Work Text:
FELIX @felixart_official
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[levanterwatercolor.jpg]
(h.hynjin and 874.5k others liked this post)
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There’s a new visitor at Hyunjin’s store, and Hyunjin thinks he’s the personification of dewy spring evenings and star-speckled poppy fields, or the pleasant hum of the air conditioner that Hyunjin thinks is perfect to match the pitch of—not too high and not too low, right in Hyunjin’s mediocre vocal range. He’s like a little pixie, flitting forward and back around the various works of art, an inquisitive look on his face.
Hyunjin’s place of work may be a bootleg institution where copies of decently popular pieces of art are sold and commercialized, but his boss had given him almost-free reign to choose the pieces come this Christmas—and while Hyunjin aims to choose pieces that aren’t barred by copyright laws or by artists who strive to get their pieces out there, he still loves the collection they have at their little store.
Mildly illegal, sure, but it pays the bills and helps fuel his “starving-artist” career. Located in the outskirts of the suburbs where nobody cares enough to tattle, the building’s inviting enough to welcome people in for the holidays (decor credits: Han Jisung’s magic hands), but Hyunjin’s heart lies in the true center of the store—his new collection he’s gathered by upcoming artist Felix . Nobody knows what he looks like—second-hand Reddit forums and conspiracy theories are vague, if anything, and the art is too… delicate to be generated.
Normally, Hyunjin hates customers who trail their hands over the pieces, lingering at each booth with no real look of interest (and getting oily fingerprints over the delicate varnish), but the customer seems to be truly enthralled by each work his hands flutter over, before he approaches one he seemingly likes and makes his way close to where Hyunjin is leaning against the register.
His hair is a wispy grey, and not in the way that a few of Hyunjin’s strands are greying at the ripe age of twenty-three, but in the artfully-dyed, fairy-like ethereal way. He also smiles at Hyunjin, nervously tapping his fingers at the front counter when he comes to the register with a watercolor frame by one of their best-selling artists— Felix— in his small, friendly palms. In fact, Hyunjin thinks his hands look very amicable. If they were human, then Hyunjin would definitely want to be friends with them.
The man’s thumbs brush over the intricate strokes of a sandy landscape, foamy water tickling the surface, lit red by an overarching sun. There’s a small dog in the corner, and a girl’s silhouette is barely cut off by the edge of the small canvas—obvious enough to be there, but not obvious enough to take over the focus of the painting. That, however, is the array of shells dappled throughout the waves, each unique enough in size and shape to capture the eye of any keen observer. Nevertheless, he musters up the courage to say “That’s one of my favorite artists,” barely stumbling over the words. It seems to please the man, and his eyes widen for a second in surprise before he smiles gently.
“Can you gift wrap this to an ‘Olivia,’ please?” His voice is far deeper than Hyunjin expects, and his brief discontentment from not getting a verbal response to his comment is taken by the sheer vocal and visual dichotomy the man has (and the fact that he’s talking to Hyunjin!). Of course, it’s immediately slashed by the feeling that this “ Olivia ” must be a girlfriend.
“Yeah,” Hyunjin mumbles, finishing wrapping up the small painting and reaching for a slightly crumpled sticker, attempting to wrench it off the parchment paper with too-long nails. It keeps slipping between his grasp, so abandoning all forms of nonchalance, Hyunjin sets down the painting with an aborted groan, focusing all his attention onto the stupid sticker with its stupid frills and thinking about the man’s stupid girlfriend. It’s only after he struggles with it for a solid five minutes that he hears a stilted giggle, and ready to confront a rude customer with a flushed face, he stops short when he sees the pixie-man’s gently amused eyes, somehow more disarming than his voice.
It’s with this close-up angle that he sees how the man is smiling kindly into his firetruck-red scarf, matching the rosy color of his cheeks. His hands are tucked into the pockets of his dark woolen trench coat, brushing the tops of grey slacks that match the color of his hair and are tucked into muddy-brown boots. His hands are imperceptibly stained with white and blue paint, and this close, it’s obvious that he’s been working on a piece recently, considering how the space under his nails is tinted a pastel blue and there are remnants on his ratty white shirt he wears under everything—one figment of normalcy hidden underneath an otherwise fashionable outfit.
“Need some help?”
