Pairing: Ken/Hongbin
For: Aka <3
A/N: This turned out really long and I'm sorry because it's cliche and dumb but I hope it's alright
"Hongbin realises that Jaehwan is perfection in it's deepest and truest meaning"
Hongbin was scheduled to do another drama with the stereotypical, stupid and cliche "I'm a rich handsome boy who's going to fall in love with a poor girl" plot. He's sick and tired of having to do the exact same acting with slightly different lines and just that little bit of different drama (Either his mother's an ass or his father's an ass)
Regardless, he still manages to maintain his too-big smile while shaking hands with the producer of the drama before quickly making an exit to find his van. A few moments after he's settled in his seat, his manager, Hakyeon, comes in.
"Yah, that was pretty rude! Normally you'd at least make small chat with the staff but today you just left? How could you do that?" Hakyeon nagged. Hongbin only sighs and mutters a small I'm sorry before taking out his ipod and plugging in his earphones. Hakyeon shakes his head in reply to Hongbin's attitude and shoves a piece of paper towards him before starting the van.
The piece of paper was the OST list for the "up and coming" (more like terrible) drama he was going to be in and he glanced through it casually, wondering if there would be anything actually worth listening to in the list. Hongbin had started doing this as a tradition, 'to get into the mood of the drama' so to say, so that he'd be able to provide the best acting job he could give. It wasn't very hard for him nowadays though, because he's been getting the same stupid kind of insignificant roles that didn't actually need much acting.
Hongbin sighs again, a slightly deeper sigh than the one he had given Hakyeon before and he continues looking through the OST list he was given. "That looks like it wouldn't be half-bad" he thought, spotting an unfamilar name, Lee Jaehwan, with a song called, "Memories of You". Hongbin finds the song and downloads it quickly, listening to it as he watches the scenery pass by outside the van's window.
He is stunned of course. The singer's voice, was stunning. It was like smooth, grounded coffee beans: rich and smooth and absolutely delicious. He wished he could listen to it talking to him and singing lullabies everyday. Hongbin even wondered what this Jaehwan guy's voice would sound like laughing. Needless to say, Hongbin was completely and utterly intrigued.
When he arrived at his house/dorm, he muttered a quick bye to Hakyeon and rushed up the stairs, avoiding the fangirls waiting outside his building. Hongbin was determined to find out more about whoever this Lee Jaehwan guy is and make him his friend.
Lee Jaehwan. Born on April 6 1992. 'Lee Jaehwan is a singer......." Hongbin reads through Jaehwan's fancafe and wiki and manages to feel an even deeper attraction for him. It was like love at first hearing. Hongbin doesn't know what he feels but he's slightly obsessed (and that is a big deal, because he only feels that way when he talks about his Park Hyoshin-nim)
Hongbin glances through the schedule of events Jaehwan has and finds out that he'd be having a concert in a week. Hakyeon soon gets a call to cancel anything and everything next Friday from a somewhat out of breath Hongbin and Hakyeon sighs because he's used to it and knows this was probably one of Hongbin's new obsessions. (Hakyeon still manages a tiny smile because at least he knows Hongbin is feeling a little bit better.)
It's Friday and Hongbin has on a cap and sunglasses and he sneaks out the back exit because he knows there will be fangirls but he doesn't want to be late. He scurries off to the sideroad and quickly hails his booked taxi. During the ride, he listens to Jaehwan's entire album and Hongbin feels a certain feeling of deja vu when he stares down at the picture of Jaehwan while listening. He feels like he knows him. "But, from where?", he thinks, his thoughts abruptly short-lived because he's arrived at the venue and oh no it's going to start in 5 minutes.
Hongbin gives the driver 50000 won and quickly exits, muttering a quick "Keep the change." before rushing off to the concert hall.
He is out of breath by the time he reaches his front row seat and he sits down, taking big gulps of air just so he'd feel a tiny bit more relaxed. He looks at the audience around him and it's mostly women and dragged out boyfriends. He feels like a weirdo but he is soon distracted by the arrival of Lee Jaehwan.
Hongbin is breathtaken and confused. Jaehwan was wearing a pair of sunglasses and when he said, "Well I can see that there are many of you here today." people in the audience laugh and well, Hongbin's not entirely sure why. He turns to the girl next to him and quickly asks, "Why was that funny?"
