood right next to it, white and blank at the moment, but the scattered pencils and paint tubes around it told him there were times the blank canvas would not stay blank. The bookshelves across of him were filled to the brim, up to the point that several stacks of books were formed to make up for the lack of space. The fireplace in between the shelves looked like it had been dead for ages and there was a skull perched atop of it. It didn't quite seem like a human skull and more like some sort of ancient dinosaur but Ravi chose not to comment out loud upon the man's bizarre choice of decoration. Ravi watched the man plop down on an armchair by the fireplace, he was facing his way but not paying much attention to neither his nor N's presence.
N let out an audible sigh. "It'll be lovely if you'd at least give a little warning, my dear." He complained, still in that angry mother tone, though his features have visibly softened. The landlord motioned for Ravi to take a seat on the long couch right nearby and he did with a polite nod. "Oh, and this is Ravi, he's the--"
"Tenant of the room upstairs. I know." The man continued, his eyes still glued to the phone.
Ravi gave N a glance. "Oh, you've told him?"
N looked like he was about to reply when he got cut off.
"Not possible. But no need. I can tell." The man said confidently as he returned the phone back to its owner. There was a mysteriously poised aura about this man, and as he spun around to return to his seat across the room, Ravi had a strong temptation to challenge him.
So he did. "How, exactly?"
"Easy~!" The man exclaimed. "You came running into my room, coughing badly from the smoke, indicating that you've been exposed to it even before you entered. The smoke came from my non-flammable experiment in which I was in the middle of heating, therefore the smoke had a higher temperature than the current weather which is 28 degrees according to my room thermometer. Air, or in this case the smoke, being hotter than its surrounding, obviously goes upwards, so for you to be exposed to it longer means you were upstairs. The only reason why a stranger, you so obviously shown by how you scrutinized the room even when it has the same structure as N-hyung's downstairs, not N-hyung's relative then. So for someone who has never step foot in the building to go to the third floor, would be to check on the empty room there, so you, no doubt, are the new tenant of that room."
Ravi blinked, taking in all the information at once, his head slightly spinning from the overload of words and information and the speed of how this man talked was simply overwhelmingly fast. Ravi sucked in a deep breath, his chest feeling oddly tight from hearing that one long spurt of words. He figured he should utter some sort of response but his mind was blank. He was shocked. Speechless. All he could seem to do was mouth a low 'wow'.
N shook his head at his second floor tenant. "There he goes again..." The landlord mumbled, exasperated. He glanced at his new tenant, before letting a soft, sympathizing smile appear on his face. He's known this man would have such an effect on people he just met. He's always been full of surprises.
N caressed the astonished man's head lightly, before heading to kitchen. "You must be tired, dear Ravi. I'll make you tea."
"I don't think that'd be necessary, N-hyung. Our 'dear Ravi' probably had just over a couple cups of tea already." The man remarked, all the while scribbling something on a notebook on the coffee table right beside of him.
Ravi gazed at him intensely, a little dumbfounded but tremendously curious. "How--How on Earth did you know that?"
The man's eyes shifted and stayed at Ravi. "You have red bean stains on your jeans, and they haven't dried so it must be new and it must be recent considering it's barely past 9, so you possibly ate it right before you came here. The place also shouldn't be too far, somewhere reachable by foot, considering you walked here judging by the mud around your shoes. The only nearby place with red bean breads that is open at this time would be Starlight café, and as of morning they only sell it in special packages with tea. Those are two red bean breads that you've taken out from your pocket, but they are both untouched. You could've thrown them away but you kept it instead, so you could be saving it or maybe you couldn't throw them away because it would seem impolite to the person who'd bought it for you. Two breads mean you'd had at least drank two cups of tea, and the fact you still have them stored means you've consumed a little bit too much, thus most likely you ordered more than two and drank more than two cups of tea. Am I right?"
Ravi's mouth hung agape, his eyes wide with both incredulity and awe. He was truly astounded. "Yes," He managed to breathe out. " Every single--yes. You're absolutely right." Each word had escaped his lips with overwhelming astonishment. Ravi couldn't hold back a highly amused chuckle.
"That. Was amazing."
The man faltered a little, and he gave Ravi a skeptical look. "What--what? That's not what people normally say."
"What do people normally say?"
"Piss off."
Ravi found himself unexpectedly laughing. The man's expression turned into a frown, his lips almost jutting out in a pout, and Ravi belatedly realized that he wasn't actually kidding. He cleared his throat. "I… didn't even think of saying that. I mean," He looked at the man and hoped his sincerity was visible enough for the other man to sense.
"That was. You were. Brilliant. Extraordinary. It was quite--extraordinary."
"Oh." The man blinked and stared at a far distance somewhere beyond Ravi. His mouth formed a small 'o' as he gaped, but his face quickly morphed into a thoughtful look while he crossed one leg over the other and settled more comfortably into his chair. "I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that." He said, his fingers stroking in uncertainty against the arm rest.
"A thank you would be very much appropriate." N chimed in as he placed a cup of steaming tea onto the table before Ravi. The younger man smiled politely as a silent thanks.
"No, a thank you is appropriately used when--" The man stopped when N turned to look at him. Ravi couldn't see what expression N was wearing but he could guess it wouldn't be too different from how a mother would glare at her son for not behaving in front of guests. Ravi realized a second later that he should really try to find other comparisons for the two rather than a maternal-filial kinship, no matter how fitting it was.
The man made a disgruntled noise before turning to Ravi with a tight-lipped, kinda forced, and poorly attempted polite smile. Disappointment, for whatever reason, was so obvious in his eyes. "Thank you." He said.
