Chapter Text
If there was anything Jaehyun detested more than the horror of Christmas shopping, it would be Christmas parties, especially company organised ones, where you hardly had any choice in whether to attend or not. Even worse this year, their management decided to hold the party in one of the more spacious meeting rooms in the office, cramming all fifteen employees of their small startup company in a poorly ventilated, garishly decorated space (strobe lights? Tasteless) meant to replicate the dimly lit, overpriced bar restaurants in Gangnam.
He heard from a few people (mainly Johnny) that the management decided to cut down on the expenses for the party, instead, they’d be giving out something pretty extravagant as first prize in the lucky draw; something to commemorate the first time one of their titles outsold.
No one had any clue what the first prize was going to be, the organising team had been pretty tight-lipped about it. So when Jaehyun, in the middle of cringing at the aftertaste of cheap, watered down beer, was the last name to be called to the very front of the room where a makeshift platform had been set up in lieu of an actual stage, he had absolutely no idea what to expect. That was probably why his face had remained neutral, despite the loud cheers from his other coworkers.
Johnny and Mark, his closest friends at work that had been flanking his sides the entire evening, shared his sentiments about the beer, but not about the first prize of their most mysterious lucky draw to date. Both men excitedly pushed Jaehyun towards the platform, where he was handed a golden envelope. He had honestly been expecting something along the lines of a flat screen TV or the latest MacBook on the market.
Certainly not an all-expenses-paid 3-week long tour to Hokkaido, with a personal tour guide to boot. The young man, having only been in the company for over two years, and having zero luck with any kind of draws whatsoever, had gaped at the words printed in bold, and gaped even harder when he brushed his bangs to the side and reread the letter heading two more times just to make sure that his slightly tipsy mind wasn’t making him see things.
“Oh.” He gasped out, and he was sure he looked pretty ridiculous, in his neon green long-sleeves with a cheaply made paper crown on his head, gaping like a fish out of water in front of the entire company. He would've been a laughing stock, if not for the fact that everyone in the room was likely teeming with envy at the sudden turn of his luck.
—
That was how Jaehyun found himself bundled up in his warmest winter jacket in the middle of Sapporo’s busy, snow covered cityscape. The temperature by itself wasn’t too different from Seoul’s, the amount of snow, however, was another story altogether. Jaehyun had to buy a new pair of winter boots that were tall enough to cover nearly half of his legs (wet socks were a bummer). His years growing up in California certainly didn’t prepare him for this.
The atmosphere and the people, were also completely different from what Jaehyun was used to, and it was a pleasant kind of different.
Hokkaido people were generally more polite, and helpful than most people in Seoul. Jaehyun had only ever been to Japan once, and that was on a layover to America, where he often visited his parents after moving to Korea by himself. It was understandable that his Japanese was pretty much non-existent. However, the people he had encountered since he arrived had been more than happy to help him, despite his embarrassing pronunciation and elementary knowledge of the language. He wondered if perhaps the dimples were doing the trick; he’d learned from experience how much he could get away with if he just smiled a certain way.
Jaehyun of course, was happy that his luck hadn’t seemed to fail him yet, because he easily found the cafe where he was supposed to meet his personal tour guide, despite the overwhelming amount of kanji in the address he’d received by email. Not without help from the locals here and there, of course.
The place turned out to be a cat cafe, and had he done his research well before hand, he would’ve known. But because he was getting a personal guide to do all the hard work for him, he didn’t bother with the small details, which in hindsight, he should’ve.
The cafe was filled with people, mostly foreigners, which explained why the guide asked to meet here of all places; tourist favourite spots were always the easiest to find. Now Jaehyun felt a little less accomplished about singlehandedly locating the cafe.
The next challenge was to find his guide, supposedly a young man by the name of Nakamoto Yuta, spoke Korean, and should be carrying a little sign with Jaehyun’s name in Hangul on it. Jaehyun didn’t see anyone with any kind of sign, even after rounding the small space twice, and he was about to call the travel agency when he eventually found out why.
‘Yuta' turned out to have been sidetracked by one of the older, bigger looking cats napping by the window, its belly being lovingly scratched by the person Jaehyun had just spent a good ten minutes searching for. And the only reason the Korean man even recognised him was the discarded sign that was lying a few inches away from where the man had been squatting by the cat.
“Nakamoto Yuta?” Jaehyun asked, unsure, when he was near enough to hear the man’s poor imitation of a cat’s mewl. Yuta, if Jaehyun didn’t get the wrong person, jumped at his voice, and swivelled so fast Jaehyun was worried he’d give himself a whiplash.
“Oh no, Jung Jaehyun?” finally sure that he was talking to the right person, Jaehyun visibly relaxed, while he saw panic set in those unnaturally big eyes, “I’m so sorry! I forgot! There wasn’t any available table when I came in so I stood by this window here, and then this cat, it started rubbing on my leg, and—“ Jaehyun was taken aback by how good this person’s Korean was, he’d been expecting someone who spoke basic conversational level, not completely fluent with nearly perfect pronunciation. Definitely better than Mark’s Korean, who’d been living in Seoul longer than Jaehyun. He eventually recovered enough from his awe to stop the man from his nervous rambling over petting a cat.
“Hey, it’s fine, no need to get worked up, it’s all good. I haven’t been waiting that long.”
“Oh thank god, I wouldn’t wanna be fired first thing in the new year.” This time, Yuta gave him a tentative smile, probably still testing the waters, probably still not completely convinced that Jaehyun was just letting his carelessness go, “I promise you, I’m not always like this. I know it’s not a great first impression, but thank you for giving me a chance anyway”.