Hyunjin’s ears turn red and he begins to duck down, apologizing profusely. “I—I’m sorry. You can just—I’ll—I’m so sorry—”
“Hey, you’re alright. No worries at all. You’ve almost got it!” And then he smiles, and it’s a million fucking megawatts and Hyunjin’s caught staring for a bit before he hastily manages to rip off the sticker and slap it carelessly on the package, sealing the wrap shut.
“You—you’re really kind. I’m sorry. Here. I hope you enjoy. Or, Olivia. Whoever. I like this artist. They’re my favorite. I love how they capture life—their perspective of it, at least. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as talented as them. It’s a great anniversary present. For your girlfriend. Merry Christmas—or, well, not yet, since it’s technically tomorrow. You know,” Hyunjin rambles, because he’s a fucking idiot and can’t stop fucking repeating himself and stuttering and staring at a fugly band poster behind the customer, “you’re really pretty. Yeah.”
Instead of seeing the ugly, almost pitiful look Hyunjin gets whenever he goes off on one of his tangents, the man’s face is… crimson, for some reason. Nevertheless, he maintains steady eye-contact with Hyunjin once he looks back, and flashes that megawatt smile again, except it’s shyer, now, a bit more hesitant. “Olivia’s my older sister. And… I’m glad you like Felix’s work. I’m sure he’d be really grateful someone as gorgeous and perceptive as you likes his pieces, and that someone truly appreciates that depth of life he tries to grasp.”
He takes the painting from Hyunjin’s arms, spinning out before Hyunjin can say anything, brain shooting out distress messages like a broken record. Then, right in front of Hyunjin’s widened eyes, he fucking bolts out the door, Chirstmas bells jingling merrily as he books it out of the green wallpaper of the store, door quivering upon his exit.
Hyunjin’s… disappointed, for some reason, yet places the back of his hand against his scarlet face, feeling the warmth there. He’s about to retire to the back rooms to process what just happened, but before he can do anything, the bell of the door is jingling again, and the man who just left is panting in the doorway, foot barely holding the door open. “My—my name’s Yongbok, by the way,” he stops for a heavy breath, “and Merry Christmas!”
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bbokz @yongboksks
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just met the love of my life im gonna marry this man someday
min1 @meanhoe
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imagine being so down bad for someone
min2 @skykim
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Hyung we are in the same bed
min1 @meanhoe
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delete this
i love lesbians @ayedomino
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you say this every week
bbokz @yongboksks
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NO ITS REAL THIS TIME I PROMISE i got his name it was on his nametag
hyunjin from maxident arts you are Mine
bnag nach @cb97
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Wait dm me
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FELIX @felixart_official
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[snowkissed.jpg]
(h.hynjin and 507.7k others liked this)
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There’s a sticker peeling at the bottom of Hyunjin’s paintbrush. He’d wrapped it around just perfectly—so that the floppy, elongated ears of the cartoon puppy just brushed the rough strokes of its body, just peeking out under a maroon t-shirt. It’s barely brushing the edge of Hyunjin’s pinky, glue clinging to paint-ridden skin, but once he notices it, he’s hyper-aware of it.
Every sleight of Hyunjin’s hand encourages the thin piece of plastic to grab onto the ridges of his fingers and gradually peel off, the process repeating until the material pathetically slides against his skin and Hyunjin is left hunched over the brush, forgoing actually painting in favor of wiggling his finger around for several minutes, in an attempt to revive the adhesive’s grip. The sticker remains stubbornly lax, and Hyunjin is left feeling more disappointed about the limp, almost slippery paper than he is his unfinished painting.
The disappointment and frustration creeps up his back in an irksome mess , and before Hyunjin knows it, his head is pressed up against his knees, palms firm against his chest in an attempt to regulate his breathing. Hyunjin loves art. He’s supposed to love art. Except it’s seemed lately that every time he puts paint to canvas, his mind flits off in a million different directions and goes more off-tangent than a lonely, pathetic bee trying to find honey in a mural. He knows he’s not going to get far when his brain is all… jumbled, but Hyunjin hopes, sometimes, that he can break past the words and the sounds and the pictures and the way that everything is just the same and he just can’t change—
—he can’t do this anymore. Staring dejectedly at an unfinished snowscape—a pathetic piece that was supposed to reference Felix’s latest piece and somewhat celebrate the holiday season, Hyunjin sighs and gets out his phone. He needs a break.
h.hynjin
Hi
foxiny
hi hyung its 1am go to sleep
h.hynjin
Hello Jeongin
You’re awake, too
What are you doing?
