The breathy mist escaping Hongjoong's lips should have been a sign that it was too early to be up, but since his new roommate, there was no such thing as "too early" anymore. After all, sleep was just a social construct created so that the government could commit crimes at our most vulnerable moments. At least, that was what Hongjoong told himself at night to convince himself to stay up and work for just a few hours longer.

Early morning was always his favourite time on campus. The school was quiet, almost lifeless in a rather peaceful sense. The only ones awake at this ungodly hour were the birds, crazy all-nighters like himself and of course, the staff of his favourite coffee shop.

Mingi greeted him with a cheerful yet tired smile, which earned him a look of concern from his blue-haired hyung. "I think you should clock out Mingi, you look awful." Of course, no matter how sincere, Hongjoong wouldn't be himself if he didn't add some sort of snarky comment at the end of his sentence. But after knowing him for two years, Mingi was completely used to it and even chuckled in agreement.

"I could say the same to you hyung," the barista remarked, the smile still on his lips. Hongjoong watched as he turned around to prepare his drink. At this point, he had come in so many times that the entire staff had his drink schedule memorised since it changed depending on the hour. "Besides, I can't clock out yet. Not when I know you're going to be here for three hours stressing about school work that won't be due for at least two weeks."

Sad but true.

"Touché," Chuckled Hongjoong. He clapped his hands excitedly when Mingi slid over a fresh cup of black coffee. Before he could be warned about its temperature, the blunette put the cup straight to his lips and was then hit with instant regret a moment later.

"Careful, it's hot." Hongjoong glared at the redhead, who only chuckled at the way he fanned his tongue. One might say that it was sad how excited the young man got over a mere cup of plain coffee. But to Hongjoong, this piping hot concoction was a gift to humanity that he would be a fool not to worship.

Their conversation was brief, as Hongjoong told the younger student that he had some work to be done, but Mingi was still sure to check on him from time to time. The term was still fresh yet the work was endless, never-ending at least in Hongjoong's eyes. Overwork yourself, get graded, become disappointed, repeat. It felt like an endless cycle of ridicule and failure. No matter how hard he tried, there was always a little voice in the back of his head telling him to do better. Yet even on his best days, that voice would never go away.

Despite Mingi's and his peers' praise, Hongjoong always felt like he could do more.

That was how he had spent three hours at the cafe, typing away at his laptop, listening to his beats, catching up on school news through a rather popular blog and recording his notes. The Sun had risen by now and the usual flow of normal customers had begun to pour in. Mingi had gone a while back but Hongjoong would be sure to see him later on in class.

The blunette yawned with his arms stretched out high. He had gotten a decent amount done and he had to admit, he was rather proud of the work he had completed. A few hours of sleep sounded like a good reward. With the thought of seeing his bed, Hongjoong gladly began to pack up his belongings. Yet he halted when he noticed something just out of the corner of his eye.

Seonghwa.

Why did he have to be here of all places? Hongjoong cursed under his breath but was glad his presence had gone unseen. Seonghwa was too busy chatting up some girl to take notice of him yet. Or so he thought.

Just when Hongjoong put the last of his things in his bag, he could feel the presence of someone behind him. Though he didn't dare turn around. "Not going to say hi?" The deep voice chuckled. Hongjoong gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to puke at the sound of it.

"Don't you have girls to flirt with?" He spat. Even if he knew Seonghwa was behind, staring at him, breathing down his neck; Hongjoong refused to turn around. Not when he knew that Seonghwa could take advantage of him. "What? Bored already?"

He heard Seonghwa chuckle. A laugh of ill intent. Hongjoong knew it all too well. "Jealous, babe?"

"You wish. And I told you, stop calling me that..."

"Then why don't you tell that to my face," Hongjoong's breath hitched, a soft hand squeezing his side.

"D-Don't..." Uneven gasps were all he could stagger out. The smirk on Seonghwa's face was palpable, even without Hongjoong turning around. The hand travelled further, resting just on the bluenette's rear. Stop stop oh god stop...A low hum came from behind when Seonghwa took hold of his ass.

"Just as soft as before," he whispered. Finally, Hongjoong smacked his hand away. Whipping around, he opened his mouth to retaliate. Yet nothing came out. He could do nothing but stare at those deep brown orbs, his throat going dry within seconds. The younger's lack of reaction made Seonghwa coo. "Adorable. I knew you were still desperate for me. Still can't say no, can you?"

