winter falls ━ hyunsung. ✓

xi › we're like a movie, i feel out of breath.

and now, here he was, excitedly bursting into a run on his way to jisung's apartment.

don't get ahead of yourself, he tried to chastise the happy feeling in his chest, jisung might not live there anymore.

but it wouldn't go away.

even the clouds parted for a moment, revealing a pale sun that made the icicles hanging from building rooftops glint peacefully, and the ice on the sidewalk shine beautifully.

hyunjin smiled at a stranger across the street. he jumped into puddles of cold water and made a flurry of tracks in the snow.

he even laughed upon watching a group of kids start up a snowball fight, their faces red in the cool air, hunched behind mounds of snow.

maybe jisung would be up for recreating their snow versions of each other.

if anything, it would be really nice to see kkami again.

he walked briskly along now, clutching his camera to his chest. this time, he could get a picture of jisung. maybe he could even paint him a portrait and give it to him before it was time to go back.

they could work things out, maybe.

he didn't have to feel sad every time it snowed.

hope.

a bright feeling burned in his chest, chasing the ice away. and this time, the weather had no effect on his happiness.

and now hyunjin stopped at the apartment building. jisung had lived on the first floor, room 19.

he shoved his cold hands into the pockets of his jacket, smiling as his fingers clutched the hot packets his mom had stuffed in there before he left.

with wide, staggering steps, hyunjin waltzed up to the door. he knocked carefully.

immediately, he heard kkami's familiar yipping, and a huge smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes.

this was it. jisung still lived here, no doubt about it.

the door opened a crack.

hyunjin squinted, trying to see through it. but then the door widened slightly, and an unfamiliar face started back at him.

"um..." hyunjin's voice became small, and he suddenly lost all confidence from before upon laying eyes on the handsome, purple-haired stranger.

"who are you," he demanded impatiently. his facial features fiercely conveyed his suspicion.

"hy-hyunjin. hwang hyunjin," hyunjin introduced quickly, running a hand through his short, (now) blond hair nervously.

"what do you want?"

"does jisung still live here? i uh..."

the door opened further. the stranger now showed his entire well-built, slim body as he crossed his arms across his chest. his eyes were narrowed, causing hyunjin's sentence to die off. and then he said the most unexpected words hyunjin could have ever heard.

"yes, he does. what, may i ask, do you want with my boyfriend?"

hyunjin blinked silently in place for a few moments, trying to register what this stranger had uttered.

boyfriend?

he managed to squeak out, "y-you're... jisung's...?"

"boyfriend, yes. name's minho," he introduced curtly. "now, hyunjin. i wouldn't suppose you're the hyunjin that also goes by sam, also known as jisung's ex?"

hyunjin shoved his hands into his pockets in an effort to hide their shakiness from minho's view. something about this guy was terrifying. but he managed to answer a quiet, "uh, yeah. that's me."

"perfect," minho rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath. he then informed with a dramatic sigh, "he's not home right now. so, you'll either have to come back later or leave a message."

hyunjin shuffled nervously. he had a feeling jisung was actually home, knowing the homebody that he was. but he managed to ask instead, "do you know when he'll be back? i... i just wanted to talk to him."

"nope."

that was all, just a "nope". hyunjin bit back his frustration. if this guy truly meant something to jisung, it probably wouldn't be in hyunjin's best interest to stir up any trouble with him.

instead, hyunjin simply huffed, "i'll come by later," and swiftly turned around, walking briskly back the way he came.

the sun ducked back behind its cover of clouds, and a harsh wind blew through the small town. hyunjin found himself making a face of distaste at the noisy kids who were chucking snow at each other, their annoyingly loud laughter tearing through his ruined day.

he turned away from friendly greetings. as his feet sank into and dragged through the snow, hyunjin fought a losing battle with the weight of despair. his nose stung sharply in the winter air, and the heat packets had lost their warmth.

everything is cold.