Chapter 48
The van pulled up to a modest, traditional-style house nestled in a pocket of land where the city's roar was replaced by the rhythmic chirping of cicadas. It was already nightfall, the sky a deep, velvety indigo that seemed to press down on the quiet suburb. Suho didn't wait for the engine to fully cut out; he scrambled out of the vehicle with a joyful shout, racing toward the front porch.
An elderly woman appeared in the doorway, her face a map of kind wrinkles that instantly smoothed into a beaming smile. She caught Suho in a fierce embrace, her hands cupping his face as she peppered his forehead with kisses.
"I didn't think you would make it this time, my little star," she cooed, hugging him even tighter.
"Grandma, stop! I'm a grown man!" Suho grumbled, though his protest was weak and his smile was wide. He tried to straighten his posture and look dignified, but the moment she patted his cheek again, his persona crumbled, leaving only a grandson who had been deeply missed.
With the warmth of a matriarch, Suho's grandmother ushered the group inside. For Suho, these visits were a yearly pilgrimage, a way to anchor himself . Assistant Manager Li and the driver took their leave shortly after, promising to return the day after tomorrow. For the next thirty-six hours, they were free to do what they wanted.
The dinner was a marathon of homemade comfort. Suho's grandmother stuffed them with spicy stews, seasoned vegetables, and enough rice to feed a small army.
By the time the table was cleared, the frantic energy of Seoul felt a lifetime away.
They spent the rest of the evening on the wooden deck, sprawled out under a canopy of stars that were actually visible this far from the smog. Suho, ever the chatterbox, rambled on about choreography and the quirks of their staff. Since they couldn't drink alcohol due to their strict training schedules and suhos age they settled for energy drinks, the tabs clicking open in the quiet night air.
As Haru listened, he began to see the invisible threads that held the group together. Suho was clearly the heart, the youngest brother who bridged the gaps between the others. Grey was finally shedding his armor of nervousness, his voice growing steady as he joked with Suho. And then there was Raiven. Raiven watched them with a protective, silent intensity, his gaze lingering on Suho with affection.
Eventually, the weight of the day began to pull at their eyelids. Suho and Grey retreated to one room, their muffled laughter echoing through the paper-thin walls before fading into silence.
Haru and Raiven were left alone on the deck.
"It's been a while since we just... hung out," Haru said, breaking the silence. He sat with his legs spread, dressed in a baggy vest and shorts that let the cool night breeze hit his skin. In his flip-flops and casual gear, he felt more like Sunghoon than he had in months. It reminded him of the lean years before the fame, when he would lounge on his own small balcony. The memory stung with a sharp, cold pang of nostalgia.
Raiven sat beside him, setting his energy drink down on the wooden slats with a soft clink. "Yeah," he replied, his voice low. He looked up at the stars, then shifted his gaze to the man beside him.
Haru was lost in the stars, his eyes sparkling as they reflected the distant light. "It reminds me of the commercial shoot," Haru murmured, turning his head, only to find Raiven already watching him.
The air between them suddenly felt heavy, thick with something Haru couldn't quite name. His breath hitched. Their eyes locked, and for a long, vibrating moment, neither of them looked away.
"Yes," Raiven breathed, his voice barely a whisper. "It does." He cleared his throat abruptly, reaching for his drink and taking a long, hurried gulp to break the spell.
Haru looked back at the sky, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He knew that feeling ,the sudden, electric jolt of attraction,but he fought to rationalize it away. He was still anchored to his past love. He told himself it was impossible to be attracted to Raiven, yet ever since that night in the penthouse, something had shifted. He found himself exhilarated whenever Raiven entered a room; his heart leaped at the mere sound of the other man's voice.
A sense of guilt washed over him. It felt like cheating, even though his previous life was over and his lover had likely moved on years ago. Is it fair? he wondered. To explore this new life,
He had never been repulsed by the idea; it was simply that his heart had been occupied. He remembered how his father had loved his mother with a devotion that bordered on the sacred, a love so profound that even after his father died, his mother never sought another. Haru had wanted that. He had wanted to love with that same zeal. And just when he thought he had found it... he had died.
Now, Raiven was making him feel "funny." He made his stomach fidget and his mind wander. He had tried to tell himself he was just drawn to Raiven because his friend in him. But as they sat in the dark, the truth was getting harder to ignore.
"I'm going to bed," Raiven announced suddenly, standing up. He didn't look back at Haru as he stepped into the main house, his silhouette disappearing into the shadows.
Haru stared at the empty space where Raiven had been, letting out a long, shaky breath. He looked back at the stars, wondering once again why he had been brought back. Was it only to fix Haru's broken life?
After a few more minutes of stargazing, he finally followed Raiven inside. He closed the sliding door slowly, using the flashlight on his phone to navigate the darkened room.
The room was small and smelled of cedar and fresh linens. Two sets of bedding had been laid out on the floor. Raiven was already under the covers, facing the wall, his breathing steady but too deliberate to be asleep.
Haru lay down on his own mat, staring up at the dark ceiling. The silence of the room was intimate, charged with the presence of the man only a few feet away. This was the first time they were sharing a room, and as Haru turned his head to watch the silhouette of Raiven's shoulder, he realized that he might actually be attracted to Raiven.