"...You're welcome." Ravi replied half-heartedly, and he took a sip of the tea served upon him, using it as an excuse to avoid the man's oddly scrutinizing gaze on him. To tell the truth, Ravi felt that the man now closely resembled a kicked puppy who was currently glaring at the person who took away its bone. If he was a child, Ravi might have cooed at how adorable he was and pull him into a consoling hug.
Several beeps that formed a strikingly similar melody to Beyonce's Single Ladies suddenly resounded in the room. It also sounded from somewhere very near to Ravi.
"Ah that must be Hyuk!" The man exclaimed as he abruptly leaped off his seat to waltz towards Ravi, almost catching the new tenant off-guard when he dug under the pillow right beside Ravi and fished out what suspiciously looked like a cellphone. He sat down, just a safe couple of inches from Ravi; his face lit up upon knowing the sender and his lips curved into a peculiarly wide grin full of glee. Ravi knew he shouldn’t be nosing into other people's business, but this man had done too many things that piqued his curiosity and he couldn't resist, so he craned his neck slightly and caught a glimpse of the text displayed on the screen.
Sanctuary Center. Twenty owls vanished. Coming?
-H
"Assaaa!" The man cried out in delight while he jumped up, causing Ravi to bounce back into his seat in shock. The man hardly noticed though, and he twirled around in the room while taking a scarf that he quickly put on. "Ahh ottokajiii, such a great case awaits!" He looked positively overjoyed, like he just won a billion won lottery, and Ravi felt himself more and more intrigued by this continuous display of eccentricity coming from this particular man. He hadn't realized he had been staring until the man paused in buttoning his (abnormally long) coat midway and returned the stare. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and tilted his head to the side, with a small, eloquent smirk gracing his lips.
"Would you like to join me, Ravi-sshi?"
The said man blinked rapidly. "What?" It took a couple of seconds for the offer to dawn to him. He hurriedly stammered out a reply, "No. I mean--No. I wouldn't go with--Why would I go with--" The man raised one eyebrow, and Ravi cleared his throat to overcome his embarrassing stuttering. "I mean. I can't go with you. We don't know a thing about each other. I don't even know your name."
There was a pause, a brief silence where the man looked at Ravi in a way that was almost as if telling him how unbelievably obtuse he was when everything had been so obvious. Ravi stared back, expecting an answer, but nothing had prepared him for what happened next.
The man stepped forward. "I know you do paint jobs, only started it recently even, and I know that you're not exactly one for hygiene. You probably only shower once a day, at night, before bed. You also have a sister, a younger sister, with a rather wide age gap, maybe 6 to 7 years. She looks up to you a lot, and you're probably closest to her in your family, but you haven't had contact with her in a while. Probably because you decided to live apart from your family, most likely you had a big argument with them that made you unable to stay with them anymore." He said in one breath and in the same nonchalance someone would use when narrating about their day. The man made a move to walk out of the room, before swiftly returning and stopping in front of Ravi. "The name's Lee Jaehwan, but please address me as Ken. I'm a consulting zoologist. Animal expert." He ended with a grin.
"There! Now we're no longer strangers, are we?" He clasped his hands together, a concluding gesture.
Ravi was once again at loss for words. "Such job exist…? I didn't know..."
"Yes, I'm the only one in the world. I invented the job." The man, Ken, as he had introduced himself before, went rummaging through the clutter on the table by the window before putting several things into his inner pocket. He walked in somewhat hurried steps, before halting before Ravi. "So. Would you like to join me, Ravi-sshi?" He repeated the question.
Ravi didn't remember when exactly did he stand up from his seat, but he was now on eye-level with the other man. He fidgeted under Ken's stubborn and somewhat impatient gaze at him, before he opted to scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… I'm not a big fan of animals." He answered lamely.
"Aww," Ken cooed--actually cooed, as he closed the short distance between him and Ravi, the narrow table the only thing separating their bodies. He looked right into Ravi's eyes with a penetrating gaze. Ken tilted his head to the side (a habit, possibly?) and jutted his lower lip into a small pout. "That ginger terrier you saved is gonna cry when she hears that." He muttered, those full lips tugging upwards into a smirk.
Ken flapped his coat dramatically as he stalked out of the doorway. "N-hyung, we'll be back late." He announced without sparing a glance to the landlord standing by the wall.
Ravi scrambled and stumbled rather pathetically from his spot, before trailing after the still so ever mysterious Ken. "We? Who do you mean by we? I'm not--I won't be coming with you."
"And yet you're following me to the door." Ken pointed out after he spun around to face Ravi and nearly got the other man crashing into him. He smiled, in the same all too knowing and arrogant way that got Ravi both fascinated and honestly irritated. Ken pursed his lips together, his face taking a pitying look. "It'll be a shame if you don't, Ravi-sshi. Considering your background as a former veterinarian, you surely could be of some assistance." He grinned before turning onto his heels and exiting the flat.
Ravi was dumbfounded for the umpteenth time that day. "How did you--" He paused, re-thinking about everything that had happened that day from his meeting with Ken. "Never mind." He mumbled to himself. He glanced back and saw N standing by the stairs, obviously had been watching their exchange, judging from his subtly amused smile.
Ravi slipped into his jacket and zipped it up. "N-sshi, I'm still taking that room! Don't give it to anyone else!" He yelled before running after Ken who by then had managed to hail a cab.
N waved offhandedly as he watched the cab run along the street.
"Be careful, boys! Take care!"
*
a/n: Sorry if it doesn't make much sense ._. Hope you enjoyed it still? Thanks for reading! ♥