July 1

8:19 pm

Minyook was standing in front of a crowded restaurant alley with his headphones on. He had almost run all the way to Kevin's house when he realized what he was doing. It was peak dinner time, so the street was buzzing with customers.

He stood frozen, his hands clutched inside the pockets of his black jogger pants, breath heavy and uneven. He kept panting and tried to take deep breaths to even out his racing heartbeat. The still, humid air made his grey cotton shirt cling to his torso.

People from all walks of life crowded the narrow road before him. Some basking on the love their family offered, some forgetting themselves under the spell of recklessness with friends. Some had a forlorn gaze, longing for companionship, far away from their brood, working to stretch their wings. There were a few who were even intoxicated with temptation and alcohol, stumbling on their way into their lover's arms.

Although, they were all nothing but faces flashing by with a sign of indifference.

His motive was not them.

"Minyook?" Kevin's voice hooked on to Minyook's line of thoughts and gently guided it back to the boy standing in front of him.

Kevin wore a confused and concerned expression, "Are you okay?"

"Yea-Yeah, I am," Minyook said as he still tried so hard to control his breathing pattern.

"You look like you ran all the way here," Kevin chuckled reaching out to guide Minyook inside the side door but stopped midway, "What the heck? You really did run all the way here!?"

Minyook was thrown into the couch by the hallway after Kevin dragged him inside through the side door. He tried to come up with a proper excuse while Kevin switched on the fan, and grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I was just being impulsive," Minyook said, trying to grab the bottle, that Kevin clearly bought for him, but was refusing to give it to him, "Give me the water!"

"More like retarded," Kevin retorted, "and no water until you catch your breath. I don't want you choking."

Kevin sighed seeing Minyook's form, his voice and demeanour grew tender, "Does the military officer know you are here?"

"Can we not talk about my father right now," Minyook whined, he plopped his head down on Kevin's lap, secretly proud of his smooth move, "He doesn't."

Kevin chuckled, hands automatically moving to Minyook's hair, "So, what was the rush?"

Minyook wordlessly handed him the headphones and pressed play on the composition he created before closing his eyes, trying to act laidback as if his heart didn't freefall from a thousand feet high skyscrapers.

_______________________________________________________

8:30 pm

Kevin was taken aback by when he was given the headphones. He put it on without any complaints and waited for it to start. The hallway of his house was dark under the dim yellow chandelier. The scent of the old couch was prominent in the space.

The light air from the fan ruffled the curtain's peaceful sleep. He sensed Minyook's anxious state. Under the closed eyelid, Minyook's eyes twitched, he had a slight frown and he kept gulping. The rapid pulse that Kevin felt under his palm, only brought a chuckle out of him.

As the song started, Kevin lost his breath. It was nothing like he had imagined.

Minyook was a bright person, but Kevin knew that it was a mask that he wore. A golden glittery mask that hid his pure purple soul. The mask that he would wear to play a happy golden boy. A mask that Kevin somehow clearly saw through, but the music he was listening to was nothing like he would have expected from Minyook.

The song was lush green, encouraging, and unrestrained. The bass and tunes twirled together to form a wonderland of mountains and rivers. It lifted Kevin to the clouds, where everything was fresh and dense. It had a wild spirit that liberated his soul from the clutches of modernity.

Kevin closed his eyes to the grey walls and opened them to a bright blue sky. The Light so bright and gold that the trees that surrounded him looked vibrant and magical. He ran along, jumping over this root and turning around that tree. The clouds under his feet parted ways to reveal soft green grass.

He danced to the songs of the trees and the melody of the earth. The magic that the place held was visible to the naked eye. He felt a rush that he never felt, running through his veins like liquid freedom.

Kevin opened his eyes and looked at Minyook with a new perspective. He realized what was happening. Minyook wasn't troubled, he wasn't purple at all. Minyook was a beautiful teal, hidden under the common grey of mundane life. He had a feral spirit that belonged to nature itself, and his shackles to concrete jungle forced him to wear the mask.

The song didn't have any lyrics but it was wild, dangerously untamed, and strangely welcoming. Its melody that opened Kevin wings also provided a loving sentiment, caressing him to move forward with trust. The flute gave a playful push, tender, and soft, but more importantly, it was filled with an emotion he was all too familiar with. Emotions of a home where only happiness and trust existed.

Emotions of a deep yearning for the kind of love that was selfless and selfish at the same time.

He could hear only one thing from the flute, Minyook was in love.

Kevin felt his world falter when the composition ended.

"W-Wow," Kevin commented, his voice barely stable.

Minyook opened his eyes and he looked at Kevin for a long time trying to search for something that he desperately needed to see but only found a void. He took the earphone back and smiled as he packed it into his pockets before making his way to the door. The smile on Minyook's face seemed plastic.

"Yook, wait," Kevin rushed forward to grab him, "I need to talk to you."

Minyook's heart dropped, he didn't want to face Kevin now. He was in such a rush that he didn't stop to think. He feared he lost Kevin forever, but could he ever reject Kevin's request?