Youngjae looked out from the Sedan he had rented to drive his way around the city. Although he was lodging at the hotel his family owned, he politely refused the offer to take the hotel's car and driver. Clouds were forming and Nathan Road was now becoming intensly shaded. He turned the volume up as one of his favorite songs came up - Help Me by Hako Yamasaki. He let out a soft chuckle musing on the thought that he's a Korean, driving in Hong Kong and listening to a Japnese artist. Indeed music really helped create a new world where all these distinctions and borders merged creating a new reality. It started . .  . the rain. His whole vision e soft blur, all the outlines melted. He parked his car a little sideways and closed his eys . . . tasukete, tasukete. . . Everyday it's something. It's time to quit. Someone help me. At times like that, I'm someone who gets up out of bed and tries to walk forward. I liked that. So i scream in my heart. To myself I scream "Help me". He mouthed the lyrics and recalled the time where he actually screamed insead of singing at that one party in Changsha and at the end of it all he was a crying and breathless mess. How he was lead to a quiet corner by one guy, who was it again . . . an actor? singer? from his label? He knew he had recognized him back then but now the rain was lulling him to an amnesiac stupor. Whoever he was really saved him then. He leaned his head to the side window, his eyes closed for a while now and tried to think who will help him now. There was so much work piled up for him back home and he's here attending the music convention, for what end? Jackson really wasn't to blame, no one really forced him to come here. His parents figured his return here as the boy's peaked interest in their business. So by coming here he was fooling them, unnecessarily hurting himself in the process and achieving what? He was sure of that actually attending the convention and interacting with other artsists while they showcased their proud musical renderings would just help to intensify his already aching nerves. He wondered when exactly it was that he became attached to this song, but now more than ever he felt painfully attached to it. If he ever meets his messiah would he be able to utter these words . . . tasukete or would he continue to scream them in his heart. Admitting on the latter, he confirmed he was a hopeless case and smiled to himself. These days he smiled a lot but they were all loaded ones, burdened or sarcastic smiles.

'The smile is nothing more than a puckering of ugly wrinkles.' 

He quoted Dazai's words to himself. 

When did he become so poisoned? Surely Jackson won't recognize his sunshine anymore and he was glad the two didn't have a chance to properly meet, sit and talk for hours like they used to. 

(Jeabum's POV)

A 5 feet 8 inches tall man drenched from head to toe with a protruded chin was outloud cursing his friends for abandoning him on an unknown street. Noone could understand him anyways, perks of being a foreigner. But he was still being eyed from time to time. One tall, most likely american lady passed by and said almost instinctively to her peer, 'What a hot mess!' Indeed, as bad as the winter rain was for him, it managed to better outline his figure with the clothes pressed to his body. His hair, now grown enough to graze his nape in the form of locks were presenting an appetizing view from the back. The broad shoulders and forhead cleared of the locks now pushed back were not helping either. He wanted to find a shade for himself as soon as the clouds started forming, but he had lost his two friends by then and wanted to be where he could find them or could be found, so he mostly treaded to the popular, centric places of the street, until he became this hot mess. To top it off he had left his phone charging on his bedside table at the hotel because Jackson had repeated they were only going for a short walk. Well now he had to find his way back home. He started walking to a place nearby where the cabs were assembled but his steps halted midway as he was overcome by the smells from a patisserie/cafe. He decided to make some use of this misadventure and went inside. As soon he was inside a warm air, fresh with sweet fragrances welcomed him and he decided to find a comfortable spot for himself. He moved a little to the back of the cafe where there were less customers and what he saw made him clench his fist and grind his teeth. Jackson and Jinyoung were enjoying their sweet moment in a warm cafe, eye smiles and grins plastered on both of thier faces. Jaebum never felt more betrayed and realized what poor Yugyeom must have gone through while they made a practice to prank him back at the company. He then and there made a mental note not to indulge in that anymore. While he needed explanations and wanted to rant those two to death, he decided to call it a day and take his leave. Exiting the cafe with his head dropped low, he realized that all the cabs were gone. It's as if the rain made everyone fetch one for themselves to leave him all wet and disappointed. He stood there dazed and was probably gonnna keep that position for a while but was taken by surprise from a noise instead. A part-timer from the said cafe was gently knocking on a car's window and whispering to the driver that this is not the right place for parking. Jaebum saw that the car was parker near the entrance and though it wasn't a hurdle for customers it still occupied the entrance lane. The part-timer pouted and Jeabum decided to lend him a hand. He himself worked part-time once in his trainee days and knew well they need all the help they can get. Gesturing to the guy to step back, Jaebum forcefully slapped the car window and let out a loud and aggressive  'Yah' before the window slid down and doleful, sleepy eyes looked at him. Jaebum felt intense shivers run down the whole of his body and cold sweats escape him. 