The girl glares at him, "He's blind, you fool." Hongbin feels bitter because he hasn't actually been insulted in the longest time and also because he has this feeling of "how could i not have known". He sits stumped, silent because something about Jaehwan being blind makes him feel a bigger love for the man.
A wonderful, melodious voice filled the air as the lights in the audience darken and there's a single spotlight just for Jaehwan. Hongbin stifles a gasp: Jaehwan was completely and utterly perfect at that moment. Hongbin feels a loud thudding in his chest and he's confused, "Did I just fall in love at first sight" he thinks to himself. But he is then utterly and completely distracted by Jaehwan and his beautiful voice. Jaehwan's voice was buttery and it was like strokes of a painter's skilled hand on a blank canvas: it filled the place up and it made people feel like they were being renewed.
Hongbin is stunned of course when the 2 hour concert ends like it was 2 minutes. And he feels a sudden emptiness in him as he watches Jaehwan walk backstage. He almost leaves his seat when he overhears a person on stage talking about an exclusive meet and greet ticket that was place under one lucky audience member's seat.
Hongbin checks his seat and he almost gives the sort of scream his fangirls normally did. He feels almost giddy, like his surroundings were surreal and he raises his hand when the guy on stage asks who had the ticket. He smiles an actual genuine smile as he is brought backstage and he feels his heartbeat increase more than it did during the concert. Hongbin feels as if he might faint.
He is brought outside Jaehwan's dressing room and he knocks the door quietly. A happy, cheery voice from inside half-shouted a " Come in!" and Hongbin smiles again. He enters, his footsteps sounding harsh and heavy in the quiet of Jaehwan's room.
Jaehwan sits facing the mirror and Hongbin finds this ironic because well Jaehwan can't actually see. He sees a grin forming on Jaehwan's face and he almost faints because it was the epitome of cuteness but of course a stupid joke comes out of his mouth and all Hongbin can do is laugh because even though it's stupid he completely loves it.
"Hi, uhm, Jaehwan-shii. My name is Hongbin and I'm also from the entertainment industry. You see.." Hongbin starts blabbing on how he found Jaehwan's music and how he fell in love with his voice and how he was going to act in a drama with his ost. He gets so enraptured by his own talking that he fails to see Jaehwan physically stiffen.
Jaehwan clears his throat loudly and he mutters "Well isn't that great, can we just get going now. We can take a photo together for memories' sake but I have to get going after this." Hongbin's blabbering was cut off and he stares limply and Jaehwan feeling like he had bitten on the hard part of a popcorn too hard. He felt amazingly bitter and Hongbin doesn't know whether Jaehwan was really like that or whether it was because of Hongbin. He sighs slightly and with a too cheery tone he says, "Sure, use my phone."
This time Hongbin notices Jaehwan stiffening and he's not entirely sure why Jaehwan reacts that way. Hongbin's head is filled with lingering thoughts as he scoots closer to Jaehwan, finally smelling the citrus scent that Jaehwan was wearing. He takes it in, feeling his cheeks blush at their close proximity.
Since he knows Jaehwan would be unable to see him, Hongbin stares long and hard at Jaehwan's face. The curves of his nose and cheeks and eyebrows that make him look soft and comfy. The upwards curls of his lips even when he wasn't smiling. Hongbin wishes he could see Jaehwan's eyes and he chides himself for being an insensitive prick.
Hongbin is surprised when he feels Jaehwan's slightly rough and warm hand on his face. The light finger strokes trace Hongbin's features, starting from the side of his face, to the bridge of his nose then stopping on Hongbin's lips. Hongbin almost doesn't dare to breath because he feels overwhelmed and it's as if his heart had grown wings and was about to burst out of his chest. They both sit in silence and Hongbin feels the air in the room get warmer and warmer before Jaehwan quietly says, "Well, you've grown up well haven't you?"
Hongbin doesn't know what to say in response because he's not entirely sure what Jaehwan means and before he can react Jaehwan places his lips on his and Hongbin is sure time has stopped. He slowly falls deeper into the kiss and when they part to breathe, Hongbin feels hollow and empty because to him, Jaehwan had filled in a part of him he doesn't even know he was missing.
Jaehwan spouts a quick "I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking" but all Hongbin does is give him a kiss in reply and this time Hongbin's hand is wrapped around Jaehwan's neck and they kiss for even longer. Jaehwan lets his hands travel to Hongbin's hair and he curls his fingers in, straining to get a deeper kiss with Hongbin.