foxiny
jesus why do you sound like my mom
h.hynjin
wyd
foxiny
never mind go back GO BACK GO BACK
h.hynjin
Can we meet up at the 24-hour café?
foxiny
omw >:D
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Hyunjin almost feels bad for the girl working the night (or morning, Hyunjin thinks) shift—the bags under eyes rival even his senior, Chan’s, and her movements are hazy, like a lagging video that keeps buffering every other second. Either way, Jeongin looks positively rejuvenated, sipping his orange juice with increasingly enthused noises, not minding the condensed mess the bottom of his glass has made. The liquid is slowly trickling down the ratty brown table, and Hyunjin’s eyes trace the trail of liquid as it reflects the soft blue lights as he waits for Jeongin to finish his juice.
His own water (room temperature, three blocks of cubed ice) sits untouched, and is being eyed hungrily by Jeongin across the table. Finishing his juice with a long slurp, Jeongin levels his beady, fox-like eyes shadowed by an old grey hoodie that Hyunjin has seen more times than he’s seen his grandmother.
“So.”
“So.”
“You’ve got me drinking orange juice when I’m supposed to be fast asleep.”
“You were gaming.”
”Fast asleep. Whatever. Is this a ‘call-Minho-hyung’ situation? Is everything alright?”
“I… can’t paint.”
“Artist’s block? Don’t you go through this enough as… well… an artist?”
“No,” Hyunjin starts, trying to get his thoughts out. “I can’t paint. I keep… getting in my head, and there’s a stupid sticker on my paintbrush, and I don’t know what I’m doing, and I don’t even want to go back to the store because I’m scared the guy will come back, and then I can’t get enough money to stay in school, and—”
“Hyung. Breathe, please. I’m glad you’re communicating and talking to me, but it looks like there’s a lot going on. Let’s… break this all down. Do you want to make a pros and cons list?”
Jeongin pulls out his phone, and the Notes app stares enticingly at Hyunjin. It’s times like this when Hyunjin thinks about how grown his friend has become, ever since they first met years ago while volunteering at a ratty old shelter. Jeongin knows how to talk him down, get him out of his head, and make Hyunjin want to keep going, just for a bit. And… he loves him for that.
Hyunjin would kiss Jeongin, and he tells him so. He then promptly gets smacked in the shoulder by a disgusted Jeongin, almost knocking down his water and startling the girl at the counter so hard she jumps three feet.
He’s already feeling better.
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Hyunjin can’t paint. Maybe he needs a break. Hyunjin’s thoughts keep overwhelming him. Find a productive outlet he loves , and indulge in that. Hyunjin’s outlet is supposed to be painting, but that’s starting to… not work. It’s fine. It’s okay. Breaks are good , and they’re helpful, and instead of Hyunjin feeling like he’s taking a step back, his back foot’s just coming forward to meet his front one. Hyunjin doesn’t know what he’s doing, spending his time painting. That’s okay, he has a lot of time to figure things out.
If painting makes him happy, then stay in school and go back after the last few days of the holidays. If it doesn’t, then take his time and pursue something else if he needs to. Never let it be said Yang Jeongin was an idiot. The list goes pretty well, with the exception of one fox-like man finding out about a certain freckled customer who, for some reason, doesn’t stare at Hyunjin with carefully hidden pity, but rather with fond adoration—if the next few days at work and the shy glances shared over aisles makes any difference.
(“Hyung—wait—you don’t want to go to work because of a guy? Is he harassing you? Is something happening? I’ll let you know, I work out pretty often now with Minho-hyung, he says one of his friends has been talking about principles—”
“No… he’s just pretty. And he looks at me like I matter.”
“… you do matter, hyung. And anyone who says otherwise is a fucking idiot.”
“Yang Jeongin! Was that a swear?”
”Never mind, hyung, I hope he kidnaps you and stores you in his underground basement with his man-eating piranhas and killer penguins who want to eat your face and steal your inheritance.”
”I think you’re spending way too much time with Minho-hyung.”
“I’m telling him you said that.”
“He’d be proud.”
“Yeah, he would. But… you can’t be scared to go back because you have a crush! And before you say anything, don’t say it isn’t a crush. He ran back in the store to tell you his name, and from what I’m hearing, you both called each other pretty and were acting pretty… what’s the word? Infatuated? I think that’s the word Seungmin-hyung uses. Either way! You can’t be scared.”