Anyone who noticed what was happening averted their gaze, leaving Hongjoong completely vulnerable in the hands of the older male. "B-Back off..." His hissed. Though it sounded more meek than he had intended it to.

"Why should I?" Seonghwa muttered, his face nearing Hongjoong's neck.

"I said...Back off!" With one push, Hongjoong shoved him off. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he tried his best to avoid Seonghwa's furious glare by racing out; but he was already being pulled back. With one yank, Hongjoong felt as though his life had flashed before his very eyes.

He hated how he allowed him to touch his body. He despised how cocky he was. But most of all:

I hate that I was yours.

-ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎˊ-

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for travelling with us, we hope you have enjoyed your flight. Welcome to Seoul.

Finally, after what felt like centuries of flying, Hongjoong was back home. He couldn't help but smile at that. Two years away and he was ready for a fresh start. The United States, while having its perks, could never replace the welcoming feeling of Korea. So when offered the chance to return for his time in college he jumped at the opportunity without any hesitation.

He chuckled at the way his parents so fretfully checked on their son while he retrieved his luggage from the baggage carousel. Despite now being nineteen, they still felt the need to remind him of basic Korean etiquette, constantly asking him to recall the proper honorifics and who to use them on. For the most part, he had spent much of his time in the states speaking English to get a quicker grasp of the language. Hongjoong had to tell them that, although his Korean was a bit rusty, two years was not that long and assured them that he'd be just fine.

The brunette dragged his suitcase through the airport, eyes scanning the various signs for the right exit. In his hand, his phone was linked to yet another friend, one from his childhood. "Having trouble, hyung?" Laughed the boy on the other end.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes at the way the younger teen chuckled. Yeah, maybe he had gotten a little lost, but can you blame him? It had been forever since he had to read anything in Korean...

"Give me a break. I'm just...Not used to airports..." The way Yunho giggled at this made Hongjoong's cheeks burn. "Yah," He grumbled. "Don't laugh."

"Hyung, I don't know how you'll visit me if you can't even walk around an airport. Will you even be able to make your way down the street?" Both stuck their tongues out, uselessly making odd sounds to discourage the other, to no avail. Even if they annoyed one another, Hongjoong still loved his best friend. By far, the thing he looked forward to the most was seeing him again.

The two met prior to Hongjoong leaving for the United States. It was their sophomore year when he left and the boys had been devastated. Thankfully, neither of them were too keen on cutting off their relationship. The two would facetime at least three out of the seven days of the week, and though the timezone proved to be a challenge, they managed to make it work. Not even distance could stop them.

"Promise me you'll visit before you move into your dorm?" Pleaded the younger male, his puppy dog eyes going wide, Hongjoong hardly resisting the urge to coo.

"We'll see," He responded. "First, I just need to find a way out of this airport. It's like a maze..."

"Don't get too lost hyung! I need you to pay for my meals when you get here."

"Yah! You brat," His teasing tone was met with a gasp of offence from Yunho, though it was all in good spirit. "You just wait until I see you again Yunho, I'll hit you across the head so hard you'll see stars! Mark my-" Hongjoong glanced up momentarily, eyes going wide to see a man less than a foot in front of him. Before he knew it, the brunette had stumbled over their feet in surprise, belonging sliding across the granite floors of the airport.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" The other man rushed into an apology as his hand wrapped around the smaller's waist and held him, safe from slipping. For just a moment, their eyes met. And suddenly, Hongjoong found himself staring into the dark brown pools of the stranger's gaze. Wavy, dirty-blonde hair resting just above his brows, still furrowed with concern.

Oddly enough, the stranger seemed to be examining Hongjoong as well. His messy brown locks, bed-ridden from hours on the plane. Hazel eyes, although tired, still sparkling through his glasses. And his lips, pink and puckered, waiting to find the right words to speak.

It took him a moment, and though it felt as though time had slowed, Hongjoong quickly snapped out of his trance when he noticed that his phone was face down on the floor. "Shit!" He muttered to himself, getting himself untangled from the stunning stranger's light grasp. Hongjoong swore under his breath at the sorry state of his now cracked device. "I knew I should've gotten a shockproof case..."

A light tap startled Hongjoong away from his cell. He whipped around to see the other male grinning at him, the younger's suitcase in hand. "This yours?" He questioned, head tilted to the side.

