Ha Yoon sighs to himself and studies the business card with half-lidded eyes.

“Dae Won, do you want to meet up with Ki Tae?” Ha Yoon asks aloud from where he’s lying on the couch.

Dae Won finishes drying the last of the dishes and looks over his shoulder. “Ki Tae? Tonight?”

“Yeah, he works at a bar and he invited me for some drinks. It’ll be our reunion!” Ha Yoon grins, “Just like old times?”

“That sounds great!” Dae Won lights up. “Oh wait, I think I have an online conference.”

“Tonight?” Ha Yoon quirks an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it’s an international conference. Unfortunately, only this time works for the client.” Dae Won apologizes, “You know what? You two have fun. I’ll join you when the time works for us all.”

Ha Yoon’s stomach flips. Part of him is saddened that they can’t have their reunion. After all, they have gone through a lot of rough times and this will be the first get-together since they graduated. The other part of him becomes anxious at the thought of meeting Ki Tae alone.

“What’s up?” Dae Won asks.

“Just nervous. It’s been a while, ya know?” Ha Yoon says, “I’ve become what we vowed not to be - a boring adult who conforms to society despite who we truly want to be.”

Dae Won comes up to the couch where Ha Yoon is sitting and joins him. “Don’t worry too much about it. I’m sure Ki Tae will understand.”

This is it. Dae Won’s smile, his positive reassurance, his warm ambience. This is what made Ha Yoon fall for him all those years ago. Will he be able to one day truly express his love to Dae Won?

In his bedroom, Ha Yoon shuffles through the wardrobe and his mood deflates at the bland colours and styles. Plain shirts and multiple pairs of jeans. Back during high school, he had a wider variety of blouses and skirts, jumpers and scarves. Even his hair could be styled in so many different ways with cute accessories. But now he needs to downgrade his wardrobe to pass as an adult man.

The chilly night welcomes him into its embrace. The cityscape blinks with flashy lights and nightlife, a familiar scene from Ha Yoon’s younger years. His black shirt and faded blue jeans are bare against the neon lights and sparkling windows as he hurries to the address written on the business card.

Soon enough, the cool air conditioner and musky pine scent greets him. Dim lights hang on the ceiling, hugging the few couples slow-dancing in the middle of the floor. 

A familiar figure stands behind the bar, but unlike during the day, he is dressed in a neat white dress shirt and black vest. Ki Tae looks up when Ha Yoon walks in and a smile immediately appears on his lips. “Welcome, glad to see you so soon.”

“You did invite me,” Ha Yoon takes a seat at the bar, his heart beating against his ribcage. “Now, will I get a delicious drink?”

“Of course,” Ki Tae grins and his quick hands shuffle several bottles as he begins mixing a drink. “You still like it sweet right?”

“M-hmm,” Ha Yoon keeps his eyes on Ki Tae’s movements. Compared to Dae Won, Ki Tae is more on the slimmer side with toned muscles peeking through the white dress shirt. Seems like Ki Tae has bulked up since their teenage years. But even so, the cool dark prince aura remains.

A sparkling shade of blue and pink sits in the martini glass. Ki Tae presents the drink with a swift motion of his hand.

“How pretty!” Ha Yoon smiles as he brings the glass to his lips.

“Of course. It suits you well.” Ki Tae reaches out and brushes a strand of hair off the side of Ha Yoon’s face. “You’ve changed a lot but you’re still the prettiest in my eyes.”

The comment catches Ha Yoon off guard. Perhaps he has misheard it. But the bar is far too quiet for Ha Yoon to mistake Ki Tae’s words and when the meaning of the words sits in, Ha Yoon feels the rush of heat across his cheeks. His body tingles. His nipples perk underneath the binder. The warmth spreads to his abdomen and settles between his legs.

“After everything that happened, the years we were apart…” Ki Ta’s voice is mellow and gentle, “But life brought us back together. If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is.”

Ha Yoon swallows. All these years, while he was focused on Dae Won’s shine, he hadn’t given Ki Tae much serious thoughts even when they fooled around. Maybe it was teenage curiosity. Maybe it was sexual frustration. But in Ha Yoon’s darkest days of identity crisis and one-sided crush, Ki Tae accepted all of his tears and agony. Now seeing the man five years older, with an adult charisma while still retaining his boyish charms, Ha Yoon can’t stop his heart from beating so loudly in his ears.

“What say you,” Ki Tae places his hand on Ha Yoon’s and intertwines their fingers, “We pick up where we left off?”

The air around them heats up. Ha Yoon glances away, but Ki Tae’s deep gaze remains on him. His body shudders at the anticipation but his heart wavers at the thought.

Ha Yoon forces a smile and tugs his hand away. “We should all have a proper reunion. You, me, Dae Won. He’s busy tonight but next time for sure!”

Silence settles in. Ki Tae’s expression turns rigid at the mention of Dae Won. Wide eyes. Blood cold.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you? We’re flatting together. He works at the bank now and he’s really cleaned up, like every other person you see in the offices. I’m sure it’s hard to believe when he’s so well-known in the streets. The famous punk that every high school gang knows about… but he’s doing very well now! Totally different but still the same Dae Won we know!” Ha Yoon’s anxiety slowly fades away as he chatters about Dae Won.

As the night envelopes them in its cool blanket, Ki Tae continues to watch Ha Yoon’s smile. A bright smile that shows no lies, a bright smile that is genuine to a fault. A stark contrast to Ki Tae’s.