'Yo-Young-Youngjae?' Jaebum somehow managed to let out. The part-timer, as on cue, butted in and said almost too happily, 'Sir, I've been trying, with many failed intervals, to get a response out of you. I didn't feel it right to inform the traffic police as I dont like the sight of trouble. You have parked your car wrongly in front of our cafe's entrance. Kindly move.' 

'Ohh!! I'm . . . I'm so sorry.' Youngjae said frantically, his senses now waking up. He moved his car up a little from the entrance and with an umbrella got out to make another formal apology to the part-timer. He went for his wallet, took out some money and offered it as a hopeful compensation for the inconvenience. The part-timer lit up and went his way. Youngjae not wasting a second brought himself closer to the remaining person to share his umbrella with him. The rain had now intensified and Jaebum didn't realize that it had been almost an hour of him being soaked and now was shivering incessantly. Youngjae firmly held his arm and brought him back from wherever he was at the moment. 'Sir, please get inside my car, unless you have a conveyance of your own' Youngjae asked him. Jaebum could only nod in negation and he was dragged to the younger's car. Now seated, Youngjae hit the race and they went off . .  . merging into the greater blurr. 

Jaebum definitly did not like being called sir by the other. Howcome the last time he heard his own name and then reality hit him...even Jackson or Jinyoung could hardly recognize him right now without furrowing their brows or squinting their eyes. HIs visuals had seen better days. Though he looked hot a few moments back now he looked ghastly. 'Sir?' Youngjae broke the trail of his thoughts. He realized they have been driving in silence for a while now. Youngjae had called out to him to get his attention. It wasn't hard to see that Jaebum was really distracted. Youngjae now asked, 'You're Korean right? Are we acquainted? You . . . you called out my name earlier so I presume . . . I'm terribly sorry I haven't recognized you yet.' There was music playing in the car, very muffled but Jaebum could make out the song being played. It was Lay Zhang's 'Call my name' and exact at that time the lyrics went,

'baby when you call my name

zhe hu huan sheng guo ren he yu yuan

but it's when you call my name, oh yeah,

ni sheng yin rong hua wo shi jie'

Jaebum brooded, 'Exactly my point.' He was still sulking over the whole sir adressal thing and it made him smile beside himself. How nice it was the first time he heard his name from the other's mouth. Jaebum realized he really was getting distracted too much lately. 'Umm...it's Jaebum, Im Jaebum. We've met before, briefly. At Changsha.' A shade of crimson colored Youngjae's face as the memories of that night flooded back to him. He was at a loss for words. 'Im sorry about that night and also . . .' he said after some silence 'thanks a lot Jaebum-shi.' Something stirred in Jaebum as he saw the other smile to himself...it was a sad smile. He wondered if he should've re-introduced himself by recalling that event afterall. It must have been embarassing for the other, though it was somethig else for him. He also thought back to the time at the mountain where he had first gasped on seeing him. 'Well it's nice to see you once again. What brings you here?' Youngjae asked but then answered himself, "Oh are you here with Jackson hyung? For the music convention?" Jaebum nodded to that. He wondered where his voice went or became so little. 