The room is filled with sounds of heavy breathing and Hongbin doesn't know what's come over him but he pushes Jaehwan's sleeve up and now he knows. (Hongbin thinks it over and he's sure he's probably known from the start, the moment he heard Jaehwan's voice.)
"It's.... You." Hongbin says, his heart stopping in his chest. Jaehwan nods slightly, "Yeah... Me".
And all Hongbin manages to say is a choked, "Where have you been, Ken?" before his tears spill and pour, the guilt of what he felt for the past 10 years overwhelming him completely.
They were 18. Jaehwan had went by the name Ken in the past, it was a slightly desperate attempt of him at hiding his identity that he found embarrassing. Hongbin was the rich kid, the one who had popularity, looks and was the closest thing to perfect. Ken was his polar opposite; he was poor, not very good looking and a loner. The close friends he had wondered why he was always so alone when Ken was actually pretty funny and sociable; they didn't know about the the self esteem issues he'd try to hide and the way he'd constantly compare himself to Hongbin (who he thought was the definition of perfection.)
One day, by a strange twist of fate, both Ken and Hongbin were late for class and were rushing. In the empty hallways, they managed to run right into each other, Hongbin falling flat on top of Ken. It was history after that, the both of them realizing that the misplaced feeling inside of them of being incomplete was completely filled up by the other.
It happened then of course, the moment when they were too happy; the both of them came crashing from cloud nine.
"Stop talking about Ken like he's not here!" Hongbin half-shouted at his mother. He was almost blown out drunk and the both of them were at Hongbin's house. Ken could feel Hongbin's mother glaring at him with anger as if to blame him on how bad their mother-son relationship was. He wasn't sure what to do but before he could apologise Hongbin had already grabbed Ken's arm too tightly while hissing, "Let's get out of this hell."
It wasn't as if Ken hadn't seen this imperfect side of Hongbin before. In fact, he was reassured that Hongbin had a bad point like this, it made him feel as if he had a role to play in Hongbin's life (as Hongbin's caretaker of course). It didn't mean that the drunken Hongbin never scared Ken; sometimes it made him feel helpless when Hongbin would pin him against the wall and kiss him senseless, the only thing Ken can taste being the alcohol on Hongbin's tongue.
Ken felt goosebumps rise on his skin when the both of them stepped into the cold night air. He cursed silently - he had forgotten to bring out his coat. Hongbin drunkenly led Ken towards the car asking him to bring them anywhere, anywhere that wasn't here. Ken obliged and got into the driver's seat.
They drove for a few miles before trouble started. "Why does she always have to be like that?" Hongbin slammed the dashboard, getting furious at anything and everything. Ken jolted off his seat slightly, surprised after the heavy silence that filled the car beforehand. Ken mumbles an I don't know quietly, knowing that Hongbin needed to release his feelings.
Hongbin angrily punched the dashboard again, another action Ken didn't expect. Ken started feeling like driving was a bad idea and was about to stop by the curb of the road. All of a sudden. Hongbin pushes Ken against the driver's side window, Ken had let go of the wheel in surprise.
It was blissful for a moment, the sensation of Hongbin's warm lips against his, but before long, the only thing Ken is able to feel is pain everywhere and an ear-breaking screech of tires.
Hongbin wakes up in a hospital all by himself, blank spots in his memory here and there. It was only a few years later that he remembers what happened and he learns the truth from his mother
"Ken... We paid him to get away from you. He was a pest, he caused you to lose your sight., he was the problem. So we paid him, for his eyes and for him to get away. He didn't accept any though, but after the eye surgery he left saying that he wouldn't be back. He even looks different too, the only thing he asked for was money for plastic surgery. Honestly it was for the better." his mother says indignantly. It takes all of Hongbin to not shake her by the collar and curse and swear and get angry at everything. He only howls in desperation because the guilt he feels attack him every night, the feeling of Ken's lips on him get him stiff and all in all, it's how much he misses Ken that bothers him the most.
Hongbin cries his heart out, seeing Ken - no wait Jaehwan- sitting in front of him, still living life happily when Hongbin's been treating life as if it was a burden more than a gift. Jaehwan only pats Hongbin on the back, while Hongbin cries.
In between sniffles, Hongbin asks, "Why did you do that for me?" Jaehwan only smiles and says, "I'm your caretaker silly. And I love you." It was only then that Hongbin realises that Jaehwan is perfection in it's deepest and truest meaning.