“It’s really okay though, no harm done.” Jaehyun took this chance to take a good look at the man he would be spending the next three weeks with, noting thick-heeled boots, thick bomber jacket that he hadn’t bothered to remove, and the massive backpack with a little flag sticking out from one of the front pockets. While Jaehyun couldn’t read Japanese, he did recognise the travel company’s logo on the flag.
Yuta, Jaehyun also noted, had a very pretty face. Big, expressive eyes, a sharp and pointed nose, and full lips that stretched over the entire width of his face when he smiled. His individual features were strong, but together they gave him a soft, delicate appearance that wouldn’t be out of place in the magazines they published at work. Naturally dark brown hair that was longish in front (nearly covering his half his eyes) but was trimmed very short at the back, made the man look younger than he probably was, unless of course, this person really was younger than Jaehyun. The various, mismatched earrings hanging from a number of piercings on his ears had caught Jaehyun’s attention the most, with the way the jewellery were reflecting the cafe lighting.
“Ah yes, introductions,” the Japanese man picked himself up from the floor, leaving his backpack leaning against the wall before patting himself down (or maybe wiping his palms on his jacket?) before reaching one hand out towards Jaehyun. As soon as the young photographer took the offered hand, Yuta bent his body forward in a full ninety degrees bow, and Jaehyun couldn’t help but follow after.
“It’s very nice to meet you Jaehyun! Can I call you that? My name is Nakamoto Yuta. You may call me Yuta, Nakamoto-san makes me feel old. Oh yes, I’m older than you by two years, I got that from your profile by the way, and I’ll be accompanying you for your entire trip here in Hokkaido.” At this point, Yuta took a peek at a little slip of paper Jaehyun didn’t notice he’d been holding.
“Ah your company is covering all accommodation and transportation expenses, but within reasonable limits of course, that means no five star hotels and no first class tickets. We’ll be using the agency credit card for the bookings, to make sure we’re not going overboard.” Jaehyun nodded, watching as the other reached for his backpack on the floor, hauling it over one shoulder (it looked heavier than him) before nodding for Jaehyun to follow him, which the latter did before he even realised that they were headed to a just emptied table.
“Sorry about that, we have to be quick here you see, it’s a really popular amongst tourists.” Yuta said, once they’d settled down in their seats, thankfully cushioned ones.
“Yeah, I could tell.” Jaehyun gave Yuta his first smile that morning and saw the little pause from the older man, and when he recovered he averted his gaze so quick Jaehyun wasn't sure he hadn’t imagined the moment.
A thick black binder was eventually pulled out from Yuta’s bag, and pushed in front of Jaehyun. The latter eyes were drawn to Yuta’s hands, smaller than his for sure, veiny but almost dainty, with the prettiest set of healthy, pink nails he’d seen on a guy. Interestingly enough, his nails were broken on a few fingers and they didn’t seem to be from habitual biting.
“Here we go. These are the list of places you can visit as part of the package. You have the option to go out of Sapporo of course, the day tours are on the second page, overnight tours are on the fourth page and anything longer are on the second to the last page.” Yuta explained, and in his hands were a small notebook and a cartoony pink flamingo pen that he mostly likely dug out from his bag together with the binder.
“Oh, that’s…a lot of things to choose from.” Jaehyun took one look and knew there was no way he could pick one over the other without help. Hokkaido was known for having one of the most beautiful landscapes in Japan, and with the long list of things and places he could go to, at least according to the guide, and with the way each photos for the corresponding place emphasised their unique charms, Jaehyun felt lost, more than anything.
“I’m not sure where to start at all.” he eventually admitted after a minute of silence.
“Shall I give you some advice?” Yuta wiggled the flamingo pen to get Jaehyun’s attention, and once he had it, he gave a small, kind smile, “be spontaneous. One day at a time. But,” the Japanese man pulled the binder back to his side of the table, turning it on the page he wanted, before pushing it back towards Jaehyun, “you should go see Otaru. Perhaps at the end of your trip, but definitely don’t skip it.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”
Jaehyun didn’t know what it was about Yuta, but the way his eyes twinkled as he went on about Hokkaido’s best spots and the best food, and the crazy snowfall made him feel like he was in good hands.
That was how they ended up spending the entire morning in the cafe, with Jaehyun trying a variety of matcha desserts (personally chosen by Yuta after figuring that Jaehyun didn’t have much of a sweet tooth) and Yuta playing with the cats that would occasionally hop on their laps or rub against the legs. Jaehyun didn’t even really like cats.
—
It was past lunch when they finally left the cafe to head to their first destination, Hokkaido shrine. Yuta had been ecstatic to show this particular place, especially after he’d seen the professional camera Jaehyun had taken with him on the trip, ‘this shrine is so photogenic, you won’t believe it’, he’d promised.
And Jaehyun wasn’t disappointed, the shrine was mostly empty, Yuta had explained that it was the busiest on the first day of the year and quiet for the days that follow.
The perfectly symmetrical shape of the unique roofing, entrance pathway framed by a line of trees missing their leaves and instead are dusted by a thin layer of snow. The serenity that was characteristic to Japanese shrines got Jaehyun immediately reaching for his camera. He didn’t bother to pack a pair of gloves for this exact reason.