“I’m not scared! I’m just…”
”Scared. Hwang Hyunjin. You are a six-foot tall—”
“—I’m really not—”
“—super hot, crazy talented, adorable guy. One man with a lot of freckles can’t scare you. Square the fuck up.”）
With that sound, monk-like advice, Hyunjin decides to square the fuck up and go back to work. And if he’s feeling a bit better about his art, nobody has to know. Yongbok is back almost every other day in the late afternoon, which Hyunjin assumes is his lunch break from wherever he works of studies—sometimes buying little trinkets, sometimes buying more Felix pieces for his sister, and sometimes hanging around at the rear of the store, shooting Hyunjin little glances and sketching the scenery from Maxident Arts as he sits in one of their beanbag chairs and stares at the suburban view outside or typing intensively on a laptop.
Honestly? Hyunjin can’t fault him. If he had the choice to blow off work and spend some time just… existing, Maxident wouldn’t be a bad choice, what with its barely peeling sage green walls, littered with a litany of band posters Hyunjin’s not even sure he recognizes, the multitudes of cozy corners in the rooms surrounded by overly-stuffed beanbag chairs and little Funko Pops, and the overall ambiance that’s both calming and escapist (and photogenic, says Jeongin, never mind his three Instagram followers, two of which belong to Hyunjin and an alternate account he made solely for the purpose of following Jeongin).
The barely tinted windows let in enough sunlight to keep the small store from becoming a dump, but aren’t imposing enough to cause an onlooker to squint confusedly as they peruse the carefully selected and arranged canvasses, printouts, hang-ups, and supplies, all meticulously placed and labeled by Hyunjin and the team of workers who actually care about Maxident, given its low popularity.
Either way, Yongbok has been in the store for approximately four days after he first entered, and each of those days have been filled with Hyunjin thinking very, very hard about talking to him, but then banishing the idea when he takes even a step towards Yongbok. With every look he’s seen Yongbok give him, he always looks away faster than lightning, head snapping over to do some mundane task or look very firmly a wall, pretending to do something. They’ve only exchanged pleasantries whenever he comes up to the counter, but even those have been stilted.
In extreme cases, he can see Yongbok’s mouth open out of his peripheral vision when Hyunjin’s somewhat close to him. Still, Hyunjin’s not above choosing a direction and walking away with conviction, so it isn’t surprising when he lets his fear get the better of him and speed walk to the closest booth to do some cursory arranging. A little voice in his head that sounds like Jeongin tells Hyunjin he’s running away from his problems and definitely not ‘squaring the fuck up,’ but Hyunjin thinks he’s squared enough by coming back to work. Perhaps it’s time to circle. And by circle, he means walk aimlessly around Maxident, attempting to look coolly business-like whenever Yongbok’s in the vicinity.
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bbokz @yongboksks
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update i think loml hates me or has some secret assassination plot he doesn’t want to talk to me but keeps looking at me liek im a forking calculus problem im so nervous hes so hot!!! i want to give him my handle or smth to text but atp im just embarrassed he’ll see what i’ve posted about him
i love lesbians @ayedomino
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dont say the c word
min1 @meanhoe
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han jisung you are a math major
i love lesbians @ayedomino
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i said Don’t Say the C Word
min2 @skykim
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Have you tried talking to him it worked wonders for me
bbokz @yongboksks
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what a terrifying technique it’s like you want me to melt into a puddle of sad (yes
he keeps avoiding eye contact like im the plague)
seobin @queerb
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are you calling minho hyung a wonder i dont think that’s the appropriate
terminology
min1 @meanhoe
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i can make exceptions to my natural death rule
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It all comes to a head, though, when Hyunjin’s puttering around the store during a morning shift where he has far too much to do, on account of his coworker, Yuna, almost never waking up on time—which she makes up for with night shifts, the college student she is—he comes face-to-face with Yongbok just entering the store. Before Hyunjin can think, he blurts out “no sketchbook today?”
Yongbok looks startled for a moment before smiling hesitantly, a pink flush crawling up his cheeks. “I–uh, yeah. Been behind on my actual job, recently, so I thought I’d… you know, catch up.”
Dear god, this conversation is starting to be extremely awkward. Hyunjin just nods a tad bit too aggressively and takes a step closer, still feigning work as he slightly tilts his head towards Yongbok. “I… yeah. By the way, what’s your day–”
“Do you hate me?”
