"Chanhee. Chanhee? Chanhee? CHOI CHANHEE!"
"Huh? What?"
"You're about to burn our food." Joonyoung deadpanned.
"Oh! Sorry." Chanhee immediately took the pan off the stove.
"Yah! Isn't it hot?" Joonyoung said, alarmed.
"Huh? Oh, ouch." Chanhee only then registered burning pain and sucked his palm. Joonyoung huffed and brought over a damp cloth and put it over his palm.
"Why are you so zoned out? You almost hurt yourself and ruined the food, too." Chanhee didn't reply. After talking with Youngjae last night, past memories came up and he found himself reminiscing over it. He shook his head.
"Nah, it's just.........just that Youngjae and I also met someone yesterday."
"You guys are becoming social? I mean, I know Changmin and Youngjae love people but you and Younghoon? That's a surprise." Joonyoung said, amused. Chanhee frowned.
"It's not that Younghoon and I don't love people, we just prefer to stay by ourselves." Joonyoung waved off his small protest.
"So, who is it? That someone you two met."
Chanhee told Joonyoung what happened yesterday and Joonyoung burst out laughing. Chanhee frowned again.
"No offense, but he actually said you look pretty?" Joonyoung tried to stifle his laugh by covering his mouth. Chanhee frowned even harder and pouted.
"You guys are mean..."
"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that, normally, you would tell a guy that he's handsome and a girl that she's pretty. How come that Hyungseo guy tells you are pretty? It's just a bit amusing."
"....."
"Don't be mad, Chanhee. But I don't really think it's strange he wants to paint you though." Joonyoung said, continuing to fan the fire. He was brewing medicine.
"Why not? A stranger comes up to you saying you're pretty and wants to paint you. That's pretty strange to me." Chanhee said, putting away the damp cloth.
"Chanhee, we are gumihos. We naturally have that ability to attract and seduce humans. Maybe that guy fell for your charms."
"......"
"You can go, you know."
"Can I?" Chanhee looked at Joonyoung with sparkling eyes. Joonyoung nodded. To be honest, he was worried the guy might do something weird but Chanhee seemed pretty excited to get his own painting.
"But I'll come with you."
"Sure!" Chanhee hugged Joonyoung in delight and went away to get ready.
Chanhee entered his room and got his shoes to go down the city, then looked for his handkerchief.
"Huh? Where is it!" He panicked as he turned his bed upside down.
"Chanhee hyung! Joonyoung hyung said I can come with you." Youngjae shouted and came in. He also got his shoes on and grinned at him. Chanhee ignored him and continued looking for his handkerchief.
"What's with him?" Hwall asked Sunwoo. Sunwoo looked at who Hwall was gesturing at and found Hyungseo, sitting on the floor. He had his arms and legs crossed and his neck stretched out as if waiting for someone.
"He might have met someone yesterday. And he might be waiting for him."
"Why?" Hwall asked, taking a bite out of his apple.
"He wants to paint his portrait."
"Oh, so he's handsome?"
"According to Hyungseo hyung, he's pretty."
"Pretty? You said it's a 'he'."
"Yep, but he's pretty." Hwall stared at Sunwoo's straight face, trying to detect any hidden sarcasm. But found nothing.
"I wanna meet him."
"So does Hyungseo hyung." Sunwoo then left to brush his horse. Hwall was left eating his apple until Haknyeon came by.
"Yah, Hwall! Where were you yesterday? Hyunjae hyung and I were looking for you." He said as he sat down besides Hwall.
"Sorry, I just had stuff to do."
"What stuff."
"Chores." Haknyeon deemed the response satisfiable and took away the apple Hwall was eating. He finished it in two bites.
"Let's go. I need to deliver those crates to the Lee residence." Haknyeon said, getting up and ignoring Hwall's look of despair.
"That was my apple....."
"Come on!"
"Why did you come with us again?" Chanhee massaged his neck as Youngjae pranced around him and Joonyoung.
"Cause I wanna help you during your portrait." He said, innocently.
"Sohn Youngjae, I swear if you try to do anything else. I will not hesitate to kill you in your sleep." Chanhee pointed a finger at him. Joonyoung put it down and stood between them with his back to Youngjae.
"Now, now, Chanhee, Youngjae's just a kid. And I'm with you, so there's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of him." While Joonyoung was talking, Youngjae was sticking out his tongue at Chanhee from behind. Chanhee glared at him until someone caught his attention.
It was the same man from yesterday who showed him the violet flower. Now that he observed a bit more, the man looked like a sacred bone with his attire and demeanor. The three walked by the man and Chanhee was trying not to stare and bumped into Joonyoung walking in front of him.
"Oof! Hyung.....why did you stop?" Chanhee rubbed his forehead which hit Joonyoung's back. The lack of response made him look at Joonyoung. He could see a serious expression on his hyung.