A few perfectly framed shots and all ten cold-bitten fingers later, Jaehyun was finally happy to go further in. Yuta had patiently waited for him on the sides, making sure not to get into the younger man’s way, not even to give suggestions.
“You really do love taking pictures.” Yuta quietly observed, and Jaehyun had to strain to hear him properly. Somehow the quiet had become deafening, or perhaps he just wasn’t used to not having big crowds of people in one space after living in Seoul for years.
“Well, I am a photographer, I’m literally paid to take good pictures.” Jaehyun reasoned with a shrug.
“No, what I mean is…” Yuta paused in front of water vessel in the open area by the shrine, “you love taking pictures. The way your eyes light up, the excitement, it can’t be all about the money, no? Ah,” he waved his hand in front of his small face (that looked even smaller under his thick beanie), looking pretty embarrassed, “I’m sorry, I was rambling. Anyway, have you heard about purification? This is something we do before worshipping, but of course, you don’t have to do it, I read from your profile that you’re Christian and some of them are not comfortable with this practice.”
Jaehyun couldn’t help but admire the way Yuta spoke, the Korean language sounded completely different from his native tongue and there was a slightest hint of an accent, but other than that, he got even the unique vowels down to a native speaker’s level. But more than that, Yuta was a very good judge of character, having only met Jaehyun a few hours ago and already reading him like an open book. A feat, considering how few friends Jaehyun had in Korea and even in the states.
“I…I don’t mind actually. Would you teach me?” The Korean man couldn’t help but want to hear more of Yuta talk; be it about the shrine, its history and practices, and the latter didn’t fail to deliver. He carefully guided Jaehyun for the purification, removing his own gloves for the process.
The water had been cold, but it didn’t make the experience any less enlightening. Unlike Johnny who was always eager to see places, Jaehyun was never one to travel to explore, he’d only ever travelled with a specific goal in mind: from moving to Korea, to visiting his parents in the states, to doing an overseas shoot for work, but other than that he’d never gone on any leisure trip before.
And learning all these new things, he thought, were overwhelming, but in a good way. Like he was finally seeing the world outside the little bubble he’d created around himself.
Light snow had started falling right after they finished with the purification.
And at that moment in front of the shrine, with a person he hardly knew beside him, eyes closed in a silent prayer, Jaehyun couldn’t help but think that despite how most people associated winter with melancholy, the warmth that had started blooming in his chest was anything but.
—
The two days that followed were spent strictly within Sapporo, more so for Jaehyun to get to know his home for the next three weeks, and get him familiarised with the public transport. It was less complicated than Seoul’s subway system but still pretty challenging for a newcomer who grew up being driven around (and was still being driven around in Seoul, thanks to Johnny’s driver’s license). Truthfully, the city never disappointed in providing new, exciting experiences each day, something Jaehyun didn’t think was possible. But then again, Yuta had a way of surprising people, always finding new things that were sure to capture Jaehyun’s interests.
Yuta had been diligent in picking him up and dropping him back at his hotel, at least until the younger man had gotten the hang of commuting and had finally gotten his own sim card and transport pass.
Throughout this period, Jaehyun had also learned quite a few things about his Japanese guide; like how Yuta learned Korean from a language school he attended as a teen, yet he’d never actually been to Korea before, and that there was only one other Korean speaker from their agency, and he’d been originally assigned for Jaehyun’s trip but happened to have a family emergency, hence Yuta had to take his place.
There were also the little quirks that Jaehyun had slowly started picking up on, like how Yuta would bat his eyes and talk in a small voice when there was something he wanted (mostly discounts at souvenir shops or extra side dishes at restaurants). When his tactics didn’t work, he’d unceremoniously shove Jaehyun to the front, letting his charge’s clueless face do the trick.
He had also started casually showing some of his best pictures to the other, something he didn’t usually do unless he’d known the person for a long time or he needed professional advice. Somehow, the way Yuta’s face lit up with every photograph gave Jaehyun a sense of accomplishment that not even his boss’ approval had given him.
“Your photos are so much like you?” the older man quietly muttered, as he swiped through the photos on Jaehyun’s iPad.
“Oh yeah?”
“They’re not too flashy. Simple but very deep.”
That was the first time Jaehyun had ever been compared to his photographs, and the words had stuck with him, making him more aware of the images he wanted to compose before clicking the shutter button.
Before he knew it, hanging out with Yuta had started to feel less like a business arrangement and more of a pair of friends getting reacquainted, because that was how it was like with Yuta — simple, familiar, and boisterous.
—
Jaehyun and Yuta had planned to meet at a downtown subway station on the fourth day, and the younger man had been happy to show off his newly honed navigation skills to his guide through a smug emoji text, shortly after letting him know that he’d arrived at their meeting place without issues.
It also didn’t take him long to find Yuta, standing by the exit he specified on his text, glued to his phone but aware of his surroundings still, with the way he spotted Jaehyun only seconds after the latter had started making his way over to his direction.
“You’re getting better at this each day.” Yuta’s smiled, looking pleased that his efforts of teaching the younger man had not been for nothing.
“It isn’t exactly rocket science, but I think I almost got thrown out for not putting my phone on silent in the quiet section.” The younger man grinned, and the little cackle Yuta let out was so uniquely him that Jaehyun couldn’t help but want to hear it again.
“You won’t be the first one, that’s for sure.”
Just as they agreed on before, Yuta asked him what he felt like doing that day, to which Jaehyun replied a single ‘get to know more of Sapporo, I guess?’, and Yuta looked at him like he’d just come up with the best idea ever, before he was dragging the younger man to what he dubbed to be the best place to start.