The question comes so out-of-pocket that Hyunjin almost drops the small canvas he’s pointlessly rearranging, looking at Yongbok with bug eyes. “Why–why would I hate you?”
Yongbok’s face just flushes even more, and he angles his eyes away, fidgeting minutely as he stuffs his sweater-covered fists into the pockets of his cardigan. “I don’t know, okay? I just feel like you’re always here but you never really talk to me, and obviously it’s because I’ve done something , because you seem like a perfectly nice person and you noticed I draw and I see you looking, sometimes, but you just—don’t want to talk to me? And I feel like I’m being a nuisance when we’ve only really known enough for, like, five days, but I just don’t really—know, I guess. And–”
Yongbok goes on for a bit, but all Hyunjin can do is stare at the way his plush, glossed lips form frazzled sentences, wide, dark eyes bouncing in every direction, emphasized by the way strands of his grey hair fall into them. The hum of the air conditioner is the only thing Hyunjin can perceive outside of Yongbok, and he’s hit with the realization that he circled enough to make this beautiful fairy of a boy think he hated him. A tinny voice in the back of his head that sounds eerily like Jeongin blasts off again, reprimanding him for being so blind to the way he’s been acting, and his eyes are still roving over Yongbok’s distressed face by the time he’s processed that Yongbok has stopped talking.
“You think I’m a nice person?”
Yongbok lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Is that all you heard from what I said?”
“No, no, it’s just that—I don’t hate you. I’m just…” Hyunjin can’t believe he’s doing this. “...I don’t know what to say, half the time. You were—you were very nice to me, that first time, and you were… patient, I guess, and I’m not really used to that. I don’t know what to say without making it horribly awkward, and it’s already awkward now, but I don’t hate you.” Hyunjin ends his statement in an almost affronted murmur, and he stares embarrassedly down at his ratty canvas shoes, kicking a ball of fuzz on the dark green carpet almost offensively.
He wants to shrivel up and hide in a cave forever. He settles for aggressively trying not to hum along to the pitch of the air conditioner instead.
“Well, we’re talking now. And we’re not half bad at it. In fact, I think we’re really good at it.” Yongbok breathes, sounding a bit more confident. In fact, Hyunjin thinks he’s trying to make up for both of them. Either way, Yongbok kicks the ball of fuzz away from Hyunjin, causing him to look up—and he’s immediately confronted by Yongbok’s grin, blinding and radiant as Hyunjin saw that first time at the counter.
“We’ve talked for five minutes.”
“And look at us, already getting along so well. Anyway, Hyunjin from Maxident Arts, I think we’re gonna be great friends.”
“ Friends ?” Hyunjin spits out, eyes bugging yet again, “And how do you know my name?”
“Yeah. Friends. If that’s okay with you.” Yongbok’s tone gets a bit lighter, but regardless of the fact that they’ve literally conversed for less than twenty minutes, Hyunjin kicks the fuzzball back to Yongbok, smiling a bit wider.
“Yeah. I think—I think I can do that.” When they make eye contact it’s nothing short of sweet, and Hyunjin thinks he’s fortunate that the fairy boy with the paint-stained fingers wants to be his friend.
“Wait, you never told me how you know my name.”
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FELIX @felixart_official
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[withyouwatercolor.jpg]
(h.hynjin and 964.2k others liked this post)
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They’re sitting on one of the beanbags at Maxident, Yongbok typing away a report for his big boy investing job and Hyunjin jiggling his legs on the edge of the viridian seat, pressed up against his back, because Yongbok is a cuddler, when he speaks. “Hey. Jinnie.” The nickname catches Hyunjin off-guard, and he turns his entire body towards Yongbok, eyebrows raised and heart beating steadily faster.
“Yongbok?”
“Why do you like Felix’s art? I mean, you said he was your favorite, but you never really… elaborated, I guess? I’ve always been kinda curious about what makes you like him.”
“Oh. I mean it’s not like he’s on the level of fame that like… Velasquez has, but I guess he’s just really raw , if that makes sense. Like, I can just look at one of his pieces and kinda glean what he’s feeling, even if it’s not really a specific emotion—more like a state of his mind. The expressions on the faces he paints, the way he captures certain sceneries… it’s like he makes it obvious that he’s not just searching up a random reference to draw, but he paints stuff that actually mean something to him, whether it’s a dog or something as vague as a silhouette.
