Work Text:
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Once again, Nut noticed him.
There was no specific reason, no sudden trigger. It happened naturally, like sensing a shift in the temperature of the wind against his skin. This time, there was no music. No lights.
He was just a man in jeans and a hoodie, standing at the crosswalk with his hair uncombed. No rail to lean against, just standing on his own two feet on the pavement, head tilted slightly as he looked at his phone.
But Nut caught every detail.
The hoodie draped loosely, unfairly hiding the collarbone beneath the long line of his neck, while stray strands of hair swayed in the wind.
Unlike the nights before, there was no sharp eyeliner drawn out, no shimmering lip gloss—just a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.
Yet, Nut knew. It was Hong.
Captivated, Nut drifted closer. He blinked once. The view snapped into clarity. He wasn’t wearing cologne today, but it didn’t matter.
“Good afternoon,” Nut said. “You look… good in the sunlight, too.”
Hong lifted his head.
There was no heavy, provocative scent of wood—just a soft smile and a steady gaze. From Nut, who had stepped a little too close, came the clean scent of fabric softener. Hong smiled, nodded, and slid his phone into his pocket.
“It’s rude to talk to me without my eyeliner,” Hong said, his voice laced with amusement. “What brings you here?”
“You’re blinding enough without the glitter.” Nut reached out without thinking, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Hong’s ear. His eyes crinkled at the corners.
“That was… almost flirting. Wasn’t the intention.” Nut raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, as if to say I’m harmless.
“I had work nearby… and my eyes just landed on you. Naturally.” Nut confessed.
“Ah.” Hong’s gaze flickered. “I live here… nearby.”
He continued.
“So, this is just me during the day.” Hong shrugged and spun around once, presenting himself fully to Nut. “Do you still want to be careful?”
“Still.” Nut raised his hand again, bringing it close to Hong’s exposed wrist. “I want to. Whatever it is. With you.”
This time, it wasn’t just a finger. He extended his palm, hovering close to Hong’s wrist.
At that dangerous distance, just before contact, Nut met Hong’s eyes.
There was no hesitation, only permission. Hong tightened his jaw, stopping himself from nodding, and straightened his back. He took a half-step back, creating space as he looked at Nut.
“Then, give me your number.” Hong pulled his phone back out and held it up, smiling. “Start from here. Like it’s the first time. How about that?”
“I can’t win against you.” Nut gave a crumbling laugh. He took the phone, entered his number, and hit call.
“I’ll contact you.” Nut leaned in, sliding the phone back into Hong’s pocket, and whispered. “How do you feel about the obsessive type? Because I think I just became one. For you, Hong.”
Hong’s clear laughter spilled out over the street.
“I won’t text first,” Hong said as his laughter faded. “I’m giving you a chance. It might be… your last one.” His voice, pretending to joke but carrying sincerity, came out a little lower than intended.
“Understood.” Nut said gently. A simple admission.
“Goodbye,” Hong said.
“Goodbye,” Nut answered.
Hong turned and began to cross the street as the signal changed. He didn’t look back.
Nut stood there until Hong had crossed all the way. Cars filled and emptied the space on the road where Hong had been.
Nut looked down at the string of digits on his screen. He inhaled. He typed something, deleted it, typed again, and finally sent a single sentence.
There were times I regretted noticing you, but I still want to know you.
He tried to tell himself this was all just imagination, but desire doesn’t just disappear. Nut started walking again.
The city kept breathing, moving busily. Sunlight licked across the surface of the city—quietly, slowly.
Still, it was pulling.
⸻
Est: Drinking Coke on a diet makes no sense. Choose one: the diet or the Coke.
Lego: [Photo of Lego holding a Diet Coke] Est trying to stop me? Impossible.
Hong stood at the crosswalk, waiting for the light, watching Est and Lego bicker over nothing in the group chat.
Then, at a certain moment, Hong noticed it.
That specific, quiet pressure he felt when someone was watching him.
And the gaze was already somewhat familiar.
It carried the same air he had felt on all those nights—the scent of night, bright lights, music, skin, movement…
Amidst all that, without even trying, Hong had come to know—had noticed—this one person.
Even in the bright daylight, it was ridiculously clear.
Hong lowered his gaze to his hand. He stared at the fingers curled around his phone, recalling the brief moment of solid contact and the warmth hovering just above his lips. He remembered the back that hadn't turned around.
Hoodie, glasses, didn't even comb my hair.
Hong smirked inwardly, twisting the corner of his mouth. Too messy to be imagining things.
“Good afternoon,” The man said. “You look… good in the sunlight, too.”