Before Jaehyun knew it, he was battling a huge crowd in one of Sapporo’s most famous markets, Tanukikoji, a far cry from their day at the shrine. He was seconds away from telling Yuta that maybe this wasn’t what he had in mind, when they reach an oden restaurant that looked to be popular enough to warrant such a long queue. Yuta left his charge for a just a minute, he promised, before going to approach a guy in front of the queue.
They talked for a bit, with Yuta looking every bit the deceitfully innocent person he was, time to time point at Jaehyun, before the person eventually nodded, and moved to the side. Yuta beckoned Jaehyun closer after taking the guy’s spot.
“In case you think I threatened that guy or something, I didn’t. I asked him nicely after explaining to him that you’ve never had oden before and that you only had a month left before you got deployed in Afghanistan and might never have the chance again.”
Jaehyun let out a little laugh, because only Yuta could come up with something so ridiculously convincing on the spot, but also because there was no way skinny, baby-faced Yuta was even capable of intimidating anyone, but he’d let Yuta have that one, “You’re too good at this, it’s honestly a bit scary."
“Only for my best client.” The older man said with exaggerated hand gestures.
It wasn’t long before they were called into the restaurant, and like before, Yuta took the liberty to order the food for them, after checking with Jaehyun for any allergies. Since they had to remove their boots at the entrance, Jaehyun was surprised to note that Yuta was actually a few centimetres shorter than him, the heels on his boots had been a little thicker than what Jaehyun thought. Before now, they’d only ever gone to western style dining, and were never asked to remove their footwear so it had been an interesting, albeit late, discovery.
Yuta caught him staring and had warned him not to say a word about it, so instead Jaehyun bit his lips in an effort not to grin.
Of course, Jaehyun loved everything Yuta ordered for them, despite having no idea what most of the food were even made of. Hokkaido cuisine was apparently very different from the generic Japanese food one could get from those popular fusion places and americanised sushi restaurants in the west.
‘That’s not Japanese food!’ Yuta exclaimed, appalled, when Jaehyun showed him a picture of one of those guacamole maki he had in America just last summer.
They went to one of the best known souvenir shops right after their meal, just to kill time, because shopping for souvenirs always took longer than what most people thought, Yuta assured, speaking from experience.
By the time they were completely done at Tanukikoji, the sun had already almost set. They watched the sunset in silence from one of the benches outside the station, and once darkness had settled completely on the snow-covered streets, Yuta had given him a three minutes heads up before he was taking the younger man on the subway, going the opposite direction to his hotel.
Apparently, to see the infamous ice sculptures for the winter festival.
Jaehyun honestly, had forgotten about it. It was what Sapporo was most known for, and had been the initial reason he decided to take the trip in late January instead of early spring. However, he hadn’t exactly been in a rush to see the sculptures once Yuta had started showing him the real Sapporo beyond all the tourist traps.
So he was a bit surprised that Yuta had planned to take him there tonight, although it wasn’t much of a plan if the other’s reason had been, “tonight’s weather is so nice, clear skies and not overly cold. Who knows if we’ll get another nice evening like this before the festival ends?”
Oodori park was conveniently located downtown too, so they didn’t need to travel far, but they had been outside now for an entire day so it couldn’t be helped that Jaehyun was a little exhausted, if not a bit cold because his dumbass self decided not to bring gloves. But all of those melted away at the sight that greeted them: snow sculpted into the most sophisticated creations, from majestic castles and iconic structures to giant Pikachus, illuminated by flashy coloured spotlights.
Jaehyun wasn’t aware that he’d been gaping until Yuta playfully pushed his chin up, ‘don’t let a fly in’ he whispered in amusement. Jaehyun had pretended to be annoyed, but was otherwise very thankful that Yuta was just the right amount of impulsive because the weather really was perfect to see the sculptures in all its glory. His camera was up and ready in seconds, after he’d hastily changed lenses, and he was ready to be the one dragging Yuta around this time when the older man stopped him.
“Here, your hands are so red now. The thumb cover is removable, if you needed to use the touch screen function on your camera.” To say that Jaehyun had been taken aback was an understatement. There on Yuta’s hands were a pair of black gloves with Sapporo stitched in a tiny red font at the back, obviously new from the tag hanging from it. Jaehyun hadn’t been expecting the gesture, and was deeply touched.
“Oh…thank you so much, you didn’t have to though” Jaehyun took them anyway, and after pulling the tag off, put them on. His hands definitely felt toastier, “but where did you…?”
Jaehyun didn’t need to finish his sentence because Yuta was already smiling his trademark close-mouthed, sheepish smile, “at the souvenir shop! it’s pretty cheap getting stuff from there, only if you don’t mind them screaming tourist.” Yuta turned his own gloves over and pulled at one of his jacket’s long sleeves, showing the city’s name stitched on the edge of the glove.
“Yuta,” This was probably the first time Jaehyun was addressing the other so informally, so it wasn’t a surprise that he got Yuta’s attention faster than usual, “thank you, really. This means a lot. Shall we go take some pictures over that side?”
With a tiny, excited nod from Yuta, they carefully made their way where the small ice sculptures are, one particularly big one caught their attention, and in between the twenty pictures he took of the same sculpture, Jaehyun found himself pointing his lens to an unsuspecting Yuta, who was too engrossed in one of the smaller but more detailed ice sculptures to notice the attention he was getting.