You can just tell, if you get what I mean. That he thinks life’s pretty beautiful, and that it’s worth capturing those little moments in life that truly mean the most to him. Yeah.”
“Wow. That’s… a lot.” And it certainly seems to be, if the way Yongbok is blushing gives anything away. In fact, he’s drawn away a bit, and Hyunjin can’t see his face anymore from behind his laptop.
“Well, what did you expect?”
“I don’t know! Maybe a ‘he uses pretty colors,’ or something!” His voice is shrill, and no matter how Hyunjin tilts his head, Yongbok refuses to make eye contact with him. A cold feeling rushes through Hyunjin, and he takes in a breath.
“Did I… say anything wrong? Or say too much? My ex told I talked way too much, sometimes, more than I need to, and I’m sorry if—”
“ No! No, you didn’t say anything. Sorry. I’m just being an idiot. What you said was really beautiful, actually.”
“Oh.” Hyunjin kneels on the beanbag, trying to get a glimpse of Yongbok’s face as he cowers behind his computer screen. “Hey, you’re really red, are you getting hot?” He looks around and surmises that it might be a bit hot in Maxident, as Hyunjin tends to run the air conditioner a little low because he likes the sound that it makes at that level, but if Yongbok is uncomfortable, then he has no problem. He thinks. He’d have to get used to the new pitch, and maybe start wearing a sweater, he guesses, but it should be fine—
“—whoa. Hyunjin. Jinnie. Hey. It’s fine, don’t worry. The AC’s perfect as it is. And then he smiles that beautiful grin of his, and it’s all Hyunjin can think about for the next week.
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Hyunjin @h.hynjin
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[contradicting_charcoal.jpg]
bread @foxiny
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BABYS FIRST POST!!!! HYUNG UR SO COOL
Hyunjin @h.hynjin
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You’re younger than me
bnag nach @cb97
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Wow! Hyunjin, you’re so talented!
i love lesbians @ayedomino
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chan-hyung is actually a 50 yr old in a young mans body wbk
i love lesbians @ayedomino
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but he’s lowkey right ts beautiful user h.hynjin youve just fueled my songwriting
for the next thirty years
(@felixart_official and 17 others liked this post)
(reposted by @felixart_official)
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FELIX @felixart_official
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[butterflieswatercolor.jpg]
(h.hynjin and 689.3k others liked this post)
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Hyunjin is vibrating faster than his stupid doorstopper does each time he stubs his toe on it, and his mind is just as shaky as the rest of his body. He’d thought he was seeing things, of course, when he’d glanced at his post, but with grey-stained thumbs, he had refreshed the page, only to see a bold @felixart_official in his likes, and a brand new repost in the artists’s collection. Realistically, he knows it’s not a big deal. He’s an artist. Other artists are bound to look at his posts, especially when his feed is so carefully curated to be a part of the local artist community.
Unfortunately, Hyunjin's head is always more up in the clouds rather than down on earth, and he can’t stop shaking. His wrist is still quivering when he enters Maxident for the day—an afternoon shift, this time, and not on the type of day Yongbok frequents (it’s a Thursday, and Yongbok has classes). He opens his phone and refreshes his post again, just to see the tag pop up. It makes him smile giddily, and each refresh only brings on more and more interactions, all spurred on by Felix’s sheer internet presence learning that he liked some nobody with sixty-one followers’ post. It’s not a crazy following or a viral post, obviously, but the fact that there are people out there who like Hyunjin’s art enough to interact with it puts a smile on his face, and justifies his love for the art just a bit more. Hyunjin likes to draw, and Hyunjin likes it when other people like him liking to draw. It’s as simple as that.
The reactions make Hyunjin think he’s not some pointless, mediocre artist, and while he’s been taught forever that the internet is a fickle place, Hyunjin doesn’t blame himself for having a little spring in his step during his shift. If Yuna is a bit unnerved by his mildly ecstatic attitude, then she doesn’t say anything.
The next day, Yongbok comes barreling in the door, familiar grin bright as he waves around his own phone. He’s not wearing a sweater, today, as a surprise, rather just an oversized white T-shirt and baggy sweatpants, paired with a generic black puffer jacket that looks like it’s made of fairy floss and a cross-hatched scarf that’s a bit too imperfect to not have been knitted. “Jinnie! You posted! It looks so good, oh my gosh, you’re so fucking talented, I wish I could handle charcoal like that!”
