In This Light; Soonhoon

act six

➴ scene 1

SOONYOUNG ISN'T MUCH of a morning person, but he seems to like mornings lately. Lately, when Jihoon's the one shaking him awake and telling him, "Hey, can we get to the beach while it's still empty? We can stop for coffee on the way." He likes them when he's sitting cross-legged on the bed and still drowsy, watching Jihoon stumble over his own feet while he tries to pull his socks on, and the way his ears go red when he notices Soonyoung staring.

He isn't much of a morning person, but this morning is nice, when the world is quiet and the sun makes Jihoon's eyes look more hazel than brown. They melt a little, Soonyoung melts a little, and then he's wondering why - but he can't get very far with that thought before Jihoon starts to say something, and then all he can think is I like the sound of your voice. It's got a sleepy lilt to it, still rough after waking up. Soonyoung kind of wants to choke.

Does my voice sound that nice? Do I look that cute this early in the morning? What does he think of my eyes? Why does he care so much? Jihoon smiles at him, and the answer is just at the edge of his conscience, but he pushes it away. He doesn't want to think about it.

"I'm sorry it's so early, I just think this is the best time to see it." Jihoon almost seems embarrassed when he says it, hugging his sketchbook closer to his chest. "It's not even anything really special, it just ... it's special to me. I dunno." Soonyoung can feel his smile throughout his whole body.

"I bet it's wonderful."

They stop at a cafe along the way and split Soonyoung's pastry on the way back out, and it isn't long until he can feel his steps sinking ever so slightly over soft sand, tiny bits of rock slipping into his shoes. Jihoon was right - something about it is special. Soonyoung's not sure if it's the beach itself or the simple fact that Jihoon is so fond of it, but he feels it.

They find a spot by the rocks, where Soonyoung can sit cross-legged and the water won't reach him and he can look at the little bubbles, the sea foam, his own reflection mirrored back at him and wobbling with every wave that comes and goes. Jihoon sits sort of nearby, close enough for Soonyoung to reach out and touch him, but turned so that the latter can't see whatever it is he's sketching. It's peaceful, an empty blue expanding outward from Soonyoung's chest and clearing up every negative feeling that might be lingering.

Every now and then, one of them will say something - some random thought rolling off the tongue without much intention - but it's always really short, fading out quickly into quiet again while Jihoon keeps working. There's sunlight from somewhere overhead creeping up his leg, spilling warm and golden-like against his thigh. Every few minutes, Jihoon glances up at him.

"Don't look at me," Soonyoung says. "Focus on your drawing."

The other boy's eyes snap back toward the book in his hands, face flushing. "You're distracting me," he mumbles. Soonyoung hasn't done anything but stare at him for the last ten minutes, but he chooses not to mention it.

"What is it, this time?" he asks, and now he's being distracting. "Show me."

"Uh, no."

"Why not?"

"It's private." Soonyoung scoffs.

"You've never had a problem showing me your stuff before, what's different?"

Jihoon doesn't say anything, and it's almost funny seeing it - the way he blinks really hard, stares kind of blankly at his lap like he doesn't know where to go from there. Soonyoung takes advantage of his momentary paralysis and reaches out suddenly, snatching the sketchbook out of Jihoon's hands.