Yuta’s eyes looked like they sparkled as the colourful lights reflected on them, his plump lips parted slightly in awe, and the almost unreal background seemed to emphasise his beautiful profile.
Jaehyun put the camera down after the fourth picture, this time letting his eyes drink in the way the other stood out over the majestic snow and ice sculptures that surrounded them. It felt like he was seeing Yuta for the first time, and Jaehyun thought he’d never seen anything more captivating.
—
The younger man surprised Yuta the next time they meet by deciding their next destination himself.
“That’s a good choice! There’s also plenty of things to see around Biei and Furano. Do you think you’re up to stay there for a few nights?” Yuta looked very excited at the suggestion, he probably thought he was slowly getting Jaehyun to come out of his shell, and he wasn’t entirely wrong.
The young photographer had done his own research as soon as he reached the hotel the night before. He knew he wanted to see the blue pond in Biei and the infamous Ningle Terrace in Furano and the thought of escaping the city, despite how charming Sapporo was, just for a few days had been an enticing thought, and Yuta’s company had added more to its appeal.
Since they had to prepare for the out of town trip, they opted to take it easy for the day, choosing to get their breakfast in one of the smaller cafes (‘less crowd’ Yuta explained simply) near Odori park. Jaehyun enjoyed a cup of espresso and a red bean paste filled bun that wasn’t overly sweet, while Yuta made the necessary arrangements for their accommodation in Biei and Furano area with a cup of iced coffee (Jaehyun honestly had never seen him order coffee without ice).
While the younger man watched Yuta do his work, he couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t seen the other wear anything other than constricting wool sweaters that covered everything down to his palms, and baggy jeans that looked like they could fit two of him. Jaehyun found it interesting, because Yuta’s personality didn’t fit with his choice of clothing, he struck Jaehyun more as an oversized t-shirt (even in the dead of winter) and skinny jeans kind of person, someone who appreciated comfort and fashion in perfect balance.
Perhaps he was just easily cold, after all, Yuta was very skinny and probably didn’t have enough fat on him for insulation, Jaehyun pondered in silence.
Yuta must’d noticed his staring, because he looked up from his little notebook, giving the other a knowing smile, “Is there something on my face?”
“Yeah, you’ve got crumbs around your mouth.” Jaehyun straight up lied, and he knew Yuta could tell immediately, by how quick he’d answered (and also because the other had a big serving of daifuku mochi, so crumbs had been a stupid excuse). The other seemed to find it more amusing than anything however, because he went right back to scribbling on his notebook.
“Yuta,” Jaehyun called softly this time, “Is it fine? That you’ll be away from Sapporo for a few days?”
“Well it is my job to go with you pretty much anywhere, and I live alone.” Yuta didn’t look up, but Jaehyun could hear the amusement in his tone when he continued, “is this your way of asking if I’m seeing anyone?”
When Jaehyun didn’t answer for an entire second, Yuta lifted his gaze, before breaking into full out laughter at the sight of Jaehyun completely red in the face, “Oh my gosh, I was joking! Relax Jaehyun.”
“Y-you think you’re funny.” Jaehyun sputtered but it was a weak come back, and he was still burning from embarrassment (because Yuta’s words weren’t completely off the mark) and because Yuta was still laughing like there was no tomorrow.
As infectious as the older man’s laughter was, Jaehyun really didn’t appreciate onlookers’ attention.
“Sorry, sorry, oh Jaehyun you’re so adorable.” Yuta said in between catching his breath and tucking his bangs behind his ears. He’d finally stopped laughing, though he still had a huge smile fixed on his face.
“Not as much as you are,” Jaehyun retorted, almost childishly, and at Yuta’s confused gaze, he clarified, “you’re more adorable, I mean…” And it was Yuta’s turn to look embarrassed, and the younger man had a feeling it was more second hand embarrassment from how bad Jaehyun was at flirting, if you could even call it that.
Beneath Yuta’s snickering and mock disappointment at Jaehyun’s ‘sad attempt at being suave’ however, were red ears, and a nervous habit of twirling a long strand of hair from his temple between his index finger and thumb that Jaehyun didn’t miss.
The photographer decided he’d burn that particular image in memory.
—
On the train to Biei the next day found them settled in a cosy spot near the train doors and despite the surprising number of empty seats around them, Jaehyun and Yuta opted to sit next to each other anyway, sharing the colourful bento that Yuta got them from the station before they left.
While Yuta had reminded the younger man multiple times against eating on the go in Japan, he’d been the first one to buckle after missing breakfast, thanks to him oversleeping. Jaehyun had given him an amused smile, before he started digging into the bento himself, despite being unfamiliar with half the colourful content. The Japanese had a way of turning any ingredient into something completely unrecognisable, say like, the naruto fishcake.
Yuta laughed at Jaehyun’s observation, and wholeheartedly agreed.
The Korean man also found out that Yuta was an incredibly messy eater; he’d never, in his life, seen anyone manage to get their food in their lap, clothes, and hair all at the same time. It was almost a talent.
Yuta had been embarrassed about it at first, but Jaehyun was quick to assure him his own way, “I don’t know, being a messy eater somehow suits your character.” and it seemed to work better than he imagined, because Yuta broke into a tiny smile, and mock punched the taller man on the arm. Jaehyun of course, didn’t feel it through his puffy jacket.
The trip took an entire two hours, and they watched the sceneries transition from the concrete structures of Hokkaido’s biggest city, to the suburban landscapes on the outskirts of Sapporo, and then eventually, to the quiet hills characteristic of one of the most beautiful countrysides in all of Japan’s islands.
