THE LAST TRAIN °sʜᴏᴡᴋɪ°

A new life

The smell of rain loomed large as Hyunwoo and Kihyun walked in the streets of Jeonju. The sky was starting to darken a little bit due to the late hour and Kihyun was so anxious to finally get to the writer's house. The sun had resurfaced earlier, illuminating the older man's skin as he directed his sidekick towards his abode.  His skin was very pleasing to the eye, smooth and dark. Kihyun could already imagine what colors he would use to represent the beauty of the man in front of him.
 
"The trees," Hyunwoo began as he watched the leaves blowing in the wind.  He looked thoughtful, hands in his pockets and a small smile tugging at his lips.  "They are beautiful, don't you think? Their leaves, they are colorful and move in the wind. It's reassuring, I think, to watch the leaves move. It brings back old memories of childhood, and it has a certain nostalgic beauty, don't you think? "

Hyunwoo paused in his monologue and silence surrounded them again, comfortably. They were words straight from a story, which fitted with the taller man. The words were quite fuzzy, poetic, but Kihyun understood them. Although he was a poor writer, as an artist he could totally capture the beauty in the little things of everyday life. The ones that people didn't notice, that seemed so habitual that they were overlooked without much questioning. But these things, Kihyun and Hyunwoo saw them. The older one transcribed them with his pen, immersed himself in the beauty of things while his younger counterpart soaked up their colors and memorized each of their curves in order to be able to sketch them. The thought made the younger smile as they passed through a darker corner of town, into the still damp forest. Raindrops still trickled down the reddish leaves, a smell of damp earth hanging in the air.

"You're right... Even though I feel like I'm talking to Victor Hugo right now."  Joked Kihyun with a sweet smile on his lips. He saw his sidekick smile in turn, turning to look at him. There was a little glint in his eyes, a little mocking glow, but not in a bad way. Kihyun liked the lightness that emanated from his companion.

"Hmm, maybe I'm his reincarnation, who knows! I look like two drops of water after all!"
 
At these words, a loud laugh escaped Kihyun's lips. It had been a long time since he had felt so...Free. Also free and light, as if not much mattered. 
 
"Of course, same beard!"
 
A laugh escaped Hyunwoo's lips as well, which surprised the smaller one. His sidekick was usually calmer, less responsive, but such a reaction was far from bothering Kihyun. He thought it sounded melodious.

Their walk went well, peacefully, as they walked towards the house which was located a little in the back of town. As the two cronies walked in comfortable silence, they passed over a stretch of grass, the sun still shining lightly over the city.  Kihyun was lost in his imagination, the landscape stretching out before his dumbfounded eyes. The view was magnificent, more so than in downtown Seoul where it was all gray and industrial.  In this part of their country, the air was clear and trees stretched out within sight.  It reminded the artist of those art classes where he drew landscapes like this one from photos found on the net. However, seeing it in person was quite another thing and Kihyun was amazed at the peaceful atmosphere.

When he turned to say something to Hyunwoo, he found that the latter was standing a little in front of him, staring at the horizon in a somewhat melancholic way. Probably childhood memories, Kihyun thought as he thought back to the man telling him he grew up here. He wouldn't have minded growing up here too, it seemed peaceful; although somewhat lonely. Before he could ask Hyunwoo some questions about his childhood out of curiosity, the man started talking.
 
-I used to come here all the time...Sit here, and look at the landscape. Write and read, too.
 
Kihyun laughed, nicely, he was just...Surprised. He used to be a hyperactive kid, wasn't the type to sit and look at the sky; the only exception was when he was drawing. He rarely saw any kid sit and just read or even write for hours, though it weirdly suited Hyunwoo. The man looked calm, the kind of child who was probably more mature than every other child his age. And there was him, when he thought about it, the guy who couldn't stop drawing over books instead of reading them when he was young. It made Kihyun smile.
 
"Sorry, sorry. Just...It's not what children usually do. But I think it's cute."
 
A second passed, and the smaller man saw the way his new friend was looking at the horizon, wind moving his hair slightly and sweet skin glistening under the sun. That sight was like a punch in Kihyun's stomach. It was as if a light suddenly lit up in his head, inspiration washing over Kihyun all of a sudden.
 
"Hyunwoo! Could you-Look it's gonna be weird but can I just start a draft of you as my model? It's very weird but this sight gives me inspiration and you're a very good model. Is that weird to say? Is it flirty? I'm really not trying to flirt!"
 
Another laugh escaped Hyunwoo's lips, a bright one. He seemed happy, peaceful, amused by Kihyun's red face. He thought that the younger was really cute like that, and knew he wouldn't get bored with Kihyun's presence by his side. Having such a fresh presence was inspiring.
 
"Yeah, I can do that. I'll just write some notes down."
 
The deal was wrapped like this. They both sat on the grass, Kihyun drawing as Hyunwoo wrote little things that could help, and notes. Sun eventually settled down, but it didn't bother either of them; it was just calm and a nice atmosphere. The wind was also still blowing, creating a little melody that was very pleasing to hear.
 
"I know, I was a boring child. Well, actually had ADHD, still do. My mom couldn't find a way to sit me down unless I was reading. I think books saved my life."
 
Kihyun laughed, imagining what kind of child his new friend probably was. They both shared many memories, and Kihyun couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun truly talking with someone. His whole life had been energetic, moving around all the time; with Hyunwoo, it was calm, peaceful, no need to do anything to actually have fun. The same went with Hyunwoo, who admitted being a very lonely man with only one best friend named Hoseok, and that while he talked to many people, he didn't have a lot of close friends. It was nice to have a real company. 
 
When Kihyun laid down on his bed that night, he looked at his draft one last time. He didn't remember the last time he really drew something like that, with colors and a real identity. He was right; Hyunwoo truly was a perfect model, and he was glad that the older man accepted to model for him. The house was vintage but still kept a bit modern. There was something comforting, that felt like home here, but Kihyun also felt that it needed to be freshened up a bit. Maybe one day, he told himself as he fell asleep in the friend's room. All that he knew was that the first day of his "new life" was starting tomorrow, and he was actually excited about it. For something new in his boring life.
"Be ready to be waken up early! The animals are quite loud here. Also, if you hear weird sounds, don't mind. It's either those animals or serial killers."
Kihyun could practically hear the smile in the taller man's voice from the other room. Fucking asshole.
 
"Don't make me tell you to go fuck yourself!"
 
"With your 175 cm ass?"
 
"Wait tomorrow!"
 
Hyunwoo laughed, and Kihyun did too. He knew there was no real bite in the words. It felt comfortable here.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's see. Goodnight, Kihyun."
For the first time in weeks, the smaller man didn't have any trouble falling asleep, a smile on his lips.