molten silver ─ hyunjeong ✓

six

hyunjin was beautiful.

jeongin came to this conclusion as he peeked at the boy. it was purely an observation. a statement rather than an opinion. he held some sort of inhuman elegance that made him beautiful in a way jeongin had never seen any human. a part of it unnerved him.

what are you? he thought once again.

but as hyunjin's eyelids fluttered slightly, and he loosed a deep exhale through his nose, jeongin could almost see the part of him he could relate to. the part of him that felt as though he could understand him if he tried.

he wasn't sure how long they had sat there, both of them saying nothing, just relishing the company and the soothing pulse of water against their skin.

he had to admit that he may have panicked slightly when hyunjin opened his eyes, trying to discreetly act as though he hadn't been just blatantly staring. the splash of water as he narrowly caught himself from tumbling was telling enough, but hyunjin, thankfully, didn't mention it.

"sometimes i need to get away too," hyunjin said. jeongin stilled, watching the boy, "across the lake, i sometimes feel trapped. as though there's something for me to experience somewhere out there, but at the same time the world is closing around me and trying to keep me from it. so there are places i come to... feel free. it may be temporary, but it's a release."

jeongin pulled his knees up to his chest, closing his eyes as he let himself think. he thought of how he had felt when he saw hyunjin dancing, had felt the vulnerability in his movements.

even the forest seemed to go silent around them, giving them privacy.

"i ran away," jeongin said bluntly. hyunjin turned to him in surprise, "i didn't have a family. i mean... i did, i do. my parents are there but... i was nothing but this... object between them. this forgettable thing they just used to hurt one another. i couldn't take it anymore, so i left."

blunt, numb words. he didn't hide the emptiness in his words, the lack of feeling.

hyunjin turned his gaze to the lake, "i must sound so ungrateful, to complain after everything i have in my life..."

"you don't sound ungrateful," jeongin interrupted. "maybe we both have different reasons, but sometimes the world is just too much for all of us. our reasoning does not make our feelings invalid."

hyunjin peeked at him, a small smile showing, "that's the most you've said to me so far. i must be growing on you, jeongin."

"it's not like i disliked you," jeongin rolled his eyes.

"ah, you must stop. i've already had many complaints of my narcissism."

"i'm afraid i might be feeding your ego a little," jeongin said, feeling the need to bring this up, "but when the wisps led me here... and i saw you... i thought your dancing was beautiful."

hyunjin's smile faded, and for a second jeongin thought he may have said the wrong thing. but hyunjin kicked his legs in the water, watching the light ripple against the water before admitting, "you're the first one who's seen my dancing."

"i'm sorry for stumbling in... i know you probably didn't want anyone seeing," jeongin was stammering again, and he wanted to smack himself, "something as private as that..."

"you really thought it was beautiful?" hyunjin asked, tilting his head. jeongin nodded. "i always thought it was ugly. i was putting all my ugly emotions out there, the ones that i always hid. longing, sadness, uncertainty. everything that i can't put into words."

"i never acknowledge my emotions," jeongin confessed, staring down at his hands, "because i think they're ugly too. i think that i wouldn't be able to handle them. i think being able to express them is beautiful in itself."

hyunjin gazed at him, his expression remaining thoughtful.

jeongin continued, "i read my stories to pretend my emotions don't exist. or try to run away from them. i still haven't truly understood them. some part of me thinks that if i go back now, things will be normal again, even though they won't be. i can tell myself that they won't be, that it doesn't work like that, but i can't seem to comprehend it."

without replying, hyunjin stood up and he extended a hand to jeongin. staring at it for a second, jeongin looked at him curiously as he took it and stood up.

"close your eyes." jeongin raised an eyebrow, and hyunjin took his other hand, standing in front of him, "please?"

letting out an exaggerated sigh that had hyunjin smiling, jeongin closed his eyes.

"just trust me, okay?" jeongin nodded, and slowly, he allowed hyunjin to lead him forward, directly towards the lake.

"wait... are you leading me towards the lake? aren't you going to fall in?" jeongin's grip tightened on hyunjin's hands out of nervousness, and the other boy only replied softly,

"just trust me."

and then he felt water, lapping gently around his ankles. but it crept no further. it felt as though he was walking on... clouds. if that was what walking on clouds felt like. he fought against the urge to open his eyes, instead moving closer to hyunjin.

finally, they stopped, but hyunjin didn't let go of his hands. only saying softly, "open your eyes."

and he did.

and he blinked in disbelief. because as he looked around them, he realized where he was. where they were standing.

they were in the middle of the lake.