“These hills are beautiful in spring.” Yuta said quietly, and Jaehyun chanced a glance at his companion, noting the way the sunlight fell on just the right places on his face; his eyelashes looked darker and longer than ever, his lips even redder, while the sun washed out the healthy honey colour of his skin. There was a glassy look on the other’s eyes that was almost melancholic.
“I could imagine. But they look magical now too, even covered in so much snow.” Jaehyun pulled his gaze back to the window the moment he saw Yuta turning towards him.
“You’re going to love Biei, and Furano.” The smaller man said softly, his demeanour changing in seconds, “wait, you don’t have any tattoos right? It was mentioned in the guide they sent you by email, but in case you didn’t read it, you can’t go in the hot springs with a tattoo.” Yuta said the rest with a small frown, as if all his plans would go to waste if Jaehyun couldn’t try the hot springs.
“Do I look like I’d have one?” Jaehyun laughed, and Yuta made a face at him.
“Well, I wouldn’t know, would I? It’s always the sweet looking ones that have them.”
“So you think I look sweet?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Jung.”
Jaehyun couldn’t express his amazement at how far they’d come in just a few days, from being unable to look each other in the eyes to joking around and bantering like they’d known each other for years. Jaehyun had never known anyone like Yuta, from his unique sense of humour that matched Jaehyun’s, to the cleverly scathing comebacks he had under his sleeves (his pretty face really was deceiving), and he’d started to realise that it wasn’t just Hokkaido that had started to stir something in him.
—
After checking into their accommodation and dropping off their bigger bags, they don’t waste time in getting into a taxi to see the blue pond. Jaehyun made sure to pack two extra batteries for his camera in his backpack, knowing how the cold managed to always cut down the battery life to half, while Yuta as always, was in charge of packing food for their little excursion.
Fortunately, since the last few days had been warmer than normal, the thin layer of snow on top of the frozen pond had melted, giving a clear view of the vibrant, enigmatic colour it was known for.
Jaehyun took dozens of photos, mostly because there had been a lot of people and getting a good shot without someone’s head in the way had been a challenge. Yuta, seeing Jaehyun’s struggle, had started talking to passersby, kindly asking them to take an alternative walking route, to which most had responded without problem, after taking one look at Jaehyun.
“Wouldn’t that get you in trouble?” Jaehyun asked, after taking a short break to stretch.
Yuta merely shrugged, “I guess, but they don’t seem to care, they see you and they go all googly-eyed. Must be the dimples.”
The taller man raised a brow at that, “I think that was mostly you, I saw them smiling at you before they even saw me.”
“That’s probably because of my accent, I’m sure they just find the way I speak funny.” Yuta looked sheepish, like it’d taken him his all to admit that.
“Your accent?”
“Yeah, I’m originally from Osaka. You don’t speak Japanese so you don’t hear the difference, but to the standard Japanese speakers, my accent is pretty strong.” Jaehyun couldn’t help his surprise. He was so sure Yuta had been from Sapporo, with how well he knew the city.
“I had no idea. So you moved to Sapporo? Why not Tokyo?”
“I haven’t really been in Osaka for years. I moved to Sapporo for univesity. And why not Tokyo? Because I’ve always loved snow.” Yuta had explained with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Jaehyun was about to ask the reason behind that logic when Yuta effectively changed the direction of the conversation, “would you like to try this sausage? It’s one of the specialities from the area.”
The older man had already unwrapped the sausage from its plastic packaging, wiggling the thing in Jaehyun’s face inappropriately that the latter didn’t have much choice but to bite a good half of it to get Yuta to stop. The sausage being actually good had been a bonus.
The shorter man shoved the remaining half of the sausage in his own mouth, winking (and failing miserably at it) at Jaehyun, as if he’d accomplished something there.
Jaehyun internally moaned the fact that Yuta had apparently figured out one way to effectively shut him up.
The plan had been to return to their accommodation after having their fill of the blue pond; they’d been up early and exhaustion had started sinking into their bones.
And Jaehyun should’ve seen it coming, really, the two of them had been glued together for days now that he shouldn’t have been surprised when Yuta, mouth full with the onigiri he’d packed for them, looked him in the eyes like he’d just had a moment of enlightenment.
“Jae,” the nickname caught Jaehyun off-guard, and that single word had been his undoing, “what do you think about catching a ride to see one of the most breathtaking things you’ll see in your life?” The younger man gave himself a moment to chew and swallow the sausage he’d been indulging on.
“Like, right now?” Yuta nodded his head so fast that it looked like it was going to detach from his neck.
“Yes, right now. I’ll call for a taxi if you’re down for it.” There really was no way he could’ve said no to the shorter man, who was now sticking his face into Jaehyun’s personal space (and boy did that make him uncomfortable in ways he didn’t want to think about), eyes filled with unfiltered excitement.
“O-okay. As long as we still get to go back to the inn before midnight, I’m all good.” Jaehyun couldn’t help his own little smile at Yuta’s little celebratory dance, “And I trust your judgement Yuta,” the younger man continued, not missing the way Yuta’s eyes had widened, before his entire demeanour softened.
“You won’t be disappointed, I promise.”
—
And Jaehyun hadn’t been. It had taken a few minutes walk from where the taxi dropped them off, to where they were headed to, and Yuta had been tightlipped about the place, wanting it to be a surprise for his charge, in his own words, ‘let the view speak for itself’.
