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The night during their Christmas break was cold but cozy. At the younger friend's bedroom, the two were occupied with their own activities, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere between them. The two finally can rest in ease after their 1st sem in their 2nd year of college. Being an architecture and nursing student wasn’t easy for the both of them, So here they’re, just spending their time with each other.
Soon, Sunghoon halted from his writing when he heard someone’s singing outside of the younger’s house. Curious, he stood up from where he was sitting and walked towards the open window. Riki shifts his attention from his book to his friend, who’s currently standing in front of his window. The younger left his book on his covers, and went towards where the older one was standing.
“Hoon?”
“Why are they singing at that someone’s house?” The younger look at where the older’s pointing at. There, his eyes land on some people playing some instruments while a man sings to the woman.
“Oh them? It’s called ‘Harana’. It's particularly a dating tradition where a man will get his group of friends to help him and sing to the woman that he admires. It’s particularly courting.” Sunghoon gazed as Riki explained nonchalantly, staring deeply to the people outside.
Sensing the gaze from the other, Riki shifted his attention to the older. Tilting his head as he finds the gaze of the older baffle him.
“What? Is it your first time hearing that?”
“I was in the States during my middle school until high school remember?”
“Well yeah, but I just thought there could be a chance where your mom would tell the story of how your dad courted your mom out.”
Both of their parents were friends back then during High School up until now, which is why the two of them knew each other since diapers. Riki’s parents treating Hoon as their own, same goes for the latter’s parents. Though Hoon and his parents decided to move out of the country for a couple of years because of his father’s work abroad, though they soon came back. The two friends met again before their 1st year in college started.
“Fair enough, but it’s my first time learning this kind of courting. So I was kinda invested in what they’re doing.”
The two continued quietly watching the scene in front of them. The older find the scene amusing, while the younger watch in boredom.
“Have you also experienced this kind of courting?” The older suddenly asked.
“Huh?”
“You shared on one of our call that someone was onto you during high school, remember?” The older watch the younger as he tries to remember before nodding.
“Oh yeah—“
“Did you like it?”
“Hu— What?”
“Did you like it when he sang to you?”
The younger stared onto the older, trying to find something behind that face of his. He looked again onto the past when one of his old friend back in high school called him after dinner and asked to look outside of his bedroom’s window, there he listened and watched his old friend of his as he sang to him.
The younger though find it adorable, but only that. He didn’t feel anything that’s related to love. He didn’t feel anything but admiration. He like his old friend, but that just it.
He was only a friend to him.
Nothing more.
“I liked his performance.”
“But that just it, I like his performance
but I only find him as a friend.”
The older didn’t know how long he hold his breath.
The older didn’t know how long he stares at the younger.
The older didn’t know why he felt relieved when the younger said he only find his old friend nothing more but a friend to him.
“Here Mery— Hoon?” Riki was surprised when the people who had been caroling in front of his house abruptly vanished.
“Sorry for the sudden visit.” The older one apologized, under his massive scarf.
….I don't know if he's wearing it due to the weather, even though it’s not that cold….or he just wear it for the outfit.
“No it’s okay, my parents aren’t here by the way…anyway did you see a bunch of people here just a moment ago? I was about to give them something” Riki tried to look around the area of his neighborhood, looking if he could find them.
Riki kept on looking, until the other suddenly asked, which made the younger one turn to look at him.
“Why? Do you know them? Is that your old friend you were talking yesterday?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Riki looked at the other as if he was out of his mind.
“….Don’t tell me you shushed them away because you thought one of them was one of my old friend???”
“Kind of…? I thought they were doing the Harana to you…” Riki was stunned by the older explanation, speechless and he stare into the older.
The latter was on the verge of returning from the convenience shop to his home, which is across from the younger's. As he drew nearer, the older heard them. Unknowingly, he approached the group of people and gave them a look that caused everyone to lower their volume before hastily leaving the area.
“What were they doing anyway?” The older one asked, avoiding the younger's stare.
The older was feeling embarrassed, as he look around the area, completely avoiding the judging stare from the younger. The older didn’t even know why he gave those people a glare of his, it’s not like he remembered what the younger told his yesterday for him to glare at those poor people.
Totally not.
“They were carolling, Hoon…. Don’t tell me you don’t know that either.”
“What’s that?” The younger sighed as the older gave him a confuse look. Totally a foreign to the term.
“Basically it’s where a person or a group of people gather around and sing Christmas songs, either inside the church or outside of someone’s house, like what those people are doing before you shushed them away.”
The younger didn’t have to add the last sentence, because of it the older felt more humiliated as he let out a low chuckle before he apologized.
“Do you want to come inside? You’ve been standing there for a minutes now. And it’s basically cold tonight.” Riki offered, which Hoon denied the offer as he give him a apologetic smile showing what he bought from the store.
“I would like to, but my parents are waiting for me, wouldn’t make them wait for any longer haha.”
“Oh! Sure sure, no problem hoonie. Go home safely, okay?”
“I promise. You have a goodnight, okay?”
“HAHAHAHA yeah, you too!”
Soon, Riki watched the older walk to his house before he closed the gate of his house. Unware a smile forming because of someone that made his night better.
Hoonie
But what about me?
Riki
? What do you mean
Hoonie
What about if I sing to you? Would you like it?
Riki
hahaha don’t worry
I love all the things you do