Hyunjin looks up from his perch behind the counter, where he’s alone due to the morning shift he’s taking today, and smiles up at Yongbok. He laughs a bit self-consciously, bringing up his hand to the back of his neck as it turns red. “Hey, Yongbok! It’s really not that big of a deal, it’s not that—wait, how did you know about it?”
“Uh, because I—Felix, I mean, reposted it?”
“You saw that?”
Felix bounds up to the counter. “Who didn’t? Besides, you’re the only Hyunjin I know who’s friends with Chan.”
“You know Chan ?”
Felix hesitates a bit like he made a mistake, but he just keeps going. “Yeah, we’re both childhood friends from Australia. I think I mentioned you once to him, and I’m pretty sure he commented on the post that I saw on Felix’s account, so I knew it was you. Either way, you should be really proud of it, Jinnie, it’s fucking good! Please post more, I think I’m going to need my daily fix of Hwang Hyunjin pieces.”
“Right, daily fix. Wait—what’s your handle? I don’t know if I’m going to start seriously posting, and I only really come online once in a blue moon, so I never really see anything… but the first post was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, so I can just text you pieces I like. And maybe… we can talk outside of Maxident? To get to know each other a bit better?” Hyunjin has no idea what he’s suggesting, but the idea’s already left his brain and he’s not taking it back at this point. In fact, he feels like he first did, when he first became friends with Yongbok, shy and hesitant and scared of taking a step forward.
“Right! Yeah, ha, getting to know each other better, here, just give me yours and I’ll add you once I’m home—I kinda need to stay off my phone and on this stupid analysis report I have to finish by Monday.”
That’s good enough for Hyunjin, and as Felix situates himself on the beanbag chairs, as is tradition, and as Hyunjin starts to help the customers who filter in, Hyunjin hums along to the same old pitch of the air conditioner.
__
bbokz @yongboksks
.
good news i have a very close friend bad news i now need to delete all my tweets about loml because i told him id give him my handle and im scared of his sad ferret eyes if i back out now
i love lesbians @ayedomino
.
very close friend
bbokz @yongboksks
.
lowk yeah i know this started off as a “hey he’s super cute i want him” but now its
like… I Want Him fr in the fluffiest ao3 friends to lovers way HES SO PERFECT
i love lesbians @ayedomino
.
so i guess we’re just not going to delete the tweets
min1 @meanhoe
.
oomf won’t stop being disgusting on the tl im bringing back homophobia
bbokz @yongboksks
.
HEY im deleting everything anyway dont be a hater!!!
seobin @queerb
.
i guarantee kim seungmins dick was in this mans ass like two hours ago
min2 @skykim
.
Bold of you to assume I top
min1 @meanhoe
.
bold of you to assume he tops
i love lesbians @ayedomino
.
and they say true love is dead
__
felixart_official
hey jinnie!!
it’s yongbok :))
h.hynjin
What the fuck
felixart_official
jinnie? is everything okay ;-;
felixart_official
wait
fuck
__
bbokz @yongboksks
.
FUCK
i love lesbians @ayedomino
.
yes queen speak ur truth
__
felixart_official
hyunjin
wait
h.hynjin
You are Yongbok
Yongbok is Felix
You are Felix
????
felixart_official
i can explain jinnie
h.hynjin
Why did you lie?
felixart_official
it’s not because i didn’t want you to know
well
i kinda didn’t want anyone to know
but i didn’t mean to lie to you
or make fun of you
h.hynjin
We’ve literally talked about Felix multiple times. We’ve had countless discussions
You’ve asked me why he was my favorite so many times
Was this a pride thing?
felixart_official
no
hyunjin no it really wasn’t i promise you
i’ve just been hiding felix forever
h.hynjin
What’s the point of hiding?
You’re talented
You’re famous
Why would you hide it from me?
