@noeulchr REWIND: APR 2021
if joon is tantamount to a raging thunderstorm, one that threatens to bring down the sky, then noeul would be like a light morning drizzle, the kind that makes you want to snuggle under your covers and sleep in. in other words: noeul is comfort, solace, and safety, but he’s also nothing like joon. the first time joon showed up at noeul’s birthday party in high school, he heard someone whisper, “how are the both of them friends?” he thought the same to himself on his twentieth birthday, when noeul stuck out amongst his friends at the club, both with his dad-like dance moves and his propensity to strike up a friendly conversation with the bartender, instead of flirting with people by the dance floor. (it was the first time joon had left his own birthday party early—he figured he’d have more fun getting takeout with noeul. and he did.)
usually, you’d have most of your firsts with a lover. oddly enough, joon has most of his with noeul. (granted, he’s never really had a real lover.) he was the person he took his first sip of beer with, the person he went to the bathhouse with for the first time (did it without their parents knowing because god forbid their precious sons went to a grubby bathhouse for commoners, right?) and the first person he drove around after he got his driver’s license (he lied to his then girlfriend that it was her though). now, he’s also the reason joon visited a plant nursery for the first time, and actually left with one in his arms. no, he did not change his mind about plants, he still stands by his belief that plants (along with other responsibilities like pets and children) are only going to lower his quality of life. he can barely keep up with one committed relationship, what more devote his time to other living things whose survivability is solely dependent on him?
now, birthdays are no longer celebrated with acquaintances at parties and clubs. they do it just the way they like it—with takeout and beer. joon pushes the doorbell to noeul’s apartment, backing away from the peephole camera when he hears his footsteps approaching. a childlike grin fans across his face as he hugs the bonsai plant to his chest, hoping his friend wouldn’t catch sight of him. he’s sure noeul would never guess it’s him at the door (after all, he knows the pin number to his apartment and has no qualms about making himself comfortable whether or not he was home). “surprise!” joon cheers, sticking his arms out to present noeul the new addition to his little bonsai family. “happy birthday.”