Moonglow Bay | ATEEZ

03. almost home

"When did you realize you loved him?"

It was a simple enough question, one asked by a lot of people to a lot of people. Moments forged in the foundation of love are magical, so of course everybody wants to hear about them. It was such an innocent question, one that meant no harm. But it sent you tailspinning.

June 28, 2017. It was raining that day, and both the residents and tourists of Moonglow Bay had locked themselves in their homes, whether they be permanent or temporary, You were meant to spend the day on the beach with friends, plans that were rescheduled for the following week when you, Jongho, and Hongjoong would all be free again. That morning, instead of being splayed out on a towel, letting the sun overtake you, you were rain-soaked in a drug store, digging through shelves for hair dye.

"We'll need to bleach it first, right?"

You nodded after processing the question, grabbing the most reputable box of hair bleach you could find. "Okay," you said, standing straight. "What color are we doing?"

"Mm, I'm not sure..." Mingi trailed off as he leaned forward, scanning each label of the individual boxes. The moisture of hair threatened to drip onto the cardboard with every second he lingered there. Before too long, the young man pulled a box off the shelf and held it out for you. "Here."

"Red?" You asked, glancing over the details of the box. "Really?"

He nodded once, a smile on his face. "Yep."

"Are you sure?"

"You said any color I wanted," he whined, jutting his bottom lip out into a pout.

"Fine, fine," you laughed, turning to take the boxes to the check-out counter. Mingi skipped along behind you, content with his decision.

Mingi was staying at one of the more expensive rental houses in town that summer, located right along the main shoreline. His father drove the both of them in at the beginning of May in order to complete some sort of investment deal. Mingi didn't know the details, including how much longer they would be in town, but you didn't mind. Any time with him was good enough for you. As a result, though, the elder Song was absent from the house most days, leaving the younger to do whatever he pleased. Once the two of you stepped inside the house thirty minutes later, Mingi grabbed your hand and led you to the living area.

"Wait here, I'll grab some towels," he said, releasing your hand before disappearing down the hall. You ignored the butterflies in your stomach as the sensation of him touching you ran through the course of your body. Instead, you made a silent prayer for the towels to be black; you couldn't imagine the landlord would be happy with their provided white towels being stained red. Your prayer was answered. Mingi returned after a few moments, a stack of old, faded beach towels in his arms. "You ready?"

Setting down the plastic bag you were holding on the floor next to you, you gestured for Mingi to step on over. "As I'll ever be."

The bleaching process took much longer than expected. You were so anxious over the possibility of making a mistake, it felt as if hours had passed once the bleach had finished processing.

"I don't want to see it until it's finished." Mingi said, head hanging backwards over the kitchen sink. You'd set up a bar stool in front of it for him to sit on while you rinsed the bleach out of his formerly obsidian locks. Once you turned the faucet off and the young man sat up, you couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, expression a combination of both concern and panic.

"I can't believe how blonde it is," you said in awe, fingers running through the yellowed strands of hair. Your nerves paid off: every single strand of hair was blond from tip to root."I didn't think it would work so well on the first try."

You were beaming at your success, while the young man before you surveyed you with a smile of his own.

"Okay, time for the red?" You asked, raking a hand through your own hair to push a few stray locks out of your face.

Mingi nodded, and you noticed a twinkle in his eye before standing and leading the two of you back into the living area. "Alright, baby," he said, plopping back down onto the array of towels you'd spread out earlier. Your heart leapt into your throat at his words, but you were quick to swallow it back down. "Red me up."

By the time you were finished, the sun was beginning to set. His father would be home any minute to see the disaster the two of you made; you could only imagine his reaction. After you finished rinsing out the processed dye, you took a step back, eyes wide. The brightness of Mingi's hair could put every strawberry on the planet to shame. Biting your bottom lip, you reached for the young man's hand, and he was quick to accept it. "Ready to see?" You asked.

He nodded, his cheeks flushing as his heart rate increased, threatening to turn the same color as his hair. As his grip on your hand tightened, he led you down the hall and to the bathroom.

"Oh my God."

You laughed as Mingi released your hand at the first sight of his hair, dashing into the bathroom to examine the full extent of the damage done.

After giving him a moment to process his new reality, you joined him in the bathroom, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. "Do you like it?" You asked, cocking your head as you took in the fire enveloping the young man's head. The color suited him; despite your initial concerns, you were glad he selected it. Just taking him in, your heart skipped a beat, and you felt heat rush to your cheeks.

Mingi looked down at you, a grin taking over his features. You'd never seen him with such an intense smile. It seemed as if he would explode with giddiness any second. The purity of his energy never failed to amaze you, and you could feel the butterflies in your stomach returning with every breath you took. "I love it," he said, taking your hands and pulling you to your feet. "I love it so much."

"Well, I'm glad you-"

Before you could finish your sentence, Mingi leaned down, his lips meeting yours. Your eyes widened, as you were taken aback by the young man's actions. The moment you'd been waiting for since you let him into your life had finally arrived. After a moment, your eyes fluttered closed, and you allowed your body to melt into his. His arms wrapped around your waist as he pulled you in, closing the distance between you completely.

Your hands ran up and locked into the hair above the nape of his neck, a shiver running down your spine. He pulled away after a moment, leaving the both of you grinning and breathless.

"I've been wanting to do that all summer," he whispered, his lips brushing over yours as he spoke.

"What took you so long?" You teased, beginning to curl the now-red locks of his hair around your fingers.

"Just waiting for the right moment," he said, his smile fading the slightest bit as he leaned into you once more. Every time the two of you collided, you felt as if nothing in the world would bother you ever again. You were safe in his arms.

The feeling only lasted until the front door opened. "Mingi, I'm home!" You heard his father call.

Mingi separated from you once more with a chuckle. "Should we go see what he thinks?" He asked, offering his hand for you to take.

Accepting it, you nodded. "Yes please."

◌ ◌ ◌

Jongho presented you with your second cup of coffee for the evening. You took a slow gulp, feeling the tears beginning to slip down your cheeks. "As hard as I've tried, I haven't been able to forget that moment." You returned your gaze to the mug resting on the bar before you, the latte Jongho prepared warming your hands. "His dad got so mad at him," you added with a weak laugh, shaking your head.

"Did you ever tell him how you felt?" Jongho asked.

"Not until the day he left. Only for me to not hear from him since." Your confession made you feel shameful, and you continued to avoid your friend's gaze.

"Not until now, right?"

"Yeah," you said, taking another sip of the latte. "Not until now."