Did I do something?
felixart_official
hyunjin
please no you could never have done something
you’re perfect
my entire family hates that i love art
they think it’s a worthless passion that’s only for people who genuinely want to throw away their life
if they found out about felix theyd actually kill me
my sister saw my art on a computer once and i had to lie and tell her some other artist made it but she loved the style and i want to feel like im helping at least one member of my family so i go and buy pieces
i promise it’s not some crazy scheme to get myself money i promise i donate everything i make from this anyway
i fucking hate investing
but im scared
and im just so used to hiding it and they almost found out so i just
don’t tell anyone anymore
i love art but i can’t pursue it
please dont blame yourself
ok wordvomit done haha feel free to block me or never speak to me again
h.hynjin
Felix
I’m so sorry that’s happening
But I promise that I’m always here to talk, or do whatever
I’d never block you
You have a valid reason, and I respect that
What are you doing right now?
felixart_official
it’s a sunday, so… nothing at the moment?
h.hynjin
Do you want to go to a café with me
felixart_official
yes
that would actually be really nice
i need to apologize in person
h.hynjin
You have nothing to apologize for
[location attached]
__
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Yongbok looks as beautiful as he always does, even when he’s visibly distressed. He’s in one of the largest, comfiest maroon sweaters Hyunjin’s seen as he slips into the chair across from him at the same 24-hour café Hyunjin likes to frequent, and the garment swallows him whole. Hyunjin’s… shocked, to say the least, by whatever twisted revelation he’d had this afternoon, but it’s Yongbok—Felix. Hyunjin trusts him. He has a reason. Hyunjin understands, and he’s hardly surprised that Yongbok’s this artistically talented—it’s completely in his veins.
He’s said it before, and it hails true now: Felix is his favorite artist, and always will be. But maybe… he’s starting to become his favorite person, too. One that sends Hyunjin’s heart speeding up.
“Look… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to you, but—”
“Yongbok. It’s okay. It doesn’t make me think of you any less.”
“But I lied , and that’s not okay!”
“You’re telling me the truth now, aren’t you? Besides, it’s obvious from your art that your talent is something you cherish, deeply. The fact that you still choose to pursue it, even in an environment like yours? Fucking brave. That’s what you are. Brave.”
“Hyunjin…” Yongbok looks beautiful in the afternoon light of the café, grey hair reflecting the sunlight that breaks through wintry, frost-covered trees. His eyes, always so honest and kind, pierce right into Hyunjin’s soul, and his lips are curled up slightly at the corner as he shakes his head in disbelief. “I don’t know what I did in a previous life to meet you, but I’m so fucking glad I did.”
“Me too, Yongbok. And… you know what? I’m glad that you texted me on that account. I’m glad that I know this side of you. And… it’s no less beautiful.” Felix flashes his blinding grin again, but it slowly fades into a petulant pout when Hyunjin continues letting out a “you know, you could have avoided this if you had just let me text your regular account at Maxident, instead of going home and doing everything else.”
“Hey! I’ll let you know that I had some very important information that you could not see there!”
“Very important information? What could possibly be that bad? It’s a social media handle.”
“I mean… nothing huge, I guess, it’s just…”
“Yongbok.”
“Hyunjin.”
“What was on it.”
“Nothing!”
“It wasn’t like, porn, was it? Because that would be fucking—” Hyunjin can’t finish before Yongbok bursts out laughing, hands clutching his abdomen as he bends over in his chair, and Hyunjin is very thankful that they haven’t ordered anything yet, or it would have gone flying off the mahogany table with how aggressively it’s shaking with Yongbok.
“— porn, hah, I’m fucking crying— you idiot , it’s because I was posting about my raging crush on you— porn, I’m crying, honestly, Hyunjin, what?”
Hyunjin suddenly goes very still, and his heart hammers harder than ever. “Yongbok. Say that again.”
“Say wh—oh. Hwang Hyunjin, I have a stupid, huge crush on you. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, and I really don’t have the balls to pull this off, but I’m fucking obsessed with you, and I have been since I met you. I… I don’t know. Sorry. If what happened today afternoon wasn’t enough and you want to hate me forever now, it’s okay, I just want you to know you’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, and I love the time we spend together, but if you don’t want to do that then it’s okay, too, I guess, because—”
“Go out with me,” Hyunjin blurts. “My mind’s fucked up, and you deserve more than I can give you, but go out with me.” Hyunjin’s sure of a lot of things, from the way he knows he loves art to the way he knows his mind is always on overdrive, but he’s never been more sure of this. He looks Yongbok—Felix, Yongbok, both the same beautiful person—in the eye, and repeats himself. “Go out with me.”
“Fuck yes.”
__
FELIX @felixart_official
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@h.hynjin ❣️
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Hyunjin @h.hynjin
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@felixart_official ❣️
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