"Oh! Yeah, thanks!" While Hongjoong chuckled, he noticed the way the man continued to furrow his brows. After a few seconds too long, he finally realised that he had spoken to him in English and not Korean, mentally smacking himself across the head for such a dumb mistake. It's only been two years, why am I like this? "Sorry, thank you..." He replied, this time, in the appropriate language.

The other man smiled at such a mistake and even laughed. "It's alright. Sorry about your phone. Maybe I could make it up to you?" That statement had the smaller male intrigued, his hand resting on his hip while he listened further. "You're a foreigner, right? When's your next flight? I know a place nearby where you can get it fixed."

A snicker escaped Hongjoong's lips before he genuinely began to laugh at that. Then his grin fell, realising that he had just been called a foreigner in his home country and was beginning to question the meaning behind his life or if he really was who he thought he was to begin with. "Hello?" Said the stranger, instantly snapping Hongjoong out of his existential daze.

"Sorry! I was um...just thinking," He had no clue why but he was constantly throwing himself into deep pools of thought over the simplest things. Hongjoong made a promise to himself that he would learn to fall out of this bad habit of overthinking, as it was genuinely distracting. "I'm from Korea, actually. I've been away for two years though, so I've just got to get used to being back here I suppose..."

"Ah, I see now. Is that why you look so lost?"

"Ha, it's that obvious, isn't it?" The older nodded, smiling gently. "Think you could point me to the taxies? I've completely forgotten how to read."

A light hum came from the stranger. "If I tell you where to go, will you give me your name?" Such a cheeky question made Hongjoong giggle, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You could've just asked," He chuckled.

"True, but what's life without a little challenge?"

Cute... "It's Hongjoong," In response, the blonde pointed to the large glass doors just ahead of them. Barely fifteen feet away in fact. Hongjoong would have hit himself right then and there if he wasn't too busy being shocked by his own stupidity.

Right before he left for the obvious exit, he turned back towards the stranger, finding that he was watching him go. "What do I need to do to get your name?" He questioned.

"You could just ask."

"Hmm, nope. That would be too easy, wouldn't it?" The way he laughed was simply melodic. Deep yet beautifully airy. When he strutted forward, Hongjoong felt the warmth return to his cheeks, looking right back into his eyes. The stranger took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and then a pen. Saying:

"You could give me your number." Smirk plastered on his lips. A laugh might have escaped him, had it not been for the fact that Hongjoong genuinely wanted to know this ridiculous man's name. Bearing that in mind, he scribbled his digits on the paper and handed it back to the blonde, awaiting a response. "Seonghwa. Park Seonghwa. Might want to get that phone fixed soon, I'll be calling."

Nothing more was said, as Hongjoong only watched Seonghwa turn away, hips shaking while he strutted off. Whether or not it was intentional, he had no clue. But damn was it a treat for his eyes.

"Are you done thirsting, hyung?" Hongjoong's brow rose, going to fish his broken phone from his pocket. Shit, I forgot to end the call.

"Why didn't you hang up?"

"And miss the cringe? I don't think so."

---

The first thing Hongjoong did after he found his dorm room was go to get his phone repaired. It would take an agonising three days to get fixed. Within this inhumanly slow time, he got himself accustomed to, not only college life, but Korean life as well. Strangely enough, Korea isn't like America. Crazy right?

He met his roommate, Lucas. A sweet, albeit loud, boy who would be graduating the following year. Found a nice café he probably wouldn't spend much time at, and decorated his room. A new bed sheet, prettier curtains, different pillowcases. Though it wasn't much, it made the overall atmosphere more homey and was a good time waster.

The biggest letdown was not being able to see Yunho. The younger was surely awaiting his call and Hongjoong rehearsed his apology over and over again in his head.

Finally, when those three days were over, Hongjoong raced to the shop to pick up his device. It was good as new. Granted, it took more than he should've been willing to spend to recover it when he could have just gotten a new phone for nearly the same amount - but that was his wallet's problem, not his.

The first thing he did when he got back to his dorm was call Yunho, apologising profusely for not calling or visiting. Which was met with a sigh and a pouty acceptance. "Why do you sound so giddy? Because I know it's not because you haven't seen me..."