"Where to drop you though?" Just when Jaebum had reclined in his seat, warmed up a little and was getting comfortable this was dropped. Also not to act dumb so the other could take him to any place he wanted but Jaebum really forgot the name of his hotel, his phone still not with him he mentally cursed himself for this sloppiness. "The thing is...we just arrived today..and went out for a walk to straighten our backs a little...left my phone back at the hotel...the rain happened and...the name of the hotel you ask." Well he tried face saving but his rambling was politely interrupted. "You are hyung's friend and more than welcome to stay at my hotel. Hyung shouldn't have been so careless. He once lost me too and I was hardly ten then. After he found me and the next time took me out I had to walk hand in hand with him. He kept that practice up till middle school if you could believe it until his girlfriends started breaking up with him." At that he let out a loud laugh. This one was genuine and it infected Jaebum like nothing else till he was fully grinning too, though the thought of the two holding hands...yeah he just pushed it out of his head for later. Youngjae on the other hand, mindlessly invited the other over. He could've ringed Jackson up and got the address of their hotel. He wondered why he did that but did not linger on the thought for long. 

Rest of the drive wasn't very long and they arrived at the hotel soon. Jaebum wondered if he would be taken to the lobby but Youngjae just headed straight to his room. Once inside, he quickly opened a closet, got a warm round-necked sweater and a pair of jeans for the other and gestured towards the bathroom. Jaebum obliged in silence. The warm but quick shower was not only good for his trembling, numb body but also calmed his nerves. He dressed into the younger's clothes and noted to himself how quickly it was all escalating. The getting-to-know-each-other thing that is. From their first encounter Youngjae was something sad and ethereal to Jaebum but also very distant and unreachable. Not that the boy was cold but still far...like the moon. The moon, yes. He thought back to the song he composed, composed for him. The stranger Choi Youngjae. Even if he was dressed in his clothes, he still didn't know him. By now he had seen both his bright smiles and sad ones. One he wanted to protect and cherish and the other he wanted to know the reason for more than he wanted to rid the boy of it, because though full of malice it had something peculairly Youngjaeish about it. 

Entering the bedroom once again he was welcomed with many refreshments and coffee, far better than that patisserie he thought. Youngjae must've ordered for room service. There was a small blanket on the bed too. He looked to his side, Youngjae was leaning on the window, a different, passive expression on his face. Jaebum looked around the room, Youngjae must've been here for a day at most. His belongings were neatly placed, nothing scattered. The younger's phone was placed on the table and a notification popped up just in time Jaebum bended to get his mug of coffee. The wallpaper was what got his attention and not the notification. It was of a mountain range.  The hermit in him lit up and he said 'Kun Lun?' This got Youngjae's attention. He looked to him from his trance. A bit of shock in his expressions which receded into something intolerably warm. Jaebum realized Youngjae was looking at him now with an unfathomable gaze of affection. He took his coffee and went close to where Youngjae was standing. All the while covering the distance between them Jaebum didn't break eyecontact and Youngjae never let go of that warm yet subtle smile. Now in closer proximity, Jaebum stood at the other end of the window facing him, leaning like the other. Youngjae was the first to speak. "You know of the place...have you ever been there before?" "The Kun-lun mountain range? No but I've always wanted to go...maybe someday I will. It's in my bucketlist. I have a strong attachment to mountains." Youngjae smiled at that and whispered, "So do I. Specially there. I must go." 

Both of them stood silently now, Rain filled in all the silence that ensued. Both seemed to be in their own worlds, and yet sharing the same space was warming to them. Quite a time passed without them changing thier positions until Jaebum said it. 

"Let's go. Together. Let's visit Kunlun together Youngjaea."

Jaebum made sure to call out his name so the other would know he was the one being addressed. Jaebum didn't know what expressions the other wore at his proposal. It didn't matter whether the other was shocked, interested or just shrugged it nonchalantly. What mattered was that there was enough of convincing determination in Jaebum's voice as much as he needed to affirm for himself, his feelings. He didn't regret saying it.

Sorry for the very late update. I was very busy. Hopefully, will give you more updates sooner. Enjoy this for now. Also, tomorrow is thier Breath; Last Piece comeback. So excited!!!