Hong looked up.
The sun hit his forehead, and the wind messed up his hair even more.
Nut was standing there. Closer than he ever was at night, sharper in clarity.
Hong looked at him, letting out a small breath that was half laugh, half sigh.
Even seeing the bare face, the glasses, the roughly thrown-on hoodie without the night’s makeup, Nut’s gaze remained the same. That persistent stare, looking almost thirsty, barely veiled by a soft smile and gentle eyes.
Instead of the strong, provocative scent of wood from their nights out, Nut—who had stepped a little too close—smelled of fabric softener. His cheek glowing in the sunlight, felt like someone attainable, which somehow made him feel even more dangerous.
Hong smiled, nodded, and slid his phone into his pocket.
“It’s rude to talk to me without my eyeliner,” Hong’s voice was laced with amusement. “What brings you here?”
“You’re blinding enough without the glitter.” THAT VOICE, it’s caressing my ear now—Hong thought, the moment Nut’s fingertips brushed his cheek.
“That was… almost flirting. Wasn’t the intention.” Nut smiled, eyes crinkling, and raised both hands as if to say, I’m harmless. Hong’s eyes tracked the movement.
“…my eyes just landed on you. Naturally.”
At Nut’s continued voice, Hong finally snapped out of it and blinked a couple of times.
“Ah.” Wake up. You didn't even hear what he said before that. “I live here… nearby.” Hong said.
“So, this is just me during the day.” Hong shrugged and spun around once, presenting himself to Nut. “Do you still want to be careful?”
Even if I’m not the version crafted to catch your eye like those nights, do you still feel the same? That you don’t want to treat me like everyone else?
“Still.” To Hong’s ears, Nut sounded surprisingly honest.
“I want to. Whatever it is. With you.”
And the words that followed pressed almost physically against Hong’s chest.
As Nut’s palm hovered close, Hong recalled the phantom heat of fingertips grazing his skin, and the humidity of a breath shared in the moment before a kiss that never happened.
The sudden coldness of the space between them, the quiet withdrawal, and—though he hated to admit it—the realization that he had expected something, leaving him with a heavy disappointment that trailed behind.
Hong tightened his jaw to stop his head from nodding on its own at Nut’s gaze and tone, asking for permission—for whatever that might be. He straightened his back, took a half-step back, and looked at Nut.
“Then, give me your number.” He forced a smile, pulling his phone back out and holding it out. “Start from here. Like it’s the first time. How about that?”
It was, in truth, a question of whether he could approach, or if he should wait. Whether there was sincerity, or just a fleeting interest—whether they could actually start.
“I can’t win against you.”
Only after seeing Nut’s face break into a full smile did Hong let out a small breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Hong’s eyes obsessively tracked Nut’s fingertips as they entered the number and hit call.
“I’ll contact you.” Nut leaned in close, sliding the phone into Hong’s pocket. The scent of fabric softener tickled Hong’s nose again. “How do you feel about the obsessive type? Because I think I just became one. For you, Hong.”
Fast hands, Hong laughed out loud. Oh, Nut. You can’t even imagine what I’m expecting. I promise your obsession will be cute compared to that.
“I won’t text first,” Hong said, stopping his laughter to catch his breath. “I’m giving you a chance. It might be… your last one.”
His voice, pretending to joke but carrying sincerity, came out a little lower than intended… but it wasn’t a warning. It was closer to permission.
“Understood.”
At Nut’s answer, Hong offered a satisfied smile.
“Goodbye,” Hong said.
“Goodbye,” Nut answered.
Hong turned and began to cross the street as the signal changed. He didn’t look back. Nut’s gaze following him kept pulling at him, but Hong pressed down the urge to turn around—an urge that tugged all the way to his toes—and kept walking.
Lego: Knock knock? Missing person report for Hong. Coffee’s cold, when are you coming?
Est: [Photo of Lego biting a cookie] Lego’s diet is failing desperately because you’re not here.
Hong: Him. The guy from last time. Met him at the crosswalk. I’ll tell you when I get there. 3 minutes.
Hong typed quickly into the group chat. Only when the distance had widened enough to blur the gaze grabbing at his back did he glance over his shoulder. He saw the road filled with cars in the distance.
And once again, his phone vibrated.
There were times I regretted noticing you, but I still want to know you.
Hmm. I guess I really can think of this as the first time. Smiling, Hong saved the number as ‘Nut’. He hesitated for a moment, then sent a reply.
Then do that. What do you want to know first?
Hong started walking again, slowly. His steps were neither light nor heavy.
The day and night he thought were over—they weren't an ending. They were a beginning.