Hongjoong didn't bother fighting the grin on his face. "I'm just waiting for a call from Seonghwa, that's all..." He could practically hear Yunho roll his eyes.

"How do you know he isn't some sort of serial killer or rapist? What if it's all just a trap?"

"The man had sweater paws. He was the most unthreatening person I've seen in my entire life." Hongjoong didn't hesitate to gush at the memory of their first meeting. The way Seonghwa so protectively wrapped his arm around his waist, the melodic harp serenading the scene and the angelic lighting amplifying the older man's stunning features.

Well...Maybe that last bit didn't necessarily happen, and it was more like Hongjoong was clinging on for dear life while random strangers passing by judged and stared worriedly at their twisted state...but this was his life dammit and Hongjoong just chose not to think of it like that.

He couldn't help it. Despite the brunette's cynical attitude towards life, that didn't stop him from being somewhat of a hopeless romantic.

"Well, if he calls you and you go meet him, please be careful. I've seen Taken, I know how this all ends!" While Hongjoong found his phrasing rather entertaining, he appreciated Yunho's concern nevertheless. He had never had the best luck with romance, here or in the US. Not that he was necessarily looking to restart his love life three days after arriving. Yunho was just looking out for him, and for that, Hongjoong was thankful.

They continued to chat for a bit, refamiliarising themselves with one another and catching up. Yunho did most of the talking this time around as Hongjoong found himself succumbing to exhaustion from the harsh time zone difference. That being thirteen hours. Yet he did his best to remain attentive.

Yunho was in the middle of gushing about his boyfriend when Hongjoong was alerted of an incoming call. "Shit! It might be him!" The brunette shouted suddenly.

"Wait but I'm not done talking about-"

"Gotta go Yunnie, bye!" He switched the call not a moment later. Despite the fact that he knew Yunho was busy groaning on the other end of the line, Hongjoong chose to ignore it. Instead, he calmed his nerves and finally pressed the answer button.

"Took you a moment." Chuckled Seonghwa.

"Sorry, I don't usually answer calls from strangers."

It was pure bliss from there. Hongjoong wasn't sure how long he spoke to Seonghwa, it had to be for hours he was sure. He had no clue what filled that time. They just got to know each other. Bonding over small things like their mutual hatred of mint chocolate. Hongjoong just found comfort in the soothing sound of Seonghwa's voice. He didn't ever want to stop talking to him.

The topic of school eventually came up, and the brunette was shocked to hear that Seonghwa was actually a first-year student at KQ, the same as him. When relaying this to the older, Hongjoong giggled at the excitement in Seonghwa's voice when he proposed they make plans before school got too hectic. He happily accepted and sent him his dorm number.

"I can't wait to see you again, Hwa."

"Can't wait to see you too, Joongie."

Park Seonghwa was the blessing Hongjoong never knew he should have been praying for. The moment they met again, he felt his entire mood become uplifted. His aura was just so friendly and inviting. Hongjoong was captivated by it within seconds. Seonghwa must have thought so as well.

Every chance he got, he'd touch the brunette. Simple pats on the head, brushing his arm against his and the one that drove Hongjoong crazy, when he wiped the corner of his mouth, grinning slyly as he said: "You're quite messy, you know that, Joong?" The way he spoke to Hongjoong just sounded so angelic, like he was promising to be there for him and never leave his side.

Now, was Hongjoong getting just a little ahead of himself?

Possibly...but he would never admit it. He liked Seonghwa, and Seonghwa liked him. What more could he ask for? It was no surprise when they got together just three months later.

-ˋˏ *.·:·⟐..·:·.* ˎˊ-

Why did I get so ahead of myself? I should have known it was too good to be true... Those were the only things Hongjoong thought, and he knew if he stood there any longer he would be thinking much worse...

No matter how many times he saw this man, he would never get over the regret he felt seeing him. He would never forgive himself for the time he wasted on someone who wasn't worth it. Or the loads of affection he poured into him, only for it to amount to little to no return in the end.

With a split second of struggle, Hongjoong pulled himself away from Seonghwa once again. "Hongjoong, wait-" The blunette just started walking away, quickening his pace with every step. He didn't even give him the chance to speak. Why should he? It would only lead to heartache in the end anyway. As most interactions with the older man often did.

Seonghwa could see his car hastily pull out of the parking lot and, even from this distance, could tell that Hongjoong was close to tears.