"Joonyoung hyung?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Let's go." Joonyoung walked fast and Youngjae and Chanhee looked at him.
"You sensed it too?" Youngjae asked.
"That Joonyoung hyung was weird? Yep."
Joonyoung walked fast but then slowed down after a while. He was not mistaken. He had seen that man before. But just where?
"Give it up, hyung. He's not comin- "
"Chanhee-ssi! Hello!" Hyungseo got up in a flash and ran towards Chanhee who was just entering the yard. Sunwoo shut his mouth immediately.
"Hello."
"Hello. Hey, Youngjae and hello.....?" Hyungseo smiled brightly at Joonyoung.
"Joonyoung, nice to meet you." He introduced himself. Hyungseo nodded and turned to Chanhee.
"So, I take it that you would like your painting?" He looked at Chanhee expectantly and Chanhee nodded shyly.
"Brilliant! Here sit down! I'll just go get my stuff. Sunwoo! Get them some tea!" Hyungseo scrambled to get his bag inside the house.
"He was really waiting for you all morning, you know." Sunwoo said as he served the three tea.
"Thank you." Joonyoung said. Sunwoo smiled at him then it fell the minute he faced Youngjae. The latter was equally giving him a straight face. Chanhee rolled his eyes at the two.
"Got it!" Hyungseo came out and set his materials down, then grabbed a brush, "Ready?"
"Will it take long?" Chanhee asked.
"Not for long." Hyungseo replied. Chanhee nodded. Then Hyungseo excitedly began his work.
After some hours, he finished. It took a while because he was making two portraits.
"Wow, you're really talented!" Youngjae gave a thumbs-up to Hyungseo which made him swell with pride. Chanhee looked at his portrait. It was carefully made with soft strokes and intricate skills. He smiled at his own painting. Sunwoo observed his expression which slowly turned from inquisitive to delight as he smiled.
"Thank you." He finally said. Hyungseo shook his head.
"No, thank you. It's so satisfying to paint you."
"Thank you for the painting, Hyungseo-ssi. But we better be leaving now. It's almost sunset." Joonyoung said. Hyungseo frowned.
"Aww, I hoped we could've talked a bit more. That's a shame. Do you come from far?"
Chanhee and Youngjae looked at Joonyoung for the answer.
"We live just outside the capital." He gave a short reply. Hyungseo and Sunwoo nodded. Sunwoo had been holding onto Chanhee's handkerchief in his pocket, hesitating to give it back. After thinking for a bit, he left it in his pocket as it is.
"Hope you come again." Sunwoo said to Chanhee which the latter noticed a bit later.
"Oh, me? Sure." Chanhee gave a polite smile back. Sunwoo maintained a straight face but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hyungseo smirking at him.
They greeted each other and the three left.
"Hope you come again, huh?" Hyungseo said, the smirk still on his face.
"What? I say that to every customer." Sunwoo acted nonchalant.
"Really? How come I never heard you say it before?"
"I say it when you aren't here."
"I spend my time here most of the day, especially when you have the most customers." Sunwoo was thinking of a reply when Hyunjae came in. This was the only time Sunwoo thanked Hyunjae's shout. Hwall and Haknyeon followed.
"Do you seriously have to shout- "
"Every time I come here? Yes, I do." Hyunjae beamed at Hyungseo who rolled his eyes. Haknyeon was munching on a corn, not looking where he was sitting down and,
"YAH! Watch where you sit!" Hyungseo pushed Haknyeon away. Poor Haknyeon's corn flew out of his hands. He glared at Hyungseo.
"My corn..."
"Your fault. You should've looked where you were sitting." Hyungseo shrugged and collected his painting.
"Wait, who's that?" Hwall asked, looking at the painting in Hyungseo's hand carefully, "Is that the 'pretty' boy?"
"Pretty boy? Where?" Hyunjae asked, looking left and right. Hyungseo nodded proudly and showed them his masterpiece.
The three boys all had different reactions.
"Whoa, Moon Hyungseoooooooooo" Haknyeon pushed Hyungseo lightly in the arms making Hyungseo blush a bit.
Hyunjae and Hwall didn't say anything.
"Hyunjae hyung? Hwall? Is it not good?" Hyungseo asked, worried as they didn't respond.
"It's great." Hyunjae said.
"Yep. It looks beautiful." Hwall followed. Hyungseo, Haknyeon and Sunwoo looked at him weird but shrugged it off. They continued talking about something else.
The two silent boys were in their own thought space.
Why does he look familiar?, both Hwall and Hyunjae thought.
A familiar voice resonated into Hwall's head,
"Hyunjoon-ah"
A/N: I just finished my tutorial submission today and I am sooo free until the last week of next month! Yes, this girl procrastinate to her best and writes assignments until the deadline.
Hope you are enjoying the story!