Hybrid

Reunion

1st April 2017, Seoul.

Junhwe took a deep breath as he glanced down at the cup of coffee in front of him. He could feel the apprehension building up inside his core, he couldn't wait for the elder to arrive. It oddly felt like they were going on a date and it made Junhwe's heart beat faster.

The previous day was a complex blur of feelings and images, and Junhwe couldn't really remember what had happened. He had somehow found Jinhwan again after four months of being kept in the dark regarding the Lycoi activities and even if he had been overcome by a rush of emotions the first few minutes, the curiosity had started to take over rapidly. He had many questions to ask the elder.

Before he had been able to, however, Jinhwan had rushed away so quickly that Junhwe hadn't managed to run after him. If he had been completely dejected and sad at first, he had understood shortly after Jinhwan's antics. The elder had sent him a text, telling him that he was still needed in the hospital for now and that they would meet up the day after to talk.

And so, there he was, sitting at a table in a very packed café in the middle of Seoul. Junhwe had never been there but he had heard that their coffee was pretty good and even if he didn't like the bitter taste and would definitely not consider himself being a coffee lover, he knew that Jinhwan liked it. That was why he had chosen that place, even if he had had to order a lemonade.

Junhwe sighed as he ran a hand through his newly bleached hair before glancing up at the blue sky. It was a very mild day and although it was only March, Junhwe felt hot in his black sweater. At least, being under the warm sun with a lighter hair colour was way better than with his former jet black hair.

Donghyuk had been the one to suggest that Junhwe dyed his hair. He had never thought about it before but it hadn't seemed like such a bad idea at the time. He had wanted to go for a few shades lighter, like a light brown and had somehow ended up with blonde hair that almost looked white from afar. It made him look like an old man and even if he didn't like it and definitely regretted trying to dye his hair on his own, Donghyuk had told him that he looked stunning. Junhwe hoped Jinhwan would think the same.

After a few more minutes of endless waiting that felt more like hours to Junhwe's rushing heart, a very familiar mop of vibrant orange hair finally turned the street's corner. The elder's hair looked shorter and instead of falling on his dark eyes, they were pulled up with gel. He looked his age, a lot manlier and pretty much far from the cutesy appearance Junhwe remembered.

He looked different, but still the same. The way his eyebrows furrowed as he looked ahead, his dark eyes lost on the crowd of people and his nose scrunched up in a very familiar way made Junhwe painfully aware of the time they had spent separate.

Jinhwan looked around the streets, his eyes stopping on the café's entrance before he roamed his gaze around the tables. Junhwe raised his hand up awkwardly before waving slowly, trying to attract the elder's attention without looking too dumb to the other customers.

Jinhwan's eyes shot sideways towards Junhwe's moving hand, then downwards to meet his eyes. For a second, Junhwe thought he forgot how to breathe. He stared at Jinhwan dumbly, as his heart picked up.

The sight was so familiar and yet foreign at the same time. Jinhwan's dark eyes still had that same glow that always managed to get Junhwe's heart skipping a few beats and even if he looked tired, to Junhwe's eyes he was still as beautiful. He hadn't even realised that he had missed Jinhwan that much.

Jinhwan swiftly made his way between the other tables before finally dropping down on the café's chair in front of Junhwe, on the other side of the small table.