Jaehyun was glad he followed Yuta, despite the dull ache in his legs, because he knew he’d never seen anything as beautiful before. Half frozen water falls flow into a deep blue ravine reminiscent of the blue pond, the colour looking even more vibrant framed by the thick snow on the ground and the frosted trees that surrounded the area. Unlike at the blue pond, there were no crowds to battle for the perfect photo spot, something that Yuta must’ve considered after seeing Jaehyun’s struggle earlier.
Shirahige Waterfalls really was a sight to behold.
The younger man swivelled around to face Yuta, who’d looked just as pleased at the unadulterated wonder that he must’ve seen in Jaehyun’s face, “Yuta, Yuta,” and before Jaehyun knew what he was doing, he was gathering the slighter man in a tight embrace, with Yuta’s melodious laughter ringing in his ears.
“This is amazing, Yuta!” Jaehyun had forgotten how it felt like, to be taken on a ride where the destination was not in sight, and Yuta made him feel that way, and it was both scary and exhilarating.
They’d broken apart in laughter, with Yuta ushering him to one of the best spots to take what could only be amazing photos from. It couldn’t be helped that the first photos he took were of Yuta, backdropped by the majestic waterfalls, this time however, his subject had been aware, and was more than happy to smile for him.
—
They ended up staying way past sunset, just simply sitting there, watching nature at its finest while Jaehyun opened up about his life to Yuta, a conversation he never thought he’d be having with a man he met only days ago. He’d told him about his struggles moving to Korea, a country he’d never lived in prior to getting his photography job, about his worries with fitting in and not having the drive to do anything other than what was expected of him.
Yuta made him feel at ease in his own unique ways, and he’d listened to Jaehyun’s story attentively, chipping in with his thoughts once in a while, and only when necessary. Otherwise, the comforting hand he’d slipped in Jaehyun’s own had been enough. Just like that, they’d lost track of time.
The older man had looked at Jaehyun apologetically, after multiple failed attempts to call a taxi. It seemed either everyone is trying to book for taxis at the same time or it’d just gotten very late that there were few drivers within the immediate vicinity of the falls. It left them with little option, as Yuta led the way to the nearby ryokan.
While they did plan to visit an onsen on this trip, it definitely wasn’t supposed to be this soon. Not with Jaehyun having no spare clothes to change into, with his phone about to die any moment now (stupid of him not to pack a charger) and the only thing really functional on him being his camera.
He didn’t think it was such a bad idea though, not with the way Yuta was talking to the receptionist with his charms all maxed out, looking more collected than worried. Moments later, the older man beckoned Jaehyun closer, and lightly elbowed him on the side, ‘smile Jae’, he whispered in Korean, while Jaehyun did as he was told.
The receptionist looked between them before turning back to Yuta, speaking in rapid fire Japanese that Jaehyun couldn’t even hope to catch. Before long, she was guiding them to a room that was relatively close to the entrance to the hot springs, judging by the sound of running water.
“What was that? Jaehyun asked, as soon as they were left alone.
“They didn’t have anymore twin rooms left for tonight, so uh…I convinced her to give us a double for the price of the twin.” The implications of his words didn’t fully sink in until Yuta was pushing the shoji door to their room open, to reveal the single futon on the floor, wide enough to accommodate two people and looking like the most comfortable thing in the world at the moment, but a single one nonetheless.
“So yeah, guess we’d be hugging each other to sleep tonight.” Yuta was obviously joking, trying to make light of a situation that had gotten slightly out of hand, but Jaehyun didn’t miss the way his cheeks burned at his own words.
“Well, better than freezing outside.” Jaehyun shrugged, trying to reassure Yuta (and maybe himself too) that this wasn’t awkward, nope, not at all.
While the situation wasn’t the most ideal, it didn’t take away the fact that this was the first time Jaehyun was sleeping on a futon, in fact, it was his first time being in a traditional Japanese room. So between the two of them, he’d taken the whole impromptu onsen trip a little better.
Yuta watched him from the sidelines as he touched nearly everything in the room, getting to know even the smallest details, and time to time taking pictures of them too, with the patience of a saint.
“Why don’t you go check out the hot springs, since we’re here already?” Yuta smiled kindly, shrugging off his jacket and scarf but not making any move to change into the ryokan-issued yukata.
“Are you not coming?” Jaehyun didn’t need to be told twice, already reaching for the yukata after shedding off his own jacket and sweater. The younger man smirked at the way Yuta turned the other way, looking a little flustered, as soon as Jaehyun’s undershirt came off.
“I’m good here, I’m feeling extra tired so I’ll just prepare us some late dinner while you soak.” The other pulled at the neck of his sweater, like he was itching to get out of it but wasn’t comfortable enough to do so in front of Jaehyun. The latter found that interesting, considering how unapologetically shameless the Japanese had proven himself to be over the course of the trip, openly flirting at nearly every chance he got.
Jaehyun was in the process of pulling his jeans off under the yukata he’d wrapped around his body, when he processed Yuta’s words.
“Dinner? From where?”
“I packed instant noodles. Always be prepared in winter, you can never tell when you’ll be stranded in some godforsaken mountain.” Yuta had said the words with a straight face, which made the fact that he packed instant noodles in his massive backpack on what was supposedly a short day trip to the blue pond even more ridiculous.
Still, Jaehyun gave him a thumbs up for this efforts before leaving him for the hot springs, which was located outdoors. Yuta had given him the rundown on onsen etiquette earlier on so he wasn’t completely lost. He knew all of this, but as soon as he stepped a foot into the changing room, he felt unsure.
It was the first time he was doing anything without Yuta by his side, a fact that didn’t fully register until he’d gotten a peek of the hot springs from the changing room, the view nothing less than magnificent, but there was no Yuta to share it with.
—
Jaehyun was back in their room in less than an hour, and found his roommate glued to his phone under the warm kotatsu, with only his head down to his shoulders peeking out, and using the floor cushions as a pillow. He was still in his sweater, but Jaehyun could see his baggy jeans folded messily in one corner of the room.
Their late dinner, an extravagant meal of cup noodles, leftover rice crackers and free tea bags soaking in two cups of hot water were laid out on top of the kotatsu, and the smell wafting over to Jaehyun had the latter taking large strides towards his first meal of the evening.
“Throw me a cushion, will you?” Yuta sat up and wordlessly did as he was asked. He had a noticeable frown on his face, which disappeared as soon as he took in Jaehyun’s wet hair, and overall refreshed demeanour.
“How was it?”
“It was great, I feel much warmer now.” would’ve been better with you there, the younger man thought but Yuta didn’t have to know that, “you should’ve gone too, then you wouldn’t be so cold.” Jaehyun gesture towards the sweater that Yuta was still wearing.
The older man shrugged, “It’s fine, I feel comfortable in this anyway.”
Jaehyun let it go at that, despite finding the answer a bit odd, with the way Yuta had been scratching at his wrists and neck. Cheap cotton and dry skin were never a good combination, and judging from how much hand lotion Yuta used in a single day, he fulfilled at least one of those two points.
They had their dinner in silence, inhaling the food like they’d been starving for days. They exchanged a joke or two in between a game of rock paper scissors, something Yuta proposed to decide who was going to clean up (which ended up being Jaehyun).
Beat and with a full belly, Yuta was the first one to crawl into the futon, finally leaving his warm spot in the kotatsu. The older man was only in his boxers, but he’d kept his long white socks on. The look had been amusing and Jaehyun was ready to point it out when he noticed the almost anxious way Yuta had rushed to get under the covers. Yuta was anything but shy, so Jaehyun found no reason for the other to be so guarded about his state of undress around Jaehyun.
The Korean man soon joined Yuta in the futon after turning off the lights, noting how soft it was and how much better it felt than the usual hotel beds. His eyes were drooping close when Yuta had softly called his name. Jaehyun turned on his side to face the older man, and found him lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, illuminated only by the moonlight filtering through the shoji windows.
“Today had been very fun hadn’t it? I’ve never had this much fun with any other clients before.” The words were uttered in such a soft voice that Jaehyun had to wonder if he wasn’t dreaming this.
“But we’re not just a client and a guide anymore. Aren’t we friends now?” It must be the exhaustion, making him more daring than usual, but Jaehyun knew that that was something he had to say somehow. Yuta had to know that they’d gone past a professional relationship ways ago. Yuta blinked at Jaehyun’s words, turning to face his roommate as if acknowledging his presence beside him for the first time.
“Ah, you’re the first one to call me a friend too. A lot of those rich Korean clients are so snooty you know?” Jaehyun let loose a throaty laugh at that. The slighter man turned his gaze back to the ceiling.
“I’m glad I stand out in a good way then.” Silence followed and Jaehyun was convinced that Yuta had fallen asleep, when the other responded in the softest of voices.
“But it’s funny. We couldn’t be more different.” Jaehyun raised both brows in confusion, but doubted Yuta could see it in the dark, “we live in completely different worlds, Jae, that it’s almost amazing that we even met in the first place.”
Jaehyun was just about to open his mouth to contest that, because Yuta was the first person to understand him with very little effort. That there hadn’t been a need for Jaehyun to explain himself anytime during the trip because Yuta always got what he wanted even before he had to say a word. They may be different in many ways but they share laughter and emotions so easily that they might as well live in a bubble by themselves and it would be just fine.
And that Yuta made Jaehyun feel things, things he was sure Yuta felt too. But before he could share any of these, he heard the quietest of snores.
If there was anything he took away from that strange conversation, it was that there was more to the older man that what Jaehyun thought he knew, he’d probably only barely scratched the surface of the mystery that was Yuta.
That, and that Yuta man slept with his eyes half open.
—
Yuta had been right about the hugging part, Jaehyun realised in mortification the next morning. He’d woken up feeling more rested than he’d felt in a while, but also cold and overheated at the same time. A quick glance behind him explained why; Yuta had pretty much attached his entire body to Jaehyun’s back, his arm swimming in his big sweater sleeve was thrown over Jaehyun’s waist, while one of his bare legs was hooked just above the taller man’s hip.
Yuta was curled in a sort of foetal position, making himself look much smaller than he actually was. The covers had long been tossed to the foot of the futon. A spot on the other’s thigh that looked like a bruise had caught Jaehyun’s eyes, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it in his panic to fix his yukata that had gotten loose overnight, and was now pushed down his shoulders, with the bottom having ridden up to his thighs. He couldn’t think of a more awkward way to wake up.
Trying to fix his yukata in place had woken Yuta up, and while Jaehyun had been internally dying of shame, the other took one look at him, a playful grin decorating his sleepy face, and decided to help tie the yukata’s knot the way it should’ve been.
If he noticed the way Jaehyun’s face burned while Yuta’s unruly bed hair brushed against the younger man’s chin with how close they were, he was